Mount Bephemus, the guardian god of Borvat's capital.

　Now there's a legend. Kuro and lustrous scales with fangs and claws that could crush a giant. Its majestic wings cover the heavens themselves.

　Vriligant the Great. He is revered as the Dragon King and is one of the greatest demons along with the Titan King and the Spirit King.

　But the body you see here now is just a shell. Once, Althea had crushed his heart and stripped his body of its magic and soul. Now it is a will-less being that only breathes and moves with hatred for humans when it is filled with magic.

　Standing in front of it, Gear Laboure spreads his legs shoulder-width apart. Rather than being confident, he seemed to be doing what he was supposed to do. Her doll-like figure is sharper and more beautiful than ever.

　A woman with long black hair is held up by both hands. Her body itself is a core of magical power, Fialat-La-Borgograd.

　Her appearance is the same as when she was human, but Lovell has meticulously rebuilt her magical structure, from the tips of her hair to the tips of her feet.

　In other words, to be able to circulate as much magic as a dragon can hold, and to perform the functions necessary to reign as a great demon. New magical blood vessels have been created in her body.

　Her physique is no longer that of a human. Her consciousness is buried in magic and her eyes will never open.

　Laboure muttered in front of the dragon's shell, clutching her heart. His voice was emotionless, but tinged with ecstasy.

"Dragon King Vriligant... No, my Lord. The time of rebirth has come. Rejoice. The world will once again be rewritten by your righteous, mechanical destiny. My millennia-long wish is now fulfilled.

　I've finished preparing the body and the heart. It was said that the demon Lugis had been given to the humans, but there was nothing wrong with that for Lovell.

　His role was to keep the heart supplied with the source of Lovell's gears. That way, the source will be poured into the shell through the heart.

　After that, as long as the poison Junerva works successfully, there is no problem. The more people are killed, the more the magic will eat away at the air, increasing its concentration.

　--And we've rigged the Junerva for the worst case scenario. It can't fail. No matter how the rolls turn out, the objective will be achieved. Quite brilliant.

"Poison Junerva. I expect good work from you immediately.

　Repeating the same words he had said to Junerva, Lovell looked down in the direction of the capital. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.


　I'm not sure what to say.


　In the event that you've got a lot of time, you may want to take a look at the following. The right wing road, the left wing road, and the widest road, the central road.

　On the right flank are 2,000 soldiers led by Hind and Eirene, on the left flank are 3,000 soldiers led by the giant Caria. And in the center, 5,000 troops led by the magic general Mastighios and Lugis.

　Against them is an army of demons numbering over fifty thousand. They came, covering the sky and crushing the earth.

　But despite the difference in strength, it was the human side that initially had the upper hand.

　The demon armies came from the sky and the earth, but the demon birds in the sky were attacked by magic and archers, while the demon beasts on the earth were blocked by thick trees and spear beds.

　In addition, the narrow streets are, as they say, bottlenecks, and the superiority of numbers does not fully function. For the demon army, which has little concept of organization and chain of command, there is no thought of efficiently dividing a part of the army into squadrons and making them into a raiding party, but only repeatedly assaulting to crush them.

　That's why they are forced to be temporarily inferior. However, this simple assault is not a mistake.

　The difference in numbers between the demon army and the human army is overwhelming. A large army does not need military strategy. The human army will surely fall, regardless of the amount of damage, if they continue to charge head-on, no matter how inept they are. This is clear even without the Majin Junerva going into battle.

　In fact, the right wing with the fewest troops, led by Eirene and the others, was gradually being forced to retreat.

　Eirene, protecting her right arm with a bandage, shouted loudly.

Abandon the first line!　Leave the front line troops behind and evacuate to the second line!　Change formation and prepare!

　In response, the soldiers quickly pulled back and retreated to the rear.

　In response, the soldiers quickly drew their lines and retreated to the rear of the line. The magical shimmering flames of magic poured out at the magical beasts that rushed to their backs, determined not to escape.

　The distorted smell of flesh, blood, and miasma mixed together. The smell of flesh, blood, and miasma, like molten mud and iron, made the soldiers frown.

　But even so, the Hexenbiest continued to move forward, stepping over the dead flesh of its brethren and occasionally devouring them.

　The human said that Hexenbiests are the embodiment of ferocity. The magical power in their bodies runs through their veins and spills out of their skin, activating their thoughts.

　That's half right and half wrong. Magical power does indeed increase the activity of their bodies and improve their performance.

　It's good for those who can control it, like demons, hexenbiests, and some hexenbiests.

　But the lower level monsters who can't are intoxicated by the magic power.

　The taste of magic power is too rich and mellow. If you keep drinking it, you'll never be able to control it.

　The magic in your body will continue to grow, and eventually you will be reduced to a creature that only attacks others because it can't even think.

　This is exactly what happened to the hexenbiest soldiers on the front lines of this battlefield. They are so intoxicated by magic that they no longer know whether they are sane or not. They just keep moving forward as they are attacked by the ferociousness that they exude.

　Biting down on their enemies and drinking their blood quenches their thirst. That was enough for them.



　In the face of this ferocious beast, the archer of the magic bullet stood his ground. The five fingers of both hands are filled with colored light.

I'm not sure I can handle it, Eileen. They don't seem to have a tactical eye.

　Hind raises his elbows, then brushes them away. In one motion, the magic was done. He was dealing with such a simple primordial magic bullet.

　Still, it was enough to kill the beast.

　In a moment, the heads of ten beasts burst open, scattering skull fragments and flesh and blood. Instantly, the beasts' legs stopped. The carcasses and blood of their brethren became a muddy mire that held back their momentum.

　And a soldier who stops on the battlefield always ends up with one thing.

　Archers and sorcerers lurked in the houses and ruins on either side, slamming their murderous intent down on the halted demon army. Arrows and sorcery could only hit them on the way down when they were crowded all over the street.

　If they didn't have to aim, a skilled archer could shoot ten arrows a minute. Within minutes of the demon army stopping, hundreds of arrows and a storm of magic poured in as a crossfire.

　As Hind retreated with his soldiers to the second line, he let his lips purse the largesse. The archers had been hoarding arrows in the barracks and some merchants' houses, and had used them for this battle. I'm sure the archers are very happy that they don't have to think about the number of arrows.

　A few tens of seconds of leisure before the demon army closed in. Hind closed his eyes as he sucked on his cigarette. On the battlefield, even the occasional blink can be fatal. He took a breath to moisten his dry eyes.

'You're getting all worked up, aren't you? Do you think you've been inspired by him, like the rest of the soldiers?

　Eirene said as she walked into the camp and kept her eyes on the front. This right wing general is just like her. Hind was completely casual.

　So I'll just say it like I'm in the mood.

"Yes. I'm inspired.

　Eileen looked at Hind involuntarily. Hind was an impassioned man, but one who prided himself on having a strong sense of self. Eirene didn't think that he would simply reply that he was inspired by someone.

　On the contrary, Hind had probably anticipated Eirene's reaction. He smiled and bent his elbow as he grabbed his cigarette.

'No?　In fact, it's not just the heraldic soldiers. I'm sure there are many in Borvat, and even in Garleist, who would consider him a hero.

　Hind's fingers clutched the unlit cigarette. Hind's fingers clutched the unlit cigarette, and his hand seemed to be filled with strength.

"An orphan from the ghettos has risen with a single sword and has not retreated a single step against the mighty Garleist. Not only that, he even killed a demon and is now a hero of humanity. This is what a hero's story is all about, isn't it, Eirene? It's what everyone wants, the soldiers, even me.

　Eirene felt a moment of spirit in Hind's appearance. The words seemed to have more power than usual and took her breath away.

...... I don't know how you feel about that. Is that how it is?

That's the way it is. It may be difficult for you, who grew up in a prominent family, to understand. Think about what it's like to be a mere soldier.

　A person who is not a sorcerer, but a soldier who fights with a spear or a sword, is no different in Borvat than in other countries.

　Most of them are the second and third sons of farmers who have no money and no land to inherit. Many of them, like Hind, grew up in poverty.

　They were not given much love by their parents, not enough food, not enough shelter. They literally had nothing.

　What happens when these people become soldiers, have friends, and find themselves on a battlefield where their achievements depend solely on their valor?

The first thing they think is, "I want to be the star. They want to be applauded, they want to be recognized, they want to be heroes. On the battlefield, that may come true. We all want that. I do, too. Do you think I'm crazy for risking my life?

"............

　Eileen didn't respond. The enemy had already begun to take position, and Eileen knew that she would never be able to fully agree with Hind's words.

　But there was one thing she did know.

　The point is, everyone wants to be that great evil. They're even willing to risk their lives to do it.

　For now, that was enough.

Not a bad result. We'll stick with the second group for an hour and then fall back again.

Copy that. Let's hope their pinnacle isn't completely unthinking.