Ch.277Grown NPC. (3)

-KUWAAAAAK!!!

[Hmm! This is delicious magical power.]

“…This is truly perplexing. You’re incredibly gentle when speaking with your friend, yet you show no mercy to those you consider enemies? You look so young, yet I wonder what kind of life you’ve led.”

The pillar of fire that erupted at my feet—which could easily be mistaken for hellfire summoned by a demon—was actually the high-ranking demon of Greed, Paimon, whom I had summoned. And he devoured it all.

‘That was truly dangerous. I almost depleted all the holy spells I had in place.’

I had wrapped myself in the holy power of three battle priests who use physical enhancement, but that last attack truly made me see the gates of the afterlife. Haha, how absurd. To think I almost died at the hands of these children.

“Is this also a trial sent by God?”

[Human. Is that red-haired one the sacrifice?]

The high-ranking demon with a massive mouth, having devoured the flames, asked me while drooling, but I shook my head and continued speaking.

“No. That one is an important sacrifice needed for summoning the other Seven Deadly Sins and allowing their true power to be used in the human realm. You should eat the brown-haired one beside her instead.”

[I refuse. I’ll eat both of them.]

“……”

A high-ranking demon summoned by the Holy Nation. Belonging to the hierarchy of Greed, he doesn’t even try to hide his avarice and intends to act on it directly. Sigh, this is why demons are so troublesome.

“Gluttony (Gula) has already been summoned to this empire. Your intention to devour that one means you’re interfering with empowering your leaders. Should I understand it that way?”

[……]

As I spoke in a threatening manner, the demon of Greed directed his pitch-black eyes toward me, showing his anger. So what? What are you going to do about it? If you part ways with me here, you’ll only be separating yourself from the Seven Deadly Sins.

[You… I will devour you with my own mouth someday.]

“Do as you please. I’ll wait for the day when you all can run wild. Now, please deal with the brown-haired one. I’ll capture the red-haired one.”

That was the end of our conversation. The high-ranking demon spread his enormous wings and immediately began approaching the girls, while I also activated my remaining physical enhancement holy spells at full power, kicked off the ground, overtook the demon, and rushed toward the red-haired girl.

‘I wanted to capture her without injury, but I have no choice. Should I tear off both her arms first?’

Thinking this, I quickly extended my arm to grab the red-haired girl’s arm when suddenly—

“Big brother, you’re slower than big sister.”

-GRAB!!

“What?!”

The red-haired girl caught my outstretched hand instead, and with a grip strength unimaginable from such a small body, she swung me around and hurled me back toward the demon. What the hell?!

[Tch.]

-THUD!!

“Kuhak?!”

The demon didn’t even try to catch me, instead kicking me aside, and I rolled across the ground.

Damn it, what the hell just happened?! I was watching with my magic sight, but she wasn’t even using any physical enhancement magic?!!

[Human, don’t interfere.]

“Khurluk!! Damn it, you saw it too, didn’t you?! That’s truly a top-tier sacrifice!!”

Thanks to the demon hitting me, my holy spell is about to break completely. This is hopeless. Since I already lost more than half of the holy power from three priests in that surprise attack, it’ll be difficult to face them like this.

“I’ll go replenish my holy spells for a moment. Don’t eat or kill that red-haired one.”

[Tsk, don’t order me around, trash.]

Though clicking his tongue in displeasure, the demon began approaching the brown-haired girl, and I immediately turned around and quickly headed toward where the priests were.

‘Three, no. I might need five.’

Even for a battle priest unit, those kids—especially the attacks from the highest-grade spirit contracted with the girl named Ira and their wide-area magical combination attacks—are difficult to avoid. If I try to overwhelm them with numbers, the priests who need to activate our holy spells might die meaninglessly. So it would be better to directly take the holy power from the priests who already have physical enhancement spells active…

“Peep?”

“What?!”

Just before reaching the still-burning site, a tiny spark flew in front of me, and the small bird that had been called a highest-grade spirit earlier appeared, blocking my path. Damn it!! Does it appear wherever there’s fire…?!!!

-FWOOOOOSH!!!

“KYAAAAK!!!”

The flames created by the small bird’s wing flap engulfed me.

*

“Spirit Cannon!! Wind Cutter!!!”

[Gurk, this one’s quite tasty too.]

“Ugh!!”

The high-ranking demon with the enormous mouth completely ignored Ira and flew toward me. I used spirit arts and magic against him with all my might, but he devoured all my attacks with his massive maw.

[Now, stop wasting magical power needlessly. Let me eat you. After I devour you, I’ll put all your spirits in my belly too.]

“Don’t be ridiculous!! Fire spirit!! Flame Arrow!!!”

[——!!]

The intermediate spirit followed my command and shot numerous fire arrows, but the creature swallowed them too as if they were delicious. Damn it, what is this thing?! Weren’t the people of the Holy Nation supposed to worship God?! Why are they summoning demons?!!

“Hyah!! Fire spirit, wind spirit! Keep your distance and continue to hold him back!! I need to create some space!!!”

He said he wouldn’t kill Ira, but that doesn’t mean he won’t hurt her. If it were just that priest from earlier, Ira could probably win alone or at worst escape. I deliberately started running to get far away from Ira, and I heard her calling me from behind.

“Grace?!! W-where are you going…!!!”

“Ira!! You handle that priest from earlier!! This demon is after me!!!”

Looking at this demon’s condition, it seems to devour all magic and spirit arts. No matter how strong Ira and Peep’s attacks are, if attacks don’t work at all, there’s a possibility they could both be captured on the spot. After making this calculation, I ran between empty huts to separate Ira from the demon.

“Huff! Huff!! Oh my god!! How did I end up like this?!!”

-Crack, crack, crack!!

The creature devoured the huts that stood in his way with his enormous mouth as he approached me, and my spirits fought desperately to block him, but the distance between us gradually narrowed. I really hate this!!! Why is an elementary school student like me fighting a high-ranking demon?!!

“Eeek!!! Rock Guard!!!”

-BOOM!!! CRAAACK!!!

I tried to build an earth wall to prevent the distance from closing, but as expected, he ate that in one bite too and continued approaching me. This is driving me crazy?! Should I tell a spirit to carry me and escape?! No, if I do that and the harassment weakens, he might approach even faster…!!!

[The game of tag is over.]

As I frantically spun my thoughts while cutting between huts, I heard his voice as if he was tired of this, and I felt an overwhelming magical pressure from behind me without even looking. Don’t tell me he can attack from a distance too…!!

-BOOOM!!!

“KYAAH?!!”

I instinctively rolled to the side, but the hut right behind me exploded and collapsed. Ugh, we’re supposed to study about demons in the upper grades of middle school!! As an upper elementary student who only did some advance studying, I don’t know how to deal with demons!!!

“Oww?!”

With no way out, I tried to get up and run away again, but I must have twisted my leg when I rolled because I immediately fell back down. Oh no, this is bad. I need to escape!!!

-CRUNCH!!

[Now your escape ends.]

The demon appeared, devouring even the collapsed debris, and the intermediate fire spirit desperately tried to hold him back. But he didn’t stop and flew toward me. At this rate, I’m really going to be eaten…!!

-SQUEEZE!!

-CRASH!!

When he was about to devour me with his massive maw, I squeezed my eyes shut with no options left, but the expected pain didn’t come. Feeling like my body was floating, I opened my eyes again to see a low-grade wind spirit desperately flying while carrying me.

“Ugh! Thank you!! But can’t you fly any higher?!!”

While sincerely thanking the spirit that saved me without being commanded, I unconsciously complained, and the spirit conveyed that it was impossible due to my weight.

Wait, I’m not that heavy! Oh, is it because it’s a low-grade spirit? Right? I’m not heavy, am I?!

[Tch. A low-grade spirit with no intelligence.]

-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

“KYAAH?!!”

[———?!!!]

Black spheres appeared around him and began concentrated fire toward us.

The intermediate fire spirit tried its best to neutralize the attacks, but most of them just evaporated in the air without being properly blocked. It was managing to block the direct hits aimed at us, but who knows how long that would last…

[You’re annoying. I’ll eat you first.]

-GRAB!!!

[———————!!!]

The demon, who had been targeting only me while ignoring the spirits, fired at the intermediate fire spirit blocking his path and then, taking advantage of the gap as it defended, reached out and grabbed the spirit.

“No, don’t!! Sp-Spirit Cannon!! Spirit Cannon!!! Fire spirit!! Use Spirit Cannon…!!!”

I gave instructions while infusing magical power, but the captured fire spirit couldn’t properly activate spirit arts and could only struggle. No, this is…

‘Is he eating my magical power?!!’

Feeling that all my magical power meant for the spirit was being sucked into his maw, I watched as the demon twisted his huge mouth into a grotesque smile and began moving the fire spirit toward his enormous jaws.

Oh no!! My spirit!! I haven’t even given it a name like Peep yet!!!

“No!! That’s my spirit!! Stop it!!!”

[Kukukuk, don’t worry. Your precious spirit and you will become one in my stomach.]

“Nooooo!!!”

As I screamed helplessly and even shed tears of frustration, he seemed to enjoy it and pushed my spirit into his mouth—

“Why do we always arrive late?!!”

[This time it’s mostly your fault.]

“Don’t make Grace cry!!!”

Just as the huge mouth was about to close after half-swallowing the fire spirit, gold illuminated the night sky and drew a silver line across the demon’s arm, gray struck the black demon’s head with enough force to be clearly visible even in the darkness, and my most precious red friend set the demon’s wings ablaze.