How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 100: Zero

Final stage. The fourth and last rule of this Demon, Selgaath.

Now that we're at this stage… the battle should be resolved very soon.

Contrary to before when Selgaath's defense was nearly impenetrable, during this stage, each strike we deliver would deal a ton of damage.

But in exchange for the loss of toughness, his speed would double.

Yes, you heard me right. Doubled.

We watched as his body began to slim down and his height decreased until he was roughly the same height as me.

"Do you have no pride?" I asked, taunting it. "Why are you trying to look like us?"

"Look like you?" Selgaath said as his tentacles unraveled and returned to their winged form. Other than a few details such as his skin color being different, he looked like a human who had been altered here and there.

Gripping the root of the wings, he ripped them off without even a grunt. When the tentacular wings dropped to the floor with a—

Thud. Thud.

—They transformed into these flying creatures that were a mix of an octopus and a bat.

Looking at the two Arthurrs standing behind me, I told them, "Deal with those creatures. I'll deal with the demon on my own."

"Are you sure?" asked Sun. "That demon looks like he's about to go all-out." Which suggested that it wasn't doing it earlier, which was both correct and wrong.

"I'm sure," I reassured him.

Moon nodded and told his other half, "If he thinks he can handle it on his own, then let him handle it."

To an extent, I believe that I have some sort of plot armor.

But unlike Arthurr in the novel, I doubt that my plot armor is as powerful as his. Unlike him who was saved by the headmistress at the last second before the demon killed him, if I were in his shoes — I would probably die.

That doesn't matter to me. I'll be the one to kill it anyway.

"Lead those flying creatures out of here," I told the two.

I needed the stage to be empty for the final clash between myself and Selgaath.

"Take me on by yourself?" asked Selgaath. "A puny human like you thinks you can handle me when I'm in this form?"

Laughing, the demon pointed at me with his index finger.

"Fine. Let's dance. I'll wait for your friends to leave first. I'm very kind," he smiled, revealing all of his teeth.

"Thank you for the generosity, you purple freak," I responded as I gestured for them to get going. "Maya, I know you're here."

"...What about me?" asked Maya, who materialized into view.

Lucky guess.

I made the guess solely based on what I know about her nature and tendency to investigate and watch important scenes as they occur so that she can write articles about them.

"...Get out of here. It's not like you'll be able to report on any secret you might discover here."

She stood there for a few seconds before disappearing.

As the hallway emptied out, the only sound I could hear was the muffled noises coming from outside.

"Bell Agnus… I didn't expect a kid like you to push me this far."

"Why not?" I smirked.

"Because you're of an inferior race, of course."

"If you weren't a demon, I'd call you a racist for saying that," I responded as I blocked his punch with my forearm.

Despite perfectly timing it, his fingernail still managed to slice a thin line of red across my cheek.

Sliceee!

Blood began to drip.

"It's not racism. We're just the superior race. Don't worry. We demons only want what's good for everyone. We will take over your land and kick you out. Then when you resist, we will kill you, claiming that it was an accident," Selgaath laughed as he grabbed a hold of my arm.

CRASH!

He threw me through the tiles below and I landed on the floor below.

As I flipped to my feet, I weaved past his kick. "Slow down there. You're going to get canceled online if you say such a thing."

As he dodged the arcs of my sword, he asked, "Come on. Come on! Are you unable to handle this speed?!"

Swingggg — krek!

I left a cut on his arm that was very deep.

"You overestimate yourself."

Although I was saying that, Selgaath's speed was actually extremely difficult to handle. I was using the remaining time I had in Urisha's time-stop ability so that I could exert the minimum amount of movement needed to dodge his attacks.

Matching his speed was impossible. I could only match him with my timing and precision.

It wasn't only Urisha's ability that I was using. All of the other artifacts that were awake were being used excluding Yanari.

'Come on Master, kill this bastard!'

'Be careful. Please try not to get cut again.'

'My heart is racing. I mean… I don't have a heart, but if I did, it would be racing.'

Teleporting away from the demon, stopping time, there was less than a hundredth of a second before the claws lunged towards my face would connect. Kimi's white dots informed me of the path that I needed to take.

Gon! Cut this bastard!

Unfreezing time, I followed the path and was about to avoid my head having a large hole in the middle.

"Good one," Selgaath complimented me as he looked at what was in his palm. My left lung.

I had sacrificed damage to my own body in order to deal it back to him.

My code activated and the regeneration began.

Selgaath was already back on his trail and reading the trajectory of his attack. I knew he was aiming for my shoulder.

Raising my sword to brace for the impact, at the very last second — he changed trajectory.

Shit.

The first rule that dictated what order he attacked me in was long gone, so I wasn't surprised by how unpredictable he was.

But that didn't make it any less easier.

Fun fact.

"Are you sure you're a human?" Selgaath asked as he pulled out one of my eyeballs.

He then looked down at his left arm and noticed that he wasn't the only one who dealt damage during that exchange.

The entire limb had been sliced off.

Both of us regenerated and resumed the battle as if nothing had just happened.

❖ ❖ ❖

[Maya]

I told him that I left but secretly, I was still present.

Turning invisible, how could I leave when something this juicy was dangling in front of me? Even though the oath silenced me, knowing things was better than not knowing, even if I couldn't share it.

The speed of the two was impossible to keep up with.

A few times, I even wondered if they were in my vicinity but as I felt mana and demonic energy surging, it kept me seated where I was.

How is Bell this fast? Forget the demon…

Swallowing because of my nerves and being in awe, my fingers clenched so tightly that my fingernails snapped.

Is he actually a first-year student like me? How? How?!

It wasn't just his speed that I was in awe of. It was how little he would twist his head or his body as he dodged attacks by the smallest of margins.

Multiple times, I saw him lose a limb, an organ, and on one occasion, there was a giant hole in his chest.

Every time, he would regenerate.

If it wasn't for the fact that he had a history of killing a demon and was actively fighting a demon, I might've even misunderstood and thought that he sold his soul to a demon.

"I get it now!" Selgaath laughed as he kicked off the ceiling and shot himself forward.

He was so fast that he disappeared from my view.

The next thing I heard was the sound of sparks as Bell's blade blocked his claws.

TING!

"You're using a code to heal yourself! Hahahahaha! How many more times will you be able to use it?! You're playing a losing game, Bell!" it screamed.

Bell didn't deny it.

Blood was already fading from his face as regeneration healed his jaw that had been missing its right side.

"You think I don't know how much energy you're exerting as well to recover? We're in the same boat, you eggplant," he laughed. "I don't really like eating eggplants… pause, but I think I'll be having it for lunch today."

…Pause? What does that mean?

❖ ❖ ❖

[Bell]

Understanding that both of us had a limited amount of regeneration, the battle was, in a way — a deadly game of tag. Neither of us wanted to get touched while trying to touch the other person.

I don't know how he came to the conclusion that I was using a code, but I guess it has something to do with the lack of mana being consumed whenever I healed.

Although I'd love to claim that the battle was equal, even with all of the artifacts I was using, some of them now asleep as their duration had run out, Selgaath had the upperhand.

'I'll be heading to sleep now. Good luck…' Gon told me.

Both of my shoulders were grabbed, claws stabbed into my flesh. In two motions that occurred simultaneously, my arms were detached from my torso.

Generating them instantly, I dashed forward with Liona's ability, grabbed Gon, who was falling towards the ground. With an upward slash, I felt a large cut in Selgaath's chest.

"Arggggh!"

Still holding my arms, Selgaath tried to hit me with them as if he were dual-wielding fleshy clubs.

BANG!

Sent flying backward, I stopped time. This was the last of the time-stopping ability Urisha had. It would be heading to sleep once the final few seconds were used up.

Liona was also asleep.

I had zero artifacts left.

Except for one.

Yanari. The patch of black hair I had.

'Is it my turn?' it laughed.

…Yes.

'I'll see you a year from now,' Yanari laughed again.

My last resort. The strongest artifact I have.

Urisha's ability was about to come to an end. Once it did, Yanari's would activate. To say that I was nervous about the aftermath of what would happen once it did — that would be an understatement.

Hmm… I wonder how much it'll cost to repair the entire building I'm in.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

.

.

.

Zero.