Necromancer 56

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56. A Sign of Fierce Battle

“Big news, big news~!”

A female student came running down the hallway.

Her name was Hashimoto.

A quiet, unassuming type, and honestly, I’d barely ever spoken with her.

Hashimoto headed straight toward me and Nayuka.

“What’s going on?”

“Just now, we got some information—”

Hashimoto, catching her breath, said,

“They say three medium- or large-scale cities were completely wiped out at once…”

“What?”

Nayuka and I froze at her report.

“Wiped out? By a natural disaster or something? Or maybe—”

The Demon Lord’s army?

Up until now, the Demon Lord’s army had mostly relied on sending low-level demons in sporadic attacks on various nations.

So, for them to wipe out medium- or large-scale cities entirely…

“They’re saying the Demon Lord’s army has launched a full-scale assault. In other words—”

Her face had gone pale.

“They’re saying war is about to begin…”

“A war with the Demon Lord’s army…”

I swallowed hard.

The Demon Lord.

As the name suggests, the ruler of the demons.

And for us, the “heroes summoned from another world,” the ultimate enemy to defeat—our final boss.

And now, the Demon Lord had finally moved. Leading the army of demons to invade the human world.

“So, the real fight is about to begin.”

I swallowed hard again.

Words like “Hero” and “Demon Lord” sound like something out of an RPG, but this isn’t a game.

This is a real war.

And with the demon army’s advance, countless lives will surely be lost.

Just like wars in the real world.

Or maybe with even more casualties.

“—I’m going to see the King.”

From an objective standpoint, I’m now the strongest asset this class has… or so I think.

Ran has been imprisoned, and Kenzaki, I killed.

And even Gora, who was likely on their level, was no match for me.

So, in the fight against the Demon Lord’s army, the strategy should revolve around me.

First, I need information.

In the audience chamber—

After clearing the room, it was just me and the King, face-to-face.

“You want information?”

“Yes.”

I nodded in response to the King’s question.

“Our battles against the Demon Lord’s army will intensify from here on. To prepare, I’d like you to share all the information the kingdom currently possesses.”

The Demon Lord’s army’s exact strength.

Details about their strongest warriors.

Their current location.

Their objectives.

And so on—

“Hmm. That’s something I was planning to propose myself. But since you’ve come to me first, that simplifies things.”

The King smiled.

“Should I pass the information to you directly? Or gather all the heroes?”

“…Could I hear it alone first?”

I fixed my gaze on the King.

“Even among the heroes, there’s a wide range in combat ability. Some may feel anxious about fighting the demons.”

“I see… You’re concerned that sharing all the information might demoralize them unnecessarily.”

“Yes. I’ll organize the information and share it with the class. Can I ask you to trust me?”

I leaned forward.

“Of course, I trust you, Shigure.”

The King smiled warmly.

“The way you subdued the rogue dark hero, Ran, and defeated Kenzaki, who had fallen—or perhaps already succumbed—to darkness…”

“...!”

I was momentarily speechless.

Does he know I killed Kensaki…!?

“There’s no need to be so defensive. I haven’t shared this with anyone.”

The King raised both hands.

“Kenzaki was in a berserk state. I wanted to stop him if I could, but it was difficult… I had no choice but to—”

I explained the situation.

“—kill him.”

“Of course, I’m not blaming you. What you did was self-defense. Or rather, you eliminated a potential threat before it could cause further harm.”

The King declared,

“As your King, I assure you. You are not at fault. And you will not be charged.”

“…Thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude.

Honestly, I felt relieved.

After all, there was a chance the kingdom might have condemned or imprisoned me for what happened with Kensaki.

But now that the King has made this clear, that danger has significantly decreased. Not entirely gone, though…

“So… What is a Dark Hero?”

I asked the King.

“When I asked before, you said you didn’t know. But now, it seems you know something—”

“…Hmm. Perhaps I should tell you.”

The King looked directly at me.

“You and the others are known as Light Heroes. Light—meaning those empowered by a benevolent god.”

“Then, Dark means…”

“The opposite—those empowered by the Demon Lord. Throughout history, Demon Lords have been defeated by heroes. To prevent this, the Demon Lords have unleashed a curse—”

The King’s voice grew firm.

“When a hero succumbs to negative emotions, their attribute reverses, turning them into a Dark Hero. All heroes teeter between light and dark.”

“All of us could become light—or dark?”

“Yes. Including you.”

The King leaned forward.

“Have you noticed any signs, Light Hero Shigure?”

“…!”

For a moment, I hesitated to answer.

A Light Hero—

Is that what I really am?

Or am I already… like Ran and Kenzaki, beginning to fall into darkness?

If there are signs of me falling to darkness—

I don’t know.

I’m me.

Even though I’ve gained skills and grown stronger, my essence hasn’t changed.

“—No, I don’t feel like I’ve changed significantly.”

“I see. That’s reassuring.”

The King smiled warmly.

“In fact, a detachment of the Demon Lord’s army is headed for our kingdom. I want you to intercept them.”

The King’s words made my expression tighten.

“From now on, the defense of our kingdom… will center on you.”

He declared clearly.

“To protect our kingdom from the flames of the world’s war against the Demon Lord’s army.”

“War…”

This isn’t like the sporadic raids we’ve faced so far.

A battle against a Demon Lord army detachment—and beyond that, an undeniable war.

“Our knights and mages will also join the fight, but the core of our strength will be the heroes. I’ll leave the selection and organization of the team to you. How about it?”

“I can choose the members as I see fit?”

“Yes. If you have any preferences for knights or mages, let me know.”

“No, I’ll leave that to the kingdom. I’ll focus on selecting the heroes.”

“Understood. Let me know once you’ve decided. Can you have it ready by the day after tomorrow?”

“When are we departing?”

I asked the King.

“The departure will be—”

The King announced,

“In three days.”

And so, the true battle is about to begin.

Between the heroes and the Demon Lord’s army.