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"All of you, fall back a little… Hmm, as expected of a country where seasoned warriors gather. It's not perfect, but they've managed to organize their defenses this quickly."
After leisurely passing through the castle gate, Aldias's eyes fell upon dozens of fully armed soldiers. Despite their visible agitation, all of them held their weapons warily, aimed at him.
"What?! Is that the Demon Lord!? Why is the enemy's leader here!?"
"No, it's convenient! If we kill him, the morale of the demon race will plummet. Surround him! Don't let him escape!!"
At the command of what appeared to be their captain, the soldiers fanned out, encircling Aldias and his group who had passed through the castle gate. From atop the buildings, archers took aim at Aldias.
"Fools! To think the general himself would saunter in here. I'll kill you and expose your head before the demon race!! Do it!!"
Just as they were about to loose their arrows at Aldias at the signal—innumerable flashes of light rained down upon the soldiers' heads.
"W-what's happening!?"
"It's dragons! A swarm of dragons from above!?"
When the soldiers looked up, they saw Uranos, with Freed on his back, leading a swarm of dragons that elegantly soared through the Imperial sky as if it were their own.
"What a petty trick…!"
"In combat, taking the higher ground than the enemy is a given, isn't it? I commend you for gathering your forces so quickly, but your vision is narrow."
"Silence!! Archers, aim for the dragons above! Not a single one—"
"You're quite relaxed, looking away when I'm right in front of you."
''Freezing Prison''
A chilling cold swept outwards from Aldias's feet, engulfing the surroundings.
"Cold! What is this!?"
The captain, who was touched by the cold air covering the area, shivered from its intensity. But that was all.
"Do you think something like this can stop us!? Don't underestimate us!? Hey, hurry and shoot down those lizards!!"
Perhaps thinking he was being underestimated by mere magic that only scattered cold air, the man's face twisted in anger as he gave orders to his subordinates. However, no arrows were loosed, and silence fell upon the surroundings.
"Hey, did you hear me!? Hurry up and…!?"
The man, feeling puzzled, impatiently looked around… and was utterly speechless. Dozens of soldiers deployed around them had, every last one, turned into silent ice statues.
"Ah… ah, ah…"
"I told you, didn't I? Your vision is narrow."
Aldias slowly approached the man, who was speechless and kneeling. The man's body, looking up at Aldias, slowly began to freeze from his feet.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. But even if the general's head appears before you, carelessly surrounding him with everyone is a bad move. If you know the enemy is stronger than yourselves, you should prioritize buying as much time as possible. Even more so if your own forces aren't fully prepared… Well, you probably can't hear me anymore. Let's go."
"Ha!"
Passing by the man, who could no longer speak, Aldias continued his advance. His destination was the Imperial Castle, located in the center of the Hoelscher Empire, where Gahard resided.
"Not yet! The next one's coming!"
"Damn it!? There are too many monsters!? This is a war of attrition!"
"If you have time to complain, move your hands!!"
Before the North Gate of the Hoelscher Empire. Imperial soldiers were fighting valiantly against the horde of monsters that had appeared on the northern hill, but they were steadily growing exhausted from the unending stream of creatures. The defense line was on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
"Captain! Shouldn't we try to find the demon commanders who are leading these monsters after all!?"
"I know that! But if we break formation now, we'll immediately fall apart from there! Monsters will flood into the country!! Besides, there are so many of them! Those commanding them must also be a considerable number! Finding one or two won't solve anything!!"
"Captain!! We have requests for reinforcements from the eastern and western defense lines!!"
"Don't be ridiculous!! There's no way we have that kind of leeway!?"
At first, the Imperial soldiers couldn't hide their agitation at the sudden demon attack, but perhaps thanks to their daily training, their ability to quickly establish defensive positions and prevent invasion into the Empire was truly impressive. However, that didn't mean they could push back.
Fundamentally, the reason why humanity had been able to maintain a balance against the demon race until now was due to a significant difference in sheer numbers. However, with the demon race now employing monsters, that numerical advantage had been lost, making the current battle situation an anticipated outcome.
"H-hey, isn't something strange?"
"Haa, haa… What?! What is it!"
Amidst the chaos, a young soldier participating in the defense called out to a nearby comrade. The man, out of breath from continuous fighting, roughly retorted.
"Their movements are weird, like… they're sticking close but not too close… If they were serious about attacking, couldn't they send more?"
As mentioned earlier, the Empire had been completely caught off guard when the demon invasion began. They had barely managed to hold out until a defense line could be established, but even now, with their forces organized, they were just barely holding on. Why hadn't they been broken through?
"Maybe they have some kind of intention…?"
"How should I know!? Even if that were true, what do you want us to do!? Open the gates and invite them into the Empire!?"
"N-no, I didn't mean that…"
"Then stop slacking and fight!"
"…Ah, you're right. We absolutely cannot let them through!"
The young soldier, who had been looking anxious, changed his mindset after being reprimanded by the man. He didn't know what they were plotting, but preventing them from passing through here was absolutely essential. There were many civilians in the country who couldn't fight…
Cattleya observed the Imperial soldiers from above.
"Good, it's going according to plan. The Imperial soldiers are gathering nicely."
Cattleya, riding a dragon and looking down at the battlefield alone, nodded with satisfaction at the battle progressing according to plan. Yes… alone. Imperial soldiers, facing a horde of hundreds of monsters, had expected several demons to be lurking among them, but contrary to their expectations, Cattleya was the only one commanding the monsters.
It was discovered during the infiltration mission into human territory when Aldias lent his monsters that Cattleya had a talent for leadership. This ability became particularly evident when commanding monsters, whose individual capabilities were distinctly separate. She observed the enemy's formations and forces, then appropriately positioned the monsters. Furthermore, she possessed the adaptability to constantly move hundreds of monsters according to the changing battle situation. Aldias himself said that if Freed and Cattleya had not joined the front lines but instead commanded equal forces of monster armies, Cattleya would have been the victor.
Cattleya's role this time was to be a diversion and a decoy. In other words, the forces in the east and west were also merely to draw in Imperial soldiers. By attracting soldiers in three directions, they would disperse their forces and weaken the central defense. While Aldias would have no problem no matter how concentrated the enemy forces were, his power was too great to be aimed at ordinary soldiers.
"Considering what comes next, it's better to have as many remaining forces as possible."
Now, all she had to do was moderately provoke them and maintain this situation. The Imperial soldiers mistakenly believed that the demon race had come to utterly destroy the people of the Empire without question, but it was unthinkable for demons, who pledged absolute loyalty to Aldias, to prioritize personal vendettas over victory.
"War isn't won by who kills the most. Once Lord Aldias reaches the Imperial Castle, it's over."
"The battle situation is excellent, I'd say."
In the skies above the Empire, Freed muttered as he surveyed the situation in various locations. Freed's dragon-rider unit was a mobile striking force that utilized its mobility. They gauged the battlefield situation in real-time from the sky, relayed information, and provided support to various locations as needed. For the Imperial soldiers, already overwhelmed by the enemies in front of them, having to also be wary of aerial ambushes was simply too much.
"Third unit, head east for reinforcement. Fourth unit, west. The others, continue to cause chaos in the city. However, as I've said many times, do not harm civilians or protected targets, understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
Receiving Freed's orders, they all began to act.
"Is it our turn soon?"
A dragon approached Uranos, carrying Freed, and Aletia, riding on its back, asked.
"Yes, some of the units that have noticed Lord Aldias's presence are attempting to converge on the Imperial Castle. Repel the fools who seek to obstruct his path."
"Mmm!"
Starting with Aletia, who stood up dynamically on the dragon's back, the demons waiting around her also stood up in the same manner.
"Magic division… let's go."
" " "Understood!" " "
Without hesitation, they leaped from the dragon's back. Following her, about fifteen other demons also jumped, trailing after Aletia.
"Fifth unit, go support the magic division."
"Yes, sir!"
About ten demon riders on dragons followed Freed's words.
"As I conveyed beforehand, on the ground, act in three-man cells apart from me. Report to me if any problems arise. The dragon riders will provide support as they deem appropriate."
" " "Understood!" " "
The members of the magic division responded to Aletia's instructions without any doubt. Looking at it this way, it seemed as if Aletia was acting like a captain, but in fact, the person with the highest decision-making authority in this unit was Aletia herself. In terms of tenure, Aletia was the newest recruit, but due to her overwhelming magical skill and knowledge, she was quickly recognized by the unit members and rose to the position of unit captain.
Originally, the members of the magic division were a unit of magic experts selected by Aldias. Their skill was, of course, outstanding, and their curiosity about magic was incomparable to others. When Aletia, possessing even greater knowledge and skill than themselves, appeared before them, this outcome was inevitable. It's amusing to note that Aletia's statement "I raised Aldias" and Aldias's affirmation caused such a shock that it almost disrupted their daily duties.
The magic division led by Aletia continued to fall, obeying gravity. As they neared the ground, Aletia used gravity magic, while the others used wind magic to spread out in all directions without reducing their falling speed. As Aletia flew, warily surveying her surroundings, an armed Imperial squad appeared before her. Judging by their direction, they seemed to be a defense unit heading for the Imperial Castle.
"What!?—Captain! Something's coming from 3 o'clock!!"
"Is it the demon race!?"
"…No, it's not the demon race? A child?"
The soldiers who noticed Aletia immediately formed a line and prepared for her, but they were confused by Aletia's appearance. From their perspective, they had not expected anyone other than the demon race to appear in the current situation of being attacked by demons.
"I'm not part of the demon race, but… I'm on their side. And I'm not a child, I'm older than you all."
Though annoyed at being treated like a child, she opened her mouth to do what she needed to do.
"If you surrender quietly, you won't get hurt…?"
"Huh?"
The soldiers were dumbfounded that such a young girl had suddenly appeared before them and issued a surrender demand. But they quickly realized they were being underestimated, and anger contorted their faces.
"Don't underestimate Imperial soldiers!! Whether you're a child or not, if you defy us, we won't show mercy!"
"They're just barbarians serving a cowardly fake king! Don't show them any mercy!!"
"…Huh?"
Aletia's face went blank as she stared at the soldiers, who had drawn their swords and were about to attack her.
"You… what did you just say?"
"What?… Oh, are you angry because your master was ridiculed? Hmph, isn't it the truth? Someone who turns their back on the enemy while claiming to be king doesn't even deserve the title. It sounds good to say he's protecting his people, but he's probably just a coward."
"…"
Aletia, hearing the man's words, looked down and remained silent.
"Did I hit a nerve? I'll commend you for skillfully exploiting our weak points, but your arrogance ends here. The fake king will be defeated soon. How about it? Why don't you abandon such an imbecile and come to our side? You're still a child, but quite a talent. With your looks, you might even become a favorite of Lord Gahard or Lord Byas."
He hadn't noticed at first due to the situation, but the girl's appearance before him possessed a charm that distinguished her even from the beauties beside Gahard or Byas. If she were a demon, he would kill her without question, but since she wasn't, the man judged it a waste to kill her as she was. She could stand by the Empire's Emperor or Crown Prince. As the man reached out, assuming she wouldn't refuse, Aletia…
"Go get reborn, you ugly man."
She spat out the insult with an icy, cold expression.
"…As expected, just barbarians. They can't even mimic human negotiation… In that case, you're of no further use. Kill them!!"
At the captain's signal, the soldiers drew their swords and simultaneously attacked Aletia.
"…"
Aletia sighed deeply at the sight, then slowly raised her palm.
''Calamity Heaven''
Instantly, the soldiers present were slammed to the ground, unable to move as if crushed by something.
"Guuuuh!!"
"C-can't move…"
"W-what kind of magic is this!?"
As they were bewildered by the unknown magic, Aletia spoke in a voice even more devoid of emotion than before.
"I'll tell you just three things."
"Guh!? W-what…!?"
"First, Aldias is neither foolish nor cowardly. Looking back at the history of Tortus, there is no one more fitting to be king than him."
"Aaaaahh!?"
The pressure on the men intensified. They couldn't even move a finger, let alone their bodies.
"Second, if you want me, lower your heads and beg. Though, there's a one in a billion chance I'd ever follow the likes of you, is there?"
The pressure increased further, and the armor the men wore began to creak. They were already struggling just to remain conscious.
"Third, insulting Aldias in front of me is punishable by death a thousand times over."
Cracks ran through the ground, and it became difficult even to breathe. As his consciousness grew hazy, the captain could only direct his gaze at Aletia. And then, his eyes met her glittering crimson pupils, peeking out from her silken golden hair. It was then that the man finally realized. The girl before him was a monster in a girl's form. An opponent who should have been avoided at all costs…
"!"—"…"
Regret, fear, despair. His face contorted with various negative emotions, and the man lost consciousness.
"…Well, I won't kill them, though."
Aletia muttered softly as she looked down at the unconscious men. For the future, Aldias had instructed her to minimize killing as much as possible. Of course, if they held back and suffered casualties themselves, it would defeat the purpose, so only a select few capable individuals like Aletia and Freed received this instruction.
If Aldias, and those who had mastered ancient magic like him, were to fully unleash their power, the damage to the Empire would be tremendous. It was always better to have as many forces as possible to counter the gods of this world.
"You should be grateful to Aldias, whom you insulted."
With that, she cast them aside and soared towards her next target, intent on eliminating the Imperial soldiers who stood in the way of Aldias's path to conquest.
==========
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