Mastermind
Sakaguchi Hinata thought herself fortunate to have been able to meet Izawa Shizue.
A single month.
She was afraid to be rejected. As her theft ability was terrifying.
Moreover,
「We’re bothering Shizu-san.
So would you like to work together with me?」
So said a boy from her world.
That’s when Hinata decided to leave.
When she was setting off, these were the boys parting words,
「We’ll definitely meet again! When we do, help me!」
She took those words literally.
So she nodded at his words without any hesitation.
And set off on a journey.
A world filled with despair, where life could be taken easily, such a world.
A country she was staying in got attacked,
The adults would not run away, but would desperately attempt to shield their children.
Those fighting were called the Knights Templar (Holy Knights).
“That’s where I want to live,” Hinata felt.
Ten years had passed.
An ironic tale perhaps, but she was performing the sacred duty of protecting the lives of people and the citizens of the Holy Empire of Ruberion.
Live for others. Even at the cost of your own life.
Since every single time, it was the monsters that threatened the peoples’ happy lives.
The patrolling knights decreased the number of casualties while fighting off daily onslaught of monsters.
A desolate wasteland spread to the west.
This wasteland has many areas of dense miasma from which monsters spawn. Thus, the knights embody the peoples’ hope itself.
Due to these occurrences, the church decreed dealing with a monster was strictly forbidden.
And at some point, Hinata had decided that peoples’ happiness was directly connected to this creed.
And, at some point…
She decided that protecting the creed was her justice, a truly ironic tale.
The days spent fighting the monsters.
The day she became squad captain and started drafting plans, the number of casualties greatly decreased.
Thus people began to see the results of her optimization of the system.
This is why she absolutely could not violate the creed.
Having received the trust of her subordinates, she created a place to return to.
In the end, Hinata was simply afraid.
People could live happily only under complete control.
And the existence of the Controlled Society Ruberius only proved her point.
That’s how it was supposed to be.
Which is why, like always,
A simple point. But that’s how it was.
Such was her warped heart that never knew parental love.
To protect that belief, she decided to fight.
And, now.
But as a result, she made a breakthrough.
Was she right, was she wrong? Not even that mattered anymore.
An enemy clearly above her. Worlds apart from his previous strength. She could only lament having let him escape last time.
Would now come to an end.
(Am I wrong? In that case… prove it, Demon Lord Rimuru!)
A thin smile appeared on her face.
And with her heart elated, sword pointing at Rimuru, she advanced.
I again considered my fight with her.
Thanks to thought acceleration, I am currently able to perfectly receive her hits.
Not that they don’t though–not that I can be proud of that.
Hinata is a real beast to be able to fight me like this even after I awakened as a Demon Lord and have Raphael’s support.
She seems to be able to easily read my sword, and blocks it without fail. And, responds with a accurate slashes.
Moreover, she didn’t even go all out last time.
A faint smile on her lips, she is looking straight at me.
Her posture does not waver, she is able to keep up a natural pose ready to counter any attack.
I am not sure how she is able to so easily predict my attacks, but it’s clear that she knows.
Of course, I’m the one with lots of wasted movement.
Our proficiency levels cannot be compared–Hinata is far higher.
At this point, all her tricks and skills have been rendered meaningless, so she fights me with a sword clad in her fighting spirit.
According to Raphael, the special ability of that sword will let it cut through even my barrier.
In reality, other than me, only Hakurou could defend against her attacks.
Whereas Hinata has decided that magic attacks would not be effective against me, hence decided not to use them.
Even if I send out my clone to fight, she will probably cut it down in a second.
In other words, even I were to project a copy or create a clone,
I cannot leave ultimate skills to clones.
Souei has gotten good at this and can bestow only the useful skills to his clones.
It would be great if a clone could create an opportunity for me to strike at her, but if that backfires… I’ll die from embarrassment.
Even if neither one of us lands a hit, time still passes.
Some people are lying down, others are sitting on the ground, all seem to be exhausted and unable to move.
They certainly cannot follow our attacks, so are they just trying to ascertain the result?
I have to resist Hinata with all my strength.
The sword Hinata held, the one as large as she is, had an edge that looked like as if it was made of blue crystal.
As if not feeling its weight, with a speed unimaginable for its size, Hinata wielded it freely.
And her expression,
Not the cold sneer that she carried before.
A genius, huh.
I’ve had my share of troubles, but after being born as a monster, I made some friends and had lots of fun.
According to what Shizu-san had said, after obtaining all her skills in a single month, Hinata had left.
Would Shizu-san really allow Hinata to go off on her own? That’s a point I find strange.
A power too strong for a girl with a mind of someone who was going through puberty or just finished.
Aside from Hinata as she is now, in that unbalanced state she was given a Dominance-type skill.
Considering this suspicion, and using other information I had gathered, I had Raphael run an analysis.
That could only have been possibly in the first months of coming to this world.
To suddenly decide to go on a journey after a single month…
Moreover, considering the presence of one more person by Shizu-san’s and Hinata’s side…
「Hey, why did you decide to leave Shizu-san’s place?」
I asked as if catching my breath during our sword fight.
Seems like I had lots of room for improvement.
An obvious result considering that she is fighting with all her strength.
Moreover,
「Why do you ask so now? I don’t want to remember, but let’s see…
Cause I didn’t want to be a bother, I think」
She honestly replied.
But when I heard the response, I felt pain in my heart.
Thinking that it’s not a problem even if I were to ignore the response, I put more strength into my sword. Our clashes now created shockwaves.
「Shizu-san had never thought you a bother though?」
「Fu, now of all time… And please don’t speak of Shizu-san」
She increased the sharpness of her attacks.
Let’s wait and see.
While desperately blocking the sword and countering,
「But, she was worried! That she made you lonely!」
(Right… I was worried. But… there was someone else I had to worry more about)
Eh?
Hearing Shizu-san’s voice…
「Ha! Don’t say it like you know! What could someone like you understand!!」
My words angered the calm Hinata.
She seems very mad. Faster than I could think about the reason,
「You let your guard down, it’s my win! Melting Slash!!」
The speed of her swings again accelerated becoming light itself.
That sword, wrapped in various types of magic,
≪Announcement. Impossible to block. Impossible to evade!!≫
(Damn! That can actually kill me?!)
First time I heard Raphael’s worried voice.
And, accelerating my thoughts to 10 million times the norm, I could only slowly watch as the sword approached me.
I cannot evade, barriers are useless, but I guess I can try to move my consciousness into a clone.
Did she respond to get me to lower my guard?
Didn’t seem that way, but as a result she got me.
≪Announcement. I propose annihilating it using Gluttonous King Beelzebub. Please do not give up≫
Raphael advised the course of action that the highest chance of success.
The moment her sword touches me, I’ll have Beelzebub eat the sword and the skill.
But there’s no room for hesitation.
I trusted Raphael, and activated Beeelzebub at that precise moment.
…………
…
The result, I survived.
Hinata opened her eyes and looked at me.
She soon readied her sword and came at me again.
Seriously, this girl, so dangerous!
If converted into HP, I’d say about 50% was gone.
I won’t let my guard down again.
While thus complaining and blocking her attacks…
≪Announcement.『Future Attack Prediction』has been acquired. Activate? [YES]/[NO]≫
I almost screamed in surprise.
What a great person Raphael is.
I hastily activated it.
A single light fired at me.
It seems like that light
If she’s trying to do something, the lights turn black.
In other words, feints and the like can now be calculated.
But what’s scary about this skill is that it does not predict the attack but the result.
If that’s the case… Hinata’s not a threat anymore.
It’s the end! I won’t kill you, but I’ll have you feel some pain!
While I was thinking this, I lowered my sword, only to have an unbelievable illusion appear before me.
Both of her hands outstretched, Shizu san stood in front of me.
Her face older than mine, and a calm aura about her.
Hinata seemed to also be able to see this illusion as she angrily scowled at me.
And to both of us,
(Rimuru, and Hinata. No one else)
No way…
Hinata seemed to be able to hear it, cause she just sat there.
At that moment, time seemed to stop.
This is… though acceleration? And I am linked with Hinata?
「What did you do? What the hell are you planning?」
Her eyes bloodshot, Hinata asked.
But, I am the one who wants to ask.
「No idea! I want to know myself!」
Though she seems as if about to disappear, I can see a phantom of Shizu-san.
A slight smile on her face, she so said to us.
(I’ll borrow a little of your time. Would you listen to me?)
And, the phantom began to speak.
In other words, the original cause of all of this.
And, are Hinata’s thoughts limited?
These were all answered by her words.
(I’ll be frank. I worried about Kagurazaka Yuuki.
Now I understand. My thoughts were restricted. By his ability…)
「No way! Yuuki would never do that!」
Interrupting Hinata, Shizu-san shook her head and continued.
(You are also affected, Hinata. Even now you are…)
She said with a pained voice.
That’s to be expected. She was just told she had been manipulated up until now.
“Right…” I said, satisfied.
As there was a person who willingly manipulated a single girl who thought that if she tried hard enough, someone would one day be nice to her.
That culprit is…
「In other words, Kagurazaka Yuuki is the mastermind behind all of this?」
Surprised at my question, Shizu turned around and with a distraught face nodded.
Now everything makes sense.
At this moment, a flame of anger against the mastermind was lit within me.