Rest And Machinations

We emerged from the forest where we had clashed with Lyle and Ludmila. We eventually reached the shores of a lake. The cool breeze felt wonderful.

“We have put considerable distance between us. I sense no presence of Heroes or human soldiers in this vicinity,” Stella reported.

“Then let’s rest for a bit.”

I removed the Demon Lord’s mask.

“The sun is setting soon, and you’ve been using your Clairvoyance non-stop, Stella. You must be exhausted.”

“I am fine,” Stella stated coolly.

However, knowing her personality, she was likely pushing herself. She’s the type to work until her limits without letting it show on her face. Just then, my stomach let out a loud growl.

“…I’m hungry. Sorry, let’s take a break.”

If I put it that way, Stella would likely rest as well. Besides, I hadn’t eaten a thing in nearly half a day since coming to the human realm.

“Fufu.”

Stella smiled. Then, her own stomach let out a small, cute kyuuu sound.

“Ah, that was… um…”

Stella’s face instantly turned beet red. It was quite a charming sight.

“Let’s eat.”

Stella and I split up to gather food. We picked nuts nearby, looked for edible herbs, and caught fish in the lake. Stella handled the cooking with the ingredients we gathered. She was incredibly skilled, using flame magic to make a quick stir-fry and deftly tossing a salad.

“Smells great.”

The savory aroma drifting through the air made my mouth water. My stomach growled again.

“Cooking is a hobby of mine. It’s quite nice to use ingredients found in the wild like this.”

So Stella likes to cook? That’s a bit unexpected.

“All done. Please, help yourself.”

The menu laid out before me included grilled fish and a salad of nuts and herbs, all smelling delicious. It was dinner time, sitting side-by-side with Stella.

“Mmm, this is delicious.”

“I am glad it is to your liking.”

Stella looked genuinely happy.

“I’d like to eat this again once we return to the Demon Realm.”

“Fufu, whenever you wish.”

“Really? Then I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, Fried-sama.”

Stella nodded with a bright smile.

After finishing our meal, I consulted with Stella about our next move. The sun had already set, and darkness had swallowed the surroundings.

“Most of the demons under Regal were likely slain by Ludmila. But I think there are still survivors. I want to regroup with them.”

“I shall search for them with my Clairvoyance,” Stella said.

“Thanks. After that, it depends on what they tell us… we’ll either re-suppress the three reclaimed kingdoms or take the survivors back to the Demon Realm for now.”

The words “suppress the kingdoms” came out of my mouth naturally. I was a bit surprised by that myself. It felt like something in my heart had finally snapped into place.

“I defeated Ludmila, who is the Sacred Edge of ‘Wind’ and their greatest combatant. The question is whether they have any more forces on that level. It will be a matter of balancing our remaining strength against the Heroes’ next move.”

“Understood.”

“Next is—”

I pulled a black sword from the void. Radis, the Purgatory Demon Blade.

“I need to investigate this thing.”

“The Demon Lord’s blade…?”

“Stella, how much do you know about this sword?”

“I have heard that the first Demon Lord used it to strike down even the gods of the Heavens. However, currently, its power is lost, and it is viewed more as a ceremonial object—a symbol of the Demon Lord. That is my understanding.”

The battle between the first Demon Lord and the gods… I had heard of that from Yurisha as well. However, even she only possessed fragments of the story and couldn’t tell me much in detail. Just that such a war took place in the distant past.

“Then, what about the story that the demons were weakened by a divine curse?”

It might not be something to discuss lightly, but I felt I should tell Stella at the least.

“…No, I have never heard such a thing.”

Stella looked shocked. It was as I half-expected; she didn’t know.

“Is it… a fact?”

“At least, that’s what Yurisha said. But if even you, a Demon Commander, don’t know, it must be information kept strictly for the King.”

“I suspect Commanders Regal, Zegart, and Feria are also unaware.”

“I see… Sorry, but keep this to yourself for the time being.”

“Understood.”

“And… I’m concerned about why my strength drained away when I fought Lyle, who held a fragment of this sword.”

Time for a little experiment. I looked at the blade again. The fragment I recovered from Lyle was slotted into the missing section, but it came out with just a bit of pressure.

“Stella, hold this fragment.”

“Me…?”

“I want to recreate the situation from the fight with Lyle.”

I handed the fragment to Stella. Purple sparks popped and crackled against its black surface.

“I’m starting.”

I moved several meters away from her and leveled Radis.

Thump!

Instantly, my heart began to race. I felt my strength begin to drain away. But—

“…Wait, is that it?”

Compared to when I fought Lyle, the exhaustion was minor. My magical power itself didn’t seem to have decreased much.

“What does this mean…?”

At that time, it felt like my power was being siphoned away rapidly. It felt as though my magic was being overpowered by Laevateinn’s flames not just because he was stronger, but because I was weaker.

I hold the Demon Lord’s blade, and the opponent holds a fragment—it’s the exact same situation as when I fought Lyle. I thought the fragment might have an effect that suppresses the Demon Lord’s power, but it doesn’t seem to be that simple.

If that’s the case, then that phenomenon during the fight with Lyle was—

Ludmila stood alone in the forest. The wind tossed her blue twin-tails.

“The Demon Lord escaped… did he?”

After her battle with the Demon Lord, seven Heroes and five hundred soldiers had gone to hunt him down. However, the Demon Lord and his subordinate had vanished, leaving no trail.

“If only I had finished him—”

She bit her lip in frustration. But the Demon Lord’s power had been overwhelming. For Ludmila, who had always been victorious against any demon until now, it was a humiliation she was tasting for the first time in her life. It was an absolute terror she was tasting for the first time.

And—there was one more thing on her mind.

“Did Lyle-kun call the Demon Lord ‘Master’…? What did that mean…?”

Her consciousness had been fading, so she hadn’t heard it clearly. But the Demon Lord’s name, ‘Fried,’ was the same as the name of Lyle’s master. She wanted to demand answers, but Lyle himself had vanished from the scene.

Then,

“I was surprised. To think someone of your caliber could be pushed that far.”

The person who walked up was a beautiful woman. She looked to be in her early twenties. Her golden hair was styled up, and she wore a gentle smile on her refined, beautiful face. She wore a pure white dress, completely out of place on a battlefield. She looked like a young noble lady.

“However, I see you have no major injuries. I am relieved.”

“Fiore-san…!”

The Hero praised as her equal—the Sacred Edge of ‘Fire,’ Fiore Quell. The rapier at her waist was the Seraph-class Miracle Armament, Michael.

“It’s good to see you safe, Ludmila.”

“This new Demon Lord seems quite troublesome, doesn’t he?”

Two more shadows stood behind her.

“Even you guys—”

The Sacred Edges of ‘Water’ and ‘Earth.’ All four of the strongest Heroes were now gathered in this place.