Maou – Chapter 75: Epilogue – Confrontation with the unknown

TLN: I apologize for the short chapter, this one is meant to be released alone since it is -as you can see- an epilogue. This was the last chapter before it went on an ‘hiatus’.
Next chapters we will be entering the new arc that the author has been recently uploading.

Also, remember when I said I had a good candidate? Scratch that, it went in a pretty slow downhill, till a point where it just took a nosedive… so it is back to the search.

I think I am going to be releasing a little bit slower than usual now since I am going to prioritize the search instead.

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The Demon Lord and the Witch go down the long flight of stairs and step into the dungeon.

Of course, there’s not a single soul there, and it had turned into a space where there’s not even a sound ringing. It was as if the attack Maou released had brought silence to the whole dungeon.

“This is the dungeon Chief was talking about, right?” (Yuu)

“Umu, it is pretty quiet.” (Maou)

Right now the city is in chaos. Even so, looking at the number of monsters left, Otaglasses and the three stars should be able to deal with them without leaving a single one behind.

As long as a Boss level monster like the Hydra doesn’t show up, Yukikaze and Mikan won’t be lacking in ability either.

“Chief, this place is dark and creepy, isn’t it?” (Yuu)

“Well, yeah.” (Maou)

Yuu was acting as if she were saying ‘I am scared’ as she wrapped her arms around Maou’s arm. If Tahara were to see this, he would shout ‘you are the scariest one here!’.

“It is kind of like a haunted house. More so because there’s some sort of weird lighting.” (Yuu)

“Y-Yeah…” (Maou)

Yuu was casually pushing her well-shaped breasts on Maou’s arm with reddened cheeks. If Tahara were to see this, he would shout ‘The haunted house is your damn hospital!’.

Maou coughed hurriedly, and tells her that they will be jumping down with Mass Teleport.

“Sorry for overstepping here, but Chief…how about confirming each floor one by one? There’s the chance that something might have fallen. We should take our time  exploring everything slowly.” (Yuu)

“N-No, I do want to do that, but I am in a bit of a hurry here. Now then, let’s go.” (Maou)

“Aah, Chief–ahn…” (Yuu)

Yuu looked at him with regret, but Maou grabbed her body, and they forcefully jump to the 15th floor. This was the floor where he had previously seen the ‘prison’. Looks like this strange sight had even caught the eye of Yuu, she looks at both sides with a sharp gaze.

“Looks like quite the old…no, ancient prison.” (Yuu)

“Yuu, what do you think was ‘imprisoned’ here?” (Maou)

“Thinking about it normally, humans. Moreover, living beings close to the size of an adult.” (Yuu)

Maou looks at the cells again and it was certainly as Yuu said. Humans being imprisoned here made the most sense. Moreover, receiving quite the bad treatment.

When the two go one floor lower, there were also prison cells lined up there too. There’s ones that were made similarly, but there were also some which were made in a sturdier way.

The lower they went, the bigger the floors got, and the number of cells increased.

Yuu was unfazed, but for Maou, this was an ‘abnormal’ space.

Who and for what reason did they make something like this? Why was there the need to make it inside a dungeon? This was something that Maou couldn’t understand at all.

But Yuu said this in a light tone as if she were talking about the weather of tomorrow.

“—They might have been keeping humans here as pets.” (Yuu)

“Haha!” (Maou)

Maou laughed lightly at that, but those words strangely remained in his ears.

This place is brimming with monsters. It wouldn’t be strange for people to go crazy being imprisoned in such a place.

No, there’s no way to stay normal.

“Whichever the case, I don’t like it.” (Maou)

“It is as you say. The happiness and management of the masses should all be as Chief desires.” (Yuu)

“Umu.” (Maou)

Maou simply nods, but he was screaming internally.

If he could shout it out loud, he would go: ‘I don’t want to manage something like that!’.

But the moment they arrived at the lowest floor, the 20th floor, the atmosphere of the floor took a drastic turn.

Only the expression of Maou changed.

What was there was…a modern factory.

Only this floor, its floor and its walls were clearly made of concrete, with naked steel frames, and several belt conveyors moving.

There were cut monsters and even burned humans on top of the belts being carried somewhere. There were also clothes, edged tools, and even the walls of houses on those belts, and it was as if they were gathering things without concern of what it was.

“I see. Looks like we have been guided to a different floor.” (Maou)

“…Chief?” (Yuu)

“No, you see, this is quite different from the ‘20th floor’ I was told of before. Yuu, is this floor not any different from the ones of before?” (Maou)

“Yeah…there’s boorish bare rocks and it is a dim space.” (Yuu)

The 20th floor that Maou heard Yukikaze describe was a normal one.

There’s no way to mistake it for this modernistic facility.

What Maou had a faint feeling of…had now changed into certainty.

“Looks like it knows my ‘identity’.” (Maou)

The gun he found at the 15th floor, the 20th floor that’s not the same as usual; it must be having fun showing him things that others don’t know. Is it provoking him, or is it trying to tell him something?

“Please wait, going alone is—” (Yuu)

“If something were to be pulled with the two of us at once, we wouldn’t be able to deal with it. If a status effect hits me, heal me without restraints. Okay?” (Maou)

“Y-Yes…” (Yuu)

Maou continues on deeper within this place where there’s several conveyor belts lined up. There were monsters and humans equally being carried away.

Putting it bluntly, it was a creepy sight, one that would make a normal person falter. But the legs of Maou didn’t stop.

The door at the deep part of the factory opened automatically.

Is it moving with electricity, or is it moving with magic? When Maou makes a single step in, a single answer was brought.

“I see, so it is a recycling factory, huh.” (Maou)

When he looks below, he could see that the monsters and humans that were being carried away were being dropped into some sort of giant blast furnace, and from there, they turned into new monsters and carried off.

In the world, there’s the concept of reincarnation after death, but what was happening in front of his eyes was far from that.

Also…the countless crystals lined up in the room.

There were small ones but also gigantic ones, easily surpassing the hundreds; all piled up, and it had become an art piece in itself.

It was a sight that brought chills, and even Maou gulped.

“Does it want me to give an art evaluation here?” (Maou)

Maou asks this…at the party that prepared this and must be waiting for him. Someone that has unknown magic; someone that has unknown technological knowledge.

The recycling of life that’s happening before his very eyes, the gun that uses solar energy; just the things that he knows were already enough to surpass the technology of modern Japan.

Maybe it heard the question of Maou, the crystals all project the same answer at the same time.

{Let’s play, Maou.}

Seeing the letters projected, Maou silently lights up a tobacco.

Maybe it didn’t like the reaction of Maou, several of the crystals cracked. And then, new words were projected in the  crystal.

{Play, Maou.}

They were similar words, but the meaning was different.

The former one was still an invitation, but the latter one had a stronger and more coercive kind of wording to it. Seeing this, Maou takes out the tobacco from his mouth, and flicks it right onto the crystals.

The lighted up tobacco hits a crystal, and rolls its way down. An instant later, the crystals began to make a loud noise, and crack one after the other.

The last one remaining, the crystal at the center, had red letters projected.

{I will play with you, Maou.}

Seeing this, Maou makes a daring smile.

“So you finally show your real nature.” (Maou)

{I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you I will play with you I will kill you.}

“Haha!” (Maou)

Maou secretly felt fear at that message, that evil intent.

But the strength of will of this man…managed to even retract the fear welling up, making his appearance sharper than ever.

That’s right, this man has been pushing through his own will by crushing his weakness the stronger the adversity is. Even if in the eyes of others it would look like a ragged bandaged up struggle.

“Acting the superior even when in this rusty factory? That’s a good joke.” (Maou)

Maou had steeled himself and looks straight at the crystal, saying this in a dignified manner.

That’s right, this man has a weapon.

And he also has a chance of victory.

A peerless ‘world’ that a normal modern person would by no means have.

The game world that he created with 15 years of hardships and is a bundle of cheats.

The letters in the crystal flow down one after the other, and the contents changed dizzily.

{GAME OVER.}

Maou throws the Sodom Fire at that message without saying a word.

The crystal was broken to pieces and rained like sparkling snow, and within all that, Maou gives out a declaration of war.

“—I don’t know who or what the hell you are, but I will tell you one thing.” (Maou)

Maou then takes one deep breath and shouts.

“There’s nothing impossible for me and the Grand Empire!” (Maou)

Maou waves his jet-black coat and leaves the room.

Since this day, the sparks of the intense battle between the Demon Lord and the thing that controls this parallel world had been kindled.