Upon transferring, a half-destroyed streetscape spread before me.
It was a town within the Empire's territory.
No people were around; only corpses were visible in the gaps between the rubble.
Just as I registered that, I detected a massive magical reaction ahead.
From high above, countless particles came flying straight at us.
(What is it?)
I focused my gaze on them.
They were ice particles imbued with magical power.
They were hurtling toward us with the force of a torrential downpour.
This was no natural phenomenon.
Though I couldn't see a figure, it was likely the work of a Great Spirit.
The direction matched as well.
(Straight to the point, huh...)
I deployed defensive magic, erecting a barrier to shield both myself and Logan.
Immediately after, the ice particles began pelting the entire surrounding area.
Nearby buildings were pulverized, the ground torn asunder.
Traces of civilization were being obliterated by the destruction.
Cracks ran through the defensive magic I had deployed.
It looked like it would shatter, so I layered additional defensive magic on top.
I focused on understanding the situation while enduring the onslaught.
The hail showed no sign of stopping.
It poured endlessly, bringing relentless destruction.
The street lining that had barely survived was long since reduced to ruins.
Meanwhile, Logan stood beside me, hands clasped in concentration.
He looked at me with sharp eyes and spoke.
"I've captured the great spirit. I will now attempt a dialogue through spirit language. Can you buy a little more time?"
"No problem."
I answered while activating even more layers of defensive magic.
The ice storm was terrifyingly powerful, but not impossible to fend off.
I was receiving supply from the Valley of the Dead, possessing nearly inexhaustible magical power.
My rate of magical recovery exceeded my consumption.
If I so chose, I could defend semi-permanently.
Logan's magical power swelled. He closed his eyes and murmured something.
It was not a magic incantation.
The refined magic was projected toward the direction from which the hail was flying.
Logan repeated this process several times.
"...It's done."
Eventually, Logan opened his eyes and relaxed his stance.
At the same moment, the hail stopped.
Judging from how he looked, with no apparent abnormality, he had apparently succeeded in the dialogue.
As befits the chief of the elves.
Without me alone, there was no room for dialogue, and we would have no choice but to fight.
As we waited in place, the magical reaction I had been sensing for some time approached.
What glided through the air was a humanoid figure of pale blue light.
The facial features were vague, with only approximate human-like contours.
From the long hair and general body shape, it could be discerned as female.
That humanoid light must be the Great Spirit.
Facing it like this, I could clearly perceive its overwhelming magical power.
It was obvious it possessed strength of a completely different dimension.
However, I felt a certain sense of dissonance about its form.
The quality and quantity of the contained magic were undoubtedly first-rate, but the flow of magical power was unnatural.
I could not sense any equivalent to a soul or core.
Despite its immense power, its presence had a strange, flickering quality.
"..."
Puzzled, I focused my consciousness to analyze it.
The result revealed that the Great Spirit was formed through magical energy supply.
That said, it wasn't a fake.
The Great Spirit before us was likely not its true body, but a pseudo-created fragmented entity.
I was curious about the location of the true body, but I couldn't reach that far.
Ignoring the thoughts racing through my mind, the Great Spirit descended before us.
"An elf and an undead. What an unusual combination."
A clear feminine voice.
It held little emotion, giving an impression of detached composure.
I asked without hesitation.
"You're the Great Spirit, aren't you?"
"Indeed, that is correct. And who might you two be?"
"I am the Demon King."
Hearing my answer, the Great Spirit's aura shifted slightly.
I felt as though she had developed a degree of interest.
The name 'Demon King' apparently carried weight befitting its title.
"Oh? Many have claimed the title of Demon King in the past, but your origin is quite unique. And you?"
"Logan Rin Freetilt. I lead a clan in the World Tree Forest."
"Ah, a guardian of the World Tree. You've had your burdens in every age."
The Great Spirit's tone softened, becoming gentler than when she had spoken to me.
As expected, elves and spirits shared a deep bond, and their relationship seemed to be a good one.
It was fortunate that Logan was with us.
The Great Spirit finished her greetings and looked between us in turn.
"What brings two such figures here?"
"We want you to stop ravaging human lands any further."
"Why? You are the Demon King. I fail to understand your reason for protecting humanity."
When the Great Spirit heard my request, she raised objections as if I were speaking nonsense.
A natural reaction.
It was impossible to believe that the Demon Lord would try to protect humans.
That was why I gave the answer I had prepared in advance.
"I plan to occupy this land. It would be inconvenient if it were destroyed too much."
"I cannot accept that request. The humans of this land have taken my secret stone. I will not stop the destruction until it is returned."
The Great Spirit shook her head.
I brought up what she had told me.
"Haven't you retrieved it yet?"
"With cunning skill, they used concealment magic to hide its whereabouts. After the signal vanished, I destroyed a great city, but unfortunately, I couldn't find it."
The Great Spirit spoke in a cold tone.
A faint irritation could be sensed in her words.
She was losing her composure, if only slightly.
For the Great Spirit, the secret stone must have been that important.
Her anger over having it stolen was evident.
(But it was still stolen...)
I was surprised by this new information. I had assumed the secret stone had already been recovered.
With the Great Spirit's power, that shouldn't have been difficult.
In fact, I had heard that the Imperial Capital had been destroyed.
In other words, the human who stole the sacred stone is still alive and has gone into hiding.
Outsmarting a Great Spirit—quite the bold and death-defying move.
I don't know what they intend to do, but I can't help but admire their initiative.
Having pieced together the situation from the conversation, I continued by questioning the Great Spirit.
"If the sacred stone is found, will you stop the slaughter?"
"I will absolutely not forgive the mastermind or those involved, but for now, I will quell my anger."
The Great Spirit declared.
The elimination of the mastermind and their accomplices was inevitable.
It was her rightful claim.
I wasn't soft-hearted enough to want to save the humans responsible for this either.
"Understood. Then I will retrieve the sacred stone."
"Are you capable of that?"
"I am."
I answered without hesitation.
The Great Spirit stared at me in silence.
I returned her gaze in equal silence.
In the suffocating quiet, we locked eyes.
It was the Great Spirit who looked away first.
Relaxing her shoulders, she addressed us in a calm tone.
"Very well. I will entrust this to you. I will wait here. Bring it to me within three days."
"Understood."
I nodded deeply.
Then, to prevent any complications, I transferred Logan and myself to the Royal Capital.
We were back in the audience chamber.
Logan looked around, then slumped onto the carpet, all his tension gone.
He let out a long breath, then fixed me with a sharp look.
"That was a bold negotiation. You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"If it had come to a fight, I was confident I could handle it. The real body might be different, but a split body? I can manage that much."
First, trap it within the miasma barrier and forcibly sever the mana supply from the main body.
Crush the opponent's strength, and then finish them off with certainty using magic and swordsmanship.
Even if another split body showed up later, I intended to subdue it the same way.
If I challenged it without a strategy, victory would be unlikely, but once you understood the mechanics of their power, a counter was possible.
This kind of analysis and counter-planning is my specialty.
Back when I was alive and fighting demons, I made full use of this ability.
When facing a superior foe, you can only compete with cunning and tricks.
Brute-forcing it with overwhelming power, like I can now, was almost never an option.
Thinking of that past, I felt a faint twinge of nostalgia this time.
"...You haven't lost your fear of the undead, have you?"
"Perhaps I have," I replied quietly to the exasperated Logan.