A volley of arrows erupted into the Empire’s ranks.
They pierced into soldiers without mercy, disrupting their formations.
Screams of agony rose from all around.
However, the damage was minimal.
Among the tens of thousands in the army, only about a hundred were injured.
In the grand scheme of things, it was negligible.
(No, that’s not right)
Observing the battlefield, I noticed the anomaly.
Some soldiers were coughing violently.
Others fell to their knees, unable to move, and I even spotted a few spitting blood.
Each of these phenomena occurred near where an arrow had struck.
Sensing the change, the soldiers began to retreat in panic.
I turned to Henry.
"What did you do?"
"Laced the arrows with a powdered poison. It disperses the moment they embed. It neutralizes quickly, but while active, it hits hard."
Henry explained with a smug look.
He was alive with expression.
He wasn’t just a battle-madman; he also favored such underhanded tactics.
Henry would not hesitate if something was deemed inhumane.
He was a man who would execute it, if he judged it the optimal choice.
"Fewer moves to efficiently reduce enemy numbers. If they know there's poison, their movements slow. That's the opening to tear through."
Henry spoke leisurely as he drew his bow and fired a sniper shot.
The merciless arrow pierced the forehead of a man who seemed to be a commander far in the distance.
The man fell with his eyes still wide open.
Henry released another arrow immediately after.
This time it struck the forehead of another soldier.
A man who had just been about to issue orders to others.
Both were at distances difficult to identify with the naked eye, yet he shot them down as a matter of course.
"As expected."
"Haha, flattery won't get you anything!"
In high spirits, Henry deftly manipulated his bow while talking.
He proceeded to pick off the commanders one after another.
This method of thoroughly destroying the chain of command was very much like him.
Meanwhile, the monsters continued firing poison arrows.
Even if they missed, just being nearby caused harm.
The Empire's army naturally became restricted in its movements.
Combined with their commanders being taken down, they were wracked by great confusion.
Most of the Empire's forces were already shifting to deal with this side.
They were leaving only a few to subdue the undead in the forest.
They must have decided to prioritize attacking here.
A sound judgment.
I had anticipated it would come to this.
Soon after, the Empire's army launched a counter-volley of arrows.
They fell from above with overwhelming density.
Despite the surprise attack and losses to their commanders, their movements were disciplined.
The soldiers were battle-hardened.
The overall quality was very high.
But in the end, they were still only human.
They were insufficient against true monsters.
I had to show them a gap that effort could never bridge.
I invoked wind magic to deflect the downpour of arrows.
Some of them had magical enhancements, but that was irrelevant.
I simply let the output of my magic blow them away.
The rain of arrows, knocked off course, fell around the Demon King's army.
There was no damage on our side.
Not a scratch.
"Every time I see it, the General's magic is incredible, huh? You think so too, don't you?"
Henry, applauding, turns to Logan, who is observing silently.
Logan furrowed his brow slightly.
He cast a severe glance at me.
“...Indeed. Truly befitting the Demon King.”
Logan spoke after a slight pause.
Though his words were formal, the look in his eyes was one meant for an old friend.
The change was so subtle others wouldn’t notice.
Even after witnessing the Demon King’s power, his attitude remained unchanged.
I quietly felt relieved.
At that moment, I sensed the sound of something cutting through the wind approaching.
An arrow aimed at me.
I deployed a defensive magic barrier and deflected it before my eyes.
(People trying to launch a surprise attack, huh?)
I picked up the broken shaft and spotted an archer hidden among the enemy forces.
Their aim had been precise.
Depending on the situation, I might have been hit directly.
So the Imperial Army had skilled archers as well.
Just as I thought this, Henry took out the archer with a sniper shot.
“Hahaha, there’s always one uncouth fellow.”
Henry remarked as if it were obvious.
Long-range combat was his exclusive domain.
His bow, crafted from dragon materials, possessed overwhelming range.
Coupled with Henry’s skill, the entire battlefield fell within his striking range.
To the enemy, I am nothing but a threat.
(Let me show some initiative too.)
With that thought, I launched a spear of miasma.
The gliding spear impaled several soldiers at once.
The soldiers sacrificed were corroded by the miasma, transforming into undead.
These newly created undead then began attacking their former comrades.
Those who were eaten and killed rose again as undead.
This was a tactic I had long grown accustomed to.
With this, the Empire's soldiers could no longer approach us easily.
As I watched the undead multiply, a luminous phenomenon occurred in the sky.
From it, a lion wreathed in phosphorescence emerged with majestic calm.
Flapping its wings up and down, the lion charged into the Imperial army.
It tore soldiers apart with its claws and shredded them with its fangs.
From its mouth, it spat crimson flames, incinerating entire formations.
Swords and spears bounced harmlessly off its hide, and magic dissipated the moment it touched the phosphorescence.
The lion slaughtered soldiers in the blink of an eye.
The soldiers had not even a sliver of chance to focus their attacks on me.
(That is an illusory beast created through spirit magic.)
I recognized its true nature at a single glance.
In this place, there was only one person who could wield such power.
"…………"
The caster in question—Logan—was concentrating with his hands clasped together.
His usually sharp gaze narrowed even further.
Henry, who had ceased firing, watched in admiration as the phantom beast systematically massacred the soldiers.
"Ho, so that's the elves' trump card. It's beyond extraordinary."
"...It won't last long. Press the attack quickly."
Logan spoke in a groan, his eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Looking closely, sweat streamed down his entire face.
His teeth were gritted as if they might crack.
Maintaining such a powerful phantom beast placed an enormous burden on him.
Normally, several elves working in concert could only produce a much weaker specimen.
Logan, by nature, specialized in supportive magic.
He was not supposed to have the aptitude for offense-oriented spells like this.
The fact that he had forced himself to use this phantom beast was likely a matter of elven pride and defiance.
It was a declaration that they were not merely beings sheltered by the Demon King.
Of course, it also served as petty revenge against the Empire, which sought to seize their homeland.
"Well then, shall we charge soon? General, you don't mind, do you?"
Henry, having lowered his bow, asked with a blazing look in his eyes.
His posture suggested his rationality was on the verge of snapping.
He seemed ready to dash forward at any moment.
I nod to Henry.
"Very well. Crush them thoroughly. You may annihilate them all."
"Ha ha ha, now that's an order worth hearing! Alright you lot, let's move out!"
The jubilant Henry charges forward at the vanguard.
The monsters follow after him, sprinting with fierce momentum.
As a result, we're left in the strange situation where only a small number of undead remain behind.
"...Our new companions are quite noisy," Logan says, sounding somewhat exasperated.
The phantom lion that had been racing across the battlefield vanished like evaporation.
He must have judged that its immediate purpose was served.
It was just as well. If it collapsed from overexertion, that would have been troublesome.
"They are certainly noisy. But they are trustworthy."
I murmur, watching the Imperial Army begin its retreat.
Though their motivations and convictions may vary, they are those who chose to serve the Demon Lord.
They will fight on my behalf until the moment they meet their deaths.
"I see. That puts me at ease."
"..."
I look at Logan.
He is gazing at the Demon Lord's army rampaging through the Imperial forces.
His profile was brimming with unshakable resolve and determination.