"Ohh, that’s right, I always forget that the humans have those strange, illogical laws regarding women. I see, so those laws are even imposed on Royals," Mused Deilelne, as Zelmira finished explaining her circumstances.

There had been a brief bit of tension after she first introduced herself, but she was quick to jump in and explain before anything happened.

"Yes, that’s right. The Kingdom of Lynocyes needs to change, this war needs to end. That’s why I’m here," Responded Zelmira, a determined look in her eyes, before adding as she glanced at me, "I should thank you...you had the opportunity to leave without stopping to help us, but you didn’t take it. I truly appreciate it."

"I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it, but...I suppose I can handle a few more days in this world. Plus, we already had a deal, it’d leave a bad taste in my mouth if I broke it," I replied with a wry smile.

There’s also the fact that I’ve got a grudge against the King and everyone else involved in summoning us to this world, so I’m very much on board with killing them.

"Same here. And besides, we’ve already ended one war, so we’ve got the experience," Chimed in Jaden with a grin.

"True, and I seriously doubt this will be anywhere near as difficult," Added Ciel in agreement.

Yeah, if that was the case, I’d have never agreed to this deal in the first place.

"Hey, careful, don’t say anything that could jinx us," Muttered Cleo warily.

"Yeah, let’s not-...," I began, before trailing off as I heard footsteps approaching, turning my gaze towards the door.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, Kritak stepping back inside. He glanced at the others, giving them a polite nod. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Hello, you must be the other summoned Heroes. I am Kritak Forthe, one of the four Demon Generals. The Demon Lord has agreed to meet with all of you. Please, follow me," He remarked with a smile.

Alright, this is it, here we go.

We got up and followed after him as he led us through the castle, before coming to a stop in front of a large doorway, a couple of guards standing by on either side.

As he gave the guards a nod, they pushed the doors open and let us inside. We walked through the doorway, entering a large throne room, a strange sensation blanketing us.

Hm, this feeling...it’s Anti-Magic. I sparred against Cleo when she used Spirit Fusion with her Devil Spirit, so I’ve already experienced this feeling.

At the back of the room, was a throne, a masked woman seated upon it. She had long black hair, was about average height with a slender, attractive figure, with a light brown complexion.

She wore a black mask with narrow slits over the eyes, and like all the Demons I’ve seen in this world, she had a pair of narrow, curved horns, sleek wings and a long, wiry tail.

Hm? It feels like she’s staring at me.

She’s supposed to be the most powerful individual in this world, but with this Anti-Magic barrier in place, I can’t use Appraisal.

Zevek and Reritea were standing on either side of the throne, the former with a sullen, grumpy look on his face, averting his gaze as I glanced at him.

And skulking behind the throne, was a Devil Spirit.

"Greetings, summoned Heroes, I welcome you to the Vruxtrus Empire. To begin with, I’d like to apologize for the rude welcome Zevek here gave you," The Demon Lord greeted us, as she glanced at Zevek.

Hm...her voice is a bit muffled and distorted by the mask, but...I don’t know, there’s something familiar about it.

"I...I apologize," He muttered in response.

"It’s fine, I have no reason to dwell on it. Given the circumstances of this world, it was an understandable reaction," I shrugged it off.

"I’m glad to hear you say that. Now, then, let’s get right to it, shall we? I’ve been informed of your situation and the deal you’ve proposed to us. And frankly...it seems a bit too good to be true.

While I’d like nothing more than for this war to end, it’s a little hard to believe that just five of you will be able to defeat the strongest of the Kingdom of Lynocyes’ forces by yourselves," She responded bluntly.

I mean...fair.

"In terms of power, we outclass the people of this world by a pretty significant margin, so our confidence is far from unfounded," Spoke up Aria.

"Yeah, we can handle it, no problem. Compared to some of the threats we’ve faced and defeated, we’re not particularly worried," Added Jaden.

"I see...tell me, how exactly do you plan to end the war?" The Demon Lord inquired curiously.

"It’s simple. First, we exterminate all the Knights posted across the border. Then, we attack the Capital and declare that we’re going to kill the King.

After that, we give it a day or two, the King is bound to recall the brunt of the nation’s forces to the Capital to protect him. We already have measures in place to make sure that he won’t leave the Capital.

Once the core of the nation’s forces are concentrated in the Capital, we wipe them out, nice and easy. We’ll also attack the Church and prompt them to gather their Inquisitors in the Capital," I informed her.

"Hm. I see. So, that’s your plan. As humans, aren’t you hesitant to kill your own kind?"

Huh, why does she seem kinda displeased?

"No, not really. They summoned us here and then tried to enslave us, and based on everything I’ve seen, this world will be better off without them," I replied with a shrug.

"Well...I suppose it would be next to impossible to end this war without any deaths. And you Heroes probably want to return to your world as quickly as possible," She sighed, slumping back in her throne slightly.

She certainly seems pretty opposed to killing. I guess that isn’t a bad thing, but...it seems pretty naive.

This must be at least a part of the reason why the Demons have been so passive in this war, opting to maintain a stalemate rather than push for victory.

"Look, you want this war to end, and we’re offering to end it. And with no casualties on your side, to boot. So, does the method in which we go about accomplishing that really matter?" I pointed out.

"I suppose you make a good point...alright, before I make my decision, I’d like to see just how powerful you summoned Heroes are. After all, this will be pointless if you aren’t actually strong enough to pull this off. So, with that in mind...let’s test your power and see if you’re truly capable of accomplishing this task."