Chapter 75

Today is the second chapter. Please be careful.

"What!? That guy joined the Demon Clan army!?"

The king's voice echoed.

I listened to it in a daze.

My head was in turmoil, wondering why, how could this be.

"Setsu... you..."

Did you betray us...?

Why are you on the enemy's side?

I'm still in this country...

Why?

"Is it the fault of the demons?"

They must have deceived you.

Otherwise, you, who promised to protect me, wouldn't become the enemy.

The demons... are to blame.

All of it is their fault.

"I'll kill them."

The king and others looked at me.

I wonder how they saw me at that moment.

"I'll kill everyone."

I have to save Setsu...

"Maybe I did it."

Fumimaro was slightly out of breath as he muttered.

The gun barrel was smoking, and the barrel was hot.

(If it comes to this, I won't be able to shoot for a while... I'm glad it was decided this way.)

A huge crater had formed on the ground, spewing dust.

The center was especially thick with dust, and Setsu's figure, who should have been at the center, was not visible.

However, I could no longer sense Setsu's magic.

He's not dead.

But at least, he should have no more magic.

My magic is also running out, but I can still fight.

This makes Fumimaro's victory clear.

(...First, I need to confirm.)

Fumimaro slowly descended to the ground.

His movements, which had become a fortress, were sluggish.

To be safe, he moved without touching the ground, reaching near the center of the crater.

At that moment...

"Finally, you came into range."

"Setsu!?"

The dust cleared.

At the center of the crater, Setsu was standing firmly.

He was pressing his feet into the ground.

"Trouble!"

"Open your mouth wider! Big eater!"

Setsu thrust the "Fangs of Hunger" into the ground.

Then the blade opened its mouth.

And the ground also... opened its mouth.

Finally, this moment has come.

To prevent the big eater from eating any more, I deliberately took the beam, which drained almost all my magic, but now it's mine.

"Looks like you can't avoid this! You won't be able to shoot for a while, right!?"

A full-power attack using the big eater.

Cracks appeared in the ground and spread, cutting through the earth.

Larger than the crater Fumimaro created, the cracks spread.

"Devourer of All"

"What is this!?"

The ground began to open like a large mouth.

Gradually, the earth turned black, and eventually, fangs grew.

This is the big eater's ultimate technique, devouring everything.

"Damn!"

Fumimaro tried to escape using "Sky Step" to run in the air, but his large body made him slow.

The huge mouth in the ground rose and began to close in a dome shape.

"I won't let you escape!"

The mouth grew even larger.

"Wait! Setsu! Please forgive me!"

"Sorry, but there's no reason to forgive you."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The mouth closed completely.

Fumimaro's voice could no longer be heard.

"I win, you idiot."

...

"Why... are you on their side, Setsu?"

"Fumimaro..."

It was raining that day.

Setsu and I faced each other with swords.

In the center of the battlefield, watched by our comrades from both countries.

"Why did you participate in killing demons and beastmen? They're not bad guys—"

"You were deceived! They're bad enough!"

I shouted.

Setsu doesn't understand.

He must have been brainwashed by them.

"Setsu loves me! You wouldn't become my enemy!"

"...What?"

He still doesn't understand.

"Setsu, I love you. I'd give you everything. Let's go together? Find a place where no one can find us and become one? We can be happy together! You promised to protect me for life, didn't you?"

Setsu is mine.

I won't give him to anyone.

I'll kill anyone who gets in our way.

I won't let anyone tear us apart!

"Let's go together?"

"...You're crazy."

Setsu drew his holy sword.

It seems words won't break the brainwashing.

Then, I have to make him behave.

I didn't want to be rough.

But to get you, Setsu...

"I can hurt you too."

"Bring it on, you damn beast!"

That's right... we started fighting like this.

...

"Where... is this?"

"You're awake."

Fumimaro, who had been lying on the ground, finally woke up.

Incidentally, the ground had returned to its original state... well, the crater was still there, but we were at its center.

"Why... am I still—"

"The big eater only ate your magic and temporary consciousness. Because it swallows the entire earth, the big eater's stomach swells almost completely. It can't eat any more."

It's true.

The big eater won't eat anything more.

I'm glad I didn't accidentally kill Fumimaro.

"More importantly, why didn't you use 'Curse Magic'?"

"..."

If you had used that, I might have lost.

If you had cast a spell to stop my movements, I would have been hit by the beam and disappeared.

"...I couldn't use it, not that I didn't want to."

Fumimaro said this and searched his pocket.

He took out a gem.

A fist-sized, beautiful white gem.

"This is my most important item. I cast a full-body curse on this single gem. The blood of Destrul, Levi, and Gaia was absorbed into this gem, and it will summon the entity that appears after it shatters."

"...Why are Destrul and Levi's names mentioned? What is this gem?"

"This is... the gem where the creator god is sealed, the god of hope who will destroy the 'people' of this world."

Fumimaro said this with a wry smile.

I don't understand the story, but it seems the reason the black-robed ones targeted Destrul and Levi was because of this gem.

What is a creator god?

"Well... since I lost, this is no longer needed."

He threw the gem away.

It landed a little distance away with a thud.

"I'm fine. I'm satisfied if you kill me. It seems you won't be mine after all."

"Of course not. I have no intention of loving a man. And... I don't want to kill you."

I scratched my head and said.

Besides, I don't even know how to kill you.

"Hey, I have one question. Why doesn't Setsu kill people?"

"...I don't really understand. But it's wrong to kill. More than one person, that is."

Fumimaro looked unsatisfied, but there's nothing I can do.

I don't understand it myself.

"So I won't kill you... at most, you'll atone for your sins in a cage where you can watch the demons."

"...Ha, you're strict."

Fumimaro laughed.

It was the first time I saw his pure smile in a long time.

"Ah... what a nice sky."

Indeed.

The sky cleared up because of our battle, and a beautiful blue sky spread.

A clear sky after victory is a good thing.

"Yuki-kun!"

"Oh, Yuzuyu, and you guys."

My comrades were coming from a distance.

Their injuries had healed, and I was relieved.

"I'm glad you're safe!"

"Whoa, don't jump on me suddenly."

I caught Yuzuyu, who had jumped into my chest.

Then Elka and Tia, with slightly angry faces, clung to me from the side.

"Mmm, Master Setsu, show me some love too!"

"I want to sit on your lap."

"Alright, alright."

I said this and shook them off.

Then the next ones were...

"Then pet me too!"

"Pet me, please."

"Hey! You sisters are going overboard!"

The two catgirls jumped in.

I dodged them gracefully, laid them on the ground, and petted their bellies simultaneously.

"Hee! Stop it, Setsu! Ahahaha!"

"Ugh! Stop, Setsu... Kuf!"

"You two, be satisfied with that."

It was a full-power tickling attack.

They won't be able to move for a while.

"Hey, big sister... I'm sorry, Master Setsu, my big sister caused trouble again..."

"...You're a good kid."

"Huh? R-Really...?"

Mineko, blushing from the compliment, is cute.

Your stock is rising.

"Haha, quite a scene, Setsu."

"Y-Yeah, Grain. I'm glad you're all safe."

Grain, Blood, and Ides and Lily.

Everyone is safe.

Hmm? Where are those two...?

"Fumimaro, are you prepared?"

Destrul asked the lying Fumimaro.

"Yes. I understand what I've done. But now that Setsu has rejected me, everything is meaningless. If you say I should atone, I'll do it. Dying... is a bit too much, though."

"Even if I could kill you, I won't. You will spend your life in our country's prison, reflecting on the evil you've done."

"..."

After saying that, Destrul stepped back.

Then, Levi approached and spoke to Fumimaro.

"I don't hate you that much, but I have one question. Answer me."

"...Alright."

"Where did you get that 'Sealing Stone'?"

Levi pointed to the gem Fumimaro had thrown away.

"Ah, an adventurer found it in some ruins and sold it to an antique shop. Whether the adventurer really found it is a mystery, but from my perspective, that's how it was. After analyzing it, researching history, and tracing it back, I found the creator god."

"I see..."

Levi was puzzled.

A convenient coincidence.

Originally, the 'Sealing Stone' existed in a place humans couldn't reach.

Who brought it from such a place...?

"Anyway, we need to recover that gem... huh?"

Levi noticed that the 'Sealing Stone' that should have been there was gone.

"What's wrong?"

Distracted by her, Destrul stood beside her.

At that moment.

"...Huh?"

"Gu...ah..."

A knife protruded from Levi and Destrul's abdomens.

Behind them stood Gaia, covered in dirt.

"Y-You...!"

"Hehe... Hehehe! Master Fumimaro! I did it!"

"Wha—"

The knives were pulled out.

Blood dripped from the two knives onto the 'Sealing Stone' at Gaia's feet.

"Hehe, now Master Fumimaro's wish will come true!"

"Stop... Gaia. We lost..."

"Take good care of my life!"

"Stop... Gaia!"

Despite the desperate pleas of Fumimaro and Levi, Gaia pressed the knife to her neck.

"Now... the revival of our despair!"

Blood spurted from Gaia's neck.

Her blood, still smiling, splashed onto the 'Sealing Stone'.

Then, the 'Sealing Stone' began to change.

"No... the creator god... is reviving!"

The 'Sealing Stone' floated and absorbed every drop of blood on the ground.

Eventually, the stone, now completely red, began to emit a blinding light.

The light was so bright that even Setsu and the others, who rushed over, were dazzled.

When the light faded, standing there was...

"Hmm... I smell the scent of my enemy, 'people'."

A "something" with a female body, but not a "person".

This concludes Chapter 3.

Due to various circumstances, the update was very fast, and as a result, there might be some rough spots. If you point them out, I will fix them immediately, so please let me know.