Netori: Stealing The Hero's Party!

Chapter 693: Those Who Never Die

It took her a long time to explain everything that she’d gone through. So long, in fact, that half of the night had already passed. It didn’t help that the party had many questions about her world, especially about the demon lord. Disappointingly, however, this version of Mono had never even seen the demon lord as she was often busy working in her workshop, creating weapons and other useful machinery for the armies.

In conclusion to her summary, she finally realized something that she’d neglected to think about for long. This task of mutual benefit between a god and a mortal was nothing more than yet another way for someone to push their own responsibilities onto her. Feeling used as did the Mono of this world, she stared at her face at the end of her tail and whispered.

”We’re cursed with responsibility. What, you think death will be my end? Someone’s bound to bring us back, whether it’s ourselves, a god or even a mortal!” A slap to her face shut her mouth in an instant. The taste of iron bled in through her lips, and as she hesitantly looked back up at Mono, she saw no sympathy, only scorn.

”Be thankful that I can’t kill you,” folding her hands and taking a wobbly step backwards, the queen scrunched her nose and complained. ”And don’t think for a moment that I won’t find a way to do so, because unlike you–I’ve actually killed people-what-the-hell, I’ve helped kill a demi-god for fuck’s sake!”

The clone’s reluctance to attack Raven was a testament to her cowardice. She may have put up a brave front in front of Mono before, but it was all a show and with the knowledge that she could disarm her with ease thanks to Pathfinder’s help.

”I should just take your damned heart out and keep it pumping in some rusty automaton!” Hurling away her anger while the rest remained silent, Mono kept walking back towards the wall even though every fibre of her being was telling her to beat this woman to a bloody pulp.

”That god I had help from made sure that you can’t do that, so don’t even try, heck, not even the god of time can take it out of my body...” Though her words felt mocking, the worn expression spelt otherwise. The clone was tired, tired of fighting, tired of living, but now with her heart turned into a bomb, she couldn’t even die–not without being brought back from the brink of death by those around her at all times.

Staring at each other in silence, one’s gaze sharper than the other’s, the girls upheld the silence. Meanwhile, Raven wondered what to do next, and the rest were simply keeping an eye on the girl from whom they couldn’t look away for even a second. And right then, he remembered something, while he couldn’t peer into her memories thanks to the barrier placed by Pathfinder, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t plant false memories or twist the facts of her mind to stabilize her insanity a little.

Right as he tried to propose that idea, however, a light chuckle left the woman’s lips. Her eyes had gone dull, and that look of hopelessness had taken over her face. Appearing as if she knew her very existence meant nothing anymore, the otherworlder clone cackled to herself and said in a hushed tone.

”You know...” All eyes turned back to her as she cackled once more. ”You know we’re both somewhat insane, but I guess that’s all I was–a woman who thought of herself more than she was, but you...you’re different. How?”

Nobody had a clue what the girl was asking, or at least so they thought, until their attention turned to Mono. With furrowed eyebrows, she stared intently at her clone. Her mind was clearly focused on what she’d just said, with a splash of uncertainty mixed into her contorted expression.

”And why the fuck would I tell you what that is? So that you can surpass me? Best me in some sort of way?” Gritting her teeth, the queen clenched both of her fists and pushed them deeper under her arms. ”You tried to kill me, you tried to take over my kingdom with those pathetic automatons–ughhh–the craftsman shift on them makes me wanna vomit, an amateur could’ve built a better toy and if you’re your world’s best, then no wonder it’s fucking destroyed!”

The clone’s body froze to the queen’s words, and her expression stiffened as well. Biting her tongue through simmering blood, she tried to contain her rage, but with stumbling steps she climbed off the bed. Her stretched arms reached for Mono with her nails spread wide, but before she could so much as touch her, her weakened knees gave in, and she fell on her face for the second time.

”God...how did I even let someone so clumsy get the better of me?” Shaking her head, Mono turned around and left the room.

Those remaining watched the clones getting up and looking around at them all with much uncertainty about what to do next. Her anger had first turned to embarrassment from falling and had now been completely wiped away, leaving her with absolutely no idea as to what she was supposed to do next.

”Are you gonna kill me after all?” Focusing on the group leader, she let her shoulders fall. ”I don’t even care anymore, I just need an ending to this nightmare.”

”I once gave Maria a chance and she turned out alright,” taking a step closer, Raven placed his hand on top of the clone’s head. ”But in your case, we’ll have to take some drastic measures.”

”Wh-what are you doing?” She asked, her voice trembling with fear.

”Just making sure you don’t explode on us,” Raven responded before finally putting an end to everyone’s worry.

How so? By making the clone forget about her heart and conjuring up an alliance between her and them. In exchange for her help, he promised to help her world once the demon lord no longer threatened life on Atlaris. As demi-gods, they might have some power to do so, but whether or not things go so smoothly was as good a guess as any.

Losing consciousness as he rewrote her memories, the clone was made to accept the deal without having any say at all. But of course, there were conditions that were set on both ends–otherwise, Raven would’ve felt no different than a horror that alters people’s minds for its own benefit.

’She needs Amedith and Razor’s help to turn back time. Well, then she should have all the time in the world to spend here and help us. After all, a few more years of turnaround being added to the reversal wouldn’t hurt that much.’ Made aware of this deal–the deal to revive a dead world once their own was saved, Athenia cast another condition down on the girl’s body, one that made her part god of her world once it’s restored.

”The elder gods from other worlds won’t be happy, but when are they ever happy? They already see us as an enemy if they send a mortal to doom our world. Fuck them, I say–but hold off from doing anything stupid until the death of the demon lord.” As those words echoed in the party’s head, the deal was struck, and it was finally time to get some rest.