Grimoire x Reverse ~Reincarnated Demon Romance Tale~

A Wagon-Less Route II [Battle with one of the Four Heavenly Demon Lords]

{General POV}

Crane Fafnir is the Kamiko of Light

The boy who lived as a son of a farmer in the southern countryside of the Professor Country suddenly inherited the gifts from the G.o.d of Light two years ago, and was raised as a trump card for the country .

It had been a while since he left on his journey . He hadn’t finished everything, but you could say that in general he had finished most of his errands here . In the Professor country that he had returned to for the first time in a long while, he felt nostalgic even though there was still a lot he had to do without delay .

The next thing to was to head to Eden, the capital city of the country . He was looking forward to seeing the four priests and his teacher, but at the moment he was more concerned about a single girl .

That girl’s name was Justa Welsea .

She had a special job called Shin.o.bi (Ninja), a cla.s.s with exceptional agility . That was why it has been possible for her to evade the people from the Princ.i.p.ality and from Crane’s party, but it was uncertain just how long she could last .

Yet she had managed to escape from the Princ.i.p.ality next to the Empire .

Crane could never forget that he had been saved by her once in the City of Flowers Komamoi . And at that time, it was also revealed that she was a refugee from the Republic . She hadn’t told him much about herself, but the fact was that she had committed some crimes in the past . However, even knowing that, Crane was neither mature enough nor ruthless enough to allow a young girl to be executed in the Princ.i.p.ality, and his friend Haruna was also being unexpectedly stubborn in the matter .

Haruna had told them of the group following the ideal of “the rescue of the Republic,” which left the men, Rudius and Crane, with a bad feeling . Haruna said she wanted to quickly resolve the misunderstanding and protect her, but since she wouldn’t willingly listen to their words they were quickly running out of options . They could not keep chasing after her fruitlessly . Because there was a reason why he needed to quickly return to the Republic and couldn’t stay here long .

“I wish I could have made a poster with Justa’s personal description to hand out . ” (Haruna)

“What are you talking about? If you did that, she just would have become more vigilant . ” (Crane)

“That’s true . ” (Haruna)

She looked at Crane with a thoughtful expression, and with a wry smile he chuckled lightly .

Crane’s party, consisting of Rudius and Haruna had spent time at the city of Tunto and bought new weapons . The morning that they were planning to leave for the capitol city Eden to reach the Temple of Light, Rudius was vigorously practicing with his sword as usual . Alongside him in the yard was Crane practicing with his staff, thinking deeply about the conversation the day before .

Only Crane got up as early as Rudius and exercised with him, though today there was a rather awkward atmosphere . It seemed he was polishing his techniques while pursuing a personal style . Focused as he was on style and technique, there was no interest in aimless conversation . Around mid-morn, Rudius finally spoke, cutting straight to the topic .

“Just to make sure, is it okay to go on the road without a wagon today?” (Rudius)

“Well, I was planning to stay overnight at Merrick, but … I also want to go to the shrine in Merrick for a bit . ” (Crane)

“There was something like a shrine there?” (Rudius)

“It’s a big place, and it’s not bad to see it at least once . ” (Crane)

As Crane said, there was a place called the Mysterious Shrine in the town of Merrick, a place close to the capital city of Eden . It is a place that many honorable people visit to worship as a sacred place even from places outside of the Professor country .

It was also one of the sacred places that Crane has visited a few times .

The three people quickly arrived in front of the big stone gate which was the exit of Tunto .

“Okay, let’s go!”

Crane was illuminated by calm morning sunshine that warmed his back . While stretching out he pa.s.sed through the opposite end of the city he had entered just three days ago . Their goal was

Merrick . As it happened, the road there was easy enough to walk along the mountain road rising out in front of them . Although they will have to camp out, even if they walk at a casual pace, it will not take more than two days .

Crane’s group resumed their journey, walking side by side .

“By the way, Crane . ” (Rudius)

Because Haruna is usually the first to speak once they start travelling, it was rare for Rudius to start talking to Crane as soon as a short silence appeared .  It was a nostalgic flow of conversation that reminded him of the two months before Haruna joined . He realized just how much he had become accustomed to the new dynamic . Even though he found it unusual, Crane responded with his usual calmness . ]

“What’s the matter?” (Crane)

“No, you just had a strange expression on during this morning’s training, so I was wondering if something happened . ” (Rudius)

“Oh, that?” (Crane)

“What? What are you talking about?” (Haruna)

As Crane nodded in confirmation to Rudius’ question, Haruna peeked over from behind with a curious gaze . Although she was sleepy earlier after sleeping in, now she was full of energy . Haruna’s ability to sleep deeply was a little enviable .

“I…I cannot compare to Rudi as a front-liner, and I am not as suitable for support as Haruna . No matter what is said, I feel like my position in our party is difficult to determine . That’s all . ” (Crane)

“Ohh?” (Rudius)

“Isn’t it just that you are a Law Mage who can also handle close to mid martial combat?” (Haruna)

“It wasn’t a concern when I was alone, but now I can share the roles among three people, so it seems better to specialize the party…was what I was thinking . ”

“…I see . And you found a style?” (Rudius)

“Yeah…somehow . ” (Crane)

Saying so, Crane scratched his cheek shyly .

The Temple of light taught staff techniques and Law magic . When he thought about letting them see what he had come up with, he responded with a smile . Though Rudius and Haruna were interested in the fighting style he found, they wouldn’t see it until after fighting a group of monsters .

“It will reveal itself on its own when we are fighting with monsters…Where do you want to position yourself, Crane?” (Rudius)

“Let me fight next to Rudi, leave Haruna as support in the back . ” (Crane)

“Okay! I, Haru-chan, will do my best!” (Haruna)

In the end, it was the same as before .

Rudius smirked unconsciously at the fact that Crane had been worried about such a thing . He could still vividly remember the times he lost while dueling Crane in the Kingdom . Yet, while Crane had been investigating a battle style, he had already been leaving the front line to Rudius . Because of  that, Rudius was worried on whether he would be able to catch up to his rival Crane .

He said that he would return to the vanguard position next to Rudius, who wasn’t sure how he felt about that .

“Okay, I can’t lose next time . ” (Rudius)

Seeing Rudius muttering quietly to himself, Crane smiled wryly .

It was then .

A shadow suddenly flew towards them from the front .

Haruna tried to quickly raise a barrier, and Rudius began to pull out his prized long sword, but Crane’s voice rang out .

“Wait!” (Crane)

“Hey! What are you…?”

As soon as he spoke, Crane jumped in front of the approaching object, and spread out his arms rather than putting his hands on a weapon or starting a legal spell .

The other two realized the meaning behind his actions once the truth of the the flying object was revealed . It was a young girl .

“Oof!”

“Are you okay?”

The human being that fell into Crane’s chest caused him to make a noise .

Perhaps because he successfully enhanced himself, Crane seemed to have succeeded in stopping the person without causing injury, and he held her carefully .

“Eh……Justa!?” (Haruna)

“……”

Haruna who had noticed who he had caught went over to retrieve the girl from Crane . When she saw the loss of blood, her face paled . A giant laceration had almost hollowed out Justa’s abdomen .

“It is Justa! W-what should I do?” (Crane)

“Do not panic! Please set her down slowly, and I will heal her…!” (Haruna)

While trying to not panic as instructed, he placed her on the ground which caused Justa to groan . She seemed to be suffering from a gash in her abdomen, and was similarly injured on her right thigh .

Looking at Haruna who began

began to treat her, Crane felt relieved that the crisis was being managed . He then noticed Rudius who had been silent during the event . It was not like him, as he was usually the kind who would be first to recklessly charge forward in the name of protecting someone, yet this time instead Rudius had a serious expression as he stared out at the path ahead .

“Rudi?” (Crane)

“…Something dangerous is coming our way . ” (Rudius)

“Eh…!?”

Rather than thinking deeply about the meaning behind his words, Crane looked in the same direction and immediately felt a sudden chilling anxiety envelop his whole body as he saw what was being referred to . A silhouette was approaching from further along the mountain path . It wore a top hat on its head .

*clap, clap, clap* “Nice catch . But the presentation was no good . You guys are the ones who killed Gurufeil?”

“…You are?” (Crane)

Gurufeil . It was the name that brought to mind a certain group . That is, the Demon King’s Army .

As the person continued to come closer, its appearance was gradually illuminated by the sunlight . It looked as if it was wearing a white mask with a jagged mouth that looked almost like it had been torn into the face, and thin lines drawn for eyes . The black top hat and the tailcoat was slightly reminiscent of a clown .

“… … No way, is he a Demon Lord like Gurufeil?” (Crane)

“Gurufeil of ‘Power’ was the weakest among the four Demon Lords . Do not compare him to one such as I . ”

One of the Four Heavenly Demon Lords .

After confirming their doubt, Rudius and Crane quickly drew their weapons . Rudius swung his sword in a circle in preparation, while Crane held his staff firmly by the handle . As they readied for battle, Crane shot a glance back .

“Haruna, take care of Justa . ” (Crane)

“Yeah, I’ll treat her quickly and then join in!” (Haruna)

He nodded at Haruna’s serious look and then once more focused on the opponent . The tremendous pressure was different than the time with Gurufeil, and almost seemed as if it would cut them from a distance . However, they could not afford to give in to it .

“…the level is different than Crane and Gurufeil . ” (Rudius)

“I know, but this feeling is somehow familiar . ” (Crane)

A heavy and sharp overwhelming pressure . Yet he felt like it was similar to one he had felt before . In that way the “familiarity” encouraged Crane a bit .

“Even though it is impressive you are able to overcome my Intimidation Aura, my time here is limited . Come over here so I can kill you quickly . ” (Braument)

“…Ha ha, you do not have to tell me twice!” (Rudius)

–Heavenly Demon Lord of Reason, Braument, appears!

Rudius charged forward, gripping his long sword and slashing at Braument . Striking multiple times toward the abdomen, he followed up with a thrust towards the forehead . Avoiding each attack, he then retaliated .

“[Ancient Magic – Endless Steel Thread]” (Braument)

At that moment, multiple silvery threads extended from both of his white gloves . Rudius who sensed the danger managed to parry the threads that swiftly flew towards him, but they skillfully entangled his sword .

“What?!?!?!” (Rudius)

“Steel thread has high agility and moves freely . It is like having 8 sharp blades swinging at once from many angles . ” (Braument)

The free cl.u.s.ter of steel which had pa.s.sed once suddenly reversed to attack Rudius who was now restrained . It was at that time .

“I won’t let you!” (Crane)

Crane Leapt forward, his muscles enhanced by Law Magic . He held his staff closer to one end than usual . In other words, he now had a longer reach .

“Explosive Rod – True!!” (Crane)

He swung his staff in a vertical crescent-like strike . A Law Magic from the Professor COuntry, this spell was an enchantment for weapons which usually increased the slashing damage of the attack, but in this case it was used differently . As staff and steel collided before hitting Rudius, there was an explosion . The ground beneath rippled, showing the power each had put into their attacks .

As a result the blow from Crane showed an impact on the ground, surprisingly similar to an axe attack by a certain Oni .

Using the shock he also flipped back out of range, and Crane laughed a bit at Rudius who had been slightly covered with dirt .

“What…!?”

“Wow…! Crane, you…!!” (Rudius)

“Putting a lot of power into a

into a single great attack with a long reach…a changing position according to where I am needed is the path I have found . ” (Crane)

“You have definitely an opponent you would not want to fight with…!” (Rudius)

Rudius smiled wryly while holding the complicated emotions of his rival and comrade had gotten stronger .

However, even though the two were fighting together, they were not being vigilant . After all, not even a single blow had reached Braument .

*clap, clap, clap* “You truly are the Kamiko of Light . But with such simplistic techniques your defeat is inevitable . Unfortunately, your death is confirmed . ” (Braument)

There was a ringing sound .

Crane and Rudius were suddenly enveloped by a cloud of dust kicked up from the ground .

“From now on I will be getting a bit serious . ” (Braument)

“What?” (Crane)

At the same time he finished speaking, his steel cords struck Crane like a wave from the dusty haze .

“Crane!!” (Rudius)

“Hahahaha!!”

As if responding to Rudius’ shout, Crane once again swung his enchanted staff . Before the steel yarn met his staff, Crane caught a glimpse of Braument smirking . It was followed by a sudden explosion that caused the dust cloud to expand by a few more meters . [1]

“An extraordinary attack like that will only work once . With that, I welcome your suicidal behavior . ” (Braument)

“Why you…!” (Crane)

With his field of view blocked by the explosion of dust, many steel threads struck him from every side without exception . He regretted using an immature skill without fully understanding its weaknesses .

However, it was not the time to be concerned about such a thing .

“Huh…!?” (Crane)

Crane’s feet were suddenly attacked by a single thread that stretched towards him . Stepping out of the way, a tatami mat woven loosely of the steel threads pursued him from underneath, tearing into his calves .

“!!!” (Crane)

“For only two humans, no great effort is needed . ” (Braument)

“[Arc Saber]!!” (Rudius)

Rudius acc.u.mulated energy of the light attribute in his sword and released in an attack . But that also was easily prevented by Braument .

“[Ancient Spell – Dragon Piercer]” (Braument)

“What?” (Rudius)

At that time .

A single steel thread drove towards Rudius, and sensing the danger he guarded his head with his attacking blade . He then felt a crack run through his longsword in his left hand . Rudius was stunned once he noticed where it hit . Because the steel thread had penetrated the long blade of his prized sword .

“One attack from me is enough to pierce even the scales of a dragon, no effort is needed for a simple blade . ” (Braument)

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!!” (Rudius)

The blade on his longsword had cracked from the hole in it, and anyone could tell it was on the verge of destruction .

There was a momentary gap . However, the opponent in front of them was not easy enough that he would hesitate in his attack, and it was more than enough time for Braument . With his flexible steel threads as a weapon combined with magical power and his ruthless offensive, he was a ridiculously fast opponent .

“Rudi!!” Crane cried, but it was too late of a warning .

“…Gaaaaaaaah!!” (Rudius)

Hundreds of attacks from the steel thread flew into Rudius and he was blown away to the side of the road as if torn to pieces . Crane tried to help him but was just one step too slow due to the wounds on his legs .

“Humans certainly fly back flashily . ” (Braument)

“[Explosive Rod – True]!!” (Crane)

“[Ancient Magic – Endless Steel Thread]” (Braument)

Crane spun his staff enhanced by the explosive magic, and charged Braument . However .

“In the end you only have one weapon . ” (Braument)

“Tch, gaaaaaaaaa!” (Crane)

Braument’s attacks moved too freely .

Hundreds of steel thread strikes drilled into him from every angle within moments, and all hit their mark . Without leaving a moment to respond, the attack just kept going .

So, like Rudius, Crane was also knocked backwards by the continuous waves of attacks from the thread . As if run over in the middle of the road, a large pool of blood escaped from his abdomen as he lay on the ground .

“Crane!! Rudi!!” (Haruna)

“Ha……runa…escape…!” (Crane)

Even though he reached out, they were too far away . Between the fallen Crane and Haruna was where Braument stood .

Besides, Haruna was still in the process of restoring Justa . It is probable that the wound she received on her abdomen and legs was the as what Crane and Rudius had received .

And it was because of thatbecause of that attack that she was blown away in the first place .

*clap, clap, clap* “It really is amazing that such a human defeated Gurufeil, but how disappointing . Human beings have developed the most with recovery magic, so it is dangerous to fight them in large groups so it is important to defeat the ones in the back first according to procedure . ” (Braument)

“Guh…!” (Crane)

Braument of the Four Heavenly Demon Lords .

Gurufeil was certainly weaker than this one . They had managed to isolate and defeat Gurufeil, but now it was impossible for them to harm their current opponent with even a single sword strike .

Thinking about his words, it is clear that he will first choose to destroy the healers among humans .

“Gurufeil was indeed neglectful . For long-term warfare the humans need the ones who take the place of support . ”

Support .

Listening to that word he finally put things together, and realized that Braument was right .

“Ah…run away, Haruna!” (Crane)

“Correct, the first thing to do now is to kill that woman behind you . ” (Braument)

His abdomen was in agony so it was difficult to cry out, but he could care less about such a thing . Haruna had almost no means of defense . That was why Crane and Rudius were fighting in vanguard, yet they had been torn apart .

Braument raised a gloved hand, the moment he swings it down, a storm of steel threads will tear Haruna and the unconscious Justa to pieces in the blink of an eye .

I will not allow it . He could not let them die in such a place .

“…I won’t leave Justa!” (Haruna)

“Hey! Haruna…!!” (Crane)

Even though he had shouted for her to run away, Haruna’s action was to protect Justa .

He admired her strong dedication, but now was not the time to be thinking of that . In this place, Haruna would definitely die!!

With even how much he had been torn apart, and even his legs in shreds, would he be able to protect his comrade?

“Ha ha… . aaaaahh!!” (Crane)

“Hmm?” (Braument)

He managed to get up the moment Braument swung down his hand . Without worrying about how much blood he was losing, or worry about the agony in his legs with every step he took, he only thought about protecting his friends .

With his staff gripped before him, he set himself in front of his comrades . With [Explosive Rod] he hoped it would be possible to stop the threads once, and in that gap, Haruna could escape with Justa .

“Crane!!” (Haruna)

“Go, Harunaaaa!!” (Crane)

“I can not do it…!” (Haruna)

“With such dramatic lines you should just die together . ” (Braument)

“!!!” (Crane)

His tattered body stood steadfast .

At the same time Braument’s right hand swung down, a cl.u.s.ter of the steel threads tore the ground as they were flung towards them .

It was then that he raised his staff to protect Haruna .

Right before the steel threads cut Crane to pieces . Right before Haruna could finish her spell . In front of Braument who was about to confirm his victory .

A terrible earthquake happened .

It was easy to tell from the blast of sandy dust that the epicenter was in front of the strike .

“What?!?” (Braument)

“Uwaaaaaa!!” (Haruna)

As his sight was blurred, he hurriedly covered his eyes with one hand to keep the flying sand out . Listening to the outcry, this was unexpected to Braument as well, leaving Crane confused about the situation .

However, the sandstorm disappeared as quickly as it was raised . Once Crane opened his eyes again there was a moment of calm, and a crater made by an enormous impact .

The figure standing in the center was someone who had strength that could not even be compared to Crane .

“Why is it that when I followed that feeling I found one of the Four Heavenly Demon Lords like this and the party of the Kamiko of Light in a pinch?”

This extremely carefree voice was something he had heard before .

The sharp red eyes and the thin figure is the same as last time Crane met him, but the aura was different . Now, he did not feel there was even a chance at winning against the Oni with the huge axe who stood in front of him .

“You, who do you think you are?” (Braument)

Braument whose victory was disturbed and was now dirty from the sand was furious .

“I’m just pa.s.sing through…you are the artist, Crane-kun, right?”

Glancing back at them, the man with the axe laughed mischievously .

–Heavenly Demon Lord of Reason, Braument, wants to battle!▼

Translator Notes