VOLUME 1: Chapter 5 – The Strongest Hero is the Most Unfortunate Hero

[Part 5]

[past]

Renas clenched his teeth and Rufaga secretly concealed his eyes. The hero’s party is the “one who knows the truth”.

Being the hero who is the regulator of the balance of the world, he, therefore, informed the truth to his friends, and on top of that, asked them to choose whether to stop despairing or to move forward.

Still, we must live in this world. So we will move forward.?That was their answer when they got to know the truth.

That’s why they will not deviate. However, because they know what the root of demon’s hatred was, they were driven by helplessness. Except for the hero.

“I am not interested in the world’s expectation. I do not care whatever happens to the world.”

Due to the removal of the limiter, Greed, while speaking dispassionately with a different tone, pointed the tip of the holy sword towards the Demon King. The holy sword that the hero got has characters engraved in the center with the “power” of Greed. A part of the characters―which were sacred characters of the gods and whose meaning were indecipherable―emitted a faint light.

“But she is in this world. I am in trouble if it got destroyed. . . Rufaga, where is the core of the Demon King?”

Greed asked the elf, while looking at the demon with glass-like eyes that does not show emotion.

“Left chest, forehead, and the right knee.” Rufaga replied as he scrutinized.

Those of the lower classes have only one core, but it was natural for the major subordinates and the Demon King to have several cores of magical powers. They gathered and formed a body. That is the reason why they are strong. Even if they lose one nucleus, they can still fight.

Rufaga, the elf, was able to precisely locate their cores, the masses of magical power, even from the outside of the body. And Greed’s sacred sword is a weapon that could release the magical powers and disintegrate them, and return them to the world as they should be.

“Goodbye, Demon King. You are not needed. In this world, to me―” The hero murmured as he faced the Demon King.

―――And then, the Demon King vanished from this world.

[present]?“No, it was not that easy, right?”?It was not a battle that could be described in one word, Renas thought.

“The battle between the hero, who is out of control, and the Demon King, who is beyond expectations, you mean? It was the first time, that one.”

The elf, who has watched over the battle of the heroes for many generations, almost expressed a bitter smile. A fight with the Demon King is a fight using magic. It was like that even now. Therefore, it was supposed to be like that this time as well.

However, the Demon King launched an attack that does not betray his appearance. That is, hand-to-hand combat.

[past]?While releasing magic, he approached Greed and tried to crush him. With his arm.

Greed barely avoided the approaching armored arm of the Demon King. The wall behind made a roaring sound of wind pressure as it collapsed. Perhaps, even touching a little of that arm, he would have been killed at once no matter how hard he had trained. It was a powerful attack with such a bare hand.

While dodging lightly from the Demon King’s attack, Greed held the sacred sword that is charged with electricity, trying to hit the Demon King very hard. The Demon King avoided it with defense magic.

Advance, retreat. Advance, retreat. That’s how the fight is. With both having magical powers, they can’t land a decisive blow while defending.

Meanwhile, the Demon King shifted. And that was also the moment that Greed was waiting for.

Renas, who was expected to defend the sacred barrier, felt the flickering sparks spreading by his feet. The Demon King, who has been only targeting Greed, has turned his fingers to them. Perhaps he was expecting that Greed will be distracted. The whole magic of powerful flames was called “Infinite Prison of Flames”. Perhaps, he was trying to burn the sacred barrier along with the two of them.

In a moment, Renas and Rufaga were surrounded with flames. However――

“It is stupid to use ‘fire’ in front of Greed.”

Rufaga smiled scornfully while being surrounded with flames. Whether those words have ended or not, Greed, who floated to the sky with flying magic, held the sacred sword while made a shooting action with his other arm towards the sky.

Shortly after that, the flame of the candle that shined on the dark hall suddenly spreads around the surroundings for a moment to cover the room and when the flames fell, the flames also disappeared into the “Infinite Prison of Flame” which was created by the Demon King.

“This is....”

The Demon King was astonished. But with that blunder from the Demon King, something glittery came from behind him. And taking advantage of the blunder, “that thing” penetrated the cores in the left chest and the right knee of the Demon King, respectively.

The arrow of light, and the arrow of darkness.

Greed synchronized his powers and the spirits of light and darkness, and from behind the Demon King, fired those arrows at the same time that decided their victory and defeat.

“Y-y-you!!!”

As the power of the spirits and also the power of the hero flowed into that arrow, the Demon King, whose cores were destroyed, roared.

“Paying no attention to the contempt of the demons to the spirits.... did you forget? What is the “power” that makes up this world? In this world, the flame of the spirit is stronger than the flame produced by the demons and the flame that we produce with magical powers.”

The voice of Rufaga was cold towards the staggering king of the demons.

As if in agreement to those words, Greed’s holy sword emitted an intense light. He held the sword, like a spear―

“The previous heroes possessed only one type of spirit attribute. For that reason, the power of the spirit could not be a threat for the Demon King. Uu-―”

He threw the holy sword at the Demon King. Having lost the cores on the left chest and the right knee, the holy sword penetrated the forehead between the eyebrows―piercing the Demon King on the wall. With the sound of “dogoo~”, the wall was gouged. A cloud of dust rose.

“The cause of your defeat was that you could not see Greed’s power because you despise the power of the spirits.”

Rufaga spoke indifferently to the Demon King severed on the wall of the demon castle with the holy sword piercing the forehead. Whether that voice was heard or not by the Demon King. . . no one knows.

The holy sword emitted light and breaks down the core of demonic power of the Demon King. And the body of the demon king who lost the power―it melted smoothly and eventually disappeared without a trace. Only the holy sword of the hero stuck in the wall was left behind. Pulling it casually and putting it back to its sheathe, Greed descended to the ground lightly and looked at the empty throne. Following him, Renas and Rufaga also advanced towards the throne.

It was a victory of the hero. But there was no joy or exaltation for victory in anyone’s heart. There are only bitter thoughts. Greed was only standing in silence.

No one is currently sitting on the throne made of a drop of obsidian. The magical power was dissolved, and it returned to the world where it should belong. In this distorted world, no one can say that they are the greatest victim.

Suddenly, Rufaga calls out to Greed, who watches the throne with emotionless eyes.

“What is the impression of the hero?who defeated his pair, the Demon King, Greed?”

“Nothing.... I don’t feel anything.”

The eyes of Greed which looked like glass unexpectedly lighted with emotion and flickered. Is it yearning, lovesickness. . . or madness in there? But whatever is Greed’s intention, Rufaga kept on asking questions.

“Then, if she knew the truth of the world, and despaired and wanted the ‘destruction of this world’――?”

――――

Renas quickly looked up. Not caring about him, Rufaga asked Greed.

“Greed, what would you do?”

Greed smiled thinly at those words. “Of course―”

That smile is not like the shallow smile he had in the past; they can say that it was his real smile. A genuine smile that he showed to them for the first time.

The strongest but the most unfortunate, the handsome hero slightly smiled as he spoke.

“If she wants it―”

I will destroy this world.

Before they could respond to those words, the ground shook unexpectedly.

“It looks like this castle is going to collapse.” The hero said, who spoke terrifying words just now with a smile and returned to a relaxed expression.

As he looked at the hero, Rufaga’s sigh was that of someone who is giving up, and he nodded his head as if exchanging signals.

“....this thing always happens. Shall we escape?”

It was the major subordinates who were creating the barrier, but it seems that it was the demonic power of the Demon King that supported the castle. The castle that lost its Demon King crumbled with a roaring sound.

While moving to the outside of the castle with the “transportation magic square” created by Rufaga, Renas, with a cold sweat falling down on his back while on their way from the hall, understood the meaning of “having another concern” that the guiding elf had said.

The Demon King was defeated.

But, they know that the world is going to be exposed to another threat―

*????????? *????????? *

After Renas and the prime minister left the living room, Milly, who had been looking at Greed for some time, stood up as she came to a decision.

“Well then, I will go and see Aria. We’re going to have a lively girls’ talk. I also want to see the princess.”

Rufus also stood up from his seat. “I will go and greet the kingdom’s wizard, Famir. I also want to hear about the situation of the restoration of the castle’s barrier.”

Both the female thief and magician left the room. To do whatever they want to do.

“From now on, right?”

Greed responded strangely to Renas’ murmur. “Yes.”

Those words spoken at that time is the beginning of everything.

To prevent the worst, they will take action―for the sake of this world too.