by Okina Baba
Some kind of cube made up of green lines appears.
Magic brain can make it bigger and smaller, change its shape, and move it to the left and right.
Apparently, it’s nonphysical because it sinks into the ground as well as magma.
It reminds me of selecting a range of objects on a PC. In fact, I think that’s exactly what it is.
Looks like all this spell does is designate a space.
What good is it, then?
Maybe it’s a preliminary setup thing for the higher-level spells?
Right, that makes sense.
So I guess this is another skill that won’t be any use until it’s a higher level, like Shadow Magic.
Yep.
Hmm.
Well, I wasn’t expecting it to be useful in combat or anything right off the bat, so what really matters is that I got it for now.
We’ll just have to level it up quickly.
You know what to do, right, magic brain?
Focus on this more than other magic, right?
Yeah. By the way, how many different kinds of magic can you activate at once right now?
Depends on the kind of magic. But Coordinate Designation doesn’t seem too hard, so I think I could do two other spells at the same time as long as they’re simple ones.
Gotcha. Try and stock up on proficiency while we’re on the move as much as you can, then, ’kay?
Yessir.
Body brain is still busy with de-scaling.
Makes sense, since there are three eels, and the fire wyrm’s about twice the size of one.
Looks like it’ll be a while before we can do a fire wyrm taste test.
Man, though, I can’t believe I beat a whole gang of monsters led by a super-strong wyrm.
In terms of stats, the fire wyrm was way stronger than me.
My chances didn’t look very good at first.
But I managed to win by paralyzing them and dousing them in poison.
Just goes to show all over again that stats aren’t the only thing that counts.
For example, a spider that specializes in abnormal status conditions can be an extremely difficult monster to deal with, if I do say so myself.
If my stats keep going up and I keep getting better at magic, maybe I’ll become a high-powered all-rounder mega-monster?
Heh-heh-heh.
And I got the Demon Lord skill, too. Maybe I should really start calling myself a demon lord sometime?
I have the Fearbringer title already, so I bet it would suit me.
It is I, the Spider Demon Lord!
Just kidding.
At the time, I had no idea.
When I joked about becoming a demon lord…
…I didn’t realize the significance of those words.
THE DEMON LORD’S AIDE SIGHS AT A MEETING
I walk down a long corridor following a petite figure nearly two heads shorter than I am.
As a result, this individual’s gait is quite a bit slower than mine.
Which means I have to be careful to proceed less briskly than usual.
It’s not ideal, but I can’t simply overtake the one I’m following.
Because the girl striding ahead of me at the moment is the current Demon Lord.
When we finally finish traversing the lengthy corridor, we arrive before a single door.
There, the Demon Lord stops.
To be perfectly honest, I do not want to open this door. However, I have no choice but to do so.
Taking care to swallow the sigh that threatens to rise unbidden from deep inside me, I open it.
Then I step aside to allow the Demon Lord to enter, bowing my head reverentially.
The Demon Lord doesn’t so much as spare me a glance as she enters, as if she expected no less.
Once the Demon Lord has crossed the threshold, I fall in line behind her.
—After gently closing the door so it doesn’t make a sound, of course.
The room we’ve entered is a sort of council room.
There’s a circular table at its center, with a seat of honor reserved for the Demon Lord.
Ten other men and women are already arrayed at the table.
Half of them stand as the Demon Lord makes her appearance.
The other half remain seated.
The problem is that one of those who remained seated is my younger brother.
Once again, I have to suppress a sigh from escaping my throat.
I pull out the Demon Lord’s chair so she can sit.
Again without even looking at me, the Demon Lord flops casually into the chair with an utter lack of elegance.
I notice a few grimaces in response.
I’m sure the Demon Lord noticed, too. She takes great pleasure in evoking that kind of reaction, after all.
Personally, I think it’s in rather poor taste myself, but if I were to let it show on my face as well, there’s no telling what she might say to me later.
The most effective way to deal with this Demon Lord is to keep a poker face at all times.
“Now, let’s get this meeting started. Balto?”
“Indeed.”
I give a brief reply to the Demon Lord’s command.
To be frank, once she’s given the signal for the meeting to start, the Demon Lord’s role here is over.
All the actual work of conducting the meeting falls to me.
Or rather, it’s forced on me.
“Well then, as our first order of business, let’s hear your reports. We’ll start with the First Army, shall we?”
As usual, we start the meeting with activity reports from the troops deployed in various locations.
At my prompting, First Army Commander Agner, who’s served as the general for several generations of Demon Lords, rises.
Though Commander Agner would likely appear youthful by human standards, he is considered a senior even for a long-lived demon.
His power and competence are such that one wonders why he has never been a Demon Lord himself.
“The First Army has completed its preparations to advance toward the stronghold of the Renxandt Empire, Fort Kusorion. Supply trains have also been successfully deployed. We are ready to march on command. That is all.”
As usual, Commander Agner gives a straightforward report without any extraneous information.
His fortitude and vigor make him the picture of a model military man.
“The Second Army is prepared as well. However, if granted a small amount of additional time, our shadowy dealings may bear fruit.”
The next person to stand and report is an alluringly beautiful woman.
Second Army Commander Sanatoria. As a succubus, she’s exceptionally charming and crafty, even for a demon.
The “shadowy dealings” she refers to are probably something along those lines.
“How much longer will it take?”
“As little as two or three days, perhaps.”
“You are free to proceed, as long as it does not interfere with the advance.”
“Thank you very much.”
With a bewitching smile that could make your heart skip a beat, Sanatoria returns to her seat.
However, the Third Army Commander makes no move to rise.
“Commander Kogou.”
“Weh… So, um, there really is going to be a war?”
The giant Kogou attempts to shrink down in his seat.
“There’s no way we can, um, avoid that?”
“It is inevitable. If there were any way to avoid it, we would do so.”
“Wha… No matter what?”
Before I can answer Kogou’s insistent queries, a different voice echoes through the room.
“No matter what. But if you really want to avoid a war, Commander Kogou, there is one thing you could do.”
It’s the Demon Lord. She has a nasty smirk on her face, as if she’s thought of a cruel prank.
“U-um, what is that?”
“It’s easy. You and every last mem
ber of the Third Army can become the cornerstone for the world.”
Kogou freezes at the Demon Lord’s words.
“What’s the matter? I thought you wanted to avoid a war? Well, that’d do it.”
“I-I’m sorry. Um, I won’t bring it up again. So, um, please forgive me.”
Before the Demon Lord opens her mouth to bully Kogou further, I quickly cut in.
“Kogou, please let this be a lesson to avoid speaking out unnecessarily in the future. Do you have anything to report?”
“Um, everything is going well.”
“Good. Next, please.”
The Demon Lord looks a bit disgruntled, but this is for the best.
The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth commanders give their reports without a problem.
Then it’s the Seventh Army Commander’s turn.
However, the commander, my younger brother Bloe, makes no move to stand.
“Bloe.”
“I just don’t get it, Brother.”
Bloe crosses his arms and slouches back in his seat disagreeably.
“Why is this random chick the Demon Lord when you’re the one who’s been coordinating and managing us demons all this time? It doesn’t make sense!”
“Bloe.”
“And I don’t get you, either! Why do you serve her, Brother?! She don’t look strong enough to keep you under her thumb like this!”
“Fool! Don’t speak of the Demon Lord that way!”
The Fifth Army Commander, Darad, erupts at Bloe’s temerity.
Bloe and Darad clash often; their personalities seem to be at odds with one another.
Usually, one of their neighbors will step in, but this time no one is stopping them.
Some side with Bloe, some with Darad, and some prefer to watch and wait.
The commanders all have varying opinions.
However, it seems that this time everyone has decided to stay out of it.
“Have you forgotten, Bloe?! The providence of the world compels us demons to follow the Demon Lord no matter who it might be!”
“Who cares about that crap? She’s no leader of mine! I’ve never even seen her lift a finger—have you?!”
“Do you think the likes of us are permitted to doubt the Demon Lord’s intentions?! The inner thoughts of a Demon Lord are too complex for us to even imagine!”
“Maybe for you, but some of us have minds of our own, pal! What kinda chump follows every order without a second thought just ’cause it comes from the Demon Lord?! I don’t wanna hear anything from a dumbass like you!”
“You, of all people, dare to call me such a thing?!”
Sandwiched between the arguing pair, Sixth Army Commander Huey looks very aggravated.
The other officers simply look on.
Among them, the only one whose thoughts I absolutely cannot guess is the Fourth Army Commander.
Commander Merazophis’s pallid face doesn’t show the slightest twitch of emotion.
Of all the villainous leaders in the demon army, this man is particularly difficult to understand.
I always pay careful attention to him, but thus far, I haven’t noticed anything suspicious.
“Fine! Let’s do this, then!”
Finally, Bloe puts a hand on his weapon.
Darad reaches for his own in turn, but his hand stops short.
“Wh…? My body…”
“Why can’t I move?!”
Both of their bodies are frozen in place, not responding to their commands.
“Sorry, guys, but d’you mind not fighting over such stupid shit?”
These acrimonious words emanate from the Demon Lord, the very cause of the quarrel.
All the commanders, not just the two who are frozen in place, are overcome with astonishment.
None of them know how the Demon Lord is sealing the pair’s movements.
Understandably so. The Demon Lord has always avoided demonstrating her powers in front of them.
Her method of restraint is silk too thin to be seen with the naked eye.
The threads are attached to the backs of their heads.
Marionette threads. Anyone captured by these strings becomes the Demon Lord’s puppet.
And this isn’t limited to living things.
To my knowledge, the Demon Lord can use these threads to simultaneously control ten puppets, developed specifically for battle, to wipe out hordes of enemies.
However, even I know no more than this.
The Demon Lord has yet to show her hand, even to me.
Bloe is sorely mistaken in thinking the Demon Lord incompetent.
The fact that she holds this station is no mere fluke.
She is the Demon Lord because she is worthy of the station.
“If you piss me off too much, I might have to use Abyss Magic, ya know.”
A savage smile. After seeing that expression, there are none in the room who dare oppose her.
The Demon Lord gives the marionette strings a tug. That alone is enough to force the pair into their seats.
Then the threads separate from their bodies, and the commanders finally regain their freedom.
“I…I apologize.”
“…”
Dalad apologizes, the color drained from his face, while Bloe seems incapable of speaking at all.
“Now, a report from the Eighth Army, please.”
Though it may be cruel, I have to leave my deflated younger brother as he is.
“No problems here.”
Eighth Army Commander Wrath responds curtly.
This man shows no interest at all in whether the Demon Lord is worthy.
He has all kinds of other problems to make up for that, but as they’re not particularly relevant, I’ll refrain from going into them now.
The issue at hand is the remaining two.
“The Ninth Army is prepared to advance.”
If I were to describe this man in a word, it would be “dark.” He is always clad in black armor and a black helmet, as if they were attached to his body.
What little skin can be seen underneath the helmet is dark. His hair is dark as well.
All that stands out are his eerily red eyes.
I don’t even know his name. We simply call him Black.
“The Tenth Army has no issues to report.”
The girl seated at the dark man’s side is his polar opposite.
Her robe is pure white. Even her bleached skin is oddly white.
Her long, braided hair is white. And because her eyes are closed, no color is visible.
I do not know this woman’s name, either. We simply call her White.
These two individuals were added to the staff of the demon army by the Demon Lord.
I know nothing about their identities.
However, I can make a guess.
I believe these two are Rulers.
Rulers are said to manipulate this world behind the scenes.
And these are two of their number.
Even I have no idea how the Demon Lord managed to turn this pair into her subordinates.
But I cannot help but be wary of their overwhelming unearthliness.
“I see, I see. Sounds like things’re going well.”
The Demon Lord nods, looking pleased.
“So…shall we start a war?”
With these words, the curtains open quietly on a great war, perhaps the worst in history, between demons and mankind.
All too aware of this reality, I cannot help but finally expel a quiet sigh.
AND SO THE WAR BEGAN
The demon army is on the move.
I received this information just this morning.
The report came from a spy who’d infiltrated demon territory.
“So the time’s finally come.”
“Seems that way. Though personally, I hoped it never would.”
“Come on, Julius. I know you don’t like fighting ’n’ all, but humans and demons are bitter enemies. You must’ve known this would happen
sooner or later.”
“S’true. The demons have been active since the previous hero died, so if anything, it’s been a long time comin’.”
Just as my comrades say, there’s been a great deal of demon activity since the death of the hero before me.
Maybe we were just lucky it hadn’t developed past little skirmishes into a full-blown war until now.
“So how long until the demon army arrives?”
“Hyrince went to find out. He should be back any… Ah, there he is.”
At Yaana’s remark, I turn to see Hyrince, the second son of Duke Quarto and my close childhood friend, walking toward us.
“Hyrince. What’s the news?”
“Well…judging by the speed of their advance, it seems they’re likely to arrive at this fortress tomorrow.”
“I see. So it’s really happening.”
War.
Ever since I became the hero, I’ve spent day after day in the heat of battle.
This will be my first time experiencing combat of this magnitude, though.
And I’m not alone in that.
Large-scale warfare was unknown in the era of the previous hero, as well.
The only ones with experience facing such strife knew the hero from several generations back, and most of them have long since passed on.
Aside from those belonging to long-lived races, the handful remaining from that generation are far too old to fight.
In other words, none of the humans who’ll participate in this conflict have ever experienced such a large-scale war.
Demons, on the other hand, live much longer than humans.
It’s possible that some of them lived in the days of that hero—or may be even older.
How will that difference in firsthand knowledge play out?
On top of that, demons also have the advantage in terms of basic combat ability.
Both their physical and magical talents far exceed those of humans.
And their intelligence is equal to ours.
Humans can fight monsters with superior stats because of the power of their skills and their intellect.
However, we have no such advantage against demons.
Because, like humans, demons are able to make use of skills and intellect.
To be honest, I’m scared.
But as a hero, I can’t let that fear show.
The hero is humanity’s best hope. If I’m afraid, everyone else will be, too.
To hide my fear, I tug lightly at my scarf, a memento from my mother.