Side: Coville

In front of me was a demon who called himself one of the Four Heavenly Kings, subordinates of the Demon King.

"Gah... don't get... cocky just because you defeated me. Among the Four Heavenly Kings, I am—"

"—I'm not letting you finish."

Yuki didn't even let him complete his sentence. Instead, he hurled one of those Anti-Magic Caterpillars—the ones that attacked our village—straight at him.

"Guaa!? Y-you fool. Are you sure about this? I am giving you valuable information—this will lead you to despair—"

"I said I'm not letting you finish."

He threw another Anti... whatever, the "Modified Pill Bug," at him.

How cruel... I never realized that not letting someone finish their sentence could wound their dignity so deeply.

"Jeez. You 'Four Heavenly Kings' (lol) need to stop with the cliché lines and shut up for a bit. Besides, after asking the Modified Pill Bugs, it turns out your grand plan wasn't so grand. You just successfully modified them, got hungry, and they escaped to a place with high magic density, right?"

It was true.

Although our village had been overrun, almost everyone was unharmed. When we approached the village, we encountered these Modified Pill Bugs, but for some reason, they didn't attack.

Then Yuki, claiming he had a Monster Tamer skill, talked to them...

Apparently, they said: "We were hungry, so we moved to where the mana was. Tee-hee!" It was an incredibly draining revelation. In the end, Yuki struck a deal with them and had them gather in a corner of the village... and that's when the self-proclaimed Heavenly King appeared.

"So this is where you were!! Get back here already!! At this rate I'll get chewed out!! Damn it, I worked so hard to become a Four Heavenly King, and now I'll get demoted!?"

He appeared while shouting those pathetic, worldly complaints. But Yuki immediately reacted.

"[Skill: Trapdoor]."

He captured him.

It looked like a pitfall trap. But it wasn't just that.

It looked like a pitfall trap, but it wasn't. Inside was a strange cage. The lid shut instantly, leaving the so-called Four Heavenly King completely trapped. Apparently, Yuki added "Skill Seal, Magic Seal, and debuffs for Strength, Stamina, and Agility" to it...

Wait, how can he even enchant like that? And sealing-type effects are supposed to be legendary level!

The cage bars even bent momentarily to let the giant pill bugs pass through when thrown at him—then snapped back instantly. Seeing that, the "Four Heavenly King" tried to escape through the opening—

"Bweh!"

"Are you stupid? The pill bug is coming right after—how did you think you'd get through? Here, have another."

"Ow!? Why!? Why does it hurt!?"

"Probably the Pill Bug's resentment. You experimented on them without their consent—ignoring 'human' rights... or I guess 'insect' rights? If you're going to keep animals... or insects, at least provide meals for them."

Now, the Modified Pill Bugs were full after receiving mana from Yuki. They seem to have decided to follow him... What a fickle bunch... Or maybe they never had loyalty to begin with. If someone didn't feed me, I'd do the same.

Currently, they were the picture of loyalty; when Yuki reached his hand down, they rolled into balls and hopped into his palm. Yuki noted they were about the size of "basketballs."

He said that while their fangs look sharp and carnivorous, they're actually just for clearing obstacles. Their main diet is mana. Their shells aren't "Anti-Magic" but "Recover Magic"—they actually suck up mana to store it.

In other words, our desperate attempts to blast them with magic were just "dinner" to them... That's why they got so excited and rushed us—they were just shouting "Food, please!"

Sigh.

And so, every time this self-proclaimed Heavenly King tried to say something, Yuki threw a Pill Bug at him, creating a situation where he couldn't speak. Though, occasionally, the bugs Yuki threw would curve or drop strangely. Is that magic?

"Huh. Even with a basketball-sized object, you can throw breaking balls? Next, a slider."

"Enough!! Stop using strange magi—Gugya!!"

That one looked painful.

"Now then, Nee-chan, Elder. How should we settle things with this guy? Next: a knuckleball."

"...Well, there were no casualties, right, Elder?"

"...Yes. No one was killed or seriously injured. Just minor scrapes at most. But the village, as you can see..."

Yeah. The village was in tatters. Even I could tell it would take months to rebuild.

The Modified Pill Bugs were incredibly strong, fitting for something created by a high-ranking demon.

But their personalities were just like children. They didn't harm any of the Fairies who had been firing "food" (magic) at them. They even let the little ones ride on their backs... Honestly, kids, have a little more caution!

"The problem isn't just that. It's also what this 'Heavenly King' intended to do with this place."

"Eh? But it sounded like he just stumbled upon this place by accident?"

"Coville. Even if it was an accident, he found it. He would have taken some kind of action based on that discovery. Right now, he's being completely suppressed by Yuki-san's... was it? His special magic. But it's clear that if we had fought him normally, the damage would have been catastrophic. You felt it, didn't you? An overwhelming mana, even if it's not quite on Yuki-san's level."

I understood.

As the Elder said, even if he wasn't as strong as Yuki, we probably would have only managed a double-knockout if we all fought him together.

"You hear that, 'Heavenly King'? If you managed to escape, what were you planning to do here?"

"It's obvious!! I would report to the Demon King and use the items here for our own gain... Fubuh!?"

"Guess 'Strike' is out. That was a nut-shot. A 'dead ball' then? Or is this dodgeball? Wait, there's a 'face-is-safe' rule in that..."

And so, Yuki started pelting him with Pill Bugs again. He really won't let the guy finish a sentence...

"We cannot let him go, and he has explicitly said he would attack again. It would be foolish to try and rebuild here. If he truly is a Heavenly King, others will follow his trail. Even if we don't let him go, this place will eventually be found... I should discuss this with everyone, but we should probably move to a new land."

"I agree. I think that is for the best, Elder." Rurua joined in.

...I see. I'm glad everyone is safe, but we can't live here anymore... It's so frustrating. That's why I took a Pill Bug at my feet and threw it at the Heavenly King with all my might.

"Gugya!?"

"Arara. I told you, you should protect the back of your head."

Just as I was about to throw another one... a flash of flame overtook me and engulfed the man inside the cage.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

The death-agonies of the Heavenly King echoed out... Ah, I never even learned his name.

But where did that fire come from?

"A ha ha ha ha! Zargis, serves you right! That's what you get for making eyes at the Demon King-sama! As a bonus, I'll slaughter everyone here too! You can be a 'heroic casualty' in battle—be happy!"

From deep in the forest, a tanned-skinned demon walked toward us.

Incredible mana... Still not as much as Yuki, though.

"You lot can be happy too! You don't have to look for a new place to live! I will turn you all to ash right he—"

"[Trapdoor and Shut up]. Also, 'Heavenly King,' shut up already, you're noisy."

"Gugyaaaaa!? Youuuu!! I am being burned by flames!! ...Wait, it's not hot?"

Looking closely, the Heavenly King wasn't actually burning. Oh, I see. Because of the Skill and Magic Seal, the magical flames couldn't reach inside the cage.

Why was he screaming then? Is he an idiot?

"Yeah, it should be hot. The outside is burning properly. Aren't you having trouble breathing yet?"

"Ghah!! Now that you mention it, it's suffocating!? W-Why!?"

"Well, there are flames all around the cage, so of course the oxygen will run out."

"Put it out!! I'm going to die!!"

"...Ehh. You're a demon, right? Do something about it yourself. Besides, if you die... well, it'd actually be easier for me later."

"Please put it out!! I beg of you!!"

Wow, he turned subservient fast. Adults are the worst. As Yuki put out the fire with water magic, the female demon who had just been caught in a second trap started screaming.

"What is this cage?! Let me out! Do you fools even know who I am?! I am the Black Flame, the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings! Do you think you'll get away with this!?"

Another self-proclaimed Heavenly King... This is getting tedious.

"Modified Pill Bug: Rapid Fire!"

Yuki had apparently reached his limit of annoyance too, as he threw a flurry of Pill Bugs at once. I threw two or three as well.

"Kya!? You hit a lady in the face!! My... my face is going to bruise you know!?"

"Shut up, Self-Proclaimed Four Heavenly King No. 2. Stop protecting those ridiculously huge breasts and protect your face instead. Your boobs will bounce the bugs off anyway."

"I refuse!! The Demon King-sama told me my unnaturally large chest was beautiful!!"

Ah, yeah. She's tall, so I didn't notice at first, but with that size, I guess she'd worry about them. To protect the part her crush praised... That's kind of cute, actually.

"Nee-chan, a suggestion. As you can see, we've got two Heavenly Kings here and a whole lot of people. Wouldn't it be better to just have the Fairies live in the dungeon?"

"Eh?! But if we do that, we won't have enough time for our journey! You know what our goal is!!"

Dungeon? What does that mean? I know Rurua is in a hurry, though.

"Excuse me. It is true we were saved by you, but we would appreciate it if you didn't decide where we live without consulting us," the Elder interjected.

Right. Even if we can't live here, we can find our own place.

"No, no, it's just temporary. If you find somewhere else, you're free to move immediately. But offering it for free sounds suspicious, right? So, I'm currently building a place where people can live. If you help with that, we'll protect you there. As you can see, I can handle self-proclaimed Heavenly Kings easily enough."

"...Indeed. A place protected by Yuki-san's power would be more than we could hope for... May I have a moment to discuss this with everyone?"

"I'd like to say yes, but it's a bit dangerous here. I'll prepare a place, so hang on."

Yuki ignored Rurua and pushed the conversation forward on his own.

"Yuki-san!! What are you thinking?! Am I not the one with the decision-making power!?"

"Now, now, calm down. It'll only take a day. Actually, maybe even less."

"Huh? Are you planning to cram all fifty of these Fairies into that Marauder?! Even then, it would take two days round-trip!!"

"Ah—right, based on what I've shown you so far, that would be the case. So, what's this?"

Yuki pulled out a large, red orb.

"What?! Is that a Dungeon Core!?"

Rurua was shocked. Huh, so that's a Dungeon Core.

Yuki really is amazing. To be able to bring back a Dungeon Core, he must be incredibly powerful.

"No way..."

"Yep. This is a management decision. We are protecting the Fairies. That is my decree. Rurua's opinion doesn't matter here. But I won't waste your time. Do you know what a 'Gate' is?"

"......A lost secret technique that connects specific locations... Can you replicate it with a Dungeon Master's skill?"

"It was expensive, but I can use it. 10,000 DP. Oh, and I have to set them one by one. I'll just buy up this land, set the core, and make it big enough to move the Fairies' furniture out..."

...Wait? I just heard a very strange word.

Dungeon Master?

No way. They're legends, said to be walking disasters. There's no way a monster said to be above a Hero or a Demon King could be a human like this.

"Can you use Master skills in that body!?"

"No, I'm just delegating them. You know you can transfer a certain amount of authority, right? This body is almost the same as mine, so I can use quite a lot, though not everything. Still, being able to build a dungeon underground where buildings already exist... This could be really convenient later."

"...Please don't dig holes all over Rithea's underground."

"That depends on the situation."

I thought he was joking, but after a flash of light, a dungeon entrance suddenly towered in front of us. My mouth hung open.

"Wha... what..."

"......I see. That power that easily brushed aside the Four Heavenly Kings. Yuki-san... no, Your Excellency, were you a Dungeon Master all along?"

The Elder was shaken but handled it much better than I did.

"Elder. No need to be so stiff. I'm told I'm quite different from previous Dungeon Masters, and I have no intention of harming you. As you can probably tell, this dungeon has a Transfer Gate. I want you to go through it to my base. It's definitely safer than here. Though I guess that's hard to believe. How should I convince you?"

"......No. With your power, it would have been easier to just force us. Yet you show such concern for our wellbeing. I believe in your sincerity. Is everyone in agreement?"

Everyone, including me, nodded at the Elder's words.

"Elder, everyone. Thank you for trusting a stranger like me. The Gate works both ways as many times as you want, so take as much luggage as you like. I'll go ahead and prepare. Mobu, I'm counting on you guys to guard everyone."

"Yeah, leave it to us."

"Hey, Yuki... What about these self-proclaimed 'Four Heavenly Kings'? They got awfully quiet the moment they realized you were a Dungeon Master."

"Ah, leave them. They can't do anything in those cages anyway. I'll deal with them later."

"Right."

As he replied, Yuki suddenly slumped over.

"Eh? Eh?! Yuki, are you okay!?"

"Yes, he's fine. Nii-san has returned to the dungeon."

"Eh? Nii-san? What do you mean? ...And why are you being so polite all of a sudden!?"

"Ahaha, Nii-san generally dislikes being formal. I apologize for the late introduction. I am the Dungeon Master's brother—a Doppelganger monster and my brother's body double. My name is Kiyu. Usually, Nii-san possesses this body to do various things, but right now he's back at the dungeon preparing to welcome you all."

"H-Heh. I see. So a Doppelganger means you look exactly the same?"

"No, to protect himself, Nii-san purposefully made me look different. I am an example of that."

"...Making a Doppelganger look different on purpose... Dungeon Masters really are something else."

"So, Coville-san. Shouldn't you go pack your things?"

"Ah, right! See you later, Yuki... I mean, Kiyu!"

With that, we split up and I went to pack. But since we could go back and forth, and there was still so much I wanted to bring, it took quite a while. The dungeon itself only had one floor. Yuki really was a Dungeon Master.

"Everyone, if you pass through this gate, you'll be at our base. I apologize, but for safety reasons, the exit is under a Skill and Magic Seal. It will be inconvenient for you Fairies, but please walk on the ground once you're through."

Ah, well, that makes sense. It would be bad if people started a riot on the other side. Everyone agreed and walked through the gate.

When it was my turn, I stepped through and found myself in a strangely beautiful place. The walls were white, and there was a desk in the back with someone sitting at it. Several people were acting as guides. I wonder who they are? Residents?

"Okay, everyone! First, please sign your names at the back desk. Also, is anyone injured? Are you all alright?"

"If you've finished signing in, please head to the next desk over. We'll issue you a temporary ID. Once you have that, you can go back for more luggage or relax in those chairs."

"Does anyone want a drink? Use this machine—place the cup here, press this button, and the drink will come out."

Let's see... Elves, Rabbit-kin, Humans? Why are so many different races working together as guides? Usually, it's easier to stick to one race.

Looking elsewhere, I saw small children—well, they were bigger than me, but I think they were human children. They were busily walking around handing out clumps of white grains.

"These are called onigiri. They're delicious! If you're hungry, please have some!"

"Awawa!?"

"Ah!"

One of them tripped over nothing.

"Ah, watch out!"

Just as I dashed out to catch her...

"Careful, Filia. It's okay, just take it slow."

A man walked over and supported the girl named Filia.

"Hmm? Oh, Coville. Eat some onigiri. You haven't eaten anything, right?"

The black-haired man handed me an onigiri.

"How do you know my name... wait, Yuki?"

"What are you talking about? Oh, right, it's your first time seeing me in this form. This is my true appearance."

"Heh. Kiyu looks pretty childish, but Yuki is quite the adult."

"Well, that was on purpose."

"Ah, for the journey?"

"Exactly."

"I see, I see. Okay, I'll give you a passing grade. You're a good-looking guy."

As I was praising Yuki, one of the little ones kicked him. It wasn't very hard, but Yuki looked wide-eyed with surprise.

"What's wrong, Labyris?"

"...Cheater. Ratz!! He's a cheater!!"

"There, there. Let's not get carried away, Onii-san. Fairies are almost all female, so you can't just be indiscriminate. You only have one body, you know."

I didn't really get it, but Yuki was dragged away like that.

Oh well. I'd better get my "ID" quickly and go back for the rest of my stuff.