Manadeshi ni Uragirarete Shinda Ossan Yūsha, Shijō Saikyō no Maō toshite Ikikaeru

C5: Defense of the Demon World

I was in a room in the castle with Stella.

“There’s no one around, is there, Stella?”

“Yes, I have searched with my clairvoyance and found no one suspicious. Please feel free to speak, my Lord.”

Stella nodded her head.

What I’m going to discuss with her is the defense plan for the demon world. Since it will include my knowledge as a hero, it’s not good for other demons to hear about it.

“Let me get this straight……and before I do, can I take off my mask?　It’s kind of hard to breathe with it on.”

“Yes. But if anyone comes in, please put it on right away.”

“Okay.”

I nodded to Stella and took off my mask.

Even though I have been revived as the Demon King – a member of the demon race – my appearance is the same as it was when I was human. There were no fangs, claws, horns, wings, or……anything like that. In Stella’s eyes, I am a 42-year-old middle-aged man.

I need to shave my stubble……I thought.

“Demon Lord?”

“No, it’s nothing. Shall we begin?”

I said to Stella, who looked suspicious.

“Let’s go over the situation again.”

The first thing that happened was that a few days ago, a hundred chosen heroes invaded the demon world. Lyle and I were among them. Five holes were made in the wards separating the human world from the demon world, and from there we split into five groups and entered the demon world.

“Each of us made our way to the Demon Lord’s castle, but the squad I was in was wiped out except for me and Lyle.”

That Lyle, too, is nowhere to be found. I wonder what happened to him after the battle with demon king Yulisha. But for now, I have to think about the current situation rather than Lyle.

“What about the other four troops?”

“We have sent out troops to intercept them, but it seems that three demon warlords have already been killed.”

The chiefs of the demon army – the direct aides of the Demon King, there are seven of them, including Stella. In other words, there are a total of four surviving aides.

“The other three, the Beast Emperor Zegart and the Immortal King Regal, are in the process of invading the human world. The remaining Dream Demon Princess Feria went to intercept the heroes, but was defeated and is missing.”

Stella said.

“I was also injured in the last battle and have yet to regain my magic.”

By the way, she said something like that before yesterday’s battle. In other words, there’s not a single demon warlord who can fight at the moment.

“I’ll go out there and get rid of them one by one.”

It was a simple policy that couldn’t even be called a strategy. However, considering the overwhelming status of the Demon Lord, it would be quickest for me to take control of the four battlefields in turn. More than anything else, it would save unnecessary deaths on the demon side…….and also on the human side.

I could use the ‘homing ray’ from last time, but I’m not sure that it would work. In the first place, unlike autonomous Miracle Armaments, which had only a simple will, it is unknown whether the Homing Ray will work against the heroes. I still think I should go directly to the location.

“The Demon Lord himself?”

Stella looks surprised.

“If we let the soldiers head out, they might slaughter us unilaterally.”

Yes, just like yesterday’s battle.

“But it’s dangerous.”

“You know my level, right? If possible, I’ll send the humans back to their world without harming them. And then…well, then we’ll see what happens when we get there.”

“Then at least take me with you.”

Stella stood up.

“I haven’t regained my fighting skills, but I can at least be your shield if the need arises.”

“No. I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself.”

I said firmly.

“All demons are like tools to you, Demon Lord. You don’t have to care for them.”

Stella shook her head sadly.

“You’re not tools.”

I said, with all my strength.

“So I will not allow you to waste your lives for me.”

“My Lord……!”

Stella gasped.

“That’s an order.”

“……I understand.”

Stella nodded, looking down.

“However, the demon world is an unfamiliar place for you. Please allow me to accompany you as your guide.”

Stella looked at me. It seems that this is indeed a non-negotiable decision. In fact, I’d probably get lost if I went alone……Even inside the demon king’s castle, I was lost.

“All right. Then come with me.”

“Okay.”

A faint smile appeared on Stella’s face.

“Let’s get going. Let’s go fight some heroes.”

However, it is not a good idea to kill everyone. Aside from the guys from yesterday, there are also some honorable heroes…

“……No, not many people.”

I thought back to my life as a hero and gave a small shrug. A hero is a special being chosen by the Miracle Armament. As beings that will save the world, they are privileged in every way and are praised by many people.

And yet, there are those who take advantage of their position and pretend to be superior. There are those who take advantage of their position and oppress the weak. And then there are those who use their immense power to bully and kill the demon race. However, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some fine heroes.

“Anyway, I’ll figure it out when I get there…….”

I stood up with a sigh and put on my mask. After all, it’s not a pleasant feeling to have heroes for enemies.

I rode the demon dragon through the air with Stella. Originally, I heard that there was a chosen demon dragon that was the mount for the demon king, but it escaped in the confusion of the last battle. So the one I’m riding now is a spare demon dragon.

Even so, we flew through the sky at a very high speed and arrived at the battlefield in about an hour. The demon world, western region. The wilderness was spread out all over, with red and black cracks running through the mid-air. It was a hole in the barrier protecting the demon world. Below us, several heroes were fighting with the soldiers of the demon tribe.

“There, attack the demons!”

The bravest of them all, a large man with the best physique, swung down a huge axe.

“Smash, Behemoth!”

A huge crack appeared on the ground where the axe had struck. It was a huge crack, probably more than ten meters deep. The power was tremendous.

“Ugh, ohhhhh……!”

More than a dozen demon soldiers screamed and fell into the cracks in the ground.

“Energy Hand.”

I chanted a spell while riding the dragon. An arm made of magical energy extended from the void. I pinched the falling demons with my fingers and pulled them up.

“We’re going down, Stella.”

“Okay.”

Stella controlled the dragon, and we descended. The demon soldiers we had just saved looked at Stella and me with surprised faces as we landed on the ground.

“Oh, you’re…….”

“The Demon Lord will strike down the heroes in person. You guys stay back.”

Stella, who was standing by my side, said to the soldiers.

“Demon Lord……?”

“I’ll get rid of them.”

I said, and stepped forward. I looked at the large hero and used status display on him.

Name: Jake

Class: Warrior type hero

Total LV 121

HP: 860

MP: 000

Attack: 672

Defense: 540

Evasion: 215

Hit: 573

Equipment: Miracle Armament Behemoth

Skill: Earth-Rending Blow LV13, Martial Arts LV11, Robustness LV15

A warrior hero is a type of hero who does not have any special abilities, but instead has excellent power, speed, and other abilities for hand-to-hand combat.

“He’s as much of a power fighter as he looks.”

“I mean, sure, you’ve got some ridiculous magical powers, but what about close combat?

“Jake, the brave man, carried a huge axe and came at me with tremendous speed.

“Shatter, Demon Lord!”

The axe swung down with spirit, and I caught it with one hand. It was indeed a heavy and powerful blow. When I was a human, I wouldn’t have been able to catch it, but now……

“Ugh, it’s stuck……!”

Jake growls, his face turning bright red. A bunch of muscles rise up on his thick arms, but the axe I catch doesn’t move an inch.

“Unfortunately, you and I are on different levels.”

I told him coldly. In the first place, the fact that my level was different by an order of magnitude meant that my power and speed were all different by an order of magnitude. It’s not a matter of me as a demon king excelling in magical abilities or anything like that.

“Jake!”

“Let him go!”

The other heroes rushed at me with swords and spears in their hands. The attacks they unleashed, however, were easily blown away by the magical barrier I had deployed.

“Hurricane.”

The wind magic that was activated by the counter blew all the heroes away together. Even the best heroes are powerless in front of me, the Demon King.

“Hey, Demon Lord……!”

“Evil incarnate, we will destroy you…….!”

The heroes stand up weakly. The dialogue is fine, but the true feelings of these people are probably somewhere else.

“So you’re thinking of getting the title of Demon Lord Slayer and achieving glory and splendor?”

I can tell by the atmosphere. I’ve seen a lot of people like them when I was a human.

“What……?”

The faces of the heroes stiffened. I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

“You greedy fools. What kind of heroes are you?”

I wonder what kind of expression I had on my face under the mask. Was it anger or sadness? I don’t know myself.

“Get out of here.”

I held out my hand toward the ground, and the magical energy that surged out of it split the ground.

“Oh, my God…”

“I can’t see the bottom of the hole…….”

The heroes flinched. The crack was much deeper than Jake’s attack earlier.

“Or I’ll wipe every last one of you out.”

“Damn it…..!”

“Remember!”

“The Four Heavenly Saints, the most powerful, are still waiting for us!　They will definitely come to kill you…….!”

The Four Heavenly Saints, four of the strongest heroes in the world who control cutthroat Miracle Armaments.

I’ve heard the rumors, too. In my long life as a hero, I’ve only met one of them in person. When I was a human, I was one of the highest ranked heroes, but they had completely different levels of fighting ability. For some reason, I wasn’t chosen as one of the “100 heroes” this time, but…

“No matter who comes, they are nothing before my power.”

I say it arrogantly.

“I will not tolerate anyone who invades the demon world and harms its residents, no matter if they are heroes…or gods.”

“Mad King……!”

“You godless traitor!”

I looked through my mask at the heroes who were yelling at me and activated “Energy Hand” again. I snatched them all up and threw them through the hole in the barrier.

“You are banished to the human world. Don’t come back.”

“Well done, my Lord.”

Stella snuggled up to me.

“Moreover, the Demon Lord’s character has been refined. It’s hard to believe that he’s a former human.”

“That’s a compliment…….right?”

“Of course.”

Stella smiles and nods.

“All that’s left now is to repair the barrier.”