Chapter 2: The Hero strikes for the time being
「Welcome, thank you for coming, Hero-sa… ga~fu!」
As I opened my eyes, the object of hatred right before me took a full hit.
My fist intuitively punched out and hit the pit of her stomach with my full might. Princess Alesia Aurelia’s silver hair swayed and she staggered a few steps back, crouching down and holding her stomach.
I actually wanted to aim at the face, but because I was lying down, my fist didn’t reach it, and the brunt of the blow wasn’t fully delivered.
「HER HIGHNESS!!」「PRINCESS!!」
Unable to understand the situation at hand, the knights were momentarily dumbfounded and rushed to the princess’ aid in panic. Some immediately chanted low-class healing spells and a faint light wrapped around the princess.
Seeing that spectacle, I wasn’t satisfied at all.
Even though I didn’t use any weapons, though it was a partial hit without any strength, reinforcement magic nor blessings, I couldn’t understand how she took my blow directly without any equipment and got off with just this.
When a question pops out, more questions about the current situation instantly follow.
「Uhh… oh? Where the heck am I? Is this a dream? A revolving lantern?」
Though I should’ve died, I didn’t see anything wrong with my body when I looked down.
Neither the trace nor mark of the sword 「Deus Slayer」 that should’ve been struck in my chest can be found, not even on the clothes I was wearing.
It was more than 4 years ago, this black clothing I had when I went on a journey in this world for the first time.
It was the uniform of the high school, I, Ukei Kaito was attending.
「You bastard, what the heck did you do!!」
「Even though you are the hero, you can’t harm the princess!!」
Though the knights quickly pointed their swords at me, their pressure didn’t bare any killing intent. They must’ve thought I was still inexperienced at fighting, so the pressure they emit was like a gentle breeze.
I ignored it and promptly tried to grasp the current situation.
I should be at the summoning area inside the castle in the royal capital based on my surroundings.
Just a while ago, I was in the deepest part of Ryuudouden in the depths of the unexplored region, The Dragon’s Tomb.
It should be so far away that the linear distance is 10,000 kilometers. Assuming transfer magic was used, you’d have to do a long-distance transfer more than 10 times, it’ll be so impossible that even the Demon Lord who took pride in her absurd amount of magical power can’t do it in one go.
Then it must be my life flashing before me like a revolving lantern… Nah, illusions which could be considered as reliving one’s life are definitely impossible.
Since that dream, it hits me and this hostility that I sensed gradually resurfaced.
If this wasn’t a dream or a revolving lantern, I unfortunately still couldn’t come up with an explanation for the current situation.
「Oi, are you listening!?」
「Not really.」
「Wh!? You bastard!!」
Like a slap in their face, the annoying knight’s cheap pride got damaged with a half-hearted answer. His hostility turned into real bloodlust and pointed his sword.
On the contrary, the serious bloodlust that turns to me becomes like soft warmth for the moment.
While they’re thinking that I wasn’t really that strong because of that half-hearted answer softening them up, my body reacted and rushed over to them.
「Eh? Wh-!?」
I stepped on his foot and I struck my elbow into his throat, carrying all my weight. I didn’t hold back in any of my movements.
I was summoned as the hero for three years.
After defeating the Demon Lord, I was chased for a year, being pursued by the world as a sacrifice in the post-war recovery.
If one is not accustomed to dealing fatal blows and hesitates, then they wouldn’t have that long to live.
Furthermore, the knights had stopped moving at the unexpected scene. The guy who came at me slammed into the wall, with a partially crushed windpipe, and was now foaming at the mouth. His body loosened and he was stumbling.
「Ah? The neck was not blown off. Errr~… Was his neck protected by spirit strengthening? Nah, I didn’t feel that kind of magic used though… Rather, my body feels heavy? Hmmmm?」
A dead silence fills the room and only my voice was heard.
No matter how skilled or strong he was, even though he seemed strong or an expert. Though I didn’t use any sort of weapon, it’s difficult to think that it was ineffective.
Supposedly, his neck should’ve been twisted and turned with a kruryuk- sound. But in reality, that didn’t happen.
「L-Lauren!!」
In a few seconds, the knights broke out of their petrified state and gathered near the fallen knight. They hastily chanted a recovery spell and doused an intermediate healing potion on the fallen knight’s throat.
「W-was there something that was unsatisfactory to you, Hero-sa… ma- 」
The Princess barely got those words out, as she was recovering from vomiting with a pale blue face that reached her ears. She was intimidated when the bloodlust that I leaked involuntarily filled the room.
With a pale face and somewhat recovered, the princess barely muttered those words. Hearing her caused my bloodlust to unintentionally leak out, intimidating every person in here.
「You can call it something like that, Alesia. As expected of a princess. I don’t like just about everything about you, that voice, those eyes, that figure, that attitude, I don’t like it at all. I felt sick just from hearing those words from your mouth.」
A knight felt an overwhelming sense of danger and whipped his trembling body to action. He swapped positions with the princess in order to protect her, but little did he know that it was useless.
Because, I who can move with inhuman speed, was no longer there.
「Kyaarghhh! Uggu~… Kku~…」
I slipped pass through the knights and dashed beside someone, then I grabbed its neck with one hand and smashed it against a wall.
「I was but an innocent man who was selfishly summoned, forced into the role of a hero. If I defeat the Demon Lord again, all that’s waiting for me is to be blamed for crimes I did not do, and be betrayed and laughed at.」
「Wh… what do you mean… kuh… huff… 」
Its very clear to me, I will never forget it.
As soon as the Demon Lord was defeated, the world will turn inside out.
The Saints recognized me as the world’s enemy, and the kingdom confirmed it. And all of the crimes committed behind the scenes were blamed unto me.
Companions who had fought alongside me, friends who I thought shared a close bond with, all of them will betray me without exception.
Without a doubt, the same guys I saved with just a single cry for help would betray me, will throw stones at me, insult me and spit on me.
This princess was also one of those people.
After I defeat the Demon Lord, the world would become my enemy, and all my allies will disappear.
Among them, the princess will pretend to be an ally. She approaches me saying “I’ll help you” and “I’ll give you shelter”.
Life as a fugitive can get tiring. These dramatic changes can get so exhausting that I easily believed those words of help. Only to then get betrayed and laughed at.
While saying that it was a safe place, I was taken to a teleportation gem, where I can use magic to get in, but not to get out. It was a trap room inside a dungeon.
And when I had barely escaped with my life, I had serious injuries that took a considerable time to heal.
「Ah, when you set me up, your ally, that time you told me “I never betrayed you, from the beginning I was never your ally and it should’ve been obvious”. In the first place, a person from a different world is not a human, didn’t you tell me that?」
「Really, I don’t know what you’re……」
They treated me like an idiot. And the truth was that I was an idiot.
I would’ve noticed if I had assessed her properly, that she was hiding her enmity of me. If I had just abandoned the word ‘believe’, then this never would have happened.
Anyhow, I can clearly feel the malice hidden within the princess’s heart now. It is clear even though she seems in pain and confused.
Slight gestures, eye-contact, the breathing pattern, the change in expressions.
These are the ways I gain information to predict the thoughts and moves of my opponents in combat. You can never conceal ill-will from me.
「Sigh-, you truly have thick mask under your skin. Well, although I don’t understand the situation, this doesn’t seem to be a dream or a revolving lantern, but either is fine. I’ll leave the difficult things for later.」
Ah, I let out my voice unintentionally.
「I don’t know how long will this bonus time that I have last… I swear…」
My voice started to overflow with delight, my expression broke out into euphoria very quickly, then my heart started to beat faster causing my arm to brim with excitement and act rashly.
「Aa…… Ugguhk……」
Then, the animosity from the princess withered rapidly.
I released my hold and the grip I had on her neck loosened. She landed on her rear, looking at me with eyes filled with fear. My figure reflected in her eyes and my expression was certainly distorted and disturbing.
But, it’s good. It’s all good.
I wanted to live in this beautiful world forever. Because it’s a world where oneself can become a hero.
But, the ending result of this world was to be betrayed and framed as a criminal. Becoming a laughing stock.
I was of course pure, but not anymore. I was already broken a long time ago.
I swear, I will have revenge.
The face I must’ve shown to the others must be one filled with insanity, it must counter their idea of honor.
「P-please… H-help……」
「Detestable. Suffer as much as possible, Alesia」
「GYAU!!」
Left, right, left, right… I hit her face until her conscious withered and her face numbed. I hit her so she can suffer as much pain as possible.
「You bastard!, Gya!?」
「Gguuhkk!!」
「Hora! Hora! Hora! Hora!! Your important princess is being beaten to a pulp, can’t you do anything about it? Huh!?」
Caught in the moment where the princess was being clobbered, The knights finally moved and sprung into action, I was encircled by 5, no, 6 knights, this much doesn’t
matter to me though.
I drove my elbow into the joint in the leg of a knight, destroying his center of gravity. I then applied pressure to inflict as much pain as possible, the bone was then twisted and broken. I then proceeded to gouge his eyes, crush his ear, and rip his nose into pieces.
「Ahaha… AHAHAHAHA!!」
As usual, my body felt heavy, sluggish, but there is no need to use the Spirit Sword.
It is unfortunate but they’re unworthy to be killed by my Spirit Sword. Also, I did’t want to kill.
I want revenge.
I want them to suffer.
I want them to suffer as much as they possibly can.
If I can’t, my heart will never know peace.
「AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!」
Their screams of pain and fear were like music to my ears, this sensation can’t be stopped… it feels too good.
The voice doesn’t stop, it wants to torment them until the point of death. If they ever faint, I can just inflict more pain until they wake up again.
It certainly was hell for the knights.
It certainly was hell for the princess.
For me, this was the paradise where all my wishes came true.
The laughter never ends. It will never end.
The screaming never stops. It will never stop.