Hearing Kouki’s declaration, the <dark>let out a dubious voice.</dark>
『A hero, you said?』
It was likely that he was demanding for a word that could substantiate Kouki’s strength more specifically.
‘I guess that’s too abstract huh’, Kouki smiled wryly inside his heart while asking back in return this time.
「 <dark>. Human and <dark>, won’t you help me looking for a way where both sides can coexist?」</dark></dark>
『What?』
Bafflement──that wasn’t it. The emotion that was filling that voice was as expected……ridicule.
『In this end of the war, where I’m about to get my hand on my longstanding desire, and you are asking me to discard it? Hah』
Out of the question, was what he conveyed. But, Kouki continued his words without faltering.
「You’re only about to get your hand on your desire, but you won’t be able to obtain it for real.」
『……Hou. Why do you think so?』
「Because I’m here.」
This time it was wrath. A terrific wrath was emitted from the <dark>. He thought that Kouki was telling him that the <dark>couldn’t win against the <hero>, that he was inferior than him.</hero></dark></dark>
『Are you mocking me?』
「No. It’s my determination.」
The words that replied back concisely contained a clearness that couldn’t be ignored.
The <dark>looked up to the sky. His miasma was completely blocked by the torrent of light. It was the proof that the being confronting him right now was a being that possessed extraordinary strength.</dark>
There was a still silence. The <dark>’s answer was──</dark>
「──!!」
A thunderous sound resounded.
That was the sound of clash played by the sheathed holy sword that Kouki lifted up with both hands clashing against the large sword that was swung down vertically. The attack was a powerful one that caused a hallucination as though the ground was split.
『Hou, that’s really something.』
The voice came from the back. At the same time a giant jaw assaulted from left and right!
Kouki immediately tried to jump forward to escape from the unknown, but he saw black beasts assaulted him from all directions simultaneously.
Kouki immediately created multiple barriers using <heaven>to block while continuing his question. It was the same question that he once asked Ragal.</heaven>
「Why? Why won’t you take a path where everyone can survive!? If your race can survive by other way, then there should be no need for human to be livestock! It’s fine even if it’s only mutual non-interference with each other! Just what meaning there is in a world where both sides are merely continuing to kill each other!?」
『──』
The <dark>didn’t reply. But, it could be seen how the red eyes peeking out from behind his helm’s slit warped in mockery. He was really not seeing any worth from Kouki’s wish except as trash.</dark>
Kouki continued to argue vehemently even while gritting his teeth.
「There will be spark of hatred remaining for sure if you turn human into livestock. Discord will occur without fail if you rule through fear. If mankind rebel once more in the future, a lot of <dark>might die. A lot of lives will be scattered if a war occur! You are their king aren’t you!? Aren’t you thinking to look for a path where no sacrifice will result for the sake of the future, for the sake of your compatriots!?」</dark>
The <dark>seemed to be able to teleport in short range even when he wasn’t in the territory of miasma. Surprise attacks came one after another. It was truly a storm of great sword. And then, every single attack possessed terrific might. If it was an average soldier then they would get cut down without even noticing it, or even if they could defend there was no doubt they would still get cut down along with their defense.</dark>
In fact, he was barely blocking the attacks by placing <heaven>at his blind spots, but small wounds from unavoidable attacks that cut through those <heaven>were increasing continuously.</heaven></heaven>
In addition, the countless beasts that suddenly appeared from empty air became numerous murderous weapons. They used miasma to explode or became blades that constantly attacked from his blind spot.
There was no opening to perform defense to all directions using <heaven>.</heaven>
Kouki used <heaven>and
Linden whose arm was restored the moment he was wrapped in light as though going through a video playback opened his eyes wide. Kouki already knew about Kaori’s cheat-like effect of Kaori’s regeneration magic, so he wasn’t especially surprised. He could say「Thanks Kaori」 calmly, but Moana couldn’t be like him.
「Wha, wha wha, wha!?」
Seeing Moana’s shaken expression, the gaze of Spenser and others turned grave and caught Kaori with question ‘Is she doing no good thing to Moana’s body!?’.
But, before they could do anything, a change happened to Moana.
「Onee-chan……your hair……」
Yes, Moana’s hair that lost its color was recovering its radiance that was really similar with Koone’s hair. It seemed her hair coloring was a bit thinner than Koone, so perhaps it should be called as platinum blond.
Moana scooped up her own hair and stared at it while opening her mouth in a daze.
「……I feel, it. My strength returned……」
Saying that, she lifted Kouki’s hand to her chest and offered a prayer. Right after that, Kouki was wrapped in faint platinum light. What Moana invoked without any difficulty or even any considerable burden was naturally the heaven’s blessing art
Putting aside the healing cheat who said「Something like this I think?」 with really light tone at the side, Shizuku and others started talking to Kouki.
「Kouki……」
「Shizuku……」
「Fufu. Looks like you had a nice encounter. I’m hardly recognizing you right now.」
「……Yeah. After all I won’t have the face to look at my big sister if I keep being an unworthy little brother forever.」
Moana instantly recovered from her turmoil. And then she moved on to a new turmoil. 「Thi, this person is Kouki’s big sister!? In other words, sister-in-law!?」
Looks like Shizuku got another younger stepsister in a different sense than the soul sisters.
「Yo, Kouki. I was seriously shocked when I heard that you got summoned again yeah? Well, no matter where you got sent to, in the end it looks like you are completely yourself huh. ……However, spare me from having a lolicon best friend yeah?」
「Geez, Ryu-kun! There is no way such thing can happen with Kouki-kun, don’t say something like that!」
「Ryutaro, Suzu. ……Thank you for coming. But……”Ryu-kun”?」
The distance between the two was strangely close. And then the changed way of calling. Kouki looked on dubiously, but before he could receive an explanation, Hajime who was heading to take back the Grim Reapers that were landing simultaneously slightly some way away asked Kouki.
「So, what’re you going to do? Going home, or not?」
「……」
Kouki stood up and he looked at Koone and others. Koone and also Spenser and co were saying「At least stay here until we can express our gratitude somehow」, they weren’t telling him not to go home.
He looked at Moana.
「It appears that I’m just get dismissed from my duty. Following you back……might be fine I think?」
「……Yes. It’s fine if Moana want it.」
Kouki smiled while nodding. He was doing his utmost to not pay attention at his childhood friends who were grinning at him and Yue and co who were unexpectedly watching with great interest while he headed toward Hajime.
Behind Hajime who had finished taking back the Grim Reapers into the Treasure Warehouse, Kouki was about to tell him about his intention of taking Moana back with him and also to ask something like 「If I ask you to open a gate to this world again, about how much it will cost me?」.
「Hey, Nagumo. Moana and──」
It was right at that moment.
Hajime noticed a strange presence and he turned around. At the same time, space whirled right above Kouki’s head. It was like a black hole that instantly tried to capture and suck in Kouki!
「Do, don’t tell me, this is……」
An intense power aimed at Kouki. Even though the sand below him wasn’t getting sucked at all, yet the space vortex was fiercely shining while pulling insistently at Kouki as though saying 「Take care of the next world too pleaa~se!」.
Kouki looked at Hajime.
As expected Hajime who seemed to be surprised also looked at Kouki.
Hajime made a thumb up. Seeing that, Kouki was convinced that Hajime had the same thinking like him.
That was to say, 「This must be summoning……」 he thought.
The moment Kouki’s feet floated lightly from the ground, various emotion exploded inside Kouki and he……
「N, no-, NO MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE──!!!」
“Serene Mind” as well as “Limit Break” activated! With a step method that was remarkably difficult to perceive as though slipping between the gap of consciousness, he leaped at Hajime.
「Wai-, yo──」
The hero and demon king floated to the air. Without pause the two floated to the sky like dusts that were sucked by vacuum cleaner.
「You bastard-, this son of a bitch! Let go of meee-, THIS SHITTY HEROOOOOOOOOO-」
「I’m not gonna let go of you no matter what-, DEMON KINGGGGGGG-」
They were vanishing amiably into the other side of the sky.
The people who were left behind, including even Yue and Shizuku who were usually always calm were staring blankly with their mouth gaping wide. And then they all simultaneously,
「「「「「Eee~~~~~~?」」」」」
They were raising a voice that seemed really want to say 「Something like that, is just not done in this kind of timing~」.
After that, because the Crystal Key was held by Hajime, Yue and others were waiting patiently at Synclea. Hajime returned to them about one week later.
And then, when they talked about what happened, they heard from Hajime how Kouki was going to save the world for a bit together with the goddess, furthermore Hajime said that it seemed the goddess was pleased with Kouki. Hearing that, the light vanished from Moana’s eyes.
It went without saying that when Kouki returned, it became a bloodbath.
AN: Thank you very much for reading every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
With this Kouki’s arc is temporarily over.
I’m thinking of someday writing the tag battle of demon king and hero too.
Now then, just like I previously mentioned, I will take a bit of rest.
I’m thinking that I’ll restart writing again around the middle of October at the slowest, so please take care of [Arifureta] again at that time.
This time is interesting too! And then the illustration of Mori Misaki-sensei is cute.
Read Latest Chapters at wuxiaworld.eu
You can go there through Overlap-sama’s homepage, so please go take a look by all means.
PS 2
I pretty much was allowed to write one of Historia Garden (The side store of Garden series) but,
It’s also made available to the public. You can go there from Overlap-sama’s homepage.
Please read it if you’re interested as a mean to kill some time.