# 98. The Demon King's Attack! The Hero Party is in Danger (6)
"The atmosphere has changed...?"
Demon King Sloth immediately noticed the change in the Hero.
When she first faced him, she had stood still.
But now Luna was holding a real sword and shouting for him to come at her.
"I don't know how many times it'll take...!! B-but come at me...!! I-I'll take you on...!!"
"This has become troublesome..."
From Sloth's perspective, this was just more annoying work piling up.
He dragged his injured body forward and extended his hand toward Luna.
Green demonic energy surged toward Luna.
"Well, if the Hero comes out to face me, I'm grateful... Let's die quickly and end this, Hero..."
"Hmph, I absolutely won't die!"
Wait, no—I do die, don't I?
But I hate pain...
Let's avoid the Demon King's attacks while dying as little as possible.
"This speed is! Slower than Mister's!"
*Swoosh—*
Luna dodged the incoming demonic energy by moving sideways.
Then she shouted toward Saten.
"Saten! Your turn! Now it's your turn to attack!"
"Tsk, don't order me around. I'll do it on my own."
Though she didn't want to admit it.
Luna had created an opening for attack.
So Saten used the blood from her wrist to stably form a sphere of fresh blood.
"Blood Sphere. Attack that Demon King."
*Shwaak—*
Saten's Blood Magic gathered blood into one place.
The blood sphere flew swiftly, dripping viscous blood, and reached Demon King Sloth.
When it arrived before him.
"So you Mage fight with your head...?"
*Splat—*
The blood sphere swelled in size using the blood flowing from Sloth's body.
And when the blood mass reached a certain size.
"Pierce him, Blood Sphere."
*Fwshsh— Fwsh—*
The blood scattered from the sphere transformed into spears that randomly stabbed through Sloth's body.
The speed was difficult to follow even with the eyes, and Sloth's body lost its form in real time.
Luna was impressed by the sight.
"So that's Saten's magic...! A-amazing!"
"I was going easy on you back then."
"Huh?"
"I'm saying that if I'd used my magic, someone like you wouldn't have even been a match."
"...It's not that bad. I was holding back too."
The prideful Luna muttered sullenly.
The two watched Sloth quietly suffering in pain.
Had about 30 seconds passed?
Sloth's form, which had been passively receiving attacks, suddenly began to change.
"It hurts... I hate pain..."
"Saten! He's acting a bit strange!"
"Not a bit—very strange. That's like..."
If a body were forcibly trying to heal its wounds.
Would it swell up like a lump of meat like that?
Sloth's body swelled grotesquely.
Luna spoke up at Sloth's horrifying appearance.
"Isn't that danger—"
But she couldn't finish her sentence.
*It hurts. It hurts. It hurts!!*
Wh-what stabbed me?
What happened?
M-my body is so hot.
*I can't... even make a sound from my mouth...*
Luna endured the pain and moved her gaze.
Even moving her eyes caused pain, and when she lowered her gaze.
Luna found the source of her agony.
*I couldn't even see it... When did the Demon King's attack...*
While regenerating.
In the blink of an eye, Luna was struck.
There was a hole in her chest, and green demonic energy was searing the wounded area.
*Ah, ahhh... It hurts... It hurts so much...*
*Drip drip—*
When she confirmed the source of this pain with her eyes.
Tears automatically flowed from Luna's blue eyes.
*M-my body is burning... It hurts... Save me...! H-Holy Sword...! Q-quickly turn back time...*
She wanted to speak but no sound came out.
Luna felt the pain and desperately called for the Holy Sword, but it took a long time before the Holy Sword answered her.
—Endure the pain, Hero. Bear the weight, Hero.
*I get it, so... P-please send me back... It h-hurts too much...*
—It's less painful than becoming a sinner. Endure it even if you go to the point where your mind breaks.
*Wh-what does that mean... Send me back quickly...*
It's too much.
It hurts too much.
I was prepared, but.
It hurts...
"*Cough*... *Khuff*..."
"L-Luna...! G-get a hold of yourself...! Y-your heart is g-gone..."
Hare, who arrived late, shook Luna's body while assessing her condition.
Soon, Luna's vision caught sight of Hare shaking her head.
She had determined that Luna in this state couldn't survive.
*It hurts... Save me... Mister...*
And so Luna repeated time again.
Since she wasn't holding Estia's hand.
The brief but agonizing memory was borne by Luna alone.
Time repeated.
After the 13th death.
Luna admitted that she had been foolish all this time.
"I was stupid."
"I already knew you were stupid, Luna."
"That's not what I mean..."
That Demon King.
Unless you deal massive damage at once.
Or kill him in one blow, it's useless.
Actions that annoy that Demon King actually have the opposite effect.
"I suppose I need to take revenge. Blood S—"
"Don't! Don't do that, Saten!"
*Thwack—!*
Luna quickly struck down Saten's arm.
Saten, whose magic was canceled, shouted angrily.
"Do you want to die by my hand faster than by the Demon King's, Luna? How should I interpret this action?"
"N-no! That's not it! That attack is one the Demon King hates!"
"If he hates it, we should do it more."
"No! First let go of my collar and let's talk! You tin-head!!"
"...Let's hear it once."
Saten released the collar she was gripping.
Luna recalled the painful memory of when breathing had been difficult.
However, knowing time was short, she quickly spoke to Saten.
"That Demon King! You have to hit him with one big attack! Like Mister does—boom! If you attack with small hits, he gets annoyed and fights seriously!"
"So you're saying he's not serious now? How do you know that, Luna?"
"Th-there's a reason! He's definitely not serious!"
Because I confirmed it by dying many times.
Luna, thinking this, felt a strange sensation.
"Anyway, that Demon King won't get serious because it's annoying! As long as we don't annoy him!"
"So what are you planning to do?"
"I've experienced it, and it's impossible with our strength. We have to wait until Hare comes."
"What's the basis for me to believe your words?"
"Because I'm the Hero. You have to believe me."
"..."
Saten frowned.
Should she believe this nonsensical talk?
She hesitated for a moment, but having no other options, she reluctantly nodded.
"I don't believe you, but let's try it your way once. It's neither a good nor bad idea."
"Just trust me! Even if not this time! I'll definitely make us win later!"
"...?"
Saten didn't understand what she meant.
However, she noticed one change.
*It's a bit different from her usual nonsense. I can feel weight to it, I suppose.*
The atmosphere has changed.
Though Saten didn't understand emotions well, she recognized that Luna wasn't her usual self.
That's why she decided to trust her plan, just once.
"Then we just wait until Hare comes?"
"Yeah, Hare will come after putting Mister down. Until then, we just have to dodge the Demon King's attacks!"
"It takes quite a while for someone just putting Mister down."
"Hare needs a lot of time for Mister..."
To wipe away tears.
To compose her emotions.
To hide her sadness.
That's when Hare will come.
"We just have to dodge the Demon King's attacks until then."
"What about after that?"
"...I don't know because I haven't experienced it. A-anyway, be careful! Attack incoming!"
Luna shouted while pushing Saten aside.
The Demon King's thick demonic energy passed through where Saten had been standing.
How painful it would be to get hit by that energy.
Luna had experienced it six times, so she absolutely didn't want to be hit by that attack.
*...First I have to dodge all those attacks.*
Then meet Hare.
And the three of us have to attack the Demon King.
It won't be easy, but we have to do it.
*Because I'm the Hero.*
Suddenly, a thought crossed Luna's mind.
*But what is a Hero...?*
Saving people.
Bringing peace to the world.
Sacrificing yourself.
If you live diligently like that, are you a Hero?
Easily dodging the Demon King's attacks she'd experienced many times, Luna continued her contemplation.
*What is a Hero...? Are you a Hero if you have the Holy Sword...? Are you a Hero if you turn back time...?*
Why am I a Hero?
Why did the world make me a Hero?
I'm just.
Someone who lived happily with family.
Training with Mister and spending time together.
I was just someone living happily.
"...Why do I have to be doing this?"
Deaths and pain repeating many times.
The helplessness when she could do nothing against the Demon King's authority.
Going through everything that had happened, Luna's thoughts and mind gradually changed.
"Even if I defeat this Demon King, there are still more Demon Kings left... and Mister won't come back..."
Then do I need to be doing this?
Do I really have to fight the Demon King?
Doubts kept filling her head, and for the first time, the thought of running away dominated her mind.
"Why am I doing this?"
Estia praying in the distance.
Hare embracing Mister's body.
Saten moving for revenge.
Recalling everything that had happened.
For the first time, Luna took a step toward a different path.
*I'm sorry... g-guys... I-I'm having such a hard time...*
I don't want to die again...
Luna thought this to herself.
And ran toward where Mister's body was.
"L-Luna...? Why are you coming this way..."
"I'm sorry, Hare...!"
*Thwack—*
Luna picked up Mister's body and ran toward the village entrance.
Escape.
Because the wall of reality was too high.
Luna chose to run away while carrying Mister.
"I-I can't do it. I don't want to die...!!"
Leaving the burning streets behind.
Luna chose to flee while holding Mister.
However, as if not allowing even that time.
A tiresome noise sound reached Luna's ears.
—Hero. You have collapsed again.
"N-no! I haven't collapsed! I-I'm just looking for another way!"
—To run away with the Demon King right before you. I will raise you up.
"...D-don't! You don't need to! P-please don't!!"
—...
The Holy Sword ignored Luna's words.
It would only send the Hero back to where the Demon King was.
There was no response.
And golden magic began to swirl around Luna's body.
"M-Mister... I'm having such a hard time... *Sob*... I don't want to do this..."
The Hero's complaints, met with no response, scattered into the air.
A Hero's life where even escape wasn't permitted.
It was too heavy for young Luna to bear.
And so Luna repeated continuous deaths.