Chapter 2: Becoming Determined
Dawn was approaching, but despite being rather fatigued, Diablo couldn’t fall asleep. He’d seen too much death. Lying down in his room only made his nerves more strained.
There’s already light outside...
In this world, curtains and glass windows were items of luxury. The Inner Sanctum was being repaired and maintained from the believers’ donations, but most of it was built frugally. And so, the windows were mostly closed off with planks if they needed to be closed. Light streamed in from the gap between the boards.
“...Morning already.”
In his old world, Diablo would often stay up all night gaming, only going to sleep once the sky started getting bright.
Diablo’s thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door.
“Mm? Who is it?” he asked in his Demon Lord-ly voice.
“Good morning, Lord Diablo. It’s me, Lumachina.”
What was the High Priest herself doing here alone this early in the morning? Diablo thought it unusual, but then again, he was technically the Paladin Captain. This probably wasn’t all that surprising.
“Come in, I permit it.”
But as soon as Diablo said it, he realized he was naked from the waist up. Sevenwall had a warm climate, so the women often slept in thin gowns and the men slept half-naked. Lumachina, of course, didn’t enter the room in a nightgown. She was clad in a holy woman’s outfit, and looked as if she’d just stepped out of a painting.
“Pardon me for approaching you so early, Lord Diablo.”
“I don’t mind. What is it?” Diablo said, getting to his feet.
He opened the window and let some fresh air into the room. Lumachina strode up beside him. The window offered a view of the streets where, despite it being a time of war, the Church’s believers were already diligently moving about the streets. Breakfasts were being prepared, weapons were being serviced, and places were even being cleaned.
Diablo moved his gaze further away. On the other side of the river was Castle Grandiose, which was currently occupied by the Gelmed Imperial Army. Lumachina fixed her gaze on the castle as well.
“Scouts report the Empire has moved their main force into the castle,” she said.
“I imagined as much.”
“We’ve assumed they might attack at dawn, but there are no signs of any movements from their side yet.”
“Mm.”
Was it taking them that long to recover, or were they waiting for something? Diablo couldn’t tell. Maybe if he was into war stories or played more war simulation games, or perhaps if he was obsessed with some master strategist like Zhuge Liang, he’d be able to promptly come up with the answer.
But sadly, Diablo was the ultimate solo player instead. His expertise was in defeating the enemies lined up before him, and he wasn’t any good when it came to moving soldiers or predicting what an enemy army might do. He couldn’t even lead a six man party, much less an army.
There were, however, things he knew.
“I’d imagine the enemy army’s commander is sitting on the throne and thinking himself king of the castle,” Diablo said.
“You think so, Lord Diablo?”
“That’s what people in power are like.”
“To act in such a manner after so many have perished...” Lumachina muttered, seemingly unable to fully believe it.
Diablo was convinced of it, though.
Anyone who’d lead an army into the enemy castle would definitely be sitting on the throne! Doing it would feel awesome, after all. And since he’s the kind of scum who’d take hostages, place enslavement magic on people, and force those girls to fight for him, he’d definitely do something like that.
Lumachina changed the subject. Apparently, that wasn’t the reason for her visit.
“...Alicia didn’t come back from the battle yesterday.”
“What?”
“I thought she might have been injured, so I checked all the first aid tents... As well as the morgues.”
Diablo felt a cold chill rush down his spine. He’d heard Alicia went out to fight, and had challenged a Magimatic Sol to battle in order to let Rem escape.
“I cannot imagine she died so easily,” Diablo said.
He wanted to believe that.
“I agree.” Lumachina nodded. “But there was another report that a person fitting Alicia’s description was taken captive by the Empire.”
Diablo clicked his tongue in frustration.
She was taken prisoner...
Alicia was an Imperial Knight, and was dressed differently from the other people fighting. The enemy likely assumed that she had more value as a prisoner compared to the other soldiers.
“Hmph... If she isn’t dead, we need only take her back.”
“Yes.” Lumachina nodded.
But her face then turned even more severe. Apparently, this wasn’t all she came here for. She hung her head and began speaking.
“And it seems that some kind of curse has been placed on Miss Rem.”
“What?!” Diablo exclaimed, his voice coming out more aggressive than he’d intended.
Lumachina’s bodyguards flinched and stood at the ready. Lumachina raised a hand to calm them.
“...It is likely a curse that constantly traces her position. It does nothing to harm her. But its effect being so faint serves to make it that much harder to dispel.”
“You can’t manage it?”
“It will take time. Otherwise, the caster would have to lift the curse themselves.”
“Or I defeat them first.”
“...Yes.”
Diablo deliberated over what he should do.
“There’s something I’ve realized — the Empire is not capable of employing teleportation magic, yes?”
“Ah. Right, they likely don’t.”
If they could teleport at will, they’d have reached the capital long ago. Especially since they knew where Rem was right now.
“And one more thing. The reason they’re not hurrying to attack us is because of the curse.”
“Oh...”
“A Magimatic Sol can move faster than a horse. They likely think that even if they take their time, Rem wouldn’t be able to escape.”
Diablo noted to himself that Girls’ Arms had nothing in the way of teleportation. It then occurred to him that since the ?Teleportation? spell didn’t exist in that game, the Gelmed Empire was unaware of its existence — and thus weren’t wary of it.
“This might be useful information.”
“What do you mean, Lord Diablo?”
“No...”
He still needed to think this through carefully. Dying in this world meant real, actual death — there were no respawns or second chances. There was no trying it out and relying on return by death if he failed.
The Paladin Tria entered Diablo’s room and kneeled before Lumachina.
“It is time, High Priest.”
“I’ll be right over.”
Time for what?
Perhaps sensing Diablo’s question, Lumachina leaned her head in and whispered.
“Funerals for those who had passed on yesterday, and prayers for good fortune and martial success for those still alive.”
“Oh. Hmm...” Diablo uttered, and then asked Lumachina, who had bowed her head “...How many died?”
She cast down her gaze.
“Not everyone is accounted for yet, but roughly three thousand of the Church’s people,” Tria answered in Lumachina’s stead. “The kingdom’s army reports they’ve lost anywhere between five to ten thousand men, and there’s no counting how many civilians perished. We can only hope those that have fled the capital have made their way to safety.”
Diablo was speechless. So many people.
“May the souls of the deceased find their way to paradise...” Lumachina said, her eyes glistening with tears. “All I can do, however, is merely pray...”
“M-Mm...” Diablo uttered.
“If you are leaving, Lord Diablo, do stay safe.”
“Have no fear. No one can threaten me.”
Tria motioned for Lumachina to go, and the two left Diablo’s room. Even if the High Priest herself were to pray for him, the ?Demon Lord’s Ring? would reflect it. But even knowing that, some part of Diablo wished he could indulge in God’s protection today.
His feelings were slowly solidifying.
†
If this war didn’t end, countless people would go on to die again. And those girls — forced to do battle against their will — would have to fight again. Diablo had to stop it.
After Lumachina left, Diablo glared out the window, his gaze fixed on Castle Grandiose. There was one man and one man only he had to defeat.
“The Commander of the Invasion army... Doriadanph.”
Diablo took out ?Tenma’s Staff? from his pouch.
“...Are you thinking of going there on your own?” a voice called out behind him.
It was Rem. She’d entered the room at some point. She might have even heard his exchange with Lumachina.
“What do you mean?”
“...I can tell, Diablo. How long do you think we’ve spent together? I can guess what you’re thinking.”
As inappropriate as it was given the situation, Rem’s words made his heart flutter with an embarrassing, slightly ticklish sort of emotion.
“Hmph!” He hardened his expression, which very nearly crumbled into a light smile.
“...I’m coming with you.”
“Fool. You’re the one the enemy is after.”
“...In that case, the safest place I could be is at your side. You would never lose to anyone, after all.”
“Err, uhm... No, I, well, I have no intention of losing of course, but...”
“And I believe I’ve become skilled enough to not be a burden.”
Should I take Rem along? Would she be safer if I left her with Sylvie, like yesterday?
The Empire was now constantly aware of Rem’s position, and they were apparently very much obsessed with her. What if they sent all their Magimatic Sols to attack the Inner Sanctum? How well would Diablo be able to protect her given this situation? And what’s more, despite being a considerably high level adventurer, Rem couldn’t successfully shake them off last time.
“I could teleport you alone to Faltra...” Diablo began speaking.
“You’re telling me to run away on my own?!” Rem said, her eyes widening in anger.
“Nng,” Diablo was taken aback.
It might have been the first time he’d ever seen her direct so much anger toward him. He feigned composure, but he was actually quite panicked on the inside.
“...Can you really say for certain the Empire can’t use teleportation?” Rem then said, her expression wavering.
“What?”
“...If I’m the one they’re after, they could be waiting for me to get away so they can have a chance to swoop in and abduct me.”
“You’re saying it’s a trap?”
That was plausible. While they were currently quite backed into a corridor, the Church’s troops were a considerable force, and Diablo did destroy two Magimatic Sols. He didn’t know how many more units they had left, but it couldn’t have been many.
What if they really were waiting for Rem to move somewhere else — away from Diablo — for a chance to teleport to her position and kidnap her? Diablo had no means of communicating with her, after all. She could be taken away at some point when he wasn’t there to protect her and he’d be none the wiser.
“...To begin with, I became an adventurer to defeat the Demon Lord sealed within me,” Rem said, holding a hand in front of her chest.
“Right.”
“If the Empire is after me, it’s in my nature to fight and oppose them, not run.”
“Even if it means death, or a fate even worse than that?”
“...I am a summoner. I’ll believe in the one I summoned, Diablo. I’ll believe in you.”
“You’re quite the odd one to put your faith in a Demon Lord,” Diablo said, and this time he couldn’t suppress the blush on his cheeks. He turned away so as to not be seen.
“And besides...” Rem carried on. “I want to save Alicia and bring her back.”
Evidently, Lumachina had already told her.
“It seems she was taken captive.”
“...Alicia fought ?Violanos of the Purple? to let me escape.”
“She’s changed, that one.”
Once before, Alicia had tried to sacrifice Rem.
“...She told me to run. And yesterday, I wasn’t prepared to fight the Magimatic Sols, so I had no choice but to listen.”
“Mm.”
“...When Alicia intended to kill herself, I felt that I wanted to protect her. But she didn’t believe her betrayal could be forgiven.”
“She did say that.”
Once her plots were exposed, Alicia tried to end her life. Diablo forbade her from doing so, and Rem said she wanted to forgive her.
“...Had Alicia died back then, I might not be alive right now.”
“True. I’d only made it to you in time thanks to her.”
“...And that’s why the only thing left now is my friendship with Alicia. The two of us, we shook hands.”
When they set out from Faltra, Alicia and Rem exchanged a firm handshake. Diablo could faintly remember that, but he didn’t quite commit it to memory. Maybe it was because Diablo felt they spoke of friendship like that in the spur of the moment? But it seemed that, if nothing else, those words weren’t just a superficial lie to Rem.
“...I want to save Alicia, Diablo. Could you help me?”
She said those words, knowing she was very much putting her life on the line.
“You never change, do you...?” Diablo heaved a sigh. “You seek to save another when you’re the one being pursued.”
“...I’m not that good of a person. The ones pursuing me are the same Empire that took Alicia captive. It just happens to be the same opponent.”
“Hmph...” Diablo scoffed.
It wasn’t that simple. He had to defeat the enemy commander while defending Rem in the process and also rescuing Alicia. If this was a quest in the game, Diablo would be clamoring for a balance fix right about now.
“...I did think this through, though. Violanos of the Purple didn’t use its weapons against me yesterday. It seems, for whatever reason, they want to capture the Girl of the Vessel... Or rather, me, alive.”
“So it seems.”
The old man that appeared in the sky did say that the Girl of the Vessel was ‘before his eyes.’ That old man was likely the Emperor of the Gelmed Empire. Viatanos of the White also crushed Rem’s legs, but it didn’t kill her. With all of that, it seemed fairly clear the Empire aimed to capture Rem alive.
“And I’d much rather choose death of my own accord than be captured by them,” Rem said, turning her fingertips toward her own neck.
“I shan’t allow it!” Diablo shook his head.
“But...”
“If that is your resolve, I will not take you along! You must promise to return unharmed.”
Rem’s cheeks flushed red.
“...Uuu... Y-You hold me so dearly, Diablo?”
“Ah, no...”
He couldn’t deny it. He’d only said it as part of his Demon Lord role play, but he ended up mouthing a pretty embarrassing line.
What the hell? Am I some kind of normie?! Guess I really should explode and die, huh?!
“Understood,” Rem said, blushing profusely. “I promise to return safe and sound. So you must promise me the same thing, Diablo.”
“Mm...?”
“We both have to come back safe. Together.”
“Hmph... Of course.”
Rem whispered his name and looked up at him with moist eyes. It was the same expression she had back then. Which clearly meant she was expecting him to...
“...Diablo... Please, give me courage.”
With the sound of fabric sliding against skin, Rem’s nightgown slid down to the floor. She stood before him, unclothed, undressed... And while it wasn’t the first time he’d seen her like this, it always unnerved Diablo’s heart.
“Aaah, erm, aaah...”
Diablo was unable to keep up his acting, and could only let out odd exclamations and squeaks. As she implored him, he bent forward, bringing his lips to hers—
When suddenly the sound of a wooden plate and a piece of bread hitting the floor rang out loudly in the room. Diablo hurriedly turned to look.
“...?!”
Standing at the entrance of the room with her eyes wide was...
“Shera...” Rem gulped.
†
Diablo stiffened and Rem swung her hands about erratically.
“E-Erm, Shera! This isn’t me, erm, acting behind your back or anything, right...?! J-J-Just calm down and listen to me...!”
That said, there wasn’t much — or rather, any room for misunderstanding. She did very much make a move on Diablo behind Shera’s back. They were both Diablo’s wives, with Shera’s approval, so this wasn’t technically forbidden or wrong, but Diablo felt a cold sweat wash over him nonetheless.
Shera hurried over to the two of them, and said...
“Aaah, you two are getting along! Diablo, if you’re giving Rem a kiss, that means you have to kiss me too, okay?!”
““...Huh?!”” The two of them replied in unison.
At that reaction, Shera looked between them anxiously.
“Wait, what? Are you saying you don’t want to do this with me...?”
“N-No... I-I’ve made no such statement!” Halfway through the sentence, Diablo finally managed to regain his bearings and return to his Demon Lord role play.
“...You’re all right with this, Shera?” Rem asked.
“All right with what?”
“...I have mixed feelings about having to say this myself, but I... I made an advance on Diablo without telling you. Doesn’t it make you angry?”
“Oh, that? That’s fine. But I’d feel bad if he’d kiss you but not me,” Shera said with a bubbly laughter.
Rem exhaled in relief, “I swear, Shera, you’re so...”
Her cat ears drooped, as did her shoulders and tail. She was seemingly quite exhausted.
“Hehehe... I want to get along lots with Diablo, but I’m glad when you get along with him, too!”
Rem seemed to flinch somewhat at that comment.
“And if Diablo could get along with me too, that’d make me even happier!”
“You’re amazing, Shera,” Diablo said.
At this point, he could only be honestly impressed by this girl.
“...Forgive me, Shera. I was moments away from making a terrible mistake.”
“Huh?”
“...I wanted to be alone with Diablo, but... I’ve realized something. I won’t be happy if you’re not there with us too, Shera.”
“Aww, Rem...”
“...Now that I know how much you care about me, I don’t want us to be apart anymore. Can you believe me, after all this time?”
“Yep!”
“...You forgive me?”
“Of course! Let’s kiss together, then!”
“...Y-Yes...”
The two of them seemed to have come to a conclusion, but what kind of conclusion was that? ‘Let’s kiss together’? Rem and Shera drew on Diablo from both sides. Shera had taken off her own nightgown for whatever reason as well, standing as nude as Rem was. Well, with the exception of their ?Enslavement Collars?...
“Aaah...” Diablo could only manage that measly utterance.
“Diablo! Kiss me, too!” Shera said with a grin.
When she approached him with a smile like that, he couldn’t say no. Rem, by contrast, was blushing profusely.
“...Nng... Doing this together is embarrassing on a whole different level...”
Diablo was beyond embarrassed, too. His thoughts had completely frozen over.
What... am I supposed to do...?
Two pairs of lips drew on him.
“Mmhaaa!”
Shera’s kiss was passionate and ardent.
“Mm, mm, mm...”
Rem, by contrast, gave him several reserved, small pecks.
“Mmgh...” Diablo stiffened in place.
He couldn’t come up with anything tasteful to say, to say nothing of kissing them back. But something in his mind screamed at him that becoming visibly embarrassed would be worse than death, and so they continued their awkward, three-way kiss.
If everything would end with this, it really would be a joyful moment, but...
Shera then pulled her lips away from Diablo.
“Rem, we should get along, too!” she said.
“Huh? A-All right... I’d love to,” Rem stammered.
Shera held Rem’s cheeks tightly with both hands, and suddenly inched her face closer to Rem’s. Rem stiffened, and Shera’s lips locked on hers without any mercy or hesitation.
“Mmmmhaaaaaa!”
“Nnng?!”
“Mha, nhaaa, aaah.”
“Mmmmf?! Nnnngh?!”
Wet sounds filled the room as a pair of tongues writhed against one another. Shera was earnestly, deeply kissing Rem. By the time the two separated, Rem’s cheeks were red and she appeared drained of strength. The kiss melted her to mush to the point where standing on both legs was a struggle. As her legs gave way, Shera caught her in her arms.
“H-Huh? Rem? Did you fall asleep? Are you tired?”
“...Nnng...” Rem gurgled out as she crumbled onto the carpet.
She kissed her into submission?!
Shera then swiftly turned to face Diablo.
“Okay, it’s your turn next, Diablo!”
“Aaah...”
“You don’t want to?”
“I-I, erm, that is not what I am saying... H-However, what meaning is there in doing this...?” Diablo stuttered.
“It makes me happy!” Such was Shera’s frank reasoning.
Diablo had no reason to refuse, but he couldn’t get used to this after just once or twice, which meant he simply remained stiff and frozen in place. Shera pounced on him gently and coiled her arms around his neck, and soon his lips were on hers.
“Mmmhaa!”
A sweet jolt whited out Diablo’s mind. It didn’t feel real to him.
Do I really deserve this...?
The feeling of her lips pecking his was ticklish.
Huh? Wait, this is kind of different from the kissing I know? And it’s different from how she kissed me earlier...
“Hehehe... Solami taught me a few tricks!”
What nonsense did that nympho cat woman put into her head?!
Shera’s tongue invaded Diablo’s mouth with animalistic aggressiveness, coiled around Diablo’s own and brushed against the interior of his upper jaw.
Ah, is she using the Glow?!
An odd numbness coursed through his brain, extending across his body. This explained how she reduced Rem into a motionless mess. And Diablo, who had led a long life of abstinence, was even less capable of resisting this. This was effectively a surprise attack on him. With his brain stimulated, sparks popped in his field of vision.
“Ugh... Aaah... Aaaaaaaaaah...!”
Rained with kisses intense enough to yank his soul from his body altogether, Diablo was stupefied for a while.
†
Having received a summons, Diablo, Rem, and Shera made their way to the ?Observatory?... after putting their clothes on, of course.
“Oh, you’re finally alive, huh, Diablo? ?” Sylvie called out to him.
“Good morning, Boss!” Horn raised her hand in greeting.
“M-Mm,” Diablo uttered.
“Hehehe... How was it?” Shera asked, sticking out her tongue bashfully.
“It was overkill,” he replied.
Looking at her tongue reminded him of the intense kiss they shared earlier, so he averted his gaze. Rem stood there with her gauntlets on her hands and her summon crystals lined up on her belt. Looking around, Diablo noted everyone else was likewise armed. Even Lumachina, much to his surprise.
“What’s going on?” Diablo asked, his expression turning severe.
“We’re all coming along,” Lumachina replied.
“Fools,” Diablo refused the idea curtly.
The most people Diablo ever really traveled with were Rem and Shera, and Lumachina was the High Priest, of all people.
“Lord Diablo, I hear you intend to charge the castle and defeat the enemy army’s commander?”
“Mm.”
“The Paladins and old priests all say there’s no other way of turning this war around. The difference in numbers is hopeless, and should they attack us again, we likely won’t be able to push them back.”
Diablo remained silent. Indeed, while Diablo fought off the Magimatic Sols, defensive lines crumbled elsewhere. If it weren’t for Rem’s presence, the capital could very well have fallen yesterday.
“Even if we hole up in the Inner Sanctum, the Empire’s soldiers are bound to attack us eventually. In which case, we would be better off offering you our assistance. Would we really be that much of a burden to you?”
“...Diablo, Lumachina’s healing and protective prayers are powerful,” Rem spoke up. “And she’s familiar with the castle, too.”
“I’ll keep her safe!” Horn chimed in, raising a hand into the air enthusiastically.
Diablo was opposed to the idea, but their suggestion did make sense. If Diablo thought that keeping the Inner Sanctum was that important, he’d be better off staying to begin with.
Can I really protect all of them, though...?
Most of the magic he’d learned was offensive spells, and he had nothing in his arsenal to protect the whole party. As anxious as he was, his Demon Lord’s dignity stopped him from putting that concern into words. And besides, given the situation, no place was truly safe.
Diablo, Rem, Shera, Sylvie, Lumachina, and Horn — a party of six. And while Diablo never tried it in this world, the Teleportation spell could transport a maximum of six people.
“Hmph... You must obey my orders,” Diablo said, rising from the sofa. “If you cannot do that, I will take none of you with me.”
“...I obey your orders no matter what to begin with, Diablo,” Rem said, placing a hand over her neck.
“Same, same!” Shera said, pinching her enslavement collar between her fingers.
Diablo could hear the invisible chain clank.
“Roger, Boss!” Horn said, giving her best impression of a military salute.
“Opposing your word and gospel would never cross my mind, Lord Diablo,” Lumachina said, bringing her hands together as if in prayer.
“Haven’t you become the dependable leader, Diablo ?” The last one remaining and the one sitting the furthest back, Sylvie, crossed her arms and nodded.
Perhaps she was the most suited to be the leader here, given that she was the guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, but... A Demon Lord was, technically, a lord. Diablo pointed the Tenma’s Staff to the floor.
“I will now Teleport into Castle Grandiose and engage the enemy! If we defeat the enemy commander, Doriadanph, and free the Magimatic Sol pilots, the enemy army should collapse.”
“...And we must rescue Alicia, too,” Rem nodded.
“Are we gonna attack now instead of waiting for nightfall, Diablo?” Sylvie asked.
“Mm.”
This world had no electricity or fluorescent lamps, so it really was pitch-dark come nightfall. Elves and Pantherians had good night vision, but if they were to attack during the night, Diablo was susceptible to surprise attacks. He can’t fire spells at an opponent he can’t see, after all.
These were all things Diablo cared little for when he was just a gamer, but since coming to this world, experience taught him that fighting at night was dangerous.
“All right, let’s charge in!” Horn said, pumping her fist into the air. “Let’s go, let’s do this!”
“There’s someplace we must stop in first,” Diablo said.
“Huh?!” Horn flinched as her gusto popped like a balloon.
Ignoring her, Diablo cast his spell.
“Teleport!”
†
They were somewhere dark and dim. The torches on the walls flickered, making the shadows frolic. It was the ?Demon Lord’s Labyrinth? — the very depths of the dungeon designed to strike terror into the hearts of anyone who entered it. It was an eerie, ominous, and overbearing place.
“Wooow, we haven’t been here in forever!” Shera exclaimed.
“The Demon Lord’s Labyrinth! It’s been so long! It’s as creepy as ever!” Horn said, hopping excitedly.
“...Oh. So this is where,” Rem shrugged.
“It really is quite the nostalgic place...” Lumachina said, narrowing her eyes as if harkening back to some distant memory.
Diablo realized that these were, indeed, the party members he cleared this dungeon with. It gave him a bit of a mixed feeling. While he did understand where they were coming from, he’d have preferred it if they treated this place with the terror and horror it demanded as opposed to some odd sort of nostalgia...
Not that his intent was to scare them or anything, but...
They could at least pretend to be scared. Out of courtesy.
But among the group, there was one person who was visiting this place for the first time.
“Whoaaa?!” Sylvie cried out with her eyes wide in shock. “What is this place, a Demon Lord’s castle?!”
That’s it! Diablo looked at her with his eyes positively sparkling. That’s the reaction I wanted! A hundred points and a good girl sticker for you, Sylvie!
Diablo couldn’t help but grin.
“...Calm yourself, Sylvie,” Rem said calmly. “This is Diablo’s personal dungeon. We’re not in any danger here.”
“Wow, this place belongs to you?!” Sylvie asked in surprise.
“Mm,” Diablo nodded in affirmation.
“This is awesome! I thought we were in the ?Demon Lord’s Throne Room?!”
Straight A’s, Sylvie.
Diablo did design this room after the Demon Lord’s Throne Room’s official design.
“You’ve seen the Demon Lord’s Throne Room?” he asked.
Sylvie’s eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth, as if realizing she’d just blurted out something she shouldn’t have. Everyone else eyed her curiously.
“If I recall, the former Demon Lord was overthrown thirty-one years ago,” Lumachina said pensively. “Only six heroes reached the Demon Lord’s Throne Room in the depths of the Demon Lord’s castle... Or so the texts state.”
“You’re one diligent student, Lumachina,” Sylvie said with a forced smile.
“It’s the Church’s role to make sure history is passed down to the people.”
“Wait, huh?” Horn said, pointing at Sylvie. “So if you saw the Demon Lord’s Throne Room, that means you’re...”
“Ahaha...” Sylvie chuckled.
“You’re Alan, the Hero?!”
Sylvie fell backwards from exasperation.
“Of course I’m not! Don’t imply I’m anything like that weirdo!”
“Wait, you know Alan the Hero?!” Rem pressed on her.
“Fine, fine. I’ll talk,” Sylvie waved her hand, as if to signal that she’d thrown in the towel. “But you can’t go flapping your mouths about this, okay? No one else can know.”
She then removed a golden ring somewhere from what little fabric she wore and put it on her finger. The ring had a crest of wings etched onto it.
“...I’m actually the Hero Alan’s fifth companion.”
“Huuuuuuh?!” Shera and Horn exclaimed at once.
Rem looked aghast, and Lumachina brought her hands to her mouth in shock. Everyone looked surprised, and while Diablo looked as if he knew it all along... He was just as surprised as they were.
“It’s a story from back when I was younger,” Sylvie scratched her cheek shyly. “I haven’t gotten a chance to fight, recently, so I decided I’d focus on rearing up the next generation.”
“So Sylvie is a false name, yes?” Lumachina asked.
“Ah... Well, yeah... But being called by my old name feels kinda funny at this point.”
“E-Erm!” Horn leaned forward. “So what’s the Hero Alan doing?! Where is he now?!”
“I don’t know that, either. Last thing we did is go around to give our regards to all the people who helped us on our journey, and then when we had a celebration feast in the castle, Alan just up and disappeared. And I haven’t heard a word about him since.”
“Huuuh?!”
“Well, Alan was pretty weird. Probably traveling around some other country at this point. If nothing else, I’m pretty sure Alan’s still alive.”
“...There are quite a few stories surrounding the Hero Alan,” Rem appended. “It’s said he changed his name and appearance, and is still traveling to save people.”
“Who’s to say? Before leaving, Alan told me, ‘It’s about time I go back.’”
“...Go back? I’d assume that means his hometown.”
“Nah. Alan’s hometown was attacked by the Fallen and destroyed.”
“...The records say that, too.”
He was the sole survivor of a Fallen attack on his village. The knights saved him, after which he came under the tutelage of many great teachers, gathered a group of wonderful companions, and went on a long journey that culminated with the defeat of the Demon Lord.
But what happened then?
“Alan’s face was known across the country, but there was no report of someone seeing him after that. Where could he have gone?”
No one could answer that question. Sylvie then looked at Diablo.
“It’s a mystery. In that regard, he’s kind of like you, Diablo. We don’t know where you came from.”
Diablo panicked a bit, and then waved off her question.
“I am no hero, but a Demon Lord from another world! Do not draw any comparisons between me and him.”
‘It’s about time I go back.’
A hero that appeared in a land on the verge of ruin at the hands of a Demon Lord. He displayed surprising growth and defeated the Demon Lord with power one could never imagine from someone of the races. And once peace settled over the land, he disappeared without a trace.
It feels like a hero in an RPG.
This world was quite similar to Cross Reverie, but it also had many points where it differed from the game. Diablo suspected this world might have served as an inspiration for the game. And if it did, there could have been other people who visited this world as game characters.
But the sound of footsteps clicking against the stone floor pulled Diablo out of his thoughts. A girl approached them from within the darkness. It was Rose, the Magimatic Maid.
“Welcome home, Master,” Rose bowed deeply.
“Mm,” Diablo nodded.
Rose’s damaged areas were already all fixed.
“Did some kind of problem crop up?” she asked, turning her gaze to Rem and the other girls.
“Mm... Rem, explain it.”
He’d somehow been able to talk to people (?) thanks to his Demon Lord role play, but Diablo was fundamentally bad at speaking. Learning from past experience, Rem explained the gist of the situation.
“...The Kingdom of Lyferia is being invaded by the Gelmed Empire that hails from the far east.”
“The Gelmed Empire?”
“...Rumor has it that the King of Lyferia died in battle. The castle has fallen, and we’ve holed up in the Grand Cathedral in the capital’s twelfth district. The difference in strength between the two armies is clear, however. And so, Diablo decided to teleport into the castle and launch an attack on the enemy commander.”
“The Gelmed Empire...” Rose tilted her head curiously. “Does such a place truly exist? Rose cannot find any mention of it in her database.”
“...It’s a faraway country.”
“But Rose has the world map stored in her database.”
“...Well, I don’t know much about this database of yours.”
Rose seemed rather unconvinced. Her memories conformed to Cross Reverie’s setting and lore, which had no mention of the Gelmed Empire. That made sense, since Gelmed was based off of another game, the smartphone game Girls’ Arms.
I had a feeling this might be the case, but Rose really doesn’t remember anything about the Empire, huh...?
“By the way, the Empire uses something called Magimatic Sols...” Rem changed the subject. “They’re quite similar to the thing that always appears behind you, Rose.”
“It is indeed called the Magimatic Sol.”
“...You were created by someone, right? Could it have been the Gelmed Empire?”
Rose fell into a small silence. As if thinking... or rather, searching about the topic. But eventually, she shook her head.
“Rose believes it is a coincidence... There is no record of this in Rose’s database.”
“Good,” Diablo cut into their exchange. “Even if you do not know, it does not get in the way of your fighting, yes? We’re going to charge into Gelmed’s main encampment. I will have you act as vanguard.”
“By your will, Master,” Rose said, bowing her head deeply.
“Also, we’ll have to take some items we may need. This will likely become a dungeon exploration.”
Diablo never explored the castle in the game, but there’s no doubting that it was quite the spacious place. Rose led them to the treasure vault.
“We should have come to visit this place sooner,” Shera chimed in.
“...Think about it a little,” Rem retorted. “Do you remember how long it took us to come here and go back? It took days even when we used a sand ship or a carriage.”
“Huh? But we could teleport here.”
“...Teleporting to the capital would land us in the middle of the castle, it seems.”
“Oh!”
The way she didn’t let the nitty-gritty details bother her was without a doubt part of Shera’s charm, but it was also one of her faults. Rem rested a hand on her forehead and sighed. If the castle in the game was as vast as it is in this world, there likely would have been several teleportation spots dotted around it.
Diablo picked multiple items from his vault and placed them into the pouch hanging from his waist when he suddenly heard whispering.
“...Huh? For real?”
“No, but I’m a sorcerer right now...”
“Uuu... You’re right, I should do what I do best to help!”
He thought she was speaking to someone, but apparently Horn was speaking to herself.
I know that feeling, Horn. I do that a lot too, Diablo nodded to himself.
What he didn’t know was that Horn was speaking to the goddess of the Holy Grail, Babalon. Horn then stepped up to Diablo.
“Boss, can you lend me this dagger, please?”
“Mm, I permit you to use it if you wish.”
It was a level 80 dagger. It was a bad drop for Diablo, and he only kept it as a material of sorts, but it was still an SSR rarity item. It was a good weapon for light warrior classes, like thieves and seekers. It had a relatively high level cap and so it did have some enchantments and special effects, but...
“This isn’t going to help you against a Magimatic Sol, you know?”
“Ugh...” Horn shook her hands in a flurry. “I’m not going to pick a fight with those things!”
“...Are we finally going to charge in, Diablo?” Rem asked him with a severe face.
“No, we’ll be stopping somewhere else first.”
“Where?”
“Sasara’s place.”
“...I see. Having the Swordmaster on our side will be reassuring.”
“Right.” Sylvie cast down her eyes.
Lumachina and Horn didn’t know about her power, since they weren’t there for the battle in Faltra against the Demon Overlord Modinaram.
“I’m sure she’ll help us!” Shera exclaimed, raising a hand cheerfully into the air. “Let’s go!”
†
“I must refuse,” Sasara said flatly.
“Huuuuuh?!” Shera raised her voice in shock.
Yeah, I figured, Diablo thought, biting his lips.
They were on ?Mount Tenzan?, at the Swordmaster’s estate. Sasara was seated on her feet, which Diablo recognized as a seiza-style. Diablo and his cohorts were all seated however they liked, since Lyferia had no customs of sitting on the floor.
Lumachina alone sat just like Sasara, trying to emulate her stance and sitting as upright as she could. And Rose was waiting outside, as there was the risk of the floor caving in under her weight.
“...Why can’t you help us, Sasara?”
“The last time I fought with you, it was a battle against a Demon Lord. The Swordmaster is one who wields her blade for the races... And so, I could lend you my help in a battle against the Fallen. But this time, this is a war mankind fights amongst itself, is it not?”
“...But the Empire is far too unjust and terrible.”
“But they’re still of the mortal races.”
“...That much is true.”
“And there could be those among the Gelmed Empire who had accepted the Swordmaster’s tutelage.”
Sasara only inherited the role of Swordmaster six months ago, and Diablo had a suspicion the Gelmed Empire were invaders from another world... But that was just his guess. They could well have existed in this world since the distant past.
“What would you do if someone from the Gelmed Empire was a student of mine, and came to me first to petition help in defeating Lyferia?”
“...We would be in trouble then.”
Sasara had once said that if Diablo was to fight her at full force with all of his magic, he would emerge victorious. But truly, who was to say how a fight between them might end? When Sasara was truly serious, her attacks became shockingly rapid. They were hard to block or dodge. She could well sever Diablo’s head before he knew it.
“I am not aligned with the Kingdom of Lyferia, nor do I obey the Gelmed Empire,” Sasara said, bowing her head. “And while I do think of you as my friends... Picking a side in a battle between Humans goes against the path of the Swordmaster.”
“No...” Shera uttered, her voice heartbroken.
“Forgive me. The Swordmaster is the one who shows others the peak of swordsmanship... Interfering with worldly matters would tarnish the role’s honor. Doing so would mean casting away everything the great founder and my stepfather have passed down to me.”
Sasara’s expression turned sorrowful. She was adopted by the former Swordmaster, and owed him a great debt of gratitude. And when he had become an Oni, she was forced to cut her stepfather down. The bond between the two of them was stronger than anyone unrelated could understand.
“If you wish to train for the upcoming battle, I would gladly accommodate...”
But Diablo had no such leisure, of course. Even as they spoke, the Gelmed Empire could well have been marching on the twelfth district. Diablo rose to his feet.
“As you say, you not becoming an enemy to us is good enough,” he said.
“I thank you for understanding my position. As a Swordmaster, I can’t help you... But you have helped me in the past, against my stepfather. I pray that we will meet again once this war ends.”
Sasara’s stepfather told Diablo to help his daughter. Forcing her to help them push back the Empire would surely make him turn in his grave.
“Hmph... We can beat back those fools even without the Swordmaster’s help!” Diablo said, trying to appear as tough as he could.
But while their conversation was over... Sasara turned her eyes to Lumachina. This was their first meeting, it seemed.
“You are...” Sasara muttered.
“My apologies for not introducing myself. I am Lumachina Weselia, the High Priest.”
“So you really are...”
“It might come across as strange, but... It doesn’t feel like the first time we’ve met, Miss Sasara.”
“I feel the same way, in fact,” Sasara nodded.
“I would like a chance for us to speak of this more deeply someday.”
“I feel the same way... Once this matter is put to rest, perhaps I shall visit the capital.”
“I look forward to it,” Lumachina said.
“I would love for you to taste my Swordmaster soba, as well.”
“...Soba?”
Neither of them smiled and they spoke in rather business-like tones, but their exchange was rather calm and pleasant.
Diablo and his group left the estate.
“It’s such a shame...” Shera said, her shoulders drooped in disappointment.
“...There isn’t much to be done,” Rem replied, shaking her head. “We all have motives and principles we can’t budge on. We should honor her decision.”
“To think she would go against Master’s orders...” Rose, who had waited outside throughout the whole exchange, took the news with a grim expression.
Horn and Shera tried to placate her, while Sylvie spoke up.
“Okay, time to shift gears, everyone! Cuz we’re charging the castle next. We’ll teleport right into the enemy camp! Let’s get going and keep in mind what we’re up against.”
“Okaaay!”
“...You’re right.”
“Roger that!”
Rem and the others nodded, their eyes turning serious. It would have usually been Diablo’s place to say that line, with a stiff, unyielding voice.
Standing next to them, Sasara was beating flints together.
“It is said that smoke can repel misfortune, so this is a charm for repelling bad luck. I cannot join you, but know that I pray for your success.”
“Thank you, Sasara,” Rem bowed her head.
“Bye bye!” Shera waved enthusiastically.
Diablo steeled his resolve and gripped the Tenma’s Staff firmly. He would need to be prepared for a few possible situations, and there were sure to be things he could not foresee. He had to prepare himself for what was to come.
He then thrust his staff up toward the heavens.
“Teleport!”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login