The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 16

Step, step-.

I walked down the path without a word. My steps were light, yet heavy.

The responsibility of carrying the Saint on my back weighed down on me like a burden.

Step, step-.

"...."

"...."

The Saint continued to exhale shallow breaths as if they might cease at any moment. I moved forward, firmly supporting her lower body.

Step, step-.

Some wept as they saw us, others hurled stones at us. Some charged at us, while others cast disdainful glances our way.

Boom-!!

From one corner of the plaza came the sound of an explosion. Cries of "Rescue the Saint!" echoed in the air.

Of course, those voices were cruelly silenced within less than twenty minutes by the Demon Army. The bodies of the rioters, who never even reached the guillotine, piled up on one side of the plaza.

Passing by the elves, I felt especially intense stares burning into me. The queen of the elves, the divine archer Elaine Astheria, glared at us with eyes brimming with bloody tears.

The elves wept for the Saint and hurled curses at me. I chuckled softly, just loud enough for the Saint near me to hear.

Perhaps it was because I was carrying the most influential woman on the continent on my back, but the path to the guillotine was anything but smooth. It was a thorny road, in every sense of the word.

There was even a "No to Execution" protest by humans that erupted midway, a "Tunneling Rescue Operation" by dwarves aimed at the Saint, and dragons who, furious over their leader's death, launched "breath bombardments" at me.

Naturally, all of these were easily subdued by winged angels and devils. Now that the Demon King had become the God of Gods, angels who served God were effectively devils.

Despite the tumultuous and eventful journey, the Saint and I remained calm. It felt as though we were the only two people in this world, walking the sole path it had to offer, together.

Step, step-.

Before I knew it, we had reached the stairs. When I raised my head, the guillotine came into view.

"We're going in."

"Go ahead...."

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the stairs weren’t very long.

I felt inclined to praise this for sparing me the effort, yet I also felt compelled to criticize it for hastening my time of death.

Step-.

At the end of the stairs, a couple of guillotines stood side by side.

Four soldiers stood holding long rifles, while two giants were stationed at each guillotine to release the ropes.

"Saint, you can't walk on your own, can you?"

"I believe I’ve regained enough strength to... walk to that spot."

"Forget it. I'll take you there. If you're going to die anyway, might as well die comfortably."

Walking with steady steps, I approached and laid the Saint down on the guillotine first.

After placing her neck through the round hole, I gently restrained her limbs with ropes handed to me by the soldiers, ensuring they wouldn’t hurt her.

Strangely enough, the giants and soldiers simply watched me in silence. Rather, they even handed me the ropes to assist.

Cowards.

"Does it hurt, Saint?"

"I’m fine."

"Let me know if it hurts. I’ll tie you more gently."

"It really doesn’t hurt. I’m more worried that you might have tied me too loosely."

"Not like you’re planning to run away anyway."

"That’s true."

After finishing the process of securing the Saint on the guillotine, I laid myself down on the adjacent one. Then, using telekinesis, I firmly tied my own limbs.

When I lifted my head, I saw the murmuring crowd. Below, an endless sea of people stretched out.

The plaza seemed to ripple like waves each time they murmured. What an incredible gathering.

Among them were many of the continent’s absolute powerhouses.

Julius, the Holy Emperor, knelt in despair.

Theseus, the Martial King, stared at us with a blank expression.

Lilith, the Western Duke of the Demon Realm, fidgeted anxiously, her face pale.

Elaine, the divine archer, with bloodshot eyes, wept bloody tears that streamed down her face.

Beyond them were numerous other transcendents and powerful figures, all focusing their gaze on us.

The Demon King and the Hero were nowhere to be seen. Were they not even planning to come and watch their friend die? Just because of some petty quarrel?

The Demon King wasn’t like that before. But after chasing power and fame, he had lost his way. He had become so narrow-minded.

When I lifted my head all the way, the blade of the guillotine, sharp and gleaming, entered the edge of my vision. Soon, it would be painted red with the “paint” spilling from me.

"Heh heh."

This time, I turned my head to the side. What I saw was the Saint, lying in the same position as me, her eyes closed.

"We’re dying at the same time."

"So it seems."

"You’re smiling even now. Do you find this amusing?"

"Having a companion makes it naturally pleasant."

"Honestly, I feel the same way. Chatting with you, Saint, keeps the loneliness at bay."

"I was afraid of walking that distant and dark path to the lower world alone, but I’m relieved to have you with me, Joker."

Her voice rang out with a bright tone, and the Saint responded with a smile.

It was an innocent smile, devoid of any shadow.

"Doesn’t it bother you that the Demon King, who put us in this state, isn’t even showing his face?"

"The Demon King isn’t here?"

"Yeah, I don’t see him. Would be great if he were already dead."

"Haha... I see… So that’s how it turned out...."

The Saint let out a meaningful chuckle and murmured something incomprehensible.

Just as I was about to ask about her cryptic words—

Thump-.

Clunk-!

In that moment, my entire body twisted due to a seizure. Because of that, I couldn’t press the Saint about her murmured words.

The soldiers on the guillotine were visibly flustered, but I gestured for them not to approach. The seizures always stopped quickly, just as they always had.

.......

See? It’s already over.

When the ever-present seizures finally left their last trace and subsided, I felt a hint of regret. So, this is goodbye to this wretched pain forever.

It was hellish having you around, and I hope we never meet again! Goodbye, seizures!

Clang-.

The sunlight poured down mercilessly, scorching. I slightly furrowed my brows.

I turned my gaze back toward the Saint. Two giants were slowly approaching her.

Before I die, I wanted to take one last look at the Saint.

Perhaps she was thinking the same as me because she, too, was looking at me. Although, her eyes were still closed.

The sunlight showered down on the Saint. Even though she no longer radiated light, to me, she still appeared brighter than the sun.

"...You're glowing."

"Pardon?"

"You. You're sparkling more than usual today."

"Haha, I'll take that as a compliment."

The giants grabbed hold of the rope. Then, they loosened the rope that held the guillotine’s blade—not the ropes binding us.

"They say a woman shines the brightest on the day she wears her wedding dress."

"That’s because it's the happiest day of her life."

"But, Saint, you seem to shine all the time."

"Do I?"

"Yes, throughout the past seven days, there wasn't a single day you didn’t shine."

"It’s simply because I’ve lived each day with gratitude and love in my heart."

At my words, the Saint gave me a radiant smile. Her appearance was beautiful, but that smile was even more so.

"Saint, I have something I want to ask you."

"Feel free to ask."

"If I had made different choices, could I have shone like you?"

"Of course..."

"No, no. Impossible. There's no way. I know. I could never have grown into a radiant figure like you on my own."

Cutting off her words, I rambled on with my own. Thinking about how my neck would be severed soon made me a bit anxious. I felt as though I might die without finishing what I wanted to say.

"I don’t know what happens after death. I could go to hell, or I might reincarnate. But no matter what life I live, I could never shine on my own."

In a way, I feel like I’ve attained some kind of enlightenment as my death approaches.

Though, since I still harbor a bit of regret, it wouldn’t be right to call it complete enlightenment.

"I’m not talking about something grand. Just a tiny glimmer of light. The love, tolerance, chivalry, wisdom, and courage you showed me... I’d like to hold onto just the simplest of those—love. Of course, in my current state, it’s nothing but a futile dream."

Like a dam bursting, I couldn’t stop my words. The executioner standing in the center of the square was saying something, but it didn’t reach my ears.

"I didn’t know love. I didn’t understand it, nor did I want to. I enjoyed chaos and madness, the very antithesis of love. But now, I feel a slight tinge of regret. If only I had met you a little earlier, perhaps my life might have turned out a bit differently—"

Like confessing my sins to a priest, I laid bare all my regrets and remorse to the Saint. She listened quietly with a serious expression.

"Ha... You know, I once met someone like you, Saint."

Only after I finished did she finally open her mouth to speak. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to speak ever again, but she truly was a patient woman.

"Yes."

"I wanted to make that person like me. To corrupt the greatest hero, someone with the most righteous convictions, into someone as vile as me. After years of effort, I finally succeeded."

"If it’s the hero you corrupted, Joker... Ah, I think I know who you mean."

"You must’ve heard of it too. It’s a famous story. Beyond that, I’ve corrupted countless others... No, not just individuals, but this world itself. I tried to taint this entire world because I enjoyed it more than anything. But."

A holy smile graced the Saint’s face, a smile that I, a grotesque and cruel villain, could never hope to possess.

"After spending a week with you, Saint, I found myself wanting to be influenced by you."

"Haha, that’s a wonderful change. Redemption is the most beautiful blessing bestowed by our great Mother."

"No, forget the Mother or any god; I need you, Saint. Don’t you get it? What I’m saying is that you are my god. The only one who can guide me."

I have no interest in some god who never even shows their face. I’d rather steal glances at the pretty face of the Saint.

"Even now, as I stand before you, two desires churn violently within me. The wicked desire to corrupt you into someone like me, and the audacious ambition to become a saint like you. Isn’t it amusing? If I had just a little more time, I wonder which desire would have won out. I could’ve explored it slowly with you."

A torrent of words flowed out of me in a single breath. It wasn’t simply because time was running out; it just felt like the right thing to do. The fact that the Saint was quietly listening only added to it.

Before I knew it, the twilight glow was shining down on us. When we first arrived at the square, the sun had been high in the sky, but time, as always, had a way of passing irritably fast.

The Saint’s face and hair were dyed in the red hues of dusk. It was a scene akin to a masterpiece.

The noble, virtuous, and great Saint of the Sun, Maria.

A truly versatile woman. She’s intelligent, beautiful, and her figure... Though she’s gaunt now, I’m certain she’d become a woman with curves in all the right places if she gained some weight.

After denying it for a week, I finally admitted it. The fact that someone like me, so utterly despicable, could come to such a realization is truly remarkable.

"Hehe, it seems Joker, you are quite fond of love."

"I won’t deny it."

"So am I. Even someone as lowly and foolish as myself receives the grace of love equally."

"Heh."

"To think that the greatest villain of the continent is now agonizing between redemption and corruption... I’m relieved to know that my life’s journey hasn’t been entirely in vain."

"It’s kind of infuriating. Here I am, full of regret beneath the guillotine, while you’re basking in satisfaction."

Do you know that feeling? The sensation of letting go of all burdens.

That’s exactly how I feel right now. Just earlier, in the transport vehicle, my entire body twisted with longing for the Saint, but now, I feel as light as if I’m walking on clouds.

Whooosh-.

Perhaps it’s because of the refreshing breeze that blew past the towering spires just in time. My hair fluttered wildly.

[Joker.]

"...? What’s with your voice?"

At that moment, the Saint smiled with a newfound expression and spoke. Her voice had changed as well.

Simultaneously, the executioner waved his arm, and the two giants released the rope they were holding.

[If you so desire, I will help you with all my heart.]

It was incomprehensible. What did she mean by helping?

The iron blade tilted slightly and sliced through the air, falling mercilessly toward our necks.

In just a moment, the severed heads of the Saint and me would be rolling around the square.

[Even if it costs me everything, I will help you. I swear on the name of the Almighty Lord.]

What was the Saint saying right now? Was she trying to invoke her master's name one last time before dying?

If that were her intention, then she had succeeded. A cold chill began to creep up my neck.

The blade was now just a hair's breadth away from the Saint's neck as I watched.

If I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them again, I would never see this sight again.

[So, never forget and come to the Imperial Year 701.]

In the red glow of the setting sun, the blade gleamed with a crimson hue.

It was a blade not yet stained with blood.

[To the reading club at Eden Academy.]

"............!!"

Whoosh-!

The moment the Saint's incomprehensible words ended, the world was instantly filled with a pure white radiance and brilliance.

No sound could be heard.

There was no pain of decapitation, no spurting blood.

The guillotine, the Saint, the countless spectators—all of them vanished, leaving only a white world.

My body twisted.

The ropes that had bound me were nowhere to be found.

My bones shrank, my body contracted, and my skin peeled away.

Even amidst such bizarre phenomena, the Saint's final words echoed in my mind as if they had been etched there.

To come to the Imperial Year 701, to the reading club at Eden Academy...?

But right now, it’s the Imperial Year 712............?