◆ Royal Capital of Kashiram, South, Kashiram Port ◆
The ghost ship is slow, but it is definitely approaching. If it gets a little closer, I can intercept it with magic, but at the same time, I have no idea what it might do. Obviously, using Illusion Magic against a ghost ship is pointless. Normally, this would be a situation that requires gathering Exorcists from all over the continent to deal with.
【24 Knight Undead have appeared! HP 2100】
【80 Skull Volteca have appeared! HP 700】
“Wha… these guys, could they be coming from under the sea…?!”
The Undead are crawling up from the ocean one after another. They’re flowing out from that ghost ship. If this keeps up, they’ll just keep increasing. The Leopardess Guild, including Amane, and the port’s security team charge into the Undead horde. With the strength of the Leopardess Guild, they can handle those Skull Volteca easily. But that Knight Undead could have been a strong one in life, so I can’t let my guard down.
“Yo! Rush in!”
“Ugh! Elmera…”
“Is it a problem if I get here before those zombies?”
“Wait, what are those guys?!”
“Huh? They’re from the Demon Race.”
“This has to be Juo’s doing. Getou?”
A bald man wrapped in a turban-like bandage, looking like a black demon. And a kid in a baggy black robe who seems like he’d be hard for me to deal with. The last one… isn’t that an Evil Noble? I want to retort, but if they’re not enemies, then it’s fine.
“This isn’t the time to be chatting leisurely! We need to take them down quickly!”
“Hey, Marty. If they destroy the town, we won’t be able to eat meat buns, and we won’t be able to enjoy our time for a while.”
“Indeed…”
What is she talking about? I heard that Marty was once with Madias and was taken in by Ikana Village. If that’s really Madias…
【Marty raises her hand to the heavens! She purifies the Knight Undead! She purifies the Skull Volteca!】
“…Huh?”
【She has purified the ghost ship!】
“Even the ship is treated as a monster?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’ve been curious about that display for a while.”
“Huh…?”
“Sorry, I’ll stop talking about that, it’s dangerous.”
Setting aside Elmera’s nonsensical remarks, the Leopardess Guild and the security team, who were ready for battle, are left dumbfounded. The moment they tried to fight, the Undead that were there were purified by the light pouring down from the heavens. Moreover, the ghost ship in the back disintegrated and scattered away. Wait, is that Marty an Exorcist?
“Yay! You did great!”
“Indeed.”
“Sorry, but could you tell me what you did for reference?”
“A miracle.”
“I see.”
In other words, anything goes. If that’s the case, then there’s a former Madias here. Elmera and Meria are here too, and for some reason, so are those from the Demon Race. With them around, the only ones who could possibly meddle in this continent would be from the Underworld.
“Wow, impressive. That was my full power, and it was useless.”
“Juo… you were nearby, huh? This time you came in person without using Dead Copy.”
“Oh, you figured it out? I don’t need to hide anymore. I thought I’d say goodbye in person for once.”
“You’re trying to provoke the Underworld into destroying the world, aren’t you? That’s such a gloomy thought.”
He casually stepped out from the shadows of the warehouse. His usual taste in dark robes revealed a sickly face. There was no hatred in his eyes, just a glimmer of resignation.
“With all these powerful people gathered, what do you think of me? Unlike me, everyone here has talent. That Undead army earlier? They really put in the effort, you know? What’s this miracle nonsense? Don’t make me laugh. Winning with such a blunt force and being happy about it is the mark of a man whose life is in freefall.”
“You’re quite talkative. Are you feeling cornered?”
“Honestly, it’s more beautiful when someone who works hard, sometimes falters, stands back up, and ultimately wins, right? I think people like Rua are just plain boring.”
“Rua has grown strong in the Abyss Cave.”
“Oh, sure, sure. I’ve put in some effort, but that’s just lame. In the end, it’s all about having the talent to guarantee victory. At first, everyone will cheer you on, but they’ll get bored quickly. They’ll think, ‘Of course, they’ll win easily.’”
“Is this guy really like this?”
I doubt Elmera has the right to comment on anyone’s character, but this one is fine. His jealousy is sharpened to a fine point. I have plenty to say, but it’s probably pointless. People like him were around in school too, but they just thrive on being engaged. Since no one pays them any attention, they provoke others like this. He’s just a kid.
“So, are you satisfied now that you’ve said what you wanted?”
“It’s the last time, right? So I wanted to say something.”
As if reacting to Juo’s words, a crack appeared in the sky. It was reminiscent of when Madias’s power rained down from the Celestial Realm. This is what it means for worlds to connect. That indescribable mix of black, purple, gray, and white. Beyond that ominous space lies the “World of Death.”
――――Those who distort the resting place of souls, this world should not exist.
A piercing discomfort stabbed through my brain, accompanied by an intense pain that made me grit my teeth. Just hearing the voice of the King of the Underworld echo directly in my mind was enough to drive anyone to madness. It was a reminder of how fundamentally different our dimensions were. We, humans, elves, and the Demon Race, were beings that could never truly comprehend his existence. The sheer weight of that voice and the sight of that left hand sent my mind spiraling into chaos. Even Elmera, who usually stood strong, was trembling and barely managing to keep herself upright. I, too, was at my limit; my knees buckled, and I had already lost my composure, retching violently.
“Ugh… this is… too much… please, just stop talking to me…”
“Humans, once born, must eventually die… that concept should never have been twisted… Even someone as stubborn as me understands that now…”
“But we haven’t done anything wrong…”
“We’re not even worth acknowledging as individuals, Melissa…”
———”For now, you who hold the souls, I shall grant you eternal suffering in the depths of Tartaros, the Underworld.”
“Hah, ha… so it’s me first, huh? What a pity, I wanted to see the look on that damn Rua’s face…”
All I could do was writhe in agony, begging for it to stop. While Juo had brought this upon himself, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him, knowing he was about to be dragged into such a fate. Tartaros—I’d only heard vague whispers of it before. A boundless void where souls guilty of unforgivable sins were cast, unable to escape death, faint, or even go mad, enduring torment for centuries upon centuries. I never would have believed it existed until this very moment. Even now, the pain was overwhelming, and I wished for help, yet it would last for hundreds of years.
“See you later, fools… I’ll be waiting for you in the Underworld…”
Juo’s body was rapidly drawn toward that enormous left hand. Even he, who claimed to feel no pain and fear no death, must have felt a flicker of anxiety. He was right; the ones you absolutely should never anger in this world were indeed the magic users. I had thought they were just a bunch of stubborn old men, but they had their reasons for studying hard.
“Hahaha… you guys have really outdone yourselves while I wasn’t looking!”
The first to speak up after this bizarre incident was Amane. Her voice was slightly shaky, betraying her usual composure.
“I tried to reach out to you, but I was shut out. Rua, how did you get here so quickly?”
“Thanks to becoming an SSS-ranked Adventurer, I can access information rapidly. One of the Seven Law Guardians has the ability to gather intel instantly… and they can relay information from any Adventurer’s Guild across the world.”
“Wow… the Seven Law Guardians, huh? It seems like you and your crew have made quite an impression.”
“They’re also providing maximum backup, which is a huge help.”
“Hehe, how nice for you. How much more miserable do you think I can get?”
Juo, who was supposed to be dead, was now staggering toward us, still very much alive. Was he really going to keep this up even now?
“I thought long and hard about how to make you suffer, but it all fell apart in an instant. You probably think we were just waiting to make our grand entrance, right? But how could we possibly deal with something so ridiculous? Did anyone really expect anything from us?”
“Juo, calm down. I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“The main characters get all the attention while I’m just a stepping stone. I thought about doing something, maybe even snatching Kurinka away, but there was no opening. It’s hopeless. Go on, kill me. Try to destroy me. I won’t feel a thing anyway.”
“Is that why you can act so tough? Because you don’t feel pain…”
“…! Gyaaa!”
Big Sis Lua delivered a merciless diagonal slash to Juo. I could calmly confirm that even someone like him had red blood flowing through his veins. Fresh blood gushed out, unstoppable.
“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Why is this happening?!”
“I don’t know what you did, but if you’re feeling pain, then I’ve ‘destroyed’ that. You should learn a little about pain.”
“It hurts! Help me! Why, why?! Aah, it hurts so much!”
“…I sympathize with your circumstances. But I’m sorry, I can’t associate with you. I have Lua-chan.”
“To swing at this timing is pretty harsh…”
Even Elmera had to agree with that. Blood flowed and flowed, and Juo’s movements were becoming sluggish. If left like this, he would surely die.
“I-I knew it… I couldn’t even become an enemy… Hehe, just kill me already… I’m just garbage…”
“No way.”
“Angel Heal!”
Was there a connection between Big Sis Lua and Kurinka? Why did their actions align so perfectly? Juo’s wounds were healing, and his complexion was improving. He transformed from an unhealthy, pallid hue to vibrant skin.
“W-What is this… What have you done?!”
“Even if I touch you, no one will be tainted anymore. I dislike you, so I won’t kill you. Because I dislike you, I want you to live in misery. Suffer and struggle, for all eternity.”
“Then maybe I’ll go wreak havoc in some town! Until you want to kill me!”
“That’s impossible.”
A striking figure appeared from the depths of the harbor, a man in a black cloak. Following him were eleven men and women, all of them ordinary humans, contrasting sharply with the black cloaks. Wait, I recognized one of them. I would never forget.
“The Demon Lord…! And you all are…”
“I always found you insidious and disliked you since the days of the Demon Lord Army. But this is an order from my beloved Demon Lord. From now on, you’ll live with us.”
“Zeech! I didn’t hear you survived!”
That laid-back guy was Zeech, one of the Twelve Demon Generals who led the Golem and plunged the Wizard Kingdom into crisis. But now, he looked like an ordinary human.
“Demon Lord!”
“Shin, have you been a good boy?”
“I’ve been a good boy! But why are you here?”
“I thought I’d grant Lua’s request. She asked me to scold a former comrade who’s gone completely off the rails…”
“I found it utterly disgusting, but… is it sympathy? Something like that?”
“Lafoule…!”
Here stood the Demon Lord and his subordinates. I thought some outrageous individuals had been revived, but there were already worse ones around. Yet, I couldn’t comprehend the Demon Lord and his crew. Many had been threatened and killed by them. It was unforgivable that they could live so freely, and I certainly didn’t want to see Zeech’s face.
“Let me tell you, we’ve been hated from all sides. Life won’t be easy for us. But we’ll lead you, so brace yourselves.”
“Chiruchiru… what kind of wind blew you here? Did you change your heart the moment you were revived? You too, Pansard. You were as ferocious as a beast…”
“I still can’t accept it, and it frustrates me. But when the Demon Lord is pressing down on you, you have no choice but to behave.”
“Though you say that, it seems you quite enjoy rampaging against monsters under the guise of charity.”
“Don’t say unnecessary things, Vito.”
“All of you… most of you are barely remembered, yet you show up at the last moment…”
I never understood them to begin with, but what on earth were they saying? Regardless, with the Demon Lord here, Juo seemed to have resigned himself, trembling with regret but unable to act.
“Thanks for going out of your way.”
“You were worried about Juo enough to pinpoint our location, weren’t you?”
“Not really.”
“Hey, Lua-chan. I haven’t forgotten the hardships I faced in the Wizard Kingdom. This time, I’ll make you realize that battles aren’t just about quality or quantity; it’s about mass.”
“I also can’t stand losing to you! How about we have a showdown with the newly powered-up Beast Master, Pansard?!”
“Oh, really? Then come at us together.”
Zeech and Pansard’s bravado only went so far. Even I was sweating coldly. I could feel the murderous intent leaking from Big Sis Lua, even just a little. Moreover, those two had already lost once. Deep down, they knew they couldn’t win, yet they stubbornly persisted.
“Well… not right now.”
“More importantly, we need to take Juo with us first.”
This made me laugh. Shin was also chuckling heartily, and secretly, Marty was stifling her laughter. Humans, the Demon Lord Army, elves, and the Demon Race. They had all been at odds, fighting and killing each other. I don’t think anyone ever considered coexistence. It was thanks to that Time Angel, Chronoel, that they were revived, but tracing it back, it was a matter of who set the wheels in motion.
“If you’ve changed your heart, you should check out the Royal Capital of Kashiram. It’s an amazing city in many ways. The King only says, ‘Fight with spirit!'”
“There are so many spicy dishes! Ah… Lua-chan… I can’t hold back anymore…”
“Wait. I get it, but don’t lean on me…”
Yes, without these two, this situation wouldn’t have happened. There were still many challenges ahead, but surely it was better to get along than to fight. They had ‘destroyed’ the concept of differences in race, status, and ideology, and ‘regenerated’ everyone’s relationships. Perhaps this was also thanks to Divine Nature, but who knows.
“I can’t take it anymore… Lua-chan…”
“At this rate, I guess I’ll have to carry you on my back… This feels like the pampering Kurinka talks about…”
The bond between these two. I found myself feeling envious. If I had someone I could trust, would my life be different? It wouldn’t necessarily guarantee happiness, but if I worked hard like these two, surely…
“Ahh… I’m so hungry…”
“I’m getting more and more irritated…”
I think it will be okay. Probably.
◆ Shin Report ◆
The Demon Lord is no longer even an opponent to spend time on!
It’s so strong, it’s the ultimate!
Ah, I ended up reporting again.
It’s unnecessary, yet here we are.
Should Shin become an adult here?
Those guys still need Shin.
“What? They need Shin? Wow, how can you be so full of yourself!”
“Yikes! Elmera!”
“Well, I took the opportunity to grab your tail. How about some hidden snacks?”
“Grrr! How dare you invade Shin’s privacy!”
“Elmera, wait a moment.”
“Yes, big sis! I’ll be a good girl! I love you!”
And that’s that.