He didn't know what expression he was making right now.
Blood dripped from his clenched hand. Trying not to break the communication soon, Nine forced his mouth to open.
"... Sorry, but I'll change my words. No support is needed."
"Yes? What is that..."
"The number of survivors has just changed. There are 0 survivors. Report annihilation."
"The adjutant is alive, so what are you saying..."
Tuk. The broken communication stone fell to the floor and military boots crushed it.
It was a communication stone that could not be recovered anyway. At the very least, he must prevent it from falling into the hands of the enemy. Nine, who had been rubbing his feet on the floor, looked up to see that it had been reduced to powder.
His gaze met brown eyes that were far from friendly.
'...'
He opened his mouth. Because the distance was quite far away, he couldn't hear the sound, but he could clearly read the shape of the mouth.
"You didn't run away."
"..."
Instead of answering, he took the step he had been taking. Nine burst out laughing as he walked straight towards that damned hero. The two eyes, opened straight as if they would not lose, were stinging.
'... I know what the right action is.'
He knew in his head that he should have run away. The Corps Commanders' adjutants serves as Deputy Corps Commanders and are also a candidates for Corps Commanders. Although they are not as good as the Corps commanders, they ar still a valuable force.
His superior gave him enough time to run away, so he had to run away. That was right.
'But.'
Nevertheless, from the beginning, his options did not include leaving his boss and running away. The best thing he could think of was to stay far away and call for support so as not to interfere with the fight.
But his boss died.
The graying head asked questions in a stream of consciousness. What was his last conversation with him?
'It will take a long time, so go first.'
He was really calm.
'It must have been annoying, but you worked hard to take care of someone like me... I was really grateful.'
The shadow was always stepped on by someone's feet. Hell was a shadow.
He said he doubted whether he could stand above someone like that and stand shoulder to shoulder with them. He also said it was awkward.
If he had been another ambitious lieutenant, he had such low self-esteem and naivety that he would have thought it was right and tried to rise above him. When Nine first came in as an adjutant, if the Demon King hadn't ordered him to help him make full use of his abilities, he might have tried to devour him, too.
No matter how it started and what his true feelings were, he raised him by coaxing him to take advantage of his low self-esteem and made him a proper Corps Commander.
... He's the Commander of the Corps that he raised.
"Why did you come back? I would have let you go if you had just run away."
"... Move that foot first."
"Such rudeness."
He took a step back. Nine's eyes wavered as Hell's body was fully exposed. Even though he had already seen him die from afar, seeing him die up close was even more shocking.
Regret weighed on his heart.
'…I should have stayed, even if I had to force myself to do so.'
The opponent was a monster.
This was true even considering that the use of magic was suppressed because there was a castle nearby.
Using his unique ability to hide in the shadows, he sensed his location and plunged his sword into the ground to injure him. Even if Hell moves around in the shadows, he reacts as soon as he appears. Even moving behind his back and making a surprise attack was useless.
Senses as agile as an animal, as if specialized for combat.
It was a battle with a strong possibility of losing. It was right to avoid it.
Hell himself would know better than that. Why...
'... Ah.'
Nine stopped breathing as a thought passed through his mind.
He was the problem.
He was the reason why Hell, who was only pushed into battle and could have lost enough weight if he were alone, continued to hang around here and deal with that hero. As soon as he realized that fact, he shouted at the soldiers.
'Everyone retreat! It doesn't matter if you scatter! We will meet again at the previous castle...'
'I forgot to say this.'
He was quickly interrupted by a calm voice.
The 'hero', who plunged his sword precisely into the shadow where Hell was hiding, smiled smoothly. When he pulled out the sword, there was blood on the blade.
'You can't escape.'
'... What bullshit...'
'I hired mercenaries. They surrounded this area. They are useful people who were carefully selected. A strong person like a Corps Commander or a direct subordinate would be able to kill an ordinary demon soldier who can't even use magic.'
'...'
'Well, if I were to die, they would just leave because there would be no client to pay them.'
His superior was prepared. He feelt him strengthening. It's a dangerous situation where if anything goes wrong, everyone could die. Nine clenched his fists.
What is the best outcome that can be achieved in the current situation? What number should he use?
His head spun tightly. The brain realized that it could not take care of everything no matter what it did, so it chose to abandon relatively light things and take care of important things.
'Hell, I will stay.'
Discard the regular soldiers and adjutants and save the Corps Commander.
He told him to run away because he would rather deal with him.
Since the Corps Commander was more important than the adjutant, it was an objectively correct decision.
'I don't like it.'
But the reason he couldn't do it was because his boss was unusually stubborn.
'Deon said he believed in me.'
'...'
'At least I have to send my subordinates alive.'
Ah. The moment Nine heard those words, he realized it.
Eventually, the side effects occurred. He felt so weak.
It is certainly more effective to be recognized by someone who is capable and respected than to praise a subordinate for being great, but...
'Commander Deon...'
He forced back the lament that was about to burst out and came back to reality and saw the 'hero' in front of him. He glared at the 'hero'.
He tilted his had as if he didn't understand.
Green hair flowed in time with the movement.
"It seems like your superior wanted to save at least one of you..."
"..."
"Are you planning on making his death in vain?"
"Shut up."
All the ordinary soldiers died.
The order to gather together and focus on one area instead of scattering was of no use. Because it was faster for mercenaries to gather than to break through the siege.
Unfortunately, they were standing in teams and had flares.
"At least you don't have the right to say that."
"... That's great loyalty."
I feel like I'm the villain. You are clearly the invaders. Stigma muttered softly.
"Yes, I can't help it that you really want to die."
"I don't want to die."
"That's a firm answer. But what would it be like to fight alone against an opponent you can't defeat, if it's not to make you want to die?"
"... I just..."
Nine hesitated, unable to finish his words, and eventually fell silent for a moment, unable to find the right words to say. He didn't know what to say about the emotions that gave rise to this irrational behavior.
After searching beyond the common sense of the demon world and even the common sense of the human world, he finally found a plausible analogy.
"... What parent would just walk away when faced with the person who killed their child?"
"... I see."
He understood. Stigma sighed.
The goal of killing the 8th Corps Commander has already been achieved, so there was no reason to shed more blood, but this was unavoidable.
"In that case, I have no choice but to deal with you."
Since signal flares had also been used, let's get this over with quickly.
There may be a force that saw the signal and sent someone.
For example, Shanguk or the Revolutionary Army. If he waited any longer, he might end up getting involved with a troublesome force, so he lightly swung his sword, brushed off the blood on it, and aimed the sword in an elegant and hesitating manner as always.
***
His body collapsed. His vision became blurry and his breath caught in my throat.
It was an instant that defeat was certain. In fact, it was a future that was decided from the beginning.
'I'm going to die soon.'
Nine smiled faintly.
It's okay, because the pain that inevitably follows in the current situation is bearable. Since he had already prepared himself for the fact that he would die, it didn't really matter.
However...
'...'
He looked at Hell's body lying nearby and opened his mouth.
"Do you know what the most powerful magic is that demons can use?"
"... Hmm?"
"It's magic that uses the magical power that forms the body."
The bodies of demons are made of the Demon King's magical power. Whether it is made up of pure magic power or something else combined, the fact that magic power is involved never changes.
In other words, the magic that utilizes this is the most powerful magic that even demons who have consumed all their magical power can use.
He had no intention of wasting this, so he quickly opened his mouth before he ran out of breath.
"It is a magical power directly related to the soul... although it is not used very often."
Hisy words come out in a halting manner due to lack of breath. Is it the leisure of the powerful or is it mercy that makes him want to listen to his last words?
He smiled faintly at the person who silently listened to his voice gradually becoming louder without managing to slit his throat.
"'In order to achieve what you truly desire.'"
"... Hmm?"
"'You will have to give up your life.'"
The Commander of the 5th Corps once said, "I heard that humans value hope and life the most."
It is said that wishes are the goals and milestones of life. She said that without it, they would find no reason to live and would even throw away their precious life.
Nine had no intention of just leaving without being able to get revenge on the person who killed Hell. Therefore, he cursed him to give up either his hope or his life, so which will he give up?
The body began to crumble. Nine closed his eyes, feeling dizzy as his vision began to fall apart.
Finally, he heard that voice.
"... He gave me a choice that I didn't need to worry about."
It's pure.
***
Communication has ended. I looked at the blood, which had risen to a higher level, and then raised my head. I made eye contact with the Demon King.
I spoke, pretending to be nonchalant as I rummaged through my pockets and took out a new cigarette.
"Sorry."
"... What."
The Demon King, who was silently looking into red eyes, lightly shrugged his shoulders.
"It's not your fault. Who would have thought that the Empire's second hero would pop out of nowhere?"
"..."
"Rather... cigarettes."
No, should he call it medicine?
"It seems like the dependence on medicine is increasing…"
"... Heroes are immune to addiction."
"The body may be, but the mind is not."
"..."
"What should I do with you?"
With a light lament, he took the cigarette out of my hand. The Demon King didn't stop there, but searched through my pockets and arms and took everything. He smiled and shook what was in his hand.
"It's a lot. Even if it's like this, it's still not an addiction?"
"..."
"I've warned you repeatedly until now, but you've ignored it. Until now, the baseline for 'self-control' was vague, so I just overlooked it, but not this time."
Wow.
The cigarette pack crumpled in his grasp.
"From now on, I'm going to issue a ban on smoking for you. Just in case, I should also issue a ban on drugs. You may take drugs that are not in the form of cigarettes and insist that they are not 'cigarettes.' It's not like you don't know what my intention was when I gave that order."
"What...!"
"Deon."
A soft voice interrupted.
"How long has it been since I gave you the order not to smoke anymore?"
"..."
"It wasn't even an hour or 30 minutes, let alone a day. But it's not like you moved anywhere. You stood there quietly and took out a cigarette again."
The Demon King lightly smiled as his eyes widened. The eyes revealed between the eyelids shone coldly.
"Since you completely ignored my wishes, don't you think this level of punishment is warranted? You shouldn't have anything to say to me."
"... But."
"Commander of the 0th Corps."
The smile disappeared from the Demon King's eyes.
"You should listen to the Demon King, right?"
"..."
The way her always called me was 'Hero' or 'Deon', not this, '0th Corps Commander.'
I realized what he meant and muttered under my breath. Dammit.
"... I understand."
"Great."
His eyes curved again with a smile as if he had never done that before.
That sight was disgusting. Out of luck, I cursed under my breath and said,
"Tsk."
"...?"
Oh, that's not it.
"Then I'll go back to my room to revise the plan at this point."
"... Did you just... Tsk?"
"Yes? Me?"
"..."
Well... I'm sure my nerves are getting sharper now that the
medicine has been taken away.
The Demon King, who had a dazed look on his face for a moment and smiled slightly, held out his hand to tell me to go in.