83
Chapter 83
"You brat! Why are you so late!"
"Woof woof, I told you the protagonist always makes an entrance at the very end."
"You think you're the protagonist? Huh? A mutt like you...! You're not even a mutt anymore! I'm demoting you to a puppy!"
"...So, you hate that?"
How can you even ask that!
Of course...!
"I love it!"
"Woof!"
An entrance fit for a hero! You arrived at the perfect, nail-biting moment! From today on, Aru is the protagonist! A puppy protagonist! What a one-of-a-kind lead role!
Aru's gaze pierced through the smoke and scanned my body. Oops, I almost forgot. I quickly hid behind Beatrice. I can't let Aru see my whole body just yet.
"Woof...? But... are you hurt? Young Demon...?"
Aru asked in a worried voice, having seen my chin stained with blood from when I coughed up earlier.
"Ah, some wolf living somewhere didn't help me in time... *cough*! *cough*!"
"Uh, Young Demon! Woof woof woof woof!"
"Don't look at me! Stop that guy!"
As I answered the question, I forced myself to keep coughing. A ripple of emotion crossed Aru's pupils. The girl's back twitched. Ha, what a sweet sight. Seeing someone be pulled here and there exactly as I intended.
"Ugh... I'll... kill you...."
Hero Claire stood up again like a roly-poly toy. Realizing that the target of Claire's murderous intent was me, Aru immediately lunged at her.
Having already been hit once by Aru's ambush, Claire seemed to have no intention of taking it lightly. With an overwhelming amount of Celestial Energy enveloping both hands, she responded head-on to Aru's attack. A violent brawl broke out.
Tatat- Thwack! Smack-!
Claire's fist slammed into Aru's head, and Aru's claws scratched Claire's face. I couldn't miss this chance while the wolf's attention was diverted. Without wasting a moment, I stabbed my own abdomen several times with the dagger I was holding.
Stab, stab, stab-.
"M-my Lord?"
"Oh, did you see? Shh. Keep your mouth shut. There are cases in this world where secrets work in one's favor. I should use this opportunity to raise Aru's loyalty."
Do you think I awakened Claire for nothing? She needs to be at least that strong to be a believable perpetrator capable of hurting me.
Aru appeared faster than expected, so I couldn't buy much time to get wounded. But as long as Beatrice keeps her mouth shut, it's a solved problem.
"My Lord... it's dangerous. What if you accidentally damage an organ...?"
"It's fine. I know my body best. Besides, a demon doesn't die just because a few organs are punctured."
"B-but self-harm is too dangerous...."
"Ssh."
Pinch-.
I made a pincer with my thumb and index finger and pinched Beatrice's butt. Once I do this, Beatrice can no longer argue against my orders.
"Ugh...."
"I've played the self-harm scam on Aru once before. I milked that one time for three hundred years. But I guess the effect has worn off. The puppy keeps disobeying."
"That is because Aru is going through puberty. Like a child in a turbulent phase rebelling against their parents. However, Aru's love for you, my Lord, remains unchanged."
"Love? Dame Beatrice, what I want is a weapon that prioritizes my orders above all else, regardless of the situation. Not a soft, mushy daughter. That goes for you too, and for Mr. John, and the goblin friend who will become my assistant. The only exception would be Ms. Uriel, who walks a different path from me."
I'm not asking for a mindless machine, like the Duke of the West, Lilith, did to Aru in my previous life. While that might be more efficient, I prefer beings who can think and speak for themselves.
However, there is a limit. I will not tolerate any defiance of the owner's authority. I'll use this chance to straighten things out.
"My Lord."
"Do you have something to say?"
"...I will tell you later."
"Fine, you're injured, so just stay lying here. I'll go help Mr. John and Aru for a bit."
"Yes."
"Oh, and one more thing."
I pressed down on both of Beatrice's shoulders, forcing her to lie on the ground, and whispered.
"Don't get hurt without my permission. I'll let it slide this time, but if you neglect your duties due to injury, I'll consider it an abuse of authority."
"I will keep that in mind, my Lord."
"Good, I'll trust you."
Pinch-.
This time, I pinched Beatrice's soft cheeks. There was a strange satisfaction in seeing them stretch out like a piece of bread.
Throb-.
My stomach stung slightly. No matter how much of a performance the cuts were, I had actually stabbed myself, so this was inevitable. I didn't mind.
"Mr. John, let's go. Ms. Uriel, please protect Dame Beatrice."
"Got it, Demon."
"Leader, do you intend to fight in that state?"
"Aru will have a hard time beating Claire on her own. Claire is exhausted, and Aru has experienced awakening, so she might eventually win, but if she ends up crippled, the loss would be far too great."
The brawl between Aru and Claire remained intense. I approached Claire while riding on the back of the King of Humans, who was large enough to carry ten people.
After that, the development was predictable.
The King of Humans and I fought in a way that supported Aru as much as possible. I used my weapon, which had changed back into a magic wand, to restrict Claire's movements, while the King of Humans used his mountain-like durability to block the occasional desperate counterattacks from Claire.
Aru, who served as our main damage dealer, slashed Claire's entire body with claws sharpened like flashes of light. Claire tried her best to envelop her body in Celestial Energy for protection, but it was futile. A human without a sword could not perfectly block a wolf's sharp attacks.
Claire was slowly worn down.
Aru's attacks with claws and teeth followed like rapid-fire, and the counterattacks Claire managed to gather were blocked by the King of Humans with frustrating ease. Just as she began to forget, my bubbles of Demonic Energy would fly in, seeping into parts of her body and paralyzing her.
Slash-!
"I'll... kill... you...."
"Grrrr! Woof woof! Grrrrr!"
"Young one, it is time to be at peace."
"Right, ugh! Ow! Gosh, if only Aru had come sooner, I wouldn't have been hurt this much!"
"Wo, woof? S...sorry...."
Claire was cornered. By now, the ground was messy with the blood she had shed. Could a human body really lose this much blood?
Claire's two legs gradually lost their strength. It seemed she would collapse on her own even if left alone. Like a shipwreck sinking slowly but surely... Claire's heavy eyelids began to close.
Slash! Slash! Crunch-!
"Ugh...."
Aru's hand-blade sliced through the veins and tendons of Claire's wrist. Claire could no longer clench her fists. She had to watch helplessly as the river of blood poured out, realizing she could not stop it.
Slaaaaash-!
"Kgh... kgh...."
We pushed her to the edge of death. Claire clung desperately to the very end of the cliff, but she shook violently every time one of our relentless attacks landed a hit.
Splatter-!
"I... cannot... fall...."
Claire's ankle was severed. Having lost the freedom of her lower body, Claire collapsed to the ground. Now, not a single finger's worth of strength remained in her body.
"...."
"Whew, she's finally stopped."
"Whine... Uh, Young Demon, is your wound okay...? Let me see...!"
"Boy, your will was impressive. Even as an enemy, I admire you."
Claire lay there, limbs—or rather, three limbs—spread on the ground, motionless as if dead. However, she was still breathing. A faint, flickering breath could be heard.
Of course, she can't die yet.
Aru, who had torn Claire's flesh without knowing why, ignored Claire entirely and tried to examine my abdomen. She had been glancing my way throughout the fight, so she must have been quite worried.
"Whine... *lick*... I'm sorry... I didn't know you were fighting...."
"I mean, what's with disappearing without a word, you brat. If Aru had been a little later, this owner would've lost all his guts."
"Whine... I'm sorrrrry.... Ah, does it hurt...?"
"...Ow! Oh, I'm dying! Someone call a doctor! Aaaaagh!"
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof! Whine, whine...!"
Hehe, as I thought, nothing beats a self-harm scam. While wearing a vile smile in my heart, I screamed on the surface.
Of course, I couldn't stay like this forever. Before Claire's breath vanished completely, there was something I had to do.
Standing before the battered Claire, I looked around pointedly, as if searching for something.
"By the way, where did our little goblin friend go? I don't see them. I told them to stay away so they wouldn't get caught in the fight, but maybe they went too far?"
Uriel, confirming the fight was over, approached while supporting Beatrice. Before they could say a word, I issued an order.
"Could you all go look for our goblin friend? Mr. John, Aru—goblins with abs aren't common, so you should be able to find him quickly."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Got it."
"A goblin... Leader, are you seriously thinking of making a goblin your comrade?"
"Comrade? Well, let's call it something similar. Faith and camaraderie are essentially the same thing, after all."
"Whine... Can't I just stay by the Young Demon's side...? What if you get hurt again...."
"Aru, you're the fastest of all, so what are you talking about? Everyone else is working hard, are you the only one trying to slack off?"
"Woof...."
Using the search for the mutant goblin as a pretext, I sent the entire group into the forest. I had already told the goblin to stay far away, anticipating this.
Now, it is time for some alone time with the Hero.
"Ugh...."
"Hero, are you awake? Though your consciousness will probably fade soon."
"What... are you... doing...."
Crouching over the Hero, I loosened the clothes covering her upper body. At the same time, I opened my mouth to speak.
"You're going to die soon. But before that, there's something I want to ask."
"What... you... piece of... trash...."
"Stop with the meaningless cursing. These might be the last words of your life; it would be a pity for a Hero to leave a curse as her final testament."
"...."
"Try smiling. I've died before, you know? And I found that smiling is better. Since you're going to kick the bucket anyway, they say it looks better if you do it with a smile."
"...How can I... possibly smile."
Perhaps because the clothes were already torn, they came undone easily.
Tears flowed from the Hero's eyes. Droplets filled with resentment fell.
"I lost all my precious comrades...! How can I possibly smile...! I couldn't even get proper revenge...!"
"Does it feel unfair?"
"Kgh...!"
"It can feel unfair. I understand. Wondering why we were sent to a forest we didn't want to go to, fighting monsters and dying like this. You're feeling that, right?"
"Dammit...! Miserable...! This is truly miserable...!"
"I'm the only one who can listen to your final grievances. So, let it all out. Of course, you must hate me. You probably hate me enough to want me dead. But you know, don't you? That you can no longer dream of revenge for your comrades."
"Yes... that's right. No matter how much I struggle... it can't be undone now...."
The Hero's gaze turned toward the sky. Her eyes were damp and glistening.
"Devil... why did we have to die...?"
"Because you fought me."
"I asked the wrong question... I mean, even before meeting you... why did we have to come to the Demon Beast Forest, and why were we forced onto a journey where death was destined...?"
"Because the Empire ordered it."
"...."
"It was obvious, but an answer is an answer. Now it's my turn to ask. Please, just don't die until I'm finished."
"What are you... agh!"
I placed both hands in the center of Claire's chest. Claire let out a groan of pain.
"Why did you do your absolute best?"
"What are you... talking about...."
"You were all destined to die anyway. Even if it wasn't by our hands. The order from the Empire: eradicate every single monster in the Demon Beast Forest. Surely you didn't think that was a feasible order?"
"Devil...."
"Of course, if you had kept fighting step by step, you might have grown significantly more than you are now. Your party members would have grown too, so you might have killed quite a few. But you know, don't you? No matter how much you grew, you could never challenge the Dragon King. Perhaps you could have somehow taken down the Seven Dragons surrounding the Dragon King... but even then, it would have been a mutual destruction."
"The reason I gave my all was because you killed my comrades...."
"No, you would have fought until death even if it wasn't me. Because that's the kind of person you are."
Because that's how it was in my previous life.
"You already knew this was a journey destined for death. But why didn't you run away? If it were me, I would have bolted immediately. I would have hidden somewhere the Empire couldn't find me and lived in seclusion for the rest of my life. Yet, you went out of your way to find the goblin horde and began the assault. You simply followed the Empire's orders obediently."
"Is that not... only natural...."
"I mean, why is that 'only natural'? I'm curious about the reason."
"Even if I fled... the Empire would simply grind future heroes into the dust... until the Demon Beast Forest is annihilated...."
"Hmm?"
"If I could kill just a few more... the future heroes would suffer less... and this tragic cycle could end sooner...."
A look of emptiness settled into the Hero's golden eyes.
It is the gaze humans most often wear when they finally accept death.
Heroes really are all too kind. Having regressed from the future, I know that regardless of what achievements he made in the forest, only two heroes died, and when a girl named Frey became the Hero, the Demon King started a war, which led the Empire to stop the [Demon Beast Forest Annihilation Project].
But he doesn't know that.
Altruism. Yes, it was altruism. The Tragic Hero Claire continued her lonely battle out of altruism for the heroes who would follow.
Having read about her in books, and now hearing her inner thoughts through conversation, I feel a strange sense of emotion.
"So that was the reason. Fine, I've heard enough. Now then...."
I lifted my palm, which had been pressed against Claire's chest.
"I should finish my business."
"Gasp...! W-what have you done...!"
A red and black orb emerged from Claire's skin. It was an orb with no definite surface, looking like a dense cluster of shimmering energy.
"I've pulled out your soul. To be my nourishment."
"What...?"
"I awakened you and kept the others away just for this. It would be a shame to miss out."
"What, what did you say? You clearly said it was a 'mistake' and that I was 'merely' something, to awaken my wrath...!"
"Huh? A mistake? I knew perfectly well that you had opened the door to awakening, so why would I say those things if not to accelerate it? I wanted you to get stronger faster. That way, it's easier to 'absorb' you."
"No way...! That's impossible...!"
"In the first place, if I had intended to kill you from the start, I would have told Dame Beatrice and Mr. John to take your comrades as hostages. I could have finished this easily without a drop of blood on my hands. Do you think I left only the priest as a hostage for no reason? Aren't you underestimating me too much?"
Vrrr-.
The soul vibrated. Thanks to the soul still being connected to the body and tail, the lips of the physical body trembled in shock.
"N-nonsense...! You almost died by my hand before the Wolf Beastman arrived...!"
"...Sigh, I think you're mistaken about one thing."
"Ugh!"
"Killing someone like you is nothing for me, Claire. Stop with the delusions. Everyone has a trump card. You should never be sure of victory until the opponent's throat is cut. In fact, the moment you thought you could kill me, you were stopped by that suddenly appearing Wolf Beastman, weren't you?"
The deck of cards in my pocket felt itchy. I wanted to pull them out and shove a Joker Card right in the Hero's face. But the time remaining for the Hero is not long.
"I might talk a lot, but I don't speak without thinking. In fact, I think more deeply than anyone before I open my mouth. As you awakened, the game moved to Hard Mode, but I decided to eat your soul anyway. It's better to grow it a bit more before eating. And 'hard' and 'impossible' are strictly different words. Killing you became harder, but not impossible."
"From the start... everything... this was all designed...?"
"Hey, I'm no genius, so I couldn't do that. I'm just a common, ordinary demon."
If I had used the Joker Card, killing Claire would have been child's play, but that would be such a waste.
Using a power with limits on a mere creature like this is the height of foolishness. I would have used it if Aru hadn't come at all.
At first, I just went to watch the Hero Party. But there, I found the goblin who would fulfill my desire, and from then on, I started plotting.
"I can devour the souls of other beings. An ability to turn the power they possessed into my own. It sounds terrifying, but there's a downside. I can only use it five times in a single lifetime."
I hadn't originally planned to eat the Hero. But recently, my growth had slowed, and Aru had surpassed me upon her awakening. I needed to grow rapidly. I chose the Hero as the material for that growth. Besides, to take in the goblin, I needed to fight her anyway.
As a side note, in my previous life, I devoured the souls of the Dragon Lord and the mage Merlin Gregory. They were the stepping stones for my rapid growth. In my previous life, those two alone were enough to place me above all others, so I didn't need more, but in this life, I plan to use this authority effectively.
To take down the Demon King, Kanos, at the top. The Hero is the first sacrifice. And the Dragon King Endros, who will die in a hundred years, will be the second.
"Why five times? Don't ask. The story behind it is too long to explain."
Things didn't go perfectly. Contrary to my expectations, the Hero Party's priest sacrificed his life to free Claire, and as a result, Beatrice was injured. But that's fine. The harvest was far greater than the loss.
"The wolf brat arrived quite quickly, so I had to experience stabbing my own abdomen... but anyway, it all worked out. I was able to grow your soul as strong as possible before devouring it, and I've raised Aru's loyalty back to the maximum. Furthermore, Aru won't dare act recklessly from now on. I've gained everything. I even got a goblin friend."
A quake went through Claire's pupils. If I'm not careful, she might die of shock. I should devour the soul quickly. I opened my mouth as wide and greedily as possible.
"Your soul is quite large. It was worth 'awakening' you. Hero, I guess this is why they say you should watch your mouth. Now then...."
"Y-you crazy bastard...!"
Pushing the shimmering mass of the soul into my mouth, I curled my eyes. I offer my sincere gratitude to Claire, who was nothing less than a giving tree to me.
"Bon appétit."
Crunch-.