Part 4
「AGUUUuuu......ッ!」
Rem raised a pained voice.
Though it was coming out, it was not a physical existence.
It was a torrent of thick magical power.
Having expanded inside of her, like a flooded muddy stream, it came pouring out with force.
Diablo stood firm at the side of the altar.
If he were to take precaution, he should have taken some distance but......
The one he had to protect, was right here.
As long as he didn’t know the structure of the Demonic Beings’ magic formation, he couldn’t thoughtlessly move Rem.
「Oi, Edelgart! This really is safe, right!? She seems to be suffering quite a bit, you know!?」
Edelgart was making a face that looked like she was about to cry and had her eyes fixed on the torrent of magical power.
Looking up at the sky, she moaned.
「Oh......Oh......Demon King-sama......」
「Tsk......So she isn’t listening.」
She looked like she was always aloof from the world, but this meant that she also risked her life going towards a goal. With success right before her eyes, she was in a trance.
For an instant──
He had vertigo.
Maybe because he had consumed MP close to the limit, when he lost focus, he felt like he was going to collapse. Though, maybe because with the situation as it is, he wasn’t assailed with lethargy.
Diablo turned his gaze to alongside the wall.
Shera was also looking at the torrent of magical power. And then, her body trembled from the excessively gigantic swirl of magical power that appeared.
「Wh, what is, this......Is this......Krebskrem?」
「That is right......This for sure is......」
Alicia muttered.
She was also gazing up at the sky, and her body was trembling.
Rem extended her frail arm towards him.
「Haa......haa......kuh......haa......haa......Dia......haa......」
「Are you alright!? Hang in there, Rem!」
Diablo grabbed her hand with his left hand. The 《Staff of Tenma》 was being tightly grasped in his right hand. In order to protect this young lady.
「Ugh, kuh......Haa......Haa......」
「Oi! Rem! Open your eyes!」
On her brow, there was an incredible amount of sweat rising up to the surface.
She had become pale and was quivering.
「Haa......haa......Diablo......win......win......please.」
「Of course I will! You, have the obligation of seeing that with your own eyes! I absolutely won’t allow my property to go off and die on their own after all!」
「............That’s, true.」
Although she was in pain, Rem smiled.
Shera shouted.
「It’s solidifying!」
Having been released from the seal, the Demon King Krebskrem that had become an enormous swirl of magical power was revealing its appearance.
Diablo put himself on guard.
A gigantic torso, formed its shape.
It was a long and narrow torso that resembled a snake.
And then, the head was made.
Two curved horns grew out of it. Red, shining eyes opened. Two, four, even on the center of the head.
The surface was a glossy black color, and gave the impression of being a hard surface like that of an insect.
Hands grew out, and legs grew out. The silhouette had turned into something that could be called humanoid.
It was larger than Diablo.
It was probably around three meters. As a humanoid, even the tall statured Diablo only reached up to the opponent’s waist.
From its back, gigantic wings of light sprang forth, and spread out as if trying to reach for the sky. They even spread out to the sides. The dazzling light wings flapped.
──A giant wrapped in a carapace.
That was the appearance of 《Demon King Krebskrem》.
Krebskrem laughed.
It was a woman’s voice.
The laughter that resembled a high-pitched shriek shook the eardrums of all those that were in this place.
Edelgart raised both of her hands as if overcome with emotion.
「OaAOAa! Demon King-sama’s revivallll!!」
It was a shout that resembled a beast’s howl.
It made him feel that she really was a Demonic Being.
Krebskrem was gushing out magical power from its whole body.
Shera’s voice trembled.
「......This can’t happen. This......If it revives, it’ll be no good!」
「Haa......Haa......This is......」
Rem’s complexion turned pale.
However, it looked like her respiration had somewhat calmed down. If it continues like this, wouldn’t it be a matter of life and death.
Diablo shouted.
「Shera! Alicia! I leave Rem to you!」
He took out a Potion Tin from his waist pouch.
It was an MP Recovery Potion. Moreover, it wasn’t something compounded in this world, but was something that he compounded in the game after gathering extremely rare ingredients.
He used it.
It recovered the MP that he consumed to close to the limit to its max all at once. He had a tired feeling that he wasn’t conscious of until then, but it was all blow away. His thoughts that had become hazy turned clear, and his perception that he had lost returned to normal.
「Fuuuuu......」
Diablo prepared his 《Staff of Tenma》.
If the opponent were someone of the Races, he could read the opponent’s aims from their movements.
However, in regards to Krebskrem, he had absolutely no information. No matter how much of a top Player he was in Cross Reverie, only this was something that he wouldn’t understand unless he tried fighting her.
──There is the possibility that she might possess a technique that kills on first sight, but there’s no meaning in receiving it, I guess.
If this were the game, this would have been where he would have listened to their speech, but in this world, there was no need to go along with the last boss’s performance.
He turned his staff towards his opponent.
「──ッ」
He was about to speak out his magic, but at that time──
*Basshuuuuuu!*
It was a sound as if the air of a balloon all came out.
The Demon King Krebskrem’s figure shrank down.
She had become the same size......No, even smaller than Diablo. Far from Shera and Rem, she was even smaller.
She came falling down from the sky with a thud.
Diablo unintentionally forgot to attack and gazed at her.
The Krebskrem that should have appeared with a sinister form, had changed her form way too much.
Reflexively, he looked at her over and over.
He rubbed his eyes.
「......A, child?」
Krebskrem had turned into a very young girl.
On her head, she had curved horns like that of a goat. Her eyes were a purple color that was similar to amethyst, and her blond hair that was put up into two tufts grew down to her knees. What she wore was a dress with fluttery frills, but her shoulders and stomach were visible, to the point where it would have been lascivious if she weren’t a little girl.
She was a girl smaller than Rem, and had a charm resembling that of a small animal.
Her ears were long like that of an Elf, and from her butt, there was a lizard tail hanging down and flopping about.
She was a little girl.
Diablo doubted his own eyes. Questioning if the game-prepared MP Recovery Potion was too powerful and was making him see an illusion, he checkon on how Rem and the others looked.
The girls were also making surprised faces.
So he really wasn’t mis-seeing things.
The little girl──Krebskrem got down onto a place where the edge of the tower became higher, crossed her arms, and glared over the surroundings. Though, even if she was standing on that tall place, Diablo was the taller one.
「Ku ku ku......Were the ones that awakened Maou from her slumber, all of you!」
It was a normal, sweet voice.
Edelgart knelt down.
「......Demon King-sama......Revival～, happy to, see it? Happy!」
The little girl nodded.
「And you are?」
「Edelgart is called Edelgart.」
「I see. Umu! Maou’s revival, you will be greatly praised for it-noda!」
Judging from the Demonic Beings conversation, this little girl is without a doubt the Demon King Krebskrem.
She was the enemy that he must defeat.
However, Diablo was perplexed.
In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Humanoid Monsters had been introduced. There were also bandits, and even the Demonic Beings were Humanoids.
This wasn’t the first time he went against a female type either.
However, there weren’t any little girls.
This was just a conjecture but──Components weren’t not implemented, but instead intentionally eliminated from the game, the things like sex discrimination, racial discrimination, and slaves.
And then, wouldn’t a component where the ill-treatment of minors being seen be removed?
Blowing away that Krebskrem with magic would probably turn into way too horrible of a scene.
Moreover, this world was not the game.
To “defeat” her meant that he was to ”kill” her.
Since she was the Demon King, that is the natural thing to do, but......
──To be completely honest, I do have some opposition to it.
He did have his promise with Rem, and he couldn’t release her for the sake of the Races. That little girl was the Demon King that would destroy the Races. She should have been.
──Really?
「Oi, are you really the Demon King Krebskrem?」
「Mu? Indeed! And who are you?」
「My name is Diablo. I am the true Demon King that came from another world, the one that revived you......And then, the one that will slaughter you!」
「Fufun, that magical power......I see......The one that woke Maou up was you -nanodana. Umu umu......As a reward, I shall teach you what fear is!」
From that small body of hers, tremendous magical power came overflowing out.
It was distorting the air.
──Even with an appearance like this, she is still a Demon King, huh. Seems like I have no choice but to fight.
Diablo took his stance with the 《Staff of Tenma》, and the corners of his lips curved. Smiling with a grin in front of a formidable enemy is what a Demon King does!
「Kukuku......What kind of fear would a Demon King that only just woke up be able to teach me?」
Krebskrem showed her sharp canines and laughed.
「Ku ku ku......Let’s see......For you who had revived Maou, that method should be good. I will kill you with that extraordinarily brutal one!」
She declared that so as to exaggerate it.
She probably remembered some kind of fighting style. Or maybe, an execution method.
This girl was undoubtedly a formidable enemy.
──Will I take the initiative? No, with that physique, it’s very likely that she’ll come using magic.
Being attacked, it would activate the 《Magic Reflection》, and then should he hit her with a maximum magic? Diablo’s thoughts had been completely immersed into battle.
Despite that, Krebskrem was making a troubled face.
「......It’s that. Errm, um......There is an extraordinary method......There should be -noda. Hold on a second.」
She was acting strange.
「What’s wrong? What are you hesitating for?」
Did she have too many different magic spells to use? He was expecting her to use a powerful one from the first shot as much as possible though.
「Wait! Wait for a moment -noda. Right now, I will remember it! Errm, just how was it supposed to be done......There certainly should have been something -nanoda, but......」
「..................Could it be, you, can’t think of something?」
「Nonono! Because Maou is the Maou, I have the Maou’s varied knowledge! I should have it -nanoda, but......um......well. Perhaps you could say, I have forgotten a bit of it......」
「You are telling me you forgot how to fight!?」
「Eei, that isn’t it at all! Enough of this! I’ll just burn everything that I see into nothing -noda! That kind of thing, that’s Maou-like, right!?」
She was just like a little girl that had her temper awoken.
Shera shouted.
「Th, that kind of thing is something you shouldn’t do!」
There’s no way that would get though to the Demon King, that’s how it should be.
Krebskrem faltered.
「......So I shouldn’t do that -nanoka? Well then......What should I do -noda? I can’t remember at all.」
She was stopped!?
Even Shera who had let those words out was surprised by this.
Rem and Alicia were also dumbfounded.
Even Edelgart had her eyes go wide open.
「Demon King-sama!? Abiding, to words of someone of Races～......Wrong? Wrong!」
「Mu? Really? However, when told to not do something, shouldn’t I not do it?」
「Wh......at......is?」
It was only natural that Edelgart would express a bewildered expression.
The others were the same as well.
Only Diablo was able to make a guess. Rather than calling it knowledge of the MMORPG Cross Reverie, this was the result of having touched many fictional stories.
──Has Krebskrem lost a portion of her memory?
It seems that the ritual was halfway a success, and halfway a failure. He didn’t know the reason why though.
Alicia asked a question.
「The Demon King......is one that destroys the Races. Is that not how it is!?」
「Nn? Umu, let’s see. It feels like that’s how it was......」
Krebskrem started thinking.
Rem raised her voice while being supported by Shera.
「And why is that!? I’ve always thought it was strange. Why, why does the Demon King kill people of the Races!? The Demonic Being possess territory, and even though they are living without any need for the lands of the Races, there should be no advantage or disadvantage to the confrontation. Just what is your goal!?」
Certainly, Diablo didn’t know that either.
Not a single thing about that was written in Cross Reverie’s setting either.
To begin with, games where the hostile existence is trying to destroy mankind and explained their reasons for it, there weren’t that many of them.
Monsters were things that attack people.
However, the Demonic Beings of this world possessed factions, and did not carelessly approach towns of the Races in order to not pointlessly throw away their lives.
If their interests coincided just like in Edelgart’s case, they would also be able to cooperate with the Races.
And then, just like this, interaction with Krebskrem would have been established.
“Why do you kill the people of the Races?”
Krebskrem racked her brain from Rem’s question.
「Uugh......No......That is......It feels like there was some sort of reason -noda.」
「Well then, you do not believe that you wish to kill the people of the Races, correct?」
「Nn? Is that so? That may be the case.」
「In that case, I beg of you. Please do not kill the people of the Races!」
Towards a Demon King, that was a favor that seemed impossible.
However, Rem was serious.
Shera also continued with that.
「I also beg you for that! Killing people of the Races isn’t a good thing! Stop it!」
Alicia was dumbfounded.
Krebskrem nodded.
「Nnー......Since I cannot recall the reason to kill, I guess it is fine. I got it. I am fine with not killing you all as well.」
She then glared over at Diablo’s direction.
「Though, if you say that you will slaughter Maou, I will have to burn you to death -nodaga?」
Those were inflammatory words.
In order to preserve a Demon King’s dignity, if told “burn you to death”, the only answer would be “go ahead and try it”.
Diablo, going tit for tat, was──
In a panic, Rem and Shera interrupted.
「He won’t slaughter you! He won’t kill you! He won’t fight you! As long as you don’t kill people of the Races, then surely!」
「Th, that’s right! Diablo is actually really kind after all!」
Having been together for so long, they jumped in upon understanding just how he would react with the Demon King role play.
Diablo felt relieved in his mind.
──Nice one.
Krebskrem came to an agreement.
「Fumu, if you have no intention of fighting, there is no point in fighting -noda.」
Alicia was making a face as if she was looking at something that was unbelievable. Surprisingly, she was displaying a diverse number of emotions.
「......Are you serious? The Demon King won’t kill the Races, is that what you are saying?」
「It is because I cannot recall a reason to do such a thing. Even if the Races are killed, it will not fill my belly -noda. Maou is hungry.」
「E, Edelgart!? Are you alright with that!?」
In response to Alicia’s words, the girl that had been kneeling the whole time stood up.
Wrinkles gathered on her forehead, and she was making a stern expression.
──So, as I thought, the Demonic Beings don’t approve of the idea of “do not kill the people of the Races”.
Diablo put himself on guard.
However, Edelgart hung her head in shame.
「Don’t particularly～, care about Races? For Edelgart～, Demon King-sama important. Only Demon King-sama important. Haa......Demon King-sama’s～, snack～, did not, prepare～......Edelgart, blunder.」
It seems that she was lamenting over not having something to feed the hungry Krebskrem.
Come to think of it, she said that there were factions among the Demonic Beings.
The Baal faction thought only about killing the Races, and the Ourou faction was the moderate faction. And then, Edelgart seemed to be in the direction of “obeying the Demon King”.
This situation was favorable.
Alicia grinded her teeth.
She drew her sword. *Kiin*, there was a metallic sound.
「............ッ!!」
「You should calm down, Alicia. It would seem there is no need to fight.」
Diablo called out to her like that.
Alicia turned her gaze around the top floor of 《Starfall Tower》.
Shera was relieved from the fact that it seemed that combat was avoided.
Rem had the wish of wanting to defeat the Demon King, but she also seemed to be delighted that combat was avoided. Her facial expression was softer than it was before.
Edelgart was going 「Snacks～, go and get? Now? What should it be?」 and worrying.
Diablo had lowered his staff.
And then, Krebskrem was holding her stomach, and breathing out a sigh.
「Haa......I am hungry -noda.」
「Kuh」
Alicia sheathed her sword.
──Could it be, she wanted to fight Demon King?
She was an all too serious State Knight. She might have possessed the zeal to subjugate the Demon King.
Even if the Demon King said that she ”won’t kill the Races”, she should be defeated──there was the possibility that she might have had that way of thinking.
However, if Rem and Shera who were her companions, and Diablo who was the main war potential said that they won’t fight, she could not insist on it.
Diablo guessed Alicia’s feelings to be like that.
──It’s because she’s a straight-laced person. But, people who stay vigilant just like that are also necessary.
Just because the Demon King said that she “won’t kill”, it would be a problem to be too negligent.
Because the moment her memories return, there is the possibility that she would make actions to make her the original “enemy of the Races”.
Entrusting Rem to Alicia, Shera approached Krebskrem.
Seeming like she was a coward, it could be said that she had courage......
Did she completely trust her from the previous conversation? Contrary to Alicia, Shera had too little wariness.
「I have, snacks, you know?」
What she pulled out from her pouch was a biscuit.
It was a disk-shaped confection where wheat flour was hardened and baked. No, in this world, sugar and butter are mostly unused, so they aren’t sweet. Rather than a confection, it was probably just preserved food.
Krebskrem’s eyes shined.
「What is that -nanoda!?」
「It’s a biscuit, it’s delicious, you know? See, tasty.」
Shera presented her a piece, and she bit another piece herself. There was a crunching noise.
Krebskrem received it.
「Hohou, so it is called a biscuit. Is that so. Let’s see, I shall eat it -noda.」
With a crunching sound, she bit it.
She shouted.
「Delicious -noda!」
「Really? Then, I’ll give you more.」
「Oou! You should hand it over!」
「At times you receive things, you say “Please. Thank you”, okay?」
She said that while handing them over.
Krebskrem was already so engrossed with the biscuits that she didn’t hear half of what she had said.
「Please thank you, -nanoda!」
She tossed the biscuits that she received into her mouth.
「Delicious -noda! Delicious -noda! What is your name!? I shall make you a strongly valued Demonic Being!?」
「Ahaha......I’m Shera. I’m an Elf, you know?」
「What, so you are of the Races. Well, that is fine -noda. I shall praise you -noda.」
「The Demonic Beings here is～......Edelgart, alone? Alone!」
Having the role of giving snacks to Krebskrem stolen from her, she seemed dissatisfied.
Going “I see”, the little girl nodded.
「In that case, I shall bestow you power -noda!」
She held one hand above her head.
The magical power that was released from her small hand was poured onto Edelgart.
*Don!* Edelgart’s presence changed. Diablo understood from experience that her pressure had increased. It was the same amount of pressure she had when she took out her trump card of 《Sacrifice Charge》. Even though she hasn’t prepared her spear right now.
──So when someone receives power from the Demon King, they change that much!
Edelgart knelt down.
「Ooo......grateful～, blessing!」
She was a little girl that said that she wouldn’t kill the Races and was delighted over biscuits but......
She really was the Demon King. She was able to drastically increase a Demonic Being’s level without any sort of difficulty.
Before, Diablo held his own against the 100 Demonic Beings that advanced on to Fort Bridge Ulg. He had blown away a majority of them with a maximum magic but......
At that time, if the Demonic Beings were strengthened by the Demon King, it might have been difficult for him to win.
──It doesn’t seem I need to worry at present though.
He couldn’t feel any fighting spirit from Edelgart. Abiding by the Demon King’s words, she probably intended on not killing the Races.
Diablo approached the location where Rem was. Nearby, Alicia was also there.
「How are you feeling?」
「......I’ve calmed down. But, I’ve been too surprised, that strength won’t get into my legs.」
「Hmph, so you’re unable to stand. You will recover eventually. So......Are you able to accept that?」
He lowered his voice and tried asking her that.
Rem squinted her eyes.
「......Me, my mother, and my grandmother......We had always been tormented by the Demon King’s soul. I have lived with defeating Krebskrem as my only objective......That is why, I can’t simply accept this.」
「Is that so.」
「......However, if she says that she won’t kill the Races, there is no reason to fight her. If I were to kill her for no reason, wouldn’t I be the monster instead?」
Saying that, Rem smiled.
She was exhausted. However, it was a cheerful smile.
Next to them, Alicia was silently listening. It seemed that she also held some complicated feelings, but it seemed that she already lost her fighting spirit.
Diablo nodded.
「There aren’t many that could consent with everything that has happened. However, you have chosen to do so.」
「Yes.」
「The accomplished promise has become half of what it was supposed to be.」
He had succeeded in tearing Krebskrem’s soul out from Rem. However, the promise of defeating her had seemed to have ended without him carrying that out.
──To kill her as she is now, certainly, that would make me the monster.
The little girl Krebskrem was greedily devouring the biscuits.
「*Hagu hagu* (Munch, munch)......Delicious -noda! This is, delicious -noda! Thanks to this, Maou has remembered her mission!」
「Eh!?」
Shera panicked.
Krebskrem puffed out her flat-chested chest.
「To eat up the biscuits of this world! This was the meaning of Maou’s revival -noda!」
──Like hell it is!
Diablo made a retort in his mind.
Because this world wasn’t the game, peace was the best. However, in Cross Reverie, if this kind of Demon King were to be implemented, the administration’s mailbox probably would have been overflowing with customer complaints.
For works of entertainment, people always desire an enemy that one can simply beat the crap out of. They sought a target they could crush and feel refreshed over.
However, in this world......Even the Demon King was not an existence meant be a diversion for the Players. She lives, she laughs, and she eats biscuits.
Krebskrem made an inquiry to Shera.
「Do you no longer have any biscuits?」
「Yeah, sorry. But if we return to town, there will be as many as you like, you know? If you put jam on it, it’ll be even more delicious. Also, mixing in crushed walnuts, will make it more and more delicious.」
Shera talked with an entranced expression.
*Jyuru* (Slurp), Krebskrem slurped up her drool.
*Bi*. She pointed to the east.
「Yosh! You should guide me to the place with even more biscuits -noda!」
「EHH!? You’re going to the town!? The Demon King is!?」
Edelgart drew closer in hot haste.
「D, Demon King-sama, should～ first go to Demon King Castle! That is, arrangement?」
「The Demon King Castle, huh......There are biscuits there, right -nodana?」
「No? In castle is～, dead flesh and～, alcohol of blood and～, musical performance of shrieks～?」
Krebskrem pouted.
「You! Do you mean to take Maou to a place with no biscuits!? Even though Maou said that she was revived for the sake of eating biscuits! Even though she said that!」
「......Ah, no......Um～......Demon King-sama～, being at Demon King Castle, appropriate? Appropriate! That is......A, apo, logies. Deepest.」
Edelgart lowered her head.
Going “Hmph”, Krebskrem folded her arms.
「Since I value you highly for the success of Maou’s revival, I will pretend I didn’t hear that just now -noda. A Demonic Being that does not obey Maou’s will is unneeded, got it -nodazo?」
「Ha, haha (As you wish)!」
Edelgart was ashamed. She was making a face that looked like she received shocking news.
Krebskrem grabbed Shera’s arm.
「Yosh! Guide me to this town or whatever -noda!」
「So you really are going!? Is that alright!?」
Shera’s eyes were swimming, looking like she was troubled.
Now that things had become like this, there was no other choice but to take her there. If they untactfully declined her, it seemed like he would have to fight with the Demon King for sure this time.
Suddenly, Diablo had a thought.
──There are a lot of mysteries about the Demonic Being ecology, but there is one thing that I’ve come to understand.
In the Demonic Being world, there were no biscuits in their culture. Only that was something that was clear.
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