Chapter 508

After parting ways with Harriet, Ellen returned to the encampment.

Harriet had left her with a cryptic message.

“I’ll be waiting on the southern plains of the encampment at midnight in two days’ time.”

Ellen didn’t know exactly what she was supposed to do then, but Harriet had vanished after saying those words.

Ellen was fearful yet curious about the fate that awaited her. She feared that she might lose her own existence or merge with those foreign souls, become a being that despised the Demon King, and end up killing Reinhart.

Ellen knew that this choice might eventually lead her to kill Reinhart with her own hands. However, if she didn’t make this choice, Reinhart would die.

Saving Reinhart now might mean she would kill him later on.

But just as Reinhart had had no choice, Ellen had none either.

Despite knowing that he couldn’t bear it, Reinhart had tried to contain the spirits within himself to avert Edina’s destruction. Similarly, Ellen had no choice but to walk this path that might lead to future ruin. If her existence were to merge with this conglomeration of souls and she was reborn as a hero who despised the Demon King, people would rejoice.

It was a grotesque way to overcome the gap between reality and the ideal she had to live up to.

She had no intention of meekly accepting the disappearance of her existence, but it was something she would have to face. And even if she became a hero who wanted to kill the Demon King, if she couldn’t find the Demon King after the Gate Incident was resolved, she wouldn’t be able to fight him even if she wanted to.

Ellen crossed the encampment and returned to her tent, then sat mindlessly on her cot. She wondered what it would feel like for her existence to disappear.

Having never died before, Ellen obviously didn’t know what death was, and so she didn’t know what it meant for her existence to disappear while her body remained alive.

She didn’t know how to protect her inner self. But by doing so, she could save Reinhart.

Ellen decided to focus only on that.

Also, this meant she could see Reinhart once more.

Ellen quietly wiped her eyes. Her hand came away wet.

“...”

Ellen carefully wiped away the tears that slowly welled up.

Ellen always believed that they would eventually meet as enemies and have to treat each other as such, and she always despaired at the thought that the next time she met Reinhart again, it would be the inevitable moment where their aim would be to eliminate the other.

However, this reunion would not be as enemies, but to save Reinhart. How grateful and thankful she was to have such a moment. How painfully joyous it was. Even if it would be their last meeting.

***

With monsters running rampant across the continent, the army had to advance in small steps. They would march a certain distance, set up camp, clear the surroundings and the road ahead to ensure that it was safe, then advance again.

Once the army set up camp, it would take some time for the route ahead to be secured. Time was also needed to both make camp and tear down the encampment. Thus, even on a tight marching schedule, there were gaps, and Ellen had some free time before the camp was torn down and the march began.

Two days later, at the time Harriet had mentioned, Ellen arrived alone at the location Harriet had specified. It was late at night, and most of the soldiers were asleep except for those on night patrol and guard duty.

Harriet was waiting for Ellen there.

“You’ve come, Ellen.”

Harriet looked at Ellen with the same sad eyes. There was no one else on the plains except Harriet.

Just as Reinhart had so calmly sacrificed himself to protect Edina, Ellen was ready to sacrifice herself without hesitation to save Reinhart.

Harriet thought that she, too, would be prepared to do such a thing. But even so, seeing someone else calmly willing to sacrifice themselves was not something she could take for granted.

Losing Reinhart was something she couldn’t bear to face, so she was sacrificing Ellen instead.

This proposal had been set forth by the Head of Saturday, Antirianus, and although everyone knew that there was an intense malice behind it, everyone had still agreed to it.

Ellen would naturally want to sacrifice herself for Reinhart, and she would eventually have to fight the Demon King anyway.

There was no one in Edina who could bear the consequences, and so everyone had agreed to the cruel plan to turn someone who would eventually become an enemy into a real enemy. Once they agreed to Antirianus’s plan, no one could claim to be innocent of that malice.

The pain, self-reproach, and guilt that the others felt for agreeing to sacrifice Ellen were all part of Antirianus’s plot. No one would be free from the guilt of having sacrificed Ellen.

“Let’s go to the ritual site,” Harriet said.

“Yes.”

Blue mana lines glowed all over Harriet’s body, and Harriet and Ellen were teleported to another location.

Ellen didn’t know the place. It was just an open area with a magic circle drawn on it. At each axis of the magic circle stood five beings.

The Head of Tuesday, Eleris.

The Head of Wednesday, Lucinil.

The Head of Thursday, Lruien.

The Head of Friday, Galarsh.

The Head of Saturday, Antirianus.

Ellen didn’t know all their faces, but she recognized two of them.

There was guilt in some of their eyes when Ellen appeared with Harriet, but one of them, an old man, looked at Ellen with a satisfied smile. Ellen noted something sinister in his gaze. But that wasn’t all.

In addition to Harriet and the Vampire Lords, Riana de Granz and Olivia Lanche were also present, two faces Ellen hadn’t seen in a long time.

Neither Riana nor Olivia could properly meet Ellen’s eyes.

Riana couldn’t bear to look at Ellen because her actions were the cause of all this, and she knew that she couldn’t bear even a fraction of the pain Reinhart was going through. Olivia, caught in a wave of complex emotions, found it hard to look at Ellen as well.

They were doing this not because they believed Ellen could bear the burden, but because they simply needed someone to pass it onto. Since she was an extraordinary existence, her body might not crumble, but the risk of her identity disappearing was stark.

Did she even know what was going to happen to her? For the first time in her life, Olivia felt something akin to pity for Ellen.

There was no exchange of greetings. The situation made it impossible.

Ellen’s gaze naturally fell on the center of the magic circle, around which the five Vampire Lords stood.

Ellen didn’t know what this ritual entailed, but in the center of it all was Reinhart, lying on what seemed like a ritual altar.

It wasn’t clear if he was asleep or unconscious, but a demon with pink hair stood next to him, gently brushing Reinhart’s forehead.

Ellen didn’t know that the Succubus Queen had deliberately put Reinhart into a deep sleep to keep him from waking.

There were faces that Ellen knew and didn’t know. But there was no need for introductions, joyful reunions, or any other words.

“When you’re ready, go to the central altar of the magic circle.” The silver-haired girl, Lucinil, spoke softly.

Lucinil, who had mastered the magic of handling souls, had drawn the magic circle. She had never attempted a soul transfer of this scale before. But she had squeezed out all the knowledge she could to complete this magic circle.

As Ellen was about to head toward the magic circle, Harriet called out to her softly. “Ellen...”

Riana de Granz and Olivia Lanche were also looking at Ellen. None of them were able to say anything. No one knew how Ellen, who would be taking on the burden Reinhart carried, would change.

“... I’m going,” Ellen said. It could have meant anything.

Ellen walked toward the center of the magic circle, leaving Harriet behind.

As Ellen reached the altar, the pink-haired demon quietly stood up and stepped away from the magic circle. It was as if she was entrusting Reinhart to Ellen.

Ellen could tell at a glance that Reinhart was in terrible condition. Even without being told he was dying, his parched lips, pale complexion, and the cold sweat on his forehead made it abundantly clear.

“Reinhart...”

Ellen sat on the altar and embraced Reinhart. This meeting was different from the previous one. Unlike then, when they had fought a theatrical battle, Reinhart was now frail.

Ellen didn’t know what burden he was carrying or how heavy it was. She only knew that she had to bear what Reinhart was enduring, and she was ready to do so.

Reinhart, lying on Ellen’s lap, was deeply asleep.

—The ritual begins.

At the words of the silver-haired girl, the five Vampire Lords began to activate the magic circle.

Olivia Lanche was also watching the ritual closely. She had summoned Tiamata in case of an emergency.

Within the glowing magic circle, Ellen quietly looked at Reinhart’s face.

Was this the end? Was this the last time she would see him?

She had hoped to do something for him, and she finally could.

It might not be the last time they saw each other, but it very well could be.

Ellen lowered her head toward Reinhart and kissed his forehead.

‘How fortunate it is to be able to hold him like this. How grateful I should be,’

Ellen thought.

Because it might be the last time she saw him. Because he was asleep. She could say what she had wanted to say all this time.

“Your pain.”

Until the last moment of the ritual, she could say all she wanted to him.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

“The things that are troubling you. I’ll... I’ll take them all.”

Ellen looked down at Reinhart’s unconscious form with sad eyes.

“I really, really love you.”

During the ritual, Ellen, who had wanted to tell Reinhart her true feelings countless times, whispered her guilt, her apologies, and her feelings of eternal love.

***

I often lost consciousness.

I knew both my body and soul were gradually weakening, growing sick and exhausted.

I believed I was the one who had to carry this burden. There was no other way. Someone had to bear this massive black hole of resentment that only grew larger if left alone.

I was dying, slowly.

Airi said I needed to sleep deeply for a while. She said she would find a way to heal me in the depths of my unconsciousness. She told me to sleep peacefully. I didn’t know what she was going to try. I was just too tired and too exhausted. I entrusted myself to Airi’s hands as she gently brushed my forehead, and fell into a deep sleep.

It was a sleep as deep as death.

Even though my dreams and my state of consciousness were beyond the control of the Succubus Queen’s power, I somehow managed to sleep deeply. And in the depths of that state of consciousness, I felt a bizarre sensation. Something was being drained away.

The dam holding back the sewage that had entered my mind and soul was breaking, and everything was flowing out somewhere. The conglomeration of vengeful souls that had occupied most of my consciousness and tried to rear their heads at every opportunity were disappearing.

In the strange clarity and liberation that came with the sudden disappearance of mental and physical pain, I slowly felt my consciousness returning.

“...”

My blurry vision slowly found focus. I was being held by something.

Even after blinking several times, my vision would not focus.

I didn’t know how much time had passed or whose arms I was in. But the faint scent, the warmth, and the blurry silhouette felt familiar.

“Ellen...?”

Even though my vision hadn’t fully returned, I couldn’t think of anyone else who could evoke such a feeling of familiarity.

After a moment, someone approached and helped me up, as if to take me out of those arms.

As my vision cleared, I found it even harder to understand the situation.

Ellen was sitting in the middle of a strange magic circle. Clearly, the one who had been holding me was indeed Ellen.

‘Why is Ellen here?’

I thought.

Eleris and Olivia were supporting me.

‘What on earth had happened?’

Still unable to comprehend the situation, I watched Ellen slowly stand up from the altar in front of me.

There was something strange about Ellen’s demeanor. Within Ellen’s eyes, which seemed strangely unfocused, I couldn’t help but sense something eerie.

Eleris and Olivia stepped back while supporting me, as though retreating from something frightening.

“You were enduring this,” Ellen muttered blankly. “You were... bearing all of this, Reinhart.”

That tone of voice, that attitude, as though she were constantly trying to suppress something... I slowly, inexorably, understood what had happened.

“What...” my gaze flickered back and forth between Eleris and Olivia. “What did you do to Ellen and to me...?”

There was an indelible guilt in their expressions.

“What... did you do...?” I asked again.

Olivia bit her lip tightly, and Eleris clenched her teeth.

Was this what it felt like to go absolutely insane?

“I asked what you did! Answer me!” I shouted.

Everyone else around me, not just the two of them, remained silent.

I didn’t know what had happened, but I felt like I knew.

Why was my body so light, and why was my mind, which had been foggy ever since I had accepted the conglomeration of souls into my body, so clear? Why was Ellen’s gaze so unfocused? Could it be? Had she taken them from me?

Ellen’s lips trembled. It was a strange action, but I couldn’t help but feel a lump in my throat when I saw the expression that formed at the end of that trembling.

Using all her remaining strength, Ellen finally lifted the corners of her mouth.

Ellen smiled at me as if it were the last time.

“Goodbye, Reinhart.”

She said goodbye as if this was our last meeting.

With those words, the magic circle emitted another burst of magic.

Flash!

With a flash of light, Ellen’s figure disappeared.

Standing in a place I couldn’t even identify, I slowly looked around at the faces of those present.

The Vampire Lords, Riana, Olivia, Harriet and Airi... None of them dared to meet my eyes.

Only Antirianus quietly gazed at the spot where Ellen had disappeared with a satisfied expression.

***

Ellen Artorius appeared on the southern plains of the encampment where she had met Harriet.

Since no one knew how Ellen would act once the ritual had concluded and the incalculable number of vengeful spirits had been transferred to her, the final part of the ritual included sending Ellen away once everything was over.

Ellen stood alone on the plains under the night sky. She could feel what Reinhart had been enduring inside her whole body and soul.

Hatred, and the desire for revenge... The echoes of resentment, all the world’s negative emotions, amplified tens of thousands of times. It was enough to drive one insane just by listening to them.

Could she endure this? Could she remain herself amidst this tidal wave of resentment? Rocked by these overwhelming waves of emotions, could she protect her feelings for Reinhart, like a small boat adrift in a storm? It seemed inevitable that such a small feeling would be swept away and sink into oblivion.

Ellen could already feel her thoughts becoming tainted.

‘The Demon King must die. The Demon King is the cause of everything.’

Even if she shouted that it wasn’t true, it was useless. Too many entities had already entered her soul, and the truth that Ellen shouted was drowned out by the chorus of resentment.

These vengeful spirits had failed to kill the Demon King by entering his body, so instead, they inhabited the body of the hero, the Demon King’s adversary.

What change would that bring?

Grrr!

Roar!

The cries of monsters came from a distance away.

Monsters were everywhere, so even if the marching route was temporarily cleared, it was natural for new hordes of monsters to appear.

There were around seventy of them. They all looked different, but they were all rushing toward Ellen.

Srrng!

She drew Lament, and the Void Sword was stained with the darkness of the abyss.

The Void Sword Lament, which once twinkled with galaxies and stars like a projection of the night sky, had changed slightly.

The Void Sword, now projected only the darkness of the abyss. The stars that glimmered within her sadness had died.

Ellen, holding the sword, saw the horde of monsters charging at her.

On Ellen’s shoulders was draped the Cloak of the Sun. The cloak of the sun god, imbued with the power of protection, was now tinged with a strange color, as if projecting the seething hellfire of the sun, as it fluttered menacingly. Actual flames, like hellfire, began to flicker from the cloak.

In addition to sadness, there was now hatred as well.

Ellen quietly watched the approaching horde of monsters.

Boom! Boom!

The flames burst out of the Cloak of the Sun as if alive.

The monsters couldn’t even get close to Ellen.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Flames shot out from her cloak like whips and struck the ground, crushing and burning the approaching monsters.

With a single sweep, the earth melted, and the bright red flames gradually spread, all while Ellen watched quietly.

The hero bore both the hatred and the sorrow of humanity.

‘The Demon King must die.’

‘No, it can’t be.’

In the whirlpool of souls, Ellen Artorius’s will began to die, just like Reinhart’s.

She was a being destined to kill the Demon King, so she had to become stronger. Therefore, unlike their other hosts, the vengeful spirits did not try to destroy Ellen. Instead, they empowered her and became her strength.

Ellen reached out to the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The surviving monsters charging at her were incinerated by the fireballs that rained down from the sky.

Flames that melted the earth.

Flames of hatred.

“...”

Ellen Artorius had become the master of that hatred.