The Misty Canyon

Accompanied by Stella, I arrived in the remote depths of the Southern Region riding upon the Emperor Dragon of the Abyss, Bel-ga-Elfieda—Bel.

We touched down in front of a canyon draped in thick mist.

“Good work, Bel. We’ll go on foot from here.”

“You were a big help, Bel-ga-Elfieda,” Stella added, thanking the dragon alongside me.

“Normally, I’m the exclusive mount for the Demon Lord, you know. But Stella dotes on me, so I gave her a special ride.”

The black dragon spoke as its massive frame shuddered.

“Alright, I’m switching to Hellhound mode now.”

With a poof of smoke, the dragon transformed into a cute little dog. It was her Hellhound form.

“Sooo cute…”

Stella’s eyes sparkled as she scooped up the dog-form Bel.

“Ah, so adorable… so fluffy…”

“Ah, right there, scratch right there!”

“Like this?”

Stella scratched under Bel’s chin with her supple fingertips.

“Funyaa.”

“Oh, you really are just precious. Nuzzle, nuzzle.”

Stella’s eyes crinkled with a broad smile as she rubbed her cheek against Bel. Her character had done a complete 180. Where did the cool, composed aide go?

“…Hah! M-my apologies!”

Noticing my gaze, Stella turned beet red and snapped back into a stiff, formal posture.

The three of us—Stella, Bel, and I—proceeded into the canyon.

“Hey, hey. Stella, you know the Demon Lord used to be a human, right?”

“Wh—!?”

At Bel’s question, Stella’s face grew rigid.

“M-my Lord—”

“Yeah, she figured it out from my scent. I’ve told her to keep it quiet from the other demons, so it’s fine.”

I nodded to Stella. There are more than a few demons who harbor a deep hatred for humans. Even if it’s in the past, revealing that I was human wouldn’t be a wise move. Especially considering I was a Hero who spent his life fighting demons.

“I’m not a fan of humans either. What about you, Stella?” Bel asked.

“You seem strangely devoted. Does it not bother you that the Demon Lord is a former human?”

“…Fried-sama fought to protect the demons. Even as a former human, he stood against the human Heroes.”

Stella spoke quietly, but with conviction.

“I believe in this person’s will to protect our kind. That is why I support him.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you find that hard to accept?”

“Most demon executives are a shady bunch; you never know what they’re thinking. The previous Lord, the one before that, and the one before that—I’ve seen plenty of Demon Commanders with hidden agendas,” Bel laughed.

“But you seem different. Your words smell like the truth. I like people who are simple like that. Yes, really simple.”

“…Are you subtly insulting me?”

Stella knit her brows.

“Not at all! Besides, you’re really good at scratching. I mean it when I say I like you. Come on, more fluffing?”

“I… I see. Then, if you insist.”

Whatever serious mood they had established vanished instantly as Stella’s face broke into a grin again.

“Fluffy… your fur feels so good…”

“Ah, behind the ears is good too.”

“Here?”

“Yes, yes… funyaa.”

“—Fried-sama, enemy.”

Stella’s face went dead serious in an instant.

“Eh?”

I was impressed that she hadn’t neglected her scouting even while doting on the dog. The switch was so abrupt it left me a bit dazed.

In the next moment, black shadows emerged from the mist. About twenty monsters.

“Demons…?”

“No, they appear to be biological weapons created through sorcery,” Stella replied.

Oooooooooon!

The monsters let out a roar and lunged. They were likely formidable; I could sense a massive mana presence—the kind of class a lower-tier human Hero wouldn’t stand a chance against.

—However,

“Ragna Bomb.”

I wiped them out with a single explosive spell just to be safe. Every monster vanished into dust.

“An instant kill, as usual,” Bel said, her tone somewhere between a wry smile and pure exasperation.

“More are coming,” Stella warned.

This time, about fifty monsters. Also magical weapons.

“Fire.”

I blew them away with fire magic.

However, after walking for a while longer, we encountered yet another group.

“Just how many of these things are there?”

“It seems monster spawn points have been placed at regular intervals for interception,” Stella explained as I let out a sigh. “Even with my ‘Eyes,’ I can’t fully see through it. This mist seems to have an effect that disrupts or blocks mana.”

“I guess we have no choice but to stay alert and keep moving.”

As I spoke, I pierced them with a Burst Arrow. We didn’t have time to be held up by small fry like this. We needed to reach Judas as soon as possible.

The rest of the journey proceeded without much trouble.

“Energy Hand.”

I used arms of mana to swat monsters aside.

“Aqua Bullet.”

I pierced them with bullets of water.

“Wind.”

I blew them away with wind magic. None of the groups appearing in dozens were a match for me. Eventually, we reached the deepest part of the canyon.

“This is—”

We stopped in our tracks. The scenery here was different. Dozens of swords and spears were thrust into the ground. And these weren’t just ordinary weapons. This presence—

“Miracle Armaments…!?”

But I had defeated or driven off every Hero who invaded the Demon Realm. No Hero should have been able to strike this far in.

“Have Heroes attacked the Demon Realm before?”

“No, the previous invasion of the hundred Heroes was supposed to be the first…” Stella replied, sounding just as bewildered as I was.

“Then what is this—”

I tried to step closer to the cluster of swords and spears.

“Don’t touch those. They’re my research materials.”

A voice rang out.

I turned around to find a single young boy standing there.

Deep in a forest, the Heroes were undergoing training.

The second invasion of the Demon Realm was scheduled to take place in a little over two months. These were the training sessions for the candidates. Elite Heroes brandished weapon-type Miracle Armaments like swords and spears, while others controlled autonomous types as if they were extensions of their own limbs. Every one of them was a warrior capable of defeating a mid-tier demon single-handedly.

One of them noticed something and stopped his sword mid-swing.

“What’s that—?”

Something like a black mist was rising from the grass.

—No, not mist.

As he approached, it emitted an eerie, pitch-black radiance. It was a metal fragment, about the size of a palm.

“What is this?”

He reached down to pick up the metal piece.

Behind him, a scream echoed.

“Eh…!?”

Startled, he turned around to see a sea of blood. Every Hero who had been training was lying on the ground.

“W-what… happened…!? Gaf!”

In the next moment, he was pierced by something like an arrow. No, it wasn’t an arrow.

“A feather…!?”

A feather-arrow that could pierce even iron plate armor. The Hero collapsed and ceased to move.

“Found it.”

A bird-like silhouette—the demon Sigmund—walked forward slowly. He picked up the metal fragment from the grass and grinned.

“A fragment of the Demon Lord’s blade… I’ll have a fine report for Lord Zegart the Beast Emperor.”