「The barrier has been destroyed by the Water Demon Lord……?」(Iori)
「……Yes, It seems that the Water Demon Lord and the excellent Mazoku who destroyed the barrier are heading for the village with several demonic being……!」(Karen)
It seems that the population of the fief who noticed the attack quickly ringed the bells and called for reinforcement and the population of the fief seems to have sent an envoy to the residence of both of Olivia and Karen.
「Ka-Karen-sama……Can we do something……」
「There is population of the fief who failed to escape…….Karen-sama, please……!」
When she evacuated the population of the fief who came to the mansion, Karen began to issue her instructions. It is like the gathering of soldiers in the territory that heading towards the labyrinth of Death Swamp.
「Karen-san, we will accompany you!」(Iori)
「No……. I can no longer trouble Iori-san. I will take responsibility to subjugate the demonic beings that came out of the labyrinth. So Iori-san and others should be headed toward the population of the fief」(Karen)
Karen gave me a refusal of my proposal. Before Karen run off, she said that she wants us to protect the evacuee’s people if there was a chance that worst case might happen.
Karen’s complexion is bad. Her physical and mental condition should be the worst, too.
In such a situation, can she make a decent command……?
「The Water Demon Lord who is supposed to protect the labyrinth and why did that fellow bother to come out outside……」(Elfi)
「……are we the cause?」(Elfi)
「…………」(Elfi)
There will also be soldiers in the territory of Eliesteel, but in situations where there is no Lord, so the swift actions from them will not be possible. Even if they call for reinforcement from outside of the territory, it will take several hours to arrive. In other words, Karen is the only one who can deal with the Water Demon Lord right now.
I don’t know how skilled do the Rayford’s troops are. But no matter how strong a soldier is, it will not be enough to win against the Water Demon Lord. If Karen fights against the Water Demon Lord in this way, she will definitely be defeated.
「What are we going to do, Iori?」(Elfi)
「Umu, I thought you would say so」(Elfi)
We came back to our room and got ready.
It is full gear to oppose the Water Demon Lord as an opponent.
We get out of the mansion after done with the preparations. Meanwhile, Karen is still gathering the soldiers. It will take time for them to head towards the labyrinth.
It is necessary for Elfi to get serious if the Water Demon Lord is going to be our opponent. In order to get the full power, she has to take off the magic item that essential for her disguise. Given that, it would be better for only the two of us to go to the labyrinth than waiting for Karen’s done with the gathering of soldiers.
「……Let’s go」(Elfi)
「Yeah」(Iori)
Thus, we left the residence and headed for the labyrinth.
The territory has fallen into confusion. The bell which sounded until a while ago has already stopped. Instead, people’s bitter voice comes from here and there.
「Because there is a lot of residents in the vicinity of the Labyrinth, I thought that there were lots of courageous people, but as far as I see, it seems not to be that way」(Elfi)
「I guess it because until then there were no facts that the barrier might broken」(Iori)
Running through in the middle of confusion. Although I was using the “Accelerating Accelerator” that have considerable speed, Elfi manages to accompany me without going pale. Even though she had not regained her legs yet, as usual, the person herself has the superhuman spec.
「……So, it’s over there」(Iori)
I saw the figure of the demonic being while I continued running at full speed for a while. The squeal of the people who failed to escape and demonic being roaring are echoes while the black smoke which broke out from a private house is trailing along in the sky. It isn’t possible to confirm the figure of the Water Demon Lord.
There’s a muddy green liquid was about to enter a private house. Just before that happens, the door opened vigorously and the man who grasped the sword popped out.
「D-Dad!」
「You stay in the house!」
Then a man pushed a girl who is trying to follow him inside the house before a green liquid sprang there. That is a slime variety――”Swamp Slime” that inhabiting the swamp.
「UoooOOH!!」
That man swung his sword to intercepted the slime. The slime’s body receives the attack as part of it is *Bichari* crushed. However, in an instant, the part that scattered has gone back to the body of slime in the next moment.
「D-Damn!」
The slime jumped as it trying to capture that man.
「――Demon Eyes・Complete Destruction Explosion」(Elfi)
Elfi demon eyes have barely to explodes the slime in time. Its body does not reproduce again because probably the nucleus that floating somewhere in its body might have been blown off.
「You guys……are」
「Y-yeah」
I help the man who falls on his backside to stand up and listen to the current situation of the village. It seems that there was a raid of demonic beings only a few minutes ago. The person who took time with their preparations has failed to get out in time, and the man told that several people have fall victim in his trembling voice.
「Did you see the Water Demon Lord?」(Iori)
「N-no, only demonic beings are there and I have not seen what seems as such」
Although there is a figure of demonic beings but there is no figure of the Water Demon Lord.
Were you already satisfied with the destruction of the barrier and have returned to the labyrinth?
Or are you going to wait and see from somewhere?
「!?」(Iori)
「UooH!?」
At the timing when I was about to say something, there was a movement at the edge of my sight. Thus, I pull the man and spring back from that place. In the place where I stood until a while ago has been struck directly by a liquid. The vegetation from which grew in the ground is making the *Juss* melting sound.
The thing that attacked us was a big acid serpent the Acid Snake. Besides the demonic beings which have crept out from a labyrinth such as a slime like just now and the toothy bugs which crawl on the ground were also gathering here.
「Anyway, get away from here quickly――」(Iori)
「I can’t run away yet! Because my daughter is still left behind at the house!」
The man yelled while pointing to a private house and I saw there’s a girl’s face peeped from the door of the house.
「……I understand. Please get your daughter
「F-forgive me……!」
Thus, the man is running towards the private house in the back.
I sewed the head of Acid Snake which was going to sprang at me on the ground with a knife. That attack itself has become the trigger to all the surrounding demonic being to attacked all at once.
「Can you handle it without releasing your disguise?」(Iori)
「Of course――!!」(Elfi)
As Elfi’s both eyes are glitters in crimson. Next, a small-scale explosion has occurred in succession. The demonic being flesh scattered as they exploded.
The demonic being is preying on me after it weaves its way from the gap of the attack. In response to it, I avoid the slime at which leaping upon me while determining the position of the nucleus inside it. At the moment it arched back trying to jump again, I shattered the inner nucleus with the jade longsword.
The remains of demonic beings are scattered in a blink of an eye during our offence and defence against them. The piled up corpse is already looked like a small mountain itself. Yet, there are no demonic being of the Tsucigumo or Flame Dragon classes because the ones that keep attacking us till now is only the small fry.
To the extent that both I and Elfi is sufficed enough to take care of it.
「It’s all right now!」
That man finally arrived at the private house and lifted up his daughter and he comes towards us while covering the girl in his arm like protecting fragile things.
「Are those scary thing already gone……?」
「Yeah! That Onii-san will help us! And daddy will protect you from whatever there is!」
While Elfi demon eyes are hindering the demonic beings that try to approach the father and daughter. Meanwhile, I covered any opening with my sword skill.
From the private house, those two have come just before my eyes.
Shall we break through the encirclement and let those two escape from this place once?
I slashed down the demonic beings in front of me as turn my gaze toward Elfi who call out to me.
At that moment――.
「――Then, try to protect she from this」
At the same time with the voice that resonated from the sky, a mass of magical power hit the body of the man.
*Splash* The sound of something wet or moist that follow up with the sound of exploding echoes.
Without a scream, the man who had greatly damaged on the left half of his body collapsed on the ground while a girl that he held in his arm was thrown out and rolled on the ground.
「……Daddy?」
As that girl crawls and approaches the man. However, that man says nothing to her. It is because he is already dead from that blow.
「Wonderfully, it’s wonderful. You manage to protect that child from that blow, aren’t you!」
「A……Aaaaaah!」
The girl cries while clinging to the man lifeless body. As she keeps calling out for her father many times while having dishevelled hair.
「Please don’t cry. It would be all right because I will be sending you to the same place as your father soon」
Then, immediately follow up by such ridiculous and joyful voice. Numerous bullets of water are falling down from the sky towards the girl.
I thrust myself in front of the girl and slashing the falling bullets. The deviated aimed bullet is creating an impact that created a big hole around the immediate vicinity. Its a brutal blow that definitely will make the one who got caught up by it will be leaving no trace.
There are no figures of the one who performs those attack when I looked up at the sky. But distinctively, the sign of the concealment magic could be felt in the sky.
「……Show up yourself」(Iori)
As I pointed my sword toward the magical power and call out to that fellow. There was a presence that *KusuKusu* laughing on the direction where I pointed my sword.
「Oh, sorry. Even though it was a reunion after a long absence, I guess you should recognise me with this, won’t you?」
The concealment magic was released.
The magic comes off with *PeriPeri* and the appearance of the man who had assimilated with the landscape appears.
What appeared was a young man.
A facial expression that gives a gentle impression to indigo hair that has been adjusted to a reasonable length. There is no wasteful fat on his body and it is thin enough to call it delicate.
However.
「……You bastard」(Iori)
What he wearing is an utterly dark military uniform that shows his affiliation to the Mazoku army. And I could see a horn that grew from on his forehead after that young man combed his hair that affected by the wind.
That young man is.
It’s impossible for me to not knowing who he is.
Because I won’t forget that bastard face.
「Dionis……!」(Iori)
A once traitor.
Dionis Rubalk and he smiling pleasantly while floating in the sky.