The Delivery of Hope
Kibotos began to cry. Upon hearing my words, she opened the magic of her eyes, and soon she was weeping little by little before bursting into full, unrestrained sobs. She apologized. She said she was sorry to Cartoria. She cried out that she was sorry to everyone.
To be honest, I never expected Kibotos to apologize so earnestly and break down in tears like this. As I thought that and began to hold her, memories of what I had heard from Tia during our walk surfaced—the power of Clairvoyance. Eyes that pierce through to the essence. That meant she could read everything about the other person. If so, she could probably read even their memories, which meant she had seen the memories I had just recalled.
Kibotos must have read my entire past and reflected on herself. Cartoria still looked as though she did not understand what I had done.
“····”
When Kibotos began to sob and apologize, Cartoria cautiously approached and embraced us both. Cartoria had only appeared strict on the surface; in truth, her heart was no different from ours. Fragile, delicate, easily broken. So kind that she was always hurt, yet she could never give up even at the very end—that precious heart.
“···· Hic, ugh···”
We sat in a corner of Cartoria’s private room, waiting until Kibotos’s tears subsided. Little by little, Kibotos stopped crying and looked at Cartoria.
“I like you too·····”
Her face was still brimming with tears, yet she spoke clearly, one word at a time.
“I was just scared····· If I lost you again, I felt like I would never be able to forgive myself·····”
The things she had feared, the courage she could not muster.
“Chester, Zestria, Iren, Laus, Zekamur···· even Gematria. I couldn’t protect any of them···· They were all so kind, so good to me····”
The names of those who had inevitably died.
“In the end, I could only watch without doing anything, holed up in a corner of the room. I really couldn’t do anything····”
And the hatred toward her own powerlessness. That was why Kibotos had run away. She had not wanted to grow close to anyone who might die again.
“So even though I knew you liked me, even though I liked you too·····! I, I······!!”
Cartoria gazed at Kibotos in silence. Tears had gathered at the corners of Cartoria’s eyes as well. Watching them, I wiped away all my own tears, turned my gaze elsewhere for a moment, and murmured softly.
“The way you clung to me earlier… it was because you had already seen me with those eyes, wasn’t it?”
“···· I thought you had nothing to do with me. I just thought you were someone else····· The pain I saw in your memories felt like my eyes were being torn apart····”
Then came the flaw of her unique magic.
“Even so, it was only natural that you never thought I would know you····”
Because only she could empathize infinitely with the other person, she alone felt intense affection or intense revulsion. That was why she had treated me kindly when we first met over snacks. That was also why she had cried out for me to save her, to get her out the moment she saw me. It was all because she had already read me and empathized with that pain.
There was one more flaw. She could only read the truly painful memories of the owner once that person themselves recalled them vividly. Only now could she understand the reason behind the emotions she had vaguely empathized with before.
“I’m sorry. It was all my fault····· There was no reason, no meaning for me to act that way····”
Having heard my words and read all my memories, Kibotos now believed her own actions had been worthless and wrong. After all, she was the one who had remained trapped in sorrow and done nothing.
“No.”
But I knew. Even if she had done nothing, even if she had collapsed and let everything go—
“You can still hold on now.”
Hope had always lingered by my side, trying to take me away. To a brighter place. To a better place than now.
“There’s already someone good enough by your side, isn’t there?”
I gave Kibotos a bitter smile.
Even if it was your fault, even if everything felt like your fault, there are still precious people left beside you. It wouldn’t be so bad to ask them for help. To ask just once.
“Cartoria will lead you splendidly to a better place. Just by helping the Demon King, me, and Jemma right now, that’s already true, isn’t it?”
And here, right now, there was an angel-like person who would give everything without being asked, without any reward.
“So now, try touching the ground again.”
I approached Kibotos, bent down, and met her eyes.
“Touch it, and try to stand up again.”
If someone who had fallen asked how they could rise once more—
“And when you open your eyes, you’ll see something different from what you usually saw.”
Because the people beside you would surely take your hand and help you up, I could answer.
“Look over there. There’s already a woman crying her eyes out because she likes you so much.”
I pointed out Cartoria’s embarrassed face to Kibotos. Kibotos stared blankly for a moment before speaking.
“···· I’ll do my best.”
Following my words, she touched the floor once more and stood up.
“Cartoria···· help me····”
Cartoria, who had tried to bear everything alone all this time, finally saw the end of the long, long worry she had kept in her heart.
“Yes, of course····!”
She took Kibotos’s hand once more and helped her stand so she could face forward.
Kibotos’s dark days had now come to a complete end.
“····”
I watched the two of them embrace and sob for a while. Then I quietly left the room. There was no longer any reason for me to intrude between their love.
That said, I still did not really understand why Cartoria had come to love Kibotos, but Kibotos liked that Cartoria, so it was fine. My own heart felt a little lighter too.
So many things had happened before I came here. I had made so many mistakes. At least one of them, I could say I had made up for.
“···· Karia, ah.”
As I tried to leave, a voice called out to me from behind.
“Bel, Belberman····”
Realizing the voice calling me belonged to Kibotos, I turned around.
“Thank you, Belberman····· Hite, Wilhelmman····”
“····”
She called out every name from every moment of my life and offered her thanks.
“It’s fine···· I’m just Karia now.”
For an instant, I felt as though my tear ducts were about to explode, yet I closed my eyes, showed her my back, and left the place.
“Hite, Wilhelmman·····”
It had been decades since I last heard that name. I had long since stopped counting those days, but for some reason, hearing it from someone who knew my past—whether intentionally or not—did not feel so bad.
I left Cartoria’s private room and returned to my own. There was no reason to talk any longer, and no need to distract Cartoria further. Cartoria did not have many people to rely on, and from now on she would have to look after Kibotos. I was not running away; I was being considerate.
“··· Then, Tia too.”
Suddenly, I remembered that Tia also possessed Clairvoyance. She must have learned my past as well. If so, that bastard had known everything about me and still acted like that. A surge of heat rushed through me once more.
“I’ll kill her····”
Once again, my unending desire for revenge flared up. But why? It no longer felt entirely unpleasant. The fact that demons, a race no different from humans, could share the same heart through conversation felt like a great hope to me. Was it because this Demon King’s castle was starting to feel like a new home? The longer I stayed, the more the executives felt like neighborhood friends, like Idea. Even the Demon King was beginning to feel like a true companion. I could no longer tell the difference.
Whose side was I on?
If war broke out again now, whose side should I stand on?
“····”
Thinking about it, the question was quite simple. I could never forget the time I spent with my comrades, and the memories I was building here would soon become impossible to forget as well. All I had to do was pour every ounce of my strength into stopping the new wars that would come. I had to stop Tia Belberman from becoming the Demon King once more, and burn my own body to halt humanity’s attack on the Demon King’s castle.
Though it would be an apology to Kibotos. After saying those words to her, I myself had not changed at all. I had told her that even if she was left alone, she should be happy for everyone’s sake, yet I myself could not feel happy at all. Even now, I kept picturing the moment I would sacrifice myself for all of you who had disappeared. Again and again.
Justitia. Can we meet again?
Where, where should I hear those words now? Where can I reclaim the feelings from the moments I shared with all of you?
“Karia.”
As I walked in a daze, not even knowing whether I was in a corridor or somewhere else, staggering along—
“··· Let’s go back.”
“····”
The one who called me was not Justitia. The one who stopped me from behind as I tried to leave somewhere was not a memory of that day, nor their illusions. It was Tia Belberman.
“You look very tired.”
Demon King, it was you.
“···· Did you finish, Tia?”
When I looked at Tia with a weary face and smiled, she slowly approached me.
“No. Cartoria said it was fine for me to leave today and sent me off.”
While answering my question, she naturally—
“Still, I found some clothes that would suit you, so I brought them.”
—draped a pretty autumn coat and scarf over my body.
“You must have had a hard time, Karia.”
“····”
I stared blankly ahead with wide eyes for a moment, then closed them, opened them again, gathered my thoughts, and replied.
“You already know, so why ask?”
Tia gently stroked my head.
“···· Thank you.”
“If I were you, no matter what the circumstances, I would have cast everything aside without a second thought····”
She had noticed that I had saved Kibotos.
“Yet you still choose to save us.”
She had known I would save Kibotos. That was why she had given me the Soul Stone. She had known that my past pain and Kibotos’s pain were similar.
“You’re really awful.”
Tia had known everything I had been through. She had known what I would do once I recognized Kibotos’s past and saw Kibotos’s present. That was why she had entrusted me with the Soul Stone.
“I had no choice. I am a cowardly Demon King, after all····”
Only now was Tia revealing the meaning behind her words of trust. Feeling a great sense of betrayal, I began to glare at her.
“Still, Karia.”
Tia smiled faintly and pulled me into an embrace.
“For every pain I have caused you, I will love you just as much.”
Once again.
“You understand my selfish heart, and you will understand it again···· but this time, you do not have to.”
This girl now knew me better than I knew myself, knew exactly how my heart worked.
“This time, you can curse me. You can hit me like before.”
I no longer had the will to do anything.
“Still, I will love you.”
Now everything was just damned. The strongest Demon King in the world wanted to love me, and on top of that, wanted everyone’s happiness as well. If an ideal communist situation ever arose, would it turn out like this, with a Demon King like this creating such a world? Damn it.
The more the Demon King acted this way, the more I was forced to think like that. If this continued, which side would I have to abandon? Where should I stand? I did not know.
Why did she keep giving me love? Even though I truly wanted to kill her. Why did she keep trying to turn that killing intent into love? If she did that, I would keep chasing after ideals.
“Then can you keep loving me too?”
Still held in the Demon King’s arms, I squeezed my eyes shut. Now, damn it, I no longer had the strength to think anything at all.
“···· Absolutely not.”
If it came to this, if it turned out like this, then it felt as though only one thing remained for me.
“Absolutely not···· I hate it····”
Until recently, I had lived boasting about my ideals, but I still could not be certain whether they were truly the right answer. I had still been doubting, still unable to choose which side to stand on. Demon King, Tia Belberman. If you keep acting this way, I will have no choice but to decide. If it comes to this, I cannot stand on anyone’s side.
I will save everyone. Kibotos, Cartoria. Jemma. Tia Belberman. Justitia, Karman, Jeren. Fietta, Marian, Sevia, Felt. Cain, Evan, Yuda, Chris. Yuz, Selma. And Siphel, who had always been so timid. Finally, even Hite Wilhelmman···· If it came to this, then I···· I would become greedy too.