123 – Marriage (1)

“Hah, hah…”

“…Huuu.”

Rachel and Adora gasped for breath, ragged and sharp.

The two female soldiers felt it in their gut.

This strike, the one they just plunged in, had severed the monster’s lifeline, completely.

[“Ah, Papa.”]

[“My… burden.”]

The being, a twisted meld of girl and Demon Lord, squeezed out those words as its final breath. And with that, it was over.

*Fas-ss.*

The monster, reduced to dust, scattered and vanished like embers on the wind. Only a fragment of the magic crystal, the source of its power, remained in that place, forlornly dimming.

Amidst the detritus, one mana stone remained intact, retaining its shape.

[“Bephisha.”]

Salbira picked up the mana stone.

[“I… I don’t think I was wrong. Miraculously reviving someone who is dying is possible, but bringing back one who is already dead, impossible. But I’ll never forget the days I spent with you.”]

Clutching the keepsake of her former comrade, Salbira turned her head.

With the death of the Demon Lord’s amalgamation, the ghouls were also collapsing. Foul mana scattered, and the altar’s inner walls, once covered in black liquid, were becoming clean again. Everything was returning to its natural state.

Meanwhile, Seffiron and the women, drained of mana and collapsed, were nonetheless desperately crawling towards the man.

“Erich, Erich…”

“Honey, please, wake up.”

“Darling, you okay?”

“Ugh, Senior…”

Rachel, Tyria, Liyo and Miyo, Adora.

None of them seemed to care about their own condition, only concerned about Erich.

“Erich, open your eyes.”

“Ugh.”

Erich struggled, pushing his eyelids upward.

“You… you alright?”

“……”

“Say something, will you!”

“…The monster?”

“We took care of the Demon King. We won! It’s all over!”

“I see… That’s fortunate.”

“Is that all the reaction I get? Get up already!”

Salbira cautiously examined Erich’s face.

She wanted to deny it, but reality was merciless.

The time to pay the price for using the Sacrifice had come.

Erich opened his mouth, his words heavy.

“Everyone… I don’t have much time left.”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean, you don’t have much time left?”

“I saved the three of you, after all…”

Saving three people with one life.

An impossibility according to the history of magic, built upon the fundamental principle of equivalent exchange.

Which meant, Erich Ronstein’s death was certain.

“I won’t accept it. Who gave you permission to die?”

No sooner had a sliver of divine power returned to her than Tiria began to hurl healing holy magic at Erich, as if beating him with it.

“Live! Live! I said live! Why, why are you trying to die now, when we’ve come this far!”

Tiria, overexerting her healing abilities, gagged. She had never depleted her divine power to such a degree. Her whole body burned, as if she had sprinted a long-distance marathon at full speed without a single drop of water.

“Stop, you’ll kill yourself too.”

“I, I won’t… *hic*… die!”

Tiria pleaded, hiccuping.

“*Sniffle*, don’t die… We promised to go back together, alive…”

Her throat parched, Tiria collapsed. Her eyes held a deeper, more intense blue than ever before. The thought of a permanent farewell filled her with sorrow and fear. And so.

“Hey, you wretched man! Where do you think you’re going, leaving your bite marks all over us? You womanizer! You gonna make us widows?”

“Senior, you’re really going too far. Are you just going to abandon us like this and leave to live comfortably on your own?”

The fox sisters and Adora continued their reprimands.

“How are we supposed to live if you go back like this?”

“Well… you’ll all find someone better.”

“It has to be you—!!”

Adora, who had been suppressing her anger, shouted fiercely.

“There isn’t another man like you in this world, Senior! You saved me when I was nothing more than a puppet of the Chancellor, and you treat those women from the Holy Empire, whom you haven’t even seen for months, so well! Who here would ever abandon you for another man?!”

“I… just wanted you all to be happy…”

“Then live! You frustrating idiot!”

Adora’s eyes reddened. Her strength failing, she and Liyo collapsed next to Erich, their vision blurring.

Finally, there was Rachel, who until the very end, kept her spine straight.

“Yeah, die.”

She murmured in a low voice.

“Just die already. Go rot in hell.”

Biting her lower lip, she brought her face close to Erich’s.

“Because I’ll come with you.”

Erich chuckled when he heard those words. He used the last of his strength to raise his hand to Rachel’s cheek. Rachel didn’t reject the touch.

“Everyone, thank you for everything. I don’t think I can keep the promise we made, about all of us surviving and escaping together. And… Rachel.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m sorry, for making things so difficult for you until the very end.”

Thud.

Erich’s hand, which had been caressing Rachel, fell.

At the same time, the warmth vanished.

Empty.

“Ah… no.”

Rachel grabbed Erich, and began to wail.

“No, no, no, no—!! Don’t die! Don’t die on me! If you’re going to die, take me with you!”

Just like when she lost her family, her comrades.

No, perhaps even more desperately than then.

“I can go with you to hell! I, I’ve killed so many people! I killed your friends, my seniors and juniors, I’m such a worthless woman, so why! You saved me, and why couldn’t I save you…!”

“Couldn’t you save him?”

“Why do I even love him?”

“Please, don’t die… I’m sorry, *hic*, I’m sorry for not telling you…”

I wanted to apologize formally, once my heart had settled and I’d escaped the island. I wanted to properly ask for forgiveness – no, even if I wasn’t forgiven, I wanted to stay by his side and beg to atone for the rest of my life.

The reason I hadn’t until now was… fear of rejection.

The thought of him pushing me away, saying we weren’t *that* close, and then going to another woman… it made me hesitate.

And while I delayed, I became forever unable to deliver my apology.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t, die, Erich, don’t die… *sob*, take me with you…”

Why hadn’t I apologized sooner?

Why was I so passive when he reached out his hand?

Why did I waver so much, even when Daisy and Olivia themselves said it was alright?

I don’t know.

Because Rachel was experiencing love for the first time in her life, she was this clumsy.

Erich Ronstein.

The first man she ever loved, and probably the last she ever would.

Rachel gripped the blade in reverse, aiming it at her own nape.

“Major! Stop it!”

“Let go of me! I have nothing left to lose!”

“Erich struggled so hard to save you, what do you mean you have nothing left to lose? If you die here like this, you’ll never get into heaven!”

“I know! That’s why I’m trying to fall into hell!”

“Erich, Erich didn’t use a Sacrifice—!!”

Tiria shouted.

“When he used the Sacrifice just now, I heard the Goddess’s voice! What answered Erich’s offering wasn’t a demon, but an angel! So, that was a Martyrdom! A mage used Martyrdom!”

“…What did you just say?”

Anyone who believed in the Holy Spirit Church knew the word Martyrdom. Similar to Sacrifice, but unlike Sacrifice, a sublime act that not just anyone could perform.

“If you die and fall into hell, you’ll never be able to meet Erich again! Not even if you reincarnate, not even if you’re born again after that! Your connection will be severed forever. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Then, what should I do…”

“You have to save him now!”

My head is spinning.

Tiria gripped Erich’s shoulders, shaking him.

“Erich, truly, truly dead? No? It’s a trick? Tell me it’s a trick! Don’t play around! Please?!”

“Open your eyes, you fool!”

“Hngh, hngh…”

Tiria used her divine power until it ran dry, only to repeat the process. She was desperate. But no matter how fervent, she couldn’t improve his condition.

“Goddess, please, don’t take him away…! Please don’t take him!”

Watching the women clinging to a man, weeping, Salbira recalled the past.

When the Demon King had died.

Among the demon race, not many grieved his passing.

Rather, with the central figure gone, they were quick to fracture, each vying to become the next king.

Now she understood.

The reason the demon race ultimately lost the war against humans was that the majority were selfish.

Of course, there were plenty of selfish beings among humans too.

But in the end, it was always altruistic leaders who changed and propelled their group towards a better future.

The demon race unconditionally regarded the strongest in power as the best leader, but humans considered kind, fair, and erudite individuals to be good rulers.

Selfish beings cannot unite, but altruistic ones strive to join forces. Because they were a weak race, unable to do anything alone, they had a strong tendency to elect altruistic individuals.

That subtle difference created the history up to this day.

[“Jeriem, I’ve finished all the homework you gave me.”]

Having attained enlightenment, it was now time to put it into practice.

Salbira approached the solemn golems and spiders, whispering. The golems startled and questioned.

[“…Is that really possible?”]

[“Come what may, we have to try.”]

[“Understood. We’ll trust you.”]

The four golems and Bbiim-bbiim hastily left the altar. Salbira sighed and stepped forward.

A body that could only speak in Whispers.

Thankfully, Adora Giford was a mage, so she could converse with her.

[“Listen here.”]

Salbira lightly tapped Adora’s back, who was in a daze, delivering the words she most wanted to hear.

[“Your student hasn’t completely died. We can save him, if we act now.”]

Adora, and even Miyoh, lifted their heads.

[“……Is that truly so?”]

[“Truly?”]

Salbira inclines her head.

[“The method is simple. Someone must pay the price of the disciple’s life in their stead.”]

[“Surely not……”]

Adora clicks her tongue.

[“What, I wondered what you were getting at. It’s that, isn’t it? Offering our souls as sacrifice. One person saved three, so, conversely, three or four must save one……”]

[“No, there’s no need to go that far.”]

Salbira sighs, speaking plainly.

[“Are you familiar with the binding known as Soul Marriage (結魂)?”]