The imperial capital Irrion.
It is the most prosperous place in the land as well as the place enveloped by evil in the world the most.
One woman was walking through the wide corridors of the beautiful palace.
Everyone that pass by her, the guards, the maids, no one stopped her.
Althea, Rodotos’ sworn ally.
A woman who does not possess an official title, but yet recognized as the second most powerful figure in the Empire.
That woman came before the throne hall with her eyebrows making a deep crease.
She glanced at the guards, making them open the thick gates, the symbol of authority, and entered.
There is one man sitting on the throne.
The paramount existence in this Empire, the Emperor who led the unification of the world.
The Hero, Rodotos.
And there is a beauty in the arms of that hero.
He sat proudly on his throne with a beauty on his lap.
If one were to mention the relationship of a beauty and an emperor, it is natural to think that it is sexual, but in this case, it is half wrong and half right.
The beauty moaned as if she was feeling pleasure that is out of this world and her voice echoed throughout the majestic throne hall.
Her voice sounded so charming that innocent boys and girls would instinctively blush and wish to run away from it just by hearing.
On the other hand, the clothes of Rodotos and the woman was not disordered.
Although the woman wrapped her arms around Rodotos, he was only grabbing the woman’s head.
Nevertheless, the woman was trembling with pleasure.
Althea watched that while standing at the entrance.
She felt terrorーーfear.
The reason she felt fear was because it was not the first time she encountered “that”.
That is why, she knows what happens next.
She glanced at Demon Sword Eleanor that was pierced to the ground behind the throne.
Eleanor’s blade flickered with light as if she was laughing.
After a while, the woman flexes her whole body from her head to her toes, then threw out her limbs powerlessly.
ーーbut suddenly, she started to convulse.
She grabbed her throat with both hands, scratched her face, and groaned in pain.
And that was only for a short time. Within a minute, the woman’s eyes rolled to its whites and died.
The corner of Rodotos’s lips distorted with elation.
The act of giving a woman sexual pleasure by grabbing her head, then absorb her life force.
It was not a deed done by Rodotos, but something that Demon Sword Eleanor makes him do.
Rodotos is completely dominated by Eleanor.
Every time Rodotos repeats that evil art of using life force, Althea felt that his soul is becoming dull.
She came to him up until now to stop that, but.
「It’s……the limit」
Althea closed her eyes, grit her teeth, then resolutely stepped forward.
She moved towards the throne as the gate behind her closes.
「You came huh Althea. How is Olivia’s subjugation going?」
「I wish to speak about something with youーーEleanor」
Rodotos looked blank for an instant.
He narrowed his dull eyes that are unique to humans who are dominated and controlled by Demon Swords and gave Althea a stare.
Soon after, the tone of his voice changed.
To a tone that was Rodotos yet not Rodotos.
「What, what do you want to talk about?」
「I want you to release him」
「What?」
The corner of Rodotos’sーーEleanor’s lips was raised.
「This is my contract with him. I shall let him conquer this world and in return, I will receive the second half of his life. It’s that kind of contract」
「I know what you humans are doing. I also know that you cannot separate me with this man no matter what you do, so I am only allowing you to do what you want」
「You knew it all along」
「Don’t think of unnecessary things. You should just enjoy his achievements. You are not part of the contract after all」
「What if it’s in exchange for your body?」
「……what did you say?」
Eleanor’s expression changed.
The initiative of the conversation was passed over to Althea.
「If Rodotos was to be continued to be dominated by you, his soul will be sullied, never to reincarnate eternally」
「It is that kind of contract. Rather than that, speak. What do you mean it’s in exchange for my body?」
Eleanor impatiently made Althea continue.
Althea expressionlessly took out a glass bottle from her pocket.
A richly colored liquid is inside the bottle.
「If you drink this, you will be able to gain a physical body. Not a temporary one, but one that only you possess」
「Ridiculous! There is no way that existーー」
「You should be able to understand after trying it」
Althea said calmly. It made Eleanor fall silent instead.
And finally, after a long silence.
「Do I only need to release Rodotos?」
Eleanor asked and Althea showed a slightly bitter smile.
「At that time, you should have already stopped caring about his body」
「Mu!」
After living for a very long time, Eleanor has acquired intelligence that is beyond humans.
She understands what Althea is trying to say and at the same timeーーat the least, for Altheaーーshe understood that it was real.
「As you wish, give it to me」
Althea approached and passed her the glass bottle.
「What should I do with this?」
「You drink it, that’s all」
「It’s fine to hesitate, but you should at least hesitate after you stop Rodotos’s corruption」
「Eii! You do not need to repeatedly insist it is real!」
Eleanor irritatingly said, opened the bottle, and drank the richly colored liquid at once.
*Heart beats!*
It echoed so loudly that even Althea heard it.
EleanorーーRodotos started to groan, and finally, his body divided.
With the manーーEmperor Rodotos unchanged, a girl with a daunting expression wearing a black dress appeared.
「You looked like that huh」
Althea said without emotions.
In contrast, Eleanor was trembling with joy, feeling and looking at her own body.
「A body! MY body!」
「Yes」
「I feel my powers overflow! Fu, fufu, fuhahahahaha!」
「As promised, release Rodotos」
「Before that, tell me Althea. What are the limitations of this body? What is its longevity?」
「It is eternally youthful, but not undying」
「It is enough!」
Eleanor looked up to the sky and burst out a laugh.
She waved her hand and the expression of Rodotos who collapsed to the ground changed.
The baleful aura of someone dominated by a Demon Sword disappeared, but instead, it turned into a pale one that was almost no difference with a corpse.
Seeing Rodotos’s soul released, Althea felt complicated, yet seemingly relieved.
Eleanor rushed out with great spirits and went somewhere.
Althea remained in that place and let Rodotos’s head rest on her lap.
Rodotos had already breathed his last.
His body was torn into tatters after being corrupted by the Demon Sword for a long time.
He simply passed away the instant Eleanor left.
But from that Rodotos’s body, a soul that releases a strong light came out.
Althea held it with her hands, then raised it to the sky.
The soul slowly climbed up to the sky.
「Next time, live as a normal human. A normal human whose destiny shall not intersect with such existence」
Althea saw the soul off.
The soul that looked weak, yet still releases a light meant that she was barely able to save Rodotos.
After seeing it off, she remembered Eleanor who was in high spirits.
A girl in a black dress, one that releases the presence of evil from her whole body.
Although her appearance was that of a young girl, those who look upon her will unconsciously think of the word “Demon King”.
「Eternally youthful, but not undying」
Althea whispered.
In her mind was the visage of a man who uses a dark aura that almost doesn’t have an evil presence.
She believed in her future self and the man she was fond of.
「You understand what that means, right?」
Althea thought that she should believe her “self”.