As a matter of fact, I'm just a head now.

　When I finally got him off the wall and onto the ground, he said something that I don't understand.
　I'm asking him about the circumstances of going to the labyrinth and why he wants to take me there, and what is this guy saying?

...... Does that mean it's all in your head and no substance?
'Not at all!　I mean, don't you think you're making fun of me a little bit by saying that?
............

　Elfiszak then began to explain, looking exasperated.

　It can be summed up like this.

　The current Elfiszark is divided into five parts of its body and magic power.
　The only thing here is her head, and the rest of her body is sealed in other labyrinths.
　It seems that's the reason why she's weakened.

''Splitting it up, the body is intact.
'This is a body created by magic. This is not a real body. If you erase my altered body, I'll be nothing but a raw head.
That's a pretty shocking picture: ......

　Elfiszak's head was sealed in this abyssal labyrinth.
　Just today, it seems that he broke that seal on his own and tried to escape with only his head.
　That's where he was chased by the Earth Demon General, or so it seemed.

''I have to go to the labyrinth in order to regain my sealed body.
How the hell did they get it to happen, huh?

　Did they seal you up after I was killed by Ryuzas and the others?
　If so, I can't imagine that they would bother to seal it in the Five Generals Labyrinth.

　In response to my question, Elfiszak looked thoughtful and eventually spoke up.

''Ortegia Van Zarefeld. The one who sealed me was the current Demon King.''

　Demon King Ortegia.
　The greatest enemy I ever fought and hunted down.
　It's a being that leads the demon king's army and tries to destroy humans.

...... Why are you sealed by Ortegia? I thought you were a member of the Demon King's Army too?
I've told you. I told you, I'm out of the Demon King's Army.
''If that's the case, why do you have to be sealed directly to the Demon King?''

　In response to my question, Elfiszak smiled thinly as if to mock himself.

''Hey, Iori. Do you remember my name?
'......?　'Yeah.'

　Elfiszak Gildegard.
　That should have been his name.

Elfiszak Van Gildegard.
　That's what I used to call myself.

　I was about to say, "What about that," and then I remembered.
　Ortegia Van (...) Zahlefeld.
　The fact that the name of that demon king also included the word "Van" in it.

"You, you can't be...
Yeah.

　Elfiszak said with a look like he was looking at a distant day.

"I am, you see, a former demon king."


You're not going to be able to do that.


　I heard about it once.
　The title of "Demon King" is given to the strongest of the demon tribe.
　The demon who defeats the Demon King will be chosen to be the next Demon King.

　At that time, a red emblem would appear as a proof that he had become the Demon King.
　It's called "the Demon King's crest".
　Ortegia's body has a red emblem on it, and she's looking at me.

"This is what's left of me.

　Elfizak tells himself in mockery.
　His body is engraved with a "black emblem" that has lost its color.

　It seems that when he was taken down from the throne of the Demon King, the color of his body changed from red to black.

I had only been the Demon King for a few years. This was before the name of the human hero who emerged from the other world - Amatsu - spread throughout the world.

　When I came to this world, Ortegia was already the Demon King.

'If I may say so myself, I was a moderate demon race. From the day I became the Demon King, I tried to keep the war with humans as low as possible.

　'I guess I didn't like that,' muttered Elfiszak.

'Ortegia and the other demons who wanted war turned against me. That's when I was defeated by Ortegia and dragged down from my position as Demon King.
'So ...... that makes Ortegia the Demon King,'

　The attack from the Demon King's army intensified just a short time before I was summoned.
　Up until then, there had been a few skirmishes, but not that many full-scale battles.
　It was probably due to the fact that the Demon King had changed from Elfiszak to Ortegia.

''That's how he took my men hostage and forced me to fight a human.

　A spiteful, bitter voice.
　It's ironic that he would let the former Demon King, who was a moderate, fight.

　Oh, that's right.
　Isn't that why he's not the Four Heavenly Kings?
　You can't put a man in a position to be a rebel.

"I served under Ortegia for a few years. Waiting for an opportunity to save my people and fight back.

　However, that opportunity never came.
　The "Heroic Amatsu" who was summoned from another world was summoned.

"If you kill Amatsu, I will free the hostage - that's what Ortegia said.

　And I know the consequences of that.
　Elfiszak was defeated and he failed to kill me.

What happened to you then?
A human girl and a demon boy. Lucifina and Dionysus. Those two were your former companions, weren't they?
...... Yeah.

　Elfiszak said, looking terribly uncomfortable.

I'm sure ...... was guided in advance. Those two guys turned on the Demon King's army after they killed you. They drove the sorcerer guy to the brink of death and giggled and laughed at him.
"Ugh.

　...... Apparently, the story about Liuzas was true.

Afterwards, the two of them dragged me to Ortegia. I was wounded and he saw me and said, 'You are no longer needed. 'You're no longer needed.

　At some point, Elfiszak's voice was trembling.
　He clenched his fists and continued to speak with a blood-curdling expression.

''The hostages are ...... friends, they were killed long ago!　Ortegia was laughing at me as she watched me fight the humans!

　He would release the hostages if he killed Amatsu.
　Ortegia probably had no intention of keeping such a promise from the beginning.

''Seeing me screaming, the man of the demon tribe and the woman called Lucifina or something like that seemed to be enjoying themselves wholeheartedly!　They were sneering at me, ......!

　The trembling voice gradually grew louder and louder.
　This is the first time she has shown strong emotions when she has been jokingly aloof until now.
　I could tell how much anger she was feeling by looking at her fury.

''You were just as much of a d*mned clown as Amatsu!

　A killing spirit that made me believe that the world had trembled.

''----''

　Realizing that he was letting it go, Elfiszak exhaled.

'...... Elfiszak.'
...... Sorry. I got a little too emotional.

　She speaks nonchalantly, as if to suppress her emotions.

...... then my body was cut into five pieces by a woman named Lucifina.

　It seems that when you reach the Demon King class, you won't die so easily.
　Even if they are killed, they can be revived if they take their time.
　That's why I dispersed my body and magic power so that Elfiszak wouldn't come back to life.

''And when I was dismembered, that woman sealed me with Ortegia's order.
"...... sealed?　Lucifina?

　I've never seen that guy use sealing magic before.
　I'm not going to be the only one who can do that.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the best way to get the most out of your time.

　...... So you've been hiding the fact that you can use other kinds of magic.

"So I was sealed in the Five Generals Labyrinth. That's how we ended up here.

　In my head, the information connected.

　Why Elfiszak was in this labyrinth.
　Why was he being targeted by the Earth Demon General.
　Why had he lost his power?

''That's why ...... I have to hide in the labyrinth to regain my power.

　And I understood the meaning of the phrase "we must go to the labyrinth.

.............

　Elfiszak, like me, has business with the Five Generals Labyrinth.
　Ironically, its purpose was also in line with 'regaining the power it once had'.

' ...... You want revenge on Ortegia?

　Unconsciously, such questions were flowing out of my mouth.

　Elfiszak's circumstances were a bit like mine.
　Me, who was betrayed and killed by my friends, and Elfiszak, who had his friends killed and himself sealed away.
　Then where she was headed was

I'm...

　That's when Elfiszak was about to answer the question.

　A chill ran down my spine.
　It's a sensation that someone is targeting me.

　Reflexively, at the same time as I averted my body away.

I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

　The magic thrust into the place where I had been standing until then.
　At the same time, I feel the presence of multiple people.
　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm looking for.

　A group of burly men wearing armor.
　Men wearing black robes and carrying wands.
　The emblems of familiar countries are engraved on the chests of both of them.

　The Knights of the Kingdom and the Kingdom Magicians.

You're from the ...... kingdom.

　Before I knew it, Elfiszak was standing next to me.
　His eyes lit up with a red light.

　In front of us, who were on alert, a man emerged, wading through the knights and sorcerers.
　He looks heartily amused while shaking his black robe.

''Ku, hahaha!　It's a good thing I came after you, huh!

　I soon found out who that grating voice was.

I'm glad to see you're doing well. It's a good thing you're fine, you know?　A-mah-tu-ki, Iori-kun?

　That's why Liuzas laughed ferociously.