Kuh-hah-hah-hah.
The demon laughed with wicked glee.
Her crimson hair rippling behind her, she drifted down softly before the Holy Knights.
Spreading her bat-like wings wide, her figure radiated pure evil.
"Nice to meet you, everyone. Now then, let's get right to it— I'll be conducting a test.
To see whether you lot are worthy of facing me, that is."
The moment the Holy Knights laid eyes on her, they deployed instantly into a defensive formation.
There was no time to leisurely erect a barrier. They had made the right call — a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander had arrived at their sector. Unfortunately, the construction of the Holy Purification Barrier would have to be left to the other squads.
But in a way, this was fortunate.
She had come alone, and this squad was none other than the undefeated party led by the greatest Holy Knight, Arnaud Baumann.
Arnaud flashed a fearless grin, rallying his comrades.
"Fear not! The enemy is a single being. Even if she is a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander, she is no match for us!"
Indeed.
In truth, they had engaged Higher-Ranking Demon Commanders on several occasions.
There were cultists who used advanced devil summoning to call forth Higher-Ranking Demon Commanders, and in those battles, they had never once been outmatched.
Arnaud had the utmost confidence that even in a one-on-one fight, he would not lose.
"Everyone, spread out! Two lieutenants will support me — the rest, deploy a simplified Holy Barrier. Begin!"
At Arnaud's command, the Holy Knights responded without hesitation.
These were the movements of elite warriors honed to perfection. They had been through countless battlefields, and they fought with pride as humanity's fortress of defense.
They spread out without wavering, arranging themselves into a pentagram formation, and deployed the Holy Barrier to seal in their captain, the two lieutenants, and the crimson-haired demon.
What was eerie, though, was that throughout this, the demon made no move at all.
The demon simply wore a wicked smile, watching the Holy Knights' actions with evident amusement.
"Hey, what's wrong? You're not going to interrupt?"
Arnaud provoked her with a question, but— "Why would I need to do such a thing? You've all gone to such great effort. I won't interfere."
She gave him a playfully mocking reply.
Arnaud was calmly bracing himself against the opponent, but inside, his anger was threatening to boil over.
As a master-class fighter, he would not lose his composure over petty irritation — but her attitude was far too dismissive.
Just a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander acting so cocky! That was what Arnaud thought, but only he could afford to think that way.
For the rest of his squad, she was an undeniable threat.
They were Holy Knights he had personally trained. He understood their capabilities well.
Currently, five of them should be more than enough to destroy a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander. Assuming the opponent was an ordinary one, that is.
Arnaud had already seen through the demon standing before him.
That this opponent was no mere Higher-Ranking Demon Commander.
Her languid posture even carried an air of elegance. The robes she wore were far too intricately crafted for what any ordinary demon could have prepared.
Her manifestation of willpower was immense — her level was extraordinarily high.
That meant there was a strong possibility she was a Named One.
A named demon was a threat in its own right. And yet this opponent was not only the highest-ranking of demons, but also a Named One.
He could never let his guard down.
More than the anger he felt toward his opponent, it was this cool-headed judgment that kept Arnaud from losing his caution as he drew his sword.
"Oh? Are you all finished with your preparations?"
"Yeah. Sorry to keep you waiting — shall we begin? Actually, before that, I have a question. What's your name?"
At the demon's question, Arnaud answered.
He asked for her name on a whim.
He expected no answer, of course — but her response (or lack thereof) would serve as material for determining whether she was truly a Named One.
The demon replied: "Oh my! How rude of me. My name is
To think I'd forget to introduce myself when it was a name bestowed upon me by the great Lord Rimuru…
I'm still so inexperienced, aren't I?"
She announced her name with evident delight.
Arnaud felt cold sweat trickle down his spine.
Danger — his instincts were blaring the alarm at maximum volume.
The fact that she had revealed her name so readily meant that there already existed a being to whom she had pledged her name.
A Named One without a master — a stray — would risk being controlled if they spoke their true name aloud. That was precisely why it was common sense to never reveal it.
In other words, the claim that she had been named by Demon Lord Rimuru was almost certainly true.
Could a newly established Demon Lord really bestow a name upon a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander? Even if such doubts lingered, they were ultimately meaningless.
But still.
Arnaud had his pride as the greatest Holy Knight.
As the right hand of Commander Hinata, he was Number Two — and he had the confidence to back it up. Fueled by that confidence, Arnaud grinned fearlessly.
"My name is Arnaud Baumann. The greatest Holy Knight.
Engrave the name of the one who will destroy you upon your soul, and depart for the afterlife!"
As he declared this, he activated his spirit power release and engaged his Spirit Armament.
Instantly, five-colored light blazed brilliantly, enveloping Arnaud's body. A Holy Knight blessed with all five attributes — Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void.
While it was considered rare for even an ordinary person to possess two attributes, he was beloved by all five. The title of greatest Holy Knight was no empty boast.
Along with Arnaud's shout, the other Holy Knights also activated their spirit power releases, donning armor corresponding to their respective attributes.
Amid the lights of every hue, the pentagram shone even brighter.
The simplified Holy Purification Barrier was complete.
Its performance was reduced due to the shortened ritual and time constraints, but with five Holy Knights maintaining the barrier, the weakening was believed to be sufficient.
Within this barrier stood two more seasoned Holy Knights, plus Arnaud himself — the strongest of them all.
Even if the opponent was a Named Higher-Ranking Demon Commander, there was nothing to fear.
Fortunately, the weapon in his hand was the new-model Exorcist Sword. The supreme blade forged by the "Seven Star Sage" as an anti-demon weapon.
It possessed the ability to not only cleave through a Physical Body, but to sever the very Magicules themselves, rendering a monster's magical composition unsustainable.
Or rather, it could be said that it drained the opponent's Magicules.
It was a weapon developed with the express purpose of inflicting damage upon the Dragon
It was one of the blades developed during the same period as the sword wielded by Hinata. Choosing to carry this one had been the right call.
With this sword, any demon could be destroyed.
Just as Arnaud, brimming with unwavering confidence, was about to unleash his swiftest strike— "Well then, let's begin the test."
As though nothing had happened, the demon spoke those words.
Before anyone could grasp their meaning— "Gwaaahh!! Stay away! Stop! Stay away!!"
"Hieeeee! H-help me!!"
One after another, the squad members collapsed where they stood, screaming in unison.
These were Holy Knights. Battle-hardened, experienced Holy Knights, at that.
What had just happened?
Arnaud understood it perfectly. This overwhelming terror — it was…
Intimidation released by the demon before him.
In simple terms, she had simply let loose the Demon Aura she had been suppressing. That was all.
"Oh my, oh my?
Only three of you passed the test?
But well, I suppose I should praise you. You withstood my 'Demon Lord's Aura.' I'll grant you the right to face me directly!"
The demon declared this with a cheerful smile.
The pentagram barrier had vanished in an instant. With their spirits broken, the Holy Knights had no willpower left to maintain the Holy Purification Barrier.
Arnaud couldn't even wipe the sweat pouring from his face as he desperately assessed the situation.
Unbelievable. And he didn't want to believe it.
The demon before him — what had she just called it? Hadn't she said "Demon Lord's Aura"?
He had never heard of such an ability. To neutralize Holy Knights with nothing but Intimidation — he couldn't imagine even a Demon Lord being capable of that.
No — perhaps a legendary-class Demon Lord could manage it…
But at the very least, it was not something a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander should be capable of, Named or not.
"You… what… exactly are you?"
Arnaud forced the words out in a hoarse voice.
He had to steel his willpower, or the fear welling up from within him would become unstoppable.
He maintained his composure, centering his mind and sweeping away impure thoughts. He had managed — barely — to preserve his calm.
And to this Arnaud, the demon responded: "Kuh-hah-hah-hah. I am Diablo, the loyal servant of Lord Rimuru.
The one who shall shine brilliantly this time and claim the seat of First in the pecking order — that is me."
Then, as though to further mock him, she added: "Oh yes, let me add an answer to your earlier question.
I am not the kind of Higher-Ranking Demon Commander you seem to think I am.
I am a Demon Duke. Slightly different, so please don't mistake the two."
She delivered these words of despair.
"It's over… it's over…"
The female lieutenant, Sophia, crouched down and began crying like a small child.
It seemed her spirit had been broken entirely.
A Demon Duke — a being of legend.
One ranked above even a mediocre Demon Lord.
There were only a handful of confirmed cases of such entities interfering with this world, but they were defined as certainly existing.
Their spiritual counterpart would not be something even a Greater Spirit could match. It was said you would need to throw multiple Spirit Kings at one to have any chance of victory.
"Oh? What's wrong? You worked so hard to pass the test — you should enjoy yourselves!"
Arnaud watched from afar as the demon addressed his broken lieutenant, thinking there was no way that was possible.
She was scattering tears, desperately trying to flee.
When the demon spoke to her, she wouldn't even make eye contact — just shook her head, refusing.
She had always been a reliable, spirited lieutenant who constantly faced danger head-on as a Holy Knight. This was the first time he had ever seen her so terrified.
She had been an expert in demonology. To counter cultists, knowing the enemy was paramount. As such, she had also studied demon summoning and the demons that were summoned.
That was why she had been so well-versed in demonology.
And for someone like her to be this terrified meant that a Demon Duke was precisely that kind of existence.
He needed to steel his resolve.
"Can you hold on,
He asked his other lieutenant.
A dependable partner. A trusted right hand who knew him inside and out.
Bacchus nodded, though his face had gone pale. The two of them had to push through this crisis together.
And then they would rendezvous with Hinata and destroy this demon.
Once Arnaud had steeled his determination, he gathered his willpower and focused.
"Hey, hey — that's enough bullying my lieutenant and subordinates!
Your opponent is me!"
With that shout, he unleashed a full-power attack.
From the palm of Arnaud's left hand, a sphere of light was released.
It was a Spirit Cannon.
Among the Holy Knights' magical arts — the Sacred Magic — it was a simple spell, yet the one most directly affected by the caster's own ability.
Holy-attribute attacks could inflict damage upon any monster.
But.
Without so much as flinching, the demon caught the sphere of light and crushed it in her hand.
"Kuh-hah-hah-hah. That stings, doesn't it? My palm is all burnt. I suppose it's my turn next?"
She was completely unfazed.
However, Arnaud's aim had never been to deal damage with the Spirit Cannon.
While the demon was occupied deflecting the Spirit Cannon, Bacchus had circled behind her and struck with a devastating blow from his great axe.
That axe was the magical weapon known as the Demon Slayer — capable of cutting down even Demon Persons.
No matter how powerful a Demon Duke might be, she should not escape unscathed.
And he wasn't about to ease off the assault here.
While firing the Spirit Cannon, Arnaud simultaneously readied his Exorcist Sword.
The fundamental and ultimate technique of Aura Combat — the Aura Slash — was a technique that enveloped a physical object in one's fighting aura, enabling it to cut through anything.
Fighting aura varied between individuals, and there were various derivative techniques that incorporated spiritual power or magical energy…
But Arnaud, true to his title as the greatest Holy Knight, wrapped his sword in a five-colored fighting aura.
He converted the spiritual power of all five attributes into fighting aura and unified it with his blade.
The genius Arnaud.
That was the ultimate killing technique possessed by Arnaud, the greatest Holy Knight.
"Silence, beast! Take this — and die!
Five-Colored Spirit Blade!"
A luminous, pure flash raced along Arnaud's sword line.
The blade had undergone weight manipulation through Earth-attribute spiritual interference, allowing the user to control the trajectory of impact at will.
It surpassed the speed of an ordinary person with ease — the tip of the blade broke through even the sound barrier as it closed in on Diablo.
The strike was cloaked in a holy attribute, and combined with the Exorcist attribute, it generated an absolute killing power against monsters.
A killing blow that could cleave a Higher-Ranking Demon Commander in a single strike.
No matter how powerful a Demon Duke might be, she should not be able to remain unscathed — especially since this was a perfect ambush, timed to catch her in the moment she was dealing with the attack from behind.
Arnaud believed, without a shadow of doubt, that his opponent would die.
But just as Bacchus's great axe was about to split Diablo's skull open, Diablo lightly tapped the ground with the tip of a toe.
That was all it took — the earth surged upward as though gouged, launching Bacchus skyward behind him.
But even so, Arnaud's sword speed exceeded the sound barrier, tracing an arc from Diablo's neck down to her heart, unstoppable.
I've got her! Convinced of his victory internally, Arnaud gripped his sword tighter.
Simultaneously, he released the weight restriction and reversed it, slamming a doubled-power strike into his target.
He suddenly induced a gravitational force several times greater than the weight that had been suppressed until now.
The signature feature of this technique was that, just before impact, the sword's speed would seem to suddenly double.
Evading this technique on a first encounter was impossible. Arnaud's certainty of victory was entirely justified.
But… unfortunately, from the very beginning, Diablo had no intention of dodging…
Arnaud's sword cleaved through the barrier Diablo had deployed in front of her, and cut into Diablo's body.
There was a feeling of impact. But…
Arnaud broke through and dashed to Bacchus's side.
Checking on Bacchus, he appeared to be unharmed and was getting back up.
Relieved, Arnaud remained vigilant toward Diablo.
"Kuh-hah-hah-hah. My, my — what a magnificent technique.
That sudden acceleration just before impact, in particular — the old me might not have been able to read it.
And above all, that strike woven from such diverse attributes — very few could withstand it.
Magnificent, truly magnificent!"
She began praising Arnaud's swordwork.
None of those words brought Arnaud the slightest joy.
Of course not. After all, she looked as though she hadn't taken any damage whatsoever from that strike at all.
"Hey… You didn't take any damage at all?"
He didn't want to hear the answer, but the words slipped out before he could stop them.
"Oh? Is that what it looks like? You're overestimating me.
I managed to nullify the holy attribute with my magical barrier, but I must say, there was a bit of pain.
It seems a tiny fraction of my magical power was siphoned away.
It appears… the sword you carry has the ability to drain an opponent's magical power.
I overlooked that. But even so — truly magnificent!"
In other words, it was as if she were saying his technique had done no damage.
This was no joke. That was a perfected, full-powered killing strike.
An attack carrying multiple diverse attributes should not have been fully countered by multiple barriers.
And yet…
If that strike couldn't deliver a decisive blow, then Arnaud had no chance of victory.
And upon Arnaud, merciless words were heaped.
"Oh yes — with damage of that magnitude, you would need to hit me roughly four thousand times before I would be eliminated.
However… the catch is that I can recover from about forty hits' worth of damage in just under an hour.
How about that? Doesn't that give you some hope?
Well then — shall we resume?"
As she spoke, she spread her arms wide.
Beside him, Bacchus sighed in resignation.
"Hey, Arnaud. It's hopeless. You won't even be able to buy time.
But anything's better than doing nothing…
I'll buy you time — go get Commander Hinata.
That thing is something only a Commander-class or above can handle."
He whispered to Arnaud.
"Then I'll buy time. You go—"
"You fool! You're the faster one!
Besides, if you and the Commander team up, there's a chance. I'm useless here!"
He shoved Arnaud away and shouted.
Arnaud bit his lip, about to run— But reality was cruel.
"Kuh-hah-hah-hah. My, my — where do you think you're going?
My mission is to hold you here. I won't let you go anywhere."
Hold them here? He was momentarily confused by what he'd heard, but he had no luxury to dwell on it.
His own comrades — the ones who had been sitting on the ground — were now blocking his path.
"What! Get out of the way!"
Arnaud shouted, and the demon presented him with the cold reality: "Oh my, it seems your comrades want to play more too.
When I asked if they'd like to join my side, they accepted the offer with delight, you see."
Arnaud looked carefully at his comrades.
Their expressions were hollow, and an ecstatic look floated across their faces.
"S-Sophia! Stop! Snap out of it!"
Turning at Bacchus's blood-curdling shout, Arnaud saw the other lieutenant — Sophia — facing off against Bacchus.
Wearing the same ecstatic expression as the others, she had her sword drawn and was squared up against Bacchus.
"What have you done to my comrades?!"
Arnaud glared at Diablo and screamed.
In response, the demon smirked and answered: "Kuh-hah-hah-hah. What do you mean, what have I done? I simply… invited them, that's all.
Just as I mentioned earlier, you see.
She was so frightened of me that she accepted the 'Seduction' quite readily."
Arnaud understood.
Among the traits of demon-type monsters, there was a skill called Seduction.
A ability to charm a target and manipulate them at will — but he had never heard of a demon capable of charming even Holy Knights.
The only ways to free someone who had been charmed were to kill them or to defeat the one controlling them.
In other words, the only options here were to dodge his comrades' attacks and defeat Diablo, or to kill his comrades.
There was no practical way to hold back against Holy Knights while only taking their consciousness, and those who had been charmed could sometimes continue to act even while unconscious.
How could they have been so naive in their assessment?
This enemy — this demon — was clearly a catastrophe-class threat. A being on par with a Demon Lord.
Bacchus, who had been facing Sophia, was now caught in a pincer hold from behind by two Holy Knights.
And then he was brought down. He appeared to only have been knocked unconscious, but now Arnaud was alone.
Getting through this situation on his own was beyond difficult.
And furthermore…
The crimson-haired demon gazed at Sophia with her golden, vertically-slitted pupils glowing with an eerie light, and raised a hand toward her.
Instantly, Sophia's beautiful golden hair shifted to a vivid crimson — as though drenched in blood.
As this happened, Sophia's expression turned ecstatic— And then her hair color rapidly reverted back to gold.
Arnaud watched with a confused expression, and Sophia lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.
Before he could even worry about Sophia— "Kuh-hah-hah-hah. That was close. I nearly corrupted her by accident.
Doing something like that would put the seat of First in the pecking order further out of reach."
Leaving these incomprehensible words behind, Diablo turned toward Arnaud.
It seemed what he had just witnessed was Diablo attempting to corrupt the Holy Knight Sophia and bring her to the demon's side.
He didn't want to believe such a thing was possible, but due to the crimson-haired demon's inexplicable second thoughts, Sophia had been saved.
But it was too soon for relief.
After all— "Now then, let's resume. Feel free to attack as many times as you like.
I'll keep you company until I get bored!"
All alone, with no reinforcements, surrounded by five Holy Knights who were now his enemies, with no possibility of escape.
And yet he refused to give up.
The last hope remaining to him was that their Commander, Hinata, would defeat the enemy's leader and come rushing to their aid.
Arnaud steeled his resolve.
And thus, Arnaud's desperate battle began.
The story had dragged on longer than expected.
To spend an entire chapter on someone other than the protagonist…