After bidding farewell to Harriet, Ellen returned to the garrison.
"In two days, at midnight, I'll be waiting for you in the southern field of the garrison."
Ellen didn't know exactly what she needed to do, but Harriet had disappeared after leaving those words.
She was both fearful and curious about the fate that awaited her.
Yet, she might disappear altogether, or assimilate with otherworldly souls, becoming the embodiment of the will to hate the Demon King and killing Reinhardt.
Ellen knew that it could be an option leading to her killing Reinhardt with her own hands.
However, if she didn't make such a choice, Reinhardt might die right away.
Saving Reinhardt now might come at the cost of killing him later with her own hands.
Just as there was no choice for Reinhardt, there was none for Ellen either.
Knowing that he couldn't bear it, Reinhardt tried to contain the grudges within himself, as the whole of Edina might be destroyed.
Similarly, Ellen had no choice but to take the path that would lead to destruction at the end, even if she knew it.
If her existence merged with another, and she was reborn as a hero who hated the Demon King, people would be pleased.
It was a bizarre way to overcome the disparity between reality and ideals.
Not that she would be happy about it.
Nor would she willingly accept the disappearance of her existence.
In the end, it was a matter of not encountering it.
Even if she became a hero who wanted to kill the Demon King, if the Gate incident was resolved and the Demon King was never found, she wouldn't be able to fight even if she wanted to.
Ellen walked across the garrison and returned to her tent.
Inside the tent, she sat blankly on her makeshift bed.
What would it feel like to have her existence vanish?
Having never died, Ellen didn't know what death was.
Thus, she didn't know what it meant for her existence to disappear while her body was alive.
She didn't know how to protect her existence.
All she could do was save Reinhardt.
Ellen decided to focus only on that.
Also.
She could see Reinhardt once more.
Ellen wiped her eyes quietly. Moisture clung to her fingers.
"..."
She carefully wiped away her tears, which were gradually flowing.
They had to meet as enemies and treat each other as such.
The thought of the moment they would meet again being an unavoidable situation where they had to aim for each other's lives filled her with despair.
But that reunion wasn't to face him as an enemy, but to save Reinhardt.
How grateful, thankful, and joyous that was, despite it being their last meeting.
Since monsters were rampant on the continent, the army would advance a certain distance, clear the surroundings, set up a garrison, clear the area again, and then proceed.
Once a garrison was established, there was usually some time until the safety of the march route was fully secured.
It also took time to set up and dismantle the garrison.
Hence, there were breaks between the tight marching schedules, and Ellen had some free time before the garrison was dismantled and the advance began.
Two days later, when most of the soldiers, except for those on night patrol and guard duty, were asleep, Ellen arrived alone at the time and place Harriet had mentioned.
Harriet was waiting for her there.
"You've arrived, Ellen."
Harriet still looked at Ellen with a sad gaze.
In the clearing, there was no one but Harriet.
Just like how Reinhardt had so calmly sacrificed himself to protect Edina.
Ellen, too, was willing to sacrifice herself without a moment's hesitation when she heard that Reinhardt could be saved.
She was prepared for that, and so was Harriet.
However, that didn't mean she could easily accept someone else calmly sacrificing themselves.
Ellen was sacrificed to save Reinhardt from being lost.
It was a proposal made by the Lord of Saturday, Antirianus.
Everyone knew that there was great malice mixed into that proposal.
Yet it was also true that everyone had agreed to it.
Ellen would naturally be willing to sacrifice herself for Reinhardt, and after all, she was destined to fight the Demon King eventually.
No one in Edina could bear the burden.
Everyone agreed to the cruel plan of turning someone who was going to become an enemy into a true enemy.
From the moment they agreed to Antirianus's plan, no one could be free from that malice.
The pain, guilt, and remorse that others would feel for agreeing to sacrifice Ellen would all be according to Antirianus's intentions.
No one could be free from the sin of sacrificing Ellen.
"We're going to the ritual site."
"Yeah."
Blue magical lines began to flow from Harriet's body, and soon, Harriet and Ellen were able to arrive at another location through teleportation.
Ellen didn't know what kind of place it was.
It was just a place with a massive magical circle.
Five beings stood at the parts corresponding to the axes of the magic circle.
The Lord of Tuesday, Eleris.
The Lord of Wednesday, Lucinil.
The Lord of Thursday, Luvien.
The Lord of Friday, Gallarush.
The Lord of Saturday, Antirianus.
Ellen didn't know all of their faces, but she could spot two familiar ones.
Upon seeing Ellen appear with Harriet, some of their gazes were filled with guilt.
And one old man looked at Ellen with a smug smile.
Ellen found his gaze somewhat chilling.
And that wasn't all.
Not only were Harriet and the other Vampire Lords present, but Liana de Grantz and Olivia Lanze were there as well.
Both were faces Ellen hadn't seen in a very long time.
Neither Liana nor Olivia could bear to look directly at Ellen.
Liana, because she was the cause of everything that had happened.
And because she knew she couldn't bear even a part of the pain Reinhardt was going through, she couldn't look directly at Ellen.
Amidst the complicated emotions, Olivia couldn't look directly at Ellen either.
It wasn't because Ellen could bear this, but because it was merely a passing of responsibility.
Though she might be an extraordinary being, the risk of her ego disappearing even if her physical body didn't collapse was clear.
Did that fellow know what was happening to her?
For the first time in her life, Olivia felt something similar to pity towards Ellen.
They didn't exchange any greetings.
It wasn't a situation where they could do so.
Their gazes were inevitably drawn to the center of the magical circle, where the five Archmages stood.
Ellen didn't know what this magical circle and its ritual meant.
However, in the center,
Reinhardt lay on what appeared to be an altar for the ritual.
She couldn't tell if he was asleep or unconscious.
Next to the altar where the unconscious Reinhardt lay, a demon with pink hair gently stroked his forehead over and over.
Ellen did not know that the succubus queen had deliberately put Reinhardt to sleep, preventing him from waking up.
In this place, there were faces Ellen knew and faces she didn't.
There was no need to exchange pleasantries, the joy or sorrow of reunions, or any other words.
"When you're ready, go to the central altar of the circle."
The silver-haired girl, Lucinil, said softly.
Lucinil, who had mastered the magic of handling souls, had created the circle.
She had never attempted magic of this scale before, transferring souls of this magnitude to other bodies.
However, she had squeezed every bit of her knowledge to complete this circle.
"Ellen…"
As Ellen moved towards the circle, Harriet softly called her name.
Liana de Grantz and Olivia Lanze also looked at Ellen.
None of the three could say anything to Ellen. No one knew how Ellen, who had taken on the burden Reinhardt bore, would change.
"…I'll go."
Leaving behind that single ambiguous word, Ellen walked toward the center of the circle, leaving Harriet behind.
As Ellen arrived at the altar, the pink-haired demon silently stood up and retreated outside the circle.
As if entrusting Reinhardt to her.
Even at a glance, Ellen could tell that Reinhardt's condition was very poor.
She knew what it meant to be dying from his white, parched lips, pale complexion, and cold sweat on his forehead.
"Rein…hardt…"
Ellen sat down at the altar and held Reinhardt in her arms.
This encounter was different from before.
Unlike the theatrical battle they had fought, Reinhardt was now frail.
Ellen didn't know what burden he was carrying, or how heavy it was.
All she knew was that she had to bear it in his stead.
She was prepared to do so, no matter what.
Reinhardt, who was lying deep in sleep on Ellen's lap, was now in her care.
The ritual begins.
Following the silver-haired girl's words, the five Vampire Lords began to activate something in the circle.
Olivia Lanze, too, summoned Tiamata to be on guard for any unforeseen circumstances during the ritual.
Within the shining circle, Ellen stared intently at Reinhardt's face.
Was this the end?
Was this really the end?
She had wished to do something for him and actually had been able to.
It might not be the last.
But, because it might be the last...
Ellen bowed her head towards Reinhardt and pressed her lips to his forehead.
How fortunate to be able to hold him like this.
How grateful she should be.
Thinking so,
Since it was the last.
Since he was asleep.
She could tell him what she had wanted to say.
"How much pain you're in."
Until the last moment when the ritual was maintained.
She could talk endlessly.
Ellen looked at the unconscious Reinhardt with a sad gaze.
"All the things that trouble you."
During the course of the ritual.
"I'll… I'll take them all."
Ellen whispered her true feelings, which she had wanted to tell Reinhardt countless times.
Her guilt and apologies.
And her affection for him.
"I really, truly love you."
She whispered forevermore.
He had lost consciousness frequently.
He wasn't unaware that his body and soul were gradually becoming sick and withering.
He thought that the task he had to bear was something he had to endure himself.
He believed there was no other way.
Because someone had to deal with that massive black hole of resentment that grew and multiplied if left alone.
So, in his dying state now, he knew he had to find another way, but he couldn't leave it alone
With all her remaining strength, Ellen finally managed to lift the corners of her lips.
Ellen smiled at him.
As if it were the last time.
"Goodbye, Reinhardt."
She bade farewell as if this was their last meeting.
Along with her words, another spell activated from the circle.
-Flash!
With a burst of light, Ellen's figure disappeared.
In a space he could not recognize, he slowly scanned the faces of those present.
The Vampire Lords.
Liana.
Olivia.
Harriet.
Airi.
All of them dared not to meet his eyes.
Only Antirianus, with a satisfied expression, stared at the spot where Ellen had vanished.
Ellen Artorius reappeared in the southern plains of the garrison where she had encountered Harriet.
Because no one knew what action Ellen, who had absorbed a massive amount of vengeful spirits, would take, the ritual's completion involved sending her away as soon as it ended.
Ellen stood still in the field as night fell.
She felt, with her entire body and soul, the burdens that Reinhardt had been carrying all this time.
Hatred.
Vengefulness.
The echoes of resentment, which seemed to have amplified all the negative emotions in the world by tens of thousands of times, were enough to drive one to the brink of madness just by hearing them.
Could she bear this?
Could she remain herself amidst this tidal wave of resentment?
Was it possible to protect her feelings for Reinhardt, floating like a piece of driftwood in this overwhelmingly massive wave of emotions?
Her heart was too small; it would be swept away by the waves and sink, disappearing.
Ellen felt her thoughts becoming polluted.
The Demon King must die.
The Demon King was the root of all problems.
There was no use in screaming otherwise.
In a situation where too many entities had already entered her soul, the truth Ellen cried out would only be buried under the waves of resentment.
These vengeful spirits couldn't enter the Demon King's body and kill him.
They merely inhabited the body of the hero who opposed the Demon King.
What change would that bring about?
-Grrrrr!
-Roarrrrrr!
The distant cries of monsters reached her ears.
Monsters were everywhere, so it was only natural for new ones to appear from somewhere, even if the safety of the marching route had been secured.
There were about seventy of them.
All different in appearance, Ellen saw the monsters swarm toward her.
-Swoosh!
As she drew out Lament, the Void Sword was dyed with the darkness of the abyss.
Like a projection of the night sky, the Void Sword Lament, in which one could see the movement of galaxies and stars within, had changed slightly.
The abyss.
Only the abyss was projected in the pitch-black Void Sword, showing that the sadness Ellen felt had now killed even the shining stars within that sadness.
A sword projecting only darkness, not the night sky.
Holding it, Ellen gazed at the approaching horde of monsters.
On Ellen's shoulders, the Cloak of the Sun God draped itself.
The Cloak of the Sun God, possessing the power of protection.
Its color was somewhat strange.
As if projecting the boiling hellfire of the sun, the Cloak of the Sun God shone a deep red and fluttered menacingly.
No, in fact, hellish flames began to flicker and burn like tongues from the Cloak of the Sun God.
In addition to sorrow.
Hatred.
Ellen stared silently at the approaching horde of monsters.
-Grrr! Grrr!
As if alive and moving, the undulating flames actually flowed out from the cloak.
The monsters couldn't even approach Ellen.
Boom! Crackle-crash!
As if alive, the whips of flame extending from the Cloak of the Sun struck the ground, crushing and incinerating the oncoming monsters.
With a single lash, the earth melted and the bright red flames gradually spread out. Ellen watched silently.
Fueled by hatred.
The hero carried the hatred and sorrow of humanity on her back.
The Demon King must die.
No, that cannot happen.
In the vortex of souls, just as Reinhardt had done.
The will of Ellen Artorius began to die as well.
However, unlike trying to kill the Demon King's spirit and eventually its physical form,
The vengeful spirits imbued Ellen Artorius with immense power.
Being the one who must kill the Demon King, they had to become even stronger.
Therefore, unlike when they possessed other beings, the spirits did not try to destroy Ellen.
On the contrary, in some ways, they became Ellen's strength.
Ellen reached her hand towards the sky.
Boom! Crack-crash! Krrrshhh!
The surviving monsters charging toward her were incinerated by the torrent of flames pouring down from the sky.
Flames that melted the earth.
The fire of hatred.
"..."
Ellen Artorius had become the master of that hatred.
