Chapter 25 The Final Battle
1379words
Although each time he would eat them without changing his expression under my expectant gaze, then give an evaluation of "not bad," I always felt he might just be accommodating my terrible cooking skills.
This tranquility was as beautiful as a fragile bubble. I was immersed in it, almost forgetting that we were in a game world about to face the final battle.
I still underestimated the power of the protagonist's halo, or rather, I underestimated the level of shamelessness that the so-called "righteous" side would stoop to when pushed to the brink.
A few days later, while I was in the courtyard trying to use my gift to nurture a small sunflower from Earth, something unexpected happened.
Several shadows descended from the sky like specters, surrounding me completely.
They were wearing standard armor from various knight orders, and their leader was Arthur, who had once been somewhat friendly to me. But at this moment, his handsome face was filled with cold, irrefutable determination.
And behind him stood the game's female protagonist, Anais, who should have been my "love rival" but now looked as if everything was perfectly justified. She and several others I didn't recognize—all radiating powerful holy light auras—these "champions of justice" gazed at me coldly, as if looking at a sacrificial offering.
I didn't even have time to react before two knights firmly pinned down my arms.
A cold blade, gleaming with magical light, was mercilessly pressed against my vulnerable neck.
【System Alert: You are being restrained by a hostile faction, movement restricted.】
【System Warning: You have been affected by the negative status 【Silence Spell】, unable to use speech.】
They couldn't defeat Frederick themselves.
That man is the most powerful being in this world, the true Demon Lord. In a direct confrontation, these so-called Knight Orders and Justice Alliance are nothing but a disorganized rabble.
So they turned their attention to me, the one rumored to be the "favorite concubine whom the Demon Lord cherishes above all else."
Using me as bait, using me as leverage to coerce him.
How despicable, and how... laughable.
That scarred knight holding a knife to my throat, I recognize him. He is one of Arthur's most loyal deputies, known for his bravery and fearlessness. But at this moment, his hand holding the knife is trembling slightly.
Is it because of fear? Fear of the Demon King who would fall into a thunderous rage because of his actions?
The cold blade has already cut through my delicate skin. I can clearly feel the warm blood slowly flowing down my neck.
【System Notice: You are receiving continuous physical damage, HP-1/s.】
"Frederick! You coward! Get out here!" The scarred knight, mustering his courage, shouted towards the direction of the bedchamber with the loudest voice of his life, "Want to save your little lover? Then come out yourself! Otherwise, I'll make her bleed to death in the next second!"
I was under a silencing spell and couldn't utter a single word. I could only desperately shake my head toward the direction of the sleeping chamber with all my strength, trying to signal Frederick with my eyes—don't come out, don't worry about me!
This is a trap! A most despicable trap specifically set for you!
But Frederick came out anyway.
The heavy door of the sleeping chamber was suddenly pushed open by an invisible force.
He wore plain black attire adorned with dark golden magical patterns, walking step by step from the dark hall into the blinding sunlight.
His face showed no expression, but the air around the entire magical palace seemed to freeze instantly. An overwhelming, suffocating aura of destruction radiated from him, so powerful that all knights present instinctively stepped back, finding it difficult even to breathe.
He looked at me, at the knife held against my neck, at the glaring wound across my throat.
His face was terrifyingly grim. In those deep purple eyes, a black storm raged with enough power to destroy heaven and earth.
Without hesitation, he raised his magic sword formed from the purest dark energy.
【System Notice: Detected NPC 'Frederick' charging ultimate skill [Shadow Annihilation]! Warning! Once released, this skill will cause devastating damage to all targets within a five-kilometer radius!】
The faces of the "righteous warriors" present instantly turned pale. They clearly hadn't expected that Frederick would become so enraged over a woman that he would directly unleash an ultimate attack powerful enough to destroy the entire main city.
However, Frederick's next action left everyone stunned.
The sword in his hand, capable of destroying everything, was not pointing at any enemy before him.
But at himself.
Under the gaze of everyone, shocked beyond measure, he thrust that sword fiercely, without hesitation, with all his might, into his abdomen—the location of the magic core, the source of all his power.
"Squelch——"
The sound of the blade entering flesh was terrifyingly clear.
【System Warning! Warning! NPC 'Frederick' has used forbidden skill 【Magic Core Self-Destruction】, entering permanent 'Severely Wounded' and 'Magic Loss' status! Level significantly decreased!】
For my sake, he deliberately destroyed the source of his power with his own hands.
His upright body suddenly trembled. The magic sword in his hand dissolved into specks of black light, dissipating into the air.
He fell heavily to his knees, a large mouthful of fresh blood gushing from his mouth, staining the black earth before him red.
At that moment, I felt only an indescribable, tearing pain in my chest.
This time, it wasn't because of plot momentum, nor because of system prompts.
It was real, genuine pain that I felt.
Pain so severe I could barely breathe, pain that darkened my vision, pain that made me wish for death right then.
"He... he destroyed his magic core!"
"We succeeded! Our plan worked!"
"Quick! Now's our chance! Kill him!"
Those so-called knights, those self-proclaimed champions of justice, after a brief moment of shock, immediately erupted into wild, ecstatic cheers.
Their faces no longer showed the fear and unease from before; instead, they revealed greedy, ferocious, impatient ugly expressions.
They swarmed forward, raising their holy swords and staffs, intending to completely finish off the man who had lost all his power and fallen to his knees.
I thought that the final battle would be a grand, epic confrontation between two armies, the ultimate clash between light and darkness.
Yet I never imagined they would use such despicable and shameless means, using me as a breakthrough point, winning this war through the most contemptible methods.
My mind was in complete chaos.
"We're approaching the grand finale... at this critical life-or-death moment, I just need to follow this storyline to the end. Once Frederick is killed, the game ends, and I can go home."
"But... but what about Frederick?"
In my mind, uncontrollably flashed the face of the Academy Principal from years ago, filled with pity and guilt.
【So... I was abandoned.】
History, how it repeats itself.
Only this time, the person who needs to make a choice has become me.
My rationality was frantically screaming at me.
"The male protagonist and female protagonist will definitely win! This is the ending the author has predetermined, this is the rule of the world, no one can change it! Even if I hold the script and know all the plot, I still cannot change this established fact!"
"Go home! Jin! Isn't that why you came here, to go home? Now, you're only one step away from home!"
But...
I looked at the man lying in a pool of blood, watching how he still struggled to reach out to me despite his severe injuries.
Looking at his purple eyes, blurred from the excruciating pain, yet still firmly fixed on me, full of concern.
My heart felt as if it was being gripped tightly by a poisoned, red-hot iron hand, then, bit by bit, crushed into pieces.
Go home?
In a world without him, where could I... possibly return to?
