Cockroach
Cockroach
The man who led those commonly known as demon worshippers knelt down respectfully and said.
"I behold the great Archduke of Manmajeon."
Though he shed tears of emotion at the joy of confirming the fruits of his long research before his very eyes and the fact that the object of his faith had manifested because of it, the man's voice was composed. Having confirmed that all the energy had been absorbed into the body of the sacrifice, there had been no anomalies, so he never even harbored a suspicion that the ritual might have failed. That was why, even while the boy who had lain collapsed on the floor staggered to his feet, he maintained his defenseless posture and merely waited for a reply.
Eventually, the boy, having fully risen, surveyed his body, furrowed his brow, and opened his mouth.
[A male body, how displeasing. However... it is adequate for use as a gate. You have all done well.]
It was a success. He even received praise. While other worshippers silently wept at the overwhelming emotion surging from their hearts, the man continued.
"The unforeseen appearance of the Hero forced us to alter the plans slightly. But since the lives we can now reap have paradoxically increased because of it, I estimate it will be of somewhat greater help than anticipated."
[Indeed it is so. This is... an amusing body. Wherever did you find such a thing?]
"It is merely proof that the world does not flow according to the will of the gods."
[Hmm, coincidence, you say? As expected, this place is amusing.]
The demon that had settled into the boy's body burst into a satisfied laugh and relished its still-unstable manifestation. This affair held great meaning for the demon as well. It had achieved a great deed it could not have even dreamed of in the past, so it deemed a brief enjoyment permissible.
[You are truly competent. I was half in doubt even as I imparted knowledge to you, yet you not only completed the spell formula, but executed it in the kingdom's very capital.]
"I am at a loss for words at such excessive praise. All of this is solely thanks to the teachings of Your Excellency, Archduke Krumelia."
A smile crept onto the lips of Krumelia, the Archdemon whom some called the connoisseur of knowledge and others an addict. The human was indeed useful. Even worth considering as a long-term, obedient pet to toy with.
But for now, she had a toy she wanted to play with first.
[Yes. I am the connoisseur of knowledge, the Archdemon Krumelia. However... who might you be, hiding over there?]
Before the demon worshippers could even raise their heads in puzzlement, dark crimson thorns instantaneously shot out from the tips of Krumelia's lightly swung fingers, flying straight into the wall at the far end of the corridor where they were staying. The corner of the wall burst apart in a chunk from the strike, scattering stone dust, but Krumelia simply muttered with a deeply dissatisfied expression.
[Dodging that, are you?]
Having nimbly evaded the sudden attack without panic, Sheryl immediately tried to turn and flee. Whether it was a complete manifestation or an unstable one, she had no means to confront an Archdemon. Because she never overestimated her own skill or preparation, her action was swift enough to feel no trace of hesitation.
[Where are you off to in such a hurry? You could at least accept a greeting.]
But the moment she took five steps, Sheryl found herself running not down the path she came, but toward the demon. As she halted her sprint in shock, Krumelia flashed a deep smile.
[Oh my, normally you wouldn't even know where you're running because your senses are scrambled, but you're a capable child, aren't you? What is your name?]
She had heard that manifested demons could warp space. But that was only when there was an altar dedicated to the demon, or when the demon's domain had been completed over a long period. Cold sweat began to trickle down Sheryl's spine as she realized the demon could exert this much power even after such a sudden manifestation.
While the demon worshippers, still kneeling before Krumelia and merely turning their heads to watch, amplified the sense of dissonance, Krumelia's fingers moved once more.
[It makes me sad when I don't get an answer, you see.]
As a connoisseur of knowledge, that is.
With no time to dwell on the grotesque sight of a being acting womanishly while laughing in a boy's body, Sheryl ducked low to evade the flying dark crimson whip and simultaneously swung her sword to cut it. At that, Krumelia, who had only been using her index finger, laughed with delight and began swinging all five fingers.
The sight reminded Sheryl of the mollusks she had glimpsed long ago when she went to the sea with her father, and she furrowed her brow. She had never liked those multi-legged monsters that looked like they'd crawled out of hell, not then and not now.
With the certainty that if she survived this, she would dislike them even more, Sheryl heightened her eye strengthening and reacted to the attacks.
She targeted a whip aiming for her legs and head simultaneously, leaping and rotating nearly horizontally to slice through them both at once, and the moment she landed she barely deflected a whip rushing for her glabella with the flat of her blade, redirecting it. Completing a brief situational assessment, she cut through the last, fourth whip that was swung at her left arm, and at the same time lunged further toward Krumelia.
If she couldn't run, she fought. If she couldn't win, she bought time. That was the mindset required of a sword sworn to protect the kingdom.
[I am truly happy to have such capable subordinates. Wherever did you find such an amusing child?]
Even if it posed no threat whatsoever, she had to try.
[But I'm short on time too... so I'll do something else for a moment, if you don't mind?]
While the severed whips grew thicker, now resembling tentacles more than whips, and flew at her again, Krumelia plunged her right hand into her own abdomen.
[The time of festival has come. My children who serve me, you shall take flesh and blood by my side.]
Even with her right hand driven in deep, no blood flowed from Krumelia's body. Instead, a bizarre distortion began from the embedded hand, gradually growing in size and creating a hole of unknown nature.
Even Sheryl, who lacked extensive knowledge of demons, could tell. That thing was what the Saintess of the Imperial Divine Council had called a gate. Krumelia, flashing a cruel smile at Sheryl's growing urgency, continued.
[Through the power of the sacrifices to be used, from a single drop of blood to the fragments of souls, I, Krumelia, shall open the gate—Aaaagh?!]
And then, as if she had suddenly been dealt a blow without any omen, she convulsed and collapsed to the floor.
She was so startled that even the tentacles attacking Sheryl vanished as if sucked back into her, and the demon worshippers who had maintained their composure cried out in shock and rushed to her side.
"Y-Your Excellency!?"
[Wh-what!? What in the world is happeniiiiing!!]
Was it a failure? But she had been too confident for that. Krumelia thrashed like a freshly caught fish, yet still didn't pull her right hand out of her stomach. But the sight of her suddenly sweating as if it were raining and painfully bracing herself on the floor with her left hand was far from normal.
[Grrrk! What son of a bitch is interfering with the rituaaaal?!]
"Your Excellency! W-we must have made some error..."
[No! Someone is stirring up Magic Power somewherrrre! Aaah! Stop it! Fucking stop it, I saaaiiiid!]
Though she never pulled out her right hand, she was now not only bleeding dark red blood from her black eyes but her convulsions grew even more violent. At the almost screaming thrashing, the thought flashed through Sheryl's mind that she could maybe finish it off if she rushed in and cut its throat now, but she knew it was time to run.
Though it was a fine sword, her weapon lacked the ability to cut down a demon. Even if it was a demon manifested through possession. That was why Sheryl was about to turn and bolt without looking back.
"Hero, making an entrance!"
From the way she had come, Siegfried appeared with a thunderous roar, a monstrously huge greatsword in one hand and cradling Teneasi like a child in the other.
Siegfried irritably swung his sword, half-destroying the wall that had partially crumbled from Krumelia's first attack and deliberately drawing all attention to himself. At the same time, he was slightly flustered by a sight somewhat different from what he had expected.
"What, you know how to catch demons too?"
Sheryl, who had been looking back and forth between the collapsed Krumelia and Siegfried, corrected him shortly.
"It wasn't me."
"Huh? Then..."
"Zeke! Forget that—deal with the demon, quickly!"
Fortunately, Siegfried snapped to his senses as soon as he heard Teneasi's words. He naturally set her down and without another word charged straight at the demon worshippers.
[Haak, haa... S-stop them!]
"As Your Excellency commands!"
At the command of Krumelia, who was still staggering and drenched in cold sweat, the demon worshippers' eyes flashed as they rushed forward. Siegfried sneered at the sight as if it were laughable and shouted.
"Do I look like a fucking joke to you, you shitheads!"
-WHAM!
There was no need to swing his sword, no need to halt his charge. The spirit's power, instantaneously manifested, practically tore the body of the first demon worshipper who approached Siegfried half to shreds.
But the demon worshippers were no fools either. The moment they saw the first one ripped apart beyond recognition, their bodies began to grotesquely transform.
"Divine arrogance shall pay the price!"
"God says your arrogance gets settled first!"
They were now at a level where charging in would only be a hindrance. As Sheryl stood guard over Teneasi's safety, the flustered voice of the saintess reached her ears.
"H-he couldn't have said that..."
"...It's just a provocation."
"O-oh, that must be it, right? B-but it's wrong to falsify a revelation... Ah! Are you hurt anywhere?!"
She really was a somewhat airheaded yet unfathomable saintess. Still, she had hurried over with Siegfried out of concern for Sheryl's safety, and even showed such expressions, making her difficult to hate.
"I'm fine. More than that, I think we need to deal with that demon first. It seems she intends to use her own body as a sacrifice to create a gate..."
[You fucking puppet bastard!! With a cheap trick like this!!]
Startled by the thunderously resonating shriek, Sheryl turned her head to see Krumelia, who had barely risen behind the demon worshippers being turned into chunks of flying flesh, glaring at Siegfried with a contorted face as she wept blood.
[I don't know how you interfered, but things won't go your way!]
"What's she on about, fuck... guy? Bitch? What the hell are you?"
Reacting with apparent disbelief yet diligently dismembering the demon worshippers who had transformed into aberrant monsters, Siegfried tilted his head and charged at Krumelia.
His heavily enhanced body closed the distance in an instant, and just as his gigantic greatsword was about to skewer Krumelia's body like a lance, her right hand pulled free from her stomach.
[It is the time of devouring!]
And then, from Krumelia's belly, which seemed to hold a rift, dozens of monsters simultaneously leapt forth.