Part 6
「Kukuku......To think that my 《Shadow Diving》 would be noticed......As I thought, you are no ordinary Magician -degozaruna!」[1]
When the black viscous liquid that looked like coal tar accumulated on the floor, it rose up. That black mass that was about the size of a child──changed into the shape of a person.
It had black clothes and a katana on its back.
Its mouth was covered by an iron mask, so its facial expression couldn’t be grasped.
That appearance was, it was truly that which came from Nippon, or rather, from Japan.
──A ninja!? A ninja, why!?
Everyone other than Diablo showed unrest by the strangely dressed opponent that had suddenly appeared.
Shera, who had sharp senses, was especially surprised.
「I, I didn’t know he was here at all!? Diablo, you’re amazing!?」
Of course, Diablo was also surprised, but with the Demon King role play that was deeply ingrained into him, he maintained his completely placid attitude.
「Hmph......Who are you?」
「Being His Majesty’s eyes and ears, I am one that becomes His sword -degozaru.」
Alicia bit at these words.
「That is not possible! That should be the duty of the State Knights. I have never seen a suspiciously dressed State Knight like you before!」
「Kukuku......I am amazed that you could spout that despite having said that you would overthrow the Kingdom of Lifelia. I am no decoration like that of those State Knights, I am a shinobi that secretly maneuvers in the shadows for the sake of the monarch──by the name of Kuzukage」
MMORPG Cross Reverie is based off of European style fantasy, but there were ninja costumes as joke equipment. There were also Samurai, as well as Western Gunmen.
He thought that it was limited to the game, but to think that it existed here as well......This felt too loose from the world view.
Rem and Shera were suspicious of him.
「Wh, what is this person!?」
「A strange appearance!」
──As I thought, this seems to be unfamiliar equipment in this world.
Diablo readied his 《Staff of Tenma》.
The distance between them was less than five steps. Going by the ninja blade that he carried on his back, he was probably a Warrior-type. Diablo was at a disadvantage in terms of fighting location and starting position, but he couldn’t back down here.
「Hmph, putting aside that I have seen something unusual.....So you are the Lifelia King’s spy. I cannot allow you to go back just like this.」
「Kukuku......That is the same for me. Now that you have seen this appearance, I cannot allow you to live -degozaru.」
「You damned fool, you should open your mouth after considering the situation.」
「Situation? One traitor, three demi-humans, and two Demonic Beings......These are no more than numbers before my ninjutsu -gozaranu.」
「Hmph, who said that it was a problem of numbers?」
「Hohou?」
「Towards this Demon King Diablo, "I cannot allow you to live", you say? Know your place, you miscellaneous soldier.」
「Kukuku......What a pleasant demi-human. Allow me to teach you which one of us is a miscellaneous soldier.」
Kuzukage’s figure disappeared.
──Teleporation!?
The opponent ran past with enough speed to make him think that.
With a *Puhn!*, blood spurt out from Diablo’s right arm. The upper arm portion of 《The Hollow of Jet Black》 was cut.
At the opposite side of the room, the sound of the ninja blade being sheathed was made.
「Nin」
Kuzukage had two fingers erect in front of his mouth.
Diablo turned around and glared at the enemy.
──He’s, considerably fast.
If it’s just in terms of speed, he was greater than Feudal Lord Galford. Even so, Diablo couldn’t show any timidness.
「What? Was that all?」
「Do not prattle. There is no way that a mere Magician could keep up with my movements!」
Once again, Kuzukage ran.
This time, Diablo’s left arm was cut even deeper than before. Furthermore, he returned and did another attack.
Kicking off the wall, kicking off the ceiling, he freely ran about the room, swinging his blade.
Diablo’s injuries steadily increased.
His blood was dripping onto the floor.
「Fuhahahaha! How is it, Magician! This is the power of a Shinobi!!」
Diablo stuck out the 《Staff of Tenma》.
It bashed into the face of the quipping Kuzukage.
「Gobubeh!?」
He was blown away.
Right before his back banged against the wall, Kuzukage just barely corrected his posture and landed on the wall.
He then got down onto the floor.
The mask in front of his mouth was crushed and fell. With a *buwah*, a nosebleed gushed out, and dripped onto the floor. It was black blood that looked like coal tar.
Diablo shrugged his shoulders.
「So? When will you teach me "which one of us is the miscellaneous soldier", miscellaneous soldier?」
With a *giri*, Kuzukage ground his teeth.
「You mean to say that a mere Magician was able to see it!? My 《Shadow Running》!?」
「It would seem that you are misunderstanding something. I am sure that I said it, I am not a Magician. I am a Demon King of another world!」
──Fast is fast, but the standard countermeasure against Magicians is the bow and arrow. Compared to rapidly fired bows, it was bit slower.
No matter how fast it was, he could at least see through a Warrior-type’s charge attack. If he didn’t have at least that amount of reaction speed, he wouldn’t have been able to fight against Archer-type Players.
──Though, if his movements were more complex, the counterattack would have been difficult.
In truth, he wanted to use magic, but against an opponent that was this fast, it was too dangerous to be in a stiffened state. At the very least, he wanted to fire it off on a battlefield that was outside.
Kuzukage swung his arm.
「《Flying Kunai》!!」
Of all things, the one that he made the target of the attack was Krum.
The diamond shaped edged tools that looked like the tips of a spear flew, and they aimed at her forehead.
Making a high-pitched *Kaーn!* sound, the kunai were repelled.
Kuzukage’s eyes went wide open.
「Nwhat!?」
Krum glared at him.
「You......To think that you would throw things at Maou, you have some nerve -nanoda. How about I teach you what true fear is.」
A black lightning bolt coiled about in her small hand. Was it magic? Was it a special action?
Before Krum fired off some kind of attack──Edelgart, who was burning with anger, charged at him.
「Doing that to Demon King-sama! You, will kill! 《Sacrifice Charge》!!」
It was a martial art that fired using a lance. Since she was currently unarmed, she stuck out her fist.
Although it grazed his cheek, Kuzukage twisted his body and avoided it.
「GUUuUuUo──!?」
「Charge at him, 《Aslau》!!」
A gigantic bull that possessed three horns──the one that made the summoned beast charge at him was Rem.
Prior to Kuzukage’s escape from that at almost the same time, three arrows were fired. So this was the Archer-type’s martial art 《Triangle Shot》.
It was Shera.
They had thought that Shera had excelled as a bow user since long ago, but to think that she could even use martial arts......
「Injuring Diablo, and aiming at Krum-chan! That’s unforgivable!」
Although the attacks were dodged by Kuzukage no matter what it was, for Diablo, it had bought plenty of time.
──I can’t get used to group battles where I have allies, but it’s true that it’s easier when there is a vanguard.
His magic was completed.
Diablo turned the 《Staff of Tenma》 towards Kuzukage.
「I am not so soft hearted as to value the life of an opponent that attacked with the intent to kill, you know? Regret the fact that you opposed a Demon King in the realm of the dead! 《Burst Rain》!!」
A magic with a narrow range could be evaded by a fast enemy.
This was a ranged magic that fired several fireballs.
Kuzukage opened a scroll.
「《Concealing Water》......!!」
A wall of water appeared in front of the enemy, but something like that didn’t matter. Countless fireballs plunged into it in succession, making the water boil and change into steam.
It was easily penetrated.
A fireball seized Kuzukage, who was on the other side of the wall of water.
They hit him one after the other.
「Oooooooooo────────────!?」
The figure of the ninja crumbled. It changed into a black viscous liquid like that of coal tar.
The 《Burst Rain》 pulverized Kuzukage, and incidentally scattered the wall that was behind him as well.
「Hmph......」
Hitting the floor with his staff, Diablo glared at the place that the enemy was at.
The wall had disappeared, and a black viscous liquid was scattered about on the burnt floor.
A cold sweat went down along his spine.
──Did I get him!?
Behind him, the door was knocked on.
The voice of the inn’s poster girl came.
「Dear cus~tomer? As expected, you’re being a bit of a bother to the neighbors☆」
Before he could make a response, the door was opened.
A Pantherian young lady that was wearing maid clothes had a sparkling smile, and looked at the room that had a wall blown away.
An oni had descended.
An oni by the name of a large claim for damages.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] It uses sessha to refer to itself.
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