You Don't Deserve Him
Adora, the illusionist of the Demon Hero party, was gone.
She had vanished like smoke, crumbling away as if she had never been there in the first place. Yet the carcasses of demonic beasts and the corpses of guild members strewn about showed just how deeply Waltercroix had been scarred by this ordeal.
"Our Mercenary Guild shall serve Labin the Thief as the ruler of Waltercroix."
"We, the Merchant Guild, will take the lead in atoning for the sins of the two treacherous guild leaders and restoring the trust of Waltercroix's citizens."
With two of the Triumvirate revealed to have colluded with the demons—and having met their futile ends at the hands of those very demons—the vice-leaders of the Mercenary and Merchant Guilds wasted no time bowing their heads to Labin.
It was an inevitable choice if they wanted to avoid forced exile.
Directing the cleanup efforts, Labin put on a lively front to encourage the people, but inside, her heart was rotting away just as much as anyone else's.
"Just what did your Hero's party do to Lee...?"
Before letting Rin and Lucy leave, Labin pulled the Hero aside.
Devastated, Lucy stared blankly into space with hollow eyes.
"I'm asking you!"
Labin hated everything about the Hero.
She had played the victim all by herself, obsessively clinging to Rin under the guise of loving him, only to abandon him when it mattered most. Labin wanted nothing more than to tear Lucy to shreds with her daggers for that self-centered attitude.
"Lee... since we were kids... back in Gutter Alley, he was the one who looked after everyone. Me, Arciel, and even that crazy bitch—we only survived because Lee saved us."
Even when Labin took a different path and became hostile toward Arciel, Rin had occasionally helped Labin's gang.
"Even in Arciel's gang, he was always the one sacrificing himself and devoting everything to his people."
Even if his innate strength was negligible compared to the countless heroes of the world.
"Lee did whatever it took to make sure we were fed."
It made her jaw ache just thinking about how the Hero's party had stuffed their own faces and left Rin with nothing but an empty pot.
"If we so much as tossed and turned in our sleep, he'd come over to check if we were uncomfortable."
Yet if anyone in the Hero's party cleared their throat or looked slightly displeased, Rin would fret anxiously, wondering if he had done something wrong.
"If we were quiet because something bad happened, he'd be the first to approach and ask."
But when he approached the Hero's party, they just barked at him to get lost and do his job.
"I wanted to run over and drag him away right then, but I respected his choice and waited. I believed he would eventually find his place in the light."
She had already known all too well that the Hero's party was mistreating him.
"But what did you do?"
Because she couldn't send spies or follow him secretly all the way to the Demon King's subjugation, her surveillance had lapsed for a moment.
"You made him grab the Demon King's horn with his bare hands?"
"Ah..."
"You ordered him to do it, didn't you?! It's obvious! You were always the first to torment Lee! Even if... fuck! Even if I assume that was expected! What about Arciel? What the hell was that bitch doing?"
The Saint who had scolded the porter, claiming the Shield Knight was hurt worse.
"Even if you didn't know Lee's name! Even if his build and voice had changed! Even if he wore a mask and was unrecognizable!"
The Saint, who valued sacrifice and devotion above all else, had neglected Rin, who was always right by her side.
"He was your comrade! No matter how much you hated or doubted him, he was a comrade who stood by you for so long!"
Lucy found it hard to breathe.
Every single word from Labin clawed painfully at her chest.
"You people are insane! Lee was a civilian, a non-combatant! Just holding his ground while trembling in fear on the battlefield was a miracle in itself! How could you turn your backs on him so easily, calling him a coward and useless?"
Just when she thought she could forget, the past grabbed her by the hair.
"Luciena Estelle, Lee saved you when your limbs were severed, even as his own body was being consumed by demonic energy. And he was corrupted by that energy because of you."
It was her own past, driven by malice, that held her.
"He carried you to the very end and even restored your body... and you abandoned your savior, leaving him all alone just because you were crazed for battle?"
"No, I didn't mean to..."
"You couldn't find him because there were too many demonic beasts? You dare use that as an excuse for not saving Lee?!"
"I...!"
"You don't deserve him."
When driven to extreme anger, a person often becomes eerily calm.
Labin grew colder and colder toward the Hero, who couldn't even speak properly.
Her mind felt terrifyingly icy.
"Overwhelming power, fame, a handsome fiancé."
Lucy flinched.
"You've been cheered and loved no matter what you did. You're just a selfish bitch. You only know how to take, never how to give."
That wasn't true.
She, too, had been born to ruined nobility, abandoned by her parents, and forced to live her childhood alone.
She had survived desperately, relying on nothing but her sword.
Under normal circumstances, before the betrayal, Lucy would have confidently argued back. But now, even the act of making an excuse felt hypocritical.
"Do you have any idea how much the world loved you? The beautiful, strong Hero. And the handsome fiancé the Hero couldn't live without."
"No!"
But Reinhold was the exception.
Lucy denied it with a scream, but Labin lowered her voice, driving the needle-sharp truth straight into her ears.
"Oh, really? You know exactly how fondly people watched you. You cooed, acted cute, and even tried to make him jealous just to please that kind, gentle fiancé of yours."
"That was before I knew what kind of man he really was!"
"You were the blind one! You fell for his pretty face and filled your heart with him! You did everything you could just to hold his hand, get hugged, or get a single kiss!"
"I did no such thing! Besides, that bastard only treated me like a doll. He never cared about me!"
"You're contradicting yourself, Luciena!"
Finally, Labin grabbed Lucy by the cheeks.
Squeezing her mouth into a pout, Labin spat out her final daggers.
"Just because the Shield Knight didn't touch you, you think you're pure? You might be a virgin in body, but your heart is the dirtiest of sluts...!"
"No! That's not true! Rin is the only one for me now. I understand everything clearly now. The foolish girl who knew nothing was cut away and destroyed along with my limbs long ago!"
"Oh, really? Then why is Lee suffering so much by your side?"
The thief dragged out everything Lucy wanted to hide and deny.
She carved it out cleanly, leaving not a single scrap behind, like stripping flesh from bone.
"You don't deserve him. I'll take care of Lee. I'll heal his broken body and let him rest by my side for the rest of his life."
"No!"
"You bring nothing but pain to Rin!"
"No! That's not true! Please, please! I was wrong. I was too immature. You're right. I was a selfish bitch. I'm so sorry. I'll do better. Don't take Rin away. Rin said he needs me too. He said he needs me to save the world. I need Rin. If he's gone, I don't know how to go on living anymore!"
When Labin threatened to take Rin, Lucy fell to her knees and begged.
The proud Hero was weeping and begging before a mere thief.
Labin felt hollow.
She knew it too.
Rin needed Lucy.
At least for the time being.
"Listen closely, you miserable wretch."
Suppressing her urge to vomit, Labin gave her a stern warning.
"Rin must have had a reason for saving you, so I'm giving you one last chance."
"Thank you. Thank you...!"
"Keep my words engraved in your mind."
"Just say the word, I'll do whatever it takes."
"Shut your fucking mouth and listen!"
Only then did the Hero freeze and listen intently.
"Since Lee saved you, you must protect him no matter what. Understand? From now on, Lee is the center of your entire existence. Do whatever he tells you, and always put him first."
"..."
"Answer me!"
"I understand."
"If I hear that Lee has been hurt again, or that he has crossed the point of no return..."
Labin drew her dagger and pointed it at Lucy's throat.
"I will make sure every single member of your Hero's party dies by my hand."
"...No matter what happens, I will protect Rin."
She had said everything she needed to say.
Her entire body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.
Stepping away from Lucy, Labin looked up at the sky.
It was an offensively blue sky.
It was already dusk when the Saint and the Mage dragged their battered bodies to the Waltercroix checkpoint.
Having been toyed with by Salamae, the lancer of the Demon Hero party, the two were only released after tasting humiliation to the very end.
'Huh? That's enough? Sigh... so selfish.'
The lancer, who had suddenly stopped her attack, waved her hand at them in annoyance.
'Go now. They said it's all over.'
Even the hot-tempered Arciel could do nothing but trudge away from the scene.
Their pride and self-esteem thoroughly shattered, the members of the Hero's party stared blankly at the ground until a voice called out from atop the walls of Waltercroix.
"Yo."
It was a somewhat familiar voice.
Looking up, they saw a pale Labin perched on the wall.
"Labin...?"
"Judging by your looks, you must be the illustrious Saint and Mage of the Hero's party."
"Labin! Is that you?"
Look at this bitch smiling.
"Stop right there. I don't think we're on friendly enough terms to chat with smiles on our faces."
"Hey! What are you doing here? Did you leave the Gutters and settle down in Waltercroix?!"
Unlike Arciel, who seemed glad to see her, Labin felt no such warmth.
If anything, she wanted to smash that smiling face with her fist.
"Are you alone? What about Jack? Rafam? Did the rest of your gang come with you?"
"...They're doing well."
Up in heaven, that is.
She really knew nothing.
Even though it had only been half a day since he left, Labin missed Rin terribly.
She hesitated for a brief moment.
Should she tell her the truth?
How would Arciel react once she learned everything?
But Labin decided against it.
This was a curse.
A curse upon you, Arciel, for failing to recognize Rin, tormenting him, and driving him to the brink of death.
And the name of this curse was silence.
"Open the gates. We have business in Waltercroix anyway. You could say it concerns the entire city."
"No, Waltercroix has no business with you."
"Hey! Are you acting like this just because of a few punches back in the day? I'll apologize for that, so...! Something huge is happening right now..."
"I am Labin the Thief. The ruler of Waltercroix, duly elected and supported by the Guild Alliance."
Arciel's expression hardened at the cold response.
Not just Labin, but everyone on the walls and at the checkpoint of Waltercroix stared down at them with expressionless faces.
"This afternoon, Waltercroix was invaded by demons."
"Demons?!"
"They said she was a member of the Demon Hero party. She ravaged this place as she pleased and left as if nothing had happened."
"Labin! Was she a lancer? Or an illusionist?"
Arciel managed to recall the other classes Salamae had casually mentioned.
But Labin ignored her.
"Therefore, Waltercroix is currently undergoing restoration, and all entry is strictly forbidden."
"Hey, Labin! We'll help you! Let us investigate. We can request official support from the Empire and the Holy Kingdom..."
"Arciel."
She had tried to ignore her.
"Ha! The Empire and the Holy Kingdom?"
"Labin?"
But it was impossible to ignore such bullshit.
The thief raised her arm.
Instantly, flames erupted from Waltercroix's beacon tower.
"O Saint. We know exactly what you did to the Hero, and to the porter."
"What...?"
"Given your track record, I highly doubt the Empire and the Holy Kingdom will be so eager to help us."
"Who told you that?"
"I don't know. I can't remember if it was the demon who swept through here, or some passing traveler."
Whoosh. A second beacon flared up.
A signal indicating that the first beacon was no mistake.
"Get lost. Waltercroix does not welcome traitors."
Tigria grabbed Arciel's shoulder and shook her head.
But the Saint could not back down so easily.
"Fine, we won't enter. Just tell me one thing."
"...What is it?"
"What about Lee? I don't know how long it's been since you left, but is Lee doing well? I mean, was he doing well?"
"Haha..."
"Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
Laughing with a battered body made her entire frame rattle.
Unable to suppress her laughter despite the pain, Labin barely managed to control herself and delivered the message Rin had requested.
"The Hero has gone to the Zramun Archipelago."
"Lucy? Hey, why are you bringing up the Hero all of a sudden!"
"She said to come fully prepared. Whether it's to face the Demon Hero party, or to face her."
The show was over.
Labin turned and stepped down from the wall.
Arciel, when I found out the truth about the Hero's party, I was so shocked I couldn't move for a long time.
I wonder, once you learn the whole truth, will you be able to bear the sheer cruelty of it?
"Hey! Hey! Labin!!!"
Arciel screamed, unable to accept the situation.
Her desperate cries echoed in vain until the Mage, unable to watch any longer, forcibly teleported her back to the Imperial Capital.
Once again, they walked through the forest.
Once again, only Rin and Lucy remained.
Lucy walked in silence, holding Rin's hand.
Noticing her gloomy demeanor, Rin hesitated for a long moment before clearing his throat.
"Lucy, we set off without any rest. Shall we camp around here?"
"..."
"I'm fine, really. Though it's embarrassing to admit, I ended up sleeping through the battle because of the illusionist. Ah, I guess that's nothing to boast about."
"..."
"Are you mad at me because of that?"
"..."
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I should have done better."
She froze.
Those were the words she had heard every single day during the Demon King's subjugation.
Lucy gasped.
"Rin..."
"Yeah?"
"What's wrong with your arm...?"
This time, Rin fell silent.
"Why... do I feel... demonic energy... from your arm...?"
"..."
"That's strange. I clearly... saved you with the power of the Holy Sword. So why...?"
"What?"
"In the Goddess's sanctuary, I resurrected you with the Holy Sword. So why do I feel demonic energy...?"
"Lucy."
"Even though I used the Holy Sword, why..."
"Lucy!"
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, revealing a face already drenched in tears.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Rin. I'm sorry for hurting you...!"
Collapsing to her knees, Lucy pressed her forehead against his hand and sobbed.
"I didn't even know you were hurting. I didn't know it was this bad. If it's like this even after using the Holy Sword, just how bad was it before?"
Just how much pain had he endured while carrying her and looking after her?
Suddenly, Lucy remembered how Rin had fed only her back then, barely eating anything himself.
Perhaps he hadn't been saving food; perhaps the pain had simply been too agonizing for him to have an appetite.
Only now could she see it.
His pain.
Her own stupidity.
"I'm sorry for being useless. I'm sorry for being a Hero without a Holy Sword. I'm sorry for still being trash, even after you saved me..."
"Lucy."
Rin knelt down as well.
He reached out, pulled her into an embrace, and gently patted her back.
As Lucy remained unable to lift her head, Rin took a deep breath and whispered.
"So you used the Holy Sword to save me. That's why you don't have it anymore."
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
"To trade your status as the Hero for a life like mine."
"That's not true...! Rin, the most precious thing to me is..."
"Thank you for saving me, Lucy."
At last, Rin met the Hero's dazed eyes.
"My best comrade, Lucy."
"Ugh... sob...!"
Lucy wailed, weeping uncontrollably.
"Thanks to that, it doesn't hurt as much as it should, considering the demonic corruption. I see. It was because you used the Holy Sword that I don't feel the pain."
"Rin...!"
"There, there. It's alright, it's okay."
Lucy hated herself.
She hated how selfish she was, and how she never seemed to improve.
She hated how desperately she wanted to stay by Rin's side.
She hated how she would be no different from a corpse without him.
And yet, Lucy held Rin's hand, burrowing into his arms and chest, craving the sound of his heartbeat.
'Just because the Shield Knight didn't touch you, you think you're pure? You might be a virgin in body, but your heart is the dirtiest of sluts...!'
She wasn't a slut.
Even if it was a mistake of the past, she wasn't.
She denied it again and again, but her guilty conscience remained.
That guilt only served to fuel her obsession with Rin and push her obsession with the absolute purity of her mind, spirit, and body to its absolute limit.