The Protagonist Arrives Late (3)
"Is everyone here?!"
"Almost everyone has gathered!"
The Curia Temple, located not far from the lord's castle, was in the most chaotic state it had ever seen since its founding.
"Everyone who can fight, gather over here!"
"Ordinary citizens and children with no combat experience, get inside the temple! Move to a safe location!"
Lily Cubus and Lord Richard darted about, sorting the people streaming into the temple and preparing them for battle.
Twenty minutes have already passed. That bright light from five minutes ago must have been the final effect of Sacrifice. It's not strange at all if the demon arrives at any moment.
Even in the urgent situation, Lily calmly assessed the circumstances, and her worries and judgments soon became reality.
—What a fine gathering of incompetent fools.
The chilling voice from the sky made everyone who had been scurrying about look up at once. There stood Krone Liapil, wearing a twisted smile.
—How convenient. I can wipe you all out right here without the trouble of hunting you down. I'll give you credit for that.
The moment Krone finished speaking, the ground began to tremble slightly. When Lily used her title to check outside, she saw the undead army—still intact despite the knights' sacrifice—approaching to surround the temple.
Lily wanted to calmly analyze the situation, but the sheer overwhelming number of undead filled her with despair.
A way to win... I need time. I have to buy time until I can think of a way to break through this...
Lily approached Krone, attempting the survival method she had devised upon joining the Curia Order.
"You seem... huff..."
She forced her trembling voice to steady and offered the demon who had come to kill her a bright smile.
"[You're in quite a hurry. If the outcome is already decided, why not chat for a bit?]"
This was Lily Cubus's sole means of attack. Undetectable Brainwash.
Krone's gaze locked onto Lily.
The demon Krone Liapil has reached Stage 1 of Undetectable Brainwash. His attention has been captured by you.
Lily felt a spark of hope as she read the notification floating before her. She had been unsure whether her brainwashing would work on a demon, but just as his appearance suggested, he was male—the perfect target for her ability.
—You want to talk with me? I'm not particularly fond of word games.
Seeing the notification, Lily gained confidence and took a step toward the demon.
"[The times have changed greatly. Let's talk. If we share honest words, we might understand each other. Aren't you curious about me?]"
—If I had to say, I suppose I am curious. A deranged woman who serves Curia yet tries to use my power.
"[I know a little about you. The one and only demon who was long at odds with the Curia Order during the Demon War five hundred years ago. Krone Liapil, who acted as he pleased in the war yet was treated as an untouchable existence among demons due to his innate talent.]"
The demon Krone Liapil has reached Stage 2 of Undetectable Brainwash. He is listening to your voice.
—You already seem to know quite a lot about me. Is there really anything more you need to know?
"[I want to know even more about you. That's why I borrowed your power. Is that not allowed?]"
—You're a strange woman. Serving Curia yet taking interest in a demon like me.
"[I'm not a servant of Curia. A few months ago I received a great revelation and now follow someone else. Look at this.]"
To lower Krone's guard, Lily Cubus removed the necklace engraved with the Curia Order's symbol and tossed it to the ground, then half-slipped off her priestess robes.
"[There. Do you believe me now? I don't believe in Curia. I was only using them.]"
Her disrespectful words toward the god she had once believed in, combined with her defenseless and provocative appearance, were shocking enough to completely dispel any hostility from the onlookers.
—... You certainly seem far removed from the Curia servants I know.
And that action had certainly drawn Krone's interest.
The demon's brainwash stage is at 2. If I reach stage 3, his killing intent toward me will vanish. Just a little more...
"[I'm not your enemy. We could have mutual interests. If you wish, we could even have a deeper relationship. First, why don't we introduce ourselves to get to know each other? My name is Lily Cubus.]"
—... What?
Lily Cubus?
Krone Liapil's face hardened upon hearing Lily's name.
"[Yes. My name is Lily Cubus. You can call me Lily if you'd like...]"
—Kuk! Khahahaha! I see...! So you were Lily Cubus...! The woman with the vilest, most forbidden name in the world...!
"[...Yes?]"
His expression twisted in an instant, and a vicious smile began to bloom.
The demon Krone Liapil's wariness has reached its peak. The rate at which Undetectable Brainwash progresses has dropped dramatically.
Lily Cubus couldn't help but panic as she stared at the notification hovering in the air.
W-why all of a sudden? I only gave him my name...?
—So you were here after all, Lily Cubus! The Dominator of Reason!
****
Lily froze solid at Krone's shout.
"W-what did you just..."
—To think we'd meet like this! The filthy wench who even coveted monster parts if they belonged to a male!
"W-what are you saying... I would never..."
—To think the world would move so perfectly for my sake! To grant me such a flawless opportunity for revenge!! If the one who created this situation were before me, I'd feel like licking their feet!
Lily couldn't understand why Krone was so enraged. But she clearly realized one thing—she could no longer brainwash him.
"P-please calm down for a moment... I don't even know you..."
—Saying we've never met means nothing! We were never "strangers who just met" to begin with--!
"I have no idea what you're talking about...!"
—No need to know! You wouldn't understand even if I explained!!
Krone, who had been glaring at Lily with near-hatred, began forming hand seals instead of using his undead to kill her.
"W-wait... Let's talk...!"
"Priestess! It's no use anymore! That demon can't hear your words! You must dodge!!"
Having watched their exchange, Lord Richard realized they had reached a point where conversation was impossible and threw himself forward to save Lily.
—Die! Evil Laser!!
The magic circle completed in Krone's hand in an instant fired a highly compressed mass of mana like a bullet.
Chiiing--!!
His attack, which easily broke the sound barrier, created a streak of black light accompanied by a tearing sound. Naturally, it was far too fast for an ordinary human to evade.
"Priestess... Kugh...!"
"L-Lord Richard!!"
Lord Richard, who had already thrown himself forward to save her, roughly shoved Lily aside. Thanks to that, she—who had already been pushed back before the magic activated—was barely able to avoid the laser. However, Lord Richard, who had pushed her away, gained a massive hole in his abdomen as if in equal exchange, his upper and lower body separating.
Krone clicked his tongue, showing extreme displeasure that his attack hadn't reached Lily.
—Tch! You've seduced quite a lot of foolish men again this time!
Even as Lily's mouth fell open in shock at the horrific sight, she crawled across the ground toward Lord Richard.
"M-my lord...! B-blood...! Healing... I need to heal you..."
"Kugh...! P-priestess...! It's already too late for me...! Run away...!"
"But... what... what should I..."
"Sorry... I can't protect you anymore... Run..."
Lord Richard couldn't even finish his words before his breath cut off. Seeing his futile death, Lily realized that if he hadn't been there, she would be the one lying there now, and her legs gave out beneath her.
In that time, another magic circle formed in Krone's other hand. It was the same magic that had bisected Lord Richard's body. The black light gathering in the magic circle was visible to the naked eye.
"I... can't die like this..."
—Give up! Dominator of Reason! Your death at my hands is what this world desires...!
BOOM!!!!
Just as Krone's Evil Laser was about to fire, an explosion far louder than any sound heard so far erupted from behind him. It was too massive to ignore, forcing even Krone—who had been pouring his rage toward Lily—to turn and check.
—Guh! What is that?! What the hell is it?! At such a critical moment...!
Shouting with irritation filling his voice, he turned in the direction he had flown from to identify the source of the noise. What he saw was a red skeleton emerging while pushing aside the rubble of the lord's mansion.
Clack-clack-clack-clack!!!!
More precisely, it was a massive red skeleton over ten meters tall, smashing the three-story mansion's rubble aside with its hands and sending it flying far away while chattering its jawbones as if laughing madly.
—What... is that...
Krone was so stunned by the sight before him that he momentarily forgot his rage toward Lily.