How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 4

by Yukiya Murasaki

  “Hm?” Glancing to the east, he saw a section of the forest glowing. “What’s that? A light?”

  It was only a small light at first, but soon it extended out toward the sky, piercing through the clouds and beyond.

  “C-Could it be... Is that magic energy!?”

  The magic energy had become a pillar of light, cutting directly through the sky.

  It seemed Shera had noticed as well, and started making a commotion. Rem couldn’t see magic energy, so she could only look on in curiosity.

  Diablo reconfirmed the location.

  —It’s a bit far to walk, huh.

  They would be going through the heart of the forest so it would take longer than usual; probably more than an hour if they were traveling on foot. While it was still a bit unstable, Diablo decided to try heading over there using his Flight magic.

  Diablo called out to the two girls below: “Rem, Shera! I’m going to see what’s going on!”

  “Aw, whaaaat!? C’mon, take us with you!”

  “...Let’s stay put, Shera. If something happens, we would just end up getting in his way.”

  “Booo!”

  —Sorry, but I don’t have my flying license just yet. It would be dangerous if you got on this and lost your balance.

  “Hmph, head back to town before me!”

  Using his Flight magic to manipulate the dead tree, he approached the pillar of light. Since Shera and Rem should no longer be able to see him, Diablo collapsed to his stomach, hugging the tree for dear life.

  “Damn, this is scary...!”

  It was going about the same speed as a bicycle, but it was shaking like crazy. He should be able to go faster if he wanted, but he would be thrown off the tree for sure.

  —I thought flying in another world would be more exciting, you know? Like, something where I could go “ooh” and “ah” while I did it... Like hell I could do that here!

  It was taking all he had to cling to the vibrating tree so he wouldn’t be thrown off. He didn’t even have time to look at his surroundings.

  Since he was so high up, the cross winds were blowing something fierce; it was enough to make him think it would be better to fly at a lower altitude... But his altitude wasn’t stable, either, which meant it wasn’t out of the picture for him to crash into branches if he got too close to the treetops.

  Somehow, he managed to get closer to the pillar of light.

  —As I thought, this is all magic energy.

  He was stunned. From the impression Diablo got, a normal Sorcerer (like Rem) had about a cup’s worth of magic energy. Using that amount effectively meant they could control Summons. As for himself, he had something around a bathtub’s worth. This pillar of light, on the other hand, was a torrent of magic energy several times the amount Diablo possessed. The only other thing he could think of that wielded this kind of bottomless magic energy was Klem, a.k.a. the Demon Lord Krebskulm, and that particular Demon Lord should have been back in town with Edelgard right about now.

  The type of the energy was different as well. Klem was of the “Dark” element, as was fitting for a Demon Lord. But this pillar was a radiant, shining white that seemed like the “Light” element.

  “...Just what is going on here?” Muttering to himself, he brought the dead tree closer to the pillar of light, peering below him. Suddenly, the tree lost the force that kept it afloat.

  “Ah...?”

  —The effect’s over!? Didn’t that happen way too fast!?

  “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

  †

  He heard a girl screaming for God as he crushed an enormous “something” with an audible squish, it seemed like there had been something below him. Because of that, Diablo had managed to make it through the fall without taking any serious damage.

  At his feet was the smashed up rotten tree. Not only that, but there were also the remains of some kind of plant-animal hybrid scattered all over the ground.

  “What the hell is thi—AH!?”

  Looking to the side, Diablo doubted his own eyes.

  There was a stunning beauty of a girl before him.

  She had almost-translucent platinum blonde hair that unfurled in gentle waves, with hazel eyes that seemed like they would suck him in. Not even an Elf’s skin seemed as smooth as hers; she maintained an exquisite balance between her mature beauty and innocent sweetness.

  —To top it all, she was naked.

  It seemed like she had been wearing a dress at some point that had been destroyed to the point where she was almost fully nude. She was collapsed on the ground, her legs spread wide open as she faced right at him. She had her hands behind her, using them to support herself.

  An absolutely beautiful girl—who was practically naked.

  —Is she sunbathing!?

  There was no way that could be the case. The last bit of cloth that had been fighting to hold on finally fell away, leaving all her most important places exposed.

  Diablo made an audible noise as he gulped. It was the first time he had seen a girl’s...“womanhood”...head on in as bright a place as this—and of a drop-dead gorgeous girl, no less; though this was the first time they had ever met.

  Tears in her eyes, she asked him:

  “......A-Are you...God...?”

  —Right, so, she’s starting off with “God.” Super. Now that I think about it, I feel like I heard her scream something like that... Uh-oh. Is she the kind of girl that has a few screws loose!?

  While he was at a loss over what to do, the piercing shriek of a man came from behind him.

  “AHHHHH!? My poor Beast Mushroom!”

  “Hm?” There was a familiar emblem etched onto the man’s armor.

  —This guy’s a Paladin.

  “Hey, you! Mister ‘I just fell down out of nowhere’! What the hell is your problem!? And what are you going to do about my Beast Mushroom!? I only had the one!”

  The splattered remains of what looked like some kind of plant dissolved and faded away, turning into a blackened crystal. It seemed like it was a Summon.

  “Hmph... As if I care about your mushroom.”

  Hearing the obvious hostility in his words made it easier for Diablo to get into it as well. The thought of how he crashed by misjudging how long his Flight magic would last had been erased from his mind, as he boldly fixed his glare onto the Paladin. He was planning to follow up with his usual, “I am a Demon Lord from another world!” when the girl interrupted him.

  “My Lord!”

  “Wh-What...?”

  Turning around, he saw the girl prostrating herself in the nude. He saw her grasping the holy symbol of the Church in her hands.

  “So you have finally graced me with your presence! I always thought it a bit lonesome to only hear your voice without being able to see you! I, your humble servant Lumachina Weselia, have always offered my prayers to you!”

  “Th-That’s fine and all, but wouldn’t it be better if you put some clothes on?”

  “Huh?”

  The girl finally realized the state of her own appearance. She quickly hid the lower parts of her body and chest with her hands.

  “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!? D-Don’t look! Please, God, don’t look!”

  Her face was bright red. Even Diablo’s cheeks were beginning to flush a little.

  —“God”? Is she talking about me?

  At the very least, it was Diablo this girl “Lumachina” was prostrating herself for.

  —I have no idea why, though...

  Nonetheless, it was obvious she was embarrassed. Diablo removed his 《Curtain of Dark Clouds》, offering it to Lumachina.

  “Use this.”

  “Huh...!? Th-Thank you so very much... Being given clothes by God... Truly, I am blessed...”

  Carefully taking the cape from Diablo, Lumachina wrapped it around herself. She was completely naked under that cape... a “naked cape,” like the girls with nothing but an apron on. He couldn’t help but think of that as somewhat kinky.

  T
he Paladin gave a snort. “And just who do you think you’re calling ‘God’!? This is nothing but a grubby little Demon! He stinks so bad my nose is going to fall off. You merely jumped down from the trees or something, didn’t you!”

  “Hmph... That is where you are wrong. I am—”

  “He is God, I can tell! My prayers have reached the heavens!”

  —Girls really don’t listen when other people are talking, do they! ...But what’s this about “prayers”?

  He had been a bit distracted by her looks...and the fact she was naked...and by her “womanhood”... But when he concentrated, he could sense a vast amount of magic energy coming from Lumachina. It wasn’t enough to create the pillar of light from earlier, but he could still see it overflowing from her.

  It seemed there was no mistaking it: The tower of light he saw had been created by this girl, Lumachina.

  “Please be careful, my Lord. Gewalt may be a sinful man unworthy of being a believer, but his abilities are held in high esteem!”

  “No, like I said, I’m no ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ or anything of the sort, I’m—”

  “Oh, who CARES!” Gewalt screeched. “Smashing my Beast Mushroom like that! I am seriously PISSED OFF! No playing around this time; I’m killing the both of you!”

  Diablo cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean by that? From what I’ve heard, Paladins are in service to the Church, and only kill Demon Lord worshipers. This Lumachina girl seems to have profound faith in the gods, does she not?”

  She was hiding herself underneath Diablo’s cape at the moment, but even after being stripped of her clothing Lumachina never let go of her holy symbol. Her faith seemed to run much deeper than the average person’s.

  Gewalt laughed scornfully. “As if I’d know about the decisions of the Church! If they tell me to kill someone, I kill them! I need no other reasons!”

  “I see... So that’s the kind of person you are, then. You’re no different than a mercenary.”

  “Uh, that’s where you’re wrong, sweetie. I charge much more than that!”

  —At least he’s aware of it.

  Gewalt threw a crystal on the ground...

  —More summoning magic!

  ...with a worm quickly appearing.

  “Hm... A level 60 《Hunter Worm》, I see.”

  —I guess I should expect that from a Paladin. Just like Saddler, they’re on completely different levels than the Adventurers back in Faltra.

  But he was still no match for Diablo. He readied Tenma’s Staff...

  “Wind is best to deal with Earth elementals. 《Aero—”

  He was unable to complete his spell, as the ground beneath him crumbled away.

  “What...!?”

  “Eeeeeeek!?”

  A gaping crater appeared in the earth, with both Diablo and the girl falling inside. A gigantic mouth came at them from within the depths of the hole.

  —A level 80 Trap Worm!? And he summoned them both at the same time!

  Despite how much of a sleazeball he was, Gewalt was a formidable opponent.

  A smile crept onto Diablo’s face.

  “Do not underestimate my agility!”

  Kicking off the corner of the worm’s open mouth, he jumped up and grabbed hold of the girl who was naked underneath his cape. Though she seemed like a bit of a problem child, having her eaten by a worm right after he saved her in the first place would be kind of sad.

  With the girl in tow, they escaped from the hole together.

  “Not bad, Demon! But this is it!!” Gewalt shouted.

  The Hunter Worm drew near.

  “It’s not worth it if something like this doesn’t happen. Now, be ripped to shreds! 《Aero Shredder》!”

  With a thunderous roar, a green flash of light wrapped around the pursuing Summon. Chunks of flesh were scattered everywhere, changing back into a blackened crystal.

  Gewalt’s eyes flew open in shock. “What...is...this...?”

  “Oh? So you know of it.”

  —Though, after breaking through the level cap, you can learn even more powerful spells than this.

  “Of course I know. There are other Paladins who can use it as well.”

  “I was under the impression Elemental magic was so weak it was unthinkable for you to use.”

  “...Yes, it’s weak... But it’s a different story if you can master it. Elemental magic is best when you need a lot of oomph packed into a single attack.”

  “It seems you’ve studied well.”

  Diablo was somewhat glad to hear this. It seemed he had reached the same conclusion as everyone else who leveled up their characters until they approached the level cap.

  “So how about it, Demon? How many shots of that ultimate magic can you fire off, hmm!? My Summon is still rarin’ to go!”

  “Hmph... With a spell like Aero Shredder, I can fire off at least a hundred without breaking a sweat.”

  “D-Don’t you dare lie to me!”

  “And don’t you try to measure me using your own standards, novice.”

  —Why do people like him think no one else in the world can do something just because they can’t?

  It was the same thing when he saw a post on Cross Reverie’s wiki saying 《Bloody Dance》 could be avoided, and people called the guy a liar. Stuff like that was a piece of cake.

  Diablo wasn’t good at writing things out, so he didn’t make a comment back then... But it was stupid to decide that an attack with a whole six frames of delay (0.1 seconds) between when the motion for the move started and the actual damage was dealt was “impossible” to dodge. He wanted them to try saying it was impossible only after they at least practiced inputting the command for a dodge as soon as they saw the attack coming. It was no good if your fingers were still moving like a human; to any normal person, a masterful player’s movements couldn’t be followed with the naked eye. The optimal movement was like that of the assembly robots that could be found in a factory; with no excessive movements, they were the ideal.

  —If you want to win, then reject your humanity!

  Diablo pointed Tenma’s Staff at Gewalt. “I am a busy man... I have no intention of taking on each and every one of your Summons. A Summoner’s shortcoming is their weakness to attacks that cover a wide area! 《Cross Blizzard》!!”

  Two tornadoes burst into existence with everything they touched turning to ice, which was then torn to shreds by gale force winds. As soon as the trees were turned into frozen sculptures, they shattered to pieces. This was a spell learned at level 110; for those who hadn’t broken through their level caps, they wouldn’t even know it existed.

  Gewalt’s face contorted. “Wh-What... WHAT THE HELL IS THAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?”

  Shards of ice danced in the air, creating a fantastical sight. Gewalt’s screams were drowned out in the ferocious whirlwinds, so all that was left was the sound of the wind’s fierce howling.

  Finally, the wind died down. The ground had been completely frozen over, and not a tree remained around them. Diablo had ended up changing the terrain itself, but it looked like the Paladin was defeated. Lumachina had watched everything unfold from behind him, and was shivering.

  —Oh crap! I used that freezing spell even though there’s a girl here wearing nothing but a cape...!

  “H-Hey, are you all right!?”

  “Yes. God...having you save me...I’m...”

  “Hold on—and let me be clear on this: I am no god! I am Diablo, a Demon Lord from another world!”

  “Huh? B-But...”

  “I am a Demon Lord.”

  “...Even though your soul...is so...pure...” Lumachina swayed, and began to collapse.

  “What!? Hey!” Diablo barely managed to catch her in his arms. Luckily, she was still breathing.

  —So, is she just sleeping?

  He didn’t exactly understand the logic behind it, but of course she would be exhausted after expending enough magic energy to make that tower of light earlier.

  “I guess...I c
an’t just leave her here, huh...” There were wild beasts in the Eastern Lakefront Forest, so leaving her out here was as good as feeding her to the bears or wolves.

  Reluctantly, Diablo decided to carry her back to town. It was at a time like this that his Flight magic would come in handy, but using it while carrying another person was plain impossible, no matter how small she was. The memory of his screw up causing him to crash was still fresh in his mind, so he elected to go back along the roads on foot.

  After Diablo left—

  The frozen earth caved in, a Trap Worm appearing from the newly formed hole and spitting something out of its mouth. The Paladin, Gewalt, tumbled along the ground.

  “Euuuughh! The inside of a worm REEKS!! That damn Demon... I’m going to crush his filthy Demon balls!”

  And then, one more—though she was unconscious, the female Paladin, Tria, fell out onto the ice-covered earth as well.

  †

  “Tria!!”

  Lumachina bolted upright. She had seen a dream of the female Paladin who helped her escape, watching as the Paladin fell down a hole in the earth.

  —No, that wasn’t a dream.

  Lumachina looked down at herself; someone had dressed her in a brown hemp one piece, like the ones she usually saw around town. On the inside, she was just glad she wasn’t naked anymore.

  Next, she looked around at her surroundings. She was in an unfamiliar room with cold, stony walls, and a roof that seemed like it would leak if it rained. Candles lined the walls, the only light in the room coming from their flickering flames.

  It seemed it was already evening, since what she could see of the outside, through a tiny window in the room, was pitch-black. If there hadn’t been anyone else in the room with her, she would have probably worried if she was in jail.