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

Epilogue 

“Diabloooooo! You were amazing!” Shera ran toward him from the west, the setting sun at her back. 

“He was weaker than I thought.” Diablo nodded with an expression spelling out that this victory was the obvious result. 

“That sparkly light was amazing! All the Fallen disappeared, all ‘whoosh’ like!” 

“I could perform that type of magic at any time, if I had the supplies for it. It’s just that, until now, I had to conserve my resources.” 

Diablo’s treasure vault contained a nearly limitless supply of different types of potions. He even had stocks of potions he made for practice when he raised his skill in the Combiner subclass. He wouldn’t have to worry about running low for the foreseeable future. 

“Really!? That’s amazing! You’re so cool, Diablo!” 

Shera hugged Diablo’s arm. Her soft swellings pressed against him, making a desire to touch them with his hand spring forth. But there was no way he could give in to his carnal desires and fondle a girl’s breasts. Not if he hoped to keep their relationship as is. 

He hardened his heart and resisted the temptation, crying bitter tears in his mind all the while. If she wasn’t right before his eyes, he wouldn’t have to suffer these terrible urges... 

Unaware of Diablo’s inner conflict, Shera continued showering him with praise, her soft breasts rubbing up against him. 

Boing~ boing~ 

Rem burst unto the scene. 

“Diablo! There’s trouble!” 

“Huh?” 

She didn’t seem to be rejoicing over their victory. Instead, her face was pale with anxiety. 

“Please hurry, over here!” 

Led by Rem, Diablo and his group rushed to the edge of the battlefield. Standing alone in the empty field was the still, solitary figure of a girl. She stood unmoving, like a statue. She wouldn’t smile or turn her gaze toward them. 

“...R-Rose...won’t respond...” Rem said, her voice shivering. “She’s not breathing...and not...moving...” 

“No way! But she beat them so easily! Easy as pie!” Shera looked to be on the verge of tears. 

Diablo drew closer to Rose, who was as still as a real doll. 

“What happened to you, Rose...?” 

—Will you never look at me, never smile at me again...? What made this happen... Is it because I took you out of the dungeon...? 

“Piiipiii! Effective proximity with the Master confirmed. Deactivating sleep mode. Current charge at 15%.”

Rose, who was as still as mannequin, blinked a few times. 

“Ah, Rose sees you’re done. Spectacular job, Master.” She smiled broadly. 

“What...? Rose, just now... What happened to you?” 

“Rose was nearly out of magical energy, so Rose entered magic saver mode. So long as Rose isn’t in the Master’s base, or in the vicinity of Master himself, Rose will not be able to recharge magical energy. There is a faster method of replenishing Rose’s magical energy, but...” 

“I thought the Demon Lord’s army had gotten to you...” 

“Hehe... Rose is Master’s Magimatic Maid. Weaklings like them could never hope to match Rose. However, Rose will admit that Rose failed to properly calculate the rate of magical energy consumption going into combat mode would entail.” 

“Don’t worry me like that.” 

“Rose begs Master’s pardon. Causing Master concern was not Rose’s intent. But knowing Master was worried for Rose’s well-being fills Rose with such joy... Rose fears Rose’s inner circuits would overheat and short circuit...” she said, a pink blush on her cheeks. 

—How much grief will this mechanical girl cause me... 

“It’s not just me... Rem and Shera were worried about you, too.” 

“Worried...about Rose?” She looked at the other girls quizzically. 

“...I’m glad,” Rem said, wiping a tear. “It seems...you’re fine now...” 

“Whoooooooooa, I thought you died, Rooose!” Shera tried hugging Rose, but the maid pushed her back with an arm. 

“What are you doing? Only Master may touch Rose. Rose guarantees Rose hasn’t fallen so far to warrant your concern.” 

“...That’s right,” Rem said, nodding with a smile. “I’m glad to see you’re still your old self.” 

“Booo...” 

Shera, still seemingly full of the urge to hug someone, tottered over to Diablo and pressed her breasts against his arm once more. That would probably be enough to buy Rose’s ire, but... 

Diablo shrugged and told the girls they’re heading back to Zircon Tower. 

—I’m just glad they’re all fine. 

Relief filled Diablo’s heart knowing the three who joined him on the front lines were all well. 

† 

The rearguard of the battlefield— 

Lumachina was tending to the wounded. The fighting had ended, but it was now that things would become the busiest on this front. There were many heavily wounded soldiers only Lumachina could treat. 

“Forgive me, Lord Diablo.” Lumachina lowered her head, in a tired gesture. “I do not think I’ll be able to break away from this for a while...” 

“Hm, so it seems. You needn’t concern yourself with me. Let me know if you need anything. If it’s something from my vault, I could have it delivered to you.” 

“Thank you very much... Oh, and by the way, once things calm down here, I’ll be using the town’s chapel. I want to purge the Death Knell disease from the townspeople.” 

“Did you discuss it with Laminitus?” 

The chapel was closed by order of the governor, Laminitus. She had also warned the rent for it would be extremely high. 

“Not yet.” Lumachina shook her head. “But there is no other place we could use... I will ask her later.” 

“In that case, I’ll talk to her as well.” 

“...Right.” Rem nodded at Diablo’s words. “I think we we all worked hard in this war, even if not as much as Diablo. I’m sure we’ll get permission to use the chapel.” 

“Yep yep!” Shera agreed. 

“Should she refuse the Master’s request, Rose will...” Rose began, a thin, chilling smile on her lips. 

“...That would only complicate things. Please keep these...methods for the right time, place, or person, if you could,” Rem said warningly. 

Rose glared at her. It looked like they weren’t going to begin getting along well so quickly, even though they fought back-to-back on the battlefield...

“Ah, so this is where you were.”

A voice greeted them. It was just the person they were discussing: the governor, Laminitus. 

Diablo didn’t expect to see her here. 

“What? Did you come here for healing?” 

“True, We didn’t get away from the fighting unscathed... But this is the tent for treating the common soldiers. We came to inspect the place and encourage Our men. It’s thanks to everyone here that Zircon Tower is safe.” 

“Hmph...” He didn’t know she was this devoted. 

“Though it goes without saying that the greatest achievements were yours.” 

She fixed her gaze on Diablo. Honestly, it was pretty embarrassing for him. 

“H-Hmph. Do not mistake my intentions! I merely taught these fools who dared assume the name of the Demon Lord’s army the power of the true Demon Lord, Diablo! I did not do this to save a town of the races.” 

“Heh... We see. Well, that’s as good a reason as any. But your motives aside, would you reject Our offer to grant you Our hospitality?” 

“Hm? Hospitality?” 

“Yay! Food, food! Hot, tasty food!” Shera cheered, raising both hands in the air. She was so happy she looked like she would break into a song and dance. 

Come to think of it, they hadn’t eaten anything since that meal they prepared in the dungeon. 

“Very well.” Laminitus smiled wryly. “Zircon Tower will put all the energy it can spare to provide you with the finest meal.” 

“Yayyy!” 

It seemed they would have to take part in the victory banquet, and Diablo couldn’t think of any reason to refuse. 

“...Hmm, we would actually like to consult with you regarding the chapel,” Rem said, raising her hand. 

“Oh?” 

“...We’ve brought back the treasure capable of lifting the Death Knell disease. We would like to store it in a place where it would be open to the public. Could you please let us use the chapel for a reasonable fee? This is a request from the High Priest, too.” 

Laminitus fixed her gaze on Lumachina, who was still busy treating the wounded soldiers. The other priests were doing the same. 

Laminitus shook her head. “We refuse.” 

“...Why!?” 

“We cannot demand a fee from those who have done our city such a service. We could never thank you or the High Priest enough. You are free to use the chapel as you will, with no charge. If there are any sections in need of maintenance or repair, We will do what We can to have them serviced.” 

The priests raised their voices with a pleased, “Oh!” Lumachina brought her hands together, giving thanks to God and the governor. The injured soldiers and medical staff joined the priests in offering prayer. 

“You’ve mellowed out quite a bit, Laminitus,” Diablo said calmly. 

“Ha!” She shrugged. “Not being able to adapt to situations is the mark of a fool. With the Demon Lord awakened, everyone from every corner of the kingdom would need to cooperate. Otherwise, forget Zircon Tower, the entire dominion of the races would be decimated. Fixing a chapel is a small price to pay, if it would improve Our relations with the Church. That is all there is to it.” 

“Heh... Well, I suppose we can leave it at that.” 

“Wha...!? H-Hmph. I could say the same to you. You’re entirely different from how you were back then!” 

“Back when?” 

“When you were facing off with Varakness. For a second there, We honestly believed you actually were the Demon Lord. That’s how menacing your expression was.” 

All the blood had gone to his head and he frankly didn’t remember. Was he really that different now, though? 

“There’s no need for you to know the reason to that,” Diablo said, turning his head and averting his gaze from her. 

—Who cares if I did it out of jealousy, as long as the Fallen were beaten in the end, right? 

Laminitus’s aide had entered and called for her. She had other business to attend to, but told Diablo and his friends to head to Zircon Tower’s plaza come nightfall. 

† 

That evening, in Zircon Tower’s plaza— 

A lavish victory feast was held to commemorate the day’s events. They had used rations, usually kept for times of crisis, to prepare it. 

Diablo and his companions found, to their surprise, that their seats were right beside Laminitus herself. The governor had yet to make an appearance, but once she had, the festivities would begin in earnest.

To the right of the governor’s seat sat the officers, and to the left were adventurers and representatives of the church. The table was set up as such. 

Diablo sat at the top of the left side. 

—You can’t have me sit in a spot that stands out like this! I’m a shut-in; is she trying to give me a heart attack!? 

Rose stood behind Diablo, as she didn’t need to ingest food. In fact, she was currently recharging her magical energy by being near Diablo, so it could be said she was currently in the middle of a meal...in a manner of speaking. 

Sitting to his left were Rem, Shera, and Lumachina, in that order. One other seat was empty. 

“Where’s Horn?” Diablo asked. 

“I recall her helping out with treating the wounded...” Lumachina replied, her head tilted curiously. 

“She was in the plaza, too, though I think she was rather hesitant when it was time to get on stage.” 

—I don’t want to be in such a conspicuous place any more than she does! 

Declining after they’d come to the party would look lame, so he took the seat. 

“Didn’t she seem kinda troubled, though?” 

“...Now that you mention it, she did.” 

Diablo didn’t notice anything odd about Horn. 

He rose to his feet. “I’m going to get some fresh air.” 

“I’m going to get some fresh air.” 

“I’ll come, t—” 

Diablo raised a hand, stopping Rem and the others from getting up. If everyone were gone, Laminitus would take it the wrong way. 

“...You’re right.” Rem nodded. “We have the matter with the chapel to consider. Making sure we’re in good standing with the governor and the officers is an important job, too.” 

“Oh, I see.” Lumachina nodded. She was, as it turned out, rather ignorant when it came to the subtleties of politics. 

“I’ll make sure to eat extra for your share, Diablo!” Shera said, her eyes not leaving the food once. 

“At least bring some over to my room, okay?” 

He left the platform. 

—Not being in the center of attention is such a relief! 

“Horn? Horn? Come on out.” 

Calling her like she was a cat in hiding wouldn’t make her come out. 

Diablo’s stroll led him down an alley. The main road was bustling with the festivities. Having gone from utter hopelessness to a great victory, the townspeople were overjoyed. 

—She’d probably steer clear of all that... 

If Horn was troubled, she’d look for someplace quiet. 

“Maybe the inn?” 

He returned to the inn Laminitus had prepared for them. He found the Shadow Knife there, alongside the enchanted cloak, accessories, and HP potions. Those were all things Diablo had given her. The sole exception was the Treasure Mini. And even her share of the money the governor had rewarded them for their service in the battle was left behind. 

“What is she thinking?” 

—Did she leave all her adventuring equipment behind and leave? 

No, it didn’t seem so. There would be no reason for her to remove the accessories. Even if she left with her old dagger, why leave the Shadow Knife behind? 

—Maybe she’s not planning on coming back...? 

Diablo clicked his tongue. If she wanted to leave, then he shouldn’t stop her... 

That’s what went through Diablo’s mind. People leaving him behind always left Diablo rattled and traumatized. His heart was too hurt, too fragile, to go after her. 

“But if there’s anything to say before we say goodbye, I should talk to her face-to-face...no matter how painful it is.” 

—I won’t repeat the same mistakes I made that time Shera was about to leave! 

Diablo rushed out of the inn. The sun had already set, and he could hear the sounds of cups clinking against each other in the plaza as people raised toasts in celebration. 

† 

“Ow!” 

Diablo heard what sounded like Horn’s voice. While it wasn’t as keen as Shera’s, his earing was far better than the common man’s. It came from an empty pot, where materials for war were gathered. Diablo peeked in from behind the wooden boxes.

Horn!

She’d fallen on her backside, looking up anxiously. 

It seemed a group of four Pantherians had picked a fight with her. If he recalled correctly, it was the gang Horn had been arguing with about her compensation from exploring a dungeon when Diablo and the group had first met her. 

One of them was particularly well-built and had a ?Red Sword? sheathed on his waist. 

“Hey there, little Horn. Never knew you were a chick all along~” 

“Ugh...” 

“We were in the war, too, y’know. Didn’t run into very strong Fallen, though. I figured this war would last a while, but it ended so quickly... So we got all this pent-up energy and nowhere to cut loose. And we’re kinda short on friths, too. You follow?” 

“Is that right...” 

“But I was surprised, y’know? A chicken like you in the heroes’ party... That’s a joke for the ages, I tell ya. But hey, we’re lucky here, and I’m not gonna let that luck pass me by. You got a fat reward, didn’t ya?” 

“I did...but I left it for everyone else.” 

“Stop lyin’, you suck at it. C’mon, give us a little somethin’. Haven’t we always been lookin’ out for ya? Show us how grateful ya are. With cash.” 

“Even if we go on the same adventure...it’s totally different.” 

“Huuuh?” 

“Going on an adventure with them was fun! Even if all I did was get in everyone’s way, it was so much fun! All I do is mess everything up and can’t help at all, but... They’re all so...so amazing!” 

Horn’s eyes were wet with tears. The Pantherian tilted his head in confusion. 

“The hell’s gotten into ya? We’re short on time here, so leave your blabberin’ for later. There won’t be any seats left at the tavern at this rate.” 

“Who cares about your level being 80! You’re not even half of what Shera is!” 

“Well then.” 

The Pantherians’ attitudes swiftly turned darker. They went from being flippantly mocking to outright hostile. Even nobodies like them were still adventurers, so their animosity was still rather intimidating. 

“I won’t...” Horn said, drawing her cheap dagger from its scabbard, “I won’t let you scare me into doing what you want anymore!” 

“I think you’ve got somethin’ wrong, Hornie...” 

“What...?” 

“I’m willin’ to bet ya chickened out after seeing how much they’re praisin’ ya after ya did diddly squat, and ran away. You should be in the festivities now, shouldn’t you? Head of the table and all that.” 

“Uuu...” 

Horn faltered. That pigheaded strike against her confidence shattered what little courage she managed to muster. 

The Pantherians laughed loudly. 

“Do ya really belong there, though? A skulking little coward like you has no place with the big heroes! I can fill in for ya if ya want! Go on, go and introduce me to ‘em!” 

The Pantherians mocked her, saying anything that came to their minds. 

“Did you see that cute little one with the black hair? I think she’s a good fit for ya, man!” “Ya know what? I was thinkin’ the same thing!” “That Elf chick was amazin’, too! Never knew there were Elves with boobs that big...” “The only letdown is the High Priest. She’s a looker, but damn does she look like a borin’, stuffy broad...” 

Their leader shrugged. “That’s the thing, see? Wasn’t that party all the High Priest’s lackeys? Guess they piggybacked offa her, and that’s how they made their ‘big contribution.’” 

—It’s probably about time I showed myself... 

He felt like if he heard another word coming out of their mouths he’d lose it. But just when Diablo was about to move— 

Horn shouted at them.

“Take that back!”

“You take that back!” she cried out again, gripping her dagger. “Don’t you dare mock my...my...my companions! They’re all super awesome, you got that!? They all worked so hard to protect this town! They’re not narrow-minded hacks like you, that only ever got points by showing up at easy battles at the right time!” 

The Pantherian man nodded a few times. “Right. So, I guess we’ll remember those as your last words, then. ‘Cuz tomorrow mornin’, they’re gonna find you bobbin’ in a pond, ya dig?” 

The other three Pantherians giggled. 

“Oh boy, bro’s really out for your blood now.” 

“Ya just killed yourself, Hornie. Got yourself killed with a capital ‘K.’” 

“For now, cough up those coins. I might let ya off the hook if ya do.” 

Horn didn’t falter. 

“If I don’t fight after you trash-talked my companions...I’ll never be able to forgive myself!” 

“Ya dumb little shit! Who cares if ya can’t forgive yourself when I won’t forgive ya! Die, ya stupid twerp!” 

The Pantherian pulled out his Red Sword, cinders rising from it as it left its scabbard. He brandished the longsword over his head, and... 

Diablo repressed his desire to walk in on the fight. He wanted to believe in Horn. 

A slash ran through the air. Horn strafed horizontally, dodging it. 

“Ah!” 

A dagger cut into the Pantherian’s hand. 

A direct hit. 

A bit of blood splattered to the ground. The Pantherian took a few steps back. 

“Shit, that hurts! Ya dumb runt! Who said you’re allowed to cut me like that!” 

—Good one! 

Diablo pumped his fist. 

“What’re ya just standin’ there for!?” the Pantherian shouted at his friends. “Pin this pipsqueak to the ground! I’ll finish her off, like we always do!” 

—Did they actually manage to level up with that setup? 

Even if Horn fought as valiantly as she could, she’d never win with these four to one odds stacked against her. 

Not to mention she was up against buff Pantherians, too. In terms of physical strength, they ranked highly among the races. 

They pressed down on Horn, pinning her to the ground. The Pantherian with the injured hand smiled vulgarly. 

“You did it now, Hornie. I’m gonna strip ya naked and shove this sword up your ass. Hey, boys, we should place bets on how deep it’ll go before she croaks.” 

Diablo walked in, stepping on the ground loudly as he did.

“This is quite the stench. You scumbags smell like monsters to me.”

The Pantherians turned their glares in Diablo’s direction. He stepped out from the cover of the wooden boxes, revealing himself. 

“I thought you’d know better than to walk the streets after nightfall, Horn. Don’t you know monsters can get the jump on you, even in town?” 

“B-Boss! Why are you...!?” 

The men shouted. 

“Aren’t ya from the hero party!?” 

“Tsk, whatever! Let’s just waste this guy and get his prize money! We can snag that cute, black-furred girl while we’re at it!” 

“Is how it goes. We can’t just let ya walk away after ya saw us.” 

Diablo approached the Pantherian with the Red Sword in his hand. He snickered vulgarly, his tongue dabbling from his mouth. 

“Look at the ‘big hero.’ You’re a Sorcerer, ain’t ya? Ya got no chance of winning once you’re this up close with a level 80 warrior.” 

He swung the sword, but Diablo caught it with a bare hand. 

“Compared to a level 160 Warrior-type Fallen, you’re far too slow and incredibly weak. It’s like I’m fighting a child. Pathetic.” 

The armor he had equipped now, the ?Gigantes Mail?, was focused on exponentially increasing his physical stats. He’d decided that, in this world, it would probably be a wise choice to wear it. Right before his eyes was a situation that proved that hypothesis. 

The Pantherian panicked when he noticed Diablo had caught his sword. 

“Wh-What? How!? Let go! Let go of it! Why won’t it cut you!?” 

—Because I have the ?Monarch’s Bangle? equipped, and it cuts all damage below a certain threshold to zero. Catching a blade with my fingers won’t even cause any injury now. 

“What’s this? Having trouble against ‘the High Priest’s lackey’?” 

“Ugh! Stop mocking me... Don’t just stand there! Take him out!” 

The Pantherians holding Horn down rushed at Diablo, drawing their swords. 

“Oooh!” “We’ll kill ya!” “Die!” 

“Since you’re so keen on killing me, that means you’re prepared to be killed yourselves, right?” 

Diablo chanted his magic, and the vacant lot was instantaneously frozen in ice. 

† 

Diablo headed back to the inn carrying Horn, who was still too frightened to stand, on his back. 

“Don’t get used to it. I’m only doing this once.” 

“A-all right... I get it. So, um... Why were you there?” 

“It’s because I was looking for you. That much should be obvious.” 

“For me!? But the feast is going on right now...” 

—Like I could ever eat peacefully with everyone looking at me on the stage... 

Diablo didn’t know how Horn interpreted his silence, but tears began welling in her eyes. 

“I... I was completely useless...so I thought...I had no place on that stage...” 

“Useless? You? So what?” 

“Huh...?” 

“Did any of us ever tell you to leave?” 

“No...” 

“Do you want to leave then?” 

“O-Of course I don’t! But...you don’t need someone like me who just messes things up in your party...” 

“I care little for how others evaluate you. None of us told you to leave, and you don’t want to leave, either. So there’s no need for you to go anywhere. Am I mistaken?” 

Horn shivered, leaning against Diablo’s back. Transparent drops ran down her cheeks as she wept sorrowfully. 

“Y-You... You’re not mistaken. I... I want to stay...with you...with everyone!”

Diablo opened the door to the inn. 

“In that case, you can stay with us for as long as you’d like. No one will ever send you away.” 

To be continued...