Chapter 41: Gap in the Heart
My name is Slayer Raeburn.
Repeating my name in my mind, I reaffirmed that I am Slayer.
I was just a village girl, but I was reincarnated as the villainess of the story.
If the story progresses as it should, a disastrous end awaits.
I didn’t want that, so I fought desperately to get this far.
Just a little more.
The problems that the heroes had were solved.
I’ve recovered most, if not all, of the power of the Demon king.
Just when I thought it was finally over, it wasn’t. . .
“How many more are there?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?”
“Don’t say things like that! I won’t forgive you if you make Slayer-san uncomfortable!”
Flare was fuming next to me.
Belfist, unfazed, smiled proudly and said,
“You don’t need her permission, right?”
“I do! I’m Slayer-san’s best friend!”
“Oh really, number one? That’s news to me.”
“You’re not my friend.”
“I know that. I never intended to be friends with you either.”
Flare and Belfist glared at each other.
It looked tense at first glance, but was the usual flow.
“You two have such a good relationship.”
I muttered and concentrated on my thoughts.
Satan, the Demon king.
He is the final boss in the story I know, and another persona within Belfist.
The two are not separate, but seem to be fused into one.
The person I’m talking to now is both Satan and Belfist.
Demon King Satan was resurrected to find his partner.
That seems to be his purpose, and he seems to have no interest in conquering the world or causing the extinction of humanity.
If I become his wife, he would not become an enemy of the world.
However, if he cannot recover a part of the power that was separated during his resurrection, my safety will not be guaranteed.
After making such a contract, we have come to the present.
“Bell.”
“What?”
“The remaining power is inside this school, right?”
“Yes, there’s no mistake about it.”
Belfist asserts.
He interrupted his argument with Flare and closes his eyes to speak.
“I feel the power closer.”
“Close. . .?”
“Yeah, really close. It might be the closest I’ve felt so far. That’s how strong I sense the power.”
“Isn’t that because we’re inside here?”
Flare’s words quiet the room.
Belfist opens his eyes forcefully, and I also quickly turned my gaze towards Flare.
Our gazes met, and Flare becomes nervous.
“Um, well, did I say something weird…?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
“It’s possible. Why didn’t we notice until now? Was it because it was too close to realize? If that’s the case, we were quite foolish.”
“Exactly, I also. . .”
“Um. . .Slayer-san?”
“Thank you, Flare. Thanks to you, I understand now.”
Her casual remark resolves the doubts that were beginning to grow.
If I had thought about it carefully, I should have arrived at this conclusion.
The parts of the Demon king’s power were dormant within the heroes who appeared in the story.
The power of the Demon king was drawn to the gaps in their hearts.
The heroes were significant characters alongside the protagonist.
If there is indeed a connection between this world and that story… then the remaining power is most likely within the major characters who appeared in the story.
I looked at Flare.
It’s not her.
Within Flare lies a holy power.
She possesses a special power that only she has, a power that can be called the arch-nemesis of the Demon king.
Naturally, the holy power interferes and negates the presence of the Demon king’s power.
Even if there were gaps in her heart, the holy power would nullify the Demon king’s power.
Therefore, I am convinced that it does not exist within her.
I looked at Belfist.
He was also excluded from the candidates.
It’s obvious.
Because he is the vessel and the sharer of the will of the Demon king Satan..
The power within him has already returned as the Demon King’s power.
Although I have some thoughts, I can assert that it’s not him.
So, there’s only one left.
I understand it the most.
Belfist also realized this and looked at me.
Yes, if it’s not the two of us, there’s only one candidate.
The major character in the story, and based on her character traits, the one most likely to have gaps in her heart.
The villainess, Slayer Raeburn.
In other words. . .
“The power of the Demon King was sleeping within me.”
“Within Slayer-san. . .”
“It’s highly likely. In fact, I can’t think of any other candidates.”
“. . .Yes.”
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
I was surprised, but at the same time, I understood.
If the Demon King’s power is attracted to the gaps in human hearts, then Slayer is the most likely candidate.
The original Slayer in the story was never satisfied.
There was no one she could truly understand.
She acted to fulfill her own desires, ultimately leading to her own downfall.
There must have been a big hole in her heart as well.
“I have to fill the hole in Slayer’s heart. . .”
“Why are you talking like it’s someone else’s problem? It’s your problem.”
“It’s actually someone else’s problem. It’s Slayer’s problem, not mine.”
“No, it’s your problem.”
“Huh. . .”
Caught off guard, I showed a confused expression.
Belfist looked at me with a disappointed expression and said,
“Sigh, think about it. It’s true that initially the power resided in Slayer before it was transferred to you. If we assume that you became Slayer midway…
“That’s correct. You saw my memories too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m not doubting that. But the problem is, you’re not the actual Slayer now. So, the heart problem that Slayer had is not related to you.”
“I see.”
I became a Slayer in the middle of my life.
have memories before that, but those memories remained in Slayer’s body; they weren’t my own experiences.
As evidence, even though I have memories, I don’t have any emotions attached to them.
I have no idea what Slayer has been thinking and feeling throughout her life.
Just this fact alone proves that Slayer and I are different people.
The gaps in her heart that she carried with her were nothing but someone else’s problem to me.
“Basically, once you became her, the gaps in her heart should disappear. My power would lose its anchor and move to someone else.”
“That means. . .”
“You understand now, right? In short, it’s you.”
Belfist points to my left chest.
“Because there was a gap in your heart, my power remained without leaving.”
“――In my heart. . .”
