The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

I manipulated the magic power within my body and sharpened my consciousness.

I switched my thoughts to focus on the combat.

On the other hand, she revealed a cool smile.

“It seems you are prepared. That’s a good attitude. If it was your human self, you would definitely have hesitated. You would have tried to find a method to best me instead.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

When I was a human, I still had a decent amount of naïve thoughts.

Although I couldn’t say for certain whether I had completely gotten rid of them, it was still better now compared to that time.

My human self would have found this situation unbearable.

Instead, I would have thought of a way to look for a solution through dialogue.

Now that I had become the Demon Lord, I could calmly admit that fact.

That was not to say that I had lost my heart.

I was just capable of taking priority based on the bigger picture rather than personal feelings.

My days as an immortal had given me the mental fortitude to move forward, even when I was at a loss.

“I could feel your experience growing from my sword. It seems that you have overcome many hardships. You also have saved the world many times. I’m proud to be a person who had once fought alongside you.”

She spoke with a fleeting expression.

She must have seen the life I had experienced as the Demon Lord through the sword.

They sounded like words filled with kindness if taken at face value, but it wasn’t actually the case.

She obviously didn’t completely agree with me.

Rather, it could be said that the opposite was true.

Her eyes showed a decisive vigor.

As expected, there were certain parts she found unacceptable in my method.

I didn’t even bother thinking of any specific events.

These hands of mine were already tainted by a tremendous amount of blood.

“Take out your weapon. Let’s settle it here.”

“—Yes.”

I formed a jet-black sword as I nodded.

It was a weapon that combined magic power and miasma and assumed the exact same shape as her sword.

It was easy to imitate the shape since I had used it many times.

She and I held our respective swords and assumed our stances.

There was some distance between us.

However, physical distance didn’t hold any meaning for us.

It was something both of us could easily cover in an instant.

“It sure feels weird. It’s like I’m facing a mirror.”

She muttered uneasily.

The swordsmanship I used was none other than the one I borrowed from her.

It was natural for the stance to be the same.

I had always looked at such an appearance from behind her or from the side.

I would have never thought of actually getting to face each other like this during my days as a human.

For my human self, this situation would have been nothing short of a nightmare.

A long silence settled in the field.

Before we made our move, she opened her mouth.

“Dwight.”

“…What is it?”

“Give me your all. There’s no need to hold back for the two of us.”

She said in a sturdy tone.

It gave off an atmosphere that wouldn’t allow any refusal.

As I understood the meaning of her words, I immediately used magic.

I then transferred millions of undead around us.

It was the surplus force I had accumulated, that had been standing by in various parts of the Demon Lord’s Territory.

Those that surrounded us became walls of bone and rotten flesh.

It felt like a spectator that was watching the battle.

Looking at the hellish sight around, she said with admiration.

“As expected of a Sage. I guess your ability is still there… No, it seems to have polished further.”

She returned her gaze to me again.

The air became even tenser and my whole body felt a numbing tension.

I suppressed that with my willpower.

She asked me with valor.

“Are you ready?’

“Yes, it’s perfect for me.”

I exerted a lot of power in my arms as I responded to her.

She gave a little nod and declared with satisfaction.

“—Then let’s get started.”