Hataraku Maou-sama ! Volume 8 Part 3

Vol 8 Chapter 3:

 Demon King, arriving late

Ashiya had met with a hopeless situation.
Suzuki Rika maintained a upright sitting position, and her gaze as she stared from the other side of the kotatsu was as sharp as the edge of the holy sword.
No, even though Ashiya had never clashed with Emi’s ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ before, but perhaps the holy sword which can be deflected aside with his power, would be easier for him to face.
“Ashiya-san, why have you been silent since just now?”
“Uh……that……”
Ashiya, who sat up properly even though he was not asked to and stammered when speaking, really did not match up to his nickname of Chisho.
(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)
Only Ashiya and Rika were left in the Demon Fortress. Inside the room, only the edge of the windows and tatami facing the backyard were slightly wet from the rain, and Rika’s gaze repeatedly shifted between that window and Ashiya.
In addition, two empty tea coloured bottles were placed on the kotatsu.
“What I mean is please explain yourself properly.”
“Yeah, erhm, even though I know very clearly what you want to say……”
“From before, I already frequently felt that something does not match up, but we are not so clo, close that I can ask you these things.”
Rika shuttered in between for unknown reasons, but immediately reverted back to her originally sharp tone.
“If only I took the chance to ask properly when we went to buy the television.”
“Y, yeah.”
Even though it was raining outside and the temperatures were still alright, Ashiya already knew that his back was covered in sweat.
“Honestly, I am unable to understand this situation after all.”
“I, I think so as well……”
Ashiya showed a smile which was even drier than washed clothes, but Rika still asked in hot pursuit,
“Then let me ask again.”
“Y, yes.”
Where did Suzuno and Urushihara-san go!”
This was not a confused question, but an interrogation.
“And in this kind of huge rain as well!”
Rika pointed at the window.
“They just out of the window directly!”
“Uuuu……”
Ashiya showed an extremely troubled expression.
Suzuno, who ran back to her own room to close the windows when she discovered it was raining, received a call from Chiho when she was returning to the Demon Fortress.
Even though Chiho should have asked Maou for help first, but for her, who just learned how to use Mental Transmission, the distance from Sasazuka to Chofu must be a difficult distance.
But no matter what happened, there was no need to choose this timing.
Chiho, who just learned Mental Transmission, this is her first time in a month sending a distress signal.
These two weeks ever since Emi disappeared, the group had already been mentally prepared for any emergencies occurring, and they know the situation this time does not allow any delays.
However, after Suzuno and Urushihara drained the nutritional drink, they threw the bottles onto the tatami on the Demon Fortress without hesitation.
“We’re going, follow closely.”
“I know.”
Not knowing what the both of them were thinking, they actually opened the window in front of Rika.
“W, wait wait, both of you! Calm down for the moment……”
“Hey, what are both of you doing! It’s dangerous like that…..?”
Ashiya and Rika, with completely different reasons, tried to stop their rough actions.
However, Suzuno and Urushihara did not care about the bad weather outside which could only be described as a storm, and in front of Rika, jumped out of the second floor window without hesitation.
“Eh?”
But not only did both of them not fall into the backyard, and even flew outward parallel to the ground and landed on the roof of a landed property across the road.
“Eh? Eh? Eh?”
Rika stared in shock.
As for Ashiya, who was behind her, he was grabbing his head and feeling greatly troubled.
There were probably confirming the direction from the roof of the house opposite.
After Suzuno pointed out a certain direction, the both of them moved from roof to roof with a jumping ability far exceeding that of normal humans, and disappeared in the rain.
“Ughh?”
“Ugh!”
The expression which Rika showed after that, exceeded all of Ashiya’s expectations.
Even though she was human, because Rika had been helping him and he liked her on the same level as he liked Chiho, so Rika’s gaze which was filled with surprise, confusion and the need for answers, nearly caused mental trauma for Ashiya.
Therefore, 15 minutes after Suzuno and Urushihra jumped out, Ashiya got into a pinch where he was sitting face to face with Rika.
“……Ugh.”
“Hm?”
The anger in Rika’s gaze deepened, it looks like she did not approve of Ashiya exercising his right to remain silent or finding a lawyer.
With the situation as it is now, Ashiya did not know how to explain to handle Rika.
But Ashiya was not just keeping silent, honestly, he did not know how honest he should be with Rika.
Basically, Rika was not part of the forces of the Demon Fortress, and is a friend of Emi, and from how Emi and Rika interacted, it was obvious that the former had not revealed her true identity.
If so, if Ashiya talked about Emi on his own accord, who knows what trouble will occur when Emi returns.
Even so, Ashiya did not keep enough demonic magic to be able to manipulate Rika’s memory, and was unable to be like Urushihara, who was able to replenish strange powers – he did not know if it was demonic magic or holy magic – from unknown sources.
They were originally just exchanging information about Emi’s movements, how did things turn out like this?
“Am I really so useless?” ---- Ashiya started to cry in a corner of his heart.
“A, actually……”
“Hm?”

“Kama, Kamazuki and Urushihara……”
“Hm?”
“are, erhm, being testers, for this nutritional drink.”
“So?”
“As for, the effects of that drink……”
“How is it possible to be that filled with energy after one drink!”
Rika slammed her fist on the kotatsu, causing the empty botltles on top to shake slightly, and Ashiya also flinched in fright.
“Even Glico’s PISUKO would not describe it in such an exaggerated manner!”
Rika cited a strange example, got up and ran towards the window.
“It is at least 10 metres from here to the roof opposite! How is it possible for someone to jump there without a running start! If that can be done, they would have participated on the Olympics!”
“Y, you’re right…..”
“……I say, Ashiya-san, I don’t mean to say that Urushihara-san or Suzuno are aliens or superhuman beings you know.”
Even if Ashiya thought it was almost the same in terms of concept, he decided to keep quiet because he thought it would be useless even if he explained.
“But even in the wire work scenes in Hollywood, they would also have to wave their hands and legs to be able to jump there! Being able to do it just by physical power alone is too strange! What is going on, what kind of people are Urushihara-san and Suzuno?”
At this instant, Ashiya saw a ray of hope.
Rika only mentioned the superhuman physical abilities of Suzuno and Urushihara. Even if doing so would just be delaying, if he acted like he did not know anything, it would be alright as long as pushed the responsibility onto both of them?
Even though Ashiy had planned to depend on this optimistic thought----
“And Ashiya-san’s reaction, rather than shock, it looked more like you’re trying to stop them right? This means that this is not the first time you saw them do these things!”
unexpected, not only did Japanese females have a wide range of sight, their observation skills are sharp!
Ashiya ignored the current situation and was genuinely awed.
And so Ashiya got into trouble once more.
“……Even if I said the truth, Suzuki-san might not believe me……”
Ashiya sighed like he had given up.
Regarding his own identity, Ashiy had even actively hidden it, and in addition, this situation was clearly due to Suzuno’s miscalculation.
Even if Ashya said everything due to Rika’s interrogation, logiacally, no one can blame him.
Even though he would probably be lectured heavily, but setting that cruel truth aside for the moment----
“……I’m not so dumb to not believe what I have seen with my own eyes.”
perhaps she sensed Ashiya’s feelings of giving up, Rika restrained herself, placed her hand on the table once more and said,
“And…….I have already mentally prepared myself to some extent.”
“Mentally prepared?”
“Yeah. About the things you said about Maou-san opening a company, even though it’s not a lie, but it’s not all truths right?”
“……Why do you think so?”
Ashiya, deeply shocked, asked this with narrowed eyes, and Rika also replied, feeling rather troubled,
“About that, I felt suspicious after the earlier trip when we went to buy televisions together and I helped to choose a mobile phone. Because at that time, didn’t you say that Suzuno was ‘originally someone who we have hostile relations with?”
“Yeah, about that, I did say that kind of thing……”
“But when we were talking about Suzuno on the second floor of Sentucky, weren’t you quite polite towards her when you spoke with her? Different from how you treated Emi, who had bad relations with you to begin with, you did properly treat Suzuno as a neighbor. In other words, before she moved in, both of you did not know each other right?”
“!”
“If so, then how can it be ‘someone who we have hostile relations with’? If it was a serious neighbor tiff, then it would not be possible for both of you to buy things together, even though I’m not clear about it, but I think that it’s either because Suzuno and you guys met before without either of you discovering, or because you guys only knew about each other’s existence. Just on this point, Emi should be the same as well.”
“You’re talking about Yusa?”
“Yeah, because compared to the first time Suzuno came to the our workplace, the way Emi treats Suzuno now is totally different. Even though Emi was so wary about Suzuno until the point where I misunderstood that they were fighting about Maou-san, their relationship right now is so good that even I feel a bit jealous.”
This time, besides feeling truly awed, Ashiya also felt shocked about the carelessness of the people on his side.
Even though Ashiya did not know when Emi discovered Suzuno’s true identity, but at least when Ashiya first saw Rika on the second floor of Sentucky, he still treated her as a normal neighbor who gave them udon.
Even though Ashiya’s attitude towards Suzuno at that time was not all a lie, but even if Suzuno’s true identity was exposed later, the both of them should have acted out a similar relationship in front of Rika.
Rika was not such a dense lady that she did not discover this inconsistency.
“Even so, I only had a vague idea that there must be some deep hidden issues behind, it was only after I went to the electronics shop was I very sure that all of you are hiding a secret. In addition, perhaps Suzuno and Emi……are the same. As for Urushihara-san, I can’t judge accurately because we only met for the first time, since I already saw this scene----“
The scene Rika was talking about was of course referring to the long distance jump just now.
“So, about what happened just now, what is up with that?”
“……”
Ashiya made up his mind.
He had already knew that something like this would happen sooner or later.
If Rika was so afraid that she no longer dared to approach them, then it was something fated to be.
Even if they did not know each other for very long, Ashiya also knew that from Rika’s character, it would not do something as stupid as betraying them to the media.
“Suzuki-san.”
“……!”
“Actually……we are not……”
“Ee?”
“part of Japan, hm?”
Ashiya decided to reveal his identity after much deliberation, but Rika suddenly gave a slight scream.
Rika shakily pointed to behind Ashiya, which was also the window Urushihara and Suzuno just jumped out of.
“?”
After he looked back following Rika’s instructions----
“Uwah!”
Ashiya also screamed. He was unable to not do so.
After all----
Ashiya……window, open the window.”
Because Maou, who was so wet that his expression could not be seen, was knocking on the window from outside.
Maou’s appearance right now could only be described as pitiful, but for someone who should have stayed at Fuchu Driving License Exam Centre, why is he suddenly sticking at the window, totally drenched?
After recovering from his initial shock, Ashiya first frantically rushed over and opened the window.
Even though Ashiya discovered that the person outside was Maou, but flying here together with the strong wind and rain was not just Maou alone.
“Demon, Demon King-sama? W, why are you here? W, who are these people?”
“A……annoying……ah~I’ll explain later, anyway, I’ll leave this guy here first.”
After saying this, not only did Maou not enter the room----
“Uh……”
he actually kicked a middle aged man with a large build into the room.
The man, drenched like Maou, shook his head and got up from the tatami.
“……Who’s that?”
“W, who is he?”
Not just Rika, even Ashiya had never seen this man before.
“Oh, Su, Suzuki Rika, you’re here. Ah, yeah, I’m in a rush now, if there’s anything, we can talk later……Ashiya, get some clothes for this uncle to change into. Even though he claims that he has fighting experience, but for now, we cannot let his uncle leave no matter what.”
“Demon, Demon King-sama, I don’t know what you’re saying at all……”
“Ah, sorry, I’ll explain later. If I delay another longer, I’ll get scolded by Suzuno. Chi-chan seems to be in danger……ah, ah choo!”
“Wah! Eh, it, it hasn’t even been 15 minutes since Sasaki-san’s communication, and you actually reached here already……”
Maou could not have sensed the unusual situation from the beginning, and from Ashiya’s calculations, it was impossible for him to return here from Fuchu in short a short time----
“Maou, are you done?”
“Yeah. I’m counting on you. Ughh, how cold……”
But after looking in the direction of the unfamiliar voice, Ashiya discovered that there was a unfamiliar girl floating in the air so obviously that there was no way to rebuke it.
Even though Ashiya could not help but look back at Rika, but the latter’s eyes were staring at Ashiya, Maou, the girl and the middle aged man in turn.
“Demon King-sama! Can that girl be……!”
“Ah, when I reached that place, I will let her come back……”
“Then we’re going!”
“Sorry, I’ll explain laterrrrrrrrrrrrr……!”
Maou did not have time to finish before together with the girl, he left the foreign middle aged man behind and flew in the direction Suzuno and Urushihara disappeared in while screaming.
Ashiya and Rika momentarily forgot to close the window which was letting the wind and rain in and stared at the sky which the two people left towards.
“……”
“……”
“……”
After Ashiya, Rika and the middle aged man glanced at each other----
“Any, anyway, let me change my clothes first……”
“Who exactly are you?”
“Someone is flying in the skyyyyyy!”
they shouted on their own will without intersecting at all.
※ Rewinding the time slightly to before Maou received Suzuno’s Mental Transmission.
When she saw ‘that’ naturally walking in the school grounds in the rain, Chiho almost did not faint.
It was not because of fear, but because things had developed too suddenly.
Normally, Chiho should feel afraid, but because she had experience talking with someone with a similar appearance, and she had heard various information before, Chiho knew ‘that’ had a rather high position amongst the Ente Isla demons.
‘That’ was a demon known as a chief amongst the Malebranche clan.
Earlier, the demon who brought the boy Iron with him, and called himself Farfarello (she finally remembered it), seemed to be a new member amongst the chiefs, but even if she looked from faraway, she could tell that the Malebranche swaggering in the school were one size larger in build compared to Farfarello.
Even though she did not notice in the beginning because she was too shocked, but that demon seemed to be dragging something in his hand.
Looking carefully, Chiho discovered that it was the monument which the graduated students gifted to the school to commemorate fifty years since the school’s formation, known as ‘Peace and Sincerity’.
This globe like object with a number of images on it surrounded by three naked bowing humans, ever since this mysterious design was gifted, it was given negative comments from the students such as ‘disgusting’, ‘strange’ and ‘don’t push this kind of art onto others’, even though it was not known if this monument was pulled out or snapped, but this Malebranche was leisurely strolling in the school premises while dragging the globe portion.
Earlier, because Chiho acted on her own, she let Maou and the others worry unnecessarily.
Therefore she did not habour any thoughts to handle this alone at all and tried to contact Maou.
Even though Maou had said that he was going to take the second exam attempt today, but this should be a more important situation.
However, she was unable to contact him at all.
The teachers and the other students were staring at the Malebranche in the school premises, and Chiho, who managed the avoid the teacher’s gaze, was still unable to contact Maou.
Looks like even if she used an amplifier, she was unable to send her thoughts to Chofu.
Emi was still missing, then, only Suzuno had the ability to fight to that demon.
Taking the chance that everyone’s attention was focused on the school grounds, Chiho gripped the mobile phone in her bag and tried to use Mental Communication on Suzuno.
This time, her message succeeded and Suzuno said she was rush to the school immediately.
“Sa, Sasa, what do you think that is?”
At this moment, Chiho’s best friend in school Tokurin Kaori pointed to the school grounds and stammered. Even if Chiho knew the answer, she was of course still unable to answer.
“Uh, I wonder what it is? Pro, probably some kind of dangerous animal or something……”
Chiho, who could only answer thus, secretly apologized to demons in her heart.
Even though it should not be protesting, the Malebranche in the school grounds acted like a child tired of his toy and casually threw the ‘Peace and Sincerity’ in his hands away.
“?”
Not just Chiho, everyone present sucked in their breath.
‘Peace and Sincerity’ flew to a corner of the school grounds like a meteorite and shattered on impact with the soccer goal.
If his aim was off by a little, it might just hit the school building directly.
“Is there……nothing I can help with at all?”
She did not know if she could move that Malebranche to other places before the other students found out about it.
Even though Chiho gripped her phone and planned to seek Suzuno’s opinion, but after thinking that Suzuno would definitely not support her active actions, she dismissed the idea.
Just as Chiho thought that she should observe quietly after all----
“Hhhhhhhhhhhhooooooooowwwwwwwwlllllllllll!”
The Malebranche in the school grounds suddenly gave an angry shout.
“Kya!”
That sonorous violent sound like a wild wolf caused Chiho to cover her ears.
“Ee……”
At this instant, Chiho heard someone suck in a breath and speak in fear.
“It, it’ll be fine right?”
“I think we better run away first……”
“Sensei, what do we do!”
“What do we do……”
It started to become noisy in the classroom. Chiho sensed that this was an indication before a full blown panic.
After glancing at the Malebranche within the school grounds from faraway, Chiho made her decision. Even though she might get scolded by Maou and Suzuno afterwards, right now, there was no more time to hesitate.
As long as the Malebranche outside did another eye catching action, it would cause a panic.
“……”
Chiho sneaked out of the classroom which was filled with uneasiness, and sprinted down the corridor before anyone else discovered her.
The last time she ran with all her might down a corridor should be when she was in elementary school.
Without being discovered by anyone, Chiho headed towards the roof of Sasahata High School.
It has already been more than 70 years since the formation of Sasahata High School, and the old school building was said to have more than 50 years of history.
Even though it was regretful that the school did not undergo any building during Chiho’s time at school, other than the classrooms for the third years, the old school building seems to contain the meeting room for the student council or club meeting rooms and so on, rooms that will not be used permanently.
As everyone in the school seemed to be staring at the school grounds, Chiho, who ran into the old school building could go through the corridors without meeting anyone, but before she could reach her goal of the roof----
“?”
Chiho stopped running on reflex.
In the corner of the third floor of the old school building, which was beside the only staircase leading to the roof, there was a classroom known as ‘the room which cannot be opened’ amongst the students.
It was not because a student passed away here before, or because there was a strange seal on it, it was only because this used to be a home economics classroom a long time ago, but after the new school building of 30 years built newer home economics classrooms, no one used the room anymore.
Even though a simple lock was hung on the door, as the metal parts it was secured to were very old, as long as a person had a screwdriver, even a child could open it.
In this room, Chiho had used the ‘Yesod’ fragment to confirm that Emi had gone to a foreign world, but right now, the door to the ‘room which cannot be opened’ was actually broken from inside.
And on the corridor, an unrealistically large mud covered footprint was left.
“……Is it from here?”
Chiho, who peered into the classroom, discovered that the windows did not show any signs of breakage, and only a broken desk, washing skin and a dust covered bookshelf was left in the room.
But on the floor in the middle of the room, there was a new scorch mark. What was going on?
“……Oh no, now is not the time to care about this.”
Detailed verifications can be done after Suzuno comes. The important thing right now was the Malebranche outside.
After rushing up the stairs, the door blocking Chiho’s way was naturally locked.
But this was not a problem. After confirming that there was no one at the foot of the stairs, Chiho took a deep breath.
“A~new~mor~ning~has~come! A~mor~ning~of~hope!”
After focusing on the power slumbering deep within her body, Chiho sang the radio workout song loudly, activating her holy magic.
If she just wanted to use Metal Communication, there was no need to activate her holy magic with all her might, but right now, Chiho was not doing so because she wanted to cast other spells.
From her earlier training, Chiho knew that as long as she sang continuously, she would be able to increase the activation of holy magic, so like she wanted to concentrate her holy magic, she continuously sang the radio workout song.
As a result, just like Chiho predicted, when she was about to repeat for a third time, the feeling that something heavy had landed on the other side of the door was heard.
“……Did you call me?”
It was a deep voice similar to Farfarello.
Firstly, Chiho breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, the other party sensed Chiho’s holy magic after activation.
“……Great, you can speak Japanese.”
“Who are you? Why did you call me here?”
“Even though it’s a big long winded……I just wanted to talk to you first before other students or teachers act carelessly towards you.”
“Hmph, compared to the weak holy magic you have, your tone is rather bold.”
The existance on the other side of the door spoke with a tone which looked down on Chiho. However, even if the other party’s words held scorn, as long as the contents are true, Chiho will accept it honestly.
“Honestly, I don’t have any fighting abilty, and I don’t feel that I can do anything to you. But I asked you to come here because of a clear reason.”
“Ah?”
Even if she could not see the silhouette of the other party, because she believed that Suzuno was rushing over here, Chiho did not feel particularly scared.
“Because I do not have the key, I wished to ask you to help me open this door. If it’s Malebranche-san, you should be able to do it right?”
“……”
An aura of confusion was felt from the other side of the door.
“This world is very strict to children. Even if I said that I wanted to talk alone with a demon from a foreign world, the adults will not lend me the key to the roof because of that.”
Even though the metal door in front of Chiho was old, it still looked very sturdy----
“!”
However, at this moment, a sound of the door being easily broken by someone was heard from outside.
As Chiho expected, the other party helped to break the lock from outside.
After losing support from the other side, the inner side of the doorknob dropped at Chiho’s feet, a familiar sharp claw reached in from the hole in the door.
Chiho felt afraid for the first time.
Before, partially because Iron was around, Chiho did not feel that scared when facing Farfarello.
But this time, Chiho was facing a totally unfamiliar demon.
Don’t worry, demons are not totally unreasonable.
After telling herself this, Chiho stared at the slowly opening door.
“Miss, for a weak human, you have some courage.”
The Malebranche in front of her had a rougher way of speaking compared to Farfarello and was bigger in build.
His claws were not as long as what Chiho first thought. Even though he was large in size, but his claws and wings looked slightly smaller than Farfarello’s.
However, just by the demonic magic emitted from his body, Farfarello was no match at all.
Even though it was not to the level of Maou’s Demon King form, if she did not activate her holy magic fully beforehand, perhaps Chiho would feel discomfort to the point of being unable to speak just by standing face to face with him.
“It looks like you’re really one of this country’s people……but being able to stand in front of me and not react much……I see, you’re the new Demon Army Great General that boy Farell mentioned, MgRonalds Barista (Mgron Ald Ballista)?”
Even though the cadre rank demon from a foreign world asked with all seriousness ‘you’re the MgRonalds Barista’, Chiho, who knew the original meaning of the word, almost laughed out loud.
With regards to the name ‘Farell’, was it perhaps Farfarello’s nickname? About this part, it felt rather cute.
But Chiho still followed the current atmosphere, tried her best to show a fearless smile and said,
“It looks I don’t have to introduce myself, if you act like a gentlemen like all of the demons I have known so far, it’ll be good.”
After Chiho said this, the big sized Malebranche expelled a stinky breath, laughed with a voice which made people want to cover their ears and said,
“Kyahahahahaha! Don’t force yourself to do things which you’re not used to. Not only is your voice shaking, you’re unable to hide your fear of us demons!”
“Ugh!”
Chiho could not help but blush in front of this unknown threat.
“But since you’re rather brave even though you’re shaking like an ant, I will act according to the gentlemen attitude defined by humans, and introduce myself first.”
“Please, please do……”
Chiho glanced at the sky behind the Malebranche subconsciously.
Suzuno had not arrived.
“My name is Libicocco. As you see, I am one of the chieftains of the Malebranche. But remember this, I am not as naïve as that boy Farell. Even though I’m glad that Demon King Satan is still alive, but I do not acknowledge something like the new Four Kings!”
In this instant, the wind and rain suddenly strengthed rapidly, and this was not a trick of the mind.
The clouds in the faraway sky became darker, and even the naked eye could see that the clouds were moving, causing the atmosphere to envelop the entire city area.
The Malebranche who called himself Libicocco increased his demonic magic to the point that Chiho, even with her holy magic activated, could not block it out.
So Chiho could not say that even though it was Four Kings, there were actually five people.
※
“Gyah!”
With the sudden release of psychic power, Maou, who was floating in the air, fell to the rain covered ground on his rear end in a pitiful manner.
“Hey! What are you doing! We have not reached Chi-chan’s school yet!”
“I’m sorry, I’m taking a little detour.”
After looking down at the bottom half of his body which was so wet that even his underwear was soaked with a look that he had given up----
“……This is really a typhoon, eh……isn’t this MgRonalds?”
Maou surveyed his surroundings subconsciously and found out that this was a place he was familiar with.
This is in front of the MgRonalds store in front of Hatagaya station.
Because of the storm, there were barely any pedestrians, and Maou breathed a sigh of relief.
Because the both of them landed (was thrown) at a place which could not be seen from the counter, he could not confirm Kisaki’s situation, but looking in from the windows, the number of customers inside matched the number of people they would have gotten in this rough weather.
“Like this, even if the banner was placed horizontally, it might still be blown away.”
Even though the banner advertising the autumn promotion was placed horizontally according to the procedure when there is strong wind, but even the heavy stones used to stablise the base was giving clacking sounds when blown by the wind.
“There……originally seems to be someone here.”
“Hm?”
But Acies was not looking at MgRonalds but the Sentucky opposite.
Maou followed Acies’s line of sight to their competitor’s store----
“Uwah! Is that alright?”
The huge glass window next to the seating area was shattered.
It was probably broken by the tile or something which was blown by the wind.
Even though Maou did not care about Sentucky’s store manager archangel Sariel, but as a comrade from the shopping street, he still started worrying if Sentucky’s employees or customers were hurt.
The lights within the store did not seem to be turned on, probably because lighting caused the circuit breaker to trip.
“But……the person’s not around anymore.”
“Hey, is there something wrong with Sentucky?”
Since she was the same type of existance as Alas=Ramus, then even if Acies=Ara was able to sense signs of archangel Sariel, there was nothing strange about it.
But even so, then what does ‘not around anymore mean?”
“……I’m sorry, you’re in a rush right, I’m not going to take a detour anymore.”
“Yyeahhh…………….!”
Without waiting for Maou to reply, the girl made him float in a way which could be described as violent, then the two of them rushed into the rain and clouds, disappearing into the sky.
※
“Then……what reason does Libikuku-san has for coming to Earth?”
The wind and rain on the roof made Chiho’s uniform and hair wet in a short amount of time, faced with the Malebranche with a large amount of demonic magic and large build, even though Chiho was shaking due to the cold and far, she was asked determinedly.
Even though she felt that there were no other people lying in wait nearby like Iron, but because Ciriatto also brought a large group of his followers to Japan previously, she could not afford to let her guard down.
However, after Libicocco heard this, he showed an expression which even Chiho, who was not familiar with demon expressions, knew that it was an unhappy look.
“Your pronounciation makes me mad.”
“Eh?”
Chiho was seriously asking for the demon’s motive, but she was criticized by him for wrong pronounciation?
“My name is Libicocco, try repeating it again.”
“……Li, Libikuku.”
Chiho started to not understand what she was doing in the wind and rain with this demon.
But because she could not make him angry, so even though Chiho felt surprised, she still listened to Libicocco and repeated it once.”
“I’m going to kill you, I’m not a chicken.”
“Ah, Ente Isla’s chickens make ‘kuku’ sounds as well?”
“Are you looking down on me? Let me say this first, if the name you said wrong happens to be those of the rash fellows Draghignazzo and Scarmiglione, they would behead your head without any second thoughts.”
(T/N: If you can pronounce both names without stuttering or pausing on your first try, give yourself a pat on the back. In addition, I’m also quite curious how the official English translations will write their name.)
“Dra, Dera, Derachinya……ehhh?”
Even though she did not know how demons gave names in their culture, but the names of Malebranches also came from their parents, so Chiho really wanted to know what was the appearance of these parents who gave such hard to pronounce names.
“Sigh, you just have to remember these, the others aren’t around anymore. Relax.”
“Eh?”
Chiho momentarily felt that she heard something important, but Libicocco immediately followed up and said,
“Say it again! Libicocco!”
“Li……Libicocco!”
“Very good! You can do it if you try! Even though your pronounciation is still a bit stiff, since you’re someone from a foreign world, I won’t be fussy over it.”
“Th, thank you……”
Anyway, it looks like Chiho finally passed the pronouciation test.
“Then, Li……Libi……Libicocco-san, what did you come here for……”
“I came to make a ruckus.”
“Eh?”
Chiho almost thought that she made Libicocco angry because she said his name wrongly again, but it did not seem to be so.
“Even so, I do not plan to cause a large scale massacre here, the reason why I came to this facility was simply because the exit of the ‘gate’ appeared here coincidentally. Perhaps someone had opened a ‘gate’ here before. But anyway, I was instructed to cause an easy to understand ruckus when I come out.”
“Easy to understand?”
“That’s right, just like this.”
After saying this, Libicocco smirked like he was happy, then spreading his arms, he caused a strong wind such that Chiho could not help but protect her face.
In this instant, the wind and rain enveloping Satahata High School swirled violently like they were being concentrated and surrounded the school like a huge storm wall.
“Pl, please stop!”
Chiho screamed.
The storm around the school and neighbouring areas suddenly increased a lot in strength.
The violent wall caused by wind and rain loosened the tiles of the nearby houses, pushed over trees in the yard and the snapped electrical lines continued to produce sparks.
“How is it, easy to understand right.”
Like he was enjoying Chiho’s reaction, Libicocco continued to use the magic to control the weather.
“Let me try this move then.”
Libicocco lightly waved the claw he stretched out.
Even though Chiho did not know what changed, but when she felt the hairs on her neck stand, a beam of light suddenly appeared in the windless and soundless world.
“Kyahh!”
Chiho let out a scream which tore through the air, she just saw flashes being emitted from the wind and rain wall, then countless lightning started to hit the ground.
Even if these lighting hit the antenna on the roof of various houses, electrical wire poles r the lighting rod of apartments, those things were of course unable to withstand the bolts were burned one’s sight.
“Hmph, seems like things did not go that smoothly.”
Chiho gingerly opened her eyes after the flashes stopped, and sucked in a breath when she saw some fires erupting from some houses around the school.
But Libicocco seemed to be dissatisfied with this result.
“Hmph, I thought I would be able to turn this place into a sea of fire in a more satisfying manner.”
When the lighting flashed in front of her eyes, Chiho was already mentally prepared to see that kind of scene, but with more precision instruments in various homes, the awareness for anti-lightning protection has increased.
The overhead ground wire initially used in transmitting electricity started to be widely used in routes other than electrical uses such as network transmission lines, and many anti-lightning strike measures were increased, in addition these facilities had any obligation to increase lightning rod facilities.
Anyway, as these wires and electrical wire poles acted as the ground wire, the disaster which Libicocco expected did not occur.
But no matter what----
“Let me try again with more effort.”
situations like this will still occur.
“Please wait a moment! What is the point behind doing all this!”
“Ah?”
“This is just messing around……the demons who have come to Japan so far, either they wish to bring Satan-san back, or snatch Yusa-san’s……Hero Emilia’s holy sword, everyone had a clear purpose……so do you really think this is good?”
“For an ant, your tone is really bold.”
“The mission of Libicocco-san, is of lower standard that the one you call ‘boy’ Farfarello-san! Can’t you act more like a big demon, and do some cool bad things?”
“Are you misunderstanding something?”
“……Eh?”
“Right now, including you, the brats in this facility and the people in the nearby town are afraid, and they feel fear and sadness. Even though I don’t know how amazing you think the mission which that boy Farell carries is……”
Libicocco smiled evily,
“But to demons, this kind of mission is much more attractive! But you can absorb a huge amount of fear and sadness at once……which is absorbing demonic magic!”
After saying this, Libicocco spread his arms wide again.
“Ughh……!”
Chiho suddenly had breathing difficulties after enduring the demonic magic released by Libicocco and fell to the ground on her knees----it looks like her holy magic was being drained after being activated.
I need to replenish with Holy Vitaminβ.
Even though Chiho thought this, but her backup bottle was left in her bag in the classroom. And if she turned and left now, it could not be guaranteed that this cruel demon would not kill her.
“If you’re unhappy about it, and stop me with your power. Mgron Ald Ballista, new Great General-sama……”
Libicocco said this like he was taunting Chiho who was gradually losing her strength.
Even so, Chiho still did not look away. Just as Chiho was unwilling to submit to this cruel power and planned to glare at Libicocco----
“Then let’s do it this way.:
With the ringing of a stern voice, Libicocco’s large body produced a loud boom and disappeared in front of Chiho.
At that same time, the demonic magic attacking Chiho disappeared, allowing her to breath smoothly again.
“Ugh……hm!”
Libicocco spread his wings in the air and glared in Chiho’s direction.”
“I am one of the new Great Generals. Because I don’t like your actions, I’m going to use my power to stop you.”
The person who came lightly waved a giant hammer, and the sprinkle of raindrops accompanying that action shone under the sunlight.
“Su, Suzuno-san!”
Chiho, who could breath freely again, shouted loudly.
Suzuno, with her wet long hair swaying as she changed her hairpin to the giant hammer, looked back to Chiho, who she was protecting.
“I apologise for being late. In order to break through the storm wall which got stronger all of a sudden, I used quite some effort.”
“Hey, don’t make it sound like you broke through with your own power!”
After that, a familiar voice was heard from the sky.
Chiho looked back and discovered that Urushihara, flapping his white wings, was landing slowly.
“Urushihara-san……that is……”
After seeing the colour of the wings on Urushihara’s back, Chiho asked in surprise.
Those were not the jet back wings from when he was fighting with Maou, but pure white wings like an angel’s.
Perhaps because he noticed Chiho’s stare, Urushihara looked away in a rather embarassed manner and replied,
“Sigh, if I knew that this guy was going to cause such a huge commotion, I would prioritise absorbing demonic magic.”
“Lucifer, even if it was a joke, please don’t say these things.”
Suzuno frowned and chided, but Urushihara still replied, unperturbed,
“Actually I wasn’t joking. But today, I’ll leave it at that.”
Urushihara stared at Libicocco, who was sent flying by Suzuno.
“That guy appearing at this school once he opened the ‘gate’ should not be a coincidence. To some extent, I am to blame.”
“I feel the same.”
“Eh? Eh?”
Suzuno and Urushihara showed a strange comrade awareness for unknown reasons and looked up at Libicocco once again.
In contrast, Libicocco, while pressing down on his midsection which was hit by Suzuno’s giant hammer,he slowly landed on the floor of the roof.
“……Lucifer-sama, as for the other one……you must be Deathscythe Bell?”
“Hm?”
Suzuno raised an eyebrow and asked,

“Do you know me?”
“Yeah, you match the characteristics described by that boy Farell, and……”
“And what?”
“No, I’m just a bit surprised that you would come here.”
According to Suzuno’s feeling, Libicocco’s ability should be equal or slightly weaker compared to her.
Therefore the attack from the back when the other party was careless should have left a huge effect.
And this time she had assistance from Urushihara, even if they fought directly, there was no reasons for losing. Maou was also currently rushing here. Even so, Suzuno still felt an unnatural margin from Libicocco.
“That’s just fine.”
The Malebranche showed a more evil smile compared to before.
※
“““……”””
The people looking at each other across the kotatsu have increased to three people.
The newly joined member changed into Ashiya’s shirt and pants, and because he was not used to kneeling, he awkwardly sat cross legged.
“Then, this person is……”
“I don’t know.”
Ashiya, who was stammering from Rika’s questions, was finally able to answer.
The man Maou left behind after arriving and leaving in an unexplainable manner was really someone Ashiya did not know at all.
From the short conversation just now, Maou flying to bring him over, and the impression the man’s outer appearance gave, it could be seen that he was not a normal person from Japan.
Then, the first possibility which comes to mind is that this man should be a human from Ente Isla, but even so, Ashiya still had some questions.
Ashiya did not sense any holy magic or demonic magic from the man, as a ‘normal Ente Islan’, why would he appear in Japan?
Whether it was Emi, Suzuno or Emeralda, or Sariel and Gabriel, they have skills to cross worlds or dimensions and powers which far surpass normal humans.
That’s why they have reasons to cross worlds.
If this man is just a normal citizen of Ente Isla, then for what reason did he stay in Japan?
This man did not have the power to travel across worlds on his own will.
However, he is here right now.
After glancing at Rika, Ashiya said,
“Suzuki-san.”
“Hm?”
“Excuse me, him and I are going to have a conversation first.”
“Huh?”
After Ashiya apologized once more mentaly, he turned to the man Maou brought back and spoke,
“Do you understand this language?”
The man nodded, understanding.
“Deweiss language……no, it’s Central Trading language right. Are you also someone not from this country?”
“Hm?”
Rika stared at the two people starting to converse in a strange language in front of her.
“That person with the last name Maou as well. Who are you people?”
“Honestly, that I what I wish to ask. You don’t look like a spellcaster, why are you in this world? Who are you?”
“H, hey, both of you……”
“It’s a long story. As you see, I don’t know any spells, and in the past, I was just a normal farmer, logically, I should be living out the rest of my life in a village of Saint Aire.”
“W, what language is this……?”
Rika was troubled.
The both of them were not speaking in English, and it was also not German or French which could occasionally be heard in the news or documentaries.
Even the difference in the tones were very cloy, just like an aliens’ language.
“Until now, I do not know yours or Maou-san’s identity, so I cannot reveal too much. But, I have the mission of protecting that child……protecting Tsubasa, which is why I crossed worlds. It is for the sake of handing Tsubasa over to someone one day.”
“Handing over to someone……?”
Ashiya mumbled in confusion, then remembered that there was another young girl beside Maou at that time.
“The ‘Tsubasa’ you mentioned……refers to the young girl who took Maou away?”
“……”
The man, who had not introduced himself, kept silent.
One of the people Ashiya knows had a name with a similar meaning to the word ‘Tsubasa’ in Japanese.
That was a young girl who had stayed in this room for one week, then was placed in the care of the enemy and was right now, missing together with the enemy.
“I know why Maou brought you here. No……compared to you, the important one should be that girl called Tsubasa.”
Ashiya spoke with a sharp tone which does not allow denials or lies.
“That girl, is the personanification of a fragment of ‘Yesod’ right?”
“……”
The man did not say anything.
But he did not look away.
It was something which happened some time back.
Demon Minister Camio had told them a piece of information before.
That information was told to Camio by Olba.
It was said that there was another holy sword.
And that holy sword, is in Japan.
Ciriatto came in order to find that holy sword.
Ashiya could not suppress his feelings of agitation.
Because he discovered that the normal human in front of him who used to be a farmer, held a key which may be enough to change everything involving their side and Ente Isla, or even the whole world.
“Y……you’re…..”
Ashiya tried to control his tense voice, the messy predictions in his mind are slowly becoming facts.
“You’re……Emilia Justina’s father?”
“……Emilia?”
Rika finally recognized a term which sounded like a name and from this, felt something was amiss.
However, Ashiya and the man did not notice Rika’ situation.
That was to be expected.
“All of you……ah, I see.”
After all, this is the man with a stern tone, father of the Hero Nord Justina’s----
“How can this be…..”
first time meeting the Demon General Alsiel, the highest ranked of the trusted Four Kings of the Demon King.
“So all of you are actually……no, so that Maou-san……is actually the ‘chosen person’ my wife mentioned.”
“Chosen person’……?”
“My wife had told me before ‘when the chosen person had gained the determination to reveal the truth of the world, hand Tsubasa to our daughter.’ When Maou-san said Emilia’s name, I thought it might be like this.”
The ‘wife’ the man mentioned, in this situation, it should refer to Emi’s mother, archangel Laila.
But even if angels have abnormal powers, their existence was actually rather normal, they were not like what is described in the legends or bible, who can mythically seal words with just a few sentences, or have the ability to control destiny.
Basically, just an archangel actually dared to declare the great Demon King Satan as ‘chosen’, even arrogance should have a limit.
“Hey.”
In the end, what is the truth of the world?
Even though it sounds exaggerated, but the ‘truth’ of the hard to grasp word ‘world’, was even more unreliable than the price of a jewel or the reviews of a gourment programme.
“Let me interrupt a bit.”
Then again, if a human and an angel could exaggeratedly say ‘this is the truth of the world’, isn’t it bad? To us demons, if the value of truth could be explained by comparing it to something, it would not even match us to the stone on the side of the road.
“Listen to me!”
“Yes?”
Ashiya got a shock because someone suddenly shouted in his ear.
He covered his ear in surprise and looked to the side, and discovered that Rika was showing an expression more demonic than a demon.
“Even though I don’t know what both of you have cleared up on your own, but at least explain to me as well!”
“Yeah……”
“Th, this young lady is scary huh.”
It looks like Nord also knew that Rika was currently feeling angry because she was left out.
Even though he tried to pacify Rika with a steady tone, but the latter glared at Nord with a gaze strong enough to cause a Demon General to back off.
“Uncle, if you wish to continue living safely in Japan, you better learn how to speak in a more tactful manner okay?”
“Right……”
“Then, Ashiya-san?”
“Y, yes……”
“When you are going to tell me who this uncle is, and why Maou-san, Urushihara-san and Suzuno are able to accomplish those things?”
Because he knew that even if he answered ‘you did not ask those questions at all’, or ‘you asked too many questions at once’ would only result in a bloodbath, Ashiya did not rebuke, after all, he had already made his decision before Maou returned.
”Su, Suzuki-san, relax, I will explain to you, please sit down first……”
Ashiya placed both his hands on Rika’s shoulders and tried to make her calm down.
“I, I won’t be brushed aside like this.”
“Eh?”
However, Rika who originally had a murderous aura like she would leap at them any second, suddenly turned red in the face like she was burning and obediently sat on the tatami, her aura dissipating entirely.
“S, so? W, what is going on?”
Rika glared at Ashiya with a red face and asked.
“Uh, that……”
Ashiya, who did not know where to start explaining from, finally pointed to Nord and said,
“This gentleman.”
“Y, yeah.”
“seems to be Yusa’s father.”
“Yeah…………………eh?”
Rika who almost nodded and ignored this information, looked towards Nord with widened eyes.
“Emi’s……father?”
“That’s right, I think that it is likely to be so.”
“Eh? Eh? Ah, er, erhm……”
Rika, who remembered that she just said something mean, could not help but say with a pale face,
“S, saying such rude tings to you just now, I’m really sorry.”
“Even though I’m not too sure, but it’s alright.”
Is it really alright? Even though Ashiya was worried about Nord’s Japanese ability as a non-spell user, it was troublesome to continue being in conflict, so he followed up and said,
“This lady is Emilia’s friend in this country. Her name is Rika Suzuki.”
This time Ashiya introduced Rika to Nord.
“Rika,san.”
“Y, yes.”
“You normally look out for Emilia.”
Even though Nord made it sound like Emi was unwillling to be cared for by Rika, but because Rika roughly knew about the other party meant, she did not rebuke him like just now.
“Ah, I’m the one who is in her care……er, erhm, Ashiya-san.”
“Yes.”
In the classic Japanese manner, Rika repeatedly said meaningless polite compliments and subconsciously looked towards Ashiya and asked,
“Both of you have been mentioning ‘Emilia’ since the beginning, and Emi’s father just used that name directly, what is……”
If he answered Rika’s question, it would be equivalent to pulling her into the same field as Chiho.
Even though Chiho accepted it later, how about Rika?
Depending on the situation, perhaps he would need Suzuno’s help to manipulate memories, as Ashiya thought this, he opened his mouth and said the words which were enough to change Rika’s world,
“That refers to Yusa.”
“Uh……does that refer to a Japanese person taking up a foreign style nickname after going overseas or getting a baptism name or middle name because of religious reasons?”
“No.”
Ashiya spoke slowly like he was matching the rate of Rika’s mental understanding,
“That is the true name of the ‘Yusa Emi’ we know. Her actual name is Emilia Justina.”
“……I don’t really understand.”
Obvious confusion showed on Rika’s face.
“You mentioned……Emilia J, Justina? That is Emi’s actual name?”
“That’s right.”
“Is Emi not Japanese?”
“That’s right.”
“……Ah, I, I see, because Emi’s father is a foreigner, so anyway, even though she was born overseas, just like how soccer players will take on Japanese name when they join the Japan team……”
Rika gave a forced analogy, but it was within Ashiya’s expectations.
In order to let Rika calm down, Ashiya slowly shook his head, stared straight into Rika’s eyes, matching her height, and spoke,
“No, it’s not like that. Yusa……Emilia’s hometown, is not on Earth.”
“……What does that mean?”
“Before I continue explaining……Suzuki-san, do you normally have the habit of watching movies or playing computer games?”
Ashiya’s question from nowhere caused Rika to develop her suspicions.
“W, why are you suddenly asking this? Even though I stopped playing games after elementary school, I do often watch movies.”
“Then, you would be able to understand if I say this. Yusa Emi, or Emilia Justina is not an Earthling.”
“……Earthling?”
“Even though it’s not that correct to express it this way, but to put it in an easy to understand manner, then Yusa is an alien. She does not come from anywhere on Earth, but a person from a faraway planet.”
“……Do you think I am an idiot?”
Rika’s reaction was very normal.
Even this angry response was within Ashiya’s expectations----this is a naturally reaction from most people.
“If you’re not willing to believe it, then I would not be unable to explain the phenomenon which Suzuki-san saw just now.”
“What I saw…………eh?”
Rika suddenly looked towards the windows of the room.
The stronger wind and rain were now hitting that window which Suzuno and Urushihara just jumped out of.
And not long ago, Maou who appeared outside also left by flying.
“‘It is at least 10 metres from here to the roof opposite! How is it possible for someone to jump there without a running start!, at least in this world, this Earth, there shouldn’t be any right?”
“…………”
Rika repeatedly looked at Ashiya’s face and the window.
As expected, even if these unexplainable situations were explained to Rika, her mind cannot keep up with the situation.
If Rika was suddenly able to see a strong truth like Chiho, perhaps the result would be different.
But before today, Rika did not know anything, and had never seen the ‘truth’.
“Suzuki-san.”
“Uh!”
Ashiya’s shout caused Rika to whimper once in fear.
“Ah……ah, ah……”
Compared to her strong front just now, Rika’s body was obviously frozen from the fear of ‘unknown situations’. Most likely she would also find it difficult even to speak.
“B, but, how is this possible……because, Urushihara……Suzuno……Maou……”
Rika listed names.
while reflecting on the scenes she saw over and over again.
“It, it can’t be? This is a joke right? Is, is this a prank?”
Even so, Rika’s strong heart, still barely managed to protect her barrier of common sense.
“How, how can I believe this explanation, if you said that Suzuno and the rest are magicians or psychics, it would be more convincing! There are many of those kind of people around the world……”
“That’s true, if I was in Suzuki-san’s position, I would probably say that as well.”
“S, show me proof! Since you said you’re aliens, isn’t it strange to depend on working to live a poor life?”
“……I really have nothing to say.”
Even if it was this kind of situation, Ashiya still gave a wry smile,
“But even aliens have to work for their three meals a day.”
But if such a thing did not occur, Rika would not discover their true identity.
However, they are still people from different worlds, and in the first place, are people would would not have met.
Even though Ashiya can regain his demon form on the spot, and treat it as concrete evidence, regretfully the current Ashiya could not do such a thing.
“I cannot show you proper evidence right now…....how about ths, when Kamazuki comes back, I would ask her to take responsibility and prove it to you. The condition is that Suzuki-san is willing to listen to these strange words to the end.
“……”
Rika did not answer, and showed Ashiya a suspicious gaze.
“It’s not strange for her to not believe this. If I heard similar things in Ente Isla, I would probably laugh it off. I would never had thought that the foreign worlds would have countries with such advanced civilizations.”
Ashiya agreed with Nord’s opinions.
Human world, human country, human civilization.
Even though demons are biologically superior compared to humans, but to them everything in Japan is a situation which is far into the future, something which can never be achieved.
“Did Maou tell you our true identities?”
“……No. But I can roughly guess that you’re not humans.”
Thinking carefully about it, Ashiya had not told Nord his name.
Emi’s disappearance and Nord’s appearance, were signs that normal daily life, which Ashiya and the other inhabitants of the Demon Fortress felt was not that bad even though it was wrong to think that way, was starting to crumble.
“Even though it’s considered good luck for me……it seems like self-introductions will have to wait.”
“Hm?”
Nord, who was originally watching Ashiya and Rika’ conversation, suddenly got with with a stern gaze.
Nord was wearing the free gift Ashiya won at the shopping street lucky draw, a long sleeve shirt with “Cheers to the people of Sasazuka” printed on it, and moved towards the window without making any sound.
However, even though the footstep sounds were suppressed, the floor still made noise and Ashiya looked out of the window because of Nord’s actions.
“!”
The scene Ashiya saw caused him to tense up in an instant.
In this storm not that different from a typhoon, logically there should be no one outside.
However----
“We’re completely surrounded. I have never seen them before, do you know which faction these people belong to?”
Ashiya was able to answer Nord’s question.
But to Ashiya, this answer was too unbelievable.
Until now, that world has never done anything violent.
“……That is the knight armour of the second ranked knight troops of the Eastern Continent Afashan, the Josokin knight troop. What is going on?”
Rather than Ashiya answering Nord, it was more like he was answering his own question.
The apartment was already completely surrounded by knights wearing strange clothing.
When did they appear and where did they come from?
Were they assassins sent by Barbaricca, like the time with Ciriatto?
Wrong.
The knights with strange attire outside were all humans. Ashiya could not sense any demonic magic from them at all.
Even though the reason was unknown, the only thing which could be confirmed was that their targets were Ashiya and the others.
“W, what happened, both of you?”
Ashiya instantly regained his senses.
That’s right.
Depending on the situation, Ashiya, Maou, Urushihara, Nord or even Suzuno, it was not impossible to them to be targeted by the humans from Ente Isla.
But Rika is different.
She had nothing to do with the affairs of Ente Isla and was just a normal person from Japan.
Besides not allowing her to be involved, all the more, they could not implicate her.
“This incident has nothing to do with Rika-san, and she has to be protected right?”
“Y, yeah.”
Ashiya nodded and affirmed Nord’s opinion.
“Am I their target……no, it should not be. If I did nto meet Maou-san, I would not have appeared here. So it’s you guys?”
“That seems to be the case. Even though it’s possible that it’s our neighbor, but no matter what, only three of us are left in this building.”
Even though that group of knights with a strange atmosphere had not acted, with those numbers, once they rush in, the current Ashiya would not be able to win.
“Can you fight?”
“If it was in the past, these numbers are nothing……but right now……”
To Ashiya, this answer caused him much regret.
“……Because I never had any formal training, I’m about the same as you……at least if Tsubasa…… Acies comes back, there might still be a way……”
From how Tsubasa and Acies refers to the same person, the one Nord was talking about should be that girl with Maou just now?
Even though he did not know the whole story, that girl was probably rescuing Chiho together with Maou.
At this moment, Ashiya finally remembered one thing.
If the group of people outside were all humans from the Eastern Continent, then the one pulling the strings behind must be Olba Meyers.
And right now, with Chiho’s school attacked by someone and with Emi missing, the ones heading over to help must be Suzuno and Maou, whose potential is unfantomable at key moments.
On our side, only Urushihara’s movements cannot be predicted, and occasionally he would also use spells by drawing power from sources other than demonic magic. No matter what, right now in Japan, there was only one person who could not be considered as part of the fighting force.
“Eastern Continent…...huh?”
Ashiya gritted his teeth in regret and anger.
The ones in danger were not just Emi and Suzuno.
The commotion occurring at Chiho’s school was just a feint.
The enemy’s ----Olba and Barbaricca’s goal, is the Demon General Alsiel.
(T/N: Now that this point of time, imagine if Libicocco and the human army did not pick the day when Maou had a driving exam to execute their plan. Suzuno would have brought Maou with her to help Chiho, leaving Urushihara and Ashiya at home to deal with this human army. So much fanfic potential here.) ※
“Wahhh……such heavy rain……it wasn’t that heavy when I came.”
A lady who got off at Sasazuka station, looked at the violent rain in a depressed manner.
“I’ll call a cab. But I remember that it’s not that far from the station, it seems a waste that way.”
The lady standing in front of the station area map, placed a huge shoulder bag on the luggage with wheels and troubled over how she should walk after leaving the station.
But the thing she was holding in her hand to reference to the map, was not a map, note or mobile phone.
It was a resume.
“Alright! I’ll take a cab! I don’t want to get wet.”
After casually stuffing the resume back into her shoulder bag, the lady walked across the lobby outside the ticket gate, crossed the bridge and looked left and right in order to hail down a cab on the road.
“Wah-pu!”
At this moment, the wind direction changed.
The lady’s nose moved slightly.
“……What smell is this?”
After saying this in confusion, the lady placed her hand against her forehead like she was thinking and turned towards ‘that smell’.
“Ah……”
After a while, she seemed to sense something, nodded and showed an obvious expression of loathing.
“I won’t be able to take a cab like this. Damn, I remember that place does not have a bathroom.”
After mumbling with a deeply irritated expression, that lady returned within the station.
She placed all her lugguage within the coin operated lockers----
“Uwahhhhhhh!”
Then while shouting, she rushed into Sasazuka which was raining heavily without an umbrella.
The lady’s casually tied ponytail and healthy wheat coloured skin instantly wet from the rain, then her figure disappeared in the rain.
※
At the same time.
Even though Maou and Acies took a detour in the middle, they still reached the area near Sasahata High School in the end. However----
“Uoohhh!”
Maou attacked the storm wall while shouting, but with the leg strength of a human male, it was difficult to even stand within a storm, therefore in the end, he rolled a few times over the tarmac, and hit the telephone pole.
“Owwww!”
“This is troublesome!”
Acies looked towards Maou who was rolling on the ground in pain because of the scratches and impact like it did not bother her at all.
“Damn it! Even though it took so much trouble to get here! In the end, the situation inside could not be seen at all!”
Observing from the outside, it looked like only Sasahata High School was engulfed by a cumulonimbus cloud.
A circular shaped cloud surrounded the grounds of the high school, and pedestrians were unable to get close at all.
The nearby damage was not as serious as expected, only one cable snapping was a lucky occurance in a disaster.
But even if damage did not occur around the school, it was another matter for the situation within the school.
“It feels like Maou is a little unreliable.”
“Uwah, it’s infuriating.”
Even though her fringe was curled upwards from the wind, Acies still shrugged and said with an innocent expression,
“And with this, you still asked me to go back to the apartment first.”
“After all, if something happened to you or Nord, then the situation will really become unsalvageable!”
Maou originally thought that as long as he came, he would be able to work together with Suzuno to solve the situation, which is why he asked Acies to return to the apartment first.
“Are you alright? Would it be better for me to stay here?”
“It’s really infuriating!”
However, Maou was unable to enter the school.
For a human’s lower body, as long as the wind speed reaches 20m/s, even standing up becomes difficult.
And the storm wall in front of them had obviously exceeded this speed, if a blood and flesh body just rushes in, it would be thrown out like Maou just now.
“That Suzuno, should already be inside……”
Maou started to become anxious.
No matter how much he has weakened, Maou was still the Demon King, even though he did not know who the enemy inside the storm wall was, but recently the existances from the foreign world who came to Japan, were all people who even he had trouble with.
Faced with these opponents who even the Hero would have trouble handling without Alas=Ramus’s help, even though he felt bad for Suzuno, he was unable to feel safe leaving this to her alone.
In reality, until now, Maou had never seen Suzuno when she was serious.
As Maou had fought with Emi a few times with full power in Ente Isla, Maou was very clear about the Hero’s ability, in addition she had become even more powerful because of her merger with Alas=Ramus.
On the contrary, for Suzuno, even though they had fought before, at that time, Maou was only wearing his underwear, and Suzuno was going easy on ihm because of some reasons, so Maou still had some doubts about Suzuno’s fighting ability.
Bascially, unless it is an exception ilke Olba, normal Inquistiors do not have much chances to fight seriously, but when Suzuno was in Choshi, she had boasted that she would be able to destroy the whole Malebranche army by herself.
Even if he tried to search for signs within the wind, the noisy wind will enter his ears together with the rain, and the fire engines in various places around town asking residents to be alert were also continuously transmiting alarms.
As this storm wall had already wrecked havoc for a while when Maou reached, perhaps the firemen or police had received reports and were heading here.
Even though it was not his responsibility, Maou still hoped that the citizens of Japan were treat this incident as a freak natural phenomenon……
“Hm, it’s near there.”
“Huh?”
Compared to the more and more anxious Maou, Acies suddenly pointed to a point in the sky.
“There are signs of someone opening it before.”
“You said where!”
Even if Acies pointed out a rough direction, as there were strange things flying around other than the wind an rain, Maou did not know where Acies was referring to at all.
“This is wind caused by demonic magic. Then near here, someone seems to have used holy magic to force it open before. As long as it is forcefully broken through again, this wind wall would probably break apart completely.”
“Who is going to be responsible for forcefully breaking through it?”
“Didn’t I say that it is impossible for Maou to do it yourself? Leave that to me. You want to go in right?”
“C, can you do it……?”
“Yeah, can I take some time? Because father isn’t nearby.”
According to Maou’s own feeling, the holy magic capacity of the young girl’s father is not that much, then what does Acies mean by this?
“Around how long are you going to take?”
“Hm, one hour or so?”
Maou was almost blown over by the strong wind.
“That’s too long! Like this, going back and fetching Nord will be faster!”
“Then, let’s do that?”
“Didn’t I say that I would feel troubled if I dragged both of you into trouble?”
“But using an incomplete power would not be able to break pass that……even if Maou becomes the ‘Dependency’, it feels like holy magic won’t be produced.”
“ ‘Dependency’? “
“Yeah, my older sister and my powers, come from the mental strength of the Dependent.”
“W, wait a moment!”
Maou frantically interrupted Acies.
It felt that Acies seemed to have nonchalantly said something very important.
Even though Maou really want to hear the details, but if he really listened to everything, it might take more than just one hour.
“Let me ask about just the important parts. Even with humans without demonic magic and holy magic like that uncle, like Nord, as long as he’s next to you, you would be able to obtain power from him?”
“Rather than saying I get power from father, it’s more like I become more energetic after getting influenced by father?”
Maou sucked in a breath.
Wasn’t it like how he used the states of human hearts and transformed them into power when he regained his Demon King form?
“Then regarding the part about the other person, can it be temporarily changed to me?”
“Yes?”
Acies first nodded directly, then strangely showed a stony face immediately.
“But it feels like Maou gives me a feeling of dislike. Is it more like being unable to psychologically accept it……”
“Even in this urgent situation, you can still say such horrible things to a person who you just met!”
Ever since Maou came to Japan, this is the first time he was cheerfully told by someone that he could not be accepted psychologically.
Then again, didn’t Acies say at the exam centre that Maou had a very fragrant smell?
“But, you can do it right?”
Yeah, but if it’s Maou, it should not be holy magic……”
“It’s fine either way! It’s alright as long as you use a strong power to attack that weak point right?”
“Hm……”
Even though Acies seemed to be reluctant, Maou still grabbed her hands and pleaded with her.
“Kya!”
“Please! I need to try everything right now! If possible, I hope you can be of assistance! In response, I will definitely take good care of you from now on!”
“I, is that so……? T, this is the first time a boy told me these things.”
A blush formed on Acies’s face.
“……Let me say this first, what I mean is that I will probably tell you about your ‘older sister’ okay? Don’t misunderstand me.”
Even if there were uneasy feelings----
“Then, Maou, come a little closer.”
Maou still followed Acies’s instructions and took one step forward.
Maou, who thought a special procedure was needed, approached Acies honestly----
“O, oh……hey!”
But Acies suddenly closed her eyes and leaned in towards Maou, causing him to flinch back.
“W, wha, what do you plan to do!”
“Plan to do……just letting our foreheads touch?”
Acies seemed to be surprised by Maou suddenly distancing himself.
Even though Maou breathed a sigh of relief because his guesses were wrong, he still felt an undescribable embarrassment because he actually imagined something like that.
Maou tentatively approached Acies once again, and the latter also held his face.
“Don’t run this time okay.”
“Alright.”
This warning which lacked any femininity and sounded like a challenge dissipated some of Maou’s tense feelings.
Acies’s forehead slowly approached.
Then a familiar glow was produced.
It was a purple glow exactly the same as Alas=Ramus, belonging to the fragments of ‘Yesod’.
Acies was the same as her after all.
“Dependency……huh?”
Maou just recalled what Acies said when both their foreheads touched.
“!”
At this moment, it was Acies’s turn to jump away from Maou like she was burned by something.
“Is, is something wrong……?”
Did something go wrong with the process?
Compared to the uneasy Maou, Acies showed a stunned expression which Maou had never seen before and said with a shudder,
“Ma, Maou……you……you……”
“O, oh.”
An even brighter glow appeared from Acies’s forehead.
“……Maou, you’re the Demon King after all!”
“What are you saying?”
It feels stupid even if he was rebuking.
Even though it was not know if they were affected by some power similar to Mental Transmission, or that a power related to magic was triggered when both their foreheads touched, Acies seemed to have seen through Maou’s identity.
However, what cannot be denied is that every accusation from the young girl sounded rather air headed.
Since he’s ‘Maou’, then of course he’s the ‘Demon King’.
“With things as they are now, don’t be so surprised about such a thing! What’s wrong with Maou being the Demon King! Aren’t they pronounced the same way?”
“Put more effort into it!”
“I don’t want to hear that from you the most……uwah!”
The both of them did not even have time to seriously discuss about this meaningless surprising fact when the glow from Acies’s forehead spread over her whole body.
“Ahh……Demon King, I actually dedicated myself to the King of Demons……Mother, I’m sorry. I’m a bad daughter.”
“Please stop that, you’re making it sound like I’m another villain who is totally unrelated to the Demon King!”
Not knowing how much she had to defame Maou until she was satisfied, this Acies suddenly let out an explosion of light so bright that a person could not look at it directly.
“Uwah!”
Acies turned into countless light orbs, and after the lights of the orbs became stronger, all of them flowed towards Maou.
“Uh, eh, eh? Can this be?”
Besides feeling surprised from Acies’s transformation, a bad feeling also surfaced within him.
This situation of being surrounded by purple light, Maou felt he had already seen similar situations a few times.
No, this was an opposite phenomenon from the lights being absorbed by Maou, in other words----
“……Isn’t this the same as when Alas=Ramus appeared from Emi’s body?”
Even though this is the rough situation, but in a few ways, it’s already too late.
In a corner of the storm wall, a purple beam pierced through the sky like it was going to cut it into half. ※
Suzuno’s giant hammer clashed directly with Libicocco’s vicious claw, and the dull sound of impact shook Sasahata High School.
Chiho’s eyes could not keep up with the warped dimensional fight between the two parties in the air.
Besides that, Chiho’s gaze would occasionally drift towards Urushihara who was watching the battle from the roof, as well as the metal door behind Urushihara which leads to the roof, where its lock was already broken by Libicocco.
“There’s no need to be so worried, my holy magic can still seal doors.”
After Urushihara sensed Chiho’s gaze, he knocked the metal door behind him a few times like he wanted to reassure her.
“T, that’s good……”
Even so, Chiho still could not help but worry.
After all, Urushihara matched the term ‘Fallen Angel’ very well in various ways, and to be exact, he was an existence close to that of a demon.
However, pure white wings were spouting out from his back, and he had power close to that to Emi an Suzuno, this caused Chiho to be very shocked.
It was likely that Suzuno had given him Holy Vitamin β, was Urushihara alright drinking that?
The amount which Chiho could drink had strict limitations.
Ashiya, who should be a strong demon, would collapse after drinking one bottle.
And Maou had said that if he absorbed the wrong amount of holy magic, it would only cause harm to his body.
At this moment, perhaps reacting to the sound of Urushihara knocking on the door, voices were heard from the other side of the door,
“Who is that, is anyone there? Open the door quickly! Damn it! Why can’t it be opened!”
Now, not only has a strange creature appeared within the school grounds, the school was also enveloped by a storm, even if they were facing this abnormal situation, some strong minded teachers who adapted to the situation had rushed to the roof.
Under Suzuno’s instructions, all the doors and windows in the entire high school have been sealed by Urushihara’s spell.
Even though it was a countermeasure to prevent students or teachers from running outside and being embroiled in the battle, just the fact that the spellcaster was Urushihara was enough to make Chiho feel uneasy.
“The seal on the door is a very advanced spell, normal people would not be able to break it.”
Even though it was surprising that Urushihara would be able to use such a convenient spell, Chiho could not understand why this kind of spell exists.
“There are many places were this spell can be used you know. Even though it’s probably difficult to appreciate it in Japan’s context, but human royalty or the Church would frequently use this spell on their own treasury or holy chapels to prevent tresspassers from entering and leaving.”
“……I, I see.”
Chiho finally understand the reason for the existence of this spell.
But even so, why does Urushihara have this skill and could use it as a spell?
“It’s not just me, Sariel and Gabriel should be able to use it as well. This is a necessary spell for high ranked angels, at least this was how we were taught.”
“How you were taught?”
Even though Chiho asked this in confusion because she felt something was off, Urushihara did not say anything more after turning his gaze back at the sky, therefore Chiho, with no other choice, could only look upwards.
During the period of time when both of them were talking, even if Suzuno was wearing a kimono which was not easy to move around in, she still avoided all the attacks, and even Chiho could see that Suzuno had an overwhelming advantage in this battle.
Libicocco, who originally showed an arrogant attitude towards Chiho, one of his claws had already become unusable after a few clashes.
Chiho had watched Emi and Urushihara’s battle in the past, the scene when both of them fought was like a fantasy movie, where mysterious spells and powers were used, but the fight unfolding between Suzuno and Libicocco unfolding in front of Chiho right now, was more like an actual hand-to-hand combat.
And the scene of Suzuno, slight of build, swinging a giant hammer close to her own height, overwhelming the demon several times larger than her, it felt good watching this.
Even so, even Chiho could obviously tell that Suzuno was showing mercy.
Even though Suzuno successfully got behind Libicocco a few times, or obtained an advantage in close quarters, she never gave the other party a lethal blow.
Even though she could not hear anything from where she was, she could see that both of them were talking occasionally, perhaps Suzuno was convincing the other party to return.
“……Strange.”
“Eh?”
Urushihara, who was watching this aerial battle, raised his doubts first.
“The way Libicocco fights, is not like a Malebranche at all.”
“What does that mean?”
“His way of fighting is too clumsy. I think, he is not using his full power.”
“Is it because he is in Japan, so he is unable to use too much demonic magic……”
“If that is so, then before he gets beaten this badly, he could first dispel that exaggerated storm screen, and use the demonic magic he saved to fight, why doesn’t he do that, in addition……”
Urushihara was right.
No matter what, the storm surrounding the school was created with Libicocco’s power, if this power was used to handle Suzuno, he should not be overwhelmed like this.
“Are, are there any other problems……”
“I feel that same strange feeling from that time with Ciriatto. Why is that guy able to maintain his demon form?”
“Uh…….”
“The situation right now is different from me at that time, he cannot gather unlimited negative feelings from his surroundings. In addition, a mere Malebranche Chieftian would not be able to maintain demonic magic like Maou. However, even if he executed such a large scale spell, he can still maintain his form, there must be some trick.”
“But, but isn’t continuing like this good? If the other party could use his full power, Suzuno-san might be in danger……”
Even though saying these things sounded like she was encouraging the demon, but if the demon could continue being weak like this, it should be what Chiho and the others wanted.
“No, I think that even if Libicocco used his full power, he should not be a match for Bell. But even so, at least the battle would not be as one sided as now. If this goes on, Bell would really defeat him in an overwhelming manner. I really do not understand why he needs to specially do this kind of troublesome thing.”
“Then what is the reason……”
That’s right, even though she almost forgot because she was confused by Libicocco’s words, he had specially used a ‘gate’ to come to Japan. It was difficult to imagine that his purpose for coming was to collect this rare negative feelings.
Camio came to find Maou, Ciriatto came to find the holy sword, Farfarello came to bring Maou and Ashiya back. Until now, the demons who came to Japan had returned without achieving their goals, if so, then for what reason did Libicocco come?
“Also, I’m also concerned about this situation where Emilia is not around. Before we came, did that guy say anything strange?”
“Anything strange……”
No matter how she thought about it, the strangest should be Chiho being forced to learn the pronounciation of Libicocco’s name----
“Thinking about it……he did say that demons like the missions of collecting demonic magic……”
Chiho repeatedly thought back to the conversation more than ten minutes ago.
Did Libicocco talk about this purpose for coming here?
“But he did not plan to conduct a massacre here. He only wants to cause an easy to understand ruckus……I remember he did say these things. But, he also created very exaggerated lightning……”
“The lightning you talked about, is the one which appeared before we came in?”
“Eh? Ehh?”
“Even though the lightning did not look like much.”
“Eh?”
“There were only two to three lightning strikes which looked like leaking electricity, and they only hit the antenna of nearby landed houses or the lightning rods on apartments you know?”
“I wasn’t talking about just that you know? I do remember lightining which was so bright I couldn’t open my eyes……”
Even so, the houses nearby were not damaged to the extent which Chiho and Libicocco had predicted.
Chiho had thought that it was because Japan had greatly improved their anti-lightining measures----
“It’s probably illusion magic right? That is the special skill of the Malebranche which they’re proud of.”
“I, Illusion?”
“Because when they were in the Southern Continent, they had underhandedly used necromancy and illusion magic to create large numbers of zombies and spirits without any actual bodies, then they attack when the humans are shaken, so he probably only let you see the illusion of the lightning right? If he really wanted to release that kind of lightning attack, I wonder how much demonic magic would be used up.”
“……”
“But as you have seen, that storm wall is real. Even though he is a Malebranche, he is still able to control the weather, just this is already considered quite amazing. Looks like he can be considered a veteran amongst those Chieftians. But other than Maracoda, who is especially outstanding within the clan, most of the Malebranche are like Ciriatto, who are physical types. Even though I think you will know with one look, but they have hardly ever used any magic like mine right? Sigh, even though it could be simply because to preserve demonic magic, if that is the case, then I am unable to understand why he is continuously controlling the weather.”
“Then, if that’s the case……”
Even if she felt respect for the rare display of insight shown by Urushihara, Chiho was still confused because she could not find the answer.
“Easy to understand ruckus huh……but, exactly what is he diverting our attention from?”
“Urushihara-san?”
“……Ah.”
Chiho looked up towards the sky again because of Urushihara’s voice.
At this moment, Suzuno swung the giant hammer at Libicocco’s huge back with all his might, causing him to fall to the roof of the school.
“Hah!”
Suzuno vigorously gave multiple hits without stopping, causing Libicocco’s body to fall downwards like a meteor.
“That’s dangerous!”
Urushihara, directly underneath the landing point, raised both his hands----
“Ugoh……!”
Causing Libicocco to stop in the air as he groaned.
If Libicocco was allowed to drop on the roof of the old school building directly, it might just cause the building to collapse. So Urushihara should have used some kind of spell to stop him.
“Hey, Malebranche Chief. That lady still has not used her full power. Even though I don’t know what you’re hiding, you might die if this goes on you know?”
“U……ugh……”
Not knowing because he originally did not plan to talk or because he was unable to talk due to heavy injuries, Libicocco, who stopped at Urushihara’s hands let out a slight groan.
“Hmph, he’s not as great as he said.”
On the other hand, Suzuno lightly landed on the roof.
While swinging off the blood on the hammer, she slowly approached Libicocco.
“Alright, isn’t it about time you released this school? If not, I can only choose to end your life in the end. If possible, I don’t wish to do such a thing.”
“……Kill me if you want. You’re human right?”
Libicocco painfully asked with a raspy voice, but Suzuno shook her head and replied,
“I already do not wish to take the lives of others because the other party is a demon or someone with different views.”
“Suzuno-san……”
“Hurry up and dispel this storm wall, you should be able to fight on equal level with me, however, not only did you not do that, you still ignored my warnings again and again. You should still be hiding other intentions right?”
“……”
It looks like Suzuno, like Urushihara, had realized that Libicocco’s way of fighting is rather unnatural.
“Before I can clearly judge that you are a danger to humans or the world, I will not kill you. In Japan, I have learnt to think flexibly. My opponents are only ‘evil enemies’. I already had enough of killin each other because the ‘type’ is different.”
“U……ughh……if everything becomes too late because of this, you’re going to regret it.”
“Compared to regrets because of not believing, I am willing to regret after being betrayed by others. Recently, my relations have been rather complicated in many ways. I do not wish to feel troubled discovering that the enemy also makes sense after killing them.”
With her hair wet from the rain shining under the sun, Suzuno said this.
“And even if we are late by one step, my comrades are not so weak that they will allow the situation to become unsalvageable.”
After saying this, Suzuno changed her hammer back into a hairclip and kept it within her clothes.
Her hair was not dried anyway, so it probably cannot be set in place.
“……Chiho-dono, is what I said correct?”
Suzuno turned back to ask for Chiho’s agreement, causing Chiho to feel shocked.
No, actually Chiho knew who the ‘comrades’ Suzuno referred to are. It was more like, even though Chiho always wished for Suzuno to think so, she had never thought that she would hear such words directly from Suzuno.
“T, that’s right, that is correct!”
Chiho, who felt happy, could not help but grasp her own hands and jump up.
“……What is this……”
Even though Urushihara, who is unexpectedly able to read the atmosphere, could roughly understand what the both of them were trying to express, but he was not the type of person who could accept this honestly, and was also too lazy to be a wet blanket.
“Then, what do we do about this surrounding storm wall……”
Just as Urushihara planned to continue the topic, a beam of light suddenly obscured his vision.
“Wah?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Eh?”
Urushihara, Suzuno and Chiho looked up at the sky one after another.
The sunlight suddenly shone on the roof where the three of them are.
The wind and rain within the storm wall also paused, as if to avoid the school, and the sun also started to show itself from the faraway clear sky.
“……What did you do?”
Urushihara asked Libicocco with a frown.
It was not a natural phenomenon no matter what. The evidence is that the storm wall around the school was still present.
“……”
However, Libicocco did not reply. Suzuno, who was staring at him, shook her head and said,
“This is unsatisfactory. What exactly happened?”
After looking at the sun in the sky with a stony expression, Urushihara frowned because of the blinding light and reached upwards to block out the sunlight. The sun, which shone on the ground through the hole in the wind and rain, looked like a strange huge eye.
“Hm?”
From this, Urushihara discovered a few small black dots sticking on the sun like dust.
“What is going on? There seems to be something in the sun……”
Those small shadows slowly grew in size.
“Ugh!”
Urushihara showed a serious expression which could only be seen a few times in a year, his eyes widening, and after throwing Libicocco, who he had been supporting, aside, he jumped next to Suzuno and Chiho with great speed.
“What……?”
“Urushihara……?”
Suzuno and Chiho were shocked because of Urushihara’s sudden actions, but before they could ask their questions----
“Hu!”
Urushihara’s wings, spread out in one go, starting glowing.
““!!””
The scene in front of them caused Suzuno and Chiho to be able to only suck in a breath.
Hot flames resembling light suddenly descended from within the sun, and approached in the direction of Suzuno and Chiho.
“Lucifer!!!!”
And Urushihara blocked that flame.
Just like the time he caught Libicocco, Urushihara’s outstretched arms stopped the flames a few centimeters away from his palm, protecting Chiho and Suzuno behind him.
However, what is the strength of these flames?
Even if Urushihara’s outstretched wings caused his whole body to glow and he used all of his power on defense, the hot wind surpassing that power still caused Suzuno and Chiho’s hair to sway from the wind.
“Ugh, ah, damn it……! What is that guy thinking!”
Without caring about the huge amount of sweat and blood vessels appearing on his forehead, Urushihara shouted,
“Bell! Take Sasaki Chiho and run, quickly! I can’t hold it anymore!”

“Chiho-dono, grab onto me!”
Suzuno grabbed Chiho’s waist without waiting for her reply and jumped away from the roof with a power enough to cause the latter to feel dizzy.
“U……ugh!”
Chiho, who was carried in the air, felt that the things within her stomach were about to flow out, in addition, in the corner of her teary vision, she saw a certain scene.
The door connecting the roof to within the school had warped.
The metal door, which should be been sealed up by Urushihara’s spell actually warped.
After witnessing the power of the flames, Chiho started to worry if Urushihara, blocking the flames, was actually safe.
Staying behind to block the line of flames which seemed to be shot out by a huge flame cannon, Urushihara’s petite figure started to twist and distort in the heat.
“W, what is going on?”
Suzuno slowed down after making a tremendous effort to reach a height which the heat cannot reach, but even if they reached that place, they still could not confirm the source of the flames.
“Suzuno-san! About Urushihara-san!”
“I don’t know! Without considering me, if Chiho-dono goes down now, you’ll definitely burn to death!”
“How can this……!”
Chiho let out a groan, but the situation grew worse.
Some distance away from the flames, a huge figure stood.
Libicocco, thrown to the side by Urushihara, had revived.
“Suzuno-san, there!”
“I know! Chiho-dono, I’m going to descend to the school!”
Suzuno, hoping to get Chiho far away from the danger, ignored the flames and Urushihara, and started to move towards the ground.
“You, you people are!”
However someone blocked her path in midair.
Until just now, Suzuno had been fighting with Libicocco who suddenly appeared in Japan, so the opponents appearing in front of her were even more unbelievable.
“It, it can’t be!”
Chiho, who was being carried by Suzuno, immediately felt despair when she saw Suzuno’s enemies.
“Get out of the way! Heavenly Troops!”
Suzuno shouted angrily, but the enemies did not move at all.
Five members of the Heavenly Troops surrounded Suzuno, not allowing her to land on the ground.
“D, don’t tell me it’s Gabriel-san again?”
The Heavenly Troops are troops belonging to the angels.
Even though they have already appeared a few times together with archangel Gabriel a few times in Japan, Suzuno still mumbled in a low voice,
“Their equipment is different……Gabriel’s subordinates, should be dressed in a more casual manner.
The five Heavenly Troops standing in front of them were wearing full red heavy armour, and were carrying exactly the same kind of ranseur made from black metal.
The weapns carried by Gabriel’s Heavenly Troops were not exactly the same and were roughly made, and were totally different in appearance from these people.
All the Heavenly Troops present pointed the tip of their ranseurs at Suzuno and Chiho.
Since they made threatening actions, that means that there was no need to worry that they would make a fatal blow immediately, but just this was enough to make Suzuno feel anxious.
A Malebranche Chieftian and Heavenly Troops suddenly appearing in the same place, this was definitely not a coincidence.
This obviously pointed towards one fact.
“All of you……all of you are really……”
Suzuno’s voice was even mixed with regret and hatred.
Even if she did not know their purprose right now.
She can no longer run away from the truth.
The demon forces, active in the Eastern Continent, were being helped by Heaven and the angels.
Even though it was unbelieveable because the reasons were unclear, only this possibility was left.
“Suzuno-san……”
“Chiho-dono, do not move. Damn it, even though I have made up my mind long ago, not to waver no matter what happens……”
Even though Chiho, being carried, could not see, traces of regret and tears were mixed in Suzuno’s voice.
“Ranseurs made with black metal and red armour, metal and red. Stupid Lucifer, saying that he would not take action.”
Suzuno made vicious remarks like she was lashing out at Urushihara, who was being swallowed by flames on the school roof.
“Archangel Kamael! What do you plan on doing!”
In this instant, the Heavenly Troops suddenly became aggressive.
From this reaction, it was obvious that their master was who Suzuno predicted.
Even though it should be impossible that Suzuno’s voice was heard----
“Suzu, Suzuno-san!”
As if to negate Chiho’s shout, the flames plunging towards Urushihara became more vigorous----
“Ugahhh!”
On the school roof watched from above by Chiho, Suzuno and the Heavenly Troops, a petite figure was blown back by the blast and the storm to the edge of the school grounds.
“Urushihara-san! Urushihara-san!”
Even if she felt that the other person could not hear, Chiho still could not help but shout out loudly.
But things did not end here.
Libicocco, dragging his heavily injured body, started to walk towards where Urushihara fell.
Chiho temporarily stopped breathing from fear.
Even though Suzuno took one step towards Chiho’s dream after much difficulty.
And acknowledged Urushihara, Ashiya and Maou, who are demons, as her comrades.
Are they going to get hurt suddenly because of strange things and cause everyone to be separated?
“Uh!”
Chiho looked up at the sky with tear filled eyes.
Right now, she can clearly see the figure of the person who blasted Urushihara away.
That person was wearing a similar red armour like the Heavenly Troops, and even though it was not as exaggerated as Libicocco, he still had a large build comparable to Gabriel.
“I never expected……that you would actually play along with this kind of farce……”
Using up all the holy magic, Urushihara, who reverted back to looking like a useless household bad debt, even if he was collapsed on the ground in a wretched manner, he still managed to look up at the sky.
“I’m really afraid that I would have to apologise and answer to Bell and Sasaki Chiho later. After all, I had declared earlier that you would not take action.”
“……”
The person who Urushihara was speaking to not only was wearing full body armour, he was even wearing a full face metal mask. This appearance, rather than an angel, he looked more like a powerful general.
“……Kamael, what happened to make you change your mind?”
Archangel Kamael ignored Urushihara’s words and slightly nudged his chin towards Libicocco.
“……Tsk.”
Even if he clicked his tongue once, Libicocco still obediently listened to the ‘order’.
Thinking that the opponent might do something disadvantageous to him, Urushihara forcefully spread his injured wings, but LIbicocco actually ignored Urushihara and flew straight towards Suzuno and Chiho.
“Sorry, little ant.”
Suzuno, confined by the Heavenly Troops, could not move at all.
And Libicocco also used a different attitude from when he first encountered Chiho and said awkwardly to Chiho, being carried by Suzuno,
“Hand it over. You should know what I’m talking about right?”
Chiho stared that the demon palm with its claw shattered.
“You have the fragment of ‘Yesod’ on you right. We will leave after we get thing. Hurry up and hand it over.”
Chiho could not help but move her hand towards the pocket of her uniform----
“Chiho-dono, do not hand it to him!”
But she flinched immediately because of Suzuno’s shout.
“We definitely cannot allow them to obtain the Sephira! Quickly think back to what Gabriel and Laila did!”
“B, but Suzuno-san and Urushihara-san......”
“Stop putting up a brave front. Right now, what can you do?”
“……If something really goes wrong, I’m going to snatch Chiho-dono’s fragment and swallow it!”
“Do you think we demons will feel hesitant over taking humans apart?”
Suzuno and Libicocco debated around Chiho with murderous auras.
“Even so, it would be better than obediently handing the fragment over to you!”
Even Suzuno’s stern voice was useless at this moment.
The only thing heard by Suzuno and Chiho, was a single cold sentence.
“……She already said that.”
This sentence was not directed at the shouting Suzuno.
“Ugah!”
“Suzu, Suzuno-san!”
Chiho’s body felt a single heavy wobble.
And at the moment, Suzuno’s wet groan was heard.
“Uh?”
Chiho saw something unbelievable at the edge of her vision.
The Heavenly Troops used their spears to pierce straight at Suzuno’s chest.
“Suzuno-san!!!”
The sudden violent act of the Heavenly Troops caused Chiho to scream, but immediately after she drew back from Libicocco in front of her by a large effect of interia.
Suzuno jumped backwards in the air.
“Suzu, Suzuno-san?”
“Don’t worry……it’s just the spear shaft, cough!”
Suzuno’s voice, though pained, was very clear.”
“Spear shaft?”
Even though Suzuno was referring to the handle of the spear, but even in this emergency situation, Chiho, unfamiliar with weapons, only thought of mushrooms.
(T/N: Spear shaft and mushrooms have similar pronunciation in Japanese.)
“Wahh!”
However, Chiho immediately lost the chance to think.
The red Heavenly Troops really swung the points of their spear in succession, attacking Suzuno.
“D……damn it arghhhhhh!”
Suzuno let out an angry shout which did not suit an inquisitor and warded off the spears swarming in with her giant hammer, and after floating in the air, dodging repeatedly, she distanced herself from the five Heavenly Troops after much effort.
But compared to Gabriel’s Heavenly Troops, the opponents this time were obviously well trained.
They systematically fought an aerial melee with Suzuno, one person attacking Suzuno’s back, one person aiming for Chiho, the obvious weak point, and one person exerting pressure from below so Suzuno could not land.
In addition, even if she managed to throw these five people off, Urushihara could not stand anymore, and Libicocco and Kamael were still wating behind.
“Suzu, Suzuno-san! Y, you don’t have to care about me!”
Chiho, being shook around in the air by superhuman movements, just avoiding biting her tongue already took all her effort.
“It, it’s alright even if I am hurt a little! T, throw me onto the roof……without a burden like me, you should, be able to fight better.”
“Be quiet!”
Avoiding three spear points with perfect technique in the air, Suzuno shouted at the same time,
“Their target is not me, it’s Chiho-dono! If I let Chiho-dono go now, things would really progress to the point of no return! Ugh!”
After saying this, Suzuno’s leg was grazed by one of the spears of the Heavenly Troops which appeared from another direction.
“Suzuno-san!”
“D, damn! Chiho-dono, close your eyes!”
Without waiting for Chiho to reply, Suzuno started to mumble something, pointed the giant hammer toward the Heavenly Troops in front of her and shouted,
“Light Wave Flash!”
At this moment, the end of the giant hammer emitted a strong light like the sun, blinding the sight of the Heavenly Troops in front of Suzuno.
“Get out of the wayyyyy!”
Suzuno did not let this opening go, and swung her giant hammer towards the temple of the Heavenly Troops.
With a heavy feeling up her arm, the aura of the enemies in front disappeared.
“We’re going, Chiho-dono! Please stay strong!”
Either way, they have to escape the school first.
The people of the school will be involved if this goes on. Even though Urushihara’s seal had not been broken yet, Kamael did not show any mercy when destroying the school roof.
Not considering Chiho alone, Suzuno was unable to protect the hundreds of people, including the staff and students, in the school by herself. Even though Suzuno did not forget about Urushihara, but the priority is to avoid having Chiho and the ‘Yesod’ fragment falling into the hands of the enemy. Just as Suzuno prepared to leave the scene with the speed enough to make Chiho dizzy, a voice which made one felt despair was heard from within the flash which had not dissipated.
“I’m sorry. Illusion spells are useless against the Malebranche.”
“Uh?”
The large figure appearing from the pure white light was Libicocco.
Libicocco’s remaining claw suddenly appeared in front of Suzuno, causing the latter to be unable to dodge.
Even though Suzuno swung her giant hammer planning to shatter the claw blocking her path, this action also slowed down her sprint.
“Ugahhh!”
Chiho, who almost lost consciousness because of the flash which could not be blocked entirely even if she closed her eyes and the G forces, this time because the touch of warm liquid was felt on her face, she completely lost her ability to think.
This probably only lasted for a few seconds.
However, the scene which Chiho saw in an instant when she slowly regained her sight, consciousness and feeling after the light Suzuno created dissipated----
“Ughhhh!!!”
caused Chiho to let out a rough scream while struggling.
Even so, her body could not move----because someone had restricted her movements.
The person carrying Chiho right now was not Suzuno, but Libicocco.
As for Suzuno, who until just now, was trying her best to let Chiho escape----
“……Actually causing us to spend so much effort……”
she was right in front of Libicocco, collapsed on the middle of the school roof, covered in blood.
“Suzu, Suzuno-san, Suzuno-san!”
Even Chiho could see that Suzuno’s shoulder was torn open, when her legs showing under her kimono also had deep cuts, which were still bleeding.
And the more horrible thing is, not only was the hairclip which Suzuno took off and her kimono spread out on the concrete ground like a blood covered flower, the Heavenly Troops stabbed their spears into the hard ground through the Suzuno’s kimono like they were pinning her to the ground.
The giant hammer, which Suzuno used as a weapon was dropped next to her hand and had reverted into a hairclip which held no power.
“Ah……ugh, Chi, Chiho-dono, argh……”
Even so, Suzuno still stretched her hand towards Chiho as she groaned.
“Suzuno-san……ughm!”
Even though Chiho also tried to stretch out her hand, Libicocco did not let her do as she pleased.
Not only that, Libicocco also kicked away the hand Suzuno stretched out and looked down at Suzuno pitifully.
“Why do you resist to such an extent? Aren’t you an inquisitor from the Church? That person and these guys are all angels, disciples of the god you respect you know? Even if you rebel against them, there’s nothing beneficial for you right?”
Suzuno, resisting the pain, glared at Libicocco with her blood covered face,
“Angels……who carry out such evil actions, even if you give them to me, I don’t want it! I only worship the correct belief which can guide the human world towards peace and justice!”
The more Suzuno shouted, the more blood flowed out from her wounds.
Chiho shook and could not say anything.
“These guys who work with villians to harm the people of the world and cause chaos, how can they be called angels!”
“Very good. Even though I do not dislike warriors with strong beliefts like you, but I have no choice this time.”
The Heavenly Troops approached Libicocco like they have planned to do so beforehand.
“Hey, little ant, I won’t harm you, hurry up and hand the thing over.”
Libicocco’s warning was not heard by Chiho at all.
Because her feelings have already become numb.
“Listen to me……cough……Chiho-dono, do not, hand it over to them……”
“Suzu, Suzuno……”
“Didn’t I say I would not harm you? If not whatever happens later, I won’t care you know.”
In this hopeless situation, Libicocco and the Heavenly Troops approached Chiho and Suzuno.
That was the hand of a demon in the form of angels. ※
“What exactly…….what exactly is going on!”
Rika’s voice was heard from the corner of Sasazuka.
The increasingly heavy rain, dampened the front porch of Villa Rosa Sasazuka.
Strangely dressed unfamiliar people appeared in front of Rika. For reasons unknown, the mobile phone grasped in her hand, could not receive any signal.
In addition----
“Ashiya-san! Nord-san!”
Rika crouched on the mud made wet by the rain, and Ashiya and Nord were collapsed in front of her, injured.
“What is going on! Who are you people!”
In a chaotic situation, Rika, who feel into a panic, threw the useless phone away.
After the mobile phone hit the chest of the large male who defeated Ashiya and Nord in Rika’s presence, it feel into a puddle.
“Such a failure. When I unexpectedly discovered Nord, I thought I had gotten lucky.”
Within this group with bizzare clothes, the man with a large build, who was the only one dressed like an ancient greek statue, shrugged his shoulders like he was genuinely troubled.
“I never thought that there would actually be a normal Japanese person here……what should I do now?”
The man said in a troubled manner while approaching Rika.
“A, ah……”
However, Rika was so afraid that she could not move.
That was normal.
Just facing a full armoured and fully equipped strange group was scary enough, Rika even saw Ashiya and Nord, two healthy males, instantly defeated before her eyes.
Rika, who had no immunity towards pure violence, could not move at all because of fear.
“Sigh, I have no interest in scaring girls……erhm, I hope you can understand, we totally have no intentions of harming you……”
“D, don’t come over, don’t come over! Help, help, Ashiya-san!”
“……What kind of person does she see me as……I’m not a bandit, ouch!”
Rocks in the yard, other things, even though Rika forcefully threw everything next to her, it did not help the situation at all.
“Sigh, even though this situation is hard to explain. I’m sorry, you can cry and rage all you want, but please tolerate it a little longer. Hey!”
Not knowing what orders that man with a large build gave to the group behind him, four strangely dressed knights walked out from that group.
“W……wait, what are you doing……”
The knights lifted the unmoving Ashiya and Nord off the ground.
“Where……do all of you plan to take them to……”
“Take them to? No, we’re taking them back to their original place.”
“Original, place?”
“Sigh, there’s no need for you to care. Ah, it’s useless even if you look for the police. Those people cannot catch us at all. Hm, just treat it as you have met a traffic accident and give up at that.”
“Uh!”
“Uh, eh?”
Rika, who could not move at all because she was afraid of the man, suddenly got up in one go and grabbed the strangely dressed knight carrying Ashiya.
“?”
The knights also felt shaken because Rika did something unexpected.
“W, where do you plan to take them!”
“…………!”
“Don’t say these strange words! Return Ashiya-san! Return him to me!”
“W, wait, Miss! Don’t scare people like that, please stop that.”
“Ah!”
The knight swung his hand trying to get rid of the persistent Rika.
Rika, who was easily pushed away, her face hit the puddle just like that.
“Ah, hey, wait a moment!”
At this moment, the man suddenly panicked.
The knight who pushed Rika away, pulled out his sword to let Rika let go of Ashiya.
“Stop, you idiot! Don’t do unnecessary things!”
Even though the large man tried to stop it, but from the distance, he would not make it in time.
After Rika turned her face over while still lying on the ground, Rika saw the the weapon, murderous aura and the instant where her life would disappear, the things she would never see just by living in Japan.
“Uh!”
Rika did not even have time to feel afraid.
The silver trajectory repelling the raindrops looked strangely slow, and then----
“Get out of the wayyyyyyy!”
Accompanied by a sudden shocking shout, the knight who had planned to swing his sword towards Rika flew outwards like an eraser.
“?”
“Eh?”
This time, not only Rika, even the large man got a shock.
The knight, who flew to the side horizontally, as he produced the sound of heavy impact----
“Ugh!”
his whole body hit the concrete wall surrounding Villa Rosa like a frog, and then he slowly fell towards the ground.
“Wha……”
The first thing Rika saw, was feet wearing flat rubber sandals.
And after looking back in the direction of the leg, she discovered jeans in the position of a standard kicking position.
Black shirt, brown skin frequently exposed to the sun, and black ponytail.
“……Who are you? How did you ‘enter’ this place?”
The man, who originally had a frivolous attitude, showed an expression which is a mix of anxiousness and surprise.
“You asked how I came in?”
The person who came raised the leg she used to kick out to above her head like in kung fu movies, and after elegantly lowering it, Rika discovered that it was an unfamiliar lady.
“Is an outsider’s permission needed to enter one’s own territory?”
The lady showed a cold smile, and like they were aggravated by her, the strangely dressed knights pointed their swords towards her at the same time.
This time, the man with the large build did not stop the knights. However, even if tens of knights pointed their swords towards her at the same time, the browned skinned lady did not plan to take action.
“Such recklessness, you might die you know? Even you, the strange young man, is not an exception.”
“……So boastful, who exactly are you?”
“Because I don’t know this lady and that uncle, so making a forced connection……”
The lady glanced at Ashiya, who was still being held by the knights, and said with a wry smile,
“I should be the ex-employer of Ashiya-kun.”
※
Through her blood stained vision, Suzuno watched in despair as Chiho was handed to the Heavenly Troops.
Even if she tried to stop it, Suzuno’s body still could not move, and she could only groan due to the pain coming from her shoulder and legs.
Just as the hands of the Heavenly Troops were about to grab Chiho, a purple light which exceeded the brightness of the sun exploided from the opposite side of the storm wall.
“W, what happened?”
“……?”
Not just Libicocoo and Suzuno, probably even Kamael looked towards that source of light.
The location was outside the main gate of Sasahata High School.
“Uh!”
Libicocco let out a wary sound.
The strength of the storm wall suddenly weakened rapidly.
The circular shaped wind wall which isolated the school, the boundaries started to become unclear, and not long afterwards, it start to twist and distort, and with the dissipation in power of the wind and rain, the wind wall scattered.
The strong wind which was instantly produced to equalize the pressure, caused the Heavenly Troops to be thrown into disarray.
At this moment, a purple bream like a shooting star flashed across the school grounds.
The instant everyone present discovered that beam of light, and that the storm which had formed a barrier until now had become a fury of noise and strong wind, they quickly chased behind the light.
“Hm……?”
Libicocco was a bit confused because of the light and storm which brushed past him, but immediately discovered that his arm suddenly became lighter. No, it did not become lighter, but the whole arm----
“Gwahhhhhhhhhh?”
Libicocco, discovering that his arm which was holding the small human had disappeared from shoulder down, screamed.
He pressed down on the wound which spurted out blood the same moment he became conscious of the pain, and knelt on the ground.
Then he discovered that the other human who should be lying next to his feet, had actually disappeared as well.
The five ranseurs made from black metal used earlier to pin that human down were scattered all over the ground like roughly cut vegetables, losing their weapon forms.
The Heavenly Troops in the sky who were overlooking Suzuno could only turn and check out the trajectory of the end of the light and the head of the storm around them because they could not grasp the situation.
As if to protect Urushihara, who had been sent flying by Kamael’s flame bullet, an irregularly shaped being stood in front of him.
The being had a human face and body, as well as four limbs and two horns of a demon, one of the horns was even cut off.
“Ah…………ah………….”
Even if she discovered that the one carrying her was the same strange shaped demon arm like just now, a sense of safety could be felt from it, so Chiho still could not help but cry.
A Hero who would come and save Chiho from danger no matter when.
Maou Sadao, carrying Chiho and Suzuno, was standing there.
This was different from his usual Demon King form.
Not only was his height similar to the normal Maou, even if someone stood next to him without any protection, there were no breathing difficulties.
But the four limbs and horns showing from the the UNIXLO sleeves and hem, it was definitely a body of a demon.
“Ma……Maou……san……”
“Sorry, because the distance was a bit far, I came late.”
Even though Maou was still staring at Libicocco and the Heavenly Troops, he still answered Chiho with a powerful voice.
“……Yeah……uu……”
Chiho nodded in reply, and her face, originally wet from the rain, was covered in tears again.
“You’re not hurt right?”
“Yes……because Urushihara-san, and Suzuno-san, protected me……!”
“I see.”
After Maou nodded warmly, he directed his attention towards Suzuno, but before Maou could open his mouth----
“Demon King, you’re really……very slow……”
Suzuno, being held by Maou’s other arm, discovering Maou from the edge of her blurred vision due to the pain, started to scold him.
Maou, carrying Chiho in his left arm and Suzuno in his right arm, slowly placed the two people on the roof.
“Even so, I rushed here very urgently.”
Maou showed a wry smile because of Suzuno’s merciless complaint.
“On the account that I barely managed to come here on time, just forgive me. The main character should appear in a cool manner in a pinch after all.”
It was true, until just now, the group of people were in a situation where Urushihara and Suzuno fell one after another, Chiho was in danger, and they had an overwhelming disadvantage greatly outnumbered by the enemy.
Once she thought about it, Suzuno smiled subconsciously,
“……This kind of thing, should be, left to the Hero. The Demon King, joining in the fun……haha……ugah!”
However, speaking halfway, Suzuno immediately frowned because of the pain from her wounds.
Even if they were covered in injures, and blood, the both of them and Urushihara barely managed to survive.
“You won’t, die just like that right?”
Maou asked behind him without even turning back, Suzuno also lightly nodded in reply.
Once she felt relieved……once she felt relieved because Maou rushed over, Suzuno’s wounds started to flare up with intense pain.
“Because, it hurts a lot. So, there’s no need to worry.”

Maou, continue to look forward, nodded and replied,
“Alright, holding on until now, thank you for all your effort. Leave the rest to me.”
An archangel in the air, in front of him was a Malebranche Chieftian and five Heavenly Troops.
Even with the addition of the heavily injured Suzuno, Urushihara and Chiho, who could not fight, behind him, Maou’s composure was not shaken at all.
Just from appearances, not only was Maou barehanded right now, even his Demon King form transformation was not complete, and no special demonic magic was felt.
However----
“……Hm.”
Suzuno, behind him, still did not feel any uneasiness.
Everything can be trusted to that back, Suzuno believed this in her heart.
“Alright……even though I’m not too sure about the situation, but you guys are really amazing. The last time three Great Generals were defeated, it was during Emi’s time.”
“Y, you……”
Barehanded, Maou leisurely walked out to Libicocco who lost an arm and was kneeling on the ground.
“Actually, doing this to my arm!”
Perhaps looking down on Maou in his half human, half demon form and not feeling any demonic magic, Libicocco shouted agitatedly.
However, after Maou stretched his right hand in front of Libicocco, he showed a fearless smile.
“A mere Malebranche Chief actually daring to talk to me in such an exaggerated tone of voice, hm?”
In the palm of Maou’s hand which he stretched out while smiling, a purple glow shone.
“Hm……”
Even if no one heard, Kamael let out a sound from behind the metal mask for the first time.
The purple glow spread from his palm to his arm, but fully covered Maou not long after.
Suzuno said in shock after watching this phenomenon,
“This is not……demonic magic……?”
Even though it was not complete, but from Maou, showing his demon form and using some kind of supernatural power, no demonic magic could be felt at all.
Naturally, Suzuno could not feel any holy magic at all, but just staying next to Maou, that overwhelming pressure wave caused by that ‘power’ was stimulating Suzuno’s holy magic.
Suzuno had seen a similar power before somewhere.
“Maou-san?”
At this moment, Chiho also let out a weak but clear voice. It looks like Chiho also noticed that the phenomenon Maou was causing was different from usual.
After Suzuno shifted her gaze and glanced at Chiho, she finally remembered.
That’s right, even though it was only once, Suzuno had seen that power together with Chiho once.
An eastern land faraway from Sasazuka----Choshi city situated in Chiba, the sanctuary which is the earliest to receive the blessings of the sun in Japan----Inubosaki.
“Alright, who among you guys is like Emi, who has the mental determination to fight with me with your life on the line?”
After Maou compressed the overwhelming ‘power’ in his right hand, he swung it once with force.
“Holy Sword…….‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’……!”
Libicocco, the Heavenly Troops, Kamael and Suzuno, shouted the name of that sword at the same time.
The sword which appeared in Maou’s right hand, had the exact same appearance as the Hero Emilia’s ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’.
(T/N: Actually I was secretly hoping for Maou to come a bit later so Urushihara or Chiho (especially Urushihara) could do something more bad-ass…oh well….More fanfic material) ※
“Regarding the rude actions you did to this lady, I had already let the person lying there pay the price, as long as you’re willing to retreat, I won’t say anything more. But……”
The brown skinned lady ignored the man with the large build and released a dangerous aura, and with a killing aura to the strangely dressed knights, she took one step forward.
“……What is that?”
Without realizing, something sprang out from next to the lady’s feet.
The streets of Sasazuka, already obscured by the heavy rain, became even hazier, the object which was going to isolate the world----
“It’s fog……?”
“If intruders came and behave wildly here, then from my standpoint, I can’t just stand by and watch.”
“Uh!”
It was pure pressure.
The lady threw a sharp gaze to the largely built man. With just this action, the power, not demonic magic or holy magic, pierced through the man.
“No matter what conclusion your world makes in the end, that is your problem. But the problems here have already been solved. If you dare to interfere from the side……!”
The lady exhaled sharply like she was psyching herself and stepped forward, casuing the water in the puddle in front of her to splash upwards.
“We will not stand by and do nothing!”
Just from her aura, the lady overwhelmed the strangely dressed knights, causing them to lurch.
“……?”
In the eyes of Rika, covered in dirt, she could not understand why these knights would shrink back in fear even though nothing happened.
Even though it can be confirmed that this lady came to save her, but Rika did not think that just one lady was able to handle this kind of numbers.
However, the situation developed in an unexpected manner.
“OK, we will leave now. Looks like it’s not a good idea to resist you.”
The large man showed a surrendering attitude.
“But on our side, we have something we must do as well. These two people, can we take them back?”
“W, wait a moment?”
Rika shouted frantically.
The ‘two people’ the man said, was definitely referring to Emi’s father Nord and Ashiya.
“Even if I use my full power, I should not be your opponent, but if you’re not willing to accept this condition, then from my standpoint, I can only resist with all my might.”
“Even if you have to put all your lives on the line?”
The man nodded without hesitation to affirm the lady’s dangerous words.
“No matter what, if we let this chance go without doing anything, it will only lead to death for us.”
“Don’t say stupid things! Where do you want to take Ashiya-san and Emi’s father!”
Rika, who regained her spirits slightly because the lady was around, shouted loudly, but this time it was the man’s turn to reply in confusion,
“Didn’t I say so before? I’m not taking them away, but taking them back. This onee-san, if your identity is the same as what I think, then you probably would not stop us from taking these two people back right?”
“H, hey, please, save Ashiya-san and Emi’s father!”
Even if this is already considered self-degrading, but Rika discovered that the only person she could count on was only this lady. However, Rika could not interrupt in this conversation, and it was controlled fully by the unfamiliar man and woman.
“I think you should know, this uncle is ‘a human from our side’, and this young man is ‘a demon from our side’, they should not exist on Earth in the first place. So, this is fine right?”
Rika’s hopes were dashed, the ponytailed lady nodded without hesitation.
And at this time, the lady’s presence, overwhelming enough to evaporate rain, suddenly disappeared without a trace.
“Alright. From my standpoint, I cannot hinder you by principle. So stop continuing to cause trouble on ‘this side’.”
“My thanks.”
“It, it can’t be! Hey!”
With one order from the large man, the strangely dressed knights lifted Ashiya and Nord once again, and their comrade who hit the cement wall in a terrible manner.
Rika could only stare at them.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
“……Gabriel. In addition, I also have a troubling label of archangel.”
“That is a little troubling.”
Even though two men where being kidnapped by the mysterious group, the lady still smiled happily in the rain,
“Hey, Gabby.”
“Why did you suddenly give me a nickname?”
The man called Gabriel said unhappily.
“I think you should know this clearly, even though ‘I’ will not hinder you, but I can’t speak for other people.”
“Of course. That is our problem, we will definitely not cause anymore trouble for you.”
“That’s hard to say. There is nothing more untrustworthy than a boy saying ‘I won’t do it again’ and ‘I have reflected’.”
“I’ll give it to you this time. To me, I think I’m already at quite an old age, but in your eyes, I’m just a child huh.”
Gabriel seemd to smile happily.
“If you don’t mind, may I know your name, Miss?”
“……Ugh.”
Ashiya, carried by one of the knights behind Gabriel, moved a little.
“Ashiya-san!”
Rika, noticing, shouted loudly for Ashiya.
“Oh my, because his body is a human, so I held back too much.”
Gabriel looked like he did not mind at all.
“This, this is……ugh, let, let go of me!”
Even if Ashiya squirmed with all his might, but he did not have enough strength and was restricted by the knights around him.
“Ugh……Suzu, Suzuki-san, are you alright……”
Ashiya, who gave up on struggling, after looking up to make sure if Rika was safe, discovered that a lady was standing beside the mud covered Rika.
Ashiya knew this person.
After seeing the figure of the lady, Ashiya’s mind started to turn quickly.
Gabriel and the knights of Afashan, taking the chance when Emilia is not in Japan to come to Sasazuka, and the captured Nord and himself.
“Amane-san!”
Ashiya shouted.
That’s right, the one who saved Rika, was the temporary shop manager of a beach house ‘Ooguro-ya’ in Choshi, Ooguro Amane.
Even though Ashiya did not know why Amane, who logically should be the caretaker of the sanctuary for people who died, came to Sasazuka, even so, the only person he could depend on was Amane.
“Please pass a message to Maou, tell him I’m waiting for him at the National Museum of Western Art!”
“Hey, shut him up!”
Under Gabriel’s orders, Ashiya’s mouth was sealed immediately.
But the thing which should be passed on has already been passed on.
No matter what happens later, Maoud should be able to handle it.
“So it’s Amane-san huh, oh……”
“That’s right, Ooguro Amane. Even though I am not ‘black’. Ah, Ashiya-kun, I understand. It’s fine as long as I tell Maou-kun this right.”
Amane looked cheerful from head to toe.
“‘Black’ huh? Forget it, able to avoid fighting with you, really makes me feel relieved. Looks like our luck this time is quite good.”
“Is that so? Those children are unexpectedly stubborn you know.”
“I know. But just this time, perhaps even the person he depends on cannot escape unscathed……after all his opponent……”
Gabriel looked at the faraway sky.
“Is a man who controls all the ‘red’ in our world. To the current Demon King Satan, it should be a bit too much to handle.”
“Controls all the ‘red’ huh.”
Amane shrugged her shoulders.
“Even though I have never heard of someone who can do that, but they are still issues from your side, I don’t care at all. Hey, if you want to go, then go quickly.”
“Wait……wait a moment!”
“I understand. If you meet his master, then send him my greetings. Personally, I actually unexpectedly welcome him.”
After saying this, the man and the others disappeared.
Like turning off a television, tens of men, carrying Ashiya and Nord, disappeared in front of Rika just like that.
“……This can’t be……”
Just as Rika collapsed weakly in the puddle----
“Oh my……”
The chaos, fear, shock and tension faced by her finally crossed its limit, and she lost consciousness after collapsing. After gently supporting Rika’s body, Amane carried Rika on her back with practiced movements and looked around her.
“Seriously……it seems like their hometown, is a very tumultuous world of the Tree of Life.”
After carrying Rika properly, with steady steps, Amane walked up the stairs of Villa Rosa.
Luckily the door of room 201 was open.
Ashiya and the rest were probably busily escaping Gabriel, so they did not even lock their door.
“I’ll intrude on them a little. If I don’t change this lady’s clothes quickly, she’ll catch a cold.”
After Amane entered the room, she placed Rika on the floor in front of the kitchen and started to look for towels on her own accord.
“Oh, they’re quite neat.”
After looking at the clothes which Ashiya arranged in an amazed manner, Amane took out two towels from within for her and Rika.
“Oh?”
Then she discovered a piece of densely drawn paper resembling a map next to the washed clothes.
While drying her own hair, Amane browsed through the content of the topmost piece of paper.
“Oh~so that’s how it is, oh no, I have to help this Miss change her clothes.”
Amane stretched her hand towards Rika’s clothes which were covered in mud because of the violent acts of the strangely dressed knights.
“Alright, Maou-kun, you better not return at this time.”
Even though she had just experienced such a chaotic scene, Amane’s tone sounded rather happy.
※
“Ah……I have a very bad feeling about this.”
The sword appearing in the hands of the half human, half demon Maou was as light as a feather, and as if to confirm the condition of the blade, Maou turned to sword over in his hands and gave it a few test swings.
“This isn’t demonic magic. Even though I’m not sure what exactly will happen, it feels like a strange rebound will occur later.”
Maou continued to complain.
Even if he was suspicious about his own power, Maou, still mumbling, still struck the five Heavenly Troops to the ground with overwhelming power in the span of a few seconds.
Even though the power the Heavenly Troops had were much weaker and the archangels they serve, but compared to Gabriel’s Heavenly Troops, Kamael’s subordinates had an overwhelming difference in terms of equipment or the degree of training they had.
If she was not carrying Chiho, it was not as if Suzuno was unable to fight with them, but it was not difficult to imagine that the battle situation would be more arduous than with the battle with Gabriel’s Heavenly Troops.
However, everything which occurred just now really happened in an instant.
Everytime Maou started to move, sound and air cannot keep up with his vigorous speed at all, and a loud boom was heard on the roof in the middle of the storm.
The Heavenly Troops, just like moths which fainted from fear from that sound, every single one of them fell to the ground in less than one second.
None of them could even see what happened.
“Uuuu……if not for Urushihara-san’s spell, the glass windows of the school would have broken……”
Even though Chiho regained her calm because of Maou’s appearance, the scene right now was so grand that she could not help complaining with tears in her eyes.
Compared to Kamael who was determined to observe the situation from above, even if the Heavenly Troops were defeated by Maou in front of his eyes, Libicocco could only stay where he was, dazed.
“They, they’re still alive right?”
“I don’t know.”
Even though it was a question asked by Chiho, Maou still answered mercilessly.
Not knowing what kind of attack Maou used, the armour of all the Heavenly Troops resembled cracked biscuits, as if they would fall of pieces anytime.
“Hey, the Malebranche over there.”
“……Yes.”
Maou did not even look at Libicocco.
Even if he did not look at the other party directly, just one call from Maou caused Libicocco, who was originally silently watching Maou fight the Heavenly Troops, to kneel on the ground.
From Libicocco’s currently submissive attitude, it was difficult to imagine that he was agitated just now because his arm was cut off, this Malebranche did not press down on his wounds at all and bleed in the rain, expressing his submission.
“With things as they are now, you better not ask me who I am okay? I’m in a bad mood right now. Even though your stance is probably troubling to you, but I don’t really care. If you dare to carelessly take action, I will punish you directly.”
“Yes.”
Even though the power Maou used was not demonic magic, the violent acting Libicocco also knew that the current Maou was Satan, no matter how much he resisted, he was not Maou’s match at all.
“Good, yosh……”
After Maou nodded, he stepped lightly on the ground, and with just one step, he jumped to Urushihara’s side.
“Oh, you’re still alive?”
“……I might look like this, but I am almost reaching my limit.”
Even if Urushihara, lying on the ground, looked like he could not even move a finger, after Maou’s feet entered his field of vision, he still protested weakly.
“Hold on a little longer. When everything ends, I will send you to the hospital.”
“……Oh, it’s rare for you to be this kind.”
“Is the one in the sky their boss?”
Maou looked up at the sky, and the man in the red armour did not move at all.
“It’s difficult to imagine that he would target such an unmotivated person like you from the start, you did this to protect Chi-chan and Suzuno, right? Not bad at all.”
“…….Even if you praise me, nothing good will come out of it.”
“Why are you always unclear of your standpoint everytime. What I mean is to give you some kind of reward.”
If it was a normal transformation, Maou could heal Urushihara’s wounds by transferring demonic magic, but right now, the power Maou had was not demonic magic, or holy magic.
“Alright, the angel over there, how many times have you caused trouble for Japan?”
Maou looked towards Kamael and said.
Even though it was impossible for him not to hear, Kamael still did not move at all.
“Sigh, if you’re trying to cause us trouble, then forget it, but didn’t your mother teach you that no matter what you do, you have to be careful not to cause trouble for others? Hm?”
Even though a demon lecturing an angel was a scenario that would make people spray out the rice in their mouth, but considering the actions of this angel, being lectured like this was something which cannot be helped.
“In this country, whether you’re coaxing someone or asking someone to give something to you, there should be proper greetings, requests, offering money, or occasionally resorting to using the law you know? How can you just directly resort to snatching on the first meeting without any proper explanation, aren’t you shamed of your barbaric actions?”
“……Demon King.”
The voice coming from Kamael after much effort, was a rusty sounding voice.
“Demon King, Satan.”
“Huh?”
Demon King……Demon King, Satan.”
“W, what is going on?”
With Libicocco being submissive, the wind and rain decreased in strength significantly.
Therefore, Maou could notice that the Kamael’s hand which was holding the ranseur, was shaking non-stop.
“Demon King……Great Demon King……Demon King, Satan, Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan Satan!”
“W, what is this, the feeling from this guy is weird.”
Like a fuse forecasting agitated feelings, Kamael suddenly started to continuously shout out Maou’s name.
Maou could not help but take one step back.
“The man with this name, wants to hinder us again?”
“W, what are you saying? The ones who keep hindering us is you guys right?”
“Satan, Satan!!”
“Owahh!”
It was god like speed which matched that of when Maou took care of the Heavenly Troops.
Just seeing the tip of the ranseur Kamael was holding while in mid air lightly swaying once, he started to descend with rapid speed, as if with the intent of piercing through Maou.
“Uh!”
“Ugohh!”
With miracle like reflexes, Maou used the side of his sword to deflect the spear.
“Hah!”
Maou turned his body building on the power used to deflect the attack, and with a backhand, swung towards Kamael’s armour protected body.
Even if his centre of gravity became unstable because his attack was broken down, Kamael still reacted beautifully.
Even though Kamael swung the spear handle and blocked Maou’s attack, the Heavenly Troop’s armour still cracked, from this it can be seen that the sharpness of the blade, not only was it enough to cause Libicocco to be unable to immediately discern that his arm was cut off, it even exceeded Maou’s and Kamael’s expectations.
“Eh?”
“Hm?”
Most likely, Maou had though that this move will be blocked and Kamael had believed that he had defended against the attack.
However, the actual blockage was only the instant when the weapons made contact. When they came to their senses, Maou’s sword had already sliced straight through.
“Ugh!”
Kamael let out a low groan, and it was actually Maou who was shocked speechless because he had never expected that the sword which he swung could actually snap the handle of Kamael’s spear through the middle and follow through to cut through the deep red armour like paper.
Even though the blade of the sword did not harm the portion underneath the armour, but even Kamael who instantaneously decided to back up when his weapon was cut in two seemed to find it hard to believe that he had taken an attack from Maou.
“……If I could use this kind of thing, then there’s no need to compete at all.”
Even if he obtained an overwhelming power, once Maou thought back to a certain battle a long time back, he still showed a bitter expression.
Even so, Maou still cautiously pointed the tip of the sword towards Kamael’s eyes and guarded against his every movement.
Kamael threw away the spear handle which no longer served any use after being cut into half, pressed his hand against his slightly cut open side and started to mumble some unknown words.
“Satan……Satan, Satan.”
“Huh?”
Even Maou, standing opposite Kamael, could obviously see that the breathing of this angel was becoming messy.
“Satannnnnn!!”
“What’s up with you, disgustinggg!”
Maou had thought that Kamael was feeling shaken because his armour had cracked open, but unexpectedly, the suddenly agitated Kamael actually took the half spear with only the spear tip left and lept forward, instantly shortening the distance between them.
“Satan!!”
Even if the distance between them was so small that Maou could clearly see Kamael’s eye colour through the gaps in his metal mask, Maou still easily blocked the attack of the short spear tip which Kamael thursted out.
Maou was not shocked by Kamael’s unexpected attack, more accurately, Maou was more afraid of this scary and strange attitude as well as his words and actions.
“Uwah!”
However, rather than this, a more serious issue occurred.
“H, hey, look carefully!”
The sword blade Maou used to block Kamael’s spear tip, started to showcase its top grade sharpness, slowly cutting to the tip of the spear.
Even though this is proof of the difference in grade of the weapons, but because the groove at the front of the ranseur was being used to block the sword, if Maou continued to break the opponent’s weapon, the remaining portion will cut straight into Kamael’s body.
“H, having a weapon which is too good is a problem as well!”
In the crux of the moment, Maou frantically shouted,
“Acies! Quickly release it!”
“Got it, Maou!”
Once Maou shouted, two things happened at once.
The sword which Maou was originally holding, instantly became phosphorescence orbs and lost their shape, and after that those orbs gathering beneath the contact point of the spear and blade, formed into a human shape.
The orbs, solidifying at the speed of light, caused a person to appear that at the speed of light.
Acies=Ara.
With the same type of existance as Alas=Ramus, a girl born from a fragment of ‘Yesod’.
In the instant the spear tip regained its momentum after losing the resistance from the sword and was about to pierce through Maou, Acies, with her small fist, hit the spear in the side, causing it to move upwards.
“Uh!”
The girl’s thin and weak looking arm exploded with an unexpected heavy sound and power, casuing the short spear thrusted by the archangel to bounce upwards.
Kamael, affected by his weapon, lost his balance, and an opening appeared in his side----
“Hah!”
Using all the weight in her body, the girl used her thin arms to produce a strong elbow attack once again.
“Ugah!”
Considering the difference in build and equipment between both of them, it looked as if the elbow of Acies, the attacker, would shatter first, however in reality, it was the chest area of the armour which was covered in cracks like glass, and Kamael’s large built body flipped over once before hitting the floor of the roof.
At the same time, Maou, standing beside Acies, fell down on his back for unknown reasons.
“Maou! Why did you fall over!”
“I fell because I wanted to dodge that spear!”
Even if Maou got up to rebuke their girl’s outrageous scolding----
“That’s because you usually don’t practice the limbo dance!”
but the girl started scolding in an even more outrageous manner.
“Which Demon King would normally learn the limbo dance!”
“……Fight more seriously, you guys……”
Urushihara, collapsed on the ground, rebuked, but naturally, no one took notice.
“I’m serious! Hurry up and get rid of them! Compared to Maou, those people are ones who are my enemies!”
Acies showed a strong power which did not match her appearance, and she showed a strange fighting posture while twisting her body to threaten Kamael.
“Sigh, as long as you’re willing to help, anything is fine……”
Maou placed his hand against his forehead and started to think.
Alas=Ramus had showed a similar attitude when facing Gabriel, even though the tone was not that proper, Acies’s animosity towards Kamael should be genuine.
If not, she would not have used such a merciless attack on Kamael.
On the other hand, Iron, who listened to Farfarello’s orders, did not seem that unhappy with demons.
Was it simply because of the difference between their personalities?
“I don’t think it’s like that……”
“Ugh……”
“Forget it, I did not feel that this standard of attack could defeat him anyway.”
Kamael stubbornly got up and interrupted Maou’s thinking.
“Satan!”
“Me again……what’s up with this guy……”
Maou was sure that this is the first time he met Kamael. Basically before coming to Japan, Maou only knew one angel.
“Even so, I cannot just indiscriminately use Acies against you.”
“I don’t mind at all!”
“Sigh, calm down a bit.”
Just as Maou was placating Acies, whose fighting spirit did not lessen while thinking how to handle the current situation----
“Yeah, it’s better to calm down. Whether it’s Kamael, or you.”
A sudden voice caused Maou and Acies to move back on reflex.
The space between Maou and the rest and Kamael startred to twist, then a large man slowly walked out.
“Ga……”
“Gabriel!”
Before Maou could shout the other party’s name, Acies had already loudly shouted Gabriel’s name with a level of hatred far surpassing the level when going against against Kamael.
“What is this, what is this?”
Gabriel seemed to feel very surprised as well, looking at Acies with widened eyes.
“Wa, wait, Acies!”
Acies, in front of Maou, did not care about the shocked Gabriel and seemed to want to leap forward, and Maou quickly stepped forward to stop her.
“What, Maou! Let me kill him!”
“I’m asking you to wait! Someone we seem to be able to talk to finally appeared! Don’t suddenly kill him!”
Maou grabbed Acies’s hand and looked towards Gabriel.
Even though he said that they could communicate, he would probably still be underhandedly misled in the end, but even so, at least Gabriel, unlike Libicocco and Kamael, looked like he would be able to use Japanese to communicate.
“Acies……?”
On the other hand, after Gabriel saw the silver haired girl which badmouthed him agitatedly, he sighed with a complex expression.
“Seriously, why do anomalies pop up one after another……”
“So you’re the one secretly causing trouble in the background again.”
Rather than being shocked, the first thing Maou felt was irritation.
As they would meet everytime there was trouble, to Maou, Gabriel was already considered a familiar face.
“Yeah, sigh, that’s true, more accurately, if those actions before were all surface actions, this would be actual underground work this time, you better not call me a spy okay.”
Gabriel shrugged in a self mocking manner and then said to Kamael,
“Kamael, we’re returning. If we continue to be greedy, it feels that things would become more troublesome. Just having a ‘dependency’ is troublesome enough, and just now, someone even scarier than these guys appeared.”
“Huff----huff----”
“Oh my, why are you all excited……”
Maou spat as he unhappily looked at the two angels,
“Hey, Gabriel, that guy looks a little strange.”
Kamael looked like he did not hear Gabriel’s announcement to retreat and was only focused on gasping for breath.
“Yeah, it’s probably because he lost his cool after seeing Demon King Satan.”
“I don’t remember having any grievances with him, basically I have never seen him.”
“Sigh, if you have complaints, then direct them to your parents who named you Satan. If your name was Demon King Taro, things might be a little different.”
“Are you looking down at all the Taro-sans in Japan?”
“If someone is angry because of this, then help me apologise to them. Alright, Kamael, time to go. Anyway, no matter what, we cannot use our full power on ‘this side’. And there is really a scary person here.”
“Hey, trying to run away without apologizing huh.”
Maou spoke to stop them with a low tone of voice.
Even though Maou planned to let them go, but he was not so kind hearted to allow these culprits who behaved unscrupulously to go back without even answering for it.
“Ah, yeah, because I had a terrifying experience which made me want to do so.”
“Huh?”
“Hm……that’s right. Hey, the first rate NEET taking the nap over there.”
“You……actually taking the chance when I can’t move……”
Perhaps because he bore a grudge with regards to losing in the previous argument, Gabriel shouted at Urushihara like he was teasing,
“The namecard I passed you before, you didn’t throw it away right?”
“Namecard?”
This word which seemed rather low class when being used by an archangel caused Maou to get a shock.
“……Even though there’s already a lot of dust on it, I found it in the bottom of a drawer some time back.”
“Keep it properly. Making that requires money! If you carelessly throw it anywhere, I’ll be very sad.”
Gabriel intentionally faked a sad voice, then nodded and said,
“That first grade person over there knows my number, contact him later. Ah, and treat this as a compensation.”
Gabriel clapped hard once in front of him.
Even though Maou and Acies put up their guard warily, but at the same time, a faint glow extended from below Gabriel’s feet to the floor of the roof, and when it surrounded the whole school building, it instantly dissipated.
“Because it would be unnatural to remove the damage done by the storm, so this part will be kept that way, however I have erased one hour’s worth of memory from everyone locked within the school grounds, so just let me off this time.”
“……”
Maou could not help looking next to his feet, and at Chiho and Suzuno behind him.
“You say this time……that means that there will be revenge battles later.”
“As long as you’re willing.”
“If possible, I wish to be exempt from it.”
“Even if I said that Hero Emilia is currently in our hands?”
“…………!”
In some sense, this was within expectations.
Gabriel and the others, who have been acting in the shadows until now, there was only one reason that they would use this strategy which was close to barbaric, which is they knew that Hero Emila, which is a threat to them, was currently not in Japan.
But hearing Gabriel say this in person, Maou still showed a stony face on reflex.
“A good face. It doesn’t look like an expression a Demon King would have at all.”
At this moment, Gabriel showed an unfathomable happy smile for the first time.
“Then, let’s meet again. Demon King Satan, the new Calamity.” ※ After Gabriel left the shocking statement that Emi was with them, he ‘returned’ together with Kamael, the Heavenly Troops and Libicocco, who caused a lot of trouble at Sasahata High School.
They probably did not return to Heaven, but Ente Isla.
“Bastard.”
Maou spat at the sky where the wind and rain had stopped.
It was almost two in the afternoon. Logically, this should be the time Maou had successfully obtained his driving license and was going back on the bus in high spirits.
“How are you guys going to pay for my re-testing fees.”
After raising his fist and protesting at the sky, Maou suddenly discovered one thing.
His body had regained its form.
Regained into the original “Maou Sadao”.
Maou looked towards Acies in surprise, and the latter was the same as him, scolding loudly at the sky where Gabriel had disappeared.
“……Seriously, what happened?”
Irregardless, they needed to seek treatment for Suzuno and Urushihara first.
“Chi-chan, are you alright?”
“Ah……”
Once she was asked that by Maou, Chiho started to inspect herself.
Not just her uniform, dark blood stains were on Chiho’s face and hands, making her look imposing.
“……I’m alright.”
Even though Chiho nodded firmly, she immediately became teary eyed and said,
“……This is……all, Suzuno-san’s blood. In order to protect me……”
“……I see.”
“Uh……ah.”
Perhaps because her consciousness was hazy, Suzuno groaned as she lay on the ground.
“I, I’ll go back to the classroom to get the Holy Vitamin β! As long as there is holy magic, it can help Suzuno-san recover!”
“W, wait, Chi-chan! Don’t go back to the classroom looking like that!”
Maou frantically stopped Chiho, who wanted to return to the classroom covered in blood.
“……Anyway, let’s go back to the apartment first. Acies.”
“Don’t run! Come back! Fight with me properly, idiot!”
“Acies!”
“You damn angels! The next time we meet will be your death day! Wash your necks and wait! Bastards!”
“Acies!”
“Eh?”
After Maou succeeded in getting the attention of Acies, who was tirelessly shouting at the sky, he asked tiredly,
“Can you take all the people here and fly to the apartment from just now?”
“One, two, three……yeah, no problem.”
It was not known if there was a need to count them one by one, but Acies nodded in reply.
“Maou-san……then again, this person is……”
Chiho, who noticed Acies’s presence for the first time, asked.
“Wait a moment, Chi-chan. We have to bring Suzuno and Urushihara back first. Chi-chan can come along as well. We can talk about the details later. And there’s still the issue of Emi.”
“Uh!”
Chiho sucked in a breath.
Chiho should have heard what Gabriel said earlier, so she probably just recalled it right now.
“Then Maou-san, you plan to rescue Yusa-san……”
“Including this issue, anyway, let’s talk after we go back, Acies!”
“You’re so troublesome! Then let me send you there!”
Acies, who replied to Maou’s instructions with a meaningless thumbs up, and lightly clapped her hand----
“Wah!”
“Uu……”
“Ugh.”
Chiho, Suzuno and Urushihara each let out surprised sounds because they floated.
Finally when Maou and Acies floated into the air----
“Try not to attract too much attention, and fly slowly.”
“You have a lot of requests. But I will do my best, after all you are the man I have served before.”
“……Oi.”
After Maou discovered that Chiho was paying attention to Suzuno’s situation behid him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though the girl was right, but in a normal situation, these words might cause an unsalvageable misunderstanding, and cause Maou to become the sacrifice on Emi’s holy sword.
“Ahaha, your expression is interesting. Then we’re going!”
With Acies’s command, the five people slowly left the roof of Sasahata High School and flew towards the sky where the rain has lessened.
On the way back, Chiho kept helping Suzuno and Urushihara wipe the rain off their faces and continued to talk to them.
“We’ll be back soon, please hold on a little longer. When we go back to the apartment, we can go to Suzuno-san’s room to get the Holy Vitamin β.”
When Chiho was undergoing training, Maou had seen that small bottle containing the nutritional drink many times before.
It was said that there was a large number of stock in Suzuno’s room.
As long as they have that thing, they would be able to restore the basic physical strength of Suzuno and Urushihara, therefore currently, they could at least confirm that the both of them would not deteriorate into life threatening danger.
Maou looked at Chiho and the rest with a sidealong glance, and thought about the other clue.
When they return to the apartment, he would have to get as much information out of Acies and Nord as much as possible and get a better picture of the current situation.
However, no matter how much information he would be able to flesh out, in the end, it would still be......
“Returning……to that world huh?”
Basilica Continent, in the past, Maou was one step away from completely conquering the human world, Ente Isla.
“It feels that everything was always wishy washy.”
Maou mumbled softly as he looked down at the jammed national highway, this was a regret which he had never even told Ashiya before.
Maou always had a certain thought in his mind, as the conquerer of the human world and the leader of the demons, was it alright for him to live leisurely in Japan with defeat as an excuse even though he had not completed all his responsibilities as the Demon King?
Learn all he could learn in this world, then bring them back to the Demon World, this ambition of Maou was not fake.
But before moving towards this goal, it feels like he still had other things he could, and should complete.
“No matter what, I have to think of a way to adjust the working shifts……because I never expected I would have to take it for the third time, so I have no more free days this month, I wonder if anyone is willing to change shifts with me……”
This was also one thing which he had to think about.
Perhaps because they happened to pass by the sky above Hatagaya Station, so his thoughs subconsciously drifted away from the original direction, so Maou readjusted his thoughts.
“With just my own power, I really cannot do anything. The current me……”
Including Chiho, Suzuno and Urushihara.
“needs everyone’s power.”
※
“Ah, you’re back. Hey~”
A familiar voice was heard from below.
Maou and Chiho, who looked downwards, got a big shock after they saw a certain person poke their head out from the Demon Fortress of the apartment and waved in their direction.
“Amane-san?”
“Eh?”
That was Ooguro Amane who had acted as their boss at the beach house in Choshi.
As she is the niece of the landlady of Villa Rosa Sasazuka, Shiba Miki, it was not strange for her to know the address of the apartment.
But the problem is, before that, just like Gabriel and the rest just now, she had caused a supernatural event at the Choshi beach and unnaturally disappeared without a trace.
“Looks like another unexpected clue appeared?”
Maou said to himself, but the truth which presented itself to him a few minutes later caused him to understand how naïve his thoughts were.
“……Gah.”
Maou suddenly felt weak, causing Urushihara, losing Maou’s support, to slide to the public corridor.
However, whether it was Maou, or Chiho, supporting Suzuno on her shoulder, no one had any energy to spare to help Urushihara.
Traces of Ashiya or Nord could not be found in the Demon Fortress, and replacing them was Suzuki Rika, covered in scrapes and wearing Maou’s clothes which were taken out without his permission, sleeping soundly like she was unconscious.
“Amane, san……”
Maou knew that his own voice was shaking.
“Yeah.”
“Ashiya……and the uncle who was here……”
“They were captured by people in front of me.”
Amane calmly helped Urushihara, who was lying in the corridor, get up and answered directly.
“Cap, captured? A, Ashiya-san?”
Chiho could only continuously repeat Amane’s words and could not think calmly at all.
“I could only protect this lady.”
Amane, with an even colder tone, pointed at Rika on the floor, and found a nearby spot for Urushihara to lie down.
“The other party was a group like armoured warriors, and a frivolous large man by the name of Gabriel.”
““……!””
Maou and Chiho could not hide their shock.
“Looks like all of you had some idea about this.”
Even though they did have some idea, they could not understand it at all.
Because Gabriel was always searching for the fragments of ‘Yesod’ and the holy sword, it could be understood why he kidnapped Emi’s family members.
But why did he have to capture Ashiya as well?
Maou, who could not grasp the situation, and Chiho, who did not know what happened at the driving centre, became even more confused because of this.
After seeing both their reactions, Amane nodded and got up slowly, and passed a document placed next to the clothes neatly arranged by Ashiya to Maou.
“This is……”
“Even though I can’t read the words on it, but it looks like a map of some place.”
“This is Ashiya’s handwriting……and this is written in Central Trading Language……”
“And Chiho-chan, I think it’s better if you help to treat Suzuno-chan a bit? Even though you also look soaked through, if this goes on, you might die from a flu you know?”
Amane prompted Chiho, who was originally trying to look at the documents in Maou’s hand from the side.
“T, that’s right! Suzuno-san, I’m going to enter your room!”
After Chiho came to her senses, she seemed to decide to first start doing the things she was able to do first.
Chiho, who regained a more lively expression, brought the groaning Suzuno into the latter’s unlocked room.
“Wah! W, why is it so messy……Suzu, Suzuno-san, please sit here for a bit……”
Maou heard Chiho sounding frantic in room 202 while slowly understanding the documents Ashiya left behind, what kind of contents were recorded within.
“……This is the map of the Eastern Continent. The city, the transport facilities, the areas where the other continents have a large influence, the movements of the different nationalities in the central mountain regions where Afashan is having a civil war, even secret military bases……why did he record all of this down……”
Maou knew that Ashiya had been writing things recently, but he never expected that he was actually recording these information.
Before he could think about what Ashiya was thinking about when he decided to leave these things behind----
“Also, Ashiya-kun asked me to pass you a message.”
“A message?”
Amane opened her mouth and said,
“He only asked me to tell you that ‘he is waiting for you at the National Museum of Western Art’. Even though I don’t know what that means.”
“National Museum of Western Art……it’s that place in Ueno where Ashiya would occasionally go to carry out investigations……”
Maou remembered that when they first came to Japan, they had gone to the museums in Ueno in order to find information about magic civilization on Earth, and look through these artifacts from various places around the world.
“Is that a map from your world?”
“Uh, that……”
Then again, not only was Amane a mysterious existance, when they first met in Choshi, for unknown reasons, she seemed to know from the beginning that Maou and Suzuno were not humans from Earth
That means, her aunt a.k.a the landlady of this apartment, Shiba Miki is the same.
Perhaps she felt Maou’s suspicions, Amane shook her head and said,
“I said so before right. The things which Aunt Mi-chan have not told you, I cannot say as well. These are the rules.”
“Ugh……”
Just as Maou felt depressed at Amane’s cold attitude, Rika, lying nearby suddenly groaned and moved her body.
Maou had thought that Rika was going to wake up, but she immediately became still again.
From this, at least Rika currently looked like she was closer to sleeping than being unconscious, this relieved Maou a bit, however----
“……Ashiya……san.”
“Is it sleep talk?”
“…………Help……Ashiya-san……help me……”
“Looks like she did get a serious scare after all. She is just a normal girl. Even though Ashiya-kun and the others tried their best to want to protect her.”
That’s right, Emi and Alas=Ramus were currently in Ente Isla.
And so is Ashiya and Emi’s father.
Ente Isla, the original place where Maou and the others were.
But right now, it was obviously ‘enemy territory’. Even so, who should be responsible for saving them?
What can be done, to be able to rescue them?
What can be done, to head to Ente Isla?
Maou could not use his own power, Acies’s power is unknown as well. Maou’s ‘gate opening spell’ was originally a spell which uses demonic magic, even if other types of power were used as a source for the spell, the stable activation of the spell cannot be guaranteed.
Then, right now, who can open the ‘gate’?
Suzuno had said, as long as she had a suitable amplifier, she could use the ‘gate opening spell’.
Ashiya said, that he wanted Maou to wait at the National Museum of Western Art.
“Gate……that’s right, it’s the ‘gate’! Hey, Suzuno!”
Maou looked up suddenly , rushed out of the Demon Fortress and banged on the door of the neighbouring room.
“Wait, Ma, Maou-san……! N, not right now!”
Even though the frantic voice of Chiho was heard from within, Maou still ignored it and opened the door----
“You……”
“Ah……”
“Maou-san!”
Once he stepped into the room, Maou’s face was attacked by a piece of cloth with a strange pattern.
“Didn’t I say no!”
Chiho shouted in protest.
Before his sight was blocked by the cloth, in the dim light, Maou saw Chiho helping Suzuno wipe the blood from her wound with a wet towel while feeding her the nutritional drink----
“Demon……King……y, you……”
And Suzuno who had shed the top of her kimono so Chiho could help to clean her shoulder.
“Oh, ah, s, sorry! But listen to me, this is important, uwah!”
“Alright, Maou-san, hurry up and get out!”
“Geh!”
This time a heavy object hit Maou’s forehad through the cloth, causing his head to be tilted back.
Even though Maou could not help but fall to the ground, in order to properly convey what he thought of just now, he got up nevertheless without even taking the cloth off.
“Maou-san! I’m really going to get angry!”
“Looks like you…..really…..want to die……ugh!”
Through the cloth, Maou heard Chiho’s voice and Suzuno’s voice, which was full of killing aura even though she was injured.
“Ah, hey! Maou! Even though we’re already connected in body and mind, you actually dare to look at the naked body of other girls!”
Even if it was through the thick cloth, Maou could still feel Chiho’s and Suzuno’s killing aura become stronger through Acies’s interruption without reading the atmosphere.
“Uh, I have to call the police……eh, Urushihara-kun, you don’t have a phone in the room?”
“I may look like this, but I’m actually rather seriously injured……”
After hearing the sad conversation between Amane and Usushihara, Maou, who finally realised that he was acting too rashly, pulled Acies out of the room, and initiated a conversation with Suzuno through the closed door.
The first thing Maou saw when he took the cloth off, was a dictionary which was thrown towards him just now.
“H, hey, Suzuno!”
“………………Huh?”
For unknown reasons, even though Suzuno’s voice sounded low and weak, it still contained a killing aura strong enough to cause chills down the spine of Maou, the Demon King.
“Y, you can beat me up in any way later, just listen to me first!”
“Eh, so Maou has that kind of hobby?”
“Acies, you’re noisy! A, anyway, Suzuno! You said before that as long as you have an amplifier, you would be able top open the ‘gate’ right?”
“………………Yeah.”
Once he heard Suzuno’s extremely low ptitched voice, Maou’s eyes lit up and he said,
“I found it! At the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, there’s an amplifier you can use!”
“……Ueno? A spell amplifier?”
Chiho’s voice, which sounded like she did not understand what Maou said, was heard from within the room.
As for Suzuno, she finally regained her calm, frowned and replied,
“L, let me say this first……ugh……”
“Suzuno-san!”
“I, I’m alright……Demon King, the ‘Heaven Stairs’, which have collected the faith of the masses over the years, and with temple sculptures passed from from the bible as the base, they are buildings where the meaning of spells are added to them as much as possible, even amongst spell amplifiers, they are said to be the objects of the largest scale. Even though I feel bad saying this, I don’t think that there is anything nearby which has such a high level of historical background in spell rituals and belief ……”
“There is, there is one! And it’s a place which can be entered without having to pay any money!”
Maou said while emphasing a strange characteristic,
“It’s the ‘Gates of Hell’!”
“Gates……of Hell?”
Even though it was at this kind of time, Suzuno and Chiho still looked at each other because it was rare that Maou said anything Demon King-like.
At this moment, Maou filled with confidence, continued to speak,
“Didn’t you see if before Chi-chan? It’s that large bronze sculpture placed outside the foyer of the Ueno National Musuem of Western Art!”
(T/N: Maou is referring to this. http://collection.nmwa.go.jp/en/S.1959-0045.html)
Chiho wrung the wet towel while trying to recall.
“……I think, I saw it before during the school excursion…..is it, the one which has the famous ‘The Thinker’ sitting on the door…….”
“That’s right, it’s that one!”
Maou clapped once in satisfaction.
‘Inferno’ from the ‘Divine Comedy’.
This is a poem talking about the main character Dante, also the author, touring Hell under the guidance of a medival poet. That Hell was not the sea of suffering which sinners go to in the end because of the sins committed when they were alive, but was seen as a world created by the holy gods.
The ‘Gates of Hell’ located at the National Museum of Western Art was a work from Auguste Rodin, known as the ancestor of new age sculptures.
Including the ‘Gates of Hell’ at the National Museum of Western Art, there were seven similar sculptures around the world, and each of them have accumulated enough stories to pass down people’s thoughts, beliefs and history.
“The entrance to the foreign world in the globally known olden poem ‘Divine Comedy’, it’s symbol is the ‘Gates of Hell’!”
“T, then……”
“Perhaps……it is worth a try.”
“Yeah, a ‘gate’ definitely can be opened with that! Hey, Suzuno, Urushihara, hurry up and heal your wounds!”
Maou said something irresponsible and stood up after taking the cloth off his head.
“We’re going to save Ashiya, Nord and Alas=Ramus……as well as Emi!”
Vol 8 Final Chapter: Hero, tears
Today, it has already been two weeks since she was brought to this cage known as a VIP lounge.
Emi stared at the wide ocean outside the window and sighed lightly.
Even though there was no danger, why did things turn out like this?
“Mama.”
“……Alas=Ramus, if you play too much, you might fall off the bed.”
Emi calmed down Alas=Ramus, who treated the elaborate bed spread as a trampoline.
No matter how a person sees this, Emi’s limbs were not restricted, and Alas=Ramus and her do not look like they were harmed by anyone.
Elaborating further, even the window in front of her was just a normal glass window (even though in this place, glass was already an expensive commodity), even if she did not take out her holy sword, she could smash it with the desk in the room, to be more accurate, the key to the room door was in Emi’s possession.
“……Everyone, should be very worried.”
Emi was currently looking over a military habour called Fangan.
This was a naval base on the southern tip of the Eastern Continent, and part of it was used as a commercial habour, besides that, there was also a sizeable town behind the base.
This is the habour closest to the Afashan capital ‘City of Air’, even though it was originally just a fishing village, as it was the birthplace of the ruler of Afashan, the Unifying Azure Emperor, it became a town after a few generations of development.
Emi had came to this place before during her journey to fight the Demon King, so she had a certain level of understanding about the geography of the town.
The Eastern Continent was the last conquered territory of the Four Kings of the Demon Army, and adding ot the fact that Afashan originally employed top down policies, so compared to the large cities in the Western Continent or the multi-national cities of the Southern Continent, it lacked quite a bit of liveliness just based on the scale alone.
Perhaps it was a psychological effect, the view of the street seen from here, seemed to be darker compared to the last time Emi came.
“Chiho, Bell……I’m sorry……I did not keep my promise.”
Emi mumbled softly to the sky of Ente Isla, in these two weeks, Emi had already repeatedly talked to herself many times just like this.
If she could say it to them directly, wouldn’t it be good?
Ever since the first day she returned to Ente Isla, Emi knew that the holy magic power filling her whole body had already far exceeded the levels when she was in Japan.
If it was the current Emi, perhaps she could be like Chiho that time, and use spells like Mental Transmission without relying on an amplifier.
However----
“……”
Emi angrily covered her ears, and after Alas=Ramus heard that voice, she also slowed an unhappy expression.
“Loyal and brave warriors of Afashan! Announcing the results of the sea battle at the southwest islands……”
Emi believed it was an announcement to increase the morale when using the military habour Fangan for sea battles.
Even though this world definitely did not have electronic broadcasting facilities like on Earth, so there must be a corresponding magic principle behind, but just from the results, the effect was the same as a loudspeaker.
Not only did this place use large scale magic facilities, this was still a military facility after all, so there should be sonars installed in various places to measure the holy magic usage in the military habour.
If Emi did Mental Transmission to a foreign world without an amplifer, perhaps even the minimum level of freedom she had would be restricted.
It would be fine if it was just her alone, but how can she make Alas=Ramus experience being thrown into an underground jail.
Of course, before that, there were other problems, which is that Emi’s mobile phone was confiscated.
With these reasons, Emi could not act carelessly.
Even though Emi felt regret once she thought of the things which occurred after she reached Fangan, but to the people here, confiscating a Slimphone which did not look like a weapon at all was meaningless.
As Emi was not a warlock, if she did not have a mobile phone acting as an amplifier, she did not have the confidence to use Mental Transmission on a specific person in Japan.
Except for one exception.
“……I wonder……if Rika is alright?”
Emi recalled the face of her Japanese friend, the only person she could contact in this situation.
For Chiho, even if she was not holding anything, she could still lock onto the transmission place of the Mental Transmission through the mobile phone number of the other party.
Emi, who had seen this before, had only memorized the mobile phone number of one person in Japan, so after that, she could only accurately lock onto that person----Rika’s mobile phone to use Mental Transmission.
The reason why Emi remembered Rika’s mobile phone number, was because when she just bought a mobile phone and did not know how to use the phone book feature, she had to type in the number while referring to the employee’s contact book.
As she had to guard against the sonar measurement of holy magic, Emi could only conduct the transmission when the military habour started their announcements.
The contents of the military announcement were very rich, other than the results of the sea battles, they would also report the weather on the sea and the movements of well known people in the capital, even though Emi would have more time to talk the longer the announcements were----
“……Rika……”
But right now, Emi greatly regretted the fact that she had contacted Rika.
Rika did not know anything about their group.
Since the last date Emi contacted Maou and the rest was different from the date she contacted Rika, when both sides communicate, Maou and Suzuno might discover the differences in the situation.
But depending on the situation, this can drag Rika into the affairs of Ente Isla, it was only until Emi finished her second call did she think of this possibility.
If Rika encounters danger because of this, how is Emi supposed to apologise to her?
“I have always been lying to her, this should be considered retribution……”
“Mama……are you alright?”
Without being aware of it, Alas=Ramus had already walked up next to Emi’s feet and was looking up at her in worry.
“Alas=Ramus.”
“Orh.”
“……Don’t lie to your friends in future okay.”
“Lie?”
It looks like in Alas=Ramus’s mind, there was no concept of lying.
Even if the girl tilted her head to the side in confusion, Emi did not explain further and turned her gaze back to the faraway stormy sea.
“……Then again, even if Rika and the Demon King and the others make contact……what can happen.”
Urushihara would probably not be that interesting, as for Ashiya, it would not be strange even if he shouted banzai.
Considering that Alas=Ramus was with Emi, Maou would probably be feeling anxious to some extent, but basically he would not be worried about Emi.
More accurately, Emi did not wish to him to worry for her.
“I don’t wish for him to......”
Even so, why did she use Mental Transmission on Rika while habouring expectations?
“Uh!”
Emi used both her hands to cover her face, lowered her head and gritted her teeth.
Because if she did not do this, it felt that some thoughts which she thought were unbelievable would form and seep out of her.
This was not a joke. How can she allow such a thing to occur?
“I don’t wish…..for him to save me……”
How can she allow the Demon King, that kind of person, to come and save her.
More accurately, even if Maou did save Emi a few times before, but basically, he acted because of other purposes and saving Emi was just an add on result.
“Mama, don’t worry.”
“Alas=Ramus……”
“Papa, will come.”
“……”
Emi did not describe her situation to Alas=Ramus in detail.
Emi did not believe that the young girl was able to understand, and in reality, Alas=Ramus seemed to treat this as some kind of chalet, and was playing happily.
Even so, Alas=Ramus still pointed out the weakest point in Emi’s heart.
“……Listen to me, Alas=Ramus. Papa is……very busy at work. So, Mama’s own affairs, I have to handle it myself. I am the Hero after all.”
“Hero.”
“Yes, so……”
“Did anyone say, you cannot do this?”
“……”
Children are really scary sometimes.
“That’s……true, but…..yeah.”
Emi avoided the sincere question from the pure young girl who loved her like she was her mother.
“But even if someone comes, I also wish the person who comes is Suzuno onee-chan or Emeralda onee-chan.”
“I want to see, Suzu-nee chan. And Chi-nee chan, Alsiel and Lucifer.”
“……Yeah, that’s right……you miss them, right?”
“Pwah!”
Emi picked up Alas=Ramus, and with enough strength to cause the latter to struggle, she hugged that small body tightly.
The sea wind of the Ente Isla which she had wanted so much to return to, was now torturing Emi’s heart.
At this moment, because Emi heard the sound of knocking on the door, she frantically placed Alas=Ramus on the bed.
“It’s just for a while, I’m sorry.”
Emi undid Alas=Ramus’s solid form, and restored their merged state.
Emi did not want to let the young girl see her attitude when she confronted with the person entering her room after this.
The her who did not match up to the name Hero of the Holy Sword, the one corrupted by dark feelings.
After wiping the corners of her eyes and exhaling, Emi showed a sharp glare like she was going to directly kill the opponent on the other side of the door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
It was a nostalgic voice.
To Emi, it used to be a symbol of reassurance.
However right now, only hatred was left.
“……Olba, what is it?”
The person who came is one of the six archbishops of the Church, Emi’s previous comrades in fighting the Demon King, Olba Meyers.
Even though Olba, who used Urushihara to cause trouble in Japan’s Sasazuka, was defeated in the end by Maou who regained his demon form, afterwards, Emi found out from a demon called Camio who visited Choshi, that he had later used unknown methods to return to Ente Isla again some time back.
But when Emi reached Fangan and saw Olba’s face in reality, the hatred which she felt for this past comrade was so strong that even Emi herself was shocked that her own heart had actually hid such a dark angry feeling.
“I came today to pass you something. Don’t be so angry, I’ll be leaving soon.”
“The things you gave me, I passed them to the maid responsible for taking care of me.”
“Hahaha, even though I can understand your feelings of hatred towards me, but this cannot be handled in that way. After all, it can be said that you came here because of this.”
Olba’s shaved head seemed to have some scars left from the battle at Sasazuka.
After reaching into his church robes, Olba took out a small ordinary looking sack.
“In order for you to understand that we will also keep our end of the agreement, I think you would feel better seeing the actual thing, so I specially brought a sample.”
In Olba’s aged hand, he was holding a sack which seemed to have some mass.
When Emi saw the straw rope used to tie the opening shut and the leaf which was stuffed into the small pocket in the corner of the bag, Emi widened her eyes in shock.
Whether it is the rope or the leaf, they had gone through special processing, those were items used to protect against humidity and are used as dehumidifiers when storing grain.
“From your expression, you seem to already know what is contained inside the bag.”
When Emi saw Olba show a malicious smile and prepared to loosen the rope, she shouted loudly,
“Wait! If you open that here……!”
Emi’s gaze moved between the bag and the scenery outside repeatedly.
“I’m sorry, if I just pass it to you and let you take care of it properly, then it would be meaningless.”
“Olba quickly opened the bag and tipped the contents into the water flask placed on the table in front of the door.
“Stop!”
Ignoring Emi’s shouts, the things inside the sack, accompanied by the scratchy sounds of friction, floated on the surface of the high salt content water only found next to the sea and immediately sank to the bottom of the flask after absorbing the water.
Those were wheat seeds.
Emi watched those seeds sink to the bottom of the water in despair.
“Relax. Didn’t I say these are samples? We still have large amounts of stock left. With this, you understand that we will honour our side of the agreement right?”
Olba carelessly threw the sack next to the water flask and said to the silent Emi,
“I said so before, Emilia, as long as you’re obedient, I will properly pass the ‘hostages’ to the professionals born in the Western Continent. However, if you dare to try anything, then this would be the result.”
Olba glanced at the seeds sunk to the bottom of the water flask.
“The stage is almost prepared. Before that, you should conserve and build up your strength.”
Without waiting for the disheartened Emi to reply, Olba left the room directly.
When she could no longer hear Olba’s footsteps, Emi knelt on the bed weakly.
The wheat seeds sunk at the bottom of the water flask.
Even though it is drinking water, but after passing through different soil or being soaked in water with higher salt concentrations, these wheat seeds will no longer be usable.
This was the biggest reason why Emi yieled to the enemy and was restrained here by an invisible lock.
“Mama……”
The worried voice of Alas=Ramus echoed in her head.
But Emi no longer had the energy to answer the young girl.
What kind of Hero was she.
She was only a weak human who could not fight back even though she was treated like this by others.
“……Someone……save me……”
A weak sob, was immediately swallowed up by the sound of the waves entering the habour, and could not be heard by anyone other than Emi and Alas=Ramus.

Vol 8 Author, Afterword –AND YOU–
Since a long time ago, I had strong admiration for commercial use vehicles.
Other than that, I am also in awe of this commercial use vehicles and the staff who drive these vehicles every day who have a significant effect from Japan’s industry, logistics and consumer activity.
Not just construction vehicles or those special vehicles at airports, even those vans or commercial use minivans, are able to enchant me.
The first time I drove a small van, the large power hidden in the small vehicle touched me greatly.
The first time I drove a Honda minivan, the fact that the maneuverability of the van was not affected at all even if the vehicle contained all the housemoving items belonging to my friend, also deeply moved me.
Because Wagahara is this kind of person, so ever since I was young, I greatly admired those delivery Mopeds which had rain shelters frequently used for pizza delivery. Just having a roof and having two roofs at the back already made it look different from other Mopeds, I really left that this design was cool. It is just a pity that no one around the author agrees with this.
When writing this book, I used to think that this thing was convenient and cheaper than cars, so I dreamed to take the chance to buy one, but after actually researching this, I can only say as expected of specialized commercial use vehicles with emphasis on maneuverability.
The fixed price was close to three times of normal Mopeds amd this is already enough to buy a mid-range passenger car.
In addition, as Wagahara’s head is big, I can only wear XXXL size helmets, there are also other reasons such as car insurance being a significant cost. Considering the total amount of money needed, it looks like buying a car would be something which needs further consideration.
Talking about transport tools with an engine, the first thing people would think of is being able to increase the movement radius of the user and the multiple uses.
Even though it would naturally come with some social responsibility (because people with driving licenses have the duty and responsibility to drive safely and obey traffic rules), but the charm of expanding one’s world is still hard to resist.
When this book reaches everyone’s hands, it should be after 4th April 2013.
Even though I think that the readers picking up the book that time should already know, but April is also the month when the anime version of “Hataraku Maou-sama” starts airing.
After the novel and and the manga, the world of “Hataraku Maou-sama” expanded to the anime next, even though seeing new charms of the series from a new angle is a joy, but I feel that troubling over how to let the series become better by continuously expanding to different areas, is also the responsibility of the creator of the original work.
The original manga series by Akio Hiragi sensei, “Hataraku Maou-sama”
The spin off series by Mishima Kurone sensei, “Hataraku Maou-sama High School!” (Temporary name)
Starting from April, the anime version of “Hataraku Maou-sama” directed by Hosoda Naoto. As the original creator, if this work helps the readers enjoy the world lived in by Madao Sadao and Yusa Emi, nothing else will make me happier.
Even though this is unrelated to the topics talked about before, after an unprecedented turbulence is experienced in this work “Hataraku Maou-sama 8”, the world presented for the reader’s enjoyment continues to grow.
As the plot has just started to expand, so the story of “Hataraku Maou-sama 8” used this kind of format.
The next volume will definitely have rapid developments, everyone please look forward to it.
Regarding the plot this time, it is the story that even though both worlds have experienced great turmoils, the Demon King and Hero, still doing things filled with normalcy, finally started to take affirmative action.
If one wants to change, one has to act first.
Regardless of Demon King, Hero, high school girl, demon, inquisitor or angel, they are probably thinking this.
But no matter what noble purpose there is, inappropriate and rude comments are unforgivable, so with regards to the frivolous words from an irresponsible archangel, the author still wants to offer his deepest apologies to the Taro-sans in the country as the conclusion to this afterword.
I hope that I can meet with everyone again next volume.
See you!