Her declaration struck a deep chord within me.
Despite being acutely aware of the emotions smoldering inside, I manifested a jet-black sword. I funneled magic power into it, forcing the blade into high-speed vibration. With its destructive potential dramatically increased, I raised the weapon into a guard.
I addressed her, feeling a trace of hesitation.
"Our justice failed once before. The world that followed the Demon King’s death was a far cry from peace."
I lunged forward, leading with a strike. She blocked with preternatural reflexes, but I hammered her with a relentless barrage of follow-up attacks, putting everything I had into the assault to ensure she had no opening to counter.
"Without a deterrent, humanity did nothing but fight. Therefore, an absolute evil is required."
I shifted to a one-handed grip, using my free hand to weave multiple spells simultaneously. Holding them in a compressed state, I thrust my palm forward to detonate them against her. She evaded by a hair’s breadth, and in the fluid motion of her turn, she severed my wrist.
My severed hand caused the magic to explode prematurely. We both retreated at the same time as the destabilized magic detonated, scattering brilliant flashes of light through the downpour.
Amidst the rain and the fading light of magic, we collided again. We traded blows at high speed, each swing intended to kill. Though she cut me down several times, I pressed my assault with a desperate intensity, as if clinging to her through the blade.
"Every nation preaches the cause of the Demon King Subjugation while secretly breathing a sigh of relief. They realize they can now delay their wars with their neighbors."
If this were truly unwanted, I would never have become the Demon King. I could say that now with absolute certainty. I did not stand against the world; it was the collective will of the people that brought about my manifestation.
In response, she parried my attacks with a cold, detached demeanor. Her rebuttal was just as flat.
"The world peace you seek is nothing but a compromise."
"Yes, it is a compromise! I wanted a bloodless peace as much as anyone. But I learned it was impossible, and so I committed myself to this path of evil!"
Though I recognized the surge of emotion within me, I could no longer suppress it. The true feelings I had kept submerged in the depths of my heart began to overflow like foul sludge.
"The people spat upon your achievements and your sacrifice! They discarded you the moment your death served their wretched desires!"
I continued my onslaught, giving in to my rage. Strangely, a sense of lightness washed over me. I could move with such fluidity it was as if my body had been craving this release. My attack speed increased without limit, finally forcing her onto the defensive.
The tables had turned. Even so, the fact that I couldn't land a single wound was a testament to her peerless skill.
"O Hero. After you defeat me, can you lead the world to peace? Tell me your thoughts!"
I punctuated my question by slamming my sword down. In an instant, she returned a sharp blow. The arc of her blade severed my arm. I leapt back, finally coming to a halt as I used miasma to mend the missing limb.
She watched in silence as my arm mended, waiting for the process to finish before she spoke.
"I will not lead the world to peace."
"...What do you mean by that?"
I was more than a little bewildered. It was a response I had not expected.
"Exactly what I said," she continued calmly. "I won't be the one to lead them. Peace is a goal the entire world—the people themselves—must strive for through cooperation. Our actions were only ever meant to be the catalyst."
"That is a deception. The current world is the result of their inability to cooperate."
What she spoke of were merely platitudes—empty idealism that could never be realized. If it were possible, I would never have become the Demon King.
She swung her sword once to clear the rain and brushed back her bangs, which were plastered to her forehead. Was it merely my imagination, or had the gesture seemed uncharacteristically dismissive?
"Dwight. Your argument is correct. You have grasped a certain truth."
In the next moment, her figure blurred. Sensing her approach, I moved my sword in a flash. A heavy impact and the screech of metal rang out. Though my miasma sword chipped, I succeeded in stopping the slash aimed at my neck.
"However, the future you envision is one of stagnation. Do you truly believe hope can exist for a humanity that is merely managed?"
"Are you telling me to gamble on that hollow hope and let conflict run rampant?! Is that your conclusion? The answer from the Hero Who Saved the World?!"
My voice rose to a roar as I leaned into my blade. Ignoring her as she stood her ground, I brought my blade dangerously close to her neck. Our swords trembled against each other with a grinding sound.
In terms of raw strength, I had the advantage. I prepared to push through her guard and end it.
At that exact moment, she suddenly went limp and twisted her body. My sword, losing its resistance, bit deep into her shoulder from the momentum. Blood seeped into her clothes. It wasn't an amputation, but I felt the blade strike the surface of the bone.
Yet, she remained composed. Or rather, she had changed.
A wry smile touched her lips, one heavy with exasperation, self-mockery, and a quiet sense of resignation. She looked as though she were in pain, but not from the wound. It was a complex expression, unlike any I had ever seen from her.
Glancing at the wound on her shoulder, she murmured in a voice thick with meaning.
"—You have overly idealized Claire Baton."