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Eliza was enveloped in deep happiness as she faced off against the Hero.

However…

It was at that moment, when her emotions were in turmoil and she was swaying, that—

“!! Smile!”

-Phakan!

In the next instant, the Hero pushed her away with a sudden, tremendous force. Seeing him, who had been wholly dedicated to defense until now, finally strike back made Eliza feel like she had regained her senses.

‘Oh no, I’ve let my guard down too much… No matter how glad I am for the Hero’s consideration, I won’t be excused here unless I give it my all…’

After all, the Hero had been devoting himself strictly to defense, meaning that Eliza’s relaxed attitude could be seen as disrespecting his good intentions.

And the next moment…

“Get a hold of yourself, Eliza!”

The Hero raised his voice, precisely hitting the nail on the head regarding Eliza’s thoughts.

He then spoke to her as if he were a teacher pointing out a student’s mistake.

“Your power, the power of the Four Kings of the Demon Kingdom, is worth more than this! Come at me with everything you’ve got!”

“Y-You…Hero…”

His firm voice calling her name made Eliza feel a moment of true reflection on her earlier behavior. At the same time, she felt her body heat up at the Hero’s plea to give her all once more, and she tightened her grip on her sword.

‘Right… The Hero is cheering for me like this, so I can’t show any sloppy moves. I must give it my all to meet his expectations!’

With that resolve in mind, Eliza decided to stop enjoying this situation any longer.

And…

The outcome of her determination began to draw forth the attack that embodied her true power.

-Gururung!

Beneath her feet lay a mass of black shadows.

In an instant, it started to ripple like stones dropped into a still lake.

And…

-GOooooo…

Along with a chilling sound, Eliza’s shadow began to cover the arena floor like water spilling from a vessel.

Then it started to swell ominously like a tidal wave, showcasing its terrifying presence as if it were a massive, living entity, centered around where the Hero stood.

This was Eliza’s strongest and worst attack technique, a true manifestation of her power.

Though she had used it before when attacking her mother, Elias, she had restrained herself somewhat then. Now, Eliza was pouring everything she had into this without consideration for the aftermath.

“You said you’d accept all of me? Hurry and take it, Hero! This is… my heart directed at you!”

Eliza declared proudly, as if confessing her love.

And…

The Hero, witnessing her like this, corrected his stance with a small smile and prepared to swing his sword.

“Alright! Come at me! I will take your feelings with all my power!”

“!! Huuuh!…”

The Hero’s unhesitating response to her proclamation stirred Eliza’s heart, even though she knew it wasn’t exactly a confession.

However, separate from those feelings, Eliza focused and did not let her affection for the Hero distract her as she continued her attack.

“I’m coming!!!”

With Eliza’s cry, her assault began to fall toward where the Hero stood.

Dozens, hundreds of black blades made of shadow started pouring down specifically toward the Hero.

Interpreted plainly, such an attack was nothing more than an intention to surely kill whoever stood before her.

Yet, this opponent was no ordinary target but the Hero.

One of the strongest beings Eliza acknowledged and the one she truly trusted.

Eliza was certain that such an attack would be easily countered by him.

And…

“Haah!!!”

In response to Eliza’s expectations, the Hero swung his sword at the oncoming wave of shadows with a powerful shout.

Simultaneously, the immense magic power condensed in his great sword burst forth in a flash toward the shadows.

-KWAAAAM!!!!

With the explosive sound that erupted, the Hero’s strike began to shake the entire arena.

The spectators watching the scene and the high-ranking demons present, along with the Demon King sitting in the guest room after switching places with his representative right after defeat, were all filled with surprise.

And shortly after.

“…”

“Ah…”

In the unfolding situation, a new scene began to reveal itself to their eyes.

That was…

The sight of the arena floor, which had been blown away about halfway by the Hero’s strike, along with Eliza who was kneeling in the center.

And… the Hero standing proudly before her, holding his sword firmly.

-“The final winner is the Black Hero!”-

“Wowww!!!”

As the referee’s declaration of victory resonated, the crowd erupted with cheers celebrating the victor.

At the heart of that commotion stood the Hero, who had demonstrated immense strength until the very end, becoming the first human in the history of the Demon Race to obtain the position of Narcil.

“Thank you for your efforts. And… I’m sorry, Eliza. You worked so hard, but it ended up like this.”

“It… It’s not like that! There’s no need for you to apologize at all. You fought fairly and won. Instead…”

“Instead…?”

“Oh, no… It’s nothing. So, congratulations on becoming Narcil, Hero.”

Eliza spoke with a shaky voice, blushing beneath her helmet at his words.

Seeing her struggle to swallow her frustrated feelings while still trying her best to consider the Hero made him feel a bit uncomfortable inside.

‘She seems really disheartened… Though she says she’s okay, I need to find a way to comfort her later somehow.’

With that thought, the Hero took Eliza’s hand amidst the cheers of many, helping her to her feet.

Despite trembling slightly, Eliza grasped his hand and rose, and the Hero supported her as they returned to the waiting room, all the while completely unaware of Eliza’s bright red, blissful smile hidden beneath her helmet.

*

With the Hero’s victory, the Narcil Selection concluded in great success.

However, the pure influence of the event was that the Hero’s fame spread widely throughout the Demon Kingdom, while the aftermath of the events during the match was far from simple.

“So… currently, does that mean the situation within the Racial Alliance is one where they are openly pointing swords at each other?”

“According to Hero MK.2, that’s correct.”

As Bellzebub asked, Shude responded in her usual stiff tone, her face resembling a ●△● expression.

In response, Bellzebub began to smile as she realized that the situation was unfolding more interestingly than she had initially thought.

She was well aware that a significant split had arisen within the Racial Alliance ever since they had been effectively defeated in the last war.

However, the fact that those who had been solid allies until just a few months ago had now devolved to a state of full-scale war was certainly no trivial matter.

‘If we play our cards right… maybe we can seize something even bigger with this opportunity.’

Although they had succeeded in reclaiming the entire territory, their national power in the Demon Kingdom was currently focused solely on internal affairs.

It would take years before the destroyed castles and lands could be restored, and the citizens who had fled could resettle, making it utterly impractical to engage in any external conflicts during that time.

However…

Separating from the internal circumstances of the Demon Kingdom, Bellzebub determined that, given the current state of mutual tearing at each other, there was a way to gain benefits while minimizing the depletion of their national power.

“Thank you for your hard work, Shude. Then… please continue to report as more detailed information comes in.”

“Understood.”

With those words, Shude left Bellzebub’s office.

After she was left alone in the room, Bellzebub began to sift through information about the incidents occurring among the Racial Alliance back in the homeland.

‘But still, this information is too lacking. It seems necessary to send some more useful spies into enemy territory for more detailed investigations.’

With that thought, Bellzebub started to outline plans for the necessary step regarding these priorities.

Meanwhile,

On the paper beside her, a piece of news from spies operating across the continent caught her attention.

Bellzebub dismissed it without much thought, feeling it was not something to concern herself with.

It stated that a former member of the previous Hero Party, the Great Witch of the Magic Kingdom named Shude, had suddenly gone missing.

 

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