Chapter 2 - Avaritia (2/2)

It’s as he says. If two of the generals of someone important like Boss’s army faced defeat, we’d lose face. The Demon Lord’s army is something lent out by the Great Demon King. If it were to be lost, we would be stimulating the king’s『Wrath』. We can’t be giving him any reasons to get rid of us.

That girl made a scornful expression at Heard’s words, but perhaps because she knows who we’re dealing with, she doesn’t say another word. She sure is loyal.

The map projected on the round table vanishes.

Even if you call it a war council, Demons are all selfish beings. All that gets decided is who’s going to be dealing with the problem. Everything else is left up to the command of the individual squads.

Before I got up, I ask Heard just in case.

“What about you, Supreme Commander Heard?”

“Oh, there’ll be no chance for me to step out. I’m leaving it all to you and Medea.”

His words were backed by a serious tone. This guy seriously believes that a group of normal demons can take down a Demon Lord.

They’re twisted. Each and every one of them.

Ki ki ki, I guess pride can be quite sinful too. How scary.

Well, all I’ve got to do is try my hardest so I don’t get disposed of is all.

Part 3: Looks like This One’s Interest Clashes with Mine

“Yo, Medea–”

“… You picking a fight? It won’t come cheap.”

We’ve already been deployed to the base on the frontlines.

Boss’s forces are uncharacteristically excellent. Of course the commander, me, is also excellent, but even the quality of our standard devil soldiers is different from the rest. If you ask me, someone with experience fighting in foreign campaigns, it’s a matter of motivation. And their firepower is also high.

Ki ki ki, it’s all because our top’s got no desire. He casually hands out rewards great enough to satisfy even my Greed. From a normal demon’s standpoint, the salary is amazing.

On the border between territories, a vast mountainous region, we’ve been dispatched with numbers around a thousand. It’s almost all of the Third Brigade.

Compared to a human army, the numbers may be low, but the quality makes up for it. A single demon’s skills is powerful enough to match another human a thousand fold.

Our opponent is that Gluttony, and about three hundred of his followers. Ki ki ki, their numbers may be average, but with a Demon Lord personally leading it, it can’t be looked down upon. Zebul’s army is that of the Rank 5, and its name’s been spread a bit.

If you just compare numbers, we have more than three times their forces. If we clashed with them head on, we may be able to suppress them, so what’s important is their side’s Lord. Gluttony is a skillset that contains the most offensive abilities with high areas of effect. Just how large of an area can a Demon Lord attack with that? I can’t imagine it, but there’s no doubt we’ll face a large number of casualties.

Just how far we in his grasp? Our victory will be determined by just how well we estimate his skills.

Ki ki ki, well, we aren’t going to lose in leadership. I mean, she may be alone, but we have that Medea Luxeliahart, who’s always charged with guarding the castle. Ki ki ki, at the very least, her face’s good, and she’s Lust.

It’s possible that she’ll look after the survivors after the battle, and that possibility raises morale.

And now, the all-important Medea is wearing a tall white robe without a hint of sex appeal with her usual frown on her face. There’s not nearly enough exposure. It’s as if she’s a nun.

“—Girly, I think you should be wearing something a bit more romantic. It’ll directly impact our troops’ morale, you know?”

The girl scoffed at the advice that came straight from my heart.

“An unnecessary worry. Deije, I’ll say it time and again, but I’m… I hate being looked at with those eyes more than anything.”

She definitely does say that a lot. But those words really don’t seem to fit with her attribute. Are you sure this isn’t some mistake?

A Demon’s desire is by no means a simple ornament.

Changing class can build new pathways, but it’s not like it’s a straight road. Various paths branch out in all directions, and the final path taken is determined by an individual’s will. Naturally, the path trod down decides the available skills one has.

Call it a Skill Tree or series, or anything, but a general concept exists. In that sense, you can say the Demon Class has 8 different trees. Sloth, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Envy, Pride, and one for basic abilities shared by all, for a total of 8.

The branches on these paths can be equated to guideposts of fate. By venturing from one to another in order, you can find more powerful skills, and on the standard Demon tree, if you store EXP points and use skills, you can naturally venture forwards. But the other trees are just a little different.

The other trees let you peek deeper and deeper into the abyss by fulfilling your desires. It’s all decided by the first skill on all of them… a passive skill『Longing of Original Sin』.

Because of that skill, we can’t increase our usable abilities just by gaining levels.

By fulfilling Greed for the Greed Tree, and Lust for the Lust Tree, we can advance forward.

And in that sense, this girl’s being a bit too stoic.

Ki ki ki, how is she even advancing when she’s like that? For someone without that tree like me, I don’t have the slightest idea.

Well, anyways, I’m an amateur in her field, so I’ll stay out of it. I don’t want to say something to make her go for my life or anything.

“Ki ki ki, well, your path’s your own. At the very least, don’t hold back when fighting.”

“I know that without you telling me. I’ll be the one getting the medals this time.”

“… Oy, oy, I can’t keep quiet on that one. It’s my army here, you know.”

Even if she may be strong, a lone horseman plans to monopolize the battlefield? Even a Greed like me’s surprised. In the first place, her power… isn’t for direct combat, I think.

The Shadow of Illusions, Medea.

Among Demons, of course, the most famous are the Lords, but your name can be spread regardless.

And among Leigie’s army, she’s one of the most reknowned. Ki ki ki, even I knew about her before I joined Boss’s side.

I’ve no idea why a Luxuria Attribute Demon would side with an Acedia though.

Even if she’s not direct combat oriented, she should be able to crush any normal Demon underfoot, but this is no conventional opponent. I can only say it’s a bad matchup to put her against the Devourer.

Medea takes a quick glance at the Slaughter Doll standing behind me.

Even without getting a name, the Slaughter Doll’s already far transcended the ranks of an average Demon in battle prowess. If I equipped the rare equipment I hoarded onto him, he’d really be peerless.

I guess it really does depend on the level of the caster.

But without a hint of interest, Medea turns back to me.

“I don’t need any equipment. I don’t want any treasure either. I don’t want to play with dolls, and I don’t want status.”

“Oy, oy, then what is it that you want?”

“I am Lust. All I want is love.”

I see… interesting.

That one sentence makes it clear. At the moment, this one’s far more sinful than me, who simply strives for loot and power.

So be it. This one’s cravings won’t go against mine. I’ll just leave it that for now.

For a business partner, probing any further is… unnecessary.

“So you say your cravings won’t compete with mine. Well, fine. I’ll trust those words. It’ll be dull to croak from a shot from behind.”

I give a warning.

In a Demon’s forces, just by the clashing of wills, an ally can easily become an enemy.

Ki ki ki, what’s more, Medea was the one who opposed my appointment to this position ‘til the end. You can never be too prepared.

Well, in a straight out battle, she won’t be able to beat me with my Demon Lord Class arms.

Try not to die a dog’s death as you show off your powers to me. You have something good enough to cut down a Demon Lord, right?

Part 4: Now, Let’s Start the Usurping

The Demon Lord who Governed Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus—Zebul the Devourer was of the Greatest of Demon Lords.

Among the Demon World’s strongest forces governed by the Great Demon King Kanon Iralaude, he would even rank within the top ten. While this may not have been due to his basic fighting prowess, the ranking bestowed on him by the Great Demon King was Rank Five.

In a superfluous gesture, I ask the men lined up before me.

“Do you understand what that means, men?”

“…”

This may be common sense, but a Demon’s appearance doesn’t necessarily have to be in human form.

As they gain more and more power, quite a few of them take on human appearance, but a demon’s figure is all representative of his individual nature.

A grotesque array of numerous forms were in formation with a sense of order rare to find in the army of a Demon Lord.

It’s all because of a skill the guy governing this land, Boss, has. By it, the soldiers of his army will gain power while fighting on his land.

It’s a skill common to all Demon Lords, and one of the most famous: 『Abyss Zone』.

That’s what makes advantages in a fight between demons not based on size, or geological advantage, but on the quality of the Demon Lord governing them.

Boss Leigie never stands on the Front Lines, but an invisible battle between Demon Lords was already going on around us.

While we can’t see the glutton Zebul’s zone, it should be eating into the sloth Leigie’s zone, in an attempt to give his troops an upper hand.

Ki ki ki, try your hardest.

I’ll be doing the same. More or less.

“That means… we are obtaining… the glory of destroying a Demon Lord Himself, what’s more, a high class one at that. Ki ki ki, Boss isn’t to be underestimated. He’s giving us a chance this big…”

If I may, I’d wish he’d be a little easier on us, but that’s impossible.

There’s no doubt the Boss doesn’t even remember the fact that Zebul’s attacking.

But that’s unrelated to us, the one’s fighting at the site.

To satisfy my Greed, I can’t be scared to take risks. Otherwise my life would have ended as a nameless demon in the countryside.

I draw a single sword from the scabbard at my waist.

Demon Blade Celeste.

For a swordsman… no, for any Demon, it’s a well-known blade of legend.

I concentrate my gaze on the burning body of the sword.

Dark Crimson magical energy as bright as the sun surrounds its wielder, me, as it rises as a pillar of light into the demon world’s red sky. Its power is greater beyond my comprehension.

Ki ki ki, as long as I have this, I’ll be a match for a hundred.

Additionally, while they may fall short of Celeste, I have a number of Demon Blades just a rank or two below it in my possession.

“Let’s go, ya bastards. All the money, the fame, the power and the women are yours for the taking. Release your desires, and prove your powers to our Demon Lord, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls, and the Great Demon King above him, Kanon Iralaude. The Demon Lord of Gluttony is nothing, and it is our duty to make him realize that. Realize just who… it is he picked a fight with.”

The strange-looking crowd’s applause rings out like thunder.

These guys aren’t fools. A strong Demon Lord draws Strong followers to himself. This isn’t about the Great Demon King’s dispatchments or anything, it’s something more to do with fate, or luck drawing them together.

A Demon’s base instincts lead them to follow the most atrocious presences to satisfy their spirits.

A nihilistic full moon floated in the blazing red sky.

This territory is still Boss’s. In the distant wastelands, I see the black shadows of Gluttony’s forces.

Medea slowly gets up.

As if she was shrouded in mist, her outline isn’t clear, and it’s as if only the powerful pressure she gave off denoted she was truly there.

Me and her rarely work alongside one another. But her single motion showed me the level of her ability.

Lust skills are pretty much an unknown world to me. I’m not saying I’ve never gone against them, but they’re not a group of demons you would often meet at General level.

High class magic that pollutes the mind, and deceives the five senses.

The eyes of the men watching Medea begin turning lewd.

Ki ki ki, what a scary woman. I mean, she’s the only woman in this entire army squadron, and she’s the leader. If I underestimate her, I feel my soul’s going to get sucked out.

“I’m going ahead. Objections?”

“Ki ki ki, do whatever you want, Luxuria. You’r the guest here today.”

If you want the first attack, you can have it. All I care for is the result.

First, let’s see through the power of the Devourer. That’s her field of expertise, right?

Medea’s form starts blurring again. It’s like my eyes have gone blurry, but they aren’t going back. Her formed warped into two identical girls. The second one opened its mouth, and spoke with the same condescending tone.

“Avaritia, I’m thankful.”

“… I don’t need your thanks. Just do your best not to get killed by the first strike.”

“Hmph…”

She scoffed at my words.

At the same moment, in no time at all, her form multiplied from two to a countless amount.

This is… the Lust skill tree. The proof of a demon governing temptation and delusions.

How unexpected. An illusion good enough to deceive my eyes… and she can deploy this amount in an instant?

Oy oy, isn’t she a monster? And resistance skills I have against mental corruption aren’t resisting anything.

While my mind’s in disarray, I do my best not to show it on my face.

Compared to her, the skills of the other Lust demons I fought look like Child’s play.

There’s a ranking among skills. If you don’t learn the previous skill, you can’t learn the next one. So just to what extent has she fulfilled her own lust to be able to use illusions of this level?

Medea licks her lips in a seductive fashion. As if painted by her tongue, her lips turn the crimson color of blood. Her movements were enough to show anyone the attribute she reigned over.

“Then, later.”

Her pure white robe turns.

Each and every Medea’s robe sways differently as they sprint off.

Not a single sound resounds through the deserted land, and her actions don’t change that fact. She somehow remains inconspicuous. Even so, the group moves at a frightening speed.

The real one’s fleeting existence wavers like a heat haze in the desert, and it’s as if, if I turned my eyes away, I wouldn’t be able to find her again. I can’t feel her magic or perceive her with any of my other senses.

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. This is bad. This ability… suitable for her name?

Fitting of her reputation? Don’t screw with me. She’s exceeded it. If none of my resistances worked against her, then that Gluttony’s legion won’t sense a thing.

At this rate… she’s capable of deceiving and killing them all.

There’d be no room for me to go out.

I’d heard that Luxuria skills become terrifying at high levels, but I never thought I’d confirm it in a place like this. I guess you never know what’s gonna happen. I’m glad we’re allies.

Well, it’s troublesome we’re allies too. At this rate, I won’t be able to rack up any distinguished service.

“Oy, ya’ bastards. Is this the time for you all to be playing around? Follow Medea’s lead, and launch a full-on assault! At this rate, that girly’s going to take all the limelight!”

Perhaps they had finally noticed I had spoken. The following demons began following her lead, and running off. But their visions are now clouded with the sight of an infinite number of Medeas.

Well, well, well, so everyone’s been captured in her illusion. It’ll be hell if they have a Lust on them too. Should I equip some resistive gear?

No, in the first place, can a mere magic tool go against this illusion?

As s cloud of dust rises as the army rushes downhill, I go over to the only demon that stayed behind.

An Invidia Demon. Libell Aejens. A small and powerless one, but a scholar whose knowledge is said to be second to none. He’s also a friend who accompanied me when I came over to join this army.

In a war between demons, seeing through your opponent’s ability is a crucial factor. Based on that, tactics can change drastically.

I ask the wise demon. Not of our enemy, but our ally.

“Oy, that skill. Do you have any recollection of something like it?”

Libell’s purple eyes scrutinizingly trace the form of the countless men chasing Medea. Ki ki ki, he may have the form of a brat, but this man once earned recognition for his efforts in the wars with heaven. A renowned intellectual.

Among my associates, he’s the one with the most in-depth knowledge of other Demons.

“I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard of something like it… I high class Lust Skill… SS Class『Phantom Aliquot Dance』… A skill to birth illusions with physical substance…”

With a soul-less expression, Libell bit his lower lip as he raised a voice that seemed to come from the deepest depths of Hell.

But his expression doesn’t really matter. His answer was outside my realm of speculation.

“… What? Oy, oy, don’t joke around. SS Class? That’s crossed the bounds of a General Class Demon, hasn’t it?”

“… I cannot believe it. No… but, there’s no mistaking it. I have a much higher level of Mental Corruption Resistance than you, and I was unable to see through it with these eyes…”

His words were no lie. Due to the nature of the Envy Tree’s skillset, Libell’s resistances should be far above mine.

Is this for real?

An SS Class Lust Tree Skill? That’s definitely within Demon Lord territory.

As a fellow general, the highest level Greed Skill I can use… I’ve only reached S.

And that candid girl’s surpassed me? How the hell?

No, is she hiding her true nature? Stuck in the closet? A Closet pervert? No, no, as if I’d let something so idiotic pass. A Demon’s cravings aren’t something so half-assed. Just what is that girl doing in the shadows?

No, in the first place, after all that… Why isn’t she a Demon Lord yet?

That’s wrong. That’s not what I should be thinking about now.

A Demon Lord’s skills have far transcended the skills of a normal Demon. I don’t know just how many skills they have in their repertoires, but if she can use SS Class Lust skills at will, then even a high class Demon Lord will be hard pressed. I mean, the opponent shouldn’t have much information on her. High level Lust Demons are hard to come by.

Crap, the Demon Lord of Gluttony may get eaten up at this rate.

I take a sword out of my storage space, and grip it in one of my left hands. I hold up Celeste, and on the edge of the wasteland… I glare a girly, who’s coming into contact with the enemy, from afar.

Her pure white coat. Even with such a flashy color, I can’t find her.

“Damn, there’s no helping it. I’ll also go out. Libell, you go and『Envy』 Girly’s skill.”

… But my capacity is already full.“

My, my, this man doesn’t get it. You don’t often get a chance to see a high class Luxuria skill, you know?

『Invidia』 Class Skills are picky. If you hold too much desire without fulfillment, it loses its use, and you become just a useless, average Demon.

“Libell, throw away my『Skill Ruler』.”

“… I see. That one was convenient.”

But he immediately nods. I like how he’s quick to understand.

That’s why I’m friends with this guy.

“Ki ki ki, what’s the problem? Once your skilltree expands, you’ll make more space. Once you get a high class Lust skill, you’ll be able to raise it easier, right? You’ve fulfilled most of the conditions already, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Envy skills let you learn the skills of others. They’re limited time use, and the conditions for acquiring them are harsh, but it’s a perfect imitation.

It’s really convenient. I mean, if you fulfill the conditions, you can even use Demon Lord Class skills.

This is a chance. We can’t approach a Demon Lord so easily. So the acquiring conditions won’t be met.

We’ll use the skill Medea just displayed. It looks to have all-purpose uses. If he learns to use it, I’ll become even stronger.

I’ll get closer to being a Demon Lord. If Deije the Usurper, and Libell the Pursuer join forces, we’ll be the strongest.

Ki ki ki, luck’s finally going my way, it seems.

Now, let’s start the Usurping.

“Girly, I’m sorry. I’ll be taking your skill.”

Power and fame and treasure, and all else. It’ll all come to me.