Published at 3rd of August 2019 12:15 am

Chapter 273: Side chapter - Rimuru’s Elegant Escape Play - 24

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Then it suddenly came to me. Had it really been necessary to return my hair and eye color back to normal?

I had gotten a little carried away, but it was nothing short of an act that would accelerate the exposing of my identity.

[[Do not worry. You looked very cool.]]

Uh, is that a good reason?

…Well, alright then.

It wasn’t the most convincing argument, but it can’t be bad if Ciel says it’s fine.

Now, before I quickly defeat Bernaclad, I should think about the students, just in case.

“Laplace! Protect the students here!”

“Sure thing!”

Faithfully, Laplace obeyed my order and constructed a defense barrier over the barrier that was already there.

In fact, it would be rather difficult for me in my current state to hold off the shockwaves of Laplace and Bernaclad, should they battle.

And of course, neither could the students.

And so I could not leave the fighting to Laplace.

Tear was not likely able to beat Bernaclad, so the best option was to fight him myself.

In any case, now the students’ safety was assured.

No matter how strong a demon Bernaclad was, Laplace was an awakened demon lord. If he created a defense barrier, no attack would break through it.

The only thing left to do was for me to defeat Bernaclad.

“Hahaha. You think one little insect is going to be enough to entertain me?”

Bernaclad said confidently as he looked at me.

“…Well, he’s dead.”

“But, if the others find out later that he talked to Rimuru like that, and that we didn’t do anything… Won’t they be furious?”

“…Tear. Don’t say such ominous things. If Souei and Diablo found out about this… I don’t want to even imagine what they might do to us. They won’t stop, regardless of Lord Rimuru’s forgiveness.”

“Right? Right?”

“Well, thankfully, we’re the only ones here now. So let’s keep it a secret.”

“Okay! I won’t tell anyone.”

“Good. Otherwise, we’ll end up in the worst kind of danger.”

I could hear their hushed voices whispering to each other, but it was me who said that I would fight, so they were not responsible.

Besides, in a way, it couldn’t be helped that people would underestimate me now.

After all, I was no different than any other human.

So Bernaclad’s estimation of me wasn’t particularly wrong.

“Sorry, but I don’t think it will be that fun for you. It’s nothing personal, but I don’t like to hold back. If you want to be angry about it, don’t hate me, hate yourself for having the wrong amount of strength.”

I said to Bernaclad, without much interest.

Really, there wasn’t any deeper meaning to my words.

If he had been just a little weaker, just enough so that the Rock Elephant and the others could have stopped him…I would not have had to annihilate him.

Or if I had one other awakened demon lord with me now, I would be able to disarm Bernaclad while still protecting the students.

But then again, Diablo, Souei or Shion and Benimaru would have turned him into dust without a second thought. So perhaps there really was no other fate for him other than death.

Now that I think of it, it’s not I, the Great Demon Lord, but my subordinates who are dangerous and extreme.

It was quite impressive that I was able to hold everything together.

I was doing quite well, really.

[[…]]

Oh.

Ciel seemed like she wanted to say something, but I’d rather not hear it.

I have to stop thinking about stupid things and deal with Bernaclad.

Bernaclad did not exactly like what I had just said.

I had condescendingly informed him of his impending defeat, so it was no wonder he wasn’t too amused.

“Haaaahaha. What a delightful person you are. However, you should know that such foolishness and misunderstanding of your own worth will do nothing but invite misfortune.”

He smiled and showed no sign of moving.

Then he shrugged, sending great bursts of magic from his hands.

The nuclear strike magic, ‘Nuclear Flame’ burned everything around me. And burned the students behind me as well-or so it would have looked to Bernaclad.

“Oh? Dying in one hit is hardly entertaining, you know? Not only that, but I was looking forward to slowly savoring the taste of those students. But a few of them seem to have been caught in the attack.”

There was a hint of regret in his voice as he watched the blazing furnace he had created.

He believed in the energy and force of the magic he unleashed without any doubt.

Too bad!

“Is that right? You said it was one hit. But I was merely offering you the first move. Didn’t I tell you? It’s nothing personal. And so I thought that I might as well show off a little.”

I had used ‘Teleportation’ to move to the top of a boulder that was behind Bernaclad, and sat down. That is when I spoke, all the while feeling a little sorry for him.

And of course, the students were all fine.

Laplace had predicted this, and created a ‘Multi-purpose Barrier’ that isolated the students from the battlefield.

It was when Bernaclad finally realized this truth, that he was overcome with shock.

“You did what? Just now, what happened!?”

Even as he asked the question, he slashed at me at a speed that even my eyes could not follow.

Apparently, Magnus’s sword was quite sharp, and it cut the boulder I was sitting on in two.

But, it did not hit me.

While my eyes couldn’t follow it, ‘Magic Perception’ and ‘Godspeed Thought’ allowed me to see Bernclad’s movements and predict them.

Bernaclad had measured my strength by the amount of energy alone, and that was his mistake.

But then again, he had used his strongest magic attack as his first move, so he hadn’t exactly been holding back, either.

Not that any of it mattered.

“What? It’s called ‘Teleportation.’ I gave you the first move and even gave you enough time to attack me just now. Satisfied?”

So saying, I used ‘Teleportation’ again to move right in front of his chest, and unleash an Imaginary Blow with minimum force.

“Gggbgah!”

Bernaclad collapsed in agony.

It was actually impressive that he was alive. Well, I had to save Magnus, and so I had adjusted it so that the physical damage would be at a zero…but it seemed that I had forgotten to erase the damage from the actual punch.

Still, Magnus deserved to be punished a little, so this was nothing to worry about.

In fact, my own right arm, which I had used to hit him, hurt quite a lot.

Human bodies broke very easily, and so I was using ‘Godspeed Regeneration.’

Thanks to it, my limbs had not been blown off, but it was clearly not a move I should be repeating.

I hadn’t felt such pain in a long time, and tears were welling up in my eyes.

In other words, it was time to stop toying with Bernaclad.

Alright then.

Much of Bernaclad’s energy had dissipated after the Imaginary Blow, and he was in a dazed stupor.

It wasn’t so much pain, but the diminishing of the power of his being that was shaking him.

“Wa-wait! Who are…”

“There’s no need for you to know. But if I was to tell you something, it is that this world’s order is maintained by the Octagram. Your power was just a little too strong, and so you’re in the way. Do I need any more reason to be rid of you?”

“Octagram? No, you cannot be-no, you…”

I smirked instead of giving him an answer.

Bernaclad’s confusion was turning into fear.

He was already falling into my trap.

“So, how about a deal?”

I said as I rubbed my right arm, which was still throbbing with pain.

“De-deal?”

“Yes. A simple deal.”

I continued my words of conviction, but said them in a soft, whispering voice.

“If you’ll agree to return that body, I will grant you one thousand years of doom. But it you insist on any futile resistance… Well, just you try.”

“What?”

“Because if you do, you will experience what true fear in this world looks like.”

“…!!”

I could see his soul wavering.

As soon as I gave him a hint of Azathoth, Bernaclad realized that the power exceeded what he could imagine.

He understood now that I had a power that he could never even comprehend.

Tremendous fear.

It welled up from the core of his soul. It looked as if it was struggling against what reason remained within Bernaclad.

But it was no use.

Bernaclad had lost the moment he felt fear as he saw me in front of him.

He closed his eyes and hesitated for a second-

“Just as you say. One thousand years, I shall repent for the foolishness that caused me to go against you. That is how I shall spend my time…”

Shrunken, with drooping head, Bernaclad agreed as if requesting for forgiveness.

Good.

Now I wouldn’t have to feel anymore pain.

Things would be easy now.

“A wise decision. I will allow you to work for me after a thousand years. Now, go.”

Bernaclad’s Spiritual Body left Magnus, then turned into dust, leaving only the soul. I used a mysterious light to hide the fact that the demon’s body had vanished.

Any students who had been watching would assumed that I had won through the use of some unknown magic.

At least, I hoped they did…

No, it should work. I told myself, as I made sure that Magnus was alright.

He was.

He was unconscious, but his mind and body were intact.

The mind pollution had vanished along with Bernaclad.

That meant that Bernaclad had kept his word.

[[It seems like he was trying to possess and fuse with the soul. It would have been possible to annihilate Bernaclad alone. However, that would have led to damage to the body, so I think that this was the best solution- ]]

As Master Ciel was in agreement, my method was clearly quite impressive.

Winning alone would be easy, it was getting Magnus back unharmed that was difficult.

This body could not stand ‘Nihility Collapse.’ It would have meant victory without a doubt, if I used it, but at the same time, I would have been forcefully sent back to Rimurun’s body, which should be with Shuna and Shion.

I was prepared for that worst case scenario, but thankfully, Bernaclad was smarter than I had thought.

It was all over now.

Magnus was unconscious and Berna and Clad were dead.

Irina and Rozari were fine, but it seemed like there was not much time left until the effects of the medicine would wear off.

According to Ciel’s ‘Appraisal,’ there were dangerous substances mixed inside, and they would not be able to move for quite some time as a side effect.

So essentially, none of the members of the Humanity Emancipation Alliance could move.

Irina and Rozari slumped, powerless.

The teachers moved to have them bound up.

The students had won.

Cheers echoed around us. I felt as if the many eyes that looked towards me were filled with passion.

“Did you see it? My special magic?”

“YES!”

The students all stood in a line and nodded.

Due to Moss’s efforts, the monsters of the island were also safe. And just like that, the matter finally came to a close.

◇◇◇

Now I just had to bind them all and take them back for questioning-or so I thought, but it seemed like I was getting ahead of myself.

There was someone who was so insignificant that I had forgotten him until now. He came to me while laughing in a high-pitched voice.

“Waahahaha! That Magnus was nothing after all. It seems that he cannot do anything without me, Jujilas. To think he would lose to such children. Irina and Rozari, what are you doing? Where is Berna and Clad? Won’t you hurry up and kill the rest of these people?”

What was wrong with him…

He had appeared from a magic circle after I had defeated Bernaclad, so he understood pretty much nothing.

Still, that had not stopped him from having convenient delusions, and he continued to give out orders in a pompous manner.

“Mister Jujilas… It’s…over…”

“What? What is? What is over?”

“Jujilas. We have been defeated. Any further fighting would be meaningless. Magnus has been taken. We have no choice but to surrender.”

Irina and Rozari understood their situation.

There was no other way to twist this.

However, Jujilas only snorted at them and replied in an arrogant voice.

“What! I had no idea that you two were such cowards. Headmaster Godama will grieve when he hears of this. But do not worry. I had thought that this might happen, and so I have arranged for a platoon to be sent from the land division. Thirty soldiers in prototype enhancement armor. They say that each soldier is as dangerous as an A-ranker. I doubt we have anything to worry about. Those monsters are nothing to us! As for you, abductors that call yourself the ‘circus’ or whatever, you should stop this meaningless resistance now!!”

And like that, Jujilas tried to convince us that they in fact had the advantage here.

However, Irina and Rozari had seen my power. And so Jujilas’s words were nothing short of ludicrous.

“Give up. Didn’t I tell you? We have already lost.”

Irina had accepted it and was now making an admirable attempt to persuade Jujilas.

But Jujilas would not listen.

“What a foolish thing to say! How can we give up now? The Demon Lord robbed us of our status and honor as nobles! Headmaster Godama has promised to accept me. How can I suddenly act as if nothing has happened! You will be treated well if you come with me. Now, you must think hard on that!”

They clearly weren’t seeing eye to eye.

Jijilas was still not able to understand his situation.

These kinds inconsequential people were always so stupid. In a way, he was unbeatable.

Just then, something happened that only fed into Jujilas’s convictions.

An airship had appeared.

Jujilas saw it and his face lit up.

But it did not last for long.

He had been at the height of glory for a second, but then his face froze over.

“I-I’ve been waiting for…you?”

The airship landed and the gate opened.

The person that climbed leisurely down the stairs, was not a soldier, as Jujilas had hoped-

“Who-who are you!”

It was Diablo.

Jujilas got his answer from a most unexpected direction.

“Ahhhhhh!! It’s Lord Diablo!!!”

Came the surprisingly loud roar from the crowd.

Even the doctor, Master Pyuri was screaming along with the students.

Actually, she was basically leading them.

If only she had a little more self-respect.

Diablo was apparently hiding hiding his identity now, which meant wearing casual clothes that appeared quite plain at a glance.

But still, there was an aura that oozed out from him. This overwhelming sense of importance that he had was evidence of who he was.

Basically, his disguise was pointless.

“Di-Diablo!? Bu-but, what will happen to me…?”

Jujilas swayed and then crumbled to the ground.

What indeed…

But one thing that was for sure, was that he would no longer work as a teacher.

“No way?!”

“Is it really him?”

“Why is he here!?”

“But he is dressed rather roughly…”

“And he still looks gorgeous!”

Came the scattered voices.

Even those who had not immediately recognized him were soon informed of this fact by the zealous women in the crowd.

There was no hiding it now.

Some of the students were finding it difficult to keep up. So many things had happened in succession that it was difficult to process. And so I had planned to use a dream spell to trick them…

But Diablo’s sudden arrival had been so outlandish that it somehow had the opposite effect, and they had become cool-headed.

Some of them were looking at us, back and forth. Then realization seemed to kick in.

Souei was next to show himself, and another round of cheers erupted.

“Oh, my. Who is that man standing next to Lord Diablo?”

“He is very handsome as well.”

Like that, even the less known Souei became the center of much attention.

In spite of this, he kept calm and collected.

“Hehehe. I finally found you. Uhhh…”

Diablo tried to hide my identity, perhaps as a precaution.

However, as he was completely exposed, there was not much point in trying to protect me now.

“It’s fine. People know about my escape already. And I planned to return after going to the Forum. So there’s no point in being secretive.”

I said to Diablo with a sigh.

“Then what now?”

“But let’s keep it a secret that I’ll be participating in the Forum. Also…”

I glanced towards the students…

“You can be responsible for ensuring that they keep their mouths shut. I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but no violence and brainwashing, alright?”

I said, dumping everything onto him.

Diablo nodded with a look of pleasure before kneeling with a bow.

And then-

“Certainly. Lord Rimuru.”

He said in a very clear voice.

Just then.

A cheer much larger than the previous ones erupted.

It wasn’t just cheering, but shrieking as well.

“The Gr-great Demon Lord!!”

“He was real!?”

“So beautiful…”

“Hey, wait… So I was rambling on about our plan in front of the Great Demon Lord!?”

“-No, Irina… If anything, it was I who talked about hating him right to his face…”

It was that moment. Every single person who was present knew who I was.

Yes, among them were those whose voices were so pained that even I wanted to cry.

Don’t worry.

I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it-well, I could deal with those things later.

After all, maybe a little revenge was acceptable.

“Well, that’s what it is. And wasn’t that magic great?”

I said with a wink.

Some of the students bled from their noses as they fainted.

Some of them were stunned into a stupor.

The teachers were both laughing and crying.

And some students were screaming hysterically. Ahhhhh!!

In any case, the students were engulfed by a great chaos for quite some time after that.

Share