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We managed to get to the first stage of saving Comrade: arrive at the castle of the Green Demon Lord. 

Niruryates walked in front of the door and the door opened as if it had a will of its own. 

I don’t really know the detailed workings of it, but the plants covering this castle must be serving as the source of power. 

I concentrate on my chains and use detection on my surroundings, but there’s almost no presence of anything else aside from plants. 

“Is there no one protecting the castle?” (Ekdoik)

“We lack the people, you see. I am managing everything in this castle. I could make all the plants here attack you if I wanted to. There doesn’t seem to be a point to it though.” (Niru)

Niruryates answered without looking back. 

She pointed at the plant on the wall as if to supplement this and the vines of the plant pulsed and wriggled over to my side.

“There’s enough protection before reaching the castle anyways, huh.” (Ekdoik)

“No, no, there’s no need to begin with. My King alone is enough for battles anyways.” (Niru)

“So that’s what it is.” (Ekdoik)

I can’t feel she is lying. 

She must really trust the strength of the Green Demon Lord. 

“My King is normally sleeping. There’s no entertainment to kill the boredom. After I guide you all, I will go wake him u—oh, he is already awake. Then, I shall guide you to the throne room just like this.” (Niru)

We headed deeper into the castle, guided by Niruryates, and arrived at a room with a high ceiling. 

There was a single giant chair at the end of a long flight of stairs. And there was already a man sitting there and looking down at us. 

“…Wa?!” (Ilias)

“Ani…-sama?” (Mix)

It can’t be helped that Ilias and Mix would be surprised by this. 

The man sitting there is without doubt the Green Demon Lord when considering the situation, but his face is the spitting image of the Taizu King, Marito Taizu. 

There might be a difference in his hairstyle and clothing, but I can only think of him as being the same person. 

The Green Demon Lord is looking down here without saying anything. 

“My King, I have guided the guests.” (Niru)

“…It has been more than a century since we have met, Green.” (Gold)

The one that came to the front was the Gold Demon Lord. 

She is the person who is the most suitable for negotiation within our group. 

“What are you Demon Lords doing all here for?” (Green)

“I will be straight here: we have come with a request. There’s someone we would like ya to save using yer Prosperity. Ya can understand if I were to say it is the resident of Yugura’s planet, right?” (Gold)

“You think I will listen to that request?” (Green)

“I don’t, thus we have come to negotiate. Everyone here has come for that purpose.” (Gold)

It doesn’t feel like he is being pushed by the Gold Demon Lord, but I can’t see any signs of the Green Demon Lord agreeing to this. 

“Negotiation, huh. Boring. What do you think would be enough to move me?” (Green)

“There should be something if ya search, right?” (Gold)

“Are you telling me to search for that?” (Green)

“This one doesn’t know what ya would want after all. We plan on compromising as much as possible.” (Gold)

“Not even worth talking. Leave.” (Green)

The Gold Demon Lord sighs. 

And then, she looks at the other Demon Lords as if to ask what they should do. 

Niruryates, who was watching this with a smile, speaks. 

“Oya oya, too bad. It seems you are not people who can draw the interest of My King. The exit is that way.” (Niru)

“Niruryates, shut up.” (Green)

“Y-Yes…” (Niru)

Niruryates curls up with just a single utterance of the expressionless Green Demon Lord.

But that exchange just now felt off. 

Leaving aside the way Niruryates put it, she simply matched what the Green Demon Lord said about leaving. 

The fact that he reprimanded her for that must mean that there’s still room for negotiation? 

“Right… How about information of the Illegitimate? The beings that ya created together with Yugura. Judging from your conversation with Colorless, it is what yer searching for too, right?” (Gold)

“Gold, I don’t know how much you understand, but I can tell that you barely have any information you can give me.” (Green)

“I have sparsely found some stuff though.” (Gold)

“It wouldn’t be difficult to find one or two in your country if you know they exist. We have tinkered it in such a fashion for that to happen after all.” (Green)

“Muuh, it seems like yer not simply searching for the Illegitimate.” (Gold)

“Depends. There’s no way I would want just anyone with a stupid talent.” (Green)

“E-Excuse me!” 

The one who interjected was Wolfe. 

Wolfe stood by the side of the Gold Demon Lord and looked up at the Green Demon Lord.

“Wolfe, ya—” (Gold)

“Wolfe heard she is an Illegitimate!” (Wolfe)

“Hooh…” (Green)

The Green Demon Lord stood up silently and went down the stairs. 

The pressure he gives off was quite the thing despite mana not overflowing. 

The Green Demon Lord went down to the same level as us and looked down at Wolfe from right in front of her. 

“…” 

“…I see. It is true that the amount of mana you have would be impossible for a normal individual. Then, I shall test your mettle. I shall allow you to hit me once. Show me your power.” (Green)

“Eh…?!” (Wolfe)

“I don’t need incompetent ones with talent. I will see whether you have the ability to utilize what you have been given. This talk is over if you don’t have the worth.” (Green)

“…Got it!” (Wolfe)

Wolfe moves a few steps back and takes a stance. 

The Green Demon Lord doesn’t even show signs of taking a stance in contrast. 

Wolfe took a deep breath and gathered mana in her arms and legs. 

There’s no need to do things quickly with an unmoving target. Just carefully put weight into one attack. 

She weaved a massive amount of mana incomparable to the time with the dragon.

“Here I go!” (Wolfe)

Wolfe dashed and disappeared from sight. 

Even I have a hard time following the speed of Wolfe with my eyes when she is using her full power. 

But I know where she is heading to. I directed my gaze to the Green Demon Lord.

Wolfe was there. 

She had extended her fist towards the chest of the Green Demon Lord, and the Green Demon Lord took that punch with his left hand. 

Impossible. 

The shockwave created from the speed of Wolfe’s attack was unreal.

There’s no way a single hand without any signs of magic used would be able to block the attack of Wolfe that’s said to have required several barriers of the Scarlet Demon Lord to block.

Even if he managed to stop it, there should have been a massive shockwave of mana. 

I couldn’t even feel that. 

Wolfe must be the one who understands the most just how abnormal that is. She looked dumbstruck by this. 

“You have the talent, but not the skills, huh.” (Green)

“No way…” (Wolfe)

“…Fine. I shall acknowledge you as a negotiation chip.” (Green)

“Eh?” (Wolfe)

“Green, what do ya mean by that?” (Gold)

“Exactly as it sounds. I am saying I will accept with the condition that this demi-human becomes my subordinate.” (Green)

“Ya said Wolfe had no skills.” (Gold)

“There’s no doubt she is a weakling who has only learned the bare minimum basics. She is unskilled, but not incompetent. I don’t have the hobby of polishing a rock, but I can bring worth to a rough gem at least.” (Green)

The Green Demon Lord let go of Wolfe’s fist, lifted the chin of Wolfe with his right hand, and looked at her eyes. 

“That light of dedication residing in her eyes is not bad either. And so, what will you do? You are the chip here. You decide on your own.” (Green)

“Wolfe wants to…” (Wolfe)

“W-Wait a moment, My King! Isn’t it way too cheap to just accept for a single person?!” (Niru)

There were other people who wanted to object to this negotiation: Ilias, Mix, and me. 

But the surprise of easily blocking the attack of Wolfe must have stiffened our bodies,the result was that Niruryates was the first one to object.

“I told you to shut up.” (Green)

“Kyapu!” 

Despite my eyes being directed at Niruryates, I couldn’t tell what had happened until it was already over. 

Niruryates had been crushed by the plants coming down from the ceiling, and only her head and right arm were flying in the air. 

I heard the sound of the arm falling on the ground and saw the head rolling, and finally understood that the Green Demon Lord had attacked Niruryates. 

“Wa?!” 

Everyone braced themselves late. 

We heard about how he would kill his own subordinates, but he would do so with no hesitation to this degree? 

I can feel cold sweat flowing down from my whole body. 

Forget killing intent, I couldn’t even feel hostility. 

No one here could react to the attack of the Green Demon Lord. 

If the Green Demon Lord wanted to, he would be able to kill everyone here. 

“…Have you decided on your answer?” (Green)

The Green Demon Lord asked Wolfe as if nothing happened. 

Wolfe had witnessed what happened just now, so she should know just how dangerous the Green Demon Lord is. 

But Wolfe spoke while trembling. 

“Got it…” (Wolfe)

“Wolfe, are ya fine with that?” (Gold)

“…Yes. Please save Shishou for sure in exchange!” (Wolfe)

“Alright. And so, where is the resident of Yugura’s planet? You must have brought him here, right?” (Green)

The Green Demon Lord didn’t make eye-contact with anyone and walked out of the throne room.

“Of course. Dyuvuleori, follow Green, okay?” (Purple)

“…Understood.” (Dyuvuleori)

“Niruryates, guide that devil to the cultivation room. I will finish the preparations for the tools.” (Green)

“Y-Yesh!” 

The head of Niruryates jumped with its eyes still wide open. 

The right arm that had fallen nearby moved like a snake and grabbed the head of Niruryates. 

“You were…alive?” (Dyuvuleori)

“It would have been dangerous if my head had been crushed though. I thought ‘Ah, it must be coming’, so I barely managed~. Hnn, being alive is wonderful! Ah, but I have to heal my body first.” (Niru)

Niruryates approached the plant that had crushed her own body and returned it to the ceiling where it came down from. 

Pieces of meat crushed cruelly showed from below that. 

Niruryates’s right arm threw her head onto those pieces of meat and wriggled its way there, too. 

When she did, the pieces of meat began to move and slowly began to change their shape. 

Niruryates had returned to her original shape. 

“Aah, I can taste in full this happiness when I have my whole body~.” (Niru)

Niruryates hugged her own shoulders and wriggled her body. 

That face of hers was filled with ecstasy, and I could tell that understanding her feelings would be dangerous. 

“Demons are that sturdy, huh.” (Blue)

“I am simply a bit special when it comes to my regeneration though. Your demon is…well, he might not die. Aah, but maybe he would? It doesn’t seem like he has been dyed completely after all.” (Niru)

“What do you mean—” (Ekdoik)

“Oops, I must head back to My King at once! Come on, Dyuvuleori-san(?), let’s go!” (Niru)

Niruryates left the throne room with quick steps. 

Dyuvuleori followed after her. 

The head of Niruryates poked out from a corner of the door after the two went out. 

“Ah, please wait there, you all! We will finish this in a jiffy!” (Niru)

She said this and drew her head back. 

I can feel the atmosphere in the room calming down a lot. 

That said, we still have to maintain the barriers protecting our whole bodies though.

“Blue, what does Niruryates mean by not being completely dyed?” (Ekdoik)

“I don’t know either. But the hair color of Niruryates is black, so you could say you haven’t become a demon completely, I guess?” (Blue)

My original hair color was a deep purple, but that changed to a bluish purple after becoming a demon of Blue. 

So it is possible for my hair to become even darker in the future, huh. 

I don’t want to have a hair color that will stand out too much, but it wouldn’t be bad to have the same hair color as Comrade. 

More importantly, the one we should pay attention to is Wolfe. 

I directed my gaze there and Ilias and Mix were already by Wolfe’s side, talking to her. 

“Wolfe, why did you do something like that?” (Ilias)

“Shishou had no time to spare…” (Wolfe)

“Even if so, offering yourself is—” (Ilias)

“Wolfe is willing to even die for the sake of Shishou! Becoming the subordinate of the Green Demon Lord is nothing!” (Wolfe)

The gaze of everyone gathered on Wolfe at her shout. 

Everyone must have their thoughts about this. 

The Gold and Purple Demon Lord must have predicted this development. Blue must have thought about it too, she had a complicated expression. 

Ilias and Mix…no, me too; we want to save Comrade, but couldn’t think of anything that could serve to negotiate with the Green Demon Lord. 

Wolfe could. 

If I had been in the position of Wolfe…I wouldn’t have hesitated just like her. 

But it still bothered me. 

Was there no other method…? 

Rakura stealthily pulled my clothes while I was thinking this. 

“Hey, Ekdoik-niisan…” (Rakura)

“What’s the matter, Rakura?” (Ekdoik)

“Kayle-san has lost consciousness. What should we do?” (Rakura)

Now that she mentions it, Kayle has lost consciousness and is foaming in the mouth. 

Now that I think about it, even me and Ilias were trembling at the strength of the Green Demon Lord. 

A normal knight like Kayle would have felt quite the pressure. 

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