826 Kill me (2/2)

”I didn't!!” Seiji shouted in response. ”I'm not an evil demon… I just…”

'I only came here to save someone!

'I'm a real human, different from all of you undead spirits! I'm a flesh and blood human!!

'I'm not an evil demon! All of you are the actual demons!!'

Seiji really wanted to shout all of this loudly.

However, he was unable to do so.

No matter what reason or noble purpose he had, it was a fact that he had brought destruction to this place.

So, he was indeed an evil demon in Koutarou's eyes. There were no excuses that he could give.

'...Damn it all.

'Damn it damn it damn it damn it damn it, damn it all!!!'

Seiji could only furiously roar in his heart.

Yet, he could only close his mouth and remain silent.

'I didn't want things to be like this.

'I truly didn't want things to be like this.

'If there was a method to protect this place without harming a single 'person', I definitely would have done so.

'But… there was no other way!!!'

Seiji's vision became hazy.

This was because tears were now clouding his vision.

The next instant, four giant claws simultaneously attacked him.

Seiji managed to dodge them all. However, his hazy vision made it so that there was a blind spot in his vision.

*Pow!!!*

Seiji was knocked flying by a fifth giant claw that he hadn't noticed!

Seiji was sent flying through the shrine walls, all the way through to the other side of the shrine!

”Cough… cough, cough… cough, cough, cough, cough, argh…”

Seiji dropped his sword, and his helmet fell off. He crouched on the ground while coughing violently and spitting up a large amount of blood. His entire body trembled severely.

”Harano… evil demon…” Koutarou walked over with black mist swirling all around him. There was a faint shadowy figure behind him, which resembled both a demon's and a human's shadow.

”Cough, cough… you're… the one who looks more like a demon right now… haha…” Seiji had tears in his eyes as he looked at Koutarou. However, he mysterious had a weak urge to laugh.

He'd never expected that after having defeated such a powerful samurai, he would lose to an ordinary ”person”.

Even if Koutarou was no longer ordinary.

However… wasn't this how stories always went?

The hero who managed to slay the evil villain in the end would almost always start out as an ordinary person.

This was just another story just like in the clichés.

An incredibly cliché story about a hero defeating an evil demon… that was all there was to it.

”Come… Koutarou…” Seiji wanted to get up, but was unable to do so. Thus, he simply sat on the ground. ”Kill me.”

'Take your victory.'

'Without a doubt, you are the hero of your story.'

'But, this will be the only time.'

'Next time, I'll…'

”WAHHHHHHHH!!!” Koutarou roared furiously in a way that also seemed like he was crying painfully. He released countless giant claws that seemed to cover the entire sky!!

Seiji calmly watched all of this happen.

Right now, he didn't know what he was feeling. Nor did he want to know.

He only wanted to know if the coal seller would be satisfied with this.

If the answer was yes, then maybe he had managed to bring salvation to at least a single person before this place was destroyed.

Seiji smiled while looking directly at Koutarou's tears.

”Harano…” Koutarou looked at him with great hatred. Yet, a flash of something else shone in his eyes.

All of the giant claws simultaneously crashed down!!

Seiji prepared himself to activate [Bullet Time] for one last time so that he could load at the final instant.

However, his [Bullet Time] ability wouldn't activate!?

*Boom, boom, boom, boom!*

The dark red claws seemed to cover the entire ground as if an immensely dense bloody red had tainted the entire world.