Vol 6 Chapter 3:
Demon King and Hero, taking a step towards new dreams
“Alright! One more time!”“Er, erhm, Sariel-san, I’m sorry, but I’m really tired already……”
“What are you talking about! Time waits for no man! Hey, Bell! The phone, bring the phone over!”
“Y, yeah……is, is it really alright……”
“Hey, wait a minute. Didn’t Chi-chan say that she’s tired? And the practice has already been going on for two hours, let her rest a bit!”
“Shut up, weak Demon King! Limits aren’t something decided by oneself!”
“It’s useless if you can’t clearly see where your own limits are right.”
“For me, I think because your limits are too low, you have been training your tolerance limit all this time.”
“Alsiel, don’t bully Lucifer.”
“Alas=Ramus, don’t spoil Lucifer too much.”
“Hey, don’t you think it’s strange? Normally, it should be the other way round right? I’m the one being spolit by Alas=Ramus?”
“Alright, Sasaki Chiho! Shout out loudly again! We’re starting!”
“Be, before that, at least let me drink some water……”
“Stupid angel, know your limits! Do you want to kill Chi-chan!”
“If she can’t learn this spell, then she might really be killed! Today’s hard labour is tomorrow’s food, and it is closely related to the redescending of my goddess! Alright, gather your spirits and continue practicing!”
“No one said anything about meeting life threatening situations!”
“Er, erhm, Sariel-sama, I think it would be better to rest a bit……”
Chiho was currently receiving Spartan education from Sariel in a spacious gymnasium.
This place is 15 minutes walk away from the MgRonalds in front of Hatagaya station. Located near Sariel’s apartment, there is a facility known as Hatagaya Sports Center.
Besides having various sizes of running tracks, basement warm water pools, martial arts training areas and other facilities, community events and exercises classes were also held occasionally, therefore it is normally free to use by residents.
Maou and the others were currently in one of the largest buildings, and they even booked this large gymnasium the size of two basketball courts for six hours.
They have only one purpose, which is to let Chiho completely learn Mental Transmission.
“WAHHHHHHHH……cough, cough……”
“It can’t be helped! 10 minutes break!”
Seeing Chiho choke from forcefully complying with his unreasonable request, Sariel could only reluctantly let her rest.
“Short! At least let her rest for 30 minutes!”
“Shut up, Demon King! Are you this girl’s chaperone or something? Ah?”
“At least right now in this situation, I am! I have an obligation to protect Chi-chan’s safety!”
“You two, it’s already hot enough here, if you want to argue, go to the side and do it. Chiho, are you alright?”
“Ah……fwah……cough!”
Chiho pushed herself and wanted to reply with a smile, but in the end, she ended up choking.
“Sasaki-san, you’ve worked hard. Please take this water and towel……”
Ashiya and Emi appeared from the side, and presented a towel and PET bottle, Chiho also accepted them with a groan.
“Oh dear, it seems like the battery is going to run out. Emilia, lend me your charger.”
“Hah……I……I also need to charge……cough!”
After catching her breath, Suzuno and Chiho started to charge their mobile phones.
“Hey! Ten minutes shouldn’t be enough to finish charging right!”
“Then before the charging is finished, let’s go through the basic practices of mental focus……”
“You guys!”
Unexpectedly, from the beginning, it was Sariel who suggested going through the Mental Transmission training at the gymnasium.
After knowing the contents of Chiho’s basic training, Sariel thought that in the gymnasium, whether it was shouting loudly or going through some reckless looking training, no one would become suspiscious, a good place for the casters to practice in a long distance setting.
Even though Maou didn’t believe it in the beginning, after Suzuno expressed that this training was reasonable, he could only accept it.
Even so, it was still summer now. Just standing in the sauna like gymnasium has already caused Maou and the others to start sweating.
Even more so for Chiho, who had to shout loudly everytime she needed to focus because of incomplete holy magic training. Eve if she did take part in a sports club, as a normal person, Chiho still accumulated a lot of fatigue beyond imagination.
Sariel suggested to use mobile phones to carry out the imagination training for Mental Transmission.
Just as what the words meant, the basic imaging of Mental Transmission is the transmission of mental concepts. The important key to this spell is ‘letting the mind and body know that even if a person doesn’t open his mouth, he is still able to convey his thoughts to the other party’.
And this is natural, but normal people all know that if they do not depend on talking or specific actions, it would be difficult to correctly convey their meaning to the other party, and they understood that in their soul.
And trying to break this obstacle as this level of understand is exceptionally difficult. Because this fixed belief carved in the soul isn’t something which can be gotten rid off at will.
Therefore, normal training will start with the casters touching their foreheads to each other, planting an impression with both their minds that their thinking can interact, however Sariel chose to use mobile phones as a replacement.
Communicating through the phone without seeing the other party’s expression, it was harder than imagined to convey the true meaning of the information.
But on the other hand, even though the basis of Mental Transmissions are ‘connecting with a specific target’, ‘and convey information’, ‘from a distance where the other party cannot be seen’, characteristics which go against fixed beliefs, there is a tool which can allow people to accept these concepts ---- that is the mobile phone.
Therefore, Chiho and Suzuno would need to communicate via mobile phone first.
After that the two of them stepped away from each other to a distance where normal conversation volume would not reach, and placing the phone to their ear to experience the feeling of conection, they let the spell carry over using the electrical waves.
In reality, Emi had communicated with Emeralda with Mental Transmission by using her phone.
And also because Chiho did self training, even Sariel was shocked that she was able to easily activate holy magic.
However, when it comes to raising the level of the spell, it was another matter.
Even though it is just simple telepathy, but using spells to transmit voice is easier said than done.
Just like now, even if Chiho could smoothly activate the holy magic within her body, when she has to switch and use spells, even if they used a mobile phone with maintained communication, even if they were just separated by a short distance such as the opposite ends of the gymnasium, she was still unable to execute the spell.
“Ma, Maou-san, it’s fine. I, I’ll do my best……”
“See! She even said so herself! Maou, you can’t impede other people’s will to improve. Alright, leave the rest to me, you should just go to a corner and reflect on your past actions.”
“Why do I have to be criticized by you about that matter, kapuh?”
“Alright alright, just this time, Sariel is correct, don’t butt in.”
“Papa, Chi nee-chan is working very hard. Don’t scold her.”
“Wr, wrong, I’m not angry at Chi-chan……h, ehy, don’t grab the collar, it’ll loosen that way!”
Chiho breathed in deeply as she watched Maou being dragged away by Emi and Alas=Ramus.
“Then----”
“A~new~mor~ning~has~come! A~mor~ning~of~hope!”
She suddenly started singing.
“Oh?”
“Ah~I see.”
Sariel and Urushihara looked towards Chiho in amazement.
“As long as the heart is loosened up, any method is alright.”
“Seems like it. That was a surprise.”
When Chiho sang, her body emitted holy magic which was almost equal in amount to when she shouted.
Even though it wasn’t that obvious, but it was more accurate to say that the holy magic now was more polished compared to when she shouted.
“I used to practice with the hymns of the church as well……but you probably haven’t taught her that right?”
Now, Emi, who was still grabbing Maou’s collar, asked this, and Suzuno nodded in reply.
“But……”
Even if Suzuno was also amazed that Chiho could think of using singing to practice on her own, she still frowned, feeling slightly troubled.
“Why……is it the workout song from the radio?”
“Ah, Suzuno-san knows this song as well?”
Chiho, who finished singing, looked towards Suzuno with surprise.
“MHK airs when I wake up. Seems like there is a summer special.”
“I like that song quite a bit. This song energises people without thinking too much, and I feel the radio matches this training very well.”
“Is that so? I never listened to it properly.”
“A new morning huh……”
Hearing Maou say this even though he was still pulled along, Emi glanced at his side profile.
“Does the song end here?”
“There’s still a second verse, you know? Let me think about it……”
After Chiho thought about it for a while, she started to sing loudly once again.
Coincidentally, as Chiho has already did 2 hours to voice training, her voice echoed around the whole gymnasium beautifully.
Underneath the new mornig, a shining green field. Stretch out your limbs refreshingly, step on this ground with force. Follow the radio, on this land, stretch out your healthy limbs, steady, one, two, three.
Chiho’s cheery singing voice to sing the second verse of the radio workout.
“I see, it’s not bad.”
“That’s right! Even though my friends all say that it’s outdated or they feel embarrassed singing it……”
Chiho seemed to be very happy because she was praised by Maou.
Seeing her expression, the hearts of Emi, Suzuno, Maou and Ashiya became heavy.
Chiho was happy purely because she obtained a new power.
Not wanting Chiho to be involved in the troublesome matters of Ente Isla, this is only common understanding between Maou and Emi, however this unwritten rule is now faced with a challenge.
Furthermore, to them, letting Sariel to help with Chiho’s training wasn’t something which was supposed to happen.
However, for things to turn out like this, is also the path which Maou and Emi had chosen, the feelings of gratefulness and regret towards Chiho who wanted to be their strength, continued to conflict within their hearts, causing much doubt within their hearts.
The night they met Farfarello and Iron, even Sariel joined the discussion at the Demon Fortress.
Even if it’s Ashiya, he would still get a shock at the unexpected late night visitors, but under Maou’s orders, he still prepared tea for all of them with a straight face.
Even though he prepared iced brewed tea for Maou and Chiho, but he had served the rest, including Urushihara, hot tea, from this action which surpassed the level of annoying, even the aesthetics of a General can be felt.
“Ah, how tasty.”
Even if Chiho felt happy because she drank cooling iced tea, but a stuffy atmosphere because of the heat and the density of people still persisted. After all, in this six tatami room, besides two demons, an archangel and fallen angel, there was still a Hero, Inquisitor and high school girl squeezed within.
Just from this lineup, it wouldn’t be strange even if they decided the history of the universe here.
In fact, the long limbed Ashiya could only stand in the kitchen, and was unable to sit on the tatami.
Partly to sort out the situation, Maou explained the events which occurred in front of Hatagaya station to Ashiya and Urushihara in a simple manner.
And the most surprising thing amongst that, is after all, that youth known as Iron, he is actually an existence born from a ‘Sephira’ different from Alas=Ramus.
And Iron, who is like this, not only is he working together with the demon Farfarello, he was even ordered around by the other party like a subordinate, further confusing everyone.
Until now, other than ‘Yesod’, there were no other Sephira which had anything to do with the matters surrounding Ente Isla.
To forcefully make a connection, the shop manager of the beach house Ooguroya, Ooguro Amane, had mentioned ‘Understanding’, however, even if Amane is a mysterious person, she isn’t a person who would act sneakily around Maou and the others.
Therefore, some people present did suggest that perhaps, Alas=Ramus had gotten it wrong.
“But it’s not possible for Alas=Ramus to be mistaken about such an important thing. She even let the holy sword disappear on her own will, you know?”
On one hand, it was already late, Emi said this as he hugged Alas=Ramus, who had entered the land of dreams.
“The holy sword could even snap the Durandal, no matter how shallow the slice is, that sword cannot be stopped barehanded unless it’s that kind of existence.”
“That’s true. Even though it’s not easy to belive, but if Iron is the ‘Geburah’ sephira, then many matters from that battle earlier can be explained……ow ow ow……”
Suzuno pressed down on her elbow, sprained when she was thrown back by Iron, and started to explain,
“The corresponding number for ‘Geburah’ is ‘5’, jewel is ‘Ruby’, mineral is ‘Iron’, colour is red, planet is the star of the king of the flames of war. In charge of the power of god, guardian angel is Kamael. In addition, even though his hair is mostly black, the same colour as the mineral he is in charge of, a little red hair is mixed within, the characteristics is the same as Alas=Ramus’s hair.”
Alas=Ramus, born from ‘Yesod’, in charge of silver and purple, also has silver hair with some purple hair.
“Since there is a precedent of Alas=Ramus, then it’s not so strange for the other ‘Sephira’ to also have human personalities. Like this, Iron should be considered the first appearance of another sample. The problem is……”
“that he’s actually listening to the orders of a demon?”
“That is correct.”
Suzuno, who still used polite language towards Sariel, nodded with a dignified look on her face, then she turned paled like she had discovered something very important.
“Wa, wait a moment……does Sariel-sama know about Alas=Ramus……”
“““!”””
Even though everyone temporarily forgot because he joined too naturally, but basically, Sariel is an enemy eyeing Emi’s holy sworld.
Even though Sariel received added shock before when he saw Kisaki carrying a small girl, but logically, at that time, he still didn’t know that the young girl is Alas=Ramu, who was born from the ‘Yesod’ sephira.
Maou and Emi glared fiercely at Sariel’s face, but only puffed up his gaunt cheeks and sighed softly,
“I know about it. Earlier, Gabriel did come to the store to complain about the failure in retrieving Emilia’s holy sword. I heard that the young girl who I misunderstood to be my goddess’s child has already fused with Emilia’s holy sword?”
Whether it was Suzuno, who accepted Sariel’s confession or anyone else present, no one had told Sariel anything about Alas=Ramus.
“Honestly, as long as she is not the child of my goddess, then anything else wouldn’t make a different. I’m alright as long as I have my goddess……hot! Wh, what’s up with this tea! Even though it’s this season, what is the person who brewed the tea thinking!”
Sariel listlessly said things which didn’t resemble what one of the members of Heaven eyeing Emi’s holy sword would say, and drank the tea Ashiya served without thinking, then got shock because of the temperature of the tea.
“Other than Kisaki-san, you really don’t care about anything else.”
Seeing Sariel who did not even sense the heat of the cup in his hands, and his appearance so refreshing that it made people think that it was miserable, Chiho couldn’t help but voice this opinion.
Even though it was not known how ernest Sariel is, but perhaps it was judged that since they need to talk about Iron, they cannot keep hiding the issue of Alas=Ramus from Sariel, therefore Maou, Emi and Suzuno put down their guard and sat down once again.
In order to reaffirm the situation, Suzuno started to say,
“Assuming that Alas=Ramus and Iron that the same kind of existances, then Iron should be born from the ‘Geburah’ sephira or fragment. But……”
“……At least when I headed here from Heaven, I did not hear anything strange happening to ‘Geburah’.
Sariel, looking downwards, continued with what Suzuno wanted to say.
Even though Alas=Ramus is a special case created from the splitting of the ‘Yesod’ fragments, it cannot be hastily concluded that Iron also met a similar situation.
“However, if Heaven actually played a part in this, then things will be much simpler.”
Maou said nonchalantly.
“That’s true, talking about those angels……”
Chiho subconsciously looked at Urushihara and Sariel one after another----
“What.”
“What is it.”
“Ah, er, erhm, it’s nothing, I’m sorry.”
Then she frantically shifted her gaze elsewhere.
“Ashiya can understand what Sasaki-san wishes to express. Because till now, those people calling themselves angels are definitely up to no good.”
Even though he is facing Urushihara and Sariel directly, Ashiya still mercllessly judged so.
“Sigh, I think no matter how we rebuke, it shouldn’t have much persuasive power.”
“Hey, Lucifer!”
“Keep quiet first. Anyway, even though I don’t know the current Heaven very well, but with regards to that angel Kamael, I find it hard to believe that he has something to do with this incident.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Before answering Emi’s question, Urushihara first glanced at Suzuno.
“Kamael……refers to the ‘absolute justice of God’ right?”
“That’s right.”
Urushihara nodded and Sariel did not deny it as well.
“The guardian angel of ‘Geburah’ is Kamael. That guy isn’t like Gabriel or Raguel, he’s a conservative and upright person. Just like the absolute justice he represents, as long as the incident does not involve Heaven’s Threat, forget about using ‘Geburah’, even the fact if he would act at all is uncertain. Even though on the contrary, as long as he acts, uncomparable repurcussions will occur, but he himself should know this well.”
“I also agree with Lucifer’s opinion. Basically, the guardian angels, don’t leave Heaven that easily.”
“Then why would that youth Iron, work together with Farfarello?”
Ashiya’s question, represented the enquires of everyone present. Whether it was the fallen angel or archangel, they could only fall silent when faced with this question. In short, that means they don’t know as well.
“Erhm, Ashiya-san.”
“Is something wrong?”
Once Chiho spoke, Ashiya turned his head showing a warm expression and answered, totally different from how he treated Urushihara and the others.
“That is, even though it doesn’t seem to be a question which should be asked now……but doesn’t Ashiya-san wish to return to the Demon World or Ente Isla?”
From the current situation, Chiho’s question could have stepped on an incredible landmine.
In reality, Emi and Suzuno were already shaken by Chiho’s sudden question, but Chiho herself haboured a certain belief----
Ashiya did not think that meeting up with the Malebranche in Ente Isla is a good thing.
“Honestly speaking, of course I really wish to go back. But……”
Ashiya showed a different from normal stern expression, crossed his arms in anger and said,
“Not only did those guys go against the orders of Demon King-sama, causing chaos to the citizens of the Demon World, they even ignored everything, coming out to take over the foundations I set in the Eastern Continent, just thinking that I have to be known as the Demon Army together with these dirty flies makes me very unhappy. Even though this might not be something which should be told to Sasaki-san, but even if the fact that they were instigated by humans were ignored, Demon King-sama and I still feel restless about this. More so for……”
Ashiya took out the demonic magic block which Farfarello passed to Maou from the fridge, and looked at the object unhappily. Considering that it was still summer, he wrapped it in clingfilm beforehand for refridgeration.
“malicious demonic magic like this, even if you asked me, I do not wish to use it as well.”
“I, I see.”
Even though the reason was a bit different from what she expected, Ashiya, like Maou, was unhappy with the actions of the Malebranche after all.
With this, it can be confirmed that Maou and Ashiya will not answer to Farfarello’s invitation.
“……it caused me to break out in cold sweat.”
“Yeah, seriously.”
Emi and Suzuno looked at each other and sighed, then they turned and looked towards the tea cups in front of them.
“……Hmph.”
“Ah, hey! I drank from that already……”
Even though Suzuno, in a well behaved manner, drank the steaming hot tea, Emi, after using her handkerchief to wipe the sweat of her forehead, snatched Maou’s cold tea beside her and drained it.
“If I get heatstroke, Alas=Ramus might be in danger too, you know?”
After draining the tea in the cup in one gulp, Emi roughly pushed the cup back to Maou.
“Ugh, that’s not what I meant……”
“Ashiya-san!”
“Y, yes?”
Chiho, who sat on Maou’s other side, showed a stiff smile to Ashiya standing in the kitchen, and for unknown reasons, Ashiya straightened his posture.
“Please serve Yusa-san a cup of cold tea as well, thank you.”
“I, I understand.”
This time it was Ashiya and Maou’s turn to break out in cold sweat.
“What, what’s wrong……?”
Seeing the conversation between the three people, Emi, the culprit of this incident tilted her head in confusion and asked.
“I think other than Emilia, everyone present should know the reason.”
Urushihara replied in what seemed like a fed up manner, causing Emi to frown even further.
In this period of time, for unknown reasons, Ashiya kept peeking at Chiho’s situation while preparing new tea cups for Emi and Maou and keeping the cup which Emi had drunk from.
“Wh, what exactly is going on?”
“It’s best that you don’t know.”
Even though Chiho still maintained her smiling face, but Emi felt that behind Chiho’s smiling face, she saw an unmeasureable aura.
“A, anyway, since we know that you guys don’t plan to response to Barbaricca’s invitation, then something has been gained from this as well.”
“That’s true.”
Even though Emi, who didn’t understand the situation, tried to pull the topic back on track, but it feels that Chiho’s tone of voice has become even stiffer compared to before.
Anyway, with regards to Chiho’s issue, Emi did say it correctly, but even if Maou and the others did not have that intention, whether Farfarello was willing to give up was another matter.
“……Sigh, however, I might be too rash at that time.”
As it feels that Chiho might become very scary if they dragged on even more, Maou drank a mouthful of the cold tea from the new cup, and continued on from Emi’s words.
“I subsconciously protected Chi-chan just now. As long as Farfarello is not an idiot, he should know that Chi-chan has something to do with us. And that she is different from Emi and Suzuno……”
“In other words, he might have already discovered that I have no fighting ability?”
“He might capture you as a hostage, I would do that if it was me.”
After Chiho filled in Maou’s sentence, Sariel said this directly without any regard of his own past, causing everyone else besides Urushihara to tense up.
Sariel nonchalantly bore everyone’s accusing stares.
“But it’s effective right? In reality, I acted because I thought it was so.”
Sariel had kidnapped the powerless Chiho before in an attempt to obtain Emi’s holy sword. Even though it’s hateful, but coming from his mouth, it was very persuasive.
“But thinking about it carefully, why is Chiho able to break into Farfarello’s barrier without doing anything?”
Emi asked Chiho and Chiho shook her head and replied,
“I don’t know as well. When I came to my senses, I discovered that Maou-san and the others are in front of me.”
“Even though this is just my deduction……but it may have something to do with Iron being able to leave Sariel-sama’s barrier easily. Whether it is Iron or Chiho-dono’s ring, their source has something to do with the sephira of the Tree of Life right?”
““Actually doing something so troublesome……””
After hearing Suzuno’s rather reasonable deduction, Maou and Emi mumbled the same words simultaneously.
“……What.”
“What’s up.”
Even if Maou and Emi couldn’t help but glare at each other, they seemed to know that now wasn’t the time to quarrel, and just as the two of them shifted their gaze away from each other, unable to express their feelings this time as well, preparing to drink their tea----
““…….””
Unexpectedly, both their cups were already empty, and the fact that both of them wanted to pass the moment by using the same method at the same time caused the both of them to feel even more awkward.
“Maou-sama, please pass the cup to me.”
Seeing the situation, Ashiya helped Maou refill his tea, then placed the teapot filled with cold tea on the kotasu, as if he is hinting to Emi ‘if you want to drink, then pour it yourself’.
“But if so, then what should we do?”
“What do you mean?”
“What else, of course I’m referring to Chiho-dono’s matters.”
Suzuno shifted her gaze to Chiho, but for unknown reasons, Chiho was currently looking at Maou and Emi unhappily.
“The situation right now is very serious. Since Farfarello already sees Chiho-dono as someone ‘related to us’, then what should we do about Chiho-dono?”
“Wouldn’t it be enough as long as you and I take turns to protect her?”
Even if she glared at Ashiya unhappily, Emi still unreservedly picked up the teapot and poured a cup of cold tea while answering Suzuno’s question in a simple manner, however Suzuno shook her head and said,
“Because that cannot be done, that is why I asked.”
“Eh, why?”
This time it was Chiho’s turn to ask questions. From Chiho’s standpoint, with the current situation, she would not be so insensible to reject being protected by both of them.
Maou and the others have not obtained their original power level s as demons. If so, then Emi and Suzuno being in charge of protecting Chiho would be considered a natural development……
“Emilia, how much leave can you take from your work. If you plan to thoroughly ensure Chiho-dono’s safety, then there should be at least two people fighting at the same time, or else we might be the one to lose.”
“Because that person called Iron is around right.”
Suzuno nodded to acknowledge Sariel’s explanation.
“That’s right. From the current situation, Iron should have equal or even stronger abilities compared to Farfarello. Even so, he still obediently follows Farfarello’s orders. And that barrier isn’t based on demonic magic, but a dimensional phase shifting barrier expanded using a spell. Faced with an enemy like Iron, it won’t be enough with just Emilia or me. And Alas=Ramus is in that kind of state……”
Just considering power, Iron is unreasonably tough.
Thinking carefully, as long as Alas=Ramus is serious, she can also exert a power which easily overcame Gabriel.
Even if she didn’t rely on the power of the holy sword, Emi still has the fighting techniques which Alberto taught her and rich combat spell experience, but if you ask her if she can fight against the personification of a sephira and a Malebranche chief while protecting a non-combatant, it couldn’t be considered completely safe.
“The worst thing is, when it is time to cross swords with Iron directly, perhaps Alas=Ramus might even hinder you.”
Earlier, Alas=Ramus went against the will of the wielder, Emi, and chose to make the holy sword disappear.
Even though it was a bit too much to say ‘hinder’, but at least this time, they couldn’t rely on the holy sword.
Since it has already merged with Alas=Ramus, then ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ was no longer the property of Emi, but an existence with a personality.
“But based on this, in the worst case situation, we might be totally helpless right?”
Maou said softly.
“Is it difficult to enter that barrier from outside?”
Sariel crossed his arms and answered Maou’s question,
“Honestly, this depends on the mood of the caster. When I set that barrier at the Metropolian Building, compared to defending against external attacks, I focused on large scale dimensional shift and causing other people to be unable to sense what is happening inside the barrier, therefore the boundaries will be weaker. At that time, didn’t you enter it easily?”
“Hm……that is true.”
When Maou headed to the Metropolian Building to rescue Chiho, who was kidnapped by Sariel and Suzuno, he barged in with clear knowledge that the enemy is there
Clearly, compared to the barrier Emi and the others encountered, the key to bypassing Sariel’s barrier lies in detecting if there is something there.
The important point lies in understanding that phenomenon as a concept, even if the characteristics of the spell itself is astonishing, it is still unable to break away from its own principles.
“But after I disappeared, all of you spent quite some time to break that barrier right? If only Chi-chan was pulled into the barrier, wouldn’t it be the end then?”
“……”
The Demon Fortress was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere.
“Oh my! You got to the crux of the problem……………………sor, sorry.”
Even Urushihara’s laid back tone, was unable to assuage the current atmosphere, in fact the atmosphere became heavier because of this.
“Then, at times like this……”
At this moment, Ashiya pointed towards Chiho like he did so in order to assuage the atmosphere.
“then the original arrangements should be followed, to allow Chiho-san to learn self-defence spells.”
“May I know what you mean by that?”
Not expecting Ashiya to suggest this, Chiho could only return a question in surprise.
“As long as the person Iron doesn’t get any orders, he wouldn’t act on his own even if Emilia has the holy sword pressed against Farfarello’s neck right?”
“That’s right……”
After getting Emi’s agreement, Ashiya continued to speak,
“Iron does not actively see us as enemies. In other words, if we treat Iron as one of Farfarello’s weapons, then things would be a lot easier.”
“Treat Iron as a weapon?”
“Hey, putting it that way, don’t you mean that Alas=Ramus is the same……”
Even though Emi angrily wanted to rebuke Ashiya’s thesis, Maou stopped her.
“Keep quiet. That isn’t what Ashiya meant.”
“……”
After confirming that Emi had stopped finding issues with him, Ashiya continued to explain,
“Firstly, Iron will not act alone. According to my deduction, even if he could be commanded from a distance, Farfarello will not let him out of his sight.”
“Why? Iron has a will of his own as well. As long as he is specifically commanded, he should be able to finish the mission alone. Even if Farfarello did not watch from the side……”
Faced with Suzuno’s question, Ashiya smiled scornfully,
“All of you should be unable to understand, to us, becoming a normal person is as hard to bear as humans walking naked on the street. Even though I feel sorry to Sasaki-san for saying this.”
“……But so what?”
Even though Suzuno felt unhappy about Ashiya’s way of speaking, only making up to Chiho even though he was ridiculing humans, Ashiya still continued to speak,
“Even though Farfarello has degraded into a human body, he still upheld Demon King-sama’s orders of ‘not hurting innocent Japanese citizens’. It’s difficult to imagine a man as devoted to the mission as him would allow a strong weapon like a ‘Sephira’ to act without any supervision.”
“Even though the example you raised is infuriating, it’s not as if I don’t understand.”
Emi nodded in agreement.
“On the contrary, only acting after receiving orders even if the person issuing orders is in life threatening danger is not a problem which can be explained by weak adaptability. If Iron, like this, acted alone, once he is faced with a sudden situation, it’s difficult to guarantee that he wouldn’t do something out of Farfarello’s expectations. From this point, it can be further confirmed that Iron will not leave Farfarello’s sphere of action.”
“I, I see.”
As expected of the demon who conquered Ente Isla the longest as its commander.
“There’s still an important point I hope everyone can pay special attention to, Farfarello became a chief after we invaded Ente Isla. In other words, amongst the Malebranche chiefs, he is the type which is more lacking in actual battle experience. In a direct battle, I think he wouldn’t be a match for Emilia. No matter how high performing the automatic weapon is, they wouldn’t be able to make their own decisions once there is no user.”
“The important point is to ignore Iron, and just defeat Farfarello?”
“No, with that, there will be no meaning in letting Sasaki-san learn spells.”
Ashiya shook his head to deny Emi’s question.
“Ah, that’s true. After all, Ashiya-san just mentioned that it would be better for me to learn the spells first.”
Ashiya’s methodical explain caused Chiho to almost forget the original argument he had mentioned.
“If we just kill off Farfarello, then the enemy will definitely invoke a second wave of attack. This will only cause things to drag on, and the problem cannot be solved.”
“What is that supposed to mean? If just killing a new chief will cause the enemy to invoke a second wave of attacks, then when Ciriatto and more than one thousand Malebranches lost, the other party should have come charging much earlier right?”
“Imbecile.”
“What?”
Ashiya directly denied what Emi reflexively replied.
“If Farfarello was killed, this means that Iron is left here alone. Even though his origin in unclear, he is still a personification of a Sephira. If a Sephira, of which a fragment can cause the Hero to overwhelm and defeat an archangel stays in Japan, then Barbariccia would not ignore this. In other words……”
Ashiya surveyed everyone gathered in the room and said,
“In order to avoid future troubles, it is still best to reason with Iron and Farfarello and convince them to return.”
“If we can do that, we wouldn’t have to work so hard. Firstly, if Farfarello returns, this means that he is leaving with information on Chiho-dono. This can cause him to really bring a second group of troops over.”
Suzuno pointed out an obvious flaw in Ashiya’s conclusion, but Ashiya was unfazed.
“That’s why we need to let Chiho-san learn spells soon. Crestia Bell, are you still unable to see it?”
“What?”
“……I see, that’s your plan huh.”
It looks like Maou figured out before Suzuno what Ashiya wanted to convey.
“But this is considered a gamble right? Do you think they will accept it just like that?”
“We have to make him accept. But rather than challenging the worst way to handle this, wouldn’t it be better to try the optimal way of handling things and decide later. The important thing is……”
Besides Maou, who caught on early, in order to let the rest understand, Ashiya looked at Chiho and said,
“As long as we let them understand that Demon King-sama is currently fulfilling his ambitions in Japan successfully, and that Sasaki-san is an unreplaceable part of the plan, it will be fine. Because the Malebrache in the Eastern Continent are still loyal to Demon King-sama, as long as Farfarello is able to return willingly, then the chances of Barbariccia interfering with us will decrease.”
“In other words, you plan to have Chiho……join the demon forces?”
Emi asked in a dangerous tone.
If Chiho was recognized as a comrade of the Demon King, then it would truly unguaranteed that the matter will end.
Once this incident is leaked to the human society of Ente Isla, next time it might be the humans of Ente Isla who see Chiho as an enemy.
“If things go out of hand, then how do you plan to handle it? Even though all of you don’t even know how much time you have left!”
Emi’s words caused Chiho to look up, but before that, Ashiya had already announced in a resolute manner,
“Uncoincidentally, I have never chosen the way of life of staying in one spot because they don’t know what the future will bring, things will work out anyway. In addition……”
Ashiya looked at Emi and Suzuno in turn,
“Who do you think the humans of Ente Isla trust more, the words of the Malebranche who invaded the Eastern Continent, or the words of the Hero and an official of the Doctrinal Correction Council. As long as both of you are able to properly protect Sasaki-san, it should be easy to prevent the human forces from treating Chiho-san with animosity right?”
This sentence from Ashiya caused Emi and Suzuno to be at a loss of words.
Suzuno’s final goal, is to overhaul the social order of the church, obtain proper appraisal for the achievements of Hero Emilia, and through Emilia, guide the world after the retreat of the Demon Army.
As long as this goal can be achieved, then protecting Chiho, a person from another world, from the hands of Ente Isla, would be an easy thing to do.
Once Urushihara saw Emi and Suzuno’s states in which they had to accept Ashiya’s explanation----
“Those two people, might be unexpectedly, the gullible type.”
Said this in a volume such that it could not be heard by others.
Anyway, Ashiya was right, even if they continue discussing this repeatedly because they don’t know what will happen next, there would be no meaning in that.
The things which they should do right now, is that no matter how slim the chances looked, they would have to act step by step in order to break past the current situation.
“Everything will work out huh……once a demon says that, then it’s really the end.”
Emi’s mumble, decided everything.
“Alright. If so, then we’ll officially begin Chiho-dono’s spell training tomorrow. But if that causes Chiho-dono to be in danger in the end, I will not let all of you off.”
And Suzuno also reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“I don’t know what all of you are planning, but do your best. I’m going back.”
Sariel, who had been observing the situation’s development until now, stood up and said.
“Even though things seem to have become troublesome, but as long as my goddess isn’t in danger, then it has nothing to do with me. I don’t plan to hinder all of you, do your best everyone.”
As Maou and the others did not expect anything from Sariel from the start, no one planned to stop him.
“Excuse me!”
However someone stopped Sariel, who was putting on his shoes at the porch.
“Hm?”
“Erhm……Sariel-san, please. Can you help us?”
That person is Chiho.
“Wait wait, Chiho?”
“……Are you serious about that?”
Faced with Chiho’s unexpected request, not only did Emi’s expression change drastically, even Sariel turned back towards Chiho in surprise.
“Why do I have to help all of you? We’re originally enemies, and this incident has nothing to do with me.”
“But the light from Sariel-san’s eyes did stop Iron’s movements right.”
“So what? Because Sephira contains holy magic, so ‘Evil Eye of the Fallen’ is effective against them, but even if I have that ability, I am not obliged to help all of you right.”
“I know. I don’t plan to ask you to fight, but just to help me during the period I am learning spells.”
“Chiho, what are you saying. Just leave things like that to me and Bell……”
“Even though situations may occur in the short term, but depending on the actions of the demons, it might take a long time. Since we don’t know how long it will take for this whole incident to come to an end, I can’t keep letting Yusa-san take leave all the time.”
Emi was shocked because Chiho suddenly focused on normal daily living.
“What are you saying. Now isn’t the time to say things like that……”
“Now is the time to say such things. Even if we can overcome this obstacle successfully, if Yusa-san is unable to get next month’s salary, or is fired because she took too much leave, then it would really be too unfair for you.”
“Chiho-dono, you’re thinking too much. With my savings, there won’t be much problem even if one or two more people live with me, and even if Emilia is really fired, with her ability, she would definitely be able to find another job……”
“If her friends from her next workplace also get dragged into the commotion of Ente Isla, then it would truly go out of hand right.”
“!”
Suzuno remembered what Maou said to her when they were buying the television, and fell silent because of this.
Expanding human relations even more than necessary was not a good move for Emi and the others now. Right now, Maou and Emi’s human relations are all gathered in the same place, and steady relations are maintained in a relatively small area.
If they expanded their activity range and left signs, perhaps the ‘enemy’ would be able to obtain a chance to slip in.
“B, but even so……”
Emi looked at Sariel unhappily. Even though she only remembered now, Emi had been treated disrespectfully by Sariel, causing a huge blow to her pride.
Just on this, Emi did not want to consider the choice of leave Chiho to Sariel at all.
Of course, Chiho, who was there at that time, could understand very well how much mistrust Emi had for Sariel.
“Since Sariel-san also has a job, I can’t always ask you to take care of me. But as long as you are able to help fill in the empty spots from Yusa-san and Suzuno-san……”
Because of this, so Chiho decided to take out a precious secret weapon.
“Even though I cannot guarantee that it can be done immediately. But if Sariel-san is willing to help us, I will find chances for you and Kisaki-san to reconcile.”
“Hey, it should be charged right! We’re starting, Bell! Hurry and go to the opposite side, step on it.”
“Alright!”
“Sigh……”
Therefore, things turned out like this.
Even without considering reconciliation, whether Sariel and Kisaki were even on friendly terms to start with is up for discussion, however at that time, Sariel emitted off his full power of holy magic as bright as the sun that even Ashiya, who was able to lecture like a Chisho for once, almost fainted instantly.
(T/N: Chisho is an ancient term to refer to a general with intelligence and wits and a high ability to lead the army in war. An important commander on the battle field)
“After that, you have been training in this sweltering gymnasium from morning?”
Emi, who came here after work and saw the situation of the training, said this to Maou with a look of irritation on her face, however because the training method was reasonable, she could not complain about it.
“If I didn’t ask them to rest occasionally like just now, Chi-chan would just continue working hard.”
“But……from this, there might be a chance to successfully cast the spell right? After all, Chiho’s ability to activate holy magic is really good.”
“Sariel already said that we can’t praise her, else Chi-chan might just try to research spells on her own.”
“That is the correct judgement. Sigh, even though I don’t feel that things would be so simple.”
“Chi nee-chan is amazing!”
Alas=Ramus probably understood this by instinct, she only stared at the training Chiho without looking away.
“Then?”
“Hm?”
“……do you have any clue on how to have them reconcile?”
“……Who knows.”
In some way, this could be an even more unsettling problem compared to Farfarello and Iron.
Even though they just have to make Kisaki reconcile with Sariel, the original relationship between the two people is just Sariel, with an onesided crush on Kisaki, not hiding his own motives at all and running to MgRonalds at every meal and spending a lot of money just to see Kisaki.
“But Kisaki-san did not forget to treat Sariel like a customer.”
Maou thought that the definition of having the two reconcile, should refer to Sariel being able to enter and leave MgRonalds freely.
If it’s just that standard of reconciliation, then it would be possible to make it happen, but I’m not sure if Sariel would just leave it at that.
Even if he is earnestly being a coach on the surface, if Chiho is unable to provide the ‘reconcilation’ that Sariel had imagined, then no one knew what he might do.
“And at times like this, Rika doesn’t look that reliable.”
“Why did you suddenly mention Suzuki Rika.”
“Even though it’s not to the point of picking up the pieces, as a reference, I wanted to ask her on the important points on letting a guy and girl reconcile. She rather likes this kind of gossipy things. But you see, it’s because of that guy.”
Emi used her gaze to point towards Ashiya’s back as he watched Chiho training.
Even if she didn’t know the true identities of Emi and the others, Emi’s colleague Suzuki Rika still interacted with Maou, Ashiya, Chiho and Suzuno, and right now, she was in a passionate unrequited love with Ashiya.
“She seems to have ‘become unable to understand herself’ anymore, so we better stay away from feminine topics like unrequited love right now.”
Emi’s other colleague, Shimizu Maki, once she had the chance, she would try to pry the reason for causing Rika ‘to not understand herself’, and Rika would also repeatedly change the topic, this has already become a daily occurrence at Emi’s workplace.
“……Do you think that this is alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“Eh?”
Maou also used his gaze to point towards Ashiya’s back, and Emi shrugged her shoulders, replying,
“I heard from Bell. You seemed to have expressed your opinion in a very exaggerated manner about the relationships we have built.
Emi looked up and glared at Maou.
“It wasn’t that exaggerated. But I might have mentioned that it was arrogant for both of you to want to tear Ashiya and Suzuki Rika apart even though you shelved your own issues away.”
“It’s already exaggerated enough like this. Even though you don’t know how our side feels.”
“Because I have never chosen a way of life which is considerate to the Hero.”
Maou shrugged as if to avoid Emi’s intense stare.
After Emi looked up and glanced at Maou, she suddenly shifted her gaze away.
“……Me too.”
“Ah?”
Emi rested her chin on her knees, speaking softly as she watched Chiho panting from Sariel’s coaching,
“I also have ‘ become unable to understand myself’ anymore, so I have no right to meddle in the feelings of others.”
“……”
Today’s Emi seemed especially honest, causing Maou to not know how to react.
“Become unable to understand yourself huh……”
Therefore he could only try to vaguely pass over it by repeating Emi’s worlds, and looked towards the situation of Chiho and the others to redirect his attention.
“Hm~since she is able to activate to this extent, then logically it should be close……”
At that moment, Sariel, who seemed to be thinking about something, shouted to Suzuno,
“Let’s try another method. Bell, this time, you’ll be the one to transmit! If she can grasp the feeling of receiving, she might use that feeling to push it back.”
“I understand.”
Once Chiho saw Suzuno raise her hand from the other end of the gymnasium, she tried to focus her consciousness.
“Even so, what should I send.”
Suzuno, who received the instruction, thought about it for a while.
“Using the feeling to push it back huh……if so, compared to simply listening to the voice, a proper conversation would be better.”
Suzuno spoke to herself, and it was Suzuno’s turn to call Chiho’s mobile phone this time.
“Beisdes having content which Chiho-dono can understand, it would need to create feelings which are concrete and sufficient to transmit her will, and those feelings need to be strong enough to be able to pass through the return path on this side when she pushes it back……”
In order for Suzuno to also be able to receive the message Chiho sent, it would be better to pick questions which can open up her mental state.
“……Ah.”
“What’s wrong, call quickly Bell! The radio workout song is about to finish!”
The content which Suzuno had decided is so troubling that she wasn’t able to answer Sariel immediately.
“Ah……ah hm.”
Suzuno moved the phone next to her ear, even though there was no need to, she couldn’t change her behaviour of clearing her throat prior to asking a troubling question.
Suzuno focused her attention to Chiho and Chiho’s phone within her range of sight, and carried out the Mental Transmission in which she wasn’t even sure what she was so embarrassed about. Anyway, it was lucky that Maou and the others were not standing at Suzuno’s side of the building.
“Does Chiho-dono want to enter a marriage with the Demon King……no, want to marry the Demon King……”
The shyness caused Suzuno to avoid the direct way of saying it, but actually caused the meaning to become more direct, and after that the message she sent caused a very obvious effect.
“Warghhhhhhhhhh!!”
“Gyargh!”
In the next instant, a strong feeling bashed into Suzuno’s brain through the mobile phone waves like a wolf’s howl.
The feelings emcompassed within the electric waves and the exploding volume produced an impact enough to cause a concussion, causing Suzuno to black out momentarily and drop her phone.
“Hey, Bell?”
Emi noticed something strange with Suzuno’s situation and couldn’t help but get up approach her in concern.
As for Chiho, she was blushing furiously for reasons unknown, and her cheeks have inflated like balloons, but she only seemed to be a little breathless with quickened breathing.
“H, hey, Emi, is Suzuno alright?”
Suzuno’s reaction was so abnormal that even Maou was worried.
They just saw her squat on the floor, with her head in her hands, hitting the floor of the gymnasium with force, and she even occasionally tapped her own body and mobile phone, and groaned while holding her head in one hand.
“I, I understand, yes, yes yes yes yes, it, it, it, it, it’s my fault! Pl, please calm down a little……”
“Chi-chan?”
“Ah uuuuu…….”
Having just discovered Suzuno’s painful writhing, this time it was Chiho’s turn to drop her phone, slumping to the ground.
Maou frantically ran over, grabbing Chiho and calling out with force,
“H, hey, Chi-chan, are you alright……”
Once she met Maou’s gaze, Chiho’s already widened eyes widened to the extreme.
“Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Maou, Maou, Maou, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Maou, ou, ou, ou, ou, ou, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Maou-san……”
Chiho, who became totally panicked, repeatedly called out the ‘Ma’ character.
“Ugahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”
As for Suzuno, it was like she was successfully hit with those ‘Ma’ words, and rolled in pain on the floor in synchronization with Chiho’s voice.
“W, what is going on? What exactly happened?”
“Bell! Bell, hang in there!”
After a long time, Suzuno and Chiho were still unable to regain their composure.
“Sigh……yosh!”
At this moment, Sariel appeared beside Maou and pressed his hand against Chiho’s forehead----
“Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma, Ma……fu……”
Following that, Chiho slumped into Maou’s arms like she lost consciousness.
At this instant, Suzuno, being supported by Emi, seemed to have been released and stood up after exhaling deeply.
[Image of fainted Chiho]
“Looks like Bell seemed to have knocked on an abnormal heart’s door.”
Sariel surveyed Chiho in surprise.
Chiho, who they thought had lost consciousness, immediately opened her eyes slightly. Even though her expression still seemed a little dazed, but once she saw Maou’s face she averted her face straight away and stared at Suzuno angrily at an angle which could not be seen by others.
“It looks like she was surmounted the biggest obstacle. Just now, Bell should have properly received Sasaki Chiho’s Mental Transmission right?”
“!”
To this sentence, Chiho was more surprised than anyone else.
As if to verify this sentence----
“It was really loud.”
Suzuno filled in tiredly.
After 7pm, as the opening hours of the gymnasium has passed, the training was finished for the day.
Even so, not knowing when Farfarello and Iron will attack, the group would definitely hope to maintain the group activity for as much as possible, so they went home in the order of the person who lived closest to the Sports Hub.
“Are you alright, Chi-chan.”
“I, I’m fine!”
Even though it was a coincidence, Chiho still managed to cast a spell for the first time and became bone tired because of that, but for unknown reasons, she strangely kept some distance from Maou and since they left the Sports Hub, she had been hiding behind Emi.
At the beginning, Suzuno was shaky on her feet, but right now, she could already walk on her own.
“Then, training at the same time tomorrow, that’s fine right?”
Sariel, standing in front of his apartment, confirmed the plan tomorrow with Chiho.
“Ah, okay, but I have to work from evening tomorrow, so I can’t practice too long.”
“Then the Demon King and the others?”
“Hm……I also start work from afternoon, so I will have Ashiya and Urushihara come over.”
“I also wish to ask Bell……is that okay?”
As Emi also had a job, before she got off work, she could only ask Suzuno for help.
Even though Suzuno was still a little dizzy from the direct attack to the brain by Chiho’s unrestrained scream, she still nodded to indicate she had no problem with it.
“Then, I’ll just book the timing from 1pm to 4pm, everyone has no issues……”
Just as the sun set and the stars started to shine in the sky, Sariel, who had unknowningly became the leader, for reasons unknown, just froze there.
“Hm? Hey, Sariel, what’s wrong……”
Maou followed Sariel’s gaze without thinking too much----
“……Eh?”
“……Ah?”
Chiho and Emi, who turned around at the same time as Maou, sucked in a breath because they saw a certain person standing there.
“Oh my, it’s you people. Why is everyone gathered here for?”
That person wore a suit and carried a shoulder bag filled to the brim with files and work supplies. Because she was wearing heels, she even looked taller than Maou.
With beautiful long black hair like the night sky which swayed in the wind, the shop manager of Hatagaya MgRonalds store, Kisaki Mayumi stood there with a look of surprise on her face.
“W, why is Kisaki-san here……”
Maou and Chiho could not hide how shaken they were as they did not expect to meet Kisaki here.
On the other hand, Emi and Suzuno looked at each other as they had confirmed that seeing Kisaki here earlier was not a coincidence.
“There’s a few people I have never seen before, are they your friends?”
Kisaki looked at Urushihara and Ashiya’s face, and asked Maou this.
As Urushihara rarely went out, and Ashiya only went to MgRonalds a few times when Maou first started his job, so it wasn’t strange for Kisaki to not remember them, but once she saw the man standing in between Ashiya and Urushihara, Kisaki’s originally cordial expression instantly became dangerous.
“……Why are you here? Mitsuki Sarue.”
“A, ah……ugh, that……”
“Th, th, this, this is because, that……”
Chiho and Maou stuttered on the spot because they couldn’t think of a good excuse.
“Don’t tell me you’re causing trouble with MgRonalds customers or the employees of my store……”
Kisaki looked at Emi, Suzuno and Chiho, and at the same time, stepped between Maou and the others and interrogated Sariel. Maou and Chiho could not think of any ways to stop her.
After all, the two of them had seen the instant where Kisaki banned Sariel from MgRonalds.
With this, forget about having the two reconcile, they caused Sariel to invite unneeded suspicion, and it might cause Kisaki to adopt a colder attitude to him.
If things really turned out like that, it was unknown what kind of attitude Sariel will adopt……
“I, I live in this apartment block.”
“……What?”
Unexpectedly, the sentence said tentatively by Sariel caused the situation to change.
“You live here?”
“Yeah, that……”
The excited and arrogant attitude Sariel adopted during the training disappeared without a trace. From Sariel in the past who who carry a rose bouquet and eat MgRonalds meals with large mouthfuls, it was difficult to imagine that he would become this weak now.
“Since when?”
Kisaki suddenly changed the topic to an unexpected direction. Eve if he felt surprised, Sariel still replied honestly,
“Since the opening of Sentucky at Hatagaya……”
“Actually staying at such a good apartment from the start.”
Maou mumbled unhappily to himself, but his words were not heard by others.
“Mitsuki Sarue.”
“Y, yes!”
Suddenly being addressed by Kisaki caused Sariel’s tone to change drastically.
“Let me ask you one thing. At that time, that store was already empty right?”
“Eh?”
Kisaki asked yet another unexpected question. Even though Sariel tried to read Kisaki’s intention----
“So what was it?”
He straighted his posture because of Kisaki’s question.
“T, the impression I had was that there seemed to be a restaurant when I moved here. Even though it didn’t look that old, but less than a month after I came here, it closed down……”
Kisaki’s eyebrow seemed to twitch once because of this answer----
“Sigh….”
Then she sighed. The emotions emcompassed within her tone was not anger, or surprise, but because she had been enlightened about something.
“I knew it was something like that.”
“That……may I know what this is about?”
This question did not come from Sariel, but from Maou.
“Ever since the renovation of MdCafe, rather than saying that Kisaki-san is different from before, it’s more like you’re more motivated compared to before……”
Not only did Kisaki, who had never showed any fatigue, say ‘how tiring’, she even brewed coffee for the regular customer Hot Coffee-san using non-standard operating procedures, and----
“My goal, is to become that barman!”
The sentence talked about the dream of wanting to become a professional of the service industry, the barman.
And this Kisaki was actually investigating the empty store which used to be a restaurant.
It wasn’t difficult to make a conclusion from these clues.
“Before, I had said something like it would be difficult to want to be a barman at MgRonalds right.”
“……Yeah.”
Not only is Kisaki Maou’s goal for being successful in MgRonalds, she was also a person he highly respected, therefore seeing Kisaki’s suspicious behavior, Maou couldn’t help but ask loudly,
“Don’t tell me……Kisaki-san plans to quit MgRonalds, wah!”
Maou’s question, which he asked after a lot of troubled thinking, was only partially asked before it was cut off by a tap to the head by a file folder.
“Idiot, you’re thinking too much.”
“Ugh, even if it’s just a file folder, getting hit by the corner still hurts a lot……”
The Demon King, who didn’t even fear the Hero’s holy sword, actually became teary eyed because of the corner of the shop manager’s file folder.
Seeing Maou like this, Kisaki sighed in astonishment.
“Sigh……you’re correct. I was acting strangely these few days, and I’m sorry to the employees for that. Because the things which MgRonalds has barely managed to do increased, so a past dream surfaced in a very strange manner.”
“Past……dream?”
Maou looked towards Kisaki while massaging his hurting head.
“That’s right. Especially Chi-chan, it’s better for you to know a bit. Even adults will also describe their dreams for the future.”
Kisaki said with a smile.
“Amongst the employees of my batch who were accepted in Tokyo, my results can be considered to be one of the best.”
Kisaki suddenly said something which is clearly from the past even without special emphasis. Her gaze was not directed at Sariel, or Maou, but the ‘Store for Rent’ sign which was hung in front of the store in a rather lonely manner.
“But, recently, I occasionally had a thought----With my own power, what standard can I fight until.”
“Does that mean even though it’s not now, you’re considering about becoming independent in the future?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Kisaki curtly replied Emi’s rather roundabout question, but because she replied a little too curtly, it caused Maou to get a shock.
“Of course, it’s only at the standard of vaguely thinking ‘it would be good if it’s like this. No concrete actions are being done yet.”
“I think that just coming to see the shop, is already considered very concrete……”
“That standard is only like browsing a work magazine, then starting to dream about what the first month salary should be used on without starting work yet, it can oly be considered a game.”
“Ugh!”
“Hm……”
“Uh……”
Maou, Emi and Chiho groaned like something hit the nail on the head. Seeing the honest behaviours of these young people, Kisaki smiled and said,
“But this is can also be considered a type of effective motivation. It’s nothing to feel bad about.”
Kisaki approached the windows near the store and looked within the store bathed in the evening sun.
“I’ve continuously built the business, and received much praise from my same batch colleagues, but I don’t feel that I have done anything too different from the rest of them. At least for the operations for in front of Hatagaya station to be able to maintain the standard higher than last year, it isn’t from my efforts alone.”
“It, it’s not like that! Even though I often hear bad things about other shop managers, or which store is lacking motivated employees and so on, but these topics have nothing to do with us right? In addition, there are practically no troublesome customers in the store, those are Kisaki-san’s achievements!”
Chiho said agitatedly, but Kisaki shook her head without looking back and replied,
“Even though I feel happy about what you said, but unfortunately this is not an effort of me alone. I have worked for one and a half years in that store, and even though as a shop manager, staying at the same store for this long is abnormal, the reason why I am able to build the current structure in that store, is only because a certain existence, over a period of time longer than my stay, had already built a firm foundation, do you know what it is?”
Kisaki looked at Sariel’s eyes reflected on the windows and asked without moving.
“……Is it the previous shop manager?”
Sariel’s answer caused Kisaki to frown,
“Even though you kept calling me by the embrassing term of goddess goddess, and repeatedly took actions resembling a stalker, you don’t understand me at all.”
Sariel felt disheartened because of Kisaki’s stern answer.
“Maa-kun, to have described it to this point, you should know already right. What’s the model answer?”
“It’s the company known as MgRonalds……also known as the brand.”
Maou replied without hesitation, Kisaki also nodded in agreement,
“I am an employee of MgRonalds, I am proud of this, and the things which MgRonalds has allowed me to learn and the benefits they have given me cannot be measured. Because of this, even if I really can climb to the top of MgRonalds one day, I am only copying the traces left by many people on this road beforehand. And some results I have achieved in that store, is because from the start, a system known as MgRonalds has existed.”
“Is that so?”
Faced with Emi’s small question, Kisaki did not confirm or deny it, and only showed a deeper smile.
“You’re…..Yusa-san right. When Yusa-san goes home after work, would you use a lint roller to clean up the shoulder portion of your dress?”
“Eh? N, no, I wouldn’t go to that extent at all……”
Emi subconsciously looked at her own shoulder and shook her head in reply.
“Then when you wash your hands, would you wash your hands with soap up to your elbow, then use a brush to brush your nails and disinfect?”
“I, I will use soap……”
“Right? Normally, just using soap to wash hands is enough. After all, Japan’s soap is of good quality.”
After saying this, Kisaki slowly spread out her hands with beautiful skin such that it wouldn’t be a problem even if she became a hand model under the sun.
“What I spoke about just now is the traditional method which MgRonalds has spread to the various branches over the years. If this habit is to be cultivated to all employees outside MgRonalds, it cannot be done with normal educational methods. Just on this alone, at that store, I won’t be able to achieve anything by myself.”
It was only until now did Kisaki shift her gaze away from the empty store for the first time and looked back at Maou and the others.
“Of course, many things I wish to do can only be achieved in MgRonalds. For a while before, I got carried away and decided to brew coffee matching the preferences of the regular customers, and even though I managed to barely
scrape by, but it is really very tiring. And this time, I almost got involved in a strange store front, making me understand how lacking I am in terms of ability. It looks like the next time I wish to discuss about dreams, I will need to wait for some time.”
“Y, you have done that before?”
Unbelivably, the day Kisaki say something disheartening for the first time, she actually did something so superhuman on the second floor. Partly because it wasn’t that long after the reopening, there should logically be a lot of customers. Even if she only targeted regular customers, there should still be a lot of people, and she actually remembered everyone’s preferences, and brewed coffee based on that……
“T, then the coffee Kisaki-san brewed for us……”
“Ah, I’m sorry, I feel that it was a sly move as well. Because I at least wanted to increase the diginity as a shop manager.”
Kisaki winked like she had pulled a prank.
“The reason for brewing today’s coffee treat. Letting all of you drink it isn’t for fun okay. Maa-kun likes coffee which is not too hot and has a stronger bitter taste, and for Chi-chan, it would be adding a combination of a lot of milk and no sugar right?”
As long as they met the target sales for the day, Kisaki would definitely treat all the employees to one cup of white gold roasted coffee, but she always seemed to take a long time, and used the simpler method of making MgRonalds coffee to gather the preferences of all the employees.
““……””
This time, Maou and Chiho could only be speechless.
“But even so, please don’t think that the ‘MgRonalds Barista’ lecture is meaningless okay? Just being able to understand the products you’re handling would bring you towards a world of new knowledge and techniques. No matter what kind of dream, it can only be reached by accumulating these small steps.”
After saying this, Kisaki continued to speak like she was teasing her own words,
“I am living a stable life at MgRonalds now. As long as I can have you exemplary employees continuously building the profits, I might be able to make it big one day. However……”
Kisaki gripped the shoulder bag hanging off her shoulder.
“As a human, one would always want to take a little step……for their own history, this dream will always sleep in the corner of the heart. Not small things like adding details to a map someone else drew, as long as there is chance, I also wish to try to draw a whole new map on my own.”
Kisaki said smoothly, and showed a pure gaze like a girl.
The capable shop manager whom Maou and Chiho looked up to was currently talking about a future dream and even girls Chiho’s age would not constantly say.
Wanting to become an expert in various fields of services, a barman.
That is Kisaki’s dream.
The unexpected responsibility of management the MdCafe business in front of Hatagaya Station had sparked new life into her dream.
Because she is capable, Kisaki would not be satisfied with her current situation and dreamt of a farlasting future. Because of these special characteristics, Kisaki obtained the qualifications and way of living to work for her future dreams.
“Even though the views towards the dream may change, depending on the person’s caliber and their prioritisations, it is still possible to find a new dream. However, whether things can progress smoothly or not is another matter.”
Kisaki shrugged, and pointed to the empty shop at Sariel’s apartment.
“The outer appearance of this store looked rather stylish before right?”
“It seems……to be so.”
Sariel answered as he searched his memories, and Kisaki also nodded in reply.
“I felt that the rent is too cheap for these facilities, it looks like there is some hidden reason.”
Kisaki said unhappily, from her words, other than inspecting the store, Kisaki should have visited the property agent beforehand.
“But why is that? Since it is opened on the ground floor of an apartment, then residents should be able to patronize the shop, and there aren’t any other restuarants nearby to compete with it……if they catered the outer appearance to match the apartment, it should be able to attract customers……”
At this moment, Ashiya, who had been silent all this time, rebutted Maou’s questions,
“……Even though it is like that when phrased in a nice way, but thinking about it carefully, aren’t all these bad points?”
“Why do you think so?”
Kisaki spoke respectfully because she did not know Ashiya well, Ashiya spoke hesitantly as he looked towards Sariel’s apartment,
“From its appearance, this apartment should be quite new. No matter how close it is, it would not be possible for the residents to go to the same restaurant everyday. Once they are tired of it, the customers will not come anymore. Moreover, since it is located at Hatagaya, on average, the rent shouldn’t be that cheap. This means that this cost will reflect on the price. For example, if the price of one cup of coffee is 500 yen, in these times, to sell at that price, other than the product quality, there has to be other value addedness. However……”
Ashiya surveyed his surroundings and continued on,
“Even though our large group has been standing here from the start, we are not blocking any pedestrians. Since there isn’t any cross intersection in front, and only a straight two way road, then the cars passing by would only concentrate on passing through, and even with high traffic volume, positive effect on the customer numbers can’t be expected. In addition, as long as they drive forward some more, they would be able to reach the administrative road with many businesses and different types of stores.”
This time, Ashiya looked up towards the residential portion of the apartment.
“This place is quite some distance from the station and shopping street, and there are no other shops nearby. To phrase it nicely, there are no competitors, but since there aren’t any other stores, this means that everyone will not have a need to come to this place, which would lead to no customers coming to this café. Even if they plan to target commuters, there’s only residential areas nearby, therefore only the residents nearby will notice this store, the range to gather customers is too small. And the final nail in the coffin, should be the convenience store opening next door.”
Kisaki listened to Ashiya’s explanation in amazement.
“There aren’t many family sized apartments nearby, and basically are rented to singles, and is also quite some distance from the residential areas with terrance houses. If the spending options nearby are only the café and convenience store, it’s obvious what the singles living in the apartment would choose. It is already common for products like annual fortune guides and Moonbucks to be sold in convenience stores. Considering the lifestyle of the singles in the apartment, they shouldn’t have much visitors normally, even if they do, most of their activity should take place at home. Just based on this point, the café would definitely be unable to win against the convenience store next door……it’s probably like this.”
(T/N: Moonbucks is the parody of Starbucks. And yes, they do sell Starbucks branded coffee in convenience stores.)
Ashiya analyzed everything at great lengths, but once he realized that it was Kisaki he was speaking to, he still jitterly consulted her opinion.
Kisaki closed her eyes halfway through, and rested her hand on her well sculpted chin, after that, she did not turn to Ashiya, but said while looking towards Maou,
“You have a brilliant tactician.”
“I, I’m flattered.”
Even though he was complimented directly, Ashiya still bent his lanky body and bowed.
“My opinions are exactly the same, for this store, only its appearances and facilities are good. But as a food and beverage shop, this place doesn’t have any conditions to attract customers. Considering the characteristics of this location, it is most suited to be a hair salon or beauty salon. Just knowing this is already a good result.”
Kisaki said this as she nodded with a smile.
“Then, I’m sorry for holding all of you back with this boring issue. I’m going to the store later, are all of you going back now?”
“Ah, yes, we have already ended our activities here.”
After Maou replied with a nod, Kisaki tured towards Emi and the others.
“Is that so. My apologies for having Yusa-san and the others discuss about dreams with me. To express my gratitude, I’ll treat everyone to MdCafe’s specially brewed Café au Lait. If you are in the area, please patronize our store.”
After saying this, Kisaki naturally prepared to leave.
“……Ah……”
However, a hesitant weak voice was heard from behind her.
Kisaki accurately heard the voice which was almost overwhelmed by the sound of her high heels.
“……I was thinking why you look so dispirited lately, it looks like the reason shouldn’t be because of the poor business of your store right?”
Kisaki did not turn around, but her sentence----
“N, no……uh……erhm……”
Was definitely directed the owner of the weak pleading voice Sariel. Sariel probably knew that even if he told Kisaki the real reason, Kisaki will only feel even more disappointed at at him, so he started to stutter, but of course, this did not go unnoticed by Kisaki.
“From what I heard, it seems to be because I banned you from entering MgRonalds.”
“Ugh!”
Even Emi and Suzuno who did not have any direct relationship with MgRonalds or Sentucky were able to understand the situation from the snippets of information from Chiho. That means Kisaki should have known about it from the beginning.
“I never expected that your mental state is the same as a normal person. I originally thought that if it was you, you would be here the next day as usual bringing red roses matched with sweltering looking african daises in a surprise attack.”
“If, if it was done to that extent, wouldn’t that be a stalker……”
Sariel stepped onto the mine jitterly, and Kisaki shrugged her shoulders, saying,
“If I didn’t have the capacity to laugh it off, everything which you have done till now would have already been considered stalker level. Even though I don’t know where you heard about my age, but in this day and age, giving red roses matching one’s age is already considered sexual harassment.”
“Y, you done those kind of things before?”
“That’s too much, who acts that way anyway.”
“Uwah, how embarrassing. Because people like you are around, that’s why our rating keeps dropping.”
Faced with Chiho, Maou and Urushihara’s direct reproach, Sariel should only keep quiet.
“Until now, I still believe that banning you from entering MgRonalds is the correct judgemet. It is your fault for adopting a strange attitude once you see a female, however……”
Kisaki showed a stony face, turning around slightly to face Sariel.
“During this time, it feels like I have been using your feelings of admiration to belittle Sentucky, and that makes me feel bad. If a business competitor cannot be beaten based on business alone, it is shameful to a barman.”
“……T,then……”
Kisaki sighed exaggeratedly, turned her back to Sariel once again and said,
“Rather than seeing you getting peed on by a dog with a depressed look on your face, it would be better for you to cause trouble in my shop, at least it will look livelier that way. From tomorrow onwards, you can come to MgRonalds if you want to.”
At this time, the change in Sariel’s expression was difficult to describe.
Everyone present seemed to see the inner scenery of Sariel’s mind, it was like the joy of a penguin chick which had opened its eyes to experience life after being shone on by the sunlight through the clouds after braving the harsh artic winters.
“But!”
Kisaki did not forget to warn him sternly.
“Don’t send roses anymore. If planting wants to be done in the shop, application must be made to relevant authority, it should be the same at your side too, having to apply every single time is really troublesome. And I won’t say it again, if you dare to cause trouble to the store’s employees and customers, then at that time, I would really ban you from entering the store for good. At that time, even if I have to take legal action, I will not hesitate to do so.”
After saying this in one go, Kisaki headed towards the night of Hatagaya with swift steps, without waiting for Sariel’s reply.
“……Is, is this what is meant by everything is alright as long as there is results?”
“Pro, probably.”
Unexpectedly being able to solve one problem in a surprising way, shocked Emi and Maou a lot.
“Hm……? Sa, Sariel-sama?”
“Sariel-sa, Sariel-san, please get a hold of yourself! He, he’s floating!”
A smile resembling pottery showed on Sariel’s face as he watched Kisaki leave in a dazed manner, perhaps because of the immense happiness in his heart, his body even started to glow subconsciously, and he started to float upwards.
Luckily, there were not many pedestrians on this street, but it seems like it would be quite some time before Sariel recovers his awareness and corrects his floating situation, both in his mind and Physics.
※
Saturday weekend.
The day of the MgRonalds Barista lecture, the day was so clear it was irritating.
These few days when Kisaki allowed Sariel to enter MgRonalds freely, at least in Maou’s eyes, Chiho’s techniques did not improve significantly.
Even though Maou and Emi did not attend all the training sessions, at least from Ashiya and Suzuno’s reports, it did appear to be so.
Ever since that night, Farfarello and Iron did not appear again, and the current situation looked like a long term battle.
9am in the morning, the sun which had not fully risen was currently shining the last rays of the summer, causing Maou, arranged to meet up with Chiho in front of Sasazuka Station, to grow intolerant of the temperature, he was currently waiting for Chiho, who seemed strangely excited for the lecture today.
Even though it is the summer holidays, the diligent students were still unexpectedly busy. Other than handling club activities for the school and work, they still spent their remaining time on training.
Even though finishing all her assignments in the middle of July did match Chiho’s style, Maou still felt guilty for involving her in a situation far removed from normality, and decided to reward her for the work she put in after the end of the lecture.
At tis time, the mobile phone in Maou’s pocket started to vibrate.
“What is it? How rare, don’t tell me she’s late?”
In order to participate in the lecture, in a rare occasion, Maou brought a bag filled with note taking stationery. Just as Maou took out the mobile phone within his bag and was about to answer the call----
“(Maou-san, I am behind you.)”
“Uwahh?”
Maou jumped up because a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
“Ah, s, sorry, giving you a shock.”
Chiho, wearing a blue green one piece dress and carrying a large shoulder bag, was standing behind Maou in a position assumed when talking over a phone.
“Are you alright? I only wanted to surprise you a bit……sorry.”
Even if he recognized Chiho, Maou’s heartbeat rate could not settle down and Chiho bowed her head in apology in a very apologetic manner.
“N, no, it’s alright, even though it’s alright, but what was that just now?”
Maou blinked as he realized that Chiho’s hand was not holding a mobile phone.
“Yeah, it’s Mental Transmission.”
“Y, you already learnt it?”
Uneven breathing or tiredness caused by the activation of holy magic could not be felt from Chiho at all. And the voice which gave Maou a shock did transmit into his brain directly.
“Not yet actually. I think Maou-san’s phone did ring a bit just now.”
“Yeah, it rang.”
Maou stared at his phone which was still opened and browsed through the call logs.
“No caller ID? I had the impression that I put in settings to reject calls without caller ID……”
Maou, who intended to search for Chiho’s call records, even though he didn’t find it, he discovered the words ‘No caller ID’ in the records.
“Just on my own power, I won’t be able to cast spells without using an amplifier. Even though I don’t have to specially hold anything, if the other person doesn’t have a mobile phone, they won’t be able to transmit messages to me.”
“To us, who are able to use spells normally, your method is actually harder to do……”
“Suzuno-san and Sariel-san said so as well.”
Chiho said with a wry smile.
“It’s like using holy magic to call right? Isn’t this something on the level of making calls free of charge?”
“I am unable to understand the concept of connecting directly to the other person’s brain no matter what. But because I know that I am communicate as long as I transmit a specific number and frequency to the phone, I tried to memorise Suzuno-san’s phone number……and then I seemed to have succeeded.”
“Then you succeeded huh.”
Even though Chiho said it nonchalantly, but even Emi who used her mobile phone directly for mental transmission with Emeralda, did not think of using it that way.
Basically, something like an amplifier should be placed near the hands of the caster. Actually not needing to equip one and directly using the other person’s amplifier, what is going on.
“……Even if I wanted to imitate you, the upper limit of our demonic magic is really too low.”
Until now, Maou still did not know how Emi and Suzuno replenished their holy magic.
Even though Urushihara seemed to have discovered it by chance----
“Even if you know, we won’t be able to do anything about them.”
He only said this and did not tell Maou the truth.
Since Chiho, Emi and the others used the same way to replenish, then she might have seen it somewhere today.
“A, anyway, Chi-chan being able to ask us for help is a good thing. What is the range of your mental transmission?”
“From yesterday’s training, I should be able to do it within a radius of 100m.”
“A 100m radius huh. Even though it’s considered really good for a beginner, I’m not sure if that is considered wide or narrow, Iron’s barrer can cut off mobile phone signals after all. The spell itself would not be affected too much by the condition of the electronic waves, so it would be better not to think about the theoretical maximum distance.”
Maou said with a rather stern expression.
“Sigh, we’ll be together all the time today anyway, there no need to be too concerned.”
“……Ugh.”
Maou naturally said ‘together all the time’, causing Chiho to suck in a breath lightly.
“It, it’s been a long time. T, to be with Maou-san for a long period of time, just the two of us……”
Chiho saying this seriously made Maou reminiscence a bit.
“Ah……then again, the incident at Shinjuku underground……it’s only been slightly less than 3 months since then, that’s rather unbelievable.”
The conversation between them ended just like that.
“………………Sigh.”
Even though she could understand, Chiho still had to sigh.
“Then let’s go.”
After saying this, Maou took out the tickets he had bought ad walked towards the ticket gantry.
“……Alright. Ah, please wait a moment, I haven’t bought the ticket yet.”
Chiho, who pouted with some regret frantically walked to the ticket machine, and after buying a ticket for one stop, the two of them walked through the gantry.
Behind a certain pillar, three pairs of eyes were looking at this Demon King and high school girl.
“Why must I do something as sneaky as following someone’s date.”
“It can’t be helped. Even if Chiho-dono learnt Mental Transmission, the Demon King doesn’t have any fighting powress at all.”
“For the safety of the employees of my goddess, I am prepared to sacrifice everything.”
“Your attitude changed too quickly. Don’t tell me you don’t have to work today?”
“You can saying anything you want. The goddess said so before right, no matter how old a person is, they should continue advancing for the sake of new dreams! Of course, in order to avoid looking bad in front of the goddess, I will definitely not skip work! So I did properly apply for leave!”
The owners of these three pairs of eyes are Emi, Suzuno and Sariel.
Of course, they have already decided from the start to follow from behind to ensure Maou and Chiho’s safety.
Unexpectedly, Sariel seemed to really care about Chiho’s safety.
Emi and the others thought that after Sariel obtained Kisaki’s forgiveness, he would not carry on his promise to train Chiho, unexpectedly he actually became more motivated compared to before.
Sariel’s attitude to Maou and Emi right now was so friendly it felt gross, and before Chiho learnt how to activate holy magic in a stable manner with an amplifier, all fees for renting the training area was paid by him.
Even today, once Sariel knew that Maou was participating in the MgRonalds lecture with Chiho, even though no one asked him, he also tagged along early in the morning like now.
“Sigh, as long as you don’t get in the way……let’s go, be careful not to lose them.”
The three people chased Maou and the others through the gantry and discussed quietly while sneaking glances at Maou and Chiho waiting at the front of the platform waiting for the train headed in the direction of Shinjuku.
“Actually saying ‘no matter how old a person is’……it means that all of you are ‘humans’ then?”
In other to verify the truth behind the information from Gabriel, Emi took the chance to ask Sariel directly about it.
Even though some time back, it would be impossible for Sariel to act friendly towards Emi even if a miracle occurs, unexpectedly this situation came about because of the MgRonalds shop manager, it seems like reality was even more bizarre than novels.
“Did Gabriel let things slip?”
Sariel confirmed this without hesitation. Not only that, he even deduced that Emi thought this way because of Gabriel.
“Then all of you are really……”
“Yeah, that’s right. At least I don’t think that I am an abnormal existence. Even though we’re angels, but we’re just humans with abilities exceeding the normal people of Ente Isla, whether it is lifespan, intelligence, physical strength, holy magic capacity, appearance and divine leadership caliber.”
“Ahh……sounds of cracking can be heard in my belief……”
Suzuno groaned from behind the two of them.
“Even though the way you’re saying it is irritating……then let me ask you a question.”
“What is it? The lady I like? My goddess.”
“I know. But didn’t she ask you not to call her that anymore? This would tire a person out, stop fooling around already.”
Emi used a towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead and asked,
“What is the social structure of Heaven like?”
“That is really a flippant question. If I have to explain, it will take long enough for us to take the train to Keiō-hachiōji station and come back.”
Sariel tilted his head and mentioned the terminal station in the opposite direction from Shinjuku. But it was really difficult to judge if it was considered long or short.
“Then……please tell me about the Heavenly Troops.”
“Hm?”
Suzuno helped Emi asked in a soft voice.
“The weapons they used are very crudely made, and cannot match up to Sariel-sama’s giant scythe or Gabriel’s Durandal. The Heavenly Troops, which are not strictly classified as archangels or angels, what kind of people are they?”
In Suzuno’s battle at Yoyogi Docodemo Tower, she had broken the weapons of the Heavenly Troops, and the shards were still being kept in her room.
The weapons of the Heavenly Troops are crudely made, obviously made from poorly crafted metal such that Suzuno was able to break them with just one kick, they really didn’t resemble the weapons used by those who called themselves angels.
“Ah, because the members of the Heavenly Troops used to be normal people of Ente Isla. So it was probably crafted by them or they have been carrying it on them already I guess?”
“Ah?”
Faced with this unexpected answer, Emi let out a shocked gasp.
“The members of the Heavenly Troops, are the humans of Ente Isla?”
“That’s right.”
Sariel’s straight answer caused the two people great shock.
“In the Bible or myths, there should be a lot of cases where humans are summoned by angels. A lot of these are true you know.”
“B, but amongst the well known inquisitors in the church, even though there are people who are raised to Saints by the church, no one has been summoned by Heaven……”
At that moment, the train heading for Shinjuku pulled into the station, the three of them then shifted the location of their discussion to the air conditioned train department.
“We also have the right to choose. What is the use of choosing old men and women who are constantly engaged in power struggles, gaining unnecessary knowledge and only concerned with increasing their reputation? Letting those people join will only cause more harm, so we always choose from the ordinary citizens.”
“Ordinary citizens……”
“Such as war orphans, or slaves mistreated by large nations, those chosen from these people are Heavenly Troops. They run various errands or Heaven, and are very convenient and important talents. These people are originally very devoted, and were freed from Hell by the people of Heaven, so they will definitely not betray us, if all of you want to ascend of Heaven, leading a secular life would give you a higher chance.”
Sariel’s explanation can only be described as explicit, and even denied everything which made up the Church.
“Of course, it’s not like we don’t need the Church at all. After all, when cultivating the habit of belief in people, there is no other organisation who does it beter than the Church.”
Even though Suzuno could logically and rationally differentiate the religious and political functions of the Church, she still could not help but feel troubled when hearing these words.
“Of course, it’s not just like that, any talents useful to Heaven will still be summoned even if they have some problems. Even though there aren’t many examples, but Olba Meyer’s goal should be this.”
“Don’t say an idiot, what Olba is doing is helping a tryrant harm its victims, and bringing upon new tragedy on Ente Isla. If even that kind of person can be recognized and summoned the Heaven, then there really will be a need to destroy Heaven as well.”
Seeing Emi’s stony face, Sariel shrugged his shoulders and replied,
“Seriously, you’re really scary……”
The train which travelled across a bridge as it left Sasazuka, finally slowly returned underground. Once it entered the tunnel, Shinjuku immediately appeared in front of them.
“But…..between those like Gabriel, First Generation, and Raguel and I ‘Second Generation’, there is a huge gap in the amount of information. I also feel unhappy at the First Generation who are unwilling to publicise this information.”
“What do you mean by First Generation and Second Generation?”
“Eh? Both of you didn’t notice? The angels who have appeared in front of you until now, there should be two types right.”
“……Ah.”
Suzuno clapped her hands once like she discovered something, and looked at the eyes of Sariel standing beside her.
“The angels whose eyes are purple and those whose eyes are red……”
“That’s right. Red eyes are the First Generation, purple eyes are the Second Generation. Not including the people of the Heavenly Troops, most angels can be classified into these two types.”
“In other words, Lucifer is Second Genration? But his status is the same as Gabriel?”
“Hm……about Lucifer, actually I don’t know much about him. Even though it seems like his living attitude is already bad since before.”
Sariel said while shaking his head.
“Ever since I was aware, Lucifer was not in Heaven already. But amongst the Second Generation, I am also considered a veteran, so I am not sure what happened with the Second Generation before that.”
“Then generally, what is the difference between the First and Second Generation? Is it like having First Generation parents?”
Sariel nodded vigorously to answer Suzuno’s question.
“Yeah, it looks like there is a need to explain, talking about boundary between the First and Second Generation……”
At that moment, the train passed through the switch point of the underground track of Shinjuku, causing the train to shake once.
“We’re here.”
Even if they are concerned with what Sariel wanted to say next, they couldn’t lose Maou and Chiho.
The three people moved towards the door in the train compartment with not that many people.
At this point in time, whether it was Emi or Suzuno, they did not know how to interpret the truth which Sariel announced at the same time as the announcement that Shinjuku is the terminal station.
“Those born before the ‘Calamity of the Great Demon King Satan’ is the First Generation, afterwards is the Second Generation, at least that is what I heard.”
In the spacious conference room, ten new coffee machines were set up.
Including Maou and Chiho, there were about 100 employees and workers who gathered at the MgRonalds main company building in the direction of Shinjuku-Nishiguchi to take part in the ‘MgRonalds Barista’ lecture.
He never expected that other than himself, there would be so many workers who gathered here in order to polish their MdCafe skills, causing Maou to feel a little touched.
“Thank you everyone for taking the time from your busy schedule to take part in the MgRonalds Barista lecture. As for the lecture, please confirm that the number on the application form and the table is the same. Then check if the materials distributed are missing anything……”
An employee at MgRonald’s Department of Product Management, as the Master of Ceremony, was currently reminding everyone to check the things required for the lecture.
“Then first, everyone please watch a 20 minute DVD introducing the various operations of MdCafe. After that, we hope to start the actual lecture directly.”
The conference room started to darken, and the video, edited to become teaching material, projected on the large screen in the middle of the venue.
“Using this normal method is proceed is not bad, and it’s easy to understand too.”
Maou watched the DVD attentively and copied notes as he thought about the editing differences between the educational movie and television programmes.
“……What is this?”
However someone suddenly spoke to him from the side, causing him to turn to the side in fright.
When he came to his senses, Maou discovered that he was the only person left in the conference room. Because Chiho, who sat some distance away because of the order of registration, also disappeared. From an unknown time, the armoured Iron was already sitting next to him.
“……Farfarello isn’t here. Even though he is watching from a nearby building, but I am the only one here.”
As if he wanted to calm down the frantic Maou, Iron explained this expressionlessly.
“T, that guy is loitering around somewhere within this barrier?”
“He asked me to find a chance to kidnap you, but there is really too many people nearby, so there hasn’t been any opportunities.”
[Image of Maou]
The youth said honestly and casually.
Even now, the screen was still playing the educational video.
This surreal situation, made Maou want to laugh out loud.
“Farfarello also asked me to confirm that you are making preparations for conquering the world. What is this video? Does it have something to do with conquering the world?”
An overseas MgRonalds employee was shown on screen, and was making MdCafe food items with facilities larger than the store in front of Hatagaya Station.
Basically, MdCafe started in Australia, and was spread to the main company in America, as for Japan, they only started to incorporate this operation type recently.
A large built Anglo-Saxon man where it was difficult to imagine him as an employee of MgRonalds, was currently using the milk bubbles from Café au Lait to create pictures of hearts and leaves, even though this image is very interesting, it still commanded much respect.
“Of course it’s related. Everything I am doing now, is necessary for conquering the world.”
“Oh, I see.”
“……You’re really an honest person.”
Iron’s respectful answer, made it difficult for Maou to get into the swing of things.
“Farfarello said that using weapons are terror to conquer the world is the correct way. Don’t tell me this video is teaching people how to make substances to increase firepower?”
Besides this, Iron seemed to be more talkative than imagined. It looks like Farfarello really is not nearby.
“Hm, about that. To put it directly, it probably can be explained that way. Do you know what is manufacturing? Manufacturing is interconnecting various things and binding them together tightly. As long as a good cup of coffee is made, it can increase productivity and boost morale, so it cannot be considered unrelated to making good quality weapons and firepower.”
“Manufacturing huh……I don’t know that very well.”
Iron looked really confused.
“I don’t know it well to, which is why I am learning here.”
“Learning?”
Iron asked back in confusion. It looks like even though the youth knew what is conquering the world, he didn’t know the meaning of ‘learning’. Maou actually wanted to explain----
“……Because it is too simple, it actually becomes more difficult to explain.”
But after some mumbling, he discovered that the video was showing the scene of South American coffee fields which he had not seen before.
“Ah, that’s right. Learning is an action taken in order to know what one does not know in the past.”
“So right now you are learning……the thing called manufacturing? Does it have anything to do with conquering the world?”
Even though he looked like he still didn’t understand that well, like Alas=Ramus, Iron still tried to use the word he just learned to ask questions.
“That’s right, our Demon Army doesn’t understand how a ‘country’ rules ‘citizens’. In order to learn this, I stayed in this country to prepare for the conquering of the world. And this is part of that.”
At this time, the screen showed the corporate visions of Japan’s MgRonalds for MdCafe in the future.
“This is all for the sake of my next step……the dream of conquering the world in a new way.”
“New, dream.”
Iron slowly repeated this like he was chewing on the meaning behind Maou’s words.
“It seems really interesting.”
After saying this, Iron suddenly disappeared in front of Maou.
In front of Maou, the scene was restored to a large group of students watching the screen, attending the lecture.
Maou observed Chiho a bit, it seems like she did not discover the strange situation which just occurred, and Chiho herself did not show any signs of being transferred into Iron’s barrier.
“H, hey.”
“Hm? What is it?”
Maou looked back because someone suddenly tapped his shoulder from behind, then he saw a male employee from another branch store sitting behind him looking in his direction with a pale face.
“H, have you been sitting here all this time?”
Ah, no wonder, even though Chiho did not realise it, to the man who has been sitting behind the whole time, Maou, who was trapped inside Iron’s barrier, probably looked like he disappeared like a spirit and suddenly reappeared.
After thinking for a while, Maou answered softly,
“Ah, about that, I dropped my pen just now, then I searched for it for a long time.”
“……Ah, is, is that so, that makes sense. Yeah, sorry for asking you such a strange question.”
Even if that male employee still looked a little unconvinced, he did not continue asking about it.
“Sigh, even if I get suspected, it would be like this at most.”
Maou mumbled in a volume unheard by others, then focused his attention on the lecture’s DVD.
“Ah! Is it those people?”
“It’s finally over, I was getting impatient waiting.”
“Going outside again……sigh.”
The Hero, inquisitor and archangel, these three people went to the Moonbucks near the MgRonalds Tokyo main company and awkwardly started a three hour tea session, waiting for Maou and Chiho. In the time period where the sunlight is the strongest, a large group of people suddenly walked out of the MgRonalds building.
From the way these people were all wearing casual clothes, it can be confirmed that they were not full time employees, but the workers attending the lecture.
“Where is the Demon King and Chiho-dono?”
“It’s really hard to see them from here……”
As there was a crowd of close to a few hundred people, it was not that easy to find Maou or Chiho.
When group scattered into smaller groups and left----
“It should be that person right?”
Sariel noticed one guy staying at the front of the porch alone. Even though that guy looked like Maou, he was looking around frequently, holding a mobile phone is his ear.
Seeing this, Emi and Suzuno started to panic a bit.
Maou’s expression obviously did not look like he was searching for a lost comrade.
It cannot be----
“Demon King!”
Emi made up her mind and ran up, rushing to the side of the panicked Maou.
“Ah, E, Emi!”
Even though Maou was shocked at Emi’s suddenly appearance, he still asked before Emi started her questioning,
“Have you seen Chi-chan?”
As expected.
Emi’s heart was filled with regret.
“Did Chiho-dono disappear?”
“Seriously, what were you doing.”
“B, both of you are here as well?”
Seeing Sariel and Suzuno appear one after another, even Maou got a shock.
“When did both of you separate?”
“Not ten minutes ago. When we just left the conference room, we were still together!”
“Did she go to the washroom or something?”
“Ahh……damn it! I was too careless! This is completely my mistake! If I questioned that guy properly at that time……”
Even though it looked like Maou regretted it deeply, there would still be time to lay the blame later.
“Now isn’t the time to say things like this right! Since you and us did not sense it, then Chiho could have been kidnapped by Iron’s barrier. From how Chiho did not use Mental Transmission, perhaps they made her lose consciousness.”
Even though he thought Emi’s analysis is very convincing, Maou was still busy panicking.
“Damn……now what……what can be done!”
“Calm down! What’s the use in being anxious!”
Emi shook Maou’s shoulders to make him come to his senses, but Maou was completely unable to calm down.
What happened in the conference room. From the fact that Maou said ‘I was too careless’, could it be possible that he already discovered that Iron was nearby?”
“He spoke to me……”
“What did you say?”
Emi, who did not expect the two of them to have made contact already, could not help but widen her eyes.
“Demon King, what is this! That’s not like you at all, that guy is an enemy now, you know?”
Maou grabbed his head in chagrin.
“……Because he looked similar, I got careless. After I talked to him, he disappeared.”
“Similar? Who is he similar to?”
Maou frowned, looked at Emi’s eyes and said,
“Alas=Ramus……he showed an expression of wanting to know more about the world……Iron is not like us, he shouldn’t be used by others.”
“It seems really interesting.”
Iron’s expression as he said this, was like the smile when Alas=Ramus experienced new things.
Even though he had no evidence, after Maou saw that smile, he believed that Iron was like Alas=Ramus, the same existence born from Sephira.
When he first saw Iron’s face, Maou already felt that he resembled Alas=Ramus.
“Even so, Iron is being used by demons now. Even though forgetting this is your mistake, whether this thinking is wrong or not, isn’t it determined by your actions from now on?”
“……Emi……”
Emi looked at Maou sincerely.
Until now, Emi had not encouraged Maou directly like this, causing him to calm down because of this.
“Yeah…….you’re right.”
Maou adjusted his breathing, starting to analyse the situation.
“By right, the lecture ended 9 minutes ago. Even if Iron took Chi-chan away, as long as he didn’t run through a ‘Gate’, he should still be somewhere around Shinjuku-Nishiguchi.”
“I see. Then let me give you a hand.”
Unexpectedly, it was Sariel who confirmed Maou’s analysis.
“Sasaki Chiho should still be wearing the ring with the ‘Yesod’ fragment on her hand right. Then as long as it’s not too far away, with my power, I would be able to find them.”
“H, how?”
“Emilia, have you forgotten?”
The corners of Sariel’s mouth lifted as he smiled.
“How do you think I found your location when I first attacked you. Even though I did get information from Olba beforehand, let me show you my comparable GPS searching ability. If the other party is holy magic or a Sephira fragment, it will be easy for me.”
Sariel looked up at the sky to search for something, and frowned because of the glaring sun in the sky.
“Found it.”
Maou and the others also looked towards where Sariel was staring at. After using a hand to block the sun’s glare, the group discovered a white sphere suspended in the azure blue sky.
“Using an amplifier to cast spells from long diatance is not an easy thing to do. As long as she is trained, Sasaki Chiho should have a chance to become an outstanding warlock. However……”
Sariel looked at the day moon and said boldly,
“she won’t match up to me.”
A purple beam instantly shot out from Sariel’s eyes.
Then for unknown reasons, the day moon in front of Maou and the others actually quickly became the same colour as Sariel’s eyes and started to glow.
“H, hey, what are you doing? Don’t do something so obvious……”
Forget about Shinjuku, actually changing the colour of the moon which can be seen all over the world, there should be a limit even with messing around. Even though it was logical for Emi to be anxious, Sariel replied nonchalantly,
“It’s not like I really changed the colour of the moon. And actually, only the people around Shinjuku will feel that it has changed.”
“W, what……then I can relax ……”
“It’s best that you can relax!”
Seeing Emi being relieved at such a strange reason, Maou could not help but rebut her.
Even though very few people will look up to notice the day moon, it was difficult to guarantee that no one would do it in the wide area of Shinjuku.
Maou was worried that if someone took a picture and uploaded it to the internet, it might just cause a commotion.
“It would be treated as a shocking footage special on television at most. After all, the moon on this Earth can’t turn purple in the day. Even if it’s deemed suspicious by people, it would only be this standard at most.”
Even though what Sariel said felt like déjà vu, Maou did not feel relieved at all.
“Alright, quiet down a little. I’m going to search nearby now.”
Sariel used his hand to block off the moon in the sky and started to concentrate.
Even though Maou, Emi and the others were concerned about Chiho’s whereabouts, they were more worried about someone passing by and seeing this scene.
If there was someone who really shot light out of his eyes and used his hand to block off the sky, regardless of whether the witness understood the situation, they would probably choose to call the police.
Not knowing if Sariel was aware of how suspicious he looked, he softly said the keywords to executing the spell,
“Lunar Sky Mirror.”
After saying the name of the spell, Sariel zoned out for two, three seconds, then stopped the spell.
“Oh my, it’s unexpectedly close.”
“Re, really?”
Sariel calmly nodded to reply the agitated Maou, and raised a finger to point to a certain building.
“How coincidental……a barrier was set up on that roof.”
“There……eh!”
Suzuno looked towards that building and sucked in a breath.
“So irritating. I really want to ask them to not plagarise my methods.”
That place is a venue closely tied to the four people present----
The roof of the Tokyo Metropolian Builidng.
“What now. It looks like the demon from earlier is there, if we go in, most likely there will be a fight. Even if a dimensional phase shifting barrier prevents people from entering, I can’t protect the building. Even though the four of us at full power will find a way to handle the brat called Iron, it would end up causing a large amount of damage.”
“Anything is alright, since Chi-chan and Farfarello are there, then we have to go.”
“Do you have any plans?”
Just as Emi felt uneasy because she remembered that Maou had commenced an attack without any plan before, he suddenly said something expected,
“……Emi, Suzuno, I’m sorry, please help me.”
“Eh?”
“W, what?”
Not expecting Maou to make this suggestion, no, request, Emi and Suzuno were surprised.
“Just like what Ashiya said, if we don’t convince Farfarello to make him go back, it would only cause Chiho to be exposed to more danger. In order to prevent things from becoming this way, I need your power.”
After saying this, Maou once again did something unexpected by Emi and the others.
“Please.”
Maou bowed his head.
The King of Demons, to protect a young girl, actually bowed to the Hero and inquisitor.
“……You seriously……”
Emi stared at the top of Maou’s head, sighed, and said,
“aren’t thinking about the situation and feelings on our end.”
But her tone was unexpectedly kind.
“Since I’m the Demon King, there shouldn’t be anyone else who is more stubborn and reckless than me.”
“Don’t be so exaggerated.”
Suzuno could not help but smile at both of their exaggerated words.
“You should have a success strategy right. The ‘optimal’ strategy which all of you were talking about.”
“I have. But I have to repeat this again, this method requires your power.”
Maou said with a lowered head.
Emi and Suzuno looked at each other.
“It looks like there’s no time to think about it.”
“Since it’s Chiho-dono’s crisis, it can’t be helped.”
“I will remember this debt owed.”
Maou lifted his hea d and turned to Sariel.
“Are you able to, like before, create another layer of barrier over Iron’s barrier?”
“I can, but what do you plan to do?”
“Please do your best to create a slightly bigger barrier, I will be responsible for thinking of something.”
After Maou said this, he took a black orb from his bag and squeezed it hard.
※
“What do you plan to do?”
Farfarello asked the young girl in front of him.
Not only did the girl known as Sasaki Chiho not reject Iron’s request, she even listened and followed.
Rather than that, the reason why Iron was able to easily carry out the complex mission of abducting the girl without alerting the Demon King was mainly because of the cooperation of the victim Sasaki Chiho.
“I don’t wish to get injured or lose consciousness because I resisted.”
“I see, looks like contrary to your appearance, you have courage and insight.”
“I did go through many terrifying experiences after all.”
Chiho showed a wry smile after saying this, it looks like she is braver than normal humans.
If not, when she was grabbed by the thin arm of Iron as he jumped from the the MgRonalds company building to the Shinjuku Metropolian roof in one go, she was probably be frantically making a lot of noise.
“Then, how about this?”
Farfarello, dressed as an outdated salaryman, used his hand to touch Iron’s armour.
Iron’s armour suddenly changed into black smoke and dissipated, pouncing towards Farfarello’s body.
“Yah!”
Chiho could not help but use her eyes to shield her eyes.
The slim salaryman, suddenly became a demon exuding dangerous atmosphere.
Farfarello had bat like wings and a huge sharp claw extending from his four limbs, however his face bore closer resemblance to a human than imagined.
Even though Chiho covered her face on reflex, she still peeked through her fingers.
“Ah, so you did wear proper clothes underneath the armour.”
Chiho felt a sense of relief because Iron did wear inner wear made from hemp, moving her hands away from her face and pressing her chest lightly,
“……You’re concerned about that huh. Seeing my appearance, don’t you feel anything at all?”
Even though he transformed into a form of a demon which did not exist in Japan, because the other party was instead worried about whether Iron wore clothes underneath, Farfarello momentarily lost his standing.
However even if Chiho did see Farfarello’s true form in person, she still did not look frightened at all.
“Erhm, I’m sorry, I thought that you would undergo a more extreme transformation.”
“……”
Seeing Farfarello’s instantly frowning face, Chiho said rather frantically,
“Er, erhm, it’s definitely not as if you’re not scary at all! It, it’s more like it’s already considered very cool and scary okay? B, but, erhm, I think it’s because I have already seen Ma……Satan-san and Alsiel-san’s true forms, so I have gotten used to it a bit already.”
Not only was Chiho unafraid, she even tried to put in a good word for Farfarello, causing this demon to lose even more standing.
“……Forget it, honestly, this is the first time I felt the urge to kill you.”
“Ah, s, sorry.”
It was not know if Chiho understood the situation, but anyway, she honestly apologized first.
“But……you said that you have seen the noble form of Demon King Satan-sama? Where, and under what situation did you see it?”
“Eh? Ah, there’s here, and a place 20 minutes walk from the place we met before.”
“Did you pay respects to Demon King-sama’s contenance from a close distance?”
“Uh……it’s about the distance between us right now.”
“……”
Even if he seemed expressionless on the surface, Farfarello actually felt very shocked within.
He had heard that the Demon King had returned back to his original state before, but he never expected that a normal looking young girl to actually witness it from close by, it was difficult for him to believe.
For normal people, just getting close to Demon King Satan’s demonic magic, would cause them to faint from coming into contact with the Demon King’s dark power.
“Don’t tell me……you’re Emeralda Etuva?”
“Eh?”
Being misidentified so badly like this, Chiho widened her eyes in shock.
“I heard that the strongest human warlock supporting Hero Emilia, is a female with small build. Don’t tell me you’re using the name Sasaki Chiho and living here.”
“N, no, it’s not like that! Even though I know Emeralda-san, you are mistaken.”
Even though there should be a limit to mistaking a person’s identity, Farfarello had not fought directly with Emi and the others during the Hero age, so it was not strange for him to misunderstand.
“Even so, since you were able to avoid being exposed to Demon King-sama’s magic due to knowing Emilia and Emeralda, this means that you are not a warrior. Are you one of Demon King-sama’s shackles in this country after all?”
With things as they are, it looks like Farfarello would not believe no matter what was said now.
Even though she just started training in spells, she was suddenly mistaken to be a hero protecting the peace of the world.
“But……talking about shackles, it might be like that. Because I am around, Satan-san and Yusa……Emilia-san, met with so much trouble.”
“……?”
“Farfarelao-san.”
“It’s Farfarello!”
“S, sorry!”
Getting someone’s name wrong is a very rude thing to do.
“Maou-san……Satan-san really has not given up on the dream of conquering the world. Satan-san only plans to learn something in Japan, then apply it on conquering the world……”
“That’s learning right!”
For unknown reasons, Iron chipped in cheerfully.
“R, right……anyway, he wants to study hard, then complete something. Even though he needs to work because he’s always short on money, spending his free time, but even so, he is always thinking about the citizens of the Demon World. About this, you must trust him.”
Not only was the young girl not afraid, she looked straight at the demon with an earnest gaze.
Farfarello had thought that humans would be afraid of demons, and would definitely not talk with demons seriously, therefore this is the first time he saw Chiho’s gaze.
“……I hope so as well, but……”
“So……please tell me. Why does the Demon Army want to invade Ente Isla?”
Farfarello opened his mouth like he looked down on the question and answered,
“A stupid question, other than Ente Isla, where else can be conquered……”
“So, what must all of you have to conquer Ente Isla?”
“……”
“Farfarelao said so before, as long as more demons die, the Demon World would be able to survive longer, does it have anything to do with this incident?”
“……My name is Farfar-e-lo!”
Farfarello’s shoulders sagged in depression.
“Even if you know this, what can you do?”
“That’s obvious.”
Chiho straightened up resolutely and proclaimed loudly,
“From there, I am going to find the reason for being unable to advance smoothly and help Satan-san achieve his dreams!”
“Chi-chan?”
When Maou reached the ground floor of the Metropolian building, his mobile phone suddenly rang, as this call did not display any incoming call, Maou was clear this is Chiho’s Mental Transmission.
“It looks like she’s alright! Let’s go! Emi! Suzuno! Go teach Farfarello a lesson……”
“Wait, Demon King!”
“Wait a moment!”
“……what is it……”
Even if got off on a wrong foot, Maou still followed Emi and Suzuno, starting at the screen of his own mobile phone.
The screen of the three phones, showed the words ‘no incoming caller ID’.
The three people first looked at each other, then pressed the call button of their own mobile phone, moving the phone to their ear.
“(……help Satan-san achieve his dreams!)”
Within the mobile phones of the three people, Chiho’s determined voice was heard.
“What?”
Farfarello could not help but ask because he could not understand what Chiho wanted to express.
“Recently, Satan-san frequently said that his past methods were wrong. However, he doesn’t seem to know what he should do……if it’s within my ability, then I wish to try my best to help him. Even if I’m weak and can’t fight, but there will definitely be areas I can help in!”
“……Aren’t you human?”
“I am human!”
“Then why do you want to help us demons……”
To Chiho, who unquestionably saw Maou and Emi as important existances, this question was something completely unnecessary.
“This has nothing to do with being a demon or human!”
“(This has nothing to do with being a demon or human!)”
Chiho’s thoughts did not go through the phone receiver, sounding in the heads of the three people directly.
“……Hey, Chi-chan has already learnt Mental Trasmission for multiple recipients……”
“How is that possible. It’s more complicated than one on one after all, basically, she barely succeeded connecting with me for a few seconds yesterday.”
Suzuno shook her head in a troubled manner to refute Maou’s suspicions.
“Then, this is subsconsciously done by Chiho?”
“It looks like that’s the only possibility……”
Emi and Suzuno both felt very shocked.
And Chiho was still transmitting her own thoughts.
“(Since it is possible now……then it should be able to continue on in future!)”
“Since it is possible now……then it should be able to continue on in future! A way of conquering the world which allows the Demon King and Hero co-exist!”
“……Is it my poor understanding of Japanese? I completely do not understand what you are saying.”
“Satan-san will definitely conquer the world successfully. Until now, he has been working hard everyday to achieve this goal. But this goal right now is not the same kind of world conquest as thought by ‘Demon King Satan’ before coming to Japan……coming to this world.”
“Then what kind of world conquest is it?”
Being asked this question, underneath the sunlight of the summer, Chiho showed a gratifying smile.
“Of course it is Demon King and Hero……demon and human, everyone working together for the sake of tomorrow’s food, that kind of world conquest!”
“……Boring.”
Farfarello was startled by Chiho’s whimsical description. Even if Farfarello felt anxious from having spent so much time on Chiho, it was not known if Chiho understood this, she only continued speaking fearlessly,
“It has already been achieved now. If so, it definitely will be able to continue in future!”
“Idiot. Humans and demons definitely cannot co-exist……”
“It is possible now!”
Unexpectedly, a mere high school girl, can interrupt the words of a Malebranche chief with just her tone.
Farfarello, who quietened, looked down at her in surprise.
“The Demon King and Hero, the ones who should be incompatible like fire and water, have done it. They could even bring along a child, the three of them going out to have fun. If so, why is it so impossible for normal humans and demons to be unable to do so.”
Of course, Chiho knew this is limited to the efforts of the individual person, but even so----
“Even if you said it cannot be done, I will still prove you wrong.”
Chiho said directly.
“Even though Maou-san and Yusa-san seem to feel bad because I was dragged into the issues of Ente Isla, they really aren’t obliged to think that way. Because……”
Chiho gave a smile which could only be described as fearless and declared in an imposing manner,
“Because I am very motivated, and plan to drag Maou-san and the others into my issues! No matter if it’s Satan-san, Emilia-san, Crestia Bell-san, Alsiel-san or Lucifer-san, I hope they would always keep me and Alas=Ramus company, eating together, quarrel together, and be able to say goodbye to each other at night, I wish to help in a world conquest where these things can be done!”
Chiho looked at Farfarello directly.
“(be able to say goodbye to each other at night, I wish to help in a world conquest where these things can be done!)”
“““……”””
The three of them could not help but move the phone away from their ear.
And they could not look at each other’s faces as well, because right now, all of them were blushing heavily.
“Chi……Chiho……”
Emi, who could not stand the silence, spoke.
“She’s really an amazing child……who really……how should I say it……exceeded our expectations……”
“My……beliefs, started to rebuild again in a strange manner.”
“……Seriously……can’t hold a candle to her……seriously……”
The Hero, Inquisitor and Demon King, expressed their opinions in different ways.
“……What’s wrong. Are we taking action or not, from this, it looks like Sasaki Chiho is safe and unharmed.”
“So you’re around!”
Sariel looked at the three people from the side with a complex expression on his face.
Even though Maou rebuked him aggressively, it did not sound that imposing.
“……Please, set up the barrier.”
Maou looked at the Metropolian building with a red face.
“In order to fulfill the dream, there needs to be matching ability and persuasive power……Emi, Suzuno.”
“I, I think that even if I go up now, it feels like I can’t face Chiho directly.”
“I think I might start worshipping her.”
“……Alright, just go! I’m leaving it to you!”
After saying this, Maou started to slump in front of the two people.
“It’s rare to see someone give orders in such a pathetic pose.”
Sariel showed a wry smile, and started to set the barrier on the Tokyo Centre from the day moon.
“So I hope you can tell me. Why does Satan-san have to sacrifice large numbers of demons and humans in a rush to conquer the world……as long as I know this, I feel that I’ll be able to advance this from another direction.”
Farfarello, the chief of Malebranche, actually moved his gaze away because he could not stand the charisma and gaze of a young girl.
Farfarello could not understand the concept Chiho wanted to express. Or rather, he could not imagine the world which Chiho considered.
And he also did not feel that one powerless human girl, would be able to do such a thing.
Even so, why was he overwhelmed by this girl’s aura.
“……That is because……”
Then, just as he could not dissuade Chiho, and was about to open his mouth----
“Farfarello! The barrier!”
Iron suddenly looked the sky.
Chiho and Farfarello also looked over, following the boy’s gaze, and discovered a purple glowing moon hanging in the self-constructed sky.
“Have they come……it’s earlier than expected. How did they find this place……”
In order to avoid Chiho’s gaze, Farfarello also looked at the sky like Iron, and the beings he saw were people he did not expect.
“Th, that is……”
“Maou-san! Yusa-san! Suzuno-san!”
Chiho saw the same people as Farfarello and shouted.
This place caused Chiho to remember the Prince who wore his underwear and brought a broom.
And this time, this person, more like a man who is King rather than a Prince, was currently being grabbed at the collar and the belt of his pants by the two ladies, was currently flying over in the sky in a crouching position.
Even if he seemed to be hanging in the sky by his neck, Maou still stared at Farfarello determinedly, and in his hands, he was holding a black orb.
That was the demonic magic block condensed by Farfarello.
Even though Chiho accepted Iron’s invite in order to get her questions answered, but from Maou’s point of view, it would definitely look like Farfarello easily kidnapped Chiho.
Could it be that the demons would be fighting each other here next.
Chiho, who was worried that this would happen, could not help but shout at Maou,
“It’s not like this! It’s my fault! Farfarellao-san didn’t do anything to me at all!”
“Forget it, you can call me whatever you want.”
It looks like Chiho could not call out Farfarello’s name correctly no matter what, and it seems like the person himself has already given up.
Emi and Suzuno, carrying Maou, guarded against Farfarello’s attack while putting Maou on the roof, then the two of them also landed.
“Yosh……ah……the collar is loose again. I’ll get scolded by Ashiya now.”
Maou, who got thrown, landed nimbly, and after looking at the loosened T-shirt collar sadly, he turned towards Chiho and Farfarello.
“……Are you alright.”
“Y, yeah……e,erhm……?”
Maou looked towards Farfarello who was avoiding Chiho’s gaze. After seeing the large build of the demon, Maou finally regained his calm.
“Even though Chi-chan seems to plan to protect you, but the fact that you kidnapped Chi-chan is undisputable right?”
Maou said coldy to the large Malebranche.
“What do you plan to do?”
“I’m very sorry……no matter what, I wish to hear from a third party about what happened to Demon King-sama in this country……”
Even though he actually heard the terrifying ambition of a human girl in the end, Chiho and Farfarello did not know that Maou and the others actually heard everything clearly.
“Then Chi-chan? Why did Chi-chan say that you’re also at fault?”
“T, that is, because I wanted to know why Maou-san has to conquer Ente Isla……it feels like even if I ask Maou-san and Ashiya-san, all of you won’t tell me……”
“Sigh……is that so.”
In the Mental Transmission the three people heard, this question did not appear. So it probably happened after Maou and the others hung up because of embarrassment.
Maou scratched his head, and stared at Chiho and Farfarello straight on.
“Both of you.”
Saying this, Maou used his thumb to point at his own chest.
“Things like this, ask the person himself! I am right here! I won’t run or hide!”
“Alright……I’m sorry.”
Chiho apologized in a depressed manner.
“Chi-chan……sigh, even though I have many things to say to you……but anyway……”
Maou felt a little restless because he remembered the Mental Transmission just now, he walked up to Chiho, and used his fist to lightly knock Chiho’s head.
“Ow!”
“The lecture, I’ll leave it first.”
“Ughh……alright.”
Chiho touched the spot where she was knocked, and walked up to Emi and Suzuno.
After Maou glanced sideways and confirmed that Emi and Suzuno also knocked Chiho once, he turned towards Farfarello again.
“So, from what you heard from Chiho, what do you feel about me?”
“……Honestly, it’s hard to judge. Even though I heard unexpected words, I still don’t think that this country has the thing which can support Demon King-sama’s rulership sufficiently.”
“It’s not like that. Satan is studying manufacturing, you know.”
“But the way you’re saying it, it’s like my notes were sloppily copied.”
Maou gave a wry smile at Iron’s childish way of speaking, and then, for unknown reasons, put his hand in his pocket and took out his wallet.
“Then let me tell you. This country……this world is filled with things which could solve the crisis of the Demon World. And this thing does to require blood, or lives as exchange. It is……this.”
Maou took out a piece of paper from the wallet bought from the 100 yen store.
Then he slowly unfolded the wrinkled piece of paper.
“…….Go buy a wallet so there is no need to fold notes. You’re already an adult, how pathetic.”
Emi, who had been saved by the wrinkled paper used by the Demon King mumbled unhappily.
“Do you know what this is? Let me say this first, the humans in Ente Isla also naturally own this.”
In Farfarello’s eyes, this is just a thin piece of paper with a human’s head and complicated pictures printed on it.
“This is……”
“Once we have this, there would be any need to argue with others about this.”
After saying this, Maou threw the black orb which was shifted to his underarm when he took out his wallet, the concentrated demonic magic ball and threw it.
“You mean, this piece of paper possesses the ability to surpass demonic magic?”
“Not ‘possess’, but ‘everyone can possess’.”
Maou raised the 1000 yen bill with the portrait of the accomplished Japanese Hideyo Noguchi printed on it high in the air.
“Our will, can change the situation of the world. This can change into the commodity of the Demon World, which has been slowly losing demonic magic because of peace……money! As long as we change our views, we can change the world and mainfestations. This is what I learnt in this world.”
“Money huh……I know this refers to the people or metal plates humans use when doing business. But faced with power, this thing is useless.”
“It is rather useless now. But, I am going to start constructing it next. In this way, a world in which even the Hero who plans to kill me will be willing to help me can be built! Negative energy can still be created even without killing anyone!”
“Hey, can you don’t make it sound like I am willing to help you because I was tempted by money?”
Even if she couldn’t help but voice her protest, Emi still walked up behind Maou and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Because there is a reward, there is a willingness to act, even though this is the basic principle of human society, it still feels difficult to accept.”
Saying this, Suzuno also placed a hand on Maou’s other shoulder.
Just as Chiho started to wonder about what was going to happen----
“Chi-chan.”
Maou called Chiho as his back faced her.
“Sing, Emi and Suzuno do not have the spare energy to protect you, activate your holy magic properly and protect yourself.”
With just this sentence, Chiho understood everything.
Chiho wiped away the tears in the corner of her eyes from the scolding, and adjusted her breathing to calm herself down.
“You better do a 1000 yen’s worth of work.”
“Even though isn’t as much as my hourly pay, but it can’t be helped, I’ll help you.”
“We’re starting. Even though it’s a bit different from what was arranged, but don’t die.”
While speaking, Emi and Suzuno started injecting large amounts of holy magic into him from both this shoulders.
“W, what are you doing!”
Farfarello got a shock from this.
The two humans were currently pouring holy magic into Satan’s body without holding back. With this, would the Demon King who has weakened into a human become purified?
“Don’t move!”
Even if he showed a pained expression, Maou himself still stopped Farfarello.
“Heh, heh heh, no, no need to be afraid……just watch, you will definitely get a huge shock.”
“Is, is it alright?”
Even though Maou looked confident, in reality, Maou did not tell Emi or Suzuno the reason for doing so.
Maou only promised the two that it will definitely work out, and asked them to inject as much holy magic as they could manage into Maou’s body in front of Farfarello.
As they thought that this method will not harm Chiho, the two of them agreed reluctantly, but no matter what, it still looked like they were harming Maou.”
“Gahhhhhh!”
After a short while, Maou, whose body contained the injected holy magic----
“…………….Ugh.”
“W, wait?”
“H, hey?”
His eyes rolled up and he actually fainted.
Even though Emi, Suzuno and Farfarello did not know what Maou wanted to do----
“A new morning has come! A morning of hope!”
Chiho suddenly started to sing.
When singing the radio workout theme, Chiho started to activate the holy magic in her body.
The disoriented Maou knelt on the ground without any energy.
Emi frantically supported him from the side.
“Open up your hearts from happiness.”
Immediately after that, the changes started to occur suddenly.
“Looking at the sky!”
Like he had been punched, Maou’s body bent into a ‘<’ shape.
“Yah!”
“Uwah!”
Emi and Suzuno, who had supported Maou so he would not fall, were thrown back.
A black glow suddenly emitted from Maou’s body.
“With the sound of the radio, open up the healthy chest.”
The light grew larger, and started to dye Maou Sadao’s body black.
“Th, this is……don’t tell me?”
Even though Farfarello used his hands to cover his eyes to block out the emitted black glow, he was not willing to look away.
“Embrace the gentle and light wind, ready, one!”
What appeared first was the beast like feet.
“Two!”
Then the large body.
“Three!”
The right horn smashed by the Hero and the intact left horn.
“Oh my~ so close, I momentarily lost consciousness.”
But this mumble, spoilt the atmosphere which had been overwhelming its witnesses.
“H, ho, how can this be?”
The person who was shocked the most was Emi.
After all, who would think that injecting a demon with holy magic, would cause the birth of the Demon King.
Suzuno also sat on the ground because of the unexpected development and could only stare at the visage of Demon King Satan.
“All of you don’t have to be so afraid……Chi-chan should have known beforehand right?”
“R, roughly……”
It seems like even if the activation of holy magic was learnt, it was still difficult to withstand Satan’s demonic magic with a flesh and blood body.
Even so, Chiho still strongly smiled to Satan, and she had also immediately discerned Satan’s thoughts.
Before the commotion at Tokyo Tower, Chiho had produced demonic magic in response to absorbing too much holy magic, causing the symptoms of demonic magic poisoning.
So if this phenomenon occurred on the ‘Human Maou Sadao”.
The answer is the Demon King in front of them wearing the UNIXLO T-shirt stretched to its exteme and denim jeans.
“So tight.”
Only one person seemed to enjoy the change in situation----Iron showed a small smile as he looked up at Satan’s face.
“De, Demon King-sama……”
Farfarello subconsciously knelt down on one knee.
Farfarello, who only became a chief after the dispersion of the Demon Army, had not meet Satan directly before. However once the Demon King appeared in front of the young demon like this, Farfarello started to fault himself for actually habouring such stupid suspiscions against the Demon King, and was filled with regret.
Demon King Satan was still alive. And right now he is hiding a strong power far exceeding Farfarello, making preparations to rule the world.
And he even made former enemies his comrades.
“So, aren’t you satisfied with this?”
The voice from high above, caused Farfarello to submit down to his soul, and he knelt down totally.
“This is all because of my shallow thinking. It is a huge offence to suspect the thoughts of Demon King Satan-sama, I am willing to accept any punishment.”
Silence befell the scene.
Even though Farfarello was already mentally prepared to die anytime.
“No one said anything about punishing you.”
Demon King Satan said easily,
“Didn’t I say so from the start? I have my considerations, don’t do stupid things, go back quickly. Tell Barbariccia and the others to withdraw from the Eastern Continent. Like you said, I have obtained new power in this new world, and preparing for world conquest, letting you know this is enough.”
“……I don’t deserve this......”
“Then again, even if I said this, Barbariccia would probably not accept it. When you go back, remember to tell him that I found ‘true’ new Demon Army and four Great Demon Generals, let me introduce them to you.”
“Eh?”
“Ah?”
“Eh?”
Satan suddenly mentioned existances which Chiho, Emi and Suzuno had not heard before.
“You remember Alsiel and Lucifer right. Besides them, there’s still the Hero Emilia. She is a battle expert, and might even be stronger than me.”
“Hey!”
“This is the Inquisitor Cresita Bell. From the External Relations Missionary department of the Church, a scholar official who knows about all the events of Ente Isla.”
“W, what!”
“They, former enemies, have already joined forces with me, in addition, I have a secretary who is key to me capturing human hearts, MgRonalds Barista Sasaki Chiho. These people, are the four Great Generals for the new Demon Army I created.”
““Five people!””
Emi and Suzuno could not help but shout simultaneously.
“Wrong, that’s not it! W, why do I have to be a Great General, stop with that nonsense!”
“I was thinking what you were planning to say! This is defamation! Correct, retract, commit Seppeku, apologise!”
After rebuking with all their might, Emi and Suzuno protested fully to Maou with all their might.
“Basically, what is a MgRonalds Barista! How can you make Chiho face more danger……”
“You said Mgron Ald Ballista……?”
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
Hero, Inquisitor and MgRonalds Barista, even though Satan made them sound like they were names of equal rank, Farfarello unexpectedly accepted it, not only that----“
“Mgr on Ald Ballista……King’s Bishop Bow. That young girl is a bowman?”
“W, why has it become like this?”
Even though it was just a certification for having a certain understanding for MgRonald’s products, why was it misunderstood to such a strange name, Emi did not know the reason for this.
“But, I’m a Great General huh……”
Ignoring her surroundings, Chiho was originally hiding her pain, was now strangely happily carrying out the activation and showing a smile like she was dreaming.
“Hey! Chiho-dono, what are you feeling happy about!”
Even though Suzuno could not help but rebuke, she actually knew the reason much better than Emi did.
“Mgr on Ald……Bishop in the King’s service……seriously, what is that guy’s thinking like.”
Satan listened to Suzuno’s mumbling in satisfaction, then said arrogantly to Farfarello,
“One day, the new Demon Army I lead will conquer the Demon World and the World once again. These people are not our enemies, remember this!”
“Understood!”
“Forget it! We are your enemies!”
Emi’s tragic cry was not heard by Farfarello.
“Then…….”
After confirming that Farfarello was convinced, Maou nodded once and said,
“Let me return this to you.”
Maou picked up the demonic magic orb on the ground, grabbing it with his nails and injecting his will.
“Hah!”
Following the shout Satan let out, his body was instantly covered in black flames.
“De, Demon King-sama?”
Farfarello panicked at the situation, but in the next moment----
“…….Take it.”
In a blink of an eye, Demon King Satan who had huge power, build and aura, had changed back into a human youth, and the T-shirt he wore, not only the collar, the whole shirt was loose.
“This would probably replenish it a bit. Whether you want to eat it or distribute it when you get back, it’s up to you.”
After Maou Sadao said this, he tossed the demonic orb to Farfarello.
Even thought the demonic magic orb looked like a normal metal ball, the demonic magic contained within was all the demonic magic produced by Satan through holy magic.
“B, but Demon King-sama……”
Satan changed back to the form which could only hold a little demonic magic. Even though Farfarello did not think it was a good idea to forgo demonic magic when considering the conquest later on----
“You saw it too right. As long as I want to, I can change back whenever I want, in addition……”
Maou gave a wry smile, and turned to the angered Emi and Suzuno with a pale face.
“These guys are really scary, I think it would be better to lay low for the time being.”
Farfarello looked at the female lineup behind Maou in term, and could only remain speechless.
“Demon~King~!!!!”
After that, those scary people approached Maou with tones and auras which resemble the Demon King more than the Demon King himself.
“Demon King! Correct this! Five people can’t be considering the Four Great Kings!”
“Does it matter, who cares if they are the Four Kings or Eight Princes, it’s not that much difference.”
“Do you plan to add more members? What Eight Princes! Then again, this is not an issue of numbers……”
“The new culture brought back by the new Four Kings and Demon King-sama……this time the morale of the citizens of the Demon World would probably increase greatly.”
“Didn’t I say it’s not like that!”
Emi and Suzuno’s tragic cries, Farfarello’s strong realization, Chiho, who became light headed because of the holy magic activation, Satan’s placating voice, crossed the skies of Shinjuku.
“Amazing, so amazing!”
Seeing the situation of Maou and the rest which was messed up in so many ways, only Iron clapped his hands in awe, feeling happy. Then----
“……What are all of you doing, if you don’t need it, I’m taking down the barrier.”
Sariel, who came over to take a look because no fight occurred, sagged his shoulders tiredly after seeing the quarrel which lacked any tension from the people of the foreign world,
※ “Like, I, said! I can say it as many times as you want! In order to avoid increasing the number of enemies, it would be easier to make them think that all of you are comrades!”
Maou Sadao’s cries reverberated through Shinjuku under the setting sun.
After waiting for Maou to revert back to his human sate, Emi and Suzuno, who are enraged for being Great Generals without being asked, made him sit in the Seiza position on the roof of the Metropolian building under the sun and lectured him continuously.
The things which Maou told Farfarello, caused a huge impact in everyone’s hearts, it was to the point that even the lecture for Chiho deciding on her own to ask information from Farfarello was thrown to the back of everyone’s minds.
And one of the points which especially made Emi angry was that even Chiho had become a Great General.
If Farfarello, who went back using Iron’s ‘gate’, reported to Barbariccia about this, at that time, Chiho will surpass being a related person, and become an existence closely tied to Ente Isla.
Besides the possibility of a faction which saw Chiho as an ‘enemy’ appearing, the group did not reach their original goal at all, therefore on the way home, Emi kept picking trouble with Maou unhappily.
And the rebuke which Maou gave was the shout just now.
“As long as she becomes a Great General, then normal people wouldn’t dare to lay their hands on her right? After all, the human Knight Alliance can’t even go against Barbariccia, who isn’t a Great General right?”
“This isn’t the problem! With this, Chiho might even be seen as an enemy but the people of Ente Isla! And if the other demons are ignored and Chiho becomes a Great General, won’t Chiho become a target of jealously and get attacked?”
“The people under me aren’t so sinister!”
“If there are bright and cheerful demons, then what are things coming to!”
“Where are your eyes! Are you saying that my personality is sinister? The humans clearly don’t trust what we say, if they just choose the parts advantageous to them and see Chi-chan as a bad person, then that’s called sinister right!”
“If you’re not sinister, then you’re just a muscle head who doesn’t think of anything! No matter how you justify it, the fact that you caused Chiho to face a danger unlike before doesn’t change! You idiot demon!”
“What did you say!”
“What! Do you want to fight?”
“Seriously……it’s noisy!”
During the walk from the Metropolian Building to the Keiō New Line Terminal Station, Maou and Emi scolded each other non-stop, and Suzuno, who couldn’t take it shouted loudly,
“The incident has already passed, it’s no use to argue. We, who are unable to make Farfarello and Iron stay here and solve the issue, have lost!”
“Suzu-nee chan, don’t get angry!”
Alas=Ramus, who was carried by Suzuno patted Suzuno’s head, and Suzuno immaturally threw her hand off.
Before Iron and Farfarello returned together, Alas=Ramus ignored Emi’s will again and jumped out from Emi’s back.
“……Iron.”
“Alas=Ramus……long time no see.”
“Yeah.”
From their conversation, Iron is an existence close to Alas=Ramus after all.
“Iron, is everyone still alright?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. But I am well.”
“Yeah.”
Just knowing this, Alas=Ramus’s expression became cheerful.
“Next time, let’s play again okay?”
“Yeah.”
The short meeting of the children born from the Sephira came to an end like this.
Until Iron opened the gate and left Japan together with Farfarello, Alas=Ramus kept staring at them to send them off.
After that, Emi started to argue with Maou, therefore it fell to Suzuno to take care of Alas=Ramus.
“Basically we let Iron go home without even asking about his history……looks like as long as it is related to Chiho-dono, all of you really forget to think.”
“……Suzuno-san, did you call me?”
Chiho was walking next to Suzuno with light steps, since before she has been in dream like state.
“I didn’t call you, Chiho-dono, let me say this first, don’t forget that I’m going to lecture you once we get back.”
“……Alright……”
“……Seriously, why is everyone like this!”
Chiho had been acting airy since she left the Metropolian Building, it wasn’t known if she even heard Suzuno’s words.
“Suzu nee-chan, don’t get angry!”
“Alas=Ramus, that’s not the way to say it! At least I will have to be calm and see the situation logically, or else these people really won’t think about anything……”
Suzuno complained to Alas=Ramus with a serious look on her face.
“Calm, see the situation logically?”
“…….That’s right, it’s no use even if I told Alas=Ramus about all this.”
Even if she did not understand Suzuno’s words, Alas=Ramus still made an effort to repeat them, but she still would not know the things she did not know after all. Not only that----
“Oh my, does it matter. After all, I succeeded at reconciling with my Goddess this time. All is at peace.”
“Can no one bring some balance to my heart----!”
“Ahmm, Suzu nee-chan, don’t scare people.”
Even though he was standing on the ground, Sariel, who was walking on air, made a conclusion which became a final blow, this finally broke the limit of Suzuno’s patience, causing her to run in an exaggerated manner while carrying Alas=Ramus.
“She really has it hard huh.”
“Whose fault do you think it is!”
Watching Suzuno’s back as she ran away crying, Maou said this in a self-absorbed manner.
“But, even though I shouldn’t be saying this, why did you give your demonic magic to Farfarello?”
“What. If I kept the demonic magic which can restore me to the Demon King anytime, would you let me off?”
“That is why I said that I shouldn’t be saying this!”
Maou’s casual answer caused Emi to start quarreling with him.
“……Sigh, if I was in your position, if I, who is restored as the Demon King, suddenly started to conquer Japan with Farfarello, then you would have a reason to kill me, perhaps that would be more to your liking.”
“H, how can I look forward to having that kind of thing happen?”
“That kind of thing refers to me starting to conquer Japan? Or finding a reason to kill me?”
“…………Are you that determined to pick out my language errors and angering me?”
“This is payback for you lecturing me non-stop one sidedly just now.”
Maou intentionally smiled in an exaggerated manner, showing his teeth. As for Emi, she gritted her teeth and looked away.
“Sigh, to be serious, it should be because of Chi-chan.”
The two people looked towards Chiho, who was behind them and seemed to be walking on air.
“After that kind of straightforward declaration, I’m not so stupid as to leave any factors which could lead to a quarrel with you. Ah, there’s still this, let me give you your pay before I forget.”
Before Emi would digest what Maou said in her brain, Maou opened up the wrinkled 1000 yen bill in front of her, dispelling Emi’s mood.
“What, you don’t want it?”
“I don’t.”
“What?”
Emi rejected the 1000 yen bill without hesitation, causing Maou to almost respect her.
“If I accept your money, then my relationship with you would really become like doing business. This time, I only helped you to save Chiho. Don’t misunderstand.”
“I, I didn’t think that much……if, if you really don’t want it, then I’ll kept it okay? Is that fine?”
With a lack of spine such that it made it difficult to imagine that he had been boldly describing the future of the Demon World earlier, he kept the 1000 yen bill.
“Oh yes, the thing about us hearing Chiho’s Mental Transmission just now, we have to keep it a secret from her.
“Ah? Why?”
As the coin pouch was too full, Maou was unable to put the 1000 yen bill back smoothly, and that bill became more pitiful looking.
“…….I think she also did not wish for us to know, and……”
“……And?”
Emi started to stutter, she squinted her eyes which shone under the evening sun in displeasure, and only move her gaze to look at Maou and Chiho respectively.
“……it feels……that I would accept it just like that, it’s irritating.
“Ah? What did you say?”
Emi seemed to only mumble softly to herself, so it was immediately drowned by the noise of the vehicles driving around Nishi-Shinjuku, and could not reach Maou’s ears at all.
“…….it’s nothing. Anyway just don’t tell Chiho! Understand?”
“O, okay……even though I’m don’t really understand……”
Even though Emi’s attitude reverted to that of before, she seemed to be unable to let go of some things, Maou, who nodded honestly even though he didn’t quite understand----
“Ah, that’s right, Chi-chan, Chi-chan.”
turned around like he suddenly thought of something.
“……yes……eh, ah, yes!”
After being called by Maou, Chiho, whose mind wandered, subconsciously straightened her body.
“Sigh, the lecture can wait till later, I wish to take a slight detour, do you want to come along?”
“A detour?”
“Where do you want to go?”
At this stage, Chiho cannot be put into more danger. Depending on the location, Emi was mentally prepared to forcefully follow.
“Right, let me tell you as well. Chi-chan, I heard that your birthday is coming up. When is your birthday?”
Chiho and Emi’s expressions froze.
“Birth……birthday?”
“Ah, erhm……yeah, it’s September, 10th September.”
Chiho answered honestly.
“Oh my, even though I thought about it before, but even if I, as the Demon King, suddenly thinks about what present to give, I won’t be able to prepare anything which Chi-chan likes, I think if it’s like this, it would be faster to take the chance to ask the person herself what she likes, and it will be more reliable as well.”
Maou’s words were too frank even by the standards of being frank, from Emi’s point of view, it was difficult even to have the Demon King understand the concept of birthday celebrations.
“Even though till now, I still do not know what Chi-chan likes, but it feels like your taste isn’t like Emi’s girly standards.”
“Y, you, whose girly!”
“It’s girly right. At your age, actually still using a Rilakkuma wallet.”
“It, it’s better than your wallet bought at a 100 yen store right! And basically, my true age is only one year difference from Chiho.”
“Ah~anyway I think you also know that I can’t buy anything too expensive, but do you want anything similar?”
These words were too direct even by the standards of being direct, it was not as if he was confirming a MgRonalds order.
Chiho looked at Maou’s face for a while.
“Perhaps I have already received it.”
And said this while smiling.
“Is that so……uh, eh? Did I give you anything?”
“I did receive it you know, and it might be the most important thing to me now.”
“Hm? Is, is it? Hm?”
As Maou himself did not have any impression, he tilted his neck and thought.
“Eh? What is it exactly?”
Maou, who looked like he could not think of an answer, tilted his head upwards in dissatisfaction, Chiho only showed a mysterious smile and walked with small steps.
“Seriously……should I say that all of you are half hearted, or that the both of them are too relaxed.”
“Eh? Does Emi know the answer?”
“…….I don’t want to know.”
“W, what is it!”
“Heh heh heh, it’s a secret before you figured it out.”
Chiho pressed a finger to her lips, looks like she did not plan to announce the answer.
“Ah, that’s right1 I remember that Yusa-san has an autumn birthday as well right?”
“Me?”
Chiho suddenly shifted the topic onto Emi, causing her to blink in confusion.
“Is that so?”
“It feels like I heard Suzuno-san mention it before……”
“……”
Emi looked at Maou unhappily and nodded reluctantly.
“Even though my birthday is in the early autumn of the Western Contitnent, but I don’t know when is it in Japan, and it makes no difference what my birthday is like anyway.”
“Eh~it’s a rare chance, let’s exchange gifts!”
Chiho pulled at Emi’s arms, then started to dream about the happy plans.
“S, stop that, it’s troubling.”
Faced with Chiho’s invitation filled with the air of a high school girl, Emi rejected it tactfully while blushing.
“Even if we aren’t doing this, I have a lot of things I wish to thank you for. And Maou-san also got helped by Yusa-san a lot after all, if he doesn’t pay it back once in awhile, he might really get killed yes?”
“Chiho, I say……”
Emi felt troubled because she did not know how serious Chiho was.
“……That’s true. Thinking about it calmly, I did end up owing a lot of favours.”
“Don’t take it so seriously. Then again, I don’t want to see you thinking that the most, please stop with that nonsense.”
If Maou really got affected by Chiho’s instigation and bought Rilakkuma products for Emi, Emi might just start hating Rilakkuma at once.
“But, you probably don’t wish to receive anything from me right?”
“Of course, so stop thinking about it……”
“Then how about this.”
“Eh?”
Maou suddenly punched this palm, causing Emi to get a bad feeling.
“Didn’t I name you as a Great General just now?”
“If you are willing to cancel that as a gift, it’s not as if I won’t consider it.”
“That can’t be done in front of Farfarello. So Emi, for the reason of watching what I do, come along with me!”
Time, stopped.
““Eh?””
Emi and Chiho said simultaneously with stiff voices.
“You’re troubled about whether you should treat me as an enemy like before right? If so, you can see in detail if I am your enemy or not from now on. Because you’re a Great General, you can kill me from behind anytime. Of course, I don’t plan on being killed by you so easily, but if you’re still dissatisfied with what I have done after this, then at that time, let’s fight with our identities as Demon King and Hero. What do you think?”
“What do I think huh……”
“Let’s start anew. I will use my actions to prove to you and I am not the Demon King that you envisioned. And Chi-chan also said that she wants to know my motive for conquering the world. I will tell you from the beginning, if you’re still not satisfied, we can fight then. So----”
Maou, with a very proud smile like he had thought of a perfect idea, said to Emi,
“Hero Emilia, if you wish to feel a bit more refreshed, then follow me. I will show you a new world in the process of conquering the world.”
Chiho and Emi froze.
As for Sariel, who watched this frozen time from an outsider’s point of view----
“Hm, looks like you can really speak when you need to.”
actually felt respect for Maou’s words.
Then----
“~~~~Ugh!!!!!!!”
“Eh? Eh? Eh?”
Emi’s face turned red at a rapid pace like kindling doused in gasoline.
Suzuno, who reached the terminal station earlier, was feeling confused because of the disappearance of Alas=Ramus from her arms, and at the same time, Emi’s hands were already holding the ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ which contained unmatched power.
“H, hey, Emi? Th, this is a public place!”
“Heavenly Fang!”
Emi aimed for Maou and executed the holy sword skill seriously.
Under the attack of the merciless wind, Maou Sadao’s light body, unlike that of Satan, hit a tree on the sidewalk, and fell into the bushes next to the road.
“Dddooo yyyooouuu kkknooow wwwhaatt yyyoouu aaarree sssayyiinngg?”
Even though Emi herself is the one who did not know what she was saying, Maou was even more confused about the situation.
“Idiot! You idiot! That’s enough! You’re my enemy! Definitely my enemy! Being so troubled it, I’m an idiot as well! T, try to say strange things again next time! This has nothing to do with Alas=Ramus and Chiho! At that time, I, I will definitely take your head! Y, you……”
Emi teared up, and containing various feelings, she said while blushing furiously,
“you dense person!”
Then with a speed exceeding Suzuno’s previous one, she ran away without hesitation.
“W, what is this……”
Maou, who climbed out of the bushes, got a shock because he did not understsand the situation, at this time, a shadow fell upon Maou’s face.
“Chi, Chi-chan, give me a hand…..eh?”
Chiho, with her back to the evening sun and facing Maou did not grab the hand Maou stretched out, but grabbed his collar.
“Chi-chan?”
“Maou-san, treat me to cake.”
“Eh?”
“Aren’t you celebrating my birthday? Then treat me to cake. Right now!”
“Eh? Ah, erhm, why does Chi-chan look a little angry……”
“I don’t know!”
“Er, erhm, Chi-chan, I can walk on my own, please let go of my collar, erhm…….”
[Image of embarrassed Emi]
The Demon King was pulled by a high school girl in this way to go back the way they came.
Once he thought that Maou would be bought to some high end western dessert store in Shinjuku, Sariel, who was left behind, showed a wry smile.
“Harmonious feelings are a good thing. Then, I’ll go eat dinner as well. First challenge for MdCafe!”
“What is going on…….”
Maou looked up at the evening sky as he was pulled along by Chiho.
Even though he did not know why Emi’s face became so red, and why Chiho was angry. But----
“If she is able to show that kind of expression normally, she would become a little cuter.”
Once Maou thought of the blushing Emi with her moist eyes, he smiled to himself.
“Did you say anything?”
“Nothing it all.”
Even though he did not know the reason, Maou knew he could not continue to stoke Chiho’s anger, so he gave up on thinking about it.
Then again, when Chiho looked back, her ears were a little red.
“Even though it’s a bit different from what I imagined……but something like a dream isn’t always a bed of roses and it’s not that easy to find as well.”
Maou, who was pulled along, said this softly as he stared at the red evening sun of Tokyo.
Kisaki, who was wrapped up in her dream, and only avoided a problematic store in the nick of time.
If Sariel wanted to advance his relationship with Kisaki to what he hoped, should also meet a lot of difficulties in the future.
Even though Alas=Ramus had the rare chance to met a comrade, they could only spend a very short time together.
Ashiya would probably sigh because he gave up demonic magic, as for Urushihara, he always looked dissatisfied.
Suzuno, Chiho and Emi, in order to change the current situation which they did not meet their expectations to what they dreamed of, moved forward as they hit walls.
And then Maou was also the same……
“Sigh, just 3 hours of practice shouldn’t be enough to catch up to Kisaki-san I guess.”
Even though the MgRonalds Barista lecture was very meaningful, in order to learn enough knowledge to be on par with Kisaki’s skills who aimed to be a barman, then a new step towards a new topic needs to be taken.
Even if the step was so small that he did not sense it, Maou and the people around him were still one step closer to their dream compared to yesterday.
Even though Tokyo was still very hot in the evening, the colour of the sky started to show signs of autumn.
“Depending on how it’s viewed, red isn’t that bad after all huh.”
Maou raised his head at the red sky and thought this.
“Then I’ll eat the cake with a lot of strawberries on top.”
“In, in this season, strawberries are expensive right? Erhm, it, it’s best not to choose something not too expensive……”
In the end, regardless of Demon King, Hero, Demon, Angel or Human, everyone’s hearts, goals, and even the way back home were like this, dispersed and slightly different.
Volume 6 Final Chapter
Besides Kisaki, the wall at the corner of the counter had two new ‘MgRonald Barista’ certficates, showing that there are other employees who are knowledgable in MdCafe menu items.
Even though the certification explaination was mostly written in English for reasons unknown, on the red background of the image representing MgRonalds, the words in white and gold indicated that the person has already attended the appointed lecture, and framing it up made it look very presentable.
The names printed on it, are of course ‘SADAO MAOU’ and ‘CHIHO SASAKI’.
“Such a rare chance, why don’t we treat Yusa-san and the others for a taste test to see how much your skill has improved?”
Kisaki carried out her promise to invite Emi and the others to MdCafe to drink Café au Lait, but since Maou and Chiho were at work that day by coincidence, she ended up suggesting this.
“Just what I wanted!”
“Even though……I’m not that confident yet……”
“Is, is that alright?”
Maou’s eyes shone because of Kisaki’s challenge, but it was Chiho was seemed a bit intimidated.
As for Emi and Suzuno, who came here together, they felt rather bad because of Kisaki’s suggestion.
“Since it was agreed to treat both of you, and Maou should also wish to avenge his defeat from this morning.”
“Defeat from this morning?”
“Ashiya-san and Urushihara-san seemed to have come this morning.”
Chiho answered Emi’s question with a wry smile.
“Even though Kisaki-san and Maou-san brewed the same type of coffee for them to taste and compare……”
“Even Urushihara could tell them apart, so frustrating.”
Seeing Maou’s appearance of heartfelt regret, Kisaki answered with a wry smile,
“Your coffee does create a sense of safety from a thorough understanding of MgRonalds coffee beans, isn’t that something to be proud of?”
“But Ashiya and Urushihara said that Kisaki-san’s coffee is tastier……”
“That is because Ashiya-san looks very tired, so I brewed something more bitter and heavier tasting in order for him to relax. As for Urushihara-san, he looks like the type who doesn’t usually drink coffee, so in order to reduce the stimulus, I adjusted the concentration to resemble that of American coffee standards.
“……”
Even though Maou’s room mates were not regular customers, Kisaki still guessed both their preferences at once, this time Maou did not have anything to say.
“But I am rather sly as well. After all, I did this to make them see the ability of the superior of their room mate so that the both of them can be rest assured.”
“It seems like before tasting, the victory has already been decided.”
Suzuno’s tone contained ridicule, casuing Maou to be more motivated.
“Just you wait!”
“Maou-san, don’t be so worked up, just brew it calmly.”
After Kisaki, Maou and Chiho brewed their coffee, they poured their coffee into the small cups used for espresso, and placed them in front of Emi and Suzuno.
Emi and Suzuno compared the three cups of coffee in front of them and took a sip from every cup.
“……From the left, it should be Chiho-dono, Manager-dono and Sadao-san right?”
“I also feel that the middle cup should be brewed by the Manager, but……the remaining two cups feels like there isn’t that much of a difference.”
“Ugh……”
“We can’t win after all.”
Maou groaned, and Chiho also showed a wry smile. Like what Emi and Suzuno said, the middle cup is the coffee which Kisaki brewed.
“Even so, not letting customers feel that there is a big difference in the quality is also commendable. This means that your skills have improved. Yusa-san, Kamazuki-san, my apologies, in the end the two of you had to entertain our sideshow. Please relax, even though we need to go back to work, we’ll serve you our proper meals later.”
With Kisaki’s prompting, Maou could only reluctantly go back to work, as for Chiho, before she left, she did not forget to bow to the both of them.
Emi looked at the three employees from afar while shifting her gaze to the three cups in front of her.
“If I have to be honest, it should be considered delicious, how infuriating.”
“Even though Alsiel is the same, but these guys are really unexpectedly capable.”
Suzuno gave a wry smile at Emi’s roundabout words.
“So, what kind of wind blew to make you suddenly want to come to MgRonalds.”
After Suzuno invited Emi to go out, and asked her to come along to see Maou and Chiho’s performance at work, even though Emi played along and drank the coffee, she still did not know the reason for Suzuno inviting her out.
“Didn’t I say so at the beginning? I only wanted to see the Demon King and Chiho-dono’s performance at work.”
“You were serious?”
“Yes, of course I am serious. Especially……”
Suzuno picked up the cup in the middle.
“I wanted to see their performance while working under Kisaki.”
“…….What is that supposed to mean?”
Emi glanced sideways to see the three of them serve the customers, and asked Suzuno at the same time.
“In the end, nothing was made clear right? With regards to why the Demon King wants to conquer the world.”
“…….”
The topic Suzuno started suddenly, caused Emi to become quiet.
“What is it. Your face is a little red, do you want to sit somewhere where the sun isn’t that strong.”
“I, I’m alright!”
Emi remembered the events when they returned from the Metropolian building, and touched her cheeks on reflex when pointed out by Suzuno.
Everytime she reacalled the events that day, an indescribable strange feeling would start to cause a commotion in her heart.
“Even though there’s not much to confirm with things the way they are now, but it looks like the Demon King really respects Manager Kisaki from the bottom of his heart. The fact that everyone has someone they can’t raise their head to, it seems like it’s not a complete lie.”
“So, what do you want to say?”
Suzuno, whose words missed a point, after glancing and Maou and the rest, pulled something out from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
“That is……the fragement of the sword belonging to the Heavenly Troops which was broken by you right?”
And it was a small metal piece done with unpolished crafting skills.
“The members of the Heavenly Troops are the citizens of Ente Isla, and even angels seem to only be humans.”
“Hm……?”
“Everyone has someone they can’t raise their head to. From what I know, only one species would say these words.”
Having an inkling of what Suzuno wanted to express, Emi sucked in a breath.
“Bell……are you……”
“Even if we know this, the Demon King, Alsiel and Lucifer are still our enemies. But……as people who sees them living in Japan, we need to think about the meaning this represents.”
Angels, who logically should be supernatural beings, are actually humans.
If so.
Only one answer could solve the question which came out of Suzuno’s well shaped mouth. For Emi, no, for all the citizens of Ente Isla who were invaded by the Demon Army, this answer would be the same as ‘Devil’s Temptation’.
However, even so, Yusa Emi and Kamazuki Suzuno are already unablet o avoid the answer to this question.
“What is known as the ‘Demon’……what do you think it is?”
----END----
Vol 6 Afterword
I feel that in this world, there should be a number of people who feel that coffee is essential in their daily work. Even though I said this, Wagahara himself is also a coffee person, when I spiritedly work at the desk, there is always a cup of coffee by my side.But I do not have any philosophy like ‘coffee is only acceptable like this!’, whether it’s instant coffee, or canned coffee, my stand is that it’s enough as long as I can taste the matching taste at that time when I drink coffee, but I will never forget the touching moment when I meet coffee which matches my perferences totally.
The reason I have thought of this story, one of the turning points was when I was at a certain store and drank delicious coffee which made one think of ‘black like the devil, boiling like Hell itself, pure as an angel, as sweet as love’, famous words said by politician Talleyrand-Périgord during the French Revolution. Even though devils and angels are mentioned, but because the person who said this is Talleyrand and not Wagahara, there isn’t any special meaning in this.
What is regretful is if I want to go to that store, I would need to take a two hour drive via expressway, so I have no choice and can only continue working……
Alright, even though I think I do not need to explain to readers who specially picked up this book again……but after two years of publishing ‘Hataraku Maou-sama’, a decision was actually made to have it animated.
When I received the notice from the editor in charge, I really almost spit out my coffee.
Two years ago, 029-sensei, who I am indebted to, gifted lifelike images to the word manuscript of the first volume, one year ago, I troubled Hiiragi Akio-sensei and Mishima-sensei to draw the manga of this series, everytime a different creator brings out a new charm to the series with a new viewpoint, it really benefited me a lot.
The animation this time, gave me another chance to re-evaluate the world I created, and rediscover the charms within.
I hope to bring these experiences back to the original work, and add new charm to the series, in order to payback the readers who have always been supporting this series.
Regardless of it becoming an anime or other projects, the theme this time is still describing the Demon King, who leads a thrifty life, the Hero and high school girl, a story of life advancing a stage.
However, even if training is done in an actual bathhouse, the power of spells will not awaken, I hope everyone can understand this.
Then, let’s meet in the next volume!
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