Chapter 121 - Hero (3)

After hearing my request, my companions remained silent for a long time. Perhaps they were looking back on the lives they had led so far. On their days stained by purges.

"... You really are asking us to take a difficult path."

Only after a long while did the Black Dragon leader slowly part her lips. Her voice was almost a lament.

"With effort, a person can become competent. With effort, they can become moral, too. They can even work their way into power. But being a competent, moral person in power is almost impossible. It's simply too difficult. ... It's a difficult path."

"Someone once told me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

I held out my hand to the Guild Leaders.

"Then the road to heaven must be covered in countless acts of malice."

Countless people would envy us. Plenty would stir up trouble for fun. There would even be those who, hungry for power, turned people against one another or incited the residents.

Such people existed.

There were many of them.

Malice was so venomous precisely because it was ordinary.

"But that isn't a reason for us to give up. Let's show the people who abandoned the outside world and fled here a slightly better world."

I held out my hand. Not for a handshake, but for several people to stack their hands together. Like teammates rallying before a game, I quietly extended my right hand toward the Guild Leaders.

"..."

"Aha."

While the Black Dragon leader hesitated, the Inquisitor was the first to lay his hand on mine. Gently, his palm settled over the back of my hand.

"I have no objections! A regime's moral legitimacy has powerful appeal. And Death King is the only person who can gild us with morality. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity!"

"Ahem."

Viper added his hand.

"I'm an heir to the orthodox factions now, after all. The old man keeps nagging me to remember the orthodox mindset and all that. Well, I'll join in. Think of it as me doing something nice for my retired master."

"Hmm."

The Paladin added her hand.

"I activated my skill before we even began this conversation."

Lie Detector.

"Not one person gathered here has spoken with ill intent. Above all, Kim Gongja, I know that you pursued your path in [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] and [Tales of Sormwin Academy] with nothing but an upright heart."

"..."

"I believe in your sincerity, in your true love, and above all, in your character. Every revolution fails. Then I will devote my life and soul to ensuring that ours, at least, is remembered as the most beautiful failure."

"Hmm."

The Count added her hand.

"I can't keep up with you romantics. Very well. I'll simply follow the prevailing tide. I only hope the stock I've gone all-in on doesn't crash. Do give it your best, everyone."

"..."

Lastly, the Black Dragon leader hesitantly added her hand.

"... I can't promise much. I can't guarantee your success. Nor will I be able to abandon the methods I've used all this time. But, yes."

Her black eyes swept over us.

"If we fail. If a time comes when someone here must die... I'll be the first. That much, I promise."

"Then I'll make you a promise, too."

I smiled.

"I won't let anyone here die. Anywhere, at any time."

"You certainly throw around some outrageous empty promises..."

The Black Dragon leader smiled wryly. But she did not withdraw her hand.

The six of us.

All our hands were together.

"Hmm, splendid!"

The Librarian smiled as he drifted through the air.

"Death King, Black Dragon leader, Inquisitor, Count, Viper, and Paladin. I designate these six as characters in [My Scapegoat, Our Scapegoat]! When you open your eyes, you will be in a world whose apocalypse is enjoying a wildly acclaimed discontinuation. Take care. It is quite different from the apocalypses you have encountered thus far!"

The Librarian opened the book. Light burst from the apocalypse's pages and fell upon our stacked hands.

"This apocalypse's difficulty is A-rank!"

Light enveloped us.

"Unlike last time, I cannot grant you many blessings. A constellation is alive in this apocalypse. Alive, and reigning over it. You will enter the apocalypse as a kind of invading army. Naturally, the constellation will be hostile toward you."

The Librarian smiled faintly.

"Death King, it will regard you, in particular, as a sworn enemy!"

'A sworn enemy?'

Before I could understand what he meant, light completely obscured our vision. In fact, there was no need to make any particular effort to understand the Librarian's words.

The world turned white, and before we could even open our eyes to greet the new world...

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness detects an intrusion.]

A sharp voice flashed through our minds. Like an urgently blaring siren, it rang out again and again.

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness warns you.]

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness intends to eradicate the intruders.]

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness declares war on you!]

My Scapegoat, Our Scapegoat.

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness hates 'you.']

This fairy-tale book was a realm ruled by the constellation that had invaded Raviel's world.

3

In stories about a hero and a Demon King, the Demon King is always complacent.

The Demon King never reveals his full strength from the outset. He sends his pathetic underlings against the hero first. Weak at the beginning of the story, the hero grows by defeating increasingly powerful enemies.

Until, at last, he can face the Demon King.

"I have been waiting."

The constellation of this fairy-tale book was different.

"You who dare oppose my master!"

From the very beginning, it bared its venomous fangs at us.

The first member of our party to sense the danger was none other than my holy sword.

[Sparkle detects the presence of a sister sword!]

The hilt at my waist hummed and trembled, as though warning me of danger. Before my vision had fully cleared, Sparkle cried out urgently.

[Confirmed: the nature of 'The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness' matches that of the 'Sword of Sacrifice'!]

[The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness is 'Sacrifice,' the fourth sister sword left behind by Lefanta Aegim!]

As soon as Sparkle finished its warning, my vision opened up.

Blue sky.

Our party was falling through the air. Immediately after being summoned into this world, we had floated for a moment, so we hadn't realized it. But in an instant, gravity seized our bodies.

WHOOOOSH!

Wind brushed my forehead. Blood rushed to my head. We were plunging headfirst.

"Hmm!"

Just then, the Inquisitor grabbed my forearm. The wind was beginning to scatter our party, but he had caught me a split second before it could.

With remarkable dexterity, he wrapped both legs tightly around my waist, then formed a hand sign.

"Death King, grab my right foot! Do not let go of me! Divine Art, Divine Conveyance!"

I clung to his right foot as instructed. The next moment, the Inquisitor moved beside the Black Dragon leader.

"Black Dragon leader!"

"Right! Give me your leg!"

She seized his left foot as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Aha," the Inquisitor laughed, the sound mingling with the wind. Listening to it, I thought the gravity bearing down on all of us had grown lighter for a moment.

"Divine Art, Divine Conveyance!"

One by one, the Inquisitor gathered the Count, the Paladin, and Viper. We dangled from him like piglets clinging to a sow. Apparently mortified by the situation, Viper let out a squawk.

"Hey! Why am I last?!"

"Because you are the most useless person here! Heavenly Martial Sect's leader! Losing you would scarcely diminish our fighting strength!"

"You goddamn religious nut!"

With five people clinging to him at once, even the Inquisitor could no longer form a hand sign. There simply wasn't room. Nor was there time. Even now, the ground was drawing closer by the second.

"Well done, kid!"

But as though she had been waiting for us all to gather, the Black Dragon leader raised her voice.

"Everyone, say you consent to my skill! Quickly! Quickly!"

"Yes!" "I consent!" "Very well!" "I consent." "Fuck, I'm in!"

"Transfer!"

All six of us moved at once. Instant Teleportation. Unlike the Inquisitor, who had to form hand signs, the Black Dragon leader's skill activated through physical contact alone. It was the very skill we had relied on when facing the [Demon King of Autumn Rain].

And so we landed safely on the ground, but...

"You will not escape!"

The ground itself was not safe at all.

"Sing, my apostles!"

Tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands. Perhaps millions.

Things shaped like 'children' stood as far as the eye could see, beyond the horizon. Every one of them was identical in nature to the apostle that had invaded Raviel's world. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of children surrounded us in layer upon layer.

"La."

And they sang.

"La, la."

"Lu. La-la."

"La."

A million unaccompanied voices formed a melody in unison. A hundred thousand low voices, a hundred thousand high voices, and a hundred thousand whistles overlapped. The children danced in circles as though delighted. With every step they took, the ground trembled lightly.

THOOM. THUMP. THOOM.

"La."

This was an apocalypse rated A-rank in difficulty.

A place where the world was [hostile] toward us, never let its guard down, and tried to destroy us with all its strength from the very beginning.

"Urgh!"

My companions hastily raised their aura. But that alone wasn't enough. Less than a minute after transferring into the apocalypse, we were under an all-out attack. A wave of blissful dreams crashed savagely over us, far too much for any individual's aura to withstand.

"Count!"

The Inquisitor shouted.

"Give me money!"

"Damn it, this might drain my bank account dry...!"

"Yes! Better that than having your skull cracked open!"

"Fifteen percent interest! Compounded!"

"I won't accept it unless it's free!"

"What utter nonsense..."

"Nisha!"

The Paladin screamed. At first, I didn't know what 'Nisha' referred to. But when I saw her looking at the Count, I realized it was the Count's real name.

"Shut up and get your wallet out! I'll kill you!"

"Ugh. Damn it! Withdrawal, infinity!"

The Count pulled a pouch from inside her clothes. It was embroidered with a snail pattern. She loosened the golden thread cinching its mouth shut.

CLATTER!

Countless gold coins spilled onto the ground.

"Change user! Inquisitor!"

"Ahaha, thank you!"

The Inquisitor rapidly formed a hand sign.

"Divine Art, Divine Offering!"

Light burst between his hands. White light enveloped the pile of gold coins, which crumbled to dust and vanished. In return, the aura surrounding us grew absurdly stronger.

"Divine Miracle, aura enhancement and immunity to mental attacks! Enhancement targets: Count, Inquisitor, Death King, Black Dragon leader, Paladin, Viper. Enhancement duration: undetermined. Gold shall hold our hands in its grasp. Art complete!"

"Eeeeeaaah! Eek! My money!"

The Count screamed. Gold coins poured endlessly from her pouch, turning to light and evaporating without a trace the instant they emerged. She was so distraught that cat ears sprang up through her hair.

"My money! Meow! My hard-earned money! My money, more precious than my own blood!"

"Aha. Shall I donate some blood to you?"

"I don't need it! The day I go bankrupt, the Tower goes bankrupt too! Do you understand?! If you don't want to be eating dog gruel tomorrow morning, hurry up and clear this place!"

A fall from the sky. A million voices singing. We had managed to escape the dangers that had assailed us without a moment's respite.

Only then could we examine the mastermind behind the attack on our party.

"Tch. So you do have the strength to devour Idol, Compassion, and Prayer. And after I went to such lengths to conceal my presence and ambush you...!"

The constellation floated in the air.

Like the Sword of Prayer, its entire body was red. Only, it was a little darker. A child clad in dark red blood trembled with rage in midair.

"But it is futile! Leader of traitors! My loyalty to Lefanta Aegim will never crumble. I will kill you all, so you cannot obstruct my master's path of conquest!"

I see.

I grasped the hilt and drew my holy sword.

'Raviel became a constellation by piercing her heart with a fragment of the [Goddess of Protection].'

That meant even a mere fragment possessed the potential to become a constellation.

In that case, it should also be possible for a fragment itself to become a [new constellation].

The Sword of Sacrifice had ceased to be a fragment of the [Goddess of Protection] and evolved into [The Immortal Evangelist of Happiness].

"Apostles! Destroy them!"

And the Sword of Sacrifice was still loyal to Lefanta Aegim.

Unlike its other sisters, who had been helplessly absorbed by me, the Sword of Sacrifice had amassed its forces. It had ambushed me as though it had anticipated my arrival.

That was the full story behind our current predicament.

"..."

Holding my holy sword at the ready, I glared straight ahead.

An army literally hundreds of thousands strong was advancing from every direction.

The apostles sang instead of shouting battle cries, and danced instead of thrusting spears. But they were more menacing than any battle cry, more lethal than any blade.

Our side: six.

The enemy: countless.

"Count."

"What?!"

"You still have plenty left in your wallet, don't you?"

This was the perfect moment for me to shine.

"What?"

"Please splurge on us for this stage."

As the Count blinked, I murmured quietly.

"Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts."