A large sturdy build that towered over its surroundings. Angular wings that looked more for cutting through wind rather than gather it up.

Although it had a body that was as strong as a huge tree but even then it didn’t lose any of its flexibility.

Without a doubt, that being excelled at running fast.

It had a figure that would make anyone who saw it, intuitively think so.

〈Land Dragon (Reirnote)〉.

A species that was even known as the king of the surface world, a top ranking species in the ecosystem. Not to mention,

――They’re 『adults』.

Merea thought that inwardly.

The land dragons he could see way into the distance, had bodies that were considerably larger than the black scaled Noel that Merea was currently riding on.

The size aside, the growth of the various body parts were also considerably different.

As soon as Merea concluded that it was an adult, at the same time, he immediately readied himself for battle.

While the other demon lords were still feeling a little dazed and lost, Merea quickly and calmly analyzed the situation.

――Is that it?

The cloud of dust had been blown away momentarily when the wind had blown in but the cloud of dust had quickly risen back up from the feet of the land dragons.

The cloud of dust that looked like mist, immediately wrapped itself around the surroundings of the land dragons.

――No, there are two more.

However, Merea’s extensive field of vision and excellent kinetic vision didn’t let that tiny amount of information, that he caught in the corner of his eye, go.

There were two other tails that he saw, which were slightly different colours to the land dragon he had just seen.

Though, that alone wasn’t enough information to make a proper decision.

――Gather information. Consolidate it and then predict.

The cloud of dust flows from the left to the right because of a breeze and due to that, the size of the cloud of dust was limited.

Based on the size of the land dragon that he had just seen, guessing the size of the other two land dragons, he could apply that and guess the scene that was in front of his eyes.

――It’s not possible to hide four bodies in that cloud of dust.

In the event that the wind had been calm, the dust would have been stagnant in the air and it would have covered the dragons, completely hiding them.

However, in this situation, the breeze had ended up becoming helpful to Merea.

There were a total of three. He was sure of it now.

In such a way, Merea first analysed the enemy’s forces before turning his head back and looked over at the demon lords. Just turning his head slightly back, he observed the demon lords behind him.

――Half.

Those were the number of demon lords who managed to get into their battle stance so far.

It was possible that they had their survival instincts flair up as soon as they noticed land dragons come up from the front.

The ones in the back of the group, tried to look over the shoulders of the demon lords riding in the front and while they were wondering what was going, they were probably obstructed by the cloud of dust.

Although he had warned them, the response to his warning seemed to lean towards, 『I find that hard to believe』.

At times like this, Merea sincerely believed that it was faster to see it than to hear about it.

However, in the next moment――

「――」

It came. It was the wind. Once more, there was a wind that blew away the cloud of dust.

For, but an instant, Merea felt happy about the convenient gust of wind but then he quickly swept those thoughts away.

――It’s the opposite.

――This is bad.

What was reflected in Merea’s sight were three land dragons exactly as he had predicted it. Though, the moment they came into view, the air around the people behind him seemed to freeze over.

Seeing those three land dragons, the tension of demon lords seemed to have reached the maximum.

It was quite possible that the reason the land dragons had covered themselves in that cloud of dust was to give a considerably more impactful entrance once they were considerably close.

When the figures of those land dragons entered their sights, even the demon lords who had already entered into their battle stance looked like they were withering away.

Merea was unsure whether he should say something or not. If it had been a man who was used to leading soldiers, he might have offered words of encouragement and gotten everyone’s morale up. However, for Merea who had never lead any people...such words didn’t come out.

◆◆◆

While Merea was worried about this matter for a short while, his senses sensed something else.

――Left.

On the left side, Merea could once again see a cloud of dust.

It was a different cloud of dust that was being raised and was getting progressively larger.

On this side, rather than trying to hide their figures, it seemed more that they were raising that cloud of dust simply because they were running at full speed.

Thanks to that, Merea could very easily see what was inside that cloud.

――Black armour…!

It was an 『army of cavalry』.

With their bodies wrapped in a black light armour, with several flags with Mūzeg’s emblem on it, they made a beeline for the demon lords position.

Unlike the three land dragons coming at them from the front, the cavalry was riding on horses.

Although he felt a cold sweat running down his back at the sheer number of them but, at the same time, after watching them he realised something.

――They have also only just reached here…!

The black armour that was giving out orders at the head.

The slightly slow and dull formation towards the back.

A strange flustered air around them.

Rather than waiting in ambush, it was quite clear that they had only just reached this spot.

In the first place, since the demon lords only had land dragons in front of them, it would seem that the other side lacked a solid defense.

――The land dragons are to hold us back huh.

If he were to guess from the current situation then, they probably sent the fast land dragons ahead to hold us back.

In any case, there was some distance to the cavalry.

If they at least managed to do something about the land dragons in front of them, then they might be able to get away from this place before the cavalry reached them.

「――」

Merea had yet to make a decision. There were two choices.

Stop for the moment and strike back and once they get an opening, they should run away towards the east.

Keep up the current pace and keep running eastward.

In any case, they had to retreat to the east. In the situation where their retreat was cut off then the whole situation would just lead to death.

――...Strike back? Against that?

However, Merea quickly dropped the first option.

If it was just one then they could probably do something.

However, once he had seen what was behind the first one, he had no choice but to drop that option.

With those many gathered in one place, would he even be able to protect the demon lords backs and sides?

He had to save every last one. That was something that he couldn’t skimp out on.

――Hands, eyes, feet. I wonder how many bodies would be needed. ...There’s no other choice than to break through.

Merea made up his mind. He would be the one who would move the land dragons thrashing around to the east and make sure that the demon lords made it through.

Once they breakthrough to the east and secure a path for retreat, after that they can strike back properly.

An interception while retreating still has the possibility of working out.

For that reason, crushing the land dragons quickly would be helpful but he could think of that later as well.

In any case,

――I’ll have you let me pass.

In that case, he just had to wonder if the demon lords could pass through the gap without any issues or without getting caught.

Merea remembered the look on all the demon lords faces from a moment back.

「...」

As expected, this would be the perfect time for him to raise a 『battle cry』 to raise morale.

While thinking that, he opened his mouth to speak those words of encouragement but,

――My voice won’t tremble will it…?

That sudden thought made his jaw stiffen

◆◆◆

Merea had a voice that originated from something known as the〈Pleasure King’s (Yurun Yura) Vocal Cords〉.

Fascination, charm.

It was a voice that would resonate in people’s hearts.

That was something that Merea himself was quite aware of so he felt that, if possible, he should raise a 『battle cry』 right around this time.

At the very least, he had an appropriate voice for this situation.

――But, will the words come out smoothly?

In all honesty, he was anxious if he could speak his mind out.

He wasn’t sure if he could make his words to resound in the surroundings.

In the first place, was he supposed to choose words that would give encouragement.

In the event that he does choose the words, would they actually manage to pull out everyone’s fighting spirits?

In but a moment, various thoughts whirled around Merea’s head and caused his mouth to stay half open.

Noel advanced forward at a constant speed while waiting for Merea to give him orders.

Very steadily, he approached the three land dragons in front of him.

Noel was waiting for his master’s words.

Also, without fail, the people who were riding on horses behind him were――

For a second Merea hesitated and then,

「――」

He closed his mouth.

◆◆◆

After having thought about various things, Merea decided to not raise a 『battle cry』.

――If I screw up, it would lead to more unrest.

Merea was quite certain of that vague possibility. Since it was a possibility that had come up when he thought about his own position.

There was no conceit in those thoughts nor was there vanity.

It was one of the possibilities that came up when he objectively thought about it.

――If I tremble even a little then everyone would lose their composure.

Why was he in such a position in this group?

At first he found it strange but as he spoke to them over a period of time, he kind of started to understand that reason.

Soon, he himself, took up that position as the head.

With his own sense of determination and responsibility.

Which was why, he thought of the possibility that, if he were to mess up the speech then it would lead to everyone being shaken.

Which was why Merea thought,

――Show your thoughts through your actions.

He changed his policy.

He was not used to raising a 『battle cry』.

On the contrary, he had the determination to cut down the enemies.

He had already experienced it once during the battle on the mountain top of Lindholm Sacred Mountain. Which is why, he was sure that he wouldn’t screw up.

That’s why,

――You go out before anyone else.

He will cut down the vanguard.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a shield.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a sword.

He will make sure that, between the demon lords and the enemies,

――you stand in between.

◆◆◆

So that they can, even a little, feel relaxed.

◆◆◆

Merea intentionally decided not to raise a battle cry. Instead, he determined himself to stand at the very forefront, further ahead than any of the other demon lords and bear the brunt of the attack.

Most probably he decided that, that was the most appropriate course of action.

――We’ll breakthrough.

「――Let’s go!!」

Suddenly Merea yelled. It was an order.

The ones who were at the receiving end of that order, were the demon lords.

The ones who that order was meant for, the demon lords, immediately understood the meaning of that order.

Those short words were not enough to be called a battle cry but they were also not easy going enough to make people feel relaxed.

「――!」

To the demon lords, those words alone acted like encouragement.

They realized immediately as to why Merea chose those words and they saw the actions he took in the next instant.

Having spent so much time with Merea, they naturally arrived at that answer.

Which is why, in the next instant, they managed to change their tension to determination and they could rouse their fighting spirits.

At the moment that they realized what Merea’s intentions were,

「Technique deployment――」

While on Noel’s back, Merea clapped his hands together causing the sound to reverberate through the surroundings. As if to take the three land dragons on the other side by surprise, white lightning danced through the air.