“What should I do about that guy…?”
As I was alone, pondering how to deal with the Nameless, someone approached me.
“You guys are…?”
No, quite a few people had come near me.
And they were quite uncomfortable to see right now.
“Harang!!!”
I avoided Lili’s gaze as she led the charge toward me, mumbling to myself.
“…Why have you come?”
“Huhhh!!!”
“Hahaha.”
Clearly shocked by my uncomfortable reaction, Lili had her mouth agape, while Jack scratched his head awkwardly.
“…”
But even seeing Lili and Jack expressing disappointment, I couldn’t welcome them.
That’s because I had stolen the achievements of their leader, the Demon King.
How could I meet them with a smiling face?
If anyone could do that, I can firmly say they must be a person devoid of emotions.
“We’re okay, so…! You don’t need to hold it in too much!”
However, as if anticipating my reaction, Lili approached with a warm smile.
It was the first time I saw Lili’s pure smile.
Since she always smiled slyly or frivolously, that smile felt refreshing to me.
Above all, I hadn’t expected her reaction.
“You’re okay, huh.”
“…How can that be?”
It’s funny that I’m saying this now, having already broken that promise, but they say the king, teacher, and parents are all one in military and personal bonds.
Did my king not lose his life because of me?
Thus, I’m like an arch-enemy who killed their bloodline.
“No, no! We’re really okay?!”
“When all my business is done, I will pay for that sin…”
“Ugh, really. Please look into our eyes!”
While I was clearly apologizing, I suddenly saw their big, round eyes.
And I saw it.
“Do you think we’re lying?”
Their eyes weren’t false; they were genuinely clear.
…How could this be?
Was my confusion expressed on my face? Lili puffed out her cheeks and added:
“From the beginning, our values as magicians and humans can’t be the same!”
That was indeed a valid point.
But it left me in shock.
“…Oh, I see now.”
With different histories, traits, and values.
Before coming here, it seems I should’ve thrown away all my pre-existing knowledge.
“Lili, what you said is right.”
I might have been foolish but this was a realization after 300 years.
…Then, I had something I was curious about.
I poked Lili in the side as her cheeks flushed oddly and asked.
“Then, the idea of sacrificing oneself for military and personal bonds may not apply here at all?”
This was something I had heard in my previous life.
Of course, considering that the world has changed, it seemed unlikely that such a concept could dominate here.
“Exactly! I didn’t betray the heavenly order!”
“Ah, that’s not— ugh!!”
“Lili, you need to read the room.”
“Ugh!!!”
Not wanting to interrupt Lili and Jack, who were talking about something, I stayed back, smiling brightly.
“Thanks to you, my mind feels clearer. Thank you, Lili.”
Yes! That’s why something seemed off.
“Hmm, it was just as I thought.”
Me, a coward, breaking the heavenly order? I couldn’t do such a bold act.
“Anyway, Lili, you didn’t come to tell me that, so why are you here?”
The area where the Nameless was rampaging was a sight to behold, and even saying it was risky was an understatement.
I was standing here only by luck; anyone else would have surely lost their life.
Expressing my thoughts, Lili smiled softly and pointed behind her.
“I can’t be sure because I didn’t witness the entire situation, but… you know the Nameless and Harang are fighting, right?”
Nodding my head to signify for her to continue, Lili added:
“And Harang is unable to exert his full strength because he’s worried about the Nameless getting hurt?”
“Exactly.”
If that guy hadn’t used the Nameless’s body as a shield, I would have been killed instantly.
The thought alone made my head ache, so I held my forehead.
“Here’s an amazing solution!”
Lili raised her index finger and said.
“If we confront the Nameless, won’t we have to worry like Harang does?”
“…That might be true.”
However, with just Lili and Jack, they wouldn’t just be able to subdue the Nameless; they would get hurt.
Lili must have realized this well.
“No, no! You’re mistaken about Harang’s thinking!”
Lili shook her head vigorously and began pointing beyond her back.
“Harang isn’t alone!”
Jack nodded along with Lili’s statement.
“Harang has not just Lili but also our powerful organization called the Cheonma Church.”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
Upon hearing Jack, Lili, who was beside him, stepped forward and nodded.
Of course, Lili and Jack made some sense to have such confidence. But…
“The Nameless might lose his life.”
The current Nameless was a reckless fool swinging his sword without a care in the world for the consequences.
As such, I couldn’t see him placing value on others’ lives.
After all, he had even shown signs of obsession towards me.
I didn’t know what had happened to him during that time, but no matter how I thought about it, he wasn’t someone with a rational mindset.
“We’re alright.”
But in response to my worries, Jack replied with his usual cold smile.
I couldn’t understand this Jack.
“…What do you mean you’re okay?”
Aren’t they afraid of dying?
Did they really not grasp the warnings I had given them all this time?
“I really can’t understand. What gives you the basis to risk your lives?”
I, the coward who feared losing my life, couldn’t grasp their mindset.
Thus, I frowned and asked, but the answer I received was straightforward.
“Well, the Cheonma will protect us, right?”
With bright pupils, Jack spoke as if I would protect them.
“…”
That, I had to admit, was true.
Of course, I would try my best to protect them.
‘But…’
In this world, isn’t there something called ‘if’?
What if I made a mistake?
What if a blind arrow pierced through me?
What if I ignored them, thinking only about my safety?
In short, these are just the possibilities. There are countless other ways they could lose their lives.
So why weren’t they afraid?
Again, Jack’s answer was straightforward.
“That’s because we trust Harang that much!”
“And to repay the grace we’ve received from the Cheonma!”
But it was enough to convince me.
“…I see.”
I shouldn’t try to solve everything alone, but instead, from the start, I should be collaborating with others.
Ah, that’s it.
After all, I have already been doing that, haven’t I?
Up till now, I had trusted the Nameless.
I believed my disciple wouldn’t do anything to harm me, showing him my boundless trust.
Most importantly, even now, I trust the Nameless, believing he would come to his senses eventually.
All of this was trust.
And Lili, no— even the demon tribes I barely knew and the Cheonma Church that I hadn’t yet built a relationship with were showing me their trust.
“Heh.”
To think I’d gain enlightenment not once, but twice thanks to Lili.
Truly, the sun would rise in the west today.
“Alright, let’s do this together.”
At this, Lili beamed, and I returned her smile with a subtle grin.
“But, Lili, you and Jack should stay out of the fight.”
“What?! Why?! I just wanted to look cool!”
“Pfft, listen to me.”
No matter how much they trusted me, anything could happen in a real situation.
And to prepare for that, I would exclude Lili, who had a high rank among the current demons, and Jack, who could teleport, from the fight.
In case of a dangerous situation, they might help others escape.
It seemed Lili understood this explanation fully, nodding her head.
“…Got it.”
“Thank you.”
I patted Lili’s pouted shoulder and smiled brightly.
“Now, let’s go. Gather the others.”
“Nuuh…”
“Yes.”
*
The Nameless wasn’t too far away.
He seemed to be absorbing his exhausted energy, managing his inner power at the edge of a cliff.
Watching this gave me a strange feeling.
…Could he even do something like that?
It was a somewhat unsettling assumption, but considering he was using all the techniques of the Divine Slaying Sword Technique, perhaps he had met me before.
“Tch, well, there are still bugs around.”
The Nameless opened his previously closed eyes, stood up, and raised his sword.
“What, are you the only bug that’s infesting the actual body of the Nameless?”
“…You little…”
With an explosive burst of dark energy, the battle resumed.
*
How long had the battle been ongoing?
The Nameless, with an anxious expression, started to pull back his legs while holding his sword upright.
That posture is…
Nameless School – Divine Slaying Sword Technique, Fourth Technique.
Furrowing my brows at the Nameless’s distorted posture, I commanded the children.
Heavenly Punishment.
“Ignore that and press forward.”
And I prepared my stance as well.
Divine Slaying Sword Technique.
I grasped the wooden sword.
I spread my legs and twisted my waist.
Fourth Technique.
I directed my gaze not at the Nameless but at the impending strike toward the Cheonma Church and the demon tribes.
Right afterward, I unleashed my strike.
Heavenly Punishment.
-Kuh-BOOM!
Soon, two different judgments met, and a massive explosion of dark energy engulfed the area, filling the space with thick smoke.
“…Stand by.”
I frowned at the smoke obscuring my vision.
…What happened just now?
The last thing I clearly saw was that my strike had managed to consume the Nameless’s, allowing Jack from the Cheonma Church to land a blow on the Nameless.
I squinted my eyes, focusing on the fog gradually thinning out, and finally, I saw it.
“Cough!”
Finally reaching his limit, the Nameless lay on the ground, bleeding.
…Somehow, I didn’t feel good about it.
