NOVEL NEXT Chapter 299.2
Chapter 299.2. Revelation
Standing from the throne, Amano Sakimori looked down at Tia, his lips twisting into a smirk. If he had worn a cape, it would have flared dramatically, perfectly suiting his demeanor.
The Demon King was here. A Demon King who called himself humanity’s savior. In an anime or novel, such a declaration would come from a mad final boss, and the heroes would vow to stop him, leading to the final battle.
But there were no righteous heroes here. Only the Demon King who had covered the world in darkness and the being created to destroy Amano Sakimori.
“My combat power is…… 100,000! I should’ve killed you from the start. This has become such a hassle!”
Tia unleashed the mana within her, raising her power to its peak. She puffed out her chest, enveloping herself in a visible aura of mana, releasing waves of energy that shook the air, creating shockwaves that blew off her hood and made her hair flutter.
Her power. It surpassed the Legend level, reaching a realm beyond. A total stat of 100,000. She was a being unmatched by anyone.
“Nah, not happening. Since you don’t seem to realize it, I’ll tell you. Tia, you might think you have free will, but you don’t. I couldn’t fight you until you reached a level where you could fight me. You always found some reason not to fight me. That wasn’t your own will. It was set up from the beginning. Your boss secretly made sure you wouldn’t think that way.”
Tia’s body trembled at Amano Sakimori’s words. Not her own will? That couldn’t be, she thought…… but there were things that made sense. Would Shizen-chan really do that? But, still, however…… Her thoughts spun in circles, confusion and doubt overwhelming her. If that was true, then what was her existence?
It was the last thing she wanted to hear. She had only recently gained self-awareness, and with no one to rely on, she had cherished her sense of self. But now, the foundation of that self was crumbling.
And on the battlefield, that became a fatal opening.
The faint sound of the carpet rustling snapped Tia back to reality. But it was too late. Before she knew it, Shizuku had closed the distance.
With a sharp step, Shizuku swung her sword upward from below.
[High Accelerator]
As Tia frantically tried to leap away, Shizuku unleashed a combat skill with a mechanical, emotionless expression.
[Tempest God’s Blade]
A metallic sound rang out, the air split, and the wind became a blade that passed by Tia’s side. A sharp pain shot through her left leg, and as she tried to plant her foot, her body staggered.
Her leg wasn’t completely severed, but it was cut halfway, blood gushing out.
“Guh! That’s too underhanded!”
Crying out in pain, Tia readied Durandal. Though she voiced her complaints, she knew she had been careless. Getting lost in thought on the battlefield was suicidal. She had no right to complain if she was killed.
“Sorry. We’re heading straight to the final battle, so we don’t have time to spare for you.”
[Red Mode]
Shizuku’s hair and skin turned crimson as she dramatically increased her power, raising her sword and pouring mana into it.
[Fairy Sword Flash]
“I won’t lose!”
[Fairy Sword Flash]
Tia met Shizuku’s ultimate attack with the same technique. Even with buffs, even transformed, even injured, Tia believed she was stronger. She couldn’t lose.
The crimson blades crossed. In the seemingly frozen, painfully slow moment, Tia’s heightened awareness understood she could kill Shizuku.
But she also realized she couldn’t block or evade Shizuku’s attack in time.
Shizuku swung her sword without a hint of fear, ready to trade blows. There was no trace of fear in her expression.
And Tia, feeling a flicker of fear herself, hesitated.
The moment Tia faltered, Shizuku didn’t miss the opening. The gap between their stats was no longer enough to evade.
Tia’s body was slashed, and she collapsed to the ground. Shizuku landed, her sword scraping the carpet, and discarded the now-shattered blade.
“Guuuh……”
Her left side torn apart, Tia groaned on the blood-soaked carpet.
“Th-this can’t be…… I shouldn’t have lost……”
Tia couldn’t believe she had been defeated in a single blow.
“You’re my copy, right? A high-quality model. But you made one fatal mistake.”
“W-what?”
“You raised your survival instinct too high. It made you hesitate in battle.”
Shizuku, who always fought with the resolve to risk her life, and Tia, who sought self-preservation by raising her survival instinct. Shizuku had realized the difference the moment Tia asked her to spare her life. And that difference was fatal.
“Don’t worry. Your boss wasn’t controlling your consciousness. If they were, you wouldn’t have tried to escape at the last moment. Sorry, what I said earlier was a joke.”
Amano Sakimori spoke in a carefree tone. A demon, no, truly……
“You’re the Demon King, after all……”
Tia’s consciousness faded into darkness as she closed her eyes.