Chapter 72

"What... this magic...?"

Yūhi ran across the battlefield, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Even she, who was not particularly good at sensing magic, could immediately tell how terrifying it was.

"I can't sense Yuki's magic...! What's going on!?"

Yūhi increased her speed.

She was heading towards the source of the overwhelmingly powerful and terrifying magic.

"What... is this...?"

Finally reaching the front lines, the Desastors could not believe the scene before their eyes.

"Ha...h..."

"Ugh..."

First, they saw the battered Blood and Roa.

Behind them, the Shironeko and Mineko sisters were sprawled out, only able to groan and not move at all.

Grain and Roa were covered in burns, and Elka was being stepped on by someone.

"...That man, it's him...!"

"Yeah..."

"Hey? You two came, huh? Don't you know you're being targeted? Well, it saves me some trouble, I guess."

Fuyuma kicked Elka, who he had been stepping on, and turned his body towards the Desastors.

(...These people must be exhausted... yet they're unscathed...)

His body was not even scratched, not a speck of dust on him.

In contrast, those who had challenged Fuyuma were severely injured, one after another.

This alone showed how far beyond the norm he was.

"So, are you two going to play with me next?"

"!"

With an innocent smile, Fuyuma attacked—

"That's all the memories I have of you."

"Yeah... I guess I was pretty normal back then."

"No, no, you're not normal. Your way of thinking is different from the masses."

Mom scratched her head as she said this.

Indeed, just having a mother like her means I'm not a normal person.

But that's not what I mean.

"I mean... I had a mom, a dad... I had a family."

"..."

In my second life, I'm grateful for my family, but to be honest, it didn't feel like a "family."

It's important, but it feels like the connection is thin.

And I realized that even a monster like me was once a "human."

"I'm glad I didn't forget..."

"Really. You ungrateful brat."

As she said this, Mom bonked me on the head.

It hurt.

I hadn't felt pain in a long time.

But... it wasn't a bad feeling.

That's right... I used to get scolded like this.

"Well... it's about time."

"..."

Mom stood up.

I watched her, resolved.

"If you're going to do it, at least make it quick."

"..."

Mom turned her face away and reached out to me.

And then—

"Sorry, that was a lie."

She patted my head.

"Huh?"

"No... I said it pretty seriously, didn't I? The part about having to get rid of you was a lie."

...I thought for a moment.

Then, a boiling anger rose from the depths of my stomach.

"Hey!? My resolve!?"

"Sorry, sorry."

I grabbed her clothes and shook her.

But she just laughed, showing no sign of remorse.

What the hell, I got all serious and everything.

"Well, think about it, my son."

"What!?"

"You're just like me in that aspect—no, seriously, think about it. Did you kill two people?"

"Huh? I killed them, that's why I'm in this situation... Wait?"

"Was that Fuyuma really dead?"

Right... I thought I had killed him.

But he's alive.

I saw him appear right in front of me.

I confirmed that he wasn't an undead or an illusion—

"That Fuyuma guy was barely saved by the humans after you finished him off. Then, to avoid being targeted by the demons and beastmen, he was hidden deep in the castle. They even made a tomb to camouflage it."

"...So..."

"Got it? In other words, the only person you killed is that Kagerou guy. You didn't kill two people."

I couldn't help but collapse to my knees.

I felt drained from the core of my body.

Then, a laugh rose from the depths of my stomach.

"Haha... Hahaha! What... I feel... drained."

"Well, this is the punishment for forgetting us, I guess."

When she said that, I couldn't say anything.

Mothers are unfair.

"But don't forget. You can't kill humans anymore. Next time, it's for real. Whatever you do, don't kill a hero with a face like that woman."

"...Isn't she a monster like me?"

"To me, you're both just kids. Monsters are just a big deal."

—Indeed, from a mother like her, we are just kids.

It made me a little happy.

To have someone call me and Fuyuma "human."

"...That woman with the face, she's a fool drowning in love for you. Setsu, if you have any feelings for her—save her, can you do that?"

Mom asked with a wicked look on her face.

That look is really just like me.

"Of course, I'm the strongest."

What I can't do, no one can.

I showed a wicked face and provoked Mom.

"Hmph, that's my son. Well, it's time to go back, huh?"

"What, in the end, it was just a warning?"

"There's also some reminiscing. —Oh, and..."

The white space began to collapse.

My consciousness gradually fell into a deep hole.

Just before I completely lost consciousness, Mom said to me.

"You felt like everything was meaningless when you came to this space, right? Remember that feeling, always."

"What—"

"Go, you idiot son!"

With her thumb up, Mom's figure was the last thing I saw before my consciousness was completely enveloped in darkness.

"Water Wall!"

"It's useless!"

Leviath deployed a massive wall of water.

But Fuyuma hit it with a ball of fire, instantly vaporizing it.

Not content with that, the flames rushed straight at Leviath.

"Leviath!"

"Kyaa!"

Desastor jumped out from the side, grabbing Leviath and leaping.

The flames grazed Desastor's leg, causing a burn.

"Ugh!"

The burn was quite severe, and even Desastor, who should have healed immediately from a burn by magma, groaned in pain.

It was so bad that it didn't even regenerate.

"Desastor!?"

"My leg is ruined...!"

"Is this all you can do? You're not much of a demon king, are you?"

As always, Fuyuma was unscathed.

His expression was one of boredom, which was psychologically pushing Leviath and the others to their limits.

(There's such a huge gap...!? We can't do anything—)

"Elka!"

At that moment, a brown-haired girl ran past the two and rushed to Elka's side.

"Elka... Grain and Tia too...!"

"Hmm? You're one of the summoned heroes, right?"

"! Did you do this!?"

The girl, Yūhi, confronted Fuyuma.

Her body, which had just arrived, was trembling slightly with fear, but her eyes were fixed on him.

"You're a strong girl. The type Setsu likes."

"Yū...hi... Run... away..."

"Elka!?"

Elka lifted her head and pleaded with Yūhi.

She was in such a state that she had no uninjured parts, and even breathing was painful.

"So... I'll kill you now. Along with that bitch!"

"!"

Fuyuma's hand was directed at Yūhi.

Seeing this, Leviath and Desastor panicked.

"Stop it!"

They shouted, but it was too late for them to do anything.

"Die—"

A spell to erase them in one blow was about to be cast—just at that moment.

Crack

"Huh?"

A sound of something breaking was heard from somewhere.

The sound continued, and the cause was soon found.

"...Setsu?"

The sphere of light that had encased Setsu began to crack.

The cracks spread like a bird breaking out of its shell.

And then—

"Damn! It's suffocating!"

An arm emerged.

From there, the sphere began to break apart with a crackling sound.

"Thanks for protecting me, but... it's a bit too hard, Mom."

Setsu emerged from inside.

Fully out of the shell, Setsu saw Fuyuma standing in front of him and smiled.

"Hey... It's been a while, Fuyuma."

"Yeah... Finally, you've come out, Setsu."

The two heroes faced each other on the battlefield, just as they had in their past battles.