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Fire Cow Phalaris.

That was the giant monster that troubled us in Muspelheim heavily in the past.

That giant frame, skin harder than steel, and the high heat coming from its whole body had changed a whole area into a land where humans couldn’t live in.

But that guy had been defeated by Haine and Karen’s help, and for some reason, its big body had turned small, to the size of a calf.

On top of that, in a strange twist of events, the Fire Church ended up keeping him as a pet and continues to live there till today.

And yet, why is that Fire Cow Phalaris here right now?!

Wasn’t he returned to the Grand Fire Sanctuary by the staff due to the emergency situation?!

“A monster?” (Michael)

The Fire Demon Lord Michael couldn’t not get confused at the sudden arrival of someone of his kind in the side of the enemy.

“Moreover, fire element… Brethren of mine, where did you come from? Moreover, you attacked me?” (Michael)

That’s right!

The one who stopped the charge of Michael was that heat beam.

It is the technique that Phalaris used in the past when fighting against Haine.

It was a thin beam that can’t be compared to the time when he was as big as a mountain though.

If it’s in his current size…I can understand…

“What is the meaning of this? I am the Fire Demon Lord. The leader of all fire element monsters; your master. And yet, you attacked me. Don’t you understand the hierarchy?” (Michael)

Michael was showing the anger of a king towards Phalaris.

The Demon Lord, and the monsters aside from the Demon Lord; that is most likely the first time hierarchy was created within the monsters.

But…!

(…Hmph, a mere beast is barking.)

Eh?

Again this voice.

(Who is the one that is getting conceited, you big idiot. Who do you think is the one that created you fire beasts? Forgetting your gratitude towards your creator, you evolved arbitrarily, and not only that, you are treating your creator as a vassal? An idiot among idiots. It is so stupid I am shocked.)

What’s with this voice?

I have been hearing it intermittently for a while now. Moreover, it looks like it is holding anger towards Michael.

“Oi, what is this voice…?!” (Mirack)

Unable to endure it, I call the fire militants that were close to me, but…

“Eh? What is it, Hero-sama?”

“As I said, there’s a voice, right? It feels as if it is resonating directly in my head!” (Mirack)

But what came back from this fire militant was a face of confusion.

…Am I the only one who hears this voice?

From what I see, it looks like Michael can’t hear this voice either.

So I really am the only one who hears it?

“Disappear.” (Michael)

The Lord orders the cow.

“A lower form trying to go against its Lord, normally, I wouldn’t let something like that go, but right now, I am currently waging war against a more important opponent. I don’t have the time to waste on dealing with you. Disappear at once. Leave. Before my anger turns into action.” (Michael)

(You don’t understand, you really don’t understand… You pseudo-lifeform with no soul.)

This voice is…having a conversation with the Demon Lord?

(Who is the one who will be judging who? You…or me?)

But Michael didn’t react to that voice at all.

It is as if the voice was one-sidedly speaking.

(This tool that was only created to be of use to me has grown quite conceited. Demon Lord, you say? The new ruler of the surface world? Did I ask for you mere monsters to become more than what you were? When did I give you such authority? Acting as you wish with no permission. There’s no way I will forgive such insolence!!)

This voice held overwhelming anger!

(That arrogance, that arbitrariness; whose the one that angered the superior one? This pissess me off. It really pissess me off. You piss me off more than humans do!)

W-What is this?

Divine power welled up from Phalaris.

(The humans are also an unforgivable impietyful bunch, but…in terms of amount, you are leaps and bounds more. That’s why I have stepped in. If you don’t understand, I have to teach you. The kind of punishment you receive when angering a God!!)

“Oh?”

“Oooh?!”

“Ooooooooh?!”

The ones that raised voice of surprise and confusion were the fire militants that were watching from the surroundings.

Their gazes that were looking down were steadily rising up —matching the gigantification of the target of attention.

In other words…the Fire Cow Phalaris had grown giant.

Into the giant and fiendish monster that took authority of the Radona mountain range.

It was as if the dignity of that time had revived exactly as it was before.

“Hoh, you became bigger.” (Michael)

Michael was also one of the people that raised his gaze, but his voice was calm.

“What is the meaning of this?!” (Mirack)

The very culprit of making Phalaris small, Haine, said that he had no ability to fight anymore!

“Oi, this…!” “It is all over now!” “Not only the Demon Lord, even the Fire Cow!”

Voices of anxiety and fear were reverberating in the surroundings.

That is understandable. In the past, the worst enemy of the Fire Church was not the Demon Lord, but Phalaris after all.

It wasn’t only one fire militant that was reminded of those hellish days after seeing that big frame of Phalaris.

But…

“Everyone, don’t falter!” (Mirack)

I ended up shouting instinctively.

“There’s no need to worry about Phalaris. We will be fighting the Demon Lord just like we were! The plan continues! Hurry the next shot of ‘Grand Melt’!” (Mirack)

Even I didn’t understand well why I said that.

But I felt as if that voice had told me —the cow is currently our ally.

(Now, greenhorn Demon Lord! I will personally teach the young and ignorant you! The harshness of a God’s anger!!)

A red light surges from the wide open mouth of Phalaris.

([Big Heat Beam]!)

• 269: Together with the God

“That’s…!”

The strongest attack that the cow had shown in the fight at the Radona mountain range.

When that was shot at the faraway Muspelheim, if Haine hadn’t stopped it from the front, the city would have been destroyed completely.

“Uwaaaaa!!”

“Hiiieeee! We are going to die!!”

The terrifying energy it gave out had scared a number of fire militants though!

“Don’t falter! Look carefully at where the cow is aiming at!!” (Mirack)

That’s right.

The place where that cow had aimed at with his ‘heat beam’ was only at the Demon Lord Michael.

(DIEEEEEEEEE!!)

The giant lined blaze that was shot from the mouth of the cow had gone straight and hit Michael.

“Guuuuh!!” (Michael)

Michael had received it and was showing more pain than anytime today.

Or more like, the ‘heat beam’ should have enough power to destroy Muspelheim whole, and yet, Michael got a direct hit and hasn’t disappeared. That’s just crazy.

…In this battlefield, there’s already nothing but crazy.

“What is the meaning of this?” “A monster is fighting a monster?” “That cow is saving us?” “Let there be hot-bloodedness.”

That’s what it means.

It is true that that cow has been treated by the people as a popular figure, but a monster is a monster. Everyone thought from the depths of their heart that this nature wouldn’t change.

(Don’t misunderstand, humans!!)

That voice again!

From where is it coming from?! Who is it?! <Mirack must be a special cookie…>

(Humans and monsters are equal trash. Foolish and haughty people that don’t revere me! What’s the problem in punishing those kind of people!! That is the privilege of a creator of this world! Isn’t that right, Entropy?!)

This voice…

As I thought! Is it really the voice of that cow?!

(Listen you fools! And Entropy, Inflation, Quasar! What’s that about humans being great! What about having infinite possibilities! It is obvious that I am the one that is better than everyone else!!)

“This is…!” (Mirack)

I have somewhat understood it now.

Some kind of strange energy is coming inside the body of the cow.

Is that energy what made it possible for Phalaris to return?

It made it that big after having deflated that much?

“That energy…just from where?” (Mirack)

It looks like I am the only one who can see that energy.

Just what in the world is going on with my eyes and ears?!

At any rate, the infinite energy that is entering Phalaris…if I trace its origin…Muspelheim?

It is coming from the city?

That energy stream looks like big branches at a glance, but when I strain my eyes to see properly, thin and small streams joined together and became one big stream.

Every small thin stream, all thousands became a giant stream. On top of that, if I concentrate, from inside that stream, I can hear the voice of someone?

{Please help us.}

?!

{…Please help us, Fire God Nova-sama.}

This is?!

{Fire God Nova-sama, please grant us salvation.}

{Please provide divine protection to the fire militants that are valiantly fighting!}

{Damn it, if I were ten years younger, I would have been able to fight together with them!}

{I can only pray. That’s why…}

{Please save us, Nova-sama!} {Fire God Nova-sama!} {Please grant us salvation!} {Please help the hero and the fire militants.} {Nova-sama.} {Fire God-sama.} {Fire God Nova-sama.}

These are the prayers of people?!

Prayers become the energy to Phalaris and it is poured into him!

Because of that he became bigger and regained his past strength?!

Muspelheim should have notified of the emergency already and the city should be in martial law right now. Everyone is most likely enduring patiently this calamity.

The thing people that can’t fight and the people that can’t move can do is…only to pray.

(What a self-convenient bunch!)

And once again the voice of that cow.

(Relying on me only at times like this. You only pray to me when you are troubled. You forgot about me when you were soaked by that thing called ethereal and only remember me when you are in problems!)

That’s…!

(And yet…And yet why is it that I am still in this cow form?)

Eh?

(If I wanted to return, I would have been able to do anytime. I could have left this body that has no purpose anymore and return to the honorable heavens. Why did I stay here? Because the food was good? Because the stupid faces of the humans coming to see me everyday were amusing? Was it because the idiot Entropy began to get impatient after these so called Demon Lords appeared?)

“Guuugh!”

…?!

Wait, there’s no way!

Michael is walking slowly forward while being hit by the ‘Heat Beam’ of Phalaris!

“No matter how big you are, there’s no way an ordinary monster can defeat a Demon Lord!” (Michael)

Damn it!

“Ignis Militant corps! Hurry the preparation of Grand Melt!! Provide assistance to Phalaris!!” (Mirack)

I also want to assist, but my Flame Burst alone will simply be dispersed by the waves of the ‘Heat Beam’ of Phalaris and won’t reach the Demon Lord.

Am I this powerless?!

(Like hell I will acknowledge it! I won’t!!)

And the cow roars along with his ‘Heat Beam’.

(It is not only now! The humans always felt my presence! The daily gratitude, the small changes in emotion, the hatred, the anger; there was always a bit of God in them!! No matter the time, there was your God in the heart of the humans! I won’t acknowledge it! There’s no way I will acknowledge that I have understood this for the first time after involving myself with the humans!!)

What is that cow saying?!

He is getting confused. There’s no way he can concentrate on his attack with such a chaotic heart!

It is a given that the strength of the Heat Beam would lower with that.

What are you doing? Get a grip of yourself. You are the only one who can hold back Michael right now!!

“Do your best!!” (Mirack)

I reflexively let those words out.

Faster than my heart could think of it.

“What are you doing?! Get ahold of yourself! Fight on, Phalaris! Don’t lose to the Demon Lord!!” (Mirack)

My voice began to resound in the surroundings.

“…That’s right.” “That’s right, do your best!! Please do so!!” “Grand Melt will soon be ready! Stand your ground until then!!” “If we win this battle, I will let you eat a mountain of carrots!!” “Do your best Phalaris! Do your best together with us!!”

The people were sending cheers of support to a monster.

Has something like this ever happened?

But no matter the case, in order to overcome this despairing situation, we have no choice but to do our best together with that cow!

Together with that cow!!

And…the encouragement didn’t only come from us.

“Do your best, Phalaris!”

That voice…was way too light and young to be that of a fire militant’s.

To the point that it could be called childish.

When I see…there was a child?

At the back of Phalaris where Muspelheim is, there was a child standing there. Moreover, he is not alone. There’s several hundreds?!

“What’s with those children?!” “Wasn’t the city made to evacuate?!” “Someone! Drive away those children!!” “If an attack strays to them, it won’t end with a simple wound!!”

What the fire militants were saying was understandable.

But I soon thought this.

The ones that were the happiest in that city since the time that cow came to the city were the children. Because children love animals after all.

He is slightly more intelligent than normal animals, and this cow that exuded lovability was popular with the children.

And that popular cow is now fighting in order to protect them.

That’s why they couldn’t stay idle and ended up coming all the way here. Are even the children hot-blooded in Muspelheim?!

“Phalaris, do your best!” “Don’t lose!” “Defeat those monsters!” “Phalaris!” “Phalaris!”

The wish of the children, their trust, was becoming energy and entering that cow.

(I won’t acknowledge it! Like hell I will!!)

And then, Phalaris continues to scream.

While releasing a Heat Beam, for some reason, he shouts in a voice only I can hear.

I don’t know why only I can hear that voice, but there’s something I understand. It is not only the voice of that cow. Deep inside of him, there’s a vibration coming from something that seems to be a soul and it went all the way to me.

That vibration of the soul…felt like emotions.

The emotions of the soul were trembling.

Saying that it is happy.

Happy that he is being prayed by humans, happy that humans are relying on him, happy that humans know of his existence; surprised that having connections with someone else would create such happiness.

The trembling of the heart of humans was resonating with the trembling of the cow’s heart and created a bigger vibration.

A vibration strong enough to make the whole world tremble.

(Like hell I will acknowledge it!!!!)

The Heat Beam increased in thickness and it began to rival Michael’s.

“Uoooo!!” (Michael)

Everyone was becoming one and fighting the Demon Lord.

This whole city is…

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