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Chapter 17: The Great Demon Lord Attacks the City
In a surprise attack, the key to victory lies in striking precisely at the enemy’s weak point.
The target may change with time and circumstance — a command post, a food depot, a power facility, a harbor, an airfield — yet one truth remains constant through every age: to hit the heart is to seize victory itself.
And for this fortress city, the heart beats beneath the ground — the mine at its very center.
There, countless Rock Orcs are forced into grueling labor, digging day and night for magic stones. Those same stones are the very reason the Humanity Alliance built a city here in the first place. They are the lifeblood of this fortress — and thus, its fatal weakness.
In the original story, those stones were described as volatile when freshly unearthed — unstable enough to detonate if mishandled. Worse yet, a single spark of high-purity mana could trigger a catastrophic chain reaction.
And conveniently enough, my own Great Demon Lord’s Castle now houses a vast reserve of that very same high-purity mana, freshly siphoned from the ley lines.
In other words…
The bomb is already in place.
The fuse is laid.
And the match — rests in my hand.
Even better, my enemies have built their fortress right beside the powder keg.
Once the full implications struck me, I couldn’t help but laugh — the grand, spine-tingling laughter only a true final boss could deliver.
Arcelia, ever the researcher, approved immediately. The plan promised not only victory, but also the chance to seize the mine itself — intact — for future experiments. Eaglet voiced some hesitation at first, but once I explained that the strategy would let us rescue the Rock Orcs without needless bloodshed or hostages, even she nodded in agreement.
And so the night came — a night painted silver by twin moons — and the time for the Demon Lord’s march arrived.
I stood atop the highest balcony of my castle, looking down upon the fortress city below.
Lanterns twinkled like fireflies.
At the city’s core, beside the yawning black mouth of the mine, loomed a towering stronghold — the heart of the human defense network.
Even from here, I could see it clearly: the rhythm of human life below. Countless men and women moving, laughing, breathing, unaware of the storm about to break upon them.
And I would be the one to shatter that fragile peace.
Even if I didn’t strike the killing blow myself, lives would be lost because of my command.
All sins of this war — every drop of blood spilled — would fall upon my shoulders alone.
That is the fate of a Demon Lord.
If the path to my dream demands sacrifice, then so be it. I had already resolved myself to that truth in my previous life.
The way of the Demon Lord is the way of dominion — and no dominion comes without blood.
『—Operation Start!』
Selen’s sharp, commanding voice rang through the castle.
Excellent tone. Confident, clear. I had chosen well in making her my secretary.
“Minions of mine,” I declared, raising a hand toward the glittering city below, “follow the light I cast!”
I gathered mana in my palm, condensing it into a sphere of light the size of a great crystal orb.
According to Arcelia, the city’s defenses relied on a vast protective barrier — grand in scale, but clumsy in structure. It was designed to detect and block armies, not precision strikes. A flood of concentrated mana, unleashed all at once, would paralyze it for a short while.
And since the high-purity mana that once drove the Red-Scaled King mad held no sway over me, I could channel it freely through my own body.
The sphere burst forth.
It descended like a comet—
—then met something unseen midair, shattered, and vanished in a flash.
『Barrier collapse confirmed! Great Demon Lord’s Castle, descending! Your Majesty, please return to the throne!』
“No,” I replied. “I will remain here. I wish to witness my knights’ valor with my own eyes.”
『…Understood. But please, take care, my lord…』
“Worry not, Selen. I will not die. After all, I still owe you that promise.”
Her voice softened at that, and moments later, Arcelia’s stealth field shimmered to life, cloaking the castle as it began its silent descent toward the city.
Thanks to the inertial dampeners, there was no tremor nor sway. At a height of merely one hundred meters — close enough for even the humans below to see their doom — I gestured for the veil to be lifted.
And so, the Great Demon Lord’s Castle revealed itself — an immense black citadel materializing against the starlit sky.
Panic erupted instantly.
Alarms blared from the watchtowers.
Soldiers scrambled like ants.
The people below poured into the streets, staring upward in frozen disbelief.
No one could blame them.
A flying beast was one thing — but a flying castle? No one could have imagined such a sight.
From even this distance, I could see their faces lit by torchlight, eyes wide as they gazed at the shadow blotting out their moons.
Good.
Every gaze, every heartbeat, was mine now.
The time was perfect.
It was time for the Knight to make her entrance.
『Knight Eaglet. Proceed.』
『Understood! Your Majesty—behold my glory!』
With that, Eaglet launched herself from the castle’s lowest gate.
Her crimson aura flared, streaking through the night like a meteor.
A shockwave rolled through the streets as she landed squarely in the plaza before the central fortress.
“—Hear me!” Her voice cracked through the air like thunder. “All who dwell within this city, hear my words!”
Her tone carried across the entire district — resonant, commanding, yet free of any harshness. Truly, she was born to lead armies.
“I am Eaglet Elytheia, daughter of Goulwin, the Red-Scaled King—Chief Knight to His Majesty, the Great Demon Lord!”
Gasps rippled through the humans.
The mention of the Red-Scaled King — and the Great Demon Lord — struck them like a lightning bolt.
The murmurs of panic grew into a quake that even I could feel from above.
Ahh, delightful.
The terror written on their faces, the despair in their voices — yes, this was the view befitting a Demon Lord.
To look down upon trembling mortals from the heavens themselves — it sent a chill of dark ecstasy through me.
“This castle that looms above your heads belongs to my lord!” Eaglet’s voice soared, fierce and radiant.
“Rejoice, O Demons! Your savior has come!
Tremble, O Humans! For the one you fear has descended!”
Oh? A perfect introduction.
Very well then — I shall play my part.
I released a portion of my mana, shaping it through the Mantle of Phantasm Selen had taught me.
The sky itself darkened as a colossal shadow unfurled — vast enough to blot out both moons. The shape writhed, monstrous and terrible, an illusionary projection of my power.
Screams rose from below.
Perfect.
Men fear what they cannot comprehend.
And what could be more incomprehensible than a floating fortress commanded by a Demon Lord?
The first strike of a siege is never against the walls nor the soldiers—
—it is against the human heart.
“With the might of my lord,” Eaglet thundered, “this city could be erased in an instant! Yet His Majesty is merciful!
Surrender peacefully! Free the enslaved Demonfolk, and no harm shall befall your people!
Kneel, and beg the Great Demon Lord for his mercy!”
She delivered the ultimatum just as planned — after letting fear sink its claws deep.
Terror makes people pliable. In panic, they do not question. They only cling to whatever hope they’re offered.
And so the humans trembled, their resolve slipping.
But of course — not all hearts would break so easily.
“—Wait!”
A single voice rang out.
From the crowd stepped a young man clad in gleaming white armor, sword and shield in hand.
The flow of mana around him left no doubt.
The Hero.
He cut a fine figure beneath the moonlight — righteous, unyielding, a perfect foil for a Demon Lord.
“I am the Hero of this city!” he declared. “We will not surrender! We will fight to the end!”
“Oh?” Eaglet’s crimson eyes glinted. “Then you would drag your own people into ruin? Is that your justice?”
“Tch—!”
Her words silenced him.
Beautifully done. Even as a knight, she could play the villain with grace.
In every story, the Hero stands for justice — and justice cannot abandon the innocent. That moral chain is easy to tug.
“You call yourself a Knight, don’t you!?” he shouted. “Then you must value honor! Duel me! If I win, you’ll withdraw!”
Ha. Exactly as expected.
When cornered, humans always reach for the same straws. Even knowing it’s a trap, they can’t help but grasp at hope.
“…Very well,” Eaglet replied, glancing up toward me for approval.
“My lord grants permission. Should you fall, this city will belong to us. Swear that you will yield peacefully.”
“…Fine. But if you lose—promise you won’t harm the people.”
“I swear it, upon my honor as a Knight.”
Perfect.
Exactly as planned.
A duel meant no needless casualties — and if our knight triumphed, the city would fall without resistance. A bloodless conquest.
Of course, if she lost… the plan would crumble.
But I had no doubt.
Eaglet would win.
“Come, Hero,” she declared, slamming her fist against her shield. “Face me whenever you’re ready!”
The metallic clang echoed through the square like a bell of fate.
The Hero raised his sword, lowering his stance.
For a heartbeat, the world fell silent — breath held, tension coiled.
Then—
“UOOOOHHHH!”
He charged, a white blur against the darkness.
The distance vanished in an instant—
—and their blades met with a thunderous crash that split the air.
The Hero’s strike was mighty — the force of a charging beast — but Eaglet blocked it effortlessly, her shield absorbing the blow. Her expression didn’t so much as flicker.
If anything, she looked… disappointed.
Yes. Yes! That’s the face!
Unimpressed, disdainful — the perfect villain’s sneer!
Eaglet spun, deflecting his blade with a clang, and followed through with a brutal roundhouse kick.
“—Guh!”
The Hero barely managed to raise his shield before the impact hurled him bodily across the plaza.
He slammed into the fortress wall with bone-shaking force, rubble collapsing over him.
For a moment, there was only dust and silence.
Then the Hero staggered to his feet — swaying, bloodied, refusing to yield — before collapsing to his knees.
Unconscious.
Eaglet had pulled her blow at the last instant — merciful, even now.
I smiled.
Victory was ours.
Raising her great shield high, Eaglet turned to the crowd and roared her triumph.
The humans screamed — in awe, in despair, in fear.
And thus, our first campaign — the Great Demon Lord Army’s debut — ended in flawless victory.
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