“Please, wait a minute! I’m not your enemy!”
“Sure seems that way to me.”
Uh-oh. It’s starting to seem like we’re gonna have to throw down.
Just then, someone claps sharply.
“Let’s leave it at that for now, shall we? It wouldn’t be any fun for me if things end with the human side getting wiped out here.”
My relief that Wakaba put a stop to the fighting only lasts a moment.
It “wouldn’t be fun…”
Is that seriously the only reason?
“Demon Lord Ariel, your point is perfectly valid. However, you too have turned to reincarnations and the ivory god for help. Surely you can’t claim that argument only applies to humans.”
“…You’re right. I apologize.”
Whatever her reasons, at least it seems like Wakaba convinced the Demon Lord and her people to lay down their arms.
“Yamada, the answer to your request is no. There’s nothing you can offer that would convince me to save that world peacefully.”
“I…I see…”
“However, I will give you a chance.”
All of us who were hanging our heads look up at once.
“That world has been much more pleasant since the reincarnations arrived. The ivory god’s efforts. The Demon Lord Ariel’s decision. The determined struggles of Julius the Hero. The diligent efforts of the Word of God pontiff. The survival strategies for demonkind from the likes of Agner and Balto. And of course, the lives and actions of the reincarnations themselves. They instigated enormous change in a world that had been at a standstill. My little boost was a big success. I really rather enjoyed watching it all unfold.”
Wakaba talks about the events of this world like she’s reviewing plot points from a movie.
“And what’s more, you found the hint I left for you and managed to make it all the way here. Surely that is worthy of a bonus.”
In spite of the positive-sounding statement, an ominous mood fills the air.
It’s a lazily intimidating atmosphere, if not quite a violent one.
Wakaba stands from her chair.
“So here is your bonus stage. I’d like to see you defeat me. If you emerge triumphant, I will save the world for you. Not to worry—I’ll hold back as much as I can, of course. That doesn’t mean I’ll have mercy, though, you understand?”
For a moment, my legs almost give way.
The aura around Wakaba fills me with raw, instinctive fear.
This is it…!
This…feeling!
It’s the same supernatural sense Wakaba gave off in our old lives.
Like you’re gazing into an infinite, hellish abyss.
When we first met the fake Wakaba, I was certainly intimidated by her godlike aura.
I guess you could say it was more divine and immense than the sense I got from Wakaba.
But I still felt like the real Wakaba was scarier.
The fake Wakaba’s presence didn’t feel as darkly unknowable, even if it was strong.
That’s why I knew on instinct that something was wrong.
That it wasn’t really Wakaba.
And now, the real Wakaba is showing us just a glimpse of her power.
Is this seriously what it’s like when she holds back “as much as she can”?
There’s no way we can beat her.
I hear a few whumps and turn to see the pontiff and the demon guy going down.
Looks like they couldn’t handle Wakaba’s powerful presence.
“Pontiff?! Mr. Balto?!”
Hyrince runs over to the two men and calls out to them, with no response.
They must have passed out completely.
“Dammit! What are we supposed to do?!”
“That’s obvious, eh? We shall simply have to fight.”
Old man Ronandt sounds resolute.
Fight? Against that? Are you for real?
“Yes…you’re right. Let’s do this, everyone.”
Shun draws the Sword of the Hero.
Katia and Sue stand on either side of him, while Yuri and Ms. Oka bring up the rear.
Oh, come on!
They’re all raring to go! That means I have to do it, too!
I transform from human form to wyrm form.
Fine, let’s just get this over with!
Besides, when you think about it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to slug Wakaba in the face and get away with it!
At least, I’ve gotta pump myself up like that or I might pass out, too.
“…When you say you’d ‘save the world,’ to what extent do you mean exactly?”
Demon Lord Ariel addresses Wakaba calmly.
“Good point. I should make myself perfectly clear. If you can defeat me, I will keep alive all of the people who would otherwise die when the system was destroyed. I’ll refrain from wiping out half of humanity, too, of course. I shall also supply the rest of the energy needed to restore the world. Ah, yes, and as for Goddess Sariel’s life span…I imagine if she were freed from the system now, she would die immediately. Instead, I will ensure that she stays alive for around the same amount of time as your remaining life span, Demon Lord Ariel.”
That sounds like more than anyone could have hoped for.
The Demon Lord’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Then I suppose we have no choice but to fight, too.”
With that, she rises from her chair.
So she can stand…
But it’s clear at a glance that she’s pushing herself already.
Still, with super-scary allies like Negishi and Sasajima, it’s deeply reassuring to have her on our side.
“Let’s begin, then, shall we?”
For a moment, I don’t understand what’s happening.
All I know is that Shun goes from standing in front of me to getting tackled aside, and Hyrince, who tackled him, crashes backward.
“Huh?”
I barely recognize the idiotic-sounding voice as my own.
Looking down at Hyrince, I see him crumpled on the ground with a giant hole in his chest.
Clearly, he must have died instantly.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll hold back, but I won’t have mercy.”
Wakaba shakes out her right hand, scattering blood everywhere.
It’s only then that I finally understand that her right hand must have pierced Hyrince’s heart.
“By the way, if you were to convert my current strength into stats, I’d say they’re around a hundred and fifty thousand each. See? Very generous of me to hold back so much, isn’t it?”
That’s easily a hundred times stronger than the average human.
We don’t stand a chance in hell.
My heart was already broken before the battle even began.