Me and His Majesty Ameldas headed for the top of the mountain.

　There were no other people in sight, and there was no sign of the 'Black Great Ape'.

　The two of us walked along the rocky terrain alone.

　Soon, as if to block our steps, a huge wall appeared.

(.........Is it a stone wall?)

　It was about ten meters high.

　An awkward wall of huge boulders and logs stacked and piled on top of each other towered around the top of the mountain.

　Suddenly, within the wall, I saw something white.

(!)

　Human bones.

　Are they the remains of the Toluga Warrior who died in battle?

　As if to decorate this wall, dozens or hundreds of human bones were hanging and swaying in the blowing wind.

　...............

　I can feel the hairs on my whole body standing upside down.

　This.

　Is this what 'Monkey King Mujarna' did?

How awful...

　His Majesty Ameldus, standing next to him, though, is quietly staring at the scene.

　No..........

　In his eyes, the light of anger shone like never before.

　It's a horrible sign, as if the raging anger has surpassed its limits and, on the contrary, is accompanied by a calmness.

　Then she suddenly looked at me.

Merle?　What's that?

　I said.

(Huh?)

　That gaze was looking at my waist area.

　When I lowered my gaze, the thing there was an exploration stone disk hanging from my belt.

　That magic stone was glowing white.

''Ah........''

　The meaning of this fills me.

　I mean, this is.

"On the other side of this wall, there's a 'divine spirit stone'...

　He muttered.

　His Majesty Ameldas nodded, 'I see.

'Then the other side of these odious walls is the 'Monkey King's' castle, and the 'Monkey King Mujarna' will definitely be there too.

　We both looked up at the huge wall.

(...what do we do?)

　This wall went on for as far as the eye could see.

　It seemed like there was no such thing as a doorway, like the walls built by humans.

　..........

(Good)

　I decided.

　I took out a rainbow-colored sphere - The Divine Armor - from my pocket.

"Coro, please.

　vong

　As it replaced the light particles, it focused on my back and formed two iridescent, shining 'metal wings' there.

''........Ho?''

　His Majesty Ameldas looked surprised.

　But he didn't say anything more.

Perhaps this is a trivial matter before the goal of "defeating the Monkey King," or perhaps it is because she trusts me.

　I took her right hand in mine.

'I'm going,'
Hmm.　

　I spread my wings wide and slowly soared into the sky, glowing with rainbow colors.

　I climbed over the ramparts.

　The inside of the castle wall, seen from above, was an empty, flat, rocky area.

　There are some traces of animals that seemed to have been eaten and scattered around, but that's all.

There's no sign of the "Black Great Ape" either.

(Hmm...?

　There was a large hole in the rock face near the summit.

　A cave.

Over there.

　Following His Majesty Ameldas's instructions, I replied "yes" and slowly descended into the open space in front of that cave.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　bang

　They landed safely.

　Even though I stepped inside the castle walls, the 'Black Great Monkeys' still didn't show up.

''.........''
..........

　Me and His Majesty Ameldas headed for the cave, wary.

　It was that moment.

(!)

　A tremendous killing spirit slammed into us from the depths of the cave.

　We reflexively raised our swords.

(There!)

　There's something tremendous in that darkness!

　gulping sound

　I swallowed spitefully, unaware of the tense fear I was feeling.

　His Majesty Ameldus, too, was staring into the darkness at the back of that cave with a grim expression and gaze.

　And then.

　thump

　I heard the sound of heavy footsteps.

　Thump, thump.

　The one that shook the earth and emerged from the depths of the darkness was a single giant 'Black Great Ape'.

(..............Large.

　Normally, the Black Great Ape is about three ticks tall.

　However, the Black Great Ape that just appeared in front of us was more than twice that size, at least seven meters tall.

　It was like a giant.

　It had purple body hair growing from the top of its head to the back.

　That thing.........

　That monster.........

　Next to my eyes widening, Her Majesty Ameldas, the Empress of the Toluga Empire, called out the name.

''........Monkey King Mjaruna.

　The existence leading 300,000 demons was now standing in front of us.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


That's.........Mujerna the Monkey King!

　I shuddered at the sight of him.

　More than anything else, I was terrified by that face.

　That's a 'person'.

　The intelligence in its eyes is no longer a demon, but a human being of the same kind.

　But there was an evil aspect carved into it.

　There is a fearlessness and ugliness that seems to be a condensation of the malice that people possess, and it is unmistakably a sign of the existence of a demon.

(No.........)

　My inner "divine" instincts appealed to me.

(This guy shouldn't be allowed to live in this world.)

　It seemed to be nothing more than an entity that spread evil and darkness in this world.

　Nitaari.

　He laughed as he noticed the trembling human child.

(Huh.)

　I thought about attacking them as a reflex.

　But just as I was about to do so, from the cave behind the giant Ape King Mujerna, three Silver Giant Monkeys, each at least five meters in length, appeared.

　They could be his close associates.

　All three of them were more atmospheric than the other "Black Great Ape" and "Silver Great Ape".

''Mm........''

　His Majesty Ameldas's expression is clouded by the new reinforcements.

　Four against two.

　Moreover, on the other side, the strongest Black Great Ape, Mjaluna the Monkey King, was there, while on this side, neither the Heroic Pardewan nor the Golden Mark Demon Hunter Kirto Amandes was there.

　They are at an overwhelming disadvantage.

　I can understand His Majesty Ameldas' feelings of being unintentionally pressured.

''But.........''

　Instead, I stepped forward.

　His Majesty Ameldas looks at me in surprise.

'Merle.'
I'm fine.

　I replied.

　It took a lot of sacrifices to get us here.

　We've made it to this point.

　Then there is no choice but to pull out of this place.

　Geez.

He grasped the "Sword of the Fairies" and held it at arm's length.

　His Majesty Ameldas gasped.

　Then, she quickly regained her usual dignity as an empress and smiled wryly, and she too held up her sword.

''Gukiki........''

　He laughed as he looked at the two such humans.

　The three "Great Silver Monkeys" advance in front of the "Monkey King".

　Huoh.........

　A cold wind blew at the summit of the Demertus Mountains.

　The Toruga Empire and the Black Great Ape, a group of people who had been fighting for supremacy in the northern part of the Dark Continent for four hundred years, and their kings, stared at each other.

''Let's go, Marl.''
Yes!

　And now, to end it all, the final battle between us and "Mujarna the Monkey King" has begun.