They’re not worthy as opponents, was what Sparda thought.

No matter how strong they were, they were useless.

They’re no good in battle.

Renzou and Shuu were cornered in a hard fight, because of those adventurers who kept on reviving again and again, even after being defeated .

They were struggling to think of a plan to escape from this deadlock.

The two Demon Lord candidates were indeed strong.

Their swordsmanship and their black magic were overwhelming the adventurers, but even so, they couldn’t win.

Perhaps if it’s not this kind of condition, or one on one, then the Demon Lord candidates surely would have been able to defeat the skilled adventurers with ease, but even so, this was how adventurers fight.

It was their warrior’s siege, who had turned their backs on death.

[ Dammit ……] -Renzou-

Renzou coughed a mouthful of blood.

Receiving the black magic attack and the sword slash, that he couldn’t evade, his clothing were torn apart and tattered.

Dyed in red in several places, and with the appearance that had a lot of wounds, his fighting spirit also seemed to be out of gas.

[ haah … haah … ] -Shuu-

At the same time, Shuu also breathed heavily.

Perhaps because of his great agility, his wounds were lesser than Renzou’s.

However, the extense of his mental strength was already at its end.

How much agony had he bore, repeatedly killing other humans, who no matter how many times he killed them, they kept on reviving up again.

Even if you begged us, I’m sorry, that’s what Sparda thought.

[That’s enough, Joz, Fred, you guys go infiltrate the castle.

Though we don’t know how the condition is inside, but if hero Plea is having a hard fight, you guys go help her.

Our objective are the Demon Lord candidates and the daughter of the Demon Emperor. Kill them on sight.]

Renzou stood up in front of them with a bloodcurdling glint in his eyes.

[Like h.e.l.l I’ll let you pa.s.s. Don’t look down on me!] -Renzou-

[Oi, Tiger-dono]

From below his foot, the mud made a form like a snake and twined around Renzou.

Instantly, Renzou’s lower half was restrained.

[What, b.a.s.t.a.r.d ---] -Renzou-

[It’s tough, eh, you so called Demon Lord, but with only that, you still cannot do anything, you know?]

At the same time, Shuu received an attack from the two magicians.

He didn’t have any room to help Renzou.

Both of the young boys were dancing in the palms of the adventurers.

Even though they said to leave this place to them, this is what happened in the end.

Right in front of their eyes, the adventurers were able to enter the castle.

But even so, in this first battle between life and death for the two boys, they kept on at it with all their might.

　◆◆

Shirbenia kept out the guild alone.

Isagi, in the underground hall of the Demon Lord’s castle, became the opponent of , and then, Shuu and Renzou, both of them were in the middle of fighting with

Dyutyu had already finished giving the evacuation order to all of the servants, but even so, she herself still hadn’t escaped.

Dyutyu joined her hands together. She looked like she was praying.

Besides her, the three figures were already gone.

At the time, when everyone was about to evacuate through the secret entrance, she had been checking around the place, but she couldn’t find the figures of Rimino and Lolishia.

Everyone please evacuate first, Dyutyu had told them.

There’s one person who raised his hand.

『I, I am, I, I, I,  I will ....... 』

『I will, try, to find them』

『But,  Yoshin.o.bu-sama』

『...... I will go.

It, it"s alright, I am, will be alright 』

Yoshin.o.bu said with a quivering voice.

He held onto Dyutyu’s hand.

『It"s alright, it"s gonna be alright !

Even, even me will be able to do it ..... !』

『 Even Shuu-san, and Renzou-senpai, are fighting.....

but, just me, just me ..... !』

『But, Yoshin.o.bu-sama...』

『I"ll go!

Thus, Yoshin.o.bu started to run, without turning his back, towards the Demon Lord"s castle.

Right at that time, the adventurers were able to penetrate into the castle.

The two adventurers that entered the castle, started to fight with the rest of the soldiers inside the castle.

The ma.s.sacre of several tens of demon race, happened in an instant.

◆◆

Rimino pulled Lolishia’s hand.

She found her alone, already leaving her job of sweeping.

At that time, since Shirbenia used a barrier to ward off a black magic attack from the magicians on the enemy side, there’s a loud thunderous roar that could have been heard from all over the place.

Lolishia looked nervous and moved restlessly.

If she went by herself as she was, surely she wouldn’t have been able to meet with Dyutyu’s group.

That’s why, for once, so that they will be able to meet up with Dyutyu, Rimino took a route back from where she came from.

She wasn’t able to find Isagi.

The Demon Lord’s castle had a complicated structure.

If she could have, she would have searched every nook and cranny of the castle, but it would have taken quite a lot of time.

Right after Isagi disappeared, the adventurers arrived.

Perhaps, he called over the adventurers to this place.

Was his aim revenge?

To exterminate the Demon Emperor Anrimanyu’s blood relative because of the curse casted upon him ……?

No. there’s no way that would happen.

Rimino knows that Isagi was not that kind of man.

But 20 years.

Those days, for a person to completely change his personality, it was plenty of time.

Actually, even Selder was ….

( …. Uun, Rimino mustn’t think of something stupid like that! ) (TL : btw , this "UUn" is shaking head, so Uun = no, that"s wrong or such)

If  Isagi wanted to do that, everyone in this castle would have been already ma.s.sacred,

or, was it because of the curse, and Isagi’s battle power was declining?

Not good. The more she thought about it, the more impatient she became.

Even though every time she looked at his face, all of her worries and anxiety would be blown away.

[Onee-sama …. ]  -Lolishia-

Without her realizing it, Lolishia looked over with a face that looked like she was worried.

Perhaps Rimino had made some kind of scary face.

[ Ah, Uun, it’s alright, Lolishia-chan.I’m sorry.

Let’s quickly return to Dyutyu-sama’s place. Okay?] -Rimino-

[ Hai ….] -Lolishia-

Lolishia too, felt scared.

Perhaps Rimino’s anxiety had transmitted to her too.

Hold it together, or so Rimino tried to recover her mind.

When they were about to turn to the corridor, they heard some footsteps.

Rimino, surprised, held her breath.

Supposedly there’s no one inside the Demon Lord’s castle, perhaps it’s Isagi, or perhaps, the adventurers were able to infiltrate the castle?

The place where they were at was the area where the servant’s rooms were located.

Maybe they should have hid inside a room and just let it pa.s.s.

Rimino thought that, while patting Lolishia’s head.

While she prepared to shoot white magic as soon as possible, she turned the corner.

Before her eyes, there’s a person.

She ended up screaming.

[Kyaaa!] -Rimino-

Having built the code, at the time,when  she was about to pour magical power into the code. The person explained himself.

[It, it, it’s me! Rimino-san!]

It was Yoshin.o.bu.

The code that was written on the magical word, became weaker and weaker, and before long it disappeared.

[Yo, Yoshin.o.bu- kun ….

Why are you here?] -Rimino-

[ Tha, that’s … ummmm …

I was searching for Rimino-chan, and Lolishia-chan.]

-Yoshin.o.bu-

For some reason, Yoshin.o.bu muttered that while averting his gaze,

Rimino purely showed her smile.

[Is that so? Thank you, Yoshin.o.bu-kun. Come on, Lolishia-chan. Why don’t you say thank you too?] -Rimino-

As she had her back pushed, even though she was confused, Lolishia still bowed her head.

[Yo, Yoshin.o.bu-sama …..

Thank you , very much …..] -Lolishia-

[ Un …..] -Yoshin.o.bu-  (TL : this one mean nod)

For some reason Yoshin.o.bu made a somewhat complicated expression.

Having left that aside, Rimino said to him.

[Then, please take care of Lolishia-chan from here on.

Please take her to Dyutyu-sama’s place.] -Rimino-

[eh, then what about Rimino-san?] -Yoshin.o.bu?-

[About Rimino…] -Rimino-

She was about to say that she will search for Onii-chan.

The next moment they could hear a voice of a man.

『Hey, I think I heard some voices from here you know』

『Perhaps there"s one who is hiding somewhere around here maybe?』

Rimino was about to shout when she heard those voices.

Yoshin.o.bu’s face also became pale.

That voice just now, it’s not the voice of any of the soldiers in this castle.

Mixed with the accent of the Suraosha continent, it was the voice of the human race.

[ …. Wha, wha, what should we do….] -Yoshin.o.bu-

[Come here] -Rimino-

Taking Yoshin.o.bu and Lolishia’s, who were trembling, Rimino decided to hide inside a room.

It was the maid"s private room that Rimino and Lolishia often used.

Looking around the room, Rimino pushed in the twoinside the small closet.

[Wa, wait, Rimino-chan] -Yoshin.o.bu-

[Lolishia-chan, you absolutely cannot come out. Okay?

If Lolishan-chan feels scared just cling to Yoshin.o.bu-sama, and close your eyes] -Rimino-

Rimino crouched and told that to Lolishia.

With a face that’s about to burst into tears, Lolishia-chan nodded vigorously.

She the stood up, and smiled at Yoshin.o.bu.

[Yoshin.o.bu-sama, please protect Lolishia-chan. Okay?

It is Yoshin.o.bu-sama’s daily activity to protect little girls. Right?]

[That is…] -Yoshin.o.bu-

That was the lie that Rimino told to Lolishia.

Though Yoshin.o.bu wanted to stretch his hand towards Rimino, no matter what he did, his arms didn’t want to raise.

[Wha, what are you trying to do, Rimino-san…?]

[It’s alright, Rimino will do something about this after all.

That’s until everything is safe, Yoshin.o.bu-sama mustn’t come out no matter happens. Kay~?] -Rimino-

[Bu, but, there’s no way] -Yoshin.o.bu-

[It’s oka~y, it’s oka~y. After all Rimino, right now, is already able to use black magic. Right~?] -Rimino-

Rimino smiled at Yoshin.o.bu who trembled and seemed to be afraid, and then, Rimino closed the closet tightly.

After all, this was how Rimino was once saved by her big sisters.

Right now, it"s her turn, though it’s not what she would do because of such reason.

The Demon Lord candidates were supposed to become existences that would bring peace to this world.

They’re the ray of hope that would someday save her dear mother and sisters.

They couldn’t fall at this place.

(Well, even if Rimino tried to give a reason after this,

Will it come out nicely, heh….)

In the end, it was just her body that moved by itself.

It’s more natural to think as so.

When she saw Yoshin.o.bu and Lolishia-chan, she thought that she had to do it.

While having her hand still attached on the closet door, she arranged her breath.

It’s alright, if she ran away, as she was already used to it.

(.... Alright)

It’s alright, it’s not something reckless.

She just needed to open the door, and run away opposite to where Yoshin.o.bu and Rumino could go.

It’s just that simple.

It’s not something that’s too difficult.

Even when she strained her ears, there’s no voices that could be heard.

Perhaps those guys already went off somewhere.

She slowly opened the door.

Looked to the right.

There’s no one,

Looked to the right.

There’s no one.

Once again she looked to the right.

As expected there really was no one.

From her chest,a sigh of relief leaked out.

----- and at that time, the door in front of her opened.

A man with a beard on his face came out.

Concealing his footsteps and erasing his presence.

It was not something an amateur like Rimino could detect.

Her body became stiff.

It was an adventurer.

[Aah, I hate this.]

Her head became blank.

But even so, she moved her body.

In an instant,Rimino started her chant.

The one that she learned from Shirbenia, the simple code that she kept on practicing.

In the past 4 months, the moment where she had to do her best for her life, there was none other.

As if she was moving a third hand, the code left its trace in the magical world.

The arrow of wind flying, shot out, aimed towards the adventurer’s head.

It was a simple code.

[Bow of berdand!] -Rimino-

The black magic that Rimino shot with all of her might.

However, the adventurer evade it easily.

( Eh?)

It was very easily.

Just like evading a stone that some kid threw at him. He easily evaded it.

The fist of the adventurer came, decreased the distance between the two, and gave a blow to Rimino’s stomach.

Rimino’s body, that was paralized, was thrown back inside the room.

Her breathing became rough due to the pain.

While Rimino folded her body that collapsed on the floor, she choked.

[Ah? She is an elf, eh. Joz, you know anything about this?]

[Aah, I think I heard about some elf royalty taking shelter inside the Demon Lord’s castle somewhere you know.]

There’s one more man who was coming.

As he came closer to Rimino witha kind of rude behaviour, he raised Rimino by grabbing her hand.

Read the original.