“Don’t think of the rioters as just humans! Soldiers, evacuate the civilians, hurry!”
“”””Yes, sir!””””
Those who resonated with the demon’s “Song” suddenly began to rampage, and the Knight Order and soldiers were dispatched from the castle to the Royal Capital, where destruction and flames were spreading.
They were clearly rioters, those affected by the demon, but the Knight Order could only take measures of suppression, not subjugation. Even if they were no longer “human” by the power of the demon, the knights who protected the citizens could not kill them.
If they looked obviously like monsters or had become Undead, it would have been a different story, but those who resonated with the demon’s song were devout people who attended church, and even if they were attacked, their acquaintances and families hindered the actions of the knights and soldiers.
“Please stop! This person is just in a state of Confusion!”
Without realizing that it was a demon’s strategy…
Gradually, the flames began to spread, illuminating the night sky with a bloody hue. Guards and citizens trying to extinguish the flames were attacked by rioters. Families hindered the soldiers trying to defeat them.
In the midst of the quagmire that the Royal Capital had fallen into, those with isolated “individual power” were engaged in fierce death matches.
“Gaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Thud!!
The burning Worm giant and the jet-black Mystic Beast collided, and the two intertwined giants destroyed the cityscape, while scattered burning Worms spread the flames.
But, fortunately or unfortunately, the spread of Worms that parasitized people, which Elena and Aria were most wary of, was prevented.
Whether Carla had scattered the flames with that in mind was beyond comprehension, but Nero didn’t need to consider which was more damaging, the burning city or the Worms.
Even Nero, who had no interest in anything other than Aria, didn’t want to destroy the city she lived in. But Nero also instinctively understood that unless Amor was destroyed, further damage would occur.
–Darkness–
Nero opened his jaws like a roar, and slammed particles of darkness at Amor like a dragon’s breath.
“Nugooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Amor, who had not felt pain from any attack until now, let out a scream of agony.
Nero’s attack, which sublimated Dark Magic [Corrosion] and [Dark Gimlet], inflicted damage that exceeded Amor’s regenerative ability, which had allowed him to move even in the flames, and finally Amor’s surface began to crumble.
But–
“Iiiiikiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A white, maid-like Shadow overlapped Amor’s body for a moment as he screamed.
Then, suddenly, Amor’s flame-covered body was torn apart and turned inside out, devouring the outside as if chewing it, and a giant earthworm-like Worm appeared.
Feeling Amor’s soul, which had already lost its physical body and was only slightly remaining in the Magic Stone, being consumed at the same time, Nero narrowed his eyes as if glaring at what had evolved into a new stage of Amor.
The giant Worm, about thirty meters in length and over one meter in thickness, destroyed the surrounding buildings with its writhing giant body, baring countless teeth like a mortar, and spewed out a huge flame as if to engulf Nero.
“…What the hell is that?”
Viro muttered in amazement as he saw the spectacle of the giant Worm and the Mystic Beast fighting and destroying the cityscape in the distance.
Viro also had experience fighting Elemental Dragons of Rank 7. However, the battle in the desert, where there was no need to worry about the surroundings, had an otherworldly sense of excitement as an Adventurer fighting a dragon, even if it was a death match.
The Worm monster and the Mystic Beast Kuaal were no match for the dragon. However, the sight of the familiar cityscape being destroyed and people disappearing into the flames made him feel the terror of a tragic “reality.”
They, the “Rainbow Sword,” had been requested by Prime Minister Belt to guard the Royal Castle. Originally, Belt’s request was to protect the Royal Family, just like Aria, but Princess Elena suggested that their presence would unnecessarily provoke the Aristocratic Faction, and that if there was damage, it would not be limited to the venue, so the “Rainbow Sword” was stationed outside the castle.
“Viro and Jesha, suppress the Knight Order and the rioters! Mira and Feld, come with me! We’re going to take down that big thing!”
“Ehhh, we’re stuck with this?!”
Jesha, who was holding her Two-Handed Axe, complained at Dolton’s instructions.
Unlike Viro, who specializes in one-on-one combat, Jesha, who wields large weapons, is suitable for fighting Monsters. However, in the case of enemies with high attack power, such as the Minotaur Murderer in the Dungeon, there is a possibility of instant death for Rank 4 Jesha and Viro.
Especially now, the Worm monster and the Mystic Beast Nero were fighting. If they tried to intervene in the meantime, Dolton judged that unexpected damage could occur in a normal party battle.
The reason why he was taking Mira, even though she was the same Rank 4 as Viro and Jesha, was because Mira’s Magic attack power was high, but also because her attacks were mainly ranged. There was still danger, but Mira, who had been an Adventurer for over a hundred years, had excellent crisis judgment skills.
They were not strangers to Nero either. Just as he decided to head to support, hoping that Nero would remember them, one of them… Feld called out to Dolton with a grim look on his face.
“…Dolton. I’m sorry, but I’m going to support Aria.”
Feld’s actions were not planned. According to the pre-determined action plan, if a demon appeared, the “Rainbow Sword” would eliminate those who interfered with Aria’s battle, such as the Saint faction or the demon’s followers.
Aria, Carla, Greater Demon… There were no humans who could intervene in the superhuman-level battle with a combat power exceeding 5000, except for the hero-class who would accompany the Hero. It was necessary to risk one’s life just to break in.
More than that, Aria wanted to settle things with Carla.
“Are you going to interfere in their fight?”
“That’s not it.”
Feld quietly shook his head at Dolton, who was trying to confirm his true intentions.
“Whatever the outcome, Aria, who has shown her power, will be seen in a special light by others. As a hero or a monster… But as a comrade, I have no intention of making her ‘alone’.”
Everyone understood the meaning of Feld’s words as he spoke while looking at his comrades, and there was a moment of silence, and among them, the man who had been with Aria the longest moved first.
“Ah… isn’t it fine? I’ll die if I go, but you’ll be fine. Probably!”
“Viro…”
Viro patted his shoulder with an old man-like gesture, and began to walk towards Dolton with a look of utter disgust.
“Leave this to us. If you hold back your power at this point, my woman will scold me! I’ll definitely make you guys treat me to drinks later!”
“…Understood, Viro.”
Viro decided to head towards the giant Worm instead of Feld, instead of waiting in the rear. Seeing this, Dolton grinned and turned to Mira and Jesha.
“If you have that kind of resolve, it would be foolish to stop you. Jesha, do you want to fight too!”
“Yeah!”
“Then it’s decided! Everyone, risk your lives!”
Finally, Feld and Dolton bumped fists, and the “Rainbow Sword” flew off to their respective battlefields.
Following “that woman” who flew off in the direction of the demon, I run through the night city.
Thud!
“–!”
I knew that Carla was still fighting from the sound of impact echoing from the direction of travel.
Increasing my speed further, I ran up to the roof of the building, and when I broke through the black smoke enveloping the flames and rubble, there was Carla and the demon (Colette) in the same form as when I saw them at the venue.
“Aaaaaaaakumaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
That woman, who had arrived earlier, headed towards the demon, and the demon, while wary of Carla, smiled like a loving mother with Colette’s face.
“What’s wrong, Contract Holder-dono? Were you bullied? Poor thing… But you don’t have to cry anymore.”
Thud!
Colette pierced that woman’s chest without hesitation with her left arm, which had become a Worm.
That couldn’t have been an attack. That woman had a look of ecstasy on her face even as her chest was pierced, and as she was absorbed as if being taken in, Colette grew the upper half of that woman’s body in place of her left arm made of Worms.
“…Kihikakakakakakakakakakaka.”
“We’ll be together forever now, Contract Holder-dono.”
Colette looked at that woman, who was laughing madly with the demon’s left arm, with a loving gaze.
The price of the contract wasn’t Licia’s soul, but that woman was the devil’s Contract Holder. Licia might have been deceived, but for the devil, the Contract Holder wasn’t about the soul, but their will.
Even so, can one become a Contract Holder with just the “memories” sealed in a Magic Stone?
The fact that the devil sees a mere recording medium like a Magic Stone as a Contract Holder makes me think that Licia’s soul is still bound to it.
“Did I keep you waiting?”
Colette, having absorbed that woman, gracefully bowed her head to Carla and me.
“You’re welcome. It’s easier to dispose of things when they’re gathered together, right?”
Carla retorted to Colette’s provocative words. However, Colette knew why Carla was waiting.
“Did you rest a little? It’s about time you two got serious, isn’t it?”
Carla, who had been on the verge of death, had HP equivalent to that of a toddler. Even if she gained infinite Mana with her [Gift (Divine Protection)], there was a limit to her activity.
I thought that Carla wasn’t using her [Gift] because she was conserving her meager HP, just as I was conserving my Mana.
If Carla fought seriously, even the devil wouldn’t have come out unscathed. If that happened, the damage to the Royal Capital would have been even more extensive.
But I felt that Carla’s reason for not using her Gift wasn’t just about such uncharacteristic compassion or simple conservation.
“I wouldn’t get serious against a mere ‘warm-up act,’ would I?”
Carla doesn’t change even when facing a devil. Arrogantly, haughtily, she mocks them. But Colette responded to such Carla with a crescent-like devilish smile.
“Try it.”
“Kyahahahahaha!”
Colette scattered Miasma Bullets like rain from the mouth of that woman, who was uttering strange cries.
I, who was on alert to move at any time, used Martial Arts to jump and evade, flying across the rooftops, while Carla waved her right hand, which had been accumulating Mana while floating in the air.
“–[Typhoon]–“
Gooooooooon!!
A massive whirlwind containing Mana blew away the black smoke along with the Miasma Bullets.
Carla’s strength doesn’t rely on her Gift. It’s because of her overly precise Mana manipulation that she can handle vast amounts of Mana without wasting it.
As proof, even though Colette lost her balance in the whirlwind, I and Carla ourselves were hardly affected. At that moment, I readied my Knife and jumped into the night sky, and the moment Carla was about to unleash the Mana she had been accumulating in her left hand–
“–Fire!!”
Carla’s movements stopped for a moment at the voice that was heard.
In that instant, countless [Fire Arrows] were fired from dozens of figures seen in the direction of the Royal Castle, raining down on everyone present.
“–[Magic Shield (Shield)]–”
I created two Magic Shields from both hands to deflect the Fire Arrows, and Colette also shook her left arm, which had become that woman’s, to defend against the attacks.
Who used the offensive Magic? Even though it’s effective against devils and Worms, is it sane to indiscriminately use fire again in a city where so many fires are already burning?
Flap!
“…………”
Carla, who brushed off the Fire Arrows with the hem of her Mithril dress, directed a chillingly dark gaze, devoid of her usual smile, towards the direction from which the Fire Arrows were fired.
“…Oh, I forgot.”
Saying that, Carla looked at me again, put on her usual smile, and pinched the hem of her silver dress with her fingers.
“I have some business to take care of. I’ll leave this to you, Aria.”
Saying that, Carla flew towards the plaza. Colette frowned and tried to follow her, but I also frowned and swung my Pendulum, and the battle between me and the devil began without ceremony.
“Impact!”
“How effective is it against the devil!?”
The court Magicians and members of the Magician Corps who had unleashed Magic towards the devil and its surroundings strained their eyes to confirm the effect.
“Report concisely.”
Count Leicester, the head court Magician, frowned at the state of his subordinates, but the corner of his mouth was slightly raised.
Using low-level offensive Magic in a barrage is a common tactic to achieve stable results. It’s not very effective against high-ranking devils, but there was definitely someone in that place who could easily die if they took even one hit.
Count Leicester, who was protecting the Royal Family when a devil appeared in the Royal Castle, led his corps out of the castle himself when Carla and Aria moved the battlefield to the city.
Count Leicester saw this as a good opportunity. The devil, said to be rank 6 according to the information, was certainly a threat, but for Count Leicester, there was no greater threat than his own daughter.
The daughter he had once used as a disposable tool in the All-Attribute acquisition experiment had gained power on her own and killed his sons.
Although they were the same tools, his sons had been carefully raised as usable tools. Carla, who had been spared because she was killed before they could be used and still had a use as the Crown Prince’s fiancée, had gained a Gift and surpassed her father in ability.
That daughter, who might bare her fangs at any moment, was dangerous. Now that Elvan had fallen from grace, there was no point in keeping her alive.
“No movement from the devil!”
“Good, second volley, prepare to fire!”
Seeing that there was no movement from the devil’s side, Count Leicester ordered the next volley. But then, one of the Magicians from the observation team stepped forward.
“I-I have a report!”
“…What is it?”
“Your daughter, who went after the devil, may also be at the scene, and a simultaneous barrage would be dangerous!”
“…………”
Count Leicester twisted his mouth at his subordinate’s report.
He was one of those who had been dispatched to the Dungeon raid conducted by the Royal Family, and he knew Carla’s face.
Count Leicester had not dispatched the aristocratic Magicians who were his henchmen to the Dungeon raid, but had sent Magicians closer to commoners to the Dungeon. He had sent those who would not be a loss even if they died, but they had all returned alive.
Now that such an unwanted subordinate was trying to ruin a good opportunity, Count Leicester silently waved his hand to the surrounding subordinates.
“Your Excellency, what are you–”
“–[Ice Lance]–”
“–!?”
Suddenly, the man was pierced in the abdomen by an Ice Lance fired by a former comrade, and he collapsed without a sound. Because it was ice, no blood flowed, and Count Leicester and the aristocratic Magicians around him looked down at the man, who continued to suffer from crushed internal organs, with contemptuous expressions.
“I’ll heal you when it’s over. If you don’t die until then, that is. Second volley, ready!”
The common Magicians cowered and looked down at their heinous act, and the aristocratic Magicians began to chant Magic without paying any attention to the fallen man, when–
–Boom!!
“What!?”
Suddenly, flames released from the sky engulfed several Magicians. Count Leicester, who reflexively stepped back and looked up at the sky, saw a black-haired girl floating in the moon.
“Good evening, Father. Don’t you think it’s a lovely night?”
The Rainbow Sword begins to move.
A parent-child battle begins within it.
Next time, “Father and Daughter”
Settling old scores…