Katahane no Riku

After some days having passed, Charlotte′s execution was going to be carried out now.

Gortoberuk and Fiore became the judges, and by results of the investigation of Charlotte′s crimes, crimes other than those that were disclosed by Riku were found; political corruption such as misappropriation of money and bribing. With crimes that it wouldn′t be enough no matter how many fingers there were to count them, this wasn′t to an extent that she could be pardoned by exiling or house arresting.

Charlotte was sentenced with the most grave punishment. It had been decided she was going to be sentenced to death.

At the central plaza of the demon capital, every single demon was gathered.

In front of their eyes, Charlotte was exposed with her hands tied behind her back. Her crimes had already been announced to all the demons, and moreover, exaggerated rumors such as that [she had connections with the spiritualists and intended to boycott influential demons] or that [she had slept with Rook]. The eyes of the demons gathered at the plaza were bloodshot because of the anger, and words of insult wouldn′t stop coming from them.

However, Charlotte, who was the center of this turmoil, didn′t even look at the public.

“Gh… All this… everything is her fault.”

While biting her lips, Charlotte was only glaring at a single girl. The face that was supposed to be cute was twisted in hatred to the point of it becoming unsightly. An anger that was to the point of the killing intent against the girl be straying from its target and having its traces felt just by coming close was leaking from Charlotte. However, the red haired girl, Riku Barusak, who was being showered directly by Charlotte′s anger, smiled in a comfortable manner.

“…Hey, ojou-chan, is this fine? Charlotte-sama is giving you an awful glare, you know?”

Vrusto, who was standing next to Riku, whispered to her worriedly.

However, Riku kept calmly smiling.

“Is that so? I don′t really mind though… Rather, second lieutenant Vrusto, there is no reason for you to use honorifics on that promiscuous girl. You can say her name without them as much as you want.”

“Well, that′s not the problem… Ah, what to say… Does ojou-chan understand the meaning of what you have done?”

Scratching his cheek in a troubled manner, Vrusto asked.

Because the throne of the provisional demon lord was overturned from Charlotte, at the current situation, there was nobody standing at the top of the Demon Lord army.

Only, there was no need to have a provisional demon lord anymore. The reason for that was that after only a few months, the Demon Lord was going to be revived. Until then, Rudogar Gortoberuk would take the command of the military, and the government would be left for Fiore Panther to handle.

“What was that of [I don′t intend on killing Charlotte]? In the end, you killed Charlotte-sama.”

“The ones that decided that wasn′t me. This was just the result of the accumulation of crimes.”

Riku had only disclosed a fragment of Charlotte′s crimes. If Charlotte was self aware of her position of provisional demon lord and acted accordingly, she certainly wouldn′t have been sentenced to death.

“That was the same reason why Fiore Panther had changed to our side. Charlotte′s usual actions had simply pushed her into changing sides. Everything was called upon by Charlotte herself.”

The only thing Riku had done at the few days before the meeting was only one… Before any other demon, she had told Fiore the [what happened at Derufoi in fact].

Fiore, who worked as Charlotte′s close supporter, actually knew what had happened at Derufoi. Riku didn′t know that, but in fact, the one to order the truth of what happened at Derufoi to be concealed had been Fiore. She had thought that what happened at Derufoi had all been for the sake of the Demon Lord army, but once Riku had left after telling her that, she started having doubts.

“Now that it is close to the moment of the resurrection of the Demon Lord, the spiritualist are certainly going to try stop us seriously. Actually, it has been reported that the spiritualist army had moved to the land where the Demon Lord had been sealed at. If you consider that this will be a serious battle against the spiritualists, objectively thinking, do you think that Charlotte is appropriate for being the provisional demon lord.”

“That…”

Being asked that by Riku, Vrusto averted his eyes.

The battle that would put in line the resurrection of the Demon Lord would be the most important of battles. Then, would it be fine to leave the command to someone that had feelings of love to a spiritualist even if it had been for only a moment? No, there was no way it would be. Would it be good to have someone with this faint love in her mind to give the ultimatum for the decisions of the Demon Lord army? No, there was no way it would be. Fiore should have understood that long ago, but she had her relationship with her best friend, Keity, who revered Charlotte, and probably because of that, she couldn′t judge that Charlotte had to be dismissed.

It was clear that if Fiore was able to cut off the feelings built up over a long time and become capable of doing logical decisions, she would easily change her side to the opposing faction. Currently, Fiore, who had given her final word that [Charlotte didn′t have the abilities to lead the Demon lord army], had already joined into the anti Charlotte faction.

“If you make a mistake by getting carried away by your feelings, you would be having your neck strangled yourself. You should remember this, second lieutenant Vrusto.”

“I will say back those words just the way you had said them.”

Vrusto gave a pat at Riku′s shoulder.

“This time, ojou-chan′s movements were reasonable. There were no mistakes. However, ojou-chan′s emotions… Rather, you could say it is a bad habit, right. It showed up this time too.”

“Bad habit?”

Riku didn′t understand at all what Vrusto was trying to tell her. Looking back at this time′s dispute, Riku didn′t remember doing anything bad, and she didn′t think had she had some sort of weird habit. Bending her head to the side just like a little bird, she looked at Vrusto in wonder.

“Do I have any bad habits?”

“Stupid, be more self-aware. Ojou-chan′s bad habit is to think too much about captain Leivein.”

“Is this a bad habit?”

Riku frowned. She knew that her own actions were for the objective of [having revenge against the Barusak] and [becoming Leivein′s right-wing], but she didn′t really understand how this was a bad habit.

Defeated, Vrusto shook his head, and right at the moment he was about to say something…

“I didn′t do anything wrong!”

Charlotte′s sorrowful cries echoed through the plaza.

Turning their eyes towards the center of the plaza, they saw Charlotte′s figure about to have her arms and legs tied by ropes. The other side of each of the four ropes were connected to ferocious bulls. The reason why Charlotte was having her limbs tied was because it had been decided she would be quartered. There was no way the small body of a little girl would endure the strength of the pull of running bulls from each of the four sides.

Charlotte′s fate was to have her body tore apart and die.

Because Charlotte had treated the Demon Lord army as her own object, the demons were feeling an anger that felt their bodies would rip up from it. From the demon′s perspective, this ending was only the obvious, but by Charlotte, who was going to be executed, this death was one she definitely couldn′t accept.

“What have I done wrong!? You all are only being fooled by that human′s sweet talk!”

“Oh, you are so cruel to say I fooled them.”

Without hearing Vrusto trying to stop her, she went towards Charlotte.

Charlotte′s left arm and right left had already been tied up with the rope. Signaling with her hand to the executors that were tying up the remaining limbs for them to pull back, Riku looked at the unsightly Charlotte.

“I had only told them the truth.”

“Riku Barusak… Have you forgot your gratitude? If I didn′t recognize you, there would be no way you would be standing in the place you are now, you know!?”

“Even if you hadn′t recognized me, captain Leivein had already recognized me.”

While looking at Charlotte, Riku indifferently told her the reality.

Throwing the wheat like beautiful golden hair out of order, Charlotte faced Riku. Suddenly opening both of her eyes, opening her small mouth to the point that it felt it would rip apart, she shouted.

“I… I am the Demon Lord′s sister, you know!? Moreover, the provisional demon lord! What is the problem of me using the Demon Lord army as I want!!

To Charlotte′s eyes, everyone serving at the Demon Lord army were the property of her brother. Since they were the property of the Demon Lord, it was obvious that she, who was the sister of the proprietor, would be idolized.

In short words, what she thought of Keity, Fiore, Riku, and also Leivein was not that they were [soldiers of the Demon Lord army], but [property of the Demon Lord], and so, [they were nothing but chess pieces that she could use freely]. With what Riku had been faintly suspecting of being publicly declared, despite how everything was already concluded, her anger exploded.

“You promiscuous girl… We, …captain Leivein is not your tool!”

Leaving her body to her anger, Riku moved her hand to the halberd at her back.

The instant the blade of her halberd flashed, Charlotte′s eyes sparkled. Because it looked as if Riku′s halberd could cut the rope and release her, Charlotte moved her body as to have it hit the rope.

“Scream, promiscuous girl.”

However, this little trick wasn′t passed by Riku.

Leisurely moving the halberd with a single arm, she cut off Charlotte′s right arm. Like a fountain, blood flowed out from the injury, and Charlotte′s scream reverberated.

While having blood dripping off from her halberd, Riku asked Charlotte, who was suffering with the pain.

“Now, there is still time for you to give your apologies. Charlotte Demonz… Give your apologies for your disrespect to captain Leivein.”

“…I-I didn′t do anything wrong. You will see, Riku Barusak. One day, when onii-sama resurrects, you will…”

“I see, so you won′t apologize.”

Briefly muttering that, Riku dropped down her halberd at Charlotte′s left leg.

In continuation to the right arm, Charlotte′s left leg was cut off, and a shrilling scream echoed through the plaza. Riku was being driven by the urge of cutting her head off, but she tried to content herself by kicking her head.

“Ghn…”(ぐぬぅ) 𝘧r𝑒𝘦𝒘𝘦𝙗ｎovel.𝐜o𝒎

Seeming like she had used a little bit too much strength, Charlotte′s twisted face was swelled up to the point of it becoming unrecognizable. Charlotte′s golden hair that used to be beautiful had her own spilled blood sticking to it.

Thinking a bit, Riku showed a smile as if she had thought of something fun.

“Then, I will give you a choice.”

Riku put one of her feet onto Charlotte′s swelled up face. While stepping at her and rubbing her feet at the cheek that became brown red, Riku spoke to Charlotte in a gentle voice as if she was gently scolding her.

“If you say that [you are a promiscuous girl that slept with the enemy], I will convince them to spare you.”

While tapping her own shoulder with the handle of her halberd, Riku was showing a smile that was as if she was having a lot of fun.

Since this seemed to be something only to humiliate her, Charlotte′s swelled up face twisted, but even so, in tears, she said it in the end.

“I-I am a promiscuous girl that slept with the enemy.”

“Sorry, the audience was too loud, so I couldn′t hear it.”

Riku calmly said.

Confirming that Charlotte′s face was colored in despair, Riku went away from Charlotte and went close to the one of the bulls that were on standby.

“Now then, that is the end. See you, Charlotte Demonz.”

After giving the signal by raising her hand to the executioner that was next to the other bull, Riku slapped the bull′s buttocks. With the bull raising its front feet to the air because of the sudden pain, it started to run ahead. With the bull of the other side also being spanked at the buttock in the same way, it started running as if it was running away from the pain.

Despite her supplications, Charlotte, who was being pulled by opposite sides, was torn apart.

Her angry babblings were drown out by the crowd′s excitement, and so, nobody was able to hear what Charlotte had said in her final moments.

Looking at Charlotte, who became unable to say anything, in a bored manner, she headed outside the plaza.

“…Now then, with that, there are no nuisances left. Vrusto, we are going back to Myuuz.”

The public, who couldn′t contain their anger, gathered around the torn apart Charlotte.

Going in the opposite direction of the waves of people, the moment they had left the plaza, Vrusto spoke.

“Hey, ojou-chan. Someday, you might end up getting cursed.”

Vrusto let out a few complaints. Vrusto′s eyes were showing a seriousness unusual to him.

“There is also Shibira′s prophecy, isn′t there? Be a bit more indulgent, ojou-chan.”

“It′s fine. No matter what kind of bad future there is, I will cut my way out of it. Besides, I am fine. I won′t die until I become captain Leivein′s right-wing after all.”

Showing a smile full of brightness, she ran the gate, where the soldiers she had brought along before were waiting for her. Soon, it would rain. Coming from the west, clouds black to the point that it was as if they were irritated were coming towards them.

“…Should we go get some umbrellas?”

Quietly muttering this, Vrusto followed after Riku while hearing the frenzied voices of the crowd behind him.

——

At this same, there was something happening at the royal capital as well.

“…In accord to your crimes, Rook Barusak shall be exiled from the royal capital. Until you recover my beloved princess, you are not to come back to the royal capital again.”

The king Shiidoru declared Rook Barusak′s punishment.

The king was furious. His beloved and very cute princess he had raised with all his heart was kidnapped by the demons. In addition to that, the fact that the cause for it was the lady killer, Rook Barusak, was like putting oil on fire.

In a situation like this, there was no way Rook could object against the punishment. Rook was silently hearing the sentence passed by the king.

“Do you have any objections, Rook Barusak?”

“No. I will go rescue princess Catherinne myself.”

Kneeling down in one knee, Rook silently lowered his head. However, his voice was trembling.

The rescue event that would happen if you failed at stopping Catherinne from being abducted certainly did exist.

However, the king wouldn′t be enraged, and more importantly, the heroines that had high affection levels with would cover up for him. They would declare that they would accompany him in the journey to rescue Catherinne.

…However, there were no signs this happening

There were some noble girls that were watching over him while swallow salive, but there were no signs that they would butt in the conversation. Lonely, Rook made a sad smile.

“…As expected, it is different from the game.”

“Did you say something, Rook Barusak?”

“No, I was just talking to myself. I will definitely save her!”

Rook swore that he would do to his upmost ability to rescue princess Catherinne.

He wanted to rescue Catherinne fair and square, and fix the regrets of Selestinna, Rebecca, Kurumi and the others, and also the people that had died until now that he didn′t know the name, and heal up the wounds in Riku′s heart, whom he had thrown away.(TL note: I don′t understand what he means by saying wanting to rescue Catherinne fair and square… The word used here is 正々堂々, which literally means that… Hmm, but it kind of gives the feeling that it has the meaning of Rook definitely rescuing the princess without giving up. Well, it doesn′t matter too much ^^)

“Ah, there are many things I need to do.”

Taking his leave from the king, he scratched his head.

There was also the need to reconcile with Charlotte in order to stop the Demon Lord from resurrecting. For the sake of the peace, there might be a need to face against Raimon, his father. The things that he needed to do were piling up into a mountain in front of his eyes.

“But this is my responsibility.”

It was because the things he needed to do were many that there was no way he could give up.

He believed it was his atonement for him to do anything he could.

Looking ahead, Rook started to walk.