# 96. The Demon King's Attack! The Hero Party is in Danger (4)
The Holy Sword is not a convenient existence.
Their thoughts revolve solely around killing the Demon King.
They don't consider the Hero's surrounding circumstances.
"You definitely said... when I collapsed... you'd, you'd revive me..."
-I will revive you. So fight. I, Holy Sword Timeless, will make that judgment.
"That's ridiculous... how can that be..."
Drip drip-
Tears fell from Luna's eyes.
Those tears ran down onto Lee Jun-woo, who had collapsed on the ground, wetting his cheeks.
His body showed no movement whatsoever.
"O-open your eyes, you idiot mister... You, you promised to train with me... You said you'd make me stronger..."
Luna muttered in a weakened voice, but no answer came back.
Demon King Sloth let out a pain-filled voice toward Luna, who was drowning in sorrow.
"You were... hiding a final move...? It hurts... I want to hurry home and rest..."
Sloth smiled as if imagining going home to rest.
Witnessing that sight before her eyes, Luna's expression changed from sorrow to rage.
"After doing this to mister, you dare say such things, Demon King?"
"Ugh... seems the Hero and her guardian were quite close...?"
Crunch-
Luna bit her lip.
She was irritated that the words "quite close" came from the Demon King's mouth.
And since the person who would listen to her answer was lying down,
she couldn't say anything to Sloth.
"...Holy Sword."
-Yes, Hero.
"I can't go back to when mister was alive, right...?"
-You absolutely cannot go back. Right now is the perfect opportunity to defeat the Demon King. If time passes and the Demon King's body regenerates again...
I will turn back time again.
To the closest point when the Demon King was injured.
To the time with the highest possibility.
"So I can't go back to when mister was there..."
-That's right.
"..."
Always chasing after mister and moving forward,
but looking back for the first time, regret washed over Luna.
She moved Lee Jun-woo's body to where her siblings were.
Sloth quietly watched this scene, waiting for time to regenerate.
"Even if he's breathing, he's the same as dead, so you could just bury him..."
"Shut up."
Sloth's mind snapped to attention at the chilling voice coming from ahead.
'This feeling... it's been a while...'
The feeling of meeting a newly born Demon King.
The feeling of gathering ugly emotions to create a single sharp killing intent.
Sloth turned his head to meet eyes with that enormous emotion.
"So you're Cecilia Saten...? You're closer to a Demon King than a Hero...?"
"I told you to shut up."
Saten's expressionless face had transformed into a distorted expression.
She was showing emotion more than ever before, and it was concentrated on one single emotion.
Saten clenched her fist tightly, feeling her heart pounding hotly.
"Is there a way to bring mister back?"
"No... once a soul is damaged, it doesn't return... It's just like water leaking from a broken cup... Just like you..."
Her cold body grew hot and trembled.
Her chest felt tight and breathing was difficult, but a clear goal emerged in her mind.
Saten's body naturally found a way to resolve this situation.
Recalling Lee Jun-woo's wretched state she had just seen, Saten quietly recited in anger.
"It seems I need to take revenge."
Swoosh-!
Saten inflicted wounds on her body more than usual.
Even more.
She poured out blood.
The more that came out, the greater the magic's power.
Submerged in rage she was feeling for the first time, she didn't think about what would come after.
"Haa... this is the emotion I hate and find most bothersome... but I still need to get paid... so I'll let you live..."
"I told you to shut up."
A sharp gaze.
A determination not to let go.
Saten gathered her hands at her chest and created a sphere of fresh blood.
'I didn't want to realize emotions this way.'
Revealing that regret-mixed anger,
Saten hurled the sphere of fresh blood toward Sloth.
BOOM-!!
'Direct hit.'
Blood flowed from the fountain where water had been flowing.
Dust swirled around from the impact's aftermath, and Sloth's body couldn't be seen.
However, Saten realized without a shred of doubt.
"As expected, I'm not enough alone."
I absolutely cannot defeat him by myself yet.
Before Saten stood Sloth, no different from moments ago.
Even though she had severely wounded her wrist, it wasn't enough.
"I won't kill you... so stay still..."
Watching Sloth reach his hand toward her, Saten made her decision.
'I'm sorry I couldn't take revenge, mister.'
I have no options left.
Before making her final decision,
Saten didn't even think about the other kids, didn't look back.
'I won't let things go your way, you who killed mister.'
If there's no mister to teach me magic and emotions,
I'd have no reason to live anyway.
Thinking this, Saten used all the blood in her body as a medium for magic.
Sloth muttered while watching Saten's blood rise up.
"I won't be getting paid..."
That was now
the last remaining form of revenge she could take.
Luna had set down Lee Jun-woo's body in a safe place.
Unlike her siblings, Lee Jun-woo didn't have a grotesque appearance but had his eyes peacefully closed.
He was breathing and hadn't died, but
his soul was broken, a state no different from having lost his life.
Estia, who had been sitting in the corner, slowly approached Lee Jun-woo.
"Why did... oppa end up like this...? Did the Demon King do this...?"
"..."
"Lu-Luna...? Tell me... why did oppa end up like-"
"It's my fault. It's because I wasn't strong enough that this happened."
That mister ended up like this
is because I'm weak even after receiving training.
Luna blamed herself while looking at the collapsed Lee Jun-woo.
That all of this happened because she was weak.
However, another girl's thoughts were different.
"...This is all your fault. Estia."
SMACK-!
Hare stared at Estia with empty pupils.
From her red eyes, tears flowed endlessly with no sign of stopping.
"If only you... if only you could have fought properly... mister wouldn't have ended up like this... It's all... all your fault..."
If only you could have fought alongside mister.
We would have defeated that Demon King together with mister.
Mister wouldn't be lying down like this.
"If only someone else had been the Saint instead of you..."
"..."
Estia caressed her reddened cheek and said nothing.
She was aware she was a Saint, but
she hadn't acted like one.
She didn't even know what a Saint was in the first place.
Since she lacked faith, Divine Power didn't manifest.
Hare looked at Estia with hollow eyes, then turned her body as if giving up.
"Now I'm alone..."
"Wait, Hare! Put down what's in your hand-"
"Without mister who saved me... there's no reason..."
In Hare's hand was the dagger mister had given her as a gift.
However, as if that choice was too much, she grasped the sword Luna had set on the ground.
"I'll be with you too, mister..."
And then without a moment's hesitation, she acted.
Thud-
Hare's frail body fell onto Lee Jun-woo, who was lying down.
"..."
Having witnessed their friend lose her life before their eyes, the two couldn't say anything.
However, one fact they saw with their eyes was:
"I'll always be with you, mister..."
That Hare, who had collapsed and was dying on top of mister, was smiling.
'This is a dream... it has to be a dream... th-this can't be... how could this happen overnight... it doesn't make sense...'
Urgh-
Luna felt like she might vomit at any moment.
Into her ears came the Holy Sword's voice, full of static noise.
-In the end, you've collapsed. Hero.
"Holy Sword, tell me. Th-this is a dream, right? I'm having a nightmare, right? H-how could something like this happen...?"
-It's reality. So don't despair. We will raise you up after you've fallen.
"That's impossible..."
Mister died.
Hare died too.
Saten died too.
And both of them took their own lives.
"Ha, haha...! What difference would it make if I got up in this situation!!"
Luna let out a bitter laugh and shouted.
She always thought positively, but
in a negative situation like this, even Luna had no way to handle it.
Even if the Holy Sword kept Luna's mind from breaking down,
"What could someone like me do without mister! What do you expect me to do!! It's impossible! There's nothing I can do!"
Luna was young and not strong.
The weight of reality was too heavy for her.
The Holy Sword heard Luna's words and answered coldly.
-Don't act spoiled. Hero.
"Sniff, it's not acting spoiled, it's the truth...!"
-It's just useless talk. A Hero exists only to kill the Demon King. There is no value beyond or below that. So stand up again and walk. The path is open.
"Hic, sniff... Wait, what do you mean the path is open-"
Before Luna could ask about that question,
golden mana began to swirl around Luna's body.
It looked like the stage before time would be turned back.
Luna thought back on the Holy Sword's words.
'What does it mean that the path is open...?'
If, if I can just figure that out,
couldn't I save mister?
The spark of hope began to well up again in Luna's heart.
Luna looked around to find the path.
'I'm sorry, everyone. It's all because I'm weak...'
Streets filled only with guilt and sorrow.
Luna bit her lip tightly and checked carefully to find a clue.
At that moment.
'Ah, that's right...'
Mister definitely said it.
To hold Estia's hand at the last moment.
Could that be the path the Holy Sword mentioned?
Luna turned her head to check on Estia.
"It's all my fault... I-I'm sorry, Goddess... Please save oppa... I, I'm a Saint who did wrong... Pl-please give me Divine Power... I'm sorryyy..."
Estia was on her knees facing the sky, prostrated on the ground.
She was sincerely and desperately wanting Divine Power,
and her heart was full of sincerity, unlike her usual thoughtless self.
In Luna's gaze watching such Estia, she could see a very faint golden light.
'There's no time... what should I do...?'
As the mana wrapping around her body grew stronger,
Luna, certain there was no time, made her decision.
"E-Estia...! L-let's hold hands...!"
I-I don't know, but
I'll try doing what mister said...!
Luna hurriedly grabbed Estia's hand.
Then, the mana that had been wrapping around Luna's body transferred to Estia's body as well.
"Please... I, I did wrong... it's my fault for being lazy usually... don't die anymore... please... please don't die, friends..."
Estia prayed earnestly, completely unaware of what was happening to her body.
Luna, tightly gripping such Estia's hand, thought to herself.
That this time, she might not be alone.
'Mister... did you know this situation would happen...?'
Why didn't you tell me to hold Hare's and Saten's hands?
I don't know that, but...
'Even though it's very faint, I can see hope in Estia's body.'
That golden mana flowing through Estia's body—
hoping it would be a light of hope,
Luna and Estia, through the power of Holy Sword Timeless,
turned back time.