Was everything I've done up to now meaningless?
No matter how hard I try, can't I stop the slaughter caused by the Demon King?
My consciousness... my consciousness is fading away.
My vishion is already zero.
It's like the moment before falling asleep, becoming faint...
"Crow. Can you hear me?"
"It might not matter anymore, but Geranium has been eradicated."
"He attacked the royal capital alone and was defeated by the hero."
"Right now, the Demon King's castle is above the royal capital."
"I've made quite a few adjustments to keep it hidden."
"But it seems we've been discovered."
"I will respect your will."
"After all, you and I are one and the same."
"I don't know what will happen next, but I'll leave the rest to her."
"Hey? Are you listening, Crow?"
"The hero has arrived."
"…!"
Suddenly, light appeared before my eyes.
I can see. My eyes can see.
Shion is in front of me.
In the deepest part of the Demon King's castle.
In front of me, sitting on the throne, is Shion.
Now grown to the equivalent of a fifteen-year-old, clad in a pure white coat, Shion wields the Holy Sword in my presence.
"You've come… Shion… no, hero."
"We've finally met, brother."
"I have no right to be called that by you."
"Who gets to decide that? Brother? No. I decide."
"You've made me wait quite a bit, haven't you?"
"Sorry. I didn't know what to do. I was just lost, not knowing."
"There's no need to be lost. There's only one job for the hero."
"That's right. There was never anything to be lost about from the start."
Shion, still holding the Holy Sword, approaches me.
Ah, it's over.
It's finally over.
I will finally be freed from suffering and fear.
Now I can be at peace.
Before I knew it, Shion was standing in front of me.
In front of me, sitting on the throne, motionless.
Shion raises the Holy Sword above her head.
Now, it will all end.
My role is finally over.
"I will not kill you, brother."
At that moment, I was speechless.
For the first time in a long while, I was utterly speechless.
"There was never any need to worry, brother. I can't kill you."
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm at my limit!"
"I know."
"The reason no monsters have appeared until now is because I've been holding them back!"
"I know."
"I can't hold them back any longer!"
"I know."
"If you don't kill me, other humans will die!"
At that moment, Shion hugged me.
I buried my face in Shion's chest.
"I'm sorry, brother. I'm so sorry."
"Shion...!"
"Since I was born, I've only ever had unpleasant experiences. Neither mom nor dad were there for me. Not my uncle, nor those who bought me with money, were kind to me."
"For me, the world, humanity, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who dies, where, or how many. The only reason I acted as the hero was solely for you, brother."
"As long as you're safe, brother, I don't care what happens to the world or myself."
"Shion! I don't deserve to be thought of by you! Kill me and save the world...!"
"Who gets to decide that? Brother? No. I decide."
"…!"
"I... I will not kill you."
"I am..."
"There's no way I don't understand what you're thinking. No matter how much you act like the Demon King, you haven't changed. You, who protect me, helped Holly, and care for everyone, your heart hasn't changed."
"To me, you've always been my hero, brother."
"…Is that so… That's… your answer…"
It's no use.
Was it predetermined that Shion and I, who would become the hero and the Demon King, would end up like this from the moment we met unknowingly?
"It's okay now, brother. You don't have to become the Demon King anymore."
"Eh?"
"The qualities of the hero and the Demon King are opposites, but they're the same. That's why you, being the Demon King, could see Holly, who looks like a hero to no one else. And I can see the woman by your side."
"Ah, yeah."
"That's why the roles of the hero and the Demon King can be swapped."
"Eh?"
In an instant, the destructive urge that had been assaulting my mind constantly disappeared.
What? What happened?
Why did the urge disappear? Has my transformation into the Demon King stopped?
In front of me, now even brighter, stands Shion.
From Shion's head, horns had sprouted.
"Shion!"
"If I become the Demon King... and you become the hero... you won't have to die."
"Stop it! What are you thinking!"
The moment I tried to touch Shion, a loud exploshion and flash occurred.
Before I could grasp what happened, the distance between Shion and me widened.
The Demon King's castle began to transform.
The dark walls and ceilings of the Demon King's castle vanished.
Leaving only the floor, the Demon King's castle disappeared.
In the open sky above, there was Shion.
Shion, with wings on her back and horns on her head, was floating.
Shion looked down at me with a vacant expresshion.
"...! What's going on! Holly! Maris!"
"...It was Shion's decishion."
"Well, this is unexpected."
Holly's voice came from within me.
Maris's voice could be heard from within Shion.
Does this mean, the spirits residing within us have swapped?
I've become the hero, and Shion has become the Demon King?
"Holly! What have you done!"
"Shion... decided this."
"Do you realize what you've done! Shion's the one who's going to die now!"
"You couldn't kill Shion anyway!"
"...! So, you're saying I should kill Shion!"
Holly went silent as I clicked my tongue and spoke to Shion.
"Maris! Get out of Shion now! Come back to me!"
"I'd love to, but this kid is amazing~. She's determined not to let me go back to you."
"What!?"
"Also, this child isn't suppressing her destructive impulses like you did. Dungeons are being created on their own."
"…!"
"It's up to you, Crow. If you want to save the world, kill this child now. If left alone, she'll become the strongest Demon King."
"Crow. Respect Shion's will. You absolutely cannot kill her. But you can kill her. That's her judgment."
Maris, Holly, and even Shion, they all say whatever they want!
Ignoring my patience, will, and heart, they say whatever they please!
Before I knew it, I was holding the Holy Sword in my hand.
Shion must have made me grasp it.
With this sword, am I supposed to kill Shion and save the world?
"Ugh... ah... aaaaaaaaah!"
Shion let out a beast-like roar, scattering black light around her.
Her intimidating presence is growing by the second.
On closer inspection, she's holding a black sword that closely resembles the Holy Sword.
That must be the Dark Sword.
"Damn it!"
Shion, even as the Demon King, you're outstanding.
You've already managed to wield the Dark Sword.
"Crow! There's no time! She's getting stronger by the minute, but you won't get any stronger!"
"So, you're telling me to kill her now! What do you take me for!"
"Save the world! That's also Shion's salvation!"
"What salvation!"
"Your continued existence in this world is all she wishes for!"
"…!"
"That's the same as what you've always hoped for!"
I had always hoped that after I was killed, Shion and the others would live happily in the world.
Shion is now doing the same thing I did.
"…"
Seeing someone else do it made me realize.
I was wrong.
It was a selfish act, ignoring the feelings of others.
Treating my own life carelessly, telling others to find happiness.
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
Shion, unleashing black lightning and flames, continues to destroy the already crumbling Demon King's castle.
It seems she's stubbornly avoiding attacking me directly, but the surrounding footholds are disappearing rapidly.
"Crow!"
"Shut up! I'm not listening to you anymore!"
"Huh!?"
"I'll save Shion! I'll bring you back into Shion's body, and Maris back into mine!"
"No, no, no! That'll just revert the situation to how it was!"
"We're going back to how it was! I don't care what happens after! I'm going to save Shion! I'll become the Demon King!"
"Eh…"
"Lend me your power! Holly! Give me the strength to save Shion!"
"…As you wish!"
Holly entered my body, and explosive power surged through me.