Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker

“There’s no need to go. It’s important to care about your father, but he doesn’t care about you at all. In fact, he’s trying to kill you. I can’t let you go silently to such a fate.”

“What do you know about my father, Yuusha…? He’s still my father, no matter what. If he abandons me, I’ll be all alone. No one will need me anymore. I’ll be worthless. Isn’t he the only one who sees me?”

Rubure had always been alone in that forest. Abandoned by her parents, she was left to fend for herself. While the other elves supported her, her true comfort was her parents. That’s what family bonds meant to her. That’s why she couldn’t let go, regardless of how she was treated – they were her one and only family.

“You’re wrong, Rubure. You’re not useless or unwanted! We need you, not as an elf, but as you… as Rubure! I’ve seen you, even though it was for a short time! So, please, don’t go. It’s absolutely wrong to look so pained and go with him.”

I forcibly pulled the limp and unresisting Rubure. Her body was light, fragile, and small. She lost her balance and leaned against my chest. In that moment, she burst into tears. Her father hadn’t really seen her – he only saw her as a material. The realization that she had been refusing to accept finally hit her. It was unbearable, feeling like her entire life was being denied. But the reality unfolding here was an undeniable truth.

“Quiet! That annoying crying… it’s so unpleasant. Until the very end, you are a nuisance. You not only cause trouble but also irritate me.”

The air around us started to vibrate with magical energy, focusing on Treson. People in the guild noticed the commotion. Were we about to fight right here, in the center of the town, surrounded by people?

“No matter how many insignificant humans band together, they can’t match me, an Elder Elf of noble lineage and great history. Although, I have no intention to fight this time.”

Treson’s surroundings glowed with compressed light, releasing a super-dense laser beam, aiming to sever Rubure’s limbs, making her easier to transport. He planned to prevent resistance and bleeding by cauterizing the wounds instantly. It was an efficient yet cruel method.

But the laser didn’t reach Rubure. Touko shielded her with her body, remaining unscathed despite the highly compressed laser. Such an outcome seemed impossible. Treson momentarily faltered at this inexplicable event, a fatal mistake. The distance was closed in an instant. The undeniable killing intent. Treson braced himself. The black-haired woman before him felt like a far superior being, even more than himself, an Elder Elf – it was like facing the Demon Lord. Death. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. No, it was his brain working at full capacity in the face of certain death.

Touko’s hand-chop struck, but an inexplicable event occurred. The chop halted just before reaching Treson, stopped by a magic circle.

Was it Treson’s doing? No, it couldn’t be. His current expression wouldn’t make sense if it were.

“Ah, ah, no good. That one is a valuable Elder Elf, an endangered species. It would be such a waste to kill him, wouldn’t it?”

Suddenly, she appeared out of nowhere. There was no one there just a moment ago, but this woman materialized right next to me without any sign or forewarning.

“Do you agree, Savior?”

She casually draped an arm over my shoulder, familiarly. How did she know I was celebrated as a Savior in this town, a fact I hadn’t shared with anyone here?

“Master, get away from her quickly!!!”

Mei shouted, but it was too late. I couldn’t move. As soon as she touched my shoulder, I was immobilized, as if bound by restraints. Who was this woman, and why was my understanding refusing to accept it?

“O-oh… Demon Lord! Have you come to save me, Treson? I’m so moved, tears are coming to my eyes!”

Treson prostrated himself before her. Before the Demon Lord. Right next to me, within breathing distance, was the Demon Lord. My heart raced. This was the Demon Lord.

“No, not for you, Elf. You seem to be causing unnecessary trouble. I’m here to see him. My subordinates… even some of my officers seem to have been taken care of by him?”

The Demon Lord looked at me, her expression unchanging, smiling as she asked. She must be referring to the Demon Lord’s officers who were killed by Touko. The Demon Lord had come to check on the “current” Savior and the cause of their successive deaths.

“Get away from Yuusha!”

Touko was enraged, striking the floor and lunging at the Demon Lord, but just like before, her attack was neutralized by a magic circle.

“What is that pattern…?” “It’s basic defensive magic. Although… incredibly strong. A skilled magician could defend against explosives or arrows, but to easily block a blow from Lady Touko…”

Even basic techniques in the hands of the Demon Lord became miraculous. The extent of her power was unmistakable.

“The companions of the Savior are indeed capable. And quite formidable. Which is why… I’ll have him take care of you.”

The Demon Lord snapped her fingers. There was a rumble. At first, I thought it was an earthquake, but it was different. A massive monster crashed into the guild, sweeping Touko away in one blow.

“Now that the nuisance is gone, we can talk comfortably, Savior.”