Though magic traps were really difficult to solve from the inside, it was no big deal cancelling them from the outside.

  「What shall we do, Rei-kun? Should we go back to towards the direction of the flute?」


  「No, Sahoko. Let’s go ahead. It’s gonna be troublesome if we have to go back every single time. Moreover, since we’ve arrived this far, why don’t we use this chance to see the altar.」


  Reiji shook his head as he replied to Sahoko.

  「Sure enough, it’s going to be really troublesome if we go back after coming this far. How’s the magic trap, Chiyuki-san? Have you solved it yet?」


  Rino agreed with Reiji. It seems she wanted to get out of this underground waterway as fast as possible.

  「Wait Rino-san. This one is a bit tricky. Just give me few seconds.」


  I focused on my magical power.

  This magic trap was really powerful. Even I, who had confidence in my magical power, was having a hard time solving the trap. But, I could somehow deal with it.

  The time I needed to solve the magic trap was longer than I expected.

  「Done. Well, what are you waiting for.」


  Thus, we entered the passage leading toward Badon’s altar.

  After we came out from the short passage, we arrived in a vast open space.

  Different from the underground passage, it was easier to see the situation in this open space.

  The one who had been waiting for us in that open space were grotesque monsters. Most of them were what they call Lesser Daemons.

  In addition, there was a man standing in the middle of their formation.

  I’ve seen that man’s face before. If I’m not wrong, he should be the Daemon Lord called Ulbard.

  As expected, the Demon King was really the one who was pulling the string behind these incidents.

  「You’ve come huh… Detestable hero.」


  Ulbard was looking at us with eyes filled with hatred.

  For some reason, he had this tired look on his face.

  「Well then, will you tell us what are you guys trying to do?」


  Reiji unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward Ulbard.

  「What I’m trying to do huh, that should be my question.」


  Ulbard replied as he shook his head.

  「What are you talking about?」


  Reiji was right. The way Ulbard asked us back was incomprehensible.

  「Sorry but I can’t answer that question. But, thanks to you guys solving the barrier, we can finally escape from this place. Tarabos!!」


  「Yes…」


  A man stepped forward when Ulbard called out to him.

  「Vice president Tarabos…」


  I muttered his name.

  Tarabos was the vice president of the Magician’s Association who I met before. I heard that he vanished after that but to think that he was right here in Ariadya all along.

  Tarabos’ eyes were empty. Did Ulbard do something to him?

  「Tarabos!! Buy us some time to escape!!」


  After saying so, Ulbard leapt upward and broke the ceiling. Naturally, the other Daemons were also following after him.

  The theatre should be right above us. Though we’ve evacuated the people in the theatre for today, were they done by now?

  「I’ll go after Ulbard!! Take care of this place, Chiyuki!!」


  「WAIT, REIJI-KUN!!!」


  I was trying to stop him but I was a beat too late. Reiji had already flown after Ulbard.

  「Haa~h. He’s gone.」


  「It’s too late already…」


  I ended up massaging my temples upon seeing another one of Reiji’s antics.

  「Chiyuki-san look!! That person is…!」


  Shirone called out to me with a flustered voice.

  When I looked at Tarabos again, I realized that his body had already swelled up.

  「What is that? A bug?」


  Rino spoke with a disgusted look on her face.

  Several bug’s legs were protruding from Tarabos’ body.

  The bug’s body was growing bigger as if it was eating away at Tarabos’ body.

  And then, it also absorbed the bodies of the undead-like beings around Tarabos. Yeah, it looks like that bug just ate them.

  I then recalled the relief I saw in the theatre. Badon, the bug evil god, was growing bigger by eating anything. Did that mean Tarabos’ body had already turned into Badon’s vessel?

  「Wait!! Chiyuki-san!! Things look really bad now!!」


  Sahoko became really flustered.

  Her worry was natural since Tarabos’ body grew bigger and bigger. At this rate, his body would fill this space.

  「EVERYONE GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!!」


  We used the hole in the ceiling which was opened by Ulbard before to escape from the space.

  ***

  ◆Daemon Lord, Ulbard

  「Ulbard-sama!! The Hero is chasing after us!!」


  My aide warned me.

  Naturally I also knew about that.

  It seems Tarabos couldn’t even buy time for us to escape. What a useless human.

  The human called Tarabos had turned into Badon’s vessel. Badon was an evil god that had already been vanquished a long time ago.

  Its current power was nothing more than the shadow of its past. That’s why even those humans with their weak bodies could become its vessel.

  But, the hero went after us, completely ignoring Tarabos. And that hero was too fast. At this rate, he would catch up to us.

  The transfer magic that I tried to invoke failed. There might be some sort of trick which prevented me from invoking transfer magic.

  The Black Satyrs who came with me kept being taken down by the hero. Ihis is bad, I can’t let him do as he pleases.

  「Ulbard-sama!! I’ll try to slow him down!! Use that chance to escape as far as possible!」


  The one who spoke was Manseid, the lowest rank amongst my side.

  Manseid was a former investigator whose job was to investigate the situation outside of Nargol. I’ve heard that he came to this region a long time ago.

  Though he was considered weak amongst the daemons, he might be able to buy some time for me.

  「Be careful, Manseid-dono!」


  Manseid then charged toward the hero after he heard my confirmation.

  I had to use this chance to escape as far as possible.

  「WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ULBARD-DONO!! ARE YOU GOING TO ABANDON YOUR SUBORDINATE!?」


  Suddenly, I heard someone’s voice calling out to me.

  I looked up to the sky on top of me.

  Then, I saw a dragon hiding behind clouds. I knew that dragon.

  「WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, RUNFELD-DONO!!?」


  That dragon was the thunder dragon, Runfeld’s mount. Flying around him were his subordinates donned in the Dark Knight’s attire.

  「The hero seems to come after you tried to do something… What’s the meaning of this, Ulbard-dono!!」


  Runfeld came down along with his subordinates, looking at me with an indignant look in his eyes.

  「T-This is…」


  I tried to make an excuse but I ended up at a loss for words.

  「But, save that explanation for later, Ulbard-dono!! I shall engage the hero in one-on-one combat to stop him!! Use that chance to escape with your subordinate!!」


  Runfeld unsheathed his sword as he spoke. Lightning spark ran on the surface of his sword blade as soon as he unsheathed his sword.

  Runfeld’s sword was an enchanted sword with a thunder element; its name was Thunder Cloud. And his Thunder Dragon could create thunder clouds.

  In the blink of an eye, black thunder clouds spread around this area.

  「Please don’t be unreasonable…」


  The Hero was really powerful. None of the Dark Knights in Nargol was a match for him. Trying to stop the hero by himself was pretty much impossible, except for one particular person who is not here right now.

  「Algard-dono, Zyresd-dono…」


  I heard Runfeld mutter something. If my memories serve me right, those were the names of the Dark Knights who were killed by the hero.

  Runfeld was someone who really cared about his subordinates. He might still be regretting the fact that his subordinates sacrificed themself because of his order.

  Runfeld hoisted himself, pointing it toward the hero.

  「Leave this place to us. Please escape from this place along with your subordinates, his excellency Ulbard.」


  Runfeld’s subordinates, the Dark Knights, come to my side.

  「Are you going to stay in this place too?」


  「We received a retreat order from his excellency Runfeld too. But, we have no intention to leave Ulbard-sama behind. That’s why we’re going to stay with him.」


  I felt a headache upon hearing their declaration.

  Just how stupid can you be? You people were only going to increase the number of hero’s victims if you stayed in this place.

  But, unlike a low rank subordinate, I couldn’t abandon Runfeld to die in this place.

  「What should I do now…」


  Despite my worries, I couldn’t come up with a feasible solution.

  Lightning flashed from the cloud summoned by Runfeld’s thunder dragon as if it was signaling the beginning of a storm.