How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 3 Read online

  The Story So Far—

  In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Takuma Sakamoto was overwhelmingly powerful, and was able to role-play so well that his performances were more boss-like than the actual bosses of the game. For this reason, he came to be known as the “Demon Lord.”

  By defeating the 《Demon Lord of the Mind, Enkvaros》 faster than anyone else, he obtained the super rare item, the 《Demon Lord’s Ring》. It was one of the ultimate pieces of equipment in the game, able to reflect all types of magic.

  Then, one day—Takuma found himself summoned to a world that looked exactly like Cross Reverie! Having performed the ritual magic at the same time, the Pantherian, Rem, and the Elf, Shera, fought over which one of them was his Summoner:

  “...I am the one who summoned him. Your magic was a failure.”

  “You’re wrong! He’s mine!”

  But thanks to the Demon Lord’s Ring he wore, the magic was reflected—the 《Enslavement Collar》 meant for him had clamped onto the two girls instead!

  Faced with Rem and Shera arguing, Takuma was at a loss of what to do. While he may have been a superior player back in the game, he couldn’t talk with other people if his life depended on it. After struggling over what to say, the words that came out of his mouth were from the Demon Lord role-play he had used in the game:

  “Cease your pointless squabbling. You are in the presence of Diablo.”

  Traveling to the town of Faltra, the three of them found lodging at an inn. There, they were paid a visit from Celes, the Head of the Mage’s Association, and a very important figure in this town. It seemed that Rem was in possession of a grave secret: Within her body was sealed the soul of the 《Demon Lord Krebskulm》.

  Rem despaired that no one would be able to help her... That’s when Diablo made this declaration to her:

  “Leave everything to me. No matter your circumstances, a Demon Lord will be able to accept it all.”

  The next day, Diablo and the others became full-fledged Adventurers. Their first quest turned out to be a trap, and they were attacked by a squadron of elite Elf soldiers trying to capture Shera. It turned out she was the princess of the Kingdom of Greenwood!

  But Diablo repelled the attack with ease—the gap between their levels was just too great. This was the moment Diablo came to understand the difference between Cross Reverie, a game with infinite revives, and this world, where death was permanent.

  The next day, the Fallen named Edelgard lead an army of one hundred of her brethren in an attack on the Bridge of Ulug. At the same time, a powerful Fallen appeared in the middle of Faltra.

  Showing off his true power, Diablo completely routed Edelgard and her army. Using a “Return” spell, he makes his way back to Faltra instantaneously, and in an overwhelming display of magic, Diablo destroyed Gregore, the tenacious Fallen who had been terrorizing the town. Thanks to his efforts, he saved Rem, Celes, and the entire city of Faltra.

  Diablo later found himself the recipient of a quest from the governor of Faltra, Galford. The Kingdom of Greenwood had demanded Shera be returned to them, or else they would declare open war with Faltra. The details of Galford’s quest were as follows: “If you do not wish to hand over Shera, then find a way to avoid this war.”

  The bespectacled, straight-and-narrow Imperial Knight Alicia was assigned to the group as an observer to watch over their actions, as Diablo struggled to find a solution to this predicament... But due to the plans put in motion by Keera, the prince of Greenwood, Shera was put under his control and forced to say she would return to her homeland.

  Being conversationally impaired and faint of heart, Diablo allowed Shera to be abducted... But after being persuaded by Rem, Diablo managed to return to his normal self. Crushing the Elf soldiers in his way, Diablo and the others pushed toward Keera’s encampment. In a panic, the prince flees, only to be cut down by the governor of Faltra himself—Galford. He had bided his time, waiting for Diablo to become exhausted fighting so he could seize the opportunity and capture Shera.

  Diablo fought a hard and grueling battle against Galford. Though it came close, it was Diablo’s superior experience fighting against others that led him to victory. Though they had been through a lot, peaceful days had finally returned once again...

  Prologue

  Located at the western edge of the Kingdom of Lyferia could be found the front-lines of the races—the Stronghold City of Faltra. A sprawl of steep mountain ranges could be found to its north, while the south contained the vast Seplia Lake. The expansive forest that spread along the eastern side of this lake was called the 《Eastern Lakefront Forest》. This forest was located southeast of the city of Faltra. Unlike the much more dangerous west side, this location still fell under the territory of the races. The chance of running into monsters or Fallen was slim, with rarely any appearances from large wild beasts.

  In this world, it was a place used regularly for hunting by the townspeople. In the game, however, it was a place for players who had finally managed to arrive at Faltra to grind out levels and experience.

  Lyferian Calendar: Month 6, Day 8, Year 164—

  Diablo and the others arrived at the Eastern Lakefront Forest. It had been a week since he fought the Elves and Galford nearby. Diablo had made a complete recovery since then, both physically and in terms of his MP.

  Beams of sunlight streamed through the spaces in the trees; birds were chirping; the air was filled with the smell of grass and earth.

  Diablo stood with his back leaned up against a tree, staring at Rem and Shera. Shera was drawing something in the white sand on the ground.

  “Is this all right?”

  “...It’s a bit messy... But since this is your first one, we’ll say it’s fine.” Though she was frowning, Rem still gave her approval.

  “Oh, you.” Shera waved her hand in front of her face dismissively. “This isn’t my first time! Diablo was my first Summon, so this will be my second one.”

  “...I was the one who drew the summoning circle back then,” Rem sighed.

  Rem Galleu was a small, lithe Pantherian girl. The panther ears on her head, the long tail she sported, and the hair that extended down to her waist were all a glossy black color. Normally, Pantherians had orange hair and amber-colored tails, but Rem was different. She was one of the rare few Pantherians who boasted black fur. She also sported an Enslavement Collar wrapped around her neck.

  Her face, while still youthful in appearance, was a stunning sight to behold as well. Her slanted, cat-like eyes and tightly drawn lips worked to show the strength of her will. She was giving instructions to Shera, a fledgling Summoner herself.

  Shera L. Greenwood was an Elf who was endowed with long, well-proportioned arms and legs, and a slender body. Her hair was the color of melted gold, while her eyes were a cerulean blue that matched the color of the ocean itself. She was a member of the race said to be the closest to the Celestials themselves—and a princess to boot. Though that may not be the reason why, Shera’s chest, which should normally be much more reserved in size (due to her being an Elf), was instead quite bountiful. She was only wearing a normal hunter’s outfit, yet it still managed to emphasize her cleavage, which almost seemed ready to burst free from the fabric.

  “Um...so first, I just have to put the crystal in the middle of the circle, right?”

  “...Be careful not to step on any of the lines.”

  “I know, I kn— Ah?!”

  “.........”

  “I-It’s okay! We’re good!” Shera tried to brush off her mistake with a nervous laugh.

  As she bent forward, focusing on her work, her chest jiggled as she moved. Before he knew it, Diablo found him
self staring. He hurried to avert his gaze.

  —A Demon Lord would never let his gaze wander to a girl’s cleavage!

  Diablo had the appearance of a man with two ominous horns sprouting from the top of his head. His race was that of a Demon, with his face and body covered in tattoo-like marks. He proclaimed himself to be a “Demon Lord from Another World” when he was first summoned to this one. However, his arrogance and overflowing self-confidence was all just an act. In reality, it was only his Demon Lord role-play that allowed him to speak in any capacity whatsoever.

  “Hmph... Even though elemental magic is stronger than any Summon.”

  “But that’s because you’re special!” Shera pouted.

  “...Even if we were to use Elemental magic, it would not be as powerful as your spells,” Rem agreed with Shera. “Most likely, we would not be able to defeat Fallen the way you do. Besides, Summons become shields when it comes time to do battle.”

  “Well, whatever. Just hurry up and get this ritual over with. No matter what power you may obtain, what matters is how you use it in battle.”

  “Yeah!” Shera happily nodded.

  There was a drawing in the sand by her feet with layers and layers of circles. Symbols and numbers were inscribed within them.

  Rem began her lecture anew:

  “Listen, and listen well: Each component of this circle has meaning. It regulates the flow of magic, and is the key to causing a clear and distinct phenomenon to manifest in this world.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “...The important things to focus on are the time, place, magic circle, incantation, and, most important of all, the magical power and concentration of the caster. A combination of all these elements allows you to perform 《Ritual Magic》, with the ritual magic you are trying to use now being 《Summon Magic》.”

  “Seems like a pretty big pain in the butt, huh...”

  “...This is the most rudimentary of the basics for this magic. When using Summons, it is possible to call them by throwing crystals, or even by 《Chanting》 a spell, like how an Elemental Sorcerer does with their magic. Ritual magic, however, requires a decent amount of preparation beforehand. While I’m on the subject, using a magic circle to perform spells is formally called 《Rune Magic》. It isn’t suited for combat situations, so you will not find many Adventurers using it. However, for traps found in dungeons—”

  “Zzz...”

  “...No sleeping.” Rem smacked Shera on the head.

  —So that’s how it works...

  Diablo made a note of this in the “Cross Reverie Other-World Ver. Strategy Guide” in his head.

  In the game, players would only see ritual magic and magic circles in cutscenes. They never actually got a chance to use them for themselves. So even though you would see it in those cutscenes, it was the first time for him to see all the specific details that went into preparing the ritual. Since the time and labor that went into ritual magic took longer than any other method, you could expect a much bigger result as well.

  Shera stood in front of the magic circle, with Rem giving her instructions.

  “...While this might be a bit difficult to wrap your head around—using a ritual to summon a being from another world is called ritual magic. Once the Summon appears, the 《Enslavement Ritual》 is used to force it into the service of the Summoner. Doing this allows the Summon to turn into a crystal.”

  “Now that you mention it, Diablo can’t turn into a crystal, can he?”

  “That is because he appears to be a Demon Lord from another world... Not only that, but the Enslavement Ritual reflected off of him as well.”

  “Then, are we the ones who are gonna turn into crystals?!”

  “...Though I have not tried it, I have never heard of any of the races successfully pulling off a crystallization. In terms of magic, I would say crystallization is something similar to the Enslavement Collars in that regard. Perhaps it is best to think of it as one of the Summon’s abilities.”

  “Having the Summon out of crystal form causes the Summoner to constantly lose magic power. Tell me: Is our magic power being drained by having Diablo with us?”

  “Ah, I guess not, huh.”

  “From that, we can discern Diablo is a Demon Lord, and not a Summon—though the fact that I am his master remains unchangeable truth.”

  There they went again, arguing over which one of them actually summoned him. He had become used to this by now, and the girls eventually got back on topic.

  In his mind, Diablo breathed a sigh of relief. Right after he had been summoned to this world, he had stressed over whether he was going to be turned into a crystal or not. The truth was that Diablo wasn’t an actual Demon Lord from another world—that was all just an act. He was just your ordinary game addict. But it was too embarrassing to admit that now. It was a secret he would have to keep hidden.

  “Calling forth a Summon in crystal form is also called ‘Summon Magic,’” Rem continued her explanation. “This means that the enslavement process and the act of using the Summon are both the same type of magic.”

  “I getcha, I getcha. It’s like how when we say ‘grabbing a bite to eat,’ it can mean going to a restaurant, or physically putting food in your mouth.”

  “...You seem to have a decent grasp on the concept, considering it’s you.”

  Shera puffed out her chest with a triumphant chuckle. “Then here I go! I’m going to try using Summon magic!”

  “All right... First, start by infusing the circle with magic energy.”

  “OK! Hiyaaaah!”

  “...We can do without the shouting, thanks.”

  “Hm... Now that I think about it, I practiced this on you, didn’t I, Rem?” A mischievous grin on her face, Shera wiggled her fingers as she made grabbing motions with her hands.

  “I-If you’re going to bring up dumb things like that, then I won’t teach you!” Rem’s face flushed bright red.

  Diablo blushed as he remembered what the girls had done when they were messing around the other evening. He cleared his throat to try and cover up his embarrassment.

  “Just get on with it already! I’m a busy Demon Lord—I don’t have all day!”

  In reality, there were no quests for them to do, so most of his time was spent lazing around in their room at the inn, but...

  Shera nodded.

  “All right, then here I go! Again!”

  She placed her hands near the circle—as if she had thrown a lit match onto oil, the drawing in the sand burst into emerald green flames; but it gave off no heat.

  —So this is what they call a “torrent” of magical energy...

  “...As a race, Elves carry the elemental property of Wind... But it seems Shera’s magical energy might be more suited for the Fire element,” Rem said.

  This caught Diablo’s interest. He had been so addicted to fantasy MMOs that it had pretty much thrown his life out of whack. These were the kinds of conversations he thrived on.

  “Are the beings of this world given a specific elemental property at birth?”

  “Yes... However, if one were to experience something that changed the way they thought, then it would be possible for their element to change as well. From what I can gather, I think the state of one’s mind has an effect on one’s magic energy. Those with extreme dispositions, for example, tend to carry the Fire element.”

  “Extreme dispositions?”

  Shera, who always had a happy-go-lucky smile on her face, did not give off even the slightest impression of being “extreme” anything.

  “...She gave up her status as princess and left her family and home behind as she embarked on a journey by herself. The only thing I can think to call that is ‘extreme.’”

  “Hm, I guess that is true. Then what about yourself?”

  “...I would be ‘Earth.’ All Pantherians start off carrying this element, but the reason I carry it now is because of my persevering nature.”

  “So I see...”

  —Shera
had left Greenwood to be free, so that extreme nature of hers granted her the property of “Fire.” Rem’s perseverance on the other hand, as she endured being a cage for the soul of the Demon Lord Krebskulm, granted her “Earth.”

  “Then from what you can tell, what would I be?”

  “...What?”

  “Ah, well... Of course, I am a Demon Lord, so I cannot be measured by any of the scales used by the races... But I am interested in hearing how those inferior to myself see me. Go on, give me your analysis. I shall allow it.”

  What he really meant was: “I am so dang curious to hear your elemental diagnosis, Dr. Rem”—but a Demon Lord asking others what they thought of him would be pretty lame, which is why he pressed her using his arrogant Demon Lord role-play.

  Rem settled deep into thought.

  “...Demons have the element of ‘Darkness.’ Ah, I am fully aware that you are a Demon Lord, but your appearance is similar to that of a Demon, so your element might be similar as well. Thinking back to how the mirror turned black when you had your level diagnosed at the Adventurer’s Guild, perhaps it is safe to say you are a Dark-elemental.”

  “True.”

  —Demon Lords are all about darkness. If she had said I was a different element, that would kinda ruin the image I’m going for.

  “...But, as for what ‘Darkness’ reveals about a person... I believe it would be ‘deception.’”

  “...What’s this now?”

  “It’s possible you could be hiding some big secret, or... Actually, never mind. In the end, this is nothing more than simple fortune-telling. After all, trying to classify something as complex as a person’s heart into one of six categories is just unreasonable.” Rem smiled, seemingly embarrassed.

  Calm and composed, Diablo gave a short chuckle in response. On the inside, however, his heart was pounding as he panicked over whether she had seen through his act.

  Cutting off their conversation, he looked back toward Shera. She was focused intently on pouring magic energy into the circle.