†
Having received a summons, Diablo, Rem, and Shera made their way to the 《Observatory》... after putting their clothes on, of course.
“Oh, you’re finally alive, huh, Diablo? ♪” Sylvie called out to him.
“Good morning, Boss!” Horn raised her hand in greeting.
“M-Mm,” Diablo uttered.
“Hehehe... How was it?” Shera asked, sticking out her tongue bashfully.
“It was overkill,” he replied.
Looking at her tongue reminded him of the intense kiss they shared earlier, so he averted his gaze. Rem stood there with her gauntlets on her hands and her summon crystals lined up on her belt. Looking around, Diablo noted everyone else was likewise armed. Even Lumachina, much to his surprise.
“What’s going on?” Diablo asked, his expression turning severe.
“We’re all coming along,” Lumachina replied.
“Fools,” Diablo refused the idea curtly.
The most people Diablo ever really traveled with were Rem and Shera, and Lumachina was the High Priest, of all people.
“Lord Diablo, I hear you intend to charge the castle and defeat the enemy army’s commander?”
“Mm.”
“The Paladins and old priests all say there’s no other way of turning this war around. The difference in numbers is hopeless, and should they attack us again, we likely won’t be able to push them back.”
Diablo remained silent. Indeed, while Diablo fought off the Magimatic Sols, defensive lines crumbled elsewhere. If it weren’t for Rem’s presence, the capital could very well have fallen yesterday.
“Even if we hole up in the Inner Sanctum, the Empire’s soldiers are bound to attack us eventually. In which case, we would be better off offering you our assistance. Would we really be that much of a burden to you?”
“...Diablo, Lumachina’s healing and protective prayers are powerful,” Rem spoke up. “And she’s familiar with the castle, too.”
“I’ll keep her safe!” Horn chimed in, raising a hand into the air enthusiastically.
Diablo was opposed to the idea, but their suggestion did make sense. If Diablo thought that keeping the Inner Sanctum was that important, he’d be better off staying to begin with.
Can I really protect all of them, though...?
Most of the magic he’d learned was offensive spells, and he had nothing in his arsenal to protect the whole party. As anxious as he was, his Demon Lord’s dignity stopped him from putting that concern into words. And besides, given the situation, no place was truly safe.
Diablo, Rem, Shera, Sylvie, Lumachina, and Horn — a party of six. And while Diablo never tried it in this world, the Teleportation spell could transport a maximum of six people.
“Hmph... You must obey my orders,” Diablo said, rising from the sofa. “If you cannot do that, I will take none of you with me.”
“...I obey your orders no matter what to begin with, Diablo,” Rem said, placing a hand over her neck.
“Same, same!” Shera said, pinching her enslavement collar between her fingers.
Diablo could hear the invisible chain clank.
“Roger, Boss!” Horn said, giving her best impression of a military salute.
“Opposing your word and gospel would never cross my mind, Lord Diablo,” Lumachina said, bringing her hands together as if in prayer.
“Haven’t you become the dependable leader, Diablo ♪” The last one remaining and the one sitting the furthest back, Sylvie, crossed her arms and nodded.
Perhaps she was the most suited to be the leader here, given that she was the guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, but... A Demon Lord was, technically, a lord. Diablo pointed the Tenma’s Staff to the floor.
“I will now Teleport into Castle Grandiose and engage the enemy! If we defeat the enemy commander, Doriadanph, and free the Magimatic Sol pilots, the enemy army should collapse.”
“...And we must rescue Alicia, too,” Rem nodded.
“Are we gonna attack now instead of waiting for nightfall, Diablo?” Sylvie asked.
“Mm.”
This world had no electricity or fluorescent lamps, so it really was pitch-dark come nightfall. Elves and Pantherians had good night vision, but if they were to attack during the night, Diablo was susceptible to surprise attacks. He can’t fire spells at an opponent he can’t see, after all.
These were all things Diablo cared little for when he was just a gamer, but since coming to this world, experience taught him that fighting at night was dangerous.
“All right, let’s charge in!” Horn said, pumping her fist into the air. “Let’s go, let’s do this!”
“There’s someplace we must stop in first,” Diablo said.
“Huh?!” Horn flinched as her gusto popped like a balloon.
Ignoring her, Diablo cast his spell.
“Teleport!”
†
They were somewhere dark and dim. The torches on the walls flickered, making the shadows frolic. It was the 《Demon Lord’s Labyrinth》 — the very depths of the dungeon designed to strike terror into the hearts of anyone who entered it. It was an eerie, ominous, and overbearing place.
“Wooow, we haven’t been here in forever!” Shera exclaimed.
“The Demon Lord’s Labyrinth! It’s been so long! It’s as creepy as ever!” Horn said, hopping excitedly.
“...Oh. So this is where,” Rem shrugged.
“It really is quite the nostalgic place...” Lumachina said, narrowing her eyes as if harkening back to some distant memory.
Diablo realized that these were, indeed, the party members he cleared this dungeon with. It gave him a bit of a mixed feeling. While he did understand where they were coming from, he’d have preferred it if they treated this place with the terror and horror it demanded as opposed to some odd sort of nostalgia...
Not that his intent was to scare them or anything, but...
They could at least pretend to be scared. Out of courtesy.
But among the group, there was one person who was visiting this place for the first time.
“Whoaaa?!” Sylvie cried out with her eyes wide in shock. “What is this place, a Demon Lord’s castle?!”
That’s it! Diablo looked at her with his eyes positively sparkling. That’s the reaction I wanted! A hundred points and a good girl sticker for you, Sylvie!
Diablo couldn’t help but grin.
“...Calm yourself, Sylvie,” Rem said calmly. “This is Diablo’s personal dungeon. We’re not in any danger here.”
“Wow, this place belongs to you?!” Sylvie asked in surprise.
“Mm,” Diablo nodded in affirmation.
“This is awesome! I thought we were in the 《Demon Lord’s Throne Room》!”
Straight A’s, Sylvie.
Diablo did design this room after the Demon Lord’s Throne Room’s official design.
“You’ve seen the Demon Lord’s Throne Room?” he asked.
Sylvie’s eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth, as if realizing she’d just blurted out something she shouldn’t have. Everyone else eyed her curiously.
“If I recall, the former Demon Lord was overthrown thirty-one years ago,” Lumachina said pensively. “Only six heroes reached the Demon Lord’s Throne Room in the depths of the Demon Lord’s castle... Or so the texts state.”
“You’re one diligent student, Lumachina,” Sylvie said with a forced smile.
“It’s the Church’s role to make sure history is passed down to the people.”
“Wait, huh?” Horn said, pointing at Sylvie. “So if you saw the Demon Lord’s Throne Room, that means you’re...”
“Ahaha...” Sylvie chuckled.
“You’re Alan, the Hero?!”
Sylvie fell backwards from exasperation.
“Of course I’m not! Don’t imply I’m anything like that weirdo!”
“Wait, you know Alan the Hero?!” Rem pressed on her.
“Fine, fine. I’ll talk,” Sylvie waved her hand, as if to signal that she’d thrown in the towel. “But you can’t go flapping your mouths about this, okay? No one else can know.”
She then removed a golden ring somewhere from what little fabric she wore and put it on her finger. The ring had a crest of wings etched onto it.
“...I’m actually the Hero Alan’s fifth companion.”
“Huuuuuuh?!” Shera and Horn exclaimed at once.
Rem looked aghast, and Lumachina brought her hands to her mouth in shock. Everyone looked surprised, and while Diablo looked as if he knew it all along... He was just as surprised as they were.
“It’s a story from back when I was younger,” Sylvie scratched her cheek shyly. “I haven’t gotten a chance to fight, recently, so I decided I’d focus on rearing up the next generation.”
“So Sylvie is a false name, yes?” Lumachina asked.
“Ah... Well, yeah... But being called by my old name feels kinda funny at this point.”
“E-Erm!” Horn leaned forward. “So what’s the Hero Alan doing?! Where is he now?!”
“I don’t know that, either. Last thing we did is go around to give our regards to all the people who helped us on our journey, and then when we had a celebration feast in the castle, Alan just up and disappeared. And I haven’t heard a word about him since.”
“Huuuh?!”
“Well, Alan was pretty weird. Probably traveling around some other country at this point. If nothing else, I’m pretty sure Alan’s still alive.”
“...There are quite a few stories surrounding the Hero Alan,” Rem appended. “It’s said he changed his name and appearance, and is still traveling to save people.”
“Who’s to say? Before leaving, Alan told me, ‘It’s about time I go back.’”
“...Go back? I’d assume that means his hometown.”
“Nah. Alan’s hometown was attacked by the Fallen and destroyed.”
“...The records say that, too.”
He was the sole survivor of a Fallen attack on his village. The knights saved him, after which he came under the tutelage of many great teachers, gathered a group of wonderful companions, and went on a long journey that culminated with the defeat of the Demon Lord.
But what happened then?
“Alan’s face was known across the country, but there was no report of someone seeing him after that. Where could he have gone?”
No one could answer that question. Sylvie then looked at Diablo.
“It’s a mystery. In that regard, he’s kind of like you, Diablo. We don’t know where you came from.”
Diablo panicked a bit, and then waved off her question.
“I am no hero, but a Demon Lord from another world! Do not draw any comparisons between me and him.”
‘It’s about time I go back.’
A hero that appeared in a land on the verge of ruin at the hands of a Demon Lord. He displayed surprising growth and defeated the Demon Lord with power one could never imagine from someone of the races. And once peace settled over the land, he disappeared without a trace.
It feels like a hero in an RPG.
This world was quite similar to Cross Reverie, but it also had many points where it differed from the game. Diablo suspected this world might have served as an inspiration for the game. And if it did, there could have been other people who visited this world as game characters.
But the sound of footsteps clicking against the stone floor pulled Diablo out of his thoughts. A girl approached them from within the darkness. It was Rose, the Magimatic Maid.
“Welcome home, Master,” Rose bowed deeply.