We arrived in Fort Necross's audience chamber.
It doesn't have a ceiling.
It's an open-air room.
There's a long staircase sandwiched between thick pillars carved with devil-like images.
At the top of the stairs is a large, spacious room.
The room is surrounded by candles burning with violet flames, and in front of each candle is a soldier clad in black armor standing at attention.
The room is completely open, with no walls or handrails. If you approach the edge, you could probably look down on the castle town.
In the center is an ominously decorated throne.
No, this probably isn't an audience chamber.
This is probably that.
The place where in dire times, a giant magic circle is engraved to call out an ancient devil.
Then, the hero's party will fight the demon king to prevent it.
This is that kind of place.
It's not an audience chamber.
It's a battleground.
"O heroes, well done in coming this far!"
Now then, sitting on the throne is a woman.
She's wearing the same black armor as the others around us.
Her height is around the same as Eris's.
With a gleeful face, she spread her mantle.
The evening sun descending over the mountain cast a profound shadow upon her.
It appears to be a very impressive and fantastic scene.
It appears to be.
"I am the immortal Demon King, Atoferatofe Raibaku!"
We entered through the back gate, met with Moore,
and waited for about 2 hours to be brought to this battleground.
Were they making preparations during that short time?
Or did they anticipate this fantastic scenery and wait for evening?
Either way, I'll give them 4 stars.
"How admirable, coming this far with the body of a human!"
"O brave ones who overcame countless trials! I ask you thus!"
"Is what you desire the prestige of being a champion? Or is it the title of hero![5] Or perhaps… the Demon King's power?"
What a distasteful question.
If you answer champion or hero[6], you get beaten up and made into a subordinate,
and if you answer Demon King's power you are made into a subordinate without getting beaten up.
It's an extreme multiple choice where you can only answer [Yes].
"Fufun…"
Ah, somehow Eris started grinning.
That's right, you like this kind of stuff, don't you.
"Atofe-sama… mumble mumble…"
Right then, the nearby black armored Moore whispered something into Atofe's ear.
It's probably about the programme.
Even though I said that I came to apologize, she's been saying hero this and hero that, so there is probably some kind of misunderstanding.
"Shut up! It's too bright here and I can't understand!"
Atofe Punch!
Moore-kun is blown away.
"Show me your face!"
Atofe left her fist that blasted Moore out and rapidly approached.
And then, she was right before my eyes.
"Ah."
As soon as our eyes met, Atofe's expression rapidly changed.
She is glaring.
And then, she spoke in a low voice.
"It's you…"
Her voice sounds like she's saying 'I found you.'
Scary.
"… It, it's been a while."
"After working with Perugius, to catch me, in a trap, you, unconcernedly, came here…"
Atofe has a ferocious smile on her face.
However, that is within expectations.
That's why we brought a tribute.
It's no exaggeration to say that we came here to apologize.
"About that, I would like to give my apologies…"
"It's fine. You're making a much more manly face than last time. It's a good face, full of resolve. The heroes that challenged me all had that kind of face."
Atofe isn't listening to me.
She's just closing in on my face with her eyes spread.
Then she smiled, showing her teeth.
I could see her growing fangs.
"It's the face of someone prepared to die."