Chapter 56
Same day, just before dawn.
“Penny-san, Penny-san.”
“A report, Emma? I’m listening.”
In the dim roadside shadows, a middle-aged man and a girl of about ten were holding each other affectionately. They spoke softly into each other’s ears.
“It was that insufferable Duke Mikuar’s house, but they’ve agreed to support us in this coup.”
“Hm. A duke’s house, is it? Even though they’re related to the current royal family.”
“They’ve been in decline recently. …The gamble paid off.”
To an outsider, it looked like nothing more than a peaceful embrace between father and daughter. Yet their whispered words were a path toward toppling a nation.
“Now that we’ve brought the duke’s house to our side, the coup is all but complete. All that remains is to time it right—we should move immediately after the war with the Demon Lord’s army ends.”
“People tend to let their guard down the moment a major goal is achieved. Yes… that may well be the perfect timing.”
“Exactly. Our goal is to seize power without any civilian casualties. The only head we need to take is that of General Mino.”
A glint of murderous intent flickered in her eyes. The young girl recalled the grotesque pink-haired devil.
“At long last… we’ll crush that womanββββ”
A bitter foe from the days of the volunteer militia, they’d crossed blades multiple times, leaving Emma with wounds of frustration. The woman she hated and had clashed lives with again and again.
During the neighboring country’s invasion a few years back, they’d even shared a frontline camp. But ultimately, Penny and Mino had always been enemies with opposing ideologies. A clash between them was inevitable, and they had both known it.
“Does Mino truly have to die?”
“Yes. Her death is essential.”
Penny furrowed his brow slightly, but nodded, as if conceding the point. He preferred to minimize casualties, even if the person in question was his political rival, Mino. If she could be saved, he would have wanted to save her.
But Emma felt differently. She had already made up her mind—Mino must die.
“In the future you envision, Penny-san… there’s no place for that womanββββ”
The reason for that intent to kill—Emma had a firm political conviction, born of her background as someone “from the people.”
“Politics must only ever have one correct answer.” If double standards were allowed in governance, the people wouldn’t follow.
General Mino had offered a correct answer. That was precisely why her answer couldn’t be allowed to remain.
(Mino’s way… is viable, in its own way. Truth is, ever since she became General, the nation has improved dramatically.)
Yes. Unlike Penny, Emma didn’t believe Mino was wrong. She understood that Mino’s policies had logic. But those policies were “another correct answer” apart from Penny’s.
(Still… if there’s a way to achieve our goals without sacrificing the people, that’s the better path. Penny-san, who can do that, is the one who should be king.)
That’s right.
ββββHad Penny been king, better results would have been achieved without such sacrifice. Emma’s decision to make Penny king was born of that certainty.
“That woman has no place in a world built for the people.”
Mino viewed the world through the lens of a ruler, not the ruled. That’s why, if the situation called for it, she was willing to use civilian sacrifice as a calculated tactic.
ββββChange the underlying assumptions, and lives might be saved. Yet Mino would abandon them without hesitation.
“…I see.”
“If Penny-san had been leading the nation, the people of the castle town would have gladly offered their funds, and the existence of the Demon Lord’s army would have been widely believed. But with that woman… it just wasn’t possible.”
The fundamental difference between Mino and Penny lay in Mino’s lack of charisma.
And more than that—she didn’t want charisma. Mino didn’t trust something as fickle as that.
What moves people is not goodwill, but fear. Mino preferred threats and bargains. She simply couldn’t comprehend the kind of thinking that trusted others unconditionally.
That was Mino’s greatest flaw.
“We must guide the people to places Mino could never reach.”
Lives could be saved if people believed in one another and were, in turn, believed in. Mino, however, rejected such intangible things from the outset.
That was her limit. She might have been the ultimate tactician, but she could never be the ideal one.
“To save and guide as many lives as possible… You’re the only one who can do that.”
Not for the sake of the king. Not for the sake of national interest. For the people, by the people—that was the governance they would realize.
“…Hmm.”
“Is something the matter, Penny-san?”
“Hmm… hmm… no, I imagine even Rex has sensed it by now.”
“?”
In that suspicious moment of conversation, Penny grimaced and looked toward the castle gate with a groan.
Penny was a gritty, front-line hero. When it came to ambushes or sneak attacks, he was second to none in awareness.
“Emma. It seems the Demon Lord’s army is finally launching a full-scale assault.”
He had keenly sensed the monstrous presence bearing down upon them in overwhelming numbers.
“…So it’s time, then.”
“Just in case, let’s move to a position where I can rush onto the battlefield. If Rex is around, I likely won’t need to step in myself.”
“Understood. I’ve already arranged it with the soldiers—let’s head up to the castle gate.”
“Much appreciated.”
The hero temporarily suspended his plotting. Silently, he set off toward the battlefield, where the demon horde would soon descend en masse.
The final battle in the royal capital was about to begin.
The blackness spread across the green earth.
Near the castle gates, Rex stood guard over the carpenters when he saw it—an overwhelming swarm of demons flooding in.
“The demons… They’re pouring out of the ground. So that’s where they set up their base.”
A sea of writhing demon shadows spilled across the plains.
This was no skirmish. It dwarfed the scale of the previous invasion of the neighboring country. And this time, the enemy had chosen to deploy right in front of the royal capital.
Without a doubt, this was the greatest threat the Pedia Empire had ever faced.
“What a crowd. Now this looks like it’ll be fun.”
The Sword Saint grinned at the endless tide of enemies, amused.
Individually, the demons weren’t much. But even for someone like Rex, fighting this many at once would be a challenge.
βββA perfect rehab session for my newly regrown arm, he thought.
“Please wait, Sir Rex. I have a proposal.”
Just as he reached for his sword, a voice called out, stopping him. It was Mei—the young, inexperienced black mage who had been staying behind to look after him.
She stood her ground and met his eyes, her voice trembling but filled with resolve.
“What is it, Mei?”
“Please, allow me to launch the preemptive strike.”
She wanted to prove herself.
“Preemptive strike?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? I looked up to Clarise. I tried to follow in her footsteps. Compared to her, I’m not much—but even I can use long-range magic. In fact, I specialized in it so much that I ended up neglecting everything else.”
Mei lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back up and declared with quiet confidence:
“When it comes to ranged attacks… I can handle it.”
“But… the casting time is ridiculously long,” she admitted. “So long that I’ve never even tried to use it in battle. Clarise could cast spells of the same level without blinking. But… right now, the enemy is advancing in tight formation.”
“Hm. So that gives you enough time to cast that long-range spell of yours.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes shone with a desperate desire to be useful. Seeing that, Rex slowly returned his sword to its sheath.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
“You can really do it, Mei?”
“…I don’t have Clarise’s mana. I’ll probably faint after just one shot. But… I’m confident I can do some real damage to the Demon King’s army.”
“Sounds good to me. Once you’re done, we’ll have someone carry you back to the castle. If it messes up their formation even a little, it’s worth it.”
“All right then. Mei, we’re counting on you.”
“Y-yes! Leave it to me!!”
And so it was.
The younger sister of the supreme mage—dismissed as inexperienced, drained, and useless—
—for the first time in her life, began to chant the grand spell she had spent her entire existence preparing for.
A soft breeze stirred, rustling the robe of the small black mage. Standing alone beyond the defensive line, Mei raised her staff, held it level to the ground, and aimed it at the approaching army of the Demon King.
γβββO soul clad in blazing flame…γ
Her chant began softly—an invocation of the fire attribute, the one she had mastered above all.
Slow, yes—but fire magic boasted superior attack power and wide area coverage, making it ideal against large armies.
γββββLet the blaze become a great inferno, and reclaim its crimson brilliance.γ
“…Wh-what a complicated spell. So Mei really is Clarise’s sister.”
“Is it that impressive?”
“It’s a seriously advanced incantation. Her control’s a bit rough, but at this rate… it’ll succeed. I’d say it’ll blow away at least thirty meters.”
“Ooh, not bad.”
Listening to Mei’s chant, Karin wiped the sweat from her brow.
Mei’s magic really was high-level. No wonder she’d once tried to measure up to Clarise.
Sure, the casting time was absurd—but this spell clearly outclassed anything she’d used before. Even the one that blew away that cave where they found Flatche… this went beyond that.
As the group watched in awe, Mei suddenly halted her chant. She turned her eyes confidently toward Karin, her voice firm and clear.
“Yes, just as you said, Karin-san. As it is, it’ll only cover about thirty meters. …So now comes the real part.”
“…Huh?”
γββββO dragon, dragon, dragon!! Beckoning white flame, fiery rite—become a great vortex of catastrophe!γ
At that moment, Rex flinched. A chill ran down his spine.
White smoke began to coil around the massive fireball Mei had conjured, swirling like a dragon, letting out a low, otherworldly roar.
The sight was practically mythic—so unreal it bordered on divine.
“…Whoa!? Mei, that’s going a bit too far, isn’t it!?”
“Karin, what’s happening now?”
“She’s nesting an explosion spell inside the core of the fire spell. That’ll spread the flames even wider. It’s a basic trick used to power up beginner spells—but I’ve never seen anyone do it on something this big.”
“…So, basically, it’s insane?”
“Yeah. Right now, Mei’s doing something on par with Clarise! Can she even control it!?”
“I’ll do it. No—I will control it!”
Sparks shot out as the fireball trembled. The massive plume of flame wavered, and the Demon King’s army visibly began to panic.
Rex and Karin could only hold their breath. All they could do was watch—watch this unparalleled destructive force take shape before their eyes.
A miracle of a fire spell. A grand spell crafted not by the supreme archmage, but by her little sister.
γββββSeed of the Blazing Inferno, now arrived. Grand Spell: “Flame Prison Array,” now be born!γ
“She did it… Mei actually pulled it off!”
“How powerful is it, exactly?”
“…The plains in front of the capital are going to be wiped clean. I’ve only heard of magic this devastating in ancient legends…”
And so—Mei had done it.
After walking the tightrope of one of the most delicate and complex incantations imaginable, she had successfully cast a mythical-grade grand spell.
Any skilled mage who saw that fireball would probably collapse from shock. This was the ultimate spell—perfected through the full extent of the magical genius of Clarise’s sister. Mei, the long-range magic specialist.
Karin was so stunned, her mouth just hung open.
ββββHowever.
“No… not yet. Actually, there’s still more to this spell.”
Mei’s eyes still gleamed with light.
“Once the explosion hits, the flames begin to fade. So, to make sure it keeps spreading, I’ll add something extra.”
“…Do you really need to go that far?”
Never in her life had Mei poured this much of herself into a single spell.
But she wasn’t done. There was still room to grow. And Mei looked utterly determined to reach it.
“That might be effective, sure, but afterwards the fire’s going to be a nightmare to put out, so maybe just don’t, alright!?”
γββββCome, my life force. Spirits of flame, my loyal companions!γ
“Hey—Mei!? Are you even listening!?”
She wasn't. The young mage kept chanting, unfazed. The fireball above her head flared brighter.
γFlame Array: Infernal Wheel! Now suffer and writhe, tormented by this eternal, unending blaze!!γ
A strange black smoke began hissing from the fireball. Its shape warped, morphing from a perfect sphere into a warped, egg-like form that pulsed and trembled ominously.
Mei barely completed the chant. Her control was visibly faltering. One slip—and the whole thing might explode on the spot.
But even so—this was fire magic at its absolute peak. There was no defense in the world that could withstand this spell.
Karin stared at the approaching Demon King’s army, a sliver of pity creeping in.
“...What even is this spell? I think I actually feel sorry for the demons.”
“If this hits them dead-on… the whole army could be gone in a single shot.”
All that remained was to fire.
Depending on where it landed, the damage would be catastrophic. Mei might even get awarded a medal for this.
But honestly—Karin just wanted her to launch the damn thing already.
ββββBut then—
γββββFurthermore!! Dual casting: Flame of Lightningstrike!γ
“……!?”
Mei began chanting again—with a cheerful smile still on her face.
The fireball twisted violently, pulsing with unstable magic. Sweat trickled down Karin’s face.
“Wait, Mei, what are you doing now!?”
“By enchanting it with this spell, the fire will travel at lightning speed. The enemy won’t be able to dodge, and the blast radius will expand even further!”
“No—that’s not what I meant! What are you doing!?”
Her explanation explained nothing.
The last spell alone had been enough. Everything after this was just overkill. It didn’t make sense to make it even stronger.
So why was she still chanting?
“Wait!! It’s wobbling—the spell’s destabilizing from all the stacking!! Mei, stop! Just throw that thing already!!”
“…But it can still grow stronger! Yes… strong enough to destroy the entire world, even!!”
“Mei, STOP! You idiot! Pull yourself together! Something’s not right—what the hell is going on with—”
Rex leaned forward, concern etched into his face, and looked at the small mage.
Her cheeks were flushed bright red. Her eyes sparkled feverishly. Her expression had gone oddly dreamy and unfocused.
Just like someone drunk on something intoxicating.
“Mei!? Are you… are you drunk on your own magic!? You’re completely high on it, aren’t you!?”
“It’s rising! My magic is still rising! Don’t worry—even if I lose control and it explodes right here, the spell itself will still be fine!”
“WE’RE the ones who won’t be fine, dammit!!”
Magic intoxication.
A phenomenon that occurs when an inexperienced mage, unused to high-level spellwork, pushes themselves to consume a massive amount of mana.
It induces a euphoric, overconfident state—much like being drunk on alcohol.
"Ahahahaha! Amazing, something amazing is coming!! I’m about to run out of mana, ahahahaha!"
"H-hiiiii!? Wait, the spell formation’s shaking so bad it looks like it’s about to blow any second!?"
"R-run! You guys, if you stay here, you're gonna get blasted!"
"It’s rising, rising, rising!!"
Mei was drunk.
Having completed an unprecedentedly powerful spell, she was in high spirits and completely carried away.
As a result, she probably had no idea what she was even doing anymore.
"Here it comes—my ultimate magic! The strongest fire spell in all of recorded history!!"
"Hurry up and fire it already!!"
Thankfully, despite being utterly plastered, her magical control held out—just barely.
"Spiral Inferno Array MAX: Grand Dragon Overlord Annihilation Festival—BOOM!!"
"H-hiiiii!?"
That ridiculously named spell shot straight toward the heart of the advancing Demon Lord’s army.
In that instant, Rex and the others were momentarily blinded by a blinding light—no, by a beam so intense it practically was light itself. The deafening roar robbed them of their hearing for a moment.
"GYAAAAAHHH!!"
From far off, the faint sound of demons’ death cries reached them through the ringing in their ears—confirming they had survived.
As their vision slowly began to return, outlines came into focus.
“…Whoa.”
Before them stretched a scene of absolute hell.
On the plains outside the capital, an endless vortex of flames roared skyward. The few demons still moving were fleeing in every direction, their ranks completely shattered—no trace of an organized army remained.
“Fweeeeh…”
“…Ah, Mei.”
The monster who had birthed this inferno collapsed on the spot, eyes spinning.
On the battlefield now scorched by purging fire, she left behind only a symphony of death cries.
“…Did the Demon Lord’s army just get wiped out?”
“Sure looks like it…”
The Demon Lord’s forces, who had been steadily advancing through years of careful planning and meticulous base-building, were all but obliterated—
By the drunken spell of a little girl.
But among the Demon Lord’s forces…
There existed a being—one whom magic didn’t work on in the first place.
“…He’s here.”
Rex had sensed it.
If that guy were to show up, it would be at the exact moment he let his guard down.
Sensing a flicker of killing intent, Rex turned slowly and slashed at the presence behind him.
“…Tch. So you weren’t off your guard.”
“I’m done letting my guard down. Last time hurt too much.”
Rex’s sword was deflected with a slick, slippery sensation.
And once more, the demon clad in black winds—Kazenagi—stood before the Sword Saint.
“…I’ve come to kill you, my friend.”
“Yeah. And I’ve come to settle the score, my friend.”
That black demon—
Had walked through that hellfire with barely a burn.
“No matter how many allies I lose… As long as I kill you, Rex, I win.”
He leveled his soot-stained dagger at Rex.
“Die for me—pathetically, miserably, like a worm, Sword Saint—”
With eyes brimming with hatred, he faced Rex with the stance of a ghost risen for vengeance.
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