Strongest Hypnosis Charmer vs Demoness

Obedience Girl and ???

The battle against the Frieren replica and the Spiegel has ended.

My constructed magic, Auserlese, succeeded in subduing the Spiegel's soul to me based on fair judgment.

Confirming that, I immediately made all the replicas in the dungeon disappear... For now, I ordered them to do nothing and left them alone.

...I should probably think about how to handle the Spiegel, but...

I don't have the luxury for that right now. My irreplaceable companion is now under attack.

"Linie!"

She was formerly a demon under my command, and a girl who became human around the same time as me, thanks to that man. She was like a troublesome younger sister to me, but sometimes I thought of her as a reliable older sister.

Linie fell from the wall to the floor with a loud thud.

Because of the black flash emitted by the replica...

Her upper body... was gone.

For demons who can regenerate missing body parts with magic, minor injuries don't become serious. Even losing an arm or two would heal in just five minutes. Therefore, demons who use magic or warriors rarely fear injuries, and they don't even consider minor wounds as such. They can't.

However, the two parts... the heart, which circulates blood and magic throughout the body; and the brain, which sends commands to the body, are irreparable.

And now, Linie's body has lost both.

"Linie."

Ah...

My thoughts are not clear. My vision blurs. My legs wobble. A strange sensation, as if my brain is boiling and freezing at the same time.

Why? Why did this happen?

Why did she have to die?

Was it necessary to achieve the goal? Was it unavoidable to reduce casualties? Was it her own wish?

Don't be ridiculous. Don't be ridiculous!

I didn't come this far to let her die! We came here together to atone for our sins...!

"Linie...!"

...I know, I really do know.

It's my fault.

If I hadn't set out to defeat Macht in the first place. If I hadn't gotten her involved in the first place.

If that were the case, Linie would surely still be smiling beside that man, directing that innocent smile towards him.

I broke that. I dragged her into my personal redemption.

I... I killed Linie, in a way.

Yet, the question "why" won't disappear from my mind.

Why did this happen? The question I already know the answer to overflows, and it won't stop.

Is this sorrow?

Is this the sorrow of losing someone you live with, someone you love... a family?

If so, how cruel is the world, how cruel are people's hearts?

When I was a demon, even if a fellow died, I didn't think anything of it. It was just like losing one card from my deck, a sensation of regret rather than sadness, and it was too distant to even call it regret.

But now, having become human, knowing love, and having a thin but warm connection with that man and Linie...

...If that connection is suddenly severed. To feel like my heart is being crushed, torn apart.