"Now then..... where was I? Ah yes. This is where you all struggle earnestly, desperately clinging onto one final hope..... only for that thread to be cut before your very eyes."

Speaking in bold tone so that all the plant people around him could hear, the demon casually stepped forward into an open area, eyes closed and hands spread wide.

"Come forth."

A few beings stepped forth with resolve in their eyes.

A creature which looked like the mix between a man and a mushroom, a humanoid of a Venus fly trap type, and a burly man made from sturdy oak wood.

These were the three greatest fighters of this village of Iris.

Rather than fighters, they were more of hunters.

Despite what one may think, the people of Iris were actually omnivores. They would consume both vegetation and meat as part of their diets, and as such a number of men took up the profession of hunting.

This was not for the purpose of sustenance, but rather for the enjoyment of meals- given that the plantmen gained their own sustenance through solar energy.

Therefore, while these men were not exactly skilled in hand to hand combat, they were more capable than anyone else in the village.

"We will take you on, demon."

"If you think you can barge into our village and challenge us to a fight without reason, then think again."

"As if we would just allow you to do such a thing."

Huberos, the indigo demon whose hair resembled a hurricane, thinned his eyes in disturbance at seeing the brazen approach of the three.

"You appear to take pride in your skills, do you not?"

While pulling out a comb and a pocket mirror to fix his own hair, Huberos made this statement with an irritated tone.

"Of course we do. We're the ones who will protect this village from you. What are your goals, demon? Why have you come here?"

Closing the mirror shut and placing it back in his own jacket, the demon ran his vein covered hand through his hair once more.

"What are my goals..... it would seem that you did not overhear my conversation just earlier. Ah.... but do you even have ears in the first place?"

"Don't mess with us!! Answer the question!"

The man made from Oak wood snapped at the demon who dodged any form of proper answer, to which the demon merely chuckled.

"Such tremendous pride to speak to me in such a manner, coming from a lower existence such as yourself. Fine then. I will entertain your questions, though allow me to get one thing straight. You hold no power over me, and I am only answering you out of my own entertainment."

Thinning his eyes with a sinister grin, the demon smugly looked down upon the three men.

"So that I may further humble you in a moment."

Walking forward, the demon held out his hand as he made a statement which sent ripples through the minds of all who were present.

"I have come to collect the people of this village as my infantry. Each and every man, woman and child here will serve as the front line in the upcoming war against the antiheroes."

"Wha-"

The three men were taken aback, breathless at the absurd statement which the demon before them had just made.

These three, who had stepped forward even against a demon could already be called fools for taking on a higher existence in such a brazen manner, yet to act as the front line in a war between demons...

It would be nothing short of madness.

"Why on earth..... would you do such a thing? Use us as infantry? We are plantmen. We are not warriors by nature. Why would you select us to act as your infantry?"

The mushroom man questioned the demon, completely confused as to why he would come here for such a purpose.

"Why, you ask? Well because you have four limbs, you likely have a head, and I believe you have some sort of brain? Though based on your actions, that last one is questionable. Even so.... are there any further requirements for someone to act as infantry?"

"We are one thing, but what about the women and children!? They would die in a moment, slaughtered without reason if they were to be thrown onto the battlefield!!", the Venus fly trap shouted. "Why would you hire those who are not warriors to fight!? They would lose their lives without meaning!!!"

"Are you telling me that there is an issue with such a thing? No.... more importantly..... are you saying that you are any more powerful than them?"

The demon laughed, smiling to himself in mocking manner.

"Such arrogance."

"Why you....."

The demon made his statement while glancing down at his fingernails, more focused on them than he was the men before him. This casual and cold statement released a floodgate of emotions within the three men, who were now completely enraged at the complete disregard which the demon held for the lives of others.

"How could you say such a thing!?!? Even if you are a demon-"

"Even if I am a demon..... what exactly? Are you telling me that I should value the lives of mere humanoids..... as equal to myself? It is exactly the opposite, my warriors."

The demon disappeared from the sight of the three, now to sit at an outdoor table as he snacked on a pastry.

"Delicious. Ah.... the jam squirted out onto my suit. How irritating. This will never come off....."

Dabbing the stain with his handkerchief, the demon made an annoyed expression as he barely even registered those around him.

"Ah, please wait just a moment. This is far more important than whatever conversation I was having with you."

The demon disappeared and reappeared with the stain having been wetted and cleaned, to which he turned back to the three men.

"What was I saying? Ah yes. To put it simply..... the humanoids were the creation of a devil in the first place..... were they not? If I recall correctly..... it was the very first Host of Pride who did such a thing. He hated those around him so much for looking down upon him that he created other lower beings that he could look down upon..... and order about as slaves. Now, what does that make you and me? If we consider the line of descendants, then we are nothing but slave and master, a number of generations removed. No?"

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Oh it has everything to do with this."

Standing up and dusting himself off, the demon cracked a smile as he approached the three, who took defensive postures.

"I am to face the antiheroes and the Determined. There are two reasons which I have chosen the people of this village as my own warriors. The first..... is simple. Why would I choose you people over even the devils of my own city? Hahaha....."

The demon let out a cackling laugh, showing to all that the thought of using the people of his city as cannon fodder was something less than even a joke to him.

"Because your lives are worth less than theirs. It is that simple. If a single one of you dies, whether it be a woman, a child, or a man- I care not. For you are a mere humanoid. A mere creation of one of my kind. You are a being existing on a lower plane than myself. And as such.... it is your very destiny to obey myself and all those who exist on a higher plane than you. After all..... would you be sad if you stepped on an insect?"

At this statement, the men rushed forth, surrounding the demon on all sides.

[Poison Spores]

[Snapping Jaw]

[Oak Skin] and [Blunt Damage Increase]

The three used their skills simultaneously as they surrounded the demon. The mushroom shot off a number of buds at the legs of the demon, while the Venus fly trap aimed for his head, and the Oak man rushed forth with a balled fist.

However, all three attacks whiffed into the air, hitting nothing.

It was at that moment that a large number of thuds were heard from all around the men.

Looking around, the demon was gone.

"Where.... did he go?"

However as they looked around them, they saw something which made their hearts leap out of their chests.

Each and every person in the area had been knocked unconscious, and had fallen to the ground.

"Were you not supposed to be protecting your people? It would seem that you put all your efforts into attacking, yet you completely ignored that which was most important... not that it would have mattered, regardless of what you prioritized."

From above, the three heard the light flapping of wings, and looked up to see the demon with arms crossed, an arrogant grin on his face.

"Now take note. It would have been simple for each of my attacks to have killed their targets. If I were in a bad mood today, then perhaps this entire village would have been destroyed without a trace. However, I believe that you all can prove excessively useful to me in the future..... which brings me to the second reason why I have selected you as my soldiers."

The three looked around to see that in that instant, that mere fraction of a second where they had lost sight of the demon, that he had done all this.

Overarching.

Dominating.

On a different plane of existence.

The speech of the demon from just before which invoked anger and hatred into the people of Iris now appeared to have been nothing more than the cold, hard truth.

Before a demon- before a being of the 9th tier whose existence was unrivaled by any other race, there was no such thing as resistance.

To even consider such a thing was an act of foolishness.

It was submit, or die. Plain and simple.

No warrior, no matter how trained or learned could overcome such a gap.

Not unless they were a hero with destiny on their side.

However, among the plantmen no such hero existed.

"I came here during the day so that you all would be at full strength. I wished for you to see for yourselves, without any reason for excuse or doubt. The second reason which you all are the perfect selection as my soldiers....."

The demon thinned his eyes with a horrid grin, looking down on the people as if they were nothing more than objects.

"Is because you are weak."

Weak.

Weak.

Weak.

This word repeated itself, over and over in the minds of the three conscious plantmen.

They were weak.

They were so terribly weak that it was pathetic.

They could not even see what had happened, much less take action to stop the actions of this monster.

There was nothing they could do.

If they were to resist, it would amount to nothing.

Why then, did he want these people as his warriors?

This was left unanswered, for in that moment, the three remaining plantmen were knocked out as well.

Even without taking advantage of their personal weakness during the hours of the night, they had been reduced to threats that were so insignificant that they could be ignored completely.

He had faced them on their terms, in their playing field.

Yet the difference was so overwhelming that such a match could not even be called a game.

And so, the slight remaining pride of the plantmen was shattered.

Not a single man among them would continue to believe that they were strong, or that there was anything among them to be proud of.

----

Richtor, the tree man known by Niko and Tera as their boss, awoke after being suddenly knocked out sitting in a wooden chair.

These chairs had been set up in a grid as if it were a temporary auditorium for a middle school graduation ceremony in which the gym had been used. Looking around, Richtor saw Niko and Tera sitting nearby.

"Boss...."

"What happened? We were just..... we were running..... and now we wake up here....."

The two looked over to their boss, who then took note of something.

They had been tied down to the seats which they sat in.

Not only them, but everyone.

The plantmen village was a small one, with only around 100 people, therefore in this 10x10 grid, every single inhabitant of the city was tied to a seat.

Men, women, and children.

"I..... was terrified. I remember being in front of the shop after I tried to fight that demon... but..... that's all I remember."

The two were uneased at the shaken tone of their boss, who was unsure of his surroundings as well.

They were still in the village of Iris, yet in front of them stood the demon.

Yet the indigo demon who was dressed professionally was not the only one who stood before them. Surrounding him, respectfully addressing their lord as they discussed matters were a number of butler and maid demons.

Not only this, but to their side was a line of pitch black carriages, all with demonic drivers ready to set out.

"Are we..... being taken away?"

Niko let out a fearful voice, however his question went unanswered.

Richtor merely bit his lip, for the three already knew the answer to such a question.

Of course they were.

"Ah..... it would seem that my temporary solution has worn off. Many of you are awakening, so it would seem that I should explain a few things."

The demon stood forward with pride, his servants quickly taking their positions by his side as he beamed upon the plantmen.

"I am sure you are all well aware of your own weakness to the dark. Unfortunately for you, the land in which I am taking you is a place in which the darkness envelops every last moment of the day. There is not a second of sunlight, and as such I am sure you all will find it beyond tiring to even stay awake."

A number of men who suddenly woke up struggled to escape their bonds, only causing their chairs to topple over quickly.

"Let us out of here, demon!!!!"

"I will never serve you!!!"

"I'll die before I do that!!!!"

Placing two fingers to his forehead in annoyance, the demon rolled his temples as he stepped forward with a single order.

"It seems that there are still a few who hold immense pride, despite their thorough thrashing. With that being the case, it would require more effort to tame you than what you are worth. Please die before you become even more work for me."

Two maids then shot off from their spots, traveling at speeds which were just barely visible as if they were flashes of lights. In an instant, all the men who had been thrashing about were decapitated, their heads lying on the ground by them.

Not a single scream was let out, for all the people who witnessed the scene were so overcome by terror and shock that they could only lower their jaws in gaping fashion.

Immediately, the maids returned to the side of the demon.

"Were our actions acceptable, Lord Huberos?"

"Did we please you, Lord Huberos?"

"Excessively so. While your actions were not even close to my own, that is nothing less than obvious. Your movements are graceful and filled with elegance, and your speed is enough to far surpass many others."

The two maids smiled lightly as they were praised by their master.

"Thank you, Lord Huberos."

"It greatly honors me to receive such kind words, Lord Huberos."

"Enough of that. Now stand aside, for I need to explain to these soldiers their own duty."

The two maids bowed their heads before once more, taking their positions behind their master.

"You all will be transported into the land of darkness, where you will likely be unable to function. Even if you stay awake for a few hours, your energy will soon run low. Therefore, two solutions have been prepared. The first.... distributed to you will be UV crystals, which will provide you with all the energy you require to stay awake within my homeland. The second..... will come later."

A butler then rushed forth, and in a matter of seconds he had placed in the hand of each and every tied up person a small violet gem, which glowed with energy.

On holding the gem, the plantmen felt a burst of energy like they had never experienced before, as if they had just drank an espresso.

"Oh...."

"These.... are interesting....."

Some of the plant kin were overcome by interest with the strange sensation, forgetting their current position of ultimate despair and helplessness.

"This much should be obvious, but each and every one of you are now mine to command. I presume there are no further objections? If there are, then my lovely maids would be happy to remove you of your positions.... as well as your heads."

Many gulps were heard among the crowd, and none stood up in protest. Richtor merely closed his eyes in hope, praying that his fate would not be a horrid one.

"Niko..... Tera..... things are looking bad. Things..... are looking much worse than even the time I was taken in by the ratmen. So I want you two to listen closely."

Looking to face one then the other, Richtor met eyes with the two as he spoke gravely.

"Don't do anything rash."

Whispering these words to the two by his side, the two quickly nodded, understanding without hesitation.

After hearing his story, they were no longer so eager to run out and adventure.

And right now, they were faced with a being of danger which they could never face.

They understood this well.

Right now, they were truly in a mode of pure survival.

And so, they resolved themselves.

"Regardless of what happens..... let's do whatever it takes to survive."

"Even if it means serving that demon as his slave."

Niko's statement was followed up by Tera, and Richtor looked at the two with surprise at how ready they were.

"I see..... maybe there was no need for me to be so worried about you two."

Chuckling to himself, he looked up to the demon before them.

He was arrogant.

He knew he was better than everyone else, and would not allow anyone to look down on him.

If they did, he would put them in their place by running circles around them.

"If there is nothing more to discuss, we will begin the loading. Chiora, Selna, please release these people from their bindings.

"Yes, Lord Huberos."

The two maids then slid by the rows of chairs, using their claws to slice open the ropes which even the brute strength of that Oak man could not burst.

In a mere second, the plantmen were freed and a couple of butlers stood forth, ushering each row to a respective carriage.

"Right this way, ladies and gentlemen."

"We hope that you enjoy the ride. We do pride ourselves on high quality service for ALL our customers. Paid or not."

As such, the plantmen were loaded onto the carriages without choice or resistance.

They were too weak.

So weak to the point where training or effort was not even worth a thought.

Yet even so, they did not give in to despair.

For it was only the strongest among them who had been killed.

'Maybe.... if we do as they say....'

'We will somehow be able to live?'

And so, the spark of hope was instilled into the people of the plantmen.

The hope that they would live to see another day, and one day be freed of the chains which they so readily accepted.

However, the plantmen knew only of the overwhelming strength of the man who they now agreed to serve.

They could never possibly comprehend the mind shattering power of the forces which they were to be faced with.