Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu

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Chapter 245


　Finally, the turmoil at this ruins ends.
　Keira is safe and we were able to stop Kannagi.
　This turmoil has been difficult for many reasons.

"Kannagi..."

　Ferrum, I released the assimilation with Amako and laid Kannagi down in a nearby place.
　The hero's sword sucked something out of her and sealed it away.
　It looked like a black aura similar to that of an evil dragon, but I don't know what that is at the moment.
　... First, let's see if Kannagi will wake up like this.

"The hero's sword has also turned black."

　Nea shows me the hero's sword and sheath that she brought wrapped in cloth.
　The hero's sword has been dyed so black that it can't be seen.
　I ask Nea to hold it for me, and the next thing I do ——— I turn my back on the two demon tribe who have now turned their backs on us and are about to leave.
　
"Koga. I have a lot of questions for you guys."
"Alright, let's go home! Ciel!!"
"Right! I'm getting hungry!"
"Ferrum, Nea, capture them"

　The black magic extended by Ferrum and Nea's restraining spells catches Koga as he tries to run.
　What are you casually trying to leave?
　To prevent him from escaping by brute force, Koga was bound with layers of dark magic, and then layered with a restraining spell.

"Oi oi, Usato. Is that worth it to beat me when I'm wounded?"
"...? As long as you're unharmed in the end, there's no problem, right?"
"...Phew, Ciel. Look, this is the Healing Wizard. He is terrifying, isn't he."
"What's frightening is how stupid you are~!!"

　Ciel-san, who was not tied up but sitting next to him, was trembling with tears in her eyes.

"P-Please spare my life! I'll give you as much as I can if it's this person~~!!"
"Oi, wait~!! Why are you trying to sacrifice me alone!"
"It was your fault to begin with!!"

　As she continued to argue with Koga, we were all taken aback.
　Aside from Koga, from what Ciel-san has said and done so far, does this mean that she is a non-combatant who has some kind of connection with the Demon King?

"Leona-san, what should we do?"
"Because if we leave it like this, the other side will get our information ... Shall we put them on ice here?"
"If I had to say whether it's possible or not, ...... I'd say it's possible."

　What should I really do?
　He's the commander of the second legion of the demon king's army, but because of his strange involvement, I can't even be ruthless with him.
　As for Ciel-san, she's a non-combatant...

"No, wait. I think there's something more urgent we need to talk about right now."
"Eh, senpai. Anything else bothering you?"
"It's you!"

　I tilted my head when senpai pointed her finger at us.

"You were assimilated with Amako and Nea, right!? And on top of that, you were wearing Keira's magic, right!?"
"Yeah, it seems that Ferrum assimilated them both with me."
"I-I...my magic started acting on its own..."

　Keira, wearing a cloak made of dark magic, is flustered.
　Even for me, the assimilation with Amako and Nea was unexpected, so I can understand this reaction of senpai.

"I want to assimilate with you too!"
"You're too desperate, Suzune..."

　Amako is dumbfounded when senpai presses in.
　Partnering with senpai, huh?
　The ability to combine healing and lightning magic may be an advantage, but given the current strength...

"No, I think senpai is stronger when fighting alone."
"I was rejected rather seriously!?"
"In the first place, it seems that there are various conditions for assimilating through Ferrum."

　I don't know exactly either.
　However, I have heard that the number of people who can be assimilated is up to two, excluding Ferrum and me.

"It's not possible for just anyone. I can't assimilate anyone unless I approve of them to some extent."
"Hmph, then I'm fine, right."

　For some reason, senpai was full of confidence, but Ferrum blatantly frowned.

"No, impossible"
"Why!?"
"Because I'm not good with you."
"Guhaa!?"

　Senpai suffers damage from being rejected normally.
　Yeah, well, I guess her skinship has gone too far, or something.
　Then Koga, who was still tied up, started laughing.

"Hahaha, it looks like your performance changes depending on the feelings you have towards someone you can assimilate. You're a really easy-to-understand guy."
"Usato, let's bury him in the ground from the neck down and leave his head exposed from then on."

　Ferrum, who pointed at Koga with no expression on her face, said such a disturbing thing.
　It seems like she has developed a tolerance for being provoked, but she seems to be irritated.
　... Should we bury him in the ground from the neck down?

"..."
"O-Oi, that's really tough even for me, you know? You don't have to do such a terrible thing, right?"

　Finally, I am wondering what to do with Koga and Ciel-san.
　It is time to come to a conclusion and take Keira to Gref-san, who is worried about her.
　Kannagi too———,

"""———!"""

　At that moment, without any warning, a chill ran through my entire body, as if cold water had been poured on me.

"What's this sensation..."

　Something that was probably felt by everyone present.
　Something is approaching this place where we are.
　When I turned my eyes in the direction where I felt the presence, I saw a passageway leading somewhere, and from the end of it I heard the sound of someone walking.

"———Hou, this is turning out to be quite amusing."

　A demon man appeared.
　He has silver hair slicked back and is well over two meters tall.
　He was no ordinary demon, with an atmosphere that seemed to be enveloping him, a presence that could be overpowering just by being there, and when he saw us, the corners of his mouth twisted into a small smile.

"Hero, huh?"
"Demon... King"
　
　I don't know who muttered it.
　That is how tense things were for us.
　However, when I realize that the person in front of me is the last enemy that Senpai and Kazuki have been destined to fight, the Demon King, I move into a fighting stance.

"I didn't expect you to come out at this time...!"
"Demon King...!"

　Senpai puts her hand on the hilt of her sword and begins to clad it in lightning, while Kazuki levitates a magic bullet from his gauntlet.
　Two people at the front.
　Their figure shows no sign of leeway.
　Of course. I am also confused by this situation.
　Even though the commotion should have finally ended, I never expected that the Demon King would appear here.

"I knew you would come, but... I didn't know you were coming to these ruins"

　The demon king steps into the hall without paying any attention to our obvious wariness.
　He let out a small smile as he looked around and spotted Koga and Ciel-san being held captive.

"Are you okay, Ciel?"
"Demon King-sama~... if you're going to come by yourself, please do it from the beginning~..."
"From the looks of it, it looks like you've seen something interesting."

　When the Demon King holds his palm out in front of him, some kind of magic pattern is activated in succession.
　The moment I was about to make an immediate move to it, the restraints on Koga, who was being held nearby, were destroyed, and Ciel-san, who should have been next to him, was being held by the Demon King with both arms.

“Hih, the terrifying princess hug!?”
"Oi. ...Ha, well, that's fine."

　The demon lord looked stunned as she screamed.
　Is that sorcery ... now?
　Even if so, it came out too fast.
　Koga, who has broken free of his restraints, moves away from us, but we ignore him.
　Now is not the time to be concerned about Koga.

"Three heroes with five weapons? You seem to have some power in that regard."
"...!"
"Are you planning on fighting? With me in that exhausted state?"

　The Demon King sneers at Kazuki, who is about to activate his magic.
　To be honest, my magic power is almost empty after a series of battles.
　I'm feeling extremely sleepy right now and so tired that I want to collapse right now.
　Even though they seem to be in perfect shape, Senpai and Kazuki must be worn out. Leona is the most likely to be able to fight, but even if she fights alone, we will become a hindrance to her.

"The land of the decisive battle in the past. It would be fun to fight with you guys here, but let's save that for the future."
"Are you saying you're going to overlook us...?"
"I just have other priorities than fighting you guys. Besides——"

　The Demon King's gaze turns towards here.
　What? Are you looking at me...?

"Fighting now would be boring."

　The Demon King muttered as he tried to activate some kind of magic while holding Ciel-san.
　I know he has no hostile intentions, but I still can't help but brace myself.

"What? Are you leaving already? Demon King."
"!"

　A voice from behind me, and before I can turn around, a hand is placed on my shoulder.
　Kannagi, the fox beastfolk who came out from behind me, untied the bandage over her left eye and stepped in front of the Demon King.

"Y-You did wake up! Kannagi-san!"
"Thank you for believing in me. Usato, thanks to you, I was able to save the other me."

　When you say you were able to save her, did you also save Kannagi's life?
　But the way she speaks is Kannagi-san's.

"Which Kannagi are you...?"
"Both. I'll talk about the situation later, so let's focus on the Demon King for now."

　After saying that, she turned towards me and her left eye turned purple.
　Smiling gently as she does so, she receives the hero's sword, which has been transformed into a black sword from Nea, and faces the Demon King.

"Maybe I should say it's been a while, Kannagi."
"You've gotten much weaker, Demon King. Not a glimpse left of your former self."
"You have changed, too. Did you mix souls? It seems like you did something quite unreasonable."

　I watch in amazement as Kannagi's tone changes to a somewhat sharp one when dealing with the Demon King.

"By no means, I didn't realize that you were also sealed in this place where I was sealed."
"That's sickening. I can't believe I'm here with you."
"I even miss that swearing now."

　Kannagi-san, who wears a prickly atmosphere, and the Demon King, who brushes it off with a cooler attitude.
　Ciel-san in his arms looks like she is about to vomit and is shaking, but is she okay? Regardless of whether she's an enemy or not, that position looks bad for her heart, though.

"Hisago... What did that idiot do in the end?"
"I don't know. Well, yeah... I think it's exactly what you're imagining."
"...I see"

　Kannagi replied as if suppressing her emotions.
　The Demon King seems to have changed his mind and turns his palm towards Kannagi.

"Putting aside the heroes, your presence here is unexpected, even to me. Should I kill you now?"
"... What, are you gonna do it?"

　The demon king, with his palm facing us, wears a strange atmosphere.
　With that, pressure is released from Kannagi-san, who pushes up the sword's tsuba with her thumb, revealing the black blade of the sword.
　It was clearly different from the Kannagi I fought.
　Kannagi-san's true power, which was not recreated from memory but was backed by actual combat and training, made me feel that it was close to Rose and Nero.

"Fuh... No, let's not. Because I'm not here for a fight."
"... You're not even like your old personality."
"I am aware of it."

　The demon king, having drowned out the magic that floated in his palm, looked down at Ciel-san, whom he was holding.

"Ciel, let's go home."
"Y-Yehs!"

　A white vortex appears in front of the demon king.
　He uses the same magic of teleportation that Kannagi used, and just before stepping into the vortex, he calls out to Koga.

"Koga, you should come back with the ones who are outside."
"E~y. See you then, Usato."

　He waved his hand at me and headed straight for the upper floor through the hole in the ceiling.
　The Demon King saw Koga leave and returned his gaze to us.

"I will wait for you at my castle."
"""!?''''"
"If you want to defeat me, come. Of course, I will intercept you."

　After saying those words, the Demon King stepped into the white whirlpool and disappeared from the scene.
　An unpleasant silence dominates this place.
　The Demon King was aware of our presence, but we were finally able to see the Demon King's appearance.

"... He's a formidable opponent, the Demon King."

　Finally, senpai muttered something like that, but no one answered, although some nodded their heads to her voice.
　He is so charismatic that even we, his enemies, are almost drawn to him.
　And the confidence that can be felt from every word.
　Since he was able to use multiple types of magic with ease, he may be even better at using magic than Nea.

"Haa~, thank goodness. I'm glad he left"

　Meanwhile, Kannagi sat down on the floor feeling relieved.
　Let's leave the demon king who has left for later, first of all, Kannagi-san who woke up just now.

"Kannagi-san, is your body okay?"
"Well, I am fine. ...Still, I'm glad he retreated like that. Honestly, he's unbelievably strong, even when he's weak ... that guy."

　I held out my hand to her as she groaned tiredly.
　When she took my hand and stood up, Nea, who was nearby, spoke to her.

"So, what happened to the two souls inside you? What did you seal in the sword?"
"I'd say it's a part of my soul that was tainted by the evil dragon. After taking it into my soul, I cut it out and sealed it."
"... I don't expect you to say that you cut your soul from yourself and merged with the soul of your other self? How reckless..."
"Ahaha..."

　Nea is shocked when Kannagi-san smiles as if she is troubled.
　Then she turns her body towards me.
　My eyes meet with eyes of different colors, left azure and right purple.

"There's nothing fake or real anymore. I'm Kannagi now."
"Do you remember everything? You know, when you fought me."
"Yes. All firmly."

　Suddenly, Kannagi-san turns her gaze to Keira who is behind me.
　She looked at Keira, who looked somewhat frightened, and bowed her head apologetically.

"Sorry. Keira, I put you in danger for selfish reasons."
"...I was in a very scary situation, but I forgive you. I was finally able to face my own magic..."
"You're strong, aren't you?"

　She stands up with a kind smile on her face.
　Then, I noticed that senpai was talking to Leona-san.

"Leona, it's time for us to leave the ruins."
"That's right. We can't stay here forever. Kannagi-dono is coming too, right?"
"Of course. I've already been free from this ruin."

　For the time being, we should get out of the ruins.
　My heart feels lighter when I think that I can finally see the scenery outside.
　As we were heading for the exit, guided by Kannagi, who knows the structure of the ruins,

"Usato, you can call me Nagi."
"Eh?"
"That's what the guy who named me Kannagi called me. Also, don't need honorifics. Our age isn't that different."

　The person who named her, was it a previous hero...?
　I had the impression that she was older, so I spoke to her in honorifics, but if she says it's okay, then I'll call her that.
　It's rude not to call her so.　

"Etto, nice to meet you again...Nagi...san."
"...Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you. Usato."

　Ka... Nagi-san nodded with a nostalgic smile.
　She looked forward and was about to start walking when ——— suddenly, without warning, she hugged me.

""Eh?""

　For some reason, even Nagi-san was surprised.
　My companions who were walking behind me also let out shocked voices.
　......
　Eh, what's this situation?
　As I freeze in a familiar situation, Amako walks up beside me with a blank expression on her face.

"Kannagi, what are you doing? Hey, what are you doing?"
"N-No, you've got it wrong, Amako. My body is acting on its own! You've got it wrong! You've got it wrong, okay!? Because it was never my intention to do so! ...Hofuu!"
"No, just get away from him normally. Why are you being so calm?"
"Ha!? C-calm down, the other me...!"

　Ferrum, who looked stunned, pointed it out and Kannagi tried to move away, but her arm gripped me like a vice and didn't move.
　Rather, it is even painful because of her extraordinary power.
　In addition, it looks like I'm about to run out of magic and pass out.
　As my vision in front of me gradually became more and more frail, something black jumped on Nagi-san's face as she was still hugging me.

"Buhoo~"
"Aaah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!! M-My magic is moving on its own again!!"

　Keira's face turned pale and she was in a panic.
　Against her will, the cloak belligerently clings to Nagi's head.
　Even after the battle was over, I was faced with a scene that was so chaotic that I just fell unconscious.

——— seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Author's Note:
Anthropomorphic multiple personality kemomimi odd-eyed miko + black sword user.
It was a NEW Kannagi that gained a new attribute.

The name of the previous hero casually mentioned.
Then, an encounter with the Demon King, who is quickly adaptable.