by Fuse
Someone as self-confident as Luminus, whose powers Hinata couldn’t even begin to fathom, describing Guy’s force as belonging to another dimension. It made Hinata think—about Guy, and about Milim, who actually faced off against him once. It was hard to imagine.
That’s what the Special S ranking was for. If all of humankind banded together, maybe they could deal with such a monster—but even that was wishful thinking, because it assumed the presence of a Hero in the human ranks. There was no Hero right now, and thus no chance.
Plus, the current lineup of demon lords—the Octagram—was on its own level of danger, Rimuru included. Luminus believed Rimuru was still in the midst of awakening, and Reyhiem’s words were more than enough to back that up.
Soon the others began to recall the story of the true demon lords, those fearsome presences. They were not revealed to the public lest panic resulted, but they were real, and they were threats.
When the first dragon lost its power, it showed no signs of regenerating itself for some reason. Out of the other three, one had been sealed away until just recently, but now he was back and supporting Rimuru—a demon lord who massacred a force of twenty thousand by himself. This was comparable to what those other two demon lords did long ago. The structural destruction wasn’t there, maybe, but the number of souls he obtained had to be staggering.
A heavy silence filled the room. It was clear nobody wanted to admit that a demon lord, in the real meaning of the term, had been born. There was an overwhelming difference between a potential demon lord and a true one, and everybody in the room understood that.
Finally, it was Hinata who quietly broke the silence.
“I see. So we should assume the demon lord Rimuru has been awakened…”
The words cut like a sharp knife through the silence, lighting a fire under those who could no longer tolerate the stillness.
“I suppose we should. Now what? If we leave him be, he’ll become a threat beyond anything we can handle, won’t he?”
“Calm down. Rimuru is a former human. If he seeks to live alongside humanity, there shouldn’t be any need to fight him.”
“Right. We need to see how he reacts.”
“But we know for a fact that he mowed down twenty thousand knights without hesitation! He is clearly a threat. Are you sure we should simply believe him…?”
That final comment from Renard summed up everyone’s thoughts. That’s how many wars begin—the mind playing tricks, stirring fear of a potential opponent. That was true enough even among the human race; if the adversary was a demon lord, it was going to be hard to trust him. It wouldn’t be an issue if that adversary could be hunted down at any moment, but Rimuru was growing more powerful at a rapid pace. To the paladins guarding humanity, and the knights serving as the Holy Emperor’s blade, they needed to entertain the idea of tackling him before he grew truly impossible to handle.
But Hinata stuck to her guns. “Silence, everyone,” she firmly stated. “The missive is absolute.”
Nothing anyone could say would change her mind. As captain of the Crusaders and chief knight of the Imperial Guard, she guided the hearts and minds of the Holy Empire of Lubelius. She had to be a model for every citizen, a firm leader for those who served under her. Her mind would change only if it did so within the will of Luminus. That was what made her so unwaveringly resolute.
And with that, the joint session would end, everyone returning to their intelligence-gathering duties. Or so it should have—but evil has a way of appearing from the most unexpected of crevices.
(Ah, Reyhiem, did you have any other messages for us?)
Just as Hinata was going to end the meeting, the Seven Days Clergy finally spoke up. It seemed to jog Reyhiem’s mind, as he took a crystal ball out of his pocket and reverently handed it to Hinata.
“I—I actually do have this. It’s said to be a message from Demon Lord Rimuru to you, Lady Hinata…”
“A message?”
She accepted it, eyeing it with suspicion. A message from Rimuru was likely something she couldn’t afford to ignore.
This crystal ball, provided by Reyhiem at the prodding of the Clergy, was a highly valuable magic item. It allowed anyone to record moving picture images, making it a useful way to transmit messages. It also saw use in international negotiations, seen as a more trustworthy piece of evidence than a written letter.
Regardless of where Rimuru managed to procure one of these, Hinata immediately tried playing it back. Given all the dignitaries on-site, it could be a great chance for everyone to see what Rimuru looked like.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The image showed a beautiful girl, but it wasn’t a girl. It was the demon lord himself. His face, reminiscent of Hinata’s teacher, Shizue Izawa, looked at the viewer coldly, without emotion. The sense of presence he had came across at full force through the video image.
Hinata blinked at it. What a surprise. Like a different person from a few months ago… Her eyes met with Rimuru’s in the image. Was that a coincidence, or…? She began to realize just how nervous she was. Rimuru, a fellow countryman. A softhearted demon lord. Maybe her sentimentality was making her underestimate this threat. Logically, she knew that. And as if to back up that suspicion…
“I’ll take you on. You and me, in a one-on-one duel.”
That was the entire message. So incredibly simple; no room for misunderstanding. Everyone viewing it took home the same message: Rimuru is enraged. He killed Clayman for getting in his way, and Hinata’s up next.
For a change, even Nicolaus looked perturbed. “Wh-what should we do, Lady Hinata?” But before she could answer:
“Lady Hinata, your orders! I will gladly lead a force to crush this demon lord’s ambitions!”
Arnaud, ever the hot-blooded military man, pushed the issue. The debate was now in full swing again.
“Come on,” chided Saare, giving Arnaud an astonished look. “You’re a master swordsman, sure, but don’t you think your brain could use some work?”
“…What?”
“Didn’t Hinata just spend the past half hour saying ‘hands off’? We touch him, and the other demon lords aren’t gonna take that sitting down. Plus, if he’s a fully awakened demon lord, it’d be even more ill-advised to prod him. I think we should just chill out and accept our opponent’s request.”
“He’s right, Arnaud,” Litus said, nodding in agreement. “If we have Veldora to deal with as well, we have no chance of winning. Victory would only come with losses that would be impossible to take. If the adversary seeks a duel, better for all of us if we have Hinata accept it.”
A full clash of forces would result in what had to be staggering casualties with no guarantee of victory. Having the most powerful knight in the Holy Empire take the lead instead seemed far more palatable. If anything, the idea filled Saare and Litus with optimism. There was no doubting Hinata’s victory now.
Hinata, meanwhile, weighed her options.
Arnaud’s offer of a full battle force was out of the question. Getting her nation involved would escalate into the total war that Litus feared, likely dragging in the other Western Nations and developing into a world war. The masses they swore to protect in crises like these would turn into a severe disadvantage; it would go against the desires of Luminus. Veldora, too, was a menace. In terms of keeping losses to a minimum, Rimuru’s offer of a duel couldn’t have come at a better time.
But:
How should I take this…?
It gave Hinata pause. Looking back, she was extremely lucky she hadn’t invaded Tempest without fully grasping the situation there. She had Luminus’s great wisdom to thank for that. If their opponent had ascended to true demon lord-hood, things like the number of soldiers on the field no longer held meaning. No matter how tenacious they were, unless they met a fairly lofty bar, they were useless. The disaster that befell Farmus was proof enough of that.
But…no. When Rimuru fought Farmus, that must have been before he asce
nded. It was their defeat that generated the “necessary” number of souls for the job. He had wiped out twenty thousand without even being awakened.
What a monster, truly…
Reflecting on her battle with Rimuru, she didn’t think he was capable of something like that. Perhaps he had been restraining himself—but now, he wanted her dead, no doubt.
But if he hated her, why go through the trouble of challenging her to a duel for revenge? It seemed unnatural. If he felt Hinata and the Western Holy Church were a thorn in his side, it was a strange time to act on that impulse. If he was foolish enough not to see that, he wouldn’t be going through all this undercover skullduggery against Farmus.
Perhaps there was some other reason.
It’s unnatural of him, yes. Has something changed? Did the ascension to demon lord come at the cost of his humanity?!
Acquiring that much power at once would crush any human being’s soul. She saw for herself how much trouble Shizue had containing Ifrit’s berserk force. It’d easily drive anyone mad—especially if he was now a true demon lord.
…But maybe not. He’d have no reason to ally himself with the human nations, then.
Luminus told her that Rimuru swore to keep humanity safe. If his human heart was a thing of the past, his declaration to build his own city no longer made sense. There wasn’t enough information to work with, Hinata thought. Her Measurer skill wasn’t producing any answers. It seemed like the truth was still hidden somewhere.
Besides, this whole crystal ball gambit was weird in itself. It could store many hours of footage if necessary, but his message was only a few seconds long. She couldn’t shake the impression that some ulterior meaning was lurking behind it.
Plus:
The Tuesday Priest just let on that he knew Rimuru had something for me. Why?
Reyhiem had filed his report. He hadn’t said a word about Rimuru’s message. But Arze had asked him “Did you have any other messages for us?” and Hinata had picked up on his unnatural choice of words. The seeds of doubt were beginning to bud in her mind, although she swallowed them up and refused to let them sprout upon her face. Instead, she simply continued measuring her position, letting no stone go unturned.
Unfortunately, there was just too little data to work with. She could try crunching the numbers and guiding herself to a solution like she always did, but it wasn’t leading her anywhere this time.
“Ah well,” she concluded with a sigh. “If he’s calling me out, I suppose I’ll have to go explain matters to him in person.”
If Rimuru wanted it, she wasn’t that hesitant about a duel. But was there really no chance to talk things out? She wanted to be fully sure of that first. If she could meet with him, she’d have her answer. It seemed smarter than just fretting to herself.
Either way, if this is what it’s come to, it’s up to me to settle it.
“It is too dangerous!” Nicolaus frantically protested. “There is no need for you to come out yourself! Not with the barefaced malice he clearly has for you!”
It wasn’t enough to make Hinata change her mind. “We’ll never know that for sure unless we work out his intentions, will we? Plus, there is my apology to think about. Isn’t it wiser to meet with him once and try talking matters over?”
She had hoped this would put an end to the debate. But once again, as if waiting for the right moment, the Seven Days Clergy spoke up.
(Heh-heh-heh. That is your decision? Very well!)
(May the protection of the god Luminus safeguard you.)
(The demon lord Rimuru is a threat, yes.)
(But even if your talks turn sour, there is no need for concern.)
(You certainly have what it takes to defeat him.)
(But, Hinata, you are forgetting something.)
(Indeed. The presence of that dragon.)
(I fear not even you could defeat such a menace!)
(Do not overestimate your strength, Hinata.)
(No attack would ever faze that dragon.)
(But take heart, Hinata.)
(We will leave you with this.)
(It is called the Dragonbuster!)
Ugh. Can they be any more shameless about it? All I said was I’d talk with him, but they’re already pushing me into trading blows. And their goal is to have me take care of Veldora, right? Or is it…?
The Seven Days Clergy was a band of ex-humans enjoying Luminus’s personal approval. Their faith was strictly for her. Hinata could understand if they wanted her to eliminate a dragon Luminus was so clearly concerned about…but she already knew that wasn’t the only motivation. They were afraid. Afraid that Luminus’s affections would turn away from them and toward a new prodigy. That was why they were so unenthusiastic about training the younger generation. Why they actively schemed to eliminate anyone in their way.
Those fools. They mean nothing but harm for Luminus…
But Hinata did nothing to defy them. That was Luminus’s decision, and Hinata was in no position to take action. Instead, she retained her calm.
“I will gladly accept it,” she intoned as she took the Dragonbuster from Vena, the Friday Priest. He and his co-conspirators gave her satisfied nods.
(I hope things go well for you.)
(If worse comes to worst, that sword shall protect you.)
(And if the effort ends in failure, the responsibility will fall on your shoulders.)
And with that, the Clergy took their leave.
“Lady Hinata…”
The paladins attempted to plead their case. She waved them off, turning a quick glance toward Louis behind the curtain.
“All right. You have your assignments. This joint session is hereby adjourned.”
The Three Battlesages sat there, tongues silenced despite whatever they had to say to her. The paladins meekly accepted it, respecting their leader’s choices.
Hinata awoke from a light sleep.
All that self-absorbed reflection on her memories must have made her fall asleep. She could detect the aroma of coffee as her consciousness began to focus. Nicolaus, ever so gallantly ingratiating himself with her, could be seen preparing breakfast in the adjacent room.
“Ah, are you awake?”
This was Cardinal Nicolaus Speltus—a man who, Hinata felt, was best described as unusual. He was a trusted adviser of the Holy Emperor, the supreme leader of Lubelius, which put him at the very peak of power in the land. But when dealing with Hinata, he was as steadfast and loving as a puppy.
“Come, breakfast is served. Would you like to eat?”
It was almost comical. Hard to imagine someone like him preparing breakfast for another person. To anyone else who knew him, Nicolaus was a devil in a Saint’s mask.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Nicolaus happily nodded back.
It was the first meal Hinata could honestly say she enjoyed in a while. Her work had barely given her time to sleep as of late—but now it was coming to an end.
“…Are you leaving?”
“Yeah. That’s my job.”
“But it was I who ordered Reyhiem to come here…”
“And I’m the one who let you do so without comment. You don’t need to concern yourself about it.”
“Is there any way to convince you…ah, not to?”
“Enough already. Stop worrying. It’s not guaranteed to be a fight yet.”
…And if it was, it wasn’t guaranteed to be a defeat. Hinata still had a trick up her sleeve—not some silly Dragonbuster, but something much loftier, nobler. Besides, Luminus had personally told her to restrain herself.
She had zero intention of dying. If it came to blows, whether Rimuru was ascended or not, she believed he was still a defeatable target—for now. There was nothing to worry about. She wasn’t 100 percent sure of victory, but she had a lot of experience with taking on targets bigger than her. Plus, she even had more than one ace up her sleeve. It was such a lovely morning. It didn’t need to be marred with such gloomy talk.
�
�It’ll work out fine, Nicolaus. Like it always does. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”
She smiled—a small, gentle smile. The first one with no careful calculation behind it in a while.
INTERLUDE
A PRIVATE CHAT
The kingdom of Seltrozzo was a small realm, nestled along the northern coastline between Englesia and Farmus. It was currently providing the stage for a clandestine meeting that would change history forever.
“So how did it go?”
“Just as we figured. Our cover’s still intact.”
“Heh-heh-heh… That witch may have a sharp mind, but maybe she’s nothing too scary after all.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Strength-wise, there’s no downplaying it. She’s the best in the West.”
“Indeed. Ill-advised artifice is powerless against brute force. I would recommend all of you to never forget that.”
Here, in a large, firelit room in a realm kept cool all year by the blowing sea breeze, the Five Elders had gathered. Their dress was ornate—some crafted with Tempestian silk, still a rarity to obtain. It was inlaid with anti-magic Artifacts, providing a full defense against any unexpected strikes. It spoke volumes about the group’s financial backing.
The room had, of course, been fully sealed off from the outside world, reinforced and designed to withstand magic up to the nuclear level. They even had stout, A-ranked knights standing guard in the middle. All of them were seated in a row, and with them was Glenda, the wild beauty with the spiky red hair—the Raging Sea, one of the Ten Great Saints and Three Battlesages. Her main source of employment came from these Five Elders, the Council’s powerbrokers.
One of them, clad in a loose white outfit, had eyes as sharp as a hawk, his presence dominating the room…were it not for the charming, doll-like little girl seated on his lap. She was maybe not quite ten years old, her hair a silky blond, her lips a light shade of pink. At first glance, it looked like an old man babysitting his granddaughter, as much as the sight clashed against its surroundings. But nobody brought it up. They let the man do what he wanted, as if this was a given—for that man was Granville Rozzo himself, head of the Rozzo family and mediator of the Five Elders.