Chapter 165: The Most Hated King

"Damn it... Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The old man, thin as a dried branch, sat cross-legged on his throne, gnawing on his fingernails.

"Has the thief still not been found?!"

"Currently searching, sir."

Kurakudō Sasabune calmly lied.

"Think, damn it... think... Besides Haruna, who else could be a traitor... Hey, Sasabune!"

"What?"

"Say, aren't you a traitor yourself?"

"Of course I am."

"...So that's how it is..."

Is this what a general looks like, facing certain defeat?

-- Just because you control someone's body doesn't mean you've conquered their mind too...

The woman watching from nearby had eyes as cold as ice.

"There's no need to panic just yet. You still have guards around you, and—more importantly—if they do attack, it doesn't mean they can actually defeat you."

"Idiot."

The old man clenched his teeth,

"The King rules from the safest place in the world."

Well, that does make sense.

"Or perhaps the traitor could be Enishi. With so many soldiers at their disposal, not knowing their location at all is highly suspicious."

Testing the waters, I asked with a hint of suspicion,

"Impossible!"

The "King" rejected it outright.

"Such a thing has never happened before—he's never dared oppose me. That's precisely how I've raised him."

So, perhaps Ena is experiencing her first rebellious phase in her forties.

I can't laugh.

"Damn it. — Hey, En, how's the situation?"

The "King" calls out to the green slime beside him.

It is an individual created by Nakamichi En, designed for communication purposes.

The connection gained from receiving some skills from the "King" allows one to create slimes exactly as desired.

"Maybe it's not abnormal right now... Could it be that they've already escaped beyond the territory?"

"Idiot! Impossible! Just shut up and do as you're told!"

"Huh..."

It felt strange, like I was eavesdropping on someone else's domestic squabble.

Of course, the emotions hidden beneath those words weren't nearly as pleasant as they might seem...

▼

—Why has this come to this?

Sasae gazed at the man called "King"—once known as Nakamichi Ginga—and reflected on everything that had happened.

—When I first met this person... it was surely...

right here, in a room inside a derelict building, not far from where we are now.

Amidst the pounding of a horde of "zombies" against the sealed glass door.

(We’re probably the chosen ones.)

I remember an elderly man who was usually quiet suddenly chugging down a full gō of sake, as if to boost his spirits, and then murmuring something like this:

(Up until now, I’ve lived like a beaten dog. I’ve always been at the mercy of others. But from now on, it’ll be different. I’ll surely be the one shaping someone else’s life.)

Even as he spoke, he still didn’t sense the abnormality of the present moment.

He wasn’t wearing a mask… or so I think.

At that moment, he was truly just an ordinary person.

When exactly did the gears first begin to malfunction?

What caused the trigger to be pulled?

—Since he wasn’t the one actually responsible, I can’t say for certain, but...

(There’s no choice now! Everyone! Submit to me!)

His words back then didn’t feel like lies.

(Use my power. That’s how many lives can be saved!)

Now I understand that being swayed by those promises was a mistake.

But at the time, I truly believed it was the best course of action.

Indeed, there is nothing more convenient for protecting someone than the "King's" skill.

In a place free from external threats, a safe haven.

A utopia for humanity.

To achieve that, it was necessary to share the players' experience with the "King."

That was precisely the salvation of a world coming to an end, as discovered by Sasaegi and her companions.

―Of course, it was all just an illusion of salvation.

Twisted power is precisely what can erase a person's sense of reality.

That alone makes the act of "dominating and subjugating" as sweet as honey.

At first, it was probably just a small expression of desire.

Or perhaps, if someone is under one's control, or if they're a person one guarantees safety for, then… it wouldn't matter if one did as one pleased with them.

And then, there would be no going back.

It didn't take long—less than a month after the world reached its "end"—for the quiet, awkward old man, who was simply shy and uncommunicative, to lose the understanding of those around him.

▼

"Hmm... in that case, there's no choice... "

"What is it?"

"We can't predict how they'll act, but maybe it'll work out. Leave some people behind to search, and move the rest to the border region."

"The border... meaning..."

"Up to the point where the 'walking dead' have formed their wall."

"Why?"

"Until now, I've occasionally observed those two. From that, I've speculated—perhaps, if we take the local residents hostage, they might retreat."

"That's..."

Sasae frowned.

"…What do you think? From the invaders' perspective, these locals are enemies too. Wouldn't that undermine their value as hostages?"

"Perhaps you're right."

The old man's eyes gleamed in the dark.

"Yet I suspect the girls' true aim is to liberate the locals here—something like that. Don't you think they're being driven by that hateful Haruna? Don't you think so?"

"Huh..."

To know one's actions are causing suffering to others, yet still continue—how could one even do that?

Most people who commit evil deeds justify their actions in their own minds, but this man lacked even that.

Sasae thought that if there was anything extraordinary about the nature of the "King," it was precisely this.

"Shall we issue the command?"

"No, no. I'll do it myself."

At that moment, it became clear that the old man had done something.

The skill known as "Absolute Monarchy" apparently had a control method visible only to the "King."

According to him, it felt like a computer game screen appearing behind his eyelids...

"Hey, old man."

The boy, leisurely reading a manga, suddenly spoke.

He was the boy with messy hair, nicknamed "Pochi." One of the "King's" guards, and currently the strongest "fighter" among his pieces.

"Having a tough time? Need help? I can lend a hand."

"...Hmph. No, I don't need it. Stay by my side, you."

Even the "King" seems to choose his words carefully when speaking to "Pochi" and "Tama."

Though they are in a subordinate relationship, it's clear that this pair of elementary school children are unpredictable—if angered, who knows what they might do.

"Pochi" was—though hard to put into words—a child somewhat detached from the everyday world.

He looked like an ordinary boy at first glance. Yet the aura he carried gave off an uncanny impression of something not quite age-appropriate.

Apparently, "Pochi" was considered a prodigy before the End, even making headlines in newspapers.

"……Well, if Jii-san says so, I don't mind."

Compared to him, "Tama" is much easier to understand…….

"——Wait a minute?"

Then Sasae suddenly realized her grave mistake.

"‘Pochi’… where’s ‘Tama’?"

"Huh? ……Ah. That guy. ……Yeah, now that you mention it, he’s not here. Not the poop, is he?"

"Hey. Don't try to fool me, now."

Seeing Sasaeda's serious expression, "Pochi" laughed heartily.

"There's no need to worry. He's a 'thief,' after all....Even if he seems to vanish somewhere, he's usually right nearby, surprise, surprise..."

I couldn't believe it.

He probably went off on his own, deciding to deal with the intruder without orders.

"Shall we go get 'him' back?"

When I turned to ask, the old man let out a quiet sigh, then

"Good. Now that I think about it, his skills are better suited for assassination. He might actually be more useful out there than left to rot here."

"...Understood."

Internally, Sasabashi nodded with a sense of discomfort.

Even though the "thief" job was known for its stealth, it was still his fault that he hadn't noticed "Tama" had disappeared.

And now, Sasabashi had no way to warn his comrades of the danger.

Please, everyone. Don't die.

Deep down, that was exactly what I wished for.

Such expectations are perhaps inevitably disappointed.

A few minutes later.

From "Tama"

Intruder, one, stabbed.

There was a report stating that.