The Demon King muttered. Firmly, so that she would hear it.
“And beyond that, the Great Collapse as well.”
He held an unshakable conviction for that.
“You all as well, please get stronger. To keep sacrifices to a minimum.”
He spoke with a voice mixed with what almost sounded like regret.
“Until we meet again.”
And so he flew away into the empty sky.
“Ria, Serge and the others—”
Only after she said that did Ria notice the disastrous scene surrounding her.
After concealing Carla’s naked body with a cloak, she hurried over to the fallen knights.
Serge did a good job. If she wasn’t contacted by his magic, she might not have made it in time.
It fortunately only ended with him receiving a brain concussion. However, he fell into depression due to his powerlessness.
None of the knights had any injuries that were too horrible either. Other than the first surprise attack, they were probably went easy on.
Those who could fight were left, those who couldn’t were killed. [2]
Ria just then noticed something abnormal.
“Great Collapse… what…?”
Halt landed in a forest far away from Cornada.
He probably wouldn’t be seen here.
He cremated Ordo’s remains. What could he say to his wife and children? Halt had a headache. He didn’t want to get used to doing this, but that had wound up happening.
Even so, he noticed a pursuer.
“You were the Demon King?”
He had been noticed. Having to leave the inn in such a rush was what probably gave him away.
“Ferna-san…”
“Did you deceive me?”
Pulling out her sword, she turned it towards Halt.
He tried to think up various excuses. However, they were all just that: excuses.
“I am sorry.”
“I—you…!”
She had to fight him.
Halt removed his mask. His usual calm face was still there, the same as ever.
However, different from the usual, it also contained a somewhat troubled look.
“If you don’t want to fight me, you don’t need to. Because I want to make a world without fighting.”
“You are this world’s enemy!”
“You’re wrong. Not mankind’s enemy, not the world’s enemy… no.”
Halt shook his head.
“True, I might be the world’s enemy. However, I am not going to allow the world to just meekly walk into the Millennium.”
Ferna understood the look that Halt had in his eyes at that moment quite well.
They were tired of life, the eyes of an immortal.
But strength filled those eyes again after a moment.
“You approve of the Millennium? People and demons killing each other in order to cycle souls… You approve of this system, not thinking of anything new?”
His eyes were filled with so much conviction that Ferna was unintentionally overawed by them.
“I do not approve of it. I will fight it.”
Ah, so this was anger.
Anger towards the world’s unjustness.
Ferna had already forgotten it—nay, she had tried to.
“You are a dangerous person.”
While believing that, a thought sprung forth from the depths of her body.
If it’s this person.
Tolerating even such a horrific murderer, if it’s this person, would he tolerate the Millennium’s mass slaughter as well?
“But, if it’s you, you might be able to become our comrade!”
“The Black Cats? I split from them. Neither Azel nor Shana followed me.”
The brown-skinned young man and the scarlet-haired girl. Halt recalled his comrades, they had confronted that Demon King’s cruelty together with him.
It wasn’t a wonder, it might even be natural. This way, the world will overcome the Millennium. To avoid the Great Collapse.
“Then I’ll go with you!”
Ferna spoke clearly.
Those were her true feelings. Halt was surprised by her sincere eyes watching him.
“You?”
This girl should have been raised by the Black Cats. This girl also knew what the Millennium meant.