Kays Translations

Chapter 78: Shinigami (The Grim Reaper)

"Hey, kid! Why do you have the 'Demon Condemning Blade'?" Alessandro exclaimed, pointing at the sword I held.

"It was entrusted to me by the Demon King to show those who won't listen to what I have to say. I'm Takumi, a companion of Karla and Gail. I'm a human, but also a Dwarf ambassador. Anyway, we need to retreat once. This is Karla's plan. Please understand and comply," I explained.

"――To receive condemnation from the General! That presence is undoubtedly genuine... I don't get why he would give it to a human brat... Men, we're withdrawing!" Alessandro ordered.

From there, things moved swiftly. As Alessandro gave the order, the demon army immediately started retreating.

　With the 'Heart Wall' barrier, I covered the rear guard, but the Melkid Kingdom's soldiers didn't pursue us during the retreat.

Maybe they were welcoming Alessandro's departure too.

As the demon army arranged their formation, the allied forces (Melkid Kingdom Army, Adventurer's Guild, and Elven Army) formed a three-layered lateral formation.

The Adventurer's Guild and Elven Army, who were absent just moments ago, had now joined.

It seems like the enemy has finally mustered the courage to come at us for real.

While I would prefer to retreat before that, I had one concern. If we retreat, there's a possibility that nearby demon settlements might get attacked again.

While thinking about that, I spotted Karla and the others around the center of the demon army.

Once we reunited, Mia quietly came over to my side.

"Takumi, good job. Actually, there's a problem... The looks we're getting from the people around are painful. Ku-chan is about to go berserk," Mia said.

Listening carefully, I heard others nearby talking.

"Why are humans here... Aren't they enemies?"

"Because of them, our comrades..."

"What use do humans have here? And bringing a kid along..."

I see... Kuzuha is influenced by this hostile atmosphere.

"Hasn't Karla explained our situation to those around?" I asked.

"Well, she did explain, which eased the situation a bit. But it's like that when Karla's not around," Mia replied.

　Well, it can't be helped. From their point of view, me and Mia have no track record.

　Moreover, we're humans in the midst of a war, seemingly the enemy.

Especially after witnessing the massacre of a nearby settlement just before coming here.

It's only natural for them to be on edge.

While I could resolve the situation instantly by showing them the 'Demon Condemning Blade,' I really didn't want to touch that thing anymore.

I turned around to explain the situation to Ku-chan.

Then, a young demon soldier approached Ku-chan, who was being carried by Mia. Kuzuha wrinkled her nose to show her disgust.

"This isn't a kid's playground. What's this?" he said, pointing at Ku-chan.

　Idiot! Stop it!

The young demon soldier, unbelievably, grabbed Ku-chan's tail and pulled.

"Ice...!"

With a high-pitched sound, the demon soldier entangled with Ku-chan was instantly covered in ice.

The surroundings buzzed with chatter, but Ku-chan emitted a sharp and ominous aura, spreading fear through the air like a sticky and dense atmosphere.

"Ku-chan, stop it. They're allies," I said.

"They're no allies. They're just making fun of us. No need to welcome these bastards. Let's leave them alone and go back," Ku-chan retorted.

"Kuzuha..."

"Or maybe we should just kill them all?”

　Kuzuha's eyes began to glow faintly with a bewitching color.

　I'm not sure what touching her nine tails means to her, but this is getting out of hand.

Ugh... Should I do it? Should I not do it?

I know that this is the most straightforward way, but it's really bad for my heart.

I reluctantly took out the 'Demon Condemning Blade' from the 'Storage Bangle.'

"W-Wait, isn't that the Demon King's condemnation!? Why does a human have it...?"

"What is the meaning of a Demon King's weapon being in the hands of humans...?"

"Why is he unharmed while carrying it, only the Demon King should be unharmed by that sword...?"

Hey, what's with that last ominous line? What does 'unharmed' mean?

Karla and Gail seemed astonished beyond belief.

Ku-chan went behind Mia and trembled with fear.

"H-Hey! What is Father thinking? Put it away immediately! Takumi, you'll die!!"

Die? I haven't heard that one before!

Hmm... Why? Why is she not going berserk this time?

(...Don't worry. It's because of Enzo's plea...)

Enzo asked you to do this?

　Oh, no. More importantly, everyone around us is making a fuss.

"Ku-chan, please revert your spell.” Then I informed the demons. “I received this blade from Demon King Enzo. If you're demons, you should understand its significance. Mia, Ku-chan, and I came here upon the Demon King's request. If you have any complaints, you should take it directly to the Demon King," I said.

I put the sword back into the 'Storage Bangle.'

Ku-chan released the spell and clung to me, tearfully apologizing.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to anger Ku-chan," I said, patting Ku-chan's head, and she hugged me tightly.

So cute. It's so comforting.

　In front of all the demons, Karla bowed deeply to us.

"I sincerely apologize for my countryman's extremely rude behavior. Please accept our apology," Karla said, and the surrounding demons fell silent.

I see... She's using this opportunity to settle everything at once.

"We accept your apology. We came here on the request of Demon King Enzo. Mia and I are humans, but we are also Dwarf ambassadors. I understand it's hard to trust humans, but we've come here to fight together. So please treat us kindly," I replied.

Saying that, Karla and I shook hands.

From that moment on, the way the demons treated us did a 180-degree turn.

"Karla, was that okay?" I asked.

"Yes. I never expected you to bring the 'Demon Condemning Blade.' Thanks to that, we could prove that you're someone who's both highly trusted and acting on my father's request. I'm truly sorry for making Mia and Ku-chan uncomfortable," Karla replied.

"Don't worry about it. As they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," I said.

"The next time you touch my tail, you're dead," Ku-chan added to the demon she froze.

...Uh, Ku-chan. Your eyes are too serious.

I guess I should be careful not to touch her tail.

　——Afterward, as planned, the demon army retreated to a location near the demon territory's forest. During this time, the coalition forces did not pursue and maintained their horizontal formation.

Gail and Alessandro, who finished arranging their formation, returned to the makeshift headquarters made of cloth.

"Now that everyone is here, let's discuss our future strategy," Karla said.

Present at the meeting were Karla, Gail, Alessandro, Mia, Ku-chan, and myself. With Karla's permission, I also connected telepathically with the Demon King Enzo and Arthur.

"——So, I'm thinking of retreating from here for now," Karla said

　The current battle situation is as follows: The demon army had no casualties, with 102 lightly wounded members, all healed using potions. On the other hand, the Melkid Kingdom's army suffered 1,000 casualties and had around 2,000 injured. The Elven army and the Adventurers' Guild did not participate in the battle.

The formal alliance between humans, demons, and dwarves is to unite and confront the elves. Although it might seem like they are making progress in the war, in reality, they're actually shaving off each other among their comrades.

"Karla-sama, I understand what you're saying, but it's impossible to retreat right now. If we leave, the nearby settlements might be attacked," Alessandro's opinion matched my own.

　That's why I need Arthur's power.

"When do you think you will arrive, Arthur? Since the war has already begun, I think both sides need to agree on a ceasefire. We'd like you to mediate with the coalition forces," I said to Enzo.

“Maybe… I think I’ll be able to make it within two hours. I want you to leave the persuasion of the Allied Forces to me. There is also a decree from King Melkid.”

　After a moment, Arthur continued.

　“——It may sound strange for me to say this, but please don’t let your guard down. The Adventurers' Guild has Otherworlders, and the elves have magical tools. And especially, among the Adventurers' Guild, there is an Otherworlder known as the 'Grim Reaper.' She arrived in this world at the same time as Takumi and the others, yet she's already an S-rank powerhouse. If she appears, the situation on the battlefield may change drastically."

S-rank... Her skills are undoubtedly cheat-level.

The problem lies in the effects of her skills.

I hope she doesn't have any instant death abilities or anything like that.

　Afterward, the meeting discussed the conditions for a ceasefire and the possible consequences if the war were to continue.

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