Chapter 25

"My name is Beniyahan. I am a noble demon of the viscount rank."

Where is he?

Ah, there he is.

He is floating in the air above the horizon where the monster army is lined up.

At first glance, he looks like a human male, but his skin is bluish, and he has horns, wings, and a tail, making him seem far from human.

He looks like something between a human and a monster?

"Abinion, is that the demon?"

"Most likely. But a viscount rank. If he's a noble, he's a hopeless opponent for humans."

Thanks for the extra info.

More importantly, I was worried about the 30,000 monster army below the demon floating in the air.

"Rezreza, we're changing the target. First, we'll wipe out the monsters."

"Huh!?"

Rezreza, who is being held in my arms from behind, is bewildered by the sudden suggestion.

"But the leader is the demon, right!? Shouldn't we take him down first!?"

"In this situation, if we defeat the demon, will the monsters calmly return, Abinion?"

Will they think, 'The leader is dead, run away, run away'?

"No, those monsters are likely being tamed by the demon. If the master disappears, they will lose control and go wild, acting on their instincts. That's what monsters are like."

Out of control and rampaging. And in such vast numbers.

A stampede, you might say.

"By the way, Abinion, can you control the monsters instead?"

"Only ghosts are within my jurisdiction."

Your coverage is surprisingly narrow.

"That's why it's difficult for 7,000 soldiers to defend against 30,000 monsters. We need to wipe out the monsters along with the demon."

"But as I explained, my skill can only be used once! The backlash will likely shatter my body. To blow away not just the demon but also a large group of monsters with that one use...!"

"I explained that your body won't shatter."

That's why I'm here.

"Come on, don't hold back and let it all out!"

"Whatever happens, I won't be responsible!"

I can feel a tremendous pulse being sent to the sword in our hands.

"Flash... <General Star Benevolence Slash>!!"

It's incredible.

A shockwave-like energy is released from the blade, surging like a tidal wave towards the monster army that fills the horizon.

The power entrusted by so many soldiers is too much for the blade to contain, and it flies out as a pure energy mass!

"What the...!?"

The demon's voice is taken aback.

Part of the monster army is indeed consumed and destroyed by the <General Star Benevolence Slash> energy.

It was as if the sea had parted.

While not all of them, a significant portion of the 30,000 monsters is surely eliminated.

"Awesome!!"

"Lord Rezreza's skill has scattered the monsters!!"

"Lord Rezreza! The guardian deity of the nation! No, the guardian goddess!!"

Praises rise from the soldiers behind us!

This is also the result of their efforts. Without them, Rezreza's skill wouldn't have such power.

And Rezreza herself...!

"Are you okay?"

"Guh...!?"

She can only groan, but she's alive. However, she's in a miserable state.

The backlash from releasing the <General Star Benevolence Slash> did hit her.

I braced myself to take the backlash in her place, and I felt a heavy impact on my body, absorbing most of it.

However, it was impossible to absorb all of it.

A small part leaked through and hit Rezreza, crushing her body.

"...My arm is broken. My whole body is shaking...!"

Rezreza says, blood trickling from her mouth.

The backlash that leaked to her was only a fraction, but it still caused such severe physical damage.

"I managed to survive, but my whole body is a mess, and I can't move my arm. I can't release a second shot...!"

"Don't worry, I have a plan for that."

Hey, Noem.

"It's an Explosion! Drink it! It will heal all your injuries!"

"Gulp!?"

Noem thrusts a vial into Rezreza's mouth.

Soon, her throat makes a gulping sound, and her entire body starts to glow...

"What? It's healed? I thought I couldn't get back up!?"

"Now you can use your skill again! Let's go for the second shot!"

Noem has prepared a lot of Explosions.

As long as you don't die, Explosions will fully heal any injury, so you can keep firing <General Star Benevolence Slash> until the stock runs out!

"Wait a minute! Even if the injuries heal, the backlash from the skill is incredibly painful! Do you want me to experience that hellish pain multiple times!?"

"It's a lighter burden than trading your life, right?"

"Ahh!! In that case, I'll go all out, this...!!"

Thus, the second shot of <General Star Benevolence Slash> is released.

A large rift forms in the already split monster army.

"Painful...! My whole body hurts...!?"

"Wait, here's an Explosion!"

It's not just a matter of healing.

Rezreza, enduring the pain of her body being shattered, repeatedly releases the ultimate destruction skill.

Forcing her to do this is, frankly, a devil's work.

"But it's only because you're taking 90% of the backlash for her. She's only groaning in pain. If she had taken all the backlash, her body would have been blown to pieces beyond repair."

Says Abinion.

"By the way, Master, are you not going to use me?"

"Huh?"

"If I were to do it, I could easily eliminate that level of monster army. Why are you making that girl do it the roundabout way?"

"This is a battle for humans."

The demons that attack humans. Overcoming the trials by human hands.

The army, whose mission is to fight and protect people, should take the lead.

"That's why we're letting Rezreza take the front and work hard."

"Ouch...!?"

For the entire kingdom's army to fight, there's no better fit than Rezreza's skill.

By joining her subordinates, the skill's power is increased, and everyone contributes to the battle.

Everyone is fighting together as one.

"Ouch...!?"

"Ugh...!"

For some reason, both the attacker and the attacked are screaming.

Thus, the ultra-powerful <General Star Benevolence Slash> is fired multiple times.

The third shot.

The fourth shot.

The fifth shot... ...

◆

"Hmm, a lot of them are gone."

The horizon, once filled with monsters, is now much clearer.

Now, scattered monsters are either writhing in a half-dead state or fleeing for their lives, driven by their survival instinct.

"You humans...! What skill did you use!?"

"Oh, the demon is still alive."

The crucial leader demon survived.

I thought they would all be wiped out, but he was floating in the air, so he managed to escape.

"Annoying... Sometimes humans have troublesome skills that trip us up...! But that's enough for you to feel good! This viscount-level demon, Beniyahan, will crush you with my own hands!"

"What, you're still up for it? Your monster army is destroyed, so you should just run away."

"Hah, foolish. Do you think a viscount like me would rely on just 30,000 monsters?"

The demon suddenly sounds confident.

"It's just a game, watching humans and monsters kill each other from a high place is entertaining. But the sin of interfering with my entertainment is grave. And you will regret it. My combat power is far greater than 30,000 monsters!!"

Rezreza's eyes have completely lost their shine.

While the physical damage is healed by the Explosion, the pain has worn down her soul.

It's too cruel to make her fight any longer.

"Alright, I'll take him on. A final one-on-one duel has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Fool! Do you think a mere human can match a demon? If you all had attacked together, it would have been better, but now you are promised a cruel death!"

I have to fight as much as the reward I received.