“Uuu...” Diablo scrambled, running away in a crawl.
He felt compelled to escape.
Why am I trying to run this desperately away from Rem and Shera dressed in transparent dresses?!
The reason—
Suddenly, he felt as if he were floating through the air, and...
His head hit the floor with a thud!
Owing to his sturdy body it didn’t really hurt, but it was awfully embarrassing. When he opened his eyes, Diablo found himself on the floor next to his bed.
“I-It was just a dream...” Diablo sighed.
It really was odd seeing Rem and Shera dressed like that all of a sudden. The reason for that unusual sight and his own odd actions was clear: dreams were just like that sometimes. It wasn’t the first time he’d gone to sleep when he was too tired and had weird dreams.
What time is it right now?
It was still dark out, but he could hear singing from the main street. It seemed he hadn’t slept for more than an hour or two. Diablo could live just fine without many of modern Japan’s conveniences and technology, but having a watch handy would be nice.
Suddenly, there was a vigorous banging on the door, making Diablo jump. He stood up hurriedly from the floor. He couldn’t let out a panicked voice; his Demon Lord dignity wouldn’t allow it.
“What loud fool disturbs me?!”
“Diablo, it’s horrible!” Boris’s voice called out from behind the door.
“Persistent idiot!” Diablo shouted at him angrily. “I told you, I am not going to the feast!”
“It’s Miss Rem! She made an attempt on Lady Celestine’s life!”
Diablo couldn’t process what Boris had just said at first. His thoughts grounded to a halt.
“Miss Rem visited the Mage’s Association earlier,” Boris continued, while Diablo remained quiet. “In the middle of giving Lady Celestine her report, she fired a magic attack at Lady Celestine!”
“Impossible!”
“I think so too, but there were many witnesses...”
“And Rem...?!”
“According to the reports, she’s been chased to the western walls.”
He was relieved to hear she was still alive, but this was still too early to be calm. Diablo put on his equipment.
“What about Celes?!” Diablo asked while fastening his cloak and putting on his boots.
“Miss Rem’s attack missed, and the guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, who was also present, prevented any further attacks.”
The hell’s going on?!
Nothing made sense. Rem was always thankful to Celes, and went to make the report out of gratitude for giving her the freedom to act. Did the Mage’s Association try to capture her? But Rem wasn’t a Demon Lord’s container anymore. There was no reason for them to restrain her. And, if the Mage’s Association were the ones to initiate the attack, why do it in front of Celes?
With his staff in hand, Diablo left the room, Boris moving aside to let him through.
“Head to the ruins of the west gate. If she hasn’t moved away, she should still be on the walls near there.”
Just when Diablo was about to nod, a realization flashed in his mind.
“Boris, you said Rem fired off a magic attack.”
“Yes.”
“She summon anything?”
“It looked like elemental magic.”
Diablo felt as if his spine had turned to ice.
“Are you sure this is Rem we’re talking about? She’s a summoner! She can’t use elemental magic strong enough to kill someone!”
“Ah...aaah!” Boris’s face turned paler by the second.
“Report this to Rose and the others! I’ll go on ahead!”
Normally, this much of a ruckus would make everyone leave their rooms. But right now, Sasara was exhausted, and Rose was in a similar state of sleep after having been charged with magical energy, and needed repairs, too. As for Edelgard, she was brought to the brink of death in the last battle, so even a Fallen like her likely wasn’t in her prime. It’d be best not to rely on her at the moment.
Diablo rushed out of the inn.
Rem, what’s happening to you?!
†
Boris’s information was accurate. As Diablo faced north from the ruins of the western gate, he found a tumultuous, grave atmosphere fill the scene. Soldiers and curious passersby had formed a ring. They were holding lit torches, lighting the place up like the plaza. Their gazes were fixed upward, at someone on top of the inclined wall—a black-haired girl.
Rem.
There was no one but her on the bent wall. A row of soldiers was right below, but no one was trying to scale it. Standing in front of the soldiers were Laminitus and Sylvie.
“Surrender, Rem Galleu! You have nowhere to run!”
“Rem, just tell us what happened. We won’t treat you badly, I promise! Come on!”
Those two are the worst possible people to handle this...
Their respective allure and cuteness were things Diablo knew better than to be fooled by. Laminitus and Sylvie were both hard-headed, and didn’t shirk away from having to sacrifice others for the sake of their people. They were good people who abided by the law... People who put the law above everything else. Convincing them to let him take over the situation would be impossible. At worst, they’d deem Diablo as Rem’s cooperator and have him apprehended.
“I guess...I’ll have to tackle this from above.”
He flowed magic into his SSR-rank boots, the Empty Sky’s Gambol. His body was granted flight magic and levitated in the air and he swooped up to the top of the wall. A stir passed through the soldiers as they saw him. Perhaps the only reason he wasn’t mistaken for a Fallen was because they knew Laminitus could use flight magic as well, and, fortunately enough, some of them saw Diablo fly earlier, too. No one dared fire a bullet at the man who’d defeated the Demon Overlord.
Diablo reached the top of the inclined wall. It was cracked, deformed, and on the verge of collapse.
“Rem!”
“...Huh?!” Rem’s eyes widened in surprise.
Thankfully, or unfortunately, there was no mistaking it...she was Rem, the girl who’d been at his side from morning to nightfall for nearly a year now. He could tell it was her just from her gestures and atmosphere.
“...Diablo...you came.”
“What happened? Speak.”
Looking down made it clear why none of the soldiers were trying to scale the wall. It was wavering, ever so slightly. Shards were crumbling off it every other second. It was only a matter of time before this section of the wall collapsed on its own, be it now or in a few years’ time. It was certain that, if a flock of armored soldiers were to rush their way up this wall, it would crumble at once. Diablo kept his flight magic active, and made sure to not apply his weight to it.
“You may not believe me...” Rem said with an agonized face.
“Oh?”
“...Right now...Modinaram is inside my body.”
“As I thought.” Diablo clicked his tongue.
“Huh...? Y-You believe me?!”
“Why did you assume I wouldn’t? I believed you when you said Krebskulm was sealed inside you, didn’t I?”
“Right, but... But I...attacked Celes...”
“I heard she’s fine. Now tell me, what happened at the Mage’s Association?”
Rem threw a glance at the ground. There was no movement among the soldiers. It seemed they’d decided to watch over Diablo’s actions for now. Laminitus, who stood at the lead, had a grave expression, however.
“...I was speaking to Celes in the Mage’s Association’s office,” Rem began. “Then my consciousness blanked out for a moment. It felt like I was falling asleep. My physical condition wasn’t good to begin with, so perhaps even without fighting, I’d grown fatigued—or so I thought.”
“Hmm.”
“...But, when I came to, there was a magic spear in my hand... A black one.”
“A Black La
nce?”
“...I don’t know.” The girl shook her head. “I don’t have that sort of knowledge. But the spell was on the verge of activating. I diverted its target, so it wouldn’t hit Celes.”
“I see.”
“...I then realized, based on past experience, that there was a Demon Lord inside me. But this is the first time my body’s been manipulated like that.”
“Krebskulm was sealed, but Modinaram took refuge inside you. That may be the difference.”
This type of event had never happened in Cross Reverie.
Rem nodded. “...Krebskulm was supposed to revive if I died.”
“Right.”
“But I think...Modinaram awakens whenever I fall asleep.”
Why is it always Rem...?
The indignation against the unfairness of it all spurred up in Diablo. But he had to focus on finding a countermeasure first.
“Klem may know a way to solve this.”
She was a piece of the Demon Lord as well, and had knowledge from when she was crushed by God. She was knowledgeable about the other Demon Lords, too.
“...That’s, all...all good, but...I’m actually at my limit here.”
“What?!”
“...M-Modinaram’s consciousness keeps getting stronger.”
“Rem! Keep it together! You’re a skilled adventurer, aren’t you?”
“...I know. I have my dignity as well. I do not wish...to helplessly become someone’s...stepping stone...” She walked to the outer rim of the wall, and looked to the distance.
“...The Fallen...”
“What?”
“I’m sure...they knew Modinaram would revive. That’s why they stayed there.”
“That sounds likely.”
“...But I won’t let them have their way.”
“Of course we won’t. Leave the Demon Overlord to me.”
Rem suddenly smiled. There was no sign of agony in her face. It was a completely bright expression.
“...Thank you so much, Diablo... I’m truly happy I got to meet you one last time.”
Last time? What are you thinking, Rem?!
Rem clenched her teeth and flung her body beyond the outer rim of the walls—
“Rem! Don’t die on me!” Diablo shouted.
The iron collar clasped around her reacted to his order. The Enslavement Collar. Rem, with her body leaning toward the outer rim of the walls, suddenly stiffened like a statue.
I did it...
“...Why...” Tears trailed down from her eyes. “Why won’t you let me die, Diablo?! I don’t... I don’t want to become your enemy...”
“I am the Demon Lord Diablo! No matter what tries to control you, I will destroy it without mercy!”
“Kya!” Rem’s limbs suddenly relaxed. It looked like she may collapse, but she remained suspended diagonally, as if she were held up by strings, completely unmoving. Black mist began enveloping her body, changing her shape. Horn-like appendages grew out the sides of her head, and her nails extended, becoming as sharp as knives. What looked like scales even grew over her skin at spots. It resembled Klem’s awakened form somewhat. She looked like a Demon Lord...
Two sets of four purplish-black wings sprung out from Rem’s transformed back. They looked like shapeless, indistinct smoke figures. From one of the wings surfaced the shape of a black goat’s head.
Modinaram!
The shape of its face opened its mouth to speak.
“Aaah... Fool that you are. Drowning in emotion, you have squandered your final opportunity to dispose of me...”
†
Diablo clutched his staff tightly. Rem had been taken over by Modinaram. His choice to stop her may have been a mistaken one...but he had no qualms.
“You will deeply regret laying a hand on my belongings, Modinaram. I will defeat you and take back Rem!”
“Nay. I have transcended completion.”
“Hm?”
“My defeat in our last battle stems from two causes. The first is a gap in knowledge. I knew not of you, while you were familiar with me and the other Demon Lords.”
True enough, that had decided the fight. Diablo knew most of Modinaram’s tactics already. These were all attacks the Demon Lords used in Cross Reverie, so Diablo knew them. Conversely, Modinaram didn’t know Diablo had magic reflection. The Fallen Eulerex was on the opposing side, so he likely could have provided Modinaram with that information, but it seemed strength gave way to conceit in this case and they didn’t exchange their knowledge. Nobody would make a walkthrough for a game that takes no skill to beat, leading to information being withheld.
“But I have gained such knowledge now. I know much of you, thanks to this pantherian...”
“Why Rem? If you wanted to take over someone, why do something so roundabout when you could have tried to take over me? Not that I’m the type of Demon Lord that would yield to you!”
“This pantherian is a vessel...” The wings at Rem’s back wavered. “A rare existence capable of containing even a Demon Lord. The fact she was vacant was most favorable for me.”
A long time ago, God sealed Krebskulm within Rem’s bloodline. Whether he gave them the ability to act as vessels or picked them for already being so was something Diablo didn’t know. Whatever the case, removing Krebskulm from within Rem left a vacancy within her. By going inside, Modinaram was able to access her memories and learn Diablo’s fighting style. Diablo couldn’t hope for it to repeat the blunder of launching grand magic at him again.
“The second cause for my defeat was the difference in our underlings. No arrogant Fallen would stand ahead of the Demon Overlord. We are unlike the races.”
“Hmph... Are you saying there are no cowardly soldiers under a superior commander?”
It was said in an attempt to agitate, but simply put, it was a difference in culture. The Fallen watched over the battle out of belief that helping would be shameful.
“According to this pantherian’s memories...” Rem pointed at herself. “You have no subordinates at your side now.”
“Heh! Fool. I don’t need help from my underlings to destroy you.”
Diablo didn’t let his bravado slip for even a moment, but there was no mistaking the fact that Sasara and Rose serving as vanguards played a great role in his last battle with Modinaram.
This’ll be tough...
Until now, Diablo had vast amounts of information on his enemies. His knowledge from Cross Reverie acted like intelligence that he’d gathered and gave him the upper hand. But now Modinaram had information on him, too. And it wasn’t as simple as an animal or a child; it was intelligent.
Up until now there were a few times when an opponent’s crafty schemes got the better of Diablo, like with Galford and the paladin captain Batutta... Diablo saw time and time again how it wasn’t enemies with high stats, but rather those that used their heads who proved to be true challenges.
“There is no defeating me,” Modinaram asserted. “I shall emerge victorious, without fail!”
Rem extended her hand, and a black broadsword appeared in it: the Godslayer sword. Modinaram intended to keep this a melee fight; a natural choice, given that he now knew of Diablo’s magic reflection.
But while Diablo spoke with Modinaram, he’d already planned three steps ahead in the battle.
“I order you, in the name of the Demon Lord Diablo! Do not move, Rem!”
The Enslavement Collar reacted again. While still poised with the broadsword, her body stiffened.
“Gah... What is this?!” Modinaram, who tried to manipulate Rem’s body to attack Diablo, cried out in surprise.
Good! Even the Demon Overlord can’t easily dispel an Enslavement Collar.
Rem’s body was under Diablo’s control. He didn’t want to give her orders, but if someone else was manipulating her, then the situation was dire. To top it off, Diablo looked down on it with as much ridicule as he could.
“Heheheh! You may have gained some knowledge, but that doesn’t matter if
you’re simply a goat’s head who doesn’t know how to properly employ it! Rem is enslaved to me. So long as you inhabit that body, you, too, are my thrall!”
“Guh... Such intense force of compulsion!”
“Stay still, Rem. I’ll crush those unsightly wings before you know it.”
Diablo clenched his right fist.
Do I use spells that work by contact? No, both Matoi Izuna and Absolute Zero won’t work on just the wings; they’ll damage Rem, who’s attached to them, too. Maybe Darkness Cannon, then? It fires a shell with powerful penetrating power. I’ll fire it in close range so it doesn’t hit Rem!
Promptly deciding on a strategy, Diablo rushed forward. As he closed in on his opponent, the wings behind her changed shape, forming a giant fist.
“Certain victory is mine!”
Rem’s body couldn’t act because of the Enslavement Collar, but Modinaram, who was currently outside her body, obviously retaliated. The massive fist extending from the wings was flung at Diablo.
“Of course you’d do that! You’ve only the one choice!”
Foreseeing this turn of events, Diablo easily avoided the attack, though it still managed to skim against his shoulder. Just that caused an impact which made Diablo feel like his whole upper half was blown away. From Modinaram’s perspective, this was just a feint, but it was nearly a fatal blow for Diablo. It felt like a truck had just crashed against him.
Can I guard against this with my current gear? Can the Tonnerre Empereur: Libre deflect this?
It wasn’t impossible, but a failure would cost him his life. The risk was too great.
A black monster now appeared from Rem’s back. It had a goat’s head and a gorilla’s bulky, muscular body, but it felt somewhat different from the form Diablo had fought earlier. Its outline was unsettled, and it felt like smoke, or some sort of aura. Was it a lump of magical energy? Or maybe some type of spiritual body?
Diablo scoured his memory, trying to recall if monsters of that type ever appeared in Cross Reverie. If nothing else, a Demon Lord formed by fog was never implemented in the game. There were a few monsters of indeterminate form where physical attacks may have been useful when they had physical forms, but, for the most part, they were susceptible to magic.
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 9 Page 11
