Chapter 18 – A Man Who Gets Sandwiched Between Yuri Will Definitely Die
Demon. It is a creature with a body engraved with magic power.
The monster that is called 『Devil』 and calls herself a God, imitated the myth about the creation of human, which is from mud, and kneaded her magic power to create six humanoid monsters called the Six-Pillars. And these monsters are called Demons.
Demons are, in fact, a mass of magic operators that have no real body. However, a human itself is a collection of cells. A cell is a collection of molecules, a molecule is a collection of atoms, and an atom is a collection of particles. In other words, in the terms of reductionism, humans can also be said to be a mass of particles.
However, that doesn’t mean humans in this world are created by magic operators. Although there is indeed a mechanism to store magic operators inside the human body, it only exists to keep the magic operators in the living body, and doesn’t mean the human body is created purely by magic operators.
Numerous magic operators float in the air of this world. That is why the demons, who have a body made purely with magic operators, can regenerate their damaged body or even change their body with the magic operators, as if eating numerous dishes served on a table. To put it simply, demons are actually invincible.
Even in the original game, they recovered from the damage they received each turn. Players who precede the game without seeing any information regarding capturing the game will usually reach their first game over in the battle against the demon. And the first newbie-killer that I was worried about all this time is… a battle against a demon that you can lose no matter how you struggle if you make even a slight mistake in the fight.
This world is not a game. Once I die, that’s it. And the reason I didn’t commit suicide after being reincarnated as Hiiro and am still living even now is… to tell Tsukiori how to win against this garbage shit trash thing in front of me (Die.), and to support her in the battle.
With that in mind, I once again stared at Arshariya.
“…”
“What’s with those eyes? That is definitely not a gaze that you should give to a human. 『I will cut her to pieces, put her in a blender, and let her drain into the sewer』… they’re crazy eyes peculiar to an irregular person with such determination.”
Without answering to her words, I solemnly created a Nil Arrow.
At that instant, water– flowed on my arm. The first arrow that was nocked between my straightened index and middle fingers then made a pale water splash while flowing to the back.
“What a beautiful night.”
With the moonlight on her back, Arshariya, who stood at the head of the ship, was shining, as if she received the glitter of the stars.
“Truly a perfect background for us to talk.”
“I can’t understand the words of garbage… just die… go explode under this night sky… I will shout 『Tamaya~!!』 while shedding tears of joy if you decide to do that… so, go explode powerfully and become the spark that colors this dark night… in short, please die…”
“You’ve only said 『Die』 since you met me.”
“Shut up, die.”
As I tried to close our distance, Arshariya escaped with tremendous velocity.
“Don’t run!! You bitch!! Don’t run away from your responsibility, which is to die!!”
“Of course I would run… I beg you to please listen to me… what are you, a murderous heavent-sent child… your eyes have become bloodshot, and it’s honestly scary… you even carry a blade while breathing heavily 『Ha… ha… ha… ha…!!』… I don’t think anyone would be surprised if your photo was posted as a serial killer at the police station…”
“I will listen to your words, so die!! Please die!!”
“Alright, alright. If you listen to my words, I’ll fight with you properly. I was thinking of having you die here, anyway.”
I put Kuki Masamune back in its scabbard and– feint– a thud sound was heard and a Nil Arrow pierced Arshariya’s forehead.
“You must be kidding me. To think you are more cowardly than a demon and even willing to use any means for your objective, are you not embarrassed of that? Didn’t you say you would listen to me? To think you would pretend to put away your weapon and try to kill me, is moral education in this world not functioning properly? Don’t shoot arrows while a person is speaking (the sound of numerous arrows stabbing her).”
“I want you to die, but more than that, I want to kill you myself.”
“Hearing you saying that clearly somehow made me refreshed instead.”
With a sigh, Arshariya pulled the arrows from her body.
“Sanjou Hiiro-kun. Do you remember the words you gave me when I was still 『A』?”
“『Please, kill me.』”
“No one is telling you to state your wish. You said 『Too bad.』.”
Behind the screen of smoke, the demon who has a fine-featured face whispered, while leisurely smoking her cigarette.
“You know, I like humans. No, I think it’s not an exaggeration to say that I love them. Especially people who, despite knowing that they are just tiny existences, change the flow of the world. That was natural. I mean, if there is an ant who influenced the human world, of course I would be interested in it even if it was just an ant.”
She chuckles.
“I’ve always wanted a human friend… the world of humans is beautiful… you likened ‘love’ to a Yuri flower, and I think that was a wonderful poetic expression for that… However, there was a disagreement between us…”
Saying that, she breathed the smoke of her cigarette from her mouth.
“Love is not something to save– but to destroy.”
“Ah, I see.”
While being bathed in murderous intent and shuddered, I sneered.
“We can never be friends. We are irreconcilable… so, we have no choice but to kill each other.”
“Eureka. I agree. That is why I decided to kill you. Still, even though I especially woke up to come to this kind of place… really regretful.”
Thus, Arshariya The Shrine of Death… smirked.
“Here I come– human.”
“Come– demon.”
Taking a stance– upper and lower– and at the next moment, our blades crossed each other, and blood splashed from my cheek.
She is too fast. Arshariya, whose body was enveloped by smoke, shook her arm that was soaked with my blood as if to wipe out the smoke. Fortunately, I managed to catch that blow with my magic eyes.
Without minding the hand sword that pierced my flank, I opened my eyes wide and focused myself on thrusting the light that I created into her brain.
Magic activated, Lux. The collected particles of light turn into a flash and cleave Arshariya in tw– however, the demon, who immediately restored her body, laughed as her eyes gave a pale blue glow.
Here it comes– magic eyes–!!
Without hesitation, I let go of Kuki Masamune and extended my fingertips from a close distance. Then, my index and middle fingers pierced the space between her magic eyes that were shining, making Arshariya open her eyes in astonishment, and–
“Explode.”
*Boom*
Arshariya’s head was blown away, and the headless body of the demon clapped its hands.
“Wonderful.”
The demon who just lost her head utters a voice from the hollowed space.
*Stab*
I jumped back and stared at the demon who is regenerating her head while making a creepy noise.
Blood gushingly leaked from my flank and I pressed the wound to stop the blood.
“So, aren’t you going to run away soon? I’m expecting a happy story where a man of justice cryingly tries to save himself while sacrificing his companions, though?”
“Sorry, but,”
While cold sweat dripped from my body, I smiled.
“Unlike you… there is something I have to protect… beyond here…”
Smiling, I bring the tip of my sword down and– form a wall with Kuki Masamune.
“Even if I die, I won’t let you go…”
“Haish, you made me hate you even more.”
Looks like my situation is getting worse. However, despite that, I bend the corner of my mouth while breathing heavily.
As expected… there is only that… all or nothing… I have no choice but to do it…
“Let’s conduct an experiment. How many centimeters will it take for a human to abandon the 『Things I have to protect』 if I cut him centimeter by centimeter starting from his fingertips. That sounds fun. My brain is already shaking with excitement.”
“Shut up… don’t put a vibration or something inside your brain, you bastard… I’ll call you every day… so, go die by a brain tremor with the notification ON…”
“It is sad that the mouth soon cannot say anything because its life will end soon.”
As Arshariya took a step toward me, I shot a Nil Arrow toward her– fwoosh– however, the demon grabbed the arrow, as if it was natural.
“The arrow of the elves, huh. It’s been a while since I saw this, but… what a clever trick.”
“Haha.”
Hearing that, I smiled bitterly.
“You shouldn’t make a mistake of the timing when you can appear… you rotten cheater…”
“But, you too, were born at the wrong time. If you hadn’t met me, you would probably have lived a little longer. Pitiful, truly pitiful, I really feel pity toward you.”
Then, Arshariya– opened her eyes.
“Well then, I’ll have you die–”
“Arshariya-sama!!”
I looked at the direction of the voice and saw Hizumi, who bravely called Arshariya, despite her shivering body.
“D-did you remember me… I-I am Hizumi Ruri… someone you saved… p-please hear me for a bit… t-this guy is still worth using… t-that’s why…”
“You,”
Arshariya smiled.
“I’m about to be done playing, so don’t come out.”
The stigma inside both eyes of Arshariya swirled, indicating the activation of her magic eyes 『Afterlife Return』– and popped my left arm off.
“Eh?”
A large amount of blood spilled on Hizumi’s face.
She, whom I pushed and fell down, looked up at me with a bright red face. And having lost my left arm, I was almost fainted by the severe pain, however I managed to keep my consciousness and– shouted.
“Go!!”
“Eh… ah… but…”
“Just go!! I’ll follow you right away!! Do you think this me will die in this kind of place!! You will just hinder me, so get lost!!”
“Ah… uu…”
Standing like she was blown up, Hizumi then ran. And while dully chasing her figure with my eyes, I smiled in the pool of blood.
“Sorry, Hizumi… you are… not a hindrance at all…”
As blood spilling from my body, My eyes wandered in my hazy view.
–there is a sign of bad luck in your face.
While swaying from side to side, my thoughts wandered around.
— you will die soon.
Remembering the words of Fury, I laughed at myself in the overhead view as my body was getting colder and colder.
“… I guess it’s here.”
In the game, at the end of Lapis’s route, I can’t see the figure of Hizumi, who was also killed by Arshariya, anymore.
–How about you trying to overturn your destiny.
I put a lot of power into my legs and glared at Arshariya.
“Ah, that’s right… Tsukiori, Lapis, and Rei are still on the ship… if I leave this bastard here… they might die… if that’s… if that’s the so-called destiny that God made…”
I laughed.
“I will get sandwiched between it… and destroy it…!!”
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“Oi, Oi.”
Arshariya looked at me and scoffed.
“So, you’re saying you prioritize the lives of others over your own? You aren’t sane, aren’t you? What is the reason for doing that?”
“If you can’t understand…. then, let me tell you…”
I drew a line with my blood on the floor and started walking into the ship. And looking at me walking slowly into the ship, Arshariya chases after me with a laugh.
“Good, run away. Do your best. That was a very wonderful choice.”
“Ugh… ah… agh…!!”
Arshariya shot a bullet from her fingertips and made a hole in my body. However, while pressing my body against the wall, I continue to move through the pool of blood and pain.
It was painful, very painful, to the point that my body wanted to get it done and be comfortable already. Even so, I keep moving my feet with my sheer will.
I continue to dive to the bottom of the ship, leaving marks with my blood on the floor. Until suddenly, I can hear a sound from somewhere.
“…”
It was the sound of sword clashes. It must be in the direction where Tsukiori, Rei, and Lapis are fighting.
Hearing that, I smiled. I chose a route away from that sound and finally reached the bottom of the ship– the rugged engine room– then with a large amount of blood spilling from the wound on my flank, I opened the big gate and shot a water arrow from the room.
“Oops.”
Without avoiding it, the arrow lands behind Arshariya.
“You missed. I’d like to expect the next one, but sadly, the next one will never come.”
With the sounds of footsteps, Arshariya entered the room following me.
This room is precisely the heart of Queen’s Watch. The constructor magic device, 『Queen’s Eye Pillar』, kept spinning inside the room– and a demon laughed loudly at that.
“Too bad, it’s a dead end.”
“…”
“I know what you want to do. This space where the 『Queen’s Eye Pillar』 was placed is packed with a large amount of magic power… you wanted to use all of this magic power to kill me, right? Too bad for you that’s impossible. There isn’t much magic that a low-level magician like you can use, and you can’t take full advantage of this magic power.”
Seeing my reaction, Arshariya was satisfied– and then her right arm pierced through my belly into my back.
Perhaps that blow hurt my lungs, but blood slowly spilled from my mouth.
“Die in my arms just like this.”
Arshariya then hugged me dearly and closed her eyes.
“This is it. This moment when I can feel the warmth of people, the sound of their hearts, and the moment when their hope is destroyed… it’s very pleasant… to think I would be able to see your sense of justice crumbling and fading… What happiness… Now, come on, scream…”
She then rubbed my back.
“If you do that, I might let you live a little longer–”
I pulled the trigger– and hugged Arshariya with all my might.
Activate, Tenebrae.
My right hand that was covered by magic power penetrated Arshariya’s body powerfully.
“It’s your lost…”
“… what the heck are you saying? Are you intending to win even in this condition?”
Hearing that, I laughed.
“When fighting superior enemies… I have a rule that I absolutely adhere to… and that is… even if I can’t win, I won’t lose… from the start… I never thought I could win against you…”
“What are you saying,”
“No matter how strong a demon is,”
While laughing, I keep hugging the demon in front of me with all my might.
“If this tremendous amount of magic power caused an excitation reaction at once… and exploded… that human form of yours will disappear in an instant, without being able to regenerate… and you would disappear from this world… You know, the quickest way to kill a demon is… to erase its existence at once with something that could damage it at a level where its regeneration can’t keep up… I have… destroyed that safety mechanism with the previous water arrow… which means… I can erase you anytime…”
“Ahaha, what are you saying? If you do that, you, who are also in this room, will be erased together with me. There is no way a human can do that–”
Without answering her, I gathered all my magic power, causing the surrounding magic power to begin to react, making a crackling noise.
At that instant, Arshariya’s complexion changed– and she began to struggle in my arms.
“Are you kidding me… oi, you… stop it… stop joking, Sanjou Hiiro… you will also die, you know… what do you want to do…?!”
“The cause of your defeat is…”
My eyes are getting hazy and hazy. However, while spitting blood, I kept smiling thinly and whispered.
“Because you underestimated humans too much… Unlike you guys, demons… we humans have a will… and that will won’t be destroyed easily… You know, there are many things that are more important than my own life… I… I came to this world and was able to meet various people… and the future where they’re crying… I don’t want to see that even if I die…”
“Stop it!! Stop it, let me go!! Oi?! You?! Are you kidding me?! Oi, oi, oi, oi!! Let go, let go, let goooooooooooo!!”
While the meat in my body was scraped with both of her arms, I desperately kept Arshariya in my arms.
“S-sanjou Hiiro!! I will save your life!! That’s why, stop this!! Stop this!!”
“Who said I need to be saved… both you and I are just unnecessary obstacles to this world… so, just like this, we took a wrong step together, and went to hell… rather, I think I was too late… I should have done this from the start…”
The memories that I made since I came to this world came to mind. Seeing those memories, my chest couldn’t help but hurt a little– however, I smiled.
“Ah~… so this is how it feels… I should have done this from the start… sorry, Tsukiori… I’ll leave the rest to you… please… make those two happy… I believe in you… and sorry… that I can’t stand beside you until the end…”
With a smile, I muttered.
“Listen, demon. I’ll tell you something about the most wonderful human maxim so you can die in peace.”
“Stop it…. stop…. stop it…..!!”
Laughing– I uttered my last words.
“『A man who gets sandwiched between Yuri will definitely die.』”
“STOP ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!”
As the demon screamed, I released my magic power– and everything was dyed with a pale explosion.