Episode 335: Invisible Scars

"Ah, right. Just follow the plan from here."

——…………Gagga.

"The setup was sloppy. Now watch the finishing touch."

——…………Pi, gagga.

"Yeah. It felt like an endless night shift that never ends."

——…………Gagaga. Gagagagaga.

"……Ah. No need to rescue me. You don't even have the ability to do that, do you?"

——…………Gak, gak, gagaga.

『そうだな。俺はここで死ぬ』

――……………ピピ、ガガガッ。

『うん。計画に問題はない。”勇者”の逃げ道はある……』

――…………ガガガッ。

『いいんだ。何もかも、あんたの言うとおりだった。失敗した俺にはちょうどいい結末だよ』

――…………ガガガガガ。

『あんたはたった一言、死者たちに命ずれば良い。「やれ」と』

――…………ガガッ。

"No. It won't end like that. Even if it was brief, I’ve come to know him. Though it’s cliché, he probably possesses an unbreakable spirit no matter what obstacles he faces."

——…………Pipipip. Gagagag.

"Hmph. Terrible taste.……Well, whatever."

——………………Gagaga.

"Then, I’ll leave the rest to you."

▼

Having finished what needed to be done, even the last lingering regret was erased.

At last, I thought with a touch of self-mockery, the end has come.

But that was alright.

Of course, the ideal outcome would have been to keep the "Hero" here, like a domesticated cat.

Still, I’d known all along that such a task was nearly impossible.

— The "Hero" cannot be held here. Never.

Someone's opinion stated it clearly:

The "Hero" and the "Demon Lord" are destined to meet one day.

That fate likely lies in the hands of gods or buddhas, or beings like them—something beyond our control, after all.

—Still, we might delay it, just a little.

Kenzo was now risking his life for that "little" moment.

Believing this act aligned with his lord's ideals.

Death held no fear for him at all.

After all, it was something he'd already experienced before.

Nothing more than a mundane, pitch-black end.

Yet even he had something absolutely intolerable.

Being erased.

Vanishing without a trace from anyone's heart, forgotten by everyone, becoming utterly invisible.

His wish, in a sense, was pure—a liberation from every desire inherent in living beings.

To leave a name behind.

To leave an indelible scar in someone's heart.

And for doing that, there was no one more suitable than a human who was "immortal."

"Ko-on, come on, clean this area up quickly!"

The silver sword swung, and a rain of blood poured down inside the mall.

Bathed head to toe in it, Kenji smiled inwardly.

—The only thing that's saving me is that I'm not afraid of blood entering my body.

Moving among the walking dead, dodging the "hero's" line of sight to the left and right.

Thanks to the severe damage across my entire body, blending in with the "zombies" was effortless.

Standing in a position where killing him was not impossible if caught off guard, Kenji silently observed him.

There was one thing he could say with absolute certainty.

Everyone still present in this mall was already finished.

They would never again walk on real-world soil while alive.

With the single exception of the "hero."

The only thing that weighed on his mind was that he wasn't the one carrying out the execution himself... but in truth, killing was never part of his duty.

His assigned task was, rather, the protection of the "hero."

Completing this mission by finally allowing him to escape would bring his task to a full conclusion.

"Voe, a... Ah..."

"…………——"

While glancing sideways at the corpse being cleaved in two by the Hero's sword right beside him, Hamada Kensuke seized his opportunity.

The damage dealt to the "Hero" must not be too large or too small.

It must be something that causes intense stress.

To the point where other people's matters don't matter at all.

As if you'd want to run away from this place.

Human nerves conduct tiny electrical currents.

Kensho intended to stimulate the trigeminal nerve—the spot in question—using "Thunder Magic III."

The trigeminal nerve governs facial sensation, and the pain caused by stimulating it is said to be beyond description.

—Pain. Enough to drive a person mad.

Add that to the attack from that other person.

Reading a human's thoughts is extremely difficult.

But reading the movements of the monkey suffering from pain isn't all that difficult.

"Gee... a..."

One by one, the nearby "zombies" are being torn apart by the "Hero."

Kenji has a heart as unyielding as a plant that fears no death.

—Still, that requires directly placing this hand onto that helmet.

But once touched, the damage will become irreversible—even by healing magic. Kenji manipulates the flow of electricity within the body. Healing magic is not powerful enough to remove something essential to life itself.

Of course, he will die in retaliation.

But that’s acceptable. The nerve damage will torment him for a while—eventually, it will compel this man to do what must be done.

His sorrow is insignificant compared to the salvation of the world.

"Alright! This is it...! Final move!《Saint..."

The "Hero" raised his sword high into the sky.

Now!

Yelling this in his heart, Hamada Kensuke lunged at the "Hero."