episode_0029

“However, why are you heading to a place where there’s no fun at all, not even as much as a goblin’s dandruff? It seems like there’s no reason for you guys to cling to the shelter of those cowards.”

With the clock ticking down until their arrival in the metropolis, Paradise.

Seemingly shocked by the defeat against everyone except the priestess, Dragovian, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

In the eyes of a battle enthusiast, it seemed that those who defeated him were not seeking conflict but rather peace.

Carefully stroking her tantalizingly swaying tail, I answered.

“Something quite bothersome has latched onto me. To remove it, we need to go to paradise to resolve it.”

“…How bothersome is it that you have to go all the way to paradise to get rid of it? Is it some kind of doppelganger?”

“Something far more sinister has attached itself. Have you heard of followers of evil, their name rings a bell?”

“Ah, those vile and deranged individuals? Indeed… if it’s them, they’re truly despicable.”

Expressing immediate disdain, likely from experiencing it several times himself, Dragovian grimaced in disgust.

Observing her reaction for a moment, I began to worry about what might unfold in Paradise.

If a character mostly indifferent to everything besides battles and growth shows such revulsion, how truly vile and sinister must these individuals be?

Hoping for rationality from those known as “followers of evil,” or “fanatics,” may be futile.

Still, I hope things stay manageable.

Pat pat.

As Dragovian, Louis, regained emotional stability while feeling the smooth texture of her tail, she retracted it with a stern expression.

“My tail is not your toy! Stop petting it!”

“But it’s warm and enticing. Holding it gives a sense of calmness.”

“Am I some kind of pet to you?”

“Just a pet? If I can hold that tantalizing tail, I can take responsibility for anything.”

“Hey!!!”

Despite bursting into anger akin to an impulse control disorder, Louis, likely overwhelmed by memories of past incidents, didn’t immediately retaliate.

It’s a good sign.

If she can maintain this ‘well-controlled anger’ state, she probably won’t cause any mischief during the episode.

With that, finishing with a round of applause, I gently stroked Louis’s smooth tail once more.

“Perfect, lizard. When you’re angry, just give it an extra 3 seconds of thought. Got it?”

“…Witch, are you really trying to provoke me?”

“No, it’s all in good faith.”

If you keep trolling like in the original work, things will get really tricky.

Incidents are already more intense than the original, adding fuel to the fire won’t help anyone.

Was Louis throwing a tantrum due to enduring Strahm’s wrath?

Moments later, the dwarf, Strahm, with his boisterous voice, caught our attention.

“Oh…! Finally, ‘Paradise’ is in sight!”

Excitedly checking the state of ‘Paradise’ through unknown binoculars first, he soon began to look increasingly serious.

“But why is smoke rising from the city…?”

—–

Is this what it feels like when the end unfolds before your eyes?

Prompted by Strahm’s words, the group quickened their pace only to face the scene of ‘Paradise’ being devoured by the ash-colored giant.

Roaring in terror, the giant chewed on the clock tower with a thunderous sound.

Watching this terrifying sight, the men in the party couldn’t help but express their shared sentiment.

“It’s huge.”

“That’s massive.”

“Indeed, colossal.”

“It’s gigantic.”

Though they didn’t specify what was massive, it was undeniably enormous.

Clapping in awe at the awe-inspiring size, Louis extended her tail shakily, trembling with fear.

“I’ll just leave.”

“You can come in as you please, but you can’t leave as you please.”

“No, how on earth am I supposed to deal with that! No matter how formidable they may be, they’ve crossed the line!!!”

It was quite comical to see an utterly nonsensical being lecturing about common sense.

Watching the despairing scene before my eyes, not even a hint of laughter could escape me.

…Wasn’t the final boss of this chapter supposed to be a noble-class demon?

And not just any demon, but one responsible for lust, supposedly easier to deal with.

Why has the difficulty level spiked so suddenly?

The ash-gray giant engulfing the entire city didn’t seem like a demon wielding the power of ‘lust’ no matter how you looked at it.

If that ash-gray power was related to lust, then the dragon next to it would have gone into heat long ago.

Moreover, seeing the dragon, who had lost control and charged even at noble-class demons, maintaining a ‘well-controlled anger’ state, it seemed the giant was an enemy with more than just brute force.

The protagonist and his party, who couldn’t even hold their own against noble-class demons in the original work, seemed to be facing a formidable opponent.

With allies from the north, west, and south accompanying them.

Yet, facing an enemy with no visible chance of success.

Thus, as a last resort, they attempted to ‘escape,’ but…

“We finally caught you, you damn fugitives.”

Surrounded by the elves who had followed behind, they found themselves in an impossible situation.

In front, a group of raging elves.

Behind, an ash-gray giant of unknown origin.

Would this be a fight to the death or a negotiated surrender?

I decided to step forward towards the somewhat cooperative elves to attempt a conversation.

“…I’d like to have a brief conversation.”

“Well, the situation doesn’t seem relaxed enough for a chat.”

“A brief moment will suffice. I intend to offer you two choices.”

Pointing towards the approaching ash-gray giant, I smiled and gathered my magic.

“Would you prefer to fight and end up eaten peacefully? Or fight together and end up eaten peacefully?”

“It seems like the result would be the same, is it just a matter of preference?”

“We must cooperate well to stand a chance. So, what’s your answer?”

“While being devoured from below is always welcome, it might be difficult to accept given its size. That’s a different kind of ‘defeat.’”

“Don’t evaluate it in that way, you crazy fool. How do you predict possibilities even when facing disaster?”

After exhaling a long sigh and drafting a contract with magic, the high-ranking elf quickly scanned the contents and promptly signed it.

He knew as well as anyone that engaging in battle would likely lead to annihilation.

Thus, like during the temporary armistice in the forest, they forged another agreement and, as the looming giant approached, I turned my head to see a woman clad in black priestly robes emerge beside the giant, her hands outstretched.

Clack, clack.

A woman with a wide smile slowly walked towards us.

Upon seeing her, I intuitively realized that she was the ‘pope.’

Or rather, there was no doubt.

The ash-gray giant, who coveted everything, showed favor only to her.

Snap – !

Worried she might be devoured, I tried to send a magic projectile, but the giant, sensing the magic, blocked it with his massive hand before it could reach her.

As the magic projectile touched the giant’s skin, it dissipated without effect, seemingly angering him for daring to attack her precious one, he immediately reached out to strike me.

However…

“Just wait a moment.”

Just before his fist landed, the pope’s voice rang out, causing the giant’s attack to halt.

Then, as he withdrew his fist, he growled for the heavens to take me away.

As if to say, if I make another move, he would truly kill me.

Looking at the pope with a blank expression, she maintained her smiling face and began speaking to our group.

“Wow, you’re really intimidating for a first meeting. What did I do wrong to deserve this from you?”

“Just by looking at the city’s atmosphere, I can roughly guess what you’ve done. Let’s hear your estimate of your misdeeds.”

The kind of mischief that girl could have gotten into was within expected bounds.

In the original work, they were trying to bring an ‘evil spirit’ to the continent, so naturally they must have tried to meet those conditions.

…It’s almost at its climax, with that ash-gray giant making its appearance.

“Damn.”

No wonder it was quiet; they were really up to something mischievous.

They say you can’t trust peace, right? How can you expect stability when you’re stirring up trouble like this in the future?

The only fortunate thing is that the ash-gray giant isn’t an evil spirit.

According to the author, if an evil spirit descends, that area would be completely annihilated as if hit by a hydrogen bomb.

The ash-gray giant, devouring ‘Paradise’ like gnawing on bones, is probably one of its subordinates.

So, it’s roughly equivalent to a ‘minion’ or ‘apostle.’

In simpler terms, it’s possible to confront them.

…Whether there’s a chance of winning, I don’t know.

Anyway, as I stared at the leader of the evil cult with a stern gaze, she smiled slyly and made me an offer.

“You’ve come all this way, would you like to hear some good words before you leave? Hehe, believing brings blessings, you know.”

“I’m not particularly keen on believing. Seeing the followers, it doesn’t seem like a normal religion.”

“Haha… those are expendables, not ‘followers,’ you know? With your abilities, you seem more than qualified to be a ‘follower.’ How about joining our sect?”

“It seems like the eyes see not the followers but the nutrients to feed the ritual; perhaps it’s just my imagination.”

“…That’s why we don’t like perceptive witches.”

Tsk.

With a click of her tongue, she, who had been trying to persuade the elves to join the religion this time, faced resistance.

“We do not engage in any conversation with wicked seeds that have destroyed precious seeds; that is the rule of our Yggdrasil clan.”

The high-ranking elf aimed an arrow at her as he spoke.

A tense situation.

Expressing regret at her failed persuasion, the leader let out a sigh.

“Sweep them all away.”

With her cold voice, the ash-gray giant’s fist struck the ground, and the brawl began.