第４７掘：四天王とダンゴムシ改 (Part2)
"Oh dear, I told you, didn't I? You should have protected the back of your head."
Just as I was about to throw another modified pillbug, a streak of fire shot past me, engulfing the self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King inside the cage.
"Gyaaaaaaah!!"
The death throes of the self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King echoed through the air.
...Oh, I don't even know his name.
But where did that fire come from?
"Ahahahaha!! Zargis, serves you right!! That’s what you get for casting lecherous eyes at the Demon Lord! While I’m at it, I’ll just slaughter everyone here! Consider this your honorable death, be grateful!"
A white-haired, dark-skinned demon? walked out from the depths of the forest.
She possessed immense magical power. Still, it didn't quite reach Yuki's level.
"You lot should be grateful too! No need to go searching for a new place to live! I’ll just turn you all to ash right here—"
"Boshoot. And I won't let you say that. Also, self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King, you're getting annoying."
"Gugya!? You!! Even though I’m being burned by flames!! ...Wait, why isn't it hot?"
"Well, it *should* be hot. The outside is burning quite well, after all. Aren't you finding it hard to breathe?"
Looking closely, the self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King wasn't actually burning.
Ah, I see. Because of the 'Magic Sealing' skill, the magical flames couldn't reach inside the cage.
Why was that guy screaming, then? Is he an idiot?
"Guha!! Now that you mention it, I can't breathe!? Why!?"
"Well, there's fire all around the cage. Naturally, the oxygen is running out."
"Extinguish it!! I’m going to die!!"
"...Eh. You're a demon, right? Handle it yourself. Besides, even if you die... well, it’d actually be easier if you did."
"Please, put it out!! I beg you!!"
Oh, he suddenly turned servile. Adults are the worst.
As Yuki used magic to conjure water and extinguish the flames, a voice shouted from behind us—it was the female demon? who had been captured earlier.
"What is this cage!? Let me out!! Do you know who I am? I am Leia, the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Black Flame! Do you think you’ll get away with this!?"
...Another self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King. This is getting tiresome.
"Modified Pillbug, Scatter Throw!"
Yuki, seemingly just as annoyed as I was, threw a handful of them at once.
I tossed two or three myself.
"Kya!? You! Aiming for a woman's face!! Ow, it’s going to bruise!?"
"Shut up, self-proclaimed Four Heavenly King number two. Instead of protecting those unnecessarily large breasts, protect your face. Your chest will bounce them off on its own."
"No, I refuse!! The Demon Lord said these unnaturally large breasts of mine were beautiful!!"
Ah, I see. Since she’s quite tall, I hadn't really noticed, but I suppose she might be self-conscious about that size.
To protect the very thing that someone she cares about complimented... she’s actually kind of cute.
"Hey, sister, a proposal. As you can see, we’ve got two self-proclaimed Four Heavenly Kings showing up, and you’ve got a huge group. Wouldn't it be better if you just lived in the dungeon?"
"What!? But we don't have enough time for that! You know what our goal is!!"
A dungeon? What does that mean? I know Rurua is in a hurry, but...
"Excuse me. It is true that you saved us, but it is troubling for you to decide whether we live there or not without our consent."
The Elder interjected.
That’s only natural. Even if we can't live here, we’ll find a place on our own.
"No, no, it’s just temporary. If you find somewhere else, you’re free to move immediately. Well, I know it sounds suspicious to offer it for free, so I’m currently building a place where people can live. If you help out with that, we’ll provide you with protection. As you can see, I seem to have no trouble dealing with the likes of self-proclaimed Four Heavenly Kings."
"...Certainly, if it’s a place protected by Yuki-san’s power, it’s a place we could only dream of. ...Could we have a moment to discuss this with everyone?"
"I'd like to say 'sure,' but this isn't the right place for it. I'll prepare a spot, so wait there."
Yuki ignored Rurua and pushed forward with the conversation on his own.
"Yuki-san!! What do you think you’re doing!! Don't I hold the authority to make these decisions!?"