# 95. The Demon King's Attack! The Hero Party is in Danger (3)
A pungent stench assaulted my nose.
A man looking at his severed arm as if everything in the world was too bothersome.
My senses were screaming that he was a Demon King.
I hid Luna behind my back and asked.
"...What kind of Demon King are you?"
"Just a Demon King... Demon King Sloth, who hates bothersome things the most..."
"...The Demon King of Sloth, then."
The Demon King of Envy.
It's a bit disappointing it's not that bastard.
I kept my nerves on edge as I watched Sloth, who at least answered questions properly.
I was determined not to miss even the slightest movement of his fingertips.
Sloth looked at me and smirked.
"You must be the guardian Greed mentioned... Is that it...? Did you injure that eye fighting Lust...?"
"There's no reason I need to answer your questions."
"Damn... but I answered yours..."
Sloth sighed and picked up his fallen arm.
Then he brought the severed arm back to where it had been cut.
The arm instantly became one with his body again.
*His regeneration ability is excellent.*
The more information about the opponent, the better for next time.
I whispered to Luna behind me.
"Luna, keep both eyes open and watch carefully."
"Wh-what should I watch!"
"Watch that guy's actions and characteristics clearly. Then go over there and join the others."
I pointed with my finger toward where the Hero Party was.
However, Luna hesitated and looked at the ground.
"But then, mister. What about these kids? They're collapsed and won't get up..."
"Leave them."
"Wh-why! They're breathing! Can't we save them!"
"No, those children are as good as dead. Their bodies are alive and breathing, but their souls are dead."
"Th-that can't be..."
Luna checked on the siblings collapsed on the ground.
Their pupils were dilated, staring at nothing, and drool dripped from their mouths.
Yet bizarrely, the siblings' mouths were smiling.
"..."
Luna seemed to have lost her words seeing their condition, but as if she couldn't just leave them, she hoisted both people onto her shoulders.
As expected, her strength was impressive.
"B-but they're still breathing! We don't know! I'll carry them!"
"...Do as you wish. Just don't interfere in the fight. Wait a moment before you go."
"Yes?"
"Could you pass along a message to Estia?"
"What should I tell her!"
"Tell her I'll give her holy water next time we meet."
"...Hmph, whatever!"
Luna left with a curt response.
She reacted like that, but she'd surely pass the message to Estia.
And now.
With the interference gone, I met Sloth's green eyes.
It was a drowsy face that made me want to punch it.
"Let's talk a bit more... I wanted to rest longer..."
"Talking with kids drains my energy."
"Really...? I get tired talking with people..."
Sloth exuded a tired air as he rolled his wrists.
It looked like he wanted to end this quickly because he was tired.
*If I had one eye, would the ending have been a bit different?*
No, that would be a meaningless hypothetical.
Just as I don't know Sloth's authority, the opponent doesn't know my abilities either.
Until we reach the final page, there are things I can do.
So I had to choose.
[Jun-woo won't remember properly, but don't worry because I'm recording it in the library. Now, choose. Which method would be better.]
[1. The ending is decided. Don't make an effort]
[2. The ending is decided, but make an effort until the end]
The ending is decided.
But.
What can I do to the fullest within that?
What can I do for the Hero Party left behind?
*No matter how I think about it, there's only one answer.*
My worries also reached their conclusion.
The moment Sloth's upper body began to move.
I made my choice.
"I'll open the path, so I'll leave it to you all."
Follow the footsteps.
If you do, you'll be able to walk forward.
May this be a meaningful death.
And please endure well.
"Number 2."
I chose my death.
The Hero Party could only watch from a distance.
They could handle ordinary opponents with their power, but they still lacked the skill to face a Demon King.
"If just one person had done properly, we could have been by mister's side too. Isn't that right, Hare."
"..."
Hare affirmed with silence.
Though she couldn't say it out loud, Hare's heart wanted to blame Estia.
*Trembling in fear... not helping mister at all... honestly, she's just a burden...*
Even now, look at her.
Lying on the ground with her face buried.
I don't think of her as a comrade at all.
"I trained so hard to help mister..."
If something happens to mister.
If he gets hurt again this time.
*...It's all your fault, Estia.*
Hare blamed Estia inwardly.
With such feelings, her heart pounded.
Because she was afraid of what might happen to mister.
"If mister really falls into danger, let's move then. Luna is coming from over there too."
"Lu-Luna...!"
Luna ran over with an unusually dark expression.
On her shoulders were the siblings whose names they didn't even know, and Saten asked Luna.
"Did you bring specimens to use for experiments?"
"They're still alive...!! And mister told us not to interfere! More importantly, Estia! Lift your head! Mister said he has something to say!"
"...What is it."
Estia lifted her head with a gloomy expression.
There were tear stains around her eyes, and she looked very distressed even from the outside.
Luna was momentarily flustered but opened her mouth to convey mister's words.
"T-to you...! Mister has something to say...!"
"...What is it."
"Th-that, you know! When this is over! Anyway, he said he'd give you holy water! I don't know!"
Luna, remembering mister's last expression, conveyed the message to Estia while hiding her anxious feelings as much as possible.
"...Really? Oppa said he'd give me holy water...?"
"Yeah!"
"...I see."
"...Huh?"
Normally, Estia would have been obsessed with the holy water, but her reaction today was bland.
Holy water wasn't important to Estia right now.
*I-I have to survive... I-I don't want to die...*
Only survival mattered.
Estia, who had briefly lifted her head, saw two faces in her field of vision.
"Luna."
"Yeah?"
"Who are these guys? Did they drink holy water too?"
"Ah, these guys... I saved them but... they ended up like this after the Demon King got them..."
Got by the Demon King.
But their condition is similar to when I drank holy water.
Eyes unfocused, drooling, acting strange...
Saten must have seen the siblings' symptoms too, as she observed them carefully and said.
"When you drank holy water, your symptoms were similar, Estia."
"...I guess so."
"So why don't you just drink holy water and lie down with these children? You're only getting in the way being awake anyway."
"Sa-Saten! You can't say that in front of Estia! You should say it when she's not around!"
"Why? I'm just stating facts."
Saten was sincere.
It was a fact that Estia wasn't helping currently, and there was no emotion mixed into those words.
She used it in the same sense as 'There's a stone in front of us. Shouldn't we move it?'
However, such facts hit even harder.
Estia buried her head in her knees again.
"Y-you hurt Estia's feelings!"
"What did I do? I just stated facts."
"Th-that's the problem!"
"Tsk, be quiet, Luna. Mister has started fighting."
"Huh!?"
Luna turned her head to the side at Saten's words.
As she said, mister had started combat, and the situation was quite intense.
"That's non-elemental magic."
Lee Jun-woo used non-elemental magic to block the Demon King of Sloth's attacks.
True to his name, the Demon King of Sloth didn't move from his spot, only shooting demonic energy from his palm.
He didn't properly execute any other attacks.
"It's a probing battle now. They're gauging each other's abilities."
"Sa-Saten... mister will be okay, right...? He-he'll be fine...?"
"Probably fine."
For now.
Just for now, he'll be fine.
Mister's skills are excellent and he was the strongest among the people we've seen.
"It would have been nice if only the opponent wasn't a Demon King. It's unfortunate."
However, as Saten predicted, after the probing battle ended and time passed, Lee Jun-woo gradually began to be pushed back.
He sustained minor injuries from attacks exploiting his blind spots and couldn't land effective attacks.
To be precise, he wasn't attempting effective attacks.
"Mister is only defending! Th-this means he's being pushed back!"
"No."
"Huh?"
"Mister is intentionally only defending."
Not to gather information, but to give us information.
Mister is aiming for one big hit.
Saten's exceptionally sharp mind.
And understanding the entire situation, Saten could sense Lee Jun-woo's purpose.
"...We have to help mister."
"H-help mister...? But mister said not to interfere..."
"No. We absolutely must help. Mister intends to die here."
"..."
Thud—
Hearing Saten's words, Hare felt her heart drop to the floor.
Perhaps that's why Hare's body reflexively ran toward mister.
"N-no... if-if mister isn't here... I can't... P-please don't do this, mister..."
You said you'd help...
You said you'd always be with us...
Without mister, I have no reason to live in this world...
Hare ran and ran desperately.
She thought if she ran now, she could stop it.
Luna, running beside her, had the same thought.
*Sh-shit...! I said I had a bad feeling...!*
You kept saying strange things unlike usual!
I was anxious...!
Why did mister make this choice...!
Luna couldn't understand.
*How could you sacrifice yourself to save us?*
And why did you tell us to watch carefully?
Are you saying you'll die and we should solve it!?
"It's selfish... completely selfish...! Mister, you still have to make me stronger...!!"
Keep training together!
Cook for us!
Go out sometimes!
There are so many things I want to do...!
*Why did you make this choice...*
Luna bit her lip and ran.
But she realized too late.
The fight was already reaching its conclusion, and Lee Jun-woo was feeling it too.
*This should be enough information.*
That he had reached the ending part he saw in the future.
Lee Jun-woo decided to move as he saw in the book.
"You said you beat Greed and Lust... but you're surprisingly nothing special...? Is it because you don't have an eye...? Why aren't you attacking with that skill...?"
"Because my turn is over. I've done what I needed to do."
"Really...? Then I'll make sure you don't have to work anymore... I'll send you to a happy world..."
Sloth gathered his authority in his hand.
The authority of sloth that damages not the body but the soul.
Green demonic energy bubbled in his hand like dangerous poison.
Sloth silently released his authority toward Lee Jun-woo.
"You won't be able to dodge... no, you have no intention of dodging..."
"..."
And that attack rushed toward Lee Jun-woo's heart.
Lee Jun-woo standing defenseless and still threw his last bastion to Sloth for the sake of the remaining Hero Party.
"What I used wasn't ordinary defensive magic."
"What...?"
He couldn't send them in perfect condition.
Give bone, take flesh.
Lee Jun-woo activated the magic he had been laying down and made it head toward Sloth.
A hundred spears, swords, axes and other sharp weapons burst from the ground and flew toward Sloth.
*...All the weapons I had stored in subspace. This should inflict meaningful wounds.*
Before he regenerates, defeating him would be the Hero Party's job.
*Well, it's no longer my concern.*
Now the Hero Party—especially Luna and Estia—I can only pray they do well.
Lee Jun-woo witnessed the demonic energy flying toward him.
*I'll be back shortly.*
Recalling the story's ending, Lee Jun-woo closed his eyes.
At that moment, in the moment of crisis, the hero appeared.
"M-mister!! It's-it's dangerous!!"
Crash—!
Luna threw her body to push Lee Jun-woo out of the attack range.
Luna looked at Lee Jun-woo collapsed on the ground and shouted.
"A-are you okay!? Mister...!!? O-open your eyes! Mister...!!"
"..."
"P-please answer! Mister! You stupid mister! At least answer!"
"..."
However, despite saving him by throwing her body, Lee Jun-woo showed no response.
*H-he wasn't hit... wh-why is this happening...?*
Luna checked Lee Jun-woo's body with doubt.
His heart wasn't hit.
But if he won't open his eyes, there must be an injury somewhere...
"Ah... his shoulder..."
Shoulder...
He was hit in the shoulder...
Then mister is also like those siblings lying down...
Just... in a state no different from death...
Despair bloomed in Luna's heart and gradually moved toward her heart.
—Hero. You do not lose. If you fall, I will raise you.
"R-right...! Th-the Holy Sword is here...! I-I have the power to save mister...!!"
H-hope!
Luna looked with hopeful eyes and pleaded with the Holy Sword.
"Turn back time!! Holy Sword! I have to... save mister...!"
—...
"H-Holy Sword...? P-please answer..."
—Why should I do that?
"Wh-what...?"
—You can kill the Demon King. Hero. You haven't collapsed yet. Stand up.
"H-how can that be... wh-what I want, Holy Sword, you..."
—My purpose is the Demon King. The price of sin is the Demon King's death. So stand up, hero.
You haven't fallen yet.
Bear the karma.
Bear the weight.
That is what you are, hero.
The Holy Sword is never a convenient existence.
It doesn't exist for the hero.
Luna, holding Lee Jun-woo's collapsed body on the ground, realized that fact.
"N-no...!! M-mister... p-please... wake up...!!"
Too late.