Chapter 2: A Battle on the Brink for these Queens!

Part 1

"Where's that homewrecker?! Let me at her! [Akashic Conversion]!"

I took all the damage I gained from the demons attacking me and converted it into physical strength. I swung Calibur in a wide slash that took out all the demons in front of me.

"I-Iris, calm down! It was an honest mistake! We were both using disguises and…"

"Shut up! I don't care if you sleep with random girls, but you slept with the enemy of all people?!"

"I told you it was a mistake?!"

Revi was trying to pull me back as I attempted to break through the Demon King army's frontlines to reach Maouko, who was empowering them at the back with her bardic skills…

Even with the angel defeated, the Demon King army still outnumbered us. Maouko's plan to lure our fighting forces into a trap meant that the demons would always have numerical advantage.

What we had going for our side was the superior equipment provided by Elroad, the Moguninin armor and crossbows. There were also the Crimson Demons on our side.

"[Light of Saber]! Ah… I'm tired…"

I saw Funifura back away from the fighting to absorb some mana from a manatite crystal, however, even with her mana replenished, there was still the mental strain of using so many spells at once, as well as the physical toll of dodging attacks and fighting hordes of enemies.

Perhaps that's the demerit of having spellcasters as your main fighting force. While the physically weak mages needed to rest, the endless hordes of physically superior demons rushed forth.

"The Devil will stop your advance! [Devil Light of Saber]!"

Komekko-chan, however, had seemingly endless energy. She stopped the demons from overwhelming our frontline even after the Crimson Demons had to retreat. She summoned the red energy blades to impede the Demon King army's advance.

In my pursuit to find and kill Maouko, Revi and I had overextended ourselves. The demons had surrounded us. He took on the Devil core form to over me backline support, shooting the demons down with his devil energy infused bolts, while I absorbed damage and reflected it back to the demons who were surrounding us.

"Let's make our way to Komekko-chan!"

I followed Revi's orders and cut my way through to where Komekko-chan was fighting. She waved at us when she saw us, blocking a spear attack with her Devil Sword Dande, while kicking the demon in the gut to send him flying backwards.

"Oh! The Devil is glad to see the both of you are safe!"

Revi looked at Komekko-chan and said,

"...So, Iris has an excuse for overextending since she has her whole revenge thing, but why are you so far away from everyone else?"

"The Devil was simply having too much fun and lost sight of my comrades!"

"Well, now we're all screwed, aren't we?!"

Even though we were supposed to be the heroes who would shift the tide of battle, we soon found ourselves deep into enemy lines with no backup in sight…

"T-This is weird isn't it?! The Devil learned a new secret technique while Iris unlocked a new transformation! Onii-chan said that the main characters never lose after they receive power upgrades! This isn't fair!"

He told me something similar to that, too… No, wait…

"Komekko-chan, the angel battle is over now… Since there are new enemies, maybe this is the 'power creeping' that onii-sama was talking about?"

"...! Have we already been power crept?! Quick, Iris, do you have any more unresolved trauma that will give you a power boost?!"

"You think that's really how it works?!"

Perhaps that angel had a point about us relying on BS power ups all the time. We clearly lack actual battle experience.

I mean, that's why we're surrounded on all sides like this, right?

In a real war, no matter how individually powerful you are, being surrounded by a bunch of polearm wielding demons will always lead to death.

However, just before the demons could attack…

"[Greater Charm]!"

Rori-san flew in and used a skill to attract the attention of all the demons.

Now that she was a greater succubus, all of the demons in the area looked up at the sky towards her.

"...! W-Who is that cute succubus?!"

"H-Hey, succubus-chan, are you single?!"

"Wanna go on a date with me after this?!"

Rori-san giggled and waved at her charmed minions. Meanwhile, she uses her other hand to signal us to take care of the distraction to leave.

Komekko-chan took that chance to grab us and manifest her Hoost wings. The demons noticed us leaving and attempted to attack us before we could escape, but thanks to Rori-san's diversion, Komekko-chan had enough time and room to fly us out of there.

"Rori-san saved us again… Reminds me of when we first met her."

Revi said, when we landed at our military camp to regroup. The Crimson Demons were there, too, laying down with ice bags on their heads.

Even though Advanced magic can be unlocked with skill points, one still needs to do calculations and other things in their head, while remembering the specific chants for each spell. There's a reason why Crimson Demons had to go to a couple years of schooling before they can actually unlock advanced magic.

That's why Arue and the others were all laid down with ice bags on their heads, while medics fanned them down. I could see the steam coming out of their ears.

"...So, what do we do now? Operation main characters end the war completely failed."

"Huh? Don't tell me that was an actual plan you came up with, Komekko-chan?!"

Revi looked at Komekko-chan in disbelief. Maybe it would have been better if Komekko-chan had just said that she came in without a plan. The fact that she actually had a plan and still ended up in that situation just makes things worse.

I knew that onii-sama was probably just amusing himself when he told all those things to Komekko-chan, but his teachings from Japan are seriously hurting us right now!

Let's see, what else did he talk about… Power of friendship? Enemies turn to allies? Damn, it's all useless stuff! Why didn't you teach me actual tactics and strategy, onii-sama?!

…Actually, I could imagine him saying 'You're already too OP, Iris. I can't let you be as smart as me or I'll lose everything that makes me special'.

Onii-sama, you bastard!

Rori-san flew back to us after ensuring that we escaped without harm. When she landed, she drew her little wings back and let out a tired sigh.

"...I'm running out of energy since I've been flying around."

Since those little wings of hers couldn't actually support her weight, they must use a combination of magic and some kind of devil energy to allow her to fly. Since Rori-sama had been flying around the battlefield to provide support, she didn't have any stamina anymore.

"We're exhausted and the enemy has higher morale because they have a Bard on their side. Iris, historically speaking… We're kinding F****!"

Revi said, as he accepted water from one of the medics running around. Aside from giving us a quick look-over and giving us drinking water, the medics immediately went to work on healing the injured. I looked at Serena-senpai, who had to help the medics. Regina-sama was also using her dolls to help supply the army. The only thing we had going for us was our efficient supply line thanks to Regina-sama's dolls…

"So… What do we do? It's not like the demons are gonna retreat. They have the advantage and they have better stamina. Plus, they don't need to rely on mana since most of them are just powered up brutes."

Magic is cool and all, but in a war of attrition, it's better to have soldiers who rely on brute strength. Sure, it's not pretty to look at, but they can swarm the enemy once they run out of resources and stamina.

Plus, Maouko had a bunch of support spells and recovery spells to ensure her soldiers could keep going for hours. Not only was she a Bard, but she was also the current holder of the Demon King title. Just with her participating in the war, the demons under her control received a bunch of troublesome buffs.

…Maybe this is why the gods placed a curse on the Demons. Without the curse, they would probably drive humans to extinction, or at least subjugate them forever.

"I'm thinking we give up on the capital…"

I looked at Revi like he was crazy. Give up on the last defensible position we have left?! Every other place in Belzerg was already kept under watch by the Demon King army! Didn't he learn his lesson when we teleported to Axel?!

"Don't look at me like that! What other choice do we have?! A fortress is only useful if we can keep the enemies out! If the enemies break through anyway, it'll just end up being a prison for us!"

"Even if we want to escape, what can we do? They know about the tunnels."

"Thankfully, the angel destroyed a bunch of buildings during our fight. It should be easy to mobilize our forces and leave if we tear down the wall behind us."

"T-Tear down the wall?! That wall has been there for centuries! You'll tear down my kingdom's tradition!"

"We had this conversation before, Iris! Who cares about damn traditions if the demons take over, huh?!"

While Revi and I glared at each other, Rori-san placed a hand on our shoulders and said,

"Now, now… Please take a deep breath, Iris-san. You know that Revi-san's plan will probably work out better than just staying here."

Ever the calming presence, Rori-san managed to help me compose myself.

"...You're right. How do we… How do we tear down the wall?"

After taking a deep breath, I put on a smile for Revi, showing him that I'm receptive to his plans.

"I already thought of this happening before, and so I had already planted explosives all around the capital while we were here."

"I'll kill you, bastard!"

I started choking him out.

A bunch of people needed to remove me from Revi before he passed out.

Part 2

I, Queen Iris Belzerg, had found myself restrained and gagged while a carriage drove me out from the capital.

No, I haven't been captured by the enemy forces. It was my own allies who tied me up and gagged me.

"...Iris, don't make us blindfold you. Stop staring at me as if you want to skin me alive."

Revi, who had committed high treason by blowing up the walls of the capital with explosives he had planted beforehand, told me this as I glared at him.

Maouko didn't expect us to retreat by blowing up our own walls. Thanks to Revi's stupid plan, we managed to retreat while hindering the Demon King army from pursuing us, thanks to the timed explosions.

Using taxpayer money on those stupid inventions of his… This is why your people always protest against you!

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, since this was the man who spent 99% of the military budget on his magic crossbow and gave 1% to his actual soldiers, and was surprised when he found out they all hated his guts.

While we retreated, mages cast wind and earth magic to cover our tracks, using the wind to blow away the tracks we made and using earth magic to reshape the terrain once we passed. They also made fake tracks to hopefully divert the demon pursuit.

Thankfully, after a couple hours, we found a forest to hide in. It was also getting dark, meaning that the Demon King army likely won't find us.

At this point, the Crimson Demons had also regained their energy. They kept us safe from the hostile monsters that inhabited the forest.

"[Light of Saber]!"

"[Inferno]!"

"No, no! Stop using flashy moves! You need to conserve your energy!"

Revi had to stop them from ending up exhausted again. He managed to convince them to use up their mana creating golems to defend us from monsters, while they went to sleep to recover their energy some more for tomorrow.

"This is quite the predicament, isn't it?"

I was still tied-up since no one trusted me not to strangle Revi again. Sylphina approached me and held up some jerky to my face.

"Want some?"

I was hungry, so I nodded. She lowered my gag and held out the jerky for me to eat. I chewed on the tough meat while she held it out for me.

Sylphina had been going around and using her diplomacy skills to calm the evacuees who came with us, as well as to try and keep the morale of the soldiers up with some light-hearted jokes and a bit of flirtation here and there. I also noted that she went around with several buttons of her blouse unbuttoned.

"...You're quite capable, aren't you?"

I said to her, to which she chuckled.

"Just doing what I can to improve the mood."

"Are you trying to improve my mood, too?"

"Is it working?"

I couldn't help but grin. Her cheerful personality was infectious.

"...Aren't you a tiny bit mad at all, Sylphina? As a member of house Dustiness, the shield of the royal family, that section of the wall was named after your clan."

Of the four corners of the wall, the one that went down to allow us to escape was known as 'Wall Dustiness'. I expected Sylphina to pressure me into executing Revi on the spot, but she was all smiles and as friendly as always.

"Walls are meant to protect. It doesn't matter if it's up or if it's fallen, as long as it can protect people, even a wall that has been reduced to rubble has already fulfilled its purpose. I'm sure my onee-sama would say the same thing. After all, she always tells people to 'break' her…"

"...I don't think Lalatina meant anything noble by saying that."

"And I don't think that Revi-sama meant anything ignoble when he brought down those walls. As a representative of house Dustiness, I officially pardon him for his… Well, his war crimes."

I sigh and snap the ropes that were binding me. After all, there's no way those ropes could actually contain me now that I have my real body. Sylphina blinks a bit at the show of power. I turn to her and say,

"Alright, bring the war criminal here. I forgive him now, so I promise I won't execute him by way of chokehold."

"...Weren't those mithril ropes? Fine, I'll get him. I don't think anyone here can stop you if you seriously want to go after him, anyway."

After a few moments, she brought over a pale looking Revi.

"G-Guards! The mad woman has been released?!"

"First of all, those are my guards! Second of all… I guess I forgive you."

"Huh? You do?"

I sigh and look him in the eyes.

"Don't get me wrong. I hate how you always look down on our traditions, as if you're above it all. I know that you always have your mind set on the future… But the past has its merit, too."

After all, my entire family exists in the past now.

Although I didn't say it, I felt like Revi understood what I meant.

"...I'm sorry. Did that wall mean a lot to you?"

A memory comes to my mind of my father showing me the view of the city from atop Wall Dustiness. Although we were never close, he used to take me out on walks like that.

"It's fine. What's done is done."

He sighs in relief, color returning to his face.

"...You know, I saw a glimpse of Eris-sama while you were choking me."

"Oh, sorry…"

"Don't be. I think I caught her while she was changing her panties. She wears blue striped ones, huh?"

I almost choked him out again.

Later that night…

Since there was no one who could take care of Revi's 'nightly needs', since everyone needed to rest, even the seemingly tireless Komekko-chan, Sylphina surprisingly volunteered to do the job.

I didn't know if she was doing it out of a sense of duty, or if she just wanted to go all the way with Revi, but I was too tired to protest.

I slept as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Part 3

The next morning, we woke up early and gathered around the command tent to figure out our next move.

There was one person present from all the major factions that make up the army. Representing the Crimson Demons was Arue, the adventurers were represented by Mitsurugi Kyouya, Elroad was represented by Revi and Claire was there as the general of the Belzerg forces. Sylphina was there as the notekeeper of the meeting, while I took upon the role of commander.

"Um, what am I doing here?"

Regina-sama asked. She was using her adult form this time on a whim, and she was attracting stares from Mitsurugi and Revi.

I looked to Revi, since it was his idea to bring Regina-sama along. He said it had to do with his plan that he's had for a while now.

"Well, Regina-sama… I'm thinking of using Uroburos to trap the enemy…"

"Not happening."

Regina-sama rejected the plan before he could even say it.

Certainly, after we all saw how he collapsed the walls of the capital, no ruler in their right mind would let him use their nation in his plans ever again.

"You didn't even listen to what I said!"

"I told you it's not happening! I don't care how much you beg me, boya! I'm not letting you involve my country in your reckless plans!"

Revi tried to insist, but I held up a hand and quieted him.

"If Regina-sama refuses, then there's nothing much we can do. We'll just have to use whatever your plan is as the last resort."

"At least let me say what the plan is first?!"

We all ignored him and proceeded with the meeting.

"So… What should we do? Should we try to evade the Demon King army?"

Mitsurugi said, using his pretty boy aura to shift the awkward mood. Arue stroked her chin and smiled,

"We can use Crimson Demon hit-and-run tactics to keep teleporting and whittling them down bit by bit…"

"The problem with that is that we clearly can't match them when it comes to stamina. Once the Crimson Demons run out of energy, they will pursue you and finish you off."

Claire sighed and placed her hand on the large map of Belzerg that was set before us.

"So, what do we do? Our greatest advantage is our magic. Even if our equipment is superior to theirs, the magic crossbows Elroad provided still rely on ammunition and long range to be effective. Once they close the gap, we're done."

"T-There's still strong frontliners like me present…"

Mitsurugi said, looking a bit upset that we were talking as if we didn't have strong frontliners.

"The issue isn't really quality. They just outnumber us too much, but if we just do typical hit-and-run tactics, they'll eventually surround us eventually."

Revi raised his hand once more and said,

"If you guys don't wanna use Uroburos, why don't we just run to Elroad like we did last time? The desert tribes can even help defend us."

"At that point, you're just giving Maouko what she wants. She'll take over Belzerg, even if it means the curse will bring famine to the land, as long as she can use Belzerg as her military hub to demand tributes and supplies from the surrounding countries. We lose as soon as we leave Belzerg."

"Then we're screwed anyway, right?! Why don't you all just listen to my plan and use Uroburos to…"

"I told you we're not doing that, boya!"

With Regina-sama shutting Revi up everytime he spoke, the meeting didn't go anywhere.

In the end, we came up with a hit-and-run plan using the Crimson Demons. Some Crimson Demons would be used to cast Teleport, while there will be those who will dedicate their mana and stamina to casting attack spells, that way, they won't exhaust themselves by using attack spells and Teleport on their own. The frontliners like Mitsurugi will then work to stall and restrict the movements of the Demon King army.

"...So we're just gonna keep attacking them and running around until our numbers are even?"

Revi said, skeptical of the plan.

"It worked for us when we fought demons in the past!"

Arue said, doing a pose as she shows off about the Crimson Demons's accomplishments in the past.

"...They have Maouko now and she's proven that normal tactics don't work for her."

"It's the best plan we've got, so let's just go with it."

We couldn't afford to keep chatting any longer. We needed to move before the Demon King army found us and took advantage of the surprise attack to decrease our numbers even more. We needed to get the drop on them for this plan to work.

When we left the tent, the army was geared up and ready to mobilize. Those with magic crossbows would stay back to provide support, while the Crimson Demons did what they do best, causing chaos on the battlefield.

We had Serena-senpai scout for the enemy. Once she found them, she managed to control a patrolling demon by flashing her panties at him. She got intel from the demon before we imprisoned him.

"Alright… So they're in those woods, huh? It seems that they don't want to be seen during the day."

Revi said, using his [Farsight] to look at the enemy, who were hiding behind the trees like we were earlier. It was a large stretch of woods and there was a lake next to it. It would have made for a picturesque vacation spot if one owned a lakeside cabin, but now it was going to be used for war.

"It seems Maouko also believes that whoever gets a surprise attack first will get a huge advantage in this war. Alright, Crimson Demon group, move out!"

I commanded the Crimson Demons to move in. Since they were used to fighting in forests after having lived in a village surrounded by a monster infested forest, they didn't have any problems at all navigating the trees and foliage.

Soon, we heard the cries of demons as they were assaulted by an onslaught of Advanced level spells.

Since they were in a forest, the Crimson Demons used fire spells to smoke the demons out.

"Huh? Did you really think that I'd send my army in a place with a bunch of trees you could set fire to?"

When I heard a smug, sing-song voice above us, I knew that we were fooled by Maouko again. I looked up and we saw her flying in the sky, wings stretched out as she flew above us.

Claire gasped and said,

"H-Huh?! But those demons in the woods…?!"

"Bards can use illusion magic, did you forget? Those are just random monsters. Geez, I only used minor illusions, you know? You guys really mistook monsters for demons, huh?!"

"O-Oh, um… Sorry…"

Why are you apologizing to the enemy, Claire?

"Listen, you monster-looking, demon…"

Rain went up to cover my mouth before I could go on a very offensive tirade.

"What a foul mouth you have! Anyway, aren't you wondering where my army actually is, hm?"

We heard a roar, as multiple demons emerged out of the lake next to the forest. The picturesque lake that I admired earlier now had a bunch of demons covered up in algae and other forms of camouflage coming out of it. It looked like a scene straight out of a nightmare.

They threw away the tubes they had in their mouth and charged at us.

The Crimson Demons teleported back to convene with us, but that meant that our hit-and-run tactics were no longer feasible. The demons charged at us in the swarming tactics they were superior at.

I raised Calibur and ordered a charge. Komekko-chan, Mitsurugi, Claire and all the other frontliners joined in the charge, while Revi commanded the crossbowmen to launch their magic bolts to cover us.

There were multiple projectiles flying over us, as we clashed with the enemy frontlines. I locked weapons with a demon that had three eyes, catching a swing from his axe.

"[Shadow Thread]!"

I attached a shadow thread that connected our weapons together. I brought Calibur down, bringing his axe along with it, then I drew my armored fist back and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

Beside me, Komekko-chan learned her lesson and didn't go out of position anymore, making sure to hold the line. She grinned as she cut a demon down with Devil Sword Dande, releasing a flash of red light as she sliced through the demon's armor.

"The Devil won't do anything dumb today! You all better prepare for the genius tactics of the Devil!"

…Is fighting together instead of running off on your own really such a genius tactic, Komekko-chan?

I turned to her and said,

"Komekko-chan! Let's do that move we talked about!"

"Sure thing! [Devil Light of Saber]!"

"[Shadow Thread]!"

The shadows attached themselves to the conjured blades composed of bright red devil energy. Komekko-chan manifested her Hoost arms, which I attached the shadow threads to. Then she charged at the enemy and started spinning around, letting the shadow threads and the blades spin around her and cutting down any demons who were unfortunate enough to be close to Komekko-chan.

"Again, again! The Devil likes this combo!"

She wound up the shadow threads again and started spinning around with her Hoost arms, looking like a dancer even as she spun around and brought death to all who came near her. She laughed maniacally as she formed a tornado of shadow and devil power that brought down the enemies in her way.

While Komekko-chan was having fun with our new combo, more enemies rushed up to me, attempting to bring me down.

"[Shadow Step]!"

I vanished in a flicker of darkness out of a demon's attempt to cut my head off with a great sword. Another demon came up to try and stab me with a spear.

"[Soul Split]!"

I summoned an avatar of blue energy, representing my identity as 'Alice'. The energy avatar took the attack as I safely dodged to the side.

"[Soul Split Discharge]!"

I released the damage taken by the avatar to blow away the spear wielding demon. He let out a cry of pain as he fell back. The avatar disappeared in a blue mist.

Even though we were making progress, the enemies were endless. I saw Mitsurugi use Gram to carve a path ahead of him, but more bodies took the place of the gap he created. Above us, Maouko kept singing, energizing and empowering her army. They fought without any fear and without feeling any pain from their injuries.

Our soldiers were already getting tired. Some of them even deserted their positions. Losing a limb or two didn't stop the demons from advancing. One alligator demon lost both of their arms but still leaped at a soldier to bite them with its maw.

Aside from their physical strength and stamina, the demons also had the advantage of having peculiar traits that are impossible to plan around. There are scorpion demons, pig demons, demons who can breathe out poison gas and demons who can elongate their arms to strike opponents from afar. It's almost impossible not to be taken off guard, no matter how experienced you are as a warrior.

"[Exterion]!"

I released a golden energy slash that cut through rows of demons. Even if we had superior firepower, there were just too many of them. Exhaustion would soon take over if I kept firing off my strongest attacks.

If we wanted to weaken the army, we needed to aim straight for the leader.

"Komekko-chan! Use your Hoost wings to fly up and defeat Maouko!"

"You got it! [Devil Trigger]!"

She manifested the Hoost wings and flew in a burst of red energy towards where Maouko was surveying the battlefield, using her own wings to stay afloat.

When Komekko-chan attacked the figure, the image of Maouko disappeared. She repeated behind Komekko-chan and laughed.

"I have illusion magic, remember? You'll never strike me down, and if you're up here…"

The place that Komekko-chan left unoccupied was instantly filled with demons. They were breaking through the frontline because of my hasty decision.

"Iris?! What are you doing?! Why did you just weaken our frontline?!"

Revi yelled, as he commanded the archers to aim at the demons who were breaking through our formation.

I thought that it would work, but Komekko-chan was missing all of her attacks as Maouko kept creating illusory copies of herself.

"Don't worry! I'm coming to assist!"

Rori-san said, as she flew up to join the aerial battle.

I dodged a spear thrust as I tried to watch the battle above, retaliating at the demon who attacked me with a thrust of my own, stabbing him through his chainmail. Rori-san was chasing Maouko around with Komekko-chan, but they were both still having problems.

I whistled for Rori-san and waved her over. She flew over beside me. The demons who saw her coming close tried to shoot arrows at her, but she created illusory copies of herself like Maouko was doing to evade the attacks.

"What is it, Iris-san?"

"Can you fly me up there?"

I said, pointing at the sky, where Komekko-chan was slashing at illusions.

"Eh…? That's… You're too heavy…"

"What do you mean I'm too heavy?! That's not something you say to a girl?!"

"You're wearing armor aren't you?!"

Oh, so that's what she meant.

"It's fine… I still have priest skills, remember? [Power-Up]!"

I casted strengthening buffs on Rori-san, placing a hand on her and letting holy magic give her power to lift me.

"I feel so powerful?! Hang on tight!"

"Gahhh!"

I let out a cry as she grabbed me by the armpits and flew me up into the sky. Once we reached the two other flying combatants, I said,

"Alright, Rori-san! Now cast your debuff magic on them!"

"Eh?! But I'll get Komekko-chan, too…"

"It's fine, just do it!"

"If you say so… [Greater Curse]!"

She used her inherent ability as a succubus to cast a debuffing curse. Both Maouko and Komekko-chan who were caught up in the area of the spell slowed down considerably.

"Why did you do that?! I feel so weak…!"

Komekko-chan said, barely able to maintain her flight now that she was affected by the debuff, however, Maouko was the same. She tried to cast her illusions, but since she was weakened, the illusions came out as poor-quality.

"Stop whining and come over here…"

I had Rori-san fly me over to Komekko-chan. I placed my hand on Komekko-chan.

"[Break Spell]!"

I used my priest abilities to cure Komekko-chan from the curse.

"Ohh! I see what you're trying to do now, Iris!"

With a grin, Komekko-chan continued to pursue Maouko, but this time, Maouko wasn't able to completely elude her.

"Gah! I admit, that was a smart move!"

She began to cast buffs on herself, but since she was splitting her attention, that meant that she couldn't provide support to her army below, since she was using all her concentration buffing herself to counter the curse and to evade Komekko-chan.

I had Rori-san bring me back down again. With me leading the charge, we were able to finally seize the momentum and push the Demon King army back.

Eventually, Maouko had no choice but to order her army to retreat.

"Yosh! We did it!"

Victory cries erupted from our side as we watched the Demons running from us.

Although it couldn't be called a complete victory, it was still a good outcome, seeing how close we were to total annihilation.

Part 4

We made camp after Maouko and her army retreated. Those we were injured had their wounds tended to. We had mages who still had mana left cast water magic at the forest to prevent the fire from spreading.

"That was unexpectedly good thinking from you, Iris."

Revi said, giving me a thumbs up.

"...What do you mean unexpectedly?"

He started stammering once I glared at him. I sighed and said,

"It's unfortunate that they managed to get away, though…"

"Heh. It's a good thing you have this genius with you! I already sent Po-ke to tail them."

"Hoh… You're actually useful for once."

"I'm always useful!"

We walked around while chatting, helping out with distributing food and medicine to the soldiers. There's no rest for us leaders. We needed to show our face after the victory to keep the morale up.

"The Blue Queen has led us to victory!"

"Seeing the Red Queen flying above us was very inspiring! Especially since we got to see under her skirt!"

"Revi-sama also commanded the backline well…"

After doing our rounds, we joined the representative leaders in the command tent. Claire looked tired, but she looked satisfied with the victory, same as with Mitsurugi. Arue was gloating about how many demons she took down to Mitsurugi, who just politely nodded to everything she was saying. Sylphina was there to take notes like before. She gave Revi a wink when he entered.

"Somehow, that turned out to be a success."

I said, as I took my place at the head of the table. I looked at the map laid out on it. Claire had already pinpointed the possible locations where Maouko could have retreated with her troops.

"...I'm thinking that Maouko's next move is to gather the rest of her forces that are guarding the towns and cities. She can also use those places as fortifications against us."

Revi said, pointing to all of the surrounding communities that Maouko took over. Just like with Axel, she made sure to seize control of the cities, taxing them for supplies in order to feed and maintain her army.

"Since we can't rely on the cities to give us supplies, it feels like we're in the middle of enemy territory, even if we're technically fighting in our own soil…"

Claire said, frowning as she looked at all the cities that Maouko captured.

"And since most of your army's commanders are made out of prissy nobles, we can't even rely on terrain advantage because they don't know anything about the wilderness here!"

Revi started insulting our army again.

"Oi, didn't I already tell you to stop insulting my country?"

"...Sorry. It's hard to get rid of habits and talking shit about Belzerg has kind of been my thing since I was a kid."

I rolled my eyes and said to Revi,

"Since you can spy on them with Po-ke, can you tell us where they're hiding?"

"Yeah, I looked earlier and it seems they're in the town of Lexa right now…"

Lexa… Wasn't that the town famous for its nightlife establishments?

"Huh? What are they doing in Lexa? It's not like that place is known for its agriculture or material production…"

"...Maybe her soldiers need to destress?"

"She doesn't think like you do."

Revi turned to Mitsurugi and said,

"Come on, as a fellow guy, you know what I'm talking about, right?! Nothing lifts your spirits more than a night with a beautiful girl! A man can even endure hunger and thirst if it means that they can spend the night getting freaky…"

"...Please don't involve me in this."

Mitsurugi said, holding his hands up as Revi tried to find some camaraderie in him. Arue raised her hand and said,

"Maybe they just went there because it's the closest place? It's not like they have people who can use Teleport magic in their army."

"That still doesn't explain why they'd choose Lexa and not a city that has bigger walls and can provide more food and materials for them…"

As I was saying this, Mitsurugi let out a sound of realization. When we turned our eyes to him, he covered his mouth and looked away.

"...Do you know something?"

"Erm… N-Not really."

"Oi, spit it out."

Eventually, he sighed and said,

"L-Look, don't judge me, but there's a lot of things like succubus shops and demon brothels in Lexa. I might have visited some of them… B-But that's not important! Anyway, since the Demon King army sometimes employs devils and stuff, maybe they came there to recruit succubi to their army. Needless to say, they might also want those who are working in the demon brothels…"

We all stared at him.

"...I guess you can't judge a guy by the way he looks."

"I-It wasn't my idea?! A bunch of other adventurers made me come there! Wait, that's the wrong choice of words!"

After we finished giving him judgemental glares, except for Revi who gave him a thumbs up, Claire said,

"...Be that as it may, is it really worth recruiting these… workers of the night, instead of fortifying themselves in a proper city?"

I shook my head and replied,

"You've seen how effective one succubus can be. Just imagining having to deal with thirty or more succubi like Rori-san flying around the battlefield, casting illusions and debuffs on our soldiers makes me shudder. Also, you're discounting another important factor… Eventually, our army needs to sleep."

Even if we took shifts sleeping, succubi were masters of infiltration. They could sneak in and start draining the life energy of the men. Not to mention that there might be some incubi in Lexa, too. Mitsurugi wouldn't know about them, but since Lexa's nightlife services were diverse and expansive, I wouldn't discount it.

"...The idea that they can attack us while we're most vulnerable and there's nothing we can do to stop them is scary."

Claire said, rubbing her chin in thought.

"Indeed… And that's why we should stop them before they can properly recruit any succubi and incubi from Lexa!"

Revi blinked and said,

"So… How are the demon brothels going to help Maouko? She already has plenty of demons, and I don't imagine that demon prostitutes are all that powerful."

"...You don't know what you're talking about. Demon prostitutes are very strong. They even managed to completely dominate me in bed. Urk…! I-I mean…?!"

We all stared at Mitsurugi again as he made these admissions.

Part 5

After everything we discussed, our next destination was Lexa.

The soldiers completely misunderstood our intentions and started cheering.

"Our rulers are so generous! After our victory, we will head to Lexa to have some 'relaxation', huh?!"

"I hope that my legs don't get too weak after a visit to the brothel. Hehe…"

"After seeing all these Crimson Demon girls around, I'm gonna need some release…"

I was about to correct them, but Revi placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Let them dream."

The soldiers, who normally needed several hours to pack up the equipment to move out and march, finished doing so in only a couple hours. They stood in attention in neat lines before marching with unprecedented efficiency.

They even started singing the national anthem as they marched.

"...Why weren't they this efficient before?"

"You clearly don't understand a man's heart, Iris."

Revi said, tearing up as he watched the soldiers march. Was this somehow emotional for him?

"An inspiring sight, indeed."

Mitsurugi said, also watching the soldiers marching with teary eyes.

…I don't understand these guys.

While I sat on the horse-pulled carriage, I saw Komekko-chan outside. Even though she had her own carriage assigned to her, she said that she wanted to keep up her workout routine. She was jogging outside wearing only a sports bra and short shorts.

When the soldiers saw her jogging around in such a revealing outfit, they increased their pace to Lexa.

"...Oh, dear. It looks like there's poor visibility. We're entering a foggy area…"

Rain said, as she looked up at the fog above us.

"I'm pretty sure that's just the steam coming out of the soldiers' ears…"

The red-faced soldiers continued their march. For their sake, I withheld Sylphina from coming to join Komekko-chan in her jog.

It took about half a day to arrive in Lexa. The scouts told us that the Demon King army had already occupied Lexa.

"...I guess they don't care about the curse, huh?"

Arue said, after the scouts reported this to us.

"They don't care about the food or anything else, remember? They probably already ransacked and ate everything before they could spoil."

I told her, looking over the pictures that scouts took with the expensive magic camera they were entrusted with.

"...Actually, it seems that the demons who were sent to Lexa before had already stored all of the food and equipment that they taxed out of the people in a different location. That way, the curse wouldn't affect it since they weren't technically occupying Lexa."

That must have been what they were doing in Axel, too. That was why that shark demon had ordered her soldiers to build a fort outside of Axel. It was a good thing that big boss Megumin interrupted their construction with Explosion magic every night, otherwise they would have had a lot of resources stored up.

"...Is there a way to sabotage the location where they're storing all their food and supplies?"

I asked Revi, but he only shook his head.

"Sorry. I only heard about it through Po-ke, but I don't know where the location actually is. It seems that only a select few people know."

Claire, who was sitting next to me in the carriage, said,

"It's a simple matter, Iris-sama. We should attack them since they can't occupy the city. And since it hasn't been long, they hadn't had time to build any forts. There also aren't any defensible terrain or locations around Lexa. If we can take out the demons outside the town…"

I sighed and stopped her before she could keep talking.

"...They have hostages, remember? It's actually better for them to be outside the town, since they can keep the inhabitants inside."

As much as I hated to admit it, we couldn't rely on the brute force method here. We needed to take a discreet and subtle approach.

And for that…

I called on Regina-sama and Serena-senpai.

"...Serena-senpai, we're going to need to infiltrate again."

I said, after they walked over to my carriage to hear what I had to say.

Revi kept glancing over at the grown-up form of Regina-sama, who was making full use of her adult form by wearing a revealing purple dress. She was obviously making up for all those years that she was a chibi by showing off her real body as much as possible.

I even spotted her tempting the soldiers with that body of hers, although she never actually let them do anything to her. What a cruel woman.

"Oh? Belzerg is seeking help from Uroburos? Oh, my… I hope you can properly compensate us?"

Regina-sama said, grinning as she suddenly made this a negotiation between countries.

"Hah? Regina-sama, aren't we all friends here?"

"This and that are separate matters. Now that Uroburos is a proper player in this war, I can't just let opportunities like this get away… Ohohoho!"

"What's up with that ojou-sama laugh?! Did your ego grow along with those breasts of yours?! Oi, just because you have your original body back, don't think that I'll forget how small and cute you used to be, Regina-chan!"

"I-I'm a goddess, you know?! The MVP of the great Potassia war! You can't treat me like this! I deserve respect! Pamper me! Worship me!"

…Do all goddesses suffer a decrease in IQ points once they get bigger breasts?

I turned to Revi and said,

"Oi, order your consort to obey me."

"Eh… Well…"

Regina-sama started batting her eyes at Revi.

"Oh, boya… Surely you'll side with your consort and your concubine over here, right?"

Serena-senpai caught onto what Regina-sama was saying to her and joined in, batting her eyelashes along with Regina-sama.

"...Please give Regina-sama what she wants, Revi-sama."

"Hnngh! Sorry, Iris, you're on your own!"

…Well, I couldn't really blame him after that tag team attack.

"Ugh. Fine! What do you want?!"

After negotiating all kinds of unreasonable terms that one-sidedly benefited Uroburos, I finally got Regina-sama to agree to help me.

"...I look forward to the continued partnership of our two nations!"

Regina-sama said, as I shook her hand.

"Hah… I got ripped off."

"You're an Akashic Knight, you know? Half of your powers come from me, so you shouldn't treat Uroburos like some kind of political burden for you!"

"Stop talking about that well-fare state."

After finishing the negotiations, Claire said,

"Lexa is just up ahead, Iris-sama!"

We looked out at the city of Lexa, where another decisive battle will take place.

…Who knew that the fate of this continent would be decided in a red-light district?