Episode 137
"Grrruh?"
".....Hah?"
The gazes of Miho, who had become a mid-boss, and Ruby, whom Perlote had dragged along, crossed in the air.
"Frey, all of this is your doing! I know it!"
In that situation, Perlote began shouting at Frey with a self-assured expression.
"Stand up right now and stop everything! Then I'll spare you! I've blocked the door so no one can get in, so don't even dream of reinforcements!"
"...Grrr."
However, the only thing returned was the crying sound of Miho, who had become a mid-boss.
"...Huh?"
Only then noticing something strange, Perlote began poking Ruby who was beside her.
"Ruby, something is weird!"
"...What is?"
"Frey isn't responding! It seems like he fainted!"
"Yes, it seems so."
Ruby, who had become exhausted from receiving attacks disguised as holy power treatment from Perlote while coming here, answered roughly like that and began looking at Miho in front of her.
"...Useful."
"Grr?"
Ruby, who had been staring at Miho as if dissecting her for a while, raised the corner of her mouth and muttered.
"You! I don't know who you are, but get away from him first! Are you perhaps Frey's accomplice?"
Perlote said that while raising her fist.
"...Hungry."
"What?"
And at that moment, Miho's patience reached its limit.
Though the berserk rage had subsided after pouring out almost all her anger according to Frey's original plan, Miho's emotions, which hadn't been able to properly grasp the situation due to the two intruding at that exact timing.
"I'm... hungry."
Due to the massive energy used during the rampage, it had become filled with hunger.
"Ah..."
Miho, who was looking around with trembling eyes, began to direct her hunger toward the closest target.
"Looks delicious..."
"W-wait a minute!"
Toward Frey, who had fainted from being strangled by her.
"Um, Miss Perlote? This looks like a dangerous place... why did you bring me here?"
"For some reason, I felt like this place would be safe!"
"But... far from becoming safe, aren't we about to be attacked by some unknown monster?"
In that desperate situation, Ruby began speaking with a sad expression.
"I can't die here... I still have a lot to do, and the orphanage children are waiting for me..."
"Ugh, uuu."
"What should we do, Miss Perlote? Is there some good method?"
At Ruby's words, spoken with an innocent and pitiful expression but with a somehow questioning nuance, Perlote, who had been hesitating, said.
"F-fine! Then... I'll block this place!"
She soon clenched her fist and shouted.
"Lady Ruby, escape from here and ask for help! I will somehow defeat that monster and secure Frey."
"Ar-are you sure? It looks strong at a glance..."
"It's fine! I'm strong too!"
When Perlote said that with determined eyes, Ruby began to slowly back away.
"Th-then... I'll leave it to you, Saintess."
"Yes! Don't worry about here, please ask for help!"
"Please stay safe...!"
At Perlote's words, which had a hint of tension melted into them, Ruby turned around with an expression full of worry.
"Slurp."
"W-wait a minute!"
Perlote, who had been blankly watching Ruby, rushed desperately toward Miho when she tried to extract energy from Frey.
"...Heh."
From that exact moment, Ruby's expression changed 180 degrees.
"...Curse of demon beast transformation, descend."
"Grrroooaar!!!"
Ruby, barely holding back the laughter bursting out while forming purple demonic energy in her hand, whispered, and terrible screams began to erupt from behind.
That sound was the scream of Miho, who had received Ruby's 'Demon Beast Transformation Curse' that she always used for fun whenever she encountered spirit beasts in the previous playthrough, one that loved corrupting noble creatures.
"W-what is this! Suddenly what is this...!"
"It's a gift for making me annoyed."
Ruby, who had been watching with satisfaction as Miho, berserk from the demon beast transformation ability, rushed toward Perlote, was about to leave the room when she clicked her tongue.
"Tsk."
Seeing the room's entrance blocked by a shield made of holy power, she clicked her tongue and muttered.
"If only there were no restrictions, I would have killed her with my own hands."
- Crash!!
Ruby, who finished speaking and tore the shield with her hand, glanced at Miho surrounding Perlote with illusions and left the room with a satisfied smile.
"Ugh, uu..."
"Hmm?"
As soon as Ruby left the room, what entered her field of vision was Kania, who was trembling right in front of the door.
"Young... master... must protect... the young master..."
"...Pathetic dark magician. Your mother and father were quite useful talents."
Ruby, looking at her with eyes that found her laughable, muttered while looking at the holy power shield still remaining in her hand.
"But, surely she couldn't come in because of the shield the Saintess put on the door?"
"Ugh..."
"Puhaha, being mentally unstable and only doing annoying things... I didn't know she could be this helpful sometimes."
Ruby, who spoke with a satisfied expression, gathered purple demonic energy in her hand and began aiming at Kania, who had eventually lost consciousness, but.
[I'm warning you! You cannot attack that person.]
"...Hah?"
She began to frown deeply when a red warning window floated in the air.
"A dark magician, with such high goodness value?"
Ruby, who had been looking at Kania for a moment, then read the information window in front of her and said with a voice full of irritation.
"...Consider yourself lucky."
She moved her feet with a regretful expression.
"...Hmm?"
Then Ruby, who discovered the device attached to her head.
"You do quite cute things, using such a device just for transmitting sound."
She chuckled and picked up the device.
- We're evacuating the slaves right now! The Cloud Kingdom royals already escaped with the princess earlier! Everything is going according to plan! But why haven't you been responding for a while? Frey?
- We've successfully suppressed the Demon King's Army! Now we just need to deal with the remnants! By the way Frey, why are you so quiet?
"...Quite popular."
Ruby, who eventually heard the voices from the device and muttered with a relaxed expression, summoned a purple subspace in the air.
"Then... it's about time I obtained some 'fame'."
Ruby, who took out the Hero's sacred equipment while saying that, instantly equipped the equipment on her body.
- Crash!!
She jumped down to the 1st floor.
"Kkeeeh!!"
"...Ugh."
Ruby, who crushed two demons instantly upon landing, began to leisurely make her way between the Demon King's Army and the Imperial Knights who were panicked by her sudden appearance.
"Lord Demirkan, please listen to me. Something is strange."
"We don't have time for this. We need to gather the young slaves as quickly as possible and activate the sacrifice magic..."
"No, I'm asking why we're in charge of that! Common sense would be to have regular soldiers do that, and we should be in charge of combat, right?"
"...For someone claiming to be the Demon King's Army's strategist, not knowing that is disappointing, Mr. Lemerno."
What Ruby, who had been making her way through the crowd for a while, discovered was Demirkan and Lemerno, who were commanding the busy battle executives and waiting on the 1st floor.
"What don't I know?"
"...The possibility that the Hero might appear."
"Frey left the combat to the underlings and had us wait here because... he definitely predicted that the Hero would likely appear today."
"What kind of..."
"Lord Frey, who has frequently warned about and demanded vigilance regarding the Hero's existence. So it's common sense to prepare for the Hero on such an important day."
"But, as I said before... no matter how I think about it, the Hero is Frey..."
"You lot! Don't move!"
Demirkan, who was receiving Lemerno's words with a calm expression as the argument intensified, and Lemerno turned their gazes to Ruby who shouted vigorously.
"...Did you just say that to us?"
"That's right!"
"What, what? My stealth technique was definitely perfect...?"
"...First, how about removing that helmet and facing each other while talking?"
When Ruby answered again, Lemerno muttered with an expression saying she couldn't understand, and Demirkan offered with a polite voice.
"I will execute you, the Demon King's Army's executives, right here today!!"
"...My, someone who doesn't communicate."
But when Ruby ignored his words and raised her sword, Demirkan, whose expression turned cold, answered Lemerno who had been wearing a dazed expression until then.
"...What did I tell you? I said it's about time for the Hero to reveal herself."
"Surely, really..."
"Then, let's go."
Demirkan, who eventually said that calmly, wrapped his entire body in demonic energy and muttered.
"To protect the next Demon King, Lord Frey."
.
"...Ugh."
"L-Lord Demirkan!"
Demirkan's right arm flew into the air.
"Hah!"
"Q-quite impressive... To think you wouldn't allow even a single strike..."
Demirkan, who was staggering, muttered with a struggling voice as Ruby, wearing the Hero's sacred equipment, rushed toward him with momentum.
"The only one who gave me this much trouble... was when I faced Lord Frey..."
"Surrender! Executive! You have no chance!"
Ruby, ignoring Demirkan's words and continuing to pressure the two with her sword, looked at the people who were buzzing while watching that mythical battle and smirked.
'Whatever you riffraff think, my operation has already succeeded.'
The reason for putting Frey into the Demon King's Army.
Him becoming the Demon King's Army's second-in-command, and even being misunderstood as the Demon King.
All of it was a scenario she had planned and designed.
"That armor is... surely, really..."
"You lot, head to the Church immediately. We can't let the Imperial Family learn of this first.'
...Wherever you go, the higher-ups' thinking is always the most important thing.'
And that scenario was now coming to fruition.
"If I had been a bit more thorough... no, meaningless assumption. The difference in skill is too great. Honestly, I never imagined it would be this much..."
"Lord Demirkan! We need to get out of here first! Hurry!"
"...No. Lord Frey must have a plan established. So, we need to hold out until then..."
"Demirkan!!"
To eliminate the second-in-command and strategist who had dedicated their lives to him, and to make a splendid debut to the world.
Of course, the fact that they were core members and central pillars of the Demon King's Army meant nothing to Ruby.
Because in her eyes, even subordinates were nothing more than tools to achieve her purpose.
"H-hang in there!"
"Yes, good job! Kill them!"
"T-there really was a Demon King's Army... and even the Hero..."
As Demirkan, who was resisting with all his ability, began to reach his limit, the surrounding atmosphere began to intensify.
'...Frey, if you had seen this, you would have marveled.'
And at that point, Ruby, who realized her plan had already succeeded, muttered inwardly while thinking of Frey, who was probably having his energy drained by the spirit beast she had transformed.
'But, this is reality.'
Before she knew it, everyone in the slave market was cheering for Ruby.
"W-what...? Who is that person...?"
"I-I don't know either. It wasn't mentioned in the plan...?"
Except for Irina and Klana, who were watching the situation with blank minds.
'Now, the entire empire... the whole world will praise me wearing these sacred arms.'
Ruby, who was watching that situation pleasantly and slightly slowed her attack.
'And you, who still doesn't even know my true identity, will fall into the abyss starting today.'
She continued her thoughts while evading Demirkan's attacks with relaxed movements.
'Therefore, this is my victory. Frey.'
The sword she was holding began to tremble.
- Zzzzt!!!
"Kuh!!"
And before long, when Demirkan and Lemerno were powerlessly bounced off and crashed into the wall, Ruby wore a struggling expression outwardly.
"This is the end!!'
...Too easy.'
Inside, she yawned while trying to finish, but.
"Grrr...!"
"...Hah!?"
Suddenly sensing tremendous killing intent from behind, she twisted her body urgently.
"What...?"
Ruby, who avoided the attack like that, tilted her head and carefully formed demonic energy in her hand when she discovered Miho standing in front of her, but.
"Hah?"
For some reason, Miho didn't listen to her command.
"Cough, cough..."
"...Young master, are you alright?"
"........!!!"
Because of that, Ruby, who was slightly flustered, discovered people who appeared on the 2nd floor and had no choice but to doubt her eyes.
"How did those guys... get here?"
It was because Frey and Kania, who should definitely have lost consciousness, were looking down below while supporting each other, albeit with bodies that were in tatters.
While holding a black stone that somehow felt familiar.
"W-what... a monster?"
"H-Hero... please help us!"
"P-please defeat that monster too! We beg you!"
Ruby, who was flustered by the接连 absurd situations, slowly raised her sword when the people around her began to sense danger and urge her, but.
- Snap!!
At that moment, a third astonishing thing happened.
"...Ah?"
Suddenly, a crisp finger-snapping sound echoed through the 1st floor.
"Ah."
Ruby's fake Hero's helmet, which she had definitely protected with double to triple layers of protection magic.
- Whoosh...
Was because it had shattered into pieces.
"Wait."
And Frey, who captured that fleeting moment.
"Those ruby-colored eyes..."
Muttered with a serious expression.
"...Surely?"