The words that reached
Storm Dragon Veldora has been reborn.
This report caused a great panic within the Western Saint’s Church.
The connection that was lost with the subjugation team was quickly discovered.
So upon hearing this report, Hinata immediately decided to set off to Tempest.
Which resulted in Hinata, who was preparing to set off, to be summoned by the Holy Empire Ruberion’s most influential officials.
It is said that each has transcended a hero-class existence and is a legendary being that is often in charge of rearing new heroes.
And are only discussed as legends in fairy tales and other such stories.
Obviously, they are not an existence that the Templar Knights would know about.
Because she is the last disciple of the Seven Celestial Sages.
In other words, the fact that they all trained one person is beyond unusual.
And because she was so excellent she was able to learn all the skills and battle abilities that they could teach her.
In a sense, you could call her a work of art.
Few people from the Holy Empire of Ruberion could order Hinata around.
After inheriting her post from her predecessor, she began her reign in the top echelons of the country.
The current emperor and the Seven Celestial Sages.
Nor has she even heard this voice.
This time, she was summoned directly by them via telepathy.
Thus, though she had prepared troops to set off to Tempest, she decided to put that order on hold.
Which was fortunate.
Anyways, Monsters’ Country Tempest narrowly escaped death.
Was this a failure on Hinata’s part? By no means.
As a messenger she sent to Tempest, Reihim, has returned.
His eyes darted, his body vehemently convulsed.
100 trusted Knight Templars guided Reihim into the main chamber.
Reihim was brought into the chamber as he was. He was offered to change, but he adamantly refused.
Thus he stood in the main chamber, inside the towering cathedral in the center of the Holy Empire Ruberion.
And there he knelt.
He seemed a little relieved seeing her there. And then he stood, his expression quickly turning into even a deeper despair.
Seeing what was beneath, the Templar Knights covered their faces.
Everyone’s gaze was focused on Reihim’s exposed body.
Still alive, some showed anguished expressions, others of despair. There were even some mad ones smiling…
As if mocking the holy land upon which he stood.
「First… behold my body. It is the punishment for evoking their King’s wrath…
A demon lord.
By our hand we gave birth to a new demon lord!」
Perhaps even proudly, Reihim declared in a loud voice, his eyes bloodshot.
Without concealing any of Reihim’s wrongdoings.
To free himself from the torment, to be forgiven by god.
He thought he needed to confess his sins. But… surely he could not be forgiven with just this much…
The templars trembled upon hearing of a new demon lord’s birth.
Before his light attack, every anti-demon barriers, large scale magic barriers, and even holy barriers are utterly foolish.
If faced with an attack that cannot be blocked, even those gathered in the room could not survive it… perhaps.
Based on what Reihim reported, it was an attack that used the rays of the sun, she figured.
Seeing the stoic Hinata reassured the Templar Knights; thus, they calmed down.
Their confidence was directly tied to their unwavering faith in her.
The news that Arch Demon had appeared again provoked an uproar.
It is absolutely crucial that an arch demon, which harbors the Demon Lord Seed, be immediately destroyed.
And if they brought five knights, there was no way they could lose.
They had to destroy it now. Such was the rule regarding dealing with an appearance of an Arch Demon.
「Hinata-sama, this is an urgent matter. My team will subjugate this demon. Please order us!」
「In that case, we shall also go. Please order us to attack!」
The young templars exclaimed following their elders example. The others too, in lieu with common sense, did not oppose the measure.
But…
He still had things to say.
But the templars could not have known of this.
Which is why they could discuss such pointless things as subjugating an arch demon.
「Please wait a moment. Do not pay any heed to the Arch Demon subjugation.
However, that doesn’t portray the scene appropriately.
I meant that literally.
Massacred. That’s no exaggeration. That’s exactly as it happened」
Silence enveloped that holy room.
A monster which could massacre 15 thousand men. It made them recall a certain legend.
Truly, the monster fit the description of the word “Demon Lord”. The monster sowed chaos and destruction.
Currently, three of them remain and one has been sealed until now.
But in reality, it wouldn’t be unusual to recognize two more special s ranked individuals from among the demon lords.
They were mostly active before the church has been formed and have yet to produce any further causalities.
They will be recognized as a being that cannot be defeated by human hands. That’s what Special S rank means.
According to traditional records, it would have been a thousand and two hundred years ago.
Furthermore, some believed that other demon lords awakened as true demon lords, but none of these openly wrought havoc.
A being that can’t be opposed with human strength alone.
But, this new monster…
Just became a demon lord but may be immediately recognized as a Special S rank.
Heavy silence continued to rule the room.
Simple demon lords and true demon lords are an existence that towers over humans.
But…
「Hmph, it’s pointless to stand here in silence.
Hey, Reihim. Did you see it awaken?」
Ending the silence, Hinata asked.
In response
「Yes. I believe an offering of 15,000 lives was sufficient…」
He replied, confident.
「Is that so…」
Hinata muttered and began to think.
If her opponent was an awakened, if he turned into a True Demon Lord, then the number of troops didn’t matter.
The subjugation army’s disaster only proved this point.
From time immemorial a hero and her carefully selected team would venture to defeat the demon lord.
And since that’s the case…
「I guess I’ll have to go, huh?」
She muttered.
And since there was no need to further increase the number of corpses, there was no need to send out normal soldiers.
Perhaps… a hundred knight templar could win this battle and have a higher chance of victory than a larger force.
Again and again and again.
Because she had to ascertain her victory.
And as if interrupting her thoughts a pained expression appeared on Reihim’s face.
Reihim’s pained expression quickly turned serene…
「Ah ah, test test test. Can you hear me?
(Eh? Already? Seriously?)
*Cough*
I’ll say this in advance, this is a message.
Even if you address this messenger, I won’t hear you, so keep that in mind」
The face said.
That’s a speech they probably had to hear.
Whereas Hinata’s expression did not change. She was merely awaiting the next words.
That’s just how much control she had over her heart and mind.
「Did the messenger suit your tastes?
Don’t get any weird ideas.
(Shut up. They might be listening in on this!)
But let’s forget about tastes.
I’ll say this in advance: you started this fight.
Personally, if you apologize for this incident, I am willing to forgive you this time.
Without any reserve, without any mercy, without a second thought we shall crush you.
(Didn’t I tell you to shut up? What will you do if they hear you? I won’t look cool anymore!)
Which is why, I ask you to carefully consider the next step
That being so… is Hinata there?
But that aside, here’s what I wanted to say.
A wonderful funeral you planned for me! But, too bad.
The next time you come at me, I will respond with my true power.
So I’d appreciate it if you gave it some thought.
Let this messenger know your response.
They killed my friends so I cannot forgive them.
This messenger is also dead. Yet I made him undead so that “they” continue to suffer.
Should you decide to dispose of him, he’ll automatically disintegrate thanks to your skill that I analyzed.
Currently, I’m headed off to the Demon Lords’ Walpurgis Banquet.
Chances are it’s going to be a week from now, so keep that in mind.
Well then… I’m looking forward to your reply!」
And ending this monologue, the message conclude.
Without being perturbed by it, she met their gaze.
There were a few things worth of note but there was not time for that.
The most important point was that “Disintegration” had been analyzed.
Perhaps he was only bluffing, but she could hardly depend on such empty optimism.
She felt a sense of… regret! Yes, that rare feeling burned in her chest.
He also mentioned other important things.
So he’s probably searching for a chance to make peace with them.
But that’s something that everyone, Hinata included, would describe as naive.
And, lastly,
The fact that he was also a World Traveler and that he reincarnated as a monster.
His Japanese was far too natural.
That was the nostalgic Japanese that could only come from that world.
At some point in time Hinata had opened her previously closed eyes.
If Rimuru’s words were true, then quickly erasing him would be his salvation.
And,
「Do not be tempted by him. Our creed is absolute. We should pay no heed to some lowly monster!」
She declared to the knights.
That is, if they were to ignore the monster’s words, there was no need to disintegrate Reihim.
She was the “Emperor’s Personal Guard Captain” and led the knights herself.
Thus leading the hardened templars was the reason for her previous words.
(Now then, what should I do…)
She wasn’t sure she could win this time.
What a difficult dilemma befell her!
But for Hinata, this was something she could just solve by continuing her calculations. So she thought.