426. [Side Story] Fernandez (2)
The demon king stared at Ader and opened his mouth.
《We haven’t been able to reach a satisfactory ending this time either.》
“… .”
“Neither you nor I could save our respective ‘that person’. When will I succeed… … .]
Ader was just silently listening to his opponent. The Demon King chuckled.
“I’m really sick of repeating this forever, but what? Originally, I tend to endure boring work well.”
The demon king stretched out his shadowy hand and pointed at Ader.
《But how much longer can you hold out, Ader?》
“… .”
《Your soul has already exceeded its limits, and you can no longer play the game, so the player’s place is transferred to someone else… … Even though I’m repeating this game until I hand it over to that young child named Ash.]
The demon king looked down at Ash, who fell dead on the top of the castle wall, and clicked his tongue.
《This substitute player friend is very unreliable.》
“Ash-sama will do just fine.”
Ader said forcefully.
“More than me. You will do well.”
Kukkuk. Let’s see.”
Right after that, the demon king looked up at the sky and shouted.
《Let’s start the next game!》
Then, the air started to stir ominously.
“… .”
Fernandez was just listening to an incomprehensible conversation in a daze, then suddenly noticed an unexpected change and looked up at the sky.
“… ?!”
And Fernandez found.
In the night sky that had suddenly turned black, densely studded like
stars- countless pupils.
Flash!
A ray of light flashed between the pupils and fell from the sky, covering the demon king’s body.
The beam of light began to disassemble the demon king’s body into small pieces.
Even while his entire body was disintegrating into particles, the demon king was smiling leisurely.
“Then see you in the next episode… … ‘Hero’.》
Flash!
Another beam of light fell over Ader’s head. Ader muttered bitterly.
“… See you again. Devil.”
The demon king first disappeared with a grotesque laugh.
Only then did Fernandez come to his senses, staggering forward.
“Prophet Seo!”
Hearing the voice calling him, Ader slowly turned around. Fernandez asked in bewilderment.
“What is this… What are you talking about? I don’t understand Ash’s words or yours!”
“… .”
“The world repeats itself? turn? game? What nonsense is this!”
“… You don’t have to know Fernandez.”
Ader let out a low sigh.
“As far as I know, nothing changes. This world is over and you won’t remember it in the next episode.”
“What is that… .”
“Give up everything and live a comfortable end. That’s the best advice I can give you.”
As it turned into particles, Ader muttered bitterly.
“… I’m sorry I failed this time too.”
“Wait a minute, Prophet!”
“Someday definitely.”
“Prophet! line… .”
To put Fernandez’s earnest call to shame, Ader also completely disappeared like the demon king.
“… .”
Looking at the empty seat of the Demon King and Ader, who left no traces, Fernandez wondered if he had seen something in vain.
But no.
It was because countless eyes were still floating in the sky.
Each of those pupils is a divine being with enormous power and will that Fernandez cannot even fathom.
Fernandez barely noticed.
“how… what… ?”
What are the gods of this other world looking at?
Following the end of that line of sight, Fernandez eventually realized what those pupils were looking at.
– Kyaaaaa… … .
– Aaaaaa… … !
– help me… .
– We have to run… … !
The pupils were watching the destruction of this world.
Like a child looking into an anthill flooded with water.
I was looking down with interest at the end of this world that was running towards death.
bang!
Quadduk… … !
Kwajik!
The monsters that had penetrated beyond the gates began to slaughter, and the screams of the people who trembled within the imperial capital echoed.
A massacre took place.
A man ran away with his child in his arms.
Someone was holding a weapon and stopping the monsters.
while evacuating hiding crying keep it soothe holding my breath lay down and pray fought –
died
Cut, ripped, ripped, pierced, shattered… … .
Everywhere in the city, without a single exception, people were brutally killed by monsters.
Everything Fernandez had tried to protect was collapsing like a sand castle.
– Please save me… … please… .
Fernandez covered his ears with both hands, but the screams and screams still pierced his brain.
There was nowhere to run.
This place was hell.
And the eyes of the sky were staring at this scene of hell.
“… Do not be ridiculous.”
up
Fernandez gnashed his teeth.
“It’s repetition, rounds, and games. Don’t talk nonsense like that.”
People cry, people suffer, and people die.
Just like changing a chess board, placing a new piece, and starting the next one – I mean, can it be said so easily?
Fernandez looked up at the sky with bloody tears. I faced the eyes contemplating the destruction of this world.
And I thought.
if. as you overhear
If the world is repeating itself over and over again. If so-
‘I will open my eyes and not be harmed.’
He himself would be able to make a final struggle.
Fernandez started creating new magic on the fly.
Assuming that the premise that ‘the world repeats itself’ is true. I made a recipe accordingly.
In order to tell myself the truth of this world in the next round.
‘Even a very short message is fine.’
A piece of memory or a scene of an image If that doesn’t work, a sentence – no. Even just one word is fine.
If only I could give you a hint about the truth of this world.
If only I could pour in my all and convey anything to myself in the ‘next round’.
If so, one day, at this moment when the world perishes, everyone’s death and the repeated truth of the world–the
clear oneself will be able to wake up.
Watching his citizens die from the walls of a perishing world, the last Guardian created a new magic like that.
And – done.
Instead of using one’s own life as the price, a magic that can convey just one letter to oneself in the next round… … Made it up.
Fernandez did not hesitate. He willingly sacrificed his life to cast his magic.
and-
***
present.
“… .”
On the bed, Fernandez opened his eyes.
Repeated hundreds of thousands of times… … I had a nightmare of an empire being destroyed.
Even though I’ve never actually seen it. It was a vivid dream that seemed to be drawn before my eyes.
“after.”
Fernandez sighed and slowly rose from the bed. My whole body is covered in cold sweat, probably because of the nightmare.
He threw off his clothes and went into the bathroom. I turned on the hot water and inadvertently looked in the mirror.
There were letters there.
Words were densely engraved on Fernandez’s skinny body reflected in the mirror. Fernandez clicked his tongue.
“I don’t have a hobby like tattoos… .”
This is the record sent by himself from the previous round.
To be precise, the entirety of the records sent by them from the very previous round.
The world was repeated countless times, and the words gathered as ‘the last message’ became sentences and stories.
The letters densely engraved on his body were the truth of this world and at the same time a record of his fights.
“… .”
Fernandez carefully examined the records sent by his past self.
I don’t remember. however.
Records don’t lie.
This world is repeating itself.
No matter what you do, the world will be destroyed by monsters from the south.
What methods have you used so far to prevent this destruction?
All records were left on his body. New sentences were engraved on his body as many times as he accumulated failures.
and this round.
There is no more space to engrave a message on the body, and letters are engraved all over the body from the neck down.
Fernandez suddenly realized.
The fact that it is impossible to fight and win against the Demon King.
Defeat is natural. Destruction is certain.
If so, I’d rather –
“Surrender.”
accept destruction.
to surrender to the devil.
he made up his mind
And to do that – he has to be emperor.
A place where the fate of this world and the lives of the Empire’s subjects could be decided.
He must rise to the throne with the right to take the life and death of all peoples in his hands.
“… .”
Truly, Fernandez loved his family.
He loved his father, brother and sister.
However, the cause of the survival of the human species is more important than that.
so.
I was willing to sacrifice.
“Please understand, brother.”
After taking a shower and changing into new pajamas, Fernandez muttered quietly.
“Everyone… It is to protect this empire.”
“… .”
He wasn’t talking into empty space.
A mobile prison was installed in one corner of the spacious room, and Lark was imprisoned there.
both arms cut off Although all of the magic channels in his body were destroyed to prevent him from using magic.
Externally, rumors were widely spread that he had been executed.
He was definitely alive.
“… Fernandez.”
Lark looked at his brother with dark eyes.
His dry lips opened and a dry voice barely escaped.
“how… What are you going to do?”
Fernandez smiled at his older brother and slowly walked out of the room.
“Cut off repeated destruction and… We will survive with people.”
“… .”
“In any form.”
When Fernandez came out of the room, the corridor of the imperial palace unfolded.
The place where he rested was none other than the Emperor’s bed.
Walking around in pajamas, Fernandez headed for the throne room.
Standing in front of the locked door of the throne room, he unlocked it with the key necklace around his neck and stepped inside.
In the spacious throne room, a frozen golden throne was placed along with a frozen thorn tree – Everblack.
The original owner disappeared and the chair was empty.
that buck that buck
Fernandez approached and slowly sat down.
A biting cold spread from the throne. However, after fully attaching his back to the throne without giving in, Fernandez closed his eyes tightly.
finally got here
My father was imprisoned in the spirit world and my brother was captured. Now, there is no one here in the ecliptic that will stop him from becoming emperor.
And when you become emperor.
When you become the leader of mankind.
Humanity can be evacuated from the inevitable destruction of the Empire.
His last plan – through ‘the last ark’.
“… .”
Fernandez suddenly wiped his tired eyes with his hand.
There was a long way to go from now on. And that road was a true sura that required a lot of blood several times more than the blood shed along the way.
But Fernandez was willing to go that route.
In the end, it is a simple choice.
Either lose and let the world be destroyed by the monster, or win and make the world go your way.
Fernandez chose.
even if subdued.
Even if it’s miserable.
Even if no one in this world understands you.
That he would protect his people at all costs.
“… So Ash.”
Turning his head toward the far south, Fernandez whispered.
“It must be the ‘first’ for you to see me move like this.”
A long smile crept across his thin lips.
“How are you going to stop me?”
broken chap?