## Chapter 1332 – Aftermath

“So. You’re the Demon King’s vice-commander.”

The vice-commander didn’t resemble Phelazer at all. He was just a demon with a similar level of power to the other airship captains.

“Kkeueueueuk…!”

Anyway, he was currently foaming at the mouth as I gripped his neck.

He’d been hiding in a secret room, showering me with things like a ritual to seal a god’s power and a curse to weaken the powers of conquerors from other dimensions, as if he’d been waiting for me to arrive, but I wasn’t someone who’d fall for that.

None of it worked on me.

Seeing things like that, you could tell that the demons had been fighting strong individuals from other worlds quite skillfully, but in the end, even Phelazer, who had awakened as a Transcender, was defeated by me.

Demons can’t beat me.

“Massage, massage, massage.”
“Kkeoheoeoeok…!”

As I gently massaged his neck like that, his back arched like a bow. Rolling his eyes back was a bonus. This bastard… is he enjoying this? It’s incredibly unpleasant.

I let go of his neck after doing that for a bit longer.

ㅡThud!

He collapsed onto the floor, limp.

“Heok! Keoheok…! Heok!”

Soon, he took a deep breath and twisted his body. Then, he coughed laboriously as if he had tuberculosis, but he couldn’t get up. I had already broken the joints in both of his shoulders and his right leg.

Resistance was impossible.

He might be able to use magic, but I wouldn’t be unable to deal with it. Even though my strength wasn’t fully recovered, there was no way this bastard could beat me.

“You probably already know this, but. Demon King Phelazer was defeated and killed by me.”
“Th-that… Keuheuk! No, Kahak! Th-that can’t be…!”

When I calmly told him the truth, he was shocked as if he was having a seizure.

ㅡAir Fortress Suppression Operation.

After it started, I attacked the fortress, and I was the first to look for the fortress’s supreme commander. I left the other tasks to my women and the knights who would belatedly climb up Aris’ beanstalk. Kadia had done a good job of planning the operation, so I figured it would work out somehow.

Anyway, I found this bastard after searching a few times.

With the Demon King gone.

He was the one in charge of this air fortress. These kinds of guys had to be captured first to cut off the chain of command.

“Phelazer-nim is a Transcender!!!”
“However. I am also a Transcender.”
“…!”
“Phelazer was defeated by me. That means your demons have been defeated.”
“…”

The vice-commander could only open and close his mouth, unable to say anything in response. The aura I was emitting was exactly that. More than anything, he himself knew best that the Demon King was dead.

“Th-that impossible… bullshit…!”

He started to become delirious.

It seemed that Phelazer was more than just the demons’ ruler; he was their spiritual pillar. So, this reaction was understandable.

It was then.

“Accept it.”

Risha, who had said she would follow me, said.
She was walking behind me before I knew it.

“Demons are no more.”
“P-Princess!!!”
“…”
“How can you say such a thing!!!”

The vice-commander screamed as if in despair at Risha’s words. I gave them some time to talk.

“What exactly…! What goals did we have! What sacrifices did we make to come here!! If the Princess knows that…!”
“That doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
“Wh-what…!”

Risha was expressionless.

“There is a powerful being that even my father could not defeat.”
“…”
“They invaded a world with even stronger beings. And if that failed. Isn’t it natural to be defeated? If you lose in a fight where you bet your life, there is no future.”

A calm tone as if she was telling something obvious. There was no emotion to be found in Risha’s words. Risha continued to speak as if she was just saying what she had to say.

“Do you know what happened to the Demon Realm?”
“…That’s.”
“A rebellion has occurred. A very large rebellion. In the Demon Realm, where resources have been depleted, the demons will have fought each other and self-destructed. That is what I believe.”
“…Ah.”

At those words, the vice-commander dropped his head as if he had fainted.

“Risha.”
“…”

I grabbed Risha’s shoulder and massaged it. Risha looked at my face and nodded.

“Surrender. Stop destroying things.”
“Kueuk…!”
“I said surrender.”

He bit his lip.

“There are… conditions to surrendering, Princess!”
“Hey.”

Seriously, this bastard.
Risha is telling him to surrender right now.

“I am the only one who can decide on the conditions, demon.”
“…!”
“Surrender as Risha says. That is the last chance you have left.”
“Princess! Save the demons! Save the demons! At this rate, they will be annihilated!”

What?

There must be a base somewhere, right?

The demons brought a fleet here. Of course, they must have a base somewhere in another dimension, and other demons must be living there.

This… I’ll have to interrogate him separately. Of course, I was going to do that anyway. There’s no way I’d execute a high-ranking official like this without thinking. He had to be interrogated.

“Princess! This is my last request! Please save the demons!”
“…”

The vice-commander pleaded, but Risha didn’t listen to him. She just looked at my face.

And then soon.

She spoke as if giving a final ultimatum.

“Surrender. If you do… at least you will be able to obtain the last bit of mercy.”

The last bit of mercy.

In the first place, the clones in that underground facility. I was going to save those pitiful ones because they were innocent. But right now, it would be good to use that to talk some smack.

It would be troublesome if the demons made a last-ditch effort and went wild.

The fortress and airships haven’t been bombed separately yet. So, it’s necessary to appease them as much as possible. There’s no need for unnecessary bloodshed.

“There are demons being born in a strange way underground.”
“…!”
“If you surrender now… I will try my best. To plead for their salvation.”

Risha said that while looking down at the vice-commander. Risha already knows. That I will save them. As expected. Skillful acting.

“I will do my best to save them, no matter what method I use.”
“…”

The vice-commander seemed to be greatly troubled by those words.

And Risha asked as if trying to get confirmation from me.

“…Is that okay?”
“…”

I slightly distorted my expression to give off a displeased feeling and looked back and forth between Risha and the vice-commander.

“Hoo. If the demons surrender properly. I will at least save them. They haven’t committed any sins since they were just born.”

I was going to save them whether they surrendered or not, but I acted appropriately. Risha had asked with that in mind as well.

“Kk, kueuk…!”

The vice-commander bit his lip for a moment and pondered.

“I understand… I understand… I will… surrender…”
“You have made a good choice.”

He seemed to care about the demons more than I thought. To accept the surrender on the condition that the clones would be saved. He seemed to have a strong sense of kinship in his own way.

“At least those children will be able to live.”
“Good. Then start the surrender declaration quickly. Even now, our warriors and your demons are engaged in combat within the fortress. Call back the airships as well. Order the disarmament and unconditional surrender of the demon warriors. If you do that immediately, we will treat the non-combat personnel, the crew, as prisoners of war.”

I generously added another condition.

After all, there’s no need to execute the crew members right away either.
They have a lot of work to do.

“I understand. Then for a moment… magic.”

I nodded.

ㅡSwish.

The vice-commander, who had received permission, unfolded his magic.

「Demons within the fortress… listen. Demon King Phelazer-nim… has fallen in battle. And we have been defeated. Warriors, drop your weapons… surrender. We have been promised limited mercy… surrender…」

He conveyed his words to the fortress in a weak tone.

* * *

The demons surrendered.

Except for a small number of people who disobeyed orders and resisted, they all surrendered. We gathered the prisoners in one place and thoroughly separated the combat personnel from the non-combat personnel.

Once the situation is sorted out, they will soon be taken to the ground.

“In my opinion as well.”

Risha, who was standing next to me, said.

“It is not right to forgive those who destroyed so many cities without any mercy.”
“Yeah.”

Combat personnel will be executed without exception. There’s no way I can let these war criminals who destroyed so many cities live. The captains of the airships will also be executed. The vice-commander will also be executed after the interrogation is over. Risha said that she would execute him herself.

“The only ones who are innocent are those artificial demons who haven’t even been born properly yet.”
“Are you referring to those you called clones?”

When I nodded, Risha expressed her doubts.

“But where did you learn such a word?”
“Hehehe, who knows. I just made it up. Risha. I’ve heard of a similar concept somewhere.”
“Is that so?”

It’s been a long time since I abandoned the name Kim Geuntae.

“Anyway, the war criminals will be executed. But the crew members and technicians will live as prisoners, being treated as criminals. They can manage these facilities.”

The captured demon crew members and technicians can be used very usefully. They know all about how to manage, operate, and maintain these air fortresses and airships.

Now that all of this is mine, I have to manage it properly.

It will take some time, but I will extract all kinds of information from them.

“When they’re no longer needed, well. Since they’re not directly involved in combat, should I send them to prison or something?”
“Haa…”

Only then did Risha seem a little relieved.

“I finally feel like the work is done.”

Well, this is the end.

“I can’t deny that I feel a little relieved. As I said, when I first escaped to this land… I lived while looking for the Demon King’s army… or ways to return to the Demon Realm…”

Risha said that for a moment while looking at the past.

“But that’s all in the past now. Now that you’re here.”

What’s important is always the present.

“Yeah. I’m here. So, live only thinking about me from now on. Risha.”
“Hoo… Hehehe. Of course.”

Risha smiled and stroked my cheek.

“I will do that forever.”

* * *

“Are you guys okay?”

I went to the sisters who were sitting covered in blood and placed my hand on their heads, giving them a shower with my power.

“Eu… Euueut…”
“Haeueue…”

Of course, it wasn’t their blood, but the demons’ blood. After the start of the suppression operation, they teamed up and infiltrated the airships. They fought fiercely with the captains of the airships.

ㅡSaruru.

Exposed to my power, they made blissful expressions and took the strength out of their bodies. Soon, my power burned away all the waste products like blood and dust.

“Was it very hard?”
“Ah… fuck. It was really fucking hard. They were a bit strong.”
“But it was easy because we were working together. They were no match for us.”

They said with confident expressions.

“Hehehe, as expected of my sisters.”

When I caught the vice-commander, they were fighting. The surrender broadcast was transmitted, but only two people responded to the surrender, and the remaining captains resisted individually. They were warriors with some strength, so it was natural.

Of course, they suppressed and killed them.

“Haa… Still, more than anything… I’m glad I was able to help for the first time in a while. I did well, right?”

Liztina asked me for praise with a very happy face.

This cute woman?

“No. Sis. Do you want to be praised?”
“Of course I want to be praised. And I think I should get a reward besides praise.”
“Yeah, yeah. You all did well, so ask for everything. I have to listen to everything you say, Sis.”
“Haa… Yes. Then I should rest now. Ah… I’m so tired.”

Liztina soon closed her eyes as I stroked her head.

“…You know I’m included, right?”

Karin also said that with a reddened face.

“Of course. Would I not take care of my woman?”
“I fucking love you.”
“Me too.”

Anyway, they did a great job.

“Rest now.”

I moved the sleeping women to a safe zone and headed to the fortress’s main hall.