《The Black Fog that Devours》 Prologue ¡°O ye who dwell in a world forsaken by God, where evolution is stagnant and gradual catastrophe is in the offing!¡± While wandering around the university premises, a mysterious voice abruptly resounds within my head. Nonetheless, as I glance at the surroundings, all I notice is the same university as usual. In any case, I occupy the nearest seat in the cafeteria lest I be perceived as suspicious. ¡°I am the one who crosses from world to world.¡± While seated, I scan the expressions of the others around me, but neither of them displayed any signs of astonishment or disorientation. Perhaps it is an indication that I am the only one who could hear this voice (or possibly the others simply didn¡¯t show it on their faces like I did). ¡°The one that brings transformation to the stagnant world.¡± Nevertheless, it seems that the world we are residing in was forsaken by God at some point. Certainly, it is true that no new technology has been developed in the past few decades, and the issues of food supply and war are out of control, but I still believe that God is irresponsible in abandoning the world. ¡°Ah, yes. You know what, it¡¯s a hassle to phrase it in such a prestigious manner. Therefore, I¡¯m going to take it easy from this point on. There¡¯s barely a soul out there who can hear this voice anyway.¡± Oiiiiiiiiiiiii! You are being light-hearted all at once! Furthermore, the voice that was previously a mystical voice of indeterminable gender and age was rapidly replaced by the voice of a little girl! As I rise from my seat, the people around me begin to cast quizzical glances at me. Feigning concern for my buttocks, I quietly return to my seat. ¡°Well, for that reason, let¡¯s save this world. And in order to advance my research, I¡¯m going to do a minor intervention in this world.¡± What are you planning to do¡­? More importantly, I have a very unpleasant feeling about this. ¡°Anyway, those of you who are hearing this voice right now. Yeah. Yes, yes. You guys, you guys.¡± I am perspiring in an unorthodox manner. This is not a favorable situation. My instincts, which are practically non-existent due to my peace of mind, are screaming, ¡°Something¡¯s gone haywire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have you quit being a human being.¡± ¡°Haaaaahhhhhhhh!?¡± When I notice that there are eyes all over me, I completely overlook them and involuntarily let out a scream. Damn. The way they are shooting their glances at me is really painful. Or rather, it is too excruciating. For the time being, I should depart this place. After all, those glances that were directed to me implied, ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡±. I head to an empty classroom at the university. If there is an opportunity, I would pay back the owner of the little girl¡¯s voice in one way or another for this incident. ¡°Ha ha ha! All of you seem to be quite startled. Hey you, pay attention to what you¡¯re doing while you¡¯re driving. You there, you¡¯re in the middle of a gunfight. Keep your head down, you¡¯re being targeted. Haha, you¡¯re so distracted by my voice that you missed the act, aren¡¯t you concentrating hard enough?¡± ¡­ Ah, yes. Is everyone still taken aback or something? Well, I am in a much better shape than those who were mentioned earlier. After all, the individuals in my immediate vicinity merely sent me doubtful stares. Or rather, in that situation, who would even try to speak to me like that? ¡°Well, the details will be explained afterwards, so for now, bye.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± And then my vision fades into darkness. CH 1 This is a typical tutorial story. It may be long, but please bear with it for a few chapters or so. ¡°Ouch, what the hell happened¡­?¡± I take a gander at my surroundings, but my location hasn¡¯t shifted. It is the same unoccupied classroom at the university where I was a while ago. However, something is amiss. The overall atmosphere is dismal. Besides, at this time of the day, it is sensible to expect people¡¯s voices and noises to be picked up from the surroundings wherever I might be in the university, yet there is none. ¡°The transformation of people with aptitude into the Demon King, the deployment of skills, the transformation of destiny of the indeterminate, and the adjustment of various laws have been finalized. The tutorial for each Demon King will commence now.¡± A mechanical voice, utterly distinct from the young girl¡¯s voice that had emerged earlier, flows in my head. ¡°To begin with, I have been created to conduct tutorials for the Demon King, so please refer me as Help-kun from now on.¡± Help-kun¡­ If possible, I would like you to enlighten me on how to return to my original state¡­ ¡°Now, allow me to explain the transformation of becoming a Demon King. My master administers the Demon King metamorphosis to a random selection of people who have the potential to become Demon Kings, and there is no way to reverse it. Please give up. Moreover, I do not know why you have the ability to become a Demon King. Thus, any queries you may have about this subject will be fruitless.¡± I would prefer to think it is a bad joke, but I suppose this is reality right now©` After all, I already have no recollection of my name or my life as a human being. ¡°Now, let me explain the effects of becoming a Demon King. First, there are two skills that are invariably granted to those who become Demon Kings.¡± In this case, I would have to play by the rule. I¡¯ll listen to what I can in the meantime. ¡°The first is ?Dungeon Creation?. This skill, when activated for the first time, is focused on you and generates a labyrinth within a radius of 5 km, and when activated for the second and subsequent times, it allows you to alter the structure of the dungeon you have created. For further details on how to create a dungeon, please inquire after the tutorial. Furthermore, the first activation has already been performed upon your transformation into a Demon King. Consequently, those who have been inside the labyrinth have all been ejected from it, and a barrier has been imposed between the labyrinth and the outside world that will last for a year. As a result, entering and exiting the labyrinth is now impossible.¡± I see, so this is the reason why no sounds have been produced in the vicinity. I mean, a barrier is like a fantasy, right? No, this circumstance itself is already a fantasy. ¡°The second is ?Monster Creation?. This is a skill to conjure up so-called monsters that are devoted to the demon kings. At this stage, only one type of monster can be created for each demon king, but by fulfilling various conditions, the types of monsters that can be created will be increased. For further details, please inquire with me after the tutorial. In addition to these two skills, each Demon King possesses a unique skill. Please note that since the tutorial is still in progress, you will not be permitted to utilize any of these skills in order to prevent any complications.¡± Ah, yeah. I have a feeling someone would try to use it. I can understand your feelings. ¡°Now, we will proceed to the explanation of the status. Please say ¡®Status Open¡¯.¡± There is a status? This is more like an RPG than a fantasy. Guess I ought to catch up on the explanations. ¡°Status Open.¡± Name: King of the Devouring Black Fog Race: KKing of the Devouring Black Fog Class: Demon King Level: 1 HP: 1600/1600 MP: 1850/1850 SP: 1750/1750 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 55 Sensing 45 Intellectual 60 Spirit 70 Luck 8 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Black Fog that Devours?. Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog? Mmm. Although I have no idea what the standards are, I feel like my status is elevated. Also, I have a feeling that my luck is low. ¡°It seems that some of you Demon Kings have not opened your status yet, but to save time, I¡¯ll proceed with the explanation. First and foremost, ¡®Name¡¯ is your name as it is. Please note that your former name as a human has already been erased. ¡®Race¡¯ is just that: race. As you can see, you have changed into something that is different from a human being. That is the identity of the present you. As for ¡®Class¡¯, it is the so-called ¡®Occupation¡¯. However, in the role of a Demon King, you are fixed as a Demon King, and your HP, MP, and SP are increased by 10 times from the original value as a result of your occupation, and your status apart from luck is increased by 5 times. The skills mentioned above represent a type of occupational effect, and various other benefits and restrictions are also imparted. As for HP and MP, I don¡¯t need to explain them; if your HP reaches 0, you die; if your MP reaches 0, you faint. It is a very simple concept. SP refers to stamina, and if this also reaches 0, you will pass out. For further details on each of these specifications, please ask the respective individuals in charge. An average person has 40 HP, MP, and SP, and 10 in the other stats.¡± That is an extraordinary compensation. As one would expect from the Demon King. Or perhaps it signifies my luck isn¡¯t as decent as other people¡¯s. When I was transformed into a Demon King, it¡¯s understandable that I didn¡¯t have much luck. Besides, my HP is not ten times higher than the average person¡¯s¡­ is it because my other stats have gone up? Also, I have a feeling that Help-kun¡¯s tone of voice is steadily growing more and more laconic¡­? Well, it makes sense, considering his master retains that little girl¡¯s voice. ¡°Skill is as I explained earlier. Please grasp it by yourself as far as your unique skills are concerned. A title is just that: a title. Since this field only denotes what special things you have accomplished so far, there is no need to be bothered with the title. In addition, you can check the details of the Skill column by touching them.¡± I see, so I should review the skills first once the tutorial is over. For me¡­ or rather, for my existence as a Demon King, it may be my last lifeline. ¡°Finally, you, the Demon King, will have one year from now to create your own labyrinth, but after a year has passed, please feel free to do as you please.¡± Hmm? What does that mean? ¡°It is up to you to either destroy the world, dominate mankind, or escape the wedge of my master and exact vengeance. Well then, all of you, this is the end of the tutorial. You are now free to indulge yourselves in the life of a Demon King.¡± The HP, MP, and SP are calculated from the status, and the numbers are greatly inflated since the tenfold Demon King compensation is applied at the end. T/N: Labyrinth & Monster are synonymous with dungeon & demon respectively in this novel CH 2 Now, to put it bluntly, there were many things I didn¡¯t grasp, but it would be appropriate to ask Help-kun for clarification at every step. ¡°Therefore, first of all, ¡®Status Open.¡¯¡± Name: King of the Devouring Black Fog Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 1 HP: 1600/1600 MP: 1850/1850 SP: 1750/1750 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 55 Sensing 45 Intellectual 60 Spirit 70 Luck 8 Skill ?Labyrinth Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog? In front of me, I found the same status as before. And then I touch one of the skills that I possess, ?Devouring Black Fog?. ?Devouring Black Fog? Combined skill of ?Foggy Body? + ?Devouring Blackness?. ?Foggy Body? The owner¡¯s body is converted into a fog-like physical form. Physical assaults are almost totally neutralized when in a foggy state, though physical intervention from the owner makes it more difficult. If the owner is conscious, the atomization can be lifted. ?Devouring Blackness? The following effects are applied to any target in contact with the user¡¯s body. For living creatures: Absorbs HP, MP, SP in 1/sec. For non-living things: If it is solid or liquid, it can be scraped off. Isn¡¯t this a cheat? Aside from physical nullification, I hardly believe the absorption ability is a reasonable skill for a level 1 Demon King to possess. Ah, but then again¡­ What is ineffective is physical attacks. In other words, only things like swords, spears, and guns can be nullified, but fire and such could do the trick? Maybe Help-kun can enlighten me on that¡­ ¡°That is absolutely correct. The ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯. The body of the fog is limited to neutralizing swords, fists, bows and arrows, etc., so scientific or skill-based attacks such as fire cannot be negated. Moreover, please be aware that skills that are generally classified as magic can inflict damage even if they are physical in nature.¡± ¡°Thanks for the foresighted response¡­ Or rather, you appeared at the point when I wanted to inquire.¡± To be honest, this is beyond heartbreaking. And since you apparently can read minds, I guess there would be no privacy for me at all. ¡°You¡¯re right, including the mind-reading part.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like Satori[i]. And I have one more question. When you mentioned before about the fire generated by skills, isn¡¯t it only the Demon King and those created by the Demon King that possess the skills?¡± This is an essential question. In all honesty, if the humans out there are capable of utilizing skills, it would most assuredly be a doomed interception battle that would await me after the dungeon is liberated in a year¡¯s time. The explanation behind this? Consider this: within here, I must contemplate and perfect a skill from one to ten on my own, but on the outside, individuals can collaborate with tens or even hundreds of others. In a year¡¯s time, the gap between the two groups would have widened to a catastrophic degree. ¡°You are half wrong and half right.¡± ¡°Half? What do you mean?¡± ¡°At present, those humans on the outside do not possess any skills, nor are they compensated for their occupations or stats. However, once the labyrinth is released, they will acquire the skills and professions as the Demon Kings do. If you desire to obtain a new skill, you must advance your level. For every one level you gain, another skill will be awarded to you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That would mean that right after the dungeon is released, I would have the advantage of a year¡¯s worth of expertise and skills, and only have to deal with people who will practically be amateurs. And as for subsequent accumulations, will the humans here and there be working together? Although they may be amateurs, can I let my guard down given the presence of the latest weapons at their disposal? ¡°That¡¯s precisely the point. Furthermore, the labyrinth can be restricted to the designated entrances you specify, and it can also be modified to restrict entry to only a certain number of people at a time. In addition, the latest weapons, which you are concerned about, are ineffective. Even if the latest missiles, for instance, are employed, it is impossible to destruct the outer walls of the labyrinth or indestructible objects, thus, there will be no such thing as a straight line to your location by breaking through the walls.¡± ¡°That would be most appreciated.¡± Does that mean I can adjust the pace and number of combatants by myself? ¡°This concludes my answer to your question.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Thanks for your hard work.¡± If that is the case, should I attempt to develop the dungeon itself rather than creating monsters, since I have no clue what the current state of my dungeon is like? The plan is¡­ yes. Here¡¯s one that came to my mind. It should be something along those lines, as I am the King of the Fog. ¡°Now, shall we get on with it, ?Dungeon Create?!¡± T/N: [i] Mind-reading monkey-like yokai in Japanese legends CH 3 The first step is to create a labyrinth. ¡°Now, shall we get on with it, ?Dungeon Create?!¡± As I declare the activation of my skill, a translucent screen and what resembles a computer keyboard materialize before my eyes. I assume that this would be used for directing the maintenance in the dungeon. Incidentally, the screen is currently projecting a bird¡¯s-eye view of the overall dungeon, consistent with my memories of the layout of the buildings and the location of the river when I was still a human being. ¡°Let¡¯s confirm the screen and functions for now.¡± I operate the keyboard to access various data essential for dungeon maintenance, while simultaneously consulting Help-kun for anything unclear. After an hour of research, here is what I have discovered. ?The ?Dungeon Creation? function allows the structure and details of the labyrinth to be modified. Traps can be installed in the labyrinth. ?When using the ?Dungeon Creation? function, HP, MP, and SP are consumed correspondingly. ?The amount of HP, MP, and SP consumed varies depending on the status and skills of the Demon King. ?The consumed HP, MP, and SP are normally recovered over time, hence posing no problem. ?If there is no human being in the labyrinth, the process will be finished immediately after the execution of the order. ?The labyrinth must be constructed with at least one entrance and exit. ?The number of people who can enter the labyrinth is also adjusted here. ?The level of the labyrinth = the level of the Demon King. ?As the level of the labyrinth progresses, more layers can be added, and more complex structures can be erected, as well as more formidable traps. ?Each level of the labyrinth must have one resting spot. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very easy to understand. Well, let¡¯s get started.¡± Operating the keyboard, I set the entrance and exit to the south for the time being. However, since barriers are in place, I suppose I would refer to them as potential entrances or exits. This consumes 10 each of HP, MP, and SP. Following this, I wish to demolish all the roads and pavements that are in the way of my dungeon plan¡­ but since doing so would have cost me about 5000 HP and SP each, I simply reduce them to the size of stones and rocks. This expends 1,000 HP and SP each. By the way, ¡°removal¡± is a command to thoroughly obliterate the object as if it had never existed in the first place, resulting in a heavier cost compared to pulverizing it. Well, leaving that aside, I proceed with the process. All of the ground in the dungeon has been turned to a swamp (Depth? About 10cm). This requires 500 SP and MP each. Finally, a thin fog (about 10m ahead, unnoticeable) is cast over the entire dungeon. This consumes about 1000 MP. And what a surprise. During the time when I was a human, there was a university, a residential area, as well as a tranquil countryside, but now it has been remodeled into an eerie dungeon where the ground is muddy and the only decent footing is on top of the buildings, with a constant fog hanging over the place. I would like to play a song by ¡ð¡ð, but I won¡¯t as this is only the initial stage of the dungeon renovation. (Incidentally, the ¡°?Dungeon Creation? also incorporated an item to play a specific song throughout the dungeon, so it is really possible to play it. The HP, MP, and SP consumption for each song should be consulted) For now, let¡¯s take a temporary break since the current remaining HP, MP, and SP of mine are as follows. HP: 590/1600 MP: 340/1850 SP: 240/1750 By the way, the depth of the swamp and the mist can be upgraded by consumption of additional MP, so the plan for now would be to upgrade them after a round of maintenance. ¡°But well, I really appreciate the one-year preparation phase. Otherwise, if the dungeon had been opened from the beginning, I might have to face the intruders with this worn-out situation without even finishing the maintenance of the dungeon. Truthfully, such a state of affairs is inconceivable.¡± After mumbling to myself, I take a break and review the structures that could be established in the ¡°Dungeon Creation¡± and when I encounter one that meets my expectations, I bookmark it so that I could easily retrieve it. And once I have thoroughly checked all of them, I started to take a nap to have an efficient recovery. Besides, under the effect of transforming into a Demon King, I only need magic power in the air to live, therefore, meals and sleep became superfluous for me to pass my daily life, and now they serve nothing more than a preference or a means to efficiently recover my HP, etc. ¡°Well, after I finish my nap, I¡¯ll try working on the ¡°magical creation.¡± And then I begin to quietly drift off to sleep. CH 4 ¡°Okay, break¡¯s over. I¡¯ll address the detailed maintenance of the dungeon later, but first, ?Monster Creation?!¡± After activating the skill, a translucent screen and keyboard emerge before my eyes, the same way it did during ?Dungeon Creation?. On the screen is something in the shape of a black fog¡­or to put it another way, it is myself. Thus, from an impartial standpoint, let me explain my appearance and outline. ?King of the Devouring Black Fog The ?Untitled? Demon King of the Dungeon. He assumes two forms: a fog version and a human version. In his foggy appearance, he is merely a conglomeration of black mist. When presented in human form, he bears black hair, black eyes, and dons a black attire with skin that reminded one of a summer tan in a sandpit. Due to a lack of information, no further data about this figure can be ascertained at this time. ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Well, that¡¯s reasonable. It hasn¡¯t even hit a day yet, so there¡¯s no way a detailed description can be found here.¡± Although I feel slightly disappointed, I¡¯ll let it slide here. ¡°So, for the time being, let¡¯s start with the ones I can create.¡± With my keyboard, I draw up a screen where I could select the monsters to be summoned. A monster is displayed on the screen. Apparently, the only way ahead would be to summon this monster first. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll verify all the information available to me before creating it.¡± I open the description of the monster before reading it. ?Fog A mischievous spirit-like humanoid demon with a height of roughly 30 cm. The body is composed of a thin haze of magical power. Despite its meagre potency, it can proliferate indefinitely provided there is enough magical power in the air. Summoning cost: 1 MP per unit. This seems to be an existence like a blue amorphous creature in a certain national RPG. Well, fog. In other words, this one is a fog, so I suppose it could be labeled as a demon that matches my characteristics. After all, I myself was composed of fog. ¡°At any rate¡­ if it expends nothing but MP, I¡¯ll spawn a hundred or so of them.¡± With the sensation of magic power slipping out of my body, a magic circle arises around me, from which 100 fogs are born along with the light. ¡°Kyahahaha¡±, ¡°Wahy wahy¡±, ¡°Booom booom!¡± They are very pestiferous. Anyway, I am clueless if they can follow my instructions, but I order them to either be quiet or leave the place. Well, then, as expected, they all wander off. In any case, it¡¯s reassuring to know that they can listen to what I instructed them to do. ¡°Now, as for the demon that is produced by this¡­ yes. The number is increasing.¡± ?Thin Mist Wolf Approximately 1 meter in length, beast-like wolf-type magical demon. They are constantly enveloped by a thin mist that rendered them difficult to be perceived under the proper circumstances. Summoning cost: 5 each for HP, MP, and SP per unit. ?Swamp Flying Fish About 0.7m long, fish-like flying fish-type magical demon. This demonic creature lurks in swamps and when this demonic creature spots a target, it either strikes it with its body or lashes out with its sharp, sword-like fins. The speed of their strikes can exceed 100 km/h. Summoning cost: 3 HP and 3 SP each per unit. Prerequisite for creation: the existence of a swamp or a similar environment. ?Disarray Dragonfly About 1 meter in length, insect-like, jagged, and a demonic creature. Once it discovers a prey concealing in the water, it shoots water bullets at the prey to deprive them of their sense of balance and then devours the prey¡¯s flesh. Upon growth, it evolves into a devil¡¯s darning needle[i]. Summoning cost: 7 each for HP, MP, and SP per unit. Prerequisite for creation: existence of a watering place or a similar environment. Now, how to produce it? It seems I wouldn¡¯t know all the details until I actually have a look at it anyway¡­. Since it is a hassle, shall I generate 30 of each type? ¡°So, let¡¯s proceed.¡± With those words, a magic circle is conjured around me, just like before, and from there, demonic spirits are cast into existence along with the light. So, what did I think of each of them? Thin Mist Wolf: The mist obscures the intricacies of the wolf¡¯s appearance, but it looks like something I¡¯d like to stroke. When it first surfaced, I involuntarily stroked it in a single motion. I mean, they have such soft fur and cute eyes. Not to mention the way it coos and rubs up against me when I approach it! Cuteness is justice, indeed! Swamp Flying Fish: I tested it out and their flight is incredibly swift. It would have been quite frightening if it had suddenly burst out of the fog at that speed. Disarray Dragonfly: Gross. I mean, it was shockingly gruesome. I used to believe that insects are bearable solely because of their size, but I¡¯ve now revised my view. Regardless, after seeing it, I stroke the Thin Mist Wolf and let it soothe my soul. So, now that I¡¯ve shared my impressions, I release these guys into the dungeon randomly, just as I did with the fogs. Hmm? The sustenance of these guys? Apparently, as long as it is just a matter of living, all that is required is possessing magical power, just like me. Though it appears that they need to ingest meat for their multiplication and growth. But of course, cannibalism shall be prohibited. It is said that cannibalism will only reduce the number of them, and it will be of no benefit. ¡°With this, I have summoned all of them, and my HP is still sufficient, so let¡¯s move on with the dungeon.¡± Over the subsequent period of time, I had to keep the fog from escaping by utilizing the entrance as a rest area and construct an airlock-like structure to facilitate restriction of the number of people. I decided to adopt the name Kurokiri[ii] externally and installed trees and ivy that would grow in the swamp. While I¡¯ll refrain from elaborating, I devoted my time to implementing several traps appropriate to some of the enemies, stroking the thin haze wolves, increasing their numbers, holding a festival of stroking the wolves, and upgrading the number of demonic creatures and terrain effects. And by the time I am aware of it, a year has passed since I was transformed into a Demon King. T/N: [i] The word in Japanese is actually translated as dragonfly also but since this is the evolution of it, I changed it into devil¡¯s darning needle [ii] Kurokiri means black fog CH 5 Dungeon release. On that day, the entire population of the world marveled, rejoiced, and feared. The marvel centered on a sphere that had abruptly apparated in various parts of the world a year earlier, a sphere that could not be scarred by any means, not even by the bloodthirsty nuclear missiles unleashed by a certain country. These so-called ¡°barriers¡± were greatly shaken out of their shape. The joy that ensued after the astonishment was triggered by the fluctuation of the barriers, which amplified in size and gradually collapsed and extinguished its shape. And fear was evoked by what arose from within the disintegrating barriers. For what emanated from within the barriers were ¡°strongholds infested with hideous demons,¡± ¡°mountains that blazed with such ferocity that they threatened the heavens,¡± ¡°towers whose tops were so high that they were obscured by a haze,¡± ¡°dome made of ice roses,¡± and ¡°a massive hole emitting smoke that could only be described as a miasma¡±. And then, one of the dungeons that sprang out of the barriers was ¡°a forest shrouded in an extraordinarily dense fog¡±. ¡°Well, the dungeon is finally released¡­. A year is indeed a long period of time¡­¡± While stroking the Thin Mist Wolf in human form, I gaze at the overhead screen of the ¡°Dungeon Creation¡± with profound emotions. I mean, a year is truly way too long! If I had constructed the dungeon efficiently (for me), I would have run out of things to do in about 6 months, and for the following half-year, there would be nothing to do but train my abilities and cackle with the Thin Mist Wolves! Therefore, after a year of work, here is what my current dungeon specifications look like. Dungeon name: White Fog and Black Swamp Forest Ruler: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Affiliated monsters: fogs, thin mist wolves, swamp flying fish, dragonflies, etc. Summary: The entire dungeon is dominated by dense fog (visible only up to 3 meters ahead), swamp (average depth 50 cm, minimum 10 cm, maximum 2 m), and a mixture of buildings and plants called walled trees (indestructible objects, which can be used as scaffolding or walls, and which can also be used as a place of refuge. Incidentally, the outer walls of the White Fog and Black Swamp Forest are also built with this material). Some of the swamps are also existing with upgraded areas other than the depth of water. An airlock is erected at the dungeon entrance, restricting the number of people who can simultaneously enter the dungeon to six, and for any subsequent person to enter, one of the following conditions must be met. ?The first person to enter the airlock is exterminated. ?The person who made the entry must be at least 1 km away from the entrance and at least one hour must have elapsed since the previous arrival. Furthermore, one of the following conditions must be met in order for the person who entered to exit. ?Vanquishing of the ruler. ?The distance from the entrance must be more than 1 km, and more than one hour has passed since the entry. Total number of people who have entered: 0 Cumulative number of destroyed: 0 Evaluation: Unknown (because no invaders have been present yet) Yes. That¡¯s pretty impressive for the first time, right? Throughout the dungeon, the characteristics of the monsters and traps coincided, indicating that the traps would not be outdone so promptly. Even if they do, it is unlikely that the creatures would lose before the humans discovered their skills. Oh yeah, and the entry restrictions have been noted on the airlock at the entrance. Otherwise, it would be a bit of a puzzle as to why people can¡¯t easily access it. By the way, there are also treasure chests placed in the dungeon. The contents include a thin misty wolf pelt (I was wondering if it is possible to summon just the pelt for a bedding©` I tested it and it worked. It can be fluffed up like a luxurious feather futon). Leaving all of that aside, I¡¯ve set certain goals for my long life from now on¡­ I mean, for my life as a Demon King. Since it seems that I possess everlasting youth due to the Demon King¡¯s compensation, it would be crucial for me to set goals. Regarding #1, it goes without saying. Since I have been granted eternal youth, I wanted to live as long as I could. By the way, due to the Demon King¡¯s compensation, 100% of those who plead with humans for their death will be unsuccessful. Since the occupation of the Demon King encompassed a hidden skill that induced people to say to their opponents, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you for sure!¡± #2, well, you know. I mean, that was the one who ended my life in the first place, right? I want to retaliate correspondingly. #3 is the most complicated of the Demon King¡¯s compensations: the Demon King is not allowed to leave the dungeon they administer. ( Their subordinate demons can get out, but their status is substantially reduced.) Yeah. After all, not being allowed to leave the dungeon is a hardship. However, if I can fulfill the conditions, I will be able to venture outside, making my efforts worthwhile. Well, that is my goal for the time being. One way or another, it would be inevitable that I have to raise my level by engaging with a large number of human beings and so on. As for my number of goals, I believe they may grow in the near future such as raising my own level until I reach the maximum level, or bringing the surrounding area under my domination. For your information, I would not hesitate to slaughter people or anything like that. After a year of experiencing the life of a Demon King, anyone can be more or less resolved to act to that extent. Off-topic. ¡°Now the people outside have awakened their skills with the release of the dungeon¡­ Let¡¯s see which one will be the first to enter¡­?¡± With the opening of the dungeon, I employ the ?Dungeon Creation? function, a feature introduced with the opening of the dungeon, to monitor the outside of the dungeon for ascertaining the situation outside the barrier for the first time in a year. ¡°Hmm. As I expected, the military will show up at the beginning¡­ unless some kind of situation arises.¡± A large number of fences and pillboxes (military) are seen on the screen, erected several hundred meters distant from the barrier. There are scarcely any dwellings that should have existed in the past. And right now, a considerable number of military troops have assembled in the vicinity surrounding the dungeon to be on the lookout. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a natural scenario and a natural response. But if it were possible, I would have been glad if they had stormed in without thinking about the consequences. Yeah. If they still have no intention of invading after a day¡¯s wait, I¡¯ll just send some monsters out and force some humans to eject themselves inside.¡± Therefore, I opt to wait while stroking the Thin Mist Wolf with my whole body in the fog form. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so soothing¡­¡± CH 6 A few hours after I started stroking the wolves, a translucent screen popped up before me accompanied by a deafening alarm noise, revealing the inside of the airlock, where the dungeon entrance was located, and ten or so people equipped with what appeared to be military gear. ¡°Oh, at last. Now let¡¯s see your performance¡­ hmm?¡± On the screen, several people are having a dispute. When I pick up the audio to clarify why they are quarreling, the source of the conflict seems to be the limitation on the number of people. On top of that, they seem to be experimenting with explosives to determine whether the airlock could be destroyed or not. ¡°Well, the restriction on the number of people is evidently a set-up, and unlike the barriers, they may be thinking that the walls of my dungeon can be destructed¡­ It¡¯s impossible though.¡± Incidentally, my dungeon has an open ceiling, which at first glance suggested that it is accessible from the top, but it is rigged to blast them to the ground outside near the airlock if anyone attempted to gain entry via the top. In fact, several people have already been blown out. ¡°Damn, how the hell can there be not even a scratch on it?¡± My subordinate swears after witnessing the lack of even a scratch on the wall, which should ordinarily be perforated by a large number of explosives. ¡°I can understand how you feel, but you need to settle down.¡± ¡°Captain¡­¡± ¡°Call him Alpha 1 when we¡¯re on maneuvers, Alpha 3.¡± ¡°A-ah. I¡¯m sorry, Alpha 2.¡± ¡°I guess the only way to investigate the interior is to go along with what the other party has in mind., Alpha 1.¡± ¡°I agree with Alpha 4. Alpha 1.¡± ¡°I agree too (Alpha 5). How about you, Alpha 6?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I agree.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At present, we consisted of roughly 30 members, who are divided into five groups of six. Assuming that the number of people in the group would be restricted, we would have to face the challenge with this group structure, and it would presumably be Alpha Squad, under my direct command, that would charge in, with the other groups serving as back-up. Of course, I have informed my superiors of the number restriction. However, the higher-ups seemed to regard it as more hazardous to leave the unknown alone. ¡°There is no alternative.¡± I¡¯ve made the decision. ¡°The Alpha squad will go in. The rest of the team will assume backup roles.¡± ¡°Captain¡­¡± ¡°Call me Alpha 1. Alpha 3, our objective this time is exploration only. Therefore, there will be no necessity to confront the ruler or hostile entities. The Alpha squad will withdraw to the entrance when the conditions for retreating have been met. Should the following unit be able to enter without waiting for an hour, do not do it. That would mean a commensurate danger is lurking.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± All the squads apart from the Alpha squad head outside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You guys. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to be the ones who get the short end of the stick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Alpha 1.¡± ¡°If we recognize it¡¯s a trap, we just need to be on our guard.¡± ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m absolutely not planning on dying.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a given?¡± The last person leaves, and the door closes behind them. After that, the door leading to the interior gradually opened, carrying a dense fog into the room. ¡°Now, from this point on, you must not waste any time talking. Keep an eye out!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The screen captures six people exiting the rest area for the interior of the dungeon. ¡°Well then, from here on out, unless they come in contact with a monster, I won¡¯t learn any information about it either¡­ Help-kun, you got a minute?¡± ¡°How may I be of assistance?¡± When I gesture to the six people on the screen, of whom only the tops of their heads are visible, I raise a question to Help-kun. ¡°With the opening of the dungeon, these guys obtained skills, but are they aware that they possess skills themselves?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an ever-present skill, I don¡¯t know, but if it¡¯s a discretionary skill, I would assume they¡¯re not aware of it at first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your basis?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t offer tutorials or anything like that to people outside in the world. By my master¡¯s estimation, it would take a day for someone to accidentally stumble upon it. And it takes a week for the word to spread to those around them. Afterwards, it will require a month to spread to those in the world who are well-informed. To spread to all the people in the world will take about a year. This is what my master said. But of course, this is simply a prediction, so the actual spread could be somewhat swifter.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That would guarantee I would be safe this time, leaving only the matter of how to prevent them from fleeing. Do your best, monsters of my creation. CH 7 Please note that there are some cruel descriptions in this chapter. I am a member of the Alpha Unit of the National Military¡¯s barrier monitoring force, called Alpha 3 in the squad. A year ago, a mysterious sphere known as ¡°barrier¡± made its sudden entrance into the world, and my mission as a member of this squad is to investigate and eradicate it if possible. Since the barriers are indestructible even with nuclear weapons, it¡¯s practically a leisurely post, and I myself have nothing to do but train daily. Yet today, I have not been in top form since this morning. Although I don¡¯t understand where my feelings originated from, I keep experiencing a tingling sensation in some part of my head. And that emerged from within the barrier. The ominous wall, comprised of trees and concrete, is impervious to the latest explosives, and the fog billowing out from the wall is so dense that not even a ray of light could penetrate it. Not only that, even the ground is extremely muddy on closer approach. The higher-ups designated it as ¡°X-J2¡± and, of course, tasked us, the warden unit, to conduct an investigation of this nauseating thing. On further reflection, I probably should have opted out of the investigation squad by any means necessary. That was what I thought after entering. ¡°What are you doing, Alpha 3? Stay alert and vigilant.¡± ¡°I simply thought we have landed in a very unorthodox place.¡± ¡°Well, I can understand why you would feel that way¡­¡± After entering the dungeon, the first thing my eyes registered was a fog so thick that only two meters could be seen ahead. Although it is good that I can faintly glimpse my footsteps, if a lack of attention is exercised, our companions will be lost in no time. ¡°The ground¡­ seems to be composed of the same material as the outer walls¡­¡± Following Alpha 6¡¯s voice, I examine the footing, and indeed it appears to be constructed of the same substance. However, there are some subtle irregularities that may lead someone to fall on their feet if they were to panic. ¡°Alpha 1, it seems that all communication devices and GPS are ineffective in this dungeon.¡± ¡°There is no ceiling¡­ What kind of technology is this?¡± As Alpha 2 reports back to the captain, I inspect the GPS in my hand and confirm that it is indeed displaying an error status. ¡°In addition, there are some bizarre noises coming from the surrounding area.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m hearing¡­ children¡¯s voices and dogs, maybe? In all likelihood, I doubt there would be any normal children in a place like this.¡± Upon receiving Alpha 5 and Alpha 4¡¯s reports, I listen attentively, and sure enough, the occasional ¡°Kyahahaha!¡± and ¡°Aohhhh!¡± that is similar to the howling of a dog can be heard. ¡°And the only way forward is going through the swamp.¡± When the captain crouches down at a distance just barely within sight of each other, he observes something. Apparently, the only decent foothold is around the entrance, and the rest of the area is nothing but a swamp. ¡°This is a labyrinth, but it¡¯s more like a dungeon in a video game¡­¡± the captain mutters. Frankly speaking, even I can only assume so judging from the restricted number of people at the entrance and the conditions inside. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Regardless of the situation, in order for us to leave this place, we have to be at least 1km away from the entrance. We¡¯ll proceed with the utmost caution.¡± And so we all exchange nods with each other as we move into the swamp, densely clustered together. Has it been half an hour already? It proved to be an unforeseeably strenuous and nerve-wracking task to navigate the swamp amidst the fog while maintaining a sense of alertness. The swamp could suddenly become deep without warning, and if we were not on guard, we could plunge into the depths and be drowned to death. Such a situation could have arisen if we had been careless. Furthermore, not only does GPS fail in this environment, but so does the compass. Under normal circumstances, we should have easily reached about one kilometer, but it would likely be better to have crossed only half that distance. And now, what distresses me the most is¡­ ¡°Are you okay, Alpha 3?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Alpha 2, just a slight headache.¡± The tingling sensation escalated after entering the labyrinth. It¡¯s as if a reaction to something lurking in the labyrinth is underway. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha 3, but you should see a doctor at once when we get out.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The moment I answer the captain¡¯s words, the itching in my head swiftly shifted to discomfort, and with the sound of something slicing through the air, the captain¡¯s head shot off before my eyes. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± ¡°!?¡± There is a momentary pause that engulfs all the members of the squad. Then the pause resumes as the captain¡¯s head crashes into the swamp and his body collapses with a resounding splash, only to be accompanied by screeching all around the area the next instant. CH 8 Please note that this is a super slaughter¡îTIME. ¡°Captainnnnnnnnnnnn!!¡± At the sight of the captain collapsing in front of me, I involuntarily let out a scream. The discomfort in my head has returned to its original itchy feeling. ¡°Damn, where the hell did that come from!¡± ¡°The sound of wind slicing¡­ and something reflecting¡­! Let¡¯s hurry up and get out of here! It is most likely a sniper! The direction is possibly 11 o¡¯clock!¡± ¡°Even if you said to leave here, where are we even supposed to go!?¡± ¡°I spot a shadow of a building at 3 o¡¯clock! Let¡¯s head there first!¡± ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll never forgive anyone for what they did to captain!¡± With my comrades leading the way, I start making a run towards the shadow of the building. And there, the discomfort strikes once more. ¡°! What the hell¡­?¡± By the time I said that, the gravity of the situation has already settled on the sight of Alpha 4 being toppled over into the swamp and having his chest impaled by a gigantic bug. And yet my discomfort has not subsided. ¡°You son of a b*tch!¡± Alpha 5 readies his gun and is about to fire at the giant bug. But at that moment, the wolves are gnawing at every part of Alpha 5. It is evidently a fatal wound. ¡°Alpha 2, Alpha 3, escape!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it!¡± Hence, the only thing I could do is to run anyway to elude the discomfort in my head. I wonder how long I have been fleeing. I estimate we have been running for at least 10 minutes. Alpha 6 and I have escaped to a house we stumbled upon. While we were escaping, Alpha 2 strayed away from us. ¡°Hah, what the hell is this place!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss¡­ What if they are on to us?¡± I hastily glance around after hearing that. However, there is no sign of discomfort¡­ no, that discomfort in me is likely a sign of their presence. ¡°What are we going to do now¡­?¡± ¡°Do you think we have any hope of prevailing in a proper combat with them¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible¡­ even I can tell that much.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to sneak away to the entrance without them discovering us¡­¡± ¡°Without knowing the distance and direction¡­?¡± ¡°No, if the location of the house hasn¡¯t shifted, I can figure out the general direction from the address of this house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± I think there¡¯s a semblance of hope now. Although we still lack a countermeasure against them, if we can escape to the entrance, things will probably turn out for the best. My breathing has stabilized. The equipment should be adequate to deal with the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s move, Alpha 6. Strike while the iron is hot.¡± ¡°Yes, Alpha 3, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the correct phrase to use in this situation.¡± Alpha 6 and I rise to our feet and search the house for the address of this house. Once it dawns on us which direction to take, it also becomes crystal clear that we are already more than a kilometer away from the entrance. ¡°Then all that matters is time.¡± ¡°By the time we reach the entrance, even an hour would have passed.¡± ¡°Well then¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the two of us shall initiate our own private retreat.¡± Alpha 6 and I dash out of the house and begin to bolt in the direction of our destination¡­ But the next thing I know, Alpha 6 is being dumped into a black swamp by many small child-like creatures of a distinctly separate hue than those around us, and in the blink of an eye, he is reduced to a dried-up corpse. That discomfort invades my mind. Apparently, these ¡°something¡± had targeted only Alpha 6 first and had paid no heed to me. I suppose that¡¯s the reason I didn¡¯t encounter the same discomfort. ¡°What the hell¡­?¡± These ¡°something¡± are drawing closer to me while cackling. I thought they resembled children who take delight in crushing ants. And I begin to flee with all my might, with no sense of direction or anything else. To me, everything is already a jumble. The only thing I know with certainty is that all the members of Alpha Squad are dead apart from me, and my immediate fear is that if I make a wrong move, I will soon join them as a corpse in a heartbeat. At this point, all I can do is continuously run, trying to avoid the discomfort. Before I realized it, I had drifted into a forest made of eerie trees and a combination of plants and concrete, a sight I have encountered from time to time in this labyrinth. If I were to describe this landscape succinctly, I would call it a mangrove forest fashioned by concrete. ¡°Where is this place¡­?¡± I murmur to myself as I advance through the mangrove forest. As I am about to pass through the mangrove forest, I vaguely recognize the entrance door like an airlock. My heart overflows with exultation. And then, I am prepared to break free from this labyrinth at once. Yet, at that instant, a much stronger sense of discomfort than I have ever experienced before washed over me, prompting me to turn around and look back. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be right¡­¡± Simultaneously with the searing impact on my body, what I witness are red eyes glowing in the cave and an arm formed of wood puncturing through my body. Then there is Alpha 2, speared into the top of the tree like a butcher-bird prey impaled on the tree for later consumption. ¡°Game over, well, this is what happens for the first-timers, isn¡¯t it?¡± I am in a private room provided by the labyrinth, which is the boss¡¯s room from the intruder¡¯s point of view while watching the last image of Alpha Squad projected on a screen. ¡°All except one were annihilated by surprise? That¡¯s impressive.¡± ¡°But, well, the benefit of status is enormous, isn¡¯t it? I could lift one person up and send them smashing into a tree.¡± To tell the truth, this time I left the boss¡¯ room and participated in the battle line for the sake of getting accustomed to the situation. As a consequence, the man known as Alpha 2 died, and none of his attacks were effective against me. Well, it can¡¯t be helped that I possess a body of fog. CH 9 And now, just as I am beginning to deal with the aftermath, apparently the next unit is storming in. Well, at least as far as the day goes, I¡¯ll delegate responsibility to all of my demons. So, to recap, here¡¯s the cause of death for everyone in Alpha Squad. Alpha 1: Exterminated by a surprise slash from the fin of the swamp flying fish. Alpha 2: Death by the butcher-bird prey impaled attack at the hands of the King of the Devouring Black Fog (me). Alpha 3: Death by the mimicry tree with a swift skewering attack Alpha 4: Death by the slurping from the dragonflies Alpha 5: Devoured by the Thin Mist Wolves Alpha 6: Plunged by fogs into the black swamp Beta 4: Sinking into the swamp, Dozaemon[i] ¡°¡­ (?3?) Huh?¡± There is already a deceased member of the subsequent squad, and since the monster¡¯s name isn¡¯t on the list, that means that individual slipped and sank into the swamp by a natural death. Ah, yeah. I should settle down for now. Or rather, let¡¯s simply disregard the subsequent team. Now, let me expound on the two unexplained causes of Alpha 3¡¯s lasting life in this context. First of all, Alpha 3 appeared to be equipped with an always-on, detection-type skill. Perhaps ?warning? or ?precognition? or something like that. Nonetheless, it may be that he was betrayed by his skill at a crucial moment owing to his low skill level. The two things unexplained are the mimicry tree and the devouring black swamp. The mimicry tree is a monster and the black swamp is a trap. The explanation of each is as follows: ?Mimicry tree Plant-based arboreal demons While incapable of moving from their position, they mimic plants that inhabit the vicinity and strike when their opponents expose their backs. Its ability to mimic is such that low-level detection skills cannot discern it. Summoning cost: 500 each for HP and SP, 300 for MP Prerequisite for creation: Plants other than mimicry trees must be present in the vicinity of the installation site. ?Devouring Black Swamp A special swamp created by the black fog that devours + swamp 1/s damage to HP, MP, SP when in contact with adversary. The installation costs several times more than that of a conventional swamp. Mm. That¡¯s terribly outrageous. Well, you know, my life is on the line here, too, don¡¯t you? Since the dungeon is unfolding at full scale with the intent of massacre, this much is to be expected. By the way, assuming the opponents are cognizant of their route selection and their own skills, the possibility of reaching the boss¡¯s room might be feasible. Specifically speaking, the proper route in this dungeon is to utilize buildings and walled trees to refrain from falling into the swamp. Even so, I have to admit that the difficulty level is still steep due to the surprise attacks by my monsters under the cover of the dense fog. Clip-clop ©`©`©`©`©`©`©`! Hmm? Fanfare? ¡°Help-kun. What¡¯s all this fanfare? Though I can somehow guess what is this.¡± ¡°As you predicted, it¡¯s the sound of a level-up, resulting after about 15 kills.¡± ¡°Level up huh¡­ Oh, I forgot that the third unit had already entered.¡± ¡°They were all exterminated, though.¡± When I observe the state of affairs outside, it can be seen that three units have charged in yet not a single person has returned, thus it seems that they have concluded that it is indeed overly risky and abandoned their attempts to conduct further investigations. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a sensible decision. So, Help-kun, what can be done when my level rises?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Now, it would be fine if I let Help-kun elaborate on the subject for a long time here, but to simplify it plainly, here¡¯s the summary. First of all, the parts that are equally applicable to both humans and demons are as follows: ?HP,MP,SP are increased. And, for humans and certain demons specifically: ?3 points (StP)[ii] that can be allocated to status to elevate your status. ?1 point is awarded for learning and reinforcing skills (SkP). And for certain demons: ?Rank up at a specific level and have a significant enhancement. In addition, in the case of the Demon King, there is another way called: ?DP are awarded for expansion of the area that can be served as a dungeon. Furthermore, once the dungeon area is expanded, the original portion will be regarded as the first level and the expanded portion will be deemed to be the second level. ¡°By the way, Help-kun.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it inefficient to level up from 1 to 2 with 15 kills?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped that the experience requirement has substantially augmented due to the Demon King¡¯s compensation. For your information, if you slay a human outside the dungeon, the experience you gain will be less than 10% of the total.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that awful?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way things are.¡± Hmm. That means I¡¯ll have to devise various efficient ways of accumulating experience from now on¡­ For now, let¡¯s allocate StP and SkP. Name: King of the Devouring Black Fog Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 2 HP: 1700/1700 ¡ü100 MP: 1860/1960 ¡ü110 SP: 1810/1910 ¡ü160 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 55 Sensing 45 Intellect 60 Spirit 71 ¡ü1 Luck 10 ¡ü2 Skill ?Dungeon Creation? ?Monster Creation? ?Devouring Black Fog? New! ?Cycle? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog? New! ?White Fog of Ambush? Yeah. I guess that¡¯s about it. First of all, I raised the luck of my status from less than average to that of average. And then, thanks to the Demon King¡¯s compensation, my other stats are much heightened, so I have enhanced my spirit, which is my strongest attribute. The ?cycle? is a skill that enables you to change the flow of air, blood, atmosphere, and rivers to your liking. If this is applied to my dungeon, it can be utilized to locally clear the fog or create a stagnant swamp. Incidentally, if used on living creatures, it can stimulate the production of energy in their bodies and strengthen them, or cause oxygen deprivation due to blood flow obstruction. Oh, after learning this skill, my SP has risen by about 50. According to Help-kun, this is a perk of acquiring this skill. The rest of what needs to be done¡­ is to dispose of the corpse and the belongings, but¡­ yeah. The corpse is already irretrievable. Whoever finished him off or was near him has already devoured him. As for the belongings, let¡¯s collect the ones that can be recovered. It might be usable for something later. ¡°Well, that¡¯s about it for the aftermath.¡± ¡°Then, please excuse me too.¡± While contemplating my next step, I have decided to start taking a nap. T/N: [i] ¡°Dozaemon¡± refers to the dead body of a drowned person [ii] StP/SkP/DP stands for Stats points, skill points, and dungeon points respectively CH 10 A week has elapsed since the release of the labyrinth. Since then not a soul has intruded into my dungeon, ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s not looking good¡­. Even ambush tactics have their limitations, depending on the difference in level.¡± I know the reason why nobody is showing up at my dungeon. To the south of my dungeon is the capital of this country, and in the middle of the capital, there is a fellow Demon King who keeps engaging in a mindless battle with the people outside the dungeon. By the way, the name of that dungeon is ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± right? I believe it is a typical gory dungeon and the main monsters are goblins and ogres. Personally, I expect it to be down in a couple of months. Also, the absence of a single survivor in my dungeon is likely part of the reason for anyone to emerge at my place. Furthermore, the fogs that were discharged outside the dungeon as clandestine surveillance were the source of this information. These guys are excellent for collecting information because of their low cost and scarcity of detection. Though they occasionally disobey commands and misbehave with humans, which leads to counterattacks. Off-topic. Well, from now on, I need to elevate my level one way or another. However, I can¡¯t simply send monsters out of the dungeon and have them attack. Even before the attack¡¯s effectiveness deteriorates, the military has gained control of my entrance, and any effort to force my way through would very certainly be met with retaliation attributed to the weakening monsters outside the dungeon. And if that situation persists, eventually the level of the humans will advance to the point where they will be able to overpower me. Therefore, it is absolutely out of the question to send them outside in a simple manner. On the other hand, reducing the danger level in my labyrinth to ease the enemy¡¯s access is also a no-no. The military may have already initiated the usage of their skills. It is advisable to minimize the risk as much as possible. ¡°If so, then this is the measure to take after all.¡± I open the ?Dungeon Creation? screen. The DP that I obtained from the previous level-up has not been expended yet. And now I intend to spend it to defuse this situation. What am I going to do? Well¡­ ¡°If they won¡¯t voluntarily show up, after abducting them, I can put them to death in the dungeon. Since the front entrance is obstructed, why don¡¯t I build a back entrance? Hmmm. That¡¯s a very Demon King style of handling things.¡± This is how it is. By the way, I have already confirmed with Help-kun that I can gain experience in this way as usual, and Help-kun said, ¡°It¡¯s within my scope of expectation.¡± It was a little frustrating to hear that. ¡°Well, the report from the fogs mentioned a school to the north-northwest of the city. Let¡¯s adjust the depth so it doesn¡¯t collide with the sewers and other things under the road¡­¡± I watch the screen while cautiously constructing the back entrance to the second level of the dungeon. ¡°Hm. That¡¯s roughly it.¡± I have now finalized my operation in the room I just created as my second level workroom. So dramatic! Let¡¯s proceed with an introduction to the dungeon while playing a song by ¡ð¡ð (This song is played only in my brain because I don¡¯t want to waste MP). First of all, the segment connecting the dungeon to the second level is created in the swampy area northwest of the first level, with a diameter of 10 m and a gap of 20 m. Incidentally, the water circulation is forced by using skills. Hmm? Traffic is the worst? Well, I can fly. From there, a straight pathway is extended so that the exit of the dungeon can be located outside of the military¡¯s warning area. Following that, I will create a labyrinth between the exit and the connecting section. At this point, I would install a duct-like structure on the ceiling to facilitate the movement of demons with flight ability to various parts of the labyrinth. As for the rest area¡­ why not situate it in a corner of the labyrinth? In all honesty, I doubt anyone would have the chance to use it, which means it¡¯s a dead space. And the paramount issue this time is how to conceal the exit. At first, a school was originally erected on top of the exit. And the gymnasium of this school is the type where space subsists under the floor. Well, with this much said, you get the idea, don¡¯t you? What a surprise! Underneath the gymnasium, where nothing was supposed to exist, is the entrance to a spectacular dungeon! On top of that, thanks to the mindfulness of the artisan (me), the space under the gymnasium have been treated as a labyrinth to the utmost limit, and the fog phantom mushrooms have been deployed in a way that they cannot be discovered even if they are sighted or subjected to the use of the sensing skill! Yes, with these monsters popping up out of thin air, the locals will never be able to sleep with their pillows up high again! Well, now that the construction of the dungeon is over, I have to place the monsters©` Oh, there are some new monsters. This one¡¯s an enhanced type. Oh, this guy is mediocre. This guy is essential for the labyrinth¡­. As for the gatekeeper¡­ this guy is appropriate. Hmm? This monster is¡­ Hmm. This is good. Very impressive indeed. The conditions are slightly complicated but well worth it. ¡°Hmm. This is starting to get interesting.¡± With a smile plastered on my face, I contact Fog, who has been out of the dungeon and proceed to scope out my prey. CH 11 Finally, a girl is making an appearance for the first time. Now, let¡¯s commence with conducting kills in the dungeon after abducting them, and the greatest precaution in carrying out the process is to refrain from being spotted while executing the operation. As for why? If they don¡¯t discover me after I¡¯ve gained one level at least, this is already checkmated. Almost undoubtedly. ¡°Therefore, my first target will be misfits or grandparents who live alone that would not arouse suspicion even if they disappear. Do you guys, understand?¡± ¡°Understood!¡±, ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±, ¡°Aye, aye!¡±, ¡°Yessss!¡± A massive number of fogs and smoke, the higher species of fogs, answer my question. Their total number is 31 (30 fogs + 1 smoke). However, as the monsters are more vulnerable outside the dungeon, it would be wise to assume that only one person can be carried at a time, even if there are 31 of them. By the way, smoke is a new monster that I can summon owing to me reaching level 2, and the description is like this: ?Smoke A mischievous, spirit-like humanoid demon about 1 meter tall. A higher species of fog. Its physique is constituted by smoke-like magic power, and its mischief is more vicious with its elevated status. Summoning cost: MP 100 per unit, HP, SP 10 each. ¡°Well then, do your best©`¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Well, this is the first phase. Let¡¯s start with the preparations for the second phase as well. Recently, there have been times when I have sensed a bizarre presence in the school. Although I have no clue what exactly it is, I am not fond of this feeling. Oh, excuse me. My name is Hisano Ichiko, a first-year high school student and a bodyguard for Lady Ryo. The skill I¡¯ve acquired is ?Short-range Teleportation?, an ability that allows me to teleport to a distance of about 5 meters away. Hmm? Who is this Lady Ryo? Lady Ryo, whose real name is Nasu Ryo, is a second-year high school student, a year older than me. On that day, she received a skill called ?Heal? which can mend the wounds of the recipient by holding out her hand to them. After obtaining that skill, the kind-hearted and lovely young lady has been spending her days healing the wounded in the school, and her compassion has drawn tears from everyone. Nonetheless, there were fools among them who misinterpreted Lady Ryo¡¯s action of healing as affection, as well as idiots who went on a rampage with the skills they had acquired, all of whom ended up being sent to the hospital thanks to my intervention. Oh, and of course, I left no evidence of my conduct since I can¡¯t let Lady Ryo suffer such sorrow. ¡°Hey, Ichiko, are you listening?¡± ¡°Eh, ah, yes. I¡¯m listening, Lady Ryo.¡± ¡°Good then. But still, the fog has been hanging around here frequently these days.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ Moreover, the reports of the disappearance of the elderly and children also seem to have risen along with the fog.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tragic story, isn¡¯t it? I hope they will be discovered soon.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There are three major topics that have been causing a stir in our area in the last week. The first is the fog that Lady Ryo raised earlier, which should not have emerged so continuously. The second is the series of disappearances, with about 10 people reported missing already. These victims tend to be people who are either alone or out late at night. And the third is the labyrinth X-J2, which has surfaced just around the corner from the high school where we are now. As of now, not a single person has been sighted as a survivor, nor have any monsters been spotted coming out of the labyrinth, leaving the government in a deep dilemma. Even Lady Ryo¡¯s father, a member of the National Diet[i], declared, ¡°This labyrinth is far more treacherous than X-J1, which showed up in the capital city¡±. Originally, they may have wished to evacuate this area right now, but it seems that they are prevented from doing so due to the challenges of the other labyrinths and their honor. And personally, I am suspecting that the first and second of the stories that are being circulated now are also attributed to X-J2. ¡°Ichiko? What are you doing? If we don¡¯t get going soon, we¡¯ll be late!¡± ¡°Yes. Miss. I¡¯m coming.¡± Well, whatever. I hope that those who call themselves such mortifying names as the Demon King will leave this world before any harm befalls Lady Ryo. ¡°I¡¯ve spotted wonderful candidates.¡± While observing the rear view of the two females who have been relayed to me through Fog¡¯s vision, I murmur to myself. T/N: [i] Something like a parliament in Japan. For further details, please press on the link itself to comprehend thoroughly CH 12 This is the time to turn back if you are not comfortable with compulsion. ¡°¡­I¡­ Ichiko¡­ Ichiko!¡± ¡°Argh, ugh¡­ where is this?¡± As I slowly open my eyes, rubbing the back of my head, which is registering a dull ache with the voice calling out to me, I wake up with a jarring noise. Hmm? Jarring? ¡°Thank goodness. You¡¯re awake, Ichiko.¡± ¡°! Lady Ryo!¡± When I awaken, I find Lady Ryo before me. However, both her hands and feet are bound with iron shackles, from where the chains extend towards the wall, forcing her to be confined to a cubic space of about five meters on each side, thus rendering her powerless to escape. And I am in the same boat as well. ¡°W-what in the world¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. After you suddenly collapsed, I was blindfolded and gagged with my hands and feet restrained, and hauled up here.¡± I abruptly collapsed¡­? Yes, I now recalled. At that time, I was called by Lady Ryo and as I approached¡­ someone suddenly struck me dozens of times! Damn, I was knocked out. Who was the perpetrator? What kind of skill do they own! No, first of all, I have to free Lady Ryo¡­! ¡°Lady Ryo. Have a little patience! Activate ?Short-range Teleportation?!¡± For the sake of escaping from the constraints of the iron shackles, I utilize my skill and relocate before my very eyes¡­ as that is how it should turn out to be. And yet, my position has not shifted at all. What the hell is this!? ¡°It¡¯s futile.¡± And just as my skill ends in failure, a man¡¯s voice breaks out of nowhere. Before my eyes are two teenage girls. In terms of beauty, they are both stunning. The one who was referred to as the ¡°Lady Ryo¡± has light pigmented ash-colored hair, white skin, and rather reddish eyes. The other bodyguard is a stereotypical Japanese with dark hair, dark eyes, and slightly shorter than average height. Hmmm? The size of her chest? I suppose it can be termed the size of a hill¡­ Not that I have the proclivity to obsess over that though. Apparently, the dark-haired girl employed her skill to escape but it failed to activate. The reason why it didn¡¯t activate lies in those shackles. ?The Iron Shackles of the Sealing Art ¢ñ It is a restraint that disables the user¡¯s ability to employ skills for humans and demons of level 10 or below while simultaneously allowing the user to view the status of the victim. The person affixed to the shackles will be regarded in captivity. Creation Cost: 1000 each HP, MP, SP for a set of 4 Wow, it was worth the effort to produce¡­ Although the cost is exorbitant, it was well worth it since it negates the ability of transportation. ¡°It¡¯s futile.¡± Both of them are looking around, uncertain of my location. Oh, speaking of which, I¡¯m still in the foggy state, aren¡¯t I? Then, I suppose I should be in human form at least. ¡°Here I am, humans.¡± ¡°Who are¡­ you?¡± ¡°Me? My name is Kurokiri, the ruler of this dungeon, ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest.¡¯¡± ¡°In other words, you are the Demon King?¡± ¡°Well, sort of.¡± Both of them are glaring at me. Oh, what a horrendous dilemma they¡¯ve landed themselves in. Well, they probably don¡¯t buy my story. Well, I guess it¡¯s understandable since I am dressed in ordinary clothes, all in black like a college student. Should I come up with some more dignified clothes for the human form later? ¡°What are you intending to do with us?¡± ¡°If you release me immediately, I will spare you the agony of a torturous death.¡± ¡°Ha-ha-ha. My bad, but my body is immune to physical attacks. And the purpose of kidnapping the two of you is to turn you into my kin.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°!?¡± A kin. That is a fairly unique type of demonic nature among the ones that can be created through ?Monster Creation? which involves modifying a captured human being¡¯s body and then implanting some of the characteristics of the Demon King who serves as their master. While the specific race varies from one Demon King to another, the following are the basic characteristics of the kinship. ?The skills that they possessed when they were human are inherited as they are. ?The status other than luck is doubled from the time when they were human beings. ?HP, MP, and SP are tripled from the original value. ?Acquisition of skills that reflect the characteristics of the master. ?The weakening effect outside the dungeon is less severe than that of pure demons (or rather, it only reverts to the status when they were human). ?If they continue to rank up, they will eventually attain the rank of Demon King. And that¡¯s all of it. Yeah. That¡¯s phenomenal. Incidentally, when one ascends to the rank of Demon King, he or she ceases to be part of my kin and is independent of my rulership, thus there is a potential that the former kin of mine may kill me if I am not alert. Well, even if it happens, it is a tale for the distant future. ¡°Anyway, I am in a safe position for now. For your own peace of mind, I¡¯m going to convert you into my kin straight away. Activate ?Monster Creation?!¡± At precisely the same time as the declaration of my skill being invoked, a vast amount of HP, MP, and SP is released. A magic circle materializes at their feet with light surging forth. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh..!¡± ¡°Lady Ryooooo¡­!¡± Then, after the light subsided, the two girls, cloaked in a wisp of fog, collapsed. Yeah. That¡¯s rather erotic. First of all, let¡¯s check the status. Name: Nasu Ryo Class£ºStudent Race£ºKirijin[i] Level: 1 HP: 186/186 MP: 234/234 SP: 210/210 Status Strength 16 Dexterity 18 Agility 18 Sensing 16 Intellectual 26 Spirit 26 Luck 10 Skill ?Heal?, ?Fog Cloak? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s kin? Name: Kuno Ichiko Class: Student Race: Kirijin Level: 1 HP: 258/258 MP: 204/204 SP: 222/222 Status Strength 20 Dexterity 28 Agility 28 Sensing 28 Intellect 14 Spirit 16 Luck 9 Skill ?Short-range Transportation?, ?Fog Cloak? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s kin? ¡­ You two are so strong¡­. I underestimated the kinship¡¯s compensations. Let¡¯s see, it seems that the Kirijin are my kin race. The characteristic of this race is that they are cloaked in a fog-like magical power that humidifies their surroundings. And ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s kin? signifies that they are my kin. The ?Fog Cloak? is a skill that comes with the conversion to a kin and is used to enhance and manipulate the characteristics of fog people, making it easier for them to disguise themselves as humans by dispelling the fog they are clad in, and further improving their evasion ability and fire attribute resistance by densifying the fog. ¡°Gu¡­¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± Hmm. You¡¯re awake already. Well, since this is the right time¡­ ¡°Now, let¡¯s try to have you two familiarize yourselves with your predicament.¡± T/N: [i] Literally fog people but personally, it sounds so lame to me so I¡¯ll use romaji for this CH 13 There are some forced expressions in this chapter as well, so please refrain from reading it if you are not comfortable with it. Last night was a treat, indeed. Eh, you want to know what happened? It¡¯s just something that took place. All I did was to let them have an understanding, both physically and mentally, that a kin cannot defy their master, the Demon King. Though I won¡¯t disclose the specific means involved! Nor would I describe the situation at the time, either! Since I will not elaborate, it gives you room for your fantasies! And this is not good. The two girls are shooting murderous stares at me. ¡°Ahem. Now, I have an assignment for each of you.¡± ¡°One day, I swear I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡± ¡°Ichiko. When that time comes, let me partake along with you¡­¡± Phew. This is what is commonly regarded as a ¡°Yandere¡± (not true). ¡°First, Ryo.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to head back to your house now and collect dungeon-related intelligence from all over the world.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was utterly segregated from the outside world for a year for the creation of my dungeon. Furthermore, even now, I am still in a vain position to have access to most information. Therefore, I need to obtain information, even if it means leveraging the resources of your house. Oh, and watch out that your true identity is not exposed, for you are undoubtedly classified as a demonic entity now. If you are discovered, they will most certainly kill you.¡± ¡°! I.. understand that¡­¡± ¡°Well, if feasible, even among demonic beings, those who are amicable can strive in various ways to get out. Though who knows if it will turn out to be successful.¡± At my words, Ryo is struggling gravely. Well, it¡¯s only natural since her life and her future are at stake. I should also give her a warning. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Don¡¯t ever divulge any information about me or my relationship with you or the back door you went through, do you hear me?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Oi oi, young lady, don¡¯t click your tongue. Whoever is in control of the information conquers the battle, so this much is a given. Incidentally, I¡¯ll let Ryo out through the front door. A set-up? That would be¡­ ¡°So, Ichiko, I¡¯m going to have you pronounced dead.¡± ¡°What!?¡± This is the course of direction I should be moving in. ¡°Because even if I send you back as you are, you would be dismissed as a bodyguard for failing to fulfill your duties. And if it comes down to it, you won¡¯t have much of a backup, will you? In that case, it would be wiser for people to assume that you died protecting Ryo.¡± ¡°But I¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. If you want to strike back against me, I¡¯ll offer you a little advice to accomplish that.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Now, here¡¯s what I want Ichiko to work on. ¡°Are you guys aware of the conditions under which you can raise your levels?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Then let me enlighten you. For humans, these enemies can be any demons, but for us demons, they must be humans or demons belonging to a dungeon different from our own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± What¡¯s wrong? Oh no, it¡¯s incredibly significant. ¡°In other words, there is another dungeon south of here, and if you defeat the monsters in that dungeon, you will still earn experience.¡± ¡°I see. That means you want Ichiko to combat the monsters in the dungeon.¡± ¡°Precisely what you said. While on the subject, the accumulated experience is not directly credited to you but is first collected by me and roughly 50% of it is transferred to my side. After that, the balance will be distributed to you.¡± ¡°Hah!?¡± ¡°You could also note that this is not a provision that I have adopted, but rather a specification that has been in place from the beginning. The other monsters are also garnering experience under these conditions. In addition, once I have collected the experience, Ichiko can pass on some of the experience to Ryo, which could be of assistance to her.¡± Oh, she¡¯s distressed over this matter. After all, it seems that the most vital matter for Ichiko is the young lady. Speaking of which, if I may chime in on the experience value related topic, apparently what is critical when it involves the drastically reduced experience points obtained by defeating an enemy outside of a dungeon is determined by whether or not the enemy is in a dungeon, irrespective of their affiliation with another dungeon. To put it another way, if a demon in labyrinth A were to defeat a demon in labyrinth C while in labyrinth B, the experience gained would not be diminished. This is what I mean. ¡°And one more thing. It is likely that as the level of Kirijin advances, they will eventually rise in rank and evolve into Demon Kings. Once that happens, you¡¯ll be out of my kinship and you¡¯ll be able to inflict damage on me.¡± ¡°!?¡± Ichiko¡¯s eyes spark a flame of motivation as she catches on to my words. And Ryo quietly raises her hand. ¡°May I ask one thing?¡± ¡°Yes, Ryo? If you want me to love you, I¡¯ll love you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decline your offer. When you mentioned the dungeon in the south, you mean what we call X-J1, don¡¯t you? Is there any reason to attack there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no solid reason. However, based on the way they¡¯re operating, they¡¯ll be out of the picture in a couple of months or so. In that case, it would be more productive to gain as much experience as possible before the fall, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°So you have no desire to aid another same Demon King¡­¡± ¡°I do not have any intention of doing so. That¡¯s how Demon Kings are.¡± That¡¯s right. We, the Demon Kings, are willing to sacrifice anything and exploit any means to attain our goals. And at some point, everything will be consumed and engulfed by the fog. And that would be me. I am the King of the Devouring Black Fog, the Demon King. Hahahaha. Oh, yeah. I shall not laugh any further, because it sounds like what a small fry will do. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why both of you have to perform your roles as best you can. Ah, yes, and if I judge that you need to be disciplined for slacking off or being exposed, I¡¯ll call you out, so just be sure you realize what that means.¡± Hearing these words, the two of them tremble subtly. Hmm. Have I pushed it a little too far? CH 14 For a while, Kurokiri will not appear in this chapter. Through the noble sacrifice of my bodyguard, Ichiko, I have become the first survivor of the labyrinth X-J2. But in reality, the truth is otherwise. Neither I am a survivor, nor is Ichiko dead. Ichiko and I have simply been converted into Kurokiri¡¯s kin. ¡°Phew. Finally, all the tedious interviews and media coverage are concluded.¡± And a week has passed since I, Nasu Ryo, ceased to be a human and changed into a Kirijin. During this interval, Ichiko has apparently made it to the southern dungeon ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± and has begun to hunt enemies. My parents haven¡¯t raised any particular comment to me, nor do they seem to be pondering appointing a new bodyguard for me. The reason is¡­ I guess they seem to be feigning heartbreak over the loss of Ichiko for the outsiders. However, they do appear to be mulling over the plan to move out. I did everything I could to stop them, so all is well, but why did I stop them? Just in case¡­ my true identity is exposed¡­ I wish to have a place where I can escape right away. Furthermore, I selfishly asked Kurokiri to covertly build an entrance to the second level of the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± in the basement of my house. The cost was substantial, though¡­ ugh. ¡°Well, I should probably start on my task now.¡± For now, I refocus my attention and proceed with the assignment that Kurokiri has ordered me to handle. First of all, there are currently five dungeons in our country. The labyrinth X-J1, officially designated as ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± arose in the capital city and is currently labeled as being in a state of war. The most threatening labyrinth in the country is X-J2, ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± which is ruled by Kurokiri. X-J3 emerged in the ancient city in the west. X-J4 emerged in the northernmost part of the country. X-J5 emerged on a volcanic island in the southwest. Among these, X-J1 and X-J2 require no further elaboration, since Ichiko has been to X-J1, and X-J2 is a dungeon under the jurisdiction of Kurokiri. So, let¡¯s move on to X-J3. According to the reports that have gathered at my father¡¯s side as well as information on the news and the Internet, the labyrinth is primarily inhabited by beast-like demons, and while it seems that demons do not venture out of the labyrinth, 40% of the people who have entered it are reported to be dead and 30% are injured to the degree that prevents them engaging in combat in the future. Well, compared to ours, it¡¯s not that bad. Next is X-J4. This dungeon is mainly populated by ice and water-based demons, and is said to be perpetually frozen and shrouded in snow. Although demons have been sighted stepping out from time to time, it seems that only criminals, bears, and other dangerous animals strike them when that happens. Finally, there is X-J5. This place is thoroughly reclusive and no information is available on it at all. To begin with, the entrance to the dungeon resides in a crater, making it apparently inaccessible to humans unless they possess special skills or equipment. I may have to request Kurokiri to dispatch some fogs to that spot. Well, these are the only dungeons in Japan, but there are many more dungeons abroad. For starters, there are a total of 666 labyrinths in existence, all of which emerged from the barriers that day. And if I were to elevate the most well-known of them, I would say they are: A labyrinth of sky-high towers that have arisen in a building district of a certain major country. A labyrinth, popularly known as the ¡°Skyscraper,¡± with a pyramid-like structure that has surfaced in the desert. A labyrinth constructed of a single colossal tree. There are even labyrinths that have popped up in the middle of the ocean. Among them, there are about 50 that are aggressively assaulting humans like the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress.¡± There are roughly 100 labyrinths like ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± where people might have been abducted in clandestine operations and 80 labyrinths like X-J5 to which people are staying indoors. The rest are supposed to specialize in an interception. ¡°Huh? Why is there no Demon King who would consider joining hands with humans¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the Demon King¡¯s compensation ensures that they cannot beg for their lives. If they thoughtlessly show up at the negotiating table, they¡¯ll end up in a full-fledged mess.¡¯¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m free, so I¡¯ve been running some tests on the communication. The signal sensitivity seems to be fine. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± ¡°¡­What a nuisance¡­.¡± At any rate, let¡¯s resume the summary. Of the 666 labyrinths that exist in the world, there are approximately 200 that people are actively seeking to conquer. These 200 labyrinths are almost like the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± where people¡¯s lives will be endangered if they don¡¯t seize the labyrinths promptly. And about 300 labyrinths are under close surveillance, just like ours. The remaining labyrinths, like X-J5, are so unfavorably sited that even monitoring is inadequate. That¡¯s how it is. Next, let¡¯s look at the level of danger. The United Nations evaluates the monsters inside as well as the structure of the labyrinth, and on top of that, they rate the danger as higher if the number of survivors is low in comparison to the number of people entering the labyrinth. In the case of ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± it has been claimed that I am the only survivor, and I am the only one who was abducted under the strictest precautions. Furthermore, the structure of the interior is completely unknown (I have informed people that the fog is so dense that I could not make out anything). For this reason, it is regarded as one of the most perilous labyrinths by the United Nations. But according to Kurokiri, ¡°the fundamental tactic in my labyrinth is to avoid a head-on confrontation and kill the victim in a one-sided battle.¡± Well, I guess that¡¯s all the information I have concerning the labyrinth for the time being. CH 15 Before my eyes tumble two goblins with their heads severed. This is the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± a dungeon that has cropped up in the capital of this country. And I am Hisano Ichiko, a Kirijin. At present, I am under the command of that damn Kurokiri, which is to slay demons and humans in someone else¡¯s dungeon for the purpose of raising my level. It may sound as though I am effortlessly leveling up, but that¡¯s not the case. After all, this is not a dungeon where I belong, meaning that my status, which has been heightened by the conversion to a kin, has declined to that of a conventional human being, while there are only enemies around me. When recollecting, infiltrating the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± was a daunting challenge¡­ ¡°Still, those goblins, they just keep popping up one after another¡­¡± ¡°You are right. I wonder how on earth such a multitude of goblins manage to reside in that place.¡± It was during the night. As I approached the dungeon, the two soldiers in front of me were conversing and monitoring the dungeon with vigilance. Their proficiency appeared to be well-developed, as one would expect from soldiers currently stationed on the front lines of my country. Incidentally, if I may answer their question, I reckon that each time the goblins are eliminated, their Demon King summons a fresh batch. And the child demons in this dungeon are likely the fogs from the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. And I had to intrude into this dungeon at the earliest opportunity since I can hardly gain any experience outside of the dungeon. Activating ?Fog Cloak? at its maximum output. As the fog enveloped my surroundings, coupled with the darkness of the night, I was scarcely detectable by those around me. Then I approached the dungeon by weaving my way through the blind spots of the soldiers, and when I inevitably could not evade their detection, I misled them with the clothes I borrowed from Kurokiri. Thus, I successfully infiltrated the dungeon. After infiltrating the labyrinth, I first checked my equipment under the cover of a shady spot close at hand. The attire and helmet were borrowed from Kurokiri for this mission and were identical to the official military gear. I dared to not dwell on the source of the equipment, since it was likely as I had speculated how it came to Kurokiri¡¯s hand. The weapon was also created by Kurokiri, a dagger made from the jaw of the Disarray Dragonfly. This one is accompanied by a description all the way to the top. ?Fang Blade of the Disarray Dragonfly This small dagger was constructed from the fangs of Kurokiri¡¯s handmade dragonfly. In principle, it is designed for piercing, and its force can penetrate ordinary sheet metal armor like a piece of paper. Even when used in the form of cutting, it possesses a sharpness unrivaled by knives commonly found all over the world. It can occasionally deprive the target of their sense of equilibrium. The next step I took was to ascertain my surroundings. There was a mass of goblins nearby that had assembled to mobilize at dawn. However, they did not seem to be aware of me. Or rather, they lacked the motivation and training level to the extent that even a bystander can evidently distinguish it. The goblins were most likely not that motivated unless the leader, the ogre, was in the vicinity. With this¡­ shall I have a go? Then I fixed my sights on the two goblins who had broken away from the rest of the pack, and when there were no other demons in sight, I drew near them silently with ?Short-range Teleportation? and decapitated them from behind. And now back to the present time. According to what Kurokiri shared with me, when the level rises, a fanfare rings in my head, so I suppose I¡¯m not quite there yet. Well, although I don¡¯t have a clue how many goblins I need to defeat, I should keep bringing them down to the point where they don¡¯t upset the war front. And that little goblin looks like it would be an excellent candidate for retiring next. Something is off. The number of goblins alive is lesser than what I noticed earlier. However, there is not a trace that the military has invaded. To begin with, the military would not have broken in but would have launched an attack on the goblins the moment they stepped outside. ¡°What the hell is going on? Damn. I don¡¯t have sufficient manpower to conduct a patrol inside the fortress.¡± I involuntarily let out a snide remark. Yet, this did not remedy the situation. I¡¯ve been reminded of such things for the past few weeks. It all kicked off a year ago. The woman with that infuriating voice transformed me into the Demon King, ¡°The Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength¡±. Until that point, I was a mere junior high school student, attending inconsequential classes daily. But on that day, I was empowered, and I utilized that power to create this labyrinth, ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress.¡± And a few weeks ago, after the dungeon was released, I decided to launch forth into the outside world. I would crush this wretched world and claim it for my own. But this is what it came down to! The military forces were mightier than I had anticipated. Furthermore, when I tried to lure them into the labyrinth, they wouldn¡¯t go along. To make matters worse, I was suddenly informed that I personally was not authorized to leave the labyrinth! It¡¯s a real goddamn crisis of a situation. And now, another goblin count drops off before me without warning. ¡°Dammit. Whoever the hell this guy is, I¡¯m going to find out and finish them off¡­¡± CH 16 Papa-la-pappa! Whew. So that makes me level 3 now¡­ even though 50% of the experience is contributed to that scrappy Kurokiri, and the other half is dedicated to Lady Ryo, but as expected, after hunting 50 goblins, I can still advance to this level. Ah, it has already marked about three days since I commenced concealing myself in the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. But the adversary has not discovered me yet. Apparently, the demons in this dungeon seem to be all hot-blooded idiots[i], and as long as I deploy my ?Fog Cloak? and move along the edge of the corridor, they will not detect me. Only the owner of this dungeon or the goblin mage who I periodically spot from afar would have been conscious of my presence. Even so, given they do not bother to mask their presence, it poses not to be an obstacle. All I have to do is to retreat at once after sensing their presence. Now, let me explain the constitution of this dungeon, ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. It is a regular brick building that has been extended and augmented over and over again with thoughtless consideration. There are several corridors that lead to various rooms of differing sizes, but honestly speaking, the traps and enemies it contains are far too straightforward compared to ours (White Fog and Black Swamp Forest). Or maybe we are simply too unorthodox. At any rate, just by observing the structure of the dungeon and the nature of the enemies, the personality of the owner of the dungeon can be plainly discerned. Well, for now, let¡¯s just go ahead and put the skills and stats into place. Name: Hisano Ichiko Class£ºAssassin Race£ºKirijin Level: 3 HP: 330/330 MP: 270/270 SP: 288/288 Status Strength 20 Dexterity 29¡ü1 Agility 30¡ü2 Sensing 30¡ü2 Intellect 14 Spirit 16 Luck 10¡ü1 Note: Status is halved except for Luck, as you are currently out of your dungeon, and HP, MP, and SP are reduced by a third. Skill ?Short-range Teleportation?, ?Fog Cloak?, New! ?Dagger Proficiency ¢ñ?, New! ?Decapitation? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s kin?, New! ?Assassin of the White Fog? At some point, my occupation shifted from student to assassin. Is it due to the method of combat I am adopting? ?Dagger Proficiency ¢ñ? is an automatic activation skill that I chose for better mastery of the Fang Blade of Disarray Dragonfly, and it also included an HP+ effect. ?Decapitation? is a skill that aims at the opponent¡¯s neck to strike, and has the effect of inflicting instant death on a lower-ranked opponent at a high probability from a sneak attack. However, regrettably, neither of these skills will likely have any effect on Kurokiri. If I intend to revolt at some point, I will have to acquire appropriate skills to fend off Kurokiri. And, I guess the presence I am sensing now is the owner of the dungeon. I shall leave at once. Once again today my mood has been atrocious. Why? Isn¡¯t that obvious? ¡°Dammit! I can¡¯t find that guy anywhere! Quit creeping around and come at me from the front!¡± Obviously, my mood is worsening because I can¡¯t locate the rat that snuck in here three days ago! Where the hell is that b*stard? I wander through the labyrinth of my creation with a thump. And then, Buuuuuuuuuuuu! A sudden warning blares in my head. Yes, speaking of mysteries, it is also a mystery why this alarm was not sounded earlier. This alarm is meant to go off in my head whenever a human enters the dungeon, and yet it hadn¡¯t gone off three days ago when the turbulence first erupted. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got more than enough to worry about. Hey, you goblins. We¡¯ve got company! Entertain them with everything you have to offer!¡± I issue a command to all the goblins in the fort to take down the intruder. Hahaha. There is no chance of my goblins losing in direct combat. Their numbers are way outnumbered. At that juncture, the adversaries would be under pressure. Oh dear, so that is the owner of this dungeon, and indeed, I agree with Kurokiri¡¯s prediction that this dungeon will collapse in a couple of months or so. After all, this dungeon can defeat most opponents in a head-on confrontation thanks to the elevated combat ability of the master himself, but there will always be humans they will fail to eliminate. And if the same individual is unsuccessfully taken down several times, that individual¡¯s level will soar and eventually progress to the brink of being capable of thrusting a blade into the chest of his opponent. Therefore, there are only a few more months to go before the devastation of this labyrinth. No, considering the military¡¯s coordination capabilities, it may be even sooner. ¡°Then all I have to do is¡­ adjust the war situation to a competitive state, and if it leans out of control and the owner of the dungeon is on the verge of being vanquished, I shall strike him down for a little extra experience. Or so to speak.¡± As I nod, I contemplate what I alone ought to carry out. ¡°Now then, I¡¯ll first move towards the main gate and stealthily dispose of the enemies away from the battlefield.¡± With that, I move towards the entrance that I entered three days ago. T/N: [i] Alternative meaning, person who charges in before thinking CH 17 The spectacle that is unfolding is truly one of war. While sheltering in what appears to have been a hastily assembled position, the humans are forming a flanking formation, obeying the orders of their commanding officers to deter the goblins from approaching their positions by firing their rifles in rapid succession. Furthermore, it can be witnessed that they are occasionally utilizing marksmanship skills such as ?Firebolt? and origin-specific skills such as ?Blast?. The goblins, on the other hand, are simply capitalizing on their superiority in numbers¡­ or not. They simply charge and shield themselves with the corpses of their comrades. Even goblin mages and goblin archers who are competent in long-range attacks are not performing their respective roles. In all likelihood, the goblins won¡¯t even succeed in reaching the humans¡¯ position. I have to confess that the spectacle before me is unexpected. I didn¡¯t expect the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± side to be this dim-witted. ¡°Whew. I guess there¡¯s no helping it. First, I¡¯ll disintegrate the human side to create a rough©\and©\tumble fight.¡± Simultaneously activating ?Short-range Teleportation? and ?Fog Cloak?, I advance to the rear of the captain on the human side and execute a swift blow using ?Decapitation?. After confirming that the opponent died before he could scream, I once more invoke ?Short-range Teleportation? and shift to a place out of sight of the surrounding people before they can fully recognize my figure. ¡°With this, a human has died so far.¡± Owing to my action, the battle situation has been disrupted, and the goblins are able to reach the camp through the gap at that one point. However, no deaths seem to have ensued due to a human with a barrier-type skill stepping forward immediately. ¡°What happened!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! The enemy appeared out of nowhere, and then suddenly disappeared!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a teleporter out there! Detection team, scan the perimeter immediately!¡± Hmm. They don¡¯t seem to be in such a state of fluster. It would be better if it were slightly more chaotic for me to make my move¡­ but on top of that, you also have detection skills? It can¡¯t be helped then. ¡°Detection initiated! Sca¡­ guh!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Aah!¡± Whew. That was dangerous. All I had to do was quickly fly behind the five members of the detection team and deliver a single stab to the heart and head, but as expected when dealing with this many people, it was a close call. Nevertheless, I can¡¯t let my presence be widely noticed just yet. At this rate, the human side will start crumbling. There must also be a reduction in the number of goblins. ¡°(Activate ?Fog Cloak? and ?Short-range Teleportation?. Continue with ?Decapitation?.)¡± ¡°Gii!?¡± ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Abeshi!¡± I have finished disposing of two goblins and a goblin mage. Although I have a feeling that one of the goblins produced a bizarre scream at the end, I pay no attention to it. Hmm¡­ It seems that the boss (the king of the hot-blooded idiot) has shown up. I shall advise the leader of the human side. Even so, I wonder how much of a hot-blooded idiot he is that he can detect my presence without using any skills. Is his sensing stats that high? I would be interested to have a look at his status. While deactivating ?Fog Cloak?, I activate ?Short-range Teleportation? in such a way as to blend in with the human crowd. Once the ?Fog Cloak? is undone, I, who am clad in military gear, can mingle with the humans. Then, I covertly approach the person I assume to be the captain and whisper a few words in his ear. ¡°The Demon King is approaching. As we are powerless to stop him now, it is advisable for us to retreat.¡± And before the captain can respond, I teleport out of the dungeon. As for ¡°Why did I teleport out of the dungeon?¡±, that¡¯s because I have over-hunted the goblins. Besides, if one of them escapes, the remaining humans can easily escape as well. ¡°The Demon King is approaching. As we are powerless to stop him now, it is advisable for us to retreat.¡± ¡°Who is this!?¡± By the time I replied to the voice I abruptly heard, the owner of the voice was already gone. And then I sense the presence of a formidable entity. I see, this is certainly a dead end. If this is the case, ¡°All units, fall back! My unit will serve as the rearguard! Listen up! Calm down and retreat! There shall be no more casualties in this struggle!¡± I use my ?Command? skill to impose orders on the entire army compelling them to act regardless of their opinions. Although it is plausible, it seems that the other members of the force also recognize the presence of the Demon King, according to the mysterious voice. They promptly but unflusteredly withdraw from the area. And just as soon as the rest of the team steps out of the labyrinth with the rearguard, that guy emerges with a thunderous bellow. ¡°I see¡­ That is indeed the Demon King.¡± When I behold his figure, I understand that my judgment has not been flawed. ¡°Goddamn youuuuuuuuuuuuuu!! Don¡¯t you dare freaking run away from me! You f**ing pieces of sh*t!¡± When I have arrived at the entrance of the dungeon, it is scattered with the corpses of my goblins, and the humans are on the verge of evacuating. Moreover, from the looks of it, there are only very few humans that have been slain. ¡°Gaaaahhhhhh! I¡¯ll have you all remember this! This ¡®Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength¡¯ will definitely wipe you all out someday!¡± As I stomp and crush the floor closest to me, I let out a screech while intimidating the goblins surrounding me. CH 18 ¡°The cause of death is peculiar?¡± My eyebrows frown at the report my subordinate delivers to me. My name is Otachi Mamoru, and I am the commanding officer of the barrier monitoring unit overseeing Labyrinth X-J1. It has now been a whole day after the evacuation from Labyrinth X-J1, and to deal with the aftermath, I have been assigned the task of autopsying my deceased subordinates and saving the wounded ones. Those who have advanced in level are reviewing their newly acquired skills. Of course, supervision of the labyrinth has not been neglected. Then one of my subordinates, who was performing the autopsy of a deceased subordinate, reported the matter to me. ¡°Yes. There were 10 fatalities in this operation, and the cause of death for six of them was distinctly at odds with the previous ones.¡± ¡°What are the specifics?¡± ¡°One person was decapitated by a single sword thrust to the neck, while the remaining five were pierced once in the heart and once in the head. And those who were present at the time they were killed testified: A cloud monster appeared out of nowhere and killed them.¡± ¡°A cloud monster¡­? A brand-new demon?¡± ¡°It is likely.¡± ¡°Excuse me for interrupting!¡± A new subordinate enters the room. As I recall, he was entrusted with gathering information from his unit members and summarizing it. ¡°What¡¯s up? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Yes! I was collecting information from the soldiers and received some strange testimonies, so I came to report them.¡± ¡°Strange information?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems that during the last battle after our troops were destroyed by the cloud monster, the cloud monster also assaulted the goblins, who were supposed to be their allies.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. However, the testimonies I obtained from multiple soldiers made it inconceivable that they were mistaken, nor was there any evidence of the application of any mental skills.¡± ¡°I see. The both of you can go now. I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I shut my eyes as I collect my thoughts. A cloud monster that attacks irrespective of friend or foe. It could be a lunatic, something else that has lost its sense of both allies and enemies¡­ no, it could even be a third force. In fact, in light of the situation, it would be more appropriate to ascribe it to a third force. If so, that voice of advice I heard just before I announced the order for the retreat may have been the voice of that cloud monster. Now, the question is then, which force is on the move? Truthfully speaking, if they were in their right minds, they would have left something as painstaking as a dungeon to us, and they would have made use of their skills to accomplish their desired ends¡­ My thoughts are not falling into a coherent pattern anytime soon. ¡°Hmm. Is that the situation on your side? I mean, the Demon King of ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress¡¯ is even worse than I expected.¡± ¡°I have no doubt that a Demon King should possess minimum stats of over 30, so that¡¯s a vivid reminder that intelligence does not equal wisdom.¡± Right now, I am contacting Kurokiri while I am outside the dungeon. After explaining everything, Kurokiri delivers the following lines. ¡°Well, intelligence is a measure of how efficiently you can put your magic skills to use, and it doesn¡¯t play that much of a role in decision-making and strategy planning, so I suppose you could say it¡¯s not so strange. After all, 30 stats for a demon king originally corresponds to 6.¡± ¡°I know such things. That¡¯s how much of a hot-blooded idiot he turned out to be.¡± I can hear Kurokiri laughing on the other end of the transmission. Did I catch onto some kind of key point? ¡°Oh well. I¡¯m working on a series of things over here. You¡¯ll have to stick to your part for a while longer. Oh, and don¡¯t forget the promise we made at the beginning, okay? It would be a folly for the Kirijin to be exposed now.¡± ¡°(Tsk) I understand.¡± I reply in approval while clicking my tongue in my mind. ¡°Well, Ichiko. In two or three weeks, if they don¡¯t take the Demon King¡¯s last breath, you can expect nothing will matter regardless of what happens.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°By that time, both the Demon King and the dungeon there will be of no use to us. Since we don¡¯t have a clue what will become of the dungeon after the Demon King loses his life, I intend to confirm that. Oh, and once the dungeon has been destroyed, come back. We¡¯ll have a briefing session with Ryo. So, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± With these words, Kurokiri cut off the communication. But still, two or three weeks to go? What do you mean? Could it be that by then the military will be plunging their blades into that Demon King¡¯s throat? Whatever the case may be, if I have an opportunity to meet Lady Ryo again, I must give it my all. With renewed enthusiasm, I begin preparing to infiltrate the dungeon once again. CH 19 ¡°You did it, Kurokiri-chan! It¡¯s your cue!¡± ¡°You idiot, stop it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not acceptable!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± After a skit that even I myself couldn¡¯t understand, the operation had been initiated. The first step was to let Ryo and Ichiko out. At that point, I made it look as if Ryo had escaped from the front door, thus I smeared her body with mud and gave her the tools Ichiko used as a memento of her escape. Then, since Ichiko was assumed to be dead, she snuck out at night. At this point, the distribution of Ichiko¡¯s experience was reset. Me: Ichiko = 1:1 ¡ú Me: Ichiko: Ryo = 2:1:1, but since this was a convenient opportunity, I changed it to the following, Me: Ichiko = 1:1 ¡ú Me: Ichiko: Ryo: Disarray Dragonfly = 5:2:2:1. Hmm? What about our promise, you ask? Let me ask you in reverse. Since when did you guys erroneously assume that I would honor my word? I am a Demon King, you know. Breaking a promise is something I am perfectly willing to violate. Furthermore, they will be utterly unaware of it at this degree. The next step was to connect the basement of Ryo¡¯s house to my labyrinth, which Ryo had requested me to do right before departing. After expanding the area that can be deemed a dungeon by expending DP, I created a link from the duct that I set up above the labyrinth, which was the center of the second level. The reason for connecting through the duct instead of the labyrinth is to avoid being discovered by those who enter the labyrinth since the relationship between Ryo and me is basically a confidential subject. However, I have left a small room in the part that connected to Ryo¡¯s house with a set of Iron Shackles of the Sealing Art ¢ñ. For what reason? Hahaha. Even without me stating it, you get it, right? Hahaha. Buuuuuuuuuuuu! Apparently, intruders have arrived. Up to this stage, it has been about five hours since Ryo went outside, and their conduct of entering my labyrinth is attributed to Ryo¡¯s successful return from my dungeon as she managed to acquire some information about it. Although it was also conceivable that they were anticipating someone else that have been abducted, or that it was a mixture of arrogance and vanity that they had grown proficient in their skills and dared to venture into my labyrinth. At any rate, I have instructed all the demons in the dungeon not to show up for an hour after entry and to apply up the pressure by patrolling the perimeter if they approach the area. Then, after an hour has passed, I would order them to be merciless. With this, if they are proceeding in the swamp, they will be on a guaranteed death path. And if they are moving through the trees¡­ well, I would simply let my demons do their thing in the usual way. As an additional precaution, I¡¯ll relocate some Mist Mosquitoes from the second level to the first level. ?Mist Mosquito This insect-like mosquito demon is about 50 cm long. Its wings emit a shrill buzzing sound as it flies around its surroundings. When its prey leaves an opening, it will approach and jab them with its needle-like mouth while passing by, causing the mosquito to absorb their blood (HP). Following the absorption of blood, it separates only the water from the blood and sprays it around the prey, deterring it from counterattacking. Summoning cost: 100 HP and 100 SP each per unit. However, the noise of their wings is so irritating¡­ those guys. Yeah, I figured it was a no-go. Those guys went through the swamp. Did they obtain the proper information from Ryo? If they had intelligence, they would at least know that advancing through the swamp is definitely out of the question, and in the end, they lost another 3 groups of 18 people. Well, it is a scrumptious meal for my side, though. Anyway, it is the usual cleanup. It has been five days since Ichiko left my labyrinth. I have finally gotten in touch with her. Incidentally, no new intruders have emerged during this time, so I am still earning experience by abducting people. Are the military units up to something? ¡°Hmm. Is that the situation on your side? I mean, the Demon King of ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress¡¯ is even worse than I expected.¡± That was the first thought that sprang to my mind after hearing the report. Yeah. Whatever the circumstances may be, that Demon King is too much of a hot-blooded idiot. ¡°I have no doubt that a Demon King should possess minimum stats of over 30, so that¡¯s a vivid reminder that intelligence does not equal wisdom.¡± ¡°Well, intelligence is a measure of how efficiently you can put your magic skills to use, and it doesn¡¯t play that much of a role in decision-making and strategy planning, so I suppose you could say it¡¯s not so strange. After all, 30 stats for a Demon King originally corresponds to 6.¡± Ichiko¡¯s words involuntarily draw a peal of slight laughter from me. To be honest, I would like to see for myself what this Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength is like after being told to this extent. ¡°I know such things. That¡¯s how much of a hot-blooded idiot he turned out to be.¡± ¡°Oh well. I¡¯m working on a series of things over here. You¡¯ll have to stick to your part for a while longer. Oh, and don¡¯t forget the promise we made at the beginning, okay? It would be a folly for the Kirijin to be exposed now,¡± I reply, pondering the growth of the Dragonfly and the current situation of Ryo. ¡°(Tsk) I understand.¡± Oi, I can hear your tongue clicking. ¡°Well, Ichiko. In two or three weeks, if they don¡¯t take the Demon King¡¯s last breath, you can expect nothing will matter regardless of what you do.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°By that time, both the Demon King and the dungeon there will be of no use to us. Since we don¡¯t have a clue what will become of the dungeon after the Demon King loses his life, I intend to confirm that. Oh, and once the dungeon has been destroyed, come back. We¡¯ll have a briefing session with Ryo. So, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± And after making an estimation in my head of the increase in force and experience gained, with that conclusion in mind, I disconnect the communication. Still, this communication with my kin is so effortless. Two more days have passed afterwards. To be frank, I have a lot of spare time on my hands. By the way, it appears that a curfew has been imposed on the residents in the neighborhood. I suppose I don¡¯t have to break it to you why. It is my fault. At this moment, I realize that I haven¡¯t communicated with Ryo yet, so I make an effort to do so now. ¡°Huh? Why is there no Demon King who would consider joining hands with humans¡­?¡± So that¡¯s your opening statement? Oh, I suppose you haven¡¯t noticed that the communication is on. Then, let¡¯s address it immediately. ¡°That¡¯s because the Demon King¡¯s compensation ensures that they cannot beg for their lives. If they thoughtlessly show up at the negotiating table, they¡¯ll end up in a full-fledged mess.¡¯¡± ¡°!?¡± Ah, you¡¯re astounded. Speaking of which, the story about the Demon King¡¯s compensation is true. ¡°I¡¯m free, so I¡¯ve been running some tests on the communication. The signal sensitivity seems to be fine. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± Thus, I cut off the communication as I could tell that she was startled. Tattara¡ü Tattara¡ý Tattara¡ü! ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s like the evolutionary BGM of a Pokemon¡­ could this be!¡± After disconnecting the communication, the background music suddenly begins to play, and I hastily open the screen of ?Monster Creation?. There I found¡­ CH 20 This time is for those who hate cheats. For those who hate cheats, it is recommended to turn around. Tattara, tattara! On the screen, the whole body of the dragonfly is sparkling. Then as the light intensity grows even fiercer and the entire screen is engulfed in light, there appears not the Diasarray Dragonfly, but a massive Devil¡¯s Darning Needle. ?Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle Dragonfly-shaped demonic of insect type about 5m in length. Upon hearing the sound of its wings, adversaries will be struck with such vertigo that they cannot even stand, and in severe cases, they may act deliriously, turning hostile to all things in their environment. Aside from the sound of its wings, its jaws can rip through steel with ease, and its shell is practically immune to conventional weapons and magic. On top of that, it utilizes its four wings to fly and hover at high velocity, rendering it difficult to be hit by attacks in the first place. Summoning cost: HP 2000, MP 1000, SP 1700 (currently not summonable) Note: The level of the master, ¡°The King of the Devouring Black Fog,¡± is too low. Therefore, the possibility of heeding commands is 50%. ¡­ Eh? A cheat? I mean, what is this abnormal cost¡­ And what¡¯s more, they don¡¯t even follow my commands¡­ eh? When I return my gaze to the screen, the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle is already out of the picture. Apparently, it has started to wander around the dungeon randomly. Fortunately, it seems that it recognizes that it is meaningless to attack its allies and does not pay attention to the other demons in the dungeon. ¡­ ¡°Yes. I shall leave it alone. From now on, for those who have entered the first level, you have my deepest condolences for the time being.¡± Since then, it¡¯s been roughly a week. During that period, two units of military personnel invaded. Let me introduce the demise of their narrative in a digest-like overview. The first unit entered the labyrinth ¡ú Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle, which should have been at a position about 3 km away from the entrance, reacted to the intruders ¡ú Arrived right above the unit in about 1 minute ¡ú All of the enemies fell into a daze by its ability ¡ú The second unit found the first unit being devoured in front of them and commenced their attack ¡ú No damage was inflicted on Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle ¡ú Dead End for the military units Ah, yeah. Everyone¡¯s way of regarding this is clear to me. I agree, this is a horrendous episode too. I mean, two units were wiped out in less than 5 minutes, compelling nobody else to show up in my dungeon. Oh, yeah. It seems that the shell of the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle can be damaged slightly by ?Firebolt? though it only managed to deal 1 hp. Not to mention, it seemed that even the practitioner was exerting so much power that he fainted after one shot. ¡­ For now, I¡¯ll just repeat giving commands until the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle obeys me, and once my command is heeded, I¡¯ll direct it to a specific location. After that, I¡¯ll cover the perimeter with an indestructible wall to confine it. I don¡¯t really feel like doing this other than an emergency. Oh yeah. I¡¯ll also reinstate the experience distribution. If another one of this dragonfly is spawned, I have a feeling that despair is the only thing that will be left. Hahaha, I¡¯m going to visit Ryo for a slight soothing experience. ¡°Therefore, I¡¯ve come to have some fun.¡± ¡°Please leave.¡± Currently, I am in a small room in the dungeon that I built for Ryo that is connected to the basement of the Nasu family¡¯s house. So I ask Ryo to descend to the small room under the authority of her master (me) since I can only come up to this room. ¡°Since I¡¯m treating you to a full-body massage with full use of my skills accordingly, please update me on the X-J1 and X-J2 barrier monitoring units for the past week.¡± ¡°No, thank you¡­ hyah!¡± So, while forcibly subduing Ryo, who is attempting to escape, I thrust her into my body of fog. Then, with the application of the ?Devouring Black Fog?, I adjust the partial embodiment and ?Cycle? while massaging her entire body. Hahaha. Before this ability, no other full-body massage machine out there can match it! ¡°Ha! ¡­ This is beyond my expectations¡­ hiu! Wait¡­ ah! Please.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm~ For now, hurry up with the report! Quickly!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you a report¡­! I-I shall see to that.¡± Now, to summarize Ryo¡¯s report, here is what she has to offer. ?The X-J2 barrier monitoring unit has completely abandoned the attempt to infiltrate the interior of X-J2. ?The entrance to labyrinth X-J2 has been sealed. At present, activities are focused on eradicating kidnapping cases. ?The X-J1 barrier monitoring unit is scheduled to march into the labyrinth after establishing countermeasures against the cloud monster. ?The specifics of the countermeasures are unknown. By the time the report ended, Ryo is out of breath. She received a full-body massage, but it was probably too much. ¡°So, let me ask you something. Your identity and the existence of this room have not been exposed, right?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Isn¡¯t that obvious? I risked my life as well. Before entering this place, I made sure that there was no one around me.¡± ¡°Hmm. Well then.¡± With that remark, I assume the finger-snapping position and¡­ snaps. Simultaneously, from the area connected to the house, the screams of a woman and the laughter of children can be heard. Then the sound of something rolling can be heard continuously, and the maid, who is the owner of the sound, tumbles into the room. ¡°Hah~!¡± ¡°What do you suggest to do about this person?¡± And when I ask Ryo with a sickening smile on my face, she stares up at the heavens as if she has surrendered to something. CH 21 ¡°For now, please enlighten me as to who this person is and what skills she possesses.¡± Having said that, I attach the iron shackles of sealing technique ¢ñ to the maid¡¯s hands and feet. It is advantageous to seize her in a state of captivity and seal her skills, irrespective of whether she is to be exterminated or transformed into a kin. And the most essential part is Ryo¡¯s response. ¡°That person is one of the Nasu family¡¯s housekeepers. As for the skills she possesses¡­ I have no details, but I believe it¡¯s a tracking type skill.¡± ¡°Tracking type, huh? Although I am unclear as to what she was pursuing, it was her skill that led to our connection being disclosed. If so, I¡¯ll leave it to you to describe the conversion to a kin later on to her, for now, activate ?Monster Creation?.¡± Accompanied by the declaration of the skill, the magic power is released and a magic circle arises under the maid from which light begins to surge out. After the light subsides, the maid is shrouded in fog as she collapses. ¡°What!? What are you doing!¡± ¡°Well, I am simply transforming her into my kin though? Ah, when explaining to this person, you can inform her that there exists a master named Kurokiri, but don¡¯t share with her that I¡¯m the Demon King, you hear me? And don¡¯t mention Ichiko¡¯s presence too, it would certainly complicate the situation if you revealed it to her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ryo discreetly affirms my instruction while biting her lips. She is lucidly dissatisfied with how I am handling the issue. Let¡¯s shift the subject for now. ¡°Oh, that reminds me, Ryo. How high are your levels right now?¡± ¡°My level rose to 6 this morning¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Palapa-pappa! A fanfare resonates in my head. ¡°Oh, my level¡¯s risen too.¡± ¡°¡­While on the subject, I was wondering if it is truly such a breeze to raise one¡¯s level? I believe my level only shot up to 5 yesterday, and all of my current experience should have been accumulated by Ichiko¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I wonder? At the very least, the Demon King ought to be fairly difficult to elevate their level due to the compensation, you know? So, based on the number of people I have finished off in this dungeon, I can roughly determine the number of people Ichiko has defeated¡­¡± Incidentally, I originally considered sending Ichiko back once my level advanced to level 3. And to tell the truth, it was only 2 or 3 weeks before my level was promoted to 3. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There is a dead silence between me and Ryo. After a minute or two, all I could hear in the distance is the laughter of Fogs and the others. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡± ¡°What a coincidence. And so do I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence reigns de novo. My level, which was originally estimated to require a few more weeks, has increased within a week. That would mean that Ichiko has been annihilating foes at a pace that I had not envisioned. And, as with Ichiko, our fundamental tactic is more of covert and unexpected assassination. When you combine all of these aspects together, the conclusion that can be drawn is that¡­ It would suggest that the adversary has discovered her, forcing her to continuously engage in combat. ¡°It would be devastating to lose Ichiko, who is now my most valuable asset! In any case, I¡¯m gonna check out the level-up process and all the new things I¡¯m allowed to do! Maybe I can get out of the labyrinth for a brief period of time!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wake the maid up and ensure that transportation means are available!¡± ¡°You better make sure your identity¡¯s not blown!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± When Ryo heads out with the maid to the upper floor, I first apply the StP and SkP. Name: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 3 HP: 1810/1810¡ü110 MP: 1580/2080 ¡ü120 SP: 2030/2030¡ü120 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 56 ¡ü1 Sensing 45 Intellect 61¡ü1 Spirit 72¡ü1 Luck 10 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog?, ?Cycle?, New! ?Mist Plosion? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog?, ?White Fog of Ambush?, ?Lord of the Kirijin?. The ?Mist Plosion? is a water attribute explosion skill with a designated starting point. The effect is a skill that generates a blast and cold air by rapidly lowering the temperature of the surrounding area through the phase transition of water, and after activation, a temporary fog is cast over the entire area. In other words, it is an offensive magic skill that can utilize the high intellect and high spirit that I possess. So, after verifying the new features newly available at ?Dungeon Creation?, here¡¯s what I found: ?The King Acts for the Sake of His People A pendant embedded with a white crystal about 3 cm in diameter. It is classified as a trap. When the Demon King is created, it will contain an optional amount of HP, MP, and SP, and when utilized by a kin, the Demon King can be temporarily summoned. The summoned Demon King¡¯s status corresponds to the amount of HP, the summoning time corresponds to the amount of MP, and the distance away from the user corresponds to the amount of SP. Any experience gained by the summoned Demon King from a defeated opponent during the summoning period will be treated the same as if the Demon King had defeated them outside of the labyrinth. The effect ends when the MP is exhausted. The Demon King is forcibly sent back to its original location. The effect is 1% of the original status per 10 HP, 1 second per 1 MP, and 1 meter away per 100 SP. (However, the cost increases each time for each creation.) Can be created once per level of the Demon King. When leveling up, the number of times it can be created is reset. Prerequisite for creation: Have a kin. The level of the Demon King must be 3 or higher. This is exactly the type of power I desire right now. Although it may seem expedient, I have created it with 1000 HP (100%), 1200 MP (20 minutes), and 1000 SP (10m). ¡°Hey, Ryo! I created an item to help me get out of the labyrinth temporarily, so when you obtain it, slam it into the ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress¡¯! The instructions on how to use it will go directly into your head!¡± ¡°What the¡­! Please stop sending these things into my head out of the blue! But I will be very grateful for the item!¡± While speaking to Ryou via the kin¡¯s communication, I pass over the pendant to Fog, who gets into the car and presents the pendant to Ryo. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want Ichiko to die just yet or things would turn out badly! Reach there as fast as you can!¡± ¡°I know what to do even without you saying it! Besides, I have no intention of letting Ichiko die now or in the future!¡± Thus, despite our divergent intentions, Ryo is heading to the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± while explaining things to the maid and reprimanding whereas I am in a recovery position using ?Cycle? to swiftly recover the MP and SP that I have consumed. CH 22 It is no exaggeration to describe my situation as a disaster. Before me, there are now more than a hundred goblins and ogres under the leadership of the ¡°The Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength¡± that are surrounding me and protecting him. It was an unexpected act on my part for them to discover me this morning, and I never dreamed that the Demon King would be running around the fort at full speed to patrol the area. Thus the marathon of death commenced from there. ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!¡± A single goblin charges at me, swinging a club. ¡°Buuuuuuwee!¡± ¡°Kakaka!¡± ¡°Hiwo!¡± ¡°Hijo!¡± Simultaneously, another goblin strikes from the rear, and from further behind, a goblin archer and a goblin mage are about to unleash their skills on me. ¡°Hmph!¡± As for my actions in response, the first thing I take is to leap towards the goblins that are pressing in on me from behind. This renders the goblin behind me unable to react to my erratic move, propelling it to a momentarily halt. Following this, by taking advantage of the momentary pause, I grab the goblin¡¯s head with my left hand and twist it in a jerking motion while slashing the throats of the waiting goblins nearby with the Fang Blade of Disarray Dragonfly in my right hand. Whoosh! Hyuh! At that point, both of the two goblins in the rear release their skills at me accompanied by the aeolian sound. Against them, I repel the arrows and evade the magic by leaping away. ¡°Gyah!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± And apparently, because they are too densely clustered, the attack I deflected and dodged ended up striking another goblin who happened to be nearby. And as soon as I have landed, I attempt to extricate myself from the vicinity by cutting down several goblins using my recently acquired skills, ?Long Edge? and ?Keen Edge?. However, undeterred by the prospect of trampling over their dead comrades, they imperturbably re-modify their formation to encircle me. Now, a few hours have already passed since the battle kicked off. During this struggle, I have noticed the absence of fear and fright in their eyes despite me being a solitary enemy who has massacred dozens of their comrades. In fact, I can hear them groaning and bellowing, yet I could not sense their will itself. Perhaps this is attributed to the skill of their Demon King. And their Demon King¡¯s policy is simple and clear: he never allows me to take a break but continuously presses the offense indifferently, endeavoring to prevent me from escaping. That¡¯s all there is to it. It is likely that he intends to take his time to repay me for all the favors I have done for him. ¡°Fine then. I shall struggle to escape my adverse situation. Even for the sake of Lady Ryo.¡± I regulate my breathing, re-adjust my weapon, and assess my condition. Although I have not suffered any major wounds yet, there are numerous minor wounds on my body. My garments have become ragged and heavier from soaking up too much of the blood of the goblins. Furthermore, my weapon, the Fang Blade of Disarray Dragonfly, is beginning to slightly chip, and if I am able to survive this predicament, it will most certainly have to be re-made. And then, the Demon King, who has only been directing instruction in the background until now, delivers his speech. ¡°Daaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Quit fiddling with your little tricks! You f*cking brat! You should have just gone and got yourself killed while begging for my forgiveness!¡± As expected, or rather, unlike Kurokiri, who is also a Demon King, this Demon King here seems to be quite short-tempered and acerbic. To be honest, I would rather not engage in a confrontation with a Demon King at my current level, but¡­ ¡°Enough! You guys stay back! I will finish her off in person!¡± It seems impossible. Apparently, the only way for me to proceed is to be prepared so I am about to brace myself with my weapon. But, Boom! ¡°Gah!?¡± When I realized that my body was slammed against the wall of the dungeon, I could hear what sounded like an explosion in my ears. And then, an acute pain ravages my entire body. In all likelihood, I would have not only sustained fractured bones but even my internal organs would have been impacted. Yet even more egregious than that is the fact that neither could I see nor hear anything. It is only after a series of motions that I finally grasp the reality of what has transpired to me. ¡°Agghh¡­¡± ¡°Heh, even though I cut a few corners to leave your corpse for exhibition, you¡¯re still breathing after taking a blow from me. Do you possess some kind of mysterious skill? Or is it thanks to all the levels you¡¯ve raised by obliterating a bunch of my goblins?¡± The Demon King approaches me as I am collapsing. And if he¡¯s really intending to go all the way, that means I won¡¯t even have an intact body left. ¡°Well, whatever.¡± While saying so, the Demon King performs the pre-motion of the attack as if to demonstrate to me, differing from before. And the power concentrated in his fist is evidently greater than the previous one. ¡°Either way, it¡¯s game over for you here!¡± Then the Demon King¡¯s fist is unleashed towards me, and I shut my eyes, contemplating the outcome of my own fate. CH 23 The time of the cool Kurokiri making his appearance. No matter how long I waited, the impact I was expecting never struck, but still, my whole body has been in a constant state of searing anguish. However, little by little, the pain in my body begins to subside. Therefore, I slowly open my eyes to ascertain the current state of affairs. As I lift my eyelids, what I encounter is the sight of Lady Ryo frantically healing me and a man dyed black from top to bottom one-handedly stopping the Ogre King¡¯s[i] fist, leaving him bewildered at the scene. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake, Ichiko.¡± ¡°Eh? Lady Ryo? And also, why is Kurokiri here?¡± Involuntarily, I let out my voice. But it is inevitable for me to react in such a manner. After all, that man in all black is the one who transformed Lady Ryo and me into demons called Kirijin, the entity who dispatched me to this ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. The dungeon he created, ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± is a demonic property that ought to prohibit him from leaving his own dungeon. For he is the Demon King, the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog.¡± ¡°Who the hell are you¡­?¡± The Ogre King, who has regained his senses, questions while flying away behind him. ¡°Oh, it hurts, it hurts. Even if it¡¯s for the sake of my kin, it¡¯s still not something I, as a magical type entity, should overexert myself in. Well, to answer your question briefly, I am a fellow Demon King.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! How the hell did you leave the labyrinth! No, before all these things, why would a fellow Demon King be in my labyrinth¡­¡± At the moment the Ogre King made that statement, Kurokiri was already in front of the Ogre King¡¯s eyes, his arm outstretched and in the motion of activating his skill. ¡°We have arrived at the labyrinth!¡± Once I have reached the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± I let the car fly at maximum speed. Needless to say, I conceal my face and car so that my true identity would not be exposed. ¡°Miss¡­ This is the labyrinth X-J1¡­ What are we doing in a place like this¡­?¡± My housekeeper still doesn¡¯t appear to have a clear grasp of the circumstances. Well, a more in-depth explanation will have to wait for another time. ¡°You have arrived. Alright, now use your maid¡¯s ability to track her down! As long as they are humans or goblins here, we¡¯ll never find her even if you deploy the ?Fog Cloak? at full force!¡± Kurokiri¡¯s voice reverberates in my head. Although he is an abominable guy, he is after all, a resourceful figure in times like these. ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°W-what©`!? Wait©`©`!¡± Stepping into the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± we pursue after Ichiko at all costs. By adopting a combination of the housekeeper¡¯s skill and ?Fog Cloak?, we are able to reach Ichiko by the swiftest route available. The scene that spread out there is the sight of a vast number of goblins lining up over the corpses of their own kind, and the Demon King of this dungeon, who must be about four meters tall with a muscular body overlaid with crimson skin and two horns, brandishing his fist against Ichiko. ¡°! We¡¯re just in time!¡± I then invoke the pendant ¡°The King Acts for the Sake of His People,¡± which Kurokiri has entrusted to me with impatience yet without hesitation. ¡°My bad, but I don¡¯t have time, nor am I obligated or compassionate to answer your questions. Scatter away ?Mist Plosion?!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Along with my declaration of skill, an explosion of ice burst in front of the Ogre King¡¯s eyes, sending his huge body hurtling off and simultaneously freezing and shattering several demonic creatures in the vicinity. ¡°Youuuuuuu!¡± Enraged by my strike, the Ogre King¡¯s muscles swell up drastically, and as a counterattack, an enormous fist is instantly unleashed right before my eyes. And then, without bothering to dodge, I face the blow head-on, causing my upper body to appear to have been ¡°obliterated¡±. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re no big deal, considering we¡¯re both Demon Kings! All it took was a single blow to deal with you! Now, are you guys next¡­?¡± As my remaining lower body gradually disappears while falling, the black fog around the Ogre King densifies as if in inverse proportion to this. Then, the groans of the goblins begin to escape. ¡°W-what the hell is this!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat it. I have neither the obligation nor the compassion to answer you.¡± ¡°What!?¡± The Ogre King is incredulous at the sound of my voice as he believed that he had annihilated me. ¡°First, let me eliminate those who stand in my way. ?Mist Plosion? x32.¡± Following my declaration, explosions erupt in 32 locations in the periphery, blasting away many demons without a trace, and not even having a chance to utter a death cry. What is left behind is nothing but the brilliant scarlet floor and a pure white fog. ¡°Goddamn youuuuuu!¡± The Ogre King assumes that I am obscured somewhere in the fog, and swings his signature stout arm around to deliver the blow. With such momentum, the force of his fist alone could shatter a wall, and if his arm was swung, a storm would rage. But it fails to strike me. There is no hope of landing that blow on me. After all, I am the fog itself now. And while the Ogre King acts in vain, the devouring black fog advances and one by one, the demons who have been crowding around him are being sacrificed, their lives consumed by the black fog. ¡°Get the hell out! You coward!¡± The Ogre King is raving, oblivious to the fact that his demons are perishing one after the other around him. There is no time to waste. Maybe it¡¯s time for me to go out and do something memorable. ¡°If you don¡¯t come out¡­¡± ¡°Hey, here I am.¡± I settle into a posture to draw my sword to an upper stance above the Ogre King¡¯s head. ¡°You! When did you!¡± To his astonishment, the Ogre King rushes to knock me out, only to realize that it is far too late. ¡°Goodbye. ¡®I am the King of the Fog that devours everything¡¯. O Great Sword of the Frozen Black Fog, tear off his life until his death¡­!!¡± ¡°Hieee!¡± That is simply a mixture of the existing skills I am currently capable of employing. It will never be listed in the skills section of my status. It is a sword made by assembling ?Devouring Black Fog? into the form of a large sword, solidifying it with ?Mist Plosion?, and vibrating it at high speed with ?Cycle?. If I were to classify it, I would call it more akin to a chainsaw than a sword. ¡°Outer Skill Kurokirinoko!¡± And it is potent enough to reap the life of the ¡°Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength,¡± whose face is contorted by terror, and has forgotten to brace himself. With a single hit from the great sword of black fog that I swung down, the labyrinth, ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± has lost its master, the Demon King. A/N: Outer skills: To put it simply, this category incorporates all non-skill-related skills, such as ¡ð¡ð-style swordsmanship, four-wheel drifting, and so on. What Kurokiri did was to combine and fuse skills to implement skills outside of the system. Incidentally, the power is tremendous, but the fuel consumption is at a level that is beyond the worst, so if a human were to utilize it, he or she would at best be comatose. At worst, the user will die. So, remember not to imitate me, good children! T/N: [i] It¡¯s the Demon King of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. But since there are two Demon Kings in this chapter, I thought it might be too confusing for the translation, so I changed it to Ogre King. In fact, please leave a comment below if I should change the name for the past chapters as well CH 24 This chapter is a bit farcical this time. ¡°Phew. I¡¯m exhausted, but somehow I managed to pull things off.¡± After defeating the ¡°Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength,¡± I have returned to the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± since the summoning has been lifted. After a while, Ryo will also accompany Ichiko back to the Nasu family basement. Therefore, I¡¯m also heading there for the briefing session. And when I arrive, Ryo and Ichiko are already there. However, Ichiko¡¯s wounds are still not healed, and Ryo is tending to her. ¡°Yo. I¡¯m glad both of you made it back safe and sound.¡± ¡°Yeah, so it seems. I¡¯m truly relieved.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­ by the way. Thank you.¡± They both accept my words with open arms. This means that they are in a ¡°dere[i]¡± phase¡­ ¡°But now that I reflect on it, it was you who originally sent Ichiko to the ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress¡¯. Then, any further thanks would be excessive.¡± ¡°Now that you put it that way, yes. A crappy Kurokiri is still a crappy Kurokiri.¡± How dere they are¡­ ¡°Ah, that reminds me, while you were gone, Ichiko, I received a full-body massage once from Kurokiri.¡± ¡°What! You trashy Kurokiri! How dare you do such a thing while I was gone! Unforgivable!¡± ¡°Although it was called a massage, he really had a nasty way with his hands¡­¡± There was never a de¡­ re¡­ phase! There was never a dere phase! I¡¯ll say it twice since it¡¯s a major issue! In all honesty, right now I¡¯m devastated and curled up in a corner of the room. Well, since I can¡¯t stay depressed forever, let me return to the issue at hand. ¡°Hah, at any rate, bring out your statuses, Ryo and Ichiko. Let me have a look to check how far you guys have grown.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯m curious to learn how much Ichiko has grown too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it when a scrappy Kurokiri commands me to do something, but it sure has a pleasant feeling to be told by Lady Ryo. Oh, this is my status. Stupid Kurokiri.¡± Name: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 3 HP: 1810/1810 MP: 2080/2080 SP: 2030/2030 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 56 Sensing 45 Intellect 61 Spirit 72 Luck 10 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog?, ?Cycle?, ?Mist Plosion? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog?, ?White Fog of Ambush?, ?Lord of the Kirijin? New! ?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside?, New! ?Demon Slayer?, New! ?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King? Name: Nasu Ryo Class: Student Race: Kirijin Level: 6 HP: 354/354 MP: 420/420 SP: 378/378 Status Strength 16 Dexterity 24 Agility 18 Sensing 16 Intellect 32 Spirit 32 Luck 10 Skill ?Heal?, ?Fog Cloak?, ?Heal Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Detoxification?, ?Anti-paralysis?, ?Mist Slap? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s Kin?, ?Healer of the White Fog? Name: Hisano Ichiko Class: Assassin Race: Kirijin Level: 5 HP: 399/399 MP: 336/336 SP: 357/357 Status Strength 21 Dexterity 30 Agility 32 Sensing 32 Intellect 14 Spirit 16 Luck 10 Skill ?Short-range Teleportation?, ?Fog Cloak?, ?Dagger Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Decapitation?, ?Keen Edge?, ?Long Edge? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s Kin?, ?Assassin of the White Fog?, New! ?Demon Slayer? ¡°As for the three new titles that have presented on my side, there are¡­ ?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside?, ?Demon Slayer?, and ?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King?.¡± ¡°?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside? is presumably due to me summoning you outside.¡± ¡°The ?Demon Slayer? is also mentioned on my part, so I suppose it has something to do with the number of goblin-based demons that I have defeated.¡± ¡°?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King? is¡­ exactly as it sounds.¡± ¡°Exactly as it is.¡± ¡°It is exactly so.¡± Concerning this title, I suppose it makes sense. So, the next topic, or rather¡­ this should be the main subject of our discussion. ¡°So, why is there a difference in level between me and Lady Ryo?¡± ¡°That intrigues me as well.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I was wondering about that too. However, I¡¯m positive that I handed the two of you the same amount of experience, you know? Hence, perhaps this is a difference in occupational compensation.¡± Therefore, on the subject of occupational compensation: Even though I said that, there is not much to be discussed. Occupational compensation is a compensation that is applied to each occupation, like the 5x status or the begging for life compensation that I carry for the Demon King¡¯s part. When there are good things, bad things also accompany them. ¡°So, for students (occupation), there¡¯s probably a +compensation for the experience they gain.¡± ¡°I see. So assassins would be compensated for surprise attacks?¡± ¡°I believe you are most likely right, Lady Ryo. While I was inside the ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡¯ I was able to defeat my opponents without fail if I could execute a sneak attack.¡± Well, as far as occupational compensation is concerned, that¡¯s about it. Aside from the demon king, nobody can ask Help-kun, so I can only comprehend it intuitively. ¡°While we are on the subject, I can tell what ?Detoxification? and ?Anti-paralysis? are, but what is ?Mist Slap??¡± ¡°It is a water-based physical attack that concentrates mist and magic power in the hand and strikes the opponent. You know, it is effective against Kurokiri too.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°How wonderful, Lady Ryo.¡± Well, you¡¯ve learned a tricky technique¡­ But, with Ryo¡¯s muscle power, it won¡¯t be a threat to me. Even so, her high intellect does pose a bit of a concern. ¡°Incidentally, did you encounter any problems in the dungeon this time when I summoned you, Kurokiri?¡± ¡°Oh, about that. I didn¡¯t experience any problems in the dungeon. Although if there is an intruder in the dungeon while the Demon King is away, that would be a different story.¡± ¡°More specifically?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± The two of them are shooting scornful eyes at me, but I don¡¯t know about things that I have no knowledge of. Well, though even I can foresee what will happen. For the most part, the orders that I issued in advance to the demons and traps will be canceled, right? Or maybe it¡¯s even more stringent than that. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m pleased to see that both of you are progressing well.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°So what are the plans for the future?¡± At this point, I am a little lost in thought and muse on what I need to accomplish. ¡°Hmm¡­ for the time being, you two are free to work on whatever you want as long as your connection to me isn¡¯t discovered. And if there¡¯s an individual you¡¯d like me to convert them into a kin, contact me and bring them here.¡± ¡°What about you, Kurokiri?¡± ¡°In the meantime, I will be establishing the third level of my labyrinth since my level has been elevated.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Okay then, the briefing session is over.¡± Afterwards, we split up and I move back to the first level. T/N: [i] I don¡¯t think I need to explain what this means since I think everyone can get it. But just on the safe side, it¡¯s a short form of tsundere. The subsequent chapters will be better (It¡¯s only this chapter that is bland and ridiculous. Even the author themselves wrote that this chapter is farcical lol) CH 25 New monsters are appearing one after another. ¡°Now, before creating the third level, I have a question for you, Help-kun.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What will be the consequences of a dungeon that loses its master?¡± To be honest, I didn¡¯t give it much thought during the briefing, but subsequently, I was interested to ascertain what had occurred to the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress,¡± so I dispatched a Fog to the labyrinth, only to be faced by the apparent fact that nothing had changed. There is a saying, to ask may be a moment¡¯s shame, but not to ask and to remain ignorant is an everlasting shame. That is why I called Help-kun. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see.¡± And here is a summary of what I have learned: ?When a labyrinth¡¯s master dies, it loses its indestructibility. ?The labyrinth after losing its master randomly generates demons and traps based on the multiplication[i] of the former Demon King¡¯s level for a certain amount of time[ii]. ?The demons that spawned following their master¡¯s demise will not leave the dungeon voluntarily. ¡°What a hassle¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way it works.¡± Whether they are alive or dead, they are still a nuisance. As one would expect from a Demon King. ¡°Oh well, let¡¯s create the third level. ?Dungeon Creation?.¡± Thus, the creation of the third level has begun. However, the third level that I am working on this time is deliberately designed to be less challenging. The reason why? This is done for the purpose of attracting more people to my labyrinth and intentionally developing the humans. To be more precise, once a person has reached around the third level, I plan to dispatch monsters that are evidently out of their appropriate level to turn the tables on them. Furthermore, in constructing the third level, the entire ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± will be renovated. Specifically, the existing main entrance will be modified to a one-way door from the inside to the outside, and the first level will be centered on the stronger demons amongst my own subordinates. On the second level, there will be no particular change, but the fog and muddy environment will be added. Also, on the third level, an airlock will be set up with a limit of 20 people at a time, which will serve as the main entrance. In other words, the third level will be the first floor of my dungeon, followed by the second level and the first level, and so on in reverse order. Now, the basic concept of the third level is a clear stream with an average depth of 10 cm and a moderate current flowing from the entrance to the depths. And naturally, since this is my dungeon, I set up a fog (but with a visibility limit of about 15 meters). As for objects, reeds and rocks are situated here and there, and the devouring black swamp is installed in places where the flow is sluggish. Its connection with the second level is directly opposite the first and second connecting points where the black swamp waterfall is located, and the dungeon as a whole is constructed in such a way as to extend horizontally by any means. The entrance is in the middle of a paddy field. Eh? You think it¡¯s a nuisance? I don¡¯t hear you. For the monsters that will emerge, I intend to set up the new Bullet Tadpole and Rifle Frog in addition to Fog, Thin Mist Wolf, etc., and will deploy the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle to deal with overleveled opponents. Well, it will more than likely be a genocide party since it still won¡¯t obey my commands. ?Bullet Tadpole Amphibian-type tadpole-shaped demons measuring roughly 10 cm in length. While each unit is feeble in strength, they plunge into the adversary¡¯s body with great vigor like rifle bullets, burrowing into the body and subsequently devouring the opponent¡¯s body from the inside. As they grow, they evolve into Rifle Frog. Summoning cost: 5 HP and SP each per unit. Prerequisite for creation: existence of a watering place or a similar environment. ?Rifle Frog Amphibian-type frog-shaped demons, approximately 1.5 m in length. A higher species of Bullet Tadpole. Their tongues are like rifles, and they utilize water pressure to send Bullet Tadpole and pebbles flying like rifle bullets. When members of the same species are in close proximity, it has the property of timing its attacks. Summoning cost: 300 HP and SP each per unit. Prerequisite for creation: Bullet Tadpole presence is required. And now, continuing on to the second level, I would like to introduce some monsters that have not been introduced until now. ?Minotamist About 4m tall, spirit-based, bull-headed demon. A cloud of smoke in the form of a minotaur. This is the demon that most represents its visage. Although it is stronger than Smoke in terms of physical attack power, it is less intelligent. When you think of a labyrinth, the minotaur is what counts! For this reason, Kurokiri summoned it. Summoning cost: 500 each for HP, MP, and SP per unit. ?Mud Puppet A 1.7m height magical creature of humanoid type. A puppet demon created from mud. It is a stereotypical golem that dutifully complies with the orders it is issued, but will not commit to anything beyond the assigned commands. Unless its core is destroyed, it can spontaneously recover from an out-of-combat state with its minor self-regeneration ability. It does not perform any dance like the mysterious dance[iii]. Summoning cost: 100 MP per unit. So, on the first level, a new monster like this shall be produced. ?Cuelebre Roughly 10m long, dragon-like serpent-type demon. This dragon is distinguished by its scales, which harden with each attack, and its venomous breath. Despite belonging to the lower class of dragons, its potency is still terrific. Summoning cost: 1800 each for HP, MP, and SP per unit. ?Mud Soldier A 1.7m tall magical creature of humanoid form. A higher species of Mud Puppet. Mud Puppets[iv] are equipped with weapons and armor. Apart from faithfully abiding by the commands issued to them, they may also act on their own initiative to some extent. As long as the core is not destroyed, they will automatically recover, including their weapons and armor. Weapons and armor can be customized. Summoning cost: MP250 per unit. Yup. It was a challenge to summon Cuelebre. After all, with my current status, things are fairly rough. For your information, although its ability is comparable to that of Devil¡¯s Darning Needle, it obeys my commands perhaps because it can be summoned as often as I desire. Well, I guess the introduction of monsters ends here. So, it has cost me about a month to prepare the dungeon and to summon the monsters. During this period, there was barely any contact from Ryo, but it seemed that things were heating up in the world. Ah, I¡¯m reverting back to being a poorly informed guy again¡­ I¡¯ll have to inquire about these with those fellows¡­ T/N: [i] The author omitted the details of the multiplication but let¡¯s just assume that 2x is the correct one for the time being [ii] The time is omitted as well [iii] The dance is the scene you see in games after a match is over with the player being the winner. You know like in RPG games where there is a BGM and the hero¡¯s party grabbing their swords up and down, something like that. Press on the link to view the image [iv] I think the author mistyped that. It should be Mud Soldier¡­ or maybe not? CH 26 Events that took place within a month. Greetings, everyone. My name is Yaharai Houki. Eh? You have no clue who I am? I¡¯m the housekeeper of the Nasu family who became a Kirijin most recently. Incidentally, the skill I possess is ?Mana Trace?. As to why I am at this place, Kurokiri-sama has been conducting operations in some unknown location for about a month and requested me to clarify the current state of affairs in the world. If all that is required is an explanation, I believe it would be a simple matter to ask Lady Ryo or another person whose face I don¡¯t even know, but I am sure there is another Kirijin present¡­ Lady Ryo is currently occupied with some issues at the high school, while the other Kirijin is striving to improve their own abilities. After expressing, ¡°I wish I possessed more capabilities,¡± the other Kirijin has gone back into the labyrinth X-J1 and thus, there has been no further contact with them. Therefore, it is up to me to offer an explanation to Kurokiri-sama. ¡°Well, then, please explain.¡± The voice of Kurokiri-sama can be heard directly in my head. Apparently, it¡¯s a privilege after turning into a Kirijin, but it¡¯s very convenient, right? ¡°Yes. First of all, after Kurokiri-sama conquered labyrinth X-J1, the whole country was enveloped in a whirlpool of gaiety and joy.¡± Indeed, on that day a month ago. The Demon King who was the master of Labyrinth X-J1 was vanquished by Kurokiri-sama¡¯s hand. Nevertheless, it has not been disclosed to the public who triumphed over that Demon King. The reason is simple: both Kurokiri-sama and the Lady are averse to having their identities, or rather, information, exposed to the outside world. Kurokiri-sama probably left via a skill like teleportation while the Lady infiltrated and retreated without being discovered by anyone through her ?Fog Cloak?. Even I, who was witnessing the scene in front of me, thought it was like a dream. Truthfully speaking, if I recounted that battle to anyone, they would probably dismiss it as a joke. ¡°However, since the labyrinth and the monsters remained unchanged, it seems that even now, the barrier monitoring unit is supervising labyrinth X-J1 and periodically entering the labyrinth to execute cleanup operations.¡± ¡°Ah, about that, it is better to give up since that is like the curse of the so-called Demon King.¡± ¡°Curse¡­?¡± Curse. Before the discovery of these skills that emerged in the world, this would have amounted to a joke or a kind of occultism. Now that such skills actually exist, I have heard rumors about that sort of thing. ¡°Let¡¯s see, next is¡­ yes, about two weeks ago, I think. The United Nations made a global announcement about the existence of skills, thus raising awareness of skills in all but a few autocratic nations and in some underdeveloped areas where information is not available.¡± ¡°Ah, I knew that was coming.¡± The impact and consternation brought upon the world by the existence of skills, a mysterious power to humanity was phenomenal. In the developed countries, they knew in advance that such a phenomenon would arise and had prepared for it, so many countries were spared, but in countries with poor security, safety has deteriorated even more than before, and the number of crimes committed with the use of skills has been escalating. Even so, in areas where labyrinths reside nearby, security has not worsened, but rather improved, perhaps due to the threat of monsters that emerge from the labyrinths. On the other hand, it turned out that certain mad scientists have been carrying out inhumane research to investigate what these things called skills are and what kind of laws apply to them. It is said that some areas are being pressed to deal with it, and in all likelihood, no amount of hunting will drive these people away. Furthermore, several groups of such organizations have been discovered and arrested in my country. ¡°It¡¯s a horrendous story. Fighting amongst fellow human beings brings no meaning, it doesn¡¯t even add experience points.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Huh? For some reason, I feel that there is a subtle difference in nuance between me and Kurokiri-sama, but¡­ let¡¯s leave it at that. ¡°Oh yes, about a week ago, the ¡®National Skills Survey Law¡¯ was enacted and promulgated in our country, and we are now obliged to reveal the skills we possess to the government. Did you already know that?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t heard of it. Or rather, you didn¡¯t divulge about the ?Fog Cloak?, by any chance, I assume?¡± ¡°I did not release that information since the Lady prohibited me from doing so. And to be honest, this is a law full of loopholes.¡± Because, as it stands, there is no particular penalty for violating this ¡°National Skill Survey Law,¡± nor is it mandatory to demonstrate the specific effects of the skills presented, only providing an outline will suffice. Besides, they don¡¯t even do a confirmation of how many skills you possess, even though there must be people like me who own more than one skill. It really is a law full of loopholes. However, thanks to this law, I have learned one thing. That is with respect to the age when children acquire skills, and apparently, with some exceptions, the first skill is obtained at the age of 10 to 12 years old. The exceptions are children who are in mortal danger and acquire skills to escape that life-threatening situation or children who are forcefully activated by illegal drugs. In either case, the child is subjected to a substantial strain that can leave them severely disabled or lead to skills spiraling uncontrollably. ¡°After that, well¡­ There are some countries that have encountered adversity at the hands of the Demon King¡¯s large-scale aggression, and some countries have even been swept into the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Hmm. That means that there will be a country reigned by a Demon King or a second dungeon to be conquered.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping to grasp a hint of the labyrinth X-J2 in our neighborhood at the earliest opportunity, but a few days ago, I couldn¡¯t even locate the entrance. Would you happen to have any knowledge of it, Kurokiri-sama?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any information about Labyrinth X-J2.¡± As I thought, even Kurokiri-sama lacks insight on the subject. I wonder where this country is heading in the future¡­ it disturbs me deeply. ¡°As I said, this is what has happened in this past month, as far as I know.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks a lot. I¡¯ve learned various information. Then, I¡¯m going to terminate the communication, and be careful not to be exposed regarding the Kirijin from now on.¡± ¡°Yes. Take care, Kurokiri-sama.¡± CH 27 ¡°There¡¯s another letter today too¡­?¡± It has already been a month after the defeat of the ¡°Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength¡± of the ¡°Demon Fortress,¡± aka Labyrinth X-J1, at the hands of Kurokiri. Although various things have transpired during that time, I¡¯ll leave it to Houki to explain it (read the preceding chapter). And now, what is distressing me is the thing stored in my shoe cupboard before my eyes. It is a letter with something in a rectangular shape. By now, I can recall sighting it 15 times over the past month. Surely the reason for the rise in the number must be that Ichiko is gone and I, who was heartbroken on the sidelines, have begun to smile again, thus this is the opportunity for them to confess! Or anything along those lines. What a load of crap. ¡°Hey, look. Ryo-san is getting another letter.¡± ¡°How nice. I wish I could get one too.¡± ¡°But I bet Lady Ryo¡­ will reject it this time too.¡± ¡°That is so true©`!¡± I can hear the voices of jealousy all around me. Honestly, the recipient (me) has to go through the hassle of viewing the contents and refusing the offer, all for the sake of maintaining a good public reputation and avoiding any lingering regret. I mean, why do boys have to write love letters? Why don¡¯t you just confess your feelings in public like a man! On top of that, there are even idiots who will start weeping or start a rampage in a fit of rage when I reject them politely! I¡¯d much rather deal with Kurokiri, who has been clear from the beginning that I belong to him! ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll have to check this out first.¡± Taking out the letter from inside the shoe cupboard, I first confirm the front and back sides. There is no name of the addressee or sender. What¡¯s holding the letterhead together is an ordinary frog-shaped sticker. Then, I peel off the sticker and inspect the contents. Let¡¯s see, the contents are¡­? ¡°Dear Nasu Ryo-senpai I have something I would like to tell and discuss with you, senpai. Please meet me at the back of the gym after school. Yaharai Chirito.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yaharai Chirito¡­ ah, if I remember correctly, you are the younger brother of Houki-san, aren¡¯t you? I believe he should have been a boy with a baby face, no taller than 150, even though he is in his first year of high school. That brings back memories¡­ we often shared playtime together when we were little. But he would know that if he wanted to confess to me, he would have to do it up front, which means that there is something that he is reluctant to convey¡­ or rather, something that he can¡¯t say in public. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I shall head there.¡± Ah, but just to be on the safe side, I should inform Kurokiri to have a couple of Fogs on the standby line since the entrance to the labyrinth is close by. And here am I, at the back of the gymnasium. Chirito is standing in front of me, seemingly unsettled. ¡°U-uh, t-thank you very much for coming today, Nasu-senpai.¡± ¡°Since you and I are friends and there is no one else here, it is fine to call me Ryo onee-chan like you used to do.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Ah, yes. Then there is something I would like to ask you first, Ryo onee-chan.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I knew it, this atmosphere; it¡¯s not a confession. ¡°To begin with, the skill I possess is called ?Personal Analyze?.¡± ¡­! Analytical skill? ¡°I was aware of this skill when the presence of the skill was publicized last time. This is what I want to tell you. And what I want to discuss with you is about Houki nee-san.¡± This is¡­ not good. ¡°I took a look at Houki nee-san with this skill the other day. And it turned out¡­ she¡¯s not human.¡± I knew it!! ¡°Ryo onee-chan. Do you know what has happened to my sister! If that wasn¡¯t my sister, and if it turned out to be a demon in her skin¡­¡± I don¡¯t think I have a choice. ¡°Chirito, rest assured. That is undoubtedly your sister.¡± ¡°Is that true!?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. And you can use that skill on me.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. ?Personal Analyze?¡­ Eh?¡± ¡°The Kirijin is not a single entity.¡± ¡°Eh, w-why is Ryo onee-chan¡­? ¡°And now that you know this much, I can¡¯t afford to let you simply walk away.¡± ¡°L-lies. It can¡¯t be¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Chirito has his head in his hands in turmoil. Well, that¡¯s a natural reaction. Two non-human beings have been present in his close company. Nonetheless, I cannot back down now that I have revealed all this to him. ¡°Chirito, be at ease. Even if the race has changed, it does not prove that the heart has equally changed. So for now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, uh¡­¡± ¡°Go to sleep. ?Mist Slap?!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± When my ?Mist Slap? strikes Chirito in the face, his body is blown away, causing him to pass out. Now all that remains is, ¡°Fogs and the others. Quickly bring him into the labyrinth. Kurokiri. Is everything ready?¡± ¡°I understand©`¡± ¡°Aiaisa©`¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made preparations. I¡¯d be grateful for the opportunity to convert him into a kin since analytical skills are valuable. Well then, I¡¯m disconnecting.¡± Thus, I am the sole remaining person in the back of the gymnasium. Perhaps tomorrow, Chirito will become a kin of Kurokiri and come outside. Even so¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve done it too, haven¡¯t I? This time, I completely cooperated with Kurokiri voluntarily¡­ I can only hope that nothing like this will arise in the future¡­¡± CH 28 ¡°You want me to cooperate with you. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, Hisano Ichiko-kun.¡± After the wounds were healed, I returned to the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. For what purpose? Isn¡¯t that obvious? It is to grow stronger even if only a little. I will become stronger and defeat that crappy Kurokiri. And then, for some reason, six soldiers have shown up in front of me. Why are they here? ¡°Without knowing the identity of the client or the nature of the request, I can¡¯t say yes. I don¡¯t even know what kind of skills you possess.¡± ¡°Hey! Do you know what you¡¯re up against!¡± One of the soldiers is acting like a fool, isn¡¯t he? It is you who has no grasp of your position. Shall I threaten you a little? ¡°We will¡­ aah!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who fails to understand. If I wanted to, I could obliterate a platoon of military sh*theads like you, you know?¡± I move with ?Short-range Teleportation? and place the blade in my hand against his neck. ¡°Please forgive him, and let him go.¡± The person who seems to be the captain bows his head to me. Mmm. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s start with your names and affiliations. Also, please inform me of how you learned of my name and identity.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Captain!?¡± ¡°You shut the hell up.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°¡®Shut up¡¯.¡± ¡°Ggh¡­¡± Hmm. I guess your skill may be command-oriented (¡°command¡± is also command-oriented if one broadly considers it as such). I had the impression that his words carried a certain authority. ¡°First of all, about me, my name is Otachi Mamoru, captain of the X-J1 barrier monitoring unit. Shall I introduce my skill?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine since it¡¯s a lifeline for you.¡± ¡°Thank you. As to how I discovered your name and identity, I can only say that it was through analytical skills. Excuse me.¡± ¡°No problem. I recognize the significance of analytical skills as well.¡± Analytical skills, I see. When considering the future, I should examine the possibility of somehow concealing my race from analytical skills. ¡°So, why are you seeking my cooperation? If my memory serves me right, I have inflicted damage on your troops as well, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I know that. And if I may be frank, I¡¯d like to avenge my men¡¯s deaths right now.¡± ¡°But even if that feeling is suppressed, there is something you must request of me.¡± ¡°Yes. Would you mind at least listening to the circumstances?¡± Then the captain gives me a bow once more. Well, how could I possibly refuse to listen to him after he has gone to such lengths? ¡°I understand. But whether or not I will cooperate depends on the details.¡± ¡°Thank you. Let me express my gratitude once and for all. Now, let¡¯s start with how it all began.¡± Well, to summarize the captain¡¯s story, this is what transpired. ?After the existence of the skill was made public, the morons who discovered they possess a powerful skill went on a rampage. ?Although most of the morons were restrained by the military, some of them went into underground hiding. ?One of these morons has abducted many young children and forced them to awaken their skills with drugs. ?When the military became aware of this fact, they thought of apprehending this moron, but the children they were supposed to protect might attack them. ?If so, that moron should be exterminated. Therefore, the top echelon of the military secretly planned to assassinate him. ?And I was selected to be the one to carry out the assassination. What can I say¡­? If that moron is a piece of crap, then the top echelon of the military is a piece of crap too. Isn¡¯t the military top brass just determined to exploit me? But, well, Otachi Mamoru, was that your name? This captain seems to be relatively trustworthy. While he was explaining the situation, he wore a bit of a bitter expression on his face. In all likelihood, this person not only loathes that moron but the upper echelons of the military as well. Oh well, the barrier monitoring unit has been silent until now, and now has become the most endangered unit. How can someone in such a position be on good terms with those at the top? ¡°I understand your circumstances. If that¡¯s the case, I will discuss it with my master and consider it favorably.¡± ¡°Your master¡­ To speak the truth, there is one more thing I would like to ask of you.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°If possible, I would like the children you rescue to be empowered with the same skill you employ to make yourself disappear. I assume you learned that skill in some other way than by leveling up?¡± You want the children you saved to have them awaken the ?Fog Cloak?? I wonder what that means. ¡°Can you share with me your reasons?¡± ¡°The children are probably being forced to awaken skills that are beyond their capacity. Therefore, I want to equip them with skills that are ostensibly beneficial to their future.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s the mindset of a major blockhead.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°¡®Shut up¡¯! May I know your reasons for not doing so?¡± Reason? Ha! That is¡­! ¡°That skill is the evidence of me ceasing to be a human being. In other words, your words now are akin to telling children to transform themselves into monsters.¡± ¡°¡­But still, isn¡¯t this preferable to being subjected to unreasonable bullying from those around them because they ¡®don¡¯t have the skills,¡¯ ¡®can¡¯t use them,¡¯ or ¡®can¡¯t control them,¡¯? With this, we can show the world that your race, the ¡®Kirijin¡¯, is a friendly race, and the race distinction won¡¯t be a concern.¡± I see¡­ so that¡¯s the conclusion you came up with. But that is impossible. ¡°It¡¯s of no concern of mine. If the number of ¡®Kirijin¡¯ increases, that guy might be thrilled, but for me, it¡¯s nothing more than a nuisance. Or perhaps he won¡¯t be pleased either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It truly is a nuisance. As the number of Kirijin increases, it will only serve as an incentive that will make it that much tougher to reach Kurokiri¡¯s strength. For some reason, Kurokiri seems to view it as an impediment for his own forces to grow too formidable. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s step out of the dungeon for now. I have to consult with my master about whether or not I can accept this request. We will discuss the reward at that time as well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I understand.¡± The soldiers and I leave the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. CH 29 Beware of grotesque scenes in this chapter. Please refrain from reading if you are uncomfortable with it. ¡°If that is what¡¯s going on, you have my authorization to slaughter them outside of the dungeon. Yes, we should play it by the book and torment such vermin until they regret being alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As for the reward afterwards¡­ let¡¯s see. If there are any children without any relatives, please get them. I¡¯ll rear them here.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re going to transform them into your kin?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way; that depends on their skills and status.¡± This is the outcome of my communication with Kurokiri right after I departed from the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±. Seriously, that piece of crap Kurokiri¡­ I¡¯ll absolutely make him regret being alive someday¡­ ¡°Hmm. Have you made contact with your master or something?¡± The man who calls out to me is the same man who lunged at me in the labyrinth. I think his name is Tachikabe Tsuyoshi, and his role is simply to watch over and communicate with me. Well, he is only waiting outside of the labyrinth. Incidentally, I was told that he possesses the skill, ?Visual Sharing?.¡± ¡°Yes, the communication had been made. The reward is that if there are children without relatives, they will be taken in by us.¡± ¡°In other words, if they harbor competent powers, they will join the ranks of the monsters, just like you. If not, they will be sacrificed.¡± ¡°The optimal situation would be to be nurtured as a fellow-creature while still being regarded as a human being. But that path is unlikely, given his nature.¡± Though what would really be an ideal scenario would be to put them in an orphanage once they¡¯re recovered. ¡°Now, the captain has already informed me of the target¡¯s whereabouts and characteristics. Shall we get going?¡± ¡°You seem to be more eager for the ride than I expected. Why?¡± ¡°Saving the children is a pleasure in itself for me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± And the time now is night. The location is the laboratory where the moron in question is residing. ¡°It¡¯s awful, even worse than I expected.¡± ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m about to throw up.¡± The scene that awaited me there could only be described as gruesome. All the walls are drenched in crimson, and there are remnants of the assault throughout the place. And the majority of the corpses piled up are children. ¡°We¡¯ve treated and gathered up all the living children, so I suggest you call an ambulance and the police at your earliest convenience.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. My unit is already on the way¡­ Our unit is the finest, and we will save all of the living kids¡¯ when they arrive¡­¡¯¡± Nearly all of the bodies lying here were killed by me, while the remainder were bodies that were unable to withstand the recoil of the skills I had used, resulting in their bodies bursting apart. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there existed such a skill called ?Brainwashing Drug?.¡± ¡°Ah yeah¡­ Forcibly drawing out the specs beyond the limit, then killing the kids together under that condition to manifest the skill. The story is just sickening to listen to¡­¡± ¡°The fortunate thing is that the effect also wears off when the practitioner dies. However, even if the body is safe, there is no telling what has affected their hearts.¡± At my feet, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat, who was the target of the operation, died in the manner of having his heart ripped out while he was still alive. Although I truly would have preferred to kill him more savagely, there was no room for that. After all, there were many children simultaneously assailing me, who would have succumbed to death after merely casting their skills once, let alone a few times. ¡°At any rate, the request has been fulfilled. As for the reward, I will come back to retrieve it later¡­ wait a minute. I found a hidden door.¡± ¡°It looks so. Watch out for it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± When I enter the hidden room through the door I discovered, there is a child about 9 years old, alive and in the¡­ process of dissection. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ is this for real?¡± The body is convulsing as if no anesthesia has been administered, and its vitality is so tenuous that if anyone detaches their eyes from it even briefly, it seems as if it will succumb to death immediately. ¡°This¡­ is not auspicious. That kid can¡¯t sustain it like this¡­¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± I should end the child¡¯s life so they won¡¯t be suffering any worse¡­ ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll do what I can¡­ Though it would be extremely humiliating to rely on his power.¡± ¡°?¡± Yes. I refuse¡­ to accept such an outcome. It is still better to cease being a human being than to die. For as long as they are alive, there is a chance for them to be happy! ¡°Skill acquisition ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?. Kurokiri, can you help me?¡± ¡°It seems that thanks to the kid¡¯s near-death state where they can¡¯t move on their own, they¡¯re being treated as if they were in captivity. Fine, I¡¯ll lend you my power. However, you must look after the kid. And you¡¯re confined to my labyrinth for the duration of the penalty period.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Within the past month, my level has advanced to level 6. Yet, I felt that there were no great skills that can be learned at that time, so I figured I would carry the Skp over to the subsequent time. Nevertheless, the name of the skill that I am going to acquire here and now is ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?. This is a skill that is exclusive to the kin and allows them to execute the skills of their master, the Demon King, through their five senses in the status of kin. In exchange, the skill consumes half of the HP, MP, and SP that the Demon King expends with that skill, and the amount that it consumes will not be restored for a week. However, with this skill, the current predicament can be resolved. If so, there is no other choice but for me to learn it. ¡°Then, ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?.¡± ¡°Oh. ?Monster Creation?!¡± ¡°!¡± As a large amount of magic power is discharged from me, a magic circle is depicted under the child, and with it, the child is remade¡­ no, reborn¡­ from a human to a Kirijin. And while the body is being transformed, the dismembered body is also being regenerated and converted into a body devoid of scars. ¡°Seriously¡­ Is this the power of your master¡­ no, the power of the Demon King¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed¡­ But it¡¯s tougher than I expected. Excuse me, but I will take this kid and leave, so please deactivate the ?Visual Sharing?.¡± ¡°A-ah, I understand.¡± Once I no longer have the sensation that someone is beside me, I carry the child in my arms and depart from the place. CH 30 ¡°Yo, Ichiko. Thanks for your diligence.¡± After uttering this, I welcome Ichiko and the child who has been transformed into a kin as they return to ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± from the outside while I am still in a state of fog. Ichiko, who is evidently fatigued, comes over to speak with me. ¡°How unusual¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? About what?¡± ¡°To welcome me like that, saying a few words of appreciation for my efforts.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean. Even I would exert my energy on such an occasion. Anyway, here¡¯s my command, rest for now.¡± ¡°¡­Damn you, Kurokiri¡­¡± With that, Ichiko collapses on the spot. However, I partially materialize my body around Ichiko and support her before her body makes contact with the ground. ¡°Well, and you are¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± My attention falls on the child that Ichiko has brought with her. Incidentally, since the child is now inside me, I have also verified that this child is a girl and the wounds that she had before transforming into a kin have disappeared. You there! Don¡¯t you dare say I have messed with every inch of a little girl¡¯s body or something! I mean, the nature of my body allows me to touch everything in the fog, the same way I can see and hear everything in the process! This is by no means intentional even if I am consequently in the process of touching and lapping up on a little girl¡¯s entire body! Yes, this is an inexorable act! And while I am rambling wildly in my mind, the girl approaches Ichiko. Judging by the direction of her eyes, she apparently assumes that my main body is near Ichiko. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mmm. If possible, I would like you to at least share your name with me¡­¡± The girl is wordlessly waving her hand towards where she perceives me to be, attempting to get a touch. I am sorry. Since I¡¯m a fog, you can¡¯t touch me. ¡°Ah, is it possible that you can¡¯t speak?¡± ¡°¡­(Nod deeply).¡± The girl gives a nod of affirmation. Well, after what you have been put through, it¡¯s reasonable for you to be traumatized. In fact, I am amazed that you still retain the mental fortitude to respond to my questions. Perhaps, as a result of her conversion to a kin, not only her physical body but also her mind has been healed to the point where she can regain the ability of cogitation. ¡°Anyway, can you write?¡± ¡°¡­(Nod deeply).¡± Thus, here are the results of the communication. Since she can¡¯t vocalize, her status can¡¯t be opened unless she has done a fair amount of training and is able to invoke her skill without chanting. ?Her name is Kokoro Izumi. ?The skill she possesses is ?Unbloody?, a constantly activated skill that renders her wounds incapable of bleeding regardless of how severe they may be. ?All of her family members are dead. Her parents were murdered by a man hired by the researcher, and her younger brother, who was kidnapped together with her, perished during the experiment. When I ask her about her plans for the future, she expresses her desire to repay Ichiko for saving her life, and even though there is no necessity to go to sleep, I put her to bed as it¡¯s late at night. ¡°Even so, things have developed in an intriguing way.¡± While saying this, my thoughts drift back to Ryo and Chirito, the boy who I made to become my kin at Ryo¡¯s request, and then to Ichiko and Izumi, the girl who I made to become my kin at Ichiko¡¯s request. By the way, Chirito is presently under semi-arrest at Ryo¡¯s house, and the situation is being clarified to him. Now, this two new kin are now under the same race, although the reasons for their conversion to a kin are the exact opposite of those of their predecessors. Chirito, on the other hand, was turned into a kin for his own safety and to contain the leakage of information after Ryo¡¯s true identity was exposed. That is to say, it was for Ryo¡¯s own sake. In contrast, Izumi transformed into a kin because Ichiko saw her on the verge of death, and she wished to save her. In other words, Ichiko was acting in the best interests of Izumi, a stranger. Well, I don¡¯t rule out the possibility that Ichiko¡¯s personal wish was to avoid witnessing someone dying in front of her. This distinction is fascinating indeed. After all, they were once master and servant, and their inclinations should have been similar, but they were nevertheless divergent in such a manner. I wonder what would happen if both parties were to inform each other of this development. While Ichiko might understand and accept the situation because of her devotion to Lady Ryo, maybe Ryo would condemn Ichiko¡¯s behavior. Well, I won¡¯t be the one to break the news to them anyway. These things are more enticing when they are presented in their natural state without any tweaks. ¡°But then again, this whole affair has led to some interesting revelations.¡± That is the fact that it is possible to recuperate from wounds by ?Monster Creation? and that if certain conditions are met, it is even possible to transform a human into a kin without the use of shackles or other restraints. For the recovery of wounds, the extent to which they are determined to be wounds is not fully clear until I see more actual cases, but there is a high likelihood that congenital illnesses, but not acquired illnesses, will be assessed as wounds. If this turns out to be true, they will seek to become a kin in exchange for the treatment of the disease. In other words, negotiations would be possible. Also, the fact that a human being can be converted into a kin without restraint applies in a similar way: a person who is dying in a dungeon can be converted into a kin in exchange for saving their life. That would mean I have another card to play in my hand. ¡°The only catch is that this is part of the ?Monster Creation?, so if I can do it, it means that other Demon Kings can perform it as well. If I indiscreetly proliferate the number of my subordinates, I will not be able to manage them. Moreover, there is a risk of being found out¡­ no, I wonder if a part of the military and the head of the country have already figured it out.¡± At this point, I pondered briefly. Ichiko¡¯s true identity has been uncovered. Therefore, it is logical to assume that Ryo¡¯s true identity and the Demon King of which he is the master are also exposed. Then why hasn¡¯t the country contacted Ryo, be it friendly or hostile? Well, the simple conclusion is that they are being kept in the dark. Ryo is the daughter of a member of the Diet. In other words, she has some standing in the eyes of the public, even if not legally. In addition, she is ostensibly the only human being with knowledge of the inner workings of the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± as well as a valuable person who may be able to extract information about me behind the scenes. Thus, the information in her possession is extremely priceless. Furthermore, she is also an expert healer. When you think about it¡­ hmm. It might be wise to disclose the information about Kirijin, or rather, the kin, as opposed to concealing it. It may also serve as a deterrent to other Demon Kings. Then, I¡¯ll let Ryo pass the message on to them. On second thought, I haven¡¯t received any compensation for turning Chirito into a kin yet¡«? CH 31 ¡°Huh¡­ Are you for real, Kurokiri?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. I mean, I would never suggest this as a joke.¡± A week after Chirito assumed his race as a kin, Kurokiri makes an outlandish comment to me at dawn as I am preparing to put on my shoes for school at the front door of my house. ¡°Then what was all that effort to obscure my true identity¡­ Anyway, please tell me what you want me to tell them one more time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. Well, for now: ?The Demon King can transform human beings into his own kin under certain conditions. ?You are a non-human being called Kirijin, and you are a kin of the Demon King. ?There are currently several Kirijin. ?Although a kin cannot defy the commands of their master, the master of the Kirijin (in other words, me) is fundamentally unwilling to issue commands against their will. Please convey this to them. You may change the degree to which you disseminate the information and how you present it as you desire with the exception of the very first information. However, the structure of the dungeon and the demon inhabiting it and my abilities cannot be told to them.¡± How wide the range of dissemination will be up to me and whom I discuss it with? Are you likely implying that I should consult with my father to settle the matter? Then, from the second point onwards, the information should be limited to those who are prominent within the country. But you certainly are quick©\sighted, aren¡¯t you? It would be an exceptional advantage for humans if the structure of the dungeon, the demons, and your abilities were to be relayed to them, yet you have forbidden me to deliver such information as if it were a natural right. Well, since you have requested me to do it, all I can do is comply. ¡°Houki.¡± ¡°Is something wrong, Miss? You¡¯ve been murmuring something to yourself since a few minutes ago.¡± ¡°I will be absent from school today. And please promptly inform my father ¡®that I have something to confide in him¡¯.¡± ¡°Eh! Eh? Miss!?¡± After removing my shoes, I return to my room for a change of clothes before lifting the restrictions ?Fog Cloak?. ¡°M-miss. At least, a place has been created for you to converse with the Master. Wait, you are putting on ?Fog Cloak?!?¡± ¡°Thank you, Houki. Well, I have no alternative but to activate it since it¡¯s related to what we¡¯re going to discuss.¡± I leave the room and head for my father¡¯s room. ¡°Father. It¡¯s Ryo. Excuse me.¡± ¡°Ah, en¡­ ter!?¡± Oh, you are startled as I suspected. But that¡¯s only natural. He carries the face of a man who rightfully deserves to have a daughter, and right now, I am clad in the fog despised by this city because of that dungeon. ¡°Is that¡­ your skill?¡± ¡°Yeah. The name of the skill is ?Fog Cloak?. It is a skill obtained by those who have joined the ¡®Kirijin¡¯, the kin of the Demon King, the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯.¡± As I am explaining, my father displays an expression of bewilderment and astonishment. ¡°?Fog Cloak?¡­ no, more importantly, being a kin of the Demon King! What do you mean! Ryo! Explain yourself immediately¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I will. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here in this form.¡± And thus the explanation followed. What really transpired on that day? How did I end up becoming a Kirijin? What kind of existence is a Kirijin? Is Ichiko really alive? There is more than one Kirijin. As far as I know, what kind of thoughts does Kurokiri hold. Piece by piece, I conveyed this information to him. And each time he would learn a revelation that was previously unknown to him, the bitterness on my father¡¯s countenance would deepen. However, there are things I neglected to share with him. About Houki and Chirito. And that there is a room in the basement of our house that leads to the dungeon. About how Kurokiri vanquished the Demon King of the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡±, the ¡°Demon King of Dominating Herculean Strength¡±. And then, after the explanation has concluded, my father opens his mouth. ¡°Hah. Although I don¡¯t want to believe it, it seems circumstantial and logical to trust you¡­¡± ¡°Father, I apologize for not being able to pass this on to you until now. But please be assured that I have prepared myself thoroughly.¡± ¡°No, there is no need to be prepared¡­ Your master is Kurokiri, you say? You did a remarkable job of sharing the information, even though you were ordered to do so. Since that is the case, I will try to work things out with my superiors. Of course, it will be in the direction of aiding you.¡± After saying this, my father calls somewhere with a telephone nearby and initiates a discussion. Then he put down the phone. ¡°Phew. I¡¯m sorry, Ryo. I have already briefed them on everything apart from your identity, but could you tell them the same story again to the higher-ups?¡± ¡°My bad, but that¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡°!?¡± All of a sudden, a child¡¯s voice can be heard coming from somewhere. When I glance around, there is a child in the corner of the room composed of a thin haze¡­ a fog. ¡°You are¡­!¡± ¡°Good morning, father-in-law. I am Kurokiri. But since my main body can¡¯t step out of the dungeon very often, this is how you and I will be communicating via the demon under my control.¡± ¡°Who is your father-in-law! I will not yield my daughter to you!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re making fun of me now!¡±[i] ¡°Practically, though, your daughter has already been given to me©`¡± ¡°Kurokiri, please don¡¯t agitate my father either!¡± ¡°Hahahaha.¡± Ah, what are both Kurokiri and my father doing¡­ My head is beginning to ache¡­ ¡°Well, let¡¯s save all those details for later. However, I hope you will agree that there is no possibility of sending Ryo to such a meeting place. At worst, after extracting all the information they can, they might simply tear her apart from behind the scenes.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen¡­ is what I would like to say but the hardliners may be willing to pull that much off.¡± ¡°In certain cases, the probability that other Demon Kings¡¯ kin are intermingled among the Diet members can¡¯t be ruled out. I mean, it has probably taken place in some countries, you know.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even want to ponder that¡­¡± What Kurokiri is pointing out is certainly a plausible scenario¡­ Moreover, if that were to be true, the whole world would be in chaos all over again¡­ ¡°Well, for that reason, if the higher-ups insist on an explanation before them, I¡¯ll be the one to go. That¡¯s why I¡¯m borrowing the mouth of this guy who can only commit a little mischief on its own in the dungeon. Oh, and if I can also bring a boy named Yaharai Chirito along with me, I would like to take him along on a surreptitious tour of the assembly.¡± ¡°Chirito-kun? Ah, that reminds me, he is the bearer of the ?Personal Analyze?. That would definitely prove handy.¡± Thereafter, the procedures are settled one after another in front of me. ¡°Ah¡­ Even so, I¡¯ll be a hero if this goes well, but if it fails, I¡¯ll have no choice but to flee at night with my whole family.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll think about it when the time comes.¡± I can only say this if that happens. ¡°Haha, Ryo. Thank you.¡± ¡°Or rather, you can join me as my kin when the circumstances are such. You are more than welcome.¡± You want my father to be your kin? Well, I can understand your feelings since he is a brilliant man. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d appreciate it if I could be spared from that. Well then, let¡¯s be on our way.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to happen that way either. Let¡¯s head out.¡± And with that, my father and Kurokiri set off for the assembly. T/N: [i] This one is sort of hard to translate. It¡¯s a sentence that can be interpreted several ways, something like a pun. The first meaning can be said that you¡¯re poking fun at me/you¡¯re ridiculing me. And it can also mean a comedy man. And also, it can mean Kurokiri is saying he already committed sexual intercourse with Ryo CH 32 Exposure. ¡°Now, today¡¯s session of the National Assembly is now adjourned is what I would like to say, however, I have an urgent matter to raise with Councilor Nasu.¡± I have been brought to the National Assembly by Ryo onee-chan¡¯s father, albeit clandestinely. In all honesty, being brought out of the blue to a place I have only watched on the news up until now, evokes no emotions other than bewilderment. Nevertheless, today I have been appointed the role of conducting searches to identify any non-humans who might be mixed up in this venue through ?Personal Analyze?. In that case, the only action I can take is to fulfill that role. I mean, first of all, I myself am not a human being¡­ but I shouldn¡¯t say that, right? Even so, who is this person that Uncle Nasu has brought with him? I didn¡¯t see him in the car on the way here. This is where it all starts. I need to concentrate. ¡°Councilor Nasu. Please introduce our guest.¡± ¡°Yes. I have brought with me today an official of Labyrinth X-J2¡­ no, I should put it this way: the administrator.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd¡­¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s invite him to join us. This is the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯.¡± After saying this, the door to the Diet opens, and a small child composed of a fog-like substance enters and makes his way to the platform to deliver his speech. Eh? That one is a Demon King? ¡°Now, if you all would excuse me for this appearance of mine for various reasons, ladies and gentlemen of the assembly.¡± ¡°This is a Demon King¡­?¡± ¡°No way, no way¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I understand that you have a lot to say, but I am a veritable Demon King. The name of the dungeon I rule is ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯. I suppose the name you guys assigned to it is Labyrinth X-J2. Right. For now, you can refer to me as the Fog King.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°What I hope to relay to you this time is about the Demon King and the kin.¡± Fog King-chan? You are a Demon King? No, maybe it¡¯s better to say Fog King-san. The complexion of some of the council members changes when they hear his voice. ¡°Well, this is a piece of information that could be a lifeline for me as well. Therefore, I¡¯ll be misleading you to a certain extent, but I¡¯ll tell you this much. We Demon Kings are capable of creating our own demons called ¡®kin¡¯ from human beings.¡± Eh? Then¡­ Kurokiri-san is¡­ ¡°W-what does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like. And most of the kin have an appearance roughly the same as you humans do.¡± ¡­ ¡°!? I-If that¡¯s the truth, then that¡¯s a very grave concern¡­¡± ¡°S-so you¡¯re pointing out that monsters could be living among normal people.¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll warn you, you don¡¯t need to hunt down and detain a kin that hasn¡¯t committed anything. It depends on who¡¯s the master, and I¡¯ve done nothing more than preventing information leakage.¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d believe that!¡± ¡°I guess so. So monitoring suspicious people is fine. However, a kin is basically no different from a human being. You should remember that. And if you lay a hand on my kin without any particular crime¡­ do you understand the consequences? A chill crawls across my spine. But I think this is the truth. In fact, I am a kin of a certain Demon King, yet I have not received any orders to do anything. Oh no, I have to concentrate. I have to proceed with the analysis¡­ huh? This person¡­? Something is disrupting my ?Personal Analyze?¡­? ¡°You¡­ What do you desire from us by delivering such a message¡­¡± That¡¯s right. There is no doubt. This person is¡­ ¡°I have a certain objective. To attain that goal, I¡¯m operating the labyrinth. Ideally, I want to kill, be killed, help, and be helped. Well, it would be preferable to have humans governing the country. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like this subject to be spread around the world if possible.¡± a kin! ¡°And apparently, someone really did blend in.¡± With that, Fog King-san turns to the councilman, whom I have identified as a kin.[i] Eh, huh? Why? Well, okay. At any rate, simultaneously with that, the people around that council member pull back all at once. ¡°Hah! It¡¯s a false accusation!¡± ¡°My bad, but if you want evidence, I have the right kind of proof using my skills. Besides, I mentioned it earlier. A kin is no different from a human being. Therefore, it is unnecessary to restrain them when they have done nothing. Ah, but if you ask your master and get their approval, then at least provide me with the name of your master and the name of the dungeon. In any case, there must be a means of communication for such an eventuality, right?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­! That¡¯s¡­ eh, ah, gah!¡± The councilor who is a kin suddenly begins to tremble, and his face becomes somewhat vixen-like. ¡°Excuse me. My name is ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯. I am the master of the labyrinth you call X-J3, the ¡®Fox City of the Beasts of War¡¯. Did you say you are the Fog King? You have a very appetizing manner of doing things, aren¡¯t you?¡± A female speaking with an old man¡¯s voice is so creepy¡­ but that¡¯s not the point. ¡°It makes no difference to me. So, the fact that you¡¯re displaying your face to me like way suggests that this old man¡¯s sole purpose is to collect information.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps the goals of mine and yours aren¡¯t so different. Frankly speaking, I have no intention of ruling the country. Unless someone causes unnecessary harm to my kin.¡± ¡°I see. By the way, have you informed anyone of your goal?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Fog King-san and Fox Princess-san (the councilor controlled by her) mutually deepen their smiles. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving without further information to disclose. Well, humans. Let me be excused for this time.¡± ¡°Then I shall do the same.¡± With those remarks, Fog King-san vanishes from the scene, and the councilor, who is being manipulated by Fox Princess-san, reverts back to his original face. ¡°This is utterly unanticipated¡­¡± In my ears, I can hear Uncle Nasu¡¯s mutterings, which are tinged with perplexity. T/N: [i] For those who don¡¯t get why Chirito is confused that Kurokiri is facing the councilor suddenly after he identified that the councilor is a kin, that¡¯s because Chirito doesn¡¯t know Kurokiri is his master. And it¡¯s not explicitly stated, but let¡¯s just assume Kurokiri has some sort of power that can know who¡¯s the kin are after Chirito managed to identify with the use of his skill since a lot of things are omitted in Japanese novel CH 33 All hell¡¯s breaking loose. ¡°Oh well, I spoke too much.¡± ¡°You think the only thing you did was rambling on too much! Everywhere is in an uproar!¡± Following a certain council member¡¯s (the one who is a kin of the fox princess) resignation press conference overnight, Ryo¡¯s indignant voice reverberates in my head. By the way, Ryo¡¯s father is not made accountable since he is human and has thwarted the likelihood of the country being ruled by a Demon King before the country would even realize it apparently. However, at the same time, he is also accused of being involved with the Demon King, the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog.¡± Afterwards, Houki and Chirito went blue in the face as they realized that Kurokiri = the Fog King. Well, they have calmed down now though. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my bad. So, how are the reactions of the people?¡± ¡°Since Japan operates on the principle that we should keep quiet about current events, and there is no telling what might happen if someone messes with another Demon King¡¯s kin, there hasn¡¯t arisen much of a crisis. With the exception of the councilor himself, it has not been made evident who the kin are.¡± Hmm. Is that how things have developed? ¡°However, in other countries, there are reports that this has almost triggered a downfall of the country, and certain religious communities are advocating the search for and extermination of all kin. On the contrary, there are countries and organizations that wish to transform all the human beings to the same affiliation with the Demon Kings as their kin with the Demon King as the head.¡± ¡°Things aren¡¯t looking peaceful. By the way, how¡¯s your neighborhood?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing what seems to be guards and monitoring crews. Though I¡¯m the only one following them.¡± I see. Even so, aside from the first two, I don¡¯t understand the third one¡­ Truthfully speaking, it makes no sense to accomplish such a feat, and it would consume an unbelievable amount of time and effort. ¡°Incidentally, did they discover the new entrance to my dungeon?¡± ¡°It looks like they have found it, but it¡¯s recognized as a new labyrinth. It has already been verified in other countries that other similar dungeons are being created in the vicinity of the existing ones, so it seems that they have judged it to be identical to the existing ones. Well, in fact, those dungeons may be linked internally to the original dungeon, and the master may be the same.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true.¡± I reply somewhat dismayed. Buuuuuuuuuuuu! ¡°And, it looks like it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had an intruder, so I¡¯m disconnecting. Call in if there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± And then the communication breaks off. ¡°The location is¡­ yes. The third level.¡± My heart skips a beat in anticipation of the first invader in a long time. ¡°Hmm. So here they are.¡± On the screen in front of me, the military men are shown crawling out of the dungeon. This time, as I had intended, I had spent about half a day defeating half of them and letting half of them escape. And although it has been ascertained that several of the people I defeated will not survive with ordinary medical treatment, they are still breathing. Incidentally, the battle scene is¡­ ¡°Hostiles attacking!¡± ¡°There are sniper shots coming from somewhere!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Pull yourself together, the wound is¡­ ugh!¡± ¡°Watch out! This bullet¡¯s a living thing!¡± ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re devouring me from the inside¡­ how gross!¡± It was something along those lines. Anyway, whoever called it gross, I agree with you, but I have memorized your face since you said it to me face to face. I have let you go this time, but there will be no next time. Now, here is the main subject of today¡¯s Super¡îExperiment Time. Therefore, I head to the third level where the wounded are. Don¡¯t underestimate the agility of the Demon King. ¡°Kill me¡­¡± ¡°If this doesn¡¯t go well. ?Monster Creation?.¡± ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± A magic circle emerges at the feet of the mortally wounded soldier, forcing an expression of anguish to surface on the soldier¡¯s face¡­ but that¡¯s all there is to it. Neither the soldier¡¯s wounds are healed nor does he transform into a kin. Moreover, my magic power has hardly dwindled at all. ¡°Hmm. No good. Then, as you wish, ?Mist Plosion?.¡± I put an end to the dying soldier. ¡°Then, off to the next one.¡± I proceed to the next soldier and repeat the same thing. Including the previous soldier, I have already attempted this on two other soldiers and failed on both. There are only two more to go. And here is the conclusion. Apparently, it is no good to simply utilize ?Monster Creation? on a dying person since they have been driven to the verge of death by ?Devouring Black Fog? in terms of HP and other regulations. Therefore, it may be crucial not to harbor the will to resist, as Izumi did. Or to put it another way, the other party may need to be willing to devote themselves to the Demon King. If that¡¯s the case, then a critically ill patient or a person who is dying in an accident might be a potential target. Aside from congenital diseases, given that Izumi was able to recover from her condition, it would definitely work on people with diseases or injuries that are developed later on. Alternatively, it could be a certain alien-like approach, ¡°Make a contract with me and become a Kirijin.¡± The only price is quitting the human race and collecting intelligence on a periodic basis, so who¡¯s going to get on board? Hmm. Then, I suppose I should request Ichiko to perform another assignment. She¡¯s basically a conscientious person, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be willing to undertake the task even if she¡¯s reluctant to do so. With light steps, I return to the first level. CH 34 ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°You are¡­ with your¡­ with your strength, my child can¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything, but based on the symptoms and the cause, I think it will work.¡± ¡°Then please¡­ as soon as possible¡­¡± ¡°I understand. All that remains is for the child to decide whether they want it or not.¡± After saying so, I enter the room separated from the couple, who appear to be on good terms most of the time, while Izumi who also serves as my bodyguard, follows close behind. This is a huge hospital in a certain part of a metropolitan area. This is a facility where only patients who cannot be treated are admitted, who cannot necessarily be cured even if they have acquired skill, an unknown power that has yet to be fully unveiled. And I, Hisano Ichiko, have arrived at such a place bearing the worst yet the best skill in a sense. ¡°The treatment of critically ill and incurable patients via becoming a kin¡­ is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Since Izumi can be healed, most of the patients may be manageable somehow.¡± Izumi and I temporarily halted our level-up efforts at the ¡°Demon¡¯s Fortress¡± and had returned to the ¡°White Fog and the Black Swamp Forest¡±. ¡°(Saving people?)¡± Note: This means conversation through handwriting since Izumi can¡¯t talk. ¡°There is a fine line between saving people or not though.¡± And what I was being informed right now was the treatment method that made use of ?Monster Creation?. ¡°I¡¯ve already done an investigation on a hospital that might be willing to accept such a method. Or rather, it is the hospital where Ryo has recently been visiting to earn some extra money by utilizing the ?Heal?.¡± ¡°Well¡­ are there any ethical issues?¡± This reminded me of the circumstances surrounding my first meeting with Izumi. With that skill, It is certainly possible to cure a majority of the patients. However, this comes at the price of quitting the human race and transforming into one of Kurokiri¡¯s kin. ¡°Of course, ethically speaking, it¡¯s absolutely out of the question. If it were baseball, it would be so out of bounds that you¡¯d be throwing at the batter from the beginning, not the strike zone.¡± ¡°(I don¡¯t understand.)¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really grasp your analogy, but¡­ there¡¯s no way I could do such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Well, that depends on the parent¡¯s heart and the child¡¯s heart, you know. The actuality is that there are people who are willing to cease to be human as long as their lives can be saved. And those folks show up like clinging to a sliver of hope. Now, can you disregard their desires? Even I have a heart like a human, you know?¡± Kurokiri stated with an expressionless face as if he actually witnessed such parents through Lady Ryo. And how can I disregard their desires when I am the only one who possesses the capability to save them¡­? ¡°Naturally, there are conditions.¡± After saying so, Kurokiri listed the conditions for treatment by ?Monster Creation?. According to the conditions, there are: ?This method is only applied to patients who cannot be cured by any other treatments. ?This method is employed only upon mutual consent. ?Allow at least one week of free time once the process is done due to the costs imposed on the practitioner. ?Since the number of ¡°Kirijin¡± will multiply, the government must be notified even after the process is done. ?The ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡± must ensure that the ¡°Kirijin¡± are not coerced into any action. ¡°Do I have the right to choose my patients?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll interfere to some extent, but fundamentally, I suppose you should save whoever you feel like saving.¡± Mmm. I wonder if I am capable of making such a level of judgment about whether or not someone¡¯s life can be entrusted to my hands¡­ ¡°(Can I help too?)¡± ¡°In fact, please help her. ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? is a massive strain on Ichiko because it leaves her vulnerable.¡± Izumi nodded. ¡°Well, flee to my labyrinth if anything goes awry. Nobody can meddle with you that way.¡± With these words, Izumi and I were sent outside. And now, back to the present. Before me is a pale-faced girl who has been diagnosed with a deadly disease and has been put on a ventilator and an intravenous drip. Izumi is subtly downcast as if she is reliving her own moments with such a young girl. To be honest, I am not convinced of this method. After all, while this treatment may save a life, it also implies that the individual will cease to be human. Given the existing dearth of knowledge concerning the ¡°Kirijin,¡± additional issues apart from the race issue are likely to arise in the future. Even though their child would cease to be a human being, the parents of this person I just met wished for their child to survive. After witnessing how they wished for it, there is no way I could refuse their request. Therefore, I have no alternative but to grant their wish if the girl expresses the desire to do so. I call out to the girl. ¡°May I¡­ have a moment?¡± ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± ¡°I am the ?Fog King¡¯s Representative?. I¡¯m here today to negotiate with you.¡± ¡°Nego¡­ tiation?¡± ¡°First of all, the disease you are afflicted with now is not treatable with the current medical technology. Even the treatment with ordinary skills will not have any effect.¡± ¡°I¡­ see¡­.¡± At my words, the girl exhibits a dejected look. This is¡­ painful. But I have to say it, to make the girl give up, and to make her accept it. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. With the skill my master possesses, in exchange for ceasing to be a human, you can be saved.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± The girl¡¯s face registers a look of puzzlement. Her reaction is unsurprising, considering the following words that come shortly after being told that even with skills, treatment is impossible. ¡°You have to make a choice. Will you die wishing to remain a human being? Or fall from a human to a demon in order to live. Choose one of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the girl has made her choice. The choice of quitting being a human in order to live. CH 35 I can¡¯t speak. Thanks to Ichiko nee-chan and Kurokiri nii-chan, my wounds inflicted by that doucheb*g have healed, but I have lost my voice. Kurokiri nii-chan told me that this is a matter of my heart. Someday I want to talk to him properly, not with a pen and paper¡­ And so, here we are at the hospital. Today, Ichiko nee-chan has arrived to heal patients at the request of Kurokiri nii-chan. I am Ichiko¡¯s bodyguard. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Please have a proper doctor examine her to see if she¡¯s really cured, including follow-up.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The lady Ichiko saved is grasping Ichiko nee-chan¡¯s hand while her cheeks are reddening. Why? ¡°That¡¯s the thing. It is because she is the one who performed a miracle, saving a life that should have been unsalvageable in the eyes of the bystanders. And since Ichiko looks like she has small breasts, but they¡¯re just below the top, maybe I can reach them myself if I try hard enough¡­ but that¡¯s a matter for men, right? At any rate, Ichiko has been overshadowed by Ryo so far, but it wouldn¡¯t be out of the question if one or two guys or girls fell in love with Ichiko when she is on her own.¡± Oh, you were watching, Kurokiri nii-chan. ¡°Well then, please excuse me. Let¡¯s go, Izumi.¡± ¡°(I understand.)¡± As Ichiko leaves, I follow suit. For now, if that lady attempts to do something strange to Ichiko, I will stop her. Hahaha¡­ kukukuku¡­ ahahahaha! At the same time. In the Demon King¡¯s room of ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±, I am breaking out into a peal of brilliant three-stage laughter.[i] Eh? What¡¯s the reason? Well, that would be due to the fact that Ichiko has fallen so spectacularly. Regardless of what she said with her mouth or how she deceived herself in her mind, the unchangeable reality remains that Ichiko created ¡°Kirijin¡± not only by the momentum but also by her own will! Therefore, to further progress the level of her fall, shall I proceed to the super whispering time? ¡°Good work, Ichiko.¡± ¡°! So it¡¯s you, Kurokiri¡­ What do you want?¡± ¡°I just came to express my appreciation for your hard work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ichiko arches an eyebrow. ¡±You should be proud of yourself. It was thanks to your utilization of ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? that she was saved. She was suffering from a fatal disease that could not be cured by today¡¯s technology. Well, consequently she had to cease to be a human being though¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s because Kurokiri you¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I was an accomplice too. But, consider this. Although it is true that if I had not used the ?Monster Creation? or if she had refused to become a kin, I would have been unable to heal her. In the end, the ultimate decision rested on your hands, you know¡­ I mean, if you had not invoked ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?, I would not have succeeded in making her my kin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡­!¡± Ichiko¡¯s voice is wavering. Yeah. I¡¯m getting excited. ¡°I am not wrong. This is the truth. And you have made your choice. The choice to ¡®turn someone into a monster to save their life¡¯¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now, what would your esteemed Lady Ryo be thinking if she were to find out about the relationship Ichiko and I have now? Shall I tell her?¡± Of course, I am kidding. It would be more fascinating if she found out on her own. ¡°W-wait, you can¡¯t do that¡­¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m joking. So keep up the good work, okay?¡± ¡°¡­I know¡­ I understand so¡­¡± Well, now that I¡¯ve tormented you thoroughly, let¡¯s clear away the fog. ¡°Haha, if it comes to it, I¡¯ll protect you just like I did in ¡®Demon¡¯s Fortress¡¯. Besides¡­¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the affirmative about whatever choice you make.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± Oh, you are trembling. After all, I do have to behave myself in the manner of a Demon King from time to time. This is so pleasurable. ¡°Then, I¡¯m disconnecting. Thanks for your efforts, Ichiko.¡± Several weeks later. ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s entirely far-fetched¡­¡± Recently, there has been a rumor circulating in the country that if you become a ¡°Kirijin,¡± you can be spared from any severe illness or fatal injury that is beyond saving. When I asked Kurokiri about the source of the rumor and whether it is true or not, he brushed it off. Then it¡¯s only a matter of conducting my own investigation. So, according to the rumor, two girls are said to show up and turn people into Kirijin; there is a girl who calls herself the ¡°Fog King¡¯s Representative¡± and a girl who is her bodyguard. By investigating these two, the veracity of the rumor will be ascertained. And is that Ichiko? Why is she in the hospital? And that patient over there¡­ no way! And then I catch sight of it. I witness the appearance of that abominable magic circle by Ichiko¡¯s hand. A human being who should have been on the verge of death a few moments ago becomes cloaked in a fog with an evidently healthy look on their countenance. And the scene of Ichiko smiling and rejoicing at the birth of a new kin is all observed by me. T/N: [i] Three-stage laughter is three different sounds of laughing in Japanese, ¡°Kukuku,¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡± Fuhahaha,¡± used by villain in the series. But there aren¡¯t really such onomatopoeia in English for those so I¡¯ll just use haha or ahahaha for replacement. In fact, the majority of Kurokiri¡¯s laughter are these words, I simply translated it as hahaha. CH 36 ¡°What the hell is going on!¡± Right now, I am calling Kurokiri to the basement of my house to confront the situation. Normally, he eschews my questioning, but today, there is no way I am going to back down! ¡°I don¡¯t catch the flow of the conversation. How about explaining it in a proper sequence, Lady Ryo?¡± ¡°The whole thing¡­ is clear to you¡­ and you still dare to say that¡­¡± My hands, as much as my voice, are quivering with wrath. ¡°Perhaps someone else may be harboring a completely different thought¡« You should check how much information has been shared with you¡«¡± This¡­ man is really¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll play it by your way then¡­ In that case, let me ask you clearly, Kurokiri. What have you done to Ichiko¡­ What enabled her to access your skills? Why is Ichiko rejoicing when the subordinates of her foes are increasing in number! Why is it! She didn¡¯t say a word to me!!¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± I glare at Kurokiri with all my might. ¡°Oh, how scary. But you know, it is at least true that I never imposed anything on Ichiko. Therefore, everything you caught sight of was done on Ichiko¡¯s own initiative.¡± ¡°You!¡± I try to seize Kurokiri by the chest¡­ but he slips away. Then he whispers in my ear. ¡°If it bothers you so much, why don¡¯t you ask Ichiko herself? Even if she harbors a secret from you, is she the type of person who would lie to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m under no obligation to enlighten you about Ichiko. If you want answers, you¡¯ll do the sleuthing yourself.¡± Leaving these words, Kurokiri disappears into the depths of the dungeon. I could only watch in blank amazement. A girl emerges from the gate of the Nasu family, bearing a crestfallen look. And a large man also comes out as if following her. Then, from afar, a black automobile continues to observe them. ¡°I have identified the target. It¡¯s the Nasu family¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Copy that. The target is confirmed here as well. Proceed as planned.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And then, the car approaches Ryo¡­ Boom! ¡°Ah!¡± She is dragged away by them. Oh no, this is an unpredicted turn of events. I thought I sent a message to the whole world that I would have them killed if they laid a hand on any of my kin. Anyway, I shall notify Ichiko. ¡°Ichiko. It¡¯s urgent.¡± ¡°What is it, Kurokiri?¡± ¡°Ryo¡¯s been kidnapped.¡± ¡°What!¡± Ah, you¡¯re shocked after all. Well, it¡¯s a given. ¡°Where is the place! What kind of scum are we dealing with!¡± ¡°Ah, calm down. Take it easy. Certainly, Ryo is unconscious, but she is still being transported, and I have pinpointed their exact position. There isn¡¯t any issue. The other party is going by the name of the Church of the Righteousness. What kind of organization is that again?¡± ¡°The Church of Righteousness¡­ I recall that it is an armed religious organization that seeks to eradicate all Demon Kings and affiliated individuals that exist on the earth. Their headquarters is situated on the continent to the east of our country, and in accordance with their doctrines, the humans who have joined the Demon King¡¯s kin are called ¡®demon people¡¯. The so-called ¡®demon people¡¯ are regarded as the most abhorrent as they are traitors to humanity.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what it is on the surface.¡± ¡°On the surface?¡± The information Ichiko possesses appears to be limited to what¡¯s visible to the naked eye. ¡°After hearing that much, I was reminded of what Ryo said before. Apparently, the Church of the Righteousness is engaged in a variety of shady activities behind the scenes. Among them is the story that there are quite a few fools who assault young female ¡®humans¡¯ on the assumption that they are ¡®demons¡¯. Well, as for whether the one who attacked Ryo was one of those idiots or the real one who is really striving to exterminate demons from the higher-ups¡¯ order is not clear.¡± ¡°I see. But either way¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. If they dare to meddle with the real kin¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill them all.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them all.¡± Ichiko¡¯s voice and mine are in perfect harmony. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve reached that conclusion, go get Izumi and bring her with you.¡± ¡°Obviously!¡± ¡°Yes. If possible, don¡¯t kill them on the spot, okay? Those guys have a role to fulfill later.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Well, it was me who revealed the whole thing to the world about the kin, you know. So I¡¯m also partly to blame in this case. ¡°To be more concrete, they need to die as brutally as possible to ensure that the other fakes don¡¯t erroneously assume such practices in the future.¡± Let¡¯s have them suffer a full course demise. CH 37 This time, there are a lot of cruel and sexual scenes, so if you are uncomfortable with them, you may want to be warned. ¡°¡­Tsk! This has happened to me before too.¡± When I wake up, I find myself in a room in a building somewhere. Both of my arms are handcuffed with tags that I assume have the effect of sealing my skills. ¡°Even so, I was caught off guard. I didn¡¯t anticipate that someone would be so foolish as to target me.¡± While saying this, I am mulling over the reason I have been targeted. The most obvious reason is monetary. The next would be targeting me for my body. Assuming that they are aware that I am a ¡°Kirijin,¡± they may be attempting to arrange some kind of negotiation with Kurokiri. But in that case, the culprit is either a true hero or a fool. ¡°Well, either way, I can¡¯t help but feel sympathy for the culprit¡­¡± Yes. Whether or not the culprit has knowledge of my true identity is no longer relevant. Now that this has taken place, Kurokiri will definitely pay the culprits back with his full force. ¡°I wonder if Ichiko is the one who will come to my rescue¡­ then this would be a convenient opportunity for me to ask her everything on my mind¡­¡± As I lean against the wall, I decided to formulate the questions I want to ask in my mind. ¡°Is that the place¡­?¡± Before my eyes is a gigantic skyscraper. ¡°There is no doubt about it. That is the branch of the Church of the Righteousness in our country. However, its placement is peculiar. For defense purposes, the two usual choices are the basement or the upper floors, but Ryo is on the middle floor. That means the bottom-level scum did it on their own this time.¡± ¡°That already doesn¡¯t matter. Isn¡¯t that right? Kurokiri. Izumi.¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°(Genocide.)¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± I head towards the entrance of the building. Then a man approaches me. ¡°You there. Are you a member of the church?¡± Before the man can finish his sentence, my hand has decapitated him. There are shrieks and pandemonium all around me. Ah, what a pain in the a*s. It¡¯s so vexing. I will send each and every one of you to the afterlife! ¡°Ah, Ichiko¡­ Are you paying attention to what I¡¯m saying? It can¡¯t be helped, Izumi. At the very least, let the perpetrator be caught alive¡­ ah, not even you too! Oh well, there¡¯s no other choice then. I¡¯ll send the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle out. It should be able to battle outside the dungeon.¡± It¡¯s getting more and more raucous in the surroundings¡­ Well, I can guess the reason though. And then someone is approaching. ¡°Damn it! What the hell are those two monsters!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re a match for those two!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get the women and get the hell out of here!¡± From the surrounding rooms comes the noise of something banging and what sounds like a woman¡¯s scream. Apparently, it turns out that they dredged[i] me here for my body. And I can also hear them attempting to unlock my room. Though in all likelihood¡­ ¡°Heeee! You guys are!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones responsible for this? Izumi. Don¡¯t kill these guys, we¡¯ll capture them.¡± ¡°R-run away¡­ gaaaaaah!¡± Regardless of how they struggle, there is already nothing but despair for the culprits though. And then, when the screaming has ceased, from the door in front of me¡­ light begins to pour out. Everything I encountered was garbage to the point of absurdity. The entryway and a few floors around the entrance are the only areas that are pristine. After that, if anyone was to glance around, they would be struck by the sight of large amounts of money and goods that must have been amassed as offerings to the young female believers who are in miserable conditions. Moreover, all of them seem to be rogues whose only merit is their brute strength and skill. The rest of them are just followers who seemed to have lost their minds. As expected, even Kurokiri issues the following order in response to this spectacle. ¡°Ichiko, Izumi, I have sent out the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle and a large amount of Fog and Smoke as support. So don¡¯t let any of them slip away. There is no benefit in letting them live. Neither for us nor for the humans.¡± True to his words, the branch manager, who has been straining to evacuate from the rooftop promptly, serves as bait for Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle, while Izumi and I make sure to finish off the scum from the floor below and above, protecting those who have been victimized. There would be no chance of overlooking them as the Fogs would conduct a thorough search of each floor. Even if they use their skills, it is to no avail. There is a distinct difference in status between me and them. Then I reach the floor where Lady Ryo is with Izumi. Ahead of me are the men who are trying to escape from the room with the woman they have dragged out. They too catch sight of my gaze and stare at me. ¡°Heeee! You guys are!¡± Ah, there¡¯s no mistaking it. Their features are exactly as the man who was in charge of watching Lady Ryo testified. If I were to speak my mind, I would like to send them to the netherworld right now, but I have a promise to keep to Kurokiri. This place is¡­ ¡°You¡¯re the ones responsible for this? Izumi. Don¡¯t kill these guys, we¡¯ll capture them.¡± ¡°R-run away¡­¡± Snap! ¡°¡­gaaaaaah!¡± The only way to avoid them dying is to inflict sufficient anguish on them. After that I liberate all the rooms apart from the one in which the Lady Ryo is confined, saving all the remaining females who have been dredged up, and tying up all the men. Then I make my way to the front of Lady Ryo¡¯s confinement room. ¡°(Should I be the one who goes?)¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll go.¡± I wonder what Lady Ryo will think after viewing me coated in scum¡¯s blood. But whether she despises me or likes me, it will be of no importance. After all, this is something I did because I wanted to do it. And then I open the door of¡­ Lady Ryo¡¯s room. T/N: [i] The ¡®dredged¡¯ here is something like a metaphor, like saying the women are brought here to be brainwashed CH 38 ¡°Are you safe, Miss? I apologize for not being present at this crucial moment.¡± Ichiko gives a bow as she removes the tags and handcuffs attached to Ryo. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. After all, you are no longer my bodyguard.¡± While checking the state of her unbound arms, Ryo calls out to Ichiko. ¡°I see you¡¯re hardly startled at the sight of me.¡± ¡°With all that commotion taking place, it makes sense for you to have that appearance.¡± Ichiko pulls Ryo¡¯s hand and helps her to her feet. ¡°Ichiko, I have a few questions for you.¡± ¡°Be my guest, Lady Ryo.¡± They are facing each other at more or less the same distance. It is a spectacle that has never been witnessed before. ¡°How can you utilize Kurokiri¡¯s skill, ?Monster Creation??¡± ¡°There exists a skill called ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? and this is the effect of that skill.¡± ¡°And for what purpose did you acquire it?¡± ¡°To save Izumi.¡± ¡°Izumi¡­ That¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ryo¡¯s eyes dart to Izumi, who is standing at the entrance of the room. ¡°(I¡¯m Izumi, 9 years old. My voice doesn¡¯t come out, so I carry on a conversation by means of writing.)¡± ¡°I discovered Izumi when her entire body was being dismembered, and the only way to save her was to attain that skill.¡± ¡°I see. That brings me to my next question.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ryo takes a step closer to Ichiko. ¡°I can understand the circumstances of your acquisition of the skill. However, why would you use that skill on patients who had very little time left to live?¡± ¡°It was the only solution that could preserve their lives.¡± Taking another step closer, she extends her hand to reach Ichiko. ¡°Yes. It is true that you saved those people¡¯s lives. But in exchange, those people have been changed into ¡®Kirijin,¡¯ haven¡¯t they? Is there anything you can refute to that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can say in opposition to it. All of them agreed to cease being human beings. Lady Ryo. Allow me to state unequivocally. ¡®Those individuals voluntarily chose to become Kirijin, and I helped them to do so by my own volition¡¯.¡± Smack! Ryo¡¯s palm lands on Ichiko¡¯s face, emitting a resounding bang that ripples throughout the area. Ryo utters in a tearful voice, ¡°Ichiko¡­ You have betrayed me¡­ We agreed that we would fortify ourselves through this ordeal together and overcome Kurokiri¡­¡± ¡°Lady Ryo¡­ I am¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything¡­ just be out of my sight now¡­¡± ¡°¡­I understand. Izumi, let¡¯s go.¡± Ichiko takes Izumi out of the room. On the lower floor, a mass of police vehicles and ambulances have already congregated following reports from the vicinity. And as they are leaving, Ichiko remarks, ¡°Lady Ryo. I still have the desire to defeat Kurokiri, but I lack the capability to achieve that, and the only way to save or defeat someone else for me is to rely on Kurokiri¡¯s strength. That¡¯s all there is to it. And I¡¯m sure that Kurokiri will¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯ll embrace[i] me even if I am this type of person.¡± After leaving those words, only a weeping Ryo has been left behind. ¡°They came in such large numbers.¡± Ahead of me are tons of police, riot squads, the military, and the press. And behind me are the perpetrators of the abduction, bound and tumbled. ¡°You two are the ¡®Kirijin¡¯ Hisano Ichiko and the ¡®Kirijin¡¯ Kokoro Izumi! You are both charged with murder, trespassing, and confinement¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! These human beings who have been overlooked,¡± I spit out the words. ¡°From now on, I will demonstrate to you the consequences of those who dared to meddle with these people who were merely carrying on with their daily lives like human beings, instead of harming kin like us. Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle!¡± Kiiiiiiiiiiiiin! ¡°Gaaaah!¡± Responding to my voice, the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle immobilizes the surrounding humans through the sound of its wings. Then I stand behind one of the men who has been tied up¡­ and I behead him. As a natural phenomenon, a stream of blood gushes forth from the head I decapitate, and the sight of it sends some people pale, while others are left with a loss of words. I wonder if the happiest people were those who collapsed in a heap of foam. There are only a few people who are still standing, despite being in agony. ¡°This man was driving the car when he kidnapped a kin. And this is the result of his consequence.¡± The second person is put to death by crushing his limbs before being pierced in the chest. ¡°This man carried the unconscious kin into the car.¡± Without much ado, I proceed with the execution. It seems that half of the people watching have already slipped into unconsciousness. For the third one, I split him in half at the waist so that he perishes in excruciating pain. ¡°This one is the one who knocked out the kin.¡± As I open my mouth to glare at the last one, I say, ¡°And this piece of trash is the mastermind behind the kidnapping scheme. He is the one who is responsible for this incident.¡± ¡°Heeeee! P-please save me¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, you shall be devoured alive and die!¡± ¡°Aaaaahhhh!¡± Grrr, gelr, blechu. Then he is consumed alive by the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle which sends him to his doom. Of course, I ensure that he is slowly masticated from the limbs to avoid an easy death. Finally, I switch my attention back to the humans around me. There are only a handful of people in the surrounding area who are still conscious. ¡°This is what fate befalls those who meddle with the innocent kin. Now, let¡¯s depart.¡± At my words, Izumi nods and Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle brings its legs close to me. As a result, I ascend into the air, holding Izumi in my right arm and Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle¡¯s leg in my left. ¡°Well then, excuse me.¡± After uttering these words, Izumi and I vanish into the night sky. T/N: [i] The accurate word is affirm but that doesn¡¯t sound right to me so I change it to embrace CH 39 Cleanup. ¡°That is quite a commotion.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certainly a big fuss.¡± ¡°(It¡¯s an uproar.)¡± Ichiko and Izumi have returned to ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. After inquiring about the developments going on out there from the Fogs and the other kin, I found out that the humans are currently at odds with each other, which is split into two factions. In concrete terms, the two factions are divided into two factions: those who accept the ¡°kin¡± and those who oppose the ¡°kin¡±. The ¡°accepting¡± faction is dominated by the kin themselves and those who are intimate with them, while the ¡°opposing¡± faction is centered on the Church of the Righteousness. However, it is only in this country that the bulk of the population tilts towards the ¡°accepting¡± side. Well, the root of the reason for this is self-evident. It was the massacre of the Church of the Righteousness initiated by the three people present here. However, this incident has been termed ¡°Purge of the Fog¡± by the public, and the condemnation directed at the Church of the Righteousness has grown louder than the criticism leveled at the three of us. Apparently, after we departed, an inspection of the scene confirmed that there was more devastation than the humans could have imagined. They reaped what they sowed. While on the subject, I would like to send salt[i] to the adversary, this does not imply that the overall Church of the Righteousness is a trash organization of that kind. In fact, those at the headquarters are genuinely committed to eradicating the Demon Kings and their kin, but this organization is one that believes that in order to accomplish this, it is imperative to properly assist people. In other words, the people in this country are just too over the top. Now, let¡¯s return to the main subject. Well, as for the ¡°Purge of the Fog,¡± there was a benefit to doing that. ¡°Ichiko¡¯s level went up, right?¡± ¡°Yes, from 6 to 7.¡± ¡°What about Izumi?¡± ¡°(4 ¡ú 5.)¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only leveled up from 3 to 4 with a small margin¡­¡± That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve leveled up. To be frank, it has been a couple of months since I last advanced to the next level. Incidentally, I consulted Help-kun since I was curious about it, and he explained that the difficulty of leveling up starts at around 3 for Demon Kings, 6 for kin, and 10 for humans, and especially for Demon Kings, the amount of experience becomes impossible to gain against level 1 humans when the Demon King¡¯s level reaches 7 or higher. Therefore, it has taken me a long time to level up. Well, Ichiko seems to be eager to acquire countermeasure skills against me, so I¡¯m only going to disclose my status©` ¡°Status Open!¡± Name: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 4 HP£º1910/1910 ¡ü100 MP£º2210/2210 ¡ü130 SP£º2140/2140 ¡ü110 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 56 Sensing 45 Intellect 63¡ü2 Spirit 73¡ü1 Luck 10 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog?, ?Cycle?, ?Mist Plosion?, New!?Bewitching Fog? ?King of the Devouring Black Fog?, ?White Fog of Ambush?, ?Lord of the Kirijin?, ?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside?, ?Demon Slayer?, ?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King?, New! ?Miracle Deceiver?, New! ?King of the Kirijin?, New! ?Agitator?, New! ?Wordsmith of Sweet Poison?, New! ?Purger of the Fog? ¡°¡­¡± There are so many new titles. I mean, ?King of the Kirijin?, ?Agitator?, ?Wordsmith of Sweet Poison?, and ?Purger of the Fog? make sense to me, but what is ?Miracle Deceiver?? Ah, could that be it? Is it the treatment method utilizing ?Monster Creation?? I don¡¯t recall labeling it as a miracle though. I clearly informed the patients that it would render them human no more. Well, whatever. Let¡¯s not dwell on it any further. Now, the new skill, ?Bewitching Fog?, is a skill that allows users to create illusions for living things that are in the fog. There is no limit to the types of illusions that can be conjured. That is to say, the illusion can be created according to the practitioner¡¯s image. Although the requirement for the employment of ?Bewitching Fog? is the presence of fog, that condition is not a factor in my case. After all, I myself can generate fog anywhere I want with the ?Mist Plosion? on top of being a fog. Heh heh heh heh. This skill is unbelievable. Oh right, the two of you have also completed your tasks, huh? ¡°Now, what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to construct the fourth level?¡± ¡°I will establish that. By the way, the image or rather the concept is to create a capital for the Kirijin, a place where the Kirijin who are in a tight spot in the outside world are accepted.¡± ¡°(Our home?)¡± ¡°Precisely. Well, for the time being, it will not be necessary.¡± That¡¯s right. It will not be necessary for the time being. This is another advantage of the ¡°purge of the fog,¡± or rather, it was carried out for this reason, but the tendency for people to needlessly investigate who is a Kirijin is now non-existent. This is because they knew what would follow upon them if they incurred my wrath. Well, while there are still people who seek to find out, at least there are no more guys like this time. ¡°So, that¡¯s fine with me, but what are you guys planning to do?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to head west since it has become difficult for us to operate in this area.¡± ¡°To the west¡­ that¡¯s where the ¡®Fox City of the Beasts of War¡¯ is located. Be careful with the ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess,¡¯ okay? You never know where the adversaries are lurking since they don¡¯t have any interaction there. In the worst scenario, you might end up in a war simply for having more kin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°(I will protect Ichiko nee-chan.)¡± Both of them rise to their feet. ¡°Well then, you¡¯ll just have to wait and see, Kurokiri.¡±[ii] ¡°Not that I have a head to[iii] begin with.¡± And the two of them exit the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. T/N: [i] Sending salt to enemy means helping an enemy in distress; by helping the other party in their time of crisis, rather than taking advantage of their weakness, both sides are mutually fighting at 100% of their potential. It¡¯s a noble feat [ii] The kanji used here is ÊפòÏ´¤Ã¤Æ´ý¤Ã¤Æ which means wash your head/neck and wait for me in a literal term which is a relevant part to iii [iii] Kurokiri sort of made a joke of it since the kanji used means head CH 40 ¡°Now, let¡¯s start with the creation of the fourth level and see what¡¯s new.¡± I open the ?Dungeon Creation? screen as usual. Well, as I mentioned before, the fourth level that I will be establishing this time will be a residential area rather than a labyrinth. The reason for this development is predominantly to provide a safe haven for Kirijin who have fallen into hardships of living outside and those who have been transformed into kin after they were turned into kin by the attackers of the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. Thus, I establish the location right above the first level where I am now. For some reason, the floor and walls are made of ¡°cloud cubes,¡± which are cloud-like objects that can be ridden on and touched, similar to those found in the sky stage of children¡¯s action games. Following that, a fog with a visibility limit of around 50 meters is cast over the entire town once a small town has been erected using ¡°cloud cubes¡±. In this process, this fog is designed to have the property of ¡°not aggregating¡± so that it would not affect electrical appliances and so forth. As for why? I mean, being cloaked in fog 24/7 is fine if someone is habituated to it like I am, but otherwise, it¡¯s rough, you know? Not only does the clothing get heavy, but also electrical appliances are prone to breaking. Furthermore, the inside climate is constantly moderated by the fog while simultaneously maintaining a reasonable level of humidity, so people with dry skin can relax¡­ wait, what am I even talking about? At any rate, not only Kirijin but also human beings can spend their time comfortably. On top of that, the overall fourth level is designated as a rest area rendering it impossible for any kind of killing or maiming to take place, either human or demon. This should go smoothly. Now, you may ask, ¡°With the fourth level built above the first level, is there honestly nothing to worry about, like sunlight on the first level?¡± But I can assure you that it won¡¯t be an issue. In the first level, the fog is so dense that there is scarcely any sunlight, and while reducing the sunlight at the fourth level, the amount of reduced sunlight is shifted to the first level, therefore, it is not a problem. It¡¯s amazing how skill can turn out to be. There are various new capabilities that are now available at level 4, but the standout one is ¡°Long-distance Transportation¡±. The effect is like this: ?Long-distance Transportation Formation A long-distance transfer magic formation with a diameter of 0.2m to 10m. By activating one of the two sets of transference lines, the user can transport targets that are in contact with the activated line to the other set of lines. The number of sets that can be installed is equivalent to the level of the Demon King (4 sets can be installed for level 4). When setting up the formation, one of them must be deployed within the labyrinth, and the other within a radius of 1 km to 1,000 km from the labyrinth. Installation of the formation can only be performed by the Demon King, their kin, and demons (10 MP per activation). In case of setting up a formation on a living being¡¯s body, they must possess the skill of transition. Moreover, in this case, the living being only needs to be within 1000 km when the formation is installed, and the activation itself can be performed successfully by augmenting the amount of magic consumed (for each additional 1000 km (km) x 1 additional MP consumed). Creation cost: 1500 MP per set, 1 SP consumed per km of distance between two magic lines. Yeah. This is simply divine. Therefore, let¡¯s install all four sets immediately (every time a set is installed, I¡¯ll take a break from everything I¡¯m working on). Assuming that all the labyrinth sides are to be settled on the fourth level, the outside ones¡­ should look something like this? 1. Nearby: Install it in the hustle and bustle of the capital city. 2. Visiting: Set up near the ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War¡±. 3. For kidnapping: The location will be adjusted from time to time in my spare time. For now, it will be established about 500 km to the north. 4. For emergency evacuation and summoning: Installed on Ichiko¡¯s right chest (Of course, she resisted with all her might, but the sovereignty restriction caused her to be subdued). Incidentally, I have notified all the Kirijin of where the first one has been installed and advised them to evacuate there in the event of an emergency. Now for the new monsters, there are none that stand out in particular. Ah, but there are these two. ?Mystic A higher species of Smoke, a 1.6-meter tall spirit-based humanoid demon. A female-type spirit with a body comprised of mist-like magic. Each one of them possesses an independent will, and their status is incomparably more elevated than those of Fog and Smoke. At times, they may command Fog and Smoke to conduct large-scale mischief that incurs too much damage to be called a large-scale prank. Summoning cost: 2000 MP per unit, 1000 each of HP and SP ?Giant Mist Wolf A beastly wolf-type demon about 4 meters long, a higher species of the Thin Mist Wolf. It is a massive wolf whose whole body is enveloped in mist. As the leader of the mist wolves, it possesses an inestimable amount of knowledge that enables it to command them and hunt its prey efficiently. Summoning Cost: 1000 each HP, MP, SP per unit. Personal remarks: Several times more wonderful and fluffy than the Thin Mist Wolf. Yeah. It was an immediate decision to create them. There was nothing I could do about it. The girl is so fluffy. I have no other choice but to summon them. Fluffy is justice! Girls are justice! Ha! What the hell am I doing¡­ And it took approximately one month to conclude the operation up to this point. The reason? Because the cost of everything is so prohibitive! Besides, the military guys would show up without a care even if I was working on it! Well, thanks to that, the number of kin has grown to about 100. Let¡¯s see, what else do I have to share now? Well, the current world state of affairs: Truth be told, everywhere is in a state of war. Not only human vs. Demon King, but also human vs. human is on the rise. I suppose the reason for this is that countries and terrorist organizations have begun to gather people with potent skills and utilize them. It is likely that in a short while, the framework of human nations will basically fade away, and human aggregations will be limited to towns and villages. And all that will be left behind is the country reigned by the Demon King. And, Well, I guess you could say it can¡¯t be helped. After all, humans are greedy and envious. Furthermore¡­ The Demon Kings have deprived them of their control over the seas and the airspace. CH 41 ¡°There were a hundred airplanes and a hundred ships sent out, yet zero were successful in crossing the Pacific Ocean¡­? That¡¯s appalling.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the convoy that our country deployed with all possible arrangements the other day?¡± Following my parting from Ichiko during the ¡°Purge of the Fog,¡± I withdrew to my home for a month. But I couldn¡¯t allow myself to carry on like this. So when I emerged this morning, this is what I found on the TV. ¡°How did this happen¡­?¡± ¡°According to your father, it is attributed to the fact that there are undiscovered dungeons at the bottom of the ocean and in the sky over the world, and the Demon Kings there have begun to take aggressive measures.¡± I see. Then, the present state of affairs is¡­ ¡°So, naturally, the issues of foods and supplies are starting to arise since the resources are scarce in this country.¡± ¡°Does it mean the country is in an unfavorable position?¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting worse. Owing to this, those who possess the skills to resolve this predicament are being bowed down by the government to utilize their skills. By the way, even you, Lady Ryo have received a request to make use of your healing skill.¡± I-it is indeed not ideal to have secluded myself in the room for a month¡­ I figured that thanks to becoming a kin, eating and sleeping have changed into an indulgence, so I wasn¡¯t inconveniencing anyone. ¡°S-speaking of which, what is Kurokiri up to? Given Kurokiri¡¯s standing, I wouldn¡¯t expect him to sit idly by and witness this situation quietly¡­¡± ¡°Who knows? The only thing is that he seems to be increasing the number of kin, mainly abandoned children and military personnel. After that, it looks like he has set up something called a transportation magic line. I believe this has been briefed to you as well, Lady Ryo.¡± ¡°Ah, come to think of it, I remember something like that¡­¡± So Houki doesn¡¯t know much about the situation on Kurokiri¡¯s side also¡­ ¡°Incidentally, this area is safe and sound due to Kurokiri-sama, but I hear that the Demon King has invaded the northern part and is wreaking havoc there.¡± ¡°What about the west?¡± ¡°I hear that Kurokiri-sama and the Fox Princess-sama have some kind of private agreement that they will not lay a hand on each other¡¯s territory but the details are unknown. Accordingly, it is said that Ichiko-sama has done something about it. ¡°¡­¡± Ichiko¡­ No, I don¡¯t have any more concerns about that girl. She has chosen her own path by her own initiative. Yes, that girl has chosen the path of saving and hunting as many lives as possible by any means. But it is unfathomable for me to propose saving individuals who were about to die as human beings by compelling them to relinquish their human race. Therefore, I¡¯ll save those who can be saved, but let those who can¡¯t be saved to their own fate. No, that alone won¡¯t be enough to finish off that abominable Kurokiri anytime soon. I myself have to grow even stronger. To accomplish this¡­ despite how aggravating it is, I must strike a negotiation with Kurokiri. ¡°Where are you heading, Lady Ryo?¡± ¡°I¡¯m off to meet Kurokiri.¡± With that, I rise from my seat and head downstairs to the basement. ¡°So what do you want from me specifically?¡± In front of me is Kurokiri in a state of fog. ¡°Even if you said¡­ specifically¡­ well¡­¡± ¡°Let me remind you, all of Ichiko¡¯s earned experience has accrued to her since that day, except for kickback.¡± ¡°I had a faint understanding of that. I mean, apart from that.¡± ¡°In that case, you¡¯ll have to earn your own experience from henceforth. In other words, what you require now is the means to gain experience on your own.¡± Kurokiri put his mouth to my ear and whispers, ¡°Well, if that is the way you want to go, I can recommend a good hunting ground for you. Or, to put it another way, there is an area in our country where current conflicts are erupting, and you should go there and resolve them.¡± ¡°Unless I¡¯m in a dungeon, I don¡¯t see how that would be a significant gain in experience, right?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a problem since the number of them are so vast. You have heard it too, haven¡¯t you? The Demon King of the North, ¡®The Frozen Silver Snow King,¡¯ has given rise to a new breed of demons that are spreading southward.¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I recall hearing that¡­¡± ¡°So, one Mystic will be assigned to you, and you, Houki, and Chirito will travel together. You can rest assured that there will be equipment and means of transportation.¡± Saying this, Kurokiri thrust a coat and boots made of some kind of giant mist wolf fur, as well as a dagger made of something that looked like scales at me out of the blue. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to hang in there with these¡­?¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s a benevolent gesture of support for someone who has explicitly vowed to kill me someday.¡± ¡°¡­I understand. You better brace yourself, because one day I¡¯m definitely going to make you cry.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± And so, after greetings to my father, I set out north with Houki, Chirito, and the Mystic, Aria. My goal is solely one: to become strong enough to vanquish Kurokiri by my own hand. For that purpose, I will exploit both the Demon King and human beings to the brink. ¡°Ichiko, I shall deviate to a different path from yours¡­¡± CH 42 Two weeks have passed since I departed from the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± with Izumi. While sightseeing along the way, the public order gradually deteriorated and I noticed more and more people experiencing apprehensions over the food supplies and necessities of daily life. The source of the problem is not limited to the demons of the sky and the sea¡­ is it? Our country is also an import powerhouse, so I suppose I ought to say that the damage caused by Demon Kings in other countries has begun to manifest themselves here in a full-scale manner. Furthermore, it appears that Izumi and I are liable to be attacked at first sight, and for the past week or so, some sort of trouble (including Kurokiri) has befallen each day. Yeah. It has been a real challenge. The ruffians who demanded food and money were decent experience points to us, but when Kurokiri abruptly called me out and engraved a ¡°Long-distance Transportation¡± on me while sexually harassing me, I thought about slashing him to death with all my energy. Though I couldn¡¯t do it due to the relationship between the kin and the master. And so, we are now facing the ancient city in the west, the dungeon ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War¡± that surfaced near the ancient city, and a woman with blonde hair and fox ears standing before us. She looks to be in her early twenties. ¡°Nice to meet you, Hisano Ichiko and Kokoro Izumi. I serve the ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯. I am Shiranui Mugi, the ¡®Kitsunejin¡¯[i]. Here is a message from the Fox Princess-sama to both of you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your courtesy.¡± Izumi and I are inclined to respond in a respectful manner to those who behave accordingly, so we bow lightly to Mugi-san. ¡°Yes. It is a good thing to be polite, isn¡¯t it? Well, here¡¯s the message: ¡®I will not stop you from entering my territory. But I will not allow you to act arbitrarily in my territory. If you intend to hunt people, you shall only hunt those whom Mugi permits you to hunt, and if you dare to step into my labyrinth, I shall exert my utmost endeavor to hunt you¡¯. That is what she said.¡± In other words, it is permissible to sojourn, but they are not planning to let us earn experience. ¡°I understand. Even for our part, there is no merit in contending with Fox Princess-sama, and so we shall agree with you.¡± ¡°(I won¡¯t fight you©`)¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that. Even I wouldn¡¯t wish to engage in a battle with the perpetrators of the ¡®Purge of the Fog¡¯. If you accept the arrangement, that would be ideal.¡± Mugi-san shows a deeply relieved expression on her face. ¡°Ah, but, if you aren¡¯t going to gain experience in Fox Princess-sama¡¯s territory, where are you planning on earning it?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± It is certainly a problem. In the first place, the reason why we do not desire to spoil the mood of the Fox Princess is because of her effective control of the west side of this country as well as the fact that she is a formidable force that can thwart the expansion of Kurokiri¡¯s forces. When it comes down to it¡­ ¡°We are considering crossing the sea and earning the experience in the continent.¡± ¡°Haa!?¡± Ah, I knew you would react that way. Well, based on the latest information, it is reported that even on the shortest route to the peninsula that leads to the continent, six of the ten ships that set sail sank on the way there, another three on the way back, and only one ship made it back. Moreover, that last ship was in shambles. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped because X-J5 is still reclusive and impenetrable, and the only way to avoid disturbing your territory is to go there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true, but¡­ Eh, ah, wait a minute.¡± ¡°(?)¡± ¡°Yes. Yes. Eh¡­!¡± It is likely a communication with the Fox Princess. That reminds me, is there any distance limit to the communication with the kin? ¡°Ah, Ichiko, right? I have just received a message from the Fox Princess-sama that she would like to have a meeting with you, so for the time being, will you stay at our designated inn for the night?¡± Mmm. This is an unexpectedly tricky offer. After all, here is the hostile territory. However, should I refuse the offer, there would be further complications¡­ ¡°(Do you have any good food?)¡± ¡°Of course we do, Izumi-chan.¡± Let¡¯s go. For the present me, food is only an indulgence, but because it is merely an indulgence, it is also very significant. Besides, regardless of the quantity of food I consume, it will all be converted into magical power in a Kirijin¡¯s body, so there¡¯s nothing to fear. ¡°Then, I will gladly accept your offer. I will be delighted to do so.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you so much. Then you can count on me to treat you with the utmost hospitality.¡± Thus, I step into the ancient city administered by the Fox Princess and spend the night at the inn they have appointed for us. Of course, the inn itself proved to be stunning, and for the first time in a long time, I could take a bath. All the exhaustion I have been feeling has been swept away. And then comes midnight, the time when even the grass and trees are asleep. While I am watching over Izumi who is sleeping, she makes her appearance before my eyes. T/N: [i] Kitsunejin is Fox People but I won¡¯t be using that. For future chapters, please remember that if there is a race that ends with ¡®jin¡¯ that would mean human/people in romaji and the word before jin is the attribute/characteristics of it, like Fog people is ¡°Kirijin¡± and Fox People is ¡°Kitsunejin¡± CH 43 The Fox Princess made her appearance. She has golden fur, pointed ears and a broad tail. But that is not the point. What is the key issue is the preponderance of force that this fox is exuding. There is no doubt that this is¡­ ¡°The Demon King, ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯¡­?¡± ¡°Correct, though I¡¯m only borrowing the mouths of the demons under my command, not my own body, as the Fog King had done.¡± Nonetheless, what is this domineering sensation of yours? The body of the demon she is in control of is presumably equivalent to our own Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle monster. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve come here tonight to have a chat with you, but first of all, let¡¯s introduce ourselves. My name is ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯. As you are well aware, I am the Demon King of the labyrinth, the ¡®Fox City of the Beasts of War¡¯.¡± ¡°I am Hisano Ichiko, the ¡®Kirijin¡¯. The one sleeping here is Kokoro Izumi, the ¡®Kirijin¡¯.¡± ¡°Mm. I understand. Now, Ichiko. Let me ask you a straightforward question.¡± The sense of oppression emanating from the Fox Princess induces me to straighten my back involuntarily. ¡°Why did you leave the Fog King?¡± As I thought, you would pose that question. However, as the Demon King, it is obvious that this is a matter that you must evaluate. After carefully observing the Fox Princess, I contemplate whether I can tell a lie or deceive her. Well, the conclusion is needless to be said. The Fox Princess is not caught off-guard or careless in any way. If I were to fabricate a poorly crafted lie or deception, I would be slaughtered the moment I said it. Then, I can only answer truthfully. ¡°The reason I left the Fog King is to attain the ability to defeat the Fog King, Kurokiri.¡± ¡°Have you lost your mind? Killing your own master is not something a servant should dream of doing, is it?¡± The eyes of the Fox Princess are wide open. Her gaze seems to be fixed on something incredulous. It is a natural reaction, but that is why¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Fog King himself is aware of the fact that I harbor murderous intent against him. And despite the fact that he knows it, he lets me roam freely. To begin with, I may have given my body to the Fog King, but I have never sacrificed my heart to him.¡± Without any hesitancy, I expose my true intentions and my circumstances. And in response to my words, the Fox Princess glares at me while releasing an overbearing aura. In all honesty, this is the most horrific experience I¡¯ve ever had, but I can¡¯t back down. If I back down at this point, she will conclude that my feelings are nothing but a mere passing judgment. Even so, I wonder how Izumi can sleep under such pressure. ¡°Haa¡­ I apply a lot of pressure even though this is not my main body, but it seems that you are dead serious about it. Both you and the Fog King seem to be out of your mind, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± After all this chatter, the transportation line on my right chest suddenly glows. ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°Hmm. What is this!¡± And then the light momentarily obscures everyone¡¯s vision, and afterwards, a lone fog is in front of my eyes. ¡°Who is the one out of their mind, Fox Princess-san?¡± ¡°The way you look and speak¡­ You¡¯re the Fog King!¡± ¡°Hey, Kurokiri!¡± The Fox Princess and I are greatly startled. I never imagined he would show up here¡­ and from the looks of it, it seems he has been eavesdropping as well. ¡°What do you want, Fog King?¡± ¡°Well, I was hoping to hold a serious discussion with you at least once as a neighbor. And it just so happens that Ichiko and you came in contact.¡± ¡°Hmm, then quickly state your request.¡± Discuss¡­? That Kurokiri plans to discuss? Even though he was the one who slew the nearest neighbor, the Ogre King? Wait, the Fox Princess-san is unaware of this news, right? ¡°The business is simple. I wish to establish a mutual non-aggression pact between the ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯ and the ¡®Fox City of the Beasts of War¡¯.¡± Eh? ¡°I refuse, because not only do I not believe you are committed to upholding your promise, but there are already three people, or rather two people and one body, who have already infiltrated here.¡± Eh, ah. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a predictable reply. Well, it¡¯s not me who wants non-aggression, but the humans. To tell you the truth, I¡¯m not asking for mutual non-aggression, but for a ban on large-scale invasions.¡± ¡°A major invasion ban, huh? So that means you and I would be involved in a series of mutual sheathing, skirmishes, and assassination attempts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a chess match, but it¡¯s a beautiful relationship between Demon Kings, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Heh. Well, that is fine then. I mean, things are the same as they are now, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Hahaha. That¡¯s indeed true.¡± Before I am aware of it, the conversation between Kurokiri and the Fox Princess-san is advancing at once. The two of them are laughing with their mouths, yet their eyes aren¡¯t smizing¡­ I mean, the amount of pressure being put on those around them! All that pressure! ¡°Well then, excuse me. Incidentally, everything Ichiko mentioned is the truth.¡± ¡°I can tell by the look in her eyes. So, where are you going?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll do a quick check on X-J5.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give your subordinates permission if you send me a report about it later.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After saying this, with the pressure on the surroundings fading away, Kurokiri in the body of the Fog departs for the west. Um, if I may be so bold as to say so, I have just stumbled upon quite a scene¡­ ¡°Now, if that¡¯s the reason, there¡¯s no necessity for me to interfere. If anything, I would be more than pleased to offer my assistance. Are you there, Mugi?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m here.¡± Mugi-san enters the room. Apparently, she has been waiting outside the room. ¡°From now on, you will accompany these two and sharpen your techniques.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°zzzz.¡± Both Mugi-san and I unconsciously become dazed. As for Izumi, she is still sleeping like before. ¡°You appear to be inquisitive. It¡¯s a simple story. In this world today, there is no harm in possessing a certain degree of power. You want to be of service to me, don¡¯t you? Then go with them and hone your abilities.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Mugi-san replies broadly to the Fox Princess¡¯s words. Is Mugi-san perhaps someone who has devoted her heart and soul to her Fox Princess-sama? ¡°Since the development has come to this, I¡¯m sorry, but if you are going to pass through my territory, I will need you to bring Mugi along with you.¡± ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll accept.¡± I also reply in the same manner. ¡°Now, both of you shall do your best.¡± Leaving those words, the Fox Princess leaves. Nevertheless¡­ I wonder what will be in store for our journey from tomorrow¡­ CH 44 ¡°Is this the northern front line¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s shockingly freezing here¡­¡± ¡°Why do I even have to be here¡­?¡± At present, the four of us, consisting of myself, Aria, Houki, and Chirito have reached the frontline base to combat the demons generated by X-J4¡¯s Demon King, ¡°The Frozen Silver Snow King¡± situated in the north. After making use of the transportation line, it has been a week since we walked there. It was a long journey. Incidentally, it is said that the northern land is under complete control of the Snow King, and the front line is the tunnel that connects the northern land and this site. This tunnel cannot be destroyed for both parties due to the loss of control of the sea. But even on the way here, we encountered and engaged in battles with demons that were not from the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± from time to time, indicating that the defense is not completely established. ¡°So, first of all, we have to meet the commanding officer of this place, the one called Otachi, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That is what our master has informed us.¡± Master¡­ is that right? Aria is undoubtedly an outstanding force, but she is a pure demon after all, which means that she is not trustworthy in regards to defeating Kurokiri. ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at the earliest opportunity. Chirito, Houki, if we¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll get to sleep in a bed today!¡± ¡°That would sure be nice©`¡± ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s a warm bath in there?¡± ¡°There must be! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Thus we proceed to the base, which has been named the Northern Liberation Frontier Base. ¡°If you could, I would like you to leave now.¡± ¡°What! Why!¡± When I have reached the base, what has been awaiting me is an acerbic response. There is no one in my immediate vicinity currently. When we showed up at the base and tried to meet Otachi-san, the three of them have been told to wait outside the building that is supposed to be the command post. ¡°Isn¡¯t that self-evident? The presence of untrained members of the general public would only serve to impede our coordination, and what do you expect us to do with food, heating, weapons, and other necessities of life to provide for you? On top of that, all of you are still children.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± T-that¡¯s too righteous of an argument. However, I can¡¯t pull out at this point! ¡°We are!¡± ¡°Excuse me for interrupting.¡± Hey, Aria!? When did you move next to me! And please don¡¯t cover my mouth! ¡°It seems you¡¯re not even a kin.¡± ¡°Yes. I am one of the demon Mystic created by the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯. My name is Aria Mystic.¡± ¡°What is your business?¡± ¡°Yes. We have come here with the message that cooperation with your forces is not required, and that simply providing us with a battleground will suffice.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means precisely what it sounds like. Our aim is to accumulate experience, and the permission to participate in the battle was granted to us by the Fog King and the Prime Minister.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hmm. Otachi-san has become deafeningly silent. He seems to be distressed over something. ¡°Ah. I understand. In that case, head for the tunnel that leads to the other side. I will assign a guide to show you the way, and please train him while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°At the very least, I¡¯ll arrange for your sleeping accommodations so you may return when you¡¯re exhausted.¡± ¡°T-thank you very much.¡± After thanking Otachi-san, Aria and I leave the building. And just as we are going outside, Houki and Chirito approach us. ¡°Lady Ryo, how was the reception?¡± ¡°And, would we be able to sleep in a bed tonight!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is no problem either. We¡¯ll have a guide¡­ well, I suppose you could call him a guard, but he seems to be a soldier as well.¡± At my words, Houki breaks into a smile and Chirito exchanges a look of delight. ¡°Then, we should get going once we meet up with the guide!¡± ¡°Understood, Miss.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± And with that, we join up with a soldier by the name of Tachikabe Tsuyoshi, and head for the tunnel. ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°Do you expect me to joke about it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. But why¡­?¡± Right now, I have been summoned to Captain Otachi¡¯s room. And the mission that has been allocated to me is¡­ ¡°Why am I babysitting a group of Kirijin from the capital?¡± It is a babysitting assignment that I never dreamed of. I mean, I¡¯ve witnessed various disturbing incidents involving the Kirijin, such as that mad scientist and the ¡°Purge of the Fog,¡± so I¡¯d rather not have any further association with them. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because you¡¯re the most appropriate person for the role, or rather, it¡¯s impossible to find someone else to deal with the ¡®Kirijin¡¯. Everybody is terrified of the ¡®Kirijin¡¯ following the ¡®Purge of the Fog¡¯ incident. ¡°I am in the same boat with those people though¡­¡± At the very least, let me try to refute this. ¡°However, you¡¯re in a lot better position. You do realize that, with the Hisano Ichiko event, even Kirijin possesses the same mindset as humans, right?¡± ¡°Ah, I get it. Then I will accept this assignment.¡± ¡°Very well. While you¡¯re at it, raise your level as high as you can.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After that, I exit the facility and proceed to the Kirijin¡¯s designated building. CH 45 ¡°They really do spring up one after another. ?Mist Slap?!¡± The white-furred, large-dog-like demon Snowdog is substantially blasted away with a single strike from me. ¡°I told you that, didn¡¯t I! Tsk! ?Small Shield Barrier?!¡± Tachikabe-san is the first to detect the long-range attack of the ice spirit and intercepts the attack with a small barrier generated on the back of his left hand. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just regard it as a delectable treat since there are plenty of them. ?Misty Arrow? x2.¡± Aria¡¯s ?Misty Arrow? then strikes the Snowdog, who managed to evade it but has lost its stance, subsequently hitting the ice spirit, and sending it to its demise. ¡°Bauggh!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± The Snowdog then slips through the gap between me and Tachikabe-san and makes its approach to Aria, presumably assessing she is the one who poses the greatest threat. ¡°Hmm. Chirito-kun, stop its movement, and Houki-san, put an end to it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Despite this, Houki and Chirito block its path, with Chirito using the dagger and small shield he possesses to halt the Snowdog¡¯s advance, followed by Houki thrusting a dagger into its neck with all her strength. ¡°Thanks for your efforts! You guys can take over while you have the chance!¡± The substitute personnel appears to have arrived at this point, so the five of us momentarily fall back and rest. By this stage of the day, we have destroyed roughly 30 demons of four different kinds, and yet, no one¡¯s level has been elevated. Since we are outside the dungeon, this is inevitable. Moreover, the eyes of the people around us seem to be somewhat cold, but I suppose that is to be expected considering this is our first day. In addition, the corpses will be transferred to the people at the Northern Liberation Frontier Base to be processed into food and equipment. Apparently, there are individuals with skills such as ?Weapon Creation? and ?Food Conversion? at the rear of the base. Come to think of it, Tachikabe-san once commented that this situation reminded him of an RPG-type video game. At any rate, this is our present state of affairs and this is the way we are battling on the Northern Liberation Front. And the goal now is to advance everyone¡¯s level one by one. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°I never imagined that it would be so challenging to contend with the demons¡­¡± That thought flows to me from the depths of my heart, and I end up uttering it out loud. How could Ichiko even compete with humans and goblins when it¡¯s this arduous even against a dog? I wonder if anyone heard my mutterings. ¡°Argh¡­ I agree with you too, Miss.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Well, it must be tough for someone who has been protected until now.¡± ¡°But this is only the initial stage, and their threat level is still minimal, so I suggest you familiarize yourself with the situation while you still have the opportunity.¡± Each of them has a distinct reaction. Among them, I could only nod my head in agreement with Aria¡¯s and Tachikabe-san¡¯s words as they reflect the truth. ¡°But, you know, this is still better than a couple of weeks ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I involuntarily inquire back. The circumstances are severe as they are now, but is it possible to get any worse than that? ¡°Yeah. After all, the opposition was vastly outnumbered, and the majority of the troops were unaccustomed to the fact that reinforcements would continue to emerge no matter how many times they were defeated. Furthermore, due to the incessant combat day and night, supplies and food were rapidly diminishing. Everyone is jittery.¡± ¡°It is amazing that the front line did not collapse under such a dilemma.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s owing to the efforts of Otachi-san. Without his ?Command? and successful negotiations with the residents of the towns and villages in the rear, the situation wouldn¡¯t be where it is presently.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Incidentally, I have been informed in detail that Otachi-san has been involved in recruiting volunteer soldiers in the area and organizing patrol teams for discovering and defeating demons that have slipped through the front lines, even though these practices are apparently prohibited under military law. Accordingly, these activities were ostensibly proposed and carried out by someone higher up in the chain of command. Hence, it appears that Otachi Mamoru is someone who would rather be able to protect the residents than hold a position of honor or status. I can see why he is so likable. By the way, we¡¯re taking a brief break right now, but we¡¯re still on the front lines, and our rest may be forced to end if something major arises. So for instance¡­ Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!! When an alarm is triggered to warn of an emergency situation like this, our break will be forcibly terminated. ¡°Tsk, you guys! Let¡¯s hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Upon returning to the front line, the sight on display for me is that of a few silver-armored humanoid entities confronting a group of military personnel. When I look at the scene, I ponder how to deal with this situation. ¡°A new species of demon!¡± Tachikabe-san, who is standing next to me, raises his voice. If he has never encountered such a thing before, then it is up to me to find out what that demon is. ¡°I¡¯ll examine it right now! ?Personal Analyze?! This is¡­¡± My mind is taken aback when I discover who the opponent is. Because ?Personal Analyze? indicates the following: Name: Kushiro Shifuma Class: Heavy Warrior Race: Yukijin ¡°What¡¯s wrong!¡± ¡°The enemy is a kin and a Yukijin! I can even detect that they are equipped with an occupation!¡± As I deliver my report, tension prevails among everyone at once. ¡°Tsk, so that silver armor is like your ?Fog Cloak??¡± ¡°It is likely. However, I can¡¯t be so certain since my skill does not enable me to check the skills possessed by them.¡± But I have no doubt about it. It is unrealistic to assume that there would be so many people in modern times who would like to don such armor, especially considering that the armor they are sporting seems to be exceptionally solid and bulletproof. Plus, I can see them utilizing other skills that are different from one individual to another, which is a definite sign of it. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn! All that matters now is saving my people. We¡¯re all going!¡± ¡°Aye!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With that, Ryo onee-chan proclaims, and Tachikabe-san and Houki nee-san rush to the scene. And I follow suit. CH 46 This time, the chapter is written from the third-person point of view. ¡°Hahhhhhh!¡± Ryo, with a dagger in her right hand, is ready to slash at the nearest Yukijin, while pouring her fighting spirit into it. Of course, a mere dagger would not be capable of inflicting even a scratch on a heavily armored opponent, unless the attacker aims for a gap in the armor. However, the dagger in Ryo¡¯s hand is not an ordinary dagger. It is a magical dagger constructed by Kurokiri from the scales of Cu¨¦lebre that resides in the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± a dungeon that he created by himself and the dagger harbors the power to automatically repair itself even if the blade chips unless it is broken, which enhances its sharpness each time it happens. And its initial sharpness is such that it can cleave a steel plate with ease. Nonetheless, Clink! ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Hah! Such a dagger will not work against this ?Frozen Silver Armor?!¡± Accompanied by a high-pitched sound and Ryo¡¯s astonished voice, the silver armor the Yukijin man is clad in successfully repels the scaled dagger of Cu¨¦lebre. ?Frozen Silver Armor? is the name of the skill granted to the Yukijin, a skill that produces armor that is both strong enough to withstand rifle fire at close range yet light enough to be worn as fabric clothing (but has the same mobility range as conventional full-body armor). ¡°This time, the attack comes from my side! ?Simple Ice Weapon Creation?!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± In the hands of the Yukijin man, a sword comprised of ice is conjured, and it is swung vigorously towards Ryo, whose weapon has been repelled and her movement halted. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do it! ?Small Shield Barrier?!¡± Meanwhile, Tachikabe intervenes between the two of them and obstructs the ice sword with the barrier generated in his hand, drawing them into a state of confrontation. ¡°Tsk!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Then, Tachikabe and the Yukijin man simultaneously separate from each other. ¡°Haa!¡± ¡°Yah!¡± And at the same time, Houki and Chirito charge at him with their daggers made of the same Cu¨¦lebre as Ryo¡¯s. However, in contrast to Ryo¡¯s first blow, Houki and Chirito aim at the joints of the armor, the parts that cannot be covered due to the structure of it. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ ugh!¡± ¡°I did it!¡± Although Houki¡¯s attack is dodged, Chirito¡¯s attack slashes him in the elbow, albeit at a shallow depth. ¡°Don¡¯t you underestimate me! ?Simple Ice Weapon Creation?!¡± The Yukijin man, though, is incensed by the attack, and he lunges at the two of them with swords made of ice in both hands. ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± While Chirito is in a panic, Houki steadfastly handles the incoming attack. Nevertheless, not all of the attacks could be dealt with, and the two are slightly wounded and pressed back. However, Tachikabe would periodically step in to support them, which would bring them back into a competitive state. That armor is much more problematic than I expected. I wonder if there is a way to break it¡­ Ryo watches the situation while musing. She wonders how can they penetrate the defensive capabilities of that armor. While recovering with ?Heal?, we should leverage the force of the dagger made of Cu¨¦lebre and launch a prolonged offense¡­ Well, that is not possible. We are in no position to be fighting so patiently. What we need is firepower. Firepower that can effortlessly destroy that bizarrely solid armor. Speaking of which, what is Aria doing¡­ When Ryo has reached that conclusion, she turns her attention to Aria. And there lies the figure of Aria, single-handedly fighting against two Yukijin. Aria seeks an opening while avoiding attacks from the skill of the Yukijin group. It is right after Ryo and the team burst out into combat that Aria spotted the Yukijin striving to breach the front line from an inconspicuous position, which is why she came in close contact with them to stall their advance. Naturally, given the disparity in numbers, Aria assumed that stopping their movement would be enough. However, ¡°Is that all you can do? ?Mist Plosion?.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare underestimate me¡­!¡± Bang! ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡± With the declaration of Aria¡¯s skill, the two Yukijin are blown away. Truthfully speaking, for Aria, who has been born as a demon who hunts people, their abilities would have been beyond a letdown. If it were not for the out-of-dungeon compensation and poor attribute compatibility, the battle would have already concluded with Aria¡¯s victory. Now, you may be wondering why their armor, which was so effective in blocking rifle bullets, was rendered ineffective against Aria¡¯s attacks. To be frank, the answer is quite plain: the ?Frozen Silver Armor? has a high physical defense, yet its magical defense is not only low, or rather, it is completely non-existent. ¡°Phew. Well, I don¡¯t have the hobby of tormenting the lower ranks, so let¡¯s draw this to a close, shall we? ?Misty Arrow?.¡± Aria releases a ?Misty Arrow? directed at the pair, who are still immobile due to the damage sustained from the ?Mist Plosion?. The arrow then pierces the heads of the two, resulting in their movement ceasing. Ryo realizes that Aria has finished them off. She now recognizes how their armor can be broken through, which is evident by observing the Yukijin. The Yukijin that are currently pressing them are never committed to assaulting, and some of their attacks are distinctly avoidable. Yes, if Yukijin could repel any attack, there would be no necessity to evade. Then¡­! Leaving the dagger aside, Ryo starts running and approaches the Yukijin, who is being held back by Tachikabe and the other three through the small opening that has been formed. ¡°Lady Ryo!?¡± ¡°Ryo onee-chan!?¡± ¡°What are you planning to do!?¡± ¡°Ha, I have no clue what you¡¯re up to, but I¡¯ll be your opponent!¡± ¡°Here I come!¡± While the three of them and Yukijin are screaming, Ryo drops to her waist and pulls out her right hand. That hand is in the form of a palm heel with mist concentrated in it. As if to stretch out all the energy in her body at once, Ryo thrusts a palm heel strike towards the Yukijin¡¯s abdomen. ¡°?Mist Slap?!¡± ¡°No way¡­ gah!!¡± In one blow, the Yukijin is sent flying widely, shattering all of his body armor before being punctured in the throat and chest by another human being, thus ensuring a definite death. Ryo then conveys a piece of information to the entire battlefield, which is delivered in her distinctive high female voice. ¡°Beware, those of you who battle with magical attacks! Their armors are powerless to resist magic!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The effect of the information Ryo relayed was drastic. When Ryo pointed out the vulnerabilities in their armor, the intelligent Yukijin begin fleeing, while those who are overconfident in their armor¡¯s might are sure to be taken out one by one. Nevertheless, even the intelligent Yukijin are not successful in escaping merely because they attempted to do so. After all, ¡°¡®Prepare to fire! Fire!¡¯¡± The unit under the command of Otachi Mamoru is stationed at the tunnel¡¯s entrance as an ambush, and following his orders, the Yukijin are greeted with a barrage of gunfire and marksmanship skills. And the battle, in which the Demon King of the north side drew the first use of Yukijin, has ended in victory for the defending front line side, with Houki, Chirito, Tachikabe, and Ryo each advancing a level. T/N: There will be third-person point of view written chapters occasionally in the future chapters as well CH 47 Shortly after a month following the ¡°Purge of the Fog¡±. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough time.¡± ¡°That was tough.¡± ¡°(It was such a hard time.)¡± The three of us, me, Mugi-san, and Izumi, recollect the nightmare that had transpired just a few hours earlier with a faraway vision. ¡°Who would have imagined that right after we set sail, a swarm of water spirits and fish-type demons would descend upon us.¡± ¡°Just when we thought we would have a breather, a giant squid made its appearance.¡± ¡°(The ship went sinking and Ichiko nee-chan used her skill to run on the sea, you know.)¡± To be more accurate, I did not run on the sea, but simply activated ?Short-range Teleportation? consecutively while carrying the two of them. If we had not reached near the continental side, it would have been hopeless to make it because I would have exhausted my MP and SP. In any case, the giant squid had been pursuing us all the way to the continent, and we arrived just before sunset. Incidentally, there was no other crew on board, since we had taken a ship out of service and sailed on it. And the fact that we crossed the ocean means that, ¡°Well, at any rate, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re actually here.¡± ¡°(It¡¯s my first time out of the country!)¡± We¡¯ve arrived on the largest continent on the planet! ¡­ Let¡¯s discuss the next step with the two of them now that everyone has had a significant emotional experience. ¡°So, what shall we do now?¡± ¡°(I will follow Ichiko nee-chan¡¯s lead.)¡± ¡°I figured you had a plan, so I didn¡¯t think about it¡­¡± Apparently, all three of us came without a plan. If that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°Well, how about hunting demons discreetly while moving from place to place to broaden our horizons? Perhaps we could even serve as bodyguards in the human settlements.¡± ¡°If my memory serves me right, this region is the sort of country perfectly dominated by the Demon King, so I suppose we¡¯ll have to wander about for the time being.¡± ¡°(I¡¯m looking forward to it©`)¡± With this, the three of us have made our decision to head towards the human habitation while concealing ourselves from public view from the shore, our landing spot. ¡°By the way, can anyone speak the local language of this place?¡± ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡­Anyway, let¡¯s hope that a skill like ?Translation? will show up early for us. On the same day, at the Northern Liberation Frontier Base (at the end of the tunnel). ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll have to proceed on your own from here on out. We will stay here for a while to build up our strength.¡± ¡°I understand. Unlike us Kirijin, you humans have to establish logistics, plus the risk level will rise.¡± At the temporary command center erected at the end of the tunnel that connects the northern region to the mainland, Otachi Mamoru-san and I are conferring face to face. There, I am informed that the humans are to remain here. Well, I guess that is inevitable. As I mentioned earlier, unlike the Kirijin, humans need to be equipped with various precautions. Furthermore, I am afraid that the people on the mainland will eventually be forced to evacuate this place. After all, the master of the northern dungeon X-J4, the ¡°Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡± ought to be still below level 3, but should he reach level 4, he should be capable of employing the ¡°Long-distance Transportation Formation¡± the same way as Kurokiri can use it. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m off to have a talk with everyone about the future plan.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± And then I head to join everybody in my group. ¡°Therefore, personally, I would like to hunt the ¡®Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡¯s¡¯ subordinates as we head for the continent.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t intend to conquer the ¡®Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡¯ himself or his dungeon?¡± Houki asks in a tentative manner. ¡°It is impossible for us to triumph over the Demon King now, in light of the strength Kurokiri possesses. With regard to the dungeon, it would be difficult to capture it even if we could simply explore the entrance.¡± ¡°I see. I understand if that¡¯s the case.¡± Houki shows her understanding while nodding her head. ¡°Would you be okay with that, Chirito and Aria?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a word to say, do I?¡± Chirito and Aria also look convinced. ¡°Then let¡¯s be on our way. To the north.¡± Thus, the four of us set out from the frontline base and head further to the north. On the same day, in the vicinity of labyrinth X-J5. ¡°So this is X-J5. It¡¯s certainly inaccessible to humans.¡± In front of me (although I am actually viewing through Fog¡¯s eyes) and Fogs, there is a volcanic crater that has been enlarged far more than before as a result of ?Dungeon Creation?. And the entrance to the dungeon, which is the essential part of the dungeon, is made by digging into the side of the crater¡¯s interior. ¡°Well, with this body of mine, there shouldn¡¯t pose any problems for entry.¡± We descend smoothly towards the crater. Needless to say, the closer we approach the crater, the higher the ambient temperature rises, but as I predicted, it seems that Fog¡¯s body can withstand the temperature. ¡°Right, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± After arriving at the entrance of the dungeon, I take a gander at the surroundings. Apparently, the master of X-J5 has taken excellent care in the dungeon¡¯s construction since the pillars at the entrance are carved with dragons, and the door is etched with a dragon-like theme. ¡°Now, will a demon or a snake appear? Shall we try to enter?¡± I put my hand on the entrance of the dungeon to open it. Since I can¡¯t remotely control my Fog in the dungeon nor can I link my vision with it with the current one, I let the other Fog, the one I didn¡¯t link my vision with, enter the dungeon and move in. For now, I plan to send it out immediately. The first priority is to collect information. And the instant Fog rushes into the dungeon, my vision is engulfed in sakura-colored flames, obliterating the body. ¡°Huh?¡± A strange voice breaks out involuntarily. At any rate, I know what transpired. The Fog had been blown away by the enemy¡¯s onslaught. That is all. ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯ll call the Fox Princess for now.¡± Then I share what I found out with the Fox Princess, and we both reach a mutual conclusion. ¡°Well, since that¡¯s the way it is.¡± ¡°Yeah. If that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°¡®Let¡¯s leave it alone for now¡¯.¡± We agree to leave it alone. Well, from now on, let¡¯s conduct a strategy, or rather, an investigation, by cultivating an exclusive Kirijin or a human being against X-J5. There is plenty of time for that as well. CH 48 ¡°Noooooooooo!¡± My screams reverberate throughout the forest. ¡°Bumoooooooo!¡± In pursuit of me, a massive boar with crimson teeth lunges at me, spewing red dust and destroying the trees in the process. ¡°Seriously, why the hell is this happening to me!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice, but the only one who answers me is the boar, and the pair who entered this country with me are not near me right now due to circumstances. ¡°But I have come all this way! Take that!¡± I turn over on the spot and activate my skill ?Firebolt? against the boar. And just as ?Firebolt? strikes the boar¡­ Dong! ¡°Nooooooooooooo!!?¡± An enormous explosion erupts, causing me to be blown away. Apparently, the dust strewed by that boar is highly combustible. And then, when I am knocked to the ground, the boar can be seen charging at me with smoke billowing out of it. That boar¡¯s fur is evidently highly resistant to fire and explosions. Nevertheless, the boar¡¯s assault never reaches me. After all, ¡°Thanks for taking on the role of a decoy. Leave the rest to us.¡± ¡°(Nod.)¡± First, from the shadow of a tree, Izumi leaps out and activates her ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe?, conjuring an axe made of bone, which she uses to sever the boar¡¯s thick leg. ¡°Bumoooooooo!?¡± Ichiko then continues to assault the wounded and thrashing boar by activating ?Decapitation? from ?Short-range Teleportation?, thus putting an end to the boar. Even after being beheaded, the pig twitches convulsively for a brief period of time before ceasing to move. ¡°Phew. We somehow managed to pull it off.¡± ¡°Haa, it was just in the nick of time¡­¡± ¡°(Thank you for your work.)¡± The three of us assemble around the boar, and while removing the boar¡¯s skin, we appreciate each other¡¯s exertions. Now, it¡¯s time to explain how we ended up hunting the boar. The story traces back to a week ago. ¡°Even though this is a city, there are no people.¡± ¡°(There¡¯s not a soul here.)¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be out of place if there was at least a coast guard.¡± When we entered this country, which is connected to the continent across the sea, the first thing we did was to search for residents in order to grasp the current state of affairs here. Since this country is supposed to be a developed country as far as language is concerned, we assumed that in a developed country, English would be the language of communication. Then, after wandering around for a while, we came across a kin of the Demon King of this country. ¡°Who the hell are you guys!¡± Yeah, of course we escaped. And the moment he entered the shadows, I eliminated him. And this was where things started to heat up. ¡°There are a great number of them, indeed.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, what¡¯s with that skill¡­¡± ¡°(My eyes hurt©`!)¡± Apparently, the name of the Demon King of this country is ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King¡± and his kin are ¡°Karajin,¡± possessing the skill of ?Crimson Dust? which allows them to be wrapped in lachrymal crimson dust like our ?Fog Cloak?. That being said, it seems that there is no problem if it is only a fleeting moment. Well, this was the information we found out about the country from the communication through Kurokiri. Now, you may be wondering why masses of Karajin have been attacking us since earlier. The reason for the attack was self-evident. It was the fact that we were the intruders who have defeated one of the Karajin. What I don¡¯t comprehend is how this quantity of Karajin was prepared. ¡°I have a theory about that, but¡­¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± While taking a brief rest lest the enemy discovered us, Mugi-san put on a contemplative expression. ¡°Yeah. It makes sense if you consider that the number of humans they capture are being transformed into a kin, regardless of their skills or status.¡± ¡°But then, how did they reach this place¡­?¡± ¡°¡®Long-distance Transportation¡¯.¡± ¡°! So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on.¡± After hearing that, I had a clear picture of what was going on. In other words, if it is a tricky enemy, they will mobilize all their allies to crush them once they spot them without fail? Indeed, there aren¡¯t many individuals who are capable of crossing the ocean at the present time. ¡°However, if the other side can use ¡®Long-distance Transportation¡¯ then¡­¡± ¡°Well, it is essential to contact your master, isn¡¯t it? I mean, I¡¯ve already informed the Fox Princess-sama.¡± ¡°(I¡¯ve passed the message to Kurokiri.)¡± ¡°I see.¡± Both of you are faithful to your master. Especially Izumi, who can report to Kurokiri even though she doesn¡¯t know his true nature. While I was amazed at these two, we fled into the forest near the city so that the Karajin wouldn¡¯t detect us. And there we met¡­ a boar with huge red tusks. Its entire body also emitted a powder that seemed to be identical to that of the Karajin. ¡°¡­¡± I was momentarily stunned but pondered how to defeat the boar. And the conclusion was, ¡°Mugi-san, please do something about that powder with your skill. After using your strengthening skill and self-enhancement, Izumi, follow Mugi-san and deliver a surprise attack to the leg.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to follow Izumi and finish it off. Well then, best of luck to you.¡± ¡°(Good luck.)¡± ¡°Eh, w-wait!¡± After saying that, Izumi and I went into hiding. Then, out of desperation, I fired a single shot of ?Fox Fire?, forcing the boar to hound me down, leading to the situation depicted at the start of this story. ¡°Now, what are we going to do next?¡± I ask them. ¡°First, we need to locate the other party. Whether we enter the dungeon to fight or head deeper into the continent, it will be too risky if we don¡¯t have a clue where they are. ¡°(I agree.)¡± I see. ¡°In that case, I suggest we move on swiftly.¡± Little by little, the surrounding forest becomes noisier and noisier. It is likely that the information that the boar was killed has been transmitted to the other side, attracting the Karajin¡¯s attention. ¡°I guess so. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± And then, the rest of us drift off into the depths of the forest. T/N: On further contemplation, I have decided to revise the names of the demon king of the demon¡¯s fortress along with his dungeon¡¯s name and the Snow King as well as ?Misty Arrow? skill as I have realized they¡¯re not aligned with certain aspects of the novel for the past and upcoming chapters. Sorry for the inconvenience caused CH 49 ¡°Is that the dungeon of the ¡®Crimson Scattering Spicy King¡¯?¡± From time to time, the Karajin can be spotted entering and exiting the dungeon, and occasionally they bring people who appear to be normal human beings with them. Furthermore, when we deploy the ?Fog Cloak? to its highest capacity, our own appearance is obscured from others around us. ¡°Now we know their location, what are we going to do now? As far as I¡¯m concerned, I believe retreating is sensible,¡± asks Mugi-san. ¡°(Why don¡¯t we charge in?)¡± Izumi also offers a proposal. ¡°Well¡­¡± I mull over each of these ideas in my mind. If we were to retreat, owing to our relationship, we could not travel to the south where only the ocean lies, and therefore we would have to head north, but in the north is the ¡°Sugar King of White Smearing,¡± and beyond that will be the battleground where numerous Demon Kings are vying for dominance. To put it bluntly, should we advance that way, we would be constantly pursued by several Demon Kings, which would be quite unfavorable given our current strength and number of members. Conversely, if we were to tackle the dungeon of the ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King,¡± the issue is for what purpose and how deep should we venture into the dungeon? It is impossible for us to conquer a level 4 Demon King in our present state to begin with, so we will not be attempting such a feat. Secondly, if our level rises excessively, it is conceivable that the Spicy King himself will show up, similar to what the Ogre King did. In this case, failure to discern the right moment to withdraw will result in a mortal wound. Finally, if we wish to expand our number of allies, we should search for those who are still in captivity and have not yet turned into Karajin. And I¡¯ll have them become subordinates to Kurokiri by utilizing my ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?. I guess it¡¯s a matter of having people continue to fight on as they are. The dilemma in this scenario is what to do with the rescued people after they have escaped the dungeon. ¡°Oh dear, the situation looks so much more enjoyable than over here.¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What business do you have with me, Kurokiri?¡± My body stiffens reflexively upon hearing Kurokiri¡¯s voice in my head, but it is only for a brief second. However, the voice of Mugi-san¡¯s voice rouses me to my senses and I immediately reply. ¡°Well, you see, things are so hectic here that I don¡¯t even have the time to fret about them, but you guys are so fortunate to be able to worry about it. is what I thought. Therefore, Ichiko.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kurokiri¡¯s voice begins to assume a serious tone. ¡°You should increase the number of Kirijin there as much as you can. If you can¡¯t transform them into Kirijin, just make them followers of me or the Fox Princess, in any case, go harass the Spicy King to a certain degree. After that, head north via the continent¡¯s inner parts at a convenient time.¡± ¡°¡­I am wondering if this order of yours is really appropriate or not.¡± It really distresses me specifically whether is this appropriate or not? Even so, I can tell that despite your habit, Kurokiri, you are taking the Fox Princess into consideration. ¡°Oh, and also, there¡¯s a request from the Fox Princess¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t antagonize the ¡®Sugar King of White Smearing¡¯.¡± Kurokiri¡¯s tone becomes more solemn than ever. ¡°Why¡­ is that?¡± I ask Kurokiri. The possibility that comes to my mind is that ¡°Sugar King of White Smearing¡± possesses capabilities that are either too formidable for us or too complex for us to deal with. The other possibility is that they have some kind of pact with us. ¡°That is¡­¡± A faint confusion can be heard in Kurokiri¡¯s voice, causing an involuntarily gasp to escape my lips. For Kurokiri to exhibit this kind of emotion, there must be a fairly tricky reason for it. ¡°It¡¯s because that¡¯s where the priceless sweets come from.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I unconsciously inquire back. Eh, sweets? Why is that a¡­? ¡°Well, you know, after the other Demon Kings seized control of the seas and sky, every country has no choice but to fend for itself, right? And when that happens, there are bound to be a lot of things that can¡¯t be made.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Well, that is indeed true. ¡°The dungeon of the Sugar King is said to be made of sweets, ranging from the monsters that emerge to the structure of the dungeon. So you know¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­ in other words, a business deal?¡± ¡°Yes. Exactly so. At that time, the Fox Princess was a real terror. Irrespective of the difference in our level or whatsoever.¡± There is a hint of melancholy in Kurokiri¡¯s voice. Though I don¡¯t really understand how he feels but, ¡°Well, I¡¯m derailing a lot, but anyway, that¡¯s the thing. Hang in there.¡± ¡°I get what you mean. I¡¯ll do all I can to accumulate enough strength to defeat you. Well, then.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± With that, the communication with Kurokiri is disconnected. ¡°Well, you two.¡± I turn to Izumi and Mugi-san. Perhaps both of them have some grasp of the situation from my words, but their faces look deadly serious. ¡°I¡¯ve got an order from Kurokiri. We¡¯re storming into that dungeon.¡± ¡°Even the Fox Princess-sama told me so, and I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°(Understood©`)¡± Thus, the three of us enter the dungeon ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡± of the ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King,¡± while taking caution not to be discovered by Karajin, who was guarding the entrance. CH 50 The interior of ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡± consists of rocks from floor to ceiling, with lantern-like lights dangling from the ceiling. Although the door appears to be composed of stone, it is as light as wood. And so far, everything is going well, but¡­ ¡°Why is everything bright red!¡± ¡°(My eyes hurt!)¡± The entire area is a solid red, as Mugi-san and Izumi indicated. Even the lighting is red as if the flooring, walls, and ceilings were splattered with vivid red paint, and of course, the doors themselves are red as well. While on the subject, I have once heard that certain drug addicts exhibit symptoms that cause them to drench their rooms in a single hue, causing me to wonder if this is one of those cases. Or is this a unique feature of this dungeon, like the fog in ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± for the purpose of taking measures against intruders¡­? Well, this reasoning is more than likely. ¡°Let¡¯s find the rest area for now. Given the enemy¡¯s continuous surveillance in this colorful space, it would be more exhausting than we had anticipated.¡± While suggesting the idea to the two of them, I search for the presence of the surrounding creatures. Apparently, a cluster of numerous creatures is congregating in that direction, therefore, I instruct both of them that we should head in that direction. ¡°(This is awful¡­)¡± ¡°(Yes¡­)¡± ¡°(You can clearly distinguish the nature of the master of this dungeon by this¡­)¡± After slightly opening the door of the room where there are numerous presences of living creatures, we take a gander at what is going on inside. And within the room, a significant number of people are working nonstop on massive cogwheels, which are common in manga detention camps. Those who are found taking a break or arriving late will be lashed with a whip and subjected to physical punishment by the Karajin, who resemble punks. However, by simply viewing the outside and observing this facility, it is evident how the Spicy King has elevated his level to level 4. It is likely that the Spicy King is unaware of the fact that slaying enemies outside the dungeon results in a reduction in the amount of experience gained, which is why he assigns his Karajin to hunt them down. Then he would finish off the majority of them during the hunt and send the rest to engage in some kind of rigorous labor. That is probably what he has been doing. If I may additionally remark, I am inclined to believe that the humans whom the Spicy King has transformed into his kin are inherently vulgar individuals who are fond of such practices. They don¡¯t seem to be distressed at all. Alternatively, they might have already been indoctrinated. Well, in either case, they are beyond salvation. Even so, watching a scene like this reminds me of what kind of character a Demon King essentially possesses. And also that Kurokiri is heterogeneous as a Demon King. ¡°(Izumi. We should dash in right away¡­)¡± ¡°(Please hold on.)¡± That is unwise to do so. I halt Mugi-san and Izumi, who are about to burst out at any moment. ¡°(What is it!?)¡± ¡°(First of all, let¡¯s verify the situation. If we¡¯re going to seize control, we also have to be mindful of the Spicy King and consider what might happen after rescuing them.)¡± ¡°(¡­!)¡± At my words, both Mugi-san and Izumi stay still. ¡°(Looks like both of you¡¯ve calmed down now. Then let¡¯s move on. If we¡¯re going to do this, let¡¯s have it thoroughly executed.)¡± As a result, we each seek a separate entrance, which I, Izumi, and Mugi-san enter from there. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± The man¡¯s legs were staggering. Nevertheless, he could not afford to stop. For if he did, he would be killed. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do it any further¡­¡± Yet, the man paused briefly. At that moment, a Karajin struck the man with his whip, and the sound of skin being slapped and a scream resonated throughout the area. Then whether the man¡¯s scream had lifted his spirits or not, the Karajin sought to wield the whip again¡­ and then things were set in motion. ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!!¡± A different Karajin, initially brandishing the whip, abruptly shrieked out. That Karajin had not been wounded in any part of the body. However, a blue flame surfaced before the Karajin¡¯s eyes, and as the flame fluctuated, his turmoil visibly escalated until he finally fainted while foam flowed out of his mouth. ¡°There goes the first one.¡± Well, what was employed against this Karajin was Mugi¡¯s ?Fox Fire?. Not only does ?Fox Fire? inflict fire attribute damage, but it is also capable of illusory effects. It can induce an illusory effect by exposing the eyes to its light for a prolonged period of time, albeit this is an infrequent occurrence. ¡°!?¡± And simultaneously, another Karajin, who was also brandishing the whip, slumped, powerless to even raise his voice while clutching his crotch and frothing. ¡°¡­¡± Well, if you are a man, you can probably figure out what happened to this Karajin without elaborating on the details. But if I dare to describe it in-depth, I would have to say that Izumi approached the opponent while clad in ?Fog Cloak? to avoid being spotted, and with ?Muscular Strength Enhancement? activated, she delivered a kick with all her vigor towards the opponent¡¯s groin. Incidentally, after hearing this account later, Kurokiri broke out in a cold sweat and remarked, ¡°What an audacious act¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the last one.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± And before the whip was wielded, Ichiko drew near to the Karajin, who ended up being the sole remaining member of the group, with her ?Short-range Teleportation? and ?Fog Cloak?. Then she unleashed ?Decapitation? with her bare hands but what was severed wasn¡¯t his head, only his consciousness. The surrounding people display expressions of astonishment and consternation as they direct their attention towards our unexpected presence. ¡°(We did it©`)¡± ¡°Now, how should we proceed from here onwards?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± As I turn towards the people who were compelled to labor, I declare. ¡°Human beings, make your choice.¡± CH 51 ¡°Human beings, make your choice.¡± Since I don¡¯t speak the language of this country, I pose my questions to the humans who were captured in English. At my feet lies the Karajin, who has been rendered unconscious. ¡°Will you continue to work here until you die? Or shall you be exterminated by us for the sake of escaping from this world? Or will you escape with an indeterminable future? Or will you struggle to grasp your lives by your very own hands!¡± Upon hearing my words, some are appalled, others are agitated, and some react with trepidation. But such reactions are ineluctable. After all, I am now in the base, ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡± of the Demon King called ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King¡± and I intend to defeat his kin, the Karajin. Furthermore, the captured humans were forced to confront a choice between living and dying, which is an unbelievable thing for a young girl like me to be doing. Now, allow me to direct their thoughts. ¡°If you are anxious about not being armed, I will supply you with this.¡± With these words, I beckon Izumi to draw near and she silently utilizes the ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? to produce a dozen or more axes comprised of bone. In addition, although it is originally difficult to consecutively utilize ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? in this way since it involves bleeding and lacerations during the creation process, Izumi can achieve this thanks to her ?Unbloody? and ?Self-Regeneration (Weak)? skills. ¡°If you desire to save your family, loved ones, and friends, save them with your own hands; if you desire to avenge them, avenge them with your own hands.¡± While my words appear to light a fire of courage in many people¡¯s hearts, some people¡¯s hearts are lit up with a darker flame. ¡°Let¡¯s go. They regard those with power as justice. Then you, in the name of justice, shall reclaim all that they have deprived you of!¡± A whirlwind of zeal and cheers erupts from among the people as I lift the dagger in my hand. Then I aim at Karajin¡¯s head at my feet while simultaneously declaring. ¡°Everyone! Annihilate the adversaries!¡± And so the war cry arises with the head of the Karajin being decapitated, thus signaling the commencement of the battle. How fascinating. That was my first impression of the girl, Hisano Ichiko. She detests the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡± to the point of wishing to exterminate him and has been training to attain the capability to actually kill him. However, on the other hand, she also seems to harbor feelings for Kurokiri. I wonder if this conflation of emotion and abomination is truly unique to human beings. And the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog,¡± for his part, tolerates her, acknowledges her, and uses her for his own ends, which is to revolt against the God of Calamity. This is indeed a riveting development. Now, this time she is inciting people to act on her and Kurokiri¡¯s behalf. Should this succeed, the Spicy King will suffer a major blow, thus vastly boosting her and Kurokiri¡¯s capabilities. For me, that would be a joyous event as it would signify that the experiment would make progress. Nevertheless, with their current state, the girl and her group will not be a match for the Spicy King. The gap in power between the Demon King and the rest is still far too wide. Hence, if a battle were to ensue, they would be defeated without the slightest hope for victory. Then, hmm. In any event, the Spicy King is a Demon King that will not grow if his current stance persists. If so, there would be no harm thwarting him by lending the girls a helping hand. Thus, I have made up my mind to stand on their side. Well, it would be best if the battle doesn¡¯t arise under the present circumstances. We are advancing through the ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡± composed of 6 people per team, conducting searches in each room and eradicating the enemies in this hierarchy. The kin in their respective dungeons is certainly superior to us. Their status is about twice the original value of humans, and their HP, MP, and SP are also drastically amplified. But they have been conceited and careless. Therefore, they were unable to adapt to sudden insurgents and were overwhelmed by the disparity in numbers, leading them to be eliminated one after another. Ultimately, individuals with such limited strength are insignificant in the face of sheer numbers. If a frontal attack could be stopped, another human being would simply launch an attack from behind. Even if they are clad in ?Crimson Dust?, trying to attack the vanguard is meaningless in front of the long-range attack skills that will be saturated with fire. While their individual skills can be somewhat effective, even so, it is not feasible for them to defeat this number of people at once unless their skills are at a high level. Not to mention, our number of people will only be multiplied back several times over. Besides, there is a limit to the number of opponents, but our side can increase its number by rescuing those who are currently being held captive. ¡°Tsk! So now they¡¯re playing the hostage card!¡± And apparently, it¡¯s my turn for the role. My turn to step in at this stage is when a level 1 human being encounters demons that they can¡¯t handle or a hostage-taking opponent like the one I am dealing with right now. And what I do is remarkably simple. ¡°Listen up, you guys! If you¡­¡± While the enemy is making threats, I simply approach them with ?Fog Cloak? or ?Short-range Teleportation? and behead them with ?Decapitation?. There exists neither any resistance nor any possibility of resistance from them. The power of level 7 is not a mere feat. Now, shall we hunt as many as we can, ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King¡±? CH 52 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°There are way too many things to do¡­¡± In front of me, along with the screens of ?Dungeon Creation? and ?Monster Creation?, I have received a letter of demand from the country, or more accurately, a request letter. The specific contents are as follows: ?Please improve the relationship with the Fox Princess in the west. ?Please do something about the Northern Snow King. ?Please do something for us as we are running out of food. ?Please lower the difficulty level of the labyrinth. ?Please do something about the demons arising from the ocean. ?Please transform me into a Kirijin. Yeah. I would like to express my words out loud. I don¡¯t give a damn! To begin with, my connection with the Fox Princess is optimal for a series of skirmishes like the one we¡¯re experiencing right now. It¡¯s either for leveling up or assessing our strength. As for the Snow King, let¡¯s disregard him because Ryo should be throwing forth her valiant efforts at this time. Even if she can¡¯t vanquish the Snow King, she can at least weaken his forces. Besides, if something goes wrong, Aria will contact me. As for food? You¡¯ll have to come up with something on your own. Alternatively, you can consume whatever you find in the dungeon. The difficulty level? Your concern is none of my issues. I am risking my life here. If I lower the difficulty level any further, the Fox Princess will end up killing me. Demons from the ocean? They¡¯re under the control of the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos,¡± right? Why don¡¯t you lure them to the land and then hunt them down? Therefore, it¡¯s out of my control. And you wish to become a kin? I don¡¯t entertain that kind of request. Who I choose to become a Kirijin is entirely up to me. Seriously, humans are all so self-centered that in the end, they will be annihilated. I¡¯m not going to do it since problems will develop later on. And Ichiko seems to have discovered the dungeon of the Spicy King. In that case, I¡¯ll provide her with immediate instructions and¡­ speaking of which, the Fox Princess told me not to lay a hand on the Sugar King. I¡¯ll let her know about that too. Now that I have issued instructions to Ichiko and the others, I have made some discoveries. Apparently, there is a connection between HP, MP, SP and the three major human desires[i], each of which can be efficiently recovered by fulfilling their respective requirements. I dare not say which one is linked to which one though. Ah, and let¡¯s review my current strength briefly. ?150 Kirijin (including Ichiko, Ryo, Houki, Chirito, and Izumi) ?10 Mystics (one of them is accompanying Ryo) ?5 Cu¨¦lebre ?1 Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle (who had started to heed my commands before I knew it) ?A myriad of other various demons. Yup. I suppose it¡¯s quite a force to be reckoned with. If they are in my dungeon, there are also fog and swamp traps in addition to this. If it is an average opponent, my demons won¡¯t be lagging behind. So, who among these guys has the potential to take on X-J5? ¡°How fascinating.¡± All of a sudden, something triggers a response in my body. The sensation in me was that something ominous had swept past me momentarily and cast a glance in my direction as it left. Whatever the case may be, it feels that there is something nefarious at play. ¡°What is that?¡± When I scan my surroundings, all I notice is the usual ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. However, this sensation is familiar to me from somewhere, something that I had experienced at some point in my life. When was that¡­? This is the first time I¡¯ve felt like this since becoming the Demon King. Along with my intellectual power, my remembrance ability has enhanced since I metamorphosed into the Demon King. Therefore, if something occurred after joining the ranks of a Demon King, I should be able to recall it immediately. However, I can barely remember my days as a human being, nor do I believe that I would have encountered such a sensation in my peaceful life as a normal university student in this country. In fact, my sensing ability as a human being must have been less than that of a typical human being. If that were the case, the situation where I would be subjected to this kind of sensation would be right before becoming the Demon King is¡­ After musing about it, the existence of an entity struck my mind. ¡°That little girl¡¯s voice¡­¡± My thoughts are inundated with the presence of that enigmatic voice that had converted me into the Demon King that day. She is one of my ultimate goals, a being whose true identity I still have no clue about. And, despite the fact that people are oblivious to it, she is the one who has brought the world to its existing crisis. Hmm. Well, after all this time, calling her by the name of ¡°little girl¡¯s voice¡± is out of bounds under the prevailing circumstances. Then, I suppose I should refer to her in another way¡­ let¡¯s see. If she is the embodiment of the Demon King, then it would be more befitting to address her like this. ¡°God of Calamity.¡±[ii] Now, if the presence of the God of Calamity was detected even for a moment, it would be prudent to respond accordingly, or at least to be on the alert via the eyes of my kin. ¡°But I doubt it would produce much of an effect against a God.¡± Although I spread my vigilance net to the greatest extent possible, I ended up uttering such a thing. T/N: [i] It is generally, ¡°appetite, sexual desire, and sleep desire¡± but could be other desires too [ii] Can be read as demon gods or devil too. But I¡¯ll be using God of Calamity CH 53 This time, there are particularly cruel descriptions involved. (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°There¡¯s a big shot coming at usssss!¡± A man alerts all of us by yelling at the top of his lungs. As it surges forward, a two-meter-tall lizard with red thorns protruding from its back emerges, knocking many people off in its path. No, given its oppressive presence, you could even call it a dragon. And on top of it, there is a demon that looks like a red pepper with limbs growing out of it. Evidently, this demon seems to be a rider. ¡°Name identification! The lizard is called ¡®Spicy Thorny Lizard¡¯ and the one on top is ¡®Capsicaman¡¯[i]!¡± ¡°You bunch of slaves! All of you will be killed by this Gochu-capsicaman!¡± Spicy Thorny Lizard and Capsicaman? It is likely that the Spicy Thorny Lizard is equivalent to the Cu¨¦lebre in ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± and the Capsicaman is probably a demon that can be conjured up at level 4 of the Demon King. That would mean the combat will be challenging no matter how many level 1 humans are present. ¡°All of you retreat! We will be the ones to confront those creatures.¡± With a booming yell, the humans around me distance themselves from the foes. ¡°¡­!¡± And as the surrounding humans withdraw, Izumi swings her axe wide and bashes it into the face of the Spicy Thorny Lizard from the side with all her force. However, the Spicy Thorny Lizard shows an expression that indicates it is ineffective, and jerks its neck in a broad sweep, sending Izumi hurling away. ¡°Tsk! How dare you hurt Izumi!¡± After witnessing Izumi¡¯s being blown away, Mugi-san unleashes a multitude of ?Firebolt?. ¡°You slaves are so impudent!¡± ¡°Gugyagyagya!¡± Nonetheless, the Capsicaman on top of the Spicy Thorny Lizard produces a red shield to obstruct the ?Firebolt?, and once it ceases, the Spicy Thorny Lizard shoots the thorns on its back like a javelin. ¡°Not good!¡± ¡°Hah¡­! Ah!¡± When I invoke ?Long Edge? and swing the dagger that has become like a long sword, it blocks the thorns. Nevertheless, the blow it delivered proved to be grave. Moreover, the thorns apparently radiate a substantial amount of heat, and even though I merely repelled it, I feel as if my HP has been reduced. ¡°I¡¯ll stall for time! ?Mud Wall?!¡± One of the human beings around me utilizes ?Mud Wall? to enclose Spicy Thorny Lizard with a wall of mud. ¡°As if this kind of thing can stop us!¡± But then, perhaps due to the skill of the Capsicaman, an explosion bursts out causing the wall of mud to be scattered. ¡°Then let¡¯s fire a volley! ?Waterbolt?!¡± ¡°?Blast?!¡± ¡°?Windbolt?!¡± ¡°?Glacial Till?!¡± Yet, the moment the wall crumbles, all the humans in the vicinity simultaneously launch attacks with skills that can be deployed from long range. Their impact is so ferocious that the area is awash with a deafening boom and a cloud of dust and smoke. ¡°Did they succeed?¡± Mugi-san mutters involuntarily. But, Mugi-san. That¡¯s a flag[ii]. As it stands¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away, you slaves!¡± Both the Capsicaman and the Spicy Thorn Lizard are still alive and well, albeit somewhat damaged. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡± When the Spicy Thorn Lizard lunges at them, several unfortunate people in the immediate area get run over and die while raising their death cry. And I need to act swiftly to put an end to those demons! ¡°Hmph!¡± With my sword drawn, I move in front of the charging Spicy Thorn Lizard and use my sword to restrain it, prompting the Spicy Thorn Lizard to come to a standstill. Even Izumi follows my lead in suppressing it, and consequently, the Spicy Thorn Lizard¡¯s onrushing ceases. ¡°What!¡± The Capsicaman lets out a shocked yelp. This is my opportunity. It is the perfect time to execute that thing I have been discreetly practicing for some time. ¡°Izumi! Mugi-san! Please hold them back! I¡¯ll get ready!¡± ¡°(Nod.)¡± ¡°Alright!¡± At the same time as I leap back, Izumi wields her axes in both hands in all directions while evading the Spicy Thorn Lizard¡¯s assaults. Despite the fact that her blows only inflict minor damage to the Spicy Thorn Lizard, it is agitated by the absence of hits on Izumi. Simultaneously, Mugi-san attacks with a combination of ?Fox Fire? and ?Firebolt? with the aim of suppressing the Capsicaman¡¯s movements, leaving no time for the Capsicaman to counterattack while forcing him to constantly bring out his red shield to defend against the attack. And meanwhile, I am concentrating the power within me on the edge of the blade, which I hold in my right hand while adding more strength with my left hand. Frankly speaking, I am not certain that what I am about to do will be successful. After all, this is the first time I have performed this technique in a real fight, and I have hardly ever had any success with it in practice. Furthermore, this is not a technique that is based on a proper theory. Even so, I have no alternative but to do it. The two of them are suppressing them now, but their MP and SP are not unlimited. If their attacks were to cease, many casualties would be inflicted again in the slightest gap. ¡°¡­¡¯I am the one who leaps through the void, a kin of the Fog King. I seek the head of my adversary, the flower of life, the fountain of blood¡¯.¡± As my chanting ensues, my vision rapidly constricts due to my extreme immersion, until all I can see is the edge of the sword in my hand, and all sounds around me are rendered inaudible. ¡°¡®Leap, O blade. Until I reach what I seek, cast this blade down upon my foe¡¯.¡± Within my grip, the blade begins to assume a black aura, gradually increasing in brilliance. ¡°Both of you, retreat! ¡®Cut! Slice! Sever! Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku¡¯[iii]!¡± And with that, I brandish my sword broadly to the side. However, the edge of that sword that was visible earlier is now no longer in view. This is because, ¡°What did you¡­ gaaaaaaaa!¡± ¡°Gugi, gyaaaaaaaaah!¡± Because that blade is continuously being driven into the Capsicaman and Spicy Thorn Lizard until their heads fall off. Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku. That is a skill that falls outside the boundaries set by the skill system which I conceived of when I witnessed Kurokiri¡¯s outer skill, Kurokirinoko. By combining ?Short-range Teleportation? and ?Decapitation?, this technique is used to continuously severs an adversary¡¯s head until it falls off, scattering the flower of life and triggering a fountain of blood. ¡°Hah¡­ what a skill you possess. I¡¯ve never heard of this before.¡± ¡°It is only natural that you have never heard of it since I devised it myself.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Mugi-san¡¯s face turns pale at the sight of the two demons that continue to be beheaded even though they have already been decapitated halfway to demise, and I lift their heads up while I elucidate the situation to her. Then, when the heads of Capsicaman and Spicy Thorn Lizard have fallen off by my technique, the Senkiri-kaishaku is over, and at the same time I pass out due to SP exhaustion. T/N: [i] The name is derived from Capsicum pepper [ii] Well, I guess people would understand what flag means these days from anime but in simple terms, the context here means it¡¯s impossible for them to have such an easy victory [iii] Senkiri means thousand slashes and Kaishaku means to assist someone committing hara-kiri by beheading him [iv] The enemies could be more than a duo. Japanese language lacks plurals and I am simply assuming it is two enemies CH 54 (God of Calamity POV) Kukuku, kuhahaha, ahahaha. Oh dear, how unexpected, there is a model, and within such a short period of time, an individual with the status of a kin can perform outer skills, even if it is only a hollow shell and an imitation. How fascinating. Indeed, it is fascinating. I would love to personally meet her at least once. Well then, let¡¯s make hay while the sun shines. I have decided to head down to the girls. (Third-person POV) ¡°What is that skill¡­ I won¡¯t tolerate that sort of skill¡­¡± The ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King¡± is watching the earlier battle in his room positioned in the innermost part of the ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡±. His expression is so vehemently wrathful that it frightens the Karajin at his side. But that is also inevitable. This time, in order to suppress the rebellion of the slaves, the Spicy King dispatched not only his own kin, the Karajin, but also a whole range of other demons. The Spicy Thorn Lizard is the powerhouse of the demons that inhabit this dungeon that does not possess a high level of intelligence, and the Capsicaman is supposed to be the most formidable demon that the Spicy King could have created. ¡°How could such a cheat-like skill exist¡­¡± However, these two demons were brought down by the skill of a single intruder. Such a thing is unbelievable. Even if that intruder is actually a kin of another Demon Lord, there is no way for her to possess that kind of skill. This was what the Spicy King concluded. In fact, he is not wrong in his assessment. Whether this is the hobby of the God of Calamity who has introduced the skill to this world, or whether there is some other meaning to it, only she knows, but at least among the skills the God of Calamity has endowed the living beings of this world, there is ¡°no skill that can 100% annihilate an opponent when unleashed without preparation¡±. Well, there is such a thing as ¡°a skill that can 100% annihilate an opponent if it is unleashed with a substantial degree of preparation¡±. Now, let¡¯s return to the main subject. Anyway, the Spicy King contemplates if it is possible to retaliate against these intruders if they approach here with slaves in tow. Conclusively, if he engages the enemy with traps and fights, things could work out in his favor. However, it will cost him many sacrifices. Once that happens, another Demon Lord in the vicinity will invade. And could he fend them off as well? In the first place, this notion is based on the assumption that the infiltrators do not hold any more tricks up their sleeves, and unless the identity of the skill that buried Spicy Thorn Lizard and Capsicaman is ascertained, he can never use the word ¡°absolute¡± in obliterating them. The Spicy King growls prolongingly by himself. (Mugi POV) ¡°Withdrawal?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. As you can see, our most elevated force has exhausted her SP.¡± After saying this, I look at Ichiko, who is being carried on Izumi¡¯s back. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve already investigated everything about this hierarchy and saved those who could be saved. There is little merit in venturing further.¡± ¡°But if we challenge him with this number of people, we might be successful in conquering the Demon King¡­ and there may even be people being held captive ahead¡­¡± A single human being says such a thing while facing my direction. Well, I can understand that some humans would have this kind of opinion. But that¡¯s totally naive¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the Demon King is not as weak as you guys assume. Remember that lizard and pepper man we encountered earlier? The Demon King is multifold stronger than them. To be frank, with the current us, we would likely suffer a crushing defeat, no matter how many thousands of us we bring to the fight.¡± At my words, several people let out a gasp and express their disbelief. However, that is the truth. I had witnessed the actual strength of the Fox Princess-sama once. Back then, Fox Princess-sama split dozens of military elite in half within a flash, and her speed was surreal, that even the military members didn¡¯t seem to be aware of the fact that they had died. And presumably, I suspect that the master of those two, the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog,¡± and the master of this dungeon, the ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King,¡± are capable of similar actions. Yes, to defeat the Demon King, what is essential is not a group of ordinary beings, but rather an assembly of individuals who collectively can be praised as heroes. And irrespective of how many level 1 members are united, they cannot eradicate the Demon King. Not to mention, in order to challenge the Demon King, there is a minimum level of competence required. That is what I learned through observing Fox Princess-sama¡¯s strength in the battle that took place. ¡°The next floor is probably going to be a full-fledged intruder defense floor, as opposed to a user-friendly one like this one.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ there are still people to be saved¡­¡± So you¡¯re saying there are still other humans that are alive beyond this floor huh? ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It is true that the Spicy King is a guy who tries to hunt all the humans without any second thoughts, but considering that no reinforcements have come after the defeat of his two demons earlier, he is most likely fully prepared and waiting ahead of us. With such a character, I doubt he would let a living person past this point. At the very least, he would have made them into Karajin. Well, if you insist on casting aside your life, I¡¯d rather you be a source of food for me and this girl, not the Spicy King.¡± I pat Izumi on the shoulder, after which all of them are downcast in silence. ¡°If you understand, flee to the north at the earliest time. After all, with this many people, we have to expect that the Spicy King will be after us even after reaching the outside.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Upon hearing my words, all the humans begin running towards the outside at once. Then the others and I retreat from the ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡±. CH 55 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) ¡°It is freezing here.¡± The temperature where we are feeling right now prompts me to involuntarily mutter something like that. ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡± ¡°So cold¡­¡± ¡°How cold¡­¡± It seems that Houki, Chirito, and Aria also concur with my words. Now, regarding our present situation, we are now erecting a kamakura (a kind of a hut) in the snow and camping out in the open air. Yes, that¡¯s right. It is a kamakura. By nature, it should be quite warm inside. But¡­ ¡°Why is it so chilly?¡± ¡°No matter how I look at it, I suspect it¡¯s because of that thing, Miss.¡± Houki then gestures to one side of the outside of the Kamakura. Beyond that is a dungeon. It is the ¡°Silver Snow Forest,¡± reigned over by the ¡°Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡±. The ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± is a forest dungeon where snow is perpetually falling, and the walls are comprised of hedges and snow walls. Moreover, since intense winds blow outside the dungeon, the environment around the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± is subject to extreme frigid temperatures at all times. And the primary monsters in the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± consist of Snowdogs, Ice Spirits, and other ice-attributed monsters that we have encountered numerous times before arriving here. Furthermore, if I had to say so myself, it seems that many of the monsters have elevated physical defenses yet low magical defenses. Even with the scaled dagger created out of Cu¨¦lebre, the Snow Doll monster we met along the way was utterly unsurmountable, but with ?Mist Slap?, I was able to eliminate it with ease. Now, let¡¯s return to the main subject. ¡°Ha. Although I would like to do something about it, we can¡¯t prevail over the ¡®Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡¯ with our abilities, nor is there any way we can deal with him.¡± While sighing, I gaze at the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡±. ¡°If we are going to contend with the Demon King, we would need at least four or five level 10 humans. Even if we combat him with the benefit of our in-dungeon compensation, we¡¯ll need to be at least level 6 or 7,¡± Houki also murmurs as she stares off into the distance. ¡°And that is only barely adequate. If it were me, I absolutely wouldn¡¯t want to tackle it at that level.¡± While taking a break, Chirito joins in the conversation as well. ¡°In any case, our objective this time is not to conquer the dungeon but to advance our level. There is no necessity to force our way into the dungeon.¡± Aria sums up the situation. ¡°That¡¯s also true. Then for the sake of the people who are hidden in the Honshu and the vicinity of the dungeon, let¡¯s defeat the demons outside the dungeon one after another. Even if we are outside the dungeon, we should be able to raise our level as long as the numbers are high.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± And then, having finished our rest, we set out from the kamakura to search for the foes. ¡°Two bears?¡± After beginning to seek out the enemies, two bears emerge before us. One of them is a bear-type monster with white fur and ice claws while the other is a brown bear-type monster clad in ?Frozen Silver Armor? in vital parts of its body. According to Chirito¡¯s ?Personal Analyze?, the bear with white fur and ice claws is called a Snow Bear, and the bear with ?Frozen Silver Armor? is called a Snow Brown Bear. ¡­Right, they are two different species. The literal translation of ¡°snow bear¡± should be ¡°snow bear¡±. ¡°Lady Ryo. Why are they different species?¡± While keeping a wary eye on Snow Bear, Houki poses me a question. ¡°Perhaps Snow Bear is a demon created by Snow Sage through ?Monster Creation?. And as for the Snow Brown Bear, they¡¯re probably a living brown bear that was transformed into a kin through ?Monster Creation?.¡± Aria answers Houki¡¯s question as she readies her skills. ¡°In other words, the Kirijin, according to what we refer to, are the Snow Brown Bears, and Aria and the other Mystics are the Snow Bears? Though there is a distinction between a human-type and a bear-type,¡± Chirito replies while checking the Snow Bears with his movement. ¡°As I recall, the ¡®Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡¯ has been hunting wildlife surrounding the dungeon for quite some time, and this is presumably the outcome of that.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And since all of the large wild creatures are greater than human beings with the exception of intelligence, it¡¯s worth making them into a kin if they can be employed in crucial points where they can be controlled.¡± ¡°That means that, even if they aren¡¯t optimal for autonomous operation, they are superior to human kin when utilized in this way.¡± ¡°In addition, even if they are subject to out-of-dungeon compensation, their high initial status renders them a threat.¡± Each of the four of us is in agreement with what we¡¯re saying. And while we are discussing this, the two of them are gradually closing the distance between us. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll use that thing.¡± ¡°Do you have a secret measure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more of a skill than a secret. The duration of its effect is short, so please don¡¯t be at a loss when it activates and attacks immediately.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± I prepare to use the skill. ¡°GURUAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± And as I poise my skill, the two bears start to pounce upon us. ¡°! I¡¯m coming! ?Mantle of Fog?!¡± I swiftly invoke the skill ?Mantle of Fog?. As I do so, a large volume of fog is generated in the surrounding area. And at the same time¡­ ¡°GAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± ¡°Ku.. eh?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ what?¡± The out-of-dungeon status compensation for all of us comes out of play, and our statuses rise tremendously. Consequently, Chirito is able to intercept Snow Brown Bear¡¯s rush equipped with ?Frozen Silver Armor?, and Houki is able to defend against Snow Bear¡¯s formidable claw attack. They both seem to be astonished that they are able to obstruct an attack that they should not have been able to defend against. ¡°I see, this is wonderful. ?Mist Plosion?!¡± ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAA!¡± Even though Aria is taken by surprise, she strikes with ?Mist Plosion?. And that blow obliterates the Snow Brown Bear in a single hit. ¡°However, the effect lasts less than a minute and it consumes a lot of mp, which means it can only be used in the most critical moments. ?Mist Slap?!¡± ¡°GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAA!!¡± Utilizing my heightened status to the utmost, I unleash ?Mist Slap? in the form of a palm heel strike at the Snow Bear, knocking him down. Then, when Snow Bear has been defeated, the effect of ?Mantle of Fog? wears off. ¡°Phew. Even so, that is exhausting.¡± ¡°Yeah, Lady Ryo. Shall we retreat temporarily?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡± Thus, we strip whatever we can and leave the place. CH 56 (Ryo POV) ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s reasonably tasty.¡± We return to our base near the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± and feast on the stripped Snow Bear and Snow Brown Bear meats. However, since there are practically no seasonings such as spices, the dish is simply grilled. Nevertheless, unlike conventional bear meat, it is tender and has a pleasant meaty flavor. That being said, I would prefer something a little more light in taste. ¡°Thank you for the meal. But to share my honest opinion, a little more spice and heating would have been better.¡± With these words, Houki, who prepared this dish, casts her glance at the nearly empty bag and the almost extinguished bonfire that she borrowed from a nearby private home. ¡°But none of us can use the fire attribute. As far as the heating factor is concerned, there is nothing we can do, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Even when it comes to spices, although the price is not as steep as in the days when pepper was exchanged for the same weight of gold, it still seems to have a commensurate price.¡± Chirito and Aria, who have been savoring Houki¡¯s cuisine, assemble their words with a bit of regret and resignation. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s head for the south someday soon. I¡¯m certain they produce such things.¡± Looking somewhat distant, I mumble something like that. ¡°And, Miss. Apparently, the enemies are here. We are surrounded.¡± Houki abruptly remarks something like that. ¡°Yeah, nee-san. I think their number is four?¡± Continuing on, Chirito seems to have sensed it as well. ¡°Then let¡¯s have an exercise to settle our digestion, shall we?¡± Following my words from there, Houki and Chirito are the first to leap out and prepare their daggers. After that, Aria follows suit and get ready to activate her skills outside the kamakura. Then once we are outside, our sight is filled with 3 Yukijin wearing ?Frozen Silver Armor? and a Snow Brown Bear. (Third person POV) ¡°You are the dogs of the Fog King. Let us avenge our comrades.¡± The leader of the Yukijin, aims the tip of his sword at Ryo and the others and says. ¡°I refuse. If you do not wish to be hunted, why don¡¯t you stay inside the dungeon?¡± In response, Ryo also directs the tip of her dagger at them and retorts. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± ¡°Since that is the case¡­¡± ¡°You shall die!¡± ¡°Let me return the favor!¡± And at the moment they conclude their statements, a Snow Brown Bear from the Yukijin¡¯s side and Houki from Ryo¡¯s side rush forward, each with claws and daggers clashing respectively, the noise of metal scraping against metal reverberating throughout the area. ¡°GURURURU¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± But as expected, Houki is gradually being pushed back due to the disparity in muscular strength. Therefore, Houki retreats while inflicting moderate wounds by utilizing ?Cut Off?. ¡°Chirito!¡± Ryo shouts. ¡°I know! The opponent is 3 Yukijin and 1 Yukihiguma! The Yukijin possess 1 long-range magic type and 2 melee physical types! Unlike the others, the one who was drawing his sword at you earlier has the title ?Knight of the Snow Sage?! Watch out!¡± ¡°Mmm! So you are a practitioner of analytical skills!¡± The Knight of the Snow Sage roars in reply to Chirito¡¯s recognition of the enemy¡¯s true identity. ¡°Well then, I will be the Yukihiguma¡¯s opponent. Please take care of the knight, Ryo-san. And for the remaining two foes, Houki and Chirito, please handle them. ?Mist Plosion?!¡± ¡°GAAAAAAAA!!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± While Aria informs them of their respective opponents, she delivers ?Mist Plosion? towards the Yukihiguma. And in the meantime, Ryo approaches the knight, while Houki and Chirito begin to engage the Snow Bear. ¡°GAAA!¡± ¡°How naive! ?Mistbolt?.¡± Aria nimbly evades the Snow Brown Bear¡¯s assault. And as she avoids the attack, she simultaneously launches ?Mistbolt? at the Snow Brown Bear at a point-blank range. Of course, the Snow Brown Bear has no intention of being vanquished for nothing, so it swings its arms vigorously to the right and left, and sometimes uses its ?Frozen Silver Armor? at its joints to attack. The Snow Brown Bear can prevail with a single blow, while Aria counterattacks tactfully while eluding all of its attacks. As the battle drags on and the number of ?Mistbolt? shots exceeds 10, the movement of the Snow Brown Bear begins to deteriorate. Then Aria seizes the Snow Brown Bear by the head, ¡°This is the end. ?Mist Plosion?.¡± ¡°GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡± The head of the Snow Brown Bear has been crushed by ?Mist Plosion?.¡± ¡°Phew. Now, how¡¯s the rest of it faring?¡± Aria then casts her attention on her surroundings. Houki and Chirito, on the other hand, are struggling. But this is understandable. Houki has mainly acquired skills in the field of covert operations, while Chirito is an expert in the field of analytical skills. Neither of them are the type to engage in direct combat. In contrast, the two opposing Yukijin are very well-balanced: one is a long-range type who owns ?Icebolt? and the other is a close-range type who carries ?Long Sword Proficiency ¢ñ?. As a result, ¡°Hah, this is rough, huh?¡± ¡°B-but we¡¯ll have to work it out.¡± Both of them are already out of breath and are positioning their weapons with minor wounds all over their bodies. ¡°Hmph. If you surrender, I¡¯ll let you have an easy death.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t you stop resisting?¡± In comparison, the two Yukijin are on their guard and ready to kill. ¡°Well, nee-san¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Nonetheless, the pair does not yield, and they charge at the Yukijin. Of course, their attacks are blocked by the vanguard Yukijin just like before. But there is a difference from the previous situation. When Chirito¡¯s attack is intercepted, Houki activates her ?Fog Cloak? and ?Covert Proficiency ¢ñ? to completely obscure her figure, and while in this state, she strikes at the Yukijin, the rear-guard with ?Cut Off?. ¡°What¡­! Gaaaah!¡± With that blow, the dagger is inserted into a gap in the ?Frozen Silver Armor? and severs the arm of the rear-guard Yukijin. ¡°You, when did you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to escape!¡± ¡°Damn!¡± Upon witnessing this scene, the vanguard Yukijin dashes to the rescue of the rear-guard Yukijin. But Chirito intervenes by slashing at him from behind. ¡°This is¡­ the coup de grace!¡± ¡°Gah!¡± While Chirito is restraining the vanguard, Houki thrusts her dagger into the gap around the rear-guard¡¯s throat to finish him off. ¡°Damn youuuuu!¡± Yukijin, the vanguard, vivaciously shakes off Chirito and attempts to slash at Houki. ¡°I won¡¯t let you do it.¡± ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s absurd¡­¡± But then, Chirito pierces his back with a dagger in the style of breaking through the ?Frozen Silver Armor?. Needless to say, a mere dagger cannot penetrate through Yukijin¡¯s ?Frozen Silver Armor?. However, since the dagger that Chirito is equipped with consists of Cu¨¦lebre¡¯s scales, its sharpness intensifies with each usage. Furthermore, Chirito is the most advanced among the members in this group in terms of using the dagger. Therefore, at this very moment, Chirito¡¯s dagger surpasses the strength of the ?Frozen Silver Armor?. ¡°Haa, somehow I managed to finish him off¡­¡± ¡°You did it¡­¡± Thus, both Houki and Chirito collapse from exertion. And Ryo at that time is¡­ overwhelming. ¡°You aren¡¯t much of a threat, you know.¡± ¡°Gah¡­ guh¡­¡± Ryo condescendingly stares down at Yukijin knight with an equanimous expression, while the Yukijin knight is in such a state that he cannot stand up even if he wanted to. Nevertheless, this is a justifiable outcome. In the first place, the Knight of the Snow Sage is at level 4, while Ryo is at level 7. In addition, the status of the Snow Sage¡¯s Knight has been lowered due to the out-of-dungeon correction, but Ryo has restored her status to its original state with the force of ?Mantle of Fog?. On top of that, although the ?Frozen Silver Armor? of the Snow Sage¡¯s Knight is more solid than the ?Frozen Silver Armor? of other Yukijin, it has virtually no significance against Ryo¡¯s ?Mist Slap?. Consequently, at the moment when Houki and Chirito won the battle while keeping each other in check, Ryo¡¯s ?Mantle of Fog? and ?Mist Slap? are executed to KO the Knight of the Snow Sage in a single shot. ¡°Now, let¡¯s retrieve Houki and Chirito and retreat, shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± With that, the battle ended, and Ryo and Aria leave the base with Houki and Chirito, heading for the nearest town. A/N: What happens if a level 7 kin attacks a level 4 out-of-dungeon compensation for a Kirijin with their original status? The result is shown in the last part of this story. CH 57 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Shortage of food¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Yes. It is beginning to pose a problem, albeit gradually.¡± As usual, I am working in my private room on the fourth level of the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. ¡°That reminds me, the other day even Houki mentioned something about a lack of seasoning like spices.¡± By the way, as a countermeasure against the God of Calamity, I have been eavesdropping on the visual and auditory senses of all the Kirijin from time to time, therefore I am aware of what Houki had done when she made the bear dish the other day. Also, I have already sensed that Ryo and the others are moving away from the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡±. Well, it would be okay to let them have a rest for a while. On the contrary, I have no clue what¡¯s taking place at the moment with Ichiko and the others. After they invaded ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave,¡± I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with them. Since it has been about five days after breaking into the cave, they should have made an escape and contacted me at least once. Incidentally, the communication between the Demon Kings and their kin have already been ascertained to be functional even if they are on the other side of the world, provided that the other party is not in a dungeon that they are not affiliated with. As for how I found this out? One of the kids I turned into a Kirijin before ¡°Purge of the Fog¡± hailed from North America, so I checked to determine if I could establish communication with that kid. ¡°Fog King-sama?¡± ¡°A-ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right. This glamorous lady over here right now is a Kirijin who works as my secretary, and her name is Utsuroi Tori. And when I ask for her age? She replied by launching a ?Voidbolt? (a skill that delivers a non-attribute magic arrow that negates resistance and magic defenses. It looks like a pitch-black arrow.) at me. For your information, she is the child who was saved from a mortal illness via Ichiko by transforming her into a Kirijin, therefore her allegiance to me is deep, but her faith in Ichiko is even greater. Well, you know. It¡¯s sort of like the Ichiko Faction of the Fog King congregation. Yeah. Thanks to that, I will never lay a hand on her! Now, let¡¯s return to the main subject. ¡°Food scarcity¡­ I mean, honestly, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I understand that too, but it seems the humans outside couldn¡¯t solve the problem on their own¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. According to my memory, those with skills related to the production of food, such as ?Growth Accelerator ?Tree? and ?Light of Blessing? are given favorable treatment, but instead, they have to utilize their skills as much as they could.¡± The ?Growth Accelerator ?Tree? is a skill that hastens the growth of trees, and the ?Light of Blessing? is a skill designed to heal those exposed to it, but it also assists the photosynthesis of vegetables. ¡°They are certainly getting preferential treatment, and they are putting their skills to good use. However, the country¡¯s lack of access to imports and exports seems to be a pain in the neck..¡± ¡°I see. So, the request to me is also¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it may be that they are looking for a way to reduce the number of mouths they need to feed.¡± If that is the case, well, I can see why they¡¯re reaching out to me. It is indeed the case that once you become a kin, you don¡¯t require any food unless you experience a growth spurt or another circumstance that necessitates the consumption of raw materials in order to develop your body to a larger frame. ¡°Well, it aggravates me when I have to respond honestly to their underlying intent. Perhaps I¡¯ll just release as many Thin Mist Wolves as I can and let it out of the dungeon.¡± ¡°Uh, does that mean dog meat¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. The staple food of the soldiers storming into our dungeon is Rifle Frog and Thin Mist Wolf. They can consume them with no problem. Furthermore, it would be a delicacy if the Thin Mist Wolves were to turn the tables on the humans.¡± I am now wearing a smile reminiscent of a true Demon King¡­ Ah, not that I can smile currently since I am in a foggy state. ¡°Well, Fog King-sama? If possible, I¡¯d like you to limit the damage to the humans¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Well, the out-of-dungeon compensation lowers the status of the Thin Mist Wolf to that of an ordinary dog, so it should be fine, right? Also, if there are any children with outstanding skills, I¡¯ll issue an order for them to be scavenged.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that¡­ no, forget it. Unlike Ichiko-sama, you, the Fog King, possess neither blood nor tears, I suppose.¡± How disrespectful. I¡¯m usually only in a foggy state, but I do shed blood and tears. Moreover, this operation to mass-summon the Thin Mist Wolves has the merit of killing three birds with one stone: the number of starving people will shrink, the number of Kirijin will increase, and my experience will grow. ¡°Well, since that is the case, this conversation is over. After I summon a vast number of Thin Mist Wolves, I¡¯ll disperse them throughout my domain via Long-distance Transportation Formation.¡± After saying that, I depart from the private room, leaving Tori with a look of resignation on her face, and I proceed to carry out the operation as I have said so. , And on the following morning. I am driven by an inexplicable malaise. It is not that anything in particular has befallen me. However, I have the sensation that something indispensable to me is being devoured by something unknown. At that point, I contact the Fox Princess about whatever thoughts have unfolded within me. What I want to find out is whether or not can I be in touch with Shiranui Mugi, the Kitsunejin who is accompanying Ichiko. But it proved to be the same for the Fox Princess, who said she couldn¡¯t connect with her either. I don¡¯t understand. I¡¯m not even clear about what I am feeling tense for. But, ¡°Being stuck in this labyrinth, and there is nothing I can do about it¡­ damn it!¡± In a fit of rage, I hit the wall nearby. Neither the wall nor I am damaged, but my impatience is escalating. [¡­] Abruptly, I have a sensation as if somebody has called to me. And then my consciousness sinks profoundly as if summoned by that someone. CH 58 (Third person POV) When Ichiko awakened after exercising her Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku, three days had passed in which Mugi and her group had escaped from the ¡°Red Tilt Taiji Cave¡±. It was around the time when they were only two days away from the former border line. ¡°¡­This place is¡­¡± ¡°You finally woke up.¡± ¡°Mugi-san. Where are we?¡± Ichiko sweeps her gaze over the surroundings. All around her, various kinds of trees are growing, and they are moving somewhere along with a sort of animal trail. Incidentally, Ichiko herself is being carried on the back of one of the rescued human beings, while Mugi is running alongside her. ¡°I don¡¯t know the name of the place. However, if things continue as they are, we should be able to reach the former northern border in a another two days.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But there is one issue. Ichiko, can you access contact with the Fog King right now?¡± Mugi inquires Ichiko with a somewhat stern look on her face. ¡°Kurokiri¡­ well, huh?¡± To answer her question, Ichiko attempts to initiate contact with Kurokiri. But, ¡°I can¡¯t establish a connection¡­¡± For some reason, the communication with Kurokiri fails to work. ¡°I knew it. As a matter of fact, I can¡¯t get in touch with the Fox Princess-sama either. By the way, other communication skills and transceivers are also not functioning for some reason, and not only us, but also our pursuers, the Spicy King and his subordinates seem to be in the same predicament.¡± ¡°That¡¯s evidently strange.¡± While Mugi expresses her incomprehension, Ichiko also gives a quizzical look. ¡°Well, the only thing we can do now is to flee while eliminating our pursuers.¡± With that said, Mugi and the others continue heading for the north. (Ichiko POV) ¡°I never expected this many foes.¡± ¡°But if we can fend them off here, it will be a victory for us.¡± During the night, after two days from the time I woke up, we have reached the border line of the north. Nonetheless, five days after our exodus, we have finally been cornered by the main force of the pursuing party. Therefore, we are now at the tail end with me, Mugi-san, and Izumi, and a group of humans who are level 3 or above. Our adversaries are mainly Karajin, with a few pairs of Spicy Thorn Lizards and Capsicamans. In the midst of it all, there are dogs with red thorns, brilliant red slimes, and red-scaled snakes. ¡°Shall we get started? Both of you.¡± ¡°(Nod.)¡± ¡°Hah. If I can survive here, my level will skyrocket too¡­¡± Thus, the battle commences with the three of us serving as the vanguard. ¡°?Decapitation?!¡± ¡°Shaaaaaa!?¡± With the use of my ?Decapitation?, the head of the red-scaled snake is severed. At this stage, I have slain 20 hostiles, but some of them possess scales as solid as those of Spicy Thorn Lizard. Should the dagger I am wielding not have been constructed from the scales of Cu¨¦lebre, I can easily picture it shattering in the course of the battle. Nevertheless, since the dagger I am clutching now is equipped with a ?Long Edge?, ?Keen Edge? and ?Fog Magic Grant?, I would classify it as a long sword cloaked in fog rather than a dagger. ¡°Dieeeeee!!¡± ¡°How naive of you. ?Short-range Teleportation? and ?Decapitation?.¡± ¡°Gaaaaaah!¡± And as the enemy is pondering what has happened for a moment, he gets slashed from behind, allowing me to send him to his death with a single strike from my usual transportation skill. ¡°Even so, I wonder where on earth such a large number of them came from.¡± ¡°Who knows. But one thing is certain: the adversary is in a great hurry.¡± ¡°(Nod.)¡± Mugi-san, who has somehow arrived nearby, responds to my soliloquy. Of course, the enemies are still assaulting us during this period, but apparently, the contrast in combat capabilities between the three of us and them is preponderant. Well, I suppose this is the disparity between those who have been engaged in battles with hostile opponents all this time and those who have only dealt with individuals who have been on the run until now. ¡°Damn! What power they have! Now that this is happening, I¡¯m counting on you! Spicy King-sama!¡± One of the Karajin grips a pendant embedded with white crystals in his right hand and utters a yell. Then, with that shout, an enormous volume of red light burst forth from the pendant, engulfing the whole area in radiance. Subsequently, a 5-meter-tall giant with red thorns sprouting from his body emerges. That giant dons a crimson mantle and waistcoat and has a misshapen taiji diagram engraved on his chest with a massive cloud of red powder drifting around him, while simultaneously exuding a potent sense of despotism. ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Mugi-san opens her mouth in disbelief while Izumi takes a step back before she realizes what has transpired. But their reaction is justifiable. After all, the giant that has materialized in front of us, his true identity is¡­ ¡°Now that I, the ¡®Crimson Scattering Spicy King,¡¯ have made my appearance, I suggest that you all prepare yourselves.¡± a Demon King. He is the ¡°Crimson Scattering Spicy King.¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s examine a few things. ?Manipulator of the Crimson Dust?.¡± The Spicy King directs his right hand in our direction. Simultaneously, a substantial amount of red powder settles in the area, exacerbating the humans in the vicinity to swoon, collapse, and become immobilized. However, whether it is because of my high level or the fact that I possess ?Fog Cloak?, it seems to be ineffective on me. ¡°Is the property of that powder the same as that of Karajin¡¯s?¡± I mutter something along those lines while grasping a speck of powder that is wafting around. However, it appears that this powder also has an impact on their own comrades, given that all of the monsters that had been assailing us before have fled. ¡°Here I come¡­¡± The Spicy King aims his left hand towards us. In that instant, a chill sweeps through my body, accompanied by an involuntary shriek. ¡°All of you defend yourselves in any means necessary!¡± ¡°?Thunderline?.¡± A small bolt of lightning shoots out of the Spicy King¡¯s left hand in the direction of the powder surrounding us, encompassing the whole area in an explosion boom and fiery wind within the ensuing instant as I deploy my ?Fog Cloak? to its maximum capacity at the same time. CH 59 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± The first experience I encounter after recovering from the impact of the explosion is having my entire body ache and feeling disoriented due to a lack of oxygen. Even so, what I suffered as a result of the explosion is probably better than what others are going through. When I cast a look at the surroundings, all the humans are either wounded or have collapsed, and some of them are undoubtedly dead, their corpses scorched black. ¡°¡­Hah¡­!¡± Using my sword as a support, I slowly rise to my feet. I can see the Spicy King with the corners of the mouth curl up in the distance. Apparently, I have been flung away by the impact of the explosion. However, there is no other living creature standing aside from me, except for the Spicy King. The scale of the explosion seemed to have been overly broad, leading the enemies to become entangled in it as well. ¡°Heh. Who would have expected you would be able to be up on your feet even after being subjected to a combo that leveraged my skills. I hope my servants can learn from your guts. Or is it thanks to the fog you¡¯re clad in? What a cheat.¡± The Spicy King is addressing me in a language I don¡¯t grasp. Yet, that expression of his is distinctly one of disdain. Whatever the case may be, thanks to the enhanced fire resistance of ?Fog Cloak?, it seems that I have somehow been spared. Furthermore, I am the only one who can confront the Spicy King here and now. If so, what I must do is¡­ ¡°I am the Kirijin, Hisano Ichiko. For the sake of protecting my allies, I will challenge you.¡± ¡­to buy Izumi and the others some time to escape. ¡°Ha! I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about, but try coming here! You will be killed in an attempt to protect your friends!¡± ¡°Here I go!¡± While holding the sword in my right hand, I vigorously start rushing towards the Spicy King. The Spicy King responds by swinging his right hand widely, a flame sparked in it. ¡°Let¡¯s get started! ?Scythe of Spicy Flame?!¡± With immense force, a crescent-shaped flame bursts forth. Moreover, by the time he has finished unleashing the flame from his right hand, it can be observed that his left hand has already been lit by the flame as well. ¡°!¡± At first, I evade the first shot that blasts straight at me by leaping to the left, followed by jumping forward while keeping my stance low upon landing to avoid the second shot of flame emitted from his left hand. ¡°It¡¯s just going to get worse!¡± The Spicy King continuously delivers the same skill shot after shot. By leaping to the right, left, forward, and up, I dodge his assaults and advance closer to him. And when the distance between me and the Spicy King reaches about 3 meters, ¡°?Short-range Teleportation?, ?Decapitation?.¡± I move to the rear of the Spicy King and swing my dagger with all my strength against his neck. But, ¡°Too naive! ?Manipulator of the Crimson Dust?!¡± ¡°What!¡± With the sudden appearance of gigantic red thorns protruding from the Spicy King¡¯s neck, I twist my body in mid-air and manage to elude the thorn, despite it grazing my abdomen. After reaching the ground, I utilize ?Short-range Teleportation? to distance myself from the Spicy King. ¡°Tsk, I guess I missed it.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­ suu¡­¡± Although I am trying to regulate my breathing, I am still mulling over the Spicy King¡¯s skills. At present, I can say with certainty that the Spicy King owns both the lightning skill he employed in initiating the dust explosion and the flame skill he just discharged at me. These two skills are evidently different. The red powder that is drifting around the Spicy King as well as the red thorns that unexpectedly sprouted from his body; these two things are most likely relevant to the Spicy King¡¯s unique skills. After all, the proper nouns that he uttered before dispersing the red powder and the proper nouns that he mentioned before the red thorns popped out seemed to be the same. It is inconceivable that skills with such a diverse range of effects could be memorized so promptly after leveling up. Now then, that leaves me with only one move left to execute. It¡¯s a gamble, but I have to do it. ¡°Here I go. ¡¯I am the one who leaps through the void, a kin of the Fog King. I seek the head of my adversary, the flower of life, the fountain of blood¡¯.¡± While chanting, I draw nearer to the Spicy King. Needless to say, the Spicy King is also releasing fire and lightning skills. And then he assails with red thorns that thrust dynamically out from the ground. ¡°¡®Leap, O blade. Until I reach what I seek, cast this blade down upon my foe¡¯.¡± Nevertheless, I steer clear of his assaults with quick steps and approach him inch by inch. And when I make it to the spot right in front of Spicy King, ¡°¡®Cut! Slice! Sever! Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku¡¯!¡± ¡°!¡± With the sword sweeping towards the Spicy King¡¯s neck, his eyes are wide open in amazement. It is at that point that I hear a cracking sound emanating from around his neck. I strain my eyes to scrutinize the Spicy King¡¯s neck. There it lays, my fractured dagger and the neck of the Spicy King, with a hue that mirrors the thorns in its surroundings. ¡°!¡± ¡°Hah! I was right to guard my neck! Feast on this! ?Arm Strengthening?, ?Manipulator of the Crimson Dust?!¡± As I freeze in the unforeseen predicament, the Spicy King, who is clutching a massive red stake in his right hand, lunges towards my stomach. Although I hastily defend myself against the stake, my sword, which has been reduced to a mere hilt, provides virtually no defensive capability, resulting in me being hurled away with a horrendous sound of my bones rupturing and breath being sucked out of my lungs. ¡°Gu¡­ ga¡­¡± Perhaps to stop me from getting blown away, the Spicy King¡¯s skill stirs up a mass of red dust around me. It is likely that he is planning to trigger the same dust explosion as before. I no longer have any prospect of prevailing. My sword has been shattered, and the outer skill I relied on can no longer be employed. On top of that, I still could not establish contact with Kurokiri. I could spot the Spicy King poised with his left hand. When I sight this, I involuntarily shut my eyes, and then¡­ A profusion of flashes and explosions erupt. CH 60 You are advised to be cautioned if you are not comfortable with cheat expressions and gore in this chapter. (Third person POV) The cloud of dust that was generated by the dust explosion gradually dissipates. The Spicy King ponders what will be left after the smoke subsides, and comes to the conclusion that all traces will be eradicated, or at the very least, charred to a crisp. However, it is not irrational for the Spicy King to reach such a judgment. After all, contrary to the initial dust explosion, the blow that the Spicy King had just delivered had explosively amplified in intensity in order to ensure Ichiko¡¯s death, rather than limiting the target down to a single one. Yet, after the plume of dust has dispersed, the Spicy King is taken aback by the sight. For what he discovers is Ichiko, who is lying there with the unchanged appearance and posture as she was prior to the explosion, and a young girl wearing a sappanwood-colored hooded coat. (Ichiko POV) Initially, I surmised that I had died without even having time to register the anguish. But as the sounds begin to return to my circumambient, I open my eyes in doubt. And what occupies my field of vision is a child confronting the Spicy King. ¡°Who¡­ are you¡­?¡± When he confronts the child, the Spicy King looks considerably tense than when he faced me. Neither the king¡¯s distinctive composure nor conceit can be discerned in his words. ¡°Who am I? Well¡­ since you can only produce that degree of speech in front of me, I guess specimen number 493 is a miss after all,¡± the child says in a flat tone. Judging from the voice, she seems to be a young girl. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not suspend the communication blockade indefinitely. I¡¯m going to wrap this up right away. ?Red Elixir?, ?Blessing of the Founder God?, ?Screenplay of the Ruler?.¡± When the girl bends down and places her hand on my back, she mutters something like the name of some skills. ¡°What!?¡± Then the plethora of wounds that should have formed on my body fade away, and my overall body is imbued with a power I¡¯ve never experienced before, allowing my body to rise up of its own accord. ¡°Now, it would be a hassle if he escapes. You should finish him off with a single blow. Go on.¡± Right after the girl says that while directing her finger at the Spicy King, my body approaches him with such swiftness that even the sound is delayed, and I seize his head with my right hand. ¡°Ah?¡± With my bare hand, I twist off the Spicy King¡¯s head. Thud! Papa-la-pappa! The sound of a level up can be heard in my head just before the Spicy King¡¯s body hits the ground, spewing a fountain of blood. My thoughts are jumbled, and I¡¯m unable to adapt to the transition of the state of affairs. ¡°Well, I suppose this means that another Demon King¡¯s seat has been opened up. Then I should designate specimen number 667 as a Demon King at the earliest opportunity,¡± the girl with the hood mutters such a thing while gazing at me. And this marks the first time the girl¡¯s face has been exposed to me. The girl has brown hair and yellow eyes, and she is dressed to the nines, almost as if she were a doll. However, within her eyes, it resembles an abyssal world that no one is not permitted to access or an anomalous world in which everything has been contaminated by insanity. At the moment of realizing this, I tried to forget my vow to Lady Ryo and my promise to Kurokiri and opted for death. Yet, I couldn¡¯t do it. For I am now an actor on stage, created by a flawless script composed by God, and I am unable to move even a finger of my own volition. The girl inches closer to me, one step at a time. And with each step, the true identity of this girl unfolds. With her first step, I understood that this girl possesses a dimension of expertise that I could not even measure up to. With the following step, I became aware that this girl has gone through a pre-eminent period of years. And the next step caused me to recognize that this girl is not a person, but something in the guise of a human being. In another step, I was given insight that this girl is the one who has bestowed us the skills. At the final step, I grasped that this girl is the source that created the Demon Kings. ¡°Hahaha. As I expected, specimen number 667 seems to exude more qualities than specimen number 493. At this point, you have the cognizance of who I am,¡± the girl in front of me carries on her speech as if she can discern everything that I am contemplating. I am struggling frantically to flee, even forgetting that my body is immobilized. Even though I couldn¡¯t move my mouth, I scream for help. My mind races, urgently striving to find out is there anything I can do. I feel as if I have acquired some sort of skill. ¡°Hahaha. Resist as best you can.¡± The girl stomps through the air as if it were a natural phenomenon and grips my head in her skeletal hands. ¡°Now, since this is a convenient timing, let¡¯s spend a little time and proceed. ?Nativity of the Demon King?.¡± From the girl¡¯s hand, I have the sensation of an inexplicable something flowing towards my side. As if it is a conglomeration of all the negative emotions of the world, condensed and kneaded together, my consciousness sinks a morsel at a time into the darkness. ¡°Where am I¡­?¡± By the time my eyes open again, the unbounded darkness is all around me, and only my figure is visible in the darkness, despite the absence of any source of light. ¡°!¡± And abruptly, my left leg registers pain. When I glance at it, it turns out that my left leg has assimilated into the darkness that surrounds me. And then a realization dawns on me. Once my entire body has been swallowed up by this darkness, I will be forgotten by all people, my existence will be erased from the records, and I will become a Demon King. ¡°N-noooooooooooooooooooo!!¡± With all my energy, I lift my left leg and begin to dash as fast as I can through the darkness with my right leg and my left leg, which has lost its tip. There is no way out; there is no place to escape. Even knowing that resistance would be futile, I am driven by the urge to run away. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.¡±[i] I press on, running inexorably through the darkness. However, the darkness has devoured not only the tip of my left foot but also my left arm and eye. Even so, I keep on running. ¡°Hah¡­ someone¡­ save me¡­¡± Before I realize it, the left half of my body has been utterly enveloped by the darkness. Nevertheless, I am still crawling to escape with the belief that help would come, that there would be a way out of it somewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t want to disappear from everyone¡­¡± I could feel the darkness looming over me. I shut my eyes and reminisce about all the memories I¡¯ve been a part of. The strict days of my training. My encounter with Lady Ryo. My regular life¡¯s tranquil days. My meeting with Kurokiri. The battle with the Ogre King. My farewell with Lady Ryo. And the last thing I remember is¡­ ¡°Hey¡­ Like that time¡­ when the Ogre King almost killed me¡­ will you save me again? Kurokiri¡­¡± ¡­the way Kurokiri looked when he was battling the Demon King for my sake. The darkness is creeping nearer to engulf me. I am sure that that darkness will erode and deprive me of whatever valuable thing that is remaining inside me. And at the instant the darkness is about to affect me, the fog spreads all around the area as if ripping through the darkness, and before I know it, someone is embracing me in the world where I originated. A/N: In case you are wondering about the skills of the God of Calamity, here is an explanation: ?Red Elixir?: Skill that completely heals the target ?Blessing of the Founder God?: Skill to hyper-enhance all the target¡¯s status ?Screenplay of the Ruler?: Skill to perfectly control the target¡¯s actions ?Nativity of the Demon King?: Skill to create a Demon King. Has side effects CH 61 Please note that there are some cheat expressions in this chapter, so please be careful if you don¡¯t like them. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) As my consciousness begins to submerge, I find myself in an unfamiliar environment. And there Ichiko is, with a bizarre metal gauntlet on her left arm, being clutched on the head by a hooded child, right in front of my eyes. Within a glance, I recognize the true identity of the child. But the instant I witness the scene, my mind exceeds the boiling point at once, and I bring forth Kurokirinoko with all my might and swing it down. ¡°Fuuuu¡­¡± A cloud of smoke billows out as the Kurokirinoko slams into the ground, accompanied by a booming explosion. In the midst of that cloud of dust, I hold Ichiko in my left arm and the Kurokirinoko in my right. ¡°Oh. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to show up at this time.¡± A child is addressing me. No, this is not a child. She is¡­ ¡°Shut up. You God of Calamity.¡± ¡°Oh. So, you¡¯re aware of what kind of entity I am. As expected of specimen number 13.¡± The God of Calamity displays a slightly gleeful look. In contrast, I am retreating, attentive to each and every move of the God of Calamity. I couldn¡¯t let down my guard for even a second or exhibit any vulnerability. Because that one split second would prove to be devastating. ¡°Hahaha. Even so, ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? was exercised? It seems that you and specimen number 667 are quite fond of each other.¡± ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? huh. This is likely the skill that brought me here. While mulling this subject over, I utilize ?Bewitching Fog? to interfere with Ichiko¡¯s spirit. Although I am not clear as to what exactly the God of Calamity has wrought upon Ichiko, there should be no problem in interfering with Ichiko¡¯s mind if I make use of the connection that exists between the Demon King and his kin. ¡°Hahaha, good luck with that. Specimen number 13; I¡¯m sure you have a rough idea of what I have done to specimen number 667. But well, I still admire your efforts.¡± The God of Calamity¡¯s mockery resounds throughout the area. However, I have no intention of giving up. And then, ¡°Kuro¡­kiri¡­?¡± Ichiko is awakening. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± ¡°Eh, ah, yes.¡± While drawing utmost vigilance against the God of Calamity, I ask Ichiko and set her down on the ground. ¡°Ichiko, whether by skill or by running, just hurry up and get out of here.¡± ¡°What about you, Kurokiri¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious that I will be stopping her?¡± With both hands holding the Kurokirinoko in front of me, I face the God of Calamity. ¡°Hmm. So you want to go toe-to-toe with me? I thought you understood the disparity in our capabilities?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you are my ultimate goal. In fact, this is a golden opportunity for me.¡± ¡°Even though the odds are against you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While shifting my stance little by little, I watch the God of Calamity. In the meantime, Ichiko is gradually receding from this location. ¡°Hmm. Your ambition is applaudable, and your bond, which exceeded my expectations, is commendable. You should be complimented for your early development of outer skills as well. Nonetheless, revolting against the entity that empowered you is undeniably a felony. Therefore, the Demon King Kurokiri, who is the ?King of the Kirijin? and ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯, and the Half-Demon King Ichiko, who is the ?Favored Princess of the Fog King? and the ¡®Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡¯, both of you deserve this as your punishment.¡± The God of Calamity puts her hand on her chin and announces as if all the people around her will hear her words. Then the God of Calamity opens her mouth briefly and mutters, ¡°?Spatial Transfer Gate? Open?, ?Invisible Thousand Hands?.¡± ¡°Arghhhhhhhhhh¡­!!¡± Ichiko¡¯s scream surges up from behind me as the God of Calamity mutters that. ¡°Ichiko!¡± When I turn around in shock, a gate materializes as if tearing through space, and beyond the gate is distinctly the scenery of another location. Ichiko is then about to be dragged through the gate. I hurry towards Ichiko in a panic, attempting to yank her out of the gate. Yet, as I am about to reach her, ¡°?Spatial Transfer Gate? Closed?.¡± Along with the words of the God of Calamity, the gate is closed and disappears into the void. ¡°Damn youuuuuuuuuu!!¡± ¡°Seal.¡± In my agitation, I slash at the God of Calamity. Nevertheless, the Kurokirinoko that I supposedly swung down in full force could not inflict any damage on the God of Calamity, who has not even adopted a defensive stance, and the blade is no longer jerking even when I push or pull it. ¡°Damn it! What the hell is your purpose! Why did you make us Demon Kings! Why did you grant skills to all the humans in the world? Why did you aim for Ichiko!¡± I question the God of Calamity, drenched in greasy sweat all the while, letting my emotions get the better of me, and desperately trying to get the Kurokirinoko to budge. But Kurokirinoko would not move. With a hand made of bone, the God of Calamity grips my head, which is supposed to be fog. It feels as if my head is being constricted by a power shovel rather than a vise. ¡°Gghh¡­ gah!¡± A groan involuntarily escapes my lips. ¡°Oi oi, you should narrow the questions down to a certain degree, shouldn¡¯t you? Specimen number 13. I¡¯ll give you a huge discount[i]. I shall answer your questions. To put it simply¡­¡± The God of Calamity applies more pressure on the hand that grasps my head. At this point, I can¡¯t even let out a moan anymore. ¡°It¡¯s a research.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± I frantically reply to her answer. ¡°I¡¯ve said it in the beginning, right? ¡®Let¡¯s save this world. And in order to advance my research, I¡¯m going to do a minor intervention in this world¡¯.¡± Yes, that was the exact statement affirmed by the God of Calamity. ¡°And the first 666 people in the research were found to be well-grounded. Specimen number 667 was targeted this time because subsequent variations indicated that she is well-grounded. And so that¡¯s all to it.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± My whole body is trembling with wrath. But in reality, I couldn¡¯t even wiggle a finger. ¡°Well, you disrupted my research, but I¡¯m about halfway through transforming specimen number 667 into a Demon King. After that, it would be a fine material to let the world flow and watch the transformation. Now, the only thing left to do here is to penalize you. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± The God of Calamity grabs my head in a tight grip as if to imply that the conversation is over with a pretense of being distressed. I struggle to resist. But there is no means of opposing. After all, I can¡¯t even lift a finger. ¡°Hmm. Shall we go with this? ?Tsunagi-d¨­ F¨±sa? Subject Designation: ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯ Kurokiri, ¡®Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡¯ Ichiko, Time Designation: 10 years.¡± ¡°Gaaaah!!¡± Something like sparks erupts from the God of Calamity¡¯s hand, sending a rush of electricity and corresponding searing pain coursing through my entire body. Simultaneously, I have the sensation that one of the many gates inside me has closed and been locked. ¡°Well then, this shall be enough this time.¡± ¡°Gah¡­ damn it¡­ I¡¯ll remember¡­ this¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha. If you are frustrated, then you ought to be more diligent and attain a level of proficiency that will at least enable you to land a blow on me next time.¡± With that, the God of Calamity fades away from my presence as if melting into the void. And then I, too, have been sent back to the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± perhaps after the effect time of ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path? had ended. A/N: The following is a brief introduction of the skills used by God of Calamity: ?Spatial Transfer Gate? Open (Closed)?: A skill that allows the appearance (disappearance) of a gate connecting arbitrary locations. ?Invisible Thousand Hands?: A skill to manipulate a myriad of invisible hands by causing them to manifest into existence. AKA ¡°Invisible Tentacles¡±. ?Tsunagi-d¨­ F¨±sa?: A skill that seals the connection between the Demon Kings and their kin. T/N: [i] ³öѪ´ó¥µ©`¥Ó¥¹ /huge discount sentence here means, that with a huge discount the seller would get severe damage, as severe as they are bleeding. This is an exaggerated and figurative expression. But it¡¯s very common, and an idiom. CH 62 This chapter will be like an entry into a brand-new one. (Chirito POV) ¡°Well then, let us first identify ourselves to each other. I am Kamogawa Sotaro, the human representative.¡± The elderly man rises from his chair and bows to us. ¡°Representative of the ¡®Frozen Silver Snow Sage¡¯. My name is Kanae Yuu, ?Knight of the Snow Sage?.¡± Following that, he is greeted by a young man with a pale complexion and white hair clad in silver armor, most likely the ?Frozen Silver Armor?. ¡°Representative of the ¡®Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡¯. My name is Yae Michiru, a Sakurahijin.¡± A strangely aged woman with cherry-blonde hair stands up and offers a similar greeting. ¡°Representative of the ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯. I am Shiranui Inaho, the ?Fox Princess¡¯ Attendant?.¡± With golden hair and fox ears, the Kitsunejin woman politely expresses her greetings. ¡°Representative of the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯. My name is Yaharai Chirito, the ?Analyst?.¡± Finally, I get up and deliver my greeting. Until I announced my greeting, there were a few eyes around me that were clearly mocking my young age, but that ceased to be the case when I introduced myself. Apparently, the title ?Analyst? is more well-known than I expected. ¡°Ahem. Now then, let us initiate the third meeting of the Japanese Demon Conference.¡± Then Kamogawa-san clears his throat with a single cough before declaring the meeting to be in session. Slightly more than nine years have passed since Ichiko-san vanished into thin air after Kurokiri-san was defeated by someone who battled him until he was utterly tattered. Although Ichiko-san¡¯s whereabouts have been sought by Izumi-chan, Houki nee-san, the Kitsunejin Shiranui Mugi-san, and even Lady Ryo, not a trace of Ichiko-san has been discovered. However, there have been several developments in our country during the last nine years. Here¡¯s what I¡¯d say if I had to list them in bullet points: ?The battle that erupted between the Fog King + Humans and the Snow Sage was concluded. (Incidentally, the reason why Snow Sage¡¯s subordinates marched southward was that the Snow Sage himself had not placed any restrictions on their conduct.) ?The seclusion of Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame was undone. (i.e., dragged out by the three Demon Kings: the Fog King, the Fox Princess, and the Snow Sage). ?A pact was reached between the four Demon Kings who were on the land of Japan, prohibiting them from launching a large-scale siege. ?The number of the Four Demon Kings¡¯ kin has substantially augmented (Though their number is still less than that of human beings). ?The Fox Princess began to conduct trade with the ¡°Sugar King of White Smearing¡± on the continent by using Long-distance Transportation. ?A meeting of Japanese demons has been held. The affairs of the country as a whole are now discussed here. ?The implementation of a societal system utilizing skills to ensure a stable supply of food and other necessities. And so far, this is what is occurring in this country, while on the continent, this is what has transpired: ?The dismantling of the United Nations. The human countries have shrunk to the level of city-states at most. ?The war between the countries reigned by the Demon Kings has led to chaos on a grand scale. ?As a result, all sorts of problems have arisen. ?Figures claiming to be heroes repeatedly appear and disappear (presumably because they are at the level of self-proclaimed heroes, they are crushed the moment they claim to call themselves such). ?The number of Demon Kings who have been exterminated (I believe about 10 Demon Kings were hunted down, including the Ogre King and the Spicy King). ?The rise of the Church of the Righteousness in some human settlements (they¡¯re a decent fellow this time). Well, to put it plainly, the world is shifting from a science-centered world to a skill-centered world, and according to the prediction of this conference, within the next 50 years, the majority of the technologies of the former civilization will be obsolete, and skills will replace them. Over the last nine years, research on skills has progressed remarkably, and it has been ascertained that parent-child and sibling relationships tend to develop similar skills. It was also discovered that children between kin of the same Demon King are born as kin, while children between kin of different Demon Kings or humans are randomly born to one of the parents¡¯ races. While on the subject, the birth rate of kin is lower than that of normal humans, and Demon Kings are reported to be either unable of producing offspring or exceptionally unlikely to do so. ¡­Yeah. Regarding the Demon King, the source for this is Kurokiri-san. That Demon King is seriously¡­ When you think he¡¯s earnestly training and engaging in work, all of a sudden he starts womanizing¡­. Yes, that¡¯s right. Also, it seems that when you become a kin, your aging speed slows down according to your level. To be specific, it seems to be 1/(your level). Thanks to this, having been transformed into a kin in my first year of high school, I am still physically less than 20 years old. So, that¡¯s all I have to say about what has unfolded over the past 9 years or so; let¡¯s concentrate on the conference now, shall we? (Kurokiri POV) ¡°With that, the Japanese Demon Conference¡¯s meeting draws to an end.¡± ¡°The laws, and so forth, remain as they are, and I will watch out for the Demon Kings of the sea and the sky. Well, it¡¯s the same as usual.¡± I am in the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± with a report from Chirito, but the contents of the report are the same as usual: ¡°Nothing happened¡±. Well, the Japanese Demon Conference is nothing more than a mere formality, and the only thing that has actually been settled in the conference to date is the prohibition of large-scale invasions between Demon Kings. Now, my level has elevated over the past nine years as a matter of course. Thanks to that, my status is now like this. Name: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Hp£º2020/2020 ¡ü110 Mp£º2330/2330 ¡ü120 Sp£º2260/2260 ¡ü120 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 57 up1 Sensing 45 Intellect 64¡ü1 Spirit 74¡ü1 Luck 10 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog?, ?Cycle?, ?Mist Plosion?, ?Bewitching Fog?, New! ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog?, ?White Fog of Ambush?, ?Lord of the Kirijin?, ?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside?, ?Demon Slayer?, ?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King?, ?Miracle Deceiver?, ?King of the Kirijin?, ?Agitator?, ?Wordsmith of Sweet Poison?, ?Purger of the Fog?, New! ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity?, New! ?Ruler of Japan?, New! ?The One Who Revolts Against the God of Calamity? etc. Now, moving on to the introductions as usual. First and foremost, ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? is a water-attribute magic skill that attacks adversaries by summoning a ferocious pillar of water from the ground. The momentum is so tremendous that it can pierce an ordinary steel plate with ease. The greatest advantage of this skill is that it can be employed even if no water source is available nearby since it converts magic power into water before releasing it. In other words, even if I have to engage in a battle under the worst-case scenario where the surroundings are devoid of water, I will be able to fight without any problems, even if only temporarily, through the process of ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? ¡ú Water generation ¡ú ?Mist Plosion? ¡ú Fog generation. Now, as for the titles, there are three new titles that are noteworthy. However, since the titles, ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity? and ?The One Who Revolts Against the God of Calamity? are literally as it means, I will skip them. Regarding the title of ?Ruler of Japan?, I suppose it is due to the wide range of activities I have recently undertaken for this country. Like abducting people to cut down on the number of mouths to feed, sending Kirijin to the army to have a joint fight against the Demon Kings of the sea, and lifting the level of humans by utilizing the third level of ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. And the truth is, there¡¯s a lot more to it than that¡­ but yeah. Let¡¯s ignore that. There are simply too many to list. Well, that¡¯s about it for me personally, next let¡¯s move on to the dungeon¡­ CH 63 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) Now, the fifth level I designed this time is, to put it candidly, a mountain. However, the interior is a mountain with caves excavated in all directions, shrouded in fog (visibility limited to 20 meters) as usual. As for the installation site? Of course, it was set up on the ground. I paid no regard to the inconvenience for the people who live there. After all, I am the Demon King. And, as far as the dungeon is concerned, it has been connected to the dungeon by the upper stream of the river running on the third level. That is, if you progress upstream after entering the third level, you will be sent to the fifth level, whereas if you advance downstream, you will be directed to the second level. The fifth level¡¯s most prominent feature is that, unlike my previous dungeons, it does not have any admission limitations. Or to put it another way, because the location is on the ground and has no walls, anyone can easily enter and depart. Furthermore, the devices that I shall discuss later are used to alter the cave¡¯s structure at random and summon monsters. In other words, instead of allowing anybody to access the cave, it has turned into a danger zone where the topography varies with each entry and you might stumble across Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle or Cu¨¦lebre. Here are some remarks from humans that invaded the site immediately after it was created for your information: ¡°Heeeeee. There are Fogs everywhere¡­ noooooo!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a giant serpent out there©`! Gaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Wait!? Whenever we attack, the defense power rises¡­ abeshi[i]!¡± ¡°The game balance is out of order ahhhhhhh¡­¡± Well, although there are many different details, these were their general impressions. Incidentally, in the above PT scenarios, three out of the four of them were out of breath after killing all the Fogs with the Cu¨¦lebre showing up, and one of them was lucky enough to escape. In other incidents, where visibility was impeded owing to fog, victims died abruptly after falling down a shaft or succumbing to a lack of oxygen after wandering into an area where toxic gases were accumulating due to the cave¡¯s structure. The killing intent in this level is incredibly high, regardless of the fact that I didn¡¯t design it that way. So, here is a device that can construct such a dungeon of wonders. ?Labyrinth Chaos Recombination Device This is a device that randomly reconfigures the structure of a designated area in the labyrinth within a range specified in advance by the Demon King. In addition, the timing of the recombination can be set between 24 hours¡«1 year. Traps are setup automatically within the designated range as well. ¡ùEvery passageway in the labyrinth is properly connected to the outside after recombination. Creation cost: varies depending on the designated area. Activation cost: 10 MP per activation (installation of a magic source device is recommended). Prerequisite for creation: The level of the Demon King is 5 or higher. ?Demon Chaos Creation Device This device randomly summons demons of pre-registered types somewhere within a designated area in the labyrinth. The interval of summoning can be set between 10s¡«1y. Since the cost of generating demons will be separately expended, it is recommended to install a demon source device beforehand. ¡ùPlease note that the demons are generated in a not commanded state. Creation cost: 500 MP and SP each per unit. Activation cost: Equal to the cost of the demon to be created. Prerequisite for installation: The level of the Demon King is 5 or higher. ?Demon Source Device ¨C HP (MP, SP) A stone that stores a certain amount of HP, MP, or SP for the user. Its hue varies according on what¡¯s inside, with red representing HP, green representing MP, and blue representing SP. The HP, MP, and SP that have been stored can be used by setting them in a specified device or by grasping them when a skill is called upon (up to one per skill). As the amount of stored HP, MP, and SP accumulates, the size of the stone will increase. Moreover, despite being called a stone, the stone has the appearance of a gemstone. Creation cost: HP, MP, SP x 2 Prerequisite for installation: The level of the Demon King is 5 or higher. All of these are very convenient. Or rather, these are the things, you know. They are tools to assist the Demon Kings to manage their dungeons smoothly when the number of levels becomes unmanageable. It¡¯s convenient, so I don¡¯t mind. Now, let¡¯s return to the main subject. Well, now on to the new monsters that can be produced. Here are some of the most typical ones. ?Dense Mist Mosquito A 2-meter-long, insect-like, mosquito-type demon. It is a higher species of Mist Mosquito. While emitting a buzzing sound that can induce a state of agitation in the minds of those who hear it. While passing by each other, it sucks the blood of the opponent as it slices at them with its sickle-shaped mouth, turning the unabsorbed blood into mist to prevent counterattacks. It occasionally inflicts a debilitating condition when it sucks blood. Summoning cost: 500 HP and MP per unit. ?Mud Magician A magical humanoid demon with a height of roughly 1.7 meters. It¡¯s a more advanced Mud Puppet with a distinct style than the Mud Warrior. This is a magical creature made by imbuing a Mud Puppet with intellect and magical power so that it can cast magic. Not only does it faithfully comply with the commands given to it, but it may also perform actions voluntarily to a certain extent. Unless the core is destroyed, it automatically recovers. Skills Employed: ?Mudbolt? ?Mud Wall?. Summoning cost: MP300 Yeah. They are all normal, usable kids. I have been running the Dense Mist Mosquito as a solo demon on the first level, and the Mud Magician as a PT[ii] with the Mud Soldier and Mud Puppet on the second level. And well, recently, the dungeon management occasionally releases Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle on the third level, but it is basically the same as the fifth level, almost a free for all, and when someone enter the second level, they are going to be ruthlessly slain. Yeah. To tell the truth, while I was explaining this, a PT consisting of volunteers from the civilian population had entered the second level and encountered a unit of Mud Soldiers, and they were eradicated. Ah, but it seemed they captured one girl as a prisoner. Huh? You¡¯re asking that aren¡¯t the Demon Kings and humans in this country in a cooperative relationship? This is merely the case with the higher-ups. The lower part of the population is aware of the fact that we Demon Kings are keeping the weak demons out so that they can overcome their starvation. More than that, we have kidnapped people and assaulted villages, so the feeling of animosity is more assertive than that of gratitude. Humans that are determined to attack in this way show up from time as a consequence of this. Well, it¡¯s a pleasant stimulus. Since they¡¯ve been captured, I should meet them as soon as possible, and if they pique my interest, I¡¯ll transform them into my kin. By the way, the male-to-female ratio of the Kirijin is currently 1:4, depending on my taste. T/N: [i] The word Abeshi has appeared in the past chapter as well but since the story has an aligned flow with the subsequent words, I didn¡¯t bother to explain it. ¡°Abeshi¡± is a word derived from ¡°Fist of the North Star¡±. ¡°Abeshi¡± is the combination of a powerful ¡°Aaaaaa!¡± scream ¨C like the kind you would make if you broke a limb ¨C with ¡°¤Ù¤·¤Ã¡± (¡°besshi¡±), the Japanese onomatopoeia for getting punched in the face. [ii] I have no idea what does PT stands for. At first, I thought it meant point but then with the following chapters, it¡¯s something related to group as well. If anyone has an idea what does PT mean, please leave a comment before CH 64 This time, there are sexual, confinement, force, deception, or rather, Kurokiri full-throttle expressions. For those who don¡¯t like it, please turn back. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) Now, the city of Kirijin, which I established as the fourth level, has recently been experiencing an increase in population density. There are still some empty spaces though. And on a corner of the fourth floor, an area has been erected which is off-limits to all but the concerned parties. The so-called ¡°punishment cell¡± is located here. However, those imprisoned here are not Kirijin, but other Demon Kings¡¯ kin such as Kitsunejin and Yukijin as well as humans who have ventured into my dungeon and fortunately (or unfortunately, in a sense) escape death. The rest are some of the humans who were initially abducted from outside as well. Incidentally, this building is thoroughly soundproofed against any sound leakage to the outside, and with my permission, people can come directly up from the first level and be carried inside oblivious to the Kirijin outside. Well, speaking of what I do inside, it¡¯s all about the ¡°here¡±, ¡°there¡±, and ¡°that¡± with 90% of the contents being confidential to the Kirijin outside who desire a peaceful life. This level of security is a given. And well, while giving this explanation, I have arrived at the punishment cell in question. In any case, I¡¯m straining my ears. ¡°You monster! Hurry up and remove these shackles and let me out! I¡¯ll kill each and every one of you!¡± Mm. She seems to be in high spirits. Therefore, rather than opening the door, I enter through a small window with a screen attached to the door in my foggy state and confirm the girl¡¯s appearance. ¡°Heeeeee! What the hell is this black fog!¡± Oh, she is looking frightened. Though even her terrified expression is endearing©` Her chest is medium size, and she has short hair. She¡¯s not bad looking. Her age is probably 15 or 16. Her level is 3, and her skill is in three attributes of bolts, huh? Hmm. She¡¯s fairly versatile as a magician. Ah, I mean, this face of hers¡­ could it be¡­ yes. Let¡¯s check it out. ¡°My name is ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯. Now, what is your name?¡± My partially-embodied hand grasp the girl¡¯s chin. ¡°You are the Demon King¡­ who has taken my sister¡­ our village¡­!¡± Bingo. As I suspected, this girl is the older sister of the girl (now 12 years old, level 2) I kidnapped and turned into my kin about a year ago. By the way, the circumstance when I kidnapped the girl was that her village faced a scarcity of food, and since she possesses a skill called ?True/False Judgment?, an unfavorable ability for some adults residing in that village, she was about to be killed to reduce the consumption of food, hence I killed some of the adults in the village and abducted her. Well, if it had been a boy, I wouldn¡¯t have helped him though©` For your information, she is living well as of now and I haven¡¯t laid a hand on her yet. ¡­Hey, you over there. This is the real deal. As you can imagine, even I have no inclination to mess with a girl I brought in as a rescue for no reason at all. And just as my thoughts drift off in an odd direction, I cast my eyes back to the girl in front of me. To put it succinctly, she¡¯s glaring at me. Her murderous intent is conveyed to me with a bang. Also, in her present state, if I make her open her mouth, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s going to say something that¡¯s forbidden to be heard, so I¡¯m forcing her to shut her mouth. ¡°I see. You are from that village. Don¡¯t worry, your sister is living well.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes are wide open. Her eyes are implying, ¡°As if I would believe it!¡± and ¡°No way¡­ is that true?¡±. I guess there are some conflicting emotions there as well. ¡°But well, I suppose your sister¡¯s standing here may also be jeopardized as a result of your attempt to kill me this time.¡± An expression of dread and regret surfaces on her countenance. That¡¯s what happens when you figure out that your conduct has resulted in strangulation on your sister¡¯s neck, right? Well, I¡¯ll have to offer her some relief too. ¡°Hahaha. You can rest assured. Only a handful of individuals are aware that you have invaded this time. Neither your sister nor the people around her will be informed unless I decide to relay the news.¡± At my words, she begins to feel a mixture of relief and apprehension. ¡°But yeah. I have no obligation to save someone who sought my life, and should you agree to my request, I¡¯ll guarantee that no information will be passed on to them.¡± While saying this, I remove the restraints from the girl¡¯s mouth. ¡°What do I have to do¡­? What should I do to make you keep this a secret¡­? Please don¡¯t do anything to my sister¡­¡± the girl asks, trembling. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a simple thing¡­¡± ¡°Heee¡­ what are you¡­¡± Starting from the feet up, I progressively envelop the girl¡¯s entire body with my foggy body. ¡°Don¡¯t resist. If you do, the more you and your younger sister¡­ you know what I mean?¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± And when I have covered her from her toes to the top of her head, ¡°Now, I shall have you submit yourself to me.¡± ¡°Kuazwsedcrfvtgb!!¡± The assault takes place. At my feet lies a previous human being who had been flung all over my body and who had aimed to eliminate me. Having been transformed into a kin, the Kirijin girl and her younger sister, are lying in close proximity. Of course, none of their important places are concealed. Mm. In the end, both sisters were made to be devoured together. After all, there was nothing that could be done about it. While I was having fun with the elder sister, the younger sister, who happened to be passing by this punishment cell on her way to perform an errand, stumbled upon us. She then requested that I elucidate the matter, and once I did so, she remarked, ¡°I¡¯ll take her place, so please stop her from doing anything more!¡± Of course, I am the Demon King, remember? Although there was no need for me to listen to her, since I was shown a good sisterly love by my precious kin who asked me for a favor, then the two parties were split fifty-fifty to do their parts. Well, this is the outcome of that©` While we¡¯re on the issue, the Demon King¡¯s stamina and energy are unmatched by that of a regular human or kin, therefore Ichiko and Ryo were the only ones I didn¡¯t mind victimizing until I was content. Oh well, my body is indeed a troubling matter. That reminds me, a decade will soon pass since then, and the time is drawing near when the communication blockade between me and Ichiko will be lifted¡­ Ultimately, I commanded Ryo and the others to search for Ichiko without revealing the God of Calamity to anyone, yet it is to no avail. But I somehow know that she¡¯s not dead. Seriously, I wonder where Ichiko has been transported to. Incidentally, following this, I ended up playing with everyone in the punishment cell until they all passed out. Because the Demon King is constantly on the lookout for information, and he¡¯s free! CH 65 Ryo and the others at the moment. And¡­ (Ryo POV) ¡°Even at this time of year, it¡¯s scorching in this country¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s located further south than our country. It is no wonder.¡± We are currently in a certain country in South Asia. Since the latitude is lower than our country, the temperature is high and hot despite the fact that the season is winter. Even so, while the lack of chopsticks and the constant serving of curry are acceptable, the number of Demon Kings is so prolific, probably owing to the large initial population, making the frequency of battles unbelievable. Now, the four members of our party who are here now are myself, Houki, Izumi, and Mugi. As for Aria? She was summoned by Kurokiri from the north, and we parted ways when we returned to ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. For the record, Chirito also split up with us at that time. Although there are some members who have joined us since we went to the continent, they are not here now. And then, Kurokiri instructed me and Houki to search for Ichiko-san, who was my bodyguard during my human days, and who had been transported to somewhere in this world after joining up with Izumi and Mugi. ¡°Nevertheless, I wonder where on earth Ichiko-san was sent to.¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, she was the former bodyguard of Lady Ryo, wasn¡¯t she? I don¡¯t know her very well, since she was always guarding you from the shadows.¡± ¡°Even I hardly know her, except for her name and the fact that she¡¯s a brilliant woman. Well, she is the kind of person who saves those whom she can save, no matter what it takes. If only she was still around, I think she would be as famous as we are.¡± Houki and I are having a meal and trying to figure out what kind of person Ichiko-san is, whose face and age we have no idea about. Well, the information is too scarce to grasp anything. Furthermore, after leaving the country and entering the continent, I have been reluctantly cooperating with the Demon Kings who are cordial with the humans as well as engaging in battles with the hostile Demon Kings. Even under these circumstances, for various reasons, I have come here as a bodyguard for those who are engaged in trade, thus gaining daily sustenance and information. To put it simply, I am a mercenary. I suppose it fits in well with the world we live in now. So, the largest job I¡¯ve ever had would be¡­ well, you know. In China¡­ no, formerly China, we were requested to rescue the people of a village who were under attack by an army of Demon King (more than 1,000 of them, from small fry to powerful enemies), followed by escorting them to safety. At that time, there was another movement simultaneously to conquer the dungeon reigned by the Demon King, and as a consequence of the Demon King¡¯s attempts to take on both sides, the Demon King was outnumbered and vanquished. Well, I suppose a detailed account will be discussed at another time. By the way, we earned the title of ?Mercenary of the Fog? with this request. Mugi was somewhat displeased though. ¡°At the very least, since Izumi and I fought together for a short time, we do have some knowledge of combat techniques.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Izumi?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Then Mugi attempts to recollect Ichiko-san, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be yielding favorable results. In contrast, Izumi seems pensive and turns away when I speak to her. Nonetheless, I wonder what on earth this child is thinking. According to what I have heard, she became a Kirijin with Ichiko-san¡¯s help, and even now she can barely speak due to the after-effects of that time, but regardless of how deeply she is wounded, no blood is spilled, and she can heal on her own. On top of that, she creates weapons out of her own body. She is like a puppet, and I don¡¯t truly understand her. (Izumi POV) On that day nine years ago, when Ichiko nee-chan vanished, she also disappeared partly within me and Mugi onee-chan. Even though Kurokiri nii-chan didn¡¯t say anything, I¡¯m positive that whoever sent Ichiko nee-chan away that day must have done something to me and Mugi onee-chan as well. No, not only that. It is not limited to me and Mugi onee-chan. Ryo onee-chan and Ichiko nee-chan were not so distant from each other that Ryo onee-chan couldn¡¯t even remember her face. Moreover, Houki, who was Ryo onee-chan¡¯s attendant, also claimed that she had no acquaintance with Ichiko nee-chan. The identity of this someone is unknown to me. Kurokiri nii-chan must be aware of this, but he did not disclose it to me. It must be a hazardous opponent if we found out about it. That is why even though I know that there is something wrong with everyone¡¯s memories, I don¡¯t point it out to them. It is doubtful that the current us could overcome an opponent whom Kurokiri nii-chan refrains from facing. ¡°Even so, the cuisine here is too spicy even for me who has a sensitive nose[i].¡± ¡°Then perhaps it¡¯s time to start moving on to the next country.¡± ¡°So I guess we should proceed as usual, guarding the appropriate human beings and earning some traveling expenses.¡± Mugi onee-chan and the others are discussing the upcoming affairs. Although I have no particular complaints about departing this country, I also feel as if I¡¯m traveling. Ichiko nee-chan¡­ Where are you now¡­? (Ichiko POV) A little over nine years ago. ¡°This place is¡­?¡± I, Ichiko, have been converted into a Half-Demon King by the God of Calamity and transported to an unknown place. It is a world of snow, ice, and boulders. Even the sun is almost directly next to me. ¡°! How freezing!¡± A slight wind sweeps across me. But the wind is so frigid that it feels as though it is slicing me. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ communicate with Kurokiri huh?¡± I attempt to communicate with Kurokiri in my mind, but the connection is not working. Then the piercing wind hit me once more. ¡°Ugh¡­ I have to hurry and search for a safe place somewhere¡­¡± And I begin to wander around the empty horizon. A/N: From this point on, the story will be done in order after Ichiko is transported away by the God of Calamity. The presence of Kurokiri fades away again~ T/N: [i] Actually, here is just saying Mugi has a good nose but I don¡¯t really understand what does having good nose has to do with being good at eating spicy food. So I change it to sensitive nose but both don¡¯t make sense to me anyway. Or maybe that¡¯s something like a Japanese difference like how we will say take medicine, in Japanese it is ¡°drink¡± medicine regardless of the substance CH 66 Let¡¯s start with the immediate situation after Ichiko was sent away. (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Haa. I never dreamed that penguins would strike me¡­¡± It¡¯s been three days since I was whisked away to this location. As I drew near the coast, I was confronted with penguin-shaped monsters that are larger than the average penguin, with metalized arms that are as acute as swords, accompanied by their carcasses in great numbers. ¡°Gyagya!¡± ¡°Gaga!¡± As for why they attacked me, it is not apparent. However, when they spotted me, they abruptly lunged at me. It may be that they have been under orders to assault any living creature that comes in sight of them. Nevertheless, ¡°I have no option but to eliminate them now that they have discovered me in this state. Come, ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?.¡± As I gather more metals from the ground around me and from the penguin¡¯s arm (Let¡¯s call them Edge Penguin), I produce a sword. That sword is a conventional Western sword in shape. While it is referred to as a longsword with no decorations, the inner substance is a type of magical sword with sharpness unmatched by regular swords. ¡°¡®Gaaaaaah!¡¯¡± ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°¡®Piyot!?¡­Ga¡­¡¯¡± In fact, several Edge Penguins seized the opportunity while I was generating the weapon, and charged at me, but I lightly side-swiped them all in half with my newly generated sword. As a consequence of my metamorphosis into a half Demon King, ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? has taken the place of ?Short-range Teleportation?. It¡¯s possible that it¡¯s branded ¡°weak¡± because I¡¯m not a pure Demon King, but rather a half Demon King, therefore it¡¯s been weakened to fit the criteria. I can convert any metal in my proximity into a sword and transport myself and the blade I¡¯m wielding to any spot within a 25-meter radius as a corollary of this ability. ¡°Gyagya!¡± Then another one lunges at me, and I teleport my sword to that Edge Penguin¡¯s head after dodging its assault. ¡°Pyoooooo!¡± Then the sword appears to bisect the Edge Penguin¡¯s head, rendering it dead. This is the nightmarish aspect of this skill. Although the exact conditions are unclear, if another object is present at the teleportation location, it seems to sever through it. ¡°Phew.¡± The sword is then generated in my hand utilizing the material from the teleported sword. It appears that I can teleport the sword away from me and back into my hand in this manner. While I would say that Kurokiri¡¯s foggy body is quite a cheat, I think that my skill is also a cheat. This skill is still classified as ¡°weak¡± despite its faculty. ¡°¡®Gaaaaahh!!¡¯¡± ¡°¡®Gyagyagya!!!¡¯¡± Since several of their companions were slain at the same time, the nearby Edge Penguins are fueling a commotion. But they don¡¯t appear to have any intention of escaping. ¡°Now then, let me verify the extent of the half-Demon King¡¯s power.¡± Producing a second sword from the carcass of the Edge Penguin I had just defeated, I wield it in my left hand and assume two swords style. And so a one-sided battle has initiated in which I wreak havoc on monsters whose official names I don¡¯t even have a clue about. Carcasses, carcasses, and carcasses. As far as I could distinguish, the whole vicinity is awash with the carcasses of Edge Penguins. I quit counting after 50, but the number may have exceeded 1,000. In any case, if a single spot is 1, the number of dead bodies is about 7. Well, it would be a hassle if I am attacked again, so shall I ponder on the future while moving on? Now, while I was fighting, I recognized that the specifications of my body were as atypical as its status. Even the out-of-dungeon compensation seems to function only to the same extent as for ordinary kin. And it would be swifter to show specific statuses, right? Here is what it looks like: Name: Ichiko (Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword) Class: Half Demon King Race: Half Kirijin? Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword Level: 8 HP£º1045/1045 MP: 900/900 SP: 945/945 Status Strength 30 Dexterity 45 Agility 54 Sensing 54 Intellect 21 Spirit 25 Luck 10 Skill ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, ?Fog Cloak?Thin?, ?Monster Creation?Low Rank?, ?Dagger Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Decapitation?, ?Keen Edge?, ?Long Edge?, ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?, ?Enchantment Mist?, ?The Lord Transcends Reason for My Sake? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s Kin?, ?Assassin of the White Fog?, ?Demon Slayer?, ?Fog King¡¯s Representative?, ?Favored Princess of the Fog King?, ?Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword?, ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity?, ?Decapitated Princess? etc. Depending on how one perceives it, it may be lower in status than the Demon King, but I believe it is far more stable than the Demon King because I can normally wander outside the dungeon. Nonetheless, both my name and race have been changed spectacularly. ¡°Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡± is my current race and official name, but I wonder what this means. Sword and blade make sense given my unique skills, but I don¡¯t grasp the meaning of ¡°unsettled¡±. And I spot something like a building. If my assumption is accurate, this place is quite a nuisance, so I hope there are some handy tools here¡­ With these thoughts in mind, I head for that building. CH 67 Now, what is the place where Ichiko was transported to? (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Ah¡­ I knew it.¡± Upon sighting the name of the building, an involuntary sigh escapes my lips as I mutter to myself. However, on further reflection, there were many factors that led me to have this assumption before reaching here: ice, snow, penguins, rocky land devoid of any plants, and so on. I suppose it makes sense in a way. Even so, the name of this building determines my present location. Yes, the name of the building where I am now is Showa Station[i]. It is a base established by that[ii] country in ¡°Antarctica¡±. ¡­Antarctica huh¡­ I¡¯ve been sent to the furthest reaches of the globe¡­ How am I going to go back¡­? Hahahaha¡­ Ah, somehow I¡¯m feeling very demoralized. At least there is salvation¡­ the fact that the presence of demons exists suggests that there is a Demon King somewhere on this continent, and depending on his mindset and abilities, there is a possibility of reaching another continent by exploiting the Demon King, right? ¡°First of all, I should go inside and check if there is anything that can be used.¡± Taking a gander around the base, I observe the interior through a window that provides a glimpse within. There is no sign of anyone inside the station, and the place appears to be in a bit of disrepair, perhaps from lack of activity over a long period of time. However, the door leading to the outside is securely locked. Since there are some traces of battle, it is likely that the Demon King withdrew from the Antarctic Continent shortly after appearing there, judging it to be risky. Now, if it is locked, I guess this will do. I walk to the front of the window, where the inside of the nearest room can be seen. Then, ¡°Activate ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?.¡± After I activate ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, I use its teleportation ability to move to the room. Now, let the search begin. I take a sweeping glance around the station. Hmm. Apparently, the power supply is practically completely dead, and the communications equipment has been destroyed. Well, it seems to have been unattended for at least half a year, so it is no wonder. And I have the feeling that something is inching closer to this station. They are most likely demons or kin of the Antarctic Demon King, given the enormous quantity of Edge Penguins in this area. First, should I conceal my presence and keep an eye on the situation? ¡°Gah-gah! Gwaaah! Gagaga!¡± ¡°Buooooobababau.¡± ¡°Woof, woof, woof!¡± Let¡¯s see, since the beginning, there have been Edge penguins, seals? (they¡¯re too big, almost like Steller¡¯s sea lions) And then the doggy demons. And also¡­ ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­ Although I received the news, there must have been close to a thousand Shujin[iii] penguins in this area, and they were all wiped out¡­ Who in the world could have pulled something like this off?¡± There is one bald-headed man dressed in a white coat. Even though he is speaking the language of my country, from the looks of it, he must have been from another country¡¯s base and was transformed into a kin by the Demon King of Antarctica. So, what shall I do now? If a battle were to break out, even if the young man depended on his abilities, I would undoubtedly prevail. However, by finishing off the young man, my relationship with the Demon King of the South Pole will end up being untenable, and above all, I will lose the connection to what lies ahead. The ideal situation for now is to stay hidden here and then follow him back to his master, confirming the dungeon¡¯s location before settling on a future course of action. If possible, I would move to another continent. ¡°Well, according to the Polar Queen-sama¡¯s words¡­ ¡®the person who created this disaster has the characteristics of a typical Japanese with black hair and black eyes. However, she is short and her chest is about the same size as mine (ëÞ[iv]: mine/I). Her equipment is a fur coat and a black gauntlet on her left hand. Her sword appeared at will, so she may have teleportation or generative abilities¡¯.¡± Ah, as expected, after 1000 feathers are cut, the details of my skills will be exposed to a certain extent. I mean, the name ¡°Polar Queen¡± is probably the Demon King¡¯s name, but since that man also said that her breasts are the same size as mine, the Polar Queen also possesses the same size of a hill¡­ alright, I should stop thinking this. It makes me sad to think of it myself. By the way, isn¡¯t the honorific pronoun ¡°ëÞ¡± used only for males¡­ or could any distinguished individual use it? Well, let¡¯s leave that part aside, shall we? ¡°But what do you intend me to do with someone who possesses such an exceptional strength¡­ Hm? Ah, yes.¡± Hm? Have you started communicating with the Polar Queen? ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. I understand. Then, in that case¡­¡± Mmm. I am intrigued by the content, but with my skills and abilities, I have no means of finding out. And it seems that the communication has come to an end. He is turning in my direction. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know where you are, so let me pass on the words of the Polar Queen-sama right here. [I am sorry for what I did a while ago. To counter against the demons of the other Demon Kings who crept out of the sea and assailed us, I had my Shujin penguins on standby, but since my orders were to attack all strangers, they assaulted you].¡± Ah, I see, so that¡¯s why they pounced on me the moment I came into view. ¡°[I have no desire to cause additional harm, but I am keen to know as to what has prompted this development. I would like to be informed for the sake of future reference as to exactly what method was utilized that brought you to this place, etc].¡± ¡­So this is what happened. ¡°[Furthermore, I will place Bob Southall on this spot as a guard for you. If anything were to befall Bob, I will do everything in my power to eliminate you.] Wait, Polar Queen-sama!?¡± I have the feeling that Bob-san is a highly diligent guy. Nevertheless, under this condition, even if Bob-san dies from a living being other than me or from a demon, the Polar Queen will strike me, right? ¡°Hah, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± While exhaling a sigh, I have opted to negotiate for the future. T/N: [i] Showa Station is a Japanese permanent research station in Antarctica [ii] ¡°That¡± country is referring to Japan [iii] This has nothing to do with a kin. It¡¯s just the name of the demon penguins [iv] The Polar Queen uses ëÞ (Zhen) as a first-person pronoun which is a pronoun used by Emperor only CH 68 ¡°Excuse me.¡± As I exit the front of the base, I walk up to Bob and company and approach them. Teleport? I won¡¯t use it. It would be exceedingly adverse for me to be exposed to them any longer if they discovered the outline of my skills. ¡°So you are the perpetrator who wreaked this havoc¡­ Who are you and where do you come from? Antarctica is supposed to have a defense line of the Polar Queen-sama¡¯s demons in all directions.¡± Bob-san reveals his wariness and questions me while masking his trepidation. I mean, Bob-san, seeing you up close, you are huge¡­ almost 2 meters in height. ¡°My name is Ichiko. I was sent here by someone with a transportation skill.¡± ¡°Ichiko¡­ Japanese, huh? You said you were transported here, but where did you come from?¡± His vigilance grows in intensity. Well, I doubt that Bob-san¡¯s capabilities will be adequate to handle this situation even if he is alerted. For now, I should answer the question. Though I can predict your reaction after saying it, ¡°From the Korean peninsula.¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Ah, I knew you would react like this. Anyone would have this reaction. Even I would respond this way if I had no knowledge of the incident. ¡°Well, is that a joke?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd! Don¡¯t you know how far away that is! I doubt even the Demon King could do such a thing!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Like I said, that¡¯s not possible!!¡± ¡°That is sadly the truth¡­¡± I put my palm on my temples to demonstrate to Bob-san how much my head hurts. Until a moment ago, Bob-san had a look of incredulity on his face, but now even he has the same expression as mine. But you know, I understand how you feel. When I informed him that this was the truth, I became saddened as well. ¡°Who the hell is the one who transported you? That Demon King¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Somehow, I feel that it would be advisable not to answer this question honestly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± It seems that Bob-san did not suspect anything. Perhaps the Polar Queen¡­ is peeping at me through Bob-san. ¡°And now, the Polar Queen-sama has a question for you. [So, what is your race?]. Excuse me, but the day you don¡¯t answer or deceive her, she will regard you as an enemy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind that much. My race is the ¡®Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡¯.¡± Once I disclose my race, Bob-san¡¯s expression becomes utterly vacant. That face is probably implying, ¡°Eh? Are you not joking, but serious? Are you out of your mind? That kind of obvious endemic race is limited to Demon Kings. To be frank, I can¡¯t catch up with your explanation, so I¡¯m going to stop thinking about it¡±. ¡°What? Huh? Wait a minute, my head can¡¯t follow all this. Ah, it seems that the Polar Queen-sama is going to take control of the matter in my place.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Oh, since he admitted straightforwardly, my standing should be very favorable, and if the Polar Queen is going to appear in his place, I must renew my resolve. [You said you¡¯re Ichiko, right? Is everything you just said factual?] ¡°Yes.¡± Of course this is a fact, so I affirm it. [Did you hear it?] Did I hear it¡­? You¡¯re likely referring to the God of Calamity. ¡°I have heard. Shall I elaborate on the circumstances if you need me to?¡± [No, I don¡¯t want Bob to hear that part. So come to my castle, the ¡®Eternal Aurora Palace,¡¯ which is owned by me, the ¡®Eternal Queen of the South!¡¯] ¡­Let¡¯s pretend I¡¯ve never heard of her dungeon¡¯s name. After all, the name of the dungeon sounds very unsettling as if I might die after entering it. After a slight pause in thought, I follow Bob-san as he walks off somewhere, beckoning me to join him after issuing some instructions to the demons he has brought with him. Somehow, I have a feeling that the future is very uncertain¡­ After surviving the blizzard for several days, I am greeted by the most majestic structure I¡¯ve ever encountered. Eh, you are wondering about what happened on our way? Nothing occurred to me save for a near-death experience from the bitter cold. Apparently, half Demon King, like the kin and the Demon King, does not require food or sleep. Now, regarding the most crucial building, it is a medieval Western-style castle composed of something like white snow. However, it bears no resemblance to the palaces of the era. Its windows are made of high-precision transparent ice, and the roof is covered with a gradation of colors like the Northern Lights. Moreover, despite the fact that it is not nightfall, the sky above the castle is illuminated by multiple layers of aurora borealis, creating a surreal atmosphere. ¡°Heh. Are you amazed?¡± ¡°Yes, It did take me by surprise. Even though you mentioned it to me on the way here, I didn¡¯t expect it to be as spectacular as it appears.¡± Since Bob-san is conversing with me, I return my honest impression. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear it, but this time I¡¯m going to ask you to refrain from entering the dungeon.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Despite my wondering, Bob-san points to a spot right next to what appears to be a gate. A small hut-like building can be found there. It looks to be a hastily erected building based on how it merges in with the surrounding landscape. ¡°Is the Polar Queen in there?¡± I ask Bob-san while turning my attention to the hut. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Well, since the rest of this is between you and the Polar Queen-sama, please excuse me.¡± With that, Bob-san opens the gate and heads off into the dungeon. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go my way too.¡± And I enter the hut next to the entrance of the dungeon. CH 69 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Now, let us introduce ourselves to each other first. I am the master of the ¡®Eternal Aurora Palace,¡¯ the Demon King, ¡®Polar Queen of the Eternal South¡¯. You may call me Polar Queen.¡± Before me sits a lovely, fair-skinned, doll-like girl donning a mystifying robe of feathers that shift hues with each passing moment. Her outer age is in her early teens with blue eyes and hair that continuously changes color, just like her robe of feathers. Since she is seated, it is unclear exactly how tall she is, but she is probably almost the same height as I am. And her chest¡­ is certainly about the same size as mine. ¡­But if this is what it is like in your early teens, by the time I am the same age as you are now¡­ no, let¡¯s not even dwell on it. It makes me sad. ¡°My name is Ichiko, the half Demon King ¡®Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡¯. Please call me¡­ Ichiko.¡± As I sit in front of the Polar Queen, I straighten my back and state my name. ¡°Thank you for inviting me to such a breathtaking dungeon.¡± ¡°Mmm. You may compliment me more. Though from a defensive point of view, I cannot permit you entry to my dungeon.¡± The Polar Queen is looking satisfied with her smug expression. ¡°This is not the time to be arguing with each other about these things. You mentioned your name is Ichiko. I would like to know about your situation. And how did you end up in Antarctica? Let me hear the whole story thoroughly. In particular, I am inquisitive about ¡®that voice¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. That is also the reason I have come to this dungeon to inform you.¡± I initiate my story. I told her that I was originally a kin of the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡± and that I was headed to the continent by the order of the Fog King. And that I had battled with the Spicy King on the peninsula that was the entrance to the continent. And then the God of Calamity emerged, killing the Spicy King and intending to turn me into a Demon King, whereupon I was saved by the Fog King, yet I changed into a half-Demon King, thus being transported to this place. And at the end of my story, when I watch the Polar Queen¡¯s face¡­ ¡°(Blank.)¡± Her eyes snap open and she comes to a complete halt. ¡°Uh, are you okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Mutterings (Even so, I can understand that ¡®that voice¡¯ was referred to as the God of Calamity by the Fog King, and it is certainly the right opponent to call her that. But you encountered the God of Calamity? Furthermore, the Fog King defied the God of Calamity and prevented you from becoming a full-fledged Demon King? And to top it all off, you were transported to the Antarctic by the God of Calamity and are unable to establish communication with the Fog King? What is this? I feel like all of these bombs carry an order of magnitude out of proportion¡­),¡± the Polar Queen is mumbling something in a language other than Japanese. Based on her appearance, I assumed that she was not from that country, but I guess I hit the mark. Well, let¡¯s wait until things settle down for a while. ¡°I apologize for earlier. Your story has shaken me up.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± After about 30 minutes, the Polar Queen somehow returns to her sense. ¡°Now, I have a question for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡®How much do you remember¡¯?¡± The Polar Queen poses her question with a serious expression on her face as if she had never experienced something like this before. ¡°What do you mean by remember? ¡°Ichiko. That¡¯s your name from the time you were a human being, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Then, do you remember your last name?¡± My last name¡­? ¡­! ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­ Why¡­? A human of that country should possess a last name but¡­¡± ¡°It is likely the work of the God of Calamity. Even I do not recollect my own name from my early days as a human being. Moreover, given the location of Antarctica and my age, I had a guardian, so there should have been documents related to me, yet I could not discover any such thing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say that back then¡­?¡± I was trapped in a space filled with darkness by the God of Calamity, and at that time, I remembered that feeling of myself disappearing from everyone else. And what is truly terrifying is¡­ ¡°What is truly frightening is that when an individual¡¯s records and memories vanish from the world, if you don¡¯t properly question and recall them in this way, you won¡¯t even notice that they are absent.¡± Yes, the truly frightening thing is the fact that you cannot even register that they are gone. If you don¡¯t question it, if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange, you won¡¯t even realize it¡¯s not there. I am once anew horrified by the feeling that I had. ¡°You are still fortunate. Since you can retain the name of your human identity, the likelihood is that your acquaintances still remember you. Whether their memories are complete or incomplete may not be known.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± Yes. Kurokiri and the Polar Queen are utterly deprived by the God of Calamity of their existence as human beings. Compared to that, my predicament is still favorable. Then, what I should do from now on is¡­ ¡°Polar Queen. How do you regard the God of Calamity?¡± ¡°To put it succinctly, I hate her, and if it were possible, I¡¯d like to defeat her with my own hands. Because of the God of Calamity, ¡®I¡¯[i] was stripped of my family and the fact that I once existed there. However, she is also an opponent that I cannot defeat by any means. In this remote place, I am not even able to accumulate enough strength¡­¡± The Polar Queen¡¯s flames of resentment flare-up in a grand manner. But soon after, the flames fizzle out. ¡°I see.¡± But I feel that¡­ her response is positive. If that¡¯s the case¡­ ¡°Then, I will vanquish the God of Calamity. Would you lend me your power to do so?¡± ¡°Lend you my power¡­? What do you mean specifically?¡± The Polar Queen¡¯s eyes are lit up again. ¡°In order for me to conquer the God of Calamity, I have to gain strength at any rate. So¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± And I¡­ ¡°Let me train here until I can master the power of the half Demon King. And if possible, help me cross to another continent.¡± I request the Polar Queen for her assistance, to which she replies with a nod of the head. T/N: [i] The ¡°I¡± that the Polar Queen used this time is the general ˽ pronoun instead of her usual pronoun CH 70 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) A little over nine years ago from the present. ¡°Izumi¡­ and you are the Kitsunejin, Mugi, right?¡± ¡°(It¡¯s been a long time©`)¡± ¡°You are the Kirijin, Ryo, aren¡¯t you? And as for you, Houki, you¡¯re a Kirijin as well. I¡¯ve heard the story from the Fox Princess-sama.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± Under Kurokiri¡¯s orders, Houki and I set off for the continent, where we met up with Izumi and Mugi, who had arrived ahead of us. We have to elevate our level and negotiate with parties of all kinds from this point forward in our search for Ichiko. But truthfully speaking, I wouldn¡¯t want to negotiate with the Demon King. ¡°Well, since I was asked to do it, all I can do is to carry it out.¡± First, we need to negotiate with the Sugar King. Before my eyes, Mugi and Houki are engaged in some kind of negotiation with the Tojin, who are the kin of the ¡°Sugar King of White Smearing¡±. Incidentally, the language barrier has already been resolved since Mugi has acquired ?Translation? skill. ¡°Well, this is how we handle the humans brought over from that side¡­¡± ¡°The start of the trade is¡­¡± ¡°Actually, we also have this kind of sweets¡­¡± ¡°I see, I see¡­¡± ¡°Even so, it smells heavenly¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha. This is the advantage of being a Tojin¡­¡± Judging from the expressions on their faces, the negotiation itself seem to be smoothly progressing. Now, let me briefly make an introduction about the Sugar King. The Sugar King, aka ¡°Sugar King of White Smearing¡± is a Demon King who has emerged in a certain country. Everything within the Sugar King¡¯s dungeon consists of sweets, and after defeating a monster, it will drop sweets that correspond to the monster¡¯s characteristics. Because of this feature, this country which had been suffering from starvation aggressively sought to conquer the Sugar King¡¯s dungeon. However, the Sugar King not only defeated them but also seized the country with his ample supply of food and force. Apparently, it was only the lower class who were starving in the country, and the higher class wanted to monopolize what they could extract from the Sugar King¡¯s dungeon, thus the Sugar King capitalized on the rift that had been created and took over the country. Well, it seems that the people of this country are better off under the Sugar King¡¯s reign, therefore I don¡¯t have any specific comments to offer. By the way, although the Sugar King¡¯s ability escaped my knowledge, I heard that the Tojin¡¯s unique skill is ?Sugar Binding Honey? which solidifies any object by manipulating beeswax. And it looks like the negotiations are wrapping up. Mugi and Houki as well as a Tojin are approaching my direction. That Tojin produces sweet scents all over her body. She has brown hair with black eyes and she dresses modestly yet adequately with a height that is roughly the same as mine. Her chest¡­ seems to be packed with a great deal of sugar. ¡°Well, the negotiation was a good one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. So what are the next steps now?¡± ¡°For now, a Tojin is accompanying us to serve as a negotiator and to raise the level of the Sugar King.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your help.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± And so, Li Une, the Tojin, has joined our group. While on the subject, I was told that her skills center on lifestyle and auxiliary skills. Eight years ago?in a certain place in former China. ¡°In short, they wanted us to escort them while they escaped.¡± Our group is visiting a rural village in search of a place to stay and work for the night. Some of you may be perplexed as to why we need lodging and work given that we are kin who neither require sleeping nor eating. It is not only kin who are traveling with us, but also ordinary human beings. To maintain their human nature, a kin should not neglect their meals and sleep whenever possible. ¡°Yes. That is what has happened¡­¡± And there, we are requested to escort them while they flee from the Demon King¡¯s army that is looming over the village. The story goes that there is one dungeon ahead, and the Demon King of that dungeon is ravaging the surrounding villages one after another. ¡°Is there a reward? We are mercenaries, not philanthropists, therefore we must be compensated in some way, or we will decline to help you.¡± ¡°Yes, we understand that. Here is a list of what we can offer.¡± ¡°Let me take a look.¡± I receive a list of what can be offered as a reward from the old chief of the village. To explain why we are doing this, those who travel are basically rootless. Therefore, we are engaged in mercenary work, which is a fine job for us who are not local residents, provided the job that is demanded is within the scope of our capabilities. The work ranges from supporting farmers during the peak period to defeating monsters, but in any case, it is a convenient method to gain daily sustenance and experience. ¡°Well, I suppose this is about as much of a reward as one could ask for.¡± ¡°Is that true!¡± ¡°But our force is only 12 people, including myself.¡± Even though we operate as mercenaries, we are still a new and weak mercenary group (well, we keep our numbers small to avoid attracting unwanted attention), so we would utilize what is available to us. ¡°Therefore, in the event of a retreat, we will need some help from you as well. Of course, the more assistance you provide, the less reward we will receive.¡± ¡°If that is the case, I will gladly cooperate with you. I will pass the word on to the villagers.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Thus the battle to liberate the residents of a village from the Demon King commences. CH 71 (Ryo POV) ¡°Izumi squad, fall back! And Mugi squad, open fire!¡± I lift my voice and issue the instruction. Then Izumi and the others, who had been stalling the opponents with a few young men from the village and several fellow mercenaries, slowly retreat to avoid any openings while Mugi and the others with marksmanship skills unilaterally launch attacks against the enemies once the foes are within the attack range. Among the marksmanship group, Mugi stands out in particular. Her ?Fire Swirl?, which has been enhanced by ?Fire Magic Proficiency I?, scorches many enemies. The adversaries try to flee in the face of the one-sided attack, but this is too naive. ¡°Mugi Squad, abort the attack! Izumi squad! Houki Squad! Pincer attack!¡± When Mugi and the others cease their attacks, Izumi, who has become exceptionally powerful due to ?Muscular Strength Enhancement? leads the assault on the opponents in the rear of the fleeing antagonists. Needless to say, there are counterattacks from some of the enemies, but for Izumi, who possesses ?Unbloody? and ?Self-Regeneration (Weak)?, it appears that no amount of graze injuries will be enough to stop her. Then, Houki, who had been hidden by ?Covert?, strikes at the foes who are endeavoring to escape indiscreetly. Naturally, the opponents, who seek to flee, are powerless to resist. ¡°Phew. I guess we made it through the opening phase of the battle.¡± Now, since you probably don¡¯t have a grasp of what¡¯s happening out of the blue, let me start by outlining the current scenario. Although I said that, there is nothing much to say. Following the request from the village chief, while the entire village was in the process of carrying out a retreat operation, the assailants approached them, so we simply counterattacked and annihilated them. Incidentally, the itinerary has been scheduled for about 3 days, and right now we are only around half a day out of the village. All that remains to be done is¡­ ¡°Those who are injured, head to us, the Ryo Squad, first! As for the rest, please fall back and catch your rest after receiving food supplies from the Une Squad! Regarding the monster carcasses, each of you is allowed to remove them within 5 minutes, provided that it does not hinder your mobility!¡± [[[Yes!]]] We need to tend to the wounded, distribute food, and strip the carcasses. These are all essential for the immediate future. Even so¡­ this job is going to be a lot less lucrative than I expected. (Izumi POV) ¡°There are all kinds of monsters, including Jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire), and even zombified dogs and rats,¡± Houki onee-chan, who is inspecting the corpses of the monsters, remarks while holding the stripped ones in her hands. ¡°According to what I¡¯ve heard, the master of this place can produce monsters out of the humans he kills, and can even resurrect dead monsters under certain conditions. That¡¯s the most sickening thing I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Mugi onee-chan replies while keeping vigilance on the surroundings. ¡°As for the hostiles that assaulted us earlier, we¡¯ve already destroyed its core, which is the condition for reviving it, so there¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Dealing with the aftermath is important, you know.¡± Ryo onee-chan and Une onee-chan are bringing the food for today. However, the quantity of food is less than that of the others. ¡°(Meal?)¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We have requested for a decreased quantity for those of us who simply take it as a personal delight in order to maintain the food supply.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s understandable under the current circumstances.¡± ¡°The quantity doesn¡¯t matter much to us.¡± ¡°Instead, we are interested in the taste.¡± Ryo onee-chan and Une onee-chan serve the meal to me and the others and we start to enjoy the meal together. ¡°Right. I just received a report from one of the humans we sent out on a reconnaissance earlier.¡± Ryo onee-chan starts discussing while taking her meal. ¡°By reconnaissance, do you mean from the front or from the back?¡± ¡°The back side.¡± ¡°Lady Ryo. Then, has the army of the Demon King and his troops been discovered?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but in addition to that, I heard there were intruders.¡± ¡°Intruders¡­ you mean there are people who entered the dungeon at this time?¡± ¡°Yes. According to our reconnaissance, about ten people entered the dungeon just as a mass of monsters were leaving the dungeon.¡± ¡°(Munch munch.)¡± I am not sure I agree with holding a briefing over a meal, but we¡¯re running out of time, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°So, how long will it take for the crucial adversaries to reach here?¡± Mugi onee-chan inquires to Ryo onee-chan. ¡°From what the reconnaissance said, we may be attacked two days from now, just before we reach the city.¡± ¡°Then, perhaps if we hasten somewhat, we can avoid the assault.¡± Une onee-chan proposes in response to Ryo onee-chan¡¯s words. ¡°That is certainly true. But we need to determine how far the humans can travel with their physical strength.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go and confirm whether they can do it in haste or not.¡± Following Ryo onee-chan¡¯s words, Houki onee-chan goes to check with the village chief. ¡°(I hope we can make it in time.)¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I involuntarily write that to Mugi onee-chan. And two days later. The others and I¡­ CH 72 (Third person POV) It is the third morning since the villagers abandoned their village to evacuate from the Demon King. ¡°Tsk! There are a lot more of them than we anticipated!¡± ¡°They most likely assailed wild creatures along the way and turned them into zombies!¡± The men of the village and some mercenaries continue to put up a strenuous resistance. The reason is simple: they are on the verge of reaching their destination when the enemy gains on them, and they are trying to help those who cannot fight, including children and the elderly, to beat a hasty retreat. However, despite the efforts of each of them, they are clearly outnumbered and overwhelmed, and the majority of them are carrying wounds of one kind or another. ¡°?Fire Swirl?!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°?Cut Off?!¡± But Mugi¡¯s ?Fire Swirl? emerges on the cliff and sears away a group of enemies, while Izumi¡¯s axe blasts away several enemies at the same time as it approaches the flank of the enemy group. Houki suddenly appears (seemingly) in the midst of a group of enemies, and with a ?Cut Off?, she shears off the enemy¡¯s legs and deprives them of maneuverability. ¡°Oh! You guys showed up!¡± One of the mercenaries addresses Mugi and the others while slashing down the enemy with a huge sword in his hand. ¡°Sorry! We had a bit of trouble dealing with the other team! We¡¯ll clear up these guys here now!¡± Mugi responds while releasing ?Firebolt? at the nearest Jiangshi. The reason why Mugi and her team had not been here until now was that another group was closing in on them from a different route than the one they were presently opposing. Since the average level of that group was evidently higher than the villagers, Mugi and company, who were at a higher level, had no choice but to head for the other group. Nevertheless, Mugi and her group eliminated the detached force, and when the girls joined the main group, it seemed that the situation was settled. ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be¡­¡± When Mugi catches sight of it, a gasp breaks out in her throat. What Mugi has spotted¡­ is a group of more than 1,000 Jiangshi, a group of immortal demons. ¡°Damn it! All the villagers must withdraw swiftly!¡± Mugi hastily instructs all the villagers present. ¡°But if we evacuate here!¡± ¡°Shut up! Our numbers aren¡¯t even adequate to stop them! If you have time to be complaining, hurry up and join the non-combatants and run away with them!¡± Refutations are of course raised, but these are suppressed by force. Any hesitancy at this stage could be disastrous. And once all the villagers have fled, the remaining mercenaries utilize their wide-area offensive skills to obliterate the group of enemies they had just been combating. ¡°Now¡­ does anyone have a strategy to counteract that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t conceive of any ideas.¡± ¡°Seeing it in this state reminds me that there is strength in numbers.¡± ¡°But we have no option but to do it. That¡¯s our work.¡± ¡°Well, we have to at least stall them, right?¡± Mugi and the mercenaries are prepared and poised to engage in battle at any moment. And when Ryo and Une arrive from the non-combat group in the front to join Mugi and the others, things begin to change abruptly. ¡°This is strange¡­¡± Ryo is the first one to recognize it. And, following her words, the other mercenaries also begin to perceive the abnormality of the other party. ¡°Ga¡­ gu¡­ ga¡­¡± Right. With each step, the bodies of the Jiangshi that are pressing in on them are collapsing. The speed of this is daunting, and within the blink of an eye, the number of the Jiangshi is dwindling, and by the time they have reached the scope of Ryo and her companions¡¯ attack, their numbers have been reduced to less than one-tenth of what they were. And just as they are within the attack range, Ryo comes to her senses, ¡°All of you. Unleash as many long-range attacks as you can! We will exterminate the enemies!¡± With this command to the mercenaries, the battle ensues. The battle rages on. Although the number of enemies has been scaled down to one-tenth, there are still more than a hundred of them, which means that even Ryo and her high-level comrades can only take on a limited number at a time. Notwithstanding, as the battle drags on, the adversaries¡¯ numbers are conspicuously shrinking rapidly, even more so than the pace at which Ryo and her team are defeating them. And before long, every last one of the Jiangshi had been returned to the ground. ¡°Somehow¡­ it all worked out¡­¡± Ryo¡¯s monologue can be heard throughout the area. (Ryo POV) After joining the villagers, we have come to ascertain why the Jiangshi had unexpectedly begun to crumble away. Apparently, it was due to a group of humans that our reconnaissance had detected two days earlier. Since they had vanquished the Demon King of that dungeon, the effect of the Demon King¡¯s skill had lost its protective effect on the Jiangshi, who had been able to operate without problems under the sunlight, and that seemed to be the consequence of that. As for the humans who defeated the Demon King¡­ well, if they are still alive, they will be back here in a few days. ¡°At any rate, it seems that we have survived, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. But even if they were weakened, we lost 2 of our own given their numbers.¡± Houki and I have a proper meal while reviewing the income and expenditure for this job. The village chief has paid us handsomely. However, it seems that the depletion of equipment and personnel still has its proportionate toll. The particularly galling part is the fact that deaths have occurred. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± I silently mourn the passing of the two people who perished. The demise of someone you are acquainted with is a bitter blow. Nonetheless, I suppose I will have to familiarize myself with it should I continue to operate as a mercenary, advance my level, and live for a long time to come. However, regardless of how much I adapt to it, I must make sure that my feelings do not become numb. If I become so accustomed to death that nothing can shake my emotions, there would mean that something is amiss with me as a person¡­ (Third person POV) Ryo and her team have acquired the title ?Mercenary of the Fog?. CH 73 (Kurokiri POV) Shortly seven years before the present. A certain place in Japan. [Seriously¡­ I never would have expected that to be the reason why your subordinates advanced south, Snow Sage. How are you planning to settle the matter?] [Well©` it¡¯s my bad. I didn¡¯t want to issue that order. Hahaha.] [Hmph. What impudence you¡¯ve shown us. You have no idea how much pain you have caused us.] I, the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog,¡± the ¡°Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess,¡± and the ¡°Frozen Silver Snow Sage,¡± have all assembled at a certain place with each of us in full control of our own demons. Incidentally, I am operating my Fog as usual, while the Fox Princess is controlling a small fox-shaped demon called Little Fire Fox, and the Snow Sage is using a small rectangular[i] ice demon called Ice Cube. [Well, forget about it. The reason we¡¯re gathered here today is not to exchange silly arguments.] [Indeed. It¡¯s going to be a challenge to deal with that opponent by myself.] [I¡¯ve heard of her[ii], but is the ¡®Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡¯ really that formidable?] Yes, that is the reason why three of the four Demon Kings in this country have appeared in one place this time. That is to discuss measures for the fourth Demon King, ¡°Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡± who is not here. First and foremost, information on the Dragon Sovereign is being exchanged at this time. [To start with, since my analyst was the one who desperately researched the name of the Demon King, ¡®Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame,¡¯ there can be no mistake about her name.] [And as for her abilities, based on her name and her attacks when intercepted, it¡¯s safe to assume that she¡¯s a fire-based type demon.] [As far as I can tell from the report, she is a four-legged, two-winged Western dragon with cherry-colored scales, over 10 meters in length. If so, the question is how close her body is to that of a dragon. Assuming that even her physical capabilities are worthy of being called a dragon, she must be quite a handful.] [I¡¯ve received despairing information that one of my well-trained Mud Soldiers was successfully repelled by her scales and wiped out without a trace by the claws of a counterattack.] [Then, with half the attack power¡­ no, even if there were enough demons, their presence would be futile.¡± [Since that is the case, shall we send our kin to face her?] [No, even if I send my current leader, Ryo, to attack, it will be tough from what I¡¯ve learned from the reports.] [If so, I guess even my own Mugi would struggle.] [Hmm. If your top two can¡¯t accomplish it, I don¡¯t see how Yuu, who is at my side, can do anything about it.] All of us are at a loss. I have a strategy in my head to overcome this situation, but¡­. [Fog King. How many times have your ¡®The King Acts for the Sake of His People¡¯ been used?] Well, there¡¯s only one way out of this. [I used it once a long time ago. But after that, I used another method (?The Lord Transcends Reason for My Sake?), so the cost had risen a little.] [How much?] [I have no obligation to enlighten you¡­ but I can use my full strength in battle without any problem. By the way, Snow Sage, you can produce ¡®The King Acts for the Sake of His People,¡¯ right?] [No problem. But since you have brought this into the discussion, does that mean we¡¯re doing this?] [Well, I guess that¡¯s the way it is. If neither the demons nor the kin can do it, then we will have to directly confront the issue, won¡¯t we?] [Well then, that¡¯s what it comes down to. Though that being said, we don¡¯t have to beat her. Our aim is to drag her out of seclusion.] [Hahaha. For the first time in a long time, my blood is boiling¡­ I wonder when my blood has been pumping like this ever since¡­] [Then¡­] [So¡­] [Mmm¡­] [[[This time, we shall unite in a joint line of battle!]]] Thus, the three Demon Kings, the Fog King, the Fox Princess, and the Snow Sage, have initiated an operation to break the ¡°Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡± out of her seclusion. (Third person POV) ¡°Ahhhhh, this is the messenger of the Fog King! O Dragon Sovereign! For the love of all, go and create at least a single kin and emerge on the front stage! Heyyyy! Don¡¯t you dare be a hermit under these prevailing circumstances of the world!¡± The voice of the Kirijin man reverberates through the area. A Kitsunejin woman and a Yukijin man are also standing around him, observing the development of the scene. And the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s reply to the Kirijin¡¯s words is, ¡°I refuse! I want to sleep here forever!¡± Following these words, the three kin each pull out a pendant from their pockets and hurl it into the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s dungeon. And in the next moment, ¡°Shut up, you damn lizard!!¡± An explosive sound resounds throughout the area accompanied by Kurokiri¡¯s furious roar. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Ah¡­ ggh¡­ how dare you do this to my dwelling¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, you stupid lizard.¡± Before my eyes, there is a 10-meter-long, full-body, cherry-colored dragon. There is no doubt that this is the Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame. ¡°Now, as far as we are concerned, if you would be so kind as to make a kin and establish a relationship with the outside world, we would be content to leave you here¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! I won¡¯t listen to a word you say!¡± ¡°I guess your response is within my expectation.¡± The Fox Princess attempts to persuade her, but it seems to be in vain. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you suffer a little.¡± ¡°If you want to fight, then bring it on! You old silver skin geezer!¡± As the Snow Sage takes his position, everybody in the place adjusts their combat posture. By the way, I am now in human form, looking like a young man all in black. The Fox Princess has blond hair, fox ears and a tail, carrying a fan in her hand and wearing a miko (shrine maiden) style costume. With the exception of his white hair, the Snow Sage is an elderly man with a bent waist and silver skin. However, these appearances are for the purpose of negotiation, and their original appearances, including mine, would be something else. ¡°So, let¡¯s get started. ?Mist Plosion? x32!¡± In order to make a preemptive attack and to set the stage, I release ?Mist Plosion? around the Dragon Sovereign. But this level of attack seems to be of little significance to the Dragon Sovereign and does not seem to be effective. ¡°As expected, she is very firm. Then I too will utilize my ?Sacred Fox that Seduces Hundreds of Beasts?, ?Fire Attribute Granted?.¡± The Fox Princess, with a fan in her right hand, lights a blue flame as she readies herself, and with a speed that parallels sound, she slashes at the Dragon Sovereign. Of course, the Dragon Sovereign has no intention of taking this in silence and seeks to intercept her, but¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let you do it. ?Bewitching Fog?!¡± At the same time as the Fox Princess enters the fog, dozens of illusions of the Fox Princesses materialize through my ?Bewitching Fog?. At the sight of these dozens of Fox Princesses appearing, the Dragon Sovereign involuntarily freezes in her tracks. Then the Fox Princess capitalizes on this opportunity to reach the Dragon Sovereign and delivers dozens of attacks in a flash. The damage inflicted on the Dragon Sovereign provokes a groan from her. But then the Dragon Sovereign swings her tail, with a length and thickness befitting her massive body, and knocks away the Fox Princess along with the illusion I had created. I glance at the Fox Princess momentarily as she receives the blow, but it seems that she has avoided a direct hit, and by flying away from her, she seems to have sustained almost no damage. Following that, after blowing away the Fox Princess, when the attack pauses for a second, the Snow Sage approaches the Dragon Sovereign, ¡°Hohoho. Well then, here I come. ?Snow Giant of Frozen Silver?. For an instant, a silvery light is emitted from his entire body, and in the next instant, there is a silvery 8-meter-tall giant, who is forcefully restraining the Dragon Sovereign movement. ¡°Ugh! Let go of me!¡± ¡°I will have to refuse.¡± The Dragon Sovereign is straining to shake off the Snow Sage with her entire body, but the Snow Sage is completely in control of the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s movement by meticulously shifting the spot of suppression, probably owing to his many years of expertise. And the moment the Fox Princess considers this as an opportunity and attempts to slash at the Dragon Sovereign again with her ultra-speed, ¡°I told you to let go! ?Cherry Blossom Fire that Traps Life?!!¡± Sakura-colored flames erupt from the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s overall body, forcibly yanking the Snow Sage off and blowing me and the Fox Princess away. As the wall is closing in on me, I shift from human form to fog form to neutralize the damage I would suffer from the collision with the wall. On the other hand, the Fox Princess lands on the wall with cat-like movements while the Snow Sage merely retreats slightly even as he rolls up from the ground. If I may say so, the fact that the current attack caused almost no damage is as one would expect from a Demon King. And the most vital part, the Dragon Sovereign, has recovered from all the damage that the Fox Princess supposedly inflicted earlier, and is displaying the identical appearance she had at the outset of the battle. ¡°I see. Damage + Recovery. How convenient,¡± the Fox Princess mutters as she descends to the ground. ¡°Furthermore, she is this strong at this level. She is truly deserving to be called a dragon,¡± the Snow Sage says while checking his body¡¯s condition. ¡°If you understand, get the hell out of my house! Otherwise, I¡¯ll burn you to a crisp next time!¡± the Dragon Sovereign roars, spreading her wings wide as if to threaten. But, Dragon Sovereign, your proposal is¡­ ¡°I refuse. I¡¯ll show you something better next round.¡± And so the battle moves into the second round. T/N: [i] Can be read as square as well [ii] Could be a male, I am not too sure. There¡¯s no concrete indication of the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s gender but since she uses female pronoun, I will assume she is a girl CH 74 (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Now, this will take a little time, and I need you to buy me some time.¡± With my right hand in front of me, palm up, the power is concentrated there slightly at a time. ¡°Well, that looks like a rather fascinating move.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t implicate me and the Snow Sage in this.¡± The Snow Sage lowers his knees and adopts a stance in preparation for the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s onslaught, while the Fox Princess pools her strength to strike even more searing than before, her fan lighting up with blue flames once more. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do¡­ but get out of my house!¡± The Dragon Sovereign begins to amass cherry-blossom colored flames in her oral cavity, and when it is enough to escape from her mouth, it is vivaciously shot at me with immense heat and intensity. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. ?Multiple Ice Walls?.¡± However, the Snow Sage intervenes between me and the Dragon Sovereign, erecting a five-layer ice wall to keep the flames at bay. Nevertheless, the potent flames are progressively melting the wall that the Snow Sage has fashioned, and if this situation persists, the wall would be melted away in a matter of seconds. Yet, ¡°Oh dear, you are full of openings.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± The Fox Princess glides beneath the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s chin even swifter than previously, exceeding the speed of sound, and while doing so, she propels a kick into the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s mouth from above and below, inducing her mouth to close. And with that impact, an explosion occurs in the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s mouth, which sends the Dragon Sovereign into a state of shock and pain that leaves her slumped over. ¡°She¡¯s really impressive. Well then, it¡¯s my turn, ¡®Black blood flows in my body. All is devoured by the black fog. Now, let my blood become an ice storm and devour everything¡­¡¯¡± The black fog clumps together in my right hand, initially resembling a series of bubbles clinging to each other, but gradually the bubbles burst to coalesce into a sphere, ultimately producing a perfect black sphere. Then I direct it at the Dragon Sovereign¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go! If you don¡¯t want to get caught in the middle of this, you better run! ¡®Outer Skill ?Kurokiribaku¡¯!!¡± ¡­and hurl it at her. ¡°This kind of thing is¡­ argh!¡± ¡°What! This must be a joke!?¡± ¡°Uh-oh! That¡¯s beyond dangerous!¡± The scales of the Dragon Sovereign make contact with the black sphere. At that point, a vast amount of black fog and ice blankets the region, depriving the Dragon Sovereign of her HP, MP, and SP, which are subsequently absorbed into my body. Unfortunately, as Kurokiribaku is activated, the Fox Princess and the Snow Sage are fleeing at full speed out of its range. ¡°Hah¡­ you! If you are capable of this kind of skill, why didn¡¯t you thoroughly explain it to us beforehand!¡± ¡°Indeed! I¡¯ve never seen such a crazy skill before!¡± The Fox Princess and the Snow Sage are both complaining to me. ¡°Hahaha! It would have been a treat if you guys had been embroiled in this anyway.¡± But frankly speaking, I wouldn¡¯t have minded if they had gotten tangled up in it. After all, you¡¯re both my adversaries by nature. [[Ah?¡±]] Well, if I say that, they will inevitably react in this manner. ¡°Gah¡­ ggh¡­ what is this ice¡­¡± As the fog gradually clears, our eyes begin to catch sight of the Dragon Sovereign. The Dragon Sovereign¡¯s right arm and right wing are overlayed in black ice, and her movement is quite sluggish, possibly owing to the fact that her power is flowing towards me little by little from there. Outer Skill ?Kurokiribaku. It¡¯s a skill that combines ?Devouring Black Fog? and ?Mist Plosion?. The area of drain is optimum. Incidentally, since the power itself has been heightened, it can also be used as a purely enhanced version of ?Mist Plosion?. ¡°Now, Dragon Sovereign. Are you feeling motivated enough to emerge into the public eye?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ hah¡­ who will¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Then, I¡¯ll give you another shot¡­¡± ¡°Stop it. If you continue to do this, she will really die.¡± Despite the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s relentless resistance, notwithstanding the substantial wounds she has sustained, I try to follow up with an attack, but I am halted by the Fox Princess. ¡°Now, Dragon Sovereign. I understand that you prefer not to associate with the outside world. Nonetheless, in the current world, we as Demon Kings harbor immeasurable power, and that power is indispensable for the sake of human beings. So, at the very least, if you don¡¯t want to be affiliated with this, you need to at least have a kin to inform the people outside that you don¡¯t want to be involved or it¡¯ll turn out to be a dilemma.¡± ¡°For the sake of¡­ humans?¡± The Dragon Sovereign¡¯s eyes widen, indicating her startlement. ¡°Mm-hmm. Since our time is running out, we¡¯ll let you go this time, but should you still be unwilling to emerge after this, we¡¯ll be here to subjugate you next time. You¡¯d better think carefully about what your next step will be.¡± Having released the drain effect of the Kurokiribaku, I give my final advice to the Dragon Sovereign and prepare to leave. ¡°You¡¯ve been behaving like this all along, haven¡¯t you?¡± The Fox Princess also begins to prepare to leave, and her figure slowly fades away. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been roughed up, and I¡¯m refreshed. My back aches somewhat though.¡± The Snow Sage deactivates his skill, becoming smaller and smaller, and prepares to return to his dungeon, tapping his lower back. ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­¡± Our gradual departure mystifies the Dragon Sovereign. ¡°Hmm. If you have created a kin, send them to the Fox Princess for the time being. She¡¯ll teach you what you need to know.¡± ¡°What! You¡¯re pushing the responsibility on me!¡± ¡°Hahaha. We are neighbors who get along well with each other©`¡± And then we return to our dungeon, leaving a bewildered Dragon Sovereign behind. (Third person POV) A few weeks later. ¡°Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡± joined up with the three Demon Kings. After several months, representatives of the Four Demon Kings and humans assembled for the first Japanese Demon Conference, where a pact was signed prohibiting large-scale aggression among the Four Demon Kings. CH 75 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) Antarctica, 7 years before present. ¡°Hmm. They¡¯ve arrived once more.¡± ¡°Yeah, looks like it. And it¡¯s a giant octopus this time.¡± I am on the Pacific Coast with Bob-san. A five-meter-tall enormous octopus is rising from the sea to the land ahead of us, assaulting the Shujin penguins. Of course, the octopus attacking the Shujin penguins is not a demon created by the ¡°Polar Queen of the Eternal South.¡± The name of the Demon King who conjured this giant octopus is the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡±. He is one of the worst Demon Kings, having established a dungeon somewhere under the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and deprived humanity of control over the sea. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll drop its legs, so you will deal with the main body, Bob-san.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°©`©`©`!!!¡± The gigantic octopus lifts one of its legs and seeks to crush the two of us together as I surge forward and Bob-san begins to prepare his skills. But, ¡°Do you really reckon such an attack will do the trick? ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?.¡± From the metal I have on hand, I generate a wide massive hatchet in my right hand, and right after its generation, I teleport and sever the leg of the giant octopus. ¡°©`©`©`!?¡± Perhaps because its leg has been removed, the giant octopus tries to rampage, swinging all its remaining legs in all directions, but of course, I do not allow it to do so and proceed to chop off its legs in turn, starting with the leg closest at hand with ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?. I have recently discovered that the sword produced by the ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? seems to be greatly influenced by my image and depending on my imagination, it can be a basic double-edged long sword, the so-called longsword, a short sword like a dagger or a knife. There are massive swords that can only be found in video games, such as bastard swords and claymores. Even swords such as the falchion and the kukri, and Japanese swords are available, not to mention rapiers, estocs, and other thrusting swords. Apparently, fictional weapons also can be made, like the hatchet and bayonet I used at this time. As long as there are enough materials, it is capable of producing a huge sword that can cleave through a battleship with a single sword strike. ¡°©`©`©`!!¡± The giant octopus¡¯s legs are then chopped off, resulting in it becoming like a daruma doll, and flails around in unrelenting agony along with its severed legs. However, that is the point where Bob-san finishes preparing his skill and assumes the attack posture. ¡°Here I come! ?Band of Polar Light?.¡± On Bob-san¡¯s right arm, an aurora fabric infused with prominent electricity and magnetism is formed, while the electricity from the belt is centered on his right hand. It then converges to the utmost limit and begins to scatter rainbow-colored light and crackling noises to the surroundings. ¡°©`©`©`!!¡± When the gigantic octopus notices this, it deems it threatening and furiously attempts to approach Bob-san and assault him with its legless body, but it is already too late. ¡°?Thunder Javelin?!¡± Bob-san produces a more fearsome ?Thunder Javelin? in his right hand than the ordinary ?Thunder Javelin? and hurls it towards the giant octopus. ¡°©`©`©`!?¡± Multiple bolts of lightning strike the surroundings with a thunderous boom as the ?Thunder Javelin? penetrates the giant octopus¡¯s forehead, searing the giant octopus and all of its legs laying around it until they are charred black. The aroma of the roasted octopus begins to pervade the area. ¡°It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right. Well, shall we slice out some of the meat and leave?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Therefore, after cutting a portion of the giant octopus for our meal, we return to the Polar Queen¡¯s dungeon. It has been a little over two years since I started training with the Polar Queen. There are many things I have learned about Polar Queen. To begin with, the Polar Queen¡¯s kin is known as Nankyokujin, but Bob-san is the only one. The reason for this is that there were no more humans in Antarctica except Bob-san at the time Polar Queen became a Demon King, attained Level 2, and was capable of creating kin. That is not the end of the story, but according to Polar Queen, ¡°There is a strong possibility that Bob is my elder brother, considering the faint remaining¡­ or rather, the unnaturally vanished records and circumstantial evidence¡±. When she mentioned that, it is true that they do look alike. They share similar facial expressions, laugh in similar ways, and so forth. Furthermore, it seems that the Polar Queen and Bob-san can communicate in Japanese is because they both like Japanese animation and wanted to watch the original work in its original state. ¡­Being an otaku is amazing. Now, in terms of my own personal growth, I have gained some knowledge about the types of swords that can be created by ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? as mentioned earlier, as well as about ?Monster Creation?Low Rank?. Apparently, this ?Monster Creation?Low Rank? is a downgraded version of ?Monster Creation? that the Demon King possesses, and when monsters are created with this, unlike ?Monster Creation?, they are created using raw materials. In other words, it seems to require proteins, etc, and in addition, the number of types is also limited and I can only create one type of monster which is this one: ?Flying Sword Magical creature sword type demon. This is a demon created by utilizing ?Monster Creation?Low Rank? on a sword. It possesses intelligence to the extent that it can obey the master¡¯s commands, and has flight ability. Summoning cost: HP, MP, and SP are consumed in proportion to the size of the intended sword. Moreover, when one hour has passed after its creation, the demon created by ?Monster Creation?Low Rank? reverts to the original sword. And the Polar Queen is coming this way now. ¡°Is something the matter, Polar Queen?¡± ¡°Yes. Your desire to cross over to the African continent has been realized, so I thought I would share the news with you.¡± ¡°Is that true!¡± I involuntarily rise from the chair in which I was sitting. Incidentally, I chose African continent as my destination because the South American continent is too far away from Japan. On the Australian continent, the attacks of the Demon King in the Indian and Pacific Oceans would be too ferocious for me to travel there. ¡°Mm-hmm. So when do you want to leave? ¡°Anytime is possible.¡± ¡°I understand. If you insist, you shall go at once..¡± Thus, after thanking Polar Queen and Bob-san for their hospitality, I set off for the continent of Africa. CH 76 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) 6 years before the present. ¡°I found you! ?Commander of the Mercenary Order of the Fog?, Nasu Ryo!¡± While I am having lunch by myself in the city, a man wearing Western-style armor with a hood and carrying a sword calls out to me. His homicidal intention is evident in his eyes. ¡°I am in the middle of a meal, what business do you have with me?¡± I check the dagger at my waist and grip it as if ready to draw it at any moment. ¡°Business? Isn¡¯t that obvious¡­¡± The man pulls out his sword. His sword is etched with strange characters and is ornamented with skeletons. Furthermore, irrespective of whether it is composed of unique demonic material or not, it is enveloped in a mysterious air. This sword is apparently one of the so-called ¡°demon swords¡±. ¡°All demons shall perish! Those who betray humanity shall perish! That is the teaching of Church of the Righteousness!¡± The man is slashing at me vigorously. It seems that this man is one of the extremists of Church of the Righteousness. He is, nevertheless, not only an extremist, but also a competent individual, and his sword is directed straight at my head. Well, Clash! I intercept the man¡¯s sword with my dagger while inwardly thinking, ¡°If you¡¯re going to target me anyway, don¡¯t call out and aim for an assassination instead¡±. ¡°You¡­ blocked it!?¡± ¡°Seriously. I am being underestimated.¡± While leaping off the chair I was seated on, I deflect the enemy¡¯s sword back. And as I do so, I check the opponent¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, your face is familiar to me from somewhere.¡± The identity of the man who is attacking me is the same guy who was one of the individuals that defeated the Demon King, ¡°Taoist Curse of the Enshrouded Spirit¡± three years ago and was hailed as a hero for his achievement. At that time, before the two of us could encounter each other, I found out that the people I had defeated were from Church of the Righteousness, so I only registered their faces and swiftly escaped. ¡°Hmm. So you are aware of me?¡± ¡°Yes. But you seem to be pretty hard-headed for taking no consideration regarding the inconvenience to the people around you as well as messing with the kin who are on the side of the humans.¡± The surrounding humans had already fled at the same time we were drawing our respective weapons, and the commotion has already spread. If anyone listens attentively, they can perceive a similar uproar developing elsewhere, so it is likely that Houki and the others are being entangled with this hero¡¯s companions. ¡°Shut up! All demons will be slain by me with my ¡®Spiritual Sword¡¯ made from the bones of the ¡®Taoist Curse of the Enshrouded Spirit¡¯!¡± There is a peculiar light in the man¡¯s eyes and sword. It is as if the man¡¯s eyes have been ¡°made to believe¡± that everything he is carrying out is right. How should I put it? His sword is made from Demon King material. If my memory serves me right, the ¡°Taoist Curse of the Enshrouded Spirit¡± is an undead type Demon King, so it has the attribute of darkness. Moreover, it probably harbors the grudge of the ¡°Taoist Curse of the Enshrouded Spirit¡±. A vendetta that strives to impose destruction on all living beings. ¡°Ah. So, the sword has possessed you, and combined with the doctrine you believe in, this is what you¡¯ve ended up to be?¡± ¡°What are you¡­ sAYYYYiiiiinnnnggg¡­?¡± Oh, he¡¯s out of luck. I don¡¯t think he can be saved from this anymore. He¡¯s been utterly enslaved. Even his eyes are out of focus. ¡°aNyWaY¡­ DieeeeEEEEeeeee!!¡± With his sword lifted, the man comes at me with great force. It would be risky to defend myself with a dagger this time as I had done previously. Therefore, I step to the right to evade the man¡¯s sword. And the moment the man¡¯s sword passes by me and hit the ground, the ground rots away at once, starting where the sword has made contact with it. And that¡¯s not all; the rotting ground progressively changes shape, eventually assuming a humanoid appearance. You could call them as instant zombies. They would return to their prior state of being state after being exposed to sunlight, therefore their existence would be meaningless the instant they emerged from the ground. However, the prospect of being struck by one of those entities is harrowing. Even the slightest scratch would likely result in death from decomposition of the whole body. ¡°yOu¡­ evadeeedd¡­ mEE huh¡­ then next is ha ha¡­?Double Slash?!¡± ¡­! Even in this state, you can still exercise your skill? As soon as the man turns around to look at me, he swings his sword and activates his skill at me. ?Double Slash?. It is a two consecutive attacks whose power and speed are heightened by skill correction. Although it may not sound spectacular, it is actually considered to be one of the excellent skills due to its small gap and high applicability. When the first blow of the man¡¯s ?Double Slash? is swung from right to left, I dodge it by crouching down. This is where the dreaded ?Double Slash? comes into play. The guy has at least six viable assaults from this point on. To be specific, there are up, upper left, left, lower left, lower left, and another right after one rotation, and any of them will follow shortly. And the man chooses to swing down from the top, probably to ensure that it will strike me, who is crouching down. However, crouching means bending the knees. In other words, ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaah!?¡± I can leap forward, simultaneously avoiding the attack and inflicting a wound on my foe through the gap in his armor. Then, when I land on the ground, I look at the spot where I was previously, but the ground has corroded there and something like a hand has sprouted. As I thought, it appears to be perilous to make direct contact with ¡°Spiritual Sword¡±. ¡°Kill Kill Kill Kill Killlllllllll¡­¡± As the man looks back at me, his mouth is foaming. There is no trace of sanity to be detected in his eyes. ¡°Ending his life promptly now would be salvation for him.¡± While I mutter this and ready my weapon, the man also raises his sword and prepares it. ¡°Aha¡­ ?Twin Slash? yiiiiiiiii!!¡± ¡°Not good!? ?Fog Cloak?, ?Mantle of Fog?!¡± With the power of ?Twin Slash?, the man lunges at me at a blinding speed. ?Twin Slash? is a skill that, in exchange for discarding its power, greatly enhances the user¡¯s speed to deliver an almost inevitable attack, but for the man¡¯s ¡°Spiritual Sword¡±, whether the attack power is high or low is of no concern. If there is even a scratch on my body, it is possible for my entire body to be decomposed from there. That is why I fully deployed my ?Fog Cloak? and then proceeded with ?Mantle of Fog?. After elevating my own evasive ability to the utmost limit, I jump to the side as if to hurl myself out of the way. The tip of the man¡¯s blade can be seen passing by the place where my head was just a second earlier. Then the man has already switched to the stance for his next skill, ?Double Slash? and has begun to perform a side-cutting attack on me. To counteract this, I leap up relying only on the strength of my right arm, whirl around in mid-air, and release ?Mist Slap? against the man¡¯s sword, who is shifting into a stance to raise his sword to deliver the second blow, and send ¡°Spiritual Sword¡± flying out of his hand. And then, I thrust the dagger into the neck of the man who is momentarily dazed. ¡°Gu¡­ ga¡­¡± Despite the man¡¯s grunts, after landing on the ground, I twist the dagger and swing it to the side to make sure his breath ceases. ¡°Seriously¡­ This is the worst lunch time I¡¯ve ever experienced.¡± After wiping off the blood on the dagger, I draw closer to the ¡°Spiritual Sword¡± that I had flung aside. Houki and the others are also rushing towards me. Considering their wounds are visible in various places, it seems that they were assaulted as well. As for Izumi, she is almost completely naked¡­ completely naked¡­? Completely naked¡­!! I wonder what on earth happened to her¡­ I shall inquire about it later. ¡°Now, as for this, I suppose it¡¯s only appropriate to destroy it.¡± In a hurry, I pull my thoughts back to reality and glance at ¡°Spiritual Sword¡±. Following that, I thrust the dagger into the center of the ¡°Spiritual Sword,¡± shattering it. From the ¡°Spiritual Sword,¡± something black and evil can be seen rising up to the sky. Everything should be fine now. I retrieve the remains of ¡°Spiritual Sword¡± and leave the place, softly praying to the man who had assailed me. CH 77 Beware of slight grotesqueness in this chapter. (Izumi POV for the whole chapter) At the same time and in a different place where Ryo was attacked by a man with ¡°Spiritual Sword¡±. Except for Ryo onee-chan, all the members of the ?Mercenary of the Fog? are having their meal together. While the food at this general bar may not taste great, the portions are ample, so everyone is content. Incidentally, the reason why Ryo onee-chan is not here is that after receiving payment for the work, if she arrived here, as is usually the case, there would be no more food left, hence she would eat somewhere else before returning. And then three hooded people come into the restaurant. Although the mercenaries around us are still bustling about as before, I sense a disturbing presence from the trio, so after giving Mugi onee-chan, Houki onee-chan, and Une onee-chan a look, I leave my seat and attempt to exit the bar as if passing by the three of them. My body is torn in half from the waist as I pass by them, and I see a spear aimed at Houki onee-chan and ?Mudbolt? directed at Mugi onee-chan. Une onee-chan carries both of my bodies and darts out of the bar. Following her is a single human being armed with an axe. It is the man who severed me that rushes out of the bar. From inside the store, raging screams can be heard as if a fight has erupted between all of the mercenaries and the men who assaulted them. ¡°Ka hi¡­ hi hi hi hi hi hi¡­¡± The face of the man who bisected me is distinctly abnormal. It is as if something has taken over him. And while I am observing this, Une onee-chan has aligned the severed surfaces of my body, and I am forcibly attaching them together using ?Self-Regeneration (Medium)?. Honestly speaking, the pain is still there, but since Une onee-chan is not good at direct combat, it is up to me to fight on my own. ¡°Hi ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! ?Heavy Blow Axe?!¡± ¡°¡­!?¡± The guy charges in and swings his axe down aggressively. From my right arm, I draw out a bone axe with ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe?, then reinforce my own body with ?Muscular Strength Enhancement? and try to intercept it the center of the axe, yet my axe is smashed in one blow and I am slashed from my left shoulder to my hip by the man¡¯s axe in one fell swoop. It is a deathly agonizing, and under normal circumstances, this would certainly be a fatal wound. But I cannot collapse. I activate ?Self-Regeneration (Medium)? once more, and reattach my body before it becomes detached. Thanks to this skill, there is no bleeding. It is all well. ¡°wHaT!?¡± The man¡¯s movement comes to a halt, perhaps startled by my response, who undoubtedly should have fallen yet didn¡¯t. Here¡¯s my opportunity. ¡°Izumi! ?Agility Enhancement?!¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± With Une onee-chan¡¯s support, my agility is fortified. Then I raise both of my arms wide above my head and produce an even more massive and thicker axe with ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? and strike it down vigorously, capitalizing on my augmented muscular strength and agility. ¡°Phew. As expected of Izumi¡¯s monstrous strength.¡± I can faintly hear Une onee-chan¡¯s mutterings. But as soon as the axe has crushed the man and landed on the ground, a resounding noise accompanied by a tremendous vibration and blast with a profuse plume of dust and smoke simultaneously. Furthermore, after the cloud of dust settles, there are objets d¡¯art that I don¡¯t have a grasp of, because what was once a human being has now splattered brilliant red paint all over the area, and the earth has caved in a bit with fissures running all around it. And then the battle at the bar seems to be over with everyone coming out. Everybody is slightly shocked by the crater. ¡°Did you do this, Izumi?¡± ¡°What incredible power¡­ I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s not an offensive skill.¡± ¡°You have¡­ overdone it¡­¡± I approach Mugi onee-chan and the others, asking them what was transpiring inside the bar, and it appears that the two remaining individuals were also slain by everyone else. I can see what looks like vigilante corps approaching us. ¡°Miss Mugi and Izumi should go to Ma¡¯am Ryo¡¯s place. Please explain the situation to her.¡± For some reason, one of the mercenaries makes that remark while averting their eyes to the side, so I follow Mugi onee-chan to Ryo onee-chan¡¯s place. CH 78 (Kurokiri POV) Five years before the present ?¡±White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. [Please help me!!] Buuuuuuuuuuuu! An alarm was suddenly sounded alerting the presence of an intruder accompanied by such cries. After I halt the physical training I have been doing from time to time since that day and tell the members with me to take a break, I inspect the situation with my magical visual field of view. It turns out that there is a lone woman with a hood pulled up over her eyes in a room entering the second level from the Nasu family basement, which had not been used for several years, and I spot her grasping Fog¡¯s body and holding him in her arms. Apparently, the earlier screams and alarm were originated from this woman. If anything, I feel that the hood she is wearing is slightly inflated. On top of that, she is wearing a skirt, which also seems to be subtly bulging. Hmm. I should check it out. ¡°You guys, have a look at this.¡± After inviting the members of the training group who are currently taking a break to come closer, I bring out the monitor and present them with the image of the woman. Incidentally, Aria, Chirito, Tori, and others are among the training team members. ¡°Do you guys recognize this woman? Chirito, please analyze this woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I mean, how can anybody recognize her face if she¡¯s covered up so deeply?¡± ¡°She¡¯s obviously hiding something.¡± ¡°Even so, how could she have known about this route?¡± ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t recollect disclosing this information to anyone. So, Chirito, what¡¯s the analysis result?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± So this is the result of Chirito¡¯s analysis. ?Her name is Nagarebi Mibako. ?Her race is Kitsunejin. ?Occupation: Explorer ?Her status is split between sensing and agility. ?She has the titles of ?Explorer? and ?The Pursuer?. ?Skills: ?Fox Fire?, ?Life Detection?, ?True/False Judgment?, ?Covert?, ?Escape?, and ?Escape Proficiency ¢ñ?. ¡°Wow. As expected of Chirito. To think you could discover this much from just a glance¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m blown away by your analytical expertise.¡± ¡°Or rather, you¡¯re already at the level of grossness.¡± ¡°Will you shut up? Can you stop it?¡± [[How frightening!!]] Chirito is spinning his arms around, ready to charge at any time. But well, the fact that this degree of information is revealed with merely a glance is¡­ unbearable for the other party, isn¡¯t it? ¡°By the way, do you know her measurements?¡± ¡°I have no idea!¡± Chirito denies my words to the hilt. ¡°Hmm. Aria. For now, please bring her to me so I can find out what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± With that, Aria heads over to pick up Mibako after receiving my instruction. (Chirito POV) In front of me are Kurokiri-san, Aria-san, and Tori-san. Plus Mibako-san is seated, who is explaining how she ended up here and how she was aware of that route. And it seems that the conversation is over. ¡°Hmm. So this is what the story is about.¡± When the conversation has settled down, Kurokiri-san bends and stretches his fingers, summarizing his thoughts in his head, followed by sharing what he has organized. Well, if I were to summarize simply the gist of it, it would be this: ?While Mibako-san was studying under the Fox Princess, a friend from her human days came to visit her. ?That friend has a crush on Mibako-san. ?However, his approach was aggressive and insidious, and to be frank, stalkerish. ?At last, the friend targeted her for everything but her life. ?For this reason, she consulted with the Fox Princess, who advised her to pay a visit to the Fog King. ?As for the route to the Nasu family¡¯s basement, she was informed of its whereabouts by the Fox Princess. ¡°Please! Whatever it takes, other than surrendering my life, please lend me a helping hand!¡± ¡°Hmm. Whatever¡­ you say?¡± Ah, Mibako-san? The word ¡°anything¡± is prohibited when dealing with that guy, you know? In fact, there are several girls in the off-limits area who stated they would do anything. And none of those girls have emerged out of the dungeon anymore. He¡¯s wearing an extremely obnoxious smile, isn¡¯t he? That¡¯s evidently a face sparked by some kind of scheme. ¡°Then, how about this?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Mibako-san answers tensely. ¡°For the time being, it is forbidden for you to step outside of the ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯ from now on. You know the reason for that, right?¡± ¡°Because I have reached the depths of the forest. Right?¡± Indeed, from the standpoint of safety, the information about the depths of the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± cannot be divulged to the outside world. ¡°Afterwards, Chirito, come here.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± I reply and then approach Kurokiri-san, who is beckoning to me. ¡°Chirito. You will marry this girl.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I involuntarily let out a strange voice. Even Mibako-san couldn¡¯t help but utter a peculiar tone. ¡°Then, make a baby.¡± [[Whattttttttttttttt!?]] When Kurokiri-san delivers the bombshell remark, Mibako-san and I both unintentionally raise our voices in unison. After that, leaving Mibako-san and me clueless as to how this has occurred, Kurokiri-san and the others depart, while we exchange a dazed look at one another¡¯s faces. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Well, Princess Fox. Why?¡± [Your words are insufficient. If you only ask me ¡®why¡¯, how could I possibly understand what you are referring to?] After leaving Chirito and Mibako in the room and separating from Tori and the others, I made contact with the Fox Princess. There is only one question I want to ask. ¡°Why do you want me to handle Mibako¡¯s problem? You could have dealt with the stalker at your place.¡± [Oh, you mean that. It¡¯s a simple matter. It is beyond my capacity. That is all.] ¡°Tsk, you¡¯ve introduced me to a hassle. Let me tell you this, in exchange, I¡¯m not releasing Mibako to the outside anymore, and she¡¯ll be stuck with my Chirito.¡± [I¡¯ll oblige you at least that much. It¡¯s a small price to pay compared to my life or being married to you.] ¡°Send me a note later to reassure Mibako.¡± [Mm-hmm. Then I¡¯ll be counting on you for the rest of the matter.] With these words, my contact with the Fox Princess is over. CH 79 (Kurokiri POV) Several days after Mibako¡¯s arrival at ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. Buuuuuuuuuuuu! An alarm goes off in my room all of a sudden. ¡°Now, the intruder this time is¡­ the guy that the Fox Princess was referring to?¡± Simultaneously with the alarm, I catch a glance at the open monitor to ascertain the intruder who has made his way into the second level. The man is roughly 18 years old, holds a spear in his right hand that appears to be fashioned from iron, and sports leather armor. His visage presents a decent image, with no prevalent cause for concern. However, should anyone take a closer look at him, an ominous atmosphere pervades his demeanor. [Bumo? Bumooooo!!] Having spotted the intruder, the Minotamist pounces on the man, swinging an axe in his hand. However, [Don¡¯t¡­ interfereeeeee!!] The spear in the man¡¯s right hand spasmodically thrusts out as his entire body begins to glow. After colliding head-on with the Minotamist¡¯s axe, the spear fractures the axe and then pierces the Minotamist¡¯s head, killing it instantaneously. [Fufufufu¡­ Mibako¡­ wait for me¡­ I¡¯ll save you now¡­] Without even a glance at the Minotamist¡¯s carcass, the man advances deeper into the second level. ¡°Oh, I see. No wonder the Fox Princess doesn¡¯t want to deal with this at her own place. The risk is too significant,¡± I remark, observing the man¡¯s attack power and reaction speed. But well, if this is the case¡­ ¡°Chirito.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± At my call, Chirito comes up to me. By the way, he and Mibako seem to be on good terms, and when the two of them are together, they exude a sweet atmosphere that causes me to want to puke sugar at the sight of them. Rear explosion.[i] And that¡¯s not all, you know. ¡°Uncover this guy¡¯s skills and everything, then you deal with him.¡± ¡°What!¡± I issue an order to Chirito. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to show Mibako your good side?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what I want to do but.¡± Chirito is distressed. ¡°Then give it your all. Between the second and first levels lies the battleground. It is the Black Swamp Waterfall. If you need anything, just let me know. I will prepare it for you.¡± Leaving those words, I depart from the place, leaving Chirito behind. Incidentally, to speak the truth, I don¡¯t think he needs any assistance. (Chirito POV) Currently, I am in a specially set up ring at Black Swamp Waterfall. Although where Mibako and Kurokiri-san are watching from is not clear to me, they are probably observing me from somewhere. I recall the ability of the man I witnessed earlier. He is a human and his occupation is a tracker. His equipment is standard and his level is only 4. Yet, the problem lies in his skills. The guy possesses the following four skills: ?Designated Tracking?, ?Tracking Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Obstructive Crushing?, and ?All-Out Thrust?. These skills are evidently specialized for pursuing Mibako and eliminating those who hinder the pursuit. Among these skills, the most problematic is ?Obstructive Crushing?. This is a skill that boosts the status of the user¡¯s body in proportion to the strength of the obstacle when the user is interrupted during the pursuit. Unless something is done about this, the situation will be very challenging. I mean, his titles include not only ?Tracker? but also ?Obsessive Man? and ?Obsessive Love?. Not to mention many others. And if you combine that with what was going on in the monitor earlier¡­ Yeah. I can¡¯t lose. ¡°Is this¡­ a waterfall?¡± And it appears that the man has reached here. ¡°My bad, but for Mibako¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t allow you to pass this point. You¡¯ll have to die here,¡± I declare, leveling my dagger in the man¡¯s direction. ¡°Ah? For Mibako? Why would you¡­ no, I don¡¯t care. Whoever you are, if you interfere with the love between me and Mibako¡­ I¡¯ll just kill youuuuu!!¡± As the man activates his ?Obstructive Crushing?, he rushes at me, glowing with light. But, ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°What!¡± Since the knowledge of your fighting style and status is known to me, I can forecast your moves as much as I want! I deflect the man¡¯s spear and strike his hand, prompting the spear to slip off his grasp, followed by another kick to the abdomen. ¡°Gah!¡± Due to the difference in status between a Kirijin and a human as well as my recent training in physical techniques, he is sent flying away. In the process, I pick up the spear and toss it into the waterfall pool. ¡°You¡­ do you know what it means to meddle in someone¡¯s love life¡­?¡± ¡°A person¡¯s love life¡­ huh? Your way of being in love, that can¡¯t be classified as love, it¡¯s nothing but an abominable possessiveness!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± That¡¯s right. What this man harbors in Mibako is sheer possessiveness. I tell the man what I have heard from Mibako over the past few days. About why Mibako became a Kitsunejin. It seems that Mibako and the man were originally close friends who went plunging into the Fox Princess¡¯ dungeon with their other friends, but during the dungeon exploration, Mibako and her friends had an altercation with other explorers and fell into a tight spot, in which point in exchange for them to be rescued by the Fox Princess, Mibako became her servant. Following that incident, the man erroneously assumed Mibako became a Kitsunejin to save him because she held feelings for him. Apparently, he was under the misconception that by defeating the Fox Princess, Mibako may be reverted to the human race, therefore he has grown more aggressive in his endeavors to conquer dungeons than before. In reality, even if the Demon Kings die, their kin will not be restored to human beings. (This has already been proven and publicized from the reports of Ryo onee-chan and the others who are on the continent.) So far, though, there was no problem that arose. The problem is what comes after this. The man gradually begins to stick around Mibako all the time, both inside and outside the dungeon, and he has developed to regard everything around him as an adversary. Furthermore, since he was protecting Mibako, he started demanding various things from her. Eventually, when Mibako asked him to stop pestering her, he became enraged and sought to lock her up, inflicting pain to the point that it would kill her. Mibako was terrified. Should this continue, she would suffer more harm than death, and even inconvenience those who were trying to assist her. Therefore, Mibako consulted with the Fox Princess and things have progressed to the present situation. Of course, this is from Mibako¡¯s perspective. The reality varies in many ways. Even so, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Your yearning is purely possessiveness. So, for Mibako¡¯s sake, I¡¯m going to have you die.¡± ¡°Shut uppppppp!!¡± The man lunges at me unarmed. The momentum is incomparable to the previous one, and his right hand is suffused with a strange light. It is likely that the effect of ?Obstructive Crushing? is being exerted at its peak level and that ?All-out Thrust? is being utilized as well. Nevertheless, ¡°My eyes will not deceive me!¡± You can¡¯t mislead my eyes even if you employ a status-increasing skill in front of my ?Ability Analyze?. Because my eyes are displaying your heightened status. There is no sense in hiding your skill in front of my ?Skill Analyze?. My eyes have already discovered that you own such a skill. It is also fruitless to conceal your combat style from my ?Title Analyze?. With my eyes, I can view the titles that represent your existing fighting style. And my ?Personal Analyze? shows that the man¡¯s occupation has now shifted from ?Tracker? to ?Prisoner of Delusion?. In other words, his conduct has been acknowledged by the creator of the system of skills. The man¡¯s behavior demonstrated nothing of affection, but self-serving desire. ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± Assessing the man¡¯s speed, I evade his attack by the narrowest of margins and deliver a cross-counter attack that sends him tumbling to the ground. Then I approach the man, who has fallen down and is immobilized. ¡°W-wait¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t wait.¡± I put an end to his life with a stab. (Kurokiri POV) Two weeks later. When mine and Chirito¡¯s levels both rose by one at the time, and the establishment of the 5th level was done, etc, everything was settled. ¡°Kurokiri-san. May I have your time?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Chirito comes to my room. His face wears a serious expression as if he has made up his mind about something. ¡°The reason you can¡¯t let the Kitsunejin child born between Mibako and me out of the dungeon is to prevent information leakage to the Fox Princess, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And fundamentally, I don¡¯t intend to send them out to the first level or anything. This is also for Mibako¡¯s own safety.¡± With an expression that suggests that it is a matter of course, I tell him in an indifferent manner. ¡°I understand. Then I will declare it here and now.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Chirito straightens his posture. And then, ¡°I will be more powerful than you so that Mibako and my children will be free to go outside, regardless of your will.¡± He has clearly conveyed his intention to rebel against me. There is not a single sliver of hesitation in his gaze. Yeah, this is fascinating. And I welcome the idea of you becoming stronger, even if it¡¯s slow. Therefore, I reply to him. ¡°Do it if you can.¡± And, ¡°By the way, what did you mean by ¡®children¡¯? I did indeed order you to have a baby with her but one is enough though?¡± ¡°Eh, well. That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°¡­Chirito-kun. By the authority of the Demon King, you¡¯re going to confide in me a little bit about that unreservedly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exercising your Demon King authority right now!? Um, the truth is¡­ When I used my skill, I found out that¡­ they are twins in Mibako¡¯s body¡­ Furthermore, one is a Kitsunejin and the other is a Kirijin.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand. Mibako¡¯s ?Life Detection? and your ?Personal Analyze? helped you to identify the babies in her. Hahahaha.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hahaha. This is really rear explosionnnnnnn!!¡± T/N: [i] Rear explosion is a term used to refer to jealousy and ressentiment towards those who lead a fulfilling life in the real world and to curse them to death. CH 80 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) Slightly less than three years before the present. ¡°An enemy attackkkkk!¡± After crossing the sea, I landed on the continent of Africa. While I am there, I have adopted a kind of mercenary business as a means of obtaining traveling expenses and information, and I am now operating as a bodyguard in a certain village but¡­ ¡°Ah. Not again.¡± This is already the third time this week alone that the adversaries have raided the village. There are many of them. Although I am supposed to receive precious metals as a remuneration, I have a feeling that this is out of proportion to the amount of work I am required to carry out. Nonetheless, since it is my profession, I am going into combat. ¡°With this, I think it is settled.¡± ¡°GURU¡­¡± I penetrate the heart of the monster that has assailed the community with the long sword in my grasp. All of the monsters that assaulted the settlement on this occasion have now succumbed. After stripping the monsters of their usable parts, I head for the village chief. This number of monsters is indeed out of the ordinary, so I have to inquire about the source of the phenomenon. ¡°Chief. I have finished defeating the monsters. But where on earth did so many monsters spring from?¡± ¡°Oh, Ichiko-dono. Thanks as always.¡± ¡°Forget thanking me; I¡¯d like to know where they originated from.¡± The village head offers his thanks, but I prompt him to explain the story. ¡°Oh. Even we do not understand what is going on here. For one thing, there exists no labyrinth in the vicinity. As for the monsters, we have never encountered them until now, and they have emerged out of nowhere in the past few weeks.¡± However, based on the content of his reply, it seems that the village head likewise has no grasp of the present predicament. Nonetheless, this inception has happened within this past few weeks, so this may be a possibility. And given my precedent of transmutation to a half Demon King, it is by no means improbable. ¡°Oh? Has Ichiko-dono figured out what¡¯s going on?¡± the village head asks, perhaps noticing the look on my face. I suppose I should be truthful with him. ¡°Yes. Though this is only a possibility.¡± ¡°Is it okay if you share it with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind. But as I said before, it¡¯s just a possibility.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The village head leans forward slightly to listen to what I have to say. ¡°Then let me be frank with you. It is likely that a new Demon King has risen in the vicinity of this village.¡± ¡°!? W-what does that mean¡­¡± The village head directs a bewildered expression at me. ¡°It means literally what it sounds like. A new Demon King has surfaced near this village, creating monsters and invading this village for whatever reason, be it the location at hand or another reason. That is the most plausible scenario.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not possible¡­¡± With a look of incredulity on his face, the village chief opens and closes his mouth. But considering the circumstances, this is the most likely explanation. ¡°Unfortunately, this is the strongest likelihood. Besides, the birth of a new Demon King is by no means unprecedented; it has been confirmed several times in the past year or two.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The village head is wearing a countenance like it¡¯s the end of the world. But well, as long as I am here, I have no intention of allowing this village to be wiped out. ¡°Chief.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss it with you. If it¡¯s a newly born Demon King, maybe we can work something out?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Thus, with the village chief, I have a series of consultations with him about measures to be implemented to address the Demon King that is assaulting this village. And what has been finalized is: ?Create weapons and armor with the materials of the monsters that attacked the village. ?Training the villagers in combat. ?Confirm the location of the dungeon. After these three things are done, while the villagers are defending the village, I will single-handedly charge into the dungeon and subjugate the Demon King. This is the plan. ¡°Please, Ichiko-dono! Will you please save this village! ¡°I understand. Therefore, let¡¯s first build up the strength of the entire villagers.¡± With these words, the days of training have begun. Several weeks later. Following the completion of their training under my supervision, the villagers have grown strong enough to defend the village on their own. Even so, the Demon King has been sending out monsters against this village. From my viewpoint, I had expected that after so many defenses, the Demon King would cease to play a hand, yet it seems that the Demon King who strikes this village harbors exceptionally firm feelings for this village. However, the location of the dungeon is clear to me now, and unless they decide to stop messing around, I¡¯ll simply have to subjugate them as I initially planned. Now, first of all, let¡¯s review the preliminary information garnered by the villagers, shall we? ?The name of the Demon King is the ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡±. ?The name of the dungeon is ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy,¡± and there is a kind of barrier around the dungeon. ?The main monsters that have been confirmed are deer and plants. Monsters that resemble golems and have primarily barrier and slashing skills. ?The barrier surrounding the dungeon is only lifted when the monsters within the dungeon exit it. I see. I was right in raising the degree of expertise of the villagers for a dungeon like this. Under these conditions, the village will be attacked at least once, no matter how you look at it. ¡°Well then, I shall be on my way.¡± And so, having prepared my equipment, I set out for ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy¡± as well. CH 81 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°So this is the place?¡± I am now hidden near the ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy,¡± waiting for the enemy to come out. But still, how in the world do they set up the barrier around ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy¡±? A thorough blockage of the dungeon should not be conceivable, based on the dungeons of other Demon Kings and the way Kurokiri had described it¡­ no, this could be done if you consider that it is through the personal skills of the Demon King. Furthermore, several of the monsters here supposedly have abilities like barriers, so it would not be surprising if the Demon King possesses similar abilities. ¡°Are they coming out?¡± A hole is made in the barrier, and dozens of monsters can be spotted leaving the dungeon. They¡¯re making their way towards the village. As I thought, the Demon King, Distinguishable Warrior of this place, seems to bear an acute attachment to that village. ¡°Shall I go then?¡± And before the hole in the ward could close, I leap in at full speed and invade the dungeon. Inside the ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy¡± is a dungeon with rooms separated from each other by barriers. Each island is distinctive of generation, vegetation, climate, and other aspects. It is as if they are places isolated from the rest of the world for prolonged periods of time, like a plateau that arises out of nowhere on a field or islands floating in the sea. This isn¡¯t an issue for me, nor is it something to be concerned about. What is an issue for me is that the monsters inhabiting each island exhibit slightly different capabilities. Yes, on a certain island, there was a deer-type monster with quick movements that played me for a loop; on another island, instead of slow and sluggish movement, it has strong fur, and on yet another island, instead of substantially increased muscle power, its vitality is such that it can be taken down with a single strike. Despite this, there was no discernible change in their appearance or skills. ¡°Phew. I guess this concludes this room.¡± And now, the island monsters I just eradicated had heightened sensing abilities in exchange for discarding their aggression, which made it very time-consuming to hunt down even one of them. Moreover, this dungeon is very complicated as it appears that you can only advance to the next island if all the monsters on the island are destroyed. While moving on to the next island, I am trying to comprehend why there is such a setup. Well, I suppose there are many advantages. If the monsters¡¯ natures varied from room to room, that alone would render the combat more arduous, and if you have to eliminate them without fail, fatigue will surely accumulate, equipment will wear out, and depending on how long it lasts, food and water may pose a challenge. Besides¡­ somehow I feel that in addition to these advantages, the Demon King of this dungeon is also trying to ascertain which status distribution to the demons would be better. However, since food is of minimal significance to me as a half Demon King, and with this level of opponents, exhaustion doesn¡¯t even apply to me, therefore it¡¯s scarcely a problem for me. ¡°Plus, whatever they do won¡¯t change my plan.¡± Once I have re-generated my weapon, I head for the rear section. Regardless of the monsters that are coming towards me or fleeing from me, I will annihilate them. I suppose it would have been about two days, subjectively speaking, after entering the dungeon. I have entered an island with a different atmosphere than the one I have been used to. Unlike other islands, this one is awash in artifacts and concrete structures. With the exception of one pristine structure, the buildings are covered in bullet holes, blood stains, and the remnants of explosions. And then there is this unnaturally clean and undamaged building in the city. There is a creature whose body has been detached from the waist up and down, whose upper body is floating in a state of being covered with several kinds of trees growing from both shoulders and back, and whose lower body is a mosaic-like assemblage of several different kinds of animals. If I were to classify this creature by its appearance, I would regard it as a chimera. ¡°You are the ¡®Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species,¡¯ aren¡¯t you?¡± Standing in front of the creature, my right hand touches the handle of the sword hanging from my waist so that I can fly at any time, while my left hand holds the dagger for protection against enemy attacks, whenever the battle commences. And in this state, I pose the question. ¡°¡­¡± However, there is no reply from this Demon King. Well, their appearance makes me wonder if they even have a mouth, so maybe they can¡¯t vocalize from the beginning. ¡°If you don¡¯t come, shall I come to you?¡± When I am one step ahead of the limit range of the ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, I transfer the long sword from my waist to the place where the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s head is. Zash! The sword penetrates into the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s head. But the Distinguishable Warrior does not even waver. With this attack, the Distinguishable Warrior finally registers my presence and (probably) turns their face towards me. And in the following instant, only the lower half of the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body assumes the shape of a horse and surges forward vigorously. ¡°Tsk!¡± I fly to the side to evade the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s attack. Right as the lower half of the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body passes by where I was, I teleport my second sword towards the place where their heart ought to be this time. But, as expected, the Distinguishable Warrior displays not even a hint of pain. On the contrary, the lower half of their body, which I dodged earlier, once more transforms into a mosaic, then changes direction, this time adopting the form of cheetah-like legs and lunges at me. ¡°What!?¡± Perhaps it is because it has turned into cheetah legs. Their speed surpasses that of the previous. On top of that, they are deploying something like a barrier in the form of a blade. It would be dangerous if I were to be struck by it. Therefore, I avoid it by teleporting myself this time. ¡°I see. This is the unique skill of ¡®Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡¯, huh? Rather than saying it is powerful, it is uncanny.¡± As I stand on top of a neighboring structure, I assess the skills of the Distinguishable Warrior who is searching for me. It is likely that the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s skill is the ability to reconfigure their body to suit their own convenience as well as the ability to control barriers. But this alone does not explain why the lower and upper body are separated, nor does it provide an explanation for the fact that they are safe even if they are subjected to attacks on parts of the body that are evidently fatal. In this regard, I believe the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s abilities have a restriction or weakness. ¡°Whatever the case, the information is lacking, so maybe I should try to strike from the shadows a little further.¡± I then conjure several new swords and proceed to launch an attack on the Distinguishable Warrior. A/N: The Distinguishable Warrior is a very creepy Demon King. CH 82 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Even after all this, they don¡¯t exhibit even a hint of pain¡­¡± From the shadows, I peer at the upper body of the ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡±. The upper body of the plant has been impaled with a myriad of swords of various sizes by my hands. However, I still don¡¯t catch where their sight is, or what they are listening to. They simply continue to drift along in the initial position. ¡°In addition, if they reconfigure their lower body, the damage is practically nil?¡± This time, I cast my eyes in a different direction and examine the lower body of the Distinguishable Warrior, who should have been sewn to the ground by the massive sword earlier. The animal¡¯s lower body has freed itself from the constraints of the giant sword by reconfiguring its body and is now moving its long giraffe-like legs searching for me. In all honesty, I actually suspect that the upper body of that plant is actually a dummy and the main body is separated from it, or that it is a creature with only a lower body. And the thought that this creature may not be the ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡± but merely a monster crosses my mind. ¡°But there is no other living creature on this island. Even though I punctured the lower half of their body, they revived after a while. There is no doubt that the presence they are emitting belongs to that of a Demon King¡­.¡± While paying attention to the presence of each of them, I mull over how can I defeat the Distinguishable Warrior. It would be ineffective to annihilate the lower half of their body. Even after severing the upper half of their body where I assumed their necks were, it regenerated. And even if I cut the body in half lengthwise, it would attach itself after a while. And the sword is still lodged in the place where the heart and brain are. The only measure left for me to take now is¡­ ¡°I will continuously attack them until they can no longer regenerate. That is the only way.¡± That is what I have concluded. I reflect on my remaining strength and the depletion of my pieces of equipment. Several hours have already elapsed since the initiation of the battle. My physical strength is fine since I have taken a short break. I have also reloaded (regenerated) my weapons, so they are fine. However, my armor has been heavily worn out. If so, I ought to attack at once before the lower half of the body discovers me and strikes me. After confirming that the lower half of the body has moved away slightly, I activate ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, and plunge into the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s bosom. ¡°Ha!¡± While teleporting, the machete generated in my right-hand digs into the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s left shoulder. Following that, I thrust the estoc in my left hand into his neck. Yet, the Distinguishable Warrior neither winces nor spills a drop of blood. But I already understand that from our previous confrontations. Therefore, With my great sword, I cleave them in half from the head, drive dozens of daggers into them like wedges, slice them into tiny pieces using long and curved swords, and attack them with countless stabbing swords as if I were penetrating each and every one of their cells. Needless to say, some of my attacks are delayed due to the structure of the living body. However, I am in possession of ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? now. If I lack enough hands, I can simply send my sword flying. Should the weapon be broken, I can create a new one. And if my hand doesn¡¯t turn in the direction I am aiming for, I can teleport myself to the position where I desire for. In this manner, I launch attacks that can truly be described as inexhaustible from left to right, up and down. A few seconds into the assault, when the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s upper body has reduced to a mass the size of a human head, I could see from the corner of my eye that the lower body of the Distinguishable Warrior is approaching us. Within several seconds, they would pounce on me. The swords come to a standstill as I shift my vision back to the upper half of their body. Apparently, they are putting up a barrier to prevent themself from being attacked even though they have been disregarding my attacks up until now no matter what I did to them. ¡°I see.¡± An involuntary smile breaks out on my face. After all, the Distinguishable Warrior has been subjected to attacks by me. If they continue to be attacked in this fashion, it would turn out to be a poor choice. And I could feel the bottom body of the Distinguishable Warrior swooping up to crush my head. In response, before the blow could reach me, I teleport to avoid it, then use the giant sword to sever both legs and with the momentum of the attack, I slam it into the barrier that protects the upper half of the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body. The sound of the giant sword and the barrier grinding against each other can be heard. As I swing the giant sword with my left hand only, I produce as many swords as I can with my right hand. From the gap I have created,I strike with the transition into the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s upper body, hitting the spot where the Distinguishable Warrior is relentlessly trying to guard something. Then something like a red mass is spotted momentarily, and the moment the dagger pierces it, ¡°©`©`©`!!?¡± With an inarticulate cry, the Distinguishable Warrior deploys their barriers with their utmost exertion, repelling only me and my sword. Despite being flung aside, I slam a few more daggers into the red mass and then twist around in mid-air to make a landing. After a quick check of my body, I cast my attention back to the Distinguishable Warrior. The Distinguishable Warrior is¡­ He has assumed the form of a human man, a mosaic of all kinds of animals incorporated into a mosaic of shapes. On his body are the ears of a cat. He possesses the horns of a bull, as well as bat and eagle wings. His fangs are those of a crocodile. He bears the claws of a tiger and crab with rhinoceros skin, panther legs, and a dog¡¯s snout. Not to mention, there are the gills of a fish, the stinger of a needle rat, and sheep¡¯s wool. His tail is a lizard¡¯s one. His eyes are identical to those of an insect. A cochlea¡¯s shell is present. There is the tongue of a frog. And then, there is a human mouth. ¡°I suppose I could say that the breakthrough of the first phase is now completed.¡± That is my initial impression after observing the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s physique. And now I have a clearer picture of the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s abilities. The Distinguishable Warrior is likely capable of imbuing each detached bodily part with the traits of a distinct living creature species. Furthermore, perhaps by utilizing a special kind of barrier when detaching his body, he is able to move as the same entity even though his body is separated and represents a completely different species. And the nature of the barrier is probably to distinguish between himself and the others, repelling the others. If that is the case, it makes sense that only me and my sword were repelled earlier. The Distinguishable Warrior opens his mouth. Naturally, I am alarmed since I do not know what he is about to do to me. And what emerges from the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s mouth is¡­ ¡°Detestable.¡± CH 83 ¡°Detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable detestable!¡± The Distinguishable Warrior abruptly begins to reiterate the word ¡°detestable¡±. ¡°Why can those people, mere humans, live outside yet I can¡¯t even step outside!¡± From the body of the Distinguishable Warrior, several birds rush vigorously towards me. Obviously, I don¡¯t have to catch them, so I destroy them with ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be obliterated by my power!¡± Following that, when their prey is exhibited in front of them, various kinds of insects charge at me, and I dispatch them with the long swords in both hands. ¡°How come you, a Demon King, can step outside and join forces with crude humans!!¡± Crabs, prawns, and other crustaceans are hurtling towards me like bullets this time, so I estimate the trajectory of the flying crustaceans and deviate from it by drawing my broadsword. ¡°I am the Demon King! An existence that transcends human beings! I am different from those knuckleheads! So you shall perish at once!!¡± Now, cows and other even-toed ungulates surge forward. As expected, this is something beyond my capabilities, so I leap back on top of the building with ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?. Even so, this Demon King, the ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡± is¡­ ¡°Is that all you have to say?¡± From the top of the building, I contemptuously look down at the Distinguishable Warrior. Since all that may disclose this Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s human identity has been obliterated by the hand of the God of Calamity, I have no insight regarding his period of time as a human. Nevertheless, I can tell by listening to that statement that this Demon King is simply someone who desires to bask in a sense of superiority through his supreme power. ¡°Those eyes of yours¡­ don¡¯t you dare look down on me!¡± The Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body is divided into dozens of different creatures, all of which are bearing down on me. ¡°Now I understand why you have been converting your upper body into a plant.¡± Perhaps it is because he possesses a long helping distance device and each one of them is a part of the Demon King, but the momentum of the creatures approaching me has already risen to the extent that even a scratch to the body would be lethal. ¡°While there is an advantage to going into battle with a spirit that inhabits you with that much fury, there is also a drawback. Therefore, you were trying to proceed with the battle dispassionately in the body of a plant, which is devoid of emotion and can be easily regenerated even if it is severed. However, since your plant body was destroyed by me, you were left with no alternative but to surrender to your seething emotions.¡± And even while innumerable creatures are on the verge of reaching me, new species of creatures are being produced one after another from the Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body, thus totaling well over a hundred species that are presently in existence. ¡°At any rate, no matter what kind of human being you originally were, it does not change what I seek to accomplish.¡± The tusks of the cheetah, the swiftest creature ever born, are pressing close to my throat. ¡°The only thing I can do is to avenge you.¡± But I narrowly evade it and behead the cheetah. ¡°Don¡¯t get¡­ carried away!¡± Hundreds of animals continue to attack me, destroying the structure I had been occupying as a foothold. But I voluntarily drop myself into the throng of animals and finish them off with a single blow, beginning with the nearest one. Naturally, no matter how many I eliminate, there will always be more. Consequently, I gradually change my fighting style from one-hit kills to swinging my giant sword and blasting away the enemies as fast as I can. One, two, three, four, five, six¡­ ah, let¡¯s not enumerate them anymore. In any case, while sweeping away the adversaries at random, I approach the Distinguishable Warrior step by step. ¡°Why is it!? How could you pull off such a thing! Doesn¡¯t it hurt!¡± It is no wonder that my body is sure to be damaged by the counterattacks of my opponents as I engage in this kind of fighting style. However, if I retreat at this stage, I will be overpowered by the sheer size of the force, and this Demon King known as Distinguishable Warrior will most likely not die unless all of his distinct bodies are destroyed. When I am about 10 meters away from the Distinguishable Warrior, the quantity of enemies released by the Distinguishable Warrior and my speed of annihilation are balanced, preventing me from progressing further. ¡°Hu, hi. Hahahahaha! Looks like you can¡¯t advance any further! Why don¡¯t you just keep on crushing them¡­¡± Then there is only one course of action. ¡°¡®I am the one who leaps through the void, the sword with boundless forms. I seek the flower of life, the fountain of blood. Let it disperse in the dust of the long, acute blade. Until I attain what I seek, incessantly cut my adversaries with the blade. Outer Skill? Mujin Noryoiki¡¯.¡± In the creation of the great sword, I forcibly intermix three skills and wield the produced sword in my hand. Although its handle is that of a great sword, it has no cutting edge. Despite the fact that it is only a handle, its weight is far heavier than that of an ordinary great sword. The instant it emerges, my surroundings are enveloped in fog. And the fog surrounding me begins to move rapidly the precise second that sword is flashed horizontally by my hand, scattering all of the adversaries who¡¯d been about me aside from the main body of the Distinguishable Warrior. ¡°Huh?¡± The Distinguishable Warrior¡¯s body is gradually carved with wounds after that. ¡°W-what the hell is this!? This thing g¡­!!¡± In the end, he scatters like dust along with the handle in my hand. Outer Skill? Mujin Noryoiki. By a combination of ?Keen Edge?, ?Long Edge?, and ?Fog Magic Grant? when creating a large sword with ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, the outer skill creates a magical sword that can sever up anything in my transferable area. Nevertheless, it breaks after just one swing, possibly owing to its intensity. Afterwards, one by one, I dispatch all of the Distinguishable Warrior who has lost their heads and control. While feeling that my level has elevated for the first time in a long time, the dungeon, ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy¡± has been conquered. CH 84 In this chapter, there will be some clarification about the skills. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) Two years before the present, ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± fourth level. ¡°Hmm. Looks like the data has been pretty much amassed.¡± It is a rare occurrence that I am not in my own room, but rather in the laboratory I created on the fourth level. ¡°It has taken me more than five years since the research started. This much is to be expected.¡± Tori comes up to me with the next batch of data. Now, the subject of this laboratory¡¯s research, well, it¡¯s a simple one. The theme of this laboratory is about skills. ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. And is this the data that summarizes the results of all the research that has been conducted so far?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± After receiving the data from Tori, I proceed to browse through it. Now, rather than reading in a meandering style, let me elucidate about skills from what I can grasp. To begin with, the common consensus is that skills originated on the day the dungeon was released, but the reason why humans were able to utilize skills remains a mystery. (Personally, I know it was due to something the God of Calamity did a year before that, but I dare not say a word.) The initial age of onset of skills is 10-12 years old. However, if a person¡¯s life is in jeopardy, like Izumi¡¯s, they may manifest earlier. The selection criteria for initial skills are thought to be based on heredity from parents, one¡¯s own nature, and the ambient environment, but there exists some degree of randomness as well. Incidentally, this is assumed to be the same case for the Demon King. What appears as skills that can be acquired through level up may involve the individual¡¯s thoughts, fighting style, race, and occupation. Therefore, skills that can be attained by a Kirijin tend to encompass those related to fog. Skill acquired after turning into a kin is also regarded as a ¡°unique skill¡± and is specific to each race, so it is impossible to attain the same skill with the same name by leveling up. (Though it is possible for the skills to have the same effect.) Skills are broadly classified into two basic types: active skills, such as ?Firebolt?, which are activated voluntarily, and passive skills, such as ?¡ð¡ð Proficiency?, which are constantly activated. However, among them, there are skills that are invariably activated, but the strength of the effect can be adjusted, such as ?Fog Cloak? and there are also skills that are automatically activated when certain conditions are met. Furthermore, there are also skills that can be categorized into offensive and auxiliary skills, or by the status that affects their effects. (In this case, strength, dexterity, and agility effects are commonly referred to as physical skills, while intellect, sensing, and spirit effects are commonly referred to as magical skills.) However, the classification of skills into offensive and auxiliary is not easy, since a skill can be considered both offensive and auxiliary depending on how it is employed, and some skills affect multiple statuses to the same degree in the case of status classification. Nonetheless, there is an extent of categorization or hierarchy depending on the name of the skill for what is often referred to as magical skills. For instance, ?Firebolt? is a skill to release arrows comprised of fire, and ?Waterbolt? is a skill to release arrows composed of water. In this scenario, both skills do the same aspect of delivering an arrow constituted of an element, but only the characteristic of the element, the so-called ¡°attribute,¡± differs. Then, how many types of attributes exist? The answer is unknown. The basic types are light, darkness, fire, wind, water, and earth, which are the so-called ¡°bipolar[i]¡± and ¡°the four elements¡± respectively. The problem is that many well-known and confirmed skills are derived from them: lightning and ice. There are also attributes called ¡°gold¡± and ¡°wood,¡± which are a little off the standard, and ¡°fog,¡± which is a favorable attribute for Kirijin, is also regarded as one of the derivatives. Moreover, it is claimed that by merging the four elements and the bipolar attributes in a specific ratio, the fog attribute and other derived attributes may be developed. Despite this, research in this area remains a minor subject of study due to its wide application. Now, let¡¯s carry on with the division of lineages within the same attribute. In terms of the fire attribute, ?Firebolt?, ?Flame Javelin?, ?Fireball?, ?Fire Swirl?, ?Flame Plosion?, ?Flame Pillar?, and so on are listed. These are, of course, only a small part of the fire attribute. Arrow (bolt) magic is recognized as the most basic of the basics, simply because it uses the attributes of the magic to release arrows. In contrast, spear (javelin) magic has a shorter range than arrow magic, but its attack power and penetrating power are said to be higher. In addition, sphere (ball) type magic explodes after being unleashed and engulfs everything around it, while vortex (swirl) type magic, explosion type magic, and pillar type magic are skills with a designated point of origin that are triggered from a predetermined location, and are categorized according to their potency and range. However, what should not be misunderstood here is that it is not necessarily the case that the sphere type magic is less superior than vortex, explosion, or pillar type magic, and that each of these types of skills is suited to different situations. Next is the classification of skills within the same lineage of the same attribute, and an example of this is the relationship between ?Firebolt? and ?Fiery Firebolt?. Although both of these skills simply dispatch arrows of the fire attribute, the force of ?Fiery Firebolt? is much more advanced than that of the ?Firebolt?, and the increase in consumption is minimal relative to the rise in power, so the former is deemed to be a higher-level skill than the latter. Additionally, while ?Flame Plosion? is sometimes acquired even by those who have no command of ?Firebolt?, in the case of ?Firebolt?, as far as we have investigated, all possessors of ?Firebolt? and ?Fire Magic Proficiency ¢ñ? have acquired ?Fiery Firebolt?, suggesting that the acquisition of a higher skill may require a lower skill +¦Á as a prerequisite for its acquisition. (But I possess neither ?Aqua Pillar? nor ?Water Magic Proficiency ¢ñ? yet I own ?Sharp Aqua Pillar?, so the assumption of possessing this lower skill seems to be irrelevant to the Demon King.) What¡¯s more, this classification is still under investigation, as there is too little data on it. By the way, ?Simple ¡ð¡ð Generation? and ?¡ð¡ð Generation? are confirmed as generation-related skills, but these skills are not in a hierarchical relationship, but rather a lateral one. In other words, they are distinct skills. ¡°I¡¯m amazed that this much research has been conducted.¡± I involuntarily mutter to myself. The time is already dusk, and Tori has already gone away. ¡°But well, there¡¯s still no description of Outer Skill. Well, I suppose it¡¯s only natural since outer skills are literally an external technique of a different dimension.¡± Outer skill. This is not a skill bestowed to humans by the God of Calamity, but a skill that humans originally possessed, yet has been elevated to the point where it can be labeled as a skill. So, in my case, I create new skills by disassembling and reconstructing the skills I own, and currently I own two kinds of skills: Kurokirinoko and Kurokiribaku. But since these skills were originally given to me by the God of Calamity, I feel that my skills are still at the entry point of what outer skills should be. Even though I am contemplating a new outer skill, I don¡¯t have an opportunity to bring it into use since using it against others would only result in overkill¡­ Buuuuuuuuuuuu! And, apparently, there are finally intruders into my dungeon for the first time in a long time. Hmm. I guess it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in a fight. I have to engage in battle every now and then, or my intuition would get dull. T/N: [i] The bipolar here is referring to ¡°contrast¡±, the light and darkness attributes CH 85 This time, there are some depictions that may give the impression of sexuality, along with a warning against grotesqueness. You are warned to be careful if you do not like it. ¡°Chirito. Do you have any information on the intruder?¡± ¡°Yes. On the second level, there are 6 intruders with an average level of 7. A tanker, physical attacker, scout, healer, auxiliary, and magic attacker make up their composition, with the magic user specializing in wind. In terms of competence, they have defeated a squad of eight Mud Soldiers. Their present location is right on the border of the first and second levels.¡± Following Chirito¡¯s report, I ponder how I should deal with them. ¡°I get it. Then I¡¯ll personally step into battle. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been in a combat role.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± And I move to the first level. ¡°So you¡¯re the intruders.¡± While showing myself knee-deep in the swamp on the first level, I address the intruders. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± the invading party¡¯s leader, a heavy warrior with a mace, shield, and full plate armor, poses a question. However, I wonder how he can move through the swamp in that gear. Ah, perhaps he is assisted by a rearguard or a magical user. Forget it, I should answer his question. ¡°Me? I am the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog¡¯. The ruler of the ¡®White Fog and the Black Swamp Forest¡¯.¡± As I say this, I exhibit the appearance of a Demon King. The tension level of the intruder party heightens drastically in my words. ¡°You are the Demon King¡­ I see, then here¡¯s where I¡¯ll defeat you!¡± ¡°?Agility Enhancement?, ?Muscular Strength Enhancement?!¡± ¡°?Swing Down?!!¡± One of the invaders, a man with a massive sword, receives an auxiliary¡¯s enhancement skill and lunges at me aggressively, severing me in half from the head. ¡°Wait!? That guy isn¡¯t the real one!¡± ¡°What!?¡± However, as the scout mentions, the severed me isn¡¯t the actual one. It is a phony created by ?Bewitching Fog?. Now, I¡¯ll return the favor for surging at me with insouciance. ¡°?Sharp Aqua Pillar?.¡± ¡°This is bad! ?Pull In?!¡± ¡°Gah!!¡± When I cast ?Sharp Aqua Pillar?, it thrust up from under the man¡¯s feet vigorously in an attempt to split the man with the giant sword in half. However, the magical user in the rear guard utilizes his skill to draw the man with the giant sword to their side right before it strikes him, thereby escaping a direct hit. In spite of this, his right arm has been completely torn off. ¡°I¡¯ll heal you! ?Heal?!¡± ¡°Ggh¡­ ugh¡­¡± ¡°Wow. What resilience you have.¡± The member in charge of recovery applies ?Heal? to the man with the giant sword¡¯s dismembered right arm, causing the bleeding to instantaneously cease. Even his lost vitality seems to have been restored somewhat. ¡°Where is the main body of the enemy!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! I¡¯ve been trying to detect it since a while ago, but it¡¯s being obstructed by some strange force!¡± The heavy warrior inquires about my whereabouts with the scout, to which the latter replies that they have no clue. That¡¯s not unexpected at all. After all, I¡¯m in the state of fog right now, and the party of intruders is enclosed from all directions. ¡°Tsk, then, ¡®get over here¡¯!¡± The heavy warrior man employs a skill against me that is probably a provocative technique. But that¡¯s naive. Before my spirit, provocation by a human being is worthless. Now, shall I assault you with all my gusto? ¡°Your skill won¡¯t have any effect. Here it comes.?Mist Plosion?.¡± [[[!!?]]] I discharge ?Mist Plosion? to the center of the party. While simultaneously invoking ?Bewitching Fog? without chanting, I call certain people to me. ¡°What is this!?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you okay!?¡± ¡°Damn! He got us!¡± ¡°What the hell is this!?¡± ¡°Hold still, all of you! The number of those with magical powers has practically doubled!!¡± By utilizing ?Bewitching Fog?, I randomly superimpose the figures of Mud Puppets, Mud Soldiers, and Mud Magicians on the invading party. At the same time, I bring in the real Mud Puppet Unit to make it uncertain as to who is who. Under this circumstance, the infiltrator¡¯s party is unable to advance even a single step. Well, the worst that can happen is a friendly fire. ¡°Hahaha. Are you sure it is okay to not move? ?Sharp Aqua Pillar?.¡± ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡± From under the cowering man with the giant sword, I initiate ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? to stop him. ¡°Damn youuuuuuuuu!!¡± The heavy warrior starts running towards the direction where he hears my voice. Well, since the voice is coming from that direction, he obviously assumes that I¡¯m there. In fact, I can actually be found over there. However, ¡°Ma¡­ gufu¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± My head is crushed by the heavy warrior¡¯s mace. My figure vanishes into the void after a brief delay, only to be replaced by the corpse of a dead magician with a mace impaled in his skull. And it is at this stage that the heavy warrior registers what he has done. ¡°Ah¡­ a-ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡± A shriek is sent forth by the heavy warrior. One of the Mud Soldiers seizes the opportunity and drives a dagger through a gap in the heavy warrior¡¯s armor thus exterminating him. With this, there are only three people remaining: the scout, the recovery, and the auxiliary. Two of them are already cowering and immobilized. The scout is frantically trying to locate me as if seeking a reversal of fortune. Now, why did I leave these three behind? Well, the reason is simple. These three are girls. That means they are for ¡ð¡ð purposes. But since I¡¯m not planning on converting them into Kirijin, I¡¯ll put them to good use. Therefore, ¡°Well, it appears that the outcome has been determined.¡± Although I command the Mud Soldiers to restrain the three of them, the auxiliary and recovery members are so terror-struck that they cannot budge their bodies and are captured, while the scout exerts a strenuous antagonism and endeavors to flee. ¡°Hmm. Good luck to you.¡± ¡°Of course! I have no desire to die here!¡± You have no desire to die huh. Then let¡¯s play a little more. Incidentally, the two people I have apprehended are utterly constrained with The Iron Shackles of the Sealing Art ¢ñ throughout this period. They¡¯ve been carried to the punishment cell. Since they are more or less out of control, I have also gagged them to prevent them from committing suicide. ¡°Then, I will let you out if you can escape from now on.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I materialize only my hand behind the scout. ¡°¡®From the land of illusion arises the black water of death. That freezes and revolves, and revolves and freezes¡¯.¡± The scout¡¯s body is overcome by the vast amount of magical power released by me, rendering her incapable of articulation and causing her to tremble. ¡°¡®The form to serve is the sword. What is severed is reality. Behold, hear, and feel. The moment when the illusion is replaced by reality. Outer Skill ? Kurokirinodachi.¡± In my palm, I conjure an ice sword that is far wider than the scout¡¯s body. Unlike the Kurokirinoko, the blade is not uneven, and the blade is comprised of black ice, with black water circulating within it at high speed. Therefore, the sword¡¯s outward look can be defined as appealing in general. Nonetheless, this sword contains the power to freeze and shatter everything it comes into contact with, and its power will only be perceived as despair by human beings. In fact, the scout¡¯s body has even quit shivering. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± I swing down my Kurokirinodachi. The girl scout, perhaps seeking to escape the impending death, leaps forward into the swamp with the utmost effort, and the Kurokirinodachi slightly damages the tip of her right thumb. ¡°Haahaahhhh¡­ Escap¡­ ahhhhhh!!?¡± Yet in the face of Kurokirinodachi¡¯s force, even that small fraction is lethal, as parts of the girl¡¯s right and left foot freeze and shatter in the blink of an eye. ¡°Ga¡­ hi¡­ agghhhh¡­¡± The girl¡¯s body is wincing from the pain and cold radiating from the spot where her right foot used to be. Should things be neglected as they are, she won¡¯t be able to sustain it for long, nor will it be possible for her to get out in the first place with this wound. ¡°Hmm. Excuse me. I was convinced I could kill you in one blow, but as one would expect of a high-ranking adventurer these days.¡± ¡°Hii¡­ ah¡­¡± I grasp the girl by the neck and lift her up. Her overall body is coated in mud, and her face is contorted with trepidation, as is fitting. To tell the truth, it seems to me that she would be better off living peacefully in the countryside somewhere, instead of venturing into a dungeon. ¡°Now, according to my promise, I would release you outside if you could escape from my current attack, but in fact, you couldn¡¯t escape completely. Even if I let you leave, I doubt you¡¯ll last long with those wounds.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ggh¡­¡± ¡°If so, it would be proper to treat you to the extent that your life can be spared here, and let you out after you have paid for the treatment with your own body.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡± I speak to her with a sickening smile plastered on my face. And whether the girl has an inkling of what it means to pay with her body, she is conspicuously more appalled than she was a moment earlier. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll spare your life only.¡± With that, I depart, dragging the girl with me who could no longer scream. A couple of weeks after a certain party ventured into the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. One of the party members had been discovered near the old entrance (the former entrance of the first level). When she was found, the girl had suffered the loss of all of her right leg and a portion of her left leg, yet her life turned out to be in stable condition. However, it is unclear what transpired inside the dungeon, for the girl could not articulate coherently and displayed an abnormally acute dread of the clouds and fog. It is unknown what became of the girl after that. CH 86 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) Several months before the present. ¡°Hah¡­ Why do we need to put ourselves into this mess?¡± ¡°We are broke, Lady Ryo.¡± Right now, we are at the riverside of the Ganges River. The dungeon, ¡°Mourning Bone Pagoda¡± was created by the Demon King, ¡°Sand Accumulation Marrow of Ganges¡± in the middle of the river. And on the opposite side of the bank, the opponents of this occasion can be seen, albeit faintly. ¡°What did the Fog King tell you to do with Marrow?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s disinterested in a Demon King who is tamed and will be killed by humans. They are not our enemies this time either,¡± I reply to Mugi¡¯s words indifferently. Right. This time, the adversaries of us, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± are not the Demon King and their subordinates. Our enemy for this time is¡­ Humans. ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dead serious.¡± Since Izumi is asking me with a perplexed countenance, I respond with an earnest look. Now, why do we have to face the humans this time? The reason is simple. We are mercenaries. Mercenaries are fighters. And as long as we engage in battle, various necessities, including equipment, are demanded of a mercenary. And when you require supplies, money is essential to the acquisition of those goods. In short, due to a lack of funds, we have been hired by the organization that governs the area near the ¡°Mourning Bone Pagoda¡±. At this juncture, you may be wondering, ¡°Why would an organization hire humans to wage war against humans?¡± Well, to simplify the story, they are facing a shortage of resources -> they can recover what they need from the dungeon -> that dungeon is on the border between two settlements¡­ -> they can¡¯t let the other party take it away from them!! And so the story goes. Even at a time like this, humans are at each other¡¯s throats, creating the ugliest kind of conflict. Though I may be the self-same in that aspect since I cooperate with them. Incidentally, the demons in the ¡°Mourning Bone Pagoda¡± are weaker than those in other dungeons, which means that a level 1 human can enter the dungeon solo as long as they have had a reasonable amount of training. Consequently, the dungeon has been aggressively conquered, and now almost all of the levels apart from the Demon King¡¯s room have been conquered. In other words, the Demon King is being kept in captivity. However, since there are a few deaths every year, unless they cut the death toll sooner or later, they are going to suffer a reprisal in an unexpected way. ¡°Well, if you agree with it, it¡¯s fine with us. What about the strategy?¡± ¡°As a mercenary, I¡¯ll follow the strategy that the higher-ups have devised. But if things go awry, we¡¯ll retreat at that stage. Since we have been paid in advance, we will simply cross over to the other side of the river from another location.¡± [[[Understood.]]] All of the mercenaries express their approval of my instructions. I¡¯m glad to find that there is no opposition. Eh? You say that as mercenaries, what would it mean if we ran away in the midst of the battle? If the situation turns adverse, it is perfectly fine if you escape halfway through. That¡¯s what the contract was originally signed for. For a mercenary, the most essential part is not to triumph, but to survive. ¡°Miss. The enemy has begun to advance.¡± ¡°I understand. Then we will be on our way too.¡± Thus, we each board the boat and head off to battle. ¡°Concentrate firepower at 11 o¡¯clock! Sink them before they get too close!¡± ¡°Be sure to use your skills to save anyone who falls! Never reach for the wrong guy!¡± We are now in Ganges River, which has developed into a battlefield. According to the strategy that the top conceived, the plan consisted of simply separating the opposition at a single point and then destroying them individually, but it seems to have worked this time and the battle is progressing favorably. But since the fight is on the river, both sides are lightly armed in case they fall, and the attackers are exchanging bow and arrow shots with marksmanship and origin-specific skills. Although some of them employ guns, which must be reasonably valuable nowadays, there are also those who directly climb aboard enemy vessels, but these people are very few in number. ¡°At three o¡¯clock! Here comes a grand move!¡± ¡°Izumi! ?Agility Enhancement?!¡± ¡°Mun¡­¡± Of course, in relation to the ¡°Mourning Bone Pagoda¡± located nearby, there exists a multitude of fish-type demons in the Ganges River. Hence, when it comes to saving a person who has fallen into the river, it is imperative to pull them up in a haste, but if you try to reach out and pull them up with a simple brute force approach, you will be assailed by the demons in the river en masse. Therefore, as Mugi instructed earlier, it is necessitated to use skill to pull them up in one go. By the way, the exterior of the boat is constructed with demonic material that inhabits the ¡°Mourning Bone Pagoda¡± which prevents the boat from being perceived as hostile. ¡°?Fire Swirl?!¡± ¡°?Wind Javelin?!¡± And because of that, sinking the ship is the most effective tactic in this battle. It¡¯s simple, right? Well, that¡¯s why, in the absence of a kin with underwater aptitude, both we and our opponents will be launching spectacular moves, as a matter of course. However, in our case, since those who possess sensing abilities excel in this area, once Izumi senses a major skill, she will throw her bone axe at full force in no time to finish off the practitioner, and as a counterattack, the entire ship will be sunk by Mugi and other members with long-range abilities with their powerful skills, allowing us to have the upper hand in the battle. ¡°?Wide-area Barrier?!¡± And provided that it is not a very powerful technique, a thinner barrier to shield the whole ship is more than enough to prevent the ship from being sunk. The number of enemy ships is decreasing remarkably. As I recall, if the operation continues smoothly, the plan would be to reach the opposite shore and occupy the settlement on the other side of the river. We will not be taking part in the operation to seize the other side of the river though. Well then, it¡¯s time for the final blow. ¡°Mugi. Let¡¯s deliver the coup de grace to the enemy¡¯s flagship.¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do this, you guys! ?Flame Javelin?!¡± ¡°?Wind Javelin?! ¡°?Windline?!¡± ¡°?Fire Aimed Shot?!¡± As Mugi casts ?Flame Javelin?, the other members of the group also unleash their skills in response. Thanks to the synergistic effect of the skills, these skills are converged into a massive blazing javelin, which is directed towards the flagship of the adversary. Under the impact, the enemy flagship is sunk with a deafening boom. ¡°Phew. Shall we embark on the other side of the river after the allied occupation is concluded?¡± ¡°Right.¡± While watching the sinking ship, we opt to wait for a while. And a few months later. The story once more returns to the present-day of Izumi and her friends. T/N: I forgot to add it. Arc 1 ended in Chapter 61. There are four arcs in this novel CH 87 (Izumi POV for the whole chapter) ¡°In retrospect, I don¡¯t know how we managed to survive the days and nights of adversity that accompanied by.¡± ¡°I know, right? I also miss the time when I was requested by the Fox Princess-sama to join her.¡± At the moment, my team is preparing to move on to the next region. But in the midst of it all, Ryo onee-chan and the others are ruminating on the past nine years. ¡°But soon, we¡¯ll be able to get in touch with Ichiko-san, won¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes, that is what Kurokiri informed us. But even if we can establish contact with her, we¡¯ll still have to pick her up.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of person she is.¡± As usual, everyone is talking about Ichiko nee-chan as if she were a stranger even though they should have been intimate with each other except for Une onee-chan, whom she had never really met. ¡°Izumi? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing¡­¡± But I can¡¯t tell them about that. This is after all to avoid being perceived by whatever it is that has tampered with our memories. And then I feel the presence of someone approaching this direction. ¡°Someone¡­ is coming¡­¡± ¡°Who is¡­? Oh, it¡¯s a member of our group, isn¡¯t it? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Ah, good thing I was just in time. Miss Ryo. May I ask you a favor?¡± The one who approached us is one of the younger members of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡±. Perhaps it¡¯s because he¡¯s been running, that he appears somewhat out of breath. ¡°It depends on what the matter is. Go ahead and say it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ryo onee-chan prompts him to speak, and the group member begins the conversation. ¡°Earlier, we loaded our belongings onto a carriage and wheeled it out of the gate, and some of the slum residents were aware of Miss Ryou and requested that we offer medical assistance. They blocked the way, saying, ¡®If you don¡¯t give us treatment, we won¡¯t let you through!¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh. So it¡¯s another hassle. By the way, what are the specifics of the treatment being sought?¡± ¡°The majority are just fractures and cuts. But it takes some time for them to heal spontaneously. The rest are just a few sick people.¡± Ryo onee-chan mulls over her options after receiving the report. Meanwhile, my colleagues and I are packing our belongings. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the administration of this street offer treatment?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t afford to send their invaluable healers to someone who is poor and not a resident of this street. That¡¯s what they said. Well, to put it simply, it¡¯s a monopoly. What an atrocious story.¡± It is, indeed, an atrocious story. However, since my group and I have witnessed and listened to many stories far worse than this one over the past nine years or so, we don¡¯t feel that it¡¯s that horrendous. People with healing skills are, without a doubt, indispensable. ¡°Just to be sure I have this right, the slum is outside the street, right?¡± ¡°Right. There will be protesters from all walks of life, but slum dwellers are treated as outcasts.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the minor ones to the others and focus on the critically wounded. However, I cannot heal the sick, and there is a limit on how many times I can use my skill each day, so I will leave once I have healed a specific number of people. If they try to obstruct me at that time, I will use my ability to force my way through.¡± Ryo onee-chan heads outside the gate after stating so, where she employs ?Command? to treat the wounded. After healing a reasonable number of people, she repels all attempts to restrain her physically and psychologically and departs the street. Nonetheless, now that we have some income as recompense for the treatment, our pockets are somewhat warmer. A few days later. On the main road, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± and I are protecting a girl. The girl was found collapsed in the middle of the road, and after confirming the girl¡¯s name and other details, a contract was struck to bring her to the next town under the condition that she would serve as a maid in the mercenary group. Manokami Shigan is the name of the girl. Her age is around 14-15. Her features are relatively well-defined, though she always wears a hood over her eyes, and she has stunning brown hair. Her chest is¡­ about the same size as mine? As for her status, she is level 1 and her skill is ?Automatic Escape?, a skill that allows her to automatically transfer location and escape in the event of imminent danger. Even she herself has no idea why she was lying in the middle of the road due to this skill. However, based on the skill¡¯s effect, I can somehow tell that she fled from something hazardous while asleep. Now, regarding Shigan, she is a very talented maid, who assists us in our everyday activities. And, despite the fact that her face is rarely exposed, the way she smiles and her well-groomed demeanor have seamlessly merged her into the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± without bringing any sense of discomfort. Notwithstanding, I somehow sense that something is not good about Shigan. Yet, there is no justification or anything to that feeling. It is merely a vague and undesirable feeling. That is all there is to it. So I conclude that such a feeling is a misunderstanding on my part, and decide to interact with Shigan as I would with anyone else. And a few days after Shigan joined, there is a contact from Kurokiri nii-chan. CH 88 (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Whew¡­¡± In my room, I sit cross-legged with my clothes on and draw in a deep breath to calm my spirit. Why am I going through this? It goes without saying. ¡°It¡¯s been ten years.¡± Since that day¡­ since Ichiko was sent somewhere by the God of Calamity¡­ today marks 10 years. And on this day, the skill that God of Calamity imposed on me, ?Tsunagi-d¨­ F¨±sa?, will be released. ¡°Haa¡­ I wonder why I¡¯m so nervous.¡± An involuntary sigh escapes my lips. However, I immediately put my mind back on track, figuring that I can¡¯t let Ichiko see me like this. And then the time comes. [Ah¡­] Ichiko¡¯s voice, while mingled with noise, reverberates in my head for the first time in a decade. ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s been a long time¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± [Yeah¡­ I guess so.] ¡°Cough.¡± I clear my throat and regulate my breathing. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s congratulate each other for being safe.¡± [Yes. Right.] ¡°Well¡­ would you mind telling me? About what¡¯s happened since then. And can I ask you? What happened to us?¡± [It would be my pleasure.] (Ichiko POV) For the first time in a decade, I am hearing the voice of Kurokiri, and it is strangely very warm. I wonder what it is. This feeling of mine. In the past, I would have despised him to the point of wishing I could kill him, yet now I feel very nostalgic and loving. [Well¡­ would you mind telling me? About what¡¯s happened since then. And can I ask you? What happened to us?] Kurokiri mentions something like that to me. That¡¯s why¡­ ¡°It would be my pleasure.¡± ¡­I reply back. I share many of my experiences with Kurokiri. That I was transported to the South Pole, where I trained under the ¡°Eternal Polar Queen of the South¡±. That the Eternal Polar Queen of the South also shares the same intention to oppose the God of Calamity. The fact that I had crossed over to the African continent. Having vanquished the Demon King, ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species¡± by myself. And that I am now traveling northward while working as a mercenary. Also, all the things that were both enjoyable and distressing during the journey. Kurokiri gives me a sympathetic ear to my words. [Even so, Antarctica¡­ How did you cross the African continent alive?] ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? I would still be in Antarctica if it weren¡¯t for the Polar Queen¡¯s assistance.¡± [If something happens to Polar Queen in the future, I would be willing to help her in any way I can.] ¡°Yes, I would appreciate your help on that occasion.] I am truly indebted to Polar Queen. I would like to repay her for her hospitality. ¡°Next, can you tell me about your ten-year experience, Kurokiri?¡± [Ah, yeah.] (Kurokiri POV) I recount what has transpired over the last ten years. The development of the country in which I currently reside. My level has risen. The Demon Kings signed a pact with each other. Chirito tied the knot. About what will happen to the children of the kin and the progress of my research on skills. [Kurokiri?] Ichiko, who has been listening patiently until now, interrupts me after I had told her everything about myself. ¡°What is it?¡± [I¡¯d like to inquire about something if you don¡¯t mind.] ¡°O-oh.¡± I¡¯m starting to perspire profusely without any rhyme or reason. What is this bizarre sensation I¡¯m experiencing¡­ ah yes, this state of mind is like¡­ [How many women have you laid your hands on in the last ten years?] ¡°!?¡± ¡­the feeling of a husband who has been caught unfaithful to his wife. [Kurokiri?] ! Not good! Ichiko¡¯s mood is exploding swiftly! But I ought to reply cautiously! ¡°A-ah, yes. About laying hands on a woman, right? Of course, that¡¯s¡­[You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you?]¡­!?¡± W-why am I exposed!? I even abstained from touching women for the past few days in preparation for today!? [Hahaha¡­ I knew that Kurokiri is still a trashy Kurokiri¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine. Shall we have a thorough discussion about this matter when I return to ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯?] ¡°©`©`©`£¡£¡£¿¡± Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeee!!? Ichiko-san¡­ Ichiko-san¡­ You¡¯re terrifying me! Have I done something!? No, I did indeed do something! [It will work out fine, you know. I¡¯ll pay attention to what you have to say.] From her voice, I can clearly tell that Ichiko-san is putting on a nice smile©` And I can¡¯t keep letting her take the initiative indefinitely, right? ¡°Ah yes. Ichiko?¡± [What is it?] ¡°As a matter of fact, I¡¯m sending Ryo and the others out as a search party for you. And since I have the Demon Source device, if you can reach the coast of Southeast Asia, I figure I can use the Transportation Formation to bring everyone back to our place.¡± [Is that true!?] To my words, Ichiko utters the widest cry of joy I¡¯ve ever heard. It kind of rejoices me too. But there is something I have to tell Ichiko before she meets Ryo. ¡°Ichiko¡­¡± [What is it, Kurokiri?] ¡°Well¡­ While we¡¯re on the subject, I¡¯ll enlighten you about the ramifications of your metamorphosis into a half-Demon King.¡± [!?] I inform Ichiko about what has been altered to everyone¡¯s memories, including mine. First and foremost, I have practically 100% of my memory intact. Izumi appears to have retained a substantial portion of memories as well, though she makes no mention of it to the others, perhaps because she would have died if Ichiko had not existed. However, when I spoke to Mugi, Ryo, Houki, Chirito, and Ichiko¡¯s classmates from her human days, their recollections were jumbled. Although they could remember the nature of their relationship with Ichiko, they could hardly recall any of the episodes that had taken place between them to varying degrees. [I¡­ see¡­] ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If only I had arrived earlier at that time¡­¡± The atmosphere darkens slightly. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll regret that time for the rest of my life. That was a lifetime blunder for me. [No. It¡¯s already in the past. More importantly, what should I do from now on?] Ichiko changes the subject. Then I¡¯ll have to respond to her question. ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. Ryo and the others seem to be in India right now, so Ichiko, I propose you go north and enter West Asia.¡± [Across the desert, right?] ¡°Yeah. Is that okay?¡± [It will be fine. I¡¯ve been trained intensely over the past ten years.] Ichiko replies emphatically. Somehow, I can feel that Ichiko is wearing a smile on her face. And that day, Ichiko and I carry on conversing until the sun goes down. CH 89 This time, the chapter is nearly all about information sessions. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Hey, Chirito, are you there?¡± Following the day I established communication with Ichiko, I am at Chirito¡¯s house on the fourth level. Incidentally, the houses on the fourth level are fundamentally for single or underage Kirijin, or for married couples who are both Kirijin, and if one of the couples is not a Kirijin; he or she would be asked to live outside the dungeon for the sake of security management. However, despite my use of the word ¡°fundamentally,¡± there are exceptions, such as those of a different race who reside within the fourth level under the stipulation that they will not step out of the dungeon for the rest of their lives. ¡°Huh? Kurokiri-san, why are you here?¡± ¡°I figured that I would receive a report from you while I dropped by to check up on Senku and Souji.¡± ¡°¡­Well, I don¡¯t mind anyway. Please come in.¡± ¡°Then excuse me.¡± I am invited by Chirito to enter the house. By the way, the house on the fourth level is set up to restrict entry to non-family members unless invited by someone inside as a security measure. Well, this is irrelevant for me, given that I hold administrator privileges. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Kuro nii-chan.¡± ¡°Hello!¡± As I enter the house, two children come running up to me. They are twins born to Chirito and Mibako. Senku is the girl with fox ears and a tail, while Souji is the boy who is continuously cloaked in a thin fog. ¡°Oh, Senku and Souji, are both of you well?¡± [[Yeah.]] ¡°Welcome, Kurokiri-sama. I¡¯ll bring your tea to Chirito¡¯s room later.¡± ¡°Thanks. Take it easy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After a light greeting from Mibako, who has a large belly as she carries the two who come running up to her, she moves to the back of the house to prepare tea. Yeah. It is an unexpected third child. Her pregnancy is presently in its seventh month. Isn¡¯t it supposed to be difficult for kin to conceive a child? Incidentally, the race has already been identified as Kirijin. Chirito, in any case, should suffer a blast. ¡°That won¡¯t happen!¡± ¡°Hmm? Did I say that out loud?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known you long enough to deduce what you¡¯re thinking from your facial expression.¡± Hmm. As expected of an ?Analyst?, reading my thoughts is a breeze. Though Chirito is not supposed to possess ?Mind-reading? skill yet. ¡°Seriously. Well then, shall we dive into the main subject? Come this way.¡± ¡°Right.¡± [[Bye.]] I set the two of them down on the floor and head for Chirito¡¯s private room. Anyway, when Souji reaches the age of 10, I¡¯d like to make him my entourage when he first starts training. And Senku will be one of my concubines when she¡¯s about 12 or 13¡­ ¡°I refuse both of your requests.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± He read my thoughts again. I then go into Chirito¡¯s personal room. ¡°These are the results of the investigation.¡± ¡°I see. So that¡¯s what this is all about.¡± After listening to Chirito¡¯s report, I unconsciously give a nod. Now, what I received from Chirito this time is a status report. To begin with, there are 10 statuses in total: HP, MP, SP, Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Sensing, Intellect, Spirit, and Luck. So, thanks to Chirito¡¯s report this time, it has become evident what each of these is related to. Let¡¯s leave the discussion of HP, MP, and SP on hold for now and focus on the other statuses. Before all else, the standard value of these statuses is reportedly 10, which is the average value for those who have been awakened to skills, and since the numbers remain unchanged even after those who have awakened their skills train their strength, it is assumed that these numbers may be some kind of coefficient. Nevertheless, apart from the level-up status distribution, it appears that it is possible to permanently change these numbers by aggressively training. Before a skill is awakened, this number seems to fluctuate slightly day by day, and Chirito has observed that Senku and Souji¡¯s statuses are actually varying daily. And although I mentioned earlier that these numbers are like coefficients, it is not simply a matter of putting a decimal point between the tens and ones places. For instance, based on a person with a strength of 10, a test was conducted to determine the maximum weight that could be lifted by a person with a strength of 8, 13, and 21, and the results were 0.8 and 1.3 times as much for strength 8 and 13, respectively, but 2.2 times as much for strength 21. Upon further investigation, it appears that the value of the coefficient per number rises from 20 onward. Furthermore, it seems that this specification is applicable only to strength, and other statuses exhibit a sharp increase in value at different points. It is a very complicated specification. But at the same time, it makes sense. When I reflect on it this way, my current strength is 40, but I don¡¯t think it is anywhere near four times that of a normal human being, and the instantaneous speed is not that erratic for my agility of 57, considering it from that angle. While on the subject, the research team estimates that this spike is a gradual one and that the value per number will probably shift again somewhere down the line. Yeah, I¡¯m somewhat convinced of that too. Now, let¡¯s move on to the explanation of individual statuses. Strength. This is a status involving muscle strength in both arms and legs and is usually associated with direct-attack skills. In addition, it is also said to be related to the maximum cruising speed. Dexterity. This status is related to the dexterity of the fingers¡­ and the ability to manipulate various things accurately and is frequently related to skills in the production field. Agility. This is a status related to instantaneous speed, and the higher it is, the quicker the instantaneous speed increases. It is thought to be relevant to evasion and movement-related skills. Sensing. This is a status related to the five senses, such as sight and hearing, and as it heightens, it is said to be connected to the ability to detect presence and so on. It is predicted to be linked to detection and analysis skills. Intellect. This has nothing to do with intelligence; it is a status associated with magical skills, and the greater it is, the more effective the skills will be. However, it is thought to be linked to a variety of other abilities, including memorability. Spirit. This is a status pertaining to the strength of the psyche, and if it is high, it is more resistant to illusions, confusion, etc. It is also believed that many of the skills may be relevant to it. Luck. This is a status that indicates how lucky one is¡­ apparently. The details are unknown. Well, you won¡¯t know this unless the luck status is very high. And next is HP, MP, SP. HP is also known as life force. It is a status that will lead to death for those who run out, and four statuses in particular seem to be involved in its value: strength, dexterity, agility, and level. When you are harmed, your HP will drop, but consuming food will quickly recover it. It is rarely utilized for skills. MP is also known as magical power. When MP is exhausted, the person faints, and its value is related to sensing, intellect, spirit, and level. Basically, this value seems to be related only to skills, and it is often used when applying skills. However, I feel that it should be called spirit power rather than magical power. SP is also known as spiritual power. This is another status that results in unconsciousness when consumed fully, and its value is related to strength, agility, spirit, and level in particular. When this gets low, you will feel short of breath and dizzy, which can be greatly restored by taking a break. Therefore, we may call it stamina. It is often utilized in some skills, especially in somatic skills. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s a very cumbersome specification.¡± ¡°I guess so. Even for the same skill, it is reported that the MP consumed varies depending on the user and their condition at the time of usage. There is still a significant amount of research to be conducted.¡± ¡°Right. Well, please take your time.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Then Chirito and I have a cup of tea that Mibako brewed for us. ¡°By the way, I see you have your third child. How many times have you tried with Mibako?¡± ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done¡­ that much?¡± ¡°According to a report, the chance of kin having a child is about one-tenth that of a normal human being.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whisper¡­ (It is possible that she is conceiving a fourth child too.)¡± ¡°Kurokiri-san!!!?¡± CH 90 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) ¡°It¡¯s as if the landscape hasn¡¯t changed at all¡­¡± Before my eyes, the desert spreads out indefinitely. The world is a realm of searing heat during the day and frigid darkness at night without any buildings or impediments. ¡°I would prefer to take a different route on the way back¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like to head for Europe on the way back.¡± ¡°In that case, please make some delicious pastries for us.¡± ¡°That sounds great©`¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± The members of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± in my immediate vicinity are also voicing feeble complaints about the hardships of being in this desert, and the discourse inadvertently deviates. Yes, as for Shigan, she ended up joining the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± and is under our care. Although I have no clue where she learned it, she is pretty adept at blending with the group. Izumi, on the other hand, has some reservations about Shigan spontaneously. Now, why did we, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± choose to cross the desert? It all stemmed from a contact I received several weeks ago from Kurokiri. ¡°In other words, Ichiko-san is presently traveling northward through Africa.¡± After hearing the whole story from Kurokiri, I replied. [That¡¯s what things have turned out to be. Therefore, you guys should head west¡­ well, I guess you will meet up with her somewhere in what was once known as Egypt.] ¡°Across the desert¡­¡± Imagining the world map and the situation in the past, I envisioned the itinerary ahead of us. [Sorry. However, it doesn¡¯t matter what route you take after the meeting, just reach about 4,000 km from the ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯. If you do so, I believe I can manage things on your side.] ¡°I understand. But we also have our own operations as the Mercenary of the Fog, and we will prioritize those activities, so it will take a certain amount of time.¡± [I know that. Then I¡¯m hanging up.] ¡°Yes, I understand. Goodbye. After acknowledging the priority of the activities of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± Kurokiri terminated the communication. Well, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± activities were a good way for Kurokiri to garner experience, therefore it was only logical for him to permit us to do so. ¡°Now, let¡¯s set off to the west.¡± And so we headed west and made our way across the desert. But now that I am actually crossing the desert, I would like to say, ¡°I will absolutely ensure that Kurokiri will pay for this later!¡± Leaving that aside, our current equipment is far lighter than the caravans that traversed the desert in the former world. There are reasons for this. First of all, water is not a concern for me and the kin, regardless of whether we are in the desert or not, since water is something that can be produced by our skills. Thus, regarding water, which is heavy and voluminous, there is no problem provided that we have a minimum amount of water. And as for other articles, ¡°Miss Ryou, there¡¯s another monster at 3 o¡¯clock.¡± The subordinates of the Demon King frequently strike in the region, so we can replenish our supplies by stripping those monsters. ¡°The scouting team should first search for enemies lurking in the vicinity, while the attacking team should conduct an attack once the firing squad has completed a diversionary attack. If they approach, the close-in squad should concentrate on halting the enemy. The firing squad will focus on firepower in order to eliminate the adversaries in a single blow. As for the medical and welfare teams, please follow the instructions of the scouting team and evacuate to a safe location.¡± By using ?Command?, I issue instructions to the members of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡±. The enemies come into sight. Apparently, the foes are a horde of scorpion-type monsters measuring about 3 meters in height, clad in black liquid. Judging from their appearance, their master is probably the ¡°Black Water Gushing Oil King¡±. His dungeon is relatively close to here. ¡°According to the results of three types of scanning, there are no other hostiles in the area besides the Oil Scorpions.¡± ¡°Our firing squad is all set!¡± ¡°The close-range squad¡­ is ready¡­¡± ¡°I understand. Well then.¡± With my right hand raised, I activate ?Command?. Then, while directing my right hand towards the enemy, I declare, ¡°Commence fire!!¡± On my cue, the firing squad led by Mugi launches a simultaneous attack, with ?Flame Javelin? bursting out, ?Windline? fluttering chaotically, ?Mudbolt? piercing, ?Thunder Plosion? sending out a flurry of flashes, and some of them igniting the oil on the surface of the Oil Scorpions¡¯ bodies. As soon as one of them ignites into a large-scale explosion, other Oil Scorpions explode in a chain reaction. This explosion doesn¡¯t have a good effect on us. At this rate, the explosion will spread to us. ¡°Put up the barriers!¡± [[Yes!]] Following my instructions, ?Wide-area Barrier? is created on the outermost edge, and ?Mud Wall? and ?Aqua Wall? are erected inside it, safely guarding against the explosion of the Oil Scorpions, notwithstanding that considerable vibration and prevailing wind can be felt. ¡°! There is a Sand Worm in the rear!¡± ¡°Izumi!¡± ¡°Mun¡­¡± And just as I am momentarily relaxed after having dispelled the Oil Scorpions, the reinforcements show up. However, it seems that the moment they are within sensing range, they are detected and torn in half by Izumi¡¯s axe. Yet, if the group had been ordinary humans, they would have failed to realize this two-stage attack by the Oil King and ended up being slaughtered. ¡°You can¡¯t truly afford to be careless or sloppy¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but murmur at the Oil King¡¯s tactics. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Une, who is not taking part in the battle, approaches me. Speaking of which, she is supposed to be the head of the sustenance squad of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± but why does she bear such a sympathetic attitude to our current foes? To her, I believe that combat would simply expose her to danger though¡­ ¡°But we¡¯ve secured the ingredients for tonight¡¯s meal.¡± [[Eh¡­!?]] ¡­I suppose it would be wise to be wary of the food Une serves for a while¡­ CH 91 (Ryo POV for the whole chapter) ¡°I¡¯ve never been this glad being a kin who can survive without sustenance than I am right now¡­¡± ¡°I agree with you¡­¡± A frigid surge of chilly air sweeps over us on a barren night. The group members are silently consuming a certain dish in front of Mugi and me, surrounded by ?Fire Swirl?, which has been adjusted to low power output to serve as a bonfire. ¡°Oh well, my stomach is filled to the brim.¡± ¡°How delectable¡­¡± Une and Izumi, who are the ones responsible for preparing the dish, are devouring it with great relish. However, [[¡­]] Houki, who is partaking of the dreadful meal with other human group members, consumes it with a very subtle expression on her face. I can¡¯t say I blame them for their expressions, though. For I did not taste it, and besides¡­ I don¡¯t feel like I can gobble up the cuisine made of scorpions and earthworms either, you know. Yes, indeed. The edibles are scorpions and earthworms. The same Oil Scorpion and Sand Worm that assailed us this afternoon. They are those arthropod scorpions and earthworms that live in the ground. ¡°Are you not going to try them, Ryo and Mugi? They taste good.¡± Une holds it towards us and invites us to have the meal together. But, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t lost any of my energy¡­¡± ¡°Since I am also part of the long-distance group and don¡¯t require food, you can consume your valuable meals on your own.¡± I will utterly decline your offer here. Although the resentful eyes cast by the other members of the group are bothering me, what¡¯s impossible is impossible! And on the following day, despite the dungeon of the ¡°Black Water Gushing Oil King¡± that spews fire and smoke in the distance, our journey continues westward. ¡°Miss Ryo.¡± As if they have something to report, the scouting squad approaches me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I spotted the Star Castle in the distant sky. It will pass us by in an hour or two if we continue at this pace. How should we proceed?¡± Hmm¡­ Star Castle huh? The Star Castle is a common term for one of only three mobile dungeons that have been verified at present. It consists of a myriad of floating islands, and it soars over the sky of the world on a whim, and once it spots a flying object other than itself, it will attempt to bring it down even at the cost of sending monsters under its command on a suicide mission. Moreover, from time to time, they will also drop a mass of monsters on the ground to maul the humans below. Therefore, vigilance must be exercised while the Star Castle is passing overhead. Furthermore, what is of utmost magnitude regarding this Star Castle is the fact that because of its existence, humankind has been deprived of airspace control. Now, by all rights, with the Star Castle imminent, we ought to form a formation and be on the alert for an attack from above or seek a favorable place to shelter, but our immediate site is a desert, which means there is neither a formation to establish nor a place to shelter. On top of that, there is the dungeon of ¡°Black Water Gushing Oil King¡± nearby. And in the event that we were to be simultaneously targeted by both the Demon King of the Star Castle and the monsters of the ¡°Black Water Gushing Oil King,¡± no amount of our ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± would be exempt from a strenuous and very perilous struggle. If this is the case, ¡°Are you aware of the Star Castle¡¯s anticipated path?¡± ¡°I know. They will be heading straight towards us.¡± ¡°We must then promptly alter our course. We¡¯ll need to get as far away as possible from both the dungeon of the Oil King and the Star Castle. Even if there is an attack, there is no sense in forcibly overpowering them, so please prioritize repelling the attack and evacuating the area first.¡± [[Understood!!]] The ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± will veer dramatically to the north and accelerate its pace as per my instructions. Two hours later. While we were assaulted from above and below more or less, it was not a simultaneous attack, thus allowing us to safely destroy them individually. Even those who were injured due to the unexpected attacks were within the bounds of my ?Heal? skill to recuperate adequately. ¡°It seems that we made it through without a hitch.¡± After the wounded have been treated, we exhale in the small oasis. ¡°Yeah. But, since we¡¯ve strayed so far off the established route, we might as well switch our next destination.¡± Houki delivers a glass of water to me. ¡°Ah, I knew it would end up this way.¡± Mugi, who is checking the map, expresses a resigned look. ¡°Our priority is safety after all. So, where¡¯s the nearest town?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to the west of here. But given that the route diverges from the original, we¡¯ll have to pass close to a certain place before we reach what was once Egypt.¡± Mugi¡¯s face takes on a bitter look. That remark from Mugi then reminds both me and Houki of what lies beyond that route. ¡°Is it the Holy Land?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The outside is surrounded by people of the religion that once designated it as the Holy Land, and is regarded as the world¡¯s most treacherous land owing to its skirmishes, while the inner is a dungeon created by the Demon King, ¡°Priest of Absolute Peace,¡± who is now deemed the most powerful of all. Not to mention, it is considered the safest city in the world.¡± ¡°How much can we alter our route?¡± ¡°The most we can do to reach Egypt is to graze past it with that route. But since it is a route that is not frequently used, it is likely to be riskier, and we may have to hope for a better view from afar.¡± ¡°Even so, that choice would be better than stepping into the Holy Land.¡± ¡°Well, I guess so.¡± And so we, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± advance tentatively towards the path that seems to graze the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡±. Hopefully, nothing will arise from here on out. A/N: The Star Castle is one of the reasons why the world has become what it is today. In addition, ¡°Star Castle¡± is a common name, not the official name of the dungeon. CH 92 Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter (Third person POV) In a certain place, there is a gathering spot for four demons with different masters: Fog of the Fog King, Ice Cube of the Snow Sage, Cherry Blossom Sprout of the Dragon Sovereign, and the Little Fire Fox of the Fox Princess. Each of them is a demonic entity of the lowest tier in their respective dungeon, and they are not expected to be productive outside the dungeon unless a significant number of them congregate since they are not promising in terms of their combat ability. Moreover, the dungeons to which they belong are entirely distinct from one another. Even if the demons simply lock gaze with each other, they would generally strive to battle to the death. Nonetheless, they have assembled in one place. The reason for this lies in their master. [O Fog King, I would like to have a word with you.] The Little Fire Fox speaks to Fog with an imperious demeanor that defies her stature. ¡°R-right now, my master is not connected to me. I¡¯ll call him, call him©`call him©`¡± Fog reacts with trepidation to her remarks and calls his master, the Fog King. Ordinarily, the Demon King¡¯s lowest rank demons would not be able to summon their master. But the demons in this place have been specially allowed to do so due to the reason for their presence here. [What do you want, Princess Fox? It is now midnight.] Fog, who is a demon of the lowest rank, emits a presence that mirrors that of the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡±. [Hmph, I bet all you do is just fooling around with someone you took a fancy.] However, the Little Fire Fox¡­ or rather, the Fox Princess, swears at him, indifferent to the Fog King¡¯s words. [Well said, you bitchy fox.] The Fog King, on the other hand, curses without regard for the Fox Princess¡¯s petulant utterances as well. Now, it¡¯s time to address the reason why this kind of place is established. It is for the Demon Kings to engage in a direct dialogue with each other. [Let¡¯s cut to the chase.] The Fox Princess adopts a more solemn face than ever before. The Fog King also slightly straightens his posture to signify that he is paying attention. [Those that identify themselves as Kirijin are staying in the town that surrounds my dungeon, the ¡®Fox City of the Beasts of War¡¯, They will be hunted in a week¡¯s time.] [Heh. The Kirijin, huh? Do you expect me to permit you to do such a thing?] All at once, the tension in the air between the two Demon Kings grows acrimonious. [Then, why don¡¯t you order them to leave? The Demon King and their kin are always connected except under special circumstances.] [Hmm. But if you dare to do such a thing, I shall be obliged to follow suit in your footsteps with the Kitsunejin lurking here.] Even though the two Demon Kings are relying on the lowest tier of demonic beings, the leakage of magical power is manifesting as a natural phenomenon around them, producing foxfires and thick fog. Should there have been an ordinary human beings here, they would have fled in a heartbeat. [Try it if you think you can.] [Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll give it a shot.] And once the murderous intent embodied in the two Demon Kings¡¯ presence reaches a boiling point, their presence is simultaneously extinguished, leaving only the two demons inside whom the Demon Kings have departed. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°What do you plan on doing!¡± Chirito¡¯s thunderous voice reverberates across my private room, as he had been discreetly listening to the exchange between me and the Fox Princess. ¡°Shut up. Who cares what happens anyway? Mibako and Senku aren¡¯t included in the operation anyway.¡± While meddling with the body of my new favorite girl, I listen to Chirito¡¯s complaint. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I can tolerate it! How devastated do you think Mibako would be when she learns that her own kind would be hunted!¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°You know, Chirito. The hunt starts in a week, alright? If I were the Fox Princess, I¡¯d have the Kitsunejin out of the area by the end of the week.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean¡­ ah.¡± Chirito¡¯s mouth is wide open, revealing a startled expression as if he¡¯s caught on to something. ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s how things are developing. Within a week¡¯s preparation, even I can surreptitiously make the Kirijin retreat. There¡¯s no reason why the Fox Princess can¡¯t pull off the same feat, right?¡± ¡°Oh. So that¡¯s what you mean.¡± ¡°Right.¡± With a look of understanding on his face, Chirito withdraws from the room. To tell the truth, the story of the Fox Princess proved to be a godsend. Because a specific problem has been arising frequently in the villages surrounding the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡± and the Fox Princess¡¯ cooperation is required to handle the dilemma. Now, as for the problem at hand, it is a fairly simple one. There are humans posing as ¡°Kitsunejin¡± invading communities while disguising themselves under the name of the Fox Princess. Notwithstanding, for the general public, this is an extremely complicated subject. After all, the Demon King is the entity behind the name, and if a mere human were to incur the Demon King¡¯s wrath, their entire family may be wiped out, putting them in a vulnerable situation. Yet, these people¡­ those who are storming the village under the name of the Demon King fail to grasp the gravity of the matter. ¡°Well, whether they¡¯re real or fake, if they¡¯re going to pose in the name of kin, they¡¯d better be prepared to face the consequences¡­¡± The name of the Demon King, be it authentic or phony, is not something that can be used by those who possess only the power of a kin. The bond that exists between the Demon King and their kin cannot be easily severed. Those individuals will grasp the enormity of offending the Demon King. CH 93 Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter (Third person POV) ¡°N-no¡­ save me¡­¡± A young girl is crawling in a desperate maneuver with quivering arms and legs, accompanied by the background music of screams and the sound of trees bouncing up from the neighboring houses, and is fleeing to the rear of the house. ¡°Oi oi. There is no point in escaping, you know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. All we want is to share our stuff with you.¡± In pursuit of the girl are men wearing hats and tails of a canine animal on their waists. These men are smirking viciously as they slowly chase the fleeing female so as to satiate their own sense of sadistic desires. ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­!¡± The girl frantically runs away. But eventually, the girl soon finds herself trapped in a corner of a room in the innermost part of the house. ¡°Someone¡­ please¡­¡± While picturing the act that is about to be perpetrated against her, the girl wriggles and shrinks vainly. ¡°Hee hee hee. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to treat you well.¡± As they approach, the men lick their tongues. Their eyes are tinged with dark lust, lacking any semblance of pride. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You will soon feel so good you won¡¯t be able to think about anything else¡­¡± And right as the man¡¯s hand is about to make contact with the girl, his right hand bursts into flames, instantaneously turning to charcoal. ¡°M-my hand aaaaahhhhhh!!¡± ¡°W-what the hell happened¡­¡± The men hastily look around and attempt to assume a fighting stance. But, ¡°?Magic Bundle of Bolt?.¡± ¡°?Icebolt?.¡± ¡°Argh¡­¡± When the voices of the two girls resound throughout the house, one of the men¡¯s torso immediately freezes and shatters. ¡°W-what the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°Let me ask you something. Are you a Kitsunejin?¡± Before the man whose one arm has been obliterated, two girls emerge in front of him, and the one speaking to him is one of the voices he heard earlier. The girl, who is no older than 15, poses a question to the man. ¡°A-ah, that¡¯s right! I am the kin of the ¡®Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡¯! Furthermore, I¡¯m the highest-ranking Kitsunejin of them all, and if you lay a hand on me, the Fox Princess will¡­¡± Frightened by the unexpected appearance of the two girls, the man shivers all over and struggles to tell them that he is the favorite of the Fox Princess. However, ¡°Activation of ?True/False Judgment?. Everything he stated is a lie. Onee-chan.¡± ¡°?Thunderbolt?.¡± When one of the girls declares it to be a lie, the other girl, who is about 16 or 17 years old, unleashes her skill and electrocutes the man. ¡°Gi¡­ ga¡­ you guys¡­ what do you think you¡¯re doing¡­¡± The man collapses to the ground, his entire body convulsing from the electric shock. With his slightly twitching mouth, he addresses the girls. Both of the girls then answer him. ¡°We are the Kirijin.¡± ¡°We are the kin of the Fog King.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± The females arrange their words as if they were singing, disregarding the dazed men. ¡°We are slaves.¡± ¡°Dogs of the Fog King.¡± The man¡¯s hat slips off. He bears no fox ears. ¡°At the command of the Fog King.¡± ¡°We hunt the Kitsunejin.¡± Around the man¡¯s waist, his tail comes off and drops to the ground. ¡°You¡¯re not a Kitsunejin.¡± ¡°But you called yourself as such.¡± As he looks at them, the man¡¯s complexion grows pale. [[So I¡¯m going to kill you.]] ¡°W-wait¡­!?¡± The two girls invoke their skills before the man can even beg his life, and the man¡¯s entire body is engulfed in flames, annihilating him. ¡°The next one is.¡± ¡°You.¡± ¡°Hieeeeee!¡± Without missing a beat, the two girls simultaneously turn to confront the other girl who is cowering in the corner of the room. With their movement, the girl realizes that while these two are outwardly human, they are inwardly nothing alike, and her fear propels her to the verge of complete prostration, followed by the spreading of a stain on her nether region. ¡°Let me ask you something. Are you a Kitsunejin?¡± Like a machine devoid of emotion, the Kirijin girl poses the question to the petrified girl. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Well, well, well. The operation to exterminate the Kitsunejin is now over.¡± From my private room, I listen to the reports coming in from the scene of the operation and conclude the mission is completed. ¡°You can¡¯t let an eye loose just yet. Besides, they are not really Kitsunejin, but rather people who call themselves Kitsunejin.¡± Tori chides me. ¡°I know that. I¡¯m merely going along with the name ¡®Operation Kirijin Eradication¡¯ that the Fox Princess¡¯ group is using. I don¡¯t mean anything else.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s fine then.¡± Tori sighs as she replies to me as if to say, ¡°Oh dear¡±. ¡°Even so, the power of the ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡± is terrific. With such a small force, they could achieve such remarkable results¡­¡± After saying this, Tori begins to review the data on the Kirijin who participated in this operation and their fruit of battle. Among them are the two sisters who eradicated the fake Kitsunejin that had descended upon that village, Tsuranuki Mitsuko and Tsuranuki Tabane. Tori is oblivious of this: That Tsuranuki Mitsuko once sought my life. And that she was captured and retaliated against. Or that she was subjugated by my hand and transformed into a glorious slave who would obey my commands. And that most of the ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡± share a similar story to that of the Tsuranuki sisters. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll have to inform the Fox Princess that I¡¯ve disposed of the insolent ones.¡± ¡°Be mindful not to give her any strange promise.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes.¡± As a result, the Fox Princess and I notify each other that we have exterminated individuals in our territory who claimed to be our kin and that we had exposed some of their corpses along with the charges to the public. CH 94 Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter (Third person POV) At the former Lake Turkana, situated in Kenya. This lake is located in the Great Rift Valley of Africa and has an area of 6405 km2. That is to say, it is the largest alkaline lake in the world, about 10 times the size of Lake Biwa. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡± And Ichiko is running along the lakeside of such a place. ¡°Damn!¡± Ichiko¡¯s present speed is not that of a marathoner advancing at her own pace over a long distance, but rather that of someone fleeing from an attack. Here and there, her ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? is also utilized for transportation. At the point when Ichiko is transported, a pillar of fire erupts at the place where she was standing. ¡°Haa haa¡­ what exactly is that¡­ no, I know their true identity. That is¡­¡± While regulating her respiration under the shadows of her new position, Ichiko confirms the enemy¡¯s appearance. The foe is a steel giant that towers roughly 20 meters in height. Or, to put it bluntly, ¡°It¡¯s a robot.¡± (Ichiko POV) Indeed. For goodness sake, let¡¯s acknowledge reality. That is a robot. A robot for combat use, and one that a human or someone could ride in. It is armed with missiles and beam cannons. On its back is a flying unit. The range of its attack is definitely over 100 meters, and when one of them spots an adversary, whether they are exchanging information or not, they charge towards the target in tandem. Considering its physique and materials, its durability must be quite extraordinary. However, concerning the classification, I am not familiar with it, therefore, I have no notion. But somehow, I don¡¯t have a feeling that it is related to the national robot animation. ¡°Even so, why is there a robot at Lake Turkana? I don¡¯t see the relevance at all.¡± As I observe the giant robots circling above me, I search for a way to swiftly depart from this place. ¡°That path looks like a good one.¡± I then rush to one of the paths. This is the border between the territory under the reign of the Demon King who rules over Lake Turkana and the outside world. Behind me, the golden slab which is the dungeon of that Demon King floats in the air emitting luminescence. And, ¡°Right. I guess this means they¡¯re not so naive.¡± In front of me now stand two robots. On one side is a full-body white female robot with enormous artillery weapons on her back. The other is a black-clad male robot with a sword in each hand (albeit it is categorized as a gigantic sword from a human perspective owing to its sheer size) and many spare swords at his waist. They show no signs of letting me go and are already poised for combat. ¡°I understand. If you are so bent on doing this, I¡¯ll just force my way through!¡± I produce a sword in my right hand that is much wider than I normally would wield, and begin to dash out. As I rush, approaching the black robot, he swings the sword in his right hand at me. I leap to the right to avoid it, but as expected from the black robot¡¯s appearance, the moment the sword impacts the ground, a blast and a massive cloud of dust and smoke erupts, propelling me flying into the air. When I am knocked into the air and rendered immobile, the white robot launches barrages of missiles at me from her back. These missiles are most likely equipped with a tracking system. All of them are aimed specifically at me. ¡°Please don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± However, since the missiles are within 25 meters, in other words, the instant they enter the range of the ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, I teleport the blades to engage the tips of the missiles and cause them to misfire. The black robot then proceeds to cleave me in half, slashing me horizontally with his left-hand sword. Apparently, this is a two-stage attack. But it poses no problem as long as I can see it. Right before the attack strikes, I evade it by teleporting to a position slightly upper than where I am now. [[©`©`©`£¡£¿]] As predicted, it may have been unforeseeable that I would both avoid this coordination, so the two robots exhibit a shocked expression¡­ I assume. Ugh, I can¡¯t decipher their expressions because of their metallic features. And I must counterattack too. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn. ?Decapitation?!¡± I teleport myself to the black robot¡¯s front and generate a massive sword to smash his head, then swing the sword to the side and behead the black robot¡¯s head. ¡°!!?¡± But, ultimately, a robot is a robot. Even after having his head severed off, the black robot is only mildly startled and unaffectedly brandishes his sword at me. And as if to punctuate the interval between the black robot¡¯s attacks, even the white robot turns the tip of the weapon on her back towards me and delivers a beam attack? I direct a sword fashioned from the metal I¡¯ve amassed at the joints of the black robot, sending it hurtling towards the target, while evading the onslaught with a mixture of transitions and maneuvers. ¡°Damage sustained is severe. Function will be deactivated.¡± The black robot slumps down when the number of swords penetrating it surpasses 20. With the black robot down, the white robot takes flight and whizzes up into the sky. From an overpowering out-of-range position, the robot is likely to have switched to a one-sided saturation bombing strategy. ¡°But that is naive.¡± Taking the black robot¡¯s body as a material, I create a sword. It is a more immense version of the black robot¡¯s sword. Not only the giant robot, but even a building can be torn apart with a single cut. After reinforcing it with ?Keen Edge? and ?Durable Edge?, I continuously employ ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? and move to the back of the white robot that has fled into the sky above me. ¡°Here it comes!¡± ¡°!!?¡± Then, with a strike of my gigantic sword, I split the white robot from the waist up and down, and the white robot burst into flames as if something in her internal system has been detonated by the damage. When the explosion occurs, I block it by teleporting behind the colossal sword, creating an incredibly thin and light sword while preserving its power, and descending to the ground using it as a parachute. ¡°Phew. I guess that worked out somehow.¡± In the midst of making the parachute sword and descending slowly, I could catch a glimpse of the sun setting on the horizon. Then I see the Star Castle drawing closer in the distance¡­ ¡°! ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?!!¡± I hastily perform continuous teleportation to the ground and search for a place to hide myself. And after I¡¯ve discovered a hiding area and abruptly glance above my head¡­ Hundreds of demons are passing by at breakneck speed where I was just a moment ago. On top of that, muscular demonic beings are also present. If I had been too late to escape¡­ I don¡¯t even want to ponder on it. For the time being, I would wait for the hostiles to leave before heading further north. CH 95 Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter This is how it looks when a lone Kurokiri practices on his own. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Fuuuuuu¡­.¡± In my own room, I take on the form of a human being, and while closing my eyes and regulating my breathing, I slowly but surely utilize the power of ?Cycle? throughout my body. From my abdomen to my heart, from my heart to my limbs and head, from my limbs to each of my fingers, and from my head to my eyes, ears, nose, and other parts of my body related to my five senses, I concentrate the power I¡¯ve channeled to my body. I lift my eyes. My whole body is invigorated, my vision is broadened, and my hearing and sense of smell are greatly heightened. ¡°I feel great.¡± I move my body in this state to confirm my condition. Compared to when I am not using ?Cycle?, my physical capabilities have probably been enhanced by 1.5 to 2 times. Now, as for why I am doing this, it is, of course, for training. For the past ten years, I have been developing outer skills by fundamentally reviewing the usage of each skill. After all, half-hearted efforts are futile against the God of Calamity. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start with this state.¡± While retaining the enhancement by ?Cycle?, I assume a posture. ¡°¡®Black blood flows in my body. All is devoured by the black fog. Now, let my blood become an ice storm and devour everything. Outer Skill? Kurokiribaku¡¯.¡± A black sphere is conjured in my right hand and flies forward at the same time I wave my right hand. And along with the sound of the explosion, it scatters more black ice and fog than a standard Kurokiribaku. Apparently, thanks to the power of ?Cycle?, the activation efficiency of the skill has also improved. Then, next is, ¡°¡®From the land of illusion arises the black water of death. That freezes and revolves, and revolves and freezes. The form to serve is the sword. What is severed is reality. Behold, hear, and feel. The moment when the illusion is replaced by reality. Outer Skill ? Kurokirino¡­ ugh!¡¯.¡± A black sword is about to be sprung into existence in front of my eyes. However, right before it could materialize and become an actual thing, the ?Cycle? that had been reinforced throughout my body burst out accompanied by acute pain, and the Kurokirinodachi also reverts to its original illusion and dissipates. ¡°Ugh¡­ hah¡­ it¡¯s still tough to get Kurokirinodachi in an enhanced state.¡± Why did the Outer Skill fail? I know the reason for that. The Outer Skill is a technique that involves the usage of skills external to the system of skills created by the God of Calamity. Neither the safety and lock that each skill is equipped with in advance are imposed on it. Therefore, its destructive capability is boundless, and as its power escalates, so does the competence demanded of the user. And if the user lacks the ability to activate the skill, the result will be as it is now. ¡°Well, perhaps the insufficient ability isn¡¯t something that can be measured in terms of status.¡± I calmly search for the cause of the earlier failure. Why could Kurokiribaku be employed in the enhanced state utilizing ?Cycle? whereas Kurokirinodachi could not? That difference is probably the disparity in the number of skills utilized in the usage of these two outer skills. Kurokiribaku is based on ?Devouring Black Fog? and ?Mist Plosion? while Kurokirinodachi is based on ?Cycle?, ?Bewitching Fog?, and ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? with a total of five skills which are analyzed, decomposed, and reconstructed in parallel. The bottom line is¡­ ¡°Insufficient capacity? I guess everything depends on this¡­¡± I heave an involuntary sigh. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve already got other things to do.¡± While reinforcing with ?Cycle? once more, I picture in my mind the skills I have mastered one by one and think about what they would look like if I simplified them. ?Devouring Black Fog? has the ability to atomize one¡¯s own body and at the same time absorb the HP, MP and SP of the opponents who come in contact with the fog. ?Cycle? is to transform various flows into the predetermined one. ?Mist Plosion? is an explosive skill with a designated point of origin, which scatters mist and ice around the point of detonation. ?Bewitching Fog? creates visual illusions in the midst of the fog. ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? converts magic power and generates a sharp pillar of water from the ground to carry out an attack. And by combining these to create outer skills¡­ well, to put it bluntly, it¡¯s a matter of creativity. The same skill can vary depending on whether it is used as the main or auxiliary skill. If I give it a second thought, it reminds me that I have two more skills that I can exploit. To simplify these two skills, I can think of¡­ ?Monster Creation? is the skill to bring forth new life at the price of one¡¯s own power. ?Dungeon Creation? is a skill to create a special substance in exchange for one¡¯s power. Then, the question is, how can I incorporate these two skills into my outer skills? ¡°¡­Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± To keep a minimum of capacity available, I cease the enhancement by ?Cycle? and activate ?Monster Creation? as well as ?Devouring Black Fog? in parallel, in the form of creating only the eye of Mystic. The only reason I chose ?Devouring Black Fog? is that it is the skill that constitutes the foundation of my body, and therefore it is the most manageable. ¡°Suhaaah.¡± I draw in a deep breath once. ¡°Hmph!¡± And then, I produce the ?Monster Creation? formation in my right hand and the ¡°?Devouring Black Fog? formation in my left hand, forcing the two to unite together in front of my chest. At this stage, I concentrate my mind on the development of the skill so that I can create something that can penetrate the depth of the skill. This may sound absurd, but this is how I always proceed when I conduct the first experiment in creating a new outer skill. When this works, I refine it, and when it fails, I investigate why it failed. That¡¯s how I create the Outer Skills. ¡°¡®The black blood that flows in my body and the secret art of bringing forth new life. When the two forces are merged and united, a new life is born, separated from the form of life as ordained by God. Outer Skill ? Kurokirinoshinma¡¯.¡± While I am mulling this over, the combination of ?Monster Creation? and ?Devouring Black Fog? repeatedly disintegrates and consolidates, eventually emerging as a single formation. At the precise second when the formation is sparkling and the new outer skill manifests its effect, ¡°Guaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!?¡± My left eye is crushed and a black pearl-like eye with a golden iris is floating where the formation used to be. CH 96 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) At first sight, it strikes me as something that should never have been conjured up. It¡¯s a perfect sphere with a golden, iris-like design engraved on it, like a black pearl. It floats in the air without any type of support, shifting its iris-like patterns when it observes anything in its environment. No, I have already figured out what it is observing. This thing it is observing is the thought I poured into it when I was creating it. It is the depths of my skill. But it¡¯s not something a normal entity like me is privileged to be exposed to. If I were to witness directly what that eye is seeing without any filter, I would certainly be driven to insanity, or at worst, I would die. No, a normal human being would definitely end up dead. That much is clear to me. Whatever it takes, I must create something that can control this right now. ¡°I suppose I am left with no choice but to do this.¡± With determination, I shut my crushed left eye and prepare to formulate a new Outer Skill once anew. This time, I will be combining ?Devouring Black Fog? and ?Dungeon Creation?. By incorporating the thought of gaining control of this eye into this mixture, my aim ought to possibly be achieved. ¡°Now, I wonder what will be formed.¡± In my right hand, I create a formation of ?Dungeon Creation? and in my left hand, I create a formation of ?Dungeon Creation? and infuse it with my thoughts. At the same time, I am resolved to completely lose any part of my body just as happened earlier. ¡°¡®The black blood that flows in my body and the secret art of bringing forth new life. When the two forces are gathered, bound together, and intermingled, a new substance is created, breaking away from the form of the vessel that God had ordained. Outer Skill ? Kurokirinokessho.¡¯¡± Like before, the two formations are continuously disintegrating and building up to form a single formation, which ultimately begins to glow. ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± Simultaneously with the pain searing my left arm, my sensation from the shoulder onward is lost. And before my eyes, a candela-like object constructed of black bone with the perfect sphere composed of Kurokirinoshinma inside is floating there. After seeing this, I look at my left arm, where the pain radiated from through my right eye. It turns out that my left arm is missing from the shoulder onward. Although there has been no blood because of my foggy body, it is a strange sensation. I try to manipulate my foggy body to produce my left eye and left arm. However, my left eye exhibits no indication that it can be made at all, and my left arm can only be made exceptionally slow, and once my concentration is disrupted, it immediately fizzles out. Perhaps this is the effect of the two outer skills that were consumed as a price. ¡°Well, whatever. For now, I¡¯ll name these things.¡± I grasp the floating candela in my hand. A name represents the origin of something. Therefore, the act of naming something is extremely significant. For if the origin is known, that is to say, the destiny is known. To have your destiny revealed is tantamount to being in possession of the rights of life and death. This is why in the present situation, no matter how hard I strive against the God of Calamity who deprived me of my original name and bestowed upon me the name ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡±, it is hopeless¡­ and this is not the time to speak about this. Now I have to give these things a name. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I stare at the candela and the perfect sphere inside it. The perfect sphere is the one that defines the depths of the skill. The candela is the one that controls the perfect sphere. In that case, ¡°The perfect sphere, as the one that analyzes the magical law known as skill, is to be named the ¡®Eye of Law Analysis,¡¯ and the candela, as the one that modifies what the ¡®Eye of Law Analysis¡¯ beholds, is to be named the ¡®Andon of the Magic Detector¡¯.¡± As soon as I name each of them, the ¡®Eye of Law Analysis¡¯ begins to sparkle and the ¡®Andon of the Magic Detector¡¯ starts to spin around. These two things are supposed to be without a will, but I feel like they are pleased somehow. ¡°Now, since it¡¯s a good opportunity, I¡¯ll put them to use right away.¡± I have a rough grasp of how to operate the ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡± and the ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡±. I invoke ?Mist Plosion? on the wall to freeze it. Then, I hold ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡± in my right hand and direct the gaze of ¡°Eye of the Law Analyst¡± contained in the lantern to the frozen wall. The iris of ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡± rotates violently, and the part of the iris that corresponds to the pupil expands and contracts drastically. Then, a string of characters is drawn out from the pupil and drifts around the periphery of the pupil. So far, this is the effect of ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡±. However, the characters are not emitted out of the lantern, nor can the contents of the characters be read. It seems that the power of ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡± is also working properly. Nevertheless, it is clear that these strings of characters contain dangerous information even when viewed through the andon. Had I looked directly at it, the outcome of what would happen to me is obvious. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s see the true worth of the ¡®Andon of the Magic Detector¡¯.¡± I apply power to the ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡±. Then, from the side of the andon, a paragraph of the internal string leaks out. I look over it. But¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The moment I look through it, an unworldly piece of information bursts into my head, inflicting me with searing agony. ¡°Damn¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad¡­¡± I hastily halt the emission of the characters from the ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡±. Perhaps because I read it, the characters that were emitted have already disintegrated in the air. I then begin to examine the information that has penetrated my mind. Apparently, the information that entered my mind was related to the explosion of ?Mist Plosion?. It transfers magic power with determined attributes to a specified location and releases it in the form of diffusing the attributes at the specified location. This is how explosion-related skills work in a simplified manner. However, in reality, a slight directionality is given according to the distance between the user and the detonation point in order to provide a safety margin for the activator at the time of the explosion. Furthermore, there is a mechanism that detects the user¡¯s intention and automatically alters the direction of the explosion, albeit slightly, without the user being aware of it, as well as a mechanism that varies the density of the attributes scattered by the explosion. ¡°The God of Calamity has assembled several thousands and tens of thousands of these huh¡­ I know I¡¯m using a lot of misappropriation and citations, but she is after all an outrageous being¡­¡± Once again, I am confronted with the abysmal gap in power between myself and the God of Calamity. Nonetheless, even with this realization, I am not inclined to relent in my steps, maybe because the path to that point has been illuminated, even if only scarcely. Just as I am about to continue my analysis, I receive a transmission mingled with noise. It seems to be from Ichiko. [Kurokiri. I¡¯ve arrived in Cairo.] ¡°Oh, that was quick. I thought crossing the desert would be more challenging.¡± [Well, I am only by myself after all.] Ichiko answers with a laugh. In fact, I don¡¯t think it would have been a journey that could be brushed off with a smile. [Where¡¯s Lady Ryo?] ¡°She contacted me a few days ago, so I guess she¡¯s somewhere around Jerusalem now. Wait a minute, let me get in touch with her now¡­¡± When I try to get in touch with Ryo and the others, the communication is not connected. It is not because they are in a dungeon. This feeling is like that day ten years ago¡­ ¡°!?¡± [Kurokiri?] ¡°Ichiko! Maybe that ¡®guy¡¯ is near Ryo right now!¡± [!?] ¡°Can you head over there at once!?¡± [I understand. I¡¯m coming to them right now!] Ichiko hurriedly cut off the communication. Perhaps she is on her way to Ryo and the others at full speed. ¡°Please make it in time¡­¡± The only thing I could do in the face of all this is to sit and wait. A/N: The ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡± may look like a cheat item, yet owing to its extraordinary ability value demanded of its usage, it is actually a waste for almost all human beings and demons T/N: Andon is a loanword for lantern CH 97 (Ichiko POV) ¡°So this is the former capital of Egypt¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. The city is still as prominent in today¡¯s world as it ever was.¡± I was following the peddlers across the desert to the capital city of Egypt, Cairo. The journey to this site was, of course, arduous, but after being assaulted by robots at Lake Turkana, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of several traders and successfully reached this destination by means of changing caravans again and again. ¡°Now, the first step for me is to secure a place to stay. Many thanks for all the help you¡¯ve given me here.¡± ¡°Oh, same to you.¡± I offer my gratitude to the peddling man. Well, the sun is already beginning to set. It would be nighttime if I went into the city from now on. Therefore, I should stay at the inn for today, and contact Kurokiri in the morning to either search for Lady Ryo or wait for her Speaking of which, I wonder what is the time difference between our locations? Since the Demon King and the kin can manage without sleeping, I inevitably feel that the sense of my life as a person is getting less perceptible. While pondering such a thing, I have safely found a place to stay and rested for the day. On the following morning. I contact Kurokiri while observing a pyramid-shaped dungeon in the distance on the rooftop of the inn. Even though I had traversed the African continent, there were various dungeons along the way to this stage of my journey. Beginning with the ¡°Island of the World¡¯s Discrepancy,¡± a dungeon of the ¡°Distinguishable Warrior Who Isolates the Species,¡± there were savannas where numerous wild animals roamed, and deserts breathing was gruelling. Ah, there was even a dungeon in which dinosaurs can be found living normally. But what struck me the most were those robots. That reminds me, it¡¯s been a little over 10 years since that day, although I parted ways with Lady Ryo even earlier than that. Looking back, I can feel that a tremendous length of time has passed. I take a gander at my body. Since that day a decade ago¡­ no, my body has scarcely changed since I became Kurokiri¡¯s kin. If I had to say, the only thing that has changed is my left hand, which now has a metal gauntlet attached to it when I was transformed into a half Demon King by the hand of the God of Calamity ten years ago. Even so, I wonder what has become of Lady Ryo. After a decade has passed, even a kin is bound to undergo changes, so I hope she didn¡¯t receive any trauma that would leave a scar on her journey from that country to this place. Izumi and Mugi are on my mind too. While Mugi probably hasn¡¯t changed much, Izumi was less than 10 years old when we separated, so it will be interesting to witness her growth. Very soon. Yes, we will meet very soon. And the communication is connected. Though it¡¯s still mixed with noise as usual. ¡°Kurokiri. I¡¯ve arrived in Cairo.¡± [Oh, that was quick. I thought crossing the desert would be more challenging.] ¡°Well, I am only by myself after all.¡± I reply with a laugh. But I sense a peculiar vibe in Kurokiri¡¯s voice. Is he wounded in some way? However, my priority right now is to join up with Lady Ryo. ¡°Where¡¯s Lady Ryo?¡± [She contacted me a few days ago, so I guess she¡¯s somewhere around Jerusalem now. Wait a minute, let me get in touch with her now¡­] With that said, Kurokiri keeps the communication window open with me and attempts to initiate communication with Lady Ryo as well. The communication between the Demon King and the kin is still very dexterous as usual, right? [!?] ¡°Kurokiri?¡± Kurokiri sounds alarmed by something and I try to get him to elaborate on what happened. In response, Kurokiri says¡­ [Ichiko! Maybe that ¡®guy¡¯ is near Ryo right now!] As I contemplate in astonishment, there is only one such entity¡­ that Kurokiri would refer to as that ¡®guy¡¯. If that is the case, [Can you head over there at once!?] ¡°I understand. I¡¯m coming to them right now!¡± I have no alternative but to head there as swiftly as I can. After disconnecting the communication, I pull up my luggage from the inn and begin to hastily head in the direction of Jerusalem. Like in my habitual practice, I neither blend in with the caravan merchants nor do I walk so as to minimize exhaustion. I exercise my skill to its utmost and proceed to my destination in a straight line at a speed that would not be visible to the eyes of an ordinary human being. (Ryo POV) ¡°Is that the Holy Land¡­¡± Houki mutters involuntarily. We are heading west to find the safest route possible and stealthily pass through the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡±. As for why we do not stop by the ¡°Magic Holy Land,¡± the reason is this: ¡°But there are various groups surrounding the city, so we can¡¯t go in there.¡± As Une has stated, a number of groups are stationed around the Holy Land, with the aim of recapturing it. Furthermore, these organizations are stationed here. The worst thing about these groups is that even if the other party is the sharing the same race as a human, they will attack with impunity if the religious affiliation is different, whereas if the religious affiliation is the same, they will force the other party to cooperate with them. On top of that, even though they pursue the same goal, they are fighting amongst themselves for their own success, and thanks to this, the area surrounding the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡± is reputed to be the most perilous in the world. ¡°Although the Priest welcomes them, this is©`¡± Besides, as Shigan mentioned, the Demon King, ¡°Priest of Absolute Peace¡± who presides over the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡± has converted the city into a dungeon, yet neither attacks humans nor creates kin, but simply prays all day long while administering the Holy Land. To tell the truth, regarding the Priest and the people who surround the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡±¡­ If you ask me which side I would rather ally myself with¡­ well. Incidentally, the reason why it is regarded as the safest place in the world is that the city has been converted into a dungeon, which means that there is no fear of the buildings being destroyed, and in the dungeon, the unique skill of the Priest allows him to execute divine punishment according to the severity of the crime committed against anyone in the city except for the Priest himself. Moreover, this skill is fairly superior since it takes into account extenuating circumstances and other factors. ¡°Coming¡­¡± ¡°Someone is coming.¡± Izumi and Houki sense the presence of people approaching us. ¡°What¡¯s their number?¡± ¡°A little over 50, I guess.¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s a lot.¡± However, depending on their proficiency, it may be possible to deal with them even if something were to happen to us. Now, as for the identity of the opponents, we are outside of the city. If so, then¡­ ¡°Well, let me ask you. Are you our neighbours?¡± ¡­Naturally, they must be one of those who encircle the city. Hah, I don¡¯t want to contend with them here¡­ A/N: The climax of the second arc is approaching. CH 98 (Ryo POV) ¡°Our name is the ¡®Mercenary of the Fog¡¯. We are not interested in the Holy Land, nor in you. So could you please let us through?¡± I say to the men who are gradually encircling us. ¡°¡®Mercenary of the Fog¡¯? Ah, I see, a group of mercenaries under the leadership of a ruler who is in league with our bitter enemy, the Demon King. If that¡¯s the story, we should kill you all before we even trust your words.¡± The men take heed of my words and commence to arm themselves. We, on the other hand, do not even take a fighting stance. ¡°So, are you proposing that we shall become the rust of justice¡¯s blade with grace? If that is the way it is, even the devil¡¯s pawns will not suffer¡­¡± ¡°What a shocking thing to say.¡± Interrupting the men¡¯s representative with my head in my hands, I say, ¡°It is not too late. Draw your swords and let us through peacefully, or you will be punished.¡± The men laugh vulgarly in response and shoot us looks that indicate, ¡°What the hell are you even talking about?¡± But we cannot afford to fight them here. ¡°The devil¡¯s pawns are talking about divine punishment, what a joke! Death to you!¡± The man charges at me with his sword lifted. However, just before the sword lands on me, several bolts of lightning strike, utterly destroying the sword and charring the man in a split second. And if anyone checks their surroundings, they will discover that majority of the men are lying on the ground convulsing, and none of them are unharmed. ¡°Oh, I knew it would end up this way.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Just as I expected.¡± ¡°They reap what they sow¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Self defense©`self defense©`¡± [[Yeah.]] With puzzled expressions on their faces, the entire ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± exchanges their impressions of the scene around them. Well, you¡¯re wondering how did this happen? As a matter of fact, the mechanism is simple: the ¡°Priest of Absolute Peace¡± has deployed a mobile dungeon area around the ¡°Magic Holy Land,¡± and we, the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog,¡± have been moving around, trying to stay inside the perimeter of the dungeon territory as much as possible. The men attacked us in the midst of this, resulting in divine punishment. That¡¯s all there is to it. Though it was unexpected that the men were extinguished by a single infliction of divine punishment. Now that we¡¯re moving again, there is one drawback to this method of transportation. ¡°Oh, the territory we are in now is moving to the north. I guess the next stop will be that way¡­¡± The speed and direction of movement are dependent on the territory, and since we are inside the dungeon, communication with the outside world is not possible. As a result, I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with Kurokiri for the past few days. Plus, only Shigan, who possesses ?Special Area Vision?, can determine where a dungeon is located and the extent of a dungeon. Even so, Shigan carries a number of unusual skills, including ?Automatic Escape? and ?Special Area Vision?. They are, nonetheless, useful. ¡°Ah¡­¡± As we move to the next dungeon territory following Shigan¡¯s guidance, Izumi notices something and raises her voice. When I look at it, something is approaching us with a cloud of dust and smoke. ¡°Oh, is it happening again?¡± ¡°What a hassle©`¡± While Shigan and I are saying this, the thing that is emitting a cloud of smoke is advancing towards our direction. Well, since we are now unfortunately outside of the ¡°Magic Holy Land,¡± we must deal with it. ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Izumi restrains us with her hand. If Izumi is restraining us in this way, then perhaps it means that¡­ ¡°Ichiko nee-chan!!¡± I can see the person who is sending up a cloud of smoke. I knew it¡­ ¡°Get away from Lady Ryo! You monsterrrrrr!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± Eh? That figure slashes at Shigan, who is standing next to me, in a straight line with a long sword in her hand. In response, Shigan leaps to the side with ?Automatic Escape? and flees. I try to grasp the situation in a panic. Ichiko is most likely the one who just assailed Shigan, based on Izumi¡¯s reaction and my faint impression of her. But why would she assault Shigan? And why did she call Shigan a monster¡­ I hurriedly look at their faces. The expression on the face of the attacker, presumably Ichiko, is one of wrath and fear. ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s been a long time since we met, but you greeted me in a very rough manner. Specimen number 667?¡± In contrast, the expression on Shigan¡¯s visage, who is speaking in a totally different manner than before, carries a¡­ smile¡­? (Ichiko POV) As I continue running from Cairo, I begin to spot figures in front of me. With the distance drawing closer, it becomes clear to me from the contours of each face to the modeling. Izumi is there. Mugi is there. Even Houki-san is present. There are people I don¡¯t recognize¡­ but they seem to be good people. Then there is Lady Ryo, who has become so strong that there is no comparison to what she was a decade ago. However, I have heard from Kurokiri that ¡°she¡± might be there. But I have been hoping, if at all possible, that Kurokiri was mistaken, and that my fears would be unwarranted. Yet¡­ ¡°Get away from Lady Ryo! You monsterrrrrr!¡± ¡°Oops.¡± That one is also there, just as Kurokiri said. She¡¯s also standing close to Lady Ryo. An involuntary shriek escapes me with rage seeping into my head. I forcibly suppress my quivering that had once been induced by fear as I attempt to slash at her. But that blow is effortlessly evaded by her. While keeping Lady Ryo behind my back, I face that thing¡­ the God of Calamity. ¡°Oh well, it¡¯s been a long time since we met, but you greeted me in a very rough manner. Specimen number 667?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me by that name!¡± The appearance of the God of Calamity has not changed in the slightest since that day ten years ago. As always, her eyes still eloquently convey that humans are mere guinea pigs¡­ no, mere humans are nothing more than a speck of dust, and that we Demon Kings are simply experimental animals. ¡°Hahaha. Well, forget it, now that all the performers are here, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Begin, you say¡­?¡± I question back, tensing up unconsciously. Perhaps it is due to the threatening atmosphere that I am exuding and the demeanor of the God of Calamity, which has shifted drastically from how she would normally portray her attitude. The ordinary humans around us hastily move away, following the directions of Mugi and a woman I did not recognize. Izumi has generated a weapon and is readying it, while Houki-san is taken aback by the situation and Lady Ryo seems to be frantically trying to grasp the circumstances. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The God of Calamity disappears in a heartbeat, and I search for her whereabouts in a panic. ¡°Agghh!? W-why¡­¡± And within the following second, there is the God of Calamity, who is piercing Houki-san¡¯s abdomen with her hand. ¡°Houki!?¡± ¡°Lady Ryo, no!¡± At the sight of this, Lady Ryo unconsciously tries to rush to her, but I pull her hand away and compel her to step back behind me. ¡°P-please let go of my hand!¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t let Lady Ryo near that thing. Izumi!¡± ¡°Nn¡­¡± I beckon Izumi close to me, keeping a watchful eye on the God of Calamity. ¡°Take care of Lady Ryo.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Izumi takes Lady Ryo and leads her away. While Izumi is leaving, Houki-san¡¯s overall body is still trembling, but with greasy perspiration, she is struggling to resist the God of Calamity, who is muttering¡­ something. I, on the other hand, am unable to approach the God of Calamity. Approaching her recklessly right now would lead to disastrous consequences. ¡°Well, let¡¯s have an interim report, shall we? Show me the fruits of your ten years of endeavors.¡± After saying this, the God of Calamity withdraws her bloody hand from Houki-san¡¯s abdomen and her figure dissolves into the void. And the moment the God of Calamity disappears utterly, Houki-san, who has been crawling on the ground from pain without support, rises up as if something leaps up from the ground with blood flowing from her abdomen. ¡°Aa¡­ ah¡­ aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!¡± At the same time as she screams out, Houki-san¡¯s figure expands and distorts wildly, then contracts from there to adopt a single form. It¡¯s a woman dressed in an inverted black and white maid¡¯s uniform. Her visage is equal to Houki- san¡¯s, and she wields a massive bamboo broom that is as tall as she is. Despite not being as intimidating as a Demon King, her entire body radiates an overwhelming sense of domination, signifying that this monster is unlike any other demonic entity. And I can tell by her stance that she has hostile intentions as soon as it notices me. Yet, her eyes are telling me something. I understand that Houki-san¡¯s mind is deliberately retained in this monster while maintaining a normal state of being. That her body is now under the absolute control of the God of Calamity. And that there is only one other thing that can be done to save Houki-san. ¡°Now, fight to your heart¡¯s content. This guy is rather formidable. Hahahaha¡­¡± Then, out of nowhere, the voice of the God of Calamity is heard, simultaneously with which Houki-san begins to take action. CH 99 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) Houki-san aims the bamboo broom at me while accumulating enormous power at the tip of the bamboo broom. In response, I break into a run once the power is amassed, activating ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? when I get within 25 meters of Houki-san. Sneaking up to Houki-san¡¯s bosom, I use the long sword I have created in my right hand to slice off the tip of the bamboo broom. Clank! Dong! ¡°What!?¡± However, the bamboo broom which Houki-san is holding seems to look like nothing on the exterior, but the inner part is utterly different and cannot be cut by my sword, but merely bounces up and down. The force amassed at the bamboo broom¡¯s tip converges at a single point in front of my astonished eyes, and an extraordinarily broad beam of light is shot into the sky, emitting a deafening roar and dispersing shockwaves throughout the vicinity. ¡°What incredible power¡­¡± The shockwave propels me into the air, and I adjust my crumpled posture in mid-flight to land on the earth¡¯s surface with a grinding sound while being dreaded for the future if that strike had been a direct hit. ¡°¡­¡± Houki-san wields the bamboo broom in a naginata-like stance. A cloud of white smoke is billowing from between the place where she sweeps and the place where she holds the bamboo broom. If this means that the artillery can¡¯t be employed for a while, I welcome it, but I can¡¯t afford to be inattentive. ¡°At any rate, the only way to prevent that bombardment is to engage in close combat.¡± I recreate the long sword in my right hand and cast ?Keen Edge? on it, and in my left hand, I create a short sword called Sword Breaker and apply ?Durable Edge? on it. Then I approach at one stretch, interspersing the transition. In the proximity of Houki-san and me, a cacophony of metallic noises and sparks erupt. How many dozens of rounds have been exchanged already? While neither of us has struck a decisive blow yet, the damage is definitely stacking up. Furthermore, I have noticed that the intensity of the bamboo broom carried by Houki-san is evidently erratic. Because the sword in my right hand is now in its third generation, and even though I tried to cut the bamboo broom down by directly launching strikes by teleporting the sword in various places, it ended up with the sword that I had teleported breaking instead. The attack of Houki-san¡¯s can be summed up in one word: Severe. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± To the right and to the left, Houki-san is mowing down within the reach of her bamboo broom, and to the top and to the bottom, she swings down with the weight of the bamboo broom. This attack should not be regarded as a mere bamboo broom strike. After all, the abnormal intensity of the bamboo broom that easily repels my sword is also contained in each of the thin bristles that constitute the sweeping portion of the bamboo broom. In other words, this weapon should not be regarded as just a sturdy bamboo broom with artillery capabilities, but as a powerful artillery naginata with innumerable thin blades attached to it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! Not good!¡± Taking advantage of the momentary opening, Houki-san draws away, and while assembling her power at the tip of the bamboo broom, she adopts a mowing down stance. However, rather than its capability as a direct-attack weapon, it is the artillery capability it exhibited at the beginning that should be paid attention to. Because this artillery strike is¡­ ¡°Just in time!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When I spot it, I approach with full speed and deviate upward as far as possible using the middle of my sword as Houki-san¡¯s bamboo broom sweeps off to the side as it unleashes a volley of artillery shots. Whoosh! A thunderous explosion and shockwave erupt around me once more, sending me flying wide open. Yes, the most foreboding aspect of that artillery strike is that it is possible to cleave a wide area with its rays of light by shooting while swinging the bamboo broom like this. But even so, it would be devastating if a long-range, high-power attack is discharged in such a manner. ¡°Phew¡­ hah¡­¡± I readjust my weapon and examine Houki-san¡¯s condition while trying to regulate my breathing. Houki-san¡¯s cloth is torn in many parts, with some wounds that are not shallow. Despite the wounds and blood loss, there is no irregularity in her breathing, and her eyes simply cast a very distressed look at me. ¡°¡­¡± And then, Houki-san¡¯s figure and presence gradually fade away. ¡°This again¡­¡± Without being surprised by the sight, I calmly search for any presence in my surroundings. Before assuming this form, Houki-san used to be primarily proficient in covert skills. Even in her present state, the skills she has acquired can be utilized effortlessly, and the effect of ?Covert Proficiency ¢ñ? has made her appearance and her presence as inconspicuous as possible. Her presence, however, cannot be completely erased¡­ ¡°There you are!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Her presence is just slightly exposed right before she launches an assault, allowing me to counterattack! With my counterattack, the number of wounds that Houki-san sustains will be increased by one. Even if I defend with my left-hand gauntlet and dagger, I will be wounded by Houki-san¡¯s assault since I do not know when the attack will occur until shortly before the strike. It has already been about a quarter of an hour since the battle commenced. My strength is gradually diminishing. How is Houki-san doing? I cannot ascertain from her outward look. But given the demons¡¯ nature, as long as there is even a sliver of life remaining, they will exhaust it and strike without regard to what follows. ¡°I have to admit, it¡¯s tough. But it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll do as much as I can.¡± I spur my aching body into raising the weapon, and Houki-san readies hers accordingly. Speaking of which, Houki-san seems to possess some offensive skills as well¡­ ¡°?Cut Off?!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Damn. Speak of the devil! Houki-san sweeps the bamboo broom briskly from left to right, and a sickening pounding sound reverberates from my arm, which I manage to guard in the nick of time and am hurled aside. ¡°Damn¡­¡± My right arm is hanging limply as I land. This one is unquestionably broken. ¡°¡­¡± And Houki-san lunges in to finish me off. Although I attempt to defend myself with my remaining left arm, just as the bamboo broom hits me, Houki-san is suddenly blown wide to the side and tumbles to the ground without being able to catch herself. ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡°Looks like I made it just in time, Ichiko-san.¡± When I catch sight of the person who blew away Houki-san, I involuntarily look at the place where that figure should have been. Surrounded by a cage of light are Mugi and the other members of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± along with a robe-clad figure possessing a pewter staff over two meters long on his back, and Izumi brandishing an axe at that figure. The person who is supposed to be there is not there. The person who blew away Houki-san. That is¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know what Shigan did to Houki. But I can¡¯t let Houki suffer any further. We will fight together.¡± That is Lady Ryo. T/N: Fun fact: Houki¡¯s name means broom, so I guess the author makes her currently wielded weapon as a reference CH 100 (Izumi POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Here is far enough¡­¡± ¡°Let me down, Izumi!¡± Following Ichiko nee-chan¡¯s instructions, I take Ryo onee-chan away from the battlefield, and when the distance between the two parties is sufficiently great, I set Ryo onee-chan down on the ground. ¡°What the hell did that Shigan girl do¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But that was a mess.¡± All of the mercenaries have gathered around Ryo onee-chan and me. And then, I witness the power concentrating in Houki onee-chan¡¯s weapon, and the moment Ichiko nee-chan leaps for the weapon, a wave of unbelievably potent power is released from Houki onee-chan¡¯s weapon with a roaring noise. With that blow, everyone in the mercenary group, including me, simultaneously drops to the ground to endure it. ¡°What a¡­ blow!¡± ¡°Houki herself is not capable of this, no matter how you look at it.¡± Everyone is astounded by the blow that just occurred. It seems that some people are paralyzed with terror that they can¡¯t even stand up. ¡°¡­Everyone, listen up.¡± Ryo onee-chan¡¯s holds up her weapon with eyes that look as if she is determined to do something. ¡°I have no clue how Shigan managed to transform Houki into such a form. However, what we have to do now is to save Ichiko. Everyone, let¡¯s go to¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t let all of you do that.¡± At the moment when Ryo onee-chan is about to issue an order, an unfamiliar male voice is sounded. I turn to the direction of the voice in a panic. ¡°The only one permitted to be involved in that battle is you and her. Nasu Ryo-san.¡± In the direction of the voice is something in the form of a figure clad in a robe similar to that donned by a high-ranking priest, bearing an iron mask and iron armor on both hands and feet as well as a long pewter staff in his right hand. ¡°Who are you¡­?¡± The unexpected entrance of the man triggers a surge of alertness from everyone. ¡°My name is the Demon King, ¡®Priest of Absolute Peace¡¯. Under the authority of a certain one, it is my responsibility to prohibit anyone aside from Nasu Ryo-san from participating in that battle.¡± With that, the Priest lightly waves his pewter staff in his right hand, and a cage of light is spread forth as if to confine everyone except Ryo onee-chan. ¡°This is¡­!?¡± ¡°Please rest assured, it¡¯s only a barrier skill. It is impossible to break it from the inside or outside. Now, if neither of you takes any action, my part in this is over. And I have no reason to aggress against any of you,¡± the Priest crosses his arms and says so. ¡°Damn it¡­ Mugi. Look after everyone, will you?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ryo onee-chan entrusts Mugi onee-chan with our safety and storms off to the battle between Ichiko nee-chan and Houki onee-chan. According to the Priest¡¯s remarks, if we don¡¯t do anything, he will not take any measures either. But I¡­ ¡°?Bio Weapon Creation Axe?.¡± ¡°Izumi!?¡± ¡°Oh. Is that your intention?¡± I can¡¯t just stand by and watch Ichiko nee-chan fight. ¡°Well, give it all you can. As long as you stay inside, I won¡¯t do anything, and even if you step outside, I will only exercise force against those who try to enter the fray. Besides, my ?Photon Cage? is not something that can be breached by a mere kin,¡± the Priest looks at me as he states this. ¡°¡­¡± After activating ?Muscular Strength Enhancement?, I slam the axe into the ?Photon Cage? with all my might. Yet, not even a single crack develops. If that is the case¡­ ¡°Oh? What are you¡­¡± ¡°?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? Custom ¨C ¡®Thousand Joints Continuous Axe Blades¡¯.¡± I create a single axe. The handle of that axe is attached to the next axe like a joint, and the handle of the successive axe is also connected to the subsequent one. I then produce as many as I could do. A great number of axes made of bone lie around me, each linked to the following one, and the axe at the very base is pinned down, growing directly from my arm. ¡°?Muscular Strength Enhancement?.¡± Having applied ?Muscular Strength Enhancement? to myself, my arm is raised while spinning on the very spot with maximum speed. Thereby, the axe linked to my arm is gradually lifted by centrifugal force that increases as the speed of rotation rises, and once the speed is maximized to its limit¡­ ¡°Impact!!¡± ¡°What!?¡± The axe at the base, whose generation has been halted midway, is now fully generated. Accompanied by the centrifugal force on its own part, the generated axe collides with ?Photon Cage? at a breakneck velocity accompanied by a rumbling of wind. Clang!! In exchange for the self-destruction of the edge, the ?Photon Cage? is destroyed. ¡°This is ridiculous¡­ hah!?¡± The Priest is dumbstruck as if this sight is inconceivable. I, of course, do not miss such an opportunity and draw closer to him. Although I attempted to strike him with a newly generated axe in full strength, it is guarded by the pewter staff. ¡°I never dreamed that someone could penetrate my ?Photon Cage?¡­ looks like I still lack the necessary diligence.¡± ¡°Let me through¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you pass. That¡¯s what I have been commanded to do.¡± I say so while brandishing an axe at the priest, but it seems that the Priest has no intention of conceding to me, ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll force my way through!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you do it. ?Photon Binding?.¡± ¡°!?¡± As I try to deliver a second blow on the Priest, a chain composed of light entangles me, restricting my movement. ¡°Excuse me, but it seems unsafe to have you loose. Therefore, this is how you will be restrained.¡± Despite strenuous efforts to tear off the chains, I am unable to move, and eventually, I end up on the ground resembling a psychidae thrashing around. ¡°Why¡­ are you doing this¡­¡± I utilize ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? in an endeavor to push the chains apart with the momentum created, but I gradually lose control and ultimately find myself in a position where I can no longer exert any force into my body. In this case, I must at least try to seek out some information. ¡°I was simply commanded to do so, even if you question why. It is not a will of my own.¡± ¡°Command¡­?¡± I could not help but wonder. Who on earth could issue an order to the Priest, a Demon King? ¡°Yes, it is a command. The one who issued the command is the girl you refer to as Manokami Shigan. She¡­ no, I am now bound by that thing¡¯s command.¡± ¡°!?¡± Shigan has issued a command to a Demon King! But how can such a¡­ ¡°It is likely the Demon King is equivalent to a kin for that thing. That thing seems to be able to create barriers that mislead people into believing that the range of my skills are effective, and I would have to say that its capabilities are phenomenal.¡± But that kind of thing.. that¡¯s just like¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the power of God.¡± An involuntary shudder arises from my body at the priest¡¯s words, for I now come to the realization of why I have been experiencing such a negative presence from Shigan, and who sent Ichiko nee-chan away and defeated Kurokiri nii-chan on that day a decade ago. ¡°Well, I wonder what will be awaiting the world from now on.¡± The Priest¡¯s eyes have a touch of sorrow in them, and there is nothing I could do. CH 101 (Ichiko POV for the whole chapter) ¡°?Heal?.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Through Lady Ryo¡¯s ?Heal?, my broken bones are attached together accompanied by moderate pain and heat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Thank you.¡± ¡°More importantly, I¡¯m counting on you to be the vanguard. I can only perform a surprise attack.¡± Hesitation or doubt is absent from Lady Ryo¡¯s eyes as she says this, but rather, her eyes are brimming with anguish as if she is prepared for whatever may arise. I am certain that Lady Ryo has already recognized that Houki-san cannot be saved anymore. As I wordlessly recreate the weapon in my right hand, I position myself in front of Lady Ryo and brace myself so that she can react at her convenience behind me. And while we are getting into position, Houki-san also rises and holds her bamboo broom as if it were a naginata. ¡°Just in case, I have to ask you. Do you know how to return Houki to her original state, Ichiko-san?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t. Besides, I don¡¯t think that thing would leave room for such a thing in this circumstance.¡± Her disappointment is momentarily apparent at my words, but she quickly regains her composure. It seems that Lady Ryo has grown much sturdier over the past ten years. However, it is very saddening to realize that she has become stronger in such an occasion. ¡°That ¡®thing¡¯ you¡¯re referring to¡­ is about Shigan, right? What exactly is her true identity?¡± ¡°Kurokiri and I call her the God of Calamity. The details will have to wait for later.¡± After saying that, I assume full combat readiness. Lady Ryo then follows suit and begins to take action. ¡°I understand. Then, Ichiko-san.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡®Go¡¯!¡± Under Lady Ryo¡¯s ?Command?, my body rushes towards Houki-san with great vigor. ¡°¡­¡± Houki-san silently swings down her bamboo broom as the wind howls. By using ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, I evade Houki-san with my two-handed sword, and from there, I slash at her back. However, Houki-san avoids my maneuver by using the bamboo broom that makes contact with the ground as a pivot point and tries to swing it down again as if to repay my action. Now, until a while ago, I would have had to teleport to the rear or some other direction to escape in order to terminate the loop. But now, while I am parrying the blow¡­ ¡°?Mist Slap?!¡± Lady Ryo can attack Houki-san, whose offense has been stopped and who is now unable to move! ¡°¡­!¡± Houki-san is clad in more fog than usual and is blasted away by Lady Ryo¡¯s attack, the same as before. But this time, she lands on the ground, taking a passive stance. ¡°This seems to be working somehow.¡± ¡°But Lady Ryo, you are a healer by nature. Please don¡¯t make a move unless there is a chance that you can exploit with certainty.¡± ¡°I understand. It seems that ?Mantle of Fog? is effective against Houki as well, so I won¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ?Mantle of Fog?. It is one of the skills she acquired after parting with me. The effect, according to Kurokiri, is an enhancement skill limited to Kirijin. In other words, the fact that Houki-san is a Kirijin remains intact even after she takes on that form? If so, that means there is a possibility that she may use a race-specific skill, which she has not brought out at the moment. That would be something to be wary of. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! Not again!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop it!¡± And when we observe the power building up at the tip of Houki-san¡¯s bamboo broom, Lady Ryo and I rush off. Right before the ray of light is about to be discharged, I manage to get under Houki-san and wield the long sword in my right hand to knock the bamboo broom upward. Yet, the instant the sword brushes against the bamboo broom, instead of being met by a solid metallic sound, there is a wind noise followed by an absent sensation, signaling that I have struck in the air. If I was to look at Houki-san, I will find that Houki-san is standing next to me before I know it, clad in ?Fog Cloak?. ¡°Oh no¡­!¡± Apparently, she has applied the effect of ?Covert Proficiency ¢ñ? to ?Fog Cloak? to mislead us about her location. The cluster of power has already peaked at a critical point, and the tip of the bamboo broom is aimed at me. I begin to witness the release of the power in slow motion. Even if I teleport, I will not make it in time at this stage. And then, just as the light hits me, I¡¯m thrust sideways, and the flow of time restores to its original course. ¡°What just¡­¡± ¡°Somehow, I managed to make it in time.¡± After being shoved aside, I am sent flying by the blast originating from the recoil of the projectile. When I glance around, Lady Ryo is hurling a strangely ornamented sword at the spot where I had just been, and I can see what looks like a hand growing out from around the location where she flung it. Judging from the circumstances before and after, that hand must have been the thing that pushed me out of the way. While I am mulling this over, the sword is shattered into powder, and Lady Ryo is beginning to charge towards Houki-san. Nevertheless, the disparity in strength between Houki-san and Lady Ryo is too steep, and the battle will wind up being a defensive one. If things continue as they are, a few more exchanges would be our limit. I hastily get up and rush towards Houki-san. Houki-san¡¯s assaults are evidently more efficient than they were at the outset of the combat. Simultaneously, the emotion that I can perceive in her eyes is also transitioning to one riddled with pain. It is likely that the God of Calamity¡¯s control is gradually intensifying. Once this happens, there is no time to dwell on the consequences, nor is there any sense of caring for Houki-san so as to finish her off with as minimal pain as possible. The only thing she needs now is to be liberated from the God of Calamity as swiftly as possible, and that is what I have grasped now. Therefore, I will utilize it. ¡°¡®I am the one who leaps through the void, the sword with boundless forms. I seek the head of my adversary, the flower of life, the fountain of blood. Leap, O blade. Until I reach what I seek, cast this blade down upon my foe¡¯. Lady Ryo!¡± I approach Houki-san and recite a chant at once. Whether they detect something unsettling in the chanting or not, Lady Ryo jumps back, and Houki-san attempts to escape too, but I draw even closer to her by teleporting. I close the distance to zero. ¡°¡®Cut! Slice! Sever! Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku¡¯.¡± Then, with the proclamation of the skill¡¯s activation, I conjure a long sword compounded of a copious amount of the outstanding metal I¡¯ve amassed over the last decade and drive it towards Houki-san¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­!¡± Houki-san¡¯s stance gets thrown off by the initial hit. From the second blow, a faint cut appears on her neck. With the third blow, it leaves a definite wound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Houki-san, but this is the only way I could save you¡­¡± I can¡¯t help but offer an apology even though an apology would not have sufficed. Then comes the fourth blow, and I see the edge of the blade sinking into her neck. CH 102 (Ichiko POV) ¡°Well, I must say, that¡¯s just marvelous.¡± ¡°!!¡± Accompanied by the dry sound of clapping, the God of Calamity emerges in front of us. An angelic smile surfaces on her face. At the sight of her face, I unconsciously create four long swords with ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? and empower them with ?Monster Creation?Low Rank? to convert them into flying swords and infuse them with the will to charge at the opponent. Lady Ryo, simultaneously, draws out the dagger she¡¯s been carrying and hurls it at her. Nonetheless, once the flying swords¡¯ edges cross paths with the God of Calamity¡¯s flesh, the solid blades disintegrate like liquid, and Lady Ryo¡¯s dagger is suspended in mid-air. All those who are present are stunned by this spectacle. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Making such a face, how could you possibly harm me with the power I have bestowed upon you?¡± The God of Calamity announces nonchalantly without a trace of change in her expression. ¡°Now, it has been roughly 12 years since I first meddled in this world, and apparently, the inhabitants of this world slow down their growth once they attain a certain degree of stability. Besides, it would be tough to find a suitable opponent to ascertain how strong you¡¯ve developed.¡± The God of Calamity spread her arms wide and delivers her lines as if she was presenting a speech. ¡°Therefore, as a gift to each and every one of you, I have cast a certain curse upon the whole world.¡± Everyone in our present location must have frozen in their steps at that remark¡­ no, the God of Calamity is most likely speaking to people all over the world right now, therefore the whole world population must have frozen in their tracks. ¡°The name of the curse is ?Disaster Curse?. It is a curse that transforms the afflicted individual into a monster that strikes indiscriminately at everything in its vicinity. As for their strength, it varies depending on the individual but yeah, even an ordinary human being can be stronger than the Demon King and their kin. However, owing to that strength, they have to kill at least one individual each day otherwise, their bodies would disintegrate.¡± The God of Calamity continues her speech, seemingly very entertained. ¡°Now, about the crucial pathogenesis condition¡­¡± At this point, the God of Calamity pauses a beat. ¡°It is random.¡± I could feel the world completely freeze at that second. ¡°Now then, please endeavor to continue living in this world.¡± Leaving those words behind, the God of Calamity dissolves into the void and departs. The words of the God of Calamity are slowly ruminating in my mind. I then grasp the magnitude of the situation and weigh over what steps should be taken immediately. The conclusion is, ¡°Lady Ryo.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s go back to ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯. Everything else will fall into place after that.¡± The plan is to return to Kurokiri¡¯s labyrinth. Kurokiri possesses the intention to oppose the God of Calamity. And even now, he must be conducting research for that end. Thus, there must be something we can achieve if we return to Kurokiri. Furthermore¡­ ¡°Yes, I suppose so. We need to bring back at least Houki¡¯s bones too¡­¡± We ought to return the remains of Houki-san as well. (Izumi POV) We have entered the ¡°Magic Holy Land,¡± now. The reason is that we were invited by the ¡°Priest of Absolute Peace¡±. ¡°So this is the ¡®Magic Holy Land¡¯.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not as bustling with activity as the rumors said it would be. Well, I suppose it¡¯s unavoidable after being told something like that.¡± The people of the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡± have a bleak complexion. But then again, this is inevitable after the God of Calamity declared such a remark. ¡°We have arrived.¡± And before we are aware of it, we are in front of a large shrine. ¡°Are you sure entering here would be safe, Izumi?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I confirm Ichiko nee-chan question. While I was on the ground like a caterpillar, I was told various things by the Priest. About the God of Calamity. How Demon Kings arise. Why he had interfered with us. And as an apology, the Priest promised to take my companions and me to the destination we wish to go to via Long-distance Transportation. That is why we have now reached the shrine where the Priest normally resides. ¡°Ah, you have all shown up.¡± The Priest comes out of the shrine, greets us, and introduces himself to the group. And as if to dispel any doubts, Ryo onee-chan and Ichiko nee-chan eagerly negotiate with the Priest. In a flash, the conversation is wrapped up and they have concluded a negotiation with the Priest to have him fly us to the east. ¡°Well then, have a good day. Whether the day when we meet again is something to be looked forward to or not is unclear¡­ but I¡¯ll be waiting to meet you again.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­ I understand.¡± The Priest then sends us to the east from the ¡°Magic Holy Land¡±. From that point on, through the efforts of Kurokiri nii-chan and Ichiko nee-chan, all of us have returned to the ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. On our return, Kurokiri nii-chan with an eye patch is standing before us and says only one phrase. ¡°Welcome home.¡± CH 103 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Now let¡¯s start filling each other in on what has transpired in the last decade, piece by piece.¡± After the funeral of Houki, we arrived at the off-limits area that I created at the rear of the fourth level. There, I console Ichiko and Ryo while listening to their recounts of the past ten years, chapter after chapter. I then share with them the details of what had occurred during their absence. And, despite the fact that I¡¯ve tried to be as vague as possible while describing the punishment cell¡­ ¡°To put it another way, you mean ¡®that,¡¯ right? While we were risking our lives, Kurokiri was having a secret affair.¡± ¡°Hahaha. An enemy of a woman is unforgivable no matter how you try to defend yourself. How shall we dispose of you?¡± Ichiko performs a rear naked choke on me (her left arm is enchanted by ?Fog Magic Grant? so she can touch me), and Ryo executes a stranglehold on me that clutches my face and press me down (this one seems to be an application of ?Mist Slap?). Thanks to the high status of a Demon King and since Ryo is a kin, her attacks are completely nullified. Due to Ichiko¡¯s half-Demon King race, her attacks do not inflict much pain, yet they are nonetheless exceedingly suffocating for me. Incidentally, even when I am in a foggy state, the effect of their skill is still holding me securely in place. ¡°Um, would you both mind letting go of me now? Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Only until we feel satisfied.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Hah, it can¡¯t be helped. Then I¡¯ll exercise the Demon King¡¯s authority.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± And so, I inevitably employ the authority of the Demon King. After forcing Ryo to move away from Ichiko, I loosen Ichiko¡¯s restraints. Then, I punish them slightly. ¡°Ugh. I feel as if one day I will¡­¡± ¡°The God of Calamity is unpardonable, but Kurokiri is unforgivable as well¡­¡± Now, although both sides are naked, let¡¯s proceed with the conversation. ¡°Even so, I didn¡¯t expect that Polar Queen fellow to own such a technology. I was wondering how you crossed from Antarctica to Africa, so that was the method behind it.¡± ¡°Yes, it was an unexpected method for me too. However, it does not seem to be that highly effective.¡± ¡°There was a similar technology used in the Ganges River, wasn¡¯t there? Even if it is not, the technology could be useful.¡± To begin with, Ichiko¡¯s way of traveling from Antarctica to the African continent was virtually identical to the Ganges River technology that Ryo and her party had witnessed. In other words, the undersea monsters would be unable to recognize the ship if materials from the area¡¯s monsters were attached to the ship¡¯s bottom. This method has the advantage of not only rendering the ship less vulnerable to assault but also considerably enhancing the ship¡¯s strength. Nevertheless, this method can only fool the monsters into believing that they are being monitored by their own kind using searching skills; if they see you directly or if you produce a loud noise, you will be exposed. Therefore, when Ichiko was actually on the African continent, she periodically had to encounter monsters from different dungeons and escape while they were in the midst of fighting with each other. ¡°If this method can be utilized successfully, perhaps defeating the ¡®Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡¯ can be accomplished as well.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± This technology, in my viewpoint, will be immensely helpful. If all goes well, we may be able to resume the use of sea and air routes. ¡°Lady Ryo, what was that sword you used to save me from Houki-san¡¯s bombardment?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that one. It¡¯s a part of a weapon known as the ¡®Spiritual Sword,¡¯ which was created from components of ¡®Taoist Curse of the Enshrouded Spirit.¡¯¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I recall you retrieving such a thing.¡± Well, to be more accurate, it seems that what Ryo used when saving Ichiko was not so much the ¡°Spiritual Sword¡± but rather the residue of the power of the ¡°Spiritual Sword¡±. That is why it shattered once it was in effect. However, since I didn¡¯t witness this incident firsthand and only heard about it afterwards, I am not entirely clear on this. ¡°Even so, the Demon King¡¯s materials are terrific. Maybe I could try to fuse one of my bones with someone who has a generative skill? It would be easier to regenerate then.¡± ¡°If you want, you can just rip that thing from your nether region and use it as energizing equipment.¡± ¡°Oi.¡± I unconsciously snap at Ryo¡¯s outrageous words. ¡°That would be futile, Lady Ryo. If he is going to use it as a material, the whole lower half of his body should be included.¡± ¡°Oiiiii!?¡± Ichiko¡¯s further crude remark draws an involuntary yelp from me. At the moment when I am preparing to administer another punishment to both of them for their violent words, ¡°Well, actually, the materials stripped from a living Demon King won¡¯t make much of a difference.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± ¡°The Polar Queen helped me with the verification somewhat.¡± ¡°Someday I hope to repay the Polar Queen for going to such great lengths for Ichiko-san.¡± ¡°Right©`¡± I end up missing the timing to punish her after she switches the subject. Tsk, I will remember this. When the conversation is over, I¡¯m going to screw you a lot more. ¡°So, I personally find my left arm awfully thin, but what bugs me more than that is¡­¡± Ichiko then gestures to my eye patch after stating that. ¡°Why are you wearing an eye patch?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about that too. What¡¯s the reason?¡± The two of them are staring at my eye patch collectively. Hahaha. Don¡¯t stare so much, you are making me embarrassed¡­ Thud! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Would you please hurry up and get on with your story?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± While I was being smug, I was stuck with the fist to the abdomen by Ichiko equipped with ?Fog Magic Grant?. Damn you¡­ Forget it. Let¡¯s move on. ¡°This is the price of using a skill. And so is my left arm.¡± ¡°The price for¡­ your skill?¡± Ryo casts a stern look at me. There is no need to be concerned about it though. ¡°Though that being said, it¡¯s not a regular skill, it¡¯s the price of Outer Skill. Therefore, as long as what is used is normal skills, everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Is there any chance of recovery?¡± As Ichiko is also an Outer Skill practitioner, her eyes are filled with concern. ¡°My left arm is currently regenerating. There is no hope for my left eye. It has been entirely ruined.¡± [[!?]] Neither of them seems to be able to contain their astonishment at my words. At any rate, I have to cheer them up. ¡°Don¡¯t make that look; I¡¯m not in a front-line position to begin with and owing to this skill, I was able to gain something prominent, so everything¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not the point!¡± Ryo put her hand on my left eye and says such a thing while utilizing ?Heal?. I thought I already said that it wouldn¡¯t have any effect. ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you an idiot! You are so foolish!¡± Ichiko is cursing at me while hugging me. Mmm. What an adorable one. ¡°Well, whatever the scenario may be, I¡¯m going to be rash from now on in order to overthrow the God of Calamity. What are your plans, you two?¡± Unlike before, I ask the pair with a serious expression on my face. To that question, the two of them reply with a smile. ¡°I, for one, have no intention of overlooking the God of Calamity. I will lend a hand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for avenging Houki. I¡¯ll provide assistance too.¡± ¡°Well then, we should have a good time tonight for the sake of our future vigor.¡± ¡°What! So that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to say after all!¡± ¡°You coward©`!¡± I have decided to have plenty of fun tonight. Hmm. It¡¯s been a long time since seeing her, but Ryo has become stronger. And Ichiko too. Ah, this is the status of the three of us.. Name: Kurokiri (King of the Devouring Black Fog) Class: Demon King Race: King of the Devouring Black Fog Level: 5 HP£º2020/2020 MP: 2330/2330 SP: 2260/2260 Status Strength 40 Dexterity 55 Agility 57 Sensing 45 Intellect 64 Spirit 74 Luck 10 Skill ?Dungeon Creation?, ?Monster Creation?, ?Devouring Black Fog?, ?Cycle?, ?Mist Plosion?, ?Bewitching Fog?, ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? Title ?King of the Devouring Black Fog?, ?White Fog of Ambush?, ?Lord of the Kirijin?, ?The Demon King Who Has Looked Outside?, ?Demon Slayer?, ?The One Who Vanquished the Demon King?, ?Miracle Deceiver?, ?King of the Kirijin?, ?Agitator?, ?Wordsmith of Sweet Poison?, ?Purger of the Fog?, New! ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity?, New! ?Ruler of Japan?, New! ?The One Who Revolts Against the God of Calamity? etc. Name: Nasu Ryo Class: Healer Race: Kirijin Level: 9 HP: 462/462 MP: 519/519 SP: 486/486 Status Strength 16 Dexterity 24 Agility 24 Sensing 16 Intellect 35 Spirit 32 Luck 10 Skill ?Heal?, ?Fog Cloak?, ?Heal Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Detoxification?, ?Anti-paralysis?,?Anti-illusion?, ?Mist Slap?, ?Mantle of Fog?, ?Command?, ?Great Heal? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s Kin?, ?Healer of the White Fog?, ?Leader of the Kin?, ?Mercenary of the Fog?, ?Commander of the Mercenary Order of the Fog?, ?Beckoning of the Fog?, ?Seeker of Food?, ?Free of Mercy?, ?Slayer of the Hero?, ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity?, etc. Name: Ichiko (Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword) Class: Half-Demon King Race: Half-Kirijin? Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword Level: 10 HP£º1160/1160 MP: 1015/1015 SP: 1065/1065 Status Strength 30 Dexterity 45 Agility 57 Sensing 56 Intellect 21 Spirit 26 Luck 10 Skill ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?, ?Fog Cloak?Thin?, ?Monster Creation?Low Rank?, ?Dagger Proficiency ¢ñ?, ?Decapitation?, ?Keen Edge?, ?Long Edge?, ?The Lord Will Exercise His Power in My Path?, ?Fog Magic Grant?, ?The Lord Transcends Reason for My Sake?, ?Durable Edge?, ?Art of the Long Sword? Title ?The King of the Black Fog¡¯s Kin?, ?Assassin of the White Fog?, ?Demon Slayer?, ?Fog King¡¯s Representative?, ?Favored Princess of the Fog King?, ?Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword?, ?The One Who Encountered the God of Calamity?, ?Decapitated Princess?, ?The One Who Reached the Polar Region?, ?The One Who Befriended the Demon King?, ?The One Who Defeated the Demon King?, etc CH 104 We are at the opening of the third arc. Arc 3: Deep World (Kurokiri POV) I am now at the cemetery at night. ¡°Alright. Looks like not a soul is here.¡± After I have searched for any signs of life around me, I approach a certain grave. That grave is the newest in the cemetery, and it is immaculately maintained and bedecked with flowers. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± With my body of fog stretching thinly, I gradually scrape away the wall of the tomb through the power of the black fog, and my extended body eventually reaches one of the urns that has recently been placed there. From there, I continue to scrape the sides of the urn to retrieve what is inside. ¡°Alright. Here comes, ?Mist Plosion?.¡± I put the object removed from the urn into a small box, freeze the surface of the box with ?Mist Plosion?, and seal it thoroughly. There is no telling when the contents of this box will be utilized. Furthermore, there is a likelihood that it will not be used at all within my lifetime. Besides, regardless of whether it holds the key to overthrowing ¡°that,¡± uncovering a grave, like what ¡°that¡± has been doing, is an abhorrent act by nature. ¡°Nonetheless, I am left with no choice but to do it.¡± With the frozen box in my hand, I proceed to the area that is off-limits to all but me, open the heavy door at its deepest section, and place the box in the vault inside. ¡°I will defeat the God of Calamity for myself. For that purpose, I will exploit everything. Those who love me, hate me, or do not care about me, I will maneuver all of them.¡± After closing the door, I return to my private room. (Fox Princess POV) ¡°Thank you for your long service, O Mugi.¡± ¡°I appreciate your kind remarks, which are far more than I deserve. Fox Princess-sama.¡± Before me kneels Shiranui Mugi, one of my kin who left the ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War¡± more than ten years ago to follow the two Kirijin to the continent. ¡°Even so, notwithstanding the reports I¡¯ve been receiving from you, the continent¡¯s technology is truly fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. I think some of those could be of use to us.¡± From the possibility of launching a ship even if the current control of the sea has been lost to the way of combining the ingredients of monsters that inhabit different dungeons to new dishes, as well as knowledge about the God of Calamity. All of the information that Mugi brought to me is beneficial rather than harmful, and depending on how I make use of them, further development can be expected. ¡°Well, I will dwell later on how to actually put it to good use, O Mugi.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Perhaps in the future, I may need your help again. For now, you should take it easy and rest.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With these words, Mugi rises and leaves me. ¡°Hahaha. Things are going to be rough in the future. But the one who will survive will be me. Not anyone else.¡± All alone, I break into a burst of hysterical laughter. (Priest POV) ¡°Phew.¡± At the end of today¡¯s prayer, I step out of the shrine. The sun is hammering down so intensely outside the shrine that if I didn¡¯t possess a body like this, I would get sunburned and possibly scorched in a couple of minutes. But my body is not normal. Therefore, it is only at moments like these that I am grateful to have a physique capable of operating in locations that are difficult for normal humans. On the day I became a Demon King, I was told that the One I was supposed to believe in had already left this world. Of course, I initially dismissed this as nonsense and carried on with my prayers until the day I encountered the God of Calamity in person and realized that the One who I believed in had genuinely left the world. I take a stroll through the city, which also serves as my dungeon, and observe the scene. Children are playing around, their mothers watching them and conversing amongst themselves, while the men tending to their own business. The ambiance is very peaceful. I then contemplate. They do not know that God has abandoned them. Yet they continue holding on to their faith as if God is present. What shall I do to ensure that this sort of tranquility continues and for them to preserve their faith in God? And the conclusion that emerges is: ¡°Fight. Is that the only path, O God¡­¡± I lift my gaze to the heaven. For the sake of protecting them, I have to respect peace, and yet the contradiction is that I have to engage in combat that disrupts the harmony. However, since I am already defiled by the God of Calamity, I would originally not be allowed to serve God. Even though I am such an individual, if I can be a cornerstone for those who bear true faith, then that would be a joyous thing for me to do. It is my hope that our God will return to this world after the death of the God of Calamity. (Third person POV) ¡°Is the preparation done?¡± ¡°Everything is in order. Those who have finished their preparations are departing now.¡± Here is a cave constructed of boulders, illuminated by blue lights. Two shadows are wriggling there. ¡°More specifically?¡± One of the shadows, a giant, multi-limbed shadow on the side that occupies the back of the cave, addresses the other, a man in human form with something pointed at him. ¡°To the east, we¡¯ll seize parts of the coasts of both the north and south continents from humans and utilize them as a base, with an army of roughly 1,000 monsters on each side to keep things running. About 500 large octopuses will be deployed as a diversionary force in Antarctica. The other 500 were dispatched to Southeast Asia and the Australian continent as a diversionary strategy too. And for each of the four Demon Kings of that country, we have sent about 2,500 demons that are capable of descending to the land, which is our target this time.¡± The man drops to one knee and speaks indifferently. ¡°Are additional demons needed?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. That country will undoubtedly be presented to you, our king.¡± The man bows deeply. ¡°Hahaha. I see. Then I shall take a short rest. You will be in control of the operation while I am sleeping. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And with that, the giant shadow drifts off to sleep, and the man exits the cave. CH 105 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) On a certain day of a certain month, at a meeting place exclusively designated for the Demon Kings. ¡°Checkmate.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Before me lies a flawlessly stalemated chessboard, as well as my opponent, a Little Fire Fox controlled by the Fox Princess. ¡°You¡¯re really weak. How many losses is this now?¡± ¡°Who cares? When it comes to the game against you, the ratio is about 7:3.¡± With a frustrated expression on his face, Fog, who is under my command, refutes this to the Fox Princess. Now, the reason why the Fox Princess and I are engaging in this chess game is rather complicated. First of all, the number of our subordinates (both kin and monsters) has been escalating year by year, and although they are basically kept on standby in the dungeon and are reduced somewhat by being hunted for various reasons, a substantial number of them are still accumulated. At this tempo and number, the monsters will soon overflow out of the dungeon and lead to the kind of chaos that Snow Sage¡¯s subordinates did in the past. Therefore, the number of accumulated monsters must be consumed at some point, but the method of consumption is another obstacle. To begin with, a single level 1 human living outside of a dungeon can only go toe-to-toe with a Thin Mist Wolf, even if they possess superior skills, and by releasing a large number of monsters into such a setting will inevitably result in people in villages and towns succumbing. This is indeed an excessive amount of carnage. On the other hand, humans who invade dungeons will not be in a position to cope with a situation involving a mass of monsters, with the exception of a few non-standard ones, and will be successively swarmed by monsters of different kinds. Consequently, excessive release into the dungeon is also inadvisable. If this is the case, allowing the monsters to be slaughtered without opposition is only an act of charity in terms of supplies for the humans, and the Demon King has no obligation to lavish such charity on the humans. Or, to put it another way, it is absolutely not permitted. When confronted with such a predicament, a conversation like this of us Demon Kings will take place. ¡°Oh, Fog King¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Shall we have a sham battle?¡± ¡°Sham battle? ¡°Yes. After determining the rules, we¡¯ll send out our subordinates to fight a sham war outside.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. The Octopus King may invade one of these days, so this could be a good training exercise. Or rather, since you brought that up, is your side facing the same problem too?¡± ¡°Yes. I have enough on my plate.¡± ¡°If so, I would like to ask the referee to be under the supervision of the Snow Sage and Dragon Sovereign¡­¡± As a result, it is agreed to stage a sham battle, and chess and shogi, which were designed specifically for this purpose, are brought out for preliminary rehearsal, leading to the scene depicted at the start. By the way, regarding the board games (chess and shogi), in order from the strongest to the weakest is Snow King, Fox Princess, me, and Dragon Sovereign. The Snow King is dominant due to his age. As for the Fox Princess, she is unexpectedly strong. Even though Dragon Sovereign can only react on the spot, I guess she must have developed a penchant for chess from her human days, considering that I can read two or three moves ahead and can beat her 7:3. Well, it is only a sham battle on the board, not an actual battle. Even if you lose a thousand times in the virtual battle, winning once in the real battle is all that matters. That¡¯s right! I am not a sore loser! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m frustrated that I keep losing to the Fox Princess, who is younger than me! ¡°Well, you¡¯re being a sore loser, regardless of how I perceive it,¡± the Fox Princess says in an incredulous voice. To which I respond, ¡°Damn itttttt! I¡¯ll show you what I can do in the next sham battle!¡± Rules of the sham battle (simplified version) 1, The sham battle will be decided by an agreement between the two Demon Kings. 1¡ä, Both parties must mutually agree that everything that arises during the sham battle is coincidental. 1¡±, Naturally, the two Demon Kings must inform the humans to some extent before the sham battle is held. 2, The referee will be the Demon King who is not one of the Demon Kings that will be conducting the sham battle. 2¡ä, The Demon Kings who act as the referee should have their own subordinates participate as referees, depending on the scale of the battle. 3, The referee shall set an appropriate date and time for the battle. 3¡ä, In the event that there is a village or other settlement in the battle site, the four Demon Kings shall cooperate in evacuating the people living there, and shall provide compensation of various kinds, including repairs to the residence, after the conclusion of the sham battle. 4, The subordinates to participate in the mock battle are roughly divided into three categories: King, Knights, and Pawns. 4¡ä, King: The goal of each camp and the camp whose king is defeated will lose the battle. The King must always use their demons, and the Demon King must be in full control at all times, and cannot be allowed outside of their stronghold of Rook. 4¡±, Knight: These are the kin of each camp and may include up to 10 members, but their numbers must be matched with each other. To minimize mishaps, a marker must be placed on the head of each member, and when the marker is destroyed, the member is considered dead and must withdraw from the battlefield. 4¡±¡¯, Pawns: The demons of each camp, and to ensure fairness, the number of pawns must be equal to each other. Neither the type nor the quality of the pawns is questioned. As a rule, no withdrawal from the battlefield is allowed. 5, When you have wagered something in advance, you must give it to your opponent after the sham battle in accordance with the outcome of it. 5¡ä, Concerning the demonic materials that are expected to be produced in large quantities after the sham battle, each member can take as much as they can, and the rest will be left to the humans to deal with. 6, When revising the rules, a majority vote will be required to approve the revision if more than half of the Demon Kings are in favor. Furthermore, the rest of the detailed rules must be implemented flexibly while maintaining a high degree of resourcefulness. CH 106 This is the sham battle session. (Third person POV) ¡°The first Japanese Four Demon Kings Sham Battle will begin now. I, Kanae Yuu, a kin of the Snow Sage-sama, will be the MC for this session.¡± Yuu announces to the individuals around him with a megaphone in his hand. In response to his words, the humans surrounding him burst out in frenzy. ¡°Don¡¯t be absurd©`!¡± ¡°How dare you do this to our village!¡± ¡°What the hell do you mean by sham battle©`!¡± Of course, they all jeer hysterically. Well, from their perspective, this is because the four Demon Kings, their kin, and the monsters in Japan abruptly descend upon them and declare, ¡°Get out of the way, we¡¯re going to have a mock battle here!¡±. So, there you have it. Nevertheless, provided no resistance is put up, no harm will be incurred, and anything that is damaged will be repaired and reasonable compensation will be offered after the sham battle is over. ¡°You¡¯re making way too much racket!¡± Ryo hit the head of the resident who has been making a fuss. Incidentally, Ryo is presently treating those who were injured during the forced evacuation together with Yae Michiru, a Sakurahijin. To be more precisely, those with minor injuries are being healed by Michiru¡¯s ?Cherry Blossom Rain? whereas those with fractures or severe injuries are being healed by Ryo¡¯s ?Great Heal?. Furthermore, no deaths were reported at the time of evacuation. This is done meticulously. ¡°Hah¡­ I will continue with the proceedings for now. This time, the sham battle would be conducted with 1 King, 3 Knights, and 300 Pawns, with the Fog King camp to the east and the Fox Princess camp to the west without any wagering. The only condition for victory is that the King be defeated. In addition, Ichiko-san will provide the commentary.¡± Yuu¡¯s explanation follows. ¡°I look forward to working with you. For now, I¡¯ll hit Kurokiri afterwards, so all the residents can give up and watch the match from a safe distance.¡± By the way, Ichiko is the commentator because, with her strength, she would only end up disturbing the equilibrium of both parties, or rather, there is no way that she can be permitted to participate in this type of fight when she can defeat a Demon King by herself, even if he is only a level 1 Demon King. ¡°Now then, the sham battle will commence in one hour from this moment.¡± (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Alright then, I suppose we should call it a strategy, or rather, a meeting,¡± I remark as I look over my army members. Now, let¡¯s address the organization of my army step by step. First is the main camp. How should I put it, I¡¯m under Fog¡¯s protection, and I¡¯ve deployed one each of Cu¨¦lebre, Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle, Mystic, Giant Mist Wolf, and Minotamist. ¡°I am the vanguard¡­¡± Izumi, who is the head of a team, says as she looks at her subordinates. Izumi¡¯s team consists of 35 Thin Mist Wolves, 5 Giant Mist Wolf, 45 Mud Puppets, 5 Mud Soldiers, 10 Minotamist, and 3 Cu¨¦lebre, for a total of 103. As can be seen from the members of the team, they are the vanguard of a frontal assault, and Izumi herself plans to wreak mayhem on the front line. To put it simply, they are infantry. ¡°Line up.¡± Following this, Tabane lines up the monsters on her team. Her team is composed of 10 Mystics, 60 Bullet Tadpoles, 5 Rifle Frogs, and 15 Mud Magicians, for a total of 90 monsters, which are in charge of long-range attacks regardless of physical or magical capabilities. The reason why the younger sister, Tabane, has been chosen as a Knight instead of the elder sister, Mitsuko, who can cast arrows of three different attributes, is because she possesses the skill to enhance arrow-related skills, called ?Magic Bundle of Bolt?. ¡°They are all brilliantly young girls¡­¡± The last of my Knights is Chirito, who is renowned for the ¡°Rear Explosion¡± style. His role is a self-destructive special k¡­ ¡°No, I am not.¡± ¡°Your mouth.¡± ¡°You have let out your voice¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me. I have involuntarily let out my true feelings.¡± Let me now reintroduce Chirito¡¯s team. The team¡¯s role is the ranger, but since there is no cavalry role, they are infantry. As for the members, there are 20 Mist Mosquitoes, 5 Dense Mist Mosquitoes, 15 Smokes, 40 Mud Puppets, and 10 Swamp Flying Fish, for a total of 90. Hmm? How do these Swamp Flying Fish operate on the ground? That is currently a secret. We have 283 Pawns so far. With 2 Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle, 10 Smokes, and 5 Mystics at my disposal, the remaining 17 pawns are to be dispatched in the air to aid the entire team and crush the opponent¡¯s flying demons. ¡°Now, as for tactics, I¡¯ll leave it up to each member of the team to figure out what works best for them. ¡°The question is, what¡¯s the strategy?¡± ¡°Right.¡±. Chirito and I discuss how to operate the unit once the battle breaks out. Incidentally, Izumi and Tabane are not adept at devising strategies, let alone tactics, so they remain silent and wait for us to finish formulating a plan. If something needs to be said, they will say it. ¡°Mmm. From what I¡¯ve observed in the enemy camp, I assume that while the vanguard is intercepting the enemy, the rear guard will use saturation firepower to annihilate them.¡± Chirito says this while watching the enemy camp with binoculars, which are becoming a valuable commodity nowadays. Moreover, the enemy camp is crowded with not only fox-shaped monsters, but also dogs, cats, horses, alpacas, elephants, rhinoceroses, and a wide variety of other beast-like monsters. As expected by the name of the ¡°Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess,¡± she¡¯s truly remarkable. ¡°Ah, that seems to be the Fox Princess¡¯ characteristics. She frequently employs the chess strategy of halting at the vanguard and killing at the rear, and her dungeon characteristics suggest that she will either divert the enemy¡¯s attention to herself and aim for them or blow up the entire vanguard of her allies.¡± I am reminded of the reports from the Kirijin who were leveling up in the Fox Princess¡¯s dungeon, ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War¡±. While we¡¯re on the issue, there have been nearly as many missing people as there have been deceased people, with men accounting for the majority of the missing ones. What a bitchy fox she is. ¡°Mugi onee-chan¡­ is part of the battle¡­¡± Izumi mentions this while staring at the enemy¡¯s position with her naked eye. Izumi¡¯s capacity to see the enemy¡¯s position from such a distance is extraordinary. ¡°If Mugi¡¯s here, then it¡¯s confirmed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s confirmed.¡± ¡°Confirmed¡­¡± With her participating in this, Mugi¡¯s tremendous firepower skill is bound to hit us. ¡°Fog King-sama.¡± At this point, Tabane, who has been silent until now, raises her voice. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If we win, please reward me until my heart is content.¡± Then she drops the bombshell message with a smile. [[!?]] Right after that bombshell, murderous intent is directed at me out of nowhere, but I let it slip away. Even if I am aware that it is emanating from the commentary table and from the safe zone where the people are gathered, I will disregard it. Or rather, please let me ignore it! My life is still in jeopardy! ¡°W-well, that¡¯s the strategy for the time being, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-yeah.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­?¡± ¡°Fog King-sama?¡± Despite breaking out in a bit of a cold sweat, I issue instructions to the three of them and the monsters. T/N: I kind of forgot to mention this, the Demon King, Priest, official full name/title is Éñ¹Ù, which means Shinto Priest, but yeah, I shortened it to just Priest and forgot about it but I will still be using only Priest for the upcoming chapters as well. CH 107 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) [Then, 3, 2, 1, let the sham battle commence!] At Yuu¡¯s signal, the sound of gongs and war cries ripple throughout the battlefield. ¡°Start the assault¡­!¡± In the midst of it all, spearheading the battle are Izumi and the three Cu¨¦lebre carrying Minotamist on their backs, followed by the Pawns of the melee force. The three Cu¨¦lebre send up a voluminous plume of smoke, gouging out the leveled ground and forcing it to transform into a wasteland as they surge towards the Fox Princess¡¯ army. [The first one to make a move was the Fog King¡¯s camp? It is evident that they are aiming to gain the upper hand. However¡­] Ichiko¡¯s commentary can be heard as well. But, ¡°Bumooooooo!¡± ¡°The enemies aren¡¯t that naive.¡± From the enemy position, the bellowing of cows is audible. I was hoping that the Cu¨¦lebre would advance to the enemy position and seize the initiative in this sham battle, but it appears that the opposing side had the same notion. [The Fox Princess after all recognizes the significance of taking the initiative too, right?] Emerging out of the opposing side are six giant, horned stone oxen. Their momentum is not inferior to our assault. The distance between us and them is progressively drawing closer and closer. Then there goes the reverberating sound of the battleground all over the area. [What a horrific rumble.] [Both sides are heavyweights division of their own dungeon after all] The outcome of the assault is a loss: the assault is successfully stopped by two large oxen per Cu¨¦lebre. However, by capitalizing on the recoil of the halt, Izumi and the Minotamist descend from the back of Cu¨¦lebre and proceed to assail the nearest enemy, while Cu¨¦lebre itself also aims for the neck of one of the large oxen and bites it. Both vanguards of the army then clash and a tumultuous confrontation ensues. For an ordinary human being who has never encountered such a monster, this spectacle would probably give the impression that it is the end of the world. After all, whenever Minotamist¡¯s axe is swung, it sends up a fountain of red liquid from the nearest monster, and each time the panther slashes its claws at the foe, the damaged Minotamist¡¯s body dissipates slightly. The Mud Soldiers put an end to them as the Mud Puppets violently restrain the dog-shaped monsters while the alpacas leap with a leaping power that is out of sync with their appearance and trample the head of the Thin Mist Wolves. However, the one who displays the most terrific performance is Izumi. ¡°Hmmm¡­!¡± [Izumi is formidable after all. She has been on the front line for the past ten years.] In both of her hands, she has produced a bone axe created by ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? and is mowing down the hostile camp as though it were a hurricane. Furthermore, upon reloading the weapon, she hurls the axe as a tomahawk at the closest opponent, causing an increasing amount of damage with each passing second. Even so, Ichiko has grown accustomed to Izumi¡¯s ability to vocalize. She was initially rather taken aback. The moment Izumi recognizes the Kitsunejin man, who is a fellow Knight and attempts to strike the marker on top of his head after repelling his weapon, a vortex of flames engulfs Izumi and the Kitsunejin man, compelling them both to leave the stage. [Oh, my! This is!?] [This is Mugi¡¯s ?Fire Swirl?.] Yes. Simultaneously with the onset of the turbulence, the rearguard has begun to mobilize as well. As soon as appeared that the momentum of the adversary was diminished by the release of Mud Magicians and Mystic¡¯s arrow skills supported by Tabane¡¯s ?Magic Bundle of Bolt?, the enemy¡¯s rearguard led by Mugi and another Kitsunejin man, delivered a flurry of ?Flame Plosion?, ?Fire Swirl? and ?Fireball? that moderately embroiled their allies. In parallel with this, aerial battles also unfolded. [The aerial battle is a hectic one, right?] [Movements are more dynamic in mid-air since each hit is more likely to be devastating.] Once a Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle tries to support its allies on the ground through its buzzing wings, the opposing flying squirrel launches a suicide attack, bringing the buzzing to a halt, and when Mystic detaches the flying squirrel, the bats swiftly slash at Mystic. However, the Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle that has regained its posture bites the bat¡¯s head off, instantaneously wiping it out. If the battle on the ground is progressing more or less in favor of the Fox Princess, the aerial battle seems to be developing to my side¡¯s advantage. This may be attributed to the variation in each Pawn¡¯s specialized attack methods. Now, since we are being pushed back in the vital battle on the ground, the enemy¡¯s front line is steadily advancing closer to my main camp. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Go! Chirito!¡± But, once the front line approaches a certain distance, I issue Chirito a command. [Oh, this is where the ambushers are!] [That¡¯s the basis of a battle, isn¡¯t it?] Chirito then directs the Pawns to the enemy rearguard, where Mugi is not present, charging in from right beside them. [[!?]] The sudden presence of Chirito and his Pawns unilaterally overruns the enemy rearguard, which has been hindered rather than augmented its firepower by being densely packed. Notwithstanding, Mugi¡¯s ?Fire Swirl? gets activated in the center of Chirito and his army just as they are ready to storm the platform under Mugi¡¯s leadership after destroying the rearguard on one side. Roughly ten monsters are annihilated all at once. ¡°If that¡¯s the case!¡± But at this juncture, Chirito sends out a single command. [T-this is!] Following his instruction, all the Swamp Flying Fish fly out in unison from within the Mud Puppet¡¯s body and shoot at Mugi¡¯s marker. [A planted weapon is a very Kurokiri-like offense, right?] ¡°Ugh!?¡± After evading the first Swamp Flying Fish, Mugi moves to dodge the second and subsequent ones. When Mugi has avoided ten of them, the wave of attacks ceases, prompting her to unintentionally remain motionless. But just as she pauses, the Mist Mosquitoes dive down from above her head and destroy her marker. ¡°Alright¡­ ah!¡± Yet no sooner than Chirito is rejoicing at his success, his marker is hit by a ?Firebolt? and destroyed. [However, even if the strategy succeeds, one must maintain constant vigilance.] [In the meantime, I hope Chirito-san would explode.] The MC and the commentary continue their words apathetically. But I can say that the victory is already secured. After all, ¡°This is the final blow!¡± During the process of Chirito¡¯s battle with the enemy rearguard, Tabane had integrated several dozen arrows of Mystic¡¯s ?Mistbolt? and Mud Magician¡¯s ?Mud Bundle of Bolt? into an enormous arrow with a distinctive white and brown marbled pattern. [T-this is tremendous.] [I would say this is quite a trump card. How amazing.] Like a ballista¡¯s arrow used in a siege, it is fired at the Fox Princess¡¯ main camp and impacts it. As it explodes, a vast amount of fog and mud is dispersed into the surrounding area. [The King of the Fox Princess camp is confirmed to have been defeated! The winner goes to the Fog King¡¯s camp!] Yuu¡¯s remarks resound through the sham battlefield when the smoke clears. CH 108 This time, it is about the aftermath and behind-the-scenes stories of the sham battle. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Well, that was a relatively simple settlement of our problems.¡± Before our eyes, the alpacas carry the building materials, and the Minotamist erects the house using the materials. ¡°Yes, indeed. Well, neither of us had many Pawns, and we didn¡¯t devise an elaborate strategy since it was our first time.¡± In the midst of all this, the Fox Princess and I are chatting over a cup of tea. ¡°However, Mugi¡¯s operation and firepower were astonishing. I didn¡¯t anticipate that she would unleash an attack of that magnitude with all her allies in her path.¡± ¡°As if a fellow who planted Swamp Flying Fish inside the Mud Puppets can have any say in the matter.¡± The subject of the conversation is, of course, about the sham battle this time. Though that being said, there is not much to discuss this time considering the short time it lasted. ¡°But the toughest part was the preparation.¡± ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t expect the evacuation process to require such extensive time.¡± With that, we are reminded of the commotion at the time of the evacuation. It was a real hassle at that time. Although their reaction was not surprising, the villagers all resisted, despite our prior notification, thus it was extremely challenging to get them out of there without killing them or knocking them out. Incidentally, the MVP of the forced evacuation operation was Ichiko. She has strength and agility that are far superior to those of human beings. On top of that, she also possesses the ability to teleport. Thanks to her teleportation ability, she was able to stun a person who was resisting her from the shadows with a single blow of her hand, which saved us a lot of time and effort. The next in line would be the former member of the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡±. The Kirijin and Kitsunejin, who belong to their respective dungeons, are doing well in coordination, intimidation, and persuasion. ¡°But given the trouble involved, I would like to have the next one in a venue where there are no humans.¡± ¡°Repairing broken articles is also time-consuming. The next one should be held in a place where no one is around before the battle.¡± We both are laughing with a somewhat evil smile creeping up on our faces. Well, the true question is that if no one lives there before the sham battle, even if any building is wrecked in the middle of the sham battle, nothing needs to be fixed, right? Yeah, if it¡¯s not a problem, then it poses no problem. ¡°What¡¯s with that dark smile on both of your faces?¡± Ichiko approaches us with a dumbfounded look. ¡°Oh, Ichiko. Is it over?¡± ¡°Yes. Most of the buildings have been reconstructed, and 90% of the fields have been restored to their original state.¡± Following Ichiko¡¯s words, I cast my gaze towards the village. It is certainly roughly back to the way it was before we arrived. ¡°How is the retrieval of materials going?¡± ¡°There is no hindrance there either. Well, we intentionally left some behind to compensate for the loss.¡± Upon closer inspection, the monsters that survived this time have gathered the carcasses of their comrades and are carrying them on their backs, ready to be transported. ¡°So now it¡¯s only a matter of compensation.¡± ¡°Have there been any demands from the village chief?¡± ¡°No excessive demands have been raised so far. At best, he has requested food supplies to ensure that the villagers will be able to sustain themselves for the next year or so.¡± ¡°That is, after all, within our expectations. Perhaps occasional supplies of dog meat would do the trick.¡± ¡°Then should I send them beef from my place?¡± It¡¯s not an issue since we already anticipated that level of demand, and in fact, it¡¯s more convenient for us to have them make that level of demand later on. At any rate, once the compensation demand has been accepted, any further demands can be brushed aside. ¡°Well, whatever. I¡¯ve done what I had to do.¡± ¡°See ya.¡± And so after the aftermath, each of us returns to our respective dungeons. (??? POV) That day was truly horrendous. I thought my mother had knocked me awake before daybreak, yet her complexion was utterly pale. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her. ¡°We¡¯re going to run away!¡± said my mother, and she grabbed my hand and tried to storm out of the house. As we were rushing out of the house, a wide shadow suddenly loomed over us. I looked above my head. Right there was a monster with a giant ox head. ¡°Hee¡­ ah¡­!¡± My mother was quivering as she held me facing the monster. The monster extended its hand towards us. And then the monster¡­ The monster took us to a place marked as an evacuation site. ¡°Eh?¡± My mother showed a startled expression. Most of the adults around us shared the same look. Then the battle between the monsters broke out there, and it was beyond anything short of nightmarish. With deafening roars, the monstrosities exchanged blows, fountains of red liquid burst into view, and a multitude of colorful lights flew across the sky, accompanied simultaneously by explosions here and there. But what blew me away the most was the magic arrow with the white and brown marble pattern that was cast at the climax of the battle. I felt a profound sense of power emanating from it. Even though I have not yet awakened my skill, I hope to awaken a power as formidable as that someday. That was my thought, despite my young age. (Kurokiri POV) ¡°Hmm. As I expected, a fine collection of materials has been collected.¡± While waiting for those who had gone outside to return, I mutter to myself in my private room. ¡°It was a challenge to link my own vision with the ¡®Eye of Law Analysis,¡¯ but it paid off.¡± To be frank, whether I won or lost this sham battle, it was a positive development for me. The purpose of this sham battle was not to prevail, but to witness as many skills as possible and analyze them with the ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡±. And that objective has been fulfilled. With this, my research on skills would progress substantially. Hahaha. I¡¯m looking forward to it. CH 109 In a sense, this is an episode of a scene of carnage. (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°We both know how you ended up in this situation, don¡¯t we?¡± In front of me is Ichiko standing there with a remarkably pleasant smile plastered all over her face. ¡°After returning to ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest,¡¯ I had a list of questions I intended to ask you, but they had been lost in the shuffle owing to the incident with Houki-san. This is a wonderful opportunity.¡± And I am made to sit on my knees. Yeah. I was supposed to be in my private room researching skills. How did this happen? This is unnerving, to say the least! Ichiko¡¯s pressure is beyond belief! I¡¯m afraid that my compelling force over Ichiko has been weakened due to her half-Demon King status, which renders her uncontrollable! ¡°Hey, Kurokiri.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ichiko brings her face close to mine. Ah, under normal circumstances or on the bed, I would want to look at her forever, but under this scenario, I want to avert my face and escape as quickly as possible. ¡°That girl, Tabane-chan, is that her name? Why did she say such a thing?¡± ¡°What are you talking about¡­?¡± I make an effort to turn my face away, but Ichiko grips my face with her left arm utilizing ?Fog Magic Grant? and refuses to allow me to do so. ¡°¡®If we win, please reward me until my heart is content¡¯. Was that right?¡± ¡°Speaking of which, she did utter such a thing©`¡± Despite Ichiko¡¯s grip appearing to be tightening and my head making a slight creaking sound, I bear the discomfort and respond in a monotone. ¡°At this point, I¡¯d like to make this clear.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t condemn you for surrounding yourself with girls. Considering the day I returned, it would be overwhelming for me to deal with this by myself, and I wouldn¡¯t want to cause an outburst.¡± Huh? The mistress herself is going to approve of it. I thought she would be¡­ ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Wait¡­!¡± Ichiko¡¯s fingers dig into my head with a sickening sound. ¡°What audacity you have to train a child like that to the degree that she will seek you out herself!¡± ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± As Ichiko¡¯s power intensifies, my head fizzles out along with my screams. Phew. If I hadn¡¯t moved my brain to another place beforehand, I would have died. Indeed, if the damage is severe to the point of death since she¡¯s my kin even if only half of it, I am positive she¡¯ll stop her act one step before death. ¡°Even if your head gets smashed, the fact that you can tolerate that without issue indicates you¡¯re developing into quite a monstrosity, right?¡± Ichiko says this to me, her gaze fixed on the exact center of my body. ¡°Well, in essence, it¡¯s no different than adding an arm or an eye.¡± I can¡¯t dispute, though, that I appear to be a monster. I mean, from my perspective after becoming the Demon King, I¡¯m now a total monster for being able to duplicate my head. ¡°Haa. Well, I¡¯ll leave this subject alone. No matter how much further I push it, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll just dodge it.¡± ¡°Hmm. You know perfectly well how the conversation will end.¡± I say this with a smug look. ¡°So I was told that you have been training for the past ten years, Kurokiri?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Ichiko suddenly changes the subject. ¡°This is sudden, but I wanted to show you the fruits of my ten years of training.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± For some reason, Ichiko initiates a series of bending exercises. ¡°If you¡¯ve been training diligently, you can at least receive the fruits of my training, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She then rotates her arm softly, as if checking the condition of her shoulder. ¡°Therefore, I don¡¯t harbor any feelings of gloom and despondency, nor do I harbor any feelings of rage, jealousy, or any of those things, but let¡¯s trade a few blows.¡± This is bad¡­ The pressure is unbearable. ¡°?Fog Magic Grant?.¡± Ichiko¡¯s hands and feet are enveloped in fog under the effect of the skill. ¡°No, hold on a second! My physical physique is at the level of self-defense, and I¡¯m more of a research-oriented, rearguard type¡­¡± After expressing all of that, I notice Ichiko¡¯s eyes telling me, ¡°Just let me strike you.¡± ¡°?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?.¡± ¡°Uh-oh!¡± Through her skill, Ichiko teleports in front of me in a straight right motion and thrusts her fist at me. In response, I swiftly transform into my human form and parry the attack. ¡°Aren¡¯t you able to move well enough?¡± Ichiko remarks, maintaining the motion that was parried. ¡°No, anything beyond this is¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll increase the tempo.¡± Although I attempt to dismiss her there, Ichiko disregards my words and vanishes from my presence again with her skill. This is followed by an impact to the back of my head. Apparently, I have been struck from behind. ¡°There is still more to come.¡± ¡°Wait! Wait!?¡± And from that point on, attacks are unleashed on every part of my body. While I successfully block some of the frontal blows, the rest of the blows pierce me. That blow is fairly severe. Even though the Demon King¡¯s physique is designed with high specifications and can withstand the hit, a single blow would likely knock an ordinary human unconscious. Now, as a man, it wouldn¡¯t upset me if I kept getting hit like this. But, as a Demon King, I must also consider my pride, therefore I must figure out a means to stop Ichiko¡¯s movements. Then, I have to specifically contemplate how to do that. First of all, I need to be able to respond to Ichiko¡¯s attacks. So how can I handle Ichiko¡¯s attacks? At present, I cannot counter Ichiko¡¯s attacks since I cannot follow her movements and I lack a sufficient number of moves. If that is the case, ¡°?Devouring Black Fog? Custom ?¡¯Three Faces, Six Arms¡¯[i].¡± My face is increased to three and my arms are multiplied to six. ¡°!?¡± Ichiko is briefly taken aback by this, but her movements do not halt and continue to strike me. However, my field of vision is now virtually 360¡ã, and my arms have tripled in number. Consequently, no matter which direction the attack comes from, ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Huff.¡± ¡°Ei!¡± ¡°Mn.¡± ¡°Ya!¡± ¡°Nun.¡± ¡°It is amazing you can maneuver your body like that.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡­It¡¯s enough to defend against you. ¡°But here¡¯s where the excitement kicks in!¡± ¡°Aye, aye.¡± Nonetheless, this is where the issue arises. The tension is rising, and Ichiko is beginning to display her motivation without regard for the initial purpose, and the tempo of her attacks is picking up accordingly. And the key to stopping Ichiko is, Binding her arms behind her back ¡ú She slips away by teleporting. Binding her with chains or strings ¡ú She would also escape by teleporting. ?Mist Plosion? with ?Sharp Aqua Pillar? ¡ú If I do such a thing, it would be a catastrophe. Stopping her with ?Bewitching Fog? ¡ú Her movement itself cannot be halted. Knock her out by hitting her ¡ú I can¡¯t physically or emotionally land a hit on her in the first place. Making her get laid ¡ú There is no room for that now. Shackles of the Sealing Art ¢ñ ¡ú Effective in terms of level, but it is doubtful if it will work on a half-Demon King. ¡°Fine then. In that case, I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve been doing for the last ten years¡­ or rather, these recent days.¡± ¡°?¡± Before Ichiko¡¯s skeptical countenance, I produce ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡± in my right hand, draw characters in the air with my left hand, and start chanting simultaneously. [¡ºSelf is black mist king to spoil. £¨ÎÒ¤ÏÎg¤àü\¤ÎìFÍõ¡££©The power should summarize fog and should fix fog. £¨¤½¤ÎÁ¦¤ÏìF¤ò½y¤Ù¡¢ìF¤òÁô¤á¤ëÊ¡££©fog. £¨ìF¤è¡££©Change with a white chain under my name, and bind her person to idle inside. £¨ÎÒ¤¬Ãû¤ÎϤ˰פ­æi¤È³É¤Ã¤Æ±Ë¤ÎÕߤòµ¡¶è¤ÎÖФ˿`¤ì¡££©One of a trial strange evil spirit ? White bind£¨Î´Öª¤Ê¤ëÔ‡×÷¤Îħ¤ÎÒ»?°×¤Î¿`æi£©¡»£¡][ii] ¡°I am the King of the Devouring Black Fog. That power is to rule the fog, and to hold the fog in place. O Fog. Under my name, become a white chain and bind them in idleness. White Binding Chain, the unknown prototype of the devil.¡±[iii] ¡°What!?¡± With the completion of my chanting, some kind of power distinct from MP flows out from my body, releasing a large number of white chains from a cluster of characters written in a circle in the air that binds Ichiko. ¡°Ugh, this is¡­ huh! I can¡¯t use my skills!?¡± Ichiko¡¯s face reveals her consternation at not being able to utilize her skills. ¡°Hahaha. Now, after doing this to your master, it¡¯s time for you to be punished.¡± ¡°Eh, wait!?¡± Ichiko attempts to escape while snapping the chains in a flurry of noise, but we¡¯ve made it this far, you know. ¡°Who¡¯s going to waitttttttt!¡± ¡°Arghhhhh!¡± And then I am on top of Ichiko with a vigorous leap. Hm? You are wondering about the white binding chain? Another time©` CH 110 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°So in the end, what was that skill of yours earlier?¡± Ichiko, who is under me, inquires about the ¡°White Binding Chain¡± that I utilized earlier wearing a discontented visage. ¡°That one? A secret¡­¡± When I attempt to conceal the secret, Ichiko glares at me. ¡°Fine then. You must reveal this to no one, okay?¡± I begin expounding on the subject after saying so. All I disclose is the functions of the ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡± and ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector¡± and what can be performed with these functions, which I omitted from my previous discussion of the respective ten years. In concrete terms, the four skills that I have memorized up to today using the ¡°Eye of Law Analysis¡± are ?Mist Plosion?, ?Bewitching Fog?, ?Sharp Aqua Pillar?, and ?Cycle? as well as some skills such as ?Mistbolt?, ?Mudbolt?, and ?Mud Wall? employed by the monsters under my command. On top of these, I have also analyzed some equipment such as The Iron Shackles of the Sealing Art ¢ñ and so forth. The analysis results indicated that there is a syntax that is universal to all skills at the bottom tier, and above that exists the syntax that determines the attributes, consumption, shape, range, and various other specifics of the skills. Furthermore, that is the syntax for the actual output of the skill in reality. So, once this level of knowledge is grasped, all that¡¯s left is for the user to piece together the syntax, which in the case of ¡°White Binding Chain¡± includes the syntax for converting fog into chains, ejecting them, and binding them together, as well as the effect of sealing the entangled opponent¡¯s skill. Therefore, the creation and activation of the chain proved to be extremely arduous. ¡°So that¡¯s the result of your work?¡± ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Ichiko puts on a preposterous countenance at my explanation. It is, without a doubt, an astounding skill. After all, once you know what each syntax signifies, you can freely create any skill you want. But that¡¯s not so easy to achieve. I haven¡¯t shared this with Ichiko yet, but the lowest layer syntax that all skills have in common is very tricky. What the lowest layer syntax indicates is the law that is the prerequisite or condition for acquiring that skill. Within lies a bizarre syntax that allows usage of the skill by simply consuming HP, etc. Right. By nature, skills should be used by expending various other things. Then, where does the insufficient power flow from? At this point, I am reminded of one of the scenes from the past. That is, my Kurokirinoko did not work on the God of Calamity, who was not even in a defensive posture. Why did it fail? I considered the possibility that my attack power was simply inadequate against the God of Calamity¡¯s defensive power, but the reaction I received at that time was nothing like that. It is likely that the lowest layer of the syntax contains words that mean something like this: ¡°A part of the consumption of power is contracted to the God of Calamity, and in return, no harm can come to her.¡± That would explain why I can¡¯t harm the God of Calamity, and it is not unreasonable to assume that the God of Calamity would have prepared something like this. Assuming this is true though, the disconcerting revelation that the God of Calamity has the capacity to meet the tens of billions of beings who utilize these skills in this world rises to the surface. Because it was modified from the lowest layer of the syntax, the ¡°White Binding Chain¡± I employed this time is different from the outer skills I¡¯ve used previously. Consequently, it is now effective against the God of Calamity¡­ but instead, it now consumes something strange. I think it¡¯s probably that. Perhaps it consumed something like a soul. Although I tried it out this time, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that should be misused, or rather, if I abused it, I would definitely die. While I have been occupied with my thoughts like that, Ichiko has been looking up at my face from below and grasping my body. Yeah, she¡¯s really cute. But we have to keep the conversation going. ¡°Ah, what¡¯s wrong Ichiko?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always thought you are an idiot and a scumbag, but I didn¡¯t think you would go this far.¡± Hmm? What do you mean? ¡°Because of that, you know! Have you forgotten how you lost your left eye! It was because you were reckless and used a strange outer skill, wasn¡¯t it!¡± Ichiko says this with tearful eyes. ¡°Ah, let me remind you, the risk of ¡®White Binding Chain¡¯ is far less than the skill that caused me to lose my left eye, okay?¡± That¡¯s a lie, though. In reality, there are a bunch of risks from preparation to usage, including the construction of the syntax. But there¡¯s no reason for her to know that¡­ ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Ah, she found out. ¡°Now that I am a half-Demon King, I can understand. With strong power comes a commensurate risk. And the ¡®White Binding Chain¡¯ is a skill that could probably be used against the God of Calamity. There is no way such a thing could be deployed without posing a threat.¡± Mmm. She is perfectly aware of it. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t use it; I¡¯m just suggesting that if you do, you should do more research first. I will cooperate with you. Do you need me to give you a reason to cooperate? If so, I¡¯ll say this. For me, Kurokiri is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything further.¡± When Ichiko¡¯s face turns beet red and she is beginning to behave out of control, I shut her mouth. It would be awkward for her to say more. Or rather, I feel it¡¯s wrong for her to express herself. That statement would change Ichiko¡¯s starting point. Even now, I¡¯m still a jerk, but for you to completely lose sight of your initial resolution would be ill-starred[i]. ¡°I understand. Then help me from now on, Ichiko.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Thus, Ichiko and I ended up researching skills together. T/N: [i] No accurate translation for this statement. The literal words are saying, ¡°Even right now, (pronoun) is/are pretty much ¡®that,¡¯ but it would be a violation to forget your original intention completely¡±. Readers can interpret it ambiguously CH 111 (Third person POV) Here is a space that one would never have dreamed existed in this world. All the flowers that should have been extinct are blooming in profusion, irrespective of the season or region, while the sky is ablaze with a spectacular array of stars that can by no means be observed on earth today, along with living organisms on the ground that strut around like those recounted in a children¡¯s fairy tale. A lone hooded girl occupies a red chair, staring at a screen hovering in front of her, in the midst of it all. ¡°Even though you relied on a model to guide you, you made it this far practically on your own, huh?¡± The hooded girl¡­ the screen in front of the God of Calamity shows a transcription of the syntax of the ¡°White Binding Chain¡± used by Kurokiri. ¡°But things are still rough. With this, it will probably be a while before I can attain what I¡¯m seeking.¡± With a red pen, the God of Calamity draws the screen close to her hand and marks the syntax of ¡°White Binding Chain¡±. Only the God of Calamity herself could ascertain this, but there is a certain criteria for where the markings are made, and she is as adept at it as if she had done the same thing a thousand times before. ¡°Forget it, they still went straight into this domain. Specimen number 13 and 667 are superior, after all.¡± A peal of laughter escapes from the God of Calamity. Another screen then pops up on top of the screen at hand. ¡°Hmm. Specimen number 666¡¯s subordinates have begun operating earnestly. I wonder what will unfold soon. This is truly thrilling.¡± And then, the God of Calamity let out a high-pitched laugh. (Kurokiri POV) Several days after Ichiko started to participate in my research. While in the process of conducting my research, I am also having a sham battle not only with the Fox Princess but with the Snow Sage and Dragon Sovereign as well. ¡°This syntax seems to be a coordinate specification type¡­¡± ¡°The one over here appears to have a relationship between distance and consumption.¡± Now, we are analyzing the Long-distance Transportation Formation, and Ichiko¡¯s unique skill ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak? as well as the teleportation skill that the Kirijin, the kin, possess. These analyses are being studied since they may be applicable in various ways, including distribution, upon further development of these analyses. Furthermore, I have yet to investigate the reason why teleportation and communication skills cannot cross the boundary between the dungeon and the outside world. What is the explanation behind this? The syntax includes a plethora of dummies and traps to obstruct analysis, which may take decades to complete at our current pace and depth of knowledge. In fact, I might perish in a fatal trap during the process. Now, as for the analysis: ¡°Yeah. It would have to be a one-way process, but I suppose the distance limit could at least be removed.¡± ¡°The only problem is that the expense spikes exponentially in proportion to the distance.¡± It appears that removing the restriction of the Long-distance Transportation Formation must be accompanied by a corresponding formation and the distance limitation for installation seems to be possible. The challenge, however, is what lies beyond removing them, since both installation and activation are significantly more expendable when these restrictions are eliminated. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to brainstorm a skill for simultaneous utilization of multiple demonsource devices¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say they are devices that can be substituted for one¡¯s own HP when activating a skill?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. Right now, only one stone can be used per skill.¡± I show Ichiko two small green stones¡­ a demon source device that stores only one MP, and I create two of them with ?Dungeon Creation?. Then, while crushing both of those two devices with my fingertips, I try to create two Fogs by casting ?Monster Creation? but I only succeeded in destroying one of them and only one Fog is created. ¡°As expected.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ichiko acknowledges the sight with a nod of agreement. The Fox Princess has recently been able to produce these devices, and now that the public is cognizant of the demon source device, some of these devices are being operated not only for their original purpose but also as currency. [Kurokiri!] A transmission has just come in from Ryo. That reminds me, I¡¯ve sent you back to your father¡¯s place to inform him that you¡¯ve returned after a long absence. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± [There is an urgent message from the head of the humans!] Ryo¡¯s voice has an agitated tone to it. Apparently, the situation is dire to the extent that I have to go out there. ¡°What happened? For now, just tell me the gist of it and what is needed. The details can wait.¡± [I¡¯ll cut to the chase, then.] Now, as far as Ryo¡¯s account goes, this is what is happening: ?A massive number of monsters abruptly emerged in the Pacific Ocean. ?These monsters are presently coming ashore, ravaging settlements along the Pacific coastline. ?The local humans and kin are countering the monsters, but due to the gap in numbers and combat proficiency, they are struggling. ?Therefore, they are requesting me to dispatch monsters from ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± as reinforcements. ?Furthermore, the devastation appears to be ongoing throughout the country, and requests for reinforcements have already been sent out to other Demon Kings. While listening to Ryo¡¯s story, I have already ascertained the visibility and condition of my other kin to verify that this story is factual. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll deploy them for now, but only for the surplus forces.¡± [Thank you very much.] As I communicate with Ryo, I proceed with preparations for activating the Long-distance Transportation Formation and assembling the monsters to be dispatched to various locations once the preparations are finalized. Simultaneously, just to be safe, I release several monsters near Japan¡¯s coast, where information is currently scarce. ¡°But if they are coming from the Pacific Ocean, it¡¯s probably that guy.¡± [You¡¯re likely right.] ¡°I suspect it¡¯s exactly what Kurokiri is speculating to be.¡± The name of the same Demon King is presumably surfacing in the three of our minds. ¡°The ¡®Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡¯. I have been expecting him one day, but knowing this is happening now¡­ Well, forget it.¡± My mind switches from research mode to battle mode. ¡°All Kirijin are to be notified.¡± Then I open up a channel of communication in my head for every Kirijin. ¡°In the name of the ¡®King of the Devouring Black Fog,¡¯ all Kirijin who are competent of combat, exterminate those fools who are raging in my domain. However, safety comes first, and you should never act rashly. Non-combatant Kirijin, whether you encounter humans or Kirijin, shall also provide as much support as you can with your abilities. However, safety is also a top priority here. If you understand, all of you set off!¡± [[[Roger!]]] In response to my instructions, an abundance of replies and the noise of scrambling can be heard in my head. ¡°Kurokiri. I¡¯m going too.¡± ¡°Ah. But Ichiko, I¡¯m counting on you to prioritize the major foes, and I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re located outside of my territory. After all, you¡¯re the one with the greatest experience in battles with the Octopus¡¯s underlings.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With that, Ichiko goes out vigorously, activating her skill successively. ¡°Now, I hope the fruits of the sham battle will pay off.¡± And I, who remain alone in the room, begin to develop a certain skill while monitoring the developments of the situation. CH 112 First, let¡¯s start off with the territory that is reigned by Kurokiri. (Third person POV) ¡°Hostiles attackkkkkk!!¡± In the quiet port city, the person who is on the watch resonates widely. The residents of the city, on the other hand, are lethargic, assuming that the monsters are under the authority of the Fog King like always. However, that person¡¯s subsequent comments refute their preconceptions. ¡°The enemy comes from the east, from the sea!¡± On the city¡¯s eastern outskirts. This is where the monsters of the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡± are proliferating, and at the same time, the Pacific Ocean, a valuable source of income for this port city, is spreading out. Ships that had sailed out to sea had previously been assailed, and even hooked fish had been targeted by the monsters. Nevertheless, there has never been an instance that could be classified as a hostile attack. And this time, the guard referred to it as a hostile attack on purpose. If that¡¯s the case, what should come after this guard¡¯s words are¡­ ¡°The number is over a thousand! I can¡¯t even count them!¡± ¡­Words that are nothing but despair. [[©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`£¡£¿]] The hitherto serene port city erupts in a tumult of commotion at once, and residents who lack combat capabilities flee to shelters as if stung by a hornet, while those who are competent in contending rapidly prepare themselves and rush out. Two guys, clad in well-worn equipment, approach the port in an unhurried manner among the hubbub. Although their movements are distinctive, they are not the kind that can be imbibed overnight, but rather those of seasoned warriors. ¡°Are those the hostiles? There are so many of them.¡± One of the men, a man over 30 years old, mutters as he spots a myriad of shadows emerging from the horizon. ¡°Hmm. I propose that we abandon the port and begin sequentially cleaning out the monsters that have made it to the land.¡± The other man, outwardly over fifty years old, answers in response. ¡°I will now assume command of you all! We will all prevail in this battle!¡± [[Yesssssssssss!]] Upon hearing the older man¡¯s words, the warriors collectively raise a war cry. These two men, both past their thirties, are called Tachikabe Tsuyoshi and Otachi Mamoru. Formerly serving in the army, they had engaged in battles with the Ogre King and Snow Sage¡¯s subordinates, as well as being involved with the Kirijin, who are under the control of the Fog King. ¡°Erect barriers, have non-combatants fall back and contact the government. There is a multitude of other things to be done! Everything starts before the fight! Do not miss any of them!¡± [[Understood!]] Following Otachi¡¯s instructions, the warriors mobilize to fulfill their respective roles. While some produce stone walls with their skills, others use ?Visual Enhancement? to survey the enemy¡¯s formation. And there are those who employ their skills to create alternative weapons, while others contact the government for reinforcements. Among them, some check one another¡¯s offensive procedures in preparation for battle, whereas others lead non-combatants away from the battlefield. Then the battle ensues. (Izumi POV) I create an axe with a length longer than my body from my left arm, the so-called ¡°Poleaxe,¡± via ?Bio Weapon Creation Axe?. By using that axe like a vaulting pole, I ride on the back of Giant Mist Wolf who is on the ¡°Long-distance Transportation¡± together with me. ¡°Ready¡­¡± At the same time as I mutter this and hoist the axe in my right hand, Moyasuke, the name of the Giant Mist Wolf that I am riding, along with the other wolves in my company, howl wildly. We are then engulfed in light. (Third person POV) ¡°Damn it! What a number!¡± Tachikabe curses involuntarily while repelling the Hangyojin who is attempting to climb over the wall by ?Small Shield Barrier? generated on the backs of his hands. ¡°But there is no other way around. If we don¡¯t do this, all of us will face death. ¡®Firing squad! Simultaneous sweep the enemies with volley fire¡¯!¡± Following Otachi¡¯s ?Command?, the warriors who have mustered up their remaining power unleash their marksmanship skills in unison, thereby ripping many of the monsters away from the barrier and sending them screaming as they collapse, while the surviving ones also converge on a single point. ¡°Continue, ¡®Melee force! Pincer attack¡¯!¡± When the monsters are massed in one spot, melee specialists from the left and right, while striking at their wounded bodies, cut their way through to the other side, trampling the adversaries with assault-type members at the vanguard. ¡°Phew. How many waves has this been? Commander Otachi.¡± ¡°No idea. But we have already made it to this stage that it is too complicated to even count¡­¡± After the majority of the opposition has been annihilated, and even those who still had a few breaths left were eradicated by another long-range assault, the two men catch their breath. However, the battle is far from over. ¡°Here comes the next one! The number is¡­¡± On the contrary. ¡°Including the giant octopus, the number is over 200!¡± The foes still retain their strength. ¡°Tsk¡­ this is strenuous indeed.¡± ¡°Expecting reinforcements is¡­ an inane plan. ¡®Everybody prepare for battle¡¯!¡± These people, though, will not surrender. They will continue to fight to safeguard their city, even if it entails losing their lives. All of their hopes are then acknowledged. The plaza is abruptly awash with light. The warriors brace themselves at the sight, wondering if a new enemy has pulled some kind of trick. Nonetheless, what materializes from the light is neither a new threat nor an adversary¡¯s attack, but a pack of wolves shrouded in fog. On the back of the wolf, the largest of the pack is a girl with a white poleaxe. ¡°Assault¡­¡± The wolves charge at the adversaries en masse in response to the girl¡¯s command. In terms of military power, the girl¡¯s group is evidently inferior to the other. But the wolves invariably pounce on the enemy in pairs and undoubtedly undermine the momentum of the opposition. In the midst of it all, the girl casts an eye in the direction of Otachi and company once before issuing an order to the wolves on her mount to rush towards the giant octopus. ¡°Hah! Let¡¯s follow suit! Our dignity will not permit us to be rescued by the Demon King! Go!¡± With that, Otachi sends out a cry to those who can move and runs out as well. Thereupon, the tide swiftly shifts. The wolves steadily erode the momentum of the hostiles, and where their momentum is sapped, the humans¡¯ flood in for the attack, overpowering them. And the battle with the giant octopus is¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­ Moyasuke.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± Izumi and Moyasuke, the Giant Mist Wolf, endeavor on their own. (Izumi POV) One of the octopus¡¯s innumerable limbs slams against us. ¡°Dodge it.¡± ¡°Gau!¡± I give Moyasuke a command, and the latter evades the giant octopus¡¯s attack by a hairbreadth. ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°©`©`©`©`©`£¡£¿¡± Then, at the place where its attack is avoided, I swing my poleaxe with ?Muscular Strength Enhancement? and hack off the leg of the giant octopus. ¡°The first strike¡­ second, third.¡± Moyasuke subsequently leverages his[i] speed to circumvent the limbs of the rampaging giant octopus, and in passing, I handle the Pole Axe like a handspike and cleave off its legs. ¡°©`©`©`©`©`©`£¡£¿¡± Each time one of its legs is torn off, the giant octopus emits an inaudible shriek, but I ignore it and press on with the aggression. Then, with a timing impossible to elude, the giant octopus¡¯s onslaught is imminent towards me. I leap in front of Moyasuke and attempt to block the attack with my poleaxe. ¡°Oops, protection is my duty, you know. ?Knight Shield Barrier?, ?Enlarged Barrier?.¡± But, before I can do so, a man steps in front of us and, with a towering barrier, intercepts the giant octopus¡¯s assault. ¡°¡®That big octopus is the last one! Fire three volleys without hitting the girl!''¡± From the top of the building, a distinguished-looking old man raises his voice and exercises ?Command? and the surrounding people carry out the attack in accordance with his instructions. Although I momentarily look in that direction wondering what has become of the other foes, it seems that they have already been eliminated. And when I redirect my sight, several explosions have been triggered by the attacks of large number of individuals. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± That is when I realize this is my chance. Therefore, I dash up to the body of the giant octopus with the support of Moyasuke. The people in the vicinity are swallowing with bated breath as if wondering what I am about to do. ¡°?Bio Weapon Creation Axe? Custom ¨C ¡®Heavy Bone Axe¡¯.¡± At the top of its head, I discard the poleaxe and generate a new axe from my right arm. That axe is composed of bones that are more densified than ordinary ones, and its edge and handle are thicker and broader than those of conventional axes. Yet, it is unnecessary for me to carry it. All I have to do is simply let the weight of the axe do the work and orient it so that the edge accurately penetrates the surface of the octopus. ¡°Fall¡­¡± ¡°!?¡± As my ¡°Heavy Bone Axe¡± drives into its head, the giant octopus screeches, but it doesn¡¯t end there, continuing to dig into its head and splitting the octopus in half by its weight. Then simultaneously with the downfall of the giant octopus, cheers erupted from the humans in the periphery. T/N: [i] The gender is not revealed but I don¡¯t use ¡°it¡± for animals unless the relationship is not personal CH 113 The Fox Princess Side. (Third person POV for the whole chapter) During the same time that the Otachi and the others commence hostile operation. Likewise, the monsters of the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡± invade a port city south of the ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War¡± ruled by the ¡°Hundred Beast Clad Fox Princess¡±. All of the inhabitants of this port city, though, have already evacuated, leaving only behind those with the capacity to fight. In that aspect, their situation is more favorable than that of the port city where Otachi and company are struggling. ¡°But aside from that, you know, the monsters that showed up here are unfortunate.¡± Amidst all this, a Kitsunejin¡­ Shiranui Mugi, utters such words as she observes the monsters slowly ascending to the surface. In her right hand, she is grasping a black stone-like object with a strange pattern carved on it. The surrounding Kitsunejin and humans are also bearing a similar object. The monsters then reach the line that she and her companions have set ahead of time. ¡°We will all strike in unison!¡± With Mugi¡¯s call, each and every member present hurls a black object at the monsters collectively. ¡°Gyahahahaha! What¡¯s with this rock? Do you think such rock will be able to take down us?¡± Regardless of this, the monsters of the Octopus King, including the gilled humanoid monster in the lead, the so-called ¡°Hanryojin,¡± burst into hysterical laughter. ¡°How about this then? ?Fire Swirl?.¡± Mugi activates ?Fire Swirl? skill in the center of the monsters, particularly in the area where the black objects are congregated, as she has already anticipated their reactions. At that moment¡­ Boom!! [[[©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`©`£¡£¿]]] Accompanied by rumbling echoes, a whirlpool of flames far surpassing the regular ?Fire Swirl? spirals out from the center of the cackling monsters. Due to the sheer compatibility of the two attributes, even minor contact with the flames drives the monsters to faint in anguish, and the flames spread throughout their entire bodies from the slightest point of impact, incinerating them while compelling them to scream out their doom. ¡°Everybody, continue!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± While the monsters writhe in the flames, the others launch their fire skills at them, widening the scope of the flames with each shot. Eventually, along with the waning of the flames, the monsters¡¯ death cries cease, revealing a myriad of charred carcasses in their wake. ¡°The first wave of extermination is complete. This new technology is amazingly powerful huh?¡± Mugi mutters and pulls out a black object from her pocket which she fiddles with her hand. The identity of the black object: It is a combination of various objects and materials Mugi collected as samples on the continent, which were researched and duplicated. To be more specific, the object has succeeded in explosively amplifying the ferocity of the fire by combining oil, which has a high ignition capacity, with wood, which can absorb more liquid than its own volume, and a technology developed in a certain region of the continent for engraving skills. Among the Kitsunejin, this is termed as ¡°Black Explosive Material¡±. Furthermore, the materials used for the ¡°Black Explosive Material¡± are all from different regions. Although Ryo and the other members are familiar with each technology and materials, only Mugi, who served as the ¡°Mercenary of the Fog¡± group¡¯s deputy, has thorough knowledge. ¡°The second wave is coming! Brace yourselves!¡± The voice of a guard reverberates throughout Mugi and the others. ¡°Hmph! This is a golden opportunity to put breakthrough technology to work! You guys!¡± [[[Yes!]]] Under Mugi¡¯s direction, several cannons with a variety of embellishments are brought in from the back of the unit, and a sphere with a geometric pattern engraved on it is loaded into the cannon. Even as they are making preparations, the monsters are closing in on them. Notwithstanding, their advances are halted at a specific line, possibly because they witnessed the pillar of fire earlier. ¡°Heh, it looks like they possess brains of their own to ponder a bit, but how naive.¡± But that is exactly what Mugi desires. After chuckling once, Mugi sends out instructions to those who are readying the cannons. And according to her orders, the cannons fire¡­ no, some cannons fire lightning, some cannons fire gusts of wind, and some cannons directly fire masses of magic, and some cannons fire lumps of poison. [[[Arghhhhhhhhhh!]]] Within that inferno, the blessed ones are hit squarely by a cannon shot and explode before they can even suffer, while the ill-fated ones are mortally wounded to the point where they cannot die in an instant. The name of the cannon used by Mugi and her team is the ¡°Skill Loading Cannon¡±. The cannon projectiles are comprised of a valuable material with a unique directional sealing ability that prevents outbursts and sends the projectiles flying, allowing the skills engraved on the projectiles to be activated simultaneously with their impact. After the monsters of the second wave have been obliterated, the monsters of the third wave descend upon them. Despite this, their legs are utterly cowering in the face of the carnage wrought on the previous two waves, and they have the demeanor of someone who would flee right now if they could. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re not going to come at us, we¡¯ll come at you!¡± Mugi and company, of course, do not pass up such an opportunity and assault the limping monsters in one single swoop, tragically crushing the mob. As the battle progresses, the octopus, whom the monsters are depending on, is powerlessly seared by a combination of ¡°Black Explosive Material¡± and fire attribute skills, putting a stop to its movement. In the end, the Octopus King¡¯s subordinates failed to accomplish any results, only to be exterminated by Mugi and the others. ¡°Hahaha. The result is rather promising. Isn¡¯t these new technologies marvelous?¡± In the ¡°Fox City of the Beasts of War,¡± the Fox Princess has received the reports from Mugi and her team, to which a broad smile spreads across her face. ¡°Now, the rest of the morons shall be wiped out one by one.¡± The Fox Princess then issues further commands to the other port cities, taking into account the reports that came in. CH 114 This is the Snow Sage¡¯s side. (Third person POV) One hour before Otachi and his comrades commenced fighting. In the innermost part of the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡±. ¡°As you have presumed, Snow Sage-sama, adversaries have arisen not only from the east but from the north as well. Judging from the enemy¡¯s formation, it would appear that the monsters to the east are from the ¡®Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡¯ and the monsters to the north are from the ¡®Immovable North Pole Emperor¡¯.¡± Yuu kneels down on one knee and relays the scout¡¯s report to the Snow Sage. The ¡°Immovable North Pole Emperor¡± is the name of the Demon King who rules the Arctic Ocean not only underwater but above the surface as well, and is regarded as one of the top-class Demon Kings, including the ¡°King of the Devouring Black Fog¡± in terms of sheer strength alone. ¡°Oh. As expected, the northern side is aiming to play both ends against the middle. Well, I knew it would come to that.¡± The Snow Sage responds to Yuu¡¯s report with a smile spreading across his cheeks. His expression reveals no signs of fear or impatience. ¡°Now, the evacuation of the residents has already been completed on both sides, right?¡± ¡°Yes, everything is fine.¡± At Yuu¡¯s answer, the Snow Sage¡¯s smile deepens. ¡°Then proceed as planned.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± And so, Yuu sets out from the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± to the battlefield. The Hanryojin, who is the commander of the Octopus King¡¯s force invading the Snow Sage¡¯s domain, is in a quandary. ¡°What exactly is happening on¡­ Why aren¡¯t there any humans around¡­?¡± After all, he has been ordered to massacre all the humans on sight, and he has gone ashore in high spirits, only to be greeted by no human resistance. To be more accurate, no humans can be glimpsed at all. [[Kishashasha!]] Despite this, the rest of the monsters, with the exception of him, do not deem the situation peculiar and continue to ravage the city, assuming that the humans are hidden somewhere. This area will be a vacant plot of land in the next several hours should things continue at this pace. ¡°Gyagyagya!¡± One of the monsters who has been demolishing the city spots some figures in the distance. [[Gyagagu!!]] ¡°W-wait, you guys!¡± The group of monsters, who have been dissatisfied only with wrecking the buildings, react all in one accord, pursuing the figures before the commander can even afford to stop them. Then, the commander inevitably chases after them. After some time has passed since the monsters of the Octopus King have initiated the pursuit of their prey, before they know it, the group they have been hunting is on the verge of joining up with another group coming from ahead. ¡°Gubababa!!¡± However, they interpret this as an incentive to prey on more targets, thus attempting to swoop down on the group. The moment one of the lead animals swings its claws at the group, the group they have been chasing vanishes. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± They eventually locate a group of roughly the same size as themselves as they shrug their shoulders and search for their missing prey. ¡°An ambush¡­ They¡¯re underestimating us!¡± Even if they are equal in number, there is no chance that they, who are under the command of the Octopus King, will be brutalized by a bunch of humans. That is what the commander of the group reckons, and under his leadership, they assail the group as if they were vindicating their previous resentment. (Yuu POV) ¡°Here they come.¡± Looking through the telescope, I confirm the cloud of dust and the figure of the Yukijin fleeing with their horse ahead of the enemies, and after notifying my companions concealed around me with a motion of my hand, I myself hide once more. The sound of horses neighing and galloping in place can eventually be heard from two directions. In succession, shouts of rage, war cries, explosions, and the noise of something enormous moving fill the background. From these sounds, I realize that the Snow Sage-sama¡¯s strategy has worked and I raise myself up to assess the situation, taking caution not to be discovered by the foe. ¡°This is¡­ terrific.¡± Below me, two armies are engaged in combat. On one side are the monsters of the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos,¡± consisting of Hanryojin, flying fish, and giant octopuses. On the other side are the monsters of the ¡°Immovable North Pole Emperor,¡± constituted of polar bears, narwhals, ice golems, etc. Perhaps out of their previous frustration, the momentum of their endeavors is tremendous, leading both parties to exert deadly tension against each other. Yes, the Snow Sage-sama¡¯s plan is to induce monsters of different dungeon affiliations to exhaust each other. To assure the plan¡¯s success, the Snow Sage-sama sent all humans in the area of operation to evacuate in advance, and those who were assigned to actually guide the hostiles had to be well-trained and meticulously prepared. ¡°Well, I had this scenario in mind when we were being pursued, but I absolutely don¡¯t want to go head-to-head with these contenders.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± My companions who have been leading the enemies to this stage emerge from behind me. Although all of them are exhausted, their faces are radiant, possibly reflecting the fact that they have done their part. ¡°You guys did a great job. It¡¯s our task from here on out. Please stay here and watch.¡± Saying this, I call my beloved horse by beckoning him to me. Right. A clash between two armies is not the culmination of the Snow Sage¡¯s strategy. Otherwise, we would only benefit from the large amount of material that would be left behind, which would not be worth it. Therefore, this is the second phase of the plan. ¡°Everyone, ready for battle!¡± As the combat beneath us begins to wane, I announce my instructions to my companions who have been hiding, and have them and myself clad in ?Frozen Silver Armor?. After confirming that all of my companions have assumed combat readiness somewhat late, I issue a single command. ¡°Chargeeeeeee!¡± Following my command, my companions strike from the side of the monsters struggling below us. [[©`©`©`©`£¡£¿]] Startled by the unexpected intruders, both sides of the monsters briefly halt their actions. Needless to say, we do not overlook the opportunity and raid them. The Snow Bears and Snow Horses, equipped with ?Frozen Silver Armor? on various parts of their bodies, take advantage of the opportunity to lunge forward and sweep down their enemies, while the monsters who cannot use ?Frozen Silver Armor? leverage their own strength and subdue their prey in rapid succession. ¡°Phew. Guess this is the last of it.¡± ¡°Ga¡­ gii¡­¡± The monster at my feet, a half-fisherman-like creature, is crushed by my horse¡¯s hooves, and I sweep my gazes across the surroundings. The only moving figures in the area are my companions, while the surroundings are enveloped in silence. ¡°Then, let¡¯s collect what we can and depart.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After treating the wounded, we strip the corpses of the monsters lying nearby of their materials, and return to the ¡°Silver Snow Forest¡± to report the results of the battle to the Snow Sage-sama. CH 115 This is the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s side. (Third person POV for the whole chapter) While Kurokiri and the others are fending off the Octopus King¡¯s monsters with the individual valor, the Fox Princess¡¯ group testing out the new technology, and the Snow Sage¡¯s party strategizing, this is what is happening at the ¡°Sakurajima Direct Crater¡± dungeon of the ¡°Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡±. ¡°Are you certain about this?¡± ¡°Yes. Please do.¡± The first level of ¡°Sakurajima Direct Crater¡± has an entrance within the Sakurajima crater, rendering it inaccessible to ordinary humans, but the second level is designed to allow a portion of the structure to be opened for Dragon Sovereign to create her kin. And as of now, the Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame as well as the Sakurahijin accompanied by a dozen or so human beings are on the second level of the structure. Nevertheless, despite the impatience and fury in their atmosphere, there is no sense of antagonism. You¡¯re wondering the reason for this? ¡°I understand. The circumstances in the port city are getting worse by the minute.¡± To begin with, ¡°Dragon Sovereign of the Caged Cherry Blossom Flame¡± is a Demon King who lacks the characteristics of a Demon King, and her typical behavior is to slumber in the dungeon while creating monsters as she sees fit. The only other thing she does besides that is to transform humans into her kin when they come to the second level, which she created for the purpose of creating kin, and she does not release monsters outside to attack the settlements. That¡¯s right. The Dragon Sovereign is a Demon King who has never taken the initiative to harm any human being. On top of that, her kin, the Sakurahijin, possess the ability to heal the injured with their unique skill ?Cherry Blossom Rain? and the bulk of them customarily wander around the community to heal the wounded and are highly reputed. Therefore, the Dragon Sovereign and her kin, the Sakurahijin, are favorably accepted by the people in the surrounding areas, unlike other Demon Kings and their kin. ¡°We are aware of that. That is why we ask for your power, Dragon Sovereign-sama.¡± In the midst of this, the monsters of the ¡°Crawling Octopus King of Chaos¡± have abruptly stormed the port city, causing the humans and the Sakurahijin in the port city to suffer an uphill battle. The Dragon Sovereign and her team have to urgently maintain their strength and send in reinforcements. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stop you anymore. ?Monster Creation?.¡± For this reason, the Dragon Sovereign has gathered the group of humans who have made up their minds to resign from the human race and be her kin. So that they can protect what they desire to protect. With the activation of Dragon Sovereign¡¯s skill, the hair color of the assembled humans turns into an alluring cherry blossom color, which is followed by cherry blossom-colored fire sparks that rain down on the area as if celebrating the birth of new kin. ¡°I am counting on you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And the batch of new kin heads off to the battlefield of their own accord. The conflict is still tense, despite the cooperation of humans, Sakurahijin, and Dragon Sovereign¡¯s monsters, as well as the additional kin dispatched by the Dragon Sovereign. What is the reason behind this? Indeed, the ?Cherry Blossom Rain? is a formidable skill that can both attack and heal at the same time, and if multiple Sakurahijin exercises it synchronously, most wounds can be healed instantaneously and the opponents can be inflicted with a certain extent of damage. Regardless, the primary effect of ?Cherry Blossom Rain? is recovery rather than offense. Many of Dragon Sovereign¡¯s monsters also have recovery abilities, and since Dragon Sovereign is a Demon King who does not strike humans, the humans themselves have scarcely any experience in battle. Hence, the situation that occurs is¡­ ¡°Damn it! We¡¯re outnumbered!¡± ¡°Concentrate all your firepower in one place!¡± ¡°As if we can pull that off!¡± There is a critical shortage of firepower. As a result, the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s side is now awaiting reinforcements from other Demon Kings, who may or may not arrive, and is gradually retreating to withstand the enemies¡¯ aggression. Now, a question might be posed here. You may wonder, even if they lack offensive capabilities, given their resilience, is it possible to maintain the war front even if it is impossible to push back the enemy? The current predicament, nevertheless, is not such a simple one. Recovery, by definition, only applies to those who are still alive; not to those who perish with a single blow or damage to equipment, such as shields and spears. ¡°It¡¯s coming! Retreat!!¡± Yes. For instance, the giant octopus, whose physical strength is sufficient to crush a human being with a shield, is their natural antagonist. ¡°Damn it! Fall back! Fall backkkkkk!!¡± ¡°Reinforcements are not yet¡­ gyaaaaa!!¡± The humans on Dragon Sovereign¡¯s side flee while swearing, and the Octopus King¡¯s monsters pounce on their vulnerable backs, snatching their lives away. ¡°Damn it¡­ If only we could do something about that giant octopus¡­¡± These humans, who managed to escape to the outer part of the city and put up a fighting appearance, involuntarily murmur to themselves. In their eyes, they can catch sight of the monsters of the Octopus King who are progressively advancing towards them from the city¡­ that loathsome giant octopus. Should that giant octopus reach this point, they would be hopelessly devastated. That is what the humans are thinking, with some weeping and quivering, and others in despair. Yet, the time they have accumulated over the many sacrifices they have exerted up to this point will save them. ¡°©`©`©`!!¡± All of a sudden, the exclamation of the giant octopus pierces the area. They look up to check what is going on. There, they witness the giant octopus that has tormented them for so long being slain in one blow by a girl. ¡°You did your best. Please leave the rest to me.¡± Although she seems to be far away, the girl¡¯s voice sounds mysteriously familiar. That girl is clad entirely in black, with a metal gauntlet covering her left arm and a double-edged blade in her right hand. Ichiko is the name of the young woman. She carries the alias of ¡°Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword¡± and is running around this country hunting monsters of the Octopus King under the command of Kurokiri. Her arrival at the scene drastically alters the course of events. That strength of hers could only be described as overwhelming. The giant octopus with which they had struggled so viciously was slashed to death in a heartbeat, while other monsters with threatening abilities succumbed after being hit in the vital parts with pinpoint accuracy. Even those who are able to retaliate are struck down by excruciating counterattacks without a single blow landed on her. In response to this spectacle, other humans, who until now have been on the defensive, also go on the offensive. As if their lack of firepower up to this stage were a falsehood, the humans are so vigorous that they are vanquishing the monsters of the Octopus King. Even the enemies¡¯ occasional attacks are immediately cured by ?Cherry Blossom Rain? that pours down all over the vicinity. The speed of the healing is such that even a critically wounded man can regain his fighting strength within mere seconds. After that, reinforcements equipped with the latest equipment from the Fox Princess also arrive at the battlefield, and before long, the monsters of the Octopus King are unilaterally reduced in number, thus ending the battle with a victory for Dragon Sovereign and her team. T/N: There¡¯s finally an indication that the Dragon Sovereign is a female. Glad I am not wrong in the translation. Oh, I just realized her dungeon¡¯s name has not been revealed until this chapter. It kind of slipped my mind sometimes that this is set in the real world. This is what Sakurajima (the crater) looks like in real life. As for the Fox Princess, well, the past chapters only mentioned it is an ancient city but I guess it is something like Edo era place like this: As for the other Demon Kings, I think all readers can get what their places look like CH 116 And now, to the back side. This time, there is a description of torture, so caution is advised for those who do not like such things. (Third person POV) ¡°Damn it! What the hell is going on!¡± The Hanryojin man curses in the forest while keeping his own troops behind him. The man has been assigned by the ¡°Octopus King of the Crawling Chaos¡± to accomplish two tasks. The first is to gain experience by slaughtering humans for the Octopus King. The other is to penetrate the defenses of the Demon Kings in this country and establish a base for themselves. Without any rhyme or reason, the man has a feeling that both of these orders would be a piece of cake. Nonetheless, as it turned out, the man could not fulfill any of the orders of the Octopus King. In comparison to the customary cutthroat relationships that exist between other countries, the bond between the Demon Kings and humans in this country is stronger than the man imagined, and the cooperation between the two sides is unbelievable. The strength of this cooperation is evident in the fact that those who marauded the port city were literally exterminated, and those who landed from other places were also disposed of as soon as they were discovered by local residents or monsters dispatched by the Demon Kings. ¡°But we can¡¯t give up¡­ The Octopus King¡¯s orders are absolute¡­ We¡¯ll find a hiding place somewhere¡­¡± Even so, as a monster created by the Demon King, the man is left with no other choice but to carry out the Octopus King¡¯s commands. The man slowly makes his way through the thicket and into the forest. ¡°Right. Thanks to the fact that the other members of the group served as decoys, we successfully made it this far into the interior. So as long as we don¡¯t get spotted by that monster who eliminated all the giant octopuses, things should be fine¡­¡± Interpreting the situation in a positive light, the man ponders how he can execute the missions he has been allotted. Of course, the monster that was referred to was Ichiko, the one that got rid of the giant octopus. ¡°Alright, you guys. There should be a river ahead. We can set up a base there¡­¡± The man, seemingly having reached a conclusion, turns around to direct the monsters he is leading. However, no words are forthcoming. After all, ¡°Oh, you have finally realized. I¡¯m getting tired of waiting.¡± There they are: his own dismembered subordinates, as well as the perpetrators of the murder who dismembered them. And the perpetrator¡¯s group commander, a woman in camouflage uniform with gray hair and red eyes, is there. (Ryo POV) In ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± when Izumi is fighting strenuously in the port city and Ichiko is defeating giant octopuses in various places. ¡°Hah, what did you summon me back to do, commanding the slaves?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so critical, under the circumstances, it is a certainty that someone will sneak inland from the Sea of Japan, and capturing that person in a clandestine manner will be easier with an experienced field commander.¡± Before I had time to treat the wounded or command the front line, I was called back to Kurokiri and received tedious orders while clad in camouflage. ¡°Although I admit that I am experienced, do these women obey my instructions?¡± While uttering these words, I observed the women who will be under my command this time¡­ the members of ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡±. There were mainly three sorts of expressions on the faces of the girls who were part of the ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡±. An expression of jealousy towards me, the unwilling recipient of Kurokiri¡¯s affections. An expression of ecstasy caused by the joy of working for the sake of Kurokiri, even at the expense of their own lives. An expression of apathy due to the fact that their hearts have been totally shattered by Kurokiri. As for the ecstatic and the apathetic, it was likely that they will still abide by my orders, but it was possible that the envy group will try to pull me down by my legs and defy my orders. Incidentally, the majority of them were ecstatic > expressionless > jealous, but even before this, I had to admit that Kurokiri¡¯s infatuation with such a wide number of individuals didn¡¯t shock me. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. If I use the Demon King¡¯s authority, the chain of command can be handed over, and anyone who doesn¡¯t have a clue about what they need to do to please me will be disposed of.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ I see.¡± It seems it would be fine if the Demon King¡¯s authority is exercised. But still, by disposing of them, you mean killing them, right? Do you mean to send them on a suicide attack to the Fox Princess¡¯ dungeon? ¡°Yeah, something like that.¡± ¡°!?¡± You read my mind!? ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯m counting on you. Preferably, don¡¯t let any of the other Demon King¡¯s subordinates find out©`¡± ¡°I understand¡­¡± And so we flew to the place where the sighting report came from, with the use of the Long-distance Transportation Formation. After a flight to the site, we first sought and detected the enemy forces discreetly based on the intelligence supplied to us beforehand, and then encircled the perimeter. That reminded me that I hadn¡¯t heard from Kurokiri as to the reason behind taking the trouble and risk to capture the hostiles. So far as I could tell, the objective was to extract various information about the Octopus King¡¯s dungeon, but there was no possibility that the monsters would betray the Demon King, so what in the world was he planning to achieve? ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t really matter right now, I suppose.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°Ryo-sama?¡± To my murmurings, the closest sister answered with a tilt of her head. The Hanryojin who seemed to be the leader of the group paused and began to ponder. An opponent with a particular degree of intellectual capacity would be preferable for Kurokiri¡¯s aims, and in that perspective, that Hanryojin, who was equivalent of Mystic in this dungeon, would be an appropriate target for capture. If such was the case, the current circumstance, in which their leader was pensive, was ideal. Now then, ¡°¡®Here¡¯s my message to all of you. Dispose of everyone except that Hanryojin without making a sound.¡± [[Understood.]] Under my ?Command?, the ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡± began to operate, and those in the rear of the line were penetrated with a single stroke to the vital spot and lay to rest without a sound. At this spectacle, I unconsciously contemplate what would ensue if they were my allies, which would be reassuring, but what would unfold if they turned into my enemies? Within seconds, the whole thing was settled, and then the Hanryojin started to act. This was where negotiations should take place amicably. ¡°Alright, you guys. There should be a river ahead. We can set up a base there¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you have finally realized. I¡¯m getting tired of waiting,¡± I said this intimidatingly to the Hanryojin who was bewildered by the situation unfolding before him. ¡°Now, if you would meekly let us capture you, it would save you a lot of pain, what do you think?¡± While asking the Hanryojin the clich¨¦d question, I ?Command? that the others should go around behind the Hanryojin with a hand sign. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ mess with meeeeeeee!¡± When the Hanryojin surged at me with his right claw drawn, I issued ?Command? to the one who had been instructed to circle around him to cut off his right arm, and the order was immediately executed. ¡°My arm aaaaahh¡­¡± The Hanryojin crouched down while suppressing his right arm. From the wound, a profuse amount of blood was gushing out, and leaving it alone will undoubtedly result in death from exsanguination in a few minutes. But for our goal, this Hanryojin was not allowed to die. Therefore, ¡°?Great Heal?.¡± ¡°Heee¡­ ah¡­ what¡­¡± I will close the wound. ¡°¡®The pit of his stomach¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Guahhh¡­!?¡± However, as long as you don¡¯t die, there will be no problem, so I¡¯ll ?Command? with a hand sign to inflict enough pain to the extent that it wouldn¡¯¡¯t kill you. ¡°Wait¡­¡± The ¡°Shadows of the Fog¡± will torture the Hanryojin so that even a scream from him cannot be raised. But I was positive that among the members who were torturing him now, some of them possessed healing skills, so there should pose no problem. Now, ¡°Kurokiri. We¡¯ve captured one Hanryojin, so please set up the Transportation Formation.¡± [Yes. I¡¯ll get it ready shortly.] Having contacted Kurokiri, our mission was now concluded. I would like to destroy the source at the earliest opportunity¡­ CH 117 (Chirito POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Without further ado, I would like to announce the fourth meeting of the Japanese Demon Conference.¡± As usual, Kamogawa-san declares the conference to be in session. ¡°Before proceeding to the agenda of this meeting, I would like to first express my gratitude to all of you for your outstanding efforts in the recent incident involving the ¡®Octopus King of the Crawling Chaos¡¯.¡± He then gives a bow toward us. Good grief, even if he is the head of the human beings, he should not easily bow his head, but let¡¯s just make a follow-up.. ¡°What are you rambling about? The Kirijin simply brought their own forces and arbitrarily buried those who were insolent.¡± After saying this, I look at the faces of the other representatives of the Demon Kings. ¡°Right. For our part, we were merely testing out a new weapon devised by the Fox Princess-sama.¡± Inaho-san, who is the representative of the Fox Princess, also seems to have caught on to my intentions and offers words accordingly. ¡°In my place, it was the cooperation of the local residents that enabled us to defeat the invaders, so if anything, you should be thanking them.¡± Yuu-san, the representative of the Snow Sage, also says so. ¡°I am ashamed¡­ to admit that we were not able to fight them off on our own when it came to our part¡­ so even if you bow down to us¡­¡± It seems that the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s representative, Michiru-san, is somewhat embarrassed. Well, the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s location appears to have sustained more damage than others, so this reaction is justified, I suppose. ¡°Instead, I believe we should be concentrating our attention right now on preparation for the Octopus King¡¯s assaults, which are likely to persist in the future.¡± ¡°That is true. And that is also our agenda this time.¡± Everyone expresses their affirmation in some form or another. ¡°First and foremost, regardless of how many times we are attacked, there will be no obstacles unless the enemies invade the Fox Princess-sama¡¯s and our place on a larger scale than this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s accurate, I suppose. We have the Fox Princess-sama¡¯s technology and there is numerous notable kin, including Nasu Ryo, the commander of the ¡®Mercenary of the Fog,¡¯ in addition to the half-Demon King, ¡®Blade Princess of the Unsettled Sword,¡¯ who may be considered an irregularity at the Fog King-sama¡¯s place.¡± Inaho-san agrees with my evaluation of the present situation. Judging from the looks on the faces of the people surrounding me, I would say they are all in unanimous agreement on that aspect. ¡°Therefore, our concern is the territory of the remaining two Demon Kings and the vacant region facing the Sea of Japan,¡± I say as I open the map and indicate the approximate sphere of influence of each Demon King. ¡°Right. This time, not only the Octopus King but also the Demon King of the Arctic Ocean had made their move. Owing to the wits of the Snow Sage-sama, we experienced no difficulties, but if we have to engage in a series of battles, there are many variables that need to be addressed.¡± ¡°Our side is more critical. This time, the Dragon Sovereign-sama¡¯s level has risen, so she can augment her capabilities to some extent, but even so, I don¡¯t think the lack of firepower will be able to be compensated for.¡± Yuu-san and Michiru-san state with a stern look. ¡°In terms of the Snow Sage-sama¡¯s location, I think we can use the method of converting the settlers into agricultural soldiers, which is a concept that existed in the past. Even now, it is safer than the other two Demon Kings¡¯ territories, and many people desire to reside there, and I am positive that the Snow Sage-sama will be able to handle even this weak troop properly,¡± Kamogawa-san suggests this as one of his proposals. Or, to put it another way, Kurokiri-san is nothing more than a terrifying figure in the eyes of the general public, right? Well, it seems that the Fox Princess is likewise. ¡°The problem is Dragon Sovereign-sama¡¯s place, isn¡¯t it? Although there are many people who want to settle here, with all due respect, the Dragon Sovereign-sama doesn¡¯t seem to be suited for military service.¡± ¡°I agree. Unfortunately, even if there are a lot of individuals who wish for this, I don¡¯t think it will be possible to manage them all.¡± Michiru-san¡¯s expression darkens at once. Well, the Dragon Sovereign definitely doesn¡¯t seem to have a flair for military tactics. That is what I believe from the content of the sham battle and from what I heard from Kurokiri-san. ¡°But, the Dragon Sovereign-sama and her kin, the Sakurahijin, are also the holders of invaluable recovery-type skills. I am not inclined to abandon this option.¡± ¡°I concur with that as well. However, the distance involved makes it a bit demanding to send reinforcements in case of an emergency.¡± Yuu-san and I look at Inaho-san while discussing such things. Well, our responses are reasonable since it would be tough to send reinforcements by both Kurokiri-san and the Snow Sage. ¡°That is something I can comprehend. We, the Kitsunejin, will be the main reinforcements, as we did this time.¡± Alright, she agrees to this. But. ¡°T-thank you very much!¡± ¡°However, both of you will maintain a standing army, and we will demand something in exchange, like the dispatch of Sakurahijin to various locations.¡± ¡°Naturally, we are willing to do at least that.¡± ¡°While I have no assurance, I think my side can deal with that much at our discretion.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± This much is a given, isn¡¯t it? Well, I suppose Kurokiri-san would approve of this much. In fact, he might even consider it a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Fox Princess¡¯ skills and the stratagem of the Snow Sage. ¡°Numbers are power, you know. If a human can be influenced, we too can be swayed.¡± It seems that with the slightly changed atmosphere, Kamogawa-san is also cooperating in protecting the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s territory. Yeah. This is a good sign. ¡°Now then, the problem is the vacant zone, right?¡± ¡°As for that part, shouldn¡¯t the three forces of the Fox Princess-sama, the Fog King-sama, and the Snow Sage-sama jointly guard that area?¡± ¡°That would be fine. The other day, the Fog King-sama seemed to have gone out of his way to dispatch troops to that area as well. Could you please explain to us what you were doing?¡± Ah, so the Fox Princess side had found out. Anyway, Kurokiri-san mentioned that what should be kept under wraps is what kind of troops moved in, and what they did doesn¡¯t need to be concealed from the outside world, so I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°I am not informed of everything either, but apparently we have captured a monster that was infiltrated from the Sea of Japan and is capable of independent thought, namely, the Octopus King. As for why he captured them or what he did with them afterwards, it escapes my knowledge.¡± I say this while making an ¡°oh dear¡± gesture. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. In any case, since it¡¯s the Fog King, he must possess some kind of special skill.¡± ¡°That is likely to be the case.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It seems that there are also Sakurahijin who continue to dwell in the ¡®White Fog and the Black Swamp Forest¡¯.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no secret that in the territory of the Fog King-sama, disappearances are a frequent occurrence.¡± Yeah, I don¡¯t like it when they stare at me at this point. Even if I wanted to stop them, I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Oh, yeah. You see, let us overlook that part of the matter as a confidentiality issue for each Demon King. The remaining problem lies in how to deal with ?Disaster Curse? that may arise when we are trying to cooperate in this way.¡± ¡°As reported by my younger sister, the curse seems to be quite a nasty one.¡± ¡°Although there have been no reports of outbreaks in Japan, there is the possibility that they have simply exhausted their lifespan before we can detect them.¡± Alright, I¡¯ve succeeded in diverting the conversation. This curse, though, is substantially more than a nuisance. My older sister also perished as a result of this curse. This curse as well as the creator of the curse, I will absolutely not forgive them. ¡°It¡¯s also a bummer that the sole known precedent is Chirito-dono¡¯s older sister¡¯s case. Whether or not the curse¡¯s strength is proportional to its source will have a significant impact on our countermeasures.¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s a passive measure, the easiest approach to deal with this is to flee when they emerge.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Even a half-Demon King might have a hard time dealing with such an opponent, so that¡¯s the only way to deal with it.¡± ¡°The reality is, if the curse could be lifted, that would be ideal.¡± At my comment, all the members present involuntarily let out a sigh and nod their heads. CH 118 (Kurokiri POV) During the time that Chirito is attending the 4th Japanese Demon Conference, in ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡±. ¡°So what are you planning to do with this Hanryojin we ended up capturing?¡± Ryo is questioning me about what to do with the Hanryojin, who has been battered and bruised to the stage where he is barely alive while pointing her finger at the Hanryojin who is in a state of being wrapped in a bamboo mat. Yeah. It is true that he has been captured. But I didn¡¯t expect that the Hanryojin would be driven to such a state of half-death. Lady Ryo has apparently become quite apathetic after 10 years of mercenary life without my awareness. I mean, I am convinced an ordinary human or kin would die if their fingernails were ripped off, their scales were removed, and parts of their bones or internal organs were harmed. Even Ichiko is a little taken aback by the disastrous scene. Despite this, he is still alive. What a pitiful thing. Furthermore, since he is the Octopus King¡¯s monster, he wouldn¡¯t be able to divulge anything that would be disadvantageous to his master, even if he desired to. Yeah. It¡¯s truly pitiful. ¡°Are you listening?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯m paying attention. About how to deal with him, right? I¡¯ve built an exclusive room for this purpose, where I¡¯ll confine him for the time being, with suicide prevention measures in place.¡± No, this is not advisable. I must ensure that this Hanryojin would not fall into despair in this world any more than he already had. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to obtain information about the Octopus King right away?¡± ¡°Unlike you guys, simply questioning him about his master won¡¯t yield any information, and I haven¡¯t found someone who can probe his memories. For the time being, all we need to do is apprehend him.¡± Right. We just need to capture him for the time being. In reality, there are far too many obstacles in the way of vanquishing the Octopus King¡­ To mention a few, I believe there are at least this many issues that need to be addressed. ?Development of a practical, Ultra-long-distance Transportation Formation method. ?Since the dungeon of the Octopus King is presumably located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, it is necessary to develop skills related to diving. ?Development of mind-reading skills to extract internal information from captured monsters. However, the tricky aspect is that except for the top two points, I don¡¯t know any related skills, so there is no way to do anything about the Hanryojin at this state. This signifies that either I will continue my steady development of skills, or the Fox Princess or Snow Sage will have to come up with an innovative solution. Alternatively, someone else will have to acquire such a skill¡­ Whichever method it takes, it will likely require years of time. ¡°From the look on your face, I¡¯m assuming that overthrowing the Octopus King will be a long time in the future.¡± ¡°Or rather, we have no choice but to do it first, Lady Ryo.¡± Whether the two of them could decipher the length of time ahead from my expression, they say something like that. For now, I am going to contact prominent individuals on the human side and search for the owners of such related skills¡­ (Izumi POV) On the other hand, at my side, ¡°Wow, I would have never dreamed that the little kid from back then would have grown up to be this strong.¡± ¡°?¡± I am assisting in the reconstruction work of the city. At any rate, the human called Tachikabe is constantly pestering me. Is he a pedophile? Is he the same type of guy like Kurokiri onii-chan? If so, I should be out of his scope. Despite my appearance, I am about to turn 20 years old. Even alcohol consumption would be acceptable for me. ¡°Tachikabe! If you¡¯ve got time to idle your time away, you should be working, too!¡± ¡°Oui! Excuse me! Otachi-san!¡± See, Uncle Otachi is pissed at you. Even so, this port city is well defended, huh? Although it must have taken a long time from the commencement of the battle to the arrival of my team, the damage is far less than in other places. Is this the power of Uncle Otachi? Whatever it is, I must report to Kurokiri onii-chan once the reconstruction is completed. And when I am dwelling on that point, an explosion is abruptly heard from the outskirts of the city. ¡°What happened!¡± While Uncle Otachi is trying to ascertain the situation, I call Moyasuke and mount him. A poleaxe is also created for me to be ready for battle at any moment. ¡°Someone on the outskirts seems to have utilized an explosive-type skill, but the criminal appears to have already fled!¡± A man informs Uncle Otachi of this. And then, both Uncle Otachi and Tachikabe head towards the scene of the crime. Yet at this juncture, my sixth sense picks up a strange sensation from another direction from where the explosion took place, and I follow the sensation and have Moyasuke start running. ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡± I have a memory of this sensation. It is a presence of that thing that I will never forget. It is unclear to me why she¡¯s here or what she¡¯s going to do, but I can¡¯t overlook it. If I miss it, that will probably lead to the creation of another person like Houki nee-chan. There is no telling how much I have let Moyasuke run, but little by little, we are drawing closer to the presence of that thing. Yet, something is out of alignment. The land around that port city should have been a plain, not a forest like the one we¡¯re currently through. Furthermore, as Moyasuke runs, more and more flowers that are unlike anything I have ever encountered begin to bloom at my feet. Eventually, the trees become sparse, replaced by an increasing abundance and variety of flowers blooming at my feet. After I have passed through the forest, a hooded girl awaits me, and upon sighting me, a brief remark emerges from her lips. ¡°You seem to be an irregular after all.¡± CH 119 Please note that violence is more prevalent in this chapter, so those who are not comfortable with it are advised to be cautious. (Izumi POV for the whole chapter) ¡°Irregular¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but question back. ¡°Ah, yeah. The fact that you could break into this place, even though I loosened it up a bit, is a piece of solid evidence. In addition, stepping in with a bonus is out of the ordinary. Loosened¡­? Bonus¡­? The bonus is probably referring to Moyasuke. But what did you mean by loosened up¡­? ¡°That expression on your face says you don¡¯t get it, huh? Hahaha. Very well. Since today has been full of unexpected events, my mood is on a positive streak, so I¡¯ll go over all the strange things that you do not grasp one by one.¡± The intimidating presence of the God of Calamity seated in the chair is amplified, leading both myself and Moyasuke to be physically slammed to the ground through physical pressure alone. ¡°First and foremost, let me provide some background information on this location. This is an area that was formerly restricted to only those who have been granted permission by me through the usage of barriers. Even though the barriers have been loosened a little this time, even an average Demon King would be unable to discover it.¡± An average Demon King¡­. eh? ¡°Nonetheless, you noticed and entered here quite naturally. Knowing my power, you would understand how abnormal this is, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± But that kind of power, I¡­ ¡°The second point is this: Despite the fact that you had to rely on the might of that dog and the folks surrounding you throughout the confrontation with the Octopus King¡¯s monsters, you were able to finish off the giant octopus practically singlehandedly.¡± As she raises a second finger towards me, the God of Calamity says this. ¡°To tell you the truth, that giant octopus was either a powerful entity like the Demon King or it possessed extraordinary abilities, and the rest is, well, let¡¯s put it this way. It¡¯s a demon that is deemed necessary to be defeated by human wave tactic, which is supposed to result in dozens of casualties. And yet you finished it off.¡± Isn¡¯t that because¡­ Otachi-san gave it his all? ¡°Hahaha, the most common reason for high casualties is the presence of a commander. This brings up the second anomaly: your combat capability.¡± The God of Calamity puts her hand over her mouth and chuckles. Why is me being out of standard such a pleasure for her? I don¡¯t grasp it. ¡°It is pleasurable.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ ah¡­¡± The pressure on me is escalating. ¡°Now, we¡¯ll go on to the third point. Ever since I was in the ¡®Mercenary of the Fog¡¯ as Manokami Shigan, you maintained a sort of vigilance towards me.¡± Vigilance¡­? That was only natural, given that all I could detect from you were anomalies. But that was because of your power, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°That was the erratic part. Back then, I was continuously deploying multiple layers of recognition disruption, interference, and other skills to evade any suspicions anyone might have had about me. On top of that, I was also mindful of my own behavior so that none of you would suspect me, and yet you did harbor doubt about me.¡± Speaking of which, neither Ryo nee-chan nor Mugi nee-chan was on the alert against Shigan. So that was what was going on!? ¡°That is to say, my mental interference skills, which are my forte, are somehow ineffectual when it comes to you. I can read your thoughts even now, yet I can¡¯t manipulate it. And it seems that the memory modification of the entire world, something I have been doing in conjunction with the transformation of an individual into a Demon King, has had minimal effect on you.¡± The God of Calamity, like a reptile, glares at me with her yellow eyes. ¡°However, you have an irregularity which makes you seem to overshadow the non-standard so far.¡± Rising from the chair, the God of Calamity approaches me. I furiously try to flee, but I can¡¯t move a single finger owing to the pressure on my entire body. The God of Calamity seizes my right arm and then. Crack! Accompanied by a sickening sound, my right arm is broken. ¡°©`©`©`¡­!¡± But before I can even raise a squeal, my body immediately regenerates the broken right arm and restores it to its original state. ¡°First of all, despite being at this level, it only takes a moment for you to recover.¡± While saying that, the God of Calamity lightly kicks me in such a way that my abdomen is on the top, then raises one of her legs and tramps on me with all her might. ¡°Ah¡­ ghh¡­!¡± With that blow, I could see that my abdomen has been ruptured in several spots. Despite the absence of blood, a bizarre liquid emerges from my lips, followed by a cough. But little by little, my wounds are healing undoubtedly, notwithstanding the fact that a normal human being would have died instantaneously, and within a few seconds, they are perfectly healed. ¡°And even at this level of yours, it completely heals in a few seconds. Not to mention.¡± Having said that, the God of Calamity puts her hand on the place where my heart is located and mutters a few words. ¡°?Death Hand?.¡± At that moment, I could see how ¡°Death¡± has drifted into me. ¡°Death¡± crosses my heart in the blink of an eye and brings it to an end, as it should. But, ¡°Even this won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°¡­! Huh¡­!?¡± My body denied ¡°Death¡± as my heart was restored to its former state. ¡°Now, why can¡¯t you die? Is it because you once died and were resurrected?¡± Resurrected¡­? That thing is¡­ ¡°Hahahaha. Well, let¡¯s just leave it at that for now. Whatever it is, you¡¯re a major irregularity. Up to a certain point, a living organism can reject death, but not beyond that point. It¡¯s also nearly unattainable for them to return. Nonetheless, you have succeeded. In a sense, you are even more of a monster than I am. It will be fascinating to witness how you figure that out. Well then, I guess that¡¯s enough for today.¡± Leaving those words, the God of Calamity sweeps her arm and before long, Moyasuke and I are transported from the strange place we had been to the middle of a field near the port city. Neither a shadow nor a figure of the God of Calamity could be spotted already. I then faint from the damage that I have not fully recovered yet. A/N: After all, Izumi is strange! Incidentally, all skills have a slight time delay between the time you want them to be activated and the time they are actually activated. However, since it is at the level of a few decimal points, no one has noticed it yet. CH 120 ?(Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) In the morning, Izumi abruptly expresses this to me. ¡°I want to train, so I want to go on a trip with Moyasuke.¡± ¡°Woof!¡± The trip itself would be fine. With the present pace of my research, it will most likely take a long time before we are capable of attacking the Octopus King¡¯s stronghold, and in the meanwhile, we must enhance our individual abilities. Therefore, I have no problem with that. The problem is¡­ ¡°Izumi is speaking normally¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ exactly is¡­ ah! No way, it couldn¡¯t be that the God of Calamity¡­¡± ¡°T-this must be a dream¡­¡± In any case, Ichiko, Ryo, and I are all speechless, with gaping mouths and dumbfounded expressions. But our reactions are inevitable. After all, we are facing Izumi who never utters coherently. ¡°If I can go, can I go right away?¡± ¡°A-ah, hold on a minute. Let me get in touch with the Fox Princess and send you to the continent, so wait a minute.¡± I am the first one to recover from Izumi¡¯s words and contact the Fox Princess in a bit of a panic. By the way, the method to reach the continent is to take advantage of the Long-distance Transportation Formation which is used in the trade between the Fox Princess and the Sugar King. If someone other than a Kitsunejin sought to utilize this method, they would be subjected to a number of demands. Well, Izumi and Moyasuke can manage with Mugi¡¯s help over there. ¡°I understand.¡± Izumi consents, so the negotiations begin. Despite her nagging, the discussions with the Fox Princess are successful with her agreeing to it. She demands a handful of Cu¨¦lebre¡¯s scales in exchange, but I suppose that¡¯s a small price to pay. Izumi then set off on her journey. The plan is for her to head to Europe via Russia, and when she returns, after the completion of my Ultra-long-distance Transportation Formation, I plan to use that to transport her. Who knows how many years that will be¡­ ? ?? Now that Izumi has departed, the development of the Ultra-long-distance Transportation Formation has resumed here as well. Incidentally, as for the diving technique, I heard that the Fox Princess is also working on it, but it may take several years to achieve the desired results. I told Chirito to do his utmost when it came to the mind-reading part. ¡°Oh, so this is the most fundamental of the fundamentals, the syntax for teleportation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s vastly more complex than anything we have encountered up to date.¡± The ¡°Andon of the Magic Detector,¡± which stores the syntax of various teleportation-related skills, is currently floating in front of us, and the syntax is being emitted piece by piece to the outside. What we¡¯re observing now are the laws, theories, etc., for instantaneously teleporting substances of the bottom layer of syntax. ¡°How should I put it, the amount of knowledge required of the user as a prerequisite is too much, my eyes are beginning to hurt.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s only to the extent that your eyes hurt, that¡¯s still not so bad. I¡¯m starting to suffer headaches.¡± However, the process is too intricate and challenging. To summarize how intractable it is, it is like reading an article in a specialized journal that deals with cutting-edge research in a specific field without any prior knowledge of the subject involved. Moreover, there is no dictionary or anything useful like that. ¡°Just hang in there for now. You¡¯ll grow accustomed to it¡­ or rather, deciphering it seems to be an intense ordeal for the spirit, and as long as you do not go haywire, your status will gradually elevate and you will get adjusted, even if you do not like it.¡± By the way, my spirit is already up by 1. ¡°I see¡­ Even so, this is unpleasant¡­¡± Ichiko continues to read the syntax with a small smile on her face, despite her unnerving and aloof appearance. Incidentally, Ichiko¡¯s status is a bit insufficient to read these syntaxes, but since her own unique skill is originally transfer-based, if she limits herself to reading the syntax of transfer-based skills and does this very slowly, it seems she will be able to manage. ¡°Well, you know what? If this drives you crazy, I¡¯ll take care of you for the rest of your life, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not relieved in the slightest, so I¡¯ll be careful.¡± I wonder why the moment she brushes off my thoughtful words, she reverts back to her former state of mind. Forget it. ¡°But then again, I don¡¯t have nearly enough data.¡± After reading through one sentence, I stop the emission and let my eyes rest. As I only have one eye, fatigue kicks in rapidly. ¡°Well, there are only two kinds of examples.¡± Ichiko also pauses to stretch her body and repeatedly blinks. The two types that are currently being studied are the ¡°Long-range Teleportation Formation¡± and Ichiko¡¯s ?Sword of the Formless King?Weak?. ¡°After all, I wish to have other teleportation skills¡­ such as ?Short-range Teleportation?, ?Flash Step?, ?Gateway Of A Mirror? as data. Furthermore, some of the syntaxes of teleportation-type skills are used to deliver magical power to a designated spot, so it could be worthwhile to look into that as well.¡± I list the things that could be used as data. However, since most teleportation skills are scarce, information about the possessor of such skills is often extremely limited. Moreover, the explosive-type skills include a very small amount of mass. Therefore, as reference data, it can only be used to reinforce the techniques. ¡°In any case, this means we still have a long way to go¡­¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­¡± As we both gaze up at the ceiling in a daze, we remark on such things. ¡°Is it possible to call Lady Ryo and have her use ?Heal? to recover from my weariness for more efficiency?¡± ¡°It might work if we are careful not to let her see the data¡­¡± In any case, gathering teleportation information and reconstructing it to the stage where it can be utilized will undoubtedly be a long-running saga. CH 121 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) ¡°How¡¯s the development of the diving technique going~ Fox Princess.¡± After linking my consciousness to Fog in the meeting place, I speak with the Fox Princess¡¯ possessor, the Little Fire Fox. Furthermore, it has been verified that she has already assumed control of her demon; hence, it will not seem as if I am conversing with someone while believing they are not present. ¡°I wonder if the Fog King has made any progress in developing the Ultra-long-distance Transportation Formation~¡± The Fox Princess returns the question with something like an absentminded yawn. ¡°¡­Hah¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hah¡­¡± So, after exchanging glances for a while, we let out a mutual sigh. One year has apparently elapsed since the initiation of the development. Both sides are beginning to simmer down, so to speak. ¡°Do you mind if I start grumbling about the progress for now?¡± ¡°Sure¡«¡± After she says no, I begin to complain. ¡°To begin with, the intricacy of teleportation-related techniques is astounding. I feel as if I¡¯m disassembling a piece of precise equipment that was created in this country many years ago but doesn¡¯t come with an instruction manual. When reflecting on it, it is only natural that a teleportation technique demands not only information about the current location, but also the understanding and selection of the destination. In the case of God of Calamity, the coordinates are coded and protected by multiple layers of protection so that gravity and other factors that affect space do not appear in the results of the transition. What¡¯s the issue at hand right now is the protection and the specification of the coordinates¡­ If it is utilized as is, the amount of power expended will be proportional to the distance and will rise at a monstrous speed.¡± ¡°By how much, in particular?¡± ¡°More than exponential.¡± ¡°Ah, no way we can pull that off.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± The Fox Princess looks convinced by my answer. Incidentally, I have managed to finish the analysis other than coordinate specification and protection in the past year and restructured it, thus it is conceivable to transport about 100 individuals from ¡°White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡± to the west coast of the American continent in an instant if the fuel consumption is not a concern. But, in the end, fuel consumption is out of my control! ¡°So, how about your side?¡± ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, I¡¯ve already finished the technique composition itself. As for the technique composition, I was able to work it out by applying barrier skills and a few special skills.¡± The Fox Princess replies with a sigh. ¡°However, what lies ahead is the main problem. Since the place to which it is directed is the destination, it would be hopeless to concentrate on the battle if the owner¡¯s power supply is disrupted, and it is out of the question that a slight injury would cause the technique to break down. In short, the challenge now is to figure out how to combine the materials for imprinting the technique with the materials needed to attain a realistic usage level, including effect duration. The level sought for these materials is the key issue. Initially, I figured that all I needed was a solid and strong object, so I tried to forge and use diamond, steel made from iron sand, and the scales of Cu¨¦lebre that you had given me as payment, but these materials could not withstand the complexity of the technique and would fracture during the process of engraving. On the other hand, if the materials are not capable of engraving diving techniques without problems, the main body will lack adequate strength and cannot be employed in battle. It¡¯s a total nightmare.¡± The Fox Princess has a resigned look on her face as she says this. ¡°Is there any way to enclose the material on which the technique is engraved with a solid material?¡± ¡°Of course, I tested such a method. However, the device would become massive and the fuel consumption would be unfavorable. In any case, a material that is difficult to inscribe a technique into seems to have poor power transmission. That being said, even if a solid material was to be used for some sections, interference with the technique would arise which would lead to malfunctions. Therefore, the ideal material is one that is sufficiently robust, has excellent power transmission and storage capacity, and is not susceptible to interference with surrounding objects. Well, this is idealism though.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± Even the Fox Princess, who appears to believe such a material does not exist, speaks as if she is describing a dream. ¡°O Fog King.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The Fox Princess stares at me somewhat seriously. ¡°May you ask Ichiko if she knows of any suitable materials?¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Hold on a second.¡± Once I have disconnected the link, I head downstairs to Ichiko. ¡°Ichiko. Sorry to interrupt, but can I have your attention?¡± ¡°¡­Ngh, what is it?¡± Ichiko rises in response to my voice and faces me. Now, let me enlighten on the situation. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± Well ©` high-speed communication spell is convenient¡­ ¡°Hey, as if I can grasp your message, please explain it to me properly.¡± ¡°Right©`¡± Therefore, I inform Ichiko, who has been going along with my joke, about what the Fox Princess has requested me to do. ¡°Hmm. If that¡¯s the case, I happen to have some knowledge of it.¡± Whoa, are you for real? ¡°There is a golden monolith-shaped dungeon in Lake Turkana, Kenya, and the monster of that dungeon is a giant robot¡­¡± ¡°Robot huh¡­¡± My eyes, unintentionally, twinkle with brilliance. Although Ichiko is slightly taken back by my reaction, it is inevitable that I react in this way. We¡¯re talking about a robot after all. A robot, you know. I am a man too, thus I have a yearning for robots on a basic level. ¡°Um, those robots are dramatically different from ordinary monsters by having armored plates, power reactors, etc. That is why it may be a possibility to put them to use.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± I am unconsciously amazed. Anyway, if things with the Fox Princess go smoothly, I¡¯ll dispatch some of my team members to apprehend them. Then let¡¯s see whether they can be utilized in my location as well, with some magical modification. They¡¯re robots, after all! Following that, the Fox Princess also have agreed to give it a shot, and the four Demon Kings each decided to send one of their kin to capture one of the robots for traveling as to gain skill in combat as well. For the record, from my side, I have Chirito, whose sugar content has recently soared too high that my subordinates are beginning to complain that I should do something about it; from the Fox Princess, there is Mugi; from the Snow Sage, there is a level 4 Yukijin, a female knight named Shirafune Yukiko; and from the Dragon Sovereign side, there is a level 3 Sakurahijin, a female healer named Shidare Hachi. Chirito was chosen because he has an exceptional analytical ability to find flaws of the opponent even when confronting one another for the first time, while Mugi has high firepower and processing techniques, allowing her to experiment with local processing. The other two, on the other hand, remain a mystery to me. Moreover, Une is expected to participate from the Sugar King¡¯s side following the continental teleportation, according to what I have heard. Anyway, there you have it. Although I don¡¯t suspect that Chirito will cheat on his wife, let me say this. ¡°Harem guy should explode!¡± ¡°As if you have the right to say that! You Erokiri![i]¡± T/N: [i] A mixture of the word Erotic and Kurokiri¡¯s name, meaning pervert CH 122 (Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter) A few days after Chirito and the others departed. Buuuuuuuuuuuu! The ringing of an alarm that signals the presence of an intruder, which I have not heard for some time, reaches my ears while I am in my private room, sleep ©¥ in the middle of analyzing my work. ¡°Chirito ~ Ah, wait, he¡¯s not here now.¡± As a habitual practice, I inadvertently ask Chirito for an analysis of the intruder, only to realize immediately that he is not present. Well, how should I say this, it seems that I have been relying on Chirito for quite some time now. It can¡¯t be helped since this is the type of thing you won¡¯t notice until they¡¯re gone. ¡°Let me open the monitor for now.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming in, Kurokiri.¡± Before my eyes, I draw out a monitor that projects the view of each of the monsters. Simultaneously, Ichiko and Ryo enter the room, perhaps having heard the alarm. ¡°They are here. So these are the intruders?¡± At the entrance of the second level, six figures appear in the sight of the Mud Puppets. ¡°What kind of people are they?¡± ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Ichiko asks while leaning against the monitor. And then the battle between the intruders and the Mud Puppets breaks out. The intruders consisted of a fighter (male), two heavy fighters (gender unknown), a one-handed swordsman (male), a healer (male), and a wizard (male). Yup. All of them will be slain except for the heavy fighters provided that they are girls. In particular, the fighter¡¯s muscles look awful. They are so shiny and bulky that even through the monitor, it looks sickening. ¡°Even so, why did these guys venture into the second level of the ¡®White Fog and Black Swamp Forest¡¯? The third and fifth levels are ideal for leveling, and with the state of reconstruction following the Octopus King¡¯s raid, there¡¯s no point in stepping into the second level, right?¡± ¡°No, I received word from an old informant that the reconstruction work has been completed just a few days ago.¡± ¡°Moreover, these people are probably here for revenge.¡± The two reply to my words. Nonetheless, vengeance, huh? Certainly, they have been abnormally thorough in putting an end to the Mud Puppets. The fighter guy is continuously beating them until their cores are pulverized into tiny pieces. ¡°However, I¡¯m baffled as to why vengeance is being exacted.¡± ¡°There are too many reasons, you know.¡± ¡°There are just too many to list, such as a whole village having inexplicably disappeared, humans being massacred, an individual¡¯s resentment towards someone who killed their friends, sexual relationships with women, and so on.¡± After listing all these things over again, I feel like a magnificent Demon King myself. Wouldn¡¯t I end up in hell if I died and was interrogated by Yama about all of my past sins? Ah, but the world we live in now is abandoned by God, isn¡¯t it? It is doubtful if Yama even exists. He seems to be a god, too. ¡°Let¡¯s have the shadows in the outer town investigate for now.¡± [Guh!] The healer man is shot through the abdomen by Mystic¡¯s surprise attack ?Mistbolt? from the upper duct to the lower labyrinth section, which is a characteristic of the second level. Without Ryo¡¯s level of healing ability, he would not be able to survive. In this light, I glance at Ryo, who nods her head as if she agrees. [Damn it! How dare you do that to Mashima!] [Get a grip!] [Goddammit¡­ I can¡¯t be healed¡­ everyone¡­ please take care of the rest¡­] [[[Mashimaaaaa!!]]] And so, you leave them with a cliched last will. Ah, but you guys didn¡¯t overlook the Mystic who killed your friend and brought her to an end. ¡°So, do you have any idea what these guys¡¯ skills are or anything?¡± ¡°From what I can discern, it¡¯s a slightly rearranged version of the standard configuration. They are particularly strong in terms of firepower, and one of the two heavy warriors has abandoned hate control[i] and is specializing in the offense.¡± Oh, as one would expect from the leader of a mercenary group. You are very knowledgeable about the skill composition used by humans. ¡°Their level is likewise high, roughly 6, based on their movements. Their coordination is also a little sloppy, so they may be a spontaneous party.¡± Wow. Ichiko¡¯s observational capability is also very advanced which is befitting of a high-level half-Demon King. Well, according to Chirito, she has a higher status sensing than I do. [Damn, what do we do? Should we proceed at this rate?] [Isn¡¯t that obvious! Are you planning to let Mashima¡¯s death be in vain!] [Our only goal is only one. To get the Demon King¡¯s head. For that, I am willing to make any sacrifice.] [I see. Then I am¡­ gyahhh!!] A second fatality appears to have occurred as they are discussing this. The one-handed swordsman was slashed in the back by the Minotamist¡¯s axe as he was attempting to flee and subsequently perished. Soon after, the magical user¡¯s attack also wipes out the Minotamist. ¡°This man was probably also a detection specialist. An attack at that timing would typically split him in half.¡± ¡°But since he couldn¡¯t fully avoid it, he¡¯s just a sub-scout, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The three of us nonchalantly evaluate each of the intruders based on their behavior. [Run, run! If you stand idly by, there will be more and more enemies coming in!] [Aah!] And all the while, the intruders relentlessly advance in the face of death. Oh, one of the heavy warriors, the one who did the hate control, fell and the helmet came off. She is a woman and a lovely one at that. Her age is 17 or 18, and she has dark circles under her eyes, probably from exhaustion caused by revenge. Her chest is large, even if it is masked by her armor, and she seems to be the sort of person who suffers from stiff shoulders! Let¡¯s capture her! [Help¡­ Argh¡­!] A Disarray Devil¡¯s Darning Needle emerges from the duct at my command and drags away the female heavy warrior, rendering her powerless to perform any action through the sound of its wings. Phew. Good job. For now, I am going to spend the rest of the day doing¡­ ¡°Kurokiri?¡± From behind me, a hand with a metal gauntlet wraps around my neck. I notice a slight fog as if the ?Fog Magic Grant? had been activated. ¡°What are you doing?¡± At the same time, a hand with ?Mist Slap? executes a stranglehold on me that clutches my face and presses me down. Huh? I feel like I¡¯ve experienced something like this before. Anyway, there it is. ¡°Uh¡­ please go easy on me.¡± [[We will not!]] A screech from the bottom of my heart reverberates through the fourth level. T/N: [i] In a game (MMORPG) with this structure, enemy attacks are ferocious, and characters who are weak will be knocked down quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to have a strategy in which the weak characters act in such a way that their hate value is reduced, whereas the strong characters increase their hate value to concentrate the enemy¡¯s attacks on them. This is called ¡°hate control,¡± and the attacked recipient is called a tank.