Monster no Goshujin-sama

28

In unreliable footsteps, Berta was moving through the woods.

Consciousness is blurred.

Breathing mixed with the smell of iron rust is painful and the body is heavy as if it had poured lead into it.

I want to rest now.

I want to sleep.

I can't help but move my appealing body with a sense of purpose.

Breaking through Koji Hibiya, she was rushing to the Lord's battlefield at the Ridge and leaving shortly afterwards.

He managed to escape the enemy's pursuit.

Given that it was that 'sword of light' and 'absolute amputation' that were hostile, that would not have been an exaggeration when it came to greatness.

Nevertheless, the price was huge.

Every time I walked, my feet, softly wet in blood, made a damp noise.

The belly is torn by the 'absolute amputation' demon sword.

Some of the major organs had been destroyed and some of the organs were at the end of the spill.

The girl's upper body was lost, and from the wolf's waist the urchin was partially carbide when she survived the attack of The Sword of Light.

Even the highest healing magic, this cannot be applied by hand.

It was fatal.

Breathing is interrupted immediately, and the heart stops and it's not weird.

Nevertheless, Berta kept moving.

Only willpower was pounding and moving the flesh.

……

That's how I traveled quite a distance.

Apparently, there was no chaser.

That's what I decided, and they took my leg off to the limit I had been crossing for a while.

When Berta gently placed the 'luggage' at the root of the tree with his last force, he fell on the sidelines.

In this state, I knew that once I fell, I would never get up again.

……

In the deep woods, I remembered the encounter with the Lord, the boy.

For the land of the end that was reached was somewhat similar to the place of the encounter, which is the beginning of it all.

That day, Berta couldn't protect the boy.

Then I saw him in his heart with profound disappointment and regret, and fall to the Demon King and give thanks.

I hoped there would at least be salvation at the end of it.

I kept walking with my wishes.

But that seems to be it, too.

All you have to do is lose consciousness already and stay in eternal sleep.

It didn't happen because someone spoke to her like that.

"... how did you get back"

The important 'luggage' that Berta had carried so far at the risk of his life - Kudo Lu The person was opening his mouth.

He remained sitting neatly at the root of the tree, without even wandering.

There was no power left to do so.

"It's a meaningless thing to do."

Blood spilled out of the mouth I talked about.

There is a dead minister floating on his face.

The boy's flesh, weakened by the side effects of his intrinsic abilities, is even more vulnerable than ordinary humans.

I would have evaporated if I had received the light sword as it was, but I had just soaked it up and the aftermath alone was deadly.

With his life at stake, Berta withdrew the Lord from the battlefield.

But he could not help until the life of his Lord.

"Why did you do this? What's the point of this?"

……

Berta thought it was unusual.

Until now, her king just pushed her away, because there wasn't much to ask about her personal thoughts like this.

And so I realized.

That this is my first opportunity to convey my thoughts.

If you noticed, you were opening your mouth.

"It doesn't make any sense"

I needed a lot of energy just to answer that.

I was already even distancing myself from the pain and my body was terribly cold instead.

My eyes are so blind because I bled too much.

I wanted to fall asleep as long as I could, but I managed to stay conscious.

I couldn't imagine pretending to be the first and last of these opportunities.

"There's no point, my king. Still, I could not give up."

It was well known that it was pointless.

Nothing, it's not just for the occasion.

I knew from the beginning that my wishes would not come true and that I would just die for nothing.

Still, I couldn't help but hope.

So even this time, I just did what I always did.

"If you want it wholeheartedly, you can't help it. It's not a question of whether it makes sense."

When I told my thoughts without falsehood, there was silence.

I cannot confirm to Berta, who is already blind, what look the Lord has on his face.

I must have wondered if you were frightened that I didn't understand.

Or cold indifference.

It was neither.

"… Want, is it"

The boy snapped.

"That's stupid. I can't believe you saved me."

"... why, let it be"

There was a surprise.

I put it in the Lord's mouth because it was certainly nothing more than what she wanted.

I just never told the Lord.

She was a little surprised, but soon I realized what was going on.

"No. A moment, Takahiro Mashima...?

In fact, that guess is correct.

- Because some of them want you to save them.

-... are you talking about Berta?

In another realm, Kudo Lu has heard from Takahiro Mashima.

Berta thought that was likely in itself.

So what was surprising to her was that the king had it in his heart and put it out here in his mouth.

"Really, it's stupid"

There was an irresistible disappointment in the voice of the boy who spoke of his thoughts.

"You must have broken a thousand chains around your neck."

……

So Berta noticed another thing.

If it's the first time, it's the Lord's thoughts that make you hear them, too.

"I should have cut the chain a thousand times. I should have gone anywhere. You've never been unhappy."

With deep disappointment, he said.

But Berta doesn't know what he thought to get to such a statement.

... For example, if Takahiro Mashima were here, the story would have been different.

To the truth about a boy named Kudo Lu, only because he was on the verge of getting there.

Takahiro Mashima wondered what if Lu Kudo knew that Berta, a family member who followed him before he expressed the power of the Demon King, was arguably a forgetful sight of Ryumiya, the benefactor of his life.

A boy who had already begun to walk the path of ruin as Demon King would not have been able to accept her, the only exception.

For example, what do we do?

What is the matter?

Kudo Lu took a constant thrust at Berta.

I sent him as an escort to Takahiro Mashima and didn't try to recall him even if his life was in danger.

He took it away from himself to ruin, and deposited it with a man who could be his place.

All you have to do is pull the chain a thousand times and go where it will be.

You just have to be free that way.

That was the only thing he wanted, not as a demon king.

I never wanted to see her die in despair in front of me like this.

... I never wanted to see it again.

"You shouldn't have wanted me to save you. That would have made you happy."

There is nothing but disappointment in his mind right now.

In the end, neither the vengeance he swore to fulfill as Demon King nor his only wish as a boy could be fulfilled.

Nevertheless, that might have been natural, too.

I can't do anything about it.

That's a curse at the root of Kudo Lu.

It was his destiny that would eventually ruin in despair.

If this end is what inevitably arrived at, there is no more for him to be swallowed up in despair.

... So yes.

If there is anyone who can overturn this end.

I'm sure just those who have been wishing for the opposite with just as much heat.

"O king. That's not true."

Clearly, Berta uttered a word of denial.

At this time, Berta was not exactly understanding the Lord's feelings.

To do so, because too much was hidden from her.

But that wasn't a big problem there at this time.

I don't care about that.

At least because I ran out of words to her that what the Lord has just said is wrong.

I felt misunderstood.

I thought I had to share my thoughts correctly.

She didn't hesitate to do so right now.

"I wish I didn't want to."

Clearly, I ran out.

"It is heartbreaking that my wish could not be fulfilled. But you have no regrets for wanting to. I didn't want to be happy. I wanted to save what I once couldn't protect."

Throw away the path I knew I'd be happy. But I chose to come here.

That wasn't decided by someone, it was her own choice.

There couldn't be any regrets.

"... but"

Kudo Lu seemed to have tried to say something.

But the words that follow do not appear.

That much, I guess, because there was no stray in Berta's words.

- For Kudo Lu, the biggest miscalculation was here.

Berta, who sent him out under Takahiro Mashima, was not just spending his time comically.

I learned a lot about it.

Grown.

enough to surpass the thoughts of the boy who is the Lord.

"Besides, the king has made a mistake."

There is no longer anything to be afraid of.

"Please don't tell me you should have pulled the chain a thousand times."

Calm down, I told you.

"I wanted to be connected to you."

……

How tougher it is to be pushed away than to be ruined.

So I'm not even desperate for this situation.

Besides, I don't think Berta was all bad.

At least, because this is how I was able to convey my thoughts in this place I arrived at during my death.

In spite of all this pain, just communicating your thoughts should be called too modest a reward.

But for her, that was enough.

That's why I ran out of words.

"I was not dragged into despair. I came here to hope."

……

Kudo Lu had lost his word for a while.

Its eyes will not leave attracted by a single wolf who is still trying to catch his breath.

The only thing he had gotten before he became demon king.

It was too late when I realized that, a piece of hope I once had.

Corner, I let you go, but you're back.

Now he understood correctly.

I thought if I pushed him away, took a distance, and let him spend it where it should be, he'd be free.

It was a terrible mistake.

I don't care what I do, Berta won't leave.

That was enough to convince me.

"... ha. What is it, it's"

The boy laughed small.

Before unbroken and unbent thoughts, as you perceive.

"Well, there's nothing more you can do."

That was nothing more than some kind of declaration of defeat.

Previously the attempt to push Berta aside was a failure.

After all, I was reminded that I couldn't do anything.

The curse at the root of Kudo Lu.

I can't do anything to weak myself.

It's too bad to be reminded of that at such a last minute.

But...

"Damn, you really are"

- There was no shadow in the words so spoken.

Because at this moment, I realized.

He said there was only one thing he could still do because he admitted there was nothing more he could do.

So I put my strength into my burnt arm.

Like shaking off a curse that was tying itself up.

Lift up a decent, immobile arm and reach out.

There was no longer a reason to push him away.

"Okay."

"King?"

Berta raised a voice of doubt.

She was not properly able to understand the Lord's thoughts.

But still, I was aware that I was acting against that intention.

I thought you'd be in a bad mood.

But the voice of the Lord today was not like that.

Never was.

"It's my loss. Let's do what you want."

"... Huh?

Berta felt a sense of nostalgia return to herself.

The power of subordination as the Demon King - it was the collar that connected her.

No matter, the power of subordination itself is worthless now.

It's a thousand pulls at a time, and more importantly, there can't be any point in being forced before death.

So, no, this is just about connecting the two of us.

"As long as you want, just stay by your side"

I needed a beat of time to understand that was the word to accept myself.

The moment I understood, a great impulse shook my chest.

"... ah"

I don't get a good voice.

It was enough to get a chance to communicate my thoughts.

So I didn't think it was acceptable.

Isn't that some kind of mistake?

Aren't you on the verge of dying, even dreaming of convenience?

My stretched hand touched my head, as I denied such suspicion.

I can stroke even my neck muscle.

That seemed like a convenient dream.

But the presence was real - I was convinced that everything had paid off.

"Oh......"

I felt my first plush on my body, which was cold enough to feel death.

So much so that it seemed to melt, it was filled with warm things.

Convinced.

I'm sure this is happiness.

What would have been gained if the two of us were to live in this other world without a tragedy.

On the day we met, the possibility of being lost.

There could have been, a future for both of us to walk in.

I'm glad to be able to feel it back, even if it was only for a short time.

No. This is not the end.

Because they told me to stay by as long as I wanted.

Whether death tells you two, even if you go to hell, you won't leave.

I'm with you.

Ever since.

"... forever, beside you"

I don't know if the crushed words have made me a voice anymore.

I didn't have enough power to speak out.

Though, my thoughts were conveyed.

Because there was definitely something connected at this moment.

Sniffing sweetly, he presses his head against his touched hand.

Bite the pluck you feel on your chest.

My tail shakes loosely without force.

I exhaled one at the end - and fell into a warm sleep that I would never wake up to again.