Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Secret (3)
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I've always been curious.
Who this demon was, what goal they had, how they got inside my head.
I thought I'd never find out in my lifetime.
Because you always dodged the answers.
My heart was pounding so hard it felt audible.
Tension swelled in my chest like it was about to burst.
Roel stared at the demon.
"How do I look to you?"
She was speechless.
It was a face she knew.
"...I see why you said that."
「I'm you.」
Exactly the same, like standing before a mirror.
The demon had taken on Roel's appearance.
"I have something I want to ask."
The demon shrugged.
As if to say go ahead, opting to wait rather than answer.
Even with the stage set, Roel could only open and close her mouth for some reason.
A question she could scarcely voice. It was hesitation, fear.
She lacked the confidence to accept whatever answer might come.
"You..."
Still, she had to know.
"Are you really a demon?"
The demon stayed silent for a long while.
Simply gazing at Roel.
No expression, no emotion betrayed, just that stare.
His intentions were utterly inscrutable.
"Roel."
When the demon finally spoke again.
"You hoping it's not true at this point?"
Like preparations to wound were complete, the blunt words came without hesitation.
"Just how much of a flower garden is your head?"
"...Demon?"
"Tried to coax you gently, but I'm over it."
The demon was holding a sword now.
No idea when it had been drawn.
"Roel, how about just handing your body over to me? Demon King or whatever, I'll kill them all."
Ggrrk.
The demon approached.
Dragging the sword along the ground, languidly.
Yet the 'killing intent' was palpably real, freezing her nerves solid.
Roel realized it.
That this demon meant to kill her.
"Ah, Demon..."
It was something she'd resolved herself for.
If the demon's true goal was seizing her body, she'd have to fight back.
...She couldn't.
Resolution and action were different things.
Roel had come here prepared to erase the demon, but reality proved otherwise.
She'd wanted to believe.
"Then, training me was..."
"You heard. To preserve the vessel."
"No way. I know how hard you worked...!"
A deeply held belief overturned, truth laid bare.
In such a situation, humans have few choices.
Denial.
The natural defense kicked in for Roel too.
"Roel."
The demon wouldn't allow it.
"You're such a brat after all."
The demon assumed a stance.
The first form of Griffith-style swordsmanship.
Roel knew that motion, flaunted so openly.
Her body moved on reflex.
She barely dodged the strike aimed at her shoulder.
Rolled across the ground a few times to regain her footing, only for the blade to arrive at her nose.
"Urk...!"
She jerked her head aside in a panic.
Her cheek was deeply slashed, blood trickling down.
"Think about it rationally."
The demon said.
"You're incompetent and dumb, yet your convictions are rock-solid. What do you think happens to people like that in the end?"
Her stomach churned.
"You said you wanted to protect people."
Her breath came in gasps.
"You can't protect anyone."
Puk.
The demon's sword pierced her abdomen.
It was bizarre.
This was the inner world, yet blood flowed and pain registered.
It really felt like death.
"Because you're a weak human who hesitates between a criminal and a comrade."
But her heart ached more than the wound.
The village incident surfaced in her mind.
The final exam too.
Because she didn't want to kill, couldn't kill.
Couldn't find the courage to give up.
Because she was weak.
Already twice, she'd nearly killed precious comrades.
"So hand over your body."
For a moment, it seemed like that might be best.
This demon could truly defeat the Demon King.
Better than someone like her...
Grind.
"This is my body, you know?"
She grabbed the blade embedded in her flesh with her bare hand.
Didn't let go even as blood spurted from her grip.
The demon's startled face came into view.
"...You."
"You're right. I was stupid."
This was the demon's domain, but Roel's too.
Thus, anything the demon could do, so could she.
A sword materialized in Roel's hand.
"Now I know what really matters."
Until now, she'd fixated solely on saving people.
Thought that saving them by any means was the right answer.
It wasn't.
Throwing yourself into something beyond your capacity wasn't courage—it was foolhardiness.
If you had a sense of responsibility, you had to consider the aftermath.
So she couldn't hand her body to this demon.
Couldn't collapse. Couldn't die, especially.
To save people.
She had to survive.
Slash!
She swung her sword.
A deep gash across the chest; the demon retreated in haste.
"Come on! I'll subdue you and take all your power!"
Roel's spirited declaration.
The demon prodded at the wound, then chuckled.
"Unexpected. Didn't see this coming."
"Ha! Dressing up your fear all fancy──"
Puck!
The very next instant, the demon's fist slammed into the crown of Roel's head.
"Too cocky."
Roel's consciousness, knocked out, was expelled from the inner world.
"..."
Having driven Roel out, I was alone again.
I fiddled with the gash on my chest.
Pain flared with every touch.
"This jerk really tried to kill me..."
Second time feeling pain in this place.
First was the 'Nightmare' incident.
When dragged by those countless hands, it'd felt like my limbs would snap.
"Hm."
Basically, no fatigue, no injuries here.
But 'foreign matter' interfering seems to be an exception where I can get hurt.
...So what were those hands?
"No clue."
Haven't shown up since then, might just be me overreacting.
Yeah, right now, dealing with this wound matters more.
"Shouldn't have taken the hit."
When Roel swung, I could've dodged easily.
I tried to, but...
Figured it'd boost her confidence a ton, so I gritted my teeth and let it land.
Hurt like hell, but seeing her all proud was gratifying.
"Time to head back."
Worked hard, gotta lie down in bed.
Last time was the Saintess's lap, too.
"Wonder how she's doing."
Todays events were largely thanks to Orthella.
Her advice let me steel myself.
Sorry for being harsh on Roel, but it was necessary, so fine.
Above all, I'm not alone!
Of course, this earned me Roel's full hatred.
Irreversible now, but whatever, it's fine.
I'm not alone!
"...Someday, I want to tell her."
Hated for now. But when my role's done, I want to say it.
That I'm not some demon.
Back in the room, I flung myself onto the bed.
The soft give enveloped my back, bringing cozy warmth.
Let out a contented sigh and lounged around for a bit.
"Alright, recovery complete."
Wound's still there, but mental fatigue's gone.
I hopped up and sat at the monitor.
[ "Demon?" ]
[ "Failed." ]
[ "Phew, Roel..." ]
[ "Why? Failures happen." ]
[ "What?" ]
[ "Gonna rest a bit." ]
Roel was back to normal.
No more moping over Laila.
Resolved to apologize next semester, now focusing on rest and recovery.
Truly a splendid comeback.
I set the screen aside for now.
Next up was the Shop.
"Bought in a rush out of urgency, but gotta check."
This was right before Roel came to meet me.
Going out like that would've spelled trouble, so I'd grabbed a few skills from the Shop.
Skill, 'Disguise' purchased.
Skill, 'Killing Intent' purchased.
These skills are not shared per request.
Disguise skill to hide my face.
Killing Intent skill to mask emotions.
Setting aside earlier mess, solid skills in my book.
Didn't burn too many Points, tons of uses—reasonable buy.
"Let's see..."
I skimmed the skill descriptions, then hunted for other items.
Consumable, 'Recovery Potion' purchased.
A glass vial of red liquid appeared on the desk.
I popped the cork without a second thought and chugged the potion.
Felt the chest wound knitting shut bit by bit.
"Not bad."
Today's Point spend clocks in around 1200.
The Avatar's price feels utterly absurd again.
Remaining Points: 49,832
"Hmm."
Points piled up from meeting Roel mean I've actually got more left despite the spending.
Savoring the abundance lasted a moment before I started brooding.
What to do with all this cash.
Honestly, no pressing need for an Avatar right now.
Still got the current one in use.
Save it as is?
Sure, high-grade Avatar later would work.
Not sure it'd be worth the price, though.
"Decided."
Time to shop.
"What's the point of hoarding if nowhere to spend?"
Shop brimming with god-tier items and skills...
Skip those, blowing on Avatar's a waste too.
Time to snag some real gear.