kscans

Chapter 190 - The Demon Lord Rescued

The airship came to a stop in the sky above the Demon Lord's Castle.

Normally, it would be impossible for a floating object to stop perfectly still, but this was a virtual reality. Moreover, it wasn't floating due to physical phenomena but was moved by magical power. It wasn't hovering so much as it was fixed in mid-air.

The top floor of the Demon Lord's Castle was about 300 meters from the ground. The airship's altitude was 600 meters, so the rope wouldn't reach. They needed to lower the airship's altitude further from here.

Sonia began to operate the airship, gradually lowering its altitude. The plan was to get as close as possible. If the airship hit something, it would likely take damage. It was fine for now, but delicate piloting would be required as they got closer to the Demon Lord's Castle.

While this was happening, Hayato made various preparations.

The members going directly were Rosalie and Ney. Hayato started making items for the two of them.

"Alright, five-star potions for you two. I have paralysis and poison cure potions too, so use them if you need them. And chocolate parfaits. They subtly recover HP and MP, so I think you'll find them useful."

"Thank you. That helps."

"I sense a certain darkness in the fact that you carry the ingredients to make a chocolate parfait at any time."

"…For emergencies, you know. Well, don't hesitate to eat up."

Everyone had a vague idea of what Hayato's "emergency" referred to, but no one said anything. Ney and Rosalie began to eat their chocolate parfaits.

"Listen while you eat. For now, we'll lower three ropes from the airship. Once Ney, Rosalie-san, and Lunaria-san grab the ropes, we'll move the airship without you having to climb up, so do not let go under any circumstances. Well, Ney will just resurrect at the base if she falls, so she'll be fine."

"Falling from this height would be terrifying even if I'd just resurrect at the base, right? It would definitely be traumatic. There's no way that's fine."

Hayato thought that was indeed true.

In the real world, Hayato had spoken with Agres and asked him what it was like to fall from the World Tree.

"I'm never climbing that World Tree again."

Agres, who was usually arrogant, had shivered for a moment before giving that answer. Mikazuki, who had been listening nearby, had expressed a similar sentiment.

"So, absolutely do not let go of the rope. I'll give you a Ring of Teleportation just in case. If you fall, use it immediately. That way, you can return to the base before you hit the ground."

Hayato said this and handed a Ring of Teleportation to Ney.

"Rosalie-san, you should take one too, just in case. Your destination will be the Demon Lord's Castle, but I think it's better than feeling the terror of falling. And one for Lunaria-san's share too. If she teleports, she'll return to the Demon Lord's Castle, meaning the rescue will fail, but…"

"I shall accept it, just in case."

As they were having this exchange, Sonia's voice called out, "This is about as close as we can get!"

Relic also looked over at Hayato from near the port side of the airship.

"Hayato-sama, the ropes are ready."

A rope was already tied to the port side railing.

"Alright, you two, be careful."

"Understood. Let's go, Ney. Also, please equip only the Arondight Replica. That way, Lunaria-sama won't get sulky."

"Lunaria is such a handful, even at a time like this…"

Ney dutifully equipped only the Arondight Replica and grabbed the rope.

"Alright, I'm off!"

Ney and Rosalie slid down the ropes. They moved like rangers descending from a helicopter, making one wonder if they had practiced somewhere. At least, Hayato couldn't do it.

(Ney might have experience from the real world, but Rosalie-san is a mystery. Where did she learn that?)

Since this was a virtual reality, there was no pain from friction, and their HP didn't decrease, so it seemed holding the rope with bare hands was not a problem. The two of them descended to the window in no time. Then they opened the door and went inside. Even though there was some footing, it was very narrow. Yet both of them were nimble.

Just as he thought it would be surprisingly easy, the airship shook.

"Hayato! Demon Birds! They're targeting the airship from the starboard side!"

Hearing Sonia's words, he quickly looked over and saw a considerable number of giant birds surrounding them. They were Demon Bird type monsters, birds of the demon lineage.

Individually, they weren't that strong, but they were troublesome opponents who rarely got close and attacked with magic from a distance. Moreover, they didn't attack alone but in large numbers, making them quite strong overall.

(It would have been nice to have a cannon at a time like this… no, there's no point in saying that now. We have to hold out until we rescue Lunaria-san somehow.)

Hayato gave instructions to disrupt the enemy's attacks, not necessarily to defeat them. The members capable of long-range attacks immediately began to attack the enemy.

The airship was made of World Tree Lumber, so it had a considerable amount of HP, but repairs would also require World Tree Lumber. He had used most of it in the airship's construction, so he couldn't count on repairing the ship much.

Hayato made more potions, melon juice, and other recovery items. He gave them to the members who couldn't attack from a distance and instructed them to use them on anyone who looked seriously damaged or was out of MP.

At first, they were on the defensive, but the Black Rose members were quite strong and shot down the Demon Birds one by one. The other members also succeeded in driving them away, even if they couldn't defeat them.

(This should be fine…)

"Hayato-sama!"

Relic, who was nearby, aimed a kick at Hayato. Hayato froze, unable to move, but immediately understood the meaning of Relic's action.

Relic wasn't aiming at Hayato, but at something behind him.

When he turned around, a figure in black armor was on the deck. The armor covered their entire body, their face was completely hidden, and they held a black sword in their right hand and a black shield in their left. Their whole body was pitch black.

The black-armored figure in front of him must be one of the Ten Dark Knights, which meant they had come up the rope.

Hayato sent a voice chat to Ney.

"Ney! Don't tell me you were defeated!?"

"No, we're fighting the Black Knights right now! Lunaria is scared and won't grab the rope! Just wait a little longer!"

The Black Knight in front of him must have used that opening to climb up. If they could do something about this airship, Lunaria wouldn't be taken away. That was likely their thinking, Hayato surmised.

The Black Knight silently swung their sword. Relic responded in kind.

Relic dodged the attacks, and the Black Knight blocked with their shield. Neither landed a clean hit, but it was safe to say Relic was at a disadvantage. The problem was his defense.

Relic's base damage per attack was originally low. Even if his attacks hit the Black Knight, the damage would be minimal. Conversely, the Black Knight's attack could deal a fatal blow to Relic.

If he could overpower the opponent without taking any hits, like when Ivan and Rose fought, he could win, but it was cruel to expect that much from Relic.

Besides, only one had climbed up. They must have known there were many opponents here. Yet they were confident they could win, or at least do something about the airship.

It was a dangerous situation, but to Hayato, Relic's movements seemed a bit strange. Even though he wasn't being pushed back by the sheer number of attacks, he was gradually moving toward the center of the deck.

Then he noticed. Sonia was moving behind the Black Knight in a translucent state.

(Stealth skill?)

Hayato's guess was correct. Sonia had left the helm at some point and joined the fight between Relic and the Black Knight. Relic was creating space behind the Black Knight, acting as if he was being pushed back.

The moment the Black Knight entered Sonia's attack range, Relic unleashed the hand-to-hand weapon skill "Low Kick." The Black Knight who took the hit was temporarily put into a stun state, unable to act.

"Sonia!"

As Relic shouted, Sonia, who was behind the Black Knight, unleashed a weapon skill.

Knife-type weapon skills had low damage, but damage from behind received a bonus. They also had many techniques that caused bad statuses, and the probability of them occurring also received a bonus.

Sonia used "Hornet Needle," which inflicts paralysis. The attack hit the Black Knight.

This was a virtual reality. Even if the attack was blocked by armor, it could still inflict a bad status. The Black Knight became paralyzed and unable to move.

"Um, let's tie them up with a rope."

At Hayato's words, Relic smoothly took out a rope and tied up the Black Knight.

If they just wanted to defeat them, they could push them off the airship. But that would be too merciless. This was the best way to avoid being resented later.

As for the Demon Birds, they had mostly been dealt with, and most of them had fled. The only remaining problem was Lunaria. And she was the biggest problem.

"Isn't the Demon Lord here yet? The Demon Birds are going to come back."

"That's true… Hey, Sonia-san, could you go down the rope for me?"

"I don't mind, but what for?"

"Please hit Demon Lord Lunaria from behind with 'Hornet Needle.' It seems she's too scared to climb, so let's paralyze her. We'll pull her up in that state."

"How can you think of such a horrible plan? Won't my life be in danger?"

"You can say it was your plan. Also, I'll prepare a Salvage winch, so please take it and attach it to Lunaria-san. We'll pull her up with that."

"…You seem more like the Demon Lord, Hayato. Still, we're short on time, so I guess we have to do it. Then I'll have that winch right away. I'll bring the hook."

Hayato immediately made a winch and set it up on the deck. Then he handed the hook part to Sonia.

"I'm counting on you."

"Make sure you tell her it was Hayato's idea, okay?"

Sonia said this and gracefully descended, holding the rope with one hand.

(Those movements are just like a thief. Even though she's actually a hacker.)

When Sonia entered through the window, a few seconds later there was a signal to pull the winch rope. The winch started to wind the rope as if it had found treasure.

Attached to the end of the hook was a limp Lunaria. She was probably paralyzed by Sonia's weapon skill.

The least he could do was pull her up quickly. He immediately pulled her up and laid her on the deck. Then he made her drink a potion to cure the paralysis.

As soon as Lunaria got up, she drew Arondight.

"To treat the Demon Lord in such a way. This is the first time I have ever been so humiliated. Hayato, write your will. Also, write 'I'm sorry, Lunaria-chan.'"

"I'm not ready to write my will just yet. Besides, you looked cool, Lunaria-san."

At those words, Lunaria twitched.

"In what way? I was clearly treated like an object. At best, like a fish that took the bait… or did I look like a cool shark?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you were able to endure your fear, right? I couldn't do that, I'd definitely cry. I paralyzed you just in case, but maybe it wasn't necessary."

Lunaria tilted her head slightly, then looked around.

All the Black Rose members were nodding. The Kokuryu and Treasure Hunter members were doing the same. Finally, Relic smiled and said, "You were magnificent."

Lunaria sheathed her sword and scoffed.

"This is nothing. By the way, it's literally before breakfast, so I want to eat something. A sandwich would be nice."

(I wonder if this naive side of her is why the people of the Demon Country like her. Anyway, I would really cry. And being paralyzed would probably make it twice as scary. It's a virtual reality, but I would have been too weak in the knees to move properly. How did Lunaria-san manage to stand up right after the paralysis wore off…)

Hayato thought this as he handed Lunaria a sandwich.

"All three of us have grabbed on! Get us moving!"

Ney's voice chat came through. Hayato replied, then moved to the helm and started the airship. He prioritized getting away from the Demon Lord's Castle without gaining altitude.

They scattered the Demon Birds in their path and moved away from the castle. The Demon Birds pursued them for a while, but they turned back once they left the Demon Country's territory.

After a while, Ney, Rosalie, and Sonia climbed up the ropes. The members on deck each helped pull the three up.

Once things had calmed down a bit, everyone finally let out a big sigh and relaxed their shoulders. The Demon Lord rescue operation could be called a success.

Hayato also let out a big sigh, but a woman approached him, exuding a murderous aura as if to deny such a peaceful atmosphere.

"What did you do to Lunaria-sama, huh!?"

Rosalie approached him with her weapon's unique skill, Madness, activated.

"Look, I had no choice. One of the Black Knights was climbing up, and the airship itself was in danger from the Demon Bird attacks. I felt bad, but please consider our circumstances too."

Rosalie closed her eyes, her brow furrowed, but then she let out a big sigh and deactivated Madness.

"I am not convinced, but I understand the circumstances. Still, to paralyze Lunaria-sama and winch her up… Lunaria-sama must be in shock from how uncool it was…"

"I told her she looked cool, so it's fine. See, she's happily eating a sandwich."

Rosalie stared at Hayato with half-lidded eyes.

"…I have come to realize you are the one to be more wary of than the Hero."

"Why?"

"Well, that is fine. But as an apology, you must treat Lunaria-sama and us to the finest hospitality at your base! This is our rightful due!"

"Of course. Lunaria-san is a clan member, but you and the rest of Black Rose are guests. Besides, you've helped me a lot with the blueprint, so I'll do my best to make your stay as comfortable as possible. But please, go back to the Demon Lord's Castle as soon as you can."

"You ruin it at the very end, don't you…?"

While having this conversation, Hayato steered the airship toward his base.