Okay, I'm in a bit of a dilemma.

While I'm not the kind of person who would employ devious tactics, complex shenanigans, or elaborate ploys to achieve abstract goals, as my mind is just a bit too straightforward for manipulating each and everyone around me to my advantage, I don't think slaughtering my way through the enemy is really my style of evil either.

Even if I confirmed that I wouldn't kill real humans by doing so, "pretend genocide" is still not really something I'm comfortable with.

Not to speak of that this isn't even an absolute fact to be trusted, because just assuming every last one of them is nothing but a better puppet, only because I checked out a dozen of those zombies, is a hell of a generalization.

Not to speak of that my opponent might change this midway through the fight and replace them with sentient beings just for the lols.

So while unchained violence sounds like a simple, efficient solution at first, it's not only not to my liking, it also has many innate pitfalls to consider.

"Maou-Sama. Is something the matter?" (E)

That succubus again.

For all I know, she could be a tool of my enemy.

While I don't feel as if they could rip the direct control away from me, her ears might be something like receivers to keep my opponent informed.

In this situation, I really wish I had some trustworthy advisors.

Okay, I'm foremost thinking about Zika here.

Yet I'm pretty sure Soraja would be pretty invested in saving Chiaki.

However, bringing anyone here would be a really bad call.

Not only would I risk their well-being by dragging them into this, they might even get infected by my enemy's control which only would aggravate the situation that I already lost Chiaki to them.

This means I'm on my own.

Well, not quite.

Let's see what I can get out of that succubus advisor.

"I'm trying to figure out how to handle those human armies while avoiding slaughtering them indifferently." (I)

"Why would you want this, Mao-Sama?" (E)

Seriously, this generic anime vibe is getting on my nerves.

Yet following that line of thought, I might use this kind of attitude.

"Do I really need to explain myself to you? I just don't want a stupid massacre!" (I)

"Of course, you don't have to, Mao-Sama. If I understand you right, you intend for greater control on the battlefield combined with causing panic within the enemy ranks to lead up to a quicker end. The solution to this should be obvious." (E)

Hm, should I maybe be more suspicious about the tips my opponent is delivering to me?

But maybe I'm looking at this from the wrong side.

My opponent is mostly interested in playing this stupid game.

Even while being up against my dark side during this strange conquest game, they never tried anything underhanded or just simply crushing them.

This leads me to believe that a win by feeding me false information through a "game feature" like the implemented advisor, would be a shallow victory for them.

It's like not properly explaining the rules at the start of a game and then be upset that the other didn't give it their all.

Furthermore, if my "advisor" gives me this option, then a "panic" feature must be prevalent with the enemy army.

So they're basically offering me a way out.

"Okay, you got me. What is your solution?" (I)

"Simple. You only need to create your elite demons. Generals to lead your army to victory. If the humans witness their overwhelming power, they won't be able to fight the generals as confidently anymore. But to answer your main issue, by granting them greater independence and powers, they'll be able to follow far more complex strategies and relay your intention." (E)

That sounds actually kinda viable.

If creating demon generals just wouldn't be so cliche.

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However, it wouldn't be smart were I to ignore a possible solution that presented itself to me solely because it feels fishy.

In this sense, I should go right into creating.

So what I want are basically super fighters.

Coming up with a design is simple enough.

Perfectly formed.

Dense muscles.

Hardened bones.

And enough raw soulmass to move fluently.

Of course, no real souls, but just the basic version that makes things move, just like those puppet humans do.

That's all quite simple.

However, there's one great flaw to my plan.

This is only a template for a better warrior form.

While I know that the big red demons can cause quite the devastation in enemy ranks, this only makes them stronger fighters.

In no way does it improve them so much as to be the kind of fear-inspiring unparalleled entities I would need.

I require something like Kuri, but at the moment, I can't afford to spend resources to create something of this magnitude.

Not to speak of the fact that Kuri consumed like a billion critters before she got to her level.

Creating something as powerful as this isn't so easily done, and it would thwart the point why I'm even trying to make something so powerful if I end up without resources for anything else to make up my frontline.

For this to be achieved, I'd require a completely new element.

Which I fortunately have!

Before I can further contemplate if it's a good thing that I recently am talking so much to myself, I recall a picture in my mind that reminds me that I just saw people using magic.

My other self is very convinced that we could as well harness this kind of power.

In principle, this would be a good thing.

After all, it's probably intentional on my opponent's part that magic is an element of the rules of the world.

So not using it would be a huge limiter if they are fully intent on doing so.

However, I'm not quite sure if I'm fine with what my other self lays out there and what I now have to do.

On the other hand, it's obvious that I don't have much of a choice if I want to stay competitive with my newest nemesis.

I can't just ignore the rules of the world if I want to have a fighting chance.

Which forces me to undertake a rather drastic step.

I materialize via instant transmission in my dungeon, where I keep one of the mages.

Before he can sprout any of this demon king nonsense, I already plugged my tendrils inside him to let my backmind, which subconsciously does all the research that would otherwise overload my mortal perception of reality, do its thing.

In particular, having an in-depth scan of anything magic-related.

Of course, I'm checking if he's a sentient person before going too far.

Which he wasn't, by the way.

By doing so, I confirm what I intended to.

Magic is really a thing here, as he has some kind of magic channels.

While the whole concept is partly related to lifeforce, it's not quite the same.

Rather, it's basically a completely new element that mixes living matter with something else, or through some process based on the rules of the world into what I'd call mana.

Damn, there's so much I could say about it.

How it on one side bears similarities to emotions and concepts of personality, and on the other is something more material, existent, like air or water or simply electrical charge in the environment.

This all is intricately connected to the laws of the world.

In mine, for example, they probably couldn't convert life force into magic the same way they're doing here.

I don't completely grasp the concept, while I subconsciously do, but in general, it basically allows for most profound effects.

What is now most important would be that I bring this concept into practice.

Which means creating my demon generals.

In this sense, I erect their creation stations.

Which is a nice way to put super creepy cocoons that are filled with a generic meat and bone paste, which I form through microscopic tendrils into the desired forms.

For effect, I have quite a lot of variety with them.

It also helps that there is a limit to the amount of magic I can harness at once, which means, I can't just push out as many of them as I want.

My opponent on the other side, seems more intent on spreading the magic over many units, yet we'll see who fares better with their strategy.

So I start production.

First, an upsized version of the demons, just with many more muscles, enough to break through solid walls with his fists alone, something the black bone armor I add should help him with.

Next, I want a small, but super-fast shadow character.

The kind of rogue that can flank enemy lines, do its thing, and vanish unseen or simply be slippery enough that they can't catch him.

The last template would be a tall woman in heels, who reminds me a bit of my stunt in the sports hall at our campus.

I will give it that my dark side helps with the designs to tune them towards efficiency.

However, the most important thing to add is obviously the magic.

Though, I suppose I'll keep it elemental and avoid getting too complex.

This is also because there's a bit of a proficiency factor that would diminish the effects through too much mixing.

Basically some form of elemental dilution.

I'm making two of the big ones, who get fire and respectively earth magic, as it only seems appropriate.

My small thief-like one gets shadow and wind magic.

This should pair really well with his role as someone who isn't supposed to clash directly with the enemy.

And for the woman, a mix of water and life.

Though, with the latter, it feels like the energies create something else together.

Hopefully nothing problematic.

As I have already figured everything out, the process in itself is rather straightforward.

I create the base, the channels.

Very elaborate ones, specifically designed to employ big magic.

I gather as much magic as I can from the territory I control, all to this place, and push it in.

It works!

"Splosh"

The first cocoon bursts open and out of it steps the heeled woman.

"Maou-Sama! I'm here to serve you." (demon mistress)

Sigh.

You too, huh?