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As the Demon Lord Belphegor, I’ve come to realize something while battling heroes: one must not panic and must respond appropriately no matter the situation at hand.

Behold.

The former Hero of the Holy Sword, Mercenary King Bearnes, is now being controlled by the enemy under the guise of brainwashing.

‘Is it the ultimate hypnosis?’

Bearnes is currently under hypnosis.

Not just any ordinary hypnosis, mind you; it’s a hypnosis cast by a Demon Lord-level being.

It’s likely that Satan personally seized the Holy Sword and not only physically took it but also stole its ownership and crushed Bearnes’s spirit.

A dangerous existence.

But we too have a Hero on our side.

[Liriez!!]

“Yes!”

The moment I issued the command through the external speaker, Liriez drew the Holy Sword and aimed it at Bearnes.

The Holy Sword, now much larger than before, had transformed into a giant two-handed sword far surpassing anything Lucius wielded.

Flame.

Bearnes also drew her Holy Sword.

Like the form she used before, it was a sword engulfed in flames.

However, the flames of the sword she wielded now were undeniably orange.

Unlike Bearnes’s previous red flames, she was now using flames that matched Satan’s hue.

[You have become an Apostle of the Holy Sword. After being deprived of the Holy Sword, you have become a slave under the Demon Lord’s hypnosis.]

“That’s…!”

“What are you mumbling about alone! Khehehe!”

The Imp cackled mockingly at Liriez while waving its staff.

Probably, that staff manipulates the hypnosis and simultaneously controls Bearnes.

“Corrupted Warrior Bearnes! I will eliminate you completely! Kehhehe! Only the corrupted warrior can kill the hero! You will die here!”

“Ugh…! Captain! Are you really going to kill her?!”

“…….”

Holding onto the Holy Sword tightly, Liriez remained silent.

It seemed she was seeking counsel from me, connected through her magical power, and I couldn’t make a reckless judgment.

The cleanest solution would be to kill her.

Regardless of her identity as Mercenary King Bearnes, if she has been brainwashed and stripped of her Holy Sword, killing her would be the most straightforward response.

[Killing her easily is the answer, while defeating her the hard way involves subduing her and breaking the hypnosis. Hero, what will you do?]

“Bearnes is a mercenary king. One of the ten strongest people on the continent. And at the same time… she has profound faith!”

Faced with two paths, Liriez made her decision.

“I will unbind the curse shrouding Bearnes’s soul! With the power of this Holy Sword!”

[You chose ‘salvation’ this time. Good.]

While simply killing her would have sufficed, it seems Bearnes’s devout belief in the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess played a significant role.

[Great! Then let’s subdue her! Strip away that blasphemous restraint covering Bearnes’s body!]

It made sense, given that, thanks to the Holy Sword’s power, she didn’t need to be scantily dressed, yet she chose to expose herself.

[Mercenary King Bearnes once preached the teachings of the Moon Goddess to me, urging me to dress lightly! She practiced the teachings of the Order herself! I can’t just discard someone who’s been brainwashed!]

Had she not been a mercenary, she would have been a perfect fit as a holy knight of the Goddess’s Order, spreading faith and doctrine like no one else.

[Opportunity is a single moment! Awaken her belief in the Moon Goddess within! Revive that seed of faith hidden in the flames of the Demon Lord! If it fails… we’ll have no choice! Everyone, help!]

It would be a bit much if the Order of the Goddess turned their backs on her completely.

“Everyone! I will give it a shot! If it goes awry, I’ll turn her into a casualty, so just give her one chance!”

“Understood! Captain, I will follow you!”

“We will too!”

Whoa—!

The Holy Knights and Spartan warriors erupted in cheers, readying themselves for battle.

A clash between heroes and warriors.

Mammon and I stood still at the heart of the Mobile Fortress, casting a barrier.

“Damn it, it’s hard to stretch my legs up here!”

The Mobile Fortress reached the canyon’s edge, and while the surge had made its attack effective, it also meant that to extend its legs and move again, we needed to clear out all the enemies that had landed atop the fortress.

“Witch! I need you to handle the above! I’ll keep the ground units at bay as much as I can!”

“Roger.”

Endymion diligently pressed switches and pulled levers from the captain’s chair of the Mobile Fortress.

Click, click.

Long barrel weapons popped out from the side of the fortress’s walls and aimed at the horde of demons advancing through the receding waves.

Rat-tat-tat—

The demons charging at the Mobile Fortress became like a beehive under the barrage of the magical machine gun.

Some demons tried to absorb the magical bullets with their bodies, but they were still struck down by the regular bullets mixed in.

[To the Holy Knight Order and Spartans! Consider the Mobile Fortress our stronghold from now on! Absolutely secure the ceiling entrance!]

I bellowed through the external speaker.

“Ha ha ha!! Did you hear that! If you break through that hole, we win! Break through it no matter what!!”

And the Imp swung its staff forward, signaling for the charge.

“Witch…! If you say that…!”

“It’ll most likely make them think there’s only one door. At least for a while…!”

They would hardly consider the other doors scattered around while desperately guarding this one.

Whoa—!

Once more, our warriors clashed with the demons in the air as they exchanged blows.

While responding to the magical bombardment from the enemy liches overhead, I commanded the Spartan warriors connected to Beelzebub’s magic, doing my best to protect our allies.

The problem was.

“Indeed, Hero versus Hero…!”

Clang—!!

Every time the Sword of Flames clashed with the Holy Water Sword, explosions of mist erupted, affecting the surroundings.

“Ugh…!”

Bearnes’s flames roared wildly as if they aimed to swallow everything.

In a desperate bid to suppress that fire, Liriez exerted the Holy Sword’s power to the fullest, summoning waves around herself to prevent the flames from spreading.

As a result, the ceiling of the Mobile Fortress became a battlefield solely for their fierce duel.

The other warriors couldn’t possibly fight in such an environment, and I had no choice but to take drastic measures.

[Liriez! Grab on and leap up!]

“Y-yes?!”

[It’s aerial combat!]

“…Yes!”

Liriez swung her sword with all her might, pushing Bearnes back.

With Liriez unleashing her full potential wielding the true Holy Sword, Bearnes had no choice but to retreat, hurriedly dodging the attacks as she soared upward.

“People…”

“I’m coming…!”

Flap.

Feathery flames unfurled from Bearnes’s back.

Some of her restraints were already smoldering in the flames of the orange-hued, devil-like fire, slowly revealing her white skin.

“What, what is that…!”

“The Devil’s Mark!!”

The exposed entirety of Bearnes flashed with tattoos shaped by flames.

To anyone’s eyes, it was clearly the curse of hypnosis implanted by Satan, and Liriez tightly gripped the Holy Sword, stamping her feet powerfully against the ground to leap.

“Haah!”

Clang!

The clash between Bearnes’s and Liriez’s swords erupted in the air.

Unlike Bearnes, who flapped her wings, Liriez merely leapt from the ground—

Splash!

Each time Liriez placed her foot in the air, splashes of puddles formed beneath her, allowing her to step forth.

“That’s… the Holy Sword’s hero!”

“The miracle of the Crescent Moon Goddess!”

‘It’s running by stepping on the moisture in the air.’

Does she ignite her magical power like flames to soar with wings? Create ripples like water puddles each time she steps on the air, making her appear to run across the sky?

That’s a miracle only a hero could achieve.

Even high-tier beings like the Great Sorcerer or Grand Swordmaster could do it, but still, this was a miracle only a hero could accomplish.

“I will unbind the Demon Lord’s curse placed upon Mercenary King Bearnes!!”

“……!!”

Bearnes’s movements abruptly halted.

Just before flames could unfold, Liriez’s wielded Holy Water Sword slashed through the air.

Whoosh—!!

The torrent of water unleashed by her strike wrapped around Bearnes like a whip, and Liriez, drawing the stream, quickly advanced toward Bearnes.

“Ugh, ahhh…!!”

A beastly shriek emerged, unthinkable for a woman.

As soon as the water of the Holy Sword touched her skin, Bearnes cried out in agony.

“If this goes on—”

“No way!!”

Flare!

Orange flames swirled up from beneath, engulfing Liriez.

As she approached Bearnes, Liriez barely managed to throw her body sideways, landing on the water network she had spread in the air.

“Ha ha! How dare you!!”

The Imp Sorcerer transformed into a giant of orange flames, erupting behind Bearnes.

“I, Barbala Arshke! This Mercenary King belongs to me! It’s the weapon granted to me by the Demon Lord!! None can dare harm it!”

The Imp Sorcerer, Barbala, spread demonic wings behind him, guarding Bearnes from behind.

As he displayed his staff, Bearnes’s flame tattoos darkened further.

“If we don’t suppress that Imp…!”

“Two on that side, so we need two here as well.”

Flash.

“W-what…! A doll?!”

“Yeah. It’s a doll. A not-so-ordinary doll, though.”

Using teleportation magic, I appeared next to Liriez and placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Then… shall we go ‘all out’ now?”

“…Unleashing my full power!!”

Liriez raised her hand high, and I entrusted my body to her.

“Call, Celcius—”

“Belers—!!”

What was summoned wasn’t a Spirit Device.

It was Liriez Cesarcross, Bride Form.

“……Hello?”

Just like to Lucius, I took possession of Liriez’s body.

 

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