Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo Dorei Majutsu - Volume 14 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Being Summoned to Another World

—How many days has it been? How many months — no, years — had he spent there? In that white space without walls or ceilings or a floor, where night never fell and dawn never broke, where hunger and slumber didn’t exist?

Spending so long in that place numbed his sense of time. Had he been here all alone, he’d have surely gone mad, but Diablo thankfully had Klem to keep him company. She was a real Demon Lord with knowledge on par with God, and the things she told him touched on the very structure of the world and the origin of sorcery. The sheer scale and magnitude of her words was beyond description.

After talking for a very long time, Klem suddenly fell silent.

“Nnng...?”

“What’s wrong?” Diablo stood up.

And then he realized that the white space was shaking. Was this an earthquake?

“...I can hear someone,” Klem said, listening carefully.

“A voice?”

Diablo concentrated his hearing. He could indeed make out someone’s voice.

“Oh, hero.”

It wasn’t a familiar voice. For a moment, he was hoping Rem and Shera were summoning him, but it was someone else. After all, they didn’t know Diablo was even trapped in this white world.

“Come forth, hero.”

For a moment, Diablo hesitated. He was no hero.

“This is a summoning,” Klem said. “Since we can hear them, it must mean someone on that side has the power to make miracles. I think.”

In other words, this was summoning sorcery, and they were calling for a hero. What this summoner was seeking was certainly not a socially crippled gamer like Diablo, who could only get through life by role playing as a Demon Lord.

“What are you going to do?” Klem asked him.

Answering that summoning’s call was up to Diablo. If they were to stay here, Rem and Shera could eventually summon him, but the chances of that were slim. They didn’t know Diablo and Klem were in this predicament to begin with. If he didn’t answer this summon, who was to say when the next chance might come? He couldn’t afford to dawdle.

“Let’s go!” Diablo said, making up his mind.

“Very well!” Klem nodded.

Diablo fell silent.

“Answer my call, brave hero.”

He felt himself break into a nervous sweat.

—How do you even answer a summon...?

Asking Klem how to proceed after he had made such an assertive declaration would be lame. Based on what she’d said, Diablo had already visited this white world once before and answered Rem and Shera’s summon here. But he couldn’t remember ever doing that.

Diablo strained to recall with all his mind. Back then, he...

The voice calling him grew louder in volume.

“My name is Mariabelle de Lucrecia Grande! Come forth, my hero!”

Diablo raised his voice and called out.

“Call for me, Mariabelle...!”

He’d spoken those words almost subconsciously. And the next moment, he felt the sensation slip from under his feet. A sense of weightlessness overtook him. He was falling.

“Klem!” Diablo reflexively reached his hand out to grab her arm.

“Nhaa?!”

But as soon as he heard her yelp, Diablo found himself in a pitch-dark space, a great contrast to where he had just been. He looked around in the darkness, noticing flickering lights. Countless sparks flickered in the darkness.

Diablo realized where he was; he was floating in a sea of stars.

—Is this outer space...? 

“Fool!” Klem clamored. “A summoning can only call one person! If this Demon Lord comes with you, it could fail!”

“Ah...”

Diablo wasn’t as ignorant as he was before. Having learned the basic truth of magic, he could now understand what she meant with ease... But he had grabbed her before he’d even realized it.

“This is bad!” Klem continued. “If the summon fails, we could both fall into the interstice between worlds!”

Perhaps. But Diablo didn’t regret what he’d done.

“If I’d left you there, I never would have seen you again.”

“Mmg...” Klem flinched uncomfortably.

“If the summoner’s power is insufficient, I will simply supplement it with my own power. Given what you taught me, it should be possible.”

“That’s mad! You don’t know what world’s magic we’re dealing with!”

“I will handle it! I refuse to stay in that white nowhere, nor will I leave you there forever!”

Diablo focused on the spell weaving around them and analyzed it. It was different from the sorcery Klem taught him, but it wasn’t beyond his understanding. He could see some points of commonality, like a different game that shared the same fundamental system.

—If I do this...!

“Diablo...” Klem said, gazing at him fixedly. “You really are too kind to call yourself a Demon Lord.”

That made him feel bashful all of a sudden.

“D-Don’t be stupid!” Diablo shook his head. “You belong to me! I won’t let go of you, nor will I permit you to leave me without permission! That’s all there is to it! Mm, huh?”

“Oh, right...” Klem brought a hand to her neck.

The 《Enslavement Collar》 that should have been there...

“It’s gone?!” the two of them said as one.

They realized, a bit too late, that it had been missing since they reached the white world.

“Aah. When this Demon Lord became the Shining Wing Armor, the magical energy that made up my body was destroyed, and any spells placed on me likely lifted.”

Diablo could understand what she meant now.

“Enslavement sorcery is placed on the body, after all.”

But their conversation cut off there. They were drawn to one of the countless lights, rapidly closing in on a single sphere — a star. They broke through a layer of clouds and seemed to be approaching the ground rapidly. Were they crashing?! Did the summoning fail?! Diablo prepared himself for the possibility of death.

“Whaaaaaaaaaa!” he screamed.

“Hahahaha!” Klem cackled.

They fell at planet-splitting speed. Only when they touched down safely did Diablo realize that teleportation magic saved them.

†

Diablo found himself in a dark room. The stone floor had a magic circle drawn with a red, blood-like fluid. The four corners of the room were illuminated by torches, making the room’s shadows dance with the flickering of their flames. A girl with strong, willful eyes stood before them.

“I...called him...” she muttered, half in disbelief.

“Oooh!” A knight in armor standing nearby raised his voice in surprise.

The girl stepped forward toward Diablo. She had argent hair and scarlet eyes, her skin was a pale white, and the bridge of her nose was pointed. On top of all that, she had long, pointy ears.

—Is she an Elf...?

Apparently, this girl was his summoner, Mariabelle. This time, he was summoned by only one girl. Diablo looked around, only to find Klem peeking out behind him.

“There’s an odd smell here,” she said, sniffling the air.

“There is?”

The only things that gave off any scent back in the white world were himself and Klem. Here, however, they could smell the oil burning on the torches, the musty scent of the dust on the stone floor, as well as the girl’s flowery perfume. Everything felt terribly familiar, yet new all at once.

Mariabelle peered at them dubiously.

“Two heroes...?”

Diablo could tell explaining things was going to be a bother.

“This one is my familiar,” Diablo told her.

He couldn’t introduce her as another world’s Demon Lord, after all. Diablo had to play the act of a hero here, and Klem was clever enough to stay silent. The girl nodded, seemingly satisfied with this explanation.

“Great hero, I am the star sorceress Mariabelle de Lucrecia Grande,” the girl said.

“Hm,” Diablo hummed in agreement.

Star sorceress. That wasn’t a class he was familiar with. Wherever he was, it definitely wasn’t Lyferia.

“The sorceress gave you her name, yet you don’t introduce yourself?!” The armored knight glared at him. “Even if you are a hero, this is insolence!”

Despite all he’d learned from Klem, his communication skills hadn’t leveled up one bit. Still, if he were to act meek, Mariabelle could decide to reverse his summoning, and that was something he couldn’t afford. After all, he didn’t have any clues about how to get back to his world again. And so, stifling his bashfulness, he spoke brazenly.

“Hmph! My name is Diablo! A Dem—hm, hero from another world!”

—See? I’ve matured! 

He would praise himself if he could. Klem nodded in agreement.

“Diablo the Hero, please,” Mariabelle said, kneeling before him. “Please, save me and this country...”

So far, everything seemed to be going according to RPG cliches. But just then, the knight at her side drew his sword furiously.

“Wait, sorceress! I can’t trust this man!”

“What are you saying, Leon?”

“The Demon Star Manuscript doesn’t mention anything about the hero having horns!”

“W-Well...”

“I am Leon Nirgadeon! If you claim to be a hero, prove your worth to me!”

Crap!

Is what Diablo would have thought, but he simply scratched his head.

“Hm... You shouldn’t,” Diablo said simply.

“What?”

“I can tell how strong you are from how you carry yourself. You’re no match for me.”

Mariabelle was his summoner, and if this knight called Leon was protecting her, they were allies. There was no point in Diablo injuring him. That was his thought process, but Leon simply shouted angrily.

“You dare insult me?!”

The knight slashed at him sooner than Mariabelle could stop him.

“Haaaaa!”

The sword’s blade shone and the slash went flying at him from a distance, and since Klem was right behind him, he couldn’t avoid it easily. But he didn’t need to dodge. Diablo swept it away with his arm, like swatting a speck of dust out of the air, deflecting it into the flagstones.

“That’s what I thought,” Diablo shrugged.

“...What?!” Leon exclaimed, his fighting spirit still intact.

Diablo appreciated his mettle, but the fact that he couldn’t see the difference in strength between them was proof that Leon was inexperienced. Deciding he’d need to display the gap between them without hurting him, Diablo thrust his hand out.

“《Bit Arrow》.”

“Ugh?!” Leon guarded himself and took a step back.

But...silence. His spell didn’t generate so much as a puff of smoke.

“Nnng?!” Klem raised her voice in surprise, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Even Diablo, who’d kept up a cool facade, was starting to sweat bullets.

—I can’t use my spells?!

“Heh... Heheheh...” he chuckled with a shaking voice. “I was merely joking. I couldn’t harm an ally! I am a hero, after all.”

He spoke with an odd accent. Mariabelle heaved a sigh of relief.

“I apologize for my disciple’s disrespect,” she said, bowing her head deeply.

“Keh...” Leon lowered his sword. “Forgive me for testing you like that.”

“Hmph,” Diablo snorted at him.

Letting himself get too worked up would blow his act, regardless of whether he was a Demon Lord or a hero.

—I can’t use magic in this world?!

Klem waved her hands, apparently trying to cast a spell, but in the end she only released magical energy into the air. That said, if her spell did work, she likely would have blown the building to bits. For better and for worse, her efforts only produced a light breeze.

So even a Demon Lord couldn’t cast any spells.

“Maybe I should try my true form,” Klem said with a frown.

“Don’t.” Diablo stopped her at once.

“Boo,” she cooed, displeased.

If the Demon Lord Krebskulm were to appear here, this entire world would turn against them without a doubt.

“Hm...” Mariabelle brought her face close to his.

“Ah.”

Illuminated by the flickering flames of the torches, her fair features gave her the appearance of the living portrait of a holy woman. Her unblemished skin was as flawless as a statue’s surface. Diablo’s eyes were drawn to her jiggling bosom, and he had to forcibly tear his gaze away.

—They’re big.

“My hero?” Mariabelle asked him.

“I-I wasn’t looking.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, hm... Mariabelle, was it? Tell me for what reason you summoned me.”

To gain the freedom he needed, Diablo decided to make himself seem cooperative. That way, he’d gain time to look for clues on how to go back to his world.

“My reasons can come later,” the Elf girl said pensively. “You look quite tired, my hero... I will prepare a room for you to rest in.”

Before Diablo could say anything, Klem pumped a fist enthusiastically.

“Biscuits!” she called out.

“Huh, baked sweets?” Mariabelle said, a bit confused. “Understood. Leon, could you arrange for some sweets to be delivered to their room?”

“...Very well,” her armored disciple said hesitantly.

He left the room, the sound of his armored greaves clanking against the stone floor. Klem followed him, singing a song Shera once made up for her.

“Biscuits, biscuits, tasty biscuits~♪”

Hearing it made Diablo wistful.

“Your familiar is adorable, my hero,” Mariabelle said with a smile.

“My what? Ah, I mean, yes!” Diablo stammered. “She’s a bit spoiled; I’m not sure what to do with her.”

“Come this way, then,” she said, leading him to his room.

†

The room didn’t have any windows. Diablo had to wonder if they were underground, but thanks to the fancy wallpaper laid over the walls, the place didn’t give the impression of a prison cell. Still, the only source of light was a candelabra hanging from the ceiling, so it did feel a bit suffocating.

Between Mariabelle’s outfit, Leon’s armor, and this room’s fixtures, it was clear the civilization of this land wasn’t much different from Lyferia’s.

Still, Diablo had never heard of a star sorcerer class, and he couldn’t cast any spells. It did seem like this was another world.

—I guess I should obey Mariabelle and gather information for now.

Diablo turned his eyes to the girl; it was currently just the two of them in this room. It seemed she didn’t want to share the reason she had to summon a hero with other people. That seemed like trouble.

Diablo noticed there were letters etched into the table’s edge. It wasn’t a language he recognized, but it looked similar to the Kingdom of Lyferia’s text.

“Eiriz... No, Elfiz... king, rule eternal...” he was capable of decoding some of it thanks to the knowledge Klem imparted to him.

“It says ‘May King Elfiz rule forever.’ Elfiz is the name of this country,” Mariabelle said.

“I see.”

He’d never heard of a country by that name. This world didn’t seem to have any relation to the MMORPG Cross Reverie.

“This world is enveloped by the Black Mist,” she told him.

That made sense. As is cliche, a hero is summoned when the world is in a state of crisis.

“Black Mist?”

“According to the Demon Star Manuscript, the Black Mist is born of the aberrations, and the aberrations are produced by the Black Mist.”

“What is this Demon Star Manuscript?”

“A tome that details the past and future of this world. It’s said it was written by the hands of God, and comprehending it is very difficult. Research into it is still underway.”

Asking about one piece of jargon only led to more unfamiliar terms.

—Some games are just like that...

Diablo sighed to himself. It was the type of game newcomers hated more than anything, reminiscent of having to study in school. Put simply, the kingdom was faced with some kind of enemy they needed a hero to beat. This necessity comes from some kind of prophecy.

—Just put it simply! I was just thrown into another world without any time to prepare! Don’t make this any more confusing for me!

Diablo sighed and sat on the bed. Exhaustion was overwhelming him. Thinking back on it... He went to the frontier city and fought Rem’s aunt Solami. He then traveled to the capital, taking the long way around to do so. War broke out as soon as he arrived, which led to him protecting the Inner Sanctum, destroying the Magimatic Sols, and taking lives. He finally stormed the castle and killed the enemy commander.

But it didn’t stop there. A moving castle appeared. He invaded the Magimatic Castle Viovix and had a fateful battle of epic proportions with the Emperor. But in the end, he was thrown into the White World... And then he spent a long time with Klem. Diablo didn’t know how long it was, really, but it was one thing after another, and it felt like a long string of overwork. His mind and body were beginning to crack.

But then he heard the sound of rustling fabric. A sash fluttered to the floor.

“Hm?” Diablo’s gaze settled on it.

“I’ve made the most progress of anyone when it comes to decoding the Demon Star Manuscript,” he heard Mariabelle say.

“Y-Yeah...”

“And because I did, I summoned you, my hero.”

“Wha...?!” Diablo felt his voice tense up.

Mariabelle was taking off her clothes. She now stood in her undergarments.

“The manuscript had a passage saying I will offer my body up to a hero,” she said.

“O-Oh,” Diablo replied.

His voice was calm, but his heart was beating like crazy. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her sensual body.

—Jiggling! Soft! And plump! But wait, there’s something written there!

There was a strange, alluring pattern under Mariabelle’s navel. It looked like a magic circle and gave off a faint glow.

“I only have technical knowledge of the act, I’m afraid...” she said with a seductive smile. “But I will try to satisfy you, my hero.”

She drew her face closer to his and Diablo’s body froze up. Her slender hands wrapped around Diablo’s rough fingers and brought them to her bosom. His hands sank into her soft, supple breasts.

“B-Boob—waaaaaaah?!” Diablo called out, his eyes widened.

He screamed louder than he ever did during his battle with Emperor Gelmed.