Volume 2 - CH 18

Dragons in the sky.

Undead on the ground.

Everyone was between life and death in an environment that was dead on earth and in heaven.

Those who dreamed of the future and those who were trapped in the past.

It is always the positive will to live that separates the fates.

「『Stay by my side forever. In this cold royal palace, with so many people, you are my only ally』」

Halfway between Kruse and Mars, Julis remembered her promise to Kruse.

The time with Mars was honestly comfortable.

She was able to relax and laugh, and she felt that this was probably what happiness was all about.

It was not that she was dissatisfied.

However, in the face of death, all she could recall were the memories of the happy days she had spent with Kruse.

The taste of the food they ate at a food stall after escaping from the palace, the smell of the night sky they saw, the temperature of the hand that pulled her along.

Those golden days are only in the past. They cannot be taken back.

She has been moving in the wrong direction, even though it was obvious. Now the reckoning is about to begin.

No matter what the outcome, she will not waver in her will.

――My name is Julis Howe.

I was picked up by Kruse-sama, and I walk with him.

Even if the world burns, even if everything in the world becomes an enemy of Kruse-sama, I will be by his side.

――The reason I have always loved him is that I had a one-sided love for him.

「Julis, come here!」

「It's dangerous!」

Nemu and Hazuki call out to Julis.

To them, Julis is already one of them.

「――I can't go with you. I still want to be with Kruse-sama.」

She speaks of parting with a tearful smile on her face.

It is an irrational choice. To leave the people who care for you and return to the one person who rebukes you rather than rejoices that you have survived.

「No-nya, absolutely not-nya! You'll die-nya!?」

「Julis-san! I'll take care of it, so come this way!」

「I told you I want to be with you! ――You said you'll learn to cook, and you said that you would cook with me!」

「Let's go together!」

Mouth to mouth, they stall Julis.

――I'm a lucky person. At the end of my life, I was given a wonderful encounter.

At times like this, ...... yes, I should smile.

Realizing that this would be the parting of this life, Julis said to Mars and the others with a big smile on her face.

「Mars, you have a lot of allies, don't you? Loved by many. ――I am the only one for that person. That's why .......I can't go with you.....Thank you. I pray that you will fulfill your wishes and be happy.」

After saying this, Julis runs toward Kruse.

◇ ◇

――I found it!

If I only had that, I could even add these undead to my ranks!

Even Norn the necromancer ......!

As soon as I return to my country, I will kill my father and my brothers and sisters.

As soon as I have pacified the country, I will take the world into my hands.

I will take Norn and turn all those who stand in the way of my supremacy into the undead.

My heart is racing with simmering ambition.

The peaceful world I had dreamed of as a child never even crossed my mind.

I wanted a position that would not be threatened in order to achieve peace, but from some time ago, I began to give priority to standing on top of others.

The acquisition of status, which should have been a means to an end, was replaced by an end.

The schedule of his life, which had gone according to plan, had awakened the maniacal gene of a champion that he had originally possessed.

Kruse, who had grieved over his mother's death and cherished his red-haired childhood friend, had long since died.

His heightened self-consciousness, his undeniable environment, and his many successes prevented him from recognizing his mistakes.

Running toward the pyramid, he shouts out on the way.

「I command you with the slave's crest! 『Destroy the undead that I attack!』」

The undead, to whom Kruse leaped, held a small golden staff in its hand.

It is the 『Scepter of Domination』. It is the proof of the throne that Kruse seeks.

The undead of the former king had joined the battle line, commanded by Norn.

The slaves destroy the target undead, kicking away the surrounding undead.

But it was a desperate attack.

Arms were broken, legs were broken, and soon the slaves were surrounded by other undead and became their prey.

Only Kruse's eyes change color and he snatches the 『Scepter of Dominion』 and raises it to the heavens.

The loot in this dungeon should be unmatched by anything he has seen before.

――I'm looking forward to it, aah, I'm looking forward to it!

「I, Kruse Laofite commands with the 『Scepter of Dominion』! Undeads, join our army! Hahaha, hahahahaha!」

Victory. With such an attitude, Kruse smiles broadly.

The 『Scepter of Domination』 is an item that can invoke a kind of brainwashing magic.

It is a powerful item that encourages the bearer to develop a liking for and voluntarily cooperate with the owner.

In other words, any person can become a loyal subordinate like Julis.

The undead stop moving.

As he loosened his mouth, confident of his control, he felt something hot in his chest.

At first, he thought it was the heat generated by a surge of emotion.

「What is ......?」

When he looked at his own chest, he saw that his clothes, which should have been white, were stained bright red.

And a rusty iron was extending from under his right breast.

「What is this?」

The iron was extended and protruded about 30 centimeters from the body.

It was a sword. When he recognized it, he felt a pain like lightning strike all over his body.

「Why ......, why, these undead should be in control」

It seems to have penetrated his lungs, leaking air and making it difficult to breathe properly.

Unable to grasp the situation, the undead stabbed their swords into Kruse's body one after another.

The 『Scepter of Domination』 is an item that can use magic for mental domination. However, it is only for the living. The undead retains their intelligence, but not their original human spirit. There is no one to control them.

First of all, since the owner, the former king, is dead and has joined the battle line, Kruse would have been able to immediately see that it is ineffective under normal circumstances.

What he didn't see through it was fatigue and the accomplishment of his goal.

「A-anyone ......hyuu...... is anyone out there?」

Desperately supporting his body, which was losing its senses, Kruse searched for his surroundings through his hazy vision.

The slaves thought this was a strategy and used it up themselves.

Mars and the others are in battle as well, and above all, they have no reason to help him at all.

The only thing surrounding him is the enemy.

His legs, which have lost all sensation, bend and he falls to the ground.

――It is cold. It's cold. Is there anyone out there? Is there no one on my side?

There must have been someone who stood by me. Someone who has always been there for me.

「Cough......――Julis」

He spat out the name with the blood.

「Yes. I'm here.」

The familiar redhead is reflected in the white landscape.

He can feel something warm and fluffy falling on his face.

He thought it was an illusion, but the temperature he feels is real.

「Are you crying?」

「Nope」

The dying Kruse has no idea what is going on around him.

His hazy vision only vaguely caught the woman in front of him.

He does not know that there are countless swords stuck in Julis's back, who is covering him.

What spilled on her face was not tears, but the blood that had run down from Julis's mouth.

「Why did you come?」

「Because I made a promise ....... I was the only one who would always be there for you. That I would be on your side.」

「I'm ―I'm not the kind of person you can have on your side.」

「No. That's not true.」

After pushing the undead away with her last strength, Julis deploys the 『Absolute Protected Area』 to create a space alone with Kruse.

It's a two-person world that only lasts a minute.

With the undead no longer attacking, Kruse knew it was Julis's magic.

Both of them had injured lungs, could not breathe satisfactorily, and were unable to speak.

Still, they knew what each other was trying to say. They've known each other longer than anyone else.

「......I was a fool. I was too greedy. It was better when it was just you and me. It's so much warmer that time.」

「Maybe so. Remember? The day Kruse-sama picked me up. The day you gave me this name Julis.」

「Yeah. ――To tell the truth, I fell in love with you at first sight. It wasn't until later that I realized...」

「Is that so? It was the same for me. I have always, always loved you since that day. So I'm on your side no matter what you do.」

「――what, I've had what I wanted all along? A place to return to. I thought my mother was the only one.」

「You've come a long way. ――said my new friend. That I should be honest about my feelings. I love you. No matter what.」

「――I'm sorry. I hurt you a lot. You were my only ally.」

「I forgive you. ――Now, let's go to sleep. It's cold today. Stay warm and we'll go out again tomorrow. The journey isn't over yet.」

「............」

「Good night. We'll see each other again sometimes. Let's go somewhere peaceful this time. ......」

Julis shoots fire attack magic at herself and forces her trembling body to move.

She doesn't want to become undead, and she won't let it happen.

The damage to her lungs is so severe that it is unlikely she will be able to take more than a few more breaths.

So, for the least, she takes hold of Kruse's cold hand and kisses his lips, which still retain the faintest of breaths.

She knew that if she kissed him, she would not be able to breathe.

Even though she knew this, she wanted to feel the warmth of her beloved's body at the end of her life.

Their overlapping breaths came to a quiet halt.