The Return They Awaited
There were four Black Knights who stood with swords firmly leveled. Despite their resolute stance, their bodies trembled violently enough that the tremors were visible even through the metal plates of their full plate armor. If survivors and Black Knights truly dwelled within this place, then these warriors had likely never encountered a single intruder in a thousand years. Had their location been discovered by the Humians, they could not have remained here. That was why the appearance of an intruder was utterly unfamiliar to them, and why they were now drowning in confusion and fear at the thought that an army of slaughterers might soon descend upon them.
“Do you not know who I am?”
“A-As if we would! Just shut up and kneel!! Bend!!”
Their swords shook so badly that their attempts at intimidation posed no threat whatsoever. If anything, the Cornium longswords they held looked pitiful. Where had the brave and proud Black Knights gone—the ones who once gladly burned their lives for their lord, their nation, and their people? All that remained were frightened sheep trembling at the sight of an intruder.
“Strike me.”
“W-What?!”
“I said, strike me.”
The gentle, approachable demeanor Neromeltia had shown Lusteria vanished, replaced by the stern visage of a sovereign. Watching from behind, Lusteria gazed at her with admiration and the eyes of a girl hopelessly in love. Releasing a powerful aura that pressed down upon the Black Knights, Neromeltia revealed herself without restraint as the absolute overlord—the Demon Lord, equal to the gods.
Thud!! Clatter!!
Two of the Black Knights dropped their swords and shields and collapsed to the ground. Even as they fell, their eyes remained fixed on the overwhelming presence before them. Their bodies shook so violently that their full plate armor rattled loudly, and their half-dazed minds could not even steady their trembling pupils. Though they lacked the ability to sense the Luina she emitted, they instinctively felt the crushing pressure that warped the very air and threatened to burst their hearts.
“Y-You…!! D-Don’t try any tricks!!!”
Clang!!!
The Black Knight at the front forced his trembling legs forward and swung his sword at Neromeltia with all his might. Even as he struck, he felt how feeble the blow was, drained by terror, and thought it was over. Yet when the blade met its target, the sound was nothing like steel cutting flesh. It was more like a metal club striking stone or iron. Neromeltia’s neck, touched by the keen edge, remained completely unmarked. No matter how weak the strike, a body of flesh and bone should have drawn at least a drop of blood—especially from a Cornium longsword wielded by a Black Knight.
The knight’s eyes widened in shock. He was certain everything was finished. Inside his great helm, his head was drenched in cold sweat, as though he had been doused with water. In stark contrast to his terror and despair, Neromeltia calmly withdrew all her Luina, then raised a single finger to gently push the sword away from her neck. She stepped closer and patted his shoulder.
“Good. You pass. As expected of a Black Knight. I commend your courage.”
With that, she walked past them without a second glance. Lusteria followed closely behind, sparing the Black Knights not even a look, her eyes filled only with adoration for the figure ahead.
Soon, the remaining two Black Knights who had still been standing also collapsed, their legs giving out. The one who had swung at Neromeltia stared blankly into space before murmuring a single word.
“Who…?”
Two figures walked through the endless darkness of the vast cavern, guided by the light of a glowing orb. Lusteria, her face flushed with excitement, showered Neromeltia with praise.
“That was truly magnificent and dignified! You didn’t even need to reveal your identity—you simply released your mana and overwhelmed them!”
Lusteria saw it as the act of a supreme ruler displaying her authority and majesty as the Demon Lord. Her violet eyes, marked with the six-pointed star, sparkled as she lavished Neromeltia with compliments. Having clearly sensed the overwhelming scale of the Luina Neromeltia had released, she understood just how lofty that power was. A mere trace of it had been enough to dominate the entire cavern in an instant. It was a wonder the low-level Black Knights had not foamed at the mouth and fainted.
Yet Neromeltia’s intent had been entirely different from what Lusteria imagined.
“…No… I wasn’t trying to scare them… I thought if I showed them the Luina, they would understand I wasn’t an enemy……”
“…Ah…… No, you did wonderfully! It’s their fault for failing to endure even the Luina you released so lightly, like showing a pass!”
“…You don’t have to defend me so desperately, Rus……”
Though Lusteria continued to offer comforting words, Neromeltia’s complicated and heavy feelings refused to lift.
After walking through the vast cavern for some time, a bright light appeared in the distance. Neromeltia’s intuition told her it was artificial. Judging by their entry point, the distance traveled, and their direction, they were now at the center of Barkus Volcano. The idea that sunlight was entering through a hole in the ceiling was absurd, and the light itself was positioned far lower than any ceiling would be. A massive luminous stone or flowing lava might glow that brightly, but its shape and color ruled that out as well. The clearly white, spherical light resembled a miniature sun.
“The survivors… must be there, right…?”
Gazing at the mysterious light, Lusteria asked Neromeltia with a mixture of joy and anxiety. The surroundings had grown so bright that light magic was no longer necessary, so Lusteria dispelled the orb.
“Yes. It must be where the survivors live.”
As they drew closer and Neromeltia saw the light more clearly, she understood exactly what it was. No description fit better than a miniature sun. It was an artificial sun created by magic, typically used for farming in places without sunlight. If the survivors hiding from the Humians deep within coastal caves could not venture outside for food, their options were limited. They must have been cultivating the vast cavern as farmland and living off its harvest.
Just then, someone emerged from behind a stalactite as thick as an armful. It was a Black Knight clad in the distinctive Cornium full plate armor. Unlike the previous ones, however, this knight carried himself with dignity and grace. He approached Neromeltia calmly, dropped to one knee, and removed his great helm.
A man with silver-white hair reaching his shoulders, neatly tied back. A large diagonal scar ran from the center of his forehead to his left eye, and another long vertical scar marked his left cheek from jaw to below the eye. Despite the two prominent scars, his striking beauty remained undiminished. Though not feminine, his appearance embodied the pinnacle of masculine elegance.
The man knelt on one knee and bowed his head respectfully. Then he raised his gaze, smiled, and offered his greeting to Neromeltia.
“Black Knight, Crawford van Eihart. I have been protecting the people while awaiting my lord’s return.”
Crawford van Eihart. Once known as the Sword Master of Hemonigent and praised as the Demon Lord’s Shield, he had served as the commander of the Black Knights—the Demon Lord Neromeltia’s personal guard—and one of her closest aides.