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––Lepes’ Perspective

Lepes was trembling.

Just as I was about to go all out against the vampires, a silver-haired brat suddenly appeared. At first, I was irritated because some other civilians had gotten mixed up in the teleportation, clearly disobeying orders and leaving the queue. I had no mercy for those who broke the rules, brat or not.

But in fact…

What an enormous and sinister mana. This girl isn’t a human. I don’t know of anybody else, with such a wicked and overpowering mana. Even though she looks just like some young girl, her sense of presence is on another level.

As I was analyzing the situation with a cold sweat, the girl called Camilla met my gaze― and a chill ran down my spine.

I-, I’ll be killed…

The premonition of death that assaulted me, threatened to bring me to my knees. The instinct as a warrior that I had cultivated over many years, was now telling me to run. But I forcefully repressed it, and brandished my greatsword. If I don’t bring this thing down somehow, she’ll become humanity’s most fearsome enemy.

With every ounce of might in my body, I attacked the monster.

“Sea Blizzard!”

A skill that clad my greatsword in the chill of absolute zero. An ultimate technique that could bring down even S-class monsters.

My secret technique flashed against Camilla.

But the result was a metallic clang, and Camilla’s hand stopped it with ease.

“I-, Impossible. With one hand…”
“Ohh? Your swordsmanship isn’t half bad for a human! And you have used your mana well too.”

My prided greatsword was being stopped with Camilla’s single hand. And naturally, Camilla was both unharmed, and completely at ease.

To think that Camilla was this much of a monster…

Wary of a counterattack, I promptly back-pedaled. Camilla simply watched me with an amused smirk. Likely proof that she could toy with me as she pleased. The sweat wouldn’t stop running.

Given the situation, how do I proceed?

The sworn enemies of Decarabia are the vampires, but Camilla is a threat that they can’t even compare with. A matter of utmost priority.

Camilla…

The demon who was the progenitor of the magic system. Her strength is as great as the legends say.

Kuh-! When the hell did this kind of monster revive?

And how is it even possible that we overlooked a monster of this level? When it comes to mana detection, I’m counted as one of the better users, even in Decarabia, and yet I didn’t notice a thing. This legendary monster must also be skilled in operating undetected.

Honestly, this is something I can’t handle alone. It would be best to temporarily withdraw. Also, there’s the problem of Bebe, but it looks like he’s trembling because of Camilla as well.

Spurred on by fear, Bebe urged his subordinates to attack. But the great majority of them were terrified by Camilla’s mana, and were in no shape to be fighting anything. It was lucky to even be conscious; most of the weaker members had already fainted. The pressure from Camilla was indescribable. Even I would lose consciousness if I relaxed the slightest bit.

As for the members of the Public Safety Force, they were as good as wiped out. A few of the officers were barely holding onto their consciousness, but their legs were trembling, and they were a step away from collapsing.

“EEI! What are you hesitating about! Go! Use your numbers, and press forth!”

Bebe screamed desperately to spur the vampires into action.

It’s pointless. Anybody could see their cold feet.

“Hmph, fools down to the core.”

With a mutter, Camilla released magic bullets into the air. In an instant, dozens of people around her turned to dust.

“Wha-!? E-, Even our Safety Force members are getting…?”
“What sleeptalk is that? Why must I take the side of you humans!”

Immediately, the expressions of the Public Safety Force members turned unsightly. Camilla’s appearance was that of an innocent girl, and she looked more like a human than a demon. Somewhere in their hearts, they must have considered her as being on their side.

“T-, Then that means you are on the side of the demons… Could it be that you have forgiven us?”
“Drivel! Listen well, and do not misunderstand; none of the fools present here are anything more than offerings to elder sister!”

I could feel her mana increase as she roared at us. The mana that clad her rose in scope again.

This is bad. She’s going to fire an even crazier round of magic bullets!

I began creating the strongest defensive magic I had. It’s not an area of magic that I’m skilled in, but this isn’t the time for excuses. I could feel the violent movements of that ridiculous mana whirlpool.

It’s coming!

Just as I readied myself, hundreds of magic bullets rained down from Camilla’s hand.

“GUHAH-!”
“Hiiii! I-It’s breaking through the Shield!?”
“M-MY ARMM HURRDDS! ID’s ALL SHREEDDEDDD!”

The magic bullets mercilessly penetrated the Shields. Even those who had created Shields had their lives unceremoniously reaped, to say nothing of those already unconscious.

“S-, So this is the legendary ultimate magic, the Star Freya…”
“What are you prattling about? You believe I would use my ultimate skill on the likes of you? This was nothing more than continually firing magic bullets.”

Wha-!? T-, These were just normal magic bullets…? Our levels are just too different!

Those ‘normal’ magic bullets had easily broken through Decarabia’s prided Shield and caused me to sustain significant injury. Although it’s true that Shielding wasn’t my strong point, your average attack spell wouldn’t even budge it. And despite that…

But on the other hand, if I hadn’t used it then I would definitely have been killed.

Hahh, hahh, my wounds are hurting.

S̲h̲i̲t̲. How is everybody else?

I looked around. Even though there were so many demons before, not a trace of them was left. The army that had been here was apparently exterminated without a trace.

As for those who barely managed to survive, they comprised me, Bebe, and a few other demons. The Public Safety Force members were all gone. Well, they were the scum of the Public Safety Force though. I suppose I should be grateful that she cleaned them up.

“With this, I suppose at least the most unsightly small fry are gone.”
“E-, Esteemed True Ancestor, I offer my most humble apologies!”

That damned Bebe. Begging for his life after all this time, huh. Terrified by her power, he prostrated at her feet and pleaded for forgiveness.

“…Honestly. Was I not an imposter? And now after all this time, you call me your Esteemed True Ancestor!?”
“I-I-I would not dare. AAhh, aahhh, please forgive me! I must have been mad, before. With such mana, mana that exceeds even the lofty power you had in ancient times, truly, you are none other than the Esteemed True Ancestor…”
“Hmph. I release my mana for just a little, and look what has become of you. Both you and the kin you created are the dregs of the land!”
“Yes, milady. Before your profound power, we are nothing more than worms. Please, please find it in your heart to be merciful, and allow me to once more serve you!”

…How incredibly pathetic.

Doesn’t he have any pride as a warrior? Look at him groveling, just because he wants to live.

This is the enemy that I, no, that all of Decarabia have been risking our lives to battle all these years!? The great enemy that Decarabia battled with for millenia was actually this prideless worm…?

Perhaps Camilla felt the same way as me, because she looked at Bebe coldly.

“What garbage are you spewing! The Evil God Army that elder sister leads has no need for cowardly garbage. Those who died to the likes of my earlier magic bullets are out of the question, but even those who survived are nowhere near good enough. The idiocy that you have spewed is more than enough reason to eliminate you.”
“HIIIII! P-, PLEASE, MERCY!”

Bebe frantically ran away. But still, I have a few misgivings about what she said just now.

Elder sister? Evil God Army? Wasn’t Camilla with the Demon King Army?

And more importantly, from what I gathered just now, there’s still somebody out there, with an even more ridiculous power than Camilla’s. The existence of an enemy beyond Camilla makes this vampire invasion look like a joke. It would threaten the very existence of the capital, no, of all of humanity. I need to escape from here as soon as possible, and think of a countermeasure.

“Oh yes. Human. So you still live as well? If you join me, I do not mind forgiving you.”
“Hmph! You think I would wag my tail for you demons!? No matter what flaws I have, I am still a member of Decarabia!”
“Fumu. A feeble human though you may be, your earlier attack was not bad. A decent amount of power, and some backbone as well. Interesting!”

A flash of light released from her fingertips, and cut into the ground. She had suddenly formed a few-hundred-meters ring around us.

What is this? What is she thinking?

“You lot. You shall fight each other to the death in this ring.”
“Esteemed True Ancestor, what do you mean?”
“Bebe. I shall give you one final chance. I will not clean you up for now.”
“T-Thank you very much. I, Bebe, shall risk my life to serve―”
“Do not misunderstand. The Evil God Army has no use for weaklings. When you have killed everybody else here, and remain the last one in the ring, you may join the bottom rungs of our army”
“I-It can’t be. I’m your kin…”

“What’s the matter? Is he not your long hated enemy? Wanting to join us without killing him is asking for more than you should. Or what? Would you prefer that I send you off, this very moment?”
“I-I would not dare. I shall do it. Please allow me to do it.”
“Hmph. You should have just been obedient from the start.”

With that as the signal, Bebe bore his fighting spirit and rushed to attack me.

“I will kill you, and then return to my place by my Esteemed True Ancestor’s side!”

His motivation was actually incredible.

This wasn’t the time to hold any of my strength back. I drank Decarabia’s Doping. This drug has the effect of temporarily bringing a vast increase to your mana and physical ability. Although it comes with terrible side effects, it is still better than dying here.

“UOHHHH! Chained Sea Blizzard!”

I chained strike after strike of my ultimate technique, and cut down towards Bebe and his army. Before the might of my enhanced skill, even Bebe was forced onto the defensive, and the other vampires were all defeated.

“Kuh-! So sneaky!”
“Hii! I’ve had enough! Somebody save mee!”

One of the vampires was frightened by my skills, and tried to leave the circle. But Camilla did not overlook it, and she destroyed him without hesitation.

“It seems I forgot to mention. Those who leave the circle shall be dealt by me, personally. Proceed with that in mind.”

Kuh-! I was thinking of looking for a chance to escape, but with Camilla watching us, that seems impossible.