Reincarnation as a Great Demon Lord - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Great Demon Lord's Confrontation

The attack by the Hero of the Holy Sword—the one who defeated the previous Demon Lord—instantly turned our victory celebration into the Great Demon Lord Army's greatest crisis.

Most of the subordinates gathered here were frozen, staring wide-eyed at the projection, completely speechless. I couldn’t blame them. Even I, though I kept my expression neutral, felt like my mind was about to be blown apart.

According to the source material, the protagonist of My Solasia 2, the Hero of the Holy Sword, is one of the strongest beings in that world. After all, he is the only series protagonist capable of defeating a Demon Lord solo. Depending on how the game was played, his stats were arguably the highest among all the heroes. His combination of characteristics and magic was flawless, a perfect and highly refined package.

I had always considered the Hero of the Holy Sword the most troublesome opponent if I ever faced him. I hadn’t expected him—or her, in this world—to attack now, a century after the final battle of My Solasia 2… but this is the moment to assert my prestige as the Final Boss.

“—Everyone, listen to me.”

I called out in my Great Demon Lord voice. All eyes turned toward me. Good. Their attention is secured. Now I just have to inspire them properly and give clear orders.

“First, let us acknowledge the courage of the enemy. That Hero dared to ride into my castle alone. Into this very castle, where countless traps and my proud subordinates lie in wait.”

“Y-Yes! Absolutely, Your Majesty! We are here!”

Eaglet was the first to regain her composure and fighting spirit. At the moment, she is the only one who can serve as a main combat force besides me. Without her, this battle cannot proceed.

“Selen. Escort the non-combatants deep into the castle. We shall confront the enemy here, in the throne room.”

“Y-Yes, Great Demon Lord. B-But… that fiend—”

“Trust in me.”

Selen nodded, leading the Rock Orc Elders into the inner, more secure parts of the castle. The intruder’s target is the throne room where I await. If they come straight for me, meeting them there is the most strategic choice. I cannot risk the non-combatants being caught in the crossfire. Nor can I take them hostage under these circumstances.

If the Hero of the Holy Sword possesses the same abilities as in the source material, a frontal battle would be extremely difficult. But this Great Demon Lord’s Castle is my home ground. By leveraging its defenses and functions to their fullest, victory is possible.

In truth, that’s the only path to victory. But that’s exactly what makes this exciting. Turning the tables in a desperate situation—that’s the essence of a Final Boss.

“Arcelia, is the mechanism ready?”

“Yes. But its effective range is limited to the throne area. And it will take time to activate.”

“That’s sufficient.”

…So, I can’t trap her immediately upon arrival. Excellent. A small handicap like this only makes the fight more exhilarating. And if my prediction is correct—and it always is—once the trap activates, victory is assured.

“Do we have intelligence on the Hero?” I asked. I wanted certainty. My knowledge of the source material isn’t perfect, after all. Arcelia had taken her current form as a result of a battle with the Hero. That means she might know things I don’t.

“His swordsmanship is blindingly fast, and he has formidable resistance. The Holy Sword negates the protections, blessings, and regeneration of the Demon race. Simple—but utterly unmanageable.”

“…Anything else?”

“He’s just strong. A hundred years ago, even the Demon Lord ranked among the top three most powerful in history couldn’t defeat him. Honestly… he was a monster.”

…I see. True to the source material, simple is best. A perfectly protagonist-like strength. Difficult to counter. Unique abilities can be turned against their wielder, but raw power like this… there’s no trick around it.

However, such strength has its own predictable flaws. A foe fighting with this mindset will come head-on, intent on crushing my plans.

“I’d recommend retreat, but judging by that face, you have no intention of running.”

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Yes. A face brimming with battle-lust, the very expression of a Demon. Honestly, you’re an idiot.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Apparently, my excitement had leaked onto my face. Ideally, a Final Boss should always remain composed, never letting even trusted subordinates see the inner mind. But this… this is the Hero who defeated the previous Demon Lord—the Prequel Protagonist. How could I not be fired up?

“…If it comes to that, I’m running. I won’t endure another fifty years of resurrecting from ash.”

“I don’t mind. If the throne room falls, take Selen and flee. The Dragonfolk village will shelter you.”

“…If I feel like it.”

Though she said it in jest, I know Arcelia would ensure the safety of the non-combatants, including Selen, if she fled. Our association is brief, but I know her that well. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked moving the Great Demon Lord’s Castle in the previous operation.

With no loose ends, all that remains is to fight.

“—Eaglet. I command you: halt the Hero’s advance.”

“Hah! Knight Eaglet accepts!”

Despite the life-or-death nature of her mission, Eaglet wasn’t afraid. She was eager, thrilled to engage. Reliable, but reckless. A life-or-death mission cannot have her dying without my consent—that would ruin all my plans.

“Furthermore, Eaglet. Your life belongs to me. You are not to die on your own.”

“Y-Yes! I shall engrave Your Majesty’s words into my heart! I will not fail!”

Nodding, Eaglet sprinted toward the castle’s lowest level where the Hero had arrived. I don’t know if she grasped the full meaning of my words, but her morale is high. She can buy time, even against the Hero who defeated the previous Demon Lord.

“Mana Reactor Output—Maximum. Concentrate all castle functions on the Throne.”

I sat on the throne, channeling the castle’s power into this chamber. As Arcelia had said, activating the trap requires immense mana. I have infinite mana, and the Crimson Radiant Heart powering the castle is a supreme artifact—but charging still takes time. Like an infinite water source with narrow pipes—you can’t push a flood at once. Some conduits are still recovering from the last battle, slowing activation despite temporarily shutting down other castle systems.

About three minutes. The same time it takes to make instant ramen. Against such a foe, buying three minutes is nearly impossible.

The throne room shook from the lower floors—combat backlash. Eaglet had engaged the Hero in the unused food plant. Typical Eaglet, trying not to destroy the castle unnecessarily.

I activated the monitoring system, projecting the battle as a holographic image.

A storm appeared on the screen. Something darted around at incredible speed, clad in lightning and generating gusts that shredded everything in their path.

And at the eye of the storm stood Eaglet.

“—Hn!”

Her greatshield held firm, taking the brunt of the chaos. Sparks flew, but she did not budge.

Eaglet’s courage is impressive—but the true shock is the Hero herself. Indeed, she is incomparably stronger than the one Eaglet fought before.

She’s unleashing this destruction without magic or special traits, relying only on her body and swordsmanship. If unchecked, she could dismantle this entire castle with a single sword.

One minute thirty seconds left for trap activation. I want to finish sooner for Eaglet, but it’s the maximum speed.

“GU-OOOOOHHH!”

Eaglet shifts to offense. A momentary gap in the Hero’s movements—and she lunges with her shield.

Perfect timing—but the Hero intercepts head-on. The clash’s shockwave shakes the entire castle. A chill runs down my spine imagining getting caught between them.

Shield against sword. Who wins—

“Kuah!?”

—the sword. The glowing Holy Sword bites into Eaglet’s Deep Azure Steel armor, capable of withstanding dragon fire. She can no longer block. She doesn’t flinch, but the initiative is hers. Her greatshield is flung aside.

“You—OOOOO!”

“Divine Lightning.”

Eaglet tries to grapple, but before she can, lightning erupts from the Hero’s hand. The spell she used in the original game, consuming massive mana but with incredible power. Only the Hero could use it, and it worked until the very end.

Eaglet collapses silently, near death—but alive. Castle systems confirm life signs.

One minute remains. I can handle the rest myself. I must. I cannot lose Eaglet here.

I open a direct passage from the food plant to the throne room. Hopefully, the Hero understands my intention. If not, I will have to speak to her directly.

As planned, the Hero ignores the fallen Eaglet and advances. Good. Her only target is me. I immediately send a telepathic message to Selen to retrieve Eaglet. No one can heal with magic, but her vitality, plus medicine from the Fortress City, will suffice.

“...You’ve arrived.”

Despite the distance, the Hero reaches the throne room in under five seconds.

I remain seated, awaiting her. Not out of disrespect, nor for show—this is the optimal stance for the fight. To win, I must remain linked to the throne.

“—Demon King!”

She shouts, her voice high but hoarse with exhaustion. Her hood flips back. I see her face—my archenemy, the Hero.

A girl. Silver hair to her neck, hazel eyes, delicate yet weary. She is utterly drained, hollow-eyed, emaciated. Fatigue and despair radiate from her.

This… is the Hero of the Holy Sword?

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