◆Dark Knight Kuroki

  「WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?」


  Kuna arrived along with the ogres. Though I didn’t understand what she was trying to say, it felt like I was taking a glimpse at something that was best left alone.

  When I took a look outside as soon as Daigan informed about the arrival of the ogres, Kuna’s reflection came out of the confectionary castle and suddenly challenged Shirone to a fight. Just what the hell was happening here?

  And then, I saw Shirone’s figure leaping towards the confectionary castle.

  「Oh shit, If I don’t stop them soon……」


  Transforming into my dark knight form, I leapt towards the confectionary castle.

  Faster, faster, they might have already started their fight by now.

  When I was about to chase after Shirone.

  「WHA?!」


  I twisted my body to the side, dodging something that just passed through the place I was standing a moment ago.

  I quickly descended to the ground. The place where I descended was right outside the rampart of Algore.

  As I descended, someone also seemed to be descending from the sky.

  A woman around my age. I remember that face.

  The first time I met her was when I was at the Holy Republic of Lenaria.

  If I’m not wrong, her name was Kaya.

  「I never expected you to have infiltrated Algore.」


  The woman called Kaya set her stance up with both of her fists.

  To be honest, I didn’t have the time to play around with her.

  「It should be your plan to save Regena while that Silver-haired Woman distracts our attention, right? But I won’t allow that to happen」


  No, you’re mistaken. I had no intention to make Kuna perform such dangerous acts. That’s why I had come as fast as I could to stop them.

  「Well, there’s something doubtful about your actions just now. If you still retain your own free will, why do you still serve under that Demon King? 」


  This woman was pressing such a question upon me.

  I don’t have an answer to that question.

  「The Demon King is the cause of the suffering of many people! Do you not feel anything about their suffering!」


  Kaya continued to question me with an anger-filled voice.

  「You’re mistaken. Since when did the Demon King cause the suffering of people? Despite always staying in Nargol, how did he cause the suffering of many people?」


  I objected to her outright accusation.

  「So you finally feel like replying. Yes, it’s true that the Demon King never leaves Nargol. But the demons are the ones attacking humans. Isn’t that the same as the Demon King causing the suffering of many people?」


  「.…… The Demon King never ordered them to do so.」


  「.…… So it’s just his subordinates doing as they please? Isn’t that irresponsible? Why doesn’t he control them? Isn’t that the same as having him as the reason for the suffering of people?」


  I had no answer to that question.

  Not all demons in this world were Modes’s subordinates.I could easily raise an objection to that accusation.

  But, I really couldn’t say anything for what she said about not controlling his subordinates.

  With his power, Modes might be able to control the majority of demons in this world. But he wasn’t doing so since there was no benefit in doing so.

  Then, did the responsibility of controlling the demons fall upon Modes?

  Well, the gods of Elios seemed to think so. Though those gods were reigning humanity, they never ruled over them. According to my investigation, despite having enough power to dominate the humans, the gods of Elios never did so. Reason: it seemed quite troublesome to do so.

  And then, if some human commits a crime, was it right to say that the gods, who don’t intend to control humans, were at fault?

  Or else, must they control humanity like robots?

  Does she mean that Modes had to dominate all the demons and make them not attack humans?

  In the first place, Modes wasn’t an ally of humanity. Still, he wasn’t their enemy, either.

  Modes’s goal was simple. He just wanted to protect the place he lives with the woman he loves.

  Though as the king of Nargol, his reason makes one wonder, someone who lives outside Nargol doesn’t have the right to criticize one living in Nargol.

  Even so, she had misunderstood that fact.

  I might have been the one in her position if the one who summoned me wasn’t Modes but Rena.

  But, I was not the ally of the humans. I had been summoned to become the ally of the demons.

  Though it was not like I wanted to become the enemy of several individuals, the matter of seeing from the perspective of the humans of this world was quite difficult for the current me.

  「I don’t think that the matter of never controlling the demons is a bad thing …… Thus, unfortunately, I won’t comply with your opinion.」


  「I see …… Well then, shall I ask my first question again? Why did you take the side of the Demon King? Is there some sort of merit in doing so? Or, is it because of that Silver-haired woman?」


  By silver-haired woman, she must be referring to Kuna. Surely, Kuna was one of the reasons I took the side of the Demon King.

  Because, similar to Modes, my goal was something more simple.

  I recalled the scene that I saw at the mountain of the Holy Dragon King. Reiji and the others seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

  I was jealous of them. I was extremely jealous at that point in time……

  At that time, tears were coming out non-stop under my helmet.

  I don’t have anyone as my comrade in this world.

  Modes and Nut were slightly different from that.

  What I actually wanted was to adventure and laugh together just like Reiji and the others, comrades who support each other, whom I could love and get loved in return. Even better if that said comrade was a cute girl.

  That might sound like an extravagant wish.

  But, that only wish of mine was realized. A cute silver-haired woman.

  I would’ve never met her if I wasn’t summoned to this world because there was no doubt that I was doomed to be alone in my original world.

  I wanted to enjoy an adventure along with Kuna in this world.

  Recalling the joy of adventuring along with her, a smile formed under my helmet.

  Yup, nothing can beat the joy of adventuring along with a cute woman.

  「Certainly, there’s also that reason……」


  I agreed with her words.

  「Is that so. So that woman is truly the reason. It seems we have no choice but to kill that silver-haired woman called Kuna.」


  I could feel something black and sinister gushing out from inside as soon as I heard those words.

  「My bad …… I won’t let you guys do that!」


  I took a step forward while proclaiming my decision.

  She retreated while she set a stance with her fists.

  I don’t know why they came to the conclusion that they had to get rid of Kuna. But I won’t let anyone hurt her.

  Thus, I approached my enemy. For as long as Kuna existed, I would always be on the Demon King’s side.

  I’m fine with remaining a Dark Knight.

  I abandoned humanity to become the ally of the Demon King in order to fulfill my own wish. I’m a true villain, and I’m proud of it.

  「Talking anymore is useless! If you won’t let me pass, then I’ll force my way through!!」


  I must go as fast as possible to the confectionary castle, and it was located behind this woman.

  Thus, I rushed towards her.

  ◆Sword Maiden Shirone

  Slashing apart the transparent windowpane made of candy, I entered from the biggest spire standing right at the center of the confectionary castle.

  The place I arrived at was the bedroom. There was a huge canopy bed in that room.

  The futon seemed to be made from cotton candy and underneath was something soft like a rice cake. Or was it something similar to a fig paste cake which I ate once before at Reiji’s home?

  This kind of bed made me want to dive into it with all my might. However, I had to endure it for now since I didn’t have any leeway to perform that act.

  Maybe this place was the room of the lord of the castle.

  That woman was surely waiting for me in the throne room below. There was no doubt about it.

  I walked on a cookie-like floor.

  I encountered a lot of myulmidon soldiers on the way towards the throne room.

  I took a better look at the myulmidons again. They were just like ants with a humanoid form.

  They were just like the ant soldiers of the confectionary castle.

  Setting the spear in their hands, the myulmidons rushed at me.

  「SCRAM!! FLAME BLADE!!」


  I cleaved those myulmidons with the flame blade in my hand.

  The castle was illuminated using animal series candle-like transparent sweets.

  I advanced through the passage made of sugar.

  As I continued walking, I seemed to have arrived in front of a huge door made from baked sweets and decorated with cream. The other side of this door might be the throne room.

  Closing my eyes, I focused my mind. I could feel several figures with gigantic humanoid shapes. Those might be the ogres.

  I opened the door and entered the room.

  「GUORYAAA!」


  「DEAAA!」


  Two ogres rushed towards me from the shadow of the doors.

  Naturally, I had seen through their ambush plan. I dodged their attacks with dance-like maneuvers and then cut them down with my sword.

  Those two ogres were cleaved diagonally, from their shoulder to their waist, and fell on the floor just like that.

  「RETSUG! ZAIG!」


  「YOU BASTARD!! HOW DARE YOU!!」


  The remaining ogres were glaring at me.

  But they were just small fries. Looking around, I found a gigantic throne inside this spacious room.

  A gigantic throne decorated with various kinds of sweets. A small girl was sitting on that throne.

  Even though her body was really small compared to the throne, her aura was incomparably bigger than the throne.

  Kuna, the Silver Witch. That should be her name – the mastermind who brainwashed Kuroki.

  I met her once before in Velos, but now that I took a better look at her, she seemed to be an extremely beautiful girl.

  She was wearing a dark-toned dress decorated with blue flowers. The purplish red hair clip fastened on her silver hair made her look enchanting.

  This girl didn’t say anything even after seeing me again. She was just looking as if she was scowling at me.

  「You guys, why are you dawdling like that! Kuna-sama is watching us! Let’s take that human down!」


  The other ogres resumed their frenzy upon hearing the female ogre’s words.

  They were equipped either with an ax, a spear, or a sword. It seemed that each weapon was a magic weapon.

  I twisted my body to dodge the incoming spear thrust from the ogres and then brandished my sword at him.

  As I managed to defeat the spear-wielding ogre, the other ogres attacked me from three different directions.

  I parried the attack from the ax-wielding ogre, dodged the slash from the sword-wielding ogre, and stabbed towards the other ogre.