Chapter 27 - Volume 2 (1/2)

Volume 2, Chapter 14: Demon’s Feast, Part 1

“Oh, by the way…”

I asked, recalling something while I walked through the hallway.

“Do you all know how [He] is doing?”

At my question, the demons walking behind me all winced together.

… Eh? Hold on. What’s with that reaction?

“……”

Nobody said anything. As the [Girls] all had delicate expressions on their faces, the only [Boy] representative, Noa, spoke on their behalf. It’s hard to be the boy.

“… After Lor-…Yurushia-sama went to this side, He flew into a rage and it all turned into a disaster, everything remotely nearby got destroyed, and we were only barely able to escape with our lives…”

“… Di-, did that really happen.”

After losing your pet, you freely rampaged about… I-, I’m definitely not at fault…

“Such a thing doesn’t matter, Yurushia-sama.”

Saying such a tragic incident in the demon world was “Such a thing”, it seems my carefree tone was transferred to you all.

Looking in her eyes closely, I knew that she and I would get along; she really seemed like a fused [Ninette].

“What’s wrong?”

“Umm, take a look at this.”

[Ninette] showed me her magic sword… what’s this, instead of its previous luster and shine, the sword has become corroded and worn out.

“Why did it become like this…”

“I just used it normally~.”

I pick up the corroded sword grip and bring it to eye level, examining it closely with my fingers.

… *Pokin*

“ “…Ah ” ”

It snapped. I didn’t think I pushed too hard.

“It’s alright. This isn’t a problem.”

“…Eh?”

Noa broke into the conversation with words that felt vaguely familiar as he picked up the pieces of the broken blade. I thought that I was sure that most of the children’s selves were lost in the fusion, but it seems like something strange was left… But.

“Nia, bring out the [Soul] you absorbed a while ago.”

“Yes~, brother.”

That reminds me, Noa and Nia originally had the [Setting] of brother and sister.                 After a brief nod, Nia sends something like white mist towards Noa. It seems to be what Nia [Absorbed] a little while ago from the formation.

Noa, who received it, slid his finger across the broken sword…

“I repaired it.”

“……”

Fast. Rather, I don’t know what the heck you just did there.

Not just that, the [Magic Sword] that previously glittered silver had become pitch black and is sending out resentful moans like “…OOooh… Oooh…,” transforming into a vicious [Cursed Sword].

Unlike that [Noah], this one isn’t a waste.

With my configuration of them being brother and sister, Nia’s [Release] and Noa’s [Absorption] had no issues.

“As expected of Brother.”

Nia received the sword, whirled around her new [Magic Sword (Possessed)] with a flourish, and the walls that she slashed at rotted away and turned into ruins instantly.

Please stop, that’s dangerous.

“Noa, being dressed in those clothes in front of Yurushia-sama is highly inappropriate.”

After seeing Noa’s appearance, Tina directed a cold glare at him. The Countess had torn his clothes to rags.

“Would you kindly mend it, Tina?”

“Yes, naturally.”

Tina quickly nodded her head full of brilliant blonde hair, Noa’s butler clothing was restored in the blink of an eye.

“Ahaha~, look look, Yurushia-sama, it’s all black~.”

Laughing happily, Fannie hugged me from behind and pointed at the pitch black butler suit that sewed itself as it rose up his body, good as new.

My impression of this child’s fusion with [Fontaine] is that she doesn’t appear to be much different.

But that’s wrong.

They were different from the former four, even if they looked similar. Besides, the spoiled-child attitude that they had towards [Me] had been eliminated when they were absorbed.

As they were now, it was a relaxed, but respectful master-servant relationship, even though I asked for a relationship of mutual trust, I wanted to make an effort at building a [relationship] with them. Where did I go wrong…?

“Hey, Yurushia-sama. Isn’t there a strange [Smell] all over?”

The celebrating Fannie’s nose suddenly twitched.

“That’s right, Fannie. Where do you think it’s coming from?”

“U-uhmm… It’s all over here and there in the mansion, it’s also strong underground.”

Checking my senses, that seems correct.

That group of three vampires ran off, and didn’t Millaine run towards the cave?

“Yurushia-sama, please leave the ones [Outside] to me.”

As if reading my thoughts, Tina asked while kneeling in front of me.

This child is calm just like the original [Christina], how capable. But there’s a little difference.

“… Will you be alright alone?”

“… I’m fine on my own.”

“Of course, Yurushia-sama. For this kind of lowly trash, you need not trouble yourself with them; I alone will be more than sufficient.”

Tina approached me with every word she said, and her feverish eyes drew closer and closer to my face.

“I-Is that so…?”

I’m sorry, but I’d rather not touch lips with the original or this child, that’s not [The Kind of Relationship] I wanted to develop.

“Okay, let’s go then, Tina.”

At the very last minute, Tina’s neck stopped moving forward; Nia had stopped her, pointing a sword at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“…… Tch.”

Tina clicked her tongue.

“F-for the time being Tina and… Fannie will go together?”

“Yeees.”

With a childlike smile, Fannie nestled her cheeks against mine from behind and nodded obediently.

In the shadows, Tina was mumbling “…why only me…”  I pretended that I didn’t hear that.

Why did these children become like this…?

＊

“What were those things…?”

The Countess was running away, rushing through the corridors full force, discarding her ladylike elegance. With not even a shadow of her [Servants] in sight, to think that they had all been destroyed by that [Saint].

{… Impossible}

Yurushia, who was at best a mere contemptible [Human Being]… She, who was extolled by everyone as a [Saint], it was unthinkable that she would summon [Demons].

And at that, not just mere Demons, but Demons that were clearly out of the realm of the normal.

With such an ominous presence while maintaining the form of a human. Because the Countess had [Knowledge] of those existences, she instantly fled the moment those things’ eyes became filled.

As a precaution, she casted a mental curse on the Maid Vampires. Though the [Confusion] allowed her to escape, as she heard the soul scraping [Laughter] immediately after, the Countess was well and truly convinced about the identity of those [Demons].

Those cataclysmic higher-ranking Demons that rivalled a [Greater Spirit], the [Arch-Demons]……