It all started with Alice's words.
[Kaito-san, would you like to try "playing hero"?]
[...Unnn? Sorry, I don't really understand what you meant. Playing hero?]
Just from the words she said, what I had imagined was how children were playing a role of something, like a samurai or a doctor... but there's no way she could be talking about that, right?
[No, well, it just started with an idea... but I thought I'd give Kaito-san a taste of what it's like being a Hero. As the Hero, you would defeat the Demon Lord... I guess it would be something like role-playing.]
[Errr, does that mean it's not like how Mitsunaga-kun plays the role of Hero, but just like how Neun-san went on a journey and gathered allies?]
[Yes. Of course, we'll be simplifying some things along the way, but I've prepared a lot of things so you can feel like a Hero.]
[...That kinda sounds interesting.]
In short, I can play as if I'm the protagonist of a game, right? Well, it would normally really just be something like playing pretend, but if Alice is the one preparing it, I can expect that the would have quite the high quality.
If that's the case, I think this will be as fun as amusement park attractions.
[Ohh, well then, let's get on with it!]
[Eh? Already?]
[Yes. I guess the first would be having you summoned as the Hero.]
[...Eh? Summoned?]
There's something that feels disturbing about the words Alice cheerfully spoke about... but before I knew it, a magic circle appeared at my feet and my vision was enveloped in light.
When the light cleared up, I found myself in an unfamiliar place... wasn't the case, as when I looked around, it seemed like I was in the familiar "Sanctuary".
[Welcome, Hero Kaito. I am Shallow Vernal, the God who brought you into this world.]
[...Eh? Ahh, yes.]
Arehh? Is the playing Hero game starting already? Rather, Shiro-san is playing along as well huh... What an extravagant play pretend this is.
[You will now embark on a journey to defeat the Demon Lord.]
[Yes.]
I felt like the development was a little abrupt, but since we're playing a game, I decided to just not care about the minor details and nod along.
[As a parting gift to you on your journey... I bestow upon you the "God's Sword" (ATK + 9999), "God's Armor" (DEF + 9999), "Auto-Block Shield", "Magic Reflect Helm", "Auto-Heal Greaves", "TwiceEXP Bracelet", "Null: Debuff Ring", "Elixir x999", "Phoenix Down x999", "Bag of Infinite Storage", and "10,000 white gold coins" as war funds.]
[...…]
Isn't the initial support a bit too generous!? It feels like I'm stacked with end-game equipment, you know!? Heck, she even gave me an unbelievable amount of money, but is there even anything I needed to buy!?
After Shiro-san, the one playing the role of the Summoner Goddess, gave me an enormous amount of money, high-tier equipment and a large number of consumables, I was forcibly teleported to a place called Starter Town... or so, that's what the setting calls it, where I would gather my allies.
[Incidentally, based on Hikari-san's journey, Kaito-san can have up to three allies. However, Alice-chan will be taking up one of your slots as the Thief. If I'm going to explain things anyway, it would be better if I have a role where I can stay nearby.]
[U- Unnn... Alright.]
[Also, let's cut down on the unnecessary developments and have your two other allies join in already.]
The development really is very quick. However, with Alice as my ally, I feel like the team is already overpowered... So who exactly would be the remaining two allies?
If we're basing this on Neun-san's journey... If Alice is going to be the Thief, we'd probably need a Warrior, which was held by Laguna-san, and a Sage/Mage, which was held by Fors-san, right?
[First would be... "The Warrior, Neun".]
[I'm in your care.]
[...…..]
...The real Hero... arrived while I'm playing Hero. Even though the situation looked chaotic already, it seems like it's getting even more chaotic.
I mean, two of our party already consists of the First Hero's former party...
[And then, "The Mage, Isis".]
[...I'll do my best.]
[....]
Am I even needed here? Having the First Hero and two of the Six Kings in the party, isn't this a sure win already? I mean, who the heck is the Demon Lord that would pick a fight against these three? I feel like it would need to be Kuro or someone of her caliber to even be able to deal with them...
[Warrior Neun, Mage Isis, and Thief Alice has joined your party!]
[...What's with those letters floating in the air?]
[It's the notification window. Think of it as part of the game.]
[...I- Is that so... I see.]
This is strange, isn't it? I'm supposed to be the Hero here, but why do I feel like I'm being left out...
[Well then, now that we've gathered our allies, let's go defeat the Demon Lord... By the way, let's cut all the journey we need to go through the road and move on to the battle against the Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings.]
[...U- Understood.]
For the time being, well, let's just go with that. As I have learned from my past experiences, in times like this, it's best if I just go with the flow.
Thereupon, with a quick change of location, I found myself in front of what seemed to be a stone fort.
[...So, we finally meet. I'm one of the Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings, "Shea of the Disasters"!]
[...What are you doing, Shea-san...]
[...I'm under Shallow Vernal-sama's orders... I have no right to refuse.]
[T- Thank you for your hard work.]
The first of the Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings was unexpectedly Shea-san. Well, with her weapon choice being a scythe and how she often wears a black robe, I guess she certainly looks like a Demon Lord's subordinate.
However, no matter how I look at it, the person herself looked like she was begrudgingly doing this... W- Well, that aside, this will be our first fight... Even though we're just playing pretend, I wonder how we would fight?
As I was thinking about this, the notification window I had seen earlier appeared once again.
[The Disaster, Shea has appeared!]
[Thief Alice gains preemptive strike! Knife at the ready, Alice uses!]
[Alice inflicts "980 attacks".]
[9999 x 980 damage dealt to Shea.]
[Guwaaaahhhh!?]
[The Disaster, Shea has fallen!]
S- Shea-saaaaaaaan!? Shea-san has been cruelly torn to pieces by Alice... Eh? No, we're going to have that kind of serious fight? We're not just going to fall down while dramatically screaming or something like that!? We're seriously going into a fight where one can be turned into minced meat!?
[Well~~ The Four Heavenly Kings really are formidable opponents, aren't they? Well, let's not waste too much time on Shea-san and move on.]
[...Are you a devil...?]
"I'm glad you've made it this far, Hero and his lackeys. I am one of the Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings, "The Undying Phoenix, Phenex". Can you even hope to defeat this immortal me!? Now, come at me! Whatever attack you do matters not to the immortal me, and I will not even bother avoiding it!"
[....]
The second of the Four Heavenly Kings was Phenex-san, who has quite the reputation of being a big masochist. She's saying "Come at me!", spreading her blazing wings as wide, looking as if she will "dignifiedly" receive everything... but from the way she was asking me to attack her, I could clearly sense her sinful fetishes.
[The Phoenix, Phenex has appeared!]
[Warrior Neun attacks. Neun unleashes !]
[9999 damage dealt to Phenex.]
"Nuaaaahhh, that's a great attack! However, that's not enough! Come at me with even more ferocity! Pierce me with your big spear!"
[Phenex is delighted.]
...Someone please take this perverted chicken away. What's worse is that she's immortal. An immortal masochist really is extremely troublesome...
As I was thinking about this, Isis-san quickly held up her hand and made large icicles appear around Phenex-san.
"Ooohhhh! Now, those are quite the big, fat icicles you... big and fat icicles... Oya? This arrangement, this technique... Ahh."
[Mage Isis attacks. Isis invokes!]
"...Keep your big, fat Seal Magic away from meeeeeeee!?"
[The Phoenix, Phenex has been sealed!]
Seeing Phenex-san being encased in ice as she shouted out, an inexplicable emptiness welled up in my heart. I heard someone say that fighting brings nothing... but I feel like the feeling welling up within my heart is something different from that.
Although I was feeling a little depressed, we defeated the second of the Four Heavenly Kings... and reached the third of the Four Heavenly Kings. And I, without looking anywhere, just stared into the void, a look of resignation on my face.
[The Sorrowful, Tiamat has appeared!]
[Tiamat awaits your attack.]
[Fighting is a sad thing... However, it is also true that fighting will never disappear from this world. In that case, I'll accept it with this body of mine! I'll accept all of your sorrow!!! Come! Your anger! Your sorrow! Let it out on me!]
...Why is it that just when I thought we've defeated a big masochist, another masochist appears again? Who the heck picked the Four Heavenly Kings? Rather, I have a bad feeling about this... Don't tell me, the fourth of the Four Heavenly Kings is her, right?
[Before you know it, The Sorrowful, Tiamat has fallen!]
Thereupon, I found myself standing in front of the cave where the final member of the Four Heavenly Kings awaited. I don't know why, nor if it means anything at all, but it seems that I can't take my allies with me to the final cave, and I would have to take on the challenge alone.
I'm not really convinced that I should go inside this cave by myself but... I certainly haven't done any fighting or anything useful up to this point, so I reluctantly agreed and proceeded down the cave that only had a single straightforward path.
Soon, I reached what seemed to be the deepest part of the cave... and my shoulders slumped down.
[You've struggled well, reaching this far, Hero... However, you who don't have your allies... Can you even defeat me!? Can you gain victory against I, the last of the Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings, "The Insane, Pandora"!?]
[...….]
Saying such a line, looking at me with bloodshot eyes and drool dripping down the corner of her lips... was the person that I had really expected to be the final member of the Four Heavenly Kings. Stop. Please stop the Four Heavenly Masochists from popping into my mind... I mean, three of them are the Phantasmal King's subordinates, aren't they!? Seriously, is there no one decent among Alice's subordinates... They aren't my subordinates, but just thinking about them makes my head hurt.