Betrayed by His Party, a Failed Healing Mage Revived Past Demon Lords Out of Spite and They Were All Overpowered Beautiful Girls - 20

Chapter 20: The Healing Mage Kills the Hero Again and Again

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Elizabeth’s proposal. The content was remarkably simple, and for that reason, it was also powerful.

“Having the skeleton soldiers equip and fight with magic swords that I created by engraving runes upon them, huh?”

At this very moment, countless skeleton soldiers were launching an assault on the city of Sapan with powerful magic swords in hand. Elizabeth, Elshadow, Meme, and Pestia—along with Nayaka, who had tagged along saying she wanted to test her new magic swords—had all gone. It was excessive military force just to bring down the city of Sapan. If things went poorly, the city might be completely destroyed.

Well, because of that, I was the only one left in the Sky Demon Castle. I was so bored that I considered going grave robbing again, but… Should I say my intuition was acting up? Carrying a certain item, I left the Sky Demon Castle and waited at the Old Demon Lord’s Castle for visitors to arrive.

“…I truly didn’t think they would actually come.”

Someone had intruded into the Old Demon Lord’s Castle. This was after passing through the Great Forest of Ruve, which was thick with the fog of death from Pestia’s plague magic.

“Huff, puff, gag, t-this is rough…”

“It seems that if it is just two people, one can manage somehow by brute-forcing it with healing magic, yes?”

“Exactly. If we had encountered a monster along the way, that would have been the end of it.”

It was Albert and Lilith. The other members of the Hero’s party, Testarossa and Karia, were nowhere to be seen. Only the two of them had intruded into the Old Demon Lord’s Castle. I looked down at them from the top of the stairs and spoke, lowering my voice as much as possible.

“Welcome, Hero Albert.”

“…You are, from the other day…”

Albert stared straight at me. That gaze was completely different from when he had thrust the Holy Sword into my stomach. I felt some sort of strong will.

…So what of it? The fact that a hated enemy is before my eyes remains unchanged. I’ll crush him into a bloody pulp with these hands and kill him dead.

Just as I thought that and prepared to draw the Magic Sword of Wrath, it happened.

“Wait, I didn’t come to fight.”

“…What?”

“I only came to retrieve the remains of that guy… my buddy. Once my business is done, I’ll withdraw. So, please.”

“!?”

With that, Albert bowed his head.

…I don’t understand the meaning. Is the “buddy’s remains” Albert is talking about me? No, so what. I have no obligation or reason to go out of my way to grant the request of a hated enemy.

『Kill him.』

“…Hm? What’s this?”

My hands were shaking. Was this the trembling of my spirit due to the exhilaration of being able to kill a hated opponent?

“Anti-Curse Magic: Dispel.”

Whatever she was thinking, Lilith used a dispelling magic on me. My thoughts became a little clearer, and I tilted my head.

Is this hatred toward Albert truly mine? Certainly, I hate him. Being betrayed was a shock, and I can never forgive him for trying to kill me. But if asked “Do I hate him enough to want to kill him,” I feel a slight doubt.

“Senior disciple, your thoughts are being manipulated, yes?”

“Eh? Senior disciple?”

“…How can you tell? This mask is supposed to make it impossible to recognize me accurately.”

I took off the mask and exposed my face.

“Valsh… you’re alive…”

“…”

Even looking at Albert’s face, the killing intent from before didn’t well up as strongly.

As I thought, something is wrong.

In the first place, did I have a spirit resilient enough to withstand Elizabeth or Meme’s charm magic? No, I didn’t. Certainly, I was the patient type, but during the time when the battles grew fierce, I left the fighting to Albert and the others and devoted myself to chores. I definitely did not have the kind of ironclad spirit that could resist a Demon Lord’s charm magic.

Ah, I see.

“Because someone had already tampered with my mind, Elizabeth-san and the others’ charm magic didn’t work…?”

Just who on earth was manipulating me?

There’s no end to the questions, but for now, I have to think about what to do with the person in front of me.

“Valsh, kill me. I… I killed you.”

“I’m not dead, though?”

“Not just you. I killed Alicia, too. So please, kill me.”

Albert said this while bowing his head low.

“…And you intend to reflect on your actions like that? If it’s you, Albert, shouldn’t you have been able to repel mental manipulation with sheer guts and willpower?”

“Eh? No, that’s impossible…”

“I’m going to punch you for now, so grit your teeth.”

“―Guh!?”

I jumped down from the stairs and punched Albert with all my momentum. Albert collapsed to the ground.

“…Huh? Did I hit the wrong spot?”

Albert’s neck bone had snapped backward, and he had perished. Therefore, I used resurrection magic without hesitation. There was a cracking sound from his neck as it returned to its original shape, and Albert woke up.

“Gasp!! What did I―”

“With this, I can punch you one more time.”

“Eh, wait.”

“…Senior disciple is very angry, yes.”

Albert likely accepted being killed by me. That must be why the Goddess’s protection didn’t trigger, and he perished with a single strike of my full-power punch. But as if I’d forgive him after killing him only once. I had been hating Albert excessively because someone used mind-interference magic on me, but that was that, and this was this.

There are risks to using resurrection magic consecutively, but I’ll have him let me kill him until I’m satisfied.

“With this… One hundred!! And now… Resurrection!!”

“Gah!? What am I doing!?”

“One more time!!”

“Senior disciple.”

“…What is it, Lilith?”

“Something is coming.”

“Eh?”

I doubted my own eyes.

“Oh dear, have both of you returned to your senses?”

“…Why are you here…”

A single girl descended the stairs, her shoes clicking against the stone.

I know this girl.

She was the healer of the Hero’s party, a being who received the protection of the highest-ranking Goddess.

“Why… why are you alive!?”

“I see, it’s you… My going strange only started after you joined the party.”

The name of that girl was―

“Alicia!!”

“Yes. It’s the super-duper cute Saint, Alicia-chan.”

The girl smiled. A smile more refreshing than any I had ever seen, yet utterly evil.

Alicia stood there, smiling.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー