The Heroines All Want to Kill Me

"...What should I do?" As the saying goes, after climbing one mountain, there's always another. There couldn't be a more fitting description for my current situation. No, upon closer thought, I hadn't even climbed the first mountain yet, and now another one had emerged. Perhaps that wasn't quite the right way to put it either.

Before I even knew the outcome of the battle, Irina and I had landed deep in the "Ashen Forest," which was supposed to appear in the middle - to - late stages of the plot.

[Earned 500 Evil Points! (Battle of the Third - Rate Villain)]

"Ugh..." Just as I was thinking about these things and pushing away the window that popped up, notifying me of the acquisition of evil points, Irina began to groan. It seemed that she would regain consciousness soon.

"....." Although my mind had gone blank just now, if I really did nothing, the situation was likely to get out of control. So, I banged my head with my fist and forced my brain to work.

"...Should I disguise myself?" Disguise was the most effective method in the current situation. I always carried a fraud mask and a black robe in my arms just in case. Although the cooldown time for the invisibility effect of the fraud mask hadn't passed yet, it could at least cover my face, and the black robe could hide my figure and hair. That is, as long as I put on these two items, protected her while crossing the forest, I could temporarily deceive Irina and escape this hellhole. But...

'...No, the risk of being penetrate is still too high.' Both Irina and I had been caught up in the space - transfer magic, and many people had witnessed this scene. So... Even if we managed to get away safely now, once Irina figured out what had happened, she would surely suspect that the masked man who had fought so bravely was me.

'...In that case, should I just use my power directly?' If I used my power directly, it would indeed be much easier. Of course, by the time I left this forest, I would probably be on the verge of death... But at least I could get out safely. However, in that case, Irina would definitely become suspicious of me. Although Irina now mistakenly thought that I was a minion who had obtained the power of the Demon King, perhaps I could hide the source of my power. But to leave this demon's den, I had to protect her as much as possible. Moreover, if I protected her, even if Irina hated me to the core, she would start to have doubts about me.

"...Damn it. At least give me an item that can make me invincible. This damned system." It would be great if I could fight with overwhelming strength, but unfortunately, this was a lair where the battle cadres of the Demon King's army and upper - level or even top - tier magical beasts of comparable strength lurked. What's more, setting aside individual strength, the overwhelming number alone was enough to give me a headache... And to make matters worse, I was in a rather bad state now. If it was before my vitality and physical strength were greatly reduced, perhaps I could still barely hold on, but now I was under punishment, with my physical strength and combat power significantly decreased. I had even been hit by six fireballs from Irina in a row.

'All I have on hand are a training sword and the whip of the false evildoer... What should I do now...' With such a desperate physical condition, it was utterly ridiculous to think of fighting with overwhelming strength using a training sword and a whip that caused no harm. So, how on earth could I accomplish this?

"..." After thinking hard for a long time, I finally pulled out the whip from my arms and slowly walked towards Irina.

"...This is the only way." From now on, I was the kidnapper who had abducted Irina.

.....

"Irina..."

"A, Ariana...?" A familiar scene came into view. It was a scene I had experienced in the last reincarnation, one that I had tried so hard to forget but could never forget.

"R, run... I'll... hold them off here no matter what..." Ariana in my arms looked at me with gradually dimming eyes and murmured.

"...Stop with the tragic act and just do it already. I'm tired of playing with you little fry." At the same time, the Demon King yawned in the distance and taunted me with a lazy voice.

"I'll kill you... I will definitely kill you!!"

"...Oh?" Gazing at the Demon King like that, I began to gather all my magic knowledge, all my magic power, and... all my anger to cast the ultimate magic. Even that invincible Demon King... would surely be severely damaged by this ultimate magic.

"Ah, no, Irina... You, you must survive..." Sensing what kind of magic I was about to cast, Ariana used her last bit of strength to grab my arm, trying to stop me...

"Must survive..." She ultimately couldn't finish that sentence and slumped in my arms.

- Crackle!! At that moment, a great magic that no one had been able to reproduce in the past thousand years manifested in my hands.

"...Interesting. Perhaps that thing can hurt me." However, the Demon King just analyzed the magic circle with an interested expression. Could it be that the ultimate magic used by the great mage who fought side - by - side with the Brave a thousand years ago was nothing more than a pastime in her eyes?

"...Shut up." But even so, even if it was just a pastime for her... Even if it could only leave a negligible scar... I still decided to cast this magic on the Demon King.

"....." Because there, the families of my childhood playmates, the people of the empire, and hope were still coldly fading away behind me.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!"

"But..." When I activated the magic circle, the Demon King raised the corners of her mouth and began to gather magic power at her fingertips.

"...Did you think I'd just take it lying down?"

- Crackle!! Immediately after, a jet - black ray of light shot towards me. Countless knights and heroes had been reduced to ashes by this attack. And I, I'm afraid, would be no exception.

- Boom...!

"...Hm?" However, the attack failed. Because the most perfect defensive barrier my childhood friend had constructed with her life before she died was protecting me.

"...Oh, darn." When the magic circle began to shine, the Demon King showed a troubled expression. Even the top - tier magic that had pushed the Demon King to the brink of death a thousand years ago seemed to be just a bit of a hassle for her.

"Take this!!!" However, even so, I didn't retract the magic. Because I hoped that this magic could slightly delay the Demon King's advance, even if it could only save one more imperial citizen, even if... it could let the hope of the empire continue.

- Rumble!!! With such a belief, the top - tier magic I launched began to destroy everything around it just a few seconds after it was activated. Just as the aftershocks were about to engulf me and the Demon King, I murmured in a low voice:

"If only I had known..." I thought of him - the one I had thought was different from the corrupt and degenerate nobles, but who had ultimately been more terrifying than them and had personally pushed the empire towards destruction.

"...I should never have saved that kid." With this powerless murmur, darkness descended. Standing blankly in the darkness, I suddenly realized that all this was a reenactment of the last moment of the last reincarnation. It was all just a dream.

"...Damn it." For some reason, the scar left from saving him when I was a child ache dully, and I couldn't help but frown and open my eyes wide. Because I was desperate to escape this damned dream.

"...Huh?" But something was wrong. For some reason, the dream didn't end. Usually, opening my eyes wide like this would wake me up from the dream... What on earth was going on?

".....!?" And for some reason, my body couldn't move either. No matter how much I struggled, my body remained motionless.

"Woo, woo..." When I realized that I couldn't make a sound, I finally understood the current situation.

'C, could it be... I've been kidnapped...?' I had been kidnapped.

.....

"Ugh...! Woo...!"

"...Seems like you're awake." Irina began to groan in pain, her body trembling slightly. It seemed that she had regained consciousness.

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!! Ugh, ugh!!" Seeing Irina's body tightly bound by the whip, a gag in her mouth, and her eyes covered by a makeshift blindfold made from torn clothes... For some reason, I felt a twinge of guilt, as if I had done something unforgivable.

"Gulp..." But now, I had to suppress this sense of guilt for the time being.

"...Damn it." Because a group of gray - white Fenrir wolves were licking their lips, surrounding us. Those beasts were among the top - notch monsters in this demon's den.

"Ugh...!?" Hearing the spine - chilling cry of the Penir, Irina stopped struggling and curled up into a ball.

"Roar...!" Just then, the gray Penirs that had been watching her pounced on her all at once.

"Ah!" At the same time, I drew my training sword and swung it violently.

"...Gah!" The group of Penirs that had already approached her let out ear - piercing screams and were all sent flying.

"Ugh..." But at the same time, my body also felt uncomfortable. It seemed that the effects of the system punishment and Irina's fireball attacks were more significant than I had imagined.

"...Ah!" Just like that, I slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. Suddenly, a Fenrir wolf hiding in the grass jumped out from behind Irina and pounced on her.

"Roar!"

"Ugh...!" I rushed over and picked her up in a hurry. Although the worst - case scenario was avoided, my shoulder was bitten hard by the Fenrir wolf.

"Ah!!" I hurriedly gathered star magic power in my fist and threw an uppercut at the Fenrir wolf. And before the situation got worse, I executed a tactic that I often used in the previous timeline.

"Roar...!"

"Gulp..."

'...Have these beasts tasted human blood? They're chasing us relentlessly.' That's right, it was to run away.

.....

"Huff... Huff..." After running around in a panic while being chased by the Fenrir wolf pack for a while, I finally found a suitable cave to hide in. So, I quickly hid inside, carefully sealed the entrance, and held my breath. The Fenrir wolf pack lingered at the entrance for a while and soon disappeared. Thanks to this, Irina was safe and sound, but during the chase by the Fenrir wolf pack, we encountered many powerful monsters, and more wounds were added to her body. By the way, on the way of running away, we also encountered the monsters that were about to attack the academy. Although I thought about getting rid of them in advance to eliminate future troubles, I was worried that it would disrupt the plot. Plus, I was also being hunted, so I gave up.

"Ugh...! Woo, woo, woo, woo...!!!" Just like this, enduring the pain in my shoulder, I gasped for breath with difficulty. Suddenly, Irina started struggling in my arms. Well, it was no wonder she reacted like this, being tied up all over and carried by a stranger.

"Ugh... Ugh, ugh..."

"...So noisy."

"Huff, ha...! Ha... Ha..." I carefully placed Irina on the ground of the cave and removed the gag from her mouth.

"Who... who are you...! Where is this...!" Irina demanded in a trembling voice.

"Who am I...?" Although her eyes were blindfolded, I was worried that the blindfold would come off when she struggled, so I put on a mask and a black robe, changed my voice with starlight magic power, and said,

"...Well, take a guess." Hearing this, Irina fell into a brief moment of thought and then asked in a low voice,

"...First of all, I know you're the kidnapper who abducted me."

"Yes, that's right."

"Could it be the Demon King's doing... No, that guy couldn't possibly know me now..." She said halfway and then suddenly started talking to herself. Then her expression turned ferocious, and she spoke again.

"...So, it must be Frey's doing, right?"

"....." I looked at her and fell into a short period of thinking.

"...Although I'm not sure, this incident was probably caused by Ariana. Of course, she probably didn't do it on purpose." Judging from the fact that Ariana muttered "restoration scroll" before she lost consciousness, the magic scroll she tore up should be the cause of this incident.

"So, why was the restoration scroll replaced by a space - transfer scroll? I'm not quite sure either. But the important thing is that we can take advantage of this situation in reverse. From now on, I'll be the mastermind behind the space - transfer incident. This way, I can hide my identity and earn evil points."

"Don't casually mention that lord's name."

"Bullshit." When I spoke in an angry tone, Irina twisted her body and started cursing.

"Frey... That son of a bitch... Ugh...!"

"...I told you not to casually mention that lord's name." I grabbed Irina's neck and started whispering in her ear.

"Sorry for the late introduction. I'm a shadow servant of the Starlight family, specifically in charge of handling dark affairs."

"Shadow... servant...?"

"Yes, since you've become the young master's possession, I've brought you to this secret base to educate you. Ah, by the way, this secret base is in a rather remote place, full of monsters, so don't even think about escaping."

"W, what does this mean..."

"If you're going to dedicate your body and mind to the young master... Don't you need to be educated? Here, you'll receive training specifically designed for this purpose." As I spoke, I gently stroked her cheek, and her body began to tremble slightly, then she screamed.

"I... I'd rather drop out...! My oath with him..."

"...If you choose to drop out, I'm afraid the safety of your lovely friend and sister won't be guaranteed. Even so, do you still want to?"

"You... I don't know who you are... But I will definitely kill you... Definitely..."

"As the young master said, you're really a terrifying person." I stroked Irina's tear - stained head and said softly again,

"My young master and I... actually like taming people like you the most." Hearing my creepy, distorted voice, Irina lowered her head powerlessly. I stared at her for a moment and then suddenly turned my head.

"Ugh... Ugh, ugh..." Because a groan began to come from the depths of the cave. Facing this sudden situation, I froze in place and looked towards the depths of the cave. The groan gradually turned into a scream.

"W, what...? What's that sound...?" Irina also started to panic when she heard the sound. Eventually, I left her behind and carefully walked towards the depths of the cave. Before long, I reached the interior of the cave...

"...Damn it." It was a demonic realm.

"Gulp?"

"Squeak?" The interior of the cave was vast, and the ground was densely covered with human bones. All kinds of monsters such as goblins, spider - like monsters, and black slimes gathered together, gnawing on human bones and pieces of flesh.

"Over there..."

".....!" I was staring blankly at this terrifying scene when a voice suddenly came from beside my foot, scaring me back a few steps.

"Help..."

"...Oh, my god."

"Help me..." But when I found that the voice came from a dying woman, I gasped in horror.

"Gulp?"

"Gah?" Countless insect - type monsters and goblins were crawling all over the woman, gnawing on her flesh and blood. I hurriedly drove away those monsters, closed my eyes tightly, and tried to transfer my vitality to her who was on the verge of death, but my outstretched hand stopped in mid - air.

"Please kill me..."

"...." Because she began to plead with me to end her life.

"If I could perform first - aid..."

"My village was burned down... My friends... My husband and children... And my neighbors... They're all dead..."

"..."

"So... Please kill me... Adventurer sir... I don't want to live anymore..." I looked at her quietly and then began to persuade her in a low voice.

"Even so, if you can survive, maybe you can start a new life elsewhere. But..." But I stopped halfway. The entire empire was in such a state now. Although the imperial capital and some well - defended areas could barely hold on, in backward villages and remote areas, being plundered and slaughtered by monsters had become a common occurrence. This was the result of the nobles only caring about their own safety. If the Demon King wasn't killed, this nightmare would never end. Therefore, in this situation, persuading her to start a new life elsewhere was too cruel. However... If I could defeat the Demon King... If I could truly start reforming the empire... Perhaps...

"Adventurer sir... You seem to be seriously injured too... Don't worry about me. Just grant me a peaceful death..."

"...Ugh." Just as I was about to reach out to touch the woman again, she pointed at my tattered body and refused my touch once more. Only then did I realize that not only could I not give vitality to this woman, but I didn't even have the strength to escape from here myself. I silently tightened my grip on the sword in my hand.

"Th, thank you..." Seeing the change in my expression, the woman thanked me with tears in her eyes and then closed her eyes tightly.

"...I'll just ask one question."

"...What?" Instead of immediately swinging the sword, I asked in a frigid voice.

"...Did those monsters kill your husband, children, and neighbors and drag you here?"

"..." The woman nodded with great difficulty.

"...Sob." Immediately after, I wore a sad smile and raised my sword.

- Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!! As I swung the sword with all my might, the woman, sensing death approaching, tightly shut her eyes.

".....?" However, no matter how long she waited, death didn't come. Trembling, the woman carefully opened her eyes and then was left speechless, staring blankly at what was happening before her.

"Ugh, ugh..."

"Gulp... Cough, cough..." Because countless monsters that had occupied the interior of the cave all fell to the ground, dying with expressions of pain.

"...." The woman gazed at the scene for a long time, and then tears began to stream down ceaselessly. Looking at her, I calmly said,

"...Unlike those monsters, I'll let you leave this world with ease."

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." With that, the woman showed a relieved smile and stretched out her neck. A few seconds later, her body slumped down powerlessly.

".....Sigh." I silently watched the scene for a while, then let out a deep sigh and walked away with heavy steps.

"...Cough, cough." I wiped the blood that had somehow oozed from the corner of my mouth.

.....

"J, just now... What was that sound...?"

"...Ah, you mean that?" When I returned to Irina after finishing the task, she bombarded me with a series of anxious questions.

"That was clearly... a woman's scream... What on earth... happened..."

"You're not the only one here. There are quite a few women being trained to serve the young master."

"Madman... You're a complete madman..." Hearing that, a look of disdain flashed across Irina's face, and then she straightened her expression and questioned me again.

"Wait... But there's a smell of blood..."

"...You're quite perceptive."

"You, you couldn't have..."

"Escaping from here... likely means betraying the young master. So I took care of it on my own."

"Go to hell!! Go to hell, you piece of trash!!!"

"Sigh..." Looking at Irina who was struggling frantically, I sighed and said coldly,

"...Don't worry. The young master has ordered that under no circumstances should I kill you. You're to be well - educated."

"Shut up! Whether it's Frey or you... I will definitely kill you both!!"

"The education starts tomorrow." I approached her, who was still struggling and screaming, and whispered creepy words in her ear.

"...Let's see how long this fighting spirit of yours can last." After saying this, I gagged her again and quietly walked to the corner of the cave to start meditating. Now was the time to let her escape from here.

.....

'I'll kill you... I will definitely kill you... I must...' I had no idea how much time had passed. If I could see the scenery outside, at least I could roughly tell whether it was day or night, but with my eyes covered, it was impossible to judge.

"...Ugh!" I had tried many times to gather magic power to get out of this desperate situation, but perhaps because of the excessive consumption in the training ground, the magic power just wouldn't condense.

"Ah, ah, ah!!"

"Woo, woo, woo...!"

"Gulp... Gulp..."

'...Damn it.' Moreover, even if I managed to gather magic power and break free from these bindings, I would probably have to deal with that bastard Frey's servant, as well as countless monsters that might be outside.

'Even so... I must never give up...' But even so, in that desperate situation, I was slowly gathering magic power bit by bit. Even if I had to fight that servant to the death, even if I were to be torn to pieces by monsters... I had to escape from here and personally kill Frey. Because only by doing so could I save the empire, its people, and... Ariana.

"...Puff?" Just as I was enduring the excruciating pain all over my body and struggling to gather magic power, the gag in my mouth suddenly came loose.

"W, what...?"

"Shh.....!" Caught off - guard by this sudden change, I was at a loss when suddenly someone covered my mouth.

"There's no time to explain...! We have to get out of here now...!" The unknown person said to me urgently in a delicate voice and then led me in a certain direction. Being hastily dragged away like this, I couldn't help but mutter in my heart.

"...Yeah, having been reborn, how could I die here." It seemed that the Sun God was on my side.