Chapter 16: 16

16 – In Front of the Hero, Even the Threat of a Rift is…

How Demons get their nickname seems to involve some sort of rule.

In descending order of strength, the word God, King, Duke, or General are used in the name.

For a beast that doesn’t understand speech, its appearance or tactics are referenced in the name.

The guys that Frip mentioned the other day were some pretty powerful dudes.

I was wondering why so many of them were King of something. Turns out that it was a title.

There aren’t many who like being named by the masses, but those without the power to back it up are soon weeded out and the ones that live long while still holding onto their title are the real deal.

「I haven’t fought anyone with God in their title yet.」

「That is because they have yet to create a Rift that such a being can pass through.」

Explained Eleanor, who was just next to me.

Currently, we’re in the forest at night.

We’re monitoring our target from a distance so as not to be noticed.

「Huh. Wonder how strong they are.」

『The very first Hero suffered a serious injury from the finger of a massive Demon that poked through the Rift, and the wound was also cursed which rendered the Saint’s healing ineffective… Marking the end of the first Hero. The others somehow drove it back and closed the Rift but… is it possible that that was a…』

「…A God, yes.」

「Hmm… I wonder if he’s stronger than me.」

They aren’t actually God, it’s just a metaphor for how『They’re, like, as strong a god!』. Doesn’t mean a human can’t hurt them.

『…It’s better to be on the safe side, so I’d rather not say anything optimistic.』

「Yeah.」

『You’re stronger…maybe.』

「Maybe, huh? Sounds like I’ll be in trouble if I ever go up against that.」

For Mika, who usually calls me the world’s strongest Hero, to be so vague must mean that they are just that strong.

Sure, I may be the world’s strongest, but that doesn’t mean I’m the strongest in the Demon world.

That said, something like that doesn’t appear to be my opponent today.

Unless a finger pokes through like last time.

「By the way, don’t the rituals to create Rifts need a ridiculous amount of mana? Where would the Demons get such a supply? They seem to be using natural mana from the surroundings this time, but it’s not enough, right?」

Just like how humans use mana, mana itself has the properties to cause miracles.

When the mana that flows around the world is blocked, strange phenomena happen at the place where it’s all gathered.

Rain will fall upwards into the sky, you can be reunited with the dead, and the body can be rejuvenated.

In a space that is dense with mana, mysterious things can happen.

A Rift is one of the more troublesome occurrences.

It connects another world to this one.

「…They have used magic stones that store mana but… they mainly utilize living beings.」

「Sacrifices, huh…? But I don’t see anything like that happening here.」

We are currently observing sorcerers.

They are a group of twenty-four suspiciously robed people.

They’re just muttering curses like a prayer continuously.

If this was all the enemy had, they could’ve been dealt with from afar, but now would be a bad time.

By the time we teleported in using Space Elemental magic, the incantation had already begun.

If you kill the sorcerers before the spell is completed, there’s no telling what the remaining unused mana will cause.

Also, since they are using the pool of mana that occasionally happens naturally, it is impossible to predict the scale that the mana will run wild.

Even if we don’t die, the forest might just vanish.

So, we are allowing them to open a Rift.

But if there were any sacrifice victims, that is a different story.

However, I don’t see any such victims, and Eleanor didn’t point out any when I told her my plan, which means…

「The sorcerers themselves will be the sacrifice?」

「Yes. Those who wish to bring chaos unto this world will die on their own. No need to stop them.」

Said Eleanor with piercing eyes and a cold tone.

…Ah, that’s right. Eleanor herself was almost sacrificed in a ritual such as this.

Guys who willingly sacrifice themselves to call forth high-ranking demons cannot be understood.

…Just to be sure, I’d better check if there’s anyone here who’s been brainwashed.

Those who have their wills manipulated temporarily by a Succubus’s charm can be spotted even without magic because their internal flow of mana is in disarray.

Nope, none here.

『Looks like none of them are being threatened to be here either. They are either calm or excited. None of them look afraid or look like they don’t want to be here.』

「…I don’t really get it, but it looks like they’re all serious about this.」

Before long, I sensed a tremendous rise in mana, all concentrated in one spot.

The sorcerer crumpled to the ground, and the last person, who seems to be the leader, mutters something, causing a crack to appear in the air.

And then, the last man falls.

「Alright, let’s go, Mika.」

『Leave it to me. No matter who it is, they will be but rust upon me, the holy sword Mika!』

「You don’t even rust.」

And then she’ll get mad when she gets dirty.

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But I didn’t say that and just run forward.

Eleanor followed me this far, but it would be better for me to fight alone than force us to suddenly work together.

I asked her to stay behind this time.

「Kukuku… So this is the other world? My weak little servants, you have done well. Your sacrifice shall not be in vain. Gaze from the depths of hell as I, the King of Frozen Hell, conquer this realm through tyranny.」

A colossal, two-legged demon made out of what looks like crystal steps out of the Rift.

He has the word King in his name, so he is definitely strong.

「I’m gonna cut him with you, Mika. I don’t want to destroy the forest, so don’t expand the slash.」

If I swing her seriously, she can expand the slash using mana and cut a very wide area.

『Heh heh heh, you’ve certainly been depending on me a lot lately, haven’t you? Rely on me more!』

I trained to be strong enough to fight on my own, but I know she wants to be relied upon.

「…! Who dares…?!」

Since there was no point in hiding anymore, we approached him from the front.

「Like it matters who we are.」

「A human? But this mana… Nay, it matters not. I shall first dye my ice spear red with your bloo-…huh?」

This King of whatever guy’s thrust was pretty good, but when he pulled back his arm, it was missing from the elbow down.

He really does feel like crystal.

「Wha-?! Th-that’s impossible! My arm! Th-this has never happened before! Who…who are you?!」

That’s the second time he’s asked that.

Oh right, the Swordmaster once said.

『If they’re the enemy, the fact that you’ll kill’em won’t change. If there’s time, you should listen to their final wishes. It’s the least you can do for these pitiful souls.』

The other four told me that that isn’t necessary, but the Swordmaster laughed heartily.

「I’m Rain.」

「That name… Where have I…? But what is a lowly human doing this deep in Demon Territory?!」

「Why? Well… I’m a freeloader in the Demon King Army.」

「F-freeloader…?」

He looked like he didn’t understand something, but I guess this counts as pitying him, right?

「See ya, King of whatever. If there is a hell, go apologize to your servants.」

Twenty-four people died to bring you to this world, only to die immediately. Not much of a reward for the sorcerers.

「W-wait, I don’t understand. What do you mean freelo-」

I jump off the ground and swing the holy sword downwards.

I cut my enemy’s body vertically, the mana that I put into the cutting edge of the holy sword causes him to break apart soon after.

「What is…a freeloader…」

I felt like I could hear that echo in the air. Just my imagination, I guess.

「It’s over, Eleanor.」

She approached me immediately, but her face was twitching slightly.

「What’s wrong?」

「N-nothing… I expected no less from you, Sir Rain. That… King of Frozen Hell was a powerful being that turned seven countries in Makai into frozen lands. To defeat him with one cut…」

「Two cuts, actually.」

「Y-yes, two…」

Eleanor’s face looked so surprised that she couldn’t even speak properly, but she soon calmed down and smiled.

「I thank you for eliminating the threat to our country this time.」

「It’s fine. I decided to do this on my own. Ah, but if you’re grateful, say it to Mika.」

「Of course. I expected no less from Sir Rain’s holy sword, Lady Mika.」

『…I don’t really feel included, but I’ll just take the compliment.』

「Please, allow me to thank you in some fashion.」

「No, no need. You’ve given more than enough.」

「That does not sit well with me. Please, think of it as a favor to us.」

Eleanor was serious.

「Hmm… Alright, just one thing.」

「Please! Anything!」

Eleanor’s eyes were twinkling.

「I want sherbet for tomorrow morning’s dessert.」

「…What?」

「That guy looked like a giant crystal, but didn’t he also look like ice? When I thought that, it made me hungry for some sherbet. I guess we can’t, huh…? I just had it yesterday after all…」

It seems that sherbet isn’t very good for the body.

「N-no, such a thing can be prepared as many times as you wish.」

「What?! Really?!」

「Yes… Although I don’t believe this is a reward that befits the accomplishment…」

「It’s fine, it’s fine. I can beat a guy like that in no time flat.」

「Indeed…」

Eleanor had an indescribable look on her face, but she soon smiled.

「The Hero that rescued me…is truly amazing.」

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