Chapter 119: Beyond the Unobtainable

I was surprised when I saw Seiya pulling another sword from his sheath. It was a Killer Sword, which was supposed to have turned into dust. No, this was definitely a newly synthesized sword. Lista Super Granny…That sword must have been made at the same time as the Holy Power Drain Sword. Seiya approached Artemaeus, who changed appearances from a God to an evil being, and pointed that sword whose blade was like a saw.

「You can do it! We can win! 」

John Dae shouted aloud upon seeing Seiya’s offensive stance. I couldn’t control my emotions either.

…You won’t beat him! Yes, Artemaeus! You won’t be able to beat Seiya! You won’t win against this incredible hero!

「Eternal Sword EX. 」

Artemaeus’ giant body was ripen apart by Adenela’s fearsome sword technique used by Seiya. The Demon King screamed in a loud voice and fell down to the floor of the Demon King’s hall. He spilled purple blood from the severe laceration inflicted by the hero’s sword.

「Gre…Great!! 」

「He did it!! 」

John Dae and I held hands with excitement…

「…Stop pretending to die. 」

Seiya’s cool voice resounded through the whole space of the Demon King’s room.

「You still have some life energy left, am I right? It’s no use if you try to deceive me with your lame tactics. I won’t be reckless ever again.」

Then, Artemaeus slowly rose up, despite being completely disabled. As Seiya said, he wasn’t completely dead. But, the looks of his hollow eyes and the state of his damaged body was no longer that of a powerful demon. Seiya shook his head then.

「I’d like to finish this off all up at once. But, I have to restore my physical strength in other to ensure his complete defeat. I’d be exhausted if I keep the Berserker state for a long time.」

「Seiya!! Then, do you want me to heal you with my healing magic!? 」

「I don’t want it. 」

Seiya took something out of his chest. It resembled a shrilled grass.

「Wha…What’s that? 」

「I made this by mixing several of Exfolia’s wildflowers. It restores my stamina and physical strength, as well as my magical powers.」

Ehh…!! He had the trouble and time to prepare something like that in advance!? But, I was the Goddess of Healing!!

After chewing the special herbs, Seiya proclaimed the next words to Artemaeus.

「With this, I’m great now. I will challenge you not only for a mere hours, but for countless of hours and days. I will keep on confronting you until your life has completely expired.」

「You…You bastard…! 」

Artemaeus groaned from between his tusks. At first, Artemaeus thought he had outsmarted Seiya with the absolute power he had gained. However, the situation got reversed. Right now, Seiya was the one who outsmarted Artemaeus. There was no doubt that Seiya’s superiority was indisputable.

…With…With this turn of events, my death flag had been removed for good…That’s right!! It was clear now that I won’t die!!

There was no doubt. I could have died during the battle with the Demon King. In fact, I was about to be absorbed by the God Artemaeus. That’s why Seiya waited for my absolute resolve during our endless wait in the God’s realm. Still, Seiya saved me. If we defeat the Demon King, Seiya and I will return back safely. John Dae and Kiriko as well…Or so I thought.

「Wa…Wait a moment…! Everything will be irreparable if you obliterate my life! 」

Artemaeus yelled desperately. Nonetheless, Seiya didn’t listen to what he had to say and gradually approached him with his sword in hand. Then, Artemaeus turned around and stared at me.

「You must stop your hero!! You will regret this!! 」

「Ah!? What are you talking about!? I won’t have any regrets!! You’re not going to get away from this, Artemaeus!!」

*laughs devilishly*

Suddenly, Artemaeus roared a vile laughter that echoed in the Demon Kings’ room.

「You…You know about it…! You and your hero…Besides you two, another life was taken by me during that time!」

「Eh… 」

「Listen well, Tarmine Princess!! I know that you’re the goddess reincarnated from the Princess Tiana!! The fate of you three still remains in my hands!!」

「What!? 」

I immediately raised my voice. John Dae also responded to Artemaeus’ revealing remarks. He stared at me with a startling face.

「No…No way, that can’t be…! You…You are the reincarnation of Princess Tiana who died long ago…!」

「Well, you see, about that… 」

After my background was revealed, I shouted to Artemaeus with a trembling body.

「Wha…What do you mean by saying that my fate along with Seiya and John Dae’s fates are in your hands!?」

Then, Artemaeus distorted his mouth as he vomited dark blood.

「No. You’re wrong. “Another life” does not refer to that undead soldier. Whom I’m talking about is that one over there…」

Artemaeus pointed his arm to a particular direction. He pointed towards Kiriko.

…Ki…Kiri?…Eh, what!!

As soon as I looked at Kiriko, I was utterly shocked. Kiriko had fallen to the floor as if she lost her power.

「Kiri!? What’s wrong!? 」

I ran to her and shook her body. Yet, I didn’t receive any reply from her. The light source from her eye was flickering and fading away. I glared angrily at Artemaeus.

「What did you do to Kiri!! 」

「Don’t get me wrong. It’s not me who did it. That was the hero’s doing. 」

「There’s no way that Seiya would attack Kiri!! 」

When I stared at Seiya, I noticed that he stopped approaching Artemaeus, and stood still with the sword on his hand. Artemaeus was reassured when he saw that Seiya stopped going towards his direction, and then he pointed towards John Dae.

「Unfortunately, the soul of that undead soldier didn’t get affected with my weakened state. But, that Killing Machine is different. I built its body from scratch and used powerful magic in order to bring back the dead human souls for my schemes. Upon using my power, the human souls were defiled, and their spirited energy was transferred to my core…」

「Wha…What do you mean!? 」

「It’s quite simple. Summing up, the Killing Machine will cease to exist once you kill me.」

「It…It can’t be…!! 」

Artemaeus laughed aloud when he saw how dismayed I was.

「*laughs wickedly* That’s not all!! That Killing Machine has a special soul!! Indeed, the wisdom of the evil god is beyond imagination!! The soul of the unborn child, unable to think rationally, was adapted to the Killer Machine’s higher magical circuit, and gained a conscious mind of her own!!」

Wha…What did he say just now…!!

Artemaeus grinned at me as if he had plotted the devilish deed of all worlds.

「In other words, the soul that dwells in that Killing Machine is the baby that Princess Tiana was pregnant with!!」

My whole body pulsated violently. I stared at the fallen Kiriko that stood right in front of me.

…Kiri…was my…!?

「Tha…That’s obviously a lie!! 」

「Is it really a lie? That was the evil god’s original scheme. This was my last trump card…Because we knew of your weakness as soft-hearted beings…Dare I say that your weakness is your compassion? Yes, I dare say it is. *grins* You met a child whom you weren’t supposed to meet in the first place.」

「Lie!! That’s a lie…!! 」

「Listen! I am linked to that child as the main source of her life!! You can’t kill me because you won’t be able to kill your own child conceived with hero! *continues to laugh devilishly*」

Suddenly, Artemaeus’ laughing face became full of anguish. Seiya, who was approaching Artemaeus before, slashed his huge abdomen with the sword.

「Se…Seiya!? 」

Like me, Artemaeus screamed.

「Do…Don’t you believe it!? Everything I said just now is true!! 」

On this precise moment, a suffering voice leaked from Kiriko’s mouth. Kiriko’s eye was blinking more violently than before.

「Look!! My words weren’t false!! That Killing Machine is linked to my last life!! 」

「Ki…Kiri…!! 」

In the meantime, I shouted at Seiya, who was willing to kill Artemaeus regardless of what he said to us.

「Wait!! Wait a second, Seiya!! 」

Then, Seiya stopped walking. Artemaeus laughed at him.

「That’s right. It’s okay you know. Don’t you want to spend a long time with your child? Hero, let’s find a way of co-existence in co-prosperity…」

However, Seiya didn’t stop from attacking the enemy.

「Job Change. To Fire Magic Warrior. 」

He rushed to Artemaeus in order to finish him off! He wielded his magic sword wrapped in flames against Artemaeus! He slashed his skin while it burn, and Artemaeus fainted in agony!

…I swore in the God’s realm that I would save Exfolia no matter what. And now, victory was imminent against our former enemy, the Demon King Artemaeus. However, seeing the painful Kiriko who fell by my side, my resolve began to shatter! My belief crumbled down!

…Kiri!!

Die. Kiriko will die. Kiriko, who had been with me until now, and who might be my own child, will die. This scenario was tens or hundreds of times harder than it was for me to disappear.

「Stop, Seiya!! Kiri is going to die!! 」

Still, Seiya didn’t hear me nor did he look back at Kiriko. He continued to attack the enemy. I approached John Dae and shook his body.

「John Dae!! Please, stop Seiya!! 」

「Goddess…no…Princess Tiana… 」

「Seiya doesn’t believe in that story!! But, I know it’s real!! What Artemaeus said is true!! Kiri is my and Seiya’s child!!」

When I said those words, John Dae looked heartbroken as he lowered his head.

「I…I finally realized it now. I never understood why he stayed in the heavenly world for a long period of time without a purpose…But, I understand it now…」

「What are you talking about!! More importantly, Seiya will… 」

「Perhaps, the hero knows that the Demon King’s story is true. 」

「Then…Then, why doesn’t he stop attacking!? 」

「Unfortunately, there’s no way we can save Kiriko. In the end, that hero didn’t find a way to save her.」

「Ah!? What the hell are you saying!? Seiya saved my mother…Queen Carmilla!! He is the genius and greatest hero!! A talented hero, and one in hundred million people!!」

「There are times when he couldn’t save everyone. For example, the people of the desert town of Fulwaana, which were assaulted by the Death Emperor…The current situation is almost identical to the situation back then.」

While I was talking with John Dae, I heard the sound of slicing meat in the background. With Seiya’s sword, Artemaeus lost one of his arms and blood scattered on the floor. Every time Artemaeus was hurt, Kiriko’s body shook dramatically.

「Please, stop it!! 」

John Dae grabbed my arm to prevent me from trying to run to the battlefield. I was unable to stop him nor stay still.

「Princess! You mustn’t go! 」

「John Dae, let me go!! There must be something, I don’t know, there must be a way to help!! He has been doing the impossible during his time with me!! Seiya protected me, even Mash and Elle!! There is surely a way to help Kiri this time!!」

「There is none… 」

「Why!? How do you know it when you don’t even try it!! Don’t screw with me!! 」

John Dae grabbed my arm with a painful force and raised his angry voice.

「That man!! He’s nerve-wracking, he must have a disease!! That man is the embodiment of cautiousness, you know!! He must have thought, thought, and thought about it for countless of times!! Even so, he didn’t find a way to help her!! That’s why…」

John Dae gritted his teeth and shut down.

…He…He thought about it for countless of times? Since when?

—

『Another case. 』

—

Suddenly, I remembered Seiya’s words during our time in the God’s realm. At this moment, I realized what case it was.

…I see. Seiya knew about this matter. He knew that Kiri was our child. After the battle against Oxelio, he heard the truth from the Great Goddess Isister in the God’s realm. So, he had been suffering alone ever since then…

—

『So, for example, is it possible to separate the spirited body from its original body and put it in an altogether different body?』

—

…He wanted to find an alternative body for Kiri. By learning the technique of the Goddess of Seclusion, Nephitet, he could transfer the spirited body to another body. Somehow, this was a plausible solution to fix this problem. Even so…

—

『I’m back to square one. 』

—

…It didn’t work back then. After Seiya saw how Cleo and the townspeople became sand during the battle with the Death Emperor, he realized that it was impossible to save souls even after transferring them to other bodies.

Still, Seiya didn’t give up.

—

『Is there a technique that freezes a subject forever? 』

『I’ll call you when I’m ready. 』

『Not yet. 』

『Wait a little longer. 』

—

…Even though we were ready for the decisive battle with the Demon King, Seiya continued to search for any possibility. But…No matter what he did…no matter how much he struggled… he didn’t find a solution…

Before I knew it, tears fell from my eyes. John Dae muttered while watching the battle.

「No matter what happens, he will defeat the Demon King in order to save Exfolia. That’s his resolution. He came to this battle with his mind prepared for this outcome.」

「But…why…? 」

「Actually, he is morbidly cautious and outrageous. But, above all, he’s still a hero. 」

In my blurry field of vision submerged by tears, Seiya slashed Artemaeus with his sword wrapped in flames. Artemaeus’ arm, which swung to fight back, decayed because of fire and became a piece of charcoal.

Suddenly, something familiar touched my hand.

「Miss…Lista… 」

I looked down. The fallen Kiriko was holding back my hand.

「Kiri! You’re conscious! 」

「I…I…I’m happy to know that Miss Lista is my mommy. And…Mister Seiya is my…」

Kiriko was looking at Seiya’s back, who kept attacking Artemaeus. Then, Artemaeus shouted high with bloodstained eyes.

「Your sword will kill your own child! You will bear extreme human regret for murdering your own kin! The only way to reverse this outcome is by choosing the same path as mine! I can paint your future in blood!」

Seiya took a deep breath, and stared at Artemaeus with piercing eyes. The aura diverging from his body spread strongly.

「State Berserk Phase 2.8…! 」

「You….You….Bastarddddddddddddd!! 」

Kiriko mumbled beside me, in a voice that seemed to disappear.

「It’s strange…I am scared that I’m going to disappear…but, at the same time, I am not scared when I look at my daddy.」

Kiriko was holding my hand tight.

「When Cleo disappeared…I thought there was nothing left for my life as well. But, I was wrong. I see my mommy and daddy with me when I close my eyes…」

Artemaeus’ body, which had been hurt so much that he couldn’t counterattack Seiya who wrapped in a jet-black aura. The Demon King roared, while exposing his fearsome will of a devilish being engaged in a battle.

「I…I’ll kill you!! I’ll kill you even if you defeated all of my previous lives!! This time, I will surely stop the roots of your breath!! I’ll tear your belly, cut out your heart, and crush your soul!! You will crawl in the ground just as you did during that time!!」

At that time, I felt that Kiriko’s body trembled so much because of Artemaeus’ fearsome ambition that engulfed the whole space.

「…Kiriko. You said you wanted to be strong. 」

While confronting Artemaeus, Seiya spoke to Kiriko at the same time without turning around.

「You’re fine the way you are. 」

「Yes…! 」

As soon as Kiriko responded to Seiya, Artemaeus attacked Seiya with his four arms. It was an attack that possessed tremendous power and speed; however, it didn’t matter much to Seiya, who wore a fearsome aura like the fiery fire from the limit of the Crazy Warrior state. Seiya got behind Artemaeus with his instantaneous movement and incredible agility. By the time, Artemaeus turned back…

「Phoenix Drive. 」

Seiya waved his sword of intense fire in all possible directions. Several crimson magical circles were drawn in front of Artemaeus. The next moment, all of Artemaeus’ arms were cut off and they burned completely before falling to the floor.

After losing his arms, he knelt down. Artemaeus looked around as if he had noticed something relevant.

「The wave of my last life…is flowing towards the evil god…I see…Ugh…So, this is how everything ends…」

As he turned into a miserable figure, Artemaeus laughed loudly.

「*laughs eccentrically* Regardless of whether I kill you or you kill me doesn’t matter!! Either way is fine!! I was a sacrifice after all!! Everything is happening according to the evil god’s scheme!! Even if you defeat me here and now…Yes, regardless of the outcome of this fight, you will never rest in peace…」

The Demon King’s loud voice vanished in the way, because Seiya’s Phoenix Thrust penetrated through Artemaeus’ head.

「…Kiri!! 」

I shouted at Kiriko immediately. Kiriko was holding the flower pendant close to her chest with her other hand. She spoke the last words with her remaining life force.

「Daddy…Mommy…Thank you. 」

The lifeless giant body of the Demon King fell down to the floor, and shook the whole room with an uproar. At the same time, Kiriko’s hand lost her remaining power. And the light of her eyes, which always glowed so gently, lost its color completely.

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