It started as a normal day at the military enchanter’s workshop. I was sitting next to Bart and Vezlaz. Klenn was absent.

「Bart: Did you see that guy with the dark circles under his eyes? Who was he?」

Bart was talking about the pale guy with dark wavy hair. Lorinthar had paled at his sight and went all servile. Therefore, it became the latest gossip.

『Vezlaz: No idea. Some big shot, maybe?』

Progress in preparing the stage for the live battle? I could only hope.

「Allen: Don’t ask me. I’m a filthy foreigner. I know nothing, as Klenn says. Where did he go, by the way?」

Bart glanced toward the corridor.

「Bart: Still in the meeting with the Overseer, I guess.」

I sighed, arching back to stretch.

「Allen: Well, I finished all the parts already.」

「Bart: That was fast.」

『Vezlaz: Too fast.』

I pushed the MPA piece toward Bart, who took it and put it on the automated tester I had created.

There would be three more Magical Power Armors. The work on my part was done, but it would take everyone else a good while to finish all the enchantments.

I would have pretended to take longer, but I wanted to develop new lethal accessories for the MPA. I was having fun.

The tester device emitted a positive beep.

「Bart: All tests passed.」

Bart confirmed.

「Allen: This is the power of Informagics.」

I stated as a matter of fact.

The sudden sound of running footsteps coming from the corridor caught our attention.

Klenn appeared, visibly excited. Could it be?, I tensed.

「Klenn: It’s happening. Now!」

Finally! I smiled and hopped off the seat, running toward the crates in the corner. I had stashed my armor fully expecting that these fucks wouldn’t give me time to prepare.

「Bart: What are you doing?」

I rudely shoved the other crates away and retrieved the contents in a mad rush.

「Allen: Getting ready.」

I grunted as I proceeded to equip the armor pieces.

「Klenn: Hmpf! Your presence won’t be necessary.」

Klenn said, walking away.

Eat shit, Kunt.

Vezlaz and Bart were speechless. They must have thought I was kidding or something, even though I told them I had two full months of battle experience. Ninety-six days of life-or-death experience. Especially the Vallachio half of it.

『Vezlaz: Are you really going?』

「Allen: I will not just be going.」

I said, just finishing to fasten the armor.

「Allen: Make your bets, boys.」

I clenched and relaxed my hands.

Klenn had never been on a real battlefield. Even in the worst-case scenario that he wouldn’t pussy out, there would be some meat for me.

It wasn’t just the killing that I needed. It was feeling alive.

I walked away toward the corridor but cast a final glance back to the two enchanters.

「Allen: Make sure the chainsaw is ready.」

「Bart: Klenn said he wouldn’t need it, though?」

「Allen: We’ll see about that.」

I said, winking, then I rushed ahead to catch up with Klenn.

I joined a group of grim-faced black-armored individuals.

Further ahead, there was a face I knew, the mage who had opened the portal last time.

I thought the kingdom was enforcing portal disruption magic. Were they gonna send us somewhere on the fringes where the disruption didn’t reach?

The tired-faced pale man I had seen earlier was several paces away, staring at the sky. Klenn was waiting for the Magical Power Armor to be assembled.

It felt like forever since I had seen a real battle. I was brimming with restlessness and anticipation.

One of the grim-faced men approached me. He exuded the aura of a leader. Mostly because his armor was shinier.

「???: Who are you?」

「Allen: Allen Smith, sir. Here to provide maintenance for the Magical Power Armor. I received military combat experience.」

I said, performing the military salute.

He sized me down, unimpressed.

「Blackfist: I’m commander Blackfist. I’ll be leading this operation. Follow my orders, and we’ll ensure your safety.」

He nodded his head toward the portal mage and other less grim-faced individuals. What was his name again?

Right… Amadeus. I was planning to attend his lessons when my workload lessened.

「Blackfist: Join the support group. Don’t engage unless asked to.」

I suppressed a scowl. Engaging in the bloodbath was the whole purpose of my presence.

「Allen: Yes sir.」

My chance would come. I joined Amadeus, who recognized me. His brows shot up.

「Amadeus: I recognize you… aren’t you Allen Smith from the Academy?」

I nodded to the old man with the long gray beard. He cast a glance to the pale man, who was still gazing at the sky.

「Amadeus: What are you getting yourself into?」

He mumbled. That sounded weird.

「Allen: What do you mean, sir?」

He stared at me right into the eyes for a few breaths.

「Amadeus: Be careful.」

I had six S-grade healing potions on me and the survival teachings of Vallachio. I was confident I wouldn’t die too easily.

「Allen: I will.」

I observed Klenn entering the MPA. The Armor enclosed him. The sound of magic filled the air.

「Klenn: SELF-TEST SUCCEEDED. READY FOR BATTLE.」

Ready my ass.

I glanced back to the pale man. He sure had a strange presence.

Suddenly, Amadeus tensed and ran toward the pale man and whispered something to him.

The tired-looking man, probably a magician given his lighter attire, waved at Blackfist and nodded.

「Blackfist: Everyone! Get ready!」

Amadeus began casting his spell. White light swarmed and gathered into forming the portal.

「Blackfist: Quick!」

The grim-faced men stepped in first. Klenn, with the power armor, second.

Blackfist put a hand on Amadeus’ shoulder and whispered him something.

「Blackfist: I suck giant black cocks.」

Amadeus nodded with a serious expression.

No, he didn’t say that. I had no idea what he fucking said. What was the deal with all this whispering shit? I hated to be left oblivious. How am I supposed to translate and narrate the goddamn story if people don’t keep me in the cazzo di loop?

Watch me Nonna, I used an Italian curse word. Be proud.

I usually kept the foreign curses for when I was really pissed.

「Blackfist: Go!」

The commander motioned us toward the portal.

I was the first from the support group to go in since everyone seemed reluctant to enter the totally-not-dangerous shimmering portal.

The familiar tingling sensation washed over me.

I took a look at the scenery in front of me while the others joined. We were on a plain, it was colder, and I could see big white mountains in the distance. Somewhere up north?

Where are our targets?

A waft of iron filled my nostrils.

「Blackfist: This way!」

The commander called from behind us. I turned around. The first thing I noticed was that the portal was gone, and Amadeus hadn’t crossed to this side.

The second thing was that view was much different on this other side of the plain.

「Klenn: WHAT IS THIS?」

The voice-changed voice from the Armor echoed my thoughts.

Dead demons and humans lay on what had been the stage of a small and quick confrontation. But the centerpiece was the man holding a twitching demon. His fingers were piercing the foe’s skull.

Behind them was another portal to somewhere dark.

「Allen: What’s going on here?」

Death had already been delivered here… What was the deal with that other portal and twitching demon?

The commander ignored me as he hopped forward. He was headed toward the pale man and the mage holding the demon.

「Pale man: How long can you hold?」

「Mage: Long enough, Master.」

「Pale man: Well done.」

Said the pale man with a sinister smile. The mage nodded in response, his brows knitted in concentration.

Murmurs filled the air.

I took a good look at the demon, his eyes were rolled up, and his body was twitching every now and then. Were they using him to keep the portal open? That was the only thing that made sense.

Commander Blackfist spat on the ground and spoke.

「Blackfist: We secured a portal to the Obsidian Citadel. This is our chance!」

The grim-faced men bumped their fists on their chests.

「Klenn: THIS-THIS IS NOT WHAT WAS AGREED!」

「Blackfist: We apologize for having kept this secret to some of you. We needed to be sure to have enough firepower and to catch the moment the enemy would open a portal straight to their heart.」

He made a step forward toward the Magical Power Armor.

「Blackfist: Lord Klenn Val Bennet, your assistance is crucial to the mission.」

Klenn stepped back.

「Klenn: I-I CAN’T! NOT THIS!」

「Blackfist: My Lord. Many good people gave their lives to secure us this opportunity…」

He gestured to the dead bodies scattered around the plain.

「Blackfist: Turn back now, and it won’t end with a simple stain on your honor!」

The commander said with a menacing tone, half yell, and half growl. Everyone was staring at Klenn.

「Klenn: NO! NO!」

Under the pressure of all the accusing stares, he turned around and seemed about to bolt away.

Fuck this, I had seen enough.

「Allen: 【ADMIN HALT】!」

I shouted. The Armor froze mid-step.

「Allen: 【ADMIN EJECT】!」

Anything sporting my processors had always been under my complete domain, obviously. I had savored this exact moment.

The exoskeleton whirred open as I calmly walked toward it while stripping my armor away and letting the pieces fall to the ground.

「Allen: I shall take his place!」

I announced loudly. Had I been a better man, I would have said I was doing it to prevent Klenn from getting a bad end. The truth was that I didn’t give a fuck. I just wanted to kill stuff, let out all the bottled-up anger, and feel alive.

The Magical Power Armor had been designed for the purpose of exterminating demons. I had nothing to fear. Not that I could.

「Blackfist: I care not who commandeers the Armor, so long as we execute the plan!」

That was as official as it could get. Game’s on!

I climbed the MPA and stared at Klenn in the eyes. He looked terrified, he was shaking, and his skin was covered in sweat. He seemed to want to say something but nothing came out of his trembling lips. What a pussy.

My hand reached for his collar, and I pulled him out in one smooth motion, letting him land feet first. He buckled down.

「Allen: Take my armor and try not to die.」

Klenn stared at me half-dazed, as I hopped inside.

「Klenn: Wa-Wait! You have to use this ring t-to communicate with Commander B-Blackfist.」

I reached for his wavering fingers and picked the ring. I had only carried the 【All-Ring】, which could be tuned to the MPA frequency but was useless now that I was the one inside it.

「Allen: Alright.」

I put the ring on a free finger.

The Magical Power Armor closed around me. I breathed in as I felt its senses merging with mine.

『Allen: Armor ready, sir.』

I sent through the ring to test it.

『Blackfist: Very well. The ring you wear uses spatial magic and should allow us to stay in contact despite the obsidian walls.』

The commander replied. I guessed we were all set to go.

「Blackfist: Quick, we wasted enough time!」

He set in motion.

「Allen: AGREED.」

I said as I joined the group.

Blackfist nodded to the pale man beside him, who gave a light pat to the mage’s shoulder.

「Pale man: If I don’t make it back…」

… erase my porn folder.

The mage nodded, his hands glistening and hems stained from the demon’s leaking blood.

Of course, Master! None shall gaze upon your doujin collection.

Blackfist clapped his hands loudly.

「Blackfist: Move, everyone! Let the Armor go in first and follow!」

I got moving.

「Allen: AFFIRMATIVE!」

The MPA angry promised deadly determination. I felt a god as I walked forward, and I had yet to kill anything.

「Klenn: You can’t..」

Klen called out weakly from behind me.

The crowd parted way to let me pass. It seems I was going to spearhead this.

I grabbed the MPA’s chainsaw from one of the slack-jawed support units.

「Klenn: Don’t you know what the Obsidian Citadel is?!」

Klenn’s voice echoed behind me. I guessed it was a city made of obsidian. Big deal.

「Klenn: THEY’RE GOING TO THE DAMN DEMON LORD’S PA-」

His scream turned into a muzzled murmur as I crossed the portal.

Demon Lord’s palace.

It took my brain several seconds to process those words.

Fuck.