Chapter Three: Trouble in the Holy City

The Demon Lord’s Army Emerges

—En route to the Holy City, Holylight

“Hah ha ha! Finally! The time has finally- kfah gfah!”

The Demon Lord had stepped off from the carriage to take a break, but as soon as he opened the Admin screen, he let out an insane cackle. Eventually he had laughed himself into a coughing fit. It looked pretty dumb.

“I knew he was an idiot.”

“M-Master Demon Lord is... just a jokester!”

Aku attempted to salvage the situation, but Luna’s glare remained harsh. In fact, it grew more accusatory by the second.

“That look... He’s thinking of something perverted.”

“B-Butt...?”

Blushing, Aku covered her rear. Luna was proving herself to be a bad influence on Aku during the past few days of travelling together. Without paying any mind to them, the Demon Lord rambled off:

“I have some contemplation to do... Get in the base, just to be safe.”

After saying this with a strangely show-boating attitude, he produced the base he created the previous day, and in a split-second, at that. Materializing a well-constructed building in less than a second... if it were a magic spell, this would have made the Demon Lord one of the best mages in this world.

“Oh, the magic house! I always wanted to see what was inside.”

“Miss Holy Maiden! There’s an oil drum bath in there!”

“Oil drum? What’s that?”

As they chatted their way into the base, the Demon Lord called to the coachman. He was strangely attentive from time to time... or perhaps it was just his Japanese nature.

“Please, feel free to join them.”

“I-I wouldn’t dare, sir...! I’ll be feeding the horses right here. Please don’t mind me.”

The coachman shrunk his head into his shoulders. Reflexively, the Demon Lord answered with a polite nod. He was a typical Japanese man, after all.

“Then have one of these, please... It’ll be refreshing.”

The Demon Lord made the coachman hold a Mild Heaven to his mouth and lit the cigarette for him. With all the color drained from his face, the coachman was on the verge of tears, but braced himself and inhaled. He must have thought that he would have been torn to shreds if he had refused. From his perspective, the Demon Lord was an existence that defeated a Holy Maiden and her knights single-handedly, as well as nonchalantly exterminated a sea of Sand Wolves. The coachman saw before him none other than a bona fide Demon Lord.

“M-My... shoulders feel... lighter...”

A coachman’s job involves prolonged use of his hands and shoulders. This coachman had worked for the Holy Church for years, building up exhaustion in his shoulders. Now, all of that melted away with a revitalizing sensation. This was because the Demon Lord’s cigarettes each had the effect to heal 40 Stamina. Considering that the Stamina of a top-tier warrior in this world was around 50, to a normal person, healing 40 Stamina was like getting a brand new body.

“Th-Thank you, sir...”

“It’s important to rest when you can while on the job.”

The coachman could only fake a twitching smile in response. Despite all of his tiredness being swept away, his face only lost more color by the minute. He seemed to be terrified by what the thing in his mouth could possibly be. Was the Demon Lord going to ask for his soul in return? Was there a curse on it that would spell his demise in a few days? The coachman cowered in completely misplaced fears.

(Alright... That was pretty mature and approachable of me.)

The Demon Lord was putting in some wasted effort yet again. He didn’t seem to understand how other people perceived him just yet. Even his smile was intimidating, making it difficult for most anyone to feel comfortable in his presence. While Aku and Luna had gotten used to it, it took them some time.

(Now, I really have to make up my mind...)

He finally started thinking about the big question. When he had opened up the Admin screen, an astonishing message had appeared:

Congratulations!

Your SP is over 1000!

Unlocked: Summon Advisor

Unlocked: Final Judgement

(Finally, it’s time...)

Lighting his own cigarette, the Demon Lord squinted into the air.

(That last battle must have netted me all this SP...)

For the first time in a while, all of the Demon Lord’s mental cogs were turning. He had ended up with 1200 or so SP after taking down the horde of Sand Wolves. It felt like he had just won the lottery.

(Summon Advisor... for 1000 SP, huh?)

The command was incredibly expensive, but he was sure that it would be worth it. The advisors were under Hakuto Kunai’s command, and they had been created to protect the Sleepless Castle. Any one of them could take on an army. Both to protect the party and to expand his options, summoning an advisor seemed critically necessary to the Demon Lord.

(Then... the question is who to summon.)

Kunai had commanded an army of two thousand men, all armed with contemporary war gear, but those were faceless mobs in the game... which left him with eight people he could truly call advisors. Four women and four men. Four of them were younger, while the other four were older.

(Think... Who do I need most?)

The Demon Lord contemplated with layers upon layers of forethought. He may not have access to this much SP ever again. It was a once-in-a-lifetime decision. He recalled every last detail he could about the backstories of the advisors he had created.

The first advisor that came to mind was Ren Miyaoji. Bringing to life everything Akira Ono wanted to see as a game designer, she was the best advisor there was. A beautiful and brilliant master of martial arts, born of noble birth, she was a sixteen-year-old girl way too perfect to ever exist in the real world. Amazingly, while her HP was lower, her overall stats exceeded even those of Hakuto Kunai, the final boss of the game. As a functional second final boss of the game, she was the source of many a miserable experience for the players. At the same time, she was the most popular character among them. Despite her status as an enemy character, she had enough charm to be liked by most people who played the game. She would appear as cold as ice on the surface, but had a kind heart. Secretly, she had strong reservations against the Game hosted by the Empire day after day.

(Can’t go wrong with Ren...)

Ren was loyal, too. Due to her past, she was in a position to harbor nothing but great gratitude toward Kunai. He didn’t have to worry about Ren attacking him out of the blue. From what he could tell by watching Zero from the inside, characters from the game had their own free will, and acted according to it. In other words, they were faithful to their backstory. Summon a dangerous advisor, and the Demon Lord could end up being killed.

The next candidate who came to mind was another one of the younger advisors, Akane Fujisaki. She was the same age as Ren, but Akane was the sun to Ren’s calm and collected moon. A less polite way to describe her would be as a thoughtless idiot. She enjoyed anime, comics, and video games, and was an extroverted geek. She would appreciate being summoned to a fantasy world more than anyone else. In combat, she specialized in close-range brawl. For some reason, she wore a china dress and wielded a pair of tonfa, making use of being the fastest among the advisors.

(She’s going to put the “C” in crazy around here! I can’t take that!)

Next, he thought of Yu Kirino, an older member. She was a genius doctor and scientist. According to her chilling backstory, she had performed countless human experimentations to satisfy her sadistic urges and in pursuit of her lifelong goal of uncovering the mysteries of the human body. In the end, she had killed over eight hundred patients, leading her to be sentenced to death by the ethics tribunal. At twenty-two years old, she was an elegant beauty in a lab coat. Recalling her backstory, the Demon Lord felt a shiver go down his spine. He wondered what could happen if she came to life equipped with free will? He wasn’t confident that she would continue to serve him without question.

(But Yu could cure any disease or injury.)

While she was a brilliant doctor on her own merit, her Special Ability was almost game-breaking. She could even heal Aku’s leg in an instant, the Demon Lord thought. His first-hand experience with various powers from the game, which had now materialized in this world, made him confident of that.

The last female advisor was Shizuka Matoba. She was the same age as Yu, but more insane. After repeatedly committing senseless murders in the capital of the Empire, the Royal Realm, she had earned the moniker of Walking Calamity. According to her backstory, she murdered everyone she came in contact with without exception, bringing down chaos upon the Royal Realm. Born with a fetish for taking apart human bodies, she was a psychopathic serial killer for the history books. Her Attack rivaled that of Ren’s, and was a berserker in combat.

(No freaking way! I’m a dead man if I summon her!)

Shaking the thought out of his head, he scratched Shizuka off of his mental list of candidates. At the same time, he also scratched off all four male advisors from the list, since all of their powers were too centered around combat. In this world, so far, the Demon Lord had no trouble taking care of combat on his own. He wanted to summon an advisor that could do something that he couldn’t.

(...Yu’s the one.)

While the Demon Lord didn’t expect any illness to befall him, he had to prepare for the worst. Since Yu was also a scientist, he hoped that she could concoct something to combat magic spells, too. The problem was her dangerous choice of avocation, as well as her razor-sharp intelligence. If he were to let her be, she would go around killing without a second thought, dissecting people to her heart’s content, acting only to quench her desires. To boot, she had a particular fetish for younger boys... in truth, the Demon Lord had no idea what would happen after summoning her.

(Dammit... Why did I have to make every one of them a weirdo!?)

The Demon Lord cursed his past self. The backstories he had created were now coming back to bite him.

(Gah, just do it already...! At least I can handle Yu if she decides to attack me.)

A trio of NPCs that were not under Kunai’s command came to the Demon Lord’s mind. If they were to show up here, the Demon Lord wasn’t confident that even he could handle them. With a sigh of relief, he made sure that none of them were on the list.

“Admin Feature... Summon Advisor.”

With his mind made up, the Demon Lord uttered those words.

(I... said it. It’s... starting.)

There was no turning back.

“Yu. Come hither to my presence...”

Yu Kirino

“Yu. Come hither to my presence...”

With that call, two pillars of light, one black and one white, appeared in front of the Demon Lord. When the pillars merged into one, a woman appeared, wearing a lab coat. Most would have called her beautiful. Long, straight black hair and an hourglass figure. For many, she had the ideal female appearance.

“At your service, Mister Secretary.”

The Demon Lord felt a sense of nostalgia. Hakuto Kunai’s official title in the Empire had been the Secretary of Citizen Happiness Management. He replied with an attitude becoming of that title, as he slowly, and carefully, gauged his advisor.

“Yes. Thank you for coming...”

“At your command, Mister Secretary, I would go anywhere... Are we in the next arena?”

Looking around at the unfamiliar landscape, Yu looked slightly confused. There was a strange aura of daintiness when the icy woman showed such an expression, but the Demon Lord’s nerves were about to burst.

(She’s talking... All on her own.)

Watching a character he had created moving and talking in front of his very eyes evoked a powerful emotion within the Demon Lord, but he didn’t have the time to watch in awe, at the moment. As he was considering how much to tell her, he realized:

(In any case... She is crazy hot...)

Yu had garnered fanatic popularity from the community of masochistic players. Now, the Demon Lord was beginning to understand where they were coming from. It’s worth noting that Yu and Shizuka were extremely popular among female players, too. Strong female characters must have been appealing to women as well as men, he imagined.

“Now, where to start... First of all, we are not in the Empire. Nor in any of the other nations, for that matter...”

Carefully, the Demon Lord formed his words as he observed Yu. He was sure that none of his advisors would have ever thought that the Empire and the world it resided in was all within the digital world of a video game. Certainly, they didn’t doubt that they were living on Earth, and in the real world. Obviously, they wouldn’t have believed the Demon Lord if he had told them that their world was created by someone... him.

Still carefully choosing his words, the Demon Lord explained what had happened to him so far. Appearing in the Great Forest all of the sudden. Being attacked by a devil-like creature. The fact that a fallen angel seemed to be related to the cause of it all. That they were headed to the Holy City now... No matter how eloquently he chose the words to describe them, these events hardly seemed plausible. But Yu kept a serious expression as she hung on the Demon Lord’s every word, going into deep thought here and there.

“It sounds like some sort of forced-transportation attack, but... Yes, the scenery around us does seem different from that of our world.”

“Glad you’re catching on quickly. As for our objectives moving forward...”

He explained his intentions to look into the Ember Angel, and that his powers will be unlocked as he collects more SP. After hearing all of this, Yu contemplated for a moment with her hand on her chin, but soon gave her assessment.

“No matter how we ended up here, Mister Secretary, I believe that the Sleepless Castle will be a necessity...”

“...Hm.”

He gave a vague answer, but in truth, the Demon Lord didn’t think it was necessary all that much. They could easily live in the base already, or stay at inns when in towns. Building a giant, contemporary fortress in this fantasy world would undoubtedly lead to people calling it the Demon Lord’s Castle. He was thinking about building it earlier, but had thought better of it since.

(That’s just setting up for some hero to come and kill me...)

Of course, he had no intention of letting said hero kill him, even in such a case. He had already taken care of a Holy Maiden with a fierce spanking session, after all. Even if someone like the Hero of So and So, or So and So of the Light had challenged him, he could only imagine that the end-result would be the same as when Luna had attacked him.

“How fateful that we ended up here, Mister Secretary.”

“Yes... I think it was very fateful, too.”

“...I’m glad you agree, sir.”

As Yu showed him a bewitching smile, the Demon Lord’s heart skipped a beat.

(This chick is a silver fox hunter!)

Considering that she was also popular among other women, ‘femme fatale’ might have been more accurate.

“Now it’s clear what we must do in this strange land, sir.”

“We have a long road ahead of us. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

The Demon Lord responded to her with the same gravitas, only because he had no idea what she was talking about. He had implied that he wanted her to take the first step of explaining what she meant to him, but Yu’s smile only grew wider.

“Mister Secretary, you haven’t changed... You find the joy in every situation.”

“...Life is too short not to, don’t you think?”

If the Demon Lord were to consider this a vacation, it couldn’t get any better. All the details he spent fifteen years creating in the game were coming to life in front of his very eyes. This was a dream come true, in a way.

“Then, Mister Secretary. What shall be our first course of action?”

“First, I plan to grow the Base and build a Field Hospital.”

“...! You always find a way to make my dreams come true, sir.”

“But of course... The dreams of my dear subjects are my dreams, too.”

At this point, the Demon Lord was self-aware of how much smoke he was blowing. Still, now that he had summoned Yu, the natural course of action was to build a hospital. While he was at it, he was scheming to overturn the terrible rumors going around that he was the Demon Lord.

(If we offer medical treatment for dirt-cheap, those rumors will be gone in no time...)

Medical technology was mostly undeveloped in this world, and only a limited few could wield healing magic. If he ran it well, the hospital could even earn him a fortune.

“It goes without saying, but no killing. First, we have to learn.”

He didn’t forget to make that clear to Yu. There was so much he had to learn: about the last of the three angels, the Ember Angel; how this society worked; about magic, adventurers, monsters, and devils... If rumors were to arise that his hospital was of the murdering variety, the whole plan would be ruined.

“Yes. It all begins with learning... Learning is what’s most important.”

Seeing Yu’s wholehearted agreement, the Demon Lord was relieved. At the very least, he didn’t sense any insubordinate intentions from her, and it seemed like she would obey his orders. If he could expect this from all of his advisors, the Demon Lord would have tried to summon them all as swiftly as he could. More advisors meant more options in this world, which would allow him to gather more information.

“Then, I will tell you everything I’ve discovered so far.”

He shared with Yu the various things he knew about the strange world they were in. Her mind seemed to be as intelligent as he had imagined, as she processed everything he threw at her like a sponge soaking up water. The Demon Lord’s stomach sunk at seeing her intelligence on display, though.

(There’s no doubt she’s smarter than me. I don’t know jack about science or medicine... No matter what, I can’t drop the ruse.)

If Yu were to find out that he wasn’t Hakuto Kunai... The Demon Lord couldn’t predict what would happen to him. The blood drained from his face as he imagined the bloody conclusion of being stabbed to pieces, and Yu walking away with his head in a bag.

“Then, Yu. I’ll introduce you to our companions... Play nice.”

“Yes, Mister Secretary.”

“One last thing. As far as they know, we are from a distant nation in this world. Keep that in mind.”

“Understood, sir.”

And so, the Demon Lord introduced Yu to the girls. Of course, a cacophony ensued. Who could have blamed them? A whole person appeared out of nowhere. If that wasn’t magical, what was?

“Sh-She’s so beautiful...!”

Aku shouted...

“Is-Is she your lover? Where did she come from!?”

And Luna yelled over her.

“I summoned an advisor of mine... I hope you will all get along.”

†　†　†

(How intriguing...)

As the secretary was explaining things to her, Yu was jumping with joy on the inside. They had held immense power before, but only within the confines of the arena. Once outside of the arena, the rule of the Empire was caught up in a storm of political strife. In fact, they had been standing on extremely thin ice in that regard.

(Here, there is no one above us... to stop us from controlling things as we please.)

Back in her world, a single mistake could have cost them the lives of everyone on the team. It wasn’t unusual for all of one’s allies to turn on them overnight. Yu didn’t much care what world she was in now. Now that she was released from the Empire, which had been her entire world up until this point... Yu considered herself finally alive.

(Besides, there are people completely different from us in this world. Not to mention magic...!)

She had to know. She had to know it all. The entirety of this world’s humanity. Their flesh, skin, organs, brain, heart, cells, DNA. She had to gather all the information there was, and solve the mystery. Honestly, she wanted to start on that as soon as she could, but she controlled her beating heart as she steadied her breathing.

(You are as astounding as always, Mister Secretary...)

Despite the outlandish situation they were in, he seemed to be taking it in stride, even enjoying himself. He had even said that their transportation to this world was ‘fateful.’ She completely agreed. It was as if someone was telling the two of them to create an empire of their own... Their own nation severed from the constricting higher-ups of the Empire. It was sure to be a utopia, she thought, both for her and for the secretary. While she felt like she was overstepping some boundaries in thinking so, she considered the secretary both her boss and her comrade. While she had only been able to kill about eight hundred, the secretary was born a Demon Lord, standing in the blood of over four million. If she were able to assist him by his side... She trembled to think of just how many... Now, she didn’t think she could keep in her laughter any longer. As loud as she could, she wanted to shout out to the world: ‘We are liberated!’...

Yu Kirino

Race: Human — Age: 22

---

 Weapon  Hand Grenade

Explosion damage to a wide area. Thanks to her skill, Yu can wield this weapon with catastrophic results. Infinite uses.

 Armor  Doctor’s Lab Coat

The fabric looks thin, but is immensely effective. As a bonus, it protects the wearer from all status conditions. Infinite durability.

---

Level: 1 — HP: 6000/6000 — Stamina: 600/600 — Attack: 40 (+50) — Defense: 40 (+25) — Dexterity: 40 — Magic: 0 — Magic Defense: 0 (+20)

Equipped Skills:   First: Explosive Expertise   Second: To Pieces   Third: Chain Explosions

Combat Skills: Lock-On, Instinct, Psychopath, Hunter, Ruthless, Iron Maiden, Strategist, Avenger, Limit Breaker, Break Through

Survival Skills: Propaganda, Recover, Sadist, Charm, Duality, Genius, Academic, Medicine, Causality, Censorship

Special Abilities: Hands of God, etc.

The Hands of God

As soon as introductions were concluded in the Base, Aku’s treatment began. The Demon Lord watched the treatment, breathless. This was something he couldn’t predict the outcome of.

(No... Stay strong. What am I doing if I can’t even believe in a character I created?)

“All right, Aku... Try to relax.”

“O-Okay...”

As they watched, the fingers on Yu’s right hand morphed into a syringe, surgical knife, etc. This was Hands of God, one of her Special Abilities. The Demon Lord had witnessed it in-game countless times, but seeing it for real was pretty grotesque. This ability, though, came with the game-breaking power of ‘eliminating any and all illnesses and healing any and all injuries.’

“U-Um... Y-Your hand...”

As expected, Aku was scared by the horrifying transformation of Yu’s hand. But then, Yu’s backstory as a genius physician seemed to kick in, as she wore a gentle smile and spoke out to relax her patient.

(Thanks, past me... for thinking about these details.)

“It’s all right, little Aku... Just the tip. It’s just going to be the tip.”

“Erm... Why are you breathing so heavy!? You’re scaring me!”

(Hold it! What the hell is she saying!?)

Yu’s perilous choice of words knocked the Demon Lord off of his feet. While Aku did look androgynous, she was, of course, completely female. Not one of the prepubescent boys she fetishized.

“Aku, do you want to try on some boys’ clothes after this? Let’s play doctor together.”

“N-No thank you... please...!”

Seeing that the conversation wasn’t going to drop the dangerous undertones on its own, the Demon Lord rushed to interject:

“There’s no time for musings, Yu...”

“My apologies, sir.”

Yu’s mouth was the one recklessly running loose, but her fetish was conjured up by the Demon Lord in the first place. He was the one to blame, here.

“Then, Mister Secretary, I’ll begin...”

“Thank you.”

Yu’s fingers, now morphed into various instruments, came in contact with Aku’s foot. They moved to and fro as if they were examining it, before a liquid filled the syringe-like appendage, which then inserted itself into Aku. Yu was able to generate various medicines in her body, and inject them into her patients. The same went for poison, as well. This procedure cost her some Stamina, but all of the Demon Lord’s advisors had ridiculous amounts of Stamina to begin with. These procedures wouldn’t drain enough Stamina from Yu to affect her in any way.

“H-Hey... Demon Lord! Are you sure she’ll be okay!?”

“Don’t sweat it. Trust me. And my loyal subject.”

“I-I’ve never once trusted you before...!”

While the Demon Lord had replied with confidence to Luna, he was sweating bullets inside. Yu’s fingers morphed from one medical-equipment-like object to another, and with each touch, Aku’s right foot regained color. Even parts that hadn’t been getting any blood before were now glowing in a healthy pink color.

(Come on, Yu...)

“All right, that’s it. I’ll clean up the scar, too. You’re a girl, after all.”

(...Wait, she’s done already!?)

Yu’s fingers morphed into some kind of brush. Aku’s scar became more and more faded with every stroke of that brush. It was a surreal sight, to say the least. Keeping his frantic mind under control, the Demon Lord acted as if this was an everyday occurrence.

“Hm... All finished?”

“Yes, Mister Secretary. No complications.”

“Aku, can you stand? I’m sure you’ll have to ease into walking over time.”

“I-I’ll try!”

Aku rushed to her feet, and took a few steps, timidly. While her steps were still a little heavy, there was no limp.

“I-I can walk...! My foot...!”

“Excellent. Why don’t we take a little stroll outside?”

The Demon Lord suggested.

“U-Um! Thank you, Lady Yu...! I-I don’t know what to... I, uh...!”

“Don’t worry. Give your thanks to the secretary.”

Yu responded with an alluring smile, as Aku kept thanking her.

(Still, she should get some steps in, outside...)

The Demon Lord thought, but it wasn’t like he had any knowledge about physical rehabilitation. It was just that the only thing he could do was hold her hand and walk with her.

“We’ll step out for a moment. Stay inside.”

Taking Aku’s hand, the Demon Lord led her out of the base. Outside, the sun was glaring down as always, but a clear sky seemed fitting for a joyous day such as this one...

“M-Master Demon Lord! I can really walk... It’s incredible!”

“Remember... the word impossible is not in the Empire’s dictionary.”

Perfectly concealing his internal freak-out during the procedure, the Demon Lord maintained his bravado. While he still looked like a force to be reckoned with on the outside, he was getting pretty tired of playing the part. Raising his hands into the air, the Demon Lord did a big stretch under the clear, blue sky.

(I can’t relax in front of that advisor of mine just yet, but I’m sure it won’t hurt to break character a little when I’m alone with Aku.)

Acutely sensing the Demon Lord’s demeanor soften, Aku chimed in, cheerfully.

“I must be dreaming... I can walk. Like everyone else.”

“You’re not dreaming. You can walk and live like anyone else.”

“M-Master Demon Lord... Will you pinch my cheek?”

“What a cliché...”

The Demon Lord stopped short of laughing it off, as he saw drops of tears falling from Aku’s eyes.

“Um, well... You know. I’m happy for you.”

If he could have sucked back in this stupid response, he would have. In fact, he wanted to pinch his own mouth shut if it couldn’t come up with a half-decent sentence when it mattered, after blowing out smoke 24/7.

“...Master Demon Lord. May we keep walking for a while longer?”

Aku said, as she took the Demon Lord’s hand. It didn’t look much like a typical afternoon stroll, but he definitely didn’t dislike walking around in this fantasy world. The dried-up earth was cracked every so often, and the sun was scorching down on them, but somehow, it seemed like his life was worth living more here and now than it did in the real world when he left it.

(Maybe it’s because she’s here...)

At first, the Demon Lord had lamented how he ended up in this world. But now, he was beginning to consider the trip worth it, even if it was just to treat Aku’s foot.

“I guess you won’t have to carry me on your back anymore, Master Demon Lord...”

“I’ll still carry you if you get tired.”

Seeing Aku’s strangely matured expression, the Demon Lord lit a cigarette as if to flee the scene. Generally speaking, no matter the country or world, girls grew up faster than boys. Often, while boys are playing in the mud, girls are thinking about things years ahead of their male classmates. Unfortunately, as the Demon Lord was a bachelor, he wasn’t adept at picking up on these pre-teenage intricacies. As he exhaled smoke without saying a word, the grip on his hand tightened.

“Master Demon Lord. Please, never leave me.”

“...Save that kind of line for when you grow up and fall in love.”

To never leave... making that promise meant that he would live out the rest of his days in this world, leaving behind the real world with everything in it. The Demon Lord couldn’t promise that right now. He didn’t want to make any false promises when he was about to head to the Holy City to research the Ember Angel in search of a way back home.

“But I already know...”

Aku insisted.

“Come on...”

The Demon Lord laughed. Aku was a thirteen-year-old child, after all. Back in his schooldays, there were a few kids that wanted to act mature and were infatuated with their teacher. He pegged that this might have been something like that.

“Now, let’s start heading back.”

In the end, their hands remained held until they returned to the base.

†　†　†

“The secretary sure cares a lot about that girl...”

Yu found herself speaking her thoughts out loud. The secretary had, when an individual had met a certain condition, showered them with generosity unthinkable from his usual demeanor. That happened when an individual was crowned victor of the Game. Yu also had that sense of respect for the victor, naturally. But that girl... did not survive a Game.

(Perhaps she has some special powers...)

The secretary had exceptional skills for discovering talent. All eight of the advisors who protected the Sleepless Castle were scouted out by him, even though some of them were still young enough to be considered children.

(I want to know... all about the people of this world.)

Truth be told, she wanted to explore the girl further and further, but she controlled herself from disrespecting the companions of the secretary. Besides, once a hospital was built... she would have all the subjects she could want for.

“I can’t believe you healed her foot... I guess the Demon Lord’s whole fleet has ridiculous powers.”

The girl who was introduced to Yu as Luna mumbled this next to her. To Yu, magic seemed like a power much more ridiculous than hers. The grass was always greener on the other side, she supposed.

“But you have my thanks, too. Not him, never. But I’ll give you my gratitude.”

Yu let out a smile hearing this. Luna’s innocence and fearless attitude reminded her of Akane a little.

“I see why the secretary has taken a liking to you...”

“H-Huh!? Th-That’s just annoying! Just, so annoying!”

How she stubbornly denied her feelings was just like Akane, too. Then, Yu took notice of Luna’s face. Pretty cute, she thought. She imagined Luna in boy’s clothes. Cutting her hair and putting her in shorts could do the trick.

“W-We’re back!”

“How is your foot, Aku? The Demon Pervert Lord didn’t try anything, did he?”

“You never change, do you...? I’m impressed, somehow,” the secretary said and approached Yu. Then, his hand touched her shoulder... with a pat.

“Yu, that treatment was amazing... I’m glad I summoned you.”

His words electrified her palms and sent a strange tremor and elation from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

(What... is this...!?)

She felt so much joy that it almost brought her to tears. Her body, her soul, down to every last one of the cells in her body and every last strand of hair on her head were quaking in jubilation... She didn’t understand why, but an overwhelming sense of euphoria enveloped her, as if an omnipotent creator had just validated her existence.

“S-Sir... I am glad that... I could be of use to you...”

Her breathing was heavier. Yu no longer understood her own body... This wasn’t the first time the secretary had complimented her on her work, but never before had she felt this sensation. What was different now...?

“I’ll need your assistance moving forward. I’m counting on you.”

“Y-Yes, sir...!”

(Mrr... I can barely talk...!)

Now, Yu even noticed her heart pounding louder in her chest. This was definitely weird. Why did receiving his compliments and trust make her so happy...? To her dismay, tears formed at her eyes and blurred the world in front of her. If this was what happiness truly felt like, any sense of joy she had felt in her life so far were utterly meaningless in comparison.

(Something’s... different. He’s not the secretary I know... somehow.)

“Now that Aku’s foot has been treated... Let’s say we have a feast once we reach the Holy City,” the Demon Lord proposed.

“Yeah! But this time, you’re buying, Demon Lord!”

“I-I’ll be happy with the crackers...”

“No, Aku. Luna, take us to the best restaurant in the city when we get there.”

“Sure... But you do have money, right...?”

As she listened to the other three talk, Yu decided to hold off on pursuing her thoughts any further. Her shoulder, where he had touched her, was still radiating heat. She doubted she could think straight at all, at the moment.

(First, the hospital. I wonder if the secretary will praise me like that again...)

Aku gained the Survival Skill: Damsel

Survival Skill — Damsel

A rare skill that existed in the game. While the chance to gain it was extremely low at 3%, Kunai would negate any attack made against the skill holder. In fact, there were times in the Game where all of the powerful attacks against the Damsel player were negated, allowing that player to turn the entire battle around. To a player with the Damsel skill, Kunai was their messiah. For their opponents, however, Kunai was like Satan incarnate.

Adventurers

—Somewhere in Holylight

The hall was enormous, almost too big to be underground. This was in the headquarters of the Satanists, where the higher-ups of the organization gathered. Now, they were discussing their attack that took place a few days ago.

“Warlkin. How is it that you failed so miserably even after deploying Tartarus?”

“You may be a half-decent commander, but a coward will always be a coward.”

Most of the discussion involved insults against Warlkin. However, he didn’t refute any of it, and remained silent. He was sure that if any one of them in this hall were in his place, they would have been defeated just as easily.

“That Dragonborn had incredible powers. There’s nothing more to it.”

He spat out, causing the commotion to grow around him. But when the figure sitting in the chair at the far end of the room raised their hand... the room fell silent. Utopia, leader of the Satanists, finally spoke.

“I care less about the Dragonborn, and more about the rumor that the Demon Lord has appeared.”

No one could provide any answers. They had prayed for the summoning of the Demon Lord, but not a single one of them had returned from the Shrine of Wishes. It was fair to assume that the summoning had ended in failure. In the Holy City, there was already a wanted sign being posted for someone claiming to be the Demon Lord. However, the man in the drawing just looked like an ordinary human. While his face was intimidating, it didn’t resemble that of a Hellion.

“There was also a rumor... that the King of Devils was resurrected, but was killed by the Demon Lord, wasn’t there?”

Utopia continued, making everyone in the room look like they’ve bitten a sour lemon. It seemed so futile that their long-awaited Demon Lord had killed the King of Devils. While even the resurrection of the King of Devils was only a rumor to them, this scenario wasn’t a pleasant hypothetical to consider.

“In any case, Tartarus requires further sacrifice to grow its power.”

This was a command to rain down more chaos and carnage. Everyone in the room strengthened their resolve. They considered the ailment upon their nation too advanced to cure. To them, the only course of action was to burn the whole country to the ground and rebuild it from the ashes.

“...Let us desolate the Holy City, and sink it, and everyone in it, into Tartarus.”

Utopia issued a proclamation for desecration. The other higher-ups rushed to their feet, and left the room to prepare for their next attack. Soon, Utopia was left alone.

“Greole, that fool... What pebble did he trip and fall on?” Utopia mumbled into the empty room.

—Kanpai, a bar in the Holy City

This was the bar with the most adventurers hanging around inside at any given time. Regardless of their skill level, adventurers usually came back to the same bar they had been coming to since their start. Many would grow an attachment to the establishment that helped them through their novice days. This bar had seen the rise of many an adventurer, and a lot of successful ones kept coming back. What once started as a small hole-in-the-wall had now become the largest and best known bar in the Holy City: a rare case of a successful business where the customers and establishment grew together.

“The Demon Lord. That was the Demon Lord, no doubt about it!”

Mikan had been rambling on to the woman behind the bar, the owner of the establishment. She was holding a cold glass of ale in her hand, and she seemed pretty drunk already. From the looks of it, she couldn’t get the Demon Lord, whom she had met the other day, out of her mind.

“The Demon Lord, huh...? Is he hot?”

The owner asked, boisterously. Her name was Sammie, a portly momma-bear in her fifties. She took good care of everyone in her bar, garnering the respect of many adventurers.

“...He was grey and foxy. I want him to fill the void in my heart. And my butt.”

“Hah ha ha! You got a one-track mind, Yukikaze! Just grab him by the balls, you’ll get any man you want!”

Yukikaze joined in with a precarious line as always, and Sammie cut right back with a hearty laugh. They were both sober, by the way. One would shudder to imagine their line of conversation if they had been drunk. Mikan, the most level-headed of the three, finally shouted with a beet-red face:

“Yukikaze, he’s the Demon Lord! Don’t you get it!? Besides, you’re a dude!”

“...You know nothing, Mikan. Anyone can get pregnant if they’re a girl at heart.”

“Is your milk spiked!?”

The men around the bar were listening to this conversation, grumbling. How could they have stayed calm upon hearing that someone had stolen the heart of their idol.

“I don’t know who you are... but I will find you.”

“Demon Lord, my ass! That guy’s got some illusion of grandeur.”

“Actually, I want to be impregnated by Yukikaze. Uwu.”

“Shut your trap!”

These men had formed a brotherhood outside of their respective teams as the Yukikaze Fan Club. They had created various merchandise, and had even published a few fan fics. Some of them even donned a ‘waifu cape’, with a life-size image of Yukikaze on it. Fandoms acted mostly the same in this world, it seemed.

“Think about it. There were like three hundred Sand Wolves... He burned them to the ground in the blink of an eye! That thing is a disaster waiting to happen!”

“...Mikan. He did save your life, remember?”

“Urgh... Y-Yeah, but...”

“...You should repay your life-debt to him in the bed.”

“No, thank you! That’s all you!”

The commotion carried on in Kanpai as it always did. Amidst the ruckus, there was a man with his sword in his lap who spoke to no one. He just kept emptying bottles of strong wine. Known as Alverd the Flashing Sword, he was a famous swordsman who would cut down any opponent with a single cut of his sword.

“Hah! The man who calls himself the Demon Lord... Sounds like as good a stepping block as any.”

Imagining himself cutting down the rumored figure, and the fame and fortune that were sure to follow, Alverd wore a dauntless grin.

—Artemis, a bar in the Holy City.

In contrast to an adventurers’ bar, this bar was a super uppity joint, frequented by nobles. The establishment was filled with tranquility, far from any commotion. In a corner of the bar, a couple of women were quietly enjoying their meal. While these two adventurers stood out among an establishment full of nobles, no one complained. They were both famously world-class adventurers with an S ranking, known as Star Players.

The topic of their conversation wasn’t the Demon Lord, but the Dragonborn.

“Olgan, do you really think he’s a Dragonborn?”

One of them said, scooping a spoonful of stew into her mouth. She appeared to be a devout priestess, her clothes overflowing with a holy force. A lower-ranking devil wouldn’t even be able to approach her. Her most note-worthy feature, however, were her breasts. They looked as if they were about to burst at any instant. One might have wondered how she could breathe at all. Her name was Mynk, one of the best known Star Players. Best known to men for her gorgeous blue hair and mountainous bosom.

“I’d say ‘not a chance’... but nothing’s ever impossible.”

The woman called Olgan replied, eating her salad. She simply shoveled the undressed greens into her mouth. Olgan was almost childlike in stature, the entirety of which was covered with a black robe, keeping anyone around her from seeing much of her. Still, the way she stuffed her small cheeks full of salad was rather adorable. She was of a very rare breed, a mixed blood of human and Hellion... a Firebrand. Some countries hunted them, which was why they concealed her identity and travelled from one base of operations to the next. Naturally, Holylight didn’t tolerate her kind. They had only stopped by on their way to their next destination. By this time, Mynk was the only other one who knew that Olgan was a Firebrand. Anyone else who found out... didn’t live to spread that knowledge.

“Isn’t that exciting, though? A Dragonborn who tolerates no evil.”

“If he were real, Animania wouldn’t leave him be.”

“A feral Dragonborn, then?”

“Ridiculous. While I’d love to see such a creature...”

While they were both mixed-blood, Dragonborns were revered while Firebrands were persecuted. Of course, it all seemed illogical to Olgan, and she even considered the Dragonborns a thorn in her side.

“Rumor has it, the Demon Lord has appeared, too. The darkness within me proclaims it.”

“You’re a priestess, remember...? What’s this nonsense about ‘darkness’?”

“My right eye quakes... There’s no mistake. The Demon Lord has arrived to descend the world into chaos. We will be the darkness to defeat him.”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

Unfortunately, Mynk was in that ‘troubled anime protagonist’ phase. Perhaps this world had a law that one half of a duo had to be a weirdo.

With the speculations of these adventurers unbeknownst to him, the Demon Lord was approaching the Holy City. At the same time, the Satanists were hastening their plan underground. The storm headed for the Holy City now seemed unavoidable.

Ruthless Invasion

(Looks like we’re getting close to a city...)

Gazing over the landscape around them, the Demon Lord observed. As they approached the Holy City, he noticed less dried-up land and more lush greenery. At the same time, the road was widening, and they had passed other carriages here and there. There were more people walking along the street as they progressed, and the villages they passed along the highway were reasonably bustling.

...Except for one particular village. A tall fence surrounded the entire village, but there was hardly anyone to be seen in it. It exuded a strange aura, almost as if it had been abandoned. Since the village was bigger than most, its desolation was even more glaring.

“Luna, what’s with that village? It looks kind of depressing.”

“...That’s my village.”

“...Huh?”

“That’s my land, okay!?”

The Demon Lord mulled over Luna’s answer for a moment. He had imagined Holy Maidens to be of very high status. He never would have pegged one of them to rule over such a bleak village.

“It’s pretty bleak. Doesn’t it bother you?”

“I’m not interested in ruling any land. Besides, someone from the Church is managing things there. There’s nothing for me to do.”

True, that seemed like an impossible task for Luna. All of her talents relied in magic, leaving her clueless when it came to ruling a land.

(I guess she’d just tax them like nuts and earn herself a revolution. I can already picture her ass being spanked on a cross.)

As far as the Demon Lord could tell, while Luna excelled in magic, she was the face of the nation rather than the brain. While she was paraded around with fanfare, he presumed that Luna was diligently separated from profitable land. As Luna herself didn’t seem to have any interest in that sort of thing, she seemed like the perfect figurehead. The Demon Lord set up a Communication call with Yu to discuss the matter.

That’s my impression. What do you think?

I agree, sir. Most likely, nobles and the higher-ups of the Church have left her with a troublesome territory.

Hm. In that case... There won’t be any complaints against us if we were to use this abandoned piece of land, will there?

This village, sir?

Technically speaking, a Holy Maiden rules it, after all. I don’t expect much intervention. That should work in our favor.

The Demon Lord gave this justification, but the number one reason for his decision was his lack of funds. While it seemed like a gold medallion was worth a considerable amount, he didn’t expect it to be able to buy a plot of land with it. In fact, as it was the capital of Holylight, land in the Holy City was extremely expensive.

“Luna, I want to borrow a plot of land in this village.”

“What?”

†　†　†

As the Demon Lord walked into the village, he noticed that the villagers looked peculiar, like they had rabbit ears on their heads. At first, he thought that they were wearing a costume, but Luna informed him that they were a species known as the Bunnies.

“They’re literally rabbit-people...”

“They say that the Bunnies were adored by the Wise Angel back in the day. So, there aren’t many of them, but they all live here.”

“Adore, huh...? More like segregate, by the looks of it.”

“Holylight... isn’t too kind to non-humans.”

The Demon Lord noticed a hint of sorrow on Luna’s expression, but decided that he didn’t have time to dive into it, and looked around the village.

(Building a hospital and treating a lot of patients in a Holy Maiden’s village would definitely clear my name...)

He couldn’t have expected much better than ‘a Holy Maiden’s village’ as the title for his base of operations.

“Master Demon Lord, what are we going to do here?”

Aku asked, walking towards the Demon Lord with ease. Watching her walk brought a sensation of indescribable joy to the Demon Lord. Aku could now walk on her own feet. He almost felt like Daddy-Long-Legs.

“We’re going to give this village a doctor.”

“Oh, Lady Yu! People would come from all around the country to be seen by her!”

The Demon Lord nodded in agreement. In other words, people would pay money to be seen by her. He even contemplated if he should build a Hot Springs Resort next to the hospital while he was at it. Even in modern-day Japan, the majority of people requiring medical assistance were elderly, and the elderly liked their hot springs. From what Aku and Luna had told him, bathing (whether in cold or hot water) seemed to be a luxury here. The resort was sure to be a hit.

“How about this plot of land here, Mister Secretary?”

“A little cramped. I’m thinking of building a hot springs resort next to it.”

“Hot springs? How wonderful...”

Seeing Yu’s face loosen into a smile, the Demon Lord was reminded that women also loved their hot springs. In fact, he had never met a woman who didn’t.

(I better go for the dual-income from the hospital and the hot springs. If I sold bars of soap, they’d fly off the shelves, too. Both Luna’s and my reputation will recover, and people will be healthy and happy. It’s a flawless plan with no downsides.)

As the Demon Lord schemed away, a man came running through the village.

“M-Miss Luna... What a wonderful surprise. And who may these... !? H-He’s the man on the wanted poster...!”

“Yep. The Demon Lord. He’s working with me now.”

Luna declared, puffing her flat chest. ‘Working with’ was the best choice of words they came up with. She had told the Demon Lord that his face was already known through the Holy City and its surroundings via wanted posters, so they had to justify his presence here. Not that there was any bounty on him, though. The posters simply warned of a suspicious man claiming to be the Demon Lord.

(I gotta turn these rumors around...)

The Demon Lord renewed his resolve. Being treated like a criminal or a wanted man, and in a fantasy world of all places, wasn’t his idea of a fun time. Ideally, he wanted to be a tycoon, running hot springs resorts and hospitals. If he kept to doing mostly good deeds, his social standing would improve along with his finances. This was his master plan.

(Seems easier said than done, now that I think about it. But I do have the ability to build those hospitals and resorts.)

One step at a time, he planned to earn the people’s trust. Eventually, he might even become someone adored by the public. A Field Hospital was a Base that hastened HP recovery of those inside it, and a Hot Springs Resort hastened Stamina recovery. Each of them were sure to be a one-of-a-kind establishment in this world.

In order to procure the land to build those establishments upon, the Demon Lord started negotiating with the Church’s representative at the village. If possible, he planned to kick anyone from the Church out of this village. Luna aside, he couldn’t imagine the Holy Church being of any help to him. Even in modern-day, any idea with a projectable profit would have been swarmed with vultures asking for a cut.

“You’re the one the Church sent? Moving forward, Luna and I will take care of this village. Go back to your cathedral, or wherever, and tell them the news.”

He came out swinging hard, from the highest horse he could present himself on.

“Wha...? I-I’ll have to speak with those above me, to...”

“Above, huh...? That doesn’t sound right, does it?”

The Demon Lord, with an audacious grin, piled on:

“Luna, the rightful lady of the land, is willing to rule the village herself. Are you saying that you or some faceless higher-up of the Church is the rightful ruler of this village?”

With the same breath, he palmed the man’s head, pushing it down into his neck.

“N-No! I wouldn’t... This village belongs to Miss Luna...”

“Hm. It seems you’ve answered the question. Now act on your word.”

The man scrambled to his house and jumped on his horse before running out of... rather, running away from the village. Secretly, the Demon Lord was offended in thinking that his face was as terrifying as the man’s reaction indicated. But, he decided to focus on the bright side of getting rid of him. Without his interference, the Demon Lord expected to put his plan in motion as he pleased. Luna, who had been watching the ordeal, mumbled with exasperation.

“You’re weirdly quick on your feet when it comes to these things.”

“Don’t sweat it. Leave it to me and this village will see its golden age.”

“Um... Will I get more allowance?”

“Of course. I guarantee it.”

The Demon Lord made sure to wave that carrot in front of Luna’s face. He assumed that, if a homeless nobody like him were to take on these projects, he would face various interference and sabotages. Luna’s cooperation was crucial. He counted on the government not easily eliminating a village run by their face.

“Now, I would like to speak with the people... or the Bunnies, of this village.”

“Sure... But don’t you dare build some weird stuff around here.”

As a response, the Demon Lord just gave Luna a quick spank on her butt. A sharp clap reverberated through the air.

“Hwa! Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Hm. Nothing special. Just a celebratory gesture, really.”

“You pervert...! You’ve wanted to touch my shapely butt this whole time, haven’t you!? Admit it! Say it!”

“In your dr- Ow! Let go of my hair, you idiot!”

The village of Rabbi... where Bunnies lived in impoverished harmony. With the Demon Lord’s arrival, however, the destiny of the village had forever changed.

Merciless Invasion

—The village of Rabbi, Holylight

The Bunnies were out in the fields, harvesting carrots. They couldn’t harvest too many from the rugged land, but there were almost no other farmers on the continent that could grow carrots, giving the Bunnies a monopoly on them. Their race-specific skills helped them cultivate and grow this particular crop. Although, with the lack of rain during the past few years, even the Bunnies were unable to cultivate a successful yield.

“Kyon, how are the carrots over there?”

“No good... They’re too thin for us to put a good price on them. How about yours, Momo?”

“It’s not looking too hot. We’ll have to buy some more Water Spell Stones.”

“They’re getting more expensive, lately... The Earth Spell Stones, too.”

Holding the undergrown carrots in their hands, the two Bunnies sighed in dismay. Carrots were an expensive commodity in this country. Only Bunnies could grow them, after all. That being said, if they were forced to use more Spell Stones to grow them, they wouldn’t have much of a profit margin. With each passing year, it became more difficult for the Bunnies to make a decent living, worsening their poverty. Recently, many of the villagers had migrated east to Animania, but these two had too strong of convictions to abandon their village, as they somehow managed to squeak by. All the while, they couldn’t help but sense the incoming collapse of their beloved village. That was when the Demon Lord and Holy Maiden arrived.

“So, they really are just humans with rabbit ears.”

“I hear that Bunnies are very popular up north for how cute they are.”

“There are furries in any world, it seems like.”

“Furries...? You know, you use some weird words sometimes.”

At this moment, the impending collapse of the village seemed to run away in terror of the Demon Lord.

†　†　†

“I see. The problem is that you don’t have any water...”

After listening to what the Bunnies had to say, the Demon Lord looked over the field. Of course, he had no knowledge of farming, but producing water certainly wasn’t a problem for him. The ubiquitous healing item in the Game was Bottle of Water, but players could use a Bucket to obtain a large amount of water from a well. Game logic had prevented the players from using any of it without first bottling it, though. Even from a dry well, the item would simply produce the end-result of a full bucket, the Demon Lord figured. He expected no issues using it in this world.

“Wow. Look at these poor people, destitute without any help from their lady of the land. Some Holy Maiden you are.” The Demon Lord said this with plenty of sarcasm, partially in retaliation for Luna pulling on his hair earlier.

“Wh-What was I supposed to do...? They always told me not to get myself involved in worldly things like this...!”

This confirmed the Demon Lord’s presumption, that Luna was just a figurehead. They would use her as a weapon, but keep her out of anything that didn’t involve the battlefield. Revered, secluded, and kept far away from any financial matters. This wasn’t an unusual way to treat royalty in any world, though.

“Ah, Kyon, was it? Is there a well in this village?”

“Th-There is... Hoppity.”

The Demon Lord winced at the horribly clichéd catchphrase.

“...I have to ask. What’s with the contrived catchphrase?”

“H-Humans are usually disappointed if we don’t use them... Hoppity.”

“My apologies, but please just talk to me normally.”

If he could have, the Demon Lord would have demanded to figure out who in their right mind came up with such a thing.

“And Momo, was it? Same goes for you.”

“Got it... Hippity.”

“You don’t ‘got it,’ though, do you!?”

(Dammit...! What is it with these guys!?)

The Demon Lord couldn’t help but interject, breaking his character. What’s worse, the two Bunnies seemed completely earnest. This wasn’t a joke to them.

“The well is this way... Hoppity.”

“Agh, jeez. Just take me there, already.”

Controlling the urge to yank on their pointed ears, the Demon Lord followed them through the village. The well they had showed him to was, indeed, completely dried up. They couldn’t even produce enough water to drink without using Spell Stones, let alone enough to farm.

(Now, a Bucket... is a Novice item, huh? 5 SP.)

Most likely, the cost was set low because the water produced by it was useless in the game without being bottled. The Demon Lord didn’t mind this at all... he had 265 SP remaining. Even after accounting for what it would take to build the Hospital and Hot Springs Resort, there was plenty of SP left over.

(I could craft some food and drink items... but those would be short-lived, of course.)

There were various food items implemented in the game. Cookies, Rice Cakes, and White Bread were some of the more common varieties found in the arena. He had, for some reason, also put in a bit too much effort when it came to canned fruits. There were canned cherries, peaches, tangerines, pineapples, and more. In addition, there were items like the nutritious Rice-and-Herb Porridge, visually appealing Dumplings in various forms, Ice Cream Bars, and even fictional things like Mammoth Meat and the cartoonish Lump of Meat. Even when it came to drinks, the game was stocked with Sports Drinks, Beer, Brandy, Sake, Barley Liquor, Rice Liquor, and all sorts of Energy Drinks. What’s more, there was produce like Sweet Potatoes, Russet Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic, as well as fresh fruit like Melons, Strawberries, Tangerines, Apples, Kiwis, Lychees, and Mangoes. He couldn’t possibly earn enough SP to continue producing these to feed the village, but producing a sample of some would allow the Bunnies to yield crops from their seeds. There were 1901 different items that were scattered around the Arena, in addition to the items that could only be found using skills. All in all, there were easily over 2000 items in the game.

“The word impossible really isn’t in the Empire’s dictiona-... Hm?”

The Demon Lord pulled his usual line, but realized that everyone was looking at him funny. It seemed that he was lost in thought for a while.

(Whoops. I kind of lose myself when I start remembering things about the Game.)

As if to change the subject, the Demon Lord started crafting an item.

“Let’s begin. Craft Novice Item... Bucket.”

Using the admin feature, he produced the Bucket from the pitch-black void. It looked to be built much better than he had expected.

“Wh-Where do you... get these things, anyway!? What is that!?” Luna asked.

“A fragment of my brilliance... I suppose.”

The Demon Lord dodged the question with this line. He couldn’t really explain it, after all. His best guess was that when the Still Angel summoned the Demon Lord, his powers from the game came with him. But when it came to the logistics of it all, he was clueless. He almost wanted to tell Luna to ask the very angel she worshipped.

“Now, let’s give this thing a try.”

“U-Um... That well has been dry for years... Hoppity.”

“My Bucket will come up full. Regardless of the well’s state.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, hippity.”

“I don’t understand your catchphrases, either...” the Demon Lord said as he attached the Bucket and the wheel to the well. After lowering the bucket to the bottom of the well, he pulled it right up. The wheel, of course, allowed most anyone to pull up the bucket regardless of their physical strength. As he had presumed, the bucket came up filled to the brim with water.

“H-Hold on! What’s going on, Demon Lord!?”

Luna started trembling upon seeing this. Who could have blamed her after watching a dry well yield a bucket full of water?

“Momo, look! Look at all that water!”

“No... What’s happening!?”

(So you guys can talk normal!)

The Demon Lord noticed, but only stuck his finger into the water and tasted it. Normal water, as expected. If this had been the kind of water that healed 20 HP, he would have had to scrap the idea. He didn’t see a problem in using the Bucket since the water had no effect, but he still wanted to keep it on the down-low as long as the demand for water was so high in this country that Water Spell Stones were on the market. He figured that the Bunnies should simply claim that the well was no longer dry, instead of divulging this item’s existence.

“This is a magic bucket from my country. As you just saw, it can yield water even out of dry wells,” the Demon Lord ceremoniously explained.

“I’m sure you all recognize how precious this magical item is. Just one of these could start a war.”

Even as he kept at it from his high horse, he felt a pinch of guilt remembering that he had produced it for a mere 5 SP. His claim was so far off of the item’s value in the system of the game. Still, Luna and the Bunnies seemed to get the point, as they sincerely nodded in response.

“This secret won’t leave the village... Hoppity!”

“Thank you, thank you! We can grow a healthy crop of carrots now, hippity!”

(I knew it. They’re doing it on purpose. I’m not going to acknowledge it anymore.)

Then the Demon Lord crafted another item. He didn’t think water alone would be enough when it came to farming.

“Craft Intermediate Item... Fertilizer.”

He removed a large plastic bag filled with fertilizer from the void. While it was called Fertilizer, this item was used as a part to make a bomb. Not even the Demon Lord had ever imagined it coming in handy like this.

“Use this fertilizer. I’ll leave the precise methods up to you.”

He had no clue how much of the fertilizer to use nor when to apply it. He thought it best to leave that to the professional farmers. Just like the Bucket, he assumed, the Fertilizer would provide nutrition to the soil via game logic, regardless of logistics. It was funny how an item that had been intended for crafting a weapon was now used to help give life to crops.

“Momo, this fertilizer is amazing! I feel the Force of Earth!”

“W-Wow... It’s overflowing with the Force of Bounty!”

The Bunnies clamored, but the Demon Lord didn’t understand what they were saying. He was just happy that the item seemed to be a useful one.

(This should bring some vitality back to the village. The best facilities in the world still won’t draw a crowd if the place feels depressing.)

After giving some minute directions to the Bunnies, the Demon Lord left.

“Y-You’re... not all bad, after all...” Luna said.

“Posh. I’m not a saint. I have my ulterior motives.”

“Ulterior motives? Y-You wouldn’t do unspeakable things to those Bunnies!?”

“You idiot. We’ll need some workers for the hospital and the resort. I want the Bunnies to work for me when they’re built.”

As the Bunnies were adorable to look at, he imagined that they would prove popular among the customers. Quite a few bars and casinos in the real world employed waitresses in bunny ears, leotards and fish-net stockings, after all.

“That’s the most basic of groundwork done. Let’s wait to build them until we return from the Holy City.”

“You better buy me a drink when we get there. And I’m going to go clothes shopping, too!”

“Why do you think I’ll come along on your shopping spree?”

After the Storm

After the Demon Lord had left, the Bunnies jumped to stockpiling water. They were told that the Bucket was magical, but they didn’t know how long it would last. Most magic in this world lost its effect either immediately or over a short period of time. The Bunnies were taking a natural course of action with their preconceptions.

“Bring out all the pails we have in the village!”

“The leather canteens, too!”

All of the kids, as well as the adults, started running all over the village. Everyone was desperate to secure as many buckets of water as possible while the magic was working.

“Next pail!”

“Let’s switch places. We’ll take turns pulling up the bucket.”

While the wheel allowed even a child to pull up the bucket, they were having trouble as they rushed to yank it up.

“Calm down. You just have to turn the wheel steadily.”

“O-Okay...!”

The Bunnies pulled bucket after bucket until all of the pails in their village were filled with water, but there was no sign that the magic was weakening.

“W-Will this bucket... keep bringing out water forever?”

“No way...”

Once the Bunnies started to calm down, fear began to creep up on them. Their familiar well, which had dried up ages ago, was now something unfathomable. It was as if the well had been painted in a different light than the rest of the village.

“Momo...”

“I know.”

Kyon called out nervously, and Momo responded with gravity. They now understood that, if news of this bucket got out, they could all end up dead. Holylight was already hostile towards non-human races. It was a harsh environment for Demi-Humans, like Animas, Elves, and Dwarfs. Many humans in the nation were openly antagonistic towards them. Picturing those people, Momo resolved... never to give up the bucket. If anyone tried to take it from them, the Bunnies would gather their arms and fight to protect the bucket. After witnessing its power, they had no other choice. If it came down to that, they could expect the opposition to employ any means necessary.

“B-But, Miss Luna will protect us, right...? She’ll make sure we won’t...”

“...Yeah.”

Kyon suggested desperately, but Momo still looked uneasy. While Luna was feared and revered by all in the country, she had little interest in their village. ‘Just do what you want’ was her go-to line. For better or worse, the Bunnies had been left with full autonomy. Luna’s status prevented her from spending much time in the village, but even the middle-aged man sent from the Church as the substitute lord of the land showed no interest in the village’s welfare. While he didn’t show any open prejudice towards the Bunnies, perhaps because of their status as a village that belonged to a Holy Maiden, it was written all over his face that he wanted nothing to do with the village. The Bunnies had pleaded with him about their miserable situation, only to be met with a sneer. He was no more than a statue to them.

While things had improved since Luna became their lady, there were countless Bunnies who had abandoned their homes and left the village of Rabbi to find a new land for themselves after generations of mistreatment. In the end, the population of Rabbi had decreased from two thousand Bunnies to three hundred, including children.

(If a battle broke out here and now... There would be no one left alive in this village.)

There were sure to be countless people who would want that bucket. Nobles, Bandits... that bucket could even turn a good man bad. Momo recalled what the man called Demon Lord had said:

Just one of these could start a war.

Momo couldn’t help but tremble and swallow some saliva.

“Kyon, put out a strict gag law.”

“O-Okay...”

“And let’s gather the men to rebuild the fence. And gather all the weapons in...”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea...”

“...Why not?”

“They’ll think we’re hiding something.”

While Momo tried to solidify their defenses out of fear, Kyon objected with child-like logic. True, it wasn’t smart for them to shore up their defenses out of the blue. Everyone would wonder what caused them to take such actions.

“Right. If we make any sudden moves, they’ll wonder why...”

“Mm-hm. I just think we should carry on like nothing’s changed...”

In fact, since no one ever visited the crumbling village of Rabbi, it was a perfect spot for keeping the Bucket a secret. If they kept their heads low, the Bunnies could keep this a secret for at least a while. Then, a voice suddenly rang in Kyon’s and Momo’s heads.

Uh... Kyon and Momo, was it? Can you hear me?

A Communication from the cause of all of their new-found troubles, the Demon Lord. He was just trying to see how things had turned out after his departure.

Agghhhh! What’s this scary voice in my head, hoppity!?

Oh, no... He’s completely cursed us, hippity.

What do you mean ‘curse’!?

While Kyon and Momo were taken by surprise at first, Communication was a very useful tool once they had gotten used to it. Since the participants could communicate remotely, it was almost like a cell phone. The two Bunnies spoke concisely about what had happened, and the Demon Lord seemed satisfied.

Hm. A sudden move would arouse suspicion from neighboring villages. That was a good call.

But I think we’ll be found out eventually, hoppity...

No matter. We’ll put up some defenses of our own. Stay out of trouble until I return.

The Demon Lord had finally found his bridgehead. He had no intention of giving up this village, no matter the cost. In fact, he was ready to take on any invaders with no mercy.

And, as to where the fertilizer should be used...

After some more notes from the Demon Lord, the communication ended. With a sigh, the two Bunnies looked at each other. They were feeling dread and relief at once. A difficult emotion to describe.

“Who was that man, hoppity...?”

“Calm down, Kyon. No one’s here, hippity.”

“...Right back at you, Momo.”

Rattled by the surreal form of communication, they couldn’t help but keep using their Bunny catchphrases, even though no one was around.

“A-Anyway. Let’s try using the fertilizer tomorrow.”

“Yes. The thing inside that bag... is amazing.”

The Bunnies had a special power. While ‘the ability to grow carrots’ may not sound like much, its effects were tremendous. They were able to grow the best crop on the continent. The other crops in this world didn’t even come close to holding a candle against the carrot. Until now, the scorched land and lack of water had sabotaged their yield, but that was all about to change. In fact, not just their farms, but the entire continent was about to undergo a drastic change...

The Holy Nation

—The Holy Castle, Holylight

Holylight was a nation ruled by a trio of Holy Maidens. Below them were the Holy Church and the Holy Knights’ Order, both on equal footing. All three branches joined forces to protect the nation from any foreign hostilities. The Church welcomed all into their organization, from orphans to high nobles, as long as they showed potential for wielding magic. Similarly, the Knights’ Order welcomed all with combat potential. Naturally, each organization rigorously tested their applicants, although they allowed anyone to apply. This was a rare custom not only in Holylight, but even in neighboring countries.

However, nobles have been encroaching upon the Knights’ Order, beginning to control the organization. Flashing anything from power, valor, and money, the nobles gradually wrapped their fingers around the Order. This was because the opinion of the Knights’ Order carried considerable weight when it came to the selection of Holy Maidens.

On the other hand, members of the Church were not as easily bought out. Along with talents for magic, as they were servants of the Angel, strict virtue was required of them. Not even the nobles could have bribed their way into the Church. So, they honed in on the Knights’ Order, slinking their way into the organization in order to select Holy Maidens that would serve their cause.

And now, they had influenced the selection of two Holy Maidens nearly perfect for their cause. Luna Elegant, who was talented in magic but lacked interest in politics, and Killer Queen, who was a top-tier fighter with no eye for politics nor money. Having two thirds of the Holy Maidens showing no interest in politics or power-plays was an ideal situation for them, as they could do as they pleased.

With that situation as their backdrop, the third Holy Maiden was holding a meeting with two of the top nobles in the country.

“How wonderful to see Miss Luna realizing her responsibilities as a Holy Maiden...”

A man said with an oily smile, jiggling his fat body. His name was Dona Dona, the most influential noble in the country, with many nobles under his thumb. True to the stereotype, he lusted after young women and money alike. At the same time, he was a natural born politician. The command he held over the nobles was formidable. In addition, he was the puppeteer behind Holylight’s economics, as he held many mines within his land, he had been hiking up the prices for Spell Stones year after year.

“...Joyous,” spoke Marshall Harts, sitting across from Dona. Built far too muscular for a noble, he even donned armor at the table. While over sixty years of age, with his white hair tied up in the back, his eyes shone with intensity. A veteran warrior in charge of the more militaristic nobles.

“But I am worried... that she’s being taken advantage of by that man who claims to be the Demon Lord.”

Sitting farthest from the entrance at the roundtable, the final Holy Maiden spoke, shaking her pink hair. Her name was Angel White. Everything from her hair, eyes, and lips were of a light pink. Even the air about her seemed divine... Her beauty was out of this world.

Looking at her, Dona Dona audibly swallowed. His perverted thoughts were written all over his face. He was scheming to take the Holy Maiden for himself, one day.

“No need for concern, m’lady. At your command, I shall take care of him...” Dona Dona said, moving his slimy gaze down towards the Holy Maiden’s breasts. Anyone could see that his hands were squeezing down those ample peaks in his mind. In fact, his hands were making the gesture under the roundtable.

Of course, the topic of today’s meeting was the Holy Maiden Luna. To their surprise, she had decided to rule a land she had completely left to the Church’s representative up to this point. Was this a baby step in the right direction, or an indication that something was wrong? White didn’t know what to make of it.

Leaving White to her contemplation, the two nobles clashed.

“...Miss Luna trusts this man. There’s nothing for us to do.”

“Hmph! The city is already filled with wanted posters of his!”

“...Dona. What harm has this man caused, exactly? You dare punish a man in Miss Luna’s trust for a few bad rumors?”

“Billitzo has reported that an entire remote village of his had been burned down! Besides, he threw Miss Luna’s guards into the air!”

Without even attempting to conceal their animosity toward the other, the two nobles stared down. Not only were their views of the nation polar opposite to one another, their personalities were just incompatible.

“...According to my source, it was only a farm house that was burned down. Billitzo’s crying wolf.”

“Harts! You accuse a noble of lying!?”

“...Regardless of rank, I trust the words of those worthy of my trust. I believe my subordinate over Billitzo.”

The stare down ensued. Because of the division under the surface among the nobles, who controlled the economy, and the armed forces, Holylight was in the midst of a long-term slump.

“It’s not every day that she shows initiative for something... I won’t interfere, just yet.”

“If you say so, m’lady...”

“...Understood.”

While Dona agreed with visible disdain, Harts simply closed his eyes.

As soon as the two nobles had left the room, Queen burst through the door, and made a ruckus as she took her seat. As if she had nowhere else to put them, her feet were strewn on top of the roundtable. Her demeanor was utterly devoid of etiquette or manners.

“I heard you were in pretty big trouble the other day... I’m glad you’re safe.” White said, but Queen didn’t seem all there. Perhaps she didn’t even hear her sister speak.

“...I’m in love.”

“What?”

“I’m in love with that guy... I remember it clear as day. The coolest guy I’ve ever seen.”

“W-Wait a minute... What are you talking about?”

White and Queen had known each other for a long time, and she had gotten accustomed to Queen’s outrageous demeanor, but she still couldn’t believe the words that had come out of her sister. White had considered Queen to be the furthest person in this world from romance.

“You’re not talking about the rumored Dragonborn...? Um, Queen. You know Dragonborns don’t exist, right...?”

“Says you, sis! ‘Cus you didn’t see him with your own eyes! His punch! His stance! His gallant face! His rocking one-liners!”

“C-Calm down...”

“I got to find Sir Zero, quick... Aghhh! I want to bury my face into that jacket...!”

“What? Are both of my sisters broken...!?”

Angel White... the one and only level-headed Holy Maiden. Naturally, she was often left to pick up the mess. And it didn’t look like that was going to change anytime soon.

†　†　†

A few days later...

“This is the Holy City, huh...? It’s bigger than I imagined.”

The Demon Lord was blown away by his first encounter with a large city in a fantasy world. He was most surprised by the deep moat surrounding the city, which was filled to the brim with water. Sure, it must have been effective defensively, but the value of water in this city seemed to be different from the rest of the country.

“It-It’s amazing! It’s my first time in the Holy City, too!”

“You know, Aku... The Holy Castle over there is my home.”

“You live in that giant castle!? Wow, Miss Holy Maiden, you’re amazing!”

“Yep. I’m the best Holy Maiden there is... And I’m going to rule this nation, some day!”

(What an idiot.)

As far the Demon Lord could imagine, if Luna were to take control of this country, she would wreck the economy or cause a coup within the first three days. He guessed that her Politics stat, if there was such a thing in this world, would be at 1, or 2, at best.

Mister Secretary, there seems to be some sort of checkpoint at the entrance.

I see. They do have some crime-prevention systems, then.

Even in modern day Japan, security at airports was tight, not to mention in other countries. Entering another country could take a considerable amount of time thanks to cross-referencing each applicant with crime databases around the world. Since there was a wanted poster going around of the Demon Lord, he expected that their entrance might be a bit of a struggle.

“As planned, Luna?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure they’ll know you’re my servant.”

“An associate... You must be dumber than a chicken.”

While the Demon Lord planned to squeak by with Luna’s clout, the guard seemed to have gotten the memo already. They made it through the gate, almost too easily.

(I doubt they’ll throw me a welcome party, but... Not going to turn me away at the gate, huh?)

It did seem a little odd, considering how he treated Luna’s guards.

Perhaps there’s someone, whether it be another Holy Maiden or a noble, who wants to have a word with you, sir?

That’s my guess, too. Let’s see what’s behind door number one.

And so, the Demon Lord entered the Holy City. It didn’t feel like he could get away with doing a little research in quiet before heading back out.

Dinner Party

—Nighttime in the Holy City

(Now we have a room...)

Using his gold medallion, the Demon Lord had secured a place to stay in the Holy City. A pretty famous, high-class hotel, in fact. Considering his lack of funds, he could have gone with a cheaper inn, but he felt it best to advertise his tycoon image if he wanted to advertise his resort and hospital down the line. The same pitch could carry different weight depending on what’s in the presenter’s pocket.

“What was the place called? Artemis?”

The restaurant Luna had mentioned had a pretty tame name for once. Although, it was kind of sad that the Demon Lord felt joy in hearing a name that wasn’t jarring to him.

“Yes. A respectable establishment patronized by cultured individuals like myself.”

“Cultured, huh...? Why are you staying with us at the inn, anyway?”

“W-Why should you care... where I stay!?”

(I care because I paid for the room!)

The Demon Lord felt the urge to pinch Luna’s mouth shut. As he didn’t want to cause a scene, though, he ended up walking down the street looking like he had a bitter lime in his mouth. Of course, being the quartet of a Holy Maiden, the man who called himself the Demon Lord, a stunning woman in a lab coat, and a girl in a white dress who looked like a princess... They already garnered some attention. Whispers could be heard in the street as they passed by.

It’s been a while, hasn’t it...? Mister Secretary.

...Sure has.

He agreed without much thought, but he was clueless what Yu found so nostalgic about this situation.

They’re just like the pitiful crowds in occupied territories surrendering to our forces. It feels like it was just yesterday when Shizuka took away the arms and legs of that child who threw a stone at us.

H-Heh heh...

He could only muster a twitchy chuckle as Yu recalled the scene in ecstasy. This incident had been drawn up by him as an episode in the game. For his advisors, these stories were a reality. Shizuka especially had a few of these gruesome tales under her belt, shedding light on how dangerous she really was. Many of the countless episodes he had written served to illustrate the ruthlessness of the Empire. For Akira Ono, the creator of the game, these had only been sprinkles of backstory for his characters. Realizing that all of them had really taken place, the Demon Lord internally shuddered.

Aku timidly spoke to the now silent Demon Lord.

“Master Demon Lord... Are you sure I can go into such an extravagant restaurant?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. You look like a princess, Aku.”

“A p-princess...”

Watching her blush and shy away, the Demon Lord calmed his nerves. It seemed like Aku was starting to become a sort of rock for him.

(In any case... The cityscape is dreamlike.)

He thought, gazing on the glittering Holy City. Lighting up the night, there were streetlamps that illuminated the city in various colors, almost as much as a modern-day metropolis was lit up. There was even a fountain on the main street, and he could spot many lovebirds nestling around it.

(And people here are dressed completely different.)

Of course, they were much cleaner than what the Demon Lord had gotten used to seeing, but he noticed that many of the outfits he saw were fashion-conscious. Their hairstyles seemed particular too, and it looked like many people put work into them. During the day, he had gotten the impression of a bustling city, but at night, the city came alive with nightlife like it did in Shibuya. Various signs using Spell Stones aligned the streets, and dolled up women stood in front of bars to call in pedestrians. At this rate, there was sure to be a red-light district, somewhere.

(Holy City by day, and something else by night...)

“Interesting,” the Demon Lord thought. He seemed to like that the city wasn’t just prim and proper. While he didn’t dislike solemn atmospheres that could be found at temples, he didn’t dislike bright, bustling cities like this, either.

“Luna, this is an interesting city.”

“R-Really? I didn’t expect the compliment from you...”

Luna replied, taken by surprise. Sincerely, the Demon Lord felt like he had a grasp on something upon experiencing this city.

“This is a lot more straightforward than some Angel nonsense. Human desire epitomized... We’re at the core of this country.”

People who have worked hard and improved themselves to obtain power and wealth... The Holy City welcomed those who had ‘made it.’ It seemed much more real to him than some sketchy promise of a blissful afterlife.

“Desire...? You know... Oh, we’re here. This is Artemis.”

“Hm... Shall we?”

The party walked through the door of Artemis. Inside was another world entirely, and that much was clear just by looking at the patrons. Dressed in obviously extravagant attire, they nibbled on their wine and meat while elegantly engaging in conversation. It was obviously a place for the social elite.

“Why, Miss Luna. Welcome back...”

“Hi. I’m looking forward to what you have for me, today.”

As soon as they sat down at a table, someone who acted like the manager came to greet them. The title of a Holy Maiden seemed to carry as much weight as the Demon Lord had expected. He self-importantly told the manager to surprise him for his entrée before ordering a drink, since he was nervous he wouldn’t understand a dinner menu in this world. He smoothly ordered a drink, and Yu ordered white wine after him.

“Now, to celebrate Aku’s recovery, let’s toast...”

Aku was getting dizzied by the onslaught of dish after dish being brought to the table, but the Demon Lord was just as nervous on the inside. However, as table manners seemed to be ingrained in the muscle memory of Hakuto Kunai, he seamlessly kept his etiquette as if he was a born noble.

“Aku, don’t worry about etiquette. Enjoy the meal however you’d like.”

“O-Okay!”

She had been eyeing each dish as it came to the table, but seemed a little nervous.

(Maybe I’ll take her to a more casual joint next time... I won’t have to worry about much if we go alone.)

He was the type to walk into a rice-bowl joint for a quick lunch, and wasn’t used to these fancy dinner scenes.

The food isn’t bad, but it’s far inferior compared to what’s in our world...

Well, that is to be expected.

The Demon Lord answered internally to Yu’s Communication. Most of the food in the Game could be found in modern-day Japan. Naturally, the Demon Lord imagined, they would taste amazing if brought to life. Japan, after all, was a country so dedicated to food, that they would air in ingredients just for their fast food. It wasn’t really fair to compare that to the food of this world, where technology in food storage, processing, and cooking were much less developed.

(Speaking of celebrations... We need a cake.)

There was a cake item in the Game, but it had to be made from Food, a Craft Item. A player could choose from the following four options for healing items:

-Breakfast Platter x1 — Heal 50 HP

-Vegetable Soup x2 — Heal 25 HP

-Strawberry Tart x1 — Heal 50 SP

-Cheesecake x2 — Heal 25 SP

In addition, players who had the Cooking Survival skill had additional options:

-Wild Rice x2 — Heal 50 HP

-Chicken Noodle Soup x2 — Heal 50 SP

-Nabe x1 — Heal 100 SP

Unfortunately, the Demon Lord didn’t possess the Cooking skill. He wouldn’t be able to craft those additional items until he unlocked the feature to earn skills, or he summoned an advisor who had the Cooking skill.

“Craft Advanced Item... Food.”

He created a Food under the table. Despite its name, it was a shiny white sphere. He assumed it must have taken this shape since there were options on what to change it into.

(While we’re here, I guess I can showboat a little.)

“Craft Item... Strawberry Tart.”

Although he thought it might be a little corny, the Demon Lord snapped his fingers as if to perform a magic trick. The Food changed its shape as they watched, morphing into a Strawberry Tart with a flash of light. For those watching, this was real magic.

“Wow! Master Demon Lord, is that a dessert!?”

“W-What is that thing!? It’s so cute!”

As expected, it seemed that sweets were well-received by women in any world. While the magic trick had cost the Demon Lord 20 SP, the smile on Aku’s face was worth it. It’s not like the Demon Lord had made it himself, but he wore a smug expression as if to say ‘yep, I’m a world-class baker. What of it?’

“A little gift from me, Aku... Yu, can you serve them out, please?”

“Yes, Mister Secretary.”

As it had the effect to heal 50 SP, he expected it to wash away the stress of the long trip. He had killed two birds with one stone. A piece of tart was served to each member at the table. The Demon Lord timidly took a bite. He was confident of the quality of Empire items, but he couldn’t be certain until he tasted it.

“It’s sweet! It’s delicious! It’s so cute!”

Aku let out with a brimming smile.

“Noooo! It’s so good! I can’t believe it! What magic did you use!?”

“This makes my mouth happy, Mister Secretary...”

“G-Good... I’m glad.”

The Demon Lord couldn’t help but wonder if the girls were making too much of a big deal out of this. However, in a world that was scarce of sweet flavors, a strawberry tart was mind-boggling. More like a weapon of mass-dessert-ion.

“Looks like you’re having fun... Little Luna.”

“Fha? Madame!?”

They looked up to find a lady in a turquoise dress who was obviously wealthy. On her fingers were rings that almost looked too clunky. One on each finger, in fact.

(Who is this billionaire...? Her whole body is gleaming.)

The Demon Lord moved to discover who the lady was. He had to keep a steady footing if he wanted to start off his business right. Standing, he greeted the lady with an elegant bow.

“Ah, Madame. Pleased to make your acquaintance... My name is Hakuto Kunai.”

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Butterscotch Butterfly.”

(What are you, a cartoon!?)

The Demon Lord might have burst out laughing if he wasn’t so infuriated. What in the world were her parents thinking? He was dazed.

Luna, who is this woman?

Huh!? I can hear the Demon Lord’s perverted voice in my head!

Give up the perverted thing, already. Answer me.

She’s like the leader of the nobles’ wives... All the nobles know her, and she has a lot of influence, so she scares me...

So, she’s the queen bee of the bored Madames of this world.

Churning the gears in his head, the Demon Lord schemed. He was the type to stay light on his feet in these situations. Once committed, the Demon Lord had the balls to pull off any performance.

(Give her a good pitch, and I could reap all sorts of benefits...)

Of course, there was no world wide web in this world. So, the Demon Lord figured, a good word of mouth from someone influential would greatly aid his venture. A queen of the noble wives could possess the power to change the course of his business.

“Madame... Will you grant me the honor of joining us at the table?”

“H-Hey, Demon Lord!”

“Ooh, an invitation from the infamous Demon Lord himself... How exciting.”

(What’s she got up her sleeve?)

The Demon Lord thought. Apparently, she had walked right over knowing full well who he was. He could imagine the headache of dealing with a bunch of nobles’ wives, and couldn’t see through what she had in mind or the skills she possessed.

(Anyway, she looks a lot like a certain deluxe celebrity... They could be twins.)

Her mountain-like stature showed her lack of an exercise routine. Moreover, she looked nearly identical... to a certain someone.

(Here to get some gossip? You’re about to get the horns, lady.)

And so, they began what at least appeared to be pleasant small talk.

Meanwhile, under the surface... the Satanists were patiently waiting for their cue in the darkness.

You Unlocked Some Information!!

Craft Items

There are other examples of Craft Items, like Weapon Material and Illegal Substance. The former creates an item that added 2 to the Attack of a weapon, and the latter gives various stat boosts. Due to concerns for game balance, they were difficult to obtain, and required the Genius or Illegal Substance skill to use, respectively. Another example is the Mystery Item, which provides random effects. Items like the Mikuji and Horoscope produce positive or negative effects depending on the player’s fortune. They might even debuff the player’s stats, so they should be used with caution. Items like the Grab Bag, Small Treasure Chest, Piggy Bank, and Santa’s Bag can often produce rare items. Once in a while, though, they were sure to disappoint with a garbage item.

Sign of Trouble

A particular table in Artemis had garnered some attention. Elegant music from various instruments filled the restaurant for the patrons’ entertainment, but they were all focused on that table. At this particular table, there was a Holy Maiden, the man who called himself the Demon Lord, and Madame Butterfly. There were plenty of nobles who were kept under their wife’s thumb, and the big boss of those scary wives was her. Her influence was tremendous—those who ended up in her bad graces were exiled from the social scene. The unaffected patrons of the restaurant watched on, more nervous than those at the table.

“Let me say... your beauty astounds me, Madame. I am humbled at imagining the work you’ve put into your appearance.”

“Oh, are you flirting with an old lady like me?”

Even as they began their small talk, their eyes remained cold. With the way they dug for each other’s information under the surface, they might as well have been holding blades at each other’s throats.

“So, what do you think of our city, Mister Demon Lord...?”

“It’s wonderful. So straightforward and simple.”

“...Many of our foreign visitors are surprised when they see the city. Often, they’ll tell me that we live in heaven compared to those less fortunate — who live in hell, as they describe it.”

“That’s a good way to put it. I have a solution for that, though.”

At this point, the Demon Lord paused. He lit his cigarette with leisure and started enjoying his smoke without any intention of continuing the conversation.

Eventually, Madame Butterfly leaned over the table, running impatient.

“I would love to hear it. Lend us your wisdom, Master Demon Lord.”

“It’s easy, really... Make it heaven, everywhere. Problem solved. Very simple.”

“Every... Th-That’s an awfully grandiose idea.”

“...If I were to rule this nation, I could make it happen in a few years.”

The Madame fell speechless. This was more than blowing smoke. Most would have wondered if a screw was missing from his head. He surely wasn’t the first to talk a big game in order to garner favors with the Madame, but no one had been so cocky before. Of course, he had no way of turning this world into a utopia. If he did, he would have been a politician or something in the real world.

(Haha! How’s she going to prove me wrong?)

There it was. In some sense, he had embraced his situation, but this act was a Hail Mary to leave Madame Butterfly with the impression that he was a person somehow beyond their understanding. However, the Madame noticed that the gorgeous woman sitting next to him seemed to confirm his claim, without even saying a word. Her demeanor made it seem like there was no lie or exaggeration in what he had just said.

“But national politics bore me... I want to provide you, Madame, with a different kind of heaven, first.”

“How intriguing... What kind of heaven are we talking about?”

The Demon Lord wrapped what he had created under the table in a fancy sheet of paper before handing it to the Madame. A bar of Soap, so popular with the ladies. The Madame, though, didn’t know what to make of it. After talking of such a big game, he handed over a bar of soap. While it did cost a few gold coins in this country, it wasn’t something the Madame wasn’t used to seeing, or even happy to receive as a gift.

“Oh, that soap is amazing!”

“Ah, is this what you use, Little Luna...?”

“It cleans you up like magic! My skin glowed after using it!”

“Ma... Glowed, you say...”

(Thanks for the assist, Luna!)

The Demon Lord celebrated the unexpected back-up. In fact, the word ‘magic’ from Luna carried a lot of weight. From the Madame’s perspective, Luna was just a child, and she socialized with her to admire her innocence... Except when it came to magic. She recognized that Luna’s talent for magic was the real deal. She also knew that Luna’s sense of self-esteem relied on her pride in her magic. When Luna mentioned magic, that resonated with Madame Butterfly.

“Not that you mention it, all the ladies at the table have glowing skin.”

Looking around at them, Madame showed a flash of envy. Every one of them were young, without a wrinkle on their face. To boot, they were all very attractive.

“Please, give it a try. You’ll see its effects with your own eyes.”

“I think I will... Thank you for your wonderful gift, Mister Demon Lord.”

She couldn’t help but give a wishful gaze at the bar of soap. No matter the age, women always longed for good skin, and no amount of money could reverse time. The subject of beauty was this Madame’s only weakness.

“Please, don’t thank me for such a trivial token. Pretty soon, I plan to set up a hot springs resort in the village of Rabbi... Your skin, and your entire body will, literally, be renewed.”

That line was a siren’s song, befitting of the king of all evil.

“Renewed... That’s another grandiose claim.”

“I make no exaggerations or falsities about what I do... Everything I say will become reality.”

He was now blowing smoke with no end in sight. This was now the Demon Lord’s solo performance.

“There will be more than mere hot springs, but carbonated springs, one-person springs, hot rock beds, cold baths, electric baths, herbal baths, salt and mist saunas, vitality saunas and many more options. Not only will they be refreshing, but they will help with tight shoulders, back pain, and blood circulation. Of course, your skin will look a decade younger.”

“R-Really...?”

She didn’t understand most of what the Demon Lord had listed, but she felt that whatever it was, it was going to be nothing like she had ever seen before. She wanted to get up and go there that day, if she could have. In fact, all of that would become a reality once the facility was built. It was originally intended for healing players’ HP, but he was sure that the hot springs would really have the effects attributed to them.

“I can’t wait... I mean, when do you think this place will be built...?”

“Just as soon as I finish some research here.”

“I-I-I will definitely be paying a visit Little Luna, don’t tell Buttersauce, okay?”

(Buttersauce!? What’s with all the dairy!?)

The Demon Lord interjected internally, without showing a hint of it on his expression. Although, his cigarette trembled slightly as he kept himself from laughing.

“I won’t. Things still aren’t good with your sister, it sounds like.”

“You understand, Little Luna. It’s hard for sisters to get along, isn’t it?”

(You’re both butter, what’s not to like...?)

Desperately holding in his laughter, the Demon Lord shook the Madame’s hand with a brimming smile. The encounter had startled him at first, but it seemed to end in success.

After that, the party was enjoying their dinner with bright conversation, when a piercing scream echoed from outside, causing a commotion in the restaurant. Then, rumbling and shouting could be heard. The people were all shouting about one thing...

“A Satanist attack!!!”

Hearing this, the Demon Lord’s expression shifted. He looked like a child who was given a new toy, bubbling with uncontainable joy.

“It seems we have just the clown for our post-dinner entertainment...”

Seeing him, Madame Butterfly swallowed audibly. There, she saw someone different than the man she had been conversing with... she saw a bona-fide Demon Lord.

A Glimpse at the Demon Lord

The Holy City was roughly separated into four districts. One of them, of course, was the Holy Castle. Protected by numerous holy barriers, the historical castle rejected all devils, demons, and the like. Even the best of the Hellions would have a hard time infiltrating this structure. In addition, there was the Noble District, which included the Order of Holy Knights’ headquarters and the nobles’ mansions, the Common District, which included the Holy Church headquarters and the houses of middle-class citizens, and finally the Business District, comprised of various merchants, shops, and business centers like the Adventurer guilds and the red-light district.

The Satanists had initiated a simultaneous attack on all districts, save for the Holy Castle. They had dug underground tunnels over a long period of time, sneaking their way into the earth directly below the Holy City. Imagining the effort it took for them to dig a series of tunnels like this... One could only describe it as madness. They had devoted years to their plan in anticipation of this day.

A crater gaped open in each of the city’s districts, and the Satanists, all wearing their uniformed garb, came flooding out of them. Three gigantic holes were agape in the Holy City with an ominous resemblance to Tartarus.

“Coordinated assault, huh...? Not too shabby.”

As soon as he left the restaurant, the Demon Lord leapt to the roof, observing the entirety of the Holy City from above. Screaming and shouting also came from the district they were in, and he could see two fires in the distance. Most likely an attempt to divide the city’s manpower in three. Coordinated terror attacks: a classic, really.

Returning to the restaurant, the Demon Lord immediately commanded Yu. He wasn’t really in a rush, except that he didn’t want any SP... err, enemies to get away.

“Yu, protect the people here... I’ll take care of the commotion.”

“Understood, Mister Secretary.”

“Wh-Who made you the boss!? I’m going, too!”

“Luna, there’s a chance you’re the target of this attack. I can’t protect you if you’re wandering up and down the streets.”

“P-Protect... I d-d-d-don’t need your protection...”

Luna went quiet and blushed.

(She... is way too easy. I’m starting to worry.)

The Demon Lord couldn’t help but think this, witnessing Luna’s utter lack of social grace with the opposite sex. More importantly, if Luna were to take down any enemies with her spells, that would cut into the Demon Lord’s SP grind.

“Aku, you’ll be safe with Yu. Just enjoy your meal.”

“O-Okay...! B-But will you be all right, Master Demon Lord?”

Aku looked up at him with a worried expression, holding his hand. It was exactly the expression of a daughter worried for her father. The Demon Lord had to internally shake off the mental image of being a single father all of a sudden.

“Just entertainment, like I said... A little post-meal exercise.”

In fact, the only thing he was thinking about was reaping that SP. If the enemy seemed too powerful, he just had to run. He was confident that he could successfully flee the battle, need be.

“You as well, Madame. I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal.”

“You really are a confident man, aren’t you...? Or rather, everything you say becomes reality... was that it?”

“Guilty as charged... It was unfortunate for them that I happened to be here.”

With that, the Demon Lord left the restaurant, and remembered to give Yu a reminder to behave. Who knew what she would do if left unchecked. He could easily imagine returning to a table full of attackers dissected like fish at the market.

Yu, in order to learn... we must be in good standing.

Refrain from cruelty to gain a good reputation?

I’m glad you’re always on top of things. I’m counting on you, Yu...

Y-Yesh shir...!

(Hm? Did she stutter at the end?)

For a moment, her last response had sounded a bit off, and that was uncharacteristic of Yu, of all people.

“Now, where to start...”

On the streets, he could see people running for their lives. It wasn’t an uncommon sight on his TV screen back in Japan. He had witnessed peaceful cities ravaged by terror attacks, and bloodied civilians being carried away in ambulances, all from the comfort of his living room, as if he had nothing to do with it. In fact, he never did have anything to do with it. What person could have a concrete grasp on the effects of terror attacks happening on the other side of the world?

(But here and now, I do have something to do with it...)

While Luna had ways to defend herself, he expected even a small projectile to seriously injure Aku. It seemed counterproductive to let Aku get injured in such a stupid commotion, especially after going through the trouble of healing her foot.

(You guys again...)

In the distance, he could see the familiar men in black robes. Most of them were holding weapons, with a few of them wielding wands. Remembering that they were the cause for him ending up in this world, his fist began to tighten without him realizing.

“Swarming around wherever I go... You want the Demon Lord? You got him.”

Away from the overcrowded streets, the Demon Lord sprung into action, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

†　†　†

—Business District

Marge, the leader of the group in this district, couldn’t conceal his frustration. They had started off the attack on the right foot, the element of surprise on their side. Now, however, numerous members of the Adventurers’ Guild had come out to fight. Of course, the Satanists had accounted for them, but two of the adventurers were especially formidable, hindering the progression of their plan.

“Hrrrraghhhh! Power Smash!”

At this very moment, the olive-skinned warrior woman swung down her giant sword, blowing away three of the Satanists. Her expression was shaded with exhaustion, and she would run out of steam sooner or later. However, Marge would lose many of his men if he just waited around for that to happen.

“Keep it coming! Power Dance!”

Swinging her sword full circle, the warrior woman fired off a powerful shockwave around her. Bodies of the attackers in black were torn to bits like pieces of paper, thinning out the Satanists’ man power by the second. Finally, Marge made the decision to go out on the frontlines. He hadn’t planned on spending his Stamina here, but the situation was slipping away from him.

“Adventurer scum...! Ice Slash!”

Marge fired off a blade created from the Ice element, an elevation of Water. He could wield up to class 3 Water spells, indicating his prowess in magic. He could only wield up to class 2 Ice spells, but that still set him apart from most mages. But now, a mage wearing faded white incanted a Defense Spell to protect the warrior.

“Frozen tangerine... Snow’s Kiss.”

An Ice spell, just like Marge’s, but a class 4. An overpowering anti-Ice Magic Defense was granted to the warrior woman, shattering the blade of ice before it had even reached her.

“Thanks, Yukikaze!”

“...V is for victory. Share happiness.”

The mage mumbled some nonsense which the warrior woman ignored as she charged into the crowd of enemies. The girl called Yukikaze began another incantation to fire her next spell. Normally, after a spell is cast, it would take the mage considerable time before they could cast another, but she seemed especially powerful, going into a Chain Incantation.

“...Catch me in the crashing waves... Frost Hands.”

“It’s really hard down there... Ice Splash.”

With the first spell, countless hands of ice erupted from the ground, clasping onto the Satanists’ ankles. Once they were locked in place, they were rushed by icicle spears. After the ruthless Chain Incantation, the Satanists fell to the ground one after another, painting the ice with blood. Despite her cute looks, her attacks were savage.

“Stand your ground! We outnumber them... Keep pushing until your Stamina runs out!”

At Marge’s call, the Satanists rushed from behind him. At this point, the battle became chaotic. Adventurers and Satanists clashed, skyrocketing the number of casualties on both sides. The Satanists’ lingering advantage from the surprise attack was undeniable. Gradually, the adventurers were being overwhelmed. The adventurers had been hit with this situation out of the blue, and were only trying to defend themselves and civilians. On the other hand, the Satanists were suicide soldiers. Every single one of them was ready to die today, while the adventurers had no reason to die fighting for the Holy City, unlike the members of the Knights’ Order or the Church. Some of the adventurers were already getting ready to flee when they noticed others preparing to bail.

“We’re in a bit of a pickle... What should we do, Yukikaze?”

“I don’t want to die a maiden.”

“You understand the situation we’re in, right...? Besides, you’re a dude.”

“You know nothing, Mikan. Even a boy can...”

Before she could finish, a Satanist swung his sword at Yukikaze’s face. Before the sword could reach her, though, a strange sound echoed. It sounded like the atmosphere was sliced through. Then, a sound that resembled a twig snapping, something otherworldly on a battlefield, followed. Despite the shouting and clashing swords, the sound sank into everyone’s ears, as if by some malicious power. It was the sound of the Satanist’s sword arm breaking from some form of impact. The Satanist’s arm, still holding the sword, was flung towards his back with incredible speed, sending his entire body spinning like a top. Everyone in the area stopped to watch the spinning human top, bewildered. The Satanist eventually stopped, falling to the ground unconscious.

“...That clown had a pretty good trick.”

The crowd looked up to see the Demon Lord clad in a pitch-black coat. He had a few pebbles in his hand, which he tossed lightly in the air now and again. The human spinning top must have been the product of him throwing a pebble. With just a pebble, he reduced that man to a twirling toy. It was all too ridiculous. Not even the deep divide between classes in this country could compare to the impossible gap in power between the Satanists and the Demon Lord.

“Mister Fox... We meet again. Too gorgeous.”

“Demon Lord...! Why are you in the Holy City!?”

Without answering the two adventurers, he jumped off the roof as if it were routine before immediately flowing into his next move. There were around five hundred Satanists in all who had attacked this district, but they were helpless facing off against this man.

“You dare stand in my presence? Kneel... Overlord.”

A red aura rose from the Demon Lord’s body. As he waved his right hand, a nonelemental storm blew through the streets. It was Overlord, one of the Combat Skills of the Game, dealing damage equivalent to one third of the user’s Attack stat. This overwhelming AOE attack tore through the crowd, tearing into the Satanists and flinging their blood about in the wind. However, the Demon Lord’s attack was far from over.

Combat in the Game was generally comprised of players collecting skills to form their own selection and chaining them into combos. In addition to normal attacks, there were Chain Attacks that could be used after reaching a certain skill level, elemental and nonelemental skills, Revenge Attacks, special abilities... The right combination could produce astronomical damage. It had been said in the game that the best players could even kill a god.

“I will return you peasants... Mind’s Eye.”

As the Demon Lord horizontally swung his left hand, a blue aura burst and fanned out, cutting through the hoard of Satanists. In contrast to Overlord, this skill dealt damage equivalent to one third of the user’s Defense stat. The Satanists fell to their knees one after another, vomiting up gushes of blood.

“...to your true form... Obliterate.”

A yellow aura swirled from the Demon Lord, forming a giant hammer. When the hammer struck down from the sky, a blinding shockwave struck the Satanists. This was a Combat Skill that dealt one tenth of the enemy’s current HP to each of them and had a chance to add the Broken Bone status effect. The hips and legs of many of the Satanists were smashed, causing them to fall face-first to the ground.

“That’s a good posture... Make sure never to forget it.”

After these three nonelemental attacks... there were pathetically defeated Satanists fallen as far as the eye could see. Many had bones which seemed shattered, some were flattened like frogs, and many others had limbs bending in directions they shouldn’t.

“I see... Your HP’s in the ballpark of 60 to 80.”

The Demon Lord mumbled, but no one there would have understood it. There was one thing they understood, though: the man in front of them wasn’t just someone claiming to be the Demon Lord, but the actual Demon Lord himself.

“You may not know it, but I’ve got a pretty good reason to be pissed at you guys.”

He mumbled again, too quiet for anyone else to hear, but it held much significance for him. In fact, the Satanists, who had wished to summon the Demon Lord, led to him being in this world.

“I might have a bit of gratitude, now, though...”

When the Demon Lord mumbled this, the now-bloodied Marge held up an upside-down cross while whispering some ominous curse. This was a blood-soaked tactic of the Satanists. A forbidden ritual that demanded the user sacrifice not only his own life, but the lives of many others.

A Devil v.s. the Demon Lord

“May calamity rain... upon this accursed land...”

As Marge chanted this, tiny thorns burst from every surface of the upside-down cross in his hand. They punctured Marge’s palm and now gleamed with fresh blood.

“Dad... I’m sorry...”

Marge thought of his father back home. He was a skilled cobbler until the ripples of recession had dwindled his business until he was forced to close up shop. After that, Marge’s father drowned himself in liquor, became violent in the house, and even beat Marge now and again. Marge, still young, couldn’t bear to live that way, and stabbed his father to death before fleeing the village. The Satanists had found Marge during the tumbling downfall of his life. In these times, though, this was not an uncommon story anywhere.

Dark red smoke arose from the cross and enveloped Marge’s entire body. This was a ritual that summoned a devil in exchange for human sacrifice. The red smoke kept coming forth, spreading out and enveloping the bodies of the five hundred or so Satanists, in addition to Marge.

With only humans as its sacrifice, the best this ritual could summon was a low-rank devil... but thanks to the upside-down cross given to Marge by Utopia, he had successfully lured out something a step above. A very powerful being, even among the medium-rank devils.

“Summon Devil...”

The blood-colored smoke took shape, summoning the medium-rank devil, Carnival. Seeing this, the adventurers cried out. This was unthinkable. For such a monster to appear in a city full of people? In the devil-repelling Holy City, nonetheless!

“Oh... I was summoned by humans? What’s going on here?”

The two horns growing from its head, the black hair, the charcoal skin, and the face that epitomized ugliness... everything about this monster seemed to drain the life out of those who gazed upon it. In contrast, it wore a ridiculously flashy outfit, with shiny stones sprinkled all over the golden fabric. The monster was even carrying a peculiar musical instrument on its back.

“Ah, whatever. At least there’s some good snacks... Land of Beautyferno.”

Activating a Devil-only skill, Carnival generated invisible walls in the vicinity. Devils preferred to toy with their prey after blocking their escape route. Whether they wanted to kill, eat, or play with their body parts, giving the prey a chance to flee wasn’t ideal. For a devil like Carnival, especially, who played instruments with the chorus of human screams in the background, any prey they allowed to escape was a loss of musical talent. Seeing Carnival, the adventurers scrambled to flee, but it was too late. The devil had already created its own space. There weren’t many things in this world that could break through that barrier. They realized that, in addition to them, the area encompassed an entire section of the Business District, along with a few thousand people.

“It can’t be, why is Carnival in a place like this!?”

“W-Wait...! We’re just adventurers!”

“Th-That’s right! We’re not members of the Church!”

“No... I don’t want a Devil to eat me!”

Hearing the harmonic crying of the adventurers, Carnival squinted his eyes in ecstasy. It was almost euphoric to him.

The residents of the Business District were quaking in fear, hiding in their homes. A vast audience on top of everything else? This was beginning to look like the perfect stage for Carnival.

“What a warm welcome... Now, which little kitty’s going to sing for me fir—... Fraghaaahhhh!”

His ecstatic speech was interrupted. A pebble had been thrown from somewhere, snapping a horn on Carnival’s head. In agony, the devil held his head and screamed. One of his horns, which represented pride, history, and everything about who the devils were, was broken by a pebble, of all things.

“Wh-Who did that!? You worm!!!”

In a completely raw tone, unlike how he had been speaking up to this point, Carnival screamed. The adventurers shrunk into their shoulders, but the culprit sounded perfectly calm, as if he were only reading the forecast.

“Yeah, that tone’s more like it.”

“You!!! You shiteater!!!”

“...You just don’t have any class, do you? Ugly face. Ugly voice. Ugly clothes, worst of all. There’s not an inch of you pretty enough to look at, but you’re not too bad as a comedian.”

As the Demon Lord spoke this, Carnival screamed louder, further distorting his appearance. He wouldn’t give this insect the luxury of singing to his death, he thought. To crush the man’s skull with the snap of his finger, Carnival took a step forward... but stopped short. Perhaps that was his instinct as a powerful devil.

The Demon Lord opened his mouth, and solemnly spoke. His words, along with his skills... would have sent any devil running with its figurative tail between its legs.

“To tell you the truth, this is my second encounter with a devil.”

—Survival Skill Activated: Fighting Spirit (+10% to user’s Attack and Defense)

“The last one dropped dead without much of a fight.”

—Combat Skill Activated: Fake Out (-10% to enemy’s Defense)

“I wonder how long you’ll last.”

—Combat Skill Activated: Intimidate (-10% to enemy’s Defense)

“I’m going with my original style so I can get some more practice in.”

—Combat Skill Activated: Equal to None (+30% each to user’s Attack and Defense)

“Carnival, was it? ...Are you ready?”

While the Demon Lord himself didn’t seem to notice, an abnormal amount of aura was emanating from him, so much so that it almost looked like Carnival was starting to shrink in comparison. The Demon Lord’s already unbeatable stats were now explosively buffed by his skills’ modifiers. A simple normal attack... could have killed a god.

“W-Wait... wait! Beautiful Monsieur! I-I’m sorry...!”

“Oh, almost forgot.”

The Demon Lord said, providing Carnival with a glimpse of hope. This nightmarish scenario was never supposed to happen. How could the world-renowned powerful devil, Carnival, be overpowered by a mere human?

“Wh-Whatever it is, I can help! I’ll help you with anything...!”

“Change Mode — Combat Mode.”

“Change Fighting Stance — Retaliation Stance.”

As if he hadn’t heard what Carvinal had said, the Demon Lord switched his Combat Mode. While this Mode decreased the chance of finding enemies, it buffed all of his stats. It was highly effective when a player knew the enemy was in a certain area, or had cornered an opponent and wanted to finish the job. He also changed his Fighting Stance to create the optimal combat setup. Both of these buffed his Attack and Defense, but the most noteworthy characteristic was that he would be extremely likely to encounter enemies. Building up an unbeatable setup, waiting for an enemy to appear, and taking them down with one shot. That was the Demon Lord’s intended combat style.

But, Carnival didn’t move. How could he have? Who in this world could have initiated an attack against such an opponent?

“No... I don’t want to die... I don’t want to be killed by a human!!!”

“You’ve killed a bunch, though, right? Won’t hurt for you to see what all the fuss is about.”

Without a care, the Demon Lord approached Carnival and clamped his head, tossing him high into the air as if the devil was a baseball. The giant devil shot up into the sky with blistering speed. To the onlookers, this seemed so far off from reality. The people of the Business District had been watching the fight, entranced, when something even more astonishing took place. With a burst of white light, Sodom’s Fire erupted from the Demon Lord’s hand, piercing through Carnival. In that instance, the very sky shook, and infernal flames erupted above the Holy City, painting the night sky red. Body parts and pieces of flesh that must have belonged to Carnival fell down on the city. For a while, no one could move a muscle. It seemed like they couldn’t even make a single sound after what they had just witnessed.

“Just like I thought... What a shitty firework.”

When the Demon Lord cackled, the adventurers, now freed from the heinous devil, burst into cheers. Drawn by their roaring celebration, the residents of the district poured out into the streets, embracing and rejoicing that they were still alive.

“Long live the Demon Lord!”

“You’re freaking nuts, man!”

“It’s like Carnival was some whining kid... What a story I’ll get to tell!”

“Let me buy you a drink, sir!”

Amidst the cheers, the Demon Lord looked around nervously. He had never guessed this was how things would turn out. Although, considering that they were just liberated from the overpowering dread of death, their reactions were only natural.

“W-Well... That was nothing.”

Fidgeting, the Demon Lord lit a cigarette and looked up at the sky. Now that it was over, the fact that he roleplayed so hard through that combat seemed embarrassing. The people he saved didn’t see the Demon Lord in that light, though. They took his words to heart, cheering so loud that he couldn’t hear what they were saying at all.

“N-Now... I’ll excuse myself. There are still attacks on the city, it seems.”

The Demon Lord tried to scurry away, but not before a mage stood in his path. The White Mage Yukikaze.

“You are...”

“...This is the second time you’ve saved my life. I must repay you.”

“No need. It was important for me to do that.”

To farm SP, of course. Yukikaze took this statement at face value and wiggled around a bit, blushing.

“...Silver Fox.”

He felt like an important word was missing from the sentence, but the Demon Lord just wanted to get away as fast as possible. But Yukikaze was looking more and more like a princess in love, although he was a boy.

“...Tell me your name, Silver Fox.”

“Sil... M-My name is Hakuto Kunai.”

The repeated ‘Silver Fox’ comment had knocked down the Demon Lord’s spirits. He whispered softly ‘the real me is still young, I swear...’ over and over with desperation, but no one in the roaring crowd heard him.

(Still, I guess a guy in his thirties fits that category for someone like her...)

With a sad little thought like that, he looked up at the moon. Seeing the Demon Lord’s expression lit with a shade of gloom, Yukikaze’s heart beat faster. While the Demon Lord was intimidating, his face was far from unattractive. He had a certain sense of allure that only the biggest criminals could pull off.

“Kunai! Kunai! Kunai! Kunai! Kunai!”

Before he knew it, the adventurers around him were chanting his name. Blame it on adrenaline or the thrill of being alive, as the crowd was just liberated from looming death, their cheers only grew as they drank in celebration. The barkeeps on the street were passing out drinks to celebrate the occasion.

(What’s happening!? Give me a break...!)

Sure, the Demon Lord wanted his bad reputation gone, but he hadn’t expected this turn of events. This was becoming more and more torturous. He leapt onto a roof to flee the scene and flew into the night.

“That’s the Demon Lord, huh...?”

Mikan mumbled powerlessly as she slouched down onto the ground. After defeating five hundred Satanists in an instant, he even blew up a medium-rank Devil like it was a firecracker. He was an existence beyond human comprehension.

“...Him and I are bonded with the red string of fate.”

“W-Wait! Yukikaze... He’s tricking you, somehow!”

“...Jealous much, Mikan?”

“Why would I be jealous!? You know what? My type is more like the rumored silver Dragonborn. Someone who loves justice!”

“...How naughty. Your type is someone who loves ‘just ass’?”

“You’re doing this on purpose!!”

The threat to the Business District had been dealt with without much casualties, but the other districts were still in turmoil.

Meanwhile, a clown was approaching the high-end restaurant Artemis. Without knowing, of course, that there was a terrible witch, loyal to the Demon Lord, sitting at a table there.

A Fairy-Tale Game

—Satanists’ headquarters

“What the hell is happening...!? They shouldn’t be using it this early!”

Enraged, Utopia slammed his fist down on the throne. This man had rarely been heard raising his voice up until this point. Seeing him lose his temper, the girl next to him quietly shook.

“Marge... Has he lost his mind!?”

“I-I’m sure... Some unexpected event has...”

Utopia gave the girl shaking next to him a cold, serpent-like glare. Without a word, his eyes said it all... ‘you failure.’ The girl, who visualized the souls and emotions of others as colors, couldn’t help but avert her eyes. She couldn’t stand to look at that miserable hue.

“Tron... Take that and tell them to use the other two in front of the Holy Castle. You can at least manage that, can’t you...? You mixed-blooded failure.”

“...Uh-Uh huh...”

The girl, wearing a black Lolita outfit, walked away sulking, before glancing back at the throne just once. Perhaps she had hope for a certain response, but the one she got was a perfectly cold one.

“Get out of here, now... What an eyesore.”

Waving his hand as if to shoo a dog, Utopia looked away. He didn’t even seem to want her in his field of vision. As a devil with immense powers and incredible status, the mere existence of a mixed-blood was disgusting. If he wasn’t short-staffed, that little girl would have been torn to pieces by Utopia. Just like Olgan, this girl was a part Hellion.

†　†　†

A clown was approaching Artemis. Not a metaphor, but a man dressed like an actual circus clown. He had deviated from his assigned group, going rogue. He was practically skipping down the street, after just having discovered that the coveted Holy Maiden was dining alone, carelessly without any guards. As soon as he had heard this tip, the clown had left the rest of the group in order to assassinate the Holy Maiden.

“This Holy Maiden must be a dumb-dumb...”

His name was Carmiya, an assassin considerably well-known in the shadowy parts of town. His M.O. was to infiltrate parties and balls wearing an innocuous costume. Most of his weapons were various poisons, blow darts, and other delayed methods of assassination. He had kept his career by sneaking away from the scene of the crime without a trace. Now, he had joined the Satanists to put food on his table, taking on the assassinations of various nobles. The Holy Maiden was on the top of his list. Peculiarly, he was an oddball even among the Satanists, as he didn’t worship devils. His work was nothing more than a means to earn a living.

“So this is her abode...”

Carmiya opened the door of Artemis, mumbling some nonsense. There were a bunch of customers in the restaurant — most of them nobles — but that wasn’t a problem. In fact, this was perfectly favorable for Carmiya. Nobles and other high-ranking members of society were usually the best customers of his clown act. They must have considered him an ape, or some other creature that understood their language, rather than a man. They would ridicule him without remorse, and throw change at him with some pity. A clown played an important part in stroking the egos of the nobles.

“Wow, look at all the beautiful people in here! Ah, my eyes!”

Faltering, Carmiya covered his eyes in a conspicuous gesture. He acted as if everyone was gleaming too bright to look at them directly. The noble children giggle at his practiced, exaggerated movements.

“It’s so bright that these beautiful roses are growing from my eyes...!”

Somehow, Carmiya had produced a beautiful bouquet of roses in his hands as soon as he uncovered his eyes, as the petals gracefully danced in the air. A round of applause arose in the restaurant to praise the surprising act of entertainment. As far as the patrons were considered, this performance was produced by the restaurant.

“This is why I love Artemis. They called a clown in this emergency just to make us feel better.”

“Indeed. As nobles, we shan’t lose our composure, especially during such trying times.”

“Our valiant ancestors would laugh at us from beyond their graves if we show weakness at such a trivial incident.”

Nobles, after all, were comprised entirely of ego and bravado. They would lose face if they showed any sign of uncertainty while the patrons at the next table were comfortably enjoying the clown act. Despite their internal terror at the commotion outside, the patrons clamored with nearly too much applause and whistling. Carmiya, reading the room, went from table to table, drawing laughs with comical gestures, pulling pigeons from his hat, and even changing a silver coin handed to him into a gold coin, garnering thunderous applause for utilizing the full extent of his magic trick repertoire. No one would have imagined that he was here to assassinate someone.

Finally, he had reached the Holy Maiden’s table. Unexpectedly, the grand Madame of the city had joined her. The Madame was extremely observant, sizing up most anyone she was introduced to upon her first impression. Carmiya felt as if he was walking barefoot on a bed of nails. But, in reality, he should have paid closer attention to the other woman at the table, the doctor with a dangerously alluring appearance. With a gentle smile, that woman spoke to Carmiya.

“What a fun clown you are. Would you mind if I perform a little trick of my own?”

“Oh, such a beauty with a talent for magic tricks!? You’re making me jealous!”

With exaggerated movement, Carmiya bit down on his handkerchief, drawing a burst of laughter from the patrons in the restaurant. He would have made a good living as an honest clown without working nights as an assassin. Even through his act, he had kept his eyes on the Holy Maiden. But now, his gaze froze. Somehow, he was missing his entire right arm.

“Heh...? Th-That’s strange... My...”

As he gulped down some saliva clueless of what had happened, his left arm disappeared. It had been cleanly removed at the shoulder.

“W-Weird... Why don’t I have... my arms...?”

No pain. Not even a drop of blood. Still, he now had no arms. He tried to move his nonexistent arms, but couldn’t feel them at all. Just when Carmiya was about to scream, the gorgeous woman asked him with a gentle tone.

“...Was it your right arm... or left arm that you have lost?”

She laughed. In her hands, she held both of his arms.

The woman was wearing a seductive smile that any man would have fallen for. Out of his control, Carmiya’s heart pounded loudly. This was nothing as sweet as a romantic moment. He had felt an overwhelming sense of death wash over him. A sense of death that was inescapable.

“B-Both... I suppose...”

“Oh, you’re a greedy one. But today’s your lucky day.”

—God’s Hand: Stitch Together

While he still had no clue as to what was happening, Carmiya’s arms were reattached. Cold sweat gushed out of every pore on his body.

“Oh... I’m sorry, I think I mixed them up.”

“W-Wait! That’s not funny!”

Carmiya screamed, drawing a knee-slapping burst of laughter from the crowd. They had no clue that Carmiya’s arms had actually been detached. It was all part of the show to them. In fact, most of them were impressed by Carmiya’s prowess.

“That clown is quite impressive... Perhaps we should invite him to our manor at the next occasion.”

“Daddy, I want him to come to our house!”

“Hm. It’s not a bad idea to invite the Viscount’s family to a party.”

“Who does that clown work for? He could be the entertainment for our next ball.”

Unbeknownst to him, Carmiya’s reputation grew out of control. Still, it was tragic to imagine what was going through his mind at this moment. His left arm was where his right arm should be, and vice versa. ‘Oops’ didn’t exactly cut it. The fact that his appearance had become so absurd aided in convincing the rest of the restaurant that it was all an act, though.

“Alright... I’ll put them back the right way, this time. Aren’t you glad, Mr. Clown?”

“Hrph...! Th-They’re there! My arms are back!”

With his hands returned to their rightful place on his anatomy, Carmiya couldn’t help but raise his hands in the air in relief. Thunderous applause was awarded to the clown for pulling off such a breathtaking trick. Aku and Luna joined in on the applause with smiles on their faces, and even the Madame was smiling. They, on the other hand, thought that the trick was planned by the Demon Lord. To reinforce that idea, Yu was whispering something in the clown’s ear.

“Make sure not to lose them again, Mr. Clown. Oh, and the poison in your pocket...? Such a horrible stench. You’ll have to buy the good stuff if you want to make the kill. Don’t you think?”

“Y-Yes...”

“If I ever see you again, I’ll make you into a sashimi plate, alive. Better watch out.”

Carmiya nodded with breakneck speed, like a broken bobble-head. True, she would follow through on her threat without any hesitation, laughing along the way. Just through their brief interaction, Carmiya was sure of that.

After that, Carmiya left the restaurant as he gathered the mountain of tips thrown at him, and awkwardly waved to the patrons.

(I have to leave. I have to run... As fast as I can!)

Carmiya madly ran north on his horse, travelling all the way up to the city states. He must have been one of the luckiest men in history to have encountered the Witch and survived.

While the incident at Artemis came to a conclusion, the main event ensued. Strange things were happening in the other two attack points, too.

The Holy Castle

—Noble District, Holy City

The Noble District was also attacked by the Satanists, resulting in many casualties. Perhaps because the majority of the nobles’ manors were here, the attack was furious. As most of the Satanists were far from privileged, their hatred for nobles was deep-rooted. They set anything they could on fire and killed anyone they could, even women and children. Because the Holy Knights’ Order held its headquarters in this district, the Satanists had dedicated a majority of their forces here. Amidst the humans, there were the likes of Death’s Mists, Hellhounds, and Skeleton Warriors attacking the city. These were all Hellion familiars of the lowest rank, but a whole bunch of them became troublesome.

Amidst the roaring flames, a street-gang-looking woman and a giant man were running around: Killer Queen, the Holy Maiden, and Mount Fuji.

“At this rate, My Queen...”

“Fucker... What good’s your mouth if you just keep drooling bullshit!?”

Queen yelled as she kicked a cursed Hellhound’s head clean off of its body. Next, she slammed her metal club against a Satanist’s torso to tear it into two flying pieces of flesh. Meanwhile, Fuji wore three freshly decapitated Satanist heads on his belt. They couldn’t have blamed anyone for pegging them to be devils.

But then, two real devils appeared in front of the pair. Two Hunnitraps, low-ranking devils. These were devils that looked like women, who reveled in manipulating human men and pitting them against each other until they end up killing one another.

“Hey, big boy. Why don’t you come in and play...”

“You stink like hell, bitch... Asura.”

As the words left Queen’s mouth, six bombs were thrown from her hands. First, the attractive face of one of the Hunnitraps was blown to bits, before five other gaping craters were made into its body. Without even a moment to scream, the Hunnitrap fell to the ground.

“Stomach-acid-looking whore... Go fuck a rusty pole.”

Queen thrusted her middle finger up at the corpse. A magnificent gesture, although her methods of attack and the words out of her mouth and everything else about her were the polar opposite of how a Holy Maiden was expected to act.

“H-How dare you... My sister!”

The other Hunnitrap attacked Queen, only to have her face grabbed by Fuji and crushed like an apple. Even as the Hunnitrap’s head turned to mush, Fuji’s expression was unchanged.

“How are the other districts doing, dumbass?”

“Lady White protects the Holy Castle, and the Church is...”

He was interrupted by an erupting inferno above the Business District, far off in the distance.

“What the fuck... Is that Luna!?”

Queen shouted, but realized that she was off the mark. Luna’s magic was extremely powerful, but as far as Queen knew, she didn’t dabble in Fire magic. If Luna was able to wield such a spell, Queen was sure that she would have bragged about it to her.

“I sensed no magic... But if that’s not a spell, then...”

Fuji also stared at the inferno spreading across the sky, unsure what to make of it. Its color, its power... All of it made this look like some calamity raining down on humanity. Even the Satanists stopped mid-riot to gaze up at the sky, dumbfounded.

At times, the momentum of battle can flip from the smallest thing. After the explosion, the Satanists had clearly began to relent. The knights began to capture the Satanists one after another, and even nobles started working together to put out the fire, rather than just watching from their high horses. If they didn’t, the fire would have soon consumed their houses, too.

“Well, it looks like this district’ll make it...”

“Yes. Lord Harts is leading a team to contain the opposition, as well.”

“That old fuck... Did he forget how ancient he is?” Queen spat out, but this put a smile on Fuji’s face. While it was difficult for one to earn Queen’s respect, Fuji knew that the old noble had garnered a considerable amount of it from his queen.

At last, the remaining Satanists began retreating, running in a particular direction. In that direction... stood the Holy Castle.

†　†　†

—The Holy Church in the Common District

Olgan was laying on top of the roof, watching the battle below, unamused. She had no interest whatsoever in conflict among humans. She was only there because Mynk, her partner, was getting way into it. Even now, Mynk covered half of her face with her right hand, incanting a spell as she stared down her enemies with her left eye. For some reason, this was Mynk’s preferred stance in battle. According to her, she was blessed by darkness.

“The deep darkness within me... rain down woe upon my foes...! Holy Rain.”

A forceful rain, full of the Holy element, rained down upon the group of Satanists. For those who worshipped devils, it must have felt like literal acid rain. Although, her line didn’t quite match the nature of her spell.

Her incantation continued. For an S-rank adventurer like her, chain incantations were an easy feat.

“Heh heh heh... Humans. So brittle... Bubble Heal.”

A healing foam covered the heavily injured members of the Holy Church. Their wounds immediately closed, and color returned to their faces. This was one of the best healing spells, which used the Holy element... despite her rambling nonsense.

“Thank you, Lady Mynk!”

“S ranking isn’t a joke... Such powerful magic!”

“B-But... What was that incantation...?”

“Shh! Can it, newbie!”

“She is a Star Player, after all. There must be a good reason for it.”

“Perhaps her powers stem from that incantation...”

The members of the Church chatted on. In this world, where the pre-teen emo phases wasn’t a well-known phenomenon, no one really understood what she was saying, let alone how it applied to her world-famous status as a Star Player. Some adventurers had even taken to copying her incantations and poses.

“Follow me. Give your blood to the freezing darkness...! Charge...!”

While some of them raised a brow in confusion, the members of the Church were revitalized by Mynk’s call, and charged into the group of Satanists. It was getting confusing which side served the darkness, at this point.

“What in the world is she fighting...?”

Olgan couldn’t help but wonder out loud. Mynk’s entertainment value was part of one of the reasons she travelled with her, though. When a subtle smile formed on Olgan’s face, a blade came down from above her. For her, it was laughably slow.

“What do you want...?” Olgan replied apathetically, dodging the blade with ease. She wasn’t even surprised to be attacked, let alone angry.

“Hah... ‘What do you want?’ huh? Ms. Firebrand’s got some balls. Some pretty big ones.”

“...”

“I was just here to slice up the infamous Demon Lord. Didn’t expect to see a Firebrand. All these tickets for fame are getting me giddy. Ooh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Alverd, the Sword Flash. Pleasure’s all yours.”

Olgan glared at the man. As far as she knew, she had eliminated all who knew her identity. How did he know that she was a Firebrand?

“Some pathetic Hellion I chopped up in a dungeon up north told me... about a little mixed-blood loser... Woah!”

Alverd dodged the knife Olgan threw without a word. It flew at a considerable speed, but Alverd had the chops to deal with it. He had a lot of confidence for someone facing off against a Firebrand and world-famous Star Player.

“Four stars... Not bad for a B-rank.”

“More power means less freedom. It’s all about the balance.”

As Olgan had pointed out, there were four blue stars on Alverd’s armor, special made from Blue Steel, a rare metal. Adventurers are given more stars as they climb the ranks. The lowest ranking rookies have none, until they reach E ranking and receive their first star. Most adventurers never made it that far, and went back to their day jobs. In this world, only a select few could break through the limitations of their natural talents.

“Well, then... You wanna play, Mademoiselle?”

“You snot-nosed...”

When the pair faced off, an incredible explosion erupted in the sky above the Business District. They couldn’t help but shift their attention to it.

“W-Woah... Little girl. You didn’t call over your Hellion friends, did you?”

“Shut your mouth if you don’t want your heart eaten still beating.”

“That’s too far, yo... That flashy outfit’s gotta be...!”

Alverd’s trained eye spotted the gold outfit in the far distance. This made him think. If Carnival was in the center of that explosion, whoever did that to him was something incredible.

“D-Don’t tell me that’s the Demon Lord I’ve been hearing about? It doesn’t look like you’re the one who called them here, Mademoiselle...! Woah! You’ve got some sticky fingers!”

“Don’t get distracted during a fight...”

A number of whirling pulses of magic emanated out of Olgan. The immense magic caused her cloak to flutter. Still, Alverd’s confidence didn’t falter.

“Crumble the void, and show me the way... Abyss Beam.”

“...You gotta be kidding me! A class 5 spell!?”

The whirling magic converged into one point, firing a beam of black light. Alverd rolled off the roof to just barely dodge the blast, which pierced through the houses in its path, leaving behind a circular hole in wall after wall as far as the eye could see. Watching Alverd stumble to the ground, Olgan laughed. One of them was standing tall on the rooftop, and the other looked like a dog in a ditch.

“That’s where you belong... Doggy.”

“Heh... Heh heh... Dogs are pretty scrappy, you know? Then, when you least expect it, they go for your thro-... Dang! Hold on a sec, let me finish!”

Cackling, Olgan continued firing spell after spell, which used the Black element, an elevated form of the Dark attribute. She seemed to be toying with him, rather than trying to kill him.

“Come on, run. I’m being a nice master and taking you for a walk.”

“What a twisted kid! Who raised you like this!?”

Hearing that, Olgan’s expression changed. Any semblance of Olgan’s rationality had gone out the window. The topic of Olgan’s parents was an absolute taboo to her.

“Never mind... I’ll boil you alive.”

“N-No thanks...! The only place I’m going to die is on top of a hottie!”

“Scum...”

Just when Olgan was about to fire another spell, an outburst of confusion and cheers burst out from the direction of the Holy Castle. Everyone was shouting about the same thing...

“It-It’s the Dragonborn!!”

The battle that had suddenly began in the Holy City... was about to reach its climax.

Righteous Hero

—In front of the Holy Castle

The surviving Satanists from the groups that attacked the Noble and Common Districts were now converging in front of the Holy Castle. While they had done considerable damage to those districts, the Satanists had suffered devastating casualties, too. The most unexpected event of the attack was that not a single member of the group who attacked the Business District had returned. Their plan was to cease the attacks at a certain time, and use the three upside-down crosses together. Losing one of them was a huge wrench in their masterplan. One group being chased by Queen and the other by Mynk, the Satanists were herded into this location. The two Satanists who each led an attack team gave each other a look. Then, holding a cross in their hands, they each shouted as loud as they could:

“Summon Devil...!”

A thicket of thorns sprung up on the crosses, as black fog enveloped the leaders and the rest of the Satanists. A bigger, more powerful one than when Carnival was summoned. In exchange for two crosses and nearly seven hundred lives, a high-rank devil appeared... Allit, the Duke of Darkness. Unlike Carnival, this was a powerful devil, adorning a classy tailcoat-like garment. His sickly, pale skin didn’t have a single blemish. On his head was an attractive face and hair that reached down to his waist, which was also a bright white, and on his back were beautiful black wings. He appeared to be more noble than any of the nobles in the city.

“Oh, I’ve been called to quite an annoying place.”

Allit frowned, noticing the Holy Castle directly in front of him. It was encased in layers upon layers of holy barriers, crafted from the blood and sweat of the Wise Angel and other angels. Just standing next to it would have been agonizing for any devil. As for Allit, he couldn’t help but feel a wash of lethargy and discomfort. It was only natural, since these barriers were laid out to increase their brightness and strength to match the power of the potential invader.

“Really... Annoying...”

Still, Allit showed no signs of moving from there. He couldn’t control his hatred for the force he sensed in front of him, and the very castle. He would have already smashed it to pieces if he could have. The urge to break through the barriers and tear what’s inside to pieces was becoming uncontrollable... as if he even tried to control it.

“The Duke of Darkness... What the fuck is happening...?”

Queen ran onto the scene, and fell speechless upon seeing Allit. There was no way that this devil had any right being in the realm of humans. However, Allit spotted Queen and returned her disgusted reaction. The already-annoying situation had gotten several times worse for him.

“And now that wretched angel’s hound... Influence the Public.”

“Close your eyes, shitheads...!”

As Allit’s eyes glowed red, Queen shouted. She had sensed him activating a skill in that instant, but her voice reached Fuji and the knights a second too late, as they were blown away.

“Who told you to walk on two legs, puny ants? Land of Beautyferno.”

He activated the skill reserved for devils. Invisible barriers secluded an area around him larger than when Carnival had activated the skill, excluding the Holy Castle.

“Listen up! Everyone make it to the Holy Castle!”

“You think I would allow such a thing?”

Allit shrugged with open arms in front of the castle. His aesthetic appearance made every pose he took photogenic. But his attractive face twisted yet again. An extremely powerful being wielding holy powers had entered the vicinity.

“Duke of Darkness... I see, darkness beckons darkness.”

Mynk, the S-ranking adventurer and Star Player. She was one of the best wielders of Holy magic in the continent. The Holy Maiden, a Star Player, and the Holy Castle’s barrier. For Allit, this was becoming an unbelievably unfavorable situation. Yet, he stood his ground... He was determined to tear to shreds the loathed existence he could sense within the castle. Realizing that Allit had no intention to retreat, Queen approached Fuji, who had been knocked down, and flipped his large body onto his stomach with her leg.

“...It has been a while.”

Queen grabbed the Hammer of Sigma from Fuji’s back. This was one of the most coveted legendary weapons in the continent for producing some simple spells in addition to its high Attack. The very instant she grabbed the hammer, Queen slammed it into Allit. The devil deflected the blow with his hand, but his face twisted in pain. Inflicting that much pain onto a high-rank devil was an impressive feat for a human.

“Such an undignified lady... Dark Beam.”

With no incantation, Allit fired a class 4 spell. However, the hammer in Queen’s hand emanated light to block it...!

“Protect me already. Wall of Light!” Queen spat out to her revered legendary weapon as if she were ordering around a slave. The wall of light clashed with the black beam, but the wall couldn’t stop it entirely, as it still pierced Queen’s body. Allit was ready to fire off the next step without giving Queen a second to breathe, but he ended up canceling the spell to deal with an interruption. Mynk charged over and swung her cross-like weapon down on him. Allit shielded the attack with his hands, but white smoke came out of his hands. Mynk was wielding an extremely dangerous weapon for devils: another One-of-a-Kind weapon called Twinkle. As a wielder of the Holy element, this was the perfect weapon for her.

“Ha ha! ...Not too bad, milk jugs!”

“M-Milk... What are you...!?”

“Humans...!” From this point, Allit was always on the back foot. The match-up and the location were not on his side. Ordinarily, he would have never stuck around, and instead would have tried to take his opponents on at a different location. However, even the collected Allit couldn’t contain the wrath boiling from the pit of his stomach. The lair of the arch-nemesis of all devils, whose very existence was carved into their DNA... was in front of Allit’s very eyes.

Once Queen had engaged the devil in close combat, Mynk incanted another spell.

“I am the wearer of blood-spatter black... Angel Garb!”

A holy armor materialized on Mynk’s entire body. Allit groaned at the painful light emitted from it. For him, the light seemed to carve his soul away just by looking at it. With a powerful anti-devil buff on her, Mynk joined Queen and slammed her weapon against Allit. The Holy element invaded his body, as Allit’s Dark element retaliated against the two warriors. As they clashed once, twice, and thrice... all three of them were worn out worse and worse. Considering the match up, this was like punching each other bare-knuckled with no guards up. Allit’s unfavorable situation was only getting worse with time. If things kept going at this rate, the pair of warriors would surely defeat him.

But then, a black liquid fell from the sky and splattered on the ground. They looked up to find a girl floating in the air. Tartarus had been dropped out of the open box in her hand. The black liquid spread wide in an instant, reaching the feet of Queen and Mynk.

“Fuck... Not again...”

“What!? What’s Tartarus doing here!?”

Their strength drained, they crumbled to the ground. Perhaps from draining so much power, the Tartarus was far more powerful than before.

“Puny... Humans!”

Allit kicked Queen as she was curled up on the ground, sending her tumbling. Then, he stretched out the claws on his right hand and tore at Mynk.

“This is the end... Abyss Beam.”

He fired a heinous class 5 spell that shot through the two warriors and so many buildings behind them, crumbling the cityscape to the ground.

“You thought the barrier alone would lead to victory...? Human scum.”

The two couldn’t even react to Allit. Witnessing the defeat of a Holy Maiden and an S-rank adventurer, the crowd fell silent. To boot, Allit was healing with every second because of Tartarus.

“Queen!”

“Stay back, sis... Hold that damn barrier...!”

White couldn’t help but come down to the entrance to the Holy Castle, but Queen shouted for her to remain where she was. The barrier on the Holy Castle would lose much of its effect if there were no Holy Maidens inside. If that were to happen now, the Holy Castle would surely fall.

“Let us begin a wonderful feast. Now, pay for the sin of irritating me.”

Allit stomped his foot down at Queen’s midriff, and the sound of shattering bones echoed. Then, he grabbed Mynk by the neck, and held her up, punching and punching and punching her all over. There were a million more effective ways to damage it, but he seemed to want to tear the wretched armor apart with his bare hands.

“Y-Your darkness... is nothing... to me...”

“Silence, bug.”

With every moment, Tartarus spread, as the ruthless beating ensued in front of the Holy Castle. Each blow was calculated as to not kill his victims easily. While Allit was ordinarily very logical and kept his cool, he was undeniably a devil, after all.

(What the... You gotta be kidding me...!)

After finally arriving at the Holy Castle, the Demon Lord was dismayed by what he saw. He had made his way up a clock tower that seemed safe enough to scout out the situation. From there, he spotted the crazy Holy Maiden of Fury Road and a strange monster, which he assumed to be another devil.

(And that chick... Guessing by what she’s wearing, she’s the last Holy Maiden.)

Noticing the Holy Maiden shouting something from the entrance of the castle, he felt a shiver go down his spine. She looked absolutely gorgeous, too, but seeing how Luna and Queen turned out, the Demon Lord doubted the third sister was anywhere near normal.

(Goddammit... I can’t have some monster acting like he owns the place!)

He had research to do and a business to start. All of that would go out the window if Holylight was torn to shreds. On the other hand, to avoid red tape down the road, he couldn’t waltz on out there in front of everybody.

(Right...!)

A lightbulb sparked above his head...!

(Of course. Just have him handle the mess of dealing with the Holy Maidens.)

A biker from a bygone era came to mind. What’s more, he knew that the Holy Maiden in apocalypse gear had some feelings for Zero. Fight fire with fire. Having successfully resolved this seed of a headache, the Demon Lord cheerfully pulled up the Admin screen.

(I gain back control after a while, anyway. All’s right with the world.)

As he made up his mind, a bright burst of white light emanated from the roof of the clock tower, illuminating its surroundings. It looked like a page from a myth — the light to defeat darkness. Allit squinted at the light, and even the residents, who were quaking in fear near the action, stared in disbelief. They had to imagine that the Angel itself had been summoned.

Who appeared from that light was a man wearing a bright-white biker’s jacket with a giant silver dragon on its back. No angel at all, just a Bosozoku. His hair, dyed silver, waved in the wind. Everyone watching was fixated on the dragon that had just emerged from the light.

“Zeroooooooooooo!”

Seeing him, Queen cried out in complete disregard of her situation. Despite her serious injuries, she seemed to have forgotten all of her pain. Seeing her, Zero gave a subtle grin. Whenever he saw her, she was curled up on the ground, being attacked by black liquid.

“What’s up...? Getting bullied again?”

Zero had no clue what situation he had been summoned into. The cityscape, as far as the eye could see, was completely unfamiliar, and, laughably, there was even a medieval-style castle ahead. Everyone in his field of vision looked foreign. Since many of the Game’s players were foreign, he came to a conclusion.

“Just another arena, courtesy of the fucking Empire, huh...? Guess that weird monster’s the gravy on top.”

At this point, he thought, he would not be surprised by anything the Empire did. That wacked-up country gathered wacked-up people and devastated the world with its wacked-up military. In later iterations of the Game, they had begun experimenting on various animals, in addition to humans, and had started sending chimera-like creatures into the arena to attack players. No one from that world would have been surprised by any sort of monster the Empire might have created.

“What... are you? Where did you come from?”

Allit couldn’t help but ask. Even a high-rank devil couldn’t quite gauge Zero. An eerie uncertainty. Without answering, Zero hopped off the roof and approached Allit. Much to Allit’s surprise, Tartarus avoided Zero’s steps. Parting the black sea, the dragon approached. Everyone gathered in front of the Holy Castle watched on, forgetting to breathe. As he approached Allit, his glare grew sharper. Finally, they were nose-to-nose... when the dragon grinned.

“You stink... like a murderer.”

Allit swung its claws without a word. Zero ducked to dodge it, and kicked the devil’s gut without much care. The prideful high-rank devil flew a few meters up in the air, a muddied footprint imprinted on the middle of its extravagant outfit.

“Y-You...!”

Already, blue flames flared from Zero. He had activated his special ability, Mad Flurry. However, his true strength lay with something else. As if to boast that fact, Zero turned his back to Allit, showing off the dragon he carried. In mid-combat, nonetheless.

“Carrying the title of undefeated, I’ve made it to the road of never-ending battle! — Righteous Hero!”

(+5 Damage for every kill the target has made. Max. +50)

Shouting something cringey, Zero was enveloped in crimson flames as his Combat Skill, Righteous Hero, activated.

“How crude... Was that supposed to be some sort of incanta—aaaghghhh!”

Now it was Allit’s turn to let out a crude scream. Before the devil knew it, Zero’s left fist had punctured his gut. In an instant, his right fist whirled at Allit’s face...! The devil was blown away, carving away chunks of the ground and crashing into a now-evacuated chapel. After such an impact, numerous cracks ran up the walls until the entire building came crumbling down.

“Grr...Aggh...!”

Allit looked devastated as he crawled out of the rubble. His hair mangled, and his extravagant outfit covered in dirt. What’s more, tears were pouring from his eyes. A high-rank devil, with a moniker like Duke of Darkness, was crying in front of humans. The crowd fell speechless.

“You’re scum for making a chick cry... I’ll show you just how pathetic you are.”

With a vicious smile, Zero swung his right arm in a big circle. Seeing his gallantry, the crowd of thousands of residents stirred... before finally bursting into thunderous cheer.

Do or Die

“Rgh... Gah...”

Allit was dizzy with confusion. His resilient body was screaming in agony. How did this happen? The devil failed to grasp how the fist of a mere human could produce such pain. It had punctured through numerous protective spells, hitting the devil with devastating damage. Allit felt like his very soul was writhing in pain. It wasn’t like the punch carried any Holy element, either. Nor any magic, for that matter.

“Wakey wakey...!”

Zero followed with a ruthless kick to Allit’s side while the devil was on all-fours. The high-rank devil, the Duke of Darkness, the center of flattery and adoration, was kicked away like a soccer ball... and he slammed into the barrier around the Holy Castle. In that instant, Allit erupted into flames.

“Graaghhh!”

With an explosion, sparks flew in all directions, filling the area with the smell of burnt meat. This was no surprise... a high-rank devil couldn’t have expected to walk away scot-free after touching the barrier set up by the Wise Angel. This fight had inadvertently turned into an electric cage match. The crowd went wild at the dragon who was too strong for even a high-rank devil to handle. In contrast, Zero’s mood plummeted, until he finally let out a “tsk.”

“This bastard’s got the crowd going hotter than me... You want to take on the Silver Dragon, huh!?”

The thought process of a Bosozoku. As Zero was of a species that felt ecstasy from a roaring crowd and a spotlight, he was enraged that the attention had shifted away from him. Allit would have cried in protest at the lack of logic here, but he could not.

“You... filthy scum! Abyss Beam!”

With all the strength he had left, Allit fired the Dark magic spell, and the black beam hit Zero dead-on. However, after the beam had faded — the beam that should have pierced any and all things it came in contact with — an unscathed Bosozoku remained standing. As long as Mad Flurry was activated, the Duke of Darkness didn’t have enough Magic to make even a scratch on Zero.

“You think you can mess around while you’re going mano-y-mano against me?”

With his frown tightening, Zero’s unreasonable wrath piled on. Now thinking that he was being toyed with, Zero quaked with anger. From his perspective, it must have felt like he was shot at with a toy ray-gun, or something. From Allit’s perspective, this was an utter nightmare.

“H-How could this be...!? I am too noble to lose to this wretch...!”

Spreading the wings on his back, Allit flew up into the air. Then, he approached Tron, the Firebrand who had been watching the battle from above, and pierced her with a single stab of his hand.

“Heh... ah...”

Allit raised Tron’s body and drank her blood as it spilled out. Allit was using Bloodlust, one of its skills. Against a human, this would have almost no benefits, but Allit could expect to heal somewhat by consuming the blood of a Firebrand.

“Filthy blood... The stench...”

Tron was tossed aside like a piece of trash, crashing to the ground. With enough damage to obliterate her stomach, her life was quickly fading away. Amidst her faltering consciousness, she wondered... why she had been treated this way. For as long as she could remember, Tron had no parents. Desperately, she had survived the relentless discrimination and constant violence in Hellion territory by drinking mud and eating rotten pig carcasses. Sometimes, she even reached for poisonous herbs. Even after fleeing to human territory, she was greeted with persecution. With nowhere else to go, she was picked up by Utopia, only to be treated and looked down on like a sack of garbage, just like she had been for her entire life. Why was she even alive? These were the fruitless thoughts that ran through the girl’s mind. She couldn’t help but whimper in pain.

“How could that bastard do this to you...? Hey, kiddo. You alive?”

The girl saw the Silver Dragon. The last thing she would ever see... At least, that’s what she thought.

“Hey, open your mouth. Can’t you hear me, kid?”

Forcing the girl’s mouth open, the dragon threw something in it. Sooner than the girl could feel a strange texture and subtle sweetness on her tongue, her punctured abdomen began healing up at a remarkable speed. If he told her she just drank dragon’s blood, she would have believed it.

Now there was no pain and no bleeding. This was so much more than closing an open wound — this was an incredible effect to behold, as if the course of time had been reversed. What the dragon had shoved into the girl’s mouth was a 100 Lives Bar, a healing item from the game. Despite its ridiculous name, it amazingly healed 100 HP. In this world, common medicinal herbs healed about 1 to 3. Even the most expensive potions used by adventurers healed no more than 10, so healing 100 HP instantly was unthinkable. Naturally, anyone in the crowd would have believed that he had given the girl dragon’s blood, fabled to heal any illness or injury and even to grant immortality. Allit watched the impossible phenomenon with horror.

“Are you... of a new species of dragon...? How could this be...!?”

Screaming, Allit came to a certain conclusion. That the dragon must die, right here and now. It was difficult to even imagine the chaos this dragon would bring to Hellion territory if given the chance. Inserting both hands into his torso, he tore himself apart as if to open a saloon door.

Meanwhile, Zero made sure that the girl’s wound had healed, and wore a relieved expression. However, the girl remained emotionless and gloomy.

“Why the long face, kid? You survived, give smiling a try.”

“Smile...? I forgot how to, a long time ago...”

The girl squeezed this out as if she were coughing up blood. Zero frowned, unsure of what to do. Then, sensing some movement behind him, he grabbed the girl by her collar and tossed her into an alley. While he wasn’t gentle about it, he tried to keep the little kitten out of the fight.

Zero turned around to find that Allit had torn his own body apart... and was now turning it inside out. What emerged from Allit was bats. Hundreds, thousands, countless bats were clustered together, forming a shape. The ominous sound of flapping wings could be heard, and two eyes could be seen glowing in crimson. This was Allit’s true form. The devil’s physical capabilities drastically increased in this form, but in turn, it was now extremely vulnerable to the Holy element, which was why Allit rarely went this far.

“Pesky dragon! You will be judged for your arrogance of feigning neutrality!”

Even as Allit blasted Zero with obvious intent to kill, the dragon’s attention was with the girl behind him. Even Zero could tell that she had lived a terrible life. He, too, had not lived an easy life.

“Smile, kid. No matter how tough it gets, the strongest guy’s the one laughing like a dumbass.”

Since she was behind him, Zero couldn’t tell the expression she gave in response. He could only sense her hold her breath for a moment.

“You think you have a chance while dividing your attention, Dragon...? Now die with your arrogance!”

Allit exploded into a charge. He flew so fast that the air around the devil screamed as if being torn apart. As Zero prepared to counter, his iconic silver flames roared about him. The dragon shouted as loud as he could...

“...Heavens, watch me roar! Do or Die!”

The dark void and silver sun clashed, head on... for only a moment. While the city stood silent as if the world had stopped spinning, countless cracks ran through the giant black void, until the entirety of it shrieked and dissolved into black mist. The skill Zero had used was a game-breaking skill that added 10 damage to his attack for each person his enemy had killed before. His ultimate attack, with the ceiling set extremely high at 500 damage. A devil with countless kills on his record stood no chance against this move. Zero stood for a few moments, holding his pose at the follow-through of his punch. Then, he thrusted his fist up into the sky, holding up his index finger... An animalistic display of ‘who’s number one!?’ and a pose to hold for the crowd that had gathered. Seeing this, the crowd went from silence to screaming and throwing their fists into the air. Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of residents followed suit, roaring with cheers. The rolling wave of cheer spread to other districts, and soon, the entirety of the Holy City was wrapped up in the whirlwind of excitement.

“How’s that, kiddo...? Remember how to smile, now?”

Zero smiled, which he didn’t do often, the smile of a teenage rebel. The girl in the alley stared back at him wide-eyed for a while, before finally nodding as tears began to streak down her cheeks. Then, she couldn’t seem to contain herself as she ran to Zero, and jumped onto him.

“Ha ha! You got the pep back in your step, kiddo.”

“...Not Kiddo. Tron.”

“Tron? That’s a funky name...”

As Zero muttered this, his back was met with something soft. Queen had embraced him, blushing. Out of context, she looked very shy. Even though Zero was carefree with a girl of Tron’s age, he couldn’t help but lose his cool at this. He was an old-fashioned Bosozoku, an extinct species of men with traditional values.

“H-Hey... I can’t let a woman... not in public...!”

“I never want to let you go...”

Queen held him tight with a dreamy expression. In turn Zero blushed as he felt her soft breasts pressed up against him. Queen being a perfectly tame and beautiful girl in Zero’s presence made her all the more dangerous.

“G-Get off me! A guy can’t be seen in public with a chick like...”

“Sir Zero... The dragon on your back is so rugged... Just like your chest...”

Queen’s fingers crawled up Zero’s toned pecs, making him jump. The cool fighter was nowhere to be seen, now. The tens of thousands of spectators reacted with laughter, completely destroying the darkness that had been looming over the Holy City moments earlier.

And so, the two contrasting rumors of the appearance of a Demon Lord and the appearance of a silver Dragonborn, a defeater of evils, spread throughout Holylight. In fact, the rumors eventually spread out of the country and into neighboring nations. The grand confusion and misunderstanding brought about by this one man would reach the far corners of the continent, triggering a world-wide commotion... But that’s a little ways down the road.

Side Story: The Golden Heartbeat

The Holy City, ten years ago...

“Come on, run faster!”

“H-Hold on, Luna!”

Two kids were running and weaving through the Business District. Luna, still a young child, and her friend Eagle. They were both only six at the time, wearing dusty rags. Luna was living at the orphanage, still far away from the glitz and glamor she would encounter later in her life. Dust covered not only their clothes, but their faces and hair, too. Eagle had her hair cut as short as a boy’s. The workers at the Orphanage must have kept it as short as possible to get away with a little less work.

“If we don’t hurry, all the bread will be gone!”

“I-I know, but...!”

They were holding a single bronze coin together, which was a rare occurrence. Normally, kids at an orphanage would have never come in contact with any money, but they had been given this ‘allowance’ from a Holy Maiden. The children planned to buy a loaf of bread with it and revel in that luxury.

“With this, we can buy a black loaf!”

“Yeah!”

A black loaf was barely a loaf of bread. Hard as a rock, it couldn’t even be chewed without dipping it in some sort of soup. Even that, however, was seldom seen on the dining table at the orphanage. The kids were only given the bare minimum of random grains and discarded greens. Their meals were closer to cow or pig feed than human food.

“...I can’t stand it.”

“What?”

Luna had stopped suddenly in front of a certain restaurant. It was Artemis, one of the most exclusive restaurants, even by the Holy City’s standards. Wealthy merchants and nobles flocked here each night and day, enjoying a meal that peasants could only dream about.

“One day... I’m going to be able to eat here whenever I want...”

“Hee hee. That’s too much even for you.”

“Your problem is that you always give up before you even try! That’s why you’re such a loser!”

“What do you want me to do...?”

An orphan dining at Artemis. That was an impossible feat, even if hell were to freeze over. That being said, Luna was entirely sincere. She had been devoting her life and soul to magic training in order to find a way out of her current circumstances.

“Woah. What are these filthy peasants doing here?”

“At least walk along the edge of the street so we don’t have to see trash like you.”

“This is the problem with our Holy Maidens right now. They have too much mercy for the lowlifes.”

A group of nobles came out of the restaurant at a bad timing for the two girls. The nobles made a gesture as if to shoo away a couple of stray dogs. Eagle immediately lowered her head and tried to leave, but Luna stared right back at them.

“Ugh, see that look of disobedience?”

“Smells like swine... Now our meal is ruined.”

If a noble were to kill a lower-class citizen on the streets, much less an orphan, no one would have batted an eye. Eagle tried to pull Luna by the hand to get away, but she showed no sign of backing down. In fact, she declared brazenly:

“...I’ll make you regret it.”

“Did you say something?”

“One day, I will be accepted into the Holy Church. And one day, I will become a Holy Maiden. When I do, I will make you regret everything you’ve just said.”

“Crazy rat. There’s only so much crap you can spew before...”

The noble stopped there, as magic sparked out of Luna — more magic than any child should have had control over. What’s more, her magic was of blinding Light. The nobles couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Wha!? How...?”

While anyone could possess Magic in this world, the talent to wield it was another story entirely. No matter how much effort an average Joe put in, there was always the impenetrable wall of natural talent. Just like not all baseball players could become Babe Ruth or Derek Jeter.

“I should ask for your names.”

“H-Hmph! We shan’t give a peasant like you the satisfaction!”

Intimidated by Luna’s unbelievable potential for magic, the nobles scurried away. In reality, with enough talent, there was a path for someone like her to get out of the orphanage and into the Holy Church or Holy Knights’ Order. Realizing that there was a chance for Luna to follow up on her threat, the nobles hurried away in fear.

“L-Luna... That was so dangerous!”

“I can’t let them bully me... I’m going to keep working harder than anyone else in this world.”

Hard work was the motto of this country. Angels smiled down upon those who worked hard, promising them success. That doctrine... that beacon of hope had motivated Luna thus far and kept her from giving up altogether.

As they started walking down the streets again, they spotted a long line. It was for a bar called Kanpai, one popular among adventurers. It had opened as a small bar initially, but was now a mid-sized establishment after ten years in operation. Nowadays, it wasn’t rare to see a line forming at the place even during the day. Luna gave the bar an envious glare for a moment, before continuing on their path without a word. This bar had grown, not by some privilege given at birth like nobles, but by its own merit and hard work. Luna didn’t want some privilege handed down to her, either. She wanted to achieve her goals with her own hard work and merit.

“That place is always really busy.”

“...I know.”

Normally, Luna would have had a few choice words, but she was uncharacteristically quiet. Eagle saw that she must have had some ideas about the bar.

“Come on, let’s get our bread, already! I can’t even concentrate with an empty stomach!”

“You really do take magic seriously, Luna... If nothing else.”

Running through the city illuminated by the sunset, the girls ended up securing their rock-like loaf of bread.

They were softening it bit by bit, dipping it into their scrap-vegetable soup.

“Hey, Luna. Do you really think you can get into the Holy Church?”

“Offource. Who elfh buf mf...”

“Y-You can finish chewing, first...”

“Mm... I’m not going to stop at the Church. I’m going all the way to the top to become a Holy Maiden.”

Her determination shone like a rainbow. Eagle didn’t dislike her friend, who always kept her gaze straight ahead and talked about her future with gleaming eyes. In fact, in a life where every day could be her last, Luna was her one shard of light in the darkness.

Noticing Eagle staring at her, Luna cleared her throat and said, from a high-horse:

“Mm! Well, when I’m a Holy Maiden, I wouldn’t mind making you my servant.”

“Servant...”

Squire or lady-in-waiting might have been a more appropriate choice of words, but Luna was too busy trying to make it out of her environment. She didn’t have time to worry about making friends on an equal footing.

“You just watch. The Angels will smile upon me!”

“Yeah. I believe they will, Luna.”

“You’re such a slowpoke, so you have to follow me with all you’ve got!”

“Hee hee... I’ll try my best.”

Two years past...

A messenger from the Holy Church came to Luna. As she had hoped, the Church had noticed her talent in magic, and wanted to train her closely. The Angel’s doctrine did not steer her wrong. Luna told the messenger that she intended to take Eagle with her.

“I have a servant. I’m taking her with me.”

“Ah, I know the one you mean.”

“Oh, you did your homework. Good job.”

The messenger frowned at Luna’s attitude totally unbecoming of an orphan. Still, Luna had already began to awaken her power to use the Holy element, a step above Light. Her talents were extraordinary and remarkable.

“That slowpoke... It’s my big day, and I haven’t seen her since yesterday!”

“That one isn’t here anymore.”

“She’s getting ready to welcome me at the Holy Castle, then? That might be the best idea she’s ever had.”

“That one... has been put down.”

Luna froze. She couldn’t comprehend what the messenger was saying.

“When we looked into it, we discovered that it was a demi-human. Such a surprise that it had infiltrated the Holy City.”

“D-Demi-human...”

In this world, demi-human was an umbrella term that included all species, like the Anima, Dwarfs, Elves, Giants, etc., who were not quite human. Their relationships with humans, however, were tense. Especially in Holylight, humans were openly hostile towards the demi-humans.

“B-But! She hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“Being a demi-human alone is a crime enough. I have heard that you, brazenly, aim to become a Holy Maiden... In that case, you must be careful who you associate yourself with.”

Demi-humans, in the context of the Mythical War, were in a grey area. At first, they had aided the Angels and the humans who served them. But suddenly, for some reason, they sought independence during the commotion of the war. Their pullout had drastically affected the power balance of the continent, and Animania was established in the east. If the legend was true, the demi-humans were traitors. They were like disaster thieves who founded their own nation on the back of the chaos of war.

“She’s... really dead...?”

“Did you expect Holylight to pardon a demi-human?”

Hearing this, Luna could only tilt her head, powerless. In this country that worshipped the Angels, there was no room for demi-humans. Accepting demi-humans would, in turn, be a betrayal to the teachings of the Angel, which had become Luna’s rock.

Even after joining the Holy Church, Luna couldn’t believe that Eagle was dead, and continued to search for her friend’s whereabouts whenever she had the chance. In the end, though, she could never find her. Soon, Luna’s life became even busier, leaving her without enough free time to continue her search.

Two years after joining the Church, at the young age of ten, she became a Holy Maiden. With her once-in-a-millennium talent in magic, she climbed up to become a figure adored by all. Luna’s powers had evolved to Golden, stemming off of Light, making her an unparalleled mage. However, her reputation wasn’t great. Some called her “Walking Pride”, and others even called her an elitist monster.

(Hmph... Talk all you want. I’m climbing higher and higher.)

Luna was too loyal to the Angel’s teachings, which had guided her up the ladder this far. She believed that only she, who had worked hard for what she had, was just and strong. Everyone else were lazy nobodies. She no longer had a friend to keep her in check. After joining the Church, and even after becoming a Holy Maiden, Luna was always alone. People must have seen her as unapproachable and unfriendly. As they kept walking on eggshells around her, Luna’s arrogance and holier-than-thou attitude grew out of control.

Just once, though, Luna had surprised those around her with an uncharacteristic decision. This happened when her land was assigned. Dona Dona, the leader of the noble sympathizers, who didn’t want the Holy Maidens getting any more power than necessary, schemed to leave Luna with some troublesome village. This village was the village of Rabbi, an isolated village where a species of demi-humans, called Bunnies, lived. The Bunnies were the only demi-human species explicitly described in any literature as to have been loved by the Wise Angel itself. Even in Holylight, where they treated any non-human species harshly, they weren’t sure how to deal with the Bunnies.

“Bunnies...? All right. I’ll be their lady.”

“Ooh, my my... Your generosity becomes you, Miss Luna. Of course, you are a devout student of the Wise Angel’s teachings.”

Dona, surprised by Luna’s response, still managed to drool out some platitudes. He was taken aback, as he was ready to pull all sorts of tricks to make her accept. Since Luna had no talent for politics and intrigue, Dona would have convinced her in the end no matter how she reacted, anyway.

“I am surprised, I must say. Are you not disgusted by those beasts... pardon me, demi-humans, Miss Luna?”

“Whatever. It’s better than looking at your face all day.”

“My my, that’s a good one. Some day, I think you will discover the charm of middle-aged men.”

“...Anything else? I’m busy.”

With that, Luna left her seat in a hurry. She didn’t like the beating-around-the-bush that all nobles did. Dona was a prime example of that.

(Bunnies...)

Some distant memory resurfaced in Luna’s heart. If she were stronger and had more power, she might not have lost her.

(This isn’t nearly enough...)

It wasn’t like she was on top of the pyramid. Holylight was divided into numerous factions which continued their battles under the surface. She had the two Holy Maidens above her to worry about, too. White, the oldest, who was talented in peacemaking, popular among both nobles and the common people. And Queen, the middle sister, who was talented in combat, and had begun to build her fearless private army. Taking a good look at herself, Luna was aware that she had no other power than magic. At this rate, she may very well never make it to the top.

(Wise Angel... Lend me your strength...!)

Determined, Luna started moving forward, once again.

Later on, her wish would come true. The one who lent a hand, though, wasn’t an angel at all...

“Luna, I want to borrow a plot of land in this village.”

“What?”

...But a man claiming to be the Demon Lord...

Memorial: The World Remembered, Connected, or Buried

X/X/2000

Type type type type. The chatroom symphony.

“Hey Akira, this next game...? I don’t really get it after reading the manual.”

“Each Game lasts a week. Players try to kill each other. Last one standing wins. Simple.”

“No, what I mean is... An MMO can’t end in a week.”

XX asked, and Akira replied with the bare minimum. He was working on creating said game, and seemed to want every second he could use.

“The Game starts on a Monday and ends on the next Sunday. Then a new arena starts on Monday again. No problem.”

“What about the character you grow? All that work for nothing?”

“Yep. Clean reset. If players saved progress, the long-time user will have an unfair advantage, and all the new players won’t be able to kill them.”

XX was confused. Wasn’t the fun of playing an MMO growing your own character?

“Besides, there won’t be any monsters? Like co-oping with friends to go in a dungeon or take on a dragon?”

“I am sick and tired of those lukewarm MMOs that’ve flooded the market. Dreams! Adventurers! Play with your friends! All these niceties in the game world are giving me heartburn.”

Strictly speaking, even by this time, there were MMOs with PvP (Player vs Player), but they had always been just a feature of the game. It was rare to have an entire MMO revolve around PvP.

“Live opponents, huh? It’s true that AI monsters keep doing the same thing over and over again.”

“See? There’s no variance in the fight. If you fight other people, though? They’re smart. They’ll run when they think they’ll die, they’ll set traps... They might even drag other people into the fight.”

Akira was remembering the arcade he frequented as a child. A decade or so ago, in-person fighting games had become a massive hit, which only grew bigger by the introduction of the battle stations, where people could sit across from one another to challenge them in-game. From boys to men, people of all ages fought day and night against strangers over monitors, honing their craft.

“Fighting against a computer with a programmed set of moves gets old, no matter what.”

This was the gist of Akira’s motivation. Against other people, who knew how they would respond to each move? Less predictable. More fun. As long as they kept up the servers, the Games could go on forever.

“Right! There were some IRL fist fights at the arcade!”

“That’s what I’m talking about! The excitement and the powerful reaction to losing all happened because it was all human.”

Type type type type. The chatroom symphony.

“Now, here’s a list of features so far...”

(Tentative) Game Arena Features

-A Game lasts one week. Monday through Sunday.

-Linked with real-world time, the fight will take place 24/7, all the time.

-Last player standing on the last day is crowned victor.

-Alliances are allowed, but only one may survive in the end.

-Implement survival gameplay like fishing, material collecting and base-building, hunting and gathering, sewing, etc. so even players who aren’t good at combat can enjoy the Game.

-As a bonus stage, the players can rebel against the Empire. Here, the players will work together. Players stop killing each other to work together.

-The difficulty of the bonus stage, Sleepless Castle, is set to Inferno.

-When the Sleepless Castle falls, the MMO will discontinue.

“Akira, hold on! What do you mean, linked with real-world time?”

“Just like it sounds. If it’s 7am in Japan, it’s 7am in the game. Early morning, late nights, they’re always killing each other in real time.”

“Wha... What about people with school and work?”

“They have to hide well or stay in their Base. They can automatically retaliate against attacks, and run away if they can.”

“So... You’re god at the game if you’re jobless? All right!”

“No, you go get a job. And characters will use Stamina as they move, so if they don’t get a lot of sleep, the characters will be out of Stamina and won’t be able to move.”

“Oh. So having all the time in the world won’t do any good.”

“You got to make calculated moves. Otherwise, you’d turn into a punching bag. That’s going to suck. Being attacked without even being able to run?”

“I might just snap if that happens to me.”

“Awesome. That’s raw humanity, right there.”

The IRL fistfights he witnessed in the arcade... To Akira, that was proof of immersion and what made the game real. And so, a world was created.

A legendary game that took Japan by storm began here...