Demon King

“Kh…”

Damn it. Damn it! There was no way I could do that. Maybe it would’ve been possible for the pure demon Baal, but it was impossible for me. My heart was intervening with strong and diverse emotions, blocking me. When the humans waged their war, that was of their own will. I had no intention of stopping it because of that; it was their sin to bear.

Similarly, I could kill humans who tried to kill me without remorse. It made my sister terribly sad, but she endured it for me. However, offering an innocent human as a sacrifice to save my own life was a completely different story.

It was the same for all my companions, born as underdogs and swayed by their circumstances. The idea that any of us, survivors who struggled against their surroundings, would sacrifice others in that same situation would never be tolerated. I thought of the Battlefield, of all the sins I had accumulated so far to build it, and the reason I killed Lucifer. Killing those humans who knew nothing would be no better than him or the heavens. I remembered the end of the farmer Fate. His painful screams, sacrificed as a method to resurrect me.

I had already committed a great sin, but I wouldn’t go further and do the same as the Heaven I resented so much.

‘Is there any other way? Anything that I can do to protect everyone?’ I felt a dull vibration in my chest. I didn’t notice it at first as I was deeply immersed in my thoughts, but it was slowly picking up in intensity.

“…This.” It was an old-fashioned and luxurious pocket watch. The chain was too short to wear it, but it was mine. After recovering most of my power and memories of the past, I knew it was mine.

“…Like that.” Was it such a stupid thing? I hadn’t checked all the means left for me yet. I had yet to clear zone 6, nor had I found zone 7 again. There must be something I left in there, but I couldn’t think of it, and I was groaning for a solution. There had to be secrets I had yet to grasp. This pocket watch was the thing I had yet to resolve. Surely, I could figure it out and find a way to keep everyone safe.

“Belphegor!”

“By your command, Baal, the great king of demons.” Belphegor knew the weight of the title Satan and would not speak it out loud. Batsago and G…or rather, Gremory, were too frivolous.

“Three hours from now, we will stop the power of the Great Fusion. We will have to combine the power of all demons.”

“It will be possible in about three hours. They will be gathered.” Perhaps the reason why the underground had yet to disappear was that its connection to the Battlefield hadn’t completely disappeared yet. It was only a matter of time before it did, however. It was just a stay of execution, but it gave me time to organize my thoughts and move forward.

“Take the army back to the underground and protect it. Earth will be safe.”

“Fate, what about me?”

“You are the core of the defense. Deny everything that tries to interfere with your soul. Deny the power of Heaven and the Great Fusion.” We wouldn’t stand a chance without Mireina standing at the center.

“I can’t do that! If I fail, Fate will die!”

“Yes, that’s right.” If Mireina’s power was exhausted before I cleared the Black Palace, everyone involved with the underground would die. No, a fate more terrible than death would await us. It would be like we never existed.

“What if you die because of me?”

“You can do this.” I was confident in her, but I also wanted to check the incongruity I felt earlier. For just a moment, she seemed to hesitate before taking a deep breath. Confidence began to well up in her beautiful blue eyes, a change so sudden it seemed that another soul had sprung up.

“I can do it.” A tremendous amount of mana soared in her. It was the same mana as the one who sought my life just moments ago- the power of Pride. Belphegor’s eyes went wide at the sight.

“Fate, no way…?!”

“I think so.”

“Leave it to me!”

“I believe in you.”

“Hm!” The mana was overflowing with the momentum of an explosion. It was like Lucifer was standing before me once more. I let out a laugh.

“Your aptitude was good.”

“Huh?”

“No, please go back to the underground now. Please.”

“Huh!” Mireina opened the gate to the underground and went through, having learned how to do so from nobody but herself. Belphegor shook his head.

“I see. Her pride really stems from the idea that you’re right.”

“It looks that way.” I nodded and sent a message to all demons on Earth to return underground. He was right; Mireina’s pride stemmed from others, not herself. It was an imperfect constraint, but it was suitable to deal with pride, which was imperfect in the first place. Absolute faith that I was right was certainly arrogant. Even if I were wrong, she would trust me so far as to ignore others. It was a slightly different direction than Lucifer’s power, which never recognized others.

“It’s pathetic to see that even one’s own power depends on others to manifest itself. Moreover, for a hybrid rely on the king of demons…”

“She’s a friend. There are also very few traces of elves or angels left, so let’s stop talking about hybrids.”

“My apologies.” Belphegor apologized frankly, but his lips were still pouted as if he were dissatisfied. It was an odd sight for the middle-aged man.

“But I suppose those are the powers of a demon. I would like to see them further.”

Only

“Let’s go underground quickly.”

“As a commemoration of regaining my name and strength, I just wanted to behave according to my name after such a long time.” I was afraid his relaxed tone and slow movements would increase.

“I’m fine, so please go underground.”

“…Alright. We will be waiting for your return.” He sighed and jumped into the gate I opened. He must’ve read the conflict I was having, but what he was worried about wouldn’t happen. Now I was the only one left on the Battlefield. I waited quietly in the middle of a space where not a single ray of light emanated.

[Fate, you have a shield!]

At that moment, the power of all the demons was concentrated into one place, a shield with Mireina as the center began to block out the effects of the Great Fusion. I stretched out the energy of Predation without hesitation. A gate opened up using the remaining mana in this crumbling world. The location of the sixth district was found by the party of warriors with Solas.

“Whoo.”

With a deep sigh, I jumped through the gate to Solas’s side.