Volume 1 - CH 2.3

A Different Chapter: At the Abandoned World

Translated by Omkar

Edited by Omkar

I was afraid to ask that question, but Felice merely laughed and shook her head.

“Kuk-kuk…… do I look that virtuous to you ? I am the Demon King. Even now that I have gained self-discipline, my nature remains the same. The pain and joy of others are irrelevant to me.”

So Felice replies, her face not changing in the slightest.

To be honest, I am not very sensitive to other people’s feelings, and I have no idea about the feelings of women or anything like that. But even so, I have spent a lot of time with her. So…… I kind of get it.

“….. Lies ! don’t lie to me.”

I don’t know what happened in the past. But at least she has a heart now. She is by no means indifferent. And yet she continues to play the lie because…… it is her way of redeeming herself.

She doesn’t apologize, doesn’t reflect, doesn’t even ask for forgiveness. To remain absolutely evil. And in the end, she will be defeated by the heroes as…… an evil demon king. That is the way of the Demon King, and it is the only way for her to redeem herself after ending everything. The only pathetic thing is that she herself, of all people, knows that this is nothing but self-gratification no matter how far she goes――.

“Ku-ku-ku…….. Oh, so you think so ? You are very kind, dear. But I do not know the truth or the right answer, for I am an imitation. The only thing I know for sure…… is that I am a little tired of this prison of eternity.”

And Felice muttered to herself.

一How much time has she spent in this desolate place ? I didn’t have the words to say to her. Even though I had lived for 20,000 years, I had never had a chance to talk to anyone other than Felice, and I had only learned how to fight. Inside, I was still a 15-year-old kid. What can I possibly say ?

As I was at a loss for words, Felice smiled at me.

“Now, get some rest. Tomorrow we will start full-scale combat training.”

True to her word, the training from then on became even more arduous.

Felice taught me how to defend against time stopping magic, how to interfere with time alteration, and how to deal with techniques that exceed the speed of light…… Felice taught me how to break down all of her own secret techniques.

“Remember, you are not aiming to be a destroyer. Therefore, you do not need to be able to stop time. All you need to do is learn how to counteract time-stopping.”

As Felice says, just because it is a counter-magic doesn’t mean it is easy. Just as it is more difficult to create something than to destroy it, sometimes the counter-magic is more difficult. Moreover, when one reaches this level, the physical and mental burden of mastering the technique becomes too much to bear. The number of times I physically died exceeded 10,000, and if the number of times my mind collapsed was included, it would probably reach a hundred million.

But even so, I continued to devote myself to my training. I knew that the more intense my training became, the closer I got to fighting her.

After another 10,000 years of training, just three years in real time — and Felice muttered to herself.

“一Well, it’s about time.”

One fine morning. Felice whispered in a normal tone of voice.

But I knew the weight of what she meant. ――The time of the end had finally come.

She summoned a hero and trained him to kill herself. I know how much Felice’s determination and resolve is worth. I know I understand. But…… I couldn’t help but ask.

“Do we really…… have to do it?”

I know it was childish of me to ask this question. After all, the past 30,000 years have been the time for this. It would be nothing short of insulting to ask her again about her resolve after all this time.

Yet Felice did not get angry, but rather chuckled.

“Good grief, don’t cry like a pathetic crybaby. You’re a man, aren’t you ?”

“Nothing is written…..”

“Ku-ku-ku…… you are still a little boy.”

Then Felice gently patted my head.

“How about a short walk and a little talk ?”

At Felice’s suggestion, we started walking in the wilderness. We walked together along the same path we took when I first arrived in this other world. With the same sense of distance as that day. With the same stride as that day. At the same pace as that day.

While we were walking in step with each other, Felice spoke up unexpectedly.

“As you have probably realized…… I have not completely broken free from the control of the Roots. The destructive impulses of the Demon King in me still binds my soul.”

“…………”

Felice was right, I had noticed it. From the time I began to be able to sense her magic with precision, I had occasionally felt her magic violently fluctuating. So yes, I knew. I knew that up until now Felice had been desperately suppressing her impulses, and that she was approaching her limits.

“This temporary ego will not last much longer. And once the destructive impulse takes over, I will destroy everything again. And that includes you, of course.”

“…… And if I say I don’t mind ?”

“Ku-ku-ku, you are so kind. I know you won’t let me do that.”

And Felice laughs as if she can see through it. I bit my lip in frustration.

“…… You’re cruel.”

“Ku-ha-ha-ha, that’s right. After all, I am the Demon King ! Besides, you are supposed to avenge the Evil Demon King, right ? Even though you may be daunted, there is no reason for you to hesitate. Or else what ? Have you grown attached to the tyrannical Abandoned Demon King ?”

Though Felice made fun of me like that, I had no intention of denying it.

“We’ve been together for 30,000 years. It’s normal to develop feelings for them.”

“……! Ku-ku-ku…… I thought…… ‘Normal’…… was the furthest word in the world from my vocabulary.”

And Felice, looking into the distance, smiled very calmly.

“I thank you again, Kyouya. The 30,000 years since I met you have been truly enjoyable. It was the first time I met another person since I became self-aware, and the first time I lived with another person. Every moment I have spent with you, every word we have spoken, has been a happiness from the bottom of my heart.”

Felice is smiling with satisfaction to no end, but I can’t smile like that.

You think you’re happy to meet someone who will kill you ? How can it be that kind of happiness ? I can’t accept happiness that ends in tragedy. I’m not that mature.

So, even though I knew it would annoy…… her, I still asked the question.

“Can’t I be…… your reason for living……?!”

At that moment, Felice’s eyes twinkled with astonishment. Then, perhaps understanding the meaning of my words, she smiled softly.

“Come to think of it, we never talked about this. Why was it that out of all the people, you were the one that I selected…… The answer is, well, it could have been anyone; you just happened to be the first one out of 7 billion to respond to the summons. That’s all there is to it.”

Felice’s words pierced my heart. “It could have been anyone. So put aside your useless feelings and do your part” …… Is that what she is trying to say ?

But there was more to her words.

“―― But now, I think. I’m glad it was you…… with all my heart――”

Then we arrived at the place where we first met.

“Welcome, O Hero ―― Come on, kill me.”

The same smile as when we first met. The same words as when we first met. I understand without denying that this is her response.

If that’s the case, my answer is also obvious. No, it had been decided long before. Yes, surely, since that day 30,000 years ago.

I slowly drew my sword and ―― the final battle began.

As soon as the battle began, Felice’s magic was tinged with a powerful evil energy. The instinct of the demon king who was created awakened. The woman in front of me was no longer the Felice I knew. She was cold-blooded and fierce. A weapon of massacre that will slaughter its opponents with all its might. There was neither mercy nor compassion. She is the very embodiment of destruction worthy of the name of king. Her violence is far beyond the realm of what can be called “fighting”.

Every time Felice swung her arm, the sky would crack; every time she stomped her foot, the earth would split open. The curses she unleashed dried up the oceans, and her piercing gaze shattered even the stars. Time, space, the past, the future, all matter and all phenomena…… overwhelming violence that dominates them all. How easy it would be for her to turn the whole world into scorched earth.

But I knew how to resist the violence.

I cannot break the sky. But I can avoid the blade that cracks the sky.

I cannot break the earth. But I can block the spell that splits the earth.

I beat all of the Demon Lord’s secret techniques, which are sufficient to be called the ultimate in…… foreseeing the future, manipulating time, controlling space, and altering events. It is nothing strange. I was trained to be able to do so by none other than she herself.

Yes, I am the antithesis of the most powerful Demon King, trained by the most powerful Demon King to kill the most powerful Demon King. That is the role given to me, and for that reason alone, I have been walking the path that has been shown to me.

Therefore, yes ―― in a sense, this ending was an inevitability that had been decided 30,000 years ago.

“…… well done…… so far……”

It has been seven days and seven nights since the battle began.

In the wilderness of the wrecked world, Felice was lying quietly.

After an intense battle, both of their bodies were already in tatters. Both are wounded to the bone with every ounce of their being…… But even so, I was the last one standing.

“Now…… deliver the finishing blow. When I lose my power…… the contract that called you will disappear…… and you will return to your original world…….”

Felice muttered in an intermittent voice, then added in a small voice.

“…… I’m sorry, I’ve had to put you through all this……”

The expression on Felice’s face as she whispers this to me is one of serenity and even happiness. She is about to die the normal death she has been waiting for all her life.

And as for me…… I couldn’t help but get angry at the look on her face.

“…… What the hell, that’s…… what are you apologizing for……”

“…… Kyouya……?”

I’ve done a lot of training in controlling my emotions. But now, just now, I just couldn’t control this anger.

――Are you telling me that your last words are “I’m sorry” ?

“You’ve got to be kidding me ! If you’re really sorry, then live ! Come on, live !”

“Ku-kuk-ku…… want me to live on more than this ? I, who have destroyed 3,000 worlds and plucked countless lives, am forced to live ? That’s a pretty harsh statement to make……”

And Felice laughs.

Yes, I know. For her, death is salvation. It is nothing but selfishness by keeping her alive for herself……. but the selfishness is mutual, right ?

“Shut up ! You’re the one who brought me here without permission, and you’re the one who made me go along with you for 30,000 years without permission ! Then you’ll have to deal with me for another 100 years or so !!”

Then, perhaps noticing something, Felice frowns slightly.

“Wa- Wait…… What in the world are you doing…..?”

“It’s obvious ! If you say you’re bound to the roots of who you are, then I’m going to smash them ! I’m going to separate only that ego of yours from your soul !”

“Ha ha ha…… What are you talking about. How could you do such a thing? To crush a soul as large as mine would be like destroying the world. Your power is not enough……”

At this point, Felice stopped talking. She seemed to have guessed what I was going to do.

“…… No, you don’t mean you’re going to use…… that thing……?!”

At that moment, the complexion on Felice’s face changed.

“No, you’re not ready for this ! If you fail, your entire soul will vanish !”

That’s not what I need to be told, I know that. But……

“Don’t fuck with me! I’m a Hero raised by the most powerful demon king……!”

I muster up my remaining magical power.

The thing that I am about to do is literally a big gamble with my life on the line. I’m scared, naturally. I’m not that brave. But a world without …… Felice is even scarier――!

“According to the common sense of my world, Demon Lords are supposed to give half of the world to those cooperating with them ! So…… your past, your future, your sins――give me your half !!!”

The door to the 《Hall of All Treasures》 is drawn in the sky. And I used all the magic power I had to call in something.