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| ← Ch.155 | Ch.157 → |
Part 3
Through several shots of magic, the fourth Holy Knight was defeated.
──They were surprisingly disappointing.
As he thought, being around level 100, even if they gathered up, it would be something like this.
The Head of the Holy Knights Baduta, and the Faltra Feudal Lord Galford were extraordinary, and the other Holy Knights didn't have the ability to fight against Diablo.
Guryuun from before was pretty strong but......
At any rate, the Holy Knights wouldn't be standing up anymore.
The Holy Knights were the strongest Warriors that protected the Church──the believers who depended on that leaked out voices of despondency and screams.
Diablo raised a loud laughter.
「Fuーha ha ha! What's wrong? Is that the end? So that means that it's about time that I destroy you all with my magic, doesn't it!?」
──Right here!
Thinking that, Diablo flourished his mantle, the 《Call of Darkness》.
It had an effect of bestowing 《Fear》 to all enemies.
Since this was his first time using it in this other world, he didn't know what kind of change would happen but......
The believers wept, wailed, and despaired. It changed into a phase of pandemonium.
──The effect was a bit too strong, maybe?
Diablo pointed his magic staff towards the Inner Court. The real target was this. He needed to make the White Mask bunch make a move.
The White Masks that watched the fighting from the window felt that they themselves were made into targets, and trembled.
They ran further inside.
Since the Inner Court was floating, they couldn't escape easily.
Something like a slow moving floating corridor, Diablo could at them all he liked.
He had no intention of really breaking it though......
However, if the believers only trembled like this, he had no intention of waiting until morning.
Was it about time that a more powerful attack was needed?
But, if he were to make a mistake and hit Lumachina......
While he was thinking about this and that, the believers started making an uproar.
「Ooo...... High Chief Priest-sama!」
He heard that sort of voice.
Diablo aimed the lighting made through magic, and searched for the source of the uproar.
He found it.
「Lumachina!」
He unintentionally shouted.
She appeared at the balcony where the Holy Knights were collapsed.
There were White Mask believers around her. They probably brought Lumachina out from the confession room.
She looked up at Diablo with a serious expression.
「So this, is the result of our actions, is it?」
It was a stiff voice.
Was he hated?
He did indiscriminately wreck the important Inner Court and made several Holy Knights unable to battle, so that was only natural.
Having cold eyes turned towards him from a companion was tougher than he expected, but this was the best hand that he could think of.
──The real thing starts here!
The main actors were finally assembled.
In truth, he wanted to call out the bunch of the Cardinal Institute like Bishos, but since the believers didn't take them out, it couldn't be helped.
For the time being, he decided to make a retort about that.
Doing everything that could be done, that's what a Demon King──No, that is what a Gamer does.
「Kukuku...... High Chief Priest, so you've finally come out! What about the bunch of the Cardinal Institute!? The bunch that usually act so high and mighty!?」
One of the White Masks answered Diablo's query.
「Th...... they're not here............ 」
His voice trembled.
「What was that?」
「Uuu...... Everyone of the Cardinal Institute, while the Holy Knight-samas were fighting against the Demon King...... Th, they, escaped the Inner Court! They, aren't here, anymore!!」
He announced that as if he were throwing up blood.
「You, is that true...... !?」
「Whether the other party is the Demon King or not, I would never tell a lie!」
Shouting that, the man took off his white mask. So he was making it clear that the responsibility for his words was his own by exposing his face.
「I was told by everyone of the Cardinal Institute that it would be useless to reveal it to others! However, I want to tell everyone! They ran away from the Inner Court! Leaving us behind...... Only they themselves separated from the Inner Court!」
The stirring from the believers, more than when Diablo fired powerful magic, more than when the Holy Knights were defeated, it had become way louder than those times.
The bunch of the Cardinal Institute were trashier than he expected.
──They're trash that even a hikikomori would draw away from them.
When the Holy Knights were still fighting, to think that they would run away in the middle of that fight.
As expected, even Diablo didn't pay attention to the bottom of the Inner Court in the middle of battle.
Someone jumped out from the window.
A large dragonfly──It was the Summoned Beast 《Dragonfly》!
The one who grabbed onto that and descended from the Inner Court was a young black haired girl──It was Rem. Rather than saying she was descending, it was speed as if she were falling. It was something the nimble her could do.
For Rem to make a move with this timing, she was most likely chasing after the bunch of the Cardinal Institute. He decided to leave that to her.
Diablo needed to continue his all-out performance.
「Kukukukukuku...... Fuーha ha ha! Foolish! You all, while revering God, you did not even try to unravel those words, and revered despicable bastards that would abandon their companions and try to run away at a time of crisis. You have lost the genuine faith!」
「And because of that, you have descended as the Demon King, is that it?」
Lumachina came with that inquiry.
Finally, the form of 『High Chief Priest VS Demon King』 was made.
Things went well up to here.
──Yoーsh, here is where I "lose" in a showy way!
Everything was part of Diablo's strategy.
Defeating the Holy Knights, a Demon King strong enough to make the Cardinal Institute run away (that part was unexpected though) attacked, and the High Chief Priest would repel that.
The believers would come to realise just who was the true top of the Church──it was that sort of plan.
Since Lumachina was straightforward, she probably wouldn't notice the aim of Diablo's performance at all.
However, if he used attack magic on those who were watching, she should risk her life to protect the surrounding people.
After that, Diablo would drop lightning or something on himself, and pretend to be defeated.
──It's perfect.
He unintentionally started singing his own praises.
In order to make Lumachina's achievement something big, there was a need to make them understand the fearsomeness of a Demon King.
Diablo hoisted up his magic staff.
「O fools who purport yourselves to be believers, you all should have noticed...... It is not about who said it. What is important is what is being said! Believing in the suspicious words of the Cardinal Institute because it was convenient for your own benefit, you kept away from righteous words! That is mere foolishness! While saying that you revere God, to think that you would show contempt for God's will, and dye your hands in injustice!」
The believers shouted.
「You're wrong! We were deceived!」「That's right, I'm not to blame!」「What would the Demon King know!?」
Certainly, they were deceived.
There was room for sympathy but...... This was where he would mentally drive them into a corner. Doing that would make their feelings of gratitude stronger when they were saved.
「Kukuku...... Deception, is it. You all did not try to know the truth. Running away from the heaviest asceticism called "thinking for yourself", and being attracted by words where you could easily obtain reassurance, you supported scoundrels. If this isn't sacrilege towards God, then what is it!??」
Many of the believers hung their heads down.
They knew that Lumachina had thrust out evidence of misdeeds. In spite of that, they were incited by Bishos, and incarcerated her.
Now that the Cardinal Institute was established a bunch of scoundrels, the emotion they harbored was regret. Knocking them down wasn't difficult.
Diablo made a declaration.
「Not closely examining the words of the ones that you live under, and entrusting the judgement to other people, that is sin you all have committed!」
A majority of the people got down on their knees and started to confess to God.
Or, they voiced out apologies to the High Chief Priest.
So the preliminary arrangements were sufficient.
Diablo turned his gaze towards Lumachina.
「I am the Demon King...... I will pass judgement upon you all who have lost your faith towards God. All of you, equally──Die. 」
The believers raised screams.
Lumachina came remonstrating him──or that's how it should have been.
She nodded.
「I understand. 」
──Hueh? Why, what did she understand?
The plan that should have been perfect, was distorted. He heard the sound of a gear getting out of place.
Lumachina started talking with a well-projected voice so that the believers could hear.
「Everyone, please listen.
Diablo-sama is──Both the Demon King, as well as Kami-sama.
We have received a judgement. We were bestowed the truth, and our piety was tested.
The result...... is unfortunately as you all have heard...... Many people committed mistakes.
And now, the time for atonement has come.
Everyone shall equally ascend to the heavens.
I shall come as well, if that will become salvation for the soul.
However, you must not despair at this judgement. There is nothing to grieve and moan for.
As for why, it is because what you have been granted is salvation.
Kami-sama loves the people.
Even if your current body is destroyed, that just means you will be given a chance to atone. It means you will be given a new life to start from pure white. It means that your soul will be purified.
Do not feel grief, but gratitude......
The great trial, it taught us of our errors, and was there in order to make us take the correct first step.
All of the ones that are here, will be one step closer to Kami-sama's great will.
A blessing.
A blessing, to new life!
Won't you offer thanks for the start of our new life, and go forth together!」
The believers cried.
They were deeply moved and were sobbing.
Even Diablo felt like he was going to carelessly be deeply moved.
──That's wrooooong!! At this rate, I'll end up having to massacre the believers, won't I!
For the end of his Demon King role play to be a mass genocide, he couldn't laugh at that at all.
Diable felt sweat coming out.
His breathing became rough.
What was going around inside his head was nothing but the phrase "crap crap crap crap crap......"
He couldn't possibly kill them.
However, the believers were already convinced that they would be brought to salvation through Diablo killing them.
And he couldn't turn Lumachina's words into lies. If he were to do that, then the Church would lose its leader for sure this time.
The Church was one of the pillars that supported the Lifelia Kingdom.
In the west, it's said that the real Demon King was awakened──If the national polity were disordered at a time like this, even the defeat of the Races was possible.
The Races would perish due to his Demon King role play!?
He was thoroughly worried to the point that smoke could come out from his head.
Diablo, he went and──
「Fuuーhaーhaーhaー! Well done! You have done well to have arrived at my true intentions!」 laughed.
This was no longer calculated.
It was an escape through discussion. In other words, he would talk his way out!
Diablo rattled on with a vigor that would not allow rebuttals.
「My true intentions, they have certainly been transmitted! I had waited for you all to accept your own sins, repent for them, and believe in my divine love! That is it! The emotions that are currently whirling about in your hearts! That, is true piety!」
──A stretch? Was it a stretch? No matter how you look at it, they figured it out, didn't they!?
*Chira* Diablo looked at the believers with one eye.
He had resolved himself to see cold, reproachful eyes but...... The believers were choked with tears of gratitude. Their tears came flowing out, and they unanimously gave praise to God.
「Ooo, O God! Glory be!」
All of them had clear and pure eyes.
It looked like a lie, but they completely believed it. Amazingly.
One of the believers that was overcome with emotion started to shout out a religious song. That voice spread, and then others also started to sing a song that glorified God.
Lumachina knelt down on the slanted balcony.
「Ahh, Kami-sama...... I, can feel Kami-sama's love to the point of trembling!」
──I can also feel the dangerousness of this to the point of trembling!
It was the right time.
The moment to quit was essential.
He slowly rose up to the sky.
「Take this to heart! People, should you repeat your mistake, it shall be at that time, where I shall burn this earth with a crimson hellfire!」
There was no need for him to be impatient, but if he were to be too slow, it wouldn't be very good as a performance.
This was his first time thinking so much about God.
──God's exit, at what speed should it be at!?
The boots he had equipped, the 《Empty Sky's Dance》, consumed his MP, and was exhibiting an effect of Flight Magic. That was fine, but he hadn't tested out just how much altitude he could get out of it. It was probably impossible to get as far as the clouds. Going at random, he headed east.
The dark clouds cleared away.
The obstructed moonlight brightly illuminated the plaza.
A streak of light stretched out. It looked as if it were a path that continued on to heaven.
| ← Ch. 155 | Ch. 157 → |