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Blood trickled down, thick and fishy, soaking the earth.

The beast’s outstretched arm was long and menacing. I found myself wondering, how many people could confront such a terrifying creature with the anticipation of death?

I was also scared. I was terrified. But in that final moment, I was finally able to throw myself away.

It was a strange feeling.

All thought vanished from my mind, and I felt every hair on my body with distinct clarity. Time accelerated and my body, assimilated to the time, was burrowing into Mr. Gilford before I knew it.

The results played out before my eyes.

The demonic beast coughed up blood from his mouth. He didn’t die instantly even though my sword was lodged halfway into his neck. His vitality was truly bizarre.

However, no matter how much power a demonic human received from the Evil God, there were still limits to their abilities. He could barely open its mouth and even that was only for a few moments.

It was pointless for the demonic beast to try to stay alive. Staying alive just prolonged its pain.

Even so, Mr. Gilford wore a smile on his face.

“P-Perfect… Keuh, It was perfect.”

“…Any last words?”

I asked him between panting breaths.

I was on the verge of collapse from my grievous injuries. I didn’t have much time to spare to listen to the story of something that had once been a human.

It was the same for Mr. Gilford. Time was running out for him as well.

“S-Save… Haha, would you be able to save them? Heuh, the flesh seeds should be released now.”

“I’m not you.”

I gritted my teeth and applied pressure into my hand holding the sword. Blood dripped from the demonic beast’s neck, eliciting pained groans from it.

“I’ll save them if I can, Huuu… If that’s the best I can do.”

My rough breathing interrupted my words, but I tried to play it cool. There was no way Mr. Gilford couldn’t have caught that, but he smiled peacefully after hearing my response.

His groans stopped. His eyes grew vacant––a look that only those on the brink of death could have.

“…You are strong.”

“Stronger than you.”

Mr. Gilford let out a chuckle, his voice cracking in between. My sword had reached his vocal cords, so blood spurted out with his laughter.

“…You have good eyes. There is no hesitation even with death breathing down your neck. You have the eyes of a great killer.”

At that point, the old man smiled.

It wasn’t the revolting grin of the demonic beast but the familiar benevolent smile he always wore.

“Then, I’ll be waiting for you in Hell.”

With those final words, I thrusted my sword into his neck with all my strength.

That was the end.

Blood gushed forth like a waterfall from the severed neck. The demonic beast’s head rolled across the ground and I caught my breath while getting drenched by the pouring bloody rain.

The metallic warmth soaked my body. Staggering, I straightened my posture.

My arms and legs were sore. My abdomen was in pain as well. There wasn’t a single place in my body that didn’t throb with pain.

I had to get back. Right as I turned to take a step…

Thud.

My foot got caught on something on the ground.

It was the demonic beast’s head. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the monkey, which now had a benevolent smile on its face.

Squelch.

The beast’s skull that I trampled on exploded around me like a rotten fruit.

Looking at the brain matter and bone fragments scattered on the ground, I was finally able to smile bitterly.

“…Immanuel.”

May you find peace in Hell.

My body swayed as I stepped through the puddles of blood. The footprints I left behind would persist.

Following that…

Only the final stage remained in this seemingly unending battle.

**

A heap of corpses had already piled up at the orphanage’s entrance.

Most of them were corpses of the monkey demonic beasts. Fortunately, the children seemed to have evacuated into the orphanage, and the rest of the party still seemed to be processing the situation from the outside.

They must have been shocked to see the demonic monkeys suddenly retreat.

Upon reaching the yard in front of the orphanage, the first person I ran into was the Saintess.

She was looking around with a nervous expression. When the Saintess made eye contact with me, she froze in place.

Her light pink eyes scanned my entire body. There was no need for her to look too closely.

Even at a glance, my body was closer to a walking corpse. A quick look revealed the severity of my injuries.

The Saintess, who seemed like her soul had left her body for a while, immediately approached me and gently placed her trembling hands on my wounded areas.

It was understandably very, very painful.

“Ah, ow… A-ahh! T-That hurts!”

I had applied a healing potion for first aid, but that was it.

I still had bruises and fractures all over my body. Even the slightest touch sent searing waves of pain piercing through my brain.

However, the Saintess paid no heed to the screams escaping my mouth.

After looking at my injuries for a while, she bit her lip and spoke.

“…What happened?”

Her light pink eyes were clouded over with gloom. That probably meant that my injuries were pretty serious.

I didn’t like the heavy atmosphere, so I tried to lighten the mood a little bit.

“I killed the demonic beast. I should get some medals of honor in return… Aaaaagh!”

Of course, it was just a bluff that was exposed as soon as the Saintess grabbed my arm.

Sighing as if she had anticipated this, the Saintess wore a grave expression on her face.

“…Your injuries are very serious. We need to get ready to leave. I have to treat you at the temple.”

I stared blankly at the Saintess in silence. The look on my face asked her, what are you talking about?

The Saintess pounded her chest and shouted out of frustration. As she did, her massive breasts showed off their elasticity.

“Of course we have to leave! The demonic monkeys have temporarily retreated. Yuren is making an escape route since their siege is currently in disarray… If you want to live, we must leave now.”

Hearing that, I fell silent for a moment.

It was just as Mr. Gilford had said. The demonic monkeys had retreated after losing their leader, but they hadn’t left completely. It seemed like they were forming a siege over a wide area.

However, the wider the siege, the more gaps there would be. I didn’t know exactly what Yuren was up to, but if he said he could secure an escape route, I believed him.

Leave the orphanage…

Arrive at the temple for treatment and wait for the army to handle the remaining problems.

My body, which had narrowly escaped death, was in critical condition. Even if I received treatment right now, there was a high chance of lingering aftereffects. Moreover, haven’t I already made a lot of contributions?

I had slain countless demonic beasts, defeated a demonic human, and uncovered the Dark Order’s plans.

Whether it was the Holy Nation or the Empire, it wouldn’t be strange for me to receive a suitable offering as a reward from them for my actions up to this point. In that case, there was no need for me to worry about the aftereffects of my injuries.

On top of that, our group’s reputation would skyrocket.

It was a happy ending, completely worth all our hard work.

Yes, that was our future.

But what about the orphans left behind?

Suddenly, Mr. Gilford’s words echoed in my mind—a warning the demonic human had uttered as he spat up blood.

‘The flesh seeds should be released now.’

I began to speak, then hesitated.

The Saintess was looking at me with puzzled eyes, her gaze urging me to get ready.

But I couldn’t give her the answer she hoped for.

“You can go first.”

“…Excuse me?”

The Saintess’ expression contorted, as if she didn’t understand what I had just said. Even so, my decision didn’t change.

“The demonic human was in control of the flesh seeds. Now that it is dead, the flesh seeds will be released. Where do you think they would go first?”

“Ian, please…”

As I continued, the Saintess’ expression shifted with each word I spoke.

Initially, she seemed surprised, then troubled, and now she clung to me, her voice filled with pleading.

She spoke to me in a trembling voice.

“The flesh seeds are going to be released? Have you forgotten how many flesh seeds were in that nest? That gives you more reason to leave! Look at yourself right now… Do you think you can even fight in this state?!”

Her eyes pleaded with me. She seemed genuinely unable to understand my decision.

But no matter how much I thought about it, there was only one answer. I continued speaking in a surprisingly calm voice.

“When the flesh seeds arrive, it will be the end for the children. There’s a possibility that the number of flesh seeds might multiply, while some might escape and nest in new places…..”

“So what if it’s the end for some mere orphans?”

I fell silent for a moment at the Saintess’ question that she had spat out in distress.

I quietly looked at the Saintess. Her shoulders were slightly trembling.

“Do you really think the rest of us don’t want to save as many people as we can? There’s no hope. You’re injured, and there are dozens of flesh seeds left! Running away is the best we can do… Are you seriously that stupid not to know that?”

As the Saintess spoke with her eyebrows raised high, a faint glint of tears shimmered in her eyes.

“Ian, I understand your feelings, but we can’t save everyone. Think about it. How many other orphans are dying right now? Can you save them all?”

“No.”

My answer was immediate, and hearing that, the Saintess’ face brightened for a moment.

If I had stopped there, she would have dragged me away with delight.

“…But I don’t want to lose any of the children I could have saved. It’s not just plain nonsense that I’m arguing for. We must put an end to it here and now. If the flesh nest spreads, it might spiral out of control in the future.”

That was my sincere answer.

It was for the children, yes, but it was also because I recalled a scene from my memories, the moment I saw the flesh seed nest.

The dream I had on the day the second letter arrived.

Trees made of flesh blanketed the meadow. The woman’s voice, filled with despair and pleading, still echoed in my ears.

I had to stop it now, to prevent it from spreading any further.

The Saintess looked at me silently, listening to my unwavering voice. I had nothing more to say to her.

Silence lingered for a while. Yuren joined us at that moment.

“Saintess, all preparations are compl… Hey, Ian! You look….!”

“…….Even if you might die?”

A hoarse voice cut through the air. The Saintess’s light pink eyes were glaring at me, her last question––a last chance she was going to give me.

There was no time. The situation was too urgent for her to persuade and take me. It didn’t help that I was stubbornly resisting her wishes.

Yuren remained silent, taken aback by the extremely heavy atmosphere. He took a step back and began to glance between the two of us.

I also decided not to bother giving attention to Yuren. I nodded.

“Yes, I’m prepared.”

The Saintess mumbled, trying to say something.

However, she couldn’t find the right words, no matter how much she tried to organize her thoughts. Instead, a groan escaped her mouth.

“…Ungh.”

I could sense her annoyance in that groan. Soon after, the Saintess stomped her feet, showing a more vivid emotional reaction.

“Ungggggggh!”

The Saintess, barely containing her anger, clenched her teeth and stomped the ground again.

The ground caved in, evidence that she hadn’t wasted her time while learning the Secret Techniques of the Holy Nation. The shockwave was strong enough to make me lose my balance for a moment.

When I regained my balance, the only thing awaiting me was the Saintess’ pale pink eyes. They swirled with intense emotions.

“…You’re so annoying!”

In response to the Saintess’s exclamation, accompanied by her finger-pointing, I replied with a dry chuckle.

“Huh, when did you ever think I wasn’t annoying?”

“You’re especially more annoying today! You keep confusing me, you!”

She was saying this again. I shook my head and continued.

“Again, I have always been the same. The only thing confusing you is your heart…”

“…Shut up.”

Then, my upper body was pulled towards her.

The Saintess had grabbed my collar and yanked me closer. My eyes went blank in an instant as the Saintess’ sweet breath brushed the tip of my nose.

I saw myself reflected in her light pink pupils. I had a bewildered expression on my face. It was pretty funny.

“I don’t trust anyone… That includes you. You want to save the orphans? Risk your life? Do you think you can win like that?”

“Whether you choose to believe me or not, my decision is final.”

The Saintess gnashed her teeth and glared at me for a while, then looked away and sighed as if she had given up.

Her soft whisper brushed my ears.

“…And this is a secret.”

With a thwack, the Saintess pushed me away. As I stumbled backward, the Saintess took out a small blood-red orb from her bosom.

The identity of the orb was very well known.

The ‘Heart of Blood’. This small orb was said to exceed the value of a castle. Before I could react, the Saintess already placed both her hands over her chest and began to draw out the power of the Heart of Blood.

A storm of holy power surged around us.

A pure white glow swept the area and enveloped my entire body. The pain that had pierced my nerves like a hot iron skewer quickly subsided.

In a matter of seconds, the storm of holy power abated. I stood in the middle of it, completely healed from head to toe.

The injuries I had suffered were serious enough to leave lingering aftereffects, even after healing. Even so, every sense at my disposal was revived and soon, my body was full of energy.

I blankly stared at the Saintess’ hand. With a deep breath, the Saintess opened her palms. Only then did I see the ‘Heart of Blood’ orb in her hands, now half its original size.

My eyes widened. I remembered something like this happening before.

“Holy sh—Wait, your orb got so sma…!”

A slender finger touched my lips with a light tap.

It was the Saintess’ index finger. She shushed me and glanced behind her.

“…Yuren.”

Yuren, who had been quietly observing the Saintess and me for a while, smiled wryly as if he were powerless to intervene. He shook his head.

Yuren shrugged his shoulders and spoke.

“You must’ve spilled the ‘Heart of Blood’ orb while escaping to save your own life. Seriously, Saintess, you need to be more careful. Well, no matter how expensive an orb is, it’s not as precious as your life, so even the cardinals won’t make a fuss about it.”

The Saintess smiled contentedly at Yuren’s excuse that flowed smoothly from his mouth and pushed the remaining orb toward my chest.

“You can keep the rest. I’m just lending you it for now, so don’t forget to return it.”

“It’s not even yours anyway, is it…”

When I saw the Saintess’ fingers starting to twitch, I immediately shut my mouth. I felt like she might pinch me again if I said anything more.

Instead, I carefully took the ‘Heart of Blood’.

I understood what this meant. The Saintess spoke again.

“I’m sorry, but I have no intention to gamble. My life is precious to me, and I have ambitions and a lot of things to do. Are you disappointed because I’m a selfish woman?”

“…No, I understand.”

My response to her was straightforward. The Saintess blankly stared at me once again, then softly rested her head against my chest.

I froze in place, but the tension in the air finally dissipated.

The sound of her breath was warming my heart. The Saintess whispered one last time.

“Come back alive, Ian.”

I didn’t bother seeing her off.

The Saintess and Yuren departed, bringing Leto––who was unhelpful in battle––with them. Only four of us remained now.

Senior Delphine, Senior Elsie, Seria and Celine.

I looked at Senior Delphine with a surprised look on my face.

“You didn’t leave.”

“…You promised me, didn’t you?”

Senior Delphine shyly avoided my gaze and replied.

“You said you would help me win. So, show me what you’ve got.”

I smiled faintly in response to her words.

I didn’t need to answer her. My eyes were fixed on the forest ahead of us.

The Evil God’s army was waiting for us at the end of my gaze.

It was time to finally wrap things up.