In the western region of the Imperial Capital. The sun was shining brightly over the vast Miremia in. The sun was slowly approaching directly overhead.


    Nephira looked behind her. The elites of the Thunder-Lance Charge were lined up, with Kiru leading them. In addition, behind them, the troops of the Demon Lord''s Army were gathering one after another. Behind them was the imperial capital. Ironically, it was now the Demon Lord''s army that had encamped in a defensive position to protect the former human capital.


    Among the thousands of demonsprising the current force, Nephira saw several unfamiliar objects that she would not see in a normal battle.


    A several-meter-tall mobile structure, a yagura, reminiscent of a watchtower, with a giant crystal crowning it at the top of it. The fiend carrying it also seemed to be trying to figure out what the thing was supposed to be good for.


    Suddenly, the face of Serphiano, the three-eyed Demon Lord''s Head Advisor, appeared in the giant crystal of the Yagura.


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0"><strong>"Eh– Testing, Testing. Can everyone, can hear me—?"</strong></em>


    Multiple giant crystal structures were installed at intervals. And all at once, they were projecting the image of Serphiano, just like a monitor.


    "L-Lady Serphiano!?"


    "W-What in tarnation…!"


    The troops were in a panic, and the demons were in turmoil. In the midst of it, Nephira was calm.


    Nephira recalled her conversation with Serphiano in the imperial capital.


    ……


    "I still have a bad feeling about it. As expected, isn''t it a diversion? While we are away from the demonic city, the Salvation Crusaders will invade…"


    When Nephira suggested this, Serphiano snickered.


    "Of course, that''s what we''re expecting. That''s why we''ve rallied half the army instead of all of it, you know."


    "In any case, I''m a little concerned. Isn''t Dame Serphiano leaving the demonic city a tad dangerous?"


    She was told that Serphiano herself would be inmand in the Miremia ins. Nephira feared that this might be a personal grudge regarding the one-tit-slip gag.


    However, Serphiano showed Nephira a round crystal ball.


    "Do you think I developed this crystal ballmunication system just for the sake of flirting with Suzuki?"


    "Y-You mean you didn''t?"


    "On that day, I will prepare several giant crystals. And then, I will remotely broadcast my instructions to the Demon Lord''s army in the Miremia ins. This way, I can lead the army while staying in the demonic city."


    "Indeed. However, what about… coughing up blood?"


    "<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Fufufu</em>. I have seeded in refining the amount of magical power used in the process. One hour ofmunication or so, will not cause me to cough up blood."


    Nephira nodded her head in agreement. Certainly, then, it would be possible to give precise orders to all units at the same time. Furthermore, the constant visibility of themander will boost the morale of the soldiers.


    ……


    (It is as you would expect from someone like Serphiano, wouldn''t you?)


    Nephira thought so as she gazed at the beautiful face reflected in the giant crystal.


    (Well, as a matter of fact, I definitely thought she was an absolute moron when she did the one-tit-slip gag. However, as expected, she is not simply a moron, after all.)


    As Nephira looked over at Serphiano, Kiru shouted nearby.


    "Lady Nephira, Lady Nephira! It''sing, you know!"


    Nephira''s eyes narrowed as she looked at the other end of Kiru''s fingertips.


    (Is that Zhaviest… isn''t it?)


    A gentle-looking monk wearing priest robes strode across the Miremia ins with several children in tow.


    "What the heck? I don''t know. He took some brats with him."


    "That guy, what the heck is he — doing?"


    The Demon Lord''s army was confused. Nephira was also taken aback. He went out of his way to dere war. She thought he woulde with arge force like the Salvation Crusaders'' invasion of Leirune. And yet, he brought children, no—


    (…Just one person?)


    <em ss="chakra-text css-0"><strong>"All troops maintainbat readiness while staying on standby."</strong></em>


    Serphiano said in a calm voice. Serphiano''s voice was amplified from the giant crystals on top of the several yagura structures, echoing across the Miremia in.


    (That''s right, isn''t it? It could be a trap.)


    Behind Zhaviest''s back, however, was only a vast expanse ofnd. The possibility of an ambush was low.


    Zhaviest stopped, and after smiling daringly, he rolled up the sleeves of his priest robes in one hand. Two sks of liquor were contained in a leather holder. Holding both bottles in his hands, Zhaviest swallowed the contents at the same time in one gulp.


    "Now he''s started drinking booze, huh?"


    "Without a drink, you can''t put your back into it!"


    The Demon lord''s armyughed. However Nephira did not miss the aura that radiated from Zhaviest''s body in ard scale at that moment.


    "Wrong! That''s not booze! It was a powerful energy replenishment!"


    "…From ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Peony Bloom Revtion</em>'' Gospel — ''<em ss="chakra-text css-0">Six-Fold Scale Chorist</em>''"


    Immediately, red petals fluttered in all directions around Zhaviest. Tree peonies in full bloom scattered in all directions and then converged to form human figures. And each one transformed into a beautiful angel.


    "T-This is…!"


    Nephira was absolutely mortified. The area around Zhaviest had transformed into a flower field, from which angels were being conjured one after another at a ghastly rate.


    "What arge number…"


    "L-Lady Nephira, isn''t this seriously bad?"


    Theplexion of the Demon Lord''s army, which had beencking a sense of urgency due to their numerical superiority, suddenly became tenser. After the tree peonies fluttered, filling up to the horizon, they noticed that there were more angelic forces than those that the Demon Lord''s army had rallied to the Imperial City.