The Demon of the Holy Kingdom (4)
"Yeah, mi~ the girl who fell in the water... I saved her ass... but she hopped right back into the drink... and plopped down~"
"Don't use such vulgar language."
"Beep! Not a curse. It's the name of that orc queen I saved last time."
While Hotse, Unicef, and AlphaGo whispered among themselves, Cliche and Roin slipped back into the temple grounds by scaling the high walls.
Tzzzzz...!
AlphaGo fired a beam from her eyes, silently burning a small hole in the wall.
"You're pretty useful, huh?"
At Cliche's praise, AlphaGo shyly scratched at her antenna.
Just then, a voice echoed from the side of where Cliche's group stood.
'The saintess's treatments will continue from here on out! Everyone, go home without a worry in the world and keep puffing on that opium!'
Cliche peeked out a window, spotting a familiar face on the podium of the lecture hall below. It was Hadent.
"That sleazy bastard. Using Diablo for his dirty schemes."
Cliche scowled. The rich were exploiting the saintess's holy power to indulge in mindless pleasure, ignoring their health entirely. It was blatantly unnatural.
"If word of this gets out, it'll blow up into a huge mess. We need to stop it before that happens."
At Roin's words, the whole group sprang into action, heading deep into the temple.
"H-Hey? Who are you...?"
Guards occasionally blocked their path, but Hotse and Unicef dispatched them in seconds.
Soon enough, Cliche's group reached the temple's deepest chamber—and there, they encountered a familiar face.
"Hey, over there!"
Roin pointed and shouted. Deep in the temple stood Diablo, washing her face with holy water gushing from a fountain.
Diablo spotted the distant group and widened her eyes in surprise.
Roin stepped forward.
"Ugh! What are you doing here? You just vanish without a word! Do you have any idea how worried we were!?"
But something was off about Diablo's demeanor.
"...?"
She edged away from the approaching Roin, visibly flustered. Roin tilted her head in confusion. They'd grown close during their brief time together—what was with this stranger-like distance?
Then, composing herself with a small breath, Diablo fixed a cold expression and spoke.
"Who are you people?"
The group froze at Diablo's icy tone.
"D-Diablo? What's wrong?"
Roin asked, but Diablo started to reply, then clamped her mouth shut and backed away further.
"I don't know you."
"...!"
"Go home."
Cliche cocked his head at her firm attitude.
"That's not what you said to us before. You owe us an explanation."
"No! No! I'm not explaining! I don't want to! Just go!"
Diablo even turned to flee, but Roin grabbed her.
"What is wrong with you? Why stay here!?"
Diablo whipped around, glaring sharply at Roin and Cliche behind her.
"There's a civil war."
"...!"
"Bigger than ever before."
"...."
"The vigilantes and rebels are about to clash. Lots of people will die... I can't abandon them. I have to stay."
Diablo hung her head glumly. Roin held her hand in silence.
Cliche strode over and pried their hands apart.
"If that's what you want, fine."
"...."
"But that's just your want."
"...?"
Diablo looked up. Cliche smirked.
"I've already decided you're one of us. No veto power for you."
What arrogance. Diablo furrowed her brow in disbelief.
Right then.
"...These bastards. You've crawled all the way here?"
A sinister voice from behind. It was Hadent! Fresh from his speech, he'd brought soldiers straight here.
But.
"Ho ho ho, you think you can win a fight? This place is full of nothing but flaming trash."
Led by Unicef, Hotse and AlphaGo stepped forward. Those three alone could crush the holy knights here.
"...."
Hadent knew it too, holding back. He just flashed a sleazy grin at the group.
"What's... so... funny... you... rice-bag... sized... prick...?"
As Hotse wrapped her kukri in aura and stepped forward—clunk—Hadent yanked a wall torch.
Clank!Rrrattle—
A lever hid behind it. As it pulled, chains rattled noisily from all directions.
And almost simultaneously—
Thud!
The floor beneath Cliche's group collapsed.
"This place is trap central. Have fun."
Hadent sneered as everyone plummeted before they could react.
"D-Diablo!"
Roin twisted mid-fall, but.
"...."
Diablo just watched them with a heavy expression.
* * *
Singmulgur's underground prison wasn't your typical jail. A massive vertical cave plunged endlessly into a natural labyrinth formed over millions of years. Once you fell, you'd wander the darkness forever, starving to death.
"Waaaah!"
Roin screamed as she free-fell through the abyss.
"Waaaaaah!"
The cave was deep.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Very deep.
"...."
Roin calmed down. The fall continued even after.
Truly, insanely deep.
"...Calmed down?"
Cliche floated over.
"Couldn't talk. Too thrilled."
"Thrilled where!? We're gonna die!"
Then Hotse, Unicef, and AlphaGo joined them.
"Young'uns... gotta start... from the bottom... to make it fun~~ Let's go!"
"Ho ho ho. We're not starting from the bottom—we're dropping to it."
"Beep! Detecting historic crash speed. Might scrape off some skin."
Cliche nodded, considering.
"Wanna take it slower then?"
He scooped up Roin mid-air, slammed his arm into the cliff wall—
Scraaaaaape!
—carving a straight groove like soft clay. He and Roin halted.
"Heh... cha!"
Hotse jammed her kukri into the wall and stopped easily. Unicef glided down on vast demon wings; AlphaGo jetted arc reactor energy from hands and feet.
"Let's descend slowly."
Cliche hopped down the cliff with Roin in his arms.
"...You really human?"
Roin asked. Cliche shrugged.
"Told ya, dragon."
Eventually, they reached the bottom. A vast underground cavern centered on a rippling lake, ringed by countless tunnels weaving like a web for thousands of kilometers.
Cliche stroked his chin.
"How do we get out?"
Hotse raised her hand.
"Climb... up... smash... kill... 'em all."
"Rejected. Climbing's a pain. I'm slow to move. Need an easier way."
Unicef raised hers.
"Burn 'em all on the way up?"
"Same thing."
AlphaGo went last.
"Beep! Better to escape the labyrinth first, think later."
"Hm. Smartest plan."
Cliche agreed—but navigating this maze? No clue.
"Hmmm..."
As he pondered, a voice from a tunnel.
"Heh heh heh... You kids wanna get out?"
A ragged boy in tattered leather pants emerged.
"Who're you?"
Cliche asked. The boy revealed himself.
"Nice to meet ya! Name's Rangun of the rebels."
"Rebel Rangun?"
"Nah, Rangun, rebel affiliate. Infiltrated the temple, got caught, fell here. Landed lucky on a mushroom bed, survived. Was just heading out."
Rangun scanned the group smugly.
"I can get you out."
"What? How?"
Roin's eyes widened; he puffed up more.
"Got locked up on purpose. Hid a trained rat before infiltrating—one that never forgets a scent. Follow it out. You got lucky running into me right as I was leaving."
He strutted—until Hotse's kukri.
"That... rat... happen ta be... thiiiis one~?"
A rat skewered on the blade. Rangun paled.
"You... you...?"
"Saw... rat jerky... waddlin' 'round... figured it'd make... good booze snack... but then... no booze... so jus' burned it~~ raw."
"What have you done! That's my Stuart Little!"
Rangun yanked the tiny rat—named Stuart Little—from the kukri, but it was done for. He tore at his hair toward Cliche.
"Arrrrgh! Now what!? You can't escape this labyrinth once you're in! Argh!"
"Calm down. Life's a maze anyway. Entrance easy, exit's the trick."
"What!? We're trapped and about to croak!"
Hotse lectured him.
"Young buck... takin' shortcuts... ain't right... put in the effooort... and someday... you'll see that bright exit light~~"
"Who're you, self-help guru!? What about my rat!?"
Rangun shook Hotse's collar. Then AlphaGo raised her ear's antenna.
"Beep! Oh, folks, nav crashed."
She tapped her ear; water dribbled out—
And a strange voice emerged.
Beep! Please input destination.
"Outside."
Beep! Destination 'Outside'. Starting route guidance. Turn left in 500 meters.
AlphaGo walked; the group trailed silently. Rangun gawked.
"Hey! No one's escaped this in thousands of years! Natural mega-labyrinth!"
Beep! Turn left in 450 meters. Speed bump 5 meters ahead.
"You listening!? Blind wandering means monsters!"
Beep! DUI checkpoint 50 meters ahead.
"Are you ignoring me!? Argh!"
* * *
Exactly one hour later, Cliche's group escaped the labyrinth. Pathetically fast. Even paid maze games take longer.
Rangun, piggybacked by Hotse, looked deflated.
"You ladies are speedy."
"Ain't... average."
Hotse set him down, wiping sweat. She'd pushed hard. Even Unicef glistened; AlphaGo's lightning gauge was worn. But Cliche, carrying Roin, looked fresh.
"Hey Rangun, where's your crew?"
"Headin' to base. I'll escort you as thanks."
Awe-struck by their mobility, Rangun led them.
'Recruit 'em, and rebels win big.'
* * *
That drizzly night, they crossed mountains, tunnels, into a deep valley. Past thick brush and a huge waterfall lay a narrow rock crevice for one person.
Beyond: a vast basin.
"This is our hideout."
Rangun guided them. Log barracks, stockade—guards spotted him, stunned.
"Rangun!?"
"Uncle, long time!"
"Kid! You made it! Stuart Little came through, huh?"
"Uh... yeah... sure..."
"Told ya! That rat's a legend! Cost a fortune and ages to train..."
"Anyway! Leader inside?"
"Right, go on!"
Rangun led to the rebel leader's tent.
"Darklord!"
Bursting in, he shouted. Black-haired man, Darklord, rebel chief, rose embracing him.
"You little punk! Safe!"
"Mission accomplished!"
Rangun reported everything.
"Rotten to the core. Figures."
Darklord nodded, eyeing Cliche's group.
"Saw you in the poppy fields. Meet again."
As Cliche opened his mouth—
Boom!
A blast from the sky.
"Huh?"
Rangun peeked out. A lone white firework faded.
"Boss, what signal's that?"
Darklord's face hardened.
"We don't use those."
Sentry shouts from the stockade.
"Raid! Enemies incoming!"