Kays Translations

Chapter 59: The Villainous Aristocrat Loses His Right Arm.

I don't know what kind of attack just happened.

All I know is that a part of the Droid's armor has been severed.

If I had taken that attack directly, it would likely have been a fatal blow.

"Who are you?"

"That's my line."

The demon appears to be a middle-aged man dressed in a robe.

He has blue skin and a shiny, bald head that would probably gleam in the sunlight if there were any.

From the sides of his head, two ominous horns protrude, giving off an evil presence.

It's the distinct aura of a demon.

"I planned to exhaust both the kingdom and the empire by having them fight for several years. I never expected the empire to lose so quickly. You, irregular."

"Huh? My name isn't Irregular-san, though."

"You're quite talkative. What was that? The thing that caused the red rain... It stung my eyes terribly."

Oh, he got hit by the cluster intense chili pepper extract.

Is he so composed because of a high healing factor?

...Wait a minute.

Upon closer inspection, his eyes are completely red.

The cluster intense chili pepper extract is really effective, probably causing him intense pain.

I see.

Realizing that this demon isn't invincible brings a sense of relief.

"You said something about making the kingdom and the empire fight. For what purpose?"

"No need to say."

"Then, you didn't need to declare yourself as the mastermind either, right?"

"...That's right."

Ah, this guy is a mess!

He emits an intimidating presence, and he's undoubtedly strong, but there's something off about him.

"Never mind. I'll kill you and take that moving fortress and the giant armor."

"It's not a moving fortress; it's a Juggernaut, and it's not a giant armor; it's a Droid. Also, if I die, it's set to explode."

"...Oh, I see. That's terrifying."

Well, it's a lie that it will explode if I die.

"As an offering, it's passable, I suppose. Too bad."

"I see. So, you're under someone's command, huh?"

"..."

He really is a mess!

"Hmph, killing you will solve everything. Die quickly."

"No way!!"

I pull the triggers of the Gatling guns attached to both arms of the Droid.

An overwhelming barrage that would be impossible to dodge with a human body.

Even though they are non-lethal slime rounds, they still have the power to easily break bones.

I tested it by shooting my own arm. Their destructive power is undeniable.

The slime rounds approach the demon.

However, a figure intervenes between the slime rounds and the demon.

"W-What, a mannequin!?"

Mannequins appear from somewhere, acting as shields to prevent the slime rounds from reaching the demon.

But they are just mannequins after all.

They shatter into pieces under the impact of the slime rounds, continuously appearing and dispersing as shields, protecting the demon.

"This is a magic I devised. It's called Puppetry Magic. It allows me to control dolls with threads made of magic power."

"Ugh, a unique magic!!"

Among the demonkind, there are those who can spontaneously create their own magic.

While human strengths are passed down through bloodline magic, which allows the transmission of abilities, the strength of demons lies in the creation of unique magic by individuals.

These magics are impossible for others to learn, making them truly one-of-a-kind.

I cease my gunfire and question the demon.

"Why bother telling me? Feeling confident, huh?"

"It's a boast. You can never defeat me. I've turned all the people in the imperial capital into puppet soldiers. Puppetry Magic not only controls dolls but can also turn humans into dolls by touch."

"Huh?"

...So, that means I've just...?

"What a splendid magic, don't you think? And now, thanks to you, you've killed people with your own hands. They're dead because of you!! Hahaha!! It must be tough to kill your own kind."

"Huh? I don't get it."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

I calmly reflect.

"No, wait, aren't you the one controlling the puppet soldiers? I feel bad for breaking them, but it's not my fault."

"Huh, uh, yeah. Well, that's true, I guess."

...I killed someone. That's a fact.

However, it wasn't intentional. This was an accident, a vile trap set by this demon.

I don't think it's my fault.

"By the way, does this mannequin retain the original human's consciousness?"

"Uh, no, but..."

"So, this mannequin is like a corpse, right? If it's just like a dead body, then it should be fine no matter how much I destroy it."

"Ar-are you really human? You don't seem to be one of our kind, right?"

The demon cleared his throat lightly.

"Cough. Well, well, there are exceptions to everything, like that little royal brat over there."

The demon pointed to the boy, who let out a short scream.

Oh, so this kid is part of the royal family.

“Hiiii!!”

"The boy is terribly self-conscious. He absolutely believes that his will is his own. It's difficult to relate to someone with such strong mental strength."

"...I see."

This is bad.

Even though it can be resisted with mental strength, magic that can turn a person into a doll just by touching them is way too terrifying.

Alright, let's sprint with all our might.

However, I have no intention of falling so low as to abandon a frightened child.

Moreover, the war with the Empire this time is being orchestrated by these demons.

I'll take this child as a living witness, bring them back, and leave all this commotion to Freya.

Before that, I want information. At the very least, I want to know this person's name.

“It's surprisingly troublesome. You, you're quite a famous demon, aren't you?”

“Hmm, since you asked nicely. I'll tell you my name.”

The demon gracefully bows.

The gesture is beautiful, but for some reason, there's a sense of crudeness.

As if something non-human is imitating human behavior.

"I am Lynette, the puppet master. One of the Seven Supreme Generals of the Demon Lord's army."

"...Seriously?"

Huh, he's a bigger deal than I thought.

But it's strange.

There's no one named Lynette among the Seven Supreme Generals in the game.

During the outdoor lesson, when Kito was in the forest near the capital, I had a vague suspicion, but it seems the story has changed significantly.

Well, I guess it makes sense.

He's taken down the capital of the empire, classified as a major nation, all by himself.

If I've figured out who the opponent is, it's time to retreat.

"Hey, kid!! If you don't want to die, come over here!!"

"Uh, ye-yes!"

Forcing a boy who seems to be of royal descent into the cockpit of the droid, they attempt to escape from the scene.

They launch a railgun towards the wall of the room.

Blasting a hole through the wall, they ignore Lynette and without looking back, make their way outside the castle.

Lynette doesn't pursue.

Is he planning to let us go?

No, that's not it. His intention was clearly to kill me.

Should we consider the possibility of some kind of trap?

"Whoa, wh-what's this, it's amazing!! Cool!!"

"You, you get it, don't you?! Hold on tight!!"

"Y-yes!!"

Driving the droid, they head full speed towards the Juggernaut.

The Juggernaut seems to be surrounded by an enormous number of mannequins.

"Whoa, they're creepy when they gather."

The mannequins swing knives and pieces of wood at the Juggernaut, but it's futile. The armor only gets small scratches, and there's no real effect.

I scatter the mannequins with the droid, rushing towards the Juggernaut.

Then, it happens in an instant.

My right arm, along with the droid's armor, is severed.

"Huh?"

"Ugh!!"

"Ah, b-blood..."

That was close.

If I hadn't noticed at the last moment, I would have been split in two from the top of my head.

It's a miracle that it was only my right arm.

I open the hatch of the Juggernaut and toss the boy inside.

Then, I give orders to Hagane, who is in the pilot's seat.

"Hagane!! Go without worrying about me!!"

"Uh, y-yeah!!"

Hagane hesitates for a moment, but a slave cannot defy their master's command.

The Juggernaut launches, escaping the imperial capital.

With great caution, I glare at Lynette, who is chasing us.

"Was that last attack the magic threads? It sliced through the droid's armor initially."

"Correct. It's an application of puppet magic. The threads used to manipulate the dolls become weapons that can cut through even steel. I thought I had finished you off with that last attack."

Lynette emerges from the mist on the other side.

"Well, technically, you collided with the threads I had set up in advance and got severed."

"Thanks for the detailed explanation. I'm starting to resent my own stupidity."

I use healing magic to at least stop the bleeding, but I've lost my right arm.

I can't fight properly like this.

With the recent attack, the droid is completely immobilized, and it's a total deadlock.

Ideally, I'd like to escape with the Juggernaut, but Lynette's thread attacks easily sliced through the droid's armor.

Perhaps Lynette could unleash even more powerful thread attacks.

No matter how much orichalcum is mixed into the Juggernaut's armor, it will gradually be worn down.

That's why someone needs to stay behind and buy time.

And that responsibility falls on me, who messed up knowing there might be a trap.

"But, well, this seems impossible."

The Gatling gun and railgun have been improved somewhat, but the recoil is too strong and difficult to handle without a proper arm.

Especially with just one arm, it's absolutely unusable.

With my current state, I can do no more than swing a magic sword around.

"My dolls will torment you to death."

Mannequins from all over the imperial capital converge on me, ready to attack.

Well, I'll do what I can.

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