Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

Chapter Sixty Six

"Now, activate Summoning Magic, {Demon Summoning}!" Kaede commanded, her voice ringing through the air.

A massive black magic circle formed before her, intricate runes glowing ominously along its edges. Red lightning crackled violently across its surface, illuminating the surroundings with an eerie glow.

"Prove that you can be of use to me!" Kaede declared, her voice unwavering as the summoning circle expanded, its radius growing wider and wider.

The sky darkened in response, an unnatural gloom swallowing the sun. Black winds howled through the air, swirling around the ritual site, ruffling the clothes of everyone present.

The sheer force of the winds forced the gathered onlookers to brace themselves, struggling against the storm-like pressure.

Everyone except Kaede.

She stood calmly beside the growing summoning circle, hands casually tucked into the pockets of her coat. The violent winds tugged at the fabric, sending it billowing dramatically behind her, but Kaede herself remained unmoved.

Then, without warning,

BOOM!

A massive pillar of crimson lightning struck the magic circle, slamming into the ground with a deafening roar. The impact sent a powerful shockwave rippling outward, kicking up a blinding cloud of dust and forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

When the dust finally settled, breaths hitched.

Eyes widened.

Towering over Kaede was a colossal figure.

And the very air trembled with its presence.

The demon stood over eight meters tall, a towering mass of pure muscle. Each of its four arms looked powerful enough to shatter mountains with a single strike. A thick red mane ran down its back, adding to its already imposing presence.

Even Ari, who rarely showed concern, felt a flicker of unease in the creature’s presence.

Then, Kaede’s voice cut through the tension.

"Hey, it’s you! From that quest, the Benevolent Knight quest!"

Towa turned to Kaede in disbelief. She spoke so casually, as if addressing an old acquaintance rather than a being capable of annihilating her entire kingdom in mere moments.

And then there was the other question burning in Towa’s mind. "How did she even summon a demon? She used no sacrifice..." she murmured under her breath.

The demon let out a low, rumbling sound before suddenly dropping to one knee.

"It seems you have finally summoned me, Master."

A ripple of shock spread through the crowd.

Kaede blinked, clearly taken aback. "Master?" She scratched her head, frowning. "Wait... didn’t I already kill you? How are you even here?"

Though she left the last part unsaid, her thoughts ran deeper. 'And why are you here, outside of the game?'

The air shifted again as everyone reacted differently.

The people of Raja gaped at Kaede in stunned silence. She had killed a demon of this magnitude? The revelation sent whispers rippling through the gathered crowd.

Meanwhile, Ari and the rest of Kaede’s companions exchanged knowing glances. They wore expressions of quiet pride, their gazes practically saying: As expected of our ruler.

The demon lifted its head slightly, each of its six eyes scanning the area with slow, deliberate movements.

"...It seems you have found yourself far from home, Master," it rumbled, its deep voice reverberating through the air. "I do not... recognize this plane..." Its gaze returned to Kaede, its many eyes narrowing. "...of existence."

So it remembers the game? Kaede thought, carefully studying its reaction before responding.

"Yes," she said at last. "I was summoned to this world by some idiots who thought they could... bind me." Her voice dipped with disdain as she spat out the word bind. "They couldn’t."

The demon’s lips curled into a grin, wide, toothy, and unsettlingly predatory. It was both amused and menacing, a horrifying smile that sent shivers down the spines of those present.

"Oh?" It chuckled, its deep laughter rumbling like distant thunder. "To think they believed they could summon someone as... powerful... as you."

The demon tilted its head slightly. "A name? I don’t follow."

"In this world, monsters don’t have names unless they’re given one," Kaede explained. "And names hold incredible power."

The demon let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "And yet... I already have a..." It paused mid-sentence, eyes narrowing in thought. "How peculiar..."

"Exactly my point." Kaede smirked. "If you’re going to meet one of the most powerful demons, you can’t afford to be lacking."

Shifu let out a long-suffering sigh. "I don’t know why I expected anything else. You’d think I’d be used to this by now."

Kaori chuckled behind her metal fan. "Never a dull moment."

Kaede’s smile widened. "Well then, good luck on your mission... Tomokashi."

The sky darkened in an instant, red lightning crackling across the heavy storm clouds above. The moment the name left Kaede’s lips, a pulsing pitch-black orb formed around the demon, obscuring its massive form.

The orb shrank, pulsing with an eerie energy, gradually compressing until it reached the height of an average human. Then, with a deafening crack, it shattered, releasing a burst of energy.

From within the remnants of the sphere, a new figure emerged.

She was tall, around six foot two, with long, flowing red hair that cascaded down to her waist. She wore a fitted black dress over dark trousers, the ensemble accentuated by a luxurious red fur cape draped over her shoulders, nearly brushing the ground. Her features were sharp and refined, carrying an almost ethereal beauty. In fact, she bore an uncanny resemblance to Ari, though with a more devilish allure.

Kaede blinked in disbelief. "...Wait. You're a girl?"

Tomokashi examined her new form, flexing her fingers before stretching her arms with a satisfied smirk. "Fascinating... I can feel my power flowing more freely now."

Then she turned toward Kaede, a playful glint in her crimson eyes. "It seems my new form was influenced by my master."

Kaede crossed her arms, her expression flat. "I know bullshit when I hear it, Tomo."

Tomokashi only laughed, her rich, melodic cackle echoing through the air. "Oh, Maple, you’re just adorable."

Before Kaede could retort, Tomokashi vanished in an instant, leaving only a fading trace of her presence behind.

Silence reigned for a moment, before Ari spoke. "I really... Don't like her."

Kaede chuckled. "Don't worry about it." She turned her gaze toward the glowing magic circle embedded in the lakebed. "Well, we don’t need it anymore."

[Devour]

A thick, pixelated smoke erupted from her hand, surging forward like a living entity. It swallowed the intricate magic circle in an instant, consuming the platform along with it. The swirling mist contracted, pulling the remnants inward until nothing remained, erasing all traces of the poisoning ritual.

With a single thought, Kaede transported herself and everyone else away from the lakebed.

In the blink of an eye, they reappeared on the shoreline.

Then, the towering walls of water collapsed.

A deafening roar filled the air as thousands of tons of water came crashing down, rushing back into the lakebed. The impact sent powerful waves rippling outward, their force shaking the very earth beneath them. Water surged and foamed, colliding with the surface in a thunderous cascade. A fine mist rose into the sky, carried by the wind, and for a brief moment, it was as if Raja itself was being showered in a gentle, shimmering rain.

Towa blinked, disoriented. One moment she had been in the depths of the lake, the next she was standing on solid ground. "What just happ..." She stopped mid-sentence, her breath hitching as she took in the sight before her. The once-still waters now raged with renewed life, waves crashing and swirling as they settled back into place. Droplets of water sparkled in the air like scattered diamonds, descending upon the city as if the heavens themselves had opened.

Kaede turned to her with a casual smile. "Well, Queen Towa, now we wait. In the meantime, let’s finalize that treaty, shall we?"

Towa, still dazed, could only nod absently, falling in step behind Kaede and her companions as they made their way back toward the palace.

Yet, beneath her composed exterior, her thoughts raced.

'They kept speaking of ancient demons and Primordials, beings of legend. If Primordials truly exist... and if one of them is responsible for the horrors plaguing my kingdom... can we even hope to survive?'

Her gaze flickered toward Kaede’s back.

"Lady Kaede will protect me. I know she will. After all, she is quite possibly... the strongest.'

None of them noticed the faint red glow that momentarily enveloped Towa.

Nor did she hear the whispered words of the Voice of the World. For it didn't speak of a skill.

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