“It should still be a shallow layer here, so I think we can escape quickly if we hurry.”
Milphobia, while holding my hand, advances while knocking down the zombies that occasionally appear in front of us.
“By ‘layer,’ does that mean this so-called dungeon extends deep underground in multiple levels?”
A dungeon…
It’s a term unfamiliar in the kingdom.
However, it seems to be part of common knowledge in the demon country, as Milphobia quickly answers.
“Dungeons can take various forms, some exposed on the surface, while others continue like tunnels. But in this case, since we’re going downhill, it seems to be an underground type.”
“Oh? How deep does that get?”
“It varies. Some say it goes down to a hundred levels underground.”
“That’s an incredible scale.”
“Yes. And to think it was hidden in a place like this…”
“Is that a strange thing?”
“Of course!”
Milphobia frowns.
It looks less like she is blaming my ignorance and more like she is doubting her own common sense.
“This has been the Demon King’s castle since the establishment of the demon country. If such a dangerous thing as a dungeon had naturally occurred, it wouldn’t have been left alone until now.”
“…Hmm.”
When asked like that, it does seem strange.
It’s been nearly three hundred years since the establishment of the demon country.
Then, the only conceivable possibility is one.
“There’s nothing strange about it. I simply have existed here longer.”
A hoarse voice, not mine, echoed from ahead of us.
I involuntarily widened my eyes.
From the depths of the pitch-black darkness, small blue flames gradually lit up one by one on the torches mounted on the walls, illuminating the area in front of us.
“This is the ‘Land of Death’ that I govern. Long before that ‘piece of garbage’ who calls himself the Demon King ruled this land.”
The owner of that low, dried voice slowly glided toward us, as if floating in the air.
Then, he landed quietly a few meters in front of us, as if blocking our escape from the dungeon.
The face that appeared from beneath the crimson hooded robe was that of a desiccated mummy.
“Oh, you also look like a zombie, don’t you?”
“How rude, call me ‘King.'”
“King?”
“Indeed.”
The zombie claiming to be the king snorted in dissatisfaction.
“Ever since I lost to the first Demon King over this land, I have hidden myself along with this underground dungeon, building the ‘Land of Death’ filled only with my undead servants. And even now, I am in the midst of gathering military strength in preparation for the coming times… and you, human, will also become one of my soldiers.”
The zombie claiming to be the king harbored a black light in his hand.
Then, as if vanishing, he moved and got behind me.
“Now, reverse your ‘Holy Power’ and become a corpse while writhing in agony…!”
The king reached out to touch my face, but—
“Don’t touch Alaya-sama; I’ll kill you!”
Milphobia’s rapid roundhouse kick cleanly severed the king’s head.
“What do you think you are, touching someone under the protection of His Majesty the Demon King? Do you think a mere undead like you can casually touch someone of that caliber—”
“I like violent women; they make me want to subdue them.”
As soon as the king interrupted Milphobia’s words, zombies began to pour out from the ground and walls, swiftly grabbing hold of her arms and legs.
“Wha…?!”
“It won’t work, you fool. I can nullify all physical attacks of your level. It’s a necessary preparation for a magician.”
The king scanned Milphobia’s figure, and then with a ‘tch,’ he clicked his tongue, deepening the wrinkles on his already weathered face.
“You’re a succubus, aren’t you? Then it’s decided; I’ll have my servants violate you for ten years before turning you into a specimen.”
“Ugh… let me go! I’ll kill you!”
“Be quiet, you lustful witch. Right now, it’s this ‘human’ that matters.”
The king slowly approached me.
…This is bad. I want to run, but there’s no way I can escape from someone who could easily capture even Milphobia. Besides, I don’t want to leave her behind.
Then the only option left for me is one.
“You mentioned turning me into military strength, but how exactly do you plan to do that?”
A conversation.
My weapon isn’t brute strength.
I have no choice but to look for an opening in the flow of the conversation!
“You just mentioned ‘reversing Holy Power,’ but could it be that you’re applying a theory to ‘replace life force with physical strength’? Although its realization should be nearly impossible, have you perhaps invented an innovative technique that makes it possible?”
“O-oh…?”
The king opened his eyes wide and seemed somewhat pleased as he stroked his chin.
“Interesting. You seem like someone who can talk.”
“I have a fair amount of knowledge.”
By offering living humans as sacrifices, one can perform a myth-level dark heal, something I had summarized in my paper previously. It’s likely that the king is using something close to that technology.
“Well, well. Then perhaps you might understand this discussion? It seems you know the basic theory, so I’ll skip the explanation and get to the point: fundamentally revising the idea that ‘Holy Power and Life Force are equal’ and instead asserting that Holy Power and Magic Power are the same—”
And he began to speak.
This is just a guess, but perhaps he had been starving for a conversation partner?
Those who accumulate knowledge often want to share it with others.
I understand that feeling well.
“Perhaps the three special zombies from earlier were also made using a similar method?”
“Oh, you understand? You are quite a clever man.”
The king responded happily.
“Alright, let me introduce you to those three. They are the greatest forces of the Land of Death.”
He raised one hand toward the end of the passage.
Then, he spoke with an air of solemnity.
“Come forth, my servants—’Zombie Soldier,’ ‘Zombie Thief,’ and ‘Zombie Queen!'”
His words echoed through the corridor…
However, nothing happened.
“…Huh? What’s the matter? Come forth!”
The king repeated his command, but still, there was no response.
…Well, that’s to be expected.
While I shoved my hand into my lab coat pocket, I sighed internally.
What on earth am I going to do now?
Those greatest forces’ brains are what I just used my dark heal on.
I probably can’t give them orders anymore.
“They usually come right away when I call them… Come forth, ‘Zombie Soldier,’ ‘Zombie Thief,’ and ‘Zombie Queen!'”
The king shouted repeatedly as if trying to show off how well his pets obeyed, but they still didn’t come.
…If I reveal that it’s my fault, will he get angry? He probably will. I should keep quiet.
Just as I resolved to stay silent,
[U… Uah…]
Stumbling,
From the depths of the corridor, a female knight zombie, presumably the one called the Zombie Queen, appeared.
“You’re late! What were you doing?!”
The king pointed his finger at the Zombie Queen, as if accusing her of a crime, and shouted angrily.
“You shameless creature, bringing shame upon your master is unforgivable! Shall I make you remember the pain and humiliation of that day when I dragged your body into decay and the path of evil?”
The Zombie Queen stopped dead in her tracks as if reacting to his voice, slowly turning her murky white eyes toward the king.
[Vah]
“Vah?”
[Vahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!]
With a mouth wide enough to split open, she let out a furious roar and kicked the ground. In an instant, she sliced into the king’s body.
“Huh?”
The king, eyes wide with shock, had his raised arm severed and fall to the ground, and soon after, rotten bodily fluids sprayed from the deep diagonal wound that appeared on his torso.
