It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

49: ‘Fantasy’ Diabolodeath

“Welcome back, Master! How should I put it to make you happy?”

She makes a beautiful bow, her voice sweet enough to melt the listener’s brain. The bird-like tone sends shivers down my spine. It’s not pleasant at all, thanks to the existence in front of me.

“I’m not happy at all. I want you to disappear right now.”

“Oh, that’s funny. Don’t you guys get excited when someone does this kind of gesture?”

“It depends on the person. With you, only disgust emerges.”

“This cute me is doing this, and you’re saying such harsh words?”

She winks at me again, then spins around once more. Her black dress floats up, and even if I could see what’s inside, I wouldn’t be happy. There’s something annoying about her tone. I’d rather not talk to her.

“Are you a reincarnator?”

“That’s a natural question. I’ll answer. No, no, no, I’m not.”

She raises her right index finger and waves it in front of her face, each gesture making me feel annoyed. As a demon, I’ve never felt such strong dislike towards a woman I’ve just met. It’s because she’s using the memories of my family, which is infuriating.

“I’m a demon born in this world, not a sudden transplant like you guys.”

“Then, why do you have such biased knowledge?”

“Should I answer? Shouldn’t you figure it out yourself?”

The woman smiles nihilistically. Diabolodeath, was it? She called herself one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

“I’ve fought with reincarnators before, and that’s how I know. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong. You did fight with reincarnators, but it’s a bit different.”

“I read it from the memories of the reincarnator I killed.”

Ah, I see. She read the memories and appeared before me in Lizette’s form. Is she controlling dreams? And can she read people’s memories? Does she have such abilities?

“You’re aware of it, but I’m a half-demon, half-succubus who can show and devour dreams. In your world, I’d be called a succubus, right? The weaker the opponent’s heart, the easier it is to devour them.”

“……………”

“I read the memories and show them their desired dreams! I create dreams that make them not want to return to reality! I’ve shown it to reincarnators like you too.”

Diabolodeath spreads her arms, seeming to enjoy herself as she speaks.

“So?”

“Mirabel, Mirabel, it was like a Mayfly. I couldn’t see her face even when I read her memories, which was frustrating.”

“But I did have memories of my past life. So I showed him the memories he wanted to see – ordinary daily life with his precious family.”

Diabolos let out a laugh, clearly amused.

I realized something thanks to him. The reincarnator Diabolos interacted with was related to Mirabel. If his statement was true, then that person was already dead.

“People who are trapped in their dreams, unable to move their bodies, and have their hearts stolen by their dreams become useless. It’s easy to destroy them.

But reincarnators are interesting, aren’t they? They have memories of two lives, even though they’re just one person.”

“You didn’t forget your past life’s memories, did you?”

“You’re the same. But I couldn’t see your memories. Is your ability related to that?”

“Do you think I’d answer that?”

“You said you read my memories, didn’t you? I know about your ability. But you still couldn’t prevent my ability from affecting you.”

That was suspicious. This woman had shown me a dream and read my memories. With the power I received from Mirabel, I should be able to neutralize any interference with my own abilities. Yet, I was still under her influence.

“Unfortunately, even I can’t figure it out. Instead, I’d like to ask, why were you able to break through my ability?”

“If you told me, I’d answer, but that would be giving away too much for now.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“I’m also disappointed. I wanted to know too.”

“You were the same as the previous reincarnator, believing in Mirabel. But you were wavering. You couldn’t decide whether to trust her or not. Your uncertainty was palpable.”

“Instead, your foster parent floated up from the depths of your memories. That’s why I showed you a dream.”

The rest of her words were unnecessary. Her regretful expression spoke louder than words. Diabolos must have thought I was trapped in my dreams. My heart was weak, even Diabolos could see that.

But contrary to Diabolos’ expectations, I didn’t get trapped in my dreams. It was a sweet dream, one that I had been seeking.

“I have things to do. I can’t be trapped in dreams.”

“Ha! I think your heart is weak, easily swayed by my ability.”

“That’s the opposite. Thanks to you, I was able to regain my past.”

” Humans are hard to understand. Even when I read their memories, I can’t grasp their movements.”

Ugh, the over-the-top reaction I read from the reincarnator’s memories was annoying. It seemed like I didn’t get along with this woman. Every one of her actions was grating.

“I think it would have been better if you had gotten trapped in your sweet dreams. Then you wouldn’t have felt any pain when you died.”

“I didn’t want to die, so I woke up from the dream.”

“You’re not awake. You’re still trapped.”

“And now, you’re having a terrible nightmare, meeting me!”

With a loud “Baki” sound, the floor cracked like a spider’s web, centered around Diabolos. The oppressive atmosphere and killing intent made it hard to breathe. My body stiffened at the dense death aura.

Still, it was better than meeting Silvy at the Reg legacy site.

I was reminded of Silvy’s (monster) strength.

“It’s not a nightmare.”

“You’re not even trying to sound brave, your voice is shaking.”

“I said it’s not a nightmare. The Four Heavenly Kings I’ve been searching for have finally appeared before me. What a coincidence.”

“Do you think you can defeat them? A human?”

“It’s always humans who defeat monsters. It’s a cliché, but I have the courage to do it.”

Diabolos’ smile was infuriating. He seemed to be saying “Oh, how delightful!” with his expression. Sometimes, it’s hard to read the thoughts of demons. This was one of those times.

“So, what do you plan to do? Your prized sword isn’t here, and you can’t use magic.”

“I’m not weak enough to be unable to fight without a tool to rely on.”

Even during breaks, I’m not wearing armor, just casual clothes. I roll up my sleeves to check my condition, and Diavolo is grinning, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

It’s not like I can’t fight. I’ve trained for situations where Durandal is unusable. I even had a mentor, Torasan. Not being able to use Durandal is frustrating, but I’m not weak enough to give up just because of that.

“Want to go for a melee fight?”

“You think magic is unrestricted on your side?”

“No, I can use a little magic, but not high-powered magic. I don’t want to wake up from this dream world.”

“You think I’d believe that?”

“Either way, if you want a melee fight, I’ll respond accordingly.”

Diavolo tears off his dress sleeve, revealing his pale, unburned arm, and cracks his knuckles with a loud “kokiri-kokiri” sound. It’s like he’s joking, but…

“Let’s have a no-holds-barred fight!”

Diavolo’s grin and sparkling eyes make me involuntarily smile. I’m supposed to be annoyed, but I don’t dislike him right now.

What kind of world has a succubus who wants to fight in a dream world? I’ve never heard of it.

Still, it’s inconvenient for me that we’re not getting into a psychological battle or trying to deceive each other. I won’t let my guard down when it comes to magic.

“I don’t intend to fight.”

“What’s wrong? You’re the one who’s all fired up.”

Diavolo’s reproachful gaze pierces through me, as if saying, “Don’t say you won’t fight.”

“We’ve finally met. I won’t let you go. Let’s not just fight, let’s kill each other!”

Diavolo doesn’t flinch even when I release my killing intent, and instead, he smiles as if he’s thrilled. His tension is at an all-time high. I need to stay calm and not get caught up in this.

“Best, Kyle! Best, hottest proposal ever! Even my heart is racing!”

“I didn’t mean to propose.”

“Don’t say that, Kyle. Let’s have the best, hottest fight until death separates us!”

──I feel like the bell signaling the start of the battle has rung in my head. Must be my imagination, though.