Chapter 530: The Princess's Ambition
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"For five hundred years... five hundred years! I've spent this incredibly long time thinking... Why won't conflict disappear from this world?"
Kawayuikko, as if talking to me, immobilized, said—
"The reason is simple... There are no righteous leaders."
She declared that.
"Humans are foolish. Therefore, the righteous must lead them... As the rightful heir to the throne of the great Yoiyattsu Kingdom, I must lead the people. I must pacify all the people... all the countries... under the name of Yoiyattsu's glory!"
Her blue eyes, which should be beautiful, are shining with madness...!
...Um, Extra-sama?
<...Yes?>
This princess, To put it simply, is saying something like 'I have to conquer the world', isn't she?
<Well, yes...>
She was the heroine, right!?
What's with that ideology!?
<Sh-She was supposed to be a pacifist, a cute princess!? But, five hundred years! It's not strange for her way of thinking to be... a little distorted!>
"But... I don't have enough time."
And saying that, Kawayuikko raised her beautiful, white fingertips to the light pouring in from the hole in the ceiling.
And from the tips of her fingers... a small amount of black dust... is being emitted...
No, that's wrong!
Her fingertips are starting to disappear, turning into black dust!
Just like the skeletons of the Superbad Empire soldiers, after I defeated them...!
"...Hmph!"
However, with a bit of determination, Princess Kawayuikko manipulated her magical power and wrapped it around her fingertips... and the disintegration stopped.
<I see... In the past, God deprived the hero, Herotti, and his nemesis, General Tekigataa, of death in order to create the development he wanted. But this Princess Kawayuikko... is different.>
In other words!?
<The only reason she's able to stand here is because her time was stopped by General Tekigataa's [Dollfication]. But the preservation through [Dollfication]... although it seems to maintain beauty, it wasn't perfect. I'm sure her body is already falling apart! If she doesn't consciously focus her mana... it'll soon crumble away...!>
"Ufufu, I apologize for showing you such an unsightly sight."
Kawayuikko, saying that, smiled at me.
"As you can see, I need a lot of mana to maintain myself."
And then, creating a transparent arm with mana, she gently lifted me into the air.
Is this [Invisible Hand]...!?
<Or rather, it must be that [Catch] which the mage skeletons were using! It seems that she could 'see' everything that happened inside the fort... It's not strange that she would have seen, and learned, their techniques!>
"So, I'll be using you as a 'mana tank'! It's an honor, isn't it? Helping me is synonymous with laying the foundation for world peace!"
Kawayuikko, saying whatever she wants, narrowed her eyes, staring at me, as she brought me closer.
"Ah... ah... What an enormous amount of mana! Thanks to you, I can reduce the number of lives I have to take as sacrifices to maintain myself. This is wonderful. You should be proud!"
And then, she smiled ecstatically... licking her lips, with an expression of ecstasy.
"...Let me have a little taste."
Saying that, Kawayuikko put her hands on my cheeks, and was about to put her lips on mine...!
But at the next moment!
BAM!!
Kawayuikko was blown away by 'something' that slammed into her with tremendous force.
Slammed into...?
No, that's wrong.
That something didn't tackle her.
It hugged Kawayuikko!
I'm under the effects of [Dollfication].
So I couldn't do anything, just watched her and 'him' as I rolled on the floor.
"Eh, eh, ha?"
Kawayuikko, not understanding what had happened because of the sudden event, her eyes darting back and forth.
The one who picked her up, holding her in his arms affectionately, is—
A skeleton, wearing silver armor... with parts of its body turning into black dust!
In other words, the former protagonist of the story, Herotti!
<The vibrations from Emi and General Tekigataa's fierce battle... must have caused the wall to collapse!>
『I've finally found you... my beloved...!!』
The protagonist skeleton... shouted emotionally, in a raspy voice!