3 bar menu

Ruler Vol 5 Chapter 26

 

---

Author: Anit666

Editor: Weasalopes

---

“Didn’t think that you’d be the one to stop me from leaving this house.”

What?

“What do you mean by that?”

His eyes narrowed.

“I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who caught your frequent glares while we were eating. Auntie was sitting beside me, remember?”

“Ugh!” I involuntarily let out a groan. “Y-you’re just imagining things.”

“Your excuses won’t work on me.” He smirked. “Now, since we have the same objectives, why don’t we work together in a way that’s beneficial for us both?”

What’s with the feeling of calculation I’m getting from his tone? It is clearly much different from the gentle one from earlier. Is he finally showing his true colours? Perfect.

“Why are you so eager to go back home?”

“Because I have some things I want to do.”

“What things?”

“I am under no obligation to answer your question.”

A sneaky one, isn’t he?

“Then why did you come with us in the first place? What were you planning?”

“Planning?” He furrowed his brows. “You are clearly misunderstanding things-”

“Stop lying!”

I shouted when I didn’t even mean to. In return, Samuel’s stare turned into a glare.

“Look here, boy, I’m not lying or-”

“I asked you to STOP LYING!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “You have always been like this, Samuel Hayden!”

Wait, what? What am I saying? Always been like this, when today is the first day I’ve met him?

“Lying, deceiving, planning, and stealing! That’s what you’ve done since the day I met you!” But my mouth didn’t stop, as if it didn’t belong to me anymore. “You lied to us and became our friend! You deceived us by playing around with our feelings! You stole Susan from us! And in the end, you abandoned us and went off to die on your own! If you had been there, then Susan and Arthur wouldn’t have died!”

What am I saying? Why am I saying this? Abandoned? Deceit? Death of Arthur and Susan? What the heck is happening here?

“Just strip your mask of hypocrisy and face me!” Yet no matter how many doubts I held, my mouth still didn’t stop. “Show me your true colours, Samuel Hayden- arrrgggghhhh!”

Suddenly, a vicious throbbing pain assaulted my head, and I fell down. I felt like thousands of people were battering my head with metal bats. I’d prefer to just keel over and die then feel this pain.

My vision was dyed with red, and my eyes became heavy. And just before I closed them, I saw a wide, wide, smirk on Samuel’s face.

“So, what do you choose, Samuel Hayden?”

What? Where am I?

Bright light blinded my eyes, rendering me unable to see for some moments, but when they finally adjusted to the light, I saw a mixture of white and golden.

In front of me, on a large golden throne with several gems studded on it, sat a man. With white, flowing hair and azure eyes, he was looking down on us.

No, he was looking down at the boy who was standing at the forefront of our group: Samuel Hayden.

Ah, right. Our entire class had suddenly been ‘summoned’ from our classroom. The moment we opened our eyes, a man, called Metetron or something, greeted us, and told us that we were going to become Heroes.

“Well, how about you kill everyone except Susan and Sherry?”

Wait, what?

I focused at the source of the calm voice, and Samuel was still talking to that man who called himself a God.

“Interesting.” Metetron chuckled. “But I unfortunately cannot do that. Either all of them will live, or all of them will die. The choice.” He crossed his legs and squinted. “Lies in your hands, Samuel.”

“Diplomacy’s dead, huh?” Samuel sighed, and then cupped his chin, as if contemplating something. “Well-”

“Wait.”

But before he could say anything, I interfered. Everyone now turned to look at me, and Metetron gave me a bemused smile.

“I will take Sam’s place, so leave him alone.”

It was the truth that we had been summoned here, but that wasn’t all. The moment he laid his eyes on Samuel, Metetron’s demeanour had changed.

Metetron had given him a choice; he’ll have to do a job in return for our lives. He had made it perfectly clear to Samuel that the job would require him to risk his life.

And I knew for a fact that Samuel would take it.

“Hooohh….”

Metetron exhaled in admiration. I took that as the cue and started walking towards him.

I passed by Susan, and saw the teary, worrying look in her eyes. Yet again, I knew whom that worry was directed at.

Do not get me wrong; I still don’t like Samuel. After all, he was the one who had infiltrated our group of three and snatched Susan from us. With meticulous planning and cold calculations, he had enthralled Susan and distanced her from us. And we weren’t the only ones he had done this to; two other girls, Sherry and Chloe, also always loitered around him.

And to this day, I still hadn’t been able to understand his thoughts. He donned a mask and told lies at every point of time; he never removed that mask, not even for the most important of occasions. Not even today.

For as long as I could remember, he always had a surreal smile on his face and a bemused glint in his eyes, perfectly hiding his emotions, as if he was an unfeeling monster.

But that didn’t change this one fact; Susan needed him and not me. No matter how he had done it, he had become the most important person in Susan’s heart; he had become the reason for her smile. So, what kind of friend would I be if I couldn’t even protect that smile?

Besides, in a new world, my existence wouldn’t have any value, but his would. I’m completely sure of it. After all, no matter how much of a despicable man he was, he was second to none when it came to ability.

So, what I’m doing is right. If someone has to be sacrificed, then it shall be me. I’ll take on that job so that everyone else can live.

Yes, if it’s Sam, then Arthur and Susan won’t have to die-

Eh…..? What? What was I thinking just now? I feel that it was important-

Fuck that shit! It doesn’t matter now.

I finally reached the place Sam was standing at, looked Metetron straight into his eyes, and declared in a loud voice.

“Whatever it is that you want him to do, I will do that, so let him and the others go.”

“Splendid!” Metetron exclaimed. “It is rare to see such devotion and courage from youth nowadays. You, my boy, should be proud of yourself.”

Good! Then all that’s left is to say goodbye-

“However, it’s a shame that I cannot accept your request.”

Eh?

“Don’t look at me like that, my child. It is but the truth.”

“W-what do you mean you can’t accept it?” My voice started trembling. “You just need a scapegoat, don’t you? Then what is the problem with me!? Just leave him alone and make do with what you have, you shitty bastard!”

“I can’t accept you because you are not fit for the job. Samuel is the only one who can do that. So, with that said.”

He suddenly snapped his fingers, and the place beside me glowed. Fearing for the worst, I turned into that direction, only to see that Samuel was no longer there.

“You-!”

“Well, I hope you’ll enjoy your journey, Heroes. We’ll meet again when you have achieved one of the scenarios, which I hope would be the ideal one.”

He snapped his fingers again, and blinding light filled my vision-

“M-Michael……”

I heard Arthur’s groan, and suddenly, I was in a room somewhere.

On a bed front of me lay Arthur, battered and bloodied at various places. His brown hairs were sticking to his head due to the clotted blood, while his eyes seemed out of focus.

And I was clutching his already powerless hands.

“You must…… take care of Susan……” He murmured in a hoarse voice. “W-will you….?”

My head was immediately moving up and down before I could think anything else, and in return, a slight smile appeared on his face.

“Thank…… yu……..”

He closed his eyes with that, and his hand fell from mine.

“Arthur?” I called out to him, but he didn’t stir. “Arthur? Oi, Arthur, wake up!” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Wake up, Arthur! You cannot do this to me, you cannot leave me alone!” My vision was becoming fuzzy. “You are the only I have left, so please, don’t do this to me!”

How did this happen? Why did this happen? Weren’t we supposed to be Heroes together and protect Susan at all costs? So why? I cannot do that alone. I need him by my side! So he cannot die like this! I will not let him die like this! I’ll slap him awake if I have to!

Suddenly, someone put a hand on my shoulder.

“This is enough, Michael…… Arthur….. has left us….”

“No no, don’t give me that bullshit! You are a healer, aren’t you, Sherry? So tell me that you can heal him. Bring him back to life; I’ll do anything in return. Take my life if you have to, so please, give Arthur back to me. He –hick– is my best friend, he’s all I have, so, please…….. please please please, heal Arthur…….. I’m begging you, Sherry, please give my Arthur back to me…….”

But in return, she only clutched my shoulder tightly.

This was her response to my pleas.

Ahhh….

“Uwaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

A scream, perhaps the loudest one in my entire life, escaped my lips. Sherry simply grabbed my head and buried it in her bosom, as if asking me to cry all I wanted to.

After some time, when my wails had finally stopped.

“Michael, there’s one more thing that I have to tell you……”

One more thing? What else is left to say?

“It’s related to Susan.”

Susan? Wait, Susan! Where is she?! She should be here right now!

“Susan……” Sherry started, and then stopped for some moments. With a deep breath, she resumed. “She…… did not come back with us.”

“Hueh?”

Did not come back with us? Who didn’t? Susan? What is she talking about?

“When we were teleported back here, Susan was not with us. And no matter how hard we tried, we could not find her.”

Haha, what’s with this dumb woman? Susan didn’t come back with us? Impossible.

“Stop lying Sherry.”

“I am not.”

“….T-then, she must be around here somewhere. Maybe she is in the washroom-”

“We have checked everywhere, while the knights are searching the entire capital right now. However, most likely………. She is still at the Demon King’s castle.”

Demon King castle? Does she mean that Susan is with that monster?

“Ha! Don’t joke-”

“I’m not, Michael!” Sherry suddenly shouted. “Get a grip on yourself! Arthur has just died, and Susan has been stranded there!”

She’s not kidding?

…….This is bad, seriously bad! If Susan’s still there, then god knows what the Demon King will do to her. No, this can’t be happening. Susan is all I have left now! I cannot lose her due to my mistake!

“I’m going.”

I stood up and headed for the door.

“Wait, where are you going?!”

Sherry also stood up and got in the way.

“Isn’t that obvious? I’m going to the Demon King’s castle and bringing Susan back.”

What else would I do right now?

“No, you cannot!” She fiercely shook her head. “You will die!”

“As if I care about that!”

What the fuck does it matter whether I live or die?! Susan is in danger right now, so I have to protect her! I couldn’t save Arthur, but I will at least save her!

“If you go now then both of you will end up dying in vain! Can’t you see that?!”

This bitch!

“Out of my way!”

I tried to shove her aside, but she resisted and we got into a brawl.

“You fucking whore!”

“Call me whatever you want, but I will not let you go!”

She grabbed my waist and refused to let go.

“You….!”

Why is this bitch getting in my way?! All I want to do is to save Susan! Can’t she see that!?

The scuffle continued and we became more violent.

“GET OFF ME!”

I suddenly pulled out my sword and stabbed her.

“Gughh!”

Her groan brought me back to my senses, only to confront me with a hellish scene; my sword, piercing her chest, her hand, clutching my sword.

“Don’t- kheok!– go….. M-Michael……”

With tears streaming down her eyes and blood flowing from her mouth, she made a final plea, and then her head drooped down, as if she was a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“S-Sherry….?”

I called out to her, but she didn’t respond. I reached for her face and lifted it, only to be met with cold, lifeless eyes.

“A-ahh!”

My hands left my sword and I stepped back, which was followed by the thud of Sherry’s body falling.

I looked at my hands, smeared with blood and trembling, and finally, the reality of what I had done dawned on me.

I killed her. I killed Sherry. I killed the girl who was trying to stop me for my own good.

I felt an impact on my knees. I looked down, only to find that I had fallen on my knees.

W-what have I done? How did this happen? I-I just wanted to stop her, I didn’t mean to do that. I didn’t want to kill her.

Oooh god, what have I done? Is this a Hero? How am I supposed to protect Susan with the hands that have killed my own comrade?

I looked at Sherry again, hoping that she would move, hoping that she would say something, that this was all just an elaborate prank they had pulled on me…..

But the only thing delivered to me was the cold, harsh, truth.

Not only had I failed to save Arthur, I had also killed Sherry and left Susan at the Demon King’s castle.

What a failure I am. What a………. failure, I am………

Suddenly, the air around me shifted. I looked around, only to see cracks appearing in the space around me. Before I could make any head or tails of the situation, a sound resembling glass shattering resounded in my ears, followed by a sombre voice.

 

“Welcome, Michael Fortner.”

---

 

---