The Villain’s Ending

Chapter 118

Sunset (1)

It's that same room again.

A dirty, messy room where I open my eyes every time I die.One might have expected to feel weary of this scene, a room where only a person more inclined to clean themselves than their surroundings would livebut that wasn't the full extent of it.

[Go forth and find the end once more. 6/?]

[Currently collected rewards: Lingering Trace, Afterimage, Traces, Fragmented Soul, Lingering Shadow, Twilight]

A translucent window floated before my eyes, and the surrounding scenery rapidly changed.

The annex where I used to live with Lineta overlapped, and at some point, I found myself on horseback, yawning blankly.

My body, actions, and words wouldn't come out as I wished.

As if I were dreaming a very long dream.

There, with a listless expression, I was gazing at the forest where Lineta and I used to walk barefoot.

It looked rather secluded and the atmosphere seemed quite pleasant.

Though a massive fire, devouring everything around it, was burning the forest.

Apparently set by magic, the huge fire was contracting towards the center of the forest rather than spreading outwards.

"They're starting to come out. Fire."

As soon as I uttered the words, the sound of countless individuals behind me drawing their bowstrings was heard.

Arrows rained down upon the demons, who looked like ordinary villagers, screaming as they walked out of the forest.

Even after some were struck by arrows and turned into hedgehogs, they twisted their bodies, charging towards where I was.

However, I merely looked down at the approaching demons without moving.

And someone then beheaded the closest heretic, who was rushing on all fours, and split their body in half.

It was a rough and unrefined, yet powerful, swing.

I gazed at the head rolling on the ground, then followed suit and raised my head to see that the forest was entirely burnt, and not a single living heretic was visible.

My mouth opened of its own accord, as if in a hazy dream.

"Still, weren't they the villagers you lived with? Don't you feel any pain?"

"These are the ones who burned my parents alive, then ground them up and drank them while still clinging to life, and sacrificed a child like my own sister to the demons.

How could I possibly feel pain?"

Kyle replied.

"I always think it, but your manner of speaking is truly insolent."

I said with a laugh.

Kyle was wearing shabby clothes.

He wasn't carrying a plain yet sharp renowned sword at his waist, nor did he display the characteristic tidy posture of a trained individual.

Standing in a cocky manner with a sword, he looked like a mercenary who hadn't received proper training but possessed decent skill.

"Kyle, you really should have gone to the academy."

"I don't know what that is."

"It's a place that nurtures even a lowly, insolent, and unpleasant guy like you into a talent, as long as you have the ability."

"From what you say, it seems like a good place."

"It is a good place. Better than where you've been living."

I pulled a pipe from my pocket, clamped it between my lips, filled it with tobacco leaves, and lit it.

"You've dealt with the heretic faction hiding in the church, and an entire village, all thanks to you. So now, no one will fault you, whether for being a turncoat or anything else."

Then, inhaling and exhaling smoke, I said.

"When the war ends, I'll bestow a suitable title upon you."

****

The scenery changes.

A scene entered my view: soldiers desperately fending off demons swarming against a half-collapsed city wall.

There, I was looking at something wrapped in a blood-soaked red swaddling cloth.

I raised my head and looked at Kyle.

Wearing armor that had turned brownish from dried blood, and carrying a rather plausible sword, Kyle, with long sword marks and scorched traces on his face, wore an expression as if he would die instantly from guilt.

"I thought we'd be together for life, but she couldn't even leave a final word."

"I apologize, Lord. It's all due to my inadequacy..."

I interrupted Kyle's words and asked.

"Do you remember what the demon you killed looked like?"

After hearing Kyle's answer, I took Kyle and the knights, clad in armor heavily embossed with the Edelgard family crest, outside the city wall.

After charging at a high-ranking demon, I sliced off its neck.

Then, returning inside, I meticulously stitched Seraphina, who was in the swaddling cloth, needle by needle, to make her appear as intact as possible.

To reconstruct the dismembered Seraphina to her original form, recalling my memories, for half a day.

Then, I laid her in a clumsily made coffin, dug a hole, and buried her in a suitably sunny spot.

No one spoke.

****

The scenery changed once more.

I was wearing a worn-out uniform, and those around me also didn't seem to be in good shape.

As I moved, soldiers collapsing one by one caught my eye.

"The soldiers are too exhausted; they need at least a little rest."

"If we're late, the Saintess might die."

Kyle, on horseback, blocked my path and said.

"I know she is someone you love, but if we go like this, everyone will die anyway.

The Saintess would also wish for the Lord not to suffer such misfortune."

I looked around.

Then, I sighed and told the soldiers to rest.

After resting thoroughly for a day, I led the soldiers and began to head somewhere once more.

From far across the sprawling plains, a small roar was heard.

Holy Knights, surrounded by demons, were desperately fighting back.

As I charged at the vanguard to break through the encirclement, dozens of demons rose into the air and unleashed a prepared attack.

Projectiles capable of killing everyone, including myself and those I was leading, were flying towards us.

"Lavin!!!"

Estelle appeared from somewhere and blocked it with light emanating from her hands.

Seizing that opportunity, I rescued the encircled Holy Knights and disrupted the demons' battle formation.

When I turned back to withdraw the army, Estelle began to be slowly crushed and pulverized by shining spear blades and arrows.

Even with the capital in peril, the outcome of withdrawing the army and then launching an attack was highly rewarding.

I had merely gained hundreds of useless demons, thirty-four high-ranking demons, and a Saintess so unrecognizable she could be mistaken for minced meat.

"Now I am humanity's last hope."

Kyle, with a dazed face, couldn't even reply, staring at the pulverized remains of what was once the Saintess.

"If I die, you lead next."

****

In the middle of the imperial palace, I walked out onto the balcony from the Emperor's bedroom and looked down at the outside.

The city walls had long since collapsed, and the capital seemed half-occupied.

Turning to walk, I kicked the head of what used to be the Emperor, which was in my way.

"Was it absolutely necessary to kill him?"

"He kept playing nasty tricks from behind, and never once came out of the castle, like the coward he was.

If he had just shown his face once when Estelle died and riots broke out, I wouldn't have gone this far.

Because of this son of a bitch, I killed as many people with my own hands as I did demons."

I said so and then made his head explode with a spell.

"What will you do now?"

"Do what? It's all over."

I pulled a cigarette from my pocket, clamped it between my lips, and lit it.

"The Saintess once told me that ancient people believed they would be reborn as something else when they died.

There's probably no God, so you'll likely be reborn. Kyle. Go to the academy.

Go there, be insolent to those damn noble bastards, and make some friends.

If you hadn't been born in that damn village, if you had learned from a young age, you'd probably have been better than me."

"......I will go and try to stop them until the very end."

I waved my hand as if telling him to go.

Kyle saluted and then disappeared from my sight.

I walked through the imperial palace for a long time.

And entering a room, I found Levina calmly sitting in a chair, in what looked like an office.

"My dear Family Head, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"You said there was a last resort."

"There are plenty of ways. Even now, you could apostatize and crawl under the demons.

Didn't you also hear that they would give Your Excellency special treatment?"

"That's not what I'm talking about, I don't have time for games, Sister."

"Only when it suits you, I'm 'Sister'?"

Levina rose from her seat, approached me in my worn-out uniform, and slowly embraced me.

"It reminds me of when we secretly killed Mother as children, and you asked me to keep it a secret.

It was truly frightening back then."

She lightly licked my cheek, then gently brought her lips to mine before pulling away from my embrace.

"Now, I think I can believe it. That you came from somewhere else."

"......"

"Offer yourself to God. And start anew."

Levina whispered.

"How is that different from a heretic?"

"I'm not talking about pain, suffering, or making sacrifices."

She said, touching the books shelved in the bookcase.

"You know, in old history books, there are many humans who achieved absurd feats."

She picked up a book.

"Great figures who were trashy scoundrels in their youth, but then suddenly acted like changed people, as if they had received a 'revelation,' saving their families, lovers, territories, nations, and humanity."

Saying so, she sat back down in the chair.

"They must have offered something precious."

"If that's the case, I'd rather just die."

"I don't want you to die.

Even though you took everything from me, you allowed me to be by your side."

She continued speaking, looking at me and smiling brightly.

I shook my head.

"Forgive me for whatever I do. Remember me even after death.

Remember my devotion, my love, forever."

Levina suddenly pulled a magic stone from her pocket and swallowed it.

Soon after, an explosion erupted in the room, and what was once Levina filled the room with red.

I stood blankly in the room for a long time.

****

Nothing was visible, then I closed my eyes and opened them to find myself in the academy's dirty, smoke-reeking room.

Sitting blankly, I fumbled in my pocket, pulled out a cigarette, clamped it between my lips, and lit it.

"Fucking hell."

Smoke filled my lungs, then faintly dispersed.