Chapter 81: Defense of Anat

…After Ilyu disappeared, silence fell over the sanctuary.

No one could speak. Not me, not Karl—no one said a word.

“……”

Former Hero Karl said nothing as he carried Noir, now a corpse turned Hero, out beyond the barrier.

“……”

At that moment, everyone in the sanctuary sensed it.

—That humanity was facing the greatest crisis it had ever known.

---

“So. What now, Karl?”

That night.

We returned to the inn and began the discussion.

“…So, we’re talking about either borrowing a ship and fleeing, or heading back to the capital to stop Ilyu, right?”

“Let’s say ‘evacuate,’ please. Karl no longer has the duty or the power to stand against monsters.”

Maika stared at Karl with a calm expression.

Karl had lost the Hero’s Blessing and was now just an ordinary man.

There was almost nothing he could do anymore.

“…You should run. The rest, leave to me.”

“Irine…”

Thinking it would be hard for Karl to say it himself, I made the suggestion for him.

That he should get to safety as soon as possible.

“Noblesse oblige. When danger threatens the people, it is we nobles who must stand at the forefront.”

“Irine. You’re… going, then?”

“Of course. I will relay today’s intel to Hero Aldebaran and fight alongside her.”

Now that he’d lost the Hero’s Blessing, Karl was just one of the civilians I had to protect.

No, not just that. He was an important comrade-in-arms.

“M-Me, run away alone…?”

“You’re not the only one, Karl. Everyone except me should cross the sea and escape.”

“…Huh?”

I urged the rest of the group to do the same.

Because aside from me, no one here had any reason to remain on this dangerous continent.

Whether that’s fortunate or not, I’m the only one in Karl’s party with any roots here.

The Lev siblings, Karl and Maika—they’d all lost their families and had nowhere to go. Sakura had lost her base in a demon attack and had nothing left to protect.

“Leave defending this country to me, a noble of arms. …Once it’s all over, let’s meet again.”

“…Irine. Are you really okay with this?”

“Of course. It is my duty.”

Traveling alone was lonely, but I’d learned the basics of it by now.

I could probably manage a solo journey to the capital, at least.

“Nope. I’m going to the capital with Irine.”

“Sakura-san?”

Whap—a light chop landed on my shoulder.

When I looked, my best friend Sakura was giving me an exasperated look.

“Nobles are supposed to stand on the front lines, aren’t they?”

“But you no longer have a domain…”

“Don’t insult me. Rewin’s only in their hands temporarily—it’s still my territory. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect that town.”

Sakura said it flatly. She’d already made up her mind to fight.

“And besides… those damn demons messed with my precious family. I plan to make them pay for that.”

There was no hesitation in her eyes.

The gaze of someone who’s accepted death and moved beyond it. …Sakura’s as strong as ever.

“Sorry, Master. You’re going to have to put up with me a little longer.”

“Yes, milady. I’ll stick with you, all the way to the land of the dead if I must.”

Her Master clearly knew she’d say that.

He gave a suave chuckle and accepted their march toward death.

“…There’s no one more reliable.”

“Besides, I’d worry leaving an airhead like you to go alone.”

I didn’t want to put her in danger—but I couldn’t deny it was reassuring.

I’d lost count of how many times she’d saved me on this journey.

“…Yeah. Sorry, Lev, but I think I’ll go with them to the capital.”

“…Big sis!?”

And it wasn’t just Sakura’s group who’d come with me.

To my surprise, the silent blade, Rey, also said he’d come along.

“You’re okay with this, Rey-san?”

“Yeah. From now on, I’ll be your shield. Let that be my atonement for what I did to you.”

…He still felt guilty about nearly killing me, apparently.

Even though he didn’t need to.

“Lev, you go with Karl and get off this continent. That man, at least, is trustworthy.”

“But…”

“I’m a killer. I don’t deserve to live in peace after running from demons. And I made a pact with Sayori. I’ll stay and fight.”

“…I see. Then we’ll be counting on your strength, Rey-san.”

“Yeah. Leave it to me.”

If he was staying, then we truly had a force to reckon with.

This man once defeated even Karl at the height of his Heroic power. My greatest firepower is still the Spirit Cannon, and I’d be far better off having someone guard me during its casting.

“Alright, then it’s settled. Karl and I will take Lev and flee the continent. The rest of you will head to the capital for the final battle.”

“Yes. I plan to join Aldebaran-san’s party. She once told me to come find her if anything ever happened to Karl.”

“I see. …Do your best. And don’t die.”

Thus, our course of action was decided.

Soon, the demon horde would descend on the capital. Before that, we had to meet up with Aldebaran and report everything we’d learned today.

About Ilyu, the Demon King’s abilities, their weaknesses—everything.

“…Hey, Irine. Are you… planning to kill Ilyu?”

“Due to the curse, I likely can’t. So I intend to look for a way to seal her instead.”

“I see. So even if you all win, Ilyu will be sealed away again.”

“Yes. Just as she said herself—this is a ‘war for survival.’”

Karl seemed to be wondering if there was any way to save Ilyu, sympathizing with her.

…Truthfully, I felt the same. If I were in her shoes, I might’ve plotted to wipe out humanity too.

But—

“…Is it really going to end with us killing each other?”

“Seems that way. We’re already past the point where either side can afford to compromise.”

“If she’s resolved to see it through, then we have no choice but to respond in kind.”

Ilyu had already killed too many humans—and the humans had betrayed her too deeply.

There was no path left for reconciliation. Besides—

“She never once used the word ‘justice.’”

“……”

“This isn’t a righteous crusade—it’s a war to survive. By stating that clearly, I believe she was trying to ensure that when we chose to fight, our hearts wouldn’t be burdened with guilt.”

Ilyu didn’t want our sympathy.

She wasn’t lashing out just to vent her hatred on us.

She was fighting to survive, to protect the demons who, through suffering and abuse, had become precious to her.

“This isn’t a battle about who’s right or who holds the moral high ground. That’s not what this is. That’s why there’s no stopping it with words.”

“……”

“That girl… is just far too kind.”

If Ilyu were a more cunning Demon King, she might have used our sympathy against us.

Or she could’ve gone into a frenzy, screaming and cursing to crush our will to fight.

But instead, she declared war honorably—stating her intentions plainly, even going so far as to name her target.

“To pity someone who’s made that kind of resolution would be an insult.”

A kind-hearted Demon King.

That’s who humanity now had to defeat.

Win or lose… the ending would leave a worse taste in our mouths than any battle before.

“I see… All right, then.”

“What is it now, Karl?”

Maybe he was thinking about our enemy—someone we all wished we didn’t have to fight.

“I’m going to the capital too!”

“Are you an idiot!?”

…Karl declared he would head to the capital with us.

Huh? Wait, what?

“Um, and what exactly do you mean by that?”

“It might sound naïve, but… I want to stop Ilyu.”

“……”

There it was again—Karl’s bad habit flaring up.

“…You’re right. That’s nothing but idealism. Like trying to live off a picture of a rice cake.”

“I know. But I still want to stake my life on that idealism.”

“Karl, listen…”

He said it with such clear, earnest eyes.

I didn’t hate that headstrong mindset of his…

“But Karl, seriously—this time, the opponent’s too much.”

“……”

“You’re just caught up in that usual sense of justice, aren’t you? Hey, dumb-Karl—if you’re not there, who’s going to protect me and Lev once we’re across the sea?”

Maika, looking thoroughly exasperated, started kicking Karl repeatedly in the shin.

But his expression doesn’t waver in the slightest.

“If we’ve got Maika, that’s enough to guard Lev, isn’t it?”

“You’re telling two delicate girls to move to an unknown continent!?”

“Delicate girls don’t crush bandits’ testicles.”

It seemed Karl had already made up his mind to come with us.

...But Karl, having lost the Hero’s Blessing, is now only as skilled as an average adventurer.

I don’t want to say it, but he’ll just be a burden. How can I convince him of that?

“Why are you going so far to follow us?”

“I want to talk to Ilyu again.”

“Hah? Talk? About what?”

“About peace. Maybe I can ask Garius-san to help us restore the Demon Territory.”

...Restoring the Demon Territory? There he goes again with the ridiculous ideas.

“There’s no way the kingdom would accept that. Why would they give land to humanity’s greatest enemy?”

“Yeah. I doubt we’d get any support for it.”

“But come on, isn’t leaving things like this just too cruel?”

Karl’s talk is all over the place. As expected, this guy really hasn’t thought anything through.

Man. I actually love that kind of thing, but...

Right now’s not the time.

“...First of all, how exactly do you plan to talk to her?”

“If we believe her words, then Ilyu herself is extremely weak. She’s probably always traveling with demon escorts.”

“Sounds about right.”

“In other words, if we spot some powerful-looking demons, they might lead us to the Demon King. Then I’ll charge in alone.”

“I see. So you're volunteering to be demon food, you idiot.”

Up to the point of tracking strong-looking monsters, he’s not entirely wrong. But going in alone? Definitely not.

“Karl, that’s just reckless.”

“...Is it?”

“Unbelievable. Why are you so hung up on Ilyu, anyway?”

“That’s obvious.”

Karl’s clinging harder than usual.

Is it just idealistic righteousness driving him?

“She's still our comrade, isn’t she?”

“...”

Or maybe it comes from some unshakable belief this guy holds deep inside.

“It’s a promise I already broke... but when she’s in trouble, I’m supposed to be the one to help her.”

“Come on, seriously.”

“Back then, she was calling out for help. Crying out in her heart for someone to stop her.”

Karl kept going.

“That moment when she killed Hero Noir, stood tall, and declared war—”

He had seen it. The helpless regret hidden behind Ilyu’s tearful eyes.

“It was like she was screaming at me, ‘Someone please stop me.’”

When someone looks at you like that, you can’t just turn your back.

Even if only for a short time, Ilyu had been Karl’s comrade.

“If I don’t go now, I’m no man.”

It might just be Karl’s delusion.

Maybe it’s all in his head, and Ilyu really does want us to run far, far away.

But if there’s even the slightest chance she’s calling for help—

“I’m going to save Ilyu.”

...And so, that was Karl’s true intention.

“...Maika-san, you’re his childhood friend, aren’t you? Please try persuading Karl-san.”

“No can do. Once he’s like this, nothing short of a crowbar’s moving him.”

“Hey, you get me perfectly. That’s my childhood friend for you.”

The former Hero grinned with a clear, carefree smile.

Ahh. Right. It’s exactly because he’s like this that he got chosen as a Hero in the first place. What an idiot.

“...If Karl and Bro are staying, then I want to stay too. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“So that leaves me borrowing a ship to escape by myself. ...Like hell I could do that!!”

“Yeah, thought so.”

Maika held her head in her hands and took a deep swig of liquor. Looks like she couldn’t handle this sober.

“So, in the end…”

“We all make a U-turn back to the capital, huh? Haaah, all that resolve I built up to head back alone... completely wasted.”

I followed Maika’s lead and had a strong shot of distilled liquor.

Seriously, this guy is absolutely hopeless.

“Well, as long as you don’t die, I’ll revive you. I’ll be charging you later, though.”

“Wait, I have to pay!?”

“Of course you do. You’re not a Hero anymore, and you’re just tagging along and adding to my workload. That’s only fair, right?”

“My collections department’s ruthless, Karl-danna. Better start saving up.”

“Haven’t seen that gangster side of you in a while.”

…Wait, does that mean I’m gonna get billed for any healing too?

Well, knowing Sakura, she’ll probably keep it within an amount my family back home can afford.

“Anyway, if it comes down to it, I don’t mind being disposable. Just think of me as a bodyguard to get Irine and Rey safely to Aldebaran.”

“You’re weaker than both of them. What kind of bodyguard are you supposed to be?”

“...A decoy? You’re good at that kind of thing, Maika.”

“Have you forgotten how Ilyu scolded you for treating your life so lightly, Karl?”

And like that, we made up our minds that day—
to face Ilyu in battle.

After a bit of drinking, we all finished packing to be ready for a first-light departure.

And just as we were about to get some rest to gather our strength for the journey back to the capital—

“VboooOOOvoh!!”

A grotesque beast’s roar—one I vaguely recognized—echoed across the town.

---

"Huh, Kong and the others ran off somewhere again?"

After Ilyu returned half-dead, she received a flurry of reports from the flustered goblins.

"Do you think Kong and the others still don’t accept me as their leader?"

"Ki."

"I hope that’s not the case..."

The giant mandrill-faced demons who had gotten into a brawl with Irine.

They rarely followed Demon Lord Yury’s orders, acting largely on their own.

The reason being—

"They’re in such a rush to rack up military exploits, like some old-school soldiers... I just hope they don’t overdo it."

"Gi-giih!"

They were incredibly short-tempered and aggressive creatures. Their hatred for humanity was... abnormally intense, to say the least.

Their massive bodies had once been tightly restrained, and compared to smaller demons like Yury and the goblins, they’d been afforded far less freedom and meager meals.

To vent that long-standing grudge, they would often go off on their own and raid towns.

Yury understood the depth of their resentment and, while she tried to gently rein in their behavior, she never strongly scolded them.

"So, which town did they head to this time? I really hope they don’t run into a Hero again and get wiped out like last time..."

"Gigigi..."

"...What?"

Unfortunately, just recently, they had attacked Rewin, where Karl happened to be staying—and were decimated, with fewer than half surviving the counterattack.

That time, Yury did scold Kong thoroughly and gave him a clear order not to go on any more unauthorized missions.

And yet... here we are again.

"Of all places... Anat!?"

"Kiki?"

"No, I mean, well... I suppose it’s fate."

Yet again, Kong, undeterred, had apparently gone off on his own to attack a human city.

The target this time was—none other than the coastal city of Anat, where Yury herself had just been moments ago.

If the city was attacked now, there was no way Karl’s party would have had time to flee across the sea.

Yury hesitated for a moment. If she rushed there now, she might still be able to stop Kong before the attack began.

...But.

"I no longer have a reason—or even the right—to go help Karl and the others."

"......"

"After all, we’re enemies now."

Yury had no obligation to protect humans. And with Karl’s current group, Kong should be more than enough to take them down.

At that moment, the only one there who might be able to defeat Kong was Irine.

The Silent Blade Rey was helpless against someone with Kong’s size advantage. Last time, he barely managed to escape with his life.

And Hero Karl had lost his powers. He was now just another adventurer.

Most likely, those who had been traveling with Ilyu until now... would all be annihilated.

"Irine-san might be able to take out a few of them... but that town’s probably done for."

After a brief hesitation, Yury quietly lowered her face and gently patted the head of the goblin who looked up at her in worry.

"Kong-san is such a handful."

"…Ki, kii."

"You goblins are so well-behaved... I’ll have to give those kids another lecture."

That expression on her face was that of a saint, overflowing with compassion and motherly warmth.