80
Chapter 80
"As I listen to you speak, I realize you're just talking nonsense without any basis."
As I pulled the goblin up by the hand to make him stand, the Hero standing beside us interrupted our conversation in a low tone.
"Magical Beasts are evil. It is only natural to eradicate impure beings."
"Hero, aren't you being a bit too harsh? If our soft-hearted goblin gets hurt, you're the one who'll be responsible, right?"
"I am not trying to kill that goblin because I am strong. If every strong person in the world acted as they pleased, the world would be a chaotic mess."
"Didn't you know? The world is already a mess! It's been a mess since the moment good and evil were defined!"
"...Nonsense. I do not attack innocent, good people. I attack goblins because they are destined to commit sins in one way or another."
Of course, do you think I don't know that? There is probably no one who knows the monster species better than I do.
"Do you think goblins are hostile to every single race? Do goblins destroy forests and ruin trees like you humans do? Just admit it honestly. You decided to attack goblins because they get on your nerves. Why do you keep talking as if you are the absolute standard for good and evil?"
Hero Claire remains silent. Being a Hero, I suppose she possesses at least enough pride to believe she should be noble.
That works for me. Rather than a third-rate coward who uses evil as an internal sanctuary, a good human like her is much easier to throw into confusion. The reason a Devil is a Devil is that they were once Angels. A Fallen Angel—that is what a Devil is.
"What? A concentration of evil? Isn't that just a delusion? The goblin species is simply driven by intense greed and sexual desire. You define goblins as evil only because those blades are pointed at you humans."
"Everyone knows that goblins are a hideous race."
"Hideous? What exactly is hideous? Tell me, our righteous Hero."
"It is the act of killing other lives without hesitation; I can understand that if it is for food. We also harm other lives to survive. However, goblins are a species that instinctively commit ravishment. How could a species that rapes those who do not want it for their own pleasure not be hideous?"
"Rape? Puhaha! Did you just call rape a hideous act?"
"Well, is it not?"
"No! Yes! Rape is a filthy and disgusting act! For some, it can be a greater crime than murder! But listen."
Humans like the Hero overlook far too much.
It seems her conviction that she is right blocks her view of the world.
"That is based on human standards."
"What do you mean?"
"Shall I give you an example? You know seals, right? Those cute beasts that live in the water. But actually, seals have a sexual drive as strong as goblins. However, due to their polygamous system, male seals who are marginalized find it hard to mate with female seals. So do you know what they do?"
"...."
"They rape penguins. You know penguins, right? Those cute little things that waddle around. Even though they are clearly different species, seals rape penguins. Do they do it because they are evil? Is the seal species a cursed race from birth, which is why they commit such filthy acts?"
"That is..."
"If seals were truly a filthy race, shouldn't humans have defined them as evil long ago according to their doctrines? But what happens? Humans wave at seals and penguins, calling them cute, and some even keep seals in their homes and give them love. Pet seals respond to that love by acting cute or showing loyalty."
"Seals and goblins... are not the same."
"Exactly! They're different! Seals do it to penguins, but goblins do it to humans! That's why they are evil Magical Beasts to you! But from the perspective of a Demon like me, it's not like that! The way you humans look at seals and penguins is exactly how I look at goblins and humans! That's why we have to fight! Because our ideologies are different!"
The Hero cannot utter a single response. Is there a lot to think about? This was a very simple and clear explanation, wasn't it?
"You're saying goblins always cause harm to humans? Maybe so. But think about it the other way. Have you humans ever been of any help to goblins? Oh! I guess you were helpful for satisfying their sexual urges!"
"Shall we look at other animals? Has the human race ever been helpful to livestock or plants? Haven't you always been a nuisance? You use them for farming, and once they're spent, you kill them and eat them as meat."
"Oh? Then humans are the evil ones? Since you bring nothing but harm to almost all animals and plants! It's obvious evil, so why doesn't the Hero's sword point toward humans? Is there discrimination even among evil?"
"Unpleasant, isn't it? That's normal, because I'm currently denying your very reason for existing. A Hero is supposed to be unconditionally good and righteous, right? Since when did justice become another word for selective hypocrisy? That's basically what I'm saying."
As I enjoyed chatting away, the goblin had stepped quite far back. I wondered if he'd just be a foolish hindrance if he stood by my side, but he's actually quite perceptive. I like him more and more.
"...And so."
The Hero, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. Her tone was calm and unwavering. I wanted to deal her a mental blow, but it's not working. Her mind is tougher than I thought.
"What is it you want to say?"
"...It's simple."
"Get to the point. Tell me what you want from me."
"Stop pretending to be a saint when it doesn't suit you and just admit you're massacring goblins on the Empire's orders. No one will criticize you for it. Who would complain about a weak, insignificant goblin being subjugated by a powerful human?"
"You know it was an order from the Empire. I'm becoming more and more curious about who you actually are."
Certainly, a Hero is a Hero.
A being chosen by the Lord. If the Saint is the only one chosen among nuns, then the Hero is the only one chosen among warriors. In other words, she can be seen as the warrior with the strongest mind on the continent.
Well, that's probably why she grew and grew until she conquered all the monsters in the Southern Demon Beast Forest.
"I am human. As a human, I stand on the side of humans, and therefore, I slay goblins. Is there a problem? Is it wrong for a human to follow a human's view of justice and goodness?"
"...If you're going to be like that, I have nothing left to say, haha."
Archangel Uriel would have collapsed under this much rattling, but as expected of a Hero.
Right, a Hero who was originally meant to clash with the Demon King shouldn't crumble up to this point. The Hero from 200 years later, a weakling like the cowardly Frey de Siegfried, is an exception.
"Haaat!"
Kwang-!
Hearing a loud battle cry and an explosion, I turned my head to see Beatrice's sword and the Great Warrior's sword clashing fiercely.
They weren't the only ones focused on the battle. The King of Humans was advancing steadily against the Hero Party's mage and archer, protecting his vitals so they couldn't easily divert their gaze. I couldn't see where Uriel, who boasted she could fight, had gone... Huh?
"Your Holy Power is quite pure. But deploying Holy Power here, in the Demon Beast Forest, should be quite a burden, shouldn't it?"
"Gasp, you... who on earth are...!"
"I am a being you have read about countless times in the scriptures. Even if I tell you this, you probably won't be able to figure it out."
Surprisingly, Uriel was engaged in a clash of Holy Power against the Hero Party's priest. A fine, white energy rained down between the two beings. A white bird and a pure bird fluttered their wings, showing off their white feathers.
The white wings on Uriel's back were spread wide for the first time in a very long while. Was Uriel's aura always that great? Of course, it's insignificant compared to her prime, but the energy that grew while witnessing the King of Humans' tender love manifested its majesty without reserve.
"W-White wings...? W-Why is an Angel blocking our path...!?"
"Do not assume that the opposite of good must be evil. Everyone has their own justice and their own life. Why do you assume that someone blocking you must unconditionally be evil?"
"What...! Gkh...!"
"I once had days just like yours."
To think Uriel, whom I thought was just a total parasite, had such a side to her. A wave of pride and admiration swells within my heart. Is this the feeling of a father raising a child?
...Whatever, what kind of child takes two hundred years to grow into barely that much? Now I'm starting to feel cheated.
"Well, anyway."
To calm this irritation, I think I'll need to take it out on someone. Specifically, our mighty Hero.
"I assume you have no intention of backing down quietly?"
"Earlier, you introduced yourself as a Demon. I see no reason why a human should not fight upon encountering a Demon."
"Oh, you caught that too?"
The Hero's sword slowly draws a semi-circle. The golden aura clinging to the blade is ominous. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end.
Light Energy. It is a power fundamentally different from Holy Power. The power of the sun, usable only by the Hero and the Emperor of the Empire. While it grants warm brightness to all things, the extreme yang power that can incinerate everything blooms at the tip of the Hero's sword.
Swish.
In response, I drew a card. The card I drew was the Diamond 5. The hardest shield in the world, yet only as small as a palm.
I gripped it with my index and middle fingers. To block the massive attack that was about to follow.
Ssssh.
The Hero's sword stopped diagonally. Then, as it slashed down in a slant, it created an illusion as if the very air was twisting sideways.
"Heavenly Strike."
The sword strike that cuts the heavens falls upon me like a bolt of lightning. The energy is modest, but it is nonetheless a formidable attack.
However, I already know how to handle this. I've fought your generation's descendants.
The blade slicing through the air is a deception. Think of it as a 'feint.' The moment an opponent is intimidated by the twisting air and retreats, the second hidden attack flashes forth to carve them open.
Exactly like now.
Shuaaa!
Having looped through the air, the Hero's sword strikes directly toward my flank. I do not retreat. Instead, I press my body against the Hero, blocking her arm—which hadn't even fully gathered its strength—with my side.
Of course, since the flank is a weak area, there is an impact. But fighting is ultimately an act of giving flesh to take bone. The slight pain I feel now will be the foundation for inflicting a deep wound upon the Hero.
"Where do you think you're—!"
"Hmm!?"
Approaching her in sync with her movement, I pressed the slanted surface of the Diamond 5 card against the sword to divert its trajectory. Losing its direction, the Hero's sword flew uselessly into the air. The Hero lost her balance and leaned into me as if falling.
Not missing that opening, I drew the Spade Ace and drove it down. I thrust the sharp spear, capable of piercing anything, toward the Hero's wide-open eye.
"Haaaap—!"
The Hero did not panic but let out a shout. The powerful cry that made my eardrums ring was no mere scream.
Kwaaa—!
A golden beam erupted from the blonde Hero's mouth, knocking away my arm holding the spear. It was so hot that the fabric covering my arm burned away instantly, even without a spark. My skin was scorched black.
Thanks to that, the spear's trajectory also shifted. The spear grazed the side of the Hero's head and temple, carving a long diagonal line across her once-smooth face. A streak of red, metallic-smelling blood trickled down.
After exchanging a few blows, the Hero and I leaped backward simultaneously. We needed to put some distance between us and regroup.
"You've got good reflexes. The Empire really polished you up, even though you're basically useless."
"...You use an unusual weapon."
It was only a brief skirmish, but I could tell. The Hero had likely realized it too.
This fight.
It wasn't going to be an easy one.
*****
A pair of beast ears sits atop the girl's head. When the ears twitch, she listens intently to the sounds drifting toward her.
Rustle.
A group appears from within the brush. They are not human, nor goblin, nor demon. They are a pack of beasts walking on four legs.
"Woof, come out."
The girl with wolf ears, the Wolf King, murmured quietly. The prowling pack of wolves finally came to a halt before their king.
"Is it tonight?"
The Wolf King asked bluntly. The oldest wolf, the largest with the thickest mane leading the pack, opened its maw to speak for the others.
"Yes, my King."
"How do you know? Woof?"
"Tonight, the Fattest Moon, which appears only once a year, will rise. It is the only day you can inherit strength and authority."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I can guarantee it."
Every wolf bowed their head to the Wolf King. There was no discrimination, whether they had gray manes or black manes.
That is who the Wolf King is. The one and only existence that encompasses all beings united under the wolf species, representing and ruling over them. If two Wolf Kings existed under one sky, they would inevitably clash to determine victory and establish hierarchy.
Such is the king of a species.
"My King, please follow us. We shall guide you to the place where you will receive your power."
"Got it."
"Woof woof! Awooooo—!"
"Awooo—! Awooooo—!"
The wolves, finally securing a king of their own, howled with joy. For them, this was a day that could only be called a grand celebration.
Carrying the weight of the wolves' expectations, the wolf girl Aru stepped forward.
Strictly speaking, Aru is not yet the king. Because she has not yet undergone the Ceremony of Succession under the Full Moon. All kings must undergo the Ceremony of Succession to be able to use the Authority of a king. For example, ruling over members of their own species.
Aru was now on her way to complete that process.