Chapter 99
50th chapter! wooooo! Kinda rushed this one, so I'll edit it later as it is unedited. Also, don't worry about the *, they are just there for me. Thanks for reading~
I feel a warm weight on my shoulder. While carrying one girl, I am sprinting together with Setsuna and Freya.
She was the demon king in the first world that I had fought against. For some reason, she had hidden her appearance with a robe in this town, and the money she owned was so low that she was troubled for today's meal. While I was in the midst of investigating her actual circ.u.mstances, we were attacked by demons, which is why we are running right now. The other party has slipped into the crowd of people and are chasing us.
"Where are you planning on escaping to?" (Demon King)
"I heard the slums were in the north, and we should be able to find 1 or 2 deserted houses there." (Kearuga)
Since the girl on my shoulder asked a question, I answered her. I had considered going outside of the town, but our tent, bedding, etc is left behind at the inn. Setsuna and I are okay spending a night in the mountain at night without any equipment, but it would be severe for amateurs.
"Kearugsama, the enemies are still chasing." (Setsuna)
Setsuna sniffs with her nose while warning me. I got rid of the guys in the shop, but I hadn't dealt with the multiple guys that released the magic together. Setsuna had remembered their smell, so we can confirm the existence of the chasers without looking back.
"Freya, I entrust dealing with them to you." (Kearuga)
"Please wait a little bit. I will confirm it with Setsunchan and pinpoint them." (Freya)
She can pinpoint their location by using Setsuna's sense of smell and【Heat Source Search】to confirm whether she perceived the correct demon. It would be hard to mistake them as they are chasing us, but there is the possibility that she could drag in unrelated people. That would contradict with my principles, so it's necessary to properly pinpoint them. Freya asks for confirmation to Setsuna at the demon she pointed at, and Setsuna nods. The rest is just shooting magic in accordance to【Heat Source Search】.
If she perceives them even once with【Heat Source Search】, no matter how many obstacles they hid behind, no matter how many feints they make, they can't escape because their location information is directly sent to Freya's mind as a number.
"Kearugsama, is it fine to kill them?" (Freya)
"Please, but don't drag in any other people." (Kearuga)
"I understand. Well then…" (Freya)
We turn the corner, and after checking that there are no pa.s.ser bys in this street, Freya runs for a while and then stops. After a little while, 3 demon chasers turn the corner.
"【Ice Spear Wind Bullet】" (Freya)
She begins making a bullet of ice and shoots it out with compressed air. It's a composite magic of the wind attribute and water attribute. While imagining their future coordinates with the data she got from【Heat Source Search】, she rapidly fires it. The ice bullets rain down incessantly, capturing the enemies who try to avoid it, and pierce the enemies who try to defend against it. Although the demons that were chasing after us were skillful, they get wiped out in an instant once they receive the powerful composite magic from the hero of magic.
"Before an uproar happens, we will leave this place." (Kearuga)
"Yes." (Freya)
"Nn." (Setsuna)
Both of them nod, and we start running towards the slums.
There were many deserted houses in the slums, so it was thankfully convenient for hiding. We choose a building that has no indication that someone is living there, and create a simple barrier after entering. Inside, dust and trash was scattered around, but if we just clean it up, it should be liveable.
"Setsuna, Freya, I'll entrust cleaning to you guys. I need to talk with my new employer." (Kearuga)
"Certainly. I will work hard to let us be able to sleep comfortably!" (Freya)
"… Don't do unnecessary things to increase Setsuna's work. Only do what Setsuna tells you to do." (Setsuna)
Since Freya is a former princess, she's quite bad at any type of housework. Since she's smart, she can memorize things easily, but when she does something for the first time, it usually turns into a catastrophic incident. Foreseeing that, Setsuna warned her.
"Sorry about that. Once we finish talking, I'll help out as well. Well then, let's hear your story." (Kearuga)
I lower the baggage on my back. Since I had been holding her for the whole time, I have unusually stiff shoulders. Well, without having to hear her story, I already know her situation after I read through her memories while using【Recovery Heal】. While doing so, not only did I gain her memories, but I also gained her abilities. Although I can't【Imitation Heal】monster's abilities, it seems I can use it on demons. It was my first time doing it, so I was a bit surprised.
"What exactly is your objective?" (Demon King)
Without hiding the wariness in her eyes, the demon king (temporary) girl looks at me. There are no humans who protect someone out of good will from a powerful demon; it's only natural that she would suspect me. Rather, as expected, I would abandon an idiot who would carelessly thank us in this situation.
"I have met a demon king with black wings, silver hair and red pupils. No matter what, I want to meet up with her and talk with her." (Kearuga)
"Wasn't that a joke" (Demon King)
"There's no way I would do something like this for a joke right?" (Kearuga)
The correct actions I should have taken in that situation is to abandon her and quickly escape from there. By saving her, my face is being identified by the organization that is chasing her. I'm certain that someone was in the a.s.sailant's view, so the actions we can take in this town is quite limited.
"… But that's weird. After all, the time when someone from the kokuyoku race was the demon king was beyond 30 years ago. Humans instantly become grandads right? And no matter how I look at it, you are still young, so it has to be a lie." (Demon King)
"That's true. The time when I meet with her is in the future. 5 years from now, I will meet the
Because I said that all of a sudden, she had a dumbfounded face.
"What are you saying?" (Demon King)
"With these pupils, I'm able to see the future." (Kearuga)
I activate my【Jade Eyes】. My eyes s.h.i.+ne jade green. The【Jade Eyes】doesn't have a power to predict the future, but with enough magic knowledge, you can understand that it is a powerful magic eye.
"I saved you because you are the future demon king I will meet in the future. Do you need any more explanation apart from that?" (Kearuga)
"… I am, the future demon king. That's not a funny joke." (Demon King)
"It's not a joke, I actually saw it with these eyes." (Kearuga)
I say that and smile at her. She is perplexed. Without having to believe me, she must of thought that the fact that she's a demon king candidate was exposed. She takes off her gloves and uncovers her hidden left hand. There is a carved seal on it.
Girls are generally weak to things regarding the future or destiny, and since it would be easier to persuade her by thinking about her circ.u.mstances, I came up with this【Setting】.
"I thought that humans were weak and couldn't even use magic properly, but it seems there are people like you who have strange powers." (Demon King)
"Well yeah, I'll have you correct the fact that they are just weak. It seems you are suspicious whether it's a trap or not. … If you are going to injure me, I don't even have to entrap you. After all, I am a hero and I'm stronger than you." (Kearuga)
Taking off my glove, I show her the seal that is carved onto the back of my hand. It's a symbol that is only carved onto heroes.
"I'll formally name myself. I am Kearuga, the hero of healing." (Kearuga)
"-!? So you were a hero." (Demon King)
She strengthens her wariness and gets ready to fight. Although it would be troublesome to fight, it isn't really a problem if we do. It'll also be fun to make her understand through ability. Without a doubt, I will be able to win. My【Jade Eyes】see through the demon king (temporary) girl's everything.
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Race: Kokuyoku Tribe
Name: Eve Reese
Cla.s.s: Demon King Candidate, Fallen Angel
Level: 51
Status:
MP: 21/187
Physical Attack: 133
Physical Defense: 97
Magical Attack: 123
Magical Defense: 87
Speed: 109
Level Limit: 70
Talent Values:
MP: 89
Physical Attack: 125
Physical Defense: 90
Magical Attack: 115
Magical Defense: 80
Speed: 101
Total Talent Value: 600
Abilities:
Skills:
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It's the first time I've seen a total talent value of 600. Even heroes like Freya and I are still in the 500s, and her level exceeds 50. Her abilities and skills are also excellent. She has mastered light and darkness that is impossible to use for humans, and she even has a rare summoning magic. Her peculiar fighting technique which is the black wing martial arts is extremely powerful, and although I have use【Imitation Heal】on all her abilities, household summoning is useless without invitation from the household; the prerequisite skill. I'll be using darkness magic and sacred magic as necessary this time.
I have lost against her in my level, talent values, abilities and even skills, but as far as I saw in the fight before, she has an absolute weakness and she doesn't have enough techniques either. There are many ways I could go about this.
"I don't mind fighting, but before that, I want you to hear me out. Heroes certainly are tools that humans use to kill demons, but I wish for coexistence with demons. I saved you because I figured it would be more convenient to have you as the next demon king to stop the stupid conflict humans and demons are having." (Kearuga)
"What do you know about me?" (Eve)
"I told you I met you in the future. At the very least, instead of doing what the guys who are chasing you want, I think it would be better for you to become the demon king. Therefore, I will protect you until then." (Kearuga)
By reading through her memories, I knew that she was a demon king candidate. Once the death of the demon king comes close, a person comes out to 1 person for each of the 20 tribes and carves the proof that they are a demon king candidate on the back of their hand.
Then, coincident with the demon king's death, the succession is performed. The standards they elect them by are unknown. 30 years ago, the kokuyoku demon king died, and a demon king from a different race was elected.
That demon king was a weak demon king. They were picked because that demon king used cowardly schemes to kill the other candidates, thoroughly gave the previous demon king's race, the kokuyoku race ill-treatment and pulled away all their authority. Unable to bear being compared to the previous demon king who was called a wise ruler, they didn't allow anyone apart from him to have authority. Because of this complex, the kokuyoku race was injured more than necessary, and when someone from the kokuyoku race was picked as a demon king candidate when he was going to die soon, he became unbearably afraid. If someone from the kokuyoku race is elected as the demon king, is he going to receive revenge for the poor treatment he gave the kokuyoku race? To reduce that anxiety, they decided to annihilate the kokuyoku race with a demon king's authority.
"Unbelievable. As I thought, I can't rely on you… on a hero. I am thankful to you for saving me. However, this will be farewell." (Eve)
She turns her back to me; that's the reaction I expected.
"Are you fine with that? What can a child like you that only has strength do by yourself? In reality, if I hadn't saved you, you would have died. It will be the same from now on as well. I will teach you what you are lacking. You lack the wisdom to run away, you lack wariness, you lack strife expenses, you lack comrades, you lack will and you lack resolution." (Kearuga)
It's easy to kill an opponent that only has strength. You just have to cling to that person for 24 hours and wait until they are defenseless. Every soldier will expose a gap somewhere. If it's an opponent that takes systematic actions, they can kill her.
"Shut up!" (Eve)
"At this rate, the wings on your back will become heavier again." (Kearuga)
The demon king (temporary) girl turns around. An innumerable amount of her household spirits dwell in her wings. The kokuyoku race spirits that have been killed by the present demon king are coming to her so that they can clear their resentment after she becomes the demon king. Most of the household fallen angels the demon king used in the first world were from the kokuyoku race and were killed by the current demon king.
"Exactly what are you trying to tell me to do!" (Eve)
As if making a tantrum, she shouts. Until now, she had been saving her emotions. One week ago, guards from the kokuyoku race were always near her, but they were killed. After becoming alone, she endured and endured holding down her feelings, and where she finally ran to was this town. Her tense heart had finally ripped down.
"It's fine to just be with me. I'll protect you. I will compensate for everything you lack. If you want, there are also more optimistic choices I can give you." (Kearuga)
"… Optimistic choices?" (Eve)
"Kill the current demon king so that you can hurry up and become the demon king. If the current demon king dies, isn't the next demon king immediately picked? There are countless candidates, but I can guarantee that you will be elected. Once that happens, people from your tribe who are trembling at your hometown will be saved." (Kearuga)
A dark fire dwells in her eyes; it must be unbearably appealing. She will be freed from escaping day after day and her tribe will be saved. Above all, there's no way she doesn't hate the demon king who tried to annihilate her tribe and kill her.
"I long for that. I want to cling to you. But I want to know your true desires, or else I can't trust you. No matter how you look at it, you aren't a human who would take action because of something like justice. Even I understand tell that much. The only true thing you said was that you want to protect me and that you want to kill the demon king." (Eve)
I feel a bit of respect for her now; she's quite sharp. What I said about humans and demons coexisting is just a front, and there are actually 2 things that I want.
The first one is this woman herself. Although she is still a young bird right now, she will grow to a beautiful girl enough to make me, who's on the opposition, be charmed by her. I was deeply moved by her beautiful figure when she shed tears at her last moments. The other one is…
"I want the demon king's heart. What, it's not like I'll gouge out your heart after you become the demon king. I'll use the opportunity when I kill the current demon king to take it. That's the reward I want from you." (Kearuga)
Since I don't want Setsuna or Freya to hear this part, I whisper it into her ear. As I thought, she had known since her eyes opened widely. If you gouge out a demon king's heart, it becomes a red jewel.
【Philosopher's Stone】. I had once used it to【Recovery Heal】the world itself. I don't intend to use it in this world, but I want to make preparations so that I can redo whenever I want to.
That being said, to secure residue, I didn't think much about killing my favourite demon king (toy). It would be a waste. However, if it's the current demon king who this demon king (toy) hates, it just means that I can get a rare item by killing him*.
"Let me think about it for a night. I'll spend the rest of today with you." (Eve)
"Yeah, think hard about it." (Kearuga)
She will definitely accept this suggestion. Her eyes have already turned into the peculiar eyes people get when they become possessed by the charm of revenge. Once it's become like this, she's mine. Well, I'll have a think about how I should play with this toy from tomorrow.