kscans

Chapter 513 - Demon Lord Subjugation Strategy Meeting

“Alright, this meeting of the Demon Lord Mikan Subjugation Task Force is now in session.”

Ginny’s declaration inside their headquarters, the cafe, was met with sparse applause. The assembled members were Parfait, Natsu, Chris, Rick, Wilnel, and of course, Trachiyo.

Ginny wore square-framed glasses, her hair was in an updo, and instead of her usual dress, she was clad in a business-like suit. She even held a pointer stick, looking for all the world like a teacher. For Ginny, who usually found her purpose in life by making others cosplay, to do it herself was a clear sign of how seriously she was taking this.

Behind her, a portable blackboard had appeared from somewhere, covered in what looked like an illustration. Ginny herself didn't draw manga, but she was a skilled artist. The blackboard featured adorable, chibi-style drawings of Demon Lord Mikan and Kurotako.

Ginny often said things an artist would, like how her own drawings “have no soul,” but to an amateur’s eye, her work was good enough to sell. Parfait was nothing short of amazed.

“First, for the past week, I’ve tried everything—ambushes, trickery, even prostrating myself… but I was unable to defeat Elder Sister Mikan…”

“Ginny-chan, what have you been doing? And what do you mean, prostrating yourself?”

Parfait knew Ginny had been trying to defeat Mikan after what had happened in the Necropolis, but she hadn’t realized she’d actually been making attempts. This strategy meeting had been called so suddenly that everyone, Parfait included, was a little bewildered.

All of this, completely unrelated to the ongoing event, was for one reason: to obtain Demon Lord Mikan’s skill, Toy Maker. It was an exclusive skill for the Demon Lord that created something from nothing, but rumor had it that defeating the Demon Lord would grant the victor a title allowing them to use it.

Only Parfait and Trachiyo knew the full situation, so after a quick explanation, the rest of the group finally understood.

“AFO has been around for a long time, and there’s still no record of the Demon Lord ever being defeated. What makes you think we can do it?”

Everyone but Ginny nodded in agreement with Rick’s words. Though they’d been playing for over half a year, Parfait and her friends were still novices. They didn't have the strength of a major clan. For that matter, it was a mystery why Ginny had been trying to take her on alone in the first place.

“Rick-san’s point is a valid one. However, the main reason Elder Sister Mikan has never been defeated is that no one knew where she was.”

This was common knowledge in AFO. The name Demon Lord Mikan was heard everywhere, but her location was a total mystery. The fact that she was working as a receptionist at the Summoner’s Guild in the Caravan made perfect sense in hindsight.

Most players had assumed she was in Pandemonium Castle and searched for her there. Speculation ran rampant—that she only appeared at certain times, or that a special item was needed to summon her—but no one had ever met her. She was treated like an ultra-rare monster that might have appeared during the territory skirmishes around the castle.

As everyone recalled this, Ginny continued.

“However, I’ve obtained intelligence that Elder Sister Mikan herself is extremely weak. I have confirmed this with the person in question.”

“You confirmed it with Mikan-san herself…? Wait, doesn’t that mean Mikan-san was your source…?”

Ginny wrote “super weak” in chalk under the chibi Mikan on the blackboard. Then, she redrew the eyes as X’s and added a tongue sticking out, making the illustration look thoroughly pathetic.

Why would she admit that herself? Parfait wondered, though she also thought it sounded exactly like something Mikan would do. Being the Demon Lord was just a side gig for her, after all. It wasn't as if she could never lose. It was even possible she was a little bored of never being defeated and was leaking information on purpose.

“The problem is Kurotako-san. The demon Elder Sister Mikan created, and what I consider to be the strongest demon of all.”

As she spoke, Ginny decisively pointed her stick at the chibi Kurotako on the board. She then wrote “super strong” beneath the drawing. To drive the point home, she added a powerful aura effect and redrew the eyes to look angry, making the illustration seem formidable.

Kurotako, the black, octopus-like creature. Its formal name was “Something called God in another dimension.” It was an original demon created by Mikan with her Toy Maker skill, and Parfait knew its strength firsthand.

When Ginny had challenged Mikan in the Necropolis, Kurotako had unleashed a laser-like attack from its tentacles, instantly killing Parfait, Ginny, and Trachiyo. And yet, he was a gentleman who had even revived them afterward.

Mikan had said all of his stats were dumped into attack power, but Parfait was still baffled by a super-fast, long-range attack that ignored defense. Then again, when she’d mentioned that to Mikan, she’d just said, “It’s like Esha-san’s Destroy,” and Parfait had found herself nodding in understanding.

“We all know how strong Kurotako-san is. But to put it another way, if we can just deal with him, we can defeat Elder Sister Mikan.”

Ginny drew a large X over Kurotako’s illustration, then did the same to Mikan’s. Finally, she wrote, “Title GET!”

“And that is why I would like to borrow all of your strength. I will pay any amount of money you ask for!”

“Please don’t bring real money into this.”

Parfait wanted to believe she was joking, but with Ginny, you could never be sure. She had to shut that down preemptively.

She’d heard the plan, but it was still unclear if anyone would actually agree to it. It wasn't really related to the ongoing Lunatic Demons event, so Parfait wasn't sure what to expect.

“The title of Demon Lord… It does have a certain appeal. In fact, is it not a title I am destined to possess?”

It was Natsu who seemed most enthusiastic, though she was interested in the title itself, not the Toy Maker skill. Even now, she was covering the left half of her face with her right hand, letting out a low, “Heh heh heh…”

“I admit I’d like to try fighting that Kurotako thing. My father and mother say that if you can perfectly predict an opponent’s movements, you can even dodge gunfire. I want to test how far my current skills will take me.”

Chris said something truly alarming. Parfait could understand her father, the head of a security detail, saying that, but why would her mother, a maid, be able to dodge gunfire? Parfait wanted to ask, but held her tongue. Just what is Chris aiming to become?

“To achieve something no one else has… that makes my heart dance.”

Wilnel also seemed to be in favor of defeating Mikan. She wore a wicked grin, clearly thinking something over. Her smile was a bit scary, but her motivation was probably the most normal for a gamer.

Everyone seems into it, Parfait thought, turning to look at Rick, who had been against it earlier. He had a hand on his chin, staring at the blackboard in deep thought.

“Don’t tell me you’re on board too, Rick?”

“We have new information now. So, Mikan-san herself is weak.”

“That’s new information, sure, but what does it change?”

“It means we might be able to win without having to defeat Kurotako, as long as we can separate him from Mikan-san. If we can lure them out or something, even we might have a chance.”

“Oh, I see!”

They only needed to defeat Mikan. While beating Kurotako might grant a different title or reward, what Ginny wanted was the “Demon Lord” title that came with the Toy Maker skill. Defeating Kurotako wasn't a requirement.

“Besides, in the current event, you get points for subjugating demons. The rankings are based on that score, and I’m guessing Mikan-san, as the Demon Lord, is a valid target. If we defeat her, we could shoot right to the top.”

The demons had ranks of nobility, and the higher the rank, the more points they were worth. Fulfilling requests from demons also gave points, again with higher-ranking demons providing better rewards. As the Demon Lord, Mikan was likely worth a massive amount.

“Mikan-san probably counts as a demon, classification-wise.”

“It's only been about a week, but the top spots are already dominated by major clans. If we want to stage a comeback from here, focusing solely on Mikan-san isn't a bad idea.”

“We’d never catch up otherwise.”

More than a week had passed since the event began, and the top rankings were all but set in stone. It was impossible to catch up now through normal means. Their only shot at a major upset was to defeat Mikan, who was potentially worth a huge number of points. Focusing all their efforts on that single goal wasn't a bad strategy, Parfait thought.

With the discussion concluded, Ginny nodded emphatically.

“Then, from this point forward, our policy will be to devote all our energy to the subjugation of Elder Sister Mikan! And then, Toy Maker will be mine!”

“That’s fine and all, but when you say it, Ginny-chan, it sounds like you’re planning a hostile corporate takeover. So please be careful.”

“…That wasn’t my intention, but what do you think of a company that specializes in cosplay goods?”

“Let’s make sure we keep making toys, too.”

Mikan was an executive at Hyper Toy Maker in the real world. If it became a company that only made cosplay goods, Parfait and her friends might just become its biggest victims. With that thought, Parfait set about persuading Ginny that it was a bad idea.