Chapter 885: What's Wrong With Eating a Person?
"Hans, you ate a person?"
A voice brimming with killing intent reached his ears.
Kazuma Satou froze for a moment.
Hans?
Was this old man named Hans?
He had the same name as a Demon Lord Army executive!
But why did the boss say he ate people?
"...Holy shit!"
Kazuma jolted, leaping back in fright.
Only after hiding behind the boss and gaining some sense of security did Kazuma relax, patting his chest as if he had narrowly escaped death while glaring at the confused old man.
"Th-this guy is Hans? That Death Poison Slime? Wasn't he supposed to be a brown-haired muscular man?"
"What are you all talking about?"
The aristocratic-looking old man looked at them perplexedly, completely unable to understand what they meant.
"He's a slime, so of course he can freely mold his appearance."
Eiji's expression was icy, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"But the prerequisite is that he needs to eat that person first."
One of the innate abilities of the Death Poison Slime was to mimic the appearance of humans it had eaten!
However, even so, what he mimicked was only the external form - he definitely didn't simulate internal organs and everything else. Beneath that human skin was still that jelly-like viscous liquid!
Such a simple mimicry ability couldn't possibly hide from Eiji's perception!
"He eats to mimic?"
Kazuma shuddered, fear welling up from the depths of his heart. He slipped away to the very back of the group like grease under his feet, drawing contemptuous glances from everyone.
"Calling someone a slime right off the bat, how rude of you!"
The golden-haired old man wrinkled his aged face, showing clear displeasure at being offended.
"Is this old man really a Demon Lord Army executive? He doesn't look like one?"
Yunyun was deceived by his appearance, feeling somewhat doubtful.
She subconsciously took a step forward, wanting Mr. Nangou to confirm again.
But then her wrist was grabbed as Megumin tightened her grip seriously, holding her staff in front of her - a sign that she had become alert.
"Don't want to admit it? Then let me ask you, how are the hot springs?"
"Of course the hot springs are fine."
The old man hesitated for a moment before answering with composure.
"Aqua!"
Eiji suddenly shouted toward the area behind him.
Only then did Yunyun realize that Miss Aqua had disappeared at some point without anyone noticing?
"He's lying!"
Aqua jumped out from behind the old man, pointing at him angrily.
"The hot springs were already poisoned, even their color changed! There's no way they could be fine!"
"Tch, always doing unnecessary things!"
The golden-haired old man instantly tore off his disguise, revealing a vicious expression.
The human skin dissolved in the blink of an eye, and from within emerged a muscular middle-aged man with brown crew-cut hair. He glared furiously at Aqua, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to kill her!
He had already poisoned all seven hot spring sources, waiting only for the right time when the poison would flow through the tributaries into all of Alcanretia's hot springs. Then all those damned Axis Cult followers would kick the bucket!
Of course he couldn't say the hot springs were poisoned at this moment - he could only lie. He never expected this woman to have circled around to the back without him noticing!
We were so close, only needing a bit more time, yet things were ruined at this critical moment!
"How dare you lay a hand on my beloved followers! I won't forgive you! Take this, Divine Light Fist!"
The moment she saw her opponent shed their disguise, Aqua, unable to contain her rage, eagerly lunged forward. Her fists radiated a sacred brilliance condensed from intense anger and sorrow as she threw a punch at Hans.
"Hmph, a mere priestess. Even with holy attributes, how could you possibly overcome the level gap and hurt me—Eek!!!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Hans let out a pathetic scream as the holy light struck him.
"This isn't my fight alone! The power of all Axis Church followers has merged into one at this moment. Everyone is fighting alongside me!"
Aqua stood there imposingly, delivering the protagonist's lines with utmost seriousness.
To be fair, it was kind of cool.
But you clearly overpowered Hans with your strength and attribute advantage—why are you shouting about merging into one?
"...Damn it, I've been tricked. You're no ordinary priestess, are you?"
Hans, covered in large patches of scorched black, looked at Aqua in disarray.
"With this level of divine power... you... could it be that you're—"
His gaze toward Aqua was filled with apprehension, as if he had encountered a natural predator.
"However, with the Demon King's blessing, power of this caliber cannot kill me. Mere minor injuries are insignificant!"
As his body squirmed, Hans's wounds healed in the blink of an eye.
He looked at Aqua and flashed a cold smile.
"In that case, I'll beat you until you can't recover!"
Aqua snorted coldly, her entire body surging with intense holy light.
Seeing the terrifying amount of holy light, Hans couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle.
If he took that hit, even with the Demon King's blessing, he would surely be left either dead or crippled!
This woman... she really is that one!
"Wait, Aqua. I have something to ask him."
Just as Aqua was about to unleash her holy light-infused strike, Eiji suddenly stopped her.
"Hans, why do you eat humans?"
Ignoring Aqua's deeply dissatisfied yet unprotesting gaze, Eiji stared intently at Hans.
If that blond old man had been some scum who bullied men and women, then eating him would have been understandable—Eiji wouldn't have blamed him.
But if it was purely indiscriminate killing of innocents—
"Huh? I eat because I want to. Why does there need to be a reason?"
Hans remained wary of Aqua while scoffing disdainfully.
"What's wrong with eating mere humans? Unlike those weaklings who fear Wiz's power, I do as I please. Why should I care about any restrictions!"
Ever since Wiz stormed into the Demon King's Castle ten years ago and had a friendly negotiation with the former Demon King, the Demon Lord Army had been prohibited from killing innocent civilians. For this, the former Demon King even disbanded the main ogre army—the man-eating ogres!
Beldia, Silvia, and others all feared Wiz's power, restraining themselves and their subordinates from indiscriminately killing civilians, only targeting adventurers and the kingdom's knights.
But Hans was different. He disdained maintaining so-called order and peace, acting purely on his own whims!
Kazuma drew a cross over his chest.
Hans, although this is our first meeting, I'll pray for your soul after you die.
"Very well, then die."
Eiji drew his spiritual armament, transforming it in the blink of an eye into a magnificent and dazzling knight's sword.
"—Exterion (Slash)!"
Golden divine light condensed into a crescent-shaped sword wave, slicing Hans in two with a single strike!
"Urgh—! What? What is this power?"
Caught off guard, Hans's outer form was torn apart, and a torrent of emerald-green mucus gushed from the cross-section of his body.
He hastily reconnected his body, staring in shock at the sword in Eiji's hand.
"A divine attribute sacred treasure?"