The Final Battle
"Hmmm..."
In the heart of the empire stood the imperial palace. Atop its highest floor sat the throne room, where Ruby lounged with a bored expression, legs crossed. She slowly leaned forward.
"Tired?"
Ruby tilted her head as she eyed Frey, prompting him casually. He let out a hollow chuckle.
"Well, you would be. You've had to cut down all those precious people to get here."
"........."
"No, wait—there's no blood on your clothes... So you just subdued them all, huh?"
Ruby stared at Frey for a long moment before breaking into an arrogant smile.
"You're always so interesting."
"That's why... I want to make you mine."
"......."
Frey's face hardened into a cold glare at her words. But Ruby only found even that reaction endearing, like a child throwing a tantrum, gazing down at him with affection.
"This is my final offer, Frey."
The silence stretched between them—one side with icy eyes, the other with loving ones.
"Become mine."
Ruby's eyes narrowed slyly, shattering the quiet once more.
"Why that face? Is it because you've awakened the Hero's Armament, and my arrogance feels foolish now?"
Even after she broke the silence, Frey showed no reaction. Undeterred, Ruby posed the question softly.
"I get it. If that's how you see it... it makes sense you wouldn't take my offer seriously."
Of course, Frey didn't answer even that, but Ruby swirled her wine glass and continued regardless.
"Aren't you curious? Why I didn't fight alongside those fools and waited for you here at the top."
"...You had them guard you in your place while you waited to rack up more hypocrisy points."
"Exactly."
She beamed as Frey finally spoke.
Notification from the Path of Hypocrisy Investment System.
Main body awakening level has reached 100%.
The final scenario has been unlocked.
The Final Battle
🎯 Objective: Kill or corrupt the Hero.
🎁 Reward: Descent of the Demon God.
Just minutes ago, these windows had floated before her eyes. The Demon King gazed at the translucent panel hovering in the air with a satisfied expression.
"Then... it's time to show you my true form."
Suddenly, she began wrapping her body in ruby-red demonic energy.
- Grooooowww...
In that fleeting instant, the ruby aura enveloping the Demon King's body vanished. Her form had changed dramatically.
"What do you think?"
Shedding the cute, innocent childlike Ruby, she revealed her voluptuous, mature true self, tilting her head with a smile.
"Tempted?"
But Frey remained unresponsive.
"...Don't tell me you think you can beat me?"
The Demon King gave him a look of disbelief.
"Sure, you've awakened the Hero's Armament, but you're still just human."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. And I am the strongest Demon King—beyond even the previous one, so powerful that not even the gods can touch me."
Staring at Frey's soulless expression, she continued arrogantly.
"Until moments ago, when that 'special system' prevented me from attacking... you might have had a chance."
"But now that my awakening is complete and the system is nullified, even with the Hero's Armament, you have no hope."
"...Hmm."
"Between you, who just gained transcendent power, and me, who's wielded it freely all this time with only a brief restriction... who do you think has the edge?"
Even after all that, Frey didn't react. Growing frustrated, the Demon King raised her voice slightly.
"In short: the experience gap is overwhelming."
"Who knows."
But as Frey played dumb to the end, she scowled.
"To be honest, Frey... I like you."
She made her final pitch.
"No one else has stimulated me like you in my boring life."
"Stimulated?"
"Everything was dull. People tremble in fear at my sight, and any who challenge me are torn apart with a flick of my finger. That life was so tedious."
Watching Frey's face twist as she spoke, the Demon King went on.
"So watching an ant like you squirm your way up here... it was thrilling."
"......."
"That's why I want to possess you."
She licked her lips.
"So lie beneath me and scream like a doll. If you do, I'll at least spare your life..."
"Right. You did all this just to feel that thrill."
Frey cut her off, his voice ice-cold.
"Sick of your boring, peaceful daily life... That's why you turned the world upside down."
"So, will you accept my offer? If you do..."
"I, through countless regressions, desperately longed for that boring, peaceful daily life you hated."
His voice dropped to a whisper as murderous intent flooded the air.
"I didn't want to hurt you if I could help it."
The Demon King's face turned cold.
"But one condition to end the 'Final Battle' is corrupting you, so..."
She dipped a finger into her full wine glass.
"...I'll break you first, then rape you until your mind shatters and turn you into my doll."
- Splatter!!
The next instant, a droplet of wine flicked from her finger grazed Frey's cheek.
"Can't even dodge that, yet you think you can fight me? Pathetic."
Blood trickled from Frey's cheek. The Demon King sneered, levitating her wine glass.
"Your courage is admirable, but I could beat you with just this glass."
"How?"
"Like this."
Grinning confidently, she hurled the glass at Frey at unbelievable speed.
- BOOM!!
- Clang!!
"...Huh?"
But Frey merely nodded, effortlessly dodging.
"You always start with a wine glass. Always the same."
He evaded an attack no human reflexes could match.
"Anyway... what was that you said earlier?"
As the Demon King looked on in slight panic,
"The experience gap is overwhelming?"
Frey whispered, his face demonic.
"You really think so?"
......
- Rumble!! Boom!!
The imperial forces and sub-heroines on the ground paused their battles, looking skyward.
"The sun... it's shaking."
As the holy knight leading them said, the sun trembled unstably.
"It's because the Final Battle has begun."
Perloché, who had escaped the palace with the main heroines and was fighting the combat executives, explained to the uneasy crowd.
"If the Hero wins, the sun will stabilize. If Demon King Frey wins, it will lose its light."
Their faces darkened.
"But don't worry—Ruby's so strong."
Perloché reassured them with a reverent smile, and they nodded in agreement.
"R-Right. Ruby won't lose."
"Yeah, now that she's 'awakened'... she can't lose."
"Obviously. A loser like Frey can't beat the Hero carrying our hopes."
Their words rang with hope, but
"".........""
the expressions that followed were laced with tension.
- Grooooowww...
Because from the palace's shattered top floor, an overwhelming aura of mixed ruby-red and silver energy spread everywhere.
"Ugh... urgh..."
"Just... a bit more. Hang in there."
This immense power—later witnessed not just on the southern continent of the Sunrise Empire, but across the western and eastern ones too—pierced the heavens endlessly upward.
Below, it pulverized the Sunrise imperial palace, protected by ancient magics.
To the sides, even the five main heroines and sub-heroines at full power could only hold it back temporarily.
"If we hold just a little longer... Ruby will surely..."
Yet Perloché and the others gritted their teeth against it.
"...save the world."
Because they firmly believed their Hero, Ruby, would rescue it.
"Everyone, just a bit more...!"
As Perloché raised her voice to the pained crowd,
- KABOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the palace's top, and someone plummeted downward.
"Th-The Hero finally did it..."
They thought Ruby had defeated Frey, faces lighting with hope—but
".....!!!"
Upon seeing who crashed into the ground some distance away, they froze.
"Cough, cough... ugh..."
It wasn't Frey.
It was Ruby, reverted to her human girl form.
"What's wrong, Ruby? You're the one who said I had no chance."
"Wh-Why...? Why did I..."?
Ruby, covered in fatal wounds and gasping, muttered hoarsely.
"Simple."
"...Gah!"
Frey, relatively unscathed, looked down coldly and stomped her stomach hard, whispering.
"In countless loops, I spent ages trying to beat you without the Hero's Armament."
"Wh-What?"
"I don't remember if it was despair from endless failures or if I went mad. But I vividly recall challenging you barehanded, without even a sword."
"What are you even— urk!"
As Ruby tried to question in confusion, Frey stomped harder, silencing her.
"I eventually realized I couldn't hurt or kill you without the Hero's Armament and gave up... but it wasn't for nothing."
His expression was terrifyingly overwhelming as he continued.
"Agh... ugh..."
"By the time I quit fighting you, I'd beaten you down one-sidedly for three straight days."
He ground his foot into the Demon King—untouched by attacks due to her absolute power, immune to pain.
"In summary: the experience gap is overwhelming."
Raising the Hero's sword high while pinning her, he threw her own words back.
"H-Help!"
The pale Demon King—no, girl Ruby—
"I need your power!"
gathered mana cautiously, casting a spell to call the distant heroines.
"H-Hero!!"
"Get away from the Hero!! You bastard!!"
"I'm coming—hold on just...!"
The girls rushed toward them or launched attacks, leaving the defeated executives behind—but
- Shiiiine...!
Frey's Star Mana barrier enveloped him and Ruby.
"W-Wait, Frey. I have something to say..."
Ruby sweated coldly, opening her mouth desperately—but
- Stab...!
"...Gasp!"
Frey's sword pierced her heart.
"""............"""
A chilling silence fell over the palace garden.