The New Hero's Mercy
Since I had told the truth, at least my comrades' lives...
“Ugh…”
“Kuh…”
“Damn it…”
After the tremendous storm of demonic power had passed, the three of them barely managed to push themselves up. Though they were still clinging to life, they knew the situation they faced was literally the worst possible. At this moment, their bodies were covered in wounds, and both their stamina and mana had hit rock bottom. Dagon, who had blocked the frontal assault, had broken bones in all her limbs, and the others were so badly injured it was harder to find an uninjured spot than a wounded one. It wasn’t just because the enemy’s attack had been overwhelming; they had also been caught completely off guard by a counter in a way they had never anticipated, leaving them no time to react.
And so, in a state where further combat was impossible, the three stared at the black hero before them. Then…
“Guh…!”
“!”
“Ah…”
The next instant, Hector was thrown right in front of them, his face a mangled mess. Confirming that even their final hope had vanished, a deep shadow of despair began to fall across the Hero Party’s faces.
“Hoo… This is the end, it is.”
“Well done. You finished things faster than I expected.”
“The hero himself had to sweep away not just one or two, but three opponents. It must have been quite the struggle, it was.”
Unlike the Hero Party, who trembled in terror with their lives hanging by a thread, Shamyuel and the black hero spoke in voices laced with both composure and relief. Just as the three of them realized there was no longer any hope left for them and sank into despair—
“Kuh… Kuuh…!”
“Hm?”
“He still had the strength to stand?”
From a position where blood poured endlessly from his nose and mouth, one man struggled to his feet. At the sight of Hector, both the black hero and Shamyuel showed expressions tinged with faint interest.
“What is this? Don’t tell me you intend to keep fighting even now? In that case…”
The black hero spoke in a cold voice as he watched Hector force his body upright. However, Hector slowly shook his head and opened his mouth with great effort.
“I no longer… have any intention of waging a reckless battle. I simply wish to beg you for one last act of mercy.”
“Mercy?”
“That’s right… As you can see, we no longer have any strength left to fight. We will surrender obediently, and if necessary, I—the leader who brought them here—will offer my own life. So please… please, at least guarantee the safety of my comrades.”
“!”
“Hector… what are you saying?!”
“Don’t say that! If we live, we live together! If we die, we die together!”
Hector spoke in a resolute voice with his head bowed. His comrades cried out in urgent voices upon seeing him try to sacrifice himself for them, but Hector’s will did not waver. After causing this much commotion, someone had to take responsibility, and he was prepared to accept that burden gladly. As the leader who had guided the group, this was both his natural duty and the final sacrifice he could offer his precious comrades.
Having entrusted his fate to the two people before him, Hector remained silent for a moment. He held not even the slightest certainty whether what awaited him was death or something else.
*
Hector begged for mercy right before my eyes. Shamyuel displayed an attitude that suggested she didn’t particularly care and spoke to me.
“What do you intend to do, hero? Since you’re the one who captured these three, I will follow your decision, it is.”
“Understood. Then…”
Shamyuel openly showed that she had no interest in whether these people lived or died. After thinking for a moment, I decided to ask a few questions to the man named Hector standing before me.
“You said your name was Hector? Before I decide how to deal with you, I’d like to ask a few things.”
“…Ask whatever you wish.”
Hector spoke in a somewhat obedient tone. He knew that how he answered here could determine his comrades’ lives, so he maintained a remarkably compliant attitude.
“First, why have you—who belonged to the Racial Alliance—come to Jerusalem? And what was the reason for causing such a disturbance?”
“That is…”
Hector showed a brief moment of hesitation at my question. Seeing this, I instinctively sensed that the reason for his infiltration here was not something gentle. However, the words that followed from Hector far exceeded even the expectations I had braced myself for.
“It is because I am the hero tasked with the mission of taking the Demon King’s head.”
“…What?”
Hector spoke words I had never anticipated. For a moment, I even wondered if this guy—who hadn’t even appeared in the original story—had eaten something strange. But soon enough, I realized there was nothing that explained the current situation better.
A human hero, an elf archer, a witch, and a beastkin warrior. The combination itself certainly fits.
Moreover, the fact that they had appeared in this place—where simply having their identities exposed could put them in danger—and caused a commotion on the level of terrorism served as clear evidence that they were the Hero Party dispatched with the mission of assassinating the Demon King.
Having recognized their identities and purpose, I found myself looking at them with an entirely different gaze than before.
The Hero Party… In that sense, they’re basically my juniors, aren’t they? Which means they’re people I absolutely cannot let off easily.
Beings dispatched by the Racial Alliance with the goal of slaying the Demon King. That had been my mission right after falling into this world as well, but at this point in time, the Hero Party was clearly my enemy. They were the ones who had come to take the life of the Demon King—the woman who shared a romantic relationship with me, of all people. There was no need for me to show mercy to such individuals, and for a moment I even considered cutting their heads off right then and there.
Yet separate from that impulse, I realized that if they truly were the Hero Party, there were still a few things I needed to ask. I had no choice but to suppress my emotions for now.
“So you’re saying you’re the Hero Party? Even so, that doesn’t explain why you would do something like this. At this point, with the Racial Alliance already dissolved, there should be no need for you to commit such a reckless act, should there?”
Although they had just been defeated by me, their skills were more than enough to earn them recognition and comfortable lives in their respective countries. Just looking at Hector before me—he was capable of fighting almost evenly with Legion Commander Shamyuel. At the very least, he could easily secure a position as one of the Falcon Empire’s highest-ranking mercenaries or generals. Yet instead of enjoying wealth and honor in their homelands, they had chosen to pursue the subjugation of the Demon King—a task with low chances of success, extreme danger, and one that, even if successful at this point, might not even be welcomed.
Feeling a slight doubt about that fact, I asked the question before deciding to eliminate them. The hero Hector answered with an even more subdued expression. It was not a simple reason, but one tied to the current fractured state of the Racial Alliance. In the process, they had been forced to part ways with the comrades they had relied on until now, and they had resisted the reality in which they might even have to turn their blades against them.
Listening to their story, I—who had once been a member of a Hero Party but had been thoroughly betrayed by those very comrades and ended up siding with the Demon King—felt a very small twinge of regret. Of course, that didn’t change my resolve to execute these bastards who dared to lay a hand on my woman.
*
“…I’m envious.”
“?”
Hector had spoken the unfiltered truth while begging for one final act of mercy. Watching him, the black hero muttered in a quiet voice. It was a personal remark that Hector could not possibly understand from his position. However, regardless of the detailed circumstances, Hector felt a faint spark of hope upon hearing those words come from the black hero’s mouth. After all, if the other party viewed them even slightly positively, it meant the survival chances for his comrades might increase as well.
Having said everything he needed to say, Hector waited for the black hero’s judgment. The black hero calmly began to speak.
At that moment…
“Hm?”
“Kuh…”
A scene suddenly entered their sight. It was the sight of demonic soldiers swarming in from all directions and beginning to surround the area. They had arrived alongside the red-armored warrior they had seen in the arena earlier. The Hero Party, who had thought they might at least be able to save their comrades’ lives, now began to think the situation had deteriorated even further into the worst possible outcome.
That red armor probably reported it and brought the soldiers…
Damn it… If it’s come to this, there really is no way for us to survive, is there?
Now that official soldiers had intervened, relying on the black hero’s mercy alone was no longer possible. The Hero Party began to feel a deep, heavy despair.
On the other hand, separate from their thoughts, the black warrior—who had been about to massacre the Hero Party—showed a light expression of doubt toward the red-armored figure who had suddenly appeared with the soldiers and was now restraining his actions.