Valkira, Verixa, and several other high-ranking demons had gathered around a large stone map in the center of the strategy hall.
"So, how much time do we have left?" Valkira asked her subordinate.
The soldier paused, gathering his thoughts before answering. "Commander Valkira, it seems the human vanguard will reach our position in half an hour. Furthermore... I couldn't find any trace of the hero party."
"This is an advantage for us," an old, lizard-type demon rasped. "Still, even without the heroes, that human force is massive. With our current numbers, we can barely hope to escape with ten to twenty demons at most."
"Wait a minute… what did you say? Hero party?" I interrupted, my chest tightening at the painfully familiar words.
"Yes. They are the individuals summoned by the human princess," Valkira explained, her voice hardening. "Because of their overwhelming cheat abilities, we lost the last war."
"They're damn lucky bastards," I muttered, clenching my fist in a sudden surge of irritation.
Verixa leaned over and whispered to Valkira, "Do you believe something might have happened to him in the past, related to the hero party?"
"Maybe he's just jealous," Valkira whispered back.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing mind, and shifted back to the problem at hand. "Do we have any magic-users? Back to the topic—it would be best if we had magicians so we could use the terrain effectively."
The entire council turned to look at me, completely confused.
"Isn't everyone here able to use magic?" an old skeleton man asked, tilting his skull. "Don't tell me, Sir Zacken… you can't?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know I can't use magic," I rolled my eyes. "But it's not my fault this damned kid didn't summon me anywhere else. I was living a boring yet perfectly peaceful life before this."
"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Verixa protested, puffing out her cheeks.
"Age?" I asked flatly.
"Ten!" she said proudly, standing as tall as she could.
"Then you are a kid," I declared.
A heavy silence fell over the room as the hardened demon generals glanced at each other, desperately trying to stifle their laughter.
Verixa turned to her commander, her eyes wide with sudden doubt. "Valkira... is a ten-year-old not considered an adult?" she asked hopefully.
"You didn't know that, My Queen?" Valkira replied gently. Verixa's face instantly fell in a mix of shock and utter shame.
"Back to the topic—how can we possibly win against them?" Valkira sighed, redirecting the council's attention. "Even if we recruit the local villagers, there are only around two hundred of us. As Zacken explained, the human force is roughly double our size."
"Well, it seems completely impossible. We don't have any powerful—" the lizard soldier began, but stopped mid-sentence as everyone's eyes slowly drifted back toward me. He cleared his throat nervously. "I was saying... we don't have any strong warriors left."
"Hey! Are you making fun of me?!" I snapped. "First of all, why are you all trying to fight them head-on in the first place? Isn't it better to retreat, gather the remaining scattered demons, and then strike back when we're ready?"
The entire hall fell dead silent. The demons stared at me as if I had just revealed the secrets of the cosmos.
"What a great idea. I don't know why we did not discuss it at all," one of the council members muttered.
"Are you serious?" I asked, completely dumbfounded by their lack of basic tactical knowledge.
"Yeah, this actually is a great idea," Valkira admitted, nodding slowly. "We didn't think of it."
"Are you all that stupid? It's the simplest thing in the world. Humans always flee when they can't handle a fight," I said.
"I learn something new every day," Verixa murmured in awe.
"But I object," another council member spoke up, raising a hand. "What is the chance the humans will just let us escape? They will hunt us through the forest."
"Ah… for that…" I thought for a moment, weighing our options. Then, a reckless idea formed in my mind. "Why don't we just hand this kid over to them? They're after her anyway."
In an instant, a dozen weapons were drawn and pointed directly at my throat.
"Listen to me first!" I said quickly, raising my hands in surrender. "We'll only pretend to hand her over. I—as a human—will act as the bait and bring Verixa directly to them. They'll take the bait and bring us along with them toward their main camp. The surrounding forest was created by demons, right? That means the environment works entirely to our advantage for an ambush or a rescue."
Valkira lowered her sword slightly, her brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure this will work?"
"Well, I won't know until we try. It's incredibly dangerous—if we fail, we're completely doomed, and I'll be beheaded right next to this kid."
"Stop calling me a kid!" Verixa complained, though her expression grew serious. She paused for a long moment, looking at the map, then looked up at me. "I accept the plan. It may be risky, but if it gives our people even a little sliver of hope, then fine."
Valkira turned to the council. "As discussed, we'll follow Zacken's plan. Collaborate and play your roles well. Long live the queen."
"Long live the queen," the others chorused.
"Okay. As planned, the rest of you will gather the villagers and prepare for evacuation. Queen Verixa, please take care of yourself," Valkira said.
Before leaving, she stepped in close to me, her towering figure casting a shadow over me. She leaned down and whispered directly into my ear, "If anything happens to her because of your plan… you already know what will happen. I will personally take your head."
With that terrifying parting threat, everyone emptied out of the room, leaving Verixa and me alone in the quiet hall.
"Do you really think this will work?" Verixa asked, looking suddenly very small.
"I think so. It'd definitely help if I could figure out what my unique skill is, but playing video games and reading my story-based games back home has given me a pretty good idea of how these scenarios play out," I said.
"Video… what?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Don't worry about it. Let's go. We need to move," I replied, throwing Valkira's cloak over my shoulders.
"Hey, I have a name, you know," Verixa grumbled as we walked out into the corridors. "It's Verixa."
Down in the center of the demon city, the human vanguard had already broken through. The streets were filled with the heavy thud of armored boots.
"Search for them and kill every last one of them in the name of God! Find the demon queen's daughter—we want her brought to the captain alive. Ensure no one escapes!" a human commander shouted, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
I stood at a distance, hidden in the shadow of an alleyway, watching them. I took a deep breath, stepped out into the open, and grabbed Verixa by the shoulder.
"Hey, buddy—are you looking for her?" I called out loudly, holding the enchanted knife tightly against Verixa's side.
"Who are you?!" the nearest soldier demanded. His eyes widened as he recognized the small girl's blazing red hair and horns. "It's the demon queen's daughter!"
He barked an order to the surrounding squad, and within seconds, a dozen spears and swords were pointed directly at my chest.
"Ahhh… calm down. I'm on your side. Believe me," I said, keeping my voice steady.
Verixa played her part perfectly, glaring up at me with venomous hatred to sell the act. "You moron human, let me go! If the other demons learn you're holding me, they'll tear you apart!"
"Shut up," I snapped back, glaring down at her before looking back at the soldiers. "Please, you have to help me. Demons attacked my village, captured me, and tortured me. When the chaos started during your attack, I managed to escape. I found her hiding alone in the courtyard and brought her straight to you."
One of the veteran soldiers stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he inspected me from head to toe. "Your story is highly suspicious… and your clothes are even more suspicious."
Damn it, I thought, a cold sweat breaking out on my neck. I had completely forgotten to change out of my Earth tracksuit.
The soldier hesitated for a moment, then lowered his blade. "Still, we cannot deny your courage. Bringing the target directly to us saves us a great deal of trouble. Pull back and bring her to the captain. Even though we suspect your origins, I will personally ensure you receive a massive reward if the captain verifies her identity."
"Thank you, sir," I said, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
I handed Verixa over to the guards, keeping my expression neutral, and closely followed them as they led us toward the heart of the human army.