Final Volume: Chapter 7: Those Who Cannot Change

What's Achieved

Those who cannot change

After the speech on the balcony, which was met with great cheers, the king asked Chris and the others to stay the night at the royal castle and take part in a banquet for the defeat of Demon King that was scheduled to take place that night.

The saint replied apologetically, "I would love to participate, but I have a prayer for the dead who fought bravely..."

In fact, she had no such prayers. She simply didn't want to take part in a troublesome buffet party surrounded by nobles and royalty. In the end, he asked if the Sword Saint would at least be there, but Aria made a displeased face.

"Chris. I don't want to go either."

In a small voice, she quietly told Chris what she was thinking from the bottom of her heart.

To be honest, Aria didn't like the king or the nobles, so she wanted to decline. However, it would be a disgrace to the king if all the members of the subjugation party didn't participate, so Chris managed to persuade Aria to agree to participate alone.

A little time passed and it was already evening.

After leaving the castle, Chris and Reno enter an inn in the royal capital.

After a quick greeting at the inn reception, the two head up to the second floor.

Then she opened the door to the room on the second floor that they had reserved in advance when they arrived at the royal capital.

Then, they noticed that a person was already in the room.

"Looks like it's over."

The voice speaking to Chris sounds like a man.

The person was standing there, his entire body covered in a black hooded cloak. Because the hood was pulled down over his eyes, his expression was not visible. He clearly looked suspicious. He was the complete opposite of Chris, who was clad in pure white saint's robes.

"Yes, everything... Are you sure this is okay?"

Chris speaks to the suspiciously dressed man in a friendly manner.

Yes, this is a man Chris knows.

"It was a very painful moment for me to have to declare you, a hero, dead... Shouldn't you have been praised by everyone...?"

Chris spoke to the man with a hint of anger and sadness in her voice.

Seeing Chris like that, the man whose expression was still unseen broke into a smile.

"It's fine, Chris. It's enough for me that you think that way. I'm not interested in the fame of a hero or anything... As long as you know, that's enough for me."

The man told Chris in an incredibly gentle voice.

Yes, this is the true identity of this man.

"No matter what happens, I will never forget your great achievements... Aleph."

It was the hero of salvation who she had just reported had died.

...What did Aleph ask Chris to do when they returned from the Demon Castle?

"Chris, please tell the king that I'm dead. That the hero Aleph... died along with the Demon King."

"Wh, what are you talking about?! That's not right..."

"Please, if the king see me like this, I don't know what will happen. At worst, I might be executed as a demon. In that case, there's a possibility that Chris, who is with me, will also be in danger. I can't bear the thought of you being in danger because of me..."

"...I .... I understand. If that's okay with you, Aleph, then I'll take your feelings into consideration."

The following exchange took place.

The four of them, Chris and the others, returned partway from the Demon Castle to the royal capital, and Aleph left the party near the capital, sneaked into the capital later, and waited at this inn as a place to meet up.

When the hood is removed, Aleph's face appears, with black horns growing from his forehead.

"What happened to Aria?"

"Nee-san will be attending the King's party by herself today. It will continue until late, so she will stay at the royal castle for just one night and will return here tomorrow."

"I see."

"You don't seem to care about Aria-san, Aleph-san."

"Not as much as you."

As Chris explains, Aleph replies with just one word, and Reno continues to speak without looking directly at Chris. They're both good-for-nothings who don't care about anything except Chris.

Rather than spending a long time in the same space as these two, it would certainly be less stressful in many ways to join the King's party. Aria had drawn the short straw, but in the end, it may have saved her.

"Anyway, since we've confirmed that Aleph is safe, let's disband for now. I'll go to church and offer a prayer for the fallen Royal Knights."

Chris really wanted to go back to her room and sleep, but she was afraid that since she had told the King about the prayers, she would be found out that if she hadn't done anything, so she thought she would perform a prayer she had made up at church to make things add up.

In this respect, she is a very hardworking man...or rather, woman.

She don't think there is anyone in the current royal capital who would doubt the words of the saint, but she never trusts anyone other than herself, so she always acts according to her own will.

"Well, see you later. Aleph? Don't forget to wear your hoodie when you go outside, okay? Reno must be tired, so make sure you get plenty of sleep! Promise, you two?"

Chris speaks in a slightly more casual tone, as if she were their mother.

Of course, it's all an act. There's not a shred of truth in the person she portrays to others.

Everything is false, an illusion, a deceptive facade.

Neither the holy sword nor the Demon King notices. This is the terrifying thing about Chris.

"Haha, I know, Chris. Just be careful on your way."

"Hehe, Onee-chan is just like Mom. Don't worry, I will sleep well."

The two see her off with smiles on their faces. They will never realize Chris' true nature.

When Chris left the room, the two were left with smiles on their faces.

"…………"

"…………"

The scene and the surroundings became silent.

It just goes to show that now that Chris is gone, there's nothing for them to talk about.

"I'll go after Chris. What about you?"

"I think I'll go out for a bit. I won't forgive you if anything happens to my Onee-chan."

With that, Reno quickly leaves the room.

It was as if there was no point in being in a room without Chris.

Left alone, Aleph begins preparing to tail Chris.

"Don't forget to wear your hoodie, huh? Hahaha, I know, Chris. You're such a worrier... I guess it's because you love me that you worry so much."

Aleph begins muttering to himself while getting ready.

His pupils are dilated, and he gives off an air of being far from sane.

"I have to keep a close eye on her... Sure, Chris will never let her guard down with another man, but I can't let them touch her.. Sometimes the devil will try tempt her ..."

Aleph continued talking to himself, his hands trembling violently.

"Don't be tempted by the devil... I'll never forgive you, Chris. You belong to me. I'm the only one who can hold you... so I have to keep an eye on you, okay? I have to protect you from bad guys."

The only sound in the quiet room was the chattering of teeth.

Blood spurted from his clenched fist.

"I will kill all the men who touch Chris. I will tear them to shreds and scatter their organs everywhere. How dare they touch Chris, whom I cannot touch... Chris, whom I swore my love to, whom I cannot touch... that skin... Ah, I have to kill them... I cannot touch her... how dare they touch her... I will definitely kill them! She is mine, mine, MINE!"

Aleph keeps talking to himself while preparing to tail someone.

If it were him now, he would kill even an old man whose shoulder had just touched Chris's.

Having obtained the dangerous power of the Demon King, he transformed into a man even more dangerous than his previous power.