The Hero Who Returned Remains the Strongest in the Modern World Chapter 71

Side: Linford

After his China Blue cocktail has been emptied he continued to serve himself Whiskey Double.

And then, he made a Status Window appear in front of him which nobody other than him could see in the bar and sighed at it.

"The same moment I acquired the reflection skill the Status Abnormality: Demon King Seed displayed itself. My character became a bit brutal. No… Let's say I've become loyal to my wishes and the choice of methods don't matter."

He was the only guest in the store.

The bartender went to the back of the store, and Linford laughed in self-deprecation.

"Demon King… It's truly unexpected. Er, but… That might be fitting for me."

While laughing he continued talking.

"That name may be fitting for me who'll climb to the Vatican's top and disrupt the world order."

Side: Lela Sakaguchi

"Princess! We can't consent to it! We are to always be with the Princess… We've been receiving such orders since the past!"

I shook my head left and right to Seraphina's words.

After that with Linford, I gathered the Guardian's in a room of the Inn.

And then I concealed the things about the other world and Morishita Daiki while informing the girls they'll be separated from me and go to Afrika as a disruption element.

"This might be the right time. From here on, the situation is going to become worse and worse and even if you belong to the current Vatican you'll be treated as disturbing elements… I'm leaving the decision to you girls."

"Decision?"

I nodded to Seraphina's words.

"There are two roads, now. Becoming faithful robots and following the Vatican's orders… or leaving the Vatican. In the case the thorny road is picked… We could also be purged. You girls decide what to do."

And the Guardian's exchange looks between each other and while chewing their lips they opened their mouth to talk.

"We don't know another place to live than the Vatican."

That's right. I knew that answer.

"Even if you work just like a robot, the chance of the situation becoming worse is high. In the end there's also a possibility to be purged even blindly obeying. Despite that… will you follow the Vatican?"

"It is as you say. We have no other place to live in than the Vatican. Besides, If we pile up achievements and regain trust… Someday again we may be working together with the princess in the same place."

Just a little bit I had expectations of Seraphina and the others.

If they were going to choose to separate themselves from the Vatican, then possible I would've one more time with Morishita Daiki…

But, it seems it's not like that.

I can't help but think for the impossible future.

"I got it. Let's think about countermeasures later. Right now we should only about the current mission. I got it, okay."

Seraphina bowed her head to me apologetically.

"We're suspected as disturbing molecules… In other words, is it because of the repeated voluntarily removal of restriction usage on Longinus?"

That's probably not impossible but this time's main reason is Linford.

But, the chance is high for Linford's brunt to turn to Seraphina and the others if I explain about the other world and hero to them and I don't know if they'll even understand.

"That might be so."

"We're sorry for having our absolute loyalty to the Vatican being suspected while we were together. If we stopped Princess more…"

Absolute loyalty to the Vatican…

The end is this… I think.

Seraphina and the others are caged birds.

Born in the Vatican, raised in the Vatican, and perfectly and purely mass created robots for fulfilling the Vatican's orders.

No… and I laughed in self-deprecation.

I'm also the same.

In the end, I wasn't able to seek help from Morishita Daiki.

Unfortunately… The 10 years Vatican's educational program had clearly worked on me.

"As I thought, the only path remaining is the path of carnage…"

However… and I made a cross in front of my chest.

I've already decided to walk this path.

I decided to protect Seraphina and the others. Then, I have to go this path.

In God's name.

And.

I changed into my magic clothes and while holding Longinus in one hand I was walking the long stairs leading to the shrine.

I'm at the eastern shrine and Serafina and the others at the western shrine.

If the shrine rituals are destroyed… Yokohama is going to be hit by a disaster and monsters and tidal waves will attack it.

None of it is my true intention.

None of it is enjoyable.

I don't even know what I should be doing. I don't even know what it should be done so the situation can turn for the better.

But, there's no other choice.

That's right, there's no other choice to take. It's basically like that.

And then a dry laugh leaked out from my lungs.

"Fufu… Hahaha…"

I've had enough.

I should stop thinking…

—–I'm an unwanted child of vampire and winged people.

In that case… I might look like a fallen angel inviting danger to a city.

A certain mental state came through while walking up the stairs.

I climbed the stairs and when I passed through the toori gates a cold voice came to my ears.

"The ritual had already started, you know? You've been amazingly slow. You're not at the age where you're managing attendance, are you?." (TN: It's some kind of Japanese Idiom. Abeno Kaguya is saying that Lela come late like those executives and has theirs schedule.)

"Abeno Kaguya…"

She was in her usual shrine maiden clothes and she had her usual noh mask face.

She held a katana in her right hand and brushed her hair with her left hand.

"Are you regretting that isn't Morishitkun?"

I stood simply and she asked me a question with an expressionless face.

"Hey, Lela Sakaguchi? You really want to be on my side. You want to be together with Morishitkun. Am I wrong here?"

Abeno Kaguya mixed a bit of anger in her voice.

"Try and force yourself through those absolute principles set for you with your fucking cheekiness. Hey, try and tear the Vatican's principles. Your selling point was your selfishness and fucking cheekiness, wasn't it? Don't just go against your character!"

I talked while my shoulders are trembling.

"You… Don't go talking like you know me!"

"There's no way I can know you. Don't go acting like a spoiled brat!"

"…Eh?"

"After all, I'm not you. I can guess a bit, but… I can't know your circumstances. It's not possible."

"But, this I can assert. I'll say it again. You really want to be with me. You want to be together with Morishitkun. Am I wrong here?"

"Shut up!"

"Yeah, I'm annoying, aren't I? I had intentions like that when I was asking you."

"And I'm telling you to shut up!"

"I won't, because such is my character."

"Hey, Lela Sakaguchi? The point is that you yourself don't know what to do, am I wrong? If so, then the situation is extremely simple, isn't it?"

"Simple?"

"Speaking of Japan, it's a strange country, isn't it?"

"Why are you suddenly talking about it?"

"It's a country that dislikes war. It's a crazy country where there are people that don't even recognize weapons for self-defence. Just a half-century it was done in severely… It could be said the after-effects are an abnormal allergy."

"Nonetheless, there is a lot of police force and there are prisons build up, right? Although the countrymen don't recognize use of military force outside of the country, they recognize use of military force in the name of keeping peace inside the country. There's nobody who makes complaints about the existence of the police itself. I really don't understand it… Truly a mysterious country, isn't it?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"War is the last resort for negotiations. And the people desiring for war in developed countries are very few among the educated people in these developed countries. At least there's only the obviously crazy who would seek war between developed countries. The bureaucrats are excellent and support the politicians, and the people who choose the politicians are not stupid except for few people. And the cost of life… It can be said national sentiment. If you think in return and risk, then war is extremely highly deficient."

"And, what are you trying to say since earlier!?"

"Then — Neither of us wants to fight."

"Then, I'd be happy if you let me pass through here."

"I can't do that. The common will suffer a lot. Morishitkun has a pure sense of justice. And, I have the minimum work to do as an Abeno. If I abandon my work here then I'll just be a heretic."

"I'll confirm it one last time. The negotiations are breaking down. Is it fine to move to the last resort?"

"Yes. That's fine."

"We don't have the unnecessary allergy using war as a method this includes Morishitkun, too. We don't hold idealism, we are realists."

"Finally going to do it?"

"Yes. No more negotiations. In that case, the only alternative is war. The rules are extremely simple. If I win you'll obey me. And if you win I promise that from now I won't stand in your way anymore."

And then Abeno Kaguya prepared her katana.

"Thanks for saving me the time. There's no mutual grudge if we kill each other, right?"

"That's fine. Try and see if you can do it."

I also pointed Longinus to Abeno Kaguya and declared.

"Let's start, shall we."

Chapter end