Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu
TL Notes:
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Chapter 304
A devil appears during the meeting.
He took the dozen or so soldiers and representatives present as hostages.
Each held a pen or sword pointed at their own neck; the slightest attempt to move would cost them their lives instantly.
『The situation has turned out just as the Demon King predicted.』(Ferrum)
『It's fine that it appeared, but what are we supposed to do with this?』(Nea)
『Usato, I'm concentrating on my foresight.』 (Amako)
I had prepared for the devil to appear even with uncertain information, but I never imagined it would lurk within human eyes.
Looking at the representative of the Kingdom of Verinas, his black pupil had already returned to normal.
It doesn't look like the eyes have been gouged out or anything like that.
"..."
Using the particles of healing magic spread by the healing blast wave I just unleashed, I close my eyes and scan the venue for any other suspicious presences.
...! There's no one else in this space where the devil resides?
"..."
I see, that's how it is.
After assessing the situation, I casually placed my hand over my mouth and relayed the plan to Ferum and Nea.
"A mind control spell, huh? That must be quite a time-consuming thing."
Looking at their blank eyes, the Demon King let out an exasperated sigh.
Just as the devil’s attention turned toward the Demon King, I exchanged glances with senpai and Kazuki.
"Demon King, you sit there too."
"...Hmm? I'm already sitting?"
"! You're still the same annoying monster...!"
Why do you go out of your way to provoke him...?
Watching the devil's face twist in displeasure, his gaze shifts toward Falga-sama.
"I can't believe someone like you is still surviving in this miserable state."
"The same could be said for you. A forgotten monster of terror, lost to history. Or should I call you a pitiable creature, flaunting your bloated ego?"
Falga-sama is also provoking him...!?
"If I have been forgotten, then I shall simply remind them. Either way, you cannot interfere with my main body."
The devil turned and glanced around the venue, his face brimming with confidence.
Then, as if struck by some thought, he scattered what looked like magic bullets around him and suspended them in midair.
"And now, this is the final blow. If you move, the hostages will die, and these magic bullets will fall on you. You won't be able to do anything now, right?"
『...』
"Ah, what a good fear. Power surges through me like water seeping through dry sand...!"
The devil is immersed in pleasure.
After immersing himself in the sensation for a few seconds, the corners of his mouth twist into a grin.
"My name is Rapdo. In times past, I was the very embodiment of terror that ruled over humanity's malice, the fear you have long forgotten."
The devil, calling himself Rapdo spread his arms wide, as if to flaunt his presence.
"Our purpose here is exceedingly simple: a declaration of war!"
Declaration of war?
A devil with dull silver hair.
"The devil, the entity that fills you with fear, has now returned to this world! We can infiltrate anywhere! We can stir up anxiety and fear, motivate you, and provoke you into fighting each other!!"
Amused by the representatives' agitation and confusion, Rapdo's gaze turned toward me, who had my hands pressed against the floor.
"You there, the so-called healing mage who calls himself a devil."
"...?"
I turn around but there's no one there.
When I look forward and tilt my head, Rapdo points at me with a face twisted in rage.
"It's you, you! Who else is there but you?"
"...I've never introduced so. What good would it do for a human to steal your names?"
"~~!!"
『You're provoking him too.』
『No, this is the real thing.』
It's these kinds of false accusations that cause reputational damage to spread.
Right now, it's only among the demon race, but what if it spreads to other races too?
... But it's not good to have everyone's eyes on me.
I was frantically trying to find a way to distract him without looking at my hands on the floor, when suddenly the Demon King, who had been sitting quietly, let out a smile.
"Kukuku, how boring."
"...What did you say?"
Rapdo turns around as he hears the Demon King mutter.
It seems the Demon King has caught his attention.
"Ferrum, hurry up."
『I know...! Just a little bit more!!』
『I'm ready at any time...!』
Lines of dark magic creep across the floor, hiding in the shadows of tables and people.
I try not to alert the devil, using the line and binding spells to stop the people being held hostage.
Well, the enemy let his guard down completely, which helps me out...
"I wondered what you'd do, so I lured you out. And this is the best you can come up with? Trying to show off your strength with such shallow tricks? Looks like you're pretty desperate."
"Shallow tricks, you say?"
"Let me predict what you'll do next. ...Right. You'll probably start screaming some exaggerated, impossible threat to try to scare me. Or maybe you'll try to kill one of us as an example?"
As expected of the Demon King.
Even sitting down, he looks unnecessarily arrogant and seems to be needlessly provoking people...!
"The magic lurking somewhere within this space must be a cloaking spell. Likely cast upon another devil, you were crawling about like a rat, choosing your target while remaining undetected by us through mind-control sorcery. ...Am I wrong?"
"You...bast*rd...!"
"Oh dear, it seems I've hit the mark. My apologies."
...It looks like it'll be fine for the time being!
Seeing the Demon King's provocation, I look down at my hands.
Nea, Ferrum! Hurry up and do it while we can!
" Because you brainwashed humans and let them act on pure malice, you can't even properly strategize anymore? Or have you weakened that much?"
"..."
"I guess there are fewer than ten of you? You must have been wiped out by Hisago... the previous hero, right?"
...Wait, are there really that few devils...?
I had heard that the numbers were decreasing, but fewer than ten is quite a lot.
"I don't want to hear that coming from you, who was so miserably defeated by humans."
"Hou, so you haven't suffered defeat, then?"
Rapudo sneers.
Before I could grasp where that smile came from, he glanced around and opened his mouth.
"Even if there were those annoying guys, it wouldn’t change anything, would it? If anything, I feel refreshed that there are fewer of us now."
"Hah, now that you mention it, that's true. You devils have no sense of kinship among yourselves. You never saw each other as anything but troublesome rivals, constantly trying to knock each other down. ...Still the same, pitiful creatures."
...Just a little bit more.
The Demon King sat arrogantly with his legs crossed, his expression calm as he fixed his gaze on Rapdo.
His words drew the attention not only of Rapdo, but of everyone present.
"You underestimate humans far too much. Your inability to understand the reason for your own defeat is beyond foolish, it's almost pitiful."
"You really are the one who says that...?!"
"Well then, which of us will be the one to learn a lesson?"
Immediately after the Demon King finished, the voices of Ferrum and Nea, who had assimilated with me, rang out.
『Usato, I'm ready!』
『I've finished casting the binding spell!』
I caught them all...!
With Amako's seal of approval secured, I took a deep breath and raised my voice.
"Senpai! Now!!"
"I've been waiting! Raijuu Mode 3!"
In an instant, senpai, enveloped in purple lightning, sprang into action.
The devil immediately moved to eliminate the hostage, but the hostage had already been bound by a binding spell cast through dark magic slipped into them as they crawled along the floor.
It only stops the hostage from moving for a moment, but that opening is enough for Senpai.
"I have stopped everyone!"
Senpai struck the hostages' swords and knives from their hands with a lightning flash, stunning them with a mild electric shock.
The guards immediately noticed the situation and restrained the hostages to prevent them from causing a disturbance.
The hostages' safety was now secured.
"Damn it, the magic bullets——"
"Unfortunately"
Before the devil could focus on the magic bullets it had suspended in midair, multiple magic bullets fired from Kazuki's palms darted about like living creatures, sweeping through the venue and obliterating every magic bullet.
"If you think you can do whatever you want in this place where we are, you're dead wrong."
"Are you going to stand in my way again, Hero...!"
"No? I'm not the one standing in your way."
I made eye contact with Kazuki and started running as fast as I could.
Kicking chairs aside and using tables as footholds, I move forward. My gaze meets that of the representatives of Calm Helio, Nirvana, and Samarial.
Princess Naia stares wide-eyed in surprise.
Lucas-sama remained calm and unworried.
Seeing the smiles on Harold-sama and Ouka-sama's faces as if they'd just found something more interesting, I felt a bit like I'd messed up, but right now I was prioritizing the task at hand.
"I already know where you are!"
『Usato, the enemy is agitated. He'll be caught. ...Ferrum, scare him with Devil Usato.』
『Eh, is that okay?』
『Otherwise, he wouldn't come out.』
I heard some ominous conversation between Amako and Ferrum, but now it's time to expose the enemy!
I crush the magic bullet in my hand and scatter magical power around me.
"Healing Sense!"
『No, that's lame~...』
『That's the usual!』
It was already clear that some kind of sorcery was being used to conceal his appearance.
Probably something that prevents detection by the five senses ——— but there he is!!
The magic particles reacted to something invisible!!
"I can see you, you devil~!!"
———My magic perception has clearly detected the creature in the empty space!
It felt like a dark magic robe was covering the uniform.
『Bufu...!』
『Demon King-sama...?』
『No, who are you to say that...』
Hearing the Demon King laugh for some reason, I slammed my fist into empty space.
I hit something in the empty space.
Suddenly, a silver-haired demon appeared with my fist at its center.
"Gebaah... Don't mess with me, Reali! I-I mean, the sorcery is——"
"Where are you going? There's no way I'd let you get away...!"
"H-Hii!?"
Extending a rope of dark magic, I seize Rapdo's legs as he tries to escape into the sky with wings spread wide.
"S-Someone like you bast*rd!"
"Hmph!!"
With a single sweep of my arm, I dispelled all the magic bullets that flew at me in desperation. I pulled in the rope that was tied to my leg and slammed my fist into his abdomen.
"Oraah! Healing Combo Punch!!"
"Gupih!?"
I swing my fist downward toward the floor, unleashing a shockwave of magic that slams him to the ground.
"G-Gah, ahhhh!? It hurts!? I-I'm being healed!? B-But it hurts!?"
"You don't lose consciousness, huh!! Then I'll keep going until you pass out!!"
"Hii?!"
I look down at the guy, whose face is twisted in fear, and prepare to slam my fist into him.
My fist closes in on him——just then, a white vortex appears from the side and someone bursts out.
"?! Reinforcements?!"
I stopped my punch, used Healing Acceleration to shift my stance, and landed on the floor. Three figures emerged from the white vortex.
"Arara! This is turning into quite a show, isn't it!"
"..."
"..."
Three hooded figures.
One of them let out a voice that was unnaturally cheerful for the situation.
"Beth! Naruka! Please cause a disruption!"
""...""
『Ferrum! Cover Usato's ears!!』
Two figures clad in black robes simultaneously unleashed the magic they had gathered in their hands.
At the same time that the power of dark magic covered my ears, something like smoke and sound waves began to fill the surrounding area.
『It's smoke and sound magic!』
"So it's an ability for surprise attacks!"
So the goal is to rescue the devil!
Assist from Kazuki and senpai... no, in this smoke, only me and Nagi-san can move!
I crushed the magic bullet I'd created in my hand and scanned the surrounding magic energy.
"There!!"
I release a Healing Flying Fist from within the smoke.
A fist-sized shockwave charges straight toward the enemy, blowing away the white smoke, and strikes one of the black-clad figures squarely in the abdomen.
"Uhha~a! He fired a healing magic!?"
"Using your comrades as shields...?!"
"Oops, you are..."
An enemy that appeared to be a woman pulled nearby allies towards her and used them as shields to defend herself.
She is not a devil.
However, sensing something even more troublesome than Rapdo, I raised my fist and launched an attack.
"Haaa!!"
"He~y, I've got business with the guy at your feet, you know!"
I blocked the movement of the person making the sound with a healing flying fist.
I raised my fist, and someone in black held up the hilt of a sword wrapped with purple magic power.
The moment my blow hit the sheath shrouded in light——,
"Nuguoh?!"
For some reason, my fist was deflected and my whole body was blown backwards.
I was nearly blown all the way to the venue's wall, but Koga, standing beside the Demon King, saved me with a dark magic he extended.
"Usato, what's wrong?!"
"I-I don't know. But, I was sent flying by the impact..."
『Even my foresight couldn't tell what happened...』
Though I wasn't injured, it felt as if the very impact of the attack had been returned to me...!
Looking at the spot where the magic-created smoke had cleared, I saw Rapdo being carried by one of the black-robed figures.
"Uhha~, that was a huge impact! If my defense hadn’t been up in time, I might’ve been in trouble!"
Is there a secret to her magic powers?
With Koga's help, I stood up and saw one of the figures in black standing in the venue, looking stunned.
The hood covering their face had come off from the shock, revealing their face.
"You, are..."
"..."
"It's been a long time, Lloyd-sama! Sigurth-san! You've aged so much! Huh? Areh!? Has it really only been five years? Ah, it's me! Do you remember me?"
The face that was revealed was a lifeless, pure white one.
The woman, who gave off a cheerful impression with her purple hair in a ponytail, waved with an inappropriate smile when she saw Lloyd-sama and Sigurth-san.
Both Senpai and Kazuki were confused by her strange smile and were unable to move.
"Could it be... that person is...?"
The same thing was happening to me.
The characteristics matched.
Even the nicknames they used to suggest they were comrades.
Seeing my eyes widen in surprise, the woman grinned.
"You dead bast*rds, get me out of here quickly!!"
"...Even if we leave him behind... Ah, no, that's no good. Well then, we'll be heading back now!"
The woman takes out something like paper from her robe and uses it to initiate the teleportation.
By the time I came to my senses, it was already too late, and they had disappeared from the spot along with the light.
"...A scroll! Falga-sama!"
"Yes, I’ve pinpointed their transfer destination. Those bast*rds seem to have already prepared an escape route. ...They’ve moved to the opposite shore across the lake from the city and are preparing to transfer."
"Fumu, I've confirmed the same location."
Falga-sama and the Demon King both seem to have pinpointed the same location.
...No, I should stop thinking about them for now.
I must focus on what I must do now——,
"What are you doing?"
"Yes?"
I tilted my head at the Demon King's words.
Then he looked at me with an exasperated expression.
"Go after them. With your abilities, you should be able to do it, right?"
"N-No, but I can't just leave this place..."
"Don't worry. They're not in Mialak anymore. If you take your time chasing them now, they'll get away. Besides... they're people you have a personal connection with, aren't they?"
If someone who can use teleportation magic is around, they'll escape in an instant.
Senpai could probably rush over right away, but even she would indeed find it difficult to run across the lake.
After looking at Senpai and then at Leona-san, I let out a deep sigh.
"...Ah, mou! Really, the most selfish person ever! You are!! Amako, Nea, cancel assimilation!"
『Mm』
『Roger that』
Amako and Nea jump out of my body.
First, I picked up Amako and put her down where Hayate-san and Nagi-san were.
"Nagi-san, take care of Amako!"
"Leave it to me!"
"Be careful, Usato."
"Ah! Nea, you're over here!"
"Am I going to be trapped in that face-like armor again?!"
I had Nea enter the chest section modeled after the armor I'd created, then reached out to senpai.
To move quickly, I need this person's power.
"Senpai! Please lend me your strength!!"
"O-Okay! Leave it to me!"
『Ah, mou, there's no other way...』
I assimilate with senpai who grabbed my hand back.
After confirming that her sword had transformed into a gauntlet on my left arm, I moved in front of the other person ——— Leona-san.
"Leona-san, I'm going to chase the devil! Can you lend me your strength?"
"Eh?! B-But..."
Leona-san glances at Norn-sama.
Norn-sama's face looked a little tired, but as she raised her arms, her face took on a slightly angry expression.
"Leona, lend him your strength."
"Norn-sama, isn't that a bit hasty?!"
"They've already thrown our busy meeting into chaos. Give them something back. ...And on top of that, I'm irritable from lack of sleep...!"
... I'll come later to cast healing magic on Norn-sama.
As I make this decision in my mind, I look at Leona-san.
"...Karon, I'm asking you to take care of this place."
"Yeah, leave it to me. Usato, I'm counting on you, okay?"
"I got it!"
Leona-san grabbed the hand I held out to her.
At the same moment, she assimilates with me, and Mialak's "Staff" transforms into a leg armor that appeared to be made out of ice.
"Alright!"
『Welcome, Leona. To my castle.』
『Leona, don't worry about this ochoushimono.』 (Note: ochoushimono = person who gets carried away easily)
『Kyaun...』
『T-This space is still as strange as ever.』
I'm so sorry, Leona-san...!
With her help, I called out to Koga.
"Okay, Koga, become a weapon!!"
"Like hell I will!!"
"Just kidding! Guard this place!"
"Seriously, can you stop making such nasty jokes...?"
For now, Koga is trustworthy, so I'll leave this place to him.
Well, there's also Hyde-san and the others, so we've got more than enough firepower anyway.
Next, I look at Lloyd-sama and Siglus-sama.
Lloyd-sama looked like he wanted to say something to me, but then he quickly shook his head.
"Usato... let's talk about this later."
"...Yes. Kazuki, please take care of Lloyd-sama."
"Leave it to me... Usato, go and beat up that devil!"
"Yeah...! I will!!"
Encouraged by Kazuki's voice, I opened the door and began moving while enveloped in senpai's lightning.
The speed of senpai's lightning and Leona-san's cold air, granting the power to use any surface as a foothold!
With this power, I'll go and meet that person ——— Auru-san right away!
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Author's Notes:
Usato is a healing magician who is more devilish than the devil.
He absorbed the two heroes and began pursuing the enemy.
Rose's former subordinates seem to have more magic suited for teamwork than direct offensive magic.
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