In front of a heavily breathing girl dressed in light armor... lies a single person.
[...I... did it...?]
She says as if she still doesn't feel victorious or for some other reason. Even though the girl... Hikari had defeated the nemesis that she had been seeking, she still doesn't look cheerful at all.
[We've done it, Hikari! We've finally done it.]
[...It doesn't look like she'd stand again. It's your... no, our win.]
[I don't care about all that, but I have important things to do at the treasury, so can I go there?]
[Laguna, Fors... Hapti, could all of you please restrain yourselves?]
After hearing the words of her friends who she had overcome countless hardships and difficulties together to reach this point, Hikari finally relaxed her shoulders.
However, the expression on her face remains unchanged.
[We still have to deal with the remnants but... this should do for now...]
[...Laguna.]
[What is it? Hikari? You don't look so happy.]
[...Was the Demon Lord... really evil?]
[...What?]
The words that came out of her mouth were asked by the girl called the Hero who had fought her way up to this point... It was a question after defeating her last enemy, the Demon Lord.
Hikari turned to Laguna, who was looking at her with a puzzled look on her face, and as if she still hasn't organized her thoughts, she unconfidently spoke.
[...Everyone saw it, right? The cities and villages before we got here... There certainly were some cruel killings and looting in some parts of the country. However...]
[...The majority of the assaulted places... although couldn't be described as tranquil, but they weren't oppressing Humans.]
It was unknown whether she was reminded by Hikari's words or not, but looking as if deep in thought, the Elven magician... Fors muttered.
[Yes. There's also the prisoners we found in the castle... They were properly being treated as a prisoner of war.]
[...Mnhh, indeed, I could certainly understand that she wasn't a monster without reasoning... She also fought fair and square earlier... But you see...]
[...It's not just that. That Demon Lord's eyes... They weren't the eyes of someone fighting for their own desires... She had such strong determination, as if she was wielding her sword for someone else's sake... That's why I'm feeling bothered.]
Hearing Hikari's words, her friends also had complicated expressions on their faces.
They could certainly understand what Hikari was trying to say, and it made sense when they heard it. However, even if that's so, it was difficult for them to say what to do about it.
[....]
[ [ [ !? ] ] ]
Immediately afterwards, "the three of their group, excluding the missing Hapti" turned towards the fallen Demon Lord.
Before they knew it, they felt the presence of an overpowering being...
[...Vier, why... are you doing this...]
[...Ku... romu... -sama.]
The girl who suddenly appeared held up the fallen Demon Lord in her arms and as tears shed from her eyes, she called her name.
The Demon Lord seemed to still be faintly conscious. When the girl called out to her, she slightly opened her eyes and with a hoarse voice, she spoke.
[...if Vier dies... what do you think would happen... I don't want that to happen... It makes me feel sad.]
[...A- Aahhh... Kuromu-sama... I- I...]
[I'm sorry... If only I had properly talked to you... and because I had not, Vier had...]
[T- That's not it... This happened because of me... It is I... A- Ahhhh... Kuromu-sama, please don't cry... It is... my fault...]
As Vier talks to Kuromueina with tears in her eyes, the moment they see her... No, the moment when Kuromueina appeared, Hikari and the others were unable to take a single step or even blink.
[...What... is that... that "monster"....]
As if she was squeezing out those words, Laguna's voice trembled as she whispered. Hikari and Fors also felt the same way.
They had defeated the Demon Lord...The Demon Lord also held the power to deserve that name, and they had barely won a hard-fought with such a being.
However, as if to treat their efforts as a mere joke, the power they felt from the girl who appeared in front of them just now.... feels so overwhelming that the Demon Lord looks like a baby in front of her.
Her appearance naturally made Hikari and the others feel despair. Before such a being, they wouldn't have any chance of winning... Their instincts kept screaming such a thing to them.
However, Kuromueina didn't look at Hikari and the others and only exchanged a few words with Vier... and after Vier lost consciousness, she closed her heart-broken eyes.
Immediately after that, the ceiling of the castle disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place, and the face of a really huge dragon appeared.
Not only that, but a woman whose body seems to be one with a tree, a girl floating in faint light, a giant beast clad in flames and a being in a robe whose face can't be seen... Six overwhelmingly powerful beings appeared.
[A- Aahhh...]
It was unknown whose voice it was... but it was as if more despair was piled up on top of the despair they're already feeling...
In front of them, Kuromueina slowly wipes her tears and stands up.
[...Well met, Human Realm's Hero. My name is Kuromueina... I'd like you to talk with us for a few moments.]
The beautiful sounds of her voice... was definitely clad in the majesty of a king.
[...Do you really have to go?]
[....Yes.]
It has been several months since the existence of the Demon Realm was conveyed to the Human Realm through the Hero and a truce between the Demon Realm and Human Realm was signed... Vier, whose wounds were healed after receiving treatment, is about to leave without seeing Kuromueina, who is busy talking with the Human Realm's representative.
As she sees Vier off, Ein's expression doesn't look good.
[...You know that Kuromu-sama doesn't want this, right?]
[Even so, I don't have... the face to look at Kuromu-sama anymore.]
[...Is that so.]
While she was being healed, Vier had heard the truth from Kuromueina... and she finally realized her mistake.
And after realizing her mistake, she deeply, deeply regretted it... However, no matter how much she regretted it, there was no way for her to turn back time.
All her mistakes and all her sins... She knew that she had to accept it and let it burn within her heart, forever carrying the responsibility of her actions on her shoulders.
Bowing deeply to Ein, Vier left her family.
Whether it's Kuromueina or her family members... All of them covered up for Vier. They defended her... And her receiving her family's kindness... was too painful and agonizing for her right now.
"I will never return to my beloved family again." Telling herself that this was one of her punishments. Vier was about to embark on an aimless journey of redemption when a shadow appeared in front of her.
[...Shalltear-sama...]
[...I'll just say this now. I will not forgive you for bringing chaos to the Demon Realm... Even if you were "holding back from taking a human life", you are still responsible for the mismanagement of the idiots you brought with you.]
[...Yes.]
[I originally would have killed you. However, because Kuro-san bowed her head to me and begged me, I will let you off the hook just this once.]
Shalltear was the only one of the Six Kings who insisted that Vier should be killed until the end.
Of course, she also held affection for her family... However, she's someone who would discard such affection if deemed necessary. She's basically someone who would take the side of the majority rather than that of an individual, but she herself wasn't satisfied with the result of this matter.
However, she couldn't ignore Kuromueina's plea, as she tearfully begged her to forgive Vier... And for just this one time, she decided to let her go.
[...However, there will be no next time. The next time you do something that will bring chaos to the world, I will kill you.]
[...Yes. Thank you very much, Shalltear-sama.]
[You're a strange girl. I'm telling you that I will kill you the next time this happens, and you're thanking me?]
[...I'm very glad to hear your strict words....]
[....]
The kindness of her family members was painful for Vier. She had a deep-seated belief that she shouldn't be forgiven... and that's why she felt glad for Shalltear's strict warning.
After saying this and bowing her head to Shalltear, Vier was just about to leave the place when Shalltear called out to her.
[...There's no salvation at the end of the road you're treading on.]
[...I know that. But it's fine... That is... fine.]
Perhaps, if Vier had the frailty to run from her own sins, the outcome might have been different.
However, Vier didn't turn away from her sins. She accepted her sins as her own and vowed to atone for them for the rest of her life.
[...But then, "if someone pushes you off that path"... If an exemplary being who recognizes your sins appears, and yet, still wishes for your happiness appears... That could possibly change your outcome.]
When Vier was out of sight, Shalltear muttered.
At least, at this point in time, as far as she knew, there was no one who could save Vier. It's impossible even for that Hero girl... This isn't a fight that that girl can confront Vier in anymore.
If there's any chance of saving Vier... The only one who could confront Vier... is a being who knows and accepts all of her sins, and yet still tries to respect and save her.
At the current moment though, such a person hasn't appeared. But one day, there's a possibility that such a person appears... Praying just a little bit for her family that had left, for such a miracle that she herself had also been waiting for... Shalltear disappears.
P/N: Wow, Serious-sama is about to burst into tears from joy!