"What the hell are these runts!? Dolls? Should I take them home and strip their clothes off? Gehehehe!"
Lich was in the Beastman residential area.
Set up on the edge of the Undead district, twelve tents stood where Beastmen lived in fear of the Demonkin, trying to stay calm.
The Demon King's land never had sunlight, always gloomy, and strange screams echoed often, so they hadn't gotten used to life here.
From that area came a voice so nasty that one listen was enough to say, "Ah, small fry."
Lich walked toward the source.
Not that he needed to—
The source's head was visible.
Giantkin.
Humanoid giants with rock-like skin.
Big enough to hold a Beastman, same size as Lich, in one hand.
Three of them were hassling Beastmen.
"Ah, those show-off bullies, you see them everywhere."
He knew this type.
Like noble brats in the human capital hassling villagers.
So nostalgic.
Lich called out to the giants.
"Excuse me, Giantkin? I'm Lich. Thanks for your work."
"What's this skeleton!?"
The Giantkin dropped the Beastman they were holding and turned to Lich instead.
The Beastman groaned—probably broke a bone. Lich would fix it later (if he remembered).
"Don't you know Lich? Haven't you heard Demon King's orders?"
"Heh... sure, there was something from Demon King-sama... but! We are the worst of Giantkin! Rebels against power, bullies of the weak, the Giant Trio of Evil! If it's our duty to hear an order, then—we rebel! That's our evil way!"
"Whatever, but Beastmen are animals under Lich's care, so don't touch."
"Don't touch!? Then we'll touch! That's the evil way! We do what we're told not to!"
"If you keep touching, I'll kill you."
"Hah! What's a little guy like you saying? Do it if you can."
"Okay."
Lich cast death.
One of the Trio died.
"Broooo!"
"Eh, why are you surprised...? You said kill, I said okay. You bad at mental prep? Lich doesn't get it."
"You bastard, what did you do to our bro!?"
"Instant death sorcery."
"What kind of unfair sorcery is that!?"
"Basic necromancy. Old tales say: 'Face not that being. While you see its eyes, it sees your life. While you grasp its neck, it grasps your heart.' Cool, right?"
"Make it short!"
"Are Demonkin all dumb?"
"B-but bro! Dead... he was so full of evil a minute ago..."
"Fine, fine. I'll revive him. Revive, revive..."
Lich cast resurrection.
One of the Trio revived.
"...Huh!? I just saw my dead grandpa—"
"Weird... with sentients there should be a soul negotiation phase. Are giants not sentient?"
"What did you do!?"
"Lich hates repeating, ask your buddy. Anyway, don't piss off Lich. Lich sees life as resource. Waste not."
"Don't piss you off!? Then we will! That's our—"
Lich cast instant death.
Another giant died.
"Broooo!"
"Should I kill all of you and dump you in Giantkin district, or just keep killing until you get it?"
Lich, exhausted.
From the Giantkin district came heavy thuds, someone approaching.
A giant larger than the Trio, with shining smooth rock skin.
"Hey! You three brats! Trespassing again—wait, dead...!?"
"Lich killed them."
He confessed.
The huge giant fixed round eyes on him.
"You are... Lich-sama."
"You're the type who listens to Demon King's orders?"
"Most Giantkin listen. I know of you. But this... isn't too much?"
"What?"
"True, the Trio are troublemakers. They surely bothered you... but still, to kill..."
"But Lich only has necromancy. Choices are 'kill,' 'heal,' 'torment soul,' 'revive,' or 'revive and control.' Killing is kindest. Anyway, I revived him, take him home."
Lich resurrected.
"...Huh!? My grandma just punched me—gah!?"
The revived brat was punched again by the big giant, sent flying back home.
The big one knelt before Lich.
"...We're sorry. And thank you for showing mercy. We are ignorant of necromancy. Please forgive us."
"Doesn't matter. Want to learn necromancy?"
"We Giantkin don't understand non-hitting skills. It feels wrong."
"Okay."
Never any Demonkin who could use necromancy. Maybe Lich was a freak among them.
"...By the way, Lich-sama, I have a request, seeing your power."
"Not if it's battlefield."
"Please stand with us in battle."
"No."
"Please stand with us in battle!"
"No."
"Please! Stand with us in battle!!"
"Nooo!"
"Please!! With us!! In battle!!"
"Why only louder? Do you not know 'persuasion'? 'Negotiation'?"
"Loudness shows sincerity. That's the Giantkin way."
"You're killing Beastmen with your volume."
Everyone collapsed, bleeding from ears.
The two brats too.
Only Lich and the big giant still up.
"Now Lich has to revive them! Why do giants give Lich extra work! Lich's opinion of giants is very low now!"
"Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Too loud."
"But volume is sincerity."
"Next time you try loud near Lich, I'll stuff death spirits through your mouth, out your butt, back in, wash you inside out."
"Understood..."
"Revive, revive, revive everyone."
'Who revived us Beastmen?'
"Lich did."
'Sorry again.'
"It's fine."
The Beastmen lived again.
The giants too.
The zero-death campaign succeeded.
"Okay, Lich going home."
"Lich-sama, please. Stand with us in battle."
"Do people say you're pushy?"
"Actually, I'm Ingie, acting leader of the Giantkin, deputy of the Six Demon Generals."
"Do people say you don't listen?"
"All because of a human... A human stole our general's sword! Killed him with it!"
"Warning. Stop shouting."
"Sorry, got excited..."
"Next shout, I'll stick a fishbone in your throat forever."
"That human..."
"Continuing like nothing happened?"
"The Hero's warrior—'Giant Slayer' Leila."
"So?"
"Please lend us your power to defeat Leila."
"No."
"...Ugh. How else to show sincerity but shouting..."
"In times like this, explain the benefit of helping."
"I see. But we're bad at that. We usually just shout..."
"Are you stupid?"
"Name a reward, we'll manage."
"Give me the dead general's corpse."
"Fine."
"Really...?"
"A corpse is useless to us. I want the sword. With it, I'll become Giant Warlord."
"Not revenge?"
"He was old. Dying in battle, no revenge needed. The sword matters."
Giants were surprisingly dry.
Anyway, a "strong warrior corpse" was useful for research, so this was good.
"Then, let's go take the sword back from Warrior Leila. Lich moves out."
"Thank you."
"Can I get my payment up front?"
"Ah, yes. The corpse. Where do I send it?"
"Lich's lab... hmm. No, I'll go get it. Must be huge."
"What will you do with it?"
"Secret."
Not that it needed hiding—just too much effort to explain.