Chapter 78 – Fear, Flee. What Cannot Be Avoided

“Alright. With this, our Helldiver Club is officially launched. Applause.”

“Waaah!!”

Yurishia was the only one enthusiastically clapping like a seal. The other two. That is, Luciel and Nefertiti had rather sullen reactions.

As Deus muttered, ‘Why such expressions? Is there perhaps some dissatisfaction?’, the two female students began to speak, saying it wasn’t that.

“I’m just wondering if we really need to go this far. Junior. You do know that I only have one semester left, right?”

“I’m still the student council president, so I have a lot of work to do here at the Cradle. Junior. I don’t think there’s a reason to make it a club.”

Terrifying. Truly terrifying. Doesn’t this make it feel like we’re going to hell for summer vacation?

Their own preparations are insufficient, and doing it like this will cause problems in many areas.

They thought they would do some preparation at the Cradle, and start in earnest after everyone graduated.

Since demons can’t even cross over anyway, they thought they’d have a little leeway.

“Put your worries aside. It’s called a club, but we’ll be operating as a special task force.”

“So, you’re insisting on doing that at the Cradle….”

“The two of you will be graduating as early as next year. At the latest, the year after next, but I still have more than three years left, don’t I? I’ll have to do activities while at the Cradle, so a club is definitely necessary.”

If you tell the Imperial Family about that, they’ll take care of everything for you? Luciel retorted as if she was dumbfounded.

Then, Deus went “Ahem!” and made a strange noise, saying, ‘That’s a violation of the Academy rules.’ Naturally, the two female students tilted their heads.

In truth, Deus is aware that there is no need to go this far. As he said before, Luciel, Nefertiti, and Yurishia don’t bear the same covenant as he does.

Something that must be achieved purely through their own efforts. There are also things that he suggested, so it will still take some time to adapt to the new methods.

The whip will not stop. He will keep them running and running.

But he won’t urge them to do impossible things. If they hurt themselves, it would only delay things further.

“I heard that everyone will be staying at the Cradle during the break. Is that right?”

“Uh… Yes.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep!”

“Excellent. During that break, Astaroth and Jarvis will help you two seniors and Yurishia.”

Whether they’re helping, or gleefully pushing them to the brink of death, it’s hard to tell.

The two of them briefly had such a thought, but soon recalled, ‘It’s better than Deus,’ and nodded diligently.

“Then what about Deus? What will Deus be doing during the break?”

“Originally, I was going to stay at the Cradle during the break and watch over you and the two seniors. But something came up. I think I’ll have to go help out there.”

It turned out that the Imperial Family realized that Deus was the best card the Empire could play.

If so, what should they do? Of course, they should use him. For such matters that have been postponed for various reasons until now.

*

To be honest, Deus had no intention of moving during the break.

But, receiving such tidings and letters, a change was inevitable.

[ Movements of subversive elements become more radical after the terror attacks on the Imperial Palace and the System. ]

“Junior. Is it permissible for the Helldiver woman to enter, do you think? If so, ‘twould be a fine thing, and if not, I shall bestow something commensurate upon her. It’s no great task. Simply accompany us on a hunt or two.”

The Empire laid the blame for all responsibility and damages squarely on the shoulders of the Ability Supremacists.

They maintained that while the demons were indeed the ones who committed the acts of destruction, it was the fools’ own folly in shattering the Sealstones that summoned them into this world, thus making them equally wicked.

They claimed that these supremacists were touting abilities as some divine favor, but in truth, they sought to slaughter all the people and offer this empty world as a gift to the demons.

The situation had reached a point where they, too, were cornered and acting desperately.

To remain silent would be to be branded traitors, willing to hand the world over to demons as the Empire desired. They had to overturn the Empire by any means necessary.

However, overturning the Empire was practically impossible. At best, they could only attack the Empire’s provinces or incite rebellions and betrayals among other ability users.

Alternatively, they could destroy the Sealstones, thus forcing the Empire to squander its strength in that region. But in the grand scheme, this would benefit the demons, ultimately precluding any popular support.

‘Fools. Utter morons. Do these ability users till the fields, producing wheat and barley? Do they mine minerals or fell trees? The most basic sectors of the Empire are managed by ordinary people without any abilities whatsoever. What ability supremacy are they even talking about?’

Deus genuinely scoffed at the grandiose rhetoric spouted by these individuals.

It was preposterous. No matter how superior these abilities might be, or how divine a gift they were,

using them as justification to lord over ordinary folk was now impossible, given the heroic acts that ability users had shown to date, and what the Empire had in turn done for these heroes. It was too positive.

If the Empire had simply exploited the ability users and then discarded them, things might have been different.

If that were the case, their arguments might have found some acceptance. Many more might have rallied to their cause.

But as if foreseeing such a future, the Empire had made certain the ability users were treated well,

leaving no room for dissent. Creating an atmosphere where the Empire was genuinely invested in these self-sacrificing individuals, in the eyes of all.

“It seems my junior thinks likewise. Yes. My own thoughts are no different.”

And just today, upon the start of vacation, Shabel, who was to move together with Deus, gave a satisfied smile.

“Had they repented their sins, even now, and returned to the shadow of the Empire, they might not have escaped punishment, but they could have saved their lives.”

“But they persist in believing they are right, and continue to wreak havoc throughout the Empire.”

“Yes. And what does this tell you? ‘Tis nothing more than the wails of corpses begging to be slain.”

Shabel, having said this, asked, “What say you, junior? Do you not concur?”

While there was a certain degree of excess, it was undeniably true. Deus nodded, prompting Shabel to break into a thoroughly pleased laugh.

“They likely cannot even imagine it. That the man who hunted demons is now coming to hunt them.”

“Would anything change if they did?”

“Assuredly. At least they would devise some plan to cling to their lifelines. Or flee, perhaps. That is what I would do! Hahaha!!”

A lie. Shabel would stand his ground and fight rather than flee.

Deus, knowing this too well, slightly rolled his eyes, prompting Shabel to clear his throat with a ‘ahem.’

“More importantly, are you certain you are up to it?”

“If you are asking whether I mind toiling during the vacation, worry not. Practically no students genuinely rest during vacation when told to do so anyway.”

Luciel, Nefertiti, and Yurisia, for instance, would be forfeiting their entire vacation to receive intensive training from Astaroth and Javis.

What could be more shameful than leaving them to such training and doing nothing but relaxing?

“Nay, nay. That is not what I meant.”

Shabel shook his head, subtly raising his hand to draw it across his throat.

A playful gesture, and expression. But even within it, there was a chilling atmosphere that felt nothing like a joke.

“This is unlike slaying monsters or eliminating demons. Though they be subversive elements and ability supremacists, in the end, they are humans just like yourself. It is the act of killing humans.”

“Indeed.”

“…It is not something to say so lightly. Murder is a far heavier curse than you imagine. Even I, an elf, shuddered from the guilt for a time, after the first.”

“I understand.”

“It is not something you should say so easily, junior. Murder… Haa. Enough. It is better to see and feel once than to say it a hundred times.”

Shabel, saying let’s go, takes the lead. Deus watches her for a moment, then follows.

He knows what Shabel is trying to say. He also knows what worries she holds. He, too, feels deeply uneasy.

Facing monsters or catching demons never caused him much revulsion or stress. They are, after all, completely different species from humans. He could just think of it as catching a few monsters.

But the ability supremacists are different. They are humans, like him. People.

Can he confidently say that he feels nothing? No. He would say that is impossible.

At the same time, he is also worried. What if he hesitates at a crucial moment and things go wrong?

‘Well. It can’t be helped. I should at least work hard on my image.’

Those things are not people. They are monsters. These b*stards are not human. They are demons.

After repeating that to himself for a moment, he felt much more at ease.

It was a truly unfortunate thing for the dissenters. To encounter a demon (who calls himself an angel), devoid of even a shred of hesitation, mercy, or even pity.