Vol 3 Chapter 50 – I Can’t See a Thing

“Wha, ah… Whaaaat!?”

Melia was dumbfounded.

The events unfolding before her, the scene laid out in front of her—she could see it, but she couldn’t believe it.

This wasn’t a matter of needing to see it with her own eyes to believe; she was seeing it with her own eyes, and she still couldn’t believe it.

That was just how incredible the sight before her was.

The Hero Melia.

One of the five Heroes of the current generation, and the woman who had betrayed humanity to side with the Demon Lord’s army.

She had lent a hand in the city’s destruction and had been holding back Alan, another one of the Heroes.

And standing before her now were two smiling grim reapers: Alvarado and Antares.

And dragged along with them was one of the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings, Rayphia.

She was covered in wounds from head to toe.

“Wh-what is the meaning of this!? M-My Rayphia-san has been battered so horrifically…!?”

“I can’t see a thing.”

“Think she’s actually got plenty of fight left in her?”

Did she get punched in the face or something?

Alan gave a deadpan look at the words muttered by Rayphia, whose face was caved in.

“How could you! Rayphia-san’s beautiful, lovely face…!”

“I can’t see a thing.”

“Yep, she’s definitely fine. I can guarantee it.”

While Melia was seething with rage, Alan only felt more put off.

Well, demons were a fair bit tougher than humans, and it didn’t look like she had sustained any fatal injuries.

However, that wasn’t because Rayphia was particularly sturdy, but simply because Alvarado and Antares had held back; they could have easily killed her if they felt like it.

Seeing Rayphia chatter on so surprisingly well, Alvarado nodded once.

“What’s this, you still have the energy to talk? Ann, go ahead and snap two or three of her fingers.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Wa-wa-wa-wait! Please, wait a second!”

Rayphia leaped up, trying to flee.

It wouldn’t be a fatal wound, but it would be unbelievably painful.

And there are very few people out there who enjoy pain. Aside from the real weirdos.

Antares looked overjoyed at the prospect of breaking someone’s bones on her Master’s orders.

Yep, this girl’s completely nuts, Alan thought.

“Hmph, very well. It’s not as if we wish to needlessly take lives, after all.”

“Indeed, that is correct.”

“!?”

The Holy Sword whirled around in shock.

Excuse me? The two people who slaughter others without a second thought are saying what now…?

Is this some kind of deadpan joke? she thought.

If it was, she could have died laughing.

But the two of them wore such serious expressions that she was left intensely bewildered, wondering if she’d heard them wrong.

“First of all, why did this happen…?”

“The fact that you attacked at the same time told me that you and this woman were connected. We were going to kill her either way, but we decided to capture her alive to see if she could be of use before she died. Once we kill you, we will of course kill her too, so you can rest assured.”

“Re…lieved…?”

Alan was skeptical.

Where on earth would you find a person who, upon being told that their loved one would be killed right after them, would say, ‘Alright! In that case, I’ll die!’

And this was being said while holding her hostage to ensure their compliance.

It was completely counterproductive.

“As expected of you, Master. How merciful…”

“Mer…ciful…?”

Alan was skeptical.

Antares was moved as if she were in the presence of a saint, but where in any of that was there an element of mercy?

There were too many things he didn’t understand; his head was about to short-circuit.

It was the Holy Sword who gently patted his back.

“You won’t last long if you question every little thing, playboy.”

“O-Oh… What’s a playboy?”

Ignoring their conversation, Alvarado faced Melia.

He was a man who attacked anyone he deemed evil without a shred of mercy.

Naturally, Melia’s actions this time were evil.

He genuinely believed that hurting others for one’s own desires was unforgivable—something he was breathtakingly guilty of himself.

However, the expression plastered on his face was not one of joy at the prospect of judging evil, but rather one of sorrow.

“Now then, Hero Melia. As you are now, you are nothing but a foolish maggot who has fallen to evil, but…”

He’s tearing her to shreds…

“However, that does not erase the achievements you have made thus far. It is true that there are many people you have saved.”

Right now, Melia was indeed a traitor.

But up until this point, she had been the one who took her duties as a Hero the most seriously.

The number of people she had saved in the process was the highest among all the Heroes.

Not even Alvarado could ignore that fact.

“D-Don’t tell me… you’re going to forgive her…?”

The Holy Sword wore an expression of utter shock.

The man who had always struck without a moment’s hesitation, who had always just gone ‘Hmph!’, was now considering letting someone off due to extenuating circumstances?

That’s not the Alvarado I know!

As the one who was always being dragged around by him, she was indignant.

But Alvarado was still Alvarado.

“Therefore, in praise of your achievements, I will grant you the mercy of a painless beheading. If you value the life of this demon, you will not move a muscle.”

“Yikes…”

This was the conclusion he reached after considering all the people she had saved.

What would have happened if Melia hadn’t done any of that?

It was horrifying to even imagine.

“Master, you are just too cool… Ahh, I can’t take it…!”

Antares panted heavily, overcome with emotion.

Her murky, mud-dled eyes were now sparkling brightly.

Her perfect medicine was, without a doubt, Alvarado.

Seeing this, the Holy Sword glanced over at Alan.

“So, this is a Hero…!”

“Hey, don’t lump me in with them!”

It was the first time since becoming a Hero that he had felt truly disgusted.

That is how Alan would recall it in his later years.