Chapter 13 - Ira’s Resentment (2/2)

Then in that case, what is this supposed to be?

If the attack was ineffective, that would be another matter, but after so many of them had fallen, for their flock to continue to go on like that should be heresy to an Angel.

Wrath Skills weren’t suited to rapid fire.

The Angels spread out. It was likely a plan for them to not all be taken out at once. That wide formation showed off their clear knowledge of how to deal with Ira Skills, and their narrow area of effect.

And as I thought, those heavenly wings still didn’t have me set as their destination.

They didn’t fight back, and they didn’t use any Skills.

Before my wrath, these Angels’ flight… their march was surely backed by some form of strong will. Something that exceeded their innate instinct to oppose Demons.

“Even with me before their eyes… they’ll still head for niisama…”

Then there’s even less reason to let them through.

I spread that dark heat across my mind again. My instincts and emotions raged up to burn through my entire body.

In proportion to my anger, the incessant violent waves of Mana weighed down on my psych, And I only gathered them at the head of my staff.

Put all my fury into a single attack.

Formation? Plan?

Useless. It’s just a pain.

Then I’ll just have to burn up everything in the world.

I just have to turn heaven to ash in one strike.

Niisama is the King of Despair, and the most sorrowful Lord on these lands.

With just a few hundred Angels, to stand before dear niisama… it makes me sick.

Foolish Angels. Decay away on these dark lands.

Just like all that have come to oppose niisama before you.

I poured nothing but directionless Mana into the staff, dying it a strong red, and point it at those foolish heathens. The moment I was about to use a Skill, Lize, who was moving right below me, let off a shrill shout.

My subordinate’s face seemed to be at its wits end as I looked down upon her.

“Kanon-sama, is this… not the time to use Heard Lauder!?”

“… What?”

Those words released from an unexpected position made me instinctively suppress the powers I was to bring out.

Having become the Great Demon Lord, there were few out there to contest my opinion. For those that hadn’t even become Demon Lords yet, I could count them on the fingers of one hand.

Lize’s opinion often found itself to be leaning on one side, but her devotion was quite high, even among my direct subordinates.

In this land of warring powers, she was one of the few who had sworn loyalty to me. Her words held some worth in considering.

Perhaps sensing a shift in my will, the flying dragon dropped its speed a little.

“That army is moving at a considerable pace. There’s some distance between us, and when they’re spread out that vast… to burn all those Angels in the sky… Even for you, Kanon-sama, it is in my humble opinion it would be too great an expenditure of power.”

As one governing the same desire, she understood.

The sin of Ira that scaled in proportion to anger was the one boasting the highest offensive potential among the seven attributes, and… the one with the greatest consumption of power.

But I was also well aware.

Regardless of the mere dozens of minutes that have passed since we entered this Dark Prison, the heat that was currently scorching my body, and frothing at my skin was… anger.

Too great a power expenditure?

What of it? Regardless of what I use up, even if I’m to run dry, and be mocked by my subordinate Lords, I haven’t fallen low enough for me to hesitate over such a matter.

My desire… the path of my Wrath is something I’ll decide for myself.

The clear display of emotions on Lize’s face barely changed upon looking at me.

Her complexion was turning a little pale. We’ve known one another for years, and she should know me well enough, but there was no hesitation in the words she spewed.

“For Heard Lauder, and the Pride he governs, it would be a simple matter for him to overtake them.”

If you were to ask whether she was sound, well sure, she was.

But Heard is returning fire with Zebul. He’s no leisure to shoot down angels while taking her on.

On top of that, I cannot count on Vanity’s forces. Five hundred Demons would just be a nice snack to that Devourer.

That’s where Gula’s troublesome point came in. To those of them that boasted Sin deep enough to eat up their own race, going at them with numbers was nothing but a waste of resources.

A proposal to maintain the status quo.

I read what Lize had wanted to say.

I looked down upon the impertinent lass I had known from her childhood.

At some point, she had climbed up to General Class, this gifted subordinate of mine.

“So to summarize, it’s something like this. You’re proposing an exchange.”

“Yes, the right man in the right place. That Heard Lauder can keep up with any Angel.”

“You do have a point. But there’s a single problem in that.”

If you’re looking at power usage, that plan does have a greater efficiency… if you look at it like that.

But Lize has forgotten a single point.

Her opinion is grounded solely on the assumption that I would be able to destroy Zebul oh so easily.

Her Gula and my Ira have a bad affinity.

Naturally, I don’t have any intentions on losing. But fighting her will be a large power expenditure all the same. Perhaps much greater than what would be required to burn up these Angels.

That’s just how strong Zebul is.

She’s the ultimate predator, and a natural-born warrior.

With her at an affinity disadvantage against Rank One’s Heard Lauder, she has the might to persist at almost an equal level, a world apart from any standard Demon out there.

Having eaten on through ancient times beyond memory, her abilities as a Demon, her battle experience, and her ability to devour others were all realized in her extraordinary power.

I mean, the sin she holds dear, the Gluttony to even eat other Demons was… linked to the pure and honest desire to bring malice to others.

I somehow suppress the shout that was about to escape me, and try talking in a soothing voice to persuade her. This girl is smart, and naïve.

“Heard is Leigie’s former subordinate. Before him is a stain on Leigie’s record. He’s sure to shake his head.”

“But if you consider efficiency, that’s the best option.”

Yeah, yeah.

If Heard were to take them on, then Angels of that level would be close to woodchips. He’s be able to destroy them all without using much power at all.

But if I take Zebul on, an energy waste is unavoidable.

Even if you call me the Great Demon King, at the end of the day… I’m just a single Demon girl, you know.

I hesitate to let out words.

Even as we speak, the Angels are putting up more and more distance.

But I had to say something. To my cute, cute subordinate.

Perhaps those were the words my father once imparted on me, or perhaps their contents were the same.

Even if their exteriors were to change, at the very least, the sentiment in my heart should be similar.

“Lize, we are by no means… monolithic, you know.”

“!? T-that is…”

Let me be honest here.

I am… not able to fully trust the man known as Heard Lauder.

He was Leigie-niisama’s right-hand man. But he’s also a Demon who once Overruled niisama. I don’t know when he’ll lash out again.

Leigie-niisama’s power is… strong. But at the same time, he isn’t suited to battle. His nature was the complete opposite of Heard’s. Even that power of ice I caught a glimpse of… there’s a possibility it won’t work the next time.

And the only one who can suppress that is me. I cannot trust another.

As it is, my power was around a level to compete with his.

If I were to have a loss in strength here, then it’s likely I would eventually face defeat to that man.

Rather than Zebul, who eats her kind, or Vanity, who father directly warned me about, the one I feared the most was niisama’s greatest follower, Heard Lauder.

Desire was something that ate up the soul over time. The emotions held by a Demon Lord were in no way something that could be held back by one’s rationality.

“So will you laugh upon my foolishness, Lize Bloodcross?”

I’ve always been a coward.

People say I have intellect unbecoming of the Wrath I govern, but caution is the other face of cowardice.

I can’t kill off niisama’s right hand man, nor can I let niisama get killed. I can only pray to the Demon World’s God, and wait… just as father long before me, I can only pursue a hopeless dream, and learn of an unreachable summit while I protect the seat on the empty throne.

But still, I cannot stand still.

Until some day, I’m swallowed up by the name of Ruin I carry.

Even having received my words, Lize’s gaze had yet to change, and she merely looked up at me in silence.

“… Have I become a little too sentimental?”

“… No.”

Her look told me that word held no lies or scorn.

Just as I found her long ago, her eyes, her heart, showed no distortion.

Then so be it.

I’ll offer up my Ruin to you, niisama.

Angels and Demons, and even God will turn to ash.

That is… the authority of my Wrath.

To hold hatred and resentment for all of creation.

On top of the dragon racing through the sky, I fell to one knee.

The land of the Demon World mainly consisted of spread out deserts of pebbles, and the Dark Prison was no exception.

When I looked down from the sky, I could take in the infinite expanse of land in a single glance.

That land enveloped by darkness that simply seemed to go on, and on. This jet black earth that had never changed from ancient times.

To that ground basked in the Mana of Acedia, I only ever held a single thought.

The distance to the Angels was already beyond my field of vision. But that’s no problem. I could get the particulars of their location from my Sone Skill.

At regular intervals, the ground shook to remind me of the clash of Heard and Zebul.

I drove that all out of my mind.

I put power into my staff once more. My fury acted in kind to make the entire body of it emit light like a miniature sun.

The moment I was to let it burst out, Lize’s dragon suddenly cut up in front of mine.

“… What is the meaning of this?”

What I was about to reach was far above all the power in her body.

Even if she may be one who bears the same desire, that was hellfire that wouldn’t even leave her ashes behind.

“… Hanon-sama, as I thought, I am… opposed to this.”

“… What?”

Her downcast face rose a little.

The blazing fire in her eyes blazed with a strong emotion much removed from resentment.

“This is a role you should leave to Heard Lauder.”

That idiotically repeated line was just barely able to push down my emotions.

The remnants of my anger drifted out of the staff, and the coat I wore let off a light luminescence.

It’s fine. From the Wrath I once held against niisama, something of this level is… something I can bear.

I wanted to tell her to shut up and follow. But Lize’s frantic eyes were painful for some reason.

“Truly, that man may betray you one day. I can understand your anxiety. But you should consider the present situation. Out enemy is… the Angels, and Zebul.”

Her quivering voice pierced my ears.

My enemy was present in the entire Demon World. While Heard did his share of work, the Demon World wasn’t small enough for that to let me gain control of it.

If I were to consider my army as a while, it would be a bad play to exhaust him here.

But once more, it’s a matter of future prospects.

Merits and demerits.

If I don’t use up Heard’s strength here, that man will surely be able to deal with all the opposing Demon Lords. The time to Demon World consolidation will certainly be shortened.

But at the same time, regardless of whether Heard’s power is to weaken, or if those Demon Lords out there are to survive… niisama won’t notice any of it.

Niisama’s Vitality was nothing normal. Even against Demon Lords, that remained unchanged.

Let’s say that there were some who could pierce through that. That would only be the few Demon Lords like Heard or Zebul, who specialized themselves on pure offense.

Sharpening power. Killing enemies.

There’s no right and wrong. Even if it is just to buy a little bit of time.

I must trim the sprouts of calamity.

That was something that transcended both Merit and Demerit… the initial prerequisite.

The basic standard I decided on the moment I became Great Demon King.

As long as that’s accomplished, then I won’t grieve for my power.

I don’t… need the world.

“Lize, step aside.”

While you’re standing there in my way, those Angels are just building up more distance.

My flame of impatience were already escaping my body to raise the surrounding temperature. With their high heat resistance, the dragon’s scales let off an offensive smell, as they burnt down. Letting out a low cry, it thrashed out left and right as if to drop me to the ground.

Even if you call it a dragon, in the end, it’s just a beast… no, but… Ah, this will work out.

The wind scattered my hair.

By the unrest in the dragon’s movements, Lize was far separated from me, and she raised a scream from far below my eyelevel.

I give her a single glance.

You are… a good subordinate.

With the excitation of my Mana, and the manifestation of my spirit, the song of my mind was finally satisfied.

From the depths of hell, where the light of day would never reach, the hardships in the furthest recesses of the earth, carved into my very soul, the song of a Demon Lord.

I naturally began to hum it.

From the vestiges of my widely swung staff, vivid flames continued to pour.

“Dawn Blaze. Oh jet black rain. Let the flames of creation enter my hands…”

I am a coward.

That’s why, my enemies, go to hell.

Destruction is my reprieve. So you can just dissapear to the world beyond.

How many years has it been since I chanted the incantation of that Skill on the highest tiers of the Wrath Skill Tree?’

To carry out my Ruin, I activated it.

“Shield Anchor.”

I feel the color seep from my world. Demons are being of soul, and their corporeal bodies held little meaning. Their existences were largely centered around their minds.

That was slipping away. A large portion of my thoughts had taken form and expressed itself.

The power collected at the head of the staff shined as a single light, before spreading explosively.

This was the abyss of Ira I had reached.

These flames of creation to rid myself or the rabble resembled the wrath of a form of God, and it was merely beautiful. A power to reset the world to create anew.

The expanding light cloaked the heaven and earth, and cleared away the sky into a crimson aurora.

The growing heat wave condensed to a single storm, and the ground calmed. Taking on the resultant wind, the flying dragon swayed greatly.

It was a wave of light.

Just as niisama once sealed the land in ice, an opposite force to bake everything in the world bathed the land.

No matter how much agility those wings may grant them, in the end, they cannot match up to light.

It was only an instant before the flames coming at them at the speed of light swallowed them up without a single one left remaining. Without the time to raise a scream. Without even the time to form a thought.

My resentment burned the sky.

Be they Saint Lord Class, or Demon Lord Class, before my Ruin, they hold no meaning.

The flames cleared.

The sky was a pure red, and in it, not a single thing remained.

Of Serge who flew ahead, and the angels that followed, there wasn’t a single particle of ash.

To niisama’s enemy, that disappeared before I had ever even seen her face, I held not a single deeper emotion.

The strong display of power was always accompanied by compensation.

A nihility enveloped my head. The power leaving my body caused me to kneel over the dragon. But I won’t unhand my weapon.

Until I drop all my enemies into ruin.

“Hah hah hah…”

I gripped the reigns, and had the dragon descend. The hands of the battle below, which had stopped for a moment at the flames in the sky, restarted themselves once more.

The sound of destruction echoing across the land was on a different scale from before.

I’ve cut off Heard Lauder’s hesitation. If it’s now, he should be able to give it his all.

If he’s to lose here, then… I’ll be the one to kill Zebul. That’s all there is to it.

Part 4: …What Luck

“Kanon-sama, are you alright!?”

“Yeah.”

When I dismounted my dragon, and landed on the ground, Lize rushed over to me.

I’m a bit unsteady, but there’s no problems. It was a slight overuse of my powers, however, that should heal up just fine, given the time. It’s not a quantity I’ll recover over a night or two, but it’s nothing fatal.

I could even wage a war right now.

It seems that when I wasn’t watching, my level had unexpectedly risen.

There’s barely a hindrance to my body’s movement. I used much greater an amount back when I liberated the frozen world.

“It looks like all the Angels have been wiped out.”

“Yep, I’ll bet.”

There wasn’t a single thing left in the sky. They’ve disappeared from my Abyss Zone’s perception as well.

Lize’s expression indicated that she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Desire means you must have your own way with things. The more you’re in control, the easier it is to use power.

And that’s exactly why, even if I were to use too much energy and ruin myself, I wouldn’t hold the slightest of regrets.

For some reason, I became excessively mindful of the Castle of Shadows.

I let out some rough breaths, and put myself in order. Supported my staff… Weydhe, I began treading across the ground.

I can only hate how narrow the extent of my own Zone is.

My perception couldn’t extend all the way to the Castle. From here, I cannot discern how niisama fares.

“Will you offer assistance to Heard?”

“As if I could assist a Pride Demon.”

If I did something like that… Heard’s power will drop.

That will only result in me making an enemy of him. There’s nothing more trifling than earning his hostility with good intentions.

All I can do is the aftercare.

I watched the cloud of dust rising over the horizon… the army racing forth on grounded dragons.

“Lize, tell Vanity’s army to abate. The enemy they chase after no longer exists.”

“Yes, understood.”

Lize receives my will, and urged her own dragon to take to the skies again.

I don’t know that man’s will, but there’s no doubt Vanity’s goal lay with those Angels.

To chase those flying bugs by giving chase on the earth was a foolish notion to begin with.

The running dragons that existed for ground movement could put out speeds equal to flying dragons, and they existed in much greater numbers, so they did make for an exceedingly proficient means of transportation, but they were less than worthy to chase those leaping through the sky.

As long as their power is insufficient to go up against Zebul, those guys will have no part to play here.

Just in case, I closed my eyes, and searched every nook and cranny of my Zone.

As I thought, the only Demon Lords here are Me, Heard, and Zebul; the three of us. There’s no question about it.

Vanity… just what the hell is he doing?

I couldn’t see him anywhere. And that made me feel somewhat suspicious.

Father’s words of warning echoed in my mind, and ate into my heart like a wedge.

“… It reeks. I can’t think that Venity would take any meaningless action.”

Premonition… no, it wasn’t something to the extent of calling it a premonition.

This is… merely unease. I’m just a coward. It’s a topic that will draw to an end if I leave it at that.

But at the same time, it’s true that it’s unnatural, the off feeling that one of my chess pieces had suddenly disappeared.

I forcefully shake off that notion.

“… Well, whatever the case, that’s something to think over at a later date.”

I pushed down the emotions that were still smoldering in my heart, and looked to the distant battlefield.

Even with my eyes, Heards movements weren’t something I could follow.

The distance was around a thousand meters.

With that space between us, I could only see each step of his as instantaneous movement. His speed truly was akin to thunder.

To one constantly clad in a wave of starvation, that would eat into you on mere contact, going at Zebul barehanded was a poor move.

But he didn’t even pay any heed to that.

His tactics were simple and clear.

No tricks to play.

Suppression through pure force. That was the very form of his combat. Without any smoke or mirrors, his hands tore the earth, and made mountains disappear.

What’s more, from what I can see from afar, even against Zebul, Heard shows not the signs of using a Skill.

He’s an idiot.

“Is he preserving his energy? No, it’s just his Pride again.”

I don’t even have any intent to say something about it.

Maybe he’s actually stronger without using anything, but… the nature of Superbia’s power was something that could only be understood by Superbia Demons. No matter how much I mulled over it, it would be a waste of my time.

Whatever the case, it’s already over…

I’ll confirm Zebul’s death with mine own eyes, and go home.

In the first place, I have more than enough things I should be doing right now.

I’ll have to take another look over the Angels’ peculiar movements. I’ll have to ascertain the reason they aimed for the Castle of Shadows.

When I think of it like that, perhaps I should have spared an Angel or two.

Well, all of it’s already passed. And those guys aren’t once I could think of to spit anything out under interrogation or torture.

More importantly, Serge’s death will be a huge asset.

The fact that an Angel of that level was able to take down Rank Seven is already a point of concern, but there would be nothing I could do by thinking over that one.

I carefully laid out my worries in my head. My biggest headache has gone away, but that doesn’t mean that everything’s been resolved.

I’ll have to question Vanity as to why he vanished at the critical moment.

Because my greatest goal isn’t suppressing heaven, but unifying the Demon World.

But it’s fine if I take my mind off that from time to time, right?

I mean, I’m on the road home anyways. How about I stop by the Castle of Shadow for the first time in a while…

“…”

The next moment, when I had just grown a little lax, it occurred.

My zone naturally captured those presences.

It definitely wasn’t anything so important.

I didn’t hold any fear of my own death, nor did I sense the presence of anything strong.

The only emotions I held were slight hints of resentment and resignation.

Ah, this really is… a pain.

I took my eyes off of Heard and Zebul’s battle.

In the direction Lize set off in. I don’t have a clear sight of it, but of all things, there’s no way that I would mistake those presences.

How many of them are there… they really just keep coming forth like cockroaches.

I can easily destroy them, but there’s no helping them ruining my mood.

I unintentionally clicked my tongue.

“Tsk… so they appeared again. Just how many of those guys did they send out, anyways…”

They were certainly the presences of Angels.

As if launched, and propelled, a white light came down vertically from up high. Within it, I saw a swarm of Angels.

The distance wasn’t far. It’s as if I could take them in my hand.

The number was five. Their power wasn’t great. They didn’t even reach General Class. It’s possible they were even below Knight.

But to be honest, it was really quite depressing.

It would be simple if they came at me of their own accord, but when they thoughtlessly fly about like that, it’s truly a pain. No matter how low class they may be, if I let them free, there’s no doubt it would become troublesome.

It was annoying, but I reluctantly raised my staff.

If it’s only five, then I doubt I even have to deal with it personally. They aren’t even that far away, so Vanity’s army should be able to handle it one way or another. Lize’s more than up to the task.

But without their Lord taking command, it’s unknown whether Vanity’s Legion would even engage in battle in the first place. There’s also the report of an ordinary Angel suddenly climinb up to Lord status.

Then it would be more reliable if I just did it myself.

I need not anything to high class. I select the lowest Skill on my tree, and activated it.

“Angry Arrows.”

It’s a lower Wrath Skills to shoot out flaming arrows of rage. A trifling one normal non-Lord Demons could use as well.

I made a few dozens. The red lights that came forth in the air around me shot forth.

I’m not sure what those Angels were trying to accomplish, but I shot them all down, and left not a single one behind.

If I just have to target them before they gain any speed, then I barely use up any power. No matter how you look at it, they’re mocking me. That was completely pointless.

Unsure of whether more would be coming, I remained poised with my staff, but there was no sign of another wave of Angels. Have I shot them all down with this.

Just what were those last five supposed to be? Was there some meaning to that?

Are Angels merely idiots? Even for that, that was much too foolish.

It only elicited useless questions where I didn’t even know if an answer existed. If that was supposed to be psychological warfare, I must admit it was quite effective.

Is it best if I just assume their actions held no meaning?

Still…

“It’s a pain…”

The painful thing is how I don’t know my enemy’s forces.

Should I just retreat already, or is it best if I remained? I want to head for the Castle of Shadows with all due haste, you know… at the very least, I have to see to the end of Zebul’s battle.

In the worst case, if it’s Angels of that level, I could easily repel them, even from the castle.

While I thought that, there was still no signs of the ground to stop shaking.

“… How long do they plan on going at it…”

While feeling restless at the battle that showed no signs of ending, I looked towards Heard once. The Demon’s fight… the contest of desire seriously didn’t seem to be ending any time soon.

Heard… he better not be biding his time, having finally found a worthy foe.

Zebul’s face was covered with her hunger-turned-dark-aura, so I couldn’t’ make it out, but I can see Heard’s.

I don’t have that much spare time, you know…

I took in one deep breath, and glared at the battlefield.

“That’s enough! Heard Lauder!! Finish up already!!”

At the very least… use a Skill!

The more time you try to buy… the more my time at the Castle of Shadows decreases!

Of course, I won’t voice those concerns.

My scream swept over the expanse of the obstruction-less wasteland.

Heard’s movements stopped for a moment. I get the feeling our eyes met briefly.

Without even paying any heed to the Wave of Starvation covering Zebul, the kick he lowered from above came down, and sent her body flying.

Towards me.

It held an energy I couldn’t think of coming from an ordinary kick.

While carving a deep fissure along the ground, the Devourer’s body flew accompanied by a cloud of dust.

The brushed past me a few meters to my side.

The wind loaded with those black pebbles surged up like a tornado, and spread out in a wide radius.

I instinctively covered my face from the black storm suddenly expanding before my eyes.

I take no damage. That was just that aftermath. I’m not sure about an ordinary Demon, but a Demon Lord wouldn’t have gotten any wounds from that.

But it’s as iff he were making fun of my lack of preparation.

The wind died down in a moment.

“…”

I silently brushed the hair that came down on my face to one side.

I put my unkempt locks in order with a hand comb, and remembering the scene, my vision was dyed bright red.

I’ve had it.

“DON’T DRAG ME INTO IIIIIIT!”

From here on, I’m totally going over to niisama’s place, okaaaay!?

The anger that should have been used up sprung forth again like a fountain to fill my body.

Calm down. I just have to put it in order again.

I doused my thoughts, and pushed them back deep inside.

The flames of Wrath birthed from my Soul Core flare up as if to cover over my entirety.

It’s a sensation I’ve felt time and again from the moment I was born. A state that Wrath Demons often fell into.

The space around me was baked by my sinful blaze, and let off a blood-red luminescence.

I don’t even need to hold the staff.

My raging Ira was merely taking shape.

Black lustered armor. What spread around my body was light and durable, and hot enough to burn through my soul.

I don’t have a recollection of having used a Skill.

No, I’ll bet I did.

What I had unconsciously put on was a phantasmal armor worn by Demon Lords of Ira.

A manifestation of malice to bring as much destruction to the masses as possible. Its meaning for existence was merely to lead all those that made fun of me to ruin.

I glared at the body that was lying a few meters from me.

A mass of countless poisonous purple tentacles. The liquid dripping from the ends of every one of them, and the ink-black Mana coating her entire figure.

Being dragged along the ground, a number of those tentacles had been destroyed, but she seemed to be healthy enough.

A voice came out. A tired voice.

Her tone was like that of a young boy. But it was a female voice I remembered.

“… Good grief, that Vanity… this is completely different from what he told me, is it not… that’s some courage he has for him to be getting in my way.”

As if bursting open, the tentacles disappeared.

All those protrusions covering up her form disappeared, and the monster of endless appetite finally showed her form.

It took on the shape of a giel, but I knew she was more than what she seemed.

There’s no way she’s just any brat. There’s no way a brat could stand so calmly before Kanon.

The young girl’s lips were formed into a cynical smile.

“What’s more, fufufu… for even Kanon-sama to be in attendance. Even with Heard here, I’m already full, and sill, such a splendid menu is set out before me. Have I perhaps been a good girl?”

“Zebul Glaucus…”

And even like that, her expression held no fear, and her gestures, no waver.

Her deep green eyes simply continued to observe me.

J-just whose fault do you think it is… that this pain-in-the-ass situation came to be…

Even when I know I’m wide open, I hold onto my head. I can’t help but hold my head. If I don’t I feel as if I’ll explode.

I let out a rough breath. I’m not fatigued. It’s to let out as much of this enormous heat in my body as possible. In order to wash over my waves of emotion as much as I can.

My rationality and emotions were having a bout in my narrow skull.

“Hah hah…”

There’s no sign of Zebul raising a hand.

Only the red that painted out my thoughts continued to hone itself.

My instincts for battle started calculating the information around me.

Heard’s location. Zebul’s. Lize’s. Vanity’s army’s. I understood it all.

Ah, dammit. This world can go to hell.

I prodded my staff into the ground. It let off an explosive sound.

The earth below it melted.

The high temperature earth splashed onto my armor, and let off a peculiarly bad smell.

I raise my face.

All that was left was a single point of resolve.

It’s fine. I’ll just deal with all of it, and return as quickly as possible.

My trembling lips produced a voice. I’m not thinking of anything. I’ve no time to think.

That’s the declaration I made must have been a cry straight from my soul.

“… I condemn you to ruin.”

“… So you’ve no intention to talk this out…”

I shot down the countless tentacles she sprouted with flames.

Burn through her? Naïve. Ruin isn’t anything like that.

“Delete”

“Tsk”

My inexhaustible stream of emotion passed through my staff to birth physical phenomena in the world.

I don’t need an aria. Ira is my entirety.

The moment those humble tentacles were to touch my countless lights of Wrath, they disintegrated.

Zebul has a lot of them at her disposal. But I could bring forth just as much fire.

The attacks coming at me from all three hundred and sixty degrees were met by the flames produced by the armor, and erased.

I’m not sure what extent of control she had over them, but at some point, they even started coming out from the ground below me. Even those were easily dealt with by the fire. Those hands of hers are never to touch me.

Having finished burning through all her tentacles, the flames onverged to delete the girl herself.

The swirling wave of fire caused her face to turn a little pale, before she took a large leap back to avoid it.

Reflexes, and experience. I can’t deal with her through ordinary means. Perhaps she even has the experience of devouring a Wrath Lord of my level.

But I know. I knew this would never be so straightforward. Then I’ll just destroy that spirit of hers.

Without learning a thing, the tentacles came at me from all directions again, to be erased by the flame.

I saw her form a slight grimace.

“Oh my, could it be that thing runs on auto? How unfair…”

“Die.”

Flames spiral up my staff, and emerge as a blast to burn up the air.

My power is grinding away, and all that was shaved off was supplemented by the beating of my soul core.

If you’re going to get in my way, then you’ll have to pay for that with your body.

“Fufufu, I won’t hold up like this… I never thought that I would end up being personally scrapped by Kanon-sama…”

As she said some irritating lines, Zebul directed the palm of her hand downwards.

The number of feelers extending from her decreased. Did she give up on offense? No.

With her right hand at the center, I felt a fearsome amount of power amass. It was of the same nature as what she had been wearing up to now. But it had a greater depth than anything she had displayed.

Even within this armor of Wrath, I could feel chills enough to pour water over me. There was no doubt she was to show her fangs.

What appeared was a blade.

Its height was close to two meters, and its body was colored in a sinister black miasma. An oversized longsword.

It was a form of disruption that came forth from a series of Skills specialized to attack.

The ominous feeling from it made me forget my anger for a moment.

Zebul Glaucus easily brandished the great sword that exceeded her own height, and pointed it at me.

It was as if to make a proclamation of war.

“Have you ever seen this one before? This is… my 『Fang of Origin』.”

“Like I care.”

It’s strong. A feeling of death lingers over my trembling soul.

I shuddered at her power, that exceeded my expectation.

Especially that blade… is dangerous. The alarm bells wrung by the experience I had stored up to now were telling me that.

It was of the most feared line of Demon Lord Skills.

To materialize an equipment with one’s cravings at the base, a Phantasm Armament Skill.

It was of the same sort as the 『Ruin Robe』 I wore, but that blade was clearly on a higher tier.

I can’t see myself being able to block it.

It wasn’t a problem with the quantity of power amassed, but of its nature.

I’m pretty sure that’s a Skill to ignore defense. One blow would be fatal.

In my mind, painted out by anger, only my thoughts turned at a level pace.

I calculated the damage that blade would afford me. If it ate into me, it would most likely be fatal.

And after a few seconds of calculation, I threw the result out the window.

As if I care.

I licked my lips to wet them.

I looked at Zebul Glaucus, and smiled.

“… A guaranteed fatal blow… what luck.”

Ah, I’m thankful for having met you here.

I’m thankful I can bring about your end here.

That power… has the worst affinity with niisama. At some point, it would likely bring calamity to him.

As if my fighting spirit acted as oil, my flames blazed higher. In proportion to my feelings, the armor around me scattered sparks to my surroundings.

Zebul made quite an obvious grimace.

“Damn, I would have been happy if you pulled back there… why is it that each and every one of you have to be so quick to fight…”

I don’t want to hear that from you!

There’s a distance of ten meters between us.

That great sword has an extensive reach, but even so, she’ll need a few steps to be able to cut at me.

My Ruin Robe is a Skill that autonomously carries out attack and defense to intercept enemies. There’s no set reach to the intercepting flames.

I have the advantage.

Is what I should be thinking. Normally, that is.

But there’s no way the blade in her hand is an ordinary sword. She can likely alter its reach at will. Common sense doesn’t apply to Phantasm Armaments.

No,, even if she can’t change its form, I should expect such a thing. Predicting beforehand, or taking it as it comes will create a large gap in reaction timing.

I concentrate on every step and action of my opponent.

She has no openings. She should have just carried out an intense battle with that Heard Lauder, but let alone fatigue, I couldn’t see a single scratch on her.

I tried to fathom the reason for the fighting spirit in her eyes. What was there was the very same as mine… impatience.

She had just used the word ‘scrapped’.

As I thought, her goal is… the Castle of Shadows. It’s an idiotic tale, but the target of her gaze passed right through me.

Why is she so panicked? Why is she in such a rush?

“Kanon, that over there is my prey.”

“Heard Lauder…”

I looked to the other devil who came to my side at some point in time.

Pure black eyes to look down on everything.

Just as with Zebul, there wasn’t a wound carved on his body.

Without a single weapon, or the use of a single Skill, yet regardless ot that, I felt an oppressing weight pressed over me.

And whose fault do you think it is that I ended up fighting her!?

Zebul’s frown intensified.

But still, there was no sorrow in her expression.

All that shined was her intent to kill. Before me, and the Rank one, her unclouded will was worthy of praise.

But at the moment, that was detestable enough for me to want to slay her.

The devil of hunder directed a dumbfounded look at the two of us.

“… Fufu, now, now, I can’t say I approve of bullying the weak, you know? 『Prideful Kaiser』.”

“Hm… I’ll admit it. Your desire is splendid. You are… my enemy.”

Heard raised his power even higher. So the requirements for his pride were met.

Just how high does it go? I can’t understand that man.

Compared to that, Zebul seemed much better behaved than what I’d heard of her.

“… I’ve no business with you guys. Are you sure there’s no way you’ll let me pass?”

“Hm… a foolish query.”

She’ll pay the compensation for bringing shame to Leigie.

That’s what his earnest eyes were telling me.

Silence.

There was no starting signal.

Perhaps Heard’s fighting spirit made her give up on negotiations, as Zebul’s Mana swelled.

At the same time, her small stature kicked at the ground with all her might, and she flew forth like a bullet. In a single step, she surpassed the speed of sound. An impact rocked my body.

That blade of dusk that ate up light itself, extended like a snake. Its tip was aimed at me.

Is she looking down on me? Wrong. Even with Zebul’s speed, it would be impossible for her to land any normal attacks on Heard.

But…

“That’s the same as looking down on me…”

I pushed the staff’s body into the floor, and back stepped before jumping into the sky.

The sword’s body shaved away at the ground I had been at before. The land broke down without the slightest of sound, and I found certainty that my own hypothesis had been correct.

A dragon composed of fire spiraling around the body of my staff was released towards the ground to confront it.

Hellfire.

The jaw of that dragon made to turn all to ash closed down on Zebul and Heard altogether.

And it was all sucked into that Fang of Origin. Without a clash of power or anything of the sort, a portion of the power I released was simply shaved away. As always, there’s no doubt that Gluttony is a step ahead when it comes to eating.

But my fire wasn’t just a straight line.

Sensing she couldn’t block it with the sword alone, before she was devoured whole, a black wave was released from Zebul’s body.they competed for a moment.

After going through the slight bit of resistance, my flames reduced the darkness to cinders.

“Tsk, what a pain!”

Zebul retreated even further.

The flames follow her, but their output decreases the more waves she releases. She was eating them.

She just couldn’t take them all in at once. Knowing that was plenty.

Inferring my will, my flying dragon took off, and caught my back in the air.

I directed the staff below. I’ve no time to play around. I’ll just burn it all away from up high.

“Looks like it’s unavoidable.”

Having easily evaded what was akin to a surprise attack from the stream of fire, Heard appeared behind Zebul.

Hi lowered his locked fists like a hammer.

It wasn’t a metaphor, the desert literally split apart. The earth let out a rumble incomparable to all the quakes I had heard before.

Even from the sky, a massive and deep fissure had been carved into the ground.

On the unexpected spectacle, I swallowed my breath.

“That can’t be…”

Heard is scary.

The man who could do that barehanded was scary, but more than that…

“Oww… you’re way too merciless…”

Even after receiving an attack tat split the ground like that, Zebul’s continued existence showed off her extraordinary endurance.

It’s not like she didn’t take any damage. Her head had caved in, and her blood had stained the surrounding pebbles a dark red.

But even that… her broken cranium started regenerating as if rewinding a tape.

Regeneration is fine. That’s a single skill of Gluttony. They could use the power they had eaten as a means to heal themselves.

But I can’t see the reason why she persists on. That one blow would have easily destroyed the cores of even Demon Lords above the average.

Just… what did she eat?

And I realized it. Heard had not been playing around.

Because of her tenacity, he wasn’t able to take her out despite his advantage.

Like a tempest, consecutive attacks from all sides made sport of her small frame. Even when she brought out a sword, she was losing in a pure battle of close quarter combat. The one-hit-kill blade in her hand was completely pointless if it didn’t hit.

Each and every one of those blows seemed to be accompanied by a flash of light, and even I couldn’t determine how many hits he had put into it.

But it’s not like Zebul was just quietly taking them. She received them by converging the tentacles sprouting from her body on single points.

She blocked them. The fact that she could do that meant her endurance wasn’t endless.

I won’t let the chance Heard created get away.

“I’m not sure where you got your hands on it… but I’ll reduce you to ash all the same.”

It’s useless.

Even if that Vitality is… something you gained upon eating a slice of niisama.

My Ira can even burn away that Lord of Sloth.

I summon countless bullets of fire, and pour them onto the ground like meteors.

Each and every one of them should be lethal. They’ll turn all to ash without even leaving a Soul Core behind.

They’re not at a speed she couldn’t dodge, but their numbers made her extend her tentacles to knock them down.

It’s useless.

I already know you can’t eat it all at once.

“Gu…”

Zebul raised a scream.

Her burned tentacles already regenerated. But I was sending down my fire at a rate exceeding that.

“Go to hell!”

The feeling of raining these down from the sky was truly the worst. The way she was barely dealing with all of them was all the more irritating.

As I thought, that blade is dangerous. After sucking in fireball after fireball, it shows no hint of breaking or melting.

It’s a weapon that causes them to dissipate with a single touch.

There’s no doubt it’s a physical manifestation of her hunger.

Zebul used that sword, and dodged with as little movement as possible. Heard exceeded her, and got out without even being grazed.

He easily avoided the flames that would have burned through regardless of enemies or allies, and in just a step, he closed in on Zebul.

Only a tremor was left to prove the result.

Heard’s eyes pierced through me. He was clearly pissed.

That malice of his would usually make my fighting spirit blaze up in order to try and stop him.

But fine, so be it. What a wonderful day it is.

That I can eliminate my enemies all together.

“… Fine. I knew it would come to this one day. There’s no problem if I take care of it here and now.”

It’s fine as long as niisama isn’t to find out. Given the time, even this matter will eventually be forgotten.

The Devouring Lord lying flat on the ground leisurely rose.

Her arms bent in an ominous direction and her crushed skull set off strange cracking sounds, as her small form returned to normal.

What a monster.

As I thought, my power is necessary.

There’s no way I can let this monster enter the Castle of Shadows. As long as she lives, niisama’s peace will never be attained.

After coming this far, I could understand. Annoyingly enough there was barely any difference in power between us.

With the sins we embraces differing to this degree, the battle wasn’t something to be decided by size of power, though.

I summon my flame bullets again.

I can’t call a single one my comrade. From up high, I looked down on the two Demon Lords.