Published: September 10, 2025
This is Satou. In ghost stories or reincarnation tales, there’s often a scene at the beginning where the protagonist views their own funeral from a distance. In older works, this usually took place in the living room of their home, but in newer ones, it’s mostly set in a funeral hall. It really shows how times have changed. Well, no matter the setting, I definitely wouldn’t want to experience something like that.
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Countless lights scattered.
I surrendered myself to a fragile sensation, similar to weightlessness.
My thoughts wouldn’t come together properly.
What was I doing?
What had happened to me?
In the corner of my vision, I saw golden and purple lights.
Someone was fighting.
Someone important.
That was—
“Arisa-chan, we’ve defeated the high-rank demon!”
“Got it! Mia, release the next demon!”
“Okay, Avenger.”
Arisa’s spatial magic, “Otherworld Labyrinth (Dimension Labyrinth),” combined with Mia’s pseudo-spirits, was suppressing the demons, avoiding a chaotic battle against multiple demons.
“I will persuade them that revenge leads to nothing.”
The knight-type demon Avenger, provoked by Nana’s taunting skill, charged into Nana’s defensive barrier created by her Castle.
“Shadow binding technique~?”
The shadow extending from beneath caught the immobilized Avenger’s legs.
“Now, the finishing move: Demon Blade Spiral Assault (Vopal Strike) Luxion!”
Pochi, glowing with a golden light, charged at Avenger.
If I recall, Pochi had mistakenly called the extra mode “Excerion,” but Arisa corrected him, calling it “Luxion,” and that became its official name.
Avenger blocked Pochi’s attack with his jet-black shield.
“Tail Burst!”
Pochi fired a sequence of imperfectly focused demon blade cannons from his tail, accelerating forcefully and breaking through Avenger’s shield defense.
However, Avenger narrowly tilted his head and dodged.
“Nin-nin~? Tama is the playful headsman~?”
Tama, wearing a pink cape, appeared from nowhere and swiftly slashed off Avenger’s unguarded head.
Even Avenger couldn’t respond quickly to a ninja suddenly appearing inside the defensive barrier.
Despite losing his head, Avenger rushed at Tama with his sword.
He was surprisingly tenacious.
“Aiming—fire!”
Lulu’s bullet narrowly deflected that sword.
“Thanks~?”
Tama fluttered away into Avenger’s blind spot.
Avenger continued to chase Tama.
Nana lowered her defenses and activated the thrusters on her enhanced armor, rapidly closing in on Avenger.
“Stack it up, Demon Blade Shatter Wall (Blast Armor)!”
Nana’s finishing moves triggered in succession, shattering Avenger’s barriers one by one.
“Reporting all defensive barriers destroyed.”
“Okay!”
From above Avenger, transparent spears the size of utility poles rained down, piercing him repeatedly.
“Sealed it up!”
“Understood!”
Upon Hikaru’s report, Liza activated the acceleration circle on her golden armor and launched from the air via catapult.
“—Sixfold Dragon Spear Penetrating Fang (Dragonic Penetrator Hexa)!”
Liza’s finishing move pierced six holes in Avenger’s body, and the blue light overflowing from those holes tore Avenger’s body apart, turning him into black mist.
As expected.
Avenger was as strong as an average demon king, yet they defeated him without trouble.
Apart from Arisa and Hikaru, everyone else seemed to have surpassed level 100. I wonder if in the Demon World the level cap is lifted or if leveling up is easier?
Everyone had become unimaginably strong compared to the beginning.
I could now confidently entrust my back to them.
—Hmm?
Was it just my imagination, or was there a black stagnation within the aura surrounding everyone?
That was not a good thing (……).
I didn’t know the reason, but somehow I was certain.
I reached out to where I couldn’t quite see and pinched the black stagnation from my comrades’ bodies, removing it.
That should be fine now.
As I looked around at everyone, Arisa seemed surprised.
Had something happened?
Perhaps something had happened to Ms. Zena and the others on the ship?