“If this works, it should last a little longer, even if we go wild!”
“Ahaha, a little longer, you say…”
They created a large hall that seemed to extend like a hidden passage from the throne room.
The magic consumption is still quite high for me, but since Lady Fiona seems pleased, I’ll accept it.
Still, even though it’s this large and sturdy, it seems inadequate as a place to fight with full force…
I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
“However, with this, it really looks like we can expand the underground demon realm… We could even create entrances or small dungeons…”
“A small dungeon?”
“Yes, we could make another entrance and then build paths or rooms beyond it. Even if someone reaches the deepest part, they won’t be able to reach where we are, as we can close off the paths. That way, we can create a completely independent dungeon.”
“I see… If we create a separate entrance and place something like a boss or treasure chest, it would be seen as an entirely different dungeon from this one…”
Isn’t that a good idea?
Creating multiple entrances carries the risk of this place being invaded, which is why I hesitated before, but with Lady Fiona’s suggestion, that danger can be avoided.
If increasing dungeon invaders helps safely secure the dungeon’s magic, then it’s all positive.
“Lady Fiona, I think that’s a great idea.”
“Is it? Hehe, well, I am the Demon Lord, after all. I’ve even managed multiple dungeons before… though they were all destroyed.”
“Then, I’ll make a dungeon that surpasses the ones from before.”
I ended up feeling down for no reason, so I tried to distract myself.
“By the way, you can dig through the dungeon walls, right? Does that mean we can dig through to connect one dungeon to another?”
“I don’t think that’s possible. Even with my magic, it would be quite exhausting, and if we don’t immediately rebuild the walls or rooms after digging, the dungeon will start repairing itself back to its original state.”
I see… That would require a lot of magic and manpower.
Considering that even Lady Fiona gets tired from using that much magic, it wouldn’t be easy to do.
The Dungeon Master’s skill of handling it with minimal magic is truly impressive.
“That leaves the issue of where to create the entrance.”
“Yes, we’ll need to check the outside world directly, or it would be too dangerous.”
So, we’ll have to go outside…
I really don’t want to. After all, it seems like only dangerous people who would try to kill us are out there because we’re demons.
But if it has to be done, I guess I’ll just have to do it carefully and secretly.
“Speaking of which, I have a good idea.”
Lady Fiona seems to have a plan, as she confidently presents something to me.
This… it’s a bottle filled with a flashy, rainbow-colored liquid. It’s a resurrection potion, isn’t it?
“Resurrection potion. You managed to make it again.”
I had been asked many times to open treasure chests, but I had already given up and just opened them without checking the contents.
But it seems there was a resurrection potion in one of them.
“Yes! Finally, I hit the jackpot! I think it was worth using the magic from the throne room for this, don’t you?”
“Lady Demon Lord…”
“No, I won’t be doing that again. But this one was made before Primilla suggested it.”
Despite her usually emotionless demeanor, Primilla shot a side-eye at the Demon Lord, and she immediately began making excuses.
It felt less like a suggestion and more like a lecture, but I won’t point that out—it’s probably the Demon Lord’s pride.
“Then, are you going to resurrect the Four Heavenly Kings again?”
“Yes. Last time, I resurrected Primilla as a bodyguard and someone to offer opinions on the Demon Lord army’s strategy.”
“I’m honored.”
In truth, if Primilla hadn’t been there, it seems we would have drained all our precious magic.
I think Lady Fiona made the right call.
“Now, I’ll resurrect Pilkaya, who will serve as the eyes for the entire world.”
“Pilkaya? I think that’s a fitting decision.”
Pilkaya… I can’t imagine what kind of person that is from just the name.
If I were playing a game, I might have known from just the name, but unfortunately, I didn’t even know Lady Fiona’s appearance.
As I wait with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, the resurrection potion begins bringing to life a small humanoid form.
…A lot of the Four Heavenly Kings seem to be on the smaller side, like Primilla .
“Huh… Who am I?”
It’s humanoid. But I can tell right away that it’s not a human.
Its hair and body are entirely on fire, like a living flame. Its eyes, unlike ours, have black sclerae and golden pupils.
“Welcome back, Pilkaya. How does it feel to be alive again?”
“Ah, I see… I must have died at the hands of the heroes. Since this is the underground demon realm, does that mean the Demon Lord is the one who defeated them?”
“Yes, I defeated both the human heroes and the beastmen heroes.”
“Wow, as expected of the Demon Lord. You defeated those heroes so easily?”
Pilkaya’s face, though not quite human, is incredibly expressive.
At least, it shows more emotion than Primilla , who is mostly expressionless.
“Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing at all…”
Primilla immediately ended the conversation when I was asked.
…How did she know?
“By the way, I’ve been wondering, who is this person? I recognize Primilla , but I don’t remember this demon.”
“Yes, he’s Rey, the last member to join the Demon Lord’s army after everyone else was wiped out. He also created the resurrection potion to bring you back.”
“Oh! I see, so I owe you a debt.”
The fiery boy, looking intrigued, approaches me and starts observing my face closely.
But even though he says I owe him a debt… it’s not much to me.
The magic expenditure was huge for me, but to Lady Fiona, Primilla , or Pilkaya, it’s just a small amount of magic.
Pilkaya: Magic 120, Strength 99, Skill 80, Toughness 99, Agility 85
Pilkaya’s magic is impressively high.
It’s on par with Primilla ‘s toughness and one of his standout stats.
“No, it’s thanks to Lady Fiona’s magic, not mine.”
“…It’s thanks to the magic you used up, though.”
“…Well, since Pilkaya was resurrected, it’s a net positive.”
“Demon Lord…?”
“I’m sorry.”
Once again, Lady Fiona is being scolded…
As I thought this, Pilkaya-san seemed to be watching with interest, and then, he gave a suspicious grin.
“Okay. Okay. I got it. You’re really good at getting in good with people, huh? I might want to learn from you.”
“N-no, not at all…”
Could it be… that the newcomer is getting on someone’s nerves by being too forward?
“No, no, that’s not it. It just means you’re really capable. You know, I also contributed a lot and worked my way up, and that’s how I was finally promoted to one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
Being one of the Four Heavenly Kings means they are second only to Lady Fiona, essentially a top elite.
I guess it’s no wonder they might think I shouldn’t be so presumptuous to stand shoulder to shoulder with such people…
“But, you know… I ended up getting killed by the heroes, didn’t I? So I have to redeem myself here.”
I see. Pilkaya-san and Primilla both lost to the heroes once before.
To think that such a powerful demon race could be defeated by the heroes… Now that I think about it, there was that fearsome beastman who had particularly high stats.
He might have been stronger than the Four Heavenly Kings, right?
It makes me realize how unlucky I was when we first encountered him. If Lady Fiona hadn’t been there, I would’ve been killed in an instant, and just thinking about it gives me chills.
“Huh? What’s wrong? Did I say something weird?”
“N-no, I just remembered something unpleasant.”
“Oh, that’s it.”
“What is?”
“Like I said, we’re some of the last remaining allies, right? So, let’s drop the formalities. It’s a bit uncomfortable, don’t you think?”
I had just reminded myself not to get too familiar with people as powerful as the Four Heavenly Kings, but…
“U-uh, okay… I understand.”
“Good. You can just call me by my name. Nice to meet you, Rey.”
“Y-yes. Nice to meet you, Pilkaya.”
Well, let’s think positively.
This person is probably like Lady Fiona and Primilla, treating even lower-ranked demons like me as equals, welcoming me as an ally.
“Alright, now we’re allies. So, about that…”
Pilkaya leaned in close to my ear.
It seemed like he wanted to tell me something that he didn’t want even Primilla or Lady Fiona to hear.
◆
“The Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s army. Soul Elemental Pilkaya. So, you must be the heroes that Primilla mentioned~”
The boy who appeared amidst the blazing city spoke with an unusually bright voice to the heroes.
“Soul Elemental… I didn’t expect even spirits to be on your side.”
“Yep, spirits. And not just any spirits, but high-ranking ones. It’s great, really. It makes my job so much easier. I can show my worth to the Demon Lord with minimal effort.”
“Don’t underestimate me. Fallen spirit, you’re going to be erased here!”
“Hahahahaha! Underestimate me? Fallen spirit? And erased, huh… Well, let’s see who’s really underestimating who!”
The flames making up his body surged even higher, reflecting his emotions.
Ordinary people wouldn’t even be able to withstand the heat emanating from those flames.
Just that was enough for the heroes to realize the strength of the boy-like elemental spirit, and they braced for a fierce battle.
“Water spirit, lend me your strength!”
If it’s fire, you fight with water. It was the textbook response, and the girl’s actions were not wrong.
But that was just standard procedure, and it didn’t work on him, who was an exception.
“Ugh… No way… The fire spirit is easily overpowering the water spirit?”
“Sorry~. Water isn’t my weakness, it’s actually something I’m good at. Now, let me burn you all up!”
Flames rushed toward the spirit-wielding girl.
But just as they were about to hit, a wall made of magical power blocked the flames.
If it had been a moment later, she would have turned to ash.
“Hah!? What the hell! I had a perfect chance, don’t mess it up!”
“Too bad. With that, Primilla, or whatever her name is, was way stronger!”
“Ahh…! How could this happen?”
The girl who had cast the protective barrier had three roles.
First, protecting her allies from attacks, like when she shielded the spirit-wielder.
Second, healing the wounded allies.
And third, supporting the team’s attacks by bestowing holy attributes.
Pilkaya, who had thought it was just a sword, was cleaved in half by a hero’s sword that had been imbued with the holy attribute.
“So much for the unguarded opponent, lucky for us. If he’d attacked without restraint with that fire, we might have lost instead.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure if my barrier could’ve held up either…”
“Hmmm. Well, I guess I’ll do what you said next!”
The voice of the boy they thought they had defeated reached them, and the holy woman reflexively put up a barrier.
But soon, the entire area was surrounded by flames so intense that they couldn’t hold up any longer.
“Wh-what?! We definitely defeated him!”
“Yep, you did. But see, I’m fire. This whole city is burning. So all the flames here are me. That was just a small part of it.”
“Th-that’s ridiculous…”
“See you~! Hahahahaha! I’ve already made it to the Four Heavenly Kings, but I can still be useful!”
The massive flames that appeared from the city all transformed into Pilkaya and attacked the heroes all at once.
The holy woman’s barrier couldn’t protect them, and the heroes had no way to counter it. In the end, all that remained were the charred remains of the heroes, unidentifiable as anyone’s.
◆
“Ugh! What is this crap game?!”
“That’s why I said to level up. You’re definitely below the recommended level.”
“Isn’t it some kind of gimmick boss where you have to put out all the fires before defeating it?”
Another game over, for the umpteenth time.
After it calmed down a bit, they put the controller down and started talking about the reasons for the game over.
The stat difference due to level was absolute, and it was an accomplishment just to defeat the first phase of Pilkaya. But with more of him, they had no way to win.
The ones calling it a “crap game” still didn’t know that Pilkaya was one of the more manageable Four Heavenly Kings because there were multiple ways to defeat him…
