††† (werewolf beyo and Manticore's Kushana perspective)　　　


　At the end of the Arsenum rescue, on the way home, the werewolf bayou didn't utter a word.

　That chatty bayou is rare.
　Manticore's Kushana thought so, but he didn't dare mention it.

　Because she thought her self-esteem was being torn apart after being shown Ike's splendid errand-bearer earlier.

　It would be counterproductive to offer words of comfort here.

　Thinking so, I was silent, but surprisingly, Bayo spoke his feelings honestly.

''...................That thing with Ike is amazing.

Oh....

　I can't help but blurt that out.
　This might be the first time I've seen Bayo praise someone else.
　That's how competitive this man is.

With only five hundred men, we could keep the enemy army pinned down and tear their formation in half. I could never do that.

Not even I can do that.

　No, that might not be possible even for Cephiro, the leader of the 7th Legion.
　That's probably why he had Ike draft this strategy.

　The young man Ike, who saw through Ike's generals and made him plan the operation, was also bold, but the young man Ike, who completely responded to his expectations, was also wonderful.

　No, it's not something that can be put away with such words.
　It might be better to describe it as terrifying.
　Kushana had never been afraid of his enemies, but for the first time he was afraid of others.
　She was thankful from the bottom of her heart that the young man had been born into the demon race.

''If Lord Ike had been born down on the side of the humans, we would have been trapped to Dvorberg by now.

　That was my honest opinion.　

''...........''

　Apparently, Bayo feels the same way.　
　He responds by silence.
　Kushana let out a wry smile and continued.

''But fortunately, Lord Ike has been born and reborn as a demon. Moreover, he has become the deputy commander of our seventh legion. No need to worry about it.''

Well, yeah. But it's also because I'm helping them. Any other army wouldn't be able to do this.

Finally, a line that sounds like you.

　Kushana let out a bitter laugh, but then she realized something.

　The words may have leaked out in a flash, but she thought that Bayo's words struck a chord of truth.

　If Ike had been assigned to a different brigade, his fate would have been very different.

　He wouldn't have been able to capture Arsenum, nor would he have gone to its rescue.

　The capture of the human cities would not have gone as planned, and the Demon King's army might have retreated from the human country a long time ago.

　Currently, one of the reasons for the Seventh Legion's rapid progress is their tolerance towards humans.

　By treating the humans as inhabitants rather than slaves, they are minimizing their rebellion.

　That was also what the Demon King had ordered, but Ike was the first to practice it and show others how effective it was.

　If Ike had been assigned to another legion, the Demon King's army might still be carrying out the old-style occupation policy.

　When you think about it, fate is a strange thing.

　He grew up as the grandson of the immortal king who was called the guardian of the abyss, and was assigned to the army of his friend Cephiro, leading to his rapid progress to this day.

　So, what future does this grandson of Lonberg present to us in the future?

　Kushana was genuinely intrigued.

　If my guess was correct, the young man named Ike would not end his life as a mere demon race.

　He would be a man who would be described in both human and demon history books.

　--In short, he will be remembered as the first man in history to establish the coexistence of the demon race and the human race.

　There was something about the young man named Ike that made him feel that kind of future.

　Kushana asks his colleague Beyo to confirm whether this is his own personal illusion.

'Bayo, do you think it is possible for you to create a world where humans and demons can coexist?'

　Bayo replies.

'I don't know how hard it is for you to ask me that.

　And--.

　It's so typical of the man, I thought, but Bayo continued, "I'm just saying that lately, as I've been imitating Ike and talking to the humans, I've come to realize that they're not so bad.

But the more I've been imitating Ike and talking to the humans lately, the more I've come to realize that they're not so bad.

Well, I certainly feel the same way.

..........

　Bayo didn't say anything more, or maybe that was the answer.

　Regardless, history would change dramatically in the near future.　
　The strongest magician, known as the bosom of the Demon King's army.