239. Butterfly Effect (7)
I don’t know what expression I’m making right now.
Blood drips from the clenched hand. Trying not to break the communication table, Nine forced his mouth, which would not fall, open.
[…Sorry, but I’ll change my words. No support is needed.]
[Yes? What is that…]
[The number of survivors has just changed. There are 0 survivors. Report annihilation.]
[The adjutant is alive, so what are you saying…]
Tuk. The broken communication box fell to the floor and the military boots crushed it.
It is a communication stone that cannot be recovered anyway. At the very least, we must prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. Nine, who had been rubbing his feet on the floor, looked up to see that it had been reduced to powder.
Our gaze met brown eyes that were far from friendly.
‘….’
He opens his mouth. Because the distance was quite far away, I couldn’t hear the sound, but I could clearly read the shape of the mouth.
[You didn’t run away.]
“….”
Instead of answering, I took the step I had been taking. Nine burst out laughing as he walked straight towards that damned hero. The two eyes, opened straight as if they would not lose, were stinging.
‘…I know what the right action is.’
I know in my head that I should have run away. The corps commander’s adjutant serves as the deputy corps commander and is also a candidate for some corps commanders. Although it is not as good as the corps commander, it is still a valuable force.
My superiors gave me enough time to run away, so I had to run away. That was right.
‘but.’
Nevertheless, from the beginning, my options did not include leaving my boss and running away. The best thing I could think of was to stay far away and call for support so as not to interfere with the fight.
But the boss died.
The graying head asks questions in a stream of consciousness. What was your last conversation with him?
[It will take a long time, so go first.]
I think he was really calm.
[It must have been annoying, but you worked hard to take care of someone like me… I was really grateful.]
The shadow is always stepped on by someone’s feet. Hel was a shadow.
He said he doubted whether he could stand above someone like that and stand shoulder to shoulder with them. I also said it was awkward.
If it had been another ambitious lieutenant, he had such low self-esteem and naivety that he would have thought it was right and tried to rise above him. When I first came in as an adjutant, if the Demon King hadn’t ordered me to help him make full use of his abilities, he might have tried to devour me too.
No matter how it started and what its true feelings were, I raised it by coaxing and coaxing him to take advantage of his low self-esteem and make him a proper corps commander.
…He’s the commander of my corps that I raised.
“Why did you come back? I would have let you go if you had just run away.”
“…Take off that foot first.”
“Such rudeness.”
He takes a step back.
Nine’s eyes wavered as Hel’s body was fully exposed. Even though I had already seen him die from afar, seeing him die up close was even more shocking.
Regret weighed on my heart.
‘…I should have stayed, even if I had to force myself to do so.’
The opponent was a monster.
This was true even considering that the use of magic was suppressed because there was a castle nearby.
Using its unique ability to hide in the shadows, it senses its location and plunges its sword into the ground to injure itself. Even if it moves around in the shadows, it reacts as soon as it appears. Even moving behind his back and making a surprise attack was useless.
Senses as agile as an animal, as if specialized for combat.
It is a battle with a strong possibility of losing. It was right to avoid it.
Hell himself would know better than that. why.
[…Ah.]
Nine stopped breathing as a thought passed through his mind.
We are the problem.
We are the reason why Hel, who was only pushed into battle and could have lost enough weight if she were alone, continues to hang around here and deal with that hero. As soon as he realized that fact, he shouted at the soldiers.
[Everyone retreat! It doesn’t matter if you scatter! We all met again at the previous castle…]
[I forgot to say this.]
I was quickly interrupted by a calm voice.
The ‘hero’, who plunged his sword precisely into the shadow where Hel was hiding, smiled smoothly. When I pulled out the sword, there was blood on the blade.
[You can’t escape.]
[…What bullshit…]
[I hired mercenaries. They surrounded this area. They are useful people who were carefully selected. A strong person like a corps commander or a direct subordinate would be able to kill an ordinary demon soldier who can’t even use magic.]
[….]
[Well, if I were to die, I would just leave because there would be no clients to pay me.]
My superior is prepared. I feel it strengthening. It’s a dangerous situation where if anything goes wrong, everyone could die. Nine clenched his fists.
What is the best outcome that can be achieved in the current situation? What number should I use?
My head spins tightly. The brain realized that it could not take care of everything no matter what it did, so it chose to abandon relatively light things and take care of important things.
[Hel, I will stay.]
Discard the regular soldiers and adjutants and save the corps commander.
I told him to run away because I would rather deal with him. Since the corps commander is more important than the adjutant, it was an objectively correct decision.
[I don’t like it.]
But the reason I couldn’t do it was because my boss was unusually stubborn.
[Deon said he believed in it.]
[….]
[At least you have to send your subordinates alive.]
Ah. The moment I heard those words, I realized it.
Eventually, the side effects occurred. I felt so weak.
It is certainly more effective to be recognized by someone who is capable and respected than to praise a subordinate for being great, but… ‘
Master Deon…’
I forced back the lament that was about to burst out and came back to reality and saw the ” in front of me. I glared at the ‘hero’.
Tilt your head as if the other person doesn’t understand. Green hair flowed in time with the movement.
“It seems like your superior wanted to save at least one of you…” “
…”
“Are you planning on making his death in vain?”
“shut up.”
All the ordinary soldiers died.
The order to gather together and focus on one area instead of scattering was of no use. Because it was faster for mercenaries to gather than to break through the siege.
Unfortunately they were standing in teams and had flares.
“At least you don’t have the right to say that.”
“…That’s great loyalty.”
I feel like I’m the villain. You are clearly the invaders. Stigma muttered softly.
“Yes, I can’t help it that you really want to die.”
“I don’t want to die.”
“That’s a firm answer. But what would it be like to fight alone against an opponent you can’t defeat, if it’s not to make you want to die?”
“…I just…”
Nine hesitated, unable to finish his words, and eventually fell silent for a moment, unable to find the right words to say.
I don’t know what to say about the emotions that gave rise to this irrational behavior.
After searching beyond the common sense of the demon world and even the common sense of the human world, he finally found a plausible analogy.
“…What parent would just walk away when faced with the person who killed their child?”
“…I see.”
understood. Stigma sighed.
The goal of killing the 8th Corps commander has already been achieved, so there is no reason to shed more blood, but this is unavoidable.
“In that case, I have no choice but to deal with you.”
Since signal flares have also been used, let’s get this over with quickly.
There may be a force that saw the signal and sent someone. For example, a mountain country or a revolutionary army. If he waited any longer, he might end up getting involved with a troublesome force, so he lightly swung his sword, brushed off the blood on it, and aimed the sword in an elegant and hesitating manner as always.
***
My body collapses. My vision became blurry and my breath caught in my throat.
It was an instant that defeat was certain. In fact, it was a future that was decided from the beginning.
‘I’m going to die soon.’
Nine smiled faintly.
It’s okay because the pain that inevitably follows in the current situation is bearable. Since I had already prepared myself for the fact that I would die, it didn’t really matter. However….
‘….’
He looked at Hel’s body lying nearby and opened his mouth.
“Do you know what the most powerful magic is that demons can use?”
“…hmm?”
“It’s magic that uses the magical power that forms the body.”
The bodies of demons are made of the demon king’s magical power. Whether it is made up of pure magic power or something else combined, the fact that magic power is involved never changes.
In other words, the magic that utilizes this is the most powerful magic that even demons who have consumed all their magical power can use.
I had no intention of wasting this, so I quickly opened my mouth before I ran out of breath.
“It is also a magical power directly related to the soul… although it is not used very often.”
My words come out in a halt due to lack of breathing.
Is it the leisure of the powerful or is it mercy that wants to listen to the last word?
He smiled faintly at the person who silently listened to his voice gradually becoming louder without managing to slit his throat.
“[In order to achieve what you truly desire.]”
“…Hmm?”
“[You will have to give up your life.]”
The commander of the 5th Corps said, “I heard that humans value hope and life the most.”
It is said that wishes are the goals and milestones of life. He said that without it, he would find no reason to live and would even throw away his precious life.
I have no intention of just leaving without being able to get revenge on the person who killed Hel. Therefore, I have cursed you to give up either your hope or your life, so what will you give up?
The body began to crumble. Nine closed his eyes, feeling dizzy as his vision began to fall apart.
Finally, I vaguely heard that voice.
“…They gave me a choice that I didn’t need to worry about.”
It’s pure.
***
Communication has ended.
Deon looked at the blood, which had risen to a higher level, and then raised his head. I made eye contact with the Demon King.
He said, pretending to be nonchalant as he rummaged through his pockets and took out a new cigarette.
“sorry.”
“…what.”
The Demon King, who was silently looking into red eyes, lightly shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s not your fault. Who would have thought that the Empire’s second hero would pop out of nowhere?”
“….”
“Rather… cigarettes.”
No, should I call it medicine?
I even took it out myself to tell them not to do it. Seeing him take it out again so proudly on the spot…
“It seems like the dependence on medicine is increasing…”
“…Heroes are not addicted to medicine.”
“The body may be, but the mind is not.”
“….”
“What should I do with you?”
With a light lament, he took the cigarette out of Deon’s hand.
The demon king didn’t stop there, but searched through his pockets and arms and took everything. He smiled and shook what was in his hand.
“It’s a lot. Even if it’s like this, it’s not an addiction?”
“….”
“I’ve warned you repeatedly until now, but you’ve ignored it. Until now, the baseline for ‘self-control’ was vague, so you just overlooked it, but not this time.”
Wow.
The cigarette pack crumpled in my grasp.
“From now on, I’m going to issue a ban on smoking for you. Just in case, I should also issue a ban on drugs. You may take drugs that are not in the form of cigarettes and insist that they are not ‘cigarettes.’ “It’s not like you don’t know what my intention was when I gave that order.”
“What…!”
“Deon,”
a soft voice interrupted.
“How long has it been since I gave you the signal not to smoke anymore?”
“ ….”
“It wasn’t even an hour or 30 minutes, let alone a day. But it’s not like I’ve moved anywhere. I stood there quietly and took out a cigarette again.”
The Demon King lightly smiled as his eyes widened. The eyes revealed between the eyelids shone coldly.
“Since you completely ignored my wishes, don’t you think this level of punishment is warranted? You shouldn’t have anything to say to me.”
“…But.”
“Commander of the 0th Legion.”
The smile disappeared from the Demon King’s eyes.
“You should listen to the Demon King, right?”
“….”
‘Hero’ or ‘Deon’ Not this, ‘0 Corps Commander.’
Deon, who realized what he meant, muttered under his breath. Damn it.
“… I understand.”
“Okay.”
His eyes curved again with a smile as if he had never done that before.
That sight was disgusting. Out of luck, Deon cursed under his breath and said,
“Tsk.”
“…?”
Oh, that’s not it.
“Then I’ll go back to my room to revise the plan at this point.” ”
…Just… Tsk. “ Yes
?” Me?”
“….”
Well… I’m sure my nerves are getting sharper now that the medicine has been taken away.
The demon king, who had a dazed look on his face for a moment and smiled slightly, held out his hand to tell me to go in.