"Will you go to the Great Spirit alone, my lord?"
"Indeed. I do not intend to bring an army, but..."
At Grom's question, I cross my arms in thought.
The Great Spirit possesses immense power.
Far beyond any human hero, for certain.
A being of legend, a calamity beyond mortal comprehension.
Bringing allies along would only increase casualties.
This is not an opponent to challenge with a military force.
Even if I were to amass millions of undead, I could not so much as scratch the Great Spirit.
That narrows down the candidates for companions.
The foremost is Grom.
Second only to me in power within the Demon Lord's army, he has now surpassed even the previous Demon Lord.
Unless facing someone with fatally disadvantageous compatibility, like a Saintess, he is unrivaled in direct combat.
As an undead, his greatest strength lies in his ability to survive even the Great Spirit's attacks.
His regrettable remarks often make one forget, but Grom is an immensely powerful being.
Luciana must not be overlooked either.
She is a former member of the previous Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings.
Her primary duties were intelligence and sabotage, but her pure combat ability is also exceptionally high.
Enough that she could fight that person head-on, if only for a short time.
She is also adept with diverse magic, allowing her to adapt to various situations.
The other executive, Henry, was likely a formidable force in his own right. He was a human worthy of being considered a candidate for subjugating the previous Demon Lord, a genius skilled in both archery and close-quarters combat. In those two areas, he was without peer among the other executives. The dragon bow he favored was probably effective even against a Great Spirit. His pure combat capability was impeccable. If I were to bring another subordinate, it would probably only be Dolda, the dullahan. Once a great pirate who terrorized the world, most of his reason had now vanished. Yet his extraordinary prowess remained. Like Grom, being undead meant he was difficult to kill, which was a plus. However, unlike the others, his lack of long-range attack options was a concern. Dolda excelled in melee combat with his axe but could not use magic of any kind. Against a Great Spirit, that left some lingering anxiety. Excluding those four, my subordinates were undeniably lacking in strength. While I had capable fighters, the opponent was simply too powerful. That said, should I take an executive or Dolda with me? They each had their own duties, and fighting a Great Spirit was fraught with danger. Perhaps I should stop overthinking the details and handle it alone. As I wrestled with the question of a companion, the door to the audience chamber opened. The one who appeared was Logan, the elven chief. "I've heard the talk. I'll go with you."
"Logan"
I had called him for a separate meeting, but it seemed he had been listening to our entire conversation.
Logan strode into the room with an air of confidence.
"If you're going to meet the Great Spirit, then an elf is the most suitable choice. We share a deep connection with the spirits. I can certainly be of use."
"It is dangerous. A fight will likely break out. Do you understand that?"
"Of course. While I am no great warrior myself, I promise I will not be a hindrance to you."
To my question, Logan nodded without hesitation.
His will was firm.
It was not the sort of resolve that could be swayed by persuasion on my part.
No matter what I said, he intended to accompany us.
"I am sorry. I thank you for this."
That is all I said.
The elven clans were, strictly speaking, not subordinates but a subservient people.
The sense of them being direct subordinates was weak.
That was why I had excluded him from consideration as a companion, but Logan was a man of rare talent.
He was an exceptional wielder of spirit magic.
While he lacked talent in offensive systems, when it came to support spells, there was no one who could surpass him.
Ten years ago, during the journey to slay the Demon Lord, I had borrowed his strength on several occasions.
In this coming battle against the Great Spirit, I could surely expect unique insights and perspectives from him.
He also possessed the courage to face any opponent without flinching.
On the whole, he was an exceedingly dependable man.
"Lord Demon King, what shall I do?"
"Remain on standby in the Royal Capital. Keep an eye on the movements of other nations. If any problems arise, I entrust you with handling them."
"Yes! Understood!"
If Logan was present, I could delegate other tasks to the executives.
Primarily intelligence gathering and the defense of the Demon King's territory.
This too was of utmost importance.
Having been so preoccupied with the Great Spirits, the last thing I wanted was to be caught off guard by another nation.
Having organized my thoughts, I turned to Logan.
"Do you have any preparations to make?"
"None in particular. It will be fine."
Logan answered in his usual, dispassionate manner.
He was always calm.
Even though he was about to confront a Great Spirit, he showed not a sliver of tension or fear.
I departed via teleportation magic alongside Logan.
We materialized outdoors.
A short distance ahead stood a stone fortress.
Even from afar, the shapes of monsters working were visible.
Opposite the fortress, an innumerable host of undead stood in ranks.
The massive horde I had stationed in the Royal Capital.
When we made our transfer, we simultaneously teleported roughly a hundred thousand of them.
The undead completely covered the ground, creating a bizarre spectacle.
And before our eyes, a great valley lay revealed.
It cut into the earth like a gash, stretching endlessly toward the horizon.
Because it was shrouded in miasma fog, the bottom was impossible to see.
Logan frowned as he looked down into the valley.
"This is..."
"The Valley of the Dead."
The source of the Demon King's power, and where I had been revived.
Everything began here.
I rarely visited, but I always felt the connection.
I was cursed by the Valley of the Dead.
The authority housed within me was too ominous and sinful to be called a blessing.
Stepping away from the cliff's edge, Logan pointed at the undead lined up as far as the eye could see.
"Gathering such numbers to oppose the Great Spirit? Not exactly a clever strategy, but..."
"A bit different."
With those words, I activated my authority.
The undead, who had been standing motionless, suddenly broke into a run.
Ahead of them, the Valley of the Dead spread out.
Moving as one, the undead flung themselves into the miasma-filled depths of the valley.
Immediately after, sounds of bones shattering and flesh being crushed echoed through the air.
The falling undead were colliding with the valley floor.
The unbearable noise continued in an endless chain.
Once the undead on the surface were gone, silence descended upon the area.
"Hm."
I turned my awareness inward.
Offering up a hundred thousand corpses had considerably amplified my power.
The difference was palpable.
I had wanted to strengthen myself before confronting the Great Spirit, and it seemed that plan had succeeded.
Though it meant losing a hundred thousand combatants as the price, it wasn't actually that great a blow.
Compared to the undead I still retained in the Royal Capital, this was merely a fraction.
Adding those stationed across the Demon King's territory, the number was truly vast.
Therefore, it wouldn't impact the larger scheme of things.
Logan, having witnessed the entire spectacle, let out a sigh.
"...That was an awesome sight."
"I agree. It wasn't pleasant to watch."
Responding to the conversation, I used my sensing magic.
Probing the far-off Imperial territory, I immediately caught a tremendous magical reaction.
It was undoubtedly the Great Spirit.
Its quality and quantity far exceeded the framework of a living being.
It was indeed above the expected parameters.
Having grasped the precise position, I called out to Logan.
"We're moving."
"Aye."
A brief reply came back.
Having confirmed that, I exercised teleportation magic.