Elsez, still eyeing Dike with wariness, touched the communication earring at her ear.
“Dike spotted. West annex, women’s quarters.”
After relaying her location to the four, her gaze dropped once more to Ruel’s lifeless body.
Dike, watching Elsez’s hardened expression, asked,
“Do you feel sympathy, since it was once your body, even if just a fake?”
“No. Not at all.”
She felt no pity for the woman who had stolen her body, pretended to be the saint, and slaughtered countless innocents.
Still, it’s unpleasant… seeing the body I lived in for ten years lying dead like this.
But more than anything, anger boiled within her at the fact her own flesh had been used, manipulated, and discarded by the woman before her.
Dike’s lips curled in satisfaction.
“With you showing up right on time, my scenario is complete.”
“…What, that ‘Hero Ruel Iris bravely fought against the demon lord Elsez Rohen and died with honor’ sort of scenario?”
“I was thinking of adding a little more to it.”
Elsez narrowed her eyes, watching as Dike drew closer.
Light gathered in Dike’s hand until a holy sword took shape.
“The saint Dike, gathering all her strength once more, took up the holy sword to oppose the demon lord. And then…”
In the next instant, she flashed forward, holy sword swinging at Elsez as she finished,
“…after a fierce battle, she struck down Elsez Rohen.”
Elsez barely managed to block with a reinforced hand, but the sheer force of the blow rattled her whole body.
“Urgh…!”
One slip, and her hand would be severed.
She quickly let go and leapt back before a gap could open.
“Weren’t you planning to frame me as the demon lord, not kill me outright?”
“The plan’s changed. I’ll capture you, tear the demon’s soul from you, and create a new demon lord with a new body.”
Since you refuse to play the part I assigned you, you’re troublesome, Miss Elsez.
Her words were swallowed by the rumble of a sudden explosion.
The nearby building shook violently, dust and heat rolling over them.
Dike sighed as though disappointed.
“If only you’d acted according to my plan as the demon lord, so many innocent people wouldn’t have died today. Pitiful, isn’t it?”
It was an obvious attempt to needle her with guilt, but Elsez only smirked.
“You should at least twist the truth with a straight tongue.”
With that, she conjured a teleportation circle.
Dike, expecting a sudden strike from behind, whipped around—only to find nothing there.
She only pretended to teleport to throw me off—
But before the thought finished—
“If not for your ridiculous cause, none of them had to die!”
Elsez’s fist smashed into her.
Crash!
The blow hurled Dike through the wall and out into the open air.
Yet as she plummeted, her lips curved into a triumphant smile.
Now that we’re outside, the survivors will witness this battle.
The more spectators, the better. To their eyes, she would appear the saint, fighting for peace against the demon lord.
She landed from a height that would cripple an ordinary person, but her body absorbed it without a scratch.
Thud!
Elsez leapt down after her, striking from above—but Dike dodged and countered. Elsez slipped past her blade with ease and retreated, widening the distance.
A teleport circle flared behind her, and Rashiel stepped through. Almost at once, Tezette joined them.
Moments later, Astaire and Cassian appeared, the five heroes who once vanquished a demon lord gathered again.
Dike looked at them with feigned sorrow.
“So the four of you have truly chosen to defend the demon lord—and become enemies of the entire continent?”
Elsez, expression cold, retorted,
“If you die here, won’t history be rewritten? Heroes who struck down the villain who made a demon lord and sacrificed innocents.”
“…”
“Just as you’ve always done.”
History was written by the victors, regardless of truth.
That was how Reti had been branded a demon, evil incarnate.
“But unlike before, this time the truth will be recorded.”
At her words, the four heroes behind her formed up in battle array.
Dike sneered.
“Even if you do defeat me, do you think the history I’ve built will simply be overturned? For over a thousand years, people have believed the demon lord is evil, and the saint is good. Even if you win, they’ll still see you as villains who killed the saint.”
But despite her cutting logic, Elsez smiled calmly.
“Well… after seeing this, do you think they still will?”
She drew something from her pocket and tossed it before Dike.
Dike flinched, thinking it was an attack—but what rolled before her was only a vision orb.
Why this…?
She eyed it warily as the orb lit up and activated.
That place is…
The scene shown was the underground chamber beneath Dike’s office—now destroyed in the explosions.
And in the vision was Dike herself.
She lifted the holy sword, sliced through empty air, and tore open a rift. Then, she poured monster and beast eggs into it.
Dike’s eyes flickered violently.
Astaire…? Did he record this? But he had nothing on him at the time…
The vision shifted to her conversation with Astaire.
“The monster eggs you just put into the rift—are those what become the creatures pouring out from it?”
“That’s right.”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
“Everything I do is for this world.”
“And hiding the fact you can use the holy sword—was that for the same reason?”
“If I act, evil in this world disappears too quickly.”
“…And if evil disappears, the Holy Nation’s prestige suffers?”
“Do you think I’d go this far just for my own prestige?”
As she watched, Dike realized the truth.
This wasn’t something Astaire had recorded with a device—it was playing directly from his memories.
…It’s Astaire’s memory being replayed.
Her face, calm until now, twisted horribly.
“You must’ve gone through a lot of trouble making this.”
She crushed the orb under her heel.
“But who’s going to believe this is real?”
“Half the continent, probably.”
Elsez’s words made Dike’s brow furrow.
“…Half the continent?”
“By now, these orbs are already spread across the land. Including this temple.”
Dike stared at her, stunned.
But Elsez’s eyes weren’t those of someone bluffing.
In just a week, she mass-produced these and scattered them across the continent?
Elsez’s lips curled in a knowing smile as she answered the unspoken doubt.
“Oh, of course—I didn’t do it alone.”
“…”
“There are plenty of people who love this world. Unlike you, they choose decent and righteous ways.”
Indeed, it hadn’t just been the five heroes involved in this plan.
Elsez had sought out Tracia.
That was some time ago—when Rashiel had left for the Empire.
While checking Rashiel’s news through the papers, Elsez learned Tracia was working on a new magical device.
A device called the Memorial Stone, capable of extracting memories.
Elsez is Ruel, the one you once knew.
Through Rashiel, Elsez revealed her true identity and asked Tracia to use that invention to draw out the memories of Astaire and Tezette.
Normally, Tracia—who always placed her own safety above all else—would have flatly refused such a request. But…
“…I made the Memorial Stone to honor my grandfather.”
“…”
“In my memories, my grandfather was a righteous man. He helped the weak, admired heroes like you, and supported them.”
“Yes. Sir Martin was a righteous man.”
“Growing this house he left me, keeping it strong—that’s one way to honor him. But helping heroes, making sure his will lives on—that’s what he’d truly want.”
“…”
“I’ll help you.”
Then, as though correcting herself, she added firmly:
“No… I’ll join you. Stand with you.”
And there was one more who had chosen to aid the five heroes.
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