The Skeleton Swordsman

“My Demon Lord!”

Stella rushed up from behind me.

“The perimeter of the mansion is secured.”

“Good work.”

As expected of Stella, she is efficient.

“Surrender. There are things I wish to ask you,” I declared once more. “You understand that defying this Demon Lord is futile, do you not? I have sealed all exits.”

In this situation, surrender was their only logical option.

“I-if it’s come to this—then by force!” one of them groaned with a trembling voice.

“We have no choice but to carve a path out…”

“B-but the opponents are the Demon Lord and a Demon Commander…”

“There are three of us. As long as we don’t give them an opening to use magic, we beast-kin should have the advantage in close-quarters combat…”

The three of them whispered their unsettling plan. In the next instant, their bodies swelled from within. One transformed into a wolf beast-kin, one into a tiger, and the last into a hawk. They split to the front, left, and right, closing in on me from three directions.

“Paralyze.”

I chanted the numbing spell.

“Uugh, m-my body is going numb…!?”

Instantly, they collapsed where they stood.

“Reveal everything regarding your plot,” I said, looking down at the three of them. “Otherwise—you shall pay with your very lives.”

I put as much majestic “Demon Lordliness” as I could into my voice.

“H-hiieee…”

“H-help us, my Demon Lord…”

Realizing they were helpless, the three wore terrified expressions.

“Have mercy…”

“If we talk, we will be killed…”

“Our leader is a cruel man, please, save us…”

It seemed they feared Zegart the Beast Emperor even more than they feared me. Now, how should I get them to talk?

Just as I was considering my options—

Suddenly, a brilliant white light flooded the edge of my vision.

“What…?”

“This is…?”

Before my and Stella’s startled eyes, the demons let out a final scream as they began to wither and dry up. In an instant, all three turned to ash and vanished.

“Energy Drain…!? This power is—” Stella groaned.

“My apologies, my Demon Lord.”

I turned around at the sudden voice. Standing there was a warrior clad in ancient silver plate armor. He stood nearly two meters tall. The face peeking out from beneath the helm was a literal skull.

“What is the meaning of this, Commander Regal?”

Stella glared at the skeletal swordsman.

…Regal? So this was one of the Demon Lord’s top aides—‘Lord Undead’ Regal.

“To kill them before the interrogation could even begin.”

“There was no telling what weapons they might have hidden,” Regal stated flatly. “Therefore, considering the risks—I executed them before they could cause harm to our Demon Lord.”

“…Is that truly the only reason?” Stella’s expression hardened further.

Her tone was different from how she spoke to me, and different from how she spoke to Rilim. It was a sharp, tense atmosphere, as if she were facing an enemy.

“Whatever do you mean, Commander Stella?”

“I am asking if it would have been ‘inconvenient’ for you if they remained alive.” Stella’s gaze was ice-cold. “For example, if you were plotting something in league with Zegart.”

“Hey, Stella.”

Is she suspecting this skeleton demon of being part of the conspiracy too? …At this rate, it feels like I’m surrounded by enemies on all sides. I heightened my vigilance, looking back and forth between Stella and Regal.

“I have no idea what you are talking about. I simply put the Demon Lord’s safety above all else.” Regal spoke calmly and turned toward me.

“It is an honor to meet you, my Demon Lord. I am Regal Vana Centora, one of the Seven Great Demon Commanders. I have returned from the invasion of the human world.”

Regal removed his helm and bowed.

“…I am glad of your return, Regal. I look forward to your service.”

I regained my composure and spoke with dignity.

The Seven Great Demon Commanders. These were the seven demons who possessed the greatest power in the Demon Realm and served as the Demon Lord’s inner circle. Three of them had been slain in the recent Hero invasion. Of the remaining four, Stella was by my side; Zegart the ‘Beast Emperor’ and Regal the ‘Undead King’ were in the human world; and ‘Dream Demon Princess’ Feria was missing after her battle with the Heroes.

And now Regal had returned from the human world.

“I led my legions of undead kin and attacked the place the humans call the Eastern Continent,” Regal reported. “There were capable warriors among the humans, and my subordinates suffered no small amount of casualties. However, in the end, my army crushed them and overran three kingdoms.”

“Three kingdoms…”

I almost unconsciously clenched my fist. Surely a vast number of people had been sacrificed. Not just Heroes, but likely other soldiers and civilians as well—.

“I stationed my aides there, and once the war situation stabilized, I returned to the Demon Realm. I came to report the status, and for one other reason—having heard that Lady Yurisha, the previous Demon Lord, had been slain.”

A red light ignited in the skeleton’s eye sockets. Regal’s gaze locked onto me sharply.

“I came to judge for myself the one who has become the new Demon Lord.”

“Judge…?”

“With all due respect, I wished to confirm directly whether you possess the vessel worthy of a King.”

His tone was polite, but Regal’s words carried an intense pressure. This guy… is he sizing me up?

“Insolence!” Stella shouted in anger. “First of all, the Demon Lord bears the Crest of the Demon Lord, the proof of the successor!”

“What of it?” Regal shrugged at Stella.

“What…!”

“The presence or absence of a crest is a trivial matter. I do not acknowledge a master unless they are a leader worth serving.” With that, the skeletal swordsman turned back to me. “The previous King, Lady Yurisha, had that quality. She was fierce, at times even cruel—and that linked to her strength as a ruler. What of you, Fried-sama?”

“Regal…?”

“It seems you are adored by your subjects. I have never seen Commander Stella make such an expression. She, who was once like ice, now acts like a girl her age.”

“Wh-what are you saying…!” Stella’s face turned bright red. “I-I don’t… about the Demon Lord… well…”

For some reason, she started fidgeting. …Where did the anger she had a moment ago go?

“This must be due to Fried-sama’s virtue,” Regal stated flatly, glancing at her. “In a time of peace, that would be well and good. However, we are currently in an era of war. I believe the quality required of a King is not kindness, but strength.”

The pressure radiating from him increased further. This guy—!

“Therefore, with all due respect… I shall test you. It is presumptuous, but I shall determine your worth.”

He drew the sword at his waist. It was a longsword with a grotesque design, looking as if it were made from countless fused bones.

“If you deem this a crime, then sentence me to death as you please, Fried-sama.”

The killing intent blowing toward me was the real deal. I see, he’s the warrior type who speaks with his blade rather than words. In that case, there was only one thing to do.

“—Very well, Regal,” I said quietly, bracing myself. “Determine it with your own eyes. My power as a King. And my worthiness.”