Volume 8 - CH 4

Part 1

「Sell me all of these.」

The next morning.

Diablo paid a visit to the carriage shop alone.

The Dwarven shopkeeper, who still had a sleepy face, tilted his head.

「Ahn? The Gold Fruit……? It won’t work as fodder but……as fertilizer? Are you going to make a field or something?」

「I’ll eat them.」

「Hahaha……That sort of joke, has it gotten popular in the royal capital?」

「I am serious. Will you sell them or not, answer me quickly.」

「What will you do, if I say that I won’t sell them?」

「In that case, it cannot be helped. If you say that they are harvested on the mountain, then will simply go to the mountain.」

He did not catch sight of them near the mountain trail.

Going by the strength of the monsters, it was difficult to imagine that they would be found that deep in the mountains. Most likely, they are probably found a bit off from the mountain trail.

The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders.

「This really doesn’t seem like anything but a joke but……Well, if you’re going to go that far, I’ll sell them to you. They aren’t really high priced goods.」

「Yosh!」

Diablo bought the entire cart.

He returned to the inn that they were staying at.

Looking around restlessly, Rem and Shera were waiting in front of the building looking worried.

「Diablo! What in the world is with that……?」

「What, what? Ueh!? Isn’t that, the super bitter Gold Fruit thing?」

「Umu.」

「……Just when I thought that you left so early in the morning alone……What are you going to do with something like that? Do you plan on making Shera eat them or something?」

「I absolutely don’t wanna!?」

Since she raised a loud voice while on the road, the people walking by ended up staring at them. Even though they had appearances that stood out even under normal conditions.

Diablo gave an explanation to the two of them.

No matter what form it was in, he had shown them defeat. Despite that, the girls didn’t change their attitude towards him even a little.

That sort of thing, did it have a bit of an influence on his mentality?

He became unable to consider doing the training in secret.

He continued his Demon King role play, but it was a fact that his current self was undergoing training.

Becoming frantic to level up wasn’t a disgrace.

「The Gold Fruit, I will eat them.」

Rem and Shera hardened.

Their expressions were stern.

「Ah, um……Diablo……Even if you did lose, I find it questionable for you to worry about it that much.」

「That’s right! Everyone loses at some point, you know!?」

「……To begin with, didn’t Sasala also say that if you used magic, that you would be stronger than her?」

「There’s no reason for you to die!」

「……Weren’t you going to participate in the fight to protect Faltra City?」

「What will happen with the Elven country!? Am I suddenly going to become a widow!?」

Diablo stopped the two that were pressing him.

「Wait, wait. You two are misunderstanding things.」

「……It seems that Gold Fruit are poisonous.」

「If you eat these, you will definitely die, you know? They taste that bad.」

「There is also that sort of theory, but if you eat this, then you will level up──Wasn’t there also that sort of information?」

Rem spoke as if to admonish him.

「……To “level up by eating fruit” is it. That sort of, occultic thing, it’s impossible.」

「Something like food that can level you up, that’s just strange, you know!?」

Even Shera was desperately trying to stop him.

Diablo nodded.

「Your thoughts, I understand them well.」

「……So you understand us.」

「Un, un, let’s eat things that are normally more deliciousー」

The two of them showed expressions of relief.

As he thought, he couldn’t get them to understand him.

「But, I will eat them!」

When Diablo grabbed a Gold Fruit, he threw it to his mouth.

Part 2

Since long ago, he didn’t listen to what other people said.

He didn’t want to bend on things that he decided himself.

To begin with, if he had a personality where he would obediently abide by the views of others, he surely wouldn’t have been a hikikomori and a NEET.

Even if he did have a communication disorder, he was independent.

Rather, it could be said that he was lacking a cooperative spirit.

He would persist no matter what those around him tried to tell him.

If I had to follow the values of others, then what meaning is there to myself existing? is how he felt.

As a result of that──

Diablo was fallen prostrate on the bed.

「Uuuugh……」

Rem leaked out an exasperated voice.

「……So reckless.」

「Are you alright? Are you alright?」

Shera was rubbing his back.

His stomach, hurt.

「It is no problem. Naturally.」

Diablo, while dripping cold sweat, replied with only that.

Shoving his hand into his pouch, he took out a purple potion tube. With trembling hands, he drank it.

As if a poisonous snake that was writhing about in his stomach had fallen asleep, the pain withdrew.

It was an 《Antidote Potion》.

It was a valuable article in this other world, but in the MMORPG Cross Reverie, it was an extremely common item that anyone could easily obtain.

He hadn’t hypothesized that they would be used like this, but he had brought along several of them.

「Fuu……」

Diablo breathed a sigh.

The Gold Fruit tasted terrible beyond imagination. Enough that he couldn’t say that it was the taste of food to begin with. It had a medicinal kind of bitterness, and the aftertaste made him break out in a sweat and cause his body to tremble.

When he ate the third one, an abrupt stomach ache struck him.

Did it really have toxicity to it?

At any rate, it didn’t seem like it was food for the Races. It was just as what the carriage shop shopkeeper had said.

The cartload of Gold Fruit was placed in the corner of the room.

Within Diablo’s brain, an angel persuaded him.

──Let us stop this. There is no guarantee that you will become stronger even if you go through this suffering. Since you are plenty strong as a Magician, would it not be fine if you just came up with a way to fight? That is what you did up until now after all.

In contrast, a devil whispered to him.

──Let’s stop this, okay? Besides, wouldn’t it be fine if you just ran away from the fight, and lived enjoyably in a distant country? Let’s enjoy a slow life!

So both were in agreement.

However, his gamer soul was different.

──If there is the possibility of efficiently leveling up, then I’ll risk something like my life!

「Naturally.」

Diablo progressed as if dragging his heavy legs, and with trembling hands, he grabbed a Gold Fruit.

Rem and Shera no longer stopped him.

「……I, will believe in you. In the past, I said that, didn’t I. And that won’t change even now.」

「Diablo, if you feel that it’s necessary no matter what, then it can’t be helped.」

「Hmph……Do no fear. I have no intention of dying from something as stupid as this.」

Diablo put a Gold Fruit in his mouth.

At the same time, he drank an 《Antidote Potion》 and a 《HP Recovery Potion》, and washed it down.

Within his body, the poisonous snake started to rage about once again.

Pain ran through him, and his face cramped up.

A rumbling could be heard from his stomach.

He purposefully put strength into his stomach that had an acute pain running through it.

「I am, the Demon King of another world Diablo! I will not yield, to something, of this level!」

He ate even more.

Eat.

Ate.

Part 3

Diablo once again climbed the Heavenly Mountain.

He should have taken antidotes and also healed, but a heavy pain remained deep within his stomach.

Since he continued to eat for three days and three nights and couldn’t sleep due to the pain, his eyelids were heavy.

Enough that it was tough for him to even walk.

The Demonic Beasts that appeared on his way up were eliminated by Rem and Shera.

He didn’t have the spare energy to fight them.

Having climbed up the cliff that was right before the Master Swordsman’s hermitage, Diablo lied down on the grassland. Going *Fuu*, it felt like his consciousness was going to break off.

「…………」

「Eh? Ah, you all are……!?」

It was Sasala’s voice.

Diablo brought his body up.

The time was evening──

With the facts that they had left the inn later than before, that Diablo’s body felt heavy, and that the battles were left to Rem and Shera, it had taken up more time for them to get there.

The place was shining red by the setting sun.

Countless weapons were stuck into the ground.

It was the Master Swordsman’s hermitage.

And then, maybe because she was in the middle of practice, Sasala stood there with a spear in hand. She had made a surprised face by their abrupt visit.

「For you all to come by again……What is wrong?」

Rem spoke looking shameful.

「……I, had proposed that he come here after resting a bit but……Diablo said that he needed to no matter what.」

「Sorry, Sasala-chan. He said that he wanted you to test him one more time.」

Shera also spoke for him.

Sasala tilted her head.

「Ehh? B, but, not even a week has passed, you know?」

She had predicted ten years.

Diablo stood up.

His hands trembled.

Even if he did rest, he didn’t know if it would get better. Whether it be the strange chill he had, or the pain of the poisonous snake that was raging about within his body.

He didn’t improve with neither the 《Antidote Potion》 nor the 《HP Recovery Potion》.

However, that didn’t matter.

Thinking “If I eat the Gold Fruit, wouldn’t I level up just like in the game?”, he did the absurd.

──What was the result?

He wanted to know.

Would he be able to see Sasala’s slash, or not.

Finding it to be a pain to even take a sword out from his pouch, DIablo grabbed a sword in front of him that was stuck in the ground, and drew it out.

「I will, borrow this.」

It was a long sword that was covered in rust.

He felt a faint amount of magical power from it, but it probably wouldn’t have that great of an effect.

Sasala made a bewildered looking face.

「Ah, um……You are looking very unwell but……」

「Do not mind it.」

「But, you look like you’ll collapse at any moment now……」

「It is because, your residence is this deep in the mountains. When we left the inn, I was feeling a bit better.」

「I, I am sorry.」

「If you feel guilty, then let me do it once more. If you say that you won’t no matter what, then I will be the one to start it.」

「Uuugh……I, I understand……」

Once again, Sasala was on the verge of tears.

He harbored feelings of guilt, but he didn’t have the luxury to worry about them. Just as she had said, Diablo felt like he was going to collapse at any moment now.

Sasala readied her spear.

Her atmosphere changed once again.

This time, there was an intimidating air where it felt like his skin was getting burned.

It was different from the other day.

The tip of the spear was wrapped in flames.

──To think that there would be this much of a change by the weapon equipped.

Sasala glared at him with eyes like that of a starved wolf.

「I warned you. I won’t listen to any complaints even if you die, you know?」

「That is just what I want. If you hold back on me, then I will turn you to ash with my maximum magic.」

「Fuu……」

She drew near once again.

Normally, Spear-users that fight against Magicians would charge in with the Martial Art 《Lance Charge》.

With her slowly closing the distance, there was a feeling of oppression.

──Do not be impatient.

In this other world, the effects of Gold Fruit were unknown, but in the MMORPG Cross Reverie, if he consumed that huge amount of Gold Fruit, he definitely would have leveled up.

Really?

A game was a game. Even if this place is called another world, it was reality.

Leveling up with fruit, is that even possible? His thoughts were going round and round.

Sasala got into range.

「This is a sure-hit thrust, desu.」

「Wait a……」

Involuntarily, he said that out loud.

Since she had a kind personality, maybe she complied with him.

The attack that aimed for Diablo’s shoulder, right before it hit──Its speed fell.

He just barely evaded it.

「Fuu……Ahー……Sorry. Um……It’s just that I felt like a sneeze was going to come out, you see.」

It was because he became worried just before it happened──he couldn’t say something like that.

Sasala displayed a stern expression.

She was timid, but she had a personality that was a bit too serious. It might have hindered her mood.

「Once more……desu ne. Please receive it properly.」

「Yeah, it is that sort of test after all.」

He took a deep breath.

It was no good to think about unnecessary things. He needed to concentrate.

However, the Gold Fruit was bad enough to cause him to tilt between life and death.

If he didn’t receive Sasala’s attack, then it would mean that all that suffering would become meaningless.

His heart felt like it would break.

It was unavoidable for a hikikomori.

Shouldn’t he at least challenge her after his physical condition was perfect, is the common sense that passed through his mind at this late point in time.

「O, on second thought, let’s do this some other time……」

「Here I come!」

Did she get mad from his earlier excuse? Sasala raised a loud voice that she hadn’t made up until now that was filled with fighting spirit.

She thrust at him with the spear.

Diablo opened his eyes wide.

「Dodge, Sasala!!」

The matter of the test flew out from his head. He had no hesitation.

He stuck out the sword.

Diablo fired magic, 《Flare Burst》.

Part 4

Sasala rolled down on the ground.

「Hii!?」

At the same time, the explosion activated at point-blank range.

From that smoke and flames, a black figure rushed out.

Diablo clicked his tongue in his mind.

「The activation was slow!?」

Maybe due to his physical condition──It took a bit of time between his chanting of the magic to the activation of 《Flare Burst》’s explosion.

Sasala darted her eyes about from what had happened so abruptly.

「As you have, already guessed……the Evil Monkey……is the previous Master Swordsman. My foster father……desu.」

「……How, did he become like that?」

「Th, that is……」

Shera grabbed Sasala’s hand, who was still hesitant to speak about it.

「Tell us, Sasala-chan. We’re, friends, aren’t we!?」

「F……Fri……ends?」

「Un!」

「Is, is that true……?」

「That’s rightー.」

「Friends……This is, my first time being called that, desu.」

Diablo tilted his head.

Among those so-called friends, would he also be counted among them?

He couldn’t understand Shera’s way of closing the distance.

However, Sasala’s cheeks were flushed, and as she gazed at her tightly gripped hand, she didn’t seem dissatisfied at all.

Part 5

Diablo’s group moved to a place within the estate.

It was the room with a sunken hearth that they ate soba in before.

Ten years ago──

Sasala, brought along by her father who was a merchant, came to 《Sodmas》.

However, her father was done in by a Demonic Beast of the Heavenly Mountain.

Right when she was nearly eaten as well, a Master Swordsman that just happened to be passing by──Graham saved her.

He was an old master that held the Japanese sword that had the crest of a crescent moon on its pommel, the 《Dark Moon》, in his hand.

Maybe feeling pity for Sasala whose parent had just died and who had no other relatives, he taught her the sword as a means of living.

Sasala had a natural talent for it.

Sounding like she found it really painful, she spoke.

「……At around the fifth year……probably……I had become the stronger one.」

It was something really dreadful.

Graham was the one that kindly taught her, hoping that she would succeed the name of Master Swordsman someday, but……

Half a year ago──

Graham held the suspicion of “Wasn’t his daughter holding back on him during practice?”

He slashed at her with the intent to kill.

It was not practice.

It was an attack on her.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Sasala repelled Graham. She was too favored by talent. Enough to drive the kind old master mad with jealousy……

The Master Swordsman fell into darkness.

「Abandoning the shell known as being a person of the Races, and becoming an existence that only wields the sword……That sort of thing, happens.」

「……Could it be a 《Martial Art》?」

Sasala shook her head sideways to Rem’s question.

「That, is no longer anything like sword techniques or skills. In the words that the ancestor left behind, he is a mere 《Oni》.」

「……Oni.」

「Even though it is a taboo……Because of me, my dear foster father (tou-sama) who was so kind was……」

She had a tearful voice.

Shera hugged her shoulders.

「That is so sad.」

「Right……That is, right……Sad.」

*Boro boro* Sasala shed tears.

Raising her voice, she cried.

After waiting for Sasala to calm down, Rem asked her a question.

「……According to that story, would that mean that the Evil Monkey’s target is you?」

「Tou-sama who had turned into an Oni, no longer, remembers the past. It looks like, he doesn’t even recognize me.」

「……So there is no meaning to it.」

Part 6

Diablo stood up.

「Now then, I suppose we’ll head back.」

As expected, it was extremely unlikely that he could concentrate anymore.

His physical condition was also at its worse.

He decided to return to the inn, take a couple days of rest, and then challenge Sasala once again.

「Ah, um……Please wait. Erm……About the “test”……」

「Mu?」

Could it be that she is going to say that there is a limit to the number of challenges that could be made? If that were the case, he felt that with today’s accident, it should not be counted.

Sasala straightened her posture.

「Um……You saw it, didn’t you? My thrust.」

「Didn’t a bother come in the middle of it.」

「Th, that was the second one……desu. I am talking about the first one.」

Diablo remembered how Sasala slowed down her attack when he asked her to “wait”.

──If she says that that was a disqualification, I have no words to give back.

Was there any enemy that would stop from being told to “wait” in an actual fight? Even if he were to say so himself, he blurted out something stupid.

He thought of an excuse.

「Ahー……Actually, at that time, the presence of the Evil Monkey was already……」

While breaking out into a cold sweat, he tried to come up with a suitable reason.

Sasala’s eyes sparkled.

「Th, this is a first for me. To have my thrust evaded!」

「Mumu?」

「I was thinking “couldn’t you also have warded it off with your sword at that time”.」

「That is only natural. You, had slowed down your attack after all.」

「Eh? Erm……I didn’t slow it down.」

Rem and Shera were also in agreement.

「……It was an attack so fast I couldn’t see it. It wasn’t any different than before.」

「Yup, yup. It was faster than slashing with a sword, wasn’t it.」

Diablo tilted his head.

「You say some strange things. The first time, didn’t you clearly thrust slowly?」

Sasala spoke being somewhat excited.

「Slowly! This is, the first time my own thrust was described like that.」

「C, could it be……」

「I am a Master Swordsman. There is no way I would make a half-baked attack. I had not aimed for a vital spot, but it was a serious thrust that I put all of my energy into. And you, had evaded that!」

「Se……」

Seriously!? is what he was about to say.

*Futsu futsu* Joy came welling up.

Sasala made a declaration.

「You pass! Diablo, I welcome you as a disciple of the Master Swordsman. M, my disciple……You are number one.」

Disciple number one.

「What, did you say……?」

In response to her words, not just Diablo, even Rem and Shera tilted their heads.

Sasala scratched her head.

Her bushy dog tail flapped about.

「Ufufu……Having no one able to receive my full-powered sword, I became a bit uneasyー. I finally have one～.」

「You said that you were acting as the Master Swordsman, since half a year ago, right?」

「Y, yes. Several very strong looking Warriors, had come by but……They didn’t quite make it.」

「Do you know a man called Emil?」

「Au, I’m sorry. I am not very good at remembering people’s names……」

「He is a strange guy that self-proclaims himself to be an “ally of women”. He has a long name of Byushe-something.」

Sasala made a displeased face.

「H, he did……He said that he defended himself against the sword of Faltra’s Feudal Lord, so I guess that was amazing……But, while thinking “if he were to become my disciple, would this person stay at the estate? That’s a bit scaryー”, I cut him down.」

「What happened?」

「Although I cut him about a hundred times, he was unable to block even one of them, and I felt relieved. Ah, I told him to please come again after he went around to various countries and got him to leave……」

「You, that’s just a shitty game, isn’t it!?」

Diablo involuntarily shouted.

*Biku* Sasala was taken aback.

「Wa, wawa……W, was something……wrong with that?」

「It was said that to receive the Master Swordsman’s instruction, they need to be a level 80 Warrior──did you know that!?」

「Eh? Level? What is that?」

「Were you not taught about that part by your predecessor!?」

She did her very best to remember.

「Ah……ah……Come to think of it, when people came wanting to be his disciple……Tou-sama would test them.」

「Umu.」

Sasala, as if yearning for the past, made distant eyes and spoke.

「He would slash at about three times slower than usual, and if they could catch that blow, then they would passー.」

「Thattt isss theee original difficulty levellll, you damned imbicileeeー!!」

「Hii～!? I’m s-s-sorryー.」

「You mean to say you tested me at three times that level!?」

「Awawa……W, was it wrong of me to slash at you with my full powerー!?」

「What did your predecessor do!?」

「Hauu～, he held back……I had forgotten this whole time……」

When Sasala escaped to close to the wall, she hugged her tail and trembled. Her pointed ears were drooped down.

Diablo took a daunting pose.

His drowsiness had been blown away.

「You, do you not know about your own level either!?」

「Ah……uh……I was told once……by Tou-sama……」

「And what did he say?」

「”When you win against this father of yours, I shall deem you as level 200” is what he said……」

「Level 200!?」

His head, felt dizzy.

He felt as if the ground became slanted.

He could understand why he was unable to see through Sasala’s slash before. It was an unknown high level that he had never fought against before.

The highest level implemented in the MMORPG Cross Reverie went up to level 150.

She was far higher.

Part 7

The next day──

Sasala, whose eyes were red, made a big yawn.

Diablo readied his wooden sword.

「Are you alright?」

「Ah……S, sorry……After everything yesterday, I read the book of secrets that founder-sama left behind over again, and then it was morning before I knew it……」

「For soba?」

「Au……Th, that’s not it. Things like the method for the trial, and in regards to levels, various things were written. I should have read about them long ago though.」

「So that’s why you forgot.」

「Uuu……I’m sorryー.」

「Damned novice Master Swordsman. And so? Weren’t we going to be crossing swords today?」

For Sasala, she wasn’t even holding a wooden sword.

「Ah……It was written in the book of secrets that you would die even if I held back……So since I will be dodging, you pass if you hit me, desu.」

He felt gratitude from the bottom of his heart for the book of secrets that was left behind.

──Founter-sama, nice!

「Is it fine if I slash with all of my strength?」

「That is alright. It seems that, I have a constitution where I don’t receive damage once per day after all.」

「!?」

「I am a tiny bit sturdy.」

He felt that that being a tiny bit sturdy wasn’t something cute, but was more of a legitimate cheat though.

「From now on, if something happens, I will first make you a shield.」

「Hawawa!?」

Diablo focused on his sword.

Thanks to Sasala’s mistaken difficulty level setting and the Gold Fruits, he leveled up remarkably as a Warrior.

Thanks to having slept well, his physical condition was better than yesterday. The stomach ache remained, but the chills and the cramps had vanished.

──Just how much is my offensive ability as I am now?

He slashed with full power.

「Seei!」

A side sweeping blow.

Sasala crouched down, and easily evaded it.

「U, um……You mustn’t look at where your are slashing, before you slash. It gets exposed, by the movement of your eyes.」

「Kuh.」

He swung again.

She avoided it once again.

「It was exposed with the movements of your muscles.」

「Gunu.」

「It needs to be much faster, desu. Muscles that aren’t needed for slashing, it would be best if they don’t move……maybe.」

「The body of the Races, aren’t made to be like that!」

「Auu……How should I put it……Have you ever seen weaving done? That sort of movement where there is no uselessness and only required movements are done is good.」

Being told that by Sasala, Diablo gazed at his own hands.

Arriving at that mental state, he had done it before.

──I, remember.

The operation of extreme Players, would become unchasable with the eyes of an ordinary person. They would end up not having any unnecessary movements just like machines in a factory.

If you want to win, then quit being human! He had been on the side that declared that.

Since he was swinging a sword, he had moved his body while going with the sensations of the flesh and blood he was familiar with but……

If he were a high level Warrior, then he was probably already a different existence from the body he had in his original world. It was just like using magic in this other world.

He imagined a normal attack done in the MMORPG Cross Reverie.

──Perceiving the target in range, then the attack button.

By the time he realized it, he had already swung his sword.

The sound of cutting the air, was different.

「Oo!?」

It was a speed that surprised even himself.

「Hyaah!?」

Surprised by the sudden change, Sasala’s evasion was delayed. He grazed her pointed ears.

Diablo expressed a smile.

「I hit, didn’t I?」

「Th, that just now……since it was the hair……it was no good, desu.」

「I don’t mind that but, the next time I hit you, won’t you receive damage?」

「Hawaー……I will endure it.」

Against a Sasala that was absorbed in evading, he couldn’t hit her all that easily.

Even for Diablo, when compared to the magic that was ingrained into his brain, his attacks with a sword couldn’t be said to be smooth.

It took three days until he could properly hit her.

At that time, having challenged her several times, Rem and Shera were somehow able to pass.

They became the Master Swordsman’s disciples number two and number three.