Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

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“Are we still not there?”

“It’ll only be a bit longer,” Flame-Eye nonchalantly responded to Seran’s question.

The following day after they left town, Seran and his group were once again inside a forest. They were on their way to Poison-Needle’s domain.

“I gotta ask, is Poison-Needle going to help us now?”

Seran would have loved to head straight to the Demon Lord’s castle to save Luiza, but stopping by Poison-Needle’s place was Flame-Eye’s idea.

“Yes, I can guarantee that. Well, you might not be willing to trust me, but the fact that she’s not arguing back tells you enough, right?” Flame-Eye glanced over at Yuriga.

She was probably the one who wanted to save Luiza the most, yet she agreed on this detour, which spoke for itself.

“As long as they listen, they’ll be willing to help us, that is…”

“Yeah. With their strength, our chance to save Luiza-sama will rise tremendously. That said…” Yuriga showed a reluctant expression.

She seemed to be doubting her own decision.

“I don’t know if they’ll side with us…with Luiza-sama. It’s a bit of a bet.”

“They always follow their own desires…for better or worse. And their mood sways more than a boat on a stormy sea.”

The only people present right now were Flame-Eye, Yuriga, as well as Seran, Lieze, and Urza. Irumera and Creet were waiting outside the forest. Flame-Eye said that it’d be better to visit Poison-Needle in a small group to not anger them.

“Well, I’ve got an ace up my sleeve, too. But let’s just hope they’re in a good mood,” Flame-Eye nonchalantly commented, but a glimmer of uncertainty remained.

“Wow…”

After walking for a bit more, the forest suddenly opened up, urging Lieze to let out a voice of admiration. Everywhere you looked, you saw flowers. It felt almost unbefitting of the gloomy air in the demon territory. The flowers basked in a color you couldn’t even see in the human territory, and yet the flowers seemed to be growing naturally, which only helped boost their beauty.

“Beautiful…”

“Yeah. I’m surprised to see a place like this here,” Urza agreed with Lieze’s impression.

“Just to warn you, but these flowers are all poisonous. Just don’t touch them.”

“Wh-What?! Poisonous?!”

It wasn’t just that the flower had hidden thorns. And as Lieze was in the middle of reaching out to one flower, she quickly pulled it back.

“Also, we’re already within Poison-Needle’s territory. Don’t do anything unnecessary…or you’ll be dead before you know it,” she said with a threatening tone, but her gaze was serious.

“We’re being watched. I can feel someone’s gaze, but I don’t know where they’re hiding,” Seran mumbled while looking around.

“Just follow me. Since I’m here, they won’t attack out of the blue…Probably.”

Flame-Eye sounded less and less confident the more time passed, but Seran and the others could only tag along. Walking down the path that split the field of flowers, they eventually spotted a bee’s nest. However, the size was more like a small mountain. In the center was an opening resembling that of a cave. Deeper within was a demon with butterfly wings, only about a fourth of a human’s size.

“Oh dear me, Flame-Eye-sama? What brings you here?”

The demon looked like a fairy, having a cute face despite a horn growing from its head.

“Is Poison-Needle home? I mean, I doubt they’d ever be out anyway.”

“Yes, they are. I was already informed to let you pass, so follow me,” the demon glanced over at Seran for a moment, but then started flying ahead.

Entering the hole in the nest, the floor and walls were made of resin, with a sweet scent drifting all around. It genuinely felt like they had entered a bee’s beehive.

“We’re being taken deeper and deeper, right? We gonna be okay?”

“If they wanted to do something, it’d be too late now,” Flame-Eye responded to Urza’s question with no hesitation.

Walking deeper down into the beehive, they reached an open space. In the back of this room stood a tall throne, with a lump of praying mantis or other insects surrounding it. The person looking down at Seran and the group must be Poison-Needle. A woman, with half-transparent wings growing from her back, which just made you want to call her a bee person, but her attitude was more befitting of a queen bee than anything. That said, she didn’t seem all that threatening or oppressive of a person, and more like they were a child trying to act mature.

“It’s been a while. What do you want here, Flame-Eye?”

Even the voice coming from her mouth sounded adorable, not seeming like the type of person who could stand her ground against Luiza. Of course, judging someone based on their appearance will only prove fatal.

“You never change, do you? But I guess I should consider myself lucky that you’re in a good mood,” she said, glancing at Yuriga and the others halfway through her sentence. “And to be honest, it’s them who need something. Since I don’t think we’re all too welcome here, let me get straight to it. We’re on our way to free Luiza-sama, so we’re here to ask for your help.”

“No thanks. That sounds like a pain,” Poison-Needle didn’t even waste a breath to decline. “If that’s all, then leave. I’ll allow you to get out of here safely this once.”

“P-Please wait! We need your strength!”

But right when Poison-Needle wanted to close the books on them, Yuriga latched on once more.

“You look familiar…Aren’t you the Demon—No, the former Demon Lord’s close aide? You don’t know when to give up, do you? She lost, and so we have a new ruler.”

“But you must know that it wasn’t a proper fight! That they got interrupted by a dragon!”

“A win’s a win, no? Whatever the method, the rest is just an excuse. You use whatever you have to in order to emerge victorious. That’s what the Demon Lord needs.”

Granted, Poison-Needle’s words were harsh, but it was common sense for the strong, and necessary for a ruler. In fact, what Yuriga and the others were doing right now was much more unlike a demon’s actions.

“The only thing I would complain about is that they’re still keeping the former Demon Lord alive, beckoning you in to save her. That said, they might simply not be able to kill her. But even if you manage to save her now, it won’t do much. All of demonfolk are already beginning to side with the new Demon Lord.”

“Wha…?!” Yuriga was bewildered.

She didn’t know that the situation had proceeded this much.

“Many strong and influential demons are already being called out. Many obey, too. You can’t erase that.”

“You really are quick to pick up on any information. And despite it being right on the mark, you’re not using it at all and just staying locked up in here.”

“That’s true. Maybe you would be able to use it more, with how you keep wagging your tail after a new boss as soon as it’s convenient,” Poison-Needle barked back at Flame-Eye.

The two slowly began to glare at each other, but they eventually let it slide.

“And of course, they approached me, too. Though I’m surprised to see that creepy envoy…Needless to say, I declined. I just said that I wouldn’t get in their way.”

Seran immediately reacted to that. There could only be one person fitting that description. He wanted to ask for details, but this wasn’t the moment to discuss that.

“Anyway, I just want to take it easy here. And this once, I’ll let you leave with no harm done, so do as you please.” Poison-Needle waved her hands at them, trying to shoo her away like an insect.

“You’re probably just too lazy to do anything, right?” Seran threw in a sharp remark, which made Poison-Needle’s gaze sharper.

“Well said, human. But don’t think you’re some hot shot because you defeated Three-Arms.”

For the first time, Poison-Needle glanced over at Seran. At that moment, the surroundings grew noisy, telling Seran just how big of an existence Three-Arms was in the demon world.

“He’s the one who struck down Three-Arms-sama…?”

“And that sword seems familiar. Isn’t that Randolph’s…?”

“Weird. I heard that he crawled on all fours with a tail growing from his butt despite being a human…”

“And I thought he had tentacles growing from his whole body, secreting some sketchy liquid.”

Yet again, Seran heard some rather unflattering parts within these rumors, but he had to let it slide. Or rather, he wasn’t even that dead set on hiding himself, so he wished they’d at least get his appearance right.

“I knew you’d react this way. That said…” Flame-Eye brought out her trump card. “You do realize that you could live this way because Luiza-sama let you, right? If a new Demon Lord rolls around, you won’t be able to take it easy anymore.”

“Ah…” Poison-Needle seemed to realize the truth in Flame-Eye’s words.

“The new Demon Lord is going to attack humanfolk. And then, how long do you think you can remain neutral?”

“You’re right…So my leisurely life here in this beehive is coming to an end…? N-No! I want to stay here and rot away until I die!”

Flame-Eye’s revelation made Poison-Needle scream in terror.

“I feel like I’m watching Kyle from years ago…” Lieze was feeling a bit lonely, remembering Kyle from this sight.

“I’ve spent the last 300 damn years living this kind of lifestyle! No way I’m changing that now! I can’t be bothered getting wrapped up in some annoying war!” Poison-Needle held her head as she reminisced about all those relaxing days she spent.

“If you want to maintain this lifestyle, you’re probably better off assisting our cause, don’t you think?”

“Ugh…That’s…”

Of course, Flame-Eye’s entire argument was a contradiction in itself, but it sounded absolutely convincing to Poison-Needle.

“Th-That’s right! If you help us now, Luiza-sama will surely let you be for all eternity!” Yuriga tried to jump on the wagon.

“…Do you have any ideas?” Poison-Needle asked, seemingly considering the option.

Yuriga was bewildered at just how lazy Poison-Needle was, but didn’t speak up while it was convenient for her.

“At the very least, if we manage to save Luiza-sama, there will be an option.”

“That’s true. As long as I act, saving her will be a piece of cake. But what concerns me is what comes after. Just getting her back won’t be enough to put her on the throne again, right?”

“Depends on how things unfold from there. But if you and I explain things, those still undecided will most definitely follow Luiza-sama. As for the rest, we’ll have to convince them again. A one-on-one between them without any intervention,” Flame-Eye confidently said.

“And considering she’s near immortal, no other demon could get close to her…Which means her chance at victory is incredibly high.”

Poison-Needle knew how strong Luiza’s immortality was, and without the help of the dragon, the black-winged demon probably couldn’t have beaten her. She thought about it for a moment, but then made her decision.

“I guess I have no choice left…Since you need my strength, you’ll have it. Now let’s be off…”

“Just wait a second. There is one thing first.”

Seran jumped in right at a good moment, spoiling Poison-Needle’s mood.

“What do you want, Human?”

“I’d like to see just how strong you really are.”

“What…? You want to see if I can carry my own weight?”

“Absolutely. Can you blame me for being dubious?” Seran said, which only brought Poison-Needle to the zenith of her anger.

“Don’t think you can keep that tone with me, Human.”

That voice from her was completely different like a switch within her had been flipped. It packed pressure and hostility that anybody with a weak heart would have faltered right then and there. But, Seran remained calm like always.

“I mean, don’t blame me. Considering how you look and all,” he said and gave Poison-Needle a close look like he was making fun of her.

Naturally, he wasn’t actually feeling that way. He could tell that she was plenty strong. In other words, this was just his bad habit. Picking a fight with people.

Letting some moody woman like her run around, it’ll only come back to bite us if she runs off. I gotta keep her in line from the start.

And for that reason, he had to grasp the reins. Meanwhile, Yuriga and Flame-Eye must have guessed what he intended to do because neither of them intervened. At the very least, Poison-Needle knew that absolute force wouldn’t help her case much, so she fought back verbally.

“I can tell you’re one of a kind there…But I was curious after all those rumors, so I looked into it…Seems like you defeated Three-Arms in a 2-versus-1, right? And the one who finished off Three-Arms was the other human. You were just a bonus, weren’t you?”

Of course, she didn’t mean much by saying that, but Lieze could only facepalm when witnessing that. That was a provocation exceptionally effective against Seran. To Seran, Kyle was his best friend, his rotten connection, but also a rival. Someone he had to overcome eventually. And being ranked lower than Kyle really didn’t sit right with him.

“Then let’s not beat around the bush. I wanna know if you can hold your ground, and you need to know if I’m not just all bark. That sound good?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then the rest is simple. We’re on your home turf, so let’s battle it out like demons would. The loser has to listen to the winner’s orders.”

Fighting was practically a part of a demon’s life, highly regarded, so any issues or trouble usually were decided in a duel. Seran stepped deeper into the large hall, facing Poison-Needle, who greeted him with crossed arms.

“I’m fine here. I know about your strength…so I’ll show you.”

“…Are you sure? This position is rather advantageous for me, don’t you think?” She remained seated on her throne, speaking with an excited tone.

“We’re not gonna kill each other, right? And it’s a handicap. According to what I heard, you’re not all that strong physically.”

“Now you’ve said it…But, you’re right. I myself am not all that strong compared to the legends within our race. But, I have these lovely children of mine with me…” Poison-Needle waved her hand, as a swarm of bees appeared from her palm.

Yet, they were several times the size of regular bees, glaring at Seran with their multiple eyes, creating an eerie sound with their mouths as their jaws clacked together. And obviously, their needles were all poisonous.

“This should do for now…A single sting could kill you, so be careful.”

The bees began surrounding Seran. They were covering his view.

“All right, I’ll be the witness. I will provide just judgment for my name is Flame-Eye,” she said and took a step forward.

Poison-Needle had no complaints about that, either. The bees were cautious of Seran at first, but one eventually took the lead and charged in head first. However, it immediately came to a halt and fell to the ground—sliced in two. An attack from Seran, so fast the eye couldn’t catch up, struck down the bee immediately. Even though they had been watching the whole time, Seran’s group and the other demons didn’t catch the attack whatsoever. Some other bees followed the attack, but not a single one could even touch him, just falling to the ground like petals. Yet Seran didn’t move an inch. After a few seconds, all the bees had been struck down.

“Well done. You’re exactly the way I was told.”

Even now, Poison-Needle seemed calm.

“Yep. But that’s not all you got, right?”

“Of course not. Let’s go with ten times next.”

A few hundred bees appeared from Poison-Needle’s hand, except they were bigger than before. There were so many that Seran couldn’t even count them with his bare eyes. Uncertainty filled the room.

“Good luck.”

“Fine by me.”

The bees attacked Seran the moment Poison-Needle finished her sentence, but he kept a calm voice. Up to this point, he only had to move his upper body, but with these numbers, he was forced to rely on his footwork, too. And since he was surrounded by bees from every corner, they dropped like actual flies with every swing of his sword. His sword skill and movement resembled that of a dancer. But he also had to use kicks and punches to get rid of any opponent that came too close. When he had defeated the final bee, he was greeted with cheers.

“Honestly, I’m impressed. You weren’t just all talk, huh? I only remember one human who could pull that off in the past 300 years.” Poison-Needle seemed delighted at this result, clapping her hands.

“Same here, really. Your personality’s a total mess, but you were serious at least. Your ability to freely control your bees is nothing to scoff at.”

In reality, Seran wasn’t all too great at dealing with opponents like her. Striking down smaller enemies like that wasn’t fun in the slightest. Even so, he didn’t think he’d be struggling this much. And since they both realized how strong they were, they could’ve stopped the duel there.

“But you know…I have my own honor, and I don’t like the thought of being played with like that.”

However, Poison-Needle flashed another devious smirk, summoning more bees. They began pouring from her whole body, not limited to her hands or stomach, ranging from small to big, running up to the thousands. It was like a singular cloud of bees looming over Seran.

“Now is your chance to surrender if you value your—”

“Well, I never said I wouldn’t be fighting back, either.”

“…What?” Poison-Needle let out a baffled grunt.

The voice she heard came right from next to her ear. In the split second she averted her gaze from Seran to summon her bees, he had already appeared in front of her. And following up with that, Seran rammed his fist right into her stomach.

“Gueh…”

Just as she stated, she herself wasn’t all that strong, so she passed out in a single strike. She foolishly assumed that she was the only one doing any testing, but that wasn’t what they agreed on, and it’s not like Seran was prohibited from attacking himself. That said, she only realized this right before she fainted. The bees around her scattered into nothingness, as silence filled the cave.

“Poison-Needle-sama?!”

The other demons, her subordinates, didn’t even understand what had happened at first, but they were clearly bewildered. And right as their confusion began turning into rage directed at Seran, Flame-Eye raised her voice.

“Quiet! The duel is over!”

As Seran was declared the clear winner of the duel, even Poison-Needle’s subordinates had to stand down.

“Phew, close enough. That kind of surprise attack won’t work a second time,” Seran looked down at Poison-Needle and sighed in relief.

Seran picked up on that small opening created through Poison-Needle summoning her bees, and he used that prolonged moment when she summoned bees in the thousands to rush up to her. Her original way of fighting was to slowly raise the number of bees as shields while fighting her opponent, so if you quickly closed the distance between you and her, she had allowed for an opening. The reason this worked out was that Poison-Needle took him lightly, and because he had the element of surprise. If they fought again under the same circumstances, it might be a much harder battle.

“Don’t do that again. You had me sweating buckets.”

“Absolutely. Think about your actions some more.”

Lieze and Urza scolded him, but contrary to their words, they almost seemed saddened. However, Seran was as calm as always.

“This is nothing compared to the crazy dangerous mission we’re about to embark on.”

Met with this argument, the two girls fell silent.

“That said, was it fine for me to win like this?” He asked.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re all obsessed with the results of our battles, so even just a verbal promise is more than enough. And if she were to break it, I’ll tease her about it until the end of time,” Flame-Eye said with a joyful tone as she looked down at Poison-Needle.

She might end up grumbling about the surprise attack, but a duel is a duel. She’ll have to accept it.

“And right before you knocked her out, she was definitely shocked.”

“Well, I don’t blame her for that,” said Yuriga.

“Also, once we free Luiza-sama, you better put in a good word for me, since I’m the one who made Poison-Needle hop on board,” Flame-Eye answered.

A while later, Poison-Needle woke up again, grumbling about the duel’s results, but she still followed their orders. And now that they had succeeded in making Poison-Needle tag along, they headed off to the Demon Lord’s castle, where they kept Luiza.