Day two of the Great War.
In the domain ruled by Demon Lord
Four Calamity Heavenly General
After the Demon Lords' Gathering had ended and each Demon Lord had returned home to enact their countermeasures, one figure had already come back to Leon's side.
Black Knight Lord
After parting ways with Chloe, he had acted with extreme caution to avoid being detected by Yuuki, which had cost him some time.
Even so, from the perspective of Black Knight Lord Claude, it was necessary to take every precaution.
He returned and requested an audience with Leon.
Naturally, it would be assumed that there was a possibility he had been brainwashed, and he expected that some time would pass before he could be granted a meeting.
However, Claude was escorted directly to Leon's presence.
And there, he explained everything that had transpired.
By leaving behind a "Shadow Knight" clone using a doppelganger technique, he had been able to keep track of the situation afterward.
This meant he knew about the "Crimson Purification" carried out by Scorch Dragon
He even knew about the falling out between Demon Lord Rimuru and Yuuki.
All of it had been communicated to him by the undying "Shadow Knight."
Afterward, the "Shadow Knight" had been destroyed upon encountering the angels summoned by Rudra's "Army of Angels." Nevertheless, it could be said that the intelligence gathered was more than sufficient.
Claude had prioritized delivering this information to his lord Leon above all else, even at the cost of his life.
And that wish was granted. Leon now knew everything.
"Well done."
A single sentence.
An almost anticlimactic response. But for Claude, those two words were worth a thousand gold.
"What a generous acknowledgment—"
Claude was deeply moved.
However, he understood that this was no time to be swept up in emotion.
Leon felt the same way.
He had already received a detailed account from Demon Lord Rimuru at the Demon Lords' Gathering, but now he had confirmation from the intelligence brought back by his trusted right-hand man Claude.
Leon had not been able to entirely dismiss the suspicion that Demon Lord Rimuru might be trying to outmaneuver the other Demon Lords, but he had now judged that to be unfounded.
There were no contradictions between Rimuru's and Claude's explanations, and the concern that the enemy's combat strength was being exaggerated had been put to rest.
If that was the case, then the enemy truly possessed an overwhelmingly massive fighting force.
"Claude, do you think we can hold our own with our current strength?"
Leon turned to Claude—his most powerful knight among all his subordinates, the Black Knight Lord—for his opinion.
"With all due respect… I will give you my honest assessment.
The disparity in military strength between our sides is vast. Even if we focus entirely on defense, holding off fifty thousand angels would be the best we could manage. If we were to venture outside the city barrier and engage them offensively… defeat would be virtually certain—"
"What did you say!? Lord Claude, are you saying we would be defeated?"
"We are Lord Leon's finest knights. We will not be outdone by angels!"
At Claude's words, the captains of the various Magic Knight Orders bristled.
But Leon quieted them.
He closed his eyes and thought. Claude's assessment was correct—he was certain of it.
Even looking at it from a pure military strength perspective, the Order Captains who were at the Semi-Demon Lord tier might be able to manage, but the regular knights would be hard-pressed to fight even a few angels each.
After all, the angels that had assimilated members of the combined legion Claude had belonged to likely possessed combat power exceeding A-rank.
If a legion composed entirely of such exceptional individuals were to arrive, they would hold the advantage in both numbers and overall strength.
The prediction that defeat was inevitable was one Leon could understand.
(Should I reinforce the barrier and go out to fight personally? But that would be a terrible move…)
Leon continued to ponder.
If he sent his subordinates against Kagali, he judged the probability of victory to be low.
After all, she had apparently fused with a Seraphim-class angel—an ultra-high-density energy entity rivaling an Awakened Demon Lord in power.
If it was Kagali—a former Demon Lord who had lived for centuries as Kazalim—it would not be surprising for her to have gained abilities rivaling an Awakened Demon Lord. Leon even considered the possibility that she might have surpassed them.
If that was the case, then fighting her personally was his only option…
(But if I do that, I won't be able to adequately prepare for the angel legion itself.)
That was the problem.
Leon believed he would not lose in a fight against Kagali, but simultaneously, he expected that Claude and the others would be unable to stand against the angel legion.
Moreover, if his battle with Kagali dragged on, his nation could be destroyed and then the angel army could attack from behind.
If he could eliminate Kagali in a quick strike, there would be no issue, but that would be far too optimistic.
After all, Kagali had witnessed Leon's trump card—his Ultimate Skill "King of Purity."
During the battle with Yuuki, allowing both Yuuki and Kagali to escape had been a grave mistake.
And now, the consequences of that error were falling upon Leon.
Leon opened his eyes and surveyed the subordinates before him.
The Head Knight—Silver Knight Lord Arlos.
The Strongest Knight—Black Knight Lord Claude.
And the captains leading the four Knight Orders.
The Red Knight Order—staffed by Magic Knights specializing in offensive magic.
4,000 members strong. The captain is Red Knight
The Blue Knight Order—staffed by Magic Knights specializing in support magic. 2,000 members strong. The captain is Blue Knight Oxyan. Male.
The Yellow Knight Order—staffed by Magic Knights specializing in defensive magic. 3,000 members strong. The captain is Yellow Knight Kizuna. Female.
The White Knight Order—staffed by Magic Knights specializing in restoration magic. 1,000 members strong. The captain is White Knight Meter. Female.
These six individuals were the strongest among the Magic Knight Orders.
Each one of them could match or defeat a Greater Demon General in single combat.
Fran and the others had grown into even more powerful magic wielders as a result of having experienced "death."
Leon had taken pride in the fact that this lineup was in no way inferior to the forces of any other Demon Lord Army…
(If I sacrifice every last one of them, there might be a chance of victory. But—) Die! If he gave that order, Leon knew these subordinates would joyfully offer up their lives.
But precisely because of that, it was a command he could never give.
So, what was to be done— "Lord Leon, it appears we have a visitor."
A cool, feminine voice interrupted Leon's deliberation.
It was Kizuna, the captain specializing in defensive magic, who had detected an intruder penetrating the barrier.
And with the arrival of these intruders, the problem was resolved in one stroke.
It was
She had come to Leon with a terrifying proposal.
"Lord Leon, I apologize for the intrusion, especially after the fatigue of the Demon Lords' Gathering.
I come bearing a message from my master, Demon Lord Guy Crimson.
He proposes that we cooperate in preparing for the Great War."
Misery delivered the message with a courteous bow.
Leon regarded her.
She knelt before him, head lowered respectfully.
But the impression Leon received from Misery was incomparably more powerful than before.
He could sense that her strength had grown tremendously.
Although Guy was Leon's friend and Misery maintained a deferential manner toward him, her actual power now rivaled that of an Awakened Demon Lord.
(What on earth happened?)
He wondered, but since they were not enemies, he found the development reassuring.
With Misery's cooperation, perhaps they could stand against Kagali after all.
"Hmm. No point putting on airs, I suppose.
Honestly, this helps. But is Guy's defense in good hands?"
"For someone like me to worry about that great one would be presumptuous… Besides, Hilary is also standing by."
"Ah, right. That's true as well."
Indeed, worrying about the mighty Guy was entirely unnecessary in the first place.
As Leon nodded, Misery made a proposal.
"By the way, Lord Leon, I have a suggestion. Might I have your ear?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Yes. The truth is—"
Misery lifted her face, a bewitching smile playing on her lips, and spoke to Leon.
"Would you be open to fusing your six generals with your six colored knights using a forbidden secret art?"
Misery asked with a sinister smile befitting a demon.
The room erupted in commotion.
The six demon generals were the Greater Demon Demons Misery had brought with her.
They could not be called Demon Dukes, but it was clear they possessed power far beyond that of normally summoned Archdemons.
They were worthy of being called Guy's pieces, to be sure. They were likely comparable in fighting strength to Leon's top six subordinates—the "six colored knights," as Misery had called them.
They were terrifying demonic beings, evenly matched with no clear superiority between the two groups.
"What is the intent behind this?" Leon asked.
"I will be frank.
I believe that combat forces at the Greater Demon General level will be of little use in the Great War going forward."
Misery declared bluntly.
At these words, Arlos and the other captains bristled. It was tantamount to being told they were useless.
However, Claude and Fran, the two of them, found themselves agreeing with Misery's assessment.
They truly were weak.
Even Arlos, the Head Knight, had been completely unable to stand against even a single subordinate of Demon Lord Rimuru.
That woman
Claude calmed the furious Arlos and prompted Misery to continue.
Misery returned a bow and carried on with her explanation.
"May I proceed?
Hilary and I awakened into Demon Kings through Demon Lord Rimuru's 'Secret Art of Evolution.' Unfortunately, the Blessing reached very few of those connected to me or to Hilary.
This is because the bonds of our souls were not properly established.
These beings are close to independent, individual demons, yet they are also connected to us.
As things stand, we cannot expect any further evolution from them.
So, I would like to use the forbidden 'Secret Art of Living Demon Soul Fusion' to reset all of these connections.
They would shed their current incarnated Physical Bodies and be reborn into new ones.
For lesser beings, this would likely result in failure. But for those at the Greater Demon General level, there is a probability of success.
Moreover, when fusing beings of similar power, the success rate increases dramatically.
The drawback is that one of the two consciousnesses will be erased.
The benefit is that a more powerful individual, combining the strengths of both, will be born.
They would be reborn as beings at the level of a Demon Duke—surpassing even the former Demon Lords!"
Misery concluded her explanation with great fanfare.
A silence fell over the room.
The demons seemed to accept this matter without issue—they remained composed, showing no signs of agitation.
Arlos and the other captains fell into deliberation, chewing over what they had just been told.
They desired power.
But it went without saying that such a thing could not be obtained overnight.
If they were going to be unable to do anything meaningful against the angel legion as they currently were, then perhaps accepting this proposal was a viable option.
However, if one's own consciousness were to be consumed in the process, that would be worse than death itself.
Even so…
"Lord Leon, I would like to accept this proposal," Arlos said.
"As would I."
At Arlos's declaration, everyone nodded in unison.
Claude and Fran, needless to say, had already made up their minds after hearing Misery's proposal.
"Lord Leon, should we lose to the demons—please forgive us—"
On behalf of all six, Claude addressed Leon.
Leon closed his eyes and fell silent.
Then, after a moment, he spoke quietly.
"I will not forgive failure. You must win. Acquire the demons' power and serve me with it."
His words made clear that he had accepted Misery's proposal.
"We shall absolutely live up to your expectations!!"
Arlos, Claude, and all the others.
In unison, they bowed their heads and swore their oath to Leon.
And so, Misery's proposal was accepted.
The ritual was carried out immediately.
The six demon generals and the six colored knights stood facing one another.
Those of similar strength were paired off, sizing each other up.
The knights wore tense expressions—the penalty for losing was being devoured by their opponent.
The demons, by contrast, were perfectly calm.
For the demons, they were simply executing a command. There was no need for them to feel any nervousness whatsoever.
And then the moment arrived.
"Very well. The 'Secret Art of Living Demon Soul Fusion' shall now begin."
At Misery's declaration, the demon generals instantly converted their incarnated Physical Bodies into pure energy.
This was a secret art made possible only because they were demons—spiritual life forms.
And the moment the knights confirmed this, it happened.
Misery suddenly severed the cores of all six demon generals with a single strike.
"I have confirmed your resolve.
Now, please accept your gift!
This is a present from Demon Lord Guy Crimson.
Do not hold back—acquire your new power.
Resolve becomes strength.
May you obtain a power greater than before—that is my sincere wish!"
Misery cried out.
Yes, everything had been orchestrated from the very beginning.
The demons had been ordered to bestow their power upon any who would challenge the ritual without fear of losing themselves.
Guy's orders were absolute, and none would defy them.
More than that, they understood that since their own evolution had stalled, this was the only path to gaining further strength.
However, had the knights shown any fear of receiving the new power, the plan had been for the demons to take the initiative and force the fusion instead.
"Wh— What is happening!?"
"Knights, do not fear. We have agreed to be absorbed by you.
We do so at the command of the great Demon Lord Guy Crimson.
You have shown us your resolve.
Therefore, we recognize you as worthy vessels for our power!"
"That's right. Hurry—our cores have already been destroyed.
There is no time before we collapse!"
Urged on by the demons, the stunned and motionless knights finally moved into action.
Claude absorbed his demon.
Fran merged her demon's power with her own magic.
Arlos, Oxyan, Kizuna— And finally, Meter absorbed her demon, and the ritual was complete.
Not a single participant was lost, and the "Secret Art of Living Demon Soul Fusion" was carried out successfully.
And so, the six knights had obtained power at the Demon Duke level.
Leon's camp had finished its preparations without a hitch.
And before long, the decisive battle was about to begin.