The Demon Lord was feared in all respects. For their power, their authority, and the army they had under their command. The troops that the Demon Lord led possessed a power that was hard to find anywhere else on the continent.
To win against the Demon Lord without another kingdom's support was nearly impossible.
Even so, it had happened once before. There was one case of a Hero killing the Demon Lord on his own, but his name was only known for a brief period of time.
He had been someone who was abandoned by nearly everyone; someone who fought against the Demon Lord while relying only on his party members.
He had raised funds and employed mercenaries and adventurers as his troops. He had them battle against the demons while he infiltrated the Demon Kingdom. While his colleagues drew everyone's attention, he had entered the Demon Lord's castle alone, confronted the Demon Lord, and defeated him.
He hadn't been royalty, or a knight, just an ordinary person who had lived as a slave before rising up to become a Hero. It was because of this that all the countries across the continent wanted to cover his true origins up.
That was the reason why he was hailed as the strongest while also being called the worst.
'Oh my…!' These people would say. 'He knocked down the Demon Lord without the continent's support? What an astonishing fact! Moreover, he entered the Demon Lord's Castle and killed the Demon Lord? That's more like an assassination of the Demon Lord than a subjugation, isn't it? Even though a Hero is supposed to wear that title with pride, he was no different than a common assassin.'
Tom glared at Bludifer.
"Now, let's kill the Demon Lord."
Tom struck his holy sword onto the ground. With him at the center, hundreds of light swords were summoned, rising into the air around him.
It was the same skill that the Hero Ludin had used.
The light swords moved with astonishing speed and targeted Bludifer.
Blood sprayed through the air as hundreds of swords riddled his giant frame. The blades, made of holy power, pierced through Bludifer's thick skin with ease, cleansing the demonic power within.
Bludifer screamed in agony.
All of the blood he had sucked into his body up until that point was lost, and gushed out of his body like a waterfall, creating a massive, crimson pool at his feet.
'Blood! Blood…! I need to collect the spilled blood again! But…!'
Bludifer looked at the chains that were wrapping his body.
'What ridiculous holy power!'
They contained so much energy within them that he would have expected nothing less than hundreds of priests being required to create them through large-scale sealing magic.
Even though he tried to gather up his demonic power, he failed to do so. It slipped through his grip and scattered.
'It's an ability that dismantles demonic energy! There's no way that this is possible!'
"Kill that bastard!"
The werewolves leaped onto Bludifer's huge body. They nimbly climbed up and used their long nails to leave deep gouges across his skin. The werewolves that clung onto Bludifer's back, stomach, chest, arms, and legs, ripped pieces of his skin off with their nails and teeth.
A veritable lake of blood had formed at Bludifer's feet.
"The subjugation of the Demon Lord as a Hero… It reminds me of the past. Though the situation is much better now."
Back then he hadn't had an army or any equipment.
"Last time I didn't even have a single piece of special equipment, let alone professional troops. But now, look at how reliable these guys are. I almost don't want to let them go."
Tom looked at Wolf, the head of the Werewolves, who flinched and frowned
"… While we are currently being employed by you, we have not thought about being your slaves."
"… Is that so? I don't really need slaves. I only need people who want to work for me out of their own free will."
"You bastards! How dare you?!"
Bludifer finally broke apart the chains restraining him with his raw strength. Though he quickly swung his hands in an attempt to catch the Werewolves who were attacking him, the Werewolves had impressive battle instincts and were able to avoid him. They grabbed onto his fingers and arms and clung onto those instead.
Wolf ran up to Bludifer with a spear strapped onto his back.
Running four-legged, he jumped and climbed up Bludifer's arm and shoulder. When he arrived at Bludifer's head, he grabbed the spear hanging on his back and prepared to strike with it.
"… I'll kill you, bastard, and end this disgusting slave-life!"
Wolf threw the spear at Bludifer's forehead.
He threw that one strike while expressing all the resentment that he had been suppressing for years. All of his anger and hatred. The spear blade planted itself in Bludifer's forehead.
The handle of the spear was broken by the Werewolf's own strength and shattered into pieces, but the spear blade's aim was true, causing a fountain of blood to spurt from the wound.
"Kkiaaaaaaak!"
When Bludifer grabbed his forehead, Tom took the opportunity and dashed forward. He went in between Bludifer's legs and swung his holy sword.
The skin of Bludifer's thigh was pierced and split open. The whole of his right leg was chopped off, and it vanished in a spray of blood.
The vampires who were busy fighting near the barricade only came back to their senses after hearing Bludifer's pain-filled cries.
They had been in the middle of frantically hunting their prey. So they had only now realized that Bludifer was in trouble.
"S-save him!"
"Help Lord Bludifer!"
"Not happening!"
The Orcs fired their crossbows at the vampires that turned their backs. However, they had tied ropes onto the bolts in advance. So, when the vampires were hit with them, the Orcs were able to yank on the ropes and pull the vampires back, preventing them from leaving.
"Kkiaaaa-!"
"Wooaaaaak! This bastard is really strong! Hold on…!"
Wolf glanced at the commotion behind him.
The vampires that had come out from the barricade were now going in the opposite direction to save their leader, Bludifer.
"Kill the bastards! Don't lower your guard! Don't get bitten and cursed again!"
The werewolves ran and jumped at the vampires, grabbing onto them. They either held onto their heads and crushed them or tried to bite them off.
"It looks like your lackeys wont let us finish you off that easily? How annoying."
Tom looked at Bludifer with a troubled look.
***
"… This situation is getting weird."
Allin frowned. His whole body was covered with sword and axe wounds. Even though he looked as though he had just bathed in blood, he didn't feel exhausted in the slightest.
Allin glared at Karakul and Ellin, who were standing in front of him.
Karakul was panting and breathing heavily while holding up his axe. Ellin was also exhausted and was gritting her teeth.
"…An Orc dares to attack a minotaur? And you, Doppelganger. I will also compliment you, you bitch. For a demon specialized in sneaking around… to push me this far…"
"T-then step back already. You're really scary."
Ellin said this while shaking her sword up and down. Allin kept on fighting no matter how they attacked him, so he was indeed a terror to behold.
Karakul grasped his axe tightly and remained silent, as if he was saving up even the strength he would be using to talk.
Nordin Wood and Kuman were grappling with each other, having a contest of strength.
Nordin glanced at Bludifer.
"… This is really troubling."
'If Bludifer loses, the rebel forces won't be able to avoid punishment.'
'Well, for our clan… It would be okay if we secretly stayed in the forest and acted like trees, but…'
Kuman grabbed Nordin Wood's neck with a mad look on his face. Nordin had mistakenly allowed Kuman to attack him in the short moment in which his mind wandered.