82 First, declaration of war.

The next morning at home, I received a report from Ecdysius.

By implementing the means to wipe out the demons in the cave, intermediate and advanced demons appeared and entered the battle.

The result was an overwhelming victory for our side, and the high level of the knights was conspicuous in the battle.

The knights of Léanor's squad were strong enough to fight the higher level demons one on one, and they didn't have much trouble when the intermediate level demons appeared in good numbers.

In addition, the presence of such strong men as Ecdysius, Lakra, Maja, and Lord Léanor brought the demons to the brink of extinction.

While the number of lower level demons seemed to exceed tens of millions, the total number of intermediate and higher level demons was less than a thousand.

Even so, it was still a large number, but the experts who specialized in extermination battles were the best.

Ecdysium was in a good mood, and he was happy that Lakra had been able to make a strong showing.

Lakra, on the other hand, is resting at home in the Exdoik Taxi.

The night-long battle must have been exhausting for Lakra, who was a top-notch fighter but not so good at endurance.

While he was dealing with the demon reinforcements that had appeared, the lower level demons in the cave seemed to have changed their behavior.

They must have switched to more detailed instructions, and the current pattern is mainly to 'obstruct those who try to pass through from the Kuro Wolf Village side'.

In other words, the Purple Demon King can understand the situation from a distance and can change his orders at will.

The attack was suspended, as it was expected that any further attempts at subterfuge would be met with countermeasures each time.

It was decided to leave the communication with the other side to Ekduk, who could travel back and forth with his covert skills.

If you're looking to buy time, it's easy to maintain a stalemate if you don't provoke them.

But at present, there is no excuse to take the Purple Demon King out of the country.

It's not a bad idea to call it a date and go for a walk in the woods, but with demons in the woods leading to the Kuro Wolf Village, which should be relatively safe, it's hard to ask them out.

I don't know what will happen if I lose faith in him at this stage.

The demon is not completely gone, and the Leafs will probably be stuck in the woods for the time being.

I can help if it's a demon, but when it comes to facing the Purple Demon Lord, it's better for me to be his bodyguard, right?

Yes, the Purple Demon Lord is using force. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what to do with it.

"Mmm ......

Ilias is unhappy, the only thing he can do other than tailing is to train with Lord Ragdoll, but he won't be able to do that now.

"I guess we'll just have to put up with Ilias getting bored. Because of the large number of demons, the large number of Leanor troops will have to be the mainstay, even if we send them to the forest, they're likely to get into trouble.

I'm fine with that.

"I know the Iliad is growing, and Lord Reynaud is not without understanding. I know the Iliad is growing, and Lord Léanor is not without understanding, but it will be difficult for the others to work together.

"That's .......

The Iliad will only come into play when a more powerful demon appears, so be prepared for any problems with the sword being stuck until then.

A higher level demon can only be overpowered by Lakra and Exdoik.

To Lakra in particular, lower level and higher level demons are the same, they can kill you instantly.

In terms of simple ability, Ilias is better than Lakra, but he is not very good at annihilation battles.

There is also a ranged attack that compresses magic power with gorilla-like stupidity, but it is definitely a waste of magic power, and with that much magic power, Lakra can handle dozens of times more demons.

If the Iliad was to make an appearance, it would be at the level of a great demon.

Well, it seems that Lakra won't have much trouble until that point. .......

I went to the castle to check on the return of the messenger, of course the messenger is still stuck in the village of the Kuro Wolves.

In the office, Marito is also puzzling over what to do.

I want to avoid fighting inside the country, but I can't think of a way to do it.

In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to make of that.

That probably means they're coming this way.

Yeah, they're probably mobilizing the demons they've got in their hiding places in Kuama.

This is a country with no security.

"That's true, but if you want to prevent the demons from hiding in the shadows, you'll have to put up wards all over the territory.

The demons are gathering here one after another, and there is a possibility that they may even bring in the great demon known as the Unique.

Marito has already explained the situation to Pope Eupharo, and Mejis has decided to send a team of priests to Taze.

It's not a bad reinforcement against demons, but it's far from a fundamental solution.

It might be peaceful as long as the Purple Demon Lord is given a good time, but we don't know how long that will last.

Besides, if he keeps the Kuro Wolves in the cave for too long, trouble will arise.

At present, I have only informed them that a demon has appeared in the cave.

I have asked them to stay in the village for a while in order to investigate the demons that are hiding there.

However, the Kuro Wolves who have already arrived in this country will bring back new information when they return to the village.

Currently, it is easy to get to the village from our side, and if we tell them that, they will become suspicious.

If you tell them that, they will become suspicious, and when they try to come to you again, they will fully understand the anomaly.

It is worth noting that the first messenger was very good at getting around. When he first returned to the village after the demon attack, he stayed overnight because he was uncomfortable and worked alone to resolve the situation.

After that, he met up with the survey team, who also tried not to drop too much information in the village.

For now, they were just telling the people that a demon had appeared and that the country would deal with it.

If you just want to get rid of the threat to Taze, you can go to Kuama with the Purple Demon Lord.

"Don't joke with me my friend, I'll lose you for a temporary solution.

Well, you're right.

If I suggest that we go to Kuama with the Purple Demon Lord, the Purple Demon Lord will agree, and maybe Taze will be able to get away without any trouble.

But the threat of the Purple Demon King still remains, and it would be foolish to devote oneself just to rest and relax.

It would be cool if I risked my life to defeat the Demon Lord, but I don't want to live like that.

You can't help it, I'll try as many things as I can.

In the event that you're not sure what to do, you may want to check with your doctor.

We did some shopping and talked quietly in the square.

It was almost the same as the day before, there was no specific approach.

Are they satisfied with the current situation or are they waiting for our action? .......

I'm not sure what to make of this.

This is not the way I wanted to live.

You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

Even if you succeed, what will be the result, will you be satisfied with it?

No, I can't, I don't like this way of doing things, who the hell do I think I am?

You are looking at a very difficult face. ...... What's wrong?

...... Exodus, I need a favor.

What is it?

You can get rid of the magic in my hair and eyes, can't you?

Ecdysius looks surprised, but then he turns serious and asks us.

I guess he doesn't think I'm joking.

"Are you sure?

Yes, please.

What's the matter with you?

He puts his hand on your head and pours his magic into you, then retrieves it.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

As a result, the color of her hair and eyes, which had been discolored until now, returned to normal.

The Purple Demon King, seeing the change, rolls his eyes in surprise.

"You?

As you can see, I'm an Earthling just like the one you're looking for, Yukari, the Purple Demon King.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before.

------------------------------------

It took a while for my thoughts to catch up.

His black hair and dark eyes undoubtedly match the story reported by Scarlet.

And above all, he was a citizen of the same planet as Yugra, and he called himself the Purple Demon King.

In other words, he's the one who came to this country.

The man who helped the gold defeat my plans.

--I was surprised, but it felt right.

It didn't feel right to say that he was just a man who understood me, who gave me something.

But if that's the case, it makes sense, I can feel fate.

But how long had I been aware of this?

I came to this country on a whim, and I'm sure any Demon Lord wouldn't know that information.

And yet, from the first time I met him, he had changed the color of his hair and eyes.

"How long have you been aware of this?

"I only noticed it when he asked me a question, because when you know what I look like and who I've been with, it narrows it down. I'll just say that my hair and eye color were changed in a little accidental magic experiment before I met you, it's just luck.

Well, I'm the only one who could share that information and get him to do it.

I was the only one to share this information with him, and he was lucky enough to meet me in his altered form.

If he knew that I was looking for him, he would have been wary, so he contacted me while hiding his position.

At first, she probably intended to contact Tort, to find out about me.

But I was unlucky enough to be with him, and we met again.

It makes sense, but there's something I don't understand.

"Why would he reveal himself now?

But revealing yourself now would be a suicide mission, a blunder.

The reason why they have not attacked us domestically so far is that they do not know our strength and they want to avoid domestic conflicts.

The timing of the attack on us is also meaningless.

If his goal was to eliminate himself as an enemy, he should have used the opportunity to lead us to the village of the Kuro Wolves.

No, that was a possibility, and he had indeed invited her on the first day.

But I killed that chance, because I started to sabotage the message to prolong my time with him.

If he knew of my existence, he must have known of the demon's placement on the mountain.

He must have known that the goal was to buy time.

It is possible that he didn't want a stalemate, but to declare hostility now is to ignore the premise that he doesn't want a domestic conflict.

That's because we can't talk to each other properly if we're both hiding our identities.

He leans back on the back of the couch, full of openings.

He leans back against the couch, full of openings.

I don't know if he's strong, but I can barely feel his magic.

It's not that he's hiding it, it's that he genuinely has no magical power.

"Oh, you wanted to talk to me?

No, I wanted to talk to you. At first I was afraid it was some kind of reprisal against me, and I thought I could do something to get rid of it, but now that it's here.

Does that mean you've changed your mind?

Something like that.

Why?

First, because I knew you were after me personally no matter what, and second, because I didn't want to involve the Kuro Wolves or the people of this country in it. Thirdly, I didn't want to take advantage of your goodwill any longer.

So that's why he gave up his advantage.

How sweet, how warm, when a fight here would involve many others.

"Since you've been deceiving me, you didn't think there would be a fight right here and now, did you?

I did not.

Oh, you think I'm not going to attack you because of my feelings for you?

No, I was prepared for that possibility. But that's just it, I'm not going to fight back, I'm not going to fight back, I'm not going to fight back.

Are you saying you would give your life to atone for betraying me?

No. I was going to flee the country as fast as I could if we were attacked. I don't want to die.

His dark eyes stare straight at me, and I can't sense any lies in them.

I already know what I should do, and I've already prepared a plan to maintain my time with him.

But with his current actions, they've lost their meaning.

No, you can use them if you want to.

He lied to you, he betrayed you--or did he?

I don't know if what he just did can be called a betrayal.

I'm confused now, aren't I?　I'm trying to figure out what to do with you.

"Go back to your original purpose. Purple Demon Lord, what are you doing in this country?

"My purpose... yes, you, the people of Yggra. I came to this country because I'm curious about you, because you destroyed my purpose, and because I want you.

So, how are things now?

It's the same as ...... now. I want you.

And you don't use the power of the cage?

I don't know how much he knows about my powers, at least not the details of the gold.

But he's convinced I'm not using my powers.

"Is it because of your words on ......?　Maybe it's because of what you said on , that it's easy to use your power, but you're not sure if it's worth it?

That's why you've been trying to make it yours.

Yeah, I know, right?　But that's over, isn't it?

Now that he's revealed himself, those peaceful days with him don't exist anymore.

He ended it, and I can't continue it on my own.

No, if you don't want to rely on the power of the cage, I will.

What do you mean?

"It's a simple game, you want me. If you can get me on your own, you win. But if you rely on the power of entrapment, you lose. That's what this is about, right?

--Oh, so he's still going to give it to him.

Opportunity, possibility, and your own mind.

I don't care if this is a trick of his, he is a man and he has given me an equal match as a Demon Lord.

He's bravely coming against me to show me how to cage him in the Caged Purple.

It's an easy game to play when you use your power, but it's a very tempting one.

I want to value him, to hold him in my hands as something valuable.

The eyes were supposed to be black, but they were more vivid than any color.

"Good, very good, aren't you?