Chapter 502 – The Phantom Tower and the Flames

000

After Cleon and Riomes enter the back room, Tamamo blows the fan. After folding it, he carefully opened his mouth while looking at the rest of the party.

“Emperor of the Demonic Sword… That guy was, even for us, a big enemy. No. On this continent, it would be better to say that there is no human being who was not an enemy to him—except for the the imperial people and the ‘minor tribes’ who cooperated with them.”

To Tamamo’s words, both Layla and Amelia nodded.

Because they thought they were different from Cleon, they also had no hesitation in criticizing the demonic sword emperor.

“Well. It’s a matter of course. The continent’s best bastard is nicknamed Hurturu, so it’s not.”

Layla and Tamamo, who shrugged their shoulders while talking, said hyahah, as if the nickname was funny, and burst into unusual laughter again.

“Even though the Eastern country didn’t directly suffer significant damage, that didn’t mean they were completely safe.

“Because each demi-human has exceptional abilities. In the Empire, under the name of ‘Slave Beasts’, a demi-human unit was created and used.

At the words ‘Slave Beast’ that came out of Lila’s mouth her, Tamamo’s eyebrows ‘flinched’ and trembled a little, but she laughed and spread her fan once more to cover her mouth her.

“You’re well-informed. After all, you’re a treasure trove of knowledge, the head of the academy.”

“It’s only recently that I’ve been studying the Empire. …There was a reason for that.”

Of course, the reason was that he learned that Cleon’s previous life his was the Demonic Sword Emperor.

Even if Cleon himself shook off his fate his, there were enough beings who didn’t think so.

The remnants of the empire that actually appeared were of that type.

If I somehow collect a little bit of information about them, I’ll be able to prepare for it later.

“The unit called Slave Beasts is a unit created by abducting subhumans from the Eastern countries. They were remodeled during the war, brainwashed by potions, and called out to the battlefield. Members of the same tribe in the same country received ‘peace’.”

“…”

Her companions must have understood the meaning of serenity she spoke of, even without explaining or asking questions.

“Of course. That brainwashing and remodeling was carried out at that time. The dark giant ‘Poltuk’ now hiding in this brothel. He is the one who used many people, including Yoho, as his longing.”

“I expected it to some extent- but then. Do you really have a great grudge against ‘Poltuk’?”

In response to Laila’s question, Tamamo nodded her head as if it were natural.

Then, the fan in his hand broke with a crackling sound.

The intense mana flowing from her body is to the point of creating a shivering little earthworm in response to her anger.

“Oh, mana pressure…”

As Sasha shrugged her body, Tamamo made a hot, surprised face and within her her, she raised her hand to her forehead her.

“I’m sorry. Thinking back then, I didn’t know…”

“…I understand. I think Tamamo-sama’s anger is justified.”

The fact that Amelia, as well as being Yoho’s elder—and furthermore, being the center of the demi-humans in the East, she feels responsible for the tragedy of her people in the past.

It was her nodding her, her standing up for her.

“…Thank you. But, I’ve already achieved my revenge once.”

“Revenge…? To the Empire?”

When Sasha tilts her head, Tamamo, as is her habit her, tries to cover her mouth with her fan, but when she sees that it is broken, she kicks her tongue and puts it on the floor.

“No. Poltuk himself.”

“Poltuk himself-? How? Is that also a story during the war against the kingdom?”
When Layla asked a question out of curiosity, Tamamo nodded and continued to answer.

“Yes. Among the dark giants, Poltuk was the first to fall… In order to prevent the empire from increasing its power, it was necessary to first eliminate that guy who was repeating various inventions. It’s for the Empire’s science and technology research institute.”

“…Hero Lesia!”

Amelia was surprised that her name she came up, but she naturally recalled a dream she had had some time ago.

“…That story. It might have been better to tell it while I was with Cleon.”

“Yes…?”

Layla says that to Tamamo, but Layla shakes her head as if she is nothing.

Tamamo sighed and shut her mouth for a moment, then continued her old story her.

“At that time. I also accompanied her. I heard her rumors about the hero and the news of her heading to the Empire’s laboratory.”

“Then you… Have met Lesia before you were alive!”

When Layla says so, Amelia points out Layla’s remark her.

“Ah, no, it’s because Lesia-sama isn’t dead.”

“Oh sorry. Right…”

When Ryla nods at her as if she had made a mistake, Tamamo tilts her head once more, as if not knowing what she is talking about.

“Well. Anyway. At that time, Lesiaro, who was still a novice, had a hard time dealing with the magic armor that Poltuk made. Besides, he attached the slave beasts that were being remodeled as his escorts and pushed them with numbers. .. A hero who had not fully awakened. Law was not enough.”

“I guess the legendary hero had a time like that too… “

Sasha worries as if she’s a little hard to believe.

“…According to legends and old stories, from the moment the holy sword is pulled out, it is expressed as a being that transcends human beings.”

When Ryla nods her head, as if sympathizing with Sasha’s feelings her, Tamamo replies, “It can’t be.”

“The girl I met at the research center was a newbie. Her swordsmanship was basic, and she could use the power of a holy sword to some extent…But she was so kind. She wanted to save both her enemies and her allies She fought with that mindset. Cherish it!’, And wrapped the holy sword with divine magic and used it like a blunt weapon instead of a sword to stun them.”

“That’s great as it is…”

Layla put on a puzzled expression, but Tamamo smiled and said “Huh”.

“Because fighting seemed so dangerous… Originally, I didn’t plan to help except for the fight against Poltuk. I left without realizing it.”

“…So. Thanks to Tamamo-sama, Lesia-sama was able to safely defeat Poltuk and destroy the laboratory, right?”

When Amelia asks such a question, Tamamo replies, “Well, that’s right.”

“When fighting Poltuk. Our magic was mixed into the drivetrain of the magic armor. We attacked that part and stopped its movement. Thanks to that, Lesia was able to defeat him.”

“… But, if Lesia at that time dreamed of immortality. She killed Paul Touk-“

“He committed suicide. In front of our eyes.”

Tamamo answered Lila’s question as if she had expected that such a question would arise.

Her face was dark, full of hatred, as if recalling that time.

“I also agreed that Lesia should not kill him, but take him back to the kingdom and hand him over for trial. … Of course, his intent to kill him was sincere, and many of his own people his have already died. Of course, he must have had a lot of information necessary for war. Considering the value of that information, killing him on the spot, swept away by emotions, is definitely a mistake. Of course, Lesia couldn’t have thought that far, but—”

Like that, Tamamo continued her words as if making an excuse.

Could it be that she could n’t put an end to her revenge her? If not-

When he took his own life, was it because he was resentful that he couldn’t stop it?

“—Lesia at that time… Looked sad. The fact that one of the achievements that the continent hates, died. Even if the target was the man who tried to kill her a little while ago.”

“…”

Ah. If that was the case, he wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

It may have broken your heart soon.

No one knows at what point Lesia, the hero who drew the holy sword as the opponent of the ‘Emperor of the Demonic Sword’, would have no hesitation in killing her enemies.

But—surely, at some point, he must have had to break some of his ideals.

“…I didn’t mean to tell you about Lesia. Yes. Paul Tuke… He died and left no corpse behind. As a result of testing various drugs on his own body, he died and melted on the spot. There.”

“Ugh…”

Sasha makes a disgusted expression, probably because she imagined it.

“Folk Yin confirmed. No corpse left. Then- what is the thing that appeared in front of us now? Is it really a dark giant?”

As Tamamo said so, she tapped her own temples with her fingers in a steady rhythm.

“You mean to say that the black giant is fake…?”

“It’s unnatural for a human who can’t be resurrected to appear. No necromancer can create an undead that exists without a corpse.”

Tamamo said so, but Amelia shook her head.

“But… The black giant that appeared during the victory march in the kingdom… I heard that ‘Otis’ was also himself. Father-… I also heard that His Majesty the King was frightened by such an Otis. “

“Yes. But all the ‘black giants’, including Poltuk and Otis, died.

The one who fell into the furnace. The one who was eaten by the demon beast he was raising. The one whose body melted away. And the one who offered his body his as a sacrifice to protect his master his.

“In other words…Even if they are resurrected. They are not ‘real’. They are separate beings with their memories…Or maybe they were created that way.”

Layla, thinking about Tamamo’s hypothesis Her, shuts her mouth for the moment.

There is something wrong with the ‘existence that was created that way’, but for now, there is something more important than exploring that possibility.

“…Even if that’s the case, what we have to do doesn’t change. We have to stop those tangible ghosts.”

When Lila says so, Tamamo is also silent for a moment, then nods her head.

“Yes. It’s just as he said. …That’s why I’m thinking of sending him to hell at all costs.”

“…”

This time, with my own hands.

As if to say that, Tamamo looked down at her hand.

“… It would be better to start by talking about where Poltuk is. First, to be honest.

As she said that, she pointed through the open door to the largest tower in the brothel.

“…Why is it a dream tower?”

“It’s because if you try to go there as a goal, you’ll get lost. It’s like a dream or fantasy building, so it’s named after it.”

When Tamamo answered Amelia’s question, Layla’s face turned to ‘Geg’.

“…What kind of principle is that?”

“It’s that kind of magic. Haze – the magic of illusion and the magic of ‘direction’ that causes people to get lost. A place created by mixing both magics. …It was a place for the distinguished guests who came to the brothel. Since it’s a place like this, no matter how hard you try. Even so, there were those who disturbed the public order.”

Tamamo shook his head as if he was troublesome.

“How did you get to a place like that? That guy.”

When Lila asked that question, Tamamo answered with her arms crossed.

“There is a ‘key’ to the Tower of Dreams. With that key, you can proceed without getting lost. …Poltuk killed Yoho who had the key and took it.”

“…”

At those words, everyone’s eyes, including Lila, frowned.

“…The spare key?”

“None.”

“So, we can’t go to the Dream Tower either…?”

“Right.”

At her calm words her, Layla’s veins form on her forehead her.

“What are you going to do!? You built something like a tower that you can’t get close to, and if you lose it, you can’t attack…!”

As Laila’s hair turns red and shimmers like her burning flames, Sasha presses her ‘la, Mr. Laila’ on her shoulders to calm her down.

“You can get rid of it.”

“…Are you saying that attacks from the outside work?”

“No. Without ranged attacks, including magic from the outside, the trajectory is distorted by distortion. But… It’s definitely there.”

Sasha and Amelia tilt their heads at Tamamo’s words, as if not understanding why.

But Layla hears her say it, and she narrows her eyes and looks at her.

“…I’m serious?”

“Yes. I have already told everyone. The people who live around the Tower of Dreams. I plan to give them enough compensation.”

To Layla’s question, Tamamo looks in that direction and answers calmly.

“I told you. By any means.”

“Hey, hey. What kind of method are you trying to use?”

In response to Sasha’s question, Lila sighs and says, “Whoa.”

“Didn’t she just say that? You can’t find it, and it’s impossible to aim for it.

“Super, scorched earth…!?”

When Amelia makes a surprised face, Tamamo bursts out laughing at her with ‘Hyaaa!’.

“Scorched earth, I didn’t intend to go that far- at best. It’s about lighting a fire.”

“Fire!?”

This time, Sasha also looks surprised, but Laila looks at Tamamo like that—.

“It’s not about erasing the dots on the paper – it’s about burning the paper itself.”

“If the tower collapses, he will definitely come out. But- we, Yoho and subhumans alone, could not have guessed the possibility of being able to deal with it when it came out. That’s why, thank you all for coming.”

Layla nods her head as if she now understands.

“The fact that we’ve come means that we’ve decided to carry out that strategy…”

“Yes. The young ghosts who went berserk are like hostages. To solve that part, the power of the magic swordsman’s dominance imprint was needed.”

“Now, wait a minute! The space where people live – and even set fire to their lot… That’s not a good idea!”

When Amelia raises her voice against Tamamo’s decision-

Tamamo also nodded.

“Yes. As you said, proper judgment- it’s not a thought. But. If it’s possible to do it, do it. If it’s the most ‘possible’ out of the few ways. If you don’t do anything, nothing will change… Even in between, the damage spreads.”

She talks while staring at Amelia with sharp eyes.

“I have a ‘duty’ to take responsibility for the lives of everyone in this brothel. And as a leader, the decisions I have to make are not always for ‘everyone’.”

“…”

Amelia seemed a little shocked by her words to her, but she shook her head at the fact that she could n’t completely deny it.

“…There’s no need to be so downhearted. Little princess. Of course. Your thoughts are natural. And not losing those thoughts—because it’s the virtue of a good leader.”

“Thank you.”

Tamamo’s words of her, which are heard in a kind voice that praises and encourages herself, must also be sincere.

While understanding it all – to do what she had to do.

Amelia could feel that she too had made a ‘determination’ and ‘resolve’.

“——It can’t be helped. If you’re like that, then we have no choice but to follow that strategy.”

“Thank you, strangers.”

At Lila’s answer, Tamamo nodded her head and smiled.

“Now, then. Before starting the fire, for the necessary purification operation of the young demons. Shall we wait for the two of them to come out of the room? Especially that ‘girl with a god’!”

“Ugh!? Me, me?”

When Sasha, startedled by Tamamo for calling herself by her grandiose name her, points her finger at herself.

Tamamo flicks her hand as she laughs and she makes a gesture that seems to invite her to come over.

Sasha moves closer to her with her sneaky look on her nervous expression on her.

Then-

Tamamo stretched out her arms, pulled her Sasha towards her own her, and buried her face in her flat chest her.

“Ooh!?”

“Now, remember my scent- the smell of yohos properly. Later, when you hunt ‘young yohos’, your nose will be very helpful.”

“Eup-up!”

Even when Sasha struggled, she calmed down as if intoxicated by the incense-mixed body odor of yohos that filled her nose with her.

“… Sasha, she became the face of a dangerous incense.”

When Lila talks while looking at Sasha like that, Tamamo raises the corner of her mouth her.

“Hyaa! Are you going to take care of it too?”

“… No, I’ll decline.”

As Lila said, she let out a haha ​​and stretched her legs out.