The Fake Hero Is Too Strong

Chapter 218

At my words, my party members wore expressions that said they could no longer stop me.

Adwin spoke with difficulty.

“Wait a second. When you killed Idria earlier, she resurrected immediately. Idria resurrects right away without even having time to go to the underworld.”

“Yeah, Adwin. That’s why you have to help me.”

“…What?”

“I’m going to cut Idria’s soul directly, not her body. But I can’t see souls, so…”

I didn’t bother finishing the sentence, but everyone seemed to understand.

Adwin swallowed hard and said,

“I will show her soul. Not just to you, but to everyone on the continent.”

“Good, thank you.” “Hold on.”

At that moment, Neril finally steadied herself and spoke.

……

How can she fake such an utterly exhausted expression so well?

“Even if you cut Idria’s soul, maybe she will head to the underworld this time instead of reviving right away. But how are you going to get to the underworld? Don’t tell me you are planning to kill yourself?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how……”

“This sword.”

Chaak.

I swept the sword I had pulled from Idria’s abdomen across the ground.

Her black blood, clinging to the blade, scattered over the floor.

Soon, the noble appearance of the Hero’s sword came clearly into view.

‘Though of course it’s fake.’

I raised it high into the air with all my strength and spoke.

“This Hero’s sword was not made by a celestial god. And it wasn’t made by the human named Adin Press. Adin took a pre-existing Hero’s sword and strutted around as if it were his own before handing it down to the Hero.”

“……!”

“That’s why even though the celestial god has fallen, the divine power within this sword has not disappeared. No, rather, having witnessed the truth, it has resonated with all of you and grown even stronger.”

I ran my tongue across my lips.

‘My mouth is going dry. I’m really not used to lying.’

[Puhahat.]

I brushed off Trail’s laughter of agreement and continued.

“I will pour all my power into this sword and cut Idria’s soul!”

“……!”

“This is the final technique used by the chosen Hero. The last resort. A power that allows the Hero to kill the Demon King in exchange for his own life.”

At that moment, Idria shouted in a tearing voice.

“Don’t you dare!”

“As I said before, you have no right to order me.”

“Mi… Mide. Calm down and think rationally.”

“…….”

“You’re going to fight me eternally in the underworld? You intend to prevent my resurrection? That is not something a person can endure!”

She continued, forcing urgency into her tone.

“How long do you think you will last? Your mind will erode and collapse. You will grow exhausted from an eternal battle no one will ever acknowledge, and eventually you will fall.”

“It’s fine.”

“What?”

“Even if I collapse, it’s fine. As long as you fall before I do.”

“Grrr. Mide!”

Taaak.

As if following the predetermined script, Idria stomped the ground.

She extended her sharp claws and lunged at me.

I calmly gripped the fake Hero’s sword with both hands and said,

“Everyone, take care.”

My party members were already shedding tears.

So were the countless people gathered here.

And surely, so were all those across the continent watching this scene.

“I will take Idria to the underworld!”

Adwin chanted his spell at the perfect moment.

Soon, everyone could see it.

Idria’s soul.

And my soul as well.

“Graaaah!”

“Haaaat!”

Idria’s sharp claws pierced my shoulder.

And my sword passed over Idria’s head, cutting through her soul.

Saaaaa.

A cold wind blew.

For a while, we stood glaring at each other.

But then.

Thud.

The focus faded from Idria’s eyes, and she collapsed first.

This time, she did not resurrect.

Because her soul had been cut.

“L-look over there.”

“The Demon King’s soul is fading.”

“She is heading to the underworld. The Hero cut the Demon King’s soul.”

Srrrk.

Idria’s body turned into black ash.

The gentle cold wind that had been blowing for a while carried the ashes into the air.

Everyone could only stare blankly as the ashes drifted away.

Then it happened.

“W-wait. Lord Mide too!”

At someone’s shout, all eyes turned back to me.

My soul was probably fading as well.

Because I had used the Hero’s ultimate technique, which required trading one’s life.

‘Come to think of it, what should this technique be called?’

[Don’t you dare.]

‘Just kidding.’

[It’s not even a technique anyway. The sword isn’t even the Hero’s sword.]

Well, that’s true.

Time to wrap this up.

I looked around at all the gathered people and spoke.

“Everyone… rest assured.”

“…….”

“The Demon King… I will never…”

“…….”

“I will never allow her to resurrect. I-In the underworld……”

After forcing myself to portray the brink of death.

Kuung.

I collapsed onto the ground.

“Mide!”

“Mr. Mide!”

“Hyung!”

My party members rushed to me in tears.

“Xenia, Serein! Do something!”

“Sniff… It’s no use. I have been casting healing spells this whole time, and nothing is working.”

“He can’t die like this. Huhuuu…”

“Mide. Please wake up.”

I cracked my eyes open just a little.

My party members were surrounding me, shielding me from view.

I grinned and spoke through my soul.

[Finish things up.]

[I swear I’m never doing this kind of acting again. Even knowing the truth, my heart nearly stopped.]

[Sorry. This will probably be the last time, so just bear with it.]

[The last time?]

[Yeah. I doubt I can raise my fame any higher after this.]

I simply had that feeling.

Neril didn’t ask anything more and sharply turned her gaze to the Emperor.

Startled by her stare, the Emperor, who had been watching everything in a daze, flinched.

“S-Saint of Compulsion.”

“Mide is dead.”

“……!”

“That idiot died for the world. For humanity.”

“Khhk.”

“We are taking him with us. Don’t ever come looking.”

Like a child, she rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

Xenia followed up on Neril’s words.

“We already killed Velosian before coming to this trial today.”

“What…?”

“You all remember the name Velosian, I’m sure. Mide announced their existence before.”

“Ah. The so-called Demon King of Lies from the past.”

“Yes. But Velosian was nothing compared to Idria.”

Hmm.

Though in truth, it was the complete opposite.

Anyway, they are saying everything according to the script.

‘Killing myself up with Idria without thinking of the consequences while enemies were still around… that’s not very hero-like. It’s bad for my reputation.’

[I’m honestly speechless.]

Offense said,

“Yeah, it really wasn’t difficult. For a previous Demon King, he was weak to the point of being pathetic.”

“Yes. We assumed he would be on the same level as Idria or stronger.”

“Probably because of all the negative energy dwelling in Idria. Velosian didn’t have that.”

“That’s right. So after this trial ends, he laughed and said we should return people to the capital.”

Lisel and Serein speak through their tears.

“He looked so embarrassed, Mr. Mide.”

“Right. He made such a fuss he evacuated everyone.”

“Mr. Mide just wanted to prevent even the slightest harm.”

“Sniff sniff.”

Adwin spoke to the Emperor.

“Please send everyone back to the capital two days from now, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, yes. Yes, I will do that.”

The Emperor didn’t question things like ‘Why in two days?’.

Not just the Emperor, no one would be able to.

Because at this point, there is no one who would dare question a single move we make.

Of course, if someone did ask why two days…

‘In two days, I’m killing Aktion, and then I’m really retiring.’

[Does it even take two days at your current fame?]

‘Still, you never know…… huh? What is my fame right now?’

[See for yourself.]

Even with my eyes closed, I can see the screen window.

The black darkness beneath my eyelids fills with the window.

It rises.

My fame rises once again…… no, for the ‘last time’.

Go.

Rise even higher.

I was staring at the screen inside my eyelids when it happened.

Soft sobbing echoed from all sides.

“Uuuhhh… Hero……”

“So you had already killed Velosian long ago and didn’t say a word.”

“You didn’t do it for bragging. As long as we were safe, that was enough for you.”

Just a little more. Just a little……

“You could have just ignored everything and taken the retirement you had wished for.”

“No one would have said anything.”

“But instead you stayed until the end and opened the Demon King trial.”

Just a little more!

“You said all the negative energy were drawn to Idria, right? Even the Demon King of Desolation was created by her.”

“Maybe the Demon Kings of Destruction, Corruption, and Greed were also the same.”

“They must have been. Idria was the source of all Demon Kings.”

“Mr. Mide killed that Idria.”

“You traded your life for it.”

“You made sure she could never revive again. You will be watching her forever in the underworld.”

The rate of increase begins to slow.

Ah. I’m so close now!

‘Well, it was a job that raised nearly ten million all at once.’

Doubling all the fame I had gathered so far was never going to be easy.

So I put everything into this second Demon King trial performance.

Is it still not enough?

Is it still too much?

No. Not yet.

I want to know about myself.

I want to know about Trail.

How I lived when I was the master of the world.

And even before that, what I did when I was the hero.

‘Please, just a little!’

Then someone murmured,

“Yeah. The hero gave us freedom. He made a world where Demon Kings no longer descend.”

The words of someone whose face I couldn’t even see spread across the entire continent through sound-amplifying magic and Append View.

Complete freedom.

A world where Demon Kings do not descend.

Round and round, but in the end, those words pierced the very core of what I had tried to accomplish.

And it made the hearts of all humanity tremble.

The 20 million I originally aimed for.

Even that goal, which I doubted I could reach, was surpassed so easily it felt ridiculous.

‘How did it suddenly jump like this? The rate changed completely.’

[……Congratulations.]

‘For what.’

[People must have really liked the world you tried to create. A world with no Demon King descents.]

‘Ah.’

[Yeah. Everyone subconsciously wanted a world without Demon Kings. Maybe not even subconsciously. Who would want the existence of a Demon King trying to destroy humanity?]

Trail continued, voice oddly mellow.

[No one liked the so-called Hero System, Mide.]

‘…….’

[You weren’t wrong. The world you want to create is definitely better than this one.]

I almost cried.

But since I’m supposed to be dead, I force it back down.

‘Don’t make me tear up.’

[Kukuku. Meeting you was the greatest fortune of my life.]

‘Same for me.’

[…….]

‘…….’

[Khmm. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear each other.]

‘I agree.’

So much for the emotional moment.

Sssk.

Someone gently lifted me up.

Probably Neril.

[You’re pushing yourself. Your arms are trembling already.]

‘Once this is over, I need to train this body. Maybe I should teach it swordsmanship.’

Anyway, she held me in her arms and whispered into my ear.

“Thank you so much, Mide.”

“…….”

“We… and humanity… will never forget you.”

The moment she said that,

My fame rose for the last time.

So I gained fame far beyond the 20 million I originally aimed for.

My past fame was 20 million, wasn’t it?

‘You scared me.’

‘I’m a bit stunned myself.’

The window fell silent, as if lost in nostalgia.

Then, at last, words appeared.

‘…….’

‘Alright. Should I go prepare something to eat?’

To my joking words, the window returned a completely unexpected reply.

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