Ch.151Demon Lord’s Army First Corps Commander – 1

‘A Durahane wielding a demon sword.’

On my way back from the academy after receiving an item from Elishier, I followed Nika to the demon realm, lost in thought.

Durahane was such a formidable warrior that calling him “considerable” even without a demon sword would be an understatement, befitting his position as the 1st Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army. The fact that such a being now wielded a demon sword was not a good sign.

‘I wonder what it means that he’s looking for me.’

The most likely possibility was that, like Astaroth, his mind had been corrupted by the demon sword and he was trying to kill me, but I couldn’t be completely certain.

After all, neither Durahane nor the demon sword knew that I was the man behind the mask.

If he had intended to kill Mira Crate according to the demon sword’s will, he would have attacked the Empire directly rather than seeking out Nika and asking her to bring a masked human male.

Of course, judging by the fact that he had caused tremendous casualties among the succubi by suddenly attacking while looking for me, it was clear he wasn’t in his right mind.

“We’ve arrived, Master.”

Nika stopped at a cliff near a forest. It was a mountain valley precariously situated between human territory and the demon realm.

As the Succubus Queen returned, succubi who had been hiding quietly in the hastily prepared hideout began to emerge cautiously. Their numbers had visibly dwindled.

Astaroth was literally a “corps” commander in the Demon King’s army, and naturally, the number of succubi would have been substantial enough to match that title. But the number visible now seemed to be just over a hundred at most.

“Is this everyone?”

“Yes. This is all I could barely save. The rest…”

I examined the succubi who were gradually gathering around me, rubbing their thighs or pressing their lower abdomens where their wombs were located, swallowing their saliva—likely due to their extreme lack of spiritual energy.

At least the faces I knew had managed to survive. I mean the succubi from the castle that Nika had once used as her residence—a place originally used to imprison high-ranking succubi associated with Astaroth.

“Heuuk…”

Whether she needed someone to relieve her stress or not, Priscilla’s sister had also survived, though she was half out of her mind even now, bound tightly with all her orifices abused.

‘So this is how it turned out.’

I had intended to make the succubi who helped Astaroth torture and milk humans for spiritual energy pay a corresponding price someday, in whatever form that might take.

But I never imagined it would happen in this way.

“…”

Nika seemed to blame herself for the current situation and couldn’t meet her subordinates’ eyes.

Considering that he must have become even stronger after obtaining the demon sword when he was already formidable to begin with, the fact that the entire race wasn’t annihilated and managed to escape could be considered close to a miracle.

As a result, it seemed their stored spiritual energy had hit rock bottom, but that could be replenished.

‘I should replenish their spiritual energy first. While I’m thinking about it.’

The succubi surrounding us were trying to seduce me despite knowing who I was and that their Queen was beside me. If I left them like this any longer, they might actually pounce on me regardless of the consequences.

“Come with me, Nika. There’s something we need to do.”

“Ah… yes, yes! Master!”

At my call, Nika followed me, swishing her tail happily.

Having consumed too much spiritual energy, her succubus instincts seemed to have become extremely heightened. Despite her sad emotions from earlier, her face now showed eager anticipation for what was to come.

“Hup… hah…”

I took Nika to a quiet place and gave her what she had been expecting. After the spiritual energy supply was complete, Nika collapsed against a tree as if her waist had given out, twitching with ecstatic eyes.

“I know it’s hard for you too, but don’t consume it all yourself—share it appropriately with the others. If it’s not enough, let me know. And don’t blame yourself too much. The fact that you managed to save even this many is all thanks to you, Nika.”

“Ye… yessh…”

After giving her a brief word of encouragement, I returned to the hideout. Realizing what I had done, the succubi glanced at me sideways but rushed toward where Nika was.

I told her to let me know if it wasn’t enough, so they would probably share it appropriately. I didn’t expect it to end with just one session anyway.

‘How should I find Durahane?’

Though I had put out the immediate fire, the next problem remained.

Since he now wielded a demon sword, I needed to deal with him as quickly as possible, but I couldn’t just wait aimlessly without knowing how long it would take for him to appear, and the demon realm was too vast to search around.

In the worst case, our paths might unfortunately cross, and the hideout could be discovered. To prepare for such a situation, I had to remain here no matter what. Having escaped once, a second escape would be impossible.

Nika said they had fled here for their lives, so they probably wouldn’t be discovered easily, but there was no guarantee they would remain hidden forever.

“Ki… kill me…”

As I frowned, unable to come up with a good solution despite my best efforts, I heard someone muttering softly. It was coming from where Gloria, who had transformed into a succubus, was being held.

I approached her. Gloria was bound tightly with her legs raised, thighs pressed against her sides, and knees nearly reaching her chest, in what could be called a breeding press position.

Viscous fluid was overflowing from her lower lips, thoroughly soaking even her anal opening.

“Kill me… please kill me…”

Gloria, who had been drooling with half-lidded eyes, saw me and immediately began to plead.

“The pleasure is too much… I’ve climaxed too many times… My mind feels like it’s melting… Please…”

“You’re a succubus now, so you won’t break from pleasure. Adapt well. You got what you wanted—eternal youth and beauty, right?”

When her desperate request was rejected, Gloria laughed softly as if she had lost her mind. I was about to leave as there was nothing more to see, when suddenly a good idea occurred to me and I stopped.

The thought was to use a succubus as bait to lure in Durahane.

“Heehee…”

Conveniently, there was a succubus who would volunteer for the role.

My plan worked perfectly.

As soon as Gloria left the mountain, she was spotted by the ghost cavalry that had scattered throughout the demon realm searching for traces of succubi. It took less than five minutes for Durahane to arrive after that.

If Gloria had truly wanted to die as she had pleaded to me, she could have died right there. He rushed to kill the succubus in front of him without asking any questions.

But when death actually confronted her, the desire to live must have dominated her mind, because in that brief moment, Gloria shouted out the information I had given her just in case, and returned with all limbs intact.

“He said he would be waiting at Ragyena Plains…”

‘So he still has some reason left.’

The information I gave Gloria was simple: I had been away searching for the Demon King’s whereabouts, and had finally found a clue.

Even though he was possessed by the demon sword, his true nature must have remained intact, as he accepted my words without a hint of doubt and disappeared with the ghost cavalry, leaving only the message that he would wait.

I watched the whole scene from a distance.

Honestly, I had been half-skeptical even as I gave the information. I doubted whether Durahane, who had indiscriminately slaughtered succubi due to the demon sword’s influence, would still maintain his loyalty to the Demon King.

However, judging by his actions, my concerns seemed unfounded.

“…”

Gloria, who had returned alive despite being given the opportunity to die as she had wished, trembled as she saw the succubi eyeing her hungrily. Nika cautiously asked me:

“What should we do with her?”

“She completed her mission, so she deserves a reward. Let her rest.”

“How long should she rest…?”

“As long as you think my orders are important.”

In the end, Gloria was granted quite a long rest. The other succubi didn’t disturb Gloria, who was tucked away in a corner of the hideout, deep in sleep.

They probably didn’t need to anyway, having received my spiritual energy from Nika.

“Please be careful, Master. Without you, I…”

The next step was already decided. I stroked the ghost horse that was still affectionate toward me a few times before mounting it. Nika, who had followed me until the very end, worried about me with tears in her eyes.

“I know. I’ll be careful enough.”

This time, I absolutely had to be.

Even when Astaroth wielded a demon sword, a single attack was enough to break my bones. I had no idea how much stronger Durahane had become—the one Elishier had personally declared the strongest among the corps commanders in terms of pure combat ability.

Massaging my throbbing left hand, I put on my mask to assume the appearance I had when operating in the demon realm, drew the Dragon Fang Sword, and jumped into the dimensional gate Nika had opened.

“So you’ve finally come…”

At the location where the dimensional gate connected, there stood the ghost cavalry emanating killing intent several times stronger than before, and at their forefront, Durahane mounted on a ghost horse, holding a demon sword in one hand and his usual sword in the other.

The aura flowing from him was no joke. Even though it must have belonged to its original master, the ghost horse I was riding was so terrified that I had to pat its neck to calm it down for a while.

“Human who serves the Demon King… what has become of the Demon King…?”

“He’s alive. I confirmed it.”

At my words, Durahane seemed greatly agitated for a moment, but soon regained his composure.

“Show me proof… surely you’re not making claims with just words…”

I showed him one of the decorations from the coat the Demon King usually wore, which I had received from Elishier. As Durahane couldn’t fail to recognize it, his armor trembled.

“Is that so… He was alive… I am grateful… truly grateful…”

After trembling with joy for a while, Durahane spoke again.

“Human who serves the Demon King… may I make one request of you…?”

“What is it?”

He raised the demon sword and pointed it at me.

“Kill me…”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard. But that didn’t seem to be the case. Durahane still stood resolutely.

“Grasping this demon sword was never my will… A strange power bound me… and forced me to grasp it… How could I ever lay hands on something belonging to the Demon King…?”

I thought as much. I didn’t think he would grasp the demon sword of his own will, and it seems it truly wasn’t his intention.

“Killing the succubi also… was not my will… A voice echoes in my head… Kill all other demons… rule with blood… subjugate them… and ascend to the Demon King’s throne… Every time the voice rings… I become less myself…”

His strained voice grew stronger.

“The fact that the Demon King is alive means… as a knight, I have coveted my lord’s possession… and position… What greater dishonor could there be… Although it was not my intention… it is an unforgivable… inerasable… grave sin… That sin… I will pay for with my life…”

Suddenly, Durahane raised the demon sword. Thinking he might be attacking, I pointed the Dragon Fang Sword at him, but that wasn’t it.

He struck his left arm with the hand holding his own sword. The sound of gauntlet hitting armor rang out several times. The hand holding the demon sword lowered to his waist again.

“Human who serves the Demon King… before I commit more sins… before I can no longer be myself, a knight… kill me… That is my first and last request… Please, let me… meet… an honorable… death…”

“…”

In the end, he remained a knight to the last. I dismounted from the ghost horse. The ghost horse licked my hand a couple of times and then dissolved into the shadows.

Not into my shadow, but into Durahane’s. The connection that had been severed when he gave me ownership was restored. Soon, a riderless ghost horse appeared in front of the cavalry.

—Click.

I drew the Dragon Fang Sword. With such determination on his part, I had no choice but to respond in kind. Biting my lip, I looked straight at Durahane.

I removed my mask. The world appeared a little clearer. I loosened my hood. My hair fluttered in the wind carrying the demon realm’s unique energy. I slightly curled my left hand and concentrated my mind within it.

“Very well, Durahane. No…”

Light appeared on the ground.

Golden light gradually gathered to form a spear-like shape. Just the spread of light alone made the ghosts—strengthened several times by the demon god’s energy and lacking even self-awareness—retreat hesitantly.

“…1st Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army.”

The golden light pushed back the red sky. Just holding the light spear brought a terrible headache, but I endured it by gritting my teeth. Feeling the blood instantly bursting from my lips that I had bitten to endure the pain, I continued:

“I, Mira Crate, challenge you to a duel of honor.”

When my true identity was revealed, he was silent for a moment. Then he quietly muttered:

“I see… So that’s how it was…”

Like morning mist touched by sunlight, the ghost horse he was riding scattered in the wind. The pitch-black armor settled on the ground. Durahane took the helmet tucked at his side and slowly, very slowly, placed it over his head.

With a click, the sound of armor interlocking echoed.

Durahane forcibly stuck the demon sword into the ground to fix it in place as it tried to swing on its own, and stood at perfect attention except for his left arm, holding his sword close to his chest. The tip of the sword pointed toward the high sky.

“I, Durahane, the glorious 1st Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army and knight serving His Majesty the Demon King—”

With no trace of the strained voice from before, Durahane pointed his own sword at me and recited his final words:

“Accept your challenge to a duel.”