“Aaaaliciaaaaaaaaaaa!”
That Woman, sprouting from the demon (Collette)’s left arm, shrieked as she unleashed a Miasma Bullet. As I dodged it by flipping over on the rooftop, the Royal Capital building behind me crumbled as if rotting.
“Tch!”
I’m worried about the damage to the Royal Capital, but I can’t afford to take that Miasma Bullet. Have the residents been evacuated? The fire spreading from the noble district and the Holy Church is gradually getting worse, but conversely, I can only pray that it makes people evacuate.
“Aaaaliciaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
As That Woman shrieked again, Collette charged at me. Behind That Woman’s madness, Collette wore a wide grin on her demonic face.
Dooooon!
She was so fast I gave up trying to follow her with my eyes and dodged purely on instinct, just as the three-story building, struck by the left arm sprouting That Woman, was obliterated in a single blow.
As I brushed away the scattering debris with the hem of my skirt, That Woman’s eyes followed me, and just as Collette was about to lunge—
“Gigaaah!?”
The Pendulum shattered That Woman’s head.
The Rope Weight Type Pendulum, spinning like a parting gift, attacked Collette, who used That Woman as a shield without hesitation. But even that damage was instantly regenerated by the Worms knitting together.
“Kyakakakakakakakakakaka!”
“Ahh, Contractor-dono… How pitiful.”
Collette gazed lovingly at That Woman’s upper body, which was letting out a bizarre laugh, and hugged her tenderly.
“…”
At this point, I don’t know if she was a demon from the start or if she became a vessel for a demon later, but seeing Collette use That Woman, her contractor, as a weapon, wounding her as a shield, and then hugging her saying it’s pitiful, I understood that the original Collette no longer existed.
I’ll make sure to kill you too. But there was a realistic difference in our power.
The high-ranking demon (Collette)’s combat power is about 5000. A single, simple blow is comparable to an Earth Dragon. Dolton-san, wearing Mithril full plate, might be able to withstand it, but if I took it, my body would surely shatter.
I can withstand it if I use Iron Rose and World Rejection. But the reason I’m hesitating to use my trump card is partly to conserve my strength, and also because of the uncertain factor of “That Woman,” who is a contractor yet has been absorbed.
It’s just a hunch. But I’ve survived this far on such hunches. Besides…
“Karla…”
From her demeanor, there must be something over there that Karla needs to settle. Maybe I should have stopped her. But I felt like I shouldn’t.
What answer will Karla find there?
But… it’s fine. Until then, I’ll deal with the demon.
As I stood on a high rooftop, knife ready, narrowing my eyes, Collette flashed a grin that seemed to split her face to her ears, and That Woman opened her mouth with a distorted expression.
“――――――――!!”
Collette, her magical power heightened, unleashed Miasma Bullets like rain.
I, too, purified the Magical Element within my body to the absolute limit I could endure, dodging by leaping around while guiding (・・) her attacks.
I’ll make use of your attacks too. The guided Miasma Bullets struck the area that was about to catch fire.
Collette, noticing my intention, narrowed her eyes slightly. But was it me who guided them, or Collette? Realizing I had moved atop the temple, Collette smiled at me, and in the next moment, several figures leaped out from the burning temple.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Those whose minds had been corrupted by Worms and nightmares attacked with an unnatural speed, their physical limits removed, just like That Woman.
I instantly dodged them while using the Rope Weight Type Pendulum to strike them down. But that was the last guidance (・・).
“――――――――――――――!!”
Dozens of people, who had been hiding in the temple rubble using the blazing fire as a decoy, now so burned they could no longer even scream, surged forward like a tsunami.
They were likely believers of the Holy Church who had frequent contact with demons or Licia. Among them were figures resembling old people and children, and I thought I could even hear their silent wails.
Seeing this, Collette sneered. Manipulating innocent people, forcing them to kill others while their consciousness remained. That was truly the work of a demon.
I readied my Black Knife and Black Dagger, taking a Battle Art stance. There’s still a little magical heat left in my arm… Collette, I’ll cleave that smirking face of yours in two.
The moment I pointed my knife at the approaching victims—
“—Don’t push yourself.”
Just then, I heard that familiar voice, and a Battle Art unleashed from a jet-black greatsword instantly blew away the dozens of people who were closing in on me from the temple roof.
He closed his eyes for a moment as if in silent prayer, then turned his gaze, filled with anger, towards Collette. I couldn’t help but call out to him.
“Feld!”
＊＊＊
On the opposite side of the Holy Church’s temple, Nero and a giant Worm, with Amor’s Magic Stone as its core, were engaged in a fierce battle.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Ugoooooooooooooooooooh!”
Nero swung his claws, and the giant Worm thrashed about, trying to crush Nero with its massive body.
“――――!”
The giant Worm (Amor) bared its mortar-shaped fangs and launched the surrounding buildings it had bitten into as flaming rubble projectiles. Nero avoided them by hiding in his own “Shadow,” but the giant Worm, having evolved by absorbing a fire giant, had flame projectiles that easily pulverized buildings, needlessly spreading the fire.
Nero thought. Not only had he let an enemy entrusted to him by the girl escape, but the finishing blow had been dealt by that black-haired girl with whom he had a connection. When that enemy revived and appeared before him, Nero, for the sake of his own pride, volunteered to face it.
In terms of combat power, the giant Worm was slightly superior, but Nero had the advantage in battle experience. However, despite fighting on even terms, Nero lacked the “decisive blow” to defeat the giant Worm (Amor).
Dogoooon!!
Two colossal bodies with immense power clashed, creating a deafening roar like striking steel.
“Ugoaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
The giant Worm devoured the rubble it had destroyed with its massive body and fired flame projectiles.
“Gaaaaa!”
Nero also unleashed a dark breath, and the two exploding powers engulfed the surroundings in a sea of fire.
Nero, having traversed the “Shadow,” deeply slashed the giant Worm’s back with his claws, but countless Worms were already trying to instantly fill the wound that looked severe.
“Goaaaaaa!”
Nero then unleashed a dark breath from point-blank range. As the giant Worm thrashed from the breath, which had the effect of Corrosion, Nero leaped off its back, and as he readied himself for a follow-up attack, cracks appeared all over the giant Worm’s body.
“Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih!!”
The giant Worm shrieked as its body began to disintegrate. However, countless tentacles burst through its cracked hide, impaling the demon-corrupted victims rampaging within a hundred-meter radius like spears.
“Gaaaaa!”
Nero, sensing its intent, unleashed a dark breath. But he was a moment too late; the impaled victims were absorbed by the giant Worm, and immense magical power was released from its disintegrating body.
Nero’s breath burned the giant Worm’s hide, and as it peeled off, a new, even larger giant Worm emerged from within.
【Giant Worm (Amor)】【Race: ——】
【MP: 678/710】80 Up 【HP: ——/——】
【Total Combat Power: 4325】469 Up
【Hyper Regeneration】【Frenzy】
“…Grrr.”
Nero let out a quiet growl at the giant Worm (Amor) that had absorbed the victims’ lives. He had no intention of losing. However, the giant Worm’s regenerative ability surpassed Nero’s attack power.
—Moon—
Nero thought of the girl. Perhaps because he had awakened to Dark Magic, or perhaps because he had temporarily entered her Shadow, Nero could now feel her presence nearby.
He could vaguely sense Aria’s location. It wasn’t just fighting together as partners like before; he felt something like a “connection.”
Nero had grown one step stronger in the midst of battle.
But, not yet (・・).
Nero was aware that something was beginning to grow within him, and he had learned Dark Magic as part of that growth.
Nero was a young Kua’arl, not a juvenile but not yet an adult. What was the difference between a juvenile and an adult? Did Phantasmal Beasts grow over time like humans?
What was the reason that Aria, who was still young, had become so strong?
“Ugorooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
The giant Worm, having absorbed humans and grown stronger, spat out a massive amount of fireballs.
“Gaaaah!”
Nero immediately unleashed a breath of darkness to counter the fireballs coming from the front, but the ones he couldn’t completely dispel rained down around him.
Flames that would burn a human to death, a Kua’arl could withstand. However, the giant Worm closed in to launch a further attack on Nero. Even as he tried to dodge, the flames raging all around did not allow for the existence of Shadows.
“Grrr…”
Deciding to counterattack if he was going to take damage, the moment Nero braced himself, “it” happened.
Goooooooooooooooooooooo!!
A suddenly formed tornado, as if it possessed a will of its own, swept up the flames not only from around Nero but also from the nearby spreading fire, lifting them towards the heavens.
The moment the figure of a wincing spirit within the wind reflected in Nero’s eyes, a “rock”-like mass, blown by the wind as if to interrupt his vision, came flying in.
“—[Earth Shatter]—!!”
Leaping in, undeterred by the flames, a rock-like, giant Mountain Dwarf unleashed a Level 5 warhammer Battle Art. The shattered earth and shockwave combined with the wind spirit’s power and hurled the fiery tornado back at the giant Worm.
“Guoooooooooooooooooooooo!”
As the giant Worm, engulfed in flames, let out a cry—whether of agony or shock—orb-like objects were thrown at it, and it was further enveloped in explosive flames.
“That’s five large gold coins each, what a waste!”
“Can’t be helped, old man! Just throw ’em already!”
A human man yelled in a desperate voice from the rooftop of a building. A Mountain Dwarf girl, shouting back at him, threw orbs sealed with magic, which unleashed lightning, burning the giant Worm from within.
Nero’s eyes widened slightly at the sight.
Aria’s companions… Though he couldn’t see her, the female Wood Elf spirit user must be there too. He had fought alongside them once against the Dark Dragon, but it was strictly a joint battle through Aria, and Nero held no further interest in them.
Among the human races like humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen, Aria was the only one Nero considered an equal. Yet, Aria’s companions had come to Nero’s aid. They had appeared in such a dangerous place to fight alongside him again.
Even Nero, who understood them to be weak humans, felt a strong “something” from their power.
What was that difference? What was the difference between Nero and them, the humans?
—Bonds—
It was something Nero had sought until he met Aria. Their bond with Aria, and Nero’s bond with Aria, had called them here and saved Nero.
—Nero—
The moment something vague within Nero took form, the image of a girl who strongly sought connection came to his mind, and a “voice” echoed in Nero’s mind.
At the sound of the girl’s voice calling him, the scattered pieces within him became one, and Nero unleashed that power, which swelled as if seeking an outlet, along with a roar.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
[Nero] [Race: Kua’arl] [Phantasmal Beast Rank 6] 1 Up
[Mana: 215/360] 30 Up [Stamina: 342/580] 50 Up
[Total Combat Power: 3829 (Physical Enhancement: 4747)] 1288 Up
The Claw Strike Battle Art unleashed by Nero, equivalent to Level 6, sent the flame-engulfed giant Worm flying into the temple behind it.
Nero has finally reached Rank 6.
Though he’s just reached it, his combat power rivals that of a demon, and he will likely stand shoulder to shoulder with Aria.
Next time, the conclusion of the demon battle.
It’s been one year since I became a published author!
There are still more books to come for this series, and the Demon Princess series will also be released, so I look forward to your continued support!