Sid Ranorus's Resolve

“Die!”

――Slash!

I severed Garen’s left arm as he leapt at me.

“Windine—heal him.”

――Slash!

I cut off Garen’s leg.

Not yet.

“Windine—heal him.”

――Slash!

Not enough.

“Windine—”

――Slash!

Don’t think you can die from something like this.

“—Heal him.”

――Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

I cut.

I heal.

I cut.

I heal.

I repeat.

Over and over.

――An hour had passed since then.

I hacked apart Garen’s body and healed it the same number of times.

“Hah! Hah! Hah!”

“Windine—heal him.”

“W-wait… a-already… kill me… p-please… I beg you…!”

Bloodied all over, having lost his right arm and left leg, Garen knelt and pleaded.

“You still don’t get it. You might win next time, right?”

“No… it’s impossible… I absolutely can’t win… please, just kill me…!”

Pathetically, Garen admitted defeat with tears and snot smearing his face.

No matter how many times he was cut to pieces, he was repaired and carved again.

That repetition pushed Garen’s mental state to its limit.

Even though I’d picked myself up countless times, torn to shreds with holes all over my body, it was all for revenge against you bastards.

I felt anger rise at how I’d been toyed with by such trash until now.

“Then isn’t there something you want to say to me?”

“I-I’m sorry… I’ve done terrible things to you… I apologize for everything… so…!”

“Can’t a captain of the Royal Palace Knights even use respectful language? You say ‘I apologize for everything,’ but when will I hear an actual, sincere apology?”

“……..”

Garen clenched his teeth and made a fist with his remaining arm.

Eventually, as if resigned, he slowly opened his mouth.

“I-I am truly sorry. For the treatment I’ve given Sid… I feel deep remorse… please, please grant me clemency…”

The tears flowing from Garen’s eyes were either because his spirit had been worn down to the point of wishing for death, or from the humiliation of his pride as a slave being shredded.

In any case, it was a pathetic sight.

“Are those just words? Or do you mean it from the bottom of your heart?”

“From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry… there is no lie in those words… so… please…!”

“Can’t be helped. Windine, this is the last time—heal him.”

“~~~~♪♪”

“……..?”

I told Windine, who had healed Garen’s wounds, “Good work,” and sent her back into the shadows.

Then I turned my back on Garen.

“Looks like you’ve changed your heart. I’ll spare your life for the sake of that sincere apology. From now on, live kindly toward others. Also, I’ll take this as spoils of war.”

I retrieved the prosthetic arm lying on the floor and tossed it into Vanargand’s mouth.

Then I left Garen where he was.

“(Impossible… impossible impossible impossible…! Me, bowing to a Shikai Tribe slave… speaking such ingratiating words… That can never be! I’m a unit captain of the Royal Palace Knights, an elite! I can’t live being treated like that! He’s off his guard now… he’s soft, damn him! There’s no way I’d ever reflect!! Die! Dieeeeeeeee!!!!)”

“Sid――――”

“(It’s fine, I understand.)”

—Seeing me turn and walk away, Garen slowly rose and tried to drive his greatsword into my back.

“Good. I’m truly relieved—you were an irredeemable bastard to the very end.”

“――――Huh?”

I slashed as I turned.

Garen’s head flew through the air.

With a plop, his severed head rolled at my feet.

Once dead, even Windine can’t fix him.

“How is it? How does it feel to kill someone for the first time?”

“Ah, it feels pretty good. After all, I clung to this world stubbornly for this very reason.”

I’m a rotten human being.

A villain who can’t blame the Hero party folks—I’m a murderer.

Since awakening, I obtained power that no one can exploit from me.

I acquired enough money to live comfortably.

I even gained a cute maid who loves me and diligently takes care of me.

I could have given up revenge and lived happily in a mansion in the capital.

—Still, I chose revenge.

To remain myself.

To regain the pride I lost.

I chose the anger that a slave holds.

Even if that made me scum who couldn’t face Rin.

I’ll probably end up in hell, but if Rin can be happy in exchange, that’s enough.

I’ll take on the sin of murder to claw back my pride and dignity and fall to hell.

In return, Rin will gain the human happiness I couldn’t obtain.

That’s the wish I put into Rin, the slave.

“That’s my choice.”

“Kuku! Kuhaha! Ahahahaha! Yes! That’s fine! Sid, walk the path of carnage with me. I’m glad you weren’t bound to that slave girl—you didn’t abandon me to go and seek happiness alone, and I’m truly relieved.”

“You’re a pretty big bastard yourself.”

No—Ekarraat.

You too surely had similar experiences to mine and made the same choice.

That’s why she refrained from buying Rin and hesitated to help.

But because you saved Rin, I could fall into the same place as you without regret.

“Three more to go.”

I kicked Garen’s severed head and shared the vision of the Shadows deployed throughout the dungeon.

I checked the many deployed images one after another――

“Found them.”

Dungeon 17th floor.

I discovered the Mage Lilium, who had been randomly forced to teleport by a teleportation stone.