Chapter 14 - Irritum’s Vanagloria (2/2)

I was already more accustomed to the body I had used for many years than my own real body.

How many years has it been that I even laid my own form bare? It’s already beyond my memory. I doubt there are many out there that even remember my original body.

My white skin turns black.

My golden eyes to silver. I lost my argent hair, and gained a height that exceeded even that man.

My breasts that were nothing but a hindrance were covered over with muscle, and the pitch wings on my back were hidden away.

More ominous, more exaggerated, and more strong.

An impulse like an electric current flowed through me.

That which I could never get used to no matter how many times I did it was, to put it simply…

… An almighty sensation.

“Hii…”

Hiero’s dumbfounded expression warped along with her increased understanding of the situation.

Her face was one as if she were peering into the cauldrons of hell.

Now, to you who holds not the slightest of roles in this play, let me give you glory.

Glory to stand up against your own lord.

I grabbed the arm of the girl, whose expression was still quite stiff.

Those arms were so slender, it felt that if I gripped them any harder, they would break. I lfted her up into the air.

As if remembering something, fear colored her face, and her limbs flailed about, but that resistance is futile.

None of those punches or kicks can do a single thing to this body. That was the difference in our abilities. My buildup of years made the distance between us something akin to an adult and an infant. I’m not something to break under the Overrule of the like of you.

With her body still in hand, I pushed her against a collapsing wall.

I ignored her hand’s attempts to wriggle free, and looked into her blue eyes.

In order to scoop up whatever emotions she held within them.

“Guh… Wh… why are you alive… N-no, that form from before was…”

A gray light circled around my hand.

To pretty up the mud with gold, and repaint her existence.

Her body, her soul, her power, her meaning, her memory… her being.

The mask was to denote a Persona.

A mask of the soul to show off one’s personality, it was easily able to cover up whatever mask they wore before.

I won’t change her form.

I doubt Heard Lauder’s ever going to hold back, but there’s the million-to-one chance he might be mildly disturbed.

I may be able to sway his emotions.

I grasped her had with the palm of my hand.

“N-no, unhaaaand me! What? Are you saying I did something to you!?”

Her body kicks around some more to offer some pointless resistance.

And on her futile plight, I was momentarily taken in silence.

Seriously, why was that man keeping this girl at his side? There isn’t a hint of pride in her pitiful behavior.

For one who prioritizes hubris over all, she should be the type he hates most.

Perhaps it was my error to sink to silence, as Hiero started letting out words like a turbulent gale.

“I-in the first place, the one who attacked was Heard-san, right!? D-definitely not me. I didn’t do nuffin!! P-please forgive me. I didn’t even have the time to stop him or anything! H-honest. I really did think about stopping him… r-right. If you try laying hands on me, my master won’t keep quiet, you know!?”

Unsightly. It was just so unsightly that I didn’t even feel any contempt.

You’re seriously trying to threaten me here?

Can your fear fulfill the desire in your heart?

“This is my… Irritum’s… 『Outer Decorate』!!”

“Kuh…”

Hiero opened her eyes wide in fear. Her body was assailed by shivers akin to convulsions.

Matching her emotions of terror, her eyes talked to me.

Fear, reverence, panic, flattery.

Dance on my palms. Become my doll.

The young girl’s slim figure shook. As if to crawl into the depths of her body, a deep gray light encroached her.

No matter how much a hopeless weakling she may be, if I decorate her, she’ll at least be able to buy some time.

I didn’t make a mask for her. That would have stood out too much. Also, if I go as far as to cover up her eyes, then perhaps Heard Lauder won’t even recognize her as Hiero. I don’t change her personality or memory either.

… What I plant in her is loyalty. Absolute devotion to me was appended to her nature.

Around her finger, light gathers in the place of a mask, and a single boorish ring took shape.

It didn’t matter what it was. There’s no doubt that to bring changes to one’s personality, a mask to cover the face held the greatest efficiency, but for a Demon of her level, I don’t even have to use one.

She gave one last large convulsion, before she ceased movement.

Her sloppily lowered arms held no vigor, and on her pale features, her eyes sluggishly closed themselves.

I release my hand. I ignore former-Hiero as she fell onto the ground, and turned to my army.

No will to speak of. Over a perpetual amount of time, the souls whose glory I’ve piled up.

Now, Heard Lauder. You who’ve dragged me down from Heaven.

A few tens of thousands of years passed, let’s have another meet.

A will I never had before offered power to my body.

I surveyed my troops gathered around.

I have no right hand man.

In my army, everyone was everyone, and they were my power in itself.

That means, that all were all, and all were me. An individual, yet Legion.

Sensing my will, the military body lined up next to their mounts.

Regardless of what form they may be in, what was before me was undoubtedly the Legion of a Demon Lord. I nodded.

The masked Demons let out a quiet, wordless battle cry.

The delicate body prostrated on the ground lifted itself.

What was once an existence known as Hiero sent a hollow gaze in my direction.

“The Prideful Kaiser, and the Devourer, I’ll swallow you all in my sin.”

For the Devouring Lord, who once ate up a countless number of my brethren.

Who I let escape, and who became the trigger for my fall, the Lord of Pride.

Those frail Angels who protected the silence while knowing of Demons.

That pitiful Valkyrie who had been attacking this area as of late by chance.

For enemies… they’re worthy enough.

I already have the preparations in order.

Now, let me cover all creation in my deception.

Having been effected by unconsciously soaking up my power, the residents of Grey Rock peered at me from the windows with colorless eyes.

Near me, a Demon leading along a conspicuously large Dragon kneeled.

“Vanity-sama, your Dragon has been prepared.”

“… Huh?”

Normally, that voice shouldn’t have been there.

What was there was the Demon I had just decorated.

I glared.

Her voice as she kneeled didn’t hold the slightest hint of indebtedness, and her frame and hair and eyes and voices and powers hadn’t changed in the slightest bit from before.

“What are you supposed to be?”

“Pleasure to meet you, Vanity-san. I’m called Hiero.”

I wasn’t asking for your name.

I’m sure I overwrote part of her personality. I didn’t make a mask, so it wasn’t perfect, but I did add on to her nature. I never thought that she would be capable of conversation so quickly.

The ring of Irritum I produced was unmistakably intertwined around Hiero’s right index finger.

I’m not sure what she was thinking, but the fear on her expression from before had disappeared.

Both her face and posture were the epitome of superficiality. It was much removed from the form I had anticipated. Was her affinity with the Skill exceptionally good?

In the few tens of thousands of years since I began using Irritum, it’s a scene I’m witnessing for the first time. Even so, as long as I’ve forced her loyalty, I can’t think she’ll go against me.

It was an unexpected reaction. Should I just destroy her now, or leave her be?

There’s not even the need to think of it. This turning point is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can’t be paying so much mind to a trifle of this level.

“Is your master not Heard Lauder?”

“No, the one I serve… is surely not Heard Lauder.”

I looked down over her as she said that without hesitation.

I didn’t feel the cover of falsehood over her words.

Hmm… this is but another bit of entertainment, I guess.

The greater the forces the better. The stronger the structre, the more stable.

I doubt I’ll need a shield, but having one should be better than not. Of all else, I already gave her a portion of my power anyways.

No matter how great my power may be, it is my no means unlimited.

Of all else, I already brought forth three Sacred Lords, and a countless number of normal Angels.

I should keep as many forces as possible on hand.

“So be it. Follow if you will.”

“… Understood.”

My army mounted atop their dragons raised a tremor as they dashed forth.

I already know where they are. Those huge colliding powers were something I could sense, perhaps even if I didn’t use my Abyss Zone. It would be harder for me to ignore that those presences stirring up my soul.

The moment I put myself over my own dragon, Hiero called out again.

“… What?”

“… Vanity-sama, for your purposes, I do believe that rather than a beast to race across the earth, a flighted one would be to your benefit. Clashing with that man from the front is a poor choice of move. Even if he be the Prideful Kaiser, he has not the widest variety of strikes to launch across the sky.”

“… You’re the one that brought this flightless dragon to my side, are you not?”

“No… I mean… I never thought you would be bringing me along, so…”

“…”

I felt my own brows become stiff.

… No seriously, why did that man take her along?

After she disappeared from my field of vision with natural movements as if to run away, Hiero returned with a flying dragon.

It was likely the one she had used to transport herself here. As expected of the possession of Rank One, it had a splendid build.

With movements as if to try raising my affection points towards her, she closed in, and pulled on my arm.

That utter lack of anything resembling Pride made my pity well up before my anger had a chance.

No, perhaps it’s something I brought about with the power of my Skills…? If that’s the case, then really, I apologize. No, no…

“Now, now, Vanity-san, over here.”

“… Yeah, fine.”

While feeling somewhat unsatisfied, I put myself over the flying dragon.

Following that, she boarded a smaller… Flying Dragon, likely for her own use.

Oddly enough, it made me associate the scene with the form of Hiero cowering behind Heard.

I should have just killed her without using any power…

This personality of hers…

I started imagining a spectacle of Heard crushing this girl without a moment’s hesitation, and my own expression naturally distorted.

＊＊＊＊＊

The town of Grey Rock was close to the Dark Prison. For ground dragons specialized in land transport, and for flying dragons that rivalled them in speed, we were able to set foot into those lands in little time at all.

From the start, Grey Rock had been a town stationed on a national border, and it was once the front most line of the conflicts between the hostile Demons of both lands. It was also one of the few of such towns that remained after both the Crimson and Dark Prison were taken in under the Great Demon King’s army.

Heaven and the Demon world were heads and tails. In contrast to the world up there carefully governed by law and order, this Demon World was rampant with disorder.

On contrast to the scarcity of their activity, the great Demons Heard Lauder, and his former master, Leigie Slaughterdolls of the 『Slaughterdolls』 were Demons of power much too vast.

While I could tell his strength partly from how that Prideful Kaiser who thought nothing of God served him for such a long time, what clearly demonstrated his strength was the extensity of his Zone, that was able to cover the entirety of the Dark Prison several times larger than my Crimson Prison.

The extent of his 『Abyss Zone』 was likely the greatest within the King’s Army. The current Great Demon King, and even the one before her couldn’t extend theirs anywhere near his territory, which was already worthy of being called a single world.

It was much too vast, too powerful. There are even rumors that it had never been broken by a hostile Demon Lord, and many suspected that it wasn’t just through pure Mana, but through the as-of-yet unknown nature of Acedia Skills that granted enhancements to it, but the only one to know the truth of the matter is the Lazy King himself.

The Zones were pretty much a Demon Lord’s turf.

By touching it, or even getting close, the oppressing feeling that ran through one’s entire body was something like a threat brought about by the land’s ruler.

And that fact that Leigie’s territory had absolutely nothing like that was one of the few pieces of information I held about that Lord of Sloth, as the owner of a neighboring territory.

But I mustn’t forget. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hold any hostility.

It simply meant… that he had no interest, and that’s all it was.

When I entered the Dark Prison, I felt a differing presence cover my body without the slightest resistance.

The proof I had infiltrated a Zone.

The presences of Heard’s Pride, and Zebul’s Gluttony, and at the base of the two of them, Leigie’s characteristic air of Sloth.

In the extent of this endless desert, I couldn’t see the form of any life yet.

“Ku ku ku… we’re close.”

But I understood.

Even if I closed my eyes, I could tell.

The distance to Zebul. The Distance to Heard.

It was something that my soul, my instincts sought out. What they’d been seeking for many years.

It was… the presence of an enemy.

That urge that didn’t able, even for a Fallen Angel, was definitely not something from the instincts of an Angel, but something that existed because I was me.

Zebul’s presence was stopped. Regardless of how far she was from the Castle of Shadows.

It looks like she didn’t bring along that Greed Demon from before, and there didn’t seem to be any lifeforms around them.

She should have just rushed her way through while this land’s guardian was away at the meeting, but did she really believe my words? Or could it be that she noticed Heard’s presence leve the Dark Prison?

Zebul no longer has an option of escape. She was already within Heard Lauder’s range. Once you’ve stepped into the extent of that man’s Zone, you’ll never be able to flee from his power.

The distance between them was something that Lord of Pride could span in a number of seconds.

Naturally, the fact she had stopped before that inmistakable presence was likely because she understood that fact as well.

It would by difficult to intercept him on the run. She plans to meet him in the middle.

I remembered Zebul’s eyes.

Those eyeballs of hers were soaked in a bottomless hell of desire. That color wasn’t something anyone could let out so easily.

If it were to satisfy that longing of hers, then no method in the world would be beyond her.

Ranking wasn’t so simply linked to strength. Especially with that beast Zebul… the ultimate predator who would even suck up the world.

And while they’re clashing like that, an opening is sure to be created.

Even if they’re fakes… Angels painted to life by my Irritum still held the same movement speed as the real thing.

While he’s busy dealing with Zebul, my army will break into the Castle of Shadows.

That was the prideful weakness of Heard Lauder. The existence that was once his ruler.

His source. Even with his personality, it wasn’t something he would be able to permit.

Riding atop my flying dragon, Hiero, who was riding behind me raised a clouded voice.

“Vanity-san, I think it’s best you stopped, you know~?”

But she really is an impudent woman. This attitude after receiving my authority, perhaps this is just her base personality. For me to have overwritten her ego, carving an absolute sense of loyalty in her, and for her to have not changed in the slightest is just plainly amazing.

She’s surely a Superbia with a nature close to mine. That character of hers is clearly different from Heard’s.

Given the time, perhaps she’ll even set foot into Irritum. But honestly, I don’t really want to be grouped together with her.

“Vanity-sa~n, if you calm down and think about it… we’re screwed, I’m telling you.”

“… Screwed, you say?”

“Yes.”

I peered behind me. What is this woman saying at this point in time?

In the first place, even if it may be something from a Skill, the way you naturally let yourself follow behind me pretty much means you have no other path in life then to continue on as Heard Lauder’s servant.

I let my senses take in the world, as I continued looking to my back.

My physical condition is great, and my soul perfect. I’ve been saving up Mana for a long while. If I wanted to, I could even create a few Saint Lords at this moment.

I should even be able to destroy the Great Demon King right now.

And you say I’m screwed!?

“I mean, Vanity-san, you plan on fighting Heard-san, right?”

“…”

“And~ that~ means~…”

Because of the flap of the Dragon’s wings, it was quite difficult to pick up sound.

But within that, without working herself up at all, she let out her words as if she were just voicing a natural fact of life.

“Vanity-san, you plan on making an enemy of Leigie-sama?”

What escaped her mouth was the name of a completely irrelevant Demon.

Sama.

Leigie-sama, is it?

“… Ku ku.”

I understood.

This woman wasn’t of Heard Lauder, but of Leigie Slaughterdolls… his vassal, perhaps.

No wonder she didn’t act very subordinate-like to Heard.

She likely wasn’t expecting an answer, as her mutterings seemed to fade to dusk somewhere along the line.

They were whispers too light to even be erased by the strong sound of the wind.

“I’m fine with going against whatever it is you want, but Leigie-sama alone is someone I’d rather not oppose.”

Her tone, her emotions differed from the frivolous atmosphere she had created up to now, so I found myself asking.

“… Why?”

I’m not sure if she heard me or not, but no matter how long I waited, no response came to me.

But so be it.

From the start, I didn’t plan on opposing that man, and more importantly, there was no point.

If he stood in my way, then I’d have no mercy, but for that Lord who’d tempered his Sloth to the extreme to impede me, was in itself an impossible story.

… Right, unless some miracle were to happen.

We preserved the silence as we continued to fly on. Before long, we closed in on the battlefield.

We should have still been a few kilometers away, but the air experienced a clear change. The smell of a battle, that couldn’t just be explained away with us having entered a Zone.

The finest pray I hadn’t chanced upong in thousands of years. My fighting spirit towards my enemy danced.

The sky, the earth was crying.

Each and every blow was fatal. Fists that sent my eyes into distress shaved awy at the land, and split the empty air.

The thunderous roars that echoed through the high heavens, and Mana that far transcended that of a normal Demon Lord rose up along with it. It was likely something anyone could have noticed, even if they didn’t possess the perceptional power of a Demon Lord.

In truth, even without putting my eyes on it, I could clearly tell this was a battlefield.

It seems Zebul was doing an ample job of stalling him.

My army was also fulfilling their role sufficiently.

Demon Lord Class Demons were a form of calamity.

Their rage was to destroy the world, and kill God. The power of soul released by the two beasts was stronger than any Demon Lord I had ever fought before.

Something that in the old world of humans would have been hailed as a legend, and even in the present state where none dared to intrude on the surface world anymore, it would surely be passed down.

That level of finality existed in this space.

Humans, no, even Demons would throw down their desires the moment their eyes were to capture this battle of legend.

Kill. Slaughter one another. My greatest foes.

Besides my own, each and every desire should just be devoured.

A clash of high level Demon Lords.

What had yet to even enter my eyes as of yet was, by no doubt, quite repulsing.

But the moment before I could clearly capture the scene, the dragon followed my will, and suddenly, its upper half jerked.

It used its long tail to regain balance, and began ascending into the air at a fearsome pace.

Within the thunderous wail of the wind, we were colored with the blood red moon of the high sun. It was surely a sight one could never see in the heavens basked in light.

If we were to go any closer they would notice. That I understood.

By power is working. My Skills are completely erasing my presence.

But even if Irritum were to hide one’s presences, it couldn’t fool one’s intuition.

And those two Demon Lords over there could likely easily sense a presence-less existence or two.

Those Lords of Demons were beings that reached close to the Lords of the heavens without even having received the blessing of their God.

Even if I can grant my men with power equal to Angel Lords, before Heard Lauder’s power, they would be obliterated in an instant.

But still, there’s no way that wingless man would be able to capture a countless number of Angels fluttering around the sky. Even if he can move with the world appearing stagnant to him, his body was one that could only covet the ground.

I feel them over yonder, my subordinates… let me grant even greater glory to that Angel flock.

I’ll give them a portion of my power, and add more fuel to the blaze of their souls. The flocks speed rose even higher.

“Oh filthy souls. At the very least, burn yourselves out radiantly in the name of my Vanity!”

Now, give chase if you will. To those invading the lands of your lord.

Show me the depths of your desire, Superbia!

Those ancient battles of heaven flashed through my head again.

Without a single smile on their faces, to accomplish their justice, those vast legions of white, and those that were under the control of absolute power to pursue their desires, the black legions.

But I noticed one point that differed from the truth of my memory.

I freely manipulated the flying dragon around that biting mass of fighting spirit.

Yes, it truly was but a trifling difference…

That I myself was no longer a part of either of those Legions.

Part 4: This is why Demons are…

Demons and Angels were contrary entities. But it’s not like their existences were counterbalanced by one another.

Against the light released by Angels, the darkness a Demon could amass was easily cleared away.

No matter how powerful a Demon’s Skills may be, the disadvantages they were born with weren’t something so easily overturned.

My memory let oud a grating sound, and ached.

Even if I was up against a Demon of Pride powerful enough to repel my 『Judgement Rain』, in the end, there shouldn’t be any reason why I lost to one who hadn’t even reached Lord Leve.

… But, for some reason, the conclusion of our bout had been cleanly wiped from my recollection.

“Vanity-san? Are you finally losing your nerve at this point in time?”

“… How foolish.”

Faithfully following close to my rear, Hiero breathed out a whispering voice.

I accepted those words with a smile, and cast them away.

Losing my nerve?

I, the one who was once the closest in the heavens to God, am losing my nerve to nothing but a single Demon Lord, you say?

Useless provocations.

Anyone who embraces such an emotion has not the qualifications to become a Lord.

But at the same time, I was vigilant. I have no reason why I faced defeat the last time.

I’m sure Judgement Rain was blocked. Repelled, dissipated.

But still, I really can’t thing that something of that extent could triumph over the abilities I had at the time. Much less for one who wasn’t a Lord.

… And in actuality, I’m still right here without having lost any power.

Using the eyes of my subordinates, I observed the scene below. Their eyes had already reached the battlefield. Without wasting time, they raced straight through it.

Heard Lauder and Zebul Glaucus were approximately equal.

Heard with his godspeed mobility, and Zebul with her abnormal regeneration, and high offensive power. It looks like the Devourer’s more competent than I gave her credit for. Between them, there wasn’t as much difference as indicated by their Rank.

Right now, Hears Lauder is likely regretting his decision of trying to take care of Zebul before moving on to other matters. Even if he could only take them on one at a time, he should have chosen to deal with my Angels in the sky.

The current difference in ability. Heard had the advantage, but if he showed the smallest of openings, then the Devourer, with her Gula’s large area of effect would immediately send high level Skills at him. If he took a single one of those attacks, then the damage he’d suffer would be severe.

“So I’ll have to make a move… no.”

As long as I’ve yet to determine what sorts of trumpcards he has, negligence is forbidden.

And anyways, I have no reason to assist Zebul. Having them take each other out is the outcome most convenient to me, but I don’t think that’s possible… still, if they’re going at it this hard, then even the winner should have a considerable deficiency in power. I just have to wait patiently.

“… A~hn, I can’t see what’s going on at all~…! Vanity-san, Vanity-san, let’s ambush them…! It’s alright, while he’s fighting with Zebul, if you secretly send an attack from behind, then even that Heard-san will…”

“…”

Just what is this one saying?

I’ve decided to ignore this girl completely.

Of all things, Hiero seems to be trying to tease me. Just what was Leigie thinking when he took her on as his subordinate… no, perhaps she arbitrarily became one…

If he could be done in by a surprise attack, he’d be long dead by now!

In the first place, there’s no guarantee that Zebul’s my ally.

If I show the slightest negligence, then I don’t think that woman would have any qualms with swallowing me up from behind.

I give my subordinates some more power. I raise the flight speed some more.

I know. Among Superbia Skills, a long range attack… does not exist.

Heard Lauder has no means to stop a flock of Angels, and if he lets them by once, the until they reach the Castle of Shadows… until they reach his former master’s stronghold, there’s nothing to stop them.

Can your Pride permit such a thing? No, it can’t. That’s the sort of Demon he is.

“… In the end, that’s all there is to the man…”

“Vanity-san, just one hit! How about you just put in one nice hard blow! Just a single clean shot as you pass by!”

“… Do you happen to have some grudge against the man or something?”

“… No, not particularly. See, I’m your loyal, loyal subordinate, so I thought…”

Her nonchalant tone and figure as she averted her eyes was, no matter how you look at it, completely lacking in something called sincerity.

Heard… looks like you’ve had your share of troubles too.

I gave an order to the selfish Demon blessed with a twisted form of will-power. I just kinda want to get rid of her already.

“If you’re going to say that much, then why don’t you go forth, Hiero.”

“… Fweh!? Eeeeeh, no no no, look, I… don’t have any power, and…. I-i-i-it’s impossible. Heard-san is Rank one, you know? Demon Lord Rank One. I’ll be killed in a single breath. That person doesn’t know the meaning of holding back!”

“… Ku… ku ku… Power… power, is it? You say you don’t have power. Then very well… I’ll grant it to you!! With this power in hand, strike down Heard Lauder!! 『Outer Decorate』!”

If you want it, then take it! Now go, go, go already!

I put in much more power than when I first used on her. I still had a little left over. I’ll give her so much that she won’t be able to offer a single excuse anymore. I’ll stuff you so full, it would be a waste for such a small fry like you!

I’ll give you power to your hearts content. I’ll bet General Class is insufficient. I’ll keep pouring it in until you’re a splendid Demon Lord!

In the end, I had powered her to at least the level of a Lower Ranking Demon Lord. Among those in service to that Kanon Iralaude, she’d likely get within the top ten if ranked.

Perhaps she’s around the same level as those that are getting killed off by that Valkyrie, but there’s no doubt she’s a Demon Lord. If you were to compare it with her previous level, it’s likely over a hundred fold.

Noticing the power that had piled up in her own body, Hiero shuddered.

“Now, I gave it to you, Hiero. With this, there shouldn’t be a problem. Now go!”

“Ah… eh… for real… Wait… n-no, please wait a minute!! T-the truth is, I’m not actually a soldier!”

“Dammit… even after all that, you still plan on giving excuses!?”

“I-I mean, I don’t know how… to use my Skills at all, and… Ah, V-Vanity-san! Look, this presence is…!”

Honestly, I was quite irritated. For someone to piss me off more tha Heard, I don’t have any recollection of anything like that for the past few millennia.

If it’s like this, then even if she doesn’t put Heard off his guard, then taking away her personality, and giving her a new Persona may be my best bet.

However, it looks like I’m not going to have the time to do that.

“… What is the meaning of this? Why is she at a place like this…”

One of my subordinate Angels in my range of perception vanished.

Absolute flames. By that fire heralded as the strongest force in the Demon World, a number of those Angels’ bodies disappeared in an instant.

Flames of destruction. To reset everything, the flames of Ira.

The fact that she hadn’t entered my Zone was linked to why my recognition of her came late.

No, it’s because I never believed she’d be at a place like this. I mean, that one’s…

“Why is the Great Demon King on these lands!?”

“I-I don’t know, sir. Maybe she’s out on a walk?”

Oh, but of course!!

This is completely unexpected.

But having come this close, I felt it. Without a chance of misreading, this is the Great Demon King’s Mana.

The current generation’s Great Demon King… despite the Wrath that little girl Kanon governed, she had quite the calm, intellectual composure going on.

She didn’t do anything too illogical, and these days, she rarely ever goes out like Heard to solve the problems extending beyond her territory. Therefore, she’s easy to read. She’s certainly powerful, but that mind not to openly wander into danger was one I was sure wouldn’t get in my way.

And in that previous meeting, she didn’t even show any intent to go to the front lines.

The angels I created go down one after the other. Kanon was launching attacks on them.

Personally… she personally came to these lands just to wipe out an Angel Army of this level!?

No, even if that’s the case… I can’t let my concealment of Irritum break.

My plans are falling apart. It’s impossible. Against one possessing top class destructive power like her, this army of Angels is close to nothing.

I disperse my forces. In order to reduce the chances of being shot down as low as possible. But one by one, she began deleting those divided Angels moving at a considerable speed.

“This can’t be… this is bad…”

“For so many high ranking Demon Lords to gather in one place, how rare…”

Rare? It’s completely unheard of.

Perhaps regaining their momentum because of Kanon’s arrival, or because they lost the need to pay mind to the Angels above, the magnitude of the tremors below increased in scale.

And in the next instant, Kanon’s Mana swelled up.

It was a flash.

A wave of fire instantly spread over the sky, and died it a crimson that foretold the end of the world.

The heat wave swept over to burn up all creation. Its force worthy the name of Ruin.

That little girl… she used a high ranking Skill against opponents of far lower class…

There should be a limit to overkill.

The reactions I felt from the Angels went out all at once.

Against the fire coming at me from top to bottom, left to right, I used my own 『Overrule』.

It was an enormous amount of pure energy, fitting for her title.

She must be storing up quite a bit of rage over her everyday life.

“Ugwoooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!!”

At most, it’s been ten thousand years and a little since her birth. Kanon’s accumulated years didn’t even match up to a tenth of mine.

My Overrule, the superiority I felt as a leader, the sentiment of supremacy I once felt as a Lord of Angels blocked the unavoidable flames, and began to extinguish them.

My power, my Mana is leaving me. The power I had stored up for so long, the power I’ve amassed, in order to avoid my absolute destruction, I have to unleash it.

I know not whether the flames had continued on for a few minutes, or perhaps only a number of seconds.

And in the end, I came out on top.

The sky cleared. Nothing remained within it.

Not even a trace of that heat was left behind. It was as if that phenomenon that had enveloped me had been part of a dream. But my expended Mana, and the continued nonexistence of my Angels indicated the reality of the matter.

Dammit.

With this, Heard has lost his reason for lament. With two High Level Demon Lords here, Zebul’s defeat is inevitable.

“Ku… 『Outer Decorate』!”

Of my army racing across the land… of my stock, I convert three of them into Angels.

Along with a pure white light, the rising false Angels were shot down with arrows of fire from the side, before leaving behind not even an ash as they burned away.

It ain’t gonna cut it, I see.

Our affinity is too bad. If it was Heard alone, that would be one thing, but even without wings, Kanon possessed the capability to destroy whatever troops I deployed to the sky.

I have five hundred units left in stock. But I can’t just convert all of them to Angels. It would look much too unnatural.

“Tsk… damn that little girl. She came to stand in my path at the worst possible time… my power… my power is insufficient.”

“Vanity-san… you know, you could have just dodged…”

Having calculatedly jumped off of her flying dragon to evade the fire in the sky, Hiero shouted to me from the ground. Her own mount had burned to death.

“SHUT THE HELL UUUUUUPPPP!!! DAMMIT, DAMMNN IT AAAAAAAAAALLLLL!”

I’m not enough. I cannot reach.

Three of them. Three Demon Lords of the highest class. No, even if it were just Heard and that little Kanon girl, I can’t think I’d be able to destroy them.

I looked down on Hiero. That one’s no good. That over there is trash. In the first place, a low rank Demon Lord won’t even buy time from those two.

My luck was in that I’d still managed to uphold my disguise. Neither my true face nor stature had been revealed. No, I can change both of them at will with my power.

Then should I run? I of all people would choose retreat? Can I permit such a thing?

No, no, no! You’re saying I, I’m going to flee before Kanon and Heard Lauder?

Permit… there’s no way I could do that.

“Vanity-san, calm… calm down! Please calm down, and give me some more power!”

“… What?”

Of all things, that trash was saying some incomprehensible things with an earnest expression.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Please listen carefully, Vanity-san!”

Her blue eyes were sparkling.

Her arms were forcedly folded, and while she stared at me, I couldn’t feel any sincerety from her. Just what is loyalty supposed to be to that girl?

“The enemies number two, what’s more, against Kanon-san and Heard-san, even you would be in nothing but a tight spot, Vanity-san. Because it would be two on one.”

“As stands to reason. Now try going on.”

“And so, it’s time for your loyal, loyal subordinate Hiero to shine! If I’m by your side, that makes it two versus two, and at the very least, we’ll have a tie in numbers. But with my current powers, be it against Kanon-san or against Heard-san, I won’t last for anything more than an instant.”

“I see… meaning what you’re saying is that if I pack some more power into you, you’ll take on one of the two. That’s what you want to say, correct?”

This bitch, as if someone of your level could take on either of them.

Even if you had an overwhelming difference in power, you’d lose out in battle experience. In the first place, you said it yourself, did you not? That you weren’t even a soldier.

There’s nothing left to hear from you.

Hearing my words, Hiero seemed to have some difficulty speaking on.

“No… I likely won’t be able to stand up to either… but I will cheer you on, I assure you. Aha.”

“THEN YOU DON’T NEED ANY POOWEEER, RIGHT!!!? DAMMMNNN TRAAAAASASSSSHHHH!! Are you perhaps trying to make a fool of me!! What about it?”

Damn. This one just keeps on saying things to egg on my animosity!

I don’t care anymore. I’ve wasted my time. Let’s just… confiscate my power back from her already.

If I get back whatever I granted to her, it won’t amount to anything great. But it’s infinitely better than leaving it to her.

I dismounted the dragon. Whatever the case, since I’ve become unable to use my Angels, my options have been divided into retreat, or attack.

I glared at Hiero, who was standing upright on the ground. Come to think of it, I get the feeling that fate abandoned me the moment I took you in as a subordinate.

So be it. As the greatest sympathy I can offer, I’ll give you a painless death.

The moment I extended my arm to try to take back my power, Hiero frowned.

“Ah, but… it’s that… they seem to be fighting one another now.”

“… What?”

The Manas of Pride and Gluttony and Wrath mingled to raise a powerful whirlwind.

From the eyes of my army halted a distance away, Hiero was, sure enough, telling the truth.

Heard’s fist was directed at the flames surrounding Kanon, and Zebul’s Wave of Starvation expanded explosively to swallow all of them altogether. This malice, this spirit, this scenery, they truly were going at each other’s throats.

By what logic do the Demon Lords under the same banner start fighting one another? What’s more, one of the three is the Great Demon King, you know.

This dreadful lack of cooperation. In the tens of thousands of years since I fell to Demonhood, I think I’ve come to understand it, but… damn, this is why I hate Demons!

“This is starting to feel stupid, so I’m going home, okay… How about you return as well, Vanity-san? No, it’s not like I’ll stop you if you want to participate in that battle front…”

Hiero arbitrarily mounted herself on the dragon I had gotten off of.

Yes, this truly is starting to feel stupid. It’s stupid, and I can’t understand the reason either, but this woman sure does say some unbelievable things.

Still, that three-way-struggle… no, participating in that battle royal truly will be a pointless waste of power.

There was a clear tendency when there were two of them fighting, but now, it’s just beginning to become complicated. Originally, those of the same camp should have been cooperating, but it does look like Kanon is aiming at Heard of her own volition.

On the other hand, Heard is putting up an equal fight, and I’m not sure where that confidence of his comes from, but it seems his present level os power is still rising. All three of them held the sins with the highest offensive capabilities, and it wouldn’t be strange for one of them to come out on top over a single incident.

While I was stuck hesitating, the flying dragon had taken to the skies, and left. I failed to take back my power.

… But, right. That girl was surely quite clever. For her to be capable of that in this situation… it all just goes to show that I’ve much learn…

I sighed. Seriously, why is Kanon here… on top of that, this fight seems endless.

The minimum goal of me sending Angels out has been accomplished, but it looks like I’ll have to go work over my plan again.

Of all else, I should start searching into Kanon’s intentions, and her personality… My number of troops has also declined considerably. I’ll have to supplement those as well.

Perfectly at that moment, at the very end of the end, I heard Hiero’s voice from up high.

“Ah, Vanity-san. One more thing I might add… You’ve cut off your 『Abyss Zone』 for now, so perhaps you haven’t noticed it, but… it seems like a white presence is headed in our direction, so if you don’t want to take it on, I highly recommend you change your location. Because based on where you’re standing, you’ll be the first one in its path. Kusu kusu kusu, today sure was lively.”

She said whatever she wanted, before the shadow of the flying dragon disappeared into the distant sky. I’m not sure where to, but surely so as not to get herself involved. In the opposite direction from the Castle of Shadows.

Was that report she gave at the end her form of loyalty? … Well, I guess it’s something better than zero.

A white presence… white, is it? All of the Angels I created have been expended. And that means that what’s left is either another one that wandered down from Heaven, or perhaps the true Valkyrie.

Whatever the case, she’s not my enemy, but… if I’m found, it really will be a pain. Even if I can hide my own presence, I can do nothing to the white one coming closer.

But I’m doubtful as to whether those three will notice while they’re so focused on one another…

Now then, what should I do?

As I tilted my head to think, I did indeed pick up that entity in my perception. It was surprisingly close.

Regardless of the fact I had concealed my presence, that entity was coming straight in my direction like an arrow. The distance was something around one kilometer. A considerable speed, and even if I retreated, it’s likely it would catch up to me.

I activated a Skill of Pride. It was a Skill to leave behind the flow of time. It’s been quite a long time since I last used it. My cognizance sharpened, and time around me slowed by several levels.

And I used the smallest possible movements to dodge the woman clad in light coming down at me from up high, smashed her sword of light, and implanted my fist into her head.