Old Kishirika Castle.
If I had to describe its appearance in one word: demon lord's castle.
A fortress of black-gold stone, constructed from a special mineral.
The hole in what appeared to be the main keep was a blemish on an otherwise impressive structure.
It wasn't as delicate or elegant as Perugius's aerial fortress, but it was a magnificent castle all the same.
A practical-minded human would probably prefer this one.
Normally open to the public as a tourist attraction — with an entrance fee, no less — this castle was reportedly divided into areas accessible to visitors and areas where people actually lived.
We were led to the audience chamber.
Not the grand, glittering throne room open to the public, but a narrow, utilitarian audience chamber.
In that cramped room, figures in full black armor stood lined up in neat rows.
Tight and stifling.
And on the throne in that sweltering room, nobody was sitting.
I was kept waiting for a solid two hours.
Outside, the sun had long since set.
I wouldn't say standing was unbearable, but surely they could've at least offered us a seat.
By the way, the only people here now were myself and Zanoba.
Elinalise and Cliff had been escorted by soldiers to retrieve the grass from underground.
"Hey, what's going on with Lady Atrofatora?"
"That's what I said — they've gone to call her now."
"Isn't this taking too long? Don't tell me she left the castle..."
"She's loose with time. Even inside the castle, treat a one-day delay as within the margin of error."
"But we really can't keep them waiting too long..."
"You lot, shut up for a second."
I could hear the soldiers chattering amongst themselves.
Pretty casual atmosphere, honestly.
Watching exchanges like this put me at ease.
As I looked on, an older soldier approached us.
"She will be here shortly, so please wait just a little longer. Also, Lady Atrofatora requests that you do not accept a reward."
"Huh?"
"If it comes to a point where you accept a reward, we will be unable to do anything about it."
"Mm... Right, understood."
I nodded obediently.
I didn't know what the "reward" was, but I had no intention of accepting one.
I'd already sold out Kishirika — I wasn't about to sink so low as to take something for it.
Kishirika was wrapped up in rope like a caterpillar, wriggling on the ground.
She was apparently about to be punished. Spanking, toilet cleaning — something like that, nothing too serious, supposedly...
But regardless, you could never let your guard down.
The other party was a demon lord, after all.
The demon lords I knew of were Badigadi and Kishirika.
Both of them, when angered... wait.
I was starting to think I'd be fine.
"Move."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
I turned around to find a woman standing there.
She was the most demon-like person I had ever seen.
Blue skin. White hair.
Red eyes. Bat-like wings.
And a single thick horn jutting from her forehead.
Her outfit was the same as the soldiers — black armor.
No — hers was clearly more well-worn than theirs.
The surface of her armor was covered in scratches, and the decorations had long since been stripped away.
A veteran, no doubt.
At her hip hung a massive greatsword — so heavy I wondered if those slender arms could even swing it.
Its scabbard was more ornate than those of the other soldiers.
She wasn't particularly tall.
About the same height as an average adult woman.
A little bigger than Ariel, maybe, but shorter than me — something like that.
But what truly stood out wasn't just that.
The indescribable aura of killing intent and fury radiating from her.
The unmistakable scent of unreasoning violence.
It reminded me, vaguely, of Eris.
A female knight.
Or rather, a female knight-commander.
Best not to cross her.
"Didn't hear me? I said move."
"Oh, yes."
I moved aside as instructed.
"Good."
The knight-commander flicked her long hair and strutted toward the throne, then spun around with a sharp turn.
She drew the sword — scabbard and all — from her hip, plunged the tip into the floor with a heavy clang, and struck a commanding pose, looking down on us all.
Then she drew a deep breath and declared:
"I am the Immortal Demon Lord Atrofatora Latrobe Raibach!"
"...Huh?"
I tilted my head just as the black-armored soldiers rushed to draw their swords and hold them up in salute.
One of them, however, did not follow suit and instead hurried to the throne.
It was the older soldier from before.
"Lady Atrofatora! Why did you enter from that side?! I told you multiple times to enter from the back!"
"It's obvious. It feels better coming in from the front."
"Feelings have nothing to do with it!"
"Did you know? Heroes who travel a long journey and then march into the throne room to challenge the demon lord reportedly feel an immense sense of pride."
"What does that have to do with anything?! Your father, once one of the Five Great Demon Lords, would be mortified! And that's not all — your husband, Lord Raibach—"
"Shut up!"
Atrofatora drew her blade and unleashed a flash of light toward the old soldier.
The old soldier reflexively drew his sword to parry, but it was too late. His helmet was sent flying and he toppled backward.
The surrounding black-armored soldiers scrambled over to help.
"Don't you dare scream in front of guests! You're embarrassing the dead!"
The helmet rolled to a stop right in front of me.
It was split clean in half by a crack.
Terrifying power.
I picked it up absentmindedly and found the inside slick with blood.
"Ohh!"
Wait.
Hmm?
Does that mean the slash reached his head...
So that means the old soldier just...
Died?
"I understand. Please be more careful going forward," said the old soldier, rising to his feet as though nothing had happened.
Smoke was billowing from his head as he bowed to Atrofatora.
Maybe he was also a member of the undead clan. Or perhaps everyone here was?
"As long as you understand. Right, let's try this again."
"Hahah!"
Atrofatora sheathed her sword and struck a highlander's pose.
The old soldier from before received a spare helmet from another soldier and returned to the front row.
Once again, the soldiers drew their swords and held them up.
"I am the Immortal Demon Lord Atrofatora Latrobe Raibach."
Zanoba swiftly dropped to one knee and bowed his head, so I followed suit.
When it came to etiquette, following Zanoba's lead was always a safe bet. Probably.
"First, let me express my thanks. Because of you, we were able to capture the fool Kishirika."
Atrofatora's gaze fell upon Kishirika.
Wrapped in her cocoon of rope, she stared at the ground with a completely resigned expression.
Kind of pitiful, honestly.
I'd been turned into the villain against my will, but there was nothing to be done.
We had our own goals.
"She didn't have a childhood portrait of you, and the search was taking forever. Thank you for finding her."
Ah, so that portrait was indeed for that purpose.
Pretty vague method, if you ask me.
"And then..."
Atrofatora held her pose and gazed off into the distance.
And then she froze.
For about five minutes.
She remained perfectly still in that position.
Had her mainspring broken?
"Muor, what was it?"
"A reward, my lady."
It seemed she had forgotten her lines.
And the old soldier's name was apparently Muor.
Kind of reminded me of "Muhyo Muhyo."
"Mm, that's right. I must give you your reward."
Atrofatora murmured to herself.
"No, a reward isn't necessary."
I recited the line I had prepared.
This whole exchange up to that point was probably scripted. That was why the old soldier — Muor — had told me to refuse.
That's what I thought, anyway. But Atrofatora slammed her foot down.
"You... you're telling me you don't want my reward?"
Her sharp eyes glinted with killing intent.
My legs started to shake.
This was genuine killing intent.
Different from Linia or Purcena.
The same sensation as when Ruijerd had glared at me.
"No, I... I'll accept it."
Best not to argue with someone like this.
If she was going to insist on giving it, I should just take it.
That was the excuse I used.
"So what would that be?"
Atrofatora's eyes narrowed with satisfaction.
"Strength."
Strength.
Strength, huh.
I wouldn't say I didn't want it. If it was being offered, I figured I might as well accept.
But then again, Muor had told me not to accept. Maybe I could casually mention that I'd just been served tea underground and needed to be heading back, deflect the conversation that way...
"I grant you the right to join my Royal Guard and train your body to its limits!"
"Huh?!"
Wait, what?
Like, putting a hand on my forehead and unlocking my latent potential?
Or giving me magic eyes like Kishirika?
"You look weak, but no matter — train for about ten years and you'll reach a respectable level."
"Um, well—"
"For ten years, I will train you tirelessly, without a single day of rest. How's that — aren't you honored?"
Ten years, tireless, without a single day of rest...
Look, I had a wife and kids. I really wasn't looking for some kind of boot camp experience.
Sure, ten years of nothing but training would probably make me stronger. But what good was getting strong if you had to abandon everything else?
What was the point of being strong enough to defeat someone if you gave up the life you were supposed to protect?
I looked over at Muor. He was shaking his head with a look of resignation.
What do I do?
No, I had to refuse.
I had zero interest in joining the Royal Guard.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I must respectfully decline that honor."
"No need to decline! Someone, bring them spare black armor and prepare the contracts!"
At those words, several members of the Royal Guard filed out of the room.
"You'd be clad in the finest armor on the Demon Continent, receive the finest training, and join the most elite force on the Demon Continent! What an honor! Once you sign the contract, you won't be able to defy me — but even without it, you wouldn't be able to defy me anyway, so you might as well be happy about it!"
Won't be able to defy you...
That's not making me happy.
But I had to admit — of all the demon lords I'd met so far, she talked the most like a genuine demon lord. In that sense, it was oddly satisfying to meet someone who actually fit the bill.
I wondered if any of the current Royal Guard members had also been forced into signing a contract.
"No, I'm truly sorry. I have a family waiting for me, and I cannot be away from home for ten years."
"...There's no need to worry about family. I haven't seen my own son in a hundred years, and I hear no news is good news."
So I'm supposed to just not see my family for a hundred years too?
Not a chance.
"A h-human's ten years is extremely long. I've promised my family I'll return quickly. And besides—"
"And besides?"
Atrofatora's forehead twitched.
She did not look pleased.
"I have a sick friend waiting for me. I need to find a cure and get back as soon as possible. Also, there are too many things I need to do right now — gaining strength just for my own sake—"
"Shut up!"
Atrofatora's roar echoed through the room.
Scary. Terrifying.
Seriously terrifying.
What the hell. What the hell.
Why is she screaming?!
"Are you joining the Royal Guard or not?! Make up your mind!"
"I-I'm not joining!"
When I said that, Atrofatora went rigid.
Her refined face flushed crimson in an instant.
"Why?! Why are you refusing?!"
Wait, what?
I just told her my reasons, didn't I?
"Um..."
Times like these called for Zanoba.
I glanced over at him.
He was completely calm.
Ah — the whole conversation had been in the Demon God language, and he didn't understand a word.
What do I do in a situation like this? How am I supposed to persuade her?
I looked around.
The atmosphere in the room had shifted entirely without my noticing.
The soldiers' presence had changed from friendly to something distinctly hostile.
Why did it suddenly feel like I was in enemy territory?
"See?"
Kishirika murmured.
"That girl is an idiot. Best not to get involved. Can you have a reasonable conversation with someone like that?"
"Shut up! I'm not an idiot!"
Atrofatora suddenly screamed and drew her sword.
"So that's it — you're making fun of me! You'll accept a reward, then you won't! You're making fun of me for being stupid!"
She charged toward us.
Wait — what — hold on a second—!
"Lady Atrofatora! This is the audience chamber!"
"I'm not stupid! Not stupid!"
She swung her sword wildly, rage twisting her face, but the black-armored soldiers held her back.
"Get out of my way!"
She blew them aside and closed the distance like a runaway carriage.
Oh no — oh no, oh no!
Magic?
No, attacking would make things worse.
『Allow me to—』
Before the thought finished forming, Zanoba rose to his feet and stepped forward.
"Hmph!"
He seized Atrofatora's outstretched arm in a firm grip.
Atrofatora tried to throw Zanoba aside and keep advancing.
But the power of the Dragon God's chosen son proved its worth — Atrofatora's charge came to a halt.
"Oh! You've got incredible strength!"
Atrofatora widened her eyes in admiration, looking at Zanoba with a grin spreading across her face.
Zanoba spoke to calm her down:
『Please, compose yourself. We had no intention of mocking you. We merely came for the grass—』
"Stop speaking in gibberish!"
Atrofatora refused to listen to Zanoba.
She didn't understand the human language, apparently. Muor could speak it, though.
When the sword strikes and kicks she landed on Zanoba proved ineffective, she growled:
"Your toughness is extraordinary! You must be wrapped in tremendous fighting spirit! Fascinating!"
With a shout, Atrofatora drew her sword and sliced off the hand that Zanoba was gripping.
Her own hand.
Without a shred of hesitation.
As though it were merely in the way because it was being held.
Like snipping a sweater thread caught on a doorknob — that casual about it.
"Hmm!"
The instant Atrofatora's body was freed, her severed arm dissolved into a wobbling mass of flesh.
The flesh detached from Zanoba's grip and dropped to the floor with a soft splat.
It squirmed and wriggled its way back to Atrofatora, reattaching itself to her arm.
In the blink of an eye, her arm was restored to its original form.
Same as Badigadi.
No physical damage at all.
"Very well! I am the Immortal Demon Lord Atrofatora Latrobe Raibach!
Wife of Karlman Raibach, founder of the North God Style!
I shall show you the true North God Style!"
Atrofatora raised her greatsword high above her head.
Zanoba clenched his fists and stood ready to receive the blow.
"..."
The instant I saw that, a chill raced down my spine.
Something was very wrong.
I had a premonition — a terrible one — that Zanoba was going to die.
Zanoba was a Dragon God's chosen son. An ordinary attack wouldn't even scratch him.
But that didn't make him invincible.
Even that Dragon God Orsted had been damaged by my magic.
Nothing in this world was absolute.
Zanoba had his weaknesses too — he was terrible against fire.
Being resistant to physical impacts didn't mean he couldn't be hurt at all.
"Damn it!"
I channeled magic power in an instant.
As fast as possible. As hard as possible.
A stone cannonball wouldn't make it in time.
But my magical technique had improved since before.
"Fuhahahaha! Die! North God Style secret technique—"
"Lightning!"
A bolt of purple lightning shot from my prosthetic arm toward Atrofatora.
A brief crackle.
Atrofatora lurched backward.
"Uwaaaah!"
She arched her back and dropped her greatsword.
At the same time, my left arm went numb up to the elbow, but it wasn't a problem. I didn't need to pour in enough power to cause electrocution death.
"Hmph!"
Zanoba didn't let the opening go to waste.
"Gobghyaaa!"
Zanoba's iron fist connected squarely with Atrofatora's face.
Her face deformed dramatically as she sailed through the air in a beautiful, almost silent parabolic arc.
She hit the wall behind the throne, crashed through it with a tremendous rumble, and fell outside the castle.
"L-Lady Atrofatora!"
The black-armored soldiers swarmed toward the hole in the wall like sparrows.
"Oh dear... I tried to protect my master and my hand slipped. Is she dead?"
"No, I don't think she dies."
She was the Immortal Demon Lord, after all.
But the real problem was what came next.
"Oh no, we really did it now..."
"This is..."
"How could this happen..."
Nearly twenty black-armored soldiers surrounded us, muttering amongst themselves.
Their own master had just been taken out. There was no way they'd stay quiet.
"Damn..."
I gripped my staff.
This was my fault.
If I hadn't said what I said, this wouldn't have happened.
...Or was it really my fault?
I didn't think I was in the wrong, but... whatever.
"...?"
But they didn't draw their swords. They just stood there watching us.
"Zanoba raised his fists.
Maybe I should have brought a weapon for him after all. There was no time to get one now.
Was there a log or something lying around anywhere?
Muor approached.
He spoke as though he were the Royal Guard's representative.
The words that came out of his mouth were in the Demon God language.
"Let me ask once more — you have no intention of becoming one of us?"
"No, we don't."
I said it flatly. Muor replied:
"She admires strength above all else. If her secret technique was blocked at the last moment and she was sent flying outside the castle in a single blow, she will certainly desire you even more."
Was every demon lord in this world like this?
Were there none who were sane?
Yet despite what he said, it didn't seem like any of them actually intended to capture us.
They looked toward where Atrofatora had crashed and muttered things like "Whoa," "Lady Atrofatora always lets her guard down," and "What a shame."
"Our Royal Guard does not act without orders. However, once an order is given... we will not let you escape."
When Muor said that, several of the Royal Guard shot us sharp glances.
I wouldn't laugh at them being the type to wait for orders. Right now, that was a relief.
"Now that things have come to this, Lady Atrofatora will not let you go."
"What happens if we're caught?"
"You will be made to duel Lady Atrofatora."
"..."
"If you lose the duel, you'll be knocked unconscious and forced into a contract. Once the contract is sealed, you will never be able to defy Lady Atrofatora for the rest of your lives."
"Wh-what's the duration of this contract?"
"Until death, of course."
The sound of my own swallowed saliva seemed deafening.
"Though you do get a two-year vacation once every ten years."
Two years off every ten years.
One day off for every five.
And yet, somehow, that didn't feel like a lot at all.
"Most of those here serve in the Royal Guard by choice, but there are many who don't — especially among the humans. Many of them lament their fate. We feel somewhat sorry for them."
Several of the Royal Guard members looked down.
So many of them had been forced into contracts in the same way.
A reward that was actually a slavery contract.
So that's why Muor told me not to accept the reward...
If only he'd explained in more detail.
No, I couldn't blame him. It was my fault for not asking for details.
I'd been telling myself not to let my guard down, but from the very start, I had already let it down.
"Wh-what happens if I win the duel?"
"Oh, you think you can win? In the past five thousand years, no one has defeated our king except the North God Karlman and the Demon God Laplace."
Well, I probably couldn't.
The word "immortal" was right in her title. Her durability was probably on par with Badigadi's.
And on top of that, she appeared to be even more skilled in combat than Badigadi.
Badigadi had never used North God Style swordsmanship against me. At least, not during our training.
"And if it ends in a draw?"
"If you're an enemy, a rematch; if you're an ally, you'd be recognized as an equal..."
In my case, it would probably be a rematch.
I was pretty sure she saw me as an enemy.
And the more rounds we fought, the more likely I was to lose.
"H-how can I—"
"Run."
Muor said it bluntly.
"The saukas grass collection should be finished by now, and there's an underground passage in the castle that leads outside the city. I suggest you use it."
The instant he said that, the surrounding black-armored soldiers spoke up one after another:
"Don't end up like me."
"If you ever make it to the Millis Holy Country, Wako Village..."
"Idiot, stop — he'll be allowed back once in seven years."
"But still..."
I could hear sorrowful voices coming from behind me.
I'd pretend I didn't hear any of that.
I had no idea where Wako Village was anyway.
I thanked the soldiers and moved to flee from the throne room—
And then, at the edge of my vision, I locked eyes with Kishirika.
Those pleading eyes.
At this point, she and I were both fugitives.
"Lady Kishirika, would it be all right if I took her with me?"
"...Well, our orders only extended to capturing her."
The Royal Guard members turned a blind eye.
There apparently had been no order to keep her detained.
She'd probably get punished, wouldn't she?
Screw it. What happens, happens.
I quickly burned through her ropes with magic.
"Oh, th-thank you! I owe you for this!"
We fled from the throne room.
---
We rendezvoused with Elinalise and Cliff inside the castle.
The two of them had stuffed their backpacks full of tea leaves until they bulged, and each held potted plants in both hands.
Yellowish-brown leaves. They looked like withered aloe.
This must be the grass in question.
"It's apparently sensitive to sunlight, so it needs to be cultivated underground. I received some notes, but I can't read them."
"Either I or Roxy can read them, so let's hurry."
"What happened?"
I explained the whole ordeal.
Elinalise gave me a look that said "I knew it."
"I thought I'd heard something like this before. Kishirika grants magic eyes, Badigadi grants wisdom, and Atrofatora Latrobe grants strength — something along those lines."
"If you knew, you could've told me!"
"You didn't understand the Demon God language, so you should have asked more carefully!"
Well, maybe I could have explained better.
But I wasn't qualified to be a translator.
I genuinely didn't understand.
"No time to bicker — we need to run. The underground passage, right? Should we head back?" Cliff said, snapping us back to reality.
Right — Atrofatora could show up any moment, face fully regenerated.
Bouncing back with full energy.
"No, stay out of the underground."
A voice came from below.
I looked down to see Kishirika gazing up at me.
Last time we'd met, she'd been about my height. Now I was the one looking down at her.
"Part of me wanted to stay silent just to get back at you for the betrayal, but that underground passage was destroyed by Badigadi during the war with Laplace and was never repaired."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. That man you just spoke to is not to be trusted. Muor is a liar who says whatever it takes to keep Atrofatora happy — he's her right hand. Even though he said all that, the moment you fought Atrofatora, he must have been scheming something."
I didn't trust Kishirika's account all that much, but it did sound plausible.
Being tricked by Muor and cornered in the underground.
Damn it...
...But at least they hadn't attacked us on the spot.
Besides, both the grass and the cultivation notes had been provided as a gesture of goodwill.
We had squandered that goodwill and soured our relationship with Atrofatora. That was our mistake.
We should have handed over Kishirika, refused the reward cleanly, and left immediately.
Muor might have been manipulating Atrofatora, but he certainly wasn't our ally.
"But if that's the case, wouldn't it have been smarter for them to capture us right there?"
"That's Atrofatora for you — she'd rather chase us down and corner us herself."
Right.
Setting the scene.
That was probably what it took to be the loyal servant of that demon lord.
Whether the other black-armored soldiers noticed it or not... some probably did, some probably didn't.
"Got it. So we're escaping through the surface?"
"Mm. There shouldn't be any checkpoints right now."
There had been checkpoints near the entrance when we arrived.
True — the Royal Guard was all gathered inside the castle, so they probably weren't manning them.
"But Kishirika might have figured we'd go this way. What if they anticipated it? Maybe the underground passage was actually repaired, for instance..."
"If you think that far ahead, it doesn't matter which route we take, does it?"
Fair point.
Would the enemy come from above or below?
Hmm.
"Elinalise, which would you choose?"
"If it were me, I would avoid the route with the highest chance of being a dead end."
"Zanoba?"
"From my perspective, a narrower path would be easier to fight in."
"Cliff?"
"Me too — surface. I don't like the dark."
All right.
This was a democracy.
"Then surface it is. Elinalise, you take point — head straight toward the teleportation circle. Zanoba and Cliff in the middle, I'll cover the rear. Let me and Zanoba carry the luggage."
I took the loads from Elinalise.
Better for the two of us to carry them.
I could manage without using my legs if I used magic, and Zanoba wouldn't even feel the weight.
Cliff was too weak to carry anything heavy, so it was better not to burden him.
"What about me?!"
"Your Majesty, why don't you sit on top of Zanoba's luggage or something."
"Understood."
Kishirika did as she was told and climbed on top of Zanoba's pile.
I was joking...
Oh well. That was probably the safest place for her.
"All right, let's move!"
We ran toward the castle exit.
Just before we reached the outside, an angry roar came from somewhere: "Muorrrr! After them!"
Terrifying.
---
We sprinted through the nighttime streets.
I wanted to blend into the darkness, but the surroundings were still far too bright.
Brilliant light poured down from the crater walls.
But the surface route had been the right call.
Not a single black-armored soldier on the streets.
No sign of pursuit from behind.
Just as Kishirika had predicted.
Were they searching the underground passages now?
Or had Atrofatora simply given up?
No — when I thought about it, we had taken Kishirika with us. There was no reason for her to give up.
We passed through the main street and went by the adventurer's guild.
Was Nokopara still there?
I never expected to be heading back this quickly.
I'd already paid for the inn too.
My change of clothes was still there.
A waste, but nothing of real value.
We cut through the now-deserted marketplace.
For a moment, the back alley where I had once dyed Ruijerd's hair caught my eye.
That time too, I'd fled the town in a hurry. And now, once again.
I really did have no good memories in this town.
We reached the crater's crack — the town entrance.
There were no black-armored soldiers, but there were guards.
A lizard head and a pig head.
They looked bewildered when they saw us, but let us pass without incident.
From here, it was just a little farther.
We moved along the base of the crater wall.
"Oh? Where are you headed?"
"This way — there's a teleportation circle we used to get here."
"Oh. A teleportation circle. I thought those were gone, but—ow, I bit my tongue..."
I had marked the spot when we arrived. No problem.
It was dark, but Elinalise wouldn't mistake the marker.
I turned left at the marker and was about to climb the slope when we stopped.
"Looks like I beat you here."
At the top of the slope.
The entrance to the teleportation circle we had used.
Atrofatora stood there, blocking the way.
And nearly ten black-armored soldiers with her.
Nearby, there was another hole in the ground — close to the teleportation circle entrance.
Could that be the exit of the underground passage...?
"As expected of Muor. Right on the mark. I'll have to reward him later."
Had they read our movements?
No — they had outmaneuvered us.
They had predicted our destination.
"Y-you're here... remarkably early?"
"Hmph. I just flew over. I could see you all running quite clearly."
Atrofatora answered while flexing the wings on her back.
"Muor's here too, I see."
I looked back. In the distance, a group of black-armored soldiers was rounding the crater.
Atrofatora had come from the air.
Those ten soldiers had come from underground.
And of course, others had pursued us by surface.
A pincer attack from three directions.
...When I thought about it, that was only natural.
We weren't some fictional detective show — of course they'd split up and search.
Especially when they already knew where we were headed. Naturally, they'd cut off every route.
The black-armored soldiers behind us had closed in and surrounded us.
No escape.
Our retreat was cut off.
"Muor. Well done. Everything went exactly as you predicted."
"If you feel that way, then please honor my request as well."
"No."
Atrofatora refused curtly and raised her hand.
The black-armored soldiers drew their swords in unison with a sharp metallic ring.
"Well then..."
Atrofatora stepped forward and drew her blade.
Pointing her sword at us from high above, she declared:
"Ahhahaha!
I am the Immortal Demon Lord Atrofatora Latrobe Raibach!
Defeat me, and I shall grant you the title of Hero!
Lose, and you shall become my puppet — I'll use you until your dying breath!"
A savage grin.
An overwhelming surge of killing intent.
Atrofatora, who should have been shorter than me, suddenly seemed like a giant towering over five meters.
"..."
I'm sorry, Sylphiette.
I might not make it home.