99. The Demon King's Attack! The Hero Party is in Danger (7)
A repeating scene.
To move forward, she had to repeat countless deaths.
Luna looked down at her intact hand and muttered.
"How many times has it been now... I can't even remember..."
It feels strange to have my hand attached.
Luna had swung her sword hundreds of times.
No, more than thousands of times to defeat the Demon King.
"And each time, the Demon King took my wrist..."
Crack—
Luna gripped her sword tightly, putting strength into her hand.
She always swung her sword prepared to die, so she felt her skills had improved.
But Luna couldn't be satisfied knowing it was still insufficient against the Demon King.
"When will this end... I've worked so hard."
"Luna? Why are you talking to yourself?"
"No, it's nothing. Really nothing..."
"..."
Luna shook her head as she answered Cecilia.
Cecilia sensed something off about Luna, but didn't pay much attention.
Their common goal was right before their eyes.
Luna charged forward, spitting out words that had become a habit stuck to her lips.
"Cecilia."
"Yes, Luna."
"You do your thing."
Because I'm going to do what I want.
Tap-tap-tap-tap—
Luna's body rapidly approached Sloth.
Sloth seemed flustered by her swift movements.
"What...? Hero, you suddenly became a different person...?"
"Right side."
"Huh...?"
"You'll extend your right hand and fire demonic energy."
And then.
"You'll turn your gaze left and right, assessing the surroundings. If you look right, you'll attack Cecilia. If you look left, you'll attack me."
"Hero, how do you know my movements..."
"I memorized them."
Because if I didn't memorize them, I died.
I had no choice but to memorize them.
I kept dying.
And repeating.
"So I automatically memorized them."
"Your expression is fierce... You were a chick just moments ago..."
"...I don't know. I don't know what my expression is like. I don't remember what my expression was."
Swoosh—
Luna spoke expressionlessly as she attacked only Sloth's vital points.
Heart, intestines, lungs.
Luna had realized long ago that there was no difference between a Demon King's body and a human's.
"Ow, it hurts... Hero... I'm in pain..."
"Shut up, Demon King. And Cecilia."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing just standing there? Attack quickly. Attack the Demon King's vital points with your strongest attack."
"...Yes, understood."
I don't want to admit it, but.
Right now Luna is much stronger than me.
Cecilia obediently deployed her blood magic as Luna requested.
"Pierce the Demon King's heart. Blood Sword."
Swish—
Thud—
Cecilia's flying blood sword pierced through the Demon King's chest.
However, color returned to the Demon King's face.
It was still insufficient to end his life.
Juliana ran over from afar and asked Cecilia.
"C-Cecilia...! Wh-what's going on...? H-how is Luna beating the Demon King...?"
"I don't know either. Something feels off."
"Wh-what feels off...?"
"I thought I knew Luna roughly. But seeing Luna today..."
I have no idea at all.
She suddenly became a different person.
"Maybe the shock of losing the old man was severe."
"...Cecilia? Lost the old man, what do you mean—"
But the old man is alive, what do you mean?
She tried to ask, but couldn't due to Luna's intervention.
"Juliana!"
"Y-yes?"
"Come here with your dagger. I'll protect you when it's dangerous. Come fight right now."
"Y-you want me to fight the Demon King...?"
"Don't you want revenge for the old man? Go and at least buy some time."
When Luna uttered the word "revenge,"
Juliana's eyes sharpened.
Having gone through various processes, Luna had learned how to persuade Juliana in the shortest time.
So Luna could easily resolve the situation.
*I died a lot because of this. But it doesn't matter since only I know.*
Since only I know.
That time when I tried so many methods.
It's okay since only I know.
"If I die again this time, there's nothing I can do... But if I die, I can see the old man's face, so maybe it's okay..."
Luna thought this as she drove attacks into Sloth's vital points.
Juliana also did her best to attack, and whenever she was in danger, Luna saved her as if she knew it would happen.
"Kuh, kuaaah...!!"
Sloth let out a voice filled with pain, but didn't counterattack much.
Luna only sneered at such a Sloth.
"Why aren't you attacking, Demon King?"
"I-it's all because of you, Hero... How do you know where to attack...?"
"The old man told me. Before the old man was defeated by you. He showed me your attacks for my sake."
So I would die less.
So I could realize quickly even if I died.
He made me familiar with the attacks by only defending.
Luna said this as she plunged her sword into the Demon King's belly.
"U-ugh... That's too bad... Since that old man lost his life at my hands..."
"...Shut up."
Thunk—
Luna pushed the sword in deeper.
She had repeated this scene many times.
But Luna felt an indescribable sense of both exhilaration and despair at this moment each time.
"If only you hadn't existed, the old man and we would have been happy..."
"Luna, dodge. The Demon King's form is changing."
"It's fine."
I won't die.
Drip drip—
Luna shed tears as she pulled out another sword from her chest—
A golden sword—and drove it toward the head.
The Demon King transformed into the lump of flesh she had seen before, but Luna didn't care at all.
"No matter how many times I die. There's no answer here... So this time I'll try believing."
"In what...?"
"In Estia. In the Saint that the old man believes in."
Luna turned her gaze toward Estia while dodging the attacks of the Demon King transformed into a lump of flesh.
Due to repeated deaths, she could dodge without even looking.
*I've tried this several times... Will I succeed this time...*
Estia was praying hard with her eyes closed.
"It's okay even without Holy Water...! P-please give me strength...! Give me some power that can help...!!"
Golden mana swirled around her.
She had repeated various situations, but this was the first time the mana was this large.
In the past that Estia didn't remember, Luna had said harsh things.
But since there was no other solution, she decided to believe the old man's words rather than Estia.
"Estia!! Answer if you can hear me, Estia!!"
"Huh...? Luna? I can't hear you well...!! Speak louder...!!"
"Do something! Make the old man's words come true! Try doing anything with that mana!!"
"Huh, what is this golden thing!"
Why is this near me!
Estia looked at the golden mana around her and shouted in surprise.
She had been praying so hard that she only just noticed it.
"...But how do I use this?"
"Give some power to my Holy Sword!!"
"I-is this how you do it?"
Flash—!
Estia closed her eyes and extended both hands forward.
"...This isn't it?"
Nothing happened.
She had gathered divine power, but.
Estia didn't know how to use it.
Having no choice, Luna approached Estia and grabbed her hands.
"Originally I was going to remember this alone."
"Wh-what!?"
"Estia, don't let go of my hand no matter what. And keep praying even when you open your eyes. If you don't, I'll kill you."
"Eek..."
She's serious...!
Estia reflexively nodded her head.
Luna heard Estia's answer and immediately put her thoughts into action.
Thud—
"Huh...?"
Luna plunged the sword into her own heart.
There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in her action.
It looked like a very familiar action.
"Wh-what...? Wh-what's happening..."
"Cough... Estia... Do it properly when you open your eyes... Got it...?"
"L-Luna, why would you take your own life... What is this..."
A feeling as if her mind was being torn to shreds.
However, Estia didn't know.
That Luna had experienced such things over hundreds of times.
That despite this, she didn't give up and kept repeating the situation.
"E...ehhh..."
She would definitely never know Luna's heart.
*Should I have died more in front of Estia?*
The golden light is accumulating much faster than last time.
If I had known, I should have died more.
Luna turned the Demon King into a lump of flesh just like before and shouted.
"Estia. Try doing something."
"H-how do I do that!!"
"Before I die in front of you, do it quickly."
"Th-that wasn't a nightmare?"
"Do it quickly."
"O-okay..."
Was Luna always this scary?
Estia extended her hand timidly and tried.
"Luna, become stronger...!!"
"..."
Estia's cry had no effect.
She changed her chant and shouted again.
"L-Luna's sword...! Become stronger...!!"
Golden divine power began to fill the sword.
"...Is this coloring?"
"I-is this not it either?"
However, the effect was weak.
Estia broke out in sweat and clasped both hands together, shouting with all her might.
"G-Goddess! Make Luna stronger!!"
Was this the answer?
The divine power surrounding Estia rode the wind and flew toward Luna.
Luna's body was enveloped in golden divine power.
Luna shone like a goddess, emanating an intimidating presence that couldn't be taken lightly.
"So this is Estia's power that the old man talked about. If I don't concentrate, it feels like it'll collapse immediately."
I should be satisfied with this much.
A prayer filled with sincerity.
A prayer for people.
The Goddess who responded to it.
Estia who came to use divine power as a result.
With divine power wrapped around the Holy Sword, Luna raised it toward the sky.
"This is the first time I've gotten this far. But I have a feeling."
My death.
This will be the end.
I don't really think about death anymore, but.
"I'm glad I won't have to see your face anymore. The face that killed the old man."
Die.
You piece of trash.
The Holy Sword raised high toward the sky extended downward.
Crash—!!
With a tremendous roar, the Holy Sword cut through the lump of flesh.
The feeling of slicing wasn't very pleasant, but the hideous meat split in two.
From one of the pieces of meat, Sloth's voice leaked out.
"Huh...? Why isn't it regenerating...? This has never happened before..."
"Because unlike you, it's the power of a Saint who overcame laziness."
"Really...? Still, not bad... If I die, I don't have to work..."
"...Annoying."
Struggle a bit more.
If you're going to show that reaction.
Why did you just die alone, why did you take the old man with you and cause this mess...
Sloth's voice, satisfied with death, crumbled and scattered into the air.
The one who drove Luna to death hundreds of times.
The end of the Demon King, extinguished by the Saint's divine power, concluded like that.
"...Old man."
Thud— Thud—
Luna walked toward the old man with hollow steps.
Juliana was already there waiting for the old man.
"O-old man...! We defeated the Demon King...! Luna did most of it, but... A-anyway, we defeated the Demon King...! Hehe...! Please praise us when you wake up!"
Juliana held the old man's hand and brought it to her own head.
She petted her head with the unconscious old man's hand.
At that sight, drops fell one by one from Luna's empty eyes.
"Did I... have to die so much... just to see this...?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Luna. Anyway, I'm going to the family estate to die. Are you going to tell Juliana the truth?"
"Huh? What truth?"
"..."
The situation was resolved.
But Cecilia said she would take her own life.
If she told Juliana the truth.
Juliana would take her own life right now.
In such a situation.
Luna swallowed dryly, steeled her heart, and spoke.
"...Juliana, the old man won't wake up."
"What do you mean, Luna...? The old man just lost consciousness temporarily..."
"He's breathing, but... his soul is broken... That's just the old man's empty shell..."
"...Huh?"
Juliana just blinked her round eyes.
She couldn't accept reality.
"S-so. What Luna is saying is... the old man won't open his eyes anymore...?"
"...That's right. The old man has to stay like that for the rest of his life."
"..."
Juliana fell silent.
The shock was too great for words to come out.
Cecilia whispered to Luna.
"Was there a need to do this? It would have been better to tell her to take care of the old man for life. That way, Juliana could have lived."
"No, it's hard to hide. And if I tell such a lie..."
I think I'll go crazy first.
"I also... I also... miss the old man... I wanted to talk with the old man... This kind of farewell is too sudden..."
Looking at the old man with his eyes peacefully closed.
The Hero Party that defeated the Demon King shed tears of sadness, not tears of joy.
"...It's just a little, but I still have divine power left!"
The Saint.
Except for Estia.
Her golden eyes were shining more brilliantly than usual.