The bluish-white beam made a high-pitched whine as it shot out in a sharp, straight line, engulfing Beelzé in light. The lighthouse behind him was completely destroyed; not a trace was left behind.
“Th-That isn’t true! I’ve had so many amazing meals! There isn’t a single dish in this world that you know and I don’t!”
The shield around Beelzé was still intact, and I heard his screaming voice from the other side of its thin wall as the beam raged on.
“Tell me, you damn human! What in the hell is it, the food that you’re talking about? Let me eat it, damn it!”
“Even if you escaped, you’d never have the chance to taste it! Not in your whole life!”
I dropped the shield. Beelzé’s complete annihilation took only a split second, not even long enough for me to hear his death throes.
Dopamine from the beam was flooding my brain. I almost wanted to stay there and continue firing it, but Oltea and the others were waiting, worried about me. Besides, the crackling noises would likely have awoken the townspeople. Seeing the devil flies push against the pallid glow of the shield would surely have brought to mind the stampede, spreading the dread and terror that came with that association and leaving them trembling.
I need to get back to town and reassure everyone!
I ended the stream of Death Beam and used Jet Beam to fly to high ground. Dropping the shield that had covered the town like a parasol as I flew along, I saw that a throng of onlookers had formed at the base of the sloped road connecting the town to the mansion.
A wave of monsters closing in would have driven the citizens of most towns to hide in their homes, but this was the city where Monstro had stopped the horde in the past. Seeking salvation, the people had gathered to go to the mansion for Monstro’s help.
There, at the bottom of the slope, was Monstro, awaiting my return and laboring to soothe the crowd. Spotting Oltea and the others near him, I headed their way first. Oltea raised her gaze at the light cast by Jet Beam and saw me. Her face broke into an enthusiastic smile.
“Welcome back, Kaito!” she said.
“You’re safe!” Frieze said.
“Are you injured?!” asked Tigaro.
All three of them spoke over each other. I responded with a cheerful disposition: “I’m back! And I’m fine, as you can see.”
“I’m so glad! That’s the Kaito I know!”
“What can I say? I’m tough!” I said, affecting an air of calm so as not to exacerbate Tigaro’s anxiety. In truth, one mistake and I’d have lost completely rather than returning with an injury.
I could have taken Beelzé by surprise right from the start by attacking from the sky, but I’d had to be sure of the soundness of my objective—I’d had to know that Monstro wasn’t trying to betray us. The moment that I fired Death Beam at Beelzé’s response had confirmed his hostility.
Even so, Beelzé hadn’t counterattacked when I missed the first time. Had he done so, I would certainly have been killed right then and there.
The cause of Beelzé’s defeat, ultimately, had been his interest in the light cast by my beam. It did not have as much of an effect on him as it did on the devil flies, but he nonetheless shared their trait. The light of the beam had captivated Beelzé.
“Mr. Sword Saint! Mr. Sword Saint! What happened to the devil flies?!”
“Did they fly off somewhere else?! Are they still a threat?!”
“The stampede... Has the stampede...finally resumed?”
It seemed that Monstro had told the townspeople that the Sword Saint had gone to meet the threat. The crowd around him pushed its way toward me, its numerous representatives making inquiries in uneasy voices.
I gave everyone a reassuring smile.
“The culprit, the Demon King of the South, who had more than ten thousand devil flies at his command, has been defeated by my hands! Never again shall the stampede come!” I said, raising my voice so that the people far away in the rear of the crowd could still hear my proclamation. The moment the words left my mouth, a cheer of jubilation rose up from the people. Everyone was experiencing joy from the bottom of their heart, but none more than Monstro, who had suffered terror at the hands of Beelzé for thirty straight years.
Overcome with emotion, he dissolved into tears. With his face still disheveled, Monstro delightedly grabbed my hand and held it firmly. Though he was choked up and could form no words, his gratitude came through loud and clear.
“Thank you! Thank you! You didn’t just block the stampede, you defeated the root of all evil... Thanks to you, the town is saved! To think I’d live to see a day like this, it’s... Really, truly, I don’t even know how to express my gratitude...”
Over and over, Monstro bowed his head, and I continued to smile at him all the while.
“Don’t worry about it. I was just protecting my friends. From now on, you just need to keep serving this town as mayor. Do your best to make it a safe place to live,” I said, smiling and encouraging him. He looked back at me and smiled with his entire face.
“From now on I’ll cook for everyone to raise their spirits! That’s how I’ll contribute to making this town a safe, harmonious city!”
“Are you going to open a restaurant?” I asked.
“Yes! I’ve dreamed about doing that forever! So...” Monstro turned and bowed to his maids. “Please, from now on, will you help me cook?”
The maids, seeing their boss bow in deference to them, exchanged bewildered looks. Nervously, Chestnut spoke up first.
“We don’t know much about cooking, but...you won’t get upset if we go into the kitchen?”
“Absolutely not! I wouldn’t even think of it! If you want to learn, I can even teach you how to cook. Just like in the past, when...when my father was alive. I want that again. I want to cook with someone again!” Monstro said.
As the sincerity of his request sank in, the maids all began to smile.
“We would be delighted to be allowed to assist you!”
“Ahh, Ahh! Please do!” he said, delighted. After a short pause, he continued, “Tigaro, if it’s all right with you, please come and share a meal with me sometime.”
The last time Monstro had said that, after showing Tigaro hospitality, he’d ended up trying to kill her. Knowing this, he spoke timidly and without confidence, but...perhaps sensing the genuine nature of Monstro’s apology, Tigaro awkwardly scratched at her cheek and replied, “Instead of saying ‘sometime,’ just eat with me today. I mean...your food was really delicious, so...”
Oltea and Frieze nodded with an “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!” to signal their assent.
“Mouth-wateringly good! I wish I could eat like that every day!” said Oltea.
“If I started each morning with a meal like that, I bet I’d feel fantastic all day!” said Frieze.
“If you don’t mind, then, may we impose on your hospitality?” I asked cheerfully.
Seeing all of our smiling faces, Monstro looked back at us as a delighted grin of his own spread across his face.
“Yes, of course! I will do my absolute best to accommodate you!”