Hataraku maou-sama ! Volume 9 Part 4

Hataraku Maou-Sama ! Vol 9 

Hata-Maou Vol 9 Translations

Vol 9 Part 4:

Haraku maou sama volume 9 part 4 :)

Hataraku Maou-Sama Vol 9 

Translation Vol 9

Vol 9 Chapter 4: Demon King, Tales of Past and Present

Emi had a dream.
She woke up frantically in the dream. The clock showed eight in the morning. She had totally overslept.
Even though Emi frantically jumped off the bed in order to get ready for work, she accidentally kicked away the alarm clock placed on the bed, a heavy pain was felt on the tip of her toe, causing her to squat down because of the pain.
“Emi, what’s wrong?”
When she looked up, she discovered that Rika, sitting next to her, was looking at Emi’s table.
Emi, who appeared from underneath her table wearing her uniform, smiled in embarrassment,
“My pen dropped between the floor and the separator, I can’t really reach it.”
“I see. By the way, I found quite a nice ramen store yesterday, let’s go together in the afternoon?”
“Alright. We haven’t eaten together in a while……ah, I’m sorry, Rika, my phone is ringing……hello.”
“Hello, Yusa-san!”
The person on the other end of the phone was Chiho. Emi, wearing casual clothes sat on the sofa in her home and listened to Chiho speak.
She would have calls with Chiho a few times each week, getting information about Maou’s work situation while taking the chance to chat.
Even though it was an impression played up by a girl in love, thanks to Chiho, the time Emi needed to spend on secretly monitoring Maou was shortened by a lot.
On the pretext of knowing Emi’s situation, Chiho interacted with her as a friend.
“Yusa-san, I’m sorry, tomorrow I would have to settle some things at the club no matter what, so I won’t be able to go to Maou-san’s house for dinner.”
“Is that so. Even though it’s regretful, it can’t be helped since it’s school stuff. But if your mother does not mind, it’s fine even if you come a little later? Yeah, let me know again if you can come. A, alright……Bell, Chiho-chan said she might not be able to come today.”
Emi, who finished the phone conversation, was suddenly at room 202 for Villa Rosa Sasazuka and talking to Suzuno who was working hard in the kitchen.
“Is that so? How regretful. I challenged the omelette rice which Chiho-dono taught me and I wanted to let her try it.”
Suzuno replied with some regret and opened the fridge.
“……Oh my?”
“What is it?”
“How careless of me……I actually forgotten to buy tomato sauce.”
“If it’s just that, then I can help you buy it? Uh, I remember tomato sauce……”
Emi looked up and turned around, and walked within Seiyu supermarket in front of Sasazuka station, looking for the thing she was helping Suzuno buy.
“……Alsiel, Lucifer, why are you holding so many eggs?”
And she just had to meet Ashiya and Urushihara at the supermarket.
“I wanted to try to make the quiche which Sasaki-san taught me before.”
“Because there was a sale, so even I was dragged over……ah~how troublesome. Then again, what are you doing here?”
“Bell asked me to buy something. Oh yeah, Chiho-chan said she wouldn’t be able to come today.”
“Really? Ugh……then who should I ask to judge this……!”
“Sasaki Chiho isn’t coming huh~then there will be no kaarage today. Tsk.”
Unexpectedly, Chiho’s influence here was strong as well, it looks like today’s dinner would be full of egg dishes.
The demons took a hit when they knew Chiho would not be coming, and Emi walked back from the supermarket side by side with them while----
“But it’s alright. Because Alas=Ramus likes egg as well. Ne, Alas=Ramus.”
talking to Alas=Ramus, who was swinging her feet back of forth in a lively manner.
“Mama, I want to quickly see Papa!”
“Alright alright, we’re nearly there.”
When she came to her senses, the group of them have already reached the common stairs of Villa Rosa Sasazuka, Emi picked up Alas=Ramus and climbed up the stairs which was still a rather harrowing experience even after renovation, and after opening the door to the common corridor, she quickly reached the porch of the Demon Fortress.
The wooden board with ‘MAOU’ written on it with a marker pen, used as a replacement for a doorplate, Emi thought of herself, why can’t they just change one already.
“Demon King, you’re at home right, I’m coming in.”
All this was just like normal.
Just as Emi pressed the doorbell like normal and opened the porch door----
“Eh?”
She discovered that no one was in the room at all.
Not just that, all the electronics and furniture have all disappeared, and no signs of anyone living there was seen.
“Alsiel, Lucifer, where is the Demon King……Alsiel, Lucifer?”
The two people who had been beside her until just now could not be seen. Did they get separated on the return journey?
Emi quickly ran and knocked on the door of the room next door.
“Bell? Hey, Bell? The Demon King disappeared, do you know where he went……”
However room 202, where Suzuno had been cooking just now, was totally empty as well.
“Eh, w, what’s happening? W, wait……”
Emi frantically took out her mobile phone and called Chiho.
School should have let out at this time, however-----
“The number you have dialled is an invalid number, please call again after checking……”
the call did not go through. Not only that, even the phone number used to call Chiho had disappeared.
Even if she switched to calling Rika, Suzuno, or even Urushihara’s computer, no one picked up.
Emi, who suddenly felt very upset, ran back to the Demon Fortress and tried to open the door.
But the door could not be opened.
Even though it opened so easily just now, however, no matter how Emi pushed or pulled, she was unable to open the door of room 201.
“Demon King, you’re at home right? Open the door!”
Emi shouted while banging on the door of room 201, but there was no reaction from within at all.
“What is this supposed to mean! Hurry up and obediently open the door! Hey, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”
The anxiety levels increased continuously against Emi’s will.
What is going on? Chiho, Rika, Ashiya and Urushihara had disappeared.
Could it be that something had happened to Maou as well?
“Everyone disappeared, do you know what happened? Please, open the door. What happened? You’ve returned right? It’s bad, listen to me! Demon King!”
At this moment, the door which had not budged at all suddenly swung back, and Emi fell into the room because someone opened the door from within.
After looking up frantically, Emi sucked in a breath.
“?”
It was the Demon Fortress.
The castle where demons lived in the Central Continent of Ente Isla.
This was also the hall where the battle between Emi and the Demon King was fought, where she was just one step away from piercing the holy sword through the heart of the Demon King.
A certain large shadow whose appearance could not be seen blocked her way.
The large black shadow carried a sword with the exact same appearance as Emi’s holy sword and lightly approached this place.
Emi subconsciously wanted to assume a battle stance with her holy sword. However, for reasons unknown, Alas=Ramus, who had been in her arms until just now, had disappeared.
And the ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ did not appear.
Emi started to become anxious.
That black shadow was definitely the Demon King.
It was the Demon King she had to kill.
Even so, for reasons unknown, Emi still breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief.
“That’s good…….so you were here. Since you’re here……then respond a little.”
Even if she feared the immeasurable killing aura from the black shadow, Emi still continued to speak,
“I can’t call Chiho-chan’s phone……and Bell as well, even though she asked me to buy things, I don’t know where she went, in addition Alsiel and Lucifer were with me during the return journey, but suddenly disappeared…….don’t you think they’re really rude?”
The black shadow quietly took out the holy sword and slowly approached Emi.
“Alas=Ramus also disappeared after I looked away for a little……if you disappeared as well…….I wouldn’t know what to do at all, where did all of them go.”
The swaying black shadow walked up to Emi and looked down at Emi’s expression.
Even if the distance was so close, she still could not see the face of the other party.
“Hey, even though Chiho-chan said she would not come today…….Bell and Alsiel seem strangely motivated, why don’t we wait for Chiho-chan together? I, I’m fine with anything, it’s just that if we do that, Alas=Ramus will be happier……”
The black shadow swung the holy sword downwards.
The purple light trajectory drawn by the blade of the holy sword, reflected against the red light brought in from the window, causing the face of the shadow to appear in the darkness.
“So……”
The expression of Maou Sadao which appeared from the darkness, for reasons unknown, was a warm smile.
“everyone…….should eat together again……”
“Ugh!”
Emi was shocked awake by her own voice and she jumped up from her bed.
Even if she was covered in sweat, she still could not help but touch the center of her chest first.
“……What……was that?”
Her heartbeat was vigorous, and her breathing had turned erratic.
Emi woke up the instant her chest was pierced by the purple glowing holy sword by the black shadow with Maou’s face.
That realistic looking dream was terrifying and held a kind of pain unique to dreams.
Even so, that dream also brought her a kind of peace which trumped everything.
Her dream self, Rika, Chiho, Suzuno, Ashiya, Urushihara, Alas=Ramus, and……
Even if it was noisy, hot and troublesome, but the times when she did not need to hide her true feelings, just like in the dream, was indeed existed as Emi’s ‘normal life’.
“……It looks like…..I’m really a total idiot, and the situation wasn’t bad as well.”
Emi mumbled, mocking herself.
Even though she had always been dreaming about a peaceful Ente Isla and her father while in Japan, but when she came to her senses, she discovered that these days, she had been dreaming about Japan.
“I am always chasing after things I do not have.”
The sound of the waves hitting towards Fangan habour, the armour and sword placed by the traitor in the corner of the room and her constrained heart such that she could not act was Emi’s current reality.
“Uu pu mu pu……pwah.”
After Emi lightly stroked the hair of Alas=Ramus, who was sleep baby-talking, and lay on the bed once more.
From tomorrow onwards, she was going to continue the unhappy imprisoned life. Right now she could not reduce her sleep time because she was perplexed by meaningless dreams.
However, for unknown reasons, Emi no longer felt like wiping away the tears which fell before she woke up.
Those were tears which fell from relief the moment she saw the figure of the Demon King.
Morning of the next day.
“……So, what are all of you planning?”
Just this time, Emi had questions before feeling hatred.
The people who appeared together with Olba, were the soldiers of the Knight Troops known as ‘Hakin Knight Troops by the Afashan Empire, and all of them were high ranking officers.
With the first group being the Seisokin Knight Troops who were in charge of guarding the royal palace and were the imperal guards for the Unifying Azure Emperor, the Hakin Knight Troops were also divided into Josokin, Seisuikin, Josuikin, Seitokin, Jotokin, Seikokin and Jokokin, eight Knight Troops in total, and the government affairs, areas and equipment were all very different.
Even though not everyone who was part of the Knight Troops were warriors, and there were positions like police or scholars, but these people who were visting Emi’s room right now with Olba, were deputy leaders or commander-in-chiefs, qualified to greet and receive foreign guests.
“Do you not like that set of armour?”
Olba did not answer Emi’s question, and turned towards the untouched armour and sword.
“I already have the Evil Repelling Armour. Even though I feel bad that you prepared such expensive armour, I’m not so stupid to wear something which may have been tampered with.”
“Oh, I see.”
Olba showed a rather uninteresting smile, and once again, said something which was difficult to decipher.
“But I’m sorry, Emilia, if we allow you to use too much power now, we will be troubled as well. This is considered for your own good as well, can we ask you to wear this armour.”
“Ugh……”
Emi clenched her teeth in regret until her expression became distorted.
In other words, she was not allowed to reject it.
Even though Emi did not understsand Olba’s intentions, the latter definitely did not plan to explain.
Olba, judging at Emi accepted the request, nodded in satisfaction.
“Then, ask the maid to come over and help you put on the equipment. After this, you and I, as well as the elite from the Hakin Knight Troops would travel from Fangan to the Azure Sky Canopy in the east. Let’s go, Emilia. As for the holy sword……”
Olba suddenly turned his gaze away from Emilia, nodded in satisfaction after looking around the room and said,
“Looks like you’re protecting it well. Good good.”
“Ugh……”
Not seeing Alas=Ramus meant that she was currently merged with Emi.
Emi was unable to go against Olba.
Even if she glared at Olba’s back, all she could do was leave the room under the urging of the Hakin Knight Troops in order to change her clothes.
“Mama……”
Alas=Ramus’s uneasy voice was heard in her mind.
“……Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”
Emi mumbled softly without any persuasiveness in her voice.
Ten minutes after that, even if she felt that the shining armour, the sword at her waist and the helmet carried at waist level held a dangerous weight, Emi walked in shame along the corridors of the Fangan military harbour base surrounded by Olba and the Hakin Knight Troops.
Even though this amount of weight was nothing to Emi, it felt as if the weight in her heart had increased by the same amount.
“Hm?”
Emi’s heart suddenly developed a wonderous strange feeling.
“This is……”
Even though it was weak, if felt as if her body was filled with power.
Of course, during these few weeks ever since she returned to Ente Isla, Emi’s holy magic had recovered to the levels when she was at her most powerful, but it felt like other than that, another warm thing was flowing into her body.
“W, what is this?”
“You discovered it?”
Olba, who was walking in front, said without looking back.
“Do you not hear those voices filled with hope?”
“……?”
There was a door at the end of the corridor where the town could be reached from the yard of the military base. Olba seemed to be heading towards that place.
“It would be the city area after this.”
“That’s right.”
“I hear, voices……”
It was the sound of a large group of people making noise.
Emi, who had bad feeling, frowned.
Once they walked out from the yard, it can be seen that a large group of armoured Hakin Knight Troops and horse carriages filled with supplies were waiting for them.
Amongst these, Emi discovered a uniquely graceful, strong and handsome while horse waiting for its owner to mount it.
“Emilia, this is your horse. You should still remember how to ride one right?”
With one glance, Emi could see it was a fine horse which was well taken care of.
At least it was not a horse assigned to normal soldiers, but a general level mount, basically even during her journey to fight the Demon King, Emi had never ridden such a fine horse.
“Emilia, carry your helmet, let everyone see your face.”
Even though it could not compare to Emi’s mount, after Olba had spoken, he mounted a handsome horse with a chestnut tail. He first spoke a few sentences to the Hakin Knight Troops----
“Alright, let’s go.”
Then said with a sly smile on his face.
“We begin Hero Emilia’s second recovery battle of the Azure Sky Canopy.”
“Y, you said recovery……eh?”
Before asking about the meaning behind Olba’s words, the main gate of the military base started to open.
Accompanying the signal of the door opening, obvious cheers were heard outside.
“W, what is going on?”
The main road cutting through the town was filled with people who looked in this direction with hope filled eyes.
The contigent started to advance under the instructions of the leading riders, and the people present let out grand cheers.
“Ooh, so that is the Hero of the Holy Sword!”
“So the matter about her still being alive is true!”
“That’s right! I had seen her when she visted Fangan!”
Emi was unable to suppress her vigorous heartbeat.
The citizens of Fangan knew she is Hero Emilia.
While knowing, they pinned their hopes on her.
“God has not abandoned us after all!”
“The Hero had descended upon the Eastern Continent, and is acting to save Afashan!”
At this moment, Emilia discovered something strange.
From the information Emilia had heard, eve though she did not know Afashan did it voluntarily or got conquered because they resisted, were they not currently controlled by Barbariccia’s faction and declared war on the other four continents because of the ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’?
Even though she did not know about the scale of Barbariccia’s faction, from the number of soldiers brought to Choshi by Barbariccia, if the scale was not tens of times of that, they would be unable to form an army.
Fangan was considered a large military base in Afashan, and was an important city with many foreign consulates and businesses.
However, after coming to this city, Emi had not seen any signs of any Malebranches, and did not feel any demonic magic.
“Olba……can I ask a question?”
“What is it?”
“Not considering the process, isnt’ Afashan working together with Barbariccia…....the Malebraches? That is why they declared war on the world right?”
“……”
“This is all from you pulling strings behind right? Then the Malebranches……or more accurately, Barbariccia, should know about this action right? What is the meaning of doing this?”
The highest ranked inquisitor in the Church----part of the six archbishops Olba Meyers turned back to answer Emi’s question with an expression of a kind father.
“Emilia.”
His tone----
“History repeats itself.”
Within this Fangan harbour area filled with hope and holy magic, there was an obvious black evil.
“This sentence is not bad. ‘Don’t hold onto hope, move forward, only the pioneers can survive’. You see, these useless Fangan believers who can only rely on hope……”
Olba looked up at the sky.
In the pale blue sky of day, a red moon can be slightly seen.
“are just like the Malebranches that day……just like those idiotic Malebranche chieftians who deeply believe they can take revenge for Demon King Satan and the Demon Generals.”
“……Ugh!”
“Emilia, you should be able to hear their cheers. Those pathetic citizens who pin their hopes upon you and expect to be saved without acting at all.”
“Olba……you……”
Emi’s voice was filled with curses, to the point that she was worried whether the anger, sadness and hatred spilling over in her heart would corrupt Alas=Ramus inside her.
“Since you have showed your face in front of those citizens and ignited their hopes, then there is only one road for you to take. Hero Emilia, you will ‘save the Afashan flag which had been conquered and controlled by the Demon Army.’ Don’t worry, I won’t let you do anything which goes against human morals. You and I are going to……”
That sentence represented despair and emptiness, it was like the sound which Emi heard in her hometown village, these are words from the darkness.
“Kill those terrifying demons which are corroding Afashan.”

“Hey, Suzuno.”
Maou said this to Suzuno with a gaze like he had seen something unbelievable.
“What is it.”
“Don’t you have any questions about your attire right now?”
“What are you trying to say.”
“……No forget it. But just take it as a request from me. Please don’t walk in front of me dressed like that.”
“How rude, which part are you unsatisfied with.”
“This is not about satisfied or unsatisfied……but, just forget it.”
Maou sat on the grass and took a deep breath.
This was the first camping day for the both of them in Afashan in the Eastern Continent of Ente Isla.
Suzuno, Maou and Acies safely passed through the ‘gate’, and arrived at Afashan of the Eastern Continent of Ente Isla.
From the two moons, sun and landscape, the place they reached was the southern forest area of the Imperial capital, Azure Sky Canopy, on the bank of a large river which starts at the central area of the continent, passes through the Imperial capital, Azure Sky Canopy and flowed into the southern sea.
The exit opening at the riverbank was an extremely lucky occurrence. Not only do they not have to worry about drinking water, the possibility of getting lost will decrease. In addition, it was densely populated along the banks, so if they want to gather information, it would be easy to do so.
From Suzuno’s explanation, as the ‘Gate of Hell’ was not originally made to be a spell amplifier, so the ‘gate’ opening with it as an amplifier would be unable to accurately pinpoint the set destination, so this time for them to appear in a place with no people, could be said to be ‘entirely due to luck’.
Without knowing if it was the time difference with Earth or Ente Isla’s own time difference, even though Maou and the others set off at night, it was already evening in the Eastern Continent.
After Suzuno waited for the stars to appear, she started to use the position of the polar stars and the two moons to determine their own location.
Then she suggested moving south ten kilometres from the ‘gate’ exit, and set up their tent for the first time.
Even if it was like that……
“Hey, isn’t it too early to be dressed like that right now?”
Even though he had given up once, when Maou watching Suzuno pin down the round roof travelling tent to the ground with the pegs, he voiced his opinion again.
“That’s my personal freedom right.”
However, Suzuno ignored it.
“I need to take the chance while it is still safe to get used to moving around in this attire. This is considered practice.”
“……Even so……”
“Hey~Maou, look, look!”
“Hm~? What is it, Aci pwah!”
After being called by Acies from beside him, Maou, who originally had an unhappy look on his face suddenly laughed in an exaggerated manner.
“Just like Suzuno!”
“So, so like I said……”
Maou was troubled.
Because Suzuno and Acies actually wore the sleeping bag directly to move around.
Even though this kind of ‘Mummy style’ sleeping bag, was a good quality sleeping bag which retains heat from head to toe, but another feature of this sleeping bag was that once the zips of the sides and bottom were pulled open, a person would be able to extend their hands and legs out while being wrapping in the sleeping bag.
This seems to be a design of convenience, such as when the hands portions were opened up, a person would be able to read in the tent or control the lights, and for the legs portion, it would allow for immediate escape when a person sensed that a large animal was approaching.
Because this was a camping item sold in Japan, so for Maou and the others, who already knew the function of these items, should not have a need to actively use it starting from pitching the tent.
From the side, it looked like brightly coloured huge bagworms moving awkwardly with hands and legs, it was really strange.
And because Suzuno and Acies were rather good looking, this attire obviously did not match at all.
Especially in the eyes of Maou who had already finished pitching his own tent, the reason why Suzuno and Acies were spending so much effort pitching their tent was obviously because they were moving just like a huge bagworm.
“Both of you……actually just want to try it out right.”
“Yeah!”
“W, what did you say! It, it’s not like that!”
Maou rebuked calmly, even though Acies replied honestly, Suzuno became obviously shaken.
“I say, you…...”
“N, no! T, that’s right, I plan to change later! In order to avoid being seen by you again, I want to do it in this sleeping bag……ah!”
Suzuno shuttered, finding excuses while waving her arms which were extended from within the sleeping bag, and because she was too excited, she kicked away the peg which was not stabbed in the ground deeply enough.
“Ah~it fell over.”
“Oh, oh no……De, Demon King, this is all your fault!”
Perhaps because the other pegs were also not stabbed deeply enough, once one came loose, the whole tent started to slant heavily in reaction.
“That’s enough, I’ll help you pitch the tent, if you want to change clothes, then take the chance right now to find a place which I cannot find to change.”
“~~Ugh!”
After taking the peg from Suzuno, Maou waved and chased away a huge bagworm.
Even though Suzuno’s expression distorted because of shame, she still carried the cloth holding the clothes in the end and quietly walked towards the forest next to the river.
“Ah, hey, you forgot the inspect repellent spray!”
“Noisy! I know that!”
Even though it looked like she was just throwing a tantrum, but anyway Suzuno still hidden into a place where Maou could not see with her shoulders shaking (even though it was not obvious because the back of the sleeping bag is
curved).
“Hey, Acies, help me hammer the peg over there into the ground again.”
“Alright alright.”
The other colourful bagworm ran to Maou’s right side with strange jogging movements.
“By the way, Acies.”
“Hm?”
Acies hammered the peg into the soil again with dangerous movements while replying.
“When did you and Nord come to Earth……come to Japan?”
“When huh…..yeah! My impression was that it was a long time ago.”
“A long time? Was it around half a year ago?”
That was the period Maou and Emi met up with Urushihara again and commotions started occurring around them.
“Half a year, is that half of one year?”
However Acies’s answer was totally out of Maou’s expectations.
“Because it has been less than one year since I was born, I’m not sure about things which happened too long ago.”
“Seriously?”
Ignoring the surprised Maou, Acies, with the appearance of a bagworm, tied the rope to the peg.
“Yeah, Ever since I was born, I was already living with Father in Japan, I’m not sure about things which happened earlier than that.”
To Maou, this was an unexpected fact.
If her explanation was to be believed, then Acies would be Alas=Ramus’s younger sister.
Even so, as there was a difference in the development rate of both their bodies, so Maou had thought that Acies obtained a human form earlier that Alas=Ramus.
The ‘birth’ Acies was talking about, should be referring to obtaining the current form from the fruit form of the ‘Yesod’ fragment like Alas=Ramus.
Even if it had not been three months since Alas=Ramus was ‘born, even though it was less than one year difference between both of them obtaining their human forms, there was actually such a difference in their development rates.
“Then again, why is Acies, the one who obtained a human form earlier, the ‘younger sister’? What rule is this?”
“Hm?”
“No……we can talk about this after Alas=Ramus comes back……but that means, Nord came to Japan ealier than imagined.”
“Probably~”
It was probably because of this that Acies could only speak Japanese.
“Sigh, how troublesome.”
“It feels like……”
“Hm?”
Maou looked towards the tent which was beautifully secured when they were talking and nodded in satisfaction.
“After this commotion is over, we would need to organise a huge family meeting.”
“Family meeting?”
“Sigh, we’ll discuss it when it’s time. By the way, that Suzuno is really too slow. Was she attacked by the bear or something……”
“I won’t lose to a mere bear!”
“Ugoh!”
Maou got a shock because of a sudden voice from behind.
“W, what! Say something if you’re back already……”
Maou looked back while protesting----
“That’s because your back is wide open. Even though I felt it occasionally, but you’re really underestimating my ability too much……what is it?”
However after seeing Suzuno with an unhappy look on his face, he suddenly became speechless.
Suzuno, seeing this, spoke once again in a stern voice,
“What is it, are you going to complain about my attire again?”
Maou shook his head frantically.
“So you can dress like this after all.”
“What?”
In a sense, it was not strange for Maou to feel surprised.
Suzuno, who looked like a colourful bagworm until just now, after ‘changing her clothes’ and return, she did not wear her normal kimono.
Above Suzuno’s leather boots is a robe owned by inquistors of the Church, which came to her ankles, and a rogue coloured cloak with a head scarf which looked like it had been worn for a long time.
The metal parts which secured the cloak to the shoulders had jewelled decorations embedded in them which looked like spell amplifiers.
Suzuno, who wore the robe, was no longer the nagging neighbour at the three tatami apartment, and had the aura and mystery of the top inquisitor from the Chruch Doctrinal Correction Council, Crestia Bell.
“This is the robe of the external relations, Missionary Department. The Church will also send a large group of friars and missionaries to Afashan even though I have not interacted with that many people because of my past profession. But when we pass by villages on the road, only this robe would not be suspected by others……so what kind of look is that.”
Even though Suzuno’s words made a lot of sense, but it would have ben fine if she was holding something like a bible, while carrying the mummy style sleeping bag which she had been wearing until just now, it did not sound convincing at all.
“Ah, I understand, it’s molting right.”
“Maou, what is molting?”
“Demon King……actually describing me like I’m a snake or a crayfish……”
“W, wrong wrong! Why must you mention those especially weird animals! Since you’re a girl, it should be a comparison like butterfly or something!”
Suzuno tilted a head with a dangerous expression on her face----
“……Butterfly?”
But after chewing on the meaning of this example, her expression changed to that of surprise.
“Y, you said butterfly? De, Demon King, what are you talking about……”
“Hey, Maou, what is molting?”
Even though Suzuno started to become frantic, before she could ask about Maou’s true intentions, Acies, who still looked like a bagworm, had already interrupted Suzuno, bothering Maou to ask a question.
“Yeah, Acies, molting, in the situation of snakes, prawns and crabs, is shedding and abandoning the skin on their bodies so they can grow bigger. On the other hand, in the case of butterflies and cicada, it refers to a larva turning into a pupa, and then from a pupa into an adult insect, shedding their outershell and obtaining a totally different appearance. That process is called molting.”
“……Forget it, who cares about molting and things like that.”
After Maou finished this biological explanation, Suzuno showed a hurt expression for unknown reasons, and curled up while hugging the sleeping bag.
“Oh~butterfly huh. Then Suzuno would be a beautiful molting right!”
“Hm? Yeah~ it’s something like that?”
“Suzuno! Maou said that you’re beautiful!”
“I see, I see. This Demon King really likes to joke.”
Even though Acies happily ran towards Suzuno, the latter was expressionless, like did not care about it.
“Wait a moment, what do you mean by liking to joke. I have always been serious.”
On the other hand, Maou said with a surprised expression,
“Didn’t Emi and Chi-chan mention this at the beginning? Even though there is nothing wrong with kimonos, try to wear some western clothing occasionally. That robe really suits you, you know?”
“What……what did you say?”
Maou suddenly said seriously, causing Suzuno to widen her eyes, at a loss of what to do.
“Hm? Uh, because normally, I only see you wearing kimonos, so I was only a little shock because it felt fresh. But in fact, wearing western clothing is easier and cheapter, and it suits you rather well too.”
“I, is, is, is that so……?”
“Hm? Suzuno, what’s wrong with you?”
Suzuno’s tone suddenly became strange, causing bagworm Acies to get a shock.
“H, honestly, I…..have always been in religious services, so I’m used to wearing this kind of heavy long robe, about the short skirts and sleeves which Emilia or Chiho-dono wear, I, I am a bit resistant……e, even though I know that kimonos are not normal clothing, the reason I still like them is mainly because it is heavy, and the length and sleeves are like the robes, so it would be more comfortable for me to wear, erhm……”
“Eh?”
Maou watched the actions of Suzuno rolling out the sleeping bag she folded with much difficulty, and folding it back again in confusion.
“You……”
“You?”
“Suzuno’s face is so red pwoh!”
Pressing down Acies’s chin and plugging her mouth as she looked over from the side in reflex with one hand, Suzuno grasped the edge of the robe uneasily and asked in a small voice,
“You……think…..it suits me?”
“A, are you so bothered by this?”
From Maou’s point of view, he never thought that Suzuno’s reluctance for wearing western clothing, would be so strong for her to show such an attitude, casuing Maou, who knew he had said something inappropriate to break out in cold sweat.
“It’s not like that! It’s just that, this, this is the first time someone, said this kind of thing……to me……”
Suzuno’s gaze started to shift around, which did not match her usual resolute style.
“I think that everyone, wanted you to wear western clothing since the start……yeah, I think it would be really suitable.”
“De……Demon King, what’s wrong with you, why are you suddenly saying such things, even if you praise me……nothing good will come out of it, you know?”
(T/N: Suzuno just said the same phrase Urushihara said in volume 8.)
“Kuzuno, meh face hurrrtts!”
Acies, who face was being grabbed the whole time, shouted out in pain because the force Suzuno used to press on her chin was getting stronger, but Suzuno herself was not aware of it at all.
“Uh, but, what I said is true. And Ashiya did say that when washing clothes, it would be fine to throw normal casual clothes into the washing machine.”
“……Hm?”
“Even though I often buy clothes at UNIXLO, there are other cheap clothes shops on the shopping street, if you see clothes which you like, you can buy large amounts of the same style and size.
“……Hmm?”
“Puubowabapwohpwoh.”
“Even though I had never worn a kimono, but thinking about our lifestyle, the benefits of wearing western clothing would be higher, I’m serious.”
“……”
“And I had heard before that kimonos have special rules for their patterns based on the season and scenario? It’s not so troublesome for western clothing for this, and only the type of cloth needs to be chosen. Because it’s really convenient, so I suggest that you try it once.”
“……Yeah, that’s true, that’s what I think as well.”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“……No, it’s nothing. It’s just that I am so dumb to allow my heart to be confused for an instant by a demon. I wish to meditate for a while after this to get rid of the evil thoughts in my heart.”
“Pwah!”
Suzuno, who seemed to look a little depressed, finally let go of Acies.
“O, oh? D, did I say something bad?”
“That’s right. Those words which confuse the human heart and tempt humans to fall to the darkness, are really the words of a demon.”
Just as Suzuno said this listlessly and prepared to enter the tent.
“Ah, e, erhm, but what I said just now about how it might really suit you was serious, yeah?”
Even though he did not know the reason, Maou, who discovered that he caused Suzuno to be in a bad mood, still unnaturally added to sentence, saying it to Suzuno’s listless figure.
However----
“……”
This sentence, like a wedge, caused Suzuno to stop moving. Then----
“I, I’m not going to be confused again!”
In that instant, Suzuno turned back with a red face to angrily scold Maou, then ducked into the tent Maou helped her pitch with a terrifying aura.
By the way, in this journey, they had already agreed that male and females will be sleeping in different tents.
“Hm~ did I say something really bad?”
After feeling that Suzuno seemed to be making a huge fuss inside the tent, Maou mumbled to himself, feeling troubled.
“Augh…….it hurts…….”
On the other hand, the teary eyed Acies rubbed her reddened cheeks and shouted at the tent,
“Suzuno! What are you doing!”
Not fearing Heaven or Earth, should be just like this, he saw Acies maintaining her colourful bagworm appearance and entered the tent which was enveloped in a storm.
“……It, it’s about time to prepare to sleep.”
Even though they had said that they would discuss the sequence of night watches after dinner, calm conversation could not be expected in this current situation.
“It feels like…….there will be a lot of trouble in future.”
Maou sighed as he looked up at the starry sky of Ente Isla.

“The fuel usage is more than expected……would it be able to last until Azure Sky Canopy?”
During the afternoon of the third day of wandering about Afashan, when the group ate at the village restaurant which they passed by, Maou asked this to Suzuno, who was sitting opposite him.
“The detour this morning caused a lot of losses. I never thought we would meet up with the external patrols of the Seikokin. Not only did we accelerate in the process, we even passed through some places with poor road conditions.”
The fuel meter of both their Mopeds, was only one section away from the ‘E’ symbol right now.
Even though they brought backup fuel, considering that Afashan would not have tarred roads, this amount was definitely not considered sufficient.
Considering their schedule, for food and water, they would be able to manage as long as they replenish in villages, but Ente Isla, where there naturally were no gas stations, only the fuel problem was difficult to solve.
“We have to carefully choose our routes from now on.”
Suzuno spread the hand drawn map which Ashiya left behind on the table.
“But it seems like we would be able to reach Azure Sky Canopy earlier than expected. I hope that we can take the time today to……reach near this town. The closer we are to Azure Sky Canopy, the more likely we are to encounter the Hakin Knight Troops, I hope we can use the Moped as much as possible to move to a nearby place.”
“That’s true.”
After exchanging their views, the both of them decided to continue riding the Moped until they used by their backup fuel.
“Even though it’s strange for me to say this, but the restoration is really going well. I had thought the situation would be messier.”
“Even though you should not be the one saying this, but I am rather concerned as well. Demon King, let me ask you one thing, how powerful are the Malebranche in the Demon World?”
“The power of the Malebranche? If you’re asking about numbers, then I can only answer that there’s quite a lot. Even though when my Demon Army was attacking the four continents, regardless of northern, eastern or western armies, they are mixed armies formed by grouping various clans, however only Malacoda’s army on the south side, 80% are made up of Malebranches, but how should I say this, most of them should have been killed by Emi and the humans……”
“Yeah, in other words, there aren’t many forces under Camio’s command?”
“Because we do not strictly manage our census like Japan, so I’m not sure of the exact numbers either.”
As if she acknowledged Maou’s words, Suzuno nodded repeatedly and said,
“I actually have the same thoughts as you. The restoration is going too well. But what I mean is not that the damage caused the the Demon Army you lead has completely disappeared, but the fact that even though the Malebranches have permeated the centre of Afashan and declared war on the entire world, the atmosphere of war and the aura of demons could not be felt at all. And it is the same even though from the map, we have already entered the capital circle of Afashan.”
“……That makes sense. From how exaggerated Ciriatto, Farfarello and Libicocco were speaking, I had thought that there will be demons running wild everywhere.”
Maou could also understand that Suzuno felt the unusual situation.
“How irritating. Ever since those angels……especially after Gabriel appeared, all their actions are annoying.”
“……That’s true.”
Basically if Ashiya and Nord were not kidnapped by Gabriel, even if Emi’s whereabouts were unknown, it probably would not cause any political unrest.
But that kind of political unrest, was caused by the declaration of war against the whole world by Afashan of the Eastern Continent, which was a puppet to the second Demon King Army of Barbariccia and the others instigated by Olba, if it was just that, it only means that a new invader to the human world had appeared after Demon King Satan.
However, behind this incident, shadows of a few angels could be seen, the angels and demons used the soldiers of the Afashan Empire to kidnap Ashiya and Nord, like this, it can be guessed that other than the string of incidents in front of them, an unknown side was still hidden.
“In other to see the true situation, let’s obtain more information from the residents here.”
“Even though there’s not much crowd or vitality here, but at least it does not look like that are being invaded.”
Maou and Suzuno looked out at the main road of the village from the window.
From Ashiya’s map, this was a village known as Honfa. They hid the Mopeds in the trees behind the village before coming here.
Even though this village did not look that big, but they still had a sizeable population, and the villagers seemed to have asked the Jokokin knights to be responsible of the security of the village, and soldiers with red bandanas with white borders could be seen everywhere.
“Maou, can I have another bowl? This is delicious.”
“……You’re really relaxed huh.”
During the time when Maou and Suzuno were in serious discussion, Acies had been quietly eating, when they became aware of their surroundings, they discovered that she had already eaten the large amount of bread placed in the basket, and handed the empty dishes which had contained a large amount of stewed vegetables and chicken, as well as a pie made of local vegetables and freshwater fish to the shop staff.
Perhaps because the Eastern Continent had abundant water resources, and the water quality was close to Japan’s, the food culture developed here was something that even Maou, who was already used to the food in Japan, could greatly enjoy.
“Suzuno, would that be fine?”
However, Maou was unable to agree to Acies ordering more food without first asking for permission.
That was because the current Maou and Acies had to rely entirely on Suzuno for their finances.
Even though the terms ‘loan’ or ‘interest’ had not appeared, which would cause the Demon King to fall into the depths of terror, if he relied on Suzuno’s financial help too much, it felt as if it would become very scary later.
More importantly, to Maou who had always been earning money to support two subordinates, this was as pathetic as becoming a toy boy.
“It’s alright, why don’t we order another pie? I happen to want to eat a little more of the noodle dish which is similar to udon. Lady boss!”
Unexpectedly, Suzuno directly agreed to Acies’s request and asked the lady boss to come over.
“Can you get me another one of that freshwater fish pie, and help this girl get another bowl of stewed vegetables? In addition, I want another of this rice noodle soup, and if your shop has any wine you are proud off, please let me have a look as well.”
Suzuno used the official language of Afahsan, known in other continents as the Akou language.
(T/N: I have absolutely no idea how to translate the language name so I just used the romanji of the equivalent Kanji used. I would appreciate it if anyone who has the raws and knows Japanese can enlighten me with a good translation.)
“Even though a prosperous business is good for us, but unfortunately, our store is not so high class to have any wine which can be presented to Madam Priestess from the Church.”
The business owner was a large built lady boss, she took the orders while smiling.
“H, hey, Suzuno, did you order wine just now? Driving after drinking is against the law!”
Maou, who knew a little of the Akou language as he used to be the conquerer, chided the contents of Suzuno’s order.
“Alright, be quiet. It’s not as if I really want to drink wine.”
Suzuno seemed to have expected that Maou would rebuke this way, and only replied him in an off-handed manner.
“It would take some time for the pie to be baked, do you want to take this time to drink? But our store only has this kind of wine.”
As she was speaking, the lady boss brought over two bottles of fruit wine.
Suzuno looked at the label on the bottle, nodded lightly after thinking for a while and said,
“It looks like the circulation here is still normal.”
“Eh?”
“You know that I am someone born in the Western Continent, which is why you recommended this wine right? These two bottles are fruit wines produced in the Western Continent.”
Suzuno looked at the troubled lady boss and went straight to the main point.
“I wish to ask you about something. Are the rumours that the capital Azure Sky Canopy is being controlled by demons true?”
The lady boss showed a complicated expression.
“To tell the truth, it should be considered true.”
Then directly agreed with Suzuno’s question.
Strangely, her tone, rather than fear, was more of confusion.
“But……if asked whether there are any changes, there aren’t any significant changes. Even though there was a huge wave of commotion after knowing that the Demon General Alsiel is back.”
When she spoke to this point, the lady boss, after confirming that there were no other customers in the shop, leaned in towards Suzuno and said,
“Because you are someone from the West, I will tell you this, actually to us normal citizens, whether the ruler is a Demon General or the Unifying Azure Emperor, there’s not much difference at all.”
“Oh?”
“They seem to be talking about something complicated? I want to quickly eat pie!”
“They’ll bring it in soon, please be quiet for a bit.”
Maou suppressed Acies, who was impatient for the shop staff to bring in the food.
“Even though Alsiel’s rule was terrifying, and a lot of knights died, but before that, the eastern part of Afashan had continuous civil strifes, and every few years, large scale public constructions will definitely take place to raise the prestige of the Unifying Azure Emperor or the Azure Sky Canopy, and they would use citizens everywhere, so originally, many people will die from accidents.”
“Things like that……”
“Of course, considering communication problems, it might be better for the ruler to be human, even though we hope that the scary demons would quickly disappear……after Hero Emilia chased Alsiel away, everyone realised this. Whether the ruler is a demon or the Unifying Azure Emperor, we will still be the ones who are extorted……oh dear, I’m sorry, it feels that I am making things gloomy the more I speak.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. Actually mentioning such painful topics……”
“Yeah, but that’s true. Since it’s rare for Madam Priestress to be willing to chat with me, then I’ll tell you honestly. After the new Demon Army marched into Azure Sky Canopy, only one thing truly changed. The Hakin Knight Troops all over Afashan were strengthened, and they suddenly declared war on the other continents.”
“Hey~Maou~my stewed vegetables and pie~”
“……I’ll give you my share later, just keep quiet first.”
“The Hakin Knight Troops were strengthened?”
“Yeah, it’s strange right? Even though the first thing Alsiel did before was to cut the power of the Hakin Knight Troops. Even though this is really just a rumour, some people even suspected that the Unifying Azure Emperor might be propelled by the lust of conquest and actively worked together with the demons to cause a war. Even though in the past, Alsiel initiated many processes to weaken humans, after the demons came this time, our circulations, production and military power actually grew stronger. Like this, it would naturally cause suspicion.”
Suzuno looked at Ashiya’s map with a heavy expression on her face while listening to the lady boss talk.
”I see……ugh, thank you for telling me such valuable information. Lastly, can I ask another question?”
“What is it?”
Suzuno asked the lady boss with a stern gaze,
“Have you heard of angels appearing at Azure Sky Canopy?”
The lady boss widened her eyes in confusion,
“Angels? The angels you’re talking about, refers to that angel recorded in the Church’s bible?”
The lady boss then gave a rather troubled smile,
“Since we have demons, then there might really be angels somewhere in this world, but I have not heard of any rumours like this.”
“……Is, is that so.”
Suzuno and Maou exchanged troubled gazes.
Even though they knew about the existence of demons, but the covert actions of the angels have not reached the ears of the common people after all.
“Then, that young lady seems to be unable to wait any longer, it’s about time I get the baked pie, do you have anything else you wish to ask?”
“No, there’s nothing else, thank you. It was valuable information.”
“That’s really good……ahh, and……”
The lady boss suddenly stammered awkwardly, Suzuno nodded with a stern expression,
“Don’t worry. On my name, I will definitely not tell anyone else about what I heard from you.”
“That would be very helpful.”
Even though she showed an expression of relief, the lady boss still looked in Maou’s direction uneasily. Sensing the meaning behind that gaze, Suzuno added,
“Don’t worry. Even though he is my servant, he is still a devout follower of the Church, so he knows the importance of a secret.”
“……Hey.”
Even though he was unable to rebuke in front of the lady boss, Maou still rolled his eyes and expressed that he could understand what Suzuno was saying.
“Who did you say is a servant, hm?”
More than ten kilometres from Honfa village near a forest swamp, Maou protested about what happened in the afternoon.
“What, you still bear a grudge?”
But Suzuno replied with a nonchalant look on her face,
“You should know that the explanation would be more convenient. Basically the expenses for this journey is mostly paid by me, it’s not as if anything would happen if I say it.”
“Ugh.”
Being spoken of like this, Maou was momentarily speechless.
Seeing Maou regretfully keeping quiet, Suzuno said with a smile,
“But this is not a joke, if Alsiel’s map is correct, we will have to pass other towns while heading towards Azure Sky Canopy. If the checks become strict, saying that you and Alsiel are servants which I, a missionary priestess, have hired would be the most reliable and convenient.
“……The problem is whether this person is able to act. If something happens, then she can stay within me. Even though it’s as if Acies is being treated as a thing like this, and doesn’t feel that good.”
After that, they bought a group amount of freshwater fish pie as takeaway for dinner, Maou looked towards Acies, who had eaten her fill and happily changed into a bagworm to sleep next to the campfire, and showed a wry smile.
“Sigh, what should be done when we really encounter this, let’s consider it after we complete half a day’s journey tomorrow.”
Suzuno looked at Ashiya’s map and said.
“Even though I hope that we can move the Mopeds as close to Azure Sky Canopy as possible, but in the worse case scenario, we might have to abandon the Mopeds somewhere.”
“Eh? I don’t want that!”
Maou got up and protested against Suzuno’s words.
“Even if you say that, it can’t be helped. The closer we get to the capital, the chances of us getting discovered increases. We need to avoid actions which are too conspicuous……”
“I grasped the feeling of riding ‘Motorised Dullahan III’ after much effort! How can I abandon it in this kind of place!”
“……What exactly this this Motorised something?”
Of course, considering Maou's personality until now, it was obvious he had given a name to the Moped at some point of time.
“Even though it’s not a problem to develop feelings for cars, this matter might be related to Emilia’s life. Based on the rights of the owner, how to deal with the Moped is for me to decide.”
“Ughhh……”
After Suzuno said this resolutely, as if she thought of something, she asked Maou this,
“Then again, I’ve been a little curious since before, why do you always name transporation vehicles ‘Dullhan’?”
“Huh?”
“‘Dullahan’ is the name of a demon which appears in the legends or other stories of Earth right? I remember it’s a demon with a headless knight riding a carriage pulled by a headless horse.”
“Ooh, you acutally know about it.”
“But I have never heard of such an existance amongst the demons which invaded the various lands of Ente Isla. Even though it might just be because I don’t know about it……”
“Yeah, the Demon World does not have a demon like ‘Dullahan’ which is spread around on Earth. Basically, from a biological point of view, it’s really strange to run around while carrying your own head.”
“You have the least right to say such a thing……forget it, so, why Dullahan?”
“Uh, actually there’s no special meaning.”
Maou shrugged.
“Before settling down in MgRonalds, Ashiya and I have been fired a few times at work.”
“Oh?”
Suzuno widened her eyes as if she was surprised.
As Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara were already living a life which did not lose to the Japanese when Suzuno came to Japan, she had thought that their lives were very smooth since the beginning.
“Sigh, because some workplaces closed down, so not all of them was because of us, but before Ashiya and I decided that we should separately focus on working and housework and investigation, at least two times is because we got fired.
Even if Maou was talking about his own painful memories, but the fact that the painful memories of Demon King Satan was being fired from work, to a human from Ente Isla, it was already something which did not need to be listened to any further.
“After that, I started to work at MgRonalds, and heard from Chi-chan, who was still a newcomer then, about a place to buy cheap bicycles, at that time, including the bicycle, I bought many expensive things, causing the savings to enter into a danger zone. Oh my, Ashiya at the time was really angry.”
Even though Suzuno did not know the situation at that time, she could still imagine that kind of scene.
“Then, if I get fired after happily buying things and using up the savings, wouldn’t it be really bad?”
“Yeah, that is true……wait, don’t tell me!”
Suzuno sucked in a breath because she thought of a really sucky deduction.
“So in order to not be fired again, I made a wish to the commuting bicycle. Ne, isn’t Dullahan a ‘Headless Demon’? So as long as I change ‘Head’ to ‘Fired’, it would become ‘A demon who would not be fired’.”
(T/N: Apparently ‘head’ and ‘fired’ have similar pronounciation in Japanese.)
Maou showed a joking smile in a bashful manner, and Suzuno, who could not take it anymore, pressed her hand against her forehead.
“……How lame.”
“What! You’re the one who asked! Hey, what are you laughing about!”
Even though Suzuno showed an exasperated expression in the beginning, after that she slowly felt it was funny and produced a small laugh in her throat.
“Hee hee hee…….rather than that, if you said that I could not forget the feeling when you were Demon King, and at least wanted to name your mount as Dullahan, it would be much better, hahaha!”
“Like that, wouldn’t I just be a person without any general knowledge?”
“Ahh, it’s hilarious. I must share this with Emilia and Chiho-dono properly later.”
“Hey, don’t do that, idiot! Not considering Chi-chan, that Emi would definitely laugh at me forever, so don’t tell her!”
“I really want to see that scene. The Hero who laughs at the Demon King forever because of something to do with daily commodities.”
“Do whatever you want, damn it!”
Maou looked away, blushing furiously.
So he missed a sentence which Suzuno added on softly.
“If possible……I really hope to say at the side, and watch that kind of scene.”
“Huhh? What was that?”
“No, it’s nothing. Don’t mind it. I just feel it’s a little funny because it’s too much like a human.”
“Noisy, noisy! Actually daring to look down on me!”
Maou, who was totally throwing a tantrum, turned away from the fire, and threw a branch for the fire far away into the darkness, like he was venting his anger.
Suzuno looked at that back with a kind expression for reasons unknown, then suddenly picked up the handdrawn map which Ashiya left behind.
“Hey, Demon King.”
“What!”
“Why did all of you come to Ente Isla?”
“Hah?”
Even if Maou’s expression could not be clearly seen because of the campfire shadows, Suzuno was still knew clearly that his expression was a little distorted.
“I’m not referring to the action this time. But the action of you, Alsiel and Lucifer planning to conquer these five continents before drifting to Japan.”
“With things as they are, why are you asking this? And didn’t I say so before? It’s to conquer Ente Isla……”
“That is why I want to ask, why conquer? Didn’t all of you come to destroy the human world?”
Suzuno remembered what Chiho said before they departed, and asked,
“Conquer and destroy are completely differnet things. In reality, Alsiel even memorised all the information in human society and beautifully conquered Afashan. What is going on?”
“……”
“You have told me before. If we’re really thinking about Chiho-dono’s safety, why don’t we erase her memories directly. I’m going to return the question back to you. Why do you want Chiho-dono to stay by your side?”
“By the way you’re saying it, it feels like I’m a bad man who is bothering Chi-chan and not letting her go.”
“Always not willing to reply to Chiho-dono’s courage, and using Chiho-dono’s kindness to withhold your answer and torture her, you are a bad man.”
“Ugh……tor, torture her……that, but……”
When Chiho confessed her feelings to Maou, they had dumped into Suzuno, who was in the area, when he remembered this, Maou gave a troubled groan.
“Recently, I am unable to understand you. But it is not Maou Sadao, but about Demon King Satan.”
Suzuno watched the campfire and mumbled softly.
“At the beginning, I strongly believed that the lifestyle of ‘Maou Sadao’ in Japan, was only to hide the true identity of Demon King Satan. I always suspected that you actually scorn humans, and you would betray, and harm others once you found a gap.”
“That’s so mean. Even though to Demons, being sinister is a kind of praise.”
“But, what is it like in reality? Having a law abiding spirit, doing things honestly, building good relations with the residents in the community, and even feeling respect for the humans you plan to conquer. In addition, it’s not just you, even Alsiel and Lucifer are like this.”
“Does Urushihara interact with the residents in the community?”
“I see that he is quite familiar with the Sasuke Delivery staff.”
“That Urushihara……”
What Suzuno was referring to, probably means the times Urushihara buys things online without permission while Maou and Ashiya are not around. This caused Maou’s shoulders to sag.
“However, on the other hand, you are always recklessly declaring that you are going to conquer the humans and
Ente Isla one day. Even so, you do not have extreme feelings of animosity to Emilia, who would only be an obstruction, and after knowing my true identity, you’re not wary towards me at all.”
Suzuno got up with large movements, and looked down at Maou, whose back was still facing her,
“Allowing Chiho-dono, Emilia and I remain at your side, what benefits does this bring to all of you?”
“Saving on household expenses, and the dinner table becoming more luxurious in various ways, there really are only benefits.”
“Even though you have changed back into the Demon King state a few times, why didn’t you return, you did not even plan to get rid of Emilia and me, and continued to stay in Japan as ‘Maou Sadao’ in a rule abiding manner?”
“……”
“The return this time, should be a huge chance right? The you right now, already has a strong power exceeding an archangel, Alsiel and your demon subordinates are all within reach as well. As long as you forget about Japan and Earth, and kill me who opened the ‘gate’, it’s not a problem even if you want to return to the Demon World. The situation in the human world is not as united as before, Emilia is also in trouble, isn’t this a great chance to conquer the world?”
“……What exactly do you want me to do?”
“If it is the Demon King Satan imagined by the people of Ente Isla, it would be more natural if you do that right?”
Suzuno declared directly.
“But you are together with me just like now. Worrying about Emilia’s safety, comforting Rika-dono’s heart, and promising Chiho-dono that you would return to Japan, and even asked Amane-dono to protect the safety of Japan.”
“Worrying about Emi……it’s probably not to that kind of standard.”
It seems like until now, Maou was not self aware of what he accidentally left slip when he was in the apartment before he left.
“Based on this, for you, who planned to conquer Ente Isla, your actions are not consistent at all. But this time, I thought of an assumption. If this assumption is followed, your inconsistent movements would all be explained.”
“……Stop that nonsense. In popular television dramas, it’s not good to express your opinion at the assumption stage.”
Maou tried to brush it aside, but Suzuno was unwilling to back off.
“Demon King Satan.”
“Stop.”
Suzuno’s calm voice reached Maou’s ears.
“You probably haven’t changed at all right?”
“I told you to stop it……”
“Chiho-dono’s eye of wisdom is really scary sometimes. No, probably because Chiho-dono doesn’t know anything, she is able to reach such a conclusion. Demon King, you……”
“Ah~I don’t want to listen! I~don’t~want~to~listen~n~n~~~~!”
Maou spoke loudly while covering his ears, but Suzuno’s steady voice easily broke through that layer of obstruction.
“You’re actually an earnest and kind man that would make people wonder why you were born as a demon.”
The exploding of the campfire was heard in the night forest like a snap.
“……Saying these words, don’t you feel embarrassed at all?”
“Because I learned everything from Chiho-dono. Chiho-dono knew you’re a Demon King from a foreign world and had never doubted it, even though people often said that love makes people blind, in Chiho-dono’s situation, it caused her eye of wisdom to become more sensitive.”
Suzuno said nonchalantly in an honest manner, causing Maou to become speechless once again.
“And this thing was also seen through by Chiho-dono as well, including Emilia and I, everyone in Ente Isla had not realised this at all.”
The conflict at the Shinjuku electronic store surfaced in Suzuno’s mind once again.
Maou did say this clearly before at that time.
“You are really the ‘king’ leading the ‘citizens’ of the Demon World.”
“……Yeah I am a ‘Demon King’ after all, so what?”
Maou still had his back facing Suzuno in an unhappy manner.
“What does talking about the past got to do with now? At ths time, I am going to save Emi and Ashiya together with you, and then go back with everyone to Japan, wouldn’t that be fine?”
“No.”
“Why!”
“Simple, because I will feel uneasy. Perhaps I will be attacked in my sleep, and right now, I cannot guarantee that you and Alsiel will not betray me together after arriving at Azure Sky Canopy and start the activities of the new Demon Army.”
“I, I say, from earlier until now, what you have said is not consistent at all.”
“I have been doing a job which requires me to suspect people for a long period of time after all.”
“How can a cleric suspect people.”
Maou frowned with his back still facing Suzuno, the latter showed a warm smile, and then----
“That’s true, even though I used to be an inquisitor, I am still a cleric no matter how far I fall, I……yosh.”
“Uwah!”
The small impact from his back, caused Maou to turn back in surprise.
In a place a full head shorter than him, Maou saw the illuminated back of Suzuno’s head and discovered that she was currently sitting back to back with him.
“W, why are you suddenly doing this!”
Suzuno suddenly stepped into the closest area, making it difficult for Maou to hide his bewilderment.
“Clerics would never leak out secrets told through confessions.”
On the contrary, Suzuno spoke with a calm voice which crossed over their pressed backs,
“Like this, you would not see my face. King of Demons, tell me if you don’t mind. Why did you invade Ente Isla.”
“Seriously, what kind of act is this……”
Maou hit his face with both hands and sighed deeply.
“Let me say this first, until now, I have never told anyone else, and it’s not because there is some huge secret behind all this. It’s because no one had ever specially asked before, which is why I never said it.”
Maou first said some opening remarks in a soft voice.
“To all of you (humans), this would be something really boring and could be seen anywhere, and even if you cannot accept it after hearing everything, I won’t care okay. I don’t feel that it would warrant being called a confession.”
“I understand, I will keep that in mind.”
While feeling the warmth from Suzuno’s back----
“Sigh……seriously, what kind of situation is this……”
Maou faced the night forest once again and sighed lightly.
“Where should I start.”
Then he started to speak with a natural sounding tone, like he was recalling what happened just the day before,
“Even though I don’t remember if I mentioned this to you before, but anyway, the Demon World I was born in was a really hopeless world ruled by violence. Strong demons would torture and harm weak demons whenever they wanted, and only cared about themselves living on, the Demon World at that time was this kind of place. I raised an army in order to change that world, and with the help of Camio and Alsiel, I successfully completed my goal of conquering, and a never seen before civilised nation was born under my rule. Until then, it was all considered good.”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks to this, weak demons mostly no longer died because of unreasonable violence. Magic, after systematisation, became more and more efficient, and its power gradually increased. Even so, until that time, I, Camio and Alsiel did not sense that issue.”
From her back, Suzuno sensed that Maou’s breathing quickened slightly.
“Just like you know, demons are able to obtain demonic magic through the feelings of fear and despair to obtain the energy they need to survive. Even though my unification brought ‘order’ and ‘peace’ to the Demon World, ‘fear’ and ‘despair’ gradually disappeared in response. And the result is that the amount of demonic magic in the Demon World decreased in an extremely fast pace. But because of the unification, the population kept increasing. You can guess it right, the reason why the Demon World had been filled with demonic magic until now. And I caused that reason to disappear. Like this, the accumulated demonic magic will be consumed at an unbelievable speed. When I knew it would not last more than 500 years, I really had a huge headache.”
“……So, is that why all of you invaded Ente Isla? Such a shockingly ordinary reason.”
Maou could not see Suzuno’s expression. But because he could easily tell from the voice that she was listening intently, he continued to speak,
“After invading the nations, solving resource exhaustion via robbery and colonisation. As a war motive, it’s really laughingly normal right? But I had no leeway to laugh. How can I allow those citizens who believed and followed me, and those citizens of the Demon World who no longer had to worry about violence from their own people to starve because of my calculation mistake. That is why I came here.”
“In order to ‘conquer’ Ente Isla?”
Suzuno intentionally empahasised the term ‘conquer’.
“Even though we thought that all of you planned to exterminate humans because all of you look different and had overwhelming power, you never had such plans right?”
“If I said yes, would the humans forgive me?”
“Who knows. However, right now I am a cleric who listens to confessions. So I won’t suspect what you say.”
It felt as if Suzuno smiled a bit.
“If we let humans go extinct, the same thing will happen again. After all I have heard that the lifespan of humans are very short compared to us. The day when humans are exterminated would just be placing the increasing number of demons in a place with nothing. That is why I wanted to create a situation for humans to generate a suitable amount of fear and conquer them. Because of that, I strictly commanded the Four Kings to kill anyone who resisted, but they had to accept the surrender of humans. Sigh, even though the standard of implementation differed based on the demon.”
“I see. That is why all the royalty still lived safely right now.”
Before Suzuno went to Japan, she had only grasped the violent actions done by the Demon Generals to a certain extent, and there was a huge difference between the eastern, western, southern and northern continents.
At that time, based on the statistics gathered, excluding the Central Continent where the Demon Fortress appeared, the number of humans who died were mainly concentrated in the southern and western continent, and the victiims in the northern continent and eastern continent were comparatively lesser.
“After that, it would be like what you know. That Emi freed the various continents in order and in the end, I became the commander of an army which lost and drifted to Japan. Ne, it’s really shockingly boring right?”
Suzuno, who felt Maou was amusing by emphasising on boring to pull up his defences, gave a small smile while being careful not to be discovered.
“It’s not that boring. Just knowing that you’re no different from a human ‘king’ is already helpful to me. But, there is still one thing I do not understand.”
“Huh?”
When Maou turned back, he discovered that Suzuno had done the same thing, causing both their gazes to meet.
“After you came to Ente Isla, what were you doing?”
“……Me?”
Maou asked in return, surprised.
It was as if he did not expect this question at all.
Having not expected this question, in other words, this meant that the people around Maou had never questioned him about this.
“Yes, that right. After the capital of the Central Continent Isla Kentorum was destroyed, until the final battle with Emila, no one had heard of the name ‘Demon King Satan’. The ones in charge of attacking the eastern, western, southern and northern continents were the invading armies of the Demon Generals right? I want to know, after handing all the invasion work to the ‘Demon Army’, what was the ‘Demon King’ doing?”
Suzuno’s eyes reflected the wavering light of the campfire.
It was only now did Maou discovered that he had already met gazes with her for quite some time and frantically shifted his gaze away.
“If you laugh a little, I’m not going to say any more.
“You’re really unexpectedly cowardly. Are you that unconfident of what you did before?”
“Since I’m talking about my past failures, how can I have any confidence.”
Maou first said this sentence unhappily----
“I was researching ‘humans’.”
And then said this in a very small voice.
“Even though it’s not as exaggerated as demos, but these people, who are totally different in terms of species, language and appearance, can actually build up a society after war, and live a cooperative lifestyle, this made me think that humans are really a mysterious species.”
“……”
“When seeing someone injured on the roadside, the ones who would step on the person would be the demons from our Demon World, and the ones who would heal and help that person would be the humans. Where does this difference come from?”
“Not all humans are saints and gentlemen.”
“Even so, not everyone are scum like demons.”
Maou sighed lightly and looked up at the sky.
“I did many petty things. Such as renovating my room in the Demon Fortress to the style of a human conquerer. Since it would be the room of the abosolute ruler over the human world, one day the royalty from all over the world would come and declare loyalty to me, I had even casually thought about these boring things before.”
“Oh, I suddenly feel like seeing it.”
“Let me off already, I’m not going to show my room to the people I know. Besides that, things like human languages, human society and so on, I collected countless information from the destroyed towns and did research. Of course one of the reasons was to investigate who should be done to successfully conquer all of you.”
“And did you learn anything from your research?”
“Because I did not, that is why I ended in working in Japan.”
Maou shrugged.
“But things really worked out in the end. From the time I decided to conquer Ente Isla until the time I was defeated by Emi and drifted to Japan, ad could not think of the difference between humans and us, but unexpectedly, three days after drifting to Japan, I understood.”
“What is it?”
“It’s actually a very simple thing. Now that I think about it, it was so natural that it’s rather amusing.”
After Maou said this, he looked at Acies, who was sleeping at the side with a happy look on her face.
“It would be whether we need to eat or not, that’s all.”
This answer, caused Suzuno to raise her head and turn towards Maou.
“Are you referring to eating food?”
“Yeah.”
Maou nodded sincerely.
After drifting to Japan, Maou had been sent to the hospital via an ambulance because of ‘dehydration’ and ‘malnutrition’, he would never forget the hospital ceiling he saw when he woke up after sleeping for three days and three nights.
“Us demons do not have to specially do anything to obtain the demonic magic we need to survive alone. Even though some of them would eat the ones they have killed out of interest, but it was really just because of interest and definitely not because of a reason like dying because we do not eat. But humans are different. No matter how rich a person is, humans are unable to survive alone.”
After Maou said this determinedly, he intentionally turned towards Suzuno.
“This is not about psychology. After all, even a rich person would not be able to live on by eating money. They first have to use money to change for food and then eat that food. As long as a person has money, the person would be able to eat delicious food made by someone or things good for their body, because people can eat and want to eat what they like, people would want to work and earn money. Human society is formed like this. Starting from the forming factors of society, it is already different from us demons……and at that time, I didn’t even know such a simple thing.”
“……Demon King?”
“Because I did not know……I caused many citizens who believed in me to die. And shallowly think that humans can be conquered with just power and demonic magic.”
Shivers could be felt from the part of Maou’s back in contact with Suzuno’s.
“Hey, are you……”
Suzuno could not help but want to turn around, but was gently pushed back by Maou’s body.
“I’m not crying, okay. The ones that really want to cry should be the Demon Army who followed an idiot like me, or those who were killed by an idiot like me, or people like Emi who went through a tragic experience. I was wrong, even though I am a king, I made a mistake.”
Maou, who bent over, looked very small.
During the battle at Sasahata High School, Maou appeared in order to save Suzuno, Chiho and Urushihara and showed a power enough to overpower angels and demons as the aura of a king, but at this moment, these things could not be felt from him at all.
“……Even so, you still have to take action right? Because you are king.”
Suzuno said softly to that back, and Maou’s back shuddered.
“You have to put the human world and the lives of your citizens on a scale and compare them right? Demon King……”
Suzuno raised her head, and asked Demon King Satan behind her, whose expression could not be seen,
“The sin which caused pain to your heart, what is it?”
“My sin……”
“Is it killing humans and invading Ente Isla?”
“No.”
Maou denied this clearly.
Even so, Suzuno was unfazed and continued to ask in a calm tone,
“Then what is it?”
“It is betraying my people’s trust, forcing them onto the road to death……and as a king, I actually choose the wrong path……”
“If you feel regretful about that, then what should you do?”
“……”
Maou allowed Suzuno’s words to sink sentence by sentence to the bottom of his heart, and at the same time, opened his mouth and said,
“Even so, no matter what happens, until the instant I am no longer a king, I am going to continue living on as a king.”
“That’s right.”
Suzuno showed a smile, slowly got up and left Maou’s back, she did not look at the expression of the man who confessed his sin and looked up at the star filled sky.
“Didn’t you say so before? In order to lead the people following you towards a good direction, you have to continue looking at the direction you think is good and live on. Until a new king pushes you down, you have to continue pulling the people behind you. You want to become a king who can conquer demons and humans at the same time right?”
“……Then again, is this considered a confession?”
Maou replied with an expression which looked like he could be crying or smiling, like he was going to break down soon.
“The gods at your end, would they be willing to forgive the sins of demons?”
“Sigh, normally, they probably won’t, after all this is the sin of the king of demons.”
“Hey, you let to speak to this extent, isn’t that too much.”
Maou rebuked Suzuno’s unhesitant answer with all his might, but the latter shook her head with a serene smile and said,
“But, I forgive you.”
“Suzuno?”
Maou could not help but look back.
The first thing he saw was the back of the robe worn by clerics, and on the face of Suzuno which turned back slowly, was a warm smile which Maou had not seen before.
“Satan, King of Demons. The ‘solitude’ and ‘sin’ as a king, I have heard it clearly. I judged that all you said is true, and on the name of Crestia Bell, I forgive your sins. Even if god, or anyone in the world does not forgive you, it will remain so……you have done well.”
Maou looked at Suzuno’s face in a dazed manner, but after coming to his senses a short while later, he frowned and said,
“W, what’s wrong with you? Don’t tell me something strange was added in the pie we had in the day?”
“Perhaps, even I feel that I am crazy.”
Suzuno’s face seemed a little red under the illumination of the campfire.
“This is a simple thing. I was saved by you a few times. Even if you did not plan to do so, I still think I should repay you, and, I fear that…..”
“W, what is it.”
“……No, forget it.”
Suzuno shook her head lightly, left the area in front of Maou like she was releasing her tension, sat on the opposite end of the campfire and smiled wryly,
“If I continue speaking, I would simply be complaining. It would be putting the cart before the horse if I caused the confessor to feel troubled, and addition, if I express it clearly, I might touch Chiho-dono’s rage.”
“W, why are you talking about Chi-chan at this time?”
“……Right now, I finally understand how hard it is for Chiho-dono.”
Even though she had spoken like she could not withstand it, but Suzuno’s face, illuminated by the fire, still contained a smile.
“Recently, I am a believer of Chiho-dono. Sigh, just treat it like that. I……don’t have the kind of belief which Chiho-dono has, and I don’t have her kind of courage either.”
“Sigh……”
Even though Maou avoided the important point completely and managed to get through it, unable to continue rebuking, he could only stay slient.
“……Demon King.”
“What is it this time?”
It might have been Maou’s imagination, but Suzuno’s expression at this moment, for some reason, showed some sadness.
“No matter what you think, I will bet on the pride of a cleric to accept those words, so I will not tell anyone else. However……if you mean to do so one day, then tell Emilia……”
“I refuse.”
“those things just now……eh?”
“Just Emi, I will definitely not tell her.”
Maou’s overly decisive tone, caused Suzuno to become dumbfounded from shock.
“Because isn’t it unfair like this?”
Maou shook his head with a tone as stern as his expression.
“Unfair?”
“While interacting with her the past few months, I already know that even though she always makes noise about being a Hero over and over again, but mentally, she is about the same as tofu. It took her a lot of effort to pick herself up again, if she ends up being troubled just like before, don’t you feel that it would be really troublesome?”
After saying this quickly, Maou lowered his head and mumbled,
“To Emi, I am king of the invaders who messed up her life. That would be enough.”
“But, that……”
“Even if her father is still alive, the fact that what I did stole part of her life is indisputable, but I put the lives of a large number of humans, including her, and the lives of my nation and citizens on a scale, compared them, and in the end I chose my own nation and citizens.”
Maou said so slowly like he was chewing on his own words.
“I don’t care what I did to her, and also I don’t expect her forgiveness and am in no position to accept her forgiveness. If I told her these things, I will only cause her to lose her standpoint. In addition, with just this time, she has already caused us a lot of trouble.”
“……Demon King, you……”
“This time, we also have to settle the issues with Ashiya, Alas=Ramus, Acies and Nord, because the one who named Emi as a Demon General is me, since I let her take on this responsibility, I have a responsibility to help her. This is a completely different thing from Hero or Demon King, so……”
Maou glared at Suzuno lightly.
“Even if we successfully save Emi, don’t tell her anything unnecessary. This time, you as a cleric, said this was a confession, that is why I made an exception and told you. That Emi became weak right now simply because she felt she has a responsibility, you can try telling her about my issues and see how she will trouble over it. She would definitely trouble over it in an overwhelming manner. It……”
Maou slowly got up, turned his back towards Suzuno, and walked towards his tent.
“Would be better if she said one or two sarcastic sentences everytime she sees me. If not, even my pace would be messed up.”
“Demon King……”
“……Ah, hey, those sentences just now are also included in the confession, you definitely can’t tell anyone else about it okay.”
Maou bent at the waist, turned back and pointed towards Suzuno, and after he finished his sentence, he walked into the tent without even waiting for a reply.
“……”
Suzuno could not help but hug her own body, which had felt Maou’s temperature until just now.
“You’re really a thoroughly kind…..and cruel man.”
After showing a self-mocking smile, Suzuno looked up at the red and blue moon floating in the night sky and mumbled softly,
“Emilia……how you you plan to live ‘from now on’?”
“Fwah……melon ham……uhm.”
The only human who grasped part of the truth which was enough to change the world war----Crestia Bell, felt that she could not see what kind of future that truth would show at all.
“Braised shrimp bun, fried egg between toast……”
“Like this, aren’t you combining even the food you have never eaten before?”
And so even the greedy sleep talk of the innocent girl who turned into a bagworm was a really good freshener to the Suzuno who was arranging her complex thoughts.
“And my ‘from now on’……what would it become.”
Suzuno hugged herself tightly, and once she remembered her increasing heartbeat within her body, she sighed once again.
(T/N: Maou’s confessions was like one of the best things that ever happened in this series so far. QAQ)

The merchant city Kuifan was going to be overrun.
With the second coming of Hero Emilia under the flag, the Hakin Knight Troops which departed from Fangan and called themselves the ‘Fangan Milita’, started to battle from the west area of the Royal Captial, Azure Sky Canopy, planning to free the various cities occupied by the armies led by the Chieftians of the Malebranches.
The Milita consecutively recaptured the cities controlled by the members of the new Demon King Army----the Malebranche Chieftians, and in the end, they finally reached the large city after the Azure Sky Canopy, Kuifan.
The siege battle began with the overwhelming advantage from the Milita.
As Kuifan was a merchant city, it did not have sturdy city walls or defensive structures, the wide roads were easily entered by large armies and the Milita exorcised the Malebranche in front of them in the blink of an eye.
The Malebranche Chieftian occupying Kuifan, Scarmiglione was forced to the brink.
“Report! The frontline Jokokin troops have made contact with the enemy chieftian! They are beginning battle now!”
When the messenger soldier ran into the operations tent of the Milita camp and reported the information, Emi slowly got up.
“Let me go. The strength of these chieftains are completely different from the normal Malebranches, with insufficient battle power, this cannot be won.”
Emi did not use the holy sword, but picked up the sword Olba prepared for her and prepared to leave the tent, but was stopped by a voice.
“No, there is no need to do so.”
Emi turned and glared at the advisor of the Milita, Olba, who was staying in the end and standing by.
“Olba, do you want the Hakin Troops to die unnecessarily? If I go, it would be over in an instant.”
“Even though you’re right, but even so, the General should not enter the battlefield so easily. It would be okay if they are having a difficult battle, but if the General appears when the army is at an advantage, it would damage the morale of my army.”
“……But!”
Emi’s hand which was holding the handle of the sword was shaking.
“Emilia, you are the symbolic General of this Milita. Please do not act too indiscreetly. Just your bravery would be enough to give courage to those present.”
“Ugh……”
Emi glanced at the Hakin officers which have been on standby in the tent since leaving Fangan.
All of them did not understand Emi’s true intentions at all, and their faces surged with hope and courage.
“Then, I can at least make a suggestion. Since our victory is certain, there is no need to create more sacrifices. Give a surrender warning to the Malebranche army. Our purpose is to free Kuifan, not a one-sided massacre……”
Emi gave the advice with a close to pleading face, but Olba actually said in genuine surprise,
“Emilia, are you telling us to let the demons off?”
“That is……”
All the gazes in the tent focused on Emi.
Emi was unable to immediately answer Olba’s question.
Emi was unable to sort out her heart which could not give an answer for unknown reasons when another messenger soldier ran into the tent.
“An Idea Link from the front line troops! Urgent message! It’s an urgent message!”
Even though it was not yet five minutes since the last transmission, there was joy all over the soldier’s face, seeing this, Emi sucked in a breath in despair.
“An urgent message from the frontline troops! Made contact with the enemy Malebranche Chief, then defeated the other party after a vicious battle! The enemy chieftain is confirmed dead! We have successfully freed Kuifan!”
“Uooohh!”
The tent was rocked with cheers, even if Emi obviously gave a stony look, not one official at the scene noticed.
The news which the messenger soldier brought back happily was what Emi feared the most.
“It was……only a demon, just the enemy of humans disappearing……”
When everyone was immersed in the victory of the freeing of Kuifan, within the Milita, only Emi was hugging her legs, squatting in the empty operations tent.
“That’s right, this is retribution. They had wanted to conquer Ente Isla after the Demon Army, the remnants of the Demon World……they are only terrifying demons which the humans should defeat……and there is only one less.”
The voice of Emi as she was mumbling to herself held no emotion, it was like she was just purely listing facts without any feelings at all.
“Demons, are enemies. They are enemies and Ente Isla and I, as long as we kill them all, the world will regain peace………..”
“What…are ‘Demons’ exactly?”
“Ugh.”
Fearing the voice from deep within her heart, Emi hugged herself tightly like she wanted to squash something and made herself smaller.
“E, enemies. Demons are, enemies of humans. Terrifying enemies, who threaten humans……”
“are just like the Malebranches that day……just like those idiotic Malebranche chieftians who deeply believe they can take revenge for Demon King Satan and the Demon Generals.”
“Ughh!”
Emi grasped her head and groaned.
She should have known this.
During this period of more than one year, she should have seen a completely different side to this world, humans and demons.
“Why…..even though the ones that died are demons, I am still so……”
She did not plan to say that enemies also have their own troubles.
Even though she had doubts in her heart, but even if she was facing Maou and the demons, she was still confident in seeing them as enemies.
However, even though a Malebranche Chieftian whom she had never seen had died, why was she seized by such a sense of guilt.
If the Malebranches were not defeated here, Kuifan would continue to be conquered by demons.
In order to free the people of Kuifan, battling should be the right choice.
“……Mama.”
Right now, Emi was so mentally burned out that she could not even hear Alas=Ramus’s call from within.
Emi got up weakly, and withough being able to sort out the strong feelings which messed up her mind, she returned to her own private tent, and collapsed on the bed without even taking off her armour.
Emi, lying on the bed weakly, entered her dreams in a state resembling death.
“……Ugh.”
Emi slept with a grimance on her face, Alas=Ramus appeared next to her and used her small hands to touch the cheeks of her ‘Mama’ who was already exhausted.
At this moment.
“Uu?”
Alas=Ramus looked up at the ceiling like she discovered something.
“Who is it?”
Even though she momentarily felt a nostalgic presence, like a small pebble in the desert, it immediately disappeared within the presences of the world.
Even so, Alas=Ramus still placed her hand against her forehead and looked around in the darkness for a long time.

“Ah~h, so messy.”
“……”
“You heard it too right? I did stop them before okay.”
“……”
“Hey~let’s communicate a bit, it’s not as if we don’t know each other at all.”
“……What are you planning.”
“Oh, you’re finally willing to talk.”
This was at the throne at the top of Azure Sky Canopy castle. In the throne room where the Unifying Azure Emperor who ruled the Afashan Empire should be, the group of people were sprawled on the ground.
The ones lying on the floor were all strong people from the Hakin Knight Troops.
The one who caused them to lie on the floor of the throne room was----
“How is it, Ashiya-kun, no, Demon General Alsiel, what does the throne of the Azure Sky Canopy feel like, after sitting in it again after a long time?”
“……It’s disgusting.”
The joint like two tails swayed impatiently, from the throne, Alsiel glared at Gabriel who was leaning against the pillar near the entrance and looking over here happily.
Even if the torn cloth of the UNIXLO which could not withstand the change in size was still sticking on his body, the presence was genuine.
“Archangel Gabriel, what are you planning.”
“I am not planning anything. Us angels will not specially help humans, and this place is not Japan, you are clear about this right? Hey, be happier. You are finally back in the Ente Isla you missed. Your demonic magic has been fully regained, you don’t have to use a ladder when you go to the supermarket in future and you don’t need to glare at the pricetag of the cleaning liquids anymore.”
Gabriel spread his arms, and showed a suspicious posture.
“Sigh, I know this feels like a lie. Sorry sorry.”
As Alsiel did not react at all, Gabriel could only end the conversation himself.
“……Is this really Azure Sky Canopy?”
“That’s right. Do you want to see?”
“Hmph.”
Alsiel humph-ed once, got down from the throne, and passed by Gabriel.
“Ugh……ughh……”
As if they were chasing after the back of the demon, the knights lying on the floor groaned.
“How ugly~they’re still known as the elite of Afashan like this, the Hakin Knight Troops, why is everyone so hard to deal with. Even though I told them they would definitely be unable to beat you and not to act carelessly, everyone was freaked out by your transformation, such that I could not stop them in time. Thank you for not killing them.”
“……There’s no value in killing them, killing them is meaningless.”
After walking out to the balcony at the top of the castle, Alsiel mumbled this.
When Ashiya obtained his Alsiel form again, the Hakin Knight Troops in charge of watching him momentarily descended into panic.
They actually wanted to tie Alsiel, who looked like he did not plan to do anything, to the throne, but in the end, they ended up with this result instead.
Even if he saw the scenery of the Afashan capital in front of him, Alsiel’s expression did not change and looked back towards Gabriel, who had a frivolous smile on his face.
“What kind of work do you plan to push to me?”
“Oh, you know?”
“Emilia’s father appearing at that the apartment was a coincidence. If a commotion occurred at Sasaki Chiho’s school, Bell would naturally take action. Therefore, your goal should be just me.”
“It could be Lucifer or Satan?”
“If so, you should have come over when they are at home. You’re not the type of person who would attack without confirming the target.”
“Haha, alright alright, it is like that. Your job is simple. You just have to sit on that throne in an exaggerated manner. What happens next will develop on its own.”
“……”
After Alsiel turned back and looked towards Gabriel’s frivolous gaze, he closed his eyes for a bit to think.
“How strange.”
“Eh?”
“If so, then why did you let me see what is outside?”
“Uh? Is there a problem?”
“If you really plan to just let me sit on that throne, then Gabriel, you would definitely not allow me to confirm the situation outside. Confirm the situation of the Royal Capital, Azure Sky Canopy, where no Malebranches could be seen at all.”
“……Ohh.”
Even though Gabriel’s tone was light, his expression was unexpectedly sincerely showing awe.
“In fact, you should not even appear in front of me. The job of kidnapping me, originally should be done by the Malebranche and the humans right?”
“Can I ask why you think this way?”
“It’s simple. Because even if all the Chieftians of the Malebranche attack you together, they would not be your match. And all of you are not a noble existence like those worshipped by humans through the bible. If so, it would be simpler to think that all this is because of the actions of Heaven. Olba Meyers and Barbariccia both deceived by the sweet words from all of you, that is why you’re here now right.”
“……”
“Once someone sees the figures of angels, they would be able to deduce that regardless of the Malebranche building up a new Demon Army, or Afashan declaring war on the other states while being controlled by the Malebranche, it is just things occurring on the surface. Your goal is hidden behind all of this. Logically, you shouldn’t be appearing in front of me.”
“Hm……this would be troublesome.”
Gabriel scratched his stomach in an uncouth manner and showed a surrendering posture.
“It’s just as you deduced. I shouldn’t be the one appearing in front of you. The one appearing next to the awakened you, should be Barbariccia. This is for the sake of…….”
“generating the impression that ‘Alsiel has returned’ right.”
Alsiel interrupted Gabriel and said.
“It feels just like a huge hero from the universe.”
“Because amongst the four Generals, only I do not have the record of fighting Emilia.”
“You really don’t rebuke at all……hm? For the situation right now, should I be the one rebuking?”
“I heard some people that spread false rumours about the battle which occurred at the Demon Fortress in the Central Continent. If the situation turns into Demon General Alsiel returning to Afashan which is controlled by the Malebranche, everyone would feel that the Demon Army is going to attack again.”
“Yeahhh, so?”
“And then……the people of Ente Isla, will hope that the Hero can return and exorcise the Demon Army which had appeared again. Because of this, all of you used some method to make Emilia stay here right?”
“Since you already said this much, then I’ll listen to the end.”
“……The revival of the Demon Army and the revival of the Hero. The people hope for the Hero to win, and in fact, all of you probably planned for Barbariccia and I to be defeated together by Emilia. The revived Hero Emilia, exorcised the evil Demon Army which planned to conquer Afashan again and brought light to Ente Isla once more. A really easy to understand script.”
“I feel that it’s actually not that easy to understand……sigh, since you’re one of the people involved, it’s easier to deduce.”
“But at this moment, there are two questions. Why reveal Emilia’s existence out only now. Why are you angels controlling everything in the background. As for the reason to reveal the existence of Emilia, who was originally supposed to be erased off, it can be deduced that it is for the sake of making the Church admit Olba Meyer’s sly plans for a self purifying effect. As for the reason for the actions of all of you in the background, I still cannot see it.”
“Yeah, because we had never let you see it.”
After Alsiel ignored Gabriel who still faced this frivolously and continued his deduction, the archangel started to speak,
“But no matter what, we are still angels. Perhaps we want to weaken the demons’ power in the demon world and in order to protect the future peace of Ente Isla, we especially attracted the demons to come out, give hope to the people……”
“All of you, who did not act even when the Demon Army had 80% of the land in Ente Isla in our hands, you can still dare to say such things.”
“……That’s true.”
“All of you definitely would not act in the background in order to erase mere Chieftians of the Malebranche. Else, all of you would have secretly buried the Demon King and I when we were in Japan……Gabriel, what are your goals?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“As long as we continue wasting time, Emilia will quickly appear at this place, fight me and the Malebranches, and like this, it would at least greatly reduce the number of demons with power, and fulfil the goal of allowing the humans of Ente Isla to find hope again. But……you don’t plan to let things develop this way.”
“Why do you think so?”
“There are a lot of reasons. Such as letting me see the outside, time and material to grasp the situation and so on.
Just from this information, it can be deduced that you wish to use Emilia and I to help you do something. And it is for other purposes other than the ‘original purpose of Heaven’.”
“……So, you’re really not just a man who would trouble over the size of eggs at the supermarket.”
“……You……where did you hide to spy that, dirty rat.”
Alsiel, who had spoken with a resolute attitude the whole time, was shaken for the first time because of this.
Gabriel showed a wry smile, sat on the edge of the balcony and looked over the far away towns below Azure Sky Canopy.
“I’m sorry, I’m not placing any hopes on Emilia and you. Just like you thought, the goal on the surface of this farce is to let you and the Malebranches be defeated by Emilia. It was lucky that we were also able to find Nord Justina. You try to let Hero Emilia defeat the enemy Demon General, save Ente Isla again, and arrange for her to have a fated meeting with the father she has been separated from for many years. It would definitely be thoroughly touching and deserving of the Oscar award.”
“……”
“And then, I’m just about tired of this kind of farce.”
“……?”
“I’m very afraid. ‘Yesod’, or ‘Geburah’, they are supposed to be existences we cannot interfere with. When I kidnapped you from Japan to here, I have already met the completed ‘Black’ blood. She’s seriously scary~in a rare moment, I really thought I would die.”
“Completed black…..?”
“I, want to save Heaven.”
“What are you saying?”
Alsiel asked back with a low voice,
“Heaven has not been invaded by anyone?”
“That’s true.”
Gabriel smiled wryly.
“Heaven is planning to commit the same mistake. They called the only chance they encountered in the past ‘The Great Disaster’ and acted like nothing had happened. In order to enjoy the idle peace right now. But what is saddening is that I cannot do anything by myself. Even though I’m a really strong good looking person, I still can’t do anything against the tyranny of the majority.”
“……”
“That was a chance to rebuke just now. But, even if they are such hopeless people, to me they are comrades I cannot abandon. No matter how idiotic, lazy, and arrogant, they are still comrades I spent 10,000 years with.”
“10,000 years is too exaggerated. Even for demons, no one has lived beyond 4,000 years.”
“……You really can’t match with the jokes at all.”
Gabriel smiled from his heart, then jumped down from the edge of the balcony and stretched his muscles.
“I just want to ask one thing of you. When Emilia comes here, I hope you can stretch out your battle with her as much as possible. Considering buffer time, I hope you can continuously battle her for at least two days or more.”
“……”
After Gabriel patted Alsiel’s shoulder, he left slowly.
Alsiel followed his back with his gaze.
“When we first met, I originally did not expect anything from him at all. Because he planned to sacrifice his life so easily. But……during the time he lived in ‘that world’, he probably thought about many things in his own way.”
“What do you mean?”
“After waiting for two thousand years, a new ‘Great Demon King’ has finally been born. This time might really be our last chance.”
Gabriel’s usually relaxed voice was blown away by the wind which blew across the top floor and did not reach Alsiel’s ears.
(T/N: Hmm, is this why Gabriel was angry at Maou in Volume 3 when Maou mentioned the Ancient Demon King? Since Gabriel was planning for this all along, imagine waiting two thousand years for a new Demon King to appear and when you finally meet this Demon King, he was nothing you expected (e.g sacrificing his life so easily), and then mentioning the Ancient Demon King was probably the last straw which made Gabriel lose his temper.)

“Damn it, why! Why did things turn out like this?”
A sharp voice rocked the Azure Sky Canopy.
“Where did Olba go! Why isn’t he back yet!”
Even if his height was only slightly taller than a normal grown male, the cape worn over the body of the speaker still could not completely hide his proof as a Malebranche----a.k.a the thin, scythe like sharp claw on both left and right hands.
The owner of that beautifully sharp claw with a length far surpassing that of a normal Malebranche and as strong as a well honed scythe was the current top Chieftian of the Malebranche Clan, Barbariccia.
“Calm down, Barbariccia-sama, even if you make a lot of noise, the situation will not change.”
“Shut up, Farfar! How can I calm down!”
The Malebranche known as Barbariccia got up with a force enough to tip over the chair and swung his claw downwards to vent off his anxiety.
The other Malebranche, was the one who had commanded the personification of ‘Geburah’, Iron, the young Chieftian who faced Maou and the others in Japan, Farfarello.
He tried to persuade the head of the clan, Barbariccia, while looking down at the meeting table which had been brutally destroyed, and sighed lightly.
“Raguel! Weren’t you with him? Where did Olba disappear to!”
Barbariccia ignored Farfarello’s obvious attitude and glared at the afro haired man who was sitting opposite the table in an uncouth manner.
“……I don’t know either.”
“Stop joking! How can you not know!”
“Even if you say that, it doesn’t change the fact that I do not know. By the way, isn’t the situation right now very bad? Whether Olba is around or not, it doesn’t change your disadvantageous situation right?”
“Ughhhh.”
Barbariccia, who became the overall leader of the Malebranche after Demon Generals Malacoda’s death, glared at the map of the whole of the Afashan empire, which had slid down from the meeting table he destroyed.
“What exactly happened at Fangan and Kuifan?”
Barbariccia stepped on the empire map with gritted teeth.
“Sigh, at least it can be confirmed that it’s a really bad thing.”
Raguel kept his posture of crossing one leg over the other and looked down at Barbariccia stepping on the empire map without moving at all.
“Then, what do you plan to do? Based on the reports by the Hakin Knight Troops who stayed in the Royal Capital, for the Malebranche Chieftians, excluding Libicocco, who stayed behind in Azure Sky Canopy to recover after getting seriously injured in the forign world Japan, there’s only two of you left, you know?”
Raguel’s voice did not contain any anxiousness at all.
But this sentence still cast a veil of shadow over Barbariccia’s and Farfarello’s expressions.
“Helping us in this kind of emergency, isn’t that your job?”
This time, even Farfarello’s tone started to become crude, but the afro head angel still replied coldly,
“Our interpretation of emergency is a little different. First, didn’t we agree that regarding the invasion of Ente Isla, it would be handled fully by all of you? Or else, it would be letting the Demon King Satan down. In addition, even though we did say that we will help arrange your reinvasion, but we have never said that we would work hard to take care of all of you to this extent.”
“Y, you……”
“And we have already done what we ought to do. Not only did we allow Demon General Alsiel, who would suffice to be your commander, to return here, we even brought back the holder of the other holy sword you wanted, Hero Emilia’s father. Don’t tell me that even if we did this much, are you going to say that you cannot do anything by yourself?”
Even though Alsiel’s name caused Barbariccia’s expression to show slight relief, Farfarello’s expression became gloomy instead.
“We should have followed Demon King-sama’s instructions at that time……”
“Farfar, what did you say!”
“……Nothing.”
“Anyway, the urgent thing right now is to ascertain whether Draghignazzo and Scarmiglione are safe, as well as investigate the true identity of the army which set off from Fangan and are attacking Azure Sky Canopy! Farfar, fly to the scene first and ascertain the situation……”
The moment Barbariccia issued these commands which have not been thought through deeply.
The heavy doors of the meeting room opened, and the moment a man appeared, Barbariccia and Farfarello subconsciously straightened their posture.
Even though Raguel did not move, he still looked at the opened door with a rather tense expression.
(T/N: Before I get any complaints, this is Ente Isla so the demons and humans here are not speaking Japanese. So no japanese honorifics, yah?)
“A…..”
“Lord ….Alsiel…”
“Explain the situation to me in a simple manner.”
After Alsiel simply said this with a low voice, he moved his finger a bit, the table which Barbariccia destroyed and the wrinkled empire map immediately regained their original states.
“L, Lord Alsiel, I have already heard about the details of the foreign world Japan from Farfar, even though I think that you’re probably very angry right now, but the Malebranche clan definitely did not betray the Demon King……”
“I’ve said that I wanted all of you to explain the situation in a simple manner.”
Shocked by the aura of the Demon General, the commander of the new Demon Army Barbariccia franctically justified his actions to Alsiel in a reverant and respectful manner, but was immediately cut off by Alsiel’s short sentence.
“Lord Alsiel, let me explain.”
Replacing Barbariccia, who could not say anything, the young Farfarello stood in front of the restored meeting table.
After glancing at Farfarello’s extremely tired expression, Alsiel nodded and said,
“……You’re the one who commanded Iron……”
“That’s right, the one who was rude to Demon King Satan and the new General MgRonalds Barista Chiho (Mgr on Ald Ballista) was the lowly me. The lowly me is willing to accept what Lord Alsiel deals to me later, but please allow the lowly me to answer Lord Alsiel’s question.”
(T/N: Farfarello uses 小人 when he refers to himself above. 小人 in English can be directly translated to ‘the humble me’, but since he is trying to redeem himself because he knows (or thinks) that he is in trouble rather than simply being respectful, ‘the lowly me’ would be more appropriate.)
After Farfarello bowed once, he pointed his long thin claw towards the map of the empire.
“The Malebranches, Olba and Lord Raguel, the emissary from Heaven attacked Afashan together, occupied this place, and supressed the main cities of Afashan after that. Then in order to welcome Demon King Satan in the future, we decided to recapture Lord Satan’s Demon Fortress in the Central Continent. In order to disband the Five
Continent Knight Alliance who were planning the restoration of the Central Continent, we especially strengthened the military power of the Afashan Hakin Knight Troops and let them declare war on the world.”
“Hm.”
“The strategy came into effect afterwards, the human knight troops returned to their home continents to commence preparations, and the Central Continent was void of defenses. By accusing the Church in the Western Continent for hiding the holy sword of Hero Emilia, we succeeded in shaking the military balance of the various continents and put our efforts into sowing discord, causing the powers in the human world to be unable to be as united as before.”
“Then why are all of you facing trouble now?”
Alsiel quickly glared at Raguel who was looking over with an amused gaze and immediately asked a question.
Farfarello used his claw to point out a few locations on the map, and said fluently at the same time,
“The various cities guarded by the various Chieftians, the Malebranche Troops under them, and the Hakin Knight Troops controlled under us, were lost consecutively during these few days.”
“Oh.”
Even though Alsiel was nodding seriously, his gaze was no longer on the map but was obviously glaring at Raguel, who was observing the development of the situation.
“At the two points between Azure Sky Canopy and Fangan, we stationed the Chieftians Draghignazzo and Scarmiglione, but after these two lost contact, I’m afraid that the area controlled by Libicocco, who got injured in the foreign world Japan and is now receiving treatment in Azure Sky Canopy, it might just be a matter of time……”
“I see.”
Alsiel nodded without any feeling, looked at Raguel and crossed his arms.
“In short, all of you were stupid enough to be tricked by the honeyed words of Olba and the rodents of Heaven, and wasted my past conquered land, and in the end, never mind about recapturing the Demon Fortress, you even needlessly sacrificed the citizens of Demon King Satan.”
“……The lowly me has nothing to say.”
“T, that, but, Lord Alsiel……!”
Even though Farfarello nodded in compliance, Barbariccia seemed to want to refute----
“Be quiet, Barbariccia! You imbecile!”
And what he got in return was Alsiel’s loud and angry reprimand.
“With things as they are now, I do not plan to reprimand you for deploying troops without permission. After all, in the end, we are to blame for being too useless such that all of you felt indignation. But! Why didn’t you faithfully following the orders which Demon King Satan wanted Farfarello to convey! Lord Demon King should have ordered all of you to return to the Demon World!”
“……”
“The lowly me is really……unworthy of Lord Demon King.”
“Don’t be so angry. They also could not easily back off from what they have done. And things did go very smoothly for a while.”
“That was what all of you wanted, you Heaven rodents who act sneakily in the dark.”
Even if he was facing Raguel, who was speaking up for the Malebranche, Alsiel was still merciless.
“Saying that I’m a rodent is too mean. In fact, we are standing on your side this time. And we also helped you make many preparations you know?”
“I am already tired of the acting from you angels. Even though I don’t know what all of you wish to use us for, don’t think that I, Alsiel, will obediently play along!”
Acting faster than words can describe, Alsiel disappeared like fog and appeared behind Raguel in the next instant, swinging his claw towards the very easy to aim head with enough force to shatter the skull.
“Hm?”
But his arm was stopped by someone from behind.
And it was not just that.
The one who grabbed Alsiel’s wrist who had the hardest body in the Demon World with great force was actually the arm of a child.
“Y, you are……”
After Alsiel turned back and saw that the person who pressed down his arm from behind was a dark skinned boy, he shouted in surprise.
On the black fringe, there was a clump of red hair.
“You are, Iron……is it......I thought you listened to Farfarello’s orders……”
Alsiel could not help but suspect that the young Malebranche Chieftian had betrayed them.
“Oh, about him, our side only lent him out before, this does not meant that the young man betrayed you, so you can relax.”
“Lent……? Uhm?”
The young boy born from the ‘Geburah’ Sephirah, not oly did he deflect the blade of the ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ which had merged with Alas=Ramus earlier, he even easily sent Suzuno, who was using her full power, flying, right now it looks like even Demon General Alsiel who had regained his demonic magic was unable to fight against his shocking arm strength.
Iron, tipped Alsiel over with terrifying power with a blank expression, and threw him towards the wall behind directly.
“Ugh!”
Even if he managed to avoid the strong impact, Alsiel was still stunned by the unmeasureable power of the young boy’s arm strength.
“Sigh, perhaps because we lent this kind of child out, they might have misunderstood many things, don’t blame them too much.
Raguel gave a sideways look to the shocked Alsiel and leisurely stood up.
After patting Iron’s hair, he strolled up to Alsiel, then the punk style afro head smiled with in a dark and evil manner,
“After all, the Demon World will have no future.”
“What……?”
“Oh my, if you perform well enough at the battle later, the results might be different. But……”
The moment Raguel finished whispering to Alsiel, Raguel and Iron’s bodies were surrounded by a dim glow, and disappeared without a trace.
“Demons will have to die. This is for the sake of our future. Sigh, do your best.”
Alsiel, Farfarello and Barbariccia could only stand there and watch the evil angel disappear.
“W, what is going on, that Raguel! If this goes on, forget about regaining the Demon Fortress, we might even have to give up Afashan!”
“……In the first place, you Malebranches only have that much power.”
Alsiel flexed the wrist which Iron had thrown him with, sighing at the same time.
“Even though I don’t know how many other angels there are besides Raguel, in the worse case scenario, perhaps even if I worked with all of you, we would not be able to win anyone of them. Looks like we are completely at their mercy.”
From Gabriel’s tone, Heaven did want to use Alsiel ad Barbariccia to do something, and basically even the new Demon Army group of Barbariccia was to guide them towards that goal.
Every single Malebranche Chieftian who survived could not match the dead Malacoda in strength at all, it can be said that from the time they had been controlled from behind by the angels with overwhelming power, the fates of Barbariccia and the other had been sealed.
“B, but Lord Alsiel, we know the angels’ power very well. As long as we get the holy sword, as long as we get the holy sword, we will no longer be at their mercy, that damn Raguel, actually casually bringing an unknown man over and saying that he is the father of Hero Emilia, who has the holy sword……”
Barbariccia did not seem to understand his own foolishness and said this to Alsiel agitatedly.
But in Alsiel’s eyes, for demons, just getting the holy sword itself was impossible.
“Imbecile. The ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ which Emilia has is not a simple weapon. It is an holy existence created using the ‘Yesod’ Sephirah as its core, a jewel which makes up the world born from the Tree of Life. Us demons, without any holy magic, even if we obtain the holy sword, we cannot wield any power……”
“Eh? N, no, Lord Alsiel, it’s not like that.”
“……What?”
Barbariccia reached into his clothes frantically.
“I had thought that you would know when Farfar used that Iron…..”
Once Alsiel saw Barbariccia take ‘that’ out, he widened his eyes in shock.
“The power of the Sephirah is definitely not something just used by angels and humans.”
A small purple stone was placed at the tip of the huge claw.
That was definitely something Alsiel----Ashiya Shiro had seen countless times before, a fragment of the ‘Yesod’ Sephirah.
“As you can see, this also reacts strongly to our demonic magic.”
Barbariccia concentrated a little and injected demonic magic into the fragment from his claw.
“H, how is this possible……this, this is……”
The dim purple glow Alsiel was already used to seeing, actually started to surround the fragment.
Barbariccia explained quickly to the stunned Alsiel,
“When I sent Ciriatto with troops to head towards foreign world Japan, I has tried to use this fragment and telepathy orb to look for the whereabouts of Emilia’s holy sword. Even though the plan failed because Ciriatto did not return, but this fragment, after injecting demonic magic, had attracted other fragments once.”
Even though Alsiel had never witnessesed it, but he knew that Ciriatto, who appeared above the sea of Japan’s Chiba prefecture Choshi, had the telepathy orb which can react to Emi’s holy sword.
Until now, Alsiel had only seen Emi use the ‘Yesod’ fragment, so naturally he believed that whether it was the holy sword or Sephirah, they were things which could only be used by those with holy magic.
But the fact which Barbariccia just revealed, overthrew that premise.
“Holy sword……Sephirah, they aren’t holy things?”
Like he was talking to himself, Alsiel tried to accept this fact----
“……Ugh!”
Then he suddenly thought of something.
Then at this moment, he finally reached one of the ends of ‘Garbiel’s personal goal’ which Gabriel had mentioned at the balcony of the Azure Sky Canopy.
“Barbariccia, Farfarello!”
““Yes!””
“Nord Justina……Emilia’s father who was brought here together with me, where is he right now!”
“Yes, that, he is imprisoned in one of the rooms in Azure Sky Canopy castle……that person, is really Emilia’s father after all?”
“If you, who has a fragment of ‘Yesod’ suspects this much, that means……”
A scene suddenly flashed in Alsiel’s head.
Villa Rosa Sasazuka in the huge rain.
In the eyes of Alsiel that time, Nord, kicked into the room by Maou, looked just like a normal human.
And then Maou disappeared into the sky together with a silver haired girl.
“Nord does not have the holy sword?”
“W, what you said is correct……”
Barbaricica and Farfarello, who could not guess Alsiel’s thoughts, could only look at one another.
But including the important information he obtained just now, all the information obtained until now were intersecting in a complex manner in Alsiel’s head.
After thinking quietly for a while.
“Even though I cannot guess their goals, I know what Gabriel wants to do here.”
“Eh?”
Alsiel rearranged the information in his head and then clicked his tongue unhappily.
“I’m so useless, don’t tell me there are no other strategies to solve this situation other than doing what they want?”
“Is, is something wrong……”
Alsiel walked towards the meeting table, traced across the map and said,
“Simply put, the one who is killing your Chieftians and heading towards Azure Sky Canopy is Hero Emila.”
“E, Emilia?”
“Isn’t Emilia in the foreign world Japan?”
“Emilia returned to Ente Isla a few weeks ago. The angels and Olba Meyers used some kind of method to force Emilia to comply, take up arms and advance towards this royal capital. And their goal, is to let Emilia kill us here.”
“What did you say?”
“F, for what purpose……?”
“Based on my deductions, Raguel’s and Heaven’s original goal should be to weaken the Demon World further, and use the fighting of demons to increase the belief and hope of the citizens of Ente Isla.”
Alsiel looked at the marks indicated on the map of the Afashan Empire, the attack situation of the ‘mysterious force’ which consecutively defeated the Malebranche Chieftians who controlled Afashan.
“Damn Emilia…….even though she was throwing around so many words before, she still got involved into something troublesome in the end……”
“Lord Alsiel?”
“Barbariccia. After I returned here, how many days have passed?”
“Yes? Uh, t, that, by the time of this place, it’s seven days.”
“Seven days huh……hm.”
Alsiel quickly cleaned up the situation in his mind.
Putting Gabriel’s issue aside first, since Raguel and Olba’s goal was to let Emi defeat Alsiel, then before Alsiel
regained his demonic magic and changed back into his demon form, they probably would not attack Azure Sky Canopy.
On the contrary, since Alsiel was already awake, it was not hard to imagine that Raguel will contact Olba, wanting him to change his advancement path towards Azure Sky Canopy.
Since he did not know how many other angels there are besides Gabriel and Raguel, then even if Alsiel had obtained his demon form again, they could not act carelessly.
Even though he did not know the reason, for Emi to obediently join Olba’s army, she probably met up with a situation which could not be solved with fighting power.
Even though he was not aware of it himself, strangely, Alsiel was currently seriously thinking of a way to break through the predicament together with Emi before Heaven could act.
“……Lor Alsiel ……”
Farfarello looked at the quiet General worriedly, but after a short while, Alsiel opened his mouth and said,
“This week, Demon King-sama’s shift is Monday morning shift and leaving early, Tuesday night shift, Wednesday whole day, Thursday noon shift and stand-in shop manager until afternoon shift, Friday noon shift until closing, Saturday rest, Sunday whole day, then next Monday rest again, Tuesday morning shift…….”
(T/N: Alsiel, I applaud your memory. )
“Eh?”
Alsiel continuously spewed words which were very foreign strange words to the two Malebranches.
“Farfar, what’s wrong with Alsiel-sama……?”
“I, I don’t know……I just know that it seems to be the foreign world language…….”
Ignoring the whispering Malebranches, Alsiel continued to think.
“The key is whether he is able to find someone to replace the Sunday whole day shift and Thursday stand-in shop manager day. The working sitatuion of the other employees that day should not be that tight. It would still be more suitable to think that Demon King-sama would be able to act, at earliest, on Thursday afternoon.”
Before the commotion at Villa Rosa Sasazuka, Alsiel had been making preparations for Maou to chase after Emi and Alas=Ramus.
If Ooguro Amane passed Alsiel’s words onto Maou correctly, then Maou would definitely take action.
“And even just one second more, as long as we can continue living on…….Barbariccia.”
“……Y, yes!”
Barbariccia, who was suddenly called, frantically straightened his posture.
“How about the Unifying Azure Emperor? Don’t tell me you killed him?”
Until now, Alsiel had never seen the absolute authority holder of the top of the Eastern Contient, ak.a Afashan Empire----the Unifying Azure Emperor.
“Yes, because that old man is the symbol of Afashan, and is very important when declaring war on the whole world, in order to avoid him dying from the demonic magic of us demons, we sent the Seisuikin knight troops which can use barrier spells to be on hand, and put him on house arrest at a small castle tower ‘Cloud Detached Palace’.”
“Hm, it’s a rather good decision coming from you.”
Alsiel nodded.
“I have something to say to the Unifying Azure Emperor, lead the way.”
“Yes? B, but……”
“Don’t worry about those angels.”
Alsiel held firmly onto his belief.
“I will temporarily be manipulated by then, and work a little as an actor.”
Even if they were confused, the two Malebranche Chieftians still complied and brought Alsiel to the small castle tower, Gabriel on the roof watched them while showing a wry smile.
“Work as an actor huh. Alright, I understand. But correspondingly, you will have to dance well okay.”
Then after lightly clapping once, he suddenly disappeared from the scene.
Vol 9 Continuing Chapter: Demon King, Throwing Up
The next day, Suzuno woke up because of a shock of someone hitting her cheeks.
As she thought it was Acies who woke her up again with her sleeping posture, she opened her eyes like she had given up-----
“!!!!!----?”
So when she discovered Maou’s face inside the tent, Suzuno, who thought her heart would jump out of her mouth, jumped up.
“Demon uhm!”
Even though Suzuno almost shouted out loud, her mouth was immediately covered by Maou’s hand.
“???”
Unablet to understand Maou’s actions, the face of the shocked Suzuno alternated between red and white.
Even though Suzuno also thought that her actions last night did not match her usual style, she never thought that it would be so strange that Maou would also follow suit and do this kind of strange actions, causing her to panic.
IN addition, Maou even leaned his face in towards her ear, causing her to almost suffocate.
“Don’t make any noise, someone’s approaching.”
This sentence caused Suzuno to instantly calm down, and used her gaze to show that she understood the situation.
Perhaps because he did not sleep well, faint black eye circles appeared around Maou’s eyes, but right now, things like that were not important.
“……Meat chocolate simple stewed vegetables using microwave oil to thaw sashmi……..uhmgu.”
Maou covered Acies’s mouth, cutting off her sleep talk from an unknown dream and used his gaze and hand to point the direction out to Suzuno.
Suzuno, who was in the sleeping bag entirely took this chance to stretch out her hands and legs, pulled off her hair clip and adopted a guarded posture.
Suzuno’s long hair spread out from the sleeping bag, and matching with the bright coloured design, it looked more like a insect eating plant then a bag worm, but anyway, after confirming that Suzuno had entered battle standby mode, Maou peered outside through the gap in the tent.
“Is it an enemy?”
“If a comrade could still come in this situation, I would welcome it very much.”
Suzuno and Maou conversed in soft voices.
“But I don’t have any idea, it would be good if it is just a traveller passing through.”
“……That seems unlikely.”
Suzuno gripped the hair clip tightly, and could change it into a giant hammer anytime.
Footsteps sounds which could no longer be missed out were approaching this place from the fog covered forest.
Even though the footsteps sounded like there was only one person, it was difficult to imagine that there would be a traveller who would be so strange to avoid the streets and enter a forest.
“Even if Acies is asleep, would she be able to use her power?”
“Other than complaining continuously after being forced awake, I think it’ll be fine.”
Maou did not seem optimistic as well.
It looks like the owner of the footsteps did not intend to hide the sounds, and stepped over the grass and wood in the straight line, walking towards Maou and the others.
Is it a patrolling Hakin Knight Troop, or an angel or demon who appeared after discovering the movements of Maou and the others?
No matter what, they would not be able to avoid fighting, and the Mopeds as well as most of the camping equipment might have to be abandoned here.
Even though they were not that far from the royal capital, their luck was really too bad, just as Maou and Suzuno half given up.
“Is this a Moped that’s what it’s called right?”
Maou and Suzuno did not miss the unique term said by the low pitched male voice, and Maou still had some impression of that voice.
Even though the language of Ente Isla was used, but did he mention ‘Moped’ in the middle?
“….Ah……hm, who are the people over there?”
After doing some throat exercises, what was said from that man’s mouth was obvious Japanese.
“Is it the Demon King, Alsiel, Lucifer, Sasaki-san, or the person called Crestia Bell?”
“Wha……”
At this moment, Suzuno felt even more shocked then just now when she saw Maou’s face close up.
Someone who can use Japanese to say the names of these five people, there should not be many in Ente Isla or Japan.
“Even though I don’t know what is going on……”
It looks like Maou had similar thoughts, he took his hand away from Acies’s mouth and relaxed his guard.
“Surprisingly, he does not seem to be an enemy.”
As if responding to the call of the other party, Maou poked his body out of the tent, and Suzuno frantically followed suit.
This unexpected morning visitor had a strong bulky body like the trees in the forest, deeply tanned skin, and was tall such that people had to look up, but for unknown reasons, the man frowned and adopted a fighting posture once he saw Suzuno.
“H, hey, who is that person, is it a new kind of demon?”
“W, who’s the new kind of demon!”
Even though Suzuno protested----
“Yeah, I can understand your feelings, it is strange like this.”
After Maou looked towards that agitated insect eating plant with Suzuno’s face, he turned towards the man again and said,
“By the way, meeting up at this place shouldn’t be a coincidence right. Then let us civilly exchange information. Alberto Ende.”
“O, oh……b, but that person is really not a demon?”
“You’re still saying that!”
Emi’s comrade when fighting the Demon King, magic arts practicioner born in the Northern Continent Alberto Ende nodded in reply, but compared to Maou, the Demon King, he seemed to be more wary of Suzuno, who was attired strangely.
“Then again, why were you able to come here like you were aiming for a target?”
After Maou woke up Acies who was sleeptalking until she almost became food, and Suzuno took off her sleeping bag, the group of people confronted Alberto again.
“Uh, I didn’t come after aiming properly.”
Alberto looked towards bagworm Acies who had just woke up in a troubled manner, pointed to the Mopeds in the shade fo the trees and said,
“I heard that a group of people wearing robes from the Church were driving strange carriages and came over following that rumour, and just nicely, I came here yesterday.”
“W, were we so conspicuous that it became a rumour?”
Maou and Suzuno could not help but glance at each other.
Even though the both of them tried their best to avoid villages and the eyes of others during their journey, it looked like they could not completely escape the notice of others after all.
“No, I only used my instincts to pick one rumour from the popular rumours in Afashan. I don’t think you were that conspicuous.
Alberto waved a hand to calm them both.
“The people of Afashan feel more uneasy compared to the time when the Demon King, which is you, invaded. Even though they would at least be able to think about what to do in the future if they were conquered by demons in one go, right now only the royal capital, Azure Sky Canopy released news of being conquered by demons, the situation in the nation did not change that much at all, and unimportant rumours are spread everywhere.”
This mostly matched what the lady boss from the restaurant yesterday said.
“Even though most of the rumours are where demons were seen, basically those are just mistaken sightings of wild animals, and criminals boasting amongst themselves. When I heard about that carriage from the rumours, I thought of the exact same thing which I had seen in your world……saying that sounds a little strange, had seen in Japan. I have to go to Azure Sky Canopy to do something anyway, so I thought to take the chance to investigate.”
Alberto, sitting on a fallen tree, leaned forward slightly and looked at the trio with a sharp gaze.
“Did all of you come to save Emilia?”
“That’s right, but before that, I want to ask something, what happened to Emerada-dono?”
Suzuno confirmed Alberto’s words while asking a question.
“After being unable to contact Emilia, I immediately contacted Emerada-san through Idea Link. But Emerada-san did not reply the message at all, and it was until I obtained certain information from Japan did I know that Emilia might be imprisoned here.”
“Ah……about that part, it’s a little complex.”
Alberto scratched his head and explained,
“Simply put, on the day she agreed to meet with Emilia, Emerada received a summons from the Saint Aire Imperal Captial.”
“A summons from the Imperal Capital?”
“Yeah, originally Em planned to fetch Emilia using the excuse of checking if the restoration plans near Emilia’s village were doing anything dishonest......”
“And she was found out?”
“No, in a certain sense, it’s worse than that.”
Alberto pointed at the robes on Suzuno.
“Your side moved. Em was finally branded as a traitor who went against the will of the Church, they seemed to have barely covered up Olba’s unrighteous actions. So she has to go to the Church at the Imperial Captial to go through a religious trial.”
“……At this kind of time?”
Suzuno was unable to accept this explanation.
Emerada and Alberto had started to go against the Church long before Suzuno came to Japan.
A few months had passed after that, why was the Church urgently restricting Emerada’s freedom only now?
“The reason why mine and Emilia’s safety on the surface is protected by authority is because of Em’s current standpoint. Regardless of whether she should fight or submit, it looks like she has to go back first. So I though if so, then I, with greater degree of freedom, should take her place and meet up with Emilia……”
Alberto showed a dark expression and turned towards the sky in the southwest, it was the direction of Azure Sky Canopy.
“When I reached a place half a days journey from Emilia’s village, I felt a large number of ‘gates’ open in the direction of Emilia’s village. As I quickly rushed over, I discovered some strange people who seemed to want to do something to Emiila’s hometown and fields.”
“Are they demons or angels?”
Since Alberto can use the word strange to describe them, they were probably really strange, Alberto shook his head in answer to Maou’s question.
“No, those group of people are Church Knights sent by the nearby Cassius City.”
“I remember that Cassius City does not have a church from the diocesan bishops……why did the Church Knights from there appear in Emilia’s hometown?”
Suzuno asked while searching her memory, Alberto shook his head and replied,
“That’s what I want to know, but since the opponents are Church Knights, then I cannot act carelessly. So I started to investigate what is going on with the place where so many ‘gates’ were opened, and holy magic was activated. And it was actually a land inspection in order to stimulate the restoration plans in the area. It was really too strange. Because even though Em went to investigate because the restoration plans were delayed, a strange ‘gate’ reaction appeared after she returned to the Imperal Capital, then that place started an unnatural land inspection. Of course----even though it ended like this----I could not find any signs of Emilia. And I spent two days looking around that area.”
After Alberto spread his arms and sighed, he continued to speak,
“Since I was unable to make contact with Emilia, I thought it would be better to follow Em’s instructions, but when I returned to the Imperal Capital, I discovered that the Sorcery Supervision Institute under Em’s juridisdiction had already been sealed off under orders of the Imperal Guard General Pepin. The excuse on the surface is to prevent Em from tampering with evidence during Em’s trial, but just from the result, the angel feather which can open ‘gates’ have been confiscated together with the building, causing me to spend a lot of time on travelling.”
“……So that’s why she was unable to contact me……”
Alberto nodded in reponse to Suzuno.
“Yeah, you originally stayed in Japan because of secret orders from the Church right? If we were discovered while contacting you, it might get all of you in trouble. Even though Emilia did tell me to bring this……”
As he spoke, Alberto took out a slimphone which was very similar to Emi’s from his shirt pocket.
“I had never felt so much regret at this moment that I have not aske Em for your telephone number. But if I carelessly transmit sonar towards Japan, I really would not know who would be able to hear.”
“Alright, then for future convenience, let’s take the chance right now to exchange phone numbers.”
Even though it was this kind of time, Maou and Suzuno still took out their mobile phones, planning to ask for Alberto’s phone number.
But it should be expected? Forget about Maou and Suzuno’s mobile phones, Alberto’s phone had ran out of battery a long time ago.
Even though it can still be used as an amplifier for Idea Link, but if the phone number cannot be registered, it might affect the stability of the spell.
Even though it can still act as an amplifier for Idea Link with a flat battery, but if the number is registered within, it would help increase the amplication effects.
Maou and Suzuno, seeing the chance cannot be lost, took out the radio which they bought after quarrelling, solar powered batteries which could even charge Maou’s old mobile phone, and LED light with manual charging, to help charge Alberto’s slimphone.
Alberto, who was obviously not used to operating it, Suzuno, who was rusty at using electronics, and Maou, who was not used to using the newest mobile phone models, after noisily trying for quite some time, finally successfully exchanged everyone’s phone numbers.
“Everyone’s so great~I also want a mobile phone.”
“……You look like the type who would accidentally register with all kinds of paying websites, even if I want to buy, I can only buy the ones for children’s use.”
“Ughhh……but as long as you’re willing to buy for me if it’s like this, then it can’t be helped.”
Even so, Acies still looked at the trio’s mobile phones with envy, and especially even if Maou did not say he would buy her one, Acies felt that he had already agreed.
“Then Alberto, why are you heading towards Afashan?”
“The reason is simple. Because only the areas around Afashan are filled with huge holy magic reactions like they are in battle. Of course, I have sent my own subordinates to the Northen and Southern Continents, but considering the events which occurred when Emilia disappeared, I felt it would still be better for me to investigate the situation myself……since both of you are here, that means my instincts are correct.”
“Yeah, that’s right, Emi is at the Royal Capital, Azure Sky Canopy. No, more accurately, it seems like she would appear there next.”
“Let me ask, what is your basis?”
“Even though being asked by you, someone who moves based on instinct, feels rather sour, we got it directly from the bastard who is pulling strings from behind.”
Maou used his thumb and little finger on his right hand to show a telephone shape.
“Alberto, even though I have many things to ask you later, you should work together with us first. I think you should
know as well, things might not be solved just by saving Emi. It’s embarrassing, but actually Ashiya……which is Alsiel from my side, was also kidnapped by the same group of people from the ones who captured Emi.”
“Huh? Alsiel was kidnapped?”
Alberto raised his eyebrows in a disbelieving manner.
“Let me tell you another unbelievable thing, Emi’s father Nord Justina, was also kidnapped together with Alsiel.”
“Ah? E, Emilia’s father? T, that……”
“By the way, this child who had been enviously looking at mobile phones and even wants to snatch my mobile phone……”
“Eep? Ma, Maou, I’m sorry, I apologise!”
Maou grabbed Acies by the scruff of her neck as she wanted to use Maou’s mobile phone without permission and picked her up off the ground entirely.
Acies, who thought she would be scolded, curled up, but Maou pushed Acies in front of Alberto and declared,
“This child……is the personification of the other holy sword.”
“Hahhhhh?”
“Euehhh.”
“……Even though we should be talking about serious things……”
Alberto stared at the colourful looking bagworm Acies who was held up by Maou like a kitten.
This scene was so strange that even Suzuno, one of the people involved, could not help but feel confused.
“If my thoughts are correct, the people who planned this farce probably wants to make use of Emi and Ashiya to guide the world to a direction advantageous to them. I hate these people who do not wish to dirty their own hands from the start.”
“Ma, Maou, put me down first……”
“Even though it would be a little harsh with just us, if you, Alberto, is willing to help us, this journey would probably be much easier. These people messed around with our comrades, so let’s mess up their farce.”
“It’s fine if you want to cause trouble, but is that girl the one mentioned before, the one who merged with Emi’s holy sword……”
“No, that’s wrong. She is a different existence from Alas=Ramus. It’s correct to say that this girl is the core of another holy sword.”
“Even though I’m not sure how humans can become the core of holy swords, without discussing the detailed structures first, I roughly understood that there is another ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing. But it probably cannot be used by a Demon King at all. Bell, are you using the other one?”
“Eh? No, I……hm?”
Even though it was natural for Alberto to ask this, but this was a question Suzuno did not expect, causing her to look towards Maou on reflex.
Maou was the king of Demons who uses demonic magic, most people who hear that it is something similar to Emi’s ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ would think that it is activated using holy magic as a medium.
But Suzuno had seen the state of Maou swinging the holy sword with a power which was not demonic magic or holy magic with her own eyes, and just like Emi and Alas Ramus, Maou and Acies=Ara should have merged using the ‘Yesod’ fragment as a medium.
“Hm? Hmm? Wait, it seems, a little strange.”
“What is it, Suzuno?”
“Uh, it feels like I missed out something important……”
Even though Maou felt confused as he looked at Suzuno who had pressed her hand against her forehead and started thinking----
“Anyway, you’ll get a big shock after seeing this. Acies, change into your sword form.”
“Ah, hm, but it feels like my physical condition is not good, so I might fail.”
“Physical condition? Don’t tell me you ate too much and had a stomachache?”
“It’s not like that! How rude! Oh my, ever since I came to this country, it feels like I get hungry easily and cannot enter my best state.”
Acies, while being held up by Maou, turned her neck and moved her shoulders for a bit, and then nodded and said in the end,
“Anyway, if I don’t try and hit around a little, how would I know if I would sprain myself! I’ll go back for a bit okay.”
“No, don’t sprain yourself……”
Acies used a wrong idiom in an unlucky manner, and during the time Maou rebuked, the young girl’s silhouette had already emitted a hazy light, and in the next instant, became purple light orbs and returned to Maou’s body.
“Oh? That thing just now was Emilia’s……”
Alberto leaned forward in surprise.
Maou stretched out his right hand while thinking of Alberto’s shocked expression in the next instant.
“Come out! Acies!”
After focusing his will in his palm in one ago, the light orbs just now gathered in the right hand, and then……
“…………Eh?”
The first one who sounded their confusion, was Maou, who had been boasting.
“What is that? Even though it is a holy sword, it feels a little……”
After Alberto saw what appeared in Maou’s forgotten hand, he frowned as well.
“H, hey, Acies, what is this, why did it become like this?”
“……Oh my~I wonder why?”
Faced with Maou’s question, Acies’s voice in his head also showed a rare genuine troubled emotion.
“Even though I did use full power……”
“T, that’s impossible. I should be more exaggerated than this.”
“What’s wrong, Demon King?”
Suzuno, who had not solved her inner confusion, looked up and asked, but Maou could only look back with a useless expression.
This could not be helped.
Because the ‘holy sword’ which appeared in Maou’s hand, looked as plain as a fruit knife.
The hilt portion still had what looked like the ‘Yesod’ fragment embedded in it, but the blade itself did not look different from the knives sold as the Sasazuka 100 yen store, the grip was so poor such that when Maou held onto it, some of Maou’s hand had extended beyoud the grip.
The holiness and power which was shown at Sasahata High School which made people feel that it was ‘the other ‘Evolving Holy Sword, One Wing’ could not be seen, and besides that----
“Ugh!”
Maou suddenly frowned, and covered his mouth.
“W, what’s wrong, Demon King?”
Not only that, he suddenly became pale, and he feel backward with unsteady steps, Suzuno quickly went up to support his back.
But even with Suzuno’s support, Maou still knelt on the spot.
“Ah, oh no.”
After saying this, Maou suddenly pushed Suzuno’s hand away, and headed deep into the forest.
“Demon King?”
“Hey hey hey, what’s wrong with that guy?”
Suzuno and Alberto watched Maou rush into the shade of the trees in the forest, and not long later----
“Eurghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……”
A groan which did not match the cool morning shade of the forest, and a moist, unbearable sound which sounded like something which should not come out had all come out was heard.
““…………………””
This chain of events of boasting, the obvious failure of the holy sword, and the sudden reverse flow of the digestive organs caused Suzuno and Alberto to not know what to do as they were speechless with shock.
At last, after a stream of signs the things which should not have come out have all been poured out, the pale looking Maou finally walked out from deep within the forest with the support of the materialised Acies.
“A, are you alright……?”
“Do I look like……I am alright……urgh!”
Maou, who teared up as he heaved, pulled his arm away from Acies’s shoulder and sat directly on the ground.
“Acies, what exactly happened?”
Seeing Maou enter a stupor, Suzuno asked Acies as she looked down at Maou worriedly.
“Hm~I’m not sure as well, I have a kind of feeling that I will be robbed once I use my power.”
“Robbed……do you mean rejected?”
After correctly interpreting the youth language from Acies, Suzuno alternated between looking at Acies and Maou.
“Who is rejecting you?”
Acies looked down subconsciously.
“That, of course it’s Maou.”
“Ahh? Is it me?”
Looking like he could die any moment, Maou turned towards Acies.
“Even though I called you out, why did it become me rejecting you……”
“I don’t know. But it feels like that. I’m a little shocked. We had hit it off so well.”
“You……ugh!”
Maou had wanted to scold Acies, who acted like she did not feel that the situation was serious, but he seemed to be unable to supress the feeling of nausea in his chest and immediately covered his mouth and heaved.
“Even though I don’t really understand, in the end it means that the holy sword cannot be used right?”
Alberto, who watched the whole process, asked in a troubled manner.
“Looks like it……like this, things have become a little troublesome.”
According to Suzuno’s impression, Maou became overwhelmingly strong after obtaining Acies’s power, from how he could one-sidedly defeat an archangel, he seemed to be equal, or in some sitautions, surpass Emi in terms of power.
Once he was unable to use that power, if they encounter a situation of having to fight with the angels acting in the background in Afashan, there will be a risk of inadequate power.
But on the other hand, Maou had used the power so well the first time he did it in Sasahata High School, and after that until today, his body did not show any strange conditions or discomfort, and even Acies’s materialisation and merging were done smoothly.
“Hm?”
The invisible alarms in Suzuno’s head rang again.
It felt as if he missed something important again.
After looking at the pale Maou, the relaxed Acies and Alberto who interrupted apologetically in turn, Suzuno thought very, very hard.
“Ah……damn it, how did it become like this. Even though nothing changed until today……”
In the instant Maou, who recovered some colour, complained thus.
“Hm?’
Suzuno grasped the clue to the huge question.
That’s right, something should have felt strange since the beginning. However, she did not notice that unusual situation.
Why is that?”
Because Suzuno had interacted with the ‘human’ known as ‘Maou Sadao’ for too long.
“Demon King, even though you have returned to Ente Isla……why haven’t you regained your demon form?”
“……Huh?”
“Even if you did not change……how is your demonic magic? Did your demonic magic recover a little?
“……Ah.”
Suzuno asked with a shaky voice, causing Maou to suck in a breath.
“E, eh? That’s right, my……demonic magic……eh? How strange?”
The both of them finally realised the seriousness of the situation, causing the faces which had regained some colour to turn pale again.
Demonic magic had not returned to Maou’s body.
Even though Ente Isla is a world of humans, even so, Demon King Satan should have obtained demonic magic in this world to maintain his demon form.
And when the demonic magic had recovered, as long as the person himself did not intentionally monitor his body situation, he should automatically ‘transform’ into ‘Demon King Satan’.
Maou frantically touched his legs and head, and after he confirmed that his body structure had not changed at all, he was greatly stunned.
“Is it because of Acies’s power……?”
“I’m not sure.”
Even though Acies was thoroughly irresponsible, even if they continued to ask, Maou did not feel that she would know why demonic magic did not return to his body.
And after seeing the panic stricken Maou, Suzuno looked towards Acies again because she noticed another important thing.
“Demon King, you merged with Acies in Japan right?”
“Y, yeah……”
This question, brought another shocking question to those people and demons with connections to the previous invasion of Ente Isla by the Demon Army.
“Why is the Demon King with demonic magic able to merge with the holy sword…….with the ‘fragment of Yesod’?”
--Continued---
AND YOU
‘If you could take one thing to an uninhabited island, what would it be?’ Has anyone asked this, or have been asked this question?
Wagahara used to be really bothered about the conditions of this ‘uninhabited island’.
Even though it is just my own imagination, but from the pronouciation of the term ‘uninhabited island’, many people must have first thought of an island in the middle of the ocean with just one coconut three, and then imagine the existence of some jungle or animals right.
But wait a moment.
If it was an uninhabited island formed by a volcano, then the flora and fauna able to grow on it would be very limited.
If it was a rock reef uninhabitated island, then ensuring a supply of drinking water would be very difficult.
Some uninhabitated islands are in cold belts. Uninhabitated islands in the arctic circle or antartic circle, and uninhabitated islands on the equator, other than ‘not having any people’, the conditions on both lands are mostly different.
Even though there are so many vague conditions, and only being able ‘to bring one thing’, isn’t that too reckless.
Even though some people might think that there is no need to be too serious about this kind of daily game question and answer conversation, but if we focus on this and seriously consider about the ‘uninhabitated isiand question’, then I think that the last thing to consider with this question is ‘if you were thrown to an unknown land, what things should be prioritised and done first’.
What I want to express is that if everyone was thrown to a ‘foreign world’, then in order to live on, what is the most important thing? When writing this book, Wagahara had once seriously considered this.
If the atmospheric composition, organic life forms other than humans, landscape, and the land compostion and other conditions of the foreign world are not suitable of Earthings to survive, then man would probably die immediately, so with the assumption of ‘in an environment where vital activity of Earthlings would not be hindered’, I wish to verify with everyone the actions done when being thrown to a ‘foreign world’.
The priority would be to collect information about location.
Humans are organisms would find it difficult to walk in a certain direction without any markers. The situation of ending up in the same place walking around in circles while walking aimlessly in a pure white snow mountain is well known. Just by grasping location and weather, one can guarantee walking in a set direction in an unknown land.
After grasping east, west, south, north and the weather conditions, the next thing to do is to secure drinking water. As deadwater like lakes and ponds are not suitable for drinking, it’s best to have spring water or clear streams, at the worse case, find rivers where water is flowing.
Then other than securing drinking water, not only can rivers be markers when moving forward, as there are usually more villages on the river banks, the chances of being saved will be increased.
In addition, flora and fauna will gather around rivers, so it will be easier to get food. (Of course, it is possible to meet dangerous wild animals).
After barely sustaining life, if you succeed in being saved by other people or villages, then your adventure will begin from there.
Of course, the conditions of the ‘uninhabitated islands’ mentioned in the beginning are not the same, and it can be possible that the starting point of the ‘foreign world’ which a person is thrown into, could be the cold belt, dry belt, or mountainous region. Even if you used the method described just now to find a way, the chances of survival would be really low right?”
The human civilisation of the foreign world is important as well, if you luck is good to drift to a densely populated area, if the ancestors of the humans there are not anthropoids, then the future would become very dark.
So those people who normally feel like they would be sent to a foreign world, don’t just bring one thing, please frequently wear long sleeves and pants, wear a jacket, bring a compass to confirm directions, insect repellent spray and mineral water.
Just this will greatly increase chances of survival. As for the long sleeves and pants, their function in the cold belt is obvious, and even in dry belts with strong sunlight shining continuously, the skin would be protected from the strong sunlight.
The reasons for bringing a compass and mineral water does not need to be specially mentioned.
As being bitten in a foreign place may lead to life threatening situation, then insect repellent stray is an important piece of equipment.
As long as you have these equipment, then even if it is humans who evolved from organisms other than anthropoids, they would probably see you as someone from a civilised background.
But if you normally bring these things around with you, and people of the modern world treat you as a suspicious person, Wagahara will be be responsible. Everyone, when preparing for travelling to a foreign world, please be responsible for yourself.
As Wagahara is thinking of these things everyday, as the story of ‘Hataraku! Maou-sama’ develops, plot which Emi and Suzuno’s hometown ‘Holy Cross Contient Ente Isla’ becomes the main stage of the story is to be expected. Or it would be better to say cannot be avoided.
The gap between the two worlds in this volume, this is a story of even though they also worked hard to life their lives today, many things which did not develop as expected for the humans, demons and angels, they struggle with all their might in order to complete their roles.
As this story of ‘Hataraku! Maou-sama’ is going to enter a new stage, so the people who are looking forward to the developments of Maou Sadao, Yusa Emi and Sasaki Chiho, would have to wait once again in this form, I’m really sorry.
This volume is just a passing point, the next volume is the memorable tenth volume, in order for those living in the ‘Hataraku! Maou-sama’ world to head towards a new world, the story will also reach an important milestone.
I hope everyone will accompany the Demon King and Hero on their journey for a period of time.
I hope to see everyone again in the next volume.
Goodbye!