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“Are you Luke?”

[That name has been discarded.]

“The owner of the body I’m currently using?”

[That would seem to be the case.]

“Do you have a hobby of rambling nonsense?”

I’m using Luke’s body, so what’s with the nonsense?

[As a god, do you really think I could insert a different soul into a living person’s body?]

“Then, that’s even weirder. If you say Luke is dead, then the person in front of me can’t possibly be Luke.”

[Why do you think that’s impossible? Both I and Arthur are technically dead, yet that body is still moving, isn’t it?]

“So, you’re saying you’ve possessed him?”

Just like me, you left your original body and moved your soul elsewhere. It seems that’s what the demon god is suggesting.

[To borrow a term from your world, that would be accurate.]

So, does that mean you absorbed him?

Suddenly, the demon god’s gaze shifted behind me. I turned around to find Luna and the others returning.

[Have you seen everything?]

“······.”

[So, what do you think?]

“Are you planning to destroy the continent?”

Luna, representing the trio, asked this question.

[It depends on the situation.]

-Clap!

At that moment, I clapped to grab their attention.

“Alright, let’s end the conversation here.”

I have no idea what you saw, but I think I’ve been patient enough.

Try being in the shoes of someone who is waiting. People need to communicate, but they should know whom they’re talking to.

“Well, everyone has their own circumstances, right? The problem is, I couldn’t care less. Whatever issues you have, that’s your business, not mine.”

[…I see. It’s surprising that Arthur wasn’t the last to arrive, but if I kill you and Arthur, it’ll all end.]

“How coincidental, I was just interested in your experience points and skills.”

I needed more skills to hunt down the set of S-Rank Monsters that hadn’t appeared in the main story. After all, being a demon god, you wouldn’t skimp on good skills, right?

By the way, there’s no option for me to die. I have no intention of losing.

[The time has come to end this vicious cycle.]

“A vicious cycle?”

It was because a demon god existed that a hero was needed, and thanks to that, I was able to possess this body.

“It’s more like a virtuous cycle.”

The demon god’s expression twisted, and then it lunged at me.

-Bang!

Where the demon god leaped, only a dented patch of earth was left, and it came flying towards me. I don’t know which part of my words struck a nerve, but if it wants to go all out, that’s fine by me.

Darkness swirled around the demon god’s hand. The darkness began to take shape, resembling a plain black longsword.

I also responded by pulling out the greatsword from my inventory.

-Bang!

The clash of the demon god’s sword and mine was a sound that was hard to believe was just a collision of swords.

I definitely blocked it, but my body was pushed back a noticeable distance.

The demon god’s attacks were fierce. Just a simple swing of a longsword, yet it was complete in both speed and strength. It had no weaknesses whatsoever.

[If you’ve used that body, you should know. There’s no magical power left in it.]

I know that well. I was quite flustered at the beginning of the possession. Here I am in a fantasy world, and I can’t even use magic.

[Aren’t you resentful? Using a body that can’t cast the magic that everyone else can.]

“Are you trying to shake my mental state with such common lines? Even as a demon god, that’s pretty petty.”

[That wasn’t my intention. It’s just a purely curious question.]

The idea of a pure intention is laughable. Moreover, I wonder why it has so much to say. If I were to humor the demon god’s question, I could quote a saying from Earth that doesn’t exist in this world.

“Ever heard the saying ‘It’s the pilot that’s the problem’?”

For the most familiar example, our team Yasuo is a complete idiot, while the opposing team Yasuo is flying high. It’s not Yasuo that’s the problem, it’s merely the person using it.

In the same vein, I’m doing well with the body that Luke discarded. With this, I’ve massacred the demons and taken out Arthur, the original protagonist, and I’m set to slaughter the S-Rank Monsters as well.

The conclusion is that I’m effectively using Luke’s body—a body that even the demon god couldn’t utilize—thanks to the difference in the pilot.

“So, you’re saying you’re the idiot here.”

[······.]

The demon god was left speechless. I’m excelling with a body they couldn’t, so what could they possibly say? At that moment, the darkness enveloped me.

I thought it could be the demon god’s technique, but as soon as I noticed Luna was missing, I charged directly at the demon god. It was obvious Luna had circled behind.

Riche and Yui took care of the flanks.

In front was me, behind was Luna, to the left was Riche, and to the right was Yui. There was no blind spot for the demon god.

Just as I was eager to see how the demon god would respond, shadows bled out from its body. The darkness exhibited an artificial repulsion, pushing us away like like poles of a magnet.

[If you think darkness belongs only to you, you’re mistaken.]

Luke clearly couldn’t use magic, yet the demon god managed to cast a darkness-related spell. Did this mean it was possible because it discarded Luke’s body?

“······Ugh!”

“Ahh!”

“Whoaahh!”

Luna was sent flying by that force, while Yui and Riche’s magic was swallowed and pushed back by the darkness.

But like a real man, I held my ground and attacked. Overcoming the swirling darkness, I barely managed to reach the demon god and swung my sword with all my might.

The demon god tried to pull out more darkness to push me back, but—

[You’re still not used to using darkness.]

It’s not easy to suddenly be able to use magic if you’ve never used it before.

Realizing that it couldn’t manipulate darkness as intended, the demon god hesitated for a moment, and in that opening, my attack struck the demon god.

[That’s a strong attack. Stronger than any opponent I’ve faced thus far.]

The demon god didn’t evade. Whether it couldn’t or simply chose not to, it took the hit head-on.

However, it didn’t take significant damage. Normally, a demon god wouldn’t be this resilient, but perhaps it’s not just an ordinary individual.

[But you’re not nearly strong enough to kill me with that.]

“Isn’t that rather arrogant? There’s still a lot I haven’t shown you.”

In front of the arrogant demon god, I pulled out a Magical Power Bomb. This bomb was charged with light attribute magical power, meant to take down the demon god.

[…Is that a technique from the Dwarves?]

The demon god seemed to recognize what it was. I had expected it to know nothing about this.

[What do you intend to do with that? It won’t affect me much.]

It’s unexpected that the demon god isn’t like the one from the original novel. But with a demon’s body, wouldn’t it still have some effect?

While I questioned its words, since the demon god said so, I chose to believe it. Besides, this bomb wasn’t meant to directly damage it. When the Magical Power Bomb explodes, it will unleash the light contained within.

“Solar Strike!”

In other words, the reason I was using it now was for a bright flash.

[So it’s just a flashy trick…!]

To call the strongest technique of humanity a mere trick is ridiculous. No matter how much of a demon god you are, as long as you have a body with eyes, escape isn’t possible when faced with the limits of living beings.

If one has eyes, they instinctively close or squint at a bright light. It was an inevitability, even for a demon god.

Naturally, the demon god closed its eyes, and I was gathering my attack in that split second.

As a blinding flash of light occurred, when the demon god opened its eyes, it would see me ready and poised to attack. And by then, at least five seconds would have passed, and my attack would be ready.

[······!]

Recognizing the danger, the demon god hastily shifted its sword to deflect my strike. It was a technique even elves could use, but an elf might not even dream of attempting such a technical maneuver.

-Thud!

As my blade struck the ground, the demon god’s sword pierced through my abdomen without any preparation.

[This is the end.]

Not a chance. I immediately raised my hand and pivoted my hips to evade its sword. The latest trend in evasion, the Zero-Two dodge. Upon seeing me do it, the demon god frowned.

Next, I embraced the demon god, which was still directly in front of me.

“I’ve got you.”

[…What are you doing?]

“I’m playing dirty, attacking in groups.”

The demon god seemed to want a one-on-one, but sorry, I had no reason to comply. With all the kids around, why would I take this on myself?

“I didn’t come to kill you honorably; I came to backstab you with a group attack!”

The original Arthur faced the demon god alone, taking the hard way, but since I’m a genius, I took the shortcut.

As I finished speaking, Luna suddenly launched a surprise attack from behind the demon god. In a flash, she targeted only the vulnerable spots and retreated.

Following that, Yui and Riche unleashed their magical bombardments. They were too eager; they seemed bent on taking me down as well. I’ve said it many times, but it looks like they’ve got a lot to unleash.

Yui unleashed a powerful blood magic using both my spilled blood and her own, and Riche launched a technique known as Solar Flare, which she had never used before.

-Bang!

-Pow!

Caught up in the bombardment, both I and the demon god were sent flying.

[Ugh… Do you all lack a sense of camaraderie?]

The demon god was visibly struggling against the group assault. You know, the world often plays out unfairly. Though this usually doesn’t apply to villains, I’m handing out the same level of unfairness because I seek equality in my pursuits.

The demon god lost an arm, and I was no different.

[But losing an arm is the same for you. Do you plan on self-sacrifice?]

“Ugh…”

[······?]

“······?”

As I began to choke up, the atmosphere of the battlefield shifted suddenly. Everyone, having been fighting tooth and nail, now looked at me as if they were observing a mad monkey in a cage.

“That’s too much! HEYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!! Wahhh, wahhh! My arm~! WHOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!”

For a while, I sobbed. And not long after, I stopped moving.

“Ahh, that feels refreshing.”

Whenever emotions rise, I find it’s effective to cry it out. I tried it once, and it worked wonders.

Looking around, they all stared at me as if I were an incomprehensible fool.

The look in their eyes was one of disbelief at how I couldn’t articulate the absurdity I was embodying. Eventually, the demon god spoke up.

[You’re truly insane…!]

In an instant, the demon god’s severed arm regenerated. But as is usually the case with those who possess healing powers, their stamina isn’t infinite. If they receive damage beyond a limit, regeneration will stop, and the demon god appeared to be quite exhausted from the last attack.

[You lost an arm; what can you do with just that?]

But sadly, you’re not the only one who can regenerate, you know?

I picked up my severed arm and placed it back at the point of amputation. Then I pulled out a potion from my inventory and poured it over the severed line.

Of course, a single potion wouldn’t be enough to reattach an arm. If potions were that effective, their price would be double or triple what it is now.

However, I have a skill.

The blessing of Yggdrasil.

From the severed edge of the attached arm, muscle fibers began to grow and reconnect. Blood vessels intertwined, and with the potion’s effect, it healed seamlessly as if nothing had happened.

Watching this, the demon god frowned, disgusted.

[Are you truly human…?]

“Does my appearance suggest otherwise?”

What else would I be if not human?

“Luna, Yui, Riche! Bind that bastard! Just for a moment!”

I commanded the three of them, as I had thought of a way to definitively finish off the demon god.

It didn’t matter how they did it. Whether Luna severed the demon god’s Achilles’ heel, Yui bound it with blood magic, or Riche burned its legs, all that mattered was they acted quickly.

The three sprung into action. Of course, the demon god reacted as well. Though it looked like a 3:1 situation, the demon god was holding its own quite well.

To counter the attacks, it summoned darkness and swung its sword against Luna’s. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed impossible for the three of them to manage the demon god. But I didn’t say to capture it; I said to bind it.

That meant the very act of restricting its movements was satisfactorily fulfilling my command.

I pulled out the Dragon Slayer, which I had used before from my inventory. In my left hand was the Volcano Giant Sword, and in my right hand, I grasped the Dragon Slayer.

The surefire way to end the demon god. I just need to hit it really hard.

“Dual Wielding.”

I didn’t carry two swords for no reason; now I could swing two greatswords with my full might. As the demon god stood unable to move, I leaped into the air.

With both arms raised wide, I readied my greatswords in a position similar to a clap. The demon god, albeit belatedly, noticed me and conjured another sword to respond with a dual wield of its own.

[Do you think adding one more attack makes a difference?]

Well, honestly, I expected this to be blocked. Just like the previous strike was halted. But would you be able to block this as well?

I summoned a shadow. The shadow emerged from behind the demon god, naturally wielding two greatswords just like me. Four greatswords in total!

This technique was double the strength of dual wielding! The notorious sword technique not even the world’s best swordsman with green hair could use, and even at half my power, it was still formidable. There was no way the attack’s power would fall short.

With a shadow behind and me in front, we swung at the demon god in a pincer attack. This time, the demon god had nowhere to escape or evade. After all, the human visual field has a horizontal range of 180 degrees and a vertical range of about 120 degrees combined.

While it might find a way to see more by rolling its eyes, as long as it’s focused ahead, it cannot see behind.

In other words, for the demon god to block simultaneous attacks coming from both the front and the back, bound to cause gaps in its defense, it would be theoretically impossible to prevent four sword attacks with just two hands.

Even if it managed to deflect two of my attacks, the other two would still slash at the demon god.

[···Guh!]

Amid the barrage of attacks, the demon god attempted to push me away using its darkness. But I hadn’t budged earlier, so would I now?

The weaker shadow was sent flying, but bringing it back and summoning it again would be child’s play.

An arm cut off, a leg lost, and then regenerating. This exchange went on, and eventually, the demon god’s stamina ran out first.

The demon god’s body was now in pieces. That was its final moment.

[…Not yet.]

Even when half of its body was gone, the demon god still stood sturdy. What a tenacious creature. I gave it a parting shot.

“Want to hear something interesting?”

I don’t know what kind of story Luke had, but one thing I know for sure is that—

“If you’re gone, everyone will be happy.”

If the demon god were to vanish, there would be no more innocent lives lost to monsters, and the continent wouldn’t face destruction. The conclusion is that if this demon god dies, everyone will find happiness.

[…That’s nonsense.]

“What did you say?”

[Nonsense!!!]

The demon god thrashed about. Darkness swirled around it. The lower half of its severed body was regenerating rapidly, wings and horns sprouting forth. The demon god was becoming even more monstrous, shedding what little human resemblance it had left.

-Swish.

Thus, I swiftly decapitated it before it could transform. Killing before the transformation—classic move!

[You have defeated the demon god, Luke! You have unlocked the skill limit breakthrough!]

[Level Up! Check your stats!]

[Level Up! Check your stats!]

[Level Up! Check your stats!]

[Level Up! Check your stats…!]

Seeing the system announce the demon god’s demise, I finally realized that my hunt for the demon god was over. The end of a demon god that seemed to have a great backstory turned out to be surprisingly anticlimactic.

As I watched the demon god disintegrate into ash, the three approached my side.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah. It’s over.”

Now that I confirmed that it was indeed finished, they finally seemed able to breathe a sigh of relief.

“So, do we just return to the empire now?”

Just as I was about to respond to Riche’s query, a beam of white light descended from above. Upon seeing it, the three were taken aback.

“Luke-san?!”

“Wait, hold on! Luke?!”

“Uh, um…?!”

Before I could utter a word, I was promptly dragged away to somewhere unknown.

 

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