Ikana Village
【Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm has appeared! HP 32,500】
【Arm Demon ×5 have appeared! HP 1,350】
“Whoa? A human is here, huh?”
“Lord Girand! These guys have unfamiliar faces! Should we take them out?”
Thanks to Hast’s old man’s One Move, we returned in an instant. I can’t deny it; moving this many humans across a considerable distance in the blink of an eye is impressive. But I regretted getting too comfortable in this village, enjoying the affection of Lua Mama and Papa. Just a few days later, I found myself completely immobilized. I felt a sensation as if something—bugs or something—was gnawing at me from the core of my body, causing tremors. I wasn’t the only one with tears welling up in my eyes; everyone in the village felt it too.
“Hey? Where’s Lord Vandalsia? What should we do?”
“Well… I suppose we can kill them, right?”
The name spoken by the red, hairy, fat demon with its belly protruding in the middle of the village sent shivers through my body. The fear was creeping into every corner of my mind, threatening to drive me mad. Please, just not that name. I beg you.
“Without permission? If you kill them, that person will erase you, you know?”
“Then, shall we just leave them be?”
“That sounds good.”
“Wait, is that really okay?”
The real terror wasn’t the foolish idiots having a pointless conversation over there. It was that guy, Vandalsia, the one they called. I could feel it; he had returned.
“I-I can’t stop shaking…”
“I’m scared; I don’t even know why, but I’m terrified…”
Everyone present could sense his existence. They were all terrified of the King of Destruction, Vandalsia, who was somewhere on this continent, a monster they had never seen. I was naive to think that having Imagination Magic would help. That was a problem for another time; he had instilled fear not just in the humans of that era.
“The fear of him is ingrained at the genetic and cellular level… the fear of Vandalsia is embedded in us…”
“W-What nonsense… What kind of treatment did our ancestors endure?”
“Just like how humans are instinctively afraid of the dark, and beasts fear fire, we fear him from our subconscious!”
Even Lua’s pet, the Blast Chimera, had already sat down, adopting a posture of submission. Even in the absence of Vandalsia, we were already bowing down to him. Every living being in this world feared him. No, if this continues, it will truly be…
“Hmm… I see. This is quite a troublesome fellow that has been resurrected.”
Only one man stood calmly amidst the chaos. The Demon Lord, the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings I had given to the Demon Race. I had never met him directly, but he was more than I had imagined. As far as I knew, no one other than Lua could defeat him. I could say that with certainty. If that man hadn’t been here, everyone, including me, would have gone mad by now. His presence was that reassuring and significant.
The Demon Lord flicked his black cloak and approached the foolish demons. The fat demon watched him nonchalantly while picking his nose.
“Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm, a great demon who committed heinous acts in a certain region of the continent about 200 years ago. He is the embodiment of violence, known for his brute strength, never using magic. I heard he was sealed away afterward.”
“Oh? If that’s the case, then just break the seal for me! I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Normally, I would have annihilated that nonsensical fat demon myself, along with the garbage demons clapping along. But sadly, I couldn’t overcome my fear. The only one who could fight was that monster standing there calmly.
However, the fat demon possessed the Divine Nature of “Tyrannical Strength.” Compared to destruction and regeneration, it seemed inferior, but it was still a Divine Nature. If that Demon Lord underestimated him, he could be taken down in an instant. That’s just how Divine Natures work.
“Now then, I’ll destroy this village!”
【Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm unleashed Storm Knuckle!】
“You fool.”
【Demon Lord’s Fatal Mirror! Dealt 3,512 damage to Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm! HP 28,988/32,500】
【Dealt 6,822 damage to the Arm Demons! Defeated the Arm Demons! HP 0/1,350】
“Ugh!”
The fat demon, with a face as ugly as a pig, was sent flying by his own punch. The limbs and head of the weak demons were torn off, leading to their demise. The tornado-like punch had struck them, reflecting the attack. If it had gone through as it was, it would have obliterated the village’s houses and terrain, erasing human habitation from this place. The power of destruction that could be unleashed with a single punch was the essence of “Tyrannical Strength.” To an ordinary person, it would seem like an unimaginable power, but unfortunately, I had seen too much to be surprised.
Destruction destroys thoroughly, and regeneration regenerates thoroughly. But Tyrannical Strength is just about having overwhelming physical power. If polished, he might develop enough strength to surprise even Lua a little. But I doubt he even realizes his own Divine Nature. He doesn’t seem like the type to train or hone his skills. What a waste of potential.
“Ugh… What’s happening here?”
【The Demon Lord unleashed Black Spear!】
【The Demon Lord cast Inferno!】
【The Demon Lord cast Tempest!】
In this moment—no, it wasn’t even a moment—was there anyone besides me who could recognize what was happening? There were no pre-casting gestures, no incantations, no skill activation motions. All that existed was the result of all the skills hitting the fat demon directly. Unavoidable, unseeable. He was completely outside the realm of common sense. Just thinking that I had made a deal with someone like that sent a chill down my spine. Just a little, though.
【Dealt 62,192 damage to Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm! Defeated Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm! HP 0/32,500】
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It will soon be noon. Bathram, please prepare a meal for everyone.”
“Understood.”
The villagers lost their words and reactions to this too clean result that didn’t even allow for a death cry. Only Bathram, the attendant, approached the Demon Lord and offered words of gratitude. The Demon Lord, however, showed no sign of having finished a job, appearing to have completely forgotten about the one he just killed.
Above the Kingdom of Avangarde
“That honeymoon was so much fun!”
“I want to go somewhere again… Where would you like to go, Kurinka?”
After the wedding ceremony, everyone returned first while we went on our honeymoon. We hadn’t decided on a destination, but I chose to go to that place I was curious about. The Kratz Empire, the nation that Eeks had destroyed as a Funeral Knight. Honestly, this thought lingered in the back of my mind, but I couldn’t ask Eeks directly. He might regret it, and I didn’t want to hurt him.
“That country was terrible, wasn’t it, Kurinka?”
“Yeah, I never expected it to be an invading nation that could rival Noibranz. They forcibly conscripted soldiers from among the citizens… Ugh, just remembering it makes me furious!”
To be precise, it hadn’t been completely destroyed. Eeks had fought against that country’s army and even defeated an S-rank, cornering the emperor. He had apparently led a group called the Revolutionary Army and was now regarded as a hero. So rather than being resented, he was thanked. Now, it seemed they were trying to establish a republic like the Kingdom of Avangarde, but it wasn’t going very well.
“To be thanked despite being part of the Demon Lord Army, Eeks is truly amazing.”
“Lua-chan, you could do the same, couldn’t you?”
“Even I couldn’t fight against all the soldiers in a country…”
Though I humbly said that, honestly, I couldn’t help but think I might be able to. While I pondered whether I could do it, the Royal Capital of Avangarde began to come into view. Ikana Village was just to the left of it. The Blast Chimera had already returned, and with the Demon Lords around, I felt completely at ease. I wasn’t worried at all.
“Hey, Lua-chan, what’s that swarm over there?”
“Bats…? No, that’s not it. There are people riding dragons! And a lot of them! But more importantly, what is that monster over there?”
From a distance, it was hard to tell, but as I got closer, it became clear. That was a Wyvern, and there were people riding it, just like us. Dozens of them were mounted on the massive bird-like dragon, facing off against a monster. At this rate, they would be wiped out in no time; the gap in power between that monster and those people was staggering.
“That mark on the armor… Could it be the Nation of Noibranz?”
As Kurinka pointed out, the armor of the riders bore a symbol resembling fiery wings. Two wings encircled what looked like a jewel, creating a rather aggressive emblem. If that was indeed Noibranz, what were they doing here, facing such a monster? More importantly, how did such a creature end up in the skies above Avangarde?
Hellsberg the Sky-Soaring Tyrant Bird has appeared! HP 132500
“Whoa! This is insane! Why is there such a powerful monster here?!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim at the name and HP displayed on my Detect Ring. In my gut, I knew that very few could stand against a monster of this caliber. I didn’t understand why those Noibranz people were fighting it here, but I couldn’t just ignore it.
“Get away from that monster!”
“…Captain! What about that girl?!”
“Could she be the Flash Strike Girl? She bears a striking resemblance to the information we received. But that dragon…”
Hellsberg the Sky-Soaring Tyrant Bird unleashed Cocytus Breath!
“Watch out!”
Lua unleashed Sonic Ripper! Cocytus Breath was destroyed!
What were they thinking, chatting away while facing such a threat? I countered the icy storm with Sonic Ripper and moved closer to Kurinka. I could have targeted the monster directly, but if even a glancing blow from that breath hit those people, it would mean their annihilation. It was truly reckless to engage with such a beast without understanding the danger it posed.
By stepping in between the Noibranz forces and the monster, I drew its attention toward us. With its grotesque beak and blue mane, and a long neck reminiscent of a duck, its body was covered in dragon scales, while its wings were distinctly avian. The colors shifted from pale blue to a fiery red, creating a striking appearance.
A shriek that sounded like a scream echoed across the sky, and for the first time, the riders on the Wyvern let out startled cries. It seemed they had just encountered this monster and were unaware of its danger. They were completely frozen in fear and were unlikely to fight back. It was no surprise; this was a monster that wouldn’t even be found in the deeper parts of the Abyss Cave.
“Oh, it’s real.”
“That’s the one who defeated Schwelm of the Ten Destroyers…”
“Just run! You guys can’t even scratch that monster!”
This was truly hopeless, and it would be faster to take it down myself. I swung my Demon Sword, Disballade, with all my might for the first time in ages.
Lua unleashed Sonic Ripper!
Hellsberg the Sky-Soaring Tyrant Bird took 7,302,871 damage!
Hellsberg the Sky-Soaring Tyrant Bird has been defeated! HP 0/134,500
Even for a monstrous bird, it seemed unable to evade my strike, exploding into a cloud of feathers and scales before it could react. It was a bit late to realize it, but this Disballade was truly incredible. I could probably take it down with other weapons too, but they would leave some remains to fall to the ground. The fact that nothing was left behind made me a little uneasy about this Demon Sword.
“You’re safe now. But why was the Nation of Noibranz here?”
“…Thank you for your assistance! All units, retreat!”
They simply expressed their gratitude and flew away on their Wyverns, leaving me behind without any explanation. Naturally, I found that quite frustrating.
“Something feels off, Lua-chan. Why is the Dragon Knights of Noibranz here?”
I wasn’t sure if I should have chased after them. But I didn’t care much about that; I just wanted to see everyone’s faces again after such a long time. More than the monster I just defeated, my mind was filled with thoughts of the future. After all, we were going to build a house and live together. Dad said that since we were married, we needed a home, so I couldn’t help but be excited.
“Forget about that. Let’s go home.”
Kurinka seemed dissatisfied, but she slowly headed back toward the village. I was a bit curious too, but right now, I just wanted to go home. I didn’t want to fight anymore; from now on, I wanted to live peacefully with Kurinka.
◆ Ikana Village ◆
“I’m home…”
But those words fell on deaf ears. In the tranquil village scenery, there was no one to be found. Not a single soul in my house or Kurinka’s.
“Maybe everyone went out somewhere?”
“I can’t believe they would all leave the village unattended… With that monster earlier, I have a bad feeling about this.”
“…Ugh!”
I dashed around the village, but truly, no one was there. It didn’t look like anyone had been attacked. Anxiety and anger swirled within me, faint memories of that day ten years ago creeping back. I never wanted to believe that something like that could happen again.
What caught my eye was a girl staggering into the village entrance. With green hair in braids and freckles, she wore glasses—Kiki. She looked like she could barely stand before finally collapsing. Upon closer inspection, her Kaiser Eagle was also gravely injured.
“Kiki!”
“Lua…san.”
“First, let’s treat your injuries! Angel Heal!”
After healing Kiki and her Kaiser Eagle, I finally calmed down enough to ask her what had happened. What on earth had transpired? How much did she know?
◆ Shin Report ◆
Right now, I’m with the Demon Lord.
Since Shin said he was a hindrance to our happy little family,
In fact, Shin is quite happy.
For the first time in a while, I’m snuggled up with the Demon Lord.
It’s warm… snooze
Monster Compendium
Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm HP 32,500
A great demon that terrorized the rural area of the Tokana region on the Ballad Continent 200 years ago. With a cheerful personality and many whims, he slaughtered humans for unreasonable reasons. His strength was so great that even the armies of the nation trembled in fear. The nation, having given up, requested the help of renowned warriors and mages. The two deceived Girand with alcohol and successfully lulled him to sleep, sealing him away. In the end, no one could match his strength.
Arm Demon HP 1,350
A lower demon of Girand’s species. Its single arm is exceptionally strong, and it attacks human villages, destroying homes. Like Girand, it is also resistant to magic.