We live at the foot of Dragon Peak.
Black Dragon Unrivaled
I can’t make sense of it.
How did it come to this?
I’m on Lily’s back, a child of the Black Dragon, flying away in the sky.
Revalia, carrying the Demon Lord and everyone else, is chasing after us. And behind them, hundreds of Black Winged Demons are closing in.
“Run away!”
Lily shouts leisurely.
With a single flap of her wings, the scenery rushes by.
As expected of an Ancient Dragon Species, her flight speed rivals Nimia’s.
The landscape below blurs past at an incomprehensible speed.
“If we get caught, we’ll be killed!”
No, no, no. What kind of situation is this?
Her scream, devoid of any sense of crisis, was nothing more than an act.
“Hey, hey. Are you really planning to infiltrate the Northern Demon Lord’s country like this?”
“We’re not infiltrating, at least not us Lily and the others.”
“……”
“Lily made a mistake with the Demon Lord, so she’s running away with Elnea-kun. It just so happens that their destination is the territory of the Northern Demon Lord. The Demon Lord and his forces are just chasing after them, right?”
This is absurd!
What could possibly lead to such a flimsy, three-act play of a story?
“But this is definitely not what you’d call a walk in the park.”
“…You’ve noticed the Demon Lord’s unreasonable behavior too, haven’t you?”
“Even if I notice it, I can’t point it out. I’d be killed.”
The Demon Lord is terrifying.
Should I say it’s as expected of a Demon Lord?
Or as expected of demons?
Or perhaps, reasons for attacking other countries always start from such nonsensical places?
I don’t know.
I don’t know, but.
There’s only one thing I can say.
The Giant Demon Lord is incomprehensible!
“Still, Elnea-kun, you’re in a pretty bad situation, aren’t you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, just because you’re a man, you get kicked off the wyvern.”
“Ah, when you put it that way, it is unreasonable.”
Before the sortie, the Giant Demon Lord said:
“The wyvern will be ridden by women only. You ride Lily.”
With the accusatory gaze of Revalia and the silent cries of “Take us with you!” from everyone on my back, I had no choice but to obey the Demon Lord’s words.
And then, the Demon Lord further commanded:
“Lily, flee towards the Northern Demon Capital. We will pursue you. If the wyvern catches up, there will be punishment.”
“Punishment? That sounds painful.”
“Eliminate anyone who interferes with your escape without mercy.”
“You mean, destroy the border security forces, right?”
“Once you reach the Demon Capital, you’ll be allowed to rest.”
“You’re planning to push all the way to the Demon Capital onto Lily, aren’t you?”
Lily’s words were ignored, and this operation proceeded entirely according to the Demon Lord’s plan.
Nominally, the Demon Lord and the Black Winged Demons are merely pursuing Lily, who made a mistake.
It seems that Lily alone is responsible for the rampage in the Northern Demon Lord Kusharilla’s country.
“Ah. It’s the border.”
After flying on Lily’s back for a while, the sturdy fort began to appear in the distance as we advanced north.
The road, winding through rugged terrain, extended north and south, and the fort, built with high defensive walls and thick rock barriers, blocked it.
As Lily approached the fort from above, several demons rose into the air.
“Halt! His Majesty is passing through!”
When Lily let out a high-pitched cry, the demons that had taken to the sky in alarm immediately retreated to the fort.
The operation has probably reached the border fort.
Or rather, you make cute noises too.
“Do the ones hiding in your pockets also make cute noises?”
Oh. You noticed Nimia.
Nimia had ended up hiding in my pocket after all.
Shivering, she lost her chance to return to Priscilla-chan and remained hidden in my pocket.
“Nyanyun. I’m scared, nya.”
“Are you scared of Lily?”
“I’m scared of the Demon Lord, nya.”
“The Demon Lord isn’t scary if you don’t anger him.”
“But since I don’t know what makes him angry, he’s scary nonetheless.”
“Nyaa.”
Nimia, having been discovered, reluctantly showed her face.
“It’s okay. Lily will protect you. I’m your older sister, you know.”
I have more sisters!
This is no time to be enjoying the camaraderie.
Once we passed the fort in the country ruled by the Giant Demon Lord, it would officially be the territory of the Northern Demon Lord Kusharilla. Just like the fort we just saw, a similarly sturdy fortress appeared on the north side of the rugged land.
From the south, black winged dragons, followed by crimson-colored flying dragons, and clearly military-affiliated Black Winged Demons flying in disciplined formations, approached at high speed, making the northern fortress suddenly frantic. Several formations of winged demons rose to reconnoiter. On the ground, the Demon Race Army began to deploy rapidly at various points of the fortress.
“Well then, let’s do this.”
The leisurely conversation has ended.
Lily’s immeasurable draconic energy, befitting an Ancient Dragon Species, swelled, and she entered combat stance. The depths of her wide-open maw darkened. A sharp glint appeared in her usually gentle golden eyes.
A ear-splitting grinding sound resounded through the sky and the earth.
I stood frozen on Lily’s back, and Nimia, her head shaking from the sight, fled back into my pocket.
In my line of sight, the fortress that had appeared so sturdy moments ago was swallowed by a giant black sphere that suddenly appeared. Then, after a unpleasant grinding, tearing, and crushing sound, the black sphere vanished, and the sturdy fortress was no more. Only a collapsed foundation, as if left unattended for hundreds of years, and a barren, rough ground exposed a ruin that left me speechless.
The demons that had risen into the sky in formations seemed stunned by the spectacular sight, gazing at the ruins of the fortress they had been defending just moments before.
Lily continued her northward march without sparing a glance at the surviving demons. Revalia, pursuing from behind, followed in silence. However, the demons in formation were all dropped by the Black Winged Demons who passed by at the end.
I am speechless.
The destructive power of Lily’s dragon arts.
The lives of the demons who guarded the fortress.
The cruelty of mercilessly killing even the survivors.
Is this war…?
The Armēdo Kingdom where I grew up, and the neighboring Yorttenitos Kingdom. Both countries have armies. However, they have never had any disagreements since their founding, nor have they ever experienced war. I had read many war chronicles and stories depicting large-scale battles in fairy tales and fictional stories. But in reality, standing in the midst of such a large-scale conflict unfolding before my eyes.
Whether human or demon, the lives treated so casually left me speechless.
However, I couldn’t tell Lily to “cherish life.” She was merely obeying the Giant Demon Lord. Lily, too, would lose her life if she defied the Demon Lord. Everyone prioritizes their own life over others.
“Don’t misunderstand. The Demon Lord took all the measures he could. It’s Kusharilla’s fault for rejecting all of them.”
Lily wants to defend the Giant Demon Lord, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t attacking the north on a whim. Yes, I understand that.
I noticed it when Mistral was summoned. The Giant Demon Lord was trying to establish friendly relations with the Dragon Race. That’s why he tried to resolve the incident in the west and the conflict between the Dragon Race and demons through the Dragon King Wol as an intermediary. But the Northern Demon Lord Kusharilla interfered. He deceived the Northern Dragon Race and stirred up trouble on Dragon Peak. And then, taking advantage of the opportunity, he sent a large army to Northern Dragon Peak.
From the Giant Demon Lord’s perspective, his prestige was tarnished by his inability to suppress the Northern Demon Lord. That’s why he resorted to forceful measures.
But this incident, in reality, has nothing to do with the Giant Demon Lord. It’s the Dragon Race who are making the fuss. Although the shadow of the Northern Demon Lord can be seen lurking behind them, the Giant Demon Lord, who rules a different country, could have been indifferent. Yet, he is intervening like this.
Why?
For some reason, the Giant Demon Lord seems to have a strong interest in Mistral. There seems to be a reason for that. The relationship between the Giant Demon Lord and Mistral is unknown.
The Giant Demon Lord sided with us, or rather, with Dragon Peak and the Dragon Race. But by raising his hand against his own kind, the Giant Demon Lord must bear some kind of debt. And since we are receiving his cooperation, we cannot turn a blind eye to the debt the Giant Demon Lord is incurring.
What the Giant Demon Lord is doing is not someone else’s problem. Therefore, we, too, should bear the responsibility along with the Giant Demon Lord.
And then. The many lives lost in an instant below. The lives of demons that will surely be lost from now on. We cannot look away from them. The reason I lead the way with Lily might be that the Giant Demon Lord is showing us how many lives will be extinguished because I, the Dragon Race, and the Dragon Peak cannot resolve this disturbance on our own.
“I think you’re overthinking it, you know?”
“Nyaa.”
“Is that so?”
I don’t understand the Giant Demon Lord’s thoughts. Or rather, his words and actions are so nonsensical that I can’t comprehend them. I don’t even know if his true nature is the terrifying presence that made my soul shrink when I met him in the western village, or if his usual demeanor is the gentle one he showed in the Demon Capital earlier.
I don’t understand the true nature or intentions of a Demon Lord. However, that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be careful not to make mistakes. We must remember that we share a part of the responsibility for all the lives lost in what has happened and what will happen.
“Alright. Elnea-kun’s determination and resolve have motivated me. Let’s go all out!”
No, no, don’t go around killing unnecessarily in your eagerness, okay? Reading my mind, Lily chirped charmingly and accelerated.
We flew north along the road extending from the south. As we flew at high speed, demon guards appeared in towns and cities of a certain size. Lily annihilated them in an instant, heading straight for the Demon Capital. For humans, demons are terrifying beings, even the lower-ranked ones. Last year, when we were ambushed by lower-ranked demons at ruins near the capital, even the valiant kingdom knights struggled against goblins. We were saved thanks to Listea and the others. That’s how clear the difference is between demons and humans. Lily, a demon who even surpasses other demons, especially trained combat demons, in strength.
Demons stronger and more terrifying than humans. The Dragon Race, which possesses even greater combat prowess than demons. And the Dragon Race, a subspecies even more fearsome than Dragonborn. There were no obstacles that could stop the black dragon Lily’s advance. Lily, flying at a low altitude, systematically eliminated the attacking demons and guarding forces. Revalia and the Black Winged Demons, pursuing from behind, dealt with any stragglers. Our march, a complete surprise, rapidly tore through Kusharilla’s territory. And finally, a giant city appeared before us. The Demon Lord’s Castle, protected by high walls in multiple layers, towered in the center of the city. Many demons, presumably from the capital’s guard, clad in matching armor, deployed before us as we flew in. The scenery around the Demon Capital rippled as if in waves.
“Amazing. They erected a barrier in an instant. Their troop deployment is also fast.”
Unlike me, who gulped nervously, Lily faced the guarding forces without much concern.
“Hurry, just a little more. Let’s wipe them out in one go.”
With a rustle, Lily flapped her wings wide and charged towards the demon forces deployed in the sky and on the ground. A volley of magic rained down. Lily let out a sharp roar, and the magic disappeared. Conversely, a beam of jet-black light from Lily’s mouth swept away the demons deployed in the sky.
“Charge!”
Lily charged into the hole that opened in the sky without hesitation. As she flapped her wings, draconic energy swirled, and darkness spread around.
“Gyaaaah!”
Screams of demons spread. Demons who touched the jet-black mist dissolved and fell to the ground. Magic fired from the ground was absorbed by the mist and vanished. The darkness spread rapidly, engulfing the demon forces on the ground as well. Screams spread to the ground.
“Vanish!”
Lily made a sharp turn in the air and swung her thick, long tail. With a dry sound like pottery shattering, the barrier that must have been intended to impede our advance cracked and exploded.
How unrivaled are you!
Before Lily, an Ancient Dragon Species, everything was like mere fodder. Lily, breaking through the barrier, invaded the skies above the Demon Capital. Demons scrambled on the ground in panic. Armies deployed within the Demon Capital also pressed in on Lily. Demons armed with long spears, ascending rapidly from the blind spots of buildings. However, magic fired from within the dark mist shot them down. Dodging the dark mist, the Black Winged Demons appeared. Revalia avoided the mist and, from far above, invaded the Demon Capital. And with a breath of raging fire, she burned away the demon forces.
“I’m getting tired!”
Screaming, Lily flapped her wings. And then, she flew at full speed towards the Demon Lord’s Castle.
“Uwah, we’re going to crash!”
The castle walls of the Demon Lord’s Castle loomed before us in an instant. Lily charged into the castle walls without hesitation.
