Gozine

{…Why are you asking this of me? If your lifespan is already short anyway, wouldn’t Baal possessing your body just die? Is there any reason I must kill you myself?!}

Even to Luna’s shout, I only reply calmly.

{Anyway, He’s showing immense power even in his spirit form. The only time his movements can be restrained is for a very brief moment, when my body exhausted. Because then he’ll be able to take control of my body again.}

In short, the moment my heart stops, his strength will temporarily be exhausted.
In such a moment, I am asking Luna to cut me down along with Baal who is leeching off me.
As a result of buying as much time as possible, this moment of their invasion. Night will soon fall, and it will be the day of the full moon, when Luna can demonstrate her most powerful strength.

‘The Moonlight Sword is strongest on the day of the full moon. If it’s a strengthened Luna’s strike, empowered by the full moon’s buff, we can definitely finish him off.’

I was certain.
The best judgment Nox von Reinhaver can make here?

This is it.

I don’t need some grand name like sacrifice. I’m simply doing what I must, and Luna will not be able to refuse my request. That was the entirety of this plan.

Bzzzzzz…!

Gradually, I begin to draw up my mana.
Several Dark Family’s techniques still remain, and some magic remains too.
But using them with this body now would be poison instead.

The blood vessels in my eyes burst, but my white skin was already dyed red so it wasn’t even noticeable. Only red tears stream down my cheeks.

{…Do you really think I will do that?}

{Yes. Because I believe in you.}

Luna asked while running, but there is no time for weak words.
Baal continues to attack, and I am busy deflecting them.

[Player activates ‘Genius’s Time’.]

Genius’s Time.
The technique that saved Nox shines, the technique that rescued him in every difficult moment.
Where will he attack from? How should I counter?
What is Baal’s weakness?

Contemplating these things in a very brief instant, I look at the club he swings.
But rendering such contemplation and skill activation meaningless, Baal’s attack was excessively fast.
Nearly impossible to follow with the eyes.

Can’t be helped

Chaeng!

Here, go by sense.
I deflect with the experience of countless hundreds of millions of times accumulated over past lives, then counterattack.

[More, try more!]

Baal seemed excited.
As if a hole had been punctured, fierce rain began pouring from the sky.
The blood and rain that keep obscuring my vision, the dying people.
The corpses of demons and humans were tangled together.

These things gradually tire me.

— Why don’t you give up now?

An auditory hallucination that seems to have been heard since devilization.
I feel it seeping into my ears more clearly than ever.

— What’s before you is a demon king, you know? Completely different from any opponent until now.

‘I know, so shut up.’

This auditory hallucination now begins to take form.

Even as Baal’s attacks continue, it transforms into my shape, guiding me to destroy myself.

Demon’s whisper.
A demon’s technique used to tempt humans.
It was amusing to be hoist by my own petard, but I did not yield.

— Do you think you can win?

‘I never intended to win from the beginning.’

— Will your sacrifice have meaning?

— Will this damned continent recognize your sacrifice?

— You are just a mere rookie.

‘Maybe so.’

I know.
That some of what he says is true.

A rookie, a weak terminally-ill.
Nox von Reinhaver was designed that way from the start.
Meaning he had a clear purpose.

But so what?
If I strive and no one recognizes it?
So, what.
Nox von Reinhaver, is there any reason for me, a ruffian, to sit down here?

No.

— Give up. Everything becomes comfortable.
— Companions? Are those needed?
— You can become stronger. Even grasping everything wouldn’t be enough!
— Stand by Baal’s side. Then you will become complete.

I ignore it.
What I want is to see the end of this story.
It might be selfish to think so myself, but the story’s conclusion will be beautiful.
My existence will gradually be forgotten by others.
Just, that’s all.

Chaeng——!

I block Baal’s club head-on.
Cough, bloody phlegm bursts out and congestion erupts.
Time is slowly running out now.

Luna has arrived at close range, and full night will soon come.
But there was one fact I had overlooked.
The fact that four Grand duke-level demons had not been killed.
The butterfly effect that would occur because of this.

[hr]

A sharp spear digging into the entrance of Paracelsus’s heart.
Baal’s loyal subordinate.

The attack unleashed by one of the Grand dukes to seize the Philosopher’s Stone pierced him precisely.
Those who could stop it were mostly unconscious.

Princess Penelope also found it difficult to even get up now.
Even if he had been elsewhere, Paracelsus’s location would likely have been discovered.
Wasn’t it the Philosopher’s Stone that had the power to make them find each other from the start?

But the stone absolutely shouldn’t be passed to Baal this quickly.
Seeing the spear stabbing into him, Paracelsus pretended to slowly crumble and succeeded in plunging his sword into the Grand duke’s neck.
If this succeeded, it would buy Nox a little more time to achieve his long-cherished wish.
Paracelsus blamed himself.

‘…I promised Her Majesty the Emperor to protect him.’

Thinking that.
He said we were friends. In the previous life.

Perhaps we were.
The current Paracelsus is someone absolutely incapable of painting a picture of sacrificing himself for someone else.
That such a self took such action must mean Nox had potential. Even if he’s Sir Noble. He thought of the commoners; even as he opposed him, he did his best to break through the situation.
Seeing him sacrifice himself, must I just lie here?
It felt like a worthless thought.

Genius this, whatever, the stories others babbled?
Now, in this moment, they hold no meaning.

In the end, at this moment, I collapsed,
and could do nothing but buy time.

But it seemed the continent would not even grant Paracelsus this wish.

[The attack wasn’t bad. A pity.]

Even though one of the four grand dukes serving Baal had his neck precisely stabbed, he survived perfectly fine.

He stabbed Paracelsus’s hand with a dagger and snatched the stone from the back of the pierced hand. Paracelsus’s body crumbled, and there was no one who could physically block him with his Grand Duke movements.
This is a catastrophe.

Nine stones.
Before one knew it, the Grand duke reached Baal who was facing Nox, handed him the stone, and said.

“I have retrieved the last stone. It took a little time to purify it, but all procedures are finished. O Demon King.”

[Hmm. It still smells human. It will take a few more minutes to absorb it.]

Baal clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
As expected, absorbing it immediately was difficult.

What kind of item is the Philosopher’s Stone in the first place?

It is the grace granted by the Goddess Creation Arden who cherished humans for her believers.
Naturally, in its normal state, it is pure and uncorrupted.
No matter that one of his own fragments was sealed within, ultimately, if not corrupted to darkness and then absorbed, it was obvious it would become troublesome.

[More than that.]

This guy first.

Baal said that and looked at Nox.
Luna had just arrived at Nox’s side and pointed her sword at Baal in front of her disciple.

[This time Moonlight Sword… Her successor. Well, I see. The problem with humans is their short lifespan. Since they all died. No fun.]

“I will kill you.”

Luna says that, fluttering her characteristic golden hair, and stands before Baal.

Baal snorted and said.

[I see. The current you is weaker than that rookie.]

“I know.”

Luna said that but did not leave Nox’s front.
Baal tilts his head and asks.

[If you know, it would be better to step aside. I will kill you anyway, but going painlessly and comfortably would be better for you too.]

“From the moment I first held a sword. I never had such a thought. Die without pain? Don’t make me laugh. I too have killed someone, and by killing, I came this far.”

Luna suppressed her emotions and swung her sword. Baal blocked her attack with his club.

“So, I am already too late. Where is there someone who kills others and dreams of heaven?”

Luna gritted her teeth and continued.

“If you’re going to hell, take me, your teacher, with you. Brazen newcomer.”

The last words were clearly directed at Nox.

But Nox only shrugs his shoulders in refusal.

Baal throws a dagger, attacking Luna.
Nox pulls Luna by the waist, moving her behind him, and parries the attack.
Nox quickly continues.

“Who on earth would want to take their teacher to hell? Please keep your promise. It’s not just our two lives at stake. You know that best!”

“Newcomer….”

In that moment, Luna was momentarily speechless, unsure what to do, and Nox urged her to choose.

“Do you truly want to see that monster bastard absorb the last stone?”

[Monster, huh. That’s a bit upsetting. When you think about it, I’m not much different from a slightly bad human, you know.]

“Shut up.”

Nox gritted his teeth, but Baal acted as if it was nothing.

[Why? Don’t you think so?]

Baal laughed creepily.

[Corrupting humans, unable to control lust. Entrusting oneself to more comfortable pleasures, being angry, wanting to be lazy. These are things you humans have done.]
[Do you know? I was once human too. But I was not satisfied with the current state.]

Baal lightly spread his arms and made black energy gather to him.

[Why should wealth be shared equally when some strive more? In the first place, the one who made the world like this is that damn Arden! The goddess, not me.]

[I merely made it so that those who are better can grasp more, so that those suppressed desires can be unleashed.]

“Indeed, that might be true.”

Nox readily agreed, gripped his sword again, and stood up, supporting his trembling legs.
He looked straight at Baal and continued.

“If those who didn’t strive receive wealth of equal value, and the same happens to those who did strive… no one would try to work hard. That is certainly wrong. But.”

Nox gritted his teeth and continued.

“That too was a story humans had to solve together. Dialogue, debate, all good. But not like this. You… were nothing more than a child who just wanted to grasp many things.”

He returned the creepy laugh.
Nox with his characteristic languid and triumphant expression said.

“Baal. Through that decision, you certainly gained more. Eternal life, gold, silver, treasures, and status. But you who grasped all that, why is it? You don’t look happy. Why.”

Baal’s expression went blank for a very brief moment, then twisted fiercely.

“Because you didn’t have the most important thing from the start.”

[..How dare you speak as if you understand me? What part of me do you understand? Amusing.]

“You can laugh. It will be the last time.”

Nox said that, activated the effect of Genius’s Time, and leaped to snatch the purified Philosopher’s Stone.

The full moon rises.
This is the end.

If I get the guy’s stone, have Baal possess my body, and then get cut down.
Baal will be completely annihilated, soul and all.

The largest axis of evil will completely disappear.

“Stop.”

It was then that a familiar voice that shouldn’t be heard here was heard.
Nox reached out to grasp the Philosopher’s Stone held by the great duke but failed. Not for any other reason.
There was a preceding visitor.

“This is not something you can handle.”

Nox’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Because in the place he had rushed to snatch the stone, the Grand duke’s head had been precisely severed and fallen, and the one who intercepted the stone floating in midair was none other than his father.
Theo von Reinhaver.