.
It was a majestic red dragon. Wind could be seen faintly whirling around its body that was sized as big as a house.
『This is the first time we met since the conference of the three countries isn’t it, youngster of Balted.』
The voice sounded like it resounded from the bottom of the dragon’s stomach. The jaws that were lined up with sharp fangs didn’t move, but the vibration of the air could be felt so apparently the words themselves were transmitted normally.
Shia thought ‘The way he talk is different from Thio-san huh’ while judging that the dragon wasn’t an enemy and put a brake on Schutaif.
She confronted the red dragon midair on a bike that had a carriage attached.
「I’ve told you every time, please stop calling me youngster, Gruelle-dono. I am the king of Balted.」
『Fuh, forgive me. I am completely unable to forget the you at your youth.』
His majesty Eric who leaned out from the window asked the dragon to correct his words with a bitter face.
Apparently his majesty Eric and his majesty Gruelle were old acquaintance. Their countries were neighboring each other without any particular quarrel between them, in addition their two countries were fellows surviving countries among the three remaining countries, so it was only natural.
In contrast with the dragon’s fiendish appearance, it seemed his majesty Gruelle had gentle disposition. Shia thought so from his voice and atmosphere.
The dragon eyes of his majesty Gruelle moved toward Shia. And then, his breath was taken away. He looked at Shia once more from closer and he seemed to have something in his mind from the way he was staring fixedly at her.
『……I’m surprised. I presume that you are the hero. To think that the hero is a fellow tribe member and a girl who is this beautiful.』
「Er~r, nice to meet you, king of the beast tribe. My name is Shia Hauria.」
Shia kept sitting on Schutaif, but she bowed her head briefly just in case. However, she somehow got an unpleasant premonition and her lips were subtly twitching.
『Pardon my rudeness.』
His majesty Gruelle said that and the next instant, he was wrapped in light. Then, a beat later he transformed into a red haired dandy handsome man. His appearance looked like someone whose age was at the late forty. An attractive middle-aged man who was overflowing with dignity and youthful vitality. There were only dragon wings growing from his back.
His majesty Gruelle then lightly flew to Shia’s side and,
「I am the king of Tinted Beast Kingdom, Gruelle Dullac Tinted. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, o beautiful hero of fellow beast race.」
He said that and smiled while taking Shia’s hand and moved his lips toward the back of her hand.
First thing first, Shia swiftly dodged. It might be a typical greeting, but even if what she did might be rude, she couldn’t tolerate a kiss from the opposite sex. She also couldn’t help but sensing an ulterior motive from how he excessively stressed the part of “beautiful” and “fellow beast race”.
「Im sorry, I’m not used to this kind of greeting. Besides, right now we are in a hurry.」
They were marching with uncommon speed and also travel method, so it wasn’t like they didn’t have some leeway, but Shia spoke that excuse in order to avoid any troublesome matter.
「I see, that was really rude of me. It’s really unbecoming of someone of my age to be this high spirited after witnessing your loveliness.」
「……Is that so. Thank you.」
‘Somehow it feels like many of the kings of this world seems to be playboy……’, Shia thought while exerting herself to prevent her expression from spasming. Whether it was the demon king or the beast king, Shia was extremely troubled whether she should called them as idiot who couldn’t discern the situation, or whether she should consider them as composed king who was unperturbed in any kind of situation.
As someone who knew Tio’s grandfather――Adol Claus who was also a red dragon who was the very picture of honesty and sincerity, she was unable to hold a good impression about the king of dragon man in front of her no matter what.
While she was thinking that, his majesty Eric timidly got down from the carriage and stood on the sky road that was made from barrier. He walked toward Shia while sending a helping hand.
「It should be fine to postpone the formal introduction for hero-dono who was successfully summoned after we overcome the danger that is occurring right now.」
「Hmm. Danger is it?」
「Yes. For you to be here, it means that you also received request for assistance from the demon kingdom just like us correct? In that case, we have to hurry right now.」
He said words that sounded like a citation of Shia’s words. His majesty Eric glanced at Shia and nodded.
Shia also nodded while grinning with feeling of gratitude at the helping hand from his majesty Eric.
His majesty Eric, was shot. His cheeks blushed and his hand covered his mouth while he looked aside. Inside her heart Shia made a tsukkomi 「Are you a maiden!」.
「……I see. Although the strength of Louis Lector was needed for the summoning ceremony, as I thought apparently it’s a mistake entrusting this to other.」
Such small whisper was carried away by the wind. It was only picked up by Shia’s excellent rabbit ears. Shia could somehow understand what the meaning of that whisper was from how his majesty Gruelle was looking alternately at his majesty Eric and Shia.
(Even though it’s our first meeting, what’s with this? Certainly there is merit in winning over the hero but……I can sense a sentiment that is more than that……)
From the conversation of his majesty Eric and others on their way here, and how the way they looked at Shia was identical with how his majesty Gruelle and his majesty Arogan acted, she couldn’t say that it was just her imagination.
(That Erst, did she put a curse of charm or something when I defeated her?)
Shia’s popularity period was so amazing to the degree that she had such doubt. Perhaps, Shia was an article of the finest quality for the sensitivity of the people in this world.
「I was waiting here due to that matter of reinforcement request.」
Shia was taken aback by the words of his majesty Gruelle and she returned back from the vortex of her thought.
「What do you mean? Do you mean that you wish to match our pace in heading there as reinforcement?」
There was a small forest below if they looked down. The figures of beastmen could be seen here and there down there. Most likely they were elite force that was the royal guard of his majesty Gruelle.
His majesty Eric and others couldn’t help from frowning.
The location of the three countries from each other was positioned like a triangle. Which was to say, the route to go to the demon kingdom from Balted Kingdom wouldn’t overlap with the route from Tinted Beast Kingdom.
The success of the hero summoning along with the degree of the hero’s strength had been conveyed to the beast kingdom before dawn using flying dragon as messenger. The reinforcement request should be coming to the beast kingdom at around the same time with that.
Then, it could be surmised that the best way to be reinforcement was to fight together with the demon kingdom to buy time until the hero arrived rather than intentionally flying to different direction and lying in wait like this.
Furthermore his majesty Gruelle shouldn’t know about uncommon transportation method like Schutaif, so he should be under the impression that Balted Kingdom would be coming using the flying dragon his country lent to them. In other words, he must be planning to wait here for one whole day.
Furthermore, he quickened only his departure so he would be able to intercept Balted Kingdom in this route with certainty.
If the intention from such act was compared with the way of thinking of his majesty Gruelle that they knew well then……
「No, I came here to stop you all.」
「As expected huh.」
It was like that. His majesty Gruelle was waiting here in order to stop the reinforcement from Balted Kingdom. He prepared a powerful card of the king personally coming to stop them courteously.
「Eerr, what does that mean? We cannot go to help? Is the people of beast kingdom in the same position with the celestial people?」
When Shia asked her question with perplexed feeling, his majesty Gruelle smiled wryly and shook his head.
「No way, the celestial people consider us as enemy. There is no way we can join hand with them. But, we are simply thinking that we shouldn’t reach out to help the demon kingdom.」
In other words, it was something like that. There was no need to go as far to fight a divine spirit to protect the demon kingdom. Rather, they had no intention to go against the divine spirit by not getting involved. ‘Please help yourself to the sinner, judge them as you please, that is the expression of our remorse’, they wished to convey that by doing this.
Apparently the king of the beast kingdom was abandoning the demon kingdom.
「Your majesty Gruelle, that’s no good. That is no different from what we have done until now. The sincerity that human should display shouldn’t be something like that!」
「You are really young, Eric-dono. As the king of a country, I cannot praise such thinking that is making light of the benefit for your own country.」
「That way of thinking is what invited this situation!」
「There is no guarantee that we will end up safe by opposing divine spirit. You are getting carried away due to the hero’s power, young king.」
「There is no point seeking any guarantee at this late hour-. Why won’t you understand that the only path left for human is to advance forward!」
「It’s you who are the one who won’t understand. You cannot call yourself a king without being able to make the decision to obtain benefit.」
It was a thorough rationalism. His majesty Gruelle shrugged in exasperation and behaved as though he was talking with a little kid.
Next he asked Shia「Won’t you come to me rather than staying under this kind of immature king?」 with his gaze. Shia didn’t really change her expression and simply looked back at his majesty Gruelle with a fixed stare. She looked like she was trying to ascertain something.
His majesty Eric couldn’t control himself from the attitude of his majesty Gruelle that was like that and spoke roughly.
「Who will listen to an opportunist like you-」
「……I won’t stay quiet if you intend to mock me you know?」
「I spoke the truth. You completely ingratiated yourself to demon kingdom’s technology supremacy ideology, but when the divine spirit started to act you immediately turned around to the plan that our country carry out. And yet, even then you still acted subservient to the demon kingdom and wouldn’t give any satisfactory help to us until Oros-sama attacked!」
「Watching for opportunity is also the role of the king. What is bad from ascertaining the feasibility of an absurd plan?」
「Feasibility you say? Then, why did you suddenly become cooperative after Oros-sama attacked the demon kingdom? That’s unrelated with the plan’s feasibility right? You simply abandoned the demon kingdom and turned side toward us!」
「Good grief……I don’t come here to listen to a child’s temper tantrum.」
His majesty Gruelle shook his head with a wry smile and this time he directly offered his hand toward Shia.
「Shia-dono, although you are someone who has defeated even a divine spirit, surely this action isn’t something that is completely not dangerous for you. There is no need to head to a meaningless battlefield. Won’t you come together with me to the star tree? If the demon kingdom is judged, the star tree too should understand that there is already no more bad people among the humans.」
「Your highness Gruelle-, you are really-. Now it’s the hero you are currying favor to-!?」
「This isn’t currying favor. I hope that you will see this as me possessing the eyes to perceive the tide of the time, or perhaps even the destiny. Unlike you.」
His majesty Gruelle was completely unperturbed. He didn’t give any glance at his majesty anymore and simply preached the rational and beneficial path to Shia. He offered his hand implying that taking his hand was the best course of action, that it wasn’t Balted Kingdom, but Tinted Beast Kingdom that would welcome her as honored guest.
Shia looked at his majesty Eric. His majesty Eric was looking at Shia with pleading gaze.
Shia smiled wryly and looked at his majesty Gruelle. His majesty Gruelle smiled kindly. He invited Shia with eyes that believed the survivor would be those who could ride on the tide called destiny skillfully.
「I am a commoner, so I don’t understand about how the king think. That’s why, I also cannot deny the way Gruelle-san think. To always side with the advantageous direction for the sake of one’s own country’s benefit……perhaps that is a correct decision that is only natural for the king.」
「Shia-dono is truly wise.」
「Shi, Shia……」
The smile of his majesty Gruelle deepened. Shadow of despair colored the expression of his majesty Eric.
The next moment,
「But I refuse! Desuu!」
Shia’s expression changed completely.
Her smile crumbled and the bewildered king Gruelle asked「Why?」.
「I’m unable to like such thing.」
「……What do you mean?」
Shia proudly answered toward the dubious expression and words of his majesty Gruelle.
「There is also a person of dragon clan in my family. That person is always sincere. She is unshakeable. She honor righteousness, she would stake her life for the sake of benevolence, even if it’s a stupid choice, she will never take back what she has decided.」
「……」
「She who is like that hold the pride as the protector. We too proudly consider her as the one and only protector. Even though normally she is always fooling around, when the time comes, when it is necessary, she will always show her back to us. A back that is worthy for the princess of the dragon clan, a great, noble, sublime, and the most beautiful standing figure.」
Even though her voice was quiet, for some reason a terrific pressure could be felt from it. His majesty Gruelle lowered his hand from the pressure.
「For me, that is the kind of person a “dragon race” is.」
That single sentence spoke the story more eloquently than anything. His majesty Gruelle couldn’t even be compared with “her”.
No, more accurately if Shia’s feeling was to be expressed, it would be “what a miserable state”. Her feeling would be ‘I’m amazed that someone like you is the same “dragon race” like “her”, furthermore you are even introducing yourself as king’.
From the beginning she was unable to harbor good impression toward him for some reason was because of that. Shia’s discerning eyes informed her that he wasn’t a “dragon race” that she knew. And then, 「Aah, even though you are a “dragon race”, don’t show such appearance to me」 her instinct was feeling unpleasant. It was as though one of her important family was dirtied.
The sky was silent except for the sound of the blowing wind.
While no one was saying anything, Shia suddenly made a wide smile that blew away such atmosphere.
「Beast king-san, I apologize. I will go with Eric-san and everyone to persuade Oros-san!」
Behind her Eric made a guts pose that pierced to the sky. The inside of the carriage was getting roused up with ‘hip hip hooray’.
His majesty Gruelle lost his smile from before and turned expressionless. Was he feeling rage from reading Shia’s emotion? He was simply looking at Shia fixedly with colorless gaze.
Shia confirmed that Eric had returned inside the carriage and started Schutaif. She advanced in a way that went around his majesty Gruelle. Even when she passed beside him, in the end his majesty Gruelle only stared at Shia and didn’t do anything.
In response to him who was like that, Shia stopped for a moment and looked across her shoulder before saying.
「Beast king-san, forgive my presumptuousness but will you allow me to speak about an experience of mine?」
「……Speak.」
Shia listened with her rabbit ears to the beastmen standing by below that were getting into commotion that Shia and others were going to pass while she said.
「Certainly it might be stupid to go against the flow of the river. But, I also feel doubtful for those who only ride on the flow simply like leaf or searching only for gentle stream. Because, based on my experience, that kind of people――」
――Have no future
Although his majesty Gruelle didn’t know about Shia’s vocation “Divination Master”, something must have come in his mind seeing Shia’s figure talking about the future. He didn’t say any objection, and only slipped out 「Is that so……」 while saying nothing else.
「Then! I pray that I will be able to meet everyone in a good future!」
‘What a thing to say to a king!’ Shia thought while smiling slightly shyly before driving Schutaif away fast.
Beastmen riding flying dragons were rising up from the forest one after another. His subordinates were calling out to him, however, his majesty Gruelle didn’t reply.
He was simply watching the back of the leaving Shia silently.
.
.
「Your majesty-, the barrier won’t hold anymore!!」
「Golem’s emergence is sighted at the west gate! Three hundred in total-. The third defense corps is pushed back!!」
「The fourth and seventh spirit cannon corps are retreating from the front line due to running dry! Please send reinforcement!」
「Your majesty!! The sinking of the ground won’t stop-, at this rate-」
「Messenger from captain Henzes of the eight defense corps! Intrusion from the breach, increasing! Many are injured!! The first defense line is abandoned!」
Hearing the reports about the unfavorable situation that were coming one after another, his majesty the demon king Arogan was grinning fearlessly while getting cold sweat.
As a king, he absolutely couldn’t show any fretfulness. But, soon he was about to become unable to avoid his fearless grin from spasming.
「Deploy all the defense corps. What about the repair of Tyrant?」
His majesty Arogan reduced a squad of celestial people whole outside the barrier from the viewing platform at the highest floor of the demon king castle while asking.
「It’s seventy percent finished. Currently it’s in the middle of getting re-erected. If it’s fine to aim manually, it will be able to fire in ten more minutes.」
「Do it in five.」
Tyrant――the spirit weapon that the demon kingdom boasted of. It was a huge tower that reached 300 meter with shape like a tuning fork. It could absorb the spirits of the land, vibrated the spirit element in high speed and fired it. The spirit element itself couldn’t endure the vibration and would immediately self-destruct, but in that moment it would indirectly create shockwave.
The power was something truly worthy as the crystallization of the demon kingdom’s technology. When it was fired to all direction, anything inside the range of 1 kilometer around the capital, even a mass of rock would be pulverized indiscriminately. If the opponent was human, they would be driven into a state that was unable to battle even within the range of 2 kilometer.
If it was fired into a single direction, the power and range would increase even further. Previously, it was also this weapon that drove away the divine spirit of earth Oros. His large body that was two hundred meters high in total was pulverized many times.
Of course, Oros could regenerate as many times as he liked as long as there was ground so the demon kingdom couldn’t win completely, but there was no doubt that it dealt a serious damage to a divine spirit.
Although, even that super weapon right now was destroyed by Oros’s first attack and became unusable. Fortunately the damage wasn’t fatal, so it would be able to fire as long as the tower was raised with spirit art.
「However……your majesty, is it alright? Using Tyrant will be a violation of the treaty regarding the salvation plan.」
A man in his prime with splendid moustache growing on his face――the confidant of his majesty Arogan, Barius――asked with a hesitant tone.
Collection and relinquishment of the spirit element refined within human body, prudence in using spirit element resource, and then directly pleading to the star tree to beg for coexistence with the spirits. Those were the gist of the salvation plan. Therefore, when the alliance of the three countries was formed, naturally the banning of the use of a weapon like Tyrant that thoroughly consumed vast amount of spirit element along with the spirits was one of the conditions.
If they used this nightmarish weapon once more, who in the world would believe the words 「We are reflecting. We will reform ourselves from now on.」 coming from their mouth. The salvation plan would be a failure when they used it. They had to resolve themselves for the demon kingdom to be isolated after using it.
Toward his anxious confidant, his majesty Arogan didn’t slow down his attack toward the army of the celestial people while answering coldly.
「Barius. Look at our country.」
The capital was split. The ground was cracked in radiating shape like a spider web. The ground was split by Oros’s first attack.
It seemed that Oros’s slow pace was to invite negligence. The demon kingdom’s attention was fixed into his gigantic body, while in actuality he sent small clone of himself for surprise attack. In order to first make Tyrant unusable above all else.
It was the demon kingdom’s trump card, so the security for it was heavy. His majesty Arogan who immediately noticed Oros’s clone immediately crushed it, because of that the Tyrant avoided complete destruction, but the shockwave greatly damaged the capital.
And then, severe earthquake was assaulting them even at this moment. Oros’s towering body was sending down fist on the barrier like a meteor. The powerful attack of spirit art from the army of celestial people that numbered of 2000 people was also attacking the barrier without pause. The size of the barrier was being reduced in every second.
In addition, small golems were physically tearing down the outer wall and flooded in. They clung on the barrier and started to recklessly attack like a battering ram.
Even inside the barrier there were golems swelling up from the cracks running on the ground. They couldn’t help but to send battle force to the center of the capital. It was a situation where it wouldn’t be strange for the inner part to collapse anytime.
Many citizens and soldiers were already parting from this present world.
The countdown toward the end of the country was starting.
「Should we perish graciously for the sake of the world’s future? Foolish. Such outrage, that haughtiness of the god is unforgivable.」
For his majesty Arogan, he was planning to wait until the very limit. Right now in this world existed a way to cut through this situation without using Tyrant.
He didn’t see it by himself so he couldn’t be sure, but certainly there was a divine spirit of lightning cloud beside her who was so exhausted he couldn’t even take human form.
If it was against a woman, no matter who they were they would lose the strength in their knees when his smile and words bathed them. But that beautiful, interesting girl wasn’t only unperturbed, she even punched him.
If she and the divine spirit of lightning cloud held back Oros for them, then the possibility of realizing the salvation plan would heighten drastically.
Although, there was no guarantee that reinforcement would come.
「Have your majesty considered the possibility of them abandoning us?」
「Do you think that lizard king who favor turncoat diplomacy won’t admonish that inexperienced king?」
His majesty Arogan understood well how his country was seen, how they were evaluated by others, how was the personality of the kings of the other countries.
That was why he sent his projection to directly cajole the inexperienced Eric. And then, because the hero was unexpectedly a beautiful girl, he believed that the possibility of reinforcement would increase if he made her his captive and made advances on her. He never thought even at his wildest dream that a fist would fly into his face.
「If they abandon us, then we too will give up the salvation plan. In any case, everything will be over if we don’t survive. If we are able have a way of thinking like contributing to the future by perishing, we wouldn’t join something like salvation plan from the beginning.」
「It’s just as your majesty say.」
The world of man had to be ruled by man.
They mustn’t be controlled by the sense of values of god. Such unreasonableness couldn’t be forgiven.
They mustn’t be imprisoned by the old convention. Advancement and progress were exactly the characteristic of human. Existences that obstructed that couldn’t be forgiven. They had to fight resolutely.
That was the fundamental values of the demon kingdom. It was the people who were charmed by those values who were the people of this country.
And then, the person who obeyed those values, who were given expectation by those values, and aimed to even further height was none other than the demon king Arogan Spervia Rated.
「Your majesty!! Oros is-」
「――」
A report was screamed.
When they looked there in surprise, the surrounding ground was undulating and bulging up. The soil became a high wave and massed into Oros. At the same time, Oros was enlarging in size even further.
「Impossible……there is no record of this.」
Divine spirit ought to be opposed, so naturally the demon kingdom was researching them thoroughly. In the literatures, there was no record of Oros enlarging bigger than 400 meter. There was no such thing even in the legend and tales when the divine spirits were fighting enemy of the world called the outsiders or in the incidents when they were involved with the historical heroes.
Oros who finally reached an unprecedented enlargement of 600 meter which might never to be seen again in the future raised a sound that shook the air and he lifted both his arms. The joined hands became one which created a terrifically huge lump of rock. It was a giant fist that blocked even the sunlight.
「Reinforce the barrier!! Wring out all your strength!」
Things like calm order or fearless grin were all blown away at this moment. The order’s volume that was magnified with spirit art was broadcasted around. The spirit artists who deployed and maintained the barrier poured their spirit element with deathly desperate look. Even his majesty Arogan poured his tremendous spirit element like water to reinforce the barrier.
But, in front of the god’s crushing hammer, all that effort was just too transient.
There was a thunderous explosion as though the world was split.
The barrier showed an instant of opposition, but the next instant cracks ran through and it shattered like broken mirror.
A direct attack to the capital was barely avoided, but the spreading shockwave mowed down the citizens and soldiers. The buildings that were already brittle from before were blown away.
It was a great disaster that was truly like a falling meteor.
And yet, the divine punishment apparently wouldn’t forgive them even at the slightest with just this much.
Shadow covered them. The huge shadow that blocked the sunlight.
「You bastard-, I won’t let you-」
Extremely fierce light of spirit element burst out from his majesty Arogan who opened his eyes wide. It was an overwhelming torrent of power that was worthy for a demon king.
「Element is water, stream shape, distance seven, coordinate formula――”Raging Stream”」
Right after that, Oros who was holding aloft the crushing hammer was enveloped by water stream that suddenly manifested from empty air. It didn’t look like the water itself had any particular effect, but the second attack that was immediately released――the freezing air froze the soaking wet Oros.
*Creak* Creaking sound resounded. The hammer that was going to fall exactly at that timing was stopped.
「Element is earth. Compressed state, distance seven, coordination formula――”Hades”.」
Right after that, the ground below Oros’s feet immediately caved in. It was a bold attack that was opposing the divine spirit of earth by caving in the ground, however, it was enough to break Oros’s balance coupled with his frozen state.
The ground shook with tremor and cloud of dust rolled up grandly while Oros fell on one knee.
「Element is mixed, the main is wind, the sub is flame. Converged shape, acceleration formula four times――”Flame Cluster”」
Wind growled and the air was filled with heat. Wind and flame were gathered and mixed in front of the hands that his majesty Arogan thrust out, showing radiance like plasma. The next moment, it was fired and exploded at the center of Oros without missing.
The instant it hit, explosion and shockwave surged and shook the air.
The cloud of dust was instantly cleared by the wind blast. Ahead, there was the figure of Oros with a large hole opened in his chest and his right half being partially destroyed. The power that partially destructed a giant with size bigger than 600 meter was terrifying. The power of the demon king was displayed fully here.
But,
「……Good grief, even though I have used a third of the spirit element inside me, this is just too unreasonable.」
As expected, their base power was too different. With the sound *prang*, Oros broke through the freezing and gathered raw materials from the ground in the blink of eye, repairing his body.
『Repent』
A heavy voice that was like crawling out from the bottom of earth echoed. It was Oros’s voice that they heard for the first time since this battle began.
*Gogogo-* Rumbling that was like the shaking of the ground was resounding while Oros’s large body was rising up. He spoke while lifting up both his hands into a crushing hammer once more.
『O world, obtain peace』
「Divine spirit! Listen! We have prepared to repent!」
His majesty Arogan deployed a barrier while yelling once more the sentence they had been yelling all the time since the opening of the battle. However, Oros[s movement didn’t stop. The second crushing blow was descending from the sky.
It hit the barrier.
「Guuh」
He groaned while his peerless handsome face twisted, even so he poured all his strength into the barrier.
Surprisingly, the second divine punishment was deflected along with an explosive sound even though only barely. It seemed his majesty Arogan included the spirit art of wind blast just now into the barrier.
But, it seemed that his resistance only went that far. The demon king lost his strength and fell on one knee. His subordinates starting from Barius ran toward him, but their expression twisted into despair.
The hammer was already lifted up as though nothing had happened.
「The Tyrant!?」
「-, Not yet-. The celestials are hindering them.」
It seemed that the trump card wouldn’t make it in time. His aides, his own art, and his prided spirit weapon that he developed himself laid out multiple layers of barrier to protect the king.
But, most likely, no, undoubtedly their barrier would be unable to block the next attack.
Seeing the god’s hammer was going to be dropped anytime toward a corner of the demon king palace where surely the demon king was located, all the soldiers and all the citizens were drowned in despair.
Other than the force whose objective was to destroy Tyrant, the celestial people had stopped attacking when the barrier of the capital was destroyed and they were looking down as though they were the witness to the divine punishment. Their expression was completely dyed with joy.
『For the sake of mother Lutria.』
Perish. He informed so and executed the divine punishment.
His majesty Arogan glared at the mass of rock that covered the sky and,
「Someday human-, will reach all of you bastards!! Remember that!!」
He yelled――
「SHAORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!」
A piercing yell of fighting spirit surged up. What came flying like a streak of flash was a rabbit eared girl clad in bluish white radiance.
In opposition of the falling giant hammer of god, was a war hammer that although huge was only in the level that could be handled by human in the end.
The girl who stepped on midair with deep stepping sound brandished the war hammer behind her with her body twisting like a bow……and she swung.
And then, it was blown back.
Without any petty trick. Without even any technique. Without even any spirit art or any mysterious phenomenon.
It was blown back simply by pure violence right from the front!
「……Impossible.」
From the first time since he was born, his majesty Arogan’s beautiful face crumbled into a stupid look.
Around him, there were Barius and others whose jaw dropped down so wide it fell like it would fall off. From here and there voices like 「Lies……」「Is this a dream」 that were escaping reality leaked out.
And then, Oros who was a divine spirit that embodied firmness also wasn’t an exception.
『……No way』
His posture was forced into banzai gesture and he hurriedly separated his hands that were fused into a crushing hammer. He recovered his balance with both hands while stepping back one step, two steps from the impact.
Ahead of the gaze of all these people, the rabbit eared girl――Shia was,
「Fuu, I barely made it in time.」
She swoop back her rabbit ears *fuasa-*. Vire Drucken tapped *tap tap♪* on her shoulder. Bluish white magic power glittered and the hair that was the same color with the wind fluttered. The dreamy beautiful legs lightly stepped down.
Like a flower of wide petals blooming in the battlefield, she was so lovely to the degree it was like a joke.
「Now, Oros-san! Let’s talk!」
Her voice resounded dignifiedly. That figure charmed the demon king, the people, and then, even the divine spirit.
.
.
At the same time.
「Nuooh」
A scream resounded inside the room. Hajime’s body leaped up in shock.
He blinked inside the dim room with its curtain completely closed.
――Chu~, chu~
The light weight his body was feeling was something he was very familiar with. His memory was hazy, but he somehow recalled how he half-heartedly handled the no good vampire princess and dragged her to him.
When he turned his gaze that was in order to ascertain it……
「……Yue. She is doing her sleep sucking again.」
Sleep sucking――that was Yue-sama’s bad habit (?). Just as the words meant, she was sucking while half-asleep. Even now she was hugging Hajime closely while her mouth sucked on Hajime’s neck.
The sensation of her tongue crawling on his neck made him felt a bit of shivers. He looked at the curtain that had faint light shining in from it while feeling the sensation. It looked like the sun had slightly set.
He groped for his smartphone and made it display the time and he felt understanding. The time was about to reach four o’clock at the afternoon.
「So I slept for nearly six hours……I must be really tired. I overestimated my toughness a bit too much.」
Like this, Shia was right telling him to rest, Hajime thought with a wry smile.
The sleep sucking that was continuing even now along with the sleep of nearly six hours made his head felt clear even though he just got woken up.
For the time being, he tickled Yue’s side in the attempt to remove the sleep sucking. Yue let out a strange voice 「hahih」 and her mouth opened. Removal success.
Yue’s hands wandered around as though to say 「Ha, Haijme whereee~」. Hajime smiled wryly at that while gently fixing the disordered hair of the waking up Yue.
At the same time, he felt a presence inside the house and tried searching in detail.
「Tio and Remia, and Myuu too had come home……Kaa-san is also here. ……Shia is, not home yet?」
He didn’t find Shia’s presence. It appeared she still hadn’t come back from the Akiba battlefield.
He checked his smartphone, but there was also no call from her.
「……She is looking around that place really enthusiastically huh.」
He tried saying that to himself but, somehow, really for some reason his chest felt a vague uneasiness.
It felt like his head that was cleared throughout the rest was raising an alert.
Hajime wordlessly took out the compass from his “Treasure Warehouse”. Perhaps noticing that Hajime’s presence that turned sharp, Yue woke up in a snap.
「……Hajime? What’s the matter?」
「Shia still hasn’t come home.」
Yue looked at the clock and tilted her head slightly. There was still some time before dinner. The time was only slightly entering evening. She wondered what the problem was.
From a glance, Hajime could be seen as a fiercely possessive boyfriend who confirmed with GPS her girlfriend’s location in succession as though he wanted to constantly grasp her position……
Naturally, Yue didn’t have such thinking. Hajime was getting serious about Shia even if only slightly. It wouldn’t be strange no matter what happened. She immediately woke up fully and be still while waiting for Hajime’s words.
Hajime’s magic power surged and the compass activated. It loyally carried out his order to search for Shia’s location.
But……
「Tsu, no, reaction?」
「……Hajime?」
The compass’s effective range was in proportion with the amount of magic power poured into it.
With the magic power he poured right now, just a mere distance from here to Akiba, no, even if it was anywhere in Japan the compass would be able to cover it. And yet, there was no reaction. Shia wasn’t within the search range.
Hajime leaped down from the bed and his magic power surged even more. As expected, there was no way the activation of magic power that tremendous would be unnoticed. Downstairs he could feel Tio was taken aback. The sound of her immediately going up the stairs in hurry could be heard.
The door was opened loudly *bam* and Tio entered.
「What’s the matter, Goshujin-sama. What art――」
Tio asked forcefully, but seeing Hajime’s tense atmosphere and Yue’s serious expression, she immediately closed her mouth so to not disturb their focus.
A beat later, Hajime opened his closed eyes.
*Shiver-*, Tio’s spine shuddered. Hajime’s other face that she hadn’t seen for a long time――the face of the godslaying demon king was there.
「Coincidence? Or else a deliberate act?」
The others must be curious of Tio’s hurried look and followed after her. Remia, Myuu, and then even Sumire and Shuu peeped inside and their eyes opened wide.
「……Hajime. Shia?」
「She isn’t in earth. She is in another world that isn’t Tortus.」
「Muh, doth that mean she was summoned by someone?」
Hajime shook his head. He must mean that he didn’t know.
‘But’, Hajime continued.
「If that’s the case, kuku-. Just whose woman do they think they are taking away without permission……I’ve gotta make sure that they thoroughly pay their debt.」
「Tha, tha-tha, that’s right Goshujin-sama.」
Tio pressed her hands in prayer inside her heart. If Shia was sent into another world accidentally because the border that separated the worlds were shaking or something, then that was still alright. But if that wasn’t the case……’then those people really hath done something stupid. I wouldst at least pray for their happiness in the afterlife.’, Tio thought.
「Tio, call Kaori and others. Our magic power stock is unreliable after the previous gate opening. In preparation of the worst case, I want to keep in reserve a stock of magic crystal so we will be able to return right away.」
「We art going to collect the stock for going there from those with magic power? So it’s not enough with just us, Shia hast been sent to a really far away place.」
Tio immediately began to contact Kaori and others. Myuu’s face peeked out from Tio’s side.
「Papa……Shia-oneechan, she is alright?」
Next, Remia, Sumire, and Shuu too were asking worriedly. Hajime shrugged and answered.
「No way that bugged rabbit will get done is that easily. We are going to bring her home before dinner, so don’t worry.」
「Yes nano!」
‘Certainly, this is Shia-oneechan we are talking about! Much less god, even if the whole myth come attacking she will flatten everything and come home like normal! Rather, it feels like she will even be in good mood from a mortal combat with god of war that make her blood boil and her flesh dance! Nano!’, Myuu replied energetically.
Myuu’s smiling face made Hajime said 「Ri, right. You really get it, Myuu」 and he nodded while feeling slightly creeped out.
From how her ‘nano’ was said with forced timing, somehow it felt like Myuu’s relationship with Shia was the best among all the big sisters, or rather it felt like she received the biggest influence from Shia. If before long Myuu started saying things like 「Go fly till the moon! Nano!」 or 「Right now, Myuu become the wind! Nano!」 while riding bike, what should he do……Hajime papa thought with worry.
While that was going on, multiple magic power reactions came from inside the house. Kaori and others who received the call must have used their personal gate key to teleport here.
Hajime patted Myuu’s head while switching his feeling. From a model Japanese who loved peace, to demon king mode that would kill even god if it was necessary.
He gazed at empty air and thought of his beloved family. Since when did she vanish? When he thought that it happened while he was fast asleep, a killing intent that was targeted to even himself was welling up. Surely even right at this moment she was waiting for their arrival impatiently.
「My bad, Shia. I’m going there now.」
It was a proclamation that was dripping with rage that although small, was overflowing.
Five minutes later.
The godslaying demon king teleported to the world that kidnapped his bunny wife.
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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
About Shia arc, apparently there are a lot of the readers who got vexed by it, my apologizes. It really makes me keenly realize my inexperience (sweat). I will do my best to make everyone’s attachment to Shia to bloom profusely, so I beg you all to please not abandon [Arifure] even from here on and take care of it.
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PS 1
I noticed from the comment I received, I made a mistake with the timeline of Brutal Hero Shia arc. I didn’t consider the time difference from the several hours Shia spent in Akiba, I’m sorry! I will revise the needed sections. It’s complicated so generally it will be like the following below (in my mind). Please use it as reference.
[Shia side] [Hajime side]
10:00 (Going out) 10:00
| 2h | 2h
12:00 (summoning) 12:00 (Hajime sleeping, Yue hugging her knees)
0:00 (Time after summoning) |
| 8h | 2h
8:00 (The pickup ain’t coming) 14:00 (Ignoring Yue’s worry, sleeping again)
| 1 h |
9:00 (Bathing, splattering demon king, etc) |
| 3h | 2 h
12:00 (Thunder god hammer creation failed) |
| 4h |
16:00 (Arriving in demon kingdom) Around 16:00 (Hajime, turning back into demon king)
To everyone who informed me of the timeline, thank you very much.
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PS 2
Actually this month, I’m right at the midst of publication work, perhaps the update for next week will be difficult. I want to go limit break and update as much as possible, but if there is no update it will help if everyone can understand that Shirakome has entered Level X and has no spare strength. The week after that……should be alright. Best regards.
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PS 3
Brutal Hero Shia arc is far before the traveling date with Shia arc. And so I think there is many inconsistencies but, it will help if everyone can be magnanimous. It will be great if I can deal with it like the other timeline inconsistencies in my activity report that were pointed out by everyone. Forgive me for always doing whatever I please following the momentum!
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PS 4
About Shia’s breaking the fourth wall that was alluded last chapter, Shirakome’s image is like ○donge that came out in the video called GF2 in Niconico douga. うｐ主-sama, thank you for the magnificent creation! Everyone too please go take a look no matter what!
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PS 5
Salmon sandwich was sold in Seven Eleven-san!
