“A countermeasure…”
“Hmm…”
At my question, those present made troubled expressions.
In this room were myself, my aide Antony, and Flantsu.
…
Along with Professor Mina, Hero Irushil, and, though officially introduced as Professor Mina’s aide, in reality, our superior—Great Demon King Kaya—was also seated.
Oh, at this moment, aside from Charlemagne, who was on her way back, everyone capable of deciding the entire governance of the Demobn Nation was gathered here.
Name: Mari
Occupation: Witch
Status: Abandoned
Of course, that didn’t mean I intended to engage in political games here, but at the very least, it was true that discussing the direction of the war in this setting was unburdened by external pressures.
However.
“This won’t be easy. If we consider past research, the power of Brynac, after having absorbed countless souls, is at an immeasurable level. Quite literally, it could unleash a force strong enough to obliterate an entire mountain in a single strike.”
“From the moment battle begins, we’ll have no choice but to accept massive casualties.”
“Hmmm…”
As the Great Witch, I had considerable knowledge about Brynac.
But fear—fear only grows in proportion to what one knows.
Knowing the sheer power it possessed, it wasn’t difficult to predict the devastation that would follow in a battle against the warrior wielding Brynac—the next Hero, whose identity was still unclear.
In the worst case, everyone here could meet their end.
“Isn’t there any way? A weakness in Brynac, perhaps…?”
“Of course, if all the absorbed souls are exhausted, its power will weaken… but that would only happen after it has already caused untold destruction. The more death engulfs the battlefield and the more souls it can absorb, the stronger Brynac will become.”
A half-hearted attack would only serve as an offering to Brynac…
In the end, there was only one decision I could make in this situation.
“…There’s no choice. I’ll have to step forward myself.”
“…What?”
“You mean… Kesar, you’re going to fight the warrior wielding Brynac?”
“That’s right.”
My response was firm, unwavering.
However, the reactions of those who heard it were far more dramatic than I had expected.
“Absolutely not! No matter what, the opponent is the Hero. And on top of that, they’re wielding Brynac! How do you plan to fight against them?”
“Kesar, this is far too dangerous. I must object as well.”
“I won’t allow it either! If you insist on doing something so reckless, you’ll have to defeat me first!”
“…I also… disagree.”
Flantsu, Professor Mari, and Antony all firmly voiced their opposition.
Even Great Demon King Kaya, after subtly gauging the atmosphere, ultimately sided against me.
I could understand Kaya’s position, but seeing these women so resolutely objecting on my behalf, I couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction—at least I hadn’t lived my life in vain up to this point.
Still, that was beside the point. I responded once more, my voice unwavering.
“Even so, there is no other way. If we delay any longer, reinforcements from the other Free Races will start moving. If that happens, the tide of war will shift entirely in favor of the Empire.”
“Not only will we lose all the territory we’ve conquered so far, but in the worst-case scenario, even our homeland could be at risk. Are you really willing to throw away the opportunity we’ve waited centuries for?”
“But… but…”
“Even so… I cannot bear to lose you like this, Kesar!”
With a trembling voice, Flantsu clung to my hand, her grip desperate.
Beside her, Professor Mari looked just as distraught.
Their reactions, as if they were trying to stop a man walking to his death, stirred something deep within me.
But my resolve remained unchanged.
“Don’t worry. I have a plan. Do you think I’m someone who would walk into this blindly?”
“Kh…”
“Yeah…”
Their eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
Seeing them like this, I reached out and gently patted their backs before continuing.
“I will hold off the Hero. In the meantime, you all just need to focus on dealing with the remaining Imperial Army. Once their forces are wiped out, even a mighty Hero will be helpless.”
No matter how powerful Brynac’s wielder was, there were limits to a single warrior’s strength.
They might be able to cut down thousands, but against tens of thousands, their stamina would eventually run out.
Of course, that meant I had to make sure the Hero couldn’t rampage unchecked.
But that part… wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
After all, I had experienced situations like this before.
Once a week, as part of my ‘assignments.’
“…But still…”
“Kesar…”
Of course, they had no way of knowing my true reasoning, nor could I explain it to them. So despite my reassurances, they continued to show concern.
Still, I maintained my firm stance.
“…Do you really have a plan? No matter how powerful you are as a Demon Lord, one wrong move and you could die instantly,”
Great Demon King Kaya warned, her voice carrying a note of caution.
But even in response to her words, I spoke with unwavering confidence.
“Of course. I do. At the very least, I won’t lose. So don’t worry and focus on wiping out the remaining Imperial Army.”
“…”
Her expression was far from reassured, but after a moment, Great Demon King Kaya gave a slow nod.
Seeing this, I let a deep smile spread across my face, cutting through the heavy atmosphere.
“There’s no need to look so grim. It’s not as if I’m heading off to die. This is nothing more than a strategy to secure victory. Once this is all over, let’s all raise a toast together.”
“…”
“…Understood.”
Even with my words, they still seemed unable to shake their unease.
Regardless, the decision was made, and we began executing our plan in earnest.
One final war.
A war to bring everything to an end.
And to ensure absolute victory…
Unexpected…
Watching Kesar declare that he would take on the greatest risk himself, Great Demon King Kaya felt an unspoken sense of bewilderment.
Though her suspicions toward Kesar had diminished over time, she had never been entirely without doubt.
As Adolf had pointed out, even if Kesar wasn’t a traitor, he was also not the kind of man who would lay down his life for the Demon Nation without hesitation.
And yet, here he was, boldly stepping forward to confront the warrior wielding the Cursed Sword Brynac, the greatest threat they faced.
She couldn’t mistake the meaning behind his words.
He wasn’t saying he would defeat the Hero.
No, from everything she had learned from Mari, the power of the Hero wielding Brynac could very well surpass even hers.
For Kesar to fight such an opponent…
It could only mean one thing.
He was prepared to stall for time, even at the cost of his own life.
For the Demon Nation’s victory.
For everyone here.
And for the thousands—no, tens of thousands—of soldiers under his command.
Although Kesar adamantly denied it, his unwavering resolve spoke louder than words.
Even if no one dared to say it aloud, not only Kaya but everyone in this room had already realized the truth.
And so, amidst the heavy atmosphere, the battle plan was formed.
A strategy designed to ensure that Kesar’s ‘sacrifice’ would not be in vain.
One that would completely erase the Imperial Army, under the assumption that he would hold back the Hero.
After finalizing the plan, the demon forces took a day of rest before their decisive march.
This could very well be the final battle.
And as that moment approached, Mari’s heart was weighed down by deep sorrow and unease.
…How did it come to this?
Since that day of betrayal, she had sworn never to love again.
But as the events unfolded, a small, fragile hope had begun to take root in her heart—one that contradicted that vow.
She had been abandoned by everyone.
Yet he was the man who had given her a new life.
And now, that same man had decided to sacrifice himself.
For everyone.
And… for her.
Mari had tried everything to stop him, but she could not shake his unyielding resolve.
Even though they had not known each other for long, she understood one thing.
Once that man made a decision, nothing could change his mind.
Especially if it was for the sake of those he held dear.
…And yet, in this situation, I can do nothing for him.
The thought was unbearable.
If she could, she would have taken his place, buying them time instead.
But she couldn’t.
Because she was too powerless.
Even after becoming a Demon Lord, she was still, at her core, a sorceress—and that made her utterly mismatched against Brynac.
The Cursed Sword devoured souls to fuel its power.
Its strikes could not be stopped by magic barriers.
Against Brynac, her magic was meaningless.
At the very least, Kesar was a warrior.
Because of that, there was a sliver of hope that he could hold back the Hero.
But that hope was as thin as a thread.
Cursing the cruel reality before her, Mari found herself doing something she had long abandoned—praying to a god she no longer believed in.
She begged.
Begged that his life would be spared.
So that…
She would have the chance to repay him with everything she had.