01x07 - The Human King

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] Vermilio

confronts Helck about

being able to fight

his old friends.

He opens up about

how he feels obligated

to stop his fellow humans.

Meanwhile, at Castle Urum,

the winged knights launch

another attack.

Azudra arrives during

the fierce battle

and uses his overwhelming power

to fend off the evil hoard

in mere moments.

[opening theme]

[THE HUMAN KING]

[dramatic fanfare]

[tense music]

[all gasp]

[Hyura] He is incredibly strong.

[wind blows]

[Kenros] Those are

all just tree roots!

Has Lord Azudra always

been this powerful?

All thanks to his

special ability.

Lord Azudra has the power

to freely manipulate any

of the empire's trees.

Even those planted here.

It doesn't matter if their

leaves fall off

or their trunks give way, as

long as the roots are left.

Now, Lord Azudra claims

he's the weakest among

the Four Elite Lords.

But I'm of the mind that

he's stronger than

any of the others

as long as he's in a place with

trees or shrubs or topiaries.

One of the Four Elite Lords?

Hardly. We are but

citizens of the empire.

And the two castles that

you've chosen to attack so far,

just a fraction

of the Demon Realm.

So there are even more

powerful demons above this guy?

I guess getting rid

of these assholes

isn't going to be all that easy,

even with our newly-awakened

hero powers.

[groans]

[gasps]

I'd really prefer

not to k*ll you folks.

So if you could just

go ahead and surrender,

that would be super.

[female knight] Ha! You sound

pretty pathetic

- for a demonkin.

- Huh?

Where's all your vicious

and ruthless cunning?

Perhaps your reputation

has been exaggerated.

[Azudra sighs] I hope

you make the smart choice.

[Ista gasps]

[Hyura] Isty?

I'm sensing another

presence is here.

Huh?

[dramatic music]

Another enemy force.

Where are they?

[gasps] There!

On the castle walls.

[dramatic music continues]

[bowstrings creaking]

[all gasp]

Oh man, that's a lot.

Everyone needs to

protect themselves, okay?

[both] Leave all

the protecting to me.

Wait just a second.

I don't think they're

actually aiming at us.

They're sh**ting the other

winged knights!

[gasps, sighs]

What's that about?

Are they on our side?

[Hyura] Just like what

- happened last time.

- [Ista gasps]

We had their leader

in Castle Urum,

but he was suddenly k*lled

by one of their own knights.

[dramatic music continues]

[Ista gasps]

Hold on. Where'd they go?

[groans, sighs]

What exactly is happening?

Since you're too much

of a damn softie

to actually k*ll us,

we made sure to bring

along a little insurance.

Being captured would

ruin our plans.

Damn it. We couldn't even

k*ll one of those freaks.

We did manage to make

some progress.

I think it'll be more

than enough for this run.

[Azudra] This run?

[knight] I won't deny

that you demons are strong.

Our powers didn't do much

to keep you from

kicking our asses.

But even the mightiest kingdom

is bound to crack under the

pressure of an endless as*ault.

By accumulating experience

in the b*ttlefield,

we will only grow stronger.

So there may be a gap in

strength between us for now,

but the day will come when

our powers are

greater than any

of you abominations.

[Azudra] I get the

impression this isn't just

silly smack talk before death.

Easy, fellow.

Let's talk about this.

There's no such thing

as death for us!

[Azudra gasps]

Heroes are reborn over and over!

[all gasp]

[dramatic music]

[Kenros] Look! It's like

they're getting all glowy

and floaty and stuff.

[Hyura] They're vanishing.

[Dorshe] Oh, so the lack

of corpses earlier

was not because they all

got pulled into the gate.

They're gonna get

resurrected again.

Human shitheads. And

they call us monsters.

Hmm.

[drums beat]

[Human King] Ah, my heroes.

How pitiful it is to see

you return to me in defeat.

My sincerest apologies,

your majesty.

[Human King] The demonkin are

a ruthless and evil abomination.

And if we allow them to roam

free, we face devastation.

We must be rid of them.

They must be exterminated.

Now go, my heroes.

Reclaim true peace for

the whole of the world.

[Asta] What the

heck is all this?

I was trying to

find someplace quiet,

but somehow ended up

in a hornet's nest.

Knights keep popping up.

I thought humans went through

some sort of an awakening

process,

but this seems like

they're being summoned.

[gasps]

Oh, interesting.

There are different

kinds of winged knights.

They must be getting

ready for a w*r council,

which means I should be able

to get some juicy information.

But sneaking in is going

to be very dangerous.

I might have to reconsider.

No, I gotta go.

[gasps]

So that's

the Human King.

[Azudra] Sorry to put you

guys in a tough spot,

but your willingness

to face danger

and prevent the spread of

monsters is most appreciated.

Mm. No, no, no.

Don't do any of that.

You don't have to be

all formal around me.

- [Kenros] Sick, bro!

- Grow up.

[Kenros] Hmm?

[Hon] Does that feel any better?

This is a quasi-barrier stone.

Although it doesn't last long,

it can fend off the toxin

and prevent you from

losing any stamina.

All right, everyone. We're

no longer in any danger.

Take a moment to rest

and enjoy some coffee.

I'm down for that!

Something sweet, please.

Plunk.

So, Isty, I take it

you passed the exam?

Yeah. It's been a while though.

Would it have k*lled you

to let me know?

How was I supposed to

get in touch with you

when I had no idea

where you were?

Fair point. Well,

congratulations anyway.

Thank you.

[Azudra/Hon]

Aw, isn't that precious?

- [gasps] Asta.

- Uh

Lord Azudra, Asta's

trying to make a report.

Oh really? Then you should

have my cup of coffee.

[Ista] Thank God.

You're still alive.

You haven't done anything

crazy, have you?

[Asta] No. I'm fine.

Nobody's found me yet.

And guess what?

I've got some major intel.

[Ista grunts]

[Kenros] Is that her ability?

That's right.

She can talk with her sister

anywhere over a cup of coffee.

[mystical music]

[Ista gasps, sighs]

Based on what Asta

witnessed in the human realm,

it is all but certain that

the winged knights

have been resurrected.

Right. That seems to be

the case. Kind of neato, huh?

Uh. No, sir.

What are we gonna do?

This is a grave situation here.

Now, now. Just settle down.

We must keep our wits

in times like these.

Right. Yes, but

For starters, let's take

stock of the situation.

Okay then! It's time for an

emergency military discussion.

- Where did she come from?

- Be quiet.

Feel free to have a snack.

[Rococo] First up,

please take a look at this.

This is a list

of all the problems

the eastern region

is dealing with.

They are meticulously organized

in order of importance.

Number one, Miss Anne is MIA.

Two, the human menace.

Three, fending off

monsters to the east.

Four, the absence

of a demon lord.

And five, the hero Helck.

[Kenros] Why'd she put

my boy Helck in there?

[Hyura] Helck seems

awfully low on the list.

For the sake of our military

strength and my mental health,

problem number one is our

utmost priority right now.

But I guess we really

should discuss the humans.

Take a look at this

lovely chart, everyone.

It shows the ranking

of all nearby powers

that threaten the empire.

The northern powers,

their threat rank is SSS.

[CAPITAL]

The western and southern powers,

their ranks are both C.

The eastern powers,

specifically the Human Kingdom,

has been ranked E.

However, this only applies

when they're without a hero.

In regards to monsters,

the rank of New-World

Lifeforms ranges from B to S,

while regular monsters

can be from C to A rank.

[All] The humans

are are way too low.

As you already know,

human beings have

been the weakest

out of all races

existing in the world.

So long as we kept

an eye on their hero,

they were never

really a problem.

That being said,

if every single human soldier

has now awakened as a hero,

then their new threat rank

would most likely be about a C.

Okay, we'll go

with that for now.

Hyura of Ahald, you have

engaged them in battle.

How would you estimate

their combat levels?

Well, let me think.

The most common type that

I saw with the bulky bodies

were somewhere around 30.

And I'd say their leader

was around 35.

Correct. And at that level,

they aren't a huge threat to us.

But unfortunately now they

are being resurrected.

Taking that into account,

their rank becomes A.

Really? That's still lower

than I would've expected.

But think about it.

The fact of the matter is

we already fight monsters

that spawn infinitely

on a daily basis.

[Hon] Oh yes, I suppose.

But that's assuming

humans respawn

without developing

like the beasts.

After awakening as heroes,

they are bound to grow stronger.

And if every single human were

to reach the same peak form

as the heroes of the past,

their threat would be more.

Higher than, say, SSS.

[both gasp]

[Hyura] A bigger threat

than the northern forces.

[Azudra] More than half

of the empire's troops

are currently posted at

the northern defense line,

which means that if

they continue to develop

and strengthen their army until

it's on par with the north,

we won't have enough

troops to hold them off.

Oh!

And that will spell

the end for us all.

[Hyura gasps]

The empire will perish

and a new world born

in its place.

[both sigh]

This is heavy stuff.

I guess I'll have to fight too.

This is a pretty big problem.

How do you stop

an enemy that revives

no matter how many

times you k*ll them?

And don't forget they mentioned

growing stronger

with each fight.

So we have to think before

engaging them in battle

or it might get worse.

We cannot win by simply

defeating them.

We must find another

way to deal with this.

Otherwise it'll be hopeless.

Yes, that's exactly right.

Which is why I propose

our strategy should be

to thwart their ability

to resurrect.

Huh? You think we can do that?

Hmm. Probably.

Ah!

[Azudra] There is no such

life born into this world

that is disconnected from death.

So this ability must

have come from a spell.

So if we defeat

the spellcaster,

then the spell will be undone.

[Kenros] A spell caster?

Oh my gosh.

[Azudra] Afraid so.

The king of the humans.

[emotional music]

Once we defeat their king,

the humans won't be

able to resurrect again.

But how can you know

that for sure?

[laughs] I haven't lived all

these centuries for nothing.

Now, this was a

very long time ago,

but I did once fight a hero

who was capable of reviving.

[all gasp]

It struck me as odd,

so I did some digging

to find out more.

I ultimately learned that it was

the results of the king's magic.

And based on what Asta reported

seeing in the human realm,

I'm almost positive it must

be the same spell at work.

The king's magic works

roughly the same way

as the Deep Green Contract

I used for the tournament.

By forging a contract

with the king,

heroes can gain the

ability to be resurrected.

But the spell only works

on an awakened hero.

The effects include things like

resurrection at the foot

of the king upon death,

absolute obedience to the king,

and some other stuff.

It's just like

the same magic I use

except a bit more sinister.

But even the king should still

be nothing but

an ordinary human.

How is it possible they can

use such highly advanced magic?

[Azudra] Obviously

it's not achieved

by merely having

the title of king.

So they must be another

type of awakened being

that's like a hero.

[Ista] Another type?

[Azudra] If we call the

usual hero a combat type,

the king is a supporter who

can draw out their strength.

And considering

their heroes were

gifted with abilities

on par with our own,

it's not unthinkable that

a human with magic powers

could be born as well.

Uh, my Lord, do you

think we stand a chance

of beating their king?

Well, we'll just have

to give it our best shot.

Seriously? That's the plan?

But there's something

else we must do first.

Shore up our defenses.

Per the intel from Agent Asta,

the humans will be making yet

another march on Castle Urum

the day after tomorrow.

We are going to fend off

their coming approach.

Then we will retake Castle Thor.

Control of that stronghold is

necessary, whether we're

attacking the humans or

defending against them.

[CASTLE URUM, CASTLE THOR,

LAND OF HUMANS BORDER FORTRESS]

Those two victories are

our first order of business.

We build our defenses,

formulate a strategy,

and make sure everything

is in order.

Then we dispatch an

elite unit of warriors

with the mission of

vanquishing the Human King.

[trumpet playing]

[boss] No slacking!

Get your butts in gear!

Come on, hurry!

Humans are gonna be raining

hell on our doorstep.

[all] Yes, sir!

[boss] No wait, hang on.

I just realized what time it is.

That's lunch, everybody.

Go wash your hands!

- Yes, sir!

- Woo-hoo!

Man, this has become

quite the fiasco.

You can say that again.

You know, I'm not really

into the whole fighting thing.

Really wish I understood

why it had to come to this.

[Dorshe] A question

for the humans.

Maybe we can make it like

the Demon Lord Tournament

and challenge them to

a bunch of fun games.

But if we were to lose,

would that make

death any easier?

Could you just stand by

as your fellow demons

get slaughtered?

[straw slurps]

[Boss] Are those hands

squeaky clean?

[workers cheer]

- Nah, probably not.

- Then you need to buck up.

[Hyura] I take it you

told her not to overdo it?

[Ista] I did, except, uh

[Asta] Okay, I'll

try to control myself.

But if there was ever a moment

to pull out all the stops,

this would be the time.

I think it might have

had the opposite effect.

[Hyura] Sounds about right.

Yeah. I just knew I

should have gone with her.

Then we'd lose the

advantage of having you two.

[Ista] You're not wrong, but

No, it'll be okay.

I am the one who trained Asty,

after all.

I know she won't go down easily.

True. But Asta was

right about one thing.

We can't afford

to spare any effort

until Lady Vermilio is back.

[Hyura]

Yes, you're absolutely right.

[Azudra] So this is

where the gate was.

[Hon] What exactly

are we doing here, sire?

[Azudra]

The pathway created by the gate

should not have completely

disappeared yet.

Which means that if

we can reopen it,

then the destination on the

other side should be the same.

Wait. So you're going

to find Lady Vermilio

by opening the gate?

Unfortunately, it will

be impossible for me

to create a gate

large enough for me

to actually pass through.

Um, so why did we

even come here?

Well, to help my

Vermi-germy, of course.

We must do whatever we can

while we have the chance.

And what would that be?

[Azudra] Oh, you'll find out.

Here. Hold onto these

and stand back.

[Hon] Uh, what's this?

[Azudra] The Deep Green

Pathfinder!

A magic wand that can point her

in the direction of the empire.

The Deep Green Letter.

Actually, it's just

a regular letter

with some words of encouragement

and an explanation of my magic.

A mandarin orange,

Vermsys's favorite food.

It should give her

peace of mind.

Making a gate big enough for

people is out of the question.

But creating one that's just

big enough for a few goodies

shouldn't be a problem for me.

[Hon] Oh, it's a

little bitty gate.

[Azudra] Yes, I'm awesome!

Hon, throw it all in there!

Ah, yes sir!

Hurry! I can't hold it for long.

- Are you done yet?

- It's done. It's done!

[dramatic music]

[Azudra panting]

Are you okay?

Can you stand, my lord?

I was on the verge of

blacking out. [gasps]

I never knew spatial

teleportation magic

would put such a strain on me.

No one should use that spell

unless they can resurrect

themselves. [pants]

Are you going to be okay?

But it looks like

it got through.

Hopefully she's able

to get everything.

Anyway. It's pretty pathetic

that an Elite Lord of the empire

such as myself can't

handle any more than this.

[Hon whimpers]

[Azudra] Right. Now let's get to

repairing the barrier stone.

We don't have time

to dilly dally.

[Hon] Oh gosh. Please, Lord

Azudra. Rest for a moment.

[Azudra]

Ah, I don't feel so good.

[waves crashing]

[playful music]

[Piwi humming]

Huh? Oh! What's that?

Hm [hums]

Yum, yum!

[Vermilio] Gotta say,

it's nice to do things

the hard way sometimes.

[playful music continues]

[slurps]

[gasps] It's gonna be

slop compared to Helck's.

What is it? Does he have

a secret ingredient?

[Helck] Mm, that smells good!

Can I maybe have a

quick little taste?

- Back off! It's not ready yet.

- Just a nibble?

You're just gonna have to

wait until I'm satisfied.

All righty. Well, I'm

really looking forward to it.

Jeez louise.

[gasps] My fire is

about to go out.

- I'm back!

- Took you long enough.

The fire's dying on me!

I found a delicious

fruit lying on the beach!

Don't eat stuff off

the ground! Now hurry up.

I'm trying to cook over here.

I swore to myself

that I wouldn't use any

magic to cook this dish.

You do wanna eat, right?

[Piwi yelps]

[Piwi] Here, here!

Light it on fire!

Hm? Oh, thanks. That

should do the trick.

[Piwi] You're welcome.

[opening theme]

[narrator] Next time:

"Back to the Continent"