"What are you doing?!" I exclaim, astonished.
"...I'm surprised..." Jasmine seems taken aback, having had her attack dodged for the first time.
Despite her shock, I firmly state, "I told you, I haven’t done anything! Look carefully! There’s no sign of assault on Amaranth!"
I passhionately argue, pointing at Amaranth.
"That's not reliable evidence," Sineraria counters. "Someone suffering from magic depletion would be temporarily incapacitated due to overwhelming drowsiness, unable to move. During that time, you could have enjoyed her body without leaving any marks."
Her words almost make me dizzy with anger.
"Do I look like someone who would do such a thing to an unconscious woman?!"
"You do," they both reply in unison.
Frustration boils inside me, feeling unjustly accused even though I haven't done anything wrong. Ever since I stole the Holy Light Sword to search for the Hero, I've been constantly facing such situations. It's like the world has gone mad.
"You’re saying just because I saw her naked, it matters? Even if I did see her, so what?!"
There's a moment of silence from Sineraria and Jasmine at my outburst.
"Anyway, why does seeing someone naked warrant killing them? What’s with women who want to kill or beat someone just because they saw them naked? How much value do you think your nakedness holds that it justifies such actions? And for the record, I didn’t see her naked! It’s not something I'd risk my life to see! I haven’t seen Amaranth's naked body this time! Understand!? Being accused for something I didn’t even do!"
In an instant, Sineraria swings her Sword of the Underworld to behead me.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I got carried away, I'm sorry! I didn’t see her naked, but I'm sorry!"
Ducking and apologizing in near tears, I avoid their relentless attacks. It's similar to the time I dodged Amaranth's attacks before. My evashion skills are extraordinary, but I know I can’t keep this up for long.I was in a life-or-death situation, with no time to clear up any doubts. In desperation, I bolted towards the entrance of the house. But Jasmine was one step ahead, viciously swinging her healing sword at my head. I barely managed to dodge with a backflip, only to get a brutal kick from Cineraria from behind.
"As always, can't tell if you're strong or weak," Cineraria quipped, pinning me down, with her scythe-shaped sword, Hades' Sword, at my throat.
Just when I thought it was all over, Cineraria's movement halted. Holly was just pacing around me, muttering "Oh no" helplessly. But then...
"What are you doing... Cineraria. Jasmine," Amaranth, who had regained consciousness, said with an imposing presence behind them.
With dry clothes on, Amaranth explained to Cineraria and Jasmine how we had cooperated to defeat the dungeon boss and how I had taken care of her while she was unconscious. All the while, Cineraria's grip on my shoulder kept me from escaping, which was subtly terrifying.
"I see. Got the story now. But you acted on your own, Amaranth. Weren't you supposed to wait and join us to finish off the boss with my Hades' Sword, as planned?" Cineraria retorted.
"The one acting on their own is you, Cineraria. It's your and Jasmine's delay in the dungeon that led to this mess. We were almost facing a massive casualty," Amaranth shot back.
"Ugh!" Cineraria clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Cheer up, Cineraria. We might not have been able to defeat it with just the two of us," Jasmine interjected. "As for this man, what shall we do?"
"If he can handle the Pegasus Sword, we might as well recruit him. Are you willing to join us?" Cineraria suddenly proposed, as both Amaranth and Jasmine stared intently at me.
I was at a loss for words. Joining these formidable women could be a game-changer, but...
"You all intend to oppose the hero, right?"
"That's right. Our master aims to eventually defeat the hero," they affirmed.
I couldn't align with their intentions, no matter what.Amaranth believes she can defeat the Demon King herself and previously dismissed my attempts to convince her otherwise.
"Why this approach...? Even if you could defeat the Demon King, there's no need to kill the hero!"
"Ha! All these tales of heroes and Demon Kings... they’re just strong beings, aren't they? Do you really think the world will continue to live in fear of the Demon King's resurrection, always waiting for a hero's birth?"
"We aim to change the law of this world, the cycle of the Demon King's eternal resurrection and the corresponding birth of heroes. In essence, we're striving for a world where people can shape their own destinies."
"Our ultimate goal with our master is to create a world free from the fear of the Demon King's resurrection. To achieve this, the hero's existence becomes a hindrance."
Cineraria, Jasmine, and Amaranth's words left me dumbfounded.
What are they even saying? Why do they look so convinced they're doing the right thing?
"Crow. The hero and the Demon King are two sides of the same coin. Didn’t you find it odd? Every Demon King has been defeated by a hero, without a single exception."
Amaranth's words took my breath away.
It had always seemed strange. Why does the Demon King keep resurrecting? And why has the Demon King never won against a hero?
I had simply thought that if the hero were defeated, the world would end, so the hero had to win. But, upon reflection, it was bizarre.
The Demon King's defeat by the hero seemed predestined.
Although these thoughts had crossed my mind, I had avoided dwelling on them.
Because, well, it would be a disaster if the hero lost, right? Was that all there was to it?
"Hero and Demon King are predetermined roles. That's why the Demon King can never truly defeat the hero, and the hero can't completely eradicate the Demon King. They're manipulated to always end up the same way."
"...What?"
"To stop the Demon King's resurrection and achieve everlasting peace, both the Demon King and the hero must be eradicated."
"What!? You mean to end both the Demon King and Shion?""As long as they exist as pairs, eradicating both simultaneously to completely annihilate them is logical. It's not that the Demon King resurrects because of the hero; it's the hero’s birth that triggers the Demon King's resurrection."
"What basis do you have for this? How can you be sure that killing both the hero and the Demon King will ensure they never resurrect again? What if only the Demon King resurrects?"
"We can't provide evidence until you join us."
"You, relying on the hero's power to seize authority? Then our interests align. We don't expect you to join us immediately, but how about a partnership?"
"I also want to know how you managed the shortest route through the dungeon. Now that I think about it, you were the first to find the hero. Did you discover a method for the dungeon's conquest?"
Amaranth, Jasmine, and Cineraria all vie to recruit me into their ranks.
It seems our interests align, considering I had contemplated recruiting them myself. However,
"No chance."
I declined immediately and decisively.
"Why? I thought you'd make a good ally."
"Killing the hero is where I draw the line. There's no explanation of how to defeat the Demon King afterward, or even how to kill the hero. Even if there were, I couldn't agree."
"Hmm..."
"No one but the hero has ever defeated the Demon King. No one has ever stopped the Demon King's resurrection. The hero has never lost to the Demon King. It's definitely odd. I understand you're attempting something unprecedented. However, you're naive in assuming everything will go as planned."
At that moment, the cold edge of the Inferno Sword pressed against my neck.
"If you won't cooperate, then you'll have to die."
Cineraria threatened angrily, and Holly started panicking. But I didn't back down.
"Have you considered the worst-case scenario for you? Not if your plan fails, but if it succeeds, and only the hero ceases to be born, while the Demon King keeps resurrecting as always. If everything you say is true, this world is stuck in a rigged match between a hero who never loses and a Demon King who can't be permanently defeated. If that's a design by some godlike being and you manage to eliminate only the hero, what then? A world where the hero is never born but the eternal Demon King keeps resurrecting. Humanity would stand no chance."
I pointed to a silent and perplexed Amaranth.Doing something never attempted before means facing unimaginable, irreversible consequences. I can't trust a word you say. I won't agree to killing the hero, and I don't mind dying for that belief."
And then, touching the Inferno Sword at my throat, I added, "The saintly swords of the Divine Blade are meant to assist the Holy Light Sword, right? Relying on them while opposing the bearer of the Holy Light Sword seems misguided. Frankly, you might be deceived, maybe by someone who benefits from the hero's death."
"Don't get cocky, you brat...!" Cineraria snarled, moving to strike with real intent this time.