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──What the heck is going on?

The people of the town created a wall in front of Diablo’s group. They were the group that had prayed together with Lumachina just a little while ago.

The wall of people stood in front of the Holy Knight Unit’s way.

All of them had faces full of determination.

「The Holy Knight Unit should get out of here!」「That’s right, that’s right!」「We won’t let you meddle with these people!」

Diablo was amazed.

So this was the influence of the High Chief Priest!

To think that she could make the surrounding common people into her own personal followers with just a single prayer.

They didn’t know about Lumachina’s status. They simply felt adoration by her actions, and now they had become a shield in order to protect her from the ruffian Holy Knight Unit.

Even though they didn’t even carry any weapons.

──So they would even risk their lives for people that they had just met. This in itself is a cheat power. If this was material for the founding of a nation, wouldn’t this be too easy and not make it much of a story? Well, it’s no wonder that she has enough authority as the king.

This was a great difference from Diablo who couldn’t even make one friend, let alone a party, no matter how much he raised his military gains.

If they were to withdraw from repeatedly being told 「Get out!」 by the common people, the Holy Knight Unit wouldn’t have been appraised as “bandit-like”.

A huge guy that had a wide girth even among those guys came forward. He was a Pantherian, but he looked more like a bear than a panther.

「Gufufu......Well ain’t this funny......I don’t know what happened but......I’ll make y’all remember the Church’s authority!」

He carried a spear that was longer than his stature.

It was a jousting lance.

It was a spear that was originally meant to be used while straddling a horse, and not something to be handled on foot. He wielded it like it was a club.

He couldn’t tell without seeing him fight first but......It didn’t seem he was an opponent that he could hold back against.

There wasn’t anyone that had the appearance of a Holy Knight. So this meant that the Head of the Holy Knights didn’t come.

──Now then, what should I do?

The ordinary people had created a wall between Diablo’s group and the Holy Knight Unit.

He was happy about their strong spirit to become their shield, but they would get dragged into his magic like this.

──It’ll take a bit of time but, should I use 《Volcanic Wall》? A wall of flames would be created between the ordinary people and the Holy Knight Unit with that.

And on top of that, should he use 《Burst Rain》 only on the enemy’s side?

Would that kill them if it’s a direct hit?

From the enemy’s HP and POW (Magic Defense Power) that he could guess, he calculated the damage.

The alarm bell was struck.

Both the Holy Knight Unit members that glared at them and the ordinary people became noisy.

──Did something happen!?

Somebody shouted.

「It’s a Demonic Beast! An extra-large......Demonic Beast!! It’s a 《Sand Whale》!!」

Those were words equivalent to announcing a great disaster.

==

Part 6

There was a sand ship that was referred to as 《Galleon Class》 that more than a hundred people could board. Three masts that had three sails each and were sixty meters in height were erected.

That large sand ship had all sails unfurled, and was sailing at full speed.

It was escaping.

There were large crossbows that could be drawn with a handle placed on the deck of the ship, but there was no one that tried to shoot at the thing that was chasing them. It was because that would be pointless.

They could no longer do anything but pray to the wind and the Gods.

The large 《Galleon Class》 sand ship, which was many times bigger than the sand ship that Diablo’s group came on──A monster several times more gigantic than that sand ship was chasing after it while raising up the sand.

What was swimming through the sand sea was a light brown whale.

Its surface was hard like stone. It was said that it had a strength that rival even dragon scales and that the weapons of the Races couldn’t make even a single scratch on it.

Its overall length exceeded 300 meters.

The size of its mouth boasted of being the largest class among all monsters.

If it were to plunge into a town, a great number of people would probably get eaten along with whole buildings.

It was an extra-large Demonic Beast that stood in line with Green Behemoths and Sea Serpents. Its size could be expressed as being as big as an entire mountain, or an entire island.

Whether they were the people of the town or the Holy Knight Unit, it didn’t matter anymore.

Shrieks, roars, and screams flew about.

「Why are they heading towards the town!?」「We can only run away!」「Where to!? We won’t make in time anymore!」「If it’s the Head of the Holy Knights-sama, then!」「Get Feudal Lord-sama!」「Hurry up and go call somebody!」「Ahh, it’s gotten that close! It’s already impossible────!!」

It seemed that they thought either the Head of the Holy Knights Baduta or Zircon Tower’s Feudal Lord could somehow do something about it.

It was considerably close. The shape of the 《Sand Whale》 could be seen clearly.

It probably wouldn’t take even ten minutes for it to reach the town.

Those with good eyes glared at the horizon.

「Goddamnit! Some idiot is heading to town with a sand ship!」

「Are they running away to get here!?」

「They’re deviating a bit! They’re planning on pushing the Demonic Beast off on the town and saving themselves!」

「What was that──!?」

That sort of conversation could be heard.

The sand on the ground repeatedly shook. The earth tremors were being transmitted.

Was it because the 《Sand Whale》 was approaching? This sort of scenario was something that couldn’t be experienced in the game.

Rem and Shera rushed over to him.

「D, Diablo, what shall we do!?」

「Uwaーn! What do we do!? What do we do!? What do we doー!?」

Lumachina was also together with them. Her lips were firmly kept closed, but it could be understood that she was feeling fear from how her knees were repeatedly trembling.

Even though they knew that it was impossible in their head, the people started to run away. Since the 《Sand Whale》 was approaching from the east, everyone ran away to the west.

──If I used the Flight Magic that I was practicing not too long ago, at least we would be able to escape, but......

People had unsteadily gathered around Lumachina.

Around thirty people had knelt down and started praying.

「Kami-sama......」「Save us......」「Please......Kami-sama......」

Lumachina was bewildered.

Even she didn’t know what she should do.

With a situation that could be described as a great disaster happening this abruptly, that probably couldn’t be helped.

Diablo breathed a sigh.

──This is why I can’t help but dislike religion. When something too difficult to deal with happens, they immediately rely on the Gods.

He thought that even if nothing can be done with only a single person’s strength, there were various things that they could do, like put their strengths together or find someone that they could rely on.

Even if they did know that it was futile, the people that ran away to the west were better.

──My reason for thinking that might be because I was raised in Japan where the religious atmosphere was thin though.

At any rate, abandoning these people and having only themselves run away with Flight Magic was out of the question. Lumachina probably wouldn’t consent to that anyway.

Diablo took a step on the sand.

He glared at the 《Sand Whale》. It was steadily getting closer while raising a cloud of sand.

──There’s no other way, I guess I’ll do it!

「Rem!」

「Y, yes!」

「I will be using a multiplex magic from here on out. Be vigilant of the surroundings! The few openings made will be big after all.」

「......I understand. I will bring out Summoned Beasts that will serve as shields.」

「Shera, you protect Lumachina. Absolutely do not let any suspicious people get near. Shoot them.」

「Got it, I’ll do my best! I, I’ll also keep watch on the surroundings with 《Turkey Shot》!」

The followers (it was probably fine to describe them as such) that were around Lumachina were offering their prayers. He didn’t think that they would get too close, but this was for caution’s sake.

Shera took hold of her black bow and stood beside Lumachina.

In the sky, the round, plump bird Summoned Beast, the 《Turkey Shot》 was flying. It was slow and weak, but it had the ability to monitor things from the sky.

Rem had her 《Stone Golem》 and her newly acquired 《Iron Gorilla》 lined up. They served excellently as shields.

Diablo concentrated on the target.

His hands trembled.

──Damn......I’m nervous.

After all, this was a magic spell that he used even less than the 《Apocalypse Abyss》 spell from the Demon King Krebskrum battle. Being unable to even move until it was invoked, couldn’t use other magic spells.

Although he had learned it because its might was large, Diablo, who specialized in independent action, didn’t have many chances to use it.

──Can I use an unfamiliar magic in this world?

He remembered when he first fired magic when he had just been summoned.

His heart rate increased.

Diablo pointed the 《Staff of Tenma》 towards the target and took his fighting stance.

──Multiplex Magic!

Putting together three maximum magic spells, he would fire them off as a single magic spell. The opening created from the preparation was excessively long, and if he were to receive damage, the spell would be interrupted and result only in his MP being drastically consumed.

Moreover, since it was treated as a 《Special Skill》, it couldn’t be used in succession. Even if he wasn’t able to activate it this time, the next time he could attempt it would be quite a time after.

In other words, it was a one-shot game.

Diablo casted the first of the three magic spells.

「O darkness yielded from the blackest night, congregate into an arc......《Dark Arc Seek》」

With the tip of the staff as the center, a black light started to spread up and down.

It was similar to the black bow that Shera possessed, but its size was in a different league. The bottom half went inside of the ground.

Even just the upper half was several times bigger than Diablo’s height.

「O nihility that engulfs all of creation, come forth in my hand......《Black Hole Arrow》」

A black sphere was born at the tip of the staff.

It was a hole.

It was a hole that swallowed anything and everything including light.

The earth tremors became bigger, and tents finally started to collapse.

Even the stone made buildings started to get cracks.

The large sand ship that was running away passed at the town’s side. It really was planning on pushing the 《Sand Whale》 off on the town and escaping.

──Ignore them for now.

The Demonic Beast that was as big as a town was drawing near.

The 《Sand Whale》 opened up its mouth.

Diablo’s heart rate skyrocketed. It aroused terror. His breath became rough. It was way too different from the image on a display!

──S, such a gigantic......mountain-like monster, would magic fired from one individual even work on it!?

Doubt had risen to his head.

──No, don’t waver! This is the same as when I first used magic! Believe in yourself! No, believe in Demon King Diablo! The current me, is Diablo! A Demon King of another world!!

He shouted.

「O arrow of nihility, pierce the linchpin that is at the boundary of heaven and earth! 《Gravity Abyss》!!」

The projectile that released a black radiance flew towards the large Demonic Beast.

The atmosphere trembled.

The crystallization of the three maximum magic spells──

hit the tip of the 《Sand Whale》’s nose.

The magic was invoked.

That sturdy skin was pulled into the black hole.

The strong skin that rivaled a dragon’s skin crumpled and cracked. It was slurped and pulled into a hole small enough that it couldn’t be seen at a distance.

The Demonic Beast’s forward movement stopped.

──Hell yeah! It was invokedddd────!!

While he was making a fist pump in his mind, Diablo glared at the magic with a cool-headed expression.

Before long, the reverse shock wave──the force that pulled things towards the magic, reached the town. It felt as if he was being pushed from behind.

Sand gathered towards the 《Sand Whale》.

Tents flew, and small articles tumbled over. Portions of broken stone walls also soared.

It looked like even people would be pulled into it, but the surrounding people extended their hands and grabbed them, and somehow brought them back.

The strong winds that were like a typhoon continued.

The sounds of something hard breaking happened consecutively. The 《Sand Whale》 fell into a miniscule hole.

The air trembled.

「OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO──────N!!」

Was that the large Demonic Beast’s scream?

At any rate, it was enormous.

Just way too excessively big.

Even though it was about time for the magic’s effect time to end, it still hadn’t fallen.

Diablo considered another magic spells.

He couldn’t use something similar to that just now for a while. When it came to other high power magic spells that felt like they would be effective on the 《Sand Whale》......