Chapter 331: What just happened!?

Returning with interest? Or poisoning the well?

『So, that is what happened, now do your best.』

......What? “That is what happened”, huh. What!?

I’m right in the midst of battle here yet I can’t help but think that being flabbergasted is a perfectly normal reaction. I mean, here I am in the middle of a shootout with Kuro and all of a sudden D starts speaking right inside my head, okay! On top of that, it’s real serious stuff.

Eh, Taboo was installed on all of humanity? Eh, prayer can send power to Kuro or myself? Eh, the Demon King and Pope had a public speaking battle over their principles?

....Just whaaat?

Just when we’re having this real intense battle, how did things end up like that huh? No, the cause is totally clear! D, it’s you, it’s totally you! What the heck have you been up to while I was away! Nai wa. If you’re going to call yourself an outsider then please stay an outsider to the end, okay. You’ve been intervening to the max....

It was so serious that Kuro also stopped moving about the same time. It’s a chance for me to attack, but I also feel like I want to clutch my head, so for now let’s have a little ceasefire.

『But, I am sure that it would be hard to immediately accept what I said, so if you have any questions then I shall accept them.』

Perhaps it was because Kuro and I both froze, but D showed us a fragment of kindness. I’d rather you have taken that kindness, and used it in a way that didn’t make things worse.

「You said that Taboo was handed out to the whole of humanity, right?」 『Yes.』

Ah, Kuro clutched his head. Well yeah, that would make you want to clutch your head. Even for me Taboo was quite painful mentally, so wouldn’t that mean that out in the world things have gone to hell by now?

「Taboo is a type of skill as well, so where did the energy for that come from?」

Ah! Now that you mention it, that’s right! Taboo is a type of skill after all, so an appropriate amount of energy should be required for it. To actually distribute it to the whole of humanity, should require a colossal amount of energy. The energy remaining in this world can’t be used on something like that, surely!

『There is nothing to worry about, all you have to do is win and prevent the System from collapsing.』

Wait. That basically means I would lose though. If you say that then wouldn’t Kuro be going all gung-ho!

『Ahh, that’s right. Supposing that you do in fact win, please rest assured that I shall not retaliate.』

Kuro suddenly raises his head.

「But, what about the fact that you would never forgive someone who harms your kin.」 『While I might have said that I will make her my kin, a formal pledge on that has not been made. In short, although she is tentatively my kin, she is not actually my kin.』

Er, mm. Well, yeah. There is no relationship between D and myself at all yet.

『If she dies in obscurity here, that is the end of it. It would simply mean, that she was not worthy of being my kin.』

SNAP! ...No, huh? As if I, huh? Particularly, huh? Wanted to become, huh? D’s kin, huh? I never, huh? Yeah, never, huh! Said anything like that, huh? So, huh? That’s why I’m pissed off, huh? Heh, heheheh. Now you’ve said it. Heh-hohohoh.... In conclusion, I absolutely cannot lose.

So now we both have more reasons why we absolutely cannot lose. Once again I square off against Kuro.

「My future concerns have gone. I have nothing against you personally. Rather, I have more things to be grateful to you about. However, even so, I must defeat you.」

Opposing Kuro who has renewed his declaration of intent, I silently beckon him to come at me.

「Here I come!」

And so, our battle has resumed.

『Make sure to entertain me.』

...with a certain Evil God watching over us as a spectator. Awkward!