His Wish
"Kuhk...Ugh..."
Blood began trickling from the Demon King's mouth, her heart pierced through.
Drip. What started as a single stream soon became an uncontrollable flood, forming a pool of blood around Ruby in an instant.
"H-Herooo!!!"
"Nooo!!!"
The heroines, who had been relentlessly pounding at the barrier Frey had conjured with magic, cried out in despair at the sight.
"Frey, you son of a bitch!"
"No... no... this can't be happening..."
"Th-the sun... the sun is going out..."
Leaving behind the heroines who collapsed in hopelessness, wore manic expressions as they hammered the barrier, or muttered in desperation, Frey turned his cold gaze toward her.
"Ugh... F-Frey..."
"Persistent, aren't you? As expected of the Demon King."
He stared icily at Ruby, who clutched the sword piercing her heart and groaned in agony.
"Wait, just hear me out for a moment."
Ruby pleaded with a desperate expression, but when Frey simply glared at her without responding, she hurriedly continued.
"Hear my story... and decide whether to kill me or not. I beg you."
Gauging his reaction, and seeing no response, Ruby slowly began her tale.
"The truth is, the reason I tried to turn the world upside down... it wasn't because I was bored with everyday life or needed some thrill."
"Is that so?"
"It's true. So... could you just ease up on this sword a bit..."
As Frey responded with an intrigued look, Ruby tried to loosen her grip on the sword.
"...Ugh!"
"Hands off the sword."
She quickly released it at Frey's firm command as he twisted the blade slightly.
"Surviving even with your heart pierced and twisted—fascinating."
"Haa... ha..."
"I didn't realize it before because I couldn't land a vital hit without awakening the Hero's Armament... but it doesn't matter now anyway."
Frey glanced at her with mild curiosity, then furrowed his brow.
"Keep talking. But if you try any tricks... I'll end it right there."
"I-I understand. Just hear me out first."
With Frey's permission, Ruby gasped for breath and began her story.
"The reason I tried to burn the world... was to defeat the Demon God."
"Defeat the Demon God?"
"Yes. You already know that the 'Villain's Path' system you have was given to you by the Demon God, right?"
Frey nodded slowly, and Ruby continued with a knowing expression.
"That makes this easier. The Demon God, as you know, is an evil deity who wants to seize this world and toy with it at her whim."
"Yeah, I'm well aware."
"Then you know that if I defeat you, the Demon God descends upon the world?"
"Of course."
At Frey's unflinching reply, the Demon King darkened her expression.
"In our final battle, I planned to beat you, summon the Demon God to the world... and take her down."
"You, the Demon King, why go after the Demon God?"
"Because... she made me the Demon King."
As Ruby spat blood again, Frey's face showed faint surprise.
"She turned me into the Demon King, forced me to slaughter innocents mercilessly, and manipulated me to destroy the world."
"...Hmm."
"Of course, I had no means to fight her in the dimension beyond my reach... so I had to live as her puppet for far too long."
Deep sorrow etched across the Demon King's face as she spoke with resentment.
"That's why, to escape this cursed fate... I had no choice but to orchestrate all this."
"Hmm."
Frey stared at her silently, then frowned and posed a question.
"That doesn't add up."
"Wh-what doesn't?"
"If that's true... you could've just lost to me."
He tilted his head in confusion.
"If I win, the Demon God vanishes from the world. You'd be free then. So why bother summoning her?"
"Th-that's..."
"Was it personal revenge? Did you not care what happened to the world... just as long as you got your vengeance?"
"Kuhk... N-no! That's not it!"
As Frey's expression turned icy and he twisted the sword again, the Demon King cried out desperately.
"If you win, the Demon God gets sealed! Sealed away in another dimension by the gods!"
"...Really? I didn't know that."
"Since it's a seal, not destruction... she can't interfere with this world anymore. But she can still mess with me."
Ruby gazed at Frey with trembling eyes as he paused his twisting.
"If I could die by your hand here and find peace, I'd gladly let you kill me."
"And?"
"But... even if you kill me here, the Demon God won't leave me alone."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued.
"She'll resurrect me, the vessel of the strongest Demon King ever, over and over. Even sealed, her immense power makes it a piece of cake."
"Hmm..."
"So I had no choice but to defeat you and summon her. Please..."
"How exactly were you planning to beat such a powerful Demon God?"
Ruby swallowed hard before responding.
"If I received power directly from her, I could turn it against her and strike back."
"That's an assumption, not certainty?"
"...Yes, an assumption."
Closing her eyes at Frey's sharp point, she replied in a quivering voice.
"But... it's worth betting on, isn't it?"
"I'm tired of this puppet life. Tired of hurting people, burning the world, living in hypocrisy."
"Tired... you say?"
"Yes, and you look pretty worn out yourself."
As Frey's eyes wavered at "tired," Ruby offered a faint smile.
"You're exhausted too, aren't you? From puppet life, getting hurt by people... and the life of villainy."
"........."
"Looks like we have more in common than I thought."
Struggling with her fading voice, Ruby pressed on.
"So, in that spirit... one last proposal?"
To the impassive Frey looking down at her.
"Fall to corruption with me."
"...Corruption?"
"Yes. I already spilled everything to you, so the Demon God might've caught on... but together, maybe we have a chance."
She made her final offer.
"Originally, I didn't include you in my plans because even awakened, you'd be much weaker than me. But... for some reason, you're stronger."
"...Hmm."
"So, let's fight together."
Reaching out slowly toward Frey.
"If you take this hand..."
For the first time, with a genuine smile.
"...I'll know you're with me."
"Hoo..."
After a long moment staring at her outstretched hand, Frey slowly extended his.
"So that's how it was."
Gazing at her face.
"Then..."
Mirroring her genuine smile.
"Let's do it together."
He grasped Ruby's hand.
"Saving the world together isn't so ba—"
"Pfft."
And in that instant.
Ultimate Magic Surge!
The lethal spell Ruby had secretly gathered in her hand surged through Frey's.
"Kuhk!!"
Dealing him a critical blow.
"Ughhh..."
Ruby watched as Frey flew back, crashing into his own star barrier and groaning.
"Pfft, puhahaha... puhhahaha..."
Heart still impaled, she burst into laughter.
"Foolish, so foolish. To fall for a lie I just made up on the spot."
"...What?"
As Ruby laughed hysterically before switching to her arrogant tone, Frey looked dazed.
"Everything I said was a fabrication to land that one hit on you."
"Wh-what..."
"Why would I, best friends with the Demon God, pick a needless fight? You got too cocky thinking you'd won."
Sneering at Frey, Ruby reached for the sword in her heart.
"But... a mere heart pierce won't kill me. Not even decapitation would. To let your guard down without knowing that... pathetic."
"Ugh...!"
Frey gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but...
"...!!!"
A dagger plunged into his side.
"D-die...!"
Its wielder had slipped through the hole the heroines had hammered open in the barrier and stabbed him.
"You monster!!"
It was Rosewin.
"The Hero's Armament gives overwhelming attack power, but no 'defense,' huh? I figured that much from our earlier clash."
"Ugh..."
"So I aimed you that way on purpose, and those girls didn't disappoint."
As Ruby said, right after Rosewin's strike.
- MASSIVE DAMAGE
Boom! Boom!!
Crack, crunch!!
"Agh...!"
The attacks from all the heroines poured through the hole in the barrier where Frey slumped against it.
Shaa...
In desperation, Frey tried to seal the hole with star mana, but...
"Haa, haaa..."
It was too late—he'd already taken the full barrage.
"My victory, Frey."
Ruby looked down at him collapsing, bleeding from everywhere.
"You're strong in burst attacks, but weak in vitality and defense. Those hits put you on the brink."
She continued arrogantly.
"If another hole opens, you'll face all those girls at once."
"Demon King..."
"And I'm prepping my follow-up. No hope left for you."
As Frey bowed his head to her taunts.
"That's why you should've just let me rape you and become my sex slave like a good boy."
She cackled, grabbing the sword hilt.
"Too late now. Wrong choice, and now a miserable death."
After mocking him to the end, Ruby tried to pull out the irritating sword from her heart.
"...?"
But her face twisted in confusion.
"...???"
No strength entered her body at all.
"So, how's it feel?"
As cold sweat beaded on her brow, unable even to speak.
"To experience utter helplessness, not even able to twitch a finger."
Frey, still slumped on the ground, delivered his final words coldly.
"Sorry, but I knew from the start your story was bullshit."
"...!"
"Fallen for your crap multiple times across loops, did some dumb shit."
He sighed briefly before continuing.
"So I played along, listening... while prepping my own spell."
Ruby's eyes shook.
"Yeah, the moment I took your hand... 'Stamp of Sluggishness.'"
Frey smiled.
"It's low intensity now—just slowed your body, mind intact. Crank it max, and even your thoughts slow."
W-wait.
"You know what comes next, right?"
Ignoring her desperate telepathic pleas, Frey pressed on.
"I'm gonna overload the sword in you and all the Hero's Armament—mutual destruction. Only way to kill you."
You...!
"Unlike me with star mana, you're weak to its opposing energy—gonna hurt like hell dying."
No way...!
He continued calmly.
"But if it's over in a flash... that's no payback for the countless loops you forced on me."
No...!
"So when I overload the armament, I'll slow your mind too."
Ah, no...!
As her frantic voice flooded his head.
"You'll die slowly, feeling eons of agony."
Nooo...!!!
With a resolute expression.
"Demons and fiends go to purgatory, not hell—call this rehearsal."
He slowly rose.
"Then..."
Shaa...
Ignoring her screams, as he began infusing his life force into the Hero's Armament.
"...Tch."
He glanced back and froze.
All the heroines he'd protected and saved stared at him with loathing, pounding the barrier.
"Ugh..."
His hand trembled unconsciously, drawing his emergency sword from his waist.
"Ughhh...!"
With a resentful glare, radiating murderous intent.
"No, no no no no."
Drawing on superhuman endurance honed across timelines, he opened the 'Item Shop' for the first time in ages.
"B-buy."
He purchased the add-on skill he'd never bought before, thinking it unnecessary now.
Skill purchased and equipped.
ZZing...!
Gritting his teeth, he opened his status window.
"........."
Frey stood blankly for a moment, staring at it.
"Knew it."
After glaring at his 'Disposition' floating before him.
Hero's Armament Overload
He overloaded the sword in the Demon King's heart and his own Hero's Armament simultaneously.
Aa, aaa.......
Activating the stamp to let her taste a fraction of his hellish suffering.
"In the end, whether this way or that..."
Layering extra star mana on the barrier to contain any overload backlash.
"...I'm still a hero."
He closed his eyes quietly.
[Disposition: Hero]
Yet it still floated before him.
.........
Gooo...
The armament's rampage, filling the barrier with blinding white light, gradually subsided after a long while.
Crash!!!
The star barrier, holding to the very end, shattered into pieces.
"Ah, aa......"
The heroines peering inside all wore expressions of despair.
"......."
Ruby lay inside, body torn to shreds, dead.
"Hm."
Frey stood there unscathed.
"Good, time to wrap everything up."
Glancing curiously at his intact body, he surveyed the heroines around the broken barrier.
"You all..."
As he began to speak.
Boom!!!
"...!"
He froze, words caught in his throat.
"You... because of you..."
"Oh dear."
"Because of you... the sun...!"
Perloché, at the front of the heroines, had pierced his heart—even using 'Solar God's Blessing'.
"The sun lost its light...!"
Frey's face went slack, while Perloché, tears streaming, snarled viciously.
"...Huh?"
Then she blinked in confusion.
"Why is the sun..."
The sun, which had been shaking violently and dimming moments ago.
"...not losing its light?"
Now shone more brilliantly than ever.
"Even so, at the end..."
As Perloché grew flustered, Frey gazed at her steadily.
"...I wanted to leave some last words."
A hint of regret crossed his face.
Shaa...
Then he scattered into countless particles of light.
"Wh-what?"
All the heroines, including Perloché, sensed something wrong.
"...What?"
Right then.
.........
"Mm."
Frey, who had clearly dissolved into light, slowly opened his eyes.
"...What?"
"Ar-are you alright...?"
He looked around the ethereal, mystical space brimming with an otherworldly aura.
"...Mr. Frey."
"Who are you?"
Tilting his head at the dazzlingly beautiful woman before him.
"I-I am... the Sun God."
"Ah."
Upon her introduction.
"Mr. Frey, I have no words... but if I may be so bold. Please, let me commend you..."
"I'm done now."
He smiled brightly.
"Yes, of course. You more than deserve it, Mr. Frey. Then, with my powers, I'll ensure the most peaceful rest possible..."
The Sun God approached cautiously with pitying eyes, but.
"Forever."
"...Pardon?"
She froze at his quiet words.
"Make me... cease to exist."
"Wh-what do you...!"
Gazing at her.
"Please."
Tears streamed from his eyes for the first time in ages.
"...I'm so tired."
His voice broke as he finished.
"......Ah."
After a deep silence, the goddess broke it with a devastated expression, blurting out in a daze.