It’ll Work Out Somehow
"W-Wait. Either way, my body can't handle your presence right now. I'd probably drop dead the moment we meet, you know?"
Desperately racking my brain for an excuse to stop the Demon King from coming directly to me, I ended up letting my persona slip entirely.
Worse yet, the excuse I'd scraped together was completely useless.
If merely crossing paths with her resulted in the instant death of every human, how could the Demon King possibly have enjoyed indulging in her games among mortals?
"There's no need to worry! If I control myself well... Ah! But in front of you, I don't think I'll be able to contain my emotions! Still, I want to meet you, I want to meet you so badly I can hardly stand it...! Just your voice isn't enough! What kind of expression are you making right now? What are you thinking? What about your gestures? Your hands? Your feet? There is so, so much I want to ask! When you killed me, what kind of face did I make, and what did I say? When I killed you, what kind of face did you make, and what did you say? Even for someone like me, I have only one life, so how could we have killed each other over and over? Ah, ahhh...! I want to see. I want to feel...! So entertain me more! Fluster me! Enrage me! Annoy me! Frustrate me! I want it! Everything I could never feel! Everything I have never experienced, I want it all!"
"Calm the hell down, you crazy bitch."
Cursing at the nonsensical raving blaring directly into my ears, I let out a heavy sigh and kicked my brain into overdrive.
It seemed I had provoked the Demon King far more than expected... Was there any way to slip through this mess smoothly?
"......"
Nope. Not a chance.
For a split second, I considered running away... but knowing her, she wouldn't rest until she had met me one way or another. Whether it was a future where I went to her or one where she came to me, one of those two outcomes was guaranteed to happen.
No, realistically, I wouldn't even be able to get far.
It wasn't as if the Demon King held the authority over spacetime just for show.
"Ssshp... Phew..."
Then let's shift perspectives entirely. Fundamentally, a Demon King was a target meant to be subjugated. In other words, an entity that had to be killed to reach the ending.
Of course, that was originally the duty of the protagonist, the Hero... but unlike the Demon God, a Demon King could be killed even without the Holy Sword.
Meaning that as long as one could match her martial might, it didn't necessarily have to be the Hero.
Furthermore, having crossed into the Divine Realm, the Demon King was bound to be severely weakened right now... In other words, this might just be an absurdly easy, once-in-a-lifetime freebie.
...Even so, a Demon King was still a Demon King.
The bloody aftermath of her countless 'games' stood as irrefutable proof of her martial might even within the Divine Realm.
Did I have a way to stand against such a monster? Let alone kill her?
"......"
After brooding for a moment, I let out a deep sigh and took a drag from my cigarette.
The storm of conflict and agonizing doubts swirling within my chest was cleanly dispersed along with the long stream of smoke I blew out.
Whatever.
It'll work out somehow.
If I fail, I can just kill myself.
There was no reason to let Return through Death gather dust, after all.
"Heh, fine. Let's do that. Layla, Vilas, Eusebia, my friend. I shall come to meet you in person."
"Really?! For real?!"
Right, when had I ever moved according to plan anyway?
From the very beginning, stumbling all the way here had been entirely mindless and reckless.
Even if it were the Demon God appearing before me instead of a Demon King, it wouldn't change my basic stance.
It wasn't as if I feared death... and if whatever I did was no different from bashing my head against a brick wall, then trying everything I could was the only way to avoid regrets.
"Since we're quite a distance apart, you'll have to wait about a day. You can manage that much, can't you?"
"Of course! A day is nothing more than an instant to me! I shall await your arrival, Stanashila Aljen!"
"Yeah. I'll be there soon."
Ending the communication, I gulped down a swallow of liquor under the intense, wide-eyed stares of my party.
"Phew... Well, seeing as that's how it turned out, I need to make a hasty departure. Vanes Clock, could you arrange some horses for me?"
"...Strictly speaking, this is an issue for the Adventurer Guild. I fail to understand how the conversation progressed toward Lord Aljen meeting some unidentified figure."
"No, this is a problem for every single race living in the Divine Realm. My opponent is a Demon King."
"...Excuse me?"
Vanes Clock's expression went blank.
Her piercing gaze scrutinized me, trying to gauge whether my words were the truth, so I waved my hand dismissively. Only then did she regain her senses, bowing her head in a silent apology.
Yet unlike her half-believing skepticism, the faces of my companions were frozen rigid.
"A Demon King... is it?"
"The Demon King, huh... I wonder if my blades will bite."
"A Demon King?! Th-then we're in serious trouble...!"
Muriel released a quiet, chilling battle aura as if steeling her resolve; Rebecca fiddled with the hilts of her twin swords, her eyes ablaze with steadfast conviction; and Cacciola, though horrified, shivered without doubting my claim for even a second.
"......"
"...If it's truly a Demon King, that's not an opponent we can handle on our own. Shouldn't we contact the Church?"
Lira bit her lip tightly, shifting her gaze between Weller and Vivian, while Weller proposed a practical measure to resolve the crisis.
A chuckle escaped me at the fact that not a single one of them doubted my word.
Well, even so, the person they believed in was 'Stanashila Aljen.'
Forcing that cynical thought into my mind, I downed another heavy swig of booze to wash away the mushy, fluttering emotions inside me, then spoke in an even voice.
"None of you need to worry. I intend to go meet that bastard alone."
Taking them along wouldn't be much help anyway.
If it were after I had leveled them up sufficiently, that might be another story, but to them right now, a Demon King was an overwhelmingly colossal entity.
"What?"
"That is out of the question, Lord Aljen!"
The instant Weller questioned me, Rebecca shot up from her seat, closing the distance in long strides to thrust her face forward.
"I have been commissioned as your bodyguard, Lord Aljen! I will not leave your side for even a single moment!"
"Then consider this a second request. Wait here."
"I refuse!"
"You're refusing without even a valid reason? Is Leona's medicine worth only that much to you?"
"Ugh...?! Bringing that up is foul play! Regardless, absolutely not! I will never let you go alone!"
"She speaks the truth, Lord Aljen."
Following Rebecca's outcry without missing a beat, Muriel pressed close to my side.
"I am Lord Aljen's escort and maid. While my master ventures into perilous territory, I cannot possibly remain behind in safety."
"It's an order."
"I refuse."
"Haah... Just listen to me for once..."
"I shall carry out any order, so long as it is reasonable."
"Always talking back, aren't you..."
Exasperated, I knocked back another mouthful of liquor and nodded toward Lira.
"Lira. You stay here with Sister Weller and Vivian."
"...Understood."
"Not that it would happen, but if they try to follow me, stop them by force if necessary."
"Yes, my lord."
As I nodded upon hearing her resolute reply, I felt a gentle tug pulling downward on my sleeve.
"Orabeoni... Do you really have to go there? If it's a dangerous place, can't you just not go?"
"She's right, Aljen. I have no idea why a Demon King suddenly appeared out of nowhere, nor do I know what her goal is, but there's no reason for you to risk your life to meet her, is there?"
I shrugged at Weller's words.
"She said she'd come here if I didn't go. Since I'm the one who provoked her, shouldn't I take responsibility? I'd appreciate it if you showed some respect for my noble spirit of sacrifice."
"Since when did you ever possess such a spirit? You're someone who couldn't care less whether other people live or die. No, in fact, you'd be the one standing at the front slaughtering them."
"......"
It was unpleasant.
To be looked at as Stanashila Aljen, and to be treated as Stanashila Aljen.
Yet having no grounds to refute her, I forced the corners of my mouth upward and shrugged once more.
"What's this, are you worried about me right now? I'm touched, sister."
"Ha! Who's worried about you? It's just that if you die, things will become annoying in all sorts of ways. All the blame will fall squarely on me. What on earth am I supposed to tell Father?"
"Don't worry. Father probably won't be in any state of mind to care about that."
"What...? What does that mean? Eek?!"
"Lord Aljen?!"
The moment I slipped my hand straight down into Weller's exposed cleavage, she let out a shriek, while Lira flailed in utter bewilderment.
"Hmm...? Not here? I could've sworn I saw you stash it here... Ah, found it."
"Y-You bastard...?!"
Rummaging through her deep, generous cleavage, I fished out what I was looking for and flashed a grin. Her face flushed bright crimson, Weller clutched her chest with both hands and glared daggers at me.
"Mind if I borrow this?"
"You... you filthy fucking beast...! Are you getting in heat over your own family now?! You could have just asked for it!"
"Are you the kind of person who listens when spoken to nicely, sister? That's why I had to resort to this. It's not like I enjoyed doing it."
Smirking, I lightly fluttered the hand that had just been buried between her breasts.
"Though I must say, sister, your future baby's lunchboxes are looking exceptionally sturdy. You inherited Mother's blood remarkably well. Well, before thinking about kids, you ought to get married first. Aren't you already pushing the limit on age? You really ought to hurry up before—"
"Die!"
Screeech!
An icicle hurtling straight for my face was instantly pulverized into fine dust by Muriel's dagger and Rebecca's sword.
"Haa, haa...!"
"Hehehe. Calm down a bit. Anyway, I'll be taking this."
Waving the communication artifact in my hand, I rose to my feet.
"O-Orabeoni...!"
"Vivian. I'll be fine, so stay here quietly with big sister, alright?"
"N-No! I'd rather come with you!"
"Out of the question."
"Then you can't go either, Orabeoni! Why are you volunteering to walk into danger?! There's no need for you to do that! I can't understand this at all!"
"Well... I wonder why indeed. I don't understand it either. Haha."
Gulp!
My throat kept parching, forcing me to drink again.
"Phew..."
Downing another hefty gulp of liquor, I gently pried Vivian off me and handed her over to Lira.
"N-No! Orabeoni! Orabeoni!"
Ignoring Vivian's frantic cries and Weller's searing glare, I walked out of the office and gave Vanes Clock a meaningful look.
Catching on swiftly, she followed after me alongside Muriel, Rebecca, and Cacciola.
"...I can have the horses prepared immediately. However, Lord Aljen... are you truly intending to go? At the very least, you should take personnel from the Adventurer Guild..."
"That would only result in everyone dying."
"Would the same not apply to you, Lord Aljen?"
"I'll be fine. I won't die."
"How can you be so certain? If your words are to be believed, your opponent is a Demon King."
"Hunch. Well, even if I'm wrong, what's the worst that could happen? I die, that's all."
"...If so, why go this far?"
"Haha, I really wonder why."
Parroting the very words I had given Vivian, I watched Vanes Clock stare at me in silence, hesitating as if torn by inner conflict.
"Vanes Clock. I understand how you feel. You are a thoroughly good and righteous person, so you naturally feel aversion to sending me off alone."
"......"
"However, I am not a good and righteous person like you. If anything, I'm a villain. You must have heard those filthy rumors about me, haven't you? Every last one of them is true. I'm the kind of scum who deserves to die."
"That has nothing to do with this matter. Even if you were an evil man, that is no reason to send you alone to your death."
"Haah... I told you, I'll be fine. Vanes Clock, look at it simply. If you stop me here right now, every single human in this city will die. Conversely, if you let me go, only one person dies: me."
Staring straight into her eyes, I tilted my head sideways.
"Isn't it obvious which one you should choose?"
"Urgh, but that's...!"
After a moment of fierce internal turmoil, she bit her lower lip hard and hung her head low.
"...I will prepare the horses."
"Mm. Right. Thanks."
Patting her shoulder, I ambled toward the exit of the Adventurer Guild.
Behind me, Muriel, Rebecca, and Cacciola followed in silence.
"...Muriel, Rebecca. Are you two seriously following me?"
"Of course."
"Please do not repeatedly ask what is already obvious. I will follow you even in death."
"Even if I beg you on my knees and make it an absolute order?"
"Then I, too, shall desperately beg and plead with you."
"The same goes for me."
"...Rebecca. You have Leona waiting for you back home. Is it really okay for you to stake your life so casually?"
"Leona will understand. She is a strong and clever child."
"Haah..."
A bitter smile crept onto my lips at their unshakable, resolute stances.
"...By the way, Cacciola. Why are you tagging along?"
"H-Huh? Ah, well, that's..."
After glancing around cautiously, she clenched her fists with a slightly aggrieved look.
"You promised to help me avenge my family. But if you die, what happens to that...?"
"Hmm, I'm pretty sure Sister Weller would grant that request if you asked her."
"Ugh, th-that lady is a bit..."
Having previously been nearly killed after hurling insults at Weller, she was clearly terrified of her.
"So you're following me for that? I'm telling you seriously: you're going to die."
"...That's fine."
Pausing to think for a beat, a forlorn, melancholy smile crossed her somewhat gloomy face.
"In fact, that might actually be easier. Life is hell anyway... and I hate fluttering around like a bat from one side to another. So, I'm betting everything on you, Stanashila Aljen."
"Is that so? Well, do whatever you want."
Just as our conversation wrapped up, Vanes Clock could be seen leading horses toward us.
As if she had overheard our discussion, she brought along four steeds.
"...Lord Aljen. May I ask you one question?"
"Hm? What is it, Muriel?"
"If I were to say that I would stop you even if it means using physical force, would that trouble you?"
Looking at her with a flabbergasted expression, I broke into a slight cold sweat.
"...It would trouble me. A whole damn lot."
"Is that so..."
Muriel glanced sideways at Rebecca, whose eyes promptly met hers.
The two women exchanged silent intentions through an unspoken gaze.
"Hey, don't you two go getting any funny ideas, alright?"
I tensed up, ready to activate the Absolute Ring set if worse came to worst, but both women merely let out a soft chuckle.
Fortunately, they didn't try to forcibly subdue and confine me or anything like that.
I still had no idea what that meaningful exchange of glances had been about, though.
"Good grief... Ah, before we leave, let's stop by a fruit stand."
"A fruit stand?"
"Yeah. The Demon King happens to love fruit. Think of it as a gift."
"......"
"......"
Muriel and Rebecca's expressions warped into something utterly bizarre, but paying them no mind, I swung myself onto the horse Vanes Clock had brought over.