N Years, The Demon King, The Hero, the Saint, and the Villain - 3
"…Ridiculous."
Kanos let out a faint, derisive laugh.
"Why is that?"
"Hero, I can say with absolute certainty that no living being in this world knows Joker better than I do. And Joker… can never defeat me. That is an absolute truth."
A reply filled with solid conviction. Yet Frey did not waver.
"There is no such thing as an absolute in this world."
"Joker, he is…"
"What comes when one puts their life and soul on the line, that is what a miracle is. Didn't Your Majesty just say so yourself?"
"…Hah."
To have his own words thrown back at him so insolently, Kanos fell silent.
"After you destroy all dimensions like this, what do you plan to do?"
"I plan to die. I am tired of forcibly living this tedious life."
"Then decide. Whether you will gamble one last time before you die, or end your life in this meaningless way."
"…Foolish brat."
Kanos stared intently at the girl before him, who was kneeling but possessed a strangely dignified bearing.
The Hero herself had come to the Demon King, making a proposal with a subservience that bordered on humiliation.
It must be quite a disgraceful thing. Enough to tarnish the name of 'Hero'.
'That strike just now… her form was impeccably clean, close to perfect.'
Kanos took in the sight of the sword in the girl's hand, its blade now lowered. He recalled the trajectory it had drawn.
An energy that flashed like gold. Supreme Imperial Heavenly Qi. An ultimate technique exclusive to the Imperial Family of the Empire and the Hero, surpassing even Solar Qi and Royal Qi.
In theory, Supreme Imperial Heavenly Qi is the strongest energy among all existing energies. Neither a Dragon's mana nor a Swordmaster's sword aura can surpass it. Because it is the pinnacle of energy gifted by the Main God to the Hero, to cut down all evil in the world.
The Hero, Frey, had controlled the Supreme Imperial Heavenly Qi to its extreme. A well-refined sword aura had enveloped him. It was loaded with a strike so sharp that even most sword masters wouldn't dare attempt it.
This showed just how much immense, distant effort Frey had poured in. Even just looking at his hands, completely covered in calluses, made it clear.
'But… the energy is too insignificant. Well, with the Main God in that state, there's no way the Hero, who receives the Main God's power, can exert it properly. Rather, it's astonishing that she has reached this level with the weakest talent among all the Heroes in history.'
Even after pouring in so much effort, she is blocked by her innate talent, ultimately giving up on the Hero's duty.
Kanos could not fathom the despair Frey must be feeling.
"…Then, if we were to follow your words, and the plan of using Joker to catch Joker—this strategy of using one villain to catch another—were to succeed…"
Kanos let out a sigh and spoke. It was a sign of acceptance. But neither of them smiled.
"What do you plan to do afterwards? Can you handle Joker, who will have become stronger than me? When it comes to 'infamy,' Joker is worse than I am."
"I seek to annihilate the world, but Joker seeks to corrupt the continent. An era where rules and morality collapse, and chaos and barbarism run rampant will come. It means it can never be a happy ending for you, Hero."
"Furthermore, Joker is different from me. I desire a clean and complete duel of skill, but Joker is the kind who doesn't care about the means if he has a goal. If Joker decides to kill me, he will try to kill me with all sorts of bizarre methods. It will be far from the all-out fight I desire."
Kanos's continuous counterarguments. Having prepared the answers in advance, Frey calmly and clearly spoke.
"I have a friend."
"A friend?"
"A friend who is the best at reformation under this vast sky. That vicious Western Grand Duke of the Demon King's army, the Succubus Queen Lillith, was eventually reformed by my friend."
"You speak of the Saint of Benevolence, Maria."
"Yes. I believe that friend can surely reform Joker. I trust the Saint Maria."
It was a statement filled with conviction. To Kanos, it was merely laughable.
"A flimsy plan. To have a plan established on something like 'faith'."
"It's because Maria is that trustworthy."
"What about making Joker grow stronger? And what about him agreeing to a duel of skill with me?"
"Do you know of the God of Time, Chronos?"
"Chronos? The god of the Olympus pantheon?"
"Yes, the God of Time, father of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and others. He has the ability to rewind time. I believe it wouldn't be difficult for you, a god among gods, to command him."
"In short, make Joker regress? Is there any guarantee that he will become stronger on his own?"
Frey paused for a breath.
"The stories of Joker's thorough revenge are famous. The Dragon Lord dying, the Empire's citizens being massacred, the Elves' World Tree Yggdrasil burning down. All of that happened when Joker's family was touched."
"So?"
"You, the Demon King, should personally earn Joker's enmity. Kill him, and when he regresses, Joker will naturally target you."
"Hmm."
"You said you were worried Joker might try to assassinate you, didn't you? That can't be helped. The best course of action would be for you to simply not appear before Joker."
"A future where I die by anything other than my own hands does not exist. What I worry about is Joker getting himself killed by stepping up when he doesn't even have the skill to entertain me."
The fierce debate continued. With every exchange between Kanos and Frey, the picture they were painting became clearer.
"No… it might work. If Joker feels only 'obsession' for the Saint Maria."
"What do you mean?"
"Joker's age is roughly 500. If he regresses, he will be sent back 500 years. And Joker has a tendency to obsess over absolute good. If Joker is influenced by the goodness of the Saint Maria you mentioned, Joker will not attack me for 500 years in order not to change the future. Because the object of his obsession, the Saint, must not fail to be born. Instead, he will build up power to take revenge on me."
"I've heard of it. I've heard of the Seven Days of Fate until my ears were sore."
"Then the key is 500 years later… No, it might be different during infancy. Joker, who knows the power of me in my adult form, will not rashly attack me until he has firm conviction. I just hope that conviction of Joker's, which will come someday, isn't wrong…"
Light began to seep little by little into Kanos's dark world. A light called hope, or perhaps aspiration, was rising like the dawn.
"Joker and the Saint… Before killing Joker, the two need to be placed together for him to be reformed or not. How do we handle that?"
"Even a death row inmate isn't executed immediately, right? Besides, for Chronos to regress someone, it takes a required time of 111 days."
"So you're saying to lock Joker in prison during that time? Together with the Saint Maria? What prison exists that can hold the two of them?"
"Babel Tower. The worst prison in the world. If it's Tartarus, the lowest floor of that place, imprisoning Joker and the Saint is not a dream."
"Tartarus already holds the Water Spirit King, who once flooded the continent, and the Black King, who ruled the underworld."
"Move them up."
"…Keuk, keuahahaha, keuahahahahaha!"
The Demon King laughed loudly. It had been so long since he last laughed. The Demon King did not hide his joy.
"Is it truly possible! My wish, which I thought was surely impossible, can be achieved!"
"It depends on your actions. Because you have to deceive Joker, the master of acting and trickery. If he realizes your true intentions, he will instead try not to take revenge. Because he will realize that not taking revenge is the best revenge."
"Yes… I admit it's a brilliant idea. I accept it. The next 500 years. This is the grace period given to this world."
The Demon King's proclamation, filled with ecstasy, fell. After persistent persuasion, the Hero had convinced the Demon King.
It was an unprecedented negotiation. A Demon King who wants to be killed, and a Hero who will provide the being to kill him, asking for time. What an absurd, bizarre, and nonsensical negotiation this was. However, it was also a weighty negotiation that would decide the fate of this continent.
"But Chronos is not a philanthropist. Equivalent exchange. If you want to buy time, you must pay a corresponding price."
"It's a problem that would naturally be solved if you, who stand above Chronos, just gave one order."
"No, what I buy is 'my time' alone. Not yours or Joker's."
"…! You said you would cooperate!"
"Don't be mistaken, Hero. The fact that I am not cutting your throat right now is cooperation enough. Just by extending this boring and tedious life by five hundred years, I have done my best. Now show me your resolve. The resolve worthy of me granting this grace period."
'Ha, let's not despair. I was prepared for this from the start. I don't know what Chronos will demand, but I can bear Joker's share as well. No matter how insignificant, I have the talent of a Hero. As long as my spirit isn't broken…'
"…I understand."
After much deliberation, Frey gave her answer. Kanos smiled contentedly.
"Soon, I will surrender to you and the Demon King's army. On the surface."
"Why is that?"
"There is no better way to unite people on one side than by creating an enemy. As long as I, the 'Hero', exist, the Saint Maria will not be able to fully side with Joker. The world must hate me."
"So you're volunteering for the villain's role now? Anyway, according to your plan, this cycle is a throwaway cycle, isn't it?"
"Because within that 'throwaway cycle,' the bond between Joker and Maria must be formed."
"Everyone you know will curse you. Wherever you go, the label of traitor will follow, along with resentful eyes and pointing fingers. Can you endure it? Your parents, your teacher, your comrades, your country will all brand you a traitor."
"…If that can save the world, anything. I am the Hero. As the weakest Hero in history, I must do more than others. Even if that path is unconventional."
"A firm conviction. Joker would have liked it."
"…The Saint has her path, and the Hero has his. If reforming even the worst villain, Joker, is Maria's role, then this is my path."
Leaving those calm words behind, Frey rose from her seat. And then she turned around.
"Ah, if you capture the Saint Maria and imprison her with Joker, please pluck out her eyes."
"It's not difficult, but why?"
"There is such a thing as preconception. Maria has a straight gaze that looks at anyone without prejudice, but if that person is Joker, even she will try to keep her distance. Because she knows the story of Joker and the Heavenly Hero."
"So, you're saying to pluck out her eyes so she doesn't know he's Joker right now?"
"Yes. And wound Joker, then bind him. So that Joker cannot harm Maria. And so that Maria can feel sympathy and compassion for Joker. If we lead it up to that point, their relationship, situation, and emotions will interlock and interlock, rolling like gears."
"Anything else you need help with? I won't grant everything unconditionally."
"If you would help… after Joker and Maria meet, I would like you to visit them in Tartarus. And firmly make them recognize that you are their 'enemy.' I will do the same. For this plan to succeed, Joker and Maria must rely on each other."
Finishing her recitation that seemed to foresee the future, Frey walked heavily. It was when she reached the door.
"It's not something I, the Demon King, should say, but you are truly cold-hearted. Though it is under the pretext of saving the world, you are throwing your close friend into the jaws of a villain."
Stop-.
At the low-spoken words that reached her, Frey stood askew. Then, turning her head back, she bit her lip.
Grind-.
"…Maria is my most precious close friend."
A voice filled with resentment burst through her lips, forcing its way out.
"She is a precious friend whom I love, admire, and respect more than anyone else in the world. If I could, I would want to feed her only the most precious things in the world and let her experience only the most beautiful experiences."
"How do you think I feel, saying with my own mouth to push such a friend into a villain's arms and pluck out her eyes…? If I don't do this, the world will collapse…?"
"…I will take my leave now."
Squeak-.
Clang-.
Soon, the iron door closed. Left alone in the vast hall, Kanos looked at the sunglasses he had been wearing for a long time.
The world was still dark.
"Main God… are you watching?"
Kanos muttered into the air.
"Your successors are doing something truly ridiculous. A stupid plan. Joker killing me. A loser who lost to you, killing me. A laughably absurd plan."
A twisted smile hung on her lips.
"And yet… I was convinced by that ridiculous plan. Perhaps I too have become a fool, swayed by the word 'last hope'… Keuahahahaha!"
The eerie laughter echoed for a long time.
- Keuahahahaha!
"…Fuck."
Hearing the Demon King's laughter from beyond the iron door.
The indomitable Hero, Frey, collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way.
Her hands were drenched in sweat like a flood.
"Huuu… Hnnng…"
No, it wasn't just sweat.
Leaning against the door, crouching on the floor, burying her face in her hands. The hot liquid occupying her two palms, which were tightly wrapped around her face.
Tears fell drop by drop like rain in the monsoon season. The monsoon showed no sign of stopping. The girl's heart, clouded and stifled like a storm cloud, was exactly like that. Even as raindrops poured down like a storm, the girl's storm clouds showed no sign of clearing.
"You damned bastard… you crazy bastard…"
Self-loathing.
That was the identity of the fishy emotion flowing mixed with the rainwater.
"If only I had been a little stronger…"