I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 109 : No Mercy Just Because You're Family (1)

No Mercy Just Because You're Family (1)

"Where is this...?"

Laika Bisted, who had collapsed, opened his eyes and muttered.

Regaining his senses, the first thing he saw was Silia and Louis' faces.

"Sir Laika!"

"Grandfather, are you awake?"

At their call, Laika quickly came to his senses and recalled everything that had happened until now.

Naturally, this included what had happened just before.

"I see. I finally..."

Memories of the past flashed through Laika's mind.

Back in the day, during the demonkin war, in the moment he beheaded the leader of the demonkin.

He thought he had finally won, but then, out of nowhere, something emerged from the body and took over his own.

As it turned out, that leader had been one of the monstrous beings called Great Devils, and upon his defeat, immediately took over Laika's body.

'I remember now. Of all moments, I had exhausted all my strength during that fight, and couldn't resist having my body taken over.'

Laika had no more energy to defend himself.

Because of that opening, his body was seized, and since then, Laika had committed countless sins.

"I am ashamed."

All the acts that the Great Devil Duramon had committed with his body flashed through Laika's mind.

Even if he wanted to resist, he was powerless and completely unable to do so.

'At least, the spell my friend Ferus developed was my last hope...'

Duramon, too, realized that weakness, so he secluded himself in the Imperial Court.

He created a vast family under Laika's name, manipulated people from the shadows of the Imperial Court.

Laika was repeatedly plunged into despair over the wicked deeds committed in his own name.

"Truly..."

That was why Laika spoke to the two who had granted him liberation.

"Thank you."

"You have suffered so much. You won't have to be manipulated by a Great Devil any longer."

Silia could roughly understand what he was feeling.

Considering what the Bisted family had done, it wouldn't be strange for their ancestor to weep tears of blood.

"Can you stand?"

When Louis offered his hand, Laika barely managed to get up, leaning on Louis for support—hardly befitting the reputation of a Swordmaster.

By touching his body directly, Louis could sense Laika's current condition.

"It might sound hopeless... but it looks like your life as a Swordmaster is over, grandfather."

"Ha... I figured as much."

That absolute realm, of which only three existed in the entire Imperial Court—there is no telling what Laika must have gone through to reach it.

Even though the culmination of all that time and effort had vanished like a bubble, Laika only laughed bitterly.

"It seems something was done to me when I was freed from that guy."

"Done?"

"While leaving, he tried to take my strength. In the process, he tampered with my bloodline, and that's what happened."

In fact, Laika Bisted's body wasn't normal to begin with.

Duramon, in his use of Laika's body, had already damaged it beyond repair here and there.

When he forcibly tried to steal his strength on top of that, the backlash was severe.

"I should be grateful my body wasn't torn apart completely, given how degenerated it already was."

Louis, still supporting Laika, moved him to the area where the Imperial forces were stationed.

There, the knights recognized Laika and collectively froze. Even

if he had been manipulated by the Great Devil in vain, he was still the hero who ended the demonkin war.

"If the Imperial Knight Order is here, is His Majesty himself present?"

"Of course. And besides, Laika—no, it's not just Duramon who was the mastermind behind this incident."

"Ah... that's right, there was another."

It was Laika (Duramon) who turned the academy into a demon realm, but someone else had planned something similar before him.

"There was that gentleman who was utterly unworthy to inherit the royal bloodline."

Crown Prince Orbel, the Emperor's only son.

He was now thoroughly detained by special task force members to prevent his escape.

Though, given his deranged state, it was questionable if he could escape at all.

"At any rate, I guess this means I can finally retire. It's not all bad."

As he received medical treatment from the Imperial medical team, Laika spoke softly.

He had lost his strength, but in exchange, he was finally able to receive the reward for saving the Imperial Court from war.

"If it weren't for you two, I would have never received this freedom and reward in my lifetime—I'd have rotted away, corrupted. Thank you again."

"Think nothing of it."

"By the way... Are you really Andrew's disciple?"

Laika asked Silia.

"Your swordsmanship is much like his own."

"I am his adopted daughter. Though I am no longer officially a member of his family."

"I see. There is something I should tell you about that friend."

At those words, Silia's eyes flickered.

She hadn't met him even once since she'd been taken by the 7th Legion.

If he was still alive, she wondered what he might be doing now.

"Beyond the northern border of the Imperial Court, in a village of elves—there have been reported sightings of him."

"Really?"

"Yes. Duramon was also mindful of Andrew."

Come to think of it, that elf village was the place Frederick had mentioned—where clues to the Chaos Dragon's strength could be found.

The overlap in their paths gave Louis a strange feeling.

"Excuse us!"

At that moment, several knights approached Louis and Silia and handed something over.

"We found this while investigating that giant tree. Would you happen to know what it is?"

They handed over two sheets of paper, apparently fragments of a blueprint.

Seeing this, Louis' interest was piqued.

"Send these at once to Headmaster Ferus at Zodiac. Anything like this must be delivered directly to him."

"Understood."

Blueprints for the original artifact that formed the basis of the torture spell.

It was said that Palmon, the Great Devil who had contracted with the Crown Prince, had once presented similar blueprints as a gift to the prince.

For some reason, these blueprints were circulating among the Great Devils, almost as if they were dropped items in a game.

"I wonder if that rascal Ferus is doing well."

Hearing his old comrade's name for the first time in ages, Laika smiled cheerfully.

"His dream was to marry a beauty, as I recall."

"There's no record that Headmaster has a family."

"I suppose that makes sense. He lost the only woman he ever chased after on the battlefield."

Louis didn't know much about Ferus' past. But hearing this, she realized anew just how remarkable he must be.

"In the first place, forming a family is a mistake—otherwise you end up like me."

"You remember it well."

"Even though my body was seized, I remember everything Duramon did. In that sense, Louis Seifert..."

Laika looked at Louis with a serious expression.

"I owe you a deep apology."

"..."

"My own child... was the one who burned down your parents and your domain... Truly, I am ashamed."

There was no need to spell out who had turned the Seifert domain into a hellscape.

But Louis only snorted as if unconcerned.

"You don't have to worry anymore. Those responsible have already paid the price. Isn't that right?"

At Louis' call, Pram and Rio dragged someone over.

"Come to think of it, I remember inviting you here as a parent for the academy event."

The expressions on Rio and Pram's faces as they dragged him showed clear resentment—it was no wonder, as both were from the same domain Louis once called home.

"Rejir Bisted."

Dressed in a subtly feminine cosplay, Rejir was thrown before Laika.

"Eek!"

At that moment, Rejir recognized the person before him as both a hero and his grandfather, and flinched in fear.

"I—It is truly an honor to meet you, grandfather!"

"..."

"I am the proud heir of the Bisted family! Please, hear me out!"

In his female cosplay, Rejir bawled, tears and snot streaming, and blurted out everything that had happened to him, from the Zodiac magitech device contest to the forced loss of his genitals.

Laika listened to it all with a smile, as if he were enjoying music.

"It was truly hell!! Please, with the strength that vanquished the demonkin lord, save me...!"

"I don't recall having a descendant like you."

"What?"

A shocking statement from his ancestor's own lips.

"What are you saying? I carry your blood, grandfather! If something happens to me, your bloodline ends too!"

Desperate to survive, he clung to Laika, but it was all in vain.

"There are exactly three reasons I can't help you."

First—

"I am no longer a Swordmaster. I lost all my strength just now."

"What?"

Second—

"And how can you say you'll carry on my bloodline? When you no longer have any genitals."

"..."

Third—

"This is the most important reason."

Even in his enfeebled state, Laika spoke with heroic sternness.

"I do not go easy on my descendants just because they share my blood. Atone for what you've done with your own, just as I intend to do."

At this shocking declaration, Rejir collapsed in despair. Louis whispered into his ear,

"Too bad. Mom."

Louis was still wearing the academy's uniform.

"Yeah. Hang in there, mom."

So was Rio.

****

By the time all the academy's uproar had subsided, the Crown Prince was still alive.

This was because the special task force had protected him within the barrier.

But he had lost the will to live.

Even going so far as to kill Elaine, who had loyally served him, he now faced the one person he never wanted to see again.

"It has been a long time, Orbel."

Crown Prince Orbel was dragged before a prisoner carriage by Victor, Simon, and Rozen.

Standing there was the highest authority in the Imperial Court.

"Ah..."

The one and only father who brought him into this world.

But now, the last person he wished to face. With the Emperor looking upon his sole child, he spoke.

"Has it been four years?"

"..."

"I searched for you all this time. Though you don't need to ask—you know why."

The Crown Prince knew well the look on his father's face as he spoke.

The look he wore when holding a criminal to account.

In other words, he was seeing him not as a son, but as a criminal.

"... It's your fault."

Nevertheless, the Crown Prince spoke with resentment.

"It's your fault."

"What?"

"If you had given birth to me properly, none of this would have happened."

At this absurd statement, the Emperor showed a deeply troubled face.

"Was it my intention to give you an unworthy royal bloodline? What did I think when I brought you into this world?"

Though it wasn't completely untrue, the Emperor fell silent for a moment.

No matter what, Orbel was still his own blood.

For a child's problems, a father naturally felt responsible.

"So this is..."

"You mean it's my responsibility? Very well, I understand."

With a sudden stern expression, the Emperor spoke.

"But did I also kill all the people you sacrificed to demons? Did I brainwash myself with the Great Devil's power, and harm your sister Estelle too? All of it?"

"Well..."

"Fine, yes. Raising you wrong is my responsibility. Everything you've done is my fault? Fine, I accept. It's all my fault."

The Emperor's unexpected reply flowed out smoothly.

"So, I will take responsibility."

And while the Crown Prince was thrown off by this, the Emperor delivered the final blow.

"I'll shoulder it by punishing my precious son to the fullest extent."

...!

In other words, he was going to punish him relentlessly.

The Crown Prince wanted to argue, but no words came to him.

Even if by luck he was released, would there be a "next time" for him?

He had become trash—unable to use magic power nor aura, unable to make any more pacts with devils.

All that remained in his life was a cliff's edge.

When he realized this, the Crown Prince's legs gave out, and the knights dragged him away into an iron cell.

"So let it be known."

The Emperor looked at the once-noble prisoners in their cell.

"To show mercy just because the criminal is your child—that is the act of a trainer, not a parent."

The Emperor gazed especially coldly at Lisele.