第１４４掘：魔王城攻略 後編 (Part2)
"Guh, as you can see!! That monster seems to absorb the status of those it devours!! After the executives were consumed, and after Dekira was eaten, we had no choice but to retreat. Allied forces, if you can believe me, please, help me prevent that monster from reaching the castle town!! I know it is only natural that you find this hard to believe. That is why, with my very life..."
Hiera shouted this as she lunged at the monster with her blade.
"...C-Captain."
"Grip your swords. You're still... alive, aren't you?"
"Ah... Lady Liliana... she was alive."
"We must, at the very least, create a breakthrough..."
The members of the Royal Guard who hadn't lost consciousness hauled their battered bodies up and followed Hiera.
However, they were all helpless; they were easily blown away by the monster's greatsword, losing their lives one after another.
Hiera, as expected of a captain, desperately parried the lethal blows and struck back whenever she saw the slightest opening.
But the monster, relying on its overwhelming status, continued to harvest lives.
Her sword was deflected, her arm was sent flying upward, and the greatsword swung toward her torso with terrifying speed...
*Clang!!*
"Ooooooooohhhhhhh!!"
Lowell-san dove between Hiera and the monster, deflecting the greatsword.
"Ugh!! You're still not as strong as Seraria!!"
And the moment she uttered those words, a wound appeared on the monster's torso.
"Hiera-dono, I shall provide support!!"
Ares-dono swung his sword, successfully wounding the monster.
"Alright, Gartz unit, rescue the Royal Guard! Litea unit, heal the wounded! Roschur unit, harass that monster from the outside! Do not get close under any circumstances!! You will only get in the way of the generals!"
Crack-dono issued orders rapidly, and they began to rescue and treat the Royal Guard.
"Don't leave it all to the allied forces!! Any Royal Guard who can still move, support the captain and the generals!"
A perfect cooperative formation had been established.
The enemy was one.
And we surrounded it with a massive army.
Over 4,000 soldiers gathered around the drawbridge, united solely to defeat the monster.
The monster had only been able to display its true strength because it was in confined indoor spaces or situations where the number of combatants was limited.
"■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!"
The monster moved desperately to survive. To eliminate the obstacles before it.
...I am sorry.
If I had been stronger, I wouldn't have had to crown a monster like you as the Demon Lord.
But this is the path I chose.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment of repentance, and the instant I opened them... the monster's head fell, and its body vanished.
Cheers erupted throughout the castle town.
Here and now, the Demon Lord was slain, and the demon race was liberated.
"...The hard part starts now."
Dealing with the hardliners who invaded Rumel, and the upcoming negotiations with other races.
These two major tasks alone would require an immense amount of effort.
For me, who had wished for peace, this was only the beginning.
***
**Side: Yuki**
"...Is it dead?"
"Yes."
Together with Eris, I watched the end of the thing that had been called nothing but a monster.
"For me, that was the first monster I intentionally ordered to die."
"...I was the one who gave the order, so there is no need for you to worry, Yuki-san..."
"I'm not worried. I've taken many lives before. Through schemes, traps, and with these hands. But this is the first time I've explicitly said 'die,' so I thought I'd keep it in mind."
There will probably be more times like this in the future.
If it weren't a monster, but one of my wives or someone precious to me, would I be able to make the same choice?
"...At the very least, I should be the one to remember it."
Saying that, I walked through the cheering crowd and returned to the main camp.
With this, the conquest of the Demon Lord's castle is complete.
However, this is the Dungeon Hero arc.
It is not over yet.
And so, this was the first time Yuki intentionally ordered someone to die.
Also, I plan to take a break tomorrow.