The dimensional gate of Rema operates in a rather peculiar way.
Unlike other dimensional passages where you simply take a step to cross worlds, there is a travel time involved.
It is a bizarre form where you endlessly fall down in an entirely crimson space.
“When will we arrive?”
While stroking the White Tiger’s head, which was softly sleeping in my arms, the little Demon replied sulkily.
“It takes an hour.”
“Isn’t that a bit too long?”
“It can’t be helped since this place is bound. If you’re going to complain, you can untie it.”
“I’ll just wait.”
“Tch.”
Her cute tongue click couldn’t help but bring a light smile to my face.
She had been eyeing for a chance to escape from me for a while now, but they were all so clumsy that I could easily handle them.
No matter how much of a Great Demon she claimed to be, she was just a kid. She couldn’t fool me, the Pope, who has seen it all. Maybe it would be different when she grows up.
“Pope! The moment you let your guard down, it’ll be your last day!”
“Yes, yes, understood.”
I answered nonchalantly while looking around.
The viewers were all falling asleep as they closed their eyes while falling down. Perhaps due to the fatigue built up from the long journey, everyone was out cold.
Of course, it was an exception for the humanoid who wasn’t tired at all since it hadn’t really done anything.
“This place really is unique. Quite fascinating.”
Kim Ji-yeon, as always, inspected the red space with an emotionless face.
What could possibly be so interesting about this place? It’s all just red and empty.
Anyway, she was a robot whose sensitivity I couldn’t comprehend.
After all, having been cursed to live in the prison of repeating time for 2,000 years must have made her like this.
“Pope, Pope. Why are you staring?”
“I was just looking. I got bored.”
The Dimensional Travel Spell of Rema isn’t physically uncomfortable, but it’s too boring.
Having to continuously fall down for an hour? It hasn’t even been ten minutes yet, and I’m already bored and restless.
Moreover, there wasn’t really anyone to talk to in order to pass the time with trivial conversations.
Rema, with her twisted personality, was exceedingly unsuitable as a conversation partner.
The now-female General Koruaegenin had been busy inspecting her own body since earlier.
And Kim Ji-yeon, despite being slightly better than the other two, was still a robot that couldn’t engage in deep conversation.
“Kim Ji-yeon.”
With no other options, I eventually decided to talk to our humanoid.
“Why, why call?”
“I just wanted to have a conversation. How about it?”
“Of course, of course. Accepted, accepted.”
Kim Ji-yeon, who had been looking around, swam through the air towards me and tilted her head with a spirited motion.
“What topic to discuss? My past. Rewatch. How about?”
“You can’t materialize cards without mana, right?”
“Ah, right. I forgot. What a shame.”
With a mock expression of crying, Kim Ji-yeon quickly reached out to me with both hands.
“Then, then. I want to hear the Pope’s story. Just like last time. Is that okay?”
Oh no, more past stories?
Well, since I had nothing else to do, I nodded without hesitation. This made the mentally disturbing humanoid clap her hands excitedly.
“Oooh, wow! Exciting, exciting!”
“…It’s not that great of a story.”
Even while saying that, my lips couldn’t help but curl up slightly.
Coincidentally, there was something from my past that Kim Ji-yeon would be interested in.
“Ji-yeon, do you know? I was once cursed too.”
“…Is that real?”
Unlike her usual blank expression, Kim Ji-yeon’s face displayed surprise and confusion for the first time.
I had successfully captured her attention with the introduction. I nodded in satisfaction and continued.
“It was quite a severe curse.”
“Perhaps, then. Did the Hero solve the curse?”
“No, not that… but I did have some memorable experiences.”
I still vividly remember what happened back then as if it were yesterday. It would be something I would never forget for the rest of my life.
“What was the curse, Pope? What kind of name, what kind of type?”
Kim Ji-yeon seemed particularly interested in details, asking for a specific explanation.
After briefly staring at the talisman on my forehead, I softly responded.
“It was the Demon King Transformation Curse.”
“…Demon King Transformation?!”
Ignoring her lack of interest and pretending to be nonchalant, Rema suddenly shouted loudly. Even General Koruaegenin, who had been busy inspecting herself, turned to look over here.
“Is that true?”
“Yep.”
“Now it makes sense why the viewers called you the Demon King on the Bokma stream…!”
“No, I’ve solved that now.”
“Really, you were the Demon King… what on earth did I do….”
Despite my clarification, the little Demon was completely bewildered.
The sight of her shaking her head side to side with her eyes covered was both adorable and embarrassing.
Is the word ‘Demon King’ too stimulating for a little demon?
Thinking it wouldn’t matter to explain further, I turned my gaze to the humanoid audience that wanted me to continue. Kim Ji-yeon had eyes shining more brightly than usual.
“What kind of incident was there?”
“I went through a lot when trying to lift the curse.”
I was a being that could have become the disaster of a world that had finally found peace after the Demon King’s death.
*
Demon King Balreer.
For an eternally long time, he ruled as the terror and disaster of the entire continent.
The notoriety accumulated by Balreer cannot be fully described in words.
Though he hadn’t left his castle recently, the name of the Demon King still held great weight.
This was because his Four Heavenly Kings and the Demon King’s Army were constantly attacking everyone to slaughter them.
Even without the Demon King stepping out, he was still a threat to the world.
The most important mission given to our Hero party was to eliminate him.
Naturally, it wasn’t an easy task at all. The Demon King’s dominance was nearly celestial.
Every previous Hero party that had challenged him before us had all been defeated by Balreer and perished.
This was a fact confirmed repeatedly through games and history books.
The game story brutally depicted the massacre of the previous Hero party from the prologue.
The history books detailed how every past Hero and their companions met tragic ends.
…If Liam hadn’t awakened as a Demigod, my companions and I might have become a regrettable part of history too.
“Die, you bastard!”
Liam thrust his silver glowing sword through Balreer’s heart. Following that, Guardian Logan’s spirit split the Demon King’s upper body in half with an ice blade.
No matter how much of a Demon King he was, that was a fatal wound he would never recover from.
The long battle that lasted two hours was finally approaching its end.
However, he had such excellent self-healing abilities that we couldn’t let our guard down yet.
I limped over to Liam, who was exhausted, preparing to cast a Sacred Spell just in case.
“…Excellent, Hero.”
But for some reason, Balreer was smiling brightly.
Despite being on the brink of death, he smiled as innocently as a child receiving an unexpected gift.
This annoyed Liam, who contorted his face.
“What’s so funny?”
“Because I can finally die.”
“…What?”
“Finally, peaceful rest has come to me. Thank you, Heroes and companions.”
“…….”
It was so nonsensical that I couldn’t even curse.
After all this trouble, he was pleased? If he wanted to die, he should just willingly submit his neck.
Annoyed, I nudged Liam to sort things out.
“Finish it already.”
“…Yeah.”
With a hesitant expression, Liam lifted his sword.
And in that moment.
Balreer, who had been grinning, suddenly shot a chilling glance at us.
“Congratulations.”
What is he congratulating us for?
Just as I was stopped in confusion by these incomprehensible words, the silver blade split the Demon King’s head.
It was then.
Kiiiii.
A heavy, thick aura streamed from Balreer’s split head and suddenly shot toward Liam, who was gasping for breath.
“Liam!”
I instinctively sensed danger.
And so I immediately threw myself forward. There was no hesitation. I had a duty as the Saint to protect my comrades from peril.
“…Ugh.”
Soon after, the energy that flowed from the Demon King’s body seeped into my head.
Before long, a disgusting sensation I’d never felt before consumed my entire body.
A splitting headache that felt like my head was shattering.
A strange view where the world appeared distorted.
An unusual heartbeat that felt like it was about to burst.
I felt dizzy, nauseous, and my limbs trembled.
What is this?
What will happen to me now?
Overwhelmed by the influx of pain and energy, my mind slowly sank into the abyss.
I tried to endure it somehow, but I was reaching my limit. My body was too exhausted from the battle with the Demon King to endure any longer.
“No!”
In my fading consciousness, Liam’s face, pulling me close and screaming, stood out distinctly.
Since it may be my last chance, I managed to open my heavy mouth.
“Liam, I love you….”
Those words I could never say on a regular day due to embarrassment.
Always wanting to hear it, yet Liam never liked it. He just clung to me and desperately called my name.
“Clitia!”
That was my final memory before losing consciousness.
*
On the back of the highest-grade spirit, ‘Herme,’ summoned by Guardian Logan.
“Hehe. Saint?”
“…What?”
In the sky’s resting spot, where a gentle breeze flowed, Erin poked my cheek repeatedly with a joyful smile on her face.
An expression that suggested she knew exactly what she wanted to say.
I wanted to block her mouth immediately, but I couldn’t move my hands due to the pain in my body.
Eventually, Erin, still smiling, opened her mouth.
“How romantic that you said you love him at the last moment! If it were the old Saint, such a thing would have been unimaginable, right?”
“…….”
Unable to refute her remarks, I simply turned my body away.
Then Erin clung to my back.
“Anyway, I’m really glad. Nothing happened.”
“…I guess.”
The energy that sprouted from the dead Balreer had no effect on me.
It was still inside me, yet it remained still. The strange sensation I felt at first no longer bothered me.
I even conducted a Sacred Spell to check just in case, but the result was normal.
I was in perfectly healthy condition. As I always had been.
“I worried for nothing.”
“Exactly. From now on, just relax and rest.”
Right? That was exactly what I was thinking.
‘Now the struggles are over.’
Our Hero party’s journey has come to an end today.
We successfully defeated the Demon King, and all our comrades survived.
It was the true happy ending I had desired.
…
At that time, I thought it was truly so.
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