Chapter 136 - Exposed
"Ugh?!"
"...Huh?"
The gazes of Miho, now the mid-boss, and Ruby, whom Perloché had dragged along, crossed in midair.
"Frey, this is all your doing, isn't it! I know it!"
In that situation, Perloché began shouting at Frey with a confident expression.
"Get up right now and stop everything! If you do, I'll let you live! I've sealed the door so no one can get in—don't even dream of reinforcements!"
"...Grrr."
But the only response was the growl from Miho, who had become the mid-boss.
"...Huh?"
Only then did Perloché notice something was off. She poked Ruby beside her and started talking.
"Miss Ruby, something's weird!"
"...What is?"
"Frey's not reacting! He must have passed out!"
"Yeah, looks like it."
Ruby, who had been utterly exhausted from the attacks disguised as holy power treatments on the way here, gave a vague reply and began staring at Miho in front of her.
"...Useful."
"Grr?"
After scrutinizing Miho like prey for a while, Ruby muttered that with the corner of her mouth curling up.
"You! I don't know who you are, but stay away from him for now! Are you Frey's accomplice or something?!"
Perloché said that, raising her fist.
"...Hungry."
"Pardon?"
And at that moment, Miho's patience reached its limit.
She had poured out nearly all her rage according to Frey's original plan, calming her frenzied fury, but the timing of these two barging in had left her unable to properly assess the situation, stirring her emotions.
"So... hungry."
The massive energy spent in her rampage had filled her with overwhelming hunger.
"De... licious..."
Her trembling eyes scanned the surroundings, and she began unleashing her hunger on the nearest target—Frey, who had passed out from her choking him.
"W-Wait a second!"
"Um, Miss Perloché? This looks dangerous at first glance... Why did you bring me here?"
"W-Well, I just had a feeling it would be safe here!"
"But... far from safe, we're about to get attacked by some unknown monster?"
In that desperate situation, Ruby began speaking with a sad expression.
"I can't die here... I still have so much to do, and the kids at the orphanage are waiting for me..."
"U-Uh."
"What should we do, Miss Perloché? Any good ideas?"
Perloché fidgeted at Ruby's words, which carried an innocent, pitiful tone but somehow felt like she was being held accountable.
"A-Alright! Then... I'll hold them off here!"
She soon clenched her fist tightly and shouted.
"Miss Ruby, get out of here and call for help! I'll take down that monster somehow and secure Frey!"
"A-Are you sure? She looks really strong..."
"It's fine! I'm strong too!"
As Perloché glared with wide eyes, Ruby began slowly backing away.
"W-Well then... I leave it to you, Saintess."
"Yes! Don't worry about this place—go get help!"
"Please be safe...!"
At Perloché's words, tinged with slight tension, Ruby turned around with a face full of worry.
"Slurp."
"W-Wait!"
Perloché, who had been watching Ruby intently, rushed toward Miho as she tried to drain Frey's essence.
"...Hmph."
And right from that moment, Ruby's expression flipped 180 degrees.
"...Curse of Monsterization, descend."
"GRROOOOAAARRR!!!"
Suppressing her bursting laughter, Ruby whispered as purple demonic energy flared in her hand, and a horrific scream erupted from behind.
It was the sound of Miho, struck by Ruby's Curse of Monsterization—a curse she always used for fun in previous loops on spirits, delighting in corrupting noble lifeforms.
"W-What is this?! Suddenly, what...!"
"A gift that annoyed me, so make yourself useful."
Ruby watched contentedly as Miho, now berserk from the monsterization, charged at Perloché, then turned to leave the room.
"...Tch."
Seeing the entrance blocked by a holy power shield, she clicked her tongue.
"If not for the restrictions, I'd have killed you myself."
Ruby tore the shield apart with her hand.
She glanced back at Miho, who had illusions surrounding Perloché, smirked in satisfaction, and exited the room.
"Ugh... uh..."
"Hm?"
As soon as Ruby stepped out, her eyes fell on Kania, trembling right in front of the door.
"Y-Young... master... I must... protect the young master..."
"Pathetic black mage. Your parents were quite useful talents."
Ruby looked at her with scornful eyes, then glanced at the remnants of the holy shield still clinging to her hand and muttered.
"But could the saintess's shield on the door be why you couldn't get in?"
"Ugh..."
"Pfft, I thought you were just a nuisance with your fractured mind... but you can be helpful too."
With a satisfied expression, Ruby gathered purple demonic energy in her hand and aimed at the unconscious Kania.
I'll warn you! You cannot attack that person.
"...Huh?"
A red warning popped up in midair, and Ruby scowled deeply.
"A black mage with such high goodness value? What the hell?"
After staring at Kania for a moment and reading the info window, Ruby spat in an irritated voice.
"...Consider yourself lucky."
She turned away with a regretful expression.
"...Hm?"
Then she noticed the device attached to her head.
"Quite the cute tricks. Using a device just for telepathy."
She smirked, picked it up.
"Quite popular, huh."
Listening to the voices from the device with a relaxed expression, Ruby soon summoned a purple subspace in midair.
"Then... time for me to claim some 'fame' too."
Saying that, she pulled out the Hero's Armament, donned it in an instant.
Ruby leaped down to the first floor.
"Gahk!!"
"...Urk."
Landing and instantly crushing two demons underfoot, Ruby leisurely wove through the panicked Demon King's army and imperial knights stunned by her sudden appearance.
"Lord Drimirkan, hear me out. Something's off."
"No time. We need to gather the young slaves for the sacrifice spell as fast as possible..."
"No, that's why I'm saying—why us?! Logically, assign that to regular soldiers and we handle combat, right?!"
"...A Demon King's staff officer who doesn't know that? Disappointing, Miss Remerno."
What Ruby found while pushing through the crowd was.
"What don't I know?"
"...The possibility of the hero appearing."
Drimirkan and Remerno, waiting on the first floor while directing the busy combat executives.
"The reason Lord Frey assigned grunts to combat and kept us here... he must have predicted a high chance of the hero showing today."
"What are you..."
"Lord Frey, who always stayed vigilant about the hero and demanded checks. Preparing for the hero on a crucial day like today is just common sense."
"But like I said before... no matter how I think, the hero is Frey..."
"You lot! Don't move!"
As Remerno grew more heated and Drimirkan calmly responded, Ruby bellowed, drawing all eyes to her.
"...Were those words for us?"
"Yes!"
"W-What? My stealth was perfect..."
"...First, how about removing that helmet and facing each other for a talk."
As Ruby replied again, Remerno muttered in confusion, and Drimirkan made a polite suggestion.
"Today, right here, I will judge you Demon King's executives!!"
"...Such unreasonable words."
But as Ruby ignored him and raised her sword, Drimirkan's expression turned icy and he turned to the dazed Remerno.
"...What did I say? It's about time the hero shows."
"No way, really..."
"Then, let's go."
Drimirkan muttered calmly, enveloping himself in demonic energy.
"To protect the next Demon King, Lord Frey."
.
.
.
.
.
"...Urgh."
"L-Lord Drimirkan!"
Drimirkan's right arm flew through the air.
"Hiyaah!"
"N-Not bad... To think you'd allow not a single strike..."
Staggering, Drimirkan muttered in a strained voice as Ruby, clad in the Hero's Armament, charged with overwhelming momentum.
"The only time I struggled this much... was against Lord Frey..."
"Surrender! Executive! You have no chance!"
Ignoring Drimirkan's words, Ruby pressed the two relentlessly with her sword.
"H-Hero...?"
"The real hero...? That one everyone's talking about?"
"Nah, no way... So many imposters..."
Seeing the people murmuring in awe at the mythic battle, Ruby smirked inwardly.
'Whatever trash like you think, my plan has already succeeded.'
The reason she placed Frey in the Demon King's army.
Making him their second-in-command, even letting him be mistaken for the Demon King.
All part of the scenario she planned and designed.
"That armor... no way, the real..."
"You lot, head to the church immediately. The imperial family can't learn of this first."
'The higher-ups' thoughts always matter most, everywhere.'
And now, that scenario was bearing fruit.
"If I'd prepared more thoroughly... No, pointless assumption. The skill gap is too vast. Honestly, I never imagined it'd be this bad..."
"Lord Drimirkan! We need to retreat now! Hurry!"
"...No. Lord Frey has a plan. We must hold until then..."
"Drimirkan!!"
To make a flashy debut by slaying the second-in-command and staff officer who pledged their lives to him.
Of course, that they were key figures and linchpins in the Demon King's army meant nothing to Ruby.
In her eyes, even subordinates were mere tools for her goals.
"Go for it!"
"Yeah, finish 'em!"
"T-The Demon King's army really exists... and a hero too..."
As Drimirkan, exerting his full power to barely hold on, reached his limit, the crowd's fervor rose.
'Frey, you'd be puking blood if you saw this.'
Realizing her plan's success at that point, Ruby thought of Frey, likely having his energy drained by the spirit she monsterized.
'But this is reality.'
Before long, everyone in the slave market was cheering for Ruby.
"W-What...? Who is that...?"
"I-I don't know. She wasn't in the plan..."
Except for Irina and Clana, who watched in stunned silence.
'Now, the entire empire... the whole world will praise the day I donned the armament.'
Enjoying the scene, Ruby slightly eased her attacks.
'And you, still clueless about my identity, will plunge into the abyss today.'
She dodged Drimirkan's strikes leisurely, continuing her thoughts.
'Thus, my victory. Frey.'
The sword in her hand began to tremble.
Drimirkan and Remerno flung back, crashing into the wall!
"Kuh!!"
Soon after, as they were powerless flung back and slammed into the wall, Ruby feigned exhaustion outwardly.
"It's over!!"
'Boring.'
She yawned inwardly, moving to finish them.
"Grrr...!"
"...Hah!?"
Suddenly sensing immense killing intent from behind, she twisted away urgently.
"What...?"
Dodging the attack, Ruby tilted her head upon seeing Miho in front of her, cautiously gathering demonic energy in her hand.
"Huh?"
For some reason, Miho wasn't obeying her command.
"Cough, cough..."
"...Young master, are you alright?"
"...!!!"
Slightly flustered by that, Ruby couldn't believe her eyes at the people appearing on the second floor.
"How did those get here?"
Frey and Kania, who should have been unconscious, were supporting each other despite their battered states, looking down—holding a black stone with a familiar aura.
"W-What... monster?"
"H-Hero... sir? Help!"
"T-Take down that monster too! Please!"
Flustered by the absurd chain of events, as the crowd urged her sensing danger, Ruby reluctantly raised her sword slowly.
A crisp finger snap echoed through the first floor.
"...Ah?"
Suddenly, a light snapping sound rang out.
"Ahh."
Ruby's fake hero helmet, protected by double—nay, triple—barriers,
shattered to pieces.
"Wait."
Capturing that instant, Frey.
"Those ruby eyes..."
soon muttered with a grave expression.
"...No way?"