Chapter 143 - Invitation and Demonkind [7]
143. Invitation and Demonkind [7]
The demon, who blew apart the upper floors of Ringard Palace, raised the corners of his lips, with open arms.
「Nice to meet you, unenlightened inferior race. My name is Zerey Grazario. I came to your filthy den to find a『certain individual.』」
Zerey Grazario.
His appearance is almost the same as that of a human being, and he is about 190 centimeters tall. He has long straight black hair. And well defined facial features for a man. In his almond eyes, his pupils shone red with a mysterious charm. He was dressed in a tailcoat. Ominous purple wings protruding from his back.
He looked down at us from the sky, in a haughty attitude and tone.
As the sudden situation caused everyone to panic, Tenshi-sama calmly spoke on behalf of everyone.
「Nice to meet you, Zerey Grazario-sama. I am called Wendy Ringard, the Tenshi who governs the Ringard Imperial Kingdom. If you don’t mind, why don’t we have a little talk?」
「Talk?」
「Yes. Zerey-sama said you were looking for a certain individual. If you don’t mind, could you tell me the name of the person? I am sure we can cooperate.」
She offered to cooperate, as though not intending to pick a fight with Zerey and the Demons.
Then–
「Ku, kukukuku…. fuhahahahaha!」Zerey suddenly burst into laughter holding his belly in his arms.「An inferior human, cooperating with this noble blood demon? Know your place, trash!」he shouted, angrily.
Nevertheless, Tenshi-sama still continued to speak while his air of anger and bloodlust swept.
「I heard that you have joined hands with Emperor Burrell of Holy Ronelia Empire, though?」
「Hmm… That is an exception. That guy is the king of the inferior race, and also holds unworldly
power.」
Burrell Ronelia seems to be a superior existence even acknowledged by the demons.
「Well then, Zerey-sama, are you going to be looking all over Ringard by yourself? It sounds like a lot of trouble, though…」
「Ha! Don’t underestimate the physical prowess of a demon. I can turn this small country upside down within a single day!」
In response to Tenshi-sama’s repeated appeals, Zerey single mindedly cursed at her.
The Senior Holy Knights, who were watching the scene silently, clenched their fists hard, to the point where it started bleeding. They were desperately trying to suppress the intolerable humiliation and anger.
Zerey, who ridiculed us,
「Well then… Let’s end the boring talk. It’s time to get into『screening』.」
He pulled out the sword fastened to his chest and put on a heinous smile.
The moment when discussions clearly broke down, Tenshi-sama sighed loudly.
「As expected, the likes of unenlightened demons can’t even hold a proper discussion.」
「…Kisama, what did you just say?」
「Sorry, but I don’t want to continue this useless talk anymore. Everyone, do it.」
The moment she gave the order,
「「「「–!」」」」
Transparent green boards, which were about the length of his body, suppressed Zerey’s body from all four sides.
「Guh…!?」
When I turned my eyes towards the voice, four senior Holy Knights, who had already moved in four different directions before I noticed, were holding soul dress in front of their chests.
「I see. Gravity type soul dress, huh… However, even with the four of you it doesn’t amount to much!」
When Zerey tried to cut the four boards,
「「「「–Water Jail!」」」」
His whole body was enveloped by a transparent sphere of water.
「What the…!?」
Turning towards the voice again, another four senior Holy Knights thrust their blue soul dress onto the magic circle drawn on the floor.
And behind Zerey, who was completely restrained by special gravity boards and a water prison,
「You’re dead!」
Rodis-san appeared, with his sword already swung high.
(A-Amazing…!)
Perfectly coordinated movement.
I’m sure it’s a strategy that they’ve trained countless times.
(As expected, the senior Holy Knight who was entrusted by the government with Tenshi-sama’s escort…)
With their perfect coordination, Zerey, who was driven into a corner, had cold eyes, as if he were watching flies buzz about.
「Curse Method – Fire Oppression」
The moment Zerey whispered something,
「Nu, oh…!?」
Rodis-san, who had raised his sword high, suddenly raised a voice of anguish and started falling head first.
「Ro, Rodis-san!?」
「Ka, ha!」
He crashed hard on the floor without performing ukemi.
(W-What happened…!?)
As I was baffled by that scene,
「Help me… Allen…… 」
I heard Ria’s pained voice.
「…Ria?」
As I turned to the right side, she slowly collapsed towards me, as though trying to hang on to my body.
「W-What’s wrong? Hold on, Ria!」
With large beads of sweat on her forehead, she desperately got the words out of her mouth.
「Painful… my bo-body… is hot.」
「Your body is hot? …Wha!?」
When I put my hand on her forehead, I noticed that she had an extremely high fever.
(W-Why this sudden fever? No, this pattern is…!?)
Looking closely at Ria, a dark red pattern appeared on her nape.
(Is this a…『curse』!?)
Curse – An unknown power that monsters exercise.
Effects, activation conditions, and curse dissolving methods, little is known.
(Oh right, demons were a superior species of monsters….)
In that case, it is no wonder that Zerey could use curse.
When I was thinking about that, the senior Holy Knights around me collapsed one by one.
「No way!」
When I looked around, no one was standing anymore.
Everyone except me had collapsed, and were breathing heavily.
(This guy… Did he cast a curse on everyone in this place in that instant!?)
Rodis-san had a dark red pattern engraved on his right hand, whereas Tenshi-sama’s was on her chest, and the president’s was on her left shoulder. Everyone had a dark red pattern engraved on their body.
Everyone was beaten with only a single blow.
Moreover, I don’t even know the method he used to attack.
As I was confused by that hopeless situation,
「Kisama. Why doesn’t『Curse Method』work on you?」
Zerey appeared right in front of me, with his sword raised overhead.
「!?」
I immediately pulled out my sword with my left hand, and defended his slash with a backhand grip.
「Hou… That’s a good reaction speed. And your defensive technique wasn’t bad either.」
The moment when sword and sword collided, I deliberately jumped back with Ria in one arm and opened a wide distance between myself and Zerey.
(Anyway, I have to lift the curse on Ria…)
I extended darkness towards the dark red pattern, as she continued to breathe heavily.
As a result, the pattern that appeared around her neck quickly disappeared, and at the same time, Ria’s breathing stabilized. Still unconscious, but the fever was completely gone.
She should wake up soon after resting for a while.
(…Thank goodness.)
As expected, that guy’s darkness is absolute.
It completely erases whatever curse, without distinction between monsters and demons.
(Anyway, I can help everyone with this!)
But first, I have to defeat Zerey!
I held my sword in front of my navel and assumed Seigan no Kamae.
Then–
「I-Impossible! T-That『Darkness』!? Kisama… Are you a descendant of “House Rodore”?」Zerey asked, glaring at me with extreme hatred.