The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 47

The darkness enveloped the night time.

Due to the thick clouds, not even a glimmer of starlight or moonlight leaked through, and a sinister night mist hung around us.

It was, quite literally, the perfect time to conduct secret operations.

With this thought in mind, I cautiously pushed through the underbrush, moving forward.

However, at this moment, unlike my original plan to act only with a small number of subordinates, there were over a thousand soldiers chosen from the demon race legion’s former wives accompanying me.

Unlike me, who wore black armor to draw aggro, the soldiers were clad in the armor of the Racial Alliance Army, marked with black cloth on one shoulder for camouflage.

Additionally, though they were not visible at the moment, on the opposite side, another unit led by General Samson was also lying low among the bushes, disguised in the Alliance Army’s armor and watching their surroundings carefully.

Although fatigue clung to them, they had nonetheless resolved to pour every last bit of their strength into the final battle.

Seeing this made me recall the unbelievable situation that had just unfolded, leaving me with a strange feeling.

‘With the weather being this way and everything flowing as it is, I never imagined it would go this smoothly. Who would have thought those demon generals would follow my lead so willingly…’

These were the same demon generals who had openly growled at Elias before and had shown their pride time and again.

However, during the previous meeting, something must have shifted, and they decided to act according to my suggestions, now out in force to help execute the operation.

Honestly, for someone like me who hoped they wouldn’t interfere, this was quite unexpected, and not having expected this at all, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of gratitude for their support.

‘I thought they were stubborn and prideful fools, but… surprisingly, there’s a decent side to them?’

With a new perspective on Samson and the generals I’d held for so long, I began concentrating once again on the “target” that appeared before my eyes.

‘Alright then… shall we begin?’

*

In the thick fog, starlight was obscured by clouds, and even the moon had lost its glow during this dark hour.

In such a simple atmosphere that dampened the mood, soldiers Abel and Cain, hailing from the Elf Race, stood at the entrance of the camp with heavy dissatisfaction and a nagging piece of anxiety in their hearts.

“Haah… Damn… No matter how unlucky I get, to think I’d be on guard duty on a night like this…”

“Yawn… Yeah, it’s true. Lately, why is my luck so terrible? Nothing seems to go right.”

Amidst the deep shadows, relying solely on a single torch, Abel and Cain were filled with the desire to fall asleep like the other soldiers who had already crashed in the barracks.

Their eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by a persistent sleepiness stemming from a deep fatigue.

This was not just because it was bedtime.

They had marched hard from yesterday morning until the night, hardly resting, and arrived at this location, meaning their exhausted bodies continuously demanded rest.

Unfortunately for the two, all they received was a horrific guard duty instead of a sweet rest.

If it were up to their hearts, they wished to simply lie down on the cold ground and never get up again, yet they fought to keep their minds alert.

In a situation before battle, it wouldn’t end with just a mild punishment if the guards fell asleep.

Yet, even so, the two men’s eyes were still slowly closing, swayed by their primal need for rest.

‘Logically, those guys couldn’t possibly start a fight after the siege just ended, right?’

‘We’re exhausted, and those guys who’ve been fighting like dogs for days have to be worse off than us!’

With a sense of discontent swirling in their minds, the two struggled to rub their heavy eyelids, trying to push sleep away.

At that moment…

“…Huh?”

“Why… what’s happening?”

The next moment, Cain showed an expression that looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

He then narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the swaying underbrush as if sensing something ominous…

Abel was instantly gripped by the sudden shift in his friend’s mood, filled with tension.

“Is there something going on? I-it can’t be that enemies are here at this hour, right?”

With a trembling voice, Abel asked again.

Cain, maintaining a heavy silence, closely observed the underbrush without answering.

It was as if something was out there in the pure darkness, lurking among the shadows that only appeared pure black to them.

“Gulp…”

In the continuing heavy silence, Abel found himself swallowing hard without realizing it.

He started to scrutinize the darkness, trying to see if anything lurked there.

The mist rose stealthily in the deep, dark night.

An ominous atmosphere that felt like something would jump out at any moment.

Feeling a pressure that gripped his heart, he sensed that something might be moving within the darkness his comrade mentioned, and he stared intently.

However,

Despite ten minutes passing, there was still nothing visible to his eyes.

All that could be seen were the swaying bushes.

Nothing particularly stood out.

“Hmm… I guess I must have been mistaken.”

“Phew…”

Abel let out a deep sigh at Cain’s words.

Emotions of relief and frustration at his friend who had scared him built within him.

“Seriously… Just keep your eyes open. I was ready to bolt, thinking demons were attacking.”

“Um… My bad… I had my doubts too… I must’ve seen things with how tired I am…”

With a sheepish expression, Cain spoke, while Abel felt a bit deflated, turning his gaze back ahead.

But then…

“Eh?”

“…What’s wrong now? Are you seeing things again?”

Cain’s voice, filled with confusion, echoed once more.

Abel thought maybe his friend was joking, responding curtly.

However…

“Y-you… there… by your side….”

“By my side?”

With a confused feeling at Cain’s words, Abel turned his head.

At that moment…

“Hello?”

-SLAM!

With someone’s brief greeting, an incomprehensible feeling washed over Abel as his face turned to shock.

What entered his eyes in that fleeting moment was the black flash emanating from a black great sword.

At the same time, Abel felt a burning sensation in his neck, and everything began to feel hollow…

Caught in a bizarre yet somehow comforting sensation.

Instantly, Abel’s eyes caught a glimpse of Cain’s head flying through the air, yet his mind drew a blank and he succumbed to darkness, closing his eyes amidst the deep fatigue.

Just as he’d wished throughout his watch…

*

“Ambush!”

“Enemies! The enemy is attacking!”

Loud cries echoed from outside.

Memnon, who had been deep in sleep, rushed out of the barracks with only a sword in hand, not even wearing his armor.

“What… what’s going on? What happened?”

“G-general! A-a big trouble! The demons… the demons are ambushing us!”

“Ambush? At this hour? What… What’s the scale of the enemy? Who’s their leader?”

“T-that… the enemy’s scale is currently unidentifiable. The darkness and fog are too thick, plus the enemies are disguised in our Alliance Army’s armor…”

“Ugh…!”

“B-but according to soldier reports, there are sightings of the Demon King among them! The Demon King in black armor wielding a black great sword!”

“What?! The… Demon King?!”

An unexpected ambush by the enemies.

Moreover, the mere mention of that name was enough to invoke terror.

For a moment, a deep shadow covered Memnon’s face, but he quickly gathered himself and began desperately seeking a solution.

“G-get the allied soldiers together immediately! We need to form up and prepare to face the enemy!”

“Understood, General!”

“Damn… Who would have thought they would catch us off guard like this…”

It was common knowledge among everyone, including Memnon, that the enemy’s fatigue was likely equal if not greater than their own.

Yet, even so, they boldly launched an ambush at this hour, leaving the generals feeling as though they had been blindsided.

“Alright then… So you’ve decided to mess with us? Demon King, I’ll be the one to take your head here!”

With a furious expression, Memnon and his subordinates made their way into the mist.

Though they were only a mere hundred strong given the circumstances, there was no time to gather more troops as the enemy’s assault continued.

“Let’s go! We’ll behead that Demon King!”

Memnon raised his voice, forcing morale amidst the chaos.

At that moment…

“Eh?”

A fleeting glimmer of black flashed through the fog.

Simultaneously, a chilling sensation washed over Memnon’s face, his expression morphing into confusion and fear.

However, before he could react…

-BAM!!!

An overwhelming shockwave pierced through the fog towards him.

As the sight hit him, horror began to spread across Memnon’s face, but it was already too late.

In an instant, black light enveloped the entire world.

Caught in the horrifying power’s wave, Memnon and his subordinates were shattered into pieces.

Without even knowing what they were facing or how they were struck…