The story so far—
In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Takuma Sakamoto was overwhelmingly powerful, and was able to role play so well that his performances were more boss-like than the actual bosses of the game. For this reason, he came to be known as the “Demon Lord.”
By defeating the ?Demon Lord of the Mind, Enkvaros? faster than anyone else, he obtained the super rare item, the ?Demon Lord’s Ring?. It was one of the ultimate pieces of equipment in the game, able to reflect all types of magic.
Then, one day, Takuma found himself summoned to a world that looked exactly like Cross Reverie! Having performed the ritual magic at the same time, the Pantherian, Rem, and the Elf, Shera, fought over which one of them was his Summoner:
“...I am the one who summoned him. Your magic was a failure.”
“You’re wrong! He’s mine!”
But thanks to the Demon Lord’s Ring he wore, the magic was reflected, so the ?Enslavement Collar? meant for him had clamped onto the two girls instead!
Faced with Rem and Shera arguing, Takuma was at a loss at what to do. While he may have been a superior player back in the game, he couldn’t talk with other people if his life depended on it. After struggling over what to say, the words that came out of his mouth were from the Demon Lord role play he had used in the game:
“Cease your pointless squabbling. You are in the presence of Diablo.”
The three of them have since made the town of Faltra their home base. As it turned out, Rem held a great secret: Within her body was sealed the soul of the ?Demon Lord Krebskulm?. Trembling with fear deep down, Diablo’s Demon Lord role playing drove him to promise he would find a solution to her plight.
Diablo soon after found himself foiling an invasion of one hundred Fallen, lead by a Fallen named Edelgard. Diablo then later found himself the recipient of a quest from the governor of Faltra, Galford. Prince Keera of the Elven Kingdom of Greenwood had demanded Shera be returned to him, threatening open war with Faltra against the country of Elves should compliance fail. The details of Galford’s quest were simply to find a way to avoid the war. The bespectacled, straight-and-narrow Imperial Knight Alicia was assigned to the group as an observer to watch over their actions.
Yet Shera still ended up being taken away from Diablo. Despite the numerous obstacles in his way, however, Diablo was successful in rescuing Shera.
After her rescue, the group set off to resurrect the Demon Lord Krebskulm trapped inside Rem. But in the process, Krebskulm had lost a portion of her memories as a Demon Lord, being reduced to a biscuit-loving young girl, who was then nicknamed “Klem.”
Peaceful days passed by...
Suddenly, Alicia betrayed the group! Now awakened as a true Demon Lord, Klem went into a destructive frenzy. But thanks to one of Diablo’s ultimate spells and the sound of Rem and Shera’s voices, Klem was subdued and reverted to her biscuit-loving form. To ensure Klem would never go berserk again, Diablo bound her with the same enslavement magic afflicted upon Shera and Rem.
Through a string of coincidences, or perhaps God’s own guidance, Diablo found himself rescuing Lumachina, a holy woman, from the Paladin Gewalt. Being a ?High Priest?, Lumachina was the highest ranking member of the Church. However, due to her attempts at ridding the Church of corruption and avarice, she was nearly assassinated. Still seeking to reform the corrupt Church, Lumachina sought the help of the Paladin Captain Batutta, setting out to meet him in Zircon Tower.
Located in the perilous expanse of the former Demon Lord’s Domain, Diablo’s group of Adventurers accompanied her as bodyguards. After a long journey, they arrived at their destination, and were greeted by Batutta.
However—
Batutta had been culminating the spread of a cursed illness known as Death Knell disease, and extorted donations in exchange for treatment.
Diablo fought hard, defeating Batutta and toppling his underground altar. But all of a sudden, Lumachina collapsed, the mark of the Death Knell disease having appeared on her body.
Avoiding pursuit from Laminitus, Zircon Tower’s governor, Diablo’s group made their way to a dungeon Diablo made in Cross Reverie to get an item that could cure the Death Knell disease. Eluding many traps, they finally reached the dungeon’s lowest level, where they also met the ?Magimatic Maid?, Rose. Diablo then obtained the item he sought, along with many pieces of new equipment for himself and his team.
The Fallen Varakness marched the Demon Lord’s Army against Zircon Tower, crushing the races’ army under their superior strength. Diablo quickly rushed on the scene and, exhibiting ?The Demon Lord’s True Power? for some reason, saved Zircon Tower from the invasion.
Prologue
Calamities, wars, crimes... People live their lives, thinking these dangers will never disturb them, however often they’re warned of them. Believing that irrational, unfair crises will never befall them...
And yet, disaster does come upon man at times. However virtuous and hard working, selfless and modest you may be... No matter how strong, cautious, and wise you are... People can find themselves driven against the most unforgiving of odds for no discernible reason.
Misfortune—
People easily lose their lives for no reason other than the absurdity known as misfortune. The town of Zircon Tower, in the former Demon Lord’s Domain, found itself driven to the brink of destruction in such a merciless fashion.
The Demon Lord had apparently awakened, and the reorganized Demon Lord’s army had attacked the races’ town. The races’ army fell, failing to evacuate the citizens in time. Their slaughter seemed imminent.
All seemed to be lost...
But the town was saved.
Defeating the Demon Lord’s army’s commander-in-chief, Diablo had routed the invaders and turned the tide of battle.
The races were saved!
The town celebrated until sunrise to commemorate this great miracle. Even though they had just fought a war that very same day, and the people were likely exhausted, as soon as the date changed they switched gears to a passionate celebration.
—Can they pipe down? People are trying to sleep here... But I guess they’re just that happy...
It felt pretty nice realizing their joy was the result of his own actions.
“It’s a good thing I protected them...” Diablo dove into his bed.
In light of their achievements, the governor had prepared lodging for them in one of Zircon Tower’s highest class inns. Diablo found, to his surprise, that his bed had springs. The bed creaked and squeaked as he entrusted his weight to it.
“So soft...” Diablo spoke in his natural voice, as he had the room all to himself.
The Pantherian girl, Rem, the runaway Elf princess, Shera, the ?High Priest?, Lumachina and the (twelve-year-old) Grasswalker, Horn, all had rooms to themselves. Rose, the ?Magimatic Maid?, couldn’t stay at the inn since her weight would likely make the floor cave in under her feet. Having her sleep outside simply wouldn’t do, so Rose alone returned to Diablo’s base, ?The Demon Lord’s Underground Labyrinth?. Since Diablo destroyed most of the traps, she needed to have those fixed, as well as appoint new guardians to the treasure vault.
So now, here he was, all by himself—for the first time in a long while.
He could hear the sound of his voice rebounding against the wall.
Before being summoned into this world, Diablo was always alone. Freely spreading his hands out on a large bed like this gave him a liberated...and lonely, sort of feeling.
Diablo yawned loudly. The people outside began singing in chorus for what felt like the thousandth time. He didn’t know if it was a national anthem or some kind of army cadence, but he was just about to have the melody memorized.
But even with things being as noisy as they were, sleep began overtaking him. His HP and MP had recovered thanks to the potions, but several days worth of exhaustion weighed down on him.
Diablo closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking softly into the quagmire of sleep...
Knock knock!
A sound different from the hustle and bustle going on outside jolted Diablo up from his sleep.
Someone had knocked on the door.
Taking a deep breath, Diablo focused on taking on his Demon Lord persona, to hide his true self away...
“Heheheh... Who dares disturb a Demon Lord’s slumber?” he asked in the deepest voice he could muster.
Diablo was inept when it came to speaking to other people, and extra-inept when it came to talking to girls. If he were to reveal his true self, the words would probably never come out, so he chose to hide behind the mask of the Demon Lord he acted out in the game, Cross Reverie. Thanks to that, he could just barely talk to the people around him.
Though, his Demon Lord role playing had landed him in a fair load of trouble, too...
Trying to talk with his real voice would only result in stuttered “uhh”s and diffident “errr”s.
“It is Us,” a voice replied from the other side of the door. “If you’re awake, We would wish to speak with you.”
—Us!?
He expected Rem or Shera, but it wasn’t either of their voices, or any of his other companions, for that matter. It was the voice of a more mature woman, and there was only one person in this town who would refer to themselves in the royal “we.”
But she had her position to consider. With that in mind, would she really come to his room this late at night?
Still half in doubt, Diablo rose from his bed and unlocked the door to his room, opening it to be greeted by a figure in a black robe. A graceful face looked back at him from within the hood, her eyes, crimson like a scarlet flame, locking with his.
It was the person Diablo had guessed after all.
†
The mystery guest was the ruler of Zircon Tower—the governor, Fanis Laminitus. Her lips, adorned with rouge, curled up into a smile.
“Are you not going to invite Us in, Diablo?”
—The governor came to visit me on her own!?
He was taken aback, surely, but a Demon Lord would never show respect to a mere governor.
“What are you here for, Laminitus?” he asked, feigning coolness.
“Did you not hear Us? We wish to speak with you.”
She was a regional governor, but was bold enough to fashion herself as “The King of the Desert Lands.” Her spirit was valiant and unrelenting.
She entered the room, not bothering to wait for his approval.
“Hmph, so be it...” Diablo scoffed. “But be prepared for the consequences. Should I find your words tiresome, you will pay the price.”
“We won’t bore you.” Laminitus took off her robe and sat down on a chair.
She wasn’t in her usual armored appearance. Instead, she wore a lavish, low back evening dress. Its cleavage was so deep Diablo could swear her breasts were about to burst out.
He tried and failed to tear his gaze away from her chest in a flustered panic.
Laminitus folded her arms, pushing her voluminous chest up in the process, accentuating her bosom further.
“We understand you weren’t in the festivities?”
“I dislike noisy places.”
—Because being in such a conspicuous place is so nerve-wracking. I’d go nuts if I stayed there.
“Heheh... We figured as much. Have you eaten?”
“I’ve no need of your concern.”
Rem and the others brought back Horn’s and his share of the food, so they did indeed have dinner, albeit a late one.
“Then, how about this?” Laminitus popped off the cork of a wine bottle she had been carrying.
“I’m sure you don’t need my company if you want to drink booze.”
“Don’t be so cold. This is some of the best wine in the region.”
The inn being as luxurious as it was, there was glassware they could use in the room. Laminitus took two wine glasses from a shelf and poured the thick, maroon liquid into them.
The drink’s aroma permeated across the room, and the scent alone proved that, true to Laminitus’s words, this wasn’t just any normal wine. The fragrance was so entrancing that even Diablo, who was usually uninterested in alcohol, became curious as to its flavor.
“The least you can do is join Us for a toast.” Laminitus offered him one of the wine glasses.
“Hmph... Troublesome woman.” Diablo took the wine glass by the bowl.
The woman motioned her own glass to his. Wine glasses are fragile, so you don’t click them together when making a toast. It appeared these manners held just as true in this world.
Diablo continued holding his wine glass by its bowl. From what he knew, one only held the wine glass by its stem during tasting.
“To today’s victory.”
“Hmm.”
—It’s yesterday’s victory by now, though.
Each of them held the wine glass up softly before carrying them to their lips.
Diablo drank the liquid as its rich, fragrant aroma filled his nostrils. Sweetness and sourness blended together seamlessly, but there was very little bitterness to speak of. The liquid passed through his throat softly. Truly, this wine was pleasant and easy to drink. He had expected a thicker, more dense flavor, but he could get used to drinking this.
After a pause, the aroma left his nostrils, leaving only a pleasant feeling behind.
“Ah...”
He involuntarily let out a small sigh of satisfaction, like a character in a manga might. He could feel heat emanating from the core of his body. It was easy to drink, but its alcohol concentration was probably strong.
“We see you like it,” Laminitus said, after having heaved her own sigh of contentment.
“It’s quite the drink.”
“Let’s have a seat and talk, shall we?”
The room had both normal chairs and a bed, but Laminitus elected to sit on the bed, urging Diablo with her eyes to take a seat next to her.
The governor came to him late at night, gift in hand. Surely she had something important to discuss. She treated him to excellent wine, too, so it seemed wrong to refuse.
Diablo took a seat next to her, but made sure to leave a gap wide enough for someone else to sit between them. He’d gotten used to Rem and Shera, but he had to keep this much distance from a relatively unfamiliar adult woman. Having her any closer would stress him out and render him unable to talk properly.
“What are your plans after this, Diablo?” Laminitus asked after giving a small giggle.
“A snack to have with the alcohol sounds nice right about now.”
“We can have something prepared for you. But, that’s not what We meant...”
“Hmm...”
Diablo realized what she was after, and knew what she expected out of him.
The governor of Zircon Tower wanted Diablo and his group to stay by her side. He had defeated the Demon Lord’s army’s commander-in-chief, Varakness, but the Demon Lord was still at large. While they still didn’t have all the details, the Fallen’s words and their strength stood as incontestable proof of the Demon Lord’s awakening. So long as the Demon Lord remains, his army will attack again, and Laminitus would need forces to defend this town.
“Retreat as soon as possible, Laminitus.”
Having lost such a significant chunk of their forces, the Demon Lord’s army wouldn’t be able to stage another invasion for the time being. In that case, they should take this chance to retreat to a town like Faltra, which has a barrier.
The Demon Lord’s revival...
Events like that happened before in Cross Reverie, with decisive battles that were held every so often. They were usually during the winter holidays or during Golden Week. The players would fight waves of mooks to gather items and gain the right to face the boss, join up with their companions, and fight the Demon Lord.
—I went solo, though...
Either way, those events were frequented by other level 150 adventurers equipped with legendary-class weapons. They would trade information online, with millions of active players putting their minds together to figure out the boss’s stats and think of the best way to beat it.
This world, sadly, had no such adventurers; at the very least, Diablo never met anyone like that here. There was also nothing along the lines of, “Beat the boss within the event’s one week run,” either. Diablo had no idea where the Demon Lord even was.
Of course, there was always the possibility the Demon Lord was weaker compared to the game, but...
In the past, Diablo had fought a partially-awakened Demon Lord Krebskulm. Judging by his assessment at that time, Diablo had surmised that if it was weaker than the game, it wasn’t by much—in other words, this town’s army wouldn’t stand a chance.
They must retreat.
“But wouldn’t a certain absurdly powerful Sorcerer, hypothetically speaking of course, defeat the Demon Lord?” Laminitus asked, frowning.
Would Diablo be able to beat the Demon Lord...?
“Perhaps I would win.”
“Oh...”
“But that’s assuming it’s a one-on-one situation. The Fallen wouldn’t simply stay put while I fight the Demon Lord, now would they?”
“Of course not. They would certainly interfere.”
In the game, mooks would never show up in the middle of a last boss battle. That one-on-one scenario was part of the battle’s production and aesthetic.
But reality was different. In all likelihood, he would have to fight through countless Fallen to even reach the Demon Lord. Diablo wasn’t conceited or reckless enough to claim he could beat both the Demon Lord and his army at the same time.
“Then, if nothing else, could you defend this town?” Laminitus asked, heaving a sigh.
“If you were to retreat from this town, I would help cover for you while you do. But as an Adventurer, I have no intention of taking up permanent residence in this desert town.”
“We said nothing about permanent residence. But We do have other options besides retreating. Perhaps we could bolster Our forces?”
“If an army of the same size as yesterday were to attack, you would need one hundred warriors, each roughly the strength of a Paladin. Or ten with the strength of Faltra’s governor.”
“That reminds Us... That Paladin Captain Batutta has been missing for a while now. Do you happen to know anything?”
“He’s dead...in all likelihood,” Diablo answered, after a moment of hesitance.
“What!?” Laminitus exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock.
“You can ask Lumachina for the details. She knows the whole story, and she is surely the most trustworthy.”
“True, the High Priest would never give a false testimony...”
“Is that all you need? If that’s the case...”
“We understand you do not wish to remain in this town for long, but you haven’t decided when to leave yet, have you?”
“That is true.”
First, they would have to rest. Diablo was tired, and his companions were exhausted as well.
They made their way from Faltra to Zircon Tower, passing through the former Demon Lord’s Domain, and challenged Batutta without a breather in between. Soon after, they had to escape Laminitus, and made their way to Diablo’s dungeon without time to return to town. Then they went straight from clearing the dungeon to yesterday’s war.
—My HP and MP are fine, but I’m definitely getting worn out...
“As far as We are concerned, We would prefer for you stay as long as you can. We will provide the finest hospitality possible to get you to do so.”
Diablo suddenly noticed the gap between them had suddenly shrunk. Laminitus had scooted over silently, drawing close enough for their shoulders to touch.
—Huh? Wh-What’s going on here?
Diablo was gradually losing his composure. In this world, he was a handsome, robust Sorcerer who commanded powerful magic, but on the inside he was a chaste, inexperienced, shut-in gamer. He couldn’t keep his bearings straight when approached by a woman in such a revealing outfit.
He lowered his gaze, only to be greeted by Laminitus’s deep cleavage. From the slit of her disheveled skirt, Diablo got a good look at her exposed thighs as well.
—Holy...
But a Demon Lord would never let a pair of boobs or an exposed thigh or two distract him!
Laminitus leaned against him heavily. Diablo’s arm fit snugly into her cleavage.
“Aaah...!?”
“Mmm... You’re very...robust, aren’t you...”
—Sh-She’s talking about my arm, right? Definitely my arm. Nothing else she could be talking about!
Demons were a race that didn’t excel very much when it came to their physical stats, but his level 150 body made him stronger than the common warrior.
“O-Of course.” He just barely managed to stammer a reply.
“That reminds Us, you wanted a snack, no?” Laminitus’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
“Y-Yeah...”
“We brought chocolate...”
She took out a round, black bead. Chocolate was a fairly expensive, high-class confection in this country.
“That’s...very thoughtful of you.”
“Now, open your mouth...”
“I can eat without your help.”
“Oh, forget about that... You can regard this as a side show...”
“Ugh...”
Arguing any longer felt foolish, so Diablo obediently opened his mouth. Laminitus put the chocolate—right into her own mouth.
Just as he was wondering if Laminitus was pulling his leg, her rouge colored lips drew closer to his. Diablo’s mind went completely blank as a soft feeling enveloped his lips. Something sweet slipped between his parted lips...
Chocolate.
—Is this...her tongue!?
Laminitus pushed her lips against his, and extended her tongue into his mouth.
A woman was licking his tongue. It felt as if his entire body was floating on top of her soft tongue. Her tongue toyed with his mouth as his hand was pushed against her breasts.
To top it all off, Laminitus’s free hand crept down to Diablo’s lower half, stroking him over his pants, as if to confirm the shape.
“Hmm... You’re quite hard here...” Laminitus purred between their adhered lips.
—She means my leg! My thigh! My quadriceps muscle!
The stress made him brace his legs, which strained his thighs’ muscles.
There was nothing else hardened to speak of! Only a perverted mind would assume there was any other perverted thing she was referring to.
Laminitus’s rubbing became gradually more vigorous and daring.
“Heh heh... You’re so big...”
—She means my height! I’m 1.88 meters, after all!
Laminitus was roughly 1.70 meters tall, making her tall for a woman, but still small compared to Diablo.
The sounds of fabric being rubbed, of something wet being stirred, and of Laminitus’s labored breathing all mixed in Diablo’s ears. Their lips were so close together he felt like they were going to melt together.
“Hnnng... Aaah...”
“H-Hey...”
He finally pulled away from Laminitus. They’d probably spent five minutes kissing.
Diablo realized he’d held his breath the whole time, and breathed in deep, sending air into his lungs.
“You’re not very experienced with kissing, are you, Diablo?” Laminitus asked, gazing at him with intoxicated eyes. “Surely this isn’t your first time, is it?”
“Hmph... Of course it isn’t.”
When he first arrived in this world, Rem and Shera kissed him as part of the ?Enslavement Ritual?, and he had just kissed Klem the other day when he put an ?Enslavement Collar? on her. But it was his first time outside of a ritual, not to mention it was his first serious kiss...
Laminitus licked her lips. The candle light gleamed against her moistened lips.
“That’s a shame. So how about your experience...over here?”
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“Did We not say We would provide the finest hospitality possible to get you to stay? Don’t you worry, We’re one to always strive for perfection. We promise it will feel just like heaven.”
—What heaven, what are you talking about!?
This wasn’t a matter of good or bad anymore, this was blatant seduction!
“I don’t, hmm, appreciate, that...”
Back in his world, Diablo didn’t have a job. He would spend all day gaming, but that was just because society didn’t need someone like him. He wasn’t unemployed out of sloth, and was actually a fairly serious type of person. So his overly serious disposition geared him toward thinking that seducing someone to get your way was the wrong thing to do. In no way, shape, or form was he “hesitating because a chick was hitting on him.”
Totally. Definitely.
Diablo lifted his arms and made some space between him and Laminitus. His arm was still shoved snugly between her breasts.
“Uhn...” Laminitus cried out nasally.
“Ugh...”
“Do you want to touch them...? Heh, you can do as you please...”
“N-No. That’s not it...”
“No need to be timid. Or maybe, you’d prefer this?”
Laminitus leaned her body against Diablo’s, pushing him down onto the bed.
“L-Listen to me.”
“Try it. I promise it’ll feel good...”
—Seriously!?
No no no no no, no good. Feeling good is no good.
“That’s not the issue here...”
While Diablo was struggling to find a non-forceful way to reject her, Laminitus began nimbly undoing his belt.
“Heh heh... You really are robust... So long...and hard...”
As if confirming the shape of what she had exposed to the air, Laminitus enveloped it with both her hands. The belt was, of course, the clasp of his ?Monarch’s Bangle?, and what was exposed into the air was his right arm.
It can’t be stressed how important this is.
Then her long tongue began crawling along his right arm. It was ticklish, but, like she said, it felt good.
Her lukewarm tongue felt different compared to the touch of a hand. That unique sensation sent shivers down Diablo’s spine.
“Aaah...”
“Heheh... So, you like it here?”
Her tongue licked the thick part—that is to say, the joint of his right wrist—relentlessly, making Diablo take a single, sharp breath. Having moistened it sufficiently, Laminitus placed his arm between her two swellings. Supporting her two mounds with her arms, she pressed down on his arm like a hotdog and began moving and rubbing it.
Lubricated by sweat and saliva, his long and hard “arm” moved up and down, enveloped by Laminitus’s two breasts. It was unlike the ticklish, soft stimulations of prior; a definite sense of weight and pressure continually pressed down on him, then retreated.
“Aaah, nnngh... How’s that?” Laminitus gasped.
“I-It’s, hmm...”
There was no denying it: It was amazing.
But no Demon Lord would ever just say, “It feels good” to such a thing.
The longer he remained wordless, the more aggressive Laminitus’s servicing became.
“Nnngh, aaah, mmm, still not satisfied...? Then, We’ll do this...”
“Ugh...”
“Aaah, mmm...” Laminitus began moaning peculiarly.
“Wh-What’s wrong?”
“M-Me, too... The tips, they’re rubbing!”
“The t-t-t-t-tips!?”
“Aaa! Nnng, mmm, aaah, nnng!”
She moved her chest up and down, using her waist and knees. The heat was slowly making her more and more excited.
—This is bad. This is really, really bad.
Diablo unintentionally half-rose up from the bed, when...
Knock knock...
A knocking sound issued from the door, clearing away the fog that had taken hold of Diablo’s mind. He had snapped out of it, as if cold water was spilled all over him.
He hurriedly put his (bangle’s) belt back on. Laminitus, too, readjusted her disturbed dress.
“Hmph... Who dares disturb me?” Diablo asked with his Demon Lord’s voice.
†
“Umm... Pardon for coming to you this late at night, Lord Diablo,” a small voice said from the other side of the door. “I saw the light was still on and thought you might still be awake.”
It was Lumachina’s voice.
Normally, he would let her into the room, but Laminitus was still here, and in a rather revealing dress, at that. The room was full of the smell of alcohol, too, along with another, more obscene smell.
Even a prim and proper girl like Lumachina wouldn’t judge a jolly drinking bout during such a joyous occasion too harshly—but Diablo didn’t know if what they had just been doing could be considered a “jolly drinking bout.”
Diablo opened the window to air out the room.
“Is something wrong?” Diablo replied, eventually electing to keep the door closed.
“It is nothing urgent, but...there is something I must discuss with you.”
“I’m listening.”
“I think I will be going back to the Royal Capital soon,” Lumachina said through the door.
“What!?”
“Of course, not immediately. There are still many here who require treatment, and beginning tomorrow we will be able to use the church, so I intend to lift the ?Death Knell disease? then.”
“R-Right.”
The Paladin Captain Batutta’s sorcery spread a terrible curse called the Death Knell disease around Zircon Tower. But thanks to an item brought from Diablo’s personal base, the ?White Ox Statue?, they were now able to dispel the curse from the townspeople. Lumachina wasn’t the only one capable of using the statue, but, without her to manage the dispelling, the process would probably be reduced to havoc and unrest.
With Batutta gone, there was no one to lead the church in this town. If Lumachina were to leave, she would have to appoint someone trustworthy to run the local church. But once that was done...
“You say you want to return to the capital, but won’t that mean going back into the hands of the people who tried eliminating you?” Diablo asked. “Do you have a chance of winning against them?”
Lumachina was the highest-ranking member of the Church, the High Priest. Yet, the key figures who should have been serving her—the members of the Cardinal Authority—instead attempted to claim her life because she tried ridding the Church of corruption.
Lumachina may hold the highest position in the Church, but the Paladins, who serve as the Church’s arm and sword, obeyed the Cardinal Authority. They used their authority to embezzle funds and keep the Church under their thumb.
Without any power to defend herself with, the Cardinal Authority would dispose of her. Realizing this, Lumachina made her way to Zircon Tower, hoping to enlist the Paladin Captain Batutta to her side. However, while it was rumored he was a noble man, Batutta, too, had fallen to villainy. Lumachina’s situation hadn’t changed in the slightest.
As for the Paladin sent by the Cardinal Authority to assassinate her, Lumachina had saved him from death’s door in the depths of Diablo’s dungeon...
—There ought to be a limit to how naïve you can be...
For all his Demon Lord role playing, Diablo was still only acting. He didn’t actually want anyone to die. But, if someone were to threaten his life, he doubted he would go so far to save them. He prioritized his friends’ lives over those of his enemies, and he wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who attacked him with the intent to kill, either. That much should be obvious.
But it was exactly because battles where life and death stood in the balance were so common in this world, that Diablo felt Lumachina’s caring disposition was a precious thing worth defending.
“As I am right now, I will probably fail,” Lumachina admitted. “It is very possible I will not even create a chance for people to even want for a reform.”
“So you do understand.”
“I do... But I still intend to leave in a month.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to return?”
“Because the Demon Lord has been revived. I am afraid the Church will not have the power to defend the people in this time of plight, not when it is led by those who only act to fulfill their own greed.”
“I doubt that it will.”
“You think so, too, Lord Diablo?”
“Expecting the corrupted bastards at the top of society to simply reform and do away with their greed because of an impending crisis is something that would only happen in a fairy tale. Reality is much colder and crueler than that.”
“So will they do nothing, then?”
“Oh no, they’ll act, all right... As soon as they catch wind of the Demon Lord’s revival, they’ll transfer their funds and families to another country. Once the front lines are lost, the rich and the privileged will be the first to turn tail and flee the capital.”
“No... That’s awful...”
“Villains never change their ways. No matter the situation, they always try finding out how to best exploit others to maximize their gain.”
“Yes... You are right. I think so, too. Nothing would be better than to see them reform... But the way things are, the only thing I can see happening is the death of the innocent.”
“Indeed...”
Diablo understood why Lumachina was in a hurry now. But she had no means of stopping the Church.
—I’ve got a bad feeling about this...
“I beg of you, Lord Diablo! Please lend me your help, and protect me!”
She had believed Diablo to be “God who had taken the guise of an Adventurer claiming to be a Demon Lord.” No, maybe she did before, but had already seen through his lie by now...
—Should I go to the capital to defend Lumachina?
It would mean charging into the Cardinal Authority’s stronghold, exposing their lies and corruption, and restoring Lumachina to her rightful position and authority. To do so, he would have to contend against Paladins, who were all roughly level 100.
It would be difficult...
“What would you do if I refused?”
“In that case, I would go back to the capital alone.”
“You’ll die.”
“Living without doing anything to change things would be much worse.”
“Aren’t there others you could ask for help?”
“I doubt I would find someone stronger and more dependable than you if I scoured Lyferia up and down, Lord Diablo. And even if I did, it would be uncertain they would cooperate with me. I will not cling to such slim prospects. I would rather go back to the capital and try reforming the Church in whatever way I can, even if it costs me my life.”
Diablo’s lips curled up into a smile with a “Hmph.”
Maybe before he would have believed facing scores of Paladins would be “difficult,” but now, things were different.
“Very well.”
“Huh?”
The items he had collected from his treasure vault were the strongest, without match. Things weren’t the way they were before.
“I shall grant you your wish. My endless power will destroy all those who stand in your path.”
“Oh... Oh, thank you so much! Thank you so very much!”
Lumachina prostrated herself on the corridor floor and bowed down repeatedly in reverent gratitude, though Diablo couldn’t see her through the closed door.
Having made his imposing statement, Diablo’s gaze fell to Laminitus, who had glared at him, pouting in displeasure. Diablo winced despite himself.
“What?”
“Was Our hospitality lacking? Will you really be leaving in a month?”
“You heard what we said. The reason should be clear.”
“We see you prefer...younger girls...”
“That’s not it!”
Diablo carelessly raised his voice, which made Lumachina ask him from the other side of the door, “Is anything the matter, Lord Diablo?”
“Ah, ahem! No, all is well. It has gotten quite late and you have much to do tomorrow. You should head back and rest.”
“Yes... Umm...”
“Is there something else you need?”
“No, it’s just... Thank you so much, God.”
Lumachina went back to her room, leaving those words behind.
—She still believes that!?
†
“Did she just call you ‘God’?” Laminitus asked, her head tilted curiously.
“It just means I’m that powerful.”
“We thought the Church forbade worshiping anyone except for the one true God written in the scriptures.”
“Quite knowledgeable, aren’t you?”
“We are not foolish enough to stand up to someone without looking into them.”
“Well, the thing is...Lumachina seems to believe I’m the lord’s avatar.”
“Is that girl slow in the head?”
“Does she strike you as a particularly bright one?”
“No, you are right... She is an uncompromising, sentimental fool—she would have to be, if she truly seeks to change the Church from within.”
“That’s right.”
Laminitus giggled. “Come to think of it, perhaps you being God’s avatar would make more sense than you just being some talented Sorcerer.”
“Hmph, do not mock me, fool. I’ve already told you before—I am a Demon Lord from another world.”
“Quite the interesting man, you...”
“And you, the peculiar woman.”
Dealing with Laminitus weighed on his nerves, it seemed. She gave him the unpleasant feeling she could see right through his Demon Lord persona. Perhaps that was what set a mature woman apart...
Laminitus grabbed her robe from the chair and put it on.
“It seems We have been rejected in favor of another woman, so We will be taking our leave.”
“What about the town?”
“We are no fool. If you leave, We have no option left but to evacuate.”
“I see... I thought you would be stubborn about not leaving.”
“We are. This town is our Kingdom, after all. But, once word comes out that you’ve left, all the Adventurers and mercenaries We’ve gathered—hell, even the soldiers—would flee.”
“They...probably would.”
The Demon Lord’s army left a powerful impression. Everyone was well aware it was Diablo and his group who turned the tide in the races’ favor. If the heroes who saved the day would leave town, so would everyone else.
“We see no reason to fret.” Laminitus shrugged. “A town can always be rebuilt so long as there are people to live in it. Had it not been for your deeds, all would have truly been lost. We really cannot thank you enough.”
“I don’t really... I do not care for that. I am a Demon Lord, and a town of the races interests me little.”
“In a month, We will take our civilians and retreat from Zircon Tower. Our sand ships can go until the edge of the desert, so you may take sail with us. Until then, keep this town safe.”
“Well, if you offer us passage, we may wait.”
“Heh... Should you change your mind, come visit Us in the tower. We can continue what we started tonight then...”
Diablo stiffened, the memory of what they had just done resurfacing.
“Wh-What are you saying, fool?” Diablo folded his arms and averted his gaze. “Do you truly believe I have interest in such things?”
“We regret to inform you that We’ve developed quite an interest in your...thing...”
—Calm the hell down, woman!
Diablo had to invest all his composure into holding back the blush which threatened to creep onto his face.
Diablo turned his back to her and looked out the window, letting the cold night air chill his burning face.
“Hurry back already.”
“Good night, Diablo.”
He could hear the door close shut behind him. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep for a while...
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