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Maou Gakuen Vol 4 Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2020-10-14 13:47:14 +0000 UTCChapter 3 – Picking Up a Pack of Mame Shiba During the Special Training
(TN: Mame Shiba is a breed of small Shiba Inu dog)
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Part 1
Summer vacation.
In the devil world, spending holiday in human world was a status symbol. After all only a part of the nobility was able to freely go to human world.
Naturally the World devil king candidate Aspite Line also had the habit of spending his summer in the human world.
But, right now he wasn’t in a resort. He was at a corner of a completely plain residential area. The word “Morioka” was written on the nameplate of the house in front of his eyes.
Both of them were enemies with each other, but last time he helped out in saving the Knight of Lovers, Koiwai Reina. Now he needed that debt to be repaid. He was intending to make Yuuto told him all the information that he knew for his comeback to the devil king war.
Besides, the fighting power of his current self was shaky. He had releasedcancelled the contract all his Cards. His mansion right now was also still no different than a ruin and it was in the middle of repair. It was a problem that he had no place where he could secure his safety.
He also had a palace at the academy, but although there was no problem using that place for a temporary meeting, it would be hard to stay there all the time. Besides it would make it hard for him to move from there because the other candidates would set watchers on him there. Currently he needed some kind of countermeasures until he managed to put his team in order.
──Depending on the situation, I’ll be forced to temporarily put up a united front with you temporarily.
Aspite thought at the bottom of his heart.
After all he was the devil king candidate of the World. It wouldn’t be a bad offer for Yuuto too to be able to have a fighting strength as great as him at his side.
His finger moved to push on the bell while thinking that, but he was greatly worried.
Besides, why should it be him who had to come to that guy’s house? Logically it should be that guy who came to him.
He was about to go back after thinking that, and later on he would call Yuuto by phone. But if he did that, then Lizel might also accompany him in that case.
He had already coming this far. And so he returned to in front of the gate again and──,
The door suddenly opened and a woman’s face peeked out.
「Hm?」
「O……」
Aspite stiffened in surprise.
「Ah! Could it be, you are Yuu-kun’s friend!?」
Yuu-kun!?
That guy……was called with that kind of embarrassing nickname at home?
「N-no, I’m not his friend but……how should I say it, it’s hard to describe our relationship.」
「Oh my! What a handsome man you are! So cool!」
「Co-……」
W-what’s with this woman? She is breaking my pace.
It seemed she was a woman, so there was no way she was that guy’s Card. Then was she a maid? No, a commoner’s house shouldn’t have any leeway to hire a maid……in that case, was she that guy’s big sister?
「Geez, really that Yuu-kun. So he actually also has a proper male friend. I’m glad~. Everyone he brought home was all girls. What’s more all of them are extremely pretty! I was wondering if that’s really all right!? In various senses!」
「I-I see……no, that’s none of my business.」
Kuh, calm down. Don’t get dragged into this strange flow!
Aspite reminded himself and made a sharp expression.
「And, where is Morioka Yuuto right now?」
「Eh? Right now he is going to an overseas trip though? To Hawaii.」
「WHAAAAAAAATT!?」
H-Hawaii!? In the middle of this intense devil king war! Even though even this me is staying here!?
「Could it be, you didn’t know!? I’m sorry! He is going with Lizel-chan and others. Ah, Miyabi-chan and our Reina-chan are also with him you know?」
Aspite was feeling shocked. Even he was surprised that he was this shocked.
「Even though this great me……has taken the trouble to come here……not only he isn’t here, he is overseas……together with those women……」
He didn’t know why he was feeling this hurt.
That was why he didn’t notice that the woman had come out to the entrance until she grabbed his arm.
「Now, come in, come in.」
「Wha-, what are you doing!? Woman!」
「You have come this far. So please come inside. I’ll give you ice cream to show our apology!」
「S-something like that! I don’t need it!」
「Don’t say that! It’s fine, it’s fineee! I also want to hear about how is Yuu-kun doing in school!」
「S-stop! Don’t pull!」
He should be able to shake her off if he really tried, but he couldn’t for some reason.
And then Aspite’s figure was sucked into the door of Morioka House.
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Part 2
Regarding the attack of Justice and Strength yesterday, when Lizel-senpai investigated, it became clear that what happened was really just a coincidence.
Neith bowed her head apologetically.
「I received a report that there are intruders and planned to return quickly but……my return got delayed because various things took my time……I’m sorry.」
Neith and me were along in the living room while sitting on the sofas and facing each other.
「No, Neith doesn’t need to apologize. We are really thankful for Neith providing all these for us, and most of all I’m glad that Neith didn’t get dragged into it.」
I desperately consoled Neith who was bowing her head dejectedly.
It seemed that Neith was in the human world at that time. When she returned in a hurry, she felt devil king candidate class mana from her private beach and asked Stella for help.
That negotiation also took time that her arrival was delayed……it seemed that there was such particulars.
But, thanks to that mess, I became able to face Neith normally again despite the awkward atmosphere between us before.
「Err……Yuuto-kun, say……」
Neith’s face turned red and her body was shaking, as though she was unable to say something even though she wanted to.
……We were able to face each other normally again──it seemed that it was too fast for me to say that.
「Neith, about that matter──」
When I tried to be the one broaching the topic, Miyabi showed her face from the kitchen right at that timing.
「Yuuto! Let’s go quickly! We got a new menu for your special training today!」
She pulled my arm and so I helplessly stood up from the sofa.
「Sorry Neith, let’s talk again later.」
Neith waved her hand with a conflicted smile.
I let myself getting pulled by Miyabi and left the cottage toward the beach.
「And, what is this new menu?」
「Watermelon smashing! Let’s go ‘smaash’!」
I felt an intense doubt. Was that really a special training?
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Part 3
「T-then-, R-Reina will explain deya deshu!!」
The teacher was standing at attention and fumbled her words a lot.
「Uu……for Reina to be a sensei, i-it’s nerve wrecking desu……desuu」
「Look, Reina. Your student is just Onii-chan, so you don’t need to be that nervous.」
I crouched to put my gaze at the same level with her and caressed her head.
「Ehehe……thank you very much. Reina’s nervousness, has lessened slightly desu.」
「Waaiiit! Yuuto, aren’t your treatment too different compared when with me!?」
Miyabi quickly complained. However I disregarded it.
「She is my important little sister after all. So of course it will be different.」
Miyabi pouted and said buu buu. On the other hand my little sis was beaming happily.
After she relaxed, this was the sequence of the special training that Reina taught me.
- First, prepare a wooden sword.
- Blindfold wasn’t necessary.
- The prepared watermelon would fly to attack me, so split it open with the wooden sword.
──Wait, what’s this. This was different from the watermelon splitting that I knew!
Rather, the watermelon would fly!?
「Guwah!!」
I got hit by a strong attack of the flying watermelon and fell on the beach many times.
「Yuuto, work hard!」
Lizel-senpai’s encouragement supported me and I stood up.
Round watermelon with green and black stripes was floating lightly around me. It was glistening, surely it would be delicious if they were chilled and eaten.
However it was as though the watermelon had will. It was toying with me using tricky movements. It would approach and then drift away, as though it was provoking me.
「Shit……why is watermelon floating in the air……it’s brutal on top of that.」
「You are sloppy there Onii-chan! Guts! Beat them ‘zuban’ like that!!」
That Miyabi, she was being irritating. Dang it! Now I’m determined. But she was irritating.
Then an advise came from the little sis sensei.
「Onii-chan, it’s no no if you don’t get along better with the wooden sword desu.」
……Get along?
What, should I call the wooden sword my friend?
Reina pulled out her beloved sword from empty air.
「Sword fighting between devils will become a battle together with their sword.」
「By together, well, that’s because they are used as weapon……that’s not what you mean?」
「Yes. A devil’s weapon is different from human’s weapon. You don’t train by learning how to handle and control the weapon desu. You train to draw out the weapon’s ability desu.」
I stared at the wooden sword in my hand. It only looked like a wooden sword without anything that seemed out of place though……?
「That sword is a training sword, but its name is Tenka Fubu.」(TN: Tenka Fubu=Spread military force under the heavens)
「That naming is too exaggerated for a mere wooden sword……」
Reina unsheathed her large katana in her hand that was taller than herself.
「By the way, Reina’s katana is called Pon-chan desu desu!」
「……That’s, a cute and good name.」
When I praised her like that, Reina breathed ‘mufuuu’ in excitement with a proud face. Cute.
「And then and then, desu. There is already power dwelling in devil race’s weapon desu. Their performance is already decided, like their attack power, or their speed. What the owner has to do is how much of the weapon’s original strength that they can draw out……the training is for that desu desu.」
「Then in this case, I just need to leave the battle to Tenka Fubu while I don’t really need to practice swordsmanship?」
Reina nodded.
「Desu desu. In exchange, a strong weapon will need a mana that counterbalances it desu. Also, one will need to use that weapon in battle repeatedly to deepen their friendship with that weapon desu. By doing that, it will be possible to use the ability of the weapon until the maximum desu.」
In other words, I would naturally become strong by accumulating experience from using Tenka Fubu huh.
「What will happen when I become able to draw out the ability until the limit?」
「If even stronger battle strength than that is needed, the only way is to switch to even stronger katana desu.」
I see. It was a bit like a game.
「This wooden sword……Tenka Fubu, how strong is it?」
「It can put up a good with those watermelons desu desu.」
Tenka Fubu────!! There was a limit even in failing to live up to your name wasn’t it!?
「It was for use of beginner in their training after all……but, it’s really easy to handle, so it’s recommended to use that desu desu.」
「G-got it. Anyway my current partner is this guy huh?」
Reina smiled brightly and nodded.
I took a stance with Tenka Fubu and faced the watermelon.
「Give your mana to the wooden sword desu.」
I did as I was told and sent mana from my palm to the wooden sword.
「……Oh?」
Somehow, it felt like there was something that changed from the wooden sword. It was like giving a breath of life to a dead tree and it returned to become a tree that was overflowing with life force…….
──Oi, Tenka Fubu.
I tried talking to it inside my heart.
I didn’t hear anything like a reply, but it felt like there was something resounding inside my heart.
──I want to split that watermelon.
When I spoke like that to it, the watermelon quickly came to hit me.
「Tsu!」
My arm naturally moved and Tenka Fubu stopped the watermelon’s charge.
It wasn’t by my will. No, I thought to block, but I didn’t really think of how to move my arms.
It was like Tenka Fubu was moving my body, like I became one with the wooden sword──it was a mysterious sensation.
「Just like that desu desu!」
Pushed by Reina’s support, I took a stance with Tenka Fubu.
──Let’s go.
The watermelon flew around dizzyingly as though to look for an opening to attack me. I rushed toward that watermelon.
The watermelon moved in a feint before it suddenly attacked me.
「!!」
Tenka Fubu in my hands and my body synchronized.
It was a movement that made even myself astounded.
Tenka Fubu moved in a flash. The watermelon’s red juice spurted out and it split into two.
「You did it, you did it desu! Onii-chan!!」
I stared at Tenka Fubu in my hand. I didn’t feel it at all that I had done it.
「I see……this is devil race’s weapon, how it fight……」
I talked to Tenka Fubu.
「I’m counting on you from now on! Partner!!」
「Ah, there is no need to use Tenka Fubu anymore desu desu.」
「Eh?」
「Onii-chan already drew out all of Tenka Fubu’s power with the attack just now desu desu.」
「Wha……what did you say──!?」
Holy cow……it was time to part from you already!
I had only gotten along with Tenka Fubu for a few moments, but for some reason it felt strangely sad.
「Hyuu, hyuuu! That was really cool, Yuuto!!」
「Good work Yuuto.」
Miyabi and Lizel-senpai were also clapping.
「Thank you very much……ah, come to think of it.」
I recalled when Lizel-senpai defeated Strength’s Ace.
「About senpai’s bow that I saw before this, is that senpai’s weapon?」
「Yes. It’s the bloodline magic that has been passed down in Himekami House, Cupid.」
「It was really amazing. Senpai would be able to defeat Rikimaru easily if only I wasn’t in that situation.」
「No. The Strength devil king candidate isn’t that easy of an opponent.」
「Eh? But senpai said 『easily』……」
「It was a bluff.」
……As expected from senpai. She had nerves of steel──it even felt terrifying.
It was a situation where I almost got killed, but even then she shot through Igor without hesitation with such level-headedness.
The mental strength to shot her arrow accurately in that situation where a miss wouldn’t be allowed.
Her boldness to defeat Igor with a single arrow and threatened Rikimaru with it.
I felt Lizel-senpai’s dreadfulness once more in this moment.
It was her side that was different from the usually kind senpai, her side as a devil who was fighting in the devil king war.
She wasn’t just kind, at times she would defeat the enemy mercilessly. There was a need to make such decision.
Without that, it would be impossible to eliminate the strongest opponents, the extraordinary monsters lined up against us──it felt like I was taught such lesson.
「Even I almost never saw it. It’s pretty rare for senpai to use it y’know?」
「Is that so?」
「Yep. Himekami House had been producing devil king candidates of Lovers because they can use that. That was why everyone thought that the next devil king candidate would be senpai.」
「Indeed. Cupid was said to be the proof of being the devil king candidate of Lovers.」
「I see……」
And I ended up snatching that? Somehow it made me felt apologetic to senpai and her family.
However……if I was also a devil king candidate of Lovers, shouldn’t I be able to use the same weapon?
「Ah! Just like how I copied Miyabi’s bloodline magic, perhaps I can also transplant senpai’s bloodline magic to me?」
Lizel-senpai made a troubled smile.
「It’s not permitted for my family to leak this bloodline magic to anyone outside. Even if it’s Yuuto, I can’t possibly give it to you. Besides, you need to have affinity with it, so even if you transplant it to yourself, I think it won’t work normally for you.」
「Is that so……I’m sorry for asking something excessive like that.」
For some reason I rapidly felt embarrassed.
Lizel-senpai nestled close to me and linked her arm with mine to cheer me up.
「Don’t look that disappointed. After all I’m planning to have Yuuto learn something even better than that.」
──Eh? Something, even better?
「It’s, a magic that only Yuuto can use.」
So this something better, was that kind of thing?
「Senpai mean……the special move I’m going to learn in this special training?」
But, what kind of move it was? I couldn’t imagine it at all.
Lizel-senpai asked as though she had read my thought.
「Yuuto, what kind of characteristic magic do you think you need right now?」
「Even if I’m asked that……」
「Think carefully. When you fought Rikimaru before this, what did you feel Yuuto?」
「That’s……」
My, lack of strength.
Rikimaru’s Strongest’s overwhelming power. In front of that power, the advanced magic that I learned in this summer was useless. No matter how long I became able to use Infinite Lovers──?
「Ah……」
I muttered in a daze.
「……Offensive ability.」
Lizel-senpai nodded in satisfaction.
「Yes, both Healing Lovers and Infinite Lovers are magic to split mana and produce mana with the power of love. It’s not a magic for fighting enemy. Those magic are beautiful magic befitting Lovers, just like Yuuto. But, you can’t win battle with just that.」
I also strongly nodded.
「That’s why Yuuto, you need an attack magic that is only for you.」
Lovers’ offensive characteristic magic…….
I automatically recalled Lizel-senpai’s bow.
「Is senpai telling me to learn Cupid with my own strength?」
However Lizel-senpai shook her head with a troubled look.
「I also don’t know. After all it’s a magic that no one has ever seen yet.」
「But……Lizel-senpai know about its existence aren’t you?」
「Yes. I also heard about it from someone else.」
Eh?
「Err, that’s……who is this person?」
Lizel-senpai put her index finger in front of her lips and closed an eye.
「That’s a secret♡」
I could only smiled powerlessly.
「This offensive characteristic magic will still need to wait. For now you need to increase the upper limit of your mana capacity first and the time limit of your Infinite Lovers’ usage. Concentrate on that.」
「Y-yes!」
Though I said that, but I was curious.
The characteristic magic sleeping in Lovers arcana…….
What in the world it could be?
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Part 4
A few days later, the special training became closer to an actual fighting.
I entered the Gaol Mountain that was towering behind the beach to defeat the monsters that appeared there.
──But,
「……I’m lost.」
Just as Neith said, the place was dark even though it was daytime. Even though the sky should be clear, the color was also dark as though there was a filter hanging below it. Everything inside the forest was also grey. It made me felt depressed.
In addition, I didn’t know the right direction at all. I was in a mountain, so I thought I would be able to return to the beach if I went down, and yet I would be climbing up a slope again when I realized.
It seemed that it was true that it was really difficult to get out of here once you entered inside. If this place was like this, then I could understand how Rikimaru and Seigi got lost.
The voice of animals howling came from far away.
I was told that there were a lot of dangerous demon beasts here, but fortunately I hadn’t encountered even a single one of them. No, this was training, so wasn’t it unfortunate instead that I hadn’t encountered any opponent?
However, originally the plan was to attack the demon beasts with a party of four. But the mist got thick midway and when I noticed I already got separated from everyone.
What if I was unable to meet up with everyone……what if I really encountered demon beasts while alone like this……?
My thinking kept going to a bad place. Perhaps it was because of this depressing forest.
「……Hm?」
I could something from the gap of the trees.
There was a straight wooden plank. It looked like a roof or something.
When I tried advancing forward through some tall grasses──,
There was a small clearing with a hut further ahead.
「Neith said that she has a mountain villa here but……is this what she mean?」
It was almost swallowed by the grey forest behind it──that was the impression it gave. The structure on the whole was slightly tilting, and the front door was almost falling off. There were vines twining on the wall and grasses were growing freely on the roof. It was really in ruin.
But even though its state was like that, it might be safer inside there compared to resting outside. Besides, there might be something inside, like communication method for emergency or food.
When I tried entering from the door’s gap, it was really like a hut inside. At least it also had furniture inside……?
Something fell on the ground. When I looked, it was a torn wrapping paper and the leftovers of biscuit.
What’s this? Did someone come here and ate snack?
When I lifted my gaze, I saw an opened cupboard in front of me. Its inside seemed to have been ransacked.
Don’t tell me……the demon beasts had rummaged for food there?
My back felt cold with a chill. I stood up and looked around inside the room warily.
There might be something that was still inside this hut.
「Arcana, is there any danger nearby?」
『Report. There is no threat at the surrounding.』
I see──I patted my chest in relieve, it was then,
「GUOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooOONNNN!!」
The upper tier of the cupboard opened and a small body flew toward me.
「Tsu!?」
A demon beast!?
The arcana couldn’t detect it!
My mind was half in panic while I caught the thing that was leaping at me in midair.
It was something that was growling ‘garuru’ in agitation with fur standing on end.
There were ears pointing up from its head. Exposed fangs. Tail that was rounded into a ball.
……A dog?
But its face and physique were human. Furthermore it was a small girl. She looked like a mame shiba dog that was personified into human.
「L-let go! Let go woof!!」
「Aa……sorry.」
I gently put her down on the floor. Then she quickly got away from my hands and jumped on the table behind her. And then she got on all fours and growled threateningly.
「You-! Are you here to kill Poran woof!? I won’t get done in that easily woof!」
「C-calm down. I won’t do anything to you!」
「Lies woof! You’re surely a noble woof! You won’t come to a mountain like this if not for hunting woof!」
「No, I’m a human.」
「……Woof?」
That girl moved her head up and down to look at me from the top of my head till the tip of my toes.
Then she suddenly grinned condescendingly.
「Whaat, so you’re a human woof? Then there’s nothing to fear woof.」
Her panicked state just now had vanished without a trace. She sat down on the edge of the table and acted as haughtily as she could. That was cute.
「You, follow Poran’s order if you don’t want to get eaten woof.」
The small mouth that was too small to even swallow a sausage was speaking arrogantly.
Her appearance was like a kid in the upper grade of primary school.
A devil with animal ear and tail……was she a mixed blood devil?
She was the same like Gigara and Nekobe Myaa who picked a quarrel with me at the practice for the athletic festival. Come to think of it, it seemed that Myaa had really made her debut as idol with the charm of cat character in television. I’m digressing.
「I get it Poran. My name is Yuuto.」
Then Poran spoke toward the ceiling.
「Oooii, this guy is alright woof. Come out everyone woof.」
Everyone? Just when I wondered that, a part of the ceiling opened and even more tiny kids who looked like puppies jumped down from there. There were five, no, six of them in total.
「There are a lot of you here……why were you in the attic like that?」
「Hiding woof. We are being hunted by noble woof……」
「Hunted……you say?」
I looked at the children who were looking up at me uneasily.
「By hunt, you don’t mean a game, but a real hunt?」
「Of course woof. We’ll be killed if we got found out woof. Our other friends, are perhaps already……」
Poran muttered in frustration. Then the other kids became tearful.
「But, even though you are a mixed blood devil, you are still a devil right? Why……are you all being hunted?」
「There is a noble that bought our village while woof. That noble made us into prey for something like training for devil king war woof.」
──Don’t tell me.
『Yeah. We are going hunting for a bit of warming up before participating in the devil king war for real. However, we got lost while chasing after our prey.』
The hunting that Sannou seigi said……was referring to this?
I looked at Poran and her friends once more. Although the species was different, all of them were mixed blood devils with animal ears and tails. They were devils who took in demon beast’s blood into their body.
Although their status was lower compared to the pureblood devil, there were also some among them who obtained nobility and enrolled into the devil king academy. On the other hand, there were also devils who received this kind of horrible treatment. I didn’t know that.
Then, one other small kid came down from behind the ceiling.
「I-it’s horrible woof! The feudal lord is in front of this house woof!」
「!?」
The kids began to make a stir with uneasy yapping.
「What’s wrong?」
「Why are you acting easygoing like that woof! The feudal lord here is a devil king candidate-! The devil king candidates are brutal and cruel fellows with terrifying power woof!! If someone like that find us, we will definitely get toyed and killed……someone like you will die just from getting seen woof!!」
「I-I see……」
But, the feudal lord here……was Neith right?
The door creaked while opening slightly.
「Yuuto-kun……you’re here?」
As expected, the slightly uneasy face of Neith was peeking from the gap.
「KYAIiiIIIIIINNNN!?」
The mixed blood devil children instantly hid behind me all at once.
「W-what? What’s wrong?」
Neith’s eyes blinked in surprise.
「Those children……could it be」
「It’s fine. That lady is a kind person. There are good people even among the devil king candidates.」
The children didn’t believe me right away. They were shivering with their hairs standing on end.
「Sorry Neith. These children, they ran away here──」
「They are Yuuto-kun’s, illegitimate children……」
「Wrong!!」
I never thought that I would be suspected with such completely unexpected misunderstanding woof.
.
Part 5
「I see……they met such horrible experience……how pitiful……」
Neith placed the smallest kid on her lap and caressed her head. The other children were also clinging close on Neith’s body. It was like they were sharing their warmth with each other.
When Neith entered inside, everyone could only shiver with fear of death, but after that they quickly realized that Neith wasn’t a scary noble.
Poran watched that with her mouth hanging open.
「I’m shocked woof……to think that there’s a noble like this……a devil king candidate at that.」
And then she looked at me with a suspecting gaze.
「I still can’t believe that Yuuto is a devil king candidate woof……」
「Haha, I myself can’t believe it.」
Even so, to think that small children like these would meet such harsh experience…….
「Hey Neith. I want to ask you something……」
「Right. I’ll bring these children to the orphanage in my territory. I think they will be safe there, and the other devil king candidates also won’t be able to lay their hand on them.」
……As expected from her.
「You are really kind Neith.」
Neith blushed slightly and looked down.
「……Even I am only thinking about myself.」
「You are also thinking enough about other people aren’t you?」
「No. I, don’t want to be bullied so……that’s why, I’m trying my best to not get disliked by other people. That’s my reason. I don’t think that I’m really thinking about other people like Yuuto-kun.」
That was her way of thinking? If it was human, I thought that that way of thinking was human enough though…….
「But……it’s unknown who will win the devil king war. Depending on who the new devil king is, my territory might also get taken away……if that happen, these children will also……」
……I see.
If Seigi became the devil king, she might not forgive Neith who snatched away her preys. In the worst case Carnac House might get crushed……if that happened then who knew what would happen to Neith and these children.
「……That’s why, I’ve been troubled all this time.」
「About what?」
Neith made a powerless smile.
「I know that it’s impossible for me to be the next devil king.」
「Neith, don’t say──」
Neith kept smiling and shook her head.
「Because, there is Stella and Lizel. Someone like me has no chance of winning at all……but, my family and my people are hoping for me to win. Their fate is hanging on me……」
「Neith……」
I realized again how carefree I had been. I understood. Everyone, Lizel-senpai, Miyabi, and even the other devil king candidates, their Cards, they all were shouldering a lot of things.
But, it only struck home after actually hearing the pained words from the person themselves.
「Hey, Yuuto-kun.」
「W-what?」
「If, Yuuto-kun become the devil king, what kind of world do you want to create?」
「I……」
What kind of world…….
I didn’t have the way to think until that far when I had just become a devil king candidate.
I was simply desperate dealing with what was in front of me.
However, I couldn’t keep running away from that question forever.
That’s right. I had found my answer.
Not one day in the future, but just now.
It was true that I wanted to answer the expectation of Lizel-senpai and others.
But it would be like me pushing off my responsibility to other people if that was all. I had to answer what I was going to do, what I wanted to do with my own will and words.
It was something that would affect the fate of a lot of people. I was scared to make a mistake.
However, not answering would be insincere.
If I was mistaken, I could just fix it later.
What was the honest thought of the current me about what I thought as right without any lie?
「I……want to create a world where everyone can live in peace and have fun.」
Neith’s blue eyes and the eyes of the small children were staring fixedly on me.
「I can’t make the wish of everyone come true. Even so, I want to make as many hopes as possible come true. And then I want everyone to be able to feel happiness and love from their daily life. I want to make that kind of world.」
It felt like Neith’s eyes were shaken.
「But you see, Neith. I said that I want to make as many hopes as possible come true, but there are also hopes that I absolutely won’t listen to.」
「What’s……that, Yuuto-kun?」
「Taking away live. Taking away freedom. Taking away territory. I absolutely cannot forgive that.」
The eyes of Neith and also the children moistened.
「I see……right. I get it……I know what kind of world Yuuto-kun is wishing for.」
Poran looked at me with eyes that were holding back tears.
「Can you……really do something like that?」
「You need to think that it’s possible if you want to make it come true. A dream isn’t something that other people give to you.」
「Human is really stupid woof.」
Poran laughed while her nose was sniffing. I returned a smile at her.
At that time──Neith’s expression changed.
She put down the child on her lap and stood up. And then she looked toward the window.
「Neith? What’s the──」
The window broke.
Flame flew into the hut together with the broken wooden frame and glass.
「Barricade!!」
Neith immediately deployed a defensive magic and stood in front of the children.
I burst into action and leaped outside from the broken window.
Outside there was a man with unsheathed sword that was pointing toward the hut. The magic circle that fired the magic just now was remaining at its tip.
He was slightly smaller than me with an energetic atmosphere──,
「Justice’s……Koshirae Kenji right?」
A crafty smile formed on his baby face.
「By the way my rank is Prince. Actually I have been searching all this time for the preys that got away. Sorry but can you give back our preys?」
「That’s out of the question.」
I formed the magic circuit for attack magic inside my body.
「I absolutely won’t hand those children to you!」
Koshirae snorted and turned his back toward me before running away.
「……Eh?」
Silence returned inside the grey forest.
What? I thought he wanted to fight, and yet he ran away immediately?
「Yuuto-kun!」
Neith also leaped out from the hut.
「Aa, Neith. The opponent was Justice’s Prince. He ran away immediately though.」
「Eh……」
Neith stared at the direction where the Prince vanished into and her complexion changed.
「Surely, he went to report……the next time, Seigi and her Cards will come……」
……I see!
If the kids’ location was found out……if it was them, they would forcefully step into Neith’s territory.
「Let’s chase him! Neith!!」
「Yes-!」
Neith took out a card from her pocket. That was the arcana of Chariot. It had the picture of two sphinx pulling an ancient chariot.
「Top Runner!!」
A complicated magic formula created the same chariot like what was drawn on the arcana.
It had a beautiful frame that was protected by tough armor, and thorny wheels that would scatter everything. Black and white sphinxes that were wearing mask were pulling it.
The chariot was equipped with majesty and splendor that was truly fit to be a king’s vehicle. The children were staring at it with their mouth hanging open.
「Get on everyone! Yuuto-kun too!!」
It would be dangerous to bring along the children, but it would be far riskier to leave them here.
「Yosh! Let’s hurry everyone!」
「Everyone, hold on tight!!」
Neith whipped the sphinxes. And then the two sphinxes let out a heavy roar before breaking into a dash.
「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANN!?」
Poran and the other children screamed from that acceleration and speed.
「A-amazing woof……aa!? T-the front!!」
Trees were growing thickly at the front. However, Neith’s chariot charged straight.
「I can’t be stopped, no matter what stands in my way!!」
Neith’s eyes were blazing fierily. A smile formed on her lips.
She changed when holding a rein. However it was reassuring.
The trees that were blocking the way were pulverized.
「OOOOOOOOOOOH!?」
The children and even me were wide-eyed in astonishment.
The chariot advanced without any regards of the forest.
Branches snapped and trunks mowed. The chariot dashed with a fierce speed through the forest in a straight line as though it was laying a path in this trackless forest.
Neith with the rein in her hands continued to stare at a single point faraway.
Ahead from here is Sannou House’s territory. It will be hard to lay our hand on him if he escape to there……I’ll absolutely catch him before he get out from my territory……!」
「Is he going this way!?」
「……Perhaps.」
Suddenly the sight ahead cleared up. It seemed we had come out to a mountain trail. The width was narrow, but it was a path that was connecting to somewhere.
「He is surely passing through this road!」
「Yes! The sphinxes have also found footprints! We’re flying!!」
The color of Neith’s eyes changed. And then she whipped the sphinxes once more.
Even more acceleration. The scenery passed us by like wind.
And then the silhouette of someone running entered our sight at the path ahead.
「There!」
That back, it was undoubtedly Koshirae. However he was fast. He was most likely using Stride, but his speed was dramatically faster than me.
The forest at the left and right was cut off.
There was a grassland spreading. A river was flowing ahead of it.
「Across that river is Sannou territory!!」
The river was shallow and wide. Koshirae was already entering the river and continued running with water splashing behind him.
「Yuuto-kun, please!」
Neith looked at me desperately.
I pointed my hand and formed a lightning type magic circle.
O lightning, run through the sky and shot down that guy!
「ThunderioExplosive Lightning Hammer!!」
The lightning fell on the river and ran inside the water.
The electric arm caught up to Koshirae instantly and entwined around him.
「Guh!? GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA」─!!」
Koshirae’s legs stopped and his whole body convulsed.
「……gah」
White smoke rose from his whole body and he swayed unsteadily.
And then he fell into the river with a splash. Something like black liquid welled up from inside the river and dragged that body down.
Neith pulled on the rein to change the direction of the sphinxes to spin around. The chariot ran parallel right beside the river and stopped.
「We made it in time somehow.」
The chariot stopped in front of the river.
「Yep. Thank you……Yuuto-kun.」
「I should be the one thanking you, Neith.」
Then Neith’s imposing atmosphere vanished without a trace, and she looked down while her fingers fidgeted with each other.
Poran stared fixedly at me.
「You are……really a devil king candidate woof……」
「Yeah, more or less.」
「Frustrating, woof……」
「Frustrating, what about?」
Poran bit her lips.
「……Even human can become this strong……and yet, Poran is……」
I see……she was concerned that she couldn’t protect her comrades with her own strength.
「You are still little. When you grow big, you might become strong you know?」
However Poran’s shoulders dropped in dejection.
「That’s no good woof. Mixed blood devil can’t produce a strength that surpass the monster they were fused with……to become strong, I’ll need to take in the blood of even more monster……woof.」
Neith made a worried face.
「That’s, dangerous okay? I think it’ll be better if you don’t do that.」
「I know woof. Poran also had friends who became a sacrifice from that woof.」
「Sacrifice……?」
「When Poran was younger than now, a noble came to the village and gathered volunteers, asking them if they want to become stronger by assimilating other monster woof. Several of my friends were taken away by that noble woof.」
「Isn’t that……experiment──」
Neith gasped and covered her mouth.
However Poran didn’t seem to notice. She continued with her story.
「Among them, there was also Onii-chan that Poran loved woof. He wasn’t my actual brother but, he was strong and kind. All the children in the village liked him woof.」
Poran’s tail naturally swayed left and right.
「He would help if someone get bullied, he would treat anyone who get wounded, he would share his food if someone was hungry……he really helped everyone. Poran looked up to him woof.」
「And……what happened, to him?」
「……Poran heard he died woof.」
「……I see.」
Neith also looked down sorrowfully.
「Say, Poran……I think everyone each have their own role.」
「?」
「Leave the fighting to Neith and me. You take care of your small friends.」
「But……」
「Even that is an important battle.」
Poran didn’t look like she was convinced, but she looked at her small friends and nodded reluctantly.
Then,
A voice that I had wanted to hear all this time called to me.
「Yuuto! You are at this kind of place.」
The silhouette that came out from inside the forest waved her hand.
「Lizel-senpai! Miyabi and Reina too!」
Miyabi and Reina also showed up after Lizel-senpai and they ran this way.
「Geez, we were looking for you aaall over, wait, why is Neith here?」
「There are also a lot of small mixed blood devils……how cute desu desu ♡」
I talked to senpai about everything that happened, after that all of us crossed the mountain together and returned to the beach.
Neith had a special compass and she showed us the way. It seemed that compass could show the right way.
「Entering the mountain without this, is a suicide.」
Neith scolded Lizel-senpai with a faltering voice.
「Y-you’re right, I’m sorry.」
Senpai apologized honestly. It was really a rare sight seeing senpai getting scolded.
The children would be put in the cottage until the preparation to move them to the orphanage was finished.
Seigi and her Cards also shouldn’t know that we were sheltering the kids here.
They had come here just the other day, so it was hard to think that they would come here one more time to investigate. Furthermore the headmaster was also present last time to arbitrate.
There was no more problem with this.
──But, with the children here……it became problematic for us to do our special training. In various senses.
When I considered what to do, Lizel-senpai looked like she got an idea and spoke.
「Let’s change the location of the training camp.」
「Eh!?」
Miyabi, Reina, and me looked at each other’s face.
「Err……where are we going next?」
Lizel-senpai folded her arms and smiled with a spirited expression.
「That’s a secret.」
「……Of course it is.」
Where were we going to get taken this time? Expectation and anxiety whirled inside our heart.
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