Mayuten ~The Demon King and the Hero Reincarnated as Twin Elementary School Students~ - Volume 4 Chapter 3

Volume 4 The Demon King and the Hero, Fighting for the Family

Chapter 3   The Demon King and the Hero, Armed with a Strategy

As I was about to head towards the building where Hikaru seemed to be held captive, Isumi stopped me and said, “Wait.”

“Are you planning to go to the rescue without any weapons?”

“Well, there’s no weapon shop around here anyway.”

Swords and guns are not something elementary school students can easily get their hands on. They might not even be able to buy a knife.

But Isumi said with a look of disbelief, “Of course not. Weapons aren’t limited to weapon shops.”

As she spoke, Isumi crouched down and began collecting something.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m picking up stones.”

“Stones?”

“Throwing stones is one of the most basic and powerful attack methods. If we’re not used to fighting, they are much easier to use than swords or bows.”

I see.

“Indeed, you’re a true hero.”

“As an adventurer, it’s basic knowledge.”

In this kind of battle, it seems she has more experience than me. I obediently started gathering stones as well.

Isumi said to me, “From your reaction, I guess you don’t have much experience with throwing stones?”

“Yeah, it’s not a skill needed by a demon lord or an elementary school student.”

“In that case, you better take this instead of just the stones.”

Saying that, Isumi handed me a piece of iron pipe that was lying around.

“I won’t say don’t gather stones, but don’t throw them recklessly. It could be dangerous if they hit Hikaru.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“Who do you think I am? Even after reincarnation, I secretly trained in throwing stones.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well, initially, it was training to defeat you.”

“That’s terrifying.”

Though it’s true that I have never thrown stones before. It would be a disaster if I accidentally hit Hikaru. I decided to keep a few stones in my pocket and take the iron pipe instead.

Isumi also seemed to have picked up both stones and the iron pipe. I whispered to Isumi for advice.

“What strategy should we use?”

“Are you entrusting the strategy to me?”

“Compared to the Demon Lord, the Hero should have more experience in this type of battle, right?”

“Hmm… In that case, I’ll take charge. The best option would be to call for reinforcements.”

“Should we inform the police again then?”

“That would be ideal, but…”

“Is it difficult?”

“It might be hard to explain, and our opponents likely already know that we are here. The time lag until the police arrive could be fatal.”

I understand that it’s difficult to explain…

“Why do you think they already know?”

“They are capable of using communication magic. It’s best to assume that they can also use detection magic like Vision.”

“That’s not necessarily true, and they may not be constantly using it, right?”

“You’re right, but with a hostage involved, we should act assuming the worst-case scenario.”

Indeed, being overly optimistic in this situation could lead to fatal consequences.

Isumi added, “And besides…”

“Above all, Hikaru must be feeling scared. She might be weakened. We need to rescue her as soon as possible.”

“Agreed.”

I nodded.

“However, charging in without a plan would be foolish.”

“Hmm.”

“We should first gather information about our opponent’s strength.”

“Specifically, how?”

I asked, and isumi replied.

“First, we need to know the number of opponents. If it’s just one person, it might be relatively easy. While one of us distracts the culprit, the other can rescue Hikaru. But if there are two or more kidnappers, we might have to consider giving up on rescuing her alone. The difference in numbers is far more critical than slight differences in abilities.”

“Did Vision detect only one person?”

“They might have someone skilled in hiding, or it could be someone I’m not familiar with.”

“True.”

I nodded.

“Of course, we should also consider their abilities and weapons. We don’t know if they have experience in martial arts. They might be capable of attack magic as well, not just communication magic.”

“But how do we investigate?”

After a brief moment of thought, Isumi answered.

“It may not be the smartest approach, but we don’t have much choice other than gradually deploying our forces.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, I’ll enter the room where I sensed Hikaru and the kidnapper. From there, we can get an idea of their numbers and abilities. You stay hidden and observe.”

“So, you want to leave everything to me?”

“Not entirely. If their abilities seem overwhelming, then you should run and seek help from the police or anyone else. If there’s only one opponent and they don’t seem too powerful, you can try to surprise them or negotiate.”

“I’m concerned about your safety though. I can be the decoy if needed…”

“Even if I run to the police, convincing them would be difficult. I know I’m not good with words. On the other hand, I have experience in buying time during battles.”

“Choosing the right person for the right role?”

“Exactly. Right now, our priority isn’t my safety or defeating the kidnapper. It’s rescuing Hikaru.”

That makes sense.

“Alright, then where is Hikaru located?”

“We’ll use Vision again when we get a little closer to the building.”

With Isumi’s magic, we confirmed that Hikaru and the kidnapper were in the farthest room on the second floor.

We continued through the building without making any noise. The old factory floor creaked with every step we took.

At this rate, we risked the kidnapper sensing our presence even before they used the Vision spell. But turning back was not an option now. We had to move as stealthily as possible.

I noticed that Isumi’s footsteps were barely audible. She seemed to be more skilled at stealthy movements.

Of course, it made sense. The Demon King didn’t need stealth skills.

Regardless, it didn’t seem to matter in this situation.

We heard voices coming from the room ahead.

“No matter how stealthy you try to be, Isumi-chan, Kageyo-kun, it’s pointless. I’ve known you’ve been in the factory grounds since you entered, thanks to my detection magic.”

Damn, so they already knew we were here.

…But this voice…?

While I was skeptical, Isumi started running.

“Kageyo! Change of plan, let’s go all out!”

“But, this voice…!”

“Act first, think later!”

Indeed, in this situation, action was more crucial than thinking.

I followed Isumi towards the door at the back.

As we opened the door, we were faced with someone holding a knife against Hikaru’s throat…!!