53. Checkmate“The naïve one was you, Leader.
――Donna, Beck!”
From among the former emissaries standing behind me, two small figures stepped out.
Naturally, it was Donna and Beck.
“――For killing, appear after devising a scheme for a.s.sured death.
It’s what you’ve told me time and time again.”
Saying that, I gave him a brazen smile.
However, Gazaine’s reaction was outside my expectations.
“Hmph, what can those two do?
Striking suddenly is one thing, but you think you can win by coming from the front?”
“Oi, oi, Leader-san.
Don’t tell me you don’t know what it means for these two to be here.”
I said after sighing.
“What it means for these two to be here…?”
“These two should originally be out killing people under your orders around this time.
The meaning… of that.”
Hearing my words, blood quickly drains from Gazaine’s face.
“Wha… D-don’t tell me…!
Y-you! You know about my deal with the Evil G.o.d…!?”
“That’s right.”
I use [Appraisal] on the fl.u.s.tered Gazaine.
《Gazaine Muntzer. Status: Deal with the Evil G.o.d (Due to the Deal with the Evil G.o.d Monguenes, powerful bonuses have been gained. Terms and conditions: Raise 100 children into a.s.sa.s.sins and make them each kill at least 5 people before the deadline. Degree of completion: 98/100, Deadline: 39 seconds remaining.)》
Since the time I was attacked at the Viscount Chrebl residence in Fauno City, I have always kept this [Appraisal] result in mind.
From time to time, I would check with [Database] and continued to wonder if I couldn’t prevent this somehow.
Remember when I unthinkingly muttered, “[Illusion Magic], huh,” back when Gazaine showed me himself being “done in” with his [Illusion Magic] and I immediately noticed my blunder?
Fortunately, in Gazaine’s mind, this deal appeared to have been settled and completed, so he didn’t suspect anything about my intentions at that moment.
Finally, today.
The Ma.s.s, Donna and Beck’s first sacred task, and the deadline imposed on Gazaine.
Moreover, Donna and Beck were expected to return to this Nest a few days from now.
The two have already overcome the brainwashing.
For the drug specialist Donna, it was no trouble to neutralise the off-guard emissaries.
Of course, they would be discovered if they returned to the Nest as they were, so I got Melby to use Gate and had them standby in the Fairy Hamlet.
Incidentally, the children who were too young to defend themselves were also entrusted to Melby to look after in the Fairy Hamlet.
I taught Cecil and Cecila how to play Fruit’s Basket and Cops & Robbers, so they should be engrossed with playing around this time.
Since this exists, it can be said that there’s no need to forcibly fight with Gazaine.
Naturally, I needed to defeat Gazaine in order to make the brainwashing reversal of the emissaries conclusive, but it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
In some respects, I wanted to fight Gazaine and settle the matter.
That thought led to betraying Gazaine’s side, but… this can also be considered a “fight”.
“Only 38… 37 seconds remaining.
Were you relieved that you managed to meet the goal?
Thinking about it, your merry behaviour back when we returned from the firedrake’s lair was strange.
Although you considered them hopeless at one point, Donna and Beck returned.
You were relieved.
Gazaine Muntzer, disappear and have even your soul tormented by the Evil G.o.d, unable to return to the cycle of death and rebirth.”
“R… Ridiculous! That’s… ridiculous!”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s ridiculous or whatnot.
Take proper responsibility for it to the end.”
“Gu…… Uoooooooh…!”
Gazaine screams, tearing at his head.
Then, he pointed at the children behind me with his blood-covered hand.
“You guys! It’s not too late yet!
Listen, you need 5 people.
Along with your parents!
If you don’t want that, kill them immediately!”
The children flinched at Gazaine’s threatening att.i.tude.
I heard one of the children murmur “Namo Amitabha Buddhaya…” in a small voice.
“What are you saying, Gazaine Muntzer.
You’re the one who’s going to h.e.l.l.”
“Guoooooohh…!!”
Gazaine leapt at a child by the wall, forcing a knife in their hand.
Because of that, he hadn’t been taking cover behind me, nor had he been entrusted to Melby at the Fairy Hamlet beforehand.
“Y-you, you kill them!
Anyway, kill five of them!
This is the Evil G.o.d’s will!
Please dieeeeeee!”
As one would expect, even the emissaries who hadn’t been released from the brainwashing were bewildered and looked around at each other.
Gazlow, holding Elemia hostage, was also clearly shaking.
Giving a surprised shout, Gazlow was quickly bound by Elemia.
“Kill! Kill them!
If you don’t kill then be killed by the Evil G.o.d!
The one who did the most for until now is me, you know!?
You guys, kill the person next to you right now, kill themmmmmm…!”“…It’s about time.”
《Deadline: 5 seconds remaining.)》
“4, 3, 2…”
“Uooooohhh…!
Kill them, Kill, KILL KILL KILL K――”
“Zero.”
The same moment I muttered that, Gazaine’s body was engulfed in what appeared to be black fog.
No――
“Ugaaa….!
Ga.. Guaaahhh…!”
Looking closer, it was a jet black serpent.
――or so I thought, but now it looked like black fog again.
It wasn’t that that black thing was changing.
It was a thing with an unknown nature.
It coiled around Gazaine’s body, and countless “mouths” bit into his body.
“Guwaaah…! Arghhh…!
H-help me…. Somebody…!
Somebody…”
“Gazaine.
And yet, you’re afraid of your own death?
Or is it that you thought you were the only one who wouldn’t die?”
“Kill… Please kill…”
“You’re still saying that. I’m sure the people you had killed also wanted to say that.”
“No!
That thing’s really bad!
I’ll be greedily devoured, soul and all――by the Evil G.o.d!”
“…”
Seeing Gazaine’s screaming figure, everyone was speechless.
“…Now you see it, right?
The true colours of the “Evil G.o.d” we worship.”
The former emissaries cover their faces at my words.
Some of the female ex-emissaries were even crying.
Being deceived went deeper than being beaten up; it wounded the heart.
Enough for them to possibly even prefer to continue being deceived.
Rather than Gazaine’s killing of people, I couldn’t forgive him more for deceiving people and using them.
For people to believe in other people was an extraordinarily precious thing.
The two of them believed in me unconditionally, despite my strange nature.
To the extent that I could easily deceive them if I had any ill will on my side.
Gazaine falsely presented himself as the archbishop and held the trust of many people.
I can’t help but say that a guy like that has no reason to comment on whether someone has a place to belong or not.
Gazaine tried to create a place for himself to belong by deceiving others.
On one hand, as long as you tried to believe in someone, the possibility of being deceived would follow.
For his own peace of mind, Gazaine chose to be the head, and as a result, became unable to have faith in anyone.
More than half of Gazaine’s body had already been swallowed up by the black fog.
I don’t know what sort of torture Gazaine was being tormented by, but he did nothing but spasm and it seems like he is even unable to speak any more.
I dumbfoundedly watched his situation while shuddering but,
“Wait, do you plan on letting him be consumed by the Evil G.o.d!?”
Melby’s words returned me to my senses.
That’s right, it won’t be good if he gets consumed by the Evil G.o.d like this.
The additions appended to Gazaine’s status would end up becoming the Evil G.o.d’s.
Although, I dare say Melby was just saying that letting him be eaten would be cruel.
“Namo―― Amitabha―― Buddhaya!”
The three spells I fired without restraint sent Gazaine’s head flying from the midst of the black fog.
Oooh――
The Evil G.o.d cries out bitterly.
“Bye then, Leader.
You shouldn’t have any complaints, right… I killed you as you wanted.
These three months were――well, unexpectedly enjoyable.”
Gazaine’s half-burned eye stared fixedly on me――or so it felt like.
That’s right, I have to say this at least.
“――Namo Amitabha Buddhaya. May you rest in peace.”
There was no reply from Gazaine.