Avangarde Royal Capital, Glare’s Mansion, Third Floor Room
In a room adorned with soft, red carpets, there was more than enough space for the three of us. A bed large enough for two with room to spare, and a chandelier so extravagant it hurt my eyes. Even as an evil noble, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of normalcy in places like this.
“Kurinka, what’s going to happen to us?”
“Right! We just came back to life, and then that guy shows up! Zero fashion sense from top to bottom, what a cold man!”
While Rash, who could use magic, was filled with anxiety, Rutna was too busy hurling insults at Brandark. I had said I only needed to take care of my own business, yet here were these two, brought along for a simple reason: having extra baggage would make escaping more difficult. I thought Rash’s illusion magic would be a great help, but with his level of skill, maybe it didn’t matter. He reminded me a bit of Lua-chan.
“I wonder if Hast is okay…”
“I cast a healing spell on him without being noticed, so he should be fine.”
“And if he was noticed?”
“Even if he was, he’s already decided he’s dead, so whatever happens is pointless to him. Besides, he was whistling, so he might be more relaxed than we think.”
“How utterly infuriating…”
Ignoring Rash, who was stomping his feet on the carpet, I recalled Brandark’s words. According to him, I was about to become the bride of the First Evil Prince, Alcist. Alcist was the most self-assured of the evil nobles—more like self-centered, completely ignoring anything inconvenient. I was warned that no matter what I said, it would be pointless. Moreover, he was said to be stronger than Brandark, and the only one he couldn’t look down on was his half-brother. It was a self-deprecating way of saying that if he couldn’t even win against himself, resisting would be utterly futile.
“Hmm, what should I do? First and foremost, we can’t be found by the evil nobles if we want to escape. Thanks to the break, I’ve regained some magic power, but I’m still not at my best. Even if I were, our chances of winning are slim… So, it looks like I’ll have to rely on Rash’s illusion magic.”
“But it didn’t work on that cold guy…”
“That’s why we’ll wait for our chance. For now, let’s pretend to obediently follow Alcist and the others. We have to lure them into a false sense of security.”
At that moment, I didn’t think about Lua-chan being here with me. I didn’t wish for her to come and save us. We had decided to fight together, trusting each other’s backs. If I were to ask for help, it would defeat the purpose of protecting Lua-chan.
As I was lost in thought, the door suddenly opened. I tensed for a moment, but I had to remain calm and natural. If I showed any signs of agitation, it would play right into their hands.
“Hey, long time no see, Kurinka.”
It wasn’t Alcist or Brandark; the unexpected visitor wore a defiant smile. It had been since the Demon Lord Castle that I had seen him—the Necromancer, Juo, cloaked in black. He had a sickly, undead-like face. I didn’t need to think about why he was here.
“Is this guy an evil noble?!”
“No, Rash. He’s Juo, one of the former Twelve Demon Generals of the Demon Lord Army. It seems he’s now with Vandalsia.”
“Thanks for the introduction. I see you’ve been worried about me.”
“Don’t say creepy things. I’m—”
“Still devoted to Lua-chan, even after getting married? I watched the wedding. I couldn’t help but get excited seeing you in that pure white silk wedding dress. I wanted to rub against it.”
Juo licked his lips repeatedly, leaving Rutna speechless in disgust. She instinctively clung to Rash, unable to comprehend the sheer creepiness and strangeness of the situation. I had no idea where he had been during the wedding. He had infiltrated us unnoticed even during our voyage to the Wizard Kingdom. Transforming into someone else was likely second nature to him, and that was what made him so terrifying. It wasn’t just the battles; it was his cunning ability to survive while hiding in the shadows. I resolved to take him down right here and now, gripping my staff tightly.
“I… I don’t have my staff…”
“Ahaha! Even if the evil noble is a complete fool, I wouldn’t let you keep something so dangerous. You’re such a klutz, Kurinka. It’s cute, but you’ve become quite cheeky hanging around that Lua lately.”
“You’re the one who revived Vandalsia! Why are you stalking me and doing this? What do you want?!”
“You figured out that I revived him? It seems my reputation with you is quite high. Yay!”
Just talking to him was making my skin crawl. His exaggeratedly innocent demeanor was infuriating. It was obvious Lua-chan had defeated Vandalsia; he was the only one who could resurrect the dead. It was painfully clear.
“Answer me.”
“I’ll tell you if you divorce Lua and marry me instead. In bed, I’ll tell you everything.”
“I’d rather die.”
“Declaring ‘I’d rather die’ to a Necromancer is quite the clever proposal.”
“I said answer me!”
“Honestly, isn’t it ridiculous for girls to marry each other? How did everyone around you accept it? Are your parents insane? Or did they take advantage of your weaknesses, saying it was their fault you had to struggle? You’re such a bad daughter, Kurinka. But you know what? Even a terrible girl like you can be loved by me, because you are…”
“Shut your filthy mouth!”
Before I could react, Rash moved first. With hardly any time to chant, he unleashed a massive fireball that struck Juo without giving him a chance to defend himself. The speed alone was enough; there was no need to burn his thin body to ashes.
“W-What? He’s weaker than I thought…”
“No! That was a fake!”
“Correct! By the way, this one is a fake too.”
Juo entered the room again. Yes, that was a corpse layered with his illusion. When he had shown up at the Combat Tournament, he had used this trick to evade Lua-chan’s attack. From what he just said, that was also a corpse. He was despicable to the core. It was no wonder he had been banished from everywhere for desecrating the dead.
“How scary! That boy over there is stronger than I thought, and I almost wet myself!”
“Gross!”
“Of course, it’s a joke, you idiot.”
“W-What is this guy?!”
He was acting foolish and mocking us, but Rutna was scared, and I wanted him gone quickly. But if this was a fake, then the real one must be hiding somewhere. In that case…
“My magic, ‘Dead Copy,’ allows corpses to take on my form and move as I wish. So, breaking arms or necks doesn’t hurt at all. By the way, this corpse was killed by the minions of the evil nobles. Since it’s dead, I can do whatever I want with it. It’s decaying, so it breaks easily.”
As he attempted to break his own arm, my patience reached its limit. I had fought against undead monsters before, and I had no intention of saying I couldn’t bear to harm a corpse. But Juo was toying with not just the dead, but the very concept of death itself.
Before Juo could react, I seized the arm. If this was a fake, then I had to force the real one to show himself.
“Why are you getting so close? Are you happy? Want to kiss?”
I had to purify the corpse at the very least. Even in death, I couldn’t allow someone like him to toy with the dead.
“Ahaha! Kurinka’s hand. So soft, isn’t it?”
Juo’s arm was chillingly cold. But this wasn’t a corpse. It was undoubtedly real—Juo himself. His earlier statement about the fake was a ruse to make me think this was another illusion. I realized too late that I had fallen for his trick.
The sensation in my hand began to fade, and soon my entire body started to darken. I couldn’t tell if it was rotting, but the discomfort of losing control of my own body was unbearable.
“K-Kurinka!”
“Ahaha! Aha-haha! Hehe! Gotcha! Why did you come so close? Did you feel sorry for the corpse? Well, it was part of my plan! I thought you might do this! Because I’ve been watching you, you know? I’ve been watching!”
I hurriedly cast a healing spell to regenerate my arm. As the lost sensation began to return, I found myself completely enveloped in Juo’s embrace, and now I was at risk of being consumed by a mysterious erosion.
“W-What is this…?”
“My body is a failure among the test subjects. I can’t achieve End like the other Twelve Demon Generals. I’ve been plagued by various diseases during the countless experiments. I’ve come close to death many times. But I couldn’t die, thanks to the half-assed compatibility with the monster cells that keep me alive.”
Even as my strength waned, I managed to grab Juo by the sides and pull myself away. The power I had gained from regeneration was extraordinary; a normal person would have died long ago. Though the true nature of my symptoms was still hazy, Juo’s explanation gave me some understanding.
“Anyone who touches me becomes similarly afflicted. That’s why no one wants to touch me. The only thing I can love is a corpse; only a corpse can be my lover.”
Juo laughed maniacally, and both Rutna and Rash were completely frozen in place. The content of his words was already outrageous, but his crazed demeanor made him seem like a resident of a different, twisted world.
“If you had Kurinka’s power of regeneration, you could touch me, right? So, Kurinka should really marry me instead of Rua. You could save me, you know? You like helping people, right?”
“Who would help someone like you?!”
“That’s right. So it can’t be helped. I hate the Vandalsia crew for turning me into this, and I despise those who live happily in their perfect bodies. I hate those who possess what I could never have. I want to resurrect Calamity and wreak havoc. And then, that resurrected Vandalsia will be defeated by Rua. Serves them right, huh? I hate Rua, but if I can see that Vandalsia get killed, then it’s worth it. Heh, heh, heh.”
Every word he spoke was insane. It was disjointed, utterly nonsensical. The Demon Lord Army had been turned into test subjects, losing their humanity in the process, but Juo was different. It felt as if he had never possessed a human heart from the start.
“Childish…”
“What did you say?”
“H-Hey, Rutna…”
“You are childish. Just because things don’t go your way, you want to destroy everything? That’s something a toddler would do. There was a child who lived nearby, Maruka’s kid. He was only about three years old, but he was terrible at stacking blocks and would throw tantrums, breaking them apart. You remind me of that child who grew up into an adult without changing at all.”
Juo’s eyelids, which had always been shut, opened wide. In front of me stood a girl of about ten years old. It’s not every day you get lectured by a child. I could see he was at a loss for how to process this.
“You spoiled brat, raised in a greenhouse by your mommy and daddy, saying whatever you want…!”
“They’re both gone now! Plus, I’ve died once already!”
“Juo! I’m the one you should be dealing with!”
Before Juo could lash out at Rutna in anger, Rash stepped in as a shield. The moment he did, I caught sight of Rutna’s sigh of relief as she patted her chest.
“Rutna’s right! You can’t just destroy what we’ve built up on a whim! Both I and Rutna still have so many things we want to do!”
“You underestimate me. Do you really think you can defeat me?”
“You’re not even worth Kurinka’s time to fight!”
“W-What a bold claim…!”
“It’s fine. I don’t feel like losing to him at all. After all, he’s not strong at all, is he?”
With that one statement, the battle between Rash and Juo began. Naturally, Juo was the first to attack.
◆ Avangarde Royal Capital – Coliseum ◆
“The excitement is building! Welcome to the Public Execution Coliseum!”
“That girl named Elmera is a magic user… I would say she’s a Wizard. She may possess high magical power, but it’s meaningless against Nerva.”
“Nerva…?”
“Yes, it is Lord Nerva! Right!”
“Jakin jakin jaki jaki! Come on, everyone, join in!”
“Jakin jakin jaki jaki!”
Jakin jakin jaki jaki. Following Nerva, the audience of monsters was getting hyped, screaming wildly. It was hard to tell if they were enjoying themselves or in pain, and the cacophony was giving me a headache. The announced match was between the executioner, Nerva, and the criminal, Elmera. Unlike with Ritta, this was a one-on-one match, and I was confident that Elmera wouldn’t lose. But just as I was feeling reassured, Elmera was rendered completely helpless. More accurately, it felt like she wasn’t even able to fight back.
“You’re not very lively, are you? Elf-san! Didn’t your culture have any songs?”
“Shut up, brat.”
“Seems like it doesn’t! You’ve been holed up deep in the forest, hardly interacting with other races, so you wouldn’t absorb that kind of culture, would you?”
“Shut up, brat.”
With white wings sprouting from his shoulders, Nerva danced lightly above Elmera’s head. His lower half was that of a bird, and his limbs were bird-like as well. Every time he flew, white feathers fluttered down. According to Lord Daigami, that’s what a Harpy is. A type of monster that looks like a bird-human hybrid. They lure humans with their beautiful singing and sometimes swoop down to abduct men from villages. Of course, Nerva isn’t a true Harpy; the monster cells embedded in him make him one. He has already achieved End.
“Hi, hi, hii! Kick!”
【The playful princess Nerva dove down! Elmera couldn’t take any damage!】
Elmera shielded her head from the vicious strike of Nerva’s bird-like feet, which seemed so out of place for such a cute body. The lack of damage was likely due to some form of Imagination Magic, but that kind of behavior was uncharacteristic of Elmera. Normally, she would mock and belittle her opponent to win.
She seemed unusually low on energy, and since arriving at the Coliseum, Elmera’s fear was palpable. The cause was undoubtedly Vandalsia. No matter how much she pretended to be strong, the terror of the one who had annihilated her kind still lived on within her.
“Visual score: 7! Technique score: 7! Attack power: 6! Accuracy: 7! Originality: 5!”
“Lord Nerva, another high score!”
【Elmera took 41 damage! HP: 767/1344】
“Ugh…!”
The highlight of this battle was the scores given by the monsters sitting in the front row of the audience. Points were awarded for attacks and movements, and the higher the score, the more pain inflicted on the opponent. Because of that, Elmera had been accumulating small amounts of damage. Her clothes were torn, and there were gruesome wounds on her arms and legs. This was the essence of the Coliseum, the method of execution. I didn’t know how it worked, but strange rules like this were added from time to time.
“Elmera! Use Imagination Magic to defeat them!”
“Shut up… shut up, shut up!”
She shook her head vigorously, on the verge of collapsing. It was the first time I had seen such a pained and tearful expression on her face. Elmera, who usually grinned and looked down on everyone, who mocked everything, was shocking in so many ways.
“To think there would be a surviving Elf in this era. I thought I had wiped them out, but it seems I overlooked something. Nerva, don’t hold back.”
“Yes! Then, I’ll sing the Jakin Jakin song…!”
Vandalsia seemed intent on killing Elmera to fulfill his goal of exterminating the Elves. I couldn’t understand the obsession with killing not just Elmera’s older sister but even her younger sister. The abnormality of Vandalsia, which I hadn’t seen when we fought in the depths of the Abyss Cave, was now coming to light one after another.
I still didn’t understand why he had Nerva fight Elmera. If Elmera had been in perfect condition, she shouldn’t have been a match for him. Or perhaps this was all planned, knowing Elmera would be in such a state.
Indeed, none of Elmera’s attacks seemed to land. At first, she had responded carelessly, but every time she tried to strike, her attacks were extinguished before they could connect. It was a bizarre space where only attacks judged by that monster were valid; I didn’t know if this was Nerva’s power or something else. In any case, to defeat Nerva, we needed to win their favor. But they were on Nerva’s side, so there was no way they would score Elmera’s efforts. In other words, it was a completely rigged space.
“Everyone, sing along! Jakin jakin freeba! One, two, three! Jakin jakin jakizoku! The taste of blood is the taste of love!”
“Jakin jakin jakizoku! Fwooooh!”
The audience of monsters, completely out of their minds, was swaying to Nerva’s bizarre song. They flitted about in the air, blowing kisses toward the seats. This was hopeless; I couldn’t understand any of it.
“Don’t let that weird song get to you, Elmera! Just unleash a cool attack!”
“How dare you call it a weird song!”
“You little brat, don’t be jealous of Lord Nerva!”
“This is a sacred hymn that embodies the essence of the Evil Nobility! That’s why humans are truly pitiful, isn’t it, everyone?”
“Absolutely! I’m so glad I wasn’t born a human!”
“Why don’t you just go ahead and kill yourself? You’re going to be executed anyway! If you want, I can do it for you! Hehehe!”
I was so furious that I froze in place. I was relieved I hadn’t impulsively fired my Sonic Ripper at that audience. Why did I have to endure such insults? Execution? If they could, let them try. Maybe I should just intimidate them into silence.
“Visuals: 10 points! Technique: 10 points! Attack Power: 10 points! Accuracy: 10 points! Originality: 10 points! Cuteness: 100 points! And there it is! An unprecedented high score!”
I didn’t care that 10 points wasn’t the maximum or that there were strange categories. At this rate, Elmera would be in serious trouble. As the venue buzzed with bizarre excitement, all I could think about was how to save Elmera. Would my voice even reach her? Maybe I should just intimidate them.
“R-Right…”
If words wouldn’t get through, then there was only one option left. I would convey my feelings afterward.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Jakkun jaki-jaki jakkinzoku
Chino ajiwa kooi no aji
Anoko no koi mo sono ko no koi mo jakkun jaki-jaki jakkin-kin
Soso ga reru umareru jakkun jaki-jaki jakkyun-kyun
Hah…
What on earth have I written?
I can’t leave something so tainted in this sacred Shin Report.
Ah, speaking of which, how did Shin erase the letters?
More importantly, I have no memory of erasing them.
All of this is Elmera’s fault.
I need to stop that transmission, no matter what.
Hurry, or my ears and head…
Jakkun jaki-jaki Shin Report!