The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 6 - Chapter 78

CHAPTER 78

The Ex–Demon Lord and the Enemy, Killed

Things mostly progressed as I had expected.

After the break, our allies set out for the hills and made camp two days later. We held down the key positions and drew the enemy’s attention to the fact that we were stocked and ready.

…The sun was shining down on me as I sat on a relatively gentle slope and cast a vista spell. The magic circle appeared instantly and transformed into a large mirror. A second later, it reflected the enemy’s forces on its surface.

“Hmm. About eight thousand soldiers, huh? More than enough to crush an exhausted army like ours.” I observed them further and noted the details. “They look human for the most part. This one’s the decoy, then.”

They looked highly trained and seemed ready to take the fortress before their main players got there.

“I expect they’ll be arriving here soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll eavesdrop on their generals to kill time.”

The vista spell picked up on a conversation between a man who appeared to be a commander and his subordinates.

“Your eye for strategy is impressive, Commander.”

“Ha-ha-ha, not at all. The enemy is a bunch of morons with some bad luck. That’s all.”

Though everyone around him looked like a rough band of brigands, their leader was tidy, without a single strand of hair out of place. I continued listening in.

“I can’t believe they’re doing exactly what we want. It’s like they’re not even trying.”

“Ha-ha. Because of your genius, right, Commander?”

“Yeah, yeah. But…I’m surprised they didn’t call on the Great Heroes.”

My parents and Ireena’s father weren’t participating in the battle. He seemed unsatisfied.

“Sigh. I thought we’d finally get some action around here. We could take the heads of the Great Heroes in no time flat.”

Oh? That’s unexpected.

I knew the enemy had assumed our parents would be fighting in this war, but I hadn’t expected them to think they could win against them. I’d been so sure that these guys were nothing more than decoys. That they were supposed to wear down the Great Heroes so all three would perish in the battle at the fortress. That they accepted their role as sacrificial pawns.

This leader, however, seemed intent on beating the Great Heroes who’d slain an Evil God.

“With the armor Our Excellency gave us, nothing can stand in our way.”

The proof was in was the equipment they were wearing.

…Powerful magic armor. It was apparently sealed with teleportation magic, as if they knew what we were plotting. Now I couldn’t pretend to insta-kill the enemy by warping them someplace else. Plus, their armor seemed to have magical defenses. Even swords, spears, or arrows had tricks that could boost the bearer’s power.

Since I was familiar with ancient equipment, it wasn’t all that impressive…but there was something odd about it. Though it paled in comparison to anything from the old days, it was better than anything from the modern era.

Who had produced it? Their commander had said “Our Excellency,” but Dread Ben Hurr couldn’t possibly be behind it. He just didn’t have the knack for it.

…If I had to take a shot in the dark, I’d say it was Verda. It would be an easy job for her.

Her creations, however, were more playful. Seeing that there were no needlessly ridiculous designs and stupid hidden functions told me that this wasn’t her doing either.

Which meant…Lars al Ghoul was most likely involved.

Lizer, the demons, and Asylas. There was a greater chance that these three were in cahoots with each other.

And…it was really looking like their battle plan was exactly what I expected.

“If the Great Heroes aren’t around…I guess we didn’t need an intricate scheme,” mused their leader.

“Well, it’s not so bad, right?” asked a soldier. “We’ll reach the fortress before the others.”

“So the glory will be ours,” said another.

“…Even though there’s not much glory to be had.”

“Ha-ha, as expected of our commander. Someone’s greedier than he looks.”

“A duke, some fortresses, and the chance to spearhead an invasion, and he’s still not happy.”

“I’m not greedy. But I did have to work hard this time, and I can’t say it’s all been worth it.” The commander sighed. “I’ve led the spies. We’ve gotten into the enemy’s head. We’re going to split off to attack them in smaller teams. The whole point of this plan was to take down the Great Heroes. If they’re not even going to show up… My heart’s just not in it.”

So he thought they’d already won. He seemed to be saying he couldn’t lose if he tried.

“But that’s not how it worked out. There’s nothing to gain from this battle,” he lamented. “I might have lost my chance to go up against the Great Heroes…but I guess I can see what the wonder boy of the Mages can do.”

It was time. Their army closed in on us.

Once I confirmed they were a stone’s throw away, I dispelled the vista magic and stood up, briskly making my way forward and facing the army.

The commander who led them called out to me. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Hey, you. Over there. This is about to become a war zone. Get out while you can.”

So Asylas showed mercy to civilians. Good on them.

“No need to be so kind to me. I am your enemy, after all.”

“…What? Who are you?” The commander cocked his head.

“Oooh. I know what’s going on. I bet he’s trying to negotiate a cease-fire,” guessed one of his juniors.

The leader looked like he understood.

“You’re wrong,” I said. “That’s not what I’m after. I mean, we’re going to win this battle. There’s no reason why we would negotiate an armistice with the losing side.”

“…Hmph. He’s a cocky one. Guess I should have expected that from the Spencers.” He appraised me. “Tell your master this: ‘Your undeserved confidence will only be your undoing.’”

I smirked. “Duly noted. But you’ll have to wait until the war’s over. After all…there’s no one to tell.”

“‘No one to tell’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You heard me. I’m the only one here.”

“…Huh?”

It wasn’t just the commander. All the subordinates defending him and the mass of foot soldiers didn’t seem to follow.

I explained one more time in the simplest way possible.

“I, Ard Meteor, will destroy you all on my own.”

I cracked a tiny smile and then cast a bit of magic just to test things out.

An instant later—soldiers went flying up into the air before me.

The ground had exploded. Any normal army would have been finished with just that clean hit, but…

“It’s strong, your armor,” I remarked.

The soldiers had soared through the air and come crashing down to earth, but they suffered little more than a few scratches and bruises. Well, their mental state was a little worse for wear.

“Wh-what?! What did you do?!” demanded the commander, especially flustered.

I continued to smile. “It’s my way of welcoming you. Seems you liked it. Come at me however you please,” I stated, opening my arms in invitation.

The commander howled. “What can a single man do?! All hands, attack!”

On his order, the forces scrambled to spread out into one horizontal line. Some brandished swords, some spears, and others bows and arrows.

“All hands, fire!”

Their weapons unleashed their hidden powers: Each possessed a deadly spell, fueled by the wearer’s magic. The swords and spears fired waves of light while the bows discharged magic arrows. Their glittering magics were coming in to pelt me, but I just squinted, showing no fear.

For most people, this would be the end. But…to me, it looked like fireworks.

A direct hit. The mass of energy slammed into me and bore a hole in the ground, forming a huge crater. Dust billowed in the surrounding area, and the commander called out with a sneer.

“‘Ard Meteor.’ I remember that was the name of the son of the Great Mages. Seems someone is getting a bit ahead of himself. Now, I can add you to my body count—”

“Hmm? I should be the one saying that to you, Commander.”

The leader gulped when he heard me from the smoke. “…Impossible. What’s going on?”

The smoke finally cleared. Upon seeing me in perfect health, he began to sweat.

“How could you come out of that alive…?! There has to be some trick…!”

I smiled. “Wise men will always come up with their own explanation for things when up against something that seems incomprehensible. But often, they stray further from the truth. …It seems your subordinates and army are foolish enough to accept reality.”

They were all looking at me with the same emotion: fear. Thousands of soldiers were looking at a single boy with terror. Despite having soup for brains, they could instinctively feel that there was a difference between us.

“C-Commander! We have to go!”

“W-we can’t win against him! We don’t stand a chance of beating him!”

He berated his subordinates. “Don’t be stupid! He’s one boy! What can he do on his own?! He can’t even come up with a battle plan or strategize by himself!”

He sounded like a seasoned fighter. I think he believed that war was a team sport, led by the smartest people in the operation and executed by the army. He wasn’t wrong.

But…he was operating under modern-world standards. And I was going to give him a taste of some old-fashioned common sense.

“I’ll show you how the power of an individual can both transcend and destroy all reason. After that, I kindly ask you return home.”

“…This is rough. And I’m used to scaling mountains,” Ireena grumbled.

“These ups and downs are crazy,” added Sylphy. “And we gotta be careful of the underbrush or we’ll fall—eek!”

In the mountains, Ginny was with her friends and a host of soldiers, making their way through the harsh terrain. She thought on the situation as her eyes glossed over the foliage.

It’s a relief to have Miss Ireena and Miss Sylphy fighting by my side…but why…would you deploy us with Master Elrado’s troops, Ard…?!

Ginny wasn’t just with her friends. She was with her worst enemy.

Elrado. Her former bully, the reason for her inferiority complex. He’d changed since Ard had punished him…but he was her traumatic past personified. It was impossible to even speak with him around. There was nothing she wanted more than to interact with her friends, but his presence was making her feel vulnerable. She couldn’t hold a conversation to save her life.

Why would he do this…? Ard knows how I feel about Master Elrado… This is worse than getting bullied…!

It was Ard who had assigned Ginny to the unit Elrado was leading, though it was bound to happen, even without his intervention. After all, her family had served as his human shields for generations. In times of crisis, she had to protect him. Ginny had resigned herself to this.

But this pill was hard for her to swallow, since her crush was the one to order this situation. She had no idea what he could possibly be thinking.

Ginny hung her head and climbed up a steep incline. Next to her, Ireena and Sylphy continued their conversation.

“Marching through the mountains reminds me of the old days,” Sylphy reminisced. “I remember a time when I was lying in wait to ambush the enemy. When I made camp and went to bed for the night, a bug flew in my mouth, and…”

“Eeek…! I don’t even wanna think about it.”

The two girls didn’t seem panicked, even though they were about to fight in a life-or-death situation. Elrado, drenched in his own sweat, murmured to himself.

“It’s his fault that they’ve lost all grip on reality.” He looked over at her…and quickly looked away. His expression was vaguely apologetic.

Ginny sighed. She was sure he didn’t want to be around someone like her either. Refraining from any contact beyond what their roles required was in both of their best interests.

Just then…an order came for Elrado.

“A message from Master Gerald: ‘Conceal yourselves here.’”

“…Good thinking. There’s a nice thicket here, so it’ll be easy enough. Tell him I understand.” He halted his troops and ordered them to camouflage themselves.

“Oh?” Sylphy said to Ireena. “You’re used to this, huh? You’re like a seasoned professional, caking yourself in mud and foliage.”

“Heh-heh. I’ve been playing tag and hide-and-seek in the mountains with Ard since I was little. It was a part of our training. You could say I picked up a thing or two.”

Ireena had blended into nature. You couldn’t see her at all. Even if you knew she was there, if you took your eyes off her, you’d lose all track of her.

…I can’t let her beat me. Ginny, too, had been training in the military arts since she was a child. Hiding was one of her specialties.

“Nice. You’re all looking good. Now we just gotta wait for the enemy to get here,” Elrado stated.

“It’ll be rough from here on out. If things don’t go good, we’ll be here for a few days,” Sylphy said, as if reliving a past experience.

However…by some stroke of luck, the situation she dreaded never came to pass.

About two hours had passed when Gerald’s army began to hear stealthy movement nearby. Underbrush was being crushed underfoot; presences were inching forward cautiously. It grew closer…and then, every soldier—Ginny included—sighted the enemy.

“Ah, shit! We gotta climb up another damn hill?!”

“There are so many of them. The only thing I feel like taking is a woman.”

“Ha! Good one.”

A group comprised of tough orcs. About two thousand of them, which was about a thousand less than what their own troops numbered. That said, the orc race was known for being tough. Despite their advantage, there was a good chance that Gerald’s forces would be overthrown. Ginny was terrified of that happening.

“…Don’t worry. I’ll keep you as nice and safe as Ard would while he’s away,” said Elrado, causing Ginny’s eyes to widen. “All hands! Attack!” he yelled.

The explosion was loud enough to carry across the entire mountain. Those skilled in weaponry raised their swords and spears and charged toward the enemy, while others chanted spells and prepared to attack. The ambush initially threw the orcs for a loop and scattered their formation, but…

“This isn’t anything to fear! We’ve got the god of war on our side!” shouted one orc, conspicuously large. He must have been their leader.

His men were ready to fight. It was kill or be killed. Blood sprayed across the dense foliage. The footing was poor, vision limited. One couldn’t move properly in such terrain… But Sylphy the Raging Champion raced through it, displaying her extraordinary athleticism.

“One! Two! Three! And that makes four!”

Like an agile leopard, she took down the enemy, counting them off.

“Whoa…! Just what is she…?!”

Elrado and the other soldiers weren’t up to speed on Sylphy’s identity, in awe of her prowess. Her fierce yet fluid fighting style left them panicked and wide-eyed.

“You go, Sylphy! But don’t think I’m gonna lose to you!”

Even though Ireena wasn’t on the same level as Sylphy, her childhood training with Ard had gifted her with limber movements. On the battlefield—where one wrong move could cost you your life—she shifted her body weight with expertise and wove past the enemy’s onslaught. Then, she cast a spell with no incantation to knock down her opponents.

As Ireena accomplished all this, she flashed Ginny a bold smile.

“You keep on twiddling your thumbs! Sylphy and I got this!”

Ginny stiffened. After a comment like that from her rival, there was no way she could stand by and do nothing.

“You think you’re so good, just because you’re used to fighting in the mountains!” Ginny was battle ready. She didn’t seem to fear for her own life, especially not after her friend basically called her out on not doing her part. She set out to show the orcs who was boss.

If her fearlessness could be attributed to her friend…so could her running into danger.

I’m going to work harder than Ireena, thought Ginny. Her impatience made her lose all perspective.

“Raaah!” cried a voice, furious, from the side. What sort of future might that bring her?

Something whizzed by, striking Ginny with fear.

—I’m going to die, she thought.

“As if I’d let you be attacked!”

A body blow. Just as she became positive that someone had pushed her out of the way…Ginny’s lips trembled as she stared at the scene before her.

“M-Master Elrado…?!”

Elrado had been the one to push her out of the way and take the blow. He was protected by armor from the neck down…but he’d removed his helmet to improve his vision while in the mountains. This, unfortunately, meant the enemy’s battle-ax had cut into Elrado’s neck. Blood gushed from the wound.

But he didn’t falter and returned a blow of his own.

“Ugh-aaah!” He cast Mega Flare at point-blank range, blasting the orcs away and leaving them beyond all recovery. Elrado pressed his hand against his neck and fell to one knee. “Tch…! Is this it for me…?!”

He had used a physical strengthening spell to fortify himself, so he wouldn’t die just yet. But he seemed to realize it was only a matter of time until he met his fate.

“Wh-why would you do that? Wait, you need first aid, stat. B-but what should I…?”

Ginny was in full-on panic mode. It was all too much to process.

She had escaped death. That alone was enough to handle, even without factoring in the complicated relationship she had with her savior. She didn’t know what to make of it all.

Did Elrado feel the same way?

His ashen face made him look like he was on the verge of death. “Don’t sweat it,” he assured. “I only did what I wanted to do.”

His calm expression told her that he didn’t regret his actions in the least. Then, accepting his fate, he closed his eyes—and in that very moment…a magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

As if to mock fate, an emerald shimmer encased Elrado’s body…and the cut on his neck was healed.

“Th-this is…”

Elrado and Ginny’s eyes grew wide as saucers. And it wasn’t just them. The surrounding soldiers were crying out in surprise.

“M-my leg—?!”

“Are my wounds healed?!”

Magic circles pulsed into sight under the feet of the injured to cure their wounds. Neither friend nor foe could begin to understand what was going on…

“Ard is the best,” Ireena said. “Even when we’re apart, he’s always protecting us.”

Ireena and Sylphy understood whose doing this was. Ginny and Elrado—

“What a crazy guy,” Elrado chuckled wryly as he scratched his head.

Ginny continued to look around her, puzzled.

After all—Laville had won the border war. In years to come, it would be known as the “First Battle of the Guardian.”

Ard Meteor was known as the son of the Great Mages. And this was how he was going to go down in history.

The ambush in the mountains had come to an end and Gerald’s forces were heading back to the fortress. With the help of Ard Meteor, there hadn’t been a single enemy casualty. Gerald grimaced at this turn of events.

Far away from him…Ginny continued to walk with her head hung low. Elrado was right next to her.

…Suddenly, she spoke up. “Why did you save me?”

“Huh?” He hadn’t expected her to say anything at all, and his eyes widened. “…It was my way of making it up to you,” he replied after some hesitation, wincing.

He felt like he wanted to run away from her, but he stopped himself from throwing himself a pity party. He looked at Ginny and slowly began to confess.

“I feared my dad, and my family placed a ton of pressure on me as his heir. …So I used you to take out my stress.” Elrado ruffled his hair. “I know what I did was wrong…and it’s unforgivable to traumatize someone. I can never completely make up for it. But I want to apologize.”

Elrado stopped on his tracks, and Ginny did the same. He bowed his head low to her.

“My weaknesses ruined your life. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart.”

Ginny could have never dreamed this would happen. Elrado—her fearsome tormentor—was now bowing to her in apology. …It wasn’t something she could accept on the spot, but she understood his intentions…and Ard’s.

He must have been hoping that they would reconcile. That was why he’d put them in the same unit. And oddly enough, she didn’t resent him for it.

Ever since she’d met Ard, Elrado had weighed on her less. Maybe she should just let go of her past.

If this is what you want, Ard…

Right now, she was only doing it to satisfy her crush’s wishes. Maybe one day, she would face Elrado of her own volition.

Ginny held tight to that feeling.

“Hmph. I guess I’ll give that a passing grade for now.”

I was looking at a large mirror summoned via vista magic, its surface reflecting the interaction between Elrado and Ginny. All alone, I nodded.

“It looks like there’s still some work to be done, but it’s a step forward. We can leave it at that,” I murmured as I looked around me. “Well, I better get back to the fortress too.”

The course of this battle had been decided before Ginny’s group even got started, and with my magic, the hilly region was now a flat plain. In ancient times, leveling the land was just a part of war…but for the modern human, it was completely unheard of.

I hadn’t done it just for kicks. It was the only way I could destroy the enemy’s armor and wipe out its magical effect without killing them. By removing their armor, I’d taken away their defense against warp magic. And after giving them a taste of ancient warfare…I sent them to another country altogether. The naked army was probably being arrested by a patrol guard as we speak.

“I wish I could say that’s the end of it, but…”

I hadn’t gotten any answers. This had to be their opening act. The real show was just about to begin. The enemy was only getting started.

“…They better give it all they’ve got. I’m stronger than ever.”

For all these years after my reincarnation, I’d been living with a belief from my old life: that those who are strongest are the loneliest, and that using your power only exacerbates the fact. That’s why I never put it on display. Even in an emergency, I instinctively held back.

But not anymore. If necessary, I would reveal myself as the Demon Lord.

For Ireena, Ginny, Sylphy, Olivia. For my parents. For everyone at the Academy. For Elrado. I would do anything to protect my happy days with them.

With this decision in mind, I looked up at the sky. The weather was lovely. I prayed it was an omen of bright days ahead…

…And I let out a happy sigh—