The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 48

“Are you not going to blame me? Eris-kun.”

In front of the bed with no owner, Gran stood still, and Eris responded with an exasperated look.

“Just because you’ve done something wrong doesn’t mean you can blame someone else to feel better, that’s cowardly, Gran-danchou.”

“Haha, you’re harsh.”

Gran laughed. He laughed and sat down on the bed where Asbel was no longer lying. Eris leaned against the wall and spoke.

“To begin with, it was something we already knew. When Senpai had that look in his eyes… that direct, unwavering look, I knew nothing could stop him.”

“But I was actually a bit worried you might say something reckless, like following Asbel, and I was secretly anxious.”

“Well… I’m not that childish. I know the difference in strength between me and Asbel-senpai.”

“Well, that guy was special, even in the knight’s order. The only one who could face Asbel head-on was probably my idiot brother.”

“Alan-san, right? They say he’s a genius swordsman, the best the knight’s order has ever seen, but I can’t imagine him beating Asbel-senpai.”

Eris made a sulking face and looked at Gran. Gran smiled wryly and continued.

“Haha, maybe you’re right. But sometimes monsters are born among humans. Though, apparently, Asbel isn’t even human.”

“Is that really true? I don’t really care what Asbel-senpai is, but I can’t believe he’s suddenly a demon or something.”

Eris, still leaning against the wall, twirled her neatly cut hair with her fingers. Gran didn’t look at her but lightly tapped the bed he was sitting on and said.

“Whether he’s a demon or not, it’s certain that he’s not normal.”

“I don’t deny that, but…”

The two of them recalled what Asbel had been like just a little while ago, and a troubled expression crossed their faces.

“It was an injury that any normal person would have definitely died from. A huge hole in his stomach, his whole body battered. It’s a miracle he survived. Even I, who’ve known him for a long time, had never seen Asbel so badly injured. I thought he wouldn’t be able to move for a while, but three days later, he ran out of this room. And by then, almost all of his wounds had healed.”

“Even with healing magic, the speed is impossible to believe.”

“He’s special. And it’s because he’s special that he’s been able to keep running.”

“…That’s not it. Asbel-senpai is special because he’s been running all this time.”

“That… might be true.”

The two of them both looked out the window with similar expressions. The morning sun shone brightly, and the weather was comfortable. Depending on Asbel’s actions, the world could end, but the two of them spoke calmly, as though they were at peace.

“Is the knight’s order still on standby?”

“Yeah. The higher-ups are getting old, so they’re slow to act. But thanks to that, the younger ones have a chance to move, so I might have to treat them to a massage soon.”

“Isn’t it bad to act on your own? Even though Asbel-senpai has been kicked out of the knight’s order, if someone investigates, they’ll figure out your connection to Gran-danchou and Lord Rai’s intentions.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If Asbel fails and angers the gods, then we’ll perish with this world.”

“I’ll fight. I learned from Asbel-senpai that you should never give up, no matter what.”

At Eris’s straightforward words, Gran laughed. He took a cigarette from his pocket and struck a match.

“Smoking’s prohibited in the hospital, you know?”

“It’s fine if it’s just one.”

“People who break the rules make things difficult for the ones who are trying to follow them. Even one is not allowed.”

“You’re strict… but, well, it’s fine. It’s a bad cigarette anyway.”

Gran snapped the cigarette in half and exhaled deeply.

“Maybe you should quit smoking.”

“With the world possibly ending?”

“If you die, you’ll probably be able to smoke as much as you want in heaven. So, while you’re alive, just hold back.”

“Do you think there’s tobacco in heaven? I’ve done a lot of bad things, so I’m not sure if I’d even make it to heaven…”

“If you try your best from now on, you’ll make it there. It’s alright! Asbel-senpai won’t lose!”

Gran returned a bitter smile to his cheerful subordinate. Thinking about what he had told Asbel, and the path he had chosen, Gran knew he probably wouldn’t make it to heaven. Even so, in front of his subordinate who was running desperately for someone else, he couldn’t show any more weakness.

“Eris-kun. I’m planning to go do something a little shady, want to come along?”

“Of course, I’ll accompany you!”

The two of them left the hospital room. On the small table, there was a vase, but no flowers had been placed in it.

—

“Alright, let’s go.”

Asbel, who had wrapped bandages all around his body, stretched lightly.

Deep in a forest where trees grew thickly, in the distance was a girl who looked like a god sitting in the sky. She was still silent. The reason she wasn’t moving… the reason why she wasn’t acting, and the possible way to save Liliana, Asbel had heard about from Gran.

After his body was healed enough to move, Asbel had left the hospital room and come to this place.

“…No problem.”

For some reason, ever since he was young, the more he thought he had to fight… that he had to protect, the faster his wounds healed. Even Asbel thought that was a little strange, but it seemed there was a reason for it.

“It’s fine. I don’t care. If I can save you, I’ll become anything.”

Asbel took a step forward. The girl, still sitting far away, just stared at the distance. She didn’t seem to care about the insects flying near her.

“You’re looking for something, aren’t you?”

Asbel said. The girl didn’t answer.

“You’re afraid. You’re afraid of the demi-humans, the only race with the power to stand against the gods, the ones who destroyed the Succubus Queen. But the unfortunate thing is, they’ve already been wiped out. Your revenge target has never existed in this world from the beginning.”

Asbel laughed, his face turning cold and demonic as he looked down on her.

“Except for me, who’s here.”

“…!”

At those words, the girl’s expression changed. Now, she was definitely looking at Asbel.

“Your revenge target is only me in this world! I am the last surviving demi-human, and I’ll send you to hell! If your grudge is real, try to kill me!!”

Asbel kicked the ground.

“Ha!”

The girl laughed. She laughed with pure enjoyment and recognized Asbel as her enemy.

“I’ll kill you! You failure!!”

And so, the battle between the two began.