Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Law Addition - 3
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Impellium adds a new law.
But nothing really changed.
Of course, I had confirmed that Bellosian and Adin were each bound to the special seat and the starting line, but could one sentence really accomplish that?
Impellium must have sensed my doubt.
He asked.
“Is that it? I don’t know what’s changed.”
[Don’t worry. It has been properly handled.]
“Good. Now tell me. First, who are you, where is this, how is Serad right next to me now, and so on.”
[Understood. I’ll explain one by one.]
I swallowed hard.
Even the secrets I’d uncovered so far were enough to make my head explode, but I couldn’t just close my ears.
‘Finally, all the world’s secrets will be revealed.’
But at that moment.
Swish.
The screen vanished.
“What? No. Wait a second!”
[What’s wrong. What’s that noise.]
It was Trail’s voice.
I returned to reality.
To the reality where I was facing off against Acteon in the special seat.
Come to think of it, the secret I wanted was related to ‘Acteon’s weakness.’
Does that mean from now on, it’s talk unrelated to that?
“You just saw a secret, didn’t you, Maide Mohan.”
Acteon’s savage voice rang out.
Neril spoke cynically.
“I doubt it.”
“And what are you?”
“When Maide sees a secret, time stops. And now we can move even in the stopped world.”
“…….”
“I didn’t feel a thing just now. So he didn’t see a secret. Don’t freak out.”
Neril said that and looked at me with a bold ‘right?’ expression.
Uh. That’s normally correct.
‘But this time it’s the complete Eye of Omniscience, so it’s an exception…… Can I say that?’
[The complete Eye of Omniscience lets you move in a stopped world no matter how high someone’s fame is. Even I can’t.]
‘Yeah. If I say it honestly, Neril will be embarrassed, right?’
[Yeah. Better to stay quiet now.]
But Neril seemed to have already read the answer from my expression.
Her face flushed slightly.
“……But it might not always be that way.”
“Sorry.”
“No. Why are you sorry.”
Acteon crossed his arms and said.
“You get along well. Just like Impellium and Serad.”
“Thanks.”
“That’s not a compliment. Anyway, Maide, what secret did you see.”
Everyone looked at me at Acteon’s question.
I grinned and said.
“The secret to crushing you.”
“…….”
“I seem to be a ‘hero chosen by the world’ now. So I guess I can add one more law.”
“……!”
“You and Bellosian being locked up nicely in the special seat is thanks to Impellium adding a law, right?”
Grind.
For the first time, anger appeared on Acteon’s face.
The smile that had been consistently relaxed, sometimes smug, was completely gone.
“Don’t even dream of it. Don’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Don’t side with the world. That guy is the one who catches pitiful sacrifices like you, Impellium, and me and turns them into slaves!”
At those words, Ophense asked.
“Impellium or Maide aside, why are you included in that?”
“Heh heh. I should be first. I was a hero chosen by the world too. Much longer ago than Impellium.”
“W-what?”
“And I was used by the world for an unbearably long time. It was sickening. I had to slave away serving filthy, disgusting humans, ensuring human safety and happiness.”
His voice lowered.
“Idiots who don’t even appreciate peaceful days. Lunatics whose brains are so full of happiness they’ve gone mad. That’s humans.”
“…….”
“No matter how many demon kings I killed, it was useless. Humans always produce negative emotions and summon new demon kings. Again and again!”
“…….”
“I had to watch that spectacle for tens of thousands of years. There’s a limit to pouring water into a leaky jar. At that point, wouldn’t it be better for humanity to just perish? Why do these morons who smash their own happiness get the world’s love?”
Did I say his voice lowered earlier?
Now it rose.
He was almost roaring.
“Die, die. Just die already! You damn humans. No matter how much I tell you, scold you, lecture you, you idiots keep summoning demon kings!”
“…….”
“If you love demon kings so much, I’ll make it happen. Through Bellosian, I’ll fill this world with demon kings. That must be your wish, right? I’ll make it so there’s no room for humans on this land, packed full of demon kings.”
We were chilled to the bone and couldn’t say a word.
I see.
Acteon is broken.
After being chosen by the world and acting as a hero for so long, he grew sick of humans’ foolishness in birthing new demon kings no matter how many he killed.
He came to hate humans, despise them, and ultimately curse them.
I clicked my tongue and said.
“So that’s why you joined hands with Bellosian.”
He panted, calmed himself, and answered.
“Yeah. Don’t do something stupid and return my power.”
“I don’t even know how to return it.”
“Just don’t do anything and wait quietly. Only a few minutes left anyway.”
“Thanks for the good info.”
Acteon tilted his head.
“Good info?”
“You said only a few minutes left.”
“……?”
“You just told me I need to hurry.”
His expression twisted like a demon’s.
I raised my voice and shouted.
“As a hero chosen by the world, I add one more law!”
“Uwaaa. Stop!”
The bastard charged at terrifying speed.
I spun my head faster than that, like lightning.
‘What law should I insert.’
The Eye of Omniscience screen said this.
The world cannot erase things created by humanity.
So it couldn’t directly eliminate Bellosian, born from humanity.
Only the ‘hero’ established by humanity can kill them.
In other words, killing Acteon as a ‘law’ is impossible.
Then?
As he approached, his Blood Letters grew even larger.
The infinite sins he committed against immeasurable people.
The moment I saw them, a clear thought flashed in my mind.
“I return to Acteon Oscar all the sins he has committed so far. The pain of all the victims who suffered those sins. I establish this as a new law by Maide Mohan!”
“Uwaaaaa! Shut up!”
Acteon, who had been roaring, suddenly froze.
Cold sweat beaded on his face.
“Cough.”
Suddenly, he vomited blood.
Crunch. Crunch.
His body began to crumple.
It was such an absurd scene it felt unreal.
“S-stop. Uwaaak!”
In the end, his body folded completely like paper.
Not exaggeration or metaphor—physically folded like origami.
Risel muttered in horror.
“W-what the hell is that?”
“Acteon committed sins like that. Against some nameless someone.”
“So he’s receiving the pain that someone felt, according to the law Maide added?”
“Yeah. Must hurt a lot.”
“Shouldn’t he die before it hurts that much?”
No.
The world’s laws never kill beings created by humanity.
But death would have been far more merciful.
“Ughhh.”
Snap snap.
Acteon’s paper-folded body unfolded.
Broken bones realigned, spilled blood flowed back into him.
“Huff huff. Stop…… Uwaak!”
But only one sin had ended so far.
Soon, the second sin he committed returned.
Whoosh.
Acteon’s body was burning.
“Kwaaaaaak!”
Burned alive, his whole body turned black.
He wailed in agony but never died.
He burned to ashes scattering on the floor.
A groan leaked from those ashes.
“Stop. Please stop.”
“The victims you hurt probably said the same.”
“Kuuk.”
The ashes restored again.
Back to the original Acteon.
But soon, his body began slicing off from the toes up.
Snip snip.
Like a skilled chef chopping seasonal radish, his body was diced mercilessly.
They spurted massive blood and rolled on the floor.
“Ugh.”
“I can’t look.”
“I gotta live righteously.”
How much time passed like that.
Even though it was only the seventh sin returning, we had already averted our eyes.
I turned my head slightly too.
And then.
“Huh? Hey, look over there.”
Slither.
The chains binding Idria loosened.
She slid to the floor.
Sobius rushed to catch her.
“Mother!”
“Are you okay.”
“We should be asking you that.”
“Help me up for a sec. Hard to stand.”
“Of course.”
The other Fingers soon rushed over and clung to Idria.
Supported, Idria stood before me.
Even as that happened, Acteon continued receiving his self-inflicted sins.
“Kwaaaak!”
This time his body was melting?
As I indifferently watched his flesh melt and stick to the floor, Idria said.
“How long will that go on?”
“No idea. Why?”
“That’s Batole’s body.”
“You still saying that? Batole was eaten by Acteon long ago.”
Idria shook her head, breathing laboriously.
“After Batole ate Adin’s body, he told me all of Bellosian’s schemes. At least in that moment, he was Batole.”
“……Yeah, Acteon never would’ve. Or he’d have fed lies instead.”
“Right. Meaning Batole is still alive in there.”
“So what do you want me to do.”
Sshhh.
While Acteon suffered infinite deaths and resurrections on one side, a tense standoff formed on the other.
My party members had taken positions behind me.
The Fingers of Lies stood centered on Idria.
Serein said.
“You’re not thinking of fighting us, are you? Well, if you wanna die, go ahead.”
“You really resemble me in the most unpleasant way. That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”
“Ha. I’m not as dumb as you? Isn’t it obvious who has the upper hand now?”
“How can I sew that mouth shut.”
Stop it, you two. Anyone would think we’re not one soul.
I said to Risel.
“Risel. Can you check if the special seat door is open?”
“Huh?”
“Acteon’s like that, as you see. So he couldn’t even pay attention to Idria’s chains. Same for the special seat door—it should be open.”
“Yeah. But if I go, we lose a lot of power, so I’ll send Mime.”
“Uh…… Okay.”
Huh. But didn’t Mime get erased earlier?
“Who said erased.”
Nope. Appeared right away.
I picked at my ear.
“Didn’t say that.”
“Your face did.”
“Anyway, check the special seat door.”
“Hmph.”
Mime flew off silently and returned in an instant.
“It’s open.”
Good.
I shrugged and said.
“Let’s go, Idria.”
“Maide.”
“Last warning. Next time, I won’t talk—I’ll sever all your tendons and drag you out.”
“…….”
“Or…… Should I just snap your Fingers here and take only you? Won’t make much difference.”
Grind.
Idria gnashed her teeth.
That’s when.
“Kwaaaaa!”
A roar even more ear-splitting than before rang out.
Turning with a ‘what killed him this time’ mindset……
“Kuh. R-relay. Batole.”
Acteon left those words.
The next moment, Acteon vanished, leaving Batole.
He had switched to the Batole personality dormant within him.
Why do that…… Huh?
“Mother.”
Batole looked at Idria with nearly dead eyes.
Idria rushed to him, inspecting him from head to toe.
“Batole. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Thank goodness. Really.”
Idria hugged him tightly.
Then Neril said.
“Why is he fine? Did Acteon’s sins already end?”
“No way. They were near infinite.”
“Then?”
“The world must recognize this body as Batole now that the personality switched.”
I had added a law to repay exactly the sins Acteon committed.
But ‘that’ is not Acteon, but Batole.
So the law stopped applying. Something like that.
Idria said.
“Now’s the time. Let’s get out of here.”
“No.”
“What? What do you mean.”
Batole said calmly.
“I won’t go.”