**Chapter Twenty-Two: The Merciful Reaper**
The voice was completely unexpected.
As an undead, I can sense Sei’s energy. However, I cannot perfectly detect even the slightest amount. Just as one cannot hear a faint sound without straining their ears, I might miss it if distracted by something else.
I had let my guard down. Senri had fallen once; how could I have predicted she would return so soon, not even half a day later? I thought I would have at least a night’s reprieve before she ultimately returned to clean up.
Her mesmerizing purple eyes were fixed on me. There was no emotion reflected in her features, and it was terrifying enough to make my heart nearly stop.
“You—”
In that fleeting moment, I began to think.
First, I needed to confirm whether Senri had any companions. The four End Knights she had brought with her… were nowhere to be seen. This was good news.
Next, I assessed the difference in our strengths. Senri was exhausted from her battle with the Lord. However, the Sei energy she had concealed within her seemed to have recovered significantly since the last time I saw it, just before she was about to leave. It was far from complete, but it was a true Sei artifact. Though her appearance was somewhat dirty, she bore no significant negative wounds. Considering the tenacity she had shown during her fight with the Lord, it seemed likely that even if she were on the brink of death, she could awaken during combat. In the language of artifacts, this was how a necromancer was destined to be defeated.
Finally, I imagined how she perceived me. I had already been seen with Ruu in the city. Since Ruu had been killed by the End Knights eight or nine times out of ten, it would be only natural for Senri to view me as an enemy.
Senri was staring intently at me. However, I noticed her gaze flicker briefly toward the shining sun in the sky.
Only low-tier undead can move under sunlight. Though it didn’t seem like she was affected by the sunlight, she was likely hesitating to attack me, unsure if I was truly undead. My negative energy was concealed, so I probably didn’t appear as an undead to her.
I gripped my right hand, which was still blistered from touching a silver arrow, a sharp pain radiating from it. The blessed silver arrow was a general weakness against all undead, including ghouls. Its power was low enough not to be fatal unless one was caught off guard, but it hindered my regenerative abilities, leaving scars for a while, and wisps of white smoke were still rising from the blistered wound.
Hiding it now would be pointless. Senri would surely notice.
In the first place, even if I were human, I would still be a target for extermination as a companion of the Lord. The Order of the Final Knights was an aggressive group. Even in children’s fairy tales, there are scenes where townspeople manipulated by necromancers are mercilessly defeated.
I couldn’t understand why Senri had returned alone. However, if I fled, I would be killed. If I attacked, I would also be killed. Showing any signs of hostility would only backfire.
Then—there was no choice but to persuade her.
If I were Senri, I would not let her escape, but Senri was not me. The Senri I had seen in the city had a certain kindness that set her apart from the other third-tier Knights. What she possessed that the third-tier Knights lacked… was mercy. Perhaps she thought of us as humans, which led her to try to help us.
To be honest, if it had been a third-tier Knight who had come here instead of Senri, I would likely have already been dead.
Whether it was a third-tier Knight or a second-tier Knight, they were still reapers I could not contend with, so it was rather fortunate that it was Senri who had arrived.
She was different. Compared to the cruel End Knights from fairy tales, she was merciful. And that was a vulnerability.
I made an effort to maintain my composure and feigned a sorrowful expression as I looked at Ruu’s grave.
“In my previous life, Ruu asked me to make her a grave… so she could rest peacefully.”
“…I see.”
The words that came from her mouth lacked any element of emotion, but I could see a fleeting sorrow in her gaze. The absence of honorifics suggested that I was the one being treated with familiarity. While I couldn’t let my guard down, it seemed she had no immediate intention of erasing me.
I needed to respond in a friendly manner. I had to show my humanity. I had yet to display any undead traits in front of her.
“Um… Senri, right? What did you come here for?”
Senri stared at the grave in silence for a moment before finally speaking. Her silver hair swayed gently in the breeze.
“…I came to retrieve her body. I intend to bury her in the city.”
Those words were unexpected to me.
“I see… then I shouldn’t have gone through the trouble of making a grave.”
I thought this from the bottom of my heart. If I hadn’t made Ruu’s grave, I could have left before Senri arrived. Ruu would surely have preferred to rest in a beautiful grave in the city rather than in a forest like this. Though I had made a promise, I never imagined the Order of the Final Knights would be such a noble organization.
I fell silent, trying not to show my irritation as Senri moved closer, standing beside me to look down at the grave. Her delicate neck seemed soft, and a tantalizing scent wafted from her flesh, stirring my appetite. If I extended my claws and swung my arm, I could reach her in less than a second. However, I could not take that option. I must not give her an excuse to attack me (though the fact that I was undead was already a sufficient excuse).
“Were you friends?”
Friends? That was a word Ruu would likely get angry over. Ruu and I were not friends. In the end, we had formed a temporary alliance, but we had been in a hostile position throughout.
I pressed my face into my hands and spoke in a voice as heavy as Senri’s.
“No… she was family.”
“…”
Appeal to her heart. Draw out the sympathy of this merciful reaper.
I could do this. I was not completely dead yet. If anyone could do it, it was me. I would use any despicable means necessary. Fortunately, I had no need to put on a facade. It may sound self-serving, but I had been a pitiful human since my previous life.
“But at last, Ruu can finally rest peacefully. There was no future for her as a slave to Holos. Deep down, she wished for death. Senri, you are her benefactor.”
“That’s not true…”
In response to my flattery, Senri spoke in a voice that was barely suppressed, her brow not even twitching. Her expression was almost unreadable, but it was clear that she was compassionate.
I decided to take a gamble. Time was not on my side. If Senri did not return soon, there was a possibility that the Order of the Final Knights would come searching for her. I pointed to my eyes, sighed deeply, and said,
“At times like this, being undead is inconvenient. Even though I’m so sad—tears won’t come.”
“N/A!? You really are… N/A!”
Senri’s expression shifted to one of certainty, and she instinctively took a step back. This was her range. She had not drawn her sword, but I was now in a deadly situation. Yet, I did not panic. I needed to proceed cautiously.
I forced a smile to show I bore no ill will, opening my hands wide and raising them high.
“Ah. I am… a ‘Shiki’ (Ghoul). However, due to some strange twist of fate… I still retain memories from my previous life as a human.”
“…What?”
Senri’s expression, which had shown little change until now, transformed. Her eyes widened, and she looked at me with a gaze devoid of hostility.
Holos Carmen had never doubted that I retained no memories from my previous life. And judging by Senri’s expression, it seemed this was a rare occurrence.
I had won. The arrow that had pierced Ruu’s chest was a weapon. Senri’s weapon was a sword. She could not strike down a pitiful human. Even if my body was an artifact, she could not bring herself to cut down me, who still retained human intellect and reason. Even if no one blamed her, Senri empathized too much with others.
This was a fatal weakness for an End Knight. Though her combat abilities were extraordinary, Senri possessed far too much humanity.
No embellishments were needed. I would recount the events as they were. I took a deliberately unnecessary breath and began the tale of a tragic end.
“Ruu helped me. Holos Carmen was plotting a terrifying ritual. If he had been here, he might have ordered me to attack people. That was something I absolutely wanted to avoid. It was fortunate that Senri and the Order of the Final Knights had come to the nearby town. Thanks to that, I can still remain human.”
I carefully chose my words, stacking up the reasons for my actions.
Senri lowered her gaze. I was not lying.
I had never attacked a human. I had hardly left the forest.
I did not want to attack people. I did not want to create enemies like the Order of the Final Knights.
However, if it became necessary for survival, I would cast aside my hesitation and become a monster that attacked humans.
I was rational. A monster with reason and human intelligence.
Objectively speaking, I was a very terrifying monster. If I were a member of the Order of the Final Knights, I would never forgive myself.
In a way, it was absurdly ironic that I, an undead, might be more suited to be a Knight of the End than the talented Senri.
“Fortunately, there are no humans in this forest. I intend to guard Ruu’s grave here and live the rest of my life quietly. I can hunt beasts for food. That’s how I’ve lived until now.”
“…I see.”
“Is that no good?”
Before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set, and the simple grave of Ruu was bathed in a beautiful crimson hue.
I waited for her response. The wound on my palm, which had been on the verge of purification, had already vanished.
Night was my time, the time of the undead. Shiki, being a weak undead, wouldn’t be enhanced much, but it would be far better than during the day.
Senri was hesitating. A second felt like a minute, or even ten.
I patiently waited for her answer, still smiling. No, that was all I could do.
If I ran now, Senri would chase after me. And I, as a low-tier undead, could not possibly compete with Senri, who could easily blow away dragons and slay Lords over a hundred times. That wouldn’t change even at night.
Though Senri was unaware, she was essentially holding a sword to my throat now.
Finally, Senri lifted her face. There was no longer any hesitation in her eyes.
Those eyes were sharp, and her voice was devoid of emotion, yet there was compassion within.
“…I understand. It’s my first time meeting an undead with memories of a previous life, but… End, you certainly retain your reason. If that’s the case, then I don’t think it’s a problem… I hope.”
There was a hint of uncertainty in her final words. However, there was a strong resolve behind them.
She was likely planning to persuade her companions.
She was endlessly kind and endlessly pure.
I let out a sigh of relief and looked down at the grave.
“That’s good… I think Ruu would be happy too.”
“…I’ll come again tomorrow. If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll bring it.”
“I can’t ask for that much. But, well… if you could bring some flowers to offer to Ruu, I would appreciate it. It seems there aren’t many decent flowers growing in this forest.”
“…Understood. I’ll definitely bring them.”
Senri nodded firmly.
She was a dazzling human. Including her previous life, her soul was probably the purest among all the humans I had encountered.
She believed in people. No one would normally be like this if they lived a regular life.
Though she was a bit different from the Order of the Final Knights that I admired, her aptitude would appear incredibly noble from an objective standpoint.
Thus, deceiving someone so pure would be… incredibly painful.
The sky shifted to a dim twilight. Senri closed her eyes and offered a prayer at Ruu’s grave before starting to walk toward the forest’s exit.
I would likely never see her again. Once Senri was gone, I intended to leave the forest immediately.
Senri’s silver hair swayed gently. At the last moment, I called out to her back.
There was one question that lingered. Perhaps Senri, as an expert in undead extermination, might know the answer.
“Senri. By the way, Holos Carmen mentioned something. He said he would create a ‘King of the Dead.’ It might be trivial now, but do you know what a ‘King of the Dead’ is?”
Senri stopped dead in her tracks, turning slightly without looking back, and said it as if it were nothing.
“A ‘King of the Dead’ is… a necromancer classified as a high-tier—an undead who transformed into a special undead through forbidden techniques. Holos Carmen was human. I destroyed him. It’s… no longer relevant.”
—
Waiting for Senri’s presence to completely fade, I began to act.
I had to hurry.
Senri had chosen to overlook me. She accepted my proposal to stay in the forest.
That was likely her true intention. Though we had only just met, it was clear she was not someone who could lie.
However, it was probable that Senri could not persuade her companions.
Of course. I had memories of a previous life, but I was undeniably a monster. The Order of the Final Knights, who took it upon themselves to exterminate the dark kin, would never let me go.
Having admired the Order of the Final Knights, I knew them well. It wasn’t that the other Knights were cruel; it was Senri who was “different.”
Would Senri keep silent about me to her companions? That was unlikely. She was not foolish, but she trusted people too much.
Even if she remained silent, how would her companions interpret her return without anything after heading out to recover a body?
If questioned, Senri would speak. And she would plead for mercy on my behalf, just as I had done for her.
Without a doubt, they would come to kill me. A group would come to hunt me down. They would come to slay the ugly monster that tried to deceive their princess to survive.
I had no thoughts of being acknowledged by anyone or accepted. I was already a monster living in darkness.
A monster that devoured raw meat, and if I lived long enough, I would likely start to drink blood as well.
My wish had not changed. My wish was—simply to live. Survival and freedom. I would search for a greater purpose from now on.
I left Ruu’s grave and headed toward the remnants of the mansion.
My goal was the hatchet I had not taken with me during my escape.
There was still time before Senri reached the town. I could extend my claws, but I would need a weapon. Whether I wielded it or not, it was a kind of keepsake from the Lord. It was a special item.
Speaking of which, Senri had said that the ‘King of the Dead’ was a necromancer who had turned into an undead.
Perhaps the sunshade cloak and shadow amulet were items prepared by the Lord for himself.
I rummaged through the rubble where the Lord’s laboratory had been and struggled to find the pitch-black hatchet. I also acquired travel gear, including a bag.
By that time, the darkness had completely enveloped the forest. Only the silver moon illuminated the world.
I could see well in the dark. My vision was secured. Night was my time.
Without a map, I didn’t know where to go, but I would try to escape as far as possible.
I felt bad for Senri. But it was something I had to do.
I… could not trust people as she did.
I swung the hatchet a few times and quickly leaped over the mansion’s fence.
As I began to walk in the opposite direction from where Senri had gone,
—A voice calling my name echoed from somewhere.
“End—at last, the time has come. Vessel of the King of the Dead.”
It was a dark voice that resonated as if from the depths of hell. A chill ran down my spine.
Instinctively, I drew the hatchet at my waist and quickly scanned the surroundings.
It was—floating in the air. I bit my tongue to suppress the rising fear.
It hovered, blocking the silver moon, looking down at me with a face unchanged from my previous life.