Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

Chapter 103: Existence (5)

> [Ah.]

Maybe it would be better for me just to leave this damn Demon behind and go somewhere else. If the Inquisitor wasn’t coming, I might as well go to her first.

Just as I was entertaining that thought, the Great Demon turned their head, their gaze fixed on the downtown area where a fight appeared to have broken out.

> [Looks like I can’t play around with you anymore.]

Play? Plaaaaay?

Sure, from that bastard’s perspective, it wasn’t too strange for him to call this playing with me since he’d been watching me struggle all this time, but this was so infuriating. I felt positively furious!

I couldn’t show my rage on my face, but seriously, this was so irritating!

“You bastard…!”

> [Looks like even the limits of the nested Nightmares granted to the sacrifices have been reached. Haah. They just keep nagging but never come forward themselves. What the hell? I already lost a whole bunch of Demons I had been gathering up for decades now.]

He let slip some important clues there, mentioning nested nightmares and gathering Demons, but I was more irritated by something else.

> [It’d be too much of a loss for me to let my main body actually descend, right? Yeah. I’m not even a good matchup for this Hero, and Gretchen is also like this, so what’s even the point of descending? It’s better just to get nagged again.]

You, youuu. I only failed to inflict any damage because this was a story event, but things will be very different next time.

No matter whether you hid your main body somewhere or something else, the moment the invincibility buff granted by the plot is released, you’ll seriously…!

> [No, maybe it’s better now that their advancement has been blocked? Well, even if the front lines widen, that only leaves more places to worry about. Maintaining the status quo might be the best option. Yeah, widening the front lines wouldn’t stop the humans from continuing to struggle.]

I swung my sword again. I had been swinging my sword at them the whole time, but this time, I’d imbued it with even more Arcane Power.

Clang.

The sound of metal echoed faintly in my ears as the sword was sent flying.

> [Now, please pass on exactly what you just heard to the commander. Hmm? I’m more than fine with the current situation, so we should just leave it at that. By the way, why don’t you just let Gretchen out? That way, I won’t have to deal with any consequences.]

“You trash—”

> [I’ll be happy that I can slack off, and you’ll be happy that you managed to push me back. It’s a win-win for all of us.]

Swish!

As expected, it didn’t work. I grimaced as I watched the fog start to dissipate before me.

Even though I could see some remaining Demons had been cut down in my rage amidst the fog, that didn’t change anything.

> [You got it? Make sure to pass it on.]

If not for this guy, I could have killed so many more Demons and saved so many more people…! I couldn’t even use [Evasive Counterattack] because that bastard wasn’t attacking me directly. This was just ridiculous!

Swoosh!

I swung my sword again at the slowly dissolving dust in the air. Naturally, it didn’t work.

The swirling black dust fog disappeared entirely from my sight.

Clink.

At the same time, I heard something break.

“Bastard…!”

Hmm, that sounded pretty serious, but since the sword didn’t break outright, I could always check on it later.

With that in mind, I looked around a bit more.

Everything was still the same. There was only me, who’d barely held it together mentally, the winding-down battle atop the castle wall, and the ongoing fierce defensive battle inside the city center.

That Great Demon bastard. They’d really pushed it…!

“Damn it…!”

As soon as the Great Demon disappeared, I rushed toward the approaching Gargoyle and fiercely slashed at it.

I was even more annoyed that I didn’t have enough Arcane Power to rush to the city center after using it all up in my last attack. Furthermore, I couldn’t even properly vent my anger because [Rage] might activate!

“Uwaaargh!”

“S-Save me!”

“Hold on!”

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However, even though I was really angry…

It might be almost over, but the fight wasn’t finished yet, as many people were still fighting against the Demons.

Clenching my teeth, I killed the Demons still clinging to the castle wall.

Not only did I not have enough Arcane Power to go to the city center, but the two Sandworms, which were the biggest problem, were already dead. I didn’t know who killed them, but it seemed like it would be fine for me to just focus on this place first.

“Move aside!”

“…!”

The fight that had been briefly halted immediately resumed.

That Kankan and Deb had disappeared somewhere, the reason the Inquisitor hadn’t come to save me, and that what had broken just now was the seal on my forearm were things I would hear about after the battle on the wall had been sorted out.

* * *

Meanwhile, while the Demon Knight was still battling the Great Demon, Deathbringer tried to run away after seeing the city wall filled with black fog.

Even if he tried to join in, it probably wouldn’t do much to improve the Demon Knight’s safety, so if he couldn’t do that, shouldn’t he at least call for some help, no matter whether it was the Inquisitor or the Archmage?

However, the moment he was about to leave, something happened behind him that stopped him in his tracks.

Leaving aside the nearby Demons he couldn’t do anything against, the fight between Kankan and the Martial King was going far too one-sidedly for him to ignore, precisely as it had in the arena.

“Not by you!”

“Damn it.”

Deathbringer saw Kankan already bleeding profusely from just a few blows.

If things continued like this, Kankan would undoubtedly get killed before he could even reach the wall.

And if the Martial King were given free reign, he would undoubtedly massacre those who went to hunt the Sandworms. He didn’t know what measures they’d taken, but traitors like the Martial King were somehow not being targeted by the Demons.

Furthermore, if those blocking their way disappeared, the Sandworms would head straight for the shelter… If that happened, even if the people on the frontlines survived, the city would inevitably collapse.

The soldiers and fighters were those fighting on the frontlines, but the regular citizens were the driving force behind the city’s maintenance.

The traitors? If the frontlines collapsed, they’d have played their role perfectly. Even if he didn’t know what manner of deal they’d made with the Demons, they likely left some kind of escape route open for themselves.

That meant they could shamelessly live on even after destroying this whole city.

He couldn’t stand that thought.

Deathbringer gritted his teeth as he plunged his blade into the mouth of the Olgoi-Khorkhoi charging at him.

He absolutely despised the wicked who were allowed to escape judgment without any consequences.

“Mister, you can hold on, right? I believe in you.”

The Demon Knight… He would be fine. Although he’d realized the man was only mortal because of what happened not too long ago, he now had no choice but to act like this. He had to believe in the Demon Knight’s strength.

Or he had to believe that the Inquisitor or the Archmage had noticed something was going on and would come to help him.

“I’ll just kill one more person, and then I’ll go.”

With that, he picked up a sword and shield. Holding his breath, he hid his body in the shadows.

Even when Kankan had one of his arms cut off, even when the other fighters attacking the Martial King in Kankan’s stead were killed, even when a Demon appeared right next to him, and even the moment when a Sandworm destroyed the building standing next to him…

He kept himself melded with the surrounding darkness, becoming nothing more than a mere shadow.

And right as Kankan clashed with the Martial King once more with what strength he had left, Deathbringer stepped out of the shadows and precisely stabbed the Martial King in the back, his sword stained with something unknown.

“Urgh!”

He had to stab diagonally due to the height difference, but that was actually better. He used all his strength to force the sword past the liver to reach the lungs.

The blade, skillfully avoiding the ribs, cut into the man’s flesh before he twisted it and pulled it out. It was a merciless strike intended to completely end the opponent’s life.

“Ergh, huff.”

Instead of words, the Martial King’s mouth produced only wheezing, exhale-like sounds. It was clear evidence that his attack had been successful.

“Dodge!”

“…!”

Yet, despite suffering this much damage, the Martial King still seemed to have energy left. While exchanging blows with Kankan, the Martial King slightly twisted his hip and swung his fist backward without retreating.

He was trying to hit Deathbringer without moving away. Kankan noticed what he was doing and shouted out.

Bang!

He tried pulling away, but it was too late: the Martial King’s arm struck his chest heavily, sending his body rolling.

“Tsk.”

He barely regained his balance amidst the scattered debris and the sand-covered floor after rolling around like a wheel. He grabbed the area where he’d been hit.

“…Damn it, did he crack my ribs?”

He’d prepared to retreat regardless of whether his attack was successful. In fact, he’d moved right as he pulled out the blade, yet he’d still managed to get hit. He didn’t know whether it was anger or tenacity driving the Martial King to such heights.

Seeing how obviously in pain he was, even with how things were, that monster seemed to have at least taken some damage.

“Die!”

Fortunately, Kankan gave him some time to catch his breath. He was fiercely attacking the Martial King, who’d had one of his vital organs stabbed.

He seemed to believe he wouldn’t get any more opportunities if he missed this one gap.

“I told you not to interfere!”

However, the Martial King was as strong as he was. By some means, he regained his breath and met Kankan’s sword. He was a disgustingly resilient bastard.

Or maybe, did he gain some sort of benefit from the deal he’d made with the Demons? Otherwise, a regular person wouldn’t last long after having their vital organs stabbed.

“I won’t fall until I stop you!”

Honestly, his opponent wasn’t easy, either.

Despite appearing to struggle at a distance, those two kept fighting even after one had his arm severed and the other had his lungs stabbed.

Even if they both could use Arcane Power, wasn’t this a bit too much? They truly were something else.

“Just stall for some time, Mister Red Mane!”

Well, even if they differed from him, it wouldn’t matter much. Unless the Martial King’s innards were made of steel, the poison would definitely work on him.

He threw several daggers their way instead of the stained sword he’d used earlier.

Rather than waiting for another opportunity, he decided to interfere directly while he still had the chance.

“You little rat!”

As expected, the Martial King easily brushed off Kankan and deflected the daggers. It didn’t really matter.

“Did you know this rat had poison on his claws?”

The poison had been on the sword he’d ambushed with, not those daggers.

“It’s poison obtained from the monitor lizard of the Great Forest of Chiria. Not sure if you know about it.”

“…!”

Not many toxins acted instantly, and considering that the opponent used Arcane Power, it might take even longer.

But even that Arcane Power would soon reach its limits. Though not the most expensive poison, once inflicted, it would lead to certain death.

“Within an hour, half your organs will have dissolved, and within a day, you’ll be dead. Your blood vessels will corrode, your bleeding will intensify, and your muscle tissue and flesh will slowly rot away.”

“…!”

“In other words, you’re screwed. You bastard.”

It was only a matter of time. The Martial King would definitely die.

* * *

* * *

“You little— cough!”

Seeing the Martial King spit out blood, he threw another dagger. Even now, he was truly formidable, successfully blocking both the dagger and Kankan, who was actively aiming for any gaps, while in this condition.

“Y-You think I’m going to die like this?”

Although his head should’ve started spinning from the internal bleeding, his sturdy legs remained firmly on the ground. His will to live certainly was strong, even if he was unworthy of living.

“I won’t die. I’ll never die!”

“What are you saying? Just die alr—”

Deathbringer’s eyes suddenly widened as he saw the Martial King swallow something.

“I didn’t want to use this here, but…!”

Then, something like the black vortex he’d seen around the walls began to emanate from the Martial King. It didn’t just flow out of him but also seemed to absorb into the floor around him.

“You guys can’t drag me down in this place!”

It even took on a particular form.

“I-I won’t fall…!”

The Arena? No, that wasn’t it. While similar to an arena, it looked different from the one in this city.

“This is…”

“…?”

“From my hometown…?”

The somewhat primitive form of an arena, plus Kankan’s words, gave him an inkling of what this was. However, what was important was why it had appeared here like this.

>『Loser.』

“That’s…!”

There was even a figure standing atop the newly created stage saying some words.

“I won’t lose—!”

The Martial King roared thunderously. Then, the figure shattered into pieces.

Even his face, which had hinted that he was slowly dying from the poison, regained its color for some reason. He seemed like a wailing ghost.

“Kill them!”

Claaang!

To make matters worse, he began using the Demons around him. The Demons that had previously stayed back due to the Martial King’s presence now came flying toward them.

“Just die already…!”

“Get out of here!”

“Then you get out of here. There’s no way to escape now!”

“I’ll buy you some time, so run!”

Buy time? What a load of crap. Even if both his arms were intact, how much time could he buy? Plus, even if he managed to buy enough time, what would be the point? The Demons were blatantly targeting them, so did they really have any chance of properly escaping?

“Ah, shit!”

He didn’t know anymore. They might have at least had a chance if they were only facing the Martial King.

Bang!

But still, moving would at least be much better than staying put. Deathbringer dodged the Gargoyle approaching him.

As it poured down flames on him, it scorched the ground and singed his cloak, along with the tip of his tail peeking out. At least he managed to avoid becoming a whole roasted piece of meat.

Clang.

Craaack!

…However, that didn’t mean all the danger had disappeared.

“Uwargh!”

He stepped onto the debris of the broken building nearby, climbing on top of the pile. The reason was that Olgoi-Khorkhoi could burrow through most types of soil but would take a bit longer to get through rocks, and they couldn’t break through iron at all.

Of course, flying-type Demons would target him even more, but at least he could see them coming and evade, right? Though it was a bit narrow for three people to fight well on top of.

“Hey, get out of there!!”

“Are you crazy?! Why are you dragging that thing over here!”

“Even the Martial King’ll get crushed by that!”

“Are you saying we should also just get crushed to death, then?!”

Even the Sandworm that had previously gone off in a different direction returned, smashing through buildings as it made its way back.

There was no way those cries were sincere. However, amidst the chaos of those who’d seemingly failed to kill the Sandworm scattering in all directions, his attention was drawn to those coming his way.

“Damn it!”

The Martial King’s death was inevitable, so he’d tried to stop Kankan from sacrificing himself and dying in the process, but then this had to happen.

Demons were simply a bad matchup for him. They were just too good at creating unnecessary variables and, to his last move, always ended up destroying everything.

Deathbringer pondered his options, clicking his tongue.

Interfering in their fight, grabbing Kankan, and running away was out of the question. It was utterly impossible for him to carry someone so bulky and still run away quickly. Besides, the Martial King wouldn’t just let them go willingly.

So, should he take out the Sandworm? But how? Even if he trusted in his blade’s performance and stabbed it, considering its size, it would be nothing more than a prick to that thing.

“I’m sick and tired of leaving my comrades to die…!”

He kept thinking.

Should he try stabbing the Martial King again?

“That’s a good attitude to have.”

Suddenly, the head of the Demon nearing him shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions. The shadow looming over the road was as massive as ever, to the point where it was unbelievable that they were actually of the Sland tribe.

“I came all the way here to have a talk, but given the circumstances, that might be a bit difficult. You seem to be in quite a hurry to act here, so how about just killing that guy?”

“You…”

Deathbringer pursed his lips slightly as he saw who was standing before him.

He felt a vague sense of déjà vu, seeing this person completely covered in blood, as if they had just been in a fierce battle, and the corpse of a Sandworm visible behind them.

“Instead, I’ll make sure the other Demons won’t disturb you and somehow distract that guy over there. Will that work?”

“…If I can't handle this after you serve him to me on a silver platter, I should just die, damn it.”

However, there was no time to think about where he’d seen that scene before. He blurted out that it would be possible before assessing the situation any further.

The other person grinned. It was an elegant smile, like a magnolia welcoming spring.

“Great.”

And soon, the nature of that smile changed.

It seemed like a sign, like the first note played on a guitar signifying the start of a performance, or a clap announcing the change of scene.

Her crescent eyes fiercely opened wide, and her lips, which had curved softly, stretched into a wide grin, taking on the shape of a madman’s smile.

“Then, let this Berserk slaughter those Demon bastards!”

The hand not holding the halberd grabbed the head of an incoming Gargoyle and slammed it into the ground.

Her wild voice, bouncing around the surroundings along with the sound of flesh getting crushed, even reached that person stubbornly clutching Kankan’s neck.

“So, show that loser his place! You’re still a loser, and you’ll always be a loser!”

“You…!”

The Martial King’s eyes opened wide.

That was the first time something had truly caught his attention.