"Arghhh! Damn it, what's with your strength!? Why isn't my skill working!?"

Oh, it's working, alright. In fact, your skill is actually giving me a nice buff.

"Damn it, I can't shake you off!"

The hero tried using his other arm to pry me away, but his efforts were feeble. It seemed that, while both of us were within the range of the Divine Domain skill, my strength was far superior to his.

"Whoa!?"

I yanked the hero off me, flipped him over, and grabbed him by the throat.

"Gah… I can't breathe…"

Sorry, but I don't have the luxury of being merciful. The hero could still use magic, and there's a chance he has more overpowered cheat skills up his sleeve. I couldn't afford to let him act. Tightening my grip, I began choking him. This way, he wouldn't even be able to chant spells.

"Ugh…"

Not knowing the proper amount of force, I squeezed his neck with all my might. After a while, his body went limp, signaling unconsciousness.

Still, I couldn't let my guard down. I loosened my grip slightly but kept my hand firmly on his neck. A quick check with my Presence Detection skill confirmed he was still alive.

Eventually, the golden glow of the hero's cheat skill faded, and my body felt heavy again.

"This… didn't go according to plan, but I guess it worked out…"

Though things had unfolded wildly out of line with my expectations, the outcome was all that mattered.

"Lord Demon Lord, can you hear us!?"
"Lord Jin, are you alright!?"
"Your Majesty, please respond!"

Debra, Libera, and even the human lord's voices filled my head through the telepathic communication skill. It seemed I couldn't respond during the fight while my focus was entirely on the battle.

But there was no time to rest. First, I needed to deal with this hero…

"Teleport!"

"Your Majesty, you're safe!"
"We were so worried about you!"

The moment I teleported to the Demon Lord’s castle, the grand hall erupted with cheers. The Four Heavenly Kings and the other commanders were already assembled, ready for battle.

"Y-Your Majesty! Could that be…?"

"Yes, the hero. The battle started suddenly, but I managed to defeat him."

"OOOOHHHHH!"

The entire hall roared with excitement. It was only natural—after all, the greatest threat in this war, the hero, had been defeated.

"But enough of that. Jilbe and his unit are gravely injured. Take the hero to the special prison in the dungeon immediately. I’ll return to the battlefield to treat Jilbe and the others!"

"Understood!"

Though I wanted nothing more than to rush to Jilbe’s side and heal him, securing the hero came first. If he regained consciousness while I was away, it would create unnecessary chaos.

Once the hero was locked in the special prison, I gathered a team capable of using healing magic and teleported back to the battlefield.

"Jilbe! Are you alive!?"

"…………"

"He's still breathing. Heal him immediately! Find and treat the others as well!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Though Jilbe didn’t respond to my call, Presence Detection confirmed he was still alive. Others nearby also showed signs of life.

Quickly, we gathered the injured soldiers scattered across the battlefield.

"Area Heal!"

Several healers cast overlapping area-wide healing spells on the wounded.

"Ugh… Your Majesty. If you're here, does that mean… you beat the hero?"

"Yes. Barely, but I managed."

Thank goodness. It seemed I’d made it just in time. Slowly but surely, the wounds of the injured began to close.

"What about the others?"

"…The only ones still breathing are those here. A few may have escaped the battlefield, but…"

Only seven survivors remained, including Jilbe. His unit originally had over thirty members. Though I’d already seen a few lifeless bodies, the numbers didn’t add up. Likely, more than ten others managed to flee.

"So, I couldn’t save everyone…"

"No, that's not true! If it weren't for Jilbe intercepting the hero, I’d never have survived. You saved over half of your troops by fighting him directly!"

"Exactly, Captain! You saved us all!"
"We owe you our lives, sir! We’ll follow you anywhere!"
"The ones who died would be proud to know you survived!"

Jilbe’s men clearly held him in the highest regard. He had faced the hero head-on to protect them, and not a single one blamed him for the losses.

"And if your unit hadn't encountered the hero, his ambush might have succeeded. I could have been killed, or the damage could have been far worse. The fact we defeated the hero is thanks to you. You should hold your head high!"

"…Tch."

If Jilbe and his men hadn’t intercepted the hero, there’s no telling what might have happened. My survival hinged on that encounter.

"So, the hero… did you kill him?"