DKFTI 12

“If that’s not the case, then get up already. Shanti said he’s increasing the castle’s defenses.”

“Defenses…?”

That at least was one thing working normally. Shanti was waking all the monsters around the castle and arranging them.

“Why not take this chance to practice magic and try summoning a monster? I even brought the spellbook.”

Ruru flicked his tail, and a familiar spellbook dropped into the air with a thud.

“Should I…”

“Let’s start with what you’re best at.”

Honestly, he had no motivation, but Sibel tried to do something at least and stood up. After sitting there staring blankly for a while, Ruru tilted his head and asked.

“When are you going to start?”

“I have to open the book first.”

“You didn’t memorize it?”

“…How could I memorize something that long?”

“……?”

They looked at each other as if they could not understand the other.

“That’s strange. Past Demon Kings usually memorized it after looking only once or twice.”

“Are you saying my head’s bad?”

“You certainly do have unusual parts. Ah, but of course I still love you, Demon King!”

Ruru delivered another harsh remark and then smoothed it over with cutesy affection. Then he opened to a page they had already looked at. No matter how he looked at it, the incantation of several hundred characters was long and difficult.

Sibel slowly recalled the sensation from before and began reciting the incantation clearly and carefully, and Pudding and Ruru watched with sparkling eyes.

“…Rangel Pepiar Robianu Besia Krutie Cractum!”

He finished the incantation, so long it left his breath caught.

Bang!

And familiar white smoke puffed up.

“Mm?”

“Pu!”

Sibel covered his stinging eyes with his hand, then looked ahead. There sat a cute raccoon, like a little doll.

Sibel stared at the raccoon for a while. He wondered why everything he summoned with his magic turned out so cute. Was it somehow reflecting the caster’s taste? He was thinking that when…

“Damn it, what are you staring at.”

The raccoon opened its mouth.

“Eek!”

Sibel, who had been crouched down, watching the raccoon, was startled and scurried back. By now Sibel was very fast at running away.

“Th-this thing talks?”

“First time seeing something talk?”

It was a very rough one.

“Well, it’s unusual for a monster to be able to speak.”

Ruru kicked the raccoon, which was about the size of a big watermelon, with his foot.

“Where do you think you’re kicking!”

When the raccoon shouted back, Ruru jumped in surprise too.

“Eek… Demon King, that thing’s getting angry at me.”

“…I’m scared too.”

“Pu pu!”

Only Pudding rubbed its cheek against the raccoon as if it was happy to see it. The raccoon sniffed around with its nose.

“D-did I summon you while you were resting?”

“What are you talking about. Can’t you see I was just born?”

“……”

For something supposedly just born, it was far too fluent, and its personality already seemed very jaded.

“Are you my mom?”

“……”

If he had brought it into being, then technically “mother” was the right term, but Sibel suffered from cognitive dissonance from knowing his gender was male and he was a newborn too.

“Judging by your pathetic magic, you’re definitely a spirit body, but unusual.”

Ruru scanned over the raccoon and whispered to Sibel.

“Talking monsters aren’t common, but they do exist. Orcs speak just fine, don’t they?”

“Are they usually this twisted the moment they’re born?”

“I’d say it’s just this individual’s personality…”

As the two whispered in front of it, the raccoon’s mouth twitched, showing its fangs.

“Hey, you there.”

It called him mom. What kind of child talks to a parent like that!

Sibel stared blankly at the raccoon nodding its head at him.

“Food.”

“Hm?”

“Food!”

“Uh…”

It was a small thing. If he wanted, he could use it as a dodgeball and throw it around. Yet its boldness was like a general on the battlefield, so Sibel lowered his gaze.

“Wow. Now you’re even intimidated by a monster?”

Ruru clung close to Sibel’s waist and asked.

“Then why are you hiding beside me.”

“Eek, Ruru doesn’t get along with rough animals.”

What was Ruru’s real name again. Rukurabalumsibal? Whatever, it was a ridiculous excuse.

“Can I eat this one?”

The raccoon asked, looking at Pudding bouncing on its leg.

“I’ll give it!!!! I’ll give it! I’ll give it to you right now!”

In the end, Sibel stood up.

***

“The Demon King’s magic is really unusual.”

Shanti, who had just seen the raccoon devouring meat noisily in the dining hall, spoke to Sibel, who was sprawled on the bed.

“What is?”

“Normally Demon King magic is mostly destructive power, isn’t it?”

“Probably. Most likely.”

“ButDemon King, you created monsters.”

“And what about it?”

It was magic a Demon King might very well use, so there was nothing odd about it to Sibel.

“That’s the realm of ‘creation.’ It’s different from simple summoning.”

“Hmm.”

What difference?

“Isn’t there a gap between that and the destructive power Demon Kings usually wield?”

“Not at all?”

Sibel answered lightly. What problem was there in creating a few things. Wasn’t that what magic was to begin with? Making what you needed, shooting some fire, freezing, killing…

“Creating life… hm. Isn’t that closer to the realm of God?”

Shanti scratched his head as he pondered. But Sibel himself thought little of it and kept holding onto his crystal communicator.

Lying on his stomach, kicking his feet, he tapped into the message box.

[Message (Sender) KingGodUltraGeneral Demon King Lord Leviathan!]

[Content: (Photo, purple flowers blooming in abundance)

It has been a while since flowers bloomed here. It seems I will soon be able to gift you their fragrance.]

He was surprised, why a flower photo? As expected of someone older, maybe the first thing they do wherever they go is take flower photos. But he focused on the words, that flowers had bloomed for the first time in a long while.

Was the land where Lord Leviathan lived barren?

Sibel’s castle was full of flowers, trees, and grass everywhere. Because of that, the atmosphere was different from the gloomy Demon King castles he had seen in movies or comics.

Lord Leviathan’s authority was immense, but perhaps the land he ruled was a wasteland where not even grass grew.

Either way, saying he would gift fragrance must mean he intended to come to the Demon King Castle.

“Looks like Lord Leviathan is coming again.”

“That’s good news.”

Shanti answered while tidying up the blanket Sibel had left in disarray.

“This time I need to show a dignified side.”

“Why, worried Lord Leviathan will speak ill of you?”

“Well, not exactly that… but I am a Demon King too, so if I look too weak, that wouldn’t be good.”

“For once you’re saying something decent.”

Shanti chuckled. Sibel pressed reply on the message.

[Message (Recipient) KingGodUltraGeneral Demon King Lord Leviathan!]

[Content: Great Welcome ヾ(^０^)ノ]

He even carefully chose an emoticon to send with the message.

“But where did Pudding or whatever its name was go?”

Shanti asked, looking at Sibel’s empty shoulder.

“Seemed like it followed Racoon earlier. It must be really curious.”

“Is that monster’s name really Raccoon?”

“Yeah.”

“Such sense…”

Shanti, having finished tidying the blanket, turned with what looked like a cocky expression, though Sibel couldn’t clearly confirm it because of the angle.

“Its personality was just like the Hero.”

“You’re saying there are two such bastards under the sky?!”

“But it’s definitely aggressive. Maybe because it thinks it needs to protect the Demon King Castle.”

“An amusing perspective.”

The two continued to exchange their views about summoning afterward. Of course, all the theories they came up with together were nothing but idle nonsense.

***

A few days passed. During that time, the Demon King Castle went through small and large changes. First, the castle wall had been built even higher than before, and in the garden the number of Puresia had increased.

Sibel honed his abilities by practicing new spells. Preparations to defend the castle were underway.

But there was one who looked on at Sibel and the castle’s residents with displeasure.

That was Aizen.

When the Demon King had not shown himself for several days, his mood had grown worse by the day. With his nerves on edge, like a colt with horns, he had been leaning against walls all over the castle for three days now, spying on the demons’ movements.

“Pu pu!”

The only one who consistently came to him was Pudding. Pudding followed Aizen around every day. To the point that Aizen wondered if it thought of him as a parent.

“Why don’t you stick to your heartless Demon King instead of clinging to me all the time.”

Aizen pushed Pudding away with a show of annoyance, though his hand was gentle. Just then, his gaze sharpened.

Far off, he spotted Sibel running toward the castle gate. And coming up to him from the other side was a blond-haired man.

“Well, well?”