Part 9
Vanir seemed to had completely taken over Darkness's body.
"Fuhahahaha! Fuhahahaha! Alright, prepare yourself, moi rival! To think I can destroy thou in such a place, even I couldn't foresee that! Oh… The weakest man among the adventurers present… Thou true nature had been seen through by moi, allow this devil of foresight to give you my prophecy."
Vanir spoke to me who was standing before Darkness:
"Thou who seeks peace and stability listen well. Don't waste your effort; just pretend you didn't see anything. Thou has good luck, but it was cancelled out by the bad luck of your companions. For your own safety, thou should find other party mates, that way…"
Before Vanir could finish, I already slashed at his mask in silence!
But as I expected, that was easily dodged by him.
"The man who values his safety before all else, what caused you to have a change of heart? No matter what thou does, it won't help the current situation. Aside from the Vanir doll, I can also throw in a mask that looked just like moi. Just take these and be gone."
"I, I don't want such things… Anyway, what's up with you Darkness, why did you let your body get taken over so easily? You got tamed by that devil who suddenly showed up in no time? Are you really a gullible and easy woman?"
I said my taunting words.
"Fuhahahaha! It's useless, now (Jerk, who are you calling gullible and easy! He didn't tame me! It's just that the way this devil is manipulating and hurting my heart is too skilled…!) as thou can see, this girl can't hear you any... Hmm… What an iron-like will, moi didn't expect this. I have lived in this world for such a long time, but I have never met someone I couldn't dominate."
Should I say this was as I expected? That crusader whose interest was in endurance still had control over herself.
"Darkness, listen carefully. I will break the seal on the mask in a moment. It's fine even if it is just an instant, but you have to wrest back control of your body from Vanir. Then rip off that mask and throw it away. After that…"
Once the mask was removed from Darkness, it would be Aqua's turn to shine.
… It was as though he saw through what I was thinking…
"Hmm, that isn't a bad plan, but there is a problem. How would thou who is weak break the seal of moi who had fully unleashed the powers of this girl? It would be so much easier to defeat my hated enemy by maintaining the current status quo. If you want to break the seal, wait until I have finished off that woman. (Yeah, don't look down on the current me. I don't think I will lose to anybody right now!)
That's what Vanir said and…
"You, you moron… are you on his side too?!"
— The adventurers who lost consciousness after getting hit by the blunt side of Vanir's sword collapsed around the area.
And Aqua who was casting healing spell on the adventurers who were down, stood behind me when she saw that I was opposing Vanir:
"Kazuma, I will support you from behind! Use my buffing spells and destroy that devil like a hero!"
After Aqua said her irresponsible lines to fan the flames…
"Fufu, I will help you from behind too. Alright Kazuma, it is time for you to awaken the power sleeping inside you. Stop playing around and liberate Darkness from that devil!"
Megumin who was also standing behind me also taunted irresponsibly.
What do you mean by the power sleeping inside me?
But Aqua and Megumin seemed to think that I would challenge Vanir head on and then break the seal.
Vanir took up a fighting stance when he heard what they said.
"Fuhahaha! You want to defeat moi?! (If) you want to take off this (talisman!), come (at me bro). Shut up! Don't snatch the cool lines from moi!"
"Didn't the two of you hate that talisman? And now you don't want me to take it off, make up your mind."
As I couldn't help but retort, I instructed Aqua to prepare her exorcism spell.
"Brat, thou must be have a scheme in mind. It's all because of that woman who is emitting bright flames, shrouding thou's mind from me. But thou didn't seem to be planning to fight moi with swords… Hmmm, thou must be thinking of using some skills right? (It's 'steal'! Kazuma must be using his best skill 'steal'!)"
"You, you idiot! Why did you reveal my trump card!"
I couldn't help retorting when I heard Darkness gloated. Vanir smiled deviously.
"Kazuma, the spell is ready!"
"Great, leave the rest to me! Well then, time for me to move, Darkness! Just like that time in the dojo, let's make a bet! If I win, I will add in something even more overboard on top of my 'overboard demand'. You can do as you wish if you win!"
"(Ahh, to, to use such tricks at a time like this…!) Damn, damn it, don't get taken in by the tempting words of that man! Don't show your weak side, refresh your soul! Increase your power to resist his 'steal'…!"
As Darkness was struggling internally, Vanir couldn't move well and stopped.
At this moment, I heard Megumin started chanting explosion spell behind me.
I was stunned for a moment, and saw that Megumin was staring at the entrance of the dungeon when I turned back.
Adventurers were rushing out of the dungeon, and Vanir's dolls were chasing them.
When Vanir saw that, the eyes of the mask gleamed eerily, and the dolls flooding out of the dungeon started swarming towards us.
Megumin seemed to be targeting them.
"Alright, I'm coming Vanir! Darkness, keep resisting Vanir, don't let him move!"
I said as I reached out towards the mask…!
"Just a 'Steal' from a mere adventurer! If thou think it will work on moi, thou art going to be disappointed! Just try it, don't hold back…!"
"Tinder—!"
… After all that build up, what I shouted wasn't 'steal', but the fire magic 'tinder'.
I didn't need to tear or steal the talisman.
I just needed to burn it with fire…!
"… Fuha! Fuhahahaha! Fuhahahahaha! (Ahhh, how despicable, Kazuma you scoundrel!) To think thou could trick moi, the devil of foresight, splendid!"
The talisman on the mask caught fire and the thing bounding Vanir and Darkness together was gone.
"Hey Darkness, show me your mental toughness! Take off that mask and throw it away!"
Darkness placed her hand on her mask when she heard me say that and—!
"(…! I can't take it off…!)"
Under the strong resistance from Vanir, the mask was still sticking tightly to Darkness' face.
Vanir's dolls were swarming in.
And the adventurers who escaped the dungeon formed a human wall to block them.
Everyone seemed to sense that we were facing a boss level enemy, and were planning to hold back the minions for us.
"Kazuma-san—! What should I do? Can I cast my spell?"
"No, wait, the mask is still on Darkness! Even if you cast your spell like this, it would be resisted by her…"
— At this moment.
"(Don't worry, just do it.)"
With her hands still trying to take off the mask, Darkness muttered.
Even if she said that, it won't be effective.
"(If Aqua's spell don't work… Then don't worry about me and cast explosion, just blow me away with him.)"
Darkness said…
… Hey, what are you saying.
"You idiot! No matter how tough you are, you can't survive explosion magic!"
"(How would you know if you don't try it!) Wait, don't be rash, let's talk this over."
When Darkness said that, Vanir who was calm all this while started to panic a little.
Darkness then told Aqua and Megumin behind me who had finished preparing their magic:
"Aqua! Cast the exorcism spell the moment this mask leaves my body!) How about calling it a draw today? (If this mask keep sticking onto me, then cast your explosion, Megumin…!) To fight to a draw with moi who is a demon king army boss and the duke of hell, it is something thou could boast to others about!"
"I, I understand Darkness! I will do it once that annoying thing is out of the way!"
Aqua watched that mask closely, ready to cast her spell any moment.
"Kazuma, Darkness is insane, even she can't survive that!"
Megumin cried to me with tears in her eyes.
Suddenly, everyone, including the dolls charging us, Sena and the adventurers stopped.
They stood far away from Darkness, not daring to move.
— In this situation.
"(… Hey Vanir. The time was short, but it wasn't too bad hanging around with you. So at the very least… I will let you choose. You want to be purified after getting away from me, or do you want to be blown up by explosion together with me. Which one do you prefer?)"
Darkness forced Vanir to make such an unreasonable choice.
Both of them meant his destruction.
"… I am a devil."
Vanir answered with a heavy heart…
"As an existence that opposes the gods, I don't want to be purified. Fuhahaha… My wish for destruction is coming true in an unexpected manner. Good bye, it was fun possessing thou's body."
He chose explosion.
Hearing him say that, the masked Darkness went far away from us.
"(Do it, Megumin!)"
Darkness cruel request made Megumin shook her head in refusal. I went up to Sena who was watching the events unfold with a blank expression and patted her shoulder.
"If something unfortunate do happen, please be the witness and testify that it was my instruction. It is the same this time too, I will bear the full responsibility."
When she heard what I said, Sena nodded firmly with a pale face and gulped.
The crusader that was the pride of our party was really tough and tenacious.
— The toughest in all of Axel.
"Do it, Megumin!"
Shortly after I gave the word.
A loud explosion took place a short distance before the dungeon—