Chapter 1: Trying to Practice
In the depths of the Kobolds’ tunnels, it was hard to tell if it was day or night, but it was likely a bit before dawn. Rem was still sound asleep. When she had lost her clothes before, she had materialized replacement clothes using the Glow. However, these were gone since she was unconscious, meaning she was stark naked. They covered her up in a blanket so she wouldn’t be cold.
Her breathing was calm and her body temperature seemed to be in order. She was likely just exhausted, and would eventually wake up on her own accord.
Diablo was seated next to Rem.
“When Rem gets better, we should head back to the capital. Leaving Horn and Sylvie there might be dangerous.”
Shera was next to him. She had also been injured while fighting a mighty opponent, but was all better now thanks to a recovery potion he’d given her.
“So we go back with Horn and Sylvie to Faltra?”
“Yeah, and after that...”
They take Klem and run off to Greenwood? But that presented a major problem: there were no biscuits in Greenwood.
“...Well, I’ll figure out the rest later. First we need to get to the capital. Just getting in will be a challenge.”
“Maybe we can ask Lumachina.”
“Mm?”
“And Alicia’s in the capital, too.”
“Her, huh... No, at this point, we should make use of all the connections we have.”
“Erm...”
Shera suddenly brought her face closer to his. He’d gotten used to seeing her, but having her all-too-beautiful face so close to his still made a blush creep over his cheeks. That was one habit he’d likely never get over.
“Wh-What, Shera?”
“I, uhm. I saw it.”
“Huh?”
Shera blushed.
“I saw what you... did in the courtyard with Solami... last night.”
Shera formed a small ring with her fingers and brought her pink lips to it. It had happened the other night, when Diablo and his group stayed with Rem’s family, at the Gadou clan’s estate. The family head was the younger brother of Rem’s father (her uncle), who was away on some expedition. It was instead managed by his younger sister Solami (Rem’s aunt), who served as assistant instructor.
Solami had a very uninhibited personality, and did some acts in the courtyard with Diablo that could only be collectively described as ‘this and that’, which were overall a huge ruckus...
Shera saw that?!
Diablo felt himself break into a cold sweat as his Demon Lord role play crumbled away.
“Aaah... Uuu...” Diablo stammered.
“There it is again.” Shera cocked her head curiously. “You do this thing sometimes where you start saying ‘aaah’ and ‘uuu’.”
Well, excuse me for having a communication disorder!
In his original world, Diablo was an introverted, shut-in gamer, and talking to drop-dead gorgeous girls was completely unthinkable for him. Even just nodding when the cashier at the convenience store asked him if he wanted his food microwaved was a herculean task, and whenever they got his change wrong he could only silently accept it and go back home depressed.
But when he played the role of a Demon Lord in the game, Diablo could speak to people directly. That was just what a Demon Lord would do, after all.
And for that matter, a Demon Lord wouldn’t be fussed over being caught in the act, either! And with that, the Demon Lord role play switch in Diablo’s brain flipped over to ‘on’.
“Are you interested in the Glow too?”
“Gloo?”
“Adventurers call it SP, but Rem’s family, the Gadou clan, call it the Glow. They have a much wider range of applications for it, though.”
“So that’s how Rem became so strong all of a sudden?!”
“There might be something else at play there, but... She did use the Glow, yes.”
Diablo didn’t know the reason Rem had become a quasi-Demon Lord. She never did tell him that Klem had given her the ?Demon Lord’s Fang?.
“Ooh, so that’s called the Glow.” Shera nodded, seemingly convinced.
“Warrior classes naturally use their SP for martial arts, but it’s even more important for grapplers, since they don’t use weapons.”
At least, that’s what Diablo knew from Cross Reverie, but that logic still seemed to apply in this world.
“I know a few, too.”
“Archers use martial arts too, after all.”
“Except I’m a summoner!”
Being Elven royalty, Shera was born with innate talent as an archer. But when she decided to become an adventurer, she found she didn’t like to spend her nights all alone in the wilderness, and became a summoner for that reason... She still chose to continue down that path after gaining companions, but since she hadn’t been training her skills as a sorcerer, she was likely still level 30. She always did use her bow, after all.
In Cross Reverie, classes were fixed. One could distribute their bonus class points freely, but gaining levels in multiple classes wasn’t possible. If one wanted to try a different class, they’d have to make a different character (which cost real life money).
But this world was different. Diablo was an elemental sorcerer, but also gained levels as a warrior, which made him realize something: maybe the rules regarding leveling up multiple classes didn’t come from Cross Reverie, but from some other game.
There was another game run by the same developer — a smartphone-based social game called Girls’ Arms — where characters would gain weapon experience points depending on what weapons they had equipped. For example, equipping swords gave experience for melee combat, while equipping a gun increased ranged combat skills.
Diablo had no way of being sure, but that theory did make everything make sense. In other words, if he wanted to raise his level as a summoner, he’d have to fight using summons. The logic behind it wasn’t clear. Maybe it had something to do with how one’s state of mind changed depending on the weapon they used, which connected to what levels one gains?
Incidentally, Diablo previously had a staff called the ?Tonnerre Empereur?, which could take the shape of a sword, but it fell under the category of a magic staff, which meant it didn’t gain him any experience in melee combat.
Solami did smash it, though...
It was a painful loss, since it was an EX-class piece of equipment that was useful even for fighting Demon Lords. Diablo collected items, so he had countless weapons stored away, but only a handful of them were upgraded to their maximum strength. He did have a weapon in his pouch, the ?Seraphix Sword?, but only because it had an effect that increased his experience points gain. It wasn’t suited for fighting powerful enemies.
He’d eventually have to go back to his base to get another weapon, it seemed.
†
“So does the Glow have anything to do with what you did with Solami?” Shera’s voice dragged Diablo out of his thoughts.
“O-Oh, yes... Of course. That was training for using the Glow.”
That wasn’t a lie. Compared to how adventurers used martial arts, the Gadou clan’s applications of the Glow were far wider, and what they did that night did give him a glimpse into that.
“I wanna learn how to use it, too!” Shera said, her eyes sparkling.
“H-Hmm... Very well. When we get the chance.”
“I wanna learn how to use it now!”
“Right now?!”
“I mean, I... I lost again.” Shera drooped her shoulders.
Diablo hadn’t been there to witness the fight, but the Kobolds did tell him. Shera and Rem had fought the Palace Knight Gewalt’s summon beasts. Judging by the Kobolds’ descriptions, they’d fought ?Fafnir? and ?Efreet?. Both were limit-broken, SSR-class summons, which stood as a testament to Gewalt’s skills.
Shera was likely on the brink of breaking the level limit as an archer — she was either level 99, or very close to it. But the difference in combat experience had decided the match.
“If I was stronger, the Kobolds wouldn’t have had to fight and Rem wouldn’t have had to go all crazy-like.” Shera said, her expression uncharacteristically serious.
“Perhaps.”
“And I wouldn’t have had to run away from my brother... or say goodbye to you like I did.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“But you and Rem are always protecting me...”
That’s not true.
Compared to how she was when he’d first met her, Shera was a true, proper adventurer. With the gear Klem had strengthened, she was more than a match for any low-ranking Fallen. But Gewalt was simply out of her league.
Besides, it’s not like I’ve mastered the Glow, either.
“C’mon, teach it to me too, Diablo! What should I do? Should I lick your belly button?” Shera stuck out her tongue and wiggled its tip.
Solami wasn’t licking my belly button back there... Diablo winced.
But he couldn’t explain it to her and expect her to understand. Shera, in the meanwhile, undid her belt and lifted the hem of her one piece dress, revealing everything from her white panties to her well-shaped navel.
“Or maybe you need to lick my belly button? Will that make me stronger?”
“Agaaaaaagaaah...?!”
With that kind of sight before his eyes, Diablo’s composure went out the proverbial window.
If you let me lick your belly button you’ll get superpowers~
Diablo couldn’t say something like that when she was so earnestly worried about it, though. Diablo crossed his arms, perplexed. Even with Shera’s navel and panties exposed before him, ruminating over what it was that would help her become stronger made him focus inward and forget about everything around him.
“...Back then, Solami used her Glow and had me touch her so she could guide me on how to sense it. Maybe we can try that?”
“All right!” Shera lowered the hems of her one-piece dress’ skirt and nodded.
“I think you’d be better off being trained by Solami instead.”
“Would she teach me if I asked?”
“No...”
There was something he hadn’t told Shera. As the Gadou clan’s assistant instructor, Solami was given a job by Caliture’s governor — to keep Diablo from going to help the Kobolds. He’d had no choice but to fight her, and unleash spells so powerful she wasn’t able to get back on her feet.
And now Diablo and his group had broken away from the Kingdom of Lyferia and were wanted individuals. So what was Diablo to do now, go back to the frontier city Caliture and ask the person who almost punched a hole through his stomach to teach him the secrets of her clan? That just wouldn’t fly, even with Rem’s family.
Diablo stuck out his finger. He wasn’t as used to this as he was to using elemental magic, but...
“I’ll use the Glow. This is a martial art to increase the body’s strength using SP. Try sensing it.”
“I’ll try my hardest!”
Diablo had to try his hardest, too. Sasara the swordmaster taught him how to use martial arts in conjunction with wielding weapons, but using the Glow required maintaining a far more gentle, subtle balance.
To make an analogy, what Sasara had taught him was how to heat up a TV dinner, while Solami preached the method of how to make a full meal, down from the base ingredients. Among many adventurers, martial arts spread as an easy-to-use way to get stronger, but mastering the Glow would allow one to adapt to more situations.
The Glow built up within Diablo’s body. And as Diablo extended his finger, Shera...
“Om.”
...plopped his finger into her mouth. The wet, soft sensation of her tongue brushed against his finger as heat built up in her body.
“Wh-What?” Diablo stiffened.
“Mha... I’m supposed to put it in my mouth, right? Like this? Or this?”
She did see Solami put something in her mouth, after all. The sensation of her small tongue sent tingles running down Diablo’s spine. His heart was beating like a drum.
I can’t tell her just touching my hand would do at this point.
He wasn’t in the state of mind to concentrate on the Glow anymore. If anything was concentrating, it was his blood, rushing to his lower half.
“Mmm?!” Shera’s eyes widened.
“Wh-What is it?!”
“I can feel it! I can tell, Diablo! That’s the Glow, right?! I can see it gathering down there!”
“......”
She can see it...
But that aside, Shera really was a genius. When Diablo had first touched on the Glow, all he could feel was Solami’s boobs, and it took her forcibly using the Glow to manipulate his body for him to tell. In the end, he’d only learned how to use it by feeling it within his own body.
“Amazing!” Shera seemed excited. “This is incredible! I never knew you could use SP like this!”
“Y-Yes. So you saw it. Not bad,” he said, giving the impression he was better than her.
But he was actually shocked. Even if Shera, an archer, was more used to using SP than Diablo, an elemental sorcerer, this was impressive. At this rate, she might be able to use the Glow very soon.
“Diablo, show me more.” Shera leaned forward. “Something stronger, please.”
“H-Hmm.”
As she spoke, she poked at his finger with her tongue, disturbing his ability to think calmly. Then he came up with an idea.
“Next you should try it yourself.”
Diablo finally pried his finger from Shera’s mouth. It was warm and swollen.
“Huh? Can I really do it?”
“Archers use SP for their martial arts too, which is what the Gadou clan calls the Outer Glow. So try using it inside your body, to up your physical abilities. That’s the Inner Glow.”
He proudly repeated Solami’s explanation. Relating secondhand information smugly like he knew it all was something he should feel ashamed of, but... there wasn’t much to do given the situation. A Demon Lord couldn’t say “Solami taught me that...” It would ruin his dignity.
“Okay, let me try! Here.”
Shera extended her finger.
“Mm?”
“It’s your turn to suck now. I’ll try using the Glow.”
“N-No, uhh...”
There’s no point to me sucking on your finger? You’ll be able to tell by yourself if you use the Glow.
But Shera simply extended her finger with a face utterly free of doubts. Diablo was perplexed. Should he just go ahead and plop it in his mouth? No, maybe he should refuse and explain that there’s no need for this? But she is concentrating wholeheartedly on the Glow, so maybe he should just play along?
It was then that Shera exclaimed in understanding.
“Oh, so fingers don’t work for beginners?!”
“Huh?”
“Right, she was licking your belly button, Diablo...”
“...Ah, yes...”
Except it wasn’t his belly button.
“Here!”
Shera raised her skirt again, revealing her navel and panties again.
Is she telling me to lick it?! Diablo froze in place.
“....Rrrrg!”
It was then that they felt something like a tremor beside them.
“What in the world are you two doing?!”
Diablo jolted and turned his gaze, as did Shera, who was still holding up her clothes.
“Rem?!”
Rem looked at them with a wide-eyed, furious expression that made her look like she might turn into a Demon Lord right then and there.
“...And while I was sleeping right there next to you.”
“It’s Rem, Rem, Rem, it’s really Rem!” Shera clung to her in a hug.
“Wha?! What’s gotten into you...”
“That way you get angry! It’s really you, Rem!”
“...If you know I’m angry, please let go of me.”
“I was so scared earlier!”
Diablo recalled what had happened a short while ago. Rem had become a Demon Lord and gave off clear bloodlust, enough to make Diablo shudder. He recalled how her eyes glinted red as she said, “...I wish to kill you... and then myself.” How her spear of Glow, powerful enough to defeat Efreet, aimed at his heart.
He thought he was going to die.
Thank heavens I’m still alive...
Given his lack of social skills, Diablo never expected to be on the receiving end of a girl’s murderous rage.
Wait, that’s not right.
It was exactly because of his lack of social skills that he’d ended up on the receiving end of a girl’s murderous rage. If he was some normie chad, he would’ve been able to handle even two or three girls no problem. But it was his lack of ability to say the right, considerate words when they were needed most that made others anxious, sad, and disappointed, resulting in sunken relationships.
“Forgive me.” Diablo said to Rem.
“Ah...”
“I am a Demon Lord. I probably am not up to your expectations.”
“N-No... I got angry on my own, and... When I used the Demon Lord’s Fang Klem gave me, I, well, I lost my sense of reason...”
“Hm?”
A Demon Lord’s Fang? There was no item like that in Cross Reverie.
From how Rem described it, it made one lose their sense of reason, but caused their stats to skyrocket.
“...It’s not Klem’s fault.” Rem explained. “She was trying to keep me alive in her own way, out of concern. I only went berserk like I did because of my own weakness.”
“Let’s become strong together, okay?” Shera said, hugging her tightly. “I’ll work really hard, so...”
“...You’re right. Next time, let’s beat Gewalt with our own power. I have my own pride to consider, after all. I can’t afford to lose to the same opponent a third time.”
“Right!”
The two exchanged a glance and smiled. Diablo pondered pathetically to himself that Rem seemed to smile so much more around Shera than when she was around him.
Man... Talking to people sucks...
†
Rem put on the clothes the Kobolds left for her. Unlike the furs they always wore, these were normal clothes worn by the races. Namely, it was a native garb worn by the people of the south. Apparently they had traded with some people of the races for it.
“...These are nostalgic.” Rem looked down at her outfit. “I used to wear clothes like this when I was little.”
“They look good on you!” Shera complimented her.
See, that’s the kind of thing that never seems to come out of my mouth. Diablo scratched his head awkwardly.
“...Diablo, about our next course of action,” Rem began.
“Hmm.”
It was about time they switched gears.
“...I assume we’ve broken off from the Kingdom of Lyferia.”
“Is Gewalt still alive? How did he report this to Caliture’s governor? How did the king take the news? There’s still too much we don’t know, but it’s safe to assume we’ll be pursued,” Diablo stated.
Rem nodded.
“...I assumed this day would come, sooner or later.”
It was bound to happen, given his tendency to declare that he’s a ‘Demon Lord’.
“But, but!” Shera shook her head. “If the other option was abandoning the Kobolds, I’d rather be pursued!”
“...Right you are.”
Some things are more important than just loss and gain.
“First we head for the capital. Depending on how Lyferia acts, we need to make sure Sylvie and Horn are safe.”
“...We should hurry.”
Rem rose to her feet, but then staggered a little.
“Shouldn’t you rest a bit longer?”
“...I’ll be honest, my arms and legs hurt quite a bit. It’s probably recoil from using the Glow too much... I can still walk though. I won’t be a burden to you.”
Usually, Rem would insist she was fine even if she wasn’t, so hearing her admit she was unwell was a surprise. The pain she was going through was likely enough to make a normal person scream and writhe.
Still, time wasn’t on their side.
“Leave all the monsters along the road to me.” Diablo nodded. “Just concentrate on walking.”
“Understood.”
Bidding the Kobolds farewell, Diablo and his group left the forest before dawn.
†
When they found their way back to the highway, the sun was already at its peak.
“Ugh...” Shera whined. “I’m starving...”
“...We should be thankful we still have some water.”
The Kobolds offered to let them take some food for the trip, but they declined. Their whole clan was facing a great migration, and no amount of preserved food would be enough. The Kobolds said they were grateful to still have their lives, but Diablo couldn’t burden them any more.
“Hey, isn’t that an inn town?” Shera pointed down the road.
“...So it seems. But would approaching it really be safe?”
If word of their revolt had already spread, they would likely be pursued by militia and sentries.
“I don’t care if they catch us... I want food...” Shera said, forlornly rubbing her belly.
“...Your strength of will is lacking.”
“If anyone dares oppose us, we need only eliminate them.” Diablo shrugged. “Perhaps finding out here whether we’re wanted or not would make things simpler in the future.”
“...True.”
He said ‘eliminate’, but he didn’t want to have to fight the races, at least so long as they weren’t villainous scum. He needed to come up with a way for them to get some food without hurting anyone.
They approached the town only to find a carriage sitting in the middle of the road. They tried to pass it by when someone descended from its wagon: a Pantherian with a cat’s head.
“Young miss!”
It was one of the Gadou clan’s disciples, and one of the more striking, prominent ones. Diablo steeled himself. This man and the clan cherished Rem, but felt even more strongly for their assistant instructor, Solami. Diablo had defeated her, but doubted she’d died...
He stood before the cat-headed Pantherian. Rem seemed to be thinking the same thing as she hesitated to step forward.
“...Ambushing us, Houzen?”
Apparently that was his name.
“I’ve been waiting for you, young miss!” Houzen raised both hands into the air, trying to signal he meant them no harm.
Still, they couldn’t be careless. These ancient martial artists had techniques that allowed one to spring from a stance of submission straight into an offensive position.
“...I heard Diablo and Auntie fought,” Rem said.
“It happens a lot on the job. The assistant instructor is alive, and is worried sick about you. I’m glad I can tell her you’re fine.”
“...If these are your honest feelings, I’m grateful.”
“You’ve become wary.” Houzen smiled bitterly. “‘Tis encouraging, young miss. Me and all the disciples are looking forward to you returning and inheriting the clan.”
“...I’m sorry.” Rem bowed her head slightly. “I am Diablo’s wife, when all is said and done.”
Houzen turned his gaze to Diablo.
“A lot of the disciples thought badly of you when they heard some demon had put an ?Enslavement Collar? on the young miss...”
Diablo replied with silence.
“But in the end, we’re a mere clan of martial artists. We pay our respects to the strong, and a man who can beat the assistant instructor is certainly worthy. If anything, we would love for you to liven up the Gadou clan’s future.”
“...Mm.”
Diablo was surprised they had said that.
“Oh,” Houzen then appended, as if recalling something. “And the assistant instructor said to tell you she’ll win next time.”
“I see,” Diablo shrugged.
The Gadou clan acknowledged the strong and always sought further battles. That was their way of life.
“...Let’s stop talking about the future and focus on the present.” Rem brought the conversation back on track. “Are we considered fugitives now?”
“You are. I don’t recommend going into that inn town. There are a thousand soldiers lying in wait there.”
“...Was the Gadou clan requested to help capture us?”
“No. All we got was a warning that they would stomp us out if we sided with you.”
“...I see.”
Rem was the previous clan head’s daughter and the current head’s niece. The kingdom probably feared that if they had the clan pursue her, they would betray the kingdom upon catching her. So they didn’t ask them to join in the pursuit, but simply warned them not to get involved. A fair compromise, all things considered.
“...But if that’s the case, why are you here?” Rem cocked her head.
“To side with you, of course.”
“...I don’t follow. Didn’t they warn you to not get involved with me?”
“Well, that’s why it’s only me here.” Houzen narrowed his eyes. “This carriage should have everything you need. Please, make use of it.”
Rem’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Won’t you be in huge trouble if anyone finds out?!”
“Can we really say that we want you to come back if we stay on your side when everything’s fine but turn on you when things get bad? We all want you to live and carry on the clan.”
“...I’m not worth that much... Uncle and Auntie can have children too, can’t they?”
“We’d be happy if they did, but they’re both unmarried. And most of all, your skill exceeds even the previous head’s.”
“...I don’t think that’s true.”
But arguing over that now would be counterproductive. Soldiers on patrol might spot them if they dawdled for too long.
“Whatever you choose to do is your path to carve out, and we will support it however we can,” Houzen shrugged. “But for now, you have to prioritize your safety. Go straight for the kingdom of Greenwood and don’t stop in any towns.”
“...Thank you,” Rem said, choosing to take the carriage he lent them.
It was a medium-sized carriage with a canopy, and its wagon was packed with preserved food. With this much, the three of them should be able to reach Greenwood no problem, assuming they didn’t make any stops on their way. There was a bed in the wagon, too.
“I assumed you might need this.” Houzen smiled.
“...I likely will, yes.”
A medium-sized carriage would likely shake quite a bit, kicking up Rem’s motion sickness. Rem climbed up to the coachman’s seat and grabbed hold of the reins.
“Houzen... I’m very grateful to you. But I don’t think I’ll be able to live up to your expectations.”
“Us disciples are just doing what we want.”
“...Out of obligation for my father?”
Houzen’s expression became oddly feline-like.
“No...” he replied, his cat ears twitching. “We haven’t forgotten our debt to the previous head of the clan, but... All of us disciples are, without exception, in love with you, young miss.”
“...Huh?!”
“Now, go on. And take care!”
The horse was seemingly well-trained, as it took off with that verbal cue from Houzen, pulling the carriage along.
†
Rem stayed silent until Houzen was out of sight, and then snuck a glance at Diablo.
“...Diablo? He... just confessed to me.”
“Huh? Ah, yes, so it seems.”
“...You always keep acting like what people are talking about has nothing to do with you.”
“Th-That’s not true.”
“Then say something.” Rem said, and as a blush came over her cheeks added, “as my... h-husband.”
Diablo felt his own face go red.
“A-Ah... You belong to me. I won’t relinquish you to some lowly disciple.”
“Heheh...”
Rem’s thin tail wagged from side to side, and she leaned her shoulder against his.
“...That’s right. I belong to the Demon Lord Diablo.”
Diablo stiffened despite himself, feeling the sensation of her shoulder just barely touching him.
Omnomnomnom...
Meanwhile, Shera was stuffing her cheeks back in the wagon, eating the preserved food.
“Yummy!”
“...Are you sure you’re not eating too much?”
“You want some too, Rem? It’s really good! Really!”
“...I’ll eat a bit, I guess.”
Shera then extended a sausage toward them.
“Here, Diablo. Say ‘aaah.’”
Rem’s eyes widened.
“Th-That’s cheap, Shera! I prepared that sausage!”
“Rem, forward, keep your eyes on the road!”
“Aaaaah!?”
Diablo found himself smirking wryly. They were in quite the huge mess, what with the Kingdom of Lyferia being after them, but this moment felt like a brief, peaceful moment of bliss.
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