The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 15

Clang-.

The blinding sunlight stings my eyes.

The light emitted by Maria, the Saint of the Sun, is quite dazzling, but it’s nothing compared to the real sunlight.

Having lived in complete darkness for a staggering 111 days, I felt a wave of dizziness as soon as I stepped out of the prison.

But since I was carrying the Saint on my back, I couldn't allow myself to collapse so carelessly.

"The air has gotten warmer...."

The Saint spoke to me in a faint, dwindling voice.

"We're outside now."

"Ahaha...."

"Don’t talk, just endure it for a bit. You wouldn’t want to die while being carried by a Demon, would you?"

"I thought you would find this situation amusing...."

"Keep running your mouth like that, and I’ll leave you behind."

At my gentle warning, the Saint gave a faint smile.

The Saint buried her face into my back as if she were a newborn baby.

I couldn’t stop worrying that the Saint might expire before she even made it to the guillotine.

Perhaps that’s why. I tightened my grip as I supported her hips, giving her a sense of stability.

Although the Saint wrapped her frail arms around my neck, there wasn’t an ounce of strength in them. A gentle breeze could easily dislodge her hold.

I bent my back further, hoping the Saint could lean comfortably against me.

She’s my irreplaceable fellow from Tartarus. I can at least do this much for her.

Step, step.

What I’m carrying on my back right now is a woman of immense value. She may look filthy and covered in dust, but she’s more precious than anyone in this world.

No one on the Continent could possibly possess as pure a heart as hers.

Step, step.

This woman is as light as a feather. Even though sweat is pouring down like rain, she remains light. Not even cotton candy could be as weightless as her. And I mean that sincerely.

Step, step.

She’s such a small woman. It’s not that she’s particularly short or has a petite frame, but her lack of flesh makes her seem small.

That fact stings, as if I’d been hit by a shotgun blast.

I should’ve treated her better when we were in Tartarus. I shouldn’t have eaten the last sandwich while half-asleep. I should've given it to the Saint instead.

Step, step.

"Come here, Prisoner 379."

Warden Theseus called out to me. What they had prepared for us was a transport vehicle in the middle of the forest.

"Get in."

"Tch."

"You’ll be riding in the back seat."

The transport vehicle was structured like a truck with a closed top and sides. Without a word of protest, I climbed into the back seat while still holding the Saint.

The guards, except for Theseus, tried to follow us into the vehicle. But it was Theseus who stopped them with his baton.

"You all sit in the front."

"What?"

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

"B-but, Warden... According to protocol, there should be twice the number of guards in the back seat when transporting prisoners...."

Kelth trailed off. It seemed Theseus was about to break the rules again. That ironclad man never failed to surprise.

"Do you not know the difference between an order and a request?"

Leaving those words behind, Theseus strode to the front seat of the vehicle.

"...."

Reluctantly, the guards followed him and crammed into the narrow front seats.

Once the back door of the vehicle closed, I was left alone in the dim, cramped space with the Saint once more.

My eyes, which had been stung by the sunlight moments ago, now welcomed the returning darkness with open arms.

"Warden."

Just then, the murmur of voices came from beyond the wall separating the front and back of the transport vehicle.

"Why have you been going out of your way to help the Saint, even breaking protocol to do so?"

It was one of the guards who posed the question.

Theseus’s response came after a long pause.

"...I’m simply repaying a favor."

For someone who took so long to answer, his reply was remarkably brief. And yet, it allowed my imagination to run wild.

Theseus graduated from Eden Academy, just like the Saint and the Hero.

And Theseus, who had been a commoner, was severely bullied there.

...How predictable.

It’s obvious this overly kind woman had treated the ostracized, miserable Theseus with kindness.

Because that’s just who the Saint is.

Even a man like Theseus, who harbors a misanthropic worldview, shows her a measure of respect, likely because of that reason.

"Hmm...."

Seriously, this woman has an infuriatingly wide sense of compassion. Even after ending up in this state, she couldn’t leave me, a Demon, alone even when we were in Tartarus.

Still, looking back now, I feel like thanking her. At least I didn’t have to sit cramped with those gloomy guards in this tiny back seat.

Rustle-

The back seat wasn’t spacious enough for two people to stretch out their legs and lie down. So I leaned against the locked door and sat at an angle.

"Excuse me for a moment...."

Speaking weakly, the Saint rested the back of her head against my chest. She slipped her hips between my spread legs.

"...Who would’ve thought I’d hold the Saint in my arms."

"You held me last night too, didn’t you...."

"That was because you decided to cling to me, even though I was tied up."

"Ahaha...."

"Get some sleep here. I'll wake you up when we arrive at the square."

"Is that all right...?"

"I slept well last night, so I'm not really sleepy."

"Hmm... Well, considering the vibrant dreams you must have had, naturally so."

"W-what are you saying! You lascivious woman!"

As I immediately protested in anger, the Saint burst into a peal of laughter.

I suddenly wondered if that smile could still remain when she stood on the guillotine.

Clatter-.

The transport vehicle carrying us rattled and moved forward roughly.

Worried that the vibrations might wake the Saint from her sleep, I wrapped my arms around her and tucked both legs underneath her. I hoped the vibrations wouldn’t reach her.

The Saint remained completely still, offering no resistance.

After traveling like that for about two hours.

"What is it, are you cold?"

I felt vibrations not from below but from above. The Saint's frail body was trembling.

"I'm... just a little cold...."

"Let me take a look."

When I placed my hand on the Saint's forehead, I felt a feverish heat accompanied by sweat-drenched skin. The searing heat made me furrow my brows instinctively.

"Geez, you call yourself the Saint of the Sun, but you're so frail."

"It is evidence that the grace bestowed upon me by the Lord... is gradually running out...."

"Tsk."

I adjusted the position of my arms and embraced the Saint's small frame. While I had been holding her stomach against my back as we ascended from Tartarus, now it was the opposite.

"How is it? Does this make it a little better?"

"Thank you.... To you, always a blessing...."

"Don't say things like blessings for something like this. It's embarrassing."

"Acknowledging one's rightful good deeds is not arrogance...."

"Who's being arrogant? I'm just saying it makes me uncomfortable."

Even as we exchanged curt words, the Saint's body continued to tremble uncontrollably, like someone suffering from a severe flu.

I pressed my chin against the crown of the Saint's head and hugged her tightly with both arms. Please, stop trembling already.

If you keep shaking like this, it makes me anxious.

I used to think death was no big deal, but now I can't understand why this unsettling storm brews in my mind. Imagining my own death feels trivial, but the cruel sight of the Saint's neck being severed suffocates me with dread.

Squeeze-.

As my emotions surged, the force I used to hold the Saint tightened. Though it must have hurt, the Saint remained silent.

I clung to her with all my might, as if trying to keep her from slipping away. Like the opposite poles of magnets desperately resisting separation. Please, don't leave me.

You foolish, naive woman.

A woman so stubborn that even when the world was drenched in the filth of the Demon Army, she refused to let go of hope.

A woman so dull-witted that she made the Succubus Queen, the Western Duke of the Demon Realm, feel pangs of conscience.

A woman so naïve and innocent that she told the Hero who betrayed her that everyone makes mistakes.

A woman who spoke boldly to the Demon King, burned her life away to embrace even a lowly demon or traitor, and scraped the bottom of her lifespan to generously give to the wretched.

If only you'd chosen a life just a little more selfish, one like everyone else.

"Then you wouldn’t be facing death today...."

The subtle glow that used to flow along the contours of the Saint's body was no longer visible.

Clatter-.

Clatter-.

Clatter.......

*****

Screech- Thud.

The transport vehicle carrying the Saint and me finally came to a stop.

Soon after, the back door of the vehicle opened, and sunlight from the sky poured onto us.

I pressed the Saint's soft, supple cheek to wake her up.

"Saint, we've arrived."

"...."

"Come on, let's go. It's time to die."

"M-mmh...."

The Saint groggily lifted her head and sat up.

"Should I remove your bandages? You're about to stand in front of everyone; you wouldn't want to be seen with that blindfold on, would you?"

"I would appreciate that, thank you."

"Your voice sounds lovely after a nap."

Carefully, I began to unwrap the bandages that had been continuously covering the Saint's head.

The Saint kept her eyes tightly shut.

"Your eyeballs are gone, right?"

"Yes."

"Then don't open your eyes. Just keep them closed. I'll carry you."

"Thank you."

The Saint's smooth eyebrows fluttered like wings. It must have been because they were touching the air for the first time in a long while, or so I thought.

"Prisoner 379 and Prisoner 386. Step out."

"Joker, the time has come."

The voices of Theseus and Kelth pierced my ears. I nodded obediently and asked in a low voice.

"Saint, would it be all right if I carried you?"

Theseus gave a short nod in response.

"As long as you don't stir up unnecessary trouble. Right now, all the major figures of the continent are gathered in the plaza."

"Have the dragons or elves come too?"

"Would it only be them?"

Theseus took a sweeping glance around from outside the carriage before continuing.

"Fairies, angels, devils, and... even gods are here."

"Aren't you on bad terms with the gods?"

"Not particularly. They know they'll die if they go against me."

"Heh, your confidence is something else."

Stepping out of the carriage, I bent down as much as possible and spoke to the Saint.

"Here, Saint. Climb on."

"Pardon me."

The Saint struggled to lift herself before collapsing onto my back. Supporting her weight once more, I carefully cradled her hips with my hands, bent my knees cautiously, and stepped outside.

""...............!!!!""

The first thing I saw was an enormous crowd, nearly numbering in the tens of thousands.

It wasn't limited to a specific race.

While many humans were visible, the crowd was also filled with giants, elves, and dwarves.

On the spires above, angels with massive white wings perched, while devils with folded black, bat-like wings sat silently, their presence exceedingly rare.

Even the lowest-tier monsters, like goblins and orcs, had gathered in uncountable numbers. It felt like a grand unification of the continent.

Were they gathered here because of me? Or because of the Saint?

I didn't know. Nor did I care.

"Just follow the path ahead."

Theseus pointed a finger in the direction through the crowd.

There, the Demon Army stood in formation on both sides of the path, stretching far ahead.

At the end of the path was a long staircase. A staircase soaring into the sky. An impossibly tall staircase.

At the very top of that staircase was the guillotine waiting to sever the heads of me and the Saint.

This was the same guillotine that had claimed the lives of countless emperors, kings, heroes, and villains before us.