7DP 196.2
196: The Shadow Saviour
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
R1[1-2], R2[3-4]
Part 3
Barbara, sharp as ever, grasped the whole picture from that single sentence alone.
What on earth was Alex trying to do?
And what had he already done to get this far?
「It hasn’t even been a year since I formed a contract with this demon god, yet my magical power has already reached archduke level.」
His eyes were shadowed as he spoke, his tremendous magical power flickering around him, a sight only Barbara, now a spirit, could truly perceive.
「Back during the assault plan, I couldn’t even touch the Demon King. But now… at this pace, I know I’ll reach him one day.」
Until then. Until he reached that level.
Was he planning to continue building his power by committing taboo acts?
It wasn’t some wild daydream. He made it sound disturbingly realistic.
Even if Barbara and all the top elites fought together, none of them could defeat the Alex standing here now.
Let’s be honest. No matter how hard they tried, Alex had far more potential than the rest of them combined.
She could tell he intended to exploit his position to the fullest.
Who would ever suspect that the Demon Prince was actually a human hero on the inside? Even Barbara herself had never realised.
That was why he could slaughter humans without hesitation, while demons let their guard down completely.
And then, by breaking the ultimate taboo and killing those who had once been his comrades… he gained absurd amounts of power…!
It was rational to a terrifying degree.
But even so… even so, it was far too much.
『Alex...!』
Barbara’s lips trembled as she looked at her former comrade, now transformed into the Demon Prince, before turning a sharp glare on the being behind him — the Demon God of Taboo.
「Fufufu...」
The demon god answered with a decadent, spine-chilling smile, her kaleidoscopic eyes gleaming.
Colours like all the world’s chaos and sin condensed into one.
Even without a physical body, Barbara felt a shiver race through her entire being.
『YOU LITTLE!』
What have you done?
How could you push Alex into committing such atrocities!!
He’s not the kind of man who could do something so awful without being tormented by guilt!
Do you even understand how much he must have suffered to reach this point!!
『...!!!』
Barbara clenched her teeth and forced the words back down.
She couldn’t spit them out.
Because she finally understood.
Alex had chosen this path himself, fully aware of everything it would demand from him.
Ironically, the Reaper (Jilbagias) who had plunged Barbara and the others into despair—
Was also humanity’s last and only hope…
『So… our deaths… they… weren’t pointless… right…?』
Barbara pushed the words out, almost begging for reassurance.
「Yes.」
The hidden saviour nodded, his eyes blazing.
「They weren’t pointless. I won’t let them be…!」
A small breath—something between a sigh and relief—slipped out of Barbara.
She was certain. Utterly certain.
If anyone could do it, it was him.
Sure, he could be a little air-headed, a bit dopey at times, but on the battlefield he had always been the most reliable man imaginable.
If that hero said he could do it, then—
Everything would be all right.
One day, without question, he would drive that radiant holy sword into the Demon King’s heart――
That thought alone made her relax.
And with all the insane things she had just heard and witnessed piling up, her head began to buzz. Her whole body felt weak, as if she might simply… fade away.
However—
『――You still have something you need to do.』
Her father’s and brother’s words echoed in her mind, helping Barbara barely hold herself together.
That’s right.
There was a question she had meant to ask from the very beginning.
『… Alright, I’ve got the gist of it. So?』
She braced herself and stared straight at the legendary hero, the young Demon Prince.
『What’s the meaning of telling me all that?』
What could he possibly want with me?
There’s no way he called me here just to apologise.
「…I’m going to kill the Demon King. And I’ll kill all of his children too.」
Alex flashed a wild, beast-like grin, just like back when he was a hero, and continued—
「I’m gonna snap the Demon Kingdom’s backbone from the inside. Once I do, the whole thing will start falling apart… but it won’t disappear overnight. There are still high-ranking demons, undead, devils, night elves—way too many things that need killing. I can’t handle all that alone.」
Barbara let out a sharp laugh.
…Now this was exactly the kind of talk she liked.
「I’ve been learning necromancy. I can keep you around as an undead. Could be years, could be decades—I don’t know how long—but when the time comes――」
Their eyes locked.
「Will you join me?」
She had no idea what she would still be able to do.
Maybe she would lose her sword-saint skills once she became undead.
――Nevertheless.
She wasn’t going to let it end like this.
『Count me in.』
Barbara smiled.
Blooming like a flower,
yet sharp and fierce as a honed blade.
====
「...Thanks. And seriously, I’m really sorry.」
Alex bowed deeply once more.
『Oh, give me a break. After everything we’ve been through, saying sorry now is way too late!』
「I’ve got nothing to say to that… really…」
『So don’t you dare keel over before you wipe out that Demon King. I’ll be furious.』
「... Yeah.」
Alex answered with a firm nod, but—
「Phew… that’s one more taken care of…」
He let out a tired sigh, his shoulders slumping in relief.
『Huh? One more what?』
Barbara tilted her head.
Alex glanced away, looking thoroughly embarrassed, and said—
「I, uh… summoned everyone I’ve killed—well, as many as I could—and apologised to them…」
Alex shot a quick glance behind Barbara.
When she turned, she saw piles of bones, swords, armour, and pelts heaped across the floor.
『Eh?』
Only then did she notice the unicorn helm lying right at her feet.
「…Out of everyone I tried, the only one who could talk normally, believed me, didn’t disappear halfway, could be turned undead, and actually said yes… was you, Barbara…」
『Eh?』