Chapter 37
Chapter 37 - It's a repeat, a repeat!
When I came to my senses, I was already in Halcenberg Castle.
I found myself back in the middle of the audience chamber.
"... Why?"
While I was sitting there blankly staring at the ground for a while, suddenly such a voice came from above.
"......"
When I looked up, there was Leila.
She must have detected the magical power summoning me into the castle, or sensed my presence.
In her right hand was the broom blade I'd seen countless times, and in her left hand was a massive iron ball.
Though I'd never seen this sight in this life.
If you change the background to a sewer, it was a frustratingly familiar sight.
I couldn't help but snicker.
“Well. Though I tried to leave secretly. Seems like everyone found out where I went?”
"Why did you come back alone?"
She was crying.
Kiiing! She held the broom blade to my neck while tears streamed down her face.
I didn't make any moves. I glanced at the blade once, then met Leila's gaze, which was sharper than the blade itself.
Leila spoke first with a voice full of hatred.
"Last night. Master talked about you."
"......"
"Said you were truly a special person. That perhaps that person was the true hero... might be the one to save us from this hell. Though he didn't know why, he felt certain about it. Even though he was betrayed... he couldn't help but feel hopeful again."
"......"
"Then this morning, both of you disappeared. While we were waiting anxiously, just now an enormous wave of ancient magic was detected from the undead's territory in the north."
I didn't answer. More precisely, I couldn't.
The atmosphere suggested she'd slice my neck if I so much as opened my mouth.
"... So that's what happened."
I muttered to myself, slowly tearing open the front of my shirt. Then I started scribbling something on it.
Though a torn shirt and blood weren't ideal writing tools, thanks to the person before me, I'd gotten used to writing in blood.
The letters were quickly taking shape on the shirt tail.
"... Don't want to speak?"
As I was finishing the blood writing.
Pook! The blade suddenly stabbed into my left shoulder. I jumped up without even being able to scream.
Thud thud. Blood leaked out when Leila pulled out the blade. She emotionlessly shook the blood off the blade.
Then she muttered as if spitting out the words.
"Is this the price of Master's final trust?"
"......"
"Are heroes... are otherworlders all like this no matter who or where they're from?"
"......"
"Just how much do you have to take from me before you're satisfied?"
When I kept responding with silence, Leila seemed to realize the conversation was pointless.
Suddenly her form disappeared from view.
Kaang!
Sword met sword.
The sword that had pierced my gut countless times was blocked surprisingly easily, almost ridiculously so.
"Why! You people! Just why!! Why won't you leave us alone!! Just why!!!"
Leila charged like a beast while screaming. However.
Kaang, kaang, kha kaang! None of her countless attacks reached past the Bestak I'd raised.
I was rather surprised at how one-sided the battle was.
"Heeit!"
I could clearly see Leila's attacks. Even her emotions growing more intense as her attacks missed were clearly conveyed.
I gracefully deflected Leila's attacks while conserving energy as much as possible. Despite having already lost one shoulder, the gap between her and me was obvious.
So this is the difference dozens of levels make. I realized that.
"Just die!!!"
At some point, she stopped her broom attacks.
She spun the iron ball in the air, then threw it at my face. The iron ball created sonic booms as it instantly filled my vision.
I slowly raised Bestak vertically and.
"Seven Sword Pierce."
Pipipiping!
I simultaneously shot out magic swords in seven directions. At the same time, I shot straight forward.
The iron ball Leila had thrown was already split in half by my Bestak.
"You... coward!"
Leila immediately let go of the iron ball's chain and quickly dodged the magic swords.
Pajijik! Sparks flew asserting their presence wherever the swords struck.
Leila barely avoided the magic swords with movements close to artistry, but eventually the last one grazed her right waist.
Puhak. Blood scattered in the air. Leila lost her balance for a moment from the pain and fell face-first to the floor.
"Kuhk... th-this..."
Splitting the iron ball in two while simultaneously attacking from seven directions.
This is Seven Sword Pierce... one of the broken aspects of the Border Duke's skills.
Though it's close to a sword technique, the direction the sword is swung has no relation to the direction the magic swords fly.
A technique only the Magic Swordsman Border Duke could use.... No.
Now that he's gone, only I can use this technique.
"Not yet... I'm not done yet...!"
Leila barely got up while gritting her teeth but.
Kiiing! This time I held Bestak to her neck.
"......"
"......"
The situation was the exact opposite of before.
I smiled at the irony. Then shook my head and lowered my sword.
For a moment Leila's eyebrows twitched. Then her gaze filled with humiliation and hatred as she looked at me.
"... I'll pass on your pity. Just kill me." Leila bit her lip. It seems she thinks I'm pitying her.
Don't misunderstand. I'm not foolish enough to pity someone who killed me 21 times.
That would make me not just foolish but an idiot.
I stared at her quietly while grinning like a madman.
And said.
"Am I crazy? I just hate bothersome things."
"... Bothersome?"
"Killing you has no meaning. It'll just become something that never happened anyway."
"Something that, never happened?"
In that moment, uncontrollable killing intent burst from Leila's eyes.
Whether from anger, Leila's hands were trembling madly. She gripped the dark blade tightly with those hands.
Blood trickled down as Leila's palms were torn, but paying no mind, she strode towards me.
"How can it become something that never happened? Your thuggery. The fall of this castle. Gwyn going mad! The Madam dying!! And! The Master passing away!!!"
Slash! Along with Leila's cry, the broomstick blade flew.
I stared at it indifferently.
If I just put a little strength into my hand holding Bestak here. That delicate neck would fly off along with her fingers.
And not stopping there, I would block her final strike.
'For escaping... there's no better timing than now.'
Kill Leila too. Lord Margrave is gone. If I want to leave this castle, there's no one to stop me.
This is a golden chance to practically get handed a legendary difficulty quest.
'Leila. You damn sewer murderer.'
You should consider yourself damn lucky to have caught a sucker like me.
―Don't feel sorry.
―Since I once dreamed of Halcenberg's future.
... If only you weren't a psycho who feels more sorry when told not to feel sorry. You would have been cut by me right now.
And I wouldn't have made this choice.
"... Huh?"
After a moment of silence. Rather, Leila's eyes widened.
She stared at me intently and opened her mouth in disbelief.
"Why did you..."
It must have been too weak a strike even in her own mind. She must have been imagining her end, dying from a counterattack.
But, ta-da? There are no absolutes in this world.
"... F... u... ck..."
This hurts like hell. But the familiar feeling of being stabbed makes it twice as unpleasant.
I thought this while looking at the broomstick blade piercing my chest.
Somehow it even felt nostalgic.
It's been a month. Since I died from getting stabbed like this.
Looking back, time really flew by. Fuck.
"Why... wh, why... h, how...?"
Leila muttered while looking at the blood soaked on her hands. There's probably both her blood and my blood there.
After contemplating what to say while looking at her confused eyes.
"If you didn't want this to happen. You should have accepted my date request, you bitch."
"... Wh, what?"
I decided to at least get in one good swear before going.
I forced a grin with all my might.
"Next time don't act so expensive... bi... tch..."
With my middle finger stretched out firmly as the last thing, my vision grew distant.
It's cold.
That was the sensation of my 21st death.
* * *
[The immortal's return point has been updated.]
[Time - Mittelland Kingdom Calendar/Year 547, December 20th, 7 AM]
[Location - Northern border of Halcenberg territory, Snow Plains]
[Notice - The Immortal Demon King is about to hatch.]
[Notice - Until the Immortal Demon King fully revives, the return point will update once every 12 hours.]
The time has come. I immediately began the final preparations.
"I hope I won't need to see this if possible..."
While saying that, I still dug through my backpack and took out the Box of the Dead.
And my eyes widened.
[Item Information]
[Name: Box of the Dead]
[Notice: Item Update - The Box of the Dead stored items from the previous life have been updated.]
"... Well well."
I unknowingly dropped the note I was holding. After being dazed for a while, I opened the Box of the Dead emitting an ominous light.
Inside was the note I was just about to put in, and above it was another hastily scrawled note.
I opened the two notes with trembling hands. This is what was written:
―Stop what you're doing and go back to the audience chamber first.
That was probably the last will that my failed self wanted to leave.
"......"
I failed.
I sensed it after reading that.
I tried but failed. That's why the Box of the Dead item has changed.
Since I decided to use it for that purpose, my previous life self would be the same.
'... But why go to the audience chamber?'
Though I had that thought, I didn't object.
After all, it's a hint written by my previous life self betting their life on it. It's hard to think there would be jokes or pranks there. I'm not that kind of first-rate mind.
In the end, I turned to Lord Margrave who was making thorough preparations.
"Um... Lord Margrave."
"Hmm. I'm ready to slaughter those enemy bastards anytime!"
"Well... let's retreat for now."
"... Huh?"
I had to make a lame proposal while sheepishly scratching the back of my head.
Fortunately, Lord Margrave accepted the flimsy excuse that preparations seemed insufficient. In the end, our raid plan was postponed to the same time tomorrow.
He returned to the castle with a face full of regret, and I too arrived at the audience chamber with both apologetic and anxious feelings.
And there I witnessed.
Along with the lingering resentment, my cold corpse remained conspicuously there.
As expected. The penetrating wound from the broomstick blade was the clear cause of death.
"Ahhhhhhhh!!"
I was so shocked to see it after so long that my eyes nearly popped out. Even Leila, who was outside the audience chamber, not to mention Lord Margrave, came running in surprise.
I agonized tremendously over how to explain my corpse lying in the middle of the audience chamber.
"Wh-what made you cry out like that? Did you see a ghost?"
"Uh... pardon? No, this here... can't you see it?"
"What exactly are you looking at?"
Indeed.
They cannot see my corpse. Only I can see it.
Seeing their bewildered faces, I barely managed to collect myself. I gave several reasons saying I wanted to be alone in the audience chamber for a moment, and Lord Margrave readily granted permission. Fortunately, it was daytime.
"...Phew."
After taking a brief deep breath, I slowly brought Izanami's heart to the lingering resentment.
"Ugh...! Aaaaargh...!!"
A torrent of pain and memories pouring down like a waterfall.
As usual, I writhed in pain rolling on the floor. Though I suppressed my groans as much as possible, I couldn't completely block out my heavy breathing and minimal noise.
"Lord Jeong-yong! Are you alright?! I keep hearing sounds of suffering...!"
And just as I recovered my memories, Lord Margrave entered the audience chamber again with a worried face. The timing was incredible.
As I stared quietly at Lord Margrave's face with tired eyes....
"...Stop living your life so foolishly."
With that long-awaited old man's line, I lost consciousness.