NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 215
215. The True End Comes From Beyond Imagination, Isn’t?
Lucas, the bee demon, lies on the ground, unable to rise, his bodily fluids scattered everywhere.
I don’t know how tenacious demons are, but there’s no way he’ll survive this. He’s been split in two, after all.
“Lucas. There are many things I want to ask you.”
Kyle, protected by Alphard and the others, slowly steps forward.
“…And you as well.”
Kyle’s gaze shifts to Bella, who had been left alone until now. I had noticed her presence, but she didn’t seem like a threat, so I prioritized the demons. I hadn’t forgotten about her.
In fact, during the battle, she was so noisy that I deliberately ignored her.
“It’s been a while, Mother… no, Bella.”
“Kyle! It’s your fault! It’s all your fault!”
Bella, half-crazed, is pinned to the ground by the holy knights.
Her hair is disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, and deep wrinkles mar her forehead. Not a trace of her former allure remains. Her luxurious attire seems to weep for her.
Kyle briefly averts his gaze upon seeing his stepmother’s dirt-covered face, but quickly looks back at her directly.
“Bella. Did you orchestrate this war?”
“Yes! You! Zaid, who betrayed me! And Leila, who didn’t follow me! All of you must see hell!”
Leila, if I recall, is the eldest daughter of Kyle’s father, Veil-sama, the Margrave of the Frontier. Her mother is Bella.
I remember Leila also treated Kyle coldly, but she said it was only because she was terrified of Bella and had to obey her.
She was a peerless beauty, earning her the nickname Black Rose Princess.
…Not Black-hearted Princess, right?
I see. When Bella fled the kingdom, she must have tried to take Leila with her. But her daughter, whom she thought was obedient, rejected her, and now she resents her. Of course, she resents Kyle and Zaid just as much.
Don’t forget that she cursed Kyle, Myrna, and Zaid from the start!
…Ah, I see. She didn’t curse Leila because she was obedient from the beginning.
I had no idea how Bella, who doesn’t even bear a crest, managed to cast such complex curses, but glancing at Lucas, I realize the answer.
It’s obvious he helped her.
“Were you in league with that demon from the start, even when you were in this country?”
Kyle seems to have reached the same conclusion and asks her directly.
“And what if I was? More importantly, Alphard! Order your soldiers to stop!”
Suddenly addressed, Alphard simply responds with a cold glare.
“Bella. You are a criminal in this country. As a holy knight, it is my duty to arrest you.”
“I am the Lady of Bale!”
“No. You’ve already been removed from the family register. And I hear you now go by the name Baltak?”
“Then you should show even more respect to a noble of the Empire!”
“I don’t care about your status in another country. Here, you are just a criminal. A commoner.”
“Y-you insolent fool! Kyle! Release me at once!”
Kyle winces in pain.
“It seems you’re not in the mood to talk honestly. Very well. Alphard. Take her away.”
“Yes, sir!”
It seems Kyle has resolved to treat his stepmother, Bella, as a criminal and have her taken to the dungeon.
If Bella had shown even a hint of remorse or been willing to talk, he might have treated her with some leniency, even as a criminal.
“Let me go! You insolent brutes! I am the daughter of an imperial duke! The kingdom should be a vassal state of the Empire, and I—!”
“Alphard! Silence her!”
Kyle shouts, clutching his chest.
“Yes, sir! Gag her!”
Alphard immediately orders his subordinates to gag Bella.
I step beside Kyle and gently embrace his trembling shoulders.
I can’t find the words. How much pain is he feeling?
Then, a roar echoes.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Lucas, his bodily fluids still spilling, forces his head up and throws something with his remaining arm.
Instinctively, I shield Kyle and deploy a defensive spell.
“[Rainbow Barrier]!”
“[Rainbow Barrier]!”
“[Angelic Wings]!”
“[Rainbow Barrier]!”
“[Earthen Shield]!”
“[Rainbow Barrier]!”
Not just me, but various defensive spells fly in from all around, enveloping us in multiple layers of protection.
“I’ll handle this! [Blasting Strike]!”
Raidoc swiftly crushes the bee demon into pieces, finishing it off. At this point, there’s no time for gathering information.
I remain frozen, shielding Kyle, but no impact comes.
“…?”
As I wonder what’s happening, Camille shouts.
“Wrong! He wasn’t aiming at Kyle-sama, but at Bella!”
I’ve never heard her shout like that before.
“Damn it! He was trying to silence her!”
Everyone’s attention turns to Bella. Upon closer inspection, a small needle is stuck in her arm.
“A… agh… ugh…!”
There’s no time to do anything. Bella foams at the mouth and collapses to the ground with a sickening thud.
“…She’s done for.”
“What a tragedy.”
“Should we try to detoxify her?”
When I ask, Alphard checks Bella’s pulse and shakes his head.
Everything happened in an instant.
We weren’t careless, but perhaps we underestimated the demon’s vitality.
“We’ve lost a valuable source of information.”
I mutter softly, and Kyle slowly stands up.
“There are still survivors from the Empire. Many soldiers surrendered. We can at least grasp the Empire’s intentions.”
“Right. Among the imperial soldiers who fled to the bridge and surrendered, there must be some who know what’s going on.”
“Yes. There’s no time to wallow in despair.”
What’s this? I’m supposed to be the one cheering him up, but he’s doing the opposite.
“There are still imperial soldiers skirmishing at the fort.”
“Yes.”
Raidoc arrives and kneels.
“I’m sorry, Kyle-sama. I have no excuse.”
“No, it was beyond our control. I never imagined he still had that much strength left.”
“We’re dealing with demons that only appear in ancient legends. We should have been more cautious.”
“Even I couldn’t fully believe they were real demons…”
“That’s…”
Yes. That’s it.
They were monstrous and terrifyingly strong, but I couldn’t fully accept that they were the heinous creatures from the legends.
Somewhere deep down, I didn’t want to believe that demons still existed.
“Alphard. Have the holy knights take the demon’s remains to Jabir. Take Raidoc and his men with you, just in case.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Leave a few with me. I’ll take Mother… Bella’s body to the castle.”
“…Understood. Craft. Stay with him.”
After saluting, Alphard quickly issues orders. The holy knights move hurriedly, and Raidoc’s group begins the careful process.
Given that the demon was utterly destroyed, it’s unlikely to move again, but after what just happened, Raidoc and his men remain vigilant.
The remaining holy knights place Bella’s body on a stretcher and carry it away.
“Wait.”
Kyle stops the holy knights and stands beside the body.
“At least this much.”
Kyle assumes a prayerful stance toward the body. Seeing this, I and the holy knights also offer our prayers.
Raised in the church’s orphanage, I’ve been forced to go through the motions of prayer countless times, but this is the most sincere I’ve ever been.
(You were a villain… but at least rest in peace…)
I close my eyes and silently recite the prayer.
“…Huh?”
Kyle lets out a small sound.
Before I can open my eyes, a violent shock runs through my body.
“What the—!?”
I have no idea what’s happening. My chest feels hot.
My sense of balance is thrown off, and I can’t tell where the ground is. Pain courses through my body.
The only thing I can make out is the voices around me.
“Kyle-sama!”
“Gugyaaaaaaah!”
“What’s happening!?”
“Stop that monster!”
“Save Kyle-sama… gyaah!?”
“Kyle-sama! Kyle-sama!”
“Craft!”
“Rogyoraaaaaaaah!!”
“Protect Kyle-sama, even if it costs your lives!”
“Noooooo!”
“Eva! Calm down! Tch! Camille, follow up!”
“Got it! I’ll kill it for sure!”
“Craft! Why!? You’re covered in blood—”
My consciousness fades here, and I fall into darkness.
I don’t know how long I was out. But it seems I survived, as I slowly emerge from the darkness.
However, I wish I hadn’t woken up. I regret surviving.
Because when I regained consciousness, I learned the truth.
Kyle was dead.
–End of Chapter 7–