Chapter 76 - Please Don't Do This (1)

Lukkwan fled with all her might. Although there were some who tried to stop her, she avoided getting caught by shouting that they shouldn't hold back those who came out to urgently report the situation.

She went down one floor, two floors, three floors, and found an empty guest room. If she had examined it more closely, there would be many better hiding places, but her mind, exposed to explicit malice, had no leeway for that.

She shoved herself into a wardrobe she had never once considered a hiding place and gasped for breath. She was terrified. She felt like she would go crazy from fear.

Because this moment was more terrifying than any crisis she had faced so far...

"Hide well, hide well, or your hair might show."

The one who started moving when she went down the floors and caught up to her level had finally entered the same hallway.

"Even if a rat bites... even if an ant bites..."

A slow melody began to echo from afar. Lukkwan's hands clamped over her own mouth.

"Don't budge, don't even twitch..."

The slow, sluggish melody slowly approached the guest room she was in, accompanied by the sound of doors opening with a creak, creak.

There were multiple overlapping footsteps, but only one stood exclusively at the forefront.

"If your hair shows, you'll be caught right then."

And, finally, the last verse stopped in front of the room she was hiding in. Creak. The sound of the guest room opening was exceptionally clear.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps that entered the room was just one.

Lukkwan held her breath while cowering inside the wardrobe. Her body, belonging to a skilled Thief, did not permit even the slightest tremor, giving her the hope that she might just survive this crisis if she did well.

Tap.

However, the world did not seem to be on her side. The footsteps stopped right in front of the wardrobe.

Swoosh.

The wardrobe door eventually opened, and a thin ray of light fell upon the space she was hiding in. Standing there, blocking part of the light shining through the gap, was naturally the master of the terror that dominated her.

"..."

Gray eyes quietly looked down at her.

"... Hide well."

And, with a 'click'.

The door closed.

"Or your hair might show."

The demon, or what was likely a demon.

Gradually walked away.

* * *

'Hsssst. Holy craaaap.'

'Was it because she was of the Shaggy race, meaning a half-human, half-beast? Her eyes were flashing brightly in the dark... If I hadn't opened it prepared for it, I probably would have screamed the moment we made eye contact.'

'My heart is still pounding.'

'Hah, still, the guys in the hallway probably don't know I opened the wardrobe, right? I tried my best not to make any sound when opening and closing it.'

'Please tell me I wasn't caught. I'm checking every single room, relying solely on the belief that they won't search the places I've already searched.'

"Hmm. Not here either."

I stepped out into the hallway and desperately acted out my newly adopted concept.

Tilting my head to the side as if disappointed was the main part of that act.

'My cheeks felt a little hot, acting cute like a little kid when I'm over thirty years old, but I somehow endured it. If I show it, I won't be the only one whose head goes flying.'

"Shall we deploy men for you?"

"Did you just ask me a question?"

'And, ahem. Actually, it's not so much that acting cute is embarrassing, but showing an unprepared, raw concept is what's shameful.'

'A true concept-addict must know how to pull off a concept even if it suddenly changes. Of course, the moment I get hit with a 'all of this was reality' realization, I'll sink in humiliation.'

'Gaaah. Universe, help me! Save my face...!'

"I-It's not like that—"

STAB!

I didn't listen to the end of his answer and roughly plunged my sword into his neck.

The air, which had become a little loose while I was focused on playing hide-and-seek, grew taut again.

"Anyone else want to ask a question?"

'Ask away, ask away. Those guys waiting in the hallway are all bastards who deserve to die anyway. They're the bastards who forced me into playing two roles at once.'

'I won't forgive you bastards for half-forcing me to act like a Great Demon.'

"No one?"

However, contrary to my wish, no one stepped forward.

I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. At the same time, I desperately checked my status window.

I didn't need to know about the stats that automatically went up with leveling; it was the sentence added at the very bottom that quickly flew in and struck me right in the solar plexus.

「※ You are afflicted with a special status ailment (Mana Rampage). You cannot use skills until recovered.」

It goes without saying, but that was the cause of me putting on a ridiculous one-man show instead of killing Bipurit.

'I can't use skills.'

"What a shame..."

'No, is it just skills? Every trick I used with mana has been banned. I tried it earlier and only coughed up blood, so I can be sure of it.'

'In other words, from now on, I have to survive right in the middle of enemy territory honestly relying purely on my physical capabilities.'

'And the way I see it, the chances of that succeeding are very low...'

'Me clinging to the enemies' misunderstanding is bound to be inevitable.'

'Judging from the words I eavesdropped on while pretending to not be awake to assess the situation, there was also a calculation that things would turn out quite interesting if I used the misunderstanding well.'

'Yeah, they performed a ritual to awaken the de... demon inside me, and if they firmly believe that the thing that woke up is a Great Demon, wouldn't it be a waste not to use it?'

'Of course, I won't deny that things got a bit twisted after I opened my eyes having finished all my calculations, or more precisely, after seeing the 'Mana Rampage' notification.'

'I only thought of gathering all the key figures with my acting and wiping them out immediately, I didn't know I'd be putting on a show like this...'

'Well, the game probably couldn't just turn off the player's consciousness, so it seems they just gave it as a penalty in the form of a 'Mana Rampage'.'

"Not in this room either."

I came out of the last room with a bright smile. Because I hadn't smiled for a while due to the Demon Knight concept, trying to smile suddenly made it feel like the corners of my eyes and mouth were cramping.

'This is hard.'

"I'm bored, I'm going to stop."

"We will... catch the cat for you."

"I don't want to."

I stared straight at the guy who seemed to have slowly learned the pattern of my (concept's) behavior. As a bonus, I replaced my smile with sharp annoyance and shallow anger, like a child in danger of having their toy taken away.

"You really don't know how to play."

'But I shouldn't hold this expression for too long.'

I equipped my smile again, threw my arm over the speaker's shoulder, and whispered in his ear as softly as possible.

"There's nothing as fun as catching prey that's relieved thinking they might survive."

"I-Is that so?"

"Of course."

'Mmm, even I think I sound like a villain with no morals. Good.'

'But it would be a shame to end it here.'

"Watch, like this..."

"Pardon?"

SLASH!

"Where else can you find something as beautiful as the expression reflected in the blade that comes flying in the moment of relief?"

'Thank goodness I have the strength to slice a person's neck even without imbuing mana.'

I coldly stared at the man whose vocal cords had been severed in one stroke, rendering him unable to even make a sound. 'Is it a bit cruel?'

'They're just enemies anyway.'

I retracted the arm I had thrown around the opponent and the dagger held in that hand, wiping the blood off my cheek. Another piece of meat was added to the castle.

"Is Portugal still in that spot?"

"... He went to the ritual site."

"Is that so?"

'Po, Po... Tsk. I wasn't trying to make fun of him, but I seriously can't think of anything other than Portugal.'

Anyway, I recalled the guy who introduced himself as Po-Four-Letters.

'If my memory wasn't wrong, that guy's face was identical to the face the Lord of Zakrati was begging to be killed.'

'However, referring to himself as Po-Four-Letters instead of Bipurit was... hmm. Could it be a new alias or name given among the demon worshipers?'

'I mean, there was also the supplementary explanation of the '72 Knights' attached in front. I can't be sure since there was nothing like this in the original work, but the 72 Knights are probably derived from the 72 Demons of Solomon. Considering the common theme of demons, wouldn't it be roughly correct?'

"Guide me."

"... It is an honor."

"Are there no more of the 72 Knights?"

'Hmm, I'm attaching hypotheses here and there using my experience with fantasy tropes, but there's nothing better than hearing the truth with my own ears.'

I subtly probed for information.

'Sure, even if I wasn't curious about why they were named the 72 Knights, whether there were more enemies of the 72 Knights' caliber in the city was an important matter. Even if I end up having to retry, dying knowing something makes the next attempt easier.'

"Bifrons and Naberius are present."

'So there are more, as expected. I wonder if they're very strong...'

"Originally, Gamygyn and Morax were scheduled to join us as well, but..."

"But?"

"... Those two died in the process of leading the annihilation of a city called Tatara."

'Wait, what did he just say?'

"They died while annihilating the city?"

'Did I... kill named bosses without even realizing it? Of course, considering the scale of the incident that happened there, it makes sense for a named boss or two to have been involved.'

I became dumbfounded, like someone who had just heard that the imitation crab they had mindlessly peeled and eaten in the past because it tasted good was actually made of king crab.

'It's good, but it's somewhat, somewhat a subtle feeling. It's not even like 'There was a named boss, but now there isn't'.'

"Hmm, right... Nothing can be done about those already dead."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Huh? Are you the ones who died there? Why are you apologizing?"

'Still, it's no loss to me.'

I spun the dagger quickly between my fingers. Unlike my face, which bore a smile, my mind was spinning rapidly with complex thoughts.

"Or do you want to die?"

"N-No!"

I gave the terrified guys an extra scare and made a judgment.

'First of all, the 72 Knights are definitely executive-level members of the demon worshipers. Seeing how even those guys serve me as their superior and talk about being Satan's direct subordinates, a Great Demon is of the highest-ranking hierarchy.'

"W-We've arrived."

'The problem arises from a different point.'

'Considering the point where Po-Four-Letters said he was seeking an audience with 'Wrath', and what the Archmage said in the past about the Seven Great Demons and such, the motif of the Great Demons is probably the Seven Deadly Sins.'

'But as I recall, the one in charge of wrath among the Seven Deadly Sins is none other than Satan. Coincidentally, the name of the final of final of final bosses we're targeting is also Satan.'

'... Surely it's not going to be a light novel development like 'I possessed a body with a demon residing in its right arm, but it turns out the demon in the right arm was the final boss', right?'

"Open it."

With my one word, the doors opened. According to the map of the castle I had received, these were the doors leading to the central garden.

However, as a result of the demon worshipers occupying and modifying it, the central garden was no longer a central garden.

"Have you arrived."

It had long since become a slaughterhouse.

'If I hadn't immersed myself in the concept, I might have felt like throwing up a little.'

"The 24th Knight, Naberius, greets the Great One."

"O 'Wrath', it is Bifrons."

I barely managed to tear my eyes away from the scene of the massacre and glanced at the individuals who approached me simultaneously.

Naberius was a very noble-looking handsome young man with pale skin, and Bifrons was a woman with skin full of blemishes.

'At the very least, they are hundreds of millions of light-years away from the impression I got from the wanted poster. These two are not Bipurit.'

'Then Po-Four-Letters must be Bipurit after all. Such characteristics surely wouldn't exist in two people in the world, right?'

"U-Uh."

Separately, as Naberius naturally bowed, Bifrons, who was greeting me casually, started walking on eggshells around me seeing him do so.

'... Did I look like I would kill them if they didn't bow? I kill them if they ask questions, but I don't pick fights over their attitude.'

"It seems you are satisfied with your hunt."

Meanwhile, Po-Four-Letters jumped to conclusions upon seeing the blood smeared all over my cheek. He likely misunderstood again that it was blood that had splattered from killing Lukkwan.

'It's great for me if he does that!'

"The cat hid well, so it was quite worth doing."

'How great would it be if the Mana Rampage lifted right now.' I trembled my lips as I watched them slicing people's necks in real-time and letting the blood flow into an excavated pit.

'If it lifted now, I'd be able to snap the necks of the most dangerous bastards in this region. I'm a bit anxious because it just says 'Cannot use skills' without explicitly stating a time limit for when it will lift.'

"... But what are these?"

I strongly suppressed those emotions and looked around the place thick with the scent of blood. On the opposite side of the hill of corpses were the living, facing their destiny to have their necks sliced and bleed out.

And among them, what particularly caught my eye were those wearing prison guard uniforms.

My heart had sunk wondering if our kids had been dragged here, but that feeling vanished after I checked their faces. I don't know who they are, but our party members definitely aren't here.

That one fact offered me a shallow comfort.

"They're wearing the same clothes as the guys in the hallway."

I asked while firmly stepping on the back of a person in a guard uniform, who was kneeling with their hands tied with a rope. The answer returned from Bifrons.

"They are the ones who dared to disobey our orders, even though we told them to strengthen security because a hero would intrude."

'Does that mean I can interpret it as our kids haven't been caught yet? I really hope so.'

"A hero?"

"It's just foolish people puffing them up and praising them; the core is just a worthless greenhorn."

'... Our Kimchi Dumpling may be a kid with peach fuzz, but her core is firm and sturdy?! How dare she speak so carelessly just because we're the opposing faction. Just you wait. I'll slit your throat first.'

"Is that so?"

I kicked the person I had been firmly stepping on and turned my body.

"That does, catch my interest a bit."

'Spitting out words I didn't mean at all was so familiar that there was nothing to really care about.'

"Then the hero is here..."

Then wait a moment. My gaze landed right behind the (former) guard.

'Fuck. They were small so I just noticed them, but there were kids here. Not mid-to-late teens, but kids who were five or six years old at most.'

'Even an infant.'

"...is here?"

'Did my vision flicker for a moment? Or did it turn red? I felt the sensation of wrath reaching the crown of my head and my neck stiffening for the first time in a very long while.'

'It was a miracle that I even finished the sentence. My neck tensed up stiffly and the corners of my eyes burned. It was the heat of wrath.'

'No, it was a literal flame.'

"I-If you wish, we will capture them immediately."

I tried my best to fix my gaze, which was threatening to turn toward the dark energy bursting out from my right arm. The clear sound of a rupture echoing from afar wasn't even in my consideration.

"No."

'Hold it back, hold it back. If I burst now, what becomes of my acting up till now? It's not like I've played a concept just once or twice.'

'Above all, it's not a situation where I can save all those kids by stabbing these guys here. I don't have the strength to escape with them, nor the strength to wipe out the enemies while protecting them right now.'

"There's no need for that."

'So let's hold back. It's obvious that even if I fight, it'll only harm the kids, so hold back.'

'Hold back.'

"But there's quite a lot of kids?"

'Hold back...'

"T-Those are the sacrifices to be offered to the dragon. As you know, that mighty magical beast is not satisfied with ordinary blood."

'Hold back?'

「※ A special status ailment (Rage) is generated.」

「Rage│Nullifies all active status ailments except Rage, and ignores additional status ailments.

The madness gauge fills up as you perform certain actions.」

The dark energy grew its momentum even further.

'If it's now, I can do anything.'

Majestically enough to even make me think that.