Chapter 14

The next day.

Hiaquin barely managed to wake up.

The moment he opened his eyes, the other heroes surrounding him bombarded him with an endless stream of complaints.

“Hiaquin! How many times have we told you not to recklessly expand your barrier?!”

“Haha…… Sorry.”

“Does saying sorry make everything okay? You were bleeding……!”

Ciel, who had been closest to him, turned his head away as though he didn’t even want to remember it.

A clear sign that he was sulking.

“I won’t forgive you unless you swear you’ll never do that again.”

Hiaquin thought to himself.

Why should I care?

But he endured it because of his deal with the Supreme God.

“Sorry, sorry. I won’t do it next time.”

“……Really?”

“Of course.”

When Hiaquin gently ruffled Ciel’s hair, Ciel’s face turned slightly red.

“I-I have to go take care of something urgent, so I’ll be stepping away for a bit!”

“Don’t go too far~”

As Hiaquin waved him off, Muteric, Garret, and Pesar pushed their heads toward him with dissatisfied expressions.

What? They don’t want me to chop their heads off, do they?

“Why…… are you guys like this?”

“……Pet us too.”

“It’s unfair that only Ciel gets it.”

“Garret is correct.”

Are these guys insane……?

They hadn’t originally been like this.

Hiaquin found their behavior baffling, but since there really wasn’t much time left anyway, he obediently indulged them.

“We’re finally heading to Eryl today, right? The city where the Demon King first appeared?”

Muteric nodded.

“That’s right. We’re finally going to see the Demon King.”

Garret spoke up.

“I’ve been to Eryl with my mother before. The moat surrounding the castle was spectacular.”

Pesar rubbed his forehead as though this was already giving him a headache.

“A moat…… Then there must be only one bridge leading into the castle.”

“Even that might have been destroyed by the Demonkin,” Muteric muttered.

“To protect the Demon King.”

“True…… All Demonkin have wings, so they wouldn’t have to worry about starving to death.”

At Garret’s sigh, Hiaquin smiled brightly.

“What’s there to worry about? We have Ciel, the future Archmage, with us, don’t we? Even if there’s no bridge, he can just make one.”

The other three laughed.

“True. We can just ask Ciel.”

A little while later, Ciel returned.

“I’m back, guys.”

“Oh, perfect. Ciel, there’s something you need to do for us.”

“Ahaha, what is it?”

Ciel’s eyes stretched into their usual lazy crescents.

The heroes didn’t notice, but for the briefest instant, something resembling vertical pupils could be seen in his eyes.

And the only person who noticed that something about Ciel had changed……

Was Hiaquin.

When the heroes arrived at the entrance to Eryl Castle, they were faced with exactly the problem they had anticipated.

“As expected, they’ve destroyed the bridge leading into the castle.”

“The moat is too deep and too wide. Swimming across would be impossible.”

“Besides, it looks like the Demonkin have done something to the moat. It’s connected to no river, yet the water is constantly rotating and creating a powerful current on its own.”

“It’s obvious. The Demonkin did some Demonkin nonsense and altered the properties of the water.”

Ciel clicked his tongue and spoke first.

“Shall this great archmage create a bridge for you?”

Pesar looked disgusted.

“Ugh. The way you say things like that is incredibly irritating. Besides, Ciel, didn’t you already promise during our discussion that you’d make one if there wasn’t a bridge to the castle? Why are you being so creepy?”

“’Creepy’? That’s a little offensive. Why don’t you do something about that hideous mass of muscles you call a body?”

“You little—!”

Just as Ciel and Pesar looked ready to start fighting, Muteric and Garret intervened.

“What are you two doing?! We’re practically at our destination!”

“Enough, Ciel! You’ve been rude to Pesar this whole time!”

They each tried to pull Ciel and Pesar apart, but once the argument had ignited, it showed no signs of dying down.

Muteric was about to say something, assuming that the tension of having the Demon King right in front of them, combined with years of accumulated grievances, had finally caused them to snap.

“Everyone, enough—”

“Guys.”

Hiaquin, who had been quietly watching them, stepped between Ciel and Pesar with a smile.

“Ciel, you started it, so why don’t you apologize to Pesar first? Pesar, you were rude to Ciel too, so if Ciel apologizes, you should apologize as well.”

Hiaquin’s lips curled upward into a slightly wicked smile.

“Otherwise, I’m going on strike.”

“What?!”

“I’ll stop supporting you.”

“Hiaquin, you—”

“So unless you don’t care about your lives, hurry up and make up so we can enter Eryl Castle.”

Hiaquin looked gently at Ciel.

“I want you guys to get along. That way, we can defeat the Demon King and each return home.”

There was no one capable of resisting Hiaquin’s warm, gentle smile.

Ciel finally gave in.

“Well…… since Hiaquin is asking, I’ll apologize first. Sorry. Happy now?”

“……Hiaquin, there’s absolutely no sincerity in that apology.”

“Fine. I’m sorry. I apologize.”

“……It’s a grudging apology, but I’ll accept it. I’m sorry too for calling you creepy.”

With their reconciliation complete, the heroes prepared to enter Eryl Castle in earnest.

Muteric turned to Ciel.

“Ciel, make us a sturdy bridge across the moat.”

“Got it.”

Ciel slammed his staff against the ground, unlike his usual method, then murmured an incantation.

A sturdy wooden bridge materialized.

Hiaquin clapped excitedly.

“That’s our Ciel! You can just whip up anything!”

“This much is basic. I made it sturdy, so get across before the magic wears off.”

Following Ciel’s instructions, everyone stepped onto the wooden bridge.

Pesar even stomped his feet against it to test its strength.

“This really is impressive. And this time, you didn’t even have to recite several complicated spells……”

“Hehe.”

“……What’s with that laugh? Ciel, you’ve been acting weird since earlier—”

That was when it happened.

From the very place the heroes had already passed through, another Ciel appeared, battered and bruised, and shouted:

“That Ciel is a fake!”

“……What?”

All the heroes froze.

They looked at the ‘Ciel’ standing with them on the bridge.

“That guy is Leviathan, one of the Four Dukes of the Demon Realm, disguised as me!”

The ‘Ciel’ chuckled.

Then, like a snake shedding its skin, he revealed his true form.

A stunningly beautiful Demonkin emerged, with pitch-black wings and dark green horns.

<Haa…… Asmodeus told me there was a mage even more talented than me. How could I possibly not feel jealous?>

He winked.

<So I came to meet him myself~ I wanted to see whether the story was true, and while I was at it, I thought I’d kill this generation’s heroes and make His Majesty the Demon King happy.♥>

“You bastard……!”

Snap!

Leviathan snapped his fingers.

The wooden bridge beneath the heroes vanished as though it had never existed.

“This is bad……!”

Muteric cursed.

If they touched the moat’s water, which had already been contaminated by demonic poison, their human skin would inevitably corrode.

Hiaquin knew this better than anyone.

He immediately split his divine barrier into five separate barriers.

“Cough!”

“Hiaquin……!”

“We told you not to do this! You need to take down the barriers immediately……”

“Exactly! I’m already standing on solid ground, so at least drop the one around me!”

Hiaquin continued smiling despite coughing up blood.

No.

If anything, his smile became even brighter.

“I can’t.”

“Hiaquin……!”

“The moment I drop the barriers, all of you will suffer serious injuries. Then Leviathan won’t miss the opportunity. He could slaughter every one of you and throw the entire continent into chaos……”

<You understand the situation quite well, you foolish spawn of the pathetic god. Now, how long do you think you can endure?>

Along with Leviathan’s mocking laughter, the other Dukes of the Demon Realm appeared from Eryl Castle.

Asmodeus of Lust.
Belphegor of Sloth.
Mammon of Greed.

<Oh my, it’s so nice to see you again!>

<I’m sleepy…… Why are you disturbing my sleep……? You’re all so annoying……>

<HAHAHA! What a wonderful opportunity to eliminate every single hero! His Majesty will be pleased!>

The Four Dukes of the Demon Realm—beings whose very existence was poisonous to humans—approached Hiaquin, whose legs were trembling from maintaining multiple barriers.

“Cough…… Ghk!”

<Come now, you pathetic little servant. What will you do? Beg us to spare you? If the Saint betrays his comrades, that would make an exquisite delicacy indeed!>

“Hiaquin!!!”

The four heroes screamed Hiaquin’s name desperately.

But Muteric, Garret, and Pesar couldn’t approach him because of the contaminated current in the moat.

And Ciel was completely occupied fighting Leviathan, leaving him unable to move.

They were trapped in an impossible situation.

Hiaquin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes became solemn, as though he had made a decision.

“……I will never betray my comrades.”

<What?>

The Four Dukes laughed.

But the expressions of the four heroes turned deathly pale.

“No…… No!”

“Don’t, Hiaquin!”

“Please!”

“We’ll find another way! Somehow, we’ll figure something out……”

Hiaquin quietly gazed at the heroes screaming his name.

His expression was sorrowful.

“I’m sorry.”

For making a promise I can’t keep.

“NO—!!!”

Hiaquin forced himself upright.

Gripping the silver cross, he shouted:

“Holy Sanctuary! Activate Sanctuary!”

Light spread outward from Hiaquin, gradually forming a magical formation before transforming into a gigantic pillar of light.

The other four heroes were safely protected inside the Sanctuary.

They were healed.

They were even granted buffs.

But they weren’t happy about it at all.

Declaring a Sanctuary is a technique that requires the Saint to stake his life……!

And, even worse, the Saint who activates the Sanctuary is not protected by it.

He remains completely exposed to danger.

The Demonkin writhed in agony as though they were burning in holy fire, glaring at Hiaquin like he was their mortal enemy.

<You…… You bastard!>

<You’re going to die too if you activate Sanctuary!>

<Dismiss it immediately! If you do, we’ll spare your life even now!>

<How dare you do something like this…… Insolent……!>

Despite the four vicious gazes directed at him, Hiaquin didn’t care.

Instead, he smiled with the relief of someone who had finally completed every task he had been given.

“I don’t care.”

<……?!>

“My role ends here…….”

He looked toward the other four heroes.

“At least the kids are all safe. That’s a relief.”

Cough.

My life is almost over.

Soon, the Sanctuary would disappear.

And Hiaquin himself would die.

Before that……

As his final words, Hiaquin decided to provoke the Demonkin.

“What a shame. You’re going to leave without even managing to kill one insolent, pathetic Saint.”

<……!!!>

“You’ll go down in the history books.”

He smiled brightly.

“As the weakest Four Dukes of the Demon Realm in history—good at nothing but running your mouths.”

The dying Demonkin nearly boiled over with rage.

<How dare you……!>

<Do you really think this will kill us completely, just because you’re a Saint?>

<What a foolish mistake!>

<Killing you while you’re weakened will be…… easier than eating despair itself……>

The Four Dukes joined forces.

Together, they created an enormous sphere of magical energy large enough to swallow Hiaquin whole.

Vrrrrm— Vrrrrrm—

The sphere was packed with such dense, poisonous demonic energy that merely looking at it seemed capable of blinding a person.

Hiaquin didn’t run.

He couldn’t.

The Sanctuary would immediately break if the Saint who cast it moved.

<Die, foolish Saint!>

The Four Dukes hurled the sphere of magic directly at Hiaquin.

“NOOOOOOO—!!!”

Muteric, Ciel, Garret, and Pesar saw it clearly.

They watched as Hiaquin’s body, unable to withstand the Demonkin’s poisonous aura, was torn apart like a sheet of paper.

And yet……

Even as he disappeared, there was a faint smile on his lips.

As Hiaquin died, one final thought crossed his mind.

YES! Finally, I’m off to my easy, luxurious life!

He was so excited that he could barely keep himself from laughing.