Conclusion, The Demon Lord Battle

The black radiance swallowed Estram, triggering a massive explosion.

“Pant… pant… pant… C-curse you…”

The Wizard-King was still alive, having apparently deployed a mana barrier in the nick of time. However, he had clearly sustained heavy damage. His robes were tattered, and the staff in his hand was scorched.

“What is this power of yours…!?” Estram glared at me. “To weaken the potency of my magic…”

“I won’t let you lay a finger on Stella and the others.” I glared back.

“Protecting your subjects, are you? Hmph.” Estram raised his scarred staff. “A kind King. But that kindness can also become your weakness.”

“A weakness, huh?”

“Take my magic!”

Fireballs, lightning strikes, violent gales, and water blades erupted from the tip of his staff in rapid succession. It seemed he intended to lower the rank of his spells to win through sheer volume.

“Then I will too!”

I fired back with a similar barrage of low-rank spells. We each manifested hundreds of magical attacks, but every single one of mine carried more weight and power.

“Tch, to think there was such a gap in mana…!” Estram was pushed back once more.

“Begone!”

I added a finishing flurry of magical strikes. Suddenly, a black knight leaped from the side, slicing through the cluster of attack spells. It was Magi Breaker—the sword technique that cuts through any magic.

“That is enough.”

The Knightly Demon Lord stood as a shield for Estram. “The victor is clear. It is your loss, Lord Estram.”

“But, Vrisera—”

“You felt it too, did you not? This man’s power. To the fullest.”

“Muu…”

“Do you not think his strength is worthy of a Demon Lord?” After saying this, her gaze sharpened. “Though there is a certain naivety to him.”

“I concur.” Estram gave a faint smile.

…Sorry for being naive.

“Even so,” Estram narrowed his eyes beneath his hood. “A mysterious power slumbers within you. To weaken mana—no, to jam it.”

“…Yeah.”

I had an idea as to the true nature of that power. But with the other demons present, I couldn’t exactly reveal it out loud, regardless of how much I trusted Stella. The power that weakened Estram’s magic was likely because that was sleeping inside me—.

“It seems the time we can remain manifested is running out,” Vrisera whispered.

Her body was gradually fading, as was Estram’s beside her.

“No matter how skilled a Demon Commander may be, they cannot maintain the manifestation of us Demon Lord-class entities for long.”

“I suppose not.” The two Demon Lords exchanged glances.

They were illusions manifested by Feria’s power. It seemed that effect was reaching its limit.

“A temporary body… and a short time… but meeting the Demon Lord of this era was quite enjoyable.” With those words, Estram vanished completely.

“I, too, am proud to have crossed blades with you,” Vrisera added. “However, one thing concerns me. You are far too well-versed in the nuances of humanity.”

“…!”

“Could it be that under that mask—”

Vrisera started to speak, then shook her head. “No, prying would be boorish. I am glad to know there is a reliable successor… Farewell.”

With those final words, Vrisera also disappeared.

“Heh… defeating four of history’s top-tier lords. That’s quite something.”

The red crystal in front of us shattered. A single demon woman emerged from within. She had pale pink hair reaching her feet and a lovely face with a mischievous, succubus-like smile. She wore a provocative outfit that was little more than lingerie, with bat-like wings on her back and a slender tail at her waist.

“Finally, we can talk properly.” I faced her. “Dream Demon Princess—Feria.”

“I squeezed out every drop of mana to manifest four Demon Lords, and to think they were all wiped out. I couldn’t quite bring out Velpher, the Primal Demon Lord, who’s called the strongest in history… but even so, your strength is absurd.”

Feria stared at me intently.

“I sustained heavy wounds in the battle against the Heroes. I couldn’t shake that terror… but watching your fight has set my mind at ease,” Feria said. “Your power, which surpasses even the Demon Lords of old, was reassuring. Most of all, I liked that you prioritized protecting your subjects. You’ll protect me properly too, right?”

“Protecting my subjects is my job.” I nodded to her. “However—you must also protect the Demon Realm. As a high executive. Lend me your strength for that purpose.”

“Hmmm…” Feria narrowed her eyes, as if appraising my value. “Very well. I shall fight according to the Demon Lord’s orders.”

Then, she nodded with a deeper, mischievous grin. “In that case—it’s nice to meet you properly. I am Feria Zel Zyraena. Of the Succubus kin.”

“It’s Fried.” I nodded back.

Suddenly—

“You are in the presence of the Demon Lord, Feria. Watch your tongue.” Stella glared at her. “You’ve been strangely overfamiliar from the start…”

“Hm? What’s the harm? Even the previous Lord Yurisha didn’t mind my attitude.” Feria smiled enchantingly and leaned against me.

“Mmuu…” Stella’s expression grew even grimmer.

Ignoring her, Feria looked up at me with a coy gaze. “Hey, why do you wear a mask?”

“No, this is—”

My face is the same as it was when I was a human. Strictly speaking, this body is likely that of a demon, but the human presence apparently remains quite strong. Stella had warned me before that if people saw my face, some might be able to tell I was a former human.

“I want you to show me your face under the mask… just to me?” Feria pressed closer. She was pushing her ample chest against me with quite a bit of force, and I couldn’t help but notice. …Well, I’m not a hormonal teenager anymore, so I didn’t let myself get flustered.

“Feria, that’s enough. You’re being disrespectful.”

“Hm? It’s rare to see a cool-headed person like you get angry.” Feria laughed at Stella. “Could it be jealousy? Do you harbor ‘naughty’ feelings for the Demon Lord? That seems even more disrespectful to me.”

“Wh-wh-wh-wha-what are you talking about!?” Stella’s face turned beet red.

Honestly, she was overreacting.

“N-no, you’re wrong! I don’t feel that way about the Demon Lord—Th-that’s right, what I feel is strictly respect, and absolutely not love…!”

Feria giggled. “You’re so fun to tease. I like that about you.”

“You are… honestly.” Stella knit her brows.

Feria, still smiling, said, “It’s been a while since we met, and I’d love to enjoy more girl talk… but first, I suppose I should deactivate the Nightmare World.”