"It finally came, huh. What are you going to do? Ignore it?"
"Of course I'll accept. Who knows what he might do if I refuse."
I handed the finished letter to Luciana.
The demigod possesses an ability that borders on cheating — spatial magic.
If he surpasses me in power, he could likely blow away an entire continent.
The reason he doesn't is simply because he doesn't relish slaughter.
His sole objective is the dismantlement of the Demon Lord's army.
There's no point in needlessly provoking him.
On top of that, the demigod's whereabouts were unknown.
If he's the one making contact, there couldn't be a more convenient turn of events.
I wanted to defeat him just as much.
I had no intention of letting this opportunity slip.
"He's strong, but you plan to face him with the Demon Lord's army?"
"There's no specific arrangement, but I intend to go alone."
The demigod was most likely operating alone.
Sending a large force would only give him more targets.
With spatial magic, picking them all off at once would be trivial.
That made him a truly troublesome opponent.
Even with companions, it was questionable whether we could protect everyone.
Luciana scanned the contents of the letter, then folded it away.
She perched on the edge of the desk and offered her counsel.
"The Demon Lord should be fine, but be careful. Don't let your guard down and let him slip away."
"I know. I won't show mercy."
Heroes possess hidden reserves of strength, pushing past their limits when you least expect it.
The Valkyrie had been a prime example of that, recently.
The closer they are to death, the more they surpass our expectations.
They draw on their convictions to unleash power.
"I'll try to minimize casualties, but make sure your defenses are airtight. If the worst comes to the worst, retreat is acceptable."
"Yes, yes, I know. I can protect myself, so don't worry."
Luciana waved her hand dismissively.
She always maintained that breezy demeanor.
It was, no doubt, because she trusted me.
I had to live up to that expectation.
Just then, the door to the entrance opened.
It was Grom.
"Forgive the intrusion."
Grom bowed, then approached me with quiet steps.
He wore a solemn expression.
If anything, he seemed nervous.
"Oh my..."
Luciana caught on to something and left the room, passing by him as she went.
In the silence that followed, I addressed Grom.
"What is it?"
"Demon Lord. Regarding the duel with the demigod — might I be permitted to accompany you?"
Grom knelt before me and pleaded.
The unexpected request made it hard to read his intentions.
He seemed to already know about the demigod's contact as well.
Had he heard through a spy?
With his authority, it wouldn't be strange for him to know about the letter.
"I was planning to entrust the defense of the Demon Lord's territory to you."
"I've already delegated that to the former Demon Lord, Diera."
Grom answered immediately.
So he'd already laid the groundwork — thorough in his preparations.
He'd probably been planning this for some time, and now was putting it into action.
I hadn't expected him to be this meticulous.
Whether he truly wanted to fight the demigod that badly was unclear.
So I asked Grom.
"Why do you want to come along?"
"I feel that when it truly matters, I've been unable to be of use to you, Demon Lord. In the battle against Saint Makia, I wasn't just useless — I was a hindrance. In every battle since, I've only been good for clearing the way, leaving the heroes to you, Demon Lord."
Grom spoke.
It was all things I'd never heard from him before.
There were extraordinary feelings packed behind his true words.
"Each person has their role. Grom, your contributions have been more than valuable. There's no need to belittle yourself."
"Even so, I wish to fight at your side, Demon Lord. I am fully aware this is a selfish request. Please — allow me to join the battle against the demigod."
Grom pressed his forehead to the floor and repeated his plea.
Making his large frame as small as he could, he spoke his wish.
After a moment of silence, I nodded.
"Very well. You have my permission."
"Thank you. I will do everything in my power to destroy good for your sake."
Grom raised his head and declared with a voice thick with emotion.
Something about his words struck me as off.
"...Shouldn't that be 'destroy evil'?"
"We act in the name of justice, but we are evil all the same. When the demigod defeats evil for the sake of the people, he naturally becomes good."
Grom said this with a pointed undertone.
It was a statement that acknowledged my goal of becoming an immortal evil.
"That's true. You're right."
We are absolute evil.
We may aim for the world's peace as a result, but along the way, we've killed countless good people.
And we would continue to do so.
Grom's words sank deep into my heart.