Part 1
The next day, Lifelia Calendar Year 165, January 22──
Diablo’s group visited the Feudal Lord’s estate.
The Feudal Lord of this country was also the commander of its military.
Faltra City’s Feudal Lord Galford and Zircon Tower City’s Feudal Lord Lamnites possessed high fighting strength.
However, the Feudal Lord of this Caliture City was, a sea lion.
A race similar to a sea lion──not. It seemed that he was a rotund Human.
The large table was lined with luxurious cuisine even though it was morning.
「Ohh! So you all are the Adventurers that were dispatched from the royal palace. You did well getting here! Now then, come and sit. You’re just in time for second breakfast.」
「......Second?」
Rem tilted her head.
Shera made a wry smile.
「We came here after eating breakfast.」
The Gado Clan’s breakfast also had an amazing amount.
Meat, meat, and meat right in the morning......
Diablo and Shera felt like they would get heartburn just from looking at it, but Rem ate with a face like it was only natural.
The Caliture Feudal Lord made a face that said he found that surprising.
「You don’t need breakfast? Are you feeling unwell? Please pay attention to your health. I recommend this herb tea. It has an effect on sudden losses of appetite.」
Rem made a bow, and advanced the conversation.
「......I am Rem the Adventurer......A Summoner.」
She intentionally didn’t say her surname of Galeu, and emphasized being a Summoner.
The Feudal Lord tilted his head.
「You’re a Magician? Not a Fistfighter?」
「......Yes.」
As expected, black Pantherians probably had the image of being part of the Gado Clan in this town. He made a surprised face hearing that.
Rem introduced them one after another.
「......This is, Diablo. Please consider him as a Magician.」
「Is that so.」
「......And then, this is, Shera. An Ar──」
Her words were interrupted.
Shera placed a hand on her own large chest, and spoke.
「I’m a Summoner!」
Rem placed a hand on her shoulder while she was like that.
She whispered in a low voice.
「......Even though the only thing you can call out is your 《Turkey Shot》. You are a level 80 Archer. Either that or a level 80 Warrior since you were a disciple of the Master Swordsman.」
「Then, Rem, you’re also a Fistfighter. Sorami-san said that you have the talent for it.」
「......Unlike you, I haven’t been negligent in my studies as a Magician. Soon enough, I might reach level 80 in it.」
「Let’s go check it at the Adventurers Guild! I might already be higher than you.」
「That’s impossible.」
With their quarreling voices becoming louder, Diablo cleared his throat.
The two of them fell silent.
The Caliture Feudal Lord resumed his breakfast. After indulging in some bacon, he opened his mouth to talk.
「I believe you’ve heard this from His Highness, but I am Lieutenant General Hite Ray Martis.」
──That’s my first time hearing it.
Diablo’s group averted their gazes.
There was information on wild animals and the Spriggan, but they didn’t hear anything about Caliture City’s Feudal Lord and the garrisoned forces.
Both the King and the Cabinet Minister surmised that they weren’t really all that important.
──Now then, how should we break the ice?
He made a promise with the Kobolds.
It was left to him by Patriarch Borbos.
He also felt that he wanted to protect Feneri as well.
He needed to get the Caliture Feudal Lord Martis to approve of them living in the mountains.
As he was in thought, Rem broke the ice.
「......Feudal Lord-sama, may I ask you something?」
「Mu? Are you going to eat some bacon?」
「......No, this isn’t about food. It is about the Kobolds.」
As expected, it looked like it would be fine to leave negotiations to her. If it’s Diablo, he would only make the other party either mad or afraid, one of those two.
If they could resolve things peacefully, that would be for the best.
Martis stopped the hand that held a fork.
「Kobold? That is?」
「......They are, a Beastman race.」
「Is that so. Well, I have never minded the classification of monsters. Silver is mined from the mountains north of Caliture. We want to mine it, but since the wild animals come attacking, we need to guarantee the safety of the miners.」
「......Silver? We didn’t receive a single word about that.」
「His Majesty probably doesn’t care. If wild animals that harm the people of the Races are appearing within the territory, they get subjugated. That is only natural.」
The Kobolds didn’t mention anything about it either.
Most likely, they probably weren’t interested in the reason why people of the Races were coming to their mountain.
It’s not like it would change anything if they knew though.
Rem asked a question.
「......What if, for example, the Kobolds promised to not attack the miners, how would that sound?」
「How would that sound? What do you mean?」
「......Would you allow them to live in the mountain?」
Going “Hahaha”, Martis placed both of his hands on his fat belly and laughed.
「As expected of Adventurers of the royal capital, even your jokes are first-class, aren’t they? They don’t understand the words of the Races. They only bark going “Uーuー wan wan”. There is no way they could make promises.」
As far as the people of the Races are concerned, the Beastman races are treated like that.
However, Rem persisted.
「......That isn’t the case at all. There are also some that are able to have proper conversations.」
Martis made a surprised looking face.
「Is that true!?」
「Yes.」
「Then bring them here. They should become a nice exhibition.」
「Wha!?」
「No no, I do not deny the philanthropism that respects even the lives of wild animals. But, that cannot be a policy for the army. The population of the fief that feel anxiety from even living together with Demi-Humans is not small. Do you think that they would place their trust in a Beastman race? My duty is to eradicate the monsters from the silver mine.」
「......It is not like the Kobolds want to fight.」
「When creating a field, would you hesitate to pull out the weeds? When hunting, do you show pity to the deer? Life is precious, but not more than the safety of the population. As the Feudal Lord, isn’t that only natural?」
「......That, is true.」
That was a sound argument.
His outward appearance is questionable, but it’s no wonder he was entrusted with a large territory.
Martis shrugged his shoulders.
「With our equipment, we couldn’t deal with the Spriggan. We had lost four forts due to that, but I had heard that it is possible for you all to crush it. And then, in a few days, there will also be ten thousand reinforcements from the royal capital, and it seems that the Royal Palace Knights will be coming as well. Some other fighting power was prepared as well──Even without worrying about that, it will be possible to annihilate those wild animals with the next expedition! Since we’ll win, there’s no reason to step down from all of this. Emptying the plate I set my hands on is my principle.」
「......Is that so.」
Rem hung her head looking vexed.
It looked impossible.
Feudal Lord Martis only thinks of the Kobolds as nothing but “vermin damaging the silver mines”.
Certainly, if they can win the battle without any trouble, there’s no reason to compromise with them.
──I guess stopping the war won’t be that easy.
What to do?
What should they do to save the Kobolds?
Shera, who had kept silent and listened the whole time, made a face that looked like she would cry.
「Diablo......」
「Hmph......Leave it, to me.」
He didn’t have an ingenious idea.
Part 2
It was raining once again.
It cleared up four days later, and early that morning, they were suddenly informed about the expedition.
They received the command to do the wild beast subjugation.
They had their own thoughts about it, but with the position that Diablo’s group was in, there was no way they could oppose it.
While leaving the main force of Caliture’s stationed troops in the town, the Feudal Lord left the town taking along a few troops and Diablo’s group with him.
They stayed at a post town for one night.
The morning of the next day──
Finally, they linked up with the ten thousand reinforcements that came from the royal capital.
The commander of the reinforcements made a salute.
Martis returned the salute.
「Good work.」
Incidentally, there was no horse that could support his body weight, so he used a carriage for travel.
Inside the box-shaped carriage that was remodelled with a largish door was furnished with a chair that was like a bed. He occupied a width that could hold three people all by himself.
A man wearing a mantle that had a familiar crest on it stepped forward from within the reinforcements.
「......He isn’t my type. Well, I guess it’s time to work──Nice to meet you, Lord Caliture.」
The 《Royal Palace Chivalric Order》
Moreover, it was a face that they knew.
Long hair, tall figure, and thick lips. His muscular body was covered in red armor.
Rem’s eyes opened wide.
「Geibalt!?」
「Uwa......So we meet again, Ochibi-chan.」
He sent a wink at Rem.
With him being someone they had fought before, Shera was frightened and hid behind Diablo.
「Hii」
If he remembered correctly, he was the Holy Knight that attacked Lumachina.
At that time, he had hit him with a 《Cross Blizzard》, but it seemed that he had stubbornly lived through it.
He once again attacked them in the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》......
Horun fell into a waterway, and as a result of chasing after her, Diablo had lost his precious EX-class equipment.
And then, according to Rem’s story, Geibalt betrayed the Church (the Cardinal Institute), and seemed to have fallen under the Royal Palace Chivalric Order.
Diablo snorted.
「Hmph......You were loitering about for some reason......but right now, are you that glasses-macho’s underling?」
「Yes, I......am in love.」
That was information he didn’t want to hear.
Martis cut into the conversation.
「Do you know each other? This time is a united front, so I ask that you get along. People of the reinforcements, I am sorry to do this when you have just come from such a long journey but──the deadline of the subjugation that His Majesty had commanded draws near. Furthermore, the newly developed Southern territory is currently in its rainy season. You would want to do mountain hunting while it’s sunny, right?」
It would become a forced march but it seemed that they would be heading to the mountain immediately after joining up.
Rem opened a small map.
「......The town is here. Right now, this is the highway that we’re on......and this is the silver mine here.」
Within that silver mine mountain, the Kobold’s settlement was also hidden there.
Geibalt spoke.
「It’s fine if we find the wild animals and slaughter them, right? Is ten thousand troops really necessary for something so simple?」
Martis breathed a sigh.
「They are an elusive bunch. It would be fine if we could strike their nest, but even if we kill several of them a bit at a time, they end up appearing again. It won’t be easy to root them out.」
「I know that.」
Going “Plus!”, Martis added to his words.
「It is troubling that you forgot about the Spriggan!」
Hearing those words, Geibalt let out a laughter.
「Kufufu......That thing, I don’t think it’ll come out anymore, you know?」
「What do you mean by that?」
「The reason why the reinforcements took so much time to arrive was because the highway collapsed──though I think that’s already been reported. After investigating closer, fragments of the Spriggan were discovered.」
「Fragments!?」
「Looks like someone, had defeated it already, see?」
Geibalt’s sticky-looking gaze turned towards Diablo.
Diablo clicked his tongue in his mind.
With the Kobolds’ fighting power getting evaluated to be lower and lower, the chances of peace negotiations became difficult.
And the one who created that cause, was himself.
「Kuh......」
Geibalt approached him, and spoke with a small voice.
「Fufufu......Even after becoming the Greenwood King and becoming a hero whose fame reached even the Lifelia royal capital, are you still trying to hide your achievements? Is that your hobby? Or could it be that you have a different objective?」
Diablo glared at him.
「Do not pry unnecessarily. If you value your life that is.」
「Really? I don’t mind, why don’t you just do as you like. But, don’t get in my way, okay. I’m going to hurry up and finish this mission out here in the sticks, and return to the royal capital and get praised by Max♪」
By Max──was that a nickname for the Commander of the Royal Palace Chivalric Order, Maximum Abrams?
He was an opponent that he didn’t want to antagonize if at all possible.
Part 3
Before dusk──
The subjugation force started their camping preparations in the silver mine mountain.
Whether it was in the middle of travelling or in the middle of a war council, Martis would be endlessly eating, but breaks for the soldiers to have their meals were necessary. Sleep was also necessary.
Rem opened up the map once again.
「......If we walk without getting lost, it will be about three hours until we reach the settlement.」
「The silver mine mountain sure is vast.」
Peeking over at it, Shera raised a voice of admiration.
「......That’s true. However, although it’s called a silver mine mountain, I don’t know where on the mountain the silver will be mined. Specialists would take time to survey it, and there is a need to create large-scale tunnels.」
For that reason, maintenance of mountain safety was indispensable.
They could understand the Human side’s assertions but......
Diablo’s group was called to the troop headquarters.
It was a large tent.
They had visited a slave store in Faltra City before. This tent was just as vast as that.
Illumination candlesticks were fixed upon the large pillar at the center.
Martis was below those.
More accurately, the rickshaw that he rode was placed there.
Large type box-shaped carriages couldn’t enter the forest. That being said, it was impossible for his sea lion like physique to walk for a long time.
At the time to move Martis, the foot soldiers that worked as his guard would pull the rickshaw as a group.
Since they were currently in the middle of a break, he was on top of a rickshaw that no one was pulling, and he was stuffing his mouth with something as usual.
「*Mogu mogu*......Good job, today. It seems that there haven’t been any wild animal attacks yet but......be sure that you do not let your guard down. There are many times where they have come to attack in the middle of the night.」
Understandably, Geibalt was also in the troop stronghold.
「Fufu......We’ve gone quite far in from the highway, so I suppose it wouldn’t be strange if it was about time that we found a wild animal burrow.」
「If we could find them so easily, we wouldn’t be suffering like this though.」
They sounded like it was someone else’s problem.
Thinking about it, the ones suffering were the soldiers, and the Feudal Lord was just sitting and eating.
Even so, should they think that it was better that he only took command when in battle.
Rem asked once again.
「......Rather than having a large army mobilise for several days, shouldn’t we be exploring the path of reconciliation with them?」
Martis made a wry smile.
「If you really can talk with those wild animals, tell them this──That they should leave this mountain. I have no intention of discontinuing the mountain hunt.」
Geibalt gazed at Rem looking deeply interested.
「Are you able to do such a thing? Is it true that you can talk with the Beastman races?」
「......No......I can’t.」
「I thought so.」
As if the proposal of reconciliation had vanished from their minds, they moved onto the next topic.
Rem had probably hesitated.
She should have wanted to say “Diablo could talk with them”.
However, even if she were to say that──it was doubtful that the situation would have changed for the better.
To begin with, the Lifelia Kingdom did not approve of the Beastman races. They were treated as, killed as, stolen as, and chased away as monsters.
The reason was that they couldn’t use Human words.
Diablo recalled the girls, the Ogre, Dryad, and Lamia, that he met in the royal capital.
When he tried recalling more──Diablo didn’t converse with those girls.
The receptionist Elf woman had done all of the arrangements.
By some chance, those monster girls might not have used the Lifelia common language.
He didn’t have the courage to go and confirm it.
Martis pointed at the map that was spread out on the meeting table.
The fact that the map was filled with stains was due to him always eating something.
「Tomorrow, I guess we will search the west side.」
Geibalt made a displeased looking face.
「Could it be that, at this rate, are you planning on searching this vast mountain little by little?」
「Do you disapprove?」
「Yes, I do disapprove. Putting it frankly──I want to quickly hunt them.」
「However, that can’t be done until we discover their burrow.」
Going “hmph......”, Geibalt laughed.
「Why don’t we burn it?」
「What?」
「Isn’t it fine. If they don’t have the trees to hide in, the wild animals won’t come out either. Well, before that, they might be completely burned up though.」
「Saying something so foolish......」
「Why? Since this is a silver mine mountain, there won’t be any problems with the trees burning up.」
「There are also citizens that live by hunting and harvesting fruits in this mountain forest.」
Geibalt gave a broad smile.
「Just make their new jobs being silver mine mountain miners!」
「Mumumu......」
「It’s fine, isn’t it. Wildfires are things that happen after all. Hey, Lord Caliture──how much money do you think it takes to move a force of ten thousand troops? It’s not a good thing to waste so much money.」
「Indeed, this is inefficient.」
Martis rubbed his own chin.
His eyes were ominous.
*Ban!* Rem hit the conference table with both hands.
「That can’t happen! To cause a wildfire within your own territory!」
Geibalt shrugged his shoulders.
「You’ve got it wrong, you know? There are times they just happen to occur. After all, wildfires are natural disasters♪」
He held a crystal that had a rainbow-colored shine in his hand.
Rem glared at him.
「......Is that 《Ifrit》!」
That was a powerful Fire-attribute Summoned Beast.
Level 130.
It had enough strength that it could defeat a level 150 monster if the Summoner’s equipment was perfect.
Geibalt expressed a ghastly smile.
「You couldn’t possibly be finding fault with what a Feudal Lord and a Royal Palace Knight are doing, are you? You are a queen of Greenwood after all. Something like a war against the Lifelia Kingdom is just......right?」
*Giri giri* Rem ground her back teeth.
There were even tears coming to her eyes.
Shera, who had kept silent the whole time, raised her voice.
「We’ll fight! If you such a terrible thing, the Elves will fight against the Humans! The reason we fight isn’t because the opponents are monsters. It’s because we do it to protect everyone. If you say that you all don’t treasure life──I, will fight!」
Rem opened her eyes wide.
「Shera!? You, that’s just!」
Diablo pulled out the 《Tonnerre Empereur》.
「Well said.」
「......Even you, Diablo!?」
The most rational one among them was Rem, and she might be right. No, most likely, she was right.
However, he was at the limit of his patience.
Diablo shouted.
「If I have to get along with fiends, going Solo would be better!」
Geibalt raised the corners of his lips.
「You all, could it be, are you going to fight for the sake of the Kobolds!? Against the Lifelia Kingdom!」
「Yup.」
*Kokuri* Shera nodded.
Diablo stepped forward as if covering the girls.
「I am a Demon King that has come from another world! It would seem that it was fated to turn out like this.」
Finally, Rem breathed a sigh.
「......How did it turn out like this. Just when I thought that I was released from a Demon King, to think that I would stand on a Demon King’s side.」
She took out a crystal.
They were ready for battle.
The tension increased.
Part 4
There was a soldier that ran to the tent that had fallen into an explosive situation.
「A report! I have a rep......!?」
He froze wondering what was going on.
While still glaring at Diablo’s group, Martis prompted him.
「Make your report.」
「Yessir! The leading reconnaissance team has discovered the Kobold settlement! Being in the middle of battle, we request reinforcements, is what the messenger said!」
The situation changed in one go.
Martis gave his orders.
「Have the commando units go in immediately. All forces are to hurry!」
「Understood!!」
The soldier ran out of the tent.
Geibalt expressed a devilish smile.
「Kaha! In the end, it turned out like this! The strong are the ones that win! Numbers are power! And the one who is superior in power, will always be the winner! You all......should understand that, okay?」
Rem shouted.
「Not yet! It hasn’t ended yet! Diablo, please slow Geibalt down! If the messenger has just come, I should be able to make it there in time if it’s with my pace!」
「What do you plan on doing, Rem?」
「......I will go help them. There aren’t that many in the reconnaissance team. If it’s now, I can still make it!」
They had failed in the peace negotiations to make them acknowledge the Kobolds.
The settlement was discovered.
However, it might still be possible to let the Kobolds escape.
The soldiers of the Caliture stationed troops were by no means powerful.
If it was the current Rem who had leveled up for the sake of fighting against the Great Demon King Modinalaam, she surely wouldn’t fall behind them.
──Something, is bothering me though.
But there was no time to be hesitant.
The situation was one where they had to fight for each moment. After all, she needed to crush the unit that was in the middle of battle and have the Kobolds run away from their settlement before the reinforcements that the Feudal Lord sent arrive there.
Shera held her bow in her hands.
「I’ll go too!」
「......I’ll leave you behind if you can’t keep up, you know!?」
「Of course!」
The both of them started running.
Diablo turned the 《Tonnerre Empereur》 towards Geibalt, and kept him in check.
He could tell after confronting him.
He conducted himself like a Summoner, but he was of a considerable level even as a Warrior.
Diablo wouldn’t lose if it was a one-on-one, but depending on Martis’s judgement, it could turn into a fight against a force of ten thousand as well.
──If possible, it would be preferable if things stayed as a stalemate.
Even if he was a fiend, he was a person.
Diablo wanted to save the Kobolds, but it wasn’t like he wanted to kill anyone no matter who they were.
Right now, it would be enough if he could buy some time.
Geibalt returned his expression back.
Into a serious face.
「As I thought, you all......you could get through to the Kobolds.」
Martis nodded.
「This is why Demi-Humans are so problematic.」
「But, as expected of you? The Kobold nest that couldn’t be found by anyone up until now──you all will be guiding us there, after all.」
*Zokuri* A chill went down Diablo’s spine.
Diablo realized.
「It still, hasn’t been found!?」
「Ufufufu......My 《Secret Guraho》 is in the middle of tracking them. Ara, they’re surprisingly fast. I need to chase after them before they leave my operating range.」
It was a Summoned Beast that Diablo didn’t know of, but it seemed to be something that could grasp the location of a far away opponent.
In the game, being a Summoner was a joke occupation, but it was no wonder that it was mainstream in this otherworld. The extent of their practical application range was quite considerable.
That being said, in terms of simple firepower, Diablo was higher.
Diablo poured magical power into the Magic Staff.
「Do you think I would let you go?」
If he could confine at least this man, there shouldn’t be any soldiers that could win against Rem and Shera.
However, Martis expressed a fearless smile.
「As I thought, it is good to be prepared.」
Someone came into the tent.
It was a woman.
There was no way he could mistake her for someone else.
Possessing black hair on her panther ears and tail, she was a black Pantherian──It was Sorami.
「Hello. Or, should it be......good evening?」
「You, why are you in a place like this!?」
「It’s work, you know? The Gado Clan also receives commissions from royalty and titled nobility.」
So in other words, she was here because she received a commission from Martis.
Come to think of it, he said “some other fighting power was prepared as well” before. To think that he had called the Gado Clan’s assistant instructor.
An unpleasant sweat spilled out from Diablo’s forehead.
「You, do you understand? These guys, they are already Rem’s enemy. If you support them, you will be endangering your life.」
「It really is unfortunate. But, I thought “wouldn’t things turn out like this......”. Rem-chan is too kind after all.」
Sorami covered her whole body in Gaikikou (Outer Radiance Achievement).
She loosely dangled both of her arms, and just stood there. Despite this, he received a sense of intimidation as if a bladed tool was thrust at his chest.
His body trembled.
「Tsk......」
Diablo’s tension was raised.
*Kusu* Sorami made a wry smile.
「If you’re all rigid like that, your start will be late, you know?」
「Mu......」
After being told that, whenever he welcomed challengers in the game, he was always relaxed. Since he was always playing whenever he was awake, maintaining that tension would have been impossible.
Tension was different from concentration. He merely had to consolidate the things that should be done, and then calmly observe the opponent.
──I’ll change my consciousness to an invalid-to-society Gamer.
Sorami nodded.
「That is a wonderfully “quiet” Naikikou (Inner Radiance Achievement)」
Geibalt shrugged his shoulders.
「It looks like you two are acquainted, doesn’t it? But, you wouldn’t possibly betray us, would you?」
「That is impossible.」
She flat out declared that.
She added words after that.
「For the Gado Clan, once we accept a commission, we would even kill our parents. Well, if I had known that it would bring harm to Rem-chan’s group from the start, I would have refused it though......You wouldn’t think that they would oppose the kingdom for the sake of wild animals, right?」
Geibalt made a wry smile.
「I agreeー. They’re a bit strange, aren’t they? Well then, I’ll leave this place to you.」
「Yes.」
「You......Are you really fine with this? That Ochibi-chan called Rem......I’ll probably end up killing her, you know? She’s the type that wouldn’t surrender even if she dies, isn’t she?」
「It can’t be help. It’s the path that child has chosen after all.」
「Is that s」
「But, if you do kill her, please don’t appear in front of me as much as possible. Since I don’t have much confidence that I’ll maintain my senses if you do.」
「That’s my plan. Rather, you’re the same as that Ochibi-chan, aren’t you. You should live more freely, and become a good woman like me, you know?」
「It is my nature after all.」
Geibalt waved one hand and left the tent.
「Wait!」
When Diablo turned his attention towards him──
As if she had teleported, Sorami was in front of him.
「Are you looking away?」
「《Instant Thrust》 !?」
It was the Martial Art that the Master Swordsman used. It was unknown at what level it was learned. It was most likely above 150.
He thought that it was a charge-type attack, but at this speed, it was like teleportation.
It was faster than even a bullet from a Magi-Gun.
Sorami made a declaration with a cold voice.
「The commission was to confine you here but......if you get too careless, I might end up killing you, you know?」
Martis shrugged his shoulders.
「I don’t mind. He is a traitor after all.」
「Feudal Lord-sama, what will you be doing? Could it be, will watch the whole time?」
「I plan on going to the Kobold nest though. Right now, it’s the soldiers’ meal time. I believe that those who interrupt meals are enemies. I cannot do something so inhuman.」
So that was greater than setting a forest on fire.
Sorami made a thin smile.
「Am I, that untrustworthy?」
「Perish the thought! Of course I trust in the Gado Clan. Enough that I would even wager this jerky.」
「......Thank you.」
Going “now then”, she took some distance, poised herself again.
Diablo made his nth tongue click.
「Stubborn fool. Does this mean you have no intention of withdrawing, no matter what happens?」
「I treasure Rem-chan very much......But, I treasure my grandfather, father, and elder brothers just as much......So for the sake of the honor that they protected, as well as the apprentices that I was put in charge of, I will give my all in this fight.」
「How foolish!」
「Mu!?」
「That grandfather, father, and elder brothers of yours, are they a bunch that would let Rem die without helping her for the sake of honor and apprentices?」
「If it’s for a commission, of course they would.」
「Damned idiot! Even if you undertake a quest, if you feel that it goes against your own justice in the middle of it, to alter your sword point no matter what kind of dishonor you are accused of is what courage is!」
「And the result of that, is to become a traitor, huh. Is there a meaning in protecting something like wild animals?」
「The Feudal Lord is only doing this because he wants something like silver though?」
「That doesn’t matter......」
「To know of the injustice and support it, is there any value in your protected honor!?」
「......I, will not yield.」
Sorami’s eyes were charged with a strong determination.
Diablo transformed the 《Tonnerre Empereur》. The MP consumption would double, but the attacks would increase seven-fold.
Her resolve was firm.
For him who was facing her, he thought that he couldn’t be that callous.
That is why, Diablo completely became a Demon King.
「I understand your resolution. But, that sort of thing, this Demon King will pulverize it!」
Part 5
The one to move first, was Sorami.
「Haaaa!!」
She was a Pantherian whose racial characteristic was speed, and moreover, she was a Fistfighter whose fighting distance was close. It was only natural that she would take the first move.
Since he was aware of this, Diablo didn’t panic.
He had already installed a 《Super Mine》 at his feet.
It was magic that would explode when stepped on.
Maybe sensing his faint movements, maybe since she could also see the flow of magical power, or maybe because she failed to read it, she evaded only that spot.
「As expected of you! But!」
However, Diablo was a Gamer that boasted the fact that he was undefeated in battles against people. He had a second and third hand ready to be played.
As he fell back, Sorami chased after him.
──Before, the 《Lightning Bullet》 was warded off, but how about this!?
「Eat this! 《Glakius Cannon》!!」
It was the magic that made an ice cannon that pierced through several of the royal castle’s walls. It turned into seven rapid-fire shots and flew.
Being this close, she couldn’t possibly evade it.
However, amazingly, Sorami defended against it with one arm.
There should have been enough force to squash her along with the arm that received them, but she endured it with Gaikikou.
「Ugh, uuuuugh!」
「You took seven rapid-fire shots!?」
He shouldn’t have been holding back though.
Was the use of the Ice Attribute a miss on his part, or was Diablo’s firepower lacking even after doing a multiplex spell? It wasn’t able to pierce through Sorami’s shield.
In exchange for purposely receiving that attack, the distance between the two was one where their hands could reach each other.
「Diablo-kun! You don’t have enough intent to kill!」
──You, didn’t you accept a commission to buy time!?
「I haven’t cast away my thoughts as much as you have, see!」
It seemed that when Sorami goes into battle, she is the type where various things fly away from her head.
She immersed herself in battle.
He was also the same when he was playing the game.
Operating like a machine, he would slaughter enemies like a machine.
What about now?
He couldn’t become that cool-headed.
In a corner of his mind, he would always be thinking about the opponent.
Sorami swung her fist.
He moved to evade it.
However, as if that fist was being sucked towards him, it chased after him.
「《Sure-hit》!?」
「You’re too slow!」
He switched to defense in the middle, but he wouldn’t make it in time.
Close combat was like a game of rock, paper, scissors. Playing out rock after seeing that the opponent had put out scissors was impossible.
It was different if there was a great difference in level though.
Rather, Sorami was the one that was faster.
Diablo received a blow to the face, and he was blown away.
「Gah......!?」
She chased after him in an instant.
──She’s using 《Instant Thrust》 here!? So, since it can’t be used successively, she uses it for the sake of pursuit!
She made a kick at him while his posture was broken.
A *gokih* sound was made.
An acute pain ran through him.
Did a rib break!?
He crashed into the tent’s pillar, and knocked it down. The remaining force behind it sent him outside, into the forest.
After breaking three standing trees, he finally stopped.
「You have to be kidding me......」
What an outrageous woman. Wouldn’t she be able to have a fist fight against the Great Demon King Modinalaam?
*Zowah* A chill ran through the back of his neck.
There was an unpleasant presence coming from the collapsed tent.
He instantly fired magic.
「《Tidal Wall》!!」
A magic formation spread out, and a column of water was raised.
Immediately afterwards──
「《Kikouha (Radiance Light Wave)》[1]!!」
Piercing through the tent that had lost its original shape, a gigantic ball of light came flying. It was most likely a Martial Art. One that made 《Shining Blow》 bigger.
It collided into the wall of water, and they clashed with each other.
He was somehow able to defend against it but......
Diablo unknowingly was expressing a smile on his face.
「Kukuku......You’re pretty good.」
Drinking an HP Recovery Potion, he stood up.
He confronted Sorami.
「Eh, you’re unhurt!? Ah, that’s not it......So, there’s a potion that can heal that much damage in an instant huh.」
「Victory and defeat is decided by the difference in preparation!」
「In that case......I only have to attack until you run out of potions!」
「I am in a hurry, you see──That is enough, playing around! 《Cross Blizzard》!!」
No matter how fast her movements are, she couldn’t possibly evade an area of effect attack.
Countless tornadoes sprung forth.
Everything that they touched became frozen, and on top of that, they would break to pieces by the windstorm.
The soldiers were surprised by the tent being blown away and had run away. There was no need to worry about them getting dragged into it.
Come to think of it, was Martis still underneath the tent?
──Well, if he’s a Feudal Lord and lieutenant general, then he’s the same rank as Galford. He probably won’t die.
Moreover, he was an opponent that was trying to kill him. There was no reason to pay perfect attention to him.
They were extremely cold tornadoes that froze plants, and broke them apart.
Within that, there was a person standing there.
Covering her whole body with Gaikikou, she endured it.
「Kuuuu......」
「Damned monster.」
──Was that the Martial Art 《Iron Wall》?
「You’ve surprised me, Diablo-kun. This is my first time seeing such fierce Chemical Elemental Magic.」
「Hmph......The same goes for me who is seeing someone talk so calmly within a high level magic. ──I shall apologize.」
「For what?」
「I, have committed an error. I had treated you as a person.」
「I don’t think that you were wrong though?」
「No......For you, I should have been fighting while thinking of you as a Demon King-class monster.」
「Ara ara, to be calling me a monster.」
「That composure of yours, I shall blow it away immediately as well.」
──So firepower greater that 《Cross Blizzard》 is needed huh.
However, he couldn’t use 《White Nova》 and 《Gravity Abyss》. The outcome would be that as he was chanting it, he would be knocked off his feet before they could occur.
The air trembled.
Even though the effects of 《Cross Blizzard》 were still going on!
Sorami appeared right before his eyes.
「Thinking about this and that in the middle of battle is a bad habit of Magicians, you know, Diablo-kun?」
「You......!?」
Was her purposely showing an enduring figure meant for the sake of creating an opening on him!?
In the next instant, Sorami’s hand blade stabbed the left side of Diablo’s chest. It was a thrust that made it sharp like a spear with Gaikikou.
While saying something like “attack until you run out of potions” earlier, and knowing that he had a means to recover, she aimed with a certain kill attack.
Fresh blood flew about.
──Truly, amazing. That seriously became a good reference, Assistant Instructor.
Diablo defended the left side of his chest with the Magic Sword 《Tonnerre Empereur・Libéré》.
The white silver Magic Sword, was smashed up.
At the same time, magic was fired.
Chantlessly──It was the fastest spell, 《Lightning Bullet》!!
The flashes burst on her abdomen.
「Gyau!!」
Blown away, she collapsed to the ground.
Diablo similarly collapsed.
It wasn’t an instant death.
However, the wound was too deep.
「Ugh......Kuh......Even after using the Magic Sword as a shield, and concentrating all of my willpower (SP) into defense......it turns out like this.」
His consciousness became distant.
That can’t happen!
However, his body, could no longer move.
He could hear a woman’s voice.
He was startled.
Goodness, Sorami had stood up.
「It’s not willpower (SP), but Kikou (Radiance Light), you know, Diablo-kun?」
「......!?」
「So at the same time that you turned your sword and all of your Kikou to defense to receive my attack, you attacked with magic......that was a very good counterattack. After all, even for me, when I’m using Kikou in an attack, I end up being negligent with my body’s defense.」
Her abdomen, wasn’t injured at all. She looked at the distance with a blank look.
Could she really not be a person of the Races!?
Diablo had his pain and sense of fatigue blown away, and was stirred up by fear. After raising up his arm that felt like it had turned into stone and thrusting his fingertips into his pouch, he took out a potion.
I need to hurry up and recover!
If I don’t, I’ll be killed!
In the past, he had never felt a potion tube to be this heavy. It felt as if the cork was stuck.
Finally, the cork came out, and the green liquid came falling out.
Through the highest grade HP Recovery Potion, Diablo’s wounds were instantly healed.
「Kahah!」
He jumped to his feet.
He opened his eyes wide.
Sorami was collapsed on the ground. She hadn’t stood up.
Not only that, there was a considerable amount of bleeding coming from her abdomen.
「Was that a hallucination......!?」
Thinking about it calmly, it was unnatural.
Having that much magic making a direct hit, it would be impossible to be uninjured. Having a blank look, and standing upright.
──Was it in order to make me take action?
While still having fallen face down, she moved her lips.
「As expected......of the husband, that Rem-chan chose.」
「Ah, no, that’s......」
「It’s your win. Diablo-kun......please, protect......that chil............」
Sorami’s eyes, slowly closed.
Diablo rushed over to her.
「Don’t screw with me! I won’t allow you to push that onto me! If you want Rem to be protected, then you should protect her yourself. If it’s about the marriage, it’s been voided. On that night, we were divorced!」
While shouting, he poured a potion on her.
The wounds healed, and Sorami was dumbfounded.
「W, why? Why did you save me?」
「If you were to die, Rem would be sad.」
「I’m your enemy, you know!? Winning with such a clever scheme......Do you think that it will work a second time!?」
「Shut up! If you want to fight that much, I’ll face you again. But, when I win, I will do the same thing again.」
「Why would you, do such a......Ah! More importantly, what did you mean about a divorce!? Explain that properly to Onee-san, okay!?」
──You were the trigger for it, you know. I was the cause though.
As for what the meaning of it was, Diablo was the one who wanted to hear it.
「It seems that there was no “reason to get married” to me.」
「Eh......」
「Well, I......am a Demon King after all.」
「A reason for marriage, loving the other person is enough. Diablo-kun, Rem-chan really loves you.」
「I can’t understand it. That emotion called “love”.」
Sorami tilted her head.
「If you think that you want to protect someone even if you have to risk your life, that is the feeling called “love”.」
Diablo pressed down on his own left side of the chest.
「......」
The injury hole that he received from her thrust earlier, it had already closed.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] Original: 輝光波, read as: きこうは
Part 6
Even as it became hard to breath and her legs started to hurt, Rem continued to run.
Shera, who would be the first to give up in their usual journeys, didn’t make a single complaint, and followed her.
「Haa! Haa! Haa! Here!」
They went through the deep forest.
If it was an untrained Human, it was a darkness where even walking would be difficult, but Rem was an Adventurer as well as a Pantherian. She could see in the dark.
In a place that was slightly open, a rope went across from one branch to another.
*Posari* The one who placed a wet cloth on it, was the young Kobold girl Feneri.
──Is she drying laundry?
Turning around, Feneri tilted her head.
「Kuun?」
Rem sensed a huge mistake.
──Without Diablo, our words won’t get through!
No, to begin with, since they heard that their settlement was being attacked by the reconnaissance team, they came running.
Was the Caliture unit already driven away?
However, there were no traces of battle.
In that case, there might be a settlement in a place different from here.
Shera placed her hands on both knees, and made a deep breath.
「Thank goodnessー. So they were safe!」
「......No, we......might have committed an outrageous mistake.」
Rem became vigilant of the surroundings.
*Vuun* Making a buzzing sound, an insect descended.
It was like a locust, but a bit different.
On its small twig like trunk, a small, small 《Slavery Choker》 was fixed on it.
「A Summoned Beast!?」
「Eh? What?」
Seeing Rem turn pale, Shera made a curious-looking face.
Feneri also went 「Wafu wafu?」 and was asking something, but she couldn’t understand her words.
Even so, she made an earnest appeal to her.
「......Look, Feneri, listen to me. The Kobolds in the settlement need to run away, right now. This place, has been found by a Royal Palace Knight.」
「Kuuー?」
「Please understand. You need to run, right away!」
The sound of undergrowth being stepped on was made.
Feneri made a puzzled face.
「Uu!?」
「Eh, who’s there!?」
Shera stepped back, and Rem held a crystal in her hand.
「......Kuh」
From the forest that was submerged in darkness, the tall figure of a man appeared.
「Ufufufu......Ochibi-chan and group, good work, on the guidance here♥」
Shera raised a scream.
Rem stepped forward so as to cover Feneri. And then, she sharpened her nerves. There was no one else coming?
「......Diablo, what happened to him?」
「Dunno, isn’t he playing around somewhere?」
「That’s a lie!」
「Of course it is. Asking the enemy for information, is the stranger part here.」
This would be a guess but, he was confined by another enemy strong enough that he couldn’t get away from──is that what they should be thinking?
She didn’t think that Diablo would lose, but there was no guarantee that he would be coming right away.
There was a need to buy some time.
In that case, if they are going to fight, it needs to be as loud as possible.
If either Feneri or some other Kobold within realizes it, there’s no mistake that they will surely run away.
From what she saw from his fight with Diablo, the Patriarch Borbos was a considerably strong person.
However, she didn’t think that he could win against Geibalt.
What about them as they were now?
「......Shera, please calm down and listen.」
「Y, yeah?」
「......When we fought against him in the 《Demon King’s Labyrinth》, we couldn’t do a single thing to him.」
「Un. What should we do?」
「......However, there is a remarkable difference in our levels when compared to that time. Please recall Sasala’s teachings. We also have the equipment we received from Diablo and Krum.」
「That’s true.」
「......Rather than those days, think about now.」
Geibalt grinned.
「Have you decided on your strategy?」
「......Come forth, 《Stoneman》!!」
A gigantic stone statue appeared. There weren’t any eyes or a mouth on its square head, but it gave an intimidating pressure to Geibalt.
Shera nocked an arrow.
「Let’s do it! With the two of us, let’s protect everyone!」
「Ara, you’re surprisingly going with a frontal attack? Do you think you can win against me with such a strategy?」
Rem wavered.
Should they commence with the first strike?
The ones who wanted to buy as much time as possible, was their side.
They glared at each other.
Geibalt made a wry smile.
「Fufu......Thanks, for waiting for me. Finally, it’s become easier for me to breath.」
「Ah.」
Since he was chasing after Rem’s group, even if he was a Royal Palace Knight, it was at full speed. Racially speaking, Elves and Pantherians were more specialized at running through the forest than Humans, and the opponent was wearing armor, and moreover, he was using a Summoned Beast in order to track them.
Should they have attacked him incessantly while he was fatigued?
「As usual, it looks like you lack experience when it comes to battles against people.」
「......Kuh! Go forth, 《Stoneman》!!」
「Aren’t you contracted, with anything better? You had best not hold out on anything, since you’ll be killed right away.」
Shera turned to the sky and fired an arrow.
「Here’s a 《Rain Shot》!」
The single arrow vanished into the sky.
After a while, it turned into several arrows and came raining down.
It was a rain of arrows made through SP.
*Sui sui* With small steps, Geibalt avoided the arrows that came raining down.
「You should choose your Martial Arts after looking at your opponent, okay? No matter how many of them there are, there’s no way such a slow attack would hit.」
He took out a rainbow-colored crystal.
That was a crystal that would summon an exceedingly high ranked Summoned Beast.
「Now then, it’s your debut──《Fafnir》!!」
「!?」
Rem froze in astonishment.
Even Shera, she had heard of at least the name before.
It was the Summoned Beast made out to be the highest rank in the Darkness Attribute!
《Fafnir》
From a torrent of whirling magical power, the figure of a deep black snake showed itself. Its length, it went from between 100 to 200 steps.
Its pair of long and narrow wings that spread out left and right, they were longer than its body.
It was a winged snake that had a sinister appearance.
Its scales were black that had a purplish luster, and black smoke came spilling out from its mouth.
*JYAAAAAAAAAA!* It raised a grating cry.
「Byaahー!?」
Jumping up in surprise, Feneri escaped into the settlement hole.
As a result, they were able to convey the danger to the Kobolds. They should be able to understand that the settlement was discovered.
Geibalt shrugged his shoulders.
「I see......So they live in that sort of hole. Oh my, no wonder we couldn’t find them.」
「We won’t let you chase after them!」
Shera fired an arrow.
Geibalt unsheathed the sword on his waist, and cut down the arrow.
He clicked his tongue.
「You two, it looks like you haven’t leveled up all that much. You shouldn’t be playing hooky! Even though I went and increased my large-type Summoned Beasts like this for the sake of whenever I have to fight that Black Dragon again!」
「......Kuh.」
They knew that he was strong.
For Rem and Shera, they took the Master Swordsman’s training, and had their equipment reinforced.
However, that was completely insufficient.
Their awareness was different.
Geibalt was on the verge of being killed by the Large Black Dragon. If not for Lumachina’s miracle, he would have died.
And yet, he thought of the rematch.
Moreover, he made preparations in order to win.
──We’re too different.
Beside the trembling Rem, Shera drew her bow.
「We weren’t playing hooky! Te～i! 《Hadoudan (Wave Bullet)》[1]ッ!!」
An arrow that turned into a gigantic bullet of light flew.
It made a direct hit on Fafnir’s chin.
That made it showily bend backwards, and made it raise a screech that resounded through the mountains. Its scales broke, and blood came spilling out.
Shera spoke sounding disappointed.
「Ahー, it didn’t pierce through.」
Certainly, it did look like damage got through, but the arrow didn’t pierce it.
Geibalt opened his eyes wide.
「Ou......Looks like you can do a bit. To think that you would use 《Hadoudan》. That’s a Martial Art said to be learned at level 90, you know?」
「Ehehe......」
「As a reward, I’ll start by killing you♪」
*Pachin* Geibalt snapped his fingers.
Fafnir moved its gigantic wings. Opening its mouth that seemed to split even its body, it came rushing in.
「Kyaaaaaa!」
Shera was good at attacking, but she was extremely weak when she was the one being attacked.
「Dodge it!」
Rem used the Stoneman and sent her flying.
「Hyagya!?」
In the next instant, Fafnir passed by the place that Shera was at. As if becoming a substitute for her, the Stoneman was shaved away.
Quite easily, its upper half had vanished.
Turning into a black crystal, it returned to Rem’s hand.
「Kuh......」
「Ah, thanks, Rem.」
「......Leave the thanks for later. Please attack more! Leave the defence to me.」
「Un! Let’s do our best! Here’s a 《Lightning Shoot》!」
The arrow that Shera fired turned into an arrow tinged with light, and made a direct hit on Fafnir with outrageous speed.
Once again, she made the enemy bend backwards.
It was working.
It seemed that Shera’s attacks were giving it damage.
Rem and Shera’s strategy was to stay true to the basics.
Summoned Beasts would stand as the vanguard, and devote themselves to defense and being the decoy. The attacking would be left to Shera, the Archer.
「Come forth, 《Iron Gorilla》 and 《Iron Golem》! Also, 《Rock Wan》, 《Dragonfly》, and 《Saber Tiger》 too!!」
The enemy is powerful, but there’s only one of it.
It has wings, but it’s not like it’s flying.
They simultaneously aimed at the Fafnir.
Being a gigantic opponent, the attacks made direct hits but......
As expected, with Summoned Beasts of this level, they couldn’t give it any distinct damage.
Even so, it shouldn’t be able to ignore them.
And sure enough──the Fafnir started to aim at the Summoned Beasts first. Iron Gorilla, Iron Golem, Rock Wan, and Dragonfly, they were crushed one after another.
The Saber Tiger had high evasive power, so it was able to hold out for a while, but in the end, it was crushed.
During that time, Shera used her powerful arrow Martial Arts, and gave it damage.
They were doing well. They were properly buying time, and at this rate, the might even defeat the Fafnir.
Rem’s Summoned Beasts were steadily being defeated but......
It was a match between whether they or the enemy’s Summoned Beast’s HP would run out first.
Geibalt nodded.
「You two, you’ve become better than before. I thought that I would be able to overcome you with just Fafnir, but you two are surprisingly good. But, since it would be a pain if the wild animals escaped......It’s about time that I get serious.」
What he took out from his pouch, was an MP Recovery Potion. After drinking that up, he held up another crystal.
It was another rainbow-colored crystal.
「I’ll burn you two to death along with those wild animals, with my Majin of Flames! 《Ifrit》!!」
A Summoned Beast clad in flames appeared.
It looked as if lava had taken on the form of a person. It had a size that wasn’t all that different from the Spriggan that they had encountered not too long ago. Due to its heat, the surrounding trees started to burn.
Rem brought out the Summoned Beast that she had left.
「Come forth, 《Aslau》!!」
It was large and sturdy, and there was a lot of power in a single attack.
In the end, she believed that such a Summoned Beast was strong.
Geibalt made a wry face.
「Gufufufu......Once I completely roast you two, using the 《Become Scorching Heat》 Skill, I’ll turn the ones inside of the hole into roasted fox! Or maybe, should I go with Fafnir’s 《Poison Breath》? What should I choose.」
「......Shera, fire at it! Make a concentrated attack!」
「Got it! Here’s a 《Lightning Shoot》 with a 《Sure-Hit》!!」
She fired an arrow on top of using the Martial Art that would make it absolutely hit.
The target, was the Magician!
Up until now, she had been aiming at nothing but the Summoned Beast, but that was for the sake of tempting the opponent to lower their guard.
Since Geibalt was an excellent Warrior himself, he didn’t use Summoned Beasts as shields all that much. He would either avoid or receive attacks.
It was there that they had a hand that they could take advantage of.
She added in her most trusted Summoned Beast to the attack that Shera made with all of her might.
On top of that, Rem herself also rushed in.
「Teiraaaaa──!!」
The opponent didn’t dodge.
All of their attacks would make a direct hit.
Without a doubt, there was a response. Rem’s fist──it struck his face.
──We brought him down!?
However, what had spurted out blood, was the Fafnir. It shrieked, and its gigantic body started to wriggle and rage about.
Geibalt grinned.
「If you’re also a Summoner, you should at least learn 《Back Passing》, got it?」
「......Wha!?」
「It should be usable once you’re greater than level 100. It’s a magic that makes the Summoned Beast shoulder the damage instead.」
「Something like that is......!?」
If the opponent is uninjured, this distance is bad! Sensing that, she jumped backwards.
However, Rem’s abdomen became hot.
She collapsed to the ground.
「......Gah!? Kahaa!?」
*Bota bota* A large amount of blood was spilling out. She had been cut by Geibalt’s sword.
──This is why, it’s no good, to get close to the opponent.
In the end, she relied on her fists.
She lost in the amount of knowledge as a Magician.
Within her receding consciousness, she heard the scream of a young girl.
──Shera!?
She saw that she was blown away by the tail of the rampaging Fafnir.
She crashed into a standing tree, and stopped moving.
「Shera!」
Translator’s Notes:
[1] Original: 波動弾, Read as: はどうだん
Part 7
「You should eat a biscuit!」
Going “Ha!”, Rem awoke.
She looked left and right.
It was the Faltra City bakery──right now, it was called the Demonic Being Cafe, 《Peter》.
The time, was it around noon?
「......Eh? I, it was night, in the forest, fighting against the Royal Palace Knight.」
「What is wrong -noda, Rem?」
There was a table in front of her, and Krum was sitting opposite her.
Before she knew it, there was a plate, with a pile of biscuits.
Krum held one out to her.
「Here, eat -noda.」
「......Thank you very much.」
Rem accepted it.
She gazed at the biscuit in her hand.
Krum happily stuffed her cheeks with biscuits.
「So delicious -nodaー. This is delicious -nodaー!!」
「............」
「The Bi is the Bi for Bikkuri (surprise)♪ The Su is the Su for Suteki (wonderful)♪」
It was the Biscuit Song.
The one who made this song is──
「......What about Shera? Where is Shera? What about Diablo?」
「Who knows? They have not come yet -noda.」
Rem tightly gripped the biscuit in her hand.
「......Where is, this place, Krum?」
「It is the Gap.」
*Fu* The surroundings became dark.
It was no longer the bakery.
Even the table wasn’t there, and even the plate of biscuits had disappeared.
「......The Gap?」
「The space between this world, and the next world. This is your second time coming here but, do you not remember?」
「......Vaguely.」
「At that time, Shera had brought you back -noda. Originally, it is a place that you cannot return from but......Should Maou be saying as expected of a descendant of the Divine Beings?」
Slowly, her memories became clear.
Not about that time, but the memories of what happened just before this.
「......What about Shera!? What about the Kobolds!? What is Geibalt doing!?」
「No, I do not know anything about what happened after you lost consciousness. Nothing at all -noda.」
「......What, are you?」
Krum made her eyebrows go in the shape of a “ハ”.
「Nnー. A residual thought......would you understand if Maou said that? The Maou here isn’t the real Maou, but something like a shadow, or even a vestige that exists within Rem. Something like that -noda!」
「......What, should I do?」
「What do you want to do -noda?」
Being asked that, she thought.
What did she want to do?
「......I want to......protect Shera.」
「Is that true? In that case, it would have been fine if you just ignored the Kobolds in the first place.」
「......I can’t. If I were to live that way, I would be hated. By Shera, and also by Diablo. I want to live, with my chest filled with pride with my companions.」
Krum smiled.
「What a selfish fellow -nanoda!」
「......That’s true. I feel like I have a desire that is more than I can handle.」
「Fu fu fu......is that not fine. What would freedom be without excessive ambition! Above all, the power in order to achieve that, it has already been handed to you -noda.」
「Eh?」
Krum pointed at Rem’s right hand.
Part 8
「......The biscuit?」
With her own muttering voice, Rem opened her eyes.
Immediately after that, an acute pain ran through her abdomen.
「Aguh!?」
It was the middle of the forest.
Even though it was night, it was bright in bright red.
She turned her head.
Putting the blazing forest to her back, there were the figures of those that were fighting.
There was Borbos the Kobold......and in addition, there were some Warriors.
Feneri should have told them of the attack. Did this mean that they did not run away and decided to fight against them?
The enemy was Geibalt’s Summoned Beast──
The winged poisonous snake 《Fafnir》 , and the Majin of Flames 《Ifrit》.
Already, there were several victims among the Beastmen.
Borbos was also wounded.
Diablo’s figure, was still not here.
「Kuh......What should I do?」
Suddenly, she remembered.
Most likely, it was probably a dream but......she remembered the words she was told by Krum.
“The power in order to achieve that, it has already been handed to you”
Rem opened her hand.
It wasn’t a biscuit, but a small white fragment.
──The tooth.
It was something that Krum gave her before. It should have been placed in her pouch though.
She recalled.
「When you decide to not rely on Diablo, and desire your own true power, then try putting this to your forehead. It will probably have a bit of a violent effect though......」
「For my sake, you took out a tooth!?」
「Living together with all of you in this town, Maou finds it fun. That is why, so you do not die, Maou hands this over -noda.」
Rem held the 《Demon King’s Tooth》 on her forehead.
If she had something like a true power, there was no other time that she desired it other than now.
*Shin*......
Nothing happened.
──Could it be, was she teasing me?
Apprehension crossed her mind.
Suddenly, and dramatically, a change happened.
From her forehead to the back of her head, a shock like something had pierced her ran through.
「Gah!?」
Part 9
The magic device clock that was in Geibalt’s breast pocket told him of the elapsed time with a vibration.
Kon, kon, kon......
For a Summoner, having a grasp of time was very important.
What was the timing for the next time that they could use the Special Ability? What was their amount of MP consumed due to the Summoned Beast?
By using accurate management rather than relying on bodily sense and intuition, it was possible to make use of them more efficiently. Getting carried away and using strong Summoned Beasts too much only to run out of MP was the most shameful thing to do as a Summoner.
Geibalt sought perfection from himself.
「Oh dear, my manicure is coming off, isn’t it.」
He wanted to fix it right away.
He had a personality that would be bothered over even the smallest things.
──Nn?
At the edge of his vision, there was someone that stood up.
A black Pantherian──It was the young girl with the name of Rem.
「Fuuー」
「Ara, you were alive? But, you probably don’t have any Summoned Beasts remaining. You can’t do anything at all.」
「......That doesn’t matter.」
「Eh?」
「The one who opened up a big hole, in my stomach, was you, right?」
Her eyes shone red.
It looked like the air surrounding her was distorting.
Since Geibalt had fought against high leveled Fist Fighters before, he judged that this was something done through willpower (SP).
However, it was a high concentration that he had never seen before.
Her atmosphere, it was as if she were a different person.
「......You, who are you?」
「You should know──I am, Rem Galeu. Right now, just for a bit, I am close to a Demon King though.」
She caught the end of her lips with her own finger and opened it.
Her nail, which was oversized even for a Pantherian, received the light of the moon and shone.
「Did you say a Demon King!?」
「You did a variety, of terrible things, haven’t you? You should regret them a bit.」
Rem kicked the ground.
As if there was an explosion, lumps of dirt were kicked up.
In the next instant, Geibalt received an intense blow to the stomach. He was blown away.
──What the!?
If he didn’t have his brand new EX-class armor on, she might have pierced right through to his back. He tumbled to the ground.
When he raised his head──
Rem was glaring at him. She wasn’t holding any weapon whatsoever.
「You are surprisingly sturdy, aren’t you? I suppose I should say as expected of a Royal Palace Knight.」
「Ugh, Uuuu......Ogeeeeeeeh!」
Geibalt spilled vomit onto the ground.
It was a disgrace.
He was spitting out even anger.
「Kill her! 《Fafnir》!!」
He used the Special Ability that he had been saving for the sake of attacking the Kobold’s burrow.
The gigantic snake spouted out its 《Poison Breath》.
Rem extended out one hand.
「《Kikouha (Radiance Light Wave)》!!」
A gigantic bullet of light flew out from her palm.
Blowing away the pitch black poisonous breath, it went on just like that and pulverized the Fafnir’s head.
It was crushed!
Turning into a black crystal, it returned to Geibalt’s hand.
「M, my 《Fafnir》 was!?」
Rem tilted her head.
「It wasn’t like I had fired at my full strength though......? Well, it did receive Shera’s attacks too after all, and it did have the damage to you yourself transferred to it as well. It should be something like this.」
Going “Waa!”, the Kobolds raised cheering voices.
They were howls of animals.
Geibalt clicked his tongue.
「Don’t get carried away! My trump card, is this one! 《Ifrit》, burn them up!!」
The Majin of Flames raised a war cry.
Rem also shouted.
「Get out of the way, Kobolds! Return to your hole! Since this guy, is my prey!」
They probably didn’t understand the meaning of her words, but being overawed by the intensity of it, the Kobolds took some distance.
Ifrit threw its fist at her.
Rem engaged it with her fist.
「Teiraaaah!!」
Through her single attack, even Ifrit’s right arm was broken apart.
For Geibalt, it was a nightmare.
「No way!? Th, that was the highest rank of Summoned Beast, you know!? It would be one thing if it was a Warrior with fortified equipment, but it shouldn’t be outmatched by something like a Fist Fighter!?」
「Is that so? In that case, I might not be a Fist Fighter.」
He remembered her words from earlier.
「D, Demon King!?」
*Yorori* Geibalt shrank away.
Rem curved the ends of her lips, and smiled.
Her right fist started to shine. She concentrated SP into it so much that it was dense enough to see it.
That light swirled, and she created the shape of a lance on her right fist.
「This is 《Rasensou (Helix Spear)》[1].」
Rem charged at him.
Geibalt shouted.
「Fight her with all of your strength, 《Ifrit》!!」
『Jieah!!』
Ifrit raised its voice.
Splitting its body, thick lava spurted out from inside of it.
It was poured on the charging Rem.
──It’s a direct hit!!
That momentary delight was taken and replaced with the worst despair.
Flicking away even the lava, Rem punched through Ifrit’s body.
The enormous amount of SP not only took the shape of a lance on her right fist, it also covered her entire body.
Ifrit also turned back into a black crystal.
Geibalt lost his fighting power.
He had other Summoned Beasts as well, but his two highest ranked ones, were completely pulverized. What was he supposed to call out?
It seemed that Rem’s clothes couldn’t endure the excessively outlandish battle.
They crumbled away.
Rem shrugged her shoulders.
「How troubling. Although I won’t really lose anything from being seen......I suppose I’ll do this.」
The SP that covered her body, transformed into armor.
Geibalt opened his eyes wide.
「Wha......The willpower (SP) was materialized!?」
Moreover, if it wasn’t only momentary, it was definitely something over level 140.
It was something that couldn’t be attained by a normal person of the Races.
A genius.
Moreover, it was a domain that only an uncommon genius finally arrive at after extremely diligent study.
──Or maybe, is she really a Demon King!?
Not long ago, she should have unmistakably been a normal Summoner.
He felt that her latent potential was high, but he didn’t think that she would be hiding true strength that was this fiendish.
Rem pushed out her right fist.
「Come to think of it, I forgot Shera’s portion.」
「Ugh......!?」
「Since it’s that girl we’re talking about, I think she’s alive but......for the time being, I guess I’ll just send you flying.」
「I, I surrender! I surrender, alright! To begin with, I wasn’t all that interested in this mission this far out in the sticks. I’ll just return to the royal capital already!」
「Is that so. You──if the Beastman race were to surrender, would you have accepted it?」
「But of course I wouldー!!」
「Lying bastard.」
Using the Helix Spear──no, using her left fist, she punched Geibalt’s face.
「Ngah!?」
Flying through the air like a joke, he was blown away until his back hit a standing tree.
He was losing consciousness.
──I, I’m going to die.
I need to run away.
Since he had drastically consumed his MP, his will was weakened.
It was difficult to even stand up.
「Uugh......《Trap Worm》」
Along with the ground, Geibalt was swallowed up by the Summoned Beast that traveled through the ground.
He fell into darkness.
──I, I can’t. If I lose consciousness right now, the Summoned Beast will vanish, inside of the ground.
He desperately reeled in his consciousness that felt like it would smoothly spill out from his fingertips.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] Original: 螺旋槍, Read as: らせんそう
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