For Nephira, the leader of Thunder-Lance Charge, the special strike force under the direct control of the Demon King, this day was the long-awaited invasion of the Land of Leirune.

More specialized in offensive attacks than any unit in the Demon Lord's army and always spearheading major battles, the Thunder-Lance Charge, composed of six hundred elite fiends, successfully conquered the city. With their bodies splashed with human blood, they marched into Syness Castle.

Skilled soldiers and sorcerers staffed the entirety of the castle, but they were no match for the prided elite of the Thunder-Lance Charge. Nephira proudly entered through the front door. Together with her top brass demons, the sisters Meru and Kiru, they cut the soldiers' throats, scattered their guts, and reached the king's chamber. They captured Syness Castle so easily.

Humans have their uses as slaves and food, but the city's inhabitants were sufficient for that. She planned to kill everyone in the castle to set an example. Reigning by fear was the demon's standard method, and Nephira had been doing it for a long time. Like any other demon, she felt no empathy for humans. Killing insects had never perturbed her.

Not until that moment.

Nephira currently felt very disturbed. The problem was the creature in front of her. It definitely looked like a human being. A being she considered scum, an insect, no more than that. And yet...

(Eh. Wait, what's this? Cute...)

What about that charming appearance with medium height and round eyes? Its frightened appearance was also pitiful and made one want to gently extend a hand.

The feeling of this creature stroking her chest region moments ago still remained. Per usual, she would have killed the human instantaneously before it could even touch her. And yet, she allowed herself to be touched. A strange sensation struck Nephira.

(My chest feels warm. What is it? This feeling? N--no, right now, rather than that...)

Nephira inwardly bit her teeth with remorse. Her regret... was that she had so brazenly declared in front of her subordinates that this lovely human-like being 'deserved to die.'

The human-like being had attacked her, someone profoundly favored by the Demon Lord. It was the natural response for the leader of a battalion. However, how could she possibly kill this incomparably lovely and adorable human trembling and quivering before her eyes? No, she couldn't do it.

Because he's such a cute thing!

On the other hand, saying something like, "Just kidding. After all, let's... not," would be bad for her reputation as a commander. Nephira tried to keep her composure while deeply troubled.

(Aaaaah! What the hell am I supposed to do?!)



The right hand of Nephira, the top brass of Thunder-Lance Charge, Meru of the twin demon sisters, held her blood-stained assassin daggers tightly. During today's invasion, she had cut down more than a hundred humans with those weapons.

She glanced at her sister, Kiru, standing beside her. In contrast with her blue hair in a ponytail, Kiru had red hair in twin tails. And earlier, she had decapitated more than two hundred human heads with her beloved grim reaper's scythe.

The two sisters were not on bad terms. However, Meru somewhat felt considerably inferior to Kiru. She wanted to win against her older sister. Such was the feeling in her heart.

The trouble started with her sister, Kiru. Nephira, their commander, was attacked. Before Meru could say anything about it, Kiru busted out, saying, "You dare to strike Lady Nephira, you reckless scum!!." In other words, her sister had beaten her to the punch.

(Uhh!! I don't want to lose to my sister...!)

In a panic, she thought she needed to say something more potent and devilish.

"Let's pull out his entrails--! Let's make intestinal necklaces--!" she had excitedly declared.

But after saying those words, she calmed down and looked at the human being again. Meru's hobby was collecting stuffed fiends, but the human being in front of her was more lovable than any stuffed animal she had ever seen.

Regret surged over her like waves as she gazed at the indescribably lovely human. His face looked like he was about to burst into tears when he heard them saying they would make necklaces from his intestines. Intense guilt swirled inside Meru. The thought of dragging out the viscera of such a lovely creature? No, no, impossible. What exactly was an 'intestinal necklace' anyway? She didn't need it. Who would wear such a thing?

She wanted to prostrate herself and apologize. Such thoughts filled her mind. However, expectedly, a demon could never bow down to a human.

Still, Meru had one hope.

(Lady Nephira will never let this human who attacked her go scot-free! That's my chance!)

Meru had decided to plead directly to Nephira. However, the other party was the leader of the Thunder-Lance Charge. She was a ruthless, inhumane, and unrivaled demon. Of course, she expected it wouldn't be free. So she planned to offer one of her own arms as an apology. That surely would satisfy Lady Nephira, and the human would no doubt be grateful.



The red-haired twin tails of the twin demon sisters, Kiru, also regretted her actions.

Although Kiru was extremely vicious towards humans, she acted differently to her own kind. Kiru liked to care for young fiends and was a good caretaker for them. And the trembling creature in front of her, even though she had never met it before, was somehow as lovable as a younger brother.

Despite this...

When their leader Nephira got attacked, she shouted, "You dare to strike Lady Nephira, you reckless scum!" She saw the cute little human shiver a little when he was called a scum. She really regretted it, but... well, he attacked their commander. She gave him full marks for that courage. The problem was what came after that.

Meru had uttered the devilish line, "Let's pull out his entrails." Kiru just thought she'd drop a line afterward to keep the momentum going and had blurted, "Gigegegege! How about hollowing out his eyes while he's still alive?" Kiru could not tolerate what she had just said.

It would be insane to hollow out the eyes of such a lovely human being while it is still alive. No, usually, she would be able to do it as easily as breathing, but not with this human being. Because if she did it, she would feel sorry for him.

And her biggest regret. In front of that human, she had laughed with her mouth open wide with a "Gigegegege."

(What was that laugh sound?! I'm so embarrassed! I want to die!)

Kiru doesn't usually laugh like that. The only reason she used that tone of voice was to create a strong impression since there were still people alive around her.

What would this lovely human have thought when he heard the hideous, crude laugh she let out? He must have thought it was vulgar. No doubt he didn't want to be near it. Aah, she wanted to turn back time and say, "My, my. We don't appreciate that sort of thing, dear."

His first impression of her was probably the worst. But she still had hope. The ruthless Lady Nephira would surely kill this human who attacked her. That would be her chance. She would chop off her own leg and offer it to exchange for forgiveness for this human being. That would surely make this human see her in a new light.