Ikana Village
Even if the wounds can heal, the heart is not so easily mended. Kiki has been trembling slightly the entire time. She is supposed to be ranked ninth among A-Rank Adventurers, a top-tier fighter. I thought the same when we fought briefly at Avangarde Castle; if she fully utilized aerial combat, she would have the upper hand against almost anyone. She should be able to handle monsters with considerable ease.
Considering that we are still ranked fifty, it must take a significant achievement to reach ninth place. What could have happened to Kiki that not only left her injured but also terrified?
“Rua-san… I’m so glad, so glad to see you!”
“Whoa! W-wait a minute!”
“Um! I’m relieved, but please let go!”
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
Kurinka, who got angry the moment she was hugged, is likely to be sensitive about such things now that we are married.
“Kiki, what happened?”
“This village is safe, right?”
“There’s no one here, is there…?”
“No way! There are Vandalsia’s forces here too! Oh no, this is bad! Rua-san! Please, please, please calm down and listen to me!”
“W-what did you just say?”
I must have misheard her. To hear that name now, especially from Kiki, who shouldn’t know it, is shocking. I can’t hide my surprise as I try to calm Kiki down. Given how she is hugging the Kaiser Eagle, it seems she isn’t just spouting nonsense.
“I-I’ll calm down. You just said Vandalsia, right?”
“Y-yes… um, you see…”
The fact that Kiki has started to speak only makes my anxiety swell, making it hard to breathe. The news that Vandalsia has appeared in the Kingdom of Avangarde, the overwhelming strength and numbers of the monsters he brought, and how the Royal Capital was quickly dominated. Not to mention, almost no one resisted. Now, it is no longer the Kingdom of Avangarde but has changed its name to the Kingdom of Vandalsia.
“I don’t know about the Royal Capital, but… it’s probably not safe…”
“Why… why is he here? I thought I defeated him.”
“…Huh?”
“Never mind. Kiki, how did you end up here all battered?”
“I thought if I came here, Rua-san would be here… but among us, there’s no one left who can stand against him. Now, we are just survivors hiding, but who knows when they will find us…”
“Survivors! There are still people who are safe, right?”
“Yes… and on my way here, I was attacked by a terrifying bird monster while flying in the sky. I somehow managed to escape, but…”
Could it be that monster called Hell’s Berg? It must have attacked Kiki before we encountered those dragon knights. I think it’s impressive that she managed to escape from such a monster. Normally, she would have surely died.
“So that’s why you were all beaten up…”
“No, I was attacked by a different monster…”
“Then you don’t know where the villagers went, do you…?”
“Yes, not at all. But meeting you two here is a miracle! Please, come to our hideout. I’ll explain everything in detail there.”
“I heard it, I heard it! You foolish, pitiful humans who dare to oppose Lord Vandalsia!”
From nowhere, claws crawled out, and something emerged from the thin, dried-up fingers and arms. A gaunt, demon-like figure leaned forward, tearing through the space.
“T-this thing attacked me! I was flying peacefully in the sky when it suddenly appeared like this! And it’s so strong! W-whoa! Rua-san, please do something!”
Gremli the Hermit of the Interstice has appeared! HP 6430
Kiki hid behind me, and this opponent indeed looks somewhat strong. I think it could have ambushed us with its current approach. After all, we had encountered such things in the Abyss Cave, so it’s clear this one is underestimating us. Or maybe it just didn’t think of that.
“Seeking help is pointless. After all, Lord Vandalsia’s…”
Rua’s attack! Rua dealt 5,201,945 damage to Gremli the Hermit of the Interstice! Gremli the Hermit of the Interstice has been defeated! HP 0/6430
“So where is this hideout of yours?”
“…That’s quite a performance.”
To say I defeated it in one swing is a performance? When Kurinka says that, it makes me want to try even harder. It’s not a performance, though.
“Rua-chan, if you had let that monster talk, we might have gathered some useful information… it wouldn’t have been too late to defeat it afterward.”
“Oh, that might be true.”
“…We can do this. With this, we can start our rebellion!”
While I realize my mistake, Kiki seems to be getting excited about something on her own. She’s grinning while facing the silent Kaiser Eagle. Still, Kurinka’s idea of letting it talk before defeating it is rather cruel.
“Kiki, lead us to that hideout.”
“Yes, but the sky is filled with terrifying monsters, so it’s dangerous.”
“That bird-like dragon monster? I defeated it, so you can relax.”
“…Okay.”
Her response sounds a bit dazed, as if she’s in a trance.
Kingdom of Avangarde, Above the Sky
As the sun begins to set, the evening sky, ablaze with color, seems to envelop the entire kingdom. The wind is slightly strong, and its chill feels like the very temperature of this continent.
I still can’t believe that Vandalsia has taken control. If that’s true, we should head to the Royal Capital and defeat him immediately. However, when I mentioned this, Kiki desperately tried to stop me. Apparently, the Royal Capital and its surroundings are filled with Vandalsia’s direct line of monsters and Calamity Class monsters, making it a death trap even for me. Even when I explained that I had defeated Vandalsia, she only half-believed me. I was stubborn, but Kurinka convinced me to calm down, knowing that Kiki understands the dangers of this continent better than we do.
“Evil Nobility?”
“Yes, they are Vandalsia’s kin… in other words, his direct line. To put it simply, they are the ‘House of Vandalsia.’ The Evil Empress Glare is Vandalsia’s first queen, and the Evil Prince Brandark… In any case, the ones effectively controlling the Royal Capital are these people. Understand? We’ll have a proper briefing at the hideout, but for now, let’s plan to avoid fighting them.”
“Why?”
“I’ll explain in detail once we arrive.”
“Hey, what’s that?”
I hadn’t noticed it when we were flying earlier. In the far distance, I see the Royal Capital of Avangarde, and above it floats a large figure that looks like a woman. Or maybe a man? I can’t tell, but it has a total of six pure white wings, floating without wearing any clothes or flapping.
“That’s huge! Kiki-chan! Is that also one of Vandalsia’s minions?!”
“It might be, or it might not. We’ve never seen it move… All we know is that it appeared on the day Vandalsia showed up.”
The Death Angel Zaniel, herald of the end, has appeared! HP ??????
Even from a distance, I can see it to some extent. Floating above Avangarde Castle, its beautiful face is unreadable, whether it’s angry or smiling. Its golden hair flows down to its shoulders, and it stares intently at the Royal Capital, which is quite eerie.
“Hey, can we hit it with the Detect Ring?”
“Hmm, it’s too far from here. Should we get closer?”
“Y-you two fools! What kind of food did you eat to think of getting close to that thing?! Are you out of your minds?!”
“I-I get it. Calm down.”
“I can tell just by looking! That thing has an abnormal level of strength! I know Rua-san is strong, but your reckless actions could cost many lives! Keep that in mind! Hah… hah…”
If she’s shouting that loudly, we might attract monsters. Well, I could defeat something like that from earlier in no time. But what on earth is that thing? Kiki is right; it must possess an extraordinary strength, but I have no idea how strong it really is. I don’t even know if it’s a monster.
The Death Angel Zaniel quietly gazes down…
To be honest, I kind of want to fight it, but if it hasn’t done anything, I can’t just attack. Kiki is being loud, so we should hurry to the hideout.
Kingdom of Avangarde, Near the Fourest Mountains, Hideout
“Oh! You two are safe!”
“Lord Hast?!”
A little deeper into the forest, there was a cave furnished with a simple bed, a table, and all the necessities for daily life. The cave was illuminated by lamps, and wooden crates were stacked haphazardly. In this relatively spacious area, a wide range of people, from ordinary villagers to Adventurers, could be found. Some were lying on sheets spread out on the ground instead of beds, while others sat hunched over, cradling their knees. The atmosphere was anything but cheerful.
“Hey, Rua and Kurinka, I never thought I’d see you alive,” Seigel said, his voice weary.
“Seigel-san too…”
“Ask old Hast for the details. I’m going to sleep now…”
“Wait, just a moment—”
Seigel trudged back to the bed, lay down on his back, and promptly fell asleep. He looked incredibly worn out, far from normal.
“What happened to Seigel-san?” I wondered aloud.
“He’s not the only one. Everyone else looks just as lifeless. Lord Hast, what on earth happened?”
“It’s no wonder. So many people died before they could escape here. I was barely able to hide their presence. I thought perhaps you two had returned to the village…”
“I went to fetch them, and it was a close call for me!”
“That’s why I told you not to…”
In this gloomy little cave, there wasn’t a single person who seemed lively. Some were crying, perhaps mourning the loss of loved ones. Just from this, I could imagine the horrors that had unfolded.
“This place is safe thanks to Rash’s Illusion Magic and Nokiri’s Verdant Magic protecting it. Having two A-Rank Adventurers like Seigel and Nokiri here is a stroke of luck,” Hast explained.
“Nokiri…?”
I recognized the girl with messy gray hair; I had seen her the first time I met Nice and the others. An A-Rank Verdant Mage, Nokiri had fought alongside us when we infiltrated Avangarde Castle, wielding her mysterious plant-based powers. She sat cross-legged, sulking, making it hard to approach her.
“The remaining skilled Adventurers are few. Even with my power, facing Calamity Class monsters is too much to handle. Especially that Evil Nobility…”
“…I’ll take down Lesser Than, old man.”
“Are you still saying such foolish things? You can’t do it. You need to cool your head.”
“How can I back down now? Everyone is counting on me!”
“Did something happen?”
“Let’s go through it step by step.”
As Rash’s excitement simmered down, Lord Hast calmly began to explain. Vandalsia had appeared in the Royal Capital half a month ago, right when we were on our honeymoon. Vandalsia had brought forth the sealed Calamity monsters and took control of the Royal Capital. Among them was Belmund, whom I had thought I defeated, and even those who had served the Kingdom of Avangarde were present.
“According to my findings, their forces are as follows:”
- Vandalsia, the King of Destruction
- Evil Nobility
- First Evil Consort Grea
- Second Evil Consort Karein
- Third Evil Consort Hatra
- First Evil Prince Alcist
- Second Evil Prince Brandark
- Third Evil Prince Goto
- First Evil Princess Nerva
Calamity:
– Lesser Than, Queen of Absolute Darkness
– Rulud, the Eternal Spirit Emperor
– Hellsberg, the Sky-Soaring Tyrant Bird
– And many more…
Sub-Calamity:
– Girand the Tyrannical Strongarm
– Gremli the Hermit of the Interstice
– And many more…
Those who have strayed from the path of humanity:
– Former Prime Minister Belmund of the Kingdom of Avangarde
– Former Military Minister Kamran
– Former Foreign Minister Parack
– Former Environmental Minister Hotts
– Former Finance Minister Zenigeban
– Former Captain of the Royal Guard Garlyle
– Former Vice Captain of the Royal Guard Tristan
– And many Royal Guards…
“Ugh… wow…”
I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of it all. Why had Vandalsia been resurrected? Where did these Calamities come from? Why had these people betrayed us? I had defeated Belmund, so how could he be here? There were too many questions swirling in my mind.
“Moreover, the problem doesn’t stop there. At the same time, the Nation of Noibranz declared war and began their advance,” Hast added.
My thoughts were becoming increasingly jumbled. So, we just had to defeat them all. Alright, I had made up my mind.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Shin is not with the Demon Lord right now.
Where is the Demon Lord?
How scary…
There’s Rua over there!
Ah, why are you being so mean?
That girl is definitely Kiki.
Ah, oh no, she’s gone…
Yes, from here on, I can’t hear Shin and the others.
I’m writing this down in case this report is found.
This report, which Shin cherished,
Please bury it with me in the place where I first met the Demon Lord.
I don’t think I can get out of here anymore.
Lastly,
Rua, Kurinka, I want you to avenge Shin.
You can surely defeat the one who trapped us.
Demon Lord, please forgive my impudence.
Demon Lord, I love you.
That’s all.
Monster Compendium
[Gremli the Hermit of the Interstice HP 6430]
A demon capable of moving freely through alternate dimensions. Mischievous by nature, it usually only scares people, but when angered, it becomes uncontrollable. It can evade any attack by slipping into another dimension and reappearing instantly behind its opponent, employing an excessively free-spirited combat style. There has been much debate about where these alternate dimensions lead and what kind of worlds they are, but no conclusion has been reached yet.