Chapter 30: Prince Kurobuta Discovers His True Identity

The Sword Dance Festival Battle Tournament has a preliminary round before the main tournament in the afternoon.

The reason for this is that the tournament is held in a single arena, and if all 200 contestants were to compete, it would take more than a day to complete.

The rules of the qualifiers are simple.

First of all, 10 or so contestants are thrown onto the square stage of the arena at once.

They fight freely, and if they fall off the stage or are deemed incapable of fighting, they are disqualified. The one who remains on the stage until the end will be able to advance to the main tournament. In other words, the main tournament would be a summit battle between the 16 strongest competitors who had won their respective matches.

The qualifying rounds began immediately after the opening ceremony, and fortunately or unfortunately, Brad found himself on the stage of the arena from the very first round.

"Now, the competitors enter desu!”

Brad, who had been in the waiting room, thought the voice of the MC sounded familiar, but he told himself that it couldn't be true, and entered the arena with the 11 students who were competing.

However, as I was greeted by the cheering crowd, I cautiously checked the commentator's booth and found that the MC was, as expected, the same person which made me hold my head in both hands.

(Why are you hosting? !!!)

The hostess was, to my greatest surprise, my personal maid, Rosie.

Basically, she came to Brad and said to him in advance “I will be busy on the day of the sword dance festival, so please relieve me of my shifts.” So he was worried that maybe something was wrong. Apparently, it was so she could host the tournament.

Rosie was chosen by Brad when he was still a black pig, so she was charming and she was also an excellent maid. She has been working for Brad for a while now and has built up a network of contacts all over the country.

(… and what's with the outfit?)

In addition, if she was just hosting the event, why was she wearing a bunny-girl outfit instead of her usual maidservant outfit?

She's a petite woman with an ideal figure and it shows off her curves, so it suits her perfectly, but it's a very revealing outfit.

My parental instinct is that a young girl shouldn’t show such a figure to others, but I am also proud to say she’s indeed my exclusive maid because of her loveliness.

“Who is that moderator? Isn’t she cute?”

“I know right? She’s my type.”

Brad’s nose flared when he heard such comments from the audience. But the maid being praised was

 (… quit winking at me for no reason)

As soon as I entered the arena, she kept winking at me. I think she should concentrate on her work.

I was worried that she may not be able to handle being the MC without any problems.

This was a big event, not only for the commoners but also for many nobles. If there was a problem, it might spread to Brad, the master of the event. Rosie, oblivious to Brad's anxiety, winked at him with the same optimistic look on her face.

(I've been feeling sick for a while now, and now my head is starting to hurt too. ......)

I've been feeling a bit sluggish in my head and body since this morning, and I think it's getting worse because I've been worrying more. I wonder if I'll be okay at this rate.

“I can't introduce all the competitors today due to the time constraints of the many matches coming up desu!... Are there any competitors of note for the three commentators?”

When all twelve competitors for the first match had entered the arena and were on stage, Rosie turned to the commentators sitting next to her.

“Hmm, I wonder if it’s Bra-chan♡.”

“I’m only interested in Brad☆.”

“I mean, I don't know anyone else.”

The voices that answered were all familiar voices

(No, why are you even there?)　

If you look closely, there were three people sitting in the commentator’s seat. The “seven heroes”, Glace, Merlin and Celie. 

I'm not sure if it's because it’s a national festival, but I think it's too much to waste the heroes on a mere student tournament.

“Sou ka! Sou ka!(I see, I see) Brad-sama who has undergone a big makeover and is a hot topic… Yes, I completely understand! Brad-sama is strong, smart, kind, and cool… He's impeccable is what I'm saying.  If I wasn’t the host of the show, I'd be cheering for him too!”

As I looked, I saw a group of about a hundred people occupying a huge area of the spectator seats, holding up a huge banner that read "Brad for life.”

When the group noticed Brad's gaze, they let out a loud feverish scream that almost broke the venue.

(Well...I don't dislike it, It makes me happy… but)

I could even feel the insanity in that scream.

I've never been popular like this in my previous life, and I'm happy about it, but it's so excessive that I can't help but laugh.

(It would be nice if everyone was this friendly, but I guess not.)

When I glanced at the other spectators, I could see that while there were people cheering for me, there were also quite a few people glaring at me with grim faces, as if my tremendous cheering squad was frowned upon, or perhaps I was just not that popular to begin with.

No matter how much Brad's popularity is rising, there are still many people who have been supporting Albert for a long time, and from their point of view, Brad is nothing but an unwanted presence. Since they were praising Brad so hard in public, It’s natural that they would look at me unfavorably. I hope I don't do anything that would get on their nerves too much.　

The atmosphere in the venue seemed to have completely ignited the fighting spirit of not only the audience but also the contestants around them.

Since a while ago, Brad had been feeling the stares of his opponents, as if to say, "I'm going to crush this guy.”

(Hmm…?)

However, while most of the competitors were looking at Brad with a burning desire to fight, there was one man who didn’t change his expression at all.

It was Dino Schwarzer, a huge boy who was a close companion of Albert's and who had taken the initiative in bullying Brad in the past.

The usual Dino would have taken the initiative in hurling hateful remarks at Brad, but there was no sign of him moving at all.

(There's been something wrong with him ever since the opening ceremony, isn't it?)

The appearance was definitely Dino’s, but there was something wrong with his facial expression. It's as if I'm looking at a different person.

“The match is about to begin desu! If you’re unable to fight or fall off the stage, you’re disqualified without question! Kick all your rivals off the stage and win the right to challenge for the main tournament...!”

He noticed that the contestants were lined up evenly on the stage, facing each other, and Brad followed suit, keeping his distance from each contestant.

(Whatever the case, nothing changes. I just have to defeat all the enemies that stand in front of me and move on to the main tournament.)

As Brad braced himself with renewed determination

"The match is about to begin desu!” Rosie's voice echoed loudly in the hall.

 At that moment, a light shot out from Merlin's fingertip on the commentator's seat, and it shot straight up into the sky, popping like a firework.

That was the signal for the start of the game, and the competitors began to move in unison.

(...... I knew this would happen.)

After checking the competitors' movements, Brad breathed an exasperated sigh.

The match had just started. In the midst of the shouting and cheering, almost half of the competitors attacked Brad without even batting an eye.

...... Well, I guess it was the right call.

Whether you like it or not, there's no doubt that Brad is the favorite to win this year's tournament based on his reputation. It’s natural to want to crush him as soon as possible.

"Crap, Brad-sama, look out!”

Rosie’s scream echoes in the arena.

(Hey, you're showing favoritism!)

Brad is amazed by his maid telling him to be careful while scratching his head 

“I have to fight properly.” I said while slowly turning to the competitors who are approaching me.

"What!!!"

At that moment along with his enthusiastic voice, magic power overflowed from his whole body.

Brad’s extraordinary power was just so much that the overwhelming magic produced a wave that spread with him as the center.

“… Ahh!!??”

The attacking competitors were blown away as though they were hit by a dragon’s wind gust and they screamed as they were slammed outside the arena.　　　

(It was so easy to get them off the field.).　

Brad breathed a sigh of relief after successfully knocking the initial attackers out of the field in an instant.

“Energy Bomb.”

 An incantation reaches his ears.

The next thing he knew, a glowing sphere the size of a human head was heading straight for him, exuding tremendous magical power.

It was a single attack magic of the fourth rank.

It's magic that you can learn at level 15 in Final Quest, but while it's powerful, it consumes a lot of MP, making it impractical for everyday use, and until you reach a higher level and have enough MP, it's only used in boss battles.

The fact that they unleashed this magic in their first move shows just how much they were committed to this tournament. In the first place, magic of the fourth rank is high-level magic that only a handful of talented people in this world can master. I have to say, they’re truly students of Windstar Magic Academy.

However, though for ordinary people, it should be a one-shot deadly magic,

"......"

Brad caught the attack with one hand without even batting an eyelash and throws it exactly as it was back to the person who released it.

“No way! Why didn’t it detonate?”

The competitors shouted in astonishment.

They were astonished…

It's an explosive magic that detonates the moment it hits a person or object. If you catch it with your hand like this, it should have exploded without a doubt.

So why did it not detonate this time?

The answer is simple.

The answer is simple: Brad had stretched a membrane between the sphere of light and his own hand with his extraordinary magic power and had not touched the sphere itself in the first place.

It was only possible with his extraordinary magical power and the ability to manipulate it. It was like art.

“Whoa!!!”

Immediately the sphere Brad sent back reached the player who released it, It detonated in a flashy manner, sending the player flying out of the field.

(All that remains is…)

There were three competitors still standing on the stage, not including Brad.

Like the other competitors, all of them are in the middle of chanting their magic. And it seems they had just finished chanting at this moment. When the other competitors cleared out, they all unleashed their special attack magic that they must have been practicing for this day.

Fireballs, ice pellets, lightning bolts... they came fast and furiously.

(I want to take it a little easy, but Marie is watching me. I decided not to cut corners)

Brad glanced at Marie who was in the VIP section and grins.

Brad’s strength is irregular for the inhabitants of this world. Considering how hard the competitors prepared for today’s tournament, I wouldn’t want to play an active role on this stage and show off too much, but unfortunately, this time, I can’t cut corners.

“…”

The next moment, Brad did not block the magic that attacked him from all sides. He avoided them by narrow margins due to his inhuman agility.

“This isn’t possible… he’s too fast!”

He threw one of them over his back, then went behind the other and kicked him in the butt, knocking him off the ring without a second thought.

He then slowly made his way to the last remaining competitor on the stage, a female student who took a frightened step backwards.

“It’s not appropriate for a pretty girl like you to be fighting.”

Brad supports the body of the female student who is about to fall while saying that with a smile and lifts her up lightly.

Then while holding her in a princess carry, which girls commonly love, I walked calmly to the edge of the stage and calmly lowered her outside the arena.

The female student staring at Brad’s face seemed to return to her senses, holding her blushing cheeks with both hands.

(Are we done now?)

He noticed that everyone who had attacked him earlier had been disqualified from the competition and there was no one standing on the stage besides him.

“Wow! What an unbelievable sight from the first match desu! As soon as the match started, Brad was attacked by all the competitors and seemed to be out of luck, but he quickly turned the situation around and knocked them all out of the stage desu!.”

The crowd was taken aback by Brad’s unbelievable prowess, but Rosie’s comment finally brought them back to their senses and they cheered.

“Waaaaaah!” the audience cheered wildly.

“And his gentlemanly behavior towards the last female player… as expected of Brad sama. I also want to be in a princess carry desu!”

Rosie’s face turns bright red and she twists herself in excitement.

(No… why can’t she just comment properly)

When Brad gazes at her quietly, Rosie seems to have noticed it and clears her throat as if to recover.

“Anyway… the competitors who went out of the arena have been disqualified. Then with this, the person who qualified in the first match is Brad sama”

When Rosie says so much, Brad frowns.

He recalled all those who fell outside the venue and realized one person was missing compared to when the game started.

And immediately after that…

“…?”

From the sky above, he felt a very strong murderous intent.

Brad hurriedly jumps backward.

At that moment, with a harsh sound of wind, a sword was swung down at tremendous speed at the spot where Brad was standing.

When the sword made contact with the cobblestone of the stage with the momentum of its swing, it caused a great explosion scattering rubble and dust all around.

“…”

Brad squints at the person that ambushed him.

“Oops… what a surprise attack from the sky by Dino Schwarzer! He was still there! He now stands in front of Brad as if to defeat him in place of his master Albert.”

Brad turns to Dino who has an eerie smile while listening to Rosie’s snorting voice.

Looking at Dino’s gestures and facial expressions as well as the magic that was clearly different from previous, Brad was convinced that the uneasiness he felt this morning was not for nothing and he was that his guess was correct.

As they were facing each other again, ready to fight,

“You’re not Dino, are you?

He asked the figure who was taking the form of Dino.

Chapter 31: Prince Kurobuta Qualifies

"I'm not Dino, huh?"

In response to Brad’s question, the figure in the form of Dino took a good look at himself and smiled fearlessly.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about but I'm pretty sure I'm Dino Schwarzer. Are your eyes blind?”

It’s true that the appearance was that of Dino.　

But Brad’s eyes could see vividly through the deception. It was clear that the existence in front of him was not Dino

 "It’s true your appearance is that of Dino’s. However, the agility and movement you showed in that ambush and the physical attack that was powerful enough to break cobblestone with a sword. That’s clearly not within the abilities of the Dino I know. He was an excellent fighter no doubt, but he didn’t have this much power and your tone is also different from the usual.”

Brad pointed this out and shrugged. The impersonator didn’t agree or disagree with the fact but just whistled happily.

This attitude proved that Brad's point was right.

"Answer me, who are you? Where’s the real Dino?"

"I don't have to answer to that"

The Dino impersonator's smile slowly deepened.

"Because you're going to die here!”　

Shortly after. He attacked Brad.

The impersonator’s unbelievable physical strength allowed him to leap like a spring and swing his sword at Brad from far above.

This tournament is just a sideshow for the festival.

Killing is forbidden.

In spite of this, the slash that the impersonator unleashed was clearly powerful enough to cut Brad's body in half, and judging from the murderous intent that was put into it, it was definitely intended to kill Brad.

But even in the face of a sword tinged with murderous intent, Brad was unfazed.

(Level 20 or so).

With a graceful gesture, he quietly drew his sword.

He received the swung-down slash in a flowing manner and went on to give the impersonator a strong kick at the back.

The impersonator was hit hard by the blow, and Brad's unbelievable leg strength sent him flying, slamming him down hard on the stage.

However, in the process, he caught himself with the flexibility of a beast, rolled around, and then stood up sparing no time.

He was a little out of breath, but from the looks of it, no damage was done.

Brad's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know who you are, but you're no match for me.”

"If I played fair and square, you might be right.”

It was at that moment when Brad caught his words and frowned,

"......?"

Suddenly, he felt as if his vision was shaking.

It was as if he had a concussion. By the time he realized he was dizzy, he had staggered and fallen to his knees.

"Is this ......?"

The shaking sensation was not temporary but persisted even after he fell to his knees along with a chronic headache and dizziness.

He couldn't stand up properly.

"What did you… do?

"Finally, it's working. Even though it’s a poison that could stop even a dragon's movement, it took too long to kick in.”

"Poison...?"

“What the heck happened? Brad-sama suddenly collapsed desu. How about our three commentators? What do you have to say about this?”

"Oh, I wonder if he has a stomach ache~?”

“I'm sure it’s  a hangover from drinking the cheap barley wine, ale from the west☆.”

While Rosie panics, Celie and Glace answer in a way you can’t tell if being playful or serious.

“Idiots! Shouldn’t you guys explain properly!? Perhaps he got poison when he got scratched by the sword earlier.”

Merlin chirps in with a poised appearance. 

“Poison? On the sword? That’s against the rules desu!”

“Look at it this way. If it was a poison that was applied to the sword before the game, then it would have been illegal, but it may have been magically applied during battle, if so it’s safe”

Merlin shrugs at Rosie who looks worried.

“As expected, Marin-chan is observing closely.”

“It’s Merlin not Marin.”

While saying so, Merlin glances at Glace, saying…

“Glace you look so carefree even though your disciple is in trouble. It's probably a paralytic poison. No matter how strong your disciple is, if he can't move, it's over. He’s practically already lost.”

“Since you think so, that might be the case ☆.”

But though Merlin pointed this out, Glace continued to stare at the stage in amusement without losing his usual frivolous smile.

Merlin shrugs in response to Glace’s reply and then returned his attention to Brad on the stage.

While listening to the humorous commentary by the heroes, Brad was thinking calmly.

(I see.)

I didn’t care because it was a small wound, but the impersonator’s sword scratched my cheek slightly during that previous attack.

It seems the poison in the sword had entered Brad's body at that time and was now finally taking effect.

(If it has such a powerful paralyzing ability, then this guy must be ......)

Then, I was convinced.

If you consider his beastly movements, the fact that he possesses a fast-acting paralyzing poison, and his ability to transform itself into a human being, there’s only one possible identity for the thing that took the form of Dino.

"You're a werewolf ......, or perhaps a werewolf lord.”

It then gave me a condescending look and snorted in disdain.

It was looking down on me.

“You guessed well, I’m a proud werewolf warrior. I’m the brother of the werewolf lord you killed in the square.”

Brad's eyes widen.

"You mean you’re here for revenge."

The werewolf lord looks at him distantly, as if nostalgic for something.

“My brother was strong. He was one of the bravest men in the village. He and I were known as the Garlov brothers But I think he was honestly unrivaled. In the future, he was supposed to become a demon general and lead the demon king’s army, and yet, you killed him!” 

"......"

While the werewolf glared at him with such hate, Brad could only stare in silence.

The werewolf’s eyes seemed to be getting bloodshot and he was losing his sense of reasoning like his brother in the square as his emotions swelled. 

“Only you… I won't forgive, I'll kill you, kill kill killl!!!"

Immediately afterward, the werewolf lord roared loudly.

He was overflowing with intense magic power from all over his body as though the accumulated anger and hatred suddenly exploded.

It's was just too terrible a magic power.

(This magic power ...... no way)

It's not the same as a normal werewolf lord's magic power.

When I was in the square, the thought did strike my mind, but I remember this terrifying magic and the current state of the werewolf lord.

(It’s similar to me who was being manipulated…)

When Brad became a puppet of the demon king army in “Final Quest”, he was exuding the same kind of magic power.

(If I'm not mistaken, someone’s pulling the strings behind the scenes)

If it’s not a mistake from my memory, then it’s quite possible. 

But it’s difficult to get information out of a werewolf lord who’s on the verge of losing his mind. I’d have to calm him down

While Brad was silent while thinking about the situation, the werewolf lord smiled eerily as if he had misunderstood.

"You've finally lost your voice to fear. Don't worry, I'm going to torture and torment you to death!

Immediately after. The werewolf lord’s fist came flying at an unbelievable speed that couldn’t be followed by the eyes. Brad gets hit by it and rolls on the stage.

As Brad collapses and raises his face, the werewolf lord glares at him in mockery.

"Terrible, huh? But my brother didn't even get the chance to feel that kind of fear before you took his life! You can bite down on that fear and die!"

“I don’t make excuses. It’s true that I killed your brother with my own hands. So I'm sorry for what I did to you"

These words were unmistakably sincere.　

In this world, many demons are at odds with humans, and if we let them live, we will suffer the consequences. So I don't want to play the good guy and say that killing monsters is wrong, and I don't regret killing the werewolf lord that was attacking my people.

But still, the anger and sorrow of this werewolf lord who appeared in front of Brad to mourn the death of his family and seek revenge seemed no different from that of a human being. This was not a monster that appeared in a game. It was real. So naturally, words of apology came out of my mouth.

“don’t kid with me!!!”

The werewolf lord looked stunned for a moment but the overwhelming anger and hatred took over once again.

"You’re sorry? What’re you talking about? Are you begging for your life because the poison has left you helpless and defenseless?”

"I'm not begging for my life. I'm just being honest about it. I'm sure the pain of having your family taken from you is the same for both humans and monsters.”

The wolf lord looked as if he was trying to hold something back.

"If you feel that way, go ahead and…die!”.

And then he attacks with his sword

Brad was paralyzed with poison and does not move.

The werewolf lord swung down his sword

"But I can't let you kill me.”

And that was the moment.

Kakin!! The sound of swords colliding echoed through the air. Brad drew his sword just in time and repelled the attack.

Losing to Brad’s extraordinary strength, the werewolf lord’s sword flew vigorously out of his hands.

His eyes widened in shock.

“Why are you moving!?”

"Unfortunately, I'm better prepared for these kinds of conditions than anyone else."

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at his own body.

In fact, all of the ornaments that Brad wore were magic items that have the effect of reducing the effects of abnormal conditions.

“No way, why would you do that?”

It’s no wonder the werewolf lord was surprised.

In this battle tournament, there’s a rule that you can wear up to 3 magic items that have no direct effect on the battle.

Many of the competitors choose to equip magic items that give resistance to attack magic which have a high impact on the results and no one dares to choose magic items that give resistance to abnormal conditions. It’s even more unusual to use all three for that like Brad did.

(It’s reasonable from my point of view)

Currently, Brad’s level and status are significantly higher than other competitors. If it’s normal attack magic, there was no need to take measures. On the other hand, abnormal conditions such as paralysis and poison are dangerous regardless of your level. That’s why he chose for all three magic items, items that give him this resistance.

Of course, these are just magic items, it is not possible to completely negate such effects, but if you equip as many as three magic items, you can reduce such lower rank paralytic poison to the extent that you can move. Thanks to that, Brad was able to feel relaxed in the current situation.

"Ku ... but it doesn't mean it doesn’t work at all ...!"

The Werewolf lord bitterly said so as he tried to launch the next strike, he didn't give up until the end.

"Sorry, but it's over."

At that moment, Brad stepped in front of the werewolf lord, burying his fist in his stomach.

The werewolf collapsed gradually and slowly so that it rested on Brad's arm, and then fell off the stage.

The arena was quiet again. The battle was so sudden and intense that the audience couldn't understand what had happened.

--After a while--

"The winner is Brad-sama!"

When Rosie declared that, an outburst of cheers tore through the arena.

Brad raises his hand and responds to the cheers.

"huu, I was wondering what would happen for a while desu!... Did you think it was over at that moment? What do our three commentators think?"

When Rosie asks in an unsettled manner, Glacé answers before anyone else as if he was happy because Brad had won.

"All of the magic items that Brad brought in are those that have the effect of giving resistance to abnormal conditions. The true strong are never complacent. That shrewd brat. I wonder if he knew in advance what the other party would do, and was prepared for it☆."

"Wow, Bra-chan is amazing ♡"

Seeing how Celie praises in a pleasant mood,  Glace becomes even more talkative.

"That's not the only way Brad is amazing ☆, It's probably because he just received his opponent's fist. The best chance in battle is when you receive an attack. Therefore, he first intentionally received a fist, impressed upon the opponent that he couldn’t move due to paralysis, and triggered an attack full of gaps from the enemy. The result is as you can see. Brad's victory wouldn’t have been shaken even if he did it normally though... He's a terrifying child. I can't wait for his future☆ ”

When he hears Glace's commentary, Merlin scoffs.

"I see, he's not just a muscle head. If he could think so far ahead, I can see why Glace set his eyes on him."

When the commentary was given, Rosie screams, "As expected of Brad-sama ♡"

And the guard unit(formed by Brad) in the spectators cheered.

(Well ... Actually, the only thing I was scared of was abnormal conditions, so I wasn't actually taking measures against Dino with this equipment. I just received the first unch normally...)

Brad turned his gaze toward the werewolf, thinking of what to do, but noticed that his appearance was about to change.

(... Is the transformation wearing off!?)

Although Dino's face was still there, he was returning to his original werewolf face. Animal ears grew slowly, and his hair was clearly thickening. It seemed the transformation was beginning to wear off and Brad panics.

(This is bad)

If it becomes known that this Dino was a monster, things will get troublesome. There are many things I want to know, like the real Dino's whereabouts and the enemy’s movements. In order to find out all these things, it would be better to hide the identity of this monster."

In order to hide as much as possible the werewolf characteristics that had begun to manifest, Brad carries him.

"Wow ... to care so much about your opponent? As expected of Brad-sama Desu! Applause once again to the competitors who fought even though they couldn't win against Brad-sama who is as strong as a war god, and above all, to the kind-hearted Brad-sama"

As usual, Rosie's voice which praised Brad caused roars and applause which echoed throughout the arena.

Or rather were the audience crying or applauding?

(No... They can do whichever they want).

Brad, who was accustomed to being misunderstood, was sent off from the arena with a big cheer.

Chapter 32: The Wrath of a Certain Werewolf

The Demon Lord's army is divided into five main ranks.

With the exception of the dormant "Demon King", the top five ranks are the "Demon Commander", "Demon Captain", "Combatant", and "Miscellaneous Soldier", with the "Four Demon Generals" at the top.

Basically, the ranks are determined by one's fighting prowess, so those in the higher ranks are naturally looked up to and worshipped by the monsters.

However, at the same time, as there are positive looks, those who are in the higher ranks also receive negative looks such as envy and jealousy, just like in human society.

This was the case when the werewolf warrior Uru Garlov and his twin brother Ola Garlov were promoted to the rank of "Demon Commander" at a young age.

Uru still remembers that time well.

--It was a few years ago.

Uru and his brother were finally promoted to the rank of "Demon Commander" in praise of their war service. Considering their past contributions to the army, it was only natural.

However, since they were still young, the people around them were still very critical.

"I heard that the werewolf brothers got the credit again."

''They must have used some cunning trick again anyway."

"That's right. The werewolves are always so cunning. They’re powerless to produce results otherwise. They’re truly despicable."

These slanderous voices reached their ears one after another.

The Uru of today would have been able to ignore those voices, thinking that it was inevitable that they would be envied, but the Uru of that time was extremely bloodthirsty. Immediately, he bared his fangs and grabbed the monster that said that.

"Brother don't worry... It's just jealousy, that's all."

It was my brother who quickly stopped me.

"They can say whatever they want with their mouth, but we're not going to fall to the same level as them."

My brother calmly chided me.

"A true hero is shown by action, not by words. it's okay if you just keep quiet and show your strength through action. We should just gain credit for something big enough to shut them up and show them how strong we are. And eventually, we two brothers will evolve together into werewolf kings.”

“Werewolf kings...!?

Werewolf Lord, a superior species of the werewolves.

The higher-ranking species is the werewolf king.

Even for Werewolf Lords, only a handful of the top of the species can evolve to that level. When it comes to the king, only a few countable Werewolves have ever reached that level. My brother said that he would become such a person.

"That’s right. Then it won’t be impossible to become a demon general. We could even crush those who mess up with our jaws. It might be a wild dream, but there's no such thing as impossible with the Garlov brothers, is there?

The grinning brother was full of confidence, and it was clear that his words were not just momentary bravado.

Uru heard his brother's words, looked into his clear eyes, and decided to believe in him. He decided to follow his brother for the rest of his life.

"That's right, We’re going to become Demon Kings"

"Brother, let's aim for greater heights together."

The brothers exchanged hot words and reached out to bump each other's fists to make the oath at that time.

My brother said that we siblings would become such an existence together... that was when.

"...... Guaah!"

Suddenly, a sword protruded from the brother's chest.

"Ahh... Brother!!"

His brother groans and vomits blood as his gaze turns hollow.

It seems someone stabbed his brother from the back.

"You’re ...... Brad von Pistel! No, that’s wrong..."

The person who stabbed my brother from behind.

At first, it was the face of the Prince of Pistel, then it morphed into the face of a Bewitching Woman.

"Lionetta...?"

I'm sure she’s one of the highest-ranking members of the demon king's army, the "four demon generals" Lionetta.

Lionetta had an eerie smile that broke the edges of her mouth, she pulled her sword from his brother's chest.

Then, while licking the fresh blood dripping from the sword, she slowly turned her gaze to Uru, and the next moment she swung her sword down.

Uru was caught in a snake-like gaze and couldn't move as if he had been bound.

✳︎

"......!?"

In a huff, Uru awoke.

(Looks like it was a dream .......)

The blue sky soon came into view, and he was relieved to realize it was just a dream.

The vow between Uru and his brother actually took place that day. The memory of his brother's murder seems to have mixed in with it and turned it into a nightmare.

(Is this the ...... cemetery?).

He looked around and saw that it was a cemetery.

It was a cemetery behind the royal castle of Pistel.

It's a historic cemetery where only royalty and famous nobles are buried, and it's much more beautiful than ordinary cemeteries. The lawns and grass must have been tended by gardeners on a regular basis.

In a corner of this cemetery, Uru was lying down.

(Yes, I participated in the preliminary round of the Sword Dance Festival to avenge my brother's death: ......)

He was then hit by a blow immediately afterward and was knocked out.

(Why am I here......?)

During the match, the prince had already obviously found out who I was.

Even if he hadn't, his transformation would have been undone after he fainted and his werewolf form would have been seen. If that was the case, he would have been captured, tortured, and then executed, which is what happens to demons that fall into the hands of humans. Why is he in this cemetery, and not in a prison?

Uru looked around curiously.

"......!"

And then he saw a familiar face in his field of vision.

Immediately after. Before he could even think about it, he instinctively pounced on the man. In an instant, he closed the gap and swung his claws.

But the man was already gone, and the claws slashed through empty air with a whoosh!

(Too fast ......!?)

"...... You're awake. If you have the energy to attack me, you're good to go."

The man--Brad von Pistel, Prince of Pistel laughed at me with calm eyes that were not hostile in the least.

For a moment, that unguarded smile almost knocked the anger out of me. But I immediately shook my head, bared my fangs, and threatened Brad.

"Why am I here ......?

"It's because I brought you here. Do you know how hard it was to sneak you out without the crowd knowing?"

Brad shrugs his shoulders with a smile, undaunted by my ferocious gaze.

(Not caught, carried......?)

Uru furrows his brow.

That means--

"Did you protect me?"

"Well, I suppose so. But don't get me wrong. It's just that I wanted to ask you something. And that’s why I brought you here."

"Here?"　Uru looked around curiously.

Why would he bring me to a cemetery like this? It's not like he’s going to bury me here right after he gets the information. After all, this is a historic cemetery for the royalty and nobility of Pistel. It’s not the place to bury a monster like myself.

While I was thinking about this, Brad pointed to a gravestone.

"That's ...... your brother's grave."

He said a few words.

"What?"

Uru's eyes widened and he looked at the gravestone.

There was no name engraved on the gravestone, which was covered with brand new flowers, only the date of my brother's death. If this man was telling the truth, it’s only natural that he wouldn’t have known my brother's name.

But it couldn't be true.

There was no way anyone would be foolish enough to bury an enemy monster in this historic cemetery.

Even as I thought this, I checked the smell around the gravestone, and sure enough, there was a slight lingering scent of my brother's body.

There was no doubt.

This is where my brother is buried.

"If you don't like the way humans mourn, you can dig it back up or do whatever you want."

When Uru turned to look at him, Brad shrugged with a sigh.

He walked over to his brother's gravestone and gritted his teeth in front of it. He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at Brad

"Why did you mourn my brother like this?"

Brad made a thoughtful gesture.

"Your brother went on a rampage in the town and hurt the people. He was defeated by me as a result. When you think about it, I don't hate your brother, but I certainly wouldn't have mourned him. But this time is an exception. Your brother's actions were not his intentions. That's why."

"Wasn't his intention? What do you mean?" Uru frowned.

Brad looked at him curiously.

"You didn't know about ......? No, you didn't. From the looks of it, you seemed to be under the same influence."

"influence? What are you talking about?"

"The werewolf race is a smart race. Thinking calmly, it's obviously strange that your older brother, who is one of the higher-ranking species in your race, made such a reckless attack in the royal capital. He should have tried to stop me with more cunning and with less publicity. Your brother was probably under the influence of some kind of magic that made him lose his wits."

Brad shrugged.

When I think about it, he’s right. My brother has always been a calm and collected man, and he was always able to keep his thirst for blood in check. It’s unnatural for him to have acted so recklessly.

"Why didn't ...... I think about it?"

Obviously, my brother's actions were too reckless.

Why didn't I stop him?

"I told you, you were just as insane as your brother. You were probably delirious from the illusion magic 'confusion'."

"Confusion?"

If he was under an illusion spell, it would explain his brother's reckless behavior and the fact that he didn’t question his brother's actions.

However, the werewolf tribe has naturally high resistance to such magic, even more so for myself and my brother, who had evolved into werewolf lords. There aren't many illusion magic users who can influence us.

(No, there are ......)

There is one illusionary magician who can influence me and my brother. Only one person comes to mind.

-- Lionetta, the "Puppeteer Doll Master".

She is a master in this field, and with her illusionary magic, she could take even me and my brother by surprise. In fact, it seems probable that only she can do it.

"No way ... that woman"

Before leaving for the royal capital of Pistel, Uru and his brother met with Lionetta. She said she was also coming to Pistel to get rid of Brad von Pistel, and wanted to coordinate the attack.

In the end, we decided we would go after the target on our own without getting in each other's way. But strange enough, after meeting up with her, my brother and I started having strange thoughts. 

"Is Lionetta involved?"

When Brad suddenly asks, Uru widens his eyes.

What kind of genius mind does he have to conclude it was Lionetta. I guess his fighting prowess isn’t all he has.

This man was so smart that he was able to equip himself with magic items against abnormal states as if he knew I'd attack him. That's how unfathomable this man is. He thought.

But even as he felt threatened by Brad von Pistel, Uru's core was filled with even greater anger.

(Lionetta... That woman. Did she make my brother act recklessly?)

Lionetta is one of the demon generals, a person in a position Uru was supposed to respect.

However, if my brother lost his sanity due to that woman's magic and lost his life recklessly rampaging in enemy territory, it’s not something I can forgive.

If my brother had fought and died of his own will, I would have understood. But in this case, my brother just died a dog's death.

"..."

Uru grits his teeth and turns, his whole body trembling with rage.

What was Lionetta's intention in casting magic on his brother and himself to make them act like that?  He had to know the reason.

"Where are you going?"

Brad calls out but Uru doesn't look back.

"Brad von Pistel, you'll have to wait. Watch your head."

"Where's Dino. Did you kill him?"

Uru paused and stared at his brother's gravestone which Brad had made.

He mourned my brother.

I owe him a debt of gratitude for that.

"Check the second building of the academy. The warehouse."

After saying this, Uru ran off, showing off his physical strength to the fullest.

<Brad’s POV>

(... Is it Lionetta?)

Immediately after the werewolf leaves, Brad ponders alone.

There’s no doubt that Lionetta was behind the scenes in the series of Werewolf incidents so far.

And it's probably an event that wasn't in the historical facts of "Final Quest." This is because Brad behaved differently from the previous history. It seems Lionetta was ordered to dispose of Brad who was seen as dangerous after defeating the Cyclopes.

Lionetta is the one who caused Brad to fall into darkness in Final Quest. It's hard for Brad to ignore that fact.

(But it's dangerous to fight her now at his current level..)

Brad's level is 56.

This is a level at which he can fight the demon king in the main story of Final Quest, and of course, he should be able to conquer the mid-boss Lionetta.

But that's only if he had four party members. The difficulty level rises when you have to face it alone.

Even Brad, who is well versed in the ways of Lionetta, is only able to win after careful preparation.

(I think it might be safe to ask Glace and his friends to help after the rescue of Dino, and then chase the werewolf together ...)

He looked in the direction the werewolf lord took off to.

Lionetta is childish and cruel. She basically thinks that people are toys for her entertainment. She’s a woman who will tell him that making his Brother rampage in the town seemed fun to her.

I don't think the werewolf lord will remain calm when told that his brother died in vain just so she could have fun. It's likely that he would get angry and bare his fangs at her.

And if that happens, he will almost certainly be killed by Lionetta.

(If I try to get reinforcements, there won't be enough time and it will be too late.)

And the monster will die.

He was originally after my own life.

However, I have a slight feeling of guilt for killing his older brother. I didn't think of the monster’s life being threatened by Lionetta as someone else's affair.

Above all, the misfortunes of the werewolves are probably caused by Brad changing historical facts with his previous life's memories.

(No no no, to sympathize with an enemy who was aiming for my life, am I an idiot. This is something that isn’t seen even in recent Shounen mangas)

Brad shakes his head.

After thinking for a while, Brad takes a small breath.

Then he took out a magic stone for communication and poured his magic power into it.

"Yes, this is Avus your highness. Can I help you with something?"

Soon, the magic stone emitted a pale light and connected to Avus, the head steward of the royal palace.

"Can you send someone to the academy now?"

"... to the academy?"

Brad nods in response to Avus's curiously tone.

"There's a place I want you to check. I'd really like to check it out for myself, but I've got some other things I need to attend to."

Chapter 33: Prince Kurobuta meets his nemesis.

A "villainous character" is one who opposes the protagonist in a story and becomes a hated character.

There are a wide range of variations, such as an alien with a fighting strength of 530,000 who boasts extraordinary fighting power {TN: A dragonball reference}, or a good-looking character who makes you wonder if you're truly the hero. They can be as good-looking as the protagonist, or they can even have a sob story to tell.

In "Final Quest", villains are also given great importance and are explored with great care.

Lionetta, one of the "Four Demon Generals," is such a villainous character.

In "Final Quest", Lionetta used her powerful illusion magic to manipulate Brad and other important people in various places, causing many tragedies. Considering her actions, she is certainly a diabolical person.

However, there was actually a reason for her to join the Demon King's army.

To put it simply, it was for the sake of her sister.

Lionetta's sister is currently in a state of suspended animation, under a powerful curse due to some complicated circumstances, and is in a state of eternal sleep.

Lionetta knows that only the Demon King can lift the curse, so she is cooperating with the Demon King's army under the agreement that the curse will be lifted after he awakens.

In fact, she doesn't even know that the curse that's destroying her sister is a deliberate plot by Beelzebub to take advantage of Lionetta.

Of course, Brad is also aware of Lionetta's background.

This is why he chose to track down the werewolf lord and contact Lionetta, even though he knew he would not stand a chance in a direct confrontation.

To try and negotiate with his nemesis, Lionetta.

(...... is she here?)

Brad frowned as he followed the werewolf lord Uru, with his excellent stealth skills.

It was at the royal palace that he arrived.

Normally, there are many court nobles and servants in Brad's residence, but since it was the day of the Sword Dance Festival, the place was deserted.

Uru ran like a gale through the palace grounds and made a huge leap onto the main building of the palace with such lightness that it seemed as if he had wings.

Brad too, maintained a safe distance as he ascended to the roof.

(There she is...)

As expected, he found his nemesis there.

The royal palace, already on a high hill, on its tallest main building, Lionetta overlooked the arena towering over the castle town.

It was a long way from here to the arena. Normally, she wouldn't be able to watch the fight, but she must be using the sight-enhancing spell Eagle Eye.

The amount of vision that can be enhanced by the spell is proportional to the amount of magic power of the magician. For example, it is said that a wizard as powerful as Merlin, the "Great Sage," can even see what's going on in the neighboring town. I'm sure Lionetta can see a distance of that magnitude.

(...... Is she watching a match?)

Brad also strengthened his eyesight and turned to the arena, it seemed they were in the middle of Carol's match.

It's a sword fight with terrible destructive power.

Carol's swordsmanship was so strong that it couldn’t be imagined from her beautiful and delicate body, and she throws the players off the stage one after another as if it were a runaway train.

(Just as expected...)

It's not as if she's a threat now that she doesn't have the power of darkness in addition to being in the Demon King's army, unlike in Final Quest, but she's still a head taller than the average person. I'm sure she'll make it through the qualifying round without a problem.

It was when I returned my gaze to Lionetta with such thoughts in mind.

"Oh...... you're still alive?"

　Lionetta notices Uru and makes an astonished expression

"I'd like to ask you a few questions about that..."

Uru stood on the spot with a rugged face and knelt down.

"Is it true that the reason why my brother went on a reckless rampage in this town is because you used illusion magic to manipulate him?"

After being thrown a straight ball by Uru and being silent for a while, Lionetta sighs annoyed "What’s that?"

"that’s right?"

And then she said so, with no hesitation.

Uru's shoulders shivered.

"Was it part of some operation? Was it part of a strategy to get rid of Brad von Pistel and the Seven Heroes?"

His brother didn't die in vain, there was a meaning to his death, as if he wanted to believe that, Uru asks with an earnest expression.

But--

"If anything, your strength was just right. The only ones who could defeat were you were the prince and that demonslayer. I just wanted to know if there were anyone else strong enough to defeat you guys in the royal capital. See, you don't want my plans to be interrupted, do you?"

"So you're saying that my brother was just bait to expose an enemy we haven't seen yet?"

Uru quietly asks.

His voice which sounded like something that was being squeezed out began to tremble.

"Oh, so you do understand. You're pretty smart for a beast, aren't you. But your brother was really incompetent, wasn't he? The Prince took his head with just one sword swing. Thanks to him, I couldn't even measure the enemy's strength. Well, it wasn't a bad show for a pathetic clown considering the way he died."

At the moment Lionetta chuckled in amusement,

"You!!! Aaaaaaah!"

The werewolf's roar of rage echoed through the air.

A huge amount of magic power exploded from Uru's body and the air trembled due to its influence.

"--"

Immediately after, Uru takes full advantage of his beastman strength, jumps like a bullet with almost zero preliminary action and attacks Lionetta.

However, when he thought that his sharp claws had caught Lionetta, Lionetta's figure became a shadow and disappeared like a phantom shadow.

"Oh, don't you think it's terrible to attack me out of the blue like that?"

When such words were uttered from Lionetta's lips, She had divided herself into a total of ten and completely surrounded Uru.

"Multiple Shadow Avatars".

This is a type of illusionary magic of the seventh rank that creates many alter egos using shadows.

In the battles of Final Quest, there are several patterns to Lionetta's attacks. One of them is the attack pattern where she develops her shadow alters. I remember it well because I've played the game many times.

"Don't you dare say that!"

Uru roars again and at the same time attacks Lionetta's alter egos, kicking and slashing them one after another with his sharp claws.

With a single blow, the alter ego turned into a shadow and disappeared, its number gradually decreasing. However, when the number was reduced to half.

Each of the remaining alter egos created countless shadow blades in the air, shaped like daggers, and pointed their cutting edges straight at Uru.

"Shadow Dagger Rain!"

Immediately after. A total of over 100 shadow blades are fired at Uru.

Uru quickly notices and takes evasive action, but the number of blades is too large to deal with. Some blades cut Uru's body.

 Roaring Screams

Uru bleeds fresh blood from his whole body, which was struck by the blades, and almost falls to his knees.

But somehow he managed to hold his ground and look up.

"The four demon generals are no big deal. I once had a fight with my brother and was beaten. This is nothing compared to it."

　Brad narrowed his eyes when he heard Uru's bold and strong words.

(...... No, it's not the end.)

In the case of this attack pattern, Lionetta's attack should still have one move left in it. 

That follow-up attack is the decisive finishing blow in this attack pattern. Engage the target with an alter ego, shoot the 7th level magic "Dark Dagger Rain" from all directions, and then attack from behind.

That attack is the decisive finishing blow in this attack pattern.

In the next moment, the girl doll on Lionetta's shoulder suddenly appeared behind Uru, and with a dagger in her hand, she approached Uru from behind.

A moment later--

(......I can’t let that happen)

Finally, Brad jumped out of the shadows.

Then he came between Uru and the doll, deflected the sword that was thrust just in time, and it bounced away.

Both Lionetta and Uru looked at Brad wide-eyed

"Why are you here?"

"Oh, you scared me. I'm surprised you're here. It's not every day that a target shows up on his own, is it?"

The moment the two of them said their words, Lionetta dispelled her alter egos and became alone, and the doll returned to Lionetta's shoulder.

After all, Brad was Lionetta's target in the first place.

"I'm not sure if I should say it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I don't feel that way because I've been watching you from afar."

"I don't feel like I've never seen you before either."

Brad glanced at the doll on Lionetta's shoulder and shrugged.

I've fought Lionetta every time I've played the game. She was a character I liked, both her appearance and background.

 In my previous life, she was my favorite villain character. In this life, she's my sworn enemy. It was the first time I met Lionetta, and I stared at her for a while.

"Even so, isn’t he a fellow member of the Demon King army? That last attack was meant to kill, right?"

Brad asked casually, and Lionetta shrugged, narrowing her eyes with a somewhat amused expression.

"I think you are misunderstanding something, but it was this beast that bared its fangs at me. He can't complain about being killed. It shouldn’t matter to you if the enemy splits up. It's more like a win-win situation, isn't it?"

"Yes, Brad von Pistel... it's none of your business. Stay back until I kill this bitch."

Brad shakes his head while Uru, who is full of scars, tells him to stay out of it.

"I'm afraid you're no match for Lionetta now."

Uru and Lionetta are literally too different in level. In this world that closely resembles the Final Quest, the difference in level is directly related to the difference in ability. Unless you have special knowledge like Brad, the result of the battle will be the same as your basic level.

Uru wanted to deny it but in the end, he stayed silent, depressed bitterly.

If Brad hadn't stepped in when he did, he would have undoubtedly been killed.

"Ara! You said that beast was no match for me, but you can defeat me?"

"I don't know, it's a close call."

Brad replied with a generous smile, and Lionetta narrowed her eyes in disapproval, but then quickly smiled wryly.

"Then let's try ......, shall we?"

Lionetta's voice was quiet, but the terrifying magic power that could kill people by itself rose like steam from her whole body.

Even as the magic power washes over him, Brad does not falter.

"I try to refrain from fighting as much as possible, I actually want to talk to you regarding the deal you made with Beelzebub about your sister."

I went straight to the point right away.

Lionetta then looks at Brad in shock with a quizzical face.

"What... what are you saying?"

She asked as though she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Your sister is now in eternal sleep by a powerful curse. That's why you’re cooperating with the demon king's army to awaken the demon king so he can lift the curse on your sister. That was the deal you made with Beelzebub right?"

When Brad clearly strikes the core, Lionetta’s eyes widen, but immediately responds with a calm voice.

"So what if there was such a deal. What about it? Are you saying you can help my sister?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Brad immediately affirmed.

"I will help your sister. So stop assisting the Demon King's army."

Brad was able to say this confidently because he had already completed "Final Quest" including the sub-quests.

However, because it was so sudden...

Lionetta looks astonished again, but immediately shakes her head.

Then, with a lonely smile that seems to have given up on everything, her body immediately overflows with terrifying magical power.

"...?"

Immediately after. A myriad of shadow hands, which stretched from Lionetta's feet with tremendous force, entwined Brad's entire body and restrained him.

"Help me? Can you please not say that? I hate hypocrites who irresponsibly say what they can't do. I've already prepared a show for you and I'm going to kill you."

When Lionetta oozes murderous intent, the squeezing by the shadow's hand suddenly increases.

The force was stronger than he had ever felt, and if he were an ordinary person, his bones would have shattered and the internal organs would have burst.

(I can't believe it)

Lionetta tried every way in the past to save her sister and failed at everything. As a result, she is relying on the power of the demon King.

Even if he offered to help, she had no reason to believe him.

"It's natural to doubt. But as a prince, I'm responsible for the words I speak. Can you just listen to my words first?"

A bewitching smile spread on Lionetta's face as she begins to laugh loudly. Then she suddenly stopped laughing and looked straight at him.

"Ignorance is a sin. You may not understand it as a child, but there are things that can and cannot be done in the world."

She continued with a cold expression、

" In the first place. don't you think you should worry more about the people of this country and the people you care about than others?"

"Worry about the people and loved ones?"

Lionetta laughs happily when she sees Brad frowning.

"Yes. As I said earlier, I have prepared a fun show for you today. The whole country will be dyed in beautiful crimson red... Such a wonderful show. It's a special festival. After this, please enjoy the show. "

After saying so, Lionetta loosened the restraint on the shadow's hand..

And it sinks into her shadow.

It seems that the few people who remained in the palace are beginning to notice the commotion and it will be difficult to escape if reinforcements come by.

"Well, if you can protect everything, then I will listen to your bullshit. But that would be impossible."

"Wait! I'm not done talking..."

Lionetta completely sunk into the shadows before he could finish his sentence.

***

(Seems it's not going to be easy after all)

After Lionetta leaves, Brad takes a deep breath.

I had barely taken measures before meeting her due to the whole situation being urgent. But maybe I'm just lucky to be alive.

(But ... what is she planning?)

If Lionetta's words are true, my loved ones are in danger today. If so, I want to avoid it somehow.

(What can I do?)

I recall the behavior pattern of Lionetta in "Final Quest".

While running her schemes through my head, one possible thing came to mind. It’s the one with the highest probability.

(I’ve been dealt a strong hand, but there aren’t enough pieces for countermeasures)

While I was still thinking, I saw Uru standing up with his body still bloody. He tried walking but ended up wobbling around. He seemed to be alive for the time being but had suffered considerable damage.

Brad spoke with a calm voice.

"If you’re going to confront Lionetta again, I suggest you don't. No matter how hard you try, you can't beat her."

"Then what do you expect me to do? I'm not going to run away with my tailed tucked between my legs."

Brad shut up, receiving the hateful gaze head-on and feeling Uru's hatred and determination to fight Lionetta.

Then he suddenly came up with an idea.

"Then... will you cooperate with me?"

I said.

"Cooperate... with you?"

Uru tilted his head in confusion.

"Yes... Hopefully I can give Lionetta a run for her money."

Brad grinned.

Chapter 34: The Attack of a Certain Demon General

--Lionetta Brunel--

She grew up as an assassin and has lived as an assassin since childhood.

The Brunel family has been a noble family with the rank of Viscount in the Holy Reema Kingdom for generations, and assassination has been their family business.

However,

One day, the Brunel family was cut off from the Reema Kingdom like a lizard's tail.

Every year, more and more people who knew the true identity of the Brunel family came to the royal court, and some began to accuse the assassination family and the Reema royal family of harboring them. As a result, the kingdom succumbed to these voices and decided to take action against the Brunel family.

Most of the family lost their lives in a surprise attack by the kingdom's army, and Lionetta was left alone with her sister to escape their pursuers.

She had the ability to bring down her pursuers.

At any rate, Lionetta's ability had been outstanding since that time, equivalent to a level of 45 in Final Quest.

But Lionetta was also human.

It’s not possible for them to live a life of constant vigilance. Eventually, they would get worn out and be defeated. That's why she needed to find a safe place to live.

But just when she thought she had finally found a safe haven in a small village on the Deltora Peninsula after wandering around to the point of feeling faint, her sister was cursed by Shade, the spirit of darkness, and fell into an eternal sleep.

For Lionetta, who had lost her family and her job, her sister was everything. She tried everything she could to save her sister from the curse.

But - it was no use.

No matter how many potions she used, or how many requests she made to the highest-ranking priest, her sister remained stubbornly asleep and would not wake up.

It was then that Beelzebub appeared.

Lionetta later decided to help the Demon Lord awaken in exchange for him lifting her sister's curse.

She then joined the Demon King's army and rose to become one of the "Four Demon Generals," and now she was very close to awakening the Demon King.

In order to awaken the Demon Lord, a huge amount of magic power is required.

　

And magic power is created by the flow of human emotions.

That's why, this time, while Lionetta had her sights set on killing her target, Brad, she was actually planning to wreak havoc on the royal capital of Pistel, Fall Flat, and shake the emotions of the people.

The magic power that could be generated from the people in the capital is enormous. If she could gain it, she would surely get closer to awakening the Demon Lord.

She had just encountered Brad in the royal palace when she was preparing for such a plan while watching the progress of the matches in the arena.

✳︎

(...... save my sister, he said?)

Thinking of the hateful face of Prince Brad, Lionetta grits her teeth.

This is the top of the clock tower in the central square.

After her encounter with Brad, Lionetta moved from the royal palace to this place and looked down at the arena while making the final confirmation of her plan.

The time was already past noon.

The preliminary battle royal had been completed in the morning, and the main battle tournament was about to begin.

(...... You don't know anything.)

The prince's manner of speaking suggests that he has some information about her sister's current situation, although the source is unknown.

But Lionetta, who has been by her sister's side all this time to save her, knows better than anyone how strong her sister's sleeping curse is. It's not something that the prince can just suddenly break and save her.

(Surely, you who are blessed don’t know this. You probably don't know that there are people who can't be saved even if they wanted to. I’ll teach you. Watch your loved ones die in front of you and feel your helplessness painfully.)

As Lionetta smiled coldly, a voice from the arena’s host reached her ear, thanks to her enhanced hearing.

“We’re about to begin desu! The role of explaining the qualifying round which would have been done by all three of the “Seven heroes” has been withdrawn due to the fact that Merlin and Glace had a job to do. Now the explanation will be done by Celie-sama alone desu!”

The smile on Lionetta's face deepened.

 (Indeed, I don't sense any signs of the Great Sage or the Demon Slayer. It seems the tide is completely in my favor.)

The plan for this show was based on the premise that the three heroes, Glace, Merlin, and Celie would be there. So as long as she could shake the people's emotions and collect magic power, she didn't necessarily need to win the battle.

However, if Glace and Merlin were not around, it might be possible not only to collect magic power but might even be possible to bring this country down.

If that happens, it will bring the Demon Lord's awakening even closer.

(In any case, it's time for a fun show. First, let's get the most obtrusive woman out of the way, the Saintess of Salvation, Celie.)

Lionetta raised her hand towards the arena.

"Shadow hunt.”

She chanted in a whispering bewitching voice.

　✳︎

In the arena, there is a back passage for the officials.

The players and their officials go through the back passage to get to the arena and the seats of honor. There were two figures passing through the back aisle right now.

They were Brad's fiancée, the fragile and beautiful duchess "Fairy Princess" Marie El Folktas, and her personal maid, Remilia.

After seeing Brad pass the qualifying round, she left for a while and came back to meet the start of the tournament.

"Marie… what will you do if Brad wins?”

Remilia asked and Maria looked depressed.

After a while of silence.

"You haven't decided yet that His Highness will be the winner, have you?”

"Of course it is not definite, but I'm asking you what you plan to do if he does win. Are you going to reconsider breaking off the engagement as you promised?”

Marie stammered again.

"I can't… do that."

she said after a moment's pondering.

"I will break off the engagement, even if I have to go back on my word. This is not just about me, it is a matter of His Highness's life. As his vassal and betrothed, it is my duty to protect him.”

Marie's eyes shone with the light of a strong will, as she said so.

Remilia, for her part, seemed relieved.

"I knew you would say that. If you break off the engagement, you yourself will be treated as a disgraceful daughter, and there will be no merit whatsoever. You really do love His Highness to an astonishing degree, don't you?

"It's not like that…”

Marie tries to make excuses with her cheeks flushed, but she stops halfway and says.

“I do, but…”

"You do… don’t you?"

Remilia giggles and Marie pouts her lips.

A lot of people think that Marie is unapproachable, but in front of the maidservants who are familiar with her, Marie's childish nature comes out.

As they were talking, the distant cheers grew closer and closer, and before they knew it, they were at the dignitary's table.

They bowed to the King Castral and took their seats.

(Oh? I see Glace-san and Merlin-san are not here.)

Marie looks at the commentary table and nods her head.

The two who had been chatting happily at the commentary table during the preliminary round were nowhere to be seen.

There was no sign of them in the dignitary's seat either, so it seemed that they were not in this arena at least. Aside from Merlin, Glace seemed to like Brad, so it was surprising that he wasn't in the main tournament. Or would he be back for Brad's match?

While Marie was thinking about it.

Finally, it struck.

"…!?”

Suddenly, from the commentator's seats, she felt magic so terrifying it stung her skin.

Immediately after. The shadow underneath Celie in the commentary seat grew and spread out like a large furoshiki (wrapping cloth), enveloping Celie's entire body.

Then, the shadow that had enveloped Celie became smaller and smaller, and then, to my surprise, it completely disappeared with Celie.

"Was that… ‘Shadow Hunt’?”

King Castral muttered in astonishment.

--Shadow hunt--

It's a 5th rank magic that envelopes the target in a shadow and traps them in a different space of total darkness.

Normally, the other space disappears and the target is released in just a few minutes, but the duration can be greatly extended depending on the power of the magician. I've heard that it is possible to completely isolate the target for several hours depending on the power of the magician.

“Huh? Celie-sama!? Where on earth...?”

It was when Brad's personal maid, Rosie, who was hosting the event, began to panic,

It was then that I noticed a figure above the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I am the puppeteer doll master Lionetta, one of the highest-ranking "four demon generals" in the demon king army. I'm here today to bring you a fun show.”

The woman in the bewitching dress, who called herself Lionetta of the "Four Demon Generals," slowly bowed her head with the graceful gesture of a noblewoman.