I’m certain that the setting……at this time, it was said that the people of the empire and the revolutionary army are allies. The empire’s prime minister invited Alec and her army into the palace while the empire’s soldiers overlooked them.

Ahh, is that why……?

Is that why Demon Emperor Menace was filled with despair towards humans in the game? He was betrayed by the people he desperately tried to protect, and then killed— —

“……ugh.”

Unintentionally, I waver.

As for the magic bullets, they’ve all been being extinguished before hitting my body. They’ve given me no damage, but my heart takes serious damage in comparison. Everyone in the revolutionary army sees me in that condition, but why are they getting the wrong idea?

“It’s working, zo!”
“Victory is ours!”
“Come ooooooon!”

“Waa!” they all cheer.

“Everyone, don’t get careless until the end! Keep releasing spells until your last drop of MP!”

At Alec’s encouragement, the magicians attack with even more vigor. Although…… attacks of this level can’t inflect any damage on me. My victory in this event is unshakable. If anything, losing would be harder.

Still…… the last boss is destined to sooner or later be defeated by the heroine, right? This battle will end in my victory, but who’s to say about the next one. In that case, if I kill the heroine here…… would my death be averted?

“……Uh.”
Perhaps sensing my killing intent, Alec stiffens.

Honestly, killing the present Alec would be easy. No, even annihilating the revolutionary army would a trifling matter. Even with just 1 turn, it would be a complete game over.

If I kill Alec here, my death would surely be averted……

Nothing would be stolen from me……

“……No, it might not work out like that.”

The story might change, but a 2^nd or 3^rd hero might appear. The last boss is the enemy of the world, an existence all of humanity wants dead.

Besides, even if I am not defeated by the heroine…… what’s left for me?

“……Ahh.”

Something…… no, isn’t this enough? Even if I continue to protect this country, I won’t be rewarded for it. That said, destroying humanity for revenge will just lead to my ruin. No one is happy. I can’t protect anything.

If this is how it is, then…… “Demon Emperor Menace” should just die here. Surely, everyone will rejoice with a happy ending like that— —

§

“Dark magic, Lv3— — [Shadow Mist].”

With that shout, a smokescreen spreads out across the hall. Everyone in the revolutionary army cries out as their field of view is obstructed.

“……! Are you trying to run, Demon Lord Menance!? I won’t let you!” Alec sharply scans her surroundings. Then, upon spotting a figure moving through the smoke, “There!”

Alec dashes for the figure. She shakes off the smokescreen with her sword and— —

— —She thrusts her sword through the figure.

“……ga……haa!”

As the smokescreen clears, a man with a sword stabbed through his chest comes into view. From his long, silver hair, his jet black robe, and the ominous mask covering his face— —

That figure is unmistakably Demon Emperor Menace.

When Alec pulls her sword free, a large amount of blood spurts out of Demon Emperor Menace’s chest. The amount is obviously lethal from just a glance.

Demon Emperor Menace stares down at his chest with disbelief in his eyes as he staggers back……

“Thi-this great me, was wounded……! Uboa—!”

He collapses onto the ground soon after as his final moments dawn on him. Laying in his own blood, he doesn’t even twitch. Even after a moment passes, Demon Emperor Menace doesn’t show even a hint of recovering.

“Is-is he dead……?”
“……We won? Us?”

Everyone of the revolutionary army speaks out from bewilderment. Everyone, save 1 person, Alec. Instead, she has a somewhat sullen expression on her face……

Not long later, seemingly resolving herself, she turns back to face everyone.

“Demon Emperor Menace, this Alexandra Lordknight has slain him! We the revolutionary army are victorious!”

Alec shouts out as she raises her sword overhead. There is a moment of silence, then— —

— —Waa! Cheers erupt.

“Uooooh! Demon Emperor Menace has been defeated, zo!”
“We won!”
“With this, the world has been saved!”

Not once does the cheering stop. In a historic moment, the world has changed.

That desired happy ending……

I watch that spectacle unfolding from a corner of the hall.

“……Looks like… they’ve been successfully deceived.”

“The ‘Demon Emperor Menace’ laying beside Alec is obviously an imitation. During the gap I created when I casted the smokescreen with magic, I changed places with a doppler puppet mamono using [Create]. Then, through the use of Glasya-Labolas’ (wing dog mamono) [transparency skill], we hid ourselves in a corner of the great hall.

Alec seems to be harboring some doubts, and that worries me……

But whatever about that— —With this, Demon Emperor Menace is dead. From this point on, I am no longer the Demon Emperor, just Menace. My life is no longer being targeted, nor am I hated. I’m just a free man.

“……Let’s go, Glasya-Labolas, zo.”
“Wafu.”

I no longer have any business here.

I turn around, giving my back to the heroine Alec.

— —In this way, I quit being the last boss.

---

T/N: Depending on the situation, how his skill is referred to changes between [mamono create] and [create].

~Lyfe

<2.2 I’m Going to Try and Pretend to be Defeated by the Heroine
3. I Tried Being an Average Person>