* * *
Now, Deogandai glanced around.
Destroy Bunbun is missing.
The Dark Magic Wolves he brought with him are no longer usable.
They are either dead or gravely injured.
The numbers don’t add up, so a few of them might have escaped.
How about himself?
Actually, he hasn’t taken any significant damage yet.
But he’s already used his ultimate move 【Dragon Thunder】 twice.
In terms of remaining mana, he can probably only fire it one more time with decent power.
How about the monster girl, Emi Rune, in front of him?
Covered in black soot, she’s breathing heavily.
He should have worn her down considerably.
“…………”
The two glared at each other in silence.
During that time, Emi rubbed her soot-covered cheek with her right fist.
“Tch……!”
Seeing that, Deogandai let out a small click of his tongue, sweating.
Because after Emi wiped her cheek, there was only smooth, beautiful white skin.
She should have been bleeding from the attacks of the Dark Magic Wolves’ fangs and claws.
……But there wasn’t a single scratch left.
(She even has an insane natural healing ability. Her specs are so enviable, it makes me want to cry……)
Yes, Emi’s injuries heal abnormally fast.
Even a full-body fracture heals overnight, so minor cuts heal in an instant.
In other words, the longer they glare at each other and waste time here…… the more Emi recovers, and the more out of control she becomes.
Even the faint glimmer of victory he saw disappeared.
So.
If he’s going to attack.
……It has to be now!
“Seven, seven, eight, one, three!!”
Deogandai shouted.
It’s the same order to the Dark Magic Wolves as before.
“Seven, seven, eight, one, three!!”
But the Dark Magic Wolves didn’t move.
No, they couldn’t move.
They no longer had the strength to fight.
“Hey! You guys! What are you lying around for!? Fight, fightーーー!!”
Panicking, Deogandai stomped his feet!
After confirming that the Dark Magic Wolves still wouldn’t move, he smoothly drew the sword he wasn’t particularly skilled with from his waist.
“Damn iiiiit!! In that case, I, the middle-ranked commander of the Demon Lord’s army, Deogandai the Puppeteer, will personally!! Cut you downーーー!! Uwaaaaaaaaah!!”
Shouting that.
Deogandai…… with a slightly cowardly, pathetic stance…… started running straight towards Emi.
“…………”
Emi, with a cold gaze towards Deogandai, raised her right 【Black Arm】.
She was ready to punch and kill him as he approached.
Seeing that.
Deogandai.
The sword he held in his hand.
“Take this!!”
He threw it with all his might towards Emi……!
“!?”
Deogandai, currently transformed into his 5th form, possesses the strength of a dragon.
The momentum of the sword thrown with such tremendous force was so great that even Emi instinctively moved her 【Black Arm】 into the sword’s trajectory…… right in front of her, taking a defensive stance.
As a result, her vision was blocked.
Deogandai was waiting for that!
“Gotcha!!”
At that moment, Deogandai sidestepped and instantly moved to Emi’s blind spot.
And then.
“Wind, assist me! 【Wind Boost】!”
He cast a subtle tailwind magic spell that few can master.
And with a serious running form, different from the cowardly stance he had before.
Deogandai began his charge towards Emi……!
“UOOOOOOOOOH!!”
While running, the two horns on Deogandai’s head began to glow intensely.
The power of thunder gathering.
His aim is to unleash 【Dragon Thunder】 at point-blank range!
Yes!
His pathetic display of yelling at the immobile Dark Magic Wolves!
His cowardly, pathetic charge!
It was all an act to make Emi let her guard down!
Something that many strong individuals unconsciously acquire.
That is, arrogance.
“Exploiting arrogance!! This is how the weak fightーーー!!!”
Crackle, crackle, crackle!!
With thunder surging from his horns, Deogandai ran!
He had now entered the range of Emi’s 【Black Arms】.
It would be difficult for her to deal with him with those huge arms at this distance.
All that’s left is to unleash a full-powered thunder attack on this arrogant little monster!
“OOOOOOOOOH!!!”
Yes, he was thinking that.
Deogandai was.
It’s what he was thinking but.
“Arrogance?”
Emi, in the shadow of her giant 【Black Arm】’s fist.
“I won’t.”
She was staring straight at Deogandai, who thought he had jumped into her blind spot.
“Because you’re strong.”
She said that to him, and then opened her mouth wide.
Thud!!
The next moment, what emerged from Emi’s mouth was a black tentacle.
The tentacle extended at incredible speed and struck Deogandai’s chest with tremendous force.
“Guh……!?”
Partly due to his own momentum, the damage that blow inflicted on Deogandai was severe.
Deogandai’s body rolled several times on the cobblestones, from the center of the First Plaza to the edge.
Finally, he came to a stop, lying on his back.
With this single blow, he too was gravely injured.
His bones were broken.
He gasped for air.
He could no longer move.
His horns were broken too.
He couldn’t fire his thunder attack.
“Ku…… Kukaka……”
Deogandai somehow managed to move his head slightly.
He desperately turned his gaze towards Emi, who was approaching.
“Hey, hey…… is it true……?”
“…………”
And he asked.
“Was I…… really…… strong……?”
Emi slowly and firmly nodded.
“……You were strong!”
And she answered!
“Kukaka…… Kukakakaka!!”
His entire body must be wracked with intense pain.
But hearing that answer.
Deogandai smiled from the bottom of his heart.
“…………”
Looking at Deogandai.
Emi clasped her 【Black Arms】 together like she was praying, forming them into a hammer-like shape.
It’s the 【Black Great Hammer】.
Deogandai is a demon.
According to Extra-sama, he’s an existence whose destiny is to be hostile to humans, ordained by the gods.
She should kill him here.
Emi slowly, slowly raised her 【Black Great Hammer】.
And towards Deogandai, she.
Was about to swing it down.
But it was at that moment!
Flash!!
Deogandai’s body was suddenly enveloped in purple light!
“!?”
Emi reflexively closed her eyes.
And when she opened them again.
The figure of the deformed demon, who had been lying in front of her, was gone without a trace.
“…………”
Seeing that, Emi.
Slowly exhaled.
And looked around.
In this First Plaza, there was no one left moving except for Emi.
There might be some Dark Magic Wolves still breathing, but they’re no longer a threat.
It’s quiet.
After confirming that, Emi retracted her 【Black Arms】.
And at the same time, she deactivated a part of her jet-black armor.
What appeared from within was a small bag.
Inside are a little bit of money, a white ball she received from her underling, and…… a bouquet of blue flowers.
The bouquet was safe.
Because she had carefully protected it with her armor, Deogandai’s thunder attack didn’t reach it.
Relieved by that fact.
Emi put the bag back into her armor, and then.
Without paying any attention to the gazes of the people watching from the windows of the surrounding houses.
She started walking down the main street, towards Mihabyushira Hill.