Episode 405

"The rules for escape are even simpler than those for freeze tag. It counts as a victory if a participant leaves the designated area. In this case, that would be the punishment building. Of course, the version of escape that I knew took place in a much smaller space, so the penalties for the tagger were harsher," Seren said.

"How harsh?" I asked.

"Usually, the tagger is blindfolded," she replied.

"I think that restriction is too severe," I noted.

"I told you. The space is small. It is even smaller than a single room, so catching someone isn't hard as long as you listen carefully. In any case, here is what I think. If the demon king really intends to abide by the rules of the game, there must be an exit—"

"Wait." I cut off Seren. Then, I slapped Berwick on the back of the head as he was moving around.

"Eek! Why did you hit me?"

"I just wanted to. Are you angry?"

Berwick lowered his sulking eyes and muttered, "I'm not really mad."

"Are the guards healed?"

"They aren't. Vampires don't have that type of power. At best, we can manipulate blood flow. It could be different if they become one of my thralls. For that to happen, they'd have to be a corpse first," he explained resentfully.

"That's why I told you to stop the bleeding," I said flatly.

"Yes. The bleeding has stopped."

I nodded at Berwick before speaking to Seren again. "Sorry about that."

"How is it in there?" she asked.

"Not good."

"I see." A sigh was heard over the crystal, followed by her voice. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can help. Something important has happened here."

"Something important?" I asked.

"It is hard to tell you the details. You know. Maybe that guy—"

Seren started to say something but closed her mouth again. I somehow sensed what she was about to say.

"Are you looking for someone?" I asked.

"Yes, but I can't talk about him," she replied.

"Are you talking about Luan?"

Seren was silent, but the sound of her breathing showed her confusion.

She seemed to be thinking about how to respond, so I spoke to ease her worries. "I know him personally."

I didn't dare say that I was a Badniker or the Golden Fairy. The name Luan wasn't rare, so removing Badniker wouldn't make much of an impression. This was also the relatively remote south. Even now, no one was paying much attention to our conversation.

I added, "If you have something to say, you can tell me. I will tell him."

I hoped that Seren would be able to guess that Luzard's true identity was Luan just based on this hint. Unfortunately, her thoughts didn't go that far. She could reach such a conclusion if she thought about it carefully, so why didn't she? Maybe it was because her mind was elsewhere right now.

It had to be on the important thing that she had mentioned. "I will wait for him at the Pantheon. I would appreciate it if you told him this."

This was a name I hadn't heard before, but I had never been good at geography anyway. Still, I made sure to remember the name.

"Then I wish you good luck." Seren's voice trailed off after she said this.

The guard standing next to me muttered, "Ah... I think it is over."

Frankly, the situation was disappointing, as every bit of manpower mattered right now. Losing Seren's help was a painful setback. Still, she had said that she had other important business to handle, so there was nothing I could do about it.

I assumed her business was also related to the Dark Church or the demon kings. Just as I had matters to deal with in the punishment building, she likely had responsibilities of her own to take care of elsewhere.

The guard who had just been rummaging through the crystals looked at me nervously. "W-what should we do now?"

Now, he treated me as his superior. He was the one who had fixed the communication crystals earlier, but his awkward attitude kept catching my eye. Looking closely, he didn't even seem to be twenty years old. He was still young. Not that I was one to talk.

"What is your name?"

"It's Lark."

"Lark, aren't you a guard?"

"Y-yes. I am in charge of communications and maintenance in the punishment building."

No wonder. So that was why he looked awkward.

"Tell me how this works. I need to diffuse the situation in the tower once more by modifying the communication crystals."

"Huh? Then what about us?" Lark looked around nervously, clearly uneasy about being separated from me.

I pointed at Berwick. "You will be fine with that rat here."

"I'm not a rat. At least call me a bat," Berwick interjected.

"Bat or rat, it makes no difference. You are sensitive to movement and can see well in the dark, so you won't stumble around." Before I could finish, the lights flickered and the tower lit up again. I blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust to the brightness. "What is this?"

"Apparently, the backup function works. I'm not sure if the security function of the confinement cells has been restored, but I think the lighting function has been restored," Lark replied.

"How long do you think this light will last?"

"Let's see... According to the manual, I think it will last around six hours?"

Six hours felt like too little time to escape while avoiding Tantata, but it could be just enough.

"In any case, you don't have to worry about Berwick," I said.

"So you say, but isn't that person a prisoner?" Lark asked.

"I am also a criminal," I pointed out.

"You are different. Luzard, you are a model prisoner and you have already saved us. Most of all—"

"I am warning you. Such prejudice isn't conducive to survival." I cut Lark off. "The realm of a demon king is usually called Hell. In that sense, the punishment building is already a place that could be called Hell. It is even sealed off. In order to survive this Hell, we have to use any means we can."

I looked at Berwick and added, "Even if that means using a vampire who has killed dozens of people. Of course, I understand why you don't trust him, but there is no need to worry."

"Why?"

"Berwick is a criminal, but he isn't a psychopath. He isn't stupid. By now, he knows he can't get out of here without my help," I explained.

"Yes. Even the demon king has been summoned. What could a vampire like me do?"

Coincidentally, it was the Dark Church that discriminated against lesser races more than the empire. Such habits applied even to demon kings.

"He also knows how foolish it is to kill a human in such a situation," I added.

Berwick's eyes narrowed. He looked doubtful, as though he was wondering whether I could guess his innermost thoughts or not.

Under the circumstances, it was obvious what this bastard intended to do. Berwick wouldn't kill the guards. It wasn't because he had suddenly become kind, come to his senses, or feared that I would get revenge. It was a precaution. If he ran into the demon king through sheer bad luck, he'd need more humans around to improve his chances of survival.

He wouldn't be using them as shields. The fewer survivors remained inside the tower, the more likely it was that the demon king would target those left alive. To extend his own life, even by a little, it was ultimately in his best interest to keep as many people alive as possible.

I said, "If we use the communication room, the demon king may come back. After all, my voice will echo throughout the tower. In that case, I could probably run away if I was alone. However, with you, I will be in the same situation I was in before. There is no guarantee that someone like Berwick will come to free us."

Lark thought for a moment before nodding. "U-understood."

"I will broadcast it in ten minutes, so for now, go to the guards' break room on the third floor," I instructed. "If nothing happens, I will be there in thirty minutes."

Lark and Berwick nodded firmly.

Left alone in the communication room, I picked up the Black Dragon Fang.

"Vulcanus.Are you okay?"

—Of course! However, it is hard to accept the current situation! I never thought that such a terrible being would appear in the south!

"It isn't a complete descent yet."

—That could be true, but it is still a disaster that most mortals can't deal with. Do you have any clever ideas?

"I am now facing him in a game. This means there is a way out." I then asked the puzzled Vulcanus, "More importantly, do you think it is impossible to smash through this wall?"

—It will be difficult for you in your current form! It would be different if you wielded the Black Dragon Fang in your original form!

—In any case, I don't think there is anything I can do to help! Ah! If only the Martial God was here now.

Vulcanus' voice gradually faded.

Maybe it was because this had become the realm of a demon king, but somehow, the incarnation of the Fire God seemed to be fading.

I also thought briefly about the Seven Sins Sword. By then, I understood that the Martial God held a special significance for the gods of disaster, as the Martial God was the only force capable of suppressing them.

It was a pity. If I had been able to share the current situation with the Martial God, he could have offered some kind of ingenious solution.

I clicked my tongue and waited a moment. Once I was sure that all the guards had gone away, I stood before the crystal and spoke into it. "This is the communication room speaking."

My voice echoed throughout the punishment building.

***

Now that the goal had been achieved, I had to leave the communication room as soon as possible. Of course, Tantata's presence was loud, and he didn't seem to have any intention of hiding himself, so there was a very small chance of being caught off guard.

Still, the location of the communication room was troublesome. Instead of heading to the break room on the third floor, I stopped by the monitoring room. If the backup systems were online, there was a chance that the surveillance functions had been restored as well.

I checked and saw that only half the functions had been restored. The screens were still dead, but at least the sound function was working.

I activated every communication crystal that still functioned.

"Hey, that is my food...!"

"Shut up. Who cares about what's yours or mine under the circumstances?"

"You over there! Stop moving! Return to the monitoring room!"

"The guards are bastards. Didn't you just listen to the broadcast? The demon king has descended..."

"But I really have nowhere to go..."

Dozens of voices entered my ears at the same time. I was a bit dizzy, but I couldn't afford to eavesdrop on only one area at a time, so this method was the best option.

For a while, I was immersed in dozens of voices. Finally, I found the voice that I wanted to hear.

"What are you? You look strange. How can you walk with such a body shape?"

"Ho, hoho, hohoho...!"

Where was he?

My eyes lit up and I soon realized that I had heard the voice on the sixth floor. Immediately, I turned off the sound on all the other floors.

"The sound of your laughter is also disgusting. Hey, judging by your clothing, you are a prisoner, right? Then quit hanging around here and get lost."

Hadn't this guy listened to my broadcast? That would have been plausible if the communication function hadn't been fully restored.

Soon, squealing sounds were heard, followed by screams, howls, and the sound of something being chewed.

The sound faded away with a disgusting burp. Then, I turned on the nearby crystals and estimated Tantata's path.

Is he going upstairs?

It was fortunate that he wasn't heading downstairs, but this wasn't a very good development in the grand scheme of things either.

What if he reached the top floor and stayed there? Tantata would block the only exit, so the difficulty of escaping would increase several times over. Maybe running to the top floor right now was the best option.

I made a decision and looked back.

My heart almost sank. Someone was standing there without making a sound or giving a warning.

In a daze, I belatedly asked, "Verita, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, of course," Verita replied calmly. She was holding a hideous blunt weapon in her hand.

"That looks bloody," I noted.

"Oh, on the way, I sent some lambs back to the gods," she replied.

She meant that some fools had picked a fight without knowing who they were facing and had boarded the express train to hell. In any case, I sighed in relief. She was the only reliable force in this hell.

I asked, "Did you listen to my broadcast?"

"Yes."

"Then you must've understood the general rules. I just figured out Tantata's path, and he is on his way to the top floor now. He isn't fast. If we hurry, I think we could arrive first."

"No, Brother. That's no good." Verita rarely disagreed with my opinion in a firm tone.

I couldn't help looking at her in confusion. Had she ever opposed my will before?

"Why?"

"First, if Tantata is advancing slowly, there must be a good reason for it. For example, he may have already blocked the only escape route."

Verita's words left my mind momentarily blank. That was a very plausible conclusion. Tantata only appeared to be foolish, but he was far from stupid. He often showed his innocent side, but that did not make him any less cunning.

Why didn't I think of this? Am I too hot-tempered? Well, I am impatient. Tantata's greatest weapon may be his stupid appearance. On a battlefield where life and death were at stake, there was no better strategy than catching one's opponent off guard.

I said, "That is a good point. Is there any other way?"

"Of course. If the tagger disappears, the game will be over."

That was true, but I pondered it for a moment before asking, "You don't mean to fight Tantata, do you?"

"Why not?"

"No. That is impossible."

I only understood this after facing him in person. Even in his current state, a demon king was still a demon king. I was certain that I wouldn't be able to kill Tantata, even if I fought with all my powers in my Luan form. Things could have been different if Delac, who was outside, had joined the fight. Even now, part of me still clung to the delusion that he would break through the wall and come save me.

Then, I would probably cheer and shout that my father is the best. Of course, under the circumstances, it was best to set aside any hopeful thoughts.

"I know a method," Verita suddenly said.

"A method?" I echoed.

"Yes. I have the means to bind the demon king's movements," she revealed.

"Tell me how."

"First of all, I will fight Tantata. In the meantime, you can hide and look for an opportunity. As soon as I am eaten, you will be able to kill Tantata."

For a moment, I almost stuck a finger in my ear. What had I just heard her say?

"What now?"

"My explanation wasn't sufficient. I have a special constitution, so swallowing me will worsen the demon king's condition. There is a possibility that he will go berserk, but his combat power will definitely plummet," she explained.

"Hey. Wait. You mean—"

"Yes." Verita said with a smile, "This plan requires me to die."