The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

I stopped my sword before it reached her.

Because there were parts of Makia’s words that I couldn’t overlook.

I suppressed my killing intent and silently looked down at her.

Makia could barely smile.

“Did you not hear what I just said? I simply said that you hate humans and that you enjoy killing them.”

“It’s not like I hate humans whatsoever. I only kill because it is necessary.”

“Then why did you hurt me like this? Isn’t it so you could enjoy watching me suffer until I die?”

Makia stood up.

Her pure white cloak was soaked with blood.

She hid the hand that had lost some fingers.

As if driven by some impulse, Makia continued her pursuit.

“It was also the case regarding the soldiers. You pushed them to the brink using your magic. You even bothered to use a ridiculously huge barrier to lock them all then burn them all to death in flame.”

“…That was action driven by seeking efficiency and safety. The crueler the method, the more likely it is to demoralize the enemy. It was the best tactic I could use for fighting alone.”

I quietly argued.

By that point, it wasn’t time to worry about consumption.

The most important thing to do was to accurately shave the number of soldiers as fast as possible.

It would be troublesome if they managed to escape all over the place, so I had no choice but to choose such a tactic.

“…gh.”

At that time, Makia slightly shook.

Perhaps she lost too much blood.

She bit her lips and glared at me.

“Efficiency and safety, is it? Then why did you confront me with your sword? You could have easily killed me with your magic from a distance, right? There was no reason to confront me who lost my magic power and all alone with your sword. Do you wish to see me suffer that much?”

“…”

“So you are unable to make an excuse. Did I guess correctly?”

Makia sneered and looked at me as if she was in a good mood.

She didn’t show fear despite a sword raised in front of her.

“In the first place, why did you become a Demon Lord? As expected, isn’t it because you love slaughter?”

“It was for peace. With me reigning, it would prevent conflicts among humans.”

“You meant to become a deterrent? Hey, I never knew that. To think the Demon Lord had such thoughts… really, what a stupid excuse!”

Makia, who was nodding halfway, suddenly shouted.

Of all things she could do, she pushed her fine hand to my chest.

“Like hell that’s possible! All you did was make up an excuse to slaughter humans. You must’ve thought that you’re merely pretending to be a villain. What a coward!”

Makia unleashed her threatening attitude.

What lies there was her anger.

She hit me with her anger filled words.

“…”

I didn’t say anything in response.

I had no words to deny her.

I lowered my sword and listened to her notion.

“You must have held a grudge against humans in the past, even I could recognize that. I’ve seen the malice of humanity since I was young. You must have held deep despair toward humanity.”

“Deep despair…”

I ruminated on her words.

There were countless memories running around my mind.

My chest and one of my eyes were aching, making a slight pain.

“Demon Lord… what you want, is not to become a deterrence. It’s merely vengeance toward humanity. You’re just rampaging about using peace as an excuse. It’s the worst thing one could possibly do. You should have an idea why, right? You are already aware of it. All you’re doing is merely denying yourself, right?”

“What do you mean to say?”

As I asked her, Makia’s anger suddenly calmed down.

Then she gently placed one hand on my chest.

“I’ll help you with your revenge. You’re certainly the worst, but I could sympathize with it. You must have a past that makes you hate humanity. What a poor thing to be treated so cruelly to turn into this.”

Makia smiled with a gentle look.

It was so warm as if all her previous insults were a lie.

“What do you want to gain from that?”

“I could no longer go back to my nation after losing the war. I would be executed as a form of taking responsibility for ruining the elite army. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to just help you instead?”

She moved her hand away from my chest and gently caressed my cheek.

Her eyes were slightly wet and her cheek turned slightly red.

Makia slowly approached my face and whispered.

“Only I can understand you. Only I can heal you. I’ll do anything for that. That’s why—“

“What wishful thinking.”

I interrupted Makia’s word and thrust the keepsake sword.

It pierced her torso.

From what I felt, it should have pierced all the way through

I then raised my sword.

Makia vomited blood while impaled by my sword.

The blood rained down upon me.

White smoke rose as the blood of the Saint burned my body.

Makia dropped something.

It was a dagger engraved with holy attributes.

There’s a string tied to its handle.

“Fumu.”

I glanced at Makia’s fingerless hand.

There was a loose string tied to an ornament on her wrist.

A similar string was also tied to the dagger.

Makia had a dagger on her.

She must have forcibly fixed the string to the ornament.

It must be crafted so she could pierce the target even without use of her finger.

Once she is close enough, it would still be possible to deal fatal damage even without momentum.

That was the only thing Makia who lacked any chance of victory could do.

“You threw me off using bitter criticism then used sweet words to make me lower my guard immediately after. You thought well given your situation.”

I told Makia that.

The moment she stood up, I was aware of her concealed dagger.

To distract me, Makia used a series of denunciations.

Of course, not all of it was falsehood, which is why it felt real.

Makia used her own emotion in an attempt to kill me.

That spirit to consider a comeback and to never give up until the very end. She is without a doubt a hero.

I understood why she was chosen by the world’s will despite having no extraordinary talent.

It must be because of her mental power.

It was rare for anyone to still move toward victory after they tasted the overwhelming difference of power.

She was certainly immature, prideful and arrogant.

However, she possessed the root of what made a person a hero.

“Ah, hahah… as expected, I… failed…”

Makia laughed powerlessly.

The light in her eyes began to fade.

Her torso was pierced with a sword.

It was a fatal wound without a doubt.

Apparently she was also convinced of her own defeat, she hung her limbs without resisting.

“… Hey, tell… me.”

“About what?”

“The things, I said, earlier… What do you think… of humans…?”

I went silent at Makia’s question.

I thought carefully about it.

Because I thought I should be honest here.

After the long silence, I reveal my thoughts to the Saint.

“—Deep inside, I might hate them. There’s no way I wouldn’t hate them. I was … we were treated like that for all that we did.”

I couldn’t deny it anymore.

I recognized the stagnation at the bottom of my heart.

It was an emotion I unconsciously avoided touching.

Perhaps I’ve really fallen to despair.

Because I despaired, I was convinced humanity wouldn’t change, I chose to become the Demon Lord.

And chose the way to stir the world.

After all, I was also a human.

Even if I transformed into a vile undead, the core of my being was still the same Dwight Havelt I once was.

Regardless of how I tried to cover it, the heart itself wouldn’t disappear.

It just proved it was impossible to work on world peace by abandoning personal thought.

“However, the goal of world peace came from my own heart. It wasn’t a premise used to fulfill my vengeful heart. I seriously wished to change this cruel world.

For fulfilling such a purpose, even my hate would be used as fuel to drive it forward.

If that brought the world closer to peace, I would welcome it.

I wasn’t in a position to say beautiful ideals.

I would rebuild the world on top of my vices.

“I’m well aware it wasn’t the best option out there. However, I will definitely fulfill it. I chose to move forward while bearing the lives of all my victims.”

“So you chose to turn defiant, huh… it’s so disgusting I feel like vomiting.”

Makia revealed a bitter smile as her blood flowed.

Her blood flowed from her torso to my hand through the sword.

Its momentum began to decline.

The blood was about to run out.

Makia’s eyes were becoming dull.

It was doubtful if she could see me at all.

I declared to her once again.

“Saint Makia Lynn Meditortia. I shall approve of you. However, I will come out victorious. So slumber with regret.”

“Shouldn’t you … say something gentle, here? You sure, are cruel …”

Makia said as if she blamed me.

She laughed stupidly as she heard it.

“My apologies. I couldn’t come up with any nifty words.”

“…I, see… what…ever.”

As Makia muttered intermittently, she closed her eyes.

She finally lost her strength and limped down

Then stopped moving.

As I was left alone in the city at dawn, I lowered her body to the ground.

A dry wind blew through the city.

I took off my hood and looked over the city as the morning approached.

This city filled with death truly is quiet.