Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Final Battle ?

The day after Kyouya fell, we returned once again to the Elro Great Labyrinth via Ronant-sama’s teleportation, and pressed on. We had had no choice but to retreat again to recover from the wounds and weakened stamina we endured during the battle when Kyouya had halted our advance. However, even while we were recovering, battles were continuing. The battle between Water Dragon Eina-san and Sophia seems to have developed into a quagmire. In short, it’s due to Water Dragon Eina-san focusing on buying time and Sophia being unable to attack properly. The upper layer of the Elro Great Labyrinth is a chaotic mess of zones filled with water, zones with that water having been frozen and zones that are still undamaged. If we entered such a place, it feels like we’d soon die to one thing or another.

While the battle between Eina-san and Sophia is at a stalemate, the battle above the ground is over. The Queen Taratekt was defeated. However, while the combined armies of the humans and demons fought hard, they took heavy damage when the Remnants of the Nightmare flooded out from the Elro Great Labyrinth, forcing them to retreat. That being said, given how the upper layer of the Elro Great Labyrinth is like a vision of hell currently, even if the joint army had won they likely wouldn’t have been able to invade the Elro Great Labyrinth. That can also be said of the Remnants of the Nightmare that repelled the joint army, and apparently they’re wandering about on the surface.

So the overall situation is at a stalemate. However, that will only last until the battle between Eina-san and Sophia is over. Though Eina-san is said to be the strongest of the dragons, apparently Sophia has the upper hand in battle. Water and ice. They might have similar attributes, but ice has a better affinity. That’s because ice can stop all water attacks by freezing them. Due to that Eina-san is stymied. However, in Sophia’s case she is forced to deal with the submergence of the Elro Great Labyrinth. As a result of having to keep freezing the water flowing in to contain the submergence, she can’t keep her focus on the battle with Eina-san. Net result, it’s a statemale. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Sophia has several advantages, so Eina-san will likely be beaten sooner or later.

When that happens the situation will change. Once Sophia is free and if the situation in the upper layer of the Elro Great Labyrinth settles down, then the Remnants of the Nightmare that remain above ground will also be able to return to the Elro Great Labyrinth. If that happens then the situation will tilt against us precipitously. Sophia’s strength is above that of Eina-san, the strongest dragon. We’ve already lost Gouka-san to Kyouya, and my soul is apparently in tatters due to excessive use of Kindness’s resurrection. I will probably only be able to use resurrection a few more times. With the Demon King still to be confronted, we have no spare forces to fight with Sophia. Therefore, before Eina-san and Sophia’s battle finishes, we’ve got to defeat the Demon King no matter what it takes, then we must reach the System’s nexus after going through the bottom layer of the Elro Great Labyrinth. However……

When I was confronted by the scene before me, I inadvertently shrunk back. With Kyouya’s death, with my own soul being eroded away, I was repeatedly confronted by the fact that I hadn’t resolved myself enough. Which is why I had decided that this time for sure I would resolve myself, but that resolve seems almost to be vanishing due to the scene before me. Is resolution alone enough to overturn this?

The bottom layer of the Elro Great Labyrinth. The Demon King is waiting for us here. There are two Queen Taratekts stationed beside her. In addition to the Demon King and the Queens, there are spider monsters surrounding them in formation. Their number can’t be determined at a glance. More than half of them are merely weak individuals, but even so the sheer number of them is stunning, such that it is more than enough to impart a sense of visceral despair. We have to break through this…?

「Hi, good of you to make it here, representatives of humanity.」

The Demon King’s voice resounds. I had heard that voice once before during the declaration of the World Quest, but seeing the Demon King in the form of a young girl feels out of place. In novels and the like there’s even Demon Kings who look like beautiful girls, but facing that in reality is very disconcerting. It’s like, the more obviously vicious looks she had the less hesitation we would have had. That I’m thinking such things, perhaps shows that I’m still not resolved enough. No matter who the opponent is, no matter what they look like, I shouldn’t let my blade falter before them. Yet, the very form of the Demon King as a weak girl sitting on a chair, is enough to shake my determination.

「Even though I said it was good of you to make it here, it’s not like I actually wanted you to come, you know. But, since you’ve made it here I guess I have to. While the dragons might not have any choice, I had at least wanted you reincarnators to be away from the war though.」

I’m sure she’s speaking her honest feelings. I sensed that somehow from the tone of her voice. The Demon King’s personality shone through from her words, again shaking my determination. In the first place, this war is due to the need to break out of a hopeless situation. It’s not like the Demon King caused it or wanted to cause it. It’s not a matter about which side is correct, but simply because we must choose who gets sacrificed. One side will be abandoned, allowing the other side to live. Will humanity live, or will the gods live? That choice gives a broken result either way.

「We’ll have to fight sooner or later here, but before that let’s at least get one thing out of the way. Ahem, this time I’ll go with a stereotypical Demon King’s phrase.」

The Demon King clears her throat for a moment.

「Welcome Hero. If you become my ally I shall grant you half of the world. How about it?」

Those lines were a parody of the Demon King from a famous game back in my previous life in Japan. Despite feeling strangely nostalgic, I smile wryly at how well those words match the current situation. I’m sure that the Demon King learned those words from Wakaba-san. The humour in those lines might well be out of place here, but since I know those lines were spoken in earnest, I must reply with my true feelings in turn.

「I am sorry. But my answer is… no.」

After all, I have come here so that all of humanity, half of the world, will not be sacrificed.

「Gotcha. That’s too bad.」

Saying so, the Demon King lightly shrugs her shoulders. I’m sure that the Demon King herself didn’t expect her proposal to be accepted either. No doubt she couldn’t go without saying that and betting on a ray of hope. I sure understand those feelings.

「Then, let’s do it.」

Responding to the Demon King’s voice, beginning with the Queen Taratekts, the spider monsters begin to move. It’s begun. It really has begun. The battle between the Hero and the Demon King that will decide the fate of the world. My own power as the Hero might be tiny, but even so, I cannot afford to lose.