"Kyahahahaha! Demon Lord, allow me to teach you true terror!"
Diera's voice echoed from somewhere far off.
She was in extremely high spirits, sounding as though she might burst into dance at any moment.
It was plain as day that she was savoring every second of this situation.
I gave a small shake of my head at the sound of her cackling.
It vexed me that I couldn't so much as let out a sigh.
(Really, at this point you can't even tell which one of us is the Demon Lord.)
Even as I lamented inwardly, I never dropped my guard. I kept concealment magic active at all times.
This was a training ground.
Though all around me, objects mimicking buildings stood in a chaotic jumble.
Those structures, which hadn't been there moments ago, were constructs of colored barriers.
Arranged in careful formations, they replicated a mock urban district.
I prowled through the semblance of a city, gripping a firearm, ever vigilant for an assault from a tank.
If you're wondering why I was doing any of this—presently, I was engaged in combat with Diera.
Specifically, I was maneuvering to take down a tank that she and Henry were riding in.
I had been in a tank myself at the start. Through magical interference, I had gotten it to operate solo despite normally requiring a crew of several.
However, to keep things fair, I hadn't tampered with any of its performance specs.
This time served a dual purpose of testing the tank's performance.
That was why I'd tried to keep to standard operational procedures.
Yet Diera demonstrated her predecessor's power to its fullest from the very start.
Right after we began, she launched chains of light, bound our tank, and unleashed a beam from her cannon.
As a result, my tank was utterly destroyed.
I barely escaped with my life, and now I'm forced to proceed on foot.
Unlike me, Diera was in this for fun.
There were no rules against using abilities, so she must have gone all out without restraint.
I wish she'd understand her limits, though I doubt saying so would get through to her.
Henry, who was supposed to be riding with her, showed no intention of stopping her.
He was probably enjoying the situation himself, in his own way.
A troublesome pair, indeed.
(What a nuisance...)
I'd only intended to observe, but the situation had taken an unexpected turn.
Still, I had no intention of forfeiting.
If I quit halfway, those two would surely complain.
Personally, I didn't want to do something like that anyway.
If I'm going to fight, I'll win.
Outside the city, my subordinates were also watching.
I couldn't afford to make a spectacle of myself.
(Perhaps it is time to strike.)
I focus on the firearm in one hand.
This model is a triple-shot type, with high power per round.
It is designed for easy reloading.
The trade-off is a shorter range compared to the standard model.
Using it required closing in on the opponent.
I generate a magic blade in my other hand.
It is extremely fragile—its durability is on par with glass, perhaps.
However, its cutting edge is flawless.
Even if it breaks, I can simply recast it.
Its overall usability is outstanding.
This time, I do not intend to use overly powerful arts.
I will keep things within the bounds of common sense.
Ignoring that would turn this into nothing more than a magical skirmish.
There would be no point in testing weapon performance.
Armed and ready, I step out from the shadow of the building and move into the street.
Without delay, a single tank appears far ahead.
From it, Diera’s voice reaches me.
"Oh ho. To appear so brazenly is commendable. Have you given up?"
"Repeatedly relying on ambushes would grow dull. I merely wish to end this in a swift victory."
I amplified my voice with magic to reply.
Diera raised her voice, sounding rather pleased.
"Oh! So you do understand! As expected of the current Demon King."
The tank's cannon barrel swiveled, aiming squarely at me.
I was hemmed in by buildings on either side, with a clear line of sight and no cover.
The terrain was ideal for an artillery strike.
"Hold nothing back! Use your full power!"
Magical energy converged upon the tank's cannon barrel.
There was no restraint.
It seemed she intended to use the same force as in real combat.
"Here I go!"
Immediately after, the tank fired.
The beam of light bore down, as if carving a trench into the ground.
In the blink of an eye, I would have been obliterated.
Of course, knowing it was coming made it possible to react.
I stared intently at the beam, discerning its exact trajectory.
Then, I flashed my magic sword.
The bisected beam lanced through the buildings on either side.
The broken barrier sparked and gradually dissipated from the edges.
The magic sword that had cut the beam shattered with a high-pitched whine.
Fragile as expected.
Still, it served its purpose well enough.
I generated a fresh mana blade and broke into a sprint.
Racing in a straight line toward the tank.
"Your swordsmanship hasn't lost a step! You've completely cast aside all reason!"
Diera fired off successive bombardments, reveling in the spectacle.
I cleaved through the beams fired at me one after another.
Or I met them blade-to-blade and deflected them aside.
With each clash, the surrounding buildings crumbled.
Had those not been decoys conjured by the barrier, the aftermath would have been a nightmare.
(I'll close the distance to sword range -- just keep pushing.)
At close range, firearms would serve as well.
Staying distant would only mean enduring more bombardment.
Considering the mobility of both sides, closing the distance was the only way forward.
(...Hmm?)
As I ran, deflecting beam after beam, I sensed a presence distinct from Diera's.
Killing intent, suppressed to its absolute limit.
It had fused with the surroundings so seamlessly it should have been undetectable.
A masterful feat of concealment.
(--From above?)
The instant I sense my opponent's position, I raise my magic sword.
The blade's edge slices through an incoming arrow in flight.
The arrowhead grazes past my head.
Shifting my gaze, I spot Henry standing atop a building.
He's drawing his bow while laughing uproariously.
"Ha ha! As expected of the general! You noticed that one quick enough!"
Henry fires a volley of arrows.
Despite the considerable distance, the accuracy is terrifying.
I deflect them with my sword.
Even as I absorb the shock, my arm goes numb.
Still, I don't break stride, and my advance toward the chariot continues.
Even if I were to attempt a counterattack with a firearm here, it would make little difference.
They're completely out of range.
Henry leaps from the building and kicks off the wall.
He comes spinning toward me through the air.
His manic, exhilarated face closes in rapidly.
"Come on!"
Henry swings his bow down toward me.
I catch it with my magic sword and deflect it back.
I follow up with a thrust, but Henry nimbly dodges aside.
As always, they possess superhuman physical abilities.
"It's been a while since our last match. You ready to entertain me?"
"...Do as you please."
We exchange words as we clash blows.
Throughout it all, beams of light continued to fly towards us.
They showed no regard for collateral damage to Henry, proving utterly without restraint. The bombardment was predicated on us handling it.
Henry and I exchanged attacks and defenses at high speed.
It was a battle where neither gave an inch.
Fine scratches multiplied across our bodies.
This had completely surpassed the realm of mock combat.
"Whoa, close one."
Henry dodged a beam, creating the slightest opening.
In truth, it was an action that barely qualified as an opening, but I didn't miss it.
Dismissing my magic sword, I grabbed his collar and, before he could resist, threw him aside.
In doing so, I intentionally detached my own arm.
"Hey, Chief—!"
His voice of protest was instantly carried far away.
Henry crashed into a building, punching through it and causing the structure behind it to collapse as well.
A normal person would be killed instantly, but Henry is extraordinarily tough.
A few blows like that shouldn't have broken any bones.
He'd be back on his feet in no time.
My arm of miasma forged, I parry the light beams and resume my sprint.
"Damn you, breaking even through our coordination! What strength!"
Diera's voice held a note of surprise.
They'd really intended to finish me off with that pincer attack.
Indeed, the combined assault was fierce, but the strategy was predictable.
It wasn't enough to put me in real danger.
As I was thinking this, chains of light sprouted from the tank's surface.
Perhaps thirty in total, fired in a volley.
All of them aimed straight for me.
(I'm going a bit overboard here...)
Exasperated by Diera's stubbornness, I increase my sword speed to respond.
The deflected light-chains smashed into buildings, blasting huge holes in them.
The surrounding structures crumbled one after another.
Just then, the tank displayed an abnormal magical reaction.
A mixture of scales and chitin seeped from its surface, spreading like armor to cover the vehicle.
It was undoubtedly Diera's ability.
She must have interfered with the tank using her own magic.
Diera possessed no knowledge of sorcery.
That phenomenon, too, must have been achieved through intuitive operation.
She truly was a genius.
The former Demon Lord's name was not in vain.
"Now, current Demon Lord! This is the end for you as well! Receive the power of my ultimate weapon!"
As Diera's triumphant voice rang out, the bombardment was unleashed.
I moved to deflect it with my magic sword, then stopped myself.
The beam contained dozens of times the destructive power of the previous one.
Using a magic sword against it would be insufficient.
I activated body reinforcement and lunged forward in a crawling posture, accelerating.
The beam sheared across my head, but I managed to avoid a direct hit to my entire body.
As long as it wasn't an instant kill, it didn't matter.
Undead rarely suffered fatal wounds from anything short of catastrophic damage.
With that momentum, I slid beneath the cannon barrel.
Now I was no longer in the line of fire from the tank.
I circled around to the tank's flank and unleashed a barrage of slashes with my magic sword.
Scales and carapace peeled away in an instant.
I pressed my weapon against the exposed surface and fired twice while channeling magic power into it.
The tank coughed out smoke and ground to a halt.
Its power mechanism had been destroyed, causing total system failure.
I already knew the internal structure.
So perhaps she knew where to strike to disable it. The tank could no longer operate. Just then, the hatch on the tank’s upper hull creaked open. Diera burst out from within. She launched a flying kick directly toward me. “Shieeeeeaaaaaahhhh!” I hurled my magic sword at her. The hilt struck her square in the forehead. Her posture broke mid-air, she sailed over my head, and slammed violently into the ground. The pain must have been intense, as Diera rolled on the earth, clutching her forehead. I walked over to her and pressed the muzzle of my gun against her. Then I asked her, “Is that enough?” “I surrender…” Diera stopped moving and admitted defeat sadly. Looking to the rear, Henry also had both hands raised. He wore an expression of deep frustration. Perhaps our recent battle had left him feeling unfulfilled. Meanwhile, Diera stood up and stretched. She turned on her heel with a cheerful look on her face.
"Ugh. It is truly a shame, but I suppose it is time to return. Next time, I shall surely be victorious. Farewell, then."
"Wait."
I stop Diera as she turns to leave.
She looks back at me, her gaze filled with expectation.
"What is it? Perhaps a second round?"
"No."
I point at the war tank Diera had been riding.
It was grotesquely covered in scales and chitinous armor.
The internal damage was also severe.
It had malfunctioned from the overloaded supply of magical energy.
The parts I had disabled were insignificant.
It was not in a state that could be repaired.
"Leveling the training ground and maintaining weapons. You will work to make up for the tank you utterly destroyed. Any objections?"
"...None."
Diera slumps her shoulders in contrition.
Not a trace of the former Demon Lord's dignity remained.