༺ Total War ༻
“Heuheung…”
“………”
Ruby-colored eyes met azure-colored eyes.
“What brings you here? Ms. Disciple of the Magic Tower Master?”
Among the two girls glaring at each other for a while, Ruby spoke first.
“What urgent matter brings you here on your own feet like this… I mean, what could make you come find me?”
Eyes narrowed like a crescent moon, Ruby asked as her expression changed a bit. Glare, who had been glaring at her fiercely, replied.
“I want to talk with you alone.”
“Pardon?”
“So, please send anyone unrelated out.”
Roswyn’s eyes widened, and she mumbled timidly.
“I-I’m also related in…”
However, she couldn’t finish her sentence.
“Ugh…”
Two things kept her from speaking: the fear of not knowing what might happen if she didn’t leave and her doubts about whether someone like her had the right to claim any connection to him.
‘W-wouldn’t I just become a burden if I stay? But what about that little girl? She is even younger than me…’
“Hurry…!”
“Eh…ack…!”
Glare pushed a trembling Roswyn out of the door, making her lose balance and tumble outside.
“Go downstairs to the first floor!”
“Hey…”
As Glare turned her head toward her, Roswyn handed over the scrolls with a pale and terrified expression. However…
“I also have plenty of those! I can use magic without scrolls! It’s dangerous here, so please go downstairs!”
“Ah…”
– Thud…!
Glare glanced briefly at it and closed the door forcefully.
– Crackle…
“M-Master said to do it this way… W-Well, it’s done.”
After sealing the entrance with a clumsy but powerful spell, she took a deep breath and turned around.
“Oh my… you’re so cute…”
To her surprise, Ruby suddenly stood up from the bed and approached her.
“You’re the first brat I’ve seen who wants to destroy herself this badly after Fr—the Hero…”
“The Hero’s… enemy.”
“Yes, that’s right. I am, indeed, the enemy and old rival of the Hero.”
Ruby had exposed her true self.
“You must already know what kind of being I am, right?”
Her eyes were still shining with ruby-red color, and two horns—one of which was damaged—were slowly extending from her head. Next, wings sprouted from her back, and a swaying tail emerged behind her.
It was unmistakably the appearance of someone from the demon race.
And if anyone had even a slight interest in the history of the empire, they would have recognized that the form Ruby had assumed was that of a being who could be considered the king among the demon race.
“The Demon King…”
Glare had diligently studied history to assist her savior, the Hero.
“I can’t believe I have to show my true form to a woman…”
– Ssk…
“Oh my, are you trying to break my horns again?”
With a coy demeanor and a gently swaying tail, Ruby swiftly slapped Glare’s hand when she reached out quietly.
– Syasyak…
The horns on her head disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“…Tsk.”
Glare, frowning, quietly assumed a combat stance.
“So, what brings you here?”
While continuing to gaze at Glare affectionately, the Demon King asked in a low voice.
“Did you come because you wanted to see me?”
“I came to prevent innocent sacrifices.”
“Hmm?”
“Weren’t you trying to kill the woman who was here just a moment ago?”
When Glare asked this question with an uncharacteristically fierce expression, Ruby smirked and mumbled.
“It seems like you have a way to monitor my every move?”
“…Ugh.”
Glare flinched involuntarily.
“Indeed… Act tough all you want, but you’re still a brat.”
The Demon King whispered in a low voice.
“I acknowledge your potential and magical power, but you still are far too lacking in experience.”
“Shut… up. Don’t be quick to judge…”
“Just the fact that you came here now should be enough for judgment, don’t you think?”
When Ruby said that, Glare tilted her head.
“You haven’t met the Hero yet, have you?”
“No, I’ve already met—”
“You lie.”
Ruby interrupted Glare’s attempt to answer, looking at her with a cold gaze as she spoke.
“If you had met the Hero… you wouldn’t have come here alone.”
“What… do you mean by that?”
When Glare cautiously asked that, Ruby smiled with a chilling grin. The atmosphere around the Demon King had changed a bit.
“He would have detailed the danger I pose to you.”
“…..!”
Suddenly, a complex magic circle appeared around the Demon King.
“Do you think you can make fun of me just because one of my horns was cut?”
“Shut up your trap…”
Glare sweated nervously as she observed the unfamiliar spell. She couldn’t recognize it with her magical prowess. Let alone withstand the attack now, she wasn’t even sure she could have defended herself against it with her master present. She eventually raised her hand.
– Tak!
– Crash…!
When she snapped her hand, one of the unknown spells surrounding the Demon King shattered.
“Did you just destroy the magic itself?”
“………”
“It turns out you’re quite impressive! Even this body can’t do that. What in the world is your actual identity?”
The Demon King was smiling with joy.
“But… there’s a weakness in that ability of yours.”
Glare, however, didn’t have the luxury to smile like Ruby.
“That ability doesn’t matter, as it can only destroy one target at a time.”
“Ugh.”
Glare frowned at that statement.
– Kugwagwagwagwa…!!!
The Demon King’s spells began activating one after another.
“Heaaaaab!!”
At the same time, rushing toward the Demon King, Glare gathered mana in her hand and shouted.
“I can also cast magic just as much as I want!”
Magic circles appeared around Glare.
The magic circles she had created with her innate talent were so complex that even most adult mages would have taken over an hour to create something similar.
“And, after all…”
– Zzap…! Zzzip…!
She stared directly at the Demon King and spoke as she watched her magic circles activate and emit powerful light.
“…I don’t think you can attack me, can you?”
At the same time, lasers shot out from Glare’s magic circles, all aimed at the Demon King.
– Kugwagwagwang!
As a result, there was a massive explosion in the empty hospital room.
“…Cough, cough.”
Ruby and Glare—who should not resort to physical attacks against others— had set up protective barriers and soundproofing spells to keep the hospital room intact. However, they could do nothing about the lingering smoke and dust cloud.
“Ugh…”
And the sounds of coughing and groaning…
“H-how could…”
“Pfft… Hehehe…”
Unlike last time, Glare inevitably plunged to the floor.
“Cough…”
Covered in bruises, Glare quietly lifted her head to gaze at the Demon King, blood trickling from her mouth,
“Why? You can’t understand what just happened?”
With a smile, Ruby pointed to herself.
“Even if I do this?”
“…..!”
Layer upon layer of spells become visible on her body.
They were similar to the many complex spells that had been around the Demon King before.
“Could it be…”
“It’s just a simple reflection spell, isn’t it? I just twisted elementary magic into the language of the demon race.”
Only then did Glare realize what had happened, and her eyes began to tremble.
“Therefore, I didn’t attack. I was just ‘defending.’ Even a reflection is a legitimate defense, my dear.”
Ruby spoke in a teasing manner to Glare.
“Besides, I didn’t aim the reflection directly at you; I simply caused random deflections. You just happened to get hit by that blind attack.”
“Egeuk…”
“Well, that’s it. That’s why you should have attacked. As you know, unless I use tricks like this, I can’t ‘attack’ you.”
With a shrug, Ruby looked at Glare and spoke as if she was mocking her.
“So, it’s time for you to go home, you brat.”
“Don’t… make me laugh…”
“Or you can submit to me and become my subordinate.”
Glare’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing those words.
“It’s your second chance, which even the Hero hasn’t received yet. Accept it before it’s too late.”
“……….”
Ruby, who spoke to Glare gently, added with a cold expression.
“Do you think the Hero can win against me?”
Along with the cynical tone, a system window appeared in front of Glare.
< The Probability of The Hero and Allies Beating the Demon King (Current) >
[0%]
Glare glanced at the number that hadn’t changed since the night she had first awakened the Helper System.
< The Probability of The Hero Winning After Successfully Awakening the Armament While Facing Death Together with the Demon King is [50%] (Subject to Real-Time Fluctuations). >
< The Probability of The Hero Achieving a Happy Ending… >
“Things like that aren’t my concern.”
Without paying attention to the text below, she muttered in a low voice.
“Because I’m going to defeat you.”
Glare, with a fierce expression, once again rushed at the Demon King.
“Puhehehe…”
Watching Glare acting like that, the Demon King calmly smiled and mumbled in a low voice.
“As expected, it’s easy to handle kids.”
And so, the long and fierce battle between Glare and the Demon King began.
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Meanwhile, in the vast courtyard of the church.
“Hm-hm~! Hm-hm~!”
Ferloche was strolling while carrying a backpack and with a dove on her shoulder, humming to herself.
“Today~! The weather is so lovely!!”
She shouted like that even though there was no one around.
“It’s such a wonderful day for a walk!”
“Gugu.”
“Hng? Gugu?”
Suddenly, Gugu, on her shoulder, started pecking at Ferloche’s forehead.
“Gu!”
“Ouch, ack. You can’t do that! It hurts! Ack.”
“Gugu!!”
“I-I’m your owner! I can also peck you back!”
In broad daylight, facing Gugu’s attack, Ferloche closed her eyes and raised her fingers in a bird-like beak gesture. She began to fight the bird by swinging them.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide.
“Gugu.”
“I’m sorry…”
With a gentle smile, Ferloche started stroking Gugu’s head.
“…Gulp.”
She swallowed saliva, and her face tensed considerably as she headed somewhere.
“Ms. Ferloche, why are you here…?”
“Saintess, it’s dangerous here…”
She was heading to the underground chamber of the church.
“I have something to attend to here for a moment!”
It was an underground chamber that no one had ever come nearby after she and Frey had entered, and the entrance was now under the management of the bishops.
“Saintess, what kind of business do you possibly have to attend to in this place…”
“Gugu!”
As the bishop who managed the entrance approached with a somewhat troubled but benevolent smile, Ferloche smiled brightly and spoke to Gugu on her shoulder.
“…Extract the soul.”
“Gu!”
She wore a facial expression that no one had seen before, and then she slowly moved toward the entrance to the underground chamber.
– Kugugugugu…
As if the underground chamber welcomed her, it began to shake violently.
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