Chapter
6: The Great Demon Lord Meets the Female Knight
The destination, Blue Flame
Mountain (Souen-zan), presented a completely different picture than
the one I had heard described. A massive dragon was coiled in the crater,
glaring at the area, and no one foolish enough to approach would dare to go
near.
But a Final Boss is free to
act. Even if danger lurks ahead, if it stands between me and my desire, I will
step across the line.
And so, I hid my Great Demon Lord
Castle within the clouds, slowed my flight, and cautiously approached Blue
Flame Mountain.
When I was sufficiently close to the
volcano, I set the castle down behind a separate mountain, a blind spot for the
dragon. The only one remaining in the castle was Arcelia. I had
instructed her beforehand to flee immediately if she sensed danger.
Thus, for the first time since my
reincarnation, I stepped out of the Throne Room and onto the earth.
I was standing on the land I once
ran across as a player, the world that would soon be mine. Thinking that, the
feeling was indescribable.
However, the surrounding landscape
was just as desolate as it appeared from above. There were no people, and not
even small animals like mice or insects could be seen.
“You’re not complete yet. The only
spells you can use are the two basics I taught you. Even with infinite magic,
you’re not invincible. Don’t forget that.”
Arcelia, who surprisingly came out
to see me off, gave me that warning.
“Mm. I am aware. You, too, must not
be negligent.”
I nodded to the entirely correct
Arcelia and, by way of demonstration, conjured a sphere of light above my right
hand. The pale-blue glow carried a definite warmth.
This was one of the basic spells—‘Magic
Light.’ It is the foundation of all magic, as the materialized mana with
tangible heat can be repurposed for both offense and defense. This was also the
first spell a mage learned in the original game.
During the journey of the last few
hours, I had been receiving basic magical instruction from Arcelia.
Just as in the game, magic in this
world is a highly specialized skill that cannot be mastered overnight, no
matter how gifted one might be.
To cast magic, one must first affix
a special code called a 'Magic Formula' to their psyche. This requires
studying under a legitimate master, discerning one's own magical affinity, and
undertaking long years of training.
In the original game, you could
acquire them simply by leveling up and training in town, but I assume even that
was a heavily simplified version of reality.
Originally, I should have been able
to synchronize my consciousness with the castle’s database upon awakening and
instantly learn a vast array of spells. However, that database was damaged
during the war with the Hero a century ago.
Therefore, Arcelia, who actually
hates magic, reluctantly took it upon herself to give me a lecture.
...This might explain one of the
reasons why the original 'Demon King' was such a muscle-head. He didn't even
use the lowest level of auxiliary magic.
In any case, the two spells I
currently possess are 'Magic Light' and 'Protective Barrier.'
Given the short time we had, I could
only manage these two. However, even a talented person supposedly takes over
three months to master a single spell.
Arcelia declared my magical aptitude
to be transcendent. Well, naturally. I am the Great Demon Lord, the
ultimate Final Boss. In my past life, I could pick up most skills after a
little practice. Though that tendency might also be what led to my overwork and
untimely death.
That said, there is another reason I
could learn the spells so quickly.
Arcelia mentioned that the key to
mastering magic is to have a clear image of yourself successfully using it.
And I am the Final Boss. When it
comes to imagining and envisioning, I am peerless. After all, a vast conspiracy
is my specialty. Exceptional imagination is indispensable for running an
organization, manipulating people, and dominating the world.
Moreover, I have a certain level of
knowledge about this world’s magic. While there are huge differences between
the on-screen version and the reality, having the completed form in my head
makes a significant difference.
“Also, take this. I packed it with
useful tools—use it in an emergency. You can contact me with it too.”
Arcelia tossed me a toolbag. If the
contents are exactly as I previously heard, it will be immensely useful for
this expedition.
Truly, the mad scientist is
versatile, even exceeding the original character!
“Now then, Selen. You will
accompany me.”
“Y-yes, Great Demon Lord-sama!”
Entrusting the lead to the
maid-uniformed Selen, we set off along the mountain path. To an outsider, we
must look like a bizarre pair, but being peculiar only emphasizes our unique
status.
“Selen. The village was at the
western foot of Blue Flame Mountain, correct?”
“Yes. Though I’ve never been there
myself, my mother often told me about it many times…”
Even as she spoke, Selen constantly
surveyed the surroundings, subtly choosing the path so that I wouldn’t stumble.
So dutiful. I never had the
opportunity to hire a maid in my past life, but Selen is a maid among maids. As
the Great Demon Army expands, people like her will become even more crucial.
“I see. Your mother was
well-informed.”
“Yes! My mother served the previous
Demon Lord directly, so she accompanied him on expeditions! She traveled
throughout the Demon Realm, visiting many places—Ah, please forgive me! Telling
the Great Demon Lord-sama such a boring story…!”
“Nonsense. It is not a boring story.
For a King like me, learning the customs of the Demon Realm is valuable. Your
voice is pleasant to my ears. Continue your story.”
“Y-yes! Great Demon Lord-sama…!”
Selen stopped, overcome with
emotion. I appreciate the sentiment, but please continue guiding me, too.
However, it’s surprising that
Selen’s mother served the previous Demon King. I played Mythologia 2,
where that Second Generation Demon King appeared, but no such woman was
featured.
...As expected, this world is not a
perfect mirror of the source material. Was she simply not depicted, or is this
an entirely different world? The answer is unknown, but I must treat my
original knowledge as mere reference. Becoming a know-it-all who relies solely
on old information would be the opposite of a muscle-head, but equally ruinous.
“My mother would tell me stories of
this realm every night. She taught me how vast and beautiful it is, from the
Great Forest of the East to the Ice Wall of the West.”
“Your mother loved the Demon Realm.
That is commendable. We, too, should aspire to the same.”
“Yes! My mother was a magnificent
person! Though the former Demon King had a rough temperament and could be,
well, crude, he opened his heart only to my mother.”
“I see. Your mother's wisdom must
have earned that trust. A ruler has few people they can truly confide in.”
“That’s right! It’s presumptuous,
but some of the servants even called my mother the ‘Lady Consort’
because she was always by the Demon King’s side! But it wasn't out of jealousy;
it was out of respect...! My mother also worked hard to improve the treatment
of the servants!”
“Selen, you clearly respect your
mother. That is a good thing.”
“Yes! It is my dream to be just like
her!”
Selen spoke of her mother with the
bright innocence of a girl her age. Soothed by her sincerity, we continued
along the path.
A mother, huh.
I don't have one in this life, being
a clone, but I did have one in my past life—sort of.
I say sort of because my
biological parents died young. I heard from the adults around me that they were
both doctors who did noble work helping people overseas. Then they died. Blown
up by a bomb, I was told, leaving behind a young child.
That's how I learned the facts: good
people are not rewarded, and they die prematurely without options. If I
want to live freely in this world, I must become a villain—a Final Boss, no
less.
...Lost in thought, I eventually
noticed the faint outline of a village ahead.
A few scattered houses were visible.
There were one or two moving silhouettes.
Though not lively, the village was
not destroyed. Good. This could work nicely for building goodwill.
“U-um… this may be presumptuous of
me, but… if possible, I’d like for Great Demon Lord-sama and I to have a
relationship like my mother and the previous Demon Lord…”
“...I see. But, Selen, there is
something I must make clear first.”
Yes. This was the time to explain my
army's policy on internal relationships.
Rule number one: No romance
within the army. That alone prevents about seventy percent of all
headaches. The rest is about money, but—
“—Halt! Strangers, stop right
there!”
A lion-like roar echoed. It was a
clear, ringing female voice. Turning my gaze, I saw the source standing on a
small hill.
She was a woman clad in red. A
beauty with long crimson hair reaching her waist and striking blue eyes. She
was tall, her skin faintly reddish, and her muscular physique was barely
concealed, clad only in a bikini armor.
Red scales covered her limbs, a barbed,
arrowhead-shaped tail emerged from her back, and the fangs visible at her mouth
and the vertical, reptilian pupils confirmed she was a Dragonfolk.
Exactly as described in the original lore.
Even from this distance, her
strength was palpable—her aura shimmered like a heat haze. She carried no
offensive weapon but was shouldering a massive tower shield that was nearly her
height.
...A half-naked female knight, huh?
Definitely the righteous type.
You don't wear something that flashy
unless you're the “justice burns brighter than shame” kind of hero. She's
likely an Amazonian type straight out of an old comic book or RPG.
“Strangers! Do not approach the
village any further!”
The female knight leaped from the
cliff face, landing directly in front of us. The pose she struck, kneeling with
a dramatic flourish, was pure Justice Hero. The so-called superhero landing.
Oh, this is exciting!
A Final Boss needs a worthy
protagonist to stand against him. Since I lead an evil organization, the ideal
opponent is a virtuous and incorruptible Hero of Justice.
The woman radiated that very energy.
She was standing in our way to protect the village, despite her exhaustion.
My 'Final Boss Insight,'
honed without needing any traits or magic, told me everything at a glance:
While her face was filled with
fighting spirit, her legs were subtly trembling—not from fear, but fatigue. Her
breath was ragged, and she was blinking frequently, her vision likely blurred
from hunger.
The cause was extreme fatigue and
starvation. This fit perfectly with the current state of the village and
the desolate environment.
“Great Demon Lord-sama…”
“Do not fear, Selen.”
I shielded the defenseless Selen and
stepped forward. Retreating now violates the way of the Final Boss.
“Leave! Do not come any closer!”
“Calm yourself, Knight. We are not
your ene—”
“Stay back! Don’t come near! It’s
coming!”
Her warning wasn't for us. The
innate senses of this body told me something enormous was rapidly
approaching from underground.
“Selen!”
I seized her and instantly leaped
away from the spot. Instantly, a massive mouth erupted from beneath the ground.
It swallowed the surrounding rock and soil, crushing it in an instant.
What emerged was a giant earthworm.
Its high-rise-building-sized body was covered in cooled, solidified lava.
Though it had no visible sensory organs, it perceived us. It recognized us as
prey.
“—A Gigant Worm!? I didn’t
know an individual this large existed...!” Selen shrieked.
The name fit the monster. The part
above ground was already thirty meters tall. A creature this large could
demolish a town just by thrashing around.
...The Gigant Worm was in the
original game, but it wasn't this massive. Was this due to the area’s abnormal
environment?
“Outsider! Run quickly! It attacks
any living creature it sees!”
“Great Demon Lord-sama, we must
obey! A Gigant Worm grown this large rivals a Dragon Lord! It’s too dangerous!”
“Hmm…”
The female knight and Selen urged me
to retreat in unison. Indeed, this giant worm was intimidating. The solidified
lava covering its body must grant it incredible toughness. Even a missile
wouldn't be enough to kill this monster.
But I am the Great Demon Lord.
“Step back, Selen. This will be over
soon.”
I pointed the index finger of my
right hand at the Gigant Worm as it postured to attack.
I recalled Arcelia’s words: “The
trick to controlling magic is to completely master every drop of blood in your
body.” I released magic as naturally and effortlessly as breathing.
A blinding flash erupted. The
ultra-high-density, compressed magic pierced the Gigant Worm like a beam of
light.
I then moved my fingertip downwards.
Following the trajectory of the flash, the Gigant Worm's massive body was
bisected and collapsed on the spot.
“R-remarkable! Great Demon
Lord-sama...!”
“Of course. This level of foe is
beneath me.” I replied coolly, maintaining my composure.
...Phew, that was close! I was so
relieved!
I was confident, but this was a
spur-of-the-moment attack, and honestly, there was a fifty-percent chance it
might have misfired. I had no guarantee it would work on the Gigant Worm.
Still, it worked. The new technique
I just created, which wasn't in the game, worked perfectly.
The principle is simple: it’s like a
water gun. To shoot water with more force and distance, you narrow the nozzle.
Similarly, I set the point of magic release to the tiny aperture of my
fingertip and concentrated a vast amount of magic there.
The result was that laser. The
principle is closer to a water cutter, but I’ll call it the ‘Great Demon
Lord’s Thermal Flash.’ It is a technique the muscle-head original Demon
King could never have done. A true crystallization of wit and ingenuity.
The Gigant Worm was killed by my
Thermal Flash. Since the cut surfaces were scorched by the heat, it won't
regenerate. I took the precaution because earthworms are supposed to grow back
even when cut in half.
“...What did you just do?”
The female knight was astonished,
staring at the bisected, smoldering Gigant Worm. Her reaction suggested this
creature had been a major threat in the area.
“...Who are you?”
The female knight slowly approached
us. Selen tensed up, but I held her back and faced the knight.
A good face. She was exhausted, but overflowing with determination and
resolve. Well, Justice Hero, what will you do?
Challenge me to a fight? Or perhaps
beg me to spare the village in exchange for your life? Either way is fine. I
have no intention of killing a Hero of Justice right now.
If anything, I should nurture her. I
will raise her as my greatest rival, and then, as the Final Boss, I will face
her.
She stopped before me. She braced
herself, regulated her breathing, and then—
“—Please forgive me, O
Savior-sama!”
She prostrated herself (dogeza). A magnificent, powerful bow.
...Savior? Wait. Why Savior?
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