Chapter 88 - Demon King Commander’s True Appearance
We felt an oppressive force.
Up until now, we’ve been feeling the oppressive power of the Demon King Commander but even when compared to that, this new force couldn’t even be compared. Gripping a dagger in her hand Rēko slowly walked across the plains. It felt as if she wore the mantle of a grim reaper.
「My strings in just one hit?!」
The weaver demon’s voice was mixed with agitation.
However, while being agitated, she instantly repaired her strings and attempted to connect with the spirit.
Rēko saw this and lightly clicked her tongue.
「Fuh, how impudent.」
「…Good! Revendia didn’t meet my expectations, not enough bite… but you seem to be high grade prey that I can get excited over!」
「Bastard. Just now, what did you say? Lord Evil Dragon doesn’t have enough bite in him?」
Ah, this is bad.
The demon… suddenly touched Rēko’s reverse scale.
「Oryaaah—!!」
The spirit controlled by strings accelerated toward Rēko like a meteor.
To receive it, Rēko’s movements were extremely simple.
She easily stopped the charge with only one hand, and with her other hand grabbed the magic strings violently.
「Stop hiding like a rat. Show yourself.」
Rēko clenched her fist and pulled the strings. The magic strings hanging from the sky tensed from the force and attempted to resist but they started to tremble.
「Ri-ridiculous… Do you intend to directly pull me out…?」
「Of course. Don’t think you can run after insulting Lord Evil Dragon.」
「St-stop bullsh*tting me! I’m a Demon King Commander! I’m not so weak that I would lose in strength compared to a feeble human like you!」
Rēko pulled in the strings like a fisherman pulling in their prey, using her whole body to pull instantly.
The weaver demon was interrupted during her protest and from beyond the sky, like fish caught in a line, flew toward us.
「…Dammit. I never thought that I would reveal my true appearance to some unknown human.」
What came down and landed with a bang was a rabbit-like doll.
It was clear at first glance that it wasn’t just a doll though. It talked and was covered with an enormous amount of magic. The most obvious thing was the magic strings coming from its hands. This should definitely be the culprit that controlled the spirit and the Ikumen demon.
「Fuu, So that’s your true appearance… A child’s playtoy. A fitting appearance for a follower of that imbecilic Demon King.」
「Ahh? You’ll only be able to talk like that for now. There aren’t many that have seen my true form and lived to tell the tale you know?」
To have this kind of vigour in front of Rēko, compared to any other demons until now, it was uncomparably bold.
The rabbit doll shouted with a “Oryahh!” angrily and released uncountable threads made of magic.
As sharp sounds rang out, the ground and boulders in the path of those threads were ripped apart as if they were soft as cake.
But, that was all it did.
Rēko, the target, was unhurt — even her clothes were undamaged.
「In the end, you’re just a doll. If you think this kind of boring attack will work on me, then you’re very mistaken.」
「Haha, in return I ask you, do you think my attacks are so simple that it would end with just that?」
「Rēko! Behind you!」
In a fluster, I shouted a warning to Rēko.
Although Rēko harmlessly parried the threads, those threads then gathered large piles of rocks and started to form a large stone giant.
As Rēko turned back, the giant swung it’s fist down.
「Ah, that’s a relief, it’s just that.」
Before the results came, I was already signing in relief. I thought that stone doll would use a much stronger attack but a plain punch would be no problem at all.
Rēko just annoyingly swung her arm to repel the fist, the giant’s arm… no, half of the entire giant then crumbled into pieces.
However that extravagant attack was merely a feint.
Between my relief and Rēko’s carelessness, the weaver rabbit doll demon jumped towards Rēko’s head.
「Eat this!」
It was like a torrential rain, no, a waterfall of threads poured down towards Rēko.
This time, it wasn’t an attack intending to slice. Each thread wrapped around Rēkos limbs and sealed her movements.
「Rēko!」
Before Rēko could finish ripping apart the threads, new threads would stream down faster to replace the torn ones. Gradually the threads started to cover her and eventually she was trapped in a cocoon.
「Done. With this, it’s my win! I don’t know who you were but you were strong. But you’re already finished. To cut just one thread would require an average strength of a hundred magic beasts. To get out of there then you’ll at least need the power of the Demon King or Evil Dragon-」
「Is your thread finished?」
The cocoon opened with a pop, and from within, two hands ripped apart the cocoon and out came Rēko with a relaxed expression.
So it seems that Rēko just got annoyed at the pouring threads and just waited for it to finish wrapping before ripping it off.
For a while the rabbit doll remained silent.
What kind of silence, we couldn’t tell since the rabbit doll had no expression.
「Kukuku… Good, you’re very good. I see now. I didn’t know how that weak Revendia thing repelled “Hollow” at the Saintess’s town but now it’s clear… Human. It was all your doing right?」
The rabbit doll then folded it’s arms and stood imposingly, it looked very cute.
「I’ll recognize you as a threat to the Demon King Army, and here, I will use my all to eliminate you! My name is “Sousou”, the Demon King Commander titled “Weaver of Creation”. Come, let’s fight!」
「I see, even in the face of this power difference, you won’t step back… although you’re a fool, it seems you’re a warrior. That’s fine, as a gift for you to take to the underworld, know my name and be ashamed of your own ignorance.」
Warrior? Or at least the rabbit doll was so evaluated by Rēko, despite it’s adorable appearance. It started its charge towards her at extreme speed, regardless.
Rēko on the other hand just raised her right hand and prepared to receive the attack, and followed by saying…
「I am Rēko, I am merely a kin of the Lord Evil Dragon you just insulted.」
The rabbit doll received a forehead flick as a counter.
Just with that, rings of shockwaves ran through the atmosphere and clouds of dust rose from the earth.
By the time the dust cleared, the rabbit doll was convulsing on the ground.
「It’s good that you’re safe.」
Rēko approached the fallen Sheina like she didn’t even break a sweat beating a Demon King Commander.
「Ah, yeah. Thanks for saving us Rēko.」
「I don’t mind, however I want you to call for help faster.」
After all’s said and done, Rēko’s a good girl at her roots. Although cold, you could see her worrying over Sheina’s safety.
But, the problem starts with me.
Being saved by Rēko is fine but how can I explain this situation where I fell in danger…
「K-kin…? You’re telling me you’re the kin of that Revendia over there? Don’t mess with me… Just before I could easily…」
You see? The weaver / rabbit doll that still had breath left in her, Sousou, started to pursue her doubts.
「Fuh, bastard, do you really think you fought with the Evil Dragon…?」
However, although Rēko was seething with anger, her expression was relaxed. At the very least she didn’t doubt my strength.
And so Rēko said this:
「The Lord Evil Dragon here is not the main body. This is merely an illusion birthed by the Lord Evil Dragon to watch over me as I accomplish my mission.」
「Ah, now that I think about, it was that sort of setting.」
Coming this far, the first setting was still alive and well. It seems that this setting is still effective within Rēko’s mind.
「I-illusion? But that’s definitely the main body…」
「The illusion of the Lord Evil Dragon can at times even have false mass. You merely received too much of its pressure and mistook it for the main body. To summarise, you were merely a hopeless clown who danced to an illusion of the Lord Evil Dragon seated far away.」
Sheina then poked the side of my stomach. It was ticklish and I reflexively released a “Ofuhn” sound.
「In any case, as expected of Lord Evil Dragon. Using just an illusion to play with a Demon King Commander and protecting Sheina at the same time. I’m always being surprised by Lord Evil Dragon.」
「Nonono, I’m the one that’s always being surprised by you, so much in fact that I want to cry.」
「I’m very happy but please save those tears of joy for when we reap the Demon King’s neck.」
「These aren’t those types of positive tears though…」
Rēko conveniently ignored my complaints and spun the dagger in her hand.
「Well, are you prepared? Doll rabbit? Do you know the fate of the defeated?」
「So I’ve only come this far huh…? It would have been a bit more interesting if I had lost to Revendia’s true body instead of a kin but that would be too much to ask for…」
「Don’t worry. My power comes from Lord Evil Dragon… in other words, my claws are the same as the Lord Evil Dragons claws.」
「Ha… Unexpectedly, you’re a bit sentimental… Is it okay to take one last smoke?」
「Go ahead.」
As it said, it put a carrot stick in its mouth.
Out of nowhere, it brought out a hard-boiled atmosphere. However from the side was a little girl who wanted to rip it apart with a knife.
In terms of education… what should I think about this? As I was thinking about whether to stop this or not, from close by, the sound of gravel shifting could be heard as an arm struggled out of the pile.
「Wait. You shall not lay a hand on my master…! If you still insist, then you first have to defeat me…!」
It was the Ikumen puppet demon with smoke seeping out from all over like he was overheated.
By the way, Rēko just glanced at him like she was looking at trash.