He felt like his head was empty.Or maybe it was so overwhelmed that emptiness was all that remained.
He felt that if he had hesitated a little less he could have saved her.
Maybe if he had taken the time to properly train Kim Ruru, taught her how to fight...
Or if he was still a Magical Girl.
If that were the case…..
“.....I am not sad.”
Roderus took a few steps forward, then leaned his arm against the wall and retched. Because there was nothing in his stomach, only gastric fluid came up.
He saw his reflection in a puddle formed by the rain. His face was etched with sadness and guilt, crushed under the weight of negative emotions. The raindrops felt heavy.
Those who suffer a wound in their heart face a choice: either lie to themselves that they were never hurt, or accept the pain and move forward.
In the past, young Roderus had chosen the first option.He had surrendered to the pain, embraced it, and eventually became known as 『The Nightmare of Wizards』. Once upon a time, he thought that was good enough…..
Now he knew better.
“I didn’t like her from the start. Annoying and obnoxiously loud…. just a bitch who wouldn’t listen. And she was an idiot on top of that.”
No matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise, the pain didn’t disappear.
“It’s just, a mere….. peasant’s death. There is no reason for me to be sad. It’s just a corpse, the same as any other I’ve seen.”
No matter how much he tried to obscure the truth, the rain revealed it.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The black ink was washed away by the rain, unveiling Kim Ruru’s bright smile from within his memories. No matter how much he tried to belittle her, the result remained unchanged.
Roderus realized he felt a genuine friendship for Kim Ruru. He couldn’t deny it.
He and she were friends.
“.....Now you can’t even lie to yourself, you damn idiot…..”
Crack.
A crack formed in『The Nightmare of Wizards』. The shell he had worn, put on him by the Duke, shattered completely between the fingers that hid his face. The cold-hearted assassin who had once looked down on others was gone.
In his place was just a mere human, trembling in the cold from losing his thick armor.
Roderus staggered as he walked.
===============================================================
『Zekniel』 floated high above, observing the ground below. He was the final guardian of the vortex which was summoning the Demon Lord, while the task of intercepting the Magical Girls fell to his subordinates.
Meanwhile, 『Pure Light』 and 『Yuri Frostlover』 were locked in a fierce fight.
“Move over…..!!”
“I cannot let you go through. Also, you are in the presence of the Demon Lord, please remain silent.”
The battle was a clash between a Magical Girl who shot light from both hands and a female officer whose entire body was enshrouded by twisting plant vines.
However, there was a big difference between a Magical Girl from a peaceful world, and a resolute female officer? bent on killing. With Oh Hye-in running out of time, her desperation subtly shifted the battle’s dynamics.
“Your side is open.”
“Ugh….!!”
The damage was accumulating.
With an ironclad defense as her base, Yuri Frostlover targeted Oh Hye-in’s vital points with every opening she revealed. The damage steadily increased from the rapid, precise strikes.
"『Hopeness Arrow』!"
Oh Hye-in fired a shining arrow, but Yuri Frostlover blocked it by raising her arm. The arrow lost its power, merely scorching the vines around her arm.
Skrrt. The vines quickly regenerated.
Her attack power was insufficient.
She lacked the strength to breach through her opponent’s defenses and had no techniques to counter the attacks. All that remained for Oh Hye-in was courage, driven by her sense of duty to protect the people.
“However, not everyone who is desperate succeeds. In this world….. there’s something like an unstoppable force.”
“......That doesn’t exist!”
“Your stats are balanced. Being balanced means that you lack the ability to pierce through like a drill.”
Yuri Frostlover seemed to have the upper hand throughout the fight, like an impregnable fortress. Yet, the Magical Girl refused to give up.
Victory or defeat didn’t matter—this was a battle she had to fight.
As Oh Hye-in braced herself for another clash...
“Oh my, welcome. One who isn’t even a Magical Girl.”
Flash.
A blinding light cut through the darkness, and a rapier flew towards Yuri’s head. Yuri turned her gaze, seemingly anticipating the attack.
“This is a gift.”
“Huh….?!”
Yuri caught Oh Hye-in’s wrist and redirected her towards the incoming attack to block the follow-up strikes.
Roderus, who tried a sneak attack from the shadows, stopped attacking and caught the Oh Hye-in who came flying towards him.
“......Dae-soo Oppa?!”
“It looked like you’re having a tough time.”
“Wait, Dae-soo Oppa…. Your hand….”
Blood soaked through the bandages wrapped around his right arm. Roderus had used 『Metamorphosis』 to create a Rapier out of Mana, and as a side effect, destroyed his arm.
Oh Hye-in eyes widened as she let out a scream.
“I told you that if you use it, you’ll die?!”
“I controlled it so that I wouldn’t die. This isn’t an opponent I can defeat….. Without a weapon.”
“That’s why, you should have just left this to me and ran away!”
Roderus met Oh Hye-in’s concerned gaze, his own eyes reflecting the sadness he tried to hide.
“......Ruru’s dead.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“I don’t want to lose you too. Besides…. It would be better if I fought her instead. I'll catch up with you quickly after handling this, so go after the last one.”
“.....Alright. But let me say this one more time. Don’t use it. And don't die.”
Roderus gave a small nod. Oh Hye-in hesitated for a moment before taking off into the sky to stop the summoning of the Demon Lord.
Left on the ground, Roderus pointed his rapier at Yuri. Yuri also took a stance.
Their eyes locked, toes shifting slightly in anticipation of the other's move and a sharp, refined killing intent—the start of a deadly, tactical dance between two professionals trained in the art of killing.
“That stance…. You must be 『Pure Knight』. Eternal Dark mentioned you, but I didn’t expect you to face me without a transformation device.”
“I can win with just a drill and a bit of will.”
“Weren’t you struggling a bit too much against the tentacles….. To be saying that? And it’s not like you don’t know how to fight, so you must understand, don’t you? I’m at least three steps ahead of you.”
A defenseless neck.
An obvious trap. If he targeted it, she’d likely counter, snapping his elbow in the process.
“Why do you fight?”
“To kill you.”
“I’m not trying to get on your nerves. I really just cannot understand. Aren’t you from another world? Even if this place is destroyed, you wouldn’t die.”
Her cleavage was deeply exposed, drawing his attention to the heart beneath.
But the hand blocking the path would be bothersome. Nine times out of ten, it would deflect his rapier. Even if he managed to pierce through, her shoulder would catch it.
“To you, all of this is a dream. That is why, instead of pretending to play friends… wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to seek pleasure?”
“.....How do you know that?”
“We are the same. All of us in the『Legend of Devils』....... came from another world. Riding a comet, through a dream. Each of us, from a different world.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Her leg peeked through the slit of her dress.
If he could shatter the joint, he could stop her movement, but the tension in her foot and the tightly contracted calf muscles were like a loaded gun.
If he could use 『Metamorphosis』, he’d block it with a Mana Shield, but channeling Mana now would do more harm than good. The risks were too high.
“You can enjoy it to your heart’s content. Because it’s just a dream. Whether you kill people or do whatever else you please, this place… is just an illusion. You should try lightening up a little.”
“.....What kinda bullshit are you spouting?”
“I’ll be blunt. Join us. Then, we’ll give you that Magical Girl. If you desire….. we'll throw in a city as a bonus.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Roderus tightened his grip on the rapier. No matter where he aimed, he couldn't be sure of landing a killing blow. Yet, he couldn't afford to hesitate.
In a prolonged fight, the one with superior insight would win. The difference in perception would gradually chip away at him with each exchange, leading to inevitable defeat and death.
This had to be a quick match—he needed to outthink her. He only had one chance.
The temptation from the Four Heavenly Kings continued.
“The Demon Lord will soon dominate every human’s mind, and at that moment, this dream world will become our playground. You should become the ruler of that place. The peaceful everyday that you so desire—enjoy it forever.”
“.....Forever.”
“Yes. A lovely playground that continues on forever.”
If he accepted the offer, Roderus would exist in a world where everyone was a puppet. He could command them to enact a peaceful daily life.
He could command them to love him, or to take off their clothes. The fear of the dream ending would vanish, and it would be replaced by a safe haven for his heart, eternal and unending.
Even if everything was fake, at least the shell would follow Roderus’ orders and love him.
Yuri Frostlover laughed.
“What do you think?”
“......You see, for me.”
“Yes.”
“I learned here that there is no value in a damned empty shell. You vulgar race.”
Yuri sighed, shaking her head, and summoned her plant vines, her gaze fixed on Roderus, who was baring his fangs at her.
“That’s unfortunate──"
Stab.
In that instant, a rapier pierced through her chest and emerged on the other side. Yuri Frostlover looked down at her bleeding chest and murmured.
“.....Is that a clone?”
“Yeah. Made of Mana…. a golem, of sorts. It was a trick I picked up thanks to some Crazy Wizard.”
“The power of your original world should have clashed with Pure Energy…..”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Roderus silently withdrew his rapier and turned away. His back had a huge crack, and was soaked in blood.
Despite the pain, he had pushed his ability to its limits during their conversation. It wasn’t a bad gamble. She was impressed.
Then, Yuri collapsed to her knees and fell to the ground.
⋯⋯⋯⋯.
After Roderus walked far enough away, a radio transmission crackled in her ear. The voice belonged to the Purple Tower Master.
-Hey, did he really get you? With that clone?
Pink-Haired Lesbian, who laid on the ground still pretending to be dead, replied.
“No way. I knew about the clone from the start, but I just let him do it because it was cute.”
-You ’re coming back to the stands instead of reentering, right?
“Yes. I am satisfied. Now that the scene is over, the actor must exit.”
-Eung. I’ll summon you.
Woosh.
Yuri Frostlover’s body slowly disintegrated into dust and scattered. As she left, she silently wished Roderus good luck.
Even if he was caught, it was still a decent move.
===============================================================
Rank 1 of the Four Heavenly Demons, Zekniel descended to the ground. And in front of him, there was the Magical Girl 『Pure Light』, her eyes filled with determined eyes.
Zekniel unfurled his black wings and quietly spoke.
“Everyone else is dead. It seems I’m the last one standing.”
“.....!! That’s right, Zekniel, give up now. Another Magical Girl is on her way. It'll be two against 1……!”
“I already knew that. I saw everything. Along with everyone else.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
His words were cryptic.
As Oh Hye-in tensed, preparing for battle, Zekniel began to speak.
“Why do you think that we toyed with you guys?”
“......I already heard this story from Eternal Dark. You didn’t kill us so that you could draw out more Impure Energy.”
“No….. I’m talking about the present. Magical GIrl, you lack insight. Even when given an obvious answer, your thinking doesn't improve. You should have questioned why the Four Heavenly Kings never attacked together.”
“...........What?”
Zekniel raised his index finger and pointed towards the sky. At that moment, a translucent window materialized with a static sound.
Beyond the window, a Magical Girl was shown in battle. It was Ruru, slowly being overpowered by Eternal Dark, and eventually killed.
From another angle, the screen displayed the ongoing battle between 『Pure Light』 and Zekniel. It was a live broadcast.
“This is……!”
“Yes, I've been watching, along with every other citizen. The sight of a Magical Girl’s defeat has caused despair greater than ever before. And now, you are the last one standing.”
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
“I will show everyone your destruction, Magical Girl. That will mark the beginning of despair, and the Demon Lord will be completely summoned.
Paang-!
Bright light poured through the dark clouds, illuminating the area around the Magical Girl. In the city completely shrouded by storm clouds, the spotlight's focus on her was very easily visible.
People were losing hope at the sight of a Magical Girl’s defeat.
But still, she knew what she had to do. She had to give people courage, defeat Zekniel and stop the Demon Lord’s arrival.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
As Oh Hye-in steadied her breathing, she noticed Roderus quietly approaching Zekniel from behind. He had defeated Yuri Frostlover and come to help her.
But the happiness was brief.
A red warning flashed in her mind.
If Zekniel ‘saw everything’..... then there was no way he wouldn’t know about Roderus! Oh Hye-in reached out her hand and yelled at the Roderus who was preparing a sneak attack.
“Dae-soo Oppa, don’t come──!!"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"
Zekniel snickered. Then.
"『Star System of Darkness』."
Guooooooo.
A pitch-black void expanded from his hands. Light and darkness intertwined as compressed starlight exploded. The massive surge of energy radiated outward, pushing everything away.
A violent current. A black wave of destruction shot in all directions. Both Roderus, who was closing in, and Oh Hye-in, who was shouting a warning, were swept away in an instant.
Kuaaaaa──!!
“Ugh──!!"
“Kyaaaa!!”
His vision spun wildly as they were flung through the air, and his body collided into something. After what felt like an hour but was only ten seconds, the black waves dissipated into the ground.
Roderus and Oh Hye-in became unable to fight any longer.
“Ugh, cough…..”
“Foolish one. Had you chosen to join us, you would have experienced infinite pleasure. But every wrong choice has its price. Now, sit there and witness the death of your ally.”
Zekniel walked leisurely toward Oh Hye-in. Her transformation had worn off.
Now, he was going to kill the last Magical Girl, for all to see. The people would fall into despair, and the Demon Lord would easily descend upon this world.
Schirrrr.
Zekniel unsheathed his longsword.
===============================================================
A way—he had to find a way.
Roderus desperately tried to think of a solution. His body wouldn't move, and he could feel the cold creeping into his limbs.
It was a powerful attack.
An area-of-effect magic that obliterated everything nearby in an instant. And that Zekniel bastard didn’t even seem fazed after using it. Truly a powerful enemy, worthy of the rank 1 title among the Four Heavenly Kings.
Even if he accepted his death and used 『Metamorphosis』... he’d die before managing to kill Zekniel. Even if he could use Metamorphosis freely from the start… victory wouldn’t be guaranteed.
Like this…
Was he really going to lose everything like this?
He was afraid. He was terrified of losing this heaven and being dragged back to that prison. But more than anything, he feared that his friends' efforts to save this world would be in vain, that they would die.
Because he was powerless.
『The Nightmare of Wizards』, could not save his friends.
If that’s the case──.
‘After all, it’s all a matter of efficiency, mong. Humans place a high value on appearances, mong.’
‘Human instincts were honest. Of course, if someone were rescued from a dire situation, like a collapsing building, they would express the maximum Pure Energy (gratitude), regardless of appearances.’
‘So, in a situation where you can choose between two types— a cool, beautiful girl and a lively, attractive girl— it greatly aids in gathering Pure Energy, mong!’
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
If he was the Magical Girl 『Pure Knight』.
Right now, thanks to Zekniel, every citizen was watching the Magical Girls' battle. That meant he could gather Pure Energy from the entire city.
If he could harness that ‘Pure Energy(Hope)’ to slow down the destruction of his body, he might stand against Zekniel.
“.....The shell isn't important, you say.”
The important thing is—
‘Then, who’s the one I’m talking to! It’s Oh Dae-soo, isn’t it?’
The heart.
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Craack, crack.
It breaks, then reformed. 『The Nightmare of Wizards』 cracked and fell away, while a bit of 『Pure Light』 mixed in. His heart was still confused and crudely stitched together.
But he finally understood now, where his heart was pointed.
He’s going to save them. For his friends.
At some point, Roderus found himself grabbing the 『Transformation Device(Dreaming Mirror)』 with his right hand. He raised his bloody arm, and got into pose.
Then, he raised his voice and shouted.
“Dreaming Mirror, show me my true form──!!"
And then there was light.
===============================================================
“Meet your end, Magical Girl.”
Zekniel’s longsword traced an arc, and was about to slice through Oh Hye-in’s throat.
Clang-!!
It was deflected. Something struck the longsword and knocked it aside.
When Zekniel turned his head, he saw a Magical Girl. Sky-blue hair and a blue ribbon. White gloves and tunic. A hat with a feather and a cape. And finally, eyes full of searing flames.
Chaaang-!!
The Magical Girl introduced herself, light streaming from her shining rapier.
Twinkletwinkle! A shining move of victory, 『Pure Knight』!"
“......Was there still another Magical Girl around?”
“Guess there was still a Monstrous-Human around, eung? Even though the other Four Heavenly Kings are all dead!”
Pure Knight—Roderus—looked around, as if to say, ‘Look at me. A Magical Girl who will protect you is right here.’
Then, he declared.
“I will save everyone. So, don’t just cower in the corner of your room—you peasants──!!"
“......You bastard! What are you ……!!”
Pure Energy began to gather.