Chapter 4: The Capital Ablaze
A few days went by.
That night, Diablo lay on the bed in a room which had been prepared for him in the Inner Sanctum. It was a single room, as even married couples weren’t allowed to share a room in church quarters.
Makes sense, I guess.
It was an understandable enough rule, and not one he was all that opposed to. Life in the Inner Sanctum was the height of simple frugality, and since his room didn’t have any candles, the only illumination in the room after the sun went down was the moonlight. Anywhere but the vicinity of the window was pitch dark. It was so dark, Diablo couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or not.
“Hmmm...”
His original plan was to regroup with Sylvie and Horn and go straight to Faltra, but then he heard about how the eastern citadel city of Kenstone had fallen to the Gelmed Empire.
One of Lyferia’s major cities fell...?
An event like that had never happened in Cross Reverie. The Empire of Gelmed was a country that belonged in Girls’ Arms, anyway. But this wasn’t a game, it was a real world, and it wasn’t all that weird for a rival country to declare war. So long as Lyferia won, everything would go back to normal. Diablo and his group would have to flee, since they were now wanted, but the capital would be fine.
But what if it loses? Would leaving Lumachina and the capital’s residents behind be the right thing to do? Rilitana, the priest who’d helped him, also said that she’d stay in the capital until the war was settled. Horn had her friends from the sorcerer’s academy, and Alicia didn’t seem to have any plans to leave the capital behind, either.
But I could definitely see Lyferia losing this war...
The life simulation game Girls’ Arms featured Magimatic Sols. The giant arm and weapon Rose could summon was actually based on that game’s setting. In the game, one could use up to twenty Magimatic Sols. The player would customize their equipment and formation, then sortie them out on missions.
The missions’ maps usually limited how many units one could deploy, but there was likely no such limitation in this world. At worst, there was the risk of large numbers of Magimatic Sols attacking.
Lyferia had the Palace Knights, who were quite strong, but they likely couldn’t match the Magimatic Sols.
Knights from a fantasy setting can’t beat robots from a sci-fi setting.
What about Diablo, though? He tried imagining what it would be like to fight Rose... Her mobility was low and all she had were melee weapons, so he could probably manage it. But the Magimatic Sols in Girls’ Arms could be equipped with long range weapons. The usual formation in that game was to go with half long-ranged units and half-melee units. Thinking about it from Cross Reverie’s logic, they were a bad match-up for both elemental sorcerers and magi gunners.
In other words — Diablo had a bad match-up against long-range Magimatic Sols.
“Ugh... That’s a fight I don’t wanna pick...”
What’s worse, Magimatic Sols were manned robots. There were pilots sitting inside them.
I don’t know who might be piloting those things, but I don’t want to kill anyone.
If he were one to proactively stand up to crisis and trouble, he wouldn’t have ended up being a shut-in gamer back in his world. Diablo cut off his contemplations. Brooding over those things was pointless. Instead, his body, which had grown used to a healthy lifestyle, was becoming sleepy with the deepening of the night...
Knock knock!
The sound of a knock at the door jolted him awake. Diablo opened his eyes, seeing a faint light spill in from the window. The sky was growing grey, but it wasn’t sunrise yet.
“What’s wrong?!” He shouted at the door.
“Diablo!” He heard Rem’s voice from behind the door. “The king of Lyferia..!”
“What?!”
Diablo rose from his bed and swung the door open, only to find Rem uncharacteristically panicked.
“The king of Lyferia has died in battle! The army is fleeing!”
“...I see.”
He’d predicted something like this might happen, so it didn’t come across as much of a shock. Having the king die was one of the worst possible scenarios he’d considered, though.
“What should we do...?!”
“How is the kingdom planning to approach this?”
If the army surrendered, there was no point to them asking to join the fight.
“...The capital’s garrisoned forces are preparing a defensive line. There are already many soldiers up on the walls.”
“Hmm.”
The Inner Sanctum was floating in the sky, and looking out the window, Diablo could see the light of countless torches wavering through the faintly hazy night. There were indeed soldiers stationed on the walls, and if they’d planned to surrender, they’d descend to the ground... which meant they were planning to fight.
“How is the evacuation of the citizens going?” Diablo asked.
“...I don’t know,” Rem replied.
She was in the same position as him, after all. Just an adventurer from Faltra. She had no way of gaining any detailed information.
Diablo walked away from the window and approached the door.
“First, let’s ask Lumachina if she knows anything.”
“Yes!”
†
The ?Room of Fire Prayers?, located in the depths of the Inner Sanctum, was filled with a calming aroma. It was from incense, set up to help those in the room stay rational even in this state of emergency. In the center of this large room was a table set with a map of the capital and its surroundings. Tria and the other paladins, who were discussing matters until now, bowed respectfully and left. Diablo and Rem entered as if switching places with them.
Diablo was in his usual outfit by now, but he didn’t have his weapon on him, since it was damaged in the previous battle. Rem, on the other hand, was still in men’s clothing.
They were fortunate enough to collect Rem and Shera’s clothes along with the rest of the carriage, but... Tria had alerted them to the fact that walking around in outfits that displayed navel or cleavage wouldn’t be acceptable in the Inner Sanctum. And so, the two remained in those outfits.
“...I’m sorry. Are we interrupting?”
“Not at all, we just finished discussing things,” Lumachina answered with a stiff expression.
“...Could you tell us what’s going on?”
She nodded, rising from her seat and pointing to the eastern side of the map.
“The Empire’s army is approaching us from the east.”
“...So they’re already coming here.”
“It seems they know no rest. A rather reckless campaign, in my opinion...”
“...Is that thanks to their magimatic equipment, too?”
“I don’t know. Lyferia’s army has fallen back, and the enemy army is in pursuit. The soldiers are trying to enter the capital through the eastern gate.”
“...What about evacuating the citizens?”
“All the gates from the sixth to the eleventh district are open.” Lumachina pointed to the west side of the map. “Anyone who wishes to flee the capital is allowed to do so... But what will they do? The Gelmed Empire’s army is drawing closer. It’s hard to imagine any citizens will be able to escape them without anyone to escort them.”
“...This is a complicated situation.”
There was a high chance the Empire had sent a separate unit to block off the highways, and even Lyferia’s army lacked the strength to break through them.
“What will the church do?” Diablo asked.
“I, at the very least, will stay here. I cannot abandon the believers here and flee the capital.”
“Hmph... That does sound like something you might do.”
“You’re kind as well, Lord Diablo.” Lumachina directed her gaze at him. “You’ve stayed here as well.”
Her eyes were full of bottomless trust.
D-Don’t look at me like that... Diablo thought in a troubled manner.
He couldn’t help thinking that he had to bail, but the only thing holding him back was that “a Demon Lord would never run with his tail between his legs”. He hated war, and didn’t believe he could protect the capital from the Gelmed army.
“...Diablo will be able to turn this situation around.” Rem nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
Oh, yikes...
“Hmph... I am a Demon Lord, you fools. I am not one to grant salvation.”
So he said, but the girls’ gazes didn’t change.
“I’ve already gathered Shera and the others.” Lumachina gestured toward the neighboring room.
“Yes.” Rem headed toward the door.
Diablo made to follow her, but Lumachina called for him to stop.
“Please, wait.”
“Mm?”
“The other day, I received word of an unusual item from the mage’s guild...”
“Does it have anything to do with me?”
“I’m not quite sure, but I thought it may be of use to you. And so, I’ve taken the liberty of having it delivered here.”
Lumachina then called out, prompting someone to enter from another room.
†
A familiar girl walked in, dragging a wooden box loaded onto a trolley.
“It’s been quite some time. Thank you for helping me back then.”
It was a Human girl with sleek black hair, clad in the sorcerer’s academy uniform. If he recalled, this was Horn’s upperclassman...
“I go by Angeline, I’m a third year from the Sorcerer’s Academy’s high school wing. I’ve come here today on behalf of the academy’s headmistress to deliver this item to the High Priest.”
Whatever was in this box was supposedly related to Diablo. At Lumachina’s request, Angeline unlocked the wooden box.
“This item was sold to the capital’s mage’s guild a short time ago by a certain paladin.”
“A paladin?” Diablo tilted his head in confusion.
“He said the High Priest may know of its original owner, and she may return it if she wishes.”
She flipped the box’s lid open, revealing its contents: a black magic staff. Diablo couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Isn’t that the ?Tenma’s Staff??!”
Lumachina’s expression softened.
“Ah, so it was one of your belongings after all, Lord Diablo!”
Diablo reached out and grabbed hold of the staff. This weight. The clear sensation of magical energy. There was no mistaking it. He had lost this staff when he took Lumachina to the ?Demon Lord’s Labyrinth?. It happened when he jumped after Horn, who had fallen into an aqueduct following an attack from Gewalt, the paladin...
“I see. So he picked the staff up and sold it off.”
That man would go after the High Priest’s life for money, so it made sense he’d snatch the Tenma’s Staff, given its high rarity. It was crafty of him, Diablo had to admit, but thanks to that, the staff ended up returning to him.
The Tenma’s Staff was an EX rarity magic weapon. Its effects were a significant buff to the wielder’s INT stat — which governed magical energy — and reducing the casting time of the wielder’s spells. Plain effects, but familiarity was best here. Diablo was very happy to have the weapon he was most familiar with returned to him. A smile naturally crept over his lips.
“Heheh... Ahahaha...”
“E-Erm...” Angeline’s expression turned anxious. “Are you sure returning this to him was a good idea...? I’m not being fooled by another evil person again, am I?” she whispered to Lumachina.
“Heheh... Not to worry, you’ve done the right thing,” Lumachina answered with a wry smile.
Rem peeked in from the other room, seemingly curious as to what Diablo was doing.
“Oh, is that...?! Diablo, you got your old staff back!”
“Mmm!”
“...It suits you.”
Shera and the others filed into the Room of Fire Prayers.
“Waaah! I haven’t seen this thing in so long. You really do look the best with that staff!”
“Heh...”
When Rem and Shera summoned him to this world, he had had the Tenma’s Staff equipped, after all. Sylvie and Horn said the same thing, while Alicia and Rilitana hung back. Surely it was okay to get a little excited when girls were complimenting his gear, right?
“Heheheh... The Gelmed Empire is no match for me! I shall obliterate them!” Diablo brandished his staff with grandiosity.
And then:
Boom!
A massive explosion rang out, shaking the Inner Sanctum.
What the hell?!
After a long, tense moment, one of the believers ran into the room, his face as pale as a sheet.
“A-An explosion, an explosion in the castle! The castle is on fire!”
“Diablo?!” Rem and Shera turned tearful looks in Diablo’s direction.
“I-It wasn’t me!”
†
In the observatory, which sat at the highest level of the Inner Sanctum, they looked down at the castle. It was, indeed, on fire. Crimson flames rose from Castle Grandiose, with black smoke billowing into the air. Alicia leaned into the sight devouringly, her hands pressed against the glass.
“Aah... Aaah...”
Whatever had happened in the past, she was an imperial knight, tasked with defending the kingdom. She must have been quite shocked. She may have wished for mankind’s destruction and plotted the Demon Lord’s revival at one point in time, but she’s since turned over a new leaf...
Wait, did she really?
Diablo stood beside Alicia.
“Pull yourself together, Alicia... Ah?!”
Her expression was ecstatic, and her eyes were positively sparkling. Her mouth was hanging open, and she was almost drooling.
“Haaa... Haaa... Haaa... Aaaah... The castle... it’s burning... Haaa... Haaa...”
“Is everything alright?”
“No, no, it most certainly isn’t. The Kingdom of Lyferia, it’s probably all ov... All o... All over...! ?”
Her expression didn’t match what she was saying.
“No... I mean you, are you alright?”
“Huh? Well, let’s see? I’m quite anxious... My hands are shaking...”
“Mm.”
“My heart is beating quite fast...”
“I see.”
“And I simply cannot seem to stop climaxing.”
“That sounds fatal. Hey, Rem, have her rest in the back.”
Rem nodded with a stiff expression and reached for Alicia’s shoulders.
“...I dread to think what might become of you if you watch this any longer, Alicia. Come on, let’s rest back here.”
“Hihihi... Miss Rem, Miss Shera, look at it! The castle is burning! Has a prettier torch ever been lit?!”
“...Seriously, sit down and rest.” Rem dragged her away.
“What’s wrong, Alicia?!” Horn also jumped in to help. “You’re acting kind of weird. Like, really weird!”
Angeline watched them leave with an anxious expression.
“That woman is... an imperial knight, right...?”
“People have many facets to them,” Rilitana said sagely, as if imparting God’s teachings.
The words rang rather hollow coming from a priest with a love for nudism, though.
Tria then entered with a report for Lumachina.
“I have a report! Violent conflict has broken out in the castle between a faction wishing to surrender and a faction wanting to fight the Empire!”
“Wait, so... that explosion wasn’t caused by the Empire of Gelmed?”
“The surrender faction used summon beasts on the war faction — or so says the report I’ve been given.”
So the people who don’t want to fight burned their allies along with the castle.
The kingdom is in terminal condition...
“What do we do, Diablo...?” Shera clung to Diablo’s arm, shivering. “I’m scared...”
“You stay with Lumachina. No matter which way the fighting tilts, we can’t let anyone approach the Inner Sanctum.”
“A-Alright.”
Diablo didn’t want any part in the war, but if they narrowed down the places they had to protect, they’d have more wiggle room.
“Lady Lumachina, please return to the inner room.” Tria nodded. “Intelligence says the enemy has airborne units. Staying here is a liability.”
“Very well,” Lumachina replied.
“The paladins and the believers who can fight intend to defend the twelfth district. I will go to the northern gate.”
“Is the Empire’s army coming?”
“The fighting has gotten as far as the third district’s eastern gate. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I see... May good luck shine upon you,” Lumachina said, bringing her hands together in prayer. With only that, white light enveloped Tria’s body. It was probably invisible to those who couldn’t see the flow of magical energy. That was likely the priest class’ ?Protection of Light?. It reduced damage inflicted on the target while increasing their attack power. The power of her miracles was, as always, astounding.
I doubt it would be enough against a Magimatic Sol, though.
“I will go as well,” Diablo said, tightening his grip on his staff.
“Thank you, Lord Diablo...” Lumachina clasped her hands over her chest. “Please, save us all.”
“Do not make me repeat myself. I am simply sweeping away the fools who have invaded my base. I am not doing this to save you.”
He only said that to mask his embarrassment, but even he had to admit how silly it sounded this late into the game.
“You have my thanks.” Tria bowed her head. “I will deploy the church’s soldiers in a defensive line along the twelfth district. Lord Diablo, I ask that you rout the enemy.”
She’d judged the situation of the battle on her own and chose to fortify the spots that seemed close to collapse.
“Very well.”
“We’re counting on you~?” Sylvie waved at him from the direction of the wall.
“Keep this place safe, understood?”
“Of course.”
He didn’t intend to let the situation get that far, but... if push came to shove, Lumachina and Shera alone had to escape. The church and the Kingdom of Greenwood, respectively, relied on them. And so Diablo entrusted them to Sylvie, the most reliable person he knew, aside from himself.
Shera had matured a great deal in terms of attack power, and Rem could depend on that suspicious power she used back during their travels in Caliture... But this was a war. They were fighting the races, and the enemies weren’t necessarily awful villains.
I really don’t want to fight, but I don’t want them to fight, either...
Diablo clenched his fist. He then heard someone call his name. It was Shera.
“You have to come back...” she said with tears in her eyes. “Definitely, okay?! Definitely, definitely, definitely!”
Diablo felt his lips curl.
“Cease your foolishness, Shera! Remember that I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world!” Diablo said, pulling off the bravest Demon Lord role playing he could.
†
He left the Inner Sanctum by using flight magic to soar out one of the windows. Everything was eerily quiet. The capital was uncomfortably large, and the sound of the fighting at the third district’s gate was distant. There was no sense of urgency in the air.
“It’d be nice if they just decided to go back home...”
But sadly, his wish didn’t reach the heavens. The sound of the battlecries grew closer.
“An attack on the northern gate! It’s the Empire’s army!”
The enemy attacked just as the sun rose over the horizon. The hostilities had begun. Seven Wall had a Fallen-repelling barrier, but it was meant to repel things that stemmed from magic, such as Fallen, magical beasts, and Demon Lords. It likely had no effect on magimatic equipment, which originated in a whole different setting.
The Gelmed Empire’s soldiers attacked with weapons similar to guns, and the Lyferian army met their attacks with magi guns and summon beasts. If the Gelmed Empire’s guns operated according to Girls’ Arms mechanics, they had endless ammo. Arrows, magi guns, and summons, on the other hand, would all eventually deplete. It was just a matter of time.
Should Diablo go out and blast the enemy away with powerful magic?
No. I shouldn’t waste my resources here. The enemy I should fight is elsewhere.
Enemies appeared at the northern gate. A white Magimatic Sol! A voice was coming from around its chestpiece, as if magnified by a megaphone.
“Aaah, aaah... Is this thing on? Ahem. People of the Kingdom of Lyferia... This is warrant soldier Rikka Viatona of the Gelmed Empire speaking. I will now engage the kingdom’s forces using this Magimatic Sol, Viatanos. If you surrender, we guarantee the safety of both soldiers and civilians.”
It was the voice of a young girl.
This really is like Girls’ Arms... Diablo thought.
In the game, the heroines came as part of a set along with the robot they piloted, and all of them were cute girls.
“You won’t fool us!” a man in a cleric’s outfit shouted at her from atop the wall. “The Empire carried my family off and I haven’t seen them since!”
The people of the church weren’t ones to lose in a war of words, it seemed. Diablo didn’t know if it was true, but after hearing that, he doubted anyone would surrender easily.
“Fire!” the commander of the church soldiers ordered with a shout. A volley of arrows and magi gun rounds was fired from the walls toward the white Magimatic Sol, Viatanos.
“Aaaah?!” The Magimatic Sol retreated, holding up a large shield to block the attacks.
Black smoke clouded the large machine. Lyferia’s side raised their voice in a cheer... only for their voices to fill with despair once the smoke cleared. The enemy was completely unharmed.
“No way...”
“We can’t win against that thing...!”
“Ugh... Do you get it now? Cease your pointless resistance and surrender!”
“Then how about you try this on for size...” Diablo said. “?Lightning Storm?!”
It was a level 140 spell that used the light and wind elements. The tornado suppressed the enemy’s movements while they were continually zapped by lightning bolts. Diablo launched the spell as he jumped off the walls, eliciting surprised cries from the surrounding believers.
He wasn’t in a state of mind to care about what they thought, though. Honestly, if she could shrug off the Lightning Storm, Diablo doubted any of Cross Reverie’s attacks could defeat a Magimatic Sol.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaah?!”
Viatanos was blown back and smacked into the ground.
“Uuu... What was that...?!”
Its exterior cracked as pieces of its armor chipped off and fell to the ground. Spells did deal damage, it seemed. The church soldiers cheered, but Diablo remained silent.
Daaaamn, it’s bulky!
This was a near-maximum-power high level attack spell, and it landed a direct hit, at that. Yet all it did was chip away at its armor. The Magimatic Sol had a magic resistance comparable to that of a Demon Lord. If he was up against one of them with Sasara and Rose acting as a vanguard, he could just blast it away with a powerful spell that required a long incantation.
But Sasara and Rose sadly weren’t here, and Diablo couldn’t afford to leave the capital when the Empire’s army could move in at any time.
And on top of that...
“What are you doing, Rikka?!”
A crimson Magimatic Sol approached them. They were a unit, it seemed. Diablo couldn’t tell how many of them there were, but it was more than just one.
“Ah, Erina.”
“There are soldiers standing on top of the walls! Just sweep them away!”
“But she might be there, so I can’t kill all of them blindly...”
“They’re all men, so it’s fine! Forget that, if you lose your unit too, we really will...”
“Uuu...”
Diablo didn’t know what they meant, but he did realize they were going to attack. This newcomer red Magimatic Sol was equipped with a bulky bow. Diablo glared at this new enemy, when...
Wait, I know this one.
He didn’t play Girls’ Arms for very long, but this robot belonged to a character that was part of the player’s initial unit.
“That’s Erina Reufelia’s unit... ?Burix of the Red?, if I recall correctly...?”
“Ah?! Why do you... How do you know of me?!”
Diablo was taken aback. Even the character’s name was as he remembered. This did nothing to change their relationship, though. This was a battlefield.
Erina steadied her breath.
“Well, I suppose Magimatic Sols are the main force in the Empire army, and I stand head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to operating them. It’s no wonder even the enemy knows of me.”
“I dunno about that... It’s pretty strange.”
“Silence! Even if he is one of my fans, I will stomp him out!”
Even their exchange was familiar. He’d seen this conversation in-game. Maybe if it wasn’t Rem and Shera who summoned them, and he’d have appeared at their side instead... Would he have been their commander?
“Fall to me!”
Burix of the Red fired its magimatic bow. It was similar to a magi gun’s attack, which meant Diablo’s ?Demon Lord’s Ring? couldn’t reflect it.
Hasn’t this ring been kind of useless lately?!
“?Volcanic Wall?!”
Diablo formed a wall of flames to block the enemy’s attack. It lasted through the third shot, but the fourth one cut through.
“Tch...!”
The top of the walls took the attack, and the church soldiers screamed in fright. Diablo descended to the outside of the walls.
I can’t let attacks aimed at me harm the soldiers!
Even if he defeated the Magimatic Sols, it would be pointless if the defensive line couldn’t hold back the Empire’s advance. He couldn’t afford to not fight — without him, the church soldiers would be trampled.
So the objective of this quest is to either destroy or push back two Magimatic Sols while the church soldiers can still hang on!
†
More reports reached Lumachina.
The connecting bridge to the first district fell to the Empire’s army!
“They’ve gotten this far already...”
The Empire army had occupied the first district.
“...I thought the eastern side of the capital was occupied by the remnants of Lyferia’s army...” Rem moaned.
“Well, they probably bailed because they saw that they couldn’t win.” Sylvie shrugged.
Rilitana prepared a relief sector on the lower level of the Inner Sanctum to treat wounded soldiers, and Angeline and Horn joined her to help.
More and more injured soldiers were carried in as the fighting continued. The priests prayed for miracles and healed their wounds, enabling the soldiers to return to full service. The soldiers on the frontlines told each other that “so long as you’re not dead, they can patch you up,” which greatly supported morale.
“I will go as well,” Alicia said, checking her sheathed sword.
She had a dignified expression, as if her odd behavior from earlier was a lie.
“Huh?” Lumachina looked surprised. “Excuse me, Miss Alicia, but... I thought you weren’t very skilled in combat.”
“Heheh... It is true, my level as a warrior is merely 40.”
Relatively speaking, that meant she was quite skilled, but not nearly enough to change the tides of battle.
“It’s true that having even one more ally on our side would help. However...”
The Kingdom of Lyferia was in a precarious state, but she still had to keep Alicia’s noble position in mind. What’s more, Alicia was a woman who was exceedingly useful off the battlefield. When they’d opposed the church, Alicia gathered evidence of the Cardinal Authority’s crimes in a very short period of time. And this time, she’d both kept track of Diablo’s movements and secured Sylvie and Horn faster than the king’s lackeys could capture them.
Those weren’t feats just anybody could achieve.
“When we fought the governor of Faltra, I was incapable of helping at all.” Alicia smiled thinly. “And when Lady Edelgard was punished by the Fallen, too... I’m well aware of my flaws, but that does not mean I can’t change my ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“Heheh... Let us just say that might and force come in a variety of forms.”
She had something prepared, it seemed.
“Very well.” Lumachina nodded. “I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you very much, Your Eminence.”
“...I’ll come with you.” Rem stepped forward.
“Are you sure?”
“...I’m actually quite strong right now.”
Honestly, she knew she couldn’t exhibit the massive power she’d wielded when she used the Demon Lord’s Fang, but she was still a high level summoner and grappler. She could say with pride that she was a force to be reckoned with.
“Then I’ll come along, too!” Shera raised a hand.
“Rejected,” Sylvie cut into her words, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
“Why?!” Shera grimaced. “I have the bow Klem strengthened for me, I can totally protect everyone!”
“Sorry, but...” Sylvie shook her head. “If anything were to happen to you, Shera, the Kingdom of Greenwood would be done for. If it were just another adventure, it would be one thing, but I can’t approve of you standing on the front lines of a war.”
“I fought in the war against the Fallen, you know!”
“...That’s because we didn’t know you had an important role for the Kingdom of Greenwood back then.”
“But I’m an adventurer!”
“...Then learn how to keep yourself safe first. Last time I had to use two summons to keep you safe.”
“Uuu...”
When they’d fought Gewalt the Palace Knight, Rem used her summons as shields for Shera, who handled offense. This division of roles proved effective, but put another way, it meant Shera couldn’t fight without those summons to protect her.
If Rem were alone, she would use all her summons for offense and could use her skills as a grappler, not to mention the Glow, to defend herself.
“Miss Shera, I leave protecting Lady Lumachina to you,” Alicia said with a serious voice. “The church’s soldiers are on the frontlines, and with Rem and myself joining them, you will be the only one capable of keeping this place safe.”
“Huh? Oh... Right.”
“I’m only a supportive sorcerer, after all~” Sylvie said with a bitter smile. “I can stall the enemy, but I can’t take them out.”
“Okay!” Shera nodded. “I’ll keep Lumachina safe!”
“I leave it in your capable hands.”
Having concluded this matter, Alicia headed for the door. Rem jogged after her, leaving the Room of Fire Prayers behind.
“...Thank you,” she said as she walked down the hall alongside Alicia. “Shera’s not one to listen to reason once she gets an idea in her head, but this is one time where we can’t afford to send her out to fight.”
“I would have much preferred it if you stayed behind too, Miss Rem.”
“...Do you think I’ll get in the way?”
“I believe Lord Diablo would be beside himself with anger toward me if something bad were to befall you.”
“...Would he, though?” Rem scratched her cheek.
“Do you wish to test it? Yes, perhaps... if you were to die, Miss Klem would awaken as a true Demon Lord again...” Alicia said with an ecstatic expression.
“...That’s a pretty nasty joke,” Rem said. “That really hurts, you know?”
Once before, Rem had almost died to the Paladin Saddler due to Alicia’s plotting. Assuming she could trust the vision of Klem, or rather the residual presence of the Demon Lord Krebskulm she saw in a dream, Rem had apparently been killed once. She’d crossed a threshold one usually can’t go back from, and was only pulled back to life by Shera.
It was a feat of resurrection. Which meant Shera had achieved a miracle surpassing even Lumachina, the High Priest. Rem still had trouble believing it, and hadn’t told Diablo about it yet.
“You said you would forgive me, Miss Rem...” Alicia cast down her gaze. “But I think that’s a sin I can only pay for with my life.”
“...Don’t tell me you think now is that time...?”
“I’ve no intention of dying in vain.”
Which means she is willing to die if it isn’t in vain, Rem thought. She then changed the conversation’s direction.
“...Alicia, please hear me out. The king of Lyferia has passed away. I don’t know how many of the influential nobles and staff officers remain, but most of the military they held power over has died, as well. The very structure of the Kingdom of Lyferia has collapsed.”
“...Are you trying to bring me to orgasm?”
“No! I’m saying that if you hate the kingdom’s corruption so much, this is your chance to create a country without that corruption!”
“A country...”
“...It will be difficult to push back the Empire of Gelmed given the state of this war... But if we can manage that, we will have to rebuild the country after the war. And when that happens, we’ll need people like you. You have the bloodline and status of the old regime, decisiveness and leadership skills, and you know how to shift manpower and resources. Most of all, you have a heart that hates injustice.”
And you’re good at scheming, Rem thought, but kept those words unsaid.
“You say the oddest things, Miss Rem...” Alicia said with a sad smile. “I’m a Demon Lord worshiper, remember?”
“...Even now?”
“I worship Lord Diablo now.”
“...He does claim to be a Demon Lord, I suppose.” Rem crossed her arms with a moan.
“Does Lord Diablo... really wish for this country’s restoration?” Alicia asked curiously. “Wouldn’t he wish to see everything burn to the ground?”
“...I don’t think he’d be out fighting to protect people right now if he really thought that.”
“I thought he was only doing that for Lady Lumachina.”
“...Diablo can say all sorts of things, but he cherishes peace, appreciates the lives of others, and hates wrongdoing.”
“You make him sound like... a hero.”
“...That is how I think of him.” Rem didn’t deny it.
“The restoration of this country, you say...” Alicia said with a faraway look in her eyes.
“...I think that’s when your power will be needed most.”
“Heheh... I do think you’re overselling me, but if Lord Diablo wishes for it, I would devote all that I have for that purpose.”
“...Then once this fight is over, you should ask him,” Rem said.
Though she had to anxiously hope she would ask him in a way that wouldn’t cause any misunderstandings.
Rem and Alicia finally exited the Inner Sanctum only for an explosion to deafen their ears and a shockwave to wash over them. The smell of something burning tickled at their nostrils, and the sounds of swords, gunshots, and screams could be heard.
It was a battlefield.
“Let us go, Miss Rem!” Alicia burst into a run. “We must defend the connecting bridge!”
“Yes!”
Rem clenched a summon crystal tightly in her hands.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login