The world is coming to an end.
The flickering flames that dimly burn will not stop until the whole world turns to ashes.
Is this the end?
The gruesome traces of the bloody battle, even that is disappearing.
Everything is quietly crumbling away like a ship sinking into the sea.
All that remains are the tangled emotions of rage and despair.
This was the end.
Even in the final war, we were defeated by the Demon King.
The Demon King, said to be the most benevolent and peaceful, showed his true monstrous nature when he took off his mask.
In the end, he accomplished his task of destroying the world.
Is this the result?
I once shared the Demon King's vision.
Under his command, I relentlessly committed atrocities and rose to become one of his top officials. But all I got in return was a stab in the back from the Demon King.
Without any attachments, the Demon King who betrayed everyone and destroyed the world was the first to vanish.
And now I look ahead.
Even though I'm a special case who survived until now, on the other side there still remains the last survivor in this world.
With faltering steps, someone is approaching.
Yellow hair, blue eyes, a beauty as if crafted by the gods.
But now, a pitiful girl.
The Demon King's archenemy.
The Hero.
You're still alive, huh?
One arm was missing.
One eye was empty.
On her side was a huge hole.
An enormous weapon pierced through from her shoulder and lodged itself somewhere inside her body.
The only thing that looks intact are her two legs.
Having watched the battle from the beginning, I know why such traces remain.
Wounds inflicted with thorough calculation.
Each fatal, but satisfying as long as she can grip her sword and swing it.
The Hero who fought such an intense battle has ultimately lost.
But because she is the Hero, she survived until the end.
When all her comrades, saint, grand mage, sword saint, everyone died, only she survived.
That's why the Hero's eyes were filled with hatred towards me.
The Hero can only hate me.
I killed and tortured her companions under the Demon King's orders, committed all kinds of sins. I'm a criminal who deserves judgement.
I dabbled in black magic which she considers evil.
I killed my parents and siblings.
I made pacts with powerful demons.
Even though I was betrayed by the Demon King, I still contributed to this ruin as his accomplice.
When the Hero approached me, I sensed why she came to me right before leaving this world.
To pass judgement on me as the last sinner.
Swish!
Her holy sword still emitted a brilliant light.
Its power did not diminish even as ruin approached.
With that, would she be able to sever my immortality?
Aiming her sword at me, the Hero asks.
Let me ask one last time.
Do you...regret it?
...
It was a question that shook my heart.
It wasn't a question I expected.
Repentance.
Forgiveness.
Contrition.
It wasn't any of those, she merely asked if I regretted it.
I kept going and going.
After committing all those sins and relentlessly moving forward, the question I received in the end was nothing.
Regret?
Never had any, not in the past, present or future.
I will ask again. Do you not regret the life you have lived?
Hero, you're asking something strange. I have no regrets. I fought against her because she betrayed everything and tried to destroy the world, not because I regretted it. With all my power I tried to stop the Demon King, not because I regretted it.
Is that so?
The Hero lowered her sword.
I looked at the Hero quizzically as her gripped holy sword started emitting a strange light.
Argal, you are given one more chance. If you return... I hope your thoughts will change.
Wait, what do you mean? Hero, what exactly are you trying to do?
The last chance given to me, I can only use it on others. But you are the only one left in this world. The immortal who still retains his life even though the world is in ruins.
Tears flowed from one of the Hero's eyes.
With my head that feels half broken, I interpreted what the Hero said.
Return means regressing to the past?
Yes.
Why are you giving me such a chance?
Let's put aside for now whether the Hero actually has such powers.
She was originally a near omnipotent existence blessed by the gods, so it's reasonable she has at least some ability like that.
But I couldn't understand her wasting such an opportunity on an unforgivable sinner and enemy like me.
Even if you leave this world as it is, it's still the end...
One last struggle.
I really don't get it.
We were never in a relationship where we could understand each other in the first place.
The Hero who dedicates herself to and sacrifices for others, and I who was a commander in the Demon King's army, our thoughts could never be the same.
The Hero probably wants to prevent the ruin even if it means sending her archenemy back in time, that must be what's on her mind.
But promise me one thing.
However, I couldn't miss such an opportunity.
I accept the Hero's decision very greedily.
No matter what happens, I will kill that bastard Demon King.
That alone will be enough.
The Hero's expression, frozen since we first met, faintly
smiled.
Author - See next chapter