121 The Transformed King
The 『Gabranth』 laughed heartily as they withdrew their troops and left. Witnessing this, Kiria looked towards Rudolph and asked,
Kiria: 「Is it fine to let them leave? Isn’t he the king of an allied country?」
Rudolf: 「Hmph. Just in name. Besides, even if I said anything to him now, he wouldn’t care enough to listen」
After taking a quick glance towards the Gabranth, Rudolf looked towards Kiria.
Rudolf: 「On another note, there have been far too many irregularities」
Kiria: 「Indeed, I was surprised by Judom Lankars’ actions. It would seem that greater precaution is necessary. There are a lot of things that I need to amend now, thanks to him」
‘Especially that red robed boy’, she thought.
Rudolf: 「…What about the scenario?」
Kiria: 「There is no need to worry. We failed to carry out our primary objective of a.s.sa.s.sinating the Demon Lord, but…」
Judom: 「Oi, Rudolf」
Judom interrupted their conversation.
Rudolf: 「…So you were still here, Judom」
Judom: 「Just who is this girl? At first it seemed like she was the Demon Lord’s aide, but it’s amazing how she managed to fool Aquinas for so long」
To have kept Aquinas, who Hiiro had accepted as an extraordinary being, fooled for so long meant that Kiria was someone who exceeded even him. At least in espionage.
Kiria: 「That is natural. The one who is usually by her side is not me」
Judom: 「…What?」
Kiria: 「Rather, until we came here it was always another one of myself who was with her」
Kiria said something so ridiculous in such a straight manner that Judom almost thought she was joking.
Judom: 「W-What are you saying?」
Kiria: 「Right now Number 05 is probably with Master」
Judom: 「Zero-five? Now that I think about it, you did refer to yourself as something like that. Which means what? Besides you there are others that are like you?」
Kiria: 「That is correct. Besides me, there are a total of…」
?????: 「You’re saying too much, Number 03」
Everyone suddenly looked towards the voice that was heard. Standing there was someone that looked exactly like Kiria.
Judom: (The same face… Is she the one? It’s like she has no presence…)
Judom increased his vigilance towards this other Kiria who had come near them without him noticing.
?????: 「You are a battle specialized model. Your strength is extraordinary but you lack in strategy. One way to say it would be that you are frank. Or you could say that you are honest to a fault」
She walked until she stood by Kiria’s side.
Kiria 03: 「Number 02, why are you here? What about Number 05?」
Kiria 02: 「She is with Master. As for why I came here, I suspected that because it was you that you might end up honestly leaking information to the enemy if you were asked. Just like I thought, you were about to give information to the enemy」
Kiria 03 glanced towards Judom.
Judom: (Tsk… I thought I could get some more information out of her, but an unexpected visitor just had to come)
Judom was sulking as he looked towards Number 02. Telling them apart by just appearance was practically impossible, but Number 03 had a more air-headed expression, whereas Number 02 looked far more intelligent.
Judom: 「I see, so you’re the ‘other one’. No, from the way she said it earlier, there seem to be more of you?」
Kiria 02: 「Despite looking like a ma.s.s of muscle it seems like you’re capable of some intelligent thought. You are correct… is all I will say」
She had a pretty sharp tongue, but Number 03, on the other hand, just silently stood there.
Kiria 02: 「Now let’s hurry back to where Master is, Number 03」
Kiria 03: 「I understand. Then…」
Number 03 nodded and turned to face Rudolf. He met her gaze and tilted his head.
Rudolf: 「…Hm? What is it?」
Kiria 03: 「As I had mentioned earlier, we failed to carry out our primary objective of a.s.sa.s.sinating the Demon Lord」
Rudolf: 「Y-Yes」
Kiria 03: 「However, that was only a small portion of our objective」
Rudolf: 「…?」
Rudolf, not understanding what she was trying to say, merely blinked.
Kiria 03: 「Also」
Number 03 took something out of her breast pocket. While holding onto it, she stuck her arm out and…
*bushuuuuuu*1
Rudolf: 「Gah!?」
Judom: 「Rudolf!?」
…pierced Rudolf’s chest. She quickly withdrew her hand and said,
Kiria 03: 「This was our other objective」
Number 03 calmly shook the blood off her hands.
Kiria 02: 「Did you put it in?」
Number 02 asked.
Kiria 03: 「Without a doubt」
Number 03 responded in a robotic manner.
Judom: 「What the h.e.l.l did you guys do!?」
Judom, the soldiers, and Cabinet Minister Dennis all ran towards Rudolf, who was laying on the ground clutching his chest. The Kirias back away a little.
Suddenly, Rudolf’s body started to gradually expand. His skin also started to change into a dark reddish color.
Judom: 「R-Rudolf?」
Judom said with a blank face as he witnessed this change.
Rudolf: 「Guh… Gah… Gigigi…!?」
*bushu!*2
A large, red horn, about 50cm in length, suddenly sprouted from Rudolf’s chest.
His build had also changed, about five, six times greater than before. He easily surpa.s.sed five meters in height. He used to look like an average middle-aged man who lazed around all day, but now his appearance was closer to that of a troll. His face became extremely ugly, so much so that one would think he possessed not even a shred of reason.
*thump thump thump*
The red horn was pounding like a heart.
Rudolf: 「Haa haa haa haa… Ahm… hungree…」
His voice was so low that it was impossible to believe he was Rudolf. It sounded like someone who had gotten his throat crushed and was trying to speak with all his might.
Dennis and the soldiers stepped back as they screamed, witnessing their king’s change. Rudolf, as if trying to suppress the pain of the transformation, stood without moving, his face contorted. His muscles were contracting and expanding at an abnormal rate, reforming him into a hulking shape.
Judom: 「You f.u.c.kers! What did you do to Rudolf!?」
Judom asked, full of rage. Even though Rudolf had done something stupid at the conference, he was still a close friend. He couldn’t just stay silent as he got turned into some unknown monster. Number 02 answered coolly while looking at Rudolf.
Kiria 02: 「It seems like it was a success. Now he can proudly claim himself to be part of the 『Evila』」
Judom: 「…What do you mean?」
Kiria 02: 「…Let’s see. It would be better if I announced this in a more public place, but you are the famous Judom Lankars. Very well, allow me to teach you a little. In a way that even your little brain can understand」
Judom listened intently to her, while also thinking that she touched a nerve every time she spoke.
Kiria 02: 「This stone… Do you know what it is?」
She took out a small, red stone the size of a ping-pong ball as she asked.
Kiria 02: 「The name of this stone is ‘stone imbued with demonic power’… 《Demon Stone》. Ah, you just thought it was exactly as it says on the tin, didn’t you?」
Judom: 「…Shut up. Hurry up and explain」
He did think that, but it was somewhat embarra.s.sing being inquired about it.
Kiria 02: 「Well, it is really an abbreviation. The proper name for this is called 《Demon Conquering Blood Enchantment Stone》, but it is far too long so I call it 《Demon Stone》 for short」
Judom: 「What about the Demon Stone?」
Kiria 02: 「Number 03 pierced his chest earlier. At that time, Number 03 placed this 《Demon Stone》 inside of him」
Judom understood that what she had pulled out of her breast pocket at that time was a 《Demon Stone》.
Kiria 02: 「This 《Demon Stone》 reacts to magical power. Those that have this placed inside of them… become like that」
Judom: 「…You b.i.t.c.h, aren’t your explanations too vague?」
Kiria 02: 「…Fuuu3, that is because it has become rather bothersome to explain」
Judom: 「Hurry up and explain!」
Kiria 02: 「It can’t be helped. This 《Demon Stone》 is produced using the flesh and blood of a certain 『Evila』」
Judom: 「What…?」
Kiria 02: 「By a certain 『Evila』, I am referring to the currently extinct 『Kupideus』 race」
Judom furrowed his brow as he had never heard of the name before. Number 02, as though sensing what Judom was feeling, said…
Kiria 02: 「It cannot be helped if you haven’t heard of them before. Long ago, a very long time ago, they were a minority group. However, they possessed a certain ability」
Judom: 「Ability?」
Kiria 02: 「Their ability was to literally turn what they ate into their flesh and blood」
Judom: 「Haa? That the same for everybody. Isn’t it obvious that what you eat becomes part of your flesh and blood?」
Kiria 02: 「…Haa4」
Judom, who only got a sigh in reply, felt like he was being treated like an idiot.
Kiria 02: 「Do you understand? I said ‘literally’」
Judom: 「L-Like I said」
Kiria 02: 「For example, you」
Judom: 「Ha?」
Kiria 02: 「Yes, if the individual known as Judom Lankars were to be eaten then your body, techniques, magic… It will be reborn into a being that can use all of it」
Judom: 「Wha!?」
Kiria 02: 「Furthermore, let us say that the 『Kupiedeus』 who ate you also ate Number 03 here」
Kiria 03: 「…I don’t want to be eaten by that thing」
Number 03 backed away a little.
Kiria 02: 「Number 03, this is just a hypothetical situation」
Kiria 03: 「…I understand」
Kiria 02: 「Good」
Judom thought ‘What’s with this conversation?’, and Number 02 continued.
Kiria 02: 「If the 『Kupiedeus』 who ate and now looks exactly like you were to then eat Number 03, there is a chance that it would become a being that resembles Number 03. Of course, as a being that possesses both yours and Number 03’s abilities」
Judom thought that if that were true then it was a monster beyond belief. It becomes stronger the more it eats. In other words, it’s potential is unlimited. However, he had a thought. Why did a race that possessed such an incredible ability go extinct?
Kiria 02: 「Why did they… go extinct… is it?」
Judom: 「Urgh…」
A s.h.i.+ver crawled down his spine. He was being read like a book.
Kiria 02: 「The reason why they became extinct. The reason is simple. They were driven to extinction by something even stronger」
Judom: 「…Well, if you think about it normally then yeah, but does something that can fight against an outrageous race like that exist?」
Kiria 02: 「…The name is annoying so I don’t want to say it」
Judom: 「Oi!」
Kiria 02: 「Anyway, they were driven to extinction by something like that」
It seemed like she would refuse to say the name no matter what so Judom put that matter aside and continued listening to her.
Kiria 02: 「However, before everything could be destroyed by that individual, they ended their own lives in a certain ruin」
Judom: 「You mean… Suicide?」
Kiria 02: 「Yes. They entered the eternal sleep known as death in a ruin deep underground, but our Master had discovered it」
Judom: 「…」
Kiria 02: 「Afterwards, he obtained a few of the mummified 『Kupiedeus』. To his surprise there were some that still contained blood, though only a small amount. He asked a certain individual to cultivate it, and the end result is the 《Demon Stone》. Haa, explaining is so tiring」
She gave off a feeling like she had just finished her job, but she failed to answer the most important question.
Judom: 「Wait a minute, so how come they become like that when you implant the Demon Stone inside them!」
Kiria 02: 「…How about you use your brain a little, 《Impact King》? Or shall I change your name to 《Buffoon King》5?」
Judom: 「Don’t make me punch you, b.i.t.c.h…」
Kiria 02: 「Seriously, it cannot be helped. Listen, this 《Demon Stone》 is like a living 『Kupiedeus』. In other words the 《Demon Stone》, which reacts to the magic inside the body it was placed in, will activate and start eating their cells and change shape. The end result is something like that, a fusion between the host body and the 『Kupiedeus』. Oh, by the way, the transformation is accompanied by an extreme pain and your body becomes rigid for a while」
Judom thought, ‘So that’s why Rudolf isn’t moving at all.’
Judom: 「On another note, isn’t there almost no resemblance to Rudolf?」
Indeed, his appearance was beyond monstrous.
Kiria 02: 「Aah, that is because his existence was so weak」
Judom: 「Existence?」
Kiria 02: 「Well, life force, magic power, his will to live, things like that」
Judom: 「…」
Kiria 02: 「If the existence of what it ate was weak, its appearance will remain as the one which had the stronger existence. In the case of the king, he was weak, frail, meager, and of poor const.i.tution, so the original 『Kupiedeus』’s existence was stronger and his appearance became closer to that of the 『Kupiedeus』 race. The fact that his existence was weaker than this small stone is laughable. Well, there are various other reasons, but that is the general idea. Haa, I finally finished」
Judom: 「Not yet!」
Judom looked irritatingly at Number 02.
Kiria 02: 「What is it, Muscles?」
Judom: 「Don’t call me Muscles! The most important thing! How do you turn Rudolf back to normal!?」
Kiria 02: 「…You think he can be changed back?」