The Forsaken Hero

AAA

After Katsuragi Daichi and the others had left, the only thing left in the silent room was Fantra Angas.

He himself was pressed down below a layer of ice, dead.

However, he was the king of the undead.

He held a technique that allowed him to revive through the use of mana.

Flinging away the heavy layer of ice, he started to move toward the teleportation room after deeming that Daichi and the others had used it.

“I’ll kill you…! I’ll make sure I kill you…!”

Since the time he was first born into this world Fantra had been fawned over and spoiled. This was because of his extraordinary magical talent, and in fact, there was no one who could rival him. He broke the spirit of many promising mages one by one.

Because of his personality, he was banished from his country at a young age and was killed by a large number of monsters in the border lands.

The one to bring him back from his death was the leader of the demon army, Messiah.

She’d held a high opinion of his talents.

Fantra thanked Messiah for giving him his second life, respected her, and fell in love with her. Him being killed by her own monsters was irrelevant.

She was dignified and stood tall. Her sophisticated mannerisms held no wasted movements. Her black eyes held an obsidian exquisiteness to them. Her bewitching legs could be seen peeking out from her dress.

That was the impression Fantra had of Messiah.

—Now, a girl the polar opposite of that woman appeared before Fantra.

“… Who the h.e.l.l are you?”

Fantra glared at the girl suspiciously. There’s no way any ordinary girl that young would be able to make it this deep into the dungeon.

Judging that she couldn’t be an ordinary person, he readied himself to use magic.

Fantra possessed a unique ability called Incantation Subst.i.tution.

It was an ability that allowed him to replace the incantation portion of a magic with an action.

He’d used the ability on everyone he came against, easily overrunning them with it.

However, he didn’t use it on this girl.

Because he heard her voice.

“—You’ve forgotten me, Fantra?”

That’s all she said.

However, Fantra would never mistake that clear voice for anyone else. He’d never forgotten it, nor would he ever.

It was the voice of his dearly beloved G.o.ddess.

He immediately dropped to his knees and bowed his head. He even shed tears. He’d finally reunited with his Lady.

“You seem to have finally realized.”

“I apologize for my transgression! This Fantra Angas would never disrespect his Lady… I will accept any punishment!”

“Don’t be so formal. I just came along wanting to see you after so long.”

Her remark shocked Fantra.

His great G.o.ddess took the trouble to descend for the sake of seeing him?

To bestow upon him her love?

“Could you raise your head for me? I wish to burn you into my memory.”

He listened to her words carefully, not allowing himself to miss even a single one.

Words couldn’t possibly describe how joyful he felt. He’d even long since forgotten about Daichi and the others.

“If you don’t mind… gladly.”

Fantra raised his head as told.

He was supposed to have been able to see his beloved woman’s face upon doing so. However, the girl’s hand was placed on Fantra’s face, blocking his view.

“Crimson Crisis.”

One of the divine rank magics that reigned supreme in this world.

It produced a flame that would consume existence itself, never going out. Be it doused by water or blown away by wind, it would continue until what it was burning was completely wiped out.

“Aaaaaaaaah!?”

Extinguishing one’s existence was a simple matter of destroying one’s body.

First, it would wipe out one’s memories, followed by their soul, the basis of their existence. This would turn them into hollow containers.

Following that process, Fantra’s memories were being singed away.

Including his past grudges and his feelings toward Messiah.

At that point, Fantra could no longer even shout in heartbreak. He no longer knew what heartbreak was, after all.

“Ah… ueh…”

He let out a sound that couldn’t even be considered a word before, finally, the concept called Fantra Angas turned to dust and vanished from this world.

“… Purge complete. I’ve carried out my promise, hero.”

The youthful girl thought back to the boy who fought Fantra and came to see her, dead.

After dying nine times, his body had grown accustomed to the world that was essentially hers.

However, it was still too soon for him.

She was planning to kill his soul as usual to send him back, but he’d actually done something for the first time.

He’d prostrated himself before her.

[I don’t care if you kill me as many times as you want, but in exchange, please kill that undead b.a.s.t.a.r.d.]

“—For him to say that, even after already figuring out who I am…”

A smile blossomed on her face as she recalled it.

“I definitely didn’t go wrong choosing him…”

She clasped her hands together over her throbbing heart.

A gentle soul. A cruel soul, its opposite.

Despite being emotions that would never align with each other, that boy possessed both.

Aaah, I want to see him again. We’ll work together to overthrow the humans and see this world reclaimed.

“This is a service, hero.”

She would give the girls supporting him abilities that she’d regained through erasing Fantra’s existence.

Although she wished that she could do more for him, she was only able to bestow him with a single power due to being obstructed by that detestable G.o.ddess Claria’s power.

She was concerned about him, but she did tell him where to go next. There, he would be able to find those who would a.s.sist him.

They won’t do what Fantra did, so don’t worry. They are my remaining subordinates, natural born demons. They are different from Fantra, a former human.

The girl cursed the subordinate she’d just killed under her breath.

“Besides, that new girl seems to be engrossed with him, I’ll be able entrust her with it.”

It was only a matter of time until everyone would be freed after her subordinates grouped with him.

Closing her eyes, the girl could already see the gallant figure of that youth leading an army to fight against mankind.

It would definitely become a reality.

Ah…

“Hurry… and come to me, Daichi…”

Leaving behind her wish, the demon G.o.ddess—Messiah disappeared.