When the turmoil of the attack settled down, passersby started showing up in the streets where no one was supposed to be there, and not only that, the buildings that should have been destroyed have been restored before I knew it.
According to Sieg-san, it’s a powerful Barrier Magic, and when it’s lifted, the property damages will return to the state it was in before the Magic was used.
And once, Sieg-san suggests that we go back to the mansion to sort out the situation, Alice simply said “Then, I’m going home. Good work, everyone~~” as she left, and after we part ways with Alice, returned to Lilia-san’s mansion.
When we returned to the mansion, Lilia-san was standing in front of the doorway with a worried expression on her face, as it seems Sieg-san had sent a hummingbird to her beforehand.
[Kaito-san! Are you alright!? Any injuries!? Where does it hurt!?]
[Huh, Ah, no……]
[Calm down Lili, he can’t answer if you’re that flustered.]
[Ah, yes. I’m sorry…… It’s just as Sieg…… said…… Eh?]
Lilia-san, who suddenly came too close to me with great vigor, flusteredly confirmed my safety, before she’s stopped by Sieg-san who had a wry smile on her face.
Thereupon, after Lilia-san composed herself and apologized…… Her eyes opened wide and she turned towards Sieg-san.
[Anyway, right now, we are checking the situation. Depending on the situation, we may need to ask for assistance from the royal palace.]
[……………..]
[Liily? Did you hear me?]
[Eh, ah, yes…… ummm, errr…… Sieg, your voice……]
[Eh? Ahh, I haven’t mentioned it huh. I did end up eating the Fruit of the World Tree.]
[……Auuu……]
Apparently, because she gave priority to telling her about the attack, Sieg-san forgot to tell her that her voice had returned, so she told the surprised Lilia-san again that she had eaten the Fruit of the World Tree.
Hearing her words, Lilia-san had tears in her eyes, as if she was overcome with emotion, and she jumped at Sieg-san.
[Sieg!]
[Eh? Wait, Lili!?]
[That’s great…… That your voice came back…… It’s really…… great……]
[……Lili. I’m sorry I made you worry about lots of things.]
[It’s totally fine…… Compared to Kaito-san……]
[……………….]
Hearing the voice of her best friend that she has been waiting for for so many years has returned, Lilia-san shed tears…… And it’s quite a beautiful sight. However, why did you just suddenly speak ill of me like it’s natural!?
Although I truly wanted to refute her, those stuff in the past did happen…… So I won’t say anything.
After that, Lunamaria-san also emerged from the mansion, joining the scene and is happy that Sieg-san’s voice has returned.
The moment the slightly tense atmosphere from earlier eases and the atmosphere becomes somewhat calm……
[Master!?]
[Eh? What!?]
When I heard Anima’s shout, I turned around and saw a huge pillar of fire rising around the front gate, so huge that it pierced the heavens.
And from within that pillar of hellfire…… That appeared.
[I’ll be intruding.]
That appeared with the sound of giant footsteps, having a muscular body covered in blazing, flame-like body hair. It has a goat-like face with huge twisted horns and a truly demonic appearance……
It was bigger than any creature I’ve ever seen, with a body that must have been well over 10 meters tall. An authentic monster appeared.
[……W- War King-sama!?
[ ! ? ]
S- So, it’s him…… One of the Six Kings, the ferocious king who loves to fight…… The War King, Megiddo Argetes Borgnes!?
W- What an extraordinary amount of magic power he has…… It’s so big that he could blow us away just by being here.
And that’s not all, combined with the tremendously belligerent emotions felt by my Sympathy Magic, it makes me feel like it’s burning my body.
Behind the War King, stands several Demons that seemed to be his subordinates, including the “three” Demons that we had encountered not long ago…… However, no matter how I see it, didn’t he appear too soon!? Also, isn’t that Bacchus not with them?
And then, the War King leisurely comes towards us with his massive footsteps and stops in front of us.
Up close, he really looks tremendously enormous, and the intimidation of his gaze as he seemed to look down on me isn’t being suppressed at all.
[You’re Miyama Kaito, right?]
[……Y- Yes.]
[Why did you turn down my invitation…… I was waiting for you and ready to welcome you back in our place though?]
[ ! ? ]
Scary…… Clearly speaking, he’s absurdly scary.
I can’t stop shaking just by being before the sharp fangs in his mouth that could swallow my body in a single gulp.
I don’t know if he’s angry that I didn’t respond to his invitation, but it felt like he’s glaring at me…… Still, I grit my teeth and look straight into the War King’s eyes and replied.
It might be the smart choice to apologize here but…… unfortunately, I can’t do that.
[……Y- Your subordinates surprise attacked us…… You’re asking me to accept the invitation of someone who injured Sieg-san, a “person important to me” and has always been helping me… There’s no way I will comply.]
Honestly, just this anger hasn’t gone away yet.
Sieg-san was injured by Eta. Even if that wound was healed by the Fruit of the World Tree, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the invitation of such a person, nor would I want to be friently with them.
Even if I am going to be killed here and now, I still wouldn’t bow my head to him.
[ ~ ~ ! ? ]
[Oi, Sieg. Please consider the situation at all. Stop looking happy over there.]
[I- I’m sorry. It just unintentionally……]
When he heard those words I clearly said as I trembled, the War King’s expression became even angrier…… before he turned away from me.
[……Eh?]
[……Haaahhh? Surprise attacked? What does this mean!? Bacchus!]
[……Can I speak my explanation?]
[You tell me now, or I’ll kill you!]
Surprisingly, instead of directing his anger at me, the War King turned to the mummy behind his back…… Ah, that’s Bacchus huh…… Ein-san’s one strike was that tremendous huh.
And then, Bacchus goes on to explain in detail what happened earlier to the War King.
And after he finished speaking for a while, Bacchus deeply bows to the War King.
[……That’s all.]
[……I see, well, I doubt you’re gonna do anything that would incur my anger…… The problem is those fellows huh……]
[ [ ! ? ] ]
After listening to Bacchus’s explanation, the War King looks at Eta and Theta, who twitched in response.
Then, the War King grabbed the two bodies together with one hand and easily lifted them up.
[Uwaaaahhhh!?]
[Gaaaaaahhhhh!?]
I don’t know if they’re held up by that much force, Eta and Theta let out woeful screams, but showing no signs of loosening his grip, the War King releases his angry shout.
[You bastards…… You’ve got to be f*cking kidding me! I told you to lead him to me! I never f*cking told you to surprise attack anyone!!! You f*cking heard me!!!?]
[Aaggghhh, m- my apolo……]
The color of the hair covering the War King’s body changed from red to black…… And it looked like he had turned into an incarnation of a burning black flame.
[When you f*cking fight! You have to start by introducing yourselves and then, you ready your stances! And now, you’re telling me that you acted as trash and surprise attacked them…… Are you trying to embarrass me!!!?]
That’s probably the aesthetics of fighting for the War King.
Not taking them by surprise attacks, and fighting them fair and square…… Eta and Theta broke it, and as a result, they incurred the wrath of the War King.
A deafening noise sounded, and after a while, Eta and Theta went limp and motionless.
The War King’s jet-black body hair turns back to red again before he turned towards me.
[…..Miyama Kaito…… I guess I’ll just call you Kaito? I’m sorry.]
[Eh?]
[Our idiots did idiotic stuff. Surprise attacks certainly are an act of those inferior trashes…… You have every right to refuse my invitation!]
[Ah, no……]
[I’m not going to question the fact that you turned down my invitation. And, here, it’s at least my apologies…… I’ll let you deal with them.]
[Wha!?]
After telling me that, the War King throws Eta and Theta in front of me.
I thought they were dead, but the two bodies were still breathing and they seemed to be alive.
And then, the War King took out a red-bladed sword out of nowhere and stabbed it in the ground in front of me.
[Here, you can use this…… If it’s that, even a Human could easily chop their heads off.]
[ ! ? ]
The War King’s words started me.
What the War King is trying to say…… is to kill these two with my own hands……
What should I do? I’m indeed angry with Eta and Theta for hurting Sieg-san, but not to the point that I want to kill them.
However, the War King’s silence tells me…… That he will not allow me to refuse……
I grabbed the hilt of the sword stuck in front of me and after I slowly pulled it out…… I threw it back in front of the War King.
[……What do you mean by this?]
[I’m not going to kill them.]
[Eh? I told you to kill them, didn’t I?]
[…..!? You just told me that you’d let me deal with them…… In that case, my decision to how I deal with them is that I will forgive them and not kill them.]
Shuddering as the War King spoke with increasing anger again, and I just replied to him by saying that this is one thing that I can’t give up.
[……So you’re saying that if I want to kill them, I would have to kill you first?]
[Yes!]
[……………….]
The other party is one of the Six Kings…… I don’t need to use my Sympathy Magic to know that he’s not bluffing when he mentioned killing.
Still, I can’t kill anyone…… Call me naive, call me stupid, but I can’t do what I can’t do.
[Ku– Ha— Hahahaha! Ahahaha!!!]
[……Eh?]
[I certainly didn’t! That’s really what I said! I just said that you will deal with them! Hahaha, I certainly didn’t tell you to kill them!]
However, the War King didn’t swing his claw at me, but rather, began to laugh in an amused manner for some reason.
And then, after laughing for a while, the War King let out a ferocious smile that gave me chills.
[You’re…… strong……]
[Eh? N- No, I’m not……]
[I’m not talking about your physical strength, I’m saying that you have spirit! Aren’t you a good one!? There aren’t many people who can dare say those words right in front of me! I like you!]
[……Huh?]
[Hey, Kaito…… “Let’s fight”!]
[Wha!?]
With a fiendish smile on his face, the War King happily told me…… that he wants to fight me……
[I like you! Then, we have to fight!!! Living things can only understand each other in battle!!!]
Magic power raged around us like scorching winds, blowing around like a tremendous storm.
What the heck is with that muscle-headed theory!? As expected, he isn’t a guy that we can talk with huh!?
Or rather, there’s no way I can beat him. Even now, just the aftermath of his magic power is about to blow me away, so there’s no way I can even get a single scratch on him.
However, it seems that it’s already completely decided that he would fight in me in the War King’s mind, as he began approaching looking really happy.
In the midst of that situation, which can be said to be more desperate than ever before, four shadows quietly stepped out in front of me.
[Ahh?]
[……E- Even if you’re War King-sama…… I- I will not allow you to hurt Kaito-san!]
[……I agree with Lili. There are times when even if we know that we can’t even bare our fangs at you, we still have to face it ourselves.]
[It’s my duty to protect master, and I will not run away even against opponents I can’t defeat!]
[……Good grief, how short my life is. Well, I guess this is fate.]
[Lilia-san, Sieg-san, Anima, Lunamaria-san……]
The four of them quickly stood in front of me, their legs trembling as they each held their weapons at the ready to face the War King.
[Hooohhh…… Interesting! You’re going to face me huh…… That’s good, no, that’s the best!!!]
[ [ [ [ ! ? ] ] ] ]
When the War King shouted in a good mood, his muscles, which are already tremendous, expanded and his body became bulkier.
We totally can’t win…… Realizing such a despairing, immense pressure to us, the War King slowly raises his fist.
However, that fist never swung down towards Lilia-san and the others……
[……Lay down your fist, War King. Trying to hurt them is tantamount to trying to attack me.]
[Ahh? What the heck are you doing here…… “Chronois”!]
Her quiet words echoing in the silence, Chronois-san calmly approached us while clad in her magic power.
[You should know…… Lilia over there is the one who received my blessing, then I have a duty to protect her.]
Chronois-san slowly walked over while announcing this, facing the War King with Lilia-san behind her back as if to protect her.
[I’m sorry, I was late in detecting your situation here, so I came too late. It must have been frightening, right? ……However, you don’t have to be anxious, Lilia. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you get even a scratch.]
[C- Chronois-sama……]
C- Chronois-san, aren’t you way too cool just now!? That speech, her actions, the timing of her appearance, everything just screams ikemen, you know!?
I- It’s really quite a shame that she’s a woman……
Dear Mom, Dad—— just when I thought the attack was over, the War King invaded before we could catch a breath. And in the situation that could be described as desperate, Chronois-san appeared to the rescue. How should I say this——- Isn’t it fine if Chronois-san is the protagonist now?
<Author’s Notes>
Throwing away her work, she rushed in to protect Lilia.
Also, the War King said he wanted to fight (compete), not that type of fight where they would strike each other…… He just wants to compete with Kaito in drinking.
T/N: 2/17 +7