Chapter 10: Futile Negotiations

“YOU FOOLS!!!”

Had the Demon Lord not screamed at the top of his lungs at that very moment, you would have heard me wince in pain. Blood seeps from various minor wounds once the needles made from hardened mana no longer impale me. The bleeding isn’t severe but damn, it hurts like hell to pull these out!

“Bea! Stay with us, will yer!?”

Lance panics upon realizing the mage is out cold. Should they be tossed our way, we no longer have any means of defence against magic attacks. I will likely need the little mana I still have for healing, so I can’t waste it on my lackluster defensive spells.

What’s the current situation?

While everyone continues hiding behind the impaled shield, I peek out.

Five mages attacked us while one of them shielded them. The shielder should still possess enough mana to attack us…

The gravity of our situation looms heavily over the battlefield.

We may have survived an attack intended to kill us all at once, but it only worked because we threw everything into the fray. Berserker ran off, so I can’t rely on him if the Demon Lord decides to attack us now…

“Ken, get away from here,” I mutter in my friend’s direction. “It won’t be long before he’ll figure we’re still alive.”

“He won’t launch any attacks as long as he knows we have her,” Kenneth argues instead of listening. “That’s why I should stick around. He’ll be wary of launching careless attacks with his large axe. I can protect you that way.”

Sigh…

“Whatever, what should we do now? Beatrix aside, we can still fight, but they still have one mage.”

Before Kenneth can give me a smartass answer as usual, a chilling scream, imbued with fury and rage, shocks the entire area. I peek out from my cover just in time to observe the Demon Lord swing his massive axe at the remaining guard, chopping their head clean off before hacking away at the other collapsed guards until no more life emanates from them.

“Does that work in our favor, or are we next?” I whisper, feeling a chill run down my spine. Animals and magical beasts are most dangerous when desperate or wounded; the same could be said about the Demon Lord. Even from a distance, his mere physique and the massive axe he wields imbue me with fear.

Once the guards lay dead before him, the Demon Lord’s attention falls on us, and his bloodshot eyes scan our position. He roars immediately.

“FILTHY HUMANS!!! If one of you is still standing, so is my daughter!”

Thankfully, Kenneth is decently fluent in the demon tongue, returning an answer instantly as he reveals himself. The kid on his back is indeed alive and well.

“We’ll trade her life for ours.”

Lucy expertly plays along, emerging from our cover, drawing her dagger and pointing it at the child’s neck. Meanwhile, Lance uses the distraction to evacuate Beatrix.

“DAMNED BE YOU!” the Demon Lord thunders, pointing his axe at us from his position several dozen meters away. “They call me Ragnar II. the Strong. Do you think me a fool? Hurt the child, and my people shall leave nothing but death in their wake!”

Kenneth keeps a cool head, however.

“Your people have already devastated our lands. Your threat means little. Attack and harm will come to the child you treasure. Approach unarmed, and you may have her back. Decide wisely.”

Well done, Ken!

I back him up, my sword raised protectively. Lucy still holds her dagger dangerously close to the child’s throat, and Lance quickly returns to back us up as well.

“You ask the king of the demons to lower his weapon, yet you raise your own?” the Demon Lord snarls, carefully approaching our position in small, weary steps. “It is you who need to decide wisely. Release the child or bear the consequences of your foolishness, humans!”

“He won’t listen,” I mutter in exasperation. Since King Ragnar hasn’t launched any attacks yet, I don’t know the extent of his abilities.

A head-on battle would likely decimate us, even more so if the king of the demon country has more than just his axe to rely on. Running away is not an option either, for we would leave behind two of my most valuable guildmates if we did. Release the kid? Could we even trust his word?

“He’s starting to realize we’re bluffing,” Kenneth confirms. “Looks like Lucy was right all along; he’s ruthless enough to tolerate the death of his heir if it means he can punish us for what we did.”

“Should I cut her?” Lucy asks, although it doesn’t seem like she’s talking of her own free will, but of her duty alone.

“Have you forgotten about Berserker?” I deadpan. “Beats me why, but that drunk giant has taken a liking to that child. He’d be beyond livid if he learned we harmed her.”

“Right,” Lucy nods, but keeps the dagger threateningly close to her neck regardless.

“So we fight?” Lance wonders.

“Do we have a choice?” I reply, my words hanging heavily in the air.

“We can’t trust him to leave us alive even if we comply,” Kenneth says, his expression darkening. “We must hold him off until Berserker returns or Beatrix regains her senses.”

“Right, then let’s do that,” I announce, quickly leaping to a nearby demon corpse to replace the battered shield I won’t be able to use anymore with a functional one. However, it’s smaller and made of reinforced wood rather than full metal. I act not a second too early. The Demon Lord seems to have concluded that we’re going to fight.

“Well then. I shall cut you all down!”

There’s no need to give instructions. Everyone knows their role. Kenneth takes the rearguard behind me while the Demon Lord enters a fanatic sprint. It is only then that I realize my foolishness. While approaching, the demon grows larger and larger, and so does his fierce axe.

Physical enhancement magic?!

My plan won’t work; I can tell at a glance. Our opponent has grown to over three meters in size, closing the distance quickly. His weapon will out-range Lance’s spear once he swings it at us, and the shield I now carry won’t be capable of blocking the attack. I only have one option left. Steadying my foothold, I concentrate as much mana as I can muster and mutter a spell.

“Shield Enhancement: Diamond Shield.”

And then, the massive axe comes down on me.