CHAPTER 44

Consider All Possibilities

The emperor stares at me with eyes more piercing than the tip of his sword, and I instinctively retreat.

“I am terribly sorry, Goddess, but I need you to die. I will pierce your vital organs with this blade.”

“Y-you’re kidding, right?!”

“I hear that, as long as you’re alive, the Hero can escape to the spirit world whenever he wishes. That is why I must kill you first and cut off his path of retreat. This is a standard practice used in battle.”

So he’s going after Seiya?! But why?!

The emperor raises his wrinkled hand out before me.

“Old age is cruel. My steel-like body, my clear mind—all of it has become like this. I didn’t go to the Demon Lord’s stronghold, Alphoreiz, because I have a chivalrous heart. I went there to grant this old body of mine a heroic end…and that is how I encountered the Demon Lord.”

Rosalie told us he never made it to Alphoreiz! Yet he’s telling me that he already crossed paths with the Demon Lord?!

“He saw through it all. He even knew the wish I had buried deep within my heart. Then he bestowed the God Eater upon me. Now…let us put an end to this idle talk. I must be quick before I black out again.”

The emperor holds the black sword back in a rear stance.

“I once truly did worship and respect the gods. Therefore, as an act of compassion, I will kill you with a single strike.”

“Stop!! Waaaaaait!”

I scream at the top of my lungs, casting away my goddess-like behavior, but the Warmaster thrusts his large sword without hesitating even a moment.

“Gwaheeeek?!”

The emperor shows slight surprise as I twist my body, somehow managing to dodge the attack.

“I am impressed you dodged that. You have better eyes than I thought. Even I would have trouble ending the life of a target that keeps moving.”

“Ah?!”

A dull pain suddenly shoots through my legs as my body simultaneously begins flying backward and falling to the ground.

“…That’s why I have no choice but to do this.”

After sweeping me onto the floor, the emperor sits astride me, then points the God Eater right at my heart.

Wait, wait, wait! What’s going on?! Am I really going to die?! Is my soul really going to disappear, too?! B-but…!

“N-no… I don’t…”

After a faint, trembling voice rushes out of my mouth, the emperor looks at me in disgust.

“Are you afraid to die? You poor thing. While you may be a goddess, it seems you are really no different from a young girl.”

He lifts the sword higher into the air.

“But I will still show no mercy!”

I’m so scared and in so much pain that the tears just flow down my cheeks. I thought I was immortal, but I’m going to be killed. I’ve never felt fear like this before…and yet, this sense of despair seems familiar. I feel like I know what it means to be helpless, having my life robbed from me.

“Seiya… Help…”

I unconsciously mutter his name. Then the emperor shakes his head.

“Reality isn’t a fairy tale. In the real world, Heroes do not show up and save those in danger in the nick of time. The Hero will not come for you. Nobody expects that I would attack the goddess, and nobody believes that a goddess could even die in the first place. The Hero knows that most of all. That is why he is probably off hunting the remaining Demon’s Sword soldiers without a care in the world.”

He’s right. Seiya would never show up so conveniently to save me. But it isn’t about what’s logical. Driven into a corner, my soul calls for the Hero to come save me.

“Help…! Seiyaaaaaaaaa…!”

“Your struggles are futile. Goddess, it is time for you to return to the source.”

As the emperor brandishes the sword over his head, I promptly cover my chest with my arms. But I know this is a meaningless gesture. The sword will go through my arms, pierce my heart, and I’ll die.

I know it’s too late to regret anything now, but…at the very least…I wish I’d made up with Seiya before I died…

The actual moment of death is too frightening to witness, so I look away. Tears welling up in my eyes, I stare at the entrance to the cathedral. Then…it flies open with a bang! As the sun peeks through, an arrow of light soars through the air toward the emperor like a ray of sunshine.

“Hmm?!”

Before piercing my heart, the Warmaster lifts up his sword to a mid-stance and knocks away the three light arrows with the God Eater.

Th-that was Shining Arrow! Seiya?!

But the Hero is nowhere to be found. Instead, pale as a sheet, Rosalie stands at the entrance.

“Th-this can’t be…! Surely, my father would never attack the goddess…!”

Elulu and Mash poke their heads out from her side.

“Ristie!! Are you okay?!”

“Master Seiya was right!”

They immediately rush over to my aid. Then I hear the violent sound of swords clashing beside me as I lie on the ground. When I look to my side, I see the Adamantitor and God Eater clash! Out of nowhere, Seiya now stands before me, crossing blades with the emperor.

“Get away from her, old man.”

The Warmaster is even more taken aback than I am.

“I see. You used the light arrows to dazzle me, then snuck in. At any rate, I can’t believe you actually showed up.”

“I told you to get away from her. Without Rista, I… I…”

I have never seen Seiya this serious before. The tears endlessly slide down my cheeks as my chest burns. With a straight face, Seiya says:

“I… I won’t be able to return home without her.”

…Yep. That’s…yep. I figured.

Seiya swings his leg with all his might.

“Gwahn?!”

And he kicks me high into the air like a soccer ball. When I hit the ground, I continue rolling all the way toward the others until Mash suddenly stomps on my face to stop me.

“Oof!”

“Oh, crap! S-sorry, Rista! You okay?!”

“I wouldn’t say I’m okay, but yeah… More importantly, what are you guys doing here?!”

“Seiya suddenly said, ‘I’m worried about Rista. If something happens to her, I won’t be able to return home’! So we came back midway there!”

I glance at Seiya once more as he faces the emperor. They draw back their locked swords and create some distance between each other.

“Hero, let me ask you this one thing… Do you have powers of clairvoyance?”

“Unfortunately, no. All I can do is explore the possibilities. You attacking Rista was one of those possibilities.”

“I don’t get it. What do you mean?”

“You want to know why? Then let me tell you.”

Seiya begins explaining in a clear voice.

“Maybe the general, Eraser, actually just pretended to be killed by the emperor but is still alive and will wait until I’m gone to attack the capital. Maybe Eraser is actually dead but turned into a ghost and will resurrect. Maybe Eraser won’t attack the capital, but the Demon Lord himself will. In addition…”

He endlessly continues listing things off as if he’s delirious.

“What…? What is he going on about?”

The Warmaster stares at Seiya in utter confusion. But Seiya’s misguided possibilities gradually move toward the truth.

“…It’s common knowledge that goddesses can’t die, but perhaps even then, the Demon Lord of this so-called S-ranked world used his irregular powers to create a weapon that could even kill a god. In addition, when the emperor went to the northern continent of Alphoreiz, perhaps he actually encountered the Demon Lord and received said weapon after the Demon Lord won him over…which means he could be after Rista. In other words…”

Seiya sets his unbelievably piercing eyes on the Warmaster.

“Maybe the Warmaster, Wohlks Roseguard, is my enemy.”

A jolt of electricity runs through my body.

“Maybe, maybe, perhaps”?! What’s with this guy?! He’s seriously sick in the head! Real sick! But it’s amazing! It’s truly wonderful! I don’t know why, but I can’t stop crying!

Seiya throws me a sharp glance for some reason while I explode with emotions.

“And perhaps…this goddess is a fake.”

“…! I’m the real thing! Can you stop with the speculating already?!”

After I yell at him, the emperor suddenly begins cackling.

“I am truly amazed. It’s not that you’re sharp and have good intuition. It’s astounding and incomprehensible caution that exceeds logic, common sense, and even trickery.”

Then he steels his face and glares at Seiya.

“But all that has changed is the order in which you die! I will just take care of the goddess after I bury you!”

“F-Father! Don’t do this! This… This is…!”

The father points the tip of the black sword at his daughter as she tries to approach.

“Stay back, Rosalie! If you get any closer, I won’t even show you mercy!”

“B-but why…?!”

Rosalie is stunned, not by the emperor’s tremendous power but by the fact that she was betrayed by someone she loved and respected. She withers and falls to her knees. The emperor turns to Seiya in an amused manner as if his daughter doesn’t even exist.

“I was a dreamer in my younger years, but I was never able to become the world-saving Hero I so longed to be. That’s why nothing could bring me more joy than fighting you.”

He poises himself, pointing the God Eater at Seiya.

“Seiya! Watch out! That sword can kill not only me but you, too! It can break your soul!”

“The goddess speaks the truth. If I destroy your heart or brain with this sword, then your soul will cease to exist, leaving you unable to return to your world. So? How does it feel to fight an enemy on even footing for the first time?”

The Warmaster tries to intimidate Seiya, but the Hero simply grunts.

“Hmph. If I win, none of that matters.”

In his free right hand, Seiya unsheathes the platinum sword-plus as well.

“Mode: Double Eternal Sword…!”

He holds the blade aloft in his left hand while taking a medium stance with the sword in his right. As the Hero gets ready to attack, the emperor smirks. However…

“Mn… Gwah?! Ahhh!”

The emperor suddenly begins moaning in agony, slamming the God Eater on the ground to hold himself up like a cane.

I-is he having one of those blackouts?! We’ve got him! Once that happens, it will literally be like stealing candy from a baby!

However, even while in excruciating pain, the Warmaster maintains his self-deprecating smile.

“Heh-heh… This pathetic, old body is on the verge of rotting away. However, all of that ends today. If I can relive my glory days, then I would be more than happy to offer this soul to the Demon Lord…”

The emperor pulls something out of his pocket and pops it in his mouth. Immediately, a black aura begins oozing out of his body.

“The Demon Lord bestowed this Demon Spirit Orb unto me along with the God Eater. In return for changing humans into demons, it can reverse the body’s aging and restore its youth…”

The emperor’s body transforms as he speaks. His white hair changes into a pale azure, similar to Rosalie’s, and the wrinkles on his face gradually fade. Muscle begins growing on his feeble, skinny arms and legs…and the once eighty-something-year-old emperor transforms into a young man of around twenty.

“Heh… Ha-ha-ha! I can feel the power running through my veins! I have returned to my prime—no, I have become stronger than ever!”

As he roars with booming, bloodcurdling laughter, I notice he now has fangs, and his eyes are glowing red.

I use Scan on the demon Warmaster and check his status.

WARMASTER WOHLKS ROSEGUARD
LV: 90
HP: 359,985	MP: 0
ATK: 302,225	DEF: 293,664	SPD: 257,511	MAG: 0	GRW: 789
Resistance: Fire, Water, Lightning, Ice, Earth, Holy, Dark, Poison, Paralysis, Instant Death, Sleep, Status Ailments
Special Abilities: Darkness’s Blessing (LV: MAX), Evolve Attack (LV: MAX)
Skills: Style: Evil Light, Crush Evil Light, Massive Evil Light
Personality: Valiant

…His attack is over three hundred thousand?! That’s even higher than the last general, Eraser—by a lot! The sable aura radiating from the emperor’s body swallows the God Eater, transforming it into darkness itself.

From having swallowed the Demon Spirit Orb, the emperor obtained the powers of darkness. He raises his sword high into the air.

“S-Seiya… Huh?!”

Unlike me, Seiya isn’t cowering but instead charging right at him!

“Now’s my chance.”

He immediately uses Double Eternal Sword, but the Warmaster manages to defend with the God Eater. However…

“Mn…! What strange movement. What manner of swordsmanship is this?”

Eternal Sword defies what’s possible for the human arm—and Seiya is dual wielding. Although the emperor may have astonishing stats, he seems to be desperately struggling to defend against such high-speed attacks of afterimages, which create yet more afterimages.

“Don’t push your luck, boy!”

Arcing his sword in a wide swing with all his might, the emperor knocks the Eternal Sword strikes away. However, the unbelievable power of his own strike causes the emperor to clumsily stumble.

Seeing how overpowered the emperor is makes me realize what Seiya meant when he said, “Now’s my chance.”

O-ohhh! The emperor still isn’t used to his body after suddenly restoring his youth!

After the Warmaster loses his balance, Seiya begins attacking with Double Eternal Sword once more. The emperor is gradually pushed back by Adenela’s special move. Even as a bystander, Seiya’s advantage is evident. Just one more push, and the emperor’s guard will be broken—or so I think. He suddenly breaks his silence.

“Double Eternal Sword—an awe-inspiring technique that rivals or may even surpass Eraser’s six-weapon strikes. However…”

The emperor’s eyes continue to darken until they’re a cardinal red.

“I have seen all you have to offer.”

Immediately, a trail of black light comes into view, knocking the platinum sword-plus out of Seiya’s hand and onto the floor.

“Take this! Style: Evil Light!”

Black geometrical figures are drawn in the air. Seiya, with only one sword, faces the emperor’s incredible attack that not even Eraser could withstand using six arms.

“Seiya…!”

The moment I scream, I hear Seiya’s bones violently creak.

“…Eternal Sword EX.”

The Adamantitor in Seiya’s left hand moves as if it is tracing the black light of the emperor’s blade. All I can hear is the continuous sound of the Adamantitor deflecting the God Eater’s attacks grating in my ears.

I-is that the Ultimate Eternal Sword?! That’s the move Adenela used against Thanatos! Since when does Seiya know that?!

The emperor marvels at the sight, as do I.

“I’m impressed you were able to block my attacks with a single arm. I see. It all makes sense. Small wonder that you have gone undefeated up to this point. I’m sure you’ve never even been in trouble in any of your fights until now.”

Yep! Seiya is the most talented Hero in the world, after all! And he’s about to slice you to ribbons, too! Right, Seiya?

Thinking that to myself, I glance at Seiya’s profile and gasp. On his cheek is a fresh wound leaking onto the floor.

I-is that blood?! Was he not able to entirely fend off the Evil Strikes?!

I notice sweat mixed in the blood, dripping down Seiya’s face.

“The Demon Lord once told me the Hero is summoned from a world without wars or struggle.”

The emperor then stares fixedly at Seiya with his crimson eyes.

“You are a boy from a peaceful world. While you have talent, you do not know pain. So allow me to show you a real fight where your flesh shall be torn and your blood spilled.”