The Strongest Knights ~The strongest one is not the leader, but seems to be the cook~ Chapter 15

Like, I can’t even… Ugh, just read. Sorry it was late.
-love, haru

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Chapter 15

「Who are you!」

「FUHAHAH, I am the top of all monsters*, the demon lord!」*TL: I’ve been calling them monsters, but it can also translate to demons, goblins, devils, evil spirits/creatures, etc.

「What! The Demon Lord!?」

「It couldn’t be helped that you haven’t been able to see my form. Because I’m going to end all of you!」

「Everyone, draw your swords! Commence battle!」

「Divert him with magic!」

DONN!

BAN!

The magic kept directly hitting the Demon Lord.

「Did we do it!?」

Amongst the smoke emerged the Demon Lord, with not even a scratch.

「FUHAH, what was that? Weak! Too weak!」

The Demon Lord brought forth magic to the palm of his hand.

「Dark Ball (ダークボール).」

The magic he fired went straight, directly hitting the Order.

DOGONN!!

「Hey! Are you okay!?」

After the smoke cleared, what was left were pitch black members.

「D- d.a.m.n it! Don’t increase your distance! You’ll be hit by magic! Close combat!」

「Y- Yes!」

「Hoh? You want to challenge me at close combat… Hmph!」

The members surrounded the Demon Lord and attacked from above and below, but his body separated where they swung.

This is getting bad!

「Fall back! Everyone, fall back!」

「Did you think I would allow you to escape! Dark Ball!」

Dogonn!!

The knights who wanted to escape burnt black from the magic.

「Everyone, escape! I’ll get us some time!」

It’ll be complete annihilation at this point. Vice Captain prepared himself for the worst to let everyone run away*. *TL: f.u.kU DANCHOUUUU TT

「I’ll also stay.」

「Yea, me too.」

「I’ll also stay!」

After Vice Captain’s words, everyone repeated that they would remain.

「You idiots! If everyone stays, what will happen! We have to report this to Leader!」

「If it’s that, then one person is fine.」

「Yea, just one is fine.」

「That’s right, just one person!」

Everyone’s faces looked as if they would not hear any more.

「… Sorry, guys. Roy! You return to the capital! Report it to Leader!」

「Everyone! Please let me fight, too!」

「No! You’re the youngest one! You live on, and go quickly!」

「… I’m so sorry, everyone.」

His face was full of tears, and he started running towards the forest’s exit.

「This is fine, now… you guys! Buy Roy some time!」

「「WOAH! (YES!)」」

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

In my mind, I continued apologizing countless times, and ran for the exit.

When I could finally see the exit, at that time,

「How disappointing.」

What appeared behind was the Demon Lord.

「If you’re here, then everyone….」

「d.a.m.nITT!!」

While I was crying, I headed towards the Demon Lord and wielded my sword, but.

「Ugh!」

In an instant, the Demon Lord closed the distance and pierced through his abdomen with his hand.

「GUFU*」*TL: Sound of coughing or throwing up blood

Roy collapsed in that place without being able to tell Leader.

「They’re late-, aren’t they Leader?」

「Hm? Yeah, they’re a bit late, aren’t they?」

It’s been an hour since the agreed time, but the members did not come.

And then we waited 3 hours, but it seems that they were not returning.

「Leader, do you think something happened?」

「Yeah, I’m worried too.」

「I’ll go look for them!」

「W- Wait! Going alone is dangerous, ask some other knights to come with you.」

While I was heading for the gate, I saw the leader of the Oukoku Kis.h.i.+dan and told him the situation and asked for his help.

At the entrance of the Western Forest, there was a person collapsed on the floor.

「Ah, that’s… Roy!」

Roy-kun had a big hole in his stomach and lay still on the ground.

「Wh- Why did such a thing happen…」

Oukoku Kis.h.i.+dan’s leader cremated Roy with fire magic.

「The scent of blood is coming from further in the forest.」

We went further into the forest.

We got further into the forest and was greeted with a sea of blood.

I couldn’t recognize anyone since the corpses had been burnt to a crisp.

The limbs of the corpses were facing in odd directions.

Corpses with no head cut into upper and lower parts.

Corpses that were unrecognizable.

「Ueeeh.」

I threw up.

「This is awful.」

「Wh- why did this… UWAAHHHHHH!」

Why, why, why!

We were just together in the afternoon!

So why did they end up looking like this?

Who the h.e.l.l did this?!

I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I’ll kill him, I’LL KILL HIM!

「What? Are there survivors?」

「Ugh! Who is it!」

「Me? I am the Demon Lord! FUHAHAHA.」

「Were you the one who did this!」

「Ahh, this? That’s right, I did it.」

This guy… to everyone!

I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM!

At that point, I heard a cold voice resounding in my mind.

「You have fulfilled the fixed conditions. You are able to temporarily use the skill 「Extraordinary Cooking (異食)」.」

What was that? That voice just now…

Whatever. For now, I’m gonna kill this b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

「DIEE!」

「Hmph, did you think you could hurt someone like me with that?!」

I lunged my sword at the Demon Lord with all my might.

The Demon Lord thought he would not be hurt by such a thing and brought out his arm.

Thud.

「…What? My arm has…!!」

Kio cut off the Demon Lord’s arm.

「b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I won’t forgive you!」

「Dark Ball!」

Dogonnn!!

It landed a direct hit on Kio, but

「It’s not effective, huh, ORAAH!」

From the smoke emerged Kio, unhurt.

Moreover, he has already cut the other arm off.

「GUH! B- b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Who are you!」

「The cook of this Kis.h.i.+dan! Hmph!」

He aimed for the Demon Lord’s neck, and it his head rolled on the ground.

「You do not fulfill the requirements. The skill 「Extraordinary Cooking」has been revoked.」

「Phew-」

「K- Kio. What the heck was that!?」

I just realized that the Oukoku Kis.h.i.+dan leader saw everything.

「I also don’t understand. But it seems to do with my skills…」

「Your skills?」

I told the leader about my current skills and how I heard a voice saying I got a new skill, used it, and now can’t use it anymore.

「That kind of skill…」

「Before that, Oukoku Kis.h.i.+dan Leader, can you please cremate everyone?」

「Ah, of course.」

Oukoku Kis.h.i.+dan’s leader went back to the capital and told the King what had happened.

I thought about how I should tell Leader who was sleeping at the inn, but decided that I would just tell him the truth.

「E- Everyone was…」

「Y- Yes…」

The silence was painful.

It’s because he’s the Order’s leader.

The one who’s in the most pain is Leader.

「Sorry, but can you leave me alone?」

「I understand.」

I left Leader’s room and went to my own.

「Haah-, why did that sort of thing happen?」

「Kio-sama, Kio-sama.」

「W- Who is that?」

「It is me. It’s Nezumi.*」*TL: Nezumi is speaking in a really humble old style.

「W- What, you can talk!?」

「Actually, I was granted life from G.o.d and came to your side.」

「Eh, Eh, what do you mean?」

「Well, G.o.d told me to come protect you, Kio-sama.」

「G.o.d sent you to this world to me?」

「Yes, that is right.」

「And just now, I granted you a skill using my powers.」

「Eh? Are you talking about that 「Extraordinary Cooking」skill?」

「Yes, the skill 「Extraordinary Cooking」allows inedible creatures to be edible.」

「So that’s why! That’s how I was able to defeat the Demon Lord!」

「Yes, that is right.」

「Thank you, Nezumi-kun!」

「It is quite fine. However, because I used my power, I have to return back to my Lord.」

「Eh? Are you leaving? Are we never meeting again?」

「That, I do not know. However, we may have the chance to meet again. Until then, stay well!」

After saying this, Nezumi-kun left out the window.

It’d be good if we met again-

「A lot happened today. I wonder what will happen to the Lint Bloom Order now.」