"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!?"
A greatsword stuck in Kitezh's back was being moved back and forth as though a saw, causing him to release a scream along with blood from his mouth.
『…Huh? The Savior?』
Amid the severe pain and his flickering consciousness, memories surfaced in Kitezh's mind. Memories of when his Creator, Elysium, had told him about the existence of the Savior in God's Garden.
To Kitezh kneeling in front of the throne, Elysium had said while resting his cheek in one hand, 『Mm, that is correct. His name is Exa. He possesses an immortal body and power that is comparable to even mine; he is the strongest man in human history. So, be wary when you encounter him. If you don't want to die, that is.』
『Kishishi, that is a funny one. My Creator, your esteemed self is the most familiar with this Kitezh's 'superpower'. No one in this world can rival my"Secundus". No one, be it the other demons, or even the Savior.』
Of course, that included you as well, Kitezh had barely managed to swallow the last words.
Elysium had snorted,『It will be good if that is the case.』
『Yes, so please rest your mind. However, my lord, there is one thing I can't help but wonder; why did you rank me 'second', despite how strong I am…?』
『Well, if I have to point out a reason, it's because of your arrogance, I guess.』
『Kishishi, that's harsh. Well then, I'll keep your warning in mind.』
Though, it's just a needless concern, so he had thought at the time.
However—Elysium was right.
"Your voice is somewhat grating on the ears, isn't it?"
Stab! From behind, his neck was pierced along with his vocal cords, rendering him unable to even scream anymore.
"Goho… gah…!?" Even so, Kitezh was still breathing. Amidst his dimming consciousness, he kept on asking himself questions about the current situation.
――Why am I suffering like this!?
――Why does my"Secundus"not work!?
――Why can't I nullify the Savior's attack!?
――Why!?
――Why!?
――Why!?
No matter how much he racked his brains, Kitezh couldn't reach an answer.
The Savior looked down at him, "Is it that strange to you that my blade can pierce through you?" and coldly said, "The answer is simple—it's because you're 'weak'."
"!?"
I'm… weak…!? Kitezh forgot his pain and widened his eyes.
No, that couldn't be.
The"Secundus"that Kitezh awakened to could completely nullify the second and subsequent attacks as long as he didn't die from the first attack. It was the stronger superpower.
He had proved this by fighting against Yomi and his other demon kins.
If he fully released it, even the third-ranked Eden's"Thousand Kills", who was superior to the first-ranked, wouldn't be able to get off a fight against him unscathed.
There was no way Kitezh was 'weak'.
And unlike skills, superpowers were unique.
Therefore, he, Kitezh, who had awakened"Secundus", should be the real strongest man in history.
"..."
Kitezh glared indignantly at the Savior, who looked down at him and revealed the secret of his power, "As was the case with Yomi, my"Impersonation"doesn't work on you, which means that the type of the power you guys possess is different from skill. Invalidating the attack of the same person from the second time onwards—if I have to name it, your power is 'resistance type'.
"But it has a catch," the Savior continued, "It doesn't work if an opponent has 'enough power to overload the resistance'. So, to put simply, your 'capacity' is lacking."
"...!?"
My capacity is… lacking…!? Kitezh's eyes shot open again.
"Yes, you are unable to handle my power. So, be it the second time, the third time, or so on, my blade would always get through you. Honestly, you're too weak. Well, that's a matter of course, I guess. After all, you are merely a piece of shit that uses a girl as a shield. There's no way a guy like that can be strong."
"~~!?"
"Glare at me as much as you want. But let me tell you, your life is about to end. Just like the weak guy that you are, helplessly lament your powerlessness and die."
That's your atonement, the Savior's words reached his ears, but as he declared, Kitezh's consciousness faded away right then and there.
◇ ◇
But.
"...Huh? I'm alive… higiiii!?"
SLASH! His right arm flew off his shoulder, and Kitezh shrieked in agony.
What happened?
Didn't he die?
The answers to the confused Kitezh's questions came from the Savior, who was holding a crimson battleax in front of him.
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention. I won't be sending you straight to your death. No, I'll bring you back to life before you could. I actually don't want to use this skill for this kind of thing, but… you made Zana and the others cry…! I absolutely—won't forgive you!!" With his eyes wide open, the Savior raised his battleax, his face filled with fury.
"W-wait…. s-save me… higyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!?"
And so, the poor clown experienced a never-ending loop of death, which made even hell pale in comparison.