What qualities should a hostage have? They should be someone important or symbolic to the other party or be someone whose very capture can apply pressure. Many factors come into play, but most importantly, they should be somewhat weak. A hostage you can’t use when needed is as frustrating as money you can’t retrieve when you want it back.

In that sense, Historia is ill-suited as a hostage. The moment you capture “the Daughter of the Military Nation,” morale will plummet, and, most critically, she’s simply too strong. With half of the Six Generals absent, how much would it cost to restrain or kill Historia?

Historia, the person in question, sat silently, deep in thought. The regressor replied with a look of doubt.

“…You’re planning to take the Gunner as a hostage? Is that even possible? And why?”

“It’s different. The hostage isn’t Historia.”

Hilde’s smile disappeared as she jumped from my lap onto the round table and pressed down on the biometric device on her wrist. The oversized clothes instantly shrank to fit her form.

“The hostage is the Military Nation itself. To keep this fragile country from collapsing, we need General Historia as its last bastion. Now that Technician Maximilian, Necromancer Zikhrund, and Sky Controller Emedere are either gone or unavailable, without Historia, the Military Nation might crumble immediately.”

Amazingly, the Military Nation fits the qualities of a hostage. If it collapses, the world will be thrown into chaos. If it survives, it’ll remain a reliable ally. Depending on how we handle it, it could either collapse quickly or thrive.

Taking a nation as a hostage. The scale of this is hard to grasp, but somehow, it makes sense when considering its internal state.

“Of course, there’s no guarantee the nation won’t collapse even with Historia! But without a usable force that the General Staff can deploy, the General Staff’s influence will be zero! And Father’s communication officers will quickly reach their limits! So, will you accept this, Father?”

But I shrugged my shoulders.

“That’s not up to me. You’ll have to ask Lia. Lia, are you willing to be a hostage?”

“….”

“She needs some time to think. Understandable.”

I conveyed this on behalf of the silent Historia. Hilde asked again.

“Even if the Military Nation falls?”

“Do you know the phrase I’ve said the most while living in the Military Nation? ‘This damn country, let it burn.’ Finally, it seems my long-repeated wish is coming true.”

“Incredible! The rise or fall of a nation doesn’t even make you blink. As expected of Father!”

Hilde cheered, clapping for me, while Tir watched this absurd scene with her mouth covered, falling deeper into a misunderstanding.

‘From that natural “Father” title to how perfectly in sync they are…! They even look somewhat alike…! Are they really parent and child? Just how young was he when he married…?’

No, not at all. In fact, Hilde is actually older than I am, so for her to be my child, I’d need to go back to before I was even born. But watching her dig her own grave is entertaining, so I’ll leave her be. Besides, it’s Tir who’s misunderstanding, and it’s Hilde who will be embarrassed, so I’ll just enjoy the show.

“All right. Let’s continue this discussion after a short rest. That’s all.”

As I declared this, Tir cautiously approached Hilde and, holding the hem of her skirt with one hand, greeted her with a graceful bow.

“Greetings, child. I am Tircanzhaka. Though I am known in the world as the progenitor of vampires, I received great help from Hugh in the Abyss, so do not fear. I swear upon my blood—I shall not covet yours.”

‘Oh? Why is she suddenly acting like this?’

Hilde blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. So she does get flustered. However, being a skilled actress before she was a shapeshifter, Hilde handled the situation smoothly.

“Nice to meet you, Tircanzhaka. I heard my father owes you a great deal.”

“I owe him much less than he does me, but we’re still closely connected, relying on each other. You may rely on me as well, child.”

“Wow! That’s reassuring, I’m glad!”

…Good luck, Hilde. Just don’t call her “Mother” by mistake.

Leaving the two in their growing spiral of misunderstandings, I turned to the regressor.

“Well, that aside. Shea, can you acknowledge it now? Just how hard I’ve been working. I’m really breaking my back here, and no one appreciates it.”

The regressor scowled at me and quickly turned her head.

“…Fine! Thank you! It’s really fortunate that you’re here!”

“Well, that’s one way to make me bow down. Could you try to express your gratitude a bit sooner in the future, before I have to beg for it?”

“You’ve got a lot to say even when I thank you! If you’d told me sooner, I wouldn’t have worried so much!”

What nerve, acting all angry for something you were supposed to do anyway. And you didn’t tell me anything either.

“Shea, when Lia and I confronted Maximilian, we tried to stall him by engaging in conversation.”

“Oh, you said you fought that guy?”

‘That Maximilian… He loves to run his mouth. Definitely the type to let his guard down and take a hit.’

“Yes. When I brought up the King of Sin, Maximilian said there was no such thing and suggested I might be referring to the King of Humans.”

I broached the subject cautiously. However, the regressor shook her head firmly.

“No. The King of Sin is the King of Sin.”

“But he said sin isn’t something animals can have. Only humans possess sin, so the King of Sin has to be the King of Humans.”

“No. The King of Sin is not the King of Humans. They’re separate… they have to be.”

Hmm.

The regressor, who’s terrible at lying, denied it without a hint of hesitation. So that’s how it is.

The King of Sin is not the King of Humans. She didn’t believe that—she wanted to believe it.

In other words, she didn’t believe it at all.

She knows plenty about the Beast Kings and the world’s secrets. But she desperately turns her eyes away from the conclusion that the King of Sin must be the King of Humans, repeating it so persistently that even she starts to believe it. Because…

‘I don’t want to believe that the entity I must face… is the King of Humans. If that’s true… it means humanity abandoned humanity. Including me…’

Because if she didn’t believe that, she felt she’d lose her will. It was purely a matter of self-preservation. Understandable. Motivation is incredibly important, after all.

“Hm. All right, then.”

“You believe me?”

“Believe you? It’s not like I have a choice. The world’s about to end. It’s hard to believe, but… you do seem to know more than most saints. You just don’t explain things well.”

“Oh, that… that’s…”

“Besides, I’ll tag along if there’s something to gain from it. Just by sticking around in this chaos, I got myself connected to the Military Nation’s General Staff. Crisis is opportunity. This is an achievement I couldn’t have reached in the back alleys.”

“That’s what’s important to you?”

“Maybe you’re a really bad con artist, Shea. But that’s fine. If it’s a world-class con, what’s the harm? If I can profit from it, it’s a gain. In a con, the trick is to ride along rather than expose it. That’s how you get the most out of it.”

“…Now I’m starting to wonder if I should be the one questioning whether to trust you.”

The regressor shook her head, then suddenly looked at me with a contemplative expression.

‘Come to think of it, Maximilian did ask if Hughes was the King of Humans. It was a hasty conclusion because Azi was nearby, but what if…?’

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. I can finally confirm it.

The fact that I’m the King of Humans is true, and it’s shown in various ways. Yet, the regressor, who should be the first to know this secret, hadn’t suspected it once. From the first time we met until now, she hasn’t even considered the possibility.

While I found it strange, I eventually came up with a hypothesis. If this hypothesis were correct, it would explain why the regressor didn’t recognize me. However, testing this hypothesis required a delicate approach—particularly, I had to bring up the keyword “King of Humans” from the regressor’s memory without revealing my identity.

‘The King of Humans… No, that’s impossible.’

After a long detour, I had the opportunity to test my hypothesis as the regressor’s memories began to resurface.

‘I’ve seen… the King of Sin with my own eyes.’

And the regressor’s memories unfolded.

 

The King of Sin appeared. And within less than a day, an entire nation was destroyed.

The Holy See was the first to learn of this and spread the word far and wide. War-weary humans, exhausted from the relentless fighting, stopped their battles to unite against the King of Sin.

Perhaps they had only been waiting for an excuse to stop fighting. At the current pace, they’d have destroyed their own nations before eradicating humanity.

Regardless, the King of Sin was a powerful being. Not only that, but humans corrupted by sin willingly offered themselves to the King of Sin, knowing they would die. The King of Sin personally executed them, devouring their hearts as he strode forward.

What a terrifying figure. Truly a fiend worthy of the name King of Sin.

The masses seethed with rage at the atrocities committed by the King of Sin. That anger extended retroactively, attributing all the disasters and tragedies from their wars to the King of Sin. Humanity rallied against the King of Sin, holding him accountable for all the sins committed up to that point.

But.

The sins humanity had ignored… were far too vast.

“You wished for your souls to be eternal, judged in the afterlife according to good and evil. But that is the most heinous of lies.”

This wasn’t human. It was sin personified, a calamity. The embodiment of death.

“There is no Heaven or Hell in this world. The god you cry out to does not exist above the heavens.”

Lightning rained down like a storm from the sky. The earth refused to support humanity. People who had never stumbled in their lives tripped over flat ground, and some swung their swords at illusions, striking down their allies. Beasts born from fruit swarmed like waves. Technology developed to kill beasts twisted in unforeseen ways.

Blood and flames surged. Screams and thunder echoed. Burnt flesh rose with black smoke. People died in every conceivable manner: electrocution, immolation, exsanguination, falling, being crushed, exploding. Corpses displayed death in all its forms across the battlefield.

And in the midst of it all, the King of Sin strode forward, walking upon death itself.

“The halls of the valiant, where only those who died fighting can enter; the paradise reserved for those who endured hardship; the resting place above the clouds. There is nothing after death.”

War heroes who stood out in battle, warriors who had won impossible fights, hermits who escaped the fires of war. Strong figures armed with treasures and relics of wisdom charged at the King of Sin.

They all died.

They weren’t even a match. The King of Sin shattered these masterpieces crafted by humanity one by one. With each swing of his scythe, another head fell to the ground.

Shea was no exception.

Jijan was broken. Cheonaeng was shattered. Her legs, crushed, were numb, and blood flowed freely from her pierced body.

Unlike the others, Shea was still alive, but only just.

“All that awaits you… is a single forgotten graveyard.”

The King of Sin drew his scythe. Blood poured from the bodies scattered around him. Step by step, he approached Shea. Clutching the broken hilt of Jijan, Shea struggled to raise her head, barely able to keep it from drooping.

And in front of her was the King of Sin—a calamity of humanity’s making.

“I am the world’s smallest graveyard. A library to mourn the forgotten. The undertaker who gathers the broken promises you will never repay.”

Black eyes that seemed to glimpse the abyss of humanity’s soul. Blood-painted tattoos marked his face, and he wore someone’s skull as a crown. The savage nature of a beast’s child radiated from him. And yet, he possessed a beauty so chilling it was unnerving.

Her head wanted to bow. Was it from exhaustion? No, it was an instinctual command to kneel in the face of his overwhelming presence and dignity. She couldn’t possibly win and was being told to submit, to beg for her life.

Though she wanted to kneel, Shea clenched her teeth and resisted that urge. She was rebellious by nature, even from birth, and denied her instincts to look the King of Sin in the eye.

This life isn’t over. I have to see more. To capture as much as I can in my eyes—for the next round.

• But.

“If you have another chance, I will return as well.”

With words that seemed to hint at her regression, Shea couldn’t help but freeze. A gasp escaped her parted lips.

“…Ah, ah….”

“Go, and tell them. Their justice has gone bankrupt, and I will come to collect. The justice and morality pledged with future and fate as collateral have been emptied.”

Even death is not an escape. The world beyond holds no refuge. It was then that the regressor understood her fate.

Her regression… would continue until she defeated the King of Sin.

A chilling fear settled over her. A threat she couldn’t even escape in death. A wall she had no choice but to face.

And at the end of her exhausting, lonely journey of regression… the destination she found was so far, so high, that she couldn’t imagine reaching it even if she walked forever.

But.

Even so.

Shea glared at the King of Sin instead of giving up, instead of breaking down in tears.

“Hmph… rambling on about things no one can understand….”

Too foolish to even grasp the inevitable result. Too shortsighted to see the vast gap between them. Too dumb to recognize the strength of the wall before her without charging headfirst into it.

Shea clenched her fist around the broken Cheonaeng.

“One day, I’ll shut that mouth of yours… just you… wait.”

The King of Sin was silent for a moment. Whether it was a laugh of scorn for her foolishness or a nod of respect for her humanity was unclear.

At the end of the silence, the King of Sin faintly smiled.

“Forever.”

The scythe moved. And that was the last thing Shea saw in that round.

 

Well, then.

Just as I suspected, that’s definitely the King of Humans. He looks incredibly strong, but there’s probably a reason for that. In any case, he’s certainly the King of Humans.

But no matter how I look at it, that’s definitely not me. Our faces, our builds, and even our genders are completely different.

Hmm.

‘…He’s not the King of Humans. No way. He doesn’t look anything like what I saw back then.’

When a Beast King dies, somewhere else in the world, a new Beast King is born. The newly born Beast King is a different being from its predecessor. It inherits the same promises, but aside from that, their memories, appearance, and personalities are entirely different.

So, in other words…

It means my past self from a previous round has died.

When? Where? How? I don’t know. But knowing what humanity and the Holy See get up to, I wouldn’t be surprised if he died in any manner.

They say I’ll die in a year. The world will end in ten. My life’s been spoiled.

Of course, it’s not confirmed that I’ll die in a year. But I’m certain of it. Because if the King of Sin is to end the world in ten years, then I have to die before that happens.

Thanks to the regressor’s appearance, I escaped from the Abyss… but in doing so, I got entangled in a massive course of events. I won’t be able to live a normal life anymore.

Damn it, I just wanted to live a peaceful life, but to survive, it seems that peace is out of reach.

I don’t want the world to end. Nor do I want humanity’s extinction. I don’t know what the King of Humans did to set humanity on a path to self-destruction, but I have no intention of doing the same.

Nevada, the Holy See, and others might feel differently… but that’s their concern.

Just like the regressor, I’ll have to struggle to survive.