Part 1
Having come out into the corridor, Diablo confirmed the situation.
Looking from the location of the door, on the left, there was a Grasswalker Holy Knight. His name was Guryuun or something.
Maybe it was a Summoned Beast, but a black wolf appeared in front of him. However, it was faintly transparent. Was it an illusion created through magic? It resembled a Summoned Beast, but since there weren’t any signs of him using a crystal, the type of monster that appeared was also different.
It was an ability that Diablo didn’t know of. It was something that was not implemented in the MMORPG Cross Reverie. Was it called out using the book that he held in his hand?
He shifted his line of sight.
On the right side of the corridor, Horun was collapsed.
A large amount of blood was spilling out from her collar.
「U......Uu......Dan, na......」
Blood spilled out from the corners of her mouth as well. So her injuries even reached her lungs.
「Do not talk.」
While putting his fingers into his pouch, he headed towards Horun.
──Will I make it?
This would be his first time using it on someone who was on the verge of death to the point that they couldn’t be allowed to move even one finger, but if it went by the game’s specifications, as long as she wasn’t dead, there should be an effect.
The Holy Knight clicked his tongue.
「You came out from the confession room, didn’t you? Even though I warned you......You’ll regret that, you know?」
「Just wait for a bit──I shall make you regret making an enemy of me.」
Diablo knelt down in front of Horun.
Taking a potion out from his pouch, he pointed it towards her lips.
So she didn’t even have the energy to drink it.
If it was with this potion, there would be an effect even if he poured it on her head. That’s what he should do, is what he thought but......
Horun slightly moved her lips.
*Kokun* She swallowed it.
Behind him, the Holy Knight raised an irritated voice.
「Did you......tell me, to wait? It would seem that you do not understand your own position. Enough of this, The High Chief Priest is going to be similarly executed anyway. I will dispose of you here.」
The Holy Knight raised one hand.
Headed towards him──from within the confession room, clad in a green phosphorescence, a 《Squall Arrow》 flew.
「I won’t let you, lay a hand on Diablo and Horun-chan!」
It was Shera’s attack.
It hit the wolf.
The spot where the arrow hit waned, and its contour distorted.
However, it was hard to tell if damage was delivered to it.
The bow that Shera possessed, due to the power of Demon King Krebskrum, possessed an effect of 《Petrification》. That also was not exhibited. Maybe it was resisted, or maybe it couldn’t be petrified to begin with.
The Holy Knight’s awareness was turned towards Shera.
「Do you intend on getting in my way?」
「......Of course.」
Next was Rem.
She threw a crystal.
「Come forth......《Sabre Tiger》!!」
A tiger possessing sword-like fangs appeared.
Although it was a tiger, it did not have a black and yellow striped pattern, but had a shaded tiger pattern on a black background.
It was a new Summoned Beast that she acquired in Zircon Tower City.
Guryuun snorted.
「So? Although I can’t let my guard down against the Magician and the Archer, you are of a lower rank.」
「......Mu.」
Rem’s Summoned Beast, the 《Sabre Tiger》, sprang at him. Its abilities were strengthened by her equipment like the 《Layer of Secret Stone》
It struck its claws at the wolf that was in front of Guryuun.
Naturally, the opposition also made a counterattack, but the 《Sabre Tiger》 was higher in fighting strength.
As a result of several bouts of offense and defense, the wolf vanished.
Maybe because she felt that great of a response, Rem, who usually tried to continue through battles calm and collected, made the rare action of tightly gripping her fists.
「......What’s wrong? Wasn’t I of a lower rank?」
Guryuun turned to a different page of his book.
「Your Summoned Beast is of the Earth attribute. How many attacks of the Wind attribute can it endure? Book of Frey, First Passage of the Second Chapter──《The Arm That Runs Past》」
Once again coming from the book, this time, a green weasel appeared. It possessed a sharp front tooth.
And there were three of them.
Rem opened her eyes wide in astonishment.
The weasels that were born through magic circled around the 《Saber Tiger》, and minced it up with their teeth. It was a fairly sturdy Summoned Beast and had its abilities strengthened, but its HP was quickly shaved away.
The Summoned Beast was defeated, and transformed into a darkened crystal.
「Kuh......So......strong.」
Rem groaned sounding mortified.
Surprisingly, the Holy Knight continued to read from his book.
Wolves appeared once again, and bears and large monkeys also appeared.
Shera fired her arrows, and Rem brought out another Summoned Beast, but the number of opponents was too much for them and ended up being overwhelmed.
Rose, who was at the back of the room, took her double-headed sword out from nowhere.
「For Master’s sake, this Rose will......」
As she was highly strung with bloodlust, Rem got in front of her and obstructed her.
「......Please wait. You couldn’t be planning on taking that thing out, could you?」
「With 《Asterismos》, I will chop these imitation animals up in an instant.」
「......Doing something so stupid. The floor of this place is made of wood, you know? With that thing’s weight, if you do things poorly, you could fall to the lower floor, and you might even go through the bottom of the Inner Court.」
Rose solidified.
Certainly, it was fine if it was just the weight of herself who was about as much as a heavily equipped cavalryman, but if even the 《Magimatic Soul》 behind her were to appear, there was a high possibility that the floor wouldn’t be able to endure it.
If she were to fall from the Inner Court, even if it was Rose, she probably wouldn’t be let off safely.
Reluctantly, she cut away the approaching beast with the double-headed sword she held in her hands.
「Saying heavy this and heavy that to this Rose heavy all the time......It is aggravating.」
「......It is because it is the truth.」
Like a diversion, Rose waved her sword. Even as she was now, she was plenty strong but......
The battle situation was a struggle for supremacy.
Once again, the Holy Knight Guryuun turned his gaze towards Diablo.
「While it was against my will, you have been given plenty of time. It’s alright now, right?」
「Kukuku......You, who seemed to have a hard time with the girls, plan on fighting against me?」
Diablo stood up.
He overawed his opponent.
Horun was coughing. Her complexion returned from the white that seemed like she had died from earlier to a flesh-colored tone that one could feel warmth from. It seemed that the potion was effective.
「Kehoh......Th......Thank you -ssu, Danna.」
「To march into a base that Holy Knights were protecting all on your own, you did something rash.」
「Ha, haha......I did think that I was doing something reckless -ssu.」
「Moreover, that choker──is that the 《Master and Servant Contract》?」
「......」
Horun nodded silently.
「You, do you understand? The meaning of that......」
「Of course -ssu. Danna, if you die, then I’ll also die -ssu.」
「Doing something so foolish......Even after paying that much of a compensation, you’re at a level where you cannot win against a Holy Knight.」
「You’re wrong -ssu! I acquired a strength that I would never obtain even if I used my whole life to try and get it -ssu. This happened because the opponent was too tough, and he attacked so suddenly -ssu kara!」
Diablo had no way of know just what level Horun had become.
If the person herself said that she became stronger, then there must have been a suitable effect, is what he thought but......
──The responsibility is way too heavy!!
In his mind, the trembling wouldn’t stop.
Would there happen to be a cooling-off period, is what he seriously thought.
Since the 《Master and Servant Contract》 was a function that wasn’t implemented in the MMORPG Cross Reverie, he didn’t know about it in detail.
However, a Demon King that gets flustered over the number of his servants increasing wasn’t cool either.
When the Demon King dies, the Demonic Beings drastically lose their power, and the Demonic Beasts decrease in number──The Demon King was a being that carried lives on their back.
──Even though I have a personality where I get pretty depressed when even just a game pet dies.
Horun hung her head down.
「Was it a bother -ssu ka......?」
「Mu?」
「I, wanted to save everyone......I didn’t really think it through, and acted doing this and that......Haha......That was stupid, wasn’t it -ssu yo ne. Danna, you could have left whenever you wanted......You merely had an idea and only got caught.」
Certainly, even though Diablo was locked up, a single iron door was too insufficient.
It was probably because the guys of the Church also knew that that they put Holy Knights as the lookouts. Even arresting Lumachina in another room was meant to be something like taking her hostage.
Guryuun raised a low laughter at Horun’s words.
「Fu, fufufu......Far from going on a fool’s errand, you brought trouble to your companions. If you hadn’t come, they wouldn’t have come out from the confession room. Now they are also going to be killed by me.」
「U, uuu......」
「You thoughtlessly made a useless effort, and as a result, you brought a nuisance to everyone. Far from being just powerless, you were a burden. Well......It’s too late to be self-conscious about that now though.」
「Ukuh!」
Horun spilled tears.
Diablo’s chest tightened.
「Wrong! You are mistaken!」
His fists trembled.
The crying Horun ended up having a surprised face.
「......Eh?」
「Horun, you, you have definitely rescued me!」
*Hahn*──Guryuun snorted.
「In what way? You’re at your limit just protecting your companions, aren’t you? With what that incompetent did, the things that you gained, there isn’t a single one, right?」
「I have been awakened.」
「Haa?」
「This case is the High Chief Priest’s problem. I was only lending my power to her──Because I was thinking that way, I ended up prioritizing Lumachina’s will. However, she is too virtuous. In a struggle against a bunch that are like pit vipers and against their authority, she is way too powerless. That purity of hers is precious and should be protected, but it won’t become a fighting weapon. Even though I knew that, the thing I did was......behave like an attendant! I can only see that as me being half asleep.」
「I do agree that the High Chief Priest was sheltered and ignorant of the ways of the world, you know? Now that you’ve awakened, you will change the situation──it looks like that’s what you’re saying. Aren’t you being overconfident?」
「Naturally, I can do it.」
「It’s impossible. And that’s because, you will die here.」
「Come to think of it, I made a promise to you. That I would "make you regret making an enemy of me".」
「That’s a low grade delusion. I’m fed up with it.」
「Kukuku......」
Diablo laughed with a low voice.
And then, once again turning to Horun, he talked.
「──You, had "thought on your own" and acted......It was not the result but that action that had opened my eyes. I shall praise you──You have awakened the Demon King!」
「Danna......」
*Gushi* She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
I truly was half asleep──is what Diablo thought as he felt ashamed of himself. It was enough where if there was an ability like 《go back by death》, then he would have liked to redo things from this morning.
A peaceful means of settlement like thrusting evidence before them and excommunicating them, that wasn’t Demon King-like at all.
Thinking that the sly bunch of the Cardinal Institute hadn’t prepared even one excuse, was naive. That was extremely too nice and sweet. A sweetness that was like dumping syrup on candy!
Diablo was experienced in fights where he confronted the enemy, but he was unrelated to things like power struggles. That was why he ended up losing the initiative. He would no longer hold back, and hit them with his best conceivable hand.
「I shall show you, the way a Demon King does things!」
「What Demon King? That’s nothing but ridiculous buffoonery. You are a mere Chemical Element Magician.」
*Zokuh*──His spinal muscles shivered.
His fighting spirit surged up from Guryuun’s words.
Even when he was playing the MMORPG Cross Reverie, there were opponents that would hurl similar ridicule at Diablo as he did his Demon King role play.
For those mediocre fools that did not understand that elegance──
「It is something that must be made apparent not with words, but with ability......Just like this!」
Diablo turned the staff that he held in his hand, the 《Tonnerre Empereur》, toward the opponent.
Naturally, there was no way Guryuun would just keep silent and watch.
「Your preface was too long, you quack Magician──I have all sorts of preparations! Come forth, Book of Noah──From the First Chapter to the Final Chapter, all beasts!」
The beasts appeared one after another, and it looked like a black mass that possessed countless claws and fangs.
The walls, the ceiling, and the floor that got close to it, their scratches increased in an instant, they were gouged and torn to pieces, and they ended up changed into a pitiful appearance.
The mass came rushing at him.
Horun, who was at Diablo’s back, raised a small scream.
「Hii!?」
「That sure is a worthless hidden talent, Holy Knight! 《Flare Burst》!!」
Since they were inside of a building, he moderately held back. It was a Fire attribute magic that was the higher version of 《Explosion》.
*Niyari* Guryuun curved his lips.
Receiving the attack magic, the mass of beasts raised a shriek. However, only several of the animals were burned away.
Diablo opened his eyes wide.
「Only the outer layer of beasts received damage......!?」
Normally, it should have slaughtered a pack of beasts that were at point-blank range.
However, the magic neither spread nor pierced through, only made a direct hit on several animals as if it were absorbed by them.
He didn’t understand the theory, but it was probably that sort of monster. It had a great number of lives──it had that sort of feeling.
The mass approached right before his eyes.
Guryuun shouted.
「You’re naive, Magician! Get eaten by countless beasts!」
Even Rem and Shera raised voices that sounded like screams.
「Diablo!」
「N, noー!!」
──Don’t make a fuss. There’s no way I would lose to something of this level, right?
「《Chain Lightning》!」
It was an attack made through lightning. Once it slaughtered one, its target would move on to the enemy next to it. Since it gave damage with the speed of electricity, it looked as if several bodies were struck by the lightning attack in an instant.
The HP of each and every beast wasn’t high.
*Bachi bachi!* Sparks took place, and, *Gya gya gya*, the shrieks of several beasts overlapped each other.
Countless scorched black beasts were scattered about in the corridor, and vanished before long. As he thought, they were things similar to Summoned Beasts made with magic.
This time, it was Guryuun’s turn to open his eyes wide.
「My beasts were!?」
「Kukuku......What’s wrong? Wasn’t I a quack Magician? You use a strange technique but......It wasn’t anything significant.」
「Me, nothing significant?」
「That is what I said, but did you become poor of hearing?」
「I will kill you.」
Guryuun kicked the floor.
A blade drew near.
Before he knew it, the sword at his waist was drawn.
──Fast!?
Unable to defend against it, Diablo reflexively stepped back. Rather than a conscious evasion, it was a movement made through daily training.
He should have evaded it──
However, it extended out from there!
It cut his chest.
「This guy!?」
So using a book to bring out beasts was a sideshow. His specialty was a speed-type Warrior!
Guryuun opened his eyes three times wider, made his veins rise to the surface, and made the white of his eyes turn red. He opened his mouth that was lined with sharp teeth and drooled saliva. He was a crazed Warrior that was the complete opposite of the intellectual features that he had up until just a little while ago.
He looked more like a beast than the beasts that came out from his book.
「Gehah! Avoided it! You avoided it, my 《Sword Smite IV》!」
「Now you’ve done it, old man!」
「That "neck"──It’s mine!」
While shouting, a slash fell down towards his "knee".
He made small tricks.
Pretending to go above, he went below.
A childish trick like that──That was not this high leveled Holy Knight’s true aim.
Having experienced many battles, Diablo had already seen through his intentions. In order to have his knee avoid the side sweeping attack, he had no choice but to move even further back.
If he went back any further than this, there would no longer be any distance from Horun.
The wall was behind her, so there was no escaping. She leveled up with the 《Master and Servant Contract》, but even with that, she probably didn’t have the speed to avoid the Holy Knight’s attack.
Surely, the Holy Knight was aiming for Horun.
In order to stop that attack, Diablo would cover for her──That was the opponent’s aim, is what he read through.
「Do not underestimate a Demon King, Holy Knight!」
Diablo didn’t avoid it.
Guryuun’s slash cut his right knee.
「Foolish!」
「That’s what you are! 《Absolute Zero》!」
Although he had received the attack, he endured it with his mighty HP, and used a magic that required contact. It was the pattern he used to defeat the Head of the Holy Knights Baduta and the female Demonic Being that would appear from within the shadows.
Diablo’s fist, which was faster than an average Warrior, had──
cut the air.
「Wh, at......!?」
Having deeply cut Diablo’s knee, immediately following that, he had already taken his distance.
He was faster than any opponent Diablo had fought against in this other world!?
Guryuun drew another sword that was on his waist.
He went with a two-sword style.
「Playtime ends here. Next, I really will take that head of yours.」
「Kukuku......Good......This is good. It would be boring if it weren’t like that. More! Bring out more, bring out everything!」
「That nonsense you’re spouting, will be your last words.」
He charged in once again.
That attack that was already fast as it was, became a series of attacks. It was surely difficult just to visually keep track of them.
On top of that, Guryuun piled on even a different attack.
「──Book of Helena, all beasts from the First Chapter to the Final Chapter!!」
He carried even the mass of beasts on his back. Just how many moves would it turn into?
Diablo curved the ends of his lips.
「I was waiting for that, Holy Knight.」
「What!?」
「Thanks to that, I can fire without reserve. After all, if I were to bring out my full power, I would surely pierce through the building.」
Since Lumachina’s location was unknown, he couldn’t do that.
With the mass of beasts, it seemed that only the beasts on surface would receive damage even if he used a powerful attack.
Diablo released his magic.
「《Rock Cannon》!」
What assaulted the charging in Guryuun, was a boulder that filled the corridor.
There was the time where an Earth attribute female Demonic Being hurled small rocks at him. It was the level 70 《Sling Diamond》. This was the superior version of that, where a gigantic boulder was shot with a considerable speed.
It was a level 130 Earth attribute Magic.
The Inner Court shook with the impact.
Even Horun, Rem, and Shera group raised screams. Rose was probably the only one who was composed.
Guryuun slashed at the gigantic stone that was flying towards him with his swords.
「HAARYAHH!!」
He was fast.
He was fast, but with swords that were only fast, he couldn’t cut the boulder.
──*Gusha* (Squish)
A muffled sound was made.
The gigantic stone was aimed at the mass of beasts that was at Guryuun’s back.
The corpses of several crushed animals were left behind, and the effect of 《Rock Cannon》 vanished.
He disposed of the remaining beasts with 《Chain Lightning》 once again. Once the method to deal with them was known, they weren’t difficult.
Guryuun collapsed onto the broken floor.
「U......Uuu......」
「So you’re still alive. You are surprisingly tough, aren’t you?」
「Impossible......Magic that could hurl a boulder that I cannot cut at me......I have never seen that before......」
「Hmph, if this weren’t such a narrow place, I would have shown you a magic that could blast away an entire town though.」
「......A Demon King, huh......I thought those words were just nonsense but......Hiding that much ability, it’s certain. So, my estimations were insufficient......But, you guys lose.」
「Hou?」
「The High Chief Priest’s location, you don’t know it, right? Bishos is merciless......He’s that sort of man. With her as a hostage......he will, dispose, of you guys......」
「So you knew that guy called Bishos was a scoundrel. Why did you support him? Was it money?」
「Once you know of it──it’s impossible, right? Just look at the pure and righteous fool......Being on the side of being eaten, like that......」
「And you are on the eating side?」
「I misread your abilities......so my life plans......are out of order, though......My comfortable retirement plan......is ruined, now. Even though......you can’t win, against Bishos, anyway......How foolish.」
「Kukuku......I said it, did I not? I am a Demon King! If you all will use the believers, then I shall use an even more vicious means than that!」
「Using, the believers? What are you saying......Guh.」
Taking a rough breath, Guryuun made an anguished expression.
「Haa......haa......I wanted to see your appearance as you fail, and get exposed to disgrace but......I guess I’m at my limit......」
Diablo thought for a bit, and then made a proposal.
「Right here, I have the same HP Recovery Potion that saved Horun who was on the verge of death. If you plead for your life, then──」
「You must be joking. Such unsightly behavior......Telling me to sip muddy water at the hour of my death? That’s, why, you’re, a greenhorn──Book of Helma──Final Chapter, fangs of the night, devour me.」
「What!?」
One of the books that were scattered about on the floor opened up, and a black dog with a mane appeared from there. It was a hyena.
It ate Guryuun’s body as if it were sucking it up.
Diablo turned his staff towards it.
「《Explosion》!!」
It was blown away.
The beast’s figure vanished.
However, Guryuun’s body no longer remained. The books that he read also vanished.
Horun muttered.
「Ah, did he die......?」
「So it would seem.」
Rem and Shera came out from the confession room.
「......Battles, are that sort of thing. Whether they are people of the Races or monsters, unless they are defeated, we will be the ones killed. Horun, becoming strong, is to be on the killing side──That’s what it means, you know?」
「U, un.」
「......It would be nice, if you understand that though.」
Shera pointed to the end of the corridor.
「In any case, let’s search for Lumachina-chan!」
Rose also came out from the room. The broken up floor made creaking sounds.
「Master, do you have any injuries?」
「They are just scratches. I also have potions, so there are no problems. More importantly, it looks like the floor will fall through due to your weight, Rose. Let’s hurry.」
What do you plan on doing, is what Rem came to ask him.
I said that I would be Demon King-like, didn’t I──is what he said as he daringly smiled.
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