CH 65

「 Betty? 」

I tried turning around following the sound of her voice, but I was still looking forward. Unable to understand what exactly just happened, I tried to turn around again and failed.

「 Wawawa, what’s this? 」

I let out a startled squeal, but it looked like everyone in sight was in the same situation as me. No one was moving, but shouts of surprise could be heard from everywhere.

No matter how hard I tried to move, I was thrown back into my original position as if it had been cancelled. I could not move at all.

「 They are all under the control of this one’s magic, and I am the only one who can move in this space. 」

Helvetia walked in front of me, talking in a strange voice, stopped in the middle of the circle where most people could see her, and stepped back pompously with her arms crossed as usual.

「 Thy name is Helvetia Eldonis Ruingrach, the twelfth Demon Lord, who succeeds the name of Eldonis, the Eleventh Demon Lord. 」

The whole place went silent. No one would have expected a Demon Lord to show up here. Marius was looking at Helvetia with widened eyes filled with disbelief.

Normally, I would just laugh it off, but now that I see her walking unconcernedly while everyone else is unable to move their bodies, I guess I could think that it’s very Demon Lord like of her.

「 What’s going on? Why is the Demon Lord here?……She looks just like her. Are you saying that she’s related to the Demon Lord?  」

「 You’re not far off the mark, Toto is a friend of this one. 」

She said friend! I’m glad you think so.

Helvetia stops folding her arms and takes a few steps closer to Marius.

「 It’s been a long time since I’ve used such great magic. Now, the reason for this one is here. 」

「 Reason? 」

Marius replied quizzically and Helvetia nodded, but Marius seemed to think that there was room for escape. I wonder if she still thinks she can manage in this situation where she can’t move her body at all.

The demon king now seems to be hostile to humans, and she may think she will be on her side.

「 This one is more human than expected. 」

From this position, I couldn’t see Helvetia’s face, but she must be smiling mischievously, and Marius’s face tightened, as if she realized that she wouldn’t be an ally after all.

「 I used this great magic because I was worried that you were hiding some strange secret, not because I myself enjoyed the killing. 」

「 What? Wait, what about my revenge? Seven years, I’ve been preparing for seven years, and I’m going to have my plans thrown out of whack by a Demon Lord who suddenly appears? What kind of ridiculous story is that!? 」

「 Just popped up, huh? Well, if you think so, you’re not prepared enough. 」

Helvetia sighed and pointed her palm at Marius. Marius, seeing this, must have finally ran out of escape routes and started screaming loudly.

「 Damn! Damn! Damn! Release me! I don’t care what you are thinking about! I don’t care how I end up, but I’m going to destroy this country! 」

「 This magic is something that only the most skilled magicians in the history of demon lords can handle, and it’s not something you can break. 」

Helvetia, speaking out, nodded her head while her palms were pointing towards Marius.

「 Hmmm? Why is my magic power decreasing rapidly…… this, this is bad! 」

Helvetia suddenly started to run towards Marius as if she was in a hurry, but her movements were like those of a child, and it was hard to believe that Helvetia is in that state after seeing her repeatedly teleporting over short distances.

「 Toto, I’m sorry, the spell is broken! It’s not working! 」

I wondered what had happened, and Helvetia’s unusual impatience made my heart beat faster.

Helvetia seemed to want to take the dagger from Marius’s hand and rushed towards her with her hand outstretched, but just before she touched Marius’s hand, there was the sound of breaking glass and Helvetia disappeared from the scene.

「 Will be, will be king…… Guoooh…… 」

When I moved my head, which was now able to move as if the spell had been broken, I saw that a skeleton had broken through the window. It was a skeleton with thicker bones than most skeletons, and it was moving its four arms, which gave me a sense of déjà vu.

『 No way, those bones should already be nothing but a shell. 』

The next thing I knew, I heard Helvetia’s voice coming from beside me. I looked over, startled, to see her standing there with her lips pursed in disbelief.

『 I’m sorry, perhaps it was a timed system, or perhaps it could withstand this one’s magic, but it seems that it’s core was not broken and it reawakened. It’s a good thing that she didn’t disappear, but the 《 Phantasia Space 》 has been released, we’re in trouble! 』

「 Fantasia? 」

I quickly checked on Marius, she had large sweat droplets dripping down her forehead, she looks at the four-armed undead with a surprised look on her face.

「 Revenant……? The Demon King……? Haha, so this is all just an ordeal for me to conquer! This is what overcoming trials is all about! 」

Marius spread her arms wide and shouted with joy. I don’t know how she feels about Helvetia, the demon king who suddenly appeared and then disappeared, but I’m sure she thinks the threat is over.

But this is not good. I have to deal with the undead and Marius at the same time.

「 My apologies, but you don’t stand a chance anymore. 」

As I was thinking about how to attack, Vanil Mirth-san appeared behind me, wading through the soldiers.

His red knight’s armor shines with the luxurious gold and silver ornaments that are the hallmark of a leader, and I wonder if the king’s security is up to the task.

「 I knew you’d come back. Vanil Mirth Crown 」

Marius called out Vanil Mirth-san’s name slowly and extremely bitterly, and Vanil Mirth-san responded by drawing his sword from its scabbard and cutting through the air twice as if making a cross.

「 Toto-san, I leave that bone undead to you. I’ll take care of Marius. 」

「 Nn, if I finish the battle fast, I’ll back you up 」

「 Yeah, you never know what they’re going to do. I request that of you, Toto-san. 」

After a short strategy meeting, I jumped towards the undead.

The undead turned its hand toward me, and a needle the size of a small knife shot out of its palm.

「 Oops 」

Fast, but not fast enough for me, as I could seen through it, so I hit the incoming needle in the air from the side and knocked it off.

「 Photon Spear 」

「 Kuh! 」

At about the same time, the battle between Vanil Mirth-san and Marius seems to have started.

Vanil Mirth-san started to use his favorite magic, the endless light bullets. Thinking about it, for an undead that shoots out needles Vanil Mirth-san would have been a better match.

I was going to hit him while I was airborne, but because I had to knock the needle away, I couldn’t attack, so I landed in front of the undead and attempted to strike.

It was a hit but my attack was blocked by two of his four arms, and then it turned its free hands toward me.

Right as I stepped back, a needle pierced the spot where I had been.

「 Annoying…… 」

『 Skeletons are simply stronger against physical attacks. I was distracted by Luttie’s dying state, so I made a mistake by not making sure it was defeated properly, I’m sorry. 』

「 It’s the same for me. 」

『 Yeah, what about your signature move? Wouldn’t that do a lot of damage to a skeleton? 』

「 Signatur Move? 」

I can’t really think of anything I could call that. I should just smash it with brute force like usual.

『 I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but I thought that was your specialty. Look, the―― 』

Well, it certainly does damage the bones, which is better than hitting them, though it is still a physical attack after all.

I looked over at Vanil Mirth-san for a moment, and the battle going on over there seems to be hard. It doesn’t seem like either side is dominating the other yet.

I want to join Vanil Mirth-san, so I need to defeat this undead as soon as possible.

I slammed my fist into my palm and bent down, shifting my center of gravity forward to start charging again.