Episode 222
"Haa... Haa..."
Rafael, breathing roughly, carefully opened her eyes and beheld the scene unfolding before her.
"What, what is this...?"
Perhaps she started to feel something strange about the expressions on mine and Klana's faces—not fear, but coldness.
".....?"
And then she must have looked down at her own body to confirm her transformation with her own eyes.
Now in her field of vision, she would see purple skin, wings sprouting from her back, and hideous ruby-colored horns growing from her head.
"No, no..."
She must have been bewildered. She wanted power, but she never imagined her appearance would change as well.
When her family members took pills to gain power, they had only complained of a little pain. That's why she must have taken it with relief.
However, the pill the Demon King gave her was slightly special.
The Demon King had placed magic on the pills to enable him to kill all those who had pledged their souls to him in times of emergency. But on Rafael's pill, there was also magic that corrupted the one who consumed it.
It must have been the Demon King's quirk of wanting to destroy beautiful things when he saw them.
But there was no need for that. Because while her exterior might have been beautiful, her interior was far too ugly.
"This isn't it... this isn't..."
"Live like that for the rest of your life."
There's no reason to respect something that's no longer human. So, watching Rafael rolling her eyes wildly as she gazes at her transformed body, I speak coldly.
"You chose this, didn't you?"
"Th-this...!"
As soon as those words ended, she rose up and charged at me. At the same time, ruby-colored demonic energy rose from her hands. Just looking at it makes my skin crawl.
- Boom boom boom...!
While I was having such thoughts, Klana's golden mana and Rafael's ruby-colored demonic energy collided violently.
Then a large amount of dust clouds and stone fragments filled the surroundings. In a situation that felt like watching déjà vu, I calmly waited for the dust clouds to settle.
"Why, why...? How..."
The result was all too obvious. No matter how much she gained the power of the demon race, there was no way she could defeat the awakened Klana.
Trying to oppose the most destructive mana among the three special manas with shabby demonic energy that had just awakened was a foolish thought from the start.
Originally, it could be said that maintaining her form after consuming a disposable desperation pill was a miracle.
"Hehehe... hehehehe..."
Watching her own hand being burned away by Klana's sun mana, she finally burst into laughter like she'd lost her mind.
- Hiss...
"It's not, it's not over yet... I can come back stronger..."
And then, spouting lines like a third-rate villain, she began to emit ruby-colored energy from her entire body. It seems like a usable line so I should remember it.
"Where do you think you're going...!"
Klana took a step forward, trying to approach her as she became increasingly faint.
- Thump...!
"Frey?"
But I grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Frey... do you know...?"
And at that moment, Rafael, who had been watching with gleaming eyes, whispered with a spine-chilling smile.
"...There's a way for you to live."
Klana's eyes widened at those words. I can roughly guess what she's saying, but let's hear it out for now.
"Take my hand. Come with me..."
"What are you talking about?"
"If you go there, like me... like me, offer your soul to the Demon King."
When I frowned at those words, she reached out her hand to me and said.
"If you become the Demon King's subordinate, you'll be able to preserve your life! If you don't like that, you can just offer your soul. It's not that difficult! Just a blood oath..."
"Th-that..."
And at the same time, Klana, who had been looking at me, started to waver in her gaze.
"...If you offer your soul to the Demon King, you can live?"
And then, with a trembling voice, she spoke to me.
"If that's the case... if that's the case..."
"Do you think that pathetic sister of mine over there can extend your life?"
"Ugh."
Then, she unconsciously bit her lip at Rafael's voice mixed with sneering.
"Anyway, once you die, everything ends, right? I know. That your lifespan is less than 2 years remaining. So..."
Before long, Klana, whose expression was becoming increasingly pale.
"...Come with me to the Demon King."
Suddenly, she started looking at me with determined eyes.
"Is that... the only way for you to survive?"
"Frey..."
And after a while, she spoke to me in a quiet voice.
"I want... you to live..."
Before I knew it, her golden pupils were filled with tears.
.
"What do you mean, Klana?"
Frey, who had been looking at me, whispered with a gentle smile.
"Of course I'll live. When everything is over, I'll spend happy days with everyone."
He seems particularly hateful today. Does he think I don't know? Does he think we don't know?
That his lifespan is only 2 years remaining, and even if he finishes everything, there's no way for him to live again?
"We'll go for walks, travel, see performances... hmm, what else? Anyway, I'm planning to do all sorts of things like that. So don't worry..."
Don't say that with such a foolish expression. I already know you're lying to reassure us so we don't panic.
"What? I'm asking why you're like this?"
It was hard to even look at Kania, who shared the same senses as Frey, having moved with me in the Western Continent.
"Miss Kania?"
"Just... just how are you enduring... this pain...?"
She was feeling every bit of the excruciating pain that came with every breath, appearing at every moment.
She said that even ordinary curses couldn't cause this level of pain.
His body is dying in real time even at this very moment and being forcibly recovered at the same time, so that much pain must be felt.
But for Frey, that must have already been nothing different from daily life. According to Irina's report, he never showed any sign of being in pain.
"Don't you believe me? I've explained it several times, haven't I? I have a wish ticket from the Sun God?"
Of course, since the Demon God said it, it could be a lie. Perhaps what Frey is saying could be true.
However, there's too much evidence that makes us sad and anxious, driving us into panic. Like Serena being unable to say something to us and just watching our reactions. Or the Demon God's words matching Frey's behavior too well...
We have too much evidence that makes us sad and anxious, driving us into panic.
That's why Frey won't know. The things that happen without his knowledge.
Like how Kania calls your name and cries silently whenever she feels excruciating pain.
Or how she's researching ways to redirect most of the pain to herself, even though the curse was originally one that would only make her feel the same pain as him.
Or how Irina is dabbling in dark magic and forbidden magic that she loathed her entire life, researching ways to extend your lifespan even as she whittles away at herself like a madman.
And I'm the same.
To protect Frey, I'm framing those who try to kill him and sending them into exile, or if they're bad people, killing them outright.
I'm becoming the tyrant I swore I'd never become.
But we will absolutely not let him know about those things. Just as he didn't show his pain, we won't show our efforts either.
"What's wrong, Klana. You don't look well..."
"......"
Frey asks with a worried expression. Then, countless emotions bloom in my heart.
'Calm down, Klana.'
Perhaps we'll go crazy in a little while. Or maybe we've already gone crazy.
The memories of the soul and emotions that burst forth like a flood along with the liberation of the truth in the third trial.
Having been consumed by such things, we can now only look at Frey.
And that's why just thinking that he'll perish in 2 years makes me feel so sad that my soul seems to be torn to shreds. Perhaps after that, we'll become completely invalids or madmen.
The 'Vacation Bet' was something that happened against that background.
To people who know nothing, it would seem like a sweet and cheerful romantic comedy.
But to someone who knows the truth, it would appear as crazy people on the verge of madness doing crazy things to keep from going mad.
If in 2 years he really does perish, if such a thing really happens, we would surely either follow him in death or go mad.
But Frey wouldn't want that. He would want all of us to be happy.
If we dare to go against his wish and die or become mentally ill, all of Frey's actions would come to nothing.
That's why.
To bear the fruit of love with Frey whom we love enough to give everything, to conceive his seed in our wombs.
To leave a trace that he existed in this world, to never forget his face and existence and remember him forever, we made this bet.
Of course, that too is just escapism.
Until just now, that was the most plausible decision we made to make Frey happy and for us to maintain our sanity.
"Frey."
But now, the situation has changed.
"Listen to me well."
If there's a way for him to survive, whatever it takes, whatever happens, I can do it.
Even if I have to sell my country, even if I have to stain my already red hands even redder, even if I'm recorded as some kind of emperor by future generations.
I will save him.
That is my only goal right now.
"You can offer my soul instead."
.
"What do you mean... Klana?"
Frey, flustered by Klana's words, grabbed her shoulder and asked.
"Do you know? You don't always have to bear everything alone."
Klana, who had been looking at such Frey, began to speak with a calm expression.
"You already have my soul. Because I've already given everything to you. So, when you offer your soul to the Demon King, you can offer my soul instead of yours."
Her expression as she said that somehow looked bright.
"So, deceive him by saying it's your soul and offer my soul. Then pretend to submit to the Demon King for a moment, and receive life."
"Klana."
"I'm fine. It's just one person like me becoming corrupted, you can sufficiently prevent that, right? If it comes to that, I don't mind becoming Canaria, or being imprisoned in an underground dungeon."
"Klana...!"
"I'm not telling you to offer your soul right away, just look into it carefully once. I have no intention of being deceived and losing my soul. I'm saying you can offer my soul once everything becomes certain."
When Frey, who had been holding her shoulder, put strength in his hand, Klana emitted an aura of domination from her entire body and said.
"It's a command, Frey."
Then, Frey, who flinched slightly, carefully distanced himself from her.
'Maybe I can withstand the corruption. Of course, I'll be threatened with my stolen soul, but for that much, I can just close my eyes and serve him.'
Klana muttered to herself while looking at such Frey.
'If I can just ascend to the throne of Emperor somehow. After that, whether I step down or get dethroned, the oath is kept...'
She, who was looking at Frey being slowly affected by her aura of domination.
"I hope you live for a long, long time, Frey. That's my only wish."
Finally smiled slightly.
"So... if those words turn out to be true, when definite evidence comes out, offer my soul and bow your head to the Demon King only for a short while."
When the erosion of the aura of domination ended, she said that and was about to head toward Rafael, but.
"...I don't want to."
"What?"
"That will absolutely never happen, so give up."
At Frey's resolute voice, who had overcome her aura of domination with his characteristic mental strength all too simply, she stopped walking.
"The only one who can dominate me from above is you."
"......."
"The only person who can use me as a servant is you, to whom I've sworn lifelong loyalty. I will serve you until I die."
Frey, who said that.
"I want to die as the Emperor's subject, not the Demon King's dog."
Left those words and walked toward Rafael.
"Yes... take my hand, Frey! I said take my hand...!"
- Swish...
Before long, Frey grabbed the hand of Rafael, who was looking at him with eyes full of madness.
"Yes, I'll speak well of you to the Demon King as promised. But... you need to be tamed by me a bit."
And Frey, who had been looking at her babbling excitedly.
- Bzzzt...!
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!"
Poured star mana into her hand.
"Y-you bastard...!"
Thanks to that, Rafael, who lost her reason seeing hideous scars and marks appearing all over her body, started rampaging wildly.
"Because of you... Klana lived in hell for over ten years."
Frey, who grabbed her hand even more tightly, muttered coldly.
"You need to feel that same feeling."
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
For a while, the sound of buzzing and smoke rose from the garden along with her screams.
"Ugh."
Frey, who had been watching Rafael's increasingly hideous appearance, suddenly frowned.
It was because of the severe heart pain that had intensified recently.
- Crack...!
"Hehe, hehehe..."
And Rafael, who didn't miss that moment and began to permeate demonic energy into Frey's arm, starting to fuse her hand with his.
"Klana, my foolish sister..."
Whispered while watching Klana desperately reaching out to them.
"Your fiancé... I'll take him..."
- Snap...!
But that whisper couldn't reach its end.
"Kuuugh..."
Because a fan-shaped throwing weapon that flew from somewhere had severed the arm she was holding Frey with.
"I don't know who you are..."
Thanks to that, Klana who caught her breath, and Frey, who was looking at his left arm with a nonchalant expression, turned their gaze to the side and then opened their eyes wide.
"This is unpleasant, isn't it?"
Serena, who was holding a basket carefully filled with vegetables and cooking ingredients, and was even wearing an apron she'd obtained from somewhere.
"...Frey is my fiancé."
Was approaching with an expression she had never shown in front of Frey before.