Chapter 418: Reunion

I look over the corpses and pieces of slime scattered around the underground chamber. With this, I’ve killed the strongest of the Three Knights, Rogueheil the Infinite Blade, as well as their secret weapon, the gigant slime. The problem is what to do now.

This underground chamber is awfully wide, and it looks like it continues on down past the door. Is there another layer below…?

In the end, the Demon Lord didn’t show themself, but… I wonder if they’re not lurking somewhere deeper underground. I think it would make sense for the Demon Lord to be present near to the gigant slime, which probably was meant meant to have been their last line of defence. Besides, this underground chamber is a bit too much just to be a place that Rogueheil can lure enemies to kill them for certain. If it was meant to prevent escape, then a dead-end would make much more sense. I can’t think of any other explanation for the door at the back.

If I remember right, when he was talking to Thermal, Rogueheil said that he had the role of protecting the Demon Lord. In the battle, it was clear that the gigant slime could only be such a large threat because it was fighting beside Rogueheil. If Rogueheil’s usual place was beside the gigant slime, and his job was to guard the Demon Lord, then… The Demon Lord is probably in a room further in.

Even if the Demon Lord were to escape, peace would return to the royal capital. But if they got away, the same tragedy will undoubtedly repeat. Humans will be massacred, more subordinates will be assembled, and they’ll try and rule the world.

Now that the Demon Lord is cornered and I’ve defeated the two most powerful A- rank subordinates, this might be my best chance. There’s also the cooperative relationship between me and the Saint to consider. I don’t know how long she plans on waiting, but if I go to fight the Demon Lord, I can't imagine she'll keep watching. Such a good opportunity might never come again. Defeating the Demon Lord here makes sense.

…However, there’s the problem of Thermal and Mephisto. If I put off dealing with those two, Aro and the others could be harmed. I know that the fate of the world hangs in the balance, but making them hold out longer would be too risky.

Not being able to know the current situation is frustrating, but Lilixira should still be safe. She has her Holy Dragon, and ableit imperfectly controlled, the Magic Beast King Beelzebub. Even if I take a slight break, our side can still fight. We've actually have four A ranks, after all.

Lilixira still hasn’t made any conspicuous movements, but by not moving it could be said that she’s restricting the Demon Lord. As a result, the Three Knights have been pulled away from the Demon Lord, giving me the chance to defeat them all separately… Though from my perceptive on the front lines, I’d prefer it if she just came out already.

The moment I defeated Rogueheil and the gigant slime, it could be said that the Demon Lord was already checkmated. Unless they have the power to take on four A ranks at the same time, they'll probably try and retreat. And if the Demon Lord had that much power, they would have come out to kill me right away. It’s possible that they’ve already fled.

…Rather than searching for an opponent that might not be there any more, supporting Aro and the others takes priority. Besides, fighting Rogueheil cost me a lot of HP and MP. Nothing could be worse than clashing with the Demon Lord before I’ve recovered. So, my objectives this time should be to kill the Three Knights for sure, and to strengthen my relationship of trust with Lilixira. Alright, partner, we’re returning upstairs.

I look at my partner and see that her expression is unusually taut, and she doesn’t seem to notice me as I call out to her.

“Guuo…”

I raise my voice, and she twitches with a start, turning to look at me.

『…Something bad is coming. What do we do?』

I feel around with [Presence Perception]. From the stairs lower down, something is approaching. It seems to have a human shape, but it's clearly something else, something monstrous. The presence is incomparable to any monster I’ve felt so far, producing an unnerving sense of bottomlessness.

N-no way… There shouldn’t be any advantage to the Demon Lord coming out now. Or what is it? Do they have some sort of plan to reverse this situation? Or are they just becoming desperate?

What appears from the stairs further down, clad in luxurious royal clothes, is a young blond-haired girl. Probably, she’s the of the Ardesian royal family, Princess Chris.

Her short stature and stooped back give an impression of timidness. Her expression as she looks at me seems slightly nervous and unconfident.

The impression she gives is a little different from the rumours that I heard of a brash princess. But since she was originally supposed to be sickly and reserved, this appearance might be more correct.

But the appearance of the princess is irrelevant at this stage.

The princess’s unconfident face twists and transforms to be completely smooth. A shiver runs down my spine.

After a quiet bark of laughter, the fake princess’s outline distorts, her body surface becoming iridescent and soft.

Still iridescent and soft, the fake princess's returns to a human shape. It’s the same androgynous childlike appearance that I once saw in the forest.

“Aha, it really is Irushia! I’m glad! Aah, how I have longed to see you again! God-sama, please watch! I will prove that I am the one who is worthy of you!”

The slime shouts to itself. No, probably, inside its head, God’s Voice is responding. With a rapturous expression, it nods its head.

…As I thought, it survived. I’m sure I received experience after the battle. But even though how it survived is a mystery, it’s clear that the slime in front of me is the same one I fought in the forest.

After diving into the river at the bottom of the cliff, I quickly lost consciousness. When I woke up my level had risen, so I thought for sure the slime had died. But I was mistaken.

At that time, I had left some of the mahaa wolves it had summoned in a state where it wouldn’t be strange for them to die at any moment. During my long period of unconsciousness, they must have died. The experience I gained was from that.

“If I don’t hurry, the Saint will invade soon. I’ll end it quickly, God-sama. It’s okay, I won’t make such a blunder again! Irushia, ever since that day, I’ve always been waiting for this!”

The slime’s outline distorts. It’s transforming.

Without a moment’s delay, I shoot four [Wind Slashes] towards the slime. As the slime falls, the four blades of wind burst against the floor in front of it. I cloud of powderised floor is thrown up from the blast, concealing the slime behind it.

I try feeling around with [Presence Perception], but although its evil presence is pronounced, I’m unable to pin down its position. It’s got a presence-masking characteristic skill.

『Parnter! Jump up!! It's seriously bad!』

My partner points her head diagonally upwards.

The slime has transformed into a bizarre monster and is flying through the air. Still iridescent and translucent, it has sprouted four large wings, and alongside its childish face, three dragon necks have sprouted.

I-it can [Fly]!? It really couldn’t get more all-round. For that matter, what’s with that unbalanced shape?

“I would have liked to kill you more slowly.”

In front of each of the dragons’ mouths, a ball of flame appears, which they then swallow. Inside the translucent dragons, red light flares.

I know that skill. But still, that shouldn’t be possible. It’s too crazy.

“[Gravity].”

A sphere of black light expands out from the slime in the air. The moment it touches me, my body becomes heavier, and I’m forced down. As the light touches the floor, a huge round depression forms, lined with cracks. It’s a skill that restricts the movement of everything in range other than the user, but the scale and power is incomparable to any [Gravity] I’ve seen so far. A C rank could easily be crushed to death in an instant.

“Irushia, I be the one who will save God-sama. It won’t be you, nor the Saint, and of course it won’t be the Hero or the Magic Beast King. God-sama is mine and mine alone. Only I was chosen. I understand. None of you are anything more than stepping stones for me to become closer to God-sama! And yet you misunderstand your place, and force your way in here! You’re a nuisance!”

Together with the slime’s voice, the three dragons extend their necks towards me and open their mouths.

“Hand over your divine skill and disappear! [Dragoflare]!”

Three beams of brilliant red light shoot towards me.