Main Route: Chapter 16: The Path to Happiness

The news that the hero and saint had fended off a large-scale invasion by the Demon King's army quickly spread throughout foreign countries.

However, few people have heard the details of the event in an accurate form.

Many countries and people could not believe that the demons would mobilize an army just to capture a single girl.

This is what some foreign countries thought.

Isn't the Demon King's army actually weak?

Some countries came to this despicable conclusion and mobilized their armies to march on the Demon King's country.

The Demon King's army annihilated them in the blink of an eye.

Encouraged by this, the Demon King's army marches on the human kingdom.

Four nations were destroyed in just one week.

And just as the Demon King's general had said, the ruined country was enslaved by the demons.

The people of that country are treated as slaves if it is convenient, and killed if it pleases them.

The demons laughed at it as entertainment and enjoyed it.

Is this too roundabout?

According to the words of one who miraculously managed to escape:

The men were killed and the women were raped.

And then they all died.

As a result, the times called for a ray of salvation.

The Hero and Saint fought against the Demon King's army repeatedly and emerged victorious.

Regardless of their nationality, military, or citizenship, they unite and gather together in search of the hero and the saint.

Before long, people began calling them the Hero Alliance Army.

"Filia"

I turned around when Trust called me.

Behind him are people who don't know how far they will go.

They were people who had gathered together while fighting alongside Trust.

Many of them have lost their homes and loved ones to the demons.

"What is it?"

"We just received a report from a scout. It seems the main force of the Demon King's army has moved."

"The main force..."

Ever since that day when he defeated the heroine, the girl Mare, it's been a dizzying series of battles.

The Demon King seemed to really want to violate me, and we fought with demons who had received imperial orders to capture me many times.

This includes the remaining two heroines.

Fortunately, I am still walking beside Trust in good health.

Trust has grew stronger.

He really gotten a lot stronger.

To the point where he can mow down evil demons like a god.

Well, in bed he's always dependent on me.

I think I've become strong enough to support Trust.

My swordsmanship has improved considerably, and I have become able to use magic freely.

People call me a Saint, and they think I can compete with the Hero.

Right now, we are marching forward with an army so large that it is unimaginable.

Despite the consequences, the Demon King's army oppressed humanity too much.

If we here were defeated by the demons, death awaited everyone regardless of age or gender...and so many countries were destroyed that the hatred took on the name of hope and even reached the Hero.

The scale of this has now grown to the point where it's a question of whether humans or demons will perish.

In other words, it's the final battle.

This battle will decide everything.

Can Trust be happy or not?

Happy ending or bad ending?

"Filia, thank you for being by my side until now."

"What happened all of a sudden?"

"No... If I don't tell you now, I don't know what's going to happen next."

...What a death flag.

You probably won't say something like, "If I survive..." from now on, right?

I look at Trust's face.

Yep, that's the face of someone trying to say that.

"So—"

"Trust-sama, would you please tell me about it after the battle is over?"

This world is real.

It may have started out as a game, but who knows what will become of it.

But it would be better not to say that line.

"...I understand. I'll survive and tell you."

"Yes!"

•

•

•

"Im-impossible...!"

The battle with the Demon King's army was extremely fierce.

There's no telling how many people were killed by the monstrous demon army.

Furthermore, the Demon King, the king of the demons, was truly in a class of his own.

I don't know how many times I almost gave up, wondering if I could beat this guy.

My bones are creaking, my head is pounding from lack of magical power, and I can barely stand.

However, whenever I began to lose hope, Trust always came to my rescue.

I supported Trust with support magic and fought back with my short sword.

As a result, Trust Hero's sword lit up and he successfully defeated the Demon King.

"Damn... I should have killed him that time..."

The Demon King said this with regret.

That time is when Trust is executed...or in the game, when the ending comes.

I came here to stop that from happening.

To save Trust.

"Because of you, I lost someone important to me. And you continued to take away people's loved ones. I won't say that I don't hold a grudge!"

Trust raises his sword again to deliver the final blow.

However, despite his frustrated expression, the Demon King was smiling.

What? Why are you laughing at this timing?

Are you still hiding something?

...The Demon King is an opponent who uses underhanded tactics.

He's the one who steals the beloved from Trust and then tries to get them to kill him.

Because he's that kind of guy, there's a high chance that something will happen again.

I ran towards Trust, who was swinging his sword down.

"Haaaah!"

The sword cuts through the Demon King.

It was a fatal blow in my eyes.

But…….

"Hehehe... I won't die like this... I'll drag you into the afterlife too...!"

The Demon King muttered.

Immediately afterwards, black miasma erupts from the Demon King's body.

Trust was in a position where he was sure to get caught up.

...I realized it too late.

Judging from the Demon King's words, it was a suicide attack that would result in instant death to his attacker if he died.

It must be powerful enough to kill even a Hero.

If this continues, Trust will die...

This world has doomed Trust to die

No one can help.

"...No!"

--I don't want you to die!

This feeling may be a love potion, a given feeling.

But still, it's real.

It's wrong that Trust, who has worked so hard, can't be happy!

"……Eh?"

Before I knew it, I had pushed Trust away.

A black miasma clings to my entire body.

It was filled with an evil torrent, and each particle was the shape of death.

It's like a black hole... trying to erase everything.

"---!"

A voiceless scream comes from my throat.

"Filiaaaaaaa!"

All the strength left my body, but the pain was so intense that I collapsed to my feet.

It felt as if space was distorting.

"Hahahaha! Hero Trust! May you continue to suffer forever in a world without your loved ones!"

"You bastard!"

That was the only voice that reached my ears, and after a loud slashing sound, everything went quiet.

I'm sure Trust really did defeat the Demon King.

I was convinced of this and lost consciousness.

Yes... I'm dead.

•

•

•

"How are you feeling after that?"

I heard a familiar voice.

Yes, it's the voice of God.

When I looked, the being I met before going to that world, God, was there.

"I think I'm feeling better, but how does God see me?"

"Well, what do you think?"

As always, God was an entity I didn't really understand.

Still, God is a benefactor.

He gave me that kind of time to be with Trust.

"What will happen to that world and Trust from now on?"

"He's on the path to a happy ending. I don't know if it's the one you wanted."

I see...

Did Trust attain happiness?

Yeah, that's good.

I honestly think so.

That's why I fought in that world.

"Do you like him?"

"Well, I did drink a love potion."

"That's strange, isn't it? The effects of that potion should have worn off a long time ago."

"..."

……Eh?

What do you mean worn off?

That's stupid...but it worked, didn't it?

Otherwise, there's no way I, a former man, could have sex with Trust, who is also a man, so many times.

"Didn't you ever think it was strange?"

"……Eh?"

"The fact that I, in my attempt to heal a cracked soul, would make something to deceive a person's heart."

……surely.

If he really wanted to heal my soul, he wouldn't do something like that can manipulate my mind.

So ... really?

Even if that's the case, when and at what point did it stop working?

……I don't know.

I don't remember my feelings for Trust diminishing in the slightest.

However, I am aware that I have been blaming everything on the love potion and running away from my own feelings.

It's like the love potion is the reason why a former man like me can do naughty things with a man named Trust.

Besides... it's okay to lie.

Even if these words are meant to make you believe something, I think that's fine.

"I'll ask again. Do you like him?"

...I like him.

There's no need to think about it again.

I like strong and weak Trust.

I like that young man who can't even fight without a girl to comfort him.

I want to be by his side forever.

He is someone who cannot live alone.

"I love Trust... I really love him..."

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Why am I in a place like this?

Why can't I be by his side?

I love him so much, I love him so much, why...

I wanted to stay in that world longer.

I wanted to be with Trust.

...I guess I'm crazy too, falling in love with a man even though I was once a man.

Still, I wanted to spend more time with him.

"Your feelings were real."

"...Real?"

"Yes, about you want to save him."

Of course.

I kept watching Trust on the screen, unable to reach out.

And then we were together in that world.

There's no way these feelings are false.

"...What would you do if I told you that you were a created being?"

"Created being?"

"In reality, you are a being who was created for the Hero Trust, who prayed to God in his deepest despair. What would you do if I artificially created you to grant that wish?"

So it's a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Am I created just to save Trust, or because I want to save Trust that I was created?

……it doesn't matter.

In fact, it's a good thing.

That means I'm a useful presence that Trust needs.

"Even if these feelings are artificial, that's fine."

I don't understand anything difficult.

No matter what came first, the chicken or the egg, an egg is an egg and a chicken is a chicken.

I'm an idiot, so... as long as I know whether I like it or not, that's fine.

"I see. Then it's all good now."

"All good……?"

"Have you forgotten? That's what you told me?"

"I want the protagonist of that game... Trust to have a happy ending. I'd be happy just to watch it for a little while."

I said.

I certainly said that.

"I think you already have the answer."

"……yes"

Trust is a weak man.

He's strong enough to defeat the Demon King, but his heart is weak.

If someone doesn't support him, he'll fall down somewhere.

He's not the kind of guy who can survive and have a happy ending on his own.

He is weak and lonely...but also kind and strong.

He is such a dirty man who's so good at sex that it is evil that it makes me laugh.

"Please do your best. I wish you happiness."

"Yes. Thank you. Really... thank you..."

He said the same thing to me as he did back then, and I expressed my gratitude.

It's similar to before, but it feels different.

This time... yes...

--Let's go make Trust truly happy.