"Lord Granite, the losses have been tallied. The enemy's two rounds of attacks resulted in over 60,000 deaths and 250,000 injured on our side."
"So that's how it is... I didn't expect to lose a tenth of our forces before even seeing the enemy."
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Granite's eyes were filled with worry. Then, as if remembering something, he continued to ask,
"Has there been any news from the Imperial Knights?"
"Not yet."
"Is that so... What exactly does Damrada intend to do?"
Meanwhile, the Imperial Knights, whom Granite was thinking about, looked at the three hundred demons surrounding them.
Everyone's face showed an expression of disbelief.
"How is this possible? The magicules of each of these demons are no weaker than those of the top ten ranked Lords."
"They must be using some kind of disguise magic. How long has the Monster Country Federation been established? How could there be so many powerful individuals there!"
A knight from the twentieth rank, his face filled with panic, loudly retorted to his teammates beside him.
However, Damrada, who was leading them, had a completely different view.
As the second-ranked individual, he was not comparable to those who hadn't even made it into the top ten.
In his perception, each of these individuals truly possessed the magicule levels of an Awakened Demon Lord.
Especially the two individuals in front of him, they made even him feel a trace of trepidation.
"Demons, can you introduce yourselves?"
"I imagine you aren't obscure nobodies in the Monster Country Federation, are you?"
Damrada looked at the individual in a butler's suit in front of him and asked with a grave expression.
"Heh heh, consider it fulfilling your last wish before you die."
After speaking, Diablo's face revealed a smile. He placed his right hand on his chest, bowed slightly, and introduced himself,
"My name is Diablo. I am Lord Rimuru's second secretary, and also Lord Zhong Chen's most loyal subordinate."
"I also hold the position of Captain of the Royal Knights."
"Although I don't particularly want the role, as sometimes this duty does interfere with my work as a secretary."
"Hmph! Diablo, if you don't want to do it, then give the Captain position to me!"
A delinquent-looking girl with yellow hair, holding a golden spear, interrupted him with an annoyed expression.
"Carrera, although I don't want the role, it is a mission bestowed upon me by Lord Zhong Chen."
"Until Lord Zhong Chen relieves me of my duties, no one can interfere with my work."
As he spoke, Diablo's eyes turned cold as he glanced at Carrera.
Carrera, seeing Diablo's cold gaze and remembering that she couldn't defeat him,
turned her head away, looking unconvinced, and mumbled softly,
"Hmph, if you won't let me, then you won't. When I go back, I'll tell Master on you..."
Diablo didn't pay attention to Carrera's soft mumbling.
If Carrera could truly get him relieved of his duties, he would be very happy.
After all, that woman Shion was still firmly occupying the position of first secretary.
Damrada listened to the introduction and observed carefully.
He found that the aura of the other party was somewhat similar to that of Guy, the Oldest Demon Lord he had once seen.
Then he asked tentatively,
"Black hair, red pupils, golden eyes, I see..."
"Your true identity is Primordial Black, one of the Seven Primordial Demons, isn't it!"
"Oh my, I didn't expect your knowledge to be quite profound..."
Upon hearing Diablo's words, Damrada's pupils immediately constricted. The other party's words were nothing less than an acknowledgment of his identity.
"Then this one should also be..."
"Hmph, that's right, this young lady is Primordial Yellow, one of the Seven Demon Progenitors! But I have a name now, I'm Carrera!"
"Remember that, young lady!"
Looking at Carrera, who was staring at him with an annoyed expression, Damrada couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth.
What kind of karma was this? He wouldn't encounter a Primordial Demon even once in his life, yet this time he had encountered two at once.
Although he wasn't afraid himself, he certainly didn't have the ability to protect the others.
"Damrada, that Primordial Yellow will be left to me."
Garcia, ranked fifth, spoke up proactively, looking at the grim situation before them.
"Alright, but remember, if things truly become unmanageable, prioritize your own safety."
What does 'prioritize your own safety' mean?
Translated, it means: if you can't win, then quickly escape for your life.
"I understand."
Damrada nodded after hearing this, then looked at Marco, ranked eighth, and Ji Wu, ranked ninth.
"Marco, Ji Wu, the rest of the people are entrusted to you two to lead. If things become impossible, retreat immediately."
"Alright."
"Don't worry."
"Heh heh, have you finished discussing? Then... prepare to die!!!"
After speaking, Diablo's smile vanished, and his figure also disappeared.
"Clang!"
After Damrada blocked Diablo's demon claw with his gauntlet,
he spoke to Diablo, who was close at hand,
"You seem a little too impatient, don't you?"
"I can't help it. Lord Rimuru is waiting for me to return and serve him."
"[Lord of Temptation]!"
As Diablo activated his ultimate skill, Damrada's face showed a momentary blankness.
Splat... In that instant, Diablo's demon claw pierced through Damrada's chest, reaching all the way to his back.
"Urgh..."
Whoosh... Damrada, snapping back to his senses, hurriedly distanced himself from Diablo and used magic to heal his injuries.
"Clap, clap, clap... To break free from the shackles of [Lord of Temptation] so quickly, that's commendable."
Diablo clapped his hands and praised Damrada, who was recovering from his injuries in the distance.
"Hmph, demon, I am Damrada. I won't be defeated by you so easily."
"Alright, let's see how many times you can withstand it then... [Lord of Temptation]..."
While Diablo continuously toyed with Damrada using [Lord of Temptation], Carrera also launched an attack on Garcia.
"Return of the Dead!"
Countless vengeful spirits, enveloped in black mist, flew towards Garcia with malevolent expressions.
Seeing the countless vengeful spirits before him, Garcia hastily used magic to cast a layer of light shield on himself.
"Hmph, do you think a turtle shell will help? Death Storm!"
A gigantic red magic circle instantly appeared in front of Carrera.
A black beam of light, containing the aura of death, shot directly towards Garcia.
"Not good, I can't take this head-on..."
Garcia looked at the incoming black beam of light, every sense in his body screaming in alarm.
He quickly dodged to the side at high speed.
"Trying to run... Death Cage!"
"Damn it!!!"
Feeling the power of death binding him, Garcia looked at the black beam of light before him with a horrified expression.
"Who are you?"
Marco looked at the individual blocking him and asked with a grave expression.
"My name is Venom. I am the captain of the Royal Knights' First Platoon. Please enlighten me..."
PS: Venom, a subordinate of Diablo in the original work, a Baron-class Demon Duke, with a hundred demons under his command.