Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts Are Heard
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The Dullahan was watching Astal's match, unable to hide his discomfort.
— The Four Heavenly Kings who are here now seem to have become Death Knights by begging the Demon King to spare their lives….
It was all because of the words Astal had just spat out.
Being forced to recall memories of the past, so old he could no longer even remember them, was not a pleasant feeling.
"You think you wouldn't do the same…."
A sigh flowed from the flame flickering atop the Dullahan's neck.
At times like this, he bitterly regretted not having a head of his own.
Normally, he could have frowned or expressed his displeasure with anger while watching Astal's actions.
But this was a mark of his defeat by the Demon King,
equivalent to having his arms and legs severed so he could never dream of revenge again.
The Dullahan leaned back in his comfortable, plush chair,
lamenting his own body, which was nothing but armor.
"…I miss it. I had times like that too."
The Dullahan muttered as he watched Astal claim his first victory in the arena.
The hero's party, moving forward with the support and trust of reliable comrades, their eyes showing no trace of despair.
Once, the Dullahan too had been filled with such hope, believing he could overthrow the Demon King.
"The Demon King Ergothum is not a creature you can defeat so easily. He is a being close to a nameless god."
The Dullahan could not forget the moment he first faced the Demon King Ergothum.
Even though so much time had passed that his own name, friends, comrades, and lover had faded from his memory.
For the sight of him, with white hair and bleeding, kneeling on his knees and praying with multiple arms, was something that defied being called human.
A god beyond human reason.
His form was closer to divinity than filth, to the point it was easy to mistake him for a creature like a butterfly newly emerged from its cocoon.
"…Before him, everyone will turn to dust, and you will beg with all your might, hands and feet scrambling, just to be spared."
The Dullahan, the first hero, realized upon seeing the Demon King Ergothum
that he was a being closer to a god than a demon king.
For Ergothum was surrounded by demons and monsters who, like followers of a prophet from myth, closed their eyes and prayed alongside him.
Among them were fanatics who tore the corners of their own mouths in madness or burst their own eyes to shed tears of blood.
It was commonly believed that a Demon King was the leader of evil, at the forefront of slaughtering and killing humans.
But what lay before his eyes was a scene so sublime,
a spectacle of flowers and fields in full, extravagant bloom.
"You too will taste despair, Astal. The Demon King is a being who can sever the heads of everyone here with the flick of a finger."
The Dullahan superimposed Astal's comrades over his past memories.
There had been heroes who, much like his current self, spewed blood from their necks and turned into cold corpses.
Now, so much time had passed
that he couldn't even remember their proper names or faces,
but it was certain their composition was similar to Astal's hero party.
One saint, one hero, one mage, one warrior.
The Dullahan stroked the ring on his left ring finger, recalling the cherished memory once more.
"Even if it's a comrade you treasure, or a lover."
It was a token of a promise to marry once the Demon King was vanquished,
to live out the rest of their lives together in a peaceful world.
But now, there was no one left to keep that promise.
"…Perhaps you know? You too, like me, might stab your lover's heart with a sword while begging only for your own life to be spared."
The Dullahan spoke, his gaze fixed on his own holy sword, now faded, thinking of the bloodstains that never washed away no matter how much he scrubbed.
The sacred sword that had slain countless evils, demons, and monsters could inflict no damage on the Demon King.
And the sight of Ergothum meticulously crushing his comrades one by one, or severing limbs to leave them writhing like overturned bugs, was a tragedy too horrific to be a laughing matter.
In the end, the Dullahan killed the first-generation Saint before the Demon King's eyes,
and in exchange, swore allegiance and became a Death Knight.
And this was also the reason Heavenly God Lumina forbade subsequent Saints from physical contact with men.
For the terrible incident where even the child in her womb was killed by the hand of the man she loved was something Lumina never wanted repeated.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As I finished off my opponent Sahart and prepared for the next match, the atmosphere inside the arena began to change subtly.
Whether it was because of the slander I'd uttered about the Dullahan at the end, or because I hadn't yielded an inch against a monster that appeared strong, I couldn't tell.
"The wi, winner is—! The Mad Mage, Astal Caeseros! What an incredible display of magic! Who would have thought enlargement magic could be used like this!"
The Siren handling the commentary maintained a brief silence, then, confirming the match was over, properly announced the result.
No matter how much they were demons or monsters, seeing an opponent who could slaughter them as easily as crushing ants might have brought them to their senses.
"Ugh… ughaa… kill… me…."
Sahart, crushed under my enlarged form until he was unrecognizable, groaned in agony, screaming for me to finish him off.
Seeing him like that made me feel a little sorry for him, but he was already a dead man walking.
It was just the characteristic of the Forsaken Hollow—being unable to die no matter what—that kept Sahart from death.
Horned demons approached Sahart's vicinity, gathering flesh, blood, and all else, moving him outside the territory.
"What the hell, didn't you say Sahart would definitely win?"
"Until now, all the humans who came to the arena were weaklings. Even if they're a hero's party, I thought the talk of them killing demons and monsters was just rumors."
The losers are taken outside the territory to meet their death.
Having clearly witnessed that sight, the beings in the spectator seats buzzed with chatter, their voices shifting their evaluation of me.
"I bet on Astal from the start! You idiots!"
"Yeah, I heard this hero's party was different from the start. That guy also killed Belamora, one of the Four Heavenly Kings."
Some were cheering for me based on emotion rather than reason,
while others were changing their minds after hearing the tales of our heroism spreading throughout the demon realm.
"Who cares! As long as they kill each other and entertain us, it doesn't matter!"
And some were cheering for me for the pleasure and excitement the battle brought. It was as if their brains were located in their lower halves instead of their heads; the creatures here seemed to follow instinct over reason.
"Fight and kill! Fight and kill! The weak have no right to survive!"
After a brief commotion, a loud voice echoed, reigniting the chant of the Forsaken Hollow and urging the matches to continue.
—[…Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?]
Into my ear came Victoria's voice, softer than anyone's. Clearly, Anima the Spirit Mage had lent a wind spirit, allowing her and me to converse.
"Of course. The opponent was a weakling."
— Still, don't let your guard down too much. It'd be a disaster if you died.
Through a small bird formed from a swirl of green vortex, Victoria chirped at me, begging me never to die.
"I won't die until I've taken the Dullahan's head, so don't worry."
— It's annoying how you always prioritize revenge over me… Shouldn't you say you won't die for the sake of your adorable lover at a time like this?
Hearing Victoria's sulky tone, I couldn't help but smile, finding it cute.
The Saint who had maintained a cynical attitude toward me when we first met—when had she become so expressive of her love for me?
— Don't laugh!! I can't just kidnap this stubborn man somewhere….
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know you'd still act coy like that."
— If you understand, give me a deep kiss when this is all over. No, I'll ask for a proper kiss.
"Sure, if I can make it back alive from here."
I burst into laughter and stroked the spirit mimicking Victoria's voice. Having completed its task, it let out a 'chirp' and flew back into the spectator seats.
And then, when the name of my next opponent was called, I couldn't believe the harsh reality.
"The next opponent to kill the Mad Mage is…! Our eternal warrior, the Orc Barbarian Gragtarr!"
The being who had been friendlier to me than anyone these past few days.
The only monster who had treated me, a human, with goodwill was approaching me, revealing his large axe and green skin.
"Gragtarr…?"
"So it's come to this! I hope for a fight with no regrets! Astal!"
Gragtarr couldn't hide his regretful expression,
and just like when we first met, he extended his hand for a handshake.
"…Did the Dullahan arbitrarily change the match-up?"
"Probably! Must be because you blabbed his secret!"
Gragtarr laughed heartily as if confirming my thoughts. If anything, he seemed to find it satisfying that he could get one over on the Dullahan.
"That bastard has a refined hobby of making close friends fight each other! You don't need to feel sorry!"
Hearing that, I began racking my brain for a way to let Gragtarr survive.