Your Majesty, Dinner Is Ready. Chapter 163 - D-Rank Labyrinth: The Rainy Murder Manor (2)

Chapter 163 – D-Rank Labyrinth: The Rainy Murder Manor (2)

 

The Demon King was not in perfect condition due to the aftereffects of the sealing ritual. Even He, whose memories had been erased, didn’t know the details, and since this was new content, neither did I.

One thing, however, was certain. Compared to His prime, His true martial power had practically fallen from the heavens to the ground.

‘Shraaak!’

Water transformed into five spears and shot toward Him. Even a single one would inflict a fatal wound on an ordinary civilian.

“Ho!”

The Nameless Demon King exclaimed in admiration and casually raised one hand. The trajectories of the flying spears suddenly bent, slicing harmlessly through empty air.

A display of profound mastery that stood out even while the effects of Mysteries were being drastically weakened.

Thud!

A sharp punch followed. The Slayer, struck squarely in the jaw, staggered for only an instant before swinging his trident. The three blades raked across the Demon King’s chest like claws.

“…!?”

The Slayer visibly flinched.

“Quite sharp.”

Blood had clearly sprayed. His skin had split open. Yet an instant later the wound had completely healed… and somehow the trident’s shaft, which had been buried in His body moments earlier, was now firmly grasped in the Demon King’s hand.

[:O]

[The more I watch, the stranger this becomes!]

I couldn’t grasp the exact mechanics either.

But I had a rough idea. It was probably one of the Sin Mysteries, specialized entirely for defense.

The Slayer, whose strength surpassed the Demon King’s thanks to the labyrinth’s gimmick, yanked his trident free and thrust straight ahead once more.

Raindrops spiraled around the tip. An honest offensive Mystery… [Whirling Raindrop].

Stab!

The trident pierced through the Demon King’s broad body and emerged from His back.

Yet… the next instant, it was as if none of that had ever happened. The Demon King had tucked the trident’s shaft beneath His arm.

“Your attacks are fierce… but something feels awkward. Even your stance lacks polish.”

Delivering that cold assessment, He drove a fist wrapped in demonic energy into the Slayer’s solar plexus. Right now, the Demon King was weakened twice over… once by the sealing ritual, and once by the labyrinth’s restrictions. One could say He was now even weaker than an ordinary person.

“…Ghk…”

Even so, the Slayer staggered backward, gasping.

One punch. That was all it had taken.

A single blow from a demon who should have been as frail as an elderly man.

“You’re doing well, Blood-Soaked Rainstorm Trident Slayer!”

The Demon King shouted loudly while curling one finger.

“I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve actually felt a sense of danger!”

His expression alone revealed it… burning fighting spirit. Along with it came overwhelming exhilaration. Positive emotions, according to the Demon King’s standards, overflowed from Him. As they did, He gradually grew stronger, pushing past the labyrinth’s restrictions.

It was a miraculous perpetual engine that, as far as I knew, only the Nameless Demon King could achieve.

“But strive harder! You’re still nowhere near enough to defeat Me!”

“…”

The Slayer tightened both hands around the shaft and thrust once more… accompanied by countless spears of water rushing in from every direction.

‘Papapapak!’

His magnificent, muscular body was pierced all over. The trident, wrapped in [Whirling Raindrop], sank into His abdomen.

“Hah!”

Once again… everything that had just happened was erased. A fist wrapped in demonic energy slammed upward into the Slayer’s jaw. 

Then came a relentless barrage. The punches were only as fast as an ordinary person’s… yet every single blow struck with terrifying force.

“…!”

Retreating, the Slayer created hundreds of water daggers and launched them. An area attack that put even me in danger. Inside The Rainy Murder Manor, I was merely a frail half-elf blessed with nothing except beauty.

So I hurriedly hid behind the Demon King’s broad back. Hundreds of watery daggers flew toward us… Yet every one of them veered aside, as though fearing the ruler of the newborn Demon Realm.

“Grand Duke. Can you tell what Mystery I’m using?”

He was leisurely asking questions in the middle of the battle.

“[Sin: Sloth], isn’t it?”

“Correct.”

A Mystery that caused the enemy’s attacks to avoid the user… provided the user remained lazily motionless. The miracle of erasing attacks that had already landed became possible only after [Sin: Sloth] reached Rank 10.

“Did you know… that every Sin Mystery was created by Me?”

“…I’d only suspected as much.”

Originally… Sin Mysteries were Hidden Pieces obtainable only from the seven labyrinths connected to the Demon Realm. Except for [Sin: Gluttony], personally taught by the Nameless Demon King, all the others dropped from labyrinths in the form of Mystery Tomes.

Because of that, among players it had long been accepted as fact that the Nameless Demon King, whose backstory had never been fully revealed, was the creator of every Sin Mystery.

“I always assumed… they must have been created by the greatest Demon King in history.”

“Not an incorrect assumption!”

Crack!

Even while conversing with me, He continued pounding the Slayer’s chest with His fists without tiring.

“However… [Sin: Sloth] was especially difficult to create. The very concept of sloth was utterly incompatible with my own personality.”

“Yet despite that, you created it through relentless effort. That’s both astonishing… and honestly something I envy. That unwavering determination to force your own will through.”

“As expected. Grand Duke Kar’s tongue is absolutely delightful!”

Once again, the Slayer’s trident pierced through the Demon King’s body. Naturally… it became as though it had never happened. 

His powerful fist once more uppercutted the Slayer.

“Indeed. I persevered. Without giving up. But life… is a terribly unruly thing. No matter how diligently you live… There are times when you’re unfairly tripped by a random stone. Exactly… Which is why… sometimes life needs to be taught a painful lesson!”

Crunch!

“And right now… I’m disciplining life itself. From the ruler of the Demon Realm… I’ve become a nameless Demon King remembered by no one. I’d always intended to catch life someday and give it a proper beating. Wouldn’t you say this worked out perfectly?”

[I’m becoming increasingly convinced you possess some mysterious force that attracts lunatics.]

Truthy seemed to regard this as complete nonsense. But I felt something entirely different.

Honestly… I was shocked.

Arrogance and positivity could actually coexist?

“That’s a perspective I’d never even considered. So life wasn’t tormenting me for no reason… I was the one disciplining an ill-mannered life all along!”

“Once life rolls around on rock bottom… it has no choice but to wake up. It learns that if it pulls such foolishness again… it’ll fall all the way back down and become a complete mess.”

“Remarkable!”

I was genuinely moved. The rigid assumptions I’d carried for so long were shattering. It felt as though someone had smashed my head with a hammer.

“Then I’ll also devote myself to throwing my body into hardships and trials… and teach life a proper lesson!”

“Hahaha! Excellent!”

[:/]

[Unfortunately, there’s no one here to point out just how absurd the two of you are on my behalf….]

The Slayer, after being thoroughly beaten, suddenly leapt backward and spun his trident over his head.

‘Whrrr!’

Rain circled around the weapon.

Then… without warning… it rushed toward the Demon King, surrounding Him completely. An area-of-effect attack that [Sin: Sloth] could neither dodge nor rewrite.

“Not bad. You’ve got a decent head on your shoulders.”

While the Demon King admired the move from within the vortex, the Slayer charged straight toward me. With most Mysteries suppressed… if I confronted that terrifying murderer directly, I’d become nothing more than the beautiful victim in a horror movie… screaming uselessly before dying.

“Please be gentle.”

Yet… I did not attempt to run whatsoever.

“…”

The masked killer reached me, roughly threw me over his shoulder, and began running.

One of the many gimmicks of The Rainy Murder Manor. The Trident Slayer immediately executed anyone who resisted. But those who gave up resisting… he kidnapped.

“Grand Duke Karr!”

The Demon King emerged from the water vortex, eyes widening.

Perched on the Slayer’s shoulder, I waved toward my lord as the distance between us grew.

“Your Majesty! Please come rescue Princess Karr!”

After all… the highlight of an action movie was, without question, kidnapping and rescue.

 

***

 

“This is troublesome.”

Left alone in the rain-soaked hallway, the Nameless Demon King rested His hand against His chin.

Grand Duke Karr… the strategist of the newborn Demon Realm… had been abducted by a serial killer.

Strictly speaking… perhaps it was more accurate to say He had allowed himself to be abducted.

‘What an eccentric fellow.’

He must have known from the beginning that the Trident fellow would kidnap him. After all, that adorable half-elf was so knowledgeable that even Chief Librarian Kiji, who cared nothing for worldly affairs, knew of the reputation he’d recently built.

Though most of His memories had faded, the Nameless Demon King had experienced situations like this countless times long ago.

“I’ll be there soon!”

Shouting loudly, the Demon King immediately ran in the direction the Slayer had disappeared.

‘Splash, splash.’

At first, following the trail wasn’t difficult. Water filled the hallway wherever the Slayer had passed. But gradually… the moisture disappeared. By the time He reached the staircase at the end of the corridor, the floor had become completely dry.

“This is troublesome!”

Even faced with such a predicament, He remained perfectly composed.

Grand Duke Karr was no cultist who’d meekly allow himself to be murdered by some serial killer who preyed only upon ordinary people.

Still… having no clues to follow was troublesome.

‘What now…? …Hm?”

As he surveyed the staircase, He suddenly sensed a chilly presence. Too cold to belong to the living.

“Aaah…”

A middle-aged human slowly climbed the stairs. It was a spectral monster.

“A vengeful spirit.”

A soul lingering in the world because of resentment. Dark red blood flowed from three holes… one through each eye, and one through the center of its chest.

“Your resentment runs deep indeed.”

“Aaaah…”

A ruler should always lend an ear to those who have suffered injustice. In the Demon Realm of old, there had been a belief that anyone victimized was simply a fool.

Even so… publicly beating powerful oppressors who abused the weak had always been popular across every dimension. That was why every Demon King had always swung their fists for those at the very bottom.

“Nameless spirit. Allow Me to become your fist.”

The Demon King gently placed His hand upon the spirit’s head.

‘Sssss…’

A thick crimson aura flowed from the ghost’s body.

“Allow Me to accept your anger.”

The blazing red energy gathering in His hand soon took on a savage form. A monster created through the power of [Sin: Wrath]. A lion proudly raised its head, its body covered with three-pronged blades resembling tridents. The Demon King stroked the lion monster’s head before giving His command.

“Run… where that anger points.”

“Grrrrrr!”

Roaring loudly, the beast immediately descended the stairs.

“…Thank you.”

The spirit, now freed from its rage-filled resentment, bowed its head. The Demon King merely waved a hand before following the lion.

“…It hurts…”

More spirits appeared along the way.

“Allow Me to swallow your anger.”

The Demon King transformed each spirit’s rage into monsters, willingly taking upon Himself every heavy, sorrowful grudge.

“Thank you…”

“It’s warm…”

A memorial for the dead. Comforting departed souls was, above all else, a profoundly positive act. With every act of consumption, the suppressed power of the Nameless Demon King gradually returned.

“Wait for Me… Princess Karr! I shall rescue you!”