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TL Note: This might come a tad late but... Bird-Headed Pholus is a pun with "Forgetful Pholus." This comes from the belief that birds like pigeons have poor memory. After two volumes Pholus never looked forgetful to me so I'm just adding it. Kind of a fun fact.
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When Takashi and the others returned to Syness Castle in Leirune, Meru, pounced on him, half-crying.
"Suzuki, I've missed you so much, ya know—! Gee—! I'm the only one who got left out—!"
"Sorry, Meru. But, you saved my hide!" Takashi patted Meru's head. In his absence, Meru was taking care of Leirune, and from what he heard, she was also managing Suzukiland. While still hugging Suzuki with a sulky look on her face, she spoke.
"Uhouguru was so disheartened, ya know—. Even now, she is still sitting on the corner of the hut, facing the wall, ya know—. "
"F-For real!? I'll have to go see her later!"
Then, behind Takashi, Kiru smiled.
"Although, I wish Meru and Uhouguru could have seen it! Suzuki single-handedly disposed of a rebel known as Zhaviest! Right? Lady Nephira!?"
"Hu-huh. A job well done, worthy of a commander's adjutant!"
Nephira's tone of voice was stuffy, but her face looked as if she would break into a smile at any moment. Kiru's eyes looked into the distance as if she was reminiscing about that time.
"Seriously, everyone there looked so pleased—!"
Takashi glanced at Excella's startled face. Excella nodded in agreement without saying a word.
Nephira then walked over and pulled Meru away from Takashi like a cat, by the scruff of her neck.
"How long are you going to hold on to him? Stay away from Suzuki."
"Isn't about this much, acceptable—? It's my reward! Ya know—"
"I don't remember giving you such a reward!"
Seeing the bickering of those two, both Kiru and the bird-headed Pholus laughed.
Takashi breathed a huge sigh of relief in his mind as he and all the demons laughed together.
(Seriously, I really thought I would die at that time…) ...... "Suzuki, together will all his companions, I'll mince you all to smithereens!!"
Serphiano's voice was heard over the Miremia Plain. The Thunder-Lance Charge, The Immortal Fleet, and everyone on the Beast King's Oni Squad were facing off against the Demon Lord's Army forces, which boasted several times as many as the soldiers.
The fiends were on the verge of clashing, fighting each other ——— when a demon from the Thunder-Lance Charge standing as a vanguard muttered quietly to himself.
"…Huh? We, what were we doing?"
Before long, a mood of euphoria filled the air. The fiends in the Demon Lord's Army also said with a friendly expression on their faces.
"Eh—uhm. If I remember correctly, Suzuki was…"
"Mhm? Suzuki was what?"
All the demons looked at Takashi at once. Takashi gulped down hard. And then, the next moment.
""I knew it! Suzuki is cute!! Isn't he!?""
The demons of both armies lifted their nose in pride and said so.
(T-This is!? Could it be that the effect of the gospel has worn off?)
Takashi turned around in a panic toward the direction of Zhaviest's crumbling body…
"Eeh–!"
Takashi unintentionally put his hand over his mouth. Zhaviest was now a skeletal corpse whose bones looked as if it had been left there to erode for several years. Only his priest robes remained in a brand-new state, covering his bones.
Takashi gazed fearfully at the neighboring Nephira.
"…Fuwa—a"
Nephira was yawning in a big way as if she had just woken up.
(I-I'm glad! I've got my skill back!) ......
"…Fu—a—fu"
Nephira was yawning in a big way just as she did at that time. Then, rubbing her eyes, she said.
"I'm kind of tired, you know?"
"That's right, of course! A lot happened."
"I think I'm going to need to take some time to rest."
Takashi pondered while watching Nephira's back as she returned to her own room after saying this to Kiru.
At that time ——— Zhaviest, with the help of his Heavenly Power, completely negated Takashi's skill. Even so, Nephira still did not kill him. She acknowledged Takashi as a human being and hugged him tenderly.
"Nephira. Really, thank you."
"Ahm? What are you saying?"
As he approached Nephira, who had turned around with a slight blush on her face, Takashi put his hand on her shoulder from behind.
"You are tired, aren't you? I'll give you a shoulder massage!"
"I-I see! Alright! Please do!"
"H-How is it? Is this the right amount of pressure?"
As he approached Nephira, who had turned around with a slight blush on her face, Takashi put his hand on her shoulder from behind.
"You are tired, aren't you? I'll give you a shoulder massage!"
"I-I see! Alright! Please do!"
"H-How is it? Is this the right amount of pressure?"
"Ah- Ahn-! M-More! Hardeeer! AAAHHHHHNN-!"
"No, wait a second!? Can you please stop making those weird noises!?"
Takashi looked back at Excella fearfully, wondering if she might misinterpret him. But Excella was simply smiling broadly at him.