Chapter 612: Vermouth Lionheart (4) [Bonus Images]
Eugene felt a hand gently pushing his back. As he moved forward, he turned to look behind.
There were Kristina and Anise, acting as his wings to keep him from falling and supporting him steadfastly. He saw Vermouth, who smiled brightly like a blazing flame. But that wasn’t all. Though Molon lay fallen below after grappling with Destruction, Eugene could feel Molon right behind him. He could sense Sienna, though she had collapsed far away.
He thought of everyone present as he listened to the voices calling out. He felt those who were blocking Destruction, the very essence of calamity. He felt the collective will to prevent the world from total destruction.
"Now it's your turn."
Vermouth's words reached him.
There was no need to question what he meant. Eugene understood Vermouth’s words the moment he heard them. Vermouth had saved the world three hundred years ago, and now it was Eugene’s turn. Everything that had transpired until now had been leading to the moment when Eugene Lionheart would take over.
Agaroth had wounded Destruction before dying. And because Agaroth had held Destruction, the Sage became the World Tree, and the God of Giants and the ancient gods became the Light. Thus, a world different from all past worlds began. Vermouth was born from Destruction’s scar and gathered his comrades, and although they were ultimately defeated, it wasn’t a complete failure.
The three hundred years he bought weren’t meaningless. The world had evolved sufficiently and had united to stop its own destruction. And thus, it was now Eugene’s turn.
"I know,” answered Eugene.
He no longer looked back. He didn’t need to see the feel of many hands pushing his back. He no longer needed to strain his ears. The many prayers had already transformed into a massive will and filled him from within.
Destruction raised its head to see Eugene. Despite being cut down over and over, it still had dozens of heads and hundreds of arms. With a whoosh, hundreds of arms shot out toward Eugene.
Eugene's eyes emitted a golden light. Each of the flailing arms carried enough power to annihilate life. Destruction blocked the path of Eugene, the Hero who carried the world's will. Eugene bit his lip and grasped the Divine Sword.
"No," Eugene said with firm conviction.
In the distant past, Agaroth had knelt before Destruction. Three hundred years ago, Hamel had felt despair from afar at the sight of Destruction. Even a week ago, Eugene had felt terror in the face of Destruction. But that wasn’t the case anymore.
"You can't stop me,” he declared.
All of that was just in the past. Agaroth, Hamel, Eugene, and even Destruction itself had not vanished but persisted until this very moment. But Destruction, which had swallowed the world numerous times, could not conquer this moment. Eugene was absolutely sure of that, and his determination and certainty fueled the divine fire even more.
Fwoosh!
A single strike incinerated half of Destruction’s arms. Destruction writhed while emitting a terrible scream. Its instinct was to retreat, but it couldn't.
The magic left by Sienna prevented Destruction from standing on its legs. Molon’s hand still held onto Destruction. The attacks on Destruction's true form from the outside penetrated deep, causing a similar resonance inside the heart. The great will of the world, given birth by all the prayers, made Destruction cease to be Destruction.
"You," said Eugene while gasping for breath.
He gripped the Divine Sword with both hands. Eugene’s internal universe, forced into overdrive by Ignition, placed a tremendous burden on him. But if it were necessary, he would use Ignition over and over without much thought. He possessed the resolve and the will to do so.
"What do you have?" Eugene asked the monster.
Rumbleee!
The remaining hands of Destruction moved towards Eugene once again, but they were incinerated to mere ash by the flames of the Divine Sword. Destruction rallied up for another attack, and dozens of jaws opened wide. It was the same attack that had destroyed Eugene’s leg and Molon’s arm.
Sienna was no longer here to block the attack. She had fallen. However, her will had passed onto Eugene. The burst of light couldn’t even get close to Eugene before being blocked by a barrier.
"You have nothing,” Eugene declared.
Everyone was born with the will to accomplish and attain something. Such will, united in thought, transformed into conviction. Even the specter, despite being born of falsehood and lies, died with conviction. Even the Demon King of Incarceration had his convictions, though he had persisted through multiple worlds. But did the Demon King of Destruction have anything similar? Did Destruction have such conviction?
The answer was no. Destruction was a monster born without any will. It did not strive to destroy the world because it had any convictions. Rather, it simply destroyed worlds because they existed and continued to wreak havoc and destruction because it could not destroy itself.
"There’s no way that something like you...," said Eugene.
Even though Vermouth was born of the Demon King of Destruction, he possessed the will to save the world. The Demon King of Destruction couldn't fully consume Vermouth. Destruction lacked resolve or will. It was a monster driven only by the simple, obvious instinct of filling its stomach due to hunger.
Eugene came to realize the true nature of Destruction. This existence wasn’t a grand entity deserving of the moniker Demon King of Destruction.
"Can stop me," continued Eugene.
It was a monster born from vile jealousy and narrow-minded desire. It may have aimed to become a Demon King initially, but it had instead become a monster swallowed by its own uncontrollable power. It was a calamity that had coincidentally grown uncontrollably large as the world was reborn repeatedly.
"Can stop us," said Eugene.
It had always failed. It tried to become a Demon King as it desired but never did. Driven by hunger, it tried to destroy the world but couldn't even do it properly. It tried to absorb Vermouth after he split from it, but it failed even then.
And now, it was trying to kill Eugene.
But that, too, would fail.
"There's no way you can stop us," Eugene declared.
He raised the Divine Sword high.
He didn't refer only to himself. He had gotten this far because it had been us rather than me. Therefore, the Divine Sword Eugene held was not solely his own. It was imbued with the will of all those who had fallen, those who had not fallen, and those who, in this very moment, denied Destruction.
Dozens of heads meant nothing. So, instead, the heads merged into one to struggle in vain. The gaping maw seemed capable of swallowing the world whole. It looked like a pitch-black abyss.
But to Eugene, that pitch-black abyss seemed thin, almost transparent. That vast maw felt utterly useless, incapable of swallowing anything. It looked to be a mere pretense. Even an abyss that seemed endlessly deep was shallow compared to the current Eugene.
And compared to that, what of the Divine Sword Eugene held? It was as bright as the whole world and as vast as the sun. His opponent, that grotesque thing, could never block the Divine Sword. Eugene was certain, and with that conviction, he swung down with the Divine Sword.
The enormous head of Destruction was split almost too easily. But despite cutting through the head of Destruction, the power of the Divine Sword did not diminish at all. The severed head disintegrated into dark power and various colors before scattering in all directions. Eugene leaned forward with the Divine Sword and advanced.
[For salvation,] Anise whispered.
Whoosh!
From the dissipating wings, Anise pushed Eugene's back.
The word salvation had been a constant on her lips for three hundred years. Although she once resented the Light and despised her own existence, Anise had truly become the Saint and yearned for salvation after heading towards the Devildom during the era of war. They were closer to salvation than ever before. Anise smiled brightly as she watched Eugene’s back.
The one who remained by Eugene’s side until the very end was none other than Kristina, who had attained salvation purely through Eugene’s existence. But even she found it hard to endure any longer. However, there was no sadness or lingering regret. Kristina knew what would be decided shortly thereafter.
[For victory,] Kristina prayed for victory as the Saint.
Always, always.... She prayed to her god, who had always triumphed. Just as the fate of being the Saint had given her a future, so too would the Hero, the god, give the world its future. Believing in this, Kristina pushed Eugene’s back.
Though he had no wings left, he did not fall. Amidst the thick riot of dark power and colors, Eugene moved forward as if he were carried by the wind. The monster had lost everything and could no longer create more heads. Only its hideously twitching body remained.
Eugene knew exactly where to strike. Despite taking damage, the heart was still intermittently throbbing and continuing to emit dark power.
It was insignificant. Why had he ever feared something that only lived without conviction or purpose? Why did he shiver in madness whenever he saw it, feeling it ominous? Eugene chuckled as he raised the Divine Sword. The sword swept downward and cleaved through both the dark power and swirl of color. The twitching body of the monster offered no resistance to the Divine Sword. The heart was no different.
The divine fire first devoured the heart. As if in its final throes, Destruction expelled all of its remaining dark power and colors, but nothing could pierce through the divine flames and escape. Within the layers of burning flames, both dark power and the swirling colors were extinguished.
And then, the Divine Sword split the heart.
Whoosh!
A great burst of flames erupted at the moment the sword cleaved the heart. Eugene did not retreat but jumped into the flames. Though he thought it unnecessary, he wanted to witness the end with certainty. The disaster that bore the ill-fitting name of Demon King of Destruction faded away. As the heart turned to ash, the enormous body also became ash. Eugene watched everything from the center.
He could no longer hear the throbbing. Nor were there any screams. Instead, a different sound grew louder. Thump, thump, thump — it was the sound of beating originating from the outside.
Eugene, who had been standing quietly watching the demise of Destruction, slowly turned around. There was nothing more to see. Until the very last of the last, this entity was nothing at all. It left no last words and no will. An existence devoid of meaning would face an end that was just as empty. It had to be this way. The only part of it that wasn’t void no longer existed within it.
Eugene emerged from the dispersing flames and first helped up Molon, who was kneeling nearby with his head bowed. He then lifted Kristina onto his shoulder from the ground.
"Are you all alive?" Eugene asked.
It was a rhetorical question, but he still asked it with a wry smile. However, he wasn’t greeted with any answers. Molon, Kristina, and even Anise, who dwelled within her, had all lost consciousness.
"Looks like they've all passed out. This isn’t going to look good once we get out," Eugene said with a sigh.
He shook his head and reached out his hand. The unconscious Sienna, who had collapsed a distance away, was moved closer to Eugene.
After ensuring all his companions were accounted for, he asked, "Isn’t that right?"
He directed the question to Vermouth, who had not lost consciousness.
Vermouth did not respond.
The heart of Destruction had burned to ash. With that, the Demon King of Destruction was dead. Its true form still remained outside, but it too would soon perish, along with the endless waves of the Nur.
Vermouth could feel all of it. He felt that he, too, would soon... similarly perish. The heart of Destruction, now turned to ash, had ultimately been Vermouth’s heart as well.
"Hamel,” Vermouth finally spoke.
It felt as if his chest had been hollowed out. There was nothing left where his heart should be. His end was near, but Vermouth felt content. He had achieved what he had always longed for.... He had killed the Demon King of Destruction. He had ended the cycle of destruction.
"Thank you,” Vermouth said with a faint smile.
He had wished to die this way. There could be no happier death than this. At the very end, he was able to fight alongside his comrades. The world had shown him that the life he lived as Vermouth Lionheart was not meaningless. Despite his many denials of being the Hero, everyone had indeed regarded him as one.
"Because of you... because everyone was here, I... in the end, I was able to die as a human... as the Hero,” said Vermouth.
Eugene did not respond but moved closer to Vermouth. He carefully laid down Molon and then Sienna and Kristina in turn.
"It's a pity I can't talk more with them, but it can't be helped. I no longer have much time left—" Vermouth continued.
"I thought I already told you,” Eugene interrupted. He squinted his eyes as he glared at Vermouth. "We said we would save you.”
"That has been fulfilled. I have been saved by everyone...," responded Vermouth.
"You also said we deserve to be happy,” Eugene said.
"Could there be any greater happiness than this?" Vermouth asked with a bitter smile. "I have achieved everything I wanted. I was able to fight alongside you all, and I defeated the Demon King of Destruction. I was recognized by the world. So—"
"What good is it if you're dead?" Eugene interjected.
He plopped down in front of Vermouth.
Rumble....
The void was trembling. The space itself looked like it was about to disappear as the Demon King of Destruction had died. Yet, Eugene had disregarded such matters. He fixed his gaze directly on Vermouth’s face.
"Don’t try to leave your last will as if it’s all over. You’re not finished yet, and neither are we.”
"You always insisted on the impossible," Vermouth replied after a pause.
Though meant as a reproach, Eugene found gratitude in those words. Yet, this time, it truly seemed impossible. Vermouth looked down at his body, which was slowly turning to ash, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"What use is it if I die...? Yes, that might be the case for you since you already died once and had many regrets. But I have no regrets left,” Vermouth declared.
"Is that really true?" Eugene asked while tilting his head.
"You ask such mischievous questions,” Vermouth responded.
With a deep sigh, Vermouth lifted his head, gazing briefly at the crumbling void before continuing, "It’s impossible... not to have regrets. No matter how much I wish to be detached, they linger."
"And these regrets are?" Eugene probed.
"To see with my own eyes the world that existed because of me,” answered Vermouth.
He hadn’t wanted to say it out loud. Just voicing it strengthened his attachment to life. The regret of not being able to continue with his comrades weighed heavily on him.
Vermouth continued, "I want to hear the voices that call my name. And...." He paused.
"And, what?" Eugene prompted him.
His cheek had twitched. It could have been a forced smile to shake off the sadness. He thought such teasing, even at the last moment, was typical of Hamel — unnecessary, really. Did he truly need to act that way? Vermouth truly wondered. At least he had mourned Hamel at the moment of his death.
"I want to try the things we talked about in the past, in the Devildom. Traveling peacefully, visiting the hot springs in the snowy mountains...,” continued Vermouth.
"Those are things you can’t do if you’re dead,” said Eugene.
"That’s true,” Vermouth agreed.
As much as he had avoided it, he had ended up saying it.
"I don’t want to die."
Eugene had wanted to hear those words.
"So that's it," Eugene said, grinning as he suddenly reached out and grasped Vermouth’s right hand.
That statement hadn’t been meant for Vermouth. Vermouth jumped in surprise and looked down at his hand. An old chain had suddenly been gripped in it.
"It was a contract,” a voice came from behind them. "I had asked you, Vermouth Lionheart."
The clanking of chains sounded.
"I asked you if you still wished to die with Destruction.”
Vermouth turned around in surprise. The Demon King of Incarceration, unseen until now, was walking towards them. He had held back Destruction for days after being defeated by Eugene and his comrades. This had left the Demon King of Incarceration too weary to stand properly, but now, he seemed less exhausted.
He walked by himself. Although there was no cloak of chains behind him, the Demon King of Incarceration held a chain in his hand.
"You answered no . You said you wished to destroy Destruction with everyone,” the Demon King of Incarceration whispered in a low voice with a smile.
"I asked you what you needed,” he continued.
He slowly pulled on the chain. It was connected to the chain held by Vermouth.
"You answered, a sword , and I gave you one."
Vermouth no longer had a heart in his body. His body had died with Destruction and was disintegrating.
"Like a god, a Demon King fulfills wishes if there's a price to be paid," declared Incarceration.
There was only one thing a Demon King desired: the soul.
"The body you were born into as a clone dies with the Demon King of Destruction. But the Hero as the world spoke of, the soul of Vermouth Lionheart whom you decided is different — as the price of the contract, I, the Demon King of Incarceration, will have it."
This contract depended on Vermouth's will.
If Vermouth had thought of himself only as an avatar of Destruction to the end, and if he had wished to die with the Demon King of Destruction, then Vermouth’s soul would not have been completely independent. The chains of the contract would never have bound it.
But now, the chains of the contract weren’t tied to the avatar of Destruction but to the soul of Vermouth Lionheart.
"If you do not wish to die, then live."
Eugene pushed the disintegrating heart of Vermouth with a smile.
"We agreed to go back together."