Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Disease Demon King's True Form
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The Disease Demon King showed no particular reaction even when I singled him out as a "subordinate of the Sloth Demon King."
Since the engraving matched the Sloth Demon King's insignia, he must have anticipated we'd uncover his identity.
At the same time, the term "subordinate" implied he'd served the Sloth Demon King loyally enough to accept it without dispute.
"Three of you, huh. Just three."
"……."
"Tsk tsk. Just three of you destroying that many engravings. Impressive."
"The engravings hidden by illusion magic?"
"That's not magic. If it were, it would've been detected over the past two hundred years. You humans think you know magic."
Rennel let out a sigh of relief at his words.
"I was feeling down because even after my skills improved, only you spotted the engravings... Good thing it wasn't magic."
"You were worried about that?"
"A little?"
"Well, I thought it was odd too."
She wasn't the Rennel from my first regression, but the version who'd grown considerably. It was strange that someone like her couldn't detect magic from a lowly rank-88 Demon King.
I asked,
"If it's not magic, then what is it?"
"No need to explain that far. Let's just call it a 'cover'."
Rennel and Chris's faces flushed with anger.
They must have taken his dismissive "cover" as mockery, since it had fooled even their eyes.
But I figured it out in an instant.
'A cover. Something he made himself.'
I inferred its nature from my pre-regression memories.
He was the only Demon King our party had faced whose blade I'd missed.
Did he trade something for that cover from him?
Whatever. That wasn't important right now.
"Anyway, you've had a hard time of it. Now rest easy—in the Papal Court's prison."
"I admit you're no ordinary humans, but your arrogance is over the top."
"Don't worry. We're not going to kill you."
I glanced at Rennel and Chris at the same time, and couldn't help but be startled.
'Where's Chris?'
He'd definitely been with us just moments ago.
Even this Demon King had seen there were three of us, yet he showed no sign of noticing we'd become two.
'He moved right on cue, as planned. But to vanish so stealthily even I didn't notice.'
Chris really chose the wrong path in life.
That was when it happened.
Flicker.
A faint glimmer of light appeared behind the Disease Demon King.
It was the signal we'd set up beforehand.
"Ready. Proceed."
I gave Rennel a nod.
Her face was tense, but she calmly formed hand seals toward the Disease Demon King.
"Dizaruen!"
Rennel no longer needed long incantations to cast spells.
A short set of seals was enough for mana to respond to her will.
Someday, she'd cast without even those gestures.
Whirr.
Eight magic circles materialized around the Demon King.
From within them, massive chains forged of navy-blue mana lashed out.
Clank. Clang!
The Demon King showed no real reaction.
Not until those chains wrapped tightly around his limbs, neck, abdomen, and waist.
The final chain whipped viciously before his face like a serpent eyeing prey.
'Why's he so calm?'
With Quad Wrangle obscuring his expression, I couldn't guess the source of his composure.
Then the Demon King spoke.
"What's next?"
"What's with that casual attitude?"
Even Rennel, who could see his face, seemed puzzled.
Whatever he was thinking didn't matter.
All that counted was capturing him.
I nodded toward Chris, who lay in wait beyond the Demon King.
And in the next instant—
Stab.
Chris appeared behind him.
A needle plunged deep into the Demon King's waist, near his spine.
I couldn't hide my satisfaction at the sight.
Though I'd told Chris otherwise, that paralyzing poison was something I'd learned from him pre-regression.
He'd started as an ordinary swordsman in our party but soon embraced his talents and became an assassin.
At first, I'd shared my adventurer experiences, but he quickly developed his own poisons and weapons brilliantly.
'That's Chris at his peak. This poison will paralyze even a Demon King... Huh?'
A bad premonition hit me, and I shouted.
"Dodge! Chris."
"Pardon? Whoa!"
Chris leaped back without knowing why.
And just then, a massive arm swiped through the air where he'd stood.
"Impossible."
It was the Disease Demon King's arm.
Or at least, it looked like one at first glance.
His arm was thick and viscous like sewage sludge, with black muck dripping from it.
'Wait. I can describe his arm?'
That meant Quad Wrangle was broken.
Which also meant...
"You've revealed your true form, you bastard."
"Heh. That's right. Like it? You're the first humans to see it."
Step.
Rennel unwittingly stepped back.
With Quad Wrangle shattered, his full form was visible.
But it was so grotesque, I almost wished I hadn't seen it.
A body of black sewage sludge.
Holes gaped in the sludge, evoking eyes and a mouth.
The stench alone was enough to make my head throb.
Squelch.
The Demon King slipped free of Rennel's magic chains like a fluid.
It sank into the ground only to reform beside them in its prior shape.
Rennel muttered,
"Mud golem?"
"Don't lump me with such crude toys, mage."
"……."
"My true body is my power. All the world's diseases swirl within me. Touch me, and you'll succumb to every known and unknown human plague at once."
A black, squelching puddle formed at the Demon King's feet.
It expanded toward us.
I yanked Rennel back hastily.
"Stay back, Rennel."
"Th-thanks."
"Mind me too."
"Stay back, Chris."
"……."
The source of disease spread outward.
I widened the distance further and asked,
"What's your game?"
"I'm no fan of fierce combat. I'll blanket the territory in disease and wipe out all life. Including you."
"Your plagues can't kill anyone under fifteen anyway."
"Kekeke."
His black, slimy true form quivered.
He was mocking us.
Rennel snapped,
"What's so funny! History proves..."
"Humans are fools. Don't you know spreading disease only to those under fifteen is far harder than to all ages at once?"
"……."
"I don't fail to kill children under fifteen. I simply chose not to."
We fell silent for a moment.
Then Chris asked,
"Why go to such lengths...?"
"He commanded it."
"He?"
"You saw the insignia I hid. Who else but my master?"
The Sloth Demon King.
I sneered,
"Why would the rank-8 Arch Demon King tell you to hold back?"
"Too much hassle, he said."
"What?"
"Exterminating every human everywhere would skyrocket my threat level. Humanity would throw everything at hunting me down."
"……."
"But sicken only the children, and humans prioritize curing them over pursuit. You value kids, after all."
And that's exactly what happened.
They never abandoned the hunt, but as with the Saintess this time, curing children came first.
I asked,
"You're a possession-type Demon King, right? Why the complicated scheme? Self-terminate, possess anew—your master could've just said that."
"Possession doesn't let me choose the body. Who knows which remote human in this vast continent? Worst case, some isolated island. Then..."
"Your stargazing gets delayed?"
"Exactly."
I nearly asked why he was drawing stars across the continent.
But he continued first.
"Same reason I spread only 'curable with effort' diseases. Gives you hope, keeps you fixated on treatment. Meanwhile, I move to the next territory."
"……."
"But not this time. As I said, my full power swirls now—all diseases."
"Your master told you to lay low."
"Until your engraving was destroyed. Then, full force permitted."
The Sloth Demon King must've feared exposure as his backer.
Now that it was out, he unleashed the Disease Demon King to eliminate witnesses.
"Cunning bastard."
"Your tongue wags too freely."
"One more thing I'm curious about."
"A dying man with so many questions. Enough."
I ignored him completely.
I even dug in my ear and asked,
"Why not use this trump card ten years ago? You got caught then."
"……."
"You suicided cleanly and possessed anew. Per your logic, what if it was some backwater human? Why risk it instead of this ace up your sleeve?"
"……."
"Silence, huh?"
He wasn't just silent.
The disease pit halted its expansion briefly.
Hard to read his gaped "face," but I sensed deep fury.
Finally, the Disease Demon King spoke.
"This era's Saintess was... peculiar."
A vague answer.
But it hinted her role was key in his capture ten years ago.
'Peculiar how?'
She was peculiar, sure. But what specifically tripped him up?
Then Rennel said,
"The Saintess is still in this territory."
"I know. That's why."
"……?"
"Ten years ago, I panicked and repossessed. Not this time. I'll erase you engraving-breakers—and that woman who humiliated me—together."
Sssss.
As if gathering strength from the pause, the disease source spread faster than before.
Rennel cried urgently,
"At this rate, we're all dead!"
"Yep. Let's take to the skies for now. Can't touch it."
"How do we fly?"
"Beats me. You're the magic expert. Handle it."
"What nonsense is that?"
Yeah, figured.
No such thing as flight magic, per peak-era Rennel pre-regression.
'End it here?'
I wasn't worried.
I could swing my sword now and obliterate him, the area, everything.
But that'd fail the Saintess's quest.
No reward then.
"Guess no choice."
Shing.
I nudged my sword up with my thumb.
Then Rennel said,
"There might still be a way."
Oh?
Click.
I sheathed it and asked,
"What do you mean?"