“Here. It’s yours.”
“N-no no no! Lady—”
“Fiona.”
“Lady Fiona should keep it! That’s way too much for me to accept!”
She was handing it over the same way she did the recovery potion, and I threw both hands up before I even thought about it.
I only spent 5 mana. This item is almost entirely Lady Fiona’s creation.
I’m not shameless enough to accept something like that so easily.
…Actually, wait. Would refusing be disrespectful in this situation? I genuinely have no idea what the right answer is when talking to someone this far above me…
“You did generate it, so there’s no need to make such a big thing of it, but…”
Good. She looked reluctant about it, but Lady Fiona seemed to give up on handing over the resurrection elixir.
Let me at least ask about its effects. If she was going to pass it to a lowly demon this casually, maybe the power isn’t what I’m imagining.
“So — what exactly does a resurrection elixir do?”
“It completely resurrects the dead. Any race.”
It was exactly what I imagined.
Why were you trying to give me this…
And besides — if she has this, her fallen comrades… right. She can bring back the subordinates who were defeated.
“Everyone except Lady Fiona was taken out by the Heroes, right? Couldn’t you use this to bring them back?”
“If you’ll allow me the use of the elixir, then yes — I can revive my companions and subordinates. But are you certain? It is your item.”
“It isn’t mine, it’s yours.”
“I’m grateful. Then, I’ll make use of it.”
Somehow this has turned into a situation where I’m the one granting permission to use the resurrection elixir.
Come to think of it — the recovery potion worked by drinking it, but how does a resurrection elixir work?
Pour it over a body, maybe?
The question was still forming in my head when Lady Fiona crushed the elixir in her fist.
…Huh? Did I do something to offend her?
But apparently not.
Lady Fiona extended her hand, and a grotesque mass of flesh materialized before it.
The flesh shifted like clay, reshaping itself — molding itself into something that looked like a person.
“Wait — a resurrection elixir works even somewhere completely unrelated to where the person died?”
“No, it requires proximity to the soul of the deceased. But the souls of every subordinate who fell to the Heroes have been sheltered within me.”
So if Lady Fiona uses the resurrection elixir, she can revive any subordinate who fell.
As we were talking, the mass of flesh completed its transformation into a single living being.
Short. Young-looking. Wearing an outfit that exposed a remarkable amount of skin despite all that. A girl with demon-like horns and bat-like wings.
A vampire, maybe?
“This is… Demon Lord. I apologize. I could not defeat a single member of the Hero’s party, and I failed your expectations.”
“It doesn’t matter. The Heroes have already been eliminated entirely.”
Despite having just been resurrected, the girl immediately took stock of her situation and bowed deeply to Lady Fiona in apology.
Lady Fiona, for her part, doesn’t seem particularly bothered.
“Rei. She is Primila, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Her race is Abyss Demon.”
So not a vampire.
Demon as in different from a regular demon, apparently — and with a name that grand for a race, she’s probably powerful.
I’ll try touching her icon to check her stats.
Primila — Mana: 99 / Strength: 84 / Technique: 99 / Fortitude: 120 / Agility: 87
…On par with the beast-kin’s strongest warriors.
She looks like a young girl, but judging by appearances there would be a painful price to pay.
“Primila. This is Rei — I’ve entrusted the management of this dungeon to him. It is thanks to him that you were able to be resurrected.”
“Rei… sama. Thank you.”
Primila bowed to me without changing expression.
She’d done the same with Lady Fiona, so rather than disliking me, she probably just isn’t good at expressing emotion.
Still — apparently I deserve some of the credit, and somewhere along the way I’ve been officially put in charge of dungeon management…
“Rei. Primila is a capable subordinate. For the time being I’ll have her work as your aide — she’ll be of use to you.”
“Understood. Rei-sama, I look forward to working with you.”
“Oh — ah, yes. L-likewise…”
Having someone this powerful nearby would certainly make me feel safer, but is Primila alright with this arrangement?
She agreed without protest because it’s Lady Fiona’s order — but being assigned as aide to a newcomer at the bottom of the ladder…
Any way you look at it, it’s a humiliating role for one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Being secretary to a demon with stats this low…
“Oh?”
“Is something the matter?”
“Well — it looks like my stats went up a little.”
“That’s good to hear. …That said, please don’t let that become an excuse to push yourself. Are we understood?”
“Y-yes…”
She got the warning in first.
Taking another look at my stats, the values have indeed changed.
Izumi Rei — Mana: 7 / Strength: 4 / Technique: 5 / Fortitude: 6 / Agility: 5
It’s a small change, but the mana maximum going from 5 to 7 is genuinely helpful.
Now I should be able to select options that cost 5 mana without passing out.
“Lady Fiona. Once my mana recovers, I should be able to create treasure chests without losing consciousness.”
“Fiona… -sama…? No — losing consciousness? Rei-sama. You went through that much hardship for my resurrection…”
“Yes — Rei pushes himself and passes out regularly, so please keep a close watch on him.”
“Understood. This unworthy Primila will not miss any change in Rei-sama’s condition.”
Now I’ve been misunderstood, and I’ve gained a supervisor specifically to make sure I don’t push myself.
I really hope my mana recovers soon.
◇
“I will be displeased if you come close to passing out.”
“Yes…”
Just imagining the Demon Lord’s anger is terrifying. I will absolutely not push myself.
The treasure chest creation entry in the menu, which had been glowing a faint pale blue, has now shifted to a strong white.
That means my mana alone is enough to use this option.
Going by the recovery speed, I estimated when I’d be at full capacity and waited before building another treasure chest.
If we can produce resurrection elixirs in quantity, the Demon Lord’s Army can be restored.
“Alright. Here goes.”
Create Treasure Chest: Mana Cost 5
A lurch — a sensation like something draining from inside me. But not enough to drag me under into forced sleep.
Apparently this time I’ve managed to build a treasure chest without passing out.
“A treasure chest, truly… well done. Rei-sama.”
“N-no, it’s really nothing.”
I’m just selecting from a menu, so being praised this much feels almost embarrassing.
“Then I’ll channel mana into it again. My mana hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I’ll add to it as it comes back.”
“I feel bad having you do all that for me, Lady Fiona.”
“Not at all. Rei has sealed the entrance, and if anything happens Primila can provide protection. So I’ll focus on channeling mana.”
Ah — so that was part of the intent behind reviving Primila.
Given that it takes mana on the scale of Lady Fiona’s to produce a resurrection elixir, that role really is difficult for anyone but her…
“I’m sorry to impose, but please do.”
“Yes, leave it to me. I am the Demon Lord, after all. I’ll try just a little harder.”
And with that, Lady Fiona held her hand toward the chest, channeling mana steadily, without a moment’s interruption.
◆
“I am Primila of the Abyss Demons, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s Army. Those who stand against my liege. I will end you here.”
“An Abyss Demon?! That’s a mythical race — something out of legend!”
“How strange. Here I stand before you. Come, Hero’s party.”
To look at her, she was nothing but a small young girl.
And yet watching that small body absorb every attack directed at it — one understood she had not lied about her race.
Do not be fooled by appearances. This is a high-ranking demon.
“She’s strong… a subordinate like this?!”
“She’s taking damage! The attacks are going through!”
She caught the Hero’s full-strength sword with her bare body, bled, and struck back without flinching. The sight was deeply unsettling.
The attacks were connecting. But she moved through them so calmly that you almost wanted to doubt they were doing anything at all.
Even so, the Heroes attacked again and again — sword, bow, magic — and eventually Primila reached her limit.
“Hah… hah… what is this thing. If we hadn’t gone all-out, we’d have been wiped.”
“I don’t have mana left to attack, let alone heal…”
“I don’t want to move for a week. What kind of absurd fortitude for someone that small.”
“Is that so. Then I will fight seriously as well.”
Before their disbelieving ears, before their disbelieving eyes — Primila, wreathed in a surging mass of commanded water.
They had fought at full strength. No reserves remained. That was simply the truth — and the Heroes died, helpless, inside the flood Primila called forth.
◆
“Oh come ON! Of course she has a second phase! What is this little gremlin?!”
“Permanent super armor is insane. Her HP was going down at least, so maybe the play is to just dodge everything and whittle her down?”
“Cute design but absolutely brutal. You think we’re underleveled?”
Staring at the game over screen, the young men set down their controllers and started sharing their thoughts.
Primila, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Boasting the highest fortitude of any of the four, she pursued the player relentlessly, methodically, without flinching — and had sent countless characters to their deaths.
Even clearing that phase unlocked her second form, water swirling around her, the attacks growing even more punishing — and for anyone lacking the right level or the right control, she produced game over screens without mercy.
For all that, her adorable design had earned her a dedicated fanbase among certain players.
Those players had presumably never actually fought her.