Episode 242
"Hmm..."
Glare's eyes, which had been reaching forward, slowly closed.
'...So, why is she here.'
I had urgently covered my face with the mana of stars, and as I looked down at Glare who had been desperately trying to confirm my face until just before her eyes completely closed, I fell into thought.
'I didn't expect this...'
This girl was definitely the child I had rescued from the Succubus Queen's underground dungeon in the market alley back then.
At that time, I had only done bad things, ruining the empire, and it hadn't been long since my regression, so I was quite thirsty for doing good deeds. That's why I remember taking special care of her.
I even put the Ring of Fortune that came as a system reward on her finger.
- Swish...
Thinking that, I examined the right hand of the unconscious girl, but strangely, there was no ring.
She had definitely shown me the ring on her finger earlier. Did she perhaps lose it while moving around due to this incident?
"Hm?"
As I held her and looked around, I discovered something sparkling on her left hand.
"Thank goodness..."
When I looked closely, the ring on her left ring finger was sparkling and shining despite being in the dark underground.
"...Wait."
The relief was brief. The fact that the ring was on her left ring finger struck me quite significantly.
When she showed me the ring earlier, the situation was chaotic so I didn't notice, but it seemed like she usually wears it there...
"Cute little kid."
Does she know what wearing a ring on the left ring finger means? Well, even if she does, it would be admiration or pure feelings from a kid of this age.
Anyway, I'm proud that she treasures the ring I gave her. Actually, it seems to have been surprisingly helpful for her as well.
The Magic Tower Lord's new disciple who has been frequently mentioned in newspapers lately and who Irina mentioned with pouted lips, is this little kid.
It feels quite good that my actions and the Ring of Fortune seem to have created a huge variable that didn't exist in the previous cycle, and a positive one at that.
'This is why people should live doing good deeds.'
Just today alone, if not for her efforts, things would have been quite difficult.
Because she gathered most of the survivors and led them here, Lulu was able to quickly collect the remaining few survivors.
If there had been many people spread throughout the building, the situation would have become quite complicated, so I have nothing but gratitude for this little kid.
"But... how did she get here?"
But suddenly a question arose. How was she able to reach this place?
The entrance and walls of this building were twisted and distorted thanks to Demirkan's space magic and the cult's collapse magic.
And the way to break through that from the front is with overwhelming force that tears even space apart.
For example, my sword techniques or star magic, or Isollet who had almost awakened as the Sword Saint.
But did this little kid exert such overwhelming power?
[Name: Glare]
[Ability: Error]
[Special Note: Error]
[Disposition: Error]
[Goodness Value: Error]
".....!?"
Thinking that, I opened her information and my eyes went wide as I tilted my head.
Why are there so many errors? I've seen values that are overwhelming or marked with question marks often, but this is the first time I've seen [Error] marked.
"Hmm..."
For some reason, this kid seems to have many mysterious things the more I learn about her.
When we get out of here later, I should have Serena investigate.
- Swish...
With that thought, I slowly lowered her to the floor.
"Mmm..."
Then, whether by coincidence or not, she grabbed my collar near my neck with her small, pretty hands.
"...When everything ends, let's meet again."
I wanted to stroke her to my heart's content and buy her delicious food, but if I did that, I'd end up lying in bed for months.
So I carefully removed her hand from me, gave a fatherly smile, gently stroked her cheek, and then stood up.
- Thud...
".....!"
At that moment, I heard a presence from behind, so I was startled and turned around.
- Thump...!
And at that moment, a soft hand covered my eyes.
"Guess who...?"
With my vision completely darkened, and hearing someone's whispering voice by my ear, I let out a hollow laugh and spoke.
"Ferloche. What are you doing?"
Then, the hand covering my eyes slowly slid down.
"I don't know?"
Then, she grabbed my loosened clothes and pulled me toward her.
"Haah."
Before I knew it, our tongues were mingling inside our mouths.
"Fuha..."
"...Nm."
It was a short time, but somehow I felt more dizzy than ever before. It was as if someone who knows me well was playing with weaknesses I didn't even know I had, a feeling as if it was engraved on my soul.
"...How many times did you do it?"
"What?"
I was looking at Ferloche's original personality that had popped out despite saying she'd rest for a while, and as she started gently rubbing my side with her hand, I felt dizzy again and spoke.
"Uh, um... that's..."
Then, she turned her gaze to the side and stuttered.
"...I mean this scenario."
"Ah."
When I said that with a slight smile, her eyes went round and then she smiled as well and answered.
"Countless times."
It seems like an ambiguous answer somehow, but that doesn't matter.
"So, why did you come here?"
She had stood on her tiptoes to kiss me, and was smiling with a long strand of saliva connecting us. When I asked her that, Ferloche raised the corner of her mouth and answered.
"First, I needed to make sure my idiot personality would continue to dislike you, and for a more important reason... someone was needed to control the core here."
"What?"
"I couldn't ignore this pain, which will be quite traumatic among the pains you've felt and will feel."
Saying that, Ferloche pulled me close again, kissed me once more, and whispered in a low voice.
"I'll take the pain. You rest now."
And at that moment, a barrier made of divine power covered me, and another moment passed.
"Mmph? Huh?"
Ferloche's eyes, which had been kissing me with eyes half-closed, suddenly opened wide.
"Kyaaah!!"
Then, she suddenly screamed and pushed me forward.
"B-bad Frey!!"
Thanks to that, I was pushed back by the barrier she had made beforehand, and stumbling from the dizzying feeling, I looked at her.
"Shameless Frey! Pervert Frey! Bad!!"
Saying that, Ferloche had returned to being the fool with her characteristic blank expression, not the somehow spine-chilling appearance from earlier.
"Hmph! Hmph!"
"W-wait..."
Because of that, I was held by her and lightly flicked on the head several times.
"You can't just attack people like that!"
"........"
After finishing her punishment, I looked at Ferloche who had her arms crossed and was glaring at me with an incredulous expression and muttered.
"Lately I've only been the one getting attacked though..."
"Be quiet! You beast...!"
At those words, she got angry and tried to hit my head again, but I dodged here and inside the barrier she had made.
"M-master!!"
"Lulu?"
"The core's rampage seemed to be delayed so I came...!"
Lulu had brought all the dolls and rescued everyone in the building except for Serena and Clana's group, and when she entered the basement, I smiled thinking things would go more smoothly than expected.
- Crack...!
"".......!""
Cracks started appearing on the barrier surrounding the explosion magic's core, and both Ferloche and I opened our eyes wide.
'Don't tell me... is this what Ferloche was talking about earlier?'
I think I finally understand why Ferloche revealed even her original personality to reach this place.
.
"Master... this is..."
".........."
Lulu, who had been ordering the dolls to drag out the unconscious people from the basement, looked at me and murmured.
"...Estimated damage?"
I was still glaring at the red explosion core trapped inside Ferloche's barrier and asked Lulu in a low voice.
"T-the possibility of this entire area being obliterated is... extremely high."
"...Damn it."
The plan was completely ruined.
Originally, this operation was to wrap this explosion core with my magic to minimize damage, and get buried together with the collapsing building with Clana and Serena's group to wage public opinion warfare.
But this way, not only our lives, but everyone around us is in danger.
The little kid who received a ring from me.
The girl who used to sell vegetables on the street long ago, who patted my back while I was vomiting in the bathroom.
The maids who sent letters several times saying they wanted to return to the mansion.
All of them.
Why on earth did this happen? The calculation should have been perfect? It's strange that the core's rampage time accelerated exponentially, and it's also strange that its power more than doubled.
- Rumble! Rumble!!
"Kgh..."
Since it's come to this, I have no choice but to control that core directly.
Like I did in the commoner dormitory attack incident a few months ago.
"Lulu, you go outside the building too."
"What?"
"As the Demon King's Army, you need to complete the mission the Demon Lord gave you. So hurry up."
Thinking that, I quietly looked at Lulu and said.
"N-no!!"
Then, Lulu shook her head in panic.
"I'll die with Master!! I can't live without Master!!"
Did she unconsciously notice what I'm trying to do? Or is she misunderstanding something?
"I-I'll sacrifice myself instead! I'll do the mission instead! Please use me!!"
"........."
"I'm your consumable item!! So please use me!! If it's dying for you, I can die happily!!!"
Saying that, she grabbed my leg with a pale face and hung on.
It seems she's firmly misunderstanding something.
"Lulu, you're not a consumable."
"What?"
I let out a small sigh, held the cheek of Lulu who was crying in panic and rubbing her cheek against my leg, and whispered with a smile.
"You're my pet."
- Fizz...
At the same time, I tore the escape scroll I had kept for emergencies.
"Huh? Waaah?"
She disappeared with the light before she could even resist.
- Rumble...
"Hmm."
Left alone in the basement with Ferloche who had trapped me in the barrier, I looked at the dust and stone fragments falling from the ceiling and turned my head.
- Step, step...
Ferloche was heading toward the explosion core with a serious expression.
"...Hah."
After a while, she arrived at the core, took a deep breath, and jumped inside.
"Kyaaaaaaaaah!!"
And soon, she started screaming in pain.
"Tsk."
Watching that scene, I clicked my tongue and placed my hand on the barrier.
- Crack... Crackle...
Then, her barrier started cracking immediately.
No matter how much my body has weakened, the fearsome attack power of 'the Hero's power' remained intact.
- Crash...!
Having broken the barrier by mobilizing all the star magic I had summoned beforehand, I headed into the core where Ferloche was writhing and muttered inwardly.
'It can't be helped...'
Since the day my mother died in my place, I have absolutely hated someone sacrificing themselves or suffering for me.
That's why I usually carried the burden alone, but Ferloche has already gone inside.
This time, it seems I'll have to share the burden.
- Embrace...!
With that thought, I stepped into the core and hugged Ferloche tightly.
"........!!!"
Then Ferloche, who had been writhing in pain, discovered me and looked shocked.
"You've suffered as much as I have, right?"
I showed a smile to Ferloche, whispered that, and closed my eyes, preparing for the pain that would soon engulf my whole body...
".....Hm?"
But for some reason, even after quite some time passed, no pain came to me.
What is this?
.
- Fizz...
"Ugh...!"
Lulu was summoned into the air outside the building and fell helplessly to the ground.
"W-what?"
"That surprised me..."
Then, the eyes of the survivors who had been watching the building with anxious expressions focused on her.
"Y-you..."
At the same time, Rosewin, who had just regained consciousness and stood up.
"M-maybe... the people who escaped... is that all..."
With her trembling hand, she pointed at the group of survivors dragged out by the dolls she controlled, but.
"M-master!!!!"
"Ah....."
When Lulu, understanding the situation, ran toward the building in panic, her mouth fell open.
"N-not yet..."
She stood there blankly for a moment, then started staggering after Lulu.
- Rumble...!!!
"Master!!!!!"
At that moment, the building collapsed, and Lulu's desperate scream rang out.
"...No."
Rosewin collapsed powerlessly to the ground.