"So the Demon race's invasion couldn't be stopped?"
"It couldn't be helped. The current Demon King is a Demon King in the truest sense—something rarely seen in recent ages. Not an enviable situation from our perspective."
"And how are casualties on both sides?"
"Catastrophic. Losing their Hero is the biggest blow for the Human race. The Demon race has also suffered deep, widespread losses from their reckless invasion."
"This, too, is part of the Administrator's designs?"
"Yes. I never expected them to deploy the Queen Taratect. That was supposed to be one of the Demon King's trump cards."
"Was it deployed specifically to eliminate General Arugner?"
"Hard to say. Did they sense our connection with Arugner, or were they simply trying to crush the Demon race and human forces together along with Kusorion Fortress?"
"Either way, we've lost one of our collaborators."
"That's right. But the Queen Taratect that was deployed took quite a beating too. It'll be useless for some time."
"So you're saying now is the best chance to strike the Demon King?"
"No. Even without that, the Demon King is strong. The best we can hope is that losing one asset will impose some limits on their actions."
"Is that all?"
"That vanguard of theirs called White is remarkably powerful too. To think they actually defeated that Hero."
"Was the current Hero weak?"
"Not weak, exactly. But it's hard to call them strong either. Average for a Hero, I'd say."
"I see. Shun must be heartbroken."
"We're acting to end that grief. Don't forget it."
"I know. So, what about the new Hero?"
"Unknown yet. But they must have been born somewhere. We need to find them before the Demon King or any other troublesome faction does."
"If only my Skills could also be applied to Titles..."
"It can't be helped. Skills aren't omnipotent."
"Honestly, I don't want to rely on Skills in the first place. Every time I use this power, I'm filled with this revulsion—like I'm being contaminated."
"A Skill is just a tool, nothing more. Regardless of the Administrator's designs, there's no need to feel revulsion toward a simple power."
"I know that. It's a matter of how I feel."
"As a word of advice—no matter how much you despise it, don't do anything reckless like last time, all right?"
"I won't. Not again."
"I hope so. You have a bad habit of going completely overboard whenever students are involved."
"I'm a teacher, after all."
"Hmph. Fine. Oka, continue coordinating with Reston."
"Understooood~"
"Drop that irritating tone of mine."
************************* "Did you really need to deploy that?"
"Deploy what? What do you mean~? I don't know what you're talking abouut~"
"The Queen Taratect."
"Oh, that big spider lady~? What an incredible coincidence~! Teleporting straight onto the battlefield like that~"
"Stop playing dumb."
"Kuro-chan's scary~! Shiro-chan, help meee~!"
"..."
"Shiro-chan, at least give me some kind of reaction, would you~? That's what big sister is thinking~"
"Don't dodge the question."
"It's no big deaal~. Something like that's nothing special, right?"
"Nothing special? You call that nothing special?"
"Yep. What? No way, Kuro-chan—are you seriously angry over something like that?"
"How many casualties did that cause?"
"Dunno~"
"You think that's an acceptable answer?"
"Kuro-chan, shouldn't that line be coming from me~?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean—the kind of thing where 'you can't just say you don't know' should probably be said by someone as tinyy as you, don't you think~?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You should know perfectly well. The truth that the world has forgotten. And all those people who've been smugly letting themselves forget it."
"That's..."
"Kuro-chan—no, Administrator Guriel Diest Dius. When you, the Administrator, carry on like this, it falls on me to do something as tedious as playing Demon King. You don't have any right to nitpick my actions."
"But—"
"But what? It's too late now. The Human race, the Demon race, the elves sneaking around—every single one of them is equally guilty. All I'm doing is collecting on debts they've accumulated for ages. If you're going to throw a tantrum over something this small, what are you going to do when things really get going~?"
"This isn't enough yet?"
"Not enough. Not nearly. For what I need, I have to spread the war even further. I need to make the world despair even more. Without that, there's no balance at all."
"What good does making the world despair further do?"
"Nothing, really. If I had to put it into words—amusement? Taking the edge off~?"
"You..."
"What? Kuro-chan, are you going to oppose me? I couldn't care less, you know~"
"Do you understand? No matter what you are, you cannot defeat me."
"Of course I understand that. I'm saying what I'm saying with full knowledge of that. If you want to oppose me, go right ahead."
"What exactly are you planning?"
"Do I really have to spell it out~? Hey—don't you think that bottomless kindness is paper-thin away from bottomless idiocy?"
"I don't."
"Fair enough. But remember this much at least: what can be saved by kindness alone is pathetically limited."
"I was saved by that kindness. And by extension, that would mean denying ourselves as well."
"Exactly~. That's precisely why you and I are at each other's throats like this."
"You have no intention of backing down?"
"None~"
"...Fine. I'll play along for now."
"That's my Kuro-chan! You sure know how to talk~!"
"But if the time comes when I can no longer accept this, I will show no mercy."
"Sure thing~. I really hope that day never comes."
—End of the Human-Demon War arc. We return to the main story next time.