The Beginning Of The True Fierce Battle.

According to reports, Regal seems to have been defeated by the heroes calling themselves the Sacred Edge,“ Zegart said.

The Sacred Edge. They were the four heroes hailed as the strongest. One of them, Ludmila, was someone I had fought before. Amidst the chaos of Lyle being present on the battlefield back then, I hadn’t been able to deal the finishing blow, but—

“An opponent capable of defeating Regal… sending halfway measures as reinforcements would only result in them turning the tables on us.” Zegart jerked his chin forward. “What will you do, my King?”

A light dwelt within his lion-like eyes, as if he were testing me.

“—I will go myself,” I decided instantly.

“Ho, the King himself.”

“Regal was one of the fiercest warriors in the Demon Realm. If they are an opponent capable of striking him down, I have no choice but to step out.” Meeting Zegart’s gaze head-on, I said, “I want you and Juda to hold the defenses here.”

“I pray for your good fortune in battle, my King.” Zegart bowed respectfully.

“Do your best, Demon King-kun. Well, I don’t think anything untoward will happen to you, though,” Juda chimed in with a casual tone.

Just then—

“Demon King-sama, one more thing—the presence of heroes possessing immense power is drawing near.” Stella suddenly raised her face. The third eye on her forehead had snapped open.

“What?”

“The count is two. It appears the garrisons on their route have all been annihilated in an instant.”

“…They just keep coming one after another,” I groaned.

They might be opponents on the same level as the hero who had appeared in Jiregga. Or, there was a possibility they were part of the Sacred Edge. Had they split into two parties, or perhaps even more routes, to advance separately—?

If so, ordinary demons wouldn’t stand a chance against any of them.

“Send Juda to handle that side. I will depart for Jiregga immediately. I leave the remaining command to Stella. Zegart, Feria—coordinate with the remaining Demon Army Commanders and prepare for an enemy assault on the Demon King Castle.”

I issued the orders swiftly and left the chamber.

The march of the Sacred Edge was nothing short of a rapid, victorious breakthrough.

Any demons standing in their path were instantly slaughtered by the power of the Chaos Form, their dark miraculous armaments. All enemy counterattacks were completely suppressed by the Chaos Jacket. There was no need to even use their trump card, the Aura Burst.

In no time at all, they had pushed their way from the outer fringes of the Demon Realm to near its center.

“How shall we proceed from here? Will all four of us go in a straight line to the Demon King Castle?” Fiore asked. “Or—”

“It is about time we split into two groups,” Ludmila said. “I want to avoid the risk of all of us being wiped out in one fell swoop by an enemy trap or an unexpected powerhouse.”

“I agree. There are still six Demon Army Commanders left. They won’t be easy opponents to deal with,” Shion concurred. “How about a pairing of myself and Rearvelt, and Ludmila and Fiore? We’re the groups that trained together, so our coordination should be well-honed.”

“I have no objections.”

“Nor do I.”

Fiore advanced alongside Ludmila. As they moved forward, a bad premonition gradually began to swell within her. Even though they were experiencing victory after victory.

Just why—

That question would soon be answered. In the worst possible way.

It was when they reached a mountain pass that they discovered “it.”

“Ah…”

Fiore’s expression froze. Her mouth remained wide open as she gasped for air.

“How awful…” Ludmila murmured.

On the blood-stained earth, the corpses of countless heroes lay piled on top of one another. Fiore’s gaze was nailed to a single spot. No words would come out.

Her mind rejected the sight before her eyes. Her reason denied it. Her heart denied it.

No. It’s impossible. This shouldn’t be happening.

“Ah… ah… a…”

Strength vanished from her knees, and Fiore collapsed on the spot.

“Ahhhhh… ahhhhhhh… a… aa…”

A squeezed-out wail of agony and a scream erupted from her. What lay ahead of her gaze—was the severed head of her beloved younger brother, Elio, rolling carelessly on the ground.

Shion Meltyraat was advancing through the wasteland. Beside him was Rearvelt, a knight clad in full plate armor.

“The Demon King Castle is still quite far away,” Shion sighed, staring at the colossal castle towering in the far distance.

“We can’t go any faster than this,” Rearvelt replied.

Plumes of dust kicked up from beneath their feet. It was high-speed movement utilizing the power of Rearvelt’s Earth miraculous armament. Though they were moving far faster than a horse, the Demon King Castle was still a long way off.

“You seem quite impatient, Shion.”

“It’s not so much impatience as it is excitement. During the previous invasion, we, the Sacred Edge, were left out of the loop. It feels like our turn has finally come.”

Shion maintained his refreshing smile, yet a fierce fire burned within his chest—a fire of justice and a sense of duty.

“In the name of my ancestor, the Blade Saint Xylas—I will be the one to slay the Demon King.”

“For the sake of your lineage?”

“It is a calling,” Shion smiled refreshingly. “From the moment we are born, members of the Meltyraat family bear that duty. To fight as a hero and save the world. We dedicate our entire lives to that mission.”

“A life spent walking a predetermined path, then.”

“I accept it, and I am satisfied with it,” Shion said. “That is how we have protected so many people. The smiles of many. Their happiness. I take pride in that. That is my lifelong calling.”

Above all, it gave him a sense of fulfillment.

“A lifelong calling… huh. What a dreadfully stifling way to live.”

The space ahead blurred like a heat haze, and a slender silhouette materialized.

“You are—”

“One of the Demon Army Commanders, Master Juda Lugis.”

He looked like nothing more than a young boy, but since he was a demon, his appearance didn’t necessarily reflect his true age. He exuded a majestic, solemn aura, as if he had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years. He was clearly no ordinary foe.

“I won’t let you pass beyond this point.”

“And if we say we’ll take our way by force?” Shion asked defiantly.

“If you think your strength can match mine, feel free to try.” The silver-haired demon kept his smile intact.

“Then—we’ll do just that.”

Shion and Rearvelt readied their dark miraculous armaments.