Chapter 43. His Time (4)
Chapter 43. His Time (4)
6
Breaking through the 12th floor required nearly a thousand deaths.
From the 13th floor onward, it would require fewer deaths than that.
'Sword Emperor, old man.'
-What?
'Let's make a bet.'
-What kind of bet?
I sent the head of the first zombie that charged at me flying. Slash! The zombie's neck, already rotting as it was, sliced apart under my blade like soft tofu. Facing the dozens, hundreds, thousands of zombies charging ferociously at me, I said,
'Let's bet on how many times I'll die pushing through to the 19th floor.'
-Hm.
The guardian spirit stroked his chin.
-Okay. I'll bet on 100 or fewer!
I grinned.
'Then I'll bet on 99 or fewer.'
-Wow, you cheap bastard. You want to be petty like that? Huh?
'Yes. I do want to be petty like that.'
The guardian spirit snickered.
-Fine. Let's just watch this zombie bastard hunt his own kind. Do your best! But a bet's a bet, so I'm not helping you this time. Deal?
'Deal.'
I smiled as I watched the endless horde of zombies swarming toward me.
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
I died smiling.
.
.
.
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
"Ugh, first of all, we need to do something about these numbers... Witch, can't you do any more?"
"I'm already doing my best. I'm the only one here with an area-of-effect skill, aren't I? But it's hard. More importantly, Death King, can't you use your skill for a counter-offensive?"
"Ah, of course I'll use that too. But the cooldown isn't ready right now... I can use it after about 3 coins."
"What's a coin?"
"It's a thing. Hm, anyway... Oh? Wait, this thing on the minimap... Ah! Sword Saint! Could you break through over there!? That big lid that looks like a sarcophagus! There's something I need to check!"
"What do you need to check?"
"I'll explain later, so just do it for now! I'm the prophet! Okay?"
"Hmm......."
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
"Okay! Sword Saint! That sarcophagus over there is actually a secret passage. And underneath it, there's a hammer with an undead-slaying effect! Go with the Witch and grab it and use it!"
"This man has walked the single path of the sword his whole life, you know......."
"It has an area-of-effect enchantment! If you channel aura into it and slam the ground, it lays down a field and wipes out the zombies! Okay?"
"How do you know that?"
"I'm the prophet! Okay?"
"No, good grief......."
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
"The zombies are mostly handled with that, and now the demon king—ah, what's that now?"
"A zombie. A giant one. So this man is thinking it must be a zombie giant."
"Hmm. This temple clearly looks like it has a long history... So it's probably something like a giant divine soldier that once guarded this temple. It was defeated by the demon king and became his subordinate... something like that. If the Heretic Questioner were here, he'd probably have looked into it more thoroughly......."
"Wow, does that guy know about religions of other worlds too? He's not an SSS-rank religious person for nothing."
"It's all skill."
"Well, that's what proves SSS-rank, I suppose."
"How unpleasant. Must we really bring up that worthless bastard? Anyway, this man will handle that giant."
"Yes, Sword Saint. Please do!"
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
"Anyway, this man will handle that giant."
"No, Sword Saint. Please keep suppressing the zombies with your field skill."
"Look here, that giant would be a fine test for this man's sword......."
"I'm the prophet! I'm the prophet! Okay?"
"No, really... Hah. Then who will face that giant?"
"The Witch, of course. Please hit that zombie giant's eye with your beam."
"I was already planning to. It's an eye that makes you want to hit it. Having one big eye is practically begging to be shot at."
"Perfect! Let's go!"
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
"Anyway, that giant, this man will—"
"Hundred Ghost Summoning!"
"Good heavens. Death King, does that skill of yours have no cooldown?"
"It's kind of like that... Now, the two of you just need to handle the giant. But Witch, there's just one thing I want to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Don't hit the eye."
"Why not?"
"Because something terrible will happen."
"But Death King. Look at that one-eyed giant zombie. Look at that huge eyeball. Do you see it?"
"Yes... I'm looking at it. I know that eye really looks like it's begging to be hit too. But no."
"Why not? That... eye, Death King....... If you could shoot beams like me, and you saw a giant with an eyeball like that......."
"I acknowledge it... Witch. If I were you, and someone told me not to hit that eye, I'd argue like crazy too. I don't have time to explain the reason right now... but please. Okay?"
"Ugh......."
"Let's just follow what this young friend says for now, Witch."
"Sword Saint, even you......."
"This young friend says he's a prophet. Let's just follow along for now."
"...Fine. ...I will do my best... not to hit the eyeball."
"Thank you!"
We ran. We fought. We saved each other. Sometimes we hid and let time pass.
We said many things.
We did many things.
-My children......!
And so we broke the zombies that dwelled in the temple.
-My general......!
And so we defeated the one-eyed giant who must have existed as a legend back when this temple served as the shield of the mountain range.
-Aaaaaah......!
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
And then.
[Demon King of Fall Rain retreats to the 14th floor!]
Once again, we pushed the demon king to the next floor.
Just like on the 12th floor, droplets of light scattered through the air.
The temple situated at the very center of the boundary line that split the continent gleamed like a freshly polished shield.
Hymns rang out along with the bells. Merchants from the east passed by on horseback, and merchants from the west rode strange birds that walked on two legs, exchanging greetings as they went. The Paladins sparred fervently, clashing their hammers together, and the orphans entrusted to the temple stole glances at those merchants with eyes of admiration, and at the Paladins with eyes of reverence, until the priests grabbed them by the ears and dragged them off to the chapel.
And from a vantage point overlooking the temple, the one-eyed giant sat perched on the mountain ridge as if it were a chair, wearing a bored expression. Whenever clouds resembling sheep's wool drifted past his head, he blinked his huge eye and sneezed.
"Lord Mountain sneezed!"
The face of the orphan chattering excitedly held no fear. The priest cuffed the orphan on the head as a warning, then bowed deeply toward the one-eyed giant.
The one-eyed giant grinned and waved his hand at the priest.
Ah.
"Death King."
Hm.
"Yes... Witch. Let's go. Now then, Sword Saint, are you ready?"
"Wait a moment. That merchant over there is selling a fine whetstone."
Sword Saint bought the whetstone. While he sharpened his sword, I turned my gaze away from the giant and looked at the world map.
The red lands that had been carved away were writhing, as if they might surge back at any moment.
Even so, there was enough time for Sword Saint to sharpen his sword on the whetstone.
That much was enough.
"Death King."
The Witch took my hand. Sword Saint, having finished sharpening his sword, immediately took the Witch's hand as well.
"Teleport."
Once again, light enveloped us.
"Hm. The 14th floor is a forest. The demon king... seems to have hidden himself."
"Be careful. I can feel killing intent from all directions."
"Indeed. Let's go slowly, slowly."
[You have died.]
[Regressing 24 hours into the past.]
.
.
.
And so, in the cursed forest, we broke the demon king who commanded a corrupted elf lord.
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
[Demon King of Fall Rain retreats to the 15th floor!]
.
.
.
And so, at the waterfall that flowed in reverse, we defeated the demon king who commanded a mermaid queen.
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
[Demon King of Fall Rain retreats to the 16th floor!]
.
.
.
And so, at the summit of the erupted volcano, we repelled the demon king who commanded wyverns.
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
[Demon King of Fall Rain retreats to the 17th floor.......]
History regresses.
To before the demon king's army invaded the empire.
To before they invaded not only the empire but many other nations.
To before the temple called the Goddess's Shield was shattered.
To before the fairy forest was cursed, to before the mermaid's waterfall flowed in reverse, to before the ancient volcano erupted.
To before, to before.
To an era before the demon king reigned as the absolute lord of evil.
Fleetingly.
Like a wave swallowed by another wave, fading into a single drop of foam.
Like a flower petal falling.
Each time we climbed the Tower, the demon king's dominion shrank, and each time we climbed the Tower, the demon king's power weakened.
[The existence of the Demon King of Fall Rain grows faint.]
Just as the demon king of the 13th floor was weaker than the one on the 12th floor.
The demon king of the 14th floor was weaker than the one on the 13th floor.
The demon king of the 15th floor was weaker than the one on the 14th floor.
Weaker like that. A little more. Little by little.......
[You have died.]
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
[The existence of the Demon King of Fall Rain grows faint.]
[You have died.]
[The Demon King of Fall Rain resolves to retreat.]
[The existence of the Demon King of Fall Rain grows faint.]
.
.
.
-You bastard!
Ninety-seven times.
The 19th floor, reached at the end of the 97th death, was the unknown outskirts of some nameless small country.
-You bastard!
In that desolate land, the demon king howled.
Not at Sword Saint, nor at the Witch.
The one the demon king glared at while grinding his teeth was none other than me.
-If it weren't for you!
Eyes bloodshot with rage.
-It's because of you! It's all your fault! If only the proper procedure had been... Yes! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened! How dare you! A mere sword-wielder who crossed over from another world.......
I drew my sword.
"Hey, now I can finally see your eyes."
-What did you......?
"I mean exactly what I said. I had to come all the way here just to see what your eyeballs look like."
Right.
Originally, the Demon King of Fall Rain had no eyes.
The demon king was a squirming shadow. He had a face but no expression. He had arms but no hands. Filthy water. His entire body was covered in endlessly bubbling black ichor.
That was how it had been.
"Does that make any sense?"
At last, the demon king's mask had cracked.
"The demon king and the hero never even once locking eyes. It's a tragedy that truly makes no sense."
A part that the filthy water could no longer cover had finally appeared. Eyes bloodshot with rage. Though they leaked a venomous killing intent... that gaze did not frighten me. Rather, I was glad to see it.
I aimed the tip of my sword at the demon king.
"Come at me with everything you've got."
-You wretch.......
"Or run away again. Hey, aren't you curious? How much weaker you'll get if you run this time."
-.......
"If you don't come at me with full force now, you can't win."
Even setting aside the reward I would gain from clearing the 19th floor, the demon king of the 20th floor would ultimately be infinitely weak.
-You dare say such things to me... How dare you. A hyena that gnawed at my flesh, what could you possibly know.......
A growl like a curse.
A shadow wandering, having lost its way, was there.
I slowly opened my mouth.
"Estelle."
He flinched.
The demon king's red eyes widened.
"I warned you to come at me with everything you've got."
-.......
"If you don't."
And I kicked off the ground.
A scream burst out.
Black ichor splattered.
"My time will grow longer than your history."
Listening to the scream of the demon king, Estelle, I glared.
Straight ahead.
Toward the path I would advance upon.
