The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Volume 10 E-Book

Gamei Hitsuji

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind!
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 315

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

With Suimei back in his own world temporarily, Reiji’s party goes to Astel to report on recent matters to the king. But while there, they suddenly find themselves besieged by a demon army that appeared out of nowhere!

Reiji sets forth with his Sacrament in hand, but Astel’s army is still on the ropes. Will Reiji and his party be able to hold back the invasion long enough for there to still be a world for Suimei to return to?

Leseprobe

Prologue: The State of Reiji’s Camp

Upon waking up early in the morning, Shana Reiji was assaulted by the drowsiness that came from a lack of sleep. Still lying on a borrowed bed, he shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind. Regardless, his thoughts remained hazy and slow, his body not quite feeling like his own. He didn’t feel fully awake yet either, like somehow he was still dreaming.

Maybe it was best to just go back to sleep and stop thinking. How long had it been since he’d wanted to stay in bed like this? He couldn’t help coveting the warmth of his blanket. But why was it that he still found himself unable to resist such laziness? He hadn’t stayed up late enough that he’d lost out on a good night’s sleep. But he was still so terribly drowsy.

In this world, he didn’t have television or games or studying or his phone—nothing to keep him up late—so he generally went to bed early. If anything, here he’d adopted the routine of a modern worker; he slept early and woke early so that he could practice swordplay or magic as soon as possible.

So why did he feel like he hadn’t slept? Was he simply in poor condition? Or was it stress? He hadn’t exhausted himself to the point of being in poor health, nor did he have anything on his mind that would worry him. The only real problem lately was whether Suimei’s group had successfully returned to his old world, but that wasn’t something he was particularly concerned about.

The magic circle had been meticulously prepared by none other than Suimei. Reiji couldn’t even picture his friend, always so cautious in everything, failing. Had his magicka failed, they could’ve been sent somewhere else entirely or just been annihilated on the spot. Those possibilities came to mind, but Reiji didn’t associate any danger with such thoughts.

If anything, whenever Suimei messed up, he was sure to stumble carelessly into yet another silly episode of his life. Whenever it came to important stuff like this, it was as if some magic or miracle worked behind the scenes to smooth it all over. Suimei was a magician, so maybe it was only natural for him to get away with such marvels.

“I should really get up...”

Judging by the light pouring through the window, it had been morning for a while. All the dust in the room seemed to glimmer with sunlight. Reiji glanced at the desk. It was horribly cluttered—covered in weird gadgets, undecipherable scribblings, and failed magic circles.

Reiji was currently staying in the Yakagi residence located in the Nelferian Empire. Several days had passed since Suimei’s group had returned to the modern world. In the meantime, Reiji’s group was borrowing the place and had been entrusted with its care. There were more than enough rooms here for everyone to have their own personal space. What’s more, unlike in Astel and the self-governed state, they even had a bath. With recent television news in Japan going on about how cramped homes were getting, Reiji wondered how much this place must’ve cost.

As for Graziella...

“I need to keep an eye on you lot.”

With that announcement, she’d claimed one of the rooms in the Yakagi residence. Despite sleeping in the castle upon first returning to the Empire, she’d inexplicably started staying here instead. Reiji had no idea what had compelled her to do so, but her decision had made it easy for him to see her whenever he wanted to. Passing information had gotten far more convenient too.

Titania, on the other hand, was unhappy about Graziella’s decision for reasons Reiji couldn’t figure out.

It was with those thoughts stumbling around in his sluggish mind that Reiji walked down the corridor. He couldn’t hold back a yawn, even though he was fully standing and mobile. He was sorely tempted to just go back to bed, and without paying too much attention to what he was doing, he opened the door in front of him. He was under the impression it was the door to the living room. He couldn’t remember that this was, in fact, Titania’s room. As a result, it wasn’t Reiji but the room’s occupant who suffered for his carelessness.

“Huh...?”

“Oh...”

Reiji first saw a girl with light-blue hair evenly cut above her shoulders and eyes of the same color, shining like gems. Though she was somewhat petite, her body was supple and well-balanced, and her breasts were modest yet still ample. Just like her breasts, her butt was small but beautifully shaped. Her slender limbs had Reiji once more question how the laws of physics allowed her to wield her two swords with such expertise.

Reiji had opened the door exactly when Titania had finished taking off her underwear. She was as naked as the day she was born, all her important parts laid bare. In an instant, she flushed red all the way to the tips of her ears and immediately turned her back to him.

“R-R-R-Reiji-sama! U-Um...!”

Her reaction served to immediately snap Reiji out of his stupefied state.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to!” he exclaimed.

“R-Right,” Titania stuttered. “I doubt you would ever purposefully do such a thing. Something must have happened.”

“Y-Yeah...”

“U-Um, are you... staying?”

“Right! Sorry! I’ll close the door right away!” Reiji yelped.

With that, Reiji slammed the door shut, sealing inside not only Titania but also himself.

“Um...” Titania mumbled.

“Wha?! No!” Reiji spluttered. “That’s not what I meant!”

“No, if that is what you intend, then I’m already prepared! Please, go ahead!” Titania replied.

“Uhhh...”

Titania threw herself on the bed, posturing herself to receive him, even if somewhat shyly. She covered her breasts with an arm and had her knees pressed together, her eyes averted and her face bright red. She looked so sweet and innocent. Reiji found himself nearly stumbling toward her, like a moth to a flame, but stopped himself.

“Y-You’ve got it wrong!” he yelled. “That’s not what I meant! I’m sleepy and not in my right mind!”

“Um, it’s my first time, so please be gentle,” Titania said.

“That’s not my intention! I really, really didn’t mean to!”

The entire Yakagi residence felt the building shake from Reiji’s scream, followed by the loud slam of a door and the sound of panicking footsteps.

By the time Reiji regained some composure, all the residents of the building were gathered in the living room and seated at the table. Each of them were tending to themselves—drinking tea, cleaning their nails, looking into a hand mirror, and the like.

Anou Mizuki was Reiji’s close friend who’d been summoned to this world alongside him and Suimei. She’d been with him ever since the summoning, and she’d used her magic to help him. She had a gentle expression that brought peace of mind and long black hair that was well cared for. She wore an out-of-season red scarf and fingerless gloves whose origin was a mystery. She was unique, to put it lightly, and not too long ago, she’d been a never-ending source of trouble. Now, she was back to normal. At her core she had an innocent, light personality, so just seeing her smile naturally filled Reiji with energy.

Titania Root Astel was the princess of the Kingdom of Astel—the country that had summoned them to this world. During their stay in Astel, she’d always worn a dress, but now she favored clothing more suitable for traveling. Not too long ago, she’d been very reserved and graceful, but ever since confessing to being a master swordswoman, she had an air to her, a stillness—the silence of a dark lake, the sharp edge of a razor. Due to the earlier ruckus, her face was still somewhat red. Reiji had trouble even meeting her eyes.

Graziella Filas Rieseld was the princess of the Nelferian Empire. Typical of the upper classes, she had a haughty attitude prone to belligerence, but also had a certain wildness about her. Yet she was equally possessed of a great kindness and a strong sense of responsibility. Her blonde hair was wavy, framing mature features for her age, and she wore a military uniform, the coat over her shoulders inlaid with a magic circle. She gave off an aura of military might and majesty at all times.

These three made up Reiji’s usual group, but they weren’t the only ones at the table. Elliot—the hero summoned by El Meide—and his attendant Christa were also here.

“R-R-Reiji-sama, g-good morning?” Titania greeted him as he walked up to the table, a strange inflection in her voice.

“M-Morning, Tia! It’s a good day today, huh?!” Reiji replied.

“Yes! It’s a wonderful day!”

They both tried to pretend that nothing had happened, but naturally, everyone could see through their painfully awkward act.

“Despite it being such a wonderful day, that was quite the ruckus you two made,” Graziella commented harshly.

“I know, right?” Mizuki agreed. “I was seriously wondering what happened.”

“Well, that was, you know...” Reiji said, panicking as both Graziella and Mizuki turned critical eyes on him.

“I don’t know. What was it?” Mizuki prodded.

“Well, ummm...”

Reiji tried coming up with an excuse, but he couldn’t think of anything. He could simply sum it up as an unfortunate accident, but each time he tried opening his mouth, Mizuki’s glare sharpened, forbidding him from doing so.

“What an unbecoming blunder,” Elliot said, sipping his tea and sighing deeply.

“Ugh... I know,” Reiji said.

“Reiji, there are proper steps to entering a lady’s room,” Elliot continued. “You can’t just barge in irresponsibly with all the force of a drunkard. Unless you enter with the full intent to take her, it’s simply rude to Princess Titania.”

“H-Hey?! What the heck are you talking about?!” Reiji protested.

“The readiness to take a lady, of course?”

“I didn’t mean to do anything like that!”

“Then that makes it even worse. A man must take proper responsibility.”

“Well...” Reiji muttered, turning to Titania.

“R-Reiji-sama...”

“Tia, um...”

As the two just stared at each other, undeniable tension seeped into the room.

“W-Well, it’s no big deal,” Graziella cut in, her voice somewhat shrill. “There’s no need to blame him so much.”

“That’s right, it was just an unfortunate accident,” Mizuki agreed, trying to end the conversation in a hurry. “Yup, an accident. If you didn’t mean to, then all is forgiven.”

It was hard to believe that, just moments ago, both of them had been criticizing him.

“Wh-What are you two doing?!” Titania yelled. “The mood was just getting good!”

“Tia, the mood is still good,” Mizuki retorted. “Are you misunderstanding something?”

“That’s right, Princess Titania,” Graziella joined in. “Can’t you quit your persecution complex act for once?”

Mizuki was suddenly back to her cheerful self, while Graziella, for some reason, gave a smile that could only be described as provocative. Titania, on the other hand, looked truly vexed. She ground her teeth, as if the game-winning goal she’d desperately needed had just been blocked.

“At any rate, you had to be in a serious daze,” Graziella said, turning to Reiji. “I don’t believe anything like that has happened before. Are you unwell?”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Reiji said. “Seriously, what’s wrong with me?”

His head had been in an inescapable haze. Despite him waking up, it was as if his mind had been elsewhere entirely.

“Hm. You can hold a conversation properly, but your complexion seems poor,” Graziella commented.

“Well, it’s nothing serious,” Reiji said, not quite sure why he seemed to be so tired either.

That was when Reiji noticed Graziella’s appearance. She was groomed, her hair properly combed, and she wore a faint hint of makeup. It must have taken her some time to do—she had to have woken up early this morning. Reiji couldn’t help but admire her, for getting up and getting ready in the morning was a far simpler thing for him to do.

“Reiji-kun, not getting enough sleep?” Mizuki asked, cocking her head cutely.

“Yeah, seems so,” Reiji answered. “I was pretty sure I got enough, though.”

“Ah! Maybe you have SAS!”

“SA-what?”

Reiji had no idea what she was on about. Mizuki folded her arms and smugly arched backward a little. So what could this acronym stand for? Reiji sank into thought for a while before coming upon the answer.

“Do you mean... sleep apnea syndrome?”

“You sure are smart, Reiji-kun!” Mizuki exclaimed. “Exactly that!”

“Mizuki, couldn’t you just have skipped the obscure acronym?” Reiji asked, exasperated.

“Heh heh heh... I never really get the chance to use them over here.”

Mizuki smiled, as if caught in the act red-handed. It was just like her for her remnants of chuuni to show up at times like these. Although... not too long ago, Reiji had been forced to taste the fear of having it on full display at all times.

At any rate, Reiji didn’t recall contracting a sleep disorder. He was still young, and he didn’t have any of the bad habits that would typically lead to it developing. Apparently, it had nothing to do with weight, but he’d heard it was related to the muscles around the neck.

“Reiji, how about taking a seat?” Graziella suggested, pulling back a chair. “Over here.”

“Huh? Sure.”

Reiji headed over to the seat Graziella offered, when suddenly, a sharp light glinted in Titania’s eyes.

“Reiji-sama, there’s a spot here too,” she said. “Please go ahead.”

“Huh? Uhhh...”

Titania gracefully pulled back the chair next to her. Where was he supposed to sit? He remained perplexed as the two girls mysteriously stared daggers at each other. Mizuki noted this and forced her way between them.

“Don’t go bothering Reiji-kun like that, you two,” she told them.

“Mizuki, are you sure you can be saying such things?” Graziella said. “Aren’t you falling behind in the race?”

“That’s right, Mizuki,” Titania agreed. “Your generosity is virtuous, but aren’t you being a little too carefree?”

“I-I-I-It’s not like I’m really w-w-worried or anything!” Mizuki exclaimed, trying to act composed. “Just—being in the closest seat isn’t going to change anything!”

“That’s quite the line to spout when you’re so clearly flustered,” Graziella commented.

“I mean, if it was that easy, none of us would even be competing by this point, right?” Mizuki retorted.

The two of them fell silent at that.

“Right? Both of you think so too, don’t you?” Mizuki prodded.

“You certainly have a point,” Graziella agreed. “It completely slipped my mind how formidable an opponent he is.”

“Indeed,” Titania added. “Perhaps we weren’t taking it seriously.”

This vague and incomprehensible explanation seemed to convince both of them.

“What’re you three talking about?” Reiji asked.

“Something an insensitive sleepyhead will never understand,” Mizuki answered. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Mm. Don’t let it bother you.”

“She’s right. Please don’t pay it any mind.”

All three of them were in harsh unison.

“Whaaa...?”

Reiji felt like he had fallen short somehow. He turned to Elliot, who took an elegant sip of his tea before sighing scornfully.

“How do I put this...?” he said. “Are you and that man actually brothers by blood?”

“Do you mean Suimei?” Reiji asked. “We aren’t. Why do you think so?”

“Well... Don’t let it bother you.”

Elliot let out another big sigh, muttering things to himself like “This is pretty severe” and “Everyone has it so rough.” Reiji had no idea what was going on. Maybe it was because his mind still wasn’t fully functional. He took a random seat at the table, receiving discontented looks from Titania and Graziella.

“Reiji-sama, I have a suggestion,” Titania said, turning to him in a formal manner. “Or perhaps... a request.”

“A request? Oh...”

That immediately brought to mind what had happened earlier.

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!” he cried. “I’ll be more careful! I’ll knock before entering! Even if I mess up, I’ll leave right away!”

“N-Not about that!” Titania yelled. “I mean something else entirely!”

“S-Sorry!”

“That isn’t really bothering me, just so you know!” Titania cleared her throat, then got back to her original point. “Um, I would like us to return to my home... to Metel, as soon as possible.”

“Back to the capital?” Reiji asked.

“Yes. I must report Duke Hadorious’s case to my father. Seeing as you were involved, I was hoping you could accompany me.”

“True, we do need to do that.”

She had a point. Elliot had been unjustly restrained, leading Reiji to infiltrate Duke Hadorious’s manor with Suimei’s group. There, they’d discovered that the duke was connected to the Universal Apostles. They had to report this to the king and ask him about the duke as well. There were no means of long-distance communication here, so they needed to make their way back to Astel’s capital to do so.

“I apologize for asking you to go all the way back, but I humbly ask that you do so,” Titania said.

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Reiji said. “If anything, we should get back as soon as possible.”

“Lucas de Hadorious...” Graziella mumbled, an air of annoyance in her voice. “What a troublesome foe.”

From the way she firmly tapped her finger, it was easy to see how irritated she was. The duke had outwitted her too, so she wasn’t completely uninvolved.

“A lord with territory adjacent to the Empire who possesses a powerful army at his beck and call, all the while commanding considerable personal strength,” she added. “How truly troublesome. It’s no simple matter to make an enemy of him.”

“Ummm, Tia... He’s one of the Seven Swords, like you are, right?” Reiji asked.

“Yes,” Titania confirmed. “He is the gentlest of the Seven Swords, wielding a dancing blade in battle. He is known as the Lord of Swords.”

“We only managed to beat him thanks to Suimei...” Reiji said.

“He can be quite the bother as an enemy,” Graziella added. “His strength plays a major role in keeping the Empire from making any significant moves.”

Kurant City was Astel’s main defensive point, located along the border with Nelferia. His custody over the territory made it simple to imagine how talented the duke was. Graziella had a fairly high assessment of him too.

“Tia. You once said he would never betray the king. Is that really true?” Reiji asked.

“Yes. I guarantee it,” Titania said. “That man will never betray my father.”

“You have an awful lot of trust in a man who turned his blade on one hero to bind the movements of another,” Graziella commented.

“No. Rather than trust, I would say it’s my conviction as a swordswoman.”

“Hmm?”

“Tia, what do you mean by that?” Reiji asked.

“If there is any hesitation in his heart, it will be reflected in his sword,” Titania explained. “Especially so for a man who serves two masters. However, to date, that man’s sword has never been clouded. I doubt he’s been connected to the Universal Apostles for less than three years. He must’ve made contact with them far before then. I’ve crossed swords with him multiple times these last three years.”

“Meaning the duke didn’t show any signs of hesitation during those bouts?” Reiji asked.

This was something only fellow masters of the sword could understand. Being new to the battlefield, Reiji had no way of knowing how it worked.

And Titania possessed a strong sense of rivalry toward Hadorious; her dominant hand was clenched tightly as she spoke of him.

“So, Reiji,” Elliot joined in, “when are you heading to Metel?”

“Let’s see... I’d like to head out as soon as possible.”

“Then I suppose we’ll follow in your wake after we’re done reporting in.”

“Huh? You’re going to Astel too?”

“We planned to go there to greet the king to begin with.”

Now that he mentioned it, Elliot had been on the way to Metel before getting captured by Hadorious. That was why, upon being rescued, he’d canceled his trip and withdrawn to the west, into the Empire’s borders.

“Regardless of my treatment at the hands of Duke Hadorious, I have questions I must ask Astel’s king,” Elliot added. “I need to know what kind of man the duke is and what his ideologies are, after all.”

“True...” Reiji murmured.

He had a lot on his mind too. They couldn’t grasp the duke’s character without more information, let alone figure out what his objective was.

“And things have just calmed down for you...” Reiji commented.

“The same goes for all of you,” Elliot said. “You came from Astel and now you’re going right back.”

“Ah!” Mizuki exclaimed, clapping her hands as if suddenly remembering something. “But if we go, nobody will be left to look after the cats! What do we do...?”

“Oh yeah, Liliana-chan asked us to do that...” Reiji said.

Liliana Zandyke had asked the group to look after the cats who’d taken up residence around the house. They were all strays, so they didn’t really need looking after, but Reiji wanted to do what he could to meet Liliana’s expectations. Both he and Mizuki sank into thought for a while before Graziella presented a suggestion.

“Then I’ll make arrangements,” she offered.

“You sure?” Mizuki asked.

“There are only a few who live around here, yes? It’s a trivial matter.”

“That’s Graziella-san for you! You’re so reliable!” Mizuki exclaimed cheerfully.

“Naturally.”

Now that things were settled, Elliot turned a serious look to Reiji.

“Reiji, this might just be me being meddlesome,” he started.

“What is it?”

“The demons haven’t been moving lately. But just in case, you should be careful.”

“You mean they might be making a move behind the scenes precisely because they’re being quiet?”

“Something is amiss if they aren’t making moves when they clearly could.”

“I guess so.”

“There are times when all the minions take a while to mobilize,” Elliot admitted, “but with something like the Evil God behind them, we can’t be careless. There’s nothing better than being overly prepared, but even so, these are the kinds of enemies who come up with outlandish ideas.”

“Outlandish how?” Reiji asked.

“Like dragging things out to be painfully slow, or taking time to gather enough power to crush us in one fell swoop,” Elliot explained.

“Meaning they’re definitely plotting something,” Reiji remarked.

“Exactly,” Elliot confirmed. “As for precisely what they’re scheming...”

Hm? Didn’t I...?

That was when Reiji suddenly remembered something. Elliot’s statement had triggered his memory. He’d heard a conversation about this before, and he already knew the answer. He then tried to dig deep into his memories—and suddenly lost consciousness.

“Reiji-kun?!”

“Reiji-sama?!”

“Hey! Reiji!”

Darkness overcame him. His eyelids became curtains, shielding his eyes. He felt as if he were sinking into the depths of a deep lake. He could almost hear some kind of screaming. From afar, voices seemed to be calling his name, over and over.

Before long, he realized he was in Graziella’s arms. The screams he’d heard were coming from the girls. It appeared he’d lost his balance and fallen from his chair.

“Be more careful,” Graziella said. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry.”

“I don’t mind. Are you truly alright?”

“I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy.”

Reiji stood back up with Graziella’s help.

“Reiji-sama, it might be better for you to get some rest,” Titania suggested anxiously.

“No, I’m fine. It’s really nothing.”

“Really, Reiji-kun?” Mizuki asked. “That didn’t look like someone falling over from anemia. It was more like you ran out of batteries, or like your switch was suddenly flipped off...”

“I’m telling you I’m fine,” Reiji insisted. “Look, there’s nothing wrong with me.”

Reiji spread his arms wide and smiled to put the girls at ease, then noticed there was something in his hand.

What the...?

There was something hard there, and at once, an indescribable anxiety assaulted him. He slowly turned to look. He moved, stiff as a rusted puppet. As he slowly opened his palm, his eyes focused, revealing white metal and a glowing blue gem.

“Reiji-kun, is that the Ishar Cluster?” Mizuki asked.

“Mm-hmm...”

“When did you take it out?”

“Well...”

He hadn’t been holding it before falling over. It should’ve been inside his jacket pocket this whole time. And yet, here it was, in his palm. He lowered his eyes to the azure glow.

Suimei talked about it...

He heard a voice whisper in his head. He tried to remember the conversation. Suddenly, it seemed to be of the utmost importance to remember what Suimei had said.

“Elliot,” Reiji said.

“What is it?”

“The reason the demons aren’t making a move is because they’re making new demons,” Reiji said. “They’re culling the weaker demons to make stronger ones, so that more power from the Evil God can be granted to each individual.”

“Are you certain?” Elliot asked.

“Mm-hmm. They’re still in the preparatory phase, so it won’t be long before they invade again. That’s what the demon responsible for this plan told Suimei.”

Reiji had overheard it during the demon invasion of the Empire. Suimei had made this prediction, and the demon named Lishbaum had confirmed it.

“Elliot-sama,” Christa said, her eyes filled with anxiety. “What does that mean?”

“Demons are born of the Evil God’s power,” Elliot answered. “The Evil God determines their strength and numbers through its capacity. This is limited, so they’re throwing away the existing unsuitable vessels to create better ones. They’re probably at the stage where they’re prioritizing quality over quantity.”

“Meaning even more powerful demons will appear next time?!”

“That’s right.”

Lishbaum had explained it as if it were a tactic in a strategy game: high-quality units required more funds and upkeep. Also, if a map had a limit, space had to be made for them. In a way, it made perfect sense.

“But, but, why fuss over quality?” Mizuki asked, raising both her hands high. “In a battle on such a huge scale, don’t numbers provide more of an advantage?”

“Considering three countries have already fallen, they’ve likely decided there’s no need to depend solely on sheer numbers,” Elliot answered. “Small fries take up time, but any good soldier can handle them with sound tactics.”

Elliot paused there, then suddenly sensed how dangerous the situation was getting.

“This is bad,” he continued. “If it’s true, we’ve played right into their hands.”

“Even so, it’s not like we were in a position to not kill them,” Graziella commented. “It was a poor move to do as they wanted, but if we did nothing, we would’ve suffered even more casualties.”

“You’re right,” Elliot agreed. “Things are only going to get harder from now on.”

“However, it isn’t all bad news,” Graziella said. “If they’re focusing on quality over quantity, our forces will have fewer places they have to cover. I believe things will work, so long as we can crush them wherever they show up.”

Yet that idea required significant strength. Did Reiji possess enough power to overwhelm these stronger demons?

“But if there’s too many of these improved demons, that won’t work anymore,” Reiji said.

“They aren’t there yet, though,” Elliot said. “In other words, this is the decisive hour.”

“We need to gather our forces and prepare,” Reiji agreed.

“I’d like to strike quickly, but we don’t even know where the demons’ base is,” Elliot added.

They would have to look into that. It would be best to sever the problem at its root. Not that Reiji had the faintest idea of how to accomplish that.

“It seems the fighting will only get harder from now on...” Reiji said.

“Yes, for both of us,” Elliot agreed.

The two heroes shook hands, and each began making their own preparations.

Chapter 1: The One Calling Out to Reiji

In a sparse, candlelit room stood a woman, her bewitching figure clad in a knight’s outfit, a sword strapped to her waist. Her hair was white and she had dark skin, with eyes the color of blood. On their own, these features wouldn’t be rare for a female knight of Astel or Nelferia. However, the small horns on her head and her tapered ears set her apart from such humans—she was a demon. It was no exaggeration to say that she was the demon general whose form most closely resembled a human’s.

Maybe coming here was a mistake...

The demon general Moolah deeply regretted coming here. She shouldn’t have agreed to such a summons. She should’ve left the castle and devoted herself entirely to the upcoming battle. Feeling exasperated at her serious, upright personality that prevented her from doing so, she let out a dispirited sigh.

Her summoner was the sole reason for her concern: Lishbaum. In the demon army, he was something like a staff officer. A slim man with golden hair and a pair of twisted horns, his origins were a complete question mark, and so were his abilities. As a fellow child of the Evil God, she had a general grasp of his power, but far too much of him remained a mystery.

Demon Lord Nakshatra’s declaration to invade human territory was still fresh in Moolah’s mind. With the timing deemed appropriate, a date for the invasion had finally been set. That was when she’d gotten this summons from the most suspicious of men.

“Oh? I see you’ve arrived ahead of me.”

She heard a voice playing dumb from just outside the room. She directed her hostility through the door, but Lishbaum paid her anger at his late arrival no mind.

“Good day, Lady Moolah.”

“Hmph.”

“Oh my, it seems I’m rather hated.”

“Of course you are. My liege is the only one who favors your existence.”

“I can’t even imagine what makes you hate me so.”

“How shameless. Put a hand to your chest and give it some thought,” Moolah spat out in disgust before cutting to the chase. “So? Why have you called me here?”

“You’ll be commanding the upcoming battle, yes?”

“You know that. I hear you’re the one who proposed this damned plan to Nakshatra-sama to begin with.”

“I apologize if I’ve offended you. I was simply thinking of having you take the Evil God’s new children with you.”

“The ones you unveiled the other day?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have Nakshatra-sama’s approval?”

“I do.”

“Then I don’t mind... So? Where are these new children?”

“Right here.”

“What?”

A visible change occurred in the room. The veil of darkness in one of the corners was suddenly peeled back, as if a curtain had been there from the very beginning in order to put on this ostentatious display.

What was revealed was an utterly grotesque monster. Its figure was asymmetric and misshapen, possessing a ferocity and fiendishness entirely without intelligence. A human would certainly faint upon seeing such an ominous, repulsive figure.

Though it was the second time Moolah had seen one, she felt like she was never going to get used to it. Even a demon born of the Evil God found it so horribly disgusting. Within its hideous form lay an irrepressible potential for destruction; the demons she’d commanded before couldn’t possibly compare to its power—they were like babies to this thing. It was simply that powerful.

“Also, there are several changes regarding the upcoming battle,” Lishbaum said.

“What changes?”

“It wasn’t my personal decision, just so you know. All is by our liege’s will.”

With that, Moolah could no longer refuse.

“Our liege would like you to directly invade the human nation,” Lishbaum explained.

“Directly? What does that mean? It’ll take a month for a small army of winged—”

“No. By using my magicka to connect space, it’ll be possible to invade immediately. And directly to their capital at that.”

“Impossible. Such a thing can’t be done,” Moolah refuted. “Your bravado knows no bounds.”

“I’d rather you not make light of my power. But you’ll see it for yourself soon enough.”

“Truly...?”

Lishbaum nodded. Despite his confidence, she still had doubts. If such a thing was possible, why hadn’t he done so before this?

No, she didn’t need to ask. He’d made it easier to cull the unnecessary demons.

She understood, but there were still some aspects of this she found hard to swallow. Lishbaum’s approach was far too roundabout. If he possessed such power, he could’ve attacked the humans far earlier. If he chose not to, it was because he was scheming something.

“Lishbaum... What the hell is your objective?” Moolah asked.

“My objective? To attack and take down a human nation. That is Nakshatra-sama’s wish, is it not?”

“Not that.”

“You mean to say I have another goal?” Lishbaum inferred. “I do believe I’ve been working toward the destruction of the human race.”

Moolah fell silent. The demons’ greatest ambition was to eradicate every last human from the world so that the Evil God’s desire could be fulfilled. To that end, it was only natural to take down humanity, country by country. The approach wasn’t wrong, but she couldn’t help but think he had some other plans. She sensed it wasn’t anything that would put the demons at a disadvantage in their upcoming war, but something about this man’s thoughts seemed to hold an eerie fixation on total destruction—as in, he expected not only humanity but everything in existence to be destroyed.

“I’d rather you not look at me with such animosity,” Lishbaum said.

“Then stop being so shady. It’s repulsive.”

“Nothing can be done, then. I’ll have to put up with your enmity.”

Moolah’s glare intensified at his joking behavior. She was practically out for his blood, but Lishbaum paid it no mind. He even smiled gently, as if he found her hatred charming.

“I’m surprised you can maintain such composure,” Moolah said. “Do you think you can simply spur that demon into action?”

“Not at all. As you are now, you‘re not able to pose me any threat.”

“Are you saying I can’t kill you?”

“I am. After all, in my case, simply killing me isn’t enough. You need to kill me utterly and completely.”

Lishbaum stifled an ominous laugh at this.

“Utterly and completely?” Moolah repeated.

“Yes. Exactly.” Lishbaum paused, then added in a theatrical manner, “Magicians aren’t ones to die from being killed once or twice.”

Moolah didn’t understand what he was saying. He didn’t seem to mean his words figuratively.

“So, what? Are you saying you can’t die?” she asked.

“Not at all. I can definitely die. However, I’m simply hard to kill.”

Moolah fell silent again.

“If you detest me so much, keep that in mind.”

This was the reason this man was so eerie—his seeming omnipotence. He possessed seemingly common knowledge Moolah didn’t understand, and spoke words from languages she didn’t know.

He was far too mysterious. His depths were fathomless, like trying to understand an ocean simply by sticking a hand in and groping in its shallowest waters.

“Come,” Moolah said, shifting her gaze from Lishbaum to the demon.

With that one word, the demon Lishbaum had created obediently followed her. Seeing this, Lishbaum smiled in a way that was awfully arrogant and suspicious. That smile seemed to clearly suggest he was hiding something and enjoying her reaction.

“Have a safe trip,” he said. “I expect much from your victory.”

“Don’t waste your breath on unnecessary words.”

A while after Moolah left the room, Lishbaum muttered quietly to himself.

“To welcome the new, space still has to be made. Creation requires the old to be destroyed. Birth needs suffering. Even if that leads to the destruction of everything.”

Lishbaum stifled a laugh, enshrouding the room into even further darkness.

With the demons’ plan at the front of their minds, Reiji’s group made the journey from the Nelferian Empire to the Kingdom of Astel as quickly as possible, pushing their horses to the very limit.

Upon their first arriving in this world, such a forced march would’ve been impossible for them. Traveling by horse took an unexpected amount of stamina. Though much better than traveling by foot, riding still required the occasional break.

Back in those days, they’d made frequent stops and been troubled with all the aches and pains horseback riding entailed. However, Reiji’s physical abilities were now augmented by the Ishar Cluster, while Mizuki’s endurance had been improved by the journey itself. Thanks to that, they were able to endure a forced march and ride their horses without any issues. Getting Graziella into the country had taken a fair amount of time, but they’d still managed to get to Astel’s capital in half the time of their previous journey.

After they passed through the city gates, the royal capital spread out before them: buildings painted in calm hues, while stone pavements, trees, and flower beds lined the main street, leading to another set of walls that hid the palace. It was far softer on the eyes than the alabaster townscape of the imperial capital.

“Mm. This is where we were summoned...” Mizuki said, recalling her arrival in this world.

The hustle and bustle of Metel’s main street was mild compared to Filas Philia’s. It was still lively, but due to its smaller scale, it just wasn’t the same.

“Hmph. How modest it is compared to the imperial capital,” Graziella pointed out harshly, saying what they were all thinking. “The main thoroughfare is far too narrow, leading to fewer varieties of shops.”

“Oh dear. Astel is a nation that respects history,” Titania retorted. “We don’t value policies that are inconsistent with our culture.”

“If you continue to disdain mainstream trends, you’ll end up left behind one day.”

“Do be careful not to lose all your citizens to emigration.”