[I jumped without even thinking. But what am I really gonna do? Should I try to neutralize the situation and try to convince them to coexist with the demons under Bel in my human form? But I know that eventually they will doubt me in the end and might start to fight me then slaughter the demons. Or... In my great demon form I should kill that silver ranked leader and use force to intimidate them for their compliance.]

That’s what I have in my mind during that four seconds straight drop. The sound of my feet’s' impact on the ground echoed in the towering walls of the canyon. Clouds of dust has risen up and completely covered me from everyone else vision.

Completely ignoring the short pain recoil of the fall, I once again cleared my mind and think. [I need to decide now before the dust disappeared. What will it be? Take the side of the humans or...] Not too long has passed before I made a realization.

“Huh? Wait… Why am I even thinking...? These bottom feeding race... I hate them all... Since the day they summoned me here—no, since the day I was born on earth… I always, hated humans.” I muttered to myself along with the usual villainous grin.

And then I tried to remember every single word that came out of my mouth back then.

“Dark, dark, within darkness, O' oblivion of hell feed on my soul to slay them all, one by one, hunt them down, Come forth from the depths of hell!"

Seconds passed but nothing happened. As far as I remember the transformation started the moment I began that chant and even back then I could feel some kind of a raging power bursting out of me but compared to my situation now. I feel nothing, aside from my trembling legs because of the impact from the fall of that height.

Could it be that. “I can't use my transformation skill...” is the only thing I muttered to myself.

The dust that’s still covering me from the fall is slowly fading. I know the adventurers that noticed the impact will soon be able to see me.

[I have to make my decision now. Human or demons? Alliance or …Erabella?]

“...I should test my other skill to see if they're working.”

“Maximize Magic! Full body Enchantment, Holy Property!” my body became covered with divine lights in an instance.

[So other magics are still working, that's good.]

I carefully scanned the area between me and the group of adventurers. And before my eyes was desecrated monster bodies having been cut in half or opened in guts. Their weapons are well sheathed meaning they didn't even plan to fight back. I also noticed the moist in their eyes clearly telling they chose death as the easier way than any other. That very view made me question myself. [Who's the real greater evil now?]

So, with my enhanced agility and speed, I rapidly pick up the short sword lying on the ground of flesh and aim straight at the nearest human adventurer.

[I don't feel anything right now, my heart’s beating normally and I know that I am on all my senses.]

It was point-blank and the adventurer haven't even noticed my approach and yet.

ClanggGGGggG!!

The sound of metal to metal crash echoed in the towering walls of the canyon. Upon contact the force released from the short sword created blasting wind in a single direction that cleared the smokes and dust.

Something stopped the short sword that I'm using. Something that has the same strength as me. At first, I thought it was Renia because she's on a par with me in terms of strength as I’d seen last night. But on taking a clearer view of it, a hair as white as snow matched with flaming crimson eyes attached to an aesthetic face caught my attention. With the absence of her horn nothing can be used to identify her as a demon, even her back-less vestments showed no demonic gem or crest in it.

It was the demon lord who stopped me from ending the life of that man.

She is currently behind that clueless adventurer and from there with her index finger that is equipped with some kind of a metal or higher-grade ring, she holds the blade in between her thumb and the ring completely preventing it to contact the neck of the adventurer.

Erabella’s face shown nothing but calmness as she gazes at me and then slowly open her mouth. “... It's still too soon, my hero. You cannot dirt your hands with human blood... Yet.”

Then after a short moment another group of adventurers surrounded us pointing their blades straight on our face.

“You two. I don't know what your business is but make that blade touch his neck and you both will be left here to be monster's dinner.”

The adventurer that I tried to kill but was stopped by Bel already fainted during the impact of short sword, he fell on his knees shortly afterwards.

“Tch.” I looked at the source of that voice with furious eyes.

Bel smiled again at me before letting go of the short sword. “Stand down, my hero, let me take care of these rude monkeys.”

“RUDE MONKEYS?! YOU'RE JUST A LOWLY DEMON HOW DARE YOU CALL US TH—” Four adventurers equipped with sword, dagger, hammer and blunt attack at once and then other two priest tried to pull the fainted adventurer between us. But they all halted in an instance.

The adventurer's word was cut off when a pitch-black force emits out of Bel covering almost the whole canyon. At that time these words appeared on my mind.

[Intimidate Lv.1]

“wh... what. did you just do?” The adventurer forced the words out with his trembling legs. No, it is his whole body that was trembling.

“So that's not enough huh.” Bel replied and then released another wave of that pitch-black force. This time it is a lot darker than the first.

[Fear Lv.2]

“Huhh?... Ev—everyone... Retreat!! I'm sure of it... This one... is a MONSTER!!!” The next time the adventurer speak it is not just his body that is trembling but also his voice.

Every adventurer and townspeople in the canyon run in towards the southern part of the canyon in attempt to escape Bel.

With my free right hand, I hold my head in confusion or more like astonished because of those random characters that suddenly pops out. At this point I already had an idea of what was that thanks to those years of watching sci-fi and fantasy movie, and playing RPG games with Kasumi. I think it is like a game interface.

The demon lord raised her hand to signal the orc warriors that is stationed nearby to be passed on to the other Orcs at the southern part then she immediately noticed me.

“What's wrong?” she said upon noticing my behavior.

“...Some random words keep appearing on my mind.”

“Words? —she formed a fist in her hand and covered her mouth with it and began thinking— “…Like what?” she said calmly.

“Intimidate Level 1 and Fear Level 2”

When Bel heard me, her couple crimson eyes widened in surprise. “That was the name of the skills I used earlier.”

“What?” [So, it is some kind of a skill identifier? But I didn’t see it on the status paper back in Aldebaran. Even if it is passive it should appear on the paper.]

Then the demon lord answered “Head inside the abandoned mine and wait for me there. Lily and your other friends are there, I'll explain it to you later. —she placed a hand on my cheek, I immediately felt the warm and softness of it. She did that while looking at the south of the canyon as words coming out of her mouth— “For now, I need to steer things up in here. And do not drain your magic, disable that enchantment at once.”

“...Right” I didn't ask any questions and just did exactly what she said.

Somehow in an instance I feel very exhausted. Without any hesitation I turned away from her and stride towards the entrance of the old abandoned mine completely not paying attention to the ongoing ruckus of the adventurers behind. It felt like all of my exhaustion appeared the moment I disabled my full body enchantment it feels like the weight of my body was dragging me to the ground. Every footstep becomes heavier and heavier but still I managed to make my way to the mine entrance. My years at the animation studio made my imagination bizarre, it immediately tells me that what I’m currently experiencing is some kind of ‘magic zero’. A term we used on fantasy works as well as in games which commonly means that you’ve drained all of the magic inside of you and causes your body to lose tremendous strength and sometimes may cause faint.

When I saw a familiar figure, I called for him "Marley, the guild receptionist is in there could you bring her here?" I point at the direction where I jumped.

"Yeah sure! I'm glad you're alive. Thanks for last night!" replied by the bronze adventurer that we met last night during the castle siege.

I cast a weak smile to send him off before continuing my route.

The mouth of the entrance is exactly the way it was like last time. Only this time some minor renovation is present, it is now supported by solid logs and dim lights coming from torch on the wall of its hallway. And still tree roots are still running on its ceiling. The only difference in it is when we first came here was the orcs, last time Lily and I passed through them they were all hostile compared to now they are ignoring me and keep rebuilding the mines, some look to greet, some are too occupied to do so. Minutes of unhesitating stride in the near-dark passage had passed before I heard some kind of light footsteps coming towards me. When the torch exposed the shadow, it is a girl with brown hair and eyes, fair white skin, and a remarkably large front dressed in a ranger outfit with the absence of the leather armor. She immediately jumped on me and embraced me with her soft thin arms. I don’t know if it is her natural scent or some kind of a perfume that doesn’t fail to comfort my mind.

“Welcome back! Yuji” She said in my ears with her soft and gentle voice as she tightens her embrace.

I immediately feel at ease.

~~~~

[Third Person POV]

Upon seeing the signal of the demon lord from afar, the Orcs began forming a wall using their towering shield in the southern part of the canyon to cut the humans from advancing.

“Kill them!! …We need… to get out of here fast! That …white-haired girl is a spawn of evil!” one of the adventurers said while doing his best to catch his breath.

Bel snapped her finger and in an instance all of their weapons and armors broke into pieces.

“And where exactly do you all think you're going?!” the demon lord shouted.

“Anywhere but here!”

Erabella walked in the back and stopped until she cornered the last running human. When all of them are gathered in the middle of her and the army of orcs she said just enough for all the fleeting humans to hear. “If you're thinking you can go to Rigel then go ahead. That town has already raised their gates, means no one will get in or get out they will not open it until this holy war is over.”

“Liar! That demon is bluffing! Rigel will let us in!” said by a random townsman.

“Fine. I have something better to do than this meaningless debate besides it is getting dark soon, return to the old abandoned mine and Ill offer you a place to stay the night and for those who don't want to you may go. Good luck on passing the cursed forest to Rigel. Orcs! Stand down, Let's go back!”

“The demon is letting us go! Run!” The adventurers immediately run but the townspeople have their doubt at first and some choose to go back while others run along with the adventurers.

Bel called out a goblin warg rider.

“Make them go back here take all the rider with you. They have no weapons take a limb if necessary but no life should be wasted you got it?”

“Gooorrrbbbb!” the goblin replied and immediately ride away.

~~~~~~

{Earlier in Aldebaran, before Ryuji met Archen and Marley.}

As sun continues its long way down, a figure is slowly approaching the once a great fortress but now nothing but ruins. Its footstep does not produce any sound no matter what terrain or things it steps on. Clad in light mithril armor the girl has passed through the north main gate of the fortress without disturbing the deafening silence. Hair almost as translucent as gold braided in the back of her head like crown and face that can be compared to that of a goddess paired with royal blue eyes. She is no other than this year’s summoned hero. After she sensed the outburst of darkness in here, she did her best to run here as fast as she could but all of her effort was in vain when all that has left for her to see was nothing but a whole city crumbled down to the ground.

The absence of any weapon in her makes the only thing that accompanied her is the deafening silence if not of the winds that never gets tired of crashing the ruble of houses then onto the main road. That’s the only thing that she can hear with her enhanced hearing. Only until—

DooooMMmmM

And suddenly out of nowhere a loud explosion from afar picked up her ears. She looked at the sky for the mushroom-like cloud from it but it made her eyes widened a little bit when she saw none. She immediately thinks of another way and closed her eyes, now the only thing that she could trust is her hearing to locate the cloud-less explosion. It is as if her hearing scanned every single corner of the ruined fortress. Then after a minute or so she located that it come from somewhere near the guild hall of Aldebaran. Of course, she’s already been here at least once so she knew where this city’s guild hall is. She immediately began charging towards the west side.