Chapter 268: The Miscalculation

The body of the Great Demon Emperor is still shrouded within the black mist.

However, the feeling I got from the position of its mouth……

—–is that they’re brought to their knees.

That is from what I see.

Moreover, there’s that definite feedback from my strike and that bleeding…….

I suppose I could really assume that the humanoid body exists beneath that mist.

In other words……

(A direct hit will go through……!)

With this in mind, I touched the necklace that Hijiri entrusted to me.

I briskly made my decision.

Any hesitation here will result in missed opportunities.

At that moment though———– the Great Demon Emperor spat out something.

(A gem?)

A jewel-like object rolled on the stone pavement.

Seeing that though——— I started having a bad hunch.

Thereupon, from the black mist came out a “hand”……

A black, humanoid hand, riddled with purple veins.

It seems to be trying to grab the gem that was thrown up.

Not coming to a stop, I flicked the nearby spear up with my toes.

Kicking it up in the air……

Fwooosh!

—–catching it in mid-air, I threw it forward.

Thereupon, the spear struck the stone and bounced off.

I didn’t manage to destroy whatever that gem is, but it still flung away from the Great Demon Emperor.

The Great Demon Emperor’s hand stopped, and their face———– their mouth turned to look at me.

It was obvious that they were planning to do something but……

[There’s no way I’d let you do as you want.]

The weapons made with my Inherent Skill——— I sent all of them to the Great Demon Emperor.

In response, the Great Demon Emperor increased their scythe-like limbs.

Just before they increased it though, I feel like they made this strange pause.

That pause that felt like one of resignation, I wonder if it’s just an illusion?

“For the time being, I’ll try resisting her.”

That was what I had felt.

From this feeling I got, I suppose that gem is probably some kind of means for them to escape.

[……You’re the biggest……]

[ ! ]

[—-miscalculation.]

They spoke.

The Great Demon Emperor just spoke.

However———– I won’t let such a thing shake me.

I’ll end everything here.

I want to go back to my original world.

Of course, that is my main motivation for bringing down the Great Demon Emperor.

However, I also had other feelings within my heart.

A lot of people died in the Anti-Demon White Castle.

All by the order of the Great Demon Emperor……

(No matter what reason they have, seeing that scene————–)

I will never let you get away with this.

Doshuuuun!

A flash of light surged.

[———–No way……]

The swords crafted with my Inherent Skill were blocked.

And the thing that had blocked it……

A katana.

[Sogou…… Don’t tell me you were planning on becoming Kirihara? No, that can’t be.]

Kirihara Takuto.

[I am Kirihara……]

(T/N: Yeah, I don’t know what the heck he’s saying.)

Unleashed from the side———— was a long-distance .

Riding that golden dragon was Kirihara.

No, it may be more correct to say that he’s hiding within that golden dragon.

He has learned to use it as a means of movement.

It seemed like he was safe.

He must have been unconscious until now and just woke up.

He seemed to be bleeding, but he wasn’t that injured.

[K- Kirihara-kun———– Please! Stop interfering!]

[……I return those words right back at you.]

I immediately made my decision.

I don’t have the luxury to be concerned about him.

I’m going to knock Kirihara out as soon as possible and put an end to the Great Demon Emperor.

Making sure not to injure him, I’ll neutralize him.

For a moment, I did hesitate striking him down……

However, I immediately pushed such thought aside and tried to knock Kirihara unconscious———–

Klaaaang!

[ ! ]

However, my inherent skill’s weapon that had transformed to a blunt weapon was repelled.

Repelling it away was the Great Demon Emperor’s scythe-like limb.

(The Great Demon Emperor saved Kirihara-kun……!?)

[Tsk…… I can’t say that was a smart move. Even so, I acknowledge what you did.]

Retreating away once, Kirihara stood next to the Great Demon Emperor.

[Why…… is a Hero from Another World like you helping me?]

[No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to understand.]

[ ? ]

[Leave the conversation for later…… She’s coming.]

I’m not going to wait until they finish talking.

I Immediately tried to unleash an onslaught of attacks against them.

However……

[————–!?]

Kirihara and the Great Demon Emperor worked together to defend against it.

In the current situation———– I’m unable to attack them at all.

If it’s just against a single person, I could have done something……

But I’m faced against two people.

Strangely, their pace is also well meshed together.

(……No, that’s not it. The Great Demon Emperor…… They’re perfectly matching Kirihara-kun’s movements! Kuhh…… Their learning ability really is quite high……)

At this point, I started getting tired from attacking.

I’ve already known that a fully defensive Great Demon Emperor is troublesome.

But now that they’re wounded, their fighting ability is somewhat diminished.

However, with the addition of Kirihara Takuto———-

I’m unable to attack, and a stalemate ensued.

As I had such thoughts in mind, several golden dragons began surrounding Kirihara.

[Great Demon Emperor…… The reason why I saved you is that the people in 2-C, including Sogou Ayaka there, just couldn’t understand anything. They couldn’t see the vessel of this king……]

[…………………….]

[Moreover…… The Holy Alliance, including that incompetent Goddess, was unable to make use of me. Thus, I pondered. What was the problem? Thereupon, I immediately understood. Because I’m on their side———– They have never met the true me……!]

The Great Demon Emperor listened in silence.

It seemed like they were somehow trying their best to understand.

[And thus, I did this. To strike them with the reality of what I am, what I was meant to be…… Having the definite being of the real king as proof……]

As if he’s trying to show it to me, Kirihara firmly clenched his upside-down fist.

[I don’t have any other choice but to stand against 2-C, becoming the enemy side’s king……]

[The Hero from Another World you is going to side with me.]

[That’s why I saved you.]

[……You are a strange man. I found no falsehood in your words.]

[A true king needs no falsehood. His very existence is equivalent to “everything” after all.]

Kirihara’s words could be seen as betrayal.

Hearing that really made me shocked.

No matter how I think about this———-

Him actually siding with the Great Demon Emperor is beyond my expectations.

I thought that such a thing couldn’t have been possible.

It feels like my mind couldn’t keep up with the situation.

However, realizing that this really is happening, I tried curbing my agitation.

[Ki——- Kirihara-kun! If we bring down the Great Demon Emperor, we will have the means to return to our world! Now is our best chance! Please! Get out of the way!]

In response to my plea though, Kirihara let out a long sigh.

[It was because I realized it that I’m doing this……]

[Eh? You realized……?]

[If I were to go back to the original world, I probably would be unable to make use of the kingliness within me…… That world has nothing left but a sense of stagnation that makes it difficult for one to move as they please. Even within the environment I was in, no matter how successful I am, I won’t be able to break through “the peak”……! I’ll never be a true king! But in this world, I have the chance to even have my own country! A completely new country would have been impossible in that world! But what about here!? If you possess power, such a thing is possible……! It is only in this world that I can finally be liberated———— As a king, I could only bloom! No matter what anyone does…… I will only blossom!]

[What the…… What in the world are you talking about, Kirihara-kun……? Seriously, what in the……]

[Ahh, also, Great Demon Emperor…… I’ll drop the matter of you attacking me earlier…… I could see it as nothing but a joke after all……]

[……I don’t really understand——— but alright.]

With those words, the Great Demon Emperor took a step forward.

[Your words held no falsehoods…… I acknowledge…… that you’re not trying to deceive me, and are telling your true thoughts.]

Thereupon, the Great Demon Emperor stood next to Kirihara.

[I accept you———- Kirihara, as my subordinate.]

[! Y- You can’t, Kirihara-kun! Let’s talk about this again! ……Okay? I don’t know if I could be someone who could understand what Kirihara-kun meant…… but for example, if it’s someone like Hijiri-san———–]

[This is no time for joking, Great Demon Emperor……]

[ ! ]

Have my words actually——– reached him?

[ ? ]

[Subordinate? This me? If you’re sanely saying this, things would be dangerous for you……]

[Then…… What is it that you desire?]

[It seems like you don’t understand. We will only be allies.]

[Allies……]

[The Great Demon Emperor will be my ally. In other words, you and I will stand on equal footing, a king beside another…… This is the only condition I accept.]

[………………………………..Alright. You and I are allies. We will stand on equal footing……]

[Now I see a little bit of Kirihara in you. So you’ve seen it huh, what Kirihara is.]

[ ? ]

At that moment, a golden dragon moved away from Kirihara.

I did try to make my move———— but the Great Demon Emperor and Kirihara restrained me.

I immediately understood that this is extremely troublesome.

The Great Demon Emperor was in perfect coordination with Kirihara’s movements.

With the two of them coordinating against each other to fight against me, this would really be troublesome.

No, most of all————- Yes, most of all……

With my classmate as the opponent, I couldn’t fight them seriously.

I was prepared to kill the Great Demon Emperor.

But of course, there was no way I could kill my classmate.

I need to avert attacks that could be fatal against them.

If I fought with this in mind, no matter how hard to try, the purity of my attacks would be dulled.

Yes, against a classmate——— Even if I’m aiming to knock them unconscious, somewhere within my consciousness, I will feel rejection in attacking them.

The brakes automatically pop within my consciousness.

At that moment, Kirihara spoke.

[Was this what you’ve been thinking about since a while ago?]

Brought about by a golden dragon was the same gem that I had flicked away.

Kirihara handed it to the Great Demon Emperor.

Receiving it———— the Great Demon Emperor firmly grasped it.

Thereupon, it started glowing.

[Kirihara…… I’m going. You’re coming with me, right?]

[Your intentions matter not to me…… but I have to go. For this is also the duty of a true king.]

[I understand…… Well then, we will now teleport to the farthest north.]

[! Wa——– Wait, Kirihara-kun! It’s my fault…… It’s my fault that I didn’t face Kirihara-kun! I’m sorry! Even though, no matter how hard I try, I can’t understand your thoughts…… However, I should have tried to understand! As a result, I passively left that duty to Hijiri-san…… but I was mistaken!]

[…………………….]

[That’s why———— Give me some more time! Please……!]

[Don’t move, Sogou……]

With his katana at the ready, Kirihara points his arm towards me.

He was trying to restrain me, telling me that he can unleash his Dragonic Buster any time he wants.

Kirihara slightly tilted his head.

[Don’t worry. I’m going to keep the students of 2-C alive for as long as I can…… If they die, I’ll have no one to prove my true capabilities after all. However———- Expect no mercy. At this moment, we’re already enemies……]

[Kirihara-kun……!]

Even after I throw all my words, it wouldn’t work if he won’t listen at all.

My words won’t go through him anymore……

[You are…… Sogou, right?]

[ ! ]

The Great Demon Emperor spoke to me.

[Failing to kill me here will be a big mistake for you later on. You better remember it…… for this failure is something you’d definitely regret. You better wait for it…… For what awaits you is this world’s nightmare———— and I will trample everything beneath my feet. And…… Even though there was a miscalculation, after this battle, I completely understood. “Who” is the Hero from Another World that I should be wary of……]

Streaks of light in the shape of what seemed to be a magic circle appeared on the ground.

The particles danced in the air, and the bluish-white light gradually became stronger.

With eyes that seemed to look down on me, I felt Kirihara silently glare at me.

[What a shame…… However, you all were never able to grasp my true nature. You failed to see the true king. It’s already too late to ask me to come back now…… and no matter how much you struggle———- I’ll have you realize it yourself.]

Kirihara, surrounded with his golden dragons, pointed the tip of his katana at me.

[And how big of a mistake you’ve made. ……Keep this in mind, Sogou.]

As he was about to disappear, Kirihara only left a few words.

[You were unable to become Kirihara.]

That day, despite my efforts to persuade him otherwise————-

[Kirihara-kun……!]

Kirihara Takuto disappeared with the Great Demon Emperor.

In the next chapter, we will return to Touka’s point of view.