The next morning, the demon Amon, who had taken over the former general's body, had come to Hurt and the Knight of Fire, who were guarding the private army's camp.

''How could a human master such a high level of magic... and so many of them, all by himself?''

　Amon was impressed with Hurt's magic.

'It was a shame. You would have been a wonderfully strong and noble soul. But because you used the braces of servitude?　Your soul is no longer useful to me.

　Hurt's soul seemed to have been damaged by the slave's bracelet, and Amon was unable to interfere with Hurt's soul.

　Amon moved in front of Hurt, who was facing out of the camp, to see him.


''Hmm?　Did you, if you've noticed me?

　Hurt's gaze didn't meet Amon's, but he felt that he was somehow being probed for his own magical power that was being transferred into the former general's body.



　Amon directly touches Hurt's body and tries to interfere with his soul.

　But as expected, Hurt's soul seems to be completely destroyed and does not accept Amon's interference.

'Tch, I can't even take your soul with this.......well, good. You will be working as my force from now on.

　After saying that, Amon went back to the center of the camp.


　─ ─ ─ ********──.

　Shortly after noon that day, a hundred thousand Apristos National Army crossed the border of Alheim, joining the private army of the Fifth Prince.

　The national army was led by General Left, one of the three national military commanders in Apristos.

　The Left General had received a secret order from the King.

　Kill the fifth prince in Alheime-.

　Originally, the prince would have been defeated by the border guards and killed or captured without the Left General having to do anything about it.

　However, the prince was able to attack at the time when the border guards were most vulnerable by informing the former general of Alheim's national army, and was able to invade inside Alheim safely.

　With this information, General Left hatched a new plan to kill the prince. He instigated the prince and his private army to invade Alheim before the national army.

　Although the private army was a small army of 3,000 men, it could be used to exhaust some of Alheim's soldiers.

　And if the prince dies in that attack, good.
　If he didn't die, he could get his men to kill him in the middle of the war.

　With that in mind, the Left General decided to join up with his private army. The place where they would meet up was the prairie where the royal capital of Alheim was in full view.


''........What do you mean, shouldn't the private army be three thousand men?''

　The left general, who had identified the private army, confirmed to his entourage.

''Yes. It should be, but.........''

　The entourage was also at a loss for words. About thirteen thousand soldiers were lined up in front of the left general, in formation.

　Three thousand of them were human beings.
　This was the fifth prince's private army.

　And the remaining 10,000--.

'What's wrong with my eyes?　Those soldiers look like they're on fire.

　They were knights with roaring, flaming spears in their hands and their entire bodies wrapped in flames.

　It was the flaming knights that Hurt had created.


''General Left!　I'm glad you're here.

"Your Highness.

　The fifth prince came to the left general.
　The Left General kneels down and gives a token of respect.

''Have you heard anything from your father?''

'Yes, I'm asking you to fight with your own private army and destroy the elves.

　It is a lie to fight with a private army.

　The Left General's goal was to destroy Alheim in order to get the World Tree, and to make the Fifth Prince die.

''I see!　That's reassuring.

　The prince, who knew nothing, was honestly pleased with the left general's words.

''Well what are these knights in front of your highness' private army?　Magic, sir?

Oh, that. It's the power of my friend's servant.

　With that, the prince called the former general.

'He's my collaborator.

'I'm pleased to meet you. I was a general in the national army in Alheim. I have been relieved of that position, and now I am one who wants revenge on that country.

Oh, I see. Thank you for your help, Your Highness. So those knights are your magic?　It looks like there are ten thousand or so...

It's the power of my servants. Originally, there were only about a thousand of them, but they were ambushed just now. I made the enemy realize the futility of the sneak attack, and that's why I increased the number of them.


　***

　A few moments before the Apristos State Army joined them, Sarion, Tina, Luke, and Ryushin came to take Hurt.

　With Luke's ultimate magic that narrowed the range and increased the power, he blasted the flame knights and dozens of bodies that were in front of Hurt, making a path.

　Through there, Tina and Ryushin crowded Hurt at once.

　While Ryushin was keeping the flame knight in check, Tina, cast a restraining spell on Hurt.

　The restraint magic that the level 250 Tina had seriously cast was easily countered by Hurt.

　However, Tina and the others had also expected it.

　The moment when Halt was forced to devote his attention to breaking the restraining spell...

　Sarion, who had disappeared from sight, attacked the slave's bracelet from Hurt's blind spot.

　Even if he couldn't restrain Hurt, breaking the slave's bracelet should have stopped him.

　Sarion's attack did indeed hit the slave's bracelet.

　-But it didn't break.

　Under Amon's direction, Halt had put up multiple layers of magical barriers on the slave's bracelet.

　The operation failed, and the flaming knights rushed to the impatient Sarion and the others.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.


　─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

'You could have had a thousand of them and still gotten through, couldn't you?　What's the point of having more of those things?

　The left general asks the former general.

'Those who charged in were extraordinary. There was someone who could use ultimate magic, and furthermore, Tina-Haribel was here.'

"Ultimate magic?　No, no, more like Tina-Halibel, did you say Tina-Halibel?　The legendary elves who defeated the demon king with the brave men... were they real?

''Yes. Since you withstood the onslaught of such people and drove them one step closer to striking back, do you understand that those fire knights are not useless?

Oh my god that's very encouraging.

　Contrary to his words, the Left General had a growing sense of urgency. A power that could depose even legendary heroes.

　If that power were to be directed at them...


"Are you surprised at the power of my friends?　It will be great.

　The prince boasted as if it were his own power.

'This battle has already been won. "This war is already won. I've been dying to rape the elven woman. I will make them pay for mocking me!

"As Your Highness sees fit.

　At the prince's command, ten thousand flaming knights, three thousand private troops, and one hundred thousand national troops began to march en masse toward the royal capital of Alheim.