Chapter 381-382: Takatsuki Makoto Learns of the Demon Lord’s Invasion |
“The Demon Lord’s army from Hell is coming to attack!” (Aya)
We immediately headed for Rozes Castle at Sa-san’s words.
A large number of people had already gathered in the large conference room on the second floor of the castle and were in the middle of a meeting.
At the center of it all was Princess Sofia.
When we approached, she seemed to notice us and quickly turned our way.
“Sofia!” (Makoto)
I called out to her, and then immediately noticed something off.
(……This is different. The current Sofia is…) (Eugene)
“Oh my, you finally made it, Mako-kun. You’re late☆”
Her eyes had turned golden.
“My apologies for being late, Eir-sama. What’s the current situation?” (Makoto)
“Well, according to a prophecy by the Destiny Goddess, Ira-chan, tonight, the Demon Lord’s army from Hell will arrive in the Water Country of Rozes.” (Eir)
“Why are you saying that so casually…” (Makoto)
What a nuisance.
“This is troublesome~” (Eir)
With a sultry sigh, Princess Sofia, no, Eir-sama who had descended into her, exhaled softly.
“Hey, Makoto! Can’t we ask the Light Hero or Furiae for reinforcements?” (Lucy)
Lucy tugged at my sleeve as she spoke.
“Yeah, if Takatsuki-kun asks, I’m sure everyone would come right away.” (Aya)
Sa-san grabbed my arm and chimed in.
It was sudden, but the Sun Country and the Moon Country would surely lend us their strength.
In fact, relations among the Seven Nations on the West Continent were currently good.
Working together to oppose the Demon Lord’s army wouldn’t be difficult.
Just as I was considering whether to send a messenge with magic or go pick them up directly via Teleport…
“There’s no need to request reinforcements from other countries.” (Eir)
Sofia(Eir-sama) objected.
“Why not? Water Goddess-sama?” (Makoto)
A Demon Lord coming to the Water Country should be a crisis.
I thought it best to increase our countermeasures as much as possible.
“Because you’re here, Mako-kun.” (Eir)
“That’s obvious, right?” (Lucy)
“What do you mean by that?” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san, apparently sharing my confusion, asked as well.
“Because, you know, in Rozes, there’s Mako-kun, who has become one of Noah’s familiar. Of course reinforcements aren’t necessary.” (Eir)
“No, but…” (Makoto)
I’m still a newbie god, fresh and green, you know?
“Listen, Mako-kun. I heard this from Uncle Pluto, the King of Hades, but you fought an Otherworld God in Hades and won, didn’t you?” (Eir)
“Ah, yes. The Dust Monstrosity Chill Utas, right? It had an immortal constitution.” (Makoto)
That thing was strong.
…How did I even defeat it again?
“An Otherworld God!? Makoto, what have you been fighting!?” (Lucy)
“Immortal… What does that even mean!? Takatsuki-kun!” (Aya)
“Hero Makoto!? You were doing something like that in Hades!?” (Sofia)
Lucy, Sa-san, and Princess Sofia all shouted at me at once.
Huh?
Hadn’t I told them?
I was sure I talked about how the King of Hades revived Momo as a human.
But…yeah, I guess I didn’t mention fighting the Dust Monstrosity.
“Listen here, what Mako-kun fought and defeated was an Otherworld God. What’s coming now is a Demon Lord from Hell. Well, since it can do World Jump, it might be closer to a Demon God, but it should still be weaker than the one you fought in Hades. Mako-kun, you’ll have no problem winning.” (Eir)
Eir-sama, descended into Princess Sofia, said with a wink.
“Oh. That’s a relief.” (Lucy)
“That’s reassuring, Lucy.” (Aya)
I could hear Lucy and Sa-san talking.
“By the way, if Lucy-chan or Aya-chan there fought Chill Utas, they wouldn’t last even one second before being killed~” (Eir)
“““Eh?”””
At Eir-sama’s words, Lucy, Sa-san, and I all froze in shock.
(S-So it was that strong…) (Makoto)
Well, it was an immortal monster, after all.
“Makoto is…that strong?” (Lucy)
“What is Takatsuki-kun…?” (Aya)
The way my two companions were looking at me changed.
…I didn’t really have any awareness of it.
But if the Water Goddess says so, it must be true.
It seems becoming a god makes you a being on a completely different level than I imagined.
“So, the enemy’s strength isn’t the issue. More importantly…” (Eir)
Eir-sama raised one finger.
“The reason why a Demon Lord would come all the way to the Water Country from Hell! It’s the smallest country on the West Continent, with low national power. Small population, and a Water Goddess infamous for her sloppy governance!” (Eir)
“…You’re really saying that yourself?” (Makoto)
The Water Country knights around us all had gloomy looks in their eyes.
But Eir-sama didn’t seem to care.
She really is a laid-back goddess.
“To put it simply! The Demon Lord’s objective is Mako-kun!” (Eir)
She jabbed a finger straight at me.
“M-Me…?” (Makoto)
Why?
“More precisely, I think they are coming to see the revived Noah. But they can’t just go meet her directly, so they are coming to you, Mako-kun, as her familiar.” (Eir)
“I-I see…?” (Makoto)
So it was related to Noah-sama.
“Then why not just go meet the Goddess directly!” (Lucy)
“Yeah! Why go out of their way to come to the Water Country!?” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san had a point.
“That’s because the Divine Beast Leviathan is there, and they can’t reach the Deep Sea Temple where Noah resides.” (Eir)
“Huh? But since Noah-sama revived, didn’t the Trial of the Gods to challenge the Deep Sea Temple disappear?” (Makoto)
I feel like Ira-sama told me that before.
“Hmm, is that so? But I don’t think it would just let them pass through.” (Eir)
“That’s true. It was a very serious Divine Beast.” (Makoto)
It even desperately tried to stop the Moon Goddess when she dropped the moon.
If you casually tried to visit the Deep Sea Temple for the first time, you’d probably get blown away.
“Besides, do you really think a Demon Lord could go meet the overly free-spirited Goddess Noah without an appointment and get away with it? They’d be erased on the spot.” (Eir)
“…Noah-sama wouldn’t do something like that, would she?” (Makoto)
“…She would if she were in a bad mood. Do you know how many stars were shattered when Althena-neesama and Noah got into a fight? I didn’t find it funny when I heard they once blew away an entire galaxy. Apparently they restored it afterward, though.” (Eir)
“““““““““…………””””””””””
Everyone in the room was staring at me, and it hurt.
Aren’t they getting some kind of Evil God impression of Noah-sama?
(It was just youthful indiscretion, okay~?) (Noah)
“Oh, Noah-sama. You were listening?” (Makoto)
“Geh.” (Eir)
Eir-sama made a “this is bad!” face.
Since she was using Princess Sofia’s appearance, the dissonance was intense.
“Seems like the Demon Lord coming from Hell wants to greet you. What should we do?” (Makoto)
When I asked…
(I’ll leave it to you, Makoto.) (Noah)
She dumped it on me.
So, business as usual.
(You can try recruiting them as a believer, or you can just twist them up a bit if you want. See ya~☆) (Noah)
Noah-sama’s thought transmission cut off.
“…………”
“…………”
It seemed only Eir-sama and I heard Noah-sama’s voice.
Lucy and Sa-san looked like they wanted to ask me about my muttering.
I will explain my conversation with Noah-sama later.
“Eir-sama.” (Makoto)
I turned toward the Water Goddess.
“So, what’ll you do, Mako-kun?” (Eir)
“For now… I’ll meet them and decide.” (Makoto)
“Well…that does seem best.” (Eir)
That became our plan.
We would wait at Rozes Castle for the Demon Lord’s arrival.
…This wasn’t how I imagined it.
◇◇
That night.
There were no clouds, and the moon was clearly visible.
A gentle breeze was blowing.
It was a quiet night.
“Will a Demon Lord army really come tonight?” (Sofia)
Princess Sofia, now without Eir-sama, gazed up at the night sky beside me.
“It really doesn’t feel like it.” (Makoto)
From the castle garden came the sound of insects chiming like bells.
“I wonder if they’ll really come~” (Lucy)
Lucy was sprawled out on the sofa.
She apparently wanted to stay deliberately relaxed until the fighting started.
“Well, let’s wait patiently~” (Aya)
Sa-san sat beside Lucy, sipping tea she brewed herself.
She is completely at her own pace.
Even in battle, Sa-san’s mood never really changes.
With their long adventuring careers, they handled plenty of jobs involving long waits, and that veteran air was reassuring.
As for me, I couldn’t help feeling restless.
Eir-sama said there was nothing to worry about, but if it really is a Demon Lord’s army, one wrong move could mean a major disaster.
Still, if they are Noah-sama’s guests, we couldn’t exactly strike first.
(What kind of guy is coming, I wonder…) (Makoto)
As I was thinking that…
(…That is…) (Makoto)
I noticed something strange.
“Oh?” (Sofia)
Princess Sofia reacted as well.
“What is it?” (Lucy)
Lucy sprang up.
Finally, Sa-san squinted and muttered…
“The moon… There are two of them?” (Aya)
Next to the familiar white moon floated a red moon.
(Looks like they’ve arrived, Mako-kun.) (Eir)
(I’m counting on you, Makoto.) (Noah)
The voices of the Water Goddess and Noah-sama echoed in my head.
It seemed the visitor from Hell had arrived riding the moon.
■ Comments Response:
>In a sense, perhaps the greatest trial is coming for Makoto now that he’s become a god.
-This time was a setup chapter.
■ Author’s Comment:
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Thank you for reading Zero Believers again this year.
I look forward to your support next year as well.
- WM – Chapter 382: Demon Lord of Hell
The anime adaptation of Zero Believers has been decided.
A red moon floated in the dark night sky.
(I think the one I saw before was a black moon…) (Makoto)
Invaders from another world had arrived from there.
(The black moon connects to outer space, and the red moon connects to Hell.) (Noah)
I heard the voice of Goddess Noah-sama.
(I see, thank you very much.) (Makoto)
In other words, that red moon contained the demons of Hell.
The red moon seemed to be moving and slowly growing larger.
It was approaching us.
(It won’t fall on Rozes, right…?) (Makoto)
I turned my gaze to Sofia, who was beside me and looking up at the night sky with concern.
“I’ll go take a look first…… Wind Spirit-san.” (Makoto)
I had the Wind Spirit lift my body.
If it’s just me, this is the easiest way to fly.
I’m not good at flight magic.
“Please be careful.” (Sofia)
“Yes, I’ll just check the situation.” (Makoto)
I said it with as bright an expression as possible so Sofia would feel reassured.
“Then I’ll go too!!” (Lucy)
“Me too!” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san said exactly what I expected.
“Then I’ll go first, and you two follow behind.” (Makoto)
When I said that, Lucy and Sa-san nodded.
And then we ascended into the night sky.
There was a bit of wind up high.
And the red moon slowly approached us.
It looked slow, but the fact that we could visually confirm it meant it must actually be moving very fast.
(Could it really be falling…?) (Makoto)
It seemed impossible, but there was the precedent of the Moon Goddess Naia-sama.
I should stay cautious.
“Hey, Makoto. Are we just flying straight there?” (Lucy)
“The red moon is in space, right? Takatsuki-kun.” (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san said that, making me think for a moment.
“Hmm…flying there isn’t ideal.” (Makoto)
The distance from the ground to the moon, if it were Earth, was about 380,000 kilometers.
I don’t know the distance to the moon in this world, but it is probably similar.
“Lucy, can you use Teleport to reach the red moon?” (Makoto)
“N-No way! I’m not my mom! My mana wouldn’t last!” (Lucy)
She refused.
“So Lu-chan’s mom can do it…” (Aya)
Sa-san looked surprised.
“I wouldn’t run out of mana, but if the three of us used Teleport and failed, that’d be scary…” (Makoto)
“Makoto’s teleportation is pretty rough after all.” (Lucy)
“…………”
Guh!
I never thought the day would come when Lucy would call my magic rough.
She’s not wrong, though!
Destiny magic is pretty quirky.
Unlike water magic.
Maybe it’s because of the Goddess.
(Who are you calling a quirky Goddess!) (Ira)
The Destiny Goddess Ira-sama heard that.
(My apologies, Ira-sama. By the way, is there a good way to reach that red moon?) (Makoto)
(Hmm, why don’t you just teleport there alone?) (Ira)
(I guess that’s the only option…) (Makoto)
Should I go alone?
Or wait on the ground?
The oracle from the Water Goddess said, “Tonight, the Demon Lord of Hell will appear in the Water Country.”
So maybe I should wait.
But letting them make the first move didn’t feel great either…
While I was thinking that…
“Makoto! Look at that!” (Lucy)
“A ship is coming this way!” (Aya)
Just as Lucy and Sa-san said, something is approaching us with the red moon behind it.
“A ship…huh.” (Makoto)
I muttered quietly.
It wasn’t an airship.
It was a sailing ship that would normally cross seas or lakes.
Yet for some reason, it was moving through the sky without falling.
(Is the Demon Lord on that…?) (Makoto)
At the very least, someone capable of casting magic that could lift an entire gigantic ship into the air must be on it.
Lucy, Sa-san, and I waited for the ship to arrive.
(It’s huge…) (Makoto)
Rather than a ship, it looked like a gigantic structure shaped like one.
An aerial vessel large enough to completely contain Rozes Castle.
…………
The floating ship stopped right in front of us.
A single female demon appeared from the ship.
Dark skin and long ears.
A dark elf, perhaps.
The dark elf woman opened her mouth.
“I ask you! Are you the representatives of this country?”
She asked loudly.
“No, we’re just adventurers. The royal family that governs this land is elsewhere. What do you want!?” (Makoto)
I shouted back.
“Then I wish to greet the king. I request guidance!”
That was her request.
“““……”””
Lucy, Sa-san, and I looked at each other.
‘We probably shouldn’t.’ (Lucy)
‘It’s dangerous.’ (Aya)
Lucy and Sa-san seemed opposed.
Even though she is polite for now, she is still a demon from Hell.
There is always the possibility that she could suddenly change her attitude and attack.
“Sorry, but I want to hear your business here. I cannot arrange a meeting with the Water Country’s royal family.” (Makoto)
When I answered, the demon woman’s expression changed.
“You insolent fool! You dare make Flame Emperor Zepar Pyrocraft-sama wait in a place like this!? How rude! If Zepar-sama wished, a small country like this could turn to ashes in an instant!”
Just as expected, she is violent.
(Hmm, should I drive them away with spirit magic?) (Makoto)
They came without an appointment and were already extremely threatening.
Still, they haven’t actually attacked us yet.
When I glanced at Lucy and Sa-san, they seemed just as unsure.
Just as I was wondering what to do…
— “Do not raise your voice so much. The people on the surface will be frightened.”
A deep, clear voice echoed.
“Zepar-sama! My apologies!”
The female demon hurriedly knelt.
A red figure appeared.
About two meters tall.
A large, handsome man with long red hair and sharp eyes.
He looked to be in his thirties, but appearances and age didn’t match for demons.
The Great Demon Lord Iblis looked like a child.
And the most distinctive feature of this demon…
His entire body is burning.
Sparks danced in the air.
The temperature rose instantly.
(His mana and miasma are even greater than a Great Fire Spirit…) (Makoto)
So this is a Demon Lord of Hell.
His oppressive presence is overwhelming.
Comparable to, or perhaps greater than, that of the Ancient Dragon King.
The flame-clad Demon Lord slowly looked over us.
Then his gaze stopped.
The Demon Lord’s eyes widened.
He was looking at Lucy.
(What?) (Makoto)
Thinking that, Sa-san and I stepped forward protectively in front of Lucy.
Lucy raised her staff cautiously.
Before I could ask, “What about my companion?”…
“Lucy! Are you Lucy!?” (Zepar)
The Demon Lord shouted.
“…Eh?”
Lucy stared blankly.
“Lucy, do you know him?” (Makoto)
“Lu-chan, is he someone you know?” (Aya)
That shouldn’t be possible, but Sa-san and I asked anyway.
“I-I don’t know him!” (Lucy)
Lucy shook her head.
Yeah, that makes sense.
When the Demon Lord heard that voice, he shouted even louder than before.
“Lucy! I’ve wanted to see you…my daughter!” (Zepar)
“Huh?”
This time Lucy completely froze.
■ Comments Response:
>Is Lucy’s papa really appearing?
I’m expecting a heated battle with Lucy’s father.
– Why does everyone already know what’s going to happen next?
Are you readers with Clairvoyance?
>Congratulations on the anime adaptation! I’m really looking forward to it!
>Yes! Congratulations on the anime adaptation! I’m super excited!
-Thank you very much.
■ Author’s Comment:
Today is the release date for Zero Believers Manga Volume 10!
Furiae-san on the cover!! So good!!
Support my translations or commission me to translate a chapter of any series on Patreon!