Chapter 29: What Can Never Be Compromised (Epilogue)

When Diena first became a saint, the first thing she felt was that there were so many beautiful things in this world.

When morning breaks, the sound of the church bells marks the start of a lively day.

Under God’s word, people gather to pray, and the clouds far away sometimes block the sun, but even that becomes a shade for the weary farmers, so nothing more is needed.

As noon approaches, travelers are briefly deceived by the sun’s heat and rest on the stones, removing their outer garments.

Under the warm sunlight, the world is filled with a myriad of colors.

You can catch a glimpse of people’s passion, and the sound of laughter never ceases.

As evening falls, and the red sunset colors the eyes, people begin preparing for the end of the day.

Conversations shared with loved ones make one forget their tiredness, and under the red moon and blue moon, those who live come out one by one onto the streets.

When night comes, what else? The constellations that guide the way rise in the black sky, and golden lights ripple through the streets.

Even without the warmth of the light, the light created by people is so beautiful that it feels like a prayer for good dreams.

As the dawn dew knocks one by one on the leaves outside the window, the rooster crows, and people’s day begins again.

The flowers that bloomed under the moon quietly bow their heads, as if shy of the sun, while the flowers that had hidden their forms all night begin to bloom.

Everything was perfect, and everything was beautiful.

Everything in the world was playing its role, creating one world.

A connection that would never disappear.

Being part of that was happiness, and taking one step at a time to build the world was so satisfying.

…Until meeting that hero.

“Heh heh, I was waiting, but the timing wasn’t great.”

“Well, with someone like you, couldn’t you have kept the magic stone safe until all the demons gathered?”

On the highest floor of the fortress, watching the rising sun, Diena sat on the castle wall, moving her feet restlessly.

Seeing her, the corrupted hero slightly clenched his hand.

He seemed dissatisfied with the situation, with veins bulging at his temples.

The power of the Demon King. When all the demons gathered in the magic stone, the Demon King would be nothing but an empty shell.

She had been waiting for that moment, but not only had the magic stone been taken from her, the demons that had descended into this world hadn’t even reached half of their potential.

“Oh my, the hero, the saint, and the companions blessed by the gods? How could I handle that?”

“Just a dying hero, a helpless saint, and incompetent companions, I suppose.”

The hero scoffed as he sat next to Diena.

The morning had come, and under the sunlight, Diena’s appearance was more beautiful than any girl he had seen so far.

“If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that I couldn’t completely ruin you.”

“Wow, is this a confession? I didn’t know the hero had a romantic side.”

The hero, who had once hypnotized Diena with the enchantment magic, had enjoyed teasing her.

Diena, who didn’t easily corrupt like other girls, had been adorable to him.

He had hoped she would endure as long as possible, still resisting with her gaze, even as she made harsh sounds under him.

It was like a game. The hero and Diena. A game to see who could last the longest.

And that game seemed to end with the hero’s victory, except that the world was summoned sooner than he had expected.

Thanks to that, the world that was meant only for the hero collapsed, and Diena, half out of her mind, didn’t become the hero’s s*ave.

She only gained a slightly different perspective on the world.

Her eyes that had once resisted hypnosis no longer resisted anything.

She simply accepted.

Yet, there seemed to be nothing in her eyes.

She didn’t quite understand the meaning herself, but it felt like that, and that feeling was incredibly beautiful.

Even though the hero had hit her from behind, she didn’t feel like wanting to ruin or kill him.

“I don’t know what you’re hoping for, but I won’t let it pass in the forest of white mist.”

After all, there was nothing to gain in the fortress.

The power of the Demon King, the magic stone, all of it had become the saint’s possession.

With those last words, the hero disappeared again.

“Heh heh, what I desire is…”

Looking down at the lowest floor, Diena murmured, gazing at the hero who had fallen after sealing the power of the Demon King in his body and the saint who looked at him in sorrow.

“What I want is simply to watch the world crumble.”

Teased by the corrupted hero, and as everything she had built up collapsed, surprisingly, Diena didn’t feel despair or anxiety.

Instead, she felt a pleasure she had never felt before.

They say that after despair, hope appears.

Despite the collapse of the part of the world she had built for so long, Diena didn’t feel distressed or pained at all.

Is this what it feels like when someone who has spent their whole life building a tower finally finds the joy of knocking it down? The black paint that fell on her heart, which had been completely white, began to color it in an instant.

The fact that the world had crumbled was so beautiful and enjoyable.

She couldn’t help but think how much more beautiful and enjoyable it would be if the world everyone had built together collapsed.

Just thinking about that future made her heart race, and she couldn’t hold it back.

The corrupted hero who had lost his magic of enchantment and the hero who still held the magic of enchantment but had a righteous heart.

Heh, I wondered who would be more beautiful when they hit rock bottom. What a shame.

Diena briefly looked down, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Yes, let’s be satisfied with this. She had failed to corrupt the second hero, but this was enjoyable in its own way.

Thinking that, Diena made her way into the forest of white mist.

Knock knock—

After everything had ended and the survivors were tidying up the situation, the hero, who had been nursing the still-dazed Sarah, heard a knock.

Knock knock—

The hero tried to ignore the knock, but this time, the door opened without waiting for a response.

A figure with neatly arranged hair and a Dreamcatcher placed above Sarah’s head.

“These are amulets that filter out bad dreams.”

“Okay…”

“Will the saint die like this?”

Although not perfect, now that the power of the Demon King had been sealed within her body, she had to be killed.

That power would constantly try to take her soul and tempt her.

The hero knew this well, but hearing it directly, he clenched his fist tightly.

“No.”

“…Then, everyone lost.”

As the unshakable rock said, everyone had lost.

The Red Tail tribe lost most of its warriors, and their position in the kingdom grew even smaller.

The source of mana in the fortress was completely destroyed, and those who participated in the battle today would return to their hometowns, stirring up public discontent.

The demons had failed in their plans and had lost part of the power of the Demon King.

The saint sealed the evil power within her body, and the hero couldn’t protect the one he wanted to protect.

“Heh heh, that’s right… nothing’s improved.”

Although not everyone was happy, the hero had believed that if someone sacrificed themselves, others would be made happy.

So, as a hero, he fulfilled his duty and wanted to make everyone happy, but it had resulted in an astonishingly unfortunate outcome for all.

Perhaps sacrifice is just a hollow phrase for self-satisfaction.

The hero couldn’t refute the words of the unshakable rock.

Sarah had chosen sacrifice, but no one was happy about it.

If he had absorbed the magic stone and ended his life, would the remaining people have been happy? Thinking this made him feel like everything he had thought until now had been denied.

“It’s okay. There’s still plenty of time. I will find a way for my tribe to live happily. What about you, hero?”

“…I’ll find a way to remove the demons from Sarah’s body.”

“Are you planning to sacrifice yourself again, hero?”

The words of the unshakable rock were spot on. Laura, Natalia, and Sarah.

If they died, they wouldn’t be happy.

It wasn’t until today that the hero painfully realized that trying to save the world while hurting precious companions was a mistake.

“No, I’ll find a way to save everyone without sacrificing anyone.”

“Is that so? Then, I guess this is where we say goodbye.”

“…Thank you.”

“Because I’m your guide. Just ask anytime.”

As if the guide’s blessing had worked, the hero, who had been talking with the unshakable rock, finally seemed to see the way ahead.

He would save everyone, but this time, he wouldn’t sacrifice anyone, including himself. Holding Sarah’s hand, the hero made up his mind.