Chapter 410. Satella: All You Man-Stealers Shall Die!
"—"
First, there was a desolate silence, so quiet that one could hear the sound of a mosquito flapping its wings.
The next second, the entire Kingdom of Lugunica erupted in a thunderous explosion. Waves of roars surged one after another, each more majestic than the last, venting the pent-up emotions of every single soul.
It had been a long time—truly, an incredibly long time.
Since the broadcast began.
Although the shown future would gloss over some trivial matters and certain daily routines, and although everyone watching the video mysteriously felt neither fatigue nor hunger, and nothing would rot, children did not grow taller, the elderly did not age further, and day and night became irrelevant due to the presence of the light screen...
Time was, indeed, passing.
Everyone had witnessed Rem's slumber in real-time until now. After such a long duration, that bitterness and yearning were all thoroughly unleashed in this single moment.
Though they had experienced several outbursts before, this one was more absolute than any prior.
"Did you see that? Did you see that?! She struck the culprit who forced her into that slumber! Revenge after a year and a half! Granny Ryuzu!"
In the Sanctuary, Garfiel no longer knew how to manifest his agitated thoughts; he could only punch the air repeatedly, relaying the same thing to the Ryuzu clones over and over.
At the same time, Mimi in the Hoshin Company was doing the exact same thing, jumping up and down while shouting to Julius, Ricardo, and Anastasia to vent her excitement.
The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony suffering a setback? Good!
The Sin Archbishop being outsmarted by Hikigaya Hachiman? Very good!
The Sin Archbishop facing bloody retribution from Rem and Crusch—the two biggest victims? That was exceptionally good, so good that the entire world could scream itself hoarse!
Earth had no shortage of fans for various stars, horse racing, or global e-sports competitions, but the sky-shattering shouts of those fans when their favorite players won fell far short of the current, surging clamor in the Kingdom of Lugunica.
If even bystanders were excited to this degree, what of Hikigaya Hachiman?
「...However, no matter how much Hachiman's tears breached the dam, no matter how much his lips trembled into a smile, he did not lose his composure. He kept the priorities firmly in mind.」
「Hachiman pointed a finger, issuing an order filled with both joy and killing intent: "Kill him, Rem."」
「She desperately wanted to drop her morning star and embrace her beloved after what felt like ages, but Rem nodded. She gripped her weapon, her eyes crimson as she strode toward the mangled, barely breathing Batenkaitos like a demon returned from hell.」
「Tossing the equally near-death Ley heavily onto Batenkaitos's severely injured body, Crusch—whose eyes were sharp and who exuded an incredibly cool aura, her speech no longer soft after regaining her memories—drew her sword. Her voice was forceful: "Let me participate as well."」
「The two people who, since his birth, could provide Hachiman with the greatest sense of security were shining once again.」
「The Crusch who, before her amnesia, was so cool he couldn't stop praising and even admiring her; and the Rem who, after sincerely confessing she would act as his hero, did exactly as she promised.」
「The magnitude of the security they brought to Hachiman was equal to the crushing pressure they brought to Batenkaitos and Ley.」
「"Did you ever imagine a day like this, Batenkaitos?"」
「Batenkaitos's stomach and throat had been destroyed during his flight; he could no longer speak. But Crusch, who asked the question, had no intention of listening to his answer anyway.」
「For this villain who was only now facing judgment after a year and a half, there was only one thing she had to do: grant him the most insulting death possible!」
「Rem and Crusch used their magic in unison, converging it into one point. It exploded and spiraled mercilessly, creating a gale-like effect that, amidst the whimpers and wails of Batenkaitos and Roy, sliced, tore, and pulverized their skin, flesh, and even bones piece by piece.」
「"Ah, ah? AAAAAAHHHH—!?"」
「Due to the blessing of their Authority and vigorous vitality, they were even "fortunate" enough to live long enough to witness their own hearts being scraped out and subsequently squeezed and popped before they finally died.」
「In the face of such a bloody and horrific scene, everyone present—except for Emilia, who averted her eyes—watched the Sin Archbishops go to hell without blinking. This included Hikigaya Hachiman.」
「Hachiman let out a breath. He gave a low chuckle, feeling unexpectedly happy—because the Sin Archbishops absolutely deserved to be treated this way!」
「The blurred remnants of Batenkaitos and Roy's flesh stained a large area of the fourth floor red. Priscilla pinched her nose in disgust and stepped back; such worthless, low, and despicable things as the Sin Archbishops had no right to touch her, even as corpses.」
「Crusch, having exacted her great revenge, did not feel empty inside; instead, she felt refreshed, incredibly gratified, just like Rem.」
「But... thinking of Rem, Crusch glanced slightly guiltily at her side.」
「Back when the two were victimized together, she had been discussing Rem's love for Hachiman and expressing her strong support for it.」
「Who could have expected the situation after the amnesia?」
「Upon reclaiming her memories, she suddenly discovered that she, too, had fallen in love with Hikigaya Hachiman. The worst part was that although her personality had changed significantly after losing her memory, her standards for a partner had not....」
「In short, as long as someone could move her heart... and looking back at every little detail with Sir Hachiman after her amnesia, it was simply impossible not to be moved.」
「But how could she possibly try to steal Hikigaya Hachiman?」
「She was Crusch, after all!」
「...Crusch's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but after a long while, she only shook her head and sheathed her sword.」
「Today, at this moment, the great enemy of a year and a half had finally been executed, and everyone's memories had successfully returned.」
「After silently enjoying the relief and surprise for several seconds, Emilia turned around, looking at her knight with deep emotion. Beside her, Beatrice had already started running on her small legs—but someone was faster than her and Shaula.」
「With a thud, Rem discarded her morning star and retracted her demon horn. At the fastest speed of her life, she rushed back and threw her arms around Hikigaya Hachiman. They embraced and wept together, Rem holding him tightly as if terrified of being separated again.」
「The year and a half of slumber was not as simple as taking a nap; for her, it felt like being alone for a very, very long time.」
「At the stairs leading from the fourth floor to the second, Ram and Anastasia, supporting each other, walked down. The former was deeply relieved, while the latter wore a bitter smile.」
「Just when everyone thought the situation was settled and they could sit down to sort things out...」
「A sudden change occurred!」
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