CH 24

Interlude – Movement of the world.

–Here is, a different country than Miniera. With an enormous war happen here and there, even with the threat of magical beasts and demons, having many problems with the surrounding countries, it is a country which is referred as a military nation.

The name is “Grandile”, at this nation aside than the King as the leader, there are also priest, miko and also knight leader, they are the most prominent person at their own fields across this nation.

At this Grandile nation, currently there is a certain information which is racking this nation leader’s brains. As a nation which is excel at military affairs, that information become a very serious problem.

–the revival of the “Demon Lord”.

An existence called demon lord is, at this world it is an existence which is well-known around the world. Even compared to the dreadful disaster class (A rank) demons, it’s still further higher, it’s a world destruction class (S rank) demon. With a power which is even called to be able to bring this world to its end, with just a swing from that power he undoubtedly would be able to alter the terrain.

But, this “Demon Lord” was defeated by the historical summoned “Hero”. The threat called “Demon Lord” was already erased by the “Hero”, that was what people thought.

But the reality is different, the “Demon Lord” wasn’t completely killed. Just around sixty years after the defeat of the “Demon Lord”, a new “Demon Lord” appeared. According to the legend, the “Hero”, after finishing his duty to defeat the “Demon Lord” he returned to his former world. So there’s already no “Hero” who is able to defeat the “Demon Lord” anymore.

If that’s the case then what should they do? The answer is easy, they just need to summon a new “Hero”. And with that, at the dispute between humankind and demonkin, the battle between “Hero” and “Demon Lord” occurred, and every sides are always hoping that they would become the winner.

Currently humankind always become the winner, they were able to obtain peace, but that peace, wouldn’t be strange to be destroyed soon.

“But… there’s no other way than Hero summoning…!”

With a heavy atmosphere, people are sitting surrounding a long and big table, it is a place where Grandile nation performing an internal meeting to make a decision. The leaders who hold the right govern the nation, the king, priest, miko and the knight leader are discussing with a heavy expression.

After they heard the report about the revival of the “Demon Lord”, they are currently discussing about a way to measure the situation. However, they didn’t know whether is there any existence in this world who is able to stand against that strongest “Demon Lord” or not. And as expected, they concluded that there’s no other way but to summon a “Hero”.

“…you are right, priest shion, also miko Cecil… you should carry out the hero summoning ritual. Begin the preparation immediately.”

“The preparations are already arranged.”

“As long as we receive the order… we could carry it out anytime~”

“I’m sorry… Shion.”

“No, if it is for this country’s sake….”

With the order from the king, the priest who is called Shion, and the miko who is called Cecil, are answering in acknowledgement. And then, at this Grandile nation, “Hero Summoning Ritual” is decided to be performed. While putting on anyone who declaring their objection, they could only grind their teeth at their own weakness and could only rely on the “Hero”.

◇　◇　◇

And thus they are summoning a hero.

At a sacred place with an altar which is located at the castle’s basement, the magicians who are employed by the country are pouring their magical energy toward the miko with a heavy expression, at the center of the altar where that enormous magical energy are gathered, there is a miko who is chanting a certain spell.

The priest is standing at her side, burning her life force and making a hole at space-time wall, forcefully open it up. Originally that role is supposed to be performed by a magician who has an aptitude with space-time magic, but currently there is no one who has that aptitude at Grandile nation. Therefore, the priest is acting at the substitute and compensating that aptitude with her “Life Force”.

That means, hero summoning is such a dangerous ritual and also need an enormous amount of magical energy.

“Guh… a, aaaaa!!”

“I am going… summon!!!”

With pain spreading at her whole body, moreover while feeling the sensation where her soul is forcibly coming out from her body, the priest is frantically connecting the space-time hole. That scream was, her last voices.

To not make that sacrificial for naught, the miko is connecting a “String” of summoning magic to the place where the new hero is belong at. And then, she finally able to find “Him” at the opposite side of the wall.

Lastly, she just need to pull it up—!!

“Aaaaaaa!!”

Mustering all her strength, the miko who is called as Cecil is pulling the string which is connecting her and the hero.

At the end of that string, hero is there. The one who would rescue this world, the hero.

And then, the space-time hole is collapsing. Simultaneously, another irregular arrives at this world.

At the altar, a torrent of divine light is spreading.

Inside it, they can see a figure of a man there.

“… what is, here…?”

That man’s attires are completely different from the people’s there. His attire is a blazer uniform, a clothes which is using a material that they have never see, everyone there are realizing that the hero summoning ritual is a success.

And then, Cecil moves toward the priest who is called as Shion, and suddenly hug that “Not breathing” body. This success, thanks to you we are able to successfully summon the hero, thank you. There, the expression of the deceased person is somehow, delightfully smiling.

And then, after hugging her for several seconds like that, Cecil entrusts Shion’s corpse to the Knight leader.

She still has something she must do.

“Nice to meet you Hero-sama, I am the miko of Grandile nation… my name is Cecil Dimietta. Sincerely, please save us…!”

Guiding the hero, that is also miko’s duty. Presenting her whole body to the hero, presenting her whole strength for the hero and for the world, that is her duty, miko’s duty.

“Ah, umm… first of all, I’ll be glad if you could explain what happens here to me….”

First, to make the bewildered hero to understand the state of affairs here, she decided to explain their duty and also the state of affairs at this world.

◇　◇　◇

On the other side, at the same time.

At the Dark Continent where demons reside in, the revived demon lord is sitting at the throne with an overwhelming intimidating aura in front of his retainers.

This world is divided into three big continents. A continent where humankind and demi-humankind reside in, then the Dark Continent where demons reside in which is hard for human to reside in, and then a place where natural fairies and divine beasts reside in, the third, new continent overseas which is unknown among humankind and demonkin. There are many different countries at the continent, but the race-wise it is divided to these three.

Here is one of those continent, the Dark Continent where demonkin reside in. A place that could be said as Demon Lord’s base, the Demon Lord is quietly and rightfully sit there with a powerful presence.

“Right now when the night is deepening, we would change this quiet world. Today, similarly like my revival here, a race called human must be also finally making a move after this long sixty years. And then, repeating the history, there should be a new hero who would come to kill me.”

“…yes.”

The one who answering the Demon Lord’s word is, the strongest one even among his retainers, the one who guided the demonkin at that sixty years of disappearance of the Demon Lord, an existence who is capable to become a leader. Right now, the role he carries out is to support the Demon Lord as his right hand.

“However, in the end a past is nothing but a past. Right now, at this era, if I am able to defeat the hero, that way we would be able to overthrow the history. After defeating the hero, I’m going to grab the future beyond that.”

The Demon Lord is floating his fist to the sky, the hand which would able to grasp the world. That figure is, very charismatic that even fascinated every demons there, they are seeing a dream when that words come into reality.

Raising his fist, with just that, it’s as if he is saying ‘follow me’ with his overwhelming presence. Every demons there are spontaneously kneeling at their knee.

“Right now, I am declaring it. At this era, I’m going to defeat the hero—I’m going to take the world! The one who want to abide me then follow me, the one who doesn’t like it then bring it on! I’m going to show you how fascinating when I grab all of it with my overwhelming power!”

The Demon Lord declared that with a loud and sound voice. The enormous magical energy which are hidden inside his body are filling that place, spreading and shaking the ground.

Someone with a thought to oppose him, there’s not even one of them.

“To the human who just sit and entrust everything to the hero, we should show them who we are!”

The Demon Lord said that, at his fist which is raised high overhead, he points his index finger to the sky. His eyes are looking at a faraway world. His magical energy is, doesn’t has any intention to take a single step back even against the world.

–Let’s go, let’s overturn the world.

Someone who doubt that words, there’s none of them there.

◇　◇　◇

Thus, the long history is finally moving, the actors of the clash between the hero and the demon lord have presented.

That would become the beginning of the war between humankind and demonkin. A clash between military might and military might, the winner would be able to take everything as they pleased, the loser would lost everything. Like washing blood with a blood, the curtain of a cruel disastrous and harsh war is opened soon.

However, at this world there’s another existence than those two (Demon Lord and Hero), a true irregular who is entirely irrelevant with that war.

Another existence aside than the Hero and the Demon Lord, the existence of a youth who would gain a power which is able to face against the world, there’s still no one realizing him yet. The youth who is lazy and always floating a faint smile, whether he would pull something at that dispute, there’s is still no one know it yet.

That is even, the ringleader who threw that youth to this world— even the almighty God.