Shinka no Mi

Chapter 97 The Evil Spirit King

「You did well, Seiichi-dono! With this you’re also a splendid 『Life Force Master』! 」

「What the hell is a 『Life Force Master』!?」

Under Zeanos’ guidance, I continued to earnestly annihilate any evil spirits I met after that.

As a result, now not only could I build up 『Life Force』 in my physical attacks I could also pack 『Life Force』 into my magical attacks, and I could annihilate them with sheer 『Life Force』’s aftershock as well if I wanted to.

Geez, I just can’t fathom the latter half, you see.

All the enemies were pulverized just by me stepping in after all.

Apparently my body is just like a bundle of 『Life Force』, you see.

As I was thinking along those lines, the announcement flowed into my brain.

『The title 【Life Force Master】 has been acquired』

I’ve done nothing and literally became a master! Frankly I had a hunch it would happen though!

Half-irritated, I checked upon the title.

『Life Force Master』 …Given to those who have mastered Life Force to the extreme. Said Life Force surpassed even the 【G】. (T/N: Reminder, G means cockroach.)

Could you please not make the 【G】 as the comparison!?

Rather, ain’t it dangerous that the comparison is rising to the 【G】 !?

As I was shocked by the title’s detail, Lucius-san spoke to me with a smile.

「Man, congrats! To think you’d acquire it in this short span of time… really out of the norm!」

「So, this is abnormal after all?」

「Un? Let’s see… For the record, I think it was a week until I learned it?」

「No no, that’s still terrifyingly fast okay. Even we, the hero group, needed half a year…」

「Umu, mine was also a week, just like Lucius-dono, but… For you, Seiichi-dono, an hour hasn’t even lapsed has it?」

I knew, it I’m abnormal.

Whaddya mean I outdid the heroes and their mentor, and even the first demon lord!? I couldn’t grasp what this body of mine was aiming for since long ago, but if it even surpassed a demon lord does that mean it is aiming for Gods!?

As I retorted to myself, my parents laughed nonchalantly.

「I don’t quite get it, but Seiichi is being praised.」

「You’re right… How elating.」

「True that. He’s our prized son after all!」

That’s embarrassing on my end, okay!? I’m very happy though!

「I expected no less from someone who ate the 『Fruit of Evolution』.」

「Ah!」

A certain thing floated in mind when I caught Zeanos’ line within his gentle smile.

「Come to think of it, Zeanos was the first to discover the『Fruit of Evolution』!」

「Oh, so you know about it to that extent」

「Un. It was by chance. But now that I met you in person, I wanted to ask further about the 『Fruit of Evolution』… 」

As I said so, Zeanos showed a bitter smile.

「Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I know much about it myself. Anyhow, it was a thing that even the Gods couldn’t predict. There is no way I could fathom it, is there?」

「But if you put it that way, then it all ends there…」

「Well, there are things I do understand. However, these things are the ones that you have experienced personally, Seiichi. Therefore, you can’t expect an answer from me.」

「I see…」

I had placed my expectation, but it apparently Zeanos had no idea regarding the 『Fruit of Evolution』 either.

「In addition, that fruit is no longer available. Seiichi-dono, you and your companion have eaten them after all.」

「Eh? I’m in the middle of cultivating it though….」

「Cultivating!?」

Zeanos’s eyes jolted by the shock of hearing my remark.

「Are you trying to ignore all the previous talk!? You said you’re cultivating the very fruit that even the Gods couldn’t predict!?」

「No, it seems after I had completely conquered the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow】 by defeating you, I acquired the 『Fruit of Evolution』, and because I wanted to grow it I produced a personal magic with that purpose…」

「Umu, you went for the strangest turn of event as ever!」

「Originally, it was not something that a human could ever grow. For that reason, it was left to grow by nature in the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow】. And the ones that grew naturally, too, should all have been eaten by that gorilla… Saria-dono and you, Seichii-dono.」

「Seriously…」

I’m surprised, to think that the only people who ate the 『Fruit of Evolution』 would be only Saria and I. No, Rurune ate it too though.

… But, I received the 『Fruit of Evolution』 as a reward for capturing the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow】… that sheep fellow, don’t tell me he’s actually something far more dangerous than I expected? …No way in hell that’s true, is there! No, please don’t let it be true! With that personality of his, I can’t do shit if he’s something dangerous! There isn’t anyone who can restrain him!

「Sigh… At any rate, with this I’ve acquired the power to fight against the Evil Spirit King, right?」

「That would be true. All that is left is to find the Evil Spirit King, but…」

Precisely, we didn’t know where was the all-important Evil Spirit King’s whereabouts.

As we were devising the plan how to deal with it, it was then.

『Art thou ones who perturbed my revival?』

「!」

All of a sudden, as though creeping out from the bottom of the earth, a very low voice was heard.

「What is this voice…?」

「… It sounds like it comes from over there.」

Zeanos spoke that with a grave face on him, but I hadn’t the slightest idea of what was happening.

First of all, since I’d been getting goosebumps for a little while, I turned my gaze to the direction he pointed… and I found a very creepy and displeasing object.

To be more specific, a large amount of something black that resembled Munch’s Scream was gushing out of that object. Ugh, gross!

「Umm… Who might you be?」

『I am the Evil Spirit King. As yet I have no name.』

「You think you’re a cat or what.」

I sure am surprised. Even though the Evil Spirit himself comes to us, I’m more surprised that he has no name despite being a King. Or is that how it works? Not my business though.

As I was thinking along those lines, Abel and his group opened their mouths with a grave face on them while showered with cold sweat.

「This guy… exceeded our expectation.」

「To think he’s this formidable…」

「…Agreed. I never expected the presence of death could be so dense… 」

「Just being near makes me feel sick…」

I don’t know exactly what’s happening, but for the displeasing feelings, we’re all in the same boat.

Right? That appearance is really gross isn’t it?

「…It seems like Seiichi-dono is under a big misunderstanding, they’re astonished by the Evil Spirit King’s 『Negative Life Force』 magnitude. 」

「Eh?」

「…True that. Honestly, I didn’t anticipate that it would be this strong… 」

Both Lucius-san and Zeanos stared at the disgusting object before us with a serious look.

「Makoto-san. That looks like the modern art, don’t you think.」

「Let’s see… The pattern on its body and the condition of its strain sure are giving off that kind of feeling.」

My parents nonchalantly held such a conversation. No, if I were to choose, then I’d be more like in sync with them though…

I who still couldn’t aware of the gravity of the matter, was being told by Abel with a quite strong tone.

「Seiichi. Don’t relax your guard. That thing is far… stronger than you think.」

「Eeh…」

No, even if you give me that…

I who was just a normal civilian… no, as someone who stood in the lowest strata back in the Earth, knows exactly how it feels to be the weakest, so telling me that it’s stronger than me gives me nothing new… .

Rather, be it stronger or weaker than me, at the end of the day I’d still have to defeat it, so it holds no meaning to me who devoted my everything…

As Abel once again opened his mouth to me who just couldn’t get tensed up, a change was occurring to the Evil Spirit King.

The Evil Spirit King’s body was wriggling and bubbling, and it then started to divide.

And then each of the divided body eventually took a humanoid form, and they took the figure of certain people.

And those people were——.

「What the f!?」

「Y, you gotta be kidding me…」

Save Abel and his party, even Zeanos and Lucius-san was speechless upon those figures.

However, I and my parents, in addition to Treasure Box, were the only ones who couldn’t recognize them, as such we couldn’t figure why they were so surprised.

By the way, the number the Evil Spirit King divided into was four people.

A noblewoman whose fierce eyes left quite the impression, and a nervous-looking, middle-aged man dressed in a clothing more luxurious than the noblewoman’s.

A priest with a somewhat condescending expression, and a young man wrapped in splendid armour with a prideful look on his face.

The Evil Spirit King transformed into these kinds of people.

Who the hell are they?

Then, Zeanos called out in a trembling voice a name of one of the four.

「E, Elizabeth…」

Elizabeth? I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere….

While I was thinking about it, Mary the Maid who looked at the Elizabeth woman raised an astonished voice, too.

「M, madam!?」

Madam? …Ah, Zeanos’ ex-wife huh! Wait, wat!?

Disregarding me who was at a complete loss, Elizabeth and the elderly man who stood beside her opened their mouths.

「Long time no see, Zeanos. Thanks to you my life was a mess. 」

「As she says. Zeanos, and you Abel and the others. Just how much do you think the stress built up thanks to you? You all deserve certain death. 」

「Your Majesty…」

Looking at Zeanos spitting a word bitterly, I finally understood it.

The divided Evil Spirit Kings who took the humanoid figures, were the people whose fate was entwined with Zeanos and the rest.

First of all, Elizabeth would be Zeanos’ ex-wife, then the elderly man beside her must be Harmarl Empire’s Emperor, Elschtatt III who showed up in 『The Tale of Zeanos the Dark Noble』 book. In addition, judging from Elschtatt III’s remark, the one who circulated the unfounded rumour, and the one who drove them to their death was him.

Then that means, the other two would be….

「…Pierre.」

「It nauseates me to hear you call my name.」

The one who betrayed Abel and his party, Pierre the priest.

And….

「…To think I’d meet you again like this.」

「Hah! Don’t talk as if we’re equal when you’re killed by this great me, trash. For being slaves to the Human, you demon bunch are getting too cocky.」

…I didn’t know his name, but he must be the hero who killed Lucius-san.

I was able to meet Zeanos and the rest, so they would also meet the people who had a string of fate with them… No, isn’t that weird! Why!?

To my question, Elschtatt III answered.

「With you bearing your respective ego, we who had a strong fate with you too were able to bear our own ego. In that regard, you did quite a good job for garbage. I shall praise you.」

Awesome, he naturally looked down on us.

As though to continue after Elschtatt III, Elizabeth and the other two opened their mouth one after another.

「I never wanted to see that face of yours again, however. Because you were strangely active in all those matters, my peaceful life collapsed. After you put yourself on the wanted list, I couldn’t live as gracefully as before… Just where does this responsibility fall to, I wonder?」

Elizabeth is shifting a rather unreasonable responsibility to him, isn’t she.

「I was… envious of how popular you were. Ah, how envious I was! That was why I backstabbed you! Ahahaha, everyone who has a girlfriend should die! Serves you right!」

Wasn’t he just overdoing things, that Pierre!? Rather, that’s the reason for his betrayal!? So my guess in the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow】 was right on the money!

「You shitty demons. You all should just obediently get killed by this me… yet you cockily opposed me! I’ll kill your kin before your very eyes for the second time. Aah, I want to see your face distorted in despair!」

Is he really a hero!? Isn’t that absurdly mad!?

I don’t know the details, but I think they have what it takes to be the Evil Spirit King.

Putting that aside, Zeanos and the rest seemed like they were greatly shaken by their appearance.

「You have perturbed our revival. That act alone is already unforgivable. Henceforth, we shall bestow you the most brutal death——Guberahak!?」

『Eh!?』

I floated a dark smile, then punched Elschtatt the Third’s prided face.

As a result, Elschtatt the Third had lost everything from his neck above, and eventually became particles of light then vanished just like that.

Not only Zeanos and his group, even Elizabeth and the other two were speechless at the action I took.

How do I put it, it doesn’t feel like punching a ghost.

Thinking so, as to ascertain that sensation, I opened and closed my hand there then asked Zeanos and the rest.

「If they’re the Evil Spirit King, then I can defeat them right?」

『You ask that after defeating him!?』

Zeanos, Lucius, and Abel and his party retorted me all at once.