Kuro no Maou

"Please call me first... Now, go ahead, go ahead..."

It is the little old man with the thin lines who urges Pekopeko and me to take seats if I do. I'm bigger than the first minute of my life, and I can see over my head that I've missed him a lot.

In addition to the frightening atmosphere that I am likely to start crying and begging for my life, I have the impression that I am suddenly an inexplicable salarier who has been told to retard because of my old man's appearance and his slightly noticeable black-edge glasses.

He called himself Randolph and wanted to talk to me as a representative of the village. Destroy the Crusaders in a one-sided game, and now it's on me that I'm stunned about what I'm going to do.

Rather than being brave, I would have no choice but to feel something like that. Behind him was the gaze of the dazzling villagers.

In the meantime, there was nothing else than taking the offer.

If you want to escape, you can always escape. Then, whenever possible, information should be collected. All I know about the situation in and around Pioneer Village is that Saliel explained it to me in a big mess. Hundreds of stories are unlikely at first sight.

That's how I got through to this room with just one slightly high-pressure Jesus reply, "Okay," Randolph taking me to talk, that is, a table of situation explanations and negotiations.

A white-painted wall that still feels new, but already lifelike, this one room is a church. I had no idea this was going to be me stepping into a crucifix church... but perhaps this, the biggest building in the village, also serves as a meeting place. Let's not think I have any other intentions.

"Uh, first of all, thank you for helping the village."

For now, I only gave one nod back to the kind of words of gratitude that I desperately choose not to inspire me over gratitude.

You're welcome, you know, I didn't help the village with anything, you know, I don't need that word. As for the other side, you might want, no, what you really want is to explore my sincerity, but I'm not going to let you start asking questions aggressively.

First, let me ask you something.

"I want to know more about why that unit attacked the village and what's going on"

Randolph gave a slightly facetious look to my question, which was released like a preemptive jab, but he wiped the sweat floating on his nervous forehead with a handkerchief removed from his pocket of furry chocks, and then gave me a big answer.

"Yeah, and, well... anything you need on the road because you're hurrying back to your country (Sinclair), suddenly you were ordered, yes"

Either Randolph spun the words surprised me as I peered into my complexion, but the description itself was still accurate.

Just before I started spying on the village, they showed up without a hint and asked for supplies. But already the Crusaders were scattered before the Galahad attack, and the village's food depot was cuttlefish. Give me a break, and as soon as the village chief wishes, behead me. And forced expropriation, moreover, began, and the priest who serves in this church in its Gotagota also beheaded him. Later, well, I look, I come, I kill, it's the street.

"Do you have any idea where the troops are?

"It was undoubtedly Master Mashram who led"

"Who?

"Did you not know...? I am told that His Excellency Count Bergunt, who now leads the entire army of crusaders attacking neighbouring countries, is, uh, indeed, his nephew."

Hmm, a guy with a head like that 1 UP mushroom. Sure, the gear was the flashy armor the nobleman deserved.

"I see, the Earl's"

I know the name of Count Bergunt. Fiona could be the general of the crusades, you said, but that was a hit. Lienfeld will be able to carry out the main siege operation.

"Master Mashram should have been entrusted with the supply base of the 203rd Pioneering Village next door... but I don't know why we had to rush home."

"I ran away."

"Yes?"

"He ran away. The Crusaders lost."

That's all I can think about. For the most part, this fortunately escaped to be a rear arrangement far from the front line.

It's a hell of a workplace abandonment, but I also know that Count Bergunt was debated. I don't know what an ambition Mashram had for the next Bergunt owner, just freaking out that the Spartans might be coming in an avalanche so far, but whatever, in his position, there are any number of reasons to escape.

"What, no... is that true?

In contrast to my convincing, don't say that Sarah is so serious all of a sudden, Randolph floating a confusing color like that. After all, was the victory of the Crusaders absolutely, publicized in such a way to its own people?

"Soon, we'll have news for this village too"

I can't help explaining it on this occasion. At least, it will be true that reports of defeat were received to the origin of the Mashram, which was stationed in the position of the 203rd pioneering village, or the village of Quaal.

I do not know the details of the defeat of the Crusaders because they were not on the scene, but if they had disappeared to the Seventh Apostle Saliel, the Messiah, on a stream in which all the troops had already withdrawn and there had never been a complete victory or defeat, a tragic escapade must have been waged.

"Oh, yeah..."

Randolph was bluffing his face down somewhat to himself, but he quickly regained his mind and raised his face.

"Um, by the way, if you're a Master Mashram, what's the matter with that...?

"Killed."

There's no point hiding it. Anyway, you'll soon find a neckless corpse with silver armor tucked away by the storage shed, and a marshram's head rolling with a painfully crying expression.

"Oh, oh, still... yes, you are..."

Ha, and Randolph's face finally turns blue with a bitter smile like a loving laugh.

After all, it must have been a bad idea to kill your noble boy.

"Is there anything to blame for the village for the death of Mashram?

"Wow, I don't know... Normally, sanctions can be imposed for the killer being pursued harshly or, worst of all, burned down from village to village... But in the present situation, if it's true that the Crusaders lost, the investigation could be nasty already..."

So you still don't know how to fall?

"What are you going to do?

"Or you'll have to hide it"

It is an instant answer.

Besides, I put the real killer (me) in front of me and said, "I'm gonna stick you out to the Crusaders!" Oh, my God, I wouldn't be able to tell you if my mouth was torn.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry to bother you... but what are you going to do now?

That's what I want to hear... etc., is that I can't even say this if my mouth is torn.

"I have no intention of causing harm to this village. But if you guys are really thankful for my actions in crushing that unit, I'll get a thank you."

"Hiya! Well, that's... how about that? As I said earlier, there is no food, no great money, no treasures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"If two people are ready to make the journey, that's fine. Don't worry."

I also accidentally honestly told Randolph, who was desperate enough to have an atmosphere in front of him and his neck. No way, if it was an act in anticipation of this, it's a big deal.

Well, that's fine if I can go home to Sparda.

"Oh well, thank you very much!

All I can do is give Randolph a profound thank you for rubbing his forehead against my desk and say "oh" or something appropriate.

"And by the way... can I ask you one thing?

In the meantime, the story seems to come together well. One or so of the questions would be fine. You have the right to remain silent.

"It seems to you that there are circumstances… What if you are a knight falling off the battlefield?

No, I'm just a passing traveler, I wouldn't be in a stage to delude you. He's witnessing me beating crusaders in front of him one after another.

But I don't even nod, I just keep my mouth shut. And stare a little.

"What!? also, sorry! It's not like I'm going to pry into your situation… If that means I don't want to be found in the Crusaders' main unit, I think we can help..."

If you think of me as a deserter, surely, it would be a natural consequence to expect the Crusaders not to want to find me. But what do you intend to do when you cooperate with it?

"What do you mean?

"Also, if you don't mind... you can hide in our village"

Hide here, huh?

I didn't even think about it. In the first place, I went into stealing like the wind, and then I was going to say Osarava immediately.

Seriously, I wouldn't do anything about staying here forever. Rather, in the middle of the enemy land, it is best for us to return to Sparda as soon as possible.

But in fact, the question is, can we leave now and get back to Sparda safely?

"If the Crusaders lost, many of the defeated would come from Fortress Alsace. For a while, the journey from here to Virginia, where the port is located, will mean that everywhere there are crusader eyes. So if you don't... rush ahead, it would be easier to get away with it if you were lurking around until this move fits in..."

A soldier will pull from Alsace, as Sariel also said. You won't completely let go of that front-line base, and you'll stay on guard more than that in case of a Sparda backlash... but it will be true that there will be fewer soldiers than there are now.

Peek at the opportunity without haste, because it could be one hand.

"Besides, it's winter now. Wherever you go, the road will be tough. Off the streets, through mountains and forests, is also suicide in this heavy snow."

Me and Sariel can't even get to Snow Mountain, but it's no different that it's still dangerous. Whether, therefore, a hasty return would have the advantage of going beyond the danger of treading the Galahad Mountains in the middle of winter.

Well, it looks like you should think about it.

"What's in it for the village to hide me?

No matter how much, I don't think you're trying to help me with good intentions.

He wants to keep me in the village, a dangerous man who kills dozens of people without hesitation. It's up to either one of you to see how beneficial it is or you're trying to fit me in.

Turn away to escape from my gaze staring, but breathe out a beat, two beats, three beats before Randolph opened his mouth like he was ready.

"With your help, it would be fine if the village were attacked again by defectors"

You want to hire me as a baton?

"Exactly."

Pretty much. Well, it's a thoughtful proposition. Inside, I get a little carried away.

"The truth is, even without the Crusaders, dangerous monsters also surrender around this village. Even now, the majority of the village vigilantes were in the woods following the big armored bear..."

There, at an untimely time, Master Mashram said a line appeared.

Most importantly, even with all the village vigilantes in place, that unit, which required a wind sorcerer and five heavy knights, would have worked the wolves unchanged.

"Already, I've eaten and killed three villagers, and you've learned how people taste, it seems like you're obsessively aiming here..."

The first victim was a dusty man. He was attacked where he went into the woods and preyed on as he was.

Two Crusader knights stationed in the village respond immediately to the emergence of a horrific monster, but they return only too quickly.

And right now, it seems that the vigilantes are in the middle of challenging the Armored Bear crusade with their readiness to die.

Still, it's a monster with a name I've never heard of. Perhaps, as the name suggests, it's like a bear in armor, that is, covered in hard crusts... but you weren't there when I lived there.

"I've just finished this armored bear, and it's not necessarily like a new monster won't show up again. This village is a dangerous place to be crushed by monsters... but this is the only place for us pioneers who have abandoned our country."

And Randolph, in tears, bowed his head again.

"Thank you, I'll manage to collect it, so please... at least until the Crusaders' journey settles down, I want you to protect the village!

Believe it or not. I don't get an answer right away.

"I'll be back tomorrow"

There was nothing more to me now than to answer that.

"Oh, wait! If you don't mind, could you tell me your first name?"

Speaking of which, I didn't name him, but I just didn't dare to tell him because if he found out about his identity, he'd suck.

But beyond this period, you should probably mention your name.

"My name is... it's Chloe"

Fake name, of course.

Sariel has a time when her memory is badly obscure.

"Ha... ha... maybe one more day..."

The brains of an artificial human (homunculus) are excellent. And Liriko Shirazaki was also excellent. At least, I kept remembering my experiences and memories without roughly fading them.

Therefore, now that the shackles of memory have been completely destroyed by Chrono's hand, Sariel can hold his own and the memories of Sayuko Shirazaki together.

"Heh heh heh... but... I found it"

That's why there shouldn't be a time when memories are vague and can't be remembered often. If you insist, before you get tempted, that is, something like Lily Shirazaki's early childhood - no. There can only be one more time of great instability that will make it impossible to remember accurately in Sariel's flesh.

"I found... even if I disappeared, I would leave my thoughts, how,..."

It is a time when the personality of Sayuko Shirazaki and the new personality that will become Sariel in the future, those two, are present at the same time.

Sayuko Shirazaki's intention is to take a loose path of doom by means of the fitted "Thought Control Device (Ensel Ring)", while at the same time creating a new personality as Sariel, gradually growing up and going.

In the early days, the extent to which a new personality awakens only temporarily in a day. However, its growth progresses at an accelerating rate within just a few days.

Soon the only time the main personality is asleep, the new personality will be able to awaken. If further growth progresses, the time the main personality is awake and the awakening time of the new personality is reversed.

From the point of view of my main personality, I fall into the illusion that I spend most of my day sleeping.

This moderate phenomenon of personality reversal will be experienced by Chrono himself.

However, he has succeeded in removing control of the 'Thought Controller (Enseling)' at the last moment of his personality disappearing, therefore, Chrono can still remain Kurono Mahogany.

It is a positively miraculous presence of only one example, within experimental bodies that, as far as Sariel knows, are already thousands.

It did not leak to any other example, nor could Yuriko Shirazaki escape the fate of his personality disappearing.

"Hehe, if there is' magic '...' curse 'because there is..."

Yes, her will is crushed a long time ago.

So this is just a memory. The two personalities are present in one flesh at the same time, but are only the uncertain memories of the late, noise-mixed.

"There is, there is a 'curse'... no doubt, it was a 'curse'..."

The memory information she will remember at this time, barely, comes back.

Manoeuvre experiment. It is unclear how many times it will be.

Opponents are one human being. Armed, just a wave of sword. A long sword of steel with no weird philosophy whatsoever - but from that blade stood a thin, red-black creepy aura.

I mean, the curse weapon.

"Then even I..."

There was no struggle.

Sayuko Shirazaki, the main personality, was in charge of the manoeuvre experiment at this time.

Compared to newborn Sariel...... no, I still think Sariel does. I wonder if I can't fight as well as Liriko Shirazaki, even now that I have had combat experience as a seventh apostle.

"Even to me..."

But perhaps this is the last manoeuvre experiment that Liriko Shirazaki fought for. No matter how many times Sariel re-searched her memory, her combat record never came true after this.

And Sariel accurately remembers the next manoeuvre experiment. The opponent was a golem. It is not a light golem, but a wild golem that consists of flesh with rocks and is three metres long.

The scene pierced by a spear equipped with a chest core can be immediately resuscitated into the brain.

This means that during the battle against the swordsman of the curse and the battle of the Golem, the personality of Sayuko Shirazaki was completely extinguished. Since then, Sariel has not seen any clouds of memory.

"... hey, the other me"

So Sariel is not confident, only with regard to the memory of this period.

"I don't even resent you."

By all means, is this memory a dream or a manifestation?

"I don't want to erase this thought."

Sayuko Shirazaki was certainly speaking to Sariel.

"So I carve it into my heart... the curse of love,"

She speaks, the last word.

"Kurono-kun, I love you -"

Pattiri, and Sariel's red eyes open.

I see no change in the situation. On a bed in a small cabin. Clear winter sunshine plunges through the windows, brightly illuminating the interior.

I slept shallow. I was dreaming too. I'm not sure what it is... but Saliel decided it wasn't something she cared about.

Her exact body clock was telling her that the time now was just noon.

……

Sariel closes her eyes again and keeps lying in bed.

The fact that he has also slept twice in a detour would be a sign that his health has not yet recovered. Yesterday was a literal death fight, even with the power of the Apostle, and after the battle, with Chrono all night... anyway, it must still be in a state of fatigue.

Sleeping under single circumstances, however, is only dangerous. I wasn't going to sleep with Sariel three times. Still, falling asleep without wandering, it would have seemed as if the doll from which it was built had been abandoned.

Falling asleep is not good, but you need to rest physically to avoid using extra strength. At the same time, the awakened consciousness turned sharply outside and took a vigilant stance.

Inside the cabin, everywhere is surrounded by silence.

The only thing I can hear with my ears clear is the salacious stream of streams just behind the cabin and the occasional chirping of a raging bird echoing from the woods.

Around the city, people admire scenic spots full of nature - but this is a dungeon.

At that time, Sariel heard the sound of a twig treading against Pakiri.

"... Distance 300"

It is the sound of someone stepping on a twig at a point three hundred meters from himself.

Saliel realized at this moment that his abilities were falling to less than a third, as opposed to half.

If we were concentrating on the enemy, we could hear all the noises within a kilometer radius. That's only three hundred meters now. It is also a clear source of sound that branches break.

But Sariel only accepts it as a fact. An obsession with the power that the Apostle was proud of, is not something that I can remember.

Without any emotions floating around his chest, Saliel continued to turn his attention to the presence of "someone" who entered his sensory range.

"Distance 100"

The subject seems to be heading straight for this cabin. Twice and three times, the sound of treading the branches arrived, but if I had entered the 100 metre range, I could already feel the signs accurately.

And she's already convinced. Whoever comes to the cabin, says it's not Chrono.

Fugofugo, and a rough nose that reaches your ears. Footsteps as they progressed to draw over thick, falling snow. All had arrived clearly to Sariel already.

Outside, it was undoubtedly a monster.

"Distance 10"

Just outside the cabin, the monster stopped.

The number is one. There's no sign of company lurking around. I guess it's a species that acts alone, not a herd.

Size is, at least, a physique that goes well beyond human beings. If we sum up the hearing information we have gathered up to this point, we can assume that it is about the size of an elephant, on four-legged foot. Something like medium-sized if you want to classify sizes. But that fierce sign would be at that level of danger.

Such a horrible monster, right beside you.

But Sariel doesn't move. In the first place, I can't move.

Feel the signs of a monster starting to glue around the area, peeking inside the cabin. He's already noticed there's a prey inside. At least, from 300 meters away.

……

Sariel, wait quietly. I still closed my eyes and didn't move like I was asleep. Keep it up, until that moment when the monster steps in.

I told Chrono there was a monster-excluding junction in this cabin, but it wasn't an exact explanation. There are boundaries, but that's only for weak monsters.

Hating the faint wavelengths of magic emanating from the perimeter of the cabin keeps you away from it, to such an extent as, at best, goblins and slimes. Very, not effective enough to make this hungry medium-sized monster desist from raiding.

Monsters and animals did not dwell in deserted huts until today or were not vandalized, for one thing, thanks to a junction that will continue to work permanently even without the Lord. But if there was a prey inside that would serve as food for the outfit, there was no reason to let it go.

"... Coming"

After circling the cabin several times, the monster lined up directly in front of the door and then took a slow step.

Zak, Zak, and the sound of stepping on snow will be heard without a superhuman feeling like Sariel anymore.

That's how I stopped as if I were going to ring a bell in front of the door - the next moment, the wall of the cabin blew up.

The majesty of a fierce beast squeezing his ears echoed with the shitty sound of doors and wooden walls crushing together.

"Armored bear."

Saliel knew the monster that finally appeared in front of him.

He was a monster commonly known as the 'Armored Bear' in the Sinclair Republic. all over the Ark continent, or is home to many subspecies and is one of the famous monsters. As its name suggests, it looks like a big bear, and at the same time it holds a steel armor helmet together.

The identity of the armor is a metallic crust. The aggressive design, thorny as a crab, is gillable in dull gray. Its thickness and hardness do not suffocate compared to the real full-body armor (full plate mails) equipped by heavy knights. Rather, if it were the defense of a vegetarian without a magical effect, the armor would rise to the armored bear's crust.

Is the size of the armored bear that appeared here about five meters or so? Above average, more than one turn. The more you stand up, the more you pride yourself on your upper back enough to break through the ceiling of the cabin at your leisure. He stepped into the cabin on four-legged foot so that such a giant body would force him to screw his body.

Goaaa! and raised a sharp voice, for intimidation or, joy at finding prey?

Saliel opened his closed eyes patchy and turned his crimson eyes towards the rude intruder.

Armored bear and Saliel, both stare at each other for a while. Eaters, eaters. The relationship was obvious.

A little human girl sleeping defenselessly against a giant armored bear with wild powers all over her body. Besides, she has no legs to escape, no arms to wield a weapon, only one left.

Most of all, there are no such powerful weapons in this hut as piercing armored bears with steel defenses. The only blade, the knife, was also taken by Chrono.

Sariel, who can't even get physical, is as dead meat from an armored bear. It is a truly delicious prey, with no escape or resistance.

Therefore, there is no need for hesitation or vigilance. An armored bear's wild, then heavily wielded, knife-like nail-holding hand inexorably approaches Saliel's white body.

It was a slapping blow. From an armored bear, it could have just been a casual act of suppressing prey. Nevertheless, the rigid arm of iron waved down was powerful enough to break Saliel's bed lying in one piece.

Blankets and sheets with cleaved nails dance to the sound of a crisp cracking wooden bed. Under the hands of an armored bear, there is no Saliel whose luxurious body has been crushed unbroken.

"Phew."

Short, breathing sound of chi practice. When the armored bear with sensitive hearing heard it, he would finally have been able to find Sariel.

Sariel's body was floating in the universe. No, I jumped on the spot.

The moment her arms were swung down, she wasn't an arm or a leg, she was just jumping her own body up into space by moving her torso like a spring.

Saliel, who doesn't have the ability to fly or anything like a fairy, was supposed to fall into the wreckage of a crushed bed at the next moment, but before that, his hands move. The only thing left of her, her left arm.

The white fingertip gently touches the arm of the protruding armored bear. On the smallest thorn, it was shaped like hooking a fingertip.

As it is, Saliel pulls its slender arm in a gnaw and pulls his body closer to the armored bear at once.

Gah! and raised a sharp growl, and when the armored bear opened a large mouth that easily chewed people's bodies and so forth, there was a white hand in front of him. Beautifully aligned fingertips, a blade-like hand.

"Stinger"

A glimmer of flash pierced the head of the armored bear.

Saliel, who has no white magic, cannot use magic. But the magic in your body is not zero. It is the magic of an artificial human being (Homunculus) as a vital force, which can be held as much as is necessary to sustain life.

Basically, magic uses primitive color magic. It depends on the talent, physical constitution, of the individual which attributes reside in the body, or the ability to convert vitality into primary color magic.

It is also impossible for Saliel, who has no white magic, to generate the pseudo-primary color magic required to activate the magic.

However, if it is a systematic martial arts technique that uses life force as it is, there is nothing wrong with its exercise.

This is how the "Stinger" was unleashed, where the power of martial arts dwelt on the incredible superhuman arm power from Sariel's slender arms.

The armored bear's eye is ahead of her piercing, which also boasts the same penetration of the charging lance of the industry. The head has a full crust like a helmet, especially the forehead area, which is thick and clumped together. But there's nothing but eyes to secure vision.

To the only weekpoint, exposed in his face, Saliel was poking his fingertips without the madness of dimensions.

My middle finger pokes my eyeballs. From there, the piercing pushes relentlessly to further dictate the orbit. Bakiri, and as he broke the crust in his eye, Saliel's hand had broken into the head of the armored bear completely.

Her fingertips struck through the stiff skull without difficulty, finally putting their hands on the fragile brain protected within it.

That's much smaller compared to people. Enough to hold even Saliel's little palm.

That's how she grips the grabbed brain. It felt like crushing ripe tomatoes.

Gao! and the armored bear made a perfect move and fell as-is, giving one short, painful color seeping squeal. with Saliel, who stuck his arm out of his eyes.

Good to the point of tapping in martial arts, but the motion to pull through in an instant was impossible with this right hand and a body without both legs.

Saliel ended up being dropped into the wreckage of a crushed bed, then somehow pulled his left arm out of the head of an armored bear, shaking his body with a jerk.

Bet and dos black blood paste all the way around the elbow, and a splash of drooling brain cluttering around my fingertips.

Saliel had bright red eyes, staring jiggly at her dirty left arm. Then I looked right, I looked left, I snapped.

"... what shall we do"

Now, how should I apologize to Chrono for this tragedy? Sariel closed his eyes to sleep again on the spot, either to think carefully or to escape reality.