Why am I hearing boss music?

Seriously, somehow my opponent managed to play ambient music with a somewhat wild tune while I can only observe how this hero troop advances on my position.

As none of my normal demons have magic as these guys do, no amount of guards can actually hold them off.

So it happens that they make it to the last gate.

"Whom"

No idea who in their right mind would even think of making a twenty-meter-high double door out of solid iron.

Though, it seems like now they have to find a way in.

I'm just glad that I sent my generals away.

Those guys are strong and especially the savior likely leveled up since his last bout, which means that he's so strong that I'm not sure if I could protect my created, as this sword of his likely means instant death.

"Whom"

Yeah, the strain on that door is increasing.

I'm asking myself if I could stall till reinforcements arrive, but any smaller contingent won't even slow them down and my main forces are occupied with the advancing humans.

In this case, I'm better advised to simply focus all of my processing capacity on my fighting prowess.

Otherwise, I won't be their match.

God, I'm nervous.

My opponent prepared all this like in a cliche anime and especially the part where I'm supposed to be defeated here is certainly grounds for concern.

Yet all complaining won't help.

I'll have to push through this.

Especially, as Chiaki is right behind the door.

If they don't break it down, I'd do it.

Yet it doesn't seem like I need to worry about this.

"WHAM"

"Oroi, you primal evil! Demon king of the realm! Prepare yourself, as this will be your end!" (Savior)

Where the heck do they have that name from?

What did this asshole not copy from my mind?!

Things being as they may, I prepare myself, taking in what just crashed through the massive entryway.

All four members of the hero group, a bunch of elite soldiers, and...

Yes, there is Chiaki, right behind them.

She's so close.

Just wait, I'll snatch you and fix whatever was done to brainwash you.

I can do this!

I have to!

"So this is the demon king?" (brute)

"I'm not sure if my arrows can pierce through that." (ranger)

"Such an aura! It's overwhelming!" (mage)

I'll admit, I got a little emotional about the whole situation.

But it's not like I planned on giving them an easy time.

"I'll defeat you and restore the peace of these lands!" (Savior)

"Be careful, Sora." (Chiaki)

It hurts that Chiaki is on their side, but I don't intend to give up for this reason.

I'll make things right!

"Do you have anything to say, demon king?!" (Savior)

And I certainly won't give anyone here the satisfaction of a villain speech!

Without wasting any time, I raise my hand and a tidal wave erupts from the ground, all the way up to the ceiling, without leaving even the tiniest gap in the walls.

Never understood why supposedly all-powerful beings would opt for attacks that can be dodged.

This one doesn't allow doing so.

There's no way they can escape this one.

"Not with me!" (Savior)

"Whosh"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Then, from one moment to the other, it gets bright on my side, as blinding light pierces right through the solid wave I created and glides all the way down, and even leaves a slash in the wall right behind me.

Seems like I underestimated the power of that sword.

I'm sure, at this point, it could sever mountains.

Yet I'm not a mountain.

I'm worse.

As I wasn't hit by that attack, I'm going for a new angle.

Instead of moving only from one direction, which they can interrupt, as I just saw, I decide to come now from all directions.

They made a big mistake when they entered my castle, as every little bit of it purely consists of my matter.

Be it flesh growth, living darkness, or simply bent reality, controlled by my thoughts, ultimately it comes all down to the same: It's what I decide it is and I can do whatever I want with it!

Thus, grey tentacles pierce out of the ground, walls, and ceiling, heading to the group of invaders.

There are so many that halfway to their destination they're already squeezing together.

This only becomes more severe the closer they come to the single point they're all heading to.

I won't leave this up to chance.

There's no way I would!

Yet shortly before I can overwhelm them, Chiaki raises her staff and, at the same moment, a golden barrier manifests.

Its burning aura keeps the tentacles at bay, burning them away if they come too close, while the strongest that still manage to pierce through are only slapping without effect against the barrier itself before withering away like the others.

Yet my attack wasn't without effect.

I at least managed to get rid of all the accompanying human soldiers, who didn't fit into the barrier with the hero group.

I need to tell me again here that they all weren't really alive, which I would know, as I absorbed everything the tentacles came into contact with and none of them even made an effort to scream.

"You won't get away with this!" (Savior)

Sure, blame me.

It's not like you broke into my place and attacked me.

Totally unreasonable on my part that I would fight you.

Though, at least I pinned them.

Now they are sitting inside that bubble, but can't do more than throw their attacks from the inside out, which do damage but are quickly enough regenerated by me.

I only need to keep this up and increase the pressure on them and eventually...

"Light Salvation!" (Savior)

Suddenly, with absolutely ridiculous power, magic pierces out of the barrier and crashes into my tentacles.

The wall of flesh I created around their bubble gets completely obliterated and I'm left to ask myself how it's even possible for a single strike to create flying slashes in five different directions.

What kind of physics is that even based on?

Though, I probably shouldn't ask this question in this world.

Also, there are more pressing matters to concentrate on right now.

From their safe vantage point, I can literally feel how this shining swordsman is gathering incredible amounts of this light magic in his sword, ready to release it all at once at me.

It's quite a big issue that I can't get to them, but they can get to me.

Perfect defense and a decent offense, I'll have to take at least one of these out here.

No, I certainly won't allow you to attack me freely.

At this point, I don't even concentrate the slightest bit on the clashing armies out there.

No, this fight here has to be won or it will be over.

Therefore, I can't allow myself to hold back.

I noticed before that sufficiently strong tentacles could reach the barrier.

So this is only a question of strength.

This being confirmed, I gather the matter for a specifically prepared tendril that will hopefully pierce straight through their defense and allow me to break through to Chiaki.

Right from the wall behind me, a crimson red tentacle emerges, larger than any I had created yet, ready to shoot forward.

Unfortunately, my opposing cliche hero is as well, and the moment my crimson tendril starts moving, he likewise swings his sword and one of those light waves I came to hate so much gets expelled straight at me.

I let miasma drift out of my body.

As it's opposed to light it should serve well enough as an impediment.

The enemy attack meets the tendril mid-way and after a short stop continues straight through it, traveling to me, while splitting it directly in the middle.

It's so fast, that I almost don't get away.

Even the proximity to this attack is enough to sear my form.

A burning of brilliant white light that is so opposed to me, that it harms my very being.

But this isn't nearly enough to quell my powers.

Furthermore, not now!

Gotcha!

And thus, my real attack launches from right above them, a black-purple tendril, descending at the speed of sound.

Yeah, I never said that the one next to me was the one I specially prepared.

It was simply bait so this damned hero group and their savior in particular, with his already gathered energy, wouldn't see it coming.

Never understood why a big boss would be too fine for this kind of feint, so take this surprise attack from above!

It descends, and momentarily crashes against the barrier, but with another shove of mine, the raw force breaks right through.

I just can't forget about the fine control.

Don't want to squash Chiaki with this.

At most to instantly absorb her into me.

Yet when I should reach her, I experience some off feeling.

I can't quite place it, but the gist is that I didn't make contact with her.

Once the dust settles, I see the hero group lying all on the ground...

If not for Chiaki and the savior, the latter having blocked the attack with his cheat sword.

Just a tiny bit to the side, but this was apparently enough.

So that's what it was.

Didn't even get much of a sensation from crushing them.

Really need to be careful with this.

If I wouldn't already know, and over and over again confirm, that there's no independent, sentient thinking going with those puppets, I would feel bad.

Just saying, that the hero troop's members I just defeated certainly didn't have souls.

Which doesn't prevent the remaining from making a show around their deaths.

"The others, they're all..." (Chiaki)

"We can't dwell on this! Fight, or all will be lost!" (Savior)

"I, I understand, Sora." (Chiaki)

Oh please, no!

NO!

No romance plot where my best friend gets a place in the hero harem!

I refuse to accept even the possibility of that reality!

Now I'm double motivated to get this right!

Yet apparently, so are they.

"Savior! Fly!" (Chiaki)

She's casting!

From one moment to the other, the golden light forms wings on the back of my main opponent.

I reckon they aren't just fancy decorations but enable him to fly for real?

Mid-air he strikes a pose where he points his glowing sword right at me and speaks.

"Ready for round two?" (Savior)

I just want this to stop.