Kuro no Maou

I looked up at that red sky like a fool, from the dark alley.

“What, the heck was that?..........”

I feel as if I just woke up from a daydream.

Yeah, I had been dreaming till now no doubt.

The sudden scream, the fight with the three men, the child Mia who called herself a God—–although they happened just recently and I clearly remember it, but it doesn’t have a sense of reality.

Maybe after 5 mins, I’ll forget what happened just as how one forgets what they were dreaming after waking up.

“Am I too tired?”

If I really had been simply dreaming and had been standing here dazed all this time, my heart and mind might have been broken more than I thought.

Neurosis, was it? I had thought that mental illnesses were something unrelated to me but it seems I possess a much sensitive and delicate heart than I thought.

Shaking off such ridiculous thoughts, I, for the time being, began to walk.

By the way, where am I right now? Due to wandering around here and there while being troubled, I have no idea where did I even come from.

Maybe, that’s when I began to daydream. But, thanks to that, my mind has recovered its calmness.

Since its already evening, I’ll end up breaking my promise of returning by dinner.

First, I need to get out of this narrow alley and should get to a wider road.

Spada is already big, and I have arrived here only a few days back. I am not familiar with the roads and streets here at all. To get back to the address of my residence, I should first try to get back to my starting point.

Now then, the problem is, how should I get back to the main street from here but let’s start moving for the time being.

It was already a dim and gloomy alley, and now that the sun was setting, it became more and more ruled by darkness.

With the help of my eyes that could see in the dark, I kept on walking through the same looking alley——Wait a second, ‘eyes’?

“......I can see.”

It was, just so natural, that I had not realized it till now.

I was currently using both of my eyes right now to see.

But that’s weird, after all, I had lost my left eye to the 8th Apostle’s attack.

But even so, my left eye was working like normal.

Why? How? I questioned but I could only think of one answer.

“Let’s see, just like a miracle of God, I’ll restore that eye of yours.”

I recalled that abnormal act as she had pulled out her own eye and pushed it into me.

But, with just that,

“My eye, really healed?”

I had no reason to doubt. It was a fact that my left eye had healed.

Then all that happened just now was real and not a dream. Then that child Mia is actually a God?

“Are you serious?..........”

Just as she had said, she really did perform a god-like miracle.

But unlike Paulo, I don’t feel like suddenly worshipping Mia as a God.(T/N: not sure but he referencing Paulo Coelho here I think.)

No, if my heart had changed that quickly, it would feel more like disgusting brainwashing rather than reforming.

I don’t feel like worshipping her for it but Mia did certainly give a clear proof that she might actually be a God.

Although, there is also the possibility that she was simply an incredible magician with an ability that allowed her to heal my eye instantly as well.

But still, regardless of what Mia’s true identity was, it’s a fact that she healed my eye and has the will to provide me with the power called ‘Divine protection’.

Then, I don’t care whether Mia’s simply a magician pretending to be God, an actual God, or even an Evil God. As long as she provides me with power, I’m fine with anything.

“I don’t know what trial I am supposed to go through but I accept it.”

I don’t know whether this counts as having faith in her but I still thank her from the bottom of my heart.

She helped me recover, even though it was through such a farce, when I was feeling down and also gave me the possibility to receive her DP.

But, since I don’t know the details needed to clear this trial, it seems I can’t along with it for now.

If I were to believe her words, ‘her eye’ or rather my left will tell me when the time comes. Till then, I can only wait for a response from it.

Now then, right now, rather than the details of the trial, I’ll be happy if she could tell me how I can get back to my inn though.

“I guess God won’t help me that easily.”

There’s no change in my left eye, that means, I have no choice but to find my own path.

Oh man, I hope I can at least get out of the slums and reach the main street before the sun completely sets—–

“Kyaaaaaa!!”

I heard a shrill scream.

“Eh, no, seriously?”

Could it be that I am being played around by the God again?

It’s the same situation as before. The only thing different is the condition of my mind and heart.

Well then, it really is an extremely suspicious situation but,

“I can’t just act like I didn’t hear anything either, now can I?’

That’s right, I decided to act as however I wanted no matter what.

Even if this scream is a trap, I don’t have the choice to abandon her.

I pray, that I can really save someone actually this time!

.

.

.

Further in the alley, in a place witch crumbling stone walls, a situation exactly like the charade made by the God was progressing.

“Oraa! Hurry up and pay!!”

“hehe, I know you’ve got quite some gold coins!”

Three thugs had cornered a young girl towards the wall.

There was a one-in-a- million possibility that this was some unavoidable situation in which an outsider couldn’t and shouldn’t interfere but, well, going by their way of speaking, I doubt its anything else than normal extortion.

“Oi, what’s going on there?”(kurono)

I don’t even have to examine the situation, I quickly appeared and called towards the thugs.

At the same time I didn’t forget to glare at them in the form of intimidation either. When I seriously glared, the effect was so strong that let alone my classmates, even my friends were unable to look me in the eye.

“Aah?”

The three men turned towards me with a look of hostility.

Since I had just gone through something like this, I only felt a déjà-vu.

But still, it seems this time it’s actually a real extortion.

The three men look completely different from the men I had blown away and though the girl’s attire is similar, she’s not Mia.

“Who the fuck are you?”

A stereotypical question came towards me.

For the time being, I was going to say that I was just an adventurer passing by, at that moment.

“Ah, you bitch!?”

“Uoh! Wait!!”

The girl pushed aside the men, and began running.

Due to the sudden actions, the girl quickly passed through me and disappeared in the black alley.

“Well, what can I say.........sorry for the disturbance.”(kurono)

The situation resolved itself even though I didn’t do anything.

To have run away in that small opening, the girls of Spada are really bold.

Thinking that, I began to turn around when,

“Oi, wait right there sonny.”

I was called back.

“Aa, whacha gonna do about this! You hindered our important job!”

“Don’t ya think that a little apology and compensation is required!?”

It seems now that their target ran away, the men have taken offence against me.

“You bastard, you’re just a rank 1 adventurer right? Trying to act cool like that! Pay up everything you have or we won’t let you get out of here alive!!”

Saying that, the skinheaded man with the biggest body drew his sword from his waist and closed in towards me.

The man might be trying to show incredible killing intent but since it had really no effect on me, I was thinking of something completely different like how the guild card on mmy neck quickly gave away my adventurer rank.

“Ou, what happened, how about apologising to us already!?”

Before I realized, that man was already standing in front of me without even taking a stance with his sword.

“You should hurry up and apologise. Our bro is an amazing warrior that can even uses Boost, a rank 1 adventurer won’t be an opponent for him!”

“Bro cut away his arm with you martial art!!”

The two men behind him were calling this baldy Bro or whatever.

I see, so this guy is a warrior class who can use both Boost and martial art, eh? That really is amazing. I wonder if he was comparable to a rank 3 adventurer.

“Say, you don’t want trouble either right? How about you obediently let me go back?”(kurono)

They seem to be all fired up but I try to end this with talking till the very end.

But,

“Are you a fuckin idiot?”

It seems negotiating is impossible.

As that baldy raised that sword overhead with a single hand, he suddenly shouted.

“[Force Boost]!!”

Large biceps could be seen on the right hand that was holding the sword.

“It’s here!! Bro’s [Force Boost]!!”

The underling behind him gave a kind explanation as well.

But, I couldn’t sense any magic from that baldy bro. In the first place, he didn’t even chant. Could it be that he is simply putting all his strength I his hand normally?

“This is the punishment to have underestimated me. Be ready to forfeit one of your hands—-[Slash]!”(bro)

Shouting that, he brought down the blade.

“It’s here! Bro’s sure-kill technique [Slash]!!”

Once again a kind explanation was given. By the way, this time it was the second underling that did the explaining.

But, once again I feel sorry but this slash that had been fired towards me didn’t give off any intimidation let alone the pressure of a martial art skill. Isn’t he simply using all his strength to swing down his sword?

“haah, and to think I actually put up my guard.”(kurono)

I thought that he might be actually a rank 3 level fighter and had prepared to use my Magic Bullet- Full Burst but it was totally useless.

I grabbed the man’s right hand with my left and stopped his sword attack.

“Wha!?!”

The baldy’s eyes went round with shock.

That pathetic speed and cheap swordsmanship, and that too without any Boost or martial art; I could stop it with purely my physical skills.

Well, it’ll be a pain if kept on swinging his sword around like that so,

“Pile Bunker!”

I smashed my my right fist with black magical energy swirling around it like a drill into the sword handle and destroyed it.

“Th, the sword.......”

As I let go of his hand, he stumbled as he took a few steps back and looked at the destroyed sword in his hand dumbfounded.

“Hii!?!”

As he let out a pathetic scream, his underlings behind him ran away just like the girl.

Since I was blocking the only passage, the splendidly did a wall climb and jumped to the other side of the wall.

It seems, not just women but even men of Spada are quick with their feet.

“Ah, Oi, you guys......”

And the baldy could only look at those two running away like a child who had separated from his parents.

Though with the amount of muscles he has along with his shaved head, he only looked disgusting with that expression.

“Oi.”

As I spoke to him,

“Wh, wh, what, what is it, do you still want to fight! Huh!!?”

Even while stuttering and shaking, he took a fighting pose with his two fists. It seems he still has enough energy to try and bluff.

But, I have no reason to go along with it.

“I’m going back now. Don’t chase after me, ‘kay?”(kurono)

The girl in danger has run away and neither had they taken money from her nor had she been hurt.

I don’t really feel like personally punishing this guy either, After all, I’m just an adventurer passing through. I have no reason to act any more than saving the girl.

“O, okay........”(baldy)

The man had a clearly relieved expression, and lost the strength in his legs as he fell down right there.

“if possible, try not to do such things anymore. If you work as a proper adventurer, you’ll still be able to earn money.”

Though well aware that they wouldn’t reform themselves with just those words, I still had to say that.

And, though I did nothing, feeling satisfied by saving her, I left the place.

Now then, where is the way back, it’s already dark now.........