The venue being used to host the meeting has been completely ruined, a large part of it has been blown up and it is now being invaded by armed men. This is clearly not an improvised plan that was made on the fly. Bullet had carefully prepared this event and even got some of the staffers and guards in on it. 

Well, this is to be expected. Bullet knew that he had lost the discussion and would receive a grave penalty. He had to radically shake things up if he wanted to live. 

I was waiting for this moment.

Diplomats and other VIP’s are being mercilessly slaughtered one after another. Normally, I would move to protect them; however, Bullet will escape if I do that, and I’m not stupid enough to allow that to happen. I don’t even care about these dignitaries and diplomats, why should I have to protect them?

Only Freya and Ellen’s safety are of concern to me, even so, Kureha and Setsuna will protect them. 

Had this conference been held in the Dioral Kingdom, I would consider the safety of the guests. However, this conference is being held in the Grantsbach Empire, which means they are responsible for the safety of their guests.

Well, I don’t mind protecting the ones who sided with us, but my top priority right now is capturing Bullet. As long as I can do that, I will be satisfied.

I will spare no expense in order to catch Bullet. 

I use Georgius to send a [Deterioration Heal] flying towards Bullet. I can’t bring myself to not hate him. 

Do I just want to kill him? No, I want to make him a torn up rag of meat that can’t even move a finger.

I want him to experience hell.

I have a clear mind, but I don’t know what to do.

Maybe I’ll make it an ugly and fluffy pink lump.

If the boys who currently love Bullet can’t look at him, he will suffer for the rest of his miserable life. 

I lunge towards Bullet. 

The people in the venue will be unable to catch up to us at this point, nobody can interfere. And Bullet is unarmed. And this space is too small for him to use his [Divine Arms], Taslam, the cannon. 

Bullet pulls out a small tube shaped item from under his shirt and points it towards me while I am lunging. It’s far too small to be his signature cannon weapon. Nonetheless, there is a trigger on it and Bullet pulls it without hesitation. 

A bullet made of magic is spit out and I hesitate for a single moment. I’ve seen that bullet before. That little tube is actually what powers Bullet’s cannon. 

The more aware that you know about Bullet and his cannon, the less alert you become about his true gun. Bullet truly doesn’t trust others. Even his friends don’t know the real appearance of his cannon, Taslam. However, I found this out by using [Recovery Heal] on him in the first world. 

What a shame, Bullet. I used your deception to deceive you.

I charge up my magical power, and once I am within 20cm of Bullet use [Deterioration Heal]. It hits him square in the chest. 

Bullet: “Keyaru, if you’re not careful, everything will go to waste. How regrettable. And I had just gotten a perfect score.”

Bullet attempts to ridicule me with his drivel. 

A moment later, I am hit by a tremendous force and blown away. I slam into a wall and blood starts pouring from my sides, activating Georgius’ [Auto Recovery]. What the hell just happened?

I was vigilant of my surroundings. It’s too early for one of his minions to have showed up. The only people who could be around are from the Grantsbach Empire, and they shouldn’t be able to penetrate my natural defense. After healing myself, I notice something unusual when I turn around and look at Bullet.

Keyaruga: “Bullet, you scum sucking piece of shit, you’re the same as the Dioral King.”

Bullet: “No, no, that’s not right. The Dioral King was used by this power, I on the other hand, am using this black power.”

The one who blew me away was a dignitary from the Grantsbach Empire. His body is now a gruesome display of black tentacles stretching his body apart and his eyes becoming more and more hollow by the second. He looks exactly like one of the black knights led by the Dioral King. 

Bullet’s muscles swell and completely rip through his clothing, exposing his chest. There is a black gem embedded in his breast that pulses with immense power.

Unbelievable. 

Bullet was only supposed to possess a smidge of black power. Yet somehow, now he is producing black power. It’s the exact same parasite that was on the previous Dioral King. No, it’s even more powerful than that one.

Keyaruga: “It couldn’t be… Did you use the [Philosopher’s Stone]?!”

The heart of the Demon King. In the first world, I used it as a medium to redo this world by casting [Recovery Heal] on the entire world, I had wanted it so that I could redo this world as well. And right now, it is beating in Bullet’s chest. 

Bullet: “Ah, I understand. As I thought, you really are very cute, Keyaru. That’s right, I traced the root of the black power and used it to reshape myself. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to be killed, and I don’t want to get old. I want to live with cute boys forever.”

Bullet laughs maniacally while kneading the black power like it’s clay.

Bullet: “After I saw this power dwelling in my body and analyzed it, I was certain that I could control it as long as I had the [Philosopher’s Stone]. It gives me unparalleled strength, a body that never ages, and all sorts of other things, things that I always wanted. Since the existence of the Demon King is a result of this black power, it can be said that I am an even greater Demon King than the current Demon King.”

One after another, the dignitaries of the Grantsbach Empire swell up and become deformed, grotesque humanoid figures. All the dignitaries in the Grantsbach Empire have been transformed into Bullet’s dolls. 

I should prepare for the worst.

Everyone who has been transformed has the ability to break through my defenses and can cause me significant harm. 

No, not just the dignitaries currently present, but dozens or even hundreds of citizens from the Grantsbach Empire. Given the situation, I have no choice but to temporarily withdraw. 

Despite all the power that I have amassed, there is no way for me to win in this situation. Not to mention, Bullet is probably already one step ahead.

Keyaruga: “Is it possible? Did the Dioral Kingdom launch a large-scale war as a way to distract people from the fact that they were eating the Grantsbach Empire from the inside?”

Bullet: “Nobody noticed what I was doing so there was no competition. I wonder if you would have noticed it.”

A scream echoes through the air.

A hellish landscape unfolds before my eyes. 

It seems that I was correct to assume that I should prepare for the worst case scenario.

Monsters are overflowing out of buildings. This is seriously not good. He had been checkmated. Bullet said he traced the roots of the black power using the [Philosopher’s Stone] and used those roots to give himself power. However, when the Dioral King had been defeated, the black power disappeared.

Thus, Bullet used the [Philosopher’s Stone] before that happened. He never intended to deliver the [Philosopher’s Stone] to the Dioral King, he had always intended to use it for himself. I had been afraid that the Dioral King would use the [Philosopher’s Stone] for a ceremony that would allow him to conquer the world and didn’t think about the possibility that Bullet would use it for himself.

Bullet had never truly been an ally of the Dioral Kingdom. He would have done this even if I hadn’t defeated the Dioral King.

I am currently in a losing position. 

Keyaruga: “Everyone, gather around here.”

Freya: “On my way!”

Ellen: “Things aren’t looking so hot right now, Keyaruga-niisama.”

Kureha: “Quite troublesome indeed.”

Keyaruga: “Don’t worry, I’ll make a path.”

Flare and the others have gathered in one spot now. 

I want to catch Bullet and take revenge, not only has he taken away the [Philosopher’s Stone], he also used it to increase his own power. I think I hate him the most.  

Still, I will temporarily give up on revenge for now.

If I try to take revenge now, I will be the one who ends up in an unfavourable position.

If that happens, I will never be able to take revenge.

I’d rather live to fight another day.

Being calm is actually quite important when taking revenge. Getting emotional often leads to mistakes. Sometimes it’s important to give up low hanging fruit.

Ellen: “Are you going to let him get away?”

At Bullet’s command, a horde of monsters rushes into the room. There’s not much that can be done if it’s a straightforward attack. 

Keyaruga: “Yeah, we’re going to retreat for now.”

A little fox pops out from my collar and opens its mouth wide. During our little conversation, I had ordered Guren to prepare her purification flames. 

Guren: “You guys are all smelly and stinky! Die!”

Guren spits out a purifying flame. The flame accumulates power and completely obliterates all the monsters and buildings in its path, creating a brilliant flash of white that blinds my vision, like a laser. 

Bullet should be wary of how we defeated the Dioral King who also had the black power.

That’s why we kept Guren as a secret trump card. I didn’t think Bullet would be stronger than the Dioral King, but he is. 

The flame melts all the monsters in our path and ends the siege. 

Keyaruga: “Freya!”

Freya: “On it! 7th level cyro magic, [Cocytus]!”

This spell is god-like magic, which is only afforded to the hero of [Magic]. It is seventh level magic which exceeds what is thought to be the limit of human capability.

Air that has a temperature below absolute zero is circulated in a 100 meter radius. Had we stepped outside of the small circle around Freya, we would have been frozen.

Those with the black power can infinitely regenerate but become incapacitated if they are frozen. 

Keyaruga: “Let’s go!”

Guren leads our charge across the road that Freya made with magic. I also take two of the surviving diplomats who happened to be near Freya with us. We’ll need them to testify later as to what happened here. Prince Casta of the Enritta Kingdom is among them. He was the first one to say he was wary of Ellen, but he also was the first one to agree with me. It’s not a mere coincidence that he was near Freya, it was the only place he could be if he was going to survive.

Keyaruga: “Follow me, I will protect you so long as you don’t get in my way.”

Casta: “Well, it seems my subordinates can no longer handle this situation.”

We will retreat, for now. I’ll make a plan while retreating. How can I kill Bullet?

He is a man with unimaginable power. Only one answer comes to me.

Just as Bullet used the [Philosopher’s Stone] to enhance his strength, I too, must use the [Philosopher’s Stone] to strengthen myself. How can I fight him unless I stand on equal ground? 

The only way to get the [Philosopher’s Stone] in this world is by taking Eve’s heart. 

Eve is special.

She’s not something disposable like that. 

Once we get out of here safely, we’ll have a strategy meeting. 

Ellen might have a good idea.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter