A skeletal human frame composed of pipes let out a voiceless roar.
Within its chest, Diera intensified her magical reaction.
Then, around her, scales and a carapace began to emerge.
As if flesh were being added, they covered the skeletal frame.
What took shape was a giant of scales.
Magic circulated through the pipes.
Chains of light were bound around it at various points.
(This is... a pseudo-golem?)
I was stunned by the sight beyond imagination.
There was no mistake.
It was a golem with Diera as its core.
The golem raised one arm and swept aside the allied fleet's ships floating on the sea.
Explosions chained together, and the pulverized wreckage of ships danced through the air along with the soldiers.
Though it had only swung an arm, the destructive power was inconceivable.
The allied fleet opened fire, shattering the scales on the golem's surface.
But beneath the scales, a carapace was hidden.
Only slightly scorched, there was absolutely no sign of damage.
"It's useless! Show me you can attack with more seriousness!"
Diera's voice rang out.
As if in counterattack, the golem slammed its palm down, and the ship burst apart miserably.
The shockwave from the impact further crumbled the allied army's formation.
"Hey Dwight! Wasn't that just awesome?!"
Diera addressed me in high spirits.
I felt a headache coming on, pressing my fingers against my temple.
It wasn't from any sort of mental attack.
The cause was probably psychological distress.
"...Impressive, huh?"
"Right, right! But that's just the beginning!"
"What did you just say?"
As I wondered in confusion, a magical reaction approached at high speed from afar.
What came slicing through the air was a massive spear.
It was perfectly sized for the golem.
Upon closer look, Diera's scales and carapace were its main material.
"Mhm! It arrived perfectly!"
The golem caught the spear and spun it with practiced ease.
The tip shattered an airship into splinters, and the downward swing cleaved the sea open.
Ships caught in the blow were dragged down to the seabed.
Next, a metallic cylinder flew in and attached itself to the golem's forearm.
The golem extended its arm to take aim.
Magical energy concentrated in the cylinder, transformed into a beam, and was fired.
Ships on their orbits were turned to charred cinders in an instant.
According to detection magic, the devastation extended beyond visual range.
From there, the golem once again flashed its spear.
It destroyed the ships that evaded the beam and swatted down airships like winged insects.
(This is too insane...)
The golem was displaying overwhelming violence.
There was no room for restraint or hesitation in it.
As an embodiment of absurdity, it was generating a storm of slaughter.
That golem was not magic.
Though it resembled a weapon based on a spear, it was still unfamiliar.
There was absolutely no way Diera alone could have constructed it.
Someone had assisted her comprehensively.
And that someone had to be possessed of genius-level technology and ingenuity.
There was only one person who fit that description.
Certain of the target, I linked my consciousness with that person.
"...Can you hear me?"
'Oh! If it isn't the Demon King! What business do you have with me?'
The loud, cheerful voice belonged to the director.
I immediately posed my question to her.
"Diera is rampaging with unfamiliar weaponry. You are involved, aren't you?"
"Yes! I received your consultation a little while back, and I decided to specially manufacture one here!"
The Director admitted it freely, then began explaining with a tone of pride.
As I had guessed, the first spear seemed to be the starting point for the pseudo-golem.
It was said that spear possessed a function to form a skeleton using the stolen lives—souls—as material.
Then, scales and carapaces were added to it using Diera's ability, and the weapon was completed.
In other words, it was a decisive weapon made exclusively for Diera.
The incoming armaments were embedded with Diera's magic and scales, which was why they were drawn toward him from afar.
"I received a request from Diera saying 'pack as much romance into it as possible,' so I really got excited about it!"
"I see..."
That pseudo-golem used a wealth of advanced techniques lavishly.
I wondered if they had the leisure to develop such a thing, but the current Director existed as a multiple being.
With resources now plentifully prepared, anything was possible if they put their minds to it.
As I watched Diera's overwhelming display, I sensed the forces from within the continent, who had been at a distance, turning back.
Having witnessed the pseudo-golem, they apparently chose to retreat to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
They also seemed to have determined that intercepting the allied forces was unnecessary.
In my original plan, the main flow was to prevent contact between the two armies.
The scheme was to buy time while the unit led by Luciana disrupted the allied forces' rear support, then capture the allied forces whose escape routes were cut off.
The plans had changed significantly, but there was no choice but to proceed as things stood.
I opened a telepathic link to Dolda, who was waiting on the ship.
"I'll leave this situation to you. Watch for the opportune moment to begin the pursuit and drive the allied forces back."
"Easy work, that is. Yawning already, I might be."
Dolda, maintaining his composure, replies in a carefree tone.
At sea, he is near-invincible.
Entrusting the rest to him should pose no problem.
"Feeble humans and beasts alike, you shall know fear...!"
As I listen to the voice of the former Demon King steeped in ecstasy, I shift to the next battlefield.