Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Madness that Swallowed Hope
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Hope is, by nature, like a small flower that blooms in the coldest times, isn't it?
This tale of the cursed Demon King, who noticed the world's distortions, bore the greatest anguish, and was betrayed; and the Hero, the most radiant hope meant to lead everyone, yet fated to kill his friend the Demon King.
In this desolate story beyond measure, Elis unknowingly wrung from herself the best she could wish for. A way for both the Demon King and the Hero to be happy-while also finding happiness and salvation for everyone.
And with that, she bowed her head once more toward that path.
"Elis Hope... the Demon King's knight for the Hero."
Iveldra smeared the tears of black madness onto Elis once again, guessing her heart.
"When I regained my memories... and realized I was one of the kin of sin, I think I started believing I'might be fake. Fiction. So I wondered why all those memories came alive together, reborn as the being called 'Elis Hope.' Why 'I' was alive."
As the tears soaked in, Elis received a massive iron canister of chill from Chasap Hay to recharge her circuits. It was a story only Iveldra could hear.
"In this state, neither the Empire nor the demons will ever forgive me. But if I stick to this path now, even after all this ends and I become human, I don't think I'll have regrets. Lady Iveldra, that's what I want."
The Demon King's knight, raised by the Hero, had eyes sparkling full of hope. But Iveldra met them with her own black eyes that absorbed even that faint light, and asked in a gurgling voice.
"Why choose the path of hardship? I don't know if that's something you, who bear the name of vengeance, can achieve. Could you truly forgive the demons... and even the Empire?"
It was no heart for one of the kin of sin bearing vengeance. Besides, this tiny being who didn't even know the method or her role felt utterly absurd.
"I don't know. But someone has to do it."
The Hero had saved her that way, and the Demon King had agonized that way. Elis knew it all. So let's head toward the good without any karma. Perhaps this was the only way to overcome vengeance.
Elis wavered even as she spoke, but seeing her, Iveldra smiled warmly.
"Then now it's time to draw your life. I, Iveldra, look forward to meeting you at the end of that path, as a true human."
Elis nodded and rose to set out again, then paused. This might be her last descent attempt. Whether Iveldra waited at the end was unknown.
"Oh?"
Iveldra was startled by Elis's tight embrace, then hugged her back firmly.
"Then I'll be off again."
This time, Elis took only her shield and headed out. She had no intention of going through stairs, white death, caves, or canyons again, so she dashed in the direction Chasap Hay pointed.
"Take care!"
Leaving the fading voice of the boy night gremlin behind, Elis slung her shield on her back, spread her arms wide, and activated her circuits. Rage-filled chill burst from her hands, tracing red trails through the white and dark air as she plummeted at terrifying speed.
It was a literal freefall, but Elis kept her arm sensations sharp, reaching the canyon's center-where the night gremlin burrow had been-in no time. Just as her eyes and head were about to freeze white again, far off she spotted the ice golem she'd prepared.
"Ngh!"
Elis thrust both arms forward, maxing her circuits. Her chill-spewing palms burned like they were tearing, but it didn't matter.
If she couldn't slow down now, she'd smash into the ice golem like a bug on a rock and burst. What would that do to their farewell? Amid useless worries, feeling her speed ease just right, Elis triggered Vengeance midair, rolled her body, raised her shield, and dropped toward the ice golem's head.
Boom!
"Hoo."
There was impact, but she landed without even her battered shield breaking.
"Going."
Thud!
Without a moment's pause, Elis slammed her shield into the ice golem's head. It left no scratch on the golem itself, but the shield fixed perfectly into the spot piled with snow from the unknowable time Elis had endured dying and reviving due to the kin of sin-and that snow had frozen solid.
Grooooar.
Madness reached the golem's core once more, assimilating even its fingertips and toes. No more cold was felt. Elis willed the giant to rise and immediately checked the map from the night gremlin queen. Down and left-she leaped straight down far below. She didn't worry about the golem shattering on impact. If it did, she'd just raise it again.
Boom!
With the golem's fall, the ice piled on the canyon cliffs collapsed all at once. And not just that-the frozen ground cracked massively and twisted. The vibration pulsed like a heartbeat through the dead land, and black things awakened with momentum to devour her.
"Let's see just how impressive what you've made is."
Undying ones packed densely before her, ready to surge like waves. Beings free of death, thus never dying themselves. Facing all races and their hybrids, the knight who yearned to become human charged her giant toward the false deaths.
"Going!"
Now madness would sweep this land.
Boom!
One swing completed hundreds of deaths. Corpses rushing like mountains burst entirely from that single swing. She'd known since raising the golem with Vengeance and feeling its power, but it was that extreme.
The shudder of madness that made even deathless things tremble in fear.
Boom!
The golem slammed both arms into the ground, then stomped its feet alternately. Each time, the underworld mountains quaked like they wept.
And more: even as thousands of deaths were completed, it charged on, ignoring the surging undying. Killing them again and again.
"Straight ahead!"
Elis shouted, drunk on power as if she herself were the giant. Dark blue madness leaked from her fierce gaze. It lingered at her mouth, exhaling rough hot breaths. The same for ice crystals falling with each golem movement, and the undying clinging to them.
"Ha ha, ha!"
Nothing could seize her. Only then did Elis laugh like a child properly receiving the time from her rebirth till now. An innocent, pure laugh ignoring all the world, bursting innocently. She couldn't hold it back amid flying bones and flesh. The more screams like wails rose, the brighter her innocent smile.
Madness swallowed everything.
"Right again!"
Lowering briefly to turn, the golem leaped across a canyon gap in one bound. Seeing pursuing, leg-grabbing undying plummet between, Elis laughed like a child again. Then she slammed the golem's arms into the ground.
Rumble rumble rumble.
The earth shook as madness flowed through the land. Dark blue light crept from the ground's fissures, its beams touching something mountain-like. The second ice golem thus shook off frozen death and rose. Power flowing through her, she groaned in thrill.
"Next!"
The two golems pushed and pulled each other, leaping and hurling. Elis no longer laughed purely like a child. Through six eyes emitting somewhat mature madness, she spotted moving undying and killed them. The third golem awakened, inheriting the madness.
Now not pure or somewhat mature madness, but madness understanding evil-Elis let slip a laugh. Killed again. Thus the fourth madness awakened. The night sky was dark, and now madness had swallowed even demons, harboring sorrow. Piercing sharp madness stood firm on this land.
Elis smiled.
"Carry the madness, and I'll find freedom... and my life!"
Madness harboring sorrow was no different from vengeance at root. That smile glared ferociously at the last madness holding faint hope. Awaken even that golem, and nothing on this land could stop her. No-if war with the Empire broke out and she raised all the golems she'd seen, the neck of that wicked princess, the world's distortion...
"Ah."
Only then did Elis halt her smile. Realizing the bizarre feeling she'd just harbored was no different from the princess's, chills ran through her, teeth clenched tight.
Caring for both Demon King and Hero, resembling the one who toyed with them both.
Be careful. Don't let madness swallow you. Without vengeance, she'd become another twist in this world. Elis steeled her heart again and advanced the four golems.
"Come?"
Atop a black ice golem over land dyed black like a sea of undying, one asked Elis. He held a lance-like sword and spread one wing wide.
It was a harpyai.
"What is this?"
"I'm dead. Couldn't overcome the undying. Thought I'd barely guard this front line, but what madness is this? Chosen by another queen."
"Queen?"
To Elis's question, the harpyai-half his body torn away-nay, nameless night gremlin undying-raised the last remaining ice golem.
"Now I see what the kin of sin's role is. So forgive me, nameless knight."
The night gremlin undying shed blood tears to his death-no, the madness that swallowed hope-and begged.
"Kill me."
Kuoooar!
At the canyon's end, the undying ice golem charged at Elis.