Part 3
On the other side, Jin and Sandra were taken aback as they observed the chain of events. They foresaw a huge fight breaking out, but probably didn’t expect it to be so anti-climactic. But not only did it become a huge fight, but the old timers took in Izayoi and the others and even began preparations for the strategy.
“How to say this………it’s typical Izayoi.”
“…………”
Jin smiled in astonishment, but oppositely, Sandra looked at them quietly.
“………? Sandra?”
“Jin. Take care of them. I’ll bring the rest of the people remaining in the palace’s third right wing. Having him explain things will surely go well.”
Turning on her heels, she went to return to the palace’s corridor with a desperate expression.
———————The hazy moon had been hidden by the clouds at some point in time. The light from the pendant lamps also dimmed slightly late at night. Illuminating the corridor were only Salamandra’s crafted glass candles’ flames. Sandra, while striding down the dim corridor alone, remembered the scene from before and stopped walking.
(………If I’d done the same thing, things probably wouldn’t have turned out that way.)
The veteran goblins and the fire dragon guards. To bring them together, she didn’t need the position of the leader of Salamandra. Strength and achievements. Without using these two to fascinate the strong ones, there’d be nothing to talk about. But the eleven year old Sandra did not fulfill either of these when she became the leader. Normally, to become a floor master, one must pile up achievements, but she became the leader without any of that. There were many who were dissatisfied about this in the community.
If it was Sala[13], who had matured with the strength of the winged dragons. Or, if it was Mandra that took over———————
(………Let’s stop this. Going on with this would be rude to my bigger brother and sister.)
Her wise sister cast aside Salamandra and absconded. But she must’ve had a reason for it, Sandra believed. Sala was not the kind of person who would cast aside her home town for no reason. She must’ve had a deep reason, a memory of heartbreak that caused her to leave it behind.
Her hard working brother’s dragon horn growth was poor, and had no choice but to give up on being the heir. This was also nothing more than being born with bad luck. If she had understood Mandra’s pain and helped him. Even while she felt the weight pressing down on her back, she took a step forward as if to shake it off.
———————No, to be accurate. She had intended to shake it off.
(———————……!?)
For a moment, Sandra imagined that the darkness was enveloping her. But that wasn’t the case. What was taken from her wasn’t the light. What was taken from her was the landscape’s colors. The palace that was lit with candles suddenly became clad in monochrome shadows. Except just one———————’mixed’, that one word on the clothes of a demon monkey.
“How pitiful. Normally, you’d be enjoying your time with your parents at this age, too.”
The demon monkey glanced at her pitifully. There, Sandra finally realized who the enemy was.
(It can’t be………the Demon Lord of Confusion!! This is bad, I have to let everyone know………!!)
“Ah, that’s not happening. I’ve put the ‘Activity Prevention’ curse on you. You can’t do anything anymore. You don’t have to think about painful things while putting in effort anymore either.”
The Demon Lord of Confusion walked around the monochrome palace leisurely. But there was no hostility from him. His eyes filled with pity as he closed in on Sandra.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. I was created from the mind of a child who, like you, was unreasonably twirled around by the people around him. I understand you better than anyone else.”
A demon lord created from the mind of a child———————the Demon Lord of Confusion smugly looked at her while tapping her chest with his hand and whispering to her in a melancholy voice.
“In the depths of your heart, you wanted to live freely, but because of the stupid adults, all you became good at was putting on a fake smile. Your position got in your way, and even if you made some effort, no one praised you for it. It’d be stifling no matter what.”
(———————You’re wrong……!)
“The sister who you thought was wise got her own freedom and went to enjoy life. Being judged for her every move, she thought nothing for her own little sister.”
You’re wrong———————She wanted to shout that, but she couldn’t move even a finger. But Sandra knew. That her older sister would never have absconded for that kind of cold-hearted reason. That her older brother tried desperately to support her from the shadows. Don’t be misled, as she strongly persisted. Nothing but flattery has come from this demon lord’s mouth. Don’t be fooled. His objective lies elsewhere. Her ties with her family lie within her heart.
“Really———————Aah, I really can’t go along with this!!! Just because you were a brat, your life was swung around on a stick, after all!! Because you ascended to the throne, you couldn’t carelessly let out your real intentions!! Those friends you made in your loneliness too———————”
The Demon Lord of Confusion’s hand brushed Sandra’s cheek.
“———————Betrayed you and became enemies. The friends you finally made betrayed you.”
When the Demon Lord of Confusion touched her cheek, there was a tear on the end of his finger. She wanted to believe in her family, but she couldn’t. The people she thought were her friends, Rin and His Highness, left Sandra alone. The moment she dealt with a demon lord one on one, Sandra was aware of her own weaknesses and incompetence.
(Brother, sister………His Highness, Rin………Jin………!)
Against this demon lord who could perceive naiveté, Sandra couldn’t do anything to resist. If she peeled off her mask of floor master, there would be nothing left but an eleven year old girl. Even in monochrome, she knew that her face was pale. If she could move, her entire body would be quaking with fear.
“Truthfully, you were afraid to fight a demon lord. Of course you were. You’re still eleven years old, after all. For that, I’m fully sympathetic for you. ………You’ve done great up to this day.”
The Demon Lord of Confusion sent her a compliment from the bottom of his heart. That was the last compliment Sandra would ever receive. She was not a fool. She had realized what kind of fate was in store for her after this.
(Am I going to be spirited away………?)
“Yeah. Your consciousness won’t resurface. You’ll become a part of me. This monochrome world is the last thing you’ll ever see.”
There was nothing to worry about anymore. That was the last whisper from the Demon Lord of Confusion.
Sandra’s vision faded and became completely black. Her body’s senses floated up and felt like they melded into the air. The last moment when her consciousness and body were connected———————her sister and brother, and the people important to her, their faces floated up and vanished, and as if clinging onto those bonds, Sandra shouted for the first time in her life.
‘Help me’.
This youth’s death throes would not be heard by anyone in the world, becoming foam and vanished. Having watched the entire event from the opposite side of the corridor, His Highness and Rin confirmed that things had proceeded smoothly and nodded at each other.
“Sandra has fallen in our hands. With this, the Dragon Lord of the Stars and Seas’ heritage———————the False Star Creation Chart is halfway into our hands.”
“Yeah. We’ve seized the most important gift of all. After this is the capture of the Genome Tree and the origin candidate.”
“Yeah. In the case that becomes impossible———————”
The two both swallowed their words. Putting that into words meant for these two that they would reluctantly be using their last resort.
“In the case that we fail………we will undo that demon lord’s seal and withdraw from Kouen City.”
“Yeah. If that becomes the case, I’ll follow my own judgement. Let everyone know. No matter what happens, everyone must live.”
It was a light tone, but His Highness’ face was unusually stiff. So was Rin’s. Her normally bright smile was clouded over like the night sky. Rin uneasily peered at His Highness’ face, and mending her normally mischievous smile, questioned His Highness.
“We………can win, right?”
“We can. You’ll make that happen, right?”
His golden eye gleamed as he retorted in response. Confidence returned to Rin’s eyes upon hearing his voice.
“Of course! We will definitely win this for His Highness!”
“I’ll be expecting it. So, what’s the next move? When do we make it?”
They had already collided with Izayoi and the others today. Retreating would also probably be one of those moves. But Rin swung her head to the side.
“The day won’t come. During this night, we will conquer Kouen City.”
“Heh? That’s quite hasty.”
“A lot’s been discovered about us, after all. There’s also no more reason for Pest-chan to regret providing information. Right about now, the plans they have to counter us should be in shambles. ———————That’s why we should seize this opening. Now, while they’re agitated and making their preliminary preparations, is the last opportunity.”
Her black hair fluttered in the night breeze as she advised him in a dignified voice. His Highness tapped his chin and thought for a while, but as soon as he raised his face, he smiled excitedly.
“Alright. Let Aura, Graiya, Maxwell, and everyone else know. In one hour from now, we will begin the war throughout the city. I will be giving out the signal, so match up with that.”
“Aye aye, sir!”
Rin, having gotten back her cheeriness, gave a bright reply as she became invisible. His Highness, who was left in the palace, erased his presence and held his breath in the dark. Looking up at the cloudy night sky, he whispered with strong determination.
“………We’ll win. We’ll show them. Because for us………there’s no going back.”
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