A Demon Lord’s Captain

With the sun shining above the city, we chased Anojin down the streets of Stalu. Hinabe and Amada quickly followed behind me. However, it wasn’t long until we lost sight of him.

“Where did that idiot go?” I complained, smacking my lips as I searched for him while running.

How he was so fast, even with that bulky armor, surprised me. The guild worker had told me where the Demon Lord’s captain was located. I planned to cut him off. I ignored Anojin and instead headed straight to the enemy.

Minutes of running went by, and a rush of deja vu hit me. I was literally running like that yesterday. The only difference was that I was being chased back then. If I kept running like this, I could try out for a marathon.

I recently got transported here, and so much has happened already. First, getting used to magic. Then, fighting huge warthogs. Now, I have to fight one of the Demon Lord’s captains? Great…

While running, I recalled what Anojin said. “Mr. Satori was not a mage, but a swordsman.” When I attacked the warthogs yesterday with the dull sword, it didn’t hurt the beast. I swung with all my might on that attack. Maybe… I didn’t put enough power in it. But I did become aware of my strength afterwards. Interesting…

Regardless, that scrape of metal Anojin seemed to know a lot about Mr. Satori. I had questions for him that needed answers.

…

Eventually, I heard a loud commotion meters ahead. A crowd formed, blocking my path. Beyond the crowd, I felt a powerful presence, an evil one. This was definitely the right way. A narrow path opened in the crowd.

So, we carefully squeezed through the crowd and made our way to the commotion. As the view cleared, Anojin stood proudly before a mysterious figure.

“Who is that?” I pondered to myself.

The figure was covered in black steel imperial armor. The black amor pieces had red curved pieces that poked out, adding flair to their silhouette. Her lower armor widened in size as if to cover the figure’s curves.

She wore a curved metal helmet that covered her head, leaving her face exposed. However, her face was covered by a white mask that was attached to the helmet. She had a long black greatsword holstered on her back.

The pressure in the air felt thick. Some bystanders in the crowd recognized me as Mr. Satori. However, they didn’t cheer for my arrival to join the anticipated battle. Instead, they chose not to interrupt Anojin and the Demon Lord’s captain. The silence surrounding us felt unsafe. This captain must have been strong.

I looked over at Hinabe and Amada. Glands of sweat dripped from their faces. Judging from their worried expression and her appearance, I assumed this was one of the Demon Lord’s captains.

My focus wasn’t on the captain compared to them. My only priority was making sure Anojin did not die.

“You will not take another step!” Anojin exclaimed, with cheerful confidence in his voice.

The captain chuckled. “Oh, and do you plan on stopping me?” Her voice, husky like a man’s, showed no kindness. However, it still had a feminine tone.

She explained, “Sir Satavio hasn’t given the orders yet to destroy this city. So, I’m only here to sightsee. That is all.”

“Lies! Why would we believe a demon like you?”

The captain lost her composure for a second, showing her child self. She shook her head and waved both her hands vigorously. “No, really, I’m only here to visit. I heard Stalu sells great Takoyaki.”

I hurried to Anojin’s side. “What are you doing, you idiot!”

“Why are you here, you filthy rodent?” Anojin responded. He looked over my shoulder and glanced at Hinabe and Amada. His eyes turned into red hearts, and he lost focus. “Miss Amada. Miss Hinabe, it’s good to see you again. You must have come to help me!”

I let out a slight sigh, averting his attention. “Forgot them, metal boy. Why are you here? What can you do by yourself?”

Anojin furrowed his eyebrows, switching his persona off like a light switch. “I’m here to stop that demon from destroying our city! You should stand back since you’re too weak for her.”

“I’m weak? You don’t even have a weapon! Aren’t you a crusader? Where’s your weapon?”

“It’s being fixed at a nearby blacksmith.”

Despite not having a weapon, he didn’t sound worried. He spoke confidently as if he didn’t rely on his weapon.

I secretly chuckled at Anojin, provoking him, “So, that means you're useless now?”

Anojin's vein popped out on his forehead. He quickly turned to me and grabbed me by my collar. “What did you say, you ugly mongoose?!”

We got distracted by each other and started a ruckus, creating a commotion of our own. Hinabe and Amada attempted to stop our childish nonsense.

The Demon Lord’s captain scratched her head, puzzled. After being the center of attention, she felt she was robbed of the spotlight. “Stop these childish games. Move out of my way!” she insisted, feeling slightly annoyed.

Her words ended our little fight. We separated from each other and focused on the matter at hand. Though there’s bad blood between me and Anojin, we formed a temporary alliance. It’s like that one saying: “an enemy of an enemy is a friend”. We all stood side by side, a few meters away from the captain, and faced her.

“We aren’t going anywhere.” I clarified. “You need to go back to Relimna. You’re not welcome here!”

For some reason, I feel more confident standing around this captain than the warthogs. There’s still fear inside of me. But I think I’m more confident because I’m aware of my potential.

Amada and Hinabe were definitely scared, especially after feeling her immense aura. But they suppressed that fear and were standing here with us. I assumed Anojin was also scared, but he had to stand up to her.

She lowered her voice and asked wearily, “And… who are you guys?”

“I’m Takumi Hitaro, and we are going to stop you!” I declared. We simultaneously took an offensive stand. “Who are you?”

“I am the fourth captain of the Demon Lord’s army, Astra Distario.”

Astra? That Astra!? No way! That’s… impossible. It’s only a coincidence that she had the same name as Astra from the Cutesy Twins. She didn’t sound like her, but her helmet covered her face, so I couldn’t hear her voice clearly.

Astra examined us. She gasped when she looked at me. That would make sense. She’s a demon who had probably seen Mr. Satori when he was alive. “You startled me. You resemble a lot like Mr. Satori, but your energy is weak.”

While examining me, she glanced at my Cutest Twin’s merchandise. She gasped again. “You!” She unsheathed her greatsword from her back and pointed it towards me. “How did you get that?”

“Huh?” I scouted the area around me, leaving my feet in place. “Get what?”

“That. That shirt? Why am I on that shirt?!” spluttered Astra, nervously shaking her sword up and down.

“What are you talking about?” I couldn’t wrap my head around this. I assumed she was genuinely curious. So, I answered her, “These are the Cutesy Twins. They’re the best artists in the world right now!”

Anojin and the other looked on, confused by this strange interaction.

Astra fumed, “Why are my sister and I on that stupid shirt?!”

“Why are you saying this is you? There’s no way this is you! You can’t possibly be her!” I got transported here as I was at the concert. There’s no way this was Astra of the Cutesy Twins. Every nerve in my body tried to deny the possibility.

“I see.” Astra lowered her weapon and sheathed it back in its holster. Then, she paused for a moment. Everyone froze in place, curiously waiting for Astra’s response. What was she planning?

After standing idly, she gradually lifted her hands, reaching for her mask. She began removing her headpiece. As she removed her helmet, I had to wonder if this was all a coincidence.

However, when I saw her identity, my eyes told me the truth.

…