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The Villainous Noble Who Kept Rewinding After Death: The Story Somehow Changed When I Committed Suicide

Chapter 228: Even if I Kill…

After using a large-scale magic spell, I regrouped with Sharueina and the others as we sprinted through the streets of Saramāju, heading for the royal castle to confront our final enemy, Rogurando.

“Wow, everyone’s frozen solid!”

“Are they really alive?”

“Of course! If His Highness uses the same ice magic, you should know what that magic is like, right?”

“That’s true, but seeing it in person for the first time is something else.”

Sharueina is skilled in ice magic too, so she definitely knows about the world of ice enchantments, but only those who have mastered ice magic can actually use this kind of magic, and in the Ruzenia Empire, only someone like my father could do it.

Well, even so, my magic power is greater than his, so I can’t use it as extensively as this.

“But, Lord Lewis, it seems there are people who aren’t frozen. Why is that?”

“Oh, that’s simple. The initial spell, Judgment of the Creator, specified its targets, so only those designated are affected by the Ice Realm.”

“I see. So that initial light was due to that magic’s effect.”

“Exactly. If I hadn’t used that spell, Miria and the others would have probably ended up as ice statues too.”

“Being frozen by Lord Lewis’s magic… that’s one way of looking at it… or rather, the opposite…”

After that, Miria started to mutter to herself, deep in thought. My intuition warned me that it’s best not to delve any further, so I shifted my focus to the front.

“Miria, that’s enough thinking for now. It looks like we’re getting guests. Everyone, stop!”

“Understood.”

“Okay!”

After lightly scolding Miria, I gestured for Iris and the others who were running behind to halt as well.

“Gihihih! Humans! Real humans!”

“Food! Rations!”

“I’m hungry!”

“Can I eat? I can eat, right?!”

From the shadows of the buildings and atop roofs, a grotesque laughter accompanied the drooling figures of something resembling humans, sporting bat-like wings from their backs, red-black skin, black eyeballs, and red irises.

“What in the world are those…?”

“Those are humans possessed by demons. Well, what they used to be…”

“Possessed by demons, you say?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to know more.”

The moment she heard “demon,” Sharueina’s expression tightened slightly, perhaps recalling Rogurando, but she quickly regained her composure and began to interrogate about demons.

“Your Highness, you know demons exist in another world, right?”

“Of course.”

“There are two main ways demons from other worlds operate here. The first is through summoning magic, calling them to this world. In this case, the summoner becomes a sacrificial offering for the demon to function in this realm.”

“And to continue existing here, demons need to kill humans or beasts for nourishment.”

“Correct.”

I believe I’ve mentioned this before; demons are semi-spirits, requiring massive energy to maintain their forms once summoned.

Thus, summoned demons have to kill and absorb humans or beasts to sustain themselves, leading to their reputation as cruel and aggressive beings.

(Well, they really do enjoy the slaughter, so it isn’t entirely wrong.)

“Next, there’s the second method: possessing a human body and taking control. In this case, the energy needed comes from the existing body, so there’s no need to absorb from others. However, there are specific rules for possession—being called by a superior demon, having a body that suits them, and the target must be a living person, among others.”

There are also disadvantages to possessing; the demon loses its reasoning and acts on its desires, always trapped in an insatiable state of hunger.

On the flip side, the advantages are that until they’re killed, they can act freely without needing to absorb energy, and their own strength can be amplified by the strength of the possessed body, gaining even greater power.

“So, the demons possessing those bodies were called by higher-ranking entities?”

“Exactly.”

“I have one question: why didn’t the demons freeze when you used that large-scale magic earlier, Lord Lewis?”

“Good question, Iris. The answer is simple. There are no laws established by the Empire that punish demons.”

When I specified my targets with the Judgment of the Creator, the laws I referenced were those of the Ruzenia Empire, but no specific articles detail punishments for demons.

Thus, regardless of the crimes the possessed demons commit before us, there’s no legal basis for designating them as targets.

“I see. So that’s how it is.”

“Everyone, I apologize for interrupting your discussion, but it seems they’ve reached their limit.”

“It looks that way.”

While I was explaining about demons to the three of them, as Miria had said, the humans possessed by demons were gathering, drooling and making biting gestures, almost ready to pounce.

“Looks like about a hundred of them. Quite a few.”

“Lord Lewis, please leave it to Miria and me.”

“Hm? You sure?”

“Yes. Initially, we were supposed to handle the fight afterward, and I’m sure His Highness has things to attend to. So, we should stay back and hold them off.”

“Is that okay with you, Miria?”

“Not a problem. In fact, I was planning to stay behind alone if Iris didn’t.”

“I see. Then I’ll leave it to you two. They won’t turn back into humans, so feel free to kill them.”

“Understood!”

“Leave it to me. I’ll handle them and join you shortly!”

With a spark of excitement, Iris and Miria felt like they finally got their moment to shine, and then Sharueina addressed them.

“Thank you both.”

“Don’t mention it. We’re just doing what we need to do. So, Your Highness, please fulfill your role as well. And make sure to choose wisely.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, I’ll create a path leading to the royal castle so we can head that way.”

Since we were already surrounded by demons, it would be a hassle to push through the front.

So, I used earth magic to create a path diagonally upwards, soaring over the heads of the demons as I started running towards the royal castle again.

“I won’t let you escape! No way!”

“They’re my food! My rations!”

However, the flying demons weren’t about to let us get away as they made grotesque sounds and drew closer, but then daggers coated in poison and water swords flew in, piercing them one after another.

“You’re dealing with us! Don’t take your eyes off the prize! I won’t tolerate infidelity!”

“Lord Lewis is not someone you lowly beings can touch. Especially not with those disgusting sounds. You should struggle and suffer from the poison, and pass on gracefully.”

It seems Iris and the others were really fulfilling their roles well, as the demons attempting to close in on us got shot down effortlessly, allowing us to leave the scene without a hitch.

After moving for a while, we finally began to see the royal castle up ahead, but I sensed worry and unease in Sharueina’s expression beside me, so I couldn’t help but address her.

“Worried about Iris and the others?”

“Well, yeah. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. They’re dealing with demons—clever, cunning, and cruel with high combat abilities. There were a lot of them, so I can’t help but wonder if it’s alright for just the two of them.”

“That’s true. Just as you say, they are troublesome opponents. However, they are powerful in their own right, so there’s no need to fret too much. Besides, the ones we faced there were all low-level demons. Honestly, even a hundred of them wouldn’t be enough to match their current strength. Worrying about it is a waste.”

The demons possessing us certainly looked like mostly low-ranking ones, too weak to be called a real threat.

Still, there were a couple that seemed stronger than the others, so if Iris and the others struggled, it would likely be against those, and the rest would barely lay a scratch on them.

“Also, as Iris mentioned earlier, Your Highness, you have things that you need to do. You shouldn’t have the luxury to worry about others or even have time for regret. Cast away those useless emotions and focus only on your own matters. Otherwise, it won’t be Iris who dies, but you.”

It might sound harsh, but it was the truth. As soon as Sharueina engaged in battle, she was confirmed to be facing demons ranked S or higher by summoning low-level ones.

This meant Sharueina would have to confront higher-ranking beings than Iris, and she wouldn’t have the time to fret about others.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m okay now.”

“Is that so?”

At that, Sharueina’s expression shifted from troubled to serious, and her eyes fixed straight ahead toward the royal castle.

After a while, we finally reached the royal castle, and we smashed open the door in front of us with magic, stepping in boldly without a hint of stealth.

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If you’re interested, please check out my other ongoing series, “The Former Hero Becomes a Demon Emperor and Devours the World!”

I’d love it if you could take a moment to read it!

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330663836544021

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