Episode 154
"Absolutely... you absolutely cannot pass through here."
Rosewin, blocking the only entrance leading into the Imperial Palace, gazes at Frey and speaks in a cold voice.
"I cannot send you to where the Hero is."
"...Sigh."
"I will stop you, even if it costs my life."
Frey, who had been sighing in front of her, slowly turns his head to look behind him.
- KUGWAGWANG!! KWAGWANG!!!
In the palace garden spread out behind him, battles that make one dizzy just watching are unfolding.
"Kroooh... ooh..."
All the combat executives, led by their chief, have lost the light in their eyes as they prowl after the sub-heroines.
"D-dangerous!"
"I'll handle this place! Hurry and go to Frey...!"
The sub-heroines facing them are displaying their respective abilities and fighting quite well.
Arianne deploying barriers from the rear of the formation, and Lulu analyzing enemies with her magic eye to provide briefings.
Aishi in the middle ranks, wearing a cold expression as she pours freezing magic upon the enemies.
At the front, the Order's youngest saintess, rallying everyone's spirit while blocking the enemies' attacks.
"...Impressive."
Frey, who had been staring blankly at them, then turned his gaze forward again with a hollow laugh.
"Move, Rosewin."
He speaks with a soulless expression.
"Hey, sorry but..."
Rosewin, who had been frowning deeply while looking at such a Frey, soon made a disgusted expression and began to speak.
"...could you stop saying my name? Hearing my name in your voice really gives me chills, makes me want to vomit."
"Is that so?"
"Ugh, it's the worst. Seriously unpleasant."
Rosewin, who liked the Hero more than anyone else.
Because of that, she absolutely loathed Frey who stood at the opposite end of the Hero.
"I should've just fought the executives over there. Why did I take the gatekeeper role."
She muttered with a sullen face while watching the girls fighting earnestly behind Frey.
"It would've been really nice if I could fight without seeing that disgusting face."
"........."
Frey, whose physical abilities were maximized by wearing the Hero's armaments, heard all of her mumbling and quietly began to tremble his hand.
"Doing all sorts of ridiculous things now."
Rosewin, who had been watching Frey with an astounded expression as he looked at her with a pale face and trembling hand.
"Hurry and attack, you disgusting bastard."
She beckoned with her finger and took a combat stance.
"I'll kill you with my own hands and offer you to the Hero."
In front of such a Rosewin, Frey who had been trembling his hand until then muttered with an earnest expression.
"Must control my strength until I reach the Demon King. Remember that. "
"Trash bastard, why aren't you attacking..."
"Shut up."
Eventually, Frey, who cut off Rosewin's provocations while emitting vicious killing intent.
'...Focus.'
He drew his sword from his waist and placed a self-suggestion.
'If I make even one mistake, I have to start all over again...'
"Hah!!"
And at that moment, Rosewin, who could no longer endure the situation of confronting Frey, launched her attack at him.
- PERBERENG!!!
In the battlefield where large and small battles were taking place, Rosewin's small but powerful strike delivered from a corner of that battlefield.
"...Huh?"
It was blocked far too easily by Frey, who had used only his left hand.
- PAJIIIIING!!!
Thanks to that, Frey swung his sword at her who was flustered.
"Good."
He pushed aside Rosewin, who had gone limp while blocking the entrance until the end, and stepped into the Imperial Palace while muttering.
"Even after going in, let's keep doing just this."
.
Meanwhile.
"I'm going crazy."
'Transparent Frey', who had been following Frey entering the Imperial Palace while muttering with a soulless voice after defeating Rosewin.
"Just what... what is all this..."
was watching with a dazed expression.
"How on earth..."
'Transparent Frey', who was overwhelmed by the incomprehensible words and scenes witnessed so far and was on the verge of panic.
"...Eek!"
Suddenly pushed by someone behind her, she fell toward the direction where Frey, whom she had been observing until then, was located.
- SHAAA...
And at that moment.
The two Freys began to merge.
"...Ferloche? Guys?"
In the midst of such a strange phenomenon, Frey, who was about to say something to 'Transparent Ferloche' who had pushed her and the main heroines who were similarly wearing pale expressions.
"I, I am..."
couldn't even finish her words and completely merged.
"Can you hear me, Frey?"
Eventually, when the merged Frey tilted his head for a moment then started walking sorrowfully toward the inside of the Imperial Palace again.
"From now on, please proceed with the trial by synchronizing with the Frey from that time."
Transparent Ferloche, who had been watching him with a sorrowful expression.
"Only then will you be able to grasp even the inner feelings that you felt at that time..."
She spoke with a slightly trembling voice.
"...so that you can properly judge us."
.
"Frey."
After walking and walking for a while, a familiar voice is heard.
"Please stop."
Quietly raising his head, faces as familiar as the voice come into view.
Dark Mage Kania, Archmage Irina, Imperial Princess Klana, Saintess Ferloche, Prime Minister Serena.
In the past, they used slightly more intimate titles, but now I don't feel like it.
Because I no longer have the heart to love them, nor do I have myself.
- KUGWAGWAGWAGWANG!!!
Ignoring Ferloche's warning to stop, the moment I took a step forward, the attack immediately began.
"...Ugh."
Without any unnecessary insults or slander, attacks carried out without a shred of hesitation even though I'm wearing the 'Hero's Armaments'.
Looking at their attacks filled only with the intent to kill me.
'...This round is indeed successful.'
I wore a tired smile.
- SHAAA...
Meanwhile, dark energy rushes toward me.
It seems the first attack to reach me is Kania's dark magic.
"Kania, it's been a while."
"Shut up."
In the countless rounds I've repeated, she was the one who most often 'first' realized my true identity.
In the early days of starting the regression, she was my only support and reliable confidant.
"I missed the sandwiches you made."
"I still regret not putting poison in them, so shut that mouth."
But as the rounds repeated and repeated, I realized.
That somewhere along the way, I had become too dependent on her.
That to grow even a little more in the continuing rounds, I needed to separate from her.
- SHAAAAAAAA...!
- PAJIIIIING...!
Thus she went from being my greatest confidant and partner,
to Dark Mage Kania, who torments me with all kinds of curses and poisons.
- HWARUK...!
When I cut through Kania's dark mana with star mana, flames rush in through the gap.
Looking at it, the second attack to reach me seems to be Irina's magic.
"Everyone fall back. I'm going to use a fatal technique."
If Kania was often the first to realize my true identity, Irina was particularly often the second.
Thanks to that, if I just prevented her from using the 'Curse of 12' and recruited her as an ally, I could wield overwhelmingly powerful firepower from the beginning.
"Irina, I haven't seen the puppy love trend in the Empire lately. I heard the Hero is gathering them to use as potion ingredients..."
"Ferloche, cover me. This magic needs to be activated up close like your blessing."
But that also meant Irina got hurt often.
Being powerful meant fighting powerful enemies often, so it was a natural result in a way.
"HAAAAAH!!!"
"Useless."
Thanks to that, from the hundredth time she was shattered in front of me, I gave up on making her an ally.
"W-why is the attack...?"
"Simple. Because I'm stronger than that attack."
Thus she went from being the best combatant and childhood friend,
to Archmage Irina, who constantly tries to kill me with her overwhelming magical prowess.
- PAJIJIK... PAJIK...
"I've gathered all the sun's mana! I'm joining too!"
After blocking Irina's great magic with bluffing and tricks, this time Klana charges in with sun mana covering her whole body.
The third attack to come at me seems to be Klana's attack.
"After I kill you who ate away at the Empire, I'll display your head in the marketplace. Prepare yourself."
Klana, who tried to kill me in the most aggressive and radical way among the main heroines, was the one who suffered the most guilt when she realized my true identity.
"Klana, do you still remember that oath from back then?"
"Shut up, that was overwritten by Serena's oath. Don't try to deceive me with that filthy tongue. You filthy human worse than a demon."
Because of that, she became more buried in guilt with each passing day.
And in the end.
Most of the time, she became a small canary forever, singing songs on my shoulder.
"Pathetic, trying to face me with this level of skill?"
"I'll charge a hundred times, a thousand times, so prepare yourself. In the end, I will be the one to bring you down."
So, I resolved never to reveal my identity to her in particular.
Because the eyes of the canary quietly curled up singing on my shoulder looked so sad.
Because even for me who can no longer feel proper emotions, it was a sight that caused significant trauma.
Thus she, whose shy smile was beautiful when we promised to serve each other,
became Imperial Princess Klana, the only existence that pressures and crushes me with power.
"I will help you, Your Highness."
After evading Klana's attack and pushing her down, this time Serena blocks my path.
The fourth person to attack me seems to be Serena as expected.
"...Die."
"Good, concise."
Serena doesn't need long words.
She loved me until the end in almost every round.
- SHUUUUUU...
But, who knows? Did you know that too much love becomes poison?
To completely deceive Serena, I had to invest about half of one regression until now.
Because for a mediocre talent like me to surpass Serena's intelligence, that was the only way.
"Serena, can't you see? The conclusion of this battle."
"A conclusion where the Hero's time is successfully bought?"
Thanks to that, after countless regressions, I finally succeeded in deceiving her, and eventually came to resent even her.
Thus my first love and fiancée, the girl to whom I could have given everything,
became Prime Minister Serena, who made things most difficult for me.
"Everyone, let's attack all at once according to my command!!"
Now, after defending according to Serena's attack pattern which has become all too familiar, Ferloche at the very back raises her voice.
The last attack seems to be Ferloche's... no, everyone's coordinated attack.
"I'll use my blessing to attack, so Ms. Klana, join me in close combat. Ms. Irina and Ms. Kania provide rear support, and Ms. Serena, please devise the next strategy."
Ferloche, who served as the leader leading the main heroines in almost every round, was no exaggeration to call my archenemy.
Her characteristic charisma, sharp intuition, and overwhelming martial power... made it easy to gather everyone who sought to bring me down.
"Ferloche, how does it feel to become the Hero's dog?"
"I merely follow the will of the Sun God, but personally, I'm very pleased to finally see your end."
Of course, since she tried to reform me until the end, I didn't feel particularly unjust.
But because her martial power was so overwhelming, I fought against her with all my might.
Killed by her countless times, getting my neck broken, memorizing her attack patterns, analyzing the weaknesses of her blessing.
Thus, my friend who used to visit our house every day trying to reform me,
became Saintess Ferloche, hunting me as everyone's leader.
""HAAAAAA!!!""
While blocking their attacks one by one and briefly reminiscing about old memories, all five of them started rushing at me at once.
"Huu."
I, looking at them and spinning my sword once.
'Endure.'
Just before the attack rushes toward me.
'This is the last gate.'
I muttered to myself as if making a resolution.
'...Now I must end everything.'
And after a moment, my sword cleaved through the air.
.
".......Hmm."
I, looking at the Hero's sword glittering in the sunlight streaming through the window, slowly sheathe my sword.
"Success."
Around me, five girls have fallen unconscious.
'Well, naturally.'
These are armaments that allow one to face the Demon King whom even I and all the main heroines together couldn't defeat, so it would be a problem if I couldn't do at least this much.
However, there is something slightly bothering me.
"...They're not hurt."
I don't want to create debt.
Now, I want to create light.
"There isn't."
Thinking such thoughts, I carefully observed their appearances, and after confirming there were no visible wounds, I slowly began to leave the place.
'The place where the Demon King gathering strength would be... probably the 'Throne'.'
Where that one would be is obvious.
Where she, the embodiment of arrogance, would be is undoubtedly the top floor of the Imperial Palace, and even there, the throne located at the very top.
- TEUBEOK, TEUBEOK.
Having made that judgment, I slowly turned my steps toward the stairs.
"Huuu..."
In the countless regressions, this is the first time I've come this far.
Finally, the end has literally come right before my nose.
I thought that when this moment came, I'd be breaking out in cold sweat or my heart would be pounding, but instead my mind only becomes clear.
No, not only does my mind become clear.
My whole body feels light.
"Hm?"
Having climbed to the top floor not long after, someone was blocking the entrance leading to the throne.
".......Frey."
I wondered who it was, but there was quite an unexpected person.
"Sister."
"........"
Isollet, the second person I respected most in the world.
Of course, naturally, right now she is merely Professor Isollet to me.
"I have one question."
"What is it?"
So I quickly drew my sword to knock her down and enter the entrance, but Isollet suddenly started asking a question.
"Why?"
"...?"
"Why, why did you defeat those five children..."
Thanks to that, Isollet, who had been looking at me with a confused expression as I tilted my head.
"...using only the blunt edge of the sword."
Asked in a trembling voice.
"Hmm..."
I, who had been quietly thinking after hearing her question.
"I forgot."
"What?"
Answered her with a hollow expression.
"There was a reason... but I forgot."
"What does that mean?"
"It was so long ago I don't remember. If you give me a little more time, I think it might come to mind..."
Because Isollet's eyes looking at me were trembling, I tried my best to recall my memories.
"...Ah."
Then, I smiled and spoke.
"I remembered."
"So, what is the reason?"
I, who was looking at Isollet who immediately asked me another question upon hearing those words.
"...A sword is not for cutting people, but for protecting them."
Answered in a quiet voice.
"That's what you taught me. I had forgotten for a long time, but now I remember."
".....!!!"
Upon hearing those words, Isollet's eyes began to widen.
Why are they widening? How come...
Ah.
I see.
- PAJIIIIING!!!
Before Isollet could say anything, I quickly knocked her out with the blunt edge of my sword and sighed.
"Get a hold of yourself. I almost had to retry again when I'm almost there."
Saying that, I patted both my cheeks with my palms.
- KKIIIIK...
I opened the door leading to the destination I had longed for and took one step forward.
""..........""
And the silence that began to flow for a while.
"...Greetings."
What broke that silence was.
"Hero."
The Demon King, Ruby, sitting bored on the throne while holding a wine glass.
"Yes, nice to meet you."
I, looking up at her, cautiously displayed the system window before my eyes.
[Name: Frey Raon Starlight]
[Abilities: Strength
[Special Notes: Awakened/ Blessing of the Star/ Hero's Power]
Now, it's time to settle this.