Reincarnation as a Great Demon Lord - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Great Demon Lord Devises a Strategy

While relaxing in the hot springs, a female knight suddenly joined me—completely naked—and somehow, through a series of unbelievable events, I ended up earning her oath of loyalty.

When summarized like that, it sounds absolutely insane, even to me. But in the end, that's how I obtained a new Trait.

That trait is called 'Crimson Dragon Scales' (Kaku-yaku no Ryuurin).

This Trait grants the bearer resistance to both heat and physical attacks. In other words, I can now ignore flames and shrug off most direct strikes.

Heat and physical damage—those are the core of any dragon’s arsenal. In myths and stories alike, dragons breathe fire and crush foes with their claws, fangs, and tails. Sure, there are ones that breathe poison or frost too, but our enemy is a red giant dragon. If it doesn't breathe fire, that would be false advertising.

And I, conveniently enough, now have resistance to both of its primary attacks. This is not a windfall from a shelf, but a Trait from a hot spring—an “onsen bonus,” if you will.

Of course, a true Final Boss would have preferred to earn a knight’s loyalty through deliberate, calculated manipulation... but luck is also a form of power. The world itself seems to whisper: scheme, o Great Demon Lord, scheme!

Still, what I gained is only 'Resistance.' In the original game, there’s a higher-tier trait called 'Immunity'; Resistance merely greatly reduces incoming damage; it doesn't nullify it completely.

So I can't say I'm invincible. But having it is far better than not.

At the very least, this means I could face the Red Scale King—the red giant dragon—head-on and actually fight.

...That said, I still don’t have a clear grasp of either our strength or the enemy’s. But hope remains. While waiting for Arcelia to arrive over the past two days, I had time to study the surrounding terrain, and my confidence in victory grew.

The region around the Dragonfolk village—essentially the area surrounding Blue Flame Mountain—is rugged and full of natural caves and abandoned mine shafts.

These could serve as escape routes or shelters for the villagers. Moreover, the mountain contains veins of 'Deep Azure Iron (Maglite)'—a metal that, even in the Demon Realm, is renowned for its durability. This metal was in the original game; armor forged from it held strong resistance to fire-element attacks. So even if the dragon tried to burn the entire mountain to ash, hiding deep enough might allow us to survive.

Defensively, we’re in good shape.

The problem lies in offense—how to neutralize the giant dragon and cure its 'Ancestral Regression.'

As for fighting power, we’re sorely lacking. Right now, it’s just me and Eagret. The remaining warriors of the village are out on a long-distance food-gathering expedition and won’t be back anytime soon. No reinforcements.

At this point, even this Great Demon Lord has no ready solution. I was counting on my brain trust, Arcelia, to come up with something...

“Impossible. With our current forces, we can’t handle that thing.”

That was the first thing she said after descending from the sky, her fortress floating low behind her.

Only Selen and I were present, gathered in an empty house for privacy. Selen stood silently behind me, saying nothing unless spoken to—a model servant, keen on observing protocol.

“Even with the two of us, it’s hopeless?”

“Yes. I didn't just spend two days flying here, you know. I used the castle’s systems to analyze the dragon along the way. The result: it’s an unbelievable monster.”

Arcelia’s expression was grave. She raised her hand, and a glowing data screen appeared, displaying information about the giant dragon.

Ooh, a hologram! I love this stuff. Being the CEO of a dystopian megacorp sounds cool!

...Right, focus on the information.

“First, its mana. It's not infinite like yours, but it's still over a hundred times that of the original Red Scale King. That one dragon alone could reduce half the Demon Realm to scorched earth overnight.”

“...Hmm. What else?”

“Its scales are roughly 123.5 times stronger than a normal Dragonfolk’s. Observations show that the heat it emits melts surrounding rock. Without resistance, you’d die just approaching it. Even if you withstand the heat, you’d suffocate before getting close.”

“............I see.”

Thanks to Eagret’s loyalty, I now have strong heat resistance. My lungs and throat are heat-resistant—but that won’t help if there's no oxygen to breathe.

Hmm... I need to figure out the oxygen issue. I wonder if the heat would drop if it lost consciousness... Maybe I should test how long I can hold my breath while acting?

I pondered that while sipping the tea Selen had brewed for me. ...It tastes a little hot. I think—or hope—it's just me, but Selen seems a bit moodier ever since the Eagret incident.

“Even if we solve the breathing issue, dragons resist magic by nature. And with that size, most spells would just bounce off its scales. Infinite mana or not, it won’t help much. It's like trying to fight a moving volcano.”

“...Then, how about this? Instead of simply hitting it with magic power, what if we hit it with ultra-high pressure—Wait, you said breathing can be handled somehow?”

We both stared at each other, surprised by the other’s words. Clearly, we'd both been holding back useful ideas. This wouldn't do. Though it goes against my Final Boss policy, I decided to lay all my cards on the table. We needed to strategize anew.

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“............This might actually work. There might be a chance.”

After a strategy meeting that lasted three long hours, Arcelia finally spoke.

I agreed. The plan we’d devised—refined through deep analysis—had a real chance of neutralizing the giant dragon. Her analysis clarified the enemy’s capabilities, and we fully catalogued our own.

Behold—the Great Demon Lord’s Brainstorming Method! The true power of a Final Boss is the ability to find a solution even in the face of despair.

“Now, all that remains is figuring out how to cure the reversion once we’ve neutralized it.”

“...That part’s impossible. There’s never been a successful case of curing Ancestral Regression. Many have tried—all have failed.”

“Perhaps. But you haven’t tried yet, have you?”

“............You really know how to provoke me.”

Arcelia looked less than displeased, her pride clearly flattered. As a researcher, she thrives on breaking through the impossible. It’s easy to motivate her by stimulating that drive.

“—My Lord, please wait!”

The voice came suddenly, clear and commanding—Eagret. Good voice projection, that one. I can already imagine her shouting commands to my future army.

“Enter, My Knight.”

“Y-Yes! Pardon my intrusion!”

Her voice trembled slightly as she entered, but her flushed cheeks told the truth—she was thrilled that I'd called her 'My Knight.' Meanwhile, Selen’s aura of quiet discontent thickened behind me. Jealousy, perhaps? Adorable. I’ll make it up to her later.

“Knight Eagret, before Your Majesty.”

She knelt with flawless grace, presenting the perfect image of a knight.

“My Knight. What brings you here? Do you seek something?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I humbly request permission to join the battle against my father, the Red Scale King.”

“...I see.”

An understandable request. I had deliberately avoided involving her, knowing the emotional burden. Still, she didn't come this far just for that. I suspected she had another request.

“And... if I may be so bold, I also beg permission to take my father’s life with my own hands.”

Her voice carried unshakable resolve. Even if the opponent was her own blood, she would not allow him to bring any more calamity upon her people or her King. She would stop him herself if that’s what it took.

A truly noble resolve, worthy of the highest praise. But this time, her wish was misplaced.

“Eagret, do you remember what I told you?”

“Yes, my Lord. You desired my loyalty—”

“Wrong. I said I would save your father. And the definition of 'saving' in my vocabulary does not include 'taking a life.'”

“B-But—!”

I raised a hand, silencing her. I understood her reasoning, but this was one matter where I would not yield. It was a matter of Final Boss pride.

“A King's word is final. Once I have declared I will save him, I shall save him—by any means necessary. To waver on this would be an act of disloyalty to me. Are you a disloyal knight?”

“N-No, never... but my father is already—”

“Trust in me. Besides, one of the former Four Heavenly Generals of the Demon King's Army—a peer of your father, the Red Scale King—is here as well.”

“What!?”

She looked between Selen and Arcelia in shock, unsure which one I meant.

“...That would be me,” Arcelia sighed. “Black Blood Princess (Kokketsuki). It's been a while, daughter of the Red Scale King.”

“............Lady Arcelia?”

Eagret tilted her head, disbelief plain. Arcelia nodded grudgingly, clearly irritated to be recognized in her altered form. Someday, I'll restore her to her former glory.

For now, the name “former Heavenly General” seemed to rekindle hope in Eagret’s eyes. Time to seal it.

“Here we stand: the Great Demon Lord, his loyal attendant, a former Heavenly General, and you, My Knight. With such strength gathered, do you still say it is impossible?”

“That is... No, my Lord. Forgive me for my doubt. I am ashamed of my own inadequacy for suggesting anything so unnecessary...”

She bowed deeply, her whole body trembling—not with fear, but determination. She is now completely motivated.

With this, the strategy is complete, and morale is high.

Now all that remains is for Arcelia to find a way to cure the reversion. The dragon has been sitting in the crater, so even if it takes months, time is on our side. A Final Boss is, above all, patient.

—But three days after that strategy meeting—

The situation changed.

We saw the crimson giant spread its wings... and take flight.

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