Volume 7 Chapter 13 Fall
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Really, the two of you are going alone?”
Suzette stood with her usual composed air, sharp-eyed and formal even though she had clearly just woken up. Unlike in bed, she never showed a single gap in her guard anywhere else, and that was exactly why Klock scratched awkwardly at the back of his head.
”Well, if everything goes smooth, we’ll be done in about a week. Depends on how efficiently we can move.”
”You don’t expect any trouble against the Demon Lord’s Army. No… with Lady Cianie, I suppose there won’t be any problem at all.”
”Even the Four Heavenly Kings can’t put up a fight against her. Unless something absurd happens, we’ll be fine.”
The pale light of morning stretched across the sky, spilling down on the quiet town. Most of the townsfolk were still asleep, but the pair had gotten up just to see them off.
”Mī will be lonely, but I’ll wait.”
”Yeah. If anything comes up, I’ll come running.”
”Mm. Sir Klock, don’t get hurt, okay?”
Meina’s ears drooped with sleepiness, but her worried look was plain as she stood there. He reached out to pat her head gently, then turned his eyes toward the woman standing at his side.
Cianie gave a small, steady nod. She carried no blade at her hip, dressed instead like an ordinary resident who could disappear easily into the town’s crowd. Of course, that was deliberate. To anyone watching, she wouldn’t look like a battle-ready adventurer at all.
”You’re heading out this early?”
The voice came from above. Looking up, Klock saw a white shadow drift down, landing without a sound. The feline grace of her movements made it obvious—Elna, the catgirl who had already become a familiar part of this household.
”Good thing I came early! I nearly missed your send-off!”
”The others are still snoring. Dogs are late risers.”
Hot on her heels, the black catgirl landed. Lona, as always, wore her sullen look, but even that couldn’t hide how dutifully she’d come. Yesterday he had caught a glimpse of a side to her that made him reassess her a bit. Given more time, maybe they could’ve even become friends. Too bad today they had to part. Who knew when they’d meet again.
”Hey, check this out. The new flag of Beast Country!”
Lona pulled out a small scrap of cloth. On it was a rough sketch—something like a cat, maybe a lion, with its arms spread wide.
”What is this doodle?”
”Elna drew it. So bad it’s hilarious, right?!”
Lona laughed hard, waving the cloth around. In a flash, Elna leapt at her and snatched it back.
”Geez!! I was going to fix it, but Lona stole it!”
Her cheeks puffed out, Elna scolded Lona with sharp kicks before floating over to Klock, holding out something else.
”Here. A handkerchief. I wanted to sew it prettier, but Lona kept messing around and I lost the time. Still, it’s a gift from me, so you better treasure it.”
”Or just blow your nose and toss it.”
Lona’s smug jab made Elna’s cheeks puff up even more. The two girls, supposedly here to see them off, were soon chasing each other across the sky, darting and bounding like always. It was such a normal sight that Cianie and Klock couldn’t help trading a smile.
”Well, we’re off.”
”Yes, safe travels, Lady Cianie, Sir Klock.”
”Take care!!”
After the farewells, the two of them jumped for Fwavlotz. In no time at all, distance stretched behind them, and a pang of loneliness pricked at Klock’s chest.
”Alright, first we’ve gotta handle those fishmen at Rize Sea Strait. They’re a nuisance even for Beast Country. But before that, we should secure Rushelora.”
”So we’re not going for the Demon Lord right away?”
”If we knew where that bastard was, sure. Since we don’t, we’ll retake the key points first.”
”Got it.”
”Then, I’ll tell Hermine we’re moving from the east.”
Normally, that’d be impossible. But Cianie and Hermine could connect through telepathy across absurd distances. That kind of communication gave the Humans a huge advantage—they could coordinate with ease over entire continents.
”What’s wrong?”
”Hmm. Hermine’s not responding.”
But telepathy was one-sided. If the other person didn’t answer, there was no way to exchange. No reports meant no knowledge of the situation either.
”Maybe she’s busy. Like… sitting on the toilet.”
”Klock, gross.”
”Hey, even she gets tied up sometimes. Could be in the middle of a battle, or maybe chewing out some idiot subordinate who got too obsessed with the princess’s ass.”
”…I’ll wait for her to respond before saying more.”
At the harbor, waves stretched endlessly. Their next jump would take them straight onto Human Continent soil. Klock took in a deep breath, trying to hide the tension from Cianie.
”Okay, let’s go. If the sea’s under blockade, odds are it’s occupied. From the instant we land, assume it’s enemy territory.”
”Mm. Let’s do our best.”
Cianie’s hand tightened around his, like a lover’s clasp. The world flipped in an instant, and then Klock’s boots hit the ground of Human Continent once more.
* * *
At the same time…
”Ugh, big sis, teleportation is cheating!”
A girl slid her face right out of the floor, scowling childishly before flashing a bright grin. Right beneath Hermine’s floating feet, she rose up in a warped, impossible way.
Wait—passing through walls and floors? Was this her Unique Skill?
Council of the United Kingdoms—that was the Demon Lord’s Army’s official name. And this girl, calling herself one of its commanders, had charged at Hermine outright. Reflex had made her teleport away from the fort just in time, but the girl had pursued her by simply phasing through.
To slip through solid matter? No magic Hermine knew could do that. So either a Unique Skill, or something else entirely. No trace of spellcasting, but still… it couldn’t be ruled out. Demons had plenty of strange abilities unknown to Humans.
Keeping calm, Hermine studied the girl. She looked about ten years old. A little girl, claiming to be a Demon Lord’s Army officer? Hard to believe. But appearance and age didn’t always match. It could be a disguise, or even some kind of familiar meant to trick. Plenty of reasons not to let her guard down.
The girl swayed oddly, body moving in a loose rhythm. Suddenly Hermine realized—her hair, once split red and blue, was now entirely blue. When had it changed?
A color change? Was that tied to her ability?
An uneasy chill hung around the girl, setting Hermine’s nerves on edge. This was the type you handled with maximum caution.
”Sei.”
With just a word, a tiny flame flared into being. It ballooned instantly into a torrent, blasting forward in a roaring stream of fire.
The flames raged down on the child. It was brutal, merciless. Anyone else would flinch at such cruelty toward a kid. But the princess didn’t hesitate.
The girl stood perfectly still, eyes fixed on the blaze. The inferno swallowed her whole—and yet she was untouched. The fire had simply slipped through.
So it really phased through magic too. Then what if she increased the density…?
”Diciannove.”
This time, a surge of water coiled before her, spinning tight into a sphere. It held for an instant, then shot forward like a spear.
”…Dodged.”
The high-pressure water jet screamed past as the girl hopped aside. The torrent tore through the fort wall behind, blasting out chunks of stone. A stronger strike, but still avoided.
”I see. Not everything slips through then.”
”Your Highness!!”
A shout from below. Soldiers, alerted by the damage, had spotted Hermine floating above. They came running, panic clear in their voices.
”What’s happening?! Are we under attack—”
”—What?”
Two men rushed along the fort’s passageways. The girl hurled herself at them with a tackle. The soldier instinctively raised his arms to block. She passed right through him.
”What the—” The confusion lasted a heartbeat. Then both men collapsed, writhing on the ground, eyes glazed, faces twisted in grotesque stillness. Their expressions looked like the very life had been stolen out of them.
”…Instant death?! Just from touching?! A Unique Skill that kills in one hit?!”
The girl curved through the air, darting back toward Hermine. A playful grin, like a child at a game, but that leap carried death itself. She teleported at the last second, vanishing before the strike landed.
”Damn close—!!”
She ducked behind the fort’s watchtower, out of sight, cold sweat running down her back. A second slower and she’d be dead.
The girl spun her head around, searching, breath coming fast like she’d sprinted, even though she hadn’t.
”You’ve got to be kidding me. Touch and die? That’s insane.”
Now she understood the meaning of that first rush. The girl killed by contact alone. It was an ability more dangerous than any simple trick. An unavoidable deathtrap.
And she’d claimed to be the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings. Laughable at first, but given the sheer threat, maybe not a lie.
”So she phases like a Demon technique… but killing by touch must be her Unique Skill. The combination’s the worst possible.”
This child’s power was too strong. By abusing her phasing ability she could strike from the floor, the wall, the ceiling, anywhere. And the moment she touched you, you were finished. As an assassination method, it was terrifyingly efficient.
Only because Hermine could fly and teleport was she still alive. Against anyone else, this child was an unprecedented monster.
”All soldiers, hear me. Trouble at the fortress. Begin immediate evacuation. Follow the manual—withdraw northward in three columns. Regroup at Weave Street.”
Her telepathy swept outward, carrying the command. Against this child, soldiers were meaningless. If they tried to fight, the casualties would only grow. She ordered retreat before anyone else could come running.
I’ll drown the fortress itself. Seal her escape. One enemy or not, this brat is worth such measures. She has to die here. Letting her live is unthinkable.
Even against an enemy, when that enemy is a child, there’s usually some hesitation. But this girl left no room for pity. She had to be erased right now.
So then—what should I do? Until the soldiers are gone, I need to weigh my options. Ghosts, untouchable by blades, still yielded to denser magic. Water was the classic counter. But to scale it up beyond a jet meant wrecking everything nearby. Unless… ghost?
Her thought was cut off. The girl burst upward in a steep arc, passing through the floor to attack from below. Hermine barely dodged.
”Mouu! I was sooo close!!”
As the girl shot past, Hermine’s mind spun. Ghosts—passing through matter, draining life with a touch. Her movement, her effect, it was too similar. Could she really be something like that? But no. Ghosts had no body, only formless soul and magic. They never carried a clear, solid shape. And this girl was undeniably flesh and blood. She was alive. A human.
”Ventotto.”
A wall of earth rose in front of the charging girl. She poked her head through with a mischievous grin. Hermine fired a water blast straight at her. The girl slipped away at the last instant, laughing as she dodged. A childish trick against a child, but she had sharper instincts than expected.
The sharp clank of boots echoed along the passage. Iron greaves—soldiers running. Hermine knew the sound by heart.
”You idiots! I told you to retreat! Who said to reinforce?!”
”Huh? We never received such an order…”
The exchange lasted only a heartbeat. The girl switched targets at once, dashing for the soldiers. Hermine fired again, but too late. The child threw herself forward like a daughter leaping into her father’s arms, pure and guileless—and then men dropped like stones. Even those she barely brushed collapsed, their faces twisted in horror as if they had glimpsed hell itself.
”Stop it! Your target is me!!”
”Ehh? But the soldiers said they were gonna wipe us all out, y’know?”
Her words froze Hermine. The panic in her chest dulled into grim realization.
”…She’s not alone?”
Telepathy wasn’t reaching the soldiers. When she called for retreat, they didn’t respond. Looking down, she saw them—on guard posts, on rest, carrying on like it was just another day.
What did she do? What’s happening here?
Her awareness, locked on the girl, finally spread outward. And then she sensed it. She’d been wrong. She hadn’t come alone. It had been right here all along.
A heavy presence pressed down. A holiness so pure it frightened her even to look. A divine radiance.
On the battlements, hair of flowing aqua shimmered in the wind. From between the strands peeked three split horns. When that hand brushed the hair aside, when the lashes lifted, Hermine’s heart thudded so hard it hurt.
”…Who are you?”
Her voice shook. Fragile, thin, not at all like her usual harsh tone. Her chest ached as though bound tight. Just like the day she first met Anna, every shred of focus was stolen away.
”So you’re the leader of the Brave Knights.”
What stood there was a god. A god, descending into this shabby little fort.
”Ah—”
The woman’s gaze turned on her. Nothing more than that, yet Hermine felt as though she’d been speared through. Her body trembled.
”Princess Hermine. Genius of magic, they say. Yet all I’ve seen are small, careful spells. A princess ought to fight more grandly. Stop worrying about the others and struggle properly.”
”W-what are you—”
”Checkmate.”
The blue-haired woman pointed. Hermine frowned—until she realized the finger was aimed below. Too late. By the time she looked down, the girl was already there.
”Ehehe. Gotcha!”
The child seized her ankle. Her hair, red and blue, shimmered. The blue drained away, sucked from her body, leaving only the red blazing bright.
”Ah—ghk!?”
Something forced its way into Hermine. A tide crashing through her veins, seizing control. Her whole body froze. In a blink, her flesh was not her own.
Possession. This brat—!
”You slipped. Lame way to go down, Hermine.”
Her black hair whipped wildly, her body twitching as if resisting something crawling inside. She convulsed, shuddering in grotesque contortions.
”Trying to protect the soldiers? Or did you think you could take down Lyla? Either way, wrong call. A weak little princess shouldn’t pick a fight with thieves. You should’ve run before your body was stolen.”
Her body stilled, head bowed, hair hiding her face. Then slowly she lifted it. Her lips curved in a bright, childlike grin.
”Wow! A grown-up’s body!!”
”Don’t kill that one. We’ll need her later. Keep it tidy.”
”Yup! I’ll take good care of her! Ehehe. Big sis, from now on we’re living together, okay?”
Hermine’s mouth spoke with a child’s glee. Meanwhile, the girl’s true body dangled below, now expressionless, red hair whipping in the wind.
”A princess is walking treasure. Her clothes, her jewels—everything sells. As a hostage she’s a fountain of gold. You squeeze her, then sell her to some noble or toss her in the slave market. Even a strand of hair is money.”
”So she’s precious? Then I’ll tuck her into a jewelry box!”
Hermine’s smile flashed—and then she vanished, taking the girl with her. Only the blue-haired woman remained.
The soldiers below craned their necks, bewildered. They hadn’t heard the words, but confusion rippled through their ranks. Something incomprehensible hung in the air.
”――――Sagittarius A*.”
Her hand dropped, the words quiet, final.
The blue-haired woman didn’t bother with speeches. She declared ruin as casually as blowing dust from a table. Her narrowed eyes carried no emotion at all.
Then sound was stolen. Silence swept across the dark. Deafness smothered everything. A void so deep it would drive men mad surrounded the soldiers.
None panicked. The theft came quietly. No rage, and no screams. Just rights stripped away as if by law.
Then the rest was taken. Men, fortress, land, even the sky. All that had existed since the dawn was seized, wrenched away.
Her radiance pillaged everything. The thief had passed through. The jewel—the princess—was gone, carried off with the carriage.
Nothing remained.
Notes:
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Meina – She is a golden-haired catgirl employee of the beastman (Larana the cat woman) Inn, appeared performing fellatio, desperate and tear-streaked, with an inexperienced yet earnest approach to her work.
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Lona – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked. Elna’s sister; a black cat Beastkin who’s relatively normally developed physically compared to Elna.
• Fwavlotz – A town beyond a mountain north of Rizan Village, it is an alternative location for Klock to verify his humanity.
• Rushelora – A port where demons are allowed to stay at embassies under special circumstances. It is a location where humans and demons have trade relations.
• Hermine – Daughter of the Emperor of the Second Empire of Dusselhelm. A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
• Lyla – Jester General of Demon King.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply