V8C7

Volume 8, Chapter 7: A Change of Heart

"Hey, you, hurry up and come here!"

Old man Jiroki seems quite anxious.

"What's going on, Old Man Jiroki?" Aoi asked.

"Huh? Jiroki? This person here?" Kazanzakis-san was greatly surprised.

"Do you know him?" I asked Kazanzakis-san.

"Know him? This person is crucial to our side, especially as we approach the . He must have been part of your education as well," Kazanzakis-san replied.

He really is the educator.

"Well, for now, the Demon Lord has decided to take my place..." I muttered quietly, looking down.

"That's already been rejected! The so-called Demon Lord brought by that beastfolk woman is just a pathetic middle-aged man, and Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama got furious!" Old man Jiroki shakes me by the collar.

"Huh? The Demon Lord was a pathetic middle-aged man?" Mitsuki said.

"Pathetic is an understatement. Not only was he unkempt with messy hair, but his clothes were like those of a homeless person... and he was incredibly weak. He fainted when Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama showed her anger," Old man Jiroki insisted.

"That's harsh," Colonel Kunihito mumbled.

"Huh? Someone like that called themselves the Demon Lord?" I was dumbfounded.

This is unbelievable. Can't he see himself objectively?

"You see, Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama... for your sake, she slept alone for thousands of years, away from her comrades. Can you understand her feelings?" Old man Jiroki said with a serious expression.

Well, when he puts it that way, maybe I was in the wrong.

Even Aoi, who seemed a bit jealous, appeared sympathetic.

"Yuuki-kun, I implore you as well. If she waited for you according to the prophecy, Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama must be too pitiful. Can't you reconsider?" Kazanzakis-san also asked earnestly.

"Brother, in other words, she spent thousands of years alone just to meet her brother," Apollo said.

Well, being called "alone for thousands of years" does make it hard to refuse.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go," I replied resignedly.

Old man Jiroki looked relieved.

But then his expression changed as he looked towards the island.

"What is that weapon over there?" Old man Jiroki exclaimed in surprise.

"A tube-like weapon attacked Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama. There was an explosion around her," I explained.

"What?" I made a strange noise upon hearing Old man Jiroki's words.

Tube-like? Like a bazooka?

"And then, something like a machine gun? Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama was attacked, and the Dragon King Gouou shielded her, taking the brunt of the attack," Old man Jiroki said, trembling.

"Alone? Just one person attacked both the Dragon King Gouou and Dragon Lady Ryujo-sama?" Old man Jiroki continued in disbelief.

"Huh? So, the initial Demon Lord was a decoy? They lured us into a trap?" I replied in astonishment.

"Wait a minute, that means..." Mitsuki had a realization.

"The Demon Lord isn't from this side, probably only the people from their world know about it, which is why it seemed strange..." I mumbled.

"I can't believe it. Dragon King Gouou is struggling. His mouth is being intensely damaged by the machine gun," Old man Jiroki said, genuinely shocked.

"T-This is probably..." Mitsuki was trembling.

"Yeah, probably our old man," I said, even I could feel my face twitching.