The bear that Usami had conjured stood proudly on the battlefield, its brown fur and towering presence striking fear into all who saw it. But the demons on the other side… they were too powerful to be intimidated by something like this. Usami pointed at the enemy and shouted:
"Go get them, Teddy! Flatten them all!"
With earth-shaking steps, the bear marched forward. As the enemy army began their counterattack, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Screams echoed so loudly they reached even the surrounding forests.
Beril, standing at a distance, locked his eyes on Usami and gripped his spear with both hands. He hurled it with deadly precision. Usami reacted instantly, leaping into the air and avoiding the attack. She landed smoothly, then began sketching once more on a white sheet of paper.
This time, she drew the very same spear her enemy had thrown.
Usami's magic allowed her to replicate the appearance of anything she could draw and animate it with her mana. However, the spell had one flaw: she could only copy the physical appearance. Any inherent enchantments or internal abilities—especially from living beings or magical artifacts—could not be reproduced.
The newly drawn spear hovered to Usami's left, aimed straight at Beril. The demon commander squinted, confused.
"How could she copy my spear? I've never seen magic like this… Her aura feels more like a warrior than a mage. But how will she even use it? Should I attack now…?"
He hesitated, tangled in his thoughts.
Then, as Beril leapt toward her, Usami calmly extended her finger toward him and said:
"Annihilate."
Beril was forced to deal with the replica spear before he could get to her. Meanwhile, the enormous bear was tearing through enemy lines, scattering them like leaves. Seeing the tide turn, the demons summoned one of their secret weapons—an A-rank monster.
Gargantua.
A six-meter-tall orc with a massive, muscular body, his skin a mottled mixture of crimson and black. The moment he stepped onto the field to face the bear, all nearby troops retreated.
Usami's eyes widened.
"That's what they were hiding… He's huge. If the commander gets past my spear, we're finished."
With Beril still occupied, she turned her attention to the monster. Gargantua grabbed the bear's massive arms and began pushing back with brute strength.
Usami, acting quickly, conjured a large gray forest wolf and leapt onto its back. As it charged toward the monster, Beril suddenly cut off one of her arms.
Blood splattered across her face. Shocked, Usami turned—only to see Beril behind her, dark wings spread wide.
"H-How? My arm!? How did you dodge the spear?!"
Beril's eyes narrowed coldly.
"You lack combat experience. In war, you never ignore a commander to go chase something else. That's how you die. I didn't 'dodge' your spear. My weapon, Hercules, has a unique ability—Twin Illusion. I made you think I was still fighting the spear."
Her vision blurred. Usami wanted to move, to run—but her legs wouldn't obey. They trembled, paralyzed by fear. As Beril raised his spear to impale her heart, a soldier jumped in front of her, arms wide.
The spear pierced through his belly.
He fell into Usami's lap, smiling as he died.
Stunned, Usami gently laid him down, then whispered through tears:
"Now I understand… It's not about giving up… It's about pushing past our limits…"
Beril sneered, slamming his spear into the ground.
"Attacking us was your gravest mistake. The Demon King may be gone, but this land is ours now. You pests will never lay a finger on it!"
Usami slowly stood, activating her ultimate magic.
"Art Magic: Realm of Dreams!"
Suddenly, Beril found himself in a surreal world—pink skies, toys scattered everywhere, a child's dreamscape.
No enemies in sight. Confused, he sat cross-legged and waited.
Then, a figure emerged.
Usami, dressed entirely in black, eyes blazing, shouted:
"I wasn't supposed to use this spell. But this is where it ends. Either YOU or ME!"
Beril stood, summoning his spear again.
Usami turned to the toys around her and cried:
"Dream World… ATTACK!"
The toys transformed into blades and shot toward Beril. He sliced them apart with ease, but they kept coming. Despite her cutesy appearance, Usami's resolve burned like fire, and Beril, out of respect, fought with all he had.
He spread his black wings and flew at her. Just as he closed the gap, a spear appeared—impaling him through the stomach.
He gasped, coughing blood.
"Wh-What…?"
Usami smiled wickedly.
"This is my dream world. I can create weapons anywhere I want."
Beril gritted his teeth and kicked her away, pulling the weapon from his body. Bleeding and pale, he grinned.
"You lost."
"Huh…?"
His body vanished into thin air.
Before she could react, he reappeared behind her and struck her neck with a stunning blow. Usami collapsed. Catching her mid-fall, Beril looked down at her peaceful face and muttered:
"You were a worthy foe. You have too much potential to die now… Even if it's selfish of me, I won't let you perish."
The dream world shattered.
They returned to reality.
Seeing Usami fall unconscious, her soldiers rushed to retrieve her. The bear vanished with her magic. As the Half-Human Empire began retreating, the battle was finally over.
Beril stood among the bodies of fallen enemies. He stabbed his spear into one and declared:
"You're always welcome here, half-humans!"
The demon army celebrated their victory. Gargantua reverted to her small form—160 cm tall and looking like a shy teenage girl. Soldiers slapped her back, cheering:
"You were the coolest in this whole war!"
Blushing, Gargantua averted her eyes as Beril grabbed her hands.
"We owe this win to your power, Gargantua."
"It's my honor to be useful, sir," she whispered.
Then Beril lifted her into the air, shouting:
"Long live the Demon Kingdom! Long live Gargantua!"
The soldiers joined in, tossing her into the air in celebration.
Though triumphant, the demons had suffered heavy losses.
They gathered their fallen comrades into a great mound. Beril set it aflame. Everyone kneeled in silence, paying respect.
Then, an unfamiliar aura descended from the sky. Soldiers pointed upward and called Beril's attention.
A lone demon hovered above.
Long hair veiled his eyes. His clothes hung to his heels. His white, striped horns curled majestically. Xavier, the enigmatic figure, descended and approached Beril, extending a hand.
Beril took it, only to feel a tight squeeze.
"Congratulations, Viscount Beril. With this victory, our border is safer than ever."
"This win belongs to our entire race. But… what border are you talking about?"
"General Guter is heading to the place you call the 'Candidate's Domain'—what we call the Demon King's sanctuary. Viscount Koloton isn't present there. Something important came up."
"Why would Guter go there…?"
"Viscount Momoi contacted Fujih and sent him as backup. We're tied up with Loropis. I'm asking you to investigate the situation. Meet them halfway. Momoi will assist you later."
Beril knelt in acceptance of the mission. Xavier, emotionless as always, spread his wings and soared into the sky.
As soldiers cleaned up, Beril stared at the sky, holding Hercules before him.
"Wait for me, my lord… I'll return to your side once this war is over."
The troops began heading back to their temporary base.
On the other side, the Half-Human Empire was crushed, morale in tatters. On a stretcher, Usami's fingers twitched. A soldier shouted:
"Commander Usami is waking up!"
They hurried to set up a medical tent. Healers entered and began treating her wounds with magic. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. Sitting upright, she saw her guards nearby.
The soldiers bowed, placing their hands over their hearts.
"Forgive us, Commander Usami. We failed to protect you during your fight with the enemy general."
Usami slowly opened her eyes, rubbing them groggily. Surrounding her were soldiers clad in gray armor, each of them staring down at her with worry etched into their faces. As she tried to sit up, the soldiers immediately moved to her side, gently supporting her by the arms.
Once fully upright, Usami swung her legs over the stretcher and hopped down. She wobbled slightly, prompting the soldiers to steady her once more. One of them—whose features resembled a fox—stepped in front of her and bowed respectfully.
"Commander, you shouldn't be standing. Even if your wounds are healed, you still need rest."
But Usami brushed the soldier aside with a gentle yet firm hand, ignoring his concern. She adjusted her tousled pink hair and dusted off the dirt clinging to her uniform. With a deep breath, she pushed aside the flap of the tent and stepped out.
What greeted her outside made her heart sink.
The entire army—her army—was in ruins.
Their armor was damaged. Many bore deep, untreated wounds. Others knelt silently, removing the armor from their fallen comrades and wrapping their bodies in black cloth. The air reeked of blood and smoke, thick with sorrow.
Usami's stomach turned.
She pressed a hand over her mouth. No—she couldn't hold it in.
She stumbled toward the edge of the tent and bent over, vomiting violently. The liquid that splashed onto the ground was tinted red.
Her eyes widened in horror. Blood.
Her blood.
As she stumbled back in shock, she bumped into one of the guards stationed outside. Her thoughts swirled, tangled and chaotic—like a soup boiling over in her head. She couldn't think straight.
Her knees gave out, and she sank to the ground.
Covering her head with one trembling hand, she whispered to herself through gritted teeth:
"This is all my fault… I ruined everything. Again."
She clenched her eyes shut in anguish.
The nearby soldiers couldn't bear the sight of their commander like this. One by one, they drove their swords into the ground and knelt beside her, wrapping their arms around her. Soon, others joined in, until she was surrounded by the warm embrace of her warriors.
Usami's eyes filled with tears.
"Why…?" she sobbed. "Why are you still holding me? I'm the reason your friends are dead!"
The soldiers all spoke at once, their voices trembling with emotion.
"It's not your fault!"
"You were fighting while we failed to protect you. We're the weak ones!"
"We lost this battle—not you. Don't blame yourself, Commander!"
From all sides, words of comfort flooded in.
Usami wiped her tear-streaked face on her pink uniform and murmured, barely above a whisper:
"I love you all…"
The soldiers stood tall once more, their resolve firm. Every one of them was ready to die for her if needed.
Usami rose to her feet, looking at each face around her. These were not just warriors. They were family. As half-humans, they understood the worth of someone like her. They knew the cost of sacrifice. And they followed her not out of duty, but from the heart.
Once reassured that their commander was safe and standing strong, the troops resumed their duties. The wounded were being treated inside the remaining tents. Those with minor injuries, or none at all, helped tend to their comrades.
A messenger had already been sent to the border city to warn of a possible counterattack. Reinforcements were on their way.
And leading them was Lila, galloping at full speed on horseback, eyes locked forward, determined to reach her beloved commander.
In the meantime, Usami stood watch over her army. To ensure their safety, she took out her white sketch palette once more. With quick, practiced strokes, she drew a pack of wolves—sleek, black-furred beasts with eyes like silver blades.
With a flick of her hand, the summoned wolves darted into the forest, silent and swift.
They were her scouts.
If they encountered any potential threat, she would know. And when she did…
She would personally eliminate them.
No hesitation.
No mercy.