Chapter 41 (1/2)
Volume 1
Chapter 15 – The Hero and His Accomplice are Laughing
「Just killing them is no good . Make them scream from suffering and torment, and when all they want to do is lie down and close their eyes—break, break, and break them some more, push them to the brink until they become completely useless . However, to simply kill them, wouldn’t that be too good a fate for them?」
Tempted by the words of the girl who was laughing as though she was broken somewhere, the corners of my mouth edged upwards .
「Now then, what I have prepared before you are two separate paths that you may choose from . The first path ends with just me and you in a Master and Slave relationship . If you choose this path, after serving the purpose for which I am buying you, I will give you the power to live alone as well as some money, and I will free you from being a slave . If you are skillful enough, you might even be able to find a way to be happy with what remains of your life as well . 」
「…………」
「That well-worn lump of emotions, maybe you might become able to crush those painful memories and become able to bury it all deep in your chest and then seal it away . If you can come to do that, then there might be a future in which you might once again find laughter . 」
It sounded like a ridiculous tripe .
It was a future neither I nor she wished for .
Still, I continued to say the words clearly and concisely .
I merely told her of one of the possible future outcomes .
What will happen to our future selves, I do not know .
Though the possibilities are good for revenge, one day, you might even be able to live without thinking about it .
It is for this reason that we were having this discussion .
From here on, I will talk about the other choice available because I could say with certainty that this choice will crush the other .
「Or there’s the other path, which concerns us being comr-… all-…」
Comrade? Ally?
Regardless of the word, it stops before fully forming .
「Hah… I guess it would be different… with me . 」
What came out there was an unconscious monologue .
A Partner? An Ally? What I am looking for is neither one of those things .
Such flimsy bonds; in no way are they adequate words to call this relationship .
I need a name to reflect the optimism of the relationship in which we will be bound by .
Therefore, I am sure of the appropriate name for our contract .
It is a name that a person who lives in the clean and just world would absolutely refuse to adopt .
The name of the person who accomplishes the sin of revenge is no doubt the most fitting .
「You and I are the same . Both of us obsessed with vengeance, so how would you like to become my “accomplice” and enjoy our revenge together?」
Saying this, I held my hand out in the air and the construction of the Heart Sword began .
Black lights flew together until the form of a sword took shape, a double-edged sword about 50 centimeters in length .
The edge of the blade got covered in blood, but also tied around it was something like flickering black flames along the whole length of the sword .
When peering into the gloom of the bottomless darkness surrounding the sword, there is only the feel of misfortune, yet it coexists with a divine judgment that can freeze you down to your very spine .
The only suitable purpose for it in battle is to change its form to that of a Long Sword, but for the necessary usage of it here, it needs to remain in this form .
This is the first manifestation of the 【Holy Sword of Vengeance], and gripping the hilt, I cut away the chains shackling the girl’s hands and then thrust the sword into the floor before the girl .
「If you choose the former, then just turn your back now . If you choose the latter, though, then you must take hold of this sword . However, you must be resolute in this decision! If you take hold of this sword, you will never be able to turn back . You can never again return to that clean world; instead, you will become forever bound to carry out revenge or die trying, no other avenues will remain . 」
「…………」
「Let this sword change the burning anger in the depths of your soul into undying flames of vengeance . Whatever happens, until you exact complete vengeance, you will never be able to stop seeking it out . After that, those you seek vengeance on, I shall as well, for we share our enmity . And as such, the targets of our revenge will increase . It shall come to be that those you hate, I too shall hate . And vice versa . Ah, afterwards, if things go well, you may also learn a peculiar skill that might synergize with you, if I remember correctly . 」
「… Will you betray me?」