Demon Lord Castle – First Floor
Bathram stood motionless, one hand raised like a crane while the other mimicked the jaw of a dragon. His body twisted into a pose that, while seemingly strenuous, exuded elegance. It was as if he were silently inviting me to attack, and indeed, that was the impression he gave.
At this point, it was clear what Bathram’s combat style entailed. He was akin to the monsters lurking in the Abyss Cave, remaining completely still while reacting to my movements. If I didn’t provoke him, he posed no threat, but once engaged, he became an incredibly troublesome opponent. He was always on the defensive, allowing him to observe my initial moves, while I had to consider countless possibilities for how he might strike back.
If that was the case, then perhaps I should simply refrain from attacking. But that was something I couldn’t allow myself to do. Come at me; no matter how you choose to attack, it will be futile. That attitude irritated me, and naturally, I felt compelled to break through his defenses.
“You’re always ready to counterattack, aren’t you?”
“As a gentleman, one must possess the capacity to accept all challenges.”
First, I needed to determine if he could react to my movements. If he couldn’t, then victory would be mine. I would slip behind him and strike. That would be the end of it.
[Rua’s Attack!]
With unrestrained speed, I aimed to take Bathram’s back. In the realm of high velocity, I saw the moment he remained unaware of my approach. His neatly arranged white hair and back were my targets. I would plunge Disballade into him.
But in that instant, just before the tip of my sword touched Bathram, I realized that perhaps only I could perceive this moment. No, it was just Bathram and me.
[Bathram’s Gentle Counter!]
Bathram’s body smoothly spun half a turn, effortlessly sidestepping my thrust. With that momentum, his hand sliced through the air, almost as if the blade of Disballade had merged with his hand.
[Rua deftly dodged!]
[Bathram deftly dodged!]
This fleeting exchange went unnoticed even by Kurinka and the surrounding monsters. Suddenly, Bathram froze in a thrusting stance, while I found myself poised to capture him after dodging. That was the scene before us.
“…I see, this is terrifying. No wonder the Twelve Demon Generals can’t match him.”
“You’re quite strong, old man. Could it be that you’re even stronger than the Demon Lord?”
“Who knows? Perhaps in the past, but no one can match the current Demon Lord…”
He cut off his words there, returning to that same stance. He would not strike first; he was determined to remain passive.
“Lua-chan…”
“I’m fine, Kurinka. I understand now…”
At my words, Bathram raised one of his white eyebrows slightly. Was he acknowledging my understanding of his technique, or was he merely pretending? Such thoughts must have crossed his mind.
I would admit it; he was incredibly strong. Even if all Twelve Demon Generals transformed and attacked together, they wouldn’t stand a chance against him. If Bathram had been more proactive, the world would have long since fallen into the hands of the Demon Lord Army. I could confidently say that.
“Let’s hope this isn’t just bravado.”
“Alright, here I go.”
[Rua’s Attack!]
[Bathram’s Gentle Counter!]
To put it simply, Bathram hadn’t fully grasped my speed. If he had, he would have acted much sooner the moment I circled behind him. So why had he been able to react earlier?
[Rua ceased her attack!]
“…What?!”
I deliberately withdrew my sword just before it made contact. I feinted, then feinted again. Bathram’s body responded with slight movements to my series of deceptions. Even when surrounded by my attacks from all directions, he maintained his composure, which was impressive.
[Rua’s Attack!]
[Bathram’s Gentle Counter!]
Here it came; this was the moment. I mixed in my real attack with the feints. Just as I had anticipated, he reacted.
[Rua ceased her attack!]
“What…?!”
[Rua’s Attack!]
Bathram, having already launched a counterattack, was unable to respond to my next strike, and I pierced his left chest with Disballade.
[Bathram received 54,029 damage! HP 521/54,600]
“Ugh…!”
After pulling my sword free, Bathram knelt, clutching his wounded chest. The battle was over; I had won.
“Lord Bathram!”
“Don’t come any closer!”
Bathram shouted at the Magic Baron and the other monsters who rushed to his side, breathing heavily as he looked up at me.
“That was quite impressive… huff… huff… It’s been ages since I’ve sustained such a deep wound…”
The astonishing counterattack was, to put it simply, the result of absolute focus and reflexes. He sensed the foreign object approaching within a hair’s breadth of his skin, without allowing any other thoughts to intrude. And yet, he could react to something that had reached such a minuscule range.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t allow him to keep up with my speed. He had honed his movements to the bare minimum, and combined with the combat experience he had accumulated over the years, he could read my actions. With such a combination, even if he couldn’t match my speed, he could still respond adequately. I couldn’t help but admire how seasoned his fighting style was; I wondered how many life-and-death battles he had endured.
But that was that; my anger had not subsided.
“You’re incredible too, old man… but…”
[Rua’s Sonic Ripper!]
“I can’t forgive you for injuring Kurinka to the brink of death!”
[Cave Gigant swarm received 6,493,570 damage! Cave Gigant swarm defeated! HP 0/4,660]
[Dark Hound swarm received 7,285,393 damage! Dark Hound swarm defeated! HP 0/1,230]
The slash of Sonic Ripper obliterated the pillars of the Demon Lord Castle and shattered multiple walls. Perhaps I had gained too much momentum, as I caught sight of snow swirling beyond the broken walls. In other words, the outside world was now fully visible.
The remaining monsters began to grasp the situation as they watched the chunks of their fallen comrades rain down around them due to the force of the wind.
“Wait, how did you get in here? Those three should have been outside…”
Exactly. It was about time they realized. I could see the color of fear washing over the Magic Baron. The bravado he had shown moments ago had vanished, and several of them were already attempting to flee through the opening I had created with Sonic Ripper.
“Bathram, you were the one who directly harmed Kurinka, weren’t you? There’s no one among these monsters who could have done such a thing.”
“That is true… I merely took appropriate measures against the intruder.”
“Even after inflicting this much pain, you still refuse to reflect on your actions?”
“Then, what exactly is wrong with me… ugh!”
I stabbed down hard onto Bathram’s hand, which was resting on the floor. There was no way he could retaliate with that skill again. That kind of tactic wouldn’t work on me anymore. He wouldn’t be able to muster the same focus in his current state, and if he tried to respond with his super reflexes, I could simply increase my speed beyond that.
“Lua-chan…?”
“Kurinka, just wait a moment. I’m currently administering punishment to this unrepentant fool.”
“It’s fine. He can’t fight anymore… I’m okay.”
“But he’s not showing any remorse!”
“Then it’s really okay…”
“He’s not remorseful, and I need to hurt him more!”
“I said it’s fine! Lua-chan, what’s wrong?!”
“Geto-sama! Isolate these two!”
Bathram, undeterred, shouted toward Geto, who was nowhere to be seen. The next moment, my vision swayed, and the scenery warped and twisted like a wave.
“Bathram, what did you do?”
“It’s dangerous… I had my suspicions, but you truly are…”
Before I knew it, the distance between Bathram and me had widened. The Bathram who had been so close was now ten steps away, which meant Geto had done something again. He had mentioned manipulating space, so I could guess what had happened. Even if I walked closer, I would be returned to my original position. No matter how many times I tried, it was the same; just like when we were trapped in the Catacomb.
Geto had isolated the space we occupied, separating us from Bathram, effectively sealing us away. I see; this was akin to imprisoning us.
“Hey, you really aren’t showing any remorse, are you?”
“Geto-sama! Gather the other three! Without Lord Aboro, this girl is beyond my control!”
“Shut up.”
I took a few steps forward, only to be returned to my previous spot. I glared at Bathram, and at the same time, I couldn’t help but laugh. It was absurd; just because he had successfully trapped us in the Catacomb before, he thought he could use the same tactic again.
“There’s no floor in the Abyss Cave where the same strategy would work for long. The Demon Lord Army isn’t all that impressive, is it?”
“A-Abyss Cave… what did you just say?”
The point where I was returned to was the boundary of the space that separated me from Bathram. Geto of the Four Heavenly Kings; he was a bit of a nuisance.
Taking a deep breath, I gripped my sword with both hands and swung it down vertically. After the cut, a beam of light appeared, mirroring my motion. It spread horizontally like an oval and burst apart, vanishing into thin air.
“What on earth are you—ugh!”
I stood once more before Bathram. He let out a groan, slightly retreating.
“What’s wrong? Is it strange that I’m here?”
“N-no way… you cut through… the very fabric of space…?”
“That’s right, I did. It was easier than breaking through Lord Daigami’s Absolute Divine Territory.”
Bathram, murmuring Daigami’s name, clearly recognized that fox deity. With this, he must have finally grasped the difference in our strengths.
“Getou, was it? Stop lurking in the shadows and come out. Let’s fight!”
“Lua-chan, you’re acting strange! Just forget about me already!”
“Lord Getou! What about the other three?!”
“Bathram, you sowed the seeds of this chaos. Now it’s up to you to deal with it.”
A voice echoed throughout the entire space from above. Was that Getou? Ignoring me to converse with Bathram was quite bold.
“How can I fight someone who can slice through space itself? At least not right now.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying you wish to sever ties with us?”
“Hahaha, didn’t your underlings say it once? They don’t wish to coexist with anyone.”
“Hah… speaking of which, Nentro and Juo… What about that… Death Weapon Merchant?”
“Those two have joined up with him over there. The game of Twelve Demon Generals is over.”
“Ugh… I never imagined you would betray us here…”
Bathram hung his head, utterly exhausted. I didn’t quite understand, but it seemed that Getou and the others had turned against the Demon Lord Army. I had no idea what was happening, but that didn’t concern me.
“Getou, if you’re not coming, I’ll come for you.”
“Calm down. Aboro is interested in you and wants to greet you.”
“Aboro…?”
Something was descending from high above. It crashed down like a massive stone, shattering the thick floor of the Demon Lord Castle before finally stopping on the ground. Debris flew everywhere, and at the center stood a large, demon-like figure with crossed arms.
He was muscular, with three horns protruding from his head, a gray face, and inorganic, slanted eyes devoid of eyebrows. He wore no clothing, just a rag-like piece of fabric around his waist. His expression was grim, but his gaze held a quiet ferocity that could bring down even the mightiest of birds.
I immediately recognized him as Aboro, for he had boldly appeared here, fully aware of my strength.
“…So, you are Lua. I’ve heard about you from Eerlich. I am Aboro, former member of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord Army.”
“Eerlich’s ally… So, you’re also of the Demon Race?”
“Indeed. We are among the few survivors on this land. I would love to battle you right here, but… there are matters I must attend to. I’ll leave our duel and your sword for another time.”
“Are you going to run away like Getou?”
“Cool your head.”
Just for a moment. I felt a rush of danger at the slight delay in my reaction. The instant Aboro closed the distance between us, if I had hesitated even a fraction longer… I instinctively stepped back. He pointed a finger at my forehead, emphasizing his words to cool my head.
“I promise you this: we will cross paths again. That will be the time for our decisive battle.”
With that, Aboro leaped high into the air, soaring over the hole he had created. It was truly just a greeting; despite being of the same Demon Race, he had a different aura from Eerlich. He seemed more intelligent, and above all, his power was on another level. He was far stronger than Bathram, and yet, his depths were unfathomable.
“Lord Aboro… the strongest warrior of the Demon Race, who has defeated the bloodline of Heroes multiple times… You’ve spared me…”
“Bathram, do you think I would lose? More importantly, I still haven’t forgiven you.”
“If you intend to kill me, then do it—if you can.”
“I can.”
“Is that so? Then why didn’t you finish me off just now?”
“Lua-chan, Aboro is right. I’m really glad you got angry for me. But are you going to meet with that Eeks in such an agitated state?”
“Ah…”
It was more shocking to be pointed out by Kurinka that I had lost sight of my original goal than to have my hesitation in delivering a fatal blow exposed.
“You’re right… I wanted to talk to that person, and then…”
“Let’s go… Okay, Bathram? Please don’t interfere anymore.”
“…I will guide you. To that person.”
“Wait, really? Why the sudden change…?”
“Well… I had a feeling, but you two are indeed…”
Just as he began to speak, Bathram swallowed his words. Despite being gravely injured, he awkwardly began to walk. However, the remaining monsters that hadn’t fled were acting suspiciously. A Magic Baron and a hefty giant monster stood in our way, blocking our path.
“Bathram, are you really going to admit defeat to them?”
“Step aside; there’s no way to stop these girls now.”
“Just a bunch of half-baked fools. Hey! You lot! Are you really going to just stand by and watch?!”
“Kill! Kill! We will definitely kill you! We’ll skin you alive and feast on your entrails!”
The remaining monsters rallied together. Even though the wolf-like monsters and the giant worm-like creatures had long since disappeared, why were these ones so energetic? Upon closer inspection, only those who could speak remained.
Perhaps because they were intelligent enough to talk, their anger had overtaken their fear. I understood that feeling well, having experienced it countless times in the Abyss Cave. I understood, but…
“…I apologize. They are merely a rabble, and once it reaches this point, even I cannot control them.”
“That’s fine; it will be over quickly.”
I didn’t even feel bothered; it truly didn’t matter. Because it would indeed be over soon.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Something terrible has happened.
The Demon Race has betrayed us?
Why on earth?
Above all, leaving this Shin behind?
Bathram is losing his composure and clinging to Lua,
And Getou is cutting through space,
And then he escapes under the pretense of a greeting.
If it’s like this, the Twelve Demon Generals we’ve fought until now were still more dignified.
Well, I guess I can only be glad that the Demon Lord Castle hasn’t collapsed.
Even so, it was truly frightening.
Lua’s anger was palpable, and I almost messed up again.
This time, I managed to hold back; Shin is an adult, after all, heh.
I can rest easy now that this report is complete.
Wait, I was supposed to show this to someone.
Where did things go wrong?