Huh? That’s odd. I was imagining a bigger cheer than when the Demon Lord Army’s Four Heavenly Kings, Libera, appeared.

“Um, Libera-sama… Did you just say ‘Demon Lord’?”

“Yes! Just the other day, the Demon Lord Summoning Ritual was performed at the Demon Lord’s Castle, and this Demon Lord was summoned!”

Libera boasted proudly, but the reactions around us weren’t particularly good. People were giving me curious, suspicious looks.

“What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you all be happy that I and the Demon Lord have come as reinforcements?”

“N-No, of course we’re grateful! But, um… compared to the previous Demon Lord, how should I say this… you're not as large, and we don’t really feel much power from you…”

Ah, so that’s it. Yeah, compared to the commanding officer of the demon forces here, I am smaller, and maybe my armor doesn’t look as menacing.

“How dare you speak such insolence to the Demon Lord!”

“Eep!?”

“Stop, Libera. It’s fine. True, I may be smaller than the previous Demon Lord.”

“D-Demon Lord-sama!?”

“But, judging someone solely by their appearance is the act of a fool.”

Demon Lord's Intimidation Skill!

“Ugh!?”

“What incredible pressure!?”

“Th-This is…!?”

As expected of the commanders and elite officers of the demon forces—they didn’t fall to their knees under the weight of my intimidation. But it seemed to have the desired effect.

“My deepest apologies, Demon Lord-sama! Please forgive me! I will accept any punishment you see fit!”

The demon commander and others around him knelt before me, lowering their heads, so I deactivated my Intimidation Skill.

Hmm… For some people, making others bow to them might feel good, but for an old guy like me, it doesn’t make me happy at all. In fact, it’s just uncomfortable.

“Enough, all of you, raise your heads. I didn’t expect to be immediately recognized as the Demon Lord just by showing up. But watch closely what I’m about to do.”

Ugh, this Demon Lord act is tough for an old man… It feels like I’m actively creating a cringe-worthy, embarrassing memory that will haunt me later.

But considering the future, I have to show not just the enemy but also my allies the authority and dignity of a Demon Lord.

“I shall end this battle alone.”

– [Human Side] –

“…Huh? There’s someone coming this way alone.”

“The fighting didn’t start until later yesterday or the day before, right? Even if it’s an ambush or a decoy, it’s weird for someone to be alone.”

“The demons aren’t that stupid. But maybe they finally realized they’re losing and are coming to negotiate a ceasefire or surrender. Let the captain know, just in case.”

“Tch, what a pain.”

From the distant demon camp, a single figure was walking toward us. He was clad in jet-black armor. Some demons prefer plate armor that covers their entire body, just like that guy.

I’m just a messenger in this war, relaying commands from above or battlefield reports from below.

People sometimes say it’s an easy job because you don’t have to fight, but they don’t realize that we’re prime targets for enemies, and we have to run across battlefields filled with arrows and magic. It’s not as simple as they think.

There are telepathic skills and magical devices for communication, but only the higher-ups have access to those rare skills or expensive tools.

“Report! A demon in full armor is slowly approaching from the enemy side. What should we do?”

“…Alone? Could it be negotiations for a ceasefire? Either way, we have no intention of accepting any surrender or truce. The only ones worth sparing are the demon women, who we’ll keep as slaves. Kill him immediately.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll relay the order.”

The decision from the top was simple: kill him on sight. Ever since the hero defeated the previous Demon Lord, the humans have held an overwhelming advantage. There’s no need to keep any demons alive.

“Oh, they’re quick. But isn’t it a bit much to send ten soldiers to take down one guy? That’s overkill.”

After relaying the order to the combat unit, ten soldiers immediately moved to surround the armored demon. Sometimes overly confident demons would charge in alone, so it’s probably just a precaution.

They seemed to be saying something, but I couldn’t hear from this distance. Poor guy. Negotiating for peace is pointless.

Bang!

“What the…!?”

I had no idea what just happened, but the soldiers who had surrounded the black-armored demon suddenly collapsed. It didn’t seem like the demon had physically done anything, so it might have been magic.

The demon didn’t finish off the fallen soldiers but simply resumed walking slowly forward, just as before.

“What the hell just happened?”

“No idea. Was it some kind of magic?”

Like me, no one seemed to know what the armored demon had done.

“Oh, here come the next ones.”

Seeing the first group fall, another squad moved out to intercept him.

“What the hell is that!? Neither arrows nor magic can reach him! And—ugh, they’re going down again without anything hitting them!”

The next squad had tried shooting arrows and magic from a distance, but everything seemed to be blocked by some invisible wall in front of the armored demon.

And just like before, the soldiers started collapsing without the demon even lifting a finger.

What in the world is going on…?