It had been quite some time after the date had changed.
We gathered at a time when the West Adventurer Guild would usually be deserted.
After finishing the reception, we were surprised to see a Veteran Party here, at this late hour.
Niina-san, acting as our leader’s subordinate, called out to them.
“I apologize, Citrus-dono, Junos-dono, but it seems it’s decided.”
“Oh, that’s fine. After all, the Seven Great Demon Lords here are finally going to be defeated. Waiting for that is no problem.”
“Are you truly going to take us all the way to the Demon Lord’s gate?”
The two individuals who answered were prominent figures in our Adventurer Guild.
They were the A-rank party “Dynamic Attention,” who had served as field supervisors under Niina-san’s overall command during the Quasi Demon Lord Lockheed Dragon subjugation. To our surprise, they had shown up, having been woken up for this.
“Ah, if an emergency occurs, we’ll retrieve you and return. At worst, you won’t all be wiped out. Even if things get really bad, Anju here will survive with this item with 99% certainty.”
Was it called the Hyper Super Desuderica-chan Doll? Anju-chan, with it hanging from her neck, called it a cursed substitute doll. She opened her robe to show it to us. When you push her back, she always utters nonsensical words, which is creepy.
“Calling Fuka-chan to a venue with a capacity of two thousand people at P is like starting a war!”
According to Anju-chan, she’d pushed it about three hundred times on sleepless nights, and each time it produced a different phrase. I really didn’t want to know.
“So, unless something extraordinary happens, we’ll help you. And you guys should be able to return on your own even in the worst-case scenario.”
“Well, yes. We’re counting on you to open the gate after you defeat them.”
“But are you sure it’s alright? We can help as much as you need.”
The Tamer, Junos-san, had brought four rare monsters, Magic Foxes.
(Fox-type monsters that lower the opponent’s speed with magic. That’s a fitting strategy.)
However, this operation didn’t have enough room to insert two parties.
“Inside, it’s bowl-shaped, so there’s a risk of collateral damage. In a critical situation, we can only handle up to a full party of eight people.”
Indeed, there were eight of us now. In addition to our usual five, there were actually…
“Understood. But feel free to rely on us anytime. We’ll do anything.”
“We’re grateful, but just being present for your moment of triumph is enough… Now, everyone, let’s go defeat the Demon Lord!”
The Maid-style Receptionist from Hero Reception and the Receptionist working the night shift at General Reception saw us off with applause. Ganes-san was here, but he was taking a wild nap in his room, saying, “Wake me up if you defeat it.”
“First, the standby team.”
“Alrighty.”
Anju-chan teleported the members of Dynamic Attention, along with their Taming Monsters. Presumably, they were placed before the Demon Lord’s gate, and only Anju-chan returned.
“Now, Helen, prepare.”
“Yes, Master.”
While Helen-san was summoning Succubi one after another, I called out to two slaves and the key helpers for this mission.
“Nataira, Lyra, I’m counting on you for this mission, which emphasizes firepower in a magical sense.”
“Leave it to us.” “We practiced.”
The two women were easily lifted by the newly summoned Succubi. They floated gently. We’d practiced using Fire-type magic in this state for a short while, and it seemed okay.
“Now, I’m truly sorry to ask this of you, but please, Luena, follow the plan.”
“Yes, defeating a Seven Great Demon Lord would likely result in an S-class promotion, so it’s a great help to be able to freely travel to the S area.”
Luena-san, a current A-class Magician and a Pro affiliated with the East A-area brothel ‘Temptation Lips.’ She had apparently played a major role in the Victoria Succubus subjugation and in taming the Gorgeous Succubus.
(Around that time, I… Ugh, my head! I-I wasn’t defeated, I’m not! Forget that I was turned into an Evil Heroine who was actually 38 years old!)
“Helen, please handle the particularly swift wind-type Succubi.”
“Understood, Master. The Breeze Succubi, right?”
These three would be helped by the Succubi if worst came to worst. If it were just our usual five members, Anju-chan could lift them all, but apparently, any more than that made her head spin.
“Now, the final preparations.”
For the first test, Niina-san and I would don the “Curtain of Concealment.” It was the same one that had covered the Appraisal Crystal used to expose Korome’s lie.
(With this, we shouldn’t be detected by the Beast Shooter.)
Including Anju-chan, who inherently uses concealment, the three of us would perform an ambush. The reason we chose to subjugate it in the middle of the night was to test this particular tactic.
“Alright, Anju… fly!”
“Aaaain.”
First, to the bowl-shaped area. From here, we would split into two groups. Helen-san and Clarice-san would also be lifted by the Succubi.
“Anju, I’m counting on you.”
“Aaain.”
Then, the three of us under concealment would head to the Beast Shooter’s lair! It was a coiled, reptile-like monster, one of the Seven Great Demon Lords.
“Hm? Someone’s here.”
The Beast Shooter, sensing our presence below, stirred. If it had remained coiled up in sleep, its tough armor would have been impervious to scratches. But at this moment, Niina-san readied her Berserk Sword, I readied my Pride Sword, and Anju-chan aimed the Scythe of Death directly at the Beast Shooter’s throat and chest!
*Slash!* *Swoosh!* *Chop!*
“Gaaahh, that hurt! W-Who are you?!”
Yes, we had definitely dealt damage! But it still seemed unharmed. The Demon Lord raised a hand, illuminating the surroundings.
“It’s youuuu!!”
Ah, it seems it can see us. As expected of a Demon Lord. Whether it was its inherent ability or it cast an un-chanted spell to negate concealment, I don’t know. It rolled towards us, body curled up!
“Anju, let’s get out of here!”
“Coming, coming! Derus-kun too!”
“I know, I know!”
We deliberately ran and jumped into the downward rolling path! However, at normal speed, it would catch up, so we maintained distance from the pursuing Beast Shooter by repeatedly using short-range instantaneous movements!
“Waaaaait for meeee!!!”
*Roll, roll, roll…*
This way, we let the enemy build up its speed. When we reached the exit and the original Demon Lord’s room below, we floated up and stuck to the ceiling! We waited there, plastered to the ceiling. Meanwhile, Luena-san had already made her preparations.
“Sooo clooose now, I caaaan heaaar youuuu!!!”
As its voice reached its maximum proximity, the moment it fell with a *plop!!* from the hole, Anju-chan cast a spell at the center of the bowl-shaped area!
“Dig Hole!!!”
And then, into the hole…
*Plop!!!*
“W-W-What the…?!”
It had fallen in perfectly!
(Now, this is where the real battle begins!!)
