“That’s...”
He tried to speak, but Shera cut into his words.
“That’s because Diablo’s really kind!”
“Th-Th-That’s not true! They’re just too insignificant for me to even regard them! Now back down, fool!”
“Kyaa!?” He pushed Shera back. Catching on quickly, Rem caught her and clasped a hand over the blabbering Elf’s mouth.
“...Are you an idiot? Diablo’s probably trying to show off his power and use that terror to buy the Elves’ obedience.”
“Mmphmmph.”
Having it explained like that didn’t help set the atmosphere much either.
Diablo directed his Tonnerre Empereur at Drango.
“Enough squabble... Come at me!”
“Very well, to battle!”
Then, the ground shook.
—Huh?
The trees moaned restlessly, birds flying away as the nearby beasts began howling.
Fireballs rained from the sky.
They didn’t target just on the plaza, but the nearby Elves as well, blowing up upon impact.
“What’s going on!?” Diablo cried out.
“How cowardly of you!”
“Fool! This isn’t my magic!”
“Master, Rose detects a high density of magical energy, due north-northwest!”
Diablo could feel it even without Rose alerting him. The magical energy poured over the area, blowing like a gale. Looking in that direction, a sense of dread crept over Diablo.
“...Grr... The burial mound...”
“It can’t be! It’s too soon!” Having come to the same realization, Drango spoke in a panic.
“Tch... The seal must have been weaker than we anticipated. Or perhaps its magical energy was strong enough to tear the seal open by itself...”
“No, the seal shouldn’t have broken this quickly! It never has before!”
A black mass, as large as a castle taking to the skies, rose between the trees. It had the shape of a distorted strawberry and pulsated offbeat in sickening thumps.
The Demon Lord of the Heart, Kardia.
The black sphere floated slowly through the sky, countless tentacles extending from it that squired like a swarm of enraged serpents.
A person stood atop the Demon Lord’s ominous form, no doubt the instigator of this unexpected awakening. They held a red shining crystal, their bright silver hair wavering in the wind. Their eyes were black, their skin a tanned shade of brown, and their ears were long.
It was none other than Rafflesia S. Orangewood.
†
With the heart itself levitating in the air, Rafflesia was carried along by several thin tentacles. They descended on the plaza, Rafflesia’s black eyes gleaming with a crimson glow.
“A PRESENCE—I SENSED—ABOVE ME—WITH MAGICAL ENERGY—MERELY THE RACES—”
Her appearance and voice were Rafflesia’s, but her pronunciations were entirely different. The tentacles extended upward from her, connecting her to Kardia like a marionette’s strings. Diablo was nearly overwhelmed by the grotesquerie of it all.
But faltering here would spell defeat. Diablo took a deep breath, trying to maintain his cool.
“You... Are you Kardia?”
“CORRECT—RACES CHILD—”
“I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world. Do not treat me as one of the races, fool.”
“DI—ABLO—UN—FAMILIAR—”
“Heheh... Of course a mere fragment of a Demon Lord that lost to God wouldn’t know. I am the true Demon Lord; commit my name to memory!”
Drango, on the other hand, was shocked. “Is that really Kardia...!? Why was he resurrected...!?”
Rafflesia grabbed her own hand with a simple, crude gesture, the lack of any expressions on her face making it all the more unnerving.
“DARK ELF—DYED—HATRED—GRUDGE—REVENGE—LUST TO KILL—ELVES—HUMANS—SLAUGHTER—”
Rafflesia’s fingers dug into her forehead, blood trailing down her face.
“Are you saying you’re controlling her?” Drango moaned in fear. “A Demon Lord, manipulating that Dark Elven priestess...”
“SET FREE—DESIRES—TRUE WISHES—VEN—GEANCE—VEN—GEANCE—VENGEANCE—”
Diablo and the others lost the ability to speak in the face of Rafflesia’s unnerving atmosphere and words. But Shera alone brushed the terror aside, calling out in defiance.
“You’re wrong! Rafflesia said it herself, that the Elves and Dark Elves should get along! She really said that!”
Rafflesia’s eyes, shining red, widened suddenly.
“G-GAAAHH—ELF—TRAITORS—I WON’T—FORGIVE—GIVE—HIM BACK—”
As she screamed, Rafflesia held out the red orb. Kardia’s tentacles then extended in Shera’s direction like whips.
“Princess!”
Drango covered her, guarding her with his body, but Diablo aimed his staff faster than Drango’s motions.
“《Flare Burst》!”
The air exploded, immolating the approaching tentacles.
—Good, magic works on it!
It would have been a problematic opponent if it had magic reflection or nullification, but the damage didn’t even seem to be reduced. Diablo had been cautious since it was an unimplemented enemy he knew nothing about, but it was surprisingly weak.
“This is strange...” Rem ran up to Diablo. “The orb Lady Rafflesia is holding was supposed to seal the Demon Lord... But if it’s awakened, there’s no point in holding onto it.”
“Hmm. And she’s holding it like it’s something precious...”
“Maybe the seal is still in place!?” Rem asked, her voice brightening with hope.
“Hmph...” Diablo furrowed his brow. “Another ‘incomplete Demon Lord.’ This world really does seem to be holding back on me. Standing before me in such a state... You dare mock me!?”
Diablo changed his staff into a sword of light, the 《Tonnerre Empereur Libre》, aiming it not at Rafflesia who stood in front of him, but at the black, heart-shaped mass floating above.
“Be reduced to nothing in the face of my magic! Have a taste of bombardment by lightning—《Enercannon》!”
A magically-generated magnetic field was formed, a cannonball beside it. In the blink of an eye, the ball was launched, accelerating beyond the speed of sound and leaving a trail of flames from its friction after making contact with the air.
“Kyaaa?” Rem covered her cat ears at the sudden rumbling sound.
Thanks to his weapon’s effect, the spell was cast seven times over, but the MP consumption was considerable, as one may expect.
“If you don’t want to get caught up in this, then get away!” Diablo shouted.
“...Y-Yes!”
The cannonballs hit Kardia dead center, blowing away some of its tentacles.
—But what about the main body’s magic resistance?
“Impossible!” Rem’s eyes widened. “It’s unharmed!”
“Hmph... It’s only natural. It wouldn’t be a Demon Lord if a spell or two were all it took to take it down.”
Diablo’s words were confident, but his mind was in a state of panic. If it had complete magic resistance, forget a spell or two—Diablo could fire hundreds and it wouldn’t matter! It really was difficult without any pertinent information on hand.
—Well, I guess that’s par for the course for the guys writing the strategy guides...
Diablo used an MP recovery potion and a magic boosting potion he took out of his pouch.
“Tremble in fear, you deficient excuse of a Demon Lord! My barrage won’t end until your defeat! Freeze, 《Ice Age》!”
“GYAAAHHH—” Rafflesia screamed, as if trying to push the spell back.
Kardia’s tentacles shot out again, bending and warping. Ten were launched...and another ten behind them, avoiding the chilling wave of sub-zero temperatures.
“Aaargh!?”
An impact smacked against Diablo’s body, sending him into the air. There was qui
te a bit of force behind the blow, and Diablo’s back smashed into the large tree.
“Gaaah!”
All the air in his lungs escaped at once, and he could almost feel his lunch coming back up his throat. Rem and Shera screamed at the sight unfolding before them.
—I can’t stay down like this!
Bending on one knee, Diablo stood up swiftly. His body felt heavy, like there was a ball made of lead in the pit of his stomach. He’d taken considerable damage.
—That was some impressive strength...
It had an incredibly high range, and could launch so many attacks at once that it was hard to believe it was only one enemy. Even keeping up with the tentacles’ movements was challenging. Its abilities were, all in all, unbalanced and utterly broken.
“Ahahaha... Good... That’s what I’d expect of a final boss—of a Demon Lord!” Diablo hadn’t taken his beating sitting down either.
His Ice Age spell did freeze most of Kardia’s precious tentacles in place, but it still didn’t seem like Kardia’s main body had taken any damage.
Even as he stood confidently, Diablo kept calculating and thinking. In the game, there were also times when, despite hitting an enemy, their HP gauge didn’t budge. Maybe there was some sort of trick at play here? Or maybe its HP pool was so large, Diablo’s attacks hadn’t managed to visibly deplete it yet.
Rafflesia grit her teeth audibly.
“Oh, what’s the matter. You can’t possibly be relying on your tentacles alone. I’ve still got plenty of vicious spells I want to try on you!”
“KILL—EVERY—ONE—STOLE HIM—FROM ME—NEVER—FOR—GIVE—A-AAAHHH—”
She wasn’t even looking at Diablo. It was like fighting a berserker.
Diablo grit his own teeth in response.
“This again... If you claim lordship over others, at least have the dignity to keep your dignity intact! Fighting isn’t forgiving enough for one to win with the intelligence of a mere beast!”
“A-AAAHHH—”
Another attack by the tentacles was coming his way.
“Stop boring me, Kardia! 《Lightning Storm》!”
The high level wind and light spell trapped the tentacles in a maelstrom of wind as they were zapped by lightning. As fast as the tentacles’ attack speed may have been, they still weren’t faster than lightning. Diablo fired the spell faster than the tentacles could carry out their attack, effectively halting them.
The tentacles were reduced to ash. If Diablo kept this up, he wouldn’t be pushed back at the very least. He just had to figure out why the main body didn’t take any damage. Was it really a trick, or was it simply that bulky?
Magic energy began spilling out from the glittering orb, flowing into Rafflesia.
“A-ACK—” She coughed, blood spewing out.
“Diablo!” Shera cried out. “The Demon Lord’s magical energy is coming out of that sphere!”
“Mm...”
—So the magical energy is flowing out of the sphere and into Rafflesia...then to Kardia floating above us? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
He’d thought the mass floating above them was the main body, and it used the orb as a means to turn Rafflesia into its medium for communicating with them...
But he once again considered what Rem had said earlier.
“Heheheh... I’ve figured you out, Kardia. Forget being incomplete... You’re still sealed, aren’t you!?”
“SHUT—UP—”
“You’re just controlling Rafflesia from inside that orb and having her fight for you. That big lump floating there is just an illusion.”
That explained why Diablo’s spells, no matter how powerful they were or what element he employed, didn’t visibly damage it.
Diablo shifted his staff, aiming not at the heart floating above them, but at Rafflesia holding the orb.
“Lightning Arrow!”
A bullet of light was fired at the orb in her hands, traveling at a blinding speed and lethal precision. Rafflesia remained still.
The bullet of light...
...veered away before hitting the orb.
Diablo intentionally missed. Rafflesia was being manipulated, so her expression never changed. But Diablo had noticed the Demon Lord’s emotions from the fluctuations in the magical energy emanating from the orb. It had flickered for a moment. Was it from confusion? Surprise? Perhaps disappointment?
“Judging from Rem’s case, if that orb is destroyed or has magical energy poured into it, you’ll be resurrected, correct?”
Or if a ritual magic to unbind the seal was performed... Rafflesia should have known how to perform it, but didn’t. Kardia used her hatred to manipulate her like a puppet, but she probably hadn’t completely submitted to Kardia.
“Whatever the case, did you hope to get someone else to break the orb for you? Pathetic... Utterly pathetic! Do not think me to be a fool who attacks so indiscriminately.”
—A true gamer knows that the second before you snatch the win is when you have to be the most cautious!
Rafflesia’s shoulders trembled. “UUU—U-UUU—”
“Hmph... Did your confidence boost because you were able to wiggle your fingers outside the confines of your seal? Well, you’ve made quite the error in judgment, fool. And that was to challenge me when you were still sealed!”
“G-GAAAHHH—DAMN—YOU—DAMN YOU—”
The Kardia floating above them disappeared, as it really was nothing more than an illusion. But now it had been unmasked. All that remained was Rafflesia, standing with a vacant expression. Countless black tendrils began growing out of the orb in her hands.
“Did you think none among the races were capable of recognizing the flow of magic?” Diablo smirked. “It’s no wonder God beat you when you’re this foolish.”
In place of a scream, magical energy began flowing out of the orb. The tendrils made the air tremble, and a fireball, glowing with a light that was nearly white, appeared in the air. It was as if a small sun had appeared close to Earth. Even from a distance, Diablo could feel the heat waves, the ground gradually burning underneath his feet. Rafflesia, who stood directly beneath it, wouldn’t get away unscathed. He’d never seen this attack before.
—Is this magic? Or some sort of special attack?
Reaching out toward the small sun, Kardia bellowed using Rafflesia’s lips.
“DISAPPEAR—《FALLING SKIES》—”
“An incantation spell!”
Diablo stuck out his left hand and brandished the Demon Lord’s Ring wrapped around his finger. It was capable of deflecting all manner of magic, including a spell fired by a Demon Lord.
A shrill, high-pitched sound rang out, and the air around them undulated. The fireball, which had begun descending on them, was blown back into the sky. Kardia looked on with shock through Rafflesia’s eyes as it happened, momentarily forgetting how to form words.
“Heheh... Oh, did you try to do something just now?” Diablo said, in the most overbearing fashion he’d ever spoken. Inwardly, though, he was sweating bullets.
—I’m so happy I have magic reflection right now!!!
Honestly speaking, since it was an attack Diablo had never encountered before, he was incredibly nervous. It looked like the type of attack that would spell doom for him had it hit.
Kardia was never implemented in the Cross Reverie Diablo knew. It was probably set to appear later on, and was a monster beyond level 150. That meant the spell it had just used was probably of a level that was higher than 150 as well. Diablo trembled, having felt that his life had been threatened for the first time in a long while.
The orb rolled down to the floor with a gentle sound, slipping out of Rafflesia’s grasp. Her expression as vacant as it was before, she mouthed words of hatred.
“DEMON LORD—BEATEN—LOWLY RACES—IMPOS—SIBLE—”
“Is that really your defeat line? Awfully unsophisticated.”
“USE—LESS VESSEL—HUMILIATION—YOUR DOING—”
“Wh
at!?” Diablo suddenly had a bad feeling.
Tentacles had spread out languidly from the orb lying on the ground near where Rafflesia was standing, having lost their strength. But a single tentacle had hardened and sharpened itself like a sword and extended toward Rafflesia, piercing her abdomen and coming out of her back.
“Gyaaah!?” Rafflesia screamed, this time with her own voice, as if the pain had brought her back to consciousness.
Kardia’s tentacles dissipated and the malevolent magical energy ceased flowing from the orb. But now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
Rem and the others all shrieked in surprise, and Drango bit his lip bitterly. A terrifying amount of blood had sprayed out as Rafflesia crumbled to her feet.
“Aaah...!? Aaaaaah!”
“Don’t make a fool of me!”
—Know when to call it quits, you third-rate jerk! You used her to make your own ends meet, and now you’re trying to take her down with you!?
Diablo broke into a run. Kicking away the orb, he knelt down next to Rafflesia, who was lying in a pool of her own blood.
“Don’t you die on me!”
“Aaah... Guh... I’m...sorry...”
“Lady Rafflesia!” Rem had run up to her as well, with Shera in tow.
“Rafflesia!”
“It’s no good...” Drango said, vexed. “There’s no saving her when she’s this badly wounded...”
“Sorr... P-Please...rgive...me...”
“It’s all that Demon Lord’s fault!” Shera clasped Rafflesia’s outstretched hand with her own. “There’s nothing to forgive. This isn’t your fault, Rafflesia!”
“For...ive my...eakness... The Dark Elves...the forest...”
“I’ll keep our promise!”
Rafflesia’s bloodstained lips curled into a smile. “I’m...glad...you were...th...princ...”
All strength abandoned her hand.
Diablo quickly used an 《Elixir》.
Rafflesia’s wounds instantaneously closed, and her HP was fully recovered. It also replenished all her MP and cured any bad status effects.
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 7 Page 18