Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Witch

Shu, who had sorted out his evolved self, approached Iris and spoke.

"So, Iris, what are you planning to do?"

"What do you mean...?"

"You knew I was a monster, right? I'm asking what you intend to do."

In response to that question, Iris lowered her head slightly.

Honestly, she was still confused about it. Until now, she had been taught that monsters were evil and had to be destroyed. However, Shu, who had interacted with her without knowing that, didn't think of himself as a being that needed to be destroyed.

Even if he was a monster, Shu was different.

But it was also true that Shu had killed his fellow Holy Knights.

Ignoring the colleagues and superiors who looked at him with suspicion and ulterior motives, there were also female Holy Knights with whom he had a good relationship. It was sincerely sad that such people were killed, and it made her feel conflicted about Shuu as well.

"I... I'm going back to Irdana once and report to the Bishop."

"I see."

"As long as Shu-san doesn't make any moves against us, I don't plan on doing anything. So, um..."

I understand what Iris wants to say.

That must be her compromise.

Shu nodded and answered.

"I don't intend to recklessly oppose humans either. Honestly, I want to destroy a city or two, but well..."

"Eh...?"

"I had some attachment to this settlement. Spirit-type monsters don't easily show emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, so you might not be able to tell from my expression, but I'm quite angry too."

"I see... that's true."

Shu had been managing this settlement. He protected the settlement while hunting the wandering monsters and watched over them to prevent the monsters from fighting each other. All of that had been destroyed by the Holy Knights.

He didn't show it on the surface, but he was angry enough to want revenge by destroying human cities.

However, Iris was different.

She didn't categorize Shu as a monster but saw him as an individual. She thought that if she had known Shu was managing this settlement, she would have opposed the investigation and extermination mission. So, if that's what she wishes, Shu thought he could calm down his anger as well.

"Iris, as long as you're here, I won't launch any reckless attacks on humans. It's my way of thanking you for seeing me as Shu, despite being a human."

"Yes..."

Upon hearing those words, Iris looked embarrassed.

She must have remembered that she had expressed her goodwill during the previous battle.

Of course, Shu had no intention of leaving it unaddressed. The girl had realized her own feelings and voiced them. Shuu also had the responsibility to respond sincerely.

"There's one more thing. I make a promise to Iris."

"A promise...?"

"I've lost everything. That's why you're my only connection. If Iris sees me not as a dangerous monster, but as an individual... I will protect you. Even if it means turning against all of humanity."

Well, monsters are the enemies of all humanity from the start... Shu averted his gaze as he said that. He must have been aware of how embarrassing his words were.

Right now, he couldn't return the favor of Iris's affection.

Even with knowledge, there are times when you can't understand what those emotions truly mean.

Above all, there's still that inherent cluelessness in him, so he can't see Iris in that way. The extent of it is limited to being a foolish disciple or a cute little sister.

Furthermore, all that wells up within him now is anger.

If Iris weren't here, he would be overwhelmed by the impulse to release the power of death magic and obliterate everything around him, even if it meant turning against all of humanity.

There was no love in the current Shu.

So, he responded with reason, at least.

"Shu-san... as for me..."

"Iris."

"Yes..."

"I'll come to see you again. I'll keep my promise."

Having just evolved and not yet able to control the power of death magic, even if he were to head to Ildana, he had to first become proficient in handling it. Death magic can take lives at will, but death power is a different matter.

It obliterates anything it touches, so it would be troublesome to let it flow freely like an aura.

"I understand, Shu-san. Um, thank you for not destroying the town. I'll try to persuade them not to harm you too!"

"I see. I'm counting on you."

Shu lost his subordinates, and Iris lost her comrades, the holy knights.

Still, without hurting each other, they made a decision to come together.

Both of them haven't fully sorted out their feelings yet.

That's why, for now, the two of them parted ways here.

***

The priests of the Illdana Cathedral were shocked.

Despite deploying a powerful force of twenty Holy Knights, only one person returned. Moreover, the one who came back was Iris Silverbullet, who possessed the extraordinary magic armor of immortality. If she hadn't had that armor, they might have suffered a complete wipeout.

"Oh... what a...," the bishop of Illdana sighed deeply, unable to contain his grief.

Following his lead, the other priests also wore expressions of sorrow.

This was a dedicated meeting room accessible only to priests and bishops, and they were deeply disturbed by the results of the Eldera Forest investigation operation. In an attempt to subdue the prophesied monsters before they gained power, the Holy Knights, with the exception of one, did not return. The Holy Knights were a significant force within the cult of the Demonic Gods, and losing nineteen of them all at once would have been a tremendous blow, even in simple terms of casualties.

"Bishop, where is the one who returned?"

"We've let her rest for now. She will come soon to provide a report. We need to hear the details from Holy Knight Iris and understand the situation. However... ah..."

They were devout followers of the Demonic Gods.

The Holy Knights were chosen by the God El Magia, and just the thought of them being killed by those evil beings called monsters tore at their hearts. When the bishop first heard the report, he even tore his clothes in distress. He spent several hours praying to El Magia until he finally regained his composure.

And while Iris was resting, the priests of the Illdana Cathedral were gathered and assembled in this meeting room.

"I can't believe even Holy Knight Zamus Schriff fell."

"It's not just Holy Knight Zamus. All the Holy Knights who were involved in that operation were promising individuals."

"To think it ended in total annihilation..."

"Could it be true that the 'King' really existed?"

"Indeed, with twenty Holy Knights, even a Cataclysm-class disaster should have been vanquished."

"Wait. Powerful monsters are born when the wrong choice is made. Are you saying that the entire investigation itself was a mistake!?"

Honestly, the idea that all the Holy Knights, except one, were wiped out was difficult to believe. It was said that a single Holy Knight was equivalent to a hundred or even a thousand ordinary soldiers. The strongest among the Holy Knights surpassed the reach of gathering ordinary soldiers. At that level, they couldn't be matched by anyone below a certain level of skill.

An example of this was Zamus Schriff, the magic armor user who could turn his body into water.

"Shouldn't we have waited for an S-rank mage knight to handle the Ruin-class and Despair-class disasters?"

"It's pointless to say that now."

"If we made the wrong choice, we'll be faced with a hellish sight next. Isn't that why we gathered today?"

Upon hearing those lines, everyone recalled, "That's right."

Originally, this operation began with the prophecy of the Divine Princess. Depending on the choices made, everyday life could be preserved or hell could manifest in this world. To deal with the powerful demons believed to be the root of this hellish scenario, the Holy Knights were dispatched.

If we had indeed failed, a situation resembling hell would arise.

"Wasn't that prophecy indicating the annihilation of the Holy Knights?"

"It's true that losing nineteen Holy Knights is painful, but it doesn't seem to be that severe."

"It's unsettling to have so many unknowns..."

As the priests pondered, there was a knock on the door of the conference room. The one they had called for was Iris, the only Holy Knight who had returned from the operation.

Finally, they understood that they would be able to learn the details, so both the bishop and the priests tightened their expressions.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Led in by the priest guarding the door, Iris entered. Clad in the white uniform of a Holy Knight, she exuded an atmosphere that was completely different from her usual disappointment.

She had been a Holy Knight for five years now.

It was said that one gains a certain dignity over time.

"We've been waiting, Holy Knight Iris Silverbullet."

"Yes."

"Then, please give us your report. As detailed as possible."

Nodding at the bishop's words, Iris began to speak in as much detail as she could.

About the successful progress in conquering the Eldera Forest, the discovery of the expected demon settlement deep inside, the immediate commencement of the extermination operation, and details about the commanding entity of the demon settlement.

"The one guarding the settlement was the Elemental Spirit, Eremental."

"The Elemental Spirit?! It's not just a Ruin-class, but it's not even a Disaster-class?!"

"That's right, Your Holiness."

In response to the astonished priest, Iris calmly replied.

No, everyone was surprised when they heard that the Holy Knights had been annihilated by a Greater-class Eremental. However, Iris continued her words.

"And it seems that it awakened from the anger of being defeated by the Holy Knights, acquiring their magic power and achieving its awakening."

Those were words that could be considered the finishing blow.

The awakening of the demons... in other words, becoming a 'King.'

Magic, which was once just a special ability, had evolved into a magic that could even affect concepts.

"Funeral Spirit, Death Elemental Shu Arklight. The magic it governs is 'Death.' Zamus-san was killed in an instant by this magic."

"How astonishing..."

The bishop groaned.

He had anticipated it, but this was the worst-case scenario.

The "King" of demons had been born. Furthermore, the magic he controlled was excessively wicked.

Covering his eyes with his right hand, the bishop muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Let us contact the Holy Grinia. Dispatching an S-rank Holy Knight would be the best course of action. We must annihilate it with all our might."

Shocked by the overwhelming truth they heard, the bishops didn't notice the inconsistency. They never questioned how Iris had managed to survive against a being that manipulated the concept of "death." Even if she could be considered immortal, she couldn't withstand Shuu's death magic, which converted all life force into magic in a single blow. Iris's magical protection only worked as long as there was magic to sustain it.

Frustrated by their lack of realization, Iris shouted without any regard for manners.

"W-Wait! You must not lay a hand on Shuu-san!"

Everyone looked at Iris in surprise when she suddenly shouted.

In response, the bishop, acting as their representative, asked her.

"What do you mean, Holy Knight Iris?"

"Shuu-san promised that he wouldn't harm humans as long as we don't provoke him. Therefore, we must not send our forces against him!"

"...Are you saying that the demon made such a promise?"

"Yes."

"He is an evil demon. Moreover, he is the most detested 'King.' We must surely destroy him."

"Shuu-san wouldn't break his promise!"

While Iris, who had been associated with them for five years, might have been trusted, the bishops and priests couldn't believe her. They began to look at Iris with condemnation for her statements defending the demon.

"Holy Knight Iris, this Shuu you speak of, the Death Elemental called Des Elemental, is he the 'King'? Killing the 'King' of demons takes precedence according to our doctrine. Above all, we cannot trust demons."

"You're wrong! Shuu-san is my master who taught me magic!"

For Iris, those words meant that Shuu was a person she could trust.

However, for devout followers of the demonic religion, it was different.

Iris's words were perceived as words of rebellion.

"Capture this person! She is a witch who has sought the aid of demons and gained power!"

"Eh... No, you're wr-"

Clumsy girl Iris made a mistake here.

She failed to understand the difference in perception between herself and the bishops. If she had explained more clearly and systematically, they might have at least listened to her. However, driven by her emotions, Iris pushed forward with her assertion alone.

That day, the Holy Knight became a witch.