The Lazy King

Daraku no Ou • 堕落の王

By the time I realized it, I had reincarnated into another

world.
I kept sleeping, and at some point I became a Demon Lord.
Even though I never wished for it.
But for me to not have to work, this world is the best. It
must be true that good things happen to good people.
The flavor of Sloth is as sweet as honey. Glory, diligence,
virtue, or honor. I have no interest in anything like that.
What’s there to hide? The Lazy king is… none other than
me.

Author(s):Tsukikage, 槻影
Artist(s):ERECT SAWARU, エレクト さわる
Year: 2014
Country: Japan
Genres:Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Seinen, Supernatural
Tags:Angels, Apathetic Protagonist, Arrogant Characters,
Cannibalism, Demon Lord, Demons, Evil Gods, Fantasy
World, Game Elements, Gods, Heroes, Humanoid
Protagonist, Lazy Protagonist, Loyal Subordinates, Male
Protagonist, Monsters, Multiple POV, Overpowered
Protagonist, Protagonist Strong from the Start, Reincarnated
into Another World, Seven Deadly Sins, Sleeping, Sword And
Magic
Source: Yoraikun Translation

ASIANOVEL VERSION: 3.11

EPUB VERSION: 2.0
UUID: 25d1e080-2ecf-11ea-9ba1-49c13ad17433
USER: CaramelAppel
DATE CREATED: 2020-01-04
LANGUAGE: English

More info and chapters:

https://www.asianovel.com/series/the-lazy-king
 Chapter 1
Source: Yoraikun Translation

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Part 1: Ah, this is a Pain

Ah, this is a pain.

I apologize for the sudden question, but do you know

about the concept of otherworldly reincarnation? I had
never heard of it until I reincarnated, and I don’t think its
usage was that common in my former world, but its
meaning is just as it sounds: being reincarnated into
another world. In most cases, the person affected usually
retains the knowledge of their past life, and gets some sort
of special power or something.

I don’t really get it, but you start a new game with new
strength. And it’s not like I was strong in my former life or
anything. Ah. Ha. Ha.

For example, on a planet called earth, in a country called

Japan, in a place called Tokyo, I was born. Well, I doubt
you’re really interested, so I’ll skip that part. Anyways, this
world has a few people like that distributed here and there,
and quite a few of them hold some important offices.

Like Hero, or adventurer, or saint, or inventor, or noble,

or stuff like that. Apparently those people often follow that
pattern. I wonder how they manage to do such pain-in-the-
ass jobs. They’re just like normal rocks on the side of the
road, and I really don’t care, but I can’t help but be
impressed by their motivation.

If you ask me why I’m saying these things…

… What? Why am I wasting energy moving my mouth to

say these pointless things?

“… The Great Demon King has given you a direct

order. Please go and write a proper report!”

Loud. Unable to escape the annoying voice by my ear, I

stuck my elbow into the bed, and turned over.

The one nagging into my ear was a woman whose

clothing was all made with black as the base color. Her
disposition was as cold as a doll’s. There’s no doubt that
she’s quite a beauty. How useless.

I stick my elbow into my pillow to prop myself up, and

looked at the woman who was knitting her eyebrows at me
—the Great Demon King, King of Destruction, 『Kanon』 ’s
something something knight brigade’s member, I think.

“And… what was that again?”

“A report! I’m the one who should be angry here,

right!? Even though we were dispatched at the same
time to all the demon lords, why is it that I’m the only
one who can’t go back yet…”

“Ah, you sure have it rough…”

 “Please quit screwing around! Write. Your. Damn.
Report!”

I don’t get what’s she’s trying to say. Why do I have to do

something like that? Ah, my arm’s tired. I once again fell
into my pillow. I’ve wasted some energy on a useless thing.

She violently shakes my shoulders. Her shrieking voice is

just way too annoying. I raise only me head, and look at the
woman who’s supposed to be from the Great Demon Lord.
For Christ’s sake, if you have the time to be doing this, go
do your job. Your job.

“Oy, you. Go write the report.”

“Wha… what!? W-why do I have… in the first place,

what should I write…”

“I’ll leave it to you. I’m busy.”

I grabbed the cover, but the woman grabbed my arm as I

wriggled into it. Dammit this is a pain. After I’ve said this
much, she still plans on annoying me? I’m tired. I’m sleepy.
I really don’t care. And wait, what sort of report is she on
about?

“In the first place, weren’t you the one to say it,
Demon Lord!? That writing was a pain so you would
talk and I would write it all!?”

“… Talking has gotten tiring, so just write whatever

you want.”

I tossed over the square box that had fallen off of the

mattress. It’s my official seal. It seems that I have to stamp
it on reports. It’s a pain to get up to find it, so, I always
keep it under the covers. Regardless of whether she writes
what I speak, or reports whatever she wants, I can see that
the contents will be fiction, so there’s no point.

The woman frantically moves her arm to catch it, before

staring at me with a blank expression.

“… Then, later.”

“What!? Wai…. Again, this is… get up!”

This time, I just ignore her screaming voice, and pull the
covers over my head. In a few seconds, my conscious drifts
away, and the annoying voice is merely a sound in the
distance. My mind escaped my body.

Um, I think there was something I was supposed to say.

What was it again?

Ah… my name.

My name is… Leigie Slaughterdolls. I forgot whatever

name I had in Japan long ago. Once upon a time, on Earth’s
Japan, I was a Salary Man who dedicated his hours to a
company, and now, I’m just a poor, ordinary Demon Lord in
service to some Great Demon King.

Part 2: I’m a Pacifist

Let me be a little honest here. When I first noticed that I

had reincarnated into this world, my first thought was that
it was a pain. That was all. But right now, I think that
rather than being a Salary Man on Earth, my current life is
much easier.

This must be because I’ve been a good boy. Yep. That

must be it. If that wasn’t the case, then I would have been
forced to work for the next few decades. Just like the
laborers that exist all over the place. Well, perhaps I would
find it a pain, and kill myself along the way.

In comparison, this otherworldy life is exceedingly easy.

Giving the specifics is a pain, so I’ll skip them, but from the
moment I was born into this world, I haven’t worked for a
second of my life. Even so, I’ve managed to attain quite a
comfortable lifestyle. It’s laziness without end. There’s no
greater pleasure than this. At the very least, for someone
who respects the poor, I’m satisfied with this life.

“Unemployed!? No work experience!? How could it

be that one of the Great Demon King’s arms and legs,
a Demon Lord is lazing around!? You just don’t want
to work, right!”

Right now, the only headache I have is this woman the

Great Demon King sent. I don’t know her name. She’s quite
a beauty. And she screams at me. If you’re looking for her
characteristics, I guess that’s about it. She’s just a bit
higher than the rest of the mob. For me, her screaming is
quite an annoyance. For someone as calm as me, we really
don’t fit together. I’ll bet the Great Demon King tried to
send over whoever would annoy me the most as a form of
harassment.

“… And what was this about again?”

When you compare the rest of the reincarnated in this

world to me, who was born as a dirt-cheap devil, I guess
the only saving grace is that this world was exceedingly
easy to live in. The value of life is just a tad bit low, but if
you try a bit, you can enjoy an idle life. Even if you don’t
try, it’s possible. I feel like an idiot for working my ass off in
Japan. I can only say this in hindsight, but I wish I
reincarnated earlier.
 “It’s a Hero. A Hero! A Hero’s attacking! See, now
it’s finally the time for you to rise! Please get off of
the bed already!”

“… I’m a pacifist.”

I can’t understand why she’s so energetic. She raises

both of her arms above her head, and makes a request to
me as she looks over me with cold eyes. Change, change.
Please give me a more decent one. (TL: A line used in…
certain clubs to exchange for another woman)

I’d really like it if she stopped waking me whenever I was

peacefully sleeping. She keeps waking me at irregular
hours, so I’m always sleep deprived.

It’s fine if she has motivation, but I’d like her to think of
all the people who don’t. When you’re pointlessly brimming
with spirit, you end up wasting your time pointlessly doing
overtime. Ah, I just remembered a superior that worked in
my division. Forgot his name, though.

“Pacifist!? The Demon Lord’s a Pacifist!? Have

maggots finally made their way to your rotten brain!?
This is a direct order! The Great Demon King’s direct
order!! Do you understand the meaning of that? The
Great Demon King has personally dispatched you, and
it’s supposed to be an honor…”

I understand. Honor. I just can’t defeat this drowsy

feeling.

“… Change. Change. Go bring in the lazy attendant I

had before.”

“Eh? Change?”
 “Yes. Change. You loud. I hate.”

“Whaaaaaaaaat?”

The woman opened her eyes wide in an exaggerated

gesture. It’s as if I can see the veins just poping out of her
forehead.

The woman in front of me is a demon. I’m also one, and

so’s the Great Demon King. But even if you categorize them
under one name, there are various types, and we’re divided
by attribute. That means, I forget the number, but it’s
that… you know, that thing in earth’s religion or legend, or
manga or something. You’ve probably heard about it. Um…
right, Wrath, or Decay or stuff like that… that thingy with
seven or eight things. It sounds really high and mighty.

“My predecessor retired! He said something about

『Sloth』 being pitiful to look at! Do you understand
what this means!? Looking at you, the Demon Lord,
he got tired of his own attribute! Hey!”

“I see.”

“I see!? Your impression is, ‘I see’!? Two words?

Only two words!? Ah, damn it all. The hell’s with this
man!”

It was a topic I didn’t really have interest in. In the first

place, I don’t really remember the past guy’s face. All that I
remember is that it was a lot quieter back then than it is
now.

I am a demon. My attribute is 『Sloth』 . Depravity and

resignation, escape and decay, suspension and stagnation,
inertia and dejection. A Demon Lord reigning over that sort
of thing. From under the covers, I take a peek at the Great
Demon King’s underling.

“And do you think that’s enough… to make someone

like me move?”

“Ku… This man is…”

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a man who can sleep for as
long as I want. This isn’t just because I’m a devil. It was
like that before I reincarnated too. In order to live, I
reluctantly took up work, but on my off days, I slept the
whole time. Because of that, I have no memory of when,
where or how I died. I guess that makes me luckier than all
those reincarnators who were hit by a truck or slashed by
some slasher.

Well, at this point, I don’t really care.

The screaming woman is still trying to issue orders. Even

being a Demon Lord is just like being a feudal lord, so I
guess it isn’t that easy.

“Go report what I’m about to say to Kanon.”

With that one sentence, the woman fell silent. Despite

everything, I guess she’s still a professional, and she was
personally sent by that Great Demon King. She’s supposed
to be skilled. Having said what I wanted, I finally resolve
myself to return to the world of dreams once more, and
again, the woman tries to pull my cover off.

“Wait… Wait a god damn second!! You haven’t said

anything yet, why are you sleeping again!?”

“… Take a guess.”
 If I get serious, there’s no way a demon of this level
would be able to get in the way of my sleep. I feel the futon,
my arms and my hair being pulled, as I let my mind fall into
the abyss. I fell into the depths of that peaceful darkness.

Part 3: It’s not like I’m a NEET or Anything

I don’t mean to brag, but it’s not like the only thing I do is
sleep. When I get hungry, I eat, and when it’s time for
cleaning, I do get off of the bed.

Right, I just don’t work. It’s not like I’m a NEET or

anything.

“… You really are the worst. That’s what society

calls a NEET.”

“I’m on unearned income.” (TL: Google it)

“No, it’s not like you’re living like this for free or
anything, right!?”

No to me, it kinda feels free. I’m not really worried about

it, but if possible, I prefer my bed to be soft. And so, when
they come to clean, I do get off of it. For a change of pace, I
did think of changing my room every now and then, but I
don’t want to walk in the hallway, so the idea was rejected.
I’m not that desperate for a fluffy bed.

The greatest reason I’m grateful for having been reborn a

devil, is that no matter how much I sleep, I never get a
headache. I take a big stretch after I get off the bed, and
lower myself into a sturdy chair made of wood. It’s my
favorite. Apparently it has quite a history behind it, and it’s
quite valuable, but I’m none too knowledgeable. When I
lean back and let it swing back and forth, it’s as if I’m a
baby being rocked to sleep in a cradle. It makes me sleepy.
 “Oy, wrap that around me.”

“Yes. As you wish, my liege.”

The maid who had come to clean has a bright smile on

her face as she brings the blanket over. It’s this. This is how
you’re supposed to be treating the existence called the
Demon Lord. Demon Lord isn’t just some random title. I
have my own retainers, and some land. It’s all what I was
granted by the Great Demon King, but I don’t really care.
What’s essential is that the people I’ve been granted all
take good care of me.

I don’t mean to brag, but I can’t clean, cook or do

laundry. The only thing I can do is sleep.

I say my thanks, as she wraps it around the armchair.

And as I was relaxing like that, the Great Demon Lord’s
subordinate sent me flying. She thrust at the chair with an
incredible amount of power. My body floats in the air for a
while before I crash head-first into the wall. What power.
Every time she hits me, I start to remember my past life as
a human, and confirm the fact that this is, indeed, another
world.

Is it just my imagination, or is this woman’s treatment of

me getting worse, and worse?

“Ah… my liege!? A-are you alright!?”

“Yeah.”

“Quit screwing around!”

The woman stamps her foot in frustration. With just that

action, the floor that’s supposed to be protected with a
barrier of the highest class begins to creak. Her expression
is like that of a devil. Um, when did she get here again?
The maid lifts me by the armpits, and sets me back on the
chair.

She thrusts her finger at the Great Demon King’s

follower. As she’s my subject, of course, the maid is also a
devil. I don’t know her attribute. IF I may add, I also don’t
know her name. I’m bad at remembering people’s names.
Most of the time, I just don’t have any interest.

“The one who should quit is you, Lize Bloodcross!

Even if you’re a supervisor sent directly from Kanon-
sama, your attitude towards our Demon Lord goes
beyond what could be called rude!”

I see. So this woman had a name like Lize. Now that you
mention it, I get the feeling that she introduced herself
when she was first stationed here.

“The hell are you saying!? It’s because you guys are
like this, that that Demon Lord over there never has
any intentions of working!”

Even I couldn’t stay silent at such a remark.

“No, even if they weren’t here, I have no intention

of working, you know.”

“As expected of Leigie-sama!”

The maid is looking at me with sparkling eyes of

admiration. I wonder if she realizes that I don’t know her
name. And I wonder just what part of me she’s admiring.
Well, all of it doesn’t really matter.

With feelings of resignation, I closed my eyes.

 “Wait… Don’t sleep! Didn’t you just get up!?”

“Lize, the Demon Lord is sleeping! Please be quiet!”

“Haaaaa!? Why are all you people so soft on this

Demon Lord!? And wait, why is this thing a Demon
Lord anyways!? All he does is sleep!”

Ah, she’s loud. Ah, all of this is a pain.

There are plenty of demons, but very few Demon Lords.

The method for determining a Demon Lord is simple.

Class: 『Demon Lord』

The ones who have that are the Demon Lords.

Classes are a concept that didn’t exist in my previous

world, but to put it simply, it’s like your occupation. By
rising in Class, humans are able to access various
incomprehensible superpowers… various forms of
something called Skills. I don’t know the details, and I don’t
know on what system they work. I don’t even know if
there’s a set system. What’s important is that by dabbling
in your class, you can get to use some convenient powers,
and that’s all. Even without any effort.

What’s more, reincarnators usually end up with some

special classes. Like Hero, or Savior or Sage. In my case, I
was born with 『Demon』 as my class. After a few years of
living a depraved life, it became 『Demon Lord』 before I
even noticed it. Having Classes change is apparently
something that happens all the time. I get the feeling that
there was some criterion on who would advance Classes,
but I don’t really remember.
 Anyways, in the end, I became a Demon Lord without
putting in any effort, and I was suddenly able to use some
strange powers freely. In that sense, giving an answer to
this woman’s question would be easy.

I became a Demon Lord by doing nothing but sleeping. It

wasn’t by my will.

That’s all I can say, and I don’t have any answers besides
that. But it’ll be a pain, so I won’t speak up.

“Demon Lord Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls! As a

member of the Great Demon King’s personal 『Order
of Black 』 , I command you in the name of Great
Demon King 『 Kanon 』 ! Lead your Legion, and head
to the Prison of Flames. Bring ruin to the Demon
Lord who hath gone against us, Granzer Esther!”

“Don’t want to.”

Why? For what reason would I have to go to some

random place for some guy I don’t know?

“Huh? You plan to refuse a direct order under the

Great Demon King’s name? Do you truly understand
the meaning of such an act?”

“…”

I truly did not care, so I was going to answer, ‘No Idea’,

but I felt that would make things complicated, so I stayed
silent. It’s a problem of personality. I don’t think I’m ever
going to come to an understanding with this woman. I hate
pointless things, and I hate troublesome things even more.
What I love is sleep and spare time, and I care not for
anything else.
 I call over the maid watching over us, and say a single
word.

“Iyo.”

“… Understood.”

The maid respectfully bows her head. She made quiet

steps as she departed from the room. I finally closed my
eyes once more, only to feel my head get smacked again.

It was an amazing display of strength. My favorite chair

was smashed to pieces beneath me, and cracks spread
across the ground as I crashed into it.

The woman’s arms were slender. About as thick as a

weakling like mine’s. But this is but a fantasy world, so
appearance and power are disproportional. She pants
heavily as she raises her eyes. I take a glance at her, and
since my chair had been smashed, I laid on the ground
where I was.

I can’t go back to the bed yet. It has to air. And climbing

up to the top of the bed is a pain. The woman stared at me
with a dumbfound expression as I spread myself on the
groud.

“… Wh-what!? Y…you’re… t-that bad!? H-how about

you try saying something at least?”

She’s an exceedingly troublesome woman. Especially the

part where she immediately resorts to violence. Let me add
that as this woman is a direct follower of Kanon, she’s
much stronger than an average devil. Devils have various
ranks, and between a normal Demon and Demon Lord,
there are numerous positions. Within that, the position one
lower than a Demon Lord… I guess she has as much power
as a General. This world is definitely a Fantasy, but because
of the separation by rank, and the glass ceiling, I guess
there’s not really a difference between this world and that
one. Well, I guess her skill level is deserving of it, but…
This is a pain.

“I’m against violence.”

She grabs me by the cuff of my shirt, and shakes me back

and forth. Therein is the form of a small woman
threatening a man much larger than her. But in the end,
with something like this, disrupting my sleep is…
impossible.

“What? You’re going to close your eyes in a

situation like this!? Impossible, irrational, what the
hell is up with this Demon Lord!!?”

She slaps my face left and right, and gets in a few well-
placed body blows. She uses an uppercut on my chin to get
me airborne, and continues with a beautiful combo of kicks.
Her flowing movements have been heavily polished, giving
me the idea that this woman is quite used to beating up
humans. This one… even after transferring jobs, she isn’t
showing any mercy. The shockwaves emanating from each
blow rip apart the cover, and feathers fly everywhere in a
flashy display.

That Kanon guy’s going to be getting an invoice for this…

of course, I won’t be the one sending it.

But in the end, trying to disrupt my sleep with this much

is… impossible.

It’s not like I’m strong against pain or anything. I’m not
taking any damage. A difference between here and Japan is
that a few things from that world have been systematically
placed under something called HP, and as long as that
doesn’t decrease, my body won’t get any wounds, and I
won’t feel any pain. Normal kicks and skills would drop my
HP, but here, by the judgement of a stat called Vitality… the
higher your VIT is, the lower the damage. This entire world
is built off of parameters, and using them, you can make a
clear calculative comparison. It’s quite a pain.

And despite everything, me being a Demon Lord makes

my VIT needlessly high. Every time the woman hits me, my
VIT gets in the way, and my body is taking less damage
than if I was being beaten up by a baby. This is making me
sleepy. But she sure is an annoying woman. Just what is her
attribute supposed to be? My curiosity has been peaked
ever so slightly.

“Hey, you. What’s your…”

And there, I breathed in a deep sigh. I flopped onto the

floor, and rolled over as I averted my gaze.

“Don’t. Stop. In. The. Middle. Of. Your.

Sentence!!!!!”

She really is a noisy woman. I really don’t have that much

interest in you, you know. I opened my mouth because I felt
like it, but along the way, I realized I didn’t care. The sole
of her foot comes down on the defenseless me numerous
times. My head is being kicked around like a soccer ball,
and finally, she presses her sword against my face. Don’t be
bringing out a blade here. Not that I plan on saying
anything, but… A few minutes later, after overexerting
herself, all that was left was the Great Demon King’s
underling who had used all her energy, and me, who hadn’t
taken any damage.
 “Hah… hah… This man… I’d heard about it, but… H-
he’s hard…”

Of course. As long as my VIT is high, I can sleep without

paying heed to my environment. With my bountiful VIT,
high temperature, low temperature, poison, and even
paralysis, and all other status ailments, as well as
abnormalities don’t work against me. It’s not like I was
born this way, it’s a skill held by those of Demon Lord
Class. But the details are a pain to explain, so I’ll omit
them.

The woman opened her hand, and stared at her own palm
in amazement.

“So this is… the Demon Lord of 『Acedia』…”

Watch closely, and bear witness. Now kneel before my

power. And if I may beseech you, please quiet down. I
assure you that’s the only path that will make everyone
happy.

Part 4: Sloth and Depravity

Even if I didn’t really wish for my status, as long as I’m a

Lord, I have my own men… my own retainers. I’m the
natural enemy of humanity, and in some country or another,
some something something god’s followers see me as their
complete nemesis. I should add that a few other demons
and Demon Lords are after me for selfish reasons as well.
To summarize, I have lots of enemies. Even though I
haven’t done anything, I have lots of enemies. It’s all the
ripple effect from that Top Kanon guy declaring world
domination or heavenly domination or hell domination or
some needlessly grandiose goal. If I didn’t have any men,
then as I don’t like fighting, I would probably be dead.
Every quarter of a year, someone with a Hero or Savior
Class tries an assault, and once or twice a year, heavenly
soldiers come to assassinate me. Once or twice a month,
I’m dragged into some war going on in Hell. It’s a pain. I
myself don’t fight, so I’m seen as one of the more moderate
Demon Lords. I guess the world is at its end.

The Great Demon King’s follower who seems to be named

Lize has her arms crossed as she stares at me with an
unpleasant expression.

“Demon Lord, Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls. For

your achievements at the Prison of Flames in the war
against the Demon Lord Granzer Esther, under the
name of the Great Demon King Kanon, you have been
promoted to the Third Rank among Demon Lords, and
have been awarded the mighty Demon Blade Celeste.”

“I see.”

It’s not something that concerns me. As she reluctantly

hands over the sword, I toss it aside without looking at it. I
don’t need a sword. But it’s not like I want a Shield or
anything, and of course, I don’t want any medals. I really
don’t want status either. All I want is quiet time to rest.

“AAAAAAAH, what are you doing to the sword

Kanon-sama personally sent you!?”

In hot haste, Lize picks up the sword, and hugs it to her

body as if it were a precious artifact as she glares at me. I
don’t even know the difference between a Demon Blade
and a normal one, and I never even get off the bed, so I
have no opportunities to use it. Even a kitchen knife would
have been more useful.

Well, I wouldn’t be using that either, but…

 “… I can’t accept this. Why the hell are you getting
a promotion! You didn’t even do anything!”

“No idea.”

That’s something you should be asking your master. I’ll

bet that would be a much better usage of your time. Just
meeting her gaze had become tiresome, so I fell face-up
onto the bed. Lize had splendidly destroyed the other one,
so it’s brand new. At first, I longed for my old one, but now
it doesn’t really bother me. All that’s necessary for me is
simple sleep.

I don’t even know the reason for my promotion, and I

didn’t know my previous ranking in the first place. I have
no idea whether Rank Three is even high or not. All of it
doesn’t really matter.

But perhaps because she was unsatisfied with my

attitude, Lize began stomping her foot. I don’t know just
how long has passed since she first came here, but my
impression of her as a beauty has been shattered with not a
trace of it left behind. I guess it’s true that you can get
tired of beauty. The only thing left is her annoying portion,
and I’m also getting used to that one.

“Don’t think I don’t know! The one leading your

army was Deije the Usurper! He led it as he
conducted the assault on Granzer’s armies!”

“I see.”

Who the hell is Deije the usurper? Well, it doesn’t really

matter. I’m not that interested. Lize let out a sigh as she
looked at my face. Just as I was getting used to her, I guess
she was also getting accustomed to me. It’s that power of
human adaptation.
 “It was a splendid strategy. I guess the rumors that
the army of Leigie the Depraved was the strongest
were true. They trampled Granzer’s forces as if they
were children… I can see why Kanon-sama is
permitting your current behavior.”

“I see.”

“… Are you even listening to me?”

“I see.”

I turn my body over once more, and grabbed the body

pillow that was just about my height. I love to sleep, but I
also love to roll around after waking up. Lize’s eyebrows
rise as she pulls the pillow away. There was no helping it,
so I hugged the cover instead.

“… Anyways, I was only sent to watch over you by

the Great Demon King, but let me give you a word of
advice. As a Demon Lord, you should present
something unto Deije for his distinguished services.”

“… That’s right… Who was Deije again?”

“Haaaaaah!? Could it be that you don’t even

remember the members of your own Legion?”

That’s the sort of thing Sloth is. And I don’t hold any
interest towards the demon known as Deije. It’s a bit
troublesome, but… I pointed to the sword Lize was holding
so preciously.

“… I’ll give him that sword.”

“Hah? Are you serious? No matter how distinguished he

is, you’re going to give the Demon Blade granted to you by
the Great Demon King to an ordinary Demon?

“I don’t need it. If it was some bedding, then

perhaps I would consider it.”

A new mattress, or mabe a pillow, or maybe even a

replacement for the armchair that was brutally destroyed.
Kanon actually has a bit of a generous side to him, so I’ll
bet he’ll prepare something nice.

“Divine goods… treasures of the gods… even if you

may be a Demon Lord, do you think a Demon like you
could use them?”

(TL: Bedding ( 寝 具 ) sounds the same as Divine

Armaments (神具))

It was the first time I ever saw Lize gaze at me with eyes
as if she was looking at a monster. It was, without a doubt,
a misunderstanding, but correcting her would be a pain.

“… That’s right.”

“I see… so you’re not just some ordinary loafer…”

Loafer… This woman says some interesting things. Well,

she can say whatever she wants. I have no interest in her
words.

I turn myself over once more. The cover is warm, and

heavy. It gives a sense of security. Having accomplished
everything I set out to do, I yawned deeply as I closed my
eyes.

“Ah, wait a sec’ boss Leigie.”

 What a loud person. It’s always like this. Whenever I try
to sleep, everyone gets in my way. I’m going to sleep either
way.

“Oy, Demon Lord. That’s Deije.”

As I was saying, who the hell is that? I roll my shoulders,

and forcefully lift my heavy eyelids. In front of me was a
single man. He was a large and muscular man. His
beardless face was like a smooth blank mask, and on top of
it grew a large pair of curling horns. But his most
prominent feature was his arms, three on each side for a
total of six. And on his head, a similar total of six
glimmering eyes. In his disgustingly warped mouth, grew
long fangs.

“Who the hell are you?”

“… You’re the same as always, Boss Leigie… I’m

Deije Breindac. I’m in charge of your Legion’s third
brigade.”

“I see…”

The male demon who proclaimed himself to be Deiji had

an aloof tone unbefitting of his appearance. So this is the
Deije Lize was talking about a while back… I see… Yep. I
don’t care.

“And do I know you?”

“Of course, boss. You’re the one who appointed me

to take charge of the third brigade in the first place.”

“… I see.”
 I’m a bit curious as to how many brigades I have, but
anyways, it seems he’s quite an important person. My
instincts are telling me that the Demon called Deije
possessed quite a bit of power.

“The one who ignored that girl Medea’s opposition,

and appointed me leader of the third brigade was you,
boss. But I guess you’ll never change.”

Who’s that girl Medea supposed to be? I looked in Lize’s

direction, but as she didn’t seem to be confused about it, I
guess that Medea girl’s a well-known one in my army. Well,
not that it matters. Names, and existences, and powers and
everything else. They all don’t matter to me. Just do
whatever you want.

I rubbed my head into the pillow as I spoke to Deije.

“Iyo”

“Yes, it is an honor that I have answered to the

Boss’s expectations.”

Deije lowers himself. On his actions, Lize tilts her head.

“… What exactly is that 『Iyo』 supposed to mean?”

『I』 will leave it to『yo』u. 『I』 am satisfied with 『yo』

ur work.

(TL: In the original, it’s Yoha, but it’s a combination of

phrases that pretty much mean the same thing)

It’s a phrase that says both at the same time. Specifically

thanking or ordering people got to be a pain, so it’s
something I thought up. If you just say it whenever you
want, they’ll interpret it however they want, so it’s quite
convenient. But answering her would be a pain, so I’ll just
ignore her.

“And what are you here for again?”

“Yes, this may be presumptuous, but I was

wondering whether or not the boss was deciding on a
reward to bestow onto me. How about it?”’

There’s nothing to how about it. I don’t care about that.

All that’s important for me is to strive for a sleep more
comfortable than this one. I looked down on Deije with cold
eyes. Of course, it was a pain, so I didn’t voice my opinion.

“I’ll award you that sword.”

On my words, Deije took a glance at the sword Lize was

carrying. His eyes glowed red like a carnivorous beast who
had just caught sight of its prey. He licked his lips before
turning his eyes back to me.

“It is an honor too great for me, boss. But there was
another item I was hoping for… no, I’m not saying I
don’t want the sword or anything. As you can see, I
have six arms here, so…”

“Deije, you bastard! When you’re just a run of the

mill Demon, you plan on saying that the sword the
Great Demon King sent is not enough for you!?”

I hold up my hand to stop Lize, who had flown into a

rage. The body pillow she’s holding is making creaking
sounds, and it feels like it’s about to burst. I’d appreciate it
if she were to stop. It’s loud. It’s a pain. Can’t she close her
mouth for a second? I just want to sleep here.
 It looks like his attribute is Greed. It’s natural for him to
want more. Deije of Greed and me of Sloth will never have
a conflict of interest. I recovered my pillow from Lize, and
spread it out below my head. I turn my eyes to the twisting
patterns on the ceilings as I answered.

“Ask what you will.”

“Yes, so would it be possible for me to have another

of the boss’s special 『Dolls』?”

That was a bit away from my expectations. If it was

something I had on hand, it would be fine, but making a
new doll would take a bit of effort.

“… That sounds like a pain.”

“I beg of you, it can be the most basic type, so…”

This rotten greed. It seems that he won’t go away unless

I do something to answer his desires, or unless I kill him. I
wonder whether killing him or making a new doll would
take more effort. It was a while back, but it seems to be
true that he has done some distinguished service. If both
options will take the same amount of effort, then I guess I’ll
give him a doll.

I look over the room, and picked up a candle holder from

the closest side table. The holder had a design resembling
a skeleton. This is a pain, so let’s go with this. I tossed it
over to Deije as is.

Deije accepted it with a full smile. He traced its form with

all six of his hands.

“Boss, this one doesn’t have a soul.”

 It’s ‘cuz I didn’t give it one.

“Would it be better if it did?”

“… Surely you jest. A doll without a soul is but an

item. What I’m requesting for is one of your
Slaughter Dolls.”

“I see.”

I guess I really will have to put in some effort, or he won’t

leave. There’s no helping it. Let’s just get this over with. I
yawned as I pointed my finger at the soul-less skeleton.

I used a skill.

And with that, a presence began to eminate from the doll.

Among my powers as a Demon Lord was a skill to grant life
to dolls. It’s a skill I specialize in. That’s where I get the
Slaughter Dolls part of my title.

“Is that good enough?”

“Yes, I will happily accept it. Could you also grant a

name onto it?”

Giving a name is an important ceremony for a Devil. The

name is carved onto the body, and it’s not an exaggeration
that the name gives way to new powers. But why is it that I
have to do something like that?

“… If you get some more achievements, I’ll consider

it.”

“… Ki ki ki, understood. I’ll do my best to not croak

out there.”
 He laughs in a creaky voice, before retreating. I guess it’s
a manner befitting for a Demon governing over Greed, but I
don’t really care. With a grim expression, he took the sword
from the hands of Lize, who had simply watched over the
exchange like a scarecrow.

“Well then, boss. I’ll request another audience once

I get some merits.”

After a single, deep bow, he left the room.

No, you don’t have to come again. I’ll give you whatever
you want. You don’t even have to ask me. I’ll leave it to you.
And so, just leave me alone.

Depravity and Sloth. Those are the only reasons for my

existence, and that’s all I desire for.
 Chapter 2
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

TL: Greed just likes to appraise things, so his chapter is

to expand on the world. It’s not really comedic. All of the
chapters are from different points of view, so some people
have senses of humor, and others not. He isn’t the Narrator
again, so don’t worry.

Part 1: Pile up all the Glory and Treasure

Well, well. I guess Boss Leigie’s the same as always.

I had only talked to him for a few minutes, but he’s

already tired me out. I took a deep sigh as I departed from
the room of the Demon Lord of Acedia.

The same. That’s my only impression of him.

It’s already been ten years since I enlisted in this guy’s

army. From a Demon’s perspective, a measly ten years is
nothing, and it’s a fact that I’ve been alive for far more
than a thousand. I’m a demon who reigns over
『 Avaritia 』 - Deije Breindac, and I think I’m following
quite a nice path as a demon. I was already used to leading
armies before I was appointed to one here, and my usable
Mana is in the higher ranks compared to the others. From
the moment I was born, I was able to keep on building up
my greed, and my Class is advancing at a nice rate. I even
have some confidence in regards to battle. That’s why I’ve
managed to thoroughly crush the armies of other lands so
easily, and the targets of my desire… treasure and glory,
come to me all too easily. But still… The amount of times
I’ve had audiences is enough to count on all of my hands,
but Boss hasn’t remembered my face or name. I’m putting
shame to the name of Deije the Usurper.

Ki ki ki, well, I’m dealing with the Demon Lord who

governs depravity and sloth, so I guess there’s no helping
it.

I mean, isn’t Boss Leigie the most depraved of all of us?

I’ve been around for a long time, but I’ve never seen him
leave his room once. He must have a natural disposition for
this. I guess 『Demon Lords』 really are a cut above the
rest. Though I’ve never seen a Demon Lord like this one
before.

The Castle of Shadows.

It’s the base of one in service to the greatest power of the

Demon World, the King of Destruction, Kanon. The castle of
Demon Lord Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls was also the
most important point for his armies. Its width far surpasses
that of Kanon’s Castle, the Palace of Rending Flames. It
wasn’t extravagant, but to match Sloth, who he governs
over, the entire castle was built sturdy. In truth, most of the
men the Great Demon King dispatches are within the
Castle of Shadows. Even the Great Demon Lord’s armies
don’t put the vast land they have to good use.

I open the door of the personal room granted to me. It’s

quite a large door. The room I was granted was much
larger than the one boss uses. It’s ‘cuz he has no desires. I
wonder how he keeps up as a Demon like that. Well, that’s
why the affinities of Greed and Sloth are so good.
 When I stepped in, I made sure to firmly lock the door
behind me before inspecting the sword I had received.

The Demon Blade Celeste.

Once a possession of the Great Demon King, it is a top

class item. It’s an item with quite a history behind it. If you
ask about its shape, it’s an Orthodox Longsword. Its deep
crimson double-edged blade looked as if it had manifested
in the flames of hell itself, and its hilt is decorated with a
dragonic pattern. Its blade and handle, and even the
scabbard, are died in a blood-like red. I don’t mean to brag,
but I have quite an eye for appraising items. Ki ki ki, it’s
because it’s the target of my desire. Of course I would put
some effort into studying it.

And from my observations, it’s definitely the real deal.

It’s the legendary Demon Blade said to have carved up a
dragon in a single swing. I unsheathed it and trace my
finger down the deep red metal. Its true power lies not as a
sword, though it works sufficiently as one as well. However,
it has more meaning when used as a magic tool. The magic
I can sense emanating from the body of the blade is greater
than any other Demon Blade in my possession by
monstrous proportions. It isn’t something a General Class
Demon like me should be holding. It truly is Demon Lord
Class. I guess it’s because the Great Demon King was
trying to get the Boss to accept it. It has to have quite a
high rank.

Ah, this is no good. Pride ain’t my territory. I caution

myself. When feelings, when desires gets stronger, then
one’s power as a demon will rise. I still haven’t fulfilled my
greed. I’m not satisfied yet.
 I use one of the Greed Series Skills, Big Pocket, to store
the blade in another dimension. As long as my desire
remains unfulfilled, the capacity of that space will continue
to grow without end. From the time I came to this army,
this is the third time the Boss’s given me equipment. And
all of them were things Leigie received from the Great
Demon King, so they’re all first-class. This isn’t the type of
item I can find from digging around in the treasury of some
defeated foreign lord. Of course it isn’t. Things from the
Great Demon King’s cellar are literally pouring into my
hands from all directions. That’s why I’m glad I joined this
army. Even if the other Demon Lords don’t have the
attribute of 『 Greed 』 , it would never be this easy. As I
thought, I’ll work well with our drive-less lazy king. This is
my perfect hunting ground.

But today’s main dish isn’t even the SSS Class Demon
Blade. Today’s meal is the true, largest reason I joined this
Legion. I took out the Skeleton-shaped doll I received and
placed it on the Table.

Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls.

A lazy lord, and a rare one who governed the attribute of

Sloth; uncommon among the subordinates of Kanon. No
one in this world has ever witnessed boss fighting on the
battlefield. In the first place, the details of the Sloth Series
skills aren’t really clear, but the only thing widely known
about them is their skill to make these dolls of mass
destruction. That, and the dolls themselves. I’ve met one of
these dolls on the battlefield once before. At that time, our
blades mingled, and I was able to confirm it. I don’t know
the numbers this skill can give life to, but… it would
definitely be able to control the demon world. That’s just
how strong the Doll is. That creation was a weapon
personally owned by a famous Demon Lord.
 Even if I say I have some confidence in my power, I’m
nowhere near the realm of Demon lords, and I can see that
the doll is the same. This one’s only just been born, but… it
truly is a cut above the rest. It may possess a power
surpassing the sword sent personally by the Great Demon
King.

But it’s still a child. If I continue to raise this one, it may

become my right hand man. Ki ki ki, my greed is too deep
for it to be satisfied by me alone. Isn’t it time for me to get
myself another body to aid me?

What was once an ordinary candlestick holder now stood

firmly on two legs, as it gazed at me with its hollow eye
sockets. Class: 『 Slaughter Doll 』 It truly feels like it
possesses its own will. There are numerous Demon Skills
that can bring about life, but they’re nothing compared to
the work of a Demon Lord.

And for a skill like that, he didn’t even say the name. He
activated it in the middle of a yawn. Leigie is quite a
frightening one. It’s not his personality, but his power. The
power he used as the Lazy King to continue climbing up in
status without moving a finger. It’s scary. We’re only a
single level apart in class, but I can’t even begin to see the
start of his power.

Well, one day… I’ll be taking it, though, Boss.

The Skeleton doll bows and pledges its loyalty to me.

Good good. That’s just wonderful. Boss Leigie doesn’t have
even a speck of interest in me, and that’s why he didn’t put
a single restriction on this weapon.

I lower my gaze to the new toy I had been given and

laughed.
 “Ki ki ki, it’ll be nice working with you, Slaughter.”

In the end, I’ll get my hands on everything. Well, let’s get

along until then.

Part 2: A Hard Talk, ain’t it?

When I dropped by the war council room, on time, the

members were already all gathered there.

The forces of the King of Acedia, Leigie of the

Slaughterdolls… his army is divided into three large
sections. The one with the most members, and the main
force on the battlefield: The first Brigade. The one with the
least members, and the one that’s usually stationed to
protect Boss’s castle: The Second Brigade. The one with a
moderate amount of manpower, that specializes in mobility
and offense to conduct raids on the battlefield: the Third
Brigade, which I lead.

In this castle, there’s also the Great Demon King’s

dispatched forces under the lead of that Lize Bloodcross,
but they won’t move in the wars involving boss, so they
don‘t really matter.

Anyways, that’s the entirety of the strongest Legion,

known across the Demon World. It’s quite simple, isn’t it?
That may be the case. But in the end, isn’t simple usually
the most effective? And we’re winning quite a bit like this,
so I guess it’ll stay this way for a while. In essence, battles
between Demon armies are just two powers hitting each
other upfront and skills knocking each other down.

I feel everyone’s gaze as I lower myself into the leftmost

armchair. I had my new aide Slaughter stand by my side.
When I received him from the Boss, he was small enough to
fit on a bedside table, but by absorbing the miasma of the
demon world, it was able to 『 Grow 』 . The dark eye
sockets of a skeleton roughly two meters in height looked
over the room without a word. It truly was a masterpiece.

“Deije, slow.”

“Ki ki ki, my bad. Well, I’m not behind schedule,

right? Cut me some slack.”

The general of the second brigade, Medea Luxeliahart,

chastised me with her usual pouty tone.

She’s a small, female demon. On her unsociable face lies

a pair of blood-red, ruby-like eyes. Her no-nonsense
hairstyle with straight cut bangs is fastened with a simple
ornament. She sure is a diligent girl. But I can’t be looking
down on her. Even like this, she’s a general. If you get
deceived by her appearance, you’re in for a world of pain.
Looks and ability are disproportional for demons.

Well, if we were to fight, I’d be the one winning due to

the difference in our natures and my superior equipment.

Continuing on, the one sitting in the center is a man of

delicate features. Heard Lauder- looked over everyone as
he opened his mouth. His height is a little lower than mine,
and he’s a slim, calm-looking man. But he’s the supreme
commander of this army. He’s pretty much Boss Leigie’s
right hand man. There are various types of people among
Boss’s subordinates, but among them, this guy is especially
dangerous. That means his power is probably the closest
we have to Leigie’s.

“Well, well, it seems we’re finally all here. Then I

guess we’ll start.”
 With Heard’s voice as the starting signal, a map is
projected onto the table.

It’s a map of the demon world with Boss’s territory at the

center. Among all of the Demon Lords allied to Demon King
Kanon, Boss’s was a largest, with a vast expanse that
looked to swallow all around it. The Prison of Flames we
went and obtained in the last war is included in it.

While it’s charmingly vast, that also means it’s the

territory that shares the largest border with the factions
opposed to the Great Demon King. The foremost battle line.
Ki ki ki, that pretty much means we can go out and grab
whatever land we want. On the other side, if we’re
negligent, we’ll be the ones losing. They’re a few hundred
years too young to think they can take anything from Deije
the Usurper. Well, as long as I don’t have orders from the
Great Demon King, it’s not like I’ll go out and fight
randomly. It’s because my life is the most valuable. Kanon
of Destruction… I aint’s gonna go aggravate a Demon King
that governs over Wrath. Even for me, he’s a bit higher on
the pecking order than Boss Leigie.

Heard started calmly spreading information.

“The Great Demon King has given out a subjugation

order for the Demon Lord of Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus.
Our target was once the one with the strongest
alliance to our King, but due to revolts from a
shortage on food, he has killed both Astell Zaabdeus
and Claud Astal, both of whom were Demon Lords
allied to our Great Demon King. All while slowly
approaching our land.”

Two points on the map were circled, and as a line was

drawn between them, a, expanse of land began flashing in
red. Unsatisfied with its bounds, the line gradually began to
encroach on the Boss’s territory. Here, where his castle is,
there’s still a distance before it hits the Castle of Shadows,
but it’s still proceeding towards it in a straight path. Ki ki
ki, he’s brought in a troublesome topic.

This battle’s on a different level than the one I crushed

Granzer Esther in.

Our target is… the Demon Lord himself. In Granzer’s

battle, we only fought his army, and the Lord never stepped
onto the battlefield. In the first place, Demon Lords aren’t
things that are supposed to come out so easily. But this
time is different. According to what I can see, the Demon
Lord is personally leading the army.

“So the opponent’s a Demon Lord who took out two

others… quite a hard talk.”

“Yeah. But even if you say he’s taken down two, they
were both fresh Lords without much power backing
them. He’s no opponent to our Leigie-sama.”

Yes, Supreme Commander Heard knows this, and

responds as such. That’s right. It’s not like he’s wrong or
anything. Boss Leigie’s Mana is incomparable to all those
run-of-the-mill Demon Lords scattered all over the place. I
mean, even though he looks like that, he’s the Third Rank,
you know? Third Rank means… to put it simply, among all
those loyal to Kanon, he’s the third strongest.

But the fact that the two killed were Demon Lords means
that they were definitely stronger than me, who’s a Class
below. The enemy’s a strong Demon Lord who took on both
of them consecutively.
 As expected of the super conceited Heard Lauder. It must
be a nice thing to be so brimming with confidence. But isn’t
he estimating himself a bit too high? I may be greedy, but
that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the power of others.
I’m not that knowledgeable about other Demon Lords, but
even I know that Zebul of Gluttony is a big name. His
moniker is the Devourer. In the Great Demon King’s
faction, he took Fifth Rank, an atrocious Fiend. And our
Demon Lord over here won’t lift a finger himself.

If I went one on one against a normal Demon, I doubt I

would lose. I’m even confident I could crush an army. But
when my opponent’s a Demon Lord, despite having
overcome countless battles, I’d be at a disadvantage, I
guess.

I know the answer, but let’s ask just in case.

“What did the boss say?”

“Iyo. I’ll leave it to you.”

Wow. I whistle aloud. Medea raises her eyebrows and

looks at me with accusatory eyes. As I thought, we’ve been
thrown to the wolves. As expected of Sloth. Even when the
Demon Lord comes knocking on our door, he shows no
interest.

No interest. He’s making this prideful one look like a

child. His stance never wavers. That girl Medea knits her
eyebrows as she flips through all the information pertaining
to Zebul. She soon raises her eyes.

“… We’re at a slight disadvantage. Do we have any

other pieces?”
 “There’s always the option of dragging Leigie-sama
into this.”

Heard offered a suggestion. Well, well. I guess boss has it

rough too. But since the Fifth Rank is coming, that’s always
an option. That is, if you don’t consider his tendencies.
Medea folds her arms and fidgets with a pouting face.
She’s in a bad mood. Did something happen?

“We cannot bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands.”

“Exactly. If the opponent is a Demon Lord, we just

have to dispatch an appropriate amount of force, is
all.”

Oy, just what sort of force is appropriate for that? But the
Demon Lord of Sloth… no matter what happens, he won’t
move. Just as one of Greed like me refuses to stake his life
for some unknown treasure, his longings for rest exist
around him like some inorganic immutable object.

But I understand. This is… but another trial on my path

to glory. Even if I’m just leading an army, if we really take
down a Demon King, then Leigie’s name will rise even
further in the world. At the same time, the rewards for
taking out a Demon Lord who killed two others must be
greater than the Demon Blade Celeste… There’s a
possibility that it surpasses an SSS Class treasure, an L
Rank Item. And as always, it’ll flow right from the Boss’s
hands into mine. The moment I obtain it, perhaps the
craving sleeping within me will reach a whole new level.
It’s possible… that I may even finally become a Demon
Lord. There’s more than enough to gain for me to risk my
life.

“Hmm. We can’t besmirch the name of our Demon

Lord… Deije, do you think you can handle it like
always?”

Heard calmly sends a strong look in my direction. There

is no impatience in his eyes. This guy is seriously
considering it. That if I went out, a Demon Lord of this level
would easily fall. The reason he directs such stuff at me is
because his essence, his pride, extends not only to himself,
but to the army under his command.

If it was as per usual, the Third Squad would be

launching the first attack. Ki ki ki, you sure say some hard
things calmly, oh supreme commander. I’m a man who
doesn’t do the impossible, you know? Though I do like the
smell of achievements.

“Ki ki ki, it’ll be a bit of a pinch for my squad alone.

Not for fighting the army, but Gula Skills are known
to specialize in targeting large areas, and the enemy
is a powerful Demon Lord.”

“I’ll go.”

The short girl stands up from her seat.

What’s this about? Why is that girl Medea stepping down

from her duty to guard the boss? Will it rain spears
tomorrow or something? (TL: A common phrase meaning
something really unlikely is happening)

“… Oy, oy, what’s with this turn of events? Medea?

Don’t you have your own duty to attend to?”

I’d really like our Supreme Commander, who has a good

affinity to battle Gula, to step forward here. What about
protecting this castle? But her eyes were brimming with
resolve, and she answered in a level tone.
 “Deije, Leigie doesn’t require protection from
someone of my level.”

Oy, didn’t we promise never to bring that up? And that

isn’t the problem. A Demon Lord’s Skills are a cut above
the rest. There’s a difference in one’s usable skills based on
personal skills, but regardless of our merits, I can’t even
imagine what skills the Rank Three Boss has in his arsenal.
And what she says implies that the boss needs neither me
nor Heard here either. An unrestful atmosphere taints the
air of the council room.

But that girl’s next line cleared it away. She made a rare
display of emotion as she gazed at me with scorn.

“And recently, I haven’t racked up any

accomplishments. I need to move my body a bit, or…”

An unexpected response. That should lie outside of this

girl’s domain.

But I see. So it’s like that. She isn’t acting on logic, I see.
So that’s why that girl’s been so docile as of late. The
reason the girl who ain’t pride or greed wants merits. I let
out a smile as I try asking.

“Hmm. Meaning… it’s built up?”

“…”

Oh my. This won’t do. Her wide eyes pierce through my

body, and an immense pressure envelops the room. It’s like
her gaze itself would be able to kill someone. Ki ki ki,
Medea Luxeliaheart, a demon governing Lust. What? It’s
nothing to be embarrassed about. I can’t go against my
desire for material wealth, but the girl’s doing her best to
contain her appetite. … Well, in the first place, a Lust
Demon that still has a hold of their sanity is a rare sight.

“Deije, you don’t have to go… no, stay away. I’ll take
care of it.”

But I can’t ignore those words. I’m all smiles as I offer a

rebuttal.

“No, no, no, no, offense is my squad’s role, right? I

can’t pull back, you know. I’m『Greed』, am I not?”

“Hmm, then the two of you go together.”

Heard speaks with a condescending tone. 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.
 Chapter 3
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: A Demon Lord of Lust Said, Once Upon a Time

A Demon Lord of Lust said, once upon a time,

“Even without assertive charm, you can still fulfill

your desire. If it’s just satisfying your cravings, there
are no obstacles.”

Saying that, she didn’t eat what was to be eaten, and as

she continued wasting away, she gently stroked my head.
Her refreshing appearance and enamoring charisma were
enough to make even a female like me harbor certain
feelings. She was beautiful enough to force one into
depravity, and as I mused at how this was what a true
devilish beauty was, I couldn’t help but feel envious of her.
Perhaps she was the only 『 Luxuria 』 I ever had my eyes
on, and I wanted her to view me as a single 『Luxuria』 as
well. She was an exceedingly sweet, dark, and fleeting
woman.

That Demon Lord already fell long ago, but her teachings
live on within me, and I live with them as my foundations.
Lust is said to be the most difficult to satisfy among the
Original Sins. Demons don’t fall to charms so easily.

Material wealth for Greed, Honor for Pride, Appetite for

Gluttony, and Envy and Wrath are on a different Vector.
Sloth has his world complete with him alone, and he won’t
even remember my name.

And as a High Level Demon, the stronger a Demon gets,

the more they must pursue their thirst, and the more they
are dyed by those emotions. Once they reach Demon Lord
Level, all emotions besides that one are nothing more than
cheap scraps of paper lying around. They barely remain.

At present, my greatest enemy is not someone like the

Demon Lord of Gluttony, but the Demon Lord of my own
forces. Just how many decades, how many centuries have I
sided with him? At the very least, he could remember my
name. Is it my sin for me to think that way?

I hate Deije of Greed. But I recognize his fighting

prowess. That Pride and I never thought to take the
initiative and launch assaults ourselves. I may add that
Leigie-sama has no such sentiments either, so for Deije,
who sought powerful equipment as compensation, he
continues to be a useful asset to Leigie-sama’s army.

For him, whose longings lead him directly to battle, he’s

the only one to long to go on the offense in our army.

I’m merely envious of him. Even I… have things I long for.

I’ve just never pursued them directly. It’s something that
can’t be helped with the attribute I govern.

I managed to come in contact with the enemy within a

few seconds. Despite this, I’m a High Class Demon. I’m
often told that I’m small, or unsociable, or that I lack any
sex appeal, but that has nothing to do with battle. With the
stride of a High Class Demon, I kicked the ground, and
crushed the deserted land underfoot, before coming into
contact with the Gluttony Legion that had been several
Kilometers away. More than a hundred of me are visible,
but still, the Gluttony army a few hundred meters away
shows no signs of having noticed us.

A large majority of the Luxuria Skill Tree has to do with

skills that corrupt the mind.

They range from typical charm spells to creating illusions

at will, and there are even ones to put others to sleep. Even
so, they aren’t favorable for use on Demons. One of the first
skills a demon gets on the basic Skill Tree is a passive that
resists mental corruption. Besides Angels and Demons,
other races rarely have it, but among those two, it’s quite
rare to find someone without that skill.

Because of that, Luxuria Demons are looked down upon.

The Luxuria Skill Tree, from the elementary to the higher
levels, can be completely negated with one of the first skills
of the basic tree. In the worst cases, we’re called useless
seductresses, and I’ve completely eradicated those who
looked at me with such biased views. They show no interest
in me when it matters, but as a joke, they try to tarnish my
Pride, and incite my Wrath, even when I govern neither of
those fields.

Generally, the Lust Attribute has nothing to do with that.

They’re making a grave misunderstanding. It’s not that…
I’m lacking in sex appeal, and it’s not that I’m lacking in
charm. My hair, and my skin, and even my clothing, I take
good care of it all, and I’m trying my hardest to make my
expression as bright and affectionate as possible. The
meagerness of my stature is by no means my fault. It’s
because I didn’t get enough nutrition in my childhood.
Once I began paying mind to it, I tried to get as much
nourishment into my system as possible, but it was too late.

But I can’t go around cursing fate.

 It’s fine. This isn’t my favorite phrase, but none of it
really matters. It’s not like I… want to become one who
incites sexual desire from everyone, or that I want to
embrace everyone.

A majority of Zebul the Devourer’s legion consists of

Demons with Gluttony as their original sin. That tree
specializes in ways to attack large areas. It’s the skill tree
whose attack power is second only to Wrath.

But it’s useless if it doesn’t hit. The fact that everyone

has resistance to Mental Corruption means they have little
ways to deal with it once their resistance is overcome.

In particular, the Lust Skill 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』

is not just some illusionary skill. Each and every one of my
phantoms’ fields of visions are sent directly to my head.

At the head of his army, a demon finally captures sight of

my flickering image and stops his feet.

The power I sense from his being is by no means low.

Zebul’s army is quite powerful.

The army of Gluttony was a herd of grotesque demons.

There were barely any that had complete hold of a human
form. That violent animalistic nature… beastly howls echo
through the desert as if to express their appetites.

The magic I sense from each and every one of them is

slightly higher than those of the Rank Three army, but
there’s not much of a difference. These men no longer have
a future. They went against the Great Demon King Kanon,
and now that they’ve taken down two Demon Lords, they’ve
burned their bridge back. They won’t even be able to make
it through with a narrow victory. Unless they completely
overwhelm us, they wouldn’t be able to stand the
confrontations with the fifteen other Demon Lords under
Kanon.

From what I’ve heard, the reason the Devourer started

his revolution was a shortage of food. There is little in the
nature of food provisions within the Demon World. No, from
the standpoint of an average Demon, there’s plenty of food
going around, but the Gluttony Attribute exponentially
increases the required volume. The more they eat, the
more power they can obtain. Just as Lust’s power increases
the more intimate interactions one has. Just as Envy’s
power increases the more one longs for the possessions of
others.

The Demon that noticed us activated a Gluttony Skill. A

black wave of magic expands from him in an instant and
swallows me up.

I see… a Gluttony Skill. How atrocious. The magic around

my body is pierced through with fangs and torn away. The
magic of the Body Strengthening abilities I was using were
forcefully dissipated, converted back to pure magic, and
sucked away.

This is… a skill to eat up another’s power and use it as

your own. It’s likely he didn’t know where my real body
was, so he tried to target all of us altogether. The scope of
his ability has a bad affinity with my Lust skills. I already
knew from the start, but this will be troublesome.

That’s why I went out first. I, one of the only three

Generals of Leigie-sama’s army. No matter how bad the
affinity, no matter how unsuited I am for battle, you cannot
overturn the difference in our ability.

My Lust draws his eyes, and they’re clouded for a

moment. He’s underestimating me. But he only stopped
moving for a brief instant, and 『 Gluttony 』 dyes his eyes
once more. These guys will even eat those of the same
race. No, I don’t mean sexually, I mean it physically. That’s
why I hate them. No, it’s not like I wanted to be eaten
sexually or anything…

The claws extending from his fingers mercilessly come

towards my face. Before any of my blood could scatter, I
used my hand to gouge his throat out. First one down.
Without looking back to see him hit the ground, I continued
to kick at the ground.

If possible, I want to use my skills, but as long as they’re

blocked by resistances, I only have hand to hand combat.
But that’s more than enough.

Fangs sent forth from behind pierce through my stomach,

and like that, a single one of my illusions was eaten up. The
blood dancing through the empty air soon vanished. One of
my fields of vision disappeared. But something like that
won’t inflict any damage on me. My direct attacks work,
even on Gluttony Demons. It’s been my first physical battle
in a while, but it looks alright. I can do this.

Deije is an annoying man, but he definitely has an eye for

war. He has some vulgar parts, but I can’t underestimate
the power that got him a commanding position in a mere 10
years.

The role given to the one who can control the five senses
definitely isn’t annihilating their army.

My role is to ascertain the power of the Demon Lord.

Even if no one said it, I can understand that much. Zebul
the Devourer. I’ll have to use my body to take on one of the
high class Demon Lord Skills we’ve heard about and see its
power. And that job is perfect for an illusion user like me.
Even Deije’s Third Brigade that specializes in offense and
mobility would instantly get their numbers reduced if they
went up against him unprepared. Even if you categorize
him as a Lord, he should have some disparity. Attack
strength, durability, dexterity, character flaws, specialized
abilities. I don’t doubt that Zebul’s powerful, but there’s a
need for me to determine his tendencies with my flesh. The
army’s casualties are Leigie-sama’s casualties. They must
be avoided.

At that moment, Zebul’s entire army came to a halt. My

body shook. It felt as if my entire body had been pierced
and eaten away.

In the center stood a shadow the size of a large hill.

That’s the source of these shivers. A presence that sips
away at the body and mind and crumbles one’s pride. I
have a premonition of everything and anything scattering
and being washed away.

It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before in all my years of

service. That shock made my hands stop for a moment.

This cannot be… this is…

The moment my mind had stopped working, my illusions

dispersed. But what I should be paying mind to isn’t that.
Fights between Demon Lords are struggles for territory.
Right now, the outcome of the competing forces was
decided.

“Leigie-sama’s territory was eaten up…!?”

“… Oy, oy, where are you popping out from, girly…”

 Deije let out an amazed voice as I materialized before
him. It’s fine. This area separated by a few Kilometers
hasn’t been affected yet. My other bodies were all
destroyed and absorbed with not a trace left behind. When
I turned to run, tentacle like things entangled my feet, so I
flung myself into the air. At that point, black, bun-like
spheres followed and released countless tentacles at me.
That was the last sight I picked up from my other bodies.
Without any means of resistance, the illusions went out like
a light the moment they came into contact with that black
shadow of mass.

What strength. I didn’t even have the leisure to deceive

him. My General Class strength won’t get through to that.

Truly a Demon that’s transcended demonity. A monster

that’s reached the pinnacle of Original Sin… this is a High
Level Demon Lord I thought I had known, but it’s… way too
much. I can’t even tell what skill he used. No, even if I
knew, I doubt I would be able to dodge. Our base stats are
just too far apart. Our levels of longings too far detached.

One of my doubles had tried to lodge her fist into Zebul’s

back. When I thought she had pierced him, the double was
merely swallowed into his body whole. She tried to resist,
but she was instantly digested, and my awareness of her
was cut. Even if I was trying to assess the situation, even if
it was just a double, I never thought a Demon Lord would
be able to kill a General so easily. His pure violent nature
let him mow down all my Illusions of Lust without paying
them any mind. He may be a newcomer, but he’s swallowed
two other Demon Lords. This is the result.

“Deije, bad… He’s strong…”

 “… Well, well, well, isn’t that obvious? The opponent
is… a High Ranking Demon Lord. He came with full
intentions to kill boss Leigie…”

Deige skillfully manipulated his six arms as he let out a

sigh. What an irritating man. But that’s exactly right.

However, Zebul’s power… is abnormal. It’s been many

hundreds of years since I first breathed life, but he’s
surpassed all I’ve ever seen before. I can’t see any means
of victory. That’s my impression after having crossed blades
with him. Should we retreat some and reorganize our
forces?

“Should we reorganize our preparations?”

“No, no, at this rate, my army’ll be annihilated. We

have no choice but to fight.”

Deije smiled as he raised the Demon Blade in his right

arm overhead. Demon Blade Celeste. A sword imbued with
flames, named after the legendary fire dragon it struck
down. A gift from the Great Demon King to a Demon Lord,
one of the best of swords, was being shown off gaudily.
 Part 2: We Cannot Lose
A red hot light fills the world.

Demon Blade Celeste.

It’s a sword that contains the attribute of fire. Its ranking

as a weapon is SSS. Besides dragons, it’s a blade that’s said
to have also burned higher level Angels to death. After
having been enshrined in the Great Demon King’s
warehouse for many years, that weapon is now showing off
its power once more.

By no means can High Level Demon Blades be used as

nothing but swords.

“Ki ki ki, as expected, this is some amazing

magic…”

Laughing in his annoying voice, Deije unsealed the

sword’s power. Usually, this level of weapon would be in the
hands of a Demon Lord. It should be too much to handle for
a General, but Deije seems to be able to direct that
ridiculously large amount of magical power at the enemy
forces without much problem. I guess his large build isn’t
just for show.

What an annoying man…

The flaming dragon that emerged from the sword swiftly

passes over the Third Brigade, before taking a taste of the
enemy army a few kilometers away. A black light emits
from their forces.

『Surge of Starvation』

A Gluttonous skill of Gluttony. The wave of power clashes

with the Demon Blade’s flames.
 The ravenous magic that seems to want to devour
anything and everything competes with the inferno so
powerful I cannot even begin to comprehend it. While
borrowing that sword’s power, Deije truly is able to rival
that Zebul’s strength. He licks his thick lips in an irritating
manner.

“When borrowing from Celeste, we’re just about

equal… as expected from a Demon Lord… that power,
I want it.”

The root of Original Sin is said to be desire. I want

money. I want items. I want to eat good food. I want sex. I
don’t want to work. I despise others. I want to make them
all kneel. And both mine and Deije’s desire can be summed
up as jealousy towards others. In the end, stealing is, in
itself, a demon’s base nature. Collecting more of something
than everyone else in a land with limited resources.

Deije grasps onto the sword emitting light with four of his
hands. His expression towards the violent power he was
letting forth remained a heroic smile. The heat is tanning
his arms red, but there’s no sign of him lessening his grip
at all.

“Ki ki ki, we really only have long range attacks, I

guess. If I get closer, I feel I’ll get eaten up. I’m a bit
ill-suited with Gluttony as my opponent…”

“… But we cannot lose.”

“Naturally. If we lost with two Generals dispatched

here… that Heard will give us hell before the Boss
even hears about it.”

I touch the sword in his grasp. It’s a heat great enough to

scorch both the body and the soul. By a skill, Friendly Fire,
damage from allied troops is cut off, so I’m not hurt. But
even without taking any damage, his overbearing might
made me feel jealousy.

Deije’s right hand Demon, Lebell, is making a grim face.

“Fumu… Gluttony Skill 『Surge of Starvation』 eats

any power thrown at it. Deije, if you don’t settle this
soon, it’ll suck up all of Celeste’s magic, you know?”

“I know. Ki ki ki, competition… it’s a game. How

useless. Celeste’s magic power truly is terrifying. But
this isn’t enough to sate my desire! If we just take
down the enemy Demon Lord, then we’ll be able to
achieve victory with ease!”

At the sight of the conquering flame, our own troops halt

their advance. Even if they don’t take any damage, they
don’t have the courage to jump into the fire. No, right now,
the war’s become a one on one with the Demon Lord and
Celeste. One more step forwards, and it seems evident
they’ll get devoured but Zebul. Thus is the extent of the
thirst emitted by his aura of Gula. His subordinates are
halted as well.

“Ki ki ki, but I’m a bit short on hands. I can’t push

him back. There’s no helping it, I’ll use the Doll…”

I turn my eyes to the skeletal doll made of silver-colored

bones standing behind him.

“… No need. I’ll do it.”

Deije seems taken aback as he stares at me. Is it really

that strange? Is it strange for a Luxuria to say such things?
 Our affinity is the worst. I’ll admit that. But that can’t be
the end of it all. We have no time to care about something
like that. At this rate, Deije’s going to take all the credit.

I close my eyes and extract power from all over my body.

I wring out power from my demon heart, my soul core.
Fight fire with fire. I desire flames of hell to swallow
everything. Everything, burn the roots of hunger to the
ground and eradicate it from the world.

And I manifested my own 『Sword』.

“… Oy, oy, what sort of joke is this…”

“… Do I look like I’m joking?”

I raise up the sword in my right hand. It’s a beautiful

straight sword with a flaming edge. The blade I made with
almost all of the magic in my body at the base falls short of
Celeste, but it’s still fitting to be held by a Demon Lord. If
Deije isn’t enough by himself, then just add some extra. The
Greed Demon’s expression warps.

“Is that also… a Lust skill!? Like hell… what did you
do!?”

“Witness and behold the power of Luxuria, foolish

heathen.”

I swung the sword. Power storms out of it, and a red flash
dyes the world. An enormous amount of heat races up my
arm. Demon Blades require some form of compensation. So
Celeste had a feedback like this on the wielder!? Flames of
hell envelop my arm as a similar stream of flame flows forth
to mingle with Deije’s dragon.
 It feels like my body is being torn apart. By flames. My
head is spinning. But Deije, who’s supposed to be taking an
equivalent amount of pain stands calmly. I cant be the only
one showing pain.

Even I’m… a commanding officer. One of the leader of

Leigie-sama’s army. My arm was baked by the dazzling
light and began to emit an ominous stench. Blisters began
to cover my white skin, but those disappear just as fast,
being replaced by unsightly burns. I grit my teeth, and do
my best to endure the pain, as I direct my gaze forward. I
continue to direct my flame at Deije’s, and the light from it
glows brighter. Bright enough that I can’t open my eyes. At
that moment, the inferno definitely overwhelmed the
Demon Lord’s power. Waves of flame came down on the
Demon Lord’s army.

“… I don’t really get it, but you’re not bad, girly. Ki

ki ki, but I’m…”

Deije let off an evil laugh. His six eyes gleamed with an

uncanny sparkle.

“… going to get even more power.”

The moment he said that, the intensity of the flames

increased explosively.

This is… a Greed Skill!?

The black, surging power that had been pushed back the
instant our flames mingled was instantly blown away with
the skill Deije used. Red waves of light swallowed up the
army of Gluttony, and spread immensely in every direction.
The swirls of light rain down incessantly on the area
several kilos away, but the blast extends all the way here.
It’s a fearsome response.
 “Ki ki ki, this is Celeste’s power… I guess the fact
that it was made with the heavenly flames that burned
a ruler of demons to death was no lie.”

Deije’s voice is full of excitement.

What power. It’s a dangerous weapon. What’s more ,its

power that pushed back a Demon Lord was further
enhanced with a skill of Greed.

Leigie-sama… this toy is too dangerous to be in Deije’s

hands. Waves of intense heat pass over the Demon World
desert, and my hair dances wildly behind me.

But Deije’s smile soon vanished from his face.

“Oy, oy… is this for real…”

“… This cannot be. There’s no way a normal Demon

Lord would be able to stand that…”

Libell has a face of shock as he faces the distant

wasteland… the distance between us no longer has
meaning.

A black mass squirmed. There’s no sign of the army that

had covered the region. With heat of that level, they’ve
probably been obliterated without even their souls left
behind.

The mass trembled greatly, before it started to contract.

The Third Brigade that had come to a halt only a few
hundred meters away from it raise their voices.

The air changes. It’s not just around Zebul. Even the area
where I am standing is affected. The clear pitch-black
changes into a swamp-like drudgy darkness. Noticing that,
Deije raised his voice in a daze.

“… Boss Leigie… lost… you say!?”

It was the feeling of him overwriting the 『Abyss Field』.

The proof that we had been cast into enemy territory. The
power in my body truly has decreased by a noticeable level,
and my magic is dropping.

Abyss zone is a skill that is more effective the closer you

are to your Demon Lord, as long as you’re on their
territory. It should be impossible for a higher ranking
Demon Lord to have his Zone taken over by a lower one so
easily.

However, up until now, Leigie’s zone was one that had

never been violated, no matter how vicious the wars were.

“… Give me a break. A Demon Lord that can

withstand that baptism by fire!? Isn’t that L Class…”

“… Deije, are you able to use that skill from before

again?”

“You joking? It didn’t even work when we were on

Boss’s Zone. There’s no way it would have any effect
on his.”

Deije’s eyes are in a panic as he looks over his

surroundings. He’s correct. Abyss Zone raises the abilities
of friendly troops. It’s boost is not at an ignorable level.

“Just how much of the zone was eaten!? Libell!”

“… Quite a large portion! The extent is outside the

range of my perception!”
 A hostility I could sense with my very being. A viscous
and hungry aura.

The only one left is the Demon Lord? There doesn’t seem
to be anyone else left standing around him, but that’s not
even any consolation at this point. The contracting black
lump begins to change shape. From an uncertain slime-like
blob to… Human form.

“Zebul Glaucus… One with unsatiable hunger… the

one who’ll swallow everything, the Devouring King, is
it…”

I can see it. The Dark Beast that encroaches on the

world, decomposing everthing in its path.

The human form it took was much smaller than I

expected. It may even be smaller than me. Compared to
Deije, who stands over two meters, I estimate he’s around
four heads shorter. Just where did all of that mass go? As if
a hole had been opened in space, the overcoat he wore
sucked in all light, leaving only black space. The oppressive
feeling he gave off made the kilometers between us feel
like nothing. It was something I hadn’t felt when
approaching him before, that is, until I was right next to
him.

“Ki ki ki, how interesting… He’s eating up Boss’s

Zone with some amazing momentum…”

You still have the leisure to laugh? Deije’ pluck is to be

commended. His bulging pectoralis muscles expand
further, and he raises a fierce voice.

“Men! What are you doing spacing out!? Our

opponent is the Demon Lord alone! Forward!”
 The air quivers. Having heard Deije’s reprimand, the
Third Brigade that had come to a halt dashed forward
violently. Their force was like a Tsunami. Even after seeing
the Demon Lord’s power, even after the zone was taken,
they didn’t fall back.

“Girly, even if you’ve got power, you lack guts. I’ll

bet you’ve got a lot on your mind, but to those normal
folk down there, if we give up on battle, it’s the end,
right? Ki ki ki, you aren’t strong enough to be able to
sleep on the battlefield yet.”

“… That’s right.”

But at this rate, our annihilation is inevitable. Deije’s

words may be on the mark, but they’re also a death
sentence to his men. Even if it’s the Third Brigade, a hoard
of Normal Demons won’t even be able to buy that much
time. Because I fought him myself, I can tell.

Tentacles protruded from his coat, mercilessly impaling

the Demons on the front lines. Without even the time to
scream, they were dyed pure black, and absorbed. But the
Demon Lord’s mass doesn’t increase in the slightest.

Just how do you expect me to beat an enemy like that…!?

Countless dripping tentacles protruded from all over his

body. He took off the hood covering his face.

“That one’s… a Woman…! Isn’t her appearance

quite similar to yours, girly?”

Dark green hair almost black in shade, and eyes of the

same color. From the look on her face, she doesn’t even see
the army laid out before her. A Demon’s appearance is
irrelevant. No, the more calming one’s appearance, the
more dangerous they are. Because that is but another
weapon.

Zebul’s looks were gentle without a hint of the Gluttony

she ruled over. I’m not sure what was on her mind, as she
lorded over the demons around her.

At least we have the numerical advantage. From the

Demon Lord’s blind spot—I greatly question whether such
a thing even exists—anyways, from behind, a lance was
stabbed into the Lord. It definitely pierced the coat, but like
that, it continued to be sucked into it. He had let go in time,
so the wielder was spared the same fate. He dodged the
tentacles that came after him with a back step, but that
didn’t change the fact he was still unarmed. In the gap
created, another demon deployed a number of fireballs, and
hurled them at the Demon Lord. But even that was just
swallowed up, and all that remained was silence. Zebul
licked her lips hungrily.

“… That’s unfair. Did Gluttony have a skill like

that?”

Libell’s expression is pale, but his voice is level as he

answers.

“It’s a mid-level Gluttony Skill. An endless stomach

that sucks in any and everything. … But originally, is
shouldn’t be able to indiscriminately suck in
everyone’s attacks like that.”

“So it’s a difference in refinement… Ki ki ki, this is

why people who arrive at the summit are… it can’t be
that Celeste’s attack was sucked into that too?”

“I doubt it would be able to swallow something of

that level… I think. But if you prevent her mid-level
skills, I can’t even imagine what her high-level ones
will do…”

The Demon Lord doesn’t have any particular expression

on her face as she just looks around. Deije has an
unpleasant expression as his lips warp. He reluctantly
reaches for his sword. With a single blade, I think I could
beat a higher level Demon with four normal level Demon
Blades. But now that he’s this equipped, I can’t see any
chances of victory.

“Crap, our eyes just met…”

“Will you run?”

“Don’t be stupid, against a high ranking Demon

Lord… there’s no way I’ll be able to get away. Ki ki ki,
prepare yourself, Libell Aijens. Think back to the War
of Black and White. Compared to that… we’re still
better off, right? We’re only up against one.”

On Deije’s words of resolution, Libell let out a deep sigh.

“… Well, well, there’s no helping it. I’ve already

given up my life once… Deije, I’m not even Envious of
your resolve right now.”

“Ki ki ki, you’re as serious as always. I’m just a

little… greedier than most humans.”

… There’s no helping it. I’ll resolve myself as well. While

it may be a fake I created, the Demon Blade in my hand
barely has any Magic left At most, the skills I can use now
are Elementary Level. CQC isn’t in Lust’s territory, but I
draw the knife hanging from my belt. It’s something Leigie-
sama bequeathed to me. Of course, it falls far short of
Celeste, but it’s a Demon Blade all the same. It’ll at least
buy me an instant of time.

“Girly, you can run, you know? You’ve barely got any
magic left, right?”

“Run? Is that a joke?”

Why must I… I, who was picked up by Leigie-sama

abandon my duty when crisis strikes? Even a mercenary
like Deije isn’t considering fleeing this desperate situation.
Deije blinks his eyes as if he had witnessed something
mysterious.

“Hmm… but no matter how you look at it, a dagger

ain’t gonna cut it. Can you use a sword?”

“… As much as the next guy.”

“Ki ki ki, then so be it. I’ll lend you… a single one of

my swords. The interest for this transaction is that
dagger. Only if we return alive, that is.”

Interest? Just how far does his greed go? I unintentionally

laughed. For him to make business dealings when our lives
are on the line…

“Hah… what are you saying at a time like this?

Greed sure is something.”

“Ki ki ki, when there’s a chance to get something,

you just have to take it… I mean, there are way too
many things I want in this world.”

“And the most important of them is life, isn’t it?”

 “Of course, so I plan on getting my hands on that
someday as well.”

The sword Deije tossed over was covered in a freezing

aura. It’s no Celeste, but I feel power within it that would
be more than what a General Class Demon deserved.
Glaring at the Lord who was tossing around the soldiers he
trained like scraps of paper, Deije spoke.

“But I have no intentions of dying, though.”

“Neither do I.”

That’s right, we cannot lose. Not with so much regrets

left behind.
 Part 3: I Cannot Understand
“Oy, you call yourselves the Third Brigade!? How
long will you waste on a single Demon!?”

With a line like the trigger of a death flag, Deije burst

onto the front lines. The force of a thousand had, by the
work of a single Demon Lord, been reduced to half its size.
I’m unsure whether it’s amazing or not that half of them
even survived. But from a strategic standpoint, this battle
is already our complete loss.

Of course, the enemy forces have only one survivor.

The Celeste in Deije’s hands lets out heat again, as he

lifts it, and swings it towards the ground. A hot wave of air
is let out, raising a dust cloud. Deije opened his large
mouth, and laughed.

“Ki ki ki, so you’ll dodge a direct attack like that.”

“… Enemy leader.”

Zebul’s voice was huskier, and more intellectual sounding

than I expected. She drew an ivory-white crescent moon-
shaped blade, and began to attack. It was the first direct
action that Demon Lord took. While Deije’s body was well
trained, with the territorial boost, the Demon Lord greatly
outclassed him. His arms continue to get cut up as he tries
releasing power. The body of his sword lets off intense heat
at the Lord, but her expression remains as cold as ever.
Deije used one of his remaining arms to swing a sword at
her, but the tentacles extending from her back shot it
down. Even with six arms, he only has a single body.
Compared to this Demon Lord with a seemingly endless
amounts of appendages, his plight was close to mere child’s
play.
 “Good skills.”

“Ki ki ki, ‘tis an honor to be praised by you!!”

His Demon Blade erupts in flames, and the fires lick

Zebul’s face. A red flash shoots at her white sword. Fire
spreads down her own irregularly sparkling blade, but
while it’s painful to admit, the Demon Lord calmly took the
attack. It’s as if she had read all of our movements.

But we had also anticipated that. It’s not like we were

certain the first strike would decide it.

Deige had attacked head on. In the gap he made, I

lowered my body, and cut at Zebul as well.

There was no order to the tentacle’s movements, but they

weren’t faster than my perception. I used the dagger in my
left hand to clear them away, and the ice sword in my left to
finish. For an instant, her body greatly contorted. The
sword swung through empty air, and her eyes turned to me.
Her gaze was hot. They resembled those of the Demon Lord
of Lust who embraced her passions, and Deije, who hald his
Demon Blade out front.

But these eyes were more sinful. I could only feel

repulsed. As Zebul governs Gluttony, the emotion she’s
feeling is naturally…

“Two of them… a little small, but they look quite

tasty.”

… Her Appetite.

She holds a strong desire to eat us, of the same race.

Fear runs up my body, and my arm goes stiff. There are
plenty of demons that govern Gluttony out there, but within
them, there are few who readily practice cannibalism.

The Devourer, Zebul Glaucus.

The land itself, other demons, and even Demon Lords are
on her plate. One whose hunger was great enough to lead
her to becoming a Demon Lord. A tentacle goes through my
back and left breast… it pierces my Soul Core. My magic,
the organization of my body being stripped away.

“Fumu… a light taste… an illusion…this taste, so

you’re a Lust-kun…”

The last of my doubles finally vanishes. Phantom Aliquot

Dance comes to an end. With this, I’ve been reduced to but
a single person.

But I’ve done enough.

“Ki ki ki, not bad, girly!”

In the moment I occupied her attention, Deije launched

his attack. He swung down Celeste at her unoccupied
back… in front of the Demon Blade said to destroy even
angels, Zebul merely turned her head, and opened her
mouth wide. Nicely lined up fangs, garnished the mouth
that spread all across her face. By what order I do not
know, but a completely calm response came from the back
of her throat.

“A Demon Blade… never eaten one before. It may be

a delicacy.”

“What!?”
 The sword swung down by his strong arms were stopped
by her mouth. The red steel is pierced by her fangs. Flames
try to mow down her teeth, but since most of its power had
already been devoured, Zebul doesn’t show any anguish on
her face. Her teeth make a grinding sound as she begins to
chew up the sword. Deije tries to pull it back, but there are
no signs of it escaping her mouth. However, the fact that
she was eating the sword meant her main body could no
longer move.

Deije lowered another sword with his upper left hand.

Zebul blocked it with her own sword, and locked it down.

Chance!

I lower my body, and sprint towards her before stabbing

my sword at her now-defenseless back. But then, I heard a
voice from an unexpected plase/

“Your main body… that magic looks quite

delicious.”

The back tears open, and a viscous black liquid stains the
overcoat. It was a large mouth. Each and every one of her
lined up fangs was about the length of my dagger. I
frantically withdrew my blade, but the long tongue that
shot out followed me. With impossible anatomy, it wound
itself around the sword. The cold atmosphere around it
freezes the tongue, but without paying any mind, she
continues pulling it with amazing force.

“Fufufu, the texture isn’t bad…”

Her voice is in high spirits. She shows no sway in her

emotions even when up against demons swinging swords at
her. Her desire is so incomprehensibly deep that I’m not
sure it can even be summed up as appetite.
 “Ku, monster!”

Deije brings out another sword, and swings it with his

left-center arm, and Zebul caught it with her unoccupied
hand. No, that’s no hand. In the palm of it… another mouth
sprung up. Those fangs easily bit through the sword’s body.
Even though it was supposed to be a Demon Blade, a single
bite caused countless fragments of metal to scatter. The
tongue from her hand mouth circled to make sure no
fragment was lost, before wrapping around the broken
blade.

With that timing, without even paying heed to Deije’s

hand.

“… You have something nice here. It’s Tasty. The

consistence, and the taste… Not bad at all.”

The handle he let go of disappeared into the mouth. To

savor the taste, the hand mouth leisurely started chewing.
Her eyes are colored with supreme bliss.

“This one… my collection…”

“Fufufu, so you’re a Greed-kun. I feel my stomach

will be satisfied for the first time in a while.”

The power of the tongue I was fighting with finally

plucked my sword off of me. I feel bad for Deije, but I back
stepped to create distance. The mouth crunches the sword
to pieces. The grinding sound released was as if the sword
itself was crying out. Noticing that, Deije released an
exasperated scream.

“O-oy, girly! Don’t just let her eat it! That’s mine,
you know!”
 “T-there was no helping it!”

Zebul’s tongue continues to float in the air as it searches

for new prey. Rather than me, it goes for the closer Deije.
Before I could call out to warn him, the tongue was
knocked down by a large sword.

“… What are you?”

“…”

A giant skeleton… Leigie-sama’s Slaughter Doll swung its

arms that were now the width of iron poles. A sword much
larger than Zebul dug into the ground. The earth rends
below it, but the skeletons hands don’t stop. Those were
movements that were definitely impossible for a normal
Demon. The sword drew a strange line in the air as it cut
forward. The tongue and Tentacles tried to entwine it, but
the sheer momentum of the hunk of iron brushed them off
as it came at her face. The skeleton didn’t exude a
prescence, and its attacks didn’t give off a hint of life.

“Good job!”

Deije reached his hands into the air, and pulled out more
swords from his special space. The Skeleton’s physical
strength is terrifying. Its arms probably exceed the trained
mercenary Deije’s in might. Zebul’s expression is colored
by panic, and she releases Celeste as she takes some
distance.

Celeste is covered in something like mucus, and fine

cracks extend along its surface.

“… What could that be… it’s not a Demon, it has no

presence.”
 “Ki ki ki, it’s just a candlestick holder, you know!
Boss’s just put a little spell on it!”

The skeleton answers Deije’s will, and pushes the sole of

its foot into the ground. Its explosive power rockets it
forward, and Zebul blocked it with a perfect stance. The
bastard sword and the Demon Lord’s blade locked. The
swings from a body twice the size of Zebul’s were as swift
as a storm, and with chaotic motions, it continued to try
and mow her down. But Zebul’s blade accurately repels it,
and her eyes show she’s trying to aim for its neck.

“… Doesn’t look very tasty. Though I look like this,

I’m quite a gourmet.”

“…”

Like hell, Devourer!

She lightly dodges the bastard sword, and slashes

forward with her ivory-white sabre. It took the attack with
the upper part of its left arm. The joint area snapped, and
the rest of the arm flew into the sky. But the Doll didn’t
seem to mind that at all, as it continued to swing the sword
in its right. It swiped at Zebul horizontally.

Zebul dodged the attack by lowering her body to the

ground. Even if it doesn’t have a sense of pain, it’s just a
Doll. It’s lacking in power to take on a Demon Lord.

It was enough to create an opportunity. The amount of

arms and enemies Zebul had to concentrate on increased,
and she was left with more openings. But that’s all. None of
our attacks even work on her, and our weapons were
indiscriminately eaten up. The situation is still as bad as it
had been. The fact that we’re all alive is close to a miracle.
What’s more, up until now, Zebul hasn’t even used any
direct skills. Her magic power is sky high, and she hasn’t
used any skill with a high output.

Zebul took a deep sigh as she jumped backwards.

“My, my, what an annoying ingredient… Well, meals

tend to taste better if you have to put in the time and
effort.”

Countless tentacles erupt out of her body. Please cut us

some slack already. Their number and thickness is
incomparable to what she displayed before. I’m starting to
doubt whether that small body or the tentacles are this
one’s real body with how buried she is in them. Of her body
itself, only a single mouth could be seen in the center. This
is getting quite grotesque, and her voice hasn’t changed in
the slightest.

“Demons of Greed… you can get a greater depth of

taste if you eat their collections first.”

Her words came abruptly. Her slim figure was

overflowing with power. The vague Mana that had been
hanging in the air suddenly became concentrated.

“Strangely, Demons of Lust give off an extremely

sweet taste. Fufufu, I’ll teach you the greatest of
pleasure. It’s fine, you all are splendid ingredients, so
I won’t eat you like those other Demons. I’ll eat you in
the proper way.”

That… doesn’t actually make me happy at all. To violate

as you eat. To be violated as you’re eaten. Imagining it
sends shivers down my spine. Even as a fellow Devil, I
cannot understand it in the slightest.
 This is bad. I’m not exactly sure what’s bad, but if keep
wasting time, something bad’s going to happen. However,
my feet won’t move. Immense pressure binds my body. It’s
a Demon Lord Series skill. While its user cannot move
while using it, it can bind the movements of others. It can
only bind beings lesser than the caster, but it’s more than
useful enough to create preparations to use a large skill.
Perhaps Deije is the same. His face is stiff as he opens his
mouth.

“This is no joke. Just what is your goal…?”

“Goal…? Let’s see, if I had to say… I’m hungry.”

The casual words she leaked out made me doubt my ears.

But that line had a meaning much deeper than that.
Endless hunger… I’m glad. Glad that I wasn’t born under
Gluttony. No, perhaps this one is just abnormal.

“I’m a bit of a heavy eater… At some point, I

realized I had finished eating all of my own portion.
So there’s no helping it. In order to live, I have to eat,
and I had an obligation to let my people eat.”

“… What about those people?”

“I’ve already eaten them.”

The people lent to him by the Great Demon King were…

eaten? Zebul speaks as if she’s giving a simple explanation.

“Well, they were low quality goods, but they did

manage to fill my stomach somewhat. Fufufu, it
seems my subordinates were satisfied with them, but
for me the taste was just terrible… honestly, that
Greed-kun’s sword was much tastier.”
 “…”

Even Deije didn’t expect that one. He remains silent.

There’s no words to return after being told his sword tasted
good. No, the personality that girl has… it’ll forever be
beyond my comprehension. I mean, even the Second
Brigade has some Gluttony Demons, but they’re just
slightly big eaters, and they haven’t leapt this far over the
edge.

“Well, I would like to give you peace of mind. You all

will… continue to live on within me!”

Countless Tentacles flew at me with a speed

incomparable to the attacks she used before. Something is
coming. That vigilance was the only thing that kept my life
attached. The moment the Tentacles came, I instinctively
kicked with my feet, which had regained movement, and
rolled to the side. Each and every tentacle drips with a
purple fluid, which glittered as it caught the light. Deije
also determined he was screwed, and instead of
confronting it, he jumped backwards.

Only the one-armed doll swung its sword to meet the

tentacles. It cut them down as they rained on it from all
directions.

But the sword ‘slipped’. The giant blade made a loud

sound as it fell. The tentacle that had successfully knocked
away its obstacle wrapped itself around the skeleton, and
the silver body that was supposed to be strengthened by
Leigie-sama’s magic quite literally began to fall to pieces.

“Wha…”

Its ending was so abrupt that Deije had no choice but to

raise his voice. The feelers grabbed the skeletal parts as-is
and brought them to a hole that opened in the dark mass.

“… As I thought, it’s just normal metal. It isn’t even

a maic tool or anything… was it controlled by some
skill? It isn’t very appetizing, but it’s not inedible or
anything.”

“Dammit, in order to get that, do you know just how

much trouble I went through? How many Demons I
killed…!?”

“Fufufu, it looks like I did something inexcusable.

Don’t worry, you’ll meet up in my stomach soon
enough.”

He cuts down the purple tentacles coming at him with

Celeste, and gives tears of grief as he barely dodges them.
One of the Third Brigade Members was caught by one, and
easily torn to pieces. A shower of blood disperses into the
air, before he was swiftly absorbed into the tentacle.

He was eaten… each and every one of those tentacles…

they’re mouths!?

“Even if it isn’t the leader, aren’t they all quite

tasty? Nice and powerful.”

“…”

The racing tentacles go out in all directions, and I was

unable to perceive them. My cloak was barely pierced, but
the hole made in it gradually began to grow. I immediately
cast it away, and exerted myself to dodge the rest. She isn’t
serious. If she was, we’de have died long ago.

The tentacles I dodge either hit the ground, or pierce

some other Demon and absorb them. Each and every time
that happens, Zebul raises a cry of ecstasy.

Why won’t she get serious? No, that’s wrong… she’s…

Unable to dodge, my belt was grazed next. It began to

erode my body, so I discarded it. Again. She isn’t going for
me when I’m wide open. She’s…

They extend at me from all sides. I have no time to even

counterattack. This time, my metal breastplate is grazed.
Again. The feeler’s liquid even melts the metal easily. It was
probably an item imbued with magic, but that doesn’t seem
to matter. I take off the mail, and take some distance. With
attacks from all directions, where each blow would be fatal,
as well as the pressure exerted by the Demon Lord, my
stamina is at its limit.

Her attack range is wide, and each time she melts down a
Brigade Member, Zebul’s magic is restored. But above all
else, this Demon Lord is definitely going easy on me.

“What are you planning…”

“Fufufu, do you go as far as to crunch the shell

when eating?”
 Part 4: But I am satisfied
Looking back, from the moment I received life as a devil,
this is the complete worst battle I’ve ever gone into. Even if
you count the time I was powerless, huddled in a corner of
the slums, I’d never experienced humiliation to this degree.

It’s been one hour since her Tentacles turned purple.

Death lingers all around. The number of Third Brigade
members left is easily countable. You could even call it our
complete annihilation. The Demon Lord’s power is
tremendous, and I’ll bet there’s no real difference to her
whether she’s facing a General or any ordinary Demon.
There weren’t many soldiers that tried to flee, but the
portion that did was instantly shot down by tentacles from
behind, and dissolved.

Putting aside Deije, who still has Demon Blades on him

that allow him to attack the tentacles, the only reason I’m
still alive is that Zebul doesn’t seem to have intentions to
kill me yet.

Because the Food Preparations for me are taking her

time.

She licks her lips. Perhaps because our numbers have

decreased, the number of tentacles surrounding her has
decreased, and her human form has become visible again,
but that doesn’t really hold any meaning. They’re too fast
for me to dodge.

“Fufufu, as expected of Lust… what pretty skin you

have there. You may be lacking in physique, but you
look like you’ll taste splendid. What fun.”

The hunger that floated in her eyes made the inside of my

head burn bright red. The clothing on my body had all been
melted, and had disappeared into her stomach.

In the desert land, with nothing to cover myself, and no

chance to even conceal with my hands as I ran away; the
sight could only be looked on as humorous. My body feels
heavy as lead, and from my first extensive exercise in a
long time, I’m getting light headed. But I cannot give up.

“But this is strange… for a Lust Demon, the scent of

Lust on you is too weak… you, Closet Pervert?”

She threw out those words in a joking tone. How rude.

“Ki ki ki, Exactly my sentiment. I’d have liked to see

you like that on the bed and not in a place like this!”

He lets out some impudent words as he tries attacking

again after tens of failures. The only thing he has left is
Celeste. But his sword still had powers in it beyond a
normal one. Its divine flames manifest a violent maelstrom
of fire, and send it at Zebul.

“Well, well, you don’t know when to give up…

honestly, the flames are tasty, but they won’t settle
down in my stomach. I guess I don’t really like them.”

But even that doesn’t work. In a motion I’ve seen

countless times by now, Zebul opens her mouth. As if it
were being sucked in, the flames are drawn to that small
hole, where they dissapear.

“… Damn, no matter how you look at it, that’s

cheating…”

“Fufufu, don’t mind it, you guys are… much

stronger than that Demon Lord I ate the day before
last. That’s truly a frightening sword.”
 “Ki ki ki, so it’s just the sword!”

“Fufufu, in ten thousand years, perhaps you may be

able to reach at least the footholds of my desire, I
guess.”

“… So do you have any intentions of letting us off?”

“I’m too hungry for that!”

Wrapped by the tentacles, yet another Demon was sucked

in. The ground the purple liquid touches desolve, and many
holes open up.

“Oy, Medea…”

“… What?”

“Just one, there’s still something we can try.”

Deije speaks with an expression overcome by fatigue. His

treasured swords were eaten, and his eyes are filled with
hostility towards the Demon Lord in front of him.

“You… give me your 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』.”

“…Ha? What are you talking about?”

Deije glares at the Lord with stern eyes. Is the fact she’s
not launching an attack right now due to her leisure?

“That skill… it’s one that births illusions with

physical form, right?”

“… Yeah, to put it more specifically, it creates

illusions, and the real body can freely swap to any one
of them if within range.”
 When you’re killed, it’s a skill that can make your real
body the illusion. Such is the power of the skill you have to
climb up quite high on the Luxuria Skill Tree to obtain,
『Phantom Aliquot Dance』 . It’s a powerful skill where,
until one of them is attacked, all of them can be classified
as the real body. That’s why any resistance to Mental
Corruption cannot see through it.

“Close enough. Girly, listen close. Right now, we

have no means of beating Zebul. Just barely, if a
chance is ever to come, our hope lies on this sword.”

He holds up the cracked and torn Demon Blade. Truly,

attacks from Celeste are the only ones she takes the time to
defend against. No, she’s still eating them, but there’s no
doubt she has to take some sort of action. Since she does
that every time, if she doesn’t she should take some
damage. But I doubt we’ll be able to take her out in a single
strike.

“I’ll take your 『 Phantom Aliquot Dance 』 with my

『Skill Ruler』, and using it, I’ll fry that bastard with
Celeste from all directions.”

Those words were something I could not believe. I

unintentionally raised my free hand to cover my breasts.
Deije’s eyes were serious.

“That can’t be… 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』 is an SS

Class Skill, you know? Using that on top of invoking
Celeste’s power is… impossible.”

“Ki ki ki, so all it means is… it’s a problem of

Magical Power… even so, if we don’t do something
now, we’ll just get eaten. We’ll be turned into some
strange fancy dish.”
 He’s… correct. Even if we nedlessly waste time here,
defeat is inevitable. Then it’s not bad to make a bet. I give a
small nod.

“Fufufu, have you finished your discussion? My

hunger is just about at its limit, guys.”

“Yeah… Ki ki ki, we’ll roast you whole.”

I take the hand Deije offered to me. The second I touched

it, a skill from the Greed Tree, 『 Skill Ruler 』 was
activated.

『Skill Ruler』 is, as the name sounds, a Greed Skill that

steals the Skills of others. It’s the most famous skill on the
tree. There are various complex conditions that have to be
met, so you can’t fulfill them on the battlefield to take an
enemy’s skills, but you can still manipulate stolen skills
freely, and you can even strengthen them. A powerful Skilll.
This especially goes for Class Skills that can only be
unlocked by fulfilling Original Sin. Skill Ruler can ignore
the prerequisites, and unlock limitless merits. Because the
harder they are to unlock, the more powerful a Demon’s
skills are.

I felt an uncomfortable sensation as if my entire body was

searched over. I somehow stomached that disgusting
feeling by gritting my teeth. But Deije’s face soon warped,
and he muttered in amazement.

“This can’t be… the Skill 『 Phantom Aliquot

Dance』… isn’t there… what the hell!?”

“Eh!?”
 He put in more power, and gripped my hand with force
that made me question whether or not it would break. My
existence was probed left and right.

“Gone… dammit… this can’t be. I should have

fulfilled the conditions already!! Even if it’s an SS
Class Skill, it can’t be that I can’t find it…
impossible!!”

“… Could it be that you’re not proficient enough to

use it or something?”

My words were quickly denied. With eyes as if he was

looking down at a monster.

“Nonononono, Skill Ruler isn’t… that sort of skill. Girly,

are you really capable of using that skill?

“… Didn’t you just see me using it back then?””

“… Still… dammit, there’s no time. No helping it, I’ll

lend you Celeste. You do it!”

Impossible. That’s definitely impossible. There’s a clear

difference in swordsmanship level between me and Deije.
It’s not just a manner of skill; muscle mass, the way we
carry ourselves, and even our daily habits, the way we’ve
lived our lives up until now, the small differences in
movement outside of our perception. I cannot handle
Celeste. Even if it’s just letting out flames, a Demon Blade
of this level depends greatly on the wielder, and in the first
place, I don’t have the magic left in me to use 『Phantom
Aliquot Dance』.

“No good… I don’t have enough Magical Energy in

me to use the 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』 skill.”
 “Ku, then I guess it’s finally time… for us to be
praying for a miracle.”

His sharp eyes turned to the aloof Demon Lord.

Miracle?

That word made a light flash in my mind.

… No, not like that, but just one… there’s just one way
this’ll work. It isn’t something grand enough to usher in our
victory, but there was still one way I could use to recover
magic. Still, if I did use it, my true nature would leak out.
No, I’ve already used it once before. Being found out is only
a matter of time…

I looked at Deije’s face. It’s not one I like at all. He’s a

man who’s built up more distinguished service than me.

But we’re not at a level where I can care about like or

hate. I prepared myself, and opened my mouth.

“Deije… um, I’m…”

“… What? … What sort of miracle is this?”

His expression turned to one in a trance. It was the same

expression as when he had scortched the desert, only to
find Zebul still alive and well. A face that came when
something outside the realm of common sense had
happened. He overlooks me with eyes as if he doubted
whether or not he was dreaming.

“Girly, can you feel that?”

Eh? …Ah! …Eh!?“

 A few seconds late, I noticed as well. The meaning of his
words.

The wind was blown away. The unstagnating black wind

that seemed to carry everything away. I looked at the palm
of my own hand, dumbfound. A slight bit of power returns
to my exhausted body, and some magic returns to my empty
tank. The sticky feeling Zebul gave off was washed away.

“Leigie-sama’s 『Abyss Zone』 was… revived!?”

“… Why… at this point, why is Boss’s Zone…”

Right, after all this time. 『 Abyss Zone 』 wasn’t a skill

that could be readily manipulated. Sure, if a Demon Lord
had considerable power, the scope and output would rise,
but that’s based on their base abilities, and it isn’t
something they can consciously control.

Zebul noticed as well. She looks bewildered. It seems her

power isn’t impacted in itself, but she’s probably
questioning how the territory she was able to construct
without problem was suddenly broken without warning.

“… Oy, oy, what did you guys do? Is this part of your
plan?”

As if. 『Abyss Zone』 is only reserved for Demon Lords.

Neither me nor Deije are going awaken to it all of a sudden.
That in itself would take more than a miracle.

But the real miracle was yet to come.

Deije suddenly opened his eyes wide. His lip trembles,

and his arms lose power as Celeste falls to the ground. An
obvious gap in defense. If that Lord over there were to
attack now, we would have been bitten to death.
 “How… why, at this time… no, in the first place…
that’s impossible.”

But I have no time to pay him any mind. Because I had

noticed what was in the direction he was looking.

Elegant black hair, well cared for (by the maids).

Unhealthy pale skin without a single blemish. The jet-black
overcoat he wore, befitting of one who reigned over the
night, was said to be something handed down by the Great
Demon King, but no one knows the truth of the matter. Of
course without a blade, or a weapon of any kind. Not even
a crown to honor his title. He wasn’t wearing a single
ornament. From inside his black clothing, that looked to be
woven with high class silk, a sloven plain shirt was visible.
Since he wasn’t wearing a belt, he wasn’t going to be doing
any extreme movement, but even now, his pants looked like
they were about to slip off.

In all sense of the word, that visage wasn’t one that

should be appearing on the battlefield. No, there’s no way
it could have appeared. Even a random spear falling from
the sky and accidentally killing the Demon Lord would be
more believable.

“Medea… is that your illusion?”

“… Of course not.”

I don’t have the time, and there would be no meaning.

Making an illusion of my own master? He’s too awe-
inspiring for me to be able to do such a thing.

“… I see, so it’s Zebul’s illusion… Ah, that was

surprising. I mean, there’s no way Boss would appear
in a place like this.”
 “… So that’s it… if it’s that, then I can believe it.”

My frozen thoughts were thawed by Deije bringing up a

situation that was actually plausible. I see… just how vile is
this Demon Lord? Even if we were on the brink of death, to
show us an image of Leigie-sama… is this a part of her
cooking? Using the carrot and stick raises the flavor?
Regardless, don’t scare me like that. I thought my heart
was going to stop even before she killed me. My heart is
still going off like an alarm due to the impact.

Even so, that’s really well made. It’s been quite a while
since I last looked upon Leigie-sama’s form. And seeing him
walking around outside, just how many years has it been?
Even if I look through all of my memory, the first time I met
him was the first and last I ever saw him out here, and it
probably won’t happen any time soon. The reason his hair
is so glossy despite its messiness is because the maids are
hard-put keeping it in order while trying not to wake him,
and his pale skin is likely a result of him not going out
three hundred and sixty five days a year. His nature and
each and every detail was completely reproduced. Even his
expression was the sleepy one he made when in his room,
and his swaying stance was one where I wanted to rush to
him this instant to support his body.

“That’s quite something… it really is identical. If

the Boss ever actually stood up, he’d probably look
like that.”

“… Right …Ah!!”

At that moment, I noticed something important. I’m… not

wearing anything right now! I hurriedly sit down to hide
myself. Even if it may be an illusion, standing before my
lord with not a cloth on my back is something that should
never come to be. Even if Leigie-same isn’t interested in me
in the slightest. The inside of my head is burning red, as if
it had been painted with embarrassment itself, and noticing
there were things I couldn’t hide even in this position, I
turned to Deije.

“Deije… mantle.”

“… Sure.”

He casts off his tattered mantle, and I somehow use it to

cover my body. Like this, I won’t be able to move well, but
this isn’t the time to be worried about that. Deije keeps his
eyes locked, on the illusion’s actions.

“… Oy, oy, that boss has already started sleeping. In

front of Zebul.”

“They really are identical.”

Still with a bewildered expression, Zebul raised her voice

to the illusion of Leigie-sama that had suddenly appeared.

“… You. Who are you?”

“… I see.”

The illusion, with an expression indicating he wasn’t

listening at all, let out some words completely irrelevant to
the flow of the conversation.
 Chapter 4
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: Just Remembering it Pisses Me Off

In novels, I’ve read that there’s nothing more

troublesome than an incompetent yet hard worker, but if
you’ll let me state my personal opinion, in this world, there
is nothing more aggravating than a ridiculously competent
slacker.

The Demon Lord I’ve been dispatched to keep an eye on –

The King of Sloth, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls- is perhaps
the best fitting for that phrase in the world. One of these
guys is more than enough.

Of the ones who ally to the Great Demon King 『 Kanon

Iralaude』 , a total of 19 have reached Demon Lord Class,
but of Demon Lords selected by the Original Sin of Sloth,
there is only one. Compared to a normal Demon’s skills, a
Demon Lord’s are exceedingly powerful, and while it
changes based on the Skill Tree, all of them are extremely
useful. Therefore, the Demon Lord who advanced his Sloth
Skills to the limit was, quite annoyingly, classified as a
precious existence, and that formed a sort of buffer zone
where no one could really say anything against his
behavior. I must follow my orders, and produce results. But
he doesn’t seem to want cause any insurrections, and all he
does is just lie around. How annoying.
 The current Great Demon King, Kanon-sama is a Demon
Lord that is connoted with Ira. The Ira attribute specializes
in offensive power, and its single targeting power far
surpasses the Gula series, which is also said to boast high
offense. However, the Acedia Series, annoyingly enough, is
said to be the only Skill Tree out of all of them that excels
in pure stamina. All demons have some Defensive skill or
another, but the Sloth Tree far surpasses common sense in
that regard. Pointless VIT that seems to have been thrown
in for no real reason, on top of a presumptuously enormous
amount of HP. What’s more, they have specialized
resistances to attacks of every attribute, and status
abnormalities. With their explosive VIT, they rarely ever
feel pain.

On the other hand, they’re lacking in Dexterity, and

Offensive power, but I doubt such a thing is necessary.
Without any meaning, like stones on the ground, like
shellfish in the sea, those guys just exist there without
doing anything.

Why must we waste our own power to try and chip at

those existences that resemble inorganic matter? The Great
Demon Kings of old probably thought along those lines.
From my point of view, taking in a King of Sloth as a
subordinate was one of the greatest mistakes ever
committed by the first Great Demon Lord.

They are without a doubt detrimental existences. That’s

why my stress against that indestructible wimp just
continues to build up without end. I’ve collected an
indescribable amount of Wrath, and while it’s been almost
a thousand years since my birth, I’ve never felt this much
anger against a specific something ever before.
 Those were the contents of the regular report I submitted
to Kanon with the resolve that I was going to get killed. She
burst into laughter. It was the first time I ever saw the
Great Demon King of Wrath laugh to this extent.

The Great Demon King’s hand-picked corps that acts as

her eyes and ears, the 『 Order of Black 』 . The Demons
that make it up have been filtered through by various
processes, making it a prestigious and elite brigade. It’s not
an exaggeration to say they’re the ones leading the Great
Demon King’s Army, and that they’re the king’s personal
royal guard. In reality, about one fifth of the world’s Demon
Kings were once part of the Order, and when you think
about how the current Great Demon King Kanon originated
from it as well, it’s easy to understand just how refined of a
history this Order has. The members that make it up are
sent out in different squadrons to look over the actions of
the Demon Lords allied to the Great Demon King- by the
desire they held, was it likely for them to quietly obey
another or not. We observe their conduct in great detail, at
times delivering decrees from the King, at times, offering
warnings, at times fighting alongside them, and at times
searching for signs of rebellion before they can carry
anything out. But as we are dispatches, it’s an exceedingly
dangerous mission where we have to serve another Demon
Lord, and by its nature, it’s a crucial one where negligence
isn’t permitted.

Even so, after receiving top-class reports for my military

service, I, Lize Bloodcross, was unable to understand why I
was sent alone to do the mission that usually required
teams of three, and even though I governed Wrath, just as
Kanon did, I couldn’t understand the meaning behind me
being sent to watch over Sloth, the complete opposite
nature. It was unbearable.
 Originally, inspections were to be carried out by Demons
of the same attribute, or at least by ones of similar nature.
While it may be the decision of the Great Demon King, I am
completely unable to comprehend his divine will. I’m at my
wits end. Thus, I cannot avoid issuing a protest. Even if that
is to end in my death.

On a giant throne of obsidian, Great Demon King Kanon

Iralaude had laughed so much that tears were coming out
of her eyes, as she propped herself up with her staff.
Kanon-sama is a female Demon. Her height was close to a
man’s, and the personification of her Wrath, her crimson
hair the color of the flames of hell boiled and let off fumes
like lava. The tips of it tickled the armrests of the throne
Even with a few meters between us, the exalted
atmosphere I sensed was proof of the unfathomable power
she commanded as the Great Demon King.

But her authority is quite wasted. In various ways. And as

I may add, todays Demon King-sama is in a rare good
mood. She clears her throat, and stares at me with her red
hot eyes.

“And, Lize Bloodcross. If that be the case, then what

exactly is it that you want?”

“Yes, it is my suggestion that we just kill Leigie-

sama already, divide up his territory, and assign it to
the other Demon Lords loyal to you.”

I stated what was on my mind directly to the Great

Demon King. Perhaps she had expected my objection. She
immediately threw out a reply. My objection was in
opposition to the Great Demon King’s will, so it wouldn’t be
strange for my head to fly off at any moment, but there
wasn’t even a fragment of anger in her eyes.
 “I see… then who will kill him? As the sole Demon
Lord that governs Sloth, he merely wastes his eternity
on naught. How shall we kill a Demon Lord like that?”

“That is…”

That in itself was the reason I spent several months

bearing my anger and serving him. I do possess General
level power, and my attribute is the one most suited for
offense, but while he was taking such attacks, of all
things… that Demon Lord started sleeping. As if he was
saying that there was no need to pay any mind to attacks of
my measly level.

Just remembering it pisses me off. Hot blood circulated

through my body with my Soul Core as the center, and my
vision was dyed red. I took deep breathes to try and calm
myself, but it didn’t have any effect.

“Ku ku ku, by the look of it, you’ve already tried it

yourself…”

“… Yes, I understand that I have overstepped my

authority, but I was unable to hold back my Wrath…”

Kanon-sama received those words with eyes filled with

pleasure.

“I’ll permit it. Ku ku ku, Lize… you resemble… the

me of the past.”

“!? Yes… ‘tis an honor.”

Just what does she mean? I cannot understand Kanon-

sama’s thoughts. I cannot comprehend. It’s not like I’m
angry. My thought come together again, and I instantly
kneel before her. With an expression completely unfitting of
her moniker, Kanon of Ruin, she looked at me with soothing
eyes.

“Anyways, Lize. That man won’t die… of course, if

you find a way to kill him, I mind not if you carry it
out, but… Lize, I’m counting on you.”

“… Yes. I will put in my utmost effort in order to

answer your expectations, my liege.”

On her sudden words, I hurriedly corrected my posture,

and from her sudden expectations, I hid my face.

Will I ever be able to live up to such hopes? The Demon

Lord of Sloth has peerless powers, and in his speech,
loyalty to the Great Demon King, and his treatment of me, a
direct emissary of her… towards all of it, he has not a
fragment of interest. Against that Demon who’s shut
himself in his own closed world, what is it that I can do? Is
there anything I can change in the slightest? No matter the
time, I’ve always cut open my own path with my own will,
but I have no confidence for myself on this trial. Our
affinity is… just too bad.

“Good… I understand your plea. But there is a

reason you were appointed Leigie’s observer. Find it
out for yourself.”

That was something I did not expect from the King’s

mouth. The weight I feel on the back of my head. An
invisible pressure is holding me down. Lifting my head isn’t
permitted. It may be obvious, but on her statement, me
questioning further would be foolish.

“Yes. Please excuse me, Lize Bloodcross. All is as

Kanon-sama wishes it.”
 “Good. Then march onwards. You have the makings
of a ruler. So learn. Study it, understand it. The
meaning of being a Demon.”

“Yes… without fail.”

There was no playfulness in the Great Demon King’s

words. Her each of her direct, passing words were
engraved in my Soul Core.

But I cannot understand what she means in the slightest.

Something to learn from that Lazy King…? From that
Demon Lord… from the Demon Lord whose sin was so
strong it caused my predecessor, a Demon of Sloth, to
abandon his responsibility. As someone with the polar
opposite nature, just what am I supposed to learn? Perhaps
by the time I learn that, I will have answered to the Great
Demon King’s expectations.

I lower my head greatly, and the moment I had stepped

through the door, Kanon-sama spoke. Another voice
unbefitting the Demon King of Ruin. A tired voice.

“Lize, once you return to the Castle of Shadows, go

tell Leigie-Niisama… at least drop by now and again.”

“… Eh!? Niisama!?”

I definitely did not have to hear that. I turned around in a

panic. It seems Kanon realized what it was she had just
said, as she was clicking her tongue. With a grim
expression, she pointed her staff at me. The sin of Wrath,
said to return everything in the world to ash. The glint in
her eyes was like a raging fire, as if to block any objection
from me. With this pressure, I was able to get out but a few
words before my heart gave in.
 “Kanon, just now…”

“Onwards, Lize Bloodcross! Don’t… trouble me any

further!”

“Y-yes!”

As if she was driving me away, she slammed the doors.

Angry words from the Demon Lord of Wrath were definitely
nothing rare. The two guards standing in front of the Great
Demon King’s room remain unmoving, but they turn eyes
filled with sympathy at me. I nod to them before going
forward.

I see… Even if he’s a rare Sloth Demon Lord Specimen,

so this is why Kanon, who governs Wrath leaves him be…
Wrath’s direct attack ability is second to none, but on the
other hand, it’s hard to keep followers unharmed.

I get the feeling I just caught a glimpse of some of the

Great Demon King’s black history. It’s a bit dejecting.

Part 2: Go to Hell!

Today, once again, the Demon Lord I was charged with

observing was at peace.

Even though the morning sun had risen, the bed

remained stuffed with the thick lump that was Leigie, and
he isn’t moving in the slightest. At this point, I’m even
beginning to question whether he’s still alive. Ever since
the Great Demon King gave me some words of
encouragement, I’ve been carefully watching him, but no
matter how you look at it, this Demon Lord is just way too
much of a Sloth. There are times when a Wrath like me
isn’t angry, but Leigie-sama has never slacked on his duty.
 Is that supposed to be the difference between a normal
Demon and a Demon Lord? No, that’s probably wrong.
According to the others of the Order of Black sent to watch
Demon Lords, they’re just a bit further out than normal
Demons, and it seems that they’ve never run into any
others stoically continuing to pursue their own attributes
as much as Leigie. Really, he should just drop dead. In an
irritated state, I started writing in my Demon Lord
Observation Diary. I unintentionally opened my eyes wide.
This is surprising. This is quite severe.

There… isn’t a single thing to report.

He doesn’t train his skills, and without any training, I

doubt he’ll go step into a battle. He doesn’t establish
communication with his retainers, and he doesn’t
participate in the war councils. Everything revolves around
the people working outside of his watch. I am here
witnessing the perfected form of a single type of monarchy.
But it’s definitely something different from the phrase
『The King Reigns, but Does not Govern』 . (TL: This is
apparently a line from the political doctrine of the
Commonwealth of the Two Nations) No, it’s just that he
isn’t thinking about anything at all. Are you even conscious
of what your role in all this is, De~ Mon~ Lord~ Sa~ Ma~?

How does this army hold itself together? No, seriously. It

was just too pitiful that my stress is building up, and that
gets converted to anger. As a result, for me who had never
really had too much to anger me in life, My Wrath Skill
Tree experienced sudden extreme growth. I’m not happy
about it at all.

I sat irritated in my usual chair as I glared scornfully at

the bed. Even when I’m releasing this much bloodlust, why
is it that he isn’t waking in the slightest…!? And while that
was happening, the clock hit a certain time, and the source
of all evil appeared cart-in-hand.

She opened the door without making a single sound, and

quietly entered with elegant bearing. In a soft voice, she
alerted him of that time. It was the closest connection
Leigie’s army had to their Demon Lord. It was…

“…Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal…”

The maid. She wore dated office worker clothing, and

was a prim and proper beautiful Demon. I don’t know her
Attribute, but she doesn’t look suited for battle, so I guess
she might not have one. In the categorization system
decided by the Human Race, the category of Demons
known as Wraiths, has many born with nothing but the
innate instinct to cause harm to others, but occasionally, a
Demon without such desires is born of them. In that case,
what comes out is a Demon that doesn’t reign over any
Original Sin. There are also child Demons whose spirits are
too immature for them to embrace any cravings, but for
them to continue to grow up in that state is rare. I’ve heard
that it can happen, though. If that girl actually embraced
some sin, then there’s no way she would be this devoted to
Leigie-sama. Because this Demon Lord is trash.

Her name is Lorna. She doesn’t have a last. Since I was

dispatched here, she’s the one I’ve had to interact with the
most. Her wide pretty blue eyes, and the golden hair that
was evenly cut at her shoulders were her most notable
characteristics. She’s probably my age, if not a little
younger. At the same time, she’s the source of all of this.
Because this girl spoils that Demon Lord in every sense of
the term, Leigie-sama will never work no matter how much
time passes. I’ve protested time and again, but there are no
signs of her stopping her work. For a girl like this to be
wasted on a demon that does not but covet indolence, ‘tis
the end of the world. If it turned out that this girl was
actually the one pulling all the strings, I don’t think I would
actually be surprised. I honestly think this world would be a
better place without her. But she doesn’t die. There’s no
worry of her falling in battle. Because she doesn’t go out in
the battles.

On Lorna’s whisper of food, the Demon Lord’s head

slowly began to project out of the covers. His eyes are half-
closed, and he’s still lying face-down. This is the only time
of day I can regularly see that man’s deplorable face. Even
though he’s unarmed, if you launch an attack, Leigie-sama
doesn’t take a single point of damage. I know because I’ve
tried it a few times.

Just what sort of Skills does Sloth have? Within all the
Skill Trees held by the Demon Class, the one with the least
information about it known is without a doubt the Sloth
Skill Tree.

Demons of Sloth don’t usually use skills by choice. If you

ask why, it’s precisely because they are Sloth. And so, a
majority of Sloth’s skills aren’t widely known. Of course,
among them, there isn’t anyone diligent enough to
painstakingly record down their skills either. It’s no real
mystery why it’s a mystery. Don’t. Screw. With. Me!

Just what thoughts are going through their heads as they

continue to pursue that laziness? Just what are they trying
to do by cultivating a set of skills that they’ll never use?
Every time I think about that, it feels like I’m observing
some sort of foreign animal. And I feel my entire body get
engulfed by a feeling of weakness. Just die already.
 The scarce information that’s been passed around
denotes that Sloth skills excel in endurance, and that they
have skills that allow them to slow down others’
movements. There’s also the Slaughter Dolls Leigie-sama is
so known for: a skill for giving life to dolls. But that’s about
it. That may be all, but I also think that’s more than enough
information in a sense. I mean, it’s not like that lump over
there’s going to use a skill anyways.

With his eyes closed, Leigie-sama opened his mouth.

Lorna accepted that action with a beaming smile, scooped
up some food with a spoon, and inserted it in his mouth. It
was like watching a mother bird feed its young.

One surprising thing was that this Demon Lord didn’t

even lift a finger to eat! Just quit it already! Like Hell this
thing is a Demon Lord! Apologize to all those Demons
diligently working out there! Even if you’re successfully
fulfilling your cravings, APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE
DEMONS WHO COULDN’T BECOME LORDS! I grit my
teeth, and screamed only within my heart. My mental
sanity was in danger. In various ways.

And Lorna, you need to stop too!

It’s that. The more I learn of his slovenly lifestyle, my

evaluation of Leigie, as well as those of the other Demons
who couldn’t become Demon Lords, even though this thing
somehow accomplished it is dropping. I’m included. And
that makes me pissed off all the more.

As I stood up by reflex, Lorna turns her eyes to me. As I

sigh, she gently sets the spoon on the plate, and puts her
hand on her hip, as if worn out.

“Day, by day, by day. Just what is it that you’re so

dissatisfied with?”
 With that gesture, I heard something snap somewhere in
my head. Leigie yawned.

“What? Me, dissatisfied? There should be a limit to

making fun of me!!”

Just because he’s a Demon Lord, he’s underestimating

me…

I lose my rationality for a moment, and my Wrath blazes

up. It rushes around my body along with my blood.

Just how much must I bear with? Why must I live like
this… If Kanon-sama won’t dispose of him, then I’ll settle
this in her place… However, even when I’ve reached a
stage like this… he won’t pay me any mind. With his eyes
still closed, he sways his head back and forth. I’m getting a
sudden impulse to go kick that head like a soccer ball.
Dammit… I’ve already tried that one long ago. It didn’t give
him a single scratch.

Then to give him a scratch, all that’s left is my 『 Ira 』

Skills. I take deep breaths, and try to manage the violent
emotions running about my head. It creates too much of an
opening, so I can’t use it in battle, but let’s take some
sweet time, and gather up power. With my rage as the fuel,
I’ll obliterate my enemy. That is the basis of『Ira』 skills.

“Looking down on me… in Kanon-sama’s place… I’ll

beat you to death…”

The 『Ira』 skill I have with the highest output. Fire born
from a Demon’s heart, my Soul Core, well up from my feet,
and rise into the heavens as a pillar of flames.
 On the Skill Tree, it’s an upper class skill ranked S. Of the
skills I can use, it’s the most powerful.

『Rage Flame』

Lorna winced as she was buffeted with the high

temperature with that came as a side effect. The blast
sends the tableware flying, and it crashes into the wall
before shattering into small pieces. While it may just be an
aftereffect, it’s a heat beyond what a normal Demon can
stand. The skin on Lorna’s arms instantly begins to burn,
and the room is filled with the unpleasant scent of roasting
meat. She scowls, steps back, and covers her skin, but this
isn’t a heat that can be avoided by something of that
extent.

“… Lorna, move. It’s not my problem if you’re

caught up in this.”

“… It’s useless. With 『 Wrath 』 of that level… you

won’t be able to breach Leigie-sama’s『Sloth』.”

… Looking down on me. I suppress the feeling of the

flames burning myself, and raise it to a heat I’d never
attained before. The barrier protecting the ceiling shatters,
and the stone above melts before dripping to the floor.
Words are taken as fuel, and the inside of my head gets
redder and redder. The flame wrapped around my arms
change to a shade of crimson mixed with black. The cuff of
Lorna’s clothes ignite, and the flame starts to spread. But
without even trying to put it out, she continued to pat
Leigie’s head. He hadn’t even opened his eyes. Her mouth
approached his ear. And she voiced some unbelievable
words.
 “Leigie-sama… I have a younger sister. If I’m ever to
dissapear, it’s set that she will be the one to take care
you you in my place.”

“I see.”

Lorna doesn’t seem to be giving any care to her own life.

And the Lord of Sloth doesn’t have a hint of interest
towards that fact. Leigie doesn’t even open his eyes… He
doesn’t even look at Lorna’s face.

“Idiotic… you plan to die here?”

“Ku… I do not have anything to block what you’ve

over there, Lize. No matter what I do, it will kill me in
the end. That is all.”

While withstanding the pain, her words came out in a

level tone, adding more fuel to my flames of wrath. The
flame spreads up the fabric, and the king sized bed is
engulfed in it. Lorna doesn’t try to cover herself. With her
body alight, she continues to gaze at the closed-eyed
Leigie. The flames were my anger in itself. Their nature
was different than simple physical fire. They had powers
fitting for them to be called flames of hell, the ability to
turn all matter to ash. In this wide world, they’re perhaps
what has the greatest destructive capability. They even
surpass the magic fire used by the Spirit Race. Information
about the target of my flames enters my head.

Lorna’s body constructed of Soul only has a slight fire

resistance from the basic Demon Tree. She’s easily burned
through as she becomes food for the flames. The reason
she’s still alive is that this is only a secondary effect with
not even a fraction of the skill’s power. If I released the
skill, then even if I didn’t aim for her, she would easily…
even easier than a scrap of paper, her soul and all else
would turn to ash.

“Ask your lord to save you.”

“You’re making… a mistake. Lize Bloodcross.”

Her entire body burns away bit by bit, and her head
dressed in charcoal made me find it amazing she was still
alive. With those burnt eye sockets, she looked at me. What
was in her eyes was nothingness. Her entire body
disappearing, she lets out not a single scream of pain, as if
she were merely waiting to greet an inevitable demise. It
was more repulsing than anything I had ever seen before.
And like that, Lorna smiled.

“… Sloth is… without thinking anything… without

creating anything… without saving anything… without
letting your feelings be moved… just existing as you
wish it.”

“!?”

The all-important Leigie was, even with the flames of hell

said to destroy any and everything surrounding him, not
stirring at all.

Not a single hair on his head, or a single patch of skin

was burned. Even though there’s no sign of him using any
sort of skill! In front of his eyes… even when the loyal
Demon who’s served him faithfully up until now is burning!
Even when everything in his world is being reduced to
cinders!

That fact made my mind leave me. It felt like my head

would split, that even burning everything in this world
wasn’t enough. That sort of anger penetrated my head. The
heat of the flames increases even further.

At that moment, Leigie opened his eyes for the first time,
and murmured. For the first time, his eyes turn towards
me. His expression seems troubled.

“… It’s hot.”

What the hell is he saying… this one… I can see that his
face is stiff. Words I cannot understand. A way of life I
cannot understand. Without an iota of hesitation, I
activated the skill.

“… Go to hell! Leigie!”

“… I see.”

With an unpleasant expression, Leigie sighed. He turned

the palm of his hand to me… in the face of the black flames,
he said a single word.

“Iyo.”

That was the first moment I had understood that the

Demon Lord had activated a skill. Even without saying the
Skill name. Right before it hit him, with a speed much
faster than my own skill.

What was supposed to protect my soul, the Mental

Pollution Resistance skill was instantly breached without
being able to offer any resistance in the slightest. My
instincts told me.

The impact was great enough to shake my Soul Core. My

Field of vision was in chaos, and my thoughts went all over
the place.
 The heat inside of my head was instantly cut off.

As if those feelings had been a lie, a hole was pierced

through my heart. What should have been there was the
mental hell of Wrath, but the driving force that was my
anger turned off, and died out. The flames that had been
raging in the surroundings, the flames that had been
burning Lorna, as if any and everything had been a dream.

“What… did you…”

I look at my palm, from which the black flame had

disappeared.

I should… have been angry. I definitely had been

embracing anger and hatred great enough to burn
everything to the ground. My memory still remains. Until a
few seconds ago, I should have been in a rage, but… now I
don’t really care. The disparity between my emotions and
my memory become a cold wind, sending shivers down my
spine. Something must have happened to create the empty
gap within my mind. My knees give out on me, and I
kneeled on the ground that had rapidly cooled after losing
its heat.

I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything. I don’t

understand my emotions of anger. How. Why was I angry?
How did I get so angry? My memory won’t provide me with
those answers. Without paying any mind to my worries,
within the ashes, and with a troubled expression, in his
tattered bedding, Leigie rolled over.

There is only one theory that could possibly explain this

abnormal situation.

… This is… a Skill of Sloth.

 Lying on his back, Leigie’s eyes turned in my direction.

“…”

But without saying anything, he closed them.

His impudent behavior lit another spark within me. Say

something already…

Part 3: Who the Hell Does He Think He’s Supposed to

Be?

“Are you not going to kill me for opposing you?”

“… If you want to die, then go do that by yourself.

Ah, but first, go tell them that they should send a
Sloth next time.”

Hah. Leigie let out a troubled sigh. With those words, I

became certain that my own actions had absolutely no
effect on this Demon Lord. He really is a man with no hopes
of salvation. Kanon’s tired words float in my mind.

A skill to overwrite one’s cravings with Sloth.

That’s my conjecture as to the skill this Demon Lord used

only once. I don’t even know its name. At that moment, the
hell within my heart was completely buried up.

And if that’s truly the case, then that is… the strongest
skill for a Demon. I mean, a Demon’s battle ability rises in
proportion to the extent of their longings. Just as my
『Wrath Flames』 scaled off my anger, to rapidly increase
its output. It’s not something limited to Wrath, the others
are the same. Without a thirst for material possessions,
Greed Skills are unusable, and without hunger, Gluttony
Skills won’t have any decent firepower. His skill is bullshit.
Normally, a skill of this type would be blocked by the
Mental Corruption Resistance on the Basic Demon Tree,
but this Demon Lord somehow breached it in an instant.
That means that skill can’t be blocked by standard means,
and that skills that can’t be withstood by it truly do exist.
I’m not sure if it’ll work even on a Demon Lord, but if it
does, then even Demon Lords would be played with like
children. And I don’t want to think about it, but perhaps the
one who holds the seat of Great Demon Lord, Kanon-sama,
is the same. No, more than that, a large majority of Wrath
Skills scale directly off of anger, so his power would be
even more affective against her. When I think of the anger
smoldering within me, it isn’t something that will burn for
eternity, but if I think about what would happen if it were
suddenly extinguished in battle, I cannot help but feel fear.

Its effect? Its range? Its scope? Its conditions?

Challenging this Demon Lord without knowing any of that

is… too dangerous. What’s more, he only showed me a
single power. When you think about how I have dozens of
Wrath Skills, while there’s a difference in trees, I can’t help
but assume this Demon Lord has much more than that.

Leigie-sama is… dangerous. Not because his irritating

behavior is poison to my sanity, his power itself is
dangerous. It’s likely that Kanon-sama knows this as well.
That’s why I was dispatched. This Demon Lord won’t do
anything troublesome like start a rebellion, but in the
million to one chance… If I cannot obliterate him with
Wrath Skills… the other Skill Series which fall behind in
pure offensive power won’t be able to break his defense.
He said it was hot. That means for a split second, my power
definitely had some effect on this Demon Lord. It’s
impossible for the current me, but if I continue to mature,
perhaps I will gain the power to inflict damage on him.
 I need to sharpen my blade. While looking at this man,
who possesses unfathomable power, I’ll refine myself. That
is likely Kanon-sama’s… intent. And at the same, time,
make good use of this man’s resources, to benefit the Great
Demon Lord’s army. He’s scary as an enemy, but having
these Sloth Skills on our side is more than reliable. Taking
on these two challenges simultaneously is my mission, and
my trial. Once I’ve overcome that, there is no doubt I’d
have gained powers incomparable to what I’ve used up
until now.

We were moved to another room, and on top of a bed of

the same make, Leigie turned over in his sleep. In my eyes
his form was now that of someone I couldn’t underestimate.
It seems that the bedroom I burnt up is in the middle of
reconstruction. None of the Demons in Leigie’s army said a
word about it. Say something already.

At that time, the door made a loud sound as it opened,

and a single Demon came in. It was a girl wearing a maid
uniform. Her atmosphere was a bit similar to Lorna, but
she was just a little bit younger. She looked at Leigie-sama,
who refused to pop his face out of the covers, took a quick
glance at me, and approached the bed. With a face
identical to Lorna’s, she smiled.

“Leigie-sama! Please~ Wake~ Up~!”

Of all things, she began recklessly shaking the cover the

Demon Lord had burrowed under. The smile and
atmosphere are definitely similar. The girl who was
probably the sister she was talking about only carried a
similar air, and her actions were completely different. This
is a fraud.
 That’s no way to treat that guy, I mean, isn’t he supposed
to be some sort of king? At her violent treatment, I
unintentionally tried to restrain her when I was supposed
to be on the other side. What the hell is this.

“!? Wai… can’t you be a little quieter!?”

“? Ah! You muct be the Lize-san oneechan told me

about! I’m called Hiero. I’m the little sister of Lorna,
who used to take care of Leigie-sama!”

“Eh, ah, yes.”

Without stopping her hand, the girl called Hiero turned

only her head to look at me. She’s not displaying the
appropriate attitude to the one who burnt her sister to
death. No, more so, she’s giving a smile reminiscent of a
blooming flower. Even if she’s a Demon, she should have at
least a bit of affection for her family. Just like I have a sort
of loyalty to the Great Demon King. Of all things, she
started speaking in an innocent voice.

“Thank you very much! For killing Oneechan!

Because of that, it’s finally come around to my turn!
Oneechan would never stop working, so I was getting
worried!”

Her feelings were just too twisted. Her lack of visible

malice made it all the more menacing. From the time I
served directly under the Great Demon King, to when I was
assigned here, I’ve never seen emotions like these.

“Y-you… are those the sort of words you’re supposed

to direct to your sister’s killer!?”

“Eh? Well…”
 On my words, Hiero put her index finger to her mouth,
and began to think. And the answer came soon enough. It
was an answer I wasn’t expecting at all.

“Lize-san, you’re too soft. If you’re going to try

killing her, you have to do it properly…”

“Eh…?”

Her skirt fluttered as she sat on the edge of the bed.

From under her skirt that was much shorter than Lorna’s, I
saw healthy, tanned skin. As if something was tickling her,
she raised a laugh befitting her age. How does that modest
Older Sister get a younger one like this?

(TL: This kusu is laughter. Not sobbing.)

“Kusu kusu kusu, she was still alive… Good grief,

oneechan doesn’t know when to give up… her luck
sure was great. Even if it wasn’t a direct hit, for her
not to die instantly after taking the 『 Ira 』 of a
General Class Demon. Even when I thought my turn
had finally come, I was going to have to contain
myself even longer!”

What shocking news. She was burnt black, but lived!?

No, that’s not it. That isn’t it. This Demon… what did she
just say?

“… Contain yourself even longer… could it be, that

you…”

“Nonono, don’t misunderstand! Oneechan’s still

alive, you know? Though she’s quite burnt. I mean,
killing my own sister is a bit… If I did something like
that, kusu kusu kusu, I would become 『 Invidia 』 ,
wouldn’t I? Holding onto two sins would be a pain.”
 An unsettling cheerful voice. This one is… different. She
has no beauty like Lorna. No matter how close their faces,
no matter how close their forms, this child is without a
doubt one who spreads ill will just by staying alive, an
orthodox devil. One with the personality most fit to pursue
desire, a『Pure Demon』.

I’m not sure whether she’s looking at my expression or

not, she lies down face up on top of Leigie, and stares at
the decorations on the canopy.

“Oneechan was pretty, wasn’t she? She should’ve

been of the same make as me, but she was nice and
slim, and tall, and her eyes were wide and clear, her
skin was white, and she always did the housework,
but she never got a scratch on her, and her hair was
glossy without any damage. Her voice wasn’t too high
or too low, it was just the right level to comfort the
ear, and her breasts were twice the size of mine… a
beauty no male Demon would be able to leave alone,
and despite her lewdness, she didn’t let a single
finger touch her body, as she served Leigie-sama in
chastity… Her heart was strong, and she didn’t draw
back a step against 『 Ira 』 … Kusu kusu kusu, she
really was the ideal woman.”

“Le…wd?”

“Oh? Didn’t you know? Even like that, Oneecchan’s

a 『 Luxuria 』 demon, you know? What’s more, she’s
pursued desire enough to get A Class skill, quite
powerful. If you look at Demon Ranks, perhaps the
rank just before General… she had about as much
power as a Knight, I guess.”

That’s something I cannot believe.

 『Luxuria』 Of the 7 Sins that Demons can possess, it’s
known as the one most unsuited for direct combat. And
among all of them, it’s said to be the weakest in resisting
attacks as well. They are weak. Uselessly frail. Especially
against Demons with Mental Corruption resistance, a
majority of their powers don’t work.

But if so, they why…

“Why…”

“I don’t know if Oneechan told you, but my

household… has ALWAYS served the Demon King of
Sloth, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls. Probably from
around ten generations ago. Within the house, there’s
a rule that the strongest Demon would be the one to
serve, and in this generation, that was… Lorna
oneechan. Until Yesterday, that is.”

Yesterday, I burned Lorna in the flames of Wrath. If

Hiero’s words are to be trusted, she survived, but has lost
her power. And so the generation shifted. To this arrogant
sister.

“I’ve always had a complex against Oneechan.

Especially that figure. Oneechan had my ideal form,
so… that’s why I was always weaker than her.”

“Eh? Fi… gure?”

“With 『 Luxuria 』 , no matter how high level of a

Demon you are, with only A Class skills, you can’t… be
strong at all. I should have been much stronger. But
even so, I couldn’t win. I’m thankful to you, Lize-san.
Thank you for burning up oneechan’s beautiful face.”
 The tone of her voice dropped for a moment. And the
Demon said…

“Because of that, I was able to…『Overrule』 her…”

All the puzzle pieces were in place. Hiero forcefully

opened up the covers, and shamelessly clung onto Leigie-
sama’s arm as he looked at her with empty eyes.

“Leigie-sama, nice to meet you. I think you were

listening, but I’ll be taking care of you in oneechan’s
place! I’m called Hiero! I’ll be whole-heartedly
devoting my time to you, so I hope we get along!”

“… I see.”

“The Original Sin I carry is…『Pride』. I’m Hiero of

『Superbia』! Please remember it!”

As I thought… a Pride Demon!

『 Superbia 』 A Demon that governs arrogance and

superiority complexes. Within this army, it’s also the
attribute of Supreme Commander Heard Lauder. Its tree…
holds some exceedingly troublesome skills. Its affinity with
Gula and Ira, that were made to inflict direct damage, is
particularly bad.

On her first conversation with the Lord, her eyes

sparkled greatly. But at the same time, I felt it. This girl is
in no way suitable for Leigie-sama.

The Demon Lord wasn’t really thinking about anything.

With eyes devoid of emotion, he uttered two words.

“… Yeah. Iyo.”
 “? What’s 『Iyo』?”

On those words, Leigie’s expression turned stale. His

face spoke for itself. That explaining was a pain. He turned
his eyes to me, but I decided to ignore him. At first, I
wondered what it was as well. I asked. But Leigie-sama
never told me. In the end, I had to find it out by asking the
other Demons. It truly was a waste of time.

Leigie-sama let out a deep sigh. As if he was saying this

was all my fault.

And along with that sigh, Hiero’s expression clouded.

With a heavy voice, Leigie-sama spoke. From my point of
view, it was the same as normal, but for Hiero who was
having her first conversation with him, it was probably
different. His voice is always full of something that could be
called despair.

“… What happened to the last one?”

“… Eh? Y-you mean oneechan?”

“… Yeah.”

Yeah, he definitely doesn’t know it. Leigie-sama has no

interest in the maid’s name and origins. He probably found
it a pain, so he answered as such. Hiero’s pride is
stimulated, and she answers in a shaking voice.

“Oneechan was… burnt black by that Lize-san over

there. That’s why I’m…”

Demon Lord, you were there, weren’t you! And isn’t this
your fault!? Even though he was completely ignoring it, he
can’t even remember what happened just yesterday. Are
you sure there isn’t any fungus growing inside of that
head?

“I see… bring her here.”

“… he? Leigie-sama, j-just now, what are…”

Leigie-sama frowned. He’s probably thinking, ‘God, this

is a pain,’ but from someone who doesn’t know him, he
definitely looks displeased. By the way, if Kanon-sama
makes a face like that, it’s a sign that the entire area will
soon be reduced to cinders. There’s no escape. This Demon
Lord is a wimp, so nothing like that ever happens here. I’ll
even bet my life on it. Ah, dammit. This is pissing me off.

Leigie-sama repeated himself.

“… Bring her.”

“… Y-yes… ahaha, but she’s just charcoal, right? …

y-yes, I understand. I’ll carry Oneechan here.”

Hiero’s eyes are teary, but she immediately leaves the

room, making loud footsteps.

As if to shout out, ‘I’m in a bad mood.’

But Leigie-sama probably doesn’t notice that at all. The

Demon Lord under the covers, who usually never moved
had taken such a large action, so I tried asking.

“What do you plan on doing?”

“… That one’s no good.”

“… Hiero, you mean?”

“Yeah…”
 Without stating a specific reason, he just painstakingly
said that one word. … It seems that Lorna spoiling the heck
out of him up until now has had a slight effect. It seems you
guys really are the best under the heavens at deceiving
people, Luxuria. It’s because she carried out each and
every conceivable services for him… though that was also
the reason I snapped.

With loud footsteps, Hiero slams open the door. She

violently throws something onto Leigie-sama’s bed.

“… It’s oneechan.”

What Hiero brought was a Soul Core that could fit into

the palm of your hand. About half of it had burned away,
and been destroyed. Looking at it, I myself cannot call that
living. It’s because I don’t have the necessary tools to
determine whether or not there’s any life in that. As long as
a Demon’s Soul Core is safe, they can take up long years to
regenerate themselves. But with this much damage, it’ll
probably decay before any regeneration can happen. I’m
actually surprised Hiero was able to find this small
fragment inside the ashes. Could it be she actually had soft
feelings towards her sister? Leigie-sama can’t seem to
contain his unhappiness as he takes the core in his hands.
He gave a sigh of resignation, and gave a word in Hiero’s
direction… once more, that word.

“… Iyo.”

“… Eh? U-um… I deeply apologize. I am… s-still

inexperienced, but I will do my best… would you be as
kind as to tell me the meaning of『Iyo』?”

Having been pressed with an impossible trial, as if her

smile before had been a lie, Hiero’s tears fell all over the
place. Getting a pride to say they’re inexperienced, what a
frightening man. He probably isn’t thinking about anything,
though. But to one who governs Pride, that is a disgrace
akin to death. They are just masses of pride, and they think
they’re the centers of the world, so hurting their pride
enough to get them to put themselves below others makes
them absurdly weak.

“… Hah…”

“!? D-demon Lord…”

Who the hell does he think he’s supposed to be?

With a sigh, Leigie-sama closed his eyes. In the first

place, ‘I’ll leave it to you’, and ‘I’m satisfied with your work’
aren’t specific instructions in the slightest, aren’t they?
Right now, the Demon Lord doesn’t really wish for
anything. Can’t he just tell her that?

Hiero nervously looks around the room. Her eyes met

mine, but I hated her, so I ignored her. Trying to regain her
standing, she musters up her courage to talk again. I doubt
any evaluation of her has risen or fallen in the first place. In
the first place, there’s no meaning in getting evaluated by
that Leigie-sama.

I’m starting to think this, but don’t Pride and Sloth have
the worst compatibility? One strives to be superior and
worshipped by others, the other really doesn’t care. You
can’t fulfill a superiority complex with the Lazy King. Even
if there were rules, I think Lorna’s made a complete
mistake when choosing her successor. Is this supposed to
be some form of harassment?

“U-um… I specialize in housework! Cooking, and

cleaning, and laundry… I’m confident in it. If you wish
for it… e-even sexual favors…”

“I see.”

Her face is red, and she’s definitely pushing herself, but

Leigie simply gives his usual answer. No, he’s not being
cold. That’s just how he is! But Hiero doesn’t know that.
You can’t try and communicate with this Demon Lord.
Unless you know what he is from the start… that’s why I’m
so troubled.

And having been pushed into a corner, Hiero continued to

speak.

“Um… if it pleases you, please give me an order.”

Having heard that, for the first time, Leigie-sama voiced

his will.

“……………… Damn, this is a pain.”

“… Eh!?”

Seriously, who is he supposed to be? Leigie-sama let out

the deepest sigh he’d ever made. Hiero looked at the
Demon Lord with a blank expression. She hasn’t said
anything wrong. She hasn’t made any reckless remarks,
and she hasn’t asserted her selfishness. Having seen this
scene, a hundred out of a hundred would side with her on
the matter. Even I would. Don’t expect the maid that was
just hired today to be able to figure everything out.

The Demon Lord casually lifted the broken Soul Core up

to the light.

I wonder what’s going through his mind. And the moment

came. The presence that sprung forth all of a sudden made
me choke for air.

Having sensed that, the face Hiero had finally put in

order was suddenly overcome with fear, and after some
convulsions, she took a large step back.

Pride forgot her pride, and wrath forgot her wrath. It was
an amount of magic great enough to make my 『 Rage
Flame』 seem like child’s play, enough magic to warp the
world. It was. Without a doubt, a wave of the strongest
power I’d ever seen in my life.

Nothing seemed to matter anymore, and power seemed

to seep out of my body due to the concentration of Acedia.
With a face on the brink of death, the Demon Lord chanted.
It was definitely some sort of Spell.

“ 『 Ir Ir Rul Arcadia. Everything, degradation and

depravity. Hah… Law of money, the black cornerstone
that holds together all creation, just gather for a bit
in my name. 『 Sloth Minugrosz 』 』 Ah, I misspelled
it…”

“Wai…”

The overflowing magic abides the Demon Lord’s chant,

and takes form. In general, Skills can be activated by
incantation, or skill name. Without the incantation, the
difficulty increases, and the output drops. This Demon
Lord’s never chanted, or even said the skill name before, so
with an aria that long, of the skills I’ve seen before… It’ll
most definitely be the highest ranking one. I haven’t the
slightest idea what’s going to happen, but an unpleasant
feeling comes over my body. An alarm clock goes off in my
head. The skill activation that’s usually impossible to sense
is crystal clear. At the feeling of the world’s order being
warped, Hiero let out a scream.

But a spelling error… it was definitely that sigh he threw

into it, wasn’t it!? He can’t even recite a Skill properly, this
Demon Lord! The thoughts racing around my head were
just my attempt to escape reality. Even if the chant was a
failure, the skill definitely activated.

All apart. Though nothing had changed, I felt something

breaking.

The Soul Core the Demon King was holding began to

change shape at the half that had been burned. With the
crystal at the center, a mysterious black haze started to
gather, and take form. Its color changes. Hiero mutters in a
daze.

“O nee… chan?”

“… Haa.”

His sigh was filled with annoyance while, as if a clip was

being played in reverse, the charcoal regains its color, and
a completely scorched face is dyed white and regains its
gloss. In the wide open eyesockets, large orbs take shape.

In just a few seconds, a completely unharmed Lorna was

created. Of course, her body, but even the clothes she had
been wearing are reborn without a scratch. In a situation
that had long transcended expectations, Hiero’s eyes are
dilated as she raises a scream. Her back hits the bedside
table, and her hips are shaking, but she retreats further.
And Lorna slowly opens her eyes.

… She’s alive. The hell… just what is that skill?

Regeneration? Like hell… as if regeneration can restore
clothing. In the first place, Lorna should have been
completely terminated. From a half-destroyed Soul Core,
there’s no way she’d be brought back this perfectly!

“Onee… chan?”

“Hie… ro?”

Hiero unsteadily walks towards Lorna, as if she had seen

a ghost. Lorna’s eyes bink multiple times as she looks at
her sister. She doesn’t seem to know what’s going on
either. Well, that can’t be helped. Even I, who’s seen this
start to finish, can’t understand what just happened.

At that moment, the color of Hiero’s face changed. From

ghastly pale, to red panic. She tilts her head as she looks
over Lorna’s body. I also noticed it. The regeneration…
wasn’t over yet. No, the wounds were already gone, but
still, her time was turning back.

The skill hadn’t ended yet! The feeling that something

was broken persisted, and even though she had returned to
normal, there’s no sign of it ending.

Lorna’s height ever-so-slightly reduced, and her breasts

withered in a similar manner. The look on her face gets
slightly more childish. Her clothing changes from a pure-
white maid uniform to a smaller one with black as the base.
Her long skirt changes to the shorter one Hiero was
wearing.

By misspell, could he possibly…

My heart beats faster, as I see her body gradually shrink,

the fifteen centimeter height difference between her and
Hiero became ten, then five. Compared to that, the bulge in
her breasts doesn’t change all that much, but her facial
features slowly regress from mature to innocent. For a
different reason, Hiero blinked her eyes as she turned to
Leigie-sama.

“…Leigie-sama, this is…”

“… Turned her too far back.”

With a face that showed he wasn’t repenting at all,

Leigie-sama rubbed his head into the pillow. Even though it
was his mistake, he still has absolutely no motivation.

Turned her… too far back?

Lorna’s transformation ends. By that time, there was

pretty much no gap between her and Hiero. Of course,
there’s personality, and Lorna’s face looks just a little more
adult-like, but the appearance differences they had before,
if you exclude the fact that Lorna’s a very slight bit taller,
and her breasts much larger, as if they were twins, they
looked identical. The difference left was that of Lust and
Pride… the difference caused by attribute. Lorna’s
perplexed eyes looked over her shorter arms and legs.
Perhaps Hiero didn’t know how to respond, but she looked
around as if to throw responsibility off of herself. I want
someone to help me.

Only Leigie-sama is without confusion, without ill will. He

looks at the much-compacted, reconstructed Lorna.

“Do you have… memories? Today’s date?”

On Leigie-sama’s question, Lorna casts away her

hesitation, and corrects her posture. As if concerned about
her now-shorter skirt, she fidgets as she gives a clear reply.
 “Eh? Ah… yes. Today is Divine Year 271C8A, Kanon
Year 310 November 11th, Leigie-sama.”

As his question was answered with a full-on smile, Leigie-

sama turned to me. Could it be that even though he asked,
he doesn’t even know the date himself? Having regained
composure, Hiero answers instead.

“Oneechan, it’s the 12th.”

“Heh? No, today should be the 11th… Hmm? Hiero,

did you get taller?”

No, you shrunk. Leigie-sama addressed Lorna, who was

tilting her head, and still without a grasp on the situation,
with a care-free tone.

“I see. Got it. Iyo.”

“??? Y-yes! Understood, my liege…”

Her head remains tilted as she answers. She looks at her

wristwatch, and compares it to the one on the wall. In a
panic, she lowers her head deeply to Leigie-sama.

“Leigie-sama, I deeply apologize. A little… your

meal time will be delayed by about an hour.”

“Iyo.”

“Thank you. I am deeply grateful for your

kindness.”

She instantly returned to her daily cycle, and made quiet

steps as she exited the room. Behind her, she pulled the
hand of her sister, who still didn’t have a grasp on
anything.
 As I looked upon it, I was so taken aback that I couldn’t
say anything. What’s with that pointless loyalty? More than
her own body, that had disintegrated, she worries for the
mealtime of the Demon Lord that can go centuries without
food or drink? I look towards Leigie, the culprit in all of
this, but there’s no sign of him feeling satisfaction, or a
sense of achievement, or even remorse. This Demon Lord,
who is he, really…

With all that’s happened, I’ve lost confidence in my own

『Wrath』 that I’m supposed to govern.

Part 4: Quit. Screwing. With. Me!

Give me a break already. Every time he shows one of his

Sloth skills, my stress build up.

What I understand is that this Demon Lord has advanced

enough to be appropriate for Rank Three. That’s about it.
And while I originally would be happy upon learning such a
fact, every time I’m reminded of it, I lose confidence in
myself as a Demon. Just how much do I have to satisfy my
Sin to get some bullshit skill like the ability to rewind time?
To be more specific, it seems it separates stored up
experience, and rewinds the body, but that doesn’t really
matter. Compared to Wrath, which is all direct attacks,
Sloth is too free, and the effects are indeterminate, or how
should I put it… they’re really annoying. He rarely uses
them, so the damage when he does is horrendous. He’s
definitely trying to piss me off. It’s a conspiracy.

This workplace is dangerous… my stomach hurts. I can

now understand why my Sloth predecessor abandoned all
responsibility. When a Sloth Demon gave up on this, there’s
no way a Wrath like me can endure it. No matter how much
I try venting my anger on him, he remains peaceful, so my
stress isn’t going anywhere at all. Kanon-sama’s
expectations, and the environment itself have me stuck
between a rock and a hard place.

But if I just let him be, then there’s no workplace more

peaceful than this one. I mean, even if I don’t observe him,
in the end, he definitely won’t do something as troublesome
as a revolt, and even if we don’t lend him power, it’ll work
out one way or another.

Is what I thought, but just look at this! I hold my aching

stomach as I turn to Leigie-sama who was slouching deeply
into a chair.

“What? What did you just say?”

“… Nothing.”

He’s quite clearly making a face that says repeating

would be a pain, as he averts his eyes. For me to almost
completely understand this mostly expressionless King, is
that some sort of growth on my part? I don’t need this sort
of growth… It’s no good… there’s nothing we can do about
this one. I take deep breathes to control my anger. My
control has greatly increased compared to when I first
came here. Without a doubt. I need to control my anger…
even shouting at this man is more than he deserves.

“… Do you remember that Imperial decree?”

“…”

Don’t… don’t close your eyes. I’m begging you, listen…

It’s… it’s fine… calm down… if I get angry, it’s my loss… I
take deep breathes, and leisurely lower my voice to make it
easier for Leigie-sama to hear.
 “I said it, didn’t I? This time… the enemy’s a Demon
Lord.”

“… No?”

Ku… this man… I firmly clench my fist. I squeeze so hard

my nails break through the skin, and a hot pain runs up my
arm. Is he making fun of me? No. Without even playing
dumb, the memory’s already completely gone. I… said it! I
definitely said it! I was the one who brought the order from
Kanon, I was the one who painstakingly explained it to
Leigie-sama, and the one who said that the opponent was a
powerful Demon Lord so if he didn’t go out himself, he
would be sending his Generals to die a pointless death was
also me! It’s because if I didn’t warn him, I was sure he
would never go out!

Anger splits my head, and as I felt that I was about to

destroy the area, I somehow kept it contained with
repeated abdominal breathing.

“Hey, hey, oneechan. Lize-san sure has become

quiet lately.”

“Don’t mind her, just hold the end properly!”

AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH! to Leigie-
sama, the annoying sisters spoke as if it were someone
else’s problem.

Hiero’s master later learned of her unsightly display, and

sent her in for maid training. Recently, those two have
taken to coming here together. The prideful younger sister,
who intentionally raised her voice so I could hear, and the
older one, who despite being one-sidedly killed by me,
continued to show absolutely no interest towards me. By
that devastating combo, my stress is swelling up twice as
fast as before. This really is the worst.

Pride’s Skiltree’s nature lies in bestowing absolute

adjustments to opponents they’ve Overruled. To put it
simply, to them, to those weaker than them, they display
absolute strength, and to those that excel even a little bit
more than them, they display complete weakness… that
sort of skill. And so, now that the older sister Lorna’s
revived, it seems that Hiero was once more forced to
occupy second place. Normally, once someone’s been
Overruled, it’s difficult to overturn that, but now that
Lorna’s been reduced to around the same age, the clear
disparity in their appearances (mainly in the chest area)
beat down Hiero once more, and while she’s still a bit
afraid of Leigie-sama, she obediently follows her sister’s
words. Well, for now, that doesn’t really matter.

The problem is that Hiero is taking mischievous glances

at me as if she had set up a prank while she practices
making the bed. She speaks in my direction as she makes
an annoying smile.

“Lize-san, you’re not getting angry anymore… could

it be you’ve finally given up after witnessing Leigie-
sama’s power?”

“An inevitable result. No matter the case, laying

hands on a Demon Lord… it was her previous
behavior that was the stranger one!”

AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH! Rage so large I felt

my head would explode at any moment swelled up, fueling
my power. Blood flows from the palm of my hand, and it
trickles onto the ground. I unintentionally put in too much
power, and cracks are spreading across it.
 I use up all of my mental fortitude fighting my own
emotions. Calm… calm down. Lize Bloodcross. In the end,
this is the nonsense of a child…

Compared to this man, who never moves by himself,

despite being a Lord… Smile. Make a smile.

“D-Dem on Lord? I-I said it, right? The opponent

is… the Devouring Demon Lord.”

“… Who’s that?”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGHHHH Someone do something about this
maaaaaaaaaaan!

Among Kanon-sama’s subordinates, there isn’t one who

doesn’t know of Zebul Glaucus, the Devourer. But this
Demon Lord probably, in all honesty, doesn’t know. Hooray.
That’s why. I. Explained it. Because I thought he didn’t
know, I explained it! I definitely did!

AAAAAAAH, please save me, Kanon-samaaaaaaaaaa!

I hit my head against the bed post in an attempt to forget

my anger, and Lorna looked at me with repulsed eyes. This
is all your Lord’s fauuuuulllt!

“… Fifth… The Fifth Rank, a Demon that governs

Gula, my liege. He subjugated the Fifteenth Rank,
and the Sixteenth rank Demon Lords in a matter of
three days. An atrocious… Demon Lord.”

“… Is that supposed to be amazing?”

“Gu… Yes, it’s amazing! Listen here, Rank Five

means that among the Demon Lords loyal to Kanon-
sama, he’s the fifth strongest!”

“… Is he stronger than you?”

Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! General class… and a Demon

Lord. Don’t compare them! I shed tears of restraint as I
answer. Damn, why must I go through something like this?

“W-well… that’s right…”

“… I see.”

His uninterested line finally made me snap. IF YOU

DON’T EVEN CARE, THEN DON’T ASK!
AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!

“Wow, that’s amazing… Lize-san. After going

through this much, you can still keep quiet…”

“Naturally. In the first place, what was strange was

the way Lize has been treating our Demon Lord up
until now.”

In my head, how many hundreds of thousands of times

have I killed him so far!? AAAAAAAAAAHHHH. This is
bad… I’ll die. Even within my rage, tears started flowing
out. Why am I…

“Uku… and. So. It. Would. Be. Bad. If You. Don’t.

Go. Out. Demon Lord! In. The. Worst. Case. They’ll.
Be. Annihilated!”

In the first place, having a Demon Lord confront a Demon

Lord is common sense in battles between Demons. This
time, we even know beforehand that Zebul is personally
leading his army. A normal Demon Lord should know the
meaning of this without me having to spell it out. But I
thought Leigie-sama didn’t know, so I already explained it
to him! Give me back all of my hard work!

Having listened to the drawn out conversation, Leigie-

sama yawned with sleepy eyes.

“… Iyo.”

“If the army the Great Demon King sent you is

annihilated, you’ll definitely be punished, you know!?
Do you understand that!?”

But seeing her behavior, I’m not sure about other Lords,
but perhaps Kanon-sama will let this man off. But of course,
I won’t say that. If I did, he definitely wouldn’t go out.

Why is it that the man in question isn’t even thinking

anything, when I, who was merely sent to watch over him,
have so much on my mind!!

“…”

Are. You. A Child!!? I pull at his arm as he silently closes

his eyes. From Lorna, I heard that Deije and Medea had
launched an attack, and it’s been a few hours since we
informed Leigie-sama. If we don’t hurry, they’ll all die. No,
it’s not strange it they’ve already perished. And wait,
normally, shouldn’t he at least say something!? That he
wanted to join them or something!?

With Leigie-sama showing no signs of movement, I was

just about to give up, when my savior popped up from an
unexpected place. With eyes full of curiosity, Hiero pulled
at Leigie-sama.

“Leigie-sama, I want to see it! The place where

they’re fighting!”
 Nono, that wasn’t my intent, you know? Hiero has even
less restraint than me when dealing with this Demon Lord.
Of all things, she climbed onto his knee, and started
shaking his shoulders back and forth. Due to the younger
sister’s sudden recklessness, the elder one quickly tried to
apprehend her. Unfortunately, due to her years of training
being blown away, she lacks the physical ability to pull her
away.

“Hey, stop that! What do you think you’re doing to

Leigie-sama…”

“Eh? No, but even oneechan wants to see the form

of a Demon Lord fighting once in your life, right?”

“Yes, well…”

On the younger’s direct question, Lorna hesitated for a

second. Despite this and that, Lorna who serves a Demon
Lord who doesn’t do anything must harbor those feelings.
That’s a bit of a relief. As if he had noticed a change in the
behavior of the faithful maid he had rewound the time of,
Leigie-sama opened his eyes, and said a word. It really was
just a word. It seems he’s finally started to remember the
name lately.

“Lorna.”

“Hiero, look! Leigie-sama is tired. Stop troubling

him, and come back here so we can be doing what we
should!”

Lorna spilled out her opinion without restraint. She grabs

Hiero’s body firmly with both arms, and pulls her off of
Leigie-sama. Even while pulling her off, she continues to
direct a charming smile at Leigie-sama before deeply
lowering her head. But without a hint of interest towards
her smile, he closed his eyes. Inside of Lorna’s arms, Hiero
resists, and shouts out.

“B-but oneechan! Every night, to Leigie-sama, don’t

you mastur…!”

… What?

Upon hearing that, with movements unbefitting of Lust,

Lorna locked Hiero’s face in an iron claw with speed that
made me question whether she had used a skill or not. She
looks over her sister expressionlessly. Her eyes definitely
aren’t laughing. That’s the expression of someone
considering how to cook up the live fish sitting on the
cutting board. Just what would happen if you break her
usual calm temperament? It feels as if a sleeping beast had
been awoken.

“Hiero… if you say any more, fufu… you may earn

some of my resentment…”

“Hii!? Ha… hahi!!”

And suddenly, there was a girl directing serious killing

intent at her younger sister. Hiero noticed she had stepped
onto the beast’s tail, and nods obediently with a pale face.

Lorna’s face slowly turns red, as she turns to her lord,

but as he’s already taken up a sleeping position, there’s no
way he was listening. In the first place, even if he was, I
doubt he would even stop to think about it.

But… I see. So that’s it… Luxuria. A Lewd elder sister…

that’s what Hiero was trying to say.

Seeing Leigie-sama’s behavior, Lorna put her hand to her

chest in relief. For once in a long time, I smiled from the
bottom of my heart.

… But don’t forget that Leigie-sama isn’t the only one

here. Don’t forget me.

I lightly tap Lorna’s shoulder. She turns around, and

noticing my smile, she turns pale. Inside of her hand,
Hiero’s frothing at the mouth as she loses consciousness.

“Li… Lize?”

I completely ignore Lorna’s pleading eyes, and casually

bring up some idle chatter.

“So that’s it… to think that under that diligent face,

you were… should I say, as expected of Luxeria?”

“Wha…!?”

“I did find it odd when I first heard you governed

Lust, but I never thought that of all things, you would
use the lord you served to…”

“Wait, wait, wait, time out!”

With an expression I’ve never seen on her before, she

grabs my collar, and pulls me closer. Even if she looks a bit
more innocent, being exposed to her beautiful face point
blank, even though I’m of the same gender, I can’t stop the
beating of my heart. Ku ku ku Lust… lust… is it? With teary
eyes, she turns her face away. What should I do. I’m having
a lot of fun.

“Even if you may be a Demon of Lust, are you not a

little too sinful? Did you want to look stoic, while you
advanced your Luxuria class inside your heart… as
expected of the girl her own sister called lewd. What’s
more, every day… aren’t you going to become a
Demon Lord of Lust sometime soon?”

“Wait, that’s wrong! Lize! It’s not like that! Right,

it’s Hiero’s misunderstanding!”

She shakes me violently. Just what sort of persuasive

power do you think you have when your face is that red,
and your eyes so teary? In the first place, whether that be
fantasy or reality, it doesn’t really matter to me.

“And I doubt you even have to be so secretive about

it, like Hiero, why don’t you just tell Leigie? To
instruct you to do sexual favors or something, that
you’d happily accept. Ku ku ku, I think even Leigie-
sama’ll be surprised. That the Lorna that always did
the cooking and cleaning was actually thinking such
things deep down.”

“…!!”

She raises a scream without any words as I thrust the

final blow. You won’t get any pity. I put my hand to her face
that’s become as red as an apple.

“Ah, if it’s hard to say, then do you want me to tell

him for you? As an apology for killing you that one
time? Fufu, Leigie-sama sure is a happy Demon Lord.
For a Luxeria Demon to think of him to that extent,
and even give her first to him.”

“Huu… Uu… wrong, it’s not like… I’m…”

She’s lost and confused as she falls to the ground. By the

way, despite all the noise we’re making, Leigie-sama isn’t
stirring in the slightest. As she made a face as if the world
was going to end, I lightly tapped her shoulder. At this rate,
I’m really going to awaken to something besides Wrath.

“Hey, Lorna. How about a trade?”

“A… Trade…?”

With eyes like an abandoned puppy, she spoke as she

looked up at me. I have things I have to do, and Lorna has
things she has to do. In order to fulfill both, why don’t we
help each other a bit? Ku ku ku, this is mutual aid, isn’t it?

“Yes… Lorna. I want… to see Leigie-sama’s form in

battle. Maybe if I saw the moment Leigie took down
Zebul, I would completely forget everything that came
to pass here.”

“Gu… uu.. you Demon.”

What are you saying, this late in the game. Even when I
gave her hope at the last moment, Lorna continues to
hesitate. She’s a perfect image of loyalty. Though she is a
lewd woman who does this and that with her Lord’s image
every night.

“Ah, if it’s that, we can record his fighting form on a

memory crystal, you know? Ku ku ku, won’t it make
for some good… material?”

“I-I get it! I get it, so p-please stop it!”

She raises the white flag.

As I thought, it’s nice to win. I didn’t even use my Wrath,

but it’s a refreshing feeling after so long. Now the problem
is whether or not Lorna can persuade that guy… Could it
be that’s the greatest problem?
 Lorna gently pulls the cuff of the sleeping Leigie-sama
with restraint.

“Leigie-sama…”

“…”

Perhaps because that was the voice that always rung out
for his meal time, amazingly, after only one call, Leigie-
sama opened his eyes. Lorna began negotiations with her
face dyed a deep red.

“This may be presumptuous, but I have a small

request…”

“Don’t want to.”

… He shows no mercy, even to the maid. I guess that’s

right. Even when he had a revival spell, he’s a man who
didn’t even use it until Hiero got to be a pain. There’s no
way the presence of Lorna will do anything. But perhaps
because she’s even more used to dealing with Leigie, she
doesn’t pay any mind to his denial.

“Together with Lize… won’t you bring ruin to the

opposing Demon Lord, Zebul?”

“… Why?”

Why? Why, you ask? Because it’s an order from the Great
Demon King! I try to approach, but Lorna stops me. She
continued on with a kind look in her eyes.

“Leigie-sama, is there anything special you want to

eat tonight?”

“… Curry rice.”
 “Then we’ll have Curry Rice tonight. Leigie-sama,
I’ll put all my skill into making it. It will taste better
if you excersize a bit first.”

“… Unnecessary.”

“Leigie-sama, how about dessert?”

“… Apple pie.”

Are you a child?

“Then I’ll bake Apple Pie. Leigie-sama, it will take a

little bit of time, so how about you move your body a
bit?”

“I hate it.”

“Fighting, you mean?”

“I’m a pacifist.”

And what the hell’s with a pacifistic Demon Lord?

“That’s quite amazing, Leigie-sama.”

“Especially if the opponent’s strong, I hate it even

more. It’s a pain.”

“… Compared to you, my liege, their power amounts

to nothing.”

Nono, that isn’t the case, right? The opponent is Rank

Five. Compared to that, Leigie-sama’s become Rank Three
quite recently. It’s undoubtable that he’s above Zebul, but I
have to say that it’ll be difficult to win that easily. There’s a
problem of affinity, and I don’t know the details of Sloth
Skills. Leigie-sama has a troubled face as he locks eyes
with Lorna.

“… I see. Lorna… you want me to fight that badly?”

“… Yes.”

“For whose sake?”

“… For my sake. Later… I’ll bear witness. I’ll have

Lize… take pictures, so…”

“Bu…!”

I unintentionally laughed. Lorna’s face is the shade of a

boiled octopus as she glares at me. Her eyes are telling me
that she doesn’t mean it like that, but from my point of
view, it can be for nothing else. I get it. I get it. I’ll take
them! Use them as material however you like.

“… I see…”

“… I’m very sorry.”

“… Hah…”

“… I’m very sorry.”

“… For some reason, my stomach hurts…”

With a face devoid of any pain, the Demon Lord spoke.

That much!? You don’t want to fight that much!? Leigie of
the Slaughterdolls! If you’re going to fake illness, at least
give a pained face!

“… I truly am sorry, Leigie-sama.”

 In response, Lorna gave a truly apologetic face as she
lowered her head. Even after seeing that, he doesn’t seem
to think anything. He turned away, and curled up into a
ball. This is definitely impossible…

“… Now, Lize. Leigie-sama has given affirmation.”

“… Eh!? Fo realz!?”

With that? That was enough? Is that really fine? No

matter how you look at it, he was refusing, but…

Within the chair, the Demon Lord tried to shrink his body.
I was right to try asking in the time his bed was being
made. If he was on the bed, he would have burrowed under
the covers without a doubt. Lorna continued to say some
unbelievable things.

“… Lize, please take Leigie-sama. Even if you can do

nothing else, then at the very least, you can do that,
right?”

… Even if I can’t do anything? That’s quite rude. Just how

much trouble do you think I’m going through… But that’s
fine. That’s still fine. The problem is… will he even go?

“… Eh? Should I take him on my back?”

“… You will be moving my liege. That much is

obvious.”

What’s obvious? … Move already! In the first place, the

Castle of Shadows is the center of the large mass of land
given to him. I understand the general distance to its
borders, but I’m going to have to carry him that far…? I
don’t want to think about it. Even if I have enough
strength, is the Demon Lord’s pride really intact after being
carried by a woman shorter than him?

… It probably is.

I swallow the rage that began to boil up. I don’t really

understand why I have to do so much, but it’ll take time.
Flying dragons are the main forms of transport within the
Demon World. So this time as well, even if I’m carrying
him, it’ll only be to the Dragon Stables.

“… I get it… I’ll carry him, so…”

“That’s fine. Now, Leigie-sama… I’m sorry, but…”

“… The truth is, if I’m away from the bed for more
than an hour, I’ll die.”

At this point in time, he still knows not when to give up.

He has not a scrap of pride. And wait, don’t lie with a
straight face! There’s no way this thing is a Demon Lord! In
the first place, it’ll take longer than an hour to get there,
even by Dragon.

“… Even if we use a flying dragon, it’ll take more

than an hour just to get there…”

“What? More than an hour… you say? You, are you

trying to kill me!!?”

That was the most motivated voice I had heard from him
from the moment I was stationed here. Does he really hate
it that much… this man. A grinding pain comes from my
stomach.

“Don’t’ screw with me! I’ll give in and fight… that

much is fine. Because it’ll be over after I randomly
use some skill or another. But if you want me to fight,
then bring that something something Demon Lord to
my room, or it ain’t happening!”

“T-there’s no way that’s happening! Now let’s go!”

I pull at the whining Demon Lord’s arm with all my

might.

“… Don’t~ Want~ To~! I definitely won’t work!”

“Don’t be selfish! It’s an order from the Great

Demon King!”

“Damn, why must I go through this… Being a

Demon Lord… I quit!”

This man… he’s serious. He doesn’t want to move that

badly. You’re not even working in the first place! And in a
time like this, this Demon Lord still hasn’t worked up any
interest towards his enemy.

“… Now then, stop screwing around! You can sleep

on the way there!”

With Wrath being my attribute, the only one who’s made

me make so many concessions is this man.

“… Can I sleep in battle too?”

Is his head screwed on right?

And wait, you’ll die! No matter who you think you are,
you’ll die! Your enemy isn’t General Class, he’s a Demon
Lord like you! Does this man understand that!?

“… It’s no good. Go tell Kanon. Go fight for

yourself.”
 With eyes full of needless self-confidence, this man shows
no fear even towards the Great Demon Lord. If one of the
Great Demon Lord’s direct subordinates saw him now, it
wouldn’t be strange for him to get convicted for treason.

“There’s no way I could say something like that! And it’s

not like it has to be dragons. I just thought that would be
fastest. Now warp, or do some instantaneous movement, or
whatever it is you want! You’re still fighting, you know!
That’s your responsibility!

“…Hah…”

Leigie-sama lets out a sigh. He really is useless. And this

conversation is a pain. Is what his eyes are telling me.

When I thought he was about to return some more

complaints, I felt a weightless feeling as if my body had
been tossed into the air. My field of vision instantly
changed.

“He…?”

Having been thrown into the air himself, as well, Leigie-

sama doesn’t try to roll or even raise his voice as he flops
onto the ground. I quickly correct my body, and land on my
feet. A desert of darkness without a single place to take
cover extended to the horizon. The pale blue moon
illuminated the desolate earth without a single blade of
vegetation.

“Heh? Wai… wah… eh?”

Am I seeing an illusion? I was definitely inside the castle

so how did we… in comparison to me at the height of
confusion, the Demon Lord who had been thrown on the
ground isn’t panicking at all.
 The pitch black dirt that seemed to personify darkness
itself, a sign that it was soaked in the Mana of death.

“… Zone… more, that way…”

“What? Wait…”

I heard an ominous voice. My vision shifted once more.

From an empty plain, to a plain drenched in the scent of
blood and flesh and ash. Leigie-sama rolls on the ground in
an unsightly manner.

When I hit the ground, my instincts perceived it. Much

different from Leigie-sama’s existence…but something as
great as him. And wait, the object releasing it is right
before my eyes. As if a hole had been cut in space, an
overcoat that seemed to suck in all light draped over a
small shadow. The small face covered in green hair looked
over with an expression of bewilderment. But if you were to
compare, I was the more confused of the two of us.

Zebul Glaucus. The Devouring King. Her appearance and

figure match the one I had heard about.

How can this be… am I dreaming!?

The Demon Lord ignores me, and turns to Leigie, who

unsteadily lifts himself.” In front of Zebul, with shaking
steps like that of a baby fawn, he fell onto his back, and
sighed. Without letting his voice out, and moving only his
mouth, he began to complain.

“… Really… impossible… no good. This one’s

strong… don’t want to…I can’t hear anything
lalalalala.”
 The first thoughts that were born in my mind were
retorts. Wait, so that was you! I definitely said you could
teleport or something, and I’ll admit that. Is this also a
Sloth Skill? No, it’s perfect for Sloth, isn’t it! Even so, he
gives up quickly!

Leigie-sama takes a glance at Zebul, and swings his head

from side to side. My stomach instantly goes into ominous
spasms of pain. Perhaps I’ll burn through my gut.

Anyways, Quit. Screwing. With. Me!

Leigie and Lorna by Shibaki Tsubura

 Chapter 5
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: This World is… Hell

Within the whole world, I think that the hardest feeling to

bear is『Hunger』. The Demon World is absurdly vast, by I
doubt there exists a longing that surpasses this thirst.

Thus, after being given life as a Demon, when I was

selected under Gula, I thought it to be a natural matter of
course.

The months and years passed by favorably, and as I lived

thinking of nothing but how to sate my hunger, the class I
was burdened with had changed to『Demon Lord』 when I
wasn’t looking. If you ask whether anything changed once I
became a Demon Lord, nothing changed at all. The only
thing I am capable of is eating, and I was more than
satisfied with that alone. Perhaps a change to speak of was
that I became one of the strong, and therefore, the extent
of what I could eat had increased.

It was survival of the fittest in the truest sense of the

word. Because we were a bit stronger, we ate, and as a
result, our classes advanced.

It didn’t take long for the target of that desire to shift

from what the other Demons called ‘Food’, to inorganic
matter, and finally those of the same race. The fact that
other Demons taste good is a sort of common sense among
those that carry Gula. Eating them takes up too much
effort, so there are few that actually do it is all… meaning
as long as you take care of that single point, there is no
need for hesitation.

I lived a long time.

I was born as a Demon, became a Demon Lord, became

the Great Demon King’s subordinate, and ate all the
opposing Demon Lords. The stronger the targets were, the
better they tasted on my tongue.

Within Demons, there are about five ranks.

Meaning, starting from『Rankless』, it goes to

『Pawn』 『Knight』 『General』 『Lord』

These five. Rankless have the least taste, and Lords are a
delicacy. Additionally, their taste changes based on the
attribute they carry. If you asked me what the supreme
food was, I would definitely say『Demons』.

To Gluttony, that is cursed with unlimited hunger, no

matter how much food you have, it is never enough. Born
as pure predators, Gluttonies are never loved by their race.
Because of their nature that rashly excels in attack power,
if they act too indiscriminately, there’s always the fear that
their surroundings will work to eliminate them. Order was
needed, so the quickest solution was to put them under the
protections of someone of a high rank. And that was the
Great Demon Lord. That’s all. Without any real difficult
reasons, and without any particular circumstances. For
such simple reasons, I became a Demon who followed the
Great Demon Lord, and I got retainers, and land, and… the
right to devour Demons that opposed us.

Even more time passed. My power as a Demon continued

to rise, and my hunger along with it. My tongue matured,
and normal food would no longer sate my hunger in the
slightest.

The Great Demon Lord changed generations thrice, and

one who hadn’t even existed when I was born, Kanon of
Ruin, took over. She was a deep crimson Demon, a
beautiful personification of the flames of purgatory. I still
remember the audience I had with her when she took
office.

The magic I felt from her body blazed up in a manner

fitting of Ira, and the surrounding air seemed to burn with
tremendous heat at the might that filled it. I felt that I was
going to prostrate myself at any moment against that
might. I thought of how beautiful and strong a Devil she
was. And within her, was overflowing charisma. If it’s with
this Great Demon King, then I’ll be able to satisfy my
hunger to levels I’ve never felt before. I’ll be able to taste
flavors I’ve never learned of.

And at the same time, I thought. If I could ever get a

taste of her… the sensation would be good enough to send
me to heaven.

My parents, and my friends, and my retainers, I even ate

other Gluttonies. I ate Sloth, and Greed, and Lust, and
Wrath, and Gluttony, and Pride, and Envy. In tears, in
anger, in laughter, in gratitude, they were eaten.

There is no ranking among food, and thus, everything in

this world has equal value. Whether disgusting, or
delicious, even if I knew it would never fill my stomach, I
ate.

This world is… hell.

It expands. It contracts. It changes. War starts. War Ends.

Things fall. Things revive. Everything is perpetually in a
state of change, and what prospers must decay. But within
all of that, the only thing that didn’t change at all was my
hunger.

Only hunger remained constant.

Along with the endless euphoria I experienced upon

sating it.

So me raising a revolt against the Great Demon King,

Kanon Iralaude was likely not a matter of food supplies or
anything. It was probably just a matter of time. Because I’m
a Demon. A Demon of Gluttony.

Part 2: Let me Have a Taste

This level of Magic wasn’t able to satisfy my Soul Core at

all.

It was so nice back in the day. The Demon World was

simply overflowing with powerful demons who had spent
long years satisfying their desires. Perhaps I’ve just lived
too long. Perhaps I’ve just eaten too many tasty things. And
within our limited resources, in order to satisfy our
matured tongues, we continued to struggle like children.

Fufufu, it was so nice back in the day… is it? I’m starting

to sound like an old person.
 About ten thousand years ago, most of the powerful
Demons… in a large scale war with the invading army from
heaven, most of them perished. What remains of the
demons now. The Demon Lords are all youngsters who
haven’t ten thousand years under their belts.

“Zebul-zama, I’m hungry.”

A Demon with a Wolf’s head spoke. He’s General Class,

and another who governs Gluttony. For someone who has
yet to reach Demon Lord status, I more than understand
his pain.

“Fufufufufu, of course… I’m the same. Endure it.

The meal eaten after enduring the utmost limits of
starvation is the greatest of bliss. They say hunger is
the best seasoning, right?”

“Food… I wants… food.”

The sweet scent of blood and flesh and souls tickles my

nostrils. While I may be called something like the Carrion
Devourer, I’m a scholar on the journey for supreme tastes,
and I don’t just devour anything out there. I don’t know
where that name came about. I cross my feet onto the pure
white throne of marble. Muffled cries are coming from the
mouth of the food carrying the throne.

For Demons of Pride… breaking their pride before eating

them creates the greatest taste. But whatever the case, I
don’t feel very much power from him anyways. I guess the
taste will be reasonable, at least.

Of course, my stomach is endless, so I won’t do

something as foolish as wasting food. I never miss my
prayers before and after a meal. Blood spills out like a
fountain, and stains my face. At the same time, the throne
begins to sway.

“H-hey! Don’t just eat them as you please!”

“Gu?”

When I frantically look underneath it, I saw the form of

my subordinate gnawing on the head of another with his
massive jaw.

Aaaaaah, right when I was in the middle of food

preparations… Even if the materials are bad, they don’t
understand my sentiment of making them as tasty as
possible. But raising a crunching sound, the smile that bust
out on that wolf face made me feel it didn’t matter
anymore. It’s because I can understand how he feels. Good
grief, what helpless children. I jump off of the Throne, take
the right arm of the corpse that had lost its freshness, and
put it in my mouth. The ripe soul only gave off a sweet taste
for an instant. With a few chews, it disappeared in the blink
of an eye.

Well, well, good grief. This doesn’t do anything to my

hunger. When I was ripping off the left arm, the wolf head
spoke.

“Gu… Zebul-zama… yo fazt…”

“Yeah, I’m… one who can eat a bit.”

“Didn’t you juzt eats a Demon Lord…”

“Yep, that was tasty.”

As I thought, Demon Lords are different. The depth of

flavor is different. The texture is different. I can clearly tell
that my body is happy when I eat them. Even if they’re
newcomers, the magic they possess is completely
incomparable to the General Class below them. The Wolf
finishes up the head, but when it looked through its spoils
for something more, the libs were already gone. He directs
accusatory eyes at me.

“Unfair…”

Well, well. The things kids say these days. The endless
longings he held in regards to food made me speak with
admiration.

“Not unfair, not unfair. You have to take your own

food… by yourself. The one who fought Claud Astal
was me, right? It’s natural that I be the one to eat
him. Did you perhaps do anything?”

“Zat demon juzt now… I killed him…”

“… Really? Was that how it was? Fufufu, well, the

achievements of the vassals are those of the King’s
correct? If you hate it… you’ve got to rise up in the
world.”

If you do, you’ll someday come to learn the taste of a

Demon Lord. Well, perhaps you’ll live happier if you never
learn it.

I activate a Gluttony Skill. I use my magic, and my

stomach shakes even further with hunger.

『Million Dish』

The tentacles that grew from my back pierce the body of

the former Pride Demon that had already lost its head and
limbs. The wolf head raises a cry.
 “Wait…”

“Fufufu, well, I’ll leave you a bit.”

Gluttony skills are used only during meals. Each tentacle

moves individually, and the Pride Demon’s body was eaten
up in under a second. The wolf head hurriedly tried to bite
at it, but his teeth clicked together fruitlessly in the empty
air. Fufufu… to intrude on another’s meal, what bad eating
manners, kid.

“Aaaaaaaah, you zaid you would… leave a bit…”

“Fufufu… thank you for the meal… it tasted decent.”

Even if he’s General-class, I guess that’s all he’s got. As I

thought, back in the day… No, that was only the Fifteenth
Rank Demon Lord. The Demons he’s amassed are just that
level.

“… Zebul-zama…”

“Fufu, see, I left it, did I not?”

The teary-eyed wolf… he’s a General Class Demon

belonging to my army, Gar Luxeed. I pointed to the pure-
white throne, and offered it to him.

“… The throne.”

“I don’t… needs a plate.”

Good grief, as a General Class, he lacks dignity…

shouldn’t higher class Demons have a bit more elegance?
Ahaha, well, wolves are carnivorous, was it? That is… I’ve
done something bad. But you shouldn’t be so picky with
food.
 “I see… fufu, then I guess I’ll eat it…”

“… Edible thingz are edible.”

“When it comes down to it, sometimes you have to

get down and eat the dirt and stones as well.”

The mouth on the hand I pointed with… the fangs shaved

at the marble. It’s not a bad taste. But even if it’s made
with high quality materials, in the end, it’s just a plate. It’s
fine for fooling my hunger, but as I thought, it can’t rival
what’s supposed to be on the plate.

The war’s long since finished, and this is the victory

banquet.

The army of Pride has fallen, and all the enemy soldiers
became food. They definitely weren’t a match for me at all.
Despite having their Demon Lord with them, in just two
hours, their defeat was already decided. Our army only
contains Gluttony Demons, but Gluttony excels in attack
power, and the most basic of Gluttony Skills, 『 Wave of
Starvation』 is one with a large area of effect. As long as
I’m here, all Demons below a certain level of ability simply
get caught up in the skill, and end up as nothing but food.
Of course, I did make sure to hold back, but they were an
indecisive bunch from the start.

Fufufu, there’s no meaning in an indecisive Superbia

Demon. In the end, he’s just a loser who submitted himself
to Kanon Iralaude. Pride is… stronger the more arrogance
one has. And that also increases the flavor. There’s also the
fact that the difference in rank between us was too great,
but the 『 Overrule 』 the Demon Lord used wasn’t
anything special either. His screams of despair weren’t bad
as a seasoning, though.
 Having finished eating the throne, I pat my stomach. I’m
quite slim. All the nutrition goes to feeding my Gluttony
Skills.

“Zebul-zama… I’m hungry.”

“Hmm? Already? … I guess it’s because there was

just quantity without quality…”

With this, I’ve barely broken even with what was used up
by my skills. I scan the surroundings, but everything I could
gnaw on had disappeared into someone’s stomach or
another, and all I saw were eyes sparkling with hunger.
Well, well, regular eating should give a better feeling of
fullness, but… well, there’s no helping it if they can’t
endure it. Since I just ate a Demon Lord, I can still hold on
for a while, but answering to the expectations of his men is
also a King’s duty, is it not? I hit the palms of my hands
together, and addressed the faces of my men, who were
seething in their basic desires.

“Now, let’s go search for some more food…”

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!
!”

My subordinates cry out. The ground shakes under their

hunger, and the cries of beasts ring through the air. They
have more than enough motivation. A majority of my
gluttonous followers have the forms of beast. For them,
who have not the power to bite through everything, it’s a
form they’ve taken on to at least be able to eat chew
through some hard things.

And so, my army’s members… aren’t that good at using

their heads. Well, to do nothing but eat, there really isn’t
the need. Among them, the one who’s actually known as
quite a resourceful General, Gar, has drool dripping from
his mouth as he unfurls a map.

The Great Demon King’s Castle, the Palace of Rending

Flames is surrounded by other Demon Lords’ territories,
and it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to reach it so easily. So
before eating Kanon-sama, having the other Demon Lords
as appetizers as we continue towards the Palace is a
wonderful plan if I do say so myself. Fufufu, even I… taking
on multiple Demon Lords at once will be difficult. Let’s just
go around eating them in order. As long as the Great
Demon King goes into my stomach, my abilities should rise
further. I could even be the King in her place. It’s because
the Demon Lords are all overflowing with ambition. No one
will care about a King who was weak enough to get eaten.

On the route Gar pointed to, was a territory divided by a

line. A vast land along the path with the shortest distance
to the Great Demon King. Its width was such that adding
together the land of the Demon Lords I ate yesterday and
today wasn’t nearly enough. An expanse that would take
more than a day to cross, even on a Flying Dragon. If we
wanted to avoid this land, we’ll have to take on quite a
detour. Upon seeing the name marked on it, I knit my brow.

“Oh my… what a navigation error. Why is it that

with almost twenty Demon Lords out there, this guy’s
name has to pop up?”

“Hmm? Iz there a problem?”

“A big one. BIG ONE. For god’s sake, what was

Mizna and the others thinking when they thought up
this route…”

“Zebul-zama… Mizna isn’t here anymore. Setter and

Grad as well.”
 “No, I know. They were tasty.”

I understand, but, you know, I want to offer a word of

complaint or two.

I remember the three Kanon-sama dispatched to keep

watch over me. My own men are of no help in planning, so
my invasion plans were skillfully drawn up by those three.
Of course, I wasn’t honest enough to tell them it was all to
eat Kanon-sama. All they thought up was the route.
Naturally, as they were under the direct control of Kanon-
sama, they would only be in the way after that, so once
they had drafted a plan, they became my dinner’s
appetizer. In the end, a General Class, taken by surprise at
that, is no match for me. Well, I did savor the taste. The
fact that they were much tastier than the generals of that
Pride army must be a difference in basic quality.

But still, for it to have come to this… For once in a long

time, an emotion other than hunger floated up. I touched
the name on the map. Honestly… I really don’t feel up for
this one.

“Waz the problem?”

“… You, could it be you don’t know of the Demon

Lord of Acedia, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls?”

Former Rank Four. After some recent achievements, he’s

been promoted to Rank Three; a high ranking Demon Lord
of Sloth. It’s not like a Demon Lord’s strength can be
determined solely by ranking, and it’s not like I’m that
afraid of his strength. He isn’t some newcomer, like me,
he’s an old age Demon Lord who survived the Heavenly
War ten thousand years ago. But that isn’t very scary to me.
Of course, I’ve never fought him, but the fact that he’s
clung to life for this long also means that he’s stored up
just that much power. Thus, it’s completely true that he
won’t be as easy as those Rank Fifteen and Rank Sixteen
Lords, but the essence of the problem lies elsewhere
entirely. I let out a deep sigh.

And to my cute subordinates, who didn’t understand

anything, I delivered the shocking truth.

“Demons of Sloth are… bitter, aren’t they?”

“Bitter…?”

“Yeah, I always honor whoever I beat by eating them

whatever they may be, however… even for me, I don’t
want to eat a Demon of Sloth.”

“Eeeeeeeeeh?”

Gar jumps up in a gesture of surprise. You’re

overreacting… I think as I survey the surroundings, only to
find my subordinates, who never think of anything besides
eating, and never display a fragment of intelligence staring
as if they had just seen something unbelievable. Nononono.

I tried to give a simple explanation. This is the knowledge

of Gluttony.

“No, it’s not, well… the lower level Demons are fine,
you see. But the more they carry their Sloth to the
extremes, the ways through which they can carry it
out increases… Within them, in order to prevent
getting eaten, there’s this skill that drops the flavor
of their meat and soul, so…”

That’s dangerous.
 It’s an individual skill, and quite a High Ranking one, but
it’s a terrifying expression of flavor. That taste is, in itself
bitter enough to give permanent mental trauma with just
one bite. It’s not on a level where some people who like
bitter foods can partake in it. It’s not a matter of like, or
dislike. It’s just plain bad. Even for someone called the
Devourer, in eating, I only want to eat the best of foods,
and from one who’s even eaten all sorts of poisons to try
and fill my endless stomach… it’s bad. It’s terrible enough
to kill. It was the first, and only thing in my life to ever give
me a stomachache. Then there’s always the option of
swallowing whole, you may think, but that’s wrong. Their
taste resounds in their very souls. Even if you send it
directly to your stomach, it’s without a doubt terrible.

To change taste as not to be eaten, it’s like an attribute of

a fruit.

“Lower level Sloth… has a nice affinity, and they

don’t move, so they’re easy to hunt, and their flavor is
unique, but not bad…but it has to be a Demon Lord of
all things.”

“Meaning?”

In a beat, I put power into my words, and declare.

“The worst tasting thing in this world. There’s no

question about it.”

“Oooooooooooh.”

I’m not sure what they’re misunderstanding, but they’ve

started clapping. … You guys, you don’t get it at all. I guess
that’s true. Gluttony’s outlook on food is excessively open
minded… so not being tasty is one thing, but I’ll bet they’ve
never tasted the true meaning of Terrible. I cannot help but
bless them for their good fortune. Among my thousands of
years of life, it’s a trauma that goes directly in my top
three.

Well, you don’t often get a chance to eat a Sloth Demon,

and once they go above General Class, they appear on the
battlefield less and less, so I’ll bet we won’t meet any. …
Hmm?

“… I see… You anticipated that he wouldn’t come

out. Mizna…”

“Hm?”

I see. If you put it like that, then I understand. Truly, a

Demon Lord of Sloth personally participating is impossible.
If you ask why, unlike Gluttony, their cravings do not
require them to harm others, and the Demon Lord of Sloth
should be the laziest existence within the entire Demon
World. There’s no way he would join in something as
troublesome as a war. Even if the Great Demon King
ordered it, it’s impossible.

I tried looking through my memory for Leigie’s face, but I

couldn’t bring it up. Having served under the reigns of
three different Great Demon Kings, I should be the oldest
veteran within Kanon-sama’s army, but no matter how far I
probe my memory, I cannot picture the image of Leigie of
the Slaughterdolls.

I frowned, as I concentrated nutrients to my brain. And I

was finally able to pull out a memory. It’s definitely faint,
but I remember.

He was definitely there during the festival in which Great

Demon King Kanon-sama took office. Being pulled around
by his inspector. He had black hair, and an unreliable slim
figure. How the hell is that guy a… I remember the other
Demon Lords saying such things.

“Whatz wrong? Zebel-zama…”

“… Wait a second. Huh? I think he was there for the

previous King Ferris Craun as well…”

My memory traces even further back. The festival when

the previous Demon Lord was instated. My memory is hazy,
and everything looks covered up by mist, but he was
definitely there. A black haired, and sloppy-looking man,
carried on the back of his subordinate. How the hell is that
guy a… I remember the other Demon Lords saying that.
Just barely.

I tilt my head.

“… Huh? Hang on, just how long has he been

there… Ferris Craun was in office for quite a while,
wasn’t he…”

Ferris was inaugurated as the Great Demon King more

than twenty thousand years ago. Even I can’t remember the
Great Demon King before that, but when I first became a
Demon Lord, was that man there? Wasn’t he? A Demon’s
lifespan is exceedingly long, but for him to live this long, he
must have considerable power. I think he wasn’t there that
long ago, but I don’t have too much confidence in it.
Probably because whether he was there or not wouldn’t
change anything…

“Zebul-zama, what shoulds we do?”

“Hmm… Even if you ask me that. Since we’ve come

all the way here, we have no choice but to go for it.”
 We’ve already burned our bridges on the way here, so it
all depends on how fast we can take down Kanon-sama.
Taking a roundabout way is… unfavorable. We’ll have to
head forward with determination and resolve.

Luckily, Sloth is said to excel in durability. It has an

exceedingly good affinity with Gluttony. As long as I can
endure the taste. No, for taste… it’s been a really long time
since I last ate a higher rank Sloth. My memory is vague,
and it could be that only the impact remained in it, and if I
try eating one now, it won’t actually be so bad.

Yeah. That’s right. The past aside, there no way the

current me can eat something and be repulsed by it.

What’s more, there’s no way that Sloth will actually come

out. If they offer any resistance, it’ll be the Sloth’s army at
most. Leigie’s army is definitely known to be powerful, but
at most, they’re full of Generals. No match for me. On the
contrary, I can’t wait to taste them.

“Okay, then we’ll go on a direct path towards the

Palace of Rending Flames!”

“YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Kanon-sama… please wait for me. I am, as the

representative of all Gluttony Demons, going to get a taste
of you.

Part 3: Let’s Dig in

My regrets came all too quickly. The fact that I wasn’t

going to be able to eat a Demon Lord, coupled with the
swiftly-dwindling motivation of my Legion.
 It’s not that I had let my guard down. Perhaps I should
say, ‘as expected of a Demon of Old.’

Generally, Demons get stronger the longer they age. It’s

because they have more time to proceed down their tree.
Of course, power doesn’t rise if you spend the whole time
doing nothing, but at the same time, the Demon World isn’t
the type of environment where you can spend all your time
doing nothing. Even without Gluttony, the order of the
Demon World is survival of the fittest. In a world like this,
it’s a terrible move to underestimate a Demon who has
perpetually carved out their existence.

Taking the shortest path, my arm has long-since entered

the territory of the Lord of Sloth. And there was something
I noticed. Gar has a rare, bewildered, expression as he
turns his eyes towards me.

“… Zebul-zama… the Zone is…”

“Yeah, I know… damn, it isn’t breaking at all. What

is this…”

It was frighteningly secure, and the air was stagnant.

That was the property of this field every Demon allied to a
Demon Lord should know of.

『Abyss Zone』.

A battle for land between Demon Lords.

We were once allies, but now Leigie’s 『Abyss Zone』 is

bearing its fangs at an opposing army. As the zone works
with the Demon Lord at the center, I’m not affected, but
even so, for my Zone not to reach Gar who’s running right
alongside is more than abnormal. I’ve eaten for long
enough that numbers are of no importance, but I don’t
remember anything like this.

My instincts tell me there’s only a little more to go… The

Zone I’m competing with is stronger than any I’ve
encountered before, but with him this far away, I have the
advantage. But I’m just a little lacking in power. It’s been
two days since we marched forth after eating that Demon
Lord, so hunger is one of my problems. In this state, I can’t
make full use of my power of Gluttony.

“It’s just a little further… damn, even if it took time,

and we would have to take a detour, I should have
eaten another Demon Lord before coming here…”

As expected of Rank Three. He’s really giving me trouble.

From start to finish, he’s completely different than those
other two. Even if it doesn’t matter in fights between
Demon Lords, when armies are involved, 『 Abyss Zone 』
makes a huge difference. Rather, if a friendly Zone is
broken through, it’s best to retreat. Well, the moment it
breaks is usually the moment before defeat, so that’s quite
impossible.

After proceeding a while, I sensed the scent of

excitement and fighting spirit drifting around. It’s no
Glutton Demon. It’s much sweeter, a scent that whets my
appetite. Battle is just around the corner. I don’t know if
their Demon Lord is there, but it feels that they won’t let us
pass so easily. That’s about right. If they did something like
letting the Demon Lord who ate two others pass, their
presiding Lord would get executed by Kanon-sama. That’s
exactly why those past two lords launched attacks on me
despite their fear.

Should I just eat these guys already?

 I turn to my own army. No, not yet. Even if I do, the
power I’ll gain from it is limited. I’m not sure about General
Class, but any Demons below that will go into my stomach
without purpose. In the first place, breaking through their
Abyss Zone by eating the friendly soldiers it’s supposed to
strengthen is pointless.

Will the Demon Lord come out?

That’s the main problem. If he isn’t there, then in the

worst case, I could use a skill to eat their entire army…
with Gluttony Skills, it’s possible. If the Demon Lord comes
to attack personally, I’ll have to concentrate on that, so I’ll
have to leave Leigie’s army to my own troops. To combat
Leigie’s army without the bonuses of my Zone is a bit
much, even for the Gula Army that specializes in attack.

From a strategic standpoint, the enemy should send their

Demon Lord. Unless the army is considerably powerful, you
have to send a Demon Lord to combat another if you want a
chance of victory. But the opponent is Sloth. With that in
mind, there’s no way he’ll come out. What’s more, he
should be a Demon of the same level as me. The pursuit of
his cravings should have become his existence itself by
now. And in order to substantiate that, Leigie has never
stepped on the battlefield alongside his army. At the very
least, within all my memory, Leigie hasn’t fought a single
time.

I feel my canines with my tongue, and start up a Skill.

Let’s show off my appetite to Leigie for a bit.

A support Skill, 『Fleeting Requiem』.

With me at the center, all area within a few meters is

visited by 『Night』 . Those touched by it have their magic
devoured, a Skill of Gluttony. It’s a variation on 『Wave of
Starvation』 , and one of the ones I obtained upon become
a Demon Lord so long ago. To those that touch it, it inflicts
damage, and all magecraft and skills that try targeting it
are disassembled, and used to supplement my own magic.
It truly is a manifestation of my ceaseless appetite.

It even devours Leigie’s Abyss Zone, and while it may

only be a small radius around me, I deploy my own Zone.
Like a slap on the face, I felt a strong bitter sensation. On
the unexpected sensation, I grimaced. Just eating his Zone
tastes this bad… this is why Sloths are…

“Zebul-sama, something is coming.”

At that moment, my subordinate gave a report. Across

the desert, the shadow of a single person running entered
my senses. No, it’s wrong to say it was only one. It was one,
but at the same time, many. Those same shadows, of a
Female Demon around the same size as me, split into
numerous bodies, and came closer with considerable
speed.

“… Hit her down!”

The entire army is late in following my orders. The

approaching party… was made of only one. More
importantly, about a few hundred meters behind her, an
army more than twice our size was approaching… They
sure are underestimating an army led by a Demon Lord.
I’m amazed that there’s a skill that can deceive my eyes,
but even so, the power I sense from that girl isn’t great. A
slight bitter scent is mixed in with the smell coming from
her. She isn’t a Demon Purely aiming to fulfill a single
desire.
 A sharp killing intent emanates from all the split bodies
as one. I look through my mind for what sort of skill it could
be. Through the large number of Demons I’ve eaten, my
battle experience sees through it. It’s probable a Luxuria
high ranking Skill. I believe there was a Demon Lord Class
Skill that could birth multiple phantasms with physical
substance.

Well, it doesn’t seem to be coming from her herself.

Fufu… do you not know of my Rank? Of my name?

Whether you be a 『 Knight 』 or a 『 General 』 … if you
think that’s enough to beat a Demon Lord, then I sure am
being looked down upon.

… Well, you’ll have plenty of time to regret it. Within my

stomach, that it.

One of our front line Demon’s 『 Wave of Starvation 』

eats up one of the illusions. Against the power that
devoured her magic, I definitely witnessed the small girl
knit her brow. She’s inexperienced. She hasn’t been in
battle long enough. No, she’s been sent to confirm our
power, I see.

Fufu, so be it. How about I play with you?

Against the young girl’s fleeting beauty, the Demon’s

hand stopped for a moment. His appetite quickly returns,
but he’s too late to launch an attack. The girl easily dodges,
and gouges out his throat. What refreshing skill. To be
bewildered by beauty… Fufu, how nice it is to be young. Go
youth. Go youth.

I reach my tentacles through the ground to eat the fallen

Demon. My magic increases ever-so-slightly. I don’t have
the time to savor the taste, but your sacrifice will not be in
vain… because this world is survival of the fittest.

Gar uses his fangs to pierce the girl from behind. But that
body immediately fades like a dream, and it dispersed as
pure magic energy. Without leaving anything behind, I suck
it up. It’s sweet. It’s extremely sweet magic. I see. Lust.
She’s at least experienced enough to know when to use and
cancel a skill. She may be tastier than I first thought.

Perhaps I have been blessed by the heavens. The moment

I took in her magic, my power reached a level surpassing
Leigie’s. Along with the sensation of something shattering,
Leigie’s Zone broke, and mine expanded. The second it
came over her, the girl’s movements stopped. What’s more,
all of her bodies at the same time.

Fufufu, that’s how powerful his Zone was. She’s never

experienced it breaking, I’ll bet. But that’s no good. You
can’t stop moving at a time like this…

I quietly snake my feelers through the ground, and

skewer the ten closest bodies. The bodies that had been
pierced from blind spots are all reduced to magic, as they
fade like mist. It seems the main body wasn’t among them.
Well, she’s only scouting out the situation anyways.

But, even so, her magic is quite splendid. Even if I can’t

eat up a Demon Lord, this flavor is plenty. My stomach is
growling. That girl has talent as an ingredient…

… Okay, a gourmet like me will give you the best possible

preparations before eating you up.

Just when I had resolved myself, I had an exceedingly bad

premonition. I immediately deployed my own 『 Wave of
Starvation』 . That was my instinct, born from all the time
I’ve lived as a Lord of Gluttony, and following it was the
right choice.

From the distance, a power rivalling a Demon Lord came

into being. A dragon of fire that sucked up everything in its
path collided with my wave. Heat and light that didn’t fall
short of the Demon World’s sun competed with my Wave of
Starvation.

“Zebul-zama, thiz iz…”

“Ku… fu… could you not talk to me for a bit?”

It was a terrific barrage of light and flame. It may even

rival that weapon the heavenly soldiers used. Divine flames
that might just rival Heavenly Judgement. The hot wind
that breaches my wave shakes my hair, but it stick to my
forehead due to my sweat.

Just what is this power!? Even if my stomach may be

empty, its magic is so vast that the Rank Five’s Wave of
Starvation cannot devour it!? Wrath? No, this is… not the
fire of anger. The taste is different.

At that moment, I remembered the gossip the late Mizuna

had brought up earlier. Quite recently, a certain Demon
Lord was awarded a legendary Demon Blade.

… I see, so this is… Demon Blade Celeste. The blade that

bosts the name of the L Class Dragon that had surpassed
Demon Lords!! Fufufu, I had forgotten…

Listen properly! Isn’t he your Rival Demon Lord? The

troubled face of the leader of the inspectors sent to me,
Mizna, passes through my brain.
 I see, this truly is… a threat. Mizna, it seems you were
more proficient than you thought yourself.

“Iz it the enemy Demon Lord!?”

“Fufufu… if it was the Demon Lord using it, we

would be ash by now.”

The heat, the light, they turn to a sublime flavoring, as

they supplement me. A feeling of satisfaction expands
through my body. What a flavor… what dense umami, this
impact that simply perks you up. Splendid, so this is the
power of a Demon Blade! One more, I have one more thing
to look forward to…

My wave of Starvation’s power increases, and it barely

starts to push back the Demon Blade’s flames. It feels that
power is overflowing all over my body…

“How tasty…! If the sword’s power can give off this

much flavor, then just how delicious is the blade
itself…”

“Zebul-zama, unfair!! Having it all to yourself…”

“With people of your caliber, you’ll die if you try

eating it, you know… Fufu, polish yourselves so we
can sit at the same dining table one day.”

I look over my cute army, that’s still conscious of their

hunger in a time like this.

They’ve really given us quite a welcoming present. Fufu,

they’ve brought a Demon Blade of this level. There’s no
helping it if they’ve misunderstood that they can make it
without a Demon Lord. It really can’t be helped.
 As I thought, the Sloth isn’t here. If he had been
participating, one blow would have ended it. But that Great
Demon Lord sure is awarding out some dangerous
weapons… she could have just given it to me…

For Gluttony that preys on the rabble, a contest of

powers is the greatest banquet. I lick my lips as I continue
to eat the flame’s power.

At that moment, the wave that was definitely gaining

traction was suddenly pushed back. So the output can rise
even further… I put my power into controlling the wave.
But the more time passes, the greater advantage I’ll gain.
This much isn’t enough to fill my stomach.

Gluttony has a good affinity with skills that release

continuous power, and Demon Blades. Whether it be fire or
ice, of thunder or anything, I can eat it. Demon Blades of
this type depend heavily on the user. And its output sure
is… large. I’m not sure about an ordinary Demon Lord, but
it lacks the power to take me down in a single strike.
Though it’s not at the level of a sword that can spew
unlimited flames, 『Wave of Starvation』 is a basic skill. I
can maintain it for hours on end.

“Fufu, how long will they keep this up? If they’re

able to satisfy my hunger, I may just let them of, you
know.”

The amazing amount of Magic, the pleasant feeling of my

hunger being sated, athrobing feverish feelings spreads
across my entire body, and a wave washes over my mind.
Ah, how wonderful. I’m glad we didn’t do something
inelegant like taking a detour!
 I was tasting the flames in a dreamy state, and my eyes
were closing as I basked in it, when the Demon Blade’s
power began to swell up greatly.

It happened in a split second.

The wave that had been fighting evenly was instantly

washed away, and my vision was covered with flames that
burned everything.

“Wha!?”

“!?”

With a hint of resistance, of a chance to give a final

scream, Gar who was standing beside me was burned away.
I instantly extended my tentacles, and ate up that magic
right before it destroy my soul.

To me, it was completely unexpected. MY own advantage

had made me negligent. Despite the trance it put me in, the
flame within my stomach raise a hunger that seems to
devour my entire body. My instincts rage on.

This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be.

I brush off the flames surrounding me with countless

tentacles. My army. The Gluttony Demons, without being
given an opportunity to breathe, were absorbed by my
tentacles before the flames could reach them. That energy.
That magic. Anyone besides me would definitely be
obliterated. I don’t have the time to use a skill. In the first
place, Gula Skills aren’t suited to defense.

I had already decided it. The moment my army was to be

ruined… I would carry on their will. That the army I
trained, the army that shared my hunger would be eaten by
me personally. With each swing, my tentacles provided my
perpetual energy. Instead of taking in the magic, I used it
to strengthen my own power.

The 『 Fleeting Requiem 』 I was wrapped in faces the

flames. The fire’s output rivals or exceeds what a Demon
Lord of Wrath could release in might. But unlike the Wave
of Starvation, what I’m using right now is a Demon Lord
level Skill. Well exceeding an ordinary Demon’s Skill level.
Its scope is small, but it cuts me off from Celeeste’s flame,
and saves up its energy as it sends it all to me. Tears are
escaping me. That power, that meaning, that supreme
taste.

It was likely the enemy Demons’ trump card. The stream

of flame ended in only a few seconds. The heat remaining
causes the wind to act up, putting the desert in disarray.

Nothing… was left. My army that numbered close to a

hundred were all converted to magic, and installed into my
stomach. Celeste’s flame was the same.

“Haa haa haa, I’m sorry… everyone…”

I lick my lips. The flood of emotions makes me look up to

the sky. The enemy army is still far. In this wade black
desert, I’m all alone. I put my hands together. I must offer
my thanks.

“… Thank you for the meal.”

The power I devoured breaks down, and my own might

rises. My Zone, which had lost its own meaning completely
surpasses Leigies, and it envelops the desert. Power is
overflowing. More than ever before.

Fufufufufufufu. I can see everything.

 The Rank Three Army, and the location of the General
Demon who used the Demon Blade. Spanning several
Kilometers, my Zone continued to break Leigie’s. My
perception tells me it has expanded explosively. Just as I
thought, the Demon Lord’s presence isn’t anywhere.

“I made light of you all… Fufufu, to think a normal

General could push me back this far… but now I’ve
had a taste of your trump card.”

I deactivate 『Fleeting Requiem』 . The power that had

been dissolved by the skill converges on me all at once.
From here on, it’s my… no, our turn to attack.

Along with the Enemy General’s voice, Demons with

numbers that greatly exceed ous rush at us with
bloodcurdling expressions. Their stronger Demons than I
had expected. For Demons below General Class, that is.

With you guys’ power, I will show my respect by fighting

to the fullest.

I lick my lips.

It’s time to dig in.

I extend my tentacles from my back, and take a stab at

the Demons coming at me. I sensed it the moment I pierced
the first one. Tasty… Fufufu, as I thought. Good work,
Leigie of the Slaughterdolls! As expected of an old
generation Demon that survived the Heavenly war! You
have a good army on your hands!

I lose myself in eating with the Tentacles. A spear impales

my back, and I eat it. Time passed like a dream. Against a
Demon Lord, their fighting spirit doesn’t die. What
dauntless courage. A powerful Legion that doesn’t fall
behind my own!

A six armed muscular Demon that seems to be the leader

brandishes a sword at me. I draw my own 『Fang Sabre』
to hit it down. My ivory white fang, and the large man’s
crimson edge meets. When the edges met, I understood.
Fufufu, I see. This Demon is the Wielder of Celeste. He’s
giving off a tasty scent. It’s not just the sword, but the
Demon himself as well. I stifle the smile bursting forth from
my heart.

“Enemy Leader…”

The Demon raises a heroic laugh, as he slashes at me

with the swords in his other hands. I sense that all of them
Demon Blades with considerable power. I used my
Tentacles to meet them. This smell, and that fighting style.
A Demon who’s amassed this many Demon Blades. He must
be a Greed Demon. And he launches an attack with the
flame from before. He really knows how to use his own
power.

“Good skills.”

“Ki ki ki, ‘tis an honor to be praised by you!!”

Fire flows up from his sword, but without paying heed to

the flickering sword, I used my Fang Sabre to go for his
neck. As expected of a Demon Blade even I’ve heard of. If I
took an attack from it head on, it looks like it’ll be bad. But
between a Demon Lord and a general, the basic specs are
too different. Of course, it’s not like he’s weak. It’s not like
he’s weak, but no matter how much he trains…
『 Superbia 』 aside, for a 『 Avaritia 』 , the gap between
General and Demon Lord isn’t a small one.
 My Tentacles go after the small Demon attacking me
from behind, and I dodge her blow. There, was the
courageous girl who had tried to launch the first attack. An
ice Demon Blade, and a dagger. Fufu, for a lust to go hand-
to-hand… how brave. I’ve determined. These two are
General Class. The first is Greed-kun, the second is Lust-
kun, and the others are all small fries. I see a difference in
fighting ability between the two, but before me, it’s not like
it matters. They’re all equal food.

“Two of them… a little small, but they look quite

tasty.”

The girl’s movements stop for a moment. It seems this

child has a bad habit where she stops moving when she
gets surprised on the battlefield. She’s much too
inexperienced. I didn’t let the chance go, and pierced her. I
mean, it’s just an illusion, anyways. My eyes told me as
such. Just as I thought, the girl’s figure fades like mist.
Without wasting a bit, I absorb it, and challenged the large
sword swing coming at my back by opening my mouth
wide. The Demon’s expression of shock. Fufufu, as I
thought, to truly know the taste, I have to use my own
mouth… The other ones scattered around don’t tell much of
a difference between Gluttony or Greed.

“A Demon Blade… never eaten one before. It may be

a delicacy.”

“What!?”

I stopped the blade he lowered with his strong arms with

my teeth. The hot metal I feel on my tongue, and the thick
magic. The flames leaking out serve as a perfect accent.

I’ll eat it… your collection.

 I mean, that’s how you cook up Greed. I stop another
sword he swung with another hand by holding up my Fang
Sabre, while making an obvious gap in defense.

Fufufu, I know you’re there. Luxeria. I know everything.

Because right now… you’re on my territory.

Young. Young. Young. Young. Young Lust… Aaaaaaaah,

how delicious it must be. I may not be able to endure it any
longer.

“Your main body… that magic looks quite

delicious.”

I surprise her, and in that gap, I used the tongue from the
mouth I opened on my back to grasp her sword. It’s a cold
and delicious blade. The Greed Demon’s expression warps
for a second.

“Fufufu, the texture isn’t bad…”

I move the tongue gaudily, and pull the sword from the
girl’s arms. She sure is powerless. You need to train your
physical strength too.. fufu. The Greed Demon swung
another sword in panic, and I stopped it with a mouth I
manifested on my hand, before crunching it.

Everything was excellent.

High battle experience. Status as a Demon. None of it

even reached my feet.

The moment I broke one of the Greed Demon’s collection,

he was wide open. This is why Demons these days are…
have I started sounding old again?
 I used my tongue to collect up the fragments of the sword
I caught, and continued to chew it. Greed raises a scream.
Don’t worry, your prided sword is extremely tasty.

No, is it about time yet?

As expected, the Greed Demon stopped moving, but when

I extended my tongue at him, it was blown away with
amazing force.

What!? What is it, all of a sudden?

A boorish Bastard Sword crashes into the ground. As if it

had exploded, pebbles fly everywhere. Continuing on with
strange movements, the blade came at my tongue and
tentacles with tremendous momentum, and blew them
away altogether.

“… What are you?”

It was a lead-colored skeleton. Its height was around two

meters. Without any sign of emotions, or any presence, it
simply boorishly continued to swing its arms. But its
physical strength far surpassed that Greed Demon. It was
just too incomprehensible. It’s no Demon. It doesn’t give off
a Demon’s scent. I take a last lick of Celeste, and let go. No
matter how weak the opponent, I’ve resolved never to be
careless.

“… What could that be… it’s not a Demon, it has no

presence.”

“Ki ki ki, it’s just a candlestick holder, you know!

Boss’s just put a little spell on it!”

The skeleton kicks off the ground, and rushes at me like a

beast. It swings the giant sword taller than my body. It’s
definitely fast, and it has power, but still, its attacks aren’t
that significant to me. I can see through them, and if I just
challenge its sword head on, I’m pretty sure I can
overpower it. I was surprised because the scent it gave off
wasn’t that of a lifeform, but that’s about it.

Still, this one… doesn’t look tasty at all, does it.

Candlestand? That thing that holds up candles? Why can
something like that move?

“… Doesn’t look very tasty. Though I look like this,

I’m quite a gourmet.”

I parry the blade, and sever one of its arms. There’s no

change in its expression. Does it not feel pain? And wait, in
the first place, is it even alive?

Well, I guess none of that really matters. In the previous

exchange, I understood. Greed-kun and Lust-kun are
definitely strong, and Candlestand-kun isn’t bad, but
they’re no match for me. Celeste is their only means of
dealing Damage to me, and I doubt they have a trump card
greater than that. For a mere General to aim to annihilate a
High Class Demon Lord, it’s an outrageous weapon. It’s
plenty.

I took some distance. It’s about time to get down to

cooking.

I activate one of my Demon Lord skills, 『Evil Eye』 . It’s

a set of Demon Eyes that can bind the movements of
Demons lesser than me. There’s the restriction that I can’t
move either, but as a skill, it has plenty of uses. And like
that, I started up a Gluttony Skill.

『Over Table』
 I eat the magic floating around in the air. From all over
my body, even my face and feet, an amount of tentacles
incomparable to those before sprouted out. Countless
feelers dripping in purple liquid. They’re fresh arms that
have plenty of appetite in them. Fufu, can you guys
withstand them?

As a parting gift, I’ll explain the cooking method, as I

extend my tentacles to their targets. It’ll be troublesome if
they think of them the same as those before. Fufufu, this
is… not Demon class. It’s a Demon Lord class Skill.

Lust and Greed dodge, and skeleton tries to take it with

his sword, falling to pieces as a result. In order to get a
greater certainty of the taste, I pull it in with the tentacles,
and chewed it with my normal mouth, but as I thought, it’s
just an inanimate 『 item 』 . Without any careful
construction, just an object. It isn’t really tasty. But it
seems it was one of Greed-kun’s collection, so he raises
quite a nice scream. Fufu, it looks like I’ve finished one
step in the cooking process.

“Dammit, in order to get that, do you know just how

much trouble I went through? How many Demons I
killed…!?”

“Fufufu, it looks like I did something inexcusable.

Don’t worry, you’ll meet up in my stomach soon
enough.”

I extend my tentacles. Of course, I don’t do anything as

boorish as hit the main dish directly. I snack on the other
demons, while aiming for Greed-kun’s weapons, and Lust-
kun’s equipment bit by bit. The young tentacles are much
faster than normal ones. Greed-kun is dodging them in a
fine manner, but the hurdle’s too high for our precious
Lust-kun, and the skin she covered up so well is showing
more and more, and there was quite a bit of fun in that.
Her eyes filled with killing intent are beautiful. Even as a
fellow woman, I may develop some passion for her.

“What are you planning…”

“Fufufu, do you go as far as to crunch the shell

when eating?”

I swing the tentacles. Fufufu, sorry, sorry, I had made a

misunderstanding. As a gourmet, let me acknowledge you.
You definitely are a Luxelia. And a first-rate one at that. The
finest dessert. I’ll teach you true pleasure.

Celeste is hard. But even if it may be a Demon Blade, if it

keeps clashing with my power, it’ll be reduced to shambles.
He probably ran out of stock a while ago. Greed-kun is now
just swinging around Celeste alone. From here on out, it
becomes monotonous work. But that’s fine. It’s a crucial
process. I incessantly pester Greed-kun. I strip Lust-kun bit
by bit. Things like this increase one’s appetite. There’s
nothing tastier than the food I make for myself.

By the time Lust-kun had achieved her birthday suit, the

two of them started discussing something. I stop my hands
for a bit, and watch them. Do they still have some hand
they can play? My army’s been crushed too. If I don’t make
you tasty enough for their share as well, I’ll be troubled. If
they’re going at it, you might as well show me everything
you’ve got. I’ll bet that will increase the flavor.

After coming this far, you’re still embarrassed? As she

hides her breasts and crotch with her hands, Lust-kun and
Greed-kun have somewhat grim faces as they speak.
 Still… to think something like that is fine in the presence
of an enemy, they sure are young. How long ago was it that
I did something like that… As I was probing through a few
thousand years of distant memory, I noticed is.

My own wind was blown away by another’s. The few

kilometers of territory I took were immediately reverted,
and taken by another Demon Lord. It was merely a quiet,
tasteless, and dreadfully peaceful magic, as if it was just
there to exist, and nothing else. At the same time,
something equivalent replaced my power that had been
seeping into the earth.

How can this be… why, at this point in time…

“… Oy, oy, what did you guys do? Is this part of your
plan?”

There’s no way that’s the case. At this point, the revival

of their Zone wouldn’t overturn their certain defeat. The
difference between us isn’t one of that low level.

But in an instant, none of that mattered anymore.

What was in front of my eyes, wasn’t Lust-kun or Greed-

kun. As if I had been hit by lightning, I felt it in my soul.
The presence of a being great enough to rival mine self. An
existence of darkness. A sense of exaltation that made it
feel like just by him standing, something amazing would
happen. The feeling of an absolute existence, where even if
you added together Lust-kun and Greed-kun, it wouldn’t
reach anywhere near it.

I see… I’m really lucky. It seems even the Big Boss will
come out to meet me. Right now, I’m in exceedingly good
condition. If I eat Lust-kun and Greed-kun, I’ll probably rise
even higher, but I don’t have the time to be worrying about
those two.

I’m not sure by what intent, but the black-haired slim

youth, with a sluggish expression on his face, threw himself
onto the ground. His absurd movements have earned my
admiration.

This one is… One of those in service to the Greatest

Demon King. A Lord of Demons, who rules over Indolence,
and Depravity.

“… You. Who are you?”

On my question, the Demon Lord spoke with a lazy look

on his face.

“… I see.”
 Part 4: Thanks for the Meal
“Fufufufufu, I see… so this was you guys’ secret
plan. You’re not bad. I didn’t notice it at all.”

“… Eh? Ah, no…”

Lust-kun has a confused expression as she looks at the

horizontal King of Sloth.

Her facial expression is no lie. Eh? A Coincidence? Nono,

that can’t be… It’s impossible that the Lord of Laziness was
just randomly passing by of all things.

But both Lust-kun and Greed-kun’s eyes were lost at sea.

“Why am I…”

“… Eh? You’re still saying that at this point in

time!?”

The existence that had materialized at roughly the same

time as Laigie, a girl with crimson hair, scowled with all her
might. Her uniform, with black as the base, was the same
as what Mizna and the others wore. She’s from the Order
of Black. She pulls at Leigie, and is somehow trying to get
him to stand. This situation perfectly matches the image I
have of him being pulled around at one of the Great Demon
King’s inauguration ceremonies or another.

… I see, so she dragged the Lord of Sloth onto the

battlefield. What a skilled Ira. It seems I really have been
wasteful. Mizna… I should have cooked you up properly
before I ate you. Sorry.

But even while being pulled at, Leigie shows no signs of

getting up. He’s shaking his head from side to side with an
extremely reluctant attitude. This deed is Sloth, without a
doubt. It’s as if there’s no spirit in his eyes. I can only think
that he’s waiting for me to eat him. At the same time, that
is the nature of Sloth Demons. Those guys are extremely
hard, but at the same time, they don’t really move.

Fufufu, how interesting. It really is interesting. To try to

fight me like that… In the wake of a battle between
powerful Demon Lords, my fighting spirit blazes up, along
with my hunger.

I guess I should give a proper greeting to start things off.

“Lord of Sloth. It’s a pleasure to meet you… No, it’s

been a while. My name is Zebul Glaucus… a Demon
Lord that governs Gluttony.”

“I see.”

On my self-introduction, Leigie answered with just as

little interest as before. What’s more, just two words. But I
can’t be fooled by his appearance or actions. Leigie’s Zone
is definitely stronger than mine. He’s just lazy, and by no
means is he weak. Even after he’s clearly showing a
ridiculous amount of magic, for some reason, my appetite
isn’t welling up. In a sense, I think Gluttony has a bad
affinity with him.

“Leigie-sama! You finally came all the way here, so

go fight already!”

“… But that one’s…. strong…”

On Wrath-kun’s words, Leigie directed a reluctant face

that stemmed from the very depths of his heart. Wrath-
kun’s expression is dyed with anger, and despair. Her
burning hot magic is like a perfume that tickles my nostrils.
It’s a really tasty scent.
 Fufufufufufu, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, could it be
that even when he’s taking me on, he thinks he can easily
destroy me?

“I think you’re underestimating me too much,

Leigie.”

“Yeah… Curry isn’t enough for this…”

Along with some incomprehensibly idiotic lines, the battle

started without warning.

As a test, I sent my young arms to attack him from all

direction. I saved a single one of them and sent it at Wrath-
kun. Even though he’s complaining, Leigie probably hasn’t
let his guard down. Wrath-kun back steps to avoid the
tentacle, before emitting flame from the palm of her hand.

The Tentacle drinks up the flame, but it’s unable to

contain it all. The tip is slightly burned. That’s quite a
powerful bearer of Ira. But that was quite a splendid
taste… I vomited.

“Uoo, GUEEEEEEEEH!”

I kneel, call back my tentacles, and press both of my

arms to the ground. It felt as if, dreadful vigor, my stomach
was dumping all of its contents left and right. My head is
shaken up greatly, as it’s filled with an acrid stench. The
convulsions of my body won’t stop. While it felt like that,
nothing actually left my mouth, though. Having felt strong
agony for once in a long time, tears filled my eyes.

W-what is this!?

With vision made hazy be tears, I look over. What sort of

disgrace am I showing in battle? But on the enemy side,
none of them seem to know what’s going on either. After I
had suddenly tried spitting something up, they merely
looked at me with suspicious eyes. They’re not even
launching any attacks. In a blurring world, I looked at the
one who, contrary to the swift Wrath-kun, hadn’t moved a
muscle. He also had tears oozing out as he spoke.

“… It hurts.”

Looking closely, in all the places the tentacles should

have impaled, his clothing was torn. From the skin I can
see in the gaps, a small amount of blood drips.

So this is the extremes of 『 Acedia 』 , said to excel in

endurance. The King of Sloth… how hard…

An overwhelming VIT incomparable to the General Class

Sloth I defeated long ago. Even for the arms that could
easily devour Demon Blades, they aren’t nearly strong
enough.

Gufu… fufufu, i-interesting, isn’t it…!! I wipe away my

tears, and use the Evil Eyes. Excluding Leigie, the rest of
the Demons are bound. As I might add, Leigie isn’t moving
either, but that’s of his own free will.

I somehow contain the nauseous feeling, but the instant I

tried to use a skill, I noticed a terrifyingly bitter scent
piercing my nose. Of the Sloth Demons I fought in the past,
the impact far surpassed all. It was a heinous scent that I
couldn’t believe originated in this world.

I had been so concentrated on the violent nausea, and I

hadn’t noticed it at all…

When I check my Magic, I see a small portion of it has

restored. It’s too much to have just been from eating
Wrath-kun’s flames back there.

I’m in despair. Is there no god in this world!?

My trauma was overwritten here and now. I glare at

Leigie. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, and offered a
complaint.

“… You, you taste atrocious… I can’t even believe

this taste comes from this world.”

“… It hurts.”

With sluggish motions, Leigie rubbed the torn spots. The

blood has already vanished. And wait, even if he was
bleeding, that wasn’t a level where he actually took any
damage from it!! Wrath-kun is looking at Leigie with
despair in her eyes, but I should be the one despairing.

This is bad. Just what is that flavor… The General Class

Sloth doesn’t reach his footholds, it’s a flavor that
blasphamizes against, and desecrates the very concept of
food. It really is out of this world. Just what divine
providence gave birth to something like that? Up until now,
I thought that any and every item in this vast world was
edible, but I must take that back with all due haste. It’s a
taste that even changes my outlook on life. It’s far
surpassed what can be endured. I don’t ever want to taste
it again

… Which means I’ll be unable to absorb power from

Leigie. If I tried to bear it, and suck it up, I would probably
curl up and die before I could do anything to him. Hahaha,
what meaning is there in a Gula that cannot eat!!

All in all, what an annoying attribute.

 With eyes blurred by tears, Leigie spoke up all of a
sudden.

“I give up.”

“Hah? Why?”

“I hate pain.”

“Haaaaaaaaaaah?”

J-just how did this one become a Demon Lord… no, how
did he survive for this long?

In a sense, his words were more impactful than the taste,

and my mind went blank for a moment.

The moment I came to it, I noticed Leigie had fired off a

strange power, a Skill. It was nullified by one of my
passives, my Mental Pollution Resistance. Leigie’s
expression hopelessly screams out, ‘this is a pain’ as he
clicks his tongue.

My hunger becomes bloodlust, and stirs up wind as it

sweeps over the desert. … Fu. Fu. Fu. You sure are looking
down on me. To launch a surprise attack when I was
negligent, that’s a disgrace to all Demons… So be it. Kanon
can go to hell for all I care. I’ll put my best effort into
killing you. In this world, there shouldn’t exist anything
that can’t be eaten.

A majority of Gula Skills focus on eating the enemy. If you

exclude them, my usable skills are quite limited.

I clench my hand with plenty of power, and wish for fang.

Fangs to gnaw and reduce everything to its base.
 Leigie, with movements slower than the laziest of people,
with an expression harder to read than the slothiest of
sloths, searched through his pocket, before his arm lost
power, and his hand fell to the ground.

“… I forgot my piece… do you happen to have one?

It can be Chess or anything…”

“Hah? Chess? T-there’s no way I have something

like that!”

Wrath-kun has an irritated expression as she rebukes

him. Any and everything they’re doing. I can only see it as
them making light of me.

Ah, it’s no good. Fine, I’ll destroy you.

I’ll show you the limits of Gluttony. Don’t think Gula is

nothing but eating.

I consume an amount of magic much greater than when I

summoned the young arms, and my hunger has become
almost unbearable. So much that it feels like my stomach
will gain its own will, and start to eat me. And I used that
skill for the first time in ten thousand years.

『Fang of Origin』

Completely ignoring the enemy’s attribute to eat any and

everything, a Gula Skill that manifests the fangs of a
Demon God. It’s not like it changes my flesh, and it’s not
like it summons something for me to manipulate. Pure
equipment, it calls forth a sword. One of the skills known as
Phantasm Armaments.

The blade of darkness, born of the origin of Gluttony

came into being with my fingers wrapped wround it.
 A longsword with the hilt and blade and all else colored
black. Its height a meter and a half. But the reach doesn’t
matter. This is my fang, and at the same time, an existence
representing the insatiable hunger of the world. I discard
the blade I had used when fighting that Greed-kun. With
both hands, I take a stance with the long sword. I absorb
back all the tentacles.

Foolish Sloth that fails to make a single move, I glare at

the Sloth who fails to feed my appetite.

“… Fu… fufu… then let’s start the battle between

Demon Lords.”

“… Haa…”

Leigie lets out a sigh.

Damn you… making fun of me! I take a step forward.

Using the physical strength of a Demon Lord, I explosively
propel myself, and instantly closed the distance…

My body stiffens all at once. Within my head, a Mental

Pollution Recovery Spell activates automatically, and the
stiffness is dispelled, but in that time, everything became
so slow. I feel heavy. Unable to bear the large burden that
had suddenly been placed on top of me, I fell to my knees.
Pressure? No, this is definitely something different. My
weight has physically increased. I can’t continue while
gripping the sword.

From the time he had appeared, Leigie had barely moved

half a step, but he directed dispirited eyes at me as I fell to
the ground.

“You… what did you do…”

 “… Haa…”

Leigie sighs once more. No, I get it. I’ve been hit with a
Sloth Skill before. Sloth should have some skills that
obstruct an enemy’s movements.

But… a skill great enough to bind me? That can’t be!

“Gu… wai, Leigie-sama…”

“Fu… ya…”

“Gugu… B-boss!?”

The other three raise their own cries. I somehow turn my

unmoving head, and see that, for some reason, Leigie’s
army was on the ground as well.

This one… he calmly drags in his own army.

No, that’s wrong. In a moment’ judgement, I extend my

tentacles, and use them to support up my body. And finally
up, I looked down at the Lord of Sloth. In his eyes, forget
bloodlust, there isn’t even any fighting spirit.

This is… not just any obstruction skill. He’s raising

gravity. I comprehend. I’m experiencing it first-hand. Leigie
of Sloth. There’s probably a matter of affinity, but this one’s
power… he’s surpassed mine. With my shaking hand, I lift
the sword, and point it at him.

Just how many kilos, how many tons has it been

increased by? Why is it that when there’s a weight where
even I cannot move, his own army isn’t crushed to death?
I’m going to lose to a Lord that doesn’t even have the will
to fight?
 “… Fu fu fu. It’s been a while… since someone last
got me to kneel.”

“I see.”

Leigie offers his fifty cents. At the same time, I

experienced a sudden impact from the side.

What? What’s happening now?

Since he didn’t have any fighting or killing intent, my

reaction was delayed. A power great enough to rattle my
entire body. My form, which was barely being supported by
the tentacles, was easily blown off. My field of vision
shakes. But the dizziness soon disappears from a Demon
Lord Level status abnormality resistance. There wasn’t the
slightest sign of a presence by me. Leigie didn’t move a
single step either. I dug the sword into the ground, which
was moving by me at an incredible speed. I extend more
than a hundred tentacles, and dig them in as well. I feel
myself scraping at the ground. The friction heats up the
tips of the tentacles, and smoke begins to rise from the
earth.

It was a physical attack. I didn’t receive much damage.

But I cannot understand what had happened. A failure to
comprehend is one of the scariest things that can befall you
on a battlefield. Perhaps because we were now separated
by a few hundred meters, the weight on my body
disappeared.

I have a chance!

Demons are by no means omnipotent. Sloth is a Skill Tree

that excels in endurance. If you look at it from the other
side, they don’t boast particularly high offensive power.
Even when taking me by surprise, he didn’t manage to give
me any significant damage.

It’s not sating my hunger, but other emotions start

coming up. Interesting. How many millennia has it been
since I fought an opponent of equal level to me?

My hundred tentacles dig into the ground behind me. I

hold the sword in a low stance, and concentrate magic on
my feet to enhance them. Gravity too great to stand? Then
I’ll take you out in a single stroke before it affects me.
Leigie is definitely hard, but if I split him in two, he won’t
be able to use a Skill.

When I took a step forwards, alarms went off in my head.

The foreboding signal affected the entirety of my trained
instincts as a warrior. I hurriedly jumped to the side, before
a thunderous sound came from the place I had been, and a
large dent appeared in the ground. I can’t see. I can’t see
it, but… something’s there. Frightening speed, and weight.

I comprehend. This is what sent me flying before. I detect

it coming at me from the side with the flow of the air, and
jump to avoid it. The weakness that you can’t move in the
air doesn’t exist for me, when I have countless tentacles to
propel myself. I suddenly changed course, and extended
the tentacles to hit down whatever it was.

The tentacles dig into something invisible, and I started

vomiting in midair.

My movements stop completely. In my direction, it comes

down.

“Guoee… gu… wai… unfai…”

 Not a small blow like before, as if the sky itself was
coming down, an impact mercilessly crushed my body. My
skull makes some creaking sounds, and the hand I had
reached upwards by instinct is making ominous cracking
sounds as it bends in the wrong direction. It’s not at a level
where I can ignore the impact like before, I’m pressed into
the ground so hard it feels my soul will go out.

But right now, the pain doesn’t matter. This bitterness is

terrifying. While crawling on the ground, I let out tears as I
vomit, but that thing continues to come down on me
relentlessly. Its scope is even wider than before.

Wave of Starvation? Fleeting Requiem?

Don’t be stupid… if I used something like that, I would

end up eating it. I’d be forced to absorb it.

That taste that comes from something beyond this world.

Past the Demon World, a place even lower. The greatest
depths of hell, a place where nothing can escape, in hades
where all unthinkable things gather, where the tainted mud
of despair builds up, this taste is that of a being a Demon
cannot fathom as another Demon…

The impact comes down a second and third time without

rest, beating down on my body, and hitting me into the
ground. My consciousness leaves me for a moment. My
vision shakes, and my Status Abnormality Resistances are
working on overtime. If I didn’t have them, I would have
been immobilized by the dizzy feeling long ago.

Damn, with that absent-minded expression, he shows no

mercy.

Each one of the skills he’s using falls short of the one-hit-
kill ones Demon Lords usually boast, but that just makes it
all the more annoying. As if he’s playing with me, the
impact that’s identity I have yet to know continues to assail
my body, and the taste is the same as Leigie, making It my
greatest enemy of all time. That much is true.

The Leigie in question hasn’t changed his location at all.

He’s making fun of me.

I anticipate the moment it’s going to strike next, pierce

my tentacles into the ground, and forcefully throw myself
sideways. It’s not strong. Its damage definitely isn’t that
high, but taking that on again and again is bad. I forcefully
set my broken arm. Using up my stored up nutrients, I’m
able to fully recover it. But without relishing in that, I
kicked the ground. The impact hit the place I was just
before.

Let’s think. What is… this Skill? A homing attack Skill?

Wind? Unattributed Energy? Each and every one of a
Demon’s Skills have meaning. Naturally, they change based
on a Demon’s cravings. Just as Gluttony is specialized in
eating others, Sloth should have some specializations. What
is it?

Making other people fellow Sloths? Wrong. No, maybe

it’s not too far off, but that isn’t its basic nature.

Far in that direction, I see Leigie lazily lowering his hand

onto the ground.

That’s it!

A Skill to… transmit attacks across distance. Meaning an

『Acedia』 skill to repel foreign enemies without moving.

I dodge the wide-range attack that came on me from

above. In the ground, was a large hand print, five meters
from one end to the next. What a stupid skill. But it’s a fact
that I was made a sport of by that worthless skill.

I keep my eyes concentrated on Leigie’s hand

movements, and I rush forward. The second it starts to
come down, I take a large leap to the side. I try to capture
the lowered fist with my sword. The invisible hand is easily
ripped through, but it doesn’t seem that Leigie took any
damage from it. Even if I damage these hands, he doesn’t
get any feedback… It doesn’t have the power to finish me
off, but it doesn’t have any obvious demerits either. Just the
fact that he can’t use his arms for other things, I guess.
What a useful Skill.

I handle the attack aimed at me horizontally with the

sword. Invisible fingers… With just that, magic surpassing
that of a General’s disperses and floats through the air. It
truly is a pity I cannot eat it.

… No, is this the time to think about whether it’s edible

or not? I have to attain victory against Kanon-sama no
matter what. I have a need to triumph, and confirm her
taste. For the sake of my departed men as well. For that
sake, the explosive magic Leigie has will be a great
weapon. I’m sure of it. If you only compare magic, he’s far
above me. Damn, how long has this bastard been alive?

But if I keep eating him, I’ll definitely die. I’ll break down
from the terrible flavor, and die. As a Demon Lord of
Gluttony, that is quite regrettable. But… but if it’s just once
more…!

Right. Resolve myself. That is the way to victory.

Terrible? So what? The remnants of the violent acridity in

my nose is still trampling over my sanity. Good or bad, that
doesn’t matter.
 Make my resolve, and look at the enemy. For my sake and
mine alone. For my power and mine alone. Leigie, I’ll…

“… Eat you.”

“… Please give me a break already.”

There are no breaks on the… The moment I got irritated

by his mocking voice, my body was sent flying sideways.
His attacks really lack any form of motivation.

Just as I eat, as Wrath rages, and Greed seeks, Leigie

simply lazes around without meaning. That really doesn’t
excite my appetite at all, but what admirable consistency.

The Lord of Sloth… I see, I have a slight grasp of it.

Diverse skills that can toss around even a Demon Lord like
me. This is one who dived into the abyss of Acedia, and
learned it to its origins?

… So be it. In return I’ll show you. The result of my

supreme pursuit of Gula, the power I’ve obtained. I use the
Evil Eyes. I direct it at Leigie’s attack, and easily stop it.

I use my Wave of Starvation to absorb the flames of

Wrath that came from the one trying to ambush me from
behind. I’m not so weak as to fall from a surprise attack of
one who isn’t even a Demon Lord. The first edible magic in
a while wipes away the remains of the bitterness within my
body.

I don’t care about the damage. Wrath-kun and Lust-kun

and Greed-kun don’t matter to me at the moment.

I concentrate my mind. I bring up my left arm, and pray.

To the god of hungry souls. Wind pressure assails me from
left and right. With a groaning sound, my ribs break. My
brain understands that I’m being crushed between that
man’s hands. I don’t let go of the sword gripped in my right
hand. That’s my trump card. My arm breaks. I don’t let go.
My innate healing works. My body returns to normal. Every
time it recovers, it’s broken once more. Leigie closes his
hand. From all around my body, I feel an immense weight.
My bones are being broken as if they were toothpicks. My
body raises a scream at the sense of pain I haven’t felt in a
long time. I can’t use any defensive skills. They’ll end up
eating Leigie. In the heat encroaching my body, and the
surges of pain, I took a deep breath, and prepared myself. I
fill my fangs with killing intent. I use all my might to
activate that skill.

『Eater’s Plate』

With a roaring sound, the ground tears, the desert rends.

Against the immense magic, of which a normal person of
the human race wouldn’t hold up just be being in its
presence, the heavens rumble, and space distorts. In hot
haste, Lust-kun and Greed-kun flee. The Demon Lord sat
through the maelstrom peacefully. No, he’s lying down.

What I called forth was Eaters Plate. A large space a few

hundred meters across. Without fangs, or tongue, endless
hunger. A space specialized to do nothing but sate an
unbearable starvation. If you looked from the sky, you
would probably see a large semi-circular fissure in the
earth.

And I was taken aback.

Into the hole that suddenly opened in the ground, the one
I set as the target, Leigie, calmly fell. He yawned with a
sleepy expression. Sloth has a bad affinity with Wrath,
Gluttony and Pride. Demons with a high attack power. The
reason for this being they generally don’t move around.
There’s no way an immobile Demon is a good enemy. You
can leisurely prepare your skills, and as long as they don’t
get to be considerably strong, they’re fated to be hunted
down. But even so, this conclusion is outside of my
expectations.

Eh? What? Is that how it is? For what reason did I fight so
hard up until this point?

I was planning to rip him to shreds with the sword once

he jumped out of the way to dodge, but… I turn my eyes to
the black longsword in my hand. Phantom Armaments don’t
have a set reach. By my will, I can freely extend it up to a
point. When I got a chance, it was to be my supreme trump
card.

The giant mouth closes. I relax the power wrapped

around my body, and release myself. With my right hand, I
scratch my face.

“… That was a bit anti-climactic.”

“… I see.”

I heard something I shouldn’t have from behind me. I

hurriedly turn around, and point my sword. An uninjured
Leigie was sloppily sprawled out. Even after taking my
back, he shows no signs of trying to accomplish anything.

Wai…

I instinctively swing the blade. I don’t even have to extent

it, he’s quite close. With a posture like that, this isn’t
something that he can dodge. But the moment before he
was split in two, Leigie’s image disappeared.
 Shivers run down my spine. So this is how he escaped the
Eater’s Plate!? … Teleportation!? IS that even possible? No,
the moment he had suddenly appeared like that, I should
have theorized it.

It’s my complete mistake.

Evasion and Sloth were too far apart for me to ever think
they would go together. And wait, this is too unfair.

This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be!

Between Rank Three and Five, there’s this much of a

difference!? Did Kanon-sama put this much thought into it
when she sent Leigie against me!?

I position the sword behind me to shake off the attack he

threw at me. Behind, the transferred Leigie’s arm grazed
the blade. Blood poured forth like a water fountain. Due to
the smell that came from it, I retreated several steps.
Leigie is crying. Probably from the pain. But by that time,
the blood had already stopped, and he had regenerated as
if nothing had happened. What amazing regenerative
powers. He’s devoted himself to a stubborn nature. And on
top of that, he’s ridiculously weak to pain.

When I tried to go at him again, my body froze once

more.

I was seized by his gravity again. I notice. The moment

my body freezes beforehand… it’s his Evil Eyes. Leigie is
binding me with his Demon Eyes. The Skill that’s supposed
to only work on lesser beings. That made the gap in power
all too clear.

“Ah, haha, hahaha… Lei… gie. Just how many years…

have you lived?”
 “… Probably about a hundred.”

Like hell! I have, with you, memories that spam over ten
thousand years!!

He’s… definitely forgotten it. Hahahahaha, just fighting

him is starting to feel stupid.

Even my hunger that I know will never fully be sated no

matter how much I eat is starting to not matter.

Without saying anything, Leigie closed his eyes half-way.

I tried to think of a reason this Demon Lord had obtained

such peerless power. Unlike Kanon-sama, who had
advanced to being a Demon Lord in under ten thousand
years with skill and determination, Leigie the Sloth merely
amassed power naturally after living an eternal amount of
time, and eventually grew to be a Demon Lord.

Without anything that could be called ambition, and no

goal in sight. The king of idleness. The desires of others are
of no importance, and he’ll probably forget his fight with
me soon enough. How envious I am of him.

Before I noticed it, Leigie’s hand was clenched so tightly

that his knuckles were turning white. My body was being
squeezed from all directions. I feel something snapping
inside of me, but there’s no pain anymore. I don’t even
have the motivation to resist. There’s no means. I have no
appetite.

The result of me living close to a hundred thousand

years, my 『 Fang of Origin 』 turns to sand in my hand,
and disappears.
 In front of my eyes, there was Sloth. He opens his eyes
lightly. His eyes that did nothing but scream that it was all
a pain.

“…Fu… fufu. Bye… bye, Acedia. It was fun.”

“… I see.”

If possible, I would ask him to go beat Kanon-sama in my

place, but I doubt he would ever do something so
troublesome. In the opening on the top of his clenched
hand, he painstakingly applied pressure with his other
index finger. As my head was forcefully crushed under the
power, I thought to myself…

Thanks for the meal.

 Chapter 6
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

TL: Heard’s Hmms and hms are implied grunts of

affirmation.

TL: Also, this chapter provides some readings for

previous skills (In English no less), so preceding names will
be changed in accordance. Usurping will be changed to
‘Skill Ruler’ and Predominate to ‘Overrule’.

TL: Ah, also please be over 14 to read.

 Part 1: Become Someone
It was nothing.

From birth, not once have I gained anything, never have I

desired anything, never have I known anything. Not desired
by anyone, known by anyone, and even without any desire
for life. A Life where I didn’t even embrace the Original Sin
a majority of Demons carry. Sloth and Greed and Lust and
Wrath and Gluttony and Pride and all else, without a
sufficient reason for life, and no will. Before I could become
a Plus, perhaps I had to become a Zero first.

I am a mere Minus existence.

In this Demon World, governed by survival of the fittest,

Demons without knowledge or power are fated to simply sit
and wait for death to take them. Demons like that were by
no means rare, and the imperial capital as well as all the
provincial cities were overflowing with such existences.
That’s why I believe it’s just a coincidence that I escaped
such a fate. There are many Demons whose lives aren’t
even worth taking, but if I had to say, my luck was good.

There was a man who took me away. There was man who,
with a sluggish expression, remained silent, as he let
whatever would happen, happen. His black mantle made of
well-tailored velvet-like material dragged along the ground,
and was always sullied white. There was a woman who took
me away. There was a woman who would let off burning
flames that made people she passed on the street tremble,
and trampled over the ground as she walked. Her walking
staff banged on the ground, as if to scream out its rage in
the silent woman’s place. There was me. There was me
who, on the roadside, without will, without meaning, gazed
on them by pure coincidence from the edge of the street.
And next to me, there were my comrades who looked at
them just the same.

The man and the woman, and me, and those beside me
never exchanged glances, but at the moment of passing…
the man reached out his left arm, and my body… without
anything to eat before me, my body that was light and frail
compared to those of similar ages… was embraced. Light
and clear hand movements as if he were merely grabbing
an apple off of a roadside stand. My comrades didn’t say
anything as they watched me get taken away, and I didn’t
say anything either.

From what I heard later, he wanted a pillow. What the

hell.

And like that, coincidences piled onto one another, and

the Lord of Sloth just happened to be searching for a pillow
perfectly my size. By some strange cause and effect, I
ended up enlisted in the army of Leigie of the
Slaughterdolls. By the way, this goes without saying, but by
the time he held me to his body, Leigie-sama was already
asleep.

What happened next wasn’t as interesting.

After returning to the Castle of Shadows, I began a

struggle for existence against the inanimate normal pillow
he already had in use, and at the same time, the inspector
monitoring Leigie-sama, the leader of the Order of Black,
Kanon Iralaude said something like, “when did you pick
up something so dirty!” in an exhausted voice. When I
was about to be disposed of by incineration, I was saved by
the maid Lorna, who misunderstood Leigie-sama’s 『Iyo』
in a way favorable to me.
 By the time I noticed it, I was dressed up in the sort of
pretty clothes a doll would wear, and had the ‘seconds’ that
were always made for the million to one chance Leigie-
sama would do something as troublesome as actually ask
for seconds shoved down my throat. My thoughts finally
caught up to me.

Huh? What is this, I thought.

A Demon’s longings aren’t something they decide for

themselves. They are something that is automatically
obtained from harboring strong desires. If you harbor
multiple Sins, your desire becomes clouded, and your Class
growth as a Demon is slowed. That’s why Demons generally
subconsciously regulate themselves not to follow any
desires besides the ones they pursue. Without the leisure to
seek excess desire, the worst of Demons, where it was
merely a miracle I was alive. Given an environment where
life was finally sustainable, and finally with some time to
give consideration to it, what was the first strong desire
that came over me?

What were my strongest feelings?

It was not relief that I was saved, or happy prayers of

pure gratitude, or melancholy for my comrades left behind
or even self-satisfaction.

This may seem obvious, but it definitely wasn’t Luxuria.

To put it simply… Envy.

Jealousy towards typical Demons who carried on and

accepted their lives up until now as if it were natural. Envy
toward the beautiful face of the incarnation of flames who
was approaching Demon Lord level with her powerful
magic, the one who was born the daughter of a Demon
Lord and lead the elite Order of Black, Kanon. Envy
towards the one who was born into a house to serve Leigie-
sama, and who received a high level education for that sake
alone, Lorna. Envy towards the right hand man of the Lord
of Sloth who headed the army, Overruled any and all sorts
of power, and took his Lord’s power to be supreme, Heard
Lauder.

It was envy towards everything in this world.

“If possible, I want to change…”

That was the origin of my Original Sin of Envy. As I was

never granted anything, I felt jealousy towards everything
instead.

Darker than 『 Gula 』 . More greedy than 『 Avaritia 』 .

More violent than 『 Ira 』 . More whimsical than
『Luxuria』 . With less meaning than 『Acedia』 . Nastier
than 『Superbia』.

It was nothing but simple, unsightly 『Envy』.

But the moment I obtained it, I thought to myself. Ah,

with this, I finally have a reason to exist.

With this, I can finally become someone.

Part 2: Let’s Meet Again

“Well well, after sending out as much as two

commanding officers, what a sorry state you’ve come
back in… to bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands…
how shameful.”

The young man spoke with cold eyes, as if he were

looking at kitchen waste that had fallen to the ground. He
was a handsome youth with eyes as black as the depths of
the abyss. As if he were a king, he sat deeply in his chair.
With one leg crossed over the other, perhaps he lacked
some decorum, but he really was the spitting image of a
king. If Leigie-sama and this man stood side by side, ten
out of ten would say this man was the Demon Lord of the
two. At the same time, he followed his desire, and spent his
time perpetually training and bettering himself. A pure
military man.

Heard Lauder. Right hand of Sloth. A Demon governing

Pride.

My head began to hurt. But it definitely wasn’t due to

anger towards this prideful man.

“No, no… that Zebul Glaucus was a prominent and

powerful Demon Lord among Kanon-sama’s
followers… She was too much of an opponent to deal
with without the presence of another Demon Lord.”

The one who committed the insolent act of pulling Leigie-

sama out, Kanon’s dispatch, speaks in a rebuking tone.

Her arrogant means did end up saving our lives, so I

can’t say anything, but… From the innermost depths of my
brain, I feel the pain of something being stabbed. To sooth
it, I stroke my forehead once more.

Heard answered her glare with a cynical smile. His words

were, as always, overflowing with himself.

“Hmm… that would be the case for a typical, lowly

Demon, correct? What I am trying to say, is that for
the ones who are supposed to be leading the great
Lord of Acedia’s army, it is much too shameful, Lize
Bloodcross.”
 “… Well you sure know how to talk big. Especially
when you were the only General who didn’t
participate in the battle.”

“That’s right. I truly never thought the other two

would be this useless. The next time a Demon Lord
thinks of invading, let’s have me go out alone.”

Despite his annoyed tone, he gave an immediate reply.

There is not a single hint of jest in Heard’s face. An army

led by two Generals was easily laid waste to by a single
Demon Lord, but in his eyes there is no impatience, no
nervousness. Nothing but elegance. More prideful than all.

Superbia Demons are strong.

In truth, it is said that of the Demons that reach Lord

Class, around seventy percent are Pride. The losers are
worse that garbage, the winners equivalent to God. And
one’s self has long surpassed God. That is Superbia’s
Original Sin. Strength in weakness, and weakness in the
strong, a highly unstable nature. Even so, they are called
the strongest of Demons.

All they ever demand for is the result, and the no matter
what step of the process resulted in defeat, they’ll show
contempt.

And just like the other Sins’ cravings, the stronger they
get, the greater their inclinations.

Of the four surrounding the round table, the last one…

having lost a majority of his possessions, and even his army,
the greatest victim Deige inspected a beat up Celeste as he
spoke up.
 “… Even so, Supreme Commander Heard, it’s just as
that girl Lize’s saying. Zebul the Devourer stood top
class among Demon Lords, and she had an impossibly
large amount of power, you know? Even for someone
as prideful as you, Supreme Commander, I’ll bet it
would prove difficult to 『Overrule』 her.”

“Hmm… by that, are you comparing to the Demon

Lords you’ve served up until now?”

“Ki ki ki, yeah. If you try to find an existence more

powerful than that one… I can only think of Boss
Leigie, and the Great Demon King.”

He responds with a bitter smile. The words of an old

Demon like Deige held some persuasive power.

In the first place, the Devourer Zebul Glaucus ranks right

up in my top three for most atrocious Demon Lords I’ve
met. Her magic, and skills, and direction made her an
absolute warrior, where normal Demons would fail to even
reach her feet. She’s a 『Gula』 so strong that I can’t even
laugh off the rumors that she ate up the Heavenly Army in
the war with the Heavens ten thousand years ago.

If only I had that much power… Just as sand accompanies

time as it falls down the hourglass, I feel something like
mud collecting in the depths of my soul. The weight of it is
making me dizzy.

Since reaching General Class, I have never faced defeat

once. This war was the first. Because of my first failure in a
long time, I cannot control my impulses.

“Hmm, but I’ve heard our Lord annihilated her all

too easily, did he not?”
 “Ki ki ki, well, all I can say is, as expected of Rank
Three. Boss Leigie is… a monster. He led the
Devouring Lord by the nose the entire battle. I mean,
Boss… didn’t even move the whole time.”

On Deije’s words, that Demon Lord’s, and Leigie-sama’s

fight play back in my head. Yes, Leigie-sama never even
stood up… though he did use some skill I’ve never seen
before to teleport. Heard, with a knowing face… nodded
with sharp, prideful eyes.

“… Hmm, Sloth Skills get stronger the less one

chooses to move… a very Leigie-sama-esque
decision.”

“No, I doubt that man was actually thinking about

something like that…”

“Would you be kind enough as to tell me what other

skills our Head used, Deije?”

How could it be that Heard manages to preserve his

pride? Just by being here, I can easily feel the vast magic
power of Leigie, who should be in his private room a long
ways away. This amount of power, and its quality is
definitely at a stage impossible to reach by a Demon. For
the General Class me… if I compare it to Deije and Heard
who should be stronger than me, the difference is probably
not something as small as ten or twenty fold.

“Ki ki ki, even I don’t know all the specifics. I mean,

even Libell got eaten up…”

“… So Libell the Pursuer was eaten… I had my eyes

on him, but… Hmm.”

Heard closed his eyes, as if to say, ‘how useless’.

 He isn’t one to grieve over death. Looking at those eyes,
that expression, and that posture, Deije’s face doesn’t
change. Even if Lize’s expression gets clouded over, the
face of Deije, who lost his sworn friend Libell Aijens,
doesn’t change. This must be the strength of Deije, one
who even survived the war with the Heavens.

… Of his strength, I can’t help but be jealous.

Deije says Heard Lauder is a dreadful Demon. I wonder if

he’s looking at something invisible to my eyes. Among us, I
am the youngest Demon. Generally, the older Demons get,
the more intense their cravings, and their strength. It’s
said that Deije experienced the Heavenly War ten thousand
years ago, and Heard Lauder is said to be an ancient
Demon who was the first to ever follow Leigie-sama’s lead.
For me, who was just born a few thousand years ago, it’s
not a gap in time I can make up for.

… And of that, I can’t help but be jealous.

I strongly grasp my shaking arm. Without responding to

Heard’s words, Deije returned Celeste to its scabbard, and
inserted it into his treasury space. High level Demon
Blades are alive. Trivial scratches and cracks will be
autonomously regenerated.

“What I saw was… a Skill to increase gravity, an

instantaneous movement Skill… also an unidentified
one he used to send Zebul flying.”

“… Hmm… he held back quite a bit then.”

On Deije’s words, Heard knit his brows, and took a deep

breath. That was a sort of emotion that would originally
never appear on a Pride Demon’s face. He sticks his elbow
into the table, and touches his hand to his chin as if lost in
a sea of thought. His form, even seen from afar, was so well
built that it could be made into a painting as is. Skillfully
folding his six arms, Deije asks with a tone full of doubt.

“Holding back…?”

“… Hm. The Leigie-sama I know’s power is not of

such small caliber. In the first place, he didn’t even
use his renowned『Slaughter Dolls』, did he not?”

“Ki ki ki, that’s correct. But even if it’s Boss, I

doubt a Doll’d do the trick. In actuality, the Doll he
gave me was ripped apart and eaten.”

“… Deije, don’t lump that Doll he gave you with the

rest. Leigie-sama’s original Slaughter Doll is…
supreme.”

Heard laughs. At Deije. At Lize. At me. It’s probably a fact

that only he knows of, having served Leigie-sama for much
more time than me. And Heard spoke up.

“… Even more so than the individual.”

“Hah… Having a Doll be stronger than the man

himself is impossible, right?”

“… Hm. For a normal Demon, that is.”

The Slaughter Doll Skill is one possessed by Demon

Lords of Sloth, so there is barely any precident. But even
so, to be able to make an entity with powers surpassing a
Demon Lord at will is outside the scope of common sense.

Lize’s face looked as if the word ‘Lies’ had been written

on it as she looked at Heard with shock.
 Heard Lauder was an honest man. At the very least, while
he was prideful, his power was real. He relied not just on
skills, but on wisdom, and he definitely possessed true
charisma. Otherwise, there was no way he would be able to
lead the First Brigade which boasts the largest numbers.

“Ki ki ki, if that’s true then it sure is amazing. I’d

like another by all means. But, well, even if that’s the
case… this time’s opponent was a Demon Lord on a
level where she could even wound Boss, you know? I
think it would be a bit much for a Doll without any
Original Sin skills.”

On those words, Heard opened his eyes wide. He leans

his body forward, and glares at Deije with strong eyes. It
was a manifestation of emotion great enough to shake
one’s soul.

“… That can’t be… Leigie-sama was injured… you

say!?”

“… Yeah. Well, it was only a little bit of blood, and

he healed himself up fast enough.”

“… That’s enough… I see, so she could injure Leigie

the Depraved. Zebul the Devourer… Hm, I see…”

“Was it truly that strange? No matter how strong a

Demon Lord he may be, as long as the opponent’s one
as well, he’ll get at least a scratch or two… I mean,
soon after he brought me there, he started crying.”

On Lize’s inquiry, Heard sighed as he leaned back in his

chair, before returning to his previous position. As if he was
thinking deeply, his attention wandered around the air.
 “… Hm, that is a natural occurrence. But still, for
one to be able to give Leigie of Sloth even the
slightest scratch… it’s been two thousand years.”

“Two thousand… so two thousand years ago, there

was someone who could do it?”

“Yeah… it was even someone you know quite well.

But… that doesn’t matter.”

As if to declare the end of the conversation, Heard stood

up.

The oppressing air emanating from his body… Superbia

magic started to condense all at once. His cold eyes lorded
over me and Deije. World-eroding powers great enough to
freeze over my body. On the change in the atmosphere, Lize
frowned, and after an obvious and blunt scowl, she stood as
well. If this had been the moment after her dispatch, she
definitely would have gone into a rage. She’s learned how
to manage her anger as of late, and she rarely burns up
rooms these days.

“Wai…”

“… Hm. There was no problem with the final result,

but I’ll have you pay compensation for your shameful
displays. The verdict will come down soon enough.
Have fun waiting for it.”

“Ki ki ki, please be gentle with me.”

“… Hm.”

With a loud sound, he shuts the door behind him. The air
returns to normal, and Lize spoke in indignation. A crimson
phosphorescence flickers around her red hair.
 “Wha, that man… no matter the case, to treat allied
troops like that…”

“Ki ki ki, Lize, you sure are young. A prideful

commander is pretty much always like that. Rather,
the fact that we weren’t executed on the spot… means
that we’ve still got a bit of luck left in us.”

Deije laughs as he stands. He’s a Demon who’s lived a far

longer life than me, and his words held a weight backed by
experience. His six eyes watch over me. The emotion held
within them was something I was unable to understand.

“Medea, I am… going to withdraw from this army.”

In a sense, his words were as I had expected. Despite his

form, Deije’s a rational Demon. His cravings, his desire, by
the very nature that they’re aimed at objects apart from
humans, he’s much more trustworthy than many other
Demons. Perhaps Lize didn’t anticipate it, because as she
heard those words, she rose out of her seat once more.

“Wha… Are you serious, Deije?”

“Yeah… if I stay here, Supreme Commander Heard

will dispose of me at this rate. Leigie of Sloth’s right
hand man, prideful and conceited… Ki ki ki, how
troublesome.”

“How foolish… do you think that Supreme

Commander would permit such a thing?”

“Probably. I mean, my Sin is… not something I have

to be here of all places to fulfill. I’m not sure about
Girly and Heard, though.”
 An instant decision. Good discernment. Deije’s words
were straight to the point. An Avaratia’s cravings are
something that can be fulfilled no matter what banner they
fight under. With Deije’s caliber, no matter what Demon
Lord he worked under, he would receive a favorable
evaluation. He even has a Demon Blade that Zebul praised
as dreadful. The later part was also quite direct.

My desire is… 『Invidia』 can only be fulfilled as long as

I’m here.

As if my brain was wounded, my head started to hurt.

Deije knows when to pull out. That’s exactly why he

survived the war with the Heavens. His body that had been
trained like steel, his rationality, thought pattern, desire.
Ah, all of it… how enviable.

In the ki ki ki I was used to, he laughed. And he let out

some words I had never thought of.

“Ki ki ki, I’ll ask you as one who survived the Zebul
War alongside me. Just in case. Girly, do you want to
leave with me?”

“What… that is…”

“There isn’t just one page in the book of desire. Ki

ki ki, girly, you’re young. Rather than being dealt with
by Supreme Commander Heard, you should be able to
lead a decent life…”

Lize looks over me and Deije in a panic. Disagreement

and discord in a Demon Lord’s army fall under her type’s
jurisdiction. I wonder if the Great Demon King’s Wrath will
befall her. Even if it isn’t her fault individually, it’s not like a
monster’s Wrath has direction. No she may be scarier than
any monster.

“… Let me persuade Heard Lauder. I cannot let the

Great Demon Lord’s forces be diminished.”

“Ki ki ki, I’m grateful for the sentiment, but some

things are just impossible. Heard is… stronger than
your Wrath. I mean, back when I was just an average
run-of-the-mill Demon… he’s a Demon who’s lived
since ancient times. The longer a Superbia lives, the
more powerful their『Overrule』 gets.”

“My orders are the orders of the Great Demon King,

and my words are hers. Even so, will he fail to listen?”

“How should I know?”

Deije resigns.

“… But… I have a bad premonition about it. Ki ki ki,

it’s best if you don’t think of him as a normal Demon.
This is… some advice from your elder.”

I’m honestly thankful for his advice. His words are

probably true. If I am to stay here, then in the near future, I
will be taken care of by Supreme Commander Heard. But,
still, even so… I have a reason I must remain. No, I should
have one. I resolve my heart, and look at Deije clearly.
While it may have been for a short time, he’s a soldier who
was able to properly exchange blows with Zebul.

“… Thank you. But my desire… can only be fulfilled

here.”

“… Ki ki ki, I thought you’d say that. Well, do your

best. As a former Supreme Commander, for
argument’s sake, I’m praying for your survival, girly.”

As if to offer a handshake, Deije presented his right

center hand. It was rugged, and wrapped in muscle. I don’t
know just how much power he has. But from it, I can feel
the accumulation of many years. Of that, I’m jealous. Of the
building of time.

If you compare a Demon’s character to the passing of

years, it doesn’t change all too much, however this man’s
personality is much more likeable than Heard’s. Finally, as
if he had suddenly remembered something, Deije asks…

“Girly… come to mention it, there was something I

wanted to ask. Do you know of a Demon Lord of
『Luxuria』?”

“… Yes. I’ve met one before.”

Since the 『 Luxuria 』 Demon Lord was destroyed, it’s

been over a thousand years. But just from meeting her
once, the intense Envy I felt for that Lord, makes me
remember the scene as if it had happened just yesterday.
Deije lets out a sigh unfitting of himself.

“… As I thought, you lack sex appeal. There’s no way

I can steal you away… is it? Well, I’m thankful for that
good fortune.”

“…”

“ time, treat me to something nice.”

With those words, I was sure of it. Ah, this man… he

realized it. That I wasn’t a『Luxuria』, but an『Invidia』.
 Perhaps it was natural for him to notice. Because before
his eyes, I envied Celeste.

But I didn’t let out my words. I’ll bet he thought that our
interests wouldn’t clash, but at the same time, perhaps this
Demon of Greed was showing some kindness. No, perhaps
it was me that wanted it that way.

And just as Deije said, I envied him. I became him.

“Ki ki ki, Leigie of Sloth and Depravity… he sure

was an interesting Demon Lord. And a terrifying
one… I can’t even feel any ambition towards him.
Well, next we meet, I’ll pray we’ll be allies.”

Yeah, exactly. I pray we never cross again. I looked

straight at Deije.

“… Right, let’s meet again, 『Avaritia』.”

“Ki ki ki, seeya, 『Luxuria』.”

Part 3: I Want to Become You

Even if reason permits it, feelings aren’t as forgiving.

That is the nature possessed by Demons.

As such, Heard despises because he is Superbia, and

Leigie slacks because he is Acedia. Lize angers because she
is Wrath, Deije seeks because he is Avaritia, and Zebul eats
because she is Gluttony. There is nothing strange about it.

Lorna is Luxuria, so lusting after Leigie-sama wouldn’t

be… strange. And because I am Invidia, I must envy.

I put all my effort into biting down on my lip… the taste

of blood spreads out in my mouth. I can feel the irritating
smell in the depths of my nose. A scene I didn’t want to see,
words I didn’t want to hear. Much different from the vivid
flames of Wrath, the muddy fire of『Envy』 licks the insides
of my head.

『Envy Vision』

A Skill on the Envy Tree. The power to look up the

movements of those I’ve envied. It isn’t just scenery, it’s
even possible to hear their voices. As if the scenes were
rolling out before my eyes, my vision was clear, and my
sense of hearing was filled with Lorna’s tender voice.

It’s not like I feel any carnal desires towards Leigie-sama,

I’m simply jealous.

Of Lorna, who lusts towards her own Lord. Of Deije who

follows his desires, and continues to pursue it. Of Heard,
who has enough overflowing confidence to even look down
on the Lord of Gluttony.

Up until now, I’ve only ever used Envy skills within my

own room. My front has always been 『 Luxuria 』 . Gifted
with both intelligence and beauty, one who stands at the
forefront of the army. A single woman who governs Lust.

I once envied the Demon Lord of Lust, Lilith Luxeliahart,

and the skills I got my hands on were well over the skills of
most Lust Demons.

As such, I am… Medea Luxeliahart.

My form reflected in the full body mirror was died with

the unsightly emotion of Envy, and tears of blood are
flowing down my eyes. My mind is painted black, a clear
repulsive emotion. As opposed to my feelings, I was
favorably proceeding down the Envy Skill Tree.

“Haa… haa…”

Even though I haven’t moved a single step, my chest feels

tight. The breath I let out is hot, and damp.

I try to recall Deije’s words. As I thought, it’s no good. As

long as I don’t carry out my envy here, I have no future.

Even if I am to be killed by Heard Lauder…

None… can get in the way of my jealousy. If he comes at

me with the intentions of disposing me, I just have to beat
him at his own game.

The Avaritia Skills I obtained by Envying Deije. The

Luxuria Skills I obtained by Envying Demon Lord of Lust,
Lilith. The Skills I obtained myself by pursuing Invidia. The
Gula Skills I obtained from Zebul’s crushed corpse.

As a General Class, the amount of power I can Envy far

exceeds that of Deije’s right hand man Libell the Pursuer.
But that is of no importance to me.

My Envy is… what triggered it? The item that was the
source of all of this has to be out there somewhere.

I’m envious. I’m jealous. I want to… become you.

『Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal. 』

With a gentle expression, Lorna calls out to Leigie. She’s

an attendant who has served him for many years. She’s the
maid who has the most contact with Leigie-sama, and at
the same time, she’s the Demon who saved me. Her
appearance, personality, skill, loyalty. Everything about her
is envious.

… If only you weren’t there, I would be the one in your

place.

And again, a black fever scorches in my head. How, why,

in just one step will what I desire fall into my hands? Who
is at fault? What is at fault?

If only I had been able to handle Zebul, if only I racked

up some achievements, my daily life should have continued
on as it always had, and yet…

But right now, what I have the least of is time. Heard will
try to kill me without a doubt. That’s the type of Demon he
is. By just envying from afar, I won’t make it in time. My life
will lose its meaning. I’ll lose everything. The feelings I’ve
tried so hard to restrain up until now have surpassed the
extent where I can hold them back with my power. My
arms, my legs, even when it isn’t cold, they’re shaking.

『Leigie-sama, your hair is disheveled.』

『… I see.』

He was always burrowed into his bed, so there’s no way

it could be in line. In a tone as if it were just a pretext,
Lorna touches Leigie-sama’s jet-black hair. His eyes remain
closed, and he doesn’t say a word. The moment she
touched it, I saw Lorna’s face get dyed a light red.

She hasn’t said anything. She hasn’t said anything, but

I’m jealous. I heard a rumor on the wind. That Leigie-sama
has gotten around to remembering Lorna’s name. His ever-
so-reserved attendant was likely the cause of him going out
a little while ago as well.
 … Even though he hasn’t remembered my name yet.

It’s no good. No good anymore. It’s definitely no good. I

take rough breaths as I wipe my eyes with a handkerchief.
The white cloth, after being brushed against my eyes only
once, changed to a shade of vermillion endlessly close to
black.

Ah, you are… my longing.

I understand that it’s something without meaning. But if

I… if I was a Demon Lord, I would be able to perfectly
imitate Lorna’s form! Those meaningless ambitions swirled
around my head.

No matter how many times they turned, there was no

signs of the endless stream of tears stopping. The weight of
the handkerchief sucking up my envy was abominable.

I have no time. Whether I can win against Heard,

honestly I do not know. Thinking back to Deije’s warning,
the probability is quite low. He’s a man whose nature I do
not fully understand. I’m not sure whether he’s hiding
anything or not. Then before that, I’ll fulfill my desire.

I give up on wiping the tears. I unlock the door, and leave

the room. My legs shake, and I put my hand on the wall to
steady myself, as I head towards Leigie-sama’s room. On
the way, I passed by one of my subordinates. She tried to
call out greetings to me, but seeing my face, she open her
eyes wide with a shocked expression.

There’s no need for you to worry about it. My cravings

aren’t pointed at you.

Trying to convey that, I attempted to force a smile onto

my face, but seeing that, her face turned pale, and she fled.
 (TL: The gender given to the subordinate here is vague,
so it can be either male or female)

Ah… if I was able to smile like Lorna, she wouldn’t have

run, right?

But that is also a trivial matter. Before, I had all the time
in the world, but until time started running out, I was
unable to strengthen my Envy. I am an unsightly Demon,
without a doubt. There are plenty of Demons who have
given up on their cravings, but having once tasted being a
Minus, I am unable to resign myself. I grit my teeth.

“It’s no good, definitely…”

“Kusu kusu kusu… what’s no good?”

I was supposed to be talking to myself there. From

around the turn of the passage, a single shadow showed
itself. Golden hair, blue eyes. A Demon wearing a maid
outfit equipped with a skirt shorter than Lorna’s. Hiero.
Lorna’s sister. Number two of the house in service to
Leigie-sama. She gives an irritating laugh. While she has an
appearance similar to Lorna’s, she wears a different
atmosphere.

At the same time, she’s a Superbia Demon like Heard, but

she’s a a special one who doesn’t go out in battle. Why
must pride raise such irritating voices? Her expression,
tone, every part of her got on my nerves.

“I was driven away by oneechan, but in exchange,

I’ve found something quite interesting.”

“…I have no business with you.”

 “Kusu kusu kusu, Medea-san, your act is slipping
off, you know?”

On her words, I suddenly noticed. The imitation

『 Luxuria 』 aura I always wore with a skill had been
released. I take deep breaths, and re-cloak myself in Lust.

With interested eyes, she looked over me.

“… I see, I had always been thinking it. No matter

the case, your impression was too light for Lust. Kusu
kusu kusu…”

Like I care. I have no need to conceal it any further. In

the first place, I have no interest in someone like Hiero.
From the start, the one I wanted to hide myself from… was
Leigie alone.

Hiero takes out a handkerchief to wipe my eyes, and

looking at the black cloth, she smiled brightly. Without
caring about dirtying herself, she put the handkerchief into
her pocket.

“And what do you plan to do? Looking like that?”

“… As if you have to know.”

“Kusu kusu kusu, you’re no fun. I wonder what I

should do… if I stopped you, would oneechan praise
me?”

This one… does she want to fight? Against a General like

me? It’s true that Envy Skills don’t have high attack power
at all. But I have all the Skills I’ve Envied so far. I’ll likely
win. I’m not as weak as to lose to some normal mediocre
Demon.
 But even when on the receiving end of my bloodlust,
Hiero smiled with an innocent face.

“… It’s a joke. A joke! Please don’t make such a

dangerous face for a simple joke. Kusu kusu, fine, I’ll
let you pass. Oneechan is… still in the room, but she
should leave soon enough. Good grief, she loves to
take her time…”

“… What’s your goal?”

I cannot understand what this girl is thinking. She hasn’t

lived that long, and she shouldn’t have proceeded that far
down the Pride Tree, but from her expression, while it may
be a different type, I perceive a pride like Heard’s. Not that
she’s making fun of me, but that she’s looking down on me
by nature. And her exprecion held an unfitting amount of
wisdom.

“Nothing really~? I don’t have a goal. I mean

Medea-san’s going to be killed soon so I thought that
at the very least, I would let you accomplish your
desires is all.”

Hey, don’t you think so as well, Medea-san?

Hiero raises her voice and laughs. There’s a throbbing

pain in my head. The Flame of Envy I was supposed to have
restrained is raging up.

“Well, I think you can just do whatever you want.

Leigie-sama… kusu kusu, won’t try to stop you, let
alone mind.”

“…”
 It’s no good, I have no time. How much time would it take
to annihilate this one? A minute? Ten? Or perhaps even
more? I have no time to care about Hiero.

Once she opens the way, I turn my eyes to her just once
more, before directing them back ahead. Blood drips,
staining the carpet.

“Kusu kusu. Ah, if you end up killing oneechan,

please tell me, ‘kay? It’s my turn next.”

“…”

I can’t deal with her. Even after Hiero left, her annoying
laugh resounded in my ears. What’s so strange? What’s so
funny?

… None of that matters.

I only have one regret left here.

Leigie-sama’s room comes into sight. Lorna has already

left it. From the start, I never had any plans of killing her.
I’m not sure what would happen if she got in my way, but
she’s a lot busier than an average soldier, and she’s always
humble when in front of Leigie-sama’s eyes. Even when
she’s so surprisingly intense at night.

I knock the large door once, before slowly opening it.

From what I can see with my eyes, Leigie-sama’s room is,
after having been burned through by Lize-san a couple of
times, different than the one I entered long ago, but the
atmosphere I felt was identical. Incomparable to Envy or
Greed or Wrath or Gluttony, an intense air of Acedia.

“Pardon… the intrusion… Leigie-sama.”

 On my voice, Leigie-sama won’t raise an answer. I knew
that from the start. I lock the door behind my back, and
approach the bed Leigie-sama was buried in. As if he had
died, his eyes were lightly shut. His countenance was such
that not a single expression lingered on his face, and I
couldn’t determine whether or not he was awake. Even
when he’s before my eyes, I don’t particularly feel
anything. The King of Sloth without a single thing for me to
Envy. Just like a sculpture… no more than that, like a
corpse, the King of Depravity didn’t stir in the slightest.

When I’m envious of everything I am unable to get my

hands on, I can’t find a single thing in Leigie-sama to be
jealous of. It’s natural. What I was jealous of wasn’t Leigie-
sama himself, but of his surroundings.

I move the palm of my hand to Leigie-sama’s face. He’s

alive. My unsightly tears of blood drip down, and stain that
face.

“Leigie-sama… just what… should I long for… Why

can I never be satisfied…”

“…”

Leigie-sama lightly opens his eyes, and his transparent

gaze, without a hint of conceit, looks through me. But he
doesn’t say anything. That was excessively disheartening.

There is but a single clue. In all that I’ve perceived,

within my memory, Lorna is the one I hold the most Envy
towards.

… That’s why if I’m able to accomplish something Lorna

cannot, my jealousy should clear up a little.

“Leigie-sama… do you remember my name?”

 “… Yeah.”

“Eh? Really!? Is it alright if I ask you to say it?”

“…”

His eyes asked the question, ‘who is this?’

… Just what instincts does Leigie-sama live on? Even

looking at my streaming tears of blood, even when his face
is stained, he doesn’t stir in the slightest. I am unable to
move Leigie-sama’s heart. It’s something I already knew,
long ago.

I lift the hem of my robe, and give a polite curtsy.

Then in the end, I’ll adorn myself with a impression of

perfect beauty.

“Leigie-sama… I’m called Medea Luxeliahart. The

Sin I govern is 『 Luxuria 』 . It is a pleasure to be in
your service.”

“… I see.”

He let out a gloomy voice.

My soul core is beating noisily. But this is strange. Even

when before the man himself, my Envy isn’t satisfied in the
slightest. I am… just what am I overlooking? Whatever the
case, I have no time.

“Leigie-sama…”

I untie the ribbon holding the robe closed at the neck,

and leave the red strip on the side table. One by one, the
wooden buttons are unfastened by my shaking hands. I
withdraw my arms, and the robe falls to my feet. My bare
shoulders feel a pleasant cool sensation upon coming into
contact with the air. All that’s protecting my body is a light
one-piece, and the underwear I’m wearing underneath. I’m
not even wearing my military uniform. There’s nothing to
protect me. It’s not like when Zebul stripped it all. The act
of taking it off by myself is much more embarrassing than I
had anticipated. Demons of Lust sure are amazing. My lips
quiver. In a shaking voice, I declare to Leigie-sama.

“… Henceforth… I will be violating you.”

“… I see.”

“… Meaning, I will be completely ignoring your will,

and forcefully committing sexual acts with you.”

“… I see.”

Even after embarrassingly declaring that much, the

expression on Leigie-sama’s face hasn’t changed in the
slightest, and his eyebrows don’t even shift a millimeter.
There isn’t a trace of human emotion. No shyness or fear.
While yawning, his absentmindedly-shifting gaze makes it
so I’m not even sure if he’s looking at me.

As I confirmed that the flow of my tears had become

stronger, my shaking hands moved to remove the top-most
button on the one-piece.

Part 4: This Is Too Much…

Even after giving up my body and feelings, my feelings of

envy barely subsided at all. That was probably the portion
of my envy that had been directed at Lorna. The large Hell
that formed the base wasn’t filled in at all. My feeling of
impatience isn’t lessening at all. In a daze, I cleaned myself
up, and nimbly put on the clothing I had discarded.

“Thank you… for your time…”

“…”

Leigie-sama shows not an iota of movement. Even during

the act, he barely moved at all. Even when I deeply lower
my head, he doesn’t give an answer. His eyes remained
closed. I was on the verge of tears. Does this Demon Lord
even have any sexual desire? No, I’ll bet he does. I mean,
that’s why we were able to do it in the first place.

The King of Idleness.

Experiencing his abnormal way of life once more, I felt an

extreme feeling of loss and despair. I can’t even raise a
hollowed out laugh.

But if this isn’t it, then what could be the source of the
Envy I obtained?

I had always thought it stemmed from the yearning I had

towards Leigie-sama. The Luxuria I obtained through my
Envy was in order to catch Leigie-sama’s eye, and that’s
why I always feigned being one.

This can’t be. I can’t follow this anymore. I cannot find

the target of my Envy. It must have been something that
birthed emotions great enough to awaken me to my Sin.

What should I do from now on? My swaying field of

vision. Without my thoughts coming into order, my
uncertain feet headed for the door. I undo the lock, and
open it.
 “… Hm. Are you done yet?”

“… Ah… I see…”

That voice enlightened me.

… So I’m already out of time.

Leaning his body on the wall outside, was a black haired

man glaring at me.

Supreme Commander, Heard Lauder. Leigie’s top

follower.

At the same time I reached enlightenment, an intense

anger stained the scene before me in red.

… So be it. If you’ll get in my way, then seeing whether or

not your 『 Superbia 』 is stronger than my 『 Invidia 』
isn’t a bad option. I’ve lost the trail I had been following for
years, and I’m in the mood to take my anger out on
someone. I get by breathing in order.

“Kusu kusu, Medea-san, did you fulfill your desire?”

to him stands Hiero. With a tasteless full smile, she

looked down on me.

It’s not fulfilled. There’s no way it could be fulfilled. I still

have regret remaining. No, my regret has only gotten
deeper.

I lick my lips. Luckily, my tears had already stopped. Well,

there’s no doubt I’m making a terrible expression right
now.

I straighten my shaking legs.

 I raise my eyes to see the Demon of Pride, two heads
taller than me. Of course, I’m not being negligent, but
Pride Demons generally don’t initiate surprise attacks.
Even more so when the enemy is of lower status. Just in
case, I confirm it one last time.

“Heard Lauder… do you plan on fighting me…?”

“… To direct killing intent at me, you’ve grown up

admirably, have you not. Fight? Wrong, this is
simple… judgement.”

The same intolerable tone as ever. But there, Heard

seemed to suddenly remember something.

“… Hm, but you have accomplished the meritorious

deed of troubling Leigie-sama, and thus weakening
him.”

“… What? What are you…”

Weakening… Leigie-sama? Meritorious?

This man… what is he… Deije’s lines revive in my mind. A

bad premonition. Right, that’s what he said.

The pressure I can feel just by him standing there. The

feeling of oppression. A great pressure as if the air itself
was being crushed, no different from when Zebul stood
before my eyes.

Supreme Commander Heard Lauder’s supposed to be the

strongest Demon in the Army next to Leigie. But did he
always have this extent of power, this air about him?

The Prideful Kaiser. In the past, he supported this army

alone, the greatest veteran. This army’s dictator. With eyes
as if he was observing a stone on the side of the road,
Heard inspected my whole body.

“… Right, this is an exception. In accordance to

your achievements, and as mercy towards a former
comrade, I don’t mind keeping you around for the
army’s relaxation use.”

“What…?”

“Kusu kusu kusu, isn’t that nice, Medea-san? To get

away without dying. Kusu kusu, isn’t this your long-
cherished ambition as a『Luxuria』?”

Hiero laughs annoyingly.

Ah, this is no good. Even if I’m not Wrath, I feel a great

need to kill this one.

Strange? Sense of discomfort? Strong?

I know all of that. But if I stayed silent here after all this,
I would be a failure as a Demon. Even if I don’t govern
Superbia, I have my pride. Even if I don’t govern Wrath,
there are things that make me angry.

Right now, 『Envy』 isn’t even coming to mind.

“… Heard, I am thankful to you. Back when I was

just a normal Demon, you gave me a job.”

“… Hm, I need no thanks. All I care about is the

result.”

And he laughed scornfully, as if to say, ‘And you didn’t

even bring about any results.’
 But even if his eyes shined with pride, he wasn’t
negligent. To eliminate even the million to one chance of
him slipping, to protect his pride, he performed all of his
abnormal training. That is the nature of the one who
continues to reign over Pride, Heard Lauder. As such, he
has always shined as the Supreme Commander of Leigie-
sama’s forces.

From the depths of his existence, magic, desire is drawn

out. It’s been about three days since the end of the Zebul
War. Physical state aside, my magic is in perfect condition.

“… Should we change locations?”

He probably knew I wasn’t expecting a yes. With an

uninterested expression, exactly like Leigie’s, he looked
down on me.

“Location… Hm, there’s no need. No, more so, doing

it here saves some effort.”

“… Meaning?”

“No, I was talking to myself there… Now, Medea

Luxeliahart. Come at me.”

Hiero quietly moves herself to the side. Heard seems

quite relaxed. Without a sign of him having entered a battle
stance, his face continued to lord over and despise
everything equally.

I’m being taken lightly.

… Fine. I’ll call your bet.

Without letting my guard down, and paying attention to

Heard’s movements, I took in a deep breath…
 …I used the『Imitate』 skill.

My thoughts flash like lightning, and race around my

body. What floats in my mind is a green-haired girl. Alone,
she led her army, and turned her blade to the Great Demon
King; a powerful Demon Lord. The flames of Envy burn up
before my eyes.

Without restraint, I expend the pool of magic I had been

saving up. My knees shake. My body falls backward for a
moment. It’s a frightening Mana cost. The amount even
exceeded that used up by the SS Skill of the Demon Lord of
Lust, 『 Phantom Aliquot Dance 』 . It was a true Demon
Lord’s Skil. Originally, it’s the summit reached only by
Demons who have put thousands and thousands of years
into fulfilling their cravings.

I Envied that. Without any respect or honor.

Something weighs down on my hand.

It’s an 『Invidia』 Skill to perfectly preserve the Skills of

those I’ve Envied.

『Imitate』.

Just like 『 Avaritia 』 ’s 『 Skill Ruler 』 , it skips the

experience required to achieve it, a means reserved to
Envy. Unlike with 『 Skill Ruler 』 , where you can
strengthen gained skills, with 『Imitate』 you can use the
Skills in the state from which they were imitated. The same
level at which the real one used it.

『Fang of Origin』
 It was the skill she used in the battle with Leigie-sama. A
curved pure white crescent-moon-shaped blade manifested
before me, before being clad in the black mists of hunger.

Heard frowned. But even after seeing me use a Skill that

clearly wasn’t Lust, he wasn’t shocked. I’ll bet Hiero told
him. By nature, Demons who govern Pride have an absolute
hierarchical system among them. I had forgotten. No, I
didn’t connect it. The Supreme Commander, and the maid
apprentice. But that doesn’t really matter. That won’t do
anything to break a Demon Lord’s Skills.

“That is… Hm, Zebul the Devourer… a Gula Skill, is

it?”

“…”

Pressure. Frightening starvation. The blade sucks up my

nutrients, and my vision grows hazy. My footing becomes
unsteady. Completely ignoring that, I lowered my body to
the ground, and kicked the floor.The tip of the sword
grazed the floor as it made a vacuum with its swing. It was
something even Leigie-sama had to dodge. The skill Zebul
selected from her eternity of life specifically to eliminate
the Lord of Sloth.

In just a single step, I close in on him, and swing

upwards.

Heard, seeing that attack, smiled with obvious disdain.

Vibrations as if the building was shaking. The floor gives

in. The moment before the blade was able to eat into him,
his form vanished. The fang easily pierces through the wall
protected by a barrier.

“… Hm, as I thought… how useless.”

 From behind, I heard a voice. When I hurriedly turned
around, my flank was struck. Befrore I could even feel any
pain, my vision was buried in a wall. Pain. An impact that
shook my entire body. Judgement. A decrease in my ability
to sustain life. The sharp pain in my flank. A few of my
bones are gone. The back of my head is being pressed hard.

“Even if you have a Demon Lord’s skills, a measly

Invidia would never be able to master them.”

The right arm holding the sword was crushed. My hand is

forcefully opened. The fang turns to sand, and fades. It
wasn’t that absurd teleportation that Leigie-sama
displayed. It was pure movement based on his physical
ability. It was just simple speed, but to my level of dynamic
vision, it was no different than instantaneous.

The idle Leigie. The Dynamic Heard.

What physical strength. His sense of battle without a

moment’s hesitation. My head is removed from the wall
before it is rocked by another impact. A thunderous roar.
My semisircular canals are shaking. I can’t even tell what
happened, but I do know that damage is piling up on my
body. My vision is tinted red.

“…Hm, as I thought, you’re just a lowly 『Invidia』…

Just what part of this one caught Deije’s eyes… I
cannot comprehend.”

“… Dei…je…”

On those words, that name, my hazy conscience

responded. I instinctively activate 『Imitate』 . The target
is a Demon of 『 Avaritia 』 . The Usurper, Deije Breindac.
I’m jealous. I can’t help but be jealous. Of his physical
ability.

Power returns to my powerless arms. Red hot blood. The

experience of Deije, who exchanged blows with a Demon
Lord. I grab Heard’s hand, which had grabbed me by the
scruff of my neck. To the limit of my power. I try to crush it.
But Heard’s hand doesn’t waver in the slightest.

“… So that’s Deije’s brute strength… hm, it’s a

waste to have been lent to someone like you.”

My body floats. By the time I noticed it, I had been

singlehandedly thrown. My head experiences a shock. But
that’s instantly dealt with using my Status Abnormality
Resistance. My dynamic vision perfectly capture the wall
closing in on me. But I’m unable to do anything. I protect
my head before I crash. It’s an impact that cuts through my
body. Perhaps due to Deije’s durability, I don’t particularly
take too much damage. The Demon of Pride started
approaching me as if he was taking a leisure stroll.

“Hm… not bad. 『Invidia』, I will permit you to envy

Leigie-sama.”

“… What are…”

A warped smile floats on Heard’s mouth.

“You envied him, right? As you swung your hips

above him. Hm, I’m telling you to go use that, fool.”

This man… just how much will he make a fool of me?

The amount of rage I feel is dyeing my head red.

Suddenly, Deije’s words revive again.
 『 Well, do your best. As a former Supreme
Commander, for argument’s sake, I’m praying for
your survival, girly. 』

Right, no matter what, I need to stay alive.

… To fulfill my desire.

I stop imitating his physical ability. Power drains out of

my body. But I at least have enough strength to stand. And
I use my magic again.

Me small consolation was that I was unable to fully

manifest the『Fang of Origin』, so I still have some magic.

I lick my lips. Don’t look down on Envy. I yearn for

everything, desire for it, even if I am unable to change
myself, I Envy.

“… Then I’ll show it to you. The power of the Lord of

Sloth!”

What I imagine is my lord. Always in the bed, on the floor,

on the rough ground of the desert, Always sprawled out
with a pained expression on his face, lazily lowering his
hand as if to squash a fly. The lone King of Sloth. The
Needless King.

Think. Of his power. Of his way of life.

… And I envied that Skill.

I lightly swung my hand. Heard’s body was suddenly

thrown against the wall. As if he had been crushed by my
hand.
 How should I put this…what an idle Skill. Upon the lack
of any resistance I felt, I looked at my own hand in
amazement. Good grief, there isn’t a single feeling on my
hand. All I did was wave it. With a loud sound, cracks
spread across the barrier-protected wall. Without thinking
anything, I clenched my hand. Just with that, wrinkles
spread across Heard’s black clothing as if it had been
gripped.

『Miracle Wonder Lighthand』

That was the Skill’s name. The name of the Skill I learned
through Leigie. While it may be miraculous, or wonderful, I
think there’s something wrong with that name. But it’s
definitely strong. One-sidedly strong. On top of having
almost no demerits, you can one-sidedly attack over a
distance.

But even after taking the skill that was enough to

slaughter Zebul, the Demon of Pride doesn’t seem
panicked.

“『Sky Hand』, is it… how useless.”

Even while being ensnared, Heard looks down on me.

At that moment, the skill was forcibly cancelled. His

floating body falls, and he lands gracefully on his feet. His
body and expression haven’t taken damage.

He smooths out his wrinkled clothes with his hand. With

a bored look. I can’t believe it… what did he do? He
cancelled out a skill from the Lazy King? No, that’s not it. I
can kinda understand what he did.

Heard Lauder is a Demon of Pride. That being the case,

there is but a single answer I can reach.
 This is 『Superbia』’s 『Overrule』 Skill.

I determined it had crossed over the depths of my heart…

It has the ability to nullify Overruled Skills, and to bring
about absolute status adjustment to Overruled opponents.
One of the abilities of Pride.

But that cannot be. Even if he can Overrule most skills,

this isn’t normal.

“That can’t… how were you able to do that to Leigie-

sama’s…”

“… Hm, pointless. Invidia, I asked you you to use it,

did I not? I asked you to imitate it, did I not? Leigie of
Sloth’s…”

He hesitates for a moment. He pushes the sole of his foot

into the ground, and attacks by lowering his other raised
leg. Even if I noticed, even if I knew, it was a lightning fast
speed I couldn’t react to. My body slams into the ground.
His immense power makes me unable to believe he’s of the
same General Class. His shoe, probably made of Dragon
Leather grinds into my head as if he was treading over
trash. Even without looking, I can tell. His cold stare like a
slap to the face. His piercing sharp, honed fighting spirit.
Heard Loader spoke as if spitting out his words.

“…『VIT』.”

There was power imbued in his words. I understood.

This one’s… on another level.

Even after having lived long years, there are plenty of

Demons who don’t hold considerable power. I’ve seen more
than enough of them. But this one’s different. I don’t know
how old he is, but his battle experience, magic, authority,
all of it numbered close to the time he spent living. Why,
how. Why has a Pride Demon of this rank resigned himself
to be the subordinate of a Demon Lord?

… I can’t win.

I barely move my head that was being trampled, and

looked up a Heard.

“You… what… are you trying to do!?”

“… I told you to 『 Imitate 』 . I did not tell you to

open your mouth.”

After lifting his leg in an instant, it came down, and

crushed my jaw. Sharp pain. Blood spreads across my
mouth, and the hard item I can barely feel is probably my
teeth, or bone. My blood spreads across the ground, but for
some reason, my vision became strangely clear. Within my
hazy conscious, my thoughts cannot keep up. My sight is
tinted a light black. Someone is looking down over me.

“… Kusu kusu kusu… Heard-san, this child’s lost

consciousness, it seems.”

“… Hm… well it was my mistake to place

expectations on her, I guess. If she could only
reproduce a fraction of Leigie-sama’s power, it would
still be fine… is what it means.”

“… Well I guess that’s that. Kusu kusu kusu, in the

first place, this one was said to be the weakest among
the commanding officers.”

I can’t hear anything. I can’t see anything. I feel my Soul

Core rapidly losing power. I’ve taken too much damage. I
used too many skills that were too much for me. And still, I
wasn’t a match.

My vision darkens. I can’t see anything. I can’t feel

anything. At that time, a clear image flooded into my mind.
It wasn’t of the few thousand years I spent alive. It was of
Leigie-sama hugging me in place of his pillow, and bringing
me here. That sensation was vivid. His bored expression.
His arms, from which I couldn’t even sense warmth. With
his eyes still closed, an unmoving Leigie-sama. Leigie-sama
roughly spreading me over the bed. Kanon-sama frowning
upon finding me. Leigie comparing options with sleepy
eyes. It was the first time anxiety had been born into my
heart.

Leigie-sama let go of me.

And what he held instead was…

An impact jolts my head. I don’t really care that I was on

the brink of death. I’m not sure by what logic, but color
starts returning to my eyes.

N-not even being able to die when killed… this is too

much. Pillow!? … Wai… don’t tell me the origin of my…

I unintentionally cried out, but my mouth had been

smashed so a strange voice came out.

“Faa… hyo…”

“… Huh? You still have consciousness? Kusu kusu,

you’re a tough one. There!”

Fingers like whitebait, a pointed hand mercilessly

thrusted at both of my eyes. My eyes are crushed, and my
vision becomes pitch black by very physical means. I
managed to wring out a scream from my throat. The fingers
continue to dig around inside my eyes. The intense pain
makes me really feel me consciousness leaving me this
time.

I really don’t care anymore. Just kill me already… My

senses are paralyzed. The sensation of the fingers on my
eyes. I don’t even feel pain anymore. It’s just the feeling of
movement there was extremely disturbing. The moment my
consciousness was swallowed by darkness again, I heard a
faint voice.

“Kusu kusu, Heard-san. You don’t need this

anymore, right? Can I take it then?”

“… Hm, I don’t need it, but… what do you plan to

use it for…?”

My body sways. My sensations are out of line.

“This… I think I’ll be able to Overrule it. I thought it

would be useful for a little 『Experiment』…”

“… Hm, so be it. That is but another way for a

『 Superbia 』 to advance, but let me just add this. I
don’t care what you do with it, but make sure you
throw it away once you’re done.”

“Kusu kusu kusu, I know, Heard-san. Please leave

the cleanup to me. Heard-san, you have to… Leigie-
sama…”

“… Correct. I don’t have the time to be wasting on

trivial matters… Hm, I’ve used some time pointlessly.
Leigie the Depraved… is it? My father sure has fallen.
I’ll make sure to make a final greeting.”
 I’m fading, but I can still feel a faint beat in my Soul
Core.

More importantly… The words I was barely able to pick

up from Heard pique my curiosity. As I lose focus on my
own conscious, my mind falls to hell. I frantically regain
focus.

Fa…ther? What does that mean? Heard Lauder’s father is

Leigie-sama?

First I’ve heard of it. I’ve been here for a while, but I’ve
never heard of something like that. Not even a rumor.
Something is wrong. Letting Heard go like that is wrong.
But I cannot move my body. My consciousness either. My
life flashing before my eyes increases my heart rate, and
my mind resurface, but I’m at my limit.

My arms won’t even twitch. It’s like the unmoving feeling

was all I could feel. It felt as if I had lingering regrets.

“Haa… oneechan’s the same, but Medea-san, you’re

too durable… Do you really have that many regrets in
life? Kusu kusu, really Lust and Envy are too sturdy…
But Leigie-sama’s another story…”

Impacts shake my whole body, and my breath stopped

instantly. Before that happened, a dim light had returned to
my eyes. What was in front of me was the form of Hiero
pouring the contents of a small glass bottle. Drops of water
flow down my face. The intense pain that followed my
sudden revival made me try to cry out, but Hiero stuffed a
shoe in my mouth.

“Goh…!”
 “Well, well, don’t trouble me so much, Medea-san.
Kusu kusu, if Heard-san finds out, he’ll kill us all
together, won’t he? Can’t you be quiet for a while?”

As if something was interesting, she smiled as she moved

the shoe around again and again, before finally removing it.
After that, she fished another glass bottle out of her pocket.
That marketing logo on the bottle… it’s a Potion made to
restore lifeforms. It’s something I have familiarity with
seeing lined up in the army’s storerooms. After removing
the cap, she starts sprinkling it on me from a needlessly
high altitude. Potions are a super high class commodity.
They’re a miracle medicine that can even regenerate lost
body parts. Normally, one doesn’t have the leisure to take
one out in battle, so it’s something that’s saved for
emergency situations, when they’re really needed. A
potions effects include softening pain. My crushed jaw is
repaired.

“Arara, so even two wasn’t enough. Your HP must be

really high… want a third one…?”

“I-I don’t need one… I’m fine already!”

“Kusu kusu, don’t be reckless. See, see.”

“Gu…”

Her foot tread over my ribs. There’s pain as if something

was broken inside of my stomach. I can’t even tell what’s
going on anymore. Is she trying to harass me, or is she
healing me?

The second I opened my mouth to complain, a bottle was

thrust in. Liquid flows directly down my throat. When I
thought I was about to break out into a coughing fit, her
hand forcefully closed my mouth. From my nose, potion
flows. Seeing that, she gives a light and refined smile.

“Goho, goho, w-what are you scheming?”

“Hmm? Scheme? I just saved you, so I think there’s

something you should say first, right?”

What an irritating phrasing. But… saved? I hurriedly

observe the surroundings. The crack in the wall, and the
collapsed floor. My location hasn’t changed at all from the
moment I lost consciousness. I feel cheated for some
reason.

“Now, now Medea… wheres~ your~ thanks~?”

She speaks with a sparkling smile. I grit my teeth.

“… Thank you. I was saved.”

“Kusu kusu, my pleasure. From now on, you should

learn your place, and know when to run, you know?
There’s no way you’d ever be able to beat Heard-san,
Medea-san. In the first place, 『 Superbia 』 has a
strong affinity against 『Invidia』.”

She strokes my hair as if patting a dog. It irritates me,

but the fact that I still have my life is lucky. More
importantly, my feelings of questioning how and why are
stronger.

Having received my glance, Hiero lets out a sigh. The

passageway… she looked around the corner of the passage
that led to Leigie-sama’s room, and looked down on me
with philanthropic eyes.
 “No… isn’t there the possibility that Leigie-sama
will ask to embrace Medea-san again? Only in the
realm of great possibilities, in the million to one area,
though… kusu kusu…”

I… I cannot comprehend. It’s too unfamiliar to me. How

does that Lorna have a sister like this?

I don’t get the meaning. I cannot comprehend. Heard’s

power was frightening, but so is Hiero’s mentality.

For that reason… she didn’t even change locations, but

healed me as I was? If Heard returned, what did you plan
on doing?

My thoughts swirl. Her over-the top reason made it so I

could only return a sentence.

“… I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”

“I’m of the same opinion. I mean, your body is so

scarce… if it was oneechan, I would understand,
though…”

Are you picking a fight?

“No, but, if Leigie-sama ever invites you to his bed,

you’ll respond, right? Try saying it. I was saved by
Hiero of 『 Superbia 』 , so please relish in my scarce
body.”

It’s something with an almost one hundred percent

chance of never happening, but I resolved myself to never
use that line if such an opportunity did arise. This isn’t
about having my life saved or anything, I just won’t.
 “Kusu kusu kusu, well, let’s leave the jokes around
here…”

… So that was a joke. She’s always smiling, so I can

never tell whether she’s being sincere or messing around.
With a serious expression, Hiero looked at the passageway.
A fleeting glance as if to indicate Leigie-sama’s room.

“Heard-san intends on killing Leigie-sama. He’ll

aim for the gap where he’s been weakened from
fighting the Demon Lord.”

“… Hah? Wha, why… no, that’s wrong… I see.”

That’s not sane. Even if he just defeated a Demon Lord,

Leigie-sama barely got any wounds, and he barely used any
Skills. He doesn’t seem weakened at all. No, he’s sleeping,
so it’s not like I can tell, but…

Even so, if Heard intends to kill him… he must have some

sort of plan. In the first place, killing one’s master is one
form of Pride. If that’s the meaning behind Heard’s
incomprehensible words, then I can understand.

Continuing on, after a large stretch, Hiero let out a sigh.

Her eyes filled with annoyance were tinted with a color
unbecoming of her young appearance.

“I’ve made a bet with myself, you see. I’m definitely

a Pride Demon like him, but unrelated to that, I bet
that Heard-san will lose. Well, it’s just instinct, so if
Heard-san does attain victory, then I’ll slay Medea-
san right here. Kusu kusu kusu… in truth, I’m a
strong ally to have you know.”

“… I see.”
 This one is no good. She’s natural trash. But her saving
my life is also a fact. I decided not to voice my opinion. I
stand up, and move my body. My magic is pretty much
empty, but the pain is gone. My wounds have been
completely healed.

“… Then why did you fully heal me? You could just
make it so I barely survived, or something…”

Even if she didn’t restore my Mana, there should be a

difference in ability between me and Hiero. If she fully
heals me, the possibility that I would run away would be
high. On my question, Hiero threw out a carefree answer.

“… That~ is~ because eight out of nine times,

Leigie-sama will win! Heard-san definitely is absurdly
strong, but… Leigie-sama’s power is
incomprehensible. Pride is extraordinarily weak
towards the unknown…if his opponent was weakened,
he might be able to pull through, but Leigie-sama is
Demon Lord Rank Three. It would be the end once he
unraveled a skill he’d never displayed before,
wouldn’t it? Definitely.”

Again, those admirably bitter words. But as a Pride like

him, her words held some persuasive power. I was crushed
to death with worry, and alongside Hiero, I looked over the
corner.

… Pillow, desire, what should I do.

 Chapter 7
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: To the Supreme Demon Lord

When compared to the human race, a Demon’s life is

horribly long.

Their lifespans equate to eternity, and aging from the

passage of time is a concept foreign to them. The shape of
their soul, the shape of their will, and the shape of their
desires is what resolves their being, and seeds of that
resolute way of being are the greatest factors that
influence this absurdly large Demon World. At the same
time, as Demons continue to utilize their endless lives to
delve into their desires, their power can grow with no limit
in sight… once they become Demon Lords, they have
enough strength to defile the very Heavens that would once
be their natural enemy.

The first thing that entered my eyes the moment I was

awakened, was a vigor-less man in slovenly garb. His
artlessly cut hair fell over dirty clothing stained with dust.
Supporting his body was a creaking armchair of faded
color. No life, energy or will, but what he did have was a
vast amount of power.

Even for my immature senses, I could feel it fill the world,

simple deep and dark, as if it were the air, a natural and
quiet magic.
 … The King of Depravity.

Survival of the fittest. In a world where Demon Lords

elegantly competed with one another, there existed but one
who did not interfere, and just by being there, he had
climbed the ranks to Demon Lord. A mighty Demon.
Without making any blood flow, a pitiful Demon who had
even been left behind by the flow of time.

Leigie the 『Depraved』.

It wasn’t certain that he could grant power to those who

desired it. But the inverse also stood true. Even if he had
power, it wasn’t certain if he could put it to practical use,
and as Sloth, it wasn’t even certain if he could use it at all.

The Demon Lord who pursued 『Acedia』 looked at me.

Without saying anything, without thinking anything. No,
while his eyes were directed in my direction, perhaps he
wasn’t even looking at me. His hollow and shifting gaze
held no meaning, and all I was certain of was that the
thoughts that dwelled in those eyes were ones that
someone like me wouldn’t possibly be able to comprehend.

Perhaps… my origin was a miracle.

As a game, he had tried to use the power he had gotten

his hands on for the first time, and for a reason as simple as
that, I was born.

Of course, I only realized that after much time had

passed… After, without meaning, and never once having
been ordered from my birth, I continued to suck up the
Mana the Demon named Leigie emitted unconsciously.
After I gained my own self-awareness, and even my own
desires.
 Even after seeing me start moving without his orders,
Leigie didn’t say anything. The reason for my existence, the
reason for my birth were something I couldn’t understand.
It wasn’t even the Demon Lord’s will. His goal was only to
use his power, and he didn’t even hold any interest towards
the result.

I simply looked at my master.

Relieving his will of Sloth, Looking at the pitiful legion of

the Demon Lord who had not a single follower, Who didn’t
even eat food, and who simply moved back and forth
between a squalid chair he arbitrarily picked up
somewhere and a damp bed. I looked at the form of my
lord. Even so, any and all sorts of Heroes, Sages, Demons,
Angels, and even Demon Lords didn’t pique his interest
when they came for him. Looking at his way of life…

“… Hm… so this is how a 『Ruler』 should be…”

Even now, I can remember it clearly. That was, those

were the first words I ever vocalized.

How useless. How pointless. Without any goal, his long

life of nothingness merely built unto itself, and changed
into a massive power. Just how unsightly, how unbearable.

That was the Longing I governed. As such, I gained the

Original Sin of 『Superbia』. My deplorable creator’s form
and the form of the growing number of challengers that
faced defeat by his hand, had long surpassed any comedy.

And at the same time, I harbored an intense jealousy.

His massive power that grew in proportion to the flow of

time was never even polished with any form of training, but
the other seeds… the other Demon Lords were simply
driven away with overwhelming might.

That power alone was suited to my creator, and at the

same time, if I could 『Overrule』 it, I wondered if I would
truly become the supreme being, able to stand above not
only people, but everything in existence.

That’s what I thought. That’s what I couldn’t help but

think.

There is no ranks among power.

But even in my mostly-stagnant head, I felt it. His power

higher and nobler than all.

At the rate I was going, I knew I would never surpass it.

I gained life as a Demon. Having spent a lifetime longer

than I could even imagine, the being that reached Demon
Lord level was, lifestyle aside, too strong.

I can 『Overrule』 . Those slovenly gestures, personality,

and a way unbefitting a supreme ruler, it was easy enough
to think of them as below me. But I couldn’t win. It wasn’t
on a level where good affinity or anything mattered, but a
gap in life, experience, even existence. Overruling can
increase battle ability, and bring about enough power to
overturn the gap between the Demon Ranks 『 General 』
and 『 Lord 』 . It’s a superior skill, but even that wasn’t
enough I understood by instinct. The insurmountable gap
was simply so great, I couldn’t help but understand by
instinct.

… Not yet.
 Even while watching me look down on him, the Lord of
Sloth doesn’t say anything. It’s always silent.

“… Hm. But if my master is like this, then people

will start to see me as the same.”

“… I see.”

The Lazy King let out a bored voice from under the
covers. He displays not the tone variation of emotion. His
eyes look up at me, but even now, he holds not the slightest
will.

I declare. It is all for my own sake. It was also like an

oath. In order to carve my existence into the world.

“Nominally and virtually, I shall make Father into

the Supreme Demon Lord.”

“… Do not want.”

“… Hm, I’ll have you become one, Lazy King. Of all

else, for… my sake.”

“… I see.”

Just do whatever you want. Without letting out his voice,

the Lazy King mouthed those words, before he sunk into his
covers with sluggish movements.

I was always watching. From back when I didn’t have any

decent awareness. It was his evident reaction.

But so be it. … As a start, let’s subjugate this region. I

suppressed all the foolish Demon who judged, looked down
on, and ignored my Master as harmless, all to make this
vast land into my exalted master’s mausoleum.
 And by the time I have Overruled everything, perhaps I’ll
have become an existence that surpasses even the Demon
Lords of this hell.

Part 2: At least leave it Supreme

The Demon World. Where the strong are respected more

than anything, Demons work to fulfill their desires, and
Lords fight and steal over the limited resources.

Without any debate, it’s all worthless.

Greed Lust Wrath Gluttony Envy Pride And… Sloth.

I have but one goal.

While training, Overruling and struggling, I understood it

clearly.

The territory increases. The magic I wear increases. My

Pride Tree advances. As if mowing down grassroots, a
simple task. Demons of course, as well as Heavenly
Assassins, and occasionally foolish warriors who come from
the outside world to subjugate a Demon Lord. Everything
yielded to me. To my power. And my master’s power.

My basic abilities were high from the start. There’s no

way that one made by the Lord of Sloth, who’s basically
just a lump of power, could be weak. And I repeatedly
trained. I forged my own power. Physical power, magic,
wisdom, leadership. To eliminate the million to one chance
of me tasting defeat because of some foolish reason.

That was my first goal, and the primary factor that

increased my power with Pride at the base. Other Lords’
desires are fragile when compared to my lord’s Sloth.
 Like a flying arrow, time passed.

Eventually, a castle was made. Around the house too

small to be called a house my Master lived in, ramparts
extended for miles. The tower built in the center pierced
even the heavens. Named the Castle of Shadows, the Lord
of Sloth’s bedroom boasted an overwhelming width and
majesty that surpassed the castles of any kind of Demon
Lord. My Master’s castle. I’m not satisfied. If he’s the man
who will stand over me even if it be temporarily, a castle of
this extent isn’t enough.

Demons gathered. The Demons that yielded, the Demons

I forced to yield. I led the useless rabble, and put an army
in order. Supreme soldiers that would surpass any Demon
Lord’s armies.

As time passed, they came to be famous. Leigie of Sloth’s

Strongest Legion.

Even if I didn’t force them to submit personally, foolish

Demons who lowered their own heads at us gathered. Their
numbers increased, and the army grew. First Brigade,
Second Brigade, Third Brigade. But no matter what Demon
came in, none of them could even reach my feet.

Weak. Much too weak. Even without me 『Overruling』

them, they had Overruled themselves, and they were all too
weak to amount to an enemy of me.

Unlosing and absolute. I have no losses, and as such, my

master has never faced defeat either. The more I defeated,
the higher I rose, the more the years passed, the stronger
my power became.

A Pride Demon’s strength is proportional to their battle

experience.
 Strength is the proof of having overcome. To those you’ve
defeated once, you’ll never lose again. The more you learn,
the more you understand, the more distant defeat seems.
The more the years go by, the further defeat becomes. No
matter how much desire they pile up, I haven’t fallen low
enough to lose to any young Demon. I accumulate absolute
confidence in myself.

… But at the same time, that means I’m granting time to

the Lord of Sloth.

Eventually, the Great Demon King came, seeking our

surrender. Unlike the definite gap between Demon and
Demon Lord, the Great Demon King is simply the title given
to the Demon Lord in possession of the greatest territory.
But the fact that they lead such great forces within this
Demon World means they have desires to that great of an
extent.

I met him. My Lord did not have to go out. The Sin this
King governed was Pride. A Demon like me with Overruling
as his foundation. And at the same time, his goal was
subjugating the Demon World. Putting the warring Demon
World in order, and leading it, he would take in the world
above, and even the Heavens. A man with large ambition
unbefitting his level of power.

After seeing him with my own eyes, I concluded. He

wasn’t anything special. At the point I met him, I
『 Overruled 』 that King. Meaning he was no match for
Leigie of Sloth. It seems it’s been a long time since he first
came to be, but the King was foolish, and he didn’t even
reach my level. In the end, he was just a Demon Lord that
was slightly competent.
 If I make him yield, will my Master’s position rise? It was
a useless notion. For a Demon Lord of this level, there’s not
even any worth in annihilating him. As A Demon Lord of
Pride, if I make him submit, his power level will fall.
There’s not even any use in taking him into the army…

My Master’s depraved state simply continued to deepen.

His authority doesn’t grow in the slightest, but his power
alone continued to grow, and that form was truly befitting a
Lord of all Demons.

I ask him Questions.

He always returns the usual response. No matter how

many years pass, it never changes from those two words.

The Great Demon King requested a meeting with my

Master.

And after they met, he lost his power, and the Demon
King seat shifted. It was too great of a gap between him
and a fellow Demon Lord. The will of the transcendent
being that merely laid around like a rock was
incomprehensible to those around him.

The Great Demon King changed. It changed time and

again.

In the end, the Demon World never showed signs of

unification. Demon Lords are born, and Demon Lords die.
The names of famous Heroes change, as they continually
try and invade the Demon World. A large-scale invasion was
launched by Heaven. A Large majority of the Demons died
out.

… But the Castle of Shadows continued to sleep.

 My Master continues to live in his slumber. Never
moving, and with that, his power continued to grow. To a
height no Demon or Demon Lord would ever reach. At the
same time, the one born from him, my power continues to
rise. Without me being able to fulfill the long-cherished
desire of my Pride.

The Lord of Sloth who can’t be scratched at all. The Doll

born from his skill is peerless.

Over months and years, the dolls he made to kill time

scattered across the entire Demon World. Without knowing
their master’s name, those Dolls simply moved across
foreign batttlefields.

Leigie the Depraved eventually came to be known as

Leigie of the 『 Slaughterdolls 』 . By the merits of the
original body.

A clan of Demons in service to my Master sprung up. I

can’t comprehend them. But let it be so. For my master,
having a clan like that isn’t bad. No, it’s natural for there to
be one.

Inspectors from the Black Order start to be dispatched.

Let it be so. Observe my Master however you like. In the
end, people with your lowly level of power won’t be able to
scratch Leigie the Depraved.

Subordinates die. They die one after another, and our

personnel continues to shift. By a small bit of negligence,
the man that was my right hand died. A foolish one. There
can be no negligence on the battlefield. Even without old
age, there are many casualties among Demons with the
natural instinct for battle.
 Demon Lords famed for their strength are done in by
other Demon Lords, and the weak climb up the ranks to
Lordship.

All that prospers must decay.

Enemies and allies, one after another, faces continue to

change. Information about various Demons and Lords flood
the library, and a second, and a third library are built. A
majority of them are ones I Overruled long ago,
unnecessary documents.

Once a year, the symbol carved on the wall fills the room,
and covers the hallways.

I taste the feeling of being a rock. All that doesn’t change

is my Master’s existence, and the Demon World’s pale blue
moon.

Even still, I’m no match. I can’t see the end.

I selected Demons of Sloth, and launched attacks. Most

of them were normal Demons. They were nothing to talk
about. They didn’t use any skills worth noting.

No matter how many decades, centuries, millennia pass,

another Demon Lord of Sloth doesn’t rise. Are they resting
somewhere under the earth somewhere like Leigie the
Depraved was? Or could it be that Sloth Demons are simply
not reaching Demon Lord status? That is left unknown.

Heaps of bodies, streams of blood. It’s become

troublesome to even count the number of Demon Corpses
that have piled up, but the impact I felt when I first saw
Leigie of Sloth never dulls, no matter how much of an
eternity goes by. Inferiority. That is a 『 Superbia 』
Demon’s greatest enemy.
 Even more months pass. Information gathers. I polish
myself. I repel enemy seeds. By the time I realized it, there
was plenty of prey out there, but no one to be my enemy.

As long as there’s no one for me to Overrule, Pride’s

power won’t grow. Pride without its foundations is close to
worthless.

I had reached the peak. I master my skills, draw my body

to the limit, and hone my magic, but my Pride Tree stops
one step before reaching Demon Lord Level. My final and
greatest wall. The wall known as Leigie.

… But that ends today.

Medea’s disposal did not even pose a warmup, let alone a

rehearsal. In the end, she’s just an Invidia, capable of
nothing but imitating others. Trying to imitate my Master’s
skill was pure stupidity. For a Sloth Skill with low offensive
power, it barely has any power once a Greed or Envy
Demon takes and uses it. I sigh. My soul and my gear have
been raised to top class. Even the hazy combat experience
from the corners of my mind have surely accumulated in a
place I don’t know about.

I open the door. Because it was frequently burned up by

that lass Kanon’s subordinate, the often changing room had
been renewed. It gave off a faint lewd smell.

While I knew this beforehand, while he should have

sensed my presence already, Father doesn’t raise a single
word, or stir a single inch.

He slept still as if he were dead.

You sure have fallen… Leigie the Depraved.

 You used a skill just to help a single lowly maid. On top of
personally going to battle, you got a scratch from the likes
of Zebul. Moreover, you left yourself to be defiled. Your
recent acts have been much too wretched for my Master.

… No, perhaps it’s about time for you.

It really has been a long time. A stupidly long one. And

Father is supposed to have experienced an even longer
time alive. Even if I pile up all my experience, I cannot
predict them. Right now, how many are there out there who
know the same Demon World as you?

The magic I feel from his body is immense. Even if you

grouped together all the average Demon Lords, they won’t
be a match. But I had a definite understanding.

… Leigie the Depraved is weakening. A rare sight in the

thousands, tens of thousands of years I’ve spent with him.

He went against the 『Acedia』 he governes.

All of it is… as expected.

The more time a 『 Sloth 』 spends in sloth, the more

powerful they get. Contrarily, the more they decide to move
of their own volition, the more their power will drop.

I stand by the bed. On my master’s face, with his eyes

closed as if he were dead, I see nothing besides nihility. I
take up his limp hand. In his bony fingers in which I can’t
even feel the T of Training, his white transparent corpse-
like skin had light blue blood vessels running across.

“Father… it’s been many years, hasn’t it.”

“…”
 Leigie doesn’t give a response. But I can tell. Father isn’t
sleeping right now. To the Lord of Sloth, whether he be
awake or asleep, everything is but an ephemeral dream. As
such, I continued on.

It really was our first conversation in a long time.

You’ve fallen, in a way appropriate for me to call a

disappointment. Leigie-sama likely has no interest in the
reason, though. In the first place, this was something
inevitable since the moment I was born here, long, long
ago. Father is a sharp man. While he governs Sloth, he also
has parts in him aside from it. That is the clear difference
between him and other Sloth Demons, and that’s likely the
main reason Leigie of Sloth was able to live perpetually.

I have much that I want to say, but I don’t need words.

Of how I increased his followers, and made them the

greatest power in the Great Demon Lord’s army. Of how he
foiled countless assassinations from Heaven, and had those
assassins fall to Demonhood. Of how, while still sleeping, he
repelled a raid launched by a dozen Human Heroes. Of how
the former Great Demon King’s daughter, that little girl
who didn’t even harbor any desires, Kanon, rose up to be
the Great Demon King.

Of how I amassed tens of thousands of deaths, and being

separated from the flow of time. Of how not a single Demon
Lord from when I was created still remain. Of how friends,
companions, enemies died, new ones were born, only to die
as well. With no emotion, and ignorant to the passing of
time, father was a perfect Depraved King by nature. And
having been born from the Supreme Demon Lord, I can be
nothing but the strongest Demon Lord myself.
 to father, I get down on one knee, and lower my head.
This is resolve. Today, I will become a Demon Lord, and
never taste defeat for the rest of my life. No, even if I am to
be defeated…

… The kneeling is unnecessary.

But this is the only compensation I can give father as the

Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder.

“You’ve done enough. Let me bring an end to it.

While this may sound arrogant, I will see to your end
personally.”

“… I see.”

… So at least stay Supreme until you fall, Leigie the

Depraved.

Part 3: How Appropriate for the Curtain Call

Sloth Skills boast powers that cover a large amount of

ground. (TL: As in usability, not distance) But at the same
time, it’s also said that it’s extremely difficult to acquire the
sin. In the first place, as long as they can fulfill their Sin
without fighting, the skills they acquire are barely ever fit
for battle.

I fill up my body with power. The fact that Leigie had

easily destroyed the Gluttony King only served to raise my
power higher.

The legs supporting the large, canopied bed break. The

moment the bed swayed from its lost balance, I let out a
rending cry as I thrust forward. My fist hits Leigie’s head
oh so easily. The cracking sound of something breaking
rings out. The impact blows away the pillars supporting the
canopy, and Leigie’s body is sent flying like a scrap of
paper.

A thunderous sound.

The entire building shakes greatly. As if the Castle of

Shadows was crying out. The extra strength anti-Lize
barrier is broken easily, and even the wall itself is
destroyed. What’s more, it isn’t just one or two walls. In the
opened hole, I see unobstructed darkness. Around Leigie’s
room, there are no other personal rooms.

I fiddle with the remains of the bed with my feet. My

condition is perfect. There is nothing obstructing me from
fulfilling my Pride. The power swelling all over my body is
the compilation of all of my own research, as well as the
accumulated history I spent with my Master.

I take a deep breath, and exhale it.

I cannot give Sloth time.

I kicked the floor. My speed instantly reached its climax.

Speed faster than anyone. Strength stronger than

anyone.

… In order to fly higher than anyone.

Such is Superbia’s Original Sin.

Weapons are unnecessary. My body itself is perfection.

Images stream through my vision at the speed of sound. It
didn’t even take a second for me to reach Leigie who was
sprawled out on the floor a ways away. With my
momentum, I kick his head. There’s no resistance. He
dodged. No, he disappeared. The Teleportation Skill
possessed by Sloth. A skill that lets him transfer himself
anywhere within his own territory.

His presence is behind me. Before I even sensed it, my

body moved. It was a high kick carrying forward all my
momentum. The tip of my foot collides with Leigie’s head. I
understand. My thoughts understand. How many years,
millennium, megaannum. As a result of my service to him,
reading the incomprehensible Lazy King’s movements have
become possible to me.

The unreadable theory behind his actions was only known

to me. My physical strength broke the ceiling, and a large
hole was opened. Blocks as big as my head start to come
down.

My body becomes heavy. It’s a skill to convert a Demon’s

Longings to weight, and bind them. A Skill of Sloth. I
already know it. I activate 『 Overrule 』 , and break
through it without a problem.

What’s frightening is his tenacity, his vitality. I should

have delivered enough damage that it wasn’t strange if a
normal Demon Lord was killed, but the VIT that let him
activate a skill without issue is the characteristic of Sloth.

Then I just have to hit him with an even greater power

head-on.

“… It hurts…”

A slow voice leaks out of the hole that was opened. I

concentrate my power.

Getting into a long range battle with him is foolish. I

pierce the ground with my feet, and concentrate power on
my core.
 “Here I come.”

With my leap, the barrier breaks, and the floor caves in

beneath me. I load my body with explosive power, and jump
through the hole in the ceiling. What enters my eyes is the
form of Leigie buried in a mountain of rubble. He oozes
tears, as he holds his head. His injuries have already
healed. Seeing me almost instantly close the distance
between us, he directs a surprised expression. As always,
killing intent, blood thirst, or anything that could be called
fighting spirit is completely absent in him.

“HaaAAAAAAAH!”

“Ku…

Yell. Roar. Using all the power in my body, I send out a

strike. Leigie’s expression warped for the first time. At the
same time, an invisible wall appeared around his body.

A Sloth Skill to erect a defense-raising barrier. Useless. I

already know of that one.

(TL Useless means Muda)

As my fist hits it, without offering any resistance, the

barrier shatters like glass. As long as I’ve Overruled it
before, utilizing a barrier is the height of folly. My heart
circulates heat around my body.

Before my fist could touch Leigie’s chin, his figure

vanished. What a troublesome Skill. But a moving Sloth is a
contradiction. His use of that is one of the factors leading
to his diminishing Sloth.

“… Did I do something to you?”

 There’s no need to ask. There’s no way our conversations
will mesh. I swung my hand upwards at the voice that came
from my side. Leigie used his arm to guard against it. I
hear his bones grate. Among Sloth Skills, there’s one to
completely shut down their already-slow reaction to pain.
Leigie’s expression doesn’t seem to look pained anymore.
And even if I do injure him, with Leigie-sama’s vitality, he’ll
heal it in an instant.

“Father, please rest already.”

“… Yeah.”

With eyes that conveyed, ‘What the hell is this guy

saying,’ he nodded. He isn’t listening. We cannot
communicate. With this unstable footing, kicking would be
difficult. On my clenched fists, I used a body strengthening
Skill before throwing it out.

Leigie prepared his arms to take it. There is no battle

theory behind Leigie of Sloth. His attack techniques are
laughably simple.

It is… suppression by pure power

A power strong enough to rip apart a normal Demon

Lord… a mass of Soul. In it, ordinary technique held no
meaning, and he has no thoughts to utilize such technique.

With every blow, Leigie’s arms let out ominous sounds.

I’m pushing him back.

But there isn’t any anguish on his face, and while I may
be able to make him use up power with blows of this level,
it isn’t enough to deal a decisive blow. He’s too hard. But I
knew that from the beginning.
 The fact that I was pushing back the Lord of Sloth served
to strengthen my 『 Overrule 』 even further. Power flows
up from the depths of my body. And finally, my kick breaks
his guard, and Leigie is sent flying through the last layer of
ceiling.

A blood-red sky, and the black structure of the Castle of

Shadows… the fortress expanded as far as my vision would
permit. Once per day, I take it to look over it from on top of
the tower. We’re not as high up as the tower, but the sight
from up here isn’t something to be made fun of. I’ve always
felt a sense of resignation at the fact that this spectacle
would crumble one day.

The soldiers keeping watch hurriedly came running to me

at having the ceiling be penetrated.

“W-what happened, Heard-sama?”

“There is no need for the likes of you to mind it.

Return to your post.”

“Y-yes. Understood sir!”

It’s all a trivial talk. I leisurely look over the fortress, as I

advance towards the falling Leigie.

“Father, don’t you think it’s beautiful?”

“… Yeah.”

Without even taking a glance at his surroundings, the

motives behind his answers are something I’ll never
understand. So this is just self-satisfaction.

His suspicious eyes, his black, impure pupils look up at

me. Emotionless eyes. The eyes of a dead fish. I harden the
palm of my hand to create a blade shape with it.

(TL: He’s doing tegatana, , a position usually used to

chop. In this instance, he’s using it to pierce)

“, I’ll be cutting.”

“… I give up.”

“……”

All of this is something I’ve seen too many times. That

conduct, fooled by his sloppy gesture, dozens of Demon
Lords have fallen.

But for me, I, his son, am the only one who understands.
This man actually pulls through when the time calls for it.
He needs no fighting spirit or killing intent. Just so that he
can slack off further, Leigie uses his power. Therefore, he
hasn’t fled yet. Even though he could have jumped far away
with his teleportation by now.

… It’s because he thinks running from me here holds no

meaning.

Let it be so. Thus is what signifies him as the Lord of

Sloth

He doesn’t want to fight, but I’m a pain, so he’ll try and

crush me. His impure motives that paint out the Fighting
Spirit of most Demons is the proof of his desire. The
contrast between him and what most would think of Sloth
is what has made many Demons, Demon Lords fall. I always
observed that aspect of him in great detail.

Even now, Leigie’s power is gradually declining. He’s

accumulated enormous reserves, so it’s hard to notice, but
while his power may seem close to infinite, it is infinite by
no means. If I retreated here, and challenged him again
once my condition was perfect once more, I’ll bet I would
be able to gain an even greater advantage.

But that choice is impossible. Leaving to gain an

advantage?

Why must I draw back for a petty reason like that!?

“… Hm, you have no need to offer me that

treatment. There’s no way I would ever lose
regardless.”

“… Yeah, you’re the strongest.”

The flaming sun of the Demon World shined on us with its

blood red light. It was a sight that had been there from the
moment I was created, and at the same time, it’s a scene
Leigie has looked upon for long before that.

Leigie speaks with a troubled voice. At the same time,

masses of power are lowered on me from the sky.

『Sky Right Hand』 and 『Sky Left Hand』.

A telekinetic power that works in tandem with his arms.

It’s a worthless skill used to pick up items without having
to move, but its explosive power are a threat as they try to
crush me.

But the mass of power dispersed. I 『 Overruled 』 that

skill in a time long passed. My preparations are perfect.
Leigie makes an obvious frown.

“… This is a pain.”
 “… Hm, I think you just take life too easily, Father.”

It’s likely that in his endlessly long life, this is one of the
first times he’s had one of his Skills nullified. I’m the
opposite. Because 『 Superbia 』 is a nature of pride, I
already know most skills. The opponents I fight often try to
make countermeasures for me, but I was able to crush
them all head-on.

Father has merely lived life without aim. Just how useless
of a truth.

In just a step, I made contact with him. I stomp on his

head. There is resistance. There is, but he hasn’t been
crushed. I stick my hand into his shoulder. It’s a dull
feeling, as If I was cutting through metal. The level of
hardness caused my palm to be the one creaking this time.
A wet and cold sensation. Leigie looked up at me with
meaningless eyes, and looking at his shoulder, he raised a
short scream.

It’s working. I’m able to pierce his defense. I remove my

hand from the hole in the shoulder, and shake off the blood
on my hand before starting a series of consecutive attacks.
Leigie disappears. But my soul hardened through battle
made me perceive his next location instantly.

Ten meters behind. That’s a distance I can span almost

instantaneously. As I turn around, I lunge with my hand
blade. It pierces through Leigie’s prepared arms, and fresh
blood flies.

Slow. Way too slow. He can probably follow me with his

eyes. But his body that he rarely moves is unable to dodge.
As long as he doesn’t use that teleportation with high
energy expenditure.
 I nullify the 『 Sky Hand 』 he sends straight at me. To
still try and use it after coming to this point, does he really
have no other offensive skills? That seems right. A Demon’s
Skills have rules. It’s impossible to specialize in both
offense and defense at the same time. And Sloth skills are
made to spend time in Sloth. They’re mostly passives, and
few can be actively called upon.

Even without a sense of pain, thinking it was bad to take

attacks consecutively, Leigie disappears again. I perceive. A
massive power moved to the top of the tower.

On top of the tallest building within the Castle of

Shadows.

Sprawled out on top of the conical roof, the eyes of Leigie

as he looks down on me are sleepy, meaning he wasn’t
leaving a break in his defenses. The distance is a few
hundred meters. But to me, that distance is close to Zero.
The second I was about to jump at him, a strange breaking
sound resounded through the fortress.

A brown object stands up.

Much less an expression, its brown head doesn’t even

have eyes, nose or mouth. Its long and narrow body, as well
as its long limbs were all made of dirt-like material, and by
barely glancing over its body, it’s easy to see it was made to
resemble human form. No matter how vast the Demon
World may be, I doubt there exists a Demon with this
shape.

A Skill to produce a Doll that grows. The skill that

constitutes the reason Leigie’s title is Slaughterdolls.

『Slaughter Doll』.
 I remember myself when I had just been born, and frown.

“… Hm, useless.”

There’s no way a freshly born Doll made by a hard-

pressed Leigie would be a match for me.

Even if…

I look over the army of dolls being constructed around

me without any emotions or sense of pain.

… their numbers surpass a hundred.

I bring my hand down on the closest Doll, and split it in

two. There was some resistance, but I don’t even need to
dodge against things of this level. I confirm the brown
substance left on my hand.

“… Dirt… no, a Doll with sand as the base…”

He probably used the traces of sand that had built up on

top of the fortress as the base to create them. Truly, to be
able to birth this much at once is a threat.

But for him to use up his own power for such a useless
skill was an option I thought he wouldn’t choose. Even is
this skill was all he had left.

I look up at Father standing high in the heavens.

“… Father, is this supposed to be your final

struggle…?”

Having been born first, there’s no way I’ll lose. If you add
on 『Superbia』’s characteristics, then more so.
 The clay dolls rushing at me are definitely fast, and their
power isn’t weak. But that’s it. Without any desire, and no
experience.

But still, crushing this amount will be a pain. I close my

eyes, and activate a skill.

『Hard Pressure』

A higher class Pride Skill. It’s a worthless skill to force

others to kneel. But it’s a useful one for thinning out the
weak. Unable to stand the pressure, the limitless Dolls fell
to the ground. I step on the nearest Doll’s head, and crush
it. How useless. Or is it that he thought those numbers
would be able to defeat me?

“… I’ll be up in a moment, Father.”

I put power into my legs. I circulate my magic. I deliver a

strong kick to the stone pavement. Mighty physical
prowess. The pitiful clay dolls prostrated on the ground and
everything else on earth is left behind me, and my field of
vision instantly ascended.

… In the distant past, I’ve made it so I could fly

anywhere.

Even if Father doesn’t lend me a hand.

I grab onto the tower’s pointed tip, to kill my momentum

and stuck my feet into the roof tiles. The sprawled out
Leigie comes at me with quick movements I’ve never seen
before. But even that is too slow. By that time, my hand had
already pierced father’s left breast… a Demon’s heart, the
place where his Soul Core lay. Leigie’s eyes distort in
shock, as he looks at his chest.
 “Good night, Father. Please leave the rest to me.”

“… Yeah…”

My hand has definitely crushed his heart.

His Abyss Zone fades. When I removed my hand, the Lord

of Depravity leisurely fell to the ground. And like dried
leaves, he began to fall down to the bottom of the tower. I
Overruled him. But I don’t feel the slightest sense of
achievement. Having fulfilled the final piece of my
『 Pride 』 , my instincts told me I had finally reached
Demon Lord Level.

At the very least, for now, let me offer a prayer to the

Great Lazy King. Thus, I will rule over everything, and offer
it up to my late Master.

There is nothing more appropriate for the curtain call.

Part 4: … How Useless

In this world, everything is nothing but a trifle. That little

girl Kanon becoming the Great Demon King must be the
end of the world, and with her trying to suppress not only
the Heavens, but even the Demon World, this situation
really is the worst. For me, who even took down my
Supreme Master, they’re no enemies of me. It’s obvious.

If it’s now, then even God can fall by my hand.

I clench the palm of my hand. My power has increased.

My Pride Tree which had stagnated because I was unable
to become a Demon Lord suddenly experienced frightening
growth.
 Enlarging perception. The new Skill I obtained, 『Abyss
Zone 』 instantly spread to cover the Castle of Shadows
that had lost its master. Differing from the Acedia Father
released, a Superbia power that seemed to push down on
people from above.

But in it, I didn’t feel exaltation or anything. Not even a

feeling of achievement. Even though there should be
nothing standing above me anymore.

“… Hm, everything is useless, I see.”

Not a single enemy for me exists within this Demon

World. Even the one selected as the most powerful Demon
Lord, Kanon of Ruin… for me that’s known her since her
childhood, I doubt she can rival me. For my Pride, it was an
overwhelming predominance.

The Demons I pass look at me, and kneel as they lower

their heads. What useless folk. Without even proceeding
their desires, they’re fools who content themselves in
naught but what is given to them by others.

After fulfilling my pride, I only had one place to aim for.

I wandered to the Lord’s Throne Room. The throne that

no one had ever sat in before stood there silently. Metal
that was exceedingly rare, even in the Demon World was
skillfully worked on by artisans for many months and years
to construct the jet-black throne. I’ll bet it’s cleaned
regularly. In that space without a speck of dust, as if it were
sleeping just like father, the air was filled with a quiet and
tranquil atmosphere.

Without faltering, I lowered myself into the seat that had

never been sat on once. The throne was merely hard, and
cold. I have no suitable enemies in this Demon World. I also
don’t have the incentive to go bully that little girl Kanon. I
put my elbow on the armrest, and thought.

“If there’s nothing for me in the Demon World…

then should I go invade Heaven…”

I recall the small, hateful, pure-white wings of God’s

vanguard. By nature, those ones have a large superiority
complex against Demons. I’ll destroy them head-on. It’ll at
least help kill some time. And even in the heavens, it will
resound in every direction. My name. And the name of the
Great King of Depravity.

The door is violently thrown open. The one who entered

was a crimson-haired Demon by the name of Lize
Bloodcross. At the same time, like Kanon once was, she’s
the woman who was Father’s inspector. Her fiery glare that
was like a raging fire incarnate, and her looks were that of
an angry soul. She’s a foolish female Demon who, of all
things, asked a Superbia like me to preserve the lives of
Deije and Medea, who had failed their mission.

“…! Heard Lauder. What is the meaning…”

“… Hm, Father has perished.”

“Perished!? Leigie of Sloth!? Just what could

possibly…”

She’s a woman who says useless things. There’s no way

father could be taken down by an existence apart from
mine.

“I killed him. Go tell that little girl Kanon. Leigie-

sama’s authority… will be succeeded by me.”
 I use Evil Eyes. Lize’s body goes rigid. I see, so this is
『 Evil Eye 』 . This is the first I’m using it, but what a
useless Skill. Subjugating an opposing force holds meaning
only if it is by one’s hand alone.

“You are… a Demon Lord!? Gu… Heard Lauder.

Could it be that by killing your Lord…”

Killing one’s master. That is Superbia’s long-lived desire.

Pride become pride by overruling everything superior to
them.

“You’re a slow woman, aren’t you. That’s what I just

told you. There won’t be a second time. Go tell Kanon.
Don’t bring trouble to my hand.”

“… Why did Leigie-sama… to the likes of you…”

What an obstinate woman. I stand, and use a Skill. The

Skills I obtained upon reaching Lord Class will definitely
come into use in the upcoming war. There is nothing to be
lost in training them.

My thoughts accelerate. The world stops for a moment.

My body is light. In a single step, I approach her, grab her
by the neck, and lift her. It wasn’t until her neck was
strangled that Lize showed surprise for the first time.

“Gu… wha… go…”

“I told you there wasn’t a second time… Hm, to be

lead inspector at this level, their quality sure has
dropped over the years.”

Frail. Way too frail. Compared to Leigie-sama, just how

frail is this world? If I just put in a little power, it feels
everything will break.
 Lize’s face is tinted purple. Her Flames of Wrath lick my
arms, but for me who’s even Overruled Kanon’s flames,
there’s no way it would work.

…Hm, useless. There’s not even any worth in killing her.

With one hand, I throw her at the wall. I did make sure to
hold back. I doubt she’ll die from that. You still have the
crucial job of reporting my words to Kanon.

Everything is moving slowly. This is one of the Skills of a

Demon Lord of Pride.

『The Only Lord』

It greatly elevates one’s speed of perception, to make the

world your own. It’s the furthest land of pride that holds
meaning only since I’ve trained my body to this level.

Me sitting back on the throne, and Lize hitting the wall

happened almost simultaneously. The room shakes greatly,
and pebbles fall from up high.

The Castle of Shadows is, in itself, father’s mausoleum.

I’ll have to fix it up and renovate it. In place of a fortress, a
splendid palace.

I’ll also have to reorganize the army. Neither Medea nor

Deije are here anymore.

Naturally, there’s also the option of me venturing forth

alone. The reason three brigades existed was largely
because father never went out himself.

“… The world is in my hands, is it?”

 Just how much value does the world hold? If I get my
hands on all of it, will I understand that? Just what was the
Superbia Great Demon King of old thinking of when he
tried to get his hands on it? It sounds to me like a
completely worthless notion, but so be it. Dominate the
entire world, and making my name known across it doesn’t
sound bad as a temporary goal.

“… Heard-sama…”

“Enter.”

A reserved knock came from the door. I already recognize

this existence. A demon Lord’s perception is far wider than
a normal Demon’s. But even if I weren’t a Demon Lord, I
probably would have noticed. That’s just how excited that
presence was.

The one who entered with a slightly stiff face was Hiero.
A Demon of Pride. The younger sister of Lorna of Lust, and
a woman who pursues pride with a path different to mine.
Perhaps because the door was opened, or because a hole
had been made in the wall, a cold air drifts in.

“… You crushed Leigie-sama, didn’t you.”

“Yeah, Leigie-sama was strong.”

“… Congratulations, your Demon Lord Excellency. I,

Hiero will serve you with all my might.”

“… Hm, cease with the useless babble. What

business do you have with me?”

“Ye… yes!”
 Her expression as she kneeled was pale, and there are
tears surfacing in her eyes. Even without looking at her, I
can tell her arms and legs are shaking lightly.

Fear… is it?

What a useless Demon. Even if you hold reverence for the

strong, if you remain fearful, you’ll never be able to
Overrule them. That is the lone taboo among Pride.

“The truth is… well…”

“Make it short. You won’t get another chance.”

“… Medea escaped.”

“… I see.”

I glare at Hiero. What a useless woman. To let an Envy

Demon that had weakened to that extent escape, just how
incorrigible is she? Disgrace. That is the most unforgivable
deed to me. This doesn’t change even if the other side’s a
Pride Demon like me.

I stand before her. I understand the true colors of the

fear on her face. I’ve seen it countless times in my long
years of life… The eyes of prey as they look upon their
predator.

A smart woman. She thinks much better than her sister.

And she is likely correct. If she tried to run away for her
failure, even if she fled to the greatest depths of hell, I
would chase her down and kill her. Kill her with all
certainty. Slay her gruesomely. Make her regret being born
into this world.
 But since she reported it herself, I’ll bury her in a single
blow.

“Let’s hear your final words.”

What returned from Hiero’s lips wasn’t a plea for life.

With a shaking voice, she looked up at me.

“… Please tell my just one thing. After overruling

even Leigie-sama, what is there left for you to do,
Heard-sama.”

“… Hm, that’s obvious, is it not? I’ll…”

… Take the world in my hand, and have Leigie-sama’s

name ring true through it.

When I was about to say that, Hiero let out a light sneeze.
I knit my brow. Seeing my expression, she hurriedly makes
an apology.

“I-I deeply apologize. It’s just that… it’s so cold…”

Hiero holds her arms, and not out of fear for me, shakes
her body.

It definitely is cold. Before I noticed it, Frost had begun

to set in on the floor. The room’s temperature is already
well below freezing point. The hole in the wall is quite far,
and until a little while ago, it shouldn’t have been this cold.
This is a clearly abnormal situation.

“… Strange. What is happening?”

If I look back on my few million year of existence, I don’t

think something like this has happened before. Unlike
Hiero, as a Demon Lord, I have a Resistance to cold. This
level poses no problem. But it’s unsettling that I don’t know
the cause.

Hiero sneezes once more, and offers another excuse.

“… T-today sure is cold, isn’t it…”

“… Don’t be stupid, there’s no way the temperature

can drop this low in the middle of the day.”

In the first place, even normal Demons should have

enough Resistances to let them pay no mind to fluctuations
in temperature on the level of natural phenomena. I probe
through everywhere within my Zone. But searching with a
Skill I was using for the first time didn’t really feel right in
my hands. The further I tried to look, the duller my senses
became.

Abnormal Weather? It definitely is winter, but this is…

Lize finally gets up from the crushed wall. Her hair clings
to her face due to the blood flowing from it, but I can see a
sharp glare coming from the gaps in it.

“Heard Lauder. I won’t accept it. To kill your lord…”

“… Hm. I never had the intention of getting you to

accept it.”

The right to decide lies with Kanon alone. And even if

Kanon doesn’t accept me, then I just have to rule
everything and all will be settled. Lize’s body is clad in
crimson flame. The frost on the ground instantly
evaporates, and disappears into the air.

It’s a higher class Ira Skill. 『Breath of Flame』.

 What useless power. For you, who hasn’t even become a
Demon Lord, you won’t even be able to scratch me. That’s
the simple gap in our magic. Unless the difference is great
enough, you cannot overturn an Overrule.

Our eyes clash. Compared to Kanon, just how thin is her

Wrath. Diminutive. Your Wrath is lacking greatly in
something called weight.

Onto the Raging Lize’s side, Hiero shook as she walked.

Based on her positioning, I thought she was going to ask
for help, but she just began warming herself.

I look at her dumbfounded. Lize is the same. Hiero’s eyes

are open wide, and she squats.

“… What the hell are you doing?”

“…Uu… it’s cold…”

The form of her shaking as she held up the palms of her

hand to the flame could only be looked on as a joke, given
the situation, but the individual was quite desperate.

But even so… the temperature has fallen even lower than
before.

Lize doesn’t matter anymore. I can kill her in an instant,

and her attacks can’t even be compared to a deteriorated
Kanon. I can Overrule her. But this cold is dangerous.
That’s what my accumulated and sharpened experience
was telling me. As she shakes, Hiero looks up at me.

“… Heard-sama, did you properly deliver a finishing

blow to Leigie-sama?”
 “I crushed his Soul Core. He’s perished without a
doubt.”

Once their Soul Core heart is destroyed, a Demon cannot

continue to exist.

“Then why is it so cold… it’s definitely related in

some way…”

I understand what she’s trying to say. Let it be so. With

this timing, it’s unthinkable that there’s no correlation. But
there should be no Sloth Skill to drop temperature. At the
very least, I’ve never bared witness to one in my many
years of life. In the first place, a Demon’s Desire can take
shape in the Flames of Wrath, but there is no variant that
controls ice.

The moment I begun to frown, I sensed something

unbelievable happen. As if a pillar of ice had been inserted
into my spine, a cold impact ran up my body.

“… My 『Zone』 was broken, you say…”

“… Kusu kusu, see~ it’s because you didn’t see

Leigie-sama off ‘til the end… achoo.”

“… You, I’m surprised you can laugh at a time like

this…”

The atmosphere is repainted. From a heavy pressurized

air… to a frozen, dark and gloomy one. It was definitely not
the familiar 『Acedia』 of my father. It’s not Greed or Lust
or Wrath or Gluttony or Envy or even Pride.

Lize’s face distorts.

“Wh at… this presence is…”

 “What Demon Lord is this… no, is it even a Demon
Lord?”

The instant I perceived it, my legs arbitrarily began to

race towards it. My vision flows by with great speed.

I hold no interest in either Lize or Hiero. There’s no way

any interest would rise towards existences I could just kill
off at any time. Silver curtains had been lowered on the
Castle of Shadows. White piled up snow, and large pillars of
ice that even extended to the ceiling.

And… the suspended form of the retainers. With pale

expressions of fear, the hardened retainer’s body shook.
Cold… He’s been completely frozen.

“… Hm, this definitely isn’t natural.”

The magic lurking here is the same as what broke my

Zone.

Sloth and Greed and Lust and Gluttony and Pride, and
even Wrath that had the corresponding flames to deal with
it, everything had been frozen indiscriminately. The closer
and closer I got to the mass of power, the lower the
temperature fell.

On the way forward, I spotted a familiar Demon, and

stopped for a moment. Lorna had been frozen with a
peaceful expression as she pushed a cart. There was no
fear on her face. Without being given the time to fear, she
had been frozen instantly.

What frightening power.

This output rivals the flames of Ira.

 This scope rivals the wave of Gula.

Interesting. How suitable for my first opponent as a

Demon Lord.

I’m starting to see the future my new power holds. I can’t

help but start to see it take shape.

Hiero already said it, but for an opponent to be able to

use skills with this output, if you ignore the possibility of an
outside invader, there’s only one within the Castle of
Shadows. No… there should only be one.

The door had been frozen shut with pale blue ice. I
forcefully ripped open the door to Father’s room.

It was as if all time in the room had stopped.

On the sight that entered my eyes, I felt my own heart

become astir.

Everything was covered in frost, and the temperature

pierced even through my cold Resistance. Within that
frozen land, a single man sat on an armchair with his knees
hugged close to his body. It’s definitely my father, whose
Soul Core should have been crushed. It’s so quiet I cannot
even tell whether he’s alive or dead. … I try to take a step
forward, and instinctively recall my leg. I look down on my
foot, and open my eyes wide.

“… What… is this…”

My leg had been completely frozen over. I have no feeling

in it. There’s not even any pain. As if it had been reduced to
inorganic substance, its smooth and shiny surface catches
the light in a dubious way. I try putting the palm of my
hand to it. It’s extremely hard, and cold. A dim pain runs up
my arm. Resistance type skills generally grow the more you
take damage from that attribute. I did have a resistance to
the flames of Wrath, but I only have a low level one for ice.

If you ask why… of the skills permitted to Demons by the

Seven Original Sins, from the start, there were no ice
attribute attacks. I unintentionally sighed.

“Father… for you to be hiding a trump card this

severe…”

It’s a power I never anticipated. My sigh freezes in the

air, and a faint sound rings out as it falls to the floor as
small beads of ice. I take a step into the room. A silver
world close to absolute zero. Without sound, or dust or
anything to exist to taint the pure air. By the time my half-
frozen feet had stepped forward, ice quickly began
encroaching all over my body. It’s as I thought. The
temperature in this room is on another level from that
outside. The area ahead’s sealed off with a barrier, it
seems.

“… But there is nothing more suitable for the one

that is Master.”

That’s right. I thought I had won all too easily. I thought

that there was no way that was all he had. I mean, when it
looked like it was over, there wasn’t a single wound on my
body.

The encroaching ice stops.

As if I would be done in by something like a barrier. My

pride alone is the only thing I’ve taken with me into this
dead world.
 Every time I take a step ahead, a wave of power burns my
skin. Its outputs falls in no way short of Wrath. The zone
doesn’t permit resistance, and this frozen-over stagnant
world can be none other than Father’s perfect world. A
cruel world where neither my speed nor my power hold any
meaning.

If I don’t exert all of my power, I would turn to ice in an

instant. Just like the Demons outside.

“… Well, well… how useless am I…”

But breaking everything head on is my Superbia. Plans

are unnecessary before my Pride.

My memories resurface. Always alone, the one who stood

above me. My absolute creator. No matter how much his
actions and appearance were of Sloth, that all was
irrelevant. The power of Sloth. Just having that was
enough.

Ah, just how strong, how beautiful it is. In the vast

Demon World, and even the heavens, there cannot exist
something this complete, this beautiful.

And that’s exactly why I have meaning.

“… I will surpass this.”

I really know not when to give up. I don’t know by what

theory he still lives when his Soul Core was crushed, but
once more, I’ll sink you into the depths of Sheol.

I declare to my Master, whose head is lowered into the

knees he hugged to himself. His unmoving arms, which
were already white, have surpassed that, and they’ve
become transparent like ice. White frost has descended on
his hair as black as mine.

His form was so lifeless, I almost lost interest in

attacking. The distance is half a meter. If I extend my hand,
I can reach him easily. But his fleeting existence was one
that felt as if it would break if I set my hand on it. At that
moment, father’s face slowly rose.

Like glass balls, his emotionless eyes looked at me

without any meaning. The glint in them had much more
color than before, and his eyes were filled with much more
dark despair. Even for one who had served him forever, it
was the first time I saw that expression.

And Father’s mouth that barely did any work opened

ever-so-slightly, and began to move.
 Chapter 8
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: I Met a Single Hero

This is perhaps the oldest memory I have.

Of when I hadn’t even become a Demon Lord, and was

just a bit of a Lazy Demon. I met a single Hero. She was a
Hero with lovely silver hair, and her strength… looking
back now, I can say she wasn’t particularly strong.
Anyways, she had transparent courage like a diamond, and
her eyes held a strong will honed like a blade. Including my
past life, she was the most beautiful thing I gazed upon.

Serge of the Silver Blue. That was the Hero’s name.

Just a little bit stronger than others, just a little bit

talented, and incidentally, a little bit courageous. The name
of a girl with nothing but that to her name. The name of a
warrior, who, even though it was the most she could do to
defeat Demons of the lowest rank, she held reckless
dreams, and descended into the Demon World by her
lonesome self.

Compared to Humans, the Demon World’s Demons are

transcendentally strong. Therefore, a teenage girl
challenging the Demon World was, without any discussion,
simply foolish, and it’s probable that her luck was
exceedingly good for me to have been the first one she met.
I won’t move.

My fight with Serge was the height of violence. Against

me, who simply remained limp and sprawled out, the aloof
Hero continued to swing her Holy Sword alone.

Her will, and spirit were sufficient in themselves, but the

difference in power was clear as day. Those attacks were
only barely able to scratch me, and those wounds instantly
disappeared. I didn’t have any Skills that could kill Serge,
nor did I have the will, and Serge’s power was only barely
able to overcome my VIT. It was a foolish repetition of the
same act over and over again, a death match that would
never end. Perhaps it wasn’t something that could even be
called a battle. If I had to say, I had the advantage, but even
with it, I lacked the means to issue a decisive blow. Even
so, the girl who didn’t take a step back even after
encountering a situation that would go on for eternity’s
way of life was definitely that of a Hero, and it made me
recall that this was indeed another world.

And at the same time, I thought. If I worked hard enough

that I oozed blood, if I trained my heart out, if I became
strong, I could defeat this Hero.

That might be fine for me. Demon Lords are ones who
eventually have to subjugate Heroes. Even for one who
rarely played any games in my past life, I at least knew
that. For the Demon Lord, that was the Happy Ending. It’s
not like I’m living here because I like it. It’s just because I
hate death that I continue to live on…

… But even that, if it’s for this Hero’s sake, I thought I

could endure it.
 Our reunion happened five years later. I had counted the
days, so I remember it clearly.

Serge had grown.

From a girl who, while strong for a human, compared to

Demons, wasn’t particularly strong; who couldn’t kill a
single Demon of Sloth, and where the only thing that
excelled in her was her courage, to one who, could take on
a General Class Demon who was born, raised and trained in
this great warring era one on one. Top Class within all of
humanity… their supreme blade.

In game terms, perhaps she was a broken character.

No, that would be an insult to her. I have no idea just how

much training she put in. Enough to make her spit up
blood, where if a constantly enervated individual like me
were to undertake it, I would give in in a few minutes.
There’s no doubt she repeated a training like that. In those
five years, how many adventures has she had? For someone
who did nothing but sleep like me, I had no ways of
knowing. What I know is but two things. Two simple truths.

She had become a Hero who could evenly match blows

with a General Class Demon.

And I had become a Demon Lord.

This age, this world is cruel, fleeting, and useless.

The Demon World obeys the laws of the jungle. My Sloth

had surpassed Serge’s effort. That is all. The fighting spirit
Serge devoted her life to, the blade that was once able to
deliver the slightest of scratches to me, couldn’t even cut a
strand of my hair by the time we met again. An
insurmountable gap had been born between us.
 It’s not always certain that hard work will be rewarded.
That miserable and desolate law from my past life applied
to this world as well.

This is something I can only say after having seen the

result.

Even though Serge could barely scratch me in the first

match, she didn’t feel she had to retreat. That as long as
she could injure me in the slightest, it was her duty to kill
me. That was her first, and last chance. And as she was a
human, she was unable to escape the shackles of her
lifespan. She had lost that opportunity for all eternity.

She shed tears as she held her sword aloft. That Hero’s
eyes were, just as when we first met, beautiful, and
ephemeral, and looking at the edge of her blade that
sparkled like a shooting star, I became sleepy, and dozed
off.

When I awoke, what entered my eyes was the form of a

kneeling Hero with large tears streaming down her face.
The Holy Sword had lost its light, and having been reduced
to a normal hunk of iron, it had been casually pierced into
the ground. There wasn’t a single wound on Serge. That’s
obvious. It’s because I haven’t laid a single finger on her.
But the Hero who would always fight on, no matter what
serious injuries she suffered, even if an arm or a leg were
blown off, had been reduced to a sobbing little girl.

Not a fragment of fighting spirit remains in her hollow

eyes.

It was as if I had broken something within her.

From the moment I first met her, what I felt probably was
love. Probably. I don’t remember it anymore, but looking
back, I think it might have been something like that.
However, in the end, I cannot remember what became of
that Hero. All I know is that the exploits of the one called
the overworld’s shining star of hope, Serge of the Silver
Blue came to an end that day.

… The King of Depravity.

It had always been strange. It was always one of the

questions I had from the time I reincarnated.

Why do the other demons have that fiery black glint in

their souls? Why do they rage and seek and despise and
violate and eat and envy?

Why can’t they just quietly sleep? If they want power as a

Demon… just sleeping would be more than enough.

Why do they try so hard to be active? A Demon’s body, if

it does nothing but sleep, unlike the humans who can live a
hundred years at most, can live hundreds and thousands
and millions of years. An endless time, it seems.

I realized that that was a mistake a long time later.

An uncountable number of years passed. I put a countless

number of Demons, Heroes and even Angels to sleep, and
eventually, someone started calling me some useless name
like the 『King of Depravity』 . When I had become widely
acknowledged, I finally realized it.

Ah, this is their nature.

To them, raging, and seeking, and despising, and

violating, and envying is their very reason for living, and
the validation for their life.
 What a useless talk. It’s not that they can’t sleep. They
can’t bring themselves to stay sleeping. In order to refine
their souls. To summarize, our resolve was different, and
for the Demon Lord of Sloth who simply lived without any
meaning, it was likely something he would never be able to
understand in his entire overly-long life.

I was never thinking of anything. Power never really

mattered. I never had any plans to prove my existence.
From the time I lived in peaceful Japan, I barely had any
desire. No hobbies. In the space left by my lack of purpose,
sleep was the only thing that could fill my heart.
Apparently, this isn’t an uncommon story for youths living
in modern society. If they were to be reincarnated into this
world, they might all end up as Sloth Demons like me.

I never had a goal. If you forced me to say it, then Sloth

itself was my goal, and compared to the Demons who were
longing for the power that lay at the end of their desires,
that is probably the reason I was able to become a Demon
Lord more quickly.

A Boring story. A world where idleness turns into hard

work. To me, who did nothing but sleep… to me, who did
nothing but sleep meaninglessly, Demons and Humans and
Angels got on their knees. Within them, there were even
other Demons of Sloth.

Depravity? Wrong. To me, this is just my life style. I’m

one who will do what I must when the time comes. It’s just
that that time never came for me.

Just by closing my eyes, I could gradually feel my own

power increasing. I didn’t care. The skills I could use, the
things I could do gradually increased. Proportionally, the
scope of my activities gradually narrowed. With the power
of my Skills, I didn’t need to eat or use the restroom. Even
breathing became unnecessary. But I didn’t care about that
either.

… Please, just let me sleep.

A break of a week can put your sense of time in a mess.

At the very least, that’s how it was for me. A week became
a day, and I started to feel them as seconds. But I didn’t
need time. Only years started passing. The enemies and
allies around me change.

I wasn’t counting, but probably after around eighty years

had passed. When even sleeping started to feel like a pain,
I noticed. No, perhaps it’s something new I obtained at that
time.

A power to put myself to sleep. Just as the Sloth Skill

Tree had awakened in me, like an adjoined tree of
interlocking branches, a single new Skill Line.

『Melancholia』

Of Sloth that governs cold despair, and anxiety, a

Subtree.

And once more, the meaningless loser was able to lie

around like garbage. Where effort and training and even
emotions held no meaning, a world covered in pure
darkness. It was, like a thin layer of ice, cold, fleeting, and
beautiful.

Part 2: I’m Not Satisfied With This World Yet

“It’s really… depressing.”

 Making a small sound, the air loses its heat and freezes.
It’s cold. Nothing but cold. As if from the depths of my
body, the depths of my heart, heat was stolen away. But at
the same time, Sloth’s cold resistance isn’t one that can be
breached by temperature of this level.

It was a lovely silver world. Everything was white and

frozen solid, and the air that had lost any speck of dust was
as serene as a high mountain peak.

Before my eyes, a man had completely frozen. A black-

haired, tall man. Even from over his clothes, I could clearly
see his trained body and magic. In his eyes that had been
suspended in an open state, what was reflected was
resignation and anxiety, and at the same time, strong
delight. His mouth had curved into a smile. I extend my
legs from the armchair, and gently stand up. From my feet,
I feel a piercing cold like never before, but I grit my teeth,
and endure it.

My power of Sloth has declined. Sloth doesn’t even

permit standing. It’s not that I don’t stand up. I can’t stand.
I can’t move. Such is the curse of Sloth.

But to someone like me who doesn’t care about power, I

don’t care about that concept either.

Perhaps because the origin of my power has shifted to

Melancholia, my heart was simply heavy.

I gently put my hand on the man’s solid expression. It’s a

familiar face. He’s a man who’s attached himself to me
since times long passed. I don’t remember his name, but
his appearance had been firmly etched into my mind.

“… Are you satisfied yet…”

 “…”

With a cracking sound, through my finger, the power

from the right of my chest, from the second Soul Core that
manifested upon me unlocking Melancholia expanded.
Around the man whose figure had been frozen, water
circles, and he’s encased in a block of ice.

It’s a 『Melancholia』 Skill to birth a coffin of ice.

『Freezing Grave』.

I walk past the man who had completely become a pillar

of ice.

I guess it’s been around a hundred years since my birth,

and never have I properly fought or even trained. Even so,
why is it that in this world where strength is everything, I
have yet to face a single loss?

I like sleeping. I like lying on top of the bed without any

purpose, and wasting time on nothingness. Being able to
eat without doing anything is wonderful, and I’m relatively
pleased that the cleaning gets done without me. It was
something I could never get my hands on back when I was
living in Japan.

Even so, I relatively like the thing called hard work. No,
more than like, I believed in it. I’m not going to do it
though. Even so, I can believe in whatever I want, right?

“What a worthless world… this Demon World…”

More so than the Demon World, this entire world is

worthless.
 This world is harsh and cruel. Earth had its fair share of
cruelties, but this Demon World is much more brutal.

I just didn’t pay mind to it. No, I didn’t forgive it. That
Serge, who repeated severe training and sharpened her
fangs to take down a Demon Lord was defeated by a man
who never did anything.

My broken Sloth Soul Core leisurely restores itself. In

proportion to that, my head got heavier.

It’s depressing. It’s just depressing. The cold darkness

that had piled up in the depths of my heart.

That feeling I occasionally felt even while I was sleeping

was probably the reason behind me unlocking Melancholia.
In the past, I always felt depressed before stepping out to
go to work or to school, so perhaps that could have been
the cause, but I have no means of confirming that, and I
don’t care.

My vision grows darker.

I pass through the door that had been frozen open. The
floor that had been lightly dusted with frost was instantly
covered in ice. With a crunching sound below me, I ran
down the corridor. My perception that extended over my
entire territory was extremely troublesome, and no matter
how much time passes, I’ll never get used to it.

Because of my muddy stream of emotions, I slumped with

my arm against the wall. Centered around the point I
touched, a white power expands. Without a single sound,
everything is covered in perpetually constant ice.

In the past, when I first reincarnated into this world,

there was one who taught me about Skills. If you’ll let me
be honest for a moment, I didn’t know what they meant. Of
the powers Demons possessed, there were ones that, of
Skills themselves, they stole and copied and nullified and
ate and annihilated, and other incomprehensible stuff, it
seems. There were unfathomable powers with which in one
hit, everything would be over. It was too much.

I thought it was impossible. Nonsense. I don’t want to die

yet. And there shouldn’t be anyone out there that wants to.
I mean, it’s not like the world of hell is certain to be easier
than the one we live in. Those feelings were ones I held in
my previous life, at least up to the point I died, and even
after having lived a long life as a Demon, they haven’t
changed a bit.

And so, I didn’t lose. And so, I’m still alive. Without
thinking anything, I took down those incomprehensible
powers. Separated from the flow of time, I shut myself in
with nothing but the Acedia Card to protect my body, and
the one that would indiscriminately suspend my functioning
and bring me into that dark world, the Melancholia Card.

I’ve only ever wished one thing from those two trump
cards.

… Please, just let me sleep. In silence. In sloth.

“Wha… Leigie…sama? What… is…”

The one who appeared around the corner was the Ira
Demon. Lize Bloodcross. She’s probably the greatest anti-
thesis to my being. An attribute that scatters shining
flames. One incompatible with me, who likes to hide away
in damp and dark places.

“Why… Leigie-sama is… walking…”

 “There… are even times when I want to walk.”

Even like this, I generally commuted in the swaying train

to work every day. It’s stranger to… think I can’t stand. In
the first place, it’s common sense that all Demons have
basic physical abilities surpassing humans, so when the
human me could walk, there’s no way the Demon me would
be unable to. Her body is cloaked in an armor of flame.
She’s using her mysterious Wrath Powers to stand against
this freezing land. I turn my gaze to the left. A golden-
haired Demon who’s trying to stay hidden in the shadows.

Step by step, I quietly move my legs forward. We’re about

thirty centimeters apart. In a trance-like state, Lize
continued to look at me.

“Wai… Lize-san! It’s danger…”

“Eh…?”

She’s thrust away, and my hand touches air. But in her

place, my hand brushes the gold-haired Demon’s hair.

“Why are… moving… it’s a fraud… kusu kus…”

In an instant, that girl’s time stopped. With eyes that

were about to burst into tears, and warped lips as if she
was forcing herself to laugh.

“… I see.”

Even me, based on how I feel… there are even times I

think about going out for a stroll.

Is that a fraud? Why a fraud? Who out there decided that

it’s no good for Demons of Sloth to move?
 Lize hurriedly runs up to the frozen Demon.

“Hiero!? Leigie-sama w-why… to an ally…”

Why? For what reason? That’s simple.

“Because I want to sleep peacefully.”

“Hah!? Eh? You want… to sleep?”

“… Also, this… I can’t actually control it.”

“Eh? What an annoying…”

My outstretched hand grazed Lize’s shoulder. Her flames

go out in an instant, and like that, she ceases. With an
idiotic expression unthinkable for one who governed Wrath,
she doesn’t move anymore. And even if it’s something I
brought about myself, I feel endless sorrow and emptiness.
At the same time, I feel the Melancholy Tree advancing
onwards.

Just how fleeting is this world… Just how fragile is it…

Is that the very reason why the Melancholy Tree within

me slowly continues to advance? An unsightly emotion. For
me who lived in nothing but depravity, I should have no
right to despair for the world.

In some quiet place, I just want to be alone. Within this

fortress, there are no longer any Demons that can move.
But even the icy pillars of their existences are annoying.

Right… I’ll climb the tower. The highest place in this

castle. In the past, someone once carried me to its top.
Perhaps about ten years ago? The uninterrupted sight of
the black fortress expanding to a bright red horizon in the
distance.

If I were to look at it now, I’m certain I would experience

a sentimental feeling.

Part 3: Something Good will Definitely Happen Tomorrow

For some reason, tears came out. Before something that

truly moves them, can people truly do nothing but let the
tears flow out? Even those tears turn to ice the moment
they touch my skin, and fall to the ground in beads.

Clad over the black earth, a ridiculously large structure.

Limitlessly sturdy, boorish and glass smooth stones were
stacked up to make the fortress, and even for me who
hasn’t the slightest familiarity with architecture, I can see
it wasn’t built in a matter of a few years.

Differing to what I had become accustom to on Earth, the

Demon World’s pale blue moon, and red sky were
frighteningly captivating, and simply beautiful. As if to
clearly speak that this was a Fantasy World, and without
any discussion, I knew it spoke the truth.

The top of the tower was constructed so that from it, you
could look out in all directions. The large four glass
windows installed in a circle looked down upon the ground,
but for me, one window was more than enough.

“… Hah…”

Upon being exposed to my sigh, the window’s glass

cracks without a sound. The fortress without the presence
of a single lifeform was cruelly quiet, and cruelly empty.
 White grains start falling from the sky. Even if I didn’t
reach out to catch one in my hand, I understood. There is
no snow in the Demon World. So for me, it was my first
snow in several decades. Looking at it like this, I’m forced
to remember.

“I want to get under a kotatsu…”

AS if in correspondence with my feelings, the glass froze

over, and shattered into even smaller pieces. The snow
starts falling harder, and a snowstorm overtakes the castle.
… It’s not like I’m wishing for any of this, you know.

Snow falls. The Sloth Core that should have been crushed
into small pieces has mostly recovered. For someone like
me who possesses Sloth Skills, something like the coldness
of snow isn’t enough to affect me. But perhaps the fact that
a cold sensation comes over me when I touch it is due to
my memories from back on Earth.

The moment I thought that, the momentum of the snow

increased further. Gray and ominous clouds swirl in the sky,
and a vast number of beads of ice knock against the
ground. From here, I can’t even see over the Fortress
anymore. And that was sorrowful. As I thought that, the
clouds become heavier, and the gray completely turns to
black. As if a blackout had descended, the world was
wrapped in darkness.

… And of that, I simply felt extreme sorrow.

Piercing cold wind circles.

The Melancholia Tree… was the guy who created this

world a complete idiot? This is an infinite loop, isn’t it? No
matter how you look at it, this isn’t a desire, or a longing,
or anything…
 The power of Sloth starts to mix in with Melancholy.

Well, that’s yet another thing I don’t care about. All

things in creation are equally a pain, and all action holds no
meaning.

Perhaps because it was the first time I had walked on my

own feet in a while, my legs felt heavy. I sat down on the
spot.

Drowsiness soon came over me. It was, continuing on

from when I was a human, my greatest companion. My
heart is heavy. My eyelids are heavy. When I opened my
mouth, a small voice leaked out.

“… I’m becoming quite sleepy…”

Returning to the bed is a pain. In the first place, a bed

sealed in ice is nothing but hard. I lied down, and took a big
yawn.

There is neither a trace of movement, nor a presence

anywhere. For the time being, I should be able to sleep at
ease. I folded my arms, and closed my eyes. The black
darkness I had become accustom to. If I may pray, then I
hope that by the time I open my eyes once more, peace and
repose will have fallen onto the Demon World.

AS those noble and pure intentions filled my chest, I

heard a strange voice.

“… Without any interest for anything in creation,

the Lord of Depravity who merely lies at the top… is
it? Leigie’s past redemption, is he not?”

“Yes. But… I wonder why it is that this man never

turns Friendly Fire off…”
 “It’s exactly because he is Sloth, Lize. I’ll… talk with
Leigie for a little. You go check the others. If you find
anyone still sealed in ice, free them. With your Ira!”

“… Yes, understood.”

Of the two powers, the smaller one separated away. But

that doesn’t matter. What has captured my senses isn’t the
large presence before me, but the the countless number of
ones appearing within the fortress. Simply annoying
presences. What suddenly appeared before me as if it had
abruptly come into being was definitely one I had
completely frozen.

At some point… no, that doesn’t matter either. It matters

not when it happened.

… Yeah, it’s nothing but depressing.

Why is it that whenever I try to sleep, everything tries to

get in my way? Everything should be in a distant hell, in the
depths of a silent ice.

I forcefully open my heavy eyelids. I was shocked. I

slowly observed the surroundings.

… This can’t be…

“… It’s… morning…?”

When I closed my eyes, it was definitely night. At the very

least, it wasn’t a time of day where it could have become
morning in the next few minutes. That didn’t change from
that world to this one. A shared system. For night and day
to flip instantly, someone able to accomplish such an
absurd act shouldn’t exist in this vast Demon World.
 “… I see, so even before me, you can take on such
an attitude…”

… Great Demon King, Kanon.

The strongest Demon Lord who governs Wrath and

destruction. With my memory space that falls a bit short
when compared to humanity, it’s one of the few names I
remember. I turned onto my back, and looked up at her
shadow.

“Could it be… you…”

“… Ku… you haven’t changed in the slightest,

Leigie. Even when we’re meeting for the first in a long
time… Well, fine. So be it. Right, I was the one who
liberated the world you sealed.”

“… By turning night to day!? … when did you get

that sort of…”

What a dreadful Skill… While I’ll sleep regardless of

whether it be night or day, if I had to say, I’m a night
person. It’s nothing but my natural enemy. I cover my eyes
with my arm to intercept the sun’s light.

“W-wait. What are you even talking about?”

With my arm not being enough to block it all, I rolled my

body to the wall, and closed my eyes again. Now I can
finally take a rest.

… No, if you think about it calmly, I’ve been doing just

that for quite a while…

“No, it’s nothing…”

 “Nonono, as if it could be nothing! Ku why is it that
Leigie-niisama’s always like this!”

The room temperature rises all at once. It’s just a bit hot.
To get as much shade as possible, I pressed my body to the
wall. Kanon annoyingly lowered her staff onto the ground,
letting out quite a nostalgic sound.

“… And what business do you have… Kanon of

Ruin?”

The first response that came to my question was the

sound of the floor breaking. Just what is getting this girl so
angry…

“What business… you say? Leigie, you… do you even

understand what it is you’ve done?”

“Nope.”

I’m Sloth. There’s no way I would do anything.

“Ku… ah, fine. Fine. Leigie. That’s just the sort of

man you are. Let me give you a special explanation of
just what it is you’ve perpetuated.”

“No, I’m not particularly interested.”

“Just shut up and listen!”

Countless fist-sized balls of fire impact my body. I don’t

take any damage. For some reason, I’ve been attacked by
Demons of Wrath quite frequently, so of the many
resistances I have, my resistance to flame is the greatest.

“Listen, Leigie-niisama. You… You completely froze

over the entire territory you had been granted! … In
perpetual ice that would never melt by natural
means.”

“… I see.”

My sadness, my despair is higher than mountains, wider

than the sky, and deeper than the oceans. That’s all it
means. Well, for the time being, I’ll apologize.

“It wasn’t on purpose, please forgive me.”

“… Forgive!? How many years did you think it takes

to thaw frozen soil?”

“…”

There’s no way I would know something like that.

Thinking about it was pointless, so I gave up, and rolled
around. I have no pillow to hold, so my arms are feeling
exceedingly lonely. Kanon’s staff pierced the cuff of my
clothing. I kept rolling back and forth regardless, so the
edge of my shirt was ripped.

I blankly looked up at the Great Demon King. Flaming

crimson hair, and deep red eyes like pigeon’s blood. The
King of Destruction.

Seriously, just what did she come here for?

“Kanon.”

“… Be quiet. Talking to you drains my energy.”

“… Were you my sister?”

“!? … Ah!”

Kanon’s face is dyed bright red. I feel Wrath from her.

 I shouldn’t have any siblings. Now and in the past. … No,
could it be I’ve just forgotten them? Come to think of it,
perhaps they existed.

“L-Leigie… what you’re thinking right now is

probably wrong.”

“… I see.”

Then why am I a niisama? I closed my eyes, and started

to think, but it became a pain, so I gave up. That doesn’t
really matter. Call me whatever you like.

“Ahem.”

Kanon awkwardly clears her throat, and bends her hips

to match my eyelevel.

“Leigie, I came to clean up after you. No, in the first

place, I came because of a report that Heard was
going to dispose of your army’s generals, but…
finding the entire territory covered in ice was
unexpected…”

It’s more unexpected to me that you personally came for

such a trivial reason. Is the Great Demon King really just
bored? Please share your good fortune with me.

“Why did you seal your territory, the Castle of

Shadows, your people in ice? Why did Leigie-niisama,
who left everything to Heard Lauder, and never
actively moved perpetuate something like this at this
point in time?”

“…”
 Anything and everything doesn’t matter. Talking is a pain.
But if you force me to say it, what sealed them may have
been me, but it wasn’t me. The only ones I actively froze
were Lize, and that gold-head, and that single man who’s
served me since times long past.

The rest of them… simply received the side-effects of

Melancholia. They were merely frozen by that. They
couldn’t withstand the very fact that I existed there. I don’t
care about the surroundings, but how sad of a truth it must
be.

“Leigie-niisama, I’ve heard that Father was in your

care in the past. Father’s father as well, and even the
father before that were in your care. I myself, when I
was a child, I’m aware that you often looked after me.
So if possible, I don’t want to have to dispose of you.”

“Thank you?”

“Your welc… w-wrong. I wasn’t looking for your

thanks! The army is yours, niisama, and it’s not like I
came to ask you what you would do after losing your
generals or anything. The freezing, and the skill you
used that I have no recollection of, right now, that
doesn’t really matter. All I want to ask is but one, a
single simple question…”

Kanon has a serious expression as she looks into my eyes.

As if the answer was lying somewhere deep inside of them.
But that’s probably a mistake. I’m sure my eyes are as
empty as ever. Looking for it is a waste of time.

“Niisama… do you plan on rebelling against me,

against Kanon?”
 Those words triggered a vivid flashback from the depths
of my memory.

Kanon of Ruin. One who was able to injure me, a rare

Demon Lord of Wrath specializing in attack power.
Regardless of enemy or ally, all that came into contact with
her Wrath were reduced to ash; the King of Destruction.
And that was something from quite a while ago. Her
current power should be greater than it was back then.
Perhaps even great enough to pierce through my Sloth.

What… a pain. I’m in despair.

“Wha… niisama!?”

Kanon hurriedly lifts her face. On her beautiful Glossy

hair, and her ruby-like eyes, and everything else, a thin
layer of frost descended.

“Could it be… you really plan on opposing me!?”

Flames dance, and cover her figure. Through the

flickering crimson flames, I see an expression of shock. The
frost instantly melts and disappears. Flames to melt the ice.
Meaning this was what melted the ice on this land, is it?
Kanon’s eyebrows lift for a moment, before going back
down. She spoke, as if to reassure herself.

“No… that’s wrong. There’s no way a Lord of Sloth

would ever do something so troublesome… right, of
all things, niisama wouldn’t do anything that required
so much activity.”

That train of thought is strange. Why does everyone keep

saying its so strange for Sloth to move. That’s wrong. The
reason I don’t move is, considering the merits of moving,
and the merits of not, the latter offers a higher strategic
advantage. And so, if an enemy comes, I’ll fight, and it ends
up that moving will get rid of troublesome things easier, I
will move. In Tokyo, I would die if I didn’t work, so I
worked. To summarize, everything… depends on the
situation.

It seems that among Sloth Demons, there are many who

will quietly let themselves get destroyed. Could it be that
they’re idiots? Resist, man. Are you guys supposed to be
shellfish or something? No, even a shellfish would offer
some resistance.

In particular, Melancholia offers some offensive power to

the defensive Acedia. As if to offer that melancholy, that
dark depression onto others. It covers Sloth’s weak points
quite nicely.

I reach out my hand, and touch Kanon’s. On that gesture,

Kanon’s movements stopped.

… Just like this.

“Freezing Grave.”

“Eh…?”

Kanon raises a stupid sound, before being sealed in a

coffin of ice in the same position she was in. Her expression
was somewhat innocent, and it’s hard to think of her as the
Great Demon Lord, the recipient of everyone’s awe. Even if
you call her the Great Demon King, she’s only at this level.

And of that, I felt sorrow. I let out a sigh. Just what is to

become of this world.

“Hah… how depressing…”

 “Wai… W-what the hell are you doing! K-kanon-
sama!?”

Lize, who had just come through the door, frantically runs
over to the sealed Kanon. She touched the transparent
high-quality ice that enclosed the suspended Great Demon
King. Her cramped face looked down on me.

“Leigie… of Sloth. Like hell… this is a fraud. Even

the one who dominates destruction and flames,
Kanon-sama was… even if it was a surprise attack, in
a single blow!? Lord of Sloth, why is it that you
continue to resign yourself to Rank Three!!?”

“…”

How troublesome. I don’t want status. I don’t plan on

becoming some Great Demon King, and I don’t need the
world. If I can continue living without it, then I don’t even
need power.

… I merely ask for a rest deeper than all.

My mood lowers. Nothing matters at all.

It was Sloth along with Melancholy. Nihility is truth, and

depression. That is the longings that I govern.

Depravity and resignation, escape and decay, suspension

and stagnation, inertia and dejection.

The Melancholy Soul Core that had grown within me

some day or another covers my body in a chilling, cold
power. Something like this has never happened before. Is it
because my Sloth has grown dim, or that they’re out of
balance? Well, that is yet another thing that doesn’t matter.
What’s done is done. The power that had flowed out once,
as if the dam had been broken, sinks everything into a hell
of depression. Answering to my feelings, ice spreads out,
and the fortress Kanon thawed was iced over once more.
The moisture solidifies, and the air turns cold. The Flames
of Wrath Lize had hurriedly let out wrap around my body,
but without being able to break through my Sloth’s
resistance, they disappear without giving me a single
wound.

In this annoying world, at least a little peace and quiet. I

manifest a fist-sized ball of white light on the palm of my
hand. It’s a Skill I’m using for the first time, but I can
understand. The power coming from it is incomparable to
before. Melancholy Skills can’t even save the User from
being part of their target. I guess even I’ll be locked in Ice
that will never melt. But I won’t die from it. Perhaps that’s
fine, in and of itself.

Oh world, fall into depraved suspension. The ball of light

lets off a silvery flash as it’s deployed.

Now sleep if you will.

『Absolute Requiem』

“Wait… nu…”

Lize, who tried to deploy flames, was sucked in by the

power, and frozen in the same posture. The silver arrows
pouring out from the rising ball of light spread over the
world like shooting stars. Its scope far surpasses the extent
of my Zone. Wherever the arrow sticks into, the cold air
deployed around it automatically takes control of the area
without a sound, and changes it into a white world. It didn’t
take long for all moving things to have disappeared from
the world. It’s not like I can perceive the outside of my
Zone, though, but its influence should extend beyond it.

The only thing I didn’t expect was…

“… So my Sloth’s resistance is the stronger of the

two…”

… In a world where all creation was put to sleep equally, I

was the only one who didn’t experience the effects. Well, so
be it.

If that’s the case, then I’ll just sleep normally. Alone, in

solitude, I’ll sleep quietly.

When I was about to close my eyes, I noticed. It seems

the world won’t let me sleep so easily.

“… I. Get. It… I got it, I understand, niisama. Your

goal is…”

“…”

The ice that Kanon was locked in had silently melted. The
Great Demon King’s slim figure was wrapped in a thin layer
of high heat. It’s a heat that even exceeds my Melancholy.
But in her eyes, there’s no anger. Kanon’s Wrath is only
ever pointed at enemies. Does she not see me as an enemy
yet? Well, that’s true. I have no enemies.

… No allies either.

To escape from reality, I turn my face away. But what a

pain.

She broke it. The ice seal. So she can break it by herself.
My power. As I thought, Wrath is the power to deal with
Sloth and Melancholy. I myself have no enemies, but Wrath
can be called the natural enemy of the Sins that I govern, I
guess.

“Niisama… you just want to sleep, right?”

Those were eyes filled with pity. A transparent voice.

Nothing really matters. And her niisama, niisama is getting
annoying. She has no intentions of healing that habit, does
she.

“… Niisama…?”

“T-that doesn’t matter right now, does it!? Ah,

dammit. Why is it that after all this, I don’t feel any
hostility or killing intent from him!? Niisama always
has to… dull my Ira.”

“… I see.”

If it really feels that way to you, then it’s simply because I

have no hostility or killing intent. Up until now, I have
never killed another of my own distinct will. Probably, it
should be like that. I mean, in order to spend days in Sloth,
I don’t need to kill others.

Having completely recovered, Kanon stabbed her staff

into the ground. Her body has no injuries.

And after hesitating for a moment, she made an

announcement with a clear voice.

Her tone held a strong will in it. Just like the Flames of
Wrath she governed, with bright energy, power on the level
that I could understand why she was the Great Demon
King. And miraculously, it was what Serge possessed, long
ago.
 “… Leigie of the Slaughterdolls… As the Great
Demon King, I hereby declare. You are a failure as a
Demon Lord. Even if you may be a Demon, doing
something as outrageous as freezing over your own
land, and covering it in ice and snow is something
difficult to forgive.”

“… I see.”

“As punishment… niisama’s rank will be demoted to

the very lowest.”

“… I see.”

“Your land will also be confiscated. All you’ll keep is

this Castle of Shadows.”

“… I see.”

From the start, that was all unnecessary to me. I don’t

have any particular feelings for it. Ranking and place, go
give it to someone worthy who actually wants it.

Without a sound, golden flames flow out of her staff. It

isn’t hot. But the Fortress’s ice melts, and it touches all the
earth as it expands. It’s a volume of power worthy of the
Great Demon King. I feel power equal to or exceeding the
Demon Lord I fought not too long ago. In a voice tinged
with fatigue, but without letting it spread to her expression,
Kanon continued on.

“The seized land will go to the new Demon Lord,

Heard Lauder… The Prideful Kaiser… I thought it
wouldn’t be strange if he became a Demon Lord at
any moment, but it sure took a while. That’s just how
strong he built up his 『Superbia』, I guess…”
 “… Yeah…”

Exactly. That’s exactly how it should be. Not that I really

know. He’s a Demon that could keep up with me over the
years. There’s no doubt his way of life is a cut above other
Demons.

“So just sleep in silence, Lord of Sloth.”

“Yeah.”

I’ll do just that. And there, I quietly closed my eyes.

Within my sinking conscious, it felt like I heard the Great
Demon King’s Voice…

… Something good will definitely happen tomorrow.

 Part 4: Iyo
And once more, my daily life continued.

“Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal.”

“Yeah…”

I eat the food Lorna made, and let her clean the room.
Once the room has been cleaned, she makes the bed, and
in that time, I leisurely doze off in the armchair. My soul is
at peace, and I barely have any stress.

Without a need to work, even the enemies that had

invaded at regular intervals stopped coming. It sure is nice.

“Eh? Hya…? L-Leigie-sama… this is…”

But today, Lorna raises a rare scream. She had cleared

away the covers, and her facial expression had become
stiff. Her body had solidified in that position. No, this isn’t
my Melancholy at work.

On the bed was a small girl. Stark naked at that.

Embracing my pillow, she slept with a peaceful expression.
I don’t know her name.

“W-why is Medea… inside Leigie-sama’s bed…”

“… No idea.”

No, I have a vague recollection of her coming in, but I

didn’t have any interest, so I let her be. It’s not like she was
going to harm me, or do anything, and the bed is more than
large enough. I had no reason to refuse. No wait, it was just
a pain. I don’t know the reason, but just go wherever you
want.
 “Medea? Medea!? Wai… Wake up!!”

“Nyaa…”

Being shaken left and right, the female Demon named

Medea painstakingly opened her eyes. Her eyes were quite
clouded and stagnant. She rubbed them in a sleepy
gesture.

“…W … what?”

“D… don’t what me! W-w-why are you in Leigie-

sama’s room…”

“I’m a pillow. That’s all. Sleepy. Good night.”

“Hah? Wai… wake up~!”

The form of her embracing the pillow again as she tried

to sleep no longer held a fragment of her pride as a Demon.
Lorna tries shaking her again, but this time she shows no
signs of getting up. And from her body, I feel a deep and
quiet presence. It’s one that I know all too well.

It’s nothing other than the power of 『Acedia』.

And as long as that’s true, I doubt Medea will be waking

any time soon. Sloth gives bonuses to sleep. No, it isn’t a
Resistance, just…

“Lorna, leave her be.”

“Eh? A-are you serious?”

“… Yeah.”

I can understand the feeling of Sloth Demons all too well.

Waking her up forcefully won’t work. And it’s not like she’s
causing any trouble.

After shifting her gaze between me and Medea for a

while, Lorna eventually let out a deep sigh. It was quite a
rare expression from her.

“Understood. Leigie-sama… but as I thought, for a

man and woman not in a relationship to sleep in the
same bed, I cannot recommend it…”

“I see.”

This Demon sure says some ethical things. Well, I don’t

have any particular objections to those words. I’m not
approving either, but to me, it was actually something that
didn’t really matter all too much.

“I will be carrying Medea to another room’s bed. Is

that alright?”

“… Yeah.”

It was a bloodcurdling expression I couldn’t say came

from the living. She’s not letting out any anger by any
means, but her rare words backed by a strong will made
me nod immediately. As if she were carrying a large
package, She hoisted up the unmoving Medea, and bowed
before departing from the room.

It must be hard, being a maid.

As I faintly considered such things, I shrunk my body

inside the chair. It’s a new chair Kanon sent over. The
previous one suffered too much ice-related damages, and
became unusable, but this one isn’t bad in itself.
 At that moment, the door opened, and yet another Demon
stepped in. It was an everyday occurrence. A Demon that
governed Wrath, and one that seems to be observing me:
Lize Bloodcross. I don’t get what’s so fun about observing
me, but if you’re just going to quietly watch, then observe
all you want.

“Leigie-sama, so you were awake…”

“Yeah.”

She usually moved around with a suprising amount of

vigor, but now, on her face, there were some rare signs of
fatigue. And as if her body was collapsing, she lowered her
body into the chair by the table. Without saying anything,
she slumped down.

“… You look tired.”

“… Yes. Observing both you and Heard Lauder

simultaneously is going to make my bones break
some day…”

I see. It seems she’s been charged with two subjects this

time. My deepest condolences.

“… Can I complain?”

Do whatever you want. I doubt there’s any meaning in

complaining to me, but I’ll at least quiet down and listen to
your words. It’s not like I’ll take it to heart, and rather than
listening, it’ll just be entering my ears, though.

“That Heard Lauder is a monster. Perhaps more so

that Leigie-sama… on top of that, he moves around
way too much. Even though he’s barely become a
Demon Lord, He’s managed to annihilate all Demon
Lords who set even a foot in his territory without
fail… Even if they may have just wanted to rile him a
little, he personally marches to the enemy
headquarters, and perfectly destroys them.”

“…”

“On top of that, he seems to be intent on finding a

chance to aim for Kanon-sama’s neck… He never
gives me a single moment’s rest. Do you know just
how many inspectors have been dispatched to his
place? Ten. Ten people! Even if Pride is the most
dangerous by nature… this is too much. It’s as if I can
just see the anxiety on Kanon-sama’s face…”

“…”

“And he’s really loud, protesting to get her to raise

Leigie-sama’s rank.”

“…”

“I mean, in an instant, he overruled all the Demons

above him, and he’s already Rank One.”

“…”

“For the unmoving Leigie-sama, there was barely

anything I had to do in the means of inspection, but
having this much to do is troubling…”

“…”

I see. You’ve got it rough. Then you don’t really have to

come observe over here, you know. I mean, I don’t have any
enemies, and I don’t do anything but sleep. I don’t even
move. Even though I didn’t say it, as if she felt my will, she
directed a tired, and stiff smile at me. The power I sense
from her body is incomparable to the Lize of my oldest
memory of her. It’s truly increasing.

“… No, I’m just here for a little rest, so…”

“… I see.”

Then do whatever you want. If you’re not going to get in

the way of my sleep, then I mind not whatever you do. No,
if there’s something you have that can get in my way, then
just try it.

“… I’ll ask just in case, but have there been any

problems on your side?”

“… None.”

“I see… that sounds about right.”

Her face changes in relief. that’s a lie. Just a single one,

it’s not really a problem, but a bit of a change. A single
thing has happened to the stagnant me. I only noticed it
quite recently. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but
it was probably after I was deprived of my territory, and I
returned to my quiet life.

The truth is, I’m not a Demon Lord anymore.

Class: 『Evil God』

My Demon Lord Class changed, and that’s my new one. I

never thought that was what came after Lord, and Evil God
isn’t even a governmental position anymore.

Well, even if my class changes, what I’ll be doing stays

the same. I just live by existing as I am. Up ‘til now, and
probably from here on as well.

Until the day someone annihilates me.

To change the topic, Lize spoke.

“… Come to think of it, recently there’s been a

strong one among the Assassins Heaven’s been
sending to provoke the Demon World.”

“…?”

And so? As if she sensed a change in my thoughts, Lize

shook her head. I don’t even have to let out words
anymore. The perception ability to be able to pick up
everything. Lize is quite a hard-to-get existence for me.

“No, well… it seems they have the frightening power

to even be able to annihilate those of Demon Lord
Class… additionally, they can use their wings to soar
through the sky. Their mobility is high, so perhaps
even that Heard would let them slip by. Right now,
Kanon-sama is preparing countermeasures, but I
thought I would at least spread what’s become
common knowledge…”

“An angel strong enough to kill Demon Lords…”

That definitely is a frightening existence. In the first

place, an Angel’s powers are the natural enemy of Demons.
The magic wafting around the Demon World is said to give
high enhancements to a Demon’s abilities, but even so,
there are angels strong enough to kill Demons repeatedly.
It’s a pain. That’s also the reason why, while Heaven
occasionally invades the Demon World, Demons rarely go
up and attack Heaven. On my words, Lize slumped her
body over the table, and turned her head to look at me.
 “No, it’s not an Angel… Well, they’re still classified
as angels, but… do you know about 『Valkyries』?”

Nope. Never heard of it. Well, I may have heard the word
once or twice in my previous live, but… It was a
terminology from the fantasy genre, I think. On my
attitude, Lize let out a sigh.

“ 『 Valkyries 』 are a form of Angel, and a special

type of unit that comes when the 『Einherjar』 called
to Heaven experience an aberration. Compared to
Demons and normal Angels that store up power over
many years, they’re born with a vast amount of battle
experience, so they can be quite troublesome… well,
there shouldn’t be that many fallen warriors that can
knock down a Demon Lord, though…”

Hmm, so there are things like that. Good for them.

Seeing I had absolutely no motivation, Lize shrugged her

shoulders.

“The Blade of the Silver Blue, Serge Serenade.

She’s confirmed to be the strongest 『Valkyrie』 up to
date. I think it would be best if you at least store the
name in your memory banks.”

“… Yeah.”

An unexpected name. I try to lift my body for a second,

but it won’t move, so I give up. But the sight of battles long
past revive in my head all at once.

I can’t believe it. Why is she still alive? Dammit. So unlike

Japan, the Dead can come back to haunt you in this world.
Even death is reversible. No, this time might be a bit
different from reversal, but whatever the case, what a
Fantasy.

I looked at my own class once more.

『Evil God』

It’s probably the highest class a Demon can attain.

“? You seem happy.”

“… No.”

But so be it. I’ll wait here for you no matter how long it
takes. That’s my field of expertise, and probably, as a single
Demon Lord, as the Last Boss, my obligation.

Can you match up to the Evil God? Show me your gallant

figure.

Iyo.

Satisfied, I close my eyes. I dozed off soon enough.

I am the Lord of Depravity. Who lives just by being there,

a Needless King. And I bring Depravity unto others, an
incarnation of evil who will sink all of God’s creation into
an abyss of despair

By the time I realized it, I had reincarnated into another

world. I kept sleeping, and at some point I became a
Demon Lord. Even though I never wished for it. But for me
to not have to work, this world is the best. It must be true
that good things happen to good people. The flavor of Sloth
is as sweet as honey. Glory, diligence, virtue, or honor. I
have no interest in anything like that.
 What’s there to hide? The Lazy king is… none other than
me.

End of Part 1
 Chapter 9
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

TL: Again, Greed just likes to appraise things. TL: By the

way, this release is timed with the day Lorna was revived.
That was totally intentional. Yeah. TL: 13.5 Thousand
Words…
 Part 1: It Reeks
‘Twas but a simple unfounded rumor. That in this vast
Demon World, there existed but a single Demon Lord who
reigned over the forces over ice and snow, a force that
didn’t exist among the original sins. Not a single thing
could stand before him, but without paying mind to the
legions of Demons brought to their knees, he simply spent
his perpetual existence on naught. And of that supreme
Demon Lord, the Demons whispered, and spoke of
exaggerated tales.

… Of the Lazy King.

Seeing the young Demon nervously speaking on as if

each work he spoke was true, I snorted.

“Ki ki ki, how pointless a story…”

A goblet dyed in a blood-like red. I downed all of the

viscous liquid within it in a single swig. It was a devilish
wine made to bestow a drunken state onto the Demon
Race, despite their high status abnormality resistance. It
was as if the liquid let off a fiery heat as it leisurely slipped
down my throat. That heat became power, as it expanded
towards every nook and cranny of my body, my six arms
and all.

“Still, Deije-san. I’m bein’ dead serious here. You

heard ‘bout how the Dark Prison’s earth was sealed in
ice, right? In all actuality, that Superbia Demon Lord
who climbed to rank one was supposedly rising in
power to restrain it, or something…”

“That so… Ki ki ki my commanding officer’s sure

gotten high and mighty, has he…”
 Of course, it’s not like a deserter like me actually
witnessed anything. But from the current situation, I have a
good hypothesis. I can calculate it out.

My Avaritia aches.

And as if to hold it back, I started downing the goblet that

had been presented to me again. A high rank Demon, for
argument’s sake, like me isn’t going to get dead drunk from
drinking something like this, and as long as I willed it, I
could blow away the drunken stupor in an instant. My eyes
reflected in the well-polished wine were shining with
desire.

Ki ki ki, this is why Greed’s no good.

Something reeks. It reeks the hell of it. I’ve got a bad

premonition stirring up even the depths of my soul.

It’s the same atmosphere I felt before the war of black

and white that broke out ten thousand years ago. It’s
flowing. The field’s going to change before my eyes.

This must be that which can’t be expressed in words, the

intuition of a Demon who’s lived out his years.

It was the smell of treasure, and the smell of war. The

smell of death, and yet the smell of glory.

I offered a warning to my junior, a Demon who also

governed Greed sitting beside me.

“Ki ki ki, well keep your shirt on, Zeta Adler. Don’t
mistake your enemy.”

“Mistake… my enemy?”
 “Yeah.”

Generally, those of the Demon race are all self-serving.

Therefore, we’re always surrounded by enemies. You can’t
even be negligent around allied troops. That’s exactly why
the ability to distinguish friend and foe is an indispensable
skill. No matter how talented a Demon may be, they would
be killed in an instant had they failed at that aspect.

Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend. Yesterday’s friend,

today’s enemy. It’s important to see the sides switch as
well. Those that can’t do that, yet still persist to live long
lives are either ridiculously talented, or perhaps blessed
with good luck.

“Ki ki ki, exactly. Zeta, just how is that Lazy King

related to us? Is he… our enemy?”

“… No, but…”

An instinct for strife sleeps within a Demon’s base

nature. It’s a strong instinct. It’s perhaps the second
strangest force within us, next to our sin. And that often
dulls out decision making capability.

“Then there’s no need to cower at him, is all. The

Lazy King is… not our enemy. I would never be able to
fulfill my Greed working at a place with hostility
towards me. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not… wrong.”

Zeta nodded with an unsatisfied expression. It’s fine if he

doesn’t understand it yet. If he lives long enough, he’ll
figure it out eventually. It’s just that until he realizes that, it
would be nice if my words remain in him if only by the
slightest.
 Even so…

“Lazy King… huh. Just what are you thinking, Boss

Leigie… Ki ki ki, this is no good.”

Leigie the Depraved. Let alone General Class, he is a long

lived Lord who existed back when I hadn’t even become a
Knight Class Demon.

The reason for his existence would be summarized into a

single word. Nothing. A steadfast Demon Lord who
wouldn’t take any action regardless of the times. An
unchanging existence. Therefore, regardless of his high
rank among the Demon Lords, there are few who know
him, and those that have seen his figure are severely
limited.

That’s why I fear. On top of his experience, he has to have

something hidden on him. Of all else, he’s a Demon Lord. It
would be stranger for him to have nothing.

Without having been told it by Zeta, I knew well enough

of how Boss Leigie’s land had frozen over. It had spread
around the expanse of the Demon World as a sort of urban
legend. More than a year’s passed, but even if we still hear
of it from those straining their voices in the corners of the
bars, to us Demons who know of the insurmountable
existences known as Demon Lords, it’s absolute absurdity.

That’s why even after just a year, everyone acted

oblivious to it. There’s also the fact that a more precise
threat showed itself, but that’s not all. It’s terrifying. An
unknown power. Of those that know, and those that don’t,
there are few to put the story to words.

Ignorants aren’t to speak. Those crafty enough to

anticipate the outcome keep their mouths shut. Of course, I
don’t speak up about it either.

Apart from Sloth, a majority of Demons’ Skills are

undergoing extensive research. If a land of ice and snow
were to reveal itself, then the probability of it being in the
unresearched Acedia would be high, and seeing from the
land on which it transpired, it isn’t hard to imagine it was
Boss Leigie that did it.

A large-scale Skill invoked by the idle lord… what sort of

change has come about in his feelings, or what sort of
circumstances erupted into it, I don’t even want to know.

Perhaps Supreme Commander Heard stepped on the

tiger’s tail, or… oh, right, Heard was the Rank One Demon
Lord now, was he?

Well, the thing I should be putting my mind to isn’t some

absurd urban legend or anything. There was a much more
precise enemy before our eyes.

Contrasting his age, Zeta showed quite a bit of promise.

Unlike me, he had desires that caused him to take up
humanoid form. A young male Demon with ashen hair, and
eyes of the same color. Even without having reached
General Class, in the few years since he’d been born, he
was already in the upper ranking of Knight Class. His wit
showed decent prospects.

An Avaritia’s companion’s got to be either another

Avaritia, or an Invidia. Even if we hold the same sin, our
targets are different. There’s some merit in association.
Perhaps our affinity is even better than with Invidia.

“Well, rather than that, there’s something we

should be focusing on, right?”
 “Yes… that’s right. Deije-san.”

Zeta sent a glance around, as if he was mindful of the

surroundings. A run-down bar. Without even any music,
there were barely any other Demons present. In the first
place, there are few Demons out there that actually drink.

All that was there was a strange bartender Demon

offering us drink, and a pitiful lower class Demon sleeping
flat on top of a table. Both of then are too low in power to
even consider comparing them to me.

Perhaps through fear, a sublime smile surfaced on Zeta’s

face.

“The 『Angel』 came out again.”

“… How many times does that make it?”

“It’s already the third time within the month.

They’re five of them in numbers. I’ve heard
information they made an appearance at the Crimson
Prison.”

『Angel』

A Demon’s natural enemy, and their predefined nemesis.

The vanguard of that white god’s attempts to invade the
Demon World.

Their power specialized to kill Demons was so great, that

it’s been said they were born for that very purpose.
Demons receive great power from the land of this Demon
World, but they can put up an even fight even within this
miasma. It’s not like I’ve fallen too low to take down a low
grade Angel, but that doesn’t change how troublesome they
are.
 It’s because my subordinates aren’t as strong as me.
They’ll be purified by the most average of Angels.

The Crimson Prison was one of the lands managed by a

Lord Subservient to the Great Demon King. That is
something that should be common knowledge to those
heavenly messengers.

“Casualty count?”

“Close to a hundred Knight Class and lower…”

“A hundred… is it…”

Doesn’t look like the top brass took the time to come out.

But with only five coming out, I wasn’t expecting them to.
The top’ll only show up when it’s time for a complete war of
annihilation. That time ten thousand years ago was the
same. At the start, it was low class Angels, then gradually
intermediate level, and finally when high class ones were
sent in, the King led a force of several thousands to combat
them.

This generation’s Demon Lord doesn’t even know of that.

No, she probably knows, but she didn’t experience it. Even
I don’t know about the Angels’ situation, but perhaps it’s
something similar. A timespan of ten thousand years isn’t
something to make too light of.

To Greed, War is but a single turning point. Ki ki ki, it’s

something that brings up many a treasure chest. With the
low, and the intermediate, and the high, and even the
Demon Lord Class Demons dying left and right, it all just
starts flowing down. Treasure of that level gets scattered
all over the place. So our enemy isn’t just the Angels.
Precisely because of their desires, similar Greed Demons
may become even greater opposition.

What I seek… the resources I desire are finite. If it enters

my hand, it won’t be goin’ to anyone else. If others lay
hands on it, it’s not ending up in mine.

It’s a game of looting. Of Angels, of Demons, or Treasure.

And the necessary power is something I possess. Libell

isn’t here anymore, but in exchange, I have Zeta.
Experience-wise, Libell came from the same time as me,
but it’s unavoidable.

The first thing we need is to discern the enemy. The

number of angels. Their power. Their goal. Their actions
are always focused onto some greater goal or another by
the will of God. Knowing that or not will change our
chances of victory.

“What became of those five Angels…?”

“They fled, it seems. The moment they caught sight

of the Demon Lord’s main forces, they ran.”

“How rare of an army of God to pull back… those

guys are supposed to stick to their doctrine, even if it
may result in death…”

Angels are perpetual lives created from souls. Their

sense of life isn’t all too different from ours, but there’s a
single law. As they could only move in accordance with
their grand design, their powers were severely limited
when compared to Demons.

And it’s all so each and every one of those things can kill
as many Demons as possible.
 But this time’s pattern clearly differed from the norm.
How troublesome. They should’ve just lived facing forward.
What could they be thinking…? Has a goal more important
than Demon slaying come down to them…?

… Well so be it. Whatever the case, the result is

predetermined. I’m a Demon of Greed. Then there’s but a
single thing I have to do.

I don’t think I even have to say it.

 Part 2: The Meaning of Greed
A majority of the Demon World’s open plains. Besides one
part of it, there are few ups and downs. Nothing but ruined
soil expands in every direction. With a Demon’s eyesight,
we can clearly see the emptiness leading to the horizon
straight ahead, but among us, there are few who actually
pay that fact any mind.

If you’ve got the free time to be pondering such things,

go fulfill your cravings already. That is a Demon’s reason
for existence, and the measure of their worth.

But at the same time, I know of those that have reigned

over these lands for too long, gazing out over the endlessly
desolate landscape. Perhaps that’s the standing that an
eternal life would lead one to.

The Demon World’s lands are divided by the power

they’re basked in. Meaning it was a result of the influence
of a reigning lord over many years, and the Crimson
Prison’s land was once under the reigns of a powerful
Demon Lord of Wrath. That Lord has long since been
annihilated, and it was unified by one of the Pride Demon
Lords allied with Kanon.

Rank Four. Vanity the Egoist. The land ruled by the great
skin-headed Demon, Vanity Seidthroan.

He was a taciturn man, and despite his base Pride, he

never bragged. He was also a pure-born soldier who
brought others to their knees with his pure might. While
they were Pride all the same, compared to the two Lords
Zebul devoured, he surpassed them greatly in strength, and
service.
 While we’re all part of the same Great Demon King’s
army, rarely do I get a chance to see other Demon Lords.
I’ve only ever seen him from afar, but his large build that
surpassed even mine, and his black muscles as if they were
forged from steel… as Demons are beings of soul, outer
appearance and power aren’t proportionate, but
unfortunately, from a glance, I could tell he clearly had the
makings of a great ruler.

With but a glance, some part of me from within my soul

fell into a sense of admiration, and he was a type I’d rarely
had an opportunity to see in my years that surpass ten
thousand. I don’t know his real strength, but based on the
air he carried, among the many Lords in service to the
Great Demon King, he’s likely at the forefront.

And in the first place, he was originally Demon Lord Rank

Two.

If there are those that rise in rank, there are those that
fall as well. The fact that he dropped a place when Boss
Leigie rose in rank was inevitable, due to Boss’s
achievements, but at the same time, there are some
Demons questioning whether he simply lost out to the Boss.
Rank and strength aren’t always coherent, but his strength
was definitely within the top five of the Great Demon King’s
army. With pride as his attribute, it’s possible that if it just
came down to strength, he surpassed some of those ranked
higher than him.

If there was some merit in him putting a stop to his active

service, he could rack up achievements whenever he
wanted. If he was to personally lead his army, he would lose
freedom of movement. In exchange, he might pull up some
unexpected treasure. Now is the time to observe. In that
sense, me receding from Boss’s army may have been an
inevitable choice, but there’ nothing I can say but that my
luck was good.

The Great Demon King’s army is the strongest force in

this Demon World. Even if the entire world’s yet to be fully
unified, if Heaven were to choose a target to focus their
attention on, then in would be none else but the Great
Demon King Kanon Iralaude’s head. That’s something our
side is also well aware.

The earth of the Crimson Prison was hot.

As if the Ira Demon Lord that ruled over it long past’s

anger was being manifested into it, the air temperature in
that land was close to fifty times higher than in the other
territories, and even if it wasn’t enough to affect a Demon’s
livelihood, simply standing there would make one soaked in
their own sweat.

While gazing up at the blazing blood-red sun, I simply

waited.

In one of the towns of the Crimson Prison. The burning

town, 『Grey Rock』.

It was a small town nicely situated on the border of

Vanity’s Crimson Prison, and Heard Lauder’s Dark Prison.
The number of civilians wasn’t all too high, and at the same
time, past aside, when both Prisons were taken under the
Great Demon King’s control, it lost all strategic value. A
pitiful scrap of a town. Back when the Dark Prison was
under the reign of some opposing Demon Lord, there was a
platoon stationed here, but the place’s liveliness was not
just something of a time long passed.

The reason I dropped by this forgotten town was to

gather information pertaining to the Angel attack.
 Even if I say that, when it comes to collecting intel, I’m
pretty much a novice.

But that’s not a problem. There ain’t a single problem

here. I’m only capable of stealing, but among humans, and
demons, and angels, there’s that thing called ‘the right
person in the right place.’

The terrace of the dirty town’s only café was horribly

quiet. Me aside, there was only one other customer
present. That lone customer, perhaps due to the heat, was
prostrated over their table with a khaki hood over their
head. That state only further revealed the desolate
atmosphere of the land.

As I sat back into my chair, Zeta Adler came at me,

jogging. For a male Demon, Zeta boasted quite a diminutive
build. Looking from afar, it would be hard to believe
someone of his delicate features would be capable of battle,
but if you underestimate him, you’re in for a world of pain.
A Demon’s shape represents their true nature, the reality
of their cravings. Zeta’s childish form was a shape made up
in order for him to satisfy his desires. It was the form that
best allowed Zeta Adler to sate his Greed.

But as a General Class, my heat resistance was quite

higher than his. This temperature must be putting him at
his wit’s end, as he panted heavily, and wiped his forehead
with his forearm while he gave his report.

“Haa, haa, Deije-san. They gathered just as you

said. Just as the rumors went, the platoon of Vanity’s
army that were annihilated did take a temporary stay
in this town.”

“… That so…”
 It was the most recent report of an angel assault
breaking out. Their numbers were five. The casualties a
hundred. The target of their assault was Vanity’s army. The
attacked platoon was annihilated. Their numbers a
hundred. It wasn’t that high a statistic, nor was it low.

Precisely because of the high heat of the Crimson

Prison’s soil, there were very few settlements. Even if they
numbered few, letting an army stay on standby required a
considerable space to be prepared. It wasn’t as large as the
Dark Prison, but the Crimson Prison was a vast wasteland.
Even if a flying dragon was used, it wasn’t so easy to cross
it.

“For what reason did they gather here?”

“There wasn’t really a reason made public, but…

well, wasn’t it just a restraint? Even if you say the
army assembled here, Vanity the Egoist’s army’s
supposed to number in the thousands… they didn’t
even send any General Classes here.”

“Restraint… Ki ki ki, to keep Heard Lauder in

check, is it?”

“He did cause quite a ruckus… the other Demon

Lords are getting tense, I’ve heard…”

The Prideful Kaiser Heard Lauder crushed the armies of

the higher ranked Demon Lords, and him becoming Rank
One is still a fresh memory in my mind. In the first place,
Heard was an old Demon, and at the same as a General
Class, his name was an influential one known to all. Since
he’d become a Demon Lord, his Pride made an alteration of
rankings to be inevitable.
 He crushed whoever opposed him head-on, and was one
even feared by his allies.

The ones he had the worst affinity with were likely other
Demons of Superbia.

The pecking order of pride is quite strict. That’s even

more the case among their brethren. It’s likely that Vanity
never crossed blades with Heard directly. There’s his pride
and all. It’s natural for him to be vigilant… I guess.

Without any General class Demons, I don’t think such

small numbers would serve to restrain that Kaiser or
anything, but…

Among the Demon Lords, Vanity was of the moderate

faction. He didn’t frivolously advertise his Pride. That
wasn’t his personality. That’s why he had few chances to
perform distinguished service, and Boss Leigie’s rank
surpassed his.

Ki ki ki, the important thing’s to have skilled pieces to

play.

“The battleground was also around this town. The

army rose to oppose the angels that made a sudden
entrance, and while both sides put up a good fight,
the difference in power resulted in the Demons’
annihilation. It seems there were some casualties
among the civilians as well.”

“… I see. Well, it’s not that there’s no precedent to

Angels attacking Demon towns, but… the enemy
numbered five, right? Five against one hundred… the
gap must have been considerable.”
 Fights between Demons aren’t battles of numbers. It may
have been clear when Zebul devoured my army, but quality
was revered well over quantity. The same can be said about
battles between Angels. In that sense, a story of five Angels
taking down a hundred Demons- while their luck may have
been bad- was quite possible. They failed to contain the
forces attacking the town, and perished… I think the death
count would actually have been lower if the let the Angels
do as they pleased. From what I can see, the population
here isn’t high. While the Demon population was never as
high as humans, even among our settlements, Grey Rock
was a tiny one.

“Vanity noticed, and immediately sent out a larger

force, but the opposition narrowly escaped.”

“… Ki ki ki, so they were made a fool of. The Demon

Lord must be quite pissed now.”

“There’s talk that he’s prepared to send his entire

army out at a moment’s notice… well, since they don’t
know where the Angels ran off to, they can’t dispatch
outside the territory yet, but… there’re intel his
entire army’s been gathered at his 『 Palace of Noble
Truth』.”

The Palace of Noble Truth was the castle of Vanity

Seidthroan. Just as Boss Leigie’s base is his Castle of
Shadows, each Demon Lord has their own stronghold. The
fact that he assembled his army at his own palace means
the possibility of him personally leading it next they go into
battle Is high. That’s how serious he is. This is what it
means to step on the beast’s tail.

However, there’s some part of Zeta’s story that leaves a

strange taste in my mouth.
 “… Hit and run… when did the Angels become able
to use such tactics…?”

Generally, God’s personal holier-than-thou troops would

never hold doubt in their own victory. Therefore, they see
no need in strategy. Those Angels were something like time
bombs made of pillars of faith. Once they appeared, they
would fight until all the Demons around them had perished,
and until death, they wouldn’t cease their struggles. No,
that’s how it should be.

“Ki ki ki, this really is a pain… has a competent

leader decided to step forward?”

I don’t think something on the level of a leader would be

able to change an angel’s movements, but…

Perhaps misunderstanding something, Zeta timidly

asked.

“… Deije-san, could you be referring to the rumored

Valkyrie who can kill Demon Lords?”

“No way. Even if she may be strong, I can’t think

that an Angel would abide the orders of a Valkyrie,
who they think of as an inferior race.”

Of course, I know of the noble revived heroic soul that

killed a Demon Lord. About three months ago, the topic of
a single maiden swinging around her might became
something like the talk of the town, and she was still an
existence that made the Great Demon King’s army tremble.
If you’re looking at damages, she’s a much fiercer one than
this force that only killed a measly one hundred Demons.

But I’m thinking of this case as a separate matter. Killing

a Lord… if there was one capable of doing something like
that, there’s no way the town would still be standing here
like this. While they both may be assassins from the
heavens… that’s all there is to it.

“Deije-san, is something the problem?”

“Ki ki ki, of course, we’re going to be chasing the

Angels. Zeta Adler, this is the critical moment.”

There’s no need to even think about it. Right. This is the

divide. Only five of them have been spotted so far. So why
not make them my stepping stones to glory? Military
service ain’t bad, but just following a commander the whole
time makes Jack a dull boy. In the first place, the
heavens’ve been too quiet as of late. While Angels have
been spotted here and there, they’ve all been lone riders. A
few Demons would die off now and again, but it’s been a
terribly long time since a whole platoon’s been wiped off
the face of the earth.

This is the signal flare, and there won’t be a better

opportunity than this instant.

History will speak.

It’s because no one has yet to lay hands on it that

『Usurping』 ever holds meaning.

“Still… taking on a group able to kill a hundred

Demons, even for you…”

“Ki ki ki, what’s it to ya’? We have a trumpcard of

our own. It’ll work out one way or another, and if it
looks like we’ll lose, we’ve just got to run.”

This is the Demon World. To the end, it’s a world

beneficial to us. If we continue to pull back, we’ll never be
able to do anything. If I won’t be able to get my hands on
anything, then death’s a better option. Balance. Right,
what’s important is balance.

I looked over the town. As its name suggested, the

townscape that appeared to be constructed of gray stone
was simple, but it maintained a form that made it
unthinkable that Angels had launched an attack here.

“Zeta, we’ll be staying in this town for a while.”

“… Eh? There isn’t anything here, you know?”

I’m well aware. I began explaining to the lad, who let of

streams of sweat as he directed his eyes at me. It’s
definitely hot here. IT isn’t a place I’d like to overstay my
welcome, but there are times when a Demon’s got to do
what a Demon’s got to do.

“Ki ki ki, we’re going to discern the Angels’ power.

Perhaps there’s something to learn from the traces
left by their battle. It’s not like there’s no chance of
them attacking this land again, either. Their end goal
is the Great Demon King’s neck without a doubt, but
we still don’t know the reason for this time’s assault
here.”

“… I see. But is there really a need for an Angel to

have a reason to kill Demons?”

“No clue. But whatever the case, there’s barely a

trail to follow. Rather than setting off on a fool’s
errand, it’d be lucky if we found some clue.”

As a General Class Demon, let me say it. If you don’t use

your legs, you won’t get any treasure.
 Usurping is a hunt. Pursue, and take. That is the meaning
of greed. It’s proof, it’s validation.

Ki ki ki, why don’t I teach it to you?

Part 3: … Should I Steal it?

This town is hot. There’s a shocking lack of any clues.

Those two truths are slowly burning up my thought
process. It’s been a week since I started investigating Grey
Rock, and with nothing being found, only the time had
passed by.

The feeling of impatience. But still, there hasn’t been

anny information of those five angels being sighted in any
other land.

Did they return to heaven? The possibility exists. There’s

definitely the chance they were conducting brief recon. In
that case, that means we’ve been working for nothing.

I mean, the Rank Four Demon Lord is waiting on his

throne with all preparations to take them down. No one
normal would attack the same spot twice. But Angels are
nothing normal. The Iustitia they carry is just as sinful as
the cravings carried by a Demon.

Today as well, there was only one other besides us in the

café. In my usual seat on the usual terrace, I wiped the
sweat off my forehead, as I downed the lime-colored water
in the tumbled glass in a single swig.

Before my eyes was Zeta, who was weaker than me, and
thus more haggard.

“Ki ki ki, how interesting. For there to be absolutely

nothing after all that…”
 “It’s as if there’s not a single trace… it seems. Not
even a speck of destruction…”

As expected of a former garrison. It’s not like it was put

to much use, and the structure here are overly durable,
with barrier magic stretching over everything without a
single crack. I did check out the plaza where the battle
supposedly took place, but there were barely any traces of
a fight having taken place.

With this, I can’t even begin to imagine the Angels’

attributes. But it’s not like our harvest was nil. I did figure
something out.

“They can only use attacks to an extent not strong

enough to break the barrier. As I thought, their
abilities aren’t all that high. If you include affinity
into the calculations, they’re Knight Class at best.”

“And you’re saying that just five Knights were able

to take on a hundred Demons?”

Zeta’s tone indicated he couldn’t believe it as he looked

to me with doubt.

“It’s not an impossible talk. An Angel’s power

weakens a Demon’s… well, fighting in the Demon
World gives some enhancements, so in the end, it
comes down to personal ability, but…”

Vanity himself aside, his army’s nothing famous. So his

troops simply being weak is also a possibility. I mean, even
if he may stand out himself, it’s not like an army’s
competence is directly proportional to their Lord’s
strength.
 Well, still, whatever the case, the truth is uncertain. I
asked around. I personally checked out the battle site.

… There’s no helping it. There’s no use in wasting any

more time.

… Should I just steal it?

A feverish dizziness shook my emotions as if my brain

were being fried. I’m a bit reluctant to do anything too
rough in the Egoist’s territory, but… this world’s survival of
the fittest, after all.

“… Ki ki ki, Zeta. There’s no helping it… do ya’

remember the faces of the witnesses?”

“… Are you serious? We’re within the territory of

allied troops, you know…”

“Hey, if you put it like that, we won’t be getting’

anywhere. It’s adaptation. Change to fit the situation.
Also… right, Zeta?”

Spending a week investigating on this land is taking this

young Demon’s stress to its breaking point. But in his
current expression, I can barely see any fatigue.

I bent my lips into a smile, and pointed it out to my

oblivious junior.

“… You’re smiling at the idea, you know?”

“… Kufu… well, if you put it like that, I guess there

really is no helping it. ”

Putting it in a way that made it seem he didn’t care either

way, my faithful junior laughed.
 While I say faithful, his faith lied not to me, but to his
own desire, the cravings he harbored. A trait that indicated
a Demon of the highest caliber. It sure is fun, looking after
guys with talent at the job…

Zeta leisurely stood, and his expression had lost all traces
of tiredness. His ashen eyes letting off a strong light were
the only things shining under the crimson blazing sun.

Despite the fact that all he did was stand up, it seemed as
if his slim figure had suddenly expanded for an instant. A
display of power. He let out a deep breath, gave off a
repulsive feral expression, and in contrast to all of that, he
began shispering in a calm voice.

“『Greed Hand』.”

Avaritia Skills are based on a desire to take. Looking back

over others, and mocking, and shaming, and taking all of
creation to your heart’s desire. Its true nature lay in
causing loss to others.

Ki ki ki.

Take it all.

The fact that there’s something to be gained. The fact

that someone has something to lose. More oppressing than
Invidia, more crafty than Gula. Even though I have yet to
become a Demon Lord, there’s a reason I’ve been able to
live over ten thousand years of life.

The strong do not foresee their losses. They’ll only notice

after they’ve lost it.

The dreadfulness of Greed.

 Zeta Adler, the Greed Demon arms let off a faint black
luminescence.

An Avaritia Skill, 『Greed Hand』.

Its power wasn’t on the level of the 『 Wave of

Starvation』 possessed by gluttony, but it was much more
atrocious. Ki ki ki, but it’s all fine. It doesn’t take lives of
anything. It at least leaves those behind.

“Zeta, finish up quickly. Ki ki ki, Before we even

meet the Angels, I’d hate it to have to go up against
fellow Demons. That would be a bit much.”

The sword Celeste I received from Boss Leigie was

definitely a fiendish and unrivalled Demon Blade, but I’d
still be at a disadvantage when the enemy’s at Demon Lord
Class. I don’t think the Lord’ll pop up after we just steal a
bit, but I don’t know Vanity’s nature. It would be best to
remain cautious.

“I… I know that.”

Understanding that, Zeta nodded lightly, as he began

searching for his target. This town was narrow, and its
population wasn’t high, but as it was the middle of the day,
the streets were being put to good use.

Despite the Angels coming out, they were quite calm.

Demons were the dominant race of the Demon World. We
barely had any enemies. That’s why the lower one’s class is
as a Demon, the more they begin to take needless pride in
the powers they were born with.

Zeta approached a single passer-by, who seemed to

simply be taking a leisurely stroll. Age-wise, he didn’t seem
much different from the boy. A Young Demon. But He was
much too lacking in vigilance. Form my long life spent
mostly in military service, I could see it clearly. From his
attire, his gestures and all else, he was too taken in by his
peaceful surroundings I was even surprised he managed to
survive this far in the constantly-warring Demon World.

Even when Zeta approached, he merely made a bit of a

doubtful face, and he didn’t seem to be putting up his
guard at all. Perhaps it has something to do with Zeta’s
height being lower than his own. I mean, he looked delicate
enough, that it didn’t seem his hands could bring harm to
other. After the two of them were finally within arm’s reach
of one another, the young male Demon finally raised his
voice.

“W-what are…!?”

“Kufu.”

The young man’s movements ceased. While his eyes were

fixed on a point directly in front of him, it didn’t look like
anything was entering them. Zeta’s bone-thin fingertips
were rested on his forehead. His casually extended arm put
an ent to it all to quick. The man’s head wasn’t pierced or
anything. It was merely touched. It was done delicately, so
not the slightest of wounds was left.

Zeta let his mouth curve into a complacent crescent smile

as he withdrew his hands. It was a matter of several
seconds. Besides the ones directly involved, there weren’t
any witnesses. Or perhaps though people witnessed it, they
pretend not to. It’s survival of the fittest. The meaning of
that should be clear.

Zeta’s longing was memory. Just as I desired, of all time

and place, of all nature and creation, materials treasure, he
was an Avaritia Demon who longed for others’ experiences,
and memories. Inevitably, the nature of his Skills developed
towards an ability to steal them.

I don’t get what’s so fun about any of that, but I doubt I’ll
ever be able to understand another’s longings. Just do what
you will. If it affords me some merit, then all the more.

“… It’s finished… kufu…”

His peculiar laugh seemed to be filled with good humor

somewhere. Perhaps it’s because he stole something
directly related to his objective.

The Skill 『Greed Hand』.

It’s merely a Skill that snatches up the target of one’s

desire. In my case, it’s loot, in his, experiences. It instils
one’s hands with malicious power to take from others, and
among Avaritia Skills, it’s known to be the one with the
most frequent of use. And at the same time, based on one’s
wishes, it can become the strongest Skill of all.

Like how a General Class like me can only steal items,

this Knight Class in front of me can do things much more
malicious.

With his field of vision taken by ecstasy, he whispered to

me with a drunken expression. his eyes seemed directed
ahead, yet he wasn’t looking at anything.

“I see, so this is… an angel… my natural enemy.”

“Ki ki ki, so you struck the jackpot on the first try? I

doubt you even checked to see if he was a witness, did
you.”
 “You’re not wrong… but it worked out, so there isn’t
a problem.”

Well yeah. For you, that is. I’ll allow it. I’ll give you that
much. But in order for one to be able to continue pursuing
their desires to eternity, there’s a line that shouldn’t be
crossed. I met his eyes, which appeared to gaze at some
distant country, with a strong look of my own.

“You made sure to keep it to a minimum, right?”

“… Of course. Just as you taught me, Deije-san…

he’ll be able to move again soon enough.”

And as if he had been waiting for those very words, the

frozen youth began to stir. With a bewitched expression, he
looked over his surroundings for a while, but after a while,
he started walking as before. His footsteps were firm, and I
couldn’t think of him as a recent victim of theft.

There wasn’t a scrap of evidence left behind. A question

or two may pop up from an aberration in his memories of
his daily life, but that’s all. That’s all the memory is. The
longer you live, the less your life actually leaves a mark on
your memories.

Perhaps even my memory’s been stanched out before. Ki

ki ki, it’s a repulsing thought.

From his half-asleep state, Zeta slowly returned to reality.

Like that, he lowered himself into his seat again, and began
his report.

“I was able to take them up quite easily, but… it

doesn’t appear there’s any new information to be
found.”
 “… I see.”

I didn’t think he would be able to get anything new on the

first try anyways. In the first place, we spent an entire
week here with no results. Otherwise, we wouldn’t think it
such a fortune to actually find something out.

Life is average. If there are rises, there are also falls, but
it levels out.

“It appears what we’ve collected so far is true, at

lease. Five angels, yes, there were definitely five
angels donning heavenly wings here. Their means of
entrance was the sky. They attacked the town, were
intercepted by Vanity’s troops stationed here, and the
rest is history. That’s the extent of what the master of
these memories saw.”

“… I see. So, where did these all-important Angels

head off to next?”

“Who can say… It’s clear they made an escape

through the sky, but he didn’t see the direction…”

It just isn’t going to go our way. Well, I guess just

confirming our information had some merit in itself.

Ki ki ki, I mean, that was just the first try. Also, seeing is
believing, and at the information gathering stage, the
worth of obtaining the memories of those that actually
witnessed it is unfathomable.

“What were the Angels’ means of attack?”

On my query, Zeta started to blink. He tilted his head for

a while, before slowly letting the words flow out. Usurping
memories and making them his own meant that he was
pursuing the experience itself. His tone was filled with fear,
as if he was talking about a disaster that transpired before
his own eyes.

“Light… right, pillars of light. A few meters in

diameter, giant pillars of light from the sky… the
town burned, and the Demons were mowed down.”

“An Angel’s Iustitia Skill… I guess. Yes, I’m sure

there was something like that.”

Just as Demons possessed Seven attributes, Angels also

had a few classifications.

Iustitia was of those.

Anyways, I’m sure it was an attribute that specialized in

offense. I caught a glimpse of it ten thousand years ago, as
a wave of their light cleared away the darkness of the
Demon World, said to be unsurmountable.

A large-scale Angel attack… Having only Knight Class

and below, Vanity’s army was at a great disadvantage
there. Rather than the platoon being weak, perhaps they
were simply unlucky…?

“… How many wings on them?”

“… Eh?”

“The wings, you know. Wings. They’re the symbol of

an Angel. You can determine an Angel’s power by
their number of wings.”

To those that have ever tried to oppose the heavens, it’s

something like common sense. And their wings were those
guys’ pride, so they never try to hide them.
 “… I see. Then it’s one. No, perhaps I should say one
pair.”

So only a single pair of wings. They’re that great a force.

Perhaps from low to intermediate level. If I were to equate
them to a Demon’s ranking system, there’s a high
probability they’re at Zeta’s level, or below. Well, Demons
have a naturally bad affinity with Angels, so Zeta alone
would have it rough…

With Celeste, they’d be easy prey. No, even without it, I

think I’d make it through. Even if they burned the place
with pillars of light, there wasn’t a single sign of it in town.
In the end, their output isn’t enough to breach the barrier…

, there’s the possibility they have a larger force in wait…

But nothing’s going to come of thinking about it that far.

There’s no such thing as a safe battle. I’ll at least drink
down the basic risks.

Of all else, even if they sent down an Angel or two,

there’s still that monster Valkyrie roaming around. This
must be the turning point of the era. Thinking of the future,
it’s not a bad thing to build up some anti-Angel fighting
experience here.

Perhaps still looking over his gained memories, Zeta still

had an absentminded expression as his eyes traced thin air.
I issued some orders.

“Oy, Zeta. It’s time for some usurping. For now, we

need a stronger trail. Since we’re already at it, why
not just take all the memories you can?”
 Part 4: A Disadvantageous Gamble
“It’s no good… It’s not coming out at all.”

Zeta had a fatigued expression as he retracted his

fingers. Before him, a female Demon around Media’s age
stood in silence with an expressionless expression
plastered on her face. The sight of Demons with these
frozen doll-like expressions is something I’ve already
gotten used to.

In Grey Rock with few pedestrians as it is, a back alley a

left turn of of the main road. Even in the middle of the day,
it was dark, and let alone Demons, there wasn’t a single
mouse here.

Even if we’re in the Rank Four Vanity’s territory, were at

the outskirts of the outskirts. I mean, it’s quiet here, so it
isn’t hard to aim for the gaps. Zeta had already taken the
memories of nine Demons.

A Demon’s Skills were their craving themselves. But it’s

not like they could be used endlessly. With this high heat
and humidity, the area was incredibly discomforting, and
the task at hand, that was akin to grasping at fog put a
deep strain on his psyche.

Slowly, a scarlet light circled around his grey hair.

“… How ‘bout it?”

“Taking the memories was exceedingly easy, but…

once again, she’s no good. She didn’t see it… no, she
witnessed the event, but didn’t see anything past
that.”
 It’s a line I’ve heard eight times before. I thought we
were in luck when the first Demon we stopped had seen the
Angels, but that was far off. The Angels gave an overly
flashy show of power. Each and every one of the nine we
stole from so far had clearly seen their form. But their
objective, and the direction they set off in remained
foreign.

All of the Angels were clad in a uniform gaudy glow. It’s a

light with that dreaded power of god at its core. And that’s
good and all in the sense that it draws peoples’ eyes, but at
the same time, it was a hated light, and no one willingly
wanted to see them off.

No helping it. The enemies were envoys that personally

crushed the army of the ruling Lord. It’s not strange for the
civilians to want to run away. It isn’t strange… but…

It’s ominous. It’s much too ominous. My experience was

going off like a fire alarm. It was much too quiet. There was
much too much nothingness. It was much too perfect.
Originally, the appearance of the Angels, in itself would be
suspected as a ruse, but we could use Zeta’s power.
Memories tell no lies.

“… Oy, Zeta. Do you know whose report it was that

said the Angels had come forth?”

“… Yes, it was the Order of Black member

accompanying Vanity… the inspector’s regular report.
I mean, the appearance of Angels is a serious
matter… I heard they participated in the force Vanity
sent out to pursue, or something.”

The Order of Black. The Great Demon King’s personal

vanguard, and her direct servants. If it were for Kanon
Iralaude’s sake, they would even turn against a Demon
Lord. They were the King’s arms and legs, as well as her
eyes and ears. That girl Lize was the same, but the loyalty
that order shows to the Great Demon King was the real
deal. Since this member was charged with a Lord
governing Pride, their loyalty must be first-class. I doubt
that order’d ever make a serious mistake in dispatching
personnel.

If possible, I’d like to take that inspector’s memory to

confirm it, but I doubt that’s happening. As an inspector,
there’s no doubt they’re a General Class surpassing Zeta
already. Unlike with material wealth, usurping memories
depended on the individuals’ will, and mental resistance
could drop its success rate. The low class Demons we stole
from today aside, a General Class it too heavy a burden for
the lad.

The one most anxious about the current situation must be

Zeta. When he’s personally taking in the sights, there’s not
a single hint to be found. It’s as if he’s forced to open up an
empty treasure chest over and over again.

As a young Demon, he’s lacking in experience. The

situation where his instincts made him feel nothing but an
indescript anxiety was probably the same as the feelings I
harbored ten thousand years ago.

Ki ki ki, that’s right. Then I’ll take up the place of the one
who looked over me back them.

“… Zeta, calm yourself. This result is definitely

beyond our expectations, but it’s in no ways an
impossible occurrence. It’s not like we haven’t gained
anything. At the very least… it all reeks, is what we’ve
learned.”

“… I see…”
 First, you’ve got to calm down. Regain a level thought
process. Demons are doomed to overestimate their own
abilities. That’s why when an accident occurs, they often
try to resolve it with brute force. First, take some deep
breaths. Breath, and focus. That is the strong point of
Demons that possess not only strength, but also
intelligence.

Think with your own head. That will often change your
fate.

/there are times when you’ve got to take risks, and risk
your life as well, but at the very least, now isn’t that time.

“Those Angels, they must have a smart one amongst

them… no, even so, their numbers are much too
small, and we still haven’t a clue on why they
attacked this town. Why did they aim for such a
remote region… what is their goal?”

Simply slaying Demons? A hundred Demons. With their

military service, their power was higher than standard
Demons. I guess it’s enough or a reason for Angels to
attack. But that’s exactly why I don’t get it. Why did only
five come?

Even if we may be enemies the Angels specialize in

killing, this is a land that greatly raises our abilities.
Luckily for them, there wasn’t a General Class among the
forces, so they could easily take on a hundred, but if one
was there, then five would definitely be at a disadvantage…
If it was the same heaven as before, if it was the usual
angels that would resolve themselves to kill the moment
they met a Demon, then it would make a slight bit of sense,
but this time’s folks… they retreated.
 It’s mismatched. It’s all over the place. The recklessness
they carried to take on twenty times their numbers, and the
wisdom they held when they retreated the moment the
army came into sight. That gap births a sense of
discomfort. It doesn’t match the angels I’ve seen up to now.

Sensing my hesitation, Zeta offered a proposal.

“… As I thought, should we steal a little more?”

“… Can you?”

“Yeah… Kufu, my Greed is… not satisfied yet, you

know…”

With a face that looked quite forced, Zeta smiled. Abuse

of usurping. The fatigue he’s been building up, and his
physical enervation. I can see them all.

But this time alone, I can’t go about babying him. We

need to find our trail before someone catches onto the
inconsistency in their memories, and leave the town. Time
isn’t on our side. We don’t know when or where an Angel’ll
pop up again. We should finish up quickly as best we can.

But at the same time, I had a hunch. That we wouldn’t

find a single thing more from this town’s residents.

I returned once more to the soul-less café terrace. When

someone of large stature like me is around, the targets
tend to be wary. My role was that of a thinker.

There’s no doubt there’s some cause and effect going on

in this land. That Valkyrie aside, this is the only place that’s
incurred large damage from the Angels as of late. After
retiring from Boss Leigie’s army, I’ve been around, but
that’s the only real change I’ve heard about.
 “… As I thought, it’s really no good… Hah. It feels
like I’m opening empty chest after empty chest.”

After executing another usurpation, Zeta let out a deep

sigh of lament. Oddly enough, his words were exactly the
example thought of previously.

As if it had become a mere routine, I confirmed it with

him.

“That was the tenth, right?”

And just like me, he gave a form answer.

“Yes… Those that saw it have slight differences, but

those past nine were pretty much the… same…?”

In an instant, Zeta’s face trembled. He turned pale, and

his mouth opened and closed silently as he sought out the
words. It definitely wasn’t a normal expression. I
instinctively rose, and met his eyes.

They were pointed at the air, and tracing the low sky that
hung over the Demon World. My thoughts changed. From a
looped circuit, to a straight path.

“Deije… sa… tha…”

“… Oy, oy, is this for real… What trickery is this?”

There was a figure. The form of a person emitting

brilliant white radiance in the crimson sky. The large single
pair of wings sprouting from his back were pure white.
Loved by God, and produced by him. The opposite side of
the spectrum of Spirits from Demons.

『Angel』
 In an instant, he expanded his power. The complete
opposite of the miasma Demons clad themselves in, an aura
that could even be called holy was deployed across the
ground. My body trembled. My genetic memory, the
emotions of fear carved into a Demon’s soul upon looking
up at their executioners.

No matter how I looked at it, the Angel wasn’t even a

hundred meters away.

This is strange. Why haven’t I noticed him when he’s

come this close? Angels are Demons’ arch nemesis. Their
specific positioning is one thing, but if they approach, I
should be able to realize it at once…

I restarted my frozen mind with willpower. Fine. What I

have to think of right now isn’t something like that. I
slapped Zeta on the back to unfreeze him.

I laughed out loud. I sneer. A maliciousness great enough

to blow away this holy feeling.

“Ki ki ki, just when I thought there wasn’t a trail to

be found, the man shows up personally… I’m in luck.”

Luckily, besides me and Zeta, there wasn’t anyone else

around. The town was frighteningly silent. There’s plenty of
space. I can fight with all my might. I swiftly counted the
figures decorating the sky.

“Ten… is it? They’re friggin’ multiplying.”

Each one’s individual power was, as expected, nothing

too serious. Even including their affinity, they were much
weaker than I. If I kept down this instinctual feeling of
dread in my soul, they’re opponents I could wipe the floor
with in ten minutes.
 I firmly plant my feet on the ground, and build up power.
So I can react no matter when or how they try to come, I
optimize my soul. The flock of Angels was ominously quiet,
as they looked down on us. What floated in their eyes was
pure and utter scorn. The eyes of those looking upon an
inferior species. Ki ki ki, I’m being made light of.

Is this their main force? No, that’s probably not the case.
This is them testing the waters. The fact that ten came out
after five is proof of that. Are they measuring the power of
Demons?

Well, come out in as many dozens as you will. Greed has

its own way of doing these things.

Zeta’s made himself more than useful enough.

Mental and physical labor. Investigations and battle.

From here on, it’s my role.

“Deije… san.”

“Ki ki ki, fall back.”

『Big Pocket』

I open up the subspace warehouse of Greed. Because of

that unpleasant Lord of Gluttony I fought a year ago, it’s
mostly empty. But a splendid article’s been left hanging.

It was a blade of fire said to have burned a fire dragon

whose power rivalled Demon Lords to death. I easily pull
out the sword I had become accustomed to. As always, its
crimson steel let off an explosive amount of magic,
matching the sun blazing above it.
 Demon Blade Celeste.

Once upon a time, it was a supreme treasure bestowed

upon a certain Lazy King. While me being the polar
opposite of God, sensing me give off similar waves, the doll-
like Angels’ expressions warped cruelly.

“Ki ki ki, don’t worry too much about it. I’m

Avaritia. I won’t go as far as to take your lives.”

If you obtain one, you’ll wish for ten. Once you know ten,
you’ll lust for a hundred.

I can’t be satisfied with just ten measly angels. Bring on a

hundred, a thousand, ten thousand. You guys ain’t the
target of my desire, but I’ll sip you up all the same.

I lightly waved Celeste. The magic that overflowed from

the edge took on the the shape of a flaming dragon, that
shot out to pierce the wing of one of them. And as that
happened, the Angell’s body was covered in fire. He did a
tail spin as he fell to the ground.

A thunderous roar.

The Angel’s large build collided, and the café’s roof let off
quite a racket before caving in. Wrapped in flames of
legend, and Angel didn’t move at all, and I didn’t feel any
more power from him.

I licked my lips. Just as I thought. … Just one hit, it

seems. They really aren’t anything special.

Below Knight Class even. Even if I didn’t pull Celeste,

they’re at a level I could handle. I directed the blade at the
remaining flock. As if pierced by the thrust I gave in the air,
the Angels swayed in the hollow air.
 Should I hold back? At the very least, I’ve got to leave
one alive, or we won’t be able to take their memories. But
do I have enough leisure to accomplish something like
that? Can I render them powerless without killing them?
The positional advantage lies with the Angels ruling over
the sky. Celeste’s output is too high. I’ll end up killing them.
Should I leap, and hit them to the ground? Can I do it?
Avoid attacks in midair?

The moment those thoughts swirled around my head, the

Angels’ powers swelled up explosively. From their bodies,
like steam, power, magic, divinity gushed out. The growing
golden holy aura, even from the eyes of a Demon like me,
seemed divine.

My body felt the sudden elevation of my enemy’s power,

and I could grasp it in an instant. Their powers were now in
the higher tiers of Knight Class. Were they holding back up
to now? To quantify it, they individually increased two fold
for all five of them. That difference was exceedingly large.

But still, my superiority hasn’t been shaken.

The nine Angels held out their hands, as if to seek

answers from the heavens. They were quite clearly
preparing an attack. To match that, I took a large swing
with Celeste.

The Demon Flames grilled my arms. It’s the

compensation for raising the blade’s power output. Raising
the output several times for a single strike, a pillar of
flames rose from me.

I endured the pain akin to my body being torn apart and

got the power under my control when a pillar of light from
the Heavens came down on me.
 The intensity of the light darkened my vision. Celeste’s
crimson, and the Angels’ white clashed, and the resultant
waves caused the café, and the houses around it to sway.
The three tables lined up alfresco were shot away all at
once, and they shattered upon hitting the wall. Hiding
behind me, Zeta lowered his body, as he looked up at the
clash of light and fire.

An Angel gave a vulgar chuckle. That bearing makes it so

I can’t see them actually governing any Justice.

And the laugh was the faster of the two.

I understood when I first saw their Skill. These guys…

without a doubt, they’re nothing to that Devouring Lord. Ki
ki ki, no I guess I picked the wrong target to compare.

Back when my attack clashed with that of a certain Zebul

Glaucus’, it was pure opposition. I didn’t hold back, and I
didn’t have the leisure to do so. No matter how much
power I poured into it, I wouldn’t push forward at all, as if I
was dealing with an absolute wall. It was as if the entire
world was my opponent, and I wasn’t able to stop the fear
in my heart, but these guys are different.

“… Well, I guess that all there is to it.”

I swung Celeste again. With just that, the dragon of fire’s

force increased, and it swallowed up the light all too easily
to scorch the heavens. It shot through the very center of
their formation, and a number of Angels were instantly
burnt black before falling to the earth.

The laughter from the sky ceased. An Angel’s form didn’t

differ too much from a Demon’s. With shapes that took
after the human race, their ivory-white vestments fluttered
in the wind. Their glass ball-like colorless eyes followed
their falling comrades. But in them, there wasn’t an
expression of fear or impatience.

… Even when half of them had fallen.

… Just what is this feeling? Even Angels are supposed to

have emotions. For them to be this inorganic…

Feeling an unfamiliar sense of dread, I held Celeste aloft.

At the same time, the Angels spread out. They flew out in
every direction. I wouldn’t say their speed was higher than
that of a Demon’s, but there’re no set roads in the sky. No
obstacles either. The air is their playground. Their mobility
is exceedingly high.

The crimson blade cried out. The directionless swirl of

Mana flashes out once more to cover the sky. Celeste is
demanding fuel. Even if it’s a sword, it’s an article
manufactured by Demons. A single blade birthed for the
purpose of opposing God. Its personality is the worst. The
flames raging on left and right flew out at a speed that the
heavenly wings were unable to surpass.

The Angels that split into five directions were burned,

and one fell to the ground.

The difference in power was all too clear. The difference

in equipment, as long as I had Celeste was my
overwhelming victory, and the situation transpired with
that advantage on my side. The moment I was able to bat
down their Iustitia Skills so easily, my victory was certain.

I ignored the painful heat feedback from the sword, and

licked my lips.

“… Something’s wrong with this picture.”

 It’s not as if there was no resistance. And the presence of
the Angel that fell to the ground had definitely faded out.
But, still… right, if I had to say, then I’m simply unsatisfied
with it. I can’t see what their intentions were. Perhaps this
was what Zeta felt when he was fruitlessly nabbing all
those memories.

I brushed away an arrow of light from up high with

Celeste. The Angel that had lay in wait to use a Skill was
burnt to cinders.

… Three of them left.

An even greater chill than before came over my body.

“Deije… san… these guys are…”

“… Seriously, what trickery is this…”

Dazzling lights blocked out the sky. The air was astir. On
the power opposing a Demon’s base, a wave of divine
magic made the world shake, as if it were crying out
beneath it. Enough to make that previous display of power
look like mere child’s play. If I had to compare the scopes of
power, it must be at least ten times of that before. Meaning
from when I first saw that group from before, it was twenty
times higher.

It’s like an army of ten Angels becoming two hundred.

Against an opponent of this scale, even with a General

here, I can’t make a definity judgement on the outcome.

But that’s not where the problem is. What I have to care
about isn’t something useless like that.
 The extent of how far their power had fluctuated from the
starting point went against an Angel’s nature. That was the
strangest thing I had to put my mind to.

“That can’t be… it can grow that much? Were they

hiding their true power? No, there shouldn’t be any
meaning behind suppressing it all the way up to
here…”

The Angel remnants numbered three. But every one of

them was clad in a dreadful divinity. Rank-wise, they had
far surpassed Knight, and if they were Demon, they’d be in
General range without a doubt.

I’m not sure when they appeared, but the three Angels
drew white swords from their hips. It’s a Skill I’ve seen
some place, sometime before.

Right, those are the holy swords the Angels of Justice

used in the war back then.

An Iustitia Skill 『Sin Breaker』

It isn’t a Knight-class Skill. Emitting light, the heavenly

wings flapped. Rise, glide, and descend. The speed they
came down was fitting of the term Godspeed. It’s been said
that high ranking Angels move at the speed of light, but
these ones are reasonably fast themselves.

Perhaps they thought they were at a disadvantage in a

long-range battle. The demon-slaying sword of light
entered my field of vision. It was as if it were a coordinated
attack. Only the prideful smiles plastered on their faces
indicated that this action was nothing of the sort.

Their fighting style was crude. No techniques or

anything. But only in power alone did they excel. I don’t
even have the time to let out a sigh.

“… Well, well, this is getting to be a pain.”

What fools. Against an Avaritia Demon, what’s more,

against me, they contest with swordplay?

The sword of justice coming at my eyes went out in an

instant. In my lower-left hand, I could feel the sensation of
gripping a new weapon. Upon seeing his weapon suddenly
vanish from within his hand, the Angel froze up for a
moment, and I slashed upwards at him with the stolen
sword.

Even when turned against its wielder, the Sin Breaker

showed its power without a moment’s regret. I put strength
into my lower body to stop his bullet-like kinetic energy.
The arm that swung the sword felt a heavy burden. As he
already flapped his wings to retreat, while his body
received a deep slash wound, he still returned high into the
air. As he shot up, I delivered a follow-up swing, and even
with the light to his back, I could clearly see the face of
terror dawn on him. Unlike when the others were burned
up by Celeste, a look of despair swept over his face several
times before he ceased.

With a thud, the power-less angel’s body rolled along the

ground.

He was definitely strong. If I took that divinity head on,

there’s no way I’d get away unhurt. But that’s all. I just
don’t have to take it head on. Generally, both Angels and
Demons place an emphasis on offense rather than defense.
Meaning those rare exceptions that specialized in defense-
such as Boss Leigie- aside, the rest of us had to dodge in
order to survive.
 But these guys don’t even have a sense for that.

It’s a complete mismatch. Their power isn’t matching

their battle experience. They’re not even measuring their
opponent’s attribute, and their attacks are nothing but
sheer stupidity. That’s why even without weapons, I should
be able to drop them easily. Using melee weapons against
Greed is pretty much asking for them to be stolen. It’s
because there are plenty of those sorts of Skills on the
Avaritia Skill Tree.

It’s by no means a bad thing for me that the enemy’s

weak. While I may have the instincts for battle, I’m not a
battle junkie like that Heard Lauder. If I can easily attain
results, then there’s nothing better.

“… Two left.”

“Deije-san… you sure are strong…”

“The enemy’s just weak.”

I lightly returned Zeta’s words. They’re my honest

feelings. This can’t be all there was to those wars with
Heaven.

The remaining two were suspended in the air. Male

Angels. As if they had been mechanically mass produced,
two similar face, four eyes in total, glared at me. What was
there was either hatred or sorrow.

Two high class Angels. But I don’t get the feeling I’ll lose
against them. I’ll take down the first one, apprehend the
second one, and have Zeta take his memories. General
Class or not, we’ll just take everything.
 What’s the problem? ‘Tis but a simple matter. Compared
to over ten thousand years of hell.

I gripped Celeste strongly again. My arm had already

become quite burnt by its aura. It’s compensation. The
feedback to its wielder. Those that use the blade to its
limits are fated to be reduced to ash. It’s a legend with no
proof to back it, but the blade was clad in a force devilish
enough to give it some credibility.

I haven’t fallen enough to have to rely on it to that extent.

With a sneer an Angel raised a disciplinary voice. It was

an irritating high cry that howled in the back of my ears.
Unable to bear it, Zeta covered his ears, and squatted on
the spot.

The world was shaking. Rumbling. Oscillating. But it’s

not as if anything was truly moving. It was a wave of
divinity great enough to give off that illusion. The Demon
World’s air was dyed. From jet black to pure white.
Darkness to light.

Zeta’s eyelids convulsed at the abnormal situation, as he

watched the figure of one of the Angels. Just what the hell
is this… I never heard anything about it.

No, could it be…

“It can rise… even further? Dammit…”

Making me see an illusion of the Angel’s body expanding,

the passively released holy aura from them neither
exceeded nor fell short of the pillar of light they released
none too long ago. Their rising power carved up the sky,
and split the clouds. The trembling of my body I had
contained with the thoughts of battle started up once more,
and I used everything in my power to put a halt to it once
more.

The power I felt from the Angel completely surpassed

mine at this point.

Vanity’s 『 Abyss Zone 』 eroded away, and shattered.

What expanded in its place was a pure and divine feeling. It
was as if god’s blessings themselves were pouring down on
the land in orbs of light, and a silver wind overwrote the
lingering miasma. From the increase in power, the Angel’s
disposition went through a complete change. From their
meaningless holy aura, and expressions that gave off a
somewhat manufactured feeling, to eyes in which dwelled
strong fighting spirit.

“This… is…”

“… Oy, oy, give me a break already…”

The Demon Lord Class doesn’t exist among Angels. But to

identify those among them with Demon Lord level powers,
the Angels of that rank were referred to as follows.

『Saint Lord』

Demons and Angels were opposing souls. Black and

white. Darkness and light. Evil and good.

Therefore, through our very natures, we were always

predestined to oppose one another. Their existence was,
among our natural enemies, the worst and greatest foe.

“Tsk, what the hell… a Lord descended to the

Demon World!!?”

“…”
 Lords have obligations. They have land. They have
subjects. That didn’t change among Angels and Demons.
While Angels would occasionally drop by the Demon World,
there’s barely a memory within me of a Lord coming down
here.

I’m not sure if they were even listening to my words, as

the Angel didn’t respond. He merely silently pointed his
extended finger, and gathered Mana into a single point of
light.

“!?”

My instincts as a soldier. My experience up to now made

my body instinctively leap to the side. In the next instant,
the light was released. Its speed was close to pure light
itself, and a high ranking Demon like me with enhanced
perception couldn’t even follow its afterimage. It was
overwhelmingly separated from that arrow of light aimed at
me before, a power suited to a true Lord.

The light that missed me by chance bored into the café

terrace, and after a brief moment, my body was assailed
the lights and the sounds. A thunderous roar rocked my
eardrums, and my failing five senses were forcefully
recovered with my anti-status-abnormality Skill. I used my
instincts to guide my falling body.

My field of vision spun.

I confirmed the form of Zeta’s injured body on the

ground. It’s fine. Something of that extent won’t kill a
Knight Class Demon. I confirmed my own situation. It’s not
like I took a direct hit from the attack, the shockwave from
it merely hit me from behind, and this level of damage isn’t
one that’ll hinder my movement.
 Why, for what reason did a Lord of Angels descend to
such a desolate place, I haven’t the slightest idea. I don’t
even want to know.

My luck was in that I hadn’t let go of Celeste in that

instant. Greed Skills don’t have a high damage output.
Losing the Demon Blade would definitely be a fatal loss.

And if I have this in my hands, then I stand a chance

against a Saint Lord of Heaven.

My thoughts are become severely twisted from my

chance meeting with my arch foe. The instincts shaking my
very soul clear up my field of vision. The light he shot from
his finger. Its output and speed were definitely adequate for
a Lord’s Skill.

I bent my legs to kill the impact, and corrected my

stance. My left hand held the 『 Sin Breaker 』 . My right,
『Celeste』.

As that fingertip pointed at me once more, I swung the

Demon Blade. The dragon of fire shot out to devour the
Angel. The light came down to annihilate me.

Celeste’s flames definitely had a wider scope, but the

Angel’s blasts were all concentrated on a single point. The
light leisurely moved forward while ripping through the
dragon’s innards. It was unable to stop its advance.

And as if to defend the gap in the Angel’s defense, the

other Angel stepped forward.

In my fright, the power slackened for a moment. Using

that, the light increased in speed. I couldn’t even feel
another presence that large until now, but the other one
definitely gave off the same feeling as the first. This can’t
be… what’s the meaning of this? What the hell is going on!?

“Lord of Angels… two of them!?”

I could barely surmount the gap in power with one, yet I

have to face both. The Lords that hadn’t shown their faces
in ten thousand years were lining up as if I were having a
nightmare. I couldn’t discern a single thought from their
expressions, and all I could really pick up was that they
were determined to kill me.

It’ll only get worse at this rate. I leapt to the side, and the
light finished its way through the dragon I lost control of to
pierce the ground I was at before. Even when I haven’t
taken a single attack head on, my entire body was giving an
aching pain.

Should I retreat? Can I even retreat? Against these

monsters? Oddly enough, I began to recall when I withdrew
from Boss Leigie’s army a year ago.

Fate. Is my fate going to cast me away here? After having

escaped that Demon Lord of Pride, Heard Lauder, I’m going
to die here?

A sensation ran up from my toes to my head. A dark heat

pouring out of my soul gave strength to my body.

“K ki ki, interesting, ain’t it? If you think you can,

then come at me.”

I held the Demon Blade above my head. The Lords of

Angels cautiously took a step back. Celeste’s flames were
peerless. But in the end, a Demon Blade was still a sword
at its base.
 It was made in order to rend.

My soul continues to let off a dull pain.

I kicked the ground strongly, and thrust. I twisted my

body. I concentrated the entire kinetic energy of my frame
into the blade, and threw.

The Demon blade became a crimson comet as it came at

the Saint Lords. The magic it usually used to create large
scale flames was all being concentrated on the tip, and this
blow was definitely the highest I could release at the
moment. But without witing for the result, I ran over, and
took up Zeta in my arms.

“Hah, hah… gu… are we running?”

“Ki ki ki, life’s only to be lived if you survive.”

Treasure and riches, you can pile up as much as you want

as long as you live on. There isn’t even a point in equating
them. A high-pitched voice of song I took to be the Angels’
screams struck my ears. But without even learning of what
effect it as supposed to carry, my status abnormality
resistance activated, and erased it. All that was left was to
run. Angels possess frightening mobility, but if I take cover
in a town, it will be a pain to search from the skies. There
are plenty of places to hide.

And there was some merit to my flight. There’s no way

Vanity didn’t notice the fact that an Angel appeared here.
In this case, his zone was even broken. 『 Abyss Zone 』
wasn’t just a Skill to offer enhancements to friendly troops.
It was an enlargement of a Demon Lord’s sense of
perception. It let them sense if enemy troops even set foot
on their lands.
 If I can keep myself on my feet until the army arrives, it’s
my win. If I’m found, I lose. Ki ki ki, what a
disadvantageous gamble.

While it may not be that wide, I’ll be completely out in

the open on the main street. If they were to shoot that light
at me from behind, it’s the end. In the past week, I’ve
gotten a map of the town into my head. Those guys
shouldn’t be familiar with the place, and ironically enough,
from our memory theft, we know all the points with few
pedestrians, and bad visibility. Never thought it would aid
in our own escape, though.

The moment I turned into a side alley, I noticed a figure

collapsed at my feet. With a khaki overcoat wrapped
around their body, a Demon boasting a small build. At the
same time, that form was one I’d gotten familiar with in
this one week. It was the Demon that was always hunched
over the table at the café terrace. I was also there for quite
a bit of time, so while there wasn’t a day I didn’t catch
sight of him, I had started percieveing him as part of the
background.

… Could it be this one was at the terrace?

Seeing the Demon still face down, and unmoving, I

hesitated for a moment. But I didn’t have the time for that.
I resolved myself, and lifted the Demon up by the scruff of
the neck.

I don’t really care, but leaving this one behind would go

against my style. I won’t call it good will, but if I had to say,
it’s just a whim. In the first place, with my strength,
carrying one or two doesn’t really make a difference, and
because I cast away Celeste, I have an arm or two to spare.
 I gripped his neck as if hoisting up a kitten, and when I
lifted, the hood flew off.

Instinctively, I threw the Demon behind me with all my

might. Upon having the mass of Khaki chucked at them, the
approaching Angels were brought to a momentary halt.

Atop my shoulder, Zeta cried out.

“W-what was that all about!? All of a sudden…”

“Like… hell… why…”

Just how should I express these thoughts racing through

my head? Terror. Surprise. Confusion. Amazement. All of
them intermingled, but if I were to summarize it into a
word, it would have to be ‘dumbfound’.

The two Angels whose presences I couldn’t sense. The

two Angel Lords.

The culmination of all the consecutive events beyond my

wildest dreams. Greater than angels, a miraculous
nightmare.

I tried to open my mouth to convey it in words, but my

thoughts wouldn’t come together. I didn’t know what to say.
I frantically moved my mouth, and what my seesawing
emotions finally fell on was weariness.

“So even Boss Leigie’s… played his hand this

time…”

I’m not sure what my mind was coming to, but the only
image that floated in it was the form of a sluggish Lord of
Sloth.
 Chapter 10
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: I’m full

Why did I go to such extents to consume such things?

I’ve received such a foolish query time after time after

time…

It was a dialogue pointless enough to make me hold my

stomach in laughter. I’ll bet there’s nothing in this world
more meaningless than a Demon’s desire. It’s not that
these longings exist because of us Demons. It’s because
these longings exist that Demons live on. That’s why you
can’t call a sin-less Demon a Demon.

… And… and just as I’ve become one who can’t provide

an immediate response to that senseless quandary, I guess
I’m no longer something you could call a Demon either.

My awakening was a coincidence, yet also an

inevitability. My soul did definitely go out once, but as if it
still had lingering regret, it displayed its gluttonous will-
power, and returned.

Hazily, as if surfacing from a deep well of water, my

consciousness came up, and naturally, the first thought that
came to my mind was, ‘why?’ Even if I may have been a
Demon Lord who built up much power over a perpetual
existence, a soul that’s been extinguished can never return.
There’s no such thing as a second life. There shouldn’t be.

But I found my answer soon enough.

Reflected in my sluggishly adjusting field of vision was a

field of pebbles that went on to eternity. Unable to
understand what had happened, unable to fathom what to
do, I simply leisurely surveyed my surroundings.

I should have been smack dab in the middle of a

battlefield, but on the black soil was neither the Lord of
Sloth nor his subordinates, and from the fact there wasn’t
even the traces of the flames from that Demon Blade
around, I determined that a considerable amount of time
had passed.

In my daze, I turned to the palm of my hand. My body

was practically the same as the one I boasted before. The
limbs I had become accustom to, even after taking so much
damage from that lazy Lord, were left without a scratch,
and I could make smooth movements without any support.
It was as I the complex fracturing of my bones I felt in
battle had been but a dream.

Simply, on a land that was nothing but vast, the Demon

World’s stars that hadn’t changed in several tens of
thousands of years shone down on me. The words that
came to my mouth without meaning were blotted with
tears.

“Haa… haa… he didn’t break my core… Leigie, are

you not… an idiot?”

The reasons I was able to successfully revive likely

numbered three.
 First. Leigie’ Skill did destroy my body quite thoroughly,
but it was unsuccessful in crushing a Demon’s heart, my
soul core. Second. His subordinates didn’t even doubt my
death, and they didn’t confirm said core. Third. The Dark
Prison’s land was vast, and in the time my soul core spent
regenerating, no opposing force happened to pass by.

If even one of those had gone astray, my consciousness

would have drifted into an eternal hell, the depths of a true
Dark Prison, and never surfaced again.

… Well, I’ll put aside whether that was a good thing or

not.

Anyways, I confirmed that there was nothing wrong with

my body. If there were, it would have to be with my heart.
Throwing myself down on the Dark Prison’s soil, the dark
color of gunpowder, I looked up at the sky. Still in a trance.
Even when I hadn’t even started to think about it, the
words poured out.

“Fufu… so I’m to… live in shame.”

I doubt this was done by the Lord of Sloth’s will. That

man wasn’t one who would do anything so troublesome.
But, still, it’s quite certain that I lost. While bearing the
name of the Devouring Lord, I met the first inedible matter
in the course of my life. And the satisfaction I felt at the
very end of the end was enough to fill me up.

“I’m already full…”

I was satisfied. Not an iota of my hunger remained. The

moment when I resolved myself for death is one things, but
now that it’s been extended to my life, it’s quite an ominous
sensation. My hunger was my enemy, and yet my friend. It’s
only because it was there that I was a Demon Lord, and I
was able to eat up all of creation.

With that gone, the current me isn’t even a Demon, and

while this goes without saying, I’m definitely no Angel. I
must be quite a fragment of an existence.

“Leigie, the truth is… you made me think it for the

first time.”

Thank you for the meal.

My last supper had long drawn itself to a close. Then

what is with the current situation? There’s no god in hell. If
there was, then what logic did he work by to put me on this
land once more?

My comrades and vassals are gone. I’ve eaten everything.

Even my family. And this time, this time, my closest friend
from over a hundred thousand years ago, my hunger, is
gone.

Complete loss. In spite of my satisfaction, an abyss

incomparable to starvation had opened up in my stomach.
After dying once, and reviving here, perhaps that was my
compensation.

“Fufu… well, fine. If that’ how it is, I’ll play along a

bit longer.”

With no goal or will, I’ll spend a life simply continuing

down this endless path. How cruel must it be. Even if I lack
an objective, since I’ve already gotten on the rails, since
I’ve already faced defeat, I’ve a need to tag along.

Also, if I do that, perhaps I’ll be able to touch the purpose

of that Lord of Sloth’s power. If I do that, then perhaps I’ll
learn the reason my hunger lost.

“Well, maybe wandering the Demon World without

purpose for a while won’t be too bad…”

I was always fighting. I was always devouring. All just to

sate my hunger. Those were definitely absurd, and sweet,
and fun days, but if I look back now, I was just being
pushed around by my desire. After being cut off from my
sense of starvation, I’ve realized that for the first time.

Then if it’s now, with my hunger lost, with me not even as

a Demon…

The view of this Demon World should become a little

different from back when I was a Demon Lord. Let’s leave
behind the world I called my dining table, and find a new
one.

Moving my limbs for the first time in a while, I propped

up my body, and stood. A lukewarm wind brushed against
my body. Noticing I wasn’t wearing anything, I let out a
sigh. Naked is embarrassing… that’s a sentiment I lost in a
time long passed, but being left in this uncouth state isn’t
good. It would be inexcusable to the ones that disappeared
into my stomach, the Demons of Gluttony who served me
up until the end.

Well, perhaps this second take at life would be more

insulting to them than anything, though…

Without uttering a word, I used a Skill. I was just a little

anxious, but even without my hunger, I was able to operate
Gula Skills without a problem. The manifestation of
starvation. An unfathomably deep darkness gathered, and
wrapped around my body. To me, these were my clothes for
battle clothes, and at the same time, my ceremonial
garments. Gluttony Skills specialized in attack, so it’s not
like they’ll really be of use as armor, but it’s much more
decent than being naked.

For arguments sake, I searched for my favored sword,

but it didn’t seem to be littered anywhere around. That one
was my favorite, and it’s likely in the hands of one of
Leigie’s subordinates at this point. There was a Greed
Demon there, so perhaps it’s with him. Well, that all doesn’t
really matter. Even that Greed-kun who whetted my
appetite to that extent, now that I’d lost my appetite, held
no more meaning to me then the countless foodstuffs
scattered around the dirt.

“… I guess I should get going…”

I whispered. I already knew what I was going to do. I’ll

meet Leigie again. For that sake, I’ll start walking forward.
That was the only premise. When the girl he was supposed
to have killed appeared before his eyes, just what sort of
face would that man make? I was looking forward to it just
a bit.

I gave an order to my body, which felt heavier than it ever

had before, and put one foot out. Just how desolate is this
reality without hunger?

It’s not like I’m damaged at all. Neither have my muscles

declined in the slightest. Simply through the fact I wasn’t
properly embracing a desire, through the fact I no longer
held any strong will, it seems my body will become this
hard to move.

The Demon World’s map had names stuck onto it by the

color of the soil, and the atmosphere surrounding it. Even if
I didn’t know my exact location, I had a general idea. The
surrounding region, all the way to the horizons, was filled
with pebbles of black, with some ash colors mixed in here
and there, taking in the sun’s light without end. And fitting
of the name of the Lord of these lands, meaningless air
filled with gloomy mana as if to lower one’s spirits. It’s the
proof of how, over long years, revieving power from the
Lord of Sloth, the environment underwent a change.

Even thinking back to my oldest memories, it’s not hard

to remember how this was always the Dark Prison ruled by
Leigie of Acedia. Meaning if I proceed like this, then
Leigie’s stronghold… I’ll arrive at the Castle of Shadows.

But is that really alright?

Isn’t that like skipping the story, and directly going out to
challenge the last boss? By my estimate, my own power
hasn’t declined, but that’s merely another peculiarity. A
Demon’s power is their cravings. There’s no way the
current me that doesn’t embrace hunger is of the same
strength as the one full of nice and healthy appetite.

I hesitated for a few seconds, and decided to alter my

objective. At the moment, I don’t hold the will to confront
the Lazy King. I don’t have any will to begin with. It’s no
good to head straight for him. At the very least, getting a
grasp on my own situation, and the current situation of the
Demon World comes first. I’ve never experienced being
regenerated from my soul core before, but I can guess that
it hasn’t been a short amount of time.

I mean, I have all the time I need. With my need to eat

gone, looking back, it’s been a frighteningly long time I’ve
spent.

A map floated up in my head. I thought of the closest fiefs

to Leigie’s unified lands.
 The Egoist, Vanity Seidthroan. The Crimson Prison ruled
by a Lord of Superbia. Tyler Gredmore. The Golden Prison
ruled by a Lord of Avaritia.

The one with the greater power would be Vanity, but the
current me didn’t have the heart to take on a Greed
Demon. To line up a feast before me when I’m not even
hungry, the thought alone sends shivers up my spine.
Vanity’s pride was, strangely enough, not violent. With that
in mind, it’d probably be best to set out for the Crimson
Prison for now. His army’s quality isn’t that high, so even if
my sustained existence is to be found out, I doubt they’ll
chase me too far.

After thinking that far, I noticed. Even without some

grandiose goal, even when my hunger was non-existent, I
was trying to live on. That was just too strange, and I ended
up giving a bitter smile.

“… Fufu… fu for my instinct for survival to still

functions without desire…”

It looks like I’ll have to change up my opinion on life a

little.

I let out a sigh of grief, and began walking across the

black earth, that seemed to extend on forever.

Part 2: Maybe if my Appetite Returns

A change in the situation always comes abruptly.

Even for a Demon Lord with absurdly wide perception,

we cannot see the future. Last year’s me never even
imagined that I would ever lose my hunger, and I never
thought it would become this hard to move either.
 To demons embracing their longings, those longings were
their will to live. Perhaps I never truly understood what
that meant until after I revived. A world without hunger, as
if I was seeing a dream, lacked a sense of reality. While I
had found myself in a new world, to me, it didn’t fall short
of the depths of hell.

I was in a small town of the Crimson Prison I had reached

by chance. And there, I ran out of power. I lost my will to do
anything, and spent who knows how long collapsed at some
café or another, forgetting an innumerable amount of
things. I’m sure I had a plan. But the black hole drilled into
the center of my heart wouldn’t allow it. Any and
everything is but a trifle. To me, my appetite was a desire I
could barely stand, but also the highest form of pleasure.
On the table of a dirty casual café, I fell flat. It was an
action so pointless in nature I couldn’t even laugh at the
Lord of Sloth anymore.

At the start, someone or another tried to talk to me, but

perhaps getting tired of me not offering a single action in
return, that came to an end all too soon. I also get the
feeling I took a few Skills directed at my body as well, but
contrary to my state, the Gluttony Skills I had honed over
my life nullified all of them.

I’m not hungry at all. Yet still, my power shows no signs

of dying out. It won’t decrease. No, more so, even when I’m
not eating anything at all, I get the feeling it’s on the rise.

That was one of the few truths I came to learn upon

returning from the abyss of death, and it was also
something I should have been shocked at. It’s not like I was
simply eating in order to gain power, but when I’m growing
stronger without doing anything at all, I somehow feel that
all I’ve done up to now has been pointless.
 I simply sat, and within the quiet darkness, I thought
about its meaning. Without the desire that had always
shaken up my existence, I had enough thinking time for my
brain to rot.

I even get the feeling that I’ll be able to grasp something

given just a little bit more.

But for some reason, today’s been quite noisy.

The sounds. The lights. A somewhat nostalgic wave of

magic was coloring my world. Whether I liked it or not, I
perceived it all around me.

I wonder if some sort of accident’s transpired. Even for

Demons, in times of peace, the towns should have some
peace and quiet. Especially with the place I was at not
being any sort of major city. It was simply a remote
settlement. If I was in the land of a hostile Demon Lord,
that would be one thing, but this isn’t the front lines of
anything. I can’t imagine who’d attack who here.

But if you turn that around, if it’s a rare occurrence, that

means it can happen now and again. Those reckless enough
to attack the cities of the Demon Lords allied to the Great
Demon King come out regularly. The information coming
through my five senses told me that the town had been
dragged into some form of war.

But the power ringing out around me, the forms, and the
sounds, with the burden I felt on my body, they were
fruitless stimulus.

They’re not at a level where they’ll harm a Demon Lord

like me, and it’s not like…

… It’s not like I’ll be able to eat them anyways.

 Perhaps someone died. Several sources of power went
out, and several of them swelled up. It was probably the
after effect of the blasts. The table supporting my body was
blown away, and my body was thrown onto the ground.
Again, I’m uninterested. Having been tossed onto the earth,
I stretched out my flawless tongue, and took a taste of the
ground.

… It’s not half bad. It’s definitely not bad, but my appetite
isn’t whetted at all. Since my revival, I’ve tried putting
various sorts of food before myself. But still, there’s no
signs of anything coming back.

It’s not like it’s inedible, but I don’t want to eat it. That
feeling was one of a variety that, since my birth, I’d rarely
ever tasted. It’s also not something I felt when I confronted
the Lord of Sloth. Those back there were negative feelings,
but what I’m feeling right now is surely zero.

Apparently, even non-Gluttony Demons will feel hunger

with the passage of time. That information did give me
some optimism about my present condition, but I can now
say that my current state is of a problem beyond that level.

“… Hah, I wonder what happened… for me to not

feel anything to this extent…”

At this point, the hunch that I might not be a Demon

anymore started turning into my certainty. Is this that sort
of, ‘truth from a lie’ sort of thing…

But still, what’s with this…

While I was thinking something like that, I was grabbed

by the scruff of the neck, and hoisted up. My build isn’t too
tall, so I don’t think any large Demon would have too much
of a problem doing that, but it’s quite amazing that they
were able to do that without saying a single word to me.
The hood that was intercepting the sunlight flew off, and I
saw the face of the one who lifted me. Curling horns that
grew at the top of his head, and six eyes were the Demon’s
characteristics. And to me, who lost all of my comrades, it
was the first familiar face I’d seen in a long time. Leigie’s
subordinate Greed-kun. One of the few existences in this
world that I tried, and failed to eat. But even with one I
thought of as tasty before my eyes, I don’t really feel
anything.

Greed-kun’s eyes went over my face expressionlessly for

a moment. The stare from his six pupils met with mine. And
in the next instant, without saying anything, still without an
emotion on his face, Greed-kun chucked me with all of his
might.

I was thrown. As if throwing a ball, easily, without

hesitation.

How cruel… to throw me away after going through all the

trouble of picking me up…

Perhaps he added some spin onto the toss, as my field of

vision spun all over the place. On an incredible wind, and
an impact great enough to rock my semicircular canals,
without any real feelings, I put power into my body for once
in a while, waited for the right timing, and made a landing
on the ground.

Even if I’ve lost my desire, that’s something irrelevant to

Greed-kun. Hey, at least let my keep my pride. I try not to
show my unsightly face, and try to strain my voice, but
when it came out, I couldn’t help but think it was tinted
with a tired tone.
 “… Well, well, well, you sure do some cruel things
there… to acquaintances no less…”

“W-w-why the hell are you at a place like this!!?”

“Fufu… I wonder.”

His confusion was enough to make me crack a smile.

Nice reaction. That’s a nice face you’re making there. As
always, his appearance is fitting for one called a Demon.
Greed-kun’s figure, of course, but also his gestures haven’t
changed in the slightest from when I saw him last. It would
be nice if Leigie would give a reaction like that too, but…

“Of all else, I’m the one who’s wondering why you’re
at a place like this, Greed-kun… what a coincidence.”

“This sort of coincidence… I don’t need it. Boss,

please give me a break already…”

Looks like I’m quite hated. Fufu, even when I just went
and devoured his collection a little… What a narrow-
minded child. Well, I doubt I’d even be able to do
something like that at this point.

Saved by his reaction, my tension that had been brought

down to the lowest possible level rose ever-so-slightly.

I could finally confirm the situation.

I smelled a scent that made my nose twitch. Greed-kun,

and the lone young boy Demon he was shouldering… that’s
also a Greed-kun. Fufu, he smells like the type that steals
emotions. There aren’t any other Demons around. Like a
bubble of air, this entire area’s become completely empty.
 But more than that, the problem’s likely the enemy.
Enemy… prey. Nice ring to that.

I turned my eyes to the side. Two sculpture-like males.

Wearing pure white vestments, their large builds boasted a
pair of white wings of light on their backs. Heavenly
messengers. Showing off their dark intent to kill us all in
their silver eyes, these natural enemies of Demon-kind
were lined up right in the middle of the Demon World
without a moment’s hesitation. As if one of the two had
been replicated, they looked like two peas in a pod. The
large presences they wore around themselves were a single
widely pronounced symbol of fear to our race. If you do
something bad, the Angels will come for you, the parents
say… Fufu.

“Two Angels… Fufu, it sure has been a while since

I’ve seen the form of an Angel… it sure is regrettable
that I can’t eat them.”

Their light presences, that had so little impurity in them

they began to feel unnatural. Even for someone with a
perpetual existence like me, a force I rarely had a chance
to meet: high ranking Angels. What’s more, the higher rank
of those high ranks.

『Saint Lord』 Class.

This white light eating away at all the surroundings was

the polar opposite of the 『Abyss Zone』 of Demon Lords.
It must be none other than the 『 Paradise Field 』 Skill
that only Angel Lords possess.

Their Divinity had a nasty nature of wiping away the

Mana held by Demons. In territories under the reign of
Angels, we’re unable to wield our powers to our
satisfaction.

Both of the Angel’ eyes were directed at me, the

unexpected trespasser. Even if you look at me like that…
this isn’t my will, you know. Fufu, I was just kinda thrown,
you know. Yeah, I’ve just been thrown around. If you want
someone here to resent, then go after that Greed-kun,
okay?

The Angels’ Killing intent, enough to shake one’s soul,

gave a jolt to my instincts. It’s not appetite. This must be
those battle instincts that other Demons speak about.
Greed-kun called out.

“Zebul, I’ll give you a warning for old time’s sake.

It’d be best if you ran! Ki ki ki, taking on two would
be tough, even for you.”

Even when you just used me as a projectile, that’s quite

mean. But that may just be my misguided resentment
there.

“Fu fu… who do you think you’re speaking to here?”

I’m an undefeated Lord. No, wait, I lost to Leigie, so I’m a

once defeated Lord. In a hundred thousand years of life,
one loss. I can’t even remember the amount of things I’ve
eaten. Never fleeing, never facing loss.

If you want to call that good luck, then go ahead, but

more than that, my Gula disposition let me specialize in
offense.

The use of my Skills were accompanied by a sort of

uplifting feeling. Without saying anything, I started using
them for once in quite a while.
 … Fufufu, my bad, Vanity. I’ll be taking these ones.

The black aura of darkness that gathered with me at the

center tainted that divinity. A bottomless black that seemed
to devour every color around it, that dark power that
seemed to represent hunger itself was, even when its user
had lost her desire, in good health. I washed away that
annoying holy air those Angels were spewing all at once,
and dyed their white with my black. The force that wouldn’t
permit any resistance was, while I had lost my starvation,
the proof I was still a Lord.

To eat up and defile all creation, a Gula Demon’s right.

“I can’t believe it… you ate their Paradise Field!?”

“Fu… I haven’t eaten anything. It’s just that my

power was the stronger of the two. That’s all.”

Having their Field destroyed, the Angels’ silver eyes let

off a dangerous light. It wasn’t fear. Simply, their newfound
will to fight me let out a slimy light. It wasn’t anything
different than what Angel usually embraced whenever they
were slaying Demon. Strong light gathered in the palms of
their hands. Unlike that let off by the Demon World’s
crimson sun, it was a white light. Without even an
incantation, their speed was like lightning, and their
flowing movements gave off the impression they were
accustom to firing off such bolts. But I saw through it in an
instant. The memories of the war of White and Black still
lingered in my mind. Even if they haven’t appeared as of
late, the nature of these things wasn’t something I could
forget so easily.

Ah, that’s…
 I licked my lips. Even when I didn’t have an appetite, I
was drooling.

… It sure was fun back then.

A quivering excitement ran from the base of my feet up

my spine. All of my memories could be summed up with the
word, ‘Tasty.’ That was a wonderful time. It was even
regretful that it had to come to an end.

“Fufu… so you guys are 『Iustitia』 Angels?”

“……!?”

The time from collecting to shooting off their energy was

a matter of seconds. Theirs was an attribute designed for
rapid fire, and it boasted a high offensive power in order to
bring ruin to Demons. they shot off a light so dense, I
couldn’t even keep my eyes open. And without a chance to
dodge, a large impact raced through my body.

An Angel’s power was much different from a Demons.

Anyways, it was fast. Their speed truly rivalled light. No
matter how much speed you had, you would be unable to
outrun it; it was worthy of the name Heavenly Retribution.

Yep, it was probably worthy of that. Definitely.

“Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
ufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu”

“…!?”

The light went out.

I can’t stop my laughter. Along with that killing intent,

the angels’ faces had surprise mixed in for a moment. For
some reason, without running away, Greed-kun was making
himself scarce at the end of the alley, staring at me with his
eyes wide open. There wasn’t a single wound on my body.

“You guys… could it be that you’re idiots? Releasing

out an energy attack at a Gula… fufu, there’s
something here we like to call sheer stupidity.”

I cast aside the overcoat, which now had a large hold

burned into it. The pitch-black clothing I wore underneath
were 『 Gobbling Garments 』 produced through a
Gluttony Skill. Everything’s got to do with affinity. Gluttony
was relatively weak against physical attacks, but against
magic attacks, it was extremely strong. Even against
something made of our natural killer, 『 Light 』 , that fact
held true. The black clothing absorbed all light, as if it were
a black hole. Even under the light of the sun, it was nothing
but uniform black.

Still… it wasn’t tasty at all. I’m sure it tasted quite fine

when I last partook ten thousand years ago, but…
 How unfortunate, but there’s nothing to be done. Even if
I’m not to eat, Angels and Demons are opposing forces.
Fufu, how about I hitch a ride on that theory for a while? I
turned the palm of my own hand to the two Angels.

“I’ll show you a darkness that devours all light.”

As if taking those words as a trigger, the Angels’ wings

began emitting light once more.

But at that point, I had already fired off my Wave of

Starvation. The wave that gradually encroached on them
was the hunger my soul thrived of in itself. For the longest
time, it was the curse that obeyed my will.

As the light passed through the depths of the darkness, it

was eaten up, and faded away. The bland turned to pure
energy, and filled my body. I’m not soft enough to be done
in by elementary Skills.

I birthed countless 『Tentacles』 from my body. Because

my own two arms had proven insufficient, I became able to
create them. They were my hands. They numbered a
hundred. Of course, that number vastly exceeded the
Angels’ limbs, and also Greed-kun’s hands.

The Angels’ expressions warped in disgust. Nice

expression. That’s a nice face you’re making there.

“Then, I’ll start.”

Ten for movement. The other ninety for attack. I

manipulate my tentacles like whips to swipe at the angels
from the side. Perhaps not in the mood to be touched by
them, the two Angels acted in unison. Their wings let off
light, and they flew up vertically to avoid. It was one of
their selling points. Something that even lower class Angels
possessed without exception- their heavenly wings… their
mobility. And as a Gula Demon with numerous means of
attack, regardless of distance, I had a good affinity here.

As I swung one tentacle horizontally, I extended another

up high, and brought it down at them. And I extend
another. Once you get to my level, the tentacles’ numbers
and lengths can be freely manipulated and changed.

For the one coming at them from above, the Angels

barely dodged to the said. As they dodged, from the palms
of their hands, they shot of large Novas, several times the
power of their previous attack. The balls of light numbered
in the dozens. Masses of destructive energy cause the
townscape to change. They shot them off without properly
deciding a target, so they hit building after building,
causing their collapse. The ground shook greatly. Power
great enough to alter the terrain. But with an increase in
destructive power, the speed dropped off. As the came at
me with speeds much lower than their light, there wasn’t
the space for me to dodge.

I packed power into the tentacles at my feet, and had

them bore into the ground. And I avoided them all. Within
my Zone, I could perceive everything. I understood the
area, and for the balls of light without that great a speed to
begin with, I could dodge them even with my eyes closed.
And like that, receiving power from the masses of muscle
that were my tentacles, In just a step, I had reached the
space right below the two Angels floating in the sky. Of
course, in that space of time, I didn’t stop the tentacles
coming at them up there either. The skies don’t belong to
you guys alone. If I felt like it, then like a spider’s web, I
could string up my hands.

Nothing can escape from my dinner plate.

 “Uge… you sure do some reckless things…”

I barely heard Greed-kun whisper to himself with a stiff

expression.

Reckless?

Fufufu… that’s just how a Lord’s battles go. I think your

Lord’s the one who’s all over the place! Even if I try
forgetting, I’ll never be able to get that taste out of my
mind!

The moment the Angels had their full attention focused

on the hands coming at them from up high, I gave the
ground a nice kick. I put the tentacles I used for movement
to offensive use. As a large number of Tentacles came at
them from below, one of them tried diverting them, the
other directed the palm of his hand at me.

Fufu, for them to still be relying on magic Skills at this

point… Of course, this isn’t my place to complain. The ones
who hold responsibility for this one are you guys alone As if
to match him, I also held out both my hands.

“Judgement Rain.”

“The Skyeater’s Darkness.”

And light and dark were to clash once more. The light
tried to pierce through the darkness, and the dark to suck
up the light. In a sense, it was a mini representation of our
eternal struggle.

The energy I felt from that light was, without a doubt,

Lord Class. Therefore, the power I got from dissolving it
was also large.
 By drinking down the light, the darkness only gained in
strength. While Avaritia may be the best under the heavens
at stealing, there’s no one out there to contest a Gula’s skill
at eating. Even so, I doubt I’ll be able to stomach all this
energy. No matter what, the power of darkness was always
a step behind that of light. When Lords of the same level
were to duke it out, it was inevitable that the Demons
would be the ones torn apart. I knew that all too well.

That’s why I tempted them. With tentacles.

“Fufu… it’s not good to look away like that.”

I pierced the Angel’s hand with a tentacle I circled

around from the side. At the same time the light emitted at
me changed course, and flew into the distance. For a
moment, I could see surprise on the Angel’s face, and
before that faded, the Angel was swallowed into my
darkness.

An indescribable scream escaped his lips. An exclamation

enough to make me shiver. The power of the Angel passing
through the darkness flowed into me. It’s likely that at the
moment, he’s going through the pain of having his entire
body dissolved.

The Angel passed through, and gripped my face with the

palm of his hand. I couldn’t see his expression. But it was
easy to imagine. It must be the expression I’ve always
found directed at me. And that’s why, as always, I offered
some words of gratitude.

“Thank you for the meal.”

In a short moment, the Angel’s body fully settled into my

stomach. Only the remnants of his magic overflowed onto
my lips. As I thought, it’s quite tasteless. It seems that he
did properly raise his power level, but this is way too bland,
you know… Following the law of gravity, I landed on the
ground. As long as I have these Gobbling Garments on, I
don’t even raise a cloud of dust, but out of habit, I patted
down my trousers.

The other Angel wasn’t there anymore. I knew. The

moment the first one tried to shoot of that ‘Judgement
Rain’ attack, the second took flight. Perhaps, if the other
one had stayed behind, I wouldn’t have been able to pierce
that Angel’s hand. And even after having his comrade
desert him, the emotions of the Angel firing down his
judgement at me didn’t shift in the slightest.

That goes to say that was their plan from the start.

“Fu… they’re way too understanding. How boring…”

If they were floating around, that’d be one thing, but I’ve

no means to catch up to an Angel flying a straight line path
away In the first place, that lack of taste doesn’t let me
work up a desire to give chase. The instincts for battle, the
instincts for strife burned into my body were restrained
upon eating that first one.

In the past, it was unthinkable for me to let an ingredient

flee from before my eyes, but… well, I wonder if this isn’t
too bad either.

I looked around the town that had become a mountain of

rubble, and found Greed-kun looking at me from a corner.
As always, that’s quite some courage there. With a former
enemy, a former Demon Lord before his eyes, for him not to
be harboring any fear, even for a General Class Demon,
that isn’t an easy thing to pull off.

Well, even so, in the end, that’s all he is to me…

 “Ki ki ki, as always, that’s some absurd power
you’ve got…”

“Fufu… even if you call them Lords, they weren’t

anything to speak of.”

Just as Demon Lords differed from start to finish, Saint

Lords had a wide gap between the top and the bottom.
Even among them, the Lords I just met were… small fries.

Well, even then, there’s no doubt they’re a rare food

stock to find in this vast Demon World.

I let out a large sigh, and patted my stomach.

Ah… maybe if my appetite returns…

Part 3: It’s no good… I guess

I smelled it. The table before my eyes was crammed full

of various types of food.

Besides a single territory, the Demon World was covered

in poverty. That’s why it’s a rare sight to see so many
dishes spread out, but I was of a sort that didn’t really mind
appearances, so that didn’t really matter.

… As long as it sates my hunger.

On top of a white polished plate was a meat dripping

fresh blood. As a Demon of Gluttony, I could understand.
That was Dragon meat. The raw meat of one of the few
races of this Demon World able to fight on par with Demon.
Of course, it was a rare delicacy, and its taste was supposed
to be splendid enough to put it on the same level as
Demons.
 As I silently looked upon the masses of meat distributed
across the plates, the large-built Demon that had brought it
timidly asked a question He was likely a Pride or Greed. I
didn’t know his name, or his power. His lust for the
limelight alone was first-rate, and he was a pitiful man who
tried attacking me when I was furrowing my brow, and
slowly walking alone.

To a Demon Lord, most Demons below General Class

were generally just part of the rabble. At the very least, to
one that had spent long years in the position like me, even
when I’d lost my cravings, I could only speak of him as ‘one
of those other Demons.’

“… I-is it to your tastes? It’s the meat of the

Crimson Dragon subjugated just the other day. Meat
that won’t fall short of any Demon… For someone like
you that governs Gula, it must be more than a
suitable offering, right?”

“… Hah…”

The Demon frantically tried to shrink his body, and his

throaty voice shook. There really isn’t anything more
unsightly than this. I played around with the silver fork I
took in hand, and gazed at the Dragon mean.

How troublesome. As I thought, it’s not whetting my

appetite. I’ve no mood to eat it.

It’s smell wasn’t bad at all, and the power exerted by the
meat was quite clear. Speaking of Class, it may even
surpass a General Class Demon’s. It won’t transcend a
Demon Lord, of all things, but even so, there’s no mistaking
that it was a first-rate edible.
 For the pitiful man kneeling before me, it must have been
quite a trouble to obtain.

Normally, I would have devoured it without a second

thought, but now it was futile. My feelings aren’t moved.
Even the concept of hunger itself is starting to disappear
across the horizon of my memory. In the first place, once a
Demon becomes a Demon Lord, they can go several years
without food or drink. That’s why there’s probably no need
to worry about death, and for someone like me, who went
through such an intense sense of irritation just through a
single day without food, this was definitely the strangest
state I had ever found myself in.

In the end, I couldn’t work up the intention to eat it no

matter what, and without staining the end of the fork at all,
I left it on the table.

“… No, I’m good.”

“… Eh? You haven’t even touched it, haven’t…”

“… You can eat it if you want.”

Ah……………………

This isn’t me. This definitely isn’t my character. Just how

am I supposed to face my subordinates waiting for me in
the world beyond!? Normally, the food, and the plate, and
the silverware, and the Demon that made it all would have
been in my stomach by now. I’m the freaking Devourer,
dammit!

I dismounted the chair, and passed by the Demon staring

at me in a daze. And without eating a single thing in the
end, I left the store.
 At the entrance, a needlessly wary Greed-kun was
waiting for me. Oh, he wasn’t Greed-kun, was he… right,
Deije. Deije Breindac. Former general of Leigie
Slaughterdoll’s army. Well, at the point, he’s just a lone
Demon searching for treasure in foreign lands, it seems.

Fufu, that’s what you call unemployed, you know.

Unemployed.

“… Oy, oy, so you’ve seriously lost your cravings…”

“Yeah. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”

Cleanly gone. Nothing left. All that remained in me was a

deep feeling of loss. I had no clue of the means I needed to
fill that. There’s nothing I’m capable of besides eating.

Deije-kun knitted his brow into a difficult expression, and

folded his arms.

“… I’ve never heard of something like that…”

“Yeah, that’s because I’m the first.”

Even if he’s long lived, at the very least, he’s probably

younger than me. Well, for the individual that lost their
longings, it definitely wouldn’t be a fun thing to speak of,
and even if such a case came up in the past, there’s a
possibility it never spread too far.

If I took away the point of looking at Deije-kun as an

ingredient, he was a rare find among Demons, an
‘accomplished individual.’ Usually, the deeper a Demon’s
desire runs, the harder it is to hold a conversation with
them. In that sense, with his shallow desire, he may still be
a novice of a Demon, but as a travelling companion, he
wasn’t half bad.
 In contrast to his monster-like appearance, he was quite
straight-forward. That man. Well, that’s something I was
even able to notice when I fought him a year prior.

“Well, that’s how it is, so the current me doesn’t

have the willpower to eat you.”

“Ki ki ki, that so?I get the feeling it’s nice and
peaceful that way…”

Seeing him let out quite a deep sigh gave me the

impression he was quite the pessimist. It’s not good to
overthink things, you know. If you’re going to think so hard
about something make it thoughts towards how you plan to
satisfy your own desire.

Thinking of something, I tried asking him.

“… You, could it be that you usurped my appetite?”

“Wha… like hell I did. Even if you begged me, I

wouldn’t want to take it.”

Well, that’s about right. The target of his theft I likely

treasure. You can call that the most popular type of Greed.
In the first place, I doubt someone who wanted something
like my appetite would ever become an Avaritia. If there
was a Demon like that, they would definitely come to
govern Gula instead.

Deije-kun’s disgusted face was the real deal. Fufu, you

don’t have to hate it that much…

Deije-kun, and that Zeta-kun fellow seemed to be

suffering quite a bit, but once you become a Demon Lord,
this level of heat isn’t enough to influence you in the
slightest. Regardless of having eaten that Angel, after
confirming that not a particle of my hunger had retrned, I
lowered myself into a seat at the café. Of course, it wasn’t
the one I had collapsed at before. That shop was destroyed
from the shockwaves of the Angels’ attacks. The shop
chosen to grace our reunion was somewhat newer than
that other one, but there wasn’t much a difference between
them. It was that sort of small diner. Perhaps because it
was a ways away from the battlefield, the air was calm as if
that scene from before had been but a dream. It was
enough to make one sleepy.

With Deije-kun sitting across, and Zeta-kun positioned to

watch my every move, I conversed. They didn’t seem to
intend to hide anything, and they smoothly explained the
current state of affairs.

It looks like the Demon World’s state had changed greatly

in the time I’d been gone.

It was right of me to set out for the Crimson Prison. My

name was likely spread across the lands. As the foolish
Demon Lord who tried to pull a bow at Kanon-sama. That’s
why meeting someone who knew my face like Deije-kun
was a form of luck. Yep, I must be in luck. It’s not like we’ve
become comrades in arms or anything, but there are plenty
of Demon out there who won’t listen to what you have to
say. Also, when I’m left alone, that feeling of loss wins over,
and brings a hinderance to my daily function, so in that
sense, this moderate level of tension isn’t bad.

Angels and Valkyries. Leigie’s demotion in rank, and of

how Heard Lauder became a Demon Lord.

These old tales were all fresh news to me.

Of all else, Leigie’s fall didn’t settle right. I wonder what

happened. At the very least, the achievement of bringing
ruin to me should count towards his promotion, and not the
opposite. The fact that the Ancient Demon who moved the
army under his name, Heard Lauder, became a Demon Lord
makes the possibility that Heard Overruled Leigie to be the
most likely option, but…

Whatever the case, it looks like my death was the starting

point of something. A Pride Demon, and me of Gluttony
don’t have too good of an affinity. They’re not an enemy I’d
like to fight, but… if my annihilation started up something,
then if my survival was found out, I got the feeling he
would come for me. It was quite a pain.

But putting me aside, the two Greed-kuns were focusing

on the former.

Future over past. Well, it’s not like I don’t see where
they’re coming from. The problem with Leigie was mine
alone, and Deije-kun was irrelevant.

While Deije-kun had become quite affable, Zeta-kun

continued to send suspicious eyes in my direction, so I
decided to just play along.

“Hmm… Angels, is it? I guess blue moons really do

rise.”

“What’s more, Saint Lord Class. Ki ki ki, there’s

definitely something up.”

As he said that, Deije-kun’s eyes sparkled with desire as

if he were staring at his prey. It was common knowledge
that Angels occasionally descended, but that was in low
frequency, and those with over a set level of competence
wouldn’t think of coming down. For Saint Lord class, if you
exclude the War of Black and White ten thousand years
ago, it was a story I hadn’t heard at all as of late.
 Deije-kun’s words were quite on the mark.

… But that’s all they were.

It feels bad to dampen the flame on Deije-kun’s earnest

desire, but this isn’t that sort of story. This won’t be the
path to his glory. From my point of view, it was all too clear,
but a General has a General’s point of view, and a Lord, a
Lord’s.

“Fufu… Deije-kun, you’re reading too much into it.

Fufu… if you want Glory, then stop chasing around
something like Angels, and start aiming to become a
Demon Lord already.”

That was the first crossroad. For a Demon who can’t even
do that, there’s no glory to be found. And chasing Angels is
a waste of time. Honing the mind and body on the path to
become a Demon Lord isn’t something done in order to
destroy angels and Demons.

It’s all about seeing the depths of your desire. That’s all
there is to it.

It’s another matter when battle is directly related to said

desire, but your Sin isn’t something like that, right? Fufu,
this is what they call escapism, isn’t it?

Deije frowned, and regretfully shook his head.

“Ki ki ki, reaching that level isn’t something I can

imagine for myself. I’ll just take it as it comes.”

Fufu… do what you will. Of course, even if it be to

friendly troops, any Avaritia willing to lend out the target of
their longings (treasures) will never become a Demon Lord,
you know…
 Right, his sin is… too shallow. I know of a greed that
burns much more brightly. For Deije-kun who chose to toss
away his treasure, of all things, it may be a matter of pure
nature, but this is quite severe.

Zeta-kun asked Deije-kun a question. It looked like they

were partners, and had a sort of teacher-student
relationship. The young boy Demon’s expression did indeed
hold the color of trust towards him.

“So, Deije-san. What should we do? We ended up

letting one of them get away…”

“… Now that a Lord’s in the mix, we can’t go on at

this rate. I did plan to give chase, but at that level, to
be honest, it’s beyond my hands.”

Our natural enemy, the Angels. And the difference of

Rank.

Deije-kun’s words were correct. Depending on the

situation, Avaritia could exhibit unrivalled strength, but in
pure fighting power, it fell a step behind Ira and Gula. If he
had that Demon Blade from before, I’ll bet he’d be able to
put up a decent fight with a Saint Lord of that level,
though. That thing was all bark, and no bite.

“Ki ki ki, for now, let’s at least write in a report to

the Great Demon King… even something of that level
should give off a considerable reward.”

Fufuf… how sweet. How very sweet. Having Lust Demons

for sweetness is more than enough. Sweeetness and
firmness. He’s pushing too hard on the brakes. There are
times when wiles fall short of bravery. That was a
phenomenon that we age old demons rarely come to
witness.
 Kanon-sama was a Lord that governed Wrath, yet also a
kind-hearted King. That’s why, even even with a simple
report, there would likely be a bit of a reward. But Deije-
kun, if you keep at it like that, then what you seek will
never fall into your hands.

“So, Zebul. What do you plan on doing?”

“… Well then, that’s a good question.”

The Angel wasn’t tasty at all, but still, there was

something to be gained. My physical condition isn’t bad…
No, the truth’s that I understand I’m at peak condition. The
current me could probably even put up a more decent fight
with that Leigie. Once more, I’ll get some experience
fighting that Lord of Sloth. I won’t be crushed so easily this
time around.

Of all else, the current me doesn’t taste anything no

matter what I try to eat. That’s why perhaps I’ll be able to
eat him this time around. Fight poison with poison… I
wonder if that’s what you’d call it. It’s the life I’ve gotten
together again, so challenging him again doesn’t sound
bad. I’m a challenger… fufufu, when I think of it that way,
my heart dances just a bit.

Perhaps sensing something from my expression, Deije

opened just one of his six eyes, and asked.

“Zebul, won’t you come with me? In the past, we

were mutual enemies, but that’s exactly why I can
understand your strength. Ki ki ki, taking on Angels
instead of Demons isn’t a bad change of pace, once in
a while, right?”

“Fu… I’ll have to decline.”

 His proposal was a respectable one, even shocking to
hear from a Demon. Inviting along one who once terrorized
me in the past isn’t something I could imagine. But even if
I’d lost my cravings, I had my dignity as a former Demon.
Also, the merits of answering to his invite were too low. An
Angel’s taste held too little value to me.

“Why?”

“Fufufu… I have a need to go and meet… eat up that

Leigie.”

That was my obligation as a challenger to one who’d

bested me once before. Deije-kun distorted his face a little,
and directed a gaze as if he were looking at a monster in
my direction.

“… Just where do you find such energy after you

were thoroughly destroyed like that…”

“That’s obvious… if I go on without eating, I can’t

call myself a Gula anymore.”

Even if I’m not hungry at all. I doubt you’d understand it.

This is a matter of pride.

“… Well, well, well, I guess all of those Demon Lords

out there are a bit off their rockers.”

“And that’s exactly why they’re all tasty.”

“Deije-san… is this person alright in the head?”

Zeta-kun’s face was quite clearly stiffened as he pointed

at me.
 What a rude child. Well, I didn’t expect him to understand
my train of thought anyways. This is mine, and mine alone.
Fufu… even if you may be Greed, I won’t let you take it
from me so easily.

“… So you’ll be off to the Dark Prison, then… Ki ki

ki, the ownership of that land has already shifted.
Heard Lauder’s a tough one, you know? I mean, that
there’s a Superbia who’s followed Boss Leigie from
time immemorial. He’s even the Rank One Demon
Lord at the moment. While you may be the Devourer,
it’s too heavy a burden.”

“Fufu.”

You really don’t get it. Yes, your words are all correct. As
it is, Pride grows stronger the more years pass by. If that
gets to around the same level of time as Leigie’s existence,
then no normal Demon Lord would be able to lay a finger
on them. Ranks aren’t just some decoration, and as
Gluttony, my affinity against him is bad.

… But that’s not enough of a reason for me not to eat.

Fufu… Rank One’s Pride. Heard Lauder. It’s unfortunate

that I won’t be able to partake in your matured taste. But
there’s no helping it. You may be a bit heavy for an
appetizer, but I’ll eat you up all the same.

“… Keh, looks like you’ve no mind to change your

intentions.”

“Could it be you’re making light of me, Deije-kun?

Fufu… even like this, I’m a former Demon Lord, you
know.”

“No, of course, I know that, but…”

 Deije let out a dissatisfied sigh. It was likely his own
shallow desire that prevented him from empathizing with
me. The two of us were different lifeforms. The souls that
formed our base, and our ranks were different. My power
was higher class even among the other Demon Lords, and
no matter how strong Deije-kun became, no matter how
many Demon Blades he held, that gap was close to
absolute.

I wonder if he’s noticed it. That in the eyes he used to

look at me, there was a slight color of awe mixed in.

“Yep… each and every one of you Lords is just too

hard to deal with. There’s no helping it. I’ll just do as
I wish, them.”

“And I don’t plan on stopping you. Carry out your

cravings as you please. Fufufu… make sure you don’t
regret it when they’re all gone.”

“I can’t even imagine these feelings in me going

out. Ki ki ki, from my eyes, Zebul the Devourer… I
can’t see that yours has gone out either.”

As me muttered that with exaggeration, he raised a

peculiar laugh.

His eyes, and his voice didn’t give me the impression he

was joking around. Well, desire is something you keep
within yourself. Only their possessors can truly grasp their
natures. As it to answer to that, I licked my lips.

After trembling a little, Deije-kun got up. He had a goal of

his own. I had neither the right, nor the motivation to stop
him.
 “So will you be departing any time soon? From here
on plan on heading for the Palace of Rending Flames
as soon as I can.”

“Fufu… perhaps I’ll go meet an old friend first.

Stopping to talk once in a while isn’t a bad thing.”

In the first place, it was a coincidence I chose to set foot

in the Crimson Prison. I came here without any detours, so
I hadn’t even heard the slightest rumor an Angel had come
down, and I never even imagined I would see someone I
knew. But when It came down to it, I met the Angels, and I
met Deije-kun. It may be off from my goal, but while I’m at
it, another meeting or two doesn’t sound bad.

Humans sure are interesting creatures… no, I’m pretty

sure I mean Demons.

“An old… friend?”

“Yeah… I’ve been alive for a while… even if I look

like this, I’ve been around quite a bit.”

Of course, a majority of those acquaintances have taken

up residence in my stomach… If you look at it from the
other side, you can think of the one I was off to meet as one
of the rare acquaintances I had that didn’t settle down
there. There’s also the fact I couldn’t eat him because we
were part of the same army under the Great Demon King,
but the greater reason lay with that Demon’s power.

Fufufu…

Well, it’s not like we got along anyways. We’re comrades

in longevity, so there’s that sympathy thing or another.
Suspecting something, Deije-kun opened his six exes, and
stared hard enough to bore a hole in my face.
 “Oy, oy, you couldn’t mean…”

“Fufufu… well, we’re friends… after all.”

“… That’s news to me.”

It was a somber voice as heavy as lead. As if smacked by

that voice, Deije-kun and Zeta-kun took large leaps back. I
had noticed it all along, so I wasn’t surprised, but that
presence surely was fearsome. Strong enough that even
with General Class power, you wouldn’t have been able to
perceive it.

If I didn’t have my Abyss Zone, it was so thin that even I

might have lost sight of it, and that inherently tremendous
existence, was one of a rare Demon who didn’t show off a
single piece of the power he had stored up from times
beyond memory.

That was the base of the Pride this Demon governed.

Zeta-kun looked up at his large frame with a stiff

expression.

“W-what… you.. from when…”

“… Tsk.”

He was about two heads over Deije-kun, making one

think he was one of the 『 Greip Giants 』 that once
inhabited this Demon world. His protruding muscles were
built like stone, and they covered his entire body like
armor. The gap between his dignity and his light presence
left one with and absurdly ominous sensation.

Vanity Seidthroan.
 A Demon Lord who gave up on the throne.

He was quite a rude one whose first sounds directed at

me were the click of his tongue. The great Lord of Demons
boasting the moniker of The Egoist, used his thunderous
voice that reverberated through the skies to throw out
some lamentations.

“Why are you alive… that Slothful Lord… didn’t

destroy you… perfectly enough.”

“Fufu… how rude a fellow. For those to be the words

of our long-awaited reunion.”

Along with an overflowing smile, deep despair started

sputtering around me like sparks.

As I thought… isn’t no good.

 Part 4: Seconds Please
Before I knew it, the store was surrounded by countless
soldiers. Just like Vanity, their presences were faint, and
the sense of reality of the situation was compromised.

Deije-kun’s face tensed, as he surveyed the area without

a hint of negligence. His bearing was high strung, but there
wasn’t any fear.

Men and women of all ages. Their bodies, and powers,

and sizes varied greatly, but in just one regard, did that
Legion have a trait that put it apart from the armies of
other Demon Lords.

Without any divide among their movements, they all fixed

their eyes on me. Let along an expression, their entire
faces were enveloped in full masks of the darkest black.

They somewhat resembled the subordinates of Vanity

when I first met him, but they were also somewhat
different.

Vanity the Egoist’s subordinates were a peculiar unit

known as the Ravus Persona.

Their origin, or reason, nothing about them was known. It

wasn’t for their strength, but for their ominous appearance
that their names were spread. An incomprehensible army.
If we were looking at strength here, then Leigie’s army that
Deije-kun once commanded would far outclass them. As
long as Vanity wasn’t with them, that is. But still, even
without their Lord, this army had something I couldn’t put
my finger on.

“Fufu… that’s quite a greeting…”

 “Caution is… natural… no?”

Vanity came to his own conclusion, as he look down at me

from a level far above my stature. That goes without
saying. I’m Gula. I’m used to putting people on their guard.

With their faces covered, the silent Demons weren’t

letting out any intent to harm me, and they merely looked
on, as if awaiting orders from their master. Loyalty. That
quality that was exceedingly rare to find in a Demon was
even rarer to come across in these numbers.

Fufu… well, I got used to it from past experience. As if

looking upon a detestable object, Vanity’s deep and dark
eyes full of longings lorded over me.

“Zebul… damn devourer.”

“You’re scaring me… fufufu, I’d prefer if you didn’t

glare at me that much.”

Those aren’t… the eyes you direct at an old friend, you

know. I mean, I just tried taking a bit of a taste, didn’t I? No
matter how many tens of thousands of years pass, he’s a
narrow-minded man… And as always, the number of words
he let out were few in numbers. It was apparently a habit
he picked up in his childhood, and he couldn’t grow out of
it. What was the saying for this again… The child is the
father of the man. Right, that’s the one.

Without even trying to hide his disgust, Vanity raised a

boorish voice.

“Why, here?”

“That one’s… a coincidence, I assure you. Fufu,

though I did make a stop here in order to meet with
you.”

“…So I took… the bait.”

The Crimson Prison was Vanity’s kingdom. Entering it

was one thing, but with a Lord like me coming in, there’s
no way Vanity didn’t notice it.

As if trying to fill in the space between Vanity’s eyes and

mine, Deije-kun opened his mouth. Your guts alone are to
be commended… Deije-kun.

“Ki ki ki, and so, why in the world have you decided
to show up at this point in time, Boss Vanity?”

“… That, there.”

Vanity used his chin to point me out. As I thought, no

matter how many years go by, he’s a rude one. Finding
satisfaction in that answer, Deije-kun nodded. I’d like to
complain a little to that one.

“… You plan… on eating… more Angels?”

“… You sure bring up some nostalgic stuff.”

Yes, in the past, I was the Gula who devoured angels, and
left nothing behind. While they may be the natural enemy
of Demons, no fault lay with them as ingredients. I have no
discrimination among food. Apart from Leigie. That’s why
the Gula who ate the most Angels ten thousand years ago
was likely me.

But of course, my goal this time wasn’t anything like that.

As the look of suspicion towards me rose, I spoke up to the
man looking over me with an apologetic tone.
 “But this time’s goal is irrelevant to that. Fufu…
Vanity. I have some business with Leigie.”

“… Revenge… huh.”

A prideful thought. That sort must always have thoughts

of violence.

“I’ve no interest in revenge. It’s because I can’t

even eat him. Fufu… this time, I just what to have a
little talk. With the Lazy King, that is.”

Yes. Those are my true intentions. If it’s that man, who

took inactivity to its extremes, then perhaps he would be
able to offer an explanation to my current state. No, even if
he can’t… there’s no doubt that man killed the Demon Lord
in me. In order to restore my desires once mre, it’s a score
I have to settle. Even if I’m only to face defeat again.

Vanity easily, and calmly nodded to my words.

“That… so? Do what… you want.”

“… Oy, oy, Boss Vanity, you sure about that? The

Devourer, Zebul Glaucus, is the Demon Lord who
pulled her sword on the Great Demon King, right? Ki
ki ki, you sure you don’t have to clean up the
matter?”

You sure say some unnecessary things. Unnecessary as it

may be. Vanity was definitely a subordinate of the Great
Demon King, but he definitely wasn’t her loyal servant. In
the first place, Demons are self-serving. Direct orders from
the King aside, there’s no rule saying that two Demon
Lords who meet by chance have to break into a fight.
 As I’ve had an unnervingly long relation with him, I can
say it for sure. Even if he’d given up on the throne, if you
were to split the Demon Lords allied to Kanon-sama into
factions, he would definitely be on the anti-Kanon faction.

“… Don’t… die… too quickly.”

“Fufufu… is this where I’m supposed to give my

thanks? Then thank you?”

“… fu.”

Vanity snorted, before readily showing his back, and

walking off. And as if they were a receding wave on the
shore, his subordinates filtered out of the store.

It was like I had been seeing a dream, and after that, the
situation was exactly the same as it had been before. Vanity
was only here for a brief instant. His presence wasn’t
anywhere close at this point. Using my zone, I was just
barely able to make him out before, but now it had faded
into the mist.

Deije-kun’s stiff face let out a sigh.

“Just what… was that? He sure is an ominous one.

My instincts were sending shocks of fear all over my
body… Ki ki ki, the world sure is wide. I didn’t think it
was like this last I saw it… ”

“… That’s because Vanity was preparing for war.

Fufu… it just means he wasn’t as calm as his
expression would indicate.”

From times past, that man’s been a coward. To his sin of

Superbia, he held a crippling trauma. That’s why he’s so
timid, and that’s why he’s so strong.
 I hadn’t seen him in a while, but it looks like Vanity
hadn’t changed in the slightest. No, just a little, just by a
small margin, he had become more resolved. Fufufu…
Heard Lauder must have stepped on a nerve.

Zeta-kun tilted his head, and posed a question to Deije-

kun, who had regained his composition.

“… But why did he even come all the way here…?

Even taking his army with him.”

“He likely came to hammer me down… fufufu, it’s

because I know him quite well.”

Probably, Kanon-sama included, he was the Demon Lord

I’ve known for the longest amount of time. For Demons who
I’ve known of that long, there’s probably only that Leigie to
contest. Also, perhaps I knew of Heard Lauder, or not.

“… Hammer?”

“Right. Hammer. I won’t get in your way, so you

don’t go getting up in my business. That sort of
thing.”

The killing intent flowing out from Vanity was definitely

directed at me. To try threatening someone who, for
argument’s sake, reigns over Gluttony like me, I can only
show some admiration. Fufu… just as meeting Leigie was
my current supreme goal, Vanity must have something as
well. Well, I do have a general idea, but of course, I’m not
going to do anything about it, and it’ll probably come to a
result convenient to me anyways.

Right now, eating was nothing but a pain. It would be

best if there were fewer hindrances.
 Misunderstanding something, Deije-kun tensed his face,
and let his gaze float out in space.

“Even so, that imposing air wasn’t normal… does

that Vanity have some sort of karma with Angels? It
did seem he had taken quite a bit of caution
regarding them, but…”

Karma. Karma, is it? Deije-kun was half on the mark, and

half off. If you ask whether he has some or not, then that’s
probably a yes right there. Among long-lived Demons, I
doubt you’d find too many without any karma against those
heavenly guys.

“Fufu, Deije-kun. That Demon is…”

Should I say it, or not? Hmm… I hesitated for a moment,

but it’s not like any problems would arise just by saying it. I
wanted to put on airs for a bit, so I decided to teach little
old Deije-kun.

“… a former 『Angel』, you know?”

Angels and Demons are two sides of the same coin. We’re
all made of soul all the same, and the differences between
us lied only in if we’re trash, or righteous souls. That’s why,
if an Angel falls, their spirits can turn over, and they’ll
become Demons.

“… So he’s Fallen…”

Right. An Angel falls to a Demon. A 『Fallen Angel』 . A

reversed Angel. An angry soul, betrayed by the love of god.
Fufufu, in the first place, he’s much more sinful than I,
back when I was still a Demon.
 Even upon hearing my words, Deije-kun was more
collected than I expected. Fufu, despite everything, it
seems he really has been through a considerable amount of
life. He whispered to himself, to confirm the meaning of his
words. Half of it may have been to let Zeta-kun follow the
conversation, as the lad was looking up a Deije-kun with an
uncomprehensive face.

“Ki ki ki, a former Angel… is it? That sure ain’t

anything nice.”

“Well… that’s right. Fufu, he’s still quite bitter

about it.”

Nothing nice. It’s because he wasn’t nice that he fell in

the first place. Well, that’s right, I guess. But why is it that
Vanity currently holds the seat of a Demon Lord? An
absolute existence among the ranks of Demons? This is why
humans are so interesting… no, Demons, I mean.

“… So can Vanity win against those Angels?”

Deije-kun muttered, but as if he wasn’t looking for an

answer, he let his words dangle.

“Well, if it’s just Angels, he’ll probably win. But

Vanity’s enemy this time is no Angel.”

“… Yeah. No ordinary Angel, a Saint Lord. What’s

more, those guys… they went and powered up in the
middle of battle. If that wasn’t something they had
been concealing, and it really did rise right in the
middle of battle, it’s going to get troublesome.”

Fufu… Deije-kun’s quite the worrier. But those worries

are needless. At the very least, if it’s an Angel on the level
of the one I fought, it won’t be an enemy for Vanity, and
that wasn’t even really a battle for me. But I won’t say that
one.

Fufufu, what you should be worrying about is yourself,

and I need to start worrying about myself as well.

I turned my thoughts back to me. Me alone.

Now then, how should I go about getting to Leigie… How

should I set out…

It will be difficult to get past Heard Lauder. That’s just

how Demons of Pride are. They have absolute strength, but
if I had to say, that power declined the most when faced
upfront. But when it was a battle of pursuit, they displayed
peerless strength. That was the Original Sin of Superbia.

In the first place, will he even fight me? Leigie’s Castle of

Shadows was deep in the land known as the Dark Prison.
No matter what direction I go at it from, I’ll have to tread
on the territory of Heard Lauder. Will he think of me as a
harmless Demon? No, I doubt it. My power’s too strong for
that, and even if I try to get through with words, he’s kinda
a battle maniac.

In that case, I’ll have to make an opening. If we face off, I

don’t think I’ll lose, but it won’t be an easy win. Pride was
generally an attribute that excelled in speed. At Demon
Lord Level, they could see the world moving as if it were
stagnant. Since there’s no way to break through by
running, my best bet would be to wait for a good
opportunity.

I don’t really like leaving myself to fate, but luckily for

me, it shouldn’t be long before a large gap appears in
Heard Lauder’s defenses.
 “Fufufu, an opportunity, is it? How many years has
it been… since I did something like waiting for a
chance…”

It usually works out one way or another if I muscle my

way through it… for me. This exhilarating feeling of waiting
for something to come wasn’t anything I’ve felt for a long,
long time.

So what should I say at a time like this… fufu…

“Seconds… perhaps?”

“Hm? Did you say something?”

“Fufu… it’s nothing.”

I dodged Deije-kun’s suspicious look, and stared out in

the direction Vanity had departed. Nice. That desire, that
emotion, it’s quite nice. Vanity the Egoist. From the eyes of
someone who’s known you so long, I can’t even believe you
were once an Angel.

Time and luck were on my side. Fufufu, Leigie. I’ll

probably be meeting you in a foreseeable future. Have fun
waiting for it.
 Chapter 11
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT
 Part 1: Today was Peaceful
It was the reaches of space.

Space. According to some God out there or another, it

was an endless abyss of darkness. Even if one possessed
heavenly wings, it wasn’t so easy to span the emptiness
that was vaster than the high Heavens, and rumored to
exist in a place somewhere far beyond them. And there, it
was said that absolutely nothing existed.

Gravity and matter and light and even desire ceased to

exist. All that was there was… right.

“Nothing…”

“… It’s not… nothing!”

An unthinkable amount of power came from those

slender arms to pull at me, and from that dark, and warm,
and soft space of nothingness, I was dragged out. Lust
generally wasn’t suited to battle, but when love was
concerned they did have a nature that raised their abilities
quite a bit. Not that it really matters.

Beautiful golden hair, and deep blue eyes. Her innocent

yet delicate features held an air that would knock any
Demon that governed another original sin silent.

But at the same time, there wasn’t anyone brazen enough

to assault her on this land.

Lorna. No last. A Luxuria Demon, as well as the Lord of

Sloth’s personal maid.

But that form I once yearned for, that way of life, none of
them were enough to stimulate my desire in the slightest.
 It’s not like I Overruled her, or that I didn’t even envy her
anymore, or anything like that. It all just became a pain. All
of it. Perhaps this is a single form of enlightenment.

Between me and her, I was just a little shorter, but that

was a difference in the range of experimental error. That’s
why when she grabbed me, and dragged me around, my
feet still slid across the ground. With strong will concealed
in those blue eyes that seemed to suck me in, I offered a
single word as always.

“… What?”

“… Why are you… in Leigie-sama’s bed…”

‘Twas my daily schedule. That’s why I’m always so sleepy.

With my arms locked down by her, I let out a yawn. The
corners of Lorna’s lips twitched for a moment, but even
that expression of hers was lovable. This may be her
natural gift thing… no, is it something that simply comes
naturally to Luxuria Demons? I mean, those guys are
always tempting others’ carnal desires.

The darkness gradually seeping out of the deepest depths

of my body. Like Envy, it was hard to go against, but
overwhelmingly more gentle, and nothing but kind. That
force that was sinking my existence into depravity was
something called drowsiness. I wonder how much time has
passed since the path of Sloth opened to me. Recently, I’ve
become able to understand Leigie-sama’s sentiment just
ever-so-slightly.

I’m really sleepy. And sluggish. Just as Envy continues to

scorch, and Gluttony continues to hunger, the desire of
Sloth forbade me from making any drastic movement.

“… Each and every day, just give it up already…”

 “That’s because you haven’t given up on crawling in
there each and every day!!”

As if her usual calm demeanor was but a lie, Lorna began

prodding me with her broom. And just as I’ve begun to
understand Leigie-sama’s feelings as of late, I’ve begun to
understand Lorna as well.

It’s not that she’s kind. She’s kind to Leigie-sama. She’s

spoiling him. There was probably a small difference
between the two.

She incessantly shakes up my shoulders. But up to here’s

just our usual routine. Perhaps because of Sloth’s power,
even if she’s shaking me like that, it barely gets through to
me.

“Medea Luxeliaheart! Do your work properly!”

“… I’m a pillow.”

It’s not like working is a pain. My duty is for me to sleep

in Leigie-sama’s bed. By sleep, I don’t mean it in any
strange way. I’m just trying to indicate pure and simple
sleep. In that sense, I’m fulfilling my professional duties
more than all else.

As evidence, my Sloth Tree is proceeding forward at a

reasonable rate.

“Then… what the hell is that under Leigie-sama’s

head!?”

“… My senpai.”

Whether he was listening to our exchange or not, Leigie-

sama had the back of his head rested against the pillow
without moving a single bit. The way he looked as if he
were dead hadn’t changed at all. But the power I could feel
from him simply existing there was definitely that of a Lord.

Senpai. My senpai. Handed down from the Great Demon

King, Kanon Iralaude, he was a pillow crafted from the
plumage of infant Fire Dragons. Of course, he didn’t have a
name. But having been made of Fire Dragon materials, the
pillow was exceedingly durable, possessed ridiculously high
fire resistance, and on top of being constantly warmed to a
comfortable temperature, he boasted exquisite softness.

He was undoubtedly my greatest foe. He was, but

recently, I’ve found myself losing interest in mulling over
something like that. In the first place, I never accepted it
from the start. Isn’t it idiotic to envy a pillow? I’ve never
heard of an Invidia like that.

The reason I still aim for that coveted position is simply

because my instincts will me to. … And it’s not like I have
anything better to do.

What’s more, the greatest bedroom in the Castle of

Shadows was undoubtedly the Demon Lord’s bedroom. Just
by being here, my power rises. Lorna silently held a hand
mirror up to me. And in it, I saw an expressionless Medea
Luxeliaheart, without a trace of the abundant emotions I
had before.

Truly expressionless…

“… And?”

“… Hah… Medea. Are you really fine with this?”

“Yes.”
 “… Hah…”

As I gave an immediate response, Lorna let out a deep

sigh. Her eyes weren’t colored with wrath. They held only
the colors of sorrow. Lorna would never let an angry
expression grace her face. Perhaps that was the nature of
Lust, or perhaps she had gotten used to Leigie-sama’s
behavior, or perhaps it was because she was the one who
saved me. I didn’t know the reason.

She seemed to want to say something, but once more,

she let out a deep, deep sigh, before speaking.

“At the very least, please wear some clothes…

clothes…”

“… That’s a pain.”

In the first place, I’m barely ever going to leave the bed,
so there’s no point in wearing clothing, and when I did
want to leave, there was only ever Lorna here, so there was
no point in hiding anything. Leigie-sama’s here too, but I’ll
bet he doesn’t even see me when I’m before his eyes, so the
emotion of embarrassment before him had vanished at
some point. Thinking about it was just a waste of time.
Without saying anything to my response, with a smile to
indicate, ‘Medea’s drunk again,’ she took a single Glance in
Leigie-sama’s direction.

“Leigie-sama… once I put Medea away, I will bring

out your meal, so please wait a moment…”

“…”

Leigie’s sleeping time has recently gotten even longer.

He doesn’t even make the slightest movements at Lorna’s
voice. Nodding in satisfaction, Lorna quietly extended her
arms towards me.

She inserted her hands into my armpits, and lifted me up.

I didn’t resist. This is also but our daily routine. Being lifted
like this was quite a bizarre sensation. It literally felt like I
was moving without my feet reaching the ground. As she
carried me away like I was a piece of luggage, I offered her
a word.

“Lorna…”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s best if you quit it with these pointless

things.”

No matter how many times you put me away, I’ll return.

And as of late, it’s a scene that’s happened over and over
again. As if through homing instinct, no matter how far
away she would stow me, I would find myself here. Even if
it went against my Sloth, perhaps that was the remnants of
the Envy left within me. I can’t calm down. I have to be
here.

“Medea… you are a bad influence on Leigie-sama.”

“… Bad… influence?”

Lorna likely offered blind devotion. She saw only what

she wanted to see. This is the Lord of Sloth who’s lived an
overwhelmingly long time, and you’re saying I’m a bad
influence… just what sort of dreams are you seeing of
Leigie-sama? There wasn’t a window, but due to the
countless candlesticks decorating the walls, the inside of
the room was bright. Oh, even if it was dark, with my night
vision, I would be able to make out Lorna’s expression
regardless.

I thought for a moment, and tried asking.

“So should I wear clothes?”

“… That isn’t the problem here.”

Then what exactly is the problem? Even if I didn’t ask

that, I could guess. If a Demon’s cravings are the validation
for their existence, then Lorna’s being is the form of
Luxuria.

But in this current situation, without envying me, without

developing 『Invidia』, she continued to embrace that, and
in that sense, she was perhaps superior to me as a Demon.

She didn’t answer anything more, as she draped a gray

blanket around me, before lifting me up by the armpits
again. Without sound, she opened the door of Leigie’sama’s
room. The deepest chamber to which no Hero, or Angel had
ever reached was, to the maid, and to the worthless Demon
known as me, simply a portion of our everyday lives.

The army of Leigie of Sloth, that used to exist in such

numbers, could now be counted on a single hand. The
inside of the Castle of Shadows, constructed of black stone,
was dreadfully quiet. The powerful and famous army had
largely been absorbed into the forces of a certain Heard
Lauder. No, that was probably Heard’s army to begin with.
That’s why that was the natural result.

This castle was always much too vast. Even compared to

the Great Demon King’s Palace of Rending Flames I had
visited once before, its scale was off the charts. It could fit
two or three of those cities around inside it with ease.
 No, in truth, while this castle was a castle, it was just as
much a town itself.

Not just subordinates, all of the subjects under the

protection of the Lord of Sloth gathered at this stronghold.
Of course, they lived apart, but that was also one
characteristic of the Castle of Shadows. Additions, and
annexes added onto one another, and onto this bizarrely
bloated Demon Lord estate. Inside, a countless number of
Demons had their own properties, and it had already
developed into a sort of labyrinth.

But all of that is already a story of the past.

“Now, Medea. We’re here.”

While I was nodding off, it seems we arrived. The place I

found when I lifted my eyelids was my own room I had
become accustom to. Without any decent garnishings, it
was a very practical room. Lorna’s room was the one
beside it. That wasn’t always the case, but since I began
carrying around Sloth, she altered her station. So she could
deal with me easier.

My body was left on the bed, and Lorna hit her hands
against each other as if she had just finished cleaning up.
How rude…

She tilted her head in thought, and murmured.

“Wouldn’t just tying her to her bed be for the

best…?”

“No use.”

It was a pain, so I just gave two words.

 Right, that won’t work. It’s a given that Lorna’s
schemings will end in failure. Even like this, I’m a General
Class Demon. In just basic specs, I far surpassed the maid.
In this dog-eat-dog world, that simple truth was an absolute
value.

With a wordless expression, Lorna looked at me.

“Then just… work a little. Every day, you just keep

sleeping in that bed…”

“…”

Then why not tell that to Leigie-sama? In the first place, I

am working. In my own sense of values, I’m continuing to
pursue my desire. I mean, yeah, I haven’t been fighting as
of late, but it’s not like fighting’s all there is to life.

Just what is Lorna wishing of me? That was the biggest

mystery. Leigie-sama no longer has any territory besides
this castle, and this structure was completely surrounded
by Heard’s domain. Possessing a territory surrounded on
all sides by allied forces was a trait that no one else but the
Great Demon King boasted. Meaning there isn’t a single
one to invade here. Even if you think long and hard about
it, I doubt there are many out there who could get past that
Heard Lauder.

“Leigie-sama is fine. Because that’s his job…”

“…”

Then what’s different with me? No, Leigie-sama’s

sleeping time is rapidly growing in length. I spend about
half a day asleep, but while I’m awake, the only time I ever
see Leigie-sama awake is during his meal time. That meal
is also fed to him by Lorna, so I can’t even say with
certainty that he’s awake at those times.

I’m quite gone case, but Leigie-sama’s on another level.

That great divide was something I could only look to in
respect. Just what can I do to sleep for such a long time…

When looked at from afar, Leigie-sama was quite bad, but

when observed up closely, he was even worse, and even
greater than that, was Lorna’s habit of taking everything in
a favorable light. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.

And all was at peace at the Castle of Shadows.

Part 2: Honestly, it’s Troubling

I’m bored. Demons of Sloth are bored. Their cravings

don’t require any stimulus from the outside world. No
stimulus means their bodies, and their hearts give no
reactions. They can’t. To summarize, one with Sloth at his
base aside, for a half-assed one with other longings within
me, it was quite an unbearable sensation.

This must be why there aren’t any out there that reach
the extremes of their power through simple sleep. Boredom
was the slayer of Sloth.

I remembered back when there was a Sloth Demon

among my subordinates. He was an exceedingly weak
Demon, but that stands to reason. The more they move, the
more Sloth’s power declines. Being enlisted in the army
pretty much means there was no helping his powers
dropping to such a low level. He didn’t lose the use of his
Skills, but the greater problem was that his base abilities
were much too low. As a soldier, it was a fatal error.

On top of that, Sloth Skills weren’t even used for offense.

 Every kind of resistance imaginable, VIT elevation, and
other defensive Skills, as well, as some passives to let one
live life without having to eat, and some passives to prevent
one’s body from getting dirty, and some passives to make
excretion unnecessary, and… anyways, there was an absurd
amount of passives. Passive perfectly describes a Demon of
Sloth, but no matter how you look at it, that’s an invitation
to death’s door.

That’s why there’s no reason to embrace it, or a reason to

forge it. For what purpose did Leigie-sama continue to push
on with it, I didn’t understand even a fragment of his
thought process. But at the very least, I’m quite certain
that the other Demon Lords proceed down their paths at a
rate that leaves Sloth back in the dust.

And… I’m bored.

By doing nothing but wriggling around in the mattress

like this, I end up recalling unnecessary things. I’m starting
to feel a sense of inferiority. Like, am I really alright with it
like this? Without finding victory, some hazy, cloud-like
thing was wandering around the depths of my heart.

What’s useful at times like these are my Invidia Skills.

Envy.

It was the most common Original Sin embraced by the

Demons of the Demon world. The heart to find jealousy in
others was to Demon, and Humans, something anyone had
felt at least once in their lives.

Fortune, and tragedy, and talent, and power, and

treasure, and fame.
 Even in this desolate world, there was an abundance of
targets to envy. It was the complete opposite sin to Pride,
and its versatility of use was something not found within
the other Skill Trees.

Well, I put a lot out there, but to say it simply… it’s

optimum for killing time. While lying face up on the bed in
my room, I activated a Skill.

“Envy Vision”

My field of vision frothed over in an instant, and changed.

It’s a Skill to observe those you’ve Envied. Based on time
and place, this was an evasive Skill that could display
considerable power. It could only target the targets of your
Envy, and that restriction was quite a fault, but for the
current me, it didn’t really matter who I saw, so there
wasn’t really a problem.

First, the General who once served under the same

banner of Leigie’s Legion, an Avaritia Demon, The Usurper,
Deije Breindac. Let’s peep at him. It’s been a bit since Deije
left, but I get the feeling it hasn’t been too long either.
While it may be one sided, I can frequently view his form.

Without taking up a position in another army, after he

resigned, Deije had been wandering here and there across
the lands. There are few of General Class. That’s why
regardless of what army he takes up service in, he should
receive a favorable reception. Despite that, without taking
up any official duty, he sought the fulfillment of his
longings, walking through foreign lands. Of his way of life, I
was a little jealous.

It seems he even got himself a tag-along. A Demon about

as young as me. One with ashen hair and eyes. Comparing
his slender body to Deije’s was like equating a woodchip to
a tree, but the power I sensed from his body was definitely
nothing so small.

“… How nice.”

Compared to that, how about me? How many months has

it been since I last tasted the outside air? I can barely even
remember it. Since attaining Sloth, I’ve just done nothing
but lie atop the bet, and spent my time lazing around. If
you ask about my growth, I am growing, so I can’t really
say anything about it, but that growth was limited to my
power as a Demon, and other than that, nothing had
changed at all.

Thinking too deep about it would lower my spirits, so I

changed my train of thoughts. I craned my ears to Deije’s
and that tag-along who seemed to be called Zeta’s
conversation.

“… Angel.”

I’d never really met one before, but I’ve heard the
rumors. That name belonged to the natural enemy of
Demons, who lived atop the heavens, and the polar
opposite existence to Demons. The war that broke out
around ten thousand years ago birthed considerable
casualties on both sides, apparently, and the older Demons
rarely ever talk about it.

Recently, the fact that more heavenly assassins had been

descending had become the topic of gossip, and I’d listened
in to that.

It appears that Deije is pursuing them. I don’t know the

reason, and even if I heard it, I doubt I’d understand.
Deije’s desire was stronger than mine, it’s probably
something like that.
 If he’s telling the truth, then will that something that’s
going on in the Demon World make it’s way all the way
here?

… Yeah, probably not.

After thinking a little, I ended up answering my own

question. Leigie-sama is strong. He doesn’t move in the
slightest, yet he’s overwhelmingly strong Even if that
something were to aim for his neck, they’ll give up soon
enough. They’ll understand the complete lack of meaning
in such a deed, and how their power would never amount
to enough.

I changed my posture, and pushed my face into my pillow.

Despite what she says, Lorna cleans my room as well, so
there’s no obstacles to my slacking.

Without shifting my body, I changed over to the next

target.

What entered my eyes was the form of a single girl with

teary eyes, and grit teeth, looking over in my direction. She
was trying to form a smile at her mouth, but even a
moment’s glance could tell you how cramped her face was.

Her form could be described as a little younger version of

Lorna, with her breasts quite a bit withered. She definitely
had an attractive face and figure to an extent. The name of
the girl who, if you wiped away the smile full of ill intent
constantly covering her face, would look identical to Lorna,
was Hiero.

Lorna’s younger sister, and the Demon who’s set to look

after Leigie once Lorna is gone.

But she wasn’t the target of my Envy.

 My target was the one calmly standing at Hiero’s side.
Like Leigie, the Demon boasted black eyes and hair, as if
they were fashioned of darkness. But the air about him was
the opposite of the lazy Lord. The Demon whose mere
existence constantly exerted an aura that forced all
creation to their knees was a Demon Lord who governed
Superbia.

At the same time, he was once my superior, and upon

becoming a Lord, he easily crumbled the ranking system,
and took over the Rank One position among Demon Lords.

The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder. At this point, he was a

Lord of Pride that no one didn’t know of, and with his
condescending eyes pinned on Hiero, he raised his arm to
the horizontal.

Towards an area of empty space, he lightly lowered that

arm.

… And with just that, the ground split.

Without using a Skill, the pressure from that single attack

had torn the ground asunder. The earth quivered as if
choked with tears, as black pebbles rolled across the
ground. But with a single word from Heard, all of them fell
flat on the earth.

Heard used his chin to indicate the natural disaster he

had personally brought about. Even during that motion, his
glare continued to pierce through Hiero. With a dejected
expression, the girl pointed to herself, as she tilted her
head in a planned-out cute gesture.

Heard completely ignored that flirtation, and gave a

single order.
 『Do it.』

“Pu… Nonono, that’s impossible.”

I unintentionally let out a laugh. Just what does Heard

Lauder think Hiero is? She’s an ordinary person without
even any military service behind her. For a civilian, she may
be considered strong, but that’s all she was as a Demon of
Pride. I won’t say she doesn’t have any talent. Her garbage-
like nature was exceedingly aligned with that of a Demon,
and given the time, she would probably become strong.

But now is definitely not the time.

More so, to split the land barehanded without using a

Skill, just who are you…? I don’t even think most Demon
Lords would be able to manage that one. That was the
farthest front only a Pride Demon who had continued to
hone his body could reach.

I had heard of how Heard had dragged Hiero off from

Lorna. Perhaps he felt something from a fellow Pride
Demon, but it seems she was persevering in being beaten
into shape.

No, she was persevering, but… yep. My condolences.

That’s impossible, ain’t it? In the first place, the thickness
of Heard’s and her arms are completely different. While it’s
true a Demon’s strength and appearance are
disproportional, there’s something out there called limits.
Hiero was just as delicate a Lorna. Her power was likely
not something she polished to use in battle.

『N-no… impossible. That’s impossible for me…』

『Do it.』
 『No, I mean, my power is…』

『Do it.』

『……』

On the other side of things, it doesn’t look like Heard has

any intentions of listening to Hiero’s words. Well, that’s to
be expected from a Pride Demon, but… Hiero lowered her
eyes from Heard’s, and with tears of defeat forming at their
corners, she slowly lifted her hand.

I couldn’t handle the scene any longer, and returned my

vision to my own. On top of the bed. The complete opposite
of the wasteland Hiero had stood on, lying idly in my world
of repose. I stretched my body. I recalled the scenes I just
witnessed, did some calculations, and as no one was
around me, I shook my head.

“No, no… that’s impossible…”

I really wonder what Heard is thinking… that was… too

much. Even for me, it’s absolutely imposible. I remember of
how, with a gentle smile on her face, Lorna had told me of
how Heard had taken Hiero away for training. I wonder if
she hates her sister… no, that’s definitely wrong. Despite
this and that, when Leigie-sama isn’t concerned, she’s a
woman of common sense.

But that being the case, that scene back there was… just
harassment. She’ll fold over before anything actually gets
trained. And wait, what about her household skills… I was
kinda under the impression she was going to take up duty
after Lorna… It looks like the intent has completely
shifted,…
 This is kinda tiring… I sighed, but I still went on to use
the Skill for my next target.

My field of vision shifted for a third time. This time, it

was for the kind older sister.

The form of a maid walking down a familiar corridor

came to my eyes. Even when no one was watching, she held
a posture brimming with courtesy, and even when she was
doing nothing but walking, that figure made for a pretty
picture. She wore a clean white apron over a navy blue one
piece. On top of focusing on practicality, the attire made
her seem all the more lovable.

Her form was prim and proper, and while I can’t say for
certain, she didn’t look suited to one carrying the sin of
Luxuria.

But I know. Right, under that naively oblivious

expression, I know just how muddy of an appetite lies. Her
well-calculated passions let her raise her status as a Demon
without letting a single thing taint her body.

Honestly, she was the one I was most afraid of. In the
past, I once chanced upon a meeting with the Demon Lord
of Lust, Lilith Luxeliaheart, and by Envying a part of her, I
could understand. The Original sin of Luxuria didn’t
possess any direct offensive Skills like Pride or Gluttony,
but it definitely wasn’t weak. Its way of life was, in a sense,
close to Sloth.

But if Acedia was like a plant, then Luxuria was a

carnivorous plant. For them, the battlefield wasn’t some
bloodstained wasteland, but a… stained bedroom. Their
battles were not the swinging of fists, but to burst in full
bloom. In that, there was a melting fear that had built up in
me without my notice. And Luxeliaheart, the Demon Lord
one, was a powerful Lord who brought a number of other
Demon Lords to their deaths.

It was, in a sense, the most dreaded power for a soldier.

I returned my eyes, and under the covers, I let my body

shake in a fear that came from the depths of my heart as I
whispered.

“… Lorna… what a frightening woman…”

“… And what do you mean by that…?”

“…!?”

I pulled off the blanket covering me. There, was the maid

I had been peeping at, and fantasizing of. The fact that I
got lost in thought, and stopped watching, had backfired on
me.

The perplexed face that she made— under that mask, I

felt as if I were being tasted by the extended tongue of a
snake, and on that illusion, I raised a short scream.

“How rude…”

“Kku… h-ha… hah…”

It became hard to breath for a moment, but I somehow

got myself in order. It would be no joke if I choked to death
atop the mattress. And despite all that… Lorna still takes
care of my meals, and cleaning. That’s why it was
unavoidable for her to be here. A Demon of Sloth has no
right to refuse. I mean, we aren’t even doing anything to
earn it.

“Now, Medea. It’s time for your meal…”

 “Y… yes…”

Hunger hasn’t struck me yet. It’s because it has been

abated with my Skills. If I continued advancing down this
tree, then perhaps food will become unnecessary in itself.
For the reason of it being a pain, most likely.

But there’s no way I’m getting there any time soon, and
even once I’ve reached that point, I’d still probably eat
meals. It would be difficult crushing such a necessary habit.
I press against my heart that was still exploding in my
chest, and somehow raise my sluggish body before
proceeding to the dining table that had been prepared.
Before coming here, I had never eaten a decent meal, so to
me, Lorna’s cooking was the taste of home. Even without
hunger, there’s no way I would ever think it wasn’t tasty.

Silently, Lorna stood by my side. Without saying anything,

she watched me bring the food to my mouth. If she stares
at me so intently, I won’t be able to make anything of the
taste. I finished eating, and as if she were gauging for the
moment I put down my silverware, Lorna finally opened her
mouth.

“… Hey, Medea.”

“Yes?”

For a moment, I caught a glimpse of her hesitation. But

that quickly vanished, and resolving herself, she threw a
strong look in my direction.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you start

working…”

“… Y-yes.”
 Those eyes were filled with such sorrow that my heart
began to give off a throbbing pain. What’s with this mental
assault… my Skills won’t defend me from it…

Her voice was still untainted. There wasn’t an emotion of

Wrath or Pride behind them. And that’s why it was able to
pierce through my heart like a blade.

“Medea, no matter how much you sleep, you’ll never

become Leigie-sama… you should have your own way
to live out your life.”

“… Y-yes…”

I… I feel like running away. Her earnesty was giving me

this unbearable urge to flee. It was only amplified by the
fact she was my life’s benefactor. And those words weren’t
getting at the root of things. It’s not like I want to become
Leigie-sama or anything… more so, I’m sure I don’t want to
do that.

What I want to be isn’t the man, but the man’s…

After thinking that far, I started going over the sins I

carried once more. … There’s no way. I wonder if a screw
went lose somewhere in my desire of Envy.

To add to it all, I’ve even begun to carry Sloth due to that,

and it feels like I’m being closed in on from all sides. If you
carry multiple Sins, then each individual Skill becomes
harder to raise. This is just a rumor, but its rate becomes
even less than half. Because of that, it’s hard for Demons of
multiple Sins to get strong. Also, how should I handle the
pairing of Sloth and Envy… And wait, in the first place…

“… This place doesn’t even need an army

anymore…”
 Right. Leigie-sama’s camp no longer has a need for
bloodshed. There’s no enemies, and no army. If you had to
say, I was the sole member of the army. If you tell me to
work at a place like this, it’s honestly troubling.

Right. It’s not that I don’t want to work. I don’t have a

place to work.

“It’s fine.”

And to me, Lorna directed a smile like the Virgin Mary,

and said something befitting a Demon.

“I’ll try getting Heard’s Army to let you assist their

work, so…”

“I’m sleeping. Good night.”

“Wai…”

I ignored Lorna’s cries, and dug myself into the bed.

Perhaps the one most messed up in the head is Lorna. She
doesn’t think of a single thing but Leigie-sama.

What floated up in my head was the form of the one I had

peeped at a while ago, Hiero, who was forced to attempt so
many impossible feats.

Part 3: But that’s Definitely Strange

The Pillow is way too competent, that I’ve no chances of

victory.

Results are something gained by victory in battle. Even if

the battlefield changes, that fact remains constant. I glared
at the pillow Leigie-sama was putting to use, as I
considered my means.
 The Lord of Sloth doesn’t give much thought to anything.
That’s why whenever Leigie-sama looks at me, all that
comes to him is, ‘Ah, so she’s still here, is she?’

He probably doesn’t care about anything. That is his form

of nihility. His strength of heart to protect himself was
unrivalled. Leigie the Depraved’s soul was always subdued,
and it would never be moved by emotion. That’s why he
reached the position no one else had ever attained, the lone
Lord of Acedia.

Since I’ve been secretly trying to burn up his pillows

while he’s asleep, I can say for sure. He doesn’t even care
about those. If he’s thrown off of the bed, then he’ll just
start sleeping on the floor. But I don’t really care about
that.

What’s important to me, is that the current generation

pillow is a pillow that can’t be burned. Meaning besides the
merit that I had the capability of motion, that pillow
triumphed over me in every way.

Handed down by the Great Demon King, apparently. A

pillow forged of the down of infant Fire Dragons. As a
pillow, he didn’t have a name. But he was an article so fine,
it wouldn’t be strange if he was granted one by his
craftsman. He was probably a compensation for all those
times Lize burned through his pillow. That’s why he won’t
burn.

At present, Dragons were the only race living in the

Demon World that possessed power rivalling Demons. Their
characteristics were their high attribute resistances, and
durability, and even from a General Class Demon’s powers,
they weren’t so easily knocked down. However, they were
small in numbers, and with that, the down of an infant
dragon was more valuable than any average magical
artifact. Once the dragon grew up, its plumage would
change to scales. In its feather state, it definitely didn’t
boast the durability of scales, but still, it was much too
great of an opponent for me to face. By the way, this goes
without saying, but among the Dragon Race, the greatest
threat is their fangs and claws, as well as the attacks fired
off from their tails. But now that it’s become a pillow it
can’t attack or anything, so I’ve no need to worry over such
matters.

“Damn you, Great Demon King… for you to get in

my way…”

Even when I acted up in his bed alone, this lord showed

absolutely no signs of giving a reaction. I’m not sure if he’s
completely uninterested, or he’s truly sleeping. Even when
I lightly shake his body, touch his hands, or cling to him, he
wouldn’t move in the slightest, and I believed him to be
truly worthy of such a pillow.

How rude. Even when I’ve thrown away my pride to

present myself as a pillow to him, Leigie-sama probably
hasn’t even noticed something like that.. It was a major
problem that shook up my dignity. And at the same time, it
was quite futile.

While I was likely carrying out the most gruesome battle

in this cruel world, I heard footsteps approaching the room.
There were two sets. The ones who come here are severely
limited. It seems that assassins used to come here as well,
but since Heard took over the surrounding area, that hasn’t
happened as of late. In that case, I knew who would drop
by.

Lorna or Lize Bloodcross.

 I don’t know much about the woman known as Lize. What
I know is that she’s part of Kanon-sama’s personal knight
brigade, and that she was sent with the intentions of
observing the Demon Lord as a member of the Order of
Black. I also knew she was relatively strong, but when you
put it against Heard and Leigie, the stage was so different,
that I couldn’t really feel that much strength from her.
What’s more, the only chances she’s had to demonstrate
such strength was when she burned up this man’s pillows.
In a different sense than me, she was a pitiful woman.

As expected, the two sets of feet stopped in front of the

door. I felt they would become a pain, so I dove my body
deep under the covers, and clung onto Leigie-sama’s body.

I’m a pillow. A pillow that can move of her own will.

With a small sound, the door opened. In order to let the

matter pass, I held my breath.

“Huh? Medea isn’t here?”

As I thought, it wasn’t a matter for Leigie-sama, but one

for me. Right, I’m not here. So please go away already.
There are Skills to conceal your body on the Sloth Tree as
well. Right now, I’ve become one and the same with Leigie-
sama, and they shouldn’t be able to sense my presence.

Lorna and Lize seemed to be having a quiet conversation

about something. I can’t really hear them. I want to use a
Skill to listen in, but if I did that, then in all likelihood, Lize
would sense it. Sloth Skills were made on the premise that
their user wouldn’t be doing anything. If I move just a little
further down the tree, then I should obtain one that lets me
go about life without doing anything at all.
 But unfortunately, my opponents are professionals at
dealing with Sloth. They are the brave heroes who have
continued to serve one of the rare Sloth Demon Lords for
many years on end. I doubt there’s anyone in this vast
Demon World more adept at dealing with Sloth than these
women. The cover was town away, and I was bathed in light
and cold air as I continued to cling to Leigie-sama.

“… There should be a limit to running away from

reality…”

Lize sounded utterly fed up. Fine. I’m fine with running
away from reality, so please just leave me be. A hand was
placed on the arms I was using to tighten my embrace.

“Now, Medea. Separate. Yourself. From. Leigie-

sama!”

It was a fearsome display of superhuman strength. For an

estimated Knight Class like Lorna, it should have been
unthinkable for her to be able to pull a General like me’s
arms away. But by some divine providence, my arms were
just barely being moved away.

“Look, Lize. You lend a hand as well!”

“… Hah… why do I have to…”

Despite her complaints, Lize’s hands were put around my

torso. Her power was probably over mine. If it came down
to pure power, I’d never win. This is no joke. If I get
dragged off now, I’ll get wrapped up in something
troubling. There was no helping it, so I used a Sloth Skill.

“Unwork.”
 My body instantly became heavier, and the bed gave off a
creaking sound. My rising arms, as if gravity had suddenly
increased, came down on Leigie-sama once more. The
Unwork Skill increased one’s own weight, and among Sloth
Skills, it was a rare Active. That weight increase wasn’t
something on the measly level of two or three times over.

But still, with the bed receiving enough force for it to

begin to creak, Leigie-sama showed absolutely no signs of
waking up.

Lize’s frowned.

“Medea… for you to even use a Skill… how cruel…”

Shut it. Even I can tell what’s cruel or not. I’m well aware
of it. You don’t have to put it into words.

And at that moment, as I hid my face, Lorna’s voice

entered my ears.

“Medea… if you don’t separate yourself, then I’ll

also use a Skill, you know?”

“… !?”

Chills ran up my spine, and alarm bells went off in my

head. Lorna’s voice had been the same as normal. That’s
why it was bad. Could it be I tread on the tiger’s tail?

No, wait. Think about it calmly. Rank-wise, I’m above her.

With the resistances I gained as Sloth, there’s no way
Lorna, who hasn’t even had any combat training, would be
able to separate me.

My heartbeat was heavy enough that my chest hurt. As if

to contain it, I increased my grip on Leigie-sama. Lorna’s
hand touched the nape of my neck. That’s all she did, but a
sensation as if a sword had been pressed to my carotid
artery came down on me.

No, this is an illusion. As a Demon of Envy, I can say for

sure. Luxuria barely has any physical prowess. She won’t
be able to do anything to me.

Then just what is this fear encroaching on me bit by bit?

“Medea… make sure you say uncle when you give

up, okay?”

“…”

“But perhaps you won’t even be able to speak at

that point…”

“… W-what are you…”

The moment I opened my mouth, it happened. There

wasn’t a single wound on me. There wasn’t any pain. But
my instincts raised a scream. My Mental Corruption
Resistance Skill continued activating itself without end.

It was a painfully popular passive Skill among Demons.

Even held by children, that Skill could identify any and
every Skill meant to corrupt the mind, and render them
null and void. It was the Skill that made Luxuria the
weakest, and once you reach General Class, it could
invalidate almost one hundred percent of all things.

That’s why no matter how many Skills Lorna uses, I can’t

think it will bring any effect onto me. The reason for my
shocks was the contents.
 The Luxuria Skill Tree was simple. Mental Corruption
included, it allowed one to grant any and every status
abnormality, and specialized in glamor. On something quite
repulsing, I unintentionally moved my head, and confirmed
Lorna’s expression. Because I intentionally made a
movement, the Unwork Skill was undone, and my weight
vanished.

With a calm expression, Lorna directed her deep blue

eyes at me.

“Wai… w-what are you trying to do to me!?”

“…”

I could tell she had done something by instinct. Again and

again, without any signs of giving up, with numbers enough
for me to feel fear, the status abnormality she continuously
tried to cast was the one that Lust was most suited in
handling.

Its name was 『Heat』.

This is no joke. Even if I know it won’t affect me, I can’t

take this as a joke.

“Take off your hand!”

“So you give in?”

But I don’t want that. I don’t want to feel like a loser.

In the first place, this is pointless. It won’t even work on

a standard Demon, so there’s no way it would take effect on
a Sloth like me. Her Mana will be the force running out
first.
 At that moment, I felt a bad premonition cross my mind.

How many times can she use it? How many tens?
Hundreds? Thousands?

『 Heat 』 was the most basic ability of Lust. Even

Demons who had just awoken to the Sin could use it. That
means it barely had even the slightest Mana expenditure.
For a Knight Class like Lorna, then it wouldn’t be strange
for that to number in the thousands, or tens of thousands.

As if she had seen through my thoughts, she let out a

gentle laugh. Her laugh was quite reminiscent of Hiero’s,
and their figures overlapped for a moment in my mind. I
was sure of it now. That a little sister like that gave way to
a girl like this. No, that’s the other way around.

“… Medea. Just how much resistance will you put

up? A thousand? Ten thousand? Kusu… my 『 Rat
Sleep』 may take a bit of time, but… it will take effect
on you eventually.”

In the end, Status Abnormality Resistance was but a

resistance… nullification based on identification. It wasn’t
complete nullification. The probability of it getting through
wasn’t zero. It was ridiculously low, but, there are times
when it would actually work. And at that time, I have no
means of freeing myself from it. Of course, the probability
of it working wasn’t something high enough for me to train
for it on the battlefield. That’s why I didn’t pay it any mind
before.

But if you look at it the other way…

Lorna gave out a declaration like that of a death

sentence.
 “I’ll keep at it as long as it takes. If it’s something
on the level of 『 Rat Sleep 』 … My mana recovery is
higher than its usage.”

“!?”

Meaning she can keep this up forever. No matter how low

the chances, if she was going to keep at it uptil it worked,
then that was no different from one hundred. Lize looked at
Lorna with a cramped expression. It was probably the same
as the look on my face at the moment.

“A-are you joking…?”

“…”

Even when she heard my chiding words, her smile didn’t

chip in the slightest. It was frighteningly ominous, and the
information flooding into my head of how each and every
attempt to resist the Skill had succeeded was uncanny
enough to jolt my heart.

This girl… is serious.

“Just getting me in heat isn’t going to…”

… Isn’t going to be of any merit to her… I think. As I was

about to say, that, Lorna held her fingertip to my lips to
stop me. What was before me was a single Luxuria Demon.
Her pupils stained with lewdness seemed to lick all over my
body as they evaluated me. That was the first sexual glance
I had ever received since I started hiding in Leigie-sama’s
bed naked.

“… Kusu kusu… an unworking Medea… should just

show off her unsightly form to Leigie-sama.”
 “N-no, isn’t your intent changing…”

Thinking it bad, Lize offered some council to Lorna. But

in regards to that, Lorna threw out a carefree response.

“Lize, this girl’s Sloth is… just inactivity. It’s

different to what Leigie-sama has.”

“Eh…?”

What’s different about it? That’s what Lize’s eyes were

saying. I was in complete agreement. Just what’s different?
Why not try giving an answer. No, I’m still moving around a
bit, so aren’t I more decent than…

At that point, from my ankle to my spine, a small impact

raced. It was simply too light, but the vividness of the
sensation was enough to make my body leap without intent.

“Kusu kusu… look, it got you.”

“…”

The temperature of my body rose a little. A ticklish fever

created a thin haze over my brain. My thoughts begin to
come apart. My body is hot. My heartbeat was resounding
to annoying levels. It got me. In itself, it wasn’t a fatal
status abnormality. In the end, it’s just a basic Skill. Even
without a recovery Skill, something of this level should go
away given enough time.

Sloth Skills cut off my senses. Because of that, the vision

through my fevered eyes made it feel like I was watching
the isolated events of another world play out. I let out a hot
breath, and directed up some words that were half me
putting up a strong front.
 “… Hah… something of this level is…”

“… You don’t know when to give up… Kusu kusu,

you know what this is, right? Luxeliaheart. At this
point… it’s your loss.”

A small light burned at the tip of Lorna’s right index

finger. It was a characteristically pink light. I could
instantly determine it was something from a Skill. Even
what Skill it was. Luxuria Skills were short range, and most
of them wouldn’t activate without direct contact. In the
first place, even if they did go off, they would be put down
by status resistances. But these unsurmountable demerits
came with unsurmountable merit.

Luxuria was a Skill Tree to affect the mind. You have to

fulfill the conditions first, but once that’s done, it can
exhibit unrivalled power. With me clinging onto Leigie-
sama like this, I’ve no means to avoid it. 『Rat Sleep』 had
not activated itself yet. After my resistances had been
ringing off alarms for so long, they had fallen silent. Lust
had its stages. First, to light the flame, then to spread the
fire.

And this presents the main problem, my status

abnormality resistance wasn’t going off anymore. Meaning
I would be out in a single hit.

As if to enchant me, Lorna slowly brought her finger to

my body. Her slender fingers lightly brushed against the
back of my neck. With just that, my mind, which was
supposed to have been cut off from sexual passions, was
thrown into disarray.

“I’ll make you bloom.”

 I’m being driven mad. That voice was filled with an ample
amount of darkness. It wasn’t by much, but it was
something I wasn’t able to stand. At this rate, I’m going to
have a mental trauma for the rest of my life. Or perhaps I’ll
awaken to yet another sin.

“U-uncle! I give, I give up!”

Lorna looked at my face, before nodding once. That was

enough to make my beat to jump up. I don’t even know
what’s going on anymore. I might cry.

“… Where’s your apology?”

“I’m sorry.”

“… Leigie-sama’s mattress has been stained… I’ll

have to wash it again…”

She took a fleeting glance at the place I had been before

looking down at me again. The scary part was that I
couldn’t see an emotion of anger in her. She was likely the
type that could kill with a smile. If she had entered the
army, then perhaps she would have become a soldier much
more prodigious than I.

“Medea. Put on clothing at once, and take a seat. I

have something to discuss with you.”

Her tone that didn’t ask for a yes or no, made me

straighten up my back as I sat up on the bed. Her eyes
were shining. If I didn’t bring out as much speed as
physically possible, Lorna was going to break me. That was
the most repulsing, and unbecoming manner of a soldier.

“Y-yes.”
 I lifted my still-itching body, and put on the clothes Lorna
had prepared. I pulled the undergarments over my flesh,
and draped the battle clothing I had often worn before over
them. They were made of a mass of dark materials, and
they didn’t boast enough defensive power to block a direct
blow, but they had a special magic carved into them to
mitigate attribute damage to a certain extent.

Naturally, they were stiff, and they didn’t feel too good to
wear. That’s the reason why, once I had a slight change in
occupation to be a pillow, I’ve never once put my arms
through those sleeves.

This is… a bothersome scent tickled my nose.

I did take a quick look at the bed, but losing to Lorna’s

smile, I reluctantly stood. Honestly, I’m terrified. In the first
place, I couldn’t even raise my head to look at her. She was
an existence like a mother. I always feel like apologizing
about this and that to her.

As I sat in a chair with good manner, Lize and Lorna

stood before me. Their eyes were serious. Of course they
were. Never once has Lize ever had any business with me
since I’ve become a pillow. I’ll say this time and again, but
no matter how noisy it gets out there, the Castle of
Shadows will always be at peace.

Could it be… I’m sacked? Just by spending a few months

as a pillow? No, no, I mean, that’s my job to begin with…
and firing isn’t something decided but Lorna or Lize. That’s
Leigie-sama’s job…

There were bags forming under Lize’s eyes. I’ve heard

she’s been busy lately. Even a moment’s thought could
make me feel how heavy a responsibility it would be to
work as Heard Lauder’s observing officer. My deepest
condolences.

Lize hesitated, but soon started talking in the cold tone of

a superior giving order to their subordinate.

“Medea Luxeliaheart, there is a single job for you.”

… Don’t want to. I wanted to answer that, but the glint in

Lorna’s eyes kept me silent. The answer I gave a few
seconds later wasn’t something by my own will.

“… What?”

Battle? That’s the one with the highest probability. I’m a

former General. If you look at it from another perspective,
that’s pretty much the only thing I’m capable of. If it was
battle against, I guess I’d manage one way or another. Even
if it be against another General, it would probably work
out. As long as they weren’t a monster like that Heard
Lauder.

I mean, I have that thing I got from envying Leigie-sama,

『Miracle Wonder Lighthand』 . I can’t use the left hand
portion of it, but for an average demon, the right hand was
more than enough. Just as Zebul didn’t know of it, that Skill
was an unknown entity that barely anyone had ever seen
before.

It’s a pain, but if it will let me evade those eyes of Lorna,

then it’s unavoidable.

I don’t want it… being thrown into heat outside of my will

is the worst. This is why Luxuria’s so wicked. It’s also the
reason that, when I envied that Lilith Luxeliaheart, I copied
not her status abnormality Skills, but just her Skills to
create illusions. Taking away one’s free will is really the
work of a Demon. No, that’s what I am, but…

But the words that came out when Lize opened her
mouth next were a bolt out of the blue. And at the same
time, they were the worst.

“In Leigie-sama’s stead, you are to answer Kanon-

sama’s summons.”

“Eh? Why?”

I unintentionally blinked my eyes, and looked at the face

of the Great Demon King’s apostle. The fact that she looked
apologetic for a second didn’t escape me.

On the other side, without a hint of apologetics on her

face, Lorna gave me my answer.

“That’s obvious. It’s because Leigie-sama is busy…”

“Eh? What part of him is?”

I looked over at the bed. As usual, Leigie-sama was

sleeping, as if he were dead. Even when his surroundings
are this loud, I have nothing to say about his ability to
concentrate. I wonder how Leigie-sama has lived a life this
long… Recently, I’ve begin thinking about that reason once
more, and I’ve no answer to it. In the past, I thought that,
since I wasn’t a Sloth Demon, I wouldn’t be able to fathom
the answer anyways, but even after gaining Sloth, I
couldn’t understand it.

Seeing me like that, Lorna gave a brazen declaration.

“Do you have knotholes for eyes? Can you not see
that Leigie-sama is busy taking his rest in peace?”
 “No, that is…”

Yes, I can tell that. I understand that, but that is

completely irrelevant to being busy, is it not? I’m not that
free either, you know? Like thinking about how to better
become a pillow, or peeping in on other Demons, I’ve got
quite a bit on my plate.

Of course, I won’t say that. It’s scary.

Lorna is a little off in the head department, so I helplessly

looked to Lize. She was considerably the more decent of
the two. And that’s exactly why she’s going through such
troubles.

“… It’s a customary practice for Demon Lords, or

representative General Class Demons to stop by
Kanon-sama when she calls a meeting. At this point,
you’re the lone member of Leigie-sama’s army, so…”

“That is…”

Exactly right. Leigie’s army of thousands has been

reduced to a single pillow. But I don’t want to go.

This is where Leigie-sama should go. That is his duty as a

Demon Lord. No, really, its not just that I don’t want to go,
if you think about it logically, isn’t that how it’s supposed to
go?

As I tried to speak, Lorna interposed herself, and made

an imposing argument at Lize with just her eyes. After a
moment’s hesitation, Lize averted her eyes, and spoke.

“Not moving Leigie-sama is part of the Great

Demon King’s will.”
 “Eh? Isn’t that strange?”

What is the meaning of this? Leaving that man asleep is

part of the Great Demon King’s will? She permits him to
shirk off his regular obligations?

If the Great Demon King was to convene a meeting, it

could only be one thing.

『Demons Round』

A round table opened only when the Demon World was to

face a time of crisis. It’s getting noisy in the world outside,
so it probably has something to do with that. Demon Lords
are generally self-serving, but there are few fools out there
who would defy the Great Demon King. Those faces
dispersed across the lands should all be gathered there.
And with it being a gathering of Demons who’ve raised
their sins to their limits, it was an inevitable instance of
putting the cart before the horse, where casualties were
often reported. So let me declare it. If a General Class went
out, they’d be crushed in an instant.

“… That is the Great Demon Lord’s will. Medea, do

you plan on opposing that?”

“… Eh? No… but still, that’s definitely strange…”

“By the way, up to now, Heard Lauder has always

been the one going in his stead.”

… Just how soft is everyone being on our Leigie-sama?

But I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to go. Leigie-
sama’s already the lowest ranking Demon Lord. You can’t
just permit him to skip out. I get that if he was Rank Three,
it may be permitted, but for the lowest ranked of them all
to not even show up, I doubt there won’t be complaints.
Right, there definitely will be. There’s no doubt there will
be some political turmoil if the individual in question
doesn’t step out himself.

Right. That’s right.

Within my head, my Mini-Medea was crying out such

things. But reality wasn’t so kind. Lize strained her voice to
a lethal level.

“Kanon-sama even ordered for you, Medea, to be

dispatched in his place.”

“… Eh? I was called by name?”

With unbelievable emotions, I looked up at Lize’s face. I

don’t get what she means. Why must I…

“Yes, you were called by name. If Leigie-sama’s

asleep when you get there, then be a dear and go drag
Medea out here, won’t you?”

“…”

I heard the sound of Lize’s arm being clad in flames. Her

power was undoubtedly over mine.

Kanon’s figure came up in my mind. Back when I had just

gotten here, the figure of the observer charged with Leigie-
sama.

That woman… she’s favoring the man. A hopeless reality

was coloring the world beyond my eyes in black. She
occasionally called him ‘niisama,’ and she was always soft
on him, so I knew it would definitely bring about something
one of these days, but with this terrible timing…
 I was sure she was impartial…

And on the other side, the maid who did with me what
she pleased landed in the finishing blow.

“Medea, if you meet up with Heard, make sure you

ask him to let you join in his army, okay?”

“… Heard Lauder…”

I recalled the form of the man who detested Envy

Demons like the plague. This is bad. I’m so dead.

I hath been forsaken by all. And it all happened while I

was asleep. Did I even do anything bad? This is just too
much.

“… Nn…”

In this situation where there was nothing for me to do, I

fell flat over the table before me, and started crying to
myself.

Part 4: Now That’s Just Terrible

The 『Palace of Rending Flames』.

The castle the Great Demon Lord, Kanon Iralaude set as

her stronghold was also the most important site in the
entire Demon World. Its scale didn’t reach up to Leigie’s
Castle of Shadows, but its construction boasted of
countless spires that reached up through the skies, and it
carried about it an sinister air, as if the entirety of its
designs had been but an insult to the heavens. Just as the
flames of purgatory, Kanon of Ruin’s rage could be felt by
all who set foot into her land, and the power that could be
felt at its center made one think that a single touch from
her would burn even their soul to a crisp. All would hang
their heads in awe before the Great Demon King.

But she was a Brocon.

It wasn’t in her character, but she was a brocon.

Mentioning that was the single taboo that existed within
this vast Demon World. If I were to leak that information,
then my own soul would be doomed to burn away to
cinders. I’m always cautious as to not let the fact out in my
sleep talk. If a single word were to escape my lips, then the
entire area around where I stood would be reduced to
nothing but scorched earth. Without understanding
anything of what was going on, the countless Demons
within a large radius of me would have their lives drawn to
a close.

Despite this and that, Kanon Iralaude was a Demon Lord

who governed Wrath. Her anger wasn’t something anyone
could control, herself included. And its output was
needlessly high, even enough to burn through Leigie-
sama’s resistance. Ira Skills generally have ridiculous
output, but there were many cases where it couldn’t be
controlled. That was the burden that those who continued
to pursue Ira to its depths had to bear.

She herself did seem to be mindful of it, but whenever

she was by Leigie-sama’s side, she would frequently let out
those incessant ‘niisama’s, to a point where one would even
begin to wonder if she had any intention of concealing it, so
even if I covered my ears, it would reach me. If you’re the
Great Demon King, then go get some dignity already. The
hell’s with niisama? It’s not like he’s your real brother or
anything.
 I was posed holding on to the neck of a flying dragon, as
a launched complaints at Kanon-sama in my head. I sulked
as I looked over the outside world. While it may be the
Palace of Rending Flames, the land here wasn’t as hot as
the Prison of Flames, or the Crimson Prison. The Great
Demon King’s Wrath was, when compared to the Demon
Lords of history, under frighteningly delicate control. That’s
why, when aboard a flying dragon, a nicely cool wind
lapped against my face, and gave me quite a comfortable
feeling. If my goal wasn’t to attend the meeting at the
entrance to the River Stix, then I might have actually
enjoyed it.

By the way, Lize’s the one piloting the dragon, so I’m

free. I’d like some praise for working so hard. It’s been
around a year since I last rode a dragon this far.

Perhaps some apologetic sentiment had arisen in her, as

Lize directed some mindful words at me. And that was
quite a pain.

“Medea… you really are becoming identical to

Leigie…”

Is that supposed to be praise, or is she making fun of me?

I hesitated for a moment. Normally, being equated to a
Demon Lord is supposed to be praise. But this time, it’s
that Leigie-sama we’re talking about.

“… Thank you.”

Still, in the end, I’m but an imitation. Everything started

to not matter anymore, and I gained sloth for half a decent
reason. The girl who gained such a sin is third rate, by no
doubt. It isn’t by much, but I’m in no way a Demon to be
compared to Leigie-sama.

If possible, I’d have liked to gain it after becoming a

Demon Lord. But if I had just continued to pursue Envy like
that, then in the end, I wouldn’t have become a Demon
Lord anyways. No matter the case, it was too abnormal.
Envying a pillow… it was even more decent back when I
was envying Lorna. Even when the result of that didn’t
elicit the slightest reaction from Leigie-sama.

In that sense, my future is already pitch black. Pairing up

the emotions of Envy with Sloth doesn’t make anything of
use. There’s no helping it. In that case, I should just live on
as a pillow. Yep, let’s do that. I’ll become the ultimate
pillow.

Then one day, they’ll call out to me. The Pillow Lord.

“… Kuh…”

“Medea!? W-why are you crying!?”

I’m not… crying. This is just sweat. Tears are something

born of blood. Like what I shed long ago.

While I was carrying out that pointless conversation, the

Flying Dragon descended onto one of the spires of the
palace. It was the dragon post. Apart from ours, there was
over ten other dragons restlessly pacing back and forth.

The Demons dismounting from then were men and

women of all ages. Monsters, animals, tentacles, each and
every sort of form, but there was a single point that kept
them all aligned.
 The fact that each and every one of them possessed
powers beyond General Level.

No, there’s a single Knight Class. I quietly hid in the

shadow of the dragon. Lightly patting the mouth area of the
dragon to offer her gratitude, Lize tilted her head as she
looked at me.

“Did something happen?”

“… Why is Hiero…”

I stuck out only my face to confirm it. She was definitely

reflected on my eyes. Mixed in with the Demon World’s
elite, a single Demon of small power.

Beautiful golden hair and blue eyes like a doll’s. The hair
that grew up to her shoulders was done up in twin tails.
After being tossed around so recklessly by Heard, she
showed not a trace of fatigue, and at that, I could only let
out a sigh of admiration.

As expected of Superbia… Even when surrounded by a

flock of Demons much greater than her, her movements
didn’t show the slightest of lapse. It may have just been the
girl’s personality, but the hospitality of her face was
something I could only feel jealousy towards.

Luckily for me, it didn’t seem that Heard Lauder was

here.

“… Why are you hiding…?”

Lize’s tired words stung my ears. If that’s Hiero’s nature,

then this is mine. I have much too much trauma. And in a
place like this, it will only hinder my function.
 “No, I mean, you…”

“I know.”

I knew what Lize wanted to say. I knew it enough, that it

hurt. When there was a Demon of lower power than me
carrying herself so boldly, I can’t keep myself hiding in a
corner like this. Regardless of how it came to pass, I am
currently Leigie-sama’s representative. My behavior will
drop Leigie-sama’s status. Even if Leigie-sama himself
cared for it less than the nail on his pinky, it was something
my own pride wouldn’t allow.

… Because despite what I say, it’s not like I hate Leigie-

sama.

I resolved myself, and held out my chest, as I wandered

over to Hiero.

“Hiero… it’s been a while.”

“… Medea… san?”

Her face distorted for a moment, before returning to a

smile. That part of her really resembled Lorna. After
looking over my body once, with a fed up bearing, her tone
turned sour.

“… I’m surprised you can just show yourself before

my eyes like that. Because I ended up saving you, I
was sure I was going to be killed, you know?”

“… That was you reaping what you sowed.”

She did go against Heard’s will, and save my life, and

that might have put her own life in jeopardy. But that was
something brought about by her own discretion. I may not
be in a position to say this, having been saved and all, but
that definitely wasn’t my fault. Anyone would have run
away there. Seeing my expression, Hiero sighed with a
mature expression unbefitting her years.

“Well, I did end up surviving, so I guess it doesn’t

really matter… so what business have you?”

“… Business?”

No, I don’t really have anything like that. Seeing one of

my few acquaintances, I just wanted to call out. Unlike
Deije, or Heard, I haven’t been around all too much. Taking
my attitude in some strange direction, Hiero raised a bright
voice.

“Ah, could it be that you wanted to offer some

thanks for being saved? Kusu kusu kusu, despite your
scarce body, you’ve got quite a nice sense of duty
there.”

“…”

She really phrases everything in a way that touches a

nerve, this Demon. Well, I didn’t have such intentions, but
come to think of it, Hiero was kidnapped by Heard before I
knew it, so I didn’t have such an opportunity. Since it was
by her own whim, I don’t have the obligation to thank her,
but the truth of the matter is that I was spared.

I furrowed my brow, and tried asking, for arguments

sake.

“… What do you want of me?”

“Ah! So that was true? Um… I saved your life, so I

can ask for whatever I want, right?”
 She crossed her fingers, and looked up at me in a
flirtatious manner. It was mortifying, but that doesn’t
change how lovable that gesture was. Even with this
personality, she was Lorna’s sister, and unlike her, she sure
knew how to show that off. I kept myself wary, as I
answered.

“Ask away.”

“… Then please trade places with m–”

“Rejected.”

“Eh~!? W-what was that!?”

Outrageous. She was more decent when she was still at

Leigie-sama’s side knowing she wouldn’t get anything of it.
I ignored her screams, and reunited with Lize, who was
looking over at us with fed up eyes. That was a waste of
time. Let’s go over to the conference room already.

Still… I see. Trade places, is it? Even if she didn’t show it

on her face, the training from Heard did seem to be having
an effect on her.

… Her personality hadn’t changed, but I wonder just

what it was Heard was attempting to drill into her. Power
as a Demon?

I gave Hiero, who tried to pursue with teary eyes, a cold

reception, as I continued forward.

The Demon Lords of other lands rarely chanced by the

Castle of Shadows, so they probably didn’t know, but the
inside of the Palace of Rending Flames largely resembled
Leigie-sama’s place. The floor, and walls, and ceilings were
all done in ink black stone, and the strange patterns carved
along the passageways bore similar likeness. What differed
was that, as the castle’s Lord over here governed wrath,
the air here was full of a quietly burning aura. This is the
second time I’ve come here, but it was something I thought
the time before as well.

I don’t know if Kanon’s put a stop to that brocon

tendency of hers. If she likes her niisama so much, then she
should just call him over. It’s because she’s like that, that
someone like me ends up being forced to come here.

While holding in such complains, I didn’t forget to be

vigilant. I’d like to think I won’t face an assault before the
meeting, but Demons were a race where you couldn’t know
what could happen next. The law of the jungle. Self-serving.
It was a world where you could call something wrong
merely because it was weak.

Lize was acting as a guide, but regardless of who she

may be, I doubt she was a match for Demon Lord Class.

Those guys are monsters. Much greater than the gap

between General and Knight was the disparity between
General and Demon Lord. It was likely greater than
anything we could imagine. That was something I could
understand from when a legendary Demon Blade couldn’t
even raise the slightest resistance against Zebul.

Perhaps it was rare for someone like me to be present, as

I felt magic probe through my body. Out of curiosity, some
eyes followed me as I went by. After walking a while, the
site of this time’s meeting came into sight. Even without
being told, it was a clear swirl of Mana. Gathered over
time, that dark Mana told me, even without thinking too
hard about it, that this was the point of death.

Greed, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Pride, Gluttony.

 Sloth aside, Demon Lords governing those six attributes
clamored around, and that place was probably the most
dangerous site in the entirety of the Demon World. And me,
filling in for Leigie Slaughterdolls, of the Slaughterdolls. By
adding on my power, that wasn’t even enough to patch up
the holes, a total of seven sins had been gathered there.
(TL: Yes, both Leigie’s title, and last name, are
‘Slaughterdolls’)

There was nothing good to come of it. Because of our

longings, we were a race that conflicted with one another.

The fighting I couldn’t think of as coming from an allied

force raged up as if to prove just how war-driven the
Demon Lords were, and it brought pain to my stomach.
Even before entering the room, it felt as if the forces on the
other side were considering how exactly to squash a bug. It
was detestable, in many ways.

Beside me, Hiero had tagged along for fun, as if she were
a cat. She didn’t think a single thing upon having reached
this point.

“Ah, have we arrived? Then~ I’ll be going ahead!”

With a sunflower-esque smile, she put her hand on the

door without hesitation, and pushed it open. Just where
does she hide such confidence in that small stature?

“Heard Lauder-sama? I’ve finished taking care of

the Flying Dragon!”

Rank One. The greatest bearer of Pride among the

Demon Lords, was the first thing she spoke upon treading
into the haunt of evil.

The moment I saw that, I could understand it.

 Ah, she’s a fox borrowing the dignity of a tiger. What
should I do? It feels quite pleasant thinking of it like that.
The moment her mildly-short skirt fluttered as she stepped
through those doors, I could see it. That the delicate legs
concealed beneath it were quivering a little. Perhaps Lize
saw it as well, as she whispered in an expression mixed
with wonderment and respect.

“… She’s quite something.”

“Right. I can’t lose to her either.”

“No, you’re…”

To interrupt the words Lize wanted to voice, I stepped

through the doorway. I felt the gazes converge on me. The
gazes blacker than the depths of the Demon World’s
darkness. The grounds of Demon Lord and Demon Lord.
There wasn’t any killing intent, but what was there was
malice, and eyes filled with strong desire, which were
probably merely a breath of fresh air to those of Demon
Lord Class.

… Passions great enough to violate the souls around

them.

The Demon Lords here understand it.

That those that reach this place were Demons of the

same level as themselves, and threats to their own
existences. That fact served to hone their minds, making
the place somewhere much more calamitous than the
greatest of battlefields.

An elder stanced like a withered tree. A young boy a head

shorter than me. A balloon-like bloated body with pitiful
limbs making up the body of a man. A black haired girl
perhaps even younger than Hiero, and a large baldheaded
man with armor-like muscles enveloping him. A metallic
inorganic humanoid mass of indistinguishable gender, and
a half-transparent woman whose body floated through the
air. And so on, and so forth.

As one who worked at the Castle of Shadows, and served

as Leigie-sama’s guard, they were faces I knew. There was
but a handful of names to remember. But I can only express
my admiration at the sheer variety these peculiar Lords
have managed to achieve for themselves.

When they’re this overflowing with personality, then a

simple slim male Demon like Leigie-sama starts to lack a
sense of individuality. No, perhaps it’s the opposite… I
mean, Leigie-sama would probably be fast asleep, even at a
place like this…

“…”

Among them, the greatest of stares made my heart

contract. I turned my eyes to the figure sitting closest to
Kanon-sama.

Heard Lauder. He was probably the newest Demon Lord

here, the most Decent of the lot, and the strongest Demon
Lord of Pride. Seeing his form here, his gaze told me that
his impression of me was still the absolute worst. The
reason he didn’t issue a complaint was because this was a
meeting space, or perhaps because I was the
representative of Leigie-sama. I think it was probably the
latter.

And that woman of tall stature sitting at the head of the

table was the perpetrator of it all.
 The one who ruled over a large portion of this extensive
Demon World, leader of the strongest force, the 『 Great
Demon King’s Army』. The master of that, as well, as well
as the incarnations of Wrath, said to bring ruin to all
creation with her flames of purgatory.

The Lord of Ruin. Kanon Iralaude. Unthinkable of the

violent emotions that formed the base of her Sin, the lights
of wisdom and intellect dwelled in her eyes. But she was a
brocon.

“Ah, Medea Luxeliaheart. Leigie-niisa… Leigie of

Sloth’s representative. Take a seat.”

“… Yes.”

I’m not even going to retort anymore. It’s not like any of
this is relevant to me. Just do whatever you want.

To shake off the awkward air, I took my place at the foot

of the table. Even if it may be round table, the seating was
based on rank. Leigie of Sloth was the Lowest possible
rank, so his seat was the furthest one from Heard Lauder.
That was my sole spot of luck. Let’s get this over with
already so I can run away.

My not-too-short life experience was calling out to me.

I’m… screwed.

In the place I could only think of as a bed of spikes, I

lowered myself into a luxurious black chair, and without
uttering a word, I looked over the others present.

More than half the seats were filled, but including the
empty seats, there was a smaller amount of places at the
table than I had expected. That means that’s just how many
Demon Lords had fallen. While I myself don’t want to take
them on alone, regardless of what Lord they be, Demons
die when they are killed.

Compared to my suspicious behavior, Lize was carrying

herself as grandly as always. She straightened up her
spine, and displayed not a hint of unrest. In a small voice, I
offered a complaint.

“Lize.”

“… What?”

“… From what I can see, I’m the only representative

here…”

Everyone’s a Demon Lord. Each and every one of the

figures surrounding the round table were of the class that
ruled over this world. The ones by their sides are likely
their inspectors. Even if they may be of the Great Demon
King’s personal order, comparing their powers to the Lords
put them in quite an unfavorable standing. And there was
one lower than all of them… Me. The one with the lowest
power over all was Hiero, but that wasn’t even any
consolation. Together, we’d still be taken out in a single
punch. One punch.

“… Of course. The Demon Lords will generally take

up attendance, you know. They have to show off their
might and all…”

“…”

I’ve been fooled. No, I’d known I’d been fooled for quite
some time. I’m not in heat anymore, yet, the beating of my
heart has become overly violent. I grimaced, and forced
myself to play calm.
 And finally, at that time, I noticed it. There was
something at the center of the table.

A shadow like a black sphere. Its size was around that of

a soccer ball, and even when there wasn’t any wind, it was
rolling around. Towards me. My application of 『Sky Right
Hand 』 and the mass growing limbs happened at around
the same time. I instinctively swung my arm at it. The mass
greatly contracted its legs, and like a spring, it came flying
at me with lightning speed. Its wide-open mouth, with
blade-like fangs lined up closed in to a few centimeters in
front of my face, before I succeeded in deflecting it.

I somehow stifled the scream that surfaced. No, I didn’t

even have time to scream.

What was that!?

Before I could seek held from Lize, she raised a scream in

my place.

“Who was it!? Who summoned a『Preta』!?”

The Preta I deflected changed targets. It bounced off at

the metal-bodied Demon Lord of unknown origin sitting in
front of me. Regardless of its small body, the speed it
unleashed wasn’t something a General Class like me could
follow with my eyes. But the changing scene went far from
my realm of understanding. I barely saw the movement of
iron-like arms. With a short sound, the thing called Preta
burst open like a tomato. Pale blue blood scattered, and fell
onto the girl to my side.

The next instant, the girl with an outward appearance

similar to mine’s arm changed shape to a steel pole. The
room shook greatly. By the time I noticed it, the metal
Demon Lord’s body had been buried into the wall. The
girl’s face remained expressionless.

At the stream of circumstance leaving me behind, I could

do not but let off a cold sweat amd blink my eyes. He was
hit. She hit him. At a speed I couldn’t see. Expressionlessly.

“… Hey, stop it.”

As if obstructed by Kanon-sama’s words, countless orbs

began to fall from the ceiling.

Wai… these are all that thing from before…

After bouncing once, they all split to show off their giant

mouths. I saw countless of those knife-like fangs lined up
one after the other. Each of them grew their own limbs.
Looking closely, their arms were much more robust than
mine. Based on their previous conduct, their explosive
power was far from perfect, though.

I don’t have enough lives for this one.

I tried to brush them all away with Sky Hand, and Kanon-
sama shout blew it all away.

“I told you to stop!!”

Along with the cry, a raging fire passed in front of my

body. After the flame had left, not a single one of the
numerous Pretas remained. That destruction that happened
before I could even be given the chance to feel feverish was
truly worthy of her name, Kanon of Ruin.

The metal body of the Lord in the wall leisurely rose. He

barely had any wounds. But only his right arm had
vanished as if it had been shaved away. No. It wasn’t
shaved off.

I saw through it.

… This is 『Usurping』.

“Schitol, return it already.”

“… Fu.”

The young girl Demon Lord known as Schitol snorted at

the Great Demon King’s words.

And at around the same time, her body was sent flying.
The metallic Demon Lord hit her. Though all I could see
was the result of her being hit into the air. Despite his slow-
looking build, that was quite some acceleration.

Schitol’s head pierced into the ceiling, and dangled for a

while. Fresh blood dripped down to stain the black table.

I want to go home. Just by being here, I can gradually

feel my power of Sloth whittling away. And of course there
would be casualties if it’s like this…

The young girl’s body lost to gravity, and fell from the
ceiling. I could see her expression. There was nothing but
despair in the pitch black exes visible beyond the red
trickling of blood. The expression alone was a symbol of the
hell of desire, great enough to fold any normal Demon’s
heart. That which made clear the gap between me and a
Demon Lord was, if put into words, perhaps a ‘difference in
character.’

Right as she landed, she lowered her raised arms at the

metal Demon Lord’s body. From her footing, I couldn’t
imagine that she had taken any considerable damage. That
attack without and hesitation, as if her malice had been
creeping up on him with the passage of time was much too
vivid.

And yet, the metal bodied Demon Lord blocked it. The
fleeting sound of a barrier shattering due to pure physical
might rang out, and the ground made of highly-durable
stone caved in.

“Oy, Schitol. I told you to return it.”

“The one to return it to will be gone soon enough.”

Schitol returned a level voice.

That wasn’t even an answer. But of course, I didn’t put

that to words. If it won’t directly bring any trouble to me,
then you guys can do whatever it is you want. Well, this
display of power is a trouble to my mind, but…

His left arm disappeared, and as that happened, Schitol’s

left arm changed to one of metal. With both of her arms
made of iron bars taller than her own height, the girl’s form
was nothing but bizarre.

As that new existence shook her body, Heard, who had

been quite up to now, let out a gloomy voice.

“Can’t we finish this up faster? I’m busy.”

There was the sound of something bursting. Having lost

its head, Schitol’s body slowly collapsed onto the ground.

“… No mercy…”
 With unappealing sentiment, I whispered. No matter how
you look at it, that was too abrupt.

Heard Lauder lowered his fist. The Prideful Kaised hadn’t

even moved from where he was. He just pressed his elbow
into the table, and looked at Schitol with an uninterested
look on his face. As if that seat was his own throne. It was
as if the distance between himself and the girl had been
meaningless from the start.

The extent of speed he displayed was enough to silence

the room. Within that, I who was probably second from the
bottom in power let out a sigh.

Still, it’s finally going to start, is it… it hasn’t even

commenced, and yet there’s already been way too much
bloodshed… I whispered in my heart, as I listlessly looked
over at Schitol, and at that moment, her eyes met with
mine.

“… Fu.”

The head that was supposed to be gone had regrown

itself. That wasn’t the speed of regeneration. I was sure I
was looking at her most of the time, but I had never even
seen the moment she started to heal. Still collapsed over, as
if nothing had happened, Schitol bent her lips into a smile.

What’s with this Demon Lord!? This is way too absurd, is

it not?

First, let’s see what Rank she…

When those thoughts were going through my head, my

eyes were completely taken by darkness.

＊＊＊＊＊
 “What happened?”

“… I died before the conference even started…”

With weary emotions, I rubbed my head into Leigie-

sama’s back.

Thank god. That I sent an illusion. Thank god. That I can

still use 『 Phantom Aliquot Dance 』 . Thank god. That I
didn’t take Lize’s words too seriously, and actually go out
myself.

Even if they may be Demon Lords, that was just too cruel.
No mystery why there’d be casualties there. Those are
tried and true monsters, ain’t they? Great Demon King
Kanon, Heard Lauder, and Lilith Luxeliaheart are all
starting to look sane to me. Leigie-sama’s harmlessness
was enough to make him seem lovable. That must have
been the haunt of the greatest of beasts.

I wonder what they were planning to speak of in such a

space, and wait, I wonder if Lize is alright. I had quite a
few things to consider, but surprisingly, the greatest thing
on my mind was the stoic front of a single young lass.

Is Hiero okay… If she died, would Lorna be sad?

Furrowing my brow, I looked to the maid trying to pull

me away, thought of such pointless things, and once more, I
embraced Leigie-sama with all my might.

TL: Sketch by Julia Luckett Feb. 14 2011, I take

absolutely no claim.
 Chapter 12
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: Abnormal, and Foolish

This was back when I had just developed awareness.

There was something I tried asking oneechan.

“Why is it that we only have first names?”

All of those Demons out there were made of both a first,

and last name. The first that proved their individuality, and
the last that defined their way of life. If they hadn’t decided
on how they were going to live on, then in most cases, they
took on the last name of their ancestors. That’s why, as
Demons, it was unthinkable that those of a house that’s
served a Demon Lord for generations couldn’t have a last
name.

And to me, the sister that boasted an identical

appearance offered a short answer. Kindly, as if to caution
me.

“The way we live our lives is decided by our Lord.

That’s why our predecessors have no last names.”

I simply couldn’t believe it. Once in a distant past… Me,

and my parents, and the parents before that and in the
generation even before that lot was born, our continuous
line was something you could call a form of legend. It’s not
like we performed service on the battlefield, and it’s not
like we successfully followed our desires.

If I were forced to say, then our family’s last name was

『Shadow』.

The Lord of Depravity who, as a Demon, boasted a

providence much too undemonlike. For us, who continued
to nestle ourselves close to him, we could be nothing but
pure shadows.

We weren’t weak, but you wouldn’t be able to call us

strong either. Strength was unnecessary to a shadow. All
that we wished for was to serve, and it wasn’t the sort of
service we were rewarded for.

The existences that continued to serve the Lord who

spent his time meaninglessly, were likely just as
meaningless.

I remembered back to my ancestors. I didn’t know what

had happened several tens of thousands of years ago. I
couldn’t even hazard a guess. But killing off the cravings
that dwelled in their bodies, they spent an eternity
accompanying their Lord, and living while concealing their
breaths. They were likely more abnormal than any of those
third rate Demons lying around out there, and much more
foolish.

That’s why, oneechan included, I sneered at my

predecessors.

On that day, rained poured to the ground, as if the

heavens were weeping. The violent sound of the rain
drumming against the glass window, and the reverberating
rumble of thunder. In the darkness, the figure of my body
reflected back at me was identical to oneechan, but only my
eyes were a little different.

My ancestors, my patents, my siblings, and even the Lord

I was to serve. I sneered at them all.

And as if even to sneer at the girl who did all of that, the
blue eyes I saw were earnestly probing my expression.

Lightning lit the scene.

On rainy nights, the miasma would grow thick. Among

the Demons of the Demon World, the holders of strong
negative souls, that was passed as a simple superstition.
But on the other side of the glass which interrupted the
darkness, I saw my figure putting on a smile so dazzling
even I couldn’t believe it. There wasn’t a hint of miasma in
those lips. All those pitch black emotions were enclosed
within me, and not a fragment of them was to leak out.

Right.

That must be my 『Superbia』.

Not to raise myself to a higher platform, merely a heinous

vice to scorn all others.

Effort was unnecessary. Strength was unnecessary.

Friendship was unnecessary.

All of it, everything was… just stupid. Even if the result

were to isolate me, if I’m just to quietly find my spot in the
grave without even a name, then I choose the path that
would shine some light onto myself, as temporary as it may
be.
 Within the polished, mirror-like class, the gold-haired
woman giggled to herself. That should have been me, and
yet, she lacked a sense of reality.

“Kusu kusu… no matter how you look at it… holding

yourself back too much…”

A somewhat sweet, and slovenly tone poured out of my

mouth. Right. This is the shape of Hiero’s soul.

If you desire it, then seek it. If your Lord is idle, then take
action. Overrule everything in this vast Demon World.

In order for me to stay as me. If desire is what’s to decide

the power of Demons, then…

There’s no doubt that my Superbia is the mark of the

world’s strongest Demon. Within the darkness, my lips bent
into the shape of a smile.

… I mean look at just how brightly I’m shining.

My image swirled around the frame of the window. The

light caught onto my golden hair, and glistened. It was as if
it were the portrait of a fairy, yet for some reason, it
appeared tasteless.

“… Lord of Sloth, please look at me. Please

remember me. My name, my form, my voice, my
soul…”

Spending a pointless lifetime not feeling anything,

without thinking anything, not recording anything to
memory, for you, who never cared in the slightest for us,
my existence will be…

Kusu kusu kusu.

 Right. Then first comes introducing myself.

“My name is Hiero. Hiero of Superbia.”

No last name, no way of life, just a normal Demon But I’ll

accumulate my desire, and show you as I wash out the
heavens.

I am Hiero of Superbia.

But you don’t have to prostrate yourself before me. You

won’t have to kneel. I don’t need your worship. I’ve no need
to make you fools out there understand me.

I’m on top, and you’re at the bottom. That’s all.

It’s fine as long as you understand that.

But things went beyond my expectations in the blink of

an eye.
 Part 2: They are the Worst
Overrule.

It was the most famous power possessed by Pride

Demons. I think it’s pointless Skill. Something like that
shouldn’t be necessary in the first place..

… If you’re truly Pride.

Because even if it didn’t appear to me as a Skill, I had

already 『Overruled』 everything.

… Besides oneechan.

Before my eyes, Medea-san slowly toppled over. Within

the swirls of the Demon Lords’ mana, the smallest present
by far disappeared like the fleeting light of a lone candle.
Even for me, that sudden departure was outside my
expectations, and I unintentionally opened my eyes wide to
stare at Medea-san’s falling small stature.

A large hole had been opened right in the center of her

body. It clearly showed that she had been pierced by
something. The hole itself was wide enough that if I looked
through, I thought I might see the world beyond.

After meeting her for once in quite a while, Medea had

become quite slackened. I wonder just what sake she was
living for anymore. It was too much of a way of life for me
to take up. In a way, it was worthy of admiration.

In that sense, I didn’t actually hate Medea-san all that

much. Even if, through her narrow escape it looked like
Heard-san was going to kill me… well… Medea-san is… a
pitiful Demon. Enough that just thinking about her
existence was enough to elevate my power a little. Her
being was able to contest for the first and second place of
the most trifling Demons I had ever met, and even when
her height exceeded mine ever-so-slightly, her chest was
even more barren than me. There wasn’t even any
comparison between her and oneechan.

That alone was enough for me to forgive everything. And

by forgiving it all, it also signified that I didn’t really give a
damn, and that, to me, Medea-san was a genuine, tried and
true, worthless existence.

But, even so, there’s always something that comes to

mind the moment a Demon I was acquainted with was
annihilated. I let out a small voice so no one would here, as
I muttered in a daze.

“Medea-san… how unsightly.”

Not even a dry laugh could escape my mouth. But at the

same time, I felt that being dealt with before the
conference started was quite suiting of Medea-san’s way of
life. To fulfill her role to the death, we have quite a pro
here. … Though that would only be if she did it on purpose.

This is the land of death. Places where Demons gather

draw death close to them. When that gets t Demon Lord
Level, then that’s not even related to enemy or ally
anymore.

Harming others came as simple to them as breathing.

That’s why even I’m hiding myself behind Heard-san… She
didn’t get it at all. Even if she was a General class, her
behavior full of openings made others want to test their
powers on her. As a class even lower than her, I can only
saugh scornfully at how ill prepared she was.
 As I was simply staring at the scene from Heard-sans
back, the sound of the clicking of a tongue entered my ear.

“Tsk…”

The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder. The Rank One Lord

who had served the lone Demon Lord of Sloth lorded over
the Demon Lord who remained collapsed over the table.
Before the Lord whose dislodged head had recovered itself
at a moment’s notice, his Pride showed not the slightest of
waver. His eyes, as if they looking upon garbage, were far
different from mine, but they gave more than enough
verification that he was Pride all the same. I’ll bet there’s a
bit of his complex towards the great and powerful Leigie-
sama mixed into that. And every time I see that, I think.

That way of life… isn’t it tiring?

A strong killing intent, as if those eyes alone were enough

to bring all to ruin, lapped at the air of the conference
room.

“Schitol, I believe I told you to stop.”

“? Stop what?”

Face up on the table, the female Demon answered.

The army Heard-san lead in Leigie-sama’s stead was said

to boast the greatest fangs among all the Demon Lords.
With that sort of numerical power, the information did tend
to gather around there, so I did have some recollection of
the name Schitol.

Schitol Tzuchaser.
 As a Demon of Avaritia, she held the moniker of the
『Collector』 . Her Rank was just one above Leigie-sama’s
current position, and Leigie-sama aside, she held the least
land among those of the Great Demon King’s army. But that
being the case, in what was supposed to be her first round
table conference, she picked a fight with her senior Lord of
Pride. I guess that’s what makes a Demon Lord. Of course,
it was our first meeting, but seeing her nerve to stand
before Heard-san, whose honed magic might even surpass
the Great Demon King Kanon-san’s, even if it may be pure
recklessness out of ignorance, it was an act worthy of
praise.

But that’s all there was to it. She must be all bark, and no
bite. I mean Schitol-san… her appearance is decent, I
guess, but her breasts are puny.

Schitol-san leisurely rose. Her expression seemed to

show true confusion, and her black eyes, with the gloss of
obsidian, were directed at Heard-san. With no anger for the
one who personally crushed her head, her face was like
that of a lost child. The purity of her expression made it all
the more repulsing. I doubt that was really the case, but
her face seemed to seriously be wondering why it was that
she had received an attack.

But that’s all there was to it. She must be all talk. I mean
Schitol-san… her appearance isn’t bad, but her breasts are
much too pitiful. As her size was just around the level of
Medea-san, her worth as a person must be that of a single
Medea Luxeliaheart at most. No doubt about it. A useless
existence to me.

No need to think about it. The moment we met, with the

form her desires made her take on, I was Overruling
Schitol-san.
 Heard-san furrowed his brow. A proof of his displeasure.
Despite this and that, while the Demon Lord known as
Heard Lauder was powerful in body, his mind wasn’t as
resolute. He was a warrior. It’s likely that while Leigie-
sama was asleep, he had spent his entire life on the
battlefield. That devotion to his study that surpassed tens
of thousands of years of experience definitely had an
impact on his personality.

But his power was truly absurd. As Demon Lords, each

and every one of them had a ridiculous amount of strength,
but even among that, Heard-san was a cut above the rest.
He was a typical muscle head.

Since he abducted me without telling me anything under

the pretense of training, I had always been watching that.
The word patience didn’t exist in his dictionary. For
whatever the reason, he had been overly sullen as of late,
and his boiling point was getting exceedingly low. His pure
physical strength that was, for argument’s sake able to
knock down a Lord of Sloth once, was, to Demon Lords that
were no match in defense, definitely fatal.

But regardless of being crushed by Leigie-sama

afterwards, his Pride didn’t seem to have taken the
slightest tumble. To Heard Lauder, even if she was a former
subordinate, the Envy Demon Medea-san was likely nothing
but trash. But to the Lord of Superbia, that wasn’t enough
of a reason for him not to eliminate the Demon Lord who
didn’t listen to his orders.

His words were the words of Pride. The words of god.

Unable to find satisfaction unless me made any Demon he
met prostrate themselves before him, from my point of
view, he simply looked like a narrow-minded man worried
over all the finer details, but while I couldn’t sympathize, I
could understand.

As if to support the thoughts in my mind, without any

warning, Heard-san’s figure blurred for a moment. At about
the same time, Medea-san’s body that had been left in the
corner of my vision faded away as if it had been an illusion.

In the span of the blink of an eye, Schitol-san’s head and

limbs ruptured, and a bright red mist erupted out of her
body. All that was left, an obsidian Soul Core the same
shade as her eyes let out a dry sound as it rolled desolately
across the round table.

His means of attack lay only in his fists. But his

incomprehensible attach strength and speed gave off a
power much too barbaric to be called Pride. I couldn’t even
follow the slightest of it with my eyes. And those apart from
me probably couldn’t follow it either. I saw the Demon Lord
who picked up Schitol-san’s disembodied arms swallowing
his spit.

He should have been a Demon Lord of Pride as well…

now that he’s seen those fists in action, the probability of
him ever surpassing Heard-san has become close to zero.
How unsightly. If your heart loses, then there can never be
pride. There’s nothing but a slow destruction in store for
him.

The old withered tree-like Lord sitting right across from

Medea didn’t seem to pay any mind to the ghastly
spectacle, nor did he mind the wreckage of Schitol-san
showering down on him. With a fed-up tone, he muttered.

“… Phantom Aliquot Dance… That girl… so she was

a Luxuria Demon. A living illusion… no wonder it
ended so soon.”
 “… Dammit Medea… when you’re the substitute for
a Demon Lord, for you to send in a phantasm…”

Heard-san’s eyebrows were quite clearly stiff. It was as if

his anger was clearly visible. How scary… Demons Round
was also a place for Demon Lords to demonstrate their
power. As it is, Superbia already detested those who would
taint their pride.

Especially when Medea-san was just a replacement.

Originally, that was Heard-san’s role… no, more than that,
while she was attending in place of her own Lord Leigie-
sama, for her to submit an illusion of all things, there
should be a limit to tomfoolery.

I can do nothing but secretly praise her needlessly high

amount of guts.

She really is just a precession of failures. She was

ignored by Leigie-sama, beaten left and right by Heard-san,
and even after surviving all of that, I could tell from a
glance her new slovenly take on life. That girl must be a
genius at tragedy.

“Kusu kusu kusu…”

And being thrown around like this by the Lords, how

pitiful. A laugh flows out of me. Just as its name might
suggest, those of the Demon Lord Class were strong. If it
was just in battle ability, then no matter how many of those
of my level you grouped up, there’s no way we’d be able to
oppose. But in exchange for that, they were completely
hopeless degenerates.

One of the seated Demon Lords sent his eyes over here.
The pressure I could feel just from that, enough to rock my
soul, made my shrink back behind Heard-san. My instincts
informed me of the power gap that surpassed whatever
enhancements I could gain with my Overrule Skill,
however, it was likely something that, if I were given the
time, I could close all too easily. The only thing I was
lacking in was time. Time for me to grow with the desires
of my soul as fuel.

Heard-san made a slight gesture of peering over here,

but he corrected his field of vision immediately.

Kusu kusu. Right, right. I’m just a weak little girl. If you
hit me, I’m sure to die…

It appears that the situation was out of Kanon-sama’s

expectations. She scowled a little as she stared at the
position Medea-san had disappeared from, but she soon
took a deep sigh.

“… Well, so be it. Lize, as his inspector, you will be

informing the Lord of Sloth of this matter at a later
date.”

“… Understood.”

Receiving the will of the Great Demon King, Leigie-

sama’s observer Lize-san offered her affirmation. She
wasn’t surrounded by a tense air, and she held an aura you
could call grand as she stood upright behind the seat that
had become vacant.

They had found common ground. Whatever the case, with

Leigie-sama holed up in the Castle of Shadows, perhaps the
safest place in the entire Demon World, a large majority of
things were unrelated to him. Continuing on, Kanon-sama’s
blood-red pair of eyes glared into the table, as if to pierce a
hole into it. At the one who should have received enough
damage to return her body to just its Soul core, the
Collecting Demon Lord.

I was swallowing my spit behind Heard, but neither

Heard-san nor Kanon-san showed and disarray in their
attitudes. As if it was all a complete natural occurrence,
they looked at the Demon Lord who had been
reconstructed whole at some point in time.

“Schitol Tzuchaser… Then next time you lay your

hands on an allied soldier, I will dispose of you in the
name of my Ruin. Know your place.”

“…? What place?”

Her conduct was as if nothing had happened at all.

Schitol-san’s sharp gaze didn’t seem to hold any care for
the force that seemed to try to wither her away, as she
returned to her seat. The Pride Demon Lord who still had
both his arms stolen tried to stand, but when Heard-san
shot a look at him, he silently sat.

To regain control of the area, Kanon-san sent a silent

glance around the table. That burning pressure spread
about to suppress the fighting spirit, the instincts, longings
these Demon Lords had probed to their depths. The Great
Demon King position didn’t have the qualifications of
wisdom or status, or charisma, or talent. It was a spot that
came to be by pure power alone, and that display was
plenty to demonstrate that fact.

Of the Demon Lords allied to the Great Demon King,

there is said to be nineteen in all. But less than half of that
number had gathered here.

As if that shameful sight hadn’t ever happened, Kanon-

san offered her thanks to the Lords present. That was the
signal of the conference’s start. A weak Demon Lord had no
worth. In that sense, even if she may have been an illusion,
for her to have been killed before the start, Medea-san had
done an insufficient job of filling the role of Leigie-sama’s
representative.

“So we’ve all gathered… I thank you for making the

journey here. Lords.”

“… Hm, so this is all that’s left. The numbers sure

have dwindled.”

Heard-san’s head shook in lament. The number of Demon

Lords wasn’t something that fluctuated so easily. The race
known as Demons was one without a set lifespan, and they
get stronger the longer they’ve lived. At Demon Lord Level,
their survivability was overwhelmingly higher than other
Demons.

“The two that the Devourer, Zebul, ate, and Zebul

herself make up a loss of three. The other casualties
were Angels. Hm… for them to be annihilated by
something on the level of Angels… how deplorable.”

Heard-san sent around an intimidating glare to those

present. It was like he was offering to end them all before
they faced defeat from such things.

Heard-san’s way of life was much too severe. I would

never be able to imitate it, and I think it’s nothing but
stupid. So please don’t try dragging me into it. No,
seriously.

“But we really have faced a considerable decline. It

no one beyond Rank Ten is in attendance…”
 The old man spoke. His height wasn’t even half of Heard-
san’s, and he was a Demon with a slim stature like a dead
tree’s. His frailty made it look as if he would be sent flying
with a breath of air. But his glare held a viscous and sticky
darkness.

The ranking system of the Great Demon King’s army

wasn’t something based solely on strength. While it was
usually taken as an equivalent, the primary factor that
influenced it was that Lord’s service to the army. That’s
why compared to those below Rank Ten, the other Demon
Lords simply lacked achievements.

They were young.

That doesn’t mean they had lived short lives, but that not
too much time had passed since they became Demon Lords.
Fresh Meat. Even so, it’s quite likely they had lived longer
than me, and with that life, they were anniohilated by
Angels. What a pointless life.

“Yes, this is Rank Eighteen here.”

“Yep~ Rank Eleven over here.”

“Ho ho ho, my apologies. It looks like not all of

them have perished…”

Schitol-san raised her hand, and raised a high pitched,

tension-less voice towards the empty seats. Her lack of
nervousness made me feel a little power seeping from my
body.

“Hm… facing defeat at but a single Valkyrie, they’ve

not the qualifications to be Demon Lords. They were
fated to die a dog’s death eventually. There’s no need
to pay it any mind.”
 “Don’t be like that, Heard Lauder. This time’s
enemy is… quite capable. The reason I’ve convened
you all is also about that matter.”

On Heard-san’s words, Kanon-san let out a tired sigh. The

Great Demon King had an enemy too great to simply be
called treacherous within her midst. Her anger scorched
the heavens, and reduced the ground to ash. Always under
such an extreme amount of stress, it was said to be only
natural that she became the Great Demon King. As I
thought, the Ranking system is nothing but garbage.

“Oh?”

Oh Kanon-san’s words, Heard-san’s eyes widened a little.

I noticed a faint fire burning in them.

The light of fighting spirit.

It was because Heard-san was Pride, that the stronger

the enemy, the more likely he was to take the initiative. It
was in order to forge his own power, or so he called it, but I
do believe that’s a little extreme. It was likely because he
lost to Leigie-sama. I was forgiven as a result, so that’s all
fine and dandy, but that doesn’t change how troublesome it
is.

Once more, in silence, Kanon-sama looked over all the

gathered faces, and spat out words backed by emotions
violent enough to make existences quiver.

“A few days ago, at the hands of the Valkyrie in

question… Serge Serenade, the Seventh Rank was
destroyed.”

“Seventh… Rank…”
 It was the first death of a Demon Lord within the top ten.
Even when the death of a Demon Lord was a rare
occurrence, it was even rarer for one of the higher ranks to
perish. On that note, the air in the conference room
suddenly got heavier. The old man opened his eyes wide,
and scowled at Kanon-sama.

“Oh… Rank Seven… Ciel Afreide, was it? So the

Haughty Youngun died…”

“… Hm, I see… it truly seems that she is sufficiently

capable. Kanon, I shall approve of your anxiety.”

I’d never met her before, but apparently Heard-san knew

her. Even so, why does his arrogance act up so much
whenever Kanon-san is concerned? I’ve not the slightest. I
don’t think there’s a single merit to come of picking a fight
with her, you know…

Standing behind me, Heard-san’s one of Heard-san’s

inspectors let out a long sigh, as if he had become
accustomed to the man’s behavior. The King in question
has probably become accustom to dealing with his Pride as
well. She ignored his dauntless wording, and moved on.

“Ciel Afreide was not a weak Lord. At the very least,

no matter how many average Angels came at him at a
time, he would never be at the risk of defeat.”

A Demon’s power was greatly chipped away in the

Heavens where Angels lived. But in exchange, our Demon
Lords were transcendentally strong.

“And, what of it? Kanon-sama, all you’re saying is

that a single Demon Lord has died, correct?”
 With a bored expression, the balloon-like man sitting
beside Kanon-san tried asking. His swelled ball-like large
torso was enough to surpass Heard-san’s height, and at a
conspicuously high level, his sorry excuse for a head sent
down a look with its white eyes, and colorless pupils.

“Just as you may have heard from your inspectors,

on this occasion, where one within the top ten ranks
has been killed off, we cannot simply let her violence
reign free any longer. It will be a hindrance to my
world domination.”

Kanon-san looked around again. While she looked calm,

the inside of the room was filled with a grilling heat, and
even when she didn’t look directly at me, I could feel it.

… World domination, is it? I think that’s just plain idiotic.

For those out there, those fools out there, what point is
there in gaining command of them? If you’re going to do
something like that, then… right, just skimming the top of
the broth sounds best. Get everything under your control,
find a way to scoop out nothing but the beautiful substance,
and leave the rest of the meal to the wolves.

Kusu kusu…

“Ah~… with the Seventh Rank being killed… does

that mean I’m next~?”

Rather than… sitting in a chair, a young lady floating

right above it raised a hysteric voice. I secretly frowned, as
I committed her form to memory. Appearance-wise, she was
a slim girl that didn’t seem like much a Demon Lord at all.
More than uncertain, her bearing was one where she
swayed back and forth in the air.
 Hers was an uncomposed voice I couldn’t think of as
coming from a Demon.

But she was one I had to be wary of. I mean, even with
that slim figure, how does her chest grow to that size…

Her pale-blue robe-like dress, and deep blue sash were, if

memory serves, the traditional clothing of a peculiar
province… it did fit the lines of her body quite well, but
only her breasts swelled unnaturally from it.

As expected of a Demon Lord…

“There won’t be a next. That’s why we’ve been

gathered. Right?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right. Up to now, we let her run

free, believing whoever died by her hand was fated to
die off either way, but… now that Ciel has been
slaughtered, we can no longer postpone the matter.
We can’t leave the Angels looking down on us like
this…”

A gathering of Demon Lords wasn’t anything that

happened all too often. While her calm composure wasn’t
thinkable of one governing Wrath, in truth, in her body, the
Great Demon King was seething in rage.

Kanon-san was severe. What’s more, she knew how to

use that fact.

“We’ll strike first. Other than that Valkyrie… I’ve

also read the report of the skies showing strange
movements. Right, Vanity?”

“… Yep.”
 A steel-like body apart from Heard’s, wrapped around a
mountainous build of a man roared out. Vanity Seidthroan.
to Heard-san, the second strongest Demon of Pride.

Why are all these Prides these shameless masses of

muscle…. It’s quite wondrous. It isn’t beautiful in the
slightest.

Of course, that metal body over there is also out of the

question. Out. Of. The Question!

“Attacks… came twice. The enemy was five Angels,

and ten the next. Our casualties… roughly one
hundred.”

With uninterested expressions, the surrounding Lords

listened in.

The number of one hundred wasn’t anything great, but it

definitely wasn’t small. But it’s not that we assembled a
force, but that one of our forces was assaulted, and faced
annihilation. An exception. Among these Lords who gave
their all to pursugin their desires, I doubt there’s really
anyone who understands the meaning of those words. All
these Lords are idiots.

And Heard-san was the same as always. While he might

have known, his lack of interest made his disposition even
more ill-natured. With his arms crossed, he lorded over
Vanity-san with a grim expression.

“Hm, have you grown soft? Even if it may have been

just a hundred, while you were there, for you to have
failed to destroy a measly five Angels…”

“… No… my army’s… the strongest.”

 Vanity-shot down the glare with a look that didn’t fall
short at all in terms of malice. There was no hesitation in
him. The class of wills between two Demons of Pride
caused the air to shake. As if to blow that away, Kanon-san
let out a deep sigh.

“Please don’t make this any more of a pain than it

already is. Heard, Vanity… Vanity, I heard that the
enemies were of Saint Lord Class, but is that true?”

“Saint Lord…”

That was heaven’s finest. If Demon Lord was a Demon’s

highest rank, then that was what took its place in the Angel
race. And at the same time, they were a rare sight to find in
the Demon World. I’ve only ever heard of them, and never
seen one for real. No, I doubt even a majority of Demon
Lords have ever seen one.

But on the other hand, with the appearance of a Saint

Lord, having only a mere one hundred casualties became
strange. They’re supposed to be much higher up there than
that Serge something something Valkyrie … and with but a
hundred casualties, the Lord was able to repel them? Is
Vanity’s Legion strong? I’ve always been going through
bridal training in order to serve Leigie, so I’m none to
knowledgeable in that field.

Vanity-san gave his solemn consent. With just that, the

other Demon Lords began to stir. It sems they had finally
begun to understand the abnormality of the situation. The
ones that didn’t change were Vanity-san, Heard-san, and
Kanon-san. Those three. Those were the only ones who had
understood what was going on from the start.

The balloon man sitting beside Kanon-san flailed his arms

about as he gave his opinion. How unsightly. It’s unsightly,
but… that man’s Rank Two. That means he was the former
Rank One Demon Lord. This world must be at its end.

“So that means… there’s a need for us to divide into

two groups. What are your thoughts on the matter,
Kanon-sama?”

“Right…”

Kanon-san had likely already reached her conclusion. No,

she likely had done so far before we had gathered. This was
just a dispatch order under the guise of a conference.

“I have no intent to mobilize us all. We still have the

duty of crushing the Demon Lords of other territories.
Right… two. Two is more than enough.”

“The Angels… I’ll destroy them.”

With fiery sparkling silver eyes, Vanity-san’s gaze pierced

through Kanon-san. That wasn’t… Anger. But his voice like
the rumbling of falling thunder definitely had some power
behind it. On that voice, Kanon-san grinned.

“Hu… so be it, Vanity. Swing about your powers as

you please.”

“Then on Serge’s matter… I’ll step forth.”

Before another Demon Lord could open their mouth,

Heard-san made a declaration. He had a somewhat
unpleasant expression on his face. It seems both of them
had wanted to take on the previous matter. I’m not sure if
they were afraid of Heard-san, but Demon Lords had
stopped coming to attack our lands altogether, as of late.
Even so, he decided to take the initiative, and go forth to
crush his enemies one by one, but they were all too weak
for him to feel any resistance, apparently. The frustration
from that is making my training more and more absurd,
and I was just at my wit’s end.

It’s impossible, I tell you… to split a mountain with my

bare hands… But could it be that… I’m finally free? I want
to return to Leigie-sama’s side already… I’m actually quite
busy. I’ve no time to follow along with Heard-san’s games.

Whether she understood his state or not, Kanon merely

nodded once.

“Yes, Heard Lauder. If it’s you, you’d definitely be

able to handle it. Her station has already come to
light.”

“… You already know Serge’s location?”

“Yeah, a Demon of Envy witnessed a scene of her

battle. She’s now but a caged bird to us.”

“Hm… let it be so. At best, she’ll make for a quick

snack.”

It didn’t seem the other Lords had any opinions to share.

Of course. Those guys had no incentive. Orders were one
thing, but they wouldn’t choose to do something like
opposing Kanon-san or Heard-san of their own volition.

Or so I thought, but the ghost girl went right into her fifty
cents.

“Hey~ Heard-san. I don’t really have a problem with

you going for the Valkyrie or anything, but… if she
attacks me, I can kill her, right?”
 “Hm… I mind it not, Rank Six. If she had the power
to bring ruin to Rank Seven, I can understand your
sentiment of wanting to fight her.”

Well I don’t get it at all.

“… No, no, no, no, I just hate it when people like

that get in my way, you know~?”

And the ghost girl didn’t seem to get it either. As if to say

the conversation was unexpected, she crossed her arms.
She needlessly emphasized her needlessly bulging chest.
How sly… as I thought, this woman is formidable.

“Are those Angels made of nice parts?”

“No clue.”

On the other side, Schitol-san was, of all things,

conversing with the Demon Lord whose arms she had
stolen about some pointless topic, only to receive a flat out
refusal. How shameless… she really is the worst.

And what’s with this lack of tension discussing out arch

nemesis? Well… just do whatever you want. The ones who’ll
pay for your unsightly display here is you guys after all… In
my eyes, I could clearly see the form of these Lords facing
destruction at their oen negligence. You reap what you sow.

Kusu kusu…

How unsightly. They’re taking everything in jest. Even if

they may call themselves the rulers of Demon-kind, those
gathered here are nothing but an extension of those third
rate Demons scattered all over the place. I can’t… even
take them into consideration. The one I want to prove
myself to is one man alone. Only Leigie-sama. That is the
starting point. If I don’t get anywhere with that, my life
won’t find its beginning.

For a while, the surroundings were astir, and when a

moment of silence finally came about, Vanity spoke up, as if
he had just remembered something.

“… Ah, come to think of it… that Devourer…

survived, you know?”

The thunderous voice clearly reached my ears. The hustle

and bustle that had been resounding through the room, as
if taken by the tide, died down in an instant.

His voice was one thing, but his tone was one where he
seemed to be giving a trifling report over something that
didn’t matter all too much.

But I did see it by chance. Standing to the back right of

Heard-san, I was in a place where I could pick it up. That’s
why, I may have been the only one to notice it.

For a moment, just a slight moment, Vanity’s eyes were

colored in an eerie light.
 Part 3: I Cannot Run Away
Hiero, you are… beyond help.

While those words lacked any clear killing intent, they

were filled with a force that surpassed that. They were
definitely the words of a Lord of Demons, but they were on
another level from that of the Lord of Sloth I had been
watching up to that point. No, rather than level… perhaps I
should say type.

The difference between, without any stimulus, the large

power that could always be sensed… the force of Sloth, and
the heavy oppressing power of Pride to suppress
everything.

Kusu kusu kusu, even when he was frozen as well, and

had to be saved by Kanon-sama, he’s acting way too high
and mighty…

But I could never voice such a thing, and if I did,

regardless of how high I thought myself over Heard-san,
without even a moment to feel it, I would surely die. It’s no
joke. My life doesn’t exist for something like that.

But the reason I’m still alive is likely because Heard-san

lost to Leigie-sama. That’s why Heard-san went against his
own Pride, and refrained from killing me.

Without requesting a single armament, the Lord of Pride

who took down the world with but his fists. There are
numerous cases where the source of one’s Superbia comes
from the ‘self’ a Demon had trained up, but in Heard-san’s
case, that wasn’t nearly enough to explain it.

His was an abnormal, and overwhelming conceit.

 But his gaze that looked down on this Underground was
something that I, who went in the complete opposite side of
Pride’s spectrum, couldn’t understand.

(TL: After so many chapters… they’ve finally… given a

reading for Demon World… as Underground.)

That’s why… I’d appreciate it if he stopped taking this

out on me.

“Tsk… damn Egoist. What is he plotting…”

Heard-san’s blade like glare was locked onto a wall. It’s

probably that he wasn’t doing that intentionally, but the
pressure alone was enough to weight down my body. It
wasn’t that sort of weight of air type pressure, but rather a
definite force of gravity.

Breathing became difficult. The inspectors keeping their

distance from behind were looking at Heard-san with tired
expression, and as if all of this was natural, they didn’t say
a word. Their job was to keep tabs on this Demon Lord. At
times, they assisted, and at times, they gave advice, but
they were generally neutral entities. As long as it wasn’t
going to cause any real harm, they wouldn’t say anything
about this level of pressure. This level of self-control makes
me commend their professionalism.

Well… even if a gathering of ten General Classes were to

challenge him, Heard-san wouldn’t even take the wave of a
finger.

Perhaps the other Demon Lords finally collected

themselves, as I was finally able to secretly take a breath of
air in another’s Zone. It wasn’t enough to prevent
movement… but I was still in a bit of pain.
 So the Devouring Lord, the former Fifth Rank Zebul
Glaucus of Gula survived. That fact stirred up the meeting
quite a bit.

There wasn’t a single Lord who knew not the Devourer’s

name.

And that wasn’t a complement there.

If it was in the number of Demon Lords she’d killed, that

woman likely numbered within the top three of the Great
Demon King’s army, and she was an incarnation of sin great
enough to even swallow up this bleak and desolate Demon
World. Of all else, the repulsive Demon even ate those of
her same race. She was likely more troublesome that a
Valkyrie who wasn’t doing anything but challenging Demon
Lords, and much more abnormal.

If her continued existence was true, that is.

… I mean, she should have been destroyed by the Lord of

Sloth.

“Kusu kusu kusu, but… seriously, after all this time,

why is the Devouring Lord…”

Wrong. That wasn’t the main problem. I knew that. And I

also knew it wasn’t something I should put to words.

The problem was that Leigie-sama had defied Kanon-

san’s words, and allowed the Devouring Lord to run free.
No, that likely wasn’t the reality of the matter. Leigie-sama
would never do something so troublesome. But from an
outsider’s perspective, how would it look… Normally, it
would be a failure more than deserving of punishment.
That was the important point here.
 Even when I didn’t voice it, I’ll bet Heard-san guessed
what I wanted to say. He glared at me with strong eyes, and
gave an answer as if it were nothing special.

“Hm… to Leigie of Sloth, Zebul merely wasn’t even

worthy of a finishing blow. That’s all there is to it.”

“I see…”

And I doubt there’s any Lord here who would be satisfied

with such an answer. But, still, in this world, Rank and
power was everything. As long as the highest ranked
Heard-san, and the one who stood above all, Kanon-san,
didn’t say anything, any more words would put the
speaker’s life at risk.

Just what was Vanity-san thinking when he suddenly

proclaimed the Devourer’s survival in an atmosphere like
that? I don’t know his intent. Rank Four. His status likely
wasn’t a mere decoration.

But there was one thing my instincts told me when I saw

his eyes.

Vanity-san… gave off a scent somewhat like mine.

Even if they were both Demons of Pride, he and Heard-

san were water and oil. Whether there was ill intent or not,
the two of them were incompatible.

At that point, Lize-san started jogging in our direction.

Since the girl she had guided here had disappeared, she
was probably free.

Lize-san was generally a straight-laced person, and while

she was occasionally out of it, she was a woman of valor.
Ah, also, her breasts were quite considerable. She directed
a single look at the several inspectors behind us, before
turning to the one much greater than her, and in the worst
of moods, Heard-san.

“Heard Lauder, what do you plan on doing?”

“Hm… a foolish question.”

Using those words as a trigger, the vague mana emitted

from his well trained body suddenly converged onto
himself. With just that action, I saw an illusion of the air
around him warping.

Explosive magic. Immense physical ability. An unshakable

will.

Having obtained all of those, his bearing was

undoubtedly a Lord’s. Heard-san had no losses, and no
retreats. Without ever fading, his assurance in his ‘self,’
high as the skies, was always there.

And as I thought, as if it were a trifling matter, he offered

a short sentence of answer.

“… I’ll just destroy the Devourer.”

The meaning behind those words was likely something

Lize-san couldn’t comprehend. But as another Pride, I
could feel them.

Even if it went against his nature…

“Why, at this point…”

“Hm…”

… It was merely his Pride.

 That was the only basis for Heard-san’s actions. That was
the reason for his strength. The meaning of his strength.
His longings wouldn’t allow it. Even if it no longer held any
relevance to him, Heard-san would wash away the stains on
Leigie-sama’s record.

It was a pain-in-the-ass way of life. But also a way all the

same.

Lize-san hesitated for a moment, before posing a

question.

“… Then what about the Valkyrie?”

“… The Devourer comes first. The Crimson Prison is

close… and I doubt it will take much time at all.”

“No time…? The enemy is the former Rank Five,

Zebul Glaucus, correct?”

“Yes, what of it?”

There was never a waver in his way of life. It was likely

that Heard would never hold doubt in his own victory up to
the moment before his death.

Kusu kusu kusu, he really has no flexibility….

“I’ll head to the Crimson Prison.”

“Eh? Wai… that land is under Vanity’s domain. Are

you sane?”

Heard-san didn’t even nod at Lize-san’s voice. It was his

resolution. Without listening to anyone else’s words, he
would push through his path on nothing but his own
willpower. How useless. When he’s like this, he can’t be
stopped by anyone. In that sense, he was still quieter back
when he was Leigie-sama’s supreme commander.

Well, it doesn’t really matter to me.

I don’t need strength. I don’t need training. The

‘supreme’ that Heard-san wishes for holds absolutely no
meaning to Leigie-sama.

To me as well.

If Heard-san is to die, then all that will happen is that I’ll

go back to serve under Leigie-sama. I still have something I
have to accomplish there.

And wait, you don’t have to die, just hurry up and release
me already… I seriously don’t need this training. The land
isn’t splitting anytime soon. It’s impossible. It’s not
splitting, and there’s absolutely no one out there that wants
it to split.

“Lize, you can just go scout out the Valkyrie’s

station. After destroying the Devouring Lord, I’ll head
there.”

“Wai… it couldn’t be that you’re going alone, right?

At the very least, your army…”

“Unnecessary… Hm, damn Vanity. I’ll definitely

make you pay for this one.”

Oy, that one’s a false claim. All Vanity did here was report
the truth. But he couldn’t come out and say that due to his
nature. At the very least, I couldn’t see that Vanity had that
sort of disposition. When I recall his boorish silver eyes
looking our way, even I had shivers run down my spine.
 His moniker… the Egoist means he himself acknowledged
his own fault.

Vanity Seidthroan was apparently a Demon Lord who

gave up on the King’s throne. His disposition was far
removed from prim and proper Superbia. It’s not my
problem who dies where, and while Heard-san is messed up
in the head, he’s no idiot. He likely has several tens of
times more experience than me, and he should have
noticed it.

“It’s quite definitely a trap, right…”

“Hm… trap… is it? Then I’ll merely crush it head

on.”

As I thought, this is impossible. I was sure he would say

that… This is why muscle heads are…

Heard-san has a large quantity of power, so perhaps it’ll

work out one way or another, but I’m considerably lower in
that department. The Overrule Skill is powerful, but it
doesn’t have the ability to overturn a power gap too great.
But I’ve already given up on stopping this man long ago.

I stood a while staring at the inept inspectors standing

about like scarecrows, before I made a smile and turned to
Heard-san. Smiles didn’t work on him in a different way
than Leigie-sama. However, it’s more decent to make one
than not… I think.

“Will you be heading straight for the Crimson

Prison after this? In that case, I’ll go return the flying
dragon…”

The Crimson Prison was far. From the Palace of Rending

Flames, it was a few hours, even with a dragon. And in
Heard-san’s case, unbelievably, his own running pace was
far faster than such a beast. Then the dragon would just be
in the way. Even so, the flying dragon was also his property,
so we couldn’t just leave it here, so it was inevitable that
someone was needed to return it to Heard-san’s base of
operations, the『Castle of Shimmering Souls』.

But on my polite proposal, Heard-san directed enough

anger at me to make my body shrink back.

“Hm… Hiero. This is why I said you were beyond help.

“Hii… n-no… I was…”

It was merely a locking of eyes, but the weight I felt was

physical enough, and I unintentionally retreated.

Wrong. That’s wrong. I-it’s not like I didn’t want to

accompany you or anything… No, you see, well, if you drag
me along, there’s the possibility I might kinda die, you
know…

Those observers, who were really just there for show,

looked at me with eyes of pity. I don’t need your sympathy.
Medea’s unsightly exit floated vividly in the forefront of my
mind.

But only her face had been altered. What was there
wasn’t Medea-san’s but…

A dull heat started welling up from the depths of my

brain, joining up with my bloodstream.

And once more, Heard-san let out the words he had

spoken just a year before when he abducted me.

“You are unworthy…of your Superbia.”

 His words were concise, but their meaning vanished as
they were absorbed into me.

Lize-san let out some lines that were quite sensible in all
regards. She was a surprisingly hopeless person as she
was, but she may have been the only sliver of conscience
that existed around me.

“Heard, Hiero is a non-combatant, is she not…”

“Combatant or not isn’t the problem. Hiero is much

too lacking in Pride. This one is different from…
Lorna.”

I don’t get just what exactly he’s looking for. But when a
Demon Lord of Pride says such things, they hold quite a bit
of weight. Perhaps the reason I am unable to Overrule
oneechan lies somewhere there. No, there’s no doubt that
it does.

It was merely a coincidence that Heard-san took to me.

But earning his sympathy must be my failure. What he felt
towards me was likely an illusion, but anyways, Heard-
san’s Pride was much too severe for me.

I have… no, we don’t even have a way of life.

In the first place power… isn’t even something I’m

searching for.

But such excuses are rendered moot before this man. No,
just by stating my reason and will, I was unable to get him
to recognize me. His annoyingly stern criterion had yet to
be fulfilled.

“Lize, you are to take care of the flying dragon.

Hiero… come with me. We’re going to destroy the
Devourer.”

“… Kusu kusu kusu, there’s no helping it… I’ll

follow you… yes, I’ll follow.”

I used all my effort to smooth the matter over, but the

fatigue in my voice was so clear I could feel it the moment
it escaped my mouth.

I don’t know if there’s anything for me, who can’t split

the ground with my bare hands, to do, but from Heard-
san… I cannot escape. While feeling that I was gradually
heading in a completely different direction from my will,
the image of Medea-san’s departure grew stronger, and I
prayed to the God of the Demon World, who all could say
did not exist.

Part 4: Dear…

Heard-san’s speed was extraordinary.

As it was, Deon Lords of Pride were said to be able to

make the world around them their own, and contract it to
their will, but even for that, this was just too much. While I
was using a flying dragon as my means of movement, his
speed on the ground could only be expressed with the
sentiment, ‘ah, he disappeared.’ What’s more, according to
the individual himself, he could put that out even before
becoming a Demon Lord. He’s a monster, that one.

Of course, my Pride isn’t weak, but if you were to

compare our running speeds, then it would be as if I were
in stasis. My Pride wasn’t something that depended on
strength, so there was no helping it.

Even when he told me to come with him, it seems he had

no intent of waiting for me, so I frantically urged the
dragon on. At a speed slower than Heard-san, but much
greater than the norm, we headed towards the Crimson
Prison, and by the time we reached, the sun had already
set.

The temperature of the land ruled by Vanity was high. It’s

rumored to be the lingering influence of a Lord of Wrath
who governed the area in times past, but the truth of the
matter is yet to be determined. Even if it was now night,
the heat was incomparably higher than that on the Dark
Prison Leigie-sama once controlled, and the unbearable
heat made me let out a single fevered sigh. I gratefully
patted the neck of the flying dragon, who had put out a
speed beyond his potential, and lay myself onto the ground
for a while.

Still, this place is… really hot…

I lifted my arms to take in my own scent. I checked for

dirt on my garments. Keeping my appearance in order was
part of the standard curriculum for the house in service to
Leigie-sama. No matter how pained, or fatigued I may be;
even on the brink of death, I could not let myself be dirtied.

I feel the anti-heat resistance on the standard Demon

Tree gradually starting up. Just what came to their minds
to have them build a town at a place like this? I can only
wonder. If they were going to raise one, it would be best off
in a place easier to live in… Like in the Dark Prison that
never had any temperature fluctuations year round, day
and night.

This town, which seemed to be called Grey Rock was only

a few kilos from the Dark Prison… it was right across the
horizon. The information that it was a town that defined the
border looked accurate. It was relatively close to both
Heard-san’s Castle of Shimmering Souls, and even Leigie-
sama’s Castle of Shadows. And wait, I even passed it
overhead. I felt a strong urge to stop by, so please praise
me for not taking a detour here…

Well, I can’t tell what Heard-san would say to me, you

know?

I let out another deep sigh, and started walking through

the town. But even if it was night, it was still too quiet. I
was able to discern it from the skies, but the number of
residents wasn’t anything great. Is the Devouring Lord
really at a place like this… no, there’s also the possibility
this is what’s left from that Lord’s dinner. I mean, the
Devourer apparently eats other Demons for pleasure…

The moment I thought of the possibility, a chill ran

through me, and I clutched my shoulders.

This is no joke.

According to Vanity-san, she was being quite well

behaved, but he’s not a trustworthy source of information.
Our opponent has a bottomless stomach. There’s no enemy
I would like to take on less than a Demon of Gluttony. Even
if I was able to Overrule and nullify most of their Skills, I
still doubt I’d have a chance of victory.

Well, from what I can tell by looking around, there are no

traces of battle. … Of course, there’s the possibility that all
the town’s residents were devoured without being given
the time to put up a fight, but if I thought that hard into it, I
wouldn’t be able to take any action at all.

Whatever the case, Heard-san should have arrived here

long ago. No matter how ill-famed an enemy Zebul Glaucus
was, she shouldn’t be able to stand before him. Even if she
were here, she was probably gone by now.

While I started forming my perfect theories on the

matter, I strained my senses to feel for presences, and
started walking down the path lit by the large red moon. It
was an ominous town. But I can’t figure out the reason for
the chills I’m experiencing.

Likely the town’s namesake, the countless houses of grey

stone gave off not a single sign of life, but still, some of
their windows let off dim orange colored lights. The only
one walking about outside was me.

And there, I understood my discomfort.

It was too quiet. There was too little of anything. As if

white paint had been smeared all around me to paint out all
the surroundings, it was an unnatural feeling of emptiness.
I wasn’t particularly skilled at picking up presences or
anything, but I should at least be able to feel Heard-san’s. I
mean, he never held any intentions of concealing that
massive power of his.

I hurriedly looked around. The only one standing in the

wide plaza of the town was… me.

But I couldn’t tell that. Even if I strained my ears, or

concentrated my eyes, there was nothing. That truth
caused my Soul Core to quietly shake. I put my hand to my
chest. The beating pulse I felt on my palm was all I could
feel, and all that made my being.

I need to calm myself. Making a ruckus at a time like this

is… the work of a small fry. Dammit! This is why I didn’t
want to leave the Castle of Shadows!
 I focused myself on the beating of my core, and
encouraged myself, as I took a slow glance around.

“… Kusu kusu kusu, what could it be. This is… quite

strange.”

It wasn’t that my life was in peril, or anything like that.

I’m not sure the reason, but I was feeling an immense
sense of impatience. If reports are to be believed, then a
Lord of Angels attacked this land before. Perhaps that’s the
cause of my unease.

The possibility that the unperceivable marks left by my

natural enemy were ringing alarm bells in my head.

Anyways, my best course of action would be to meet up

with Heard-san. If it’s him, then whether it be a Saint Lord,
or Devouring Lord, it will work out one way or another. And
the reason I’m even here is also his fault, so it should be
fine to have him take responsibility for this.

After I took a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and

heightened my senses to a level I’d never felt before. The
negative soul beating within me stabilized. I have no Skill
to take in everything around, like a Demon Lord’s Abyss
Zone. But my perception should be wider than any of those
dime-a-dozen Demons out there. Despite this and that,
Heard-san’s kidnapping/training did serve to strengthen
me.

My five senses spread out into the surrounding air, and

informed me of the world. My cold sweat fell to the ground
in beads.

As if using that as a signal, I instantly started to grasp in

the depths of my heart that I was indeed on hostile
territory. It was likely something like synesthesia. Not from
my expanded five, but from a completely different sixth
sense.

Sympathy.

Like I was gazing into a mirror, and uncanny world

reflected my own form back at me.

This town had already served its purpose. The reason for
its scarcity of inhabitants was likely that as well. And it was
likely… not by Heard-san’s hand. This is… right. A long
time past. My sense of discomfort started to change.

“Hm… how useless…”

“Hyah!!?”

On the voice that suddenly resounded behind me, I

unintentionally let out a shameful cry. What entered my
eyes was a man two heads higher than me. Black hair, and
black eyes. His overly arrogant expression was knit in
obvious displeasure, enough to make my slight sentiment of
wanting to meet up with him not too long ago flip over in
an instant.

What was there was definitely the one whose reunion I

had been hoping for, a certain Heard Lauder. But even right
before me, his presence was surprisingly faint, and if I took
my eyes off him again, I bet I’d lose him again.

For how long has he been behind me? The reason my

perception doesn’t catch anything likely isn’t Heard-san’s
power. It’s this air. This magic, that seems to hang over like
a mist to cloak any and everything.

On that air, as if an unknown fear had been eating at the

base of my feet, caused me to raise my voice.
 “W-what do you mean by useless? Heard-san?”

“… Tsk, damn Egoist… as always, he’s a crafty one.”

Heard-san didn’t turn his eyes the slightest bit in my

direction, and merely lorded over the completely empty
space. He wore the same grimace as always, but there was
a slight color of conviction on it.

… I wonder what this is about.

When I was about to call out again, the blank space

Heard-san had been staring at for a while suddenly began
to warp. And as if attempting to muffle the scream I almost
let out, a gloomy and broken voice shook the air.

“Don’t… be like… that.”

Vanity the Egoist. Even taller than Heard-san, the

mountainous man raised a roar. His disposition was like he
had been watching us from that exact spot the entire time,
as he calmly looked down at the both of us. Behind him
were numerous Demons with their faces covered in black
masks. Their heights and bearings were various, but the
platoon of Demons had a strange sense of uniformity.

It wasn’t… at some arbitrary point. There was surely

nothing there until a moment before. My eyesight isn’t bad.
There’s no way I’d let pass an army of that size.

The abnormal situation made me begin to shiver.

It’s… not an illusion. There may be a high-level Luxuria

Skill to reproduce this phenomenon, but this wasn’t
something of that sort. Of all else, the power I felt from
Vanity-san was definitely Superbia. In that case, there’s a
high chance it’s an ability of his subordinates, but for these
numbers to be hiden away, it would be difficult for even a
General. Of course, Medea-san Class was out of the
question. And she wasn’t even Lust in the first place.

Heard-san was calm enough to make one think he had

expected all of this. He calmly spat out his words.

“So even after living a life long enough to erode at

one’s memory, you’ll still favor underhanded tactic,
Egoist?”

“… Call it… what you will, Prideful Kaiser.”

He grinned. The edges of Vanity-san’s lips did indeed

rise, but is that really a smile?

I raised my evaluation of Vanity-san a level. His

appearance and contents didn’t connect. A mismatch. He
was much too mysterious. Despite his robust body, he went
for roundabout methods. For a Demon carrying the same
sin as me, he remained unidentified. The unknown was the
greatest enemy of Pride.

Vanity-san’s and Heard-san’s powers clashed. Neither of

them had moved a step. But I’m sure I felt their mana
collide, and mingle. Just by standing here, I can feel a wind
enough to make my body cower.

“Where is the Devourer?”

“That girl… went to… the Lord of Sloth.”

The Lord that governs Sloth. Those words could only

indicate a single place in this vast world.

Leigie Slaughterdolls. The world’s strongest slacker, and

the existence I was born in order to serve. And at the same
time, Heard-san’s birth parent. I haven’t heard the
specifics, but at the very least, the Lazy King held a great
importance to Heard-san.

Did Vanity-san not know? No, that’s not it. There’s no way
that’s it. Otherwise… there’s no way he could stand so
calmly before Heard-san’s blatant ill humor.

“… You… bastard… so you knew from the start!?”

“Of. Course.”

A short sound rung through the air, and dust whirled into
the air to accompany it. I immediately closed my eyes to
handle it.

“Wha… t…”

Vanity’s large build had slid back several meters. His

large hand that was perhaps the size of my face saw spread
open in front of him. The scraped off portions of the road
revealed bright red soil. From his upheld hand, smoke
quietly started rising up the heavens. Heard-san was
glaring at him with eyes as if to shoot him dead.

I understood.

Heard-san had released his fist, and Vanity-san had

blocked. That’s all there was to it. But that simple truth
was enough to beat me down.

That can’t be… there’s someone out there that can stop
the Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder’s fist…

“You’re also… the same… incredible power.”

“What’s your goal?”

 I can’t keep up with this. Please don’t start conversing
with your fists. I don’t understand that language. His
expression covered up with his audacity was simply quiet,
and I couldn’t comprehend the feelings he held behind it.

… Well, of course, I’m going to pretend to understand

them…

I thought for a moment, before raising a cheerful voice.

“Heard-sann, Leigie-sama is undefeated.”

The greatest monster I had ever met in my lifetime was

not Heard-san, but Leigie-sama. Heard-san was a monster
in strength, but completely irrelevant to that, Leigie-sama’s
existence was incomprehensible. If I had to say, he was like
a deity. Just his existence made me feel awe. Even when
I’ve only ever see him sleeping…

Since he’d already taken down Heard-san once, for

argument’s sake, I cannot think of a single one to win
against Leigie-sama, and of course, the one who already
faced an unsightly defeat at his hands, Zebul-san, is out of
the question…

“Hm… I know.”

“Of. Course.”

Unexpectedly, both Heard-san and Vanity-san nodded as

if that fact were natural. I don’t really get why everyone
has such a high evaluation of that man when all he does is
sleep, but it’s likely that’s just the way this world works.

Still, that makes the reason Vanity-san kept quiet about

even harder to comprehend. There’s not a single merit for
him in luring Heard-san here.
 At that moment, as if the Egotistic Lord had read my
thoughts, he warped his mouth into what was, this time,
undoubtedly a smile. A hoarse voice. He included in some
sarcastic mimicry towards a sincere tone, and what was
there was clearly malice, and at the same time, his will.

His arm that likely had a width three times mine pointed
up towards the sky. His thunderous voice resounded
through the unnaturally quiet town scape.

“Like I care about the Devourer… My enemy is…

heaven. Alone.”

As if it were waiting for those very words, a heavy wind

blew. The heavy deep-blue clouds covering up the sky split.

What remained was… a pure white light. Countless

strings of light poured through to sever the Demon World’s
red moon, and I witnessed a scene I could not believe.

Heard-san made a rare display of gritting his teeth into a

sour expression… with eyes full of malice, he looked
towards the sky.

“Vanity… bastard…”

“Fu….”

The light danced. I could only watch it in a daze.

Angel.

The natural enemies of us Demons, and the souls that

dwelled in the heavenly realm. Clad in shining garments of
pure white, with large wings sprouting from their backs…
their Heavenly Wings caught the wind, and let them race
through the open air.
 Of course, even I’ve at least seen an Angel before.

But… the number was different. Even as I watched, the

sky continued to clear, and the whole story was made true.
A single cloud still hung, but it was clear enough. Their
numbers weren’t just a hundred or two. I bit down on my
quivering lip. As if a silk thread had been strung around my
neck, my instincts began to suffocate me.

I had a clear understanding of it. I was… scared of

‘them.’

“Kusu kusu… why, at a place like this, so many

Angels…”

The opposite entity from Demons. I naturally put an arm

over the other to hide my own trembling. The spectacle I
observed for the first time was truly deserving to be called
a miracle of god. The Angels were his vanguard. Unlike
Demons, that would never remain bound to any single
entity, they held on to the will of the heavens.

The will to bring ruin to all of us.

Standing at the front of such an army was an Angel with

conspicuously more luxurious attire. While the others had a
single pair of wings on their back, that lone Angel had two
sets. It was only for a moment, but those cold eyes without
a fragment of self-consciousness, definitely captured us.

“…”

I could clearly see the difference in power. Regardless of

how far apart we were in distance, it was more than clear
enough to me. Without a doubt, if she were a Demon, she
would be Demon Lord Class.
 There, I recalled the name Kanon-san had presented as
the meeting’s agenda. The Valkyrie of the Silver Blue who
acted to take down the Demon Lords all together.

“Could it be, that’s… Serge Serenade…!?”

“Kuku…”

Vanity-san stifled his own laugh. It was only the span of a

blink that their eyes met. But to me, it felt like several
minutes. My cold sweat shows no signs of stopping.

But as if to say that he didn’t have interest in Serge

anymore, he changed his field of vision. To the horizon
extending over the Dark Prison. His mouth bent a little, and
he formed up a slight grin.

“Heard-san, t-that is…”

I informed Heard-san, who continued to look up at the

Angels with a grim expression. At around the same time,
Serge’s heavenly wings flapped grandly.

It was a white light. Displaying a sudden extreme

acceleration, the Angel’s body left a white afterimage in the
sky as it disappeared. To accompany that, the other
countless angels began to race through the sky without the
slightest sound.

It wasn’t towards us. Not to Grey Rock, where two

Demon Lords of Pride had gathered. To the land that was
once ruled by the Demon Lord of Sloth… to the Castle of
Shadows.

“So this is… the reason you lured me out.”

“My enemy… is… heaven. Alone.”

 Letting out something that sounded a little like an
answer, Vanity-san raised his right hand. From all over the
town, from the shadows scattered here and there, numbers
upon numbers of masked soldiers started to appear. It was
as if they had just come to being at this moment, Vanity-
san’s presence-less Legion. Adding on the ones who were
there from the start, it was a considerable force. Even after
seeing that number of Angels, their gestures showed not
the least bit of unrest.

Vanity-san looked down at Heard-san. As if he were

evaluating him.

“Kuku… Prideful Kaiser… go forth, if you must.”

“… Tsk…”

If you were to compare Demons and Angel, the greatest

differing trait would be mobility. Heavenly Wings granted
Angels air speed rivalling that of flying dragons. It was
something an average Demon wouldn’t be able to follow so
easily. Vanity’s Legion was likely the same. Especially for
high ranking Angels with experience on the battlefield like
Serge, no normal Demon would be able to catch up.

But here, we had an extraordinary Demon. The Lord of

Pride, left behind by the passage of time.

The decision was instantaneous. Heard-san’s body

blurred for a moment, before a kick jutted out at Vanity-
san’s bald head. The ground shook greatly, and fragments
scattered all over. Blood danced around the air, and with a
single wet sound, brown cuts of meat fell to the ground. I
grimaced at the terrible spectacle. I picked off a piece of
meat stuck to my apron, and let it fall to the ground.
 What was once Vanity-san was now left in ruin. With the
attack against Schitol-san, her soul core still remained, but
even that wasn’t left within the wreckage. It was likely
thoroughly smashed.

Perhaps they were at a loss for words, as Vanity-san’s

subordinates remained silent as they watched the blood.

I averted my face, waiting for the end of it.

I’m not sure what he was thinking, but… kusu kusu. …

It’s because you tried to look down on our Heard-san…

He can’t stand being made fun of. And I’m the same as
Heard-san in that regard. That’s why it was natural for
Vanity-san to die.

With a bored expression, the perpetrator of all of this

trampled over the bloody mess, and said but two words.

“… We’re going…”

“Yes. Will you be using the flying dragon?”

“No need.”

Of course. His feet are faster after all. Stepping on the

ground, Heard-san’s form vanished in an instant. Ah, he’s
gone… There really is such a thing as way too fast.

Well, if he’s not going to use it, I guess I will. It’ll

probably be impossible to catch up with those Angels on
this dragon, But as long as Heard-san’s there, there will be
no role for me even if I do end up catching up.

Then it would be more useful for me to simulate what to

do, and how to appear on my reunion with Leigie-sama.
 “Yes, yes, please move aside…”

I passed through the pitiful army that continued to stand

frozen in silence, and headed for the flying dragon, as I
thought to myself. Oneechan, I wonder what you’re doing
right around now… well, you’re probably the same as
always, taking care of Leigie-sama… you’re probably
carrying out the exact same routine you’ve been doing for
the past few thousand years.

Dear Oneechan,

Yeah… it’s all gone to hell here, but know that I’m doing
fine. Please put in as much needless effort as you so desire.

I will, in you guys’ place, Overrule everything.

 Chapter 13
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

TL: Sevens ended at chapter 345 (Volume 18) TL: 17.5k

words…

Part 1: How Sad it Must be

“Oh… what beautiful crimson hair… this child will

surely become a fine wielder of Ira.”

A large face with numerous wrinkles carved into it

peered at me. His height was twice my own, and it was
likely that even if I squeezed out every ounce of mana in my
body, my power wouldn’t even reach his feet.

Among the ruling Demons, he was a being with supreme

power. With awe in their voices, those around him referred
to him as such…

『Demon Lord』

And even among them, this man’s might made him a

Demon Lord amongst Demon Lords. He was a rare Great
Demon King within this warring era, who even survived
through the battles with heaven.

Fels Crowne.

His name was Fels Crowne, of 『Deceit』.

 He was a wire-like man. His thin stature was likely not
graced by anything like muscles, and he had a
characteristically kind expression one would think to be
unthinkable of Superbia. But even so, Fels was a long-lived
Demon Lord.

… Even if that glory was a thing of the past.

“Ira… if you have that power, than perhaps you’ll

even be able to unify the Demon World someday.”

While making light of all the other Demon Lords, but that
being a case, the King who sat at the summit for much too
long was already tired. Desire wasn’t infinite. That’s why,
while we didn’t originally possess lifespans, there are times
when a longer life is the very reason for a decline in power.

He was severe, and vile, and merciless enough to earn

the word 『Deceit』 in his name, and yet the one who had
continued to pursue his desire all alone, the Lord Fels
Crowne, was already dead. Only because of his strong
power, did he continue to sit on the Great Demon King’s
throne.

Meaning in the end, that was the extent of his caliber. His
lukewarm bearing was enough to make me bear
resentment just by looking at him, and yet, he was always
nothing but kind to me. Enough to make my Wrath grow
hazy.

It was a tale of a time in the distant past, but even now, it

remains vivid in my memory.

I would intently gaze up at his stagnant eyes, and wait for

the next words to escape his mouth. And to me, the Great
Demon King dropped to a severely dark tone. The young
me understood. That was likely the reason an ordinary man
like Fels was able to climb to the seat of Great Demon King.

“But this rate isn’t going to work out… we require

the power of Leigie of Sloth, I guess…”

“Leigie… of Sloth?”

Unable to comprehend Fels Crowne… father’s words, I

tilted my head, and he gave a grand nod, as if he had
suddenly nodded off. Only his silver pair of eyes continued
to let off a dull light.

I’m not sure how much time had passed. Perhaps it was
an instant, or perhaps there had been a space of several
minutes of silence. The Great Demon King slowly opened
his mouth.

“Kanon. Henceforth… take up the name Ira Lord…”

“Ira… lawd?”

It was a name much too full of pride. I was a freshly born

Demon, and I hadn’t even gotten to Knight Class. But
Father seemed quite certain of it. That I was to become a
Lord of Ira.

Deceit was an accumulation of fiction. The nature of Fels

Crowne was to remove what existed, and build existence
out of nothing. That’s why me understanding the meaning
of those words required the span of the next few thousand
years.

Even if there are many who know my name, there are few
who know its meaning.
 The Castle of Shadows. It was a palace, where even the
shadows slept silently. The ramparts that extended beyond
the horizon was merely boorish, and its size rose great
enough to befit the term, ‘towering above.’ The fortress of a
Demon Lord.

The Lord of Sloth was to refer to a Demon Lord who

forged himself in depravity. This peerlessly vast Castle of
Shadows was nothing more than that Lord’s bedroom.

His subordinates, whose numbers surpassed the

thousands, existed for nothing more than to protect his
sleep.

Heard Lauder. Boasting a rare kind of power, he was a

Pride Demon who would never prostrate himself before
anyone.

“Hm… Kanon… Iralaude, is it? Useless… do what

you will.”

The strange Demons who held no higher directive than to

attend to the ambitionless Lord.

“Kanon Iralaude… well, as long as you don’t try to

disturb his sleep, then…”

Acting on an incomprehensible principle, the way of life

of these Demons I had no way of grasping was something I
had never witnessed before, and they delivered a bit of an
impact to my mentality, but that was blown away when I
saw the Lord himself. Blown all away.

Even now, I can recall it clearly. The quiet air covering

the entire fortress, and the black door, an incarnation of
darkness.
 On the other side of the door I had opened to introduce
myself, the Lord simply whispered to himself alone.

… I’m kinda tired…

He didn’t seem to pay any mind to me, as I was taken up

in silence, as the jet-black haired man directed his dead
eyes towards vacant space.

The Lord of Sloth. Leigie the Depraved. The sole Demon

accepted to have pursued the foundation of Acedia to its
limits, an ancient Demon.

As if he were the air, he lacked a distinct feel to him, but

just by existing before my eyes, the vast amount of Magic
you could even call absurd was clearly something
extraordinary, even from the eyes of a fledgling like me,
and he had much too less of a will.

It was such that even when I compared it to the

preposterously high power of my father, I could quite
distinctly tell that it was much, much higher.

At a single glance, I could tell by intuition.

Ah, so this is… the man who crushed a Great Demon King
by merely being there.

No offense, or defense, but mere existence. No charisma,

or fighting spirit, or even intent, but power alone he
possessed. If you call one who’s thoroughly learned their
Sin a Lord, then… yes, I see, he is surely worthy of being a
Lord of Sloth.

There was status, and honor, and then, there was a

gathering of Demons that showed no interest in either of
the two. Even I, having seen all the Demon Lords that came
to kneel before father, found that lifestyle to be exceedingly
rare, and it invited on my anger. These Demons… just what
are they searching for in life? Even when, as Demons, they
possess power great enough to warrant the envy of others.

The haves, and the have nots. Talent can be cruel. The
gap between my father, whose wrinkles grew deeper with
age, and the one who came on as youthful after living an
even greater amount of rime was more than clear, and for
some reason, it irritated me.

And my father that brought me here, with nothing but a

worn-out expression, pleaded to that Lord with a single
sentence. To the Lord who, while he wasn’t even doing
anything, had an expression much more worn-out than
father.

Those words were, quite likely, not what a Great Demon

King was to address to his subordinates.

“Leigie… I’ll leave my daughter to you.”

I didn’t known the resolve or weight behind his words.

But the Lord of Sloth gave a response anyways. He let only
his face out from beneath the blankets, and the slovenly
tone he answered in held no ambition. I couldn’t see a
fragment of the makings of a Lord in him.

“… Just do whatever you want. It’s not like I’m the

one who’ll be attending to her anyways.”

The compensation he paid for his power was… depravity.

A man adorned with the polar opposite of the anger that
fueled Ira. Change and stagnation. Perhaps precisely
because they were opposites, that a principle exist in them
to heighten one’s Wrath.
 Father likely saw through that.

While staring at Leigie’s lifeless eyes, I frantically tried to

think of the meaning behind father’s will, and unable to
think of anything, what entered my eyes as they turned up
to father expectantly, were dark eyes of nihilism. If another
were to see his spiritless expression, they likely would have
evaluated it as not falling short of the Lord of Sloth. As
young as I was, his speech delivered a considerable shock
to me.

“Kanon… introduce yourself. He is the lone one to

have spent his eternity in solitude. In this endlessly
vast Demon world, the sole… Lazy King.”

He pushed my back, and I took a step forward. But I was

still frantically thinking. His recklessness. The intent of the
aged Great Demon King.

Even before the Great Demon King, the eyes of the Lord
who didn’t pay any mind to it in the slightest, were horridly
muddled. And oddly enough, that was the vey answer to the
question of, ‘for what sake is he living?’ I had thought the
first moment I met him. There was no meaning in this
man’s life. No goal. No reason.

His life that couldn’t be worn by any other Demon Lord

was the cruel meaning behind the solitude my father spoke
of.

Just how sad a thing must it be?

That was the first time I felt an emotion opposite to

resentment.

Just as father said, I lightly raised the edges of my skirt in

the gesture that had been thoroughly beaten into me, and
gave a polite bow. I didn’t feel anyone’s eyes on me. Even
while his pupils were directed ahead, this man wasn’t
looking at me.

He must be staring at whatever he does every day.

“Kanon Iralaude. The Sin I govern is Wrath. I’ll be

in your care, um…”

I hesitated for a moment.

Leigie-sama? No, as the daughter of the Great Demon

King, it’s unthinkable for me to use such an honorary title
for another. Leigie…san? That sounds too reserved. It
doesn’t settle right. Should I just drop the honorific? No,
he’s someone father spoke up to this extent. He must be
deserving of some respect.

Being left with him meant that we would be becoming

family. I already have a father. But let that be the case,
there’s no way this one’s little brother material.

The hesitation was only an instant. With as much

affection as I could muster, and, with Wrath backing my
tone, I called that name… the pitiful name of the Lord o
Depravity.

“… Leigie-niisama.”

That was likely the starting point. And I, in the long life
that followed… in spending a timeframe much longer than
that which tormented my father before me, I came to know
the significance of the Lazy King’s name.

But no matter how much time passed by, niisama was to

stay as niisama.
 And as if he were in hibernation, the way he would never
leave the Castle of Shadows, was never to change.

Part 2: There Wasn’t a Single Decent Person in my Army

“—–sama, ——sama?”

My auditory sense received a jolt, and my consciousness

was pulled together once more.

The voice I heard at regular intervals sounded quite

nostalgic for some reason.

Light entered my field of vision. I held my head, and let

my eyes scan the area. It was the same place as always.

The throne room of the Palace of Rending Flames. While

it held the same mold as that of the one in the Castle of
Shadows, the Great Demon King’s throne was soaked in a
completely different atmosphere. At that place where many
Kings of History had entrusted themselves, I awakened.

“Kanon-sama? What seems to be the matter!?”

“… Yeah… don’t worry about it. Just… I was just

reminiscing a little bit.”

‘Twas a failure. It seems I had sunk too deep into

thought.

“Y-yes… if that’s all it is, then…”

The one looking at me with some doubt was my right

hand Demon. Lize Bloodcross. A Demon of Wrath like me,
and a woman that somewhat reminded my of my past self.

Perhaps’t that’s why. Of all things, I sent an

inexperienced Lize to Leigie-niisama’s side. Perhaps when
father left me to him long ago, he experienced a feeling like
what I feel as well. There’s no way to find out at this point.

The Lord of Sloth has no enemies. There’s no way

niisama, who doesn’t even take any action, could bear
animosity towards anyone. Having power surpassing her
age, the mildly unstable Lize was able to gain fine control
over her emotions due to niisama’s influence. Rather than
stating it as a report on her progress, perhaps it is simply
an inevitability.

Because niisama has quite a lot of experience…

“Good grief, those Demon Lords are the same as

always.”

“Yeah… but that can’t be helped. It’s precisely

because they’re like that.”

I brought together the Demon Lords strong in Sin. It’s

natural for there to be a level of friction between them. It’s
proof that the Great Demon Kings of old bent a large
variety of powers to their whim. And I’m the same. I
gathered together the wielders of all sorts of desire. I was
more than prepared to be surrounded by potential traitors
the moment I became Great Demon King.

Temperament. Wisdom. Brute force. Charisma.

The only thing those guys didn’t heed was… authority.

And at the same time, with them following me to that
extent… I can’t have them lose their powers, and fall to
some Angel, or the like.

“But… as I thought, Schitol went too far… to snatch

from an allied soldier before my very eyes…”
 “… Ah, Medea…”

It was only natural that a Greed Demon’s power

depended on material possessions. Therefore, their basic
battle power wasn’t all too high. However, that Demon Lord
had, of all things, chosen ‘Bodies’ as her target of desire. I
haven’t the slightest idea what caused her to develop such
a craving, but the power she possessed could likely easily
pierce a Demon Lord’s body. She was truly a troublesome
Demon. And there’s that personality of hers… All the Lords
had quite picky personalities, but even among them, she
was top class in being hard to handle.

Medea Luxeliaheart was a considerable Demon. I never

thought she would be thrown into the army when niisama
randomly picked her up, and I hadn’t the slightest notion
that she would even reach General Class. But even so,
before Demon Lords, there was much too great a gap in
quality.

“Looking at it from another perspective, could it be

our luck that it ended with Medea alone…?”

“… Well, there’s some truth to that… but it sure has

been a while since a casualty came up at a
conference.”

Of course, if you mix together so many strong poisons,

the damage to the surroundings is nothing small. But at the
same time, in this land swirling with various strong desires,
they did hold the strength to show off their mettle, so it’s
not like they’re to be killed off so easily. If you want to look
to the current trend, then most casualties don’t arrive
during the meeting, but from the aftermath, and it wasn’t
the Demon Lords themselves, but everyone around them.

“W-well, Medea was just a double, so…”

 Lize let out a mournful sigh. It must be painful to witness
the Demon she dragged out be killed like that.

Truly, it may have been thoughtless to drag the girl over

here. I never should have compared her to Heard Lauder,
who had always attended these conferences in niisama’s
place. Medea and Heard’s careers were different. Even if I
was the one who ordered it, for her to have an insurance
plan known as illusions… well, perhaps she was killed so
easily due to the resultant negligence, but anyways, I
should commend her for coming out in the first place.

I extinguished a cinder that as set alight in some corner

of my head with a sigh. To cover that up, I directed my eyes
to Lize.

“As I’ve told you before, Lize, I’ll leave the role of
reporting to Leigie to you.”

“Yes, understood.”

Lize’s figure as she gave her affirmation overlapped with

my own form of the past, and for some reason, it gave me
an excessively lonely feeling. I shook my head to deny that.
Such sentiment is unnecessary to my Wrath. Nothing will
change from harboring such a feeling.

“But, Kanon-sama… whatever the case, I doubt

there is anyone out there to target Leigei of Sloth.”

“Oh… why is that?”

“I mean, for the Lord of Sloth… there’s absolutely

no reason to aim for his head, is there? Back when his
territory was vast was one thing, but right now, Leigie
Slaughterdolls has nothing but the Castle of
Shadows… he doesn’t even have an army. Attacking
Leigie will not earn anyone any status or fame.”

“… That’s… right. Truly, by assaulting niisama,

there’s nothing to be gained.”

But, still… As long as he doesn’t take any active action,

as long as keeps his hand from the world, as long as he
stays holed up in his room, can he truly isolate himself from
all else? Can he merely sleep peacefully without receiving
any evaluation from anyone?

No. Power is justice. Without doing anything, he spent his

long lifetime, and like the sweet smell of a nepenthes, the
vast power he cultivated would draw Demons to him.
Naturally, his obligations increase. That’s something that
can’t be helped.

The ice he lowered on the world must have been a

manifestation of the sentiment he was always been building
up. How repulsing, and sorrowful. Because of his very
being, the Lord of Depravity is not permitted to gain a
single thing in life.

Back in my own element, I gave more orders to Lize.

“Vanity’s report is… also uncertain. A Lord of

Angels, and Zebul the Devourer, even if this land is
constantly astir with turmoil, the timing is much too
convenient. What’s more, that man isn’t one to trust.”

Vanity the Egoist’s words were soaked in deceit. Superbia

was largely divided into two categories. Those like Heard
Lauder, who gained Pride in their own ability. And those
like Vanity Seidthroan, who boasted not of their power, and
used wit to accomplish their pride. That was Pride of the
same type as father’s.
 “He’s scheming something here.”

As that man’s daughter, I understood. That sort of Demon

Lord was the most dangerous factor to the King’s seat. I
see, compared to all the others prostrated before me, that
Lord is quite an irregular. I mean, I cannot see a clear form
of desire in him. But still, I didn’t think that the man was
telling a lie. High ranking Lords could generally see
through most lies on the spot.

If he were to report a falsehood, what merit would be in

it for Vanity? Even if he may be Rank four, he’s not able to
contest my Ira, and also, even if his report were to be a lie,
that would just put Heard against him.

“… The truth of the matter aside, if the Devourer

truly was defeated, yet managed to survive… then her
destination will be niisama’s side.”

“…”

Long lived Demon Lords cared not for victory, but were
stubborn in defeat. Zebul Glaucus was known for her
exceedingly high offensive power, and brutal nature. I’m
not sure how long she’s lived for, but I doubt she has much
experience in failure.

I folded a leg atop the other above the cold throne. I felt
a burning power from my prided long staff clasped in my
right hand. As if to manifest the submerged anger in the
depths of my heart. As if it were eagerly awaiting for me to
release power through it once more.

“Hm… I don’t think that niisama will lose, and… I

can’t think that Heard will let her escape either.”
 I mean, Zebul has already lost to niisama once. No matter
how heinous she may be, it would be difficult for her to
oppose both niisama and Heard, with their exceedingly
high powers.

“… Y-yes. Heard Lauder has already departed from

this land. If it’s that Lord, then perhaps there’s no
need to worry.”

“What an impatient man… but so be it.”

Even if there’s no defeat to be found, I can’t let such a

trifling matter disturb niisama’s sleep. In that case, there
would have been no reason for me to take his rank and land
and army. Heard should know that fact as well. Heard
Lauder’s power was undoubtedly top class within my army.
I hated dealing with that man as a child, but when he’s my
subordinate, he makes himself quite useful. Especially how
he could roam as he pleased in this wide world that was
hard to span even on a dragon. His agility like that of a clap
of thunder was that man’s nature. It’s almost impossible to
run away from him.

The more and more I thought, the more sighs came from
my mouth. If he’d only actually listen to my orders for once,
I wonder just how much my Demon World unification plans
would have hastened.

“Good grief, the world just turns about as it

pleases.”

And that will likely never end. Even from the past… he
was that sort of man.

Having spent many years alongside those niisamas of

mine, they were my… bane. If I became negligent, then
even my desire would weather away.
 A scene of a few thousand years past came up again, and
I shook my head to rid myself of it.

“Well, fine. The main issue is that Valkyrie. Lize, I’ll

assign you the duty of informing Heard of what we
have on her.”

“… Yeah, he did leave before anything was said…”

Like that, just how does he plan on chasing after Serge…

Demon World unification is being held up by the

existence of a single lone Valkyrie. How troublesome. And
sending representative to them rarely has any effect on
those Demon Lords.

“But, even so, it’s already the end.”

In the end, there’s but one opponent. Because of her

mobility, we were having a problem getting our hands on
her, but as long as we know her location, taking her out is
all too easy.

This is the Demon world. A land of dark miasma governed

by fiends. The miracle of God, those heavenly wings cannot
fly too far through this abyss. We’ll have to pound that fact
into those foolish Angels.

“Right?”

“Yes, it is as you will it.”

With intoxicated eyes, the man who was standing behind

me immediately kneeled. He was the inspector Demon
dispatched to the late Rank Seven, Ciel Afreide. While the
Lord was killed, my eyes on him remained alive. No, that
alone is part of the role of an observer.
 It was the end of her luck when she chose a Demon Lord
of Envy to assault.

The observer’s intoxicated eyes, which would never stop

envying all of existence, Angels included, had surely
captured the Valkyrie’s form. An Envy Demon’s nature was
highly geared towards information. After being caught in
the eyes of Envy, that girl was nothing more than a
butterfly in a spider’s web.

Lize furrowed her brow in a sort of wonder, and began

timidly probing through my eyes.

“… So where is Serge of the Silver Blue…?”

“Ah, what a girl… silvery white hair, and cyan eyes,

wings of pure light, and… her strength, everything
about her was simply beautiful. How does that lass
manage to live such a vivid life!? Kuku, it’s a pity
she’s to be destroyed… and at the same time, what a
wondrous day it is. That I can witness the death of
such a beautiful Angel with these very eyes!”

His figure took on a form of joy, as if to express the

ecstasy running through his entire body, and Lize’s
expression cramped up a little. For her to make a disgusted
expression at something of this level, is she not thrown
about by her emotions a little too much?

Well, when you’re by niisama’s side, these sort of

stimulus seem quite distant. Should I go dispatch her off to
some repulsive Demon Lord for a time… If this is enough to
disturb her, she’ll never be a Lord.

I prodded the man with my staff to return him to his

senses. Finally noticing the phrase, ‘these very eyes,’ and
understanding their intent, Lize blinked a few times.
 “… Report.”

“Yes, that Valkyrie is, at present… racing about the

skies over red soil. From the Crimson Prison to the
Dark Prison… at the speed of the wind.”

In this area, there’s no land soaked in such black magic

besides the Dark Prison. With an Invidia Demon’s 『 Envy
Eye』 Skill, it wasn’t possible to find exact location, but if
we had the general idea, then the rest was simple. If they
enter a zone, then the Lord could likely tell their location.
That white aura of theirs was like a splotch of white on a
canvas painted black, and it really stood out.

“But it’s the Crimson Prison… again.”

The Crimson Prison.

Ruled by Vanity Seidthroan, a scorching wasteland.

That land wasn’t an important strategic point in any way,

and the population of Demons in it wasn’t high. The army
size was also standard. It’s not worthy of being the first
land attacked by Angels in such a long time. I mean, their
goal is to eliminate as many Demons as possible.

But as of late, problems have surfaced there one after

another.

The appearance of a Saint Lord. The appearance of

Zebul. And, now a report of Serge.

“Hmm…”

I thought back to the General Class Demon who stopped

by the Palace of Rending Flames to give a report on the
Angels just the other day. While he was General Class, he
was a seasoned veteran who had crossed many a
battlefield.

『Abnormal』

That’s what the man had said. A Greed Demon given a

reward was one of the few trustworthy entities in all of
these lands.

Is this a coincidence?

Father… Fels Crowne was, rather than military arts,

skilled in his insight. That was likely something that
couldn’t be avoided to carry out his Deceit. That’s why
there must be some meaning behind this trend. Father
treated everything in his surroundings as part of his work,
but to me alone, he was kind. Even if that was just him
considering profit and loss…

Should the Egoist be trusted or not? Vanity does heed to

my orders, but it’s not like he’s loyal or anything. From the
start, his nature was opposed to devotion. But the vanguard
of God… those entities called Angels weren’t ones who
would let themselves be manipulated by any form of Demon
so easily. Zebul was a monster who could have eaten the
man the moment they met. Even if someone was plotting
something, it would be too much a risk for the Egoist to
play his hand.

Heard Lauder is strong. But against two opponents, the

Devourer and the Valkyrie, can he possibly come out
victorious? It’s unlikely that he’ll encounter them
simultaneously, but his power should fall the more he uses
it up. That doesn’t change regardless of how much of it he’s
stored up.
 Heard was niisama’s formed right hand man. It’s an
impossible notion, but in the million to one chance he’s
destroyed, niisama might actually be saddened. At that
time, I’ll have to be prepared for the entire Demon World to
be frozen over again. So perhaps I should send in some
reinforcements.

『 Always foresee the worst outcome. Reality will

always exceed that.』

Father’s teachings floated up in my head.

But even if I were to send backup, the Rank Two and

Rank Three Demon Lords bear resentment against Heard
Lauder, and the chances are higher that he’ll actually suffer
an attack from behind. Since Zebul was removed, Rank
Five has yet to be filled, and with his nature, Rank Six is
unlikely to even hear out my orders. As the Great Demon
King, I can’t have myself go out personally.

There wasn’t a single decent person in my army.

“? What seems to be the matter?” “Hmm… no, I was

just considering whether to play another card or not.”

“To send reinforcements? Is Heard Lauder

insufficient for the task?”

Lize’s question was on the mark. Even back when he was

a General, Heard boasted exceptional power, but that was
brought even further to the limit when he became a Lord. If
it’s that man, then perhaps he could even rend the earth
with his bare hands. I’m sure he’s the greatest master in
my army. If you think about it logically reinforcements
would be unnecessary.
 My dispatches to the Demon Lords haven’t been recalled,
and if I sent out those numerous ones below General Class
to a fight between Lord Class entities, they’d be there for
no purpose but to make noise.

I scrutinize over the incessant notions passing through

my head, and reached a conclusion. … I’m being a little…
too cautious. I’ve not the leisure to leave my own
subordinates on standby.

At that point, Lize furrowed her brow, and muttered.

“But… truly, even if Heard is not to face defeat…

there’s the possibility he might let them slip past.
Once they’ve entered the Dark Prison’s territory, the
Castle of Shadows isn’t too far away…”

Castle of Shadows… niisama? … Right, if they’ve already

entered that land, then with Heavenly Wings, the Castle
was but a stone’s throw away. But just because she entered
the Dark Prison, that doesn’t mean that Serge is set to
head for the Castle of Shadows.

I decided.

“Lize, prepare a Dragon. We’re off to the Dark

Prison.”

“… Huh? Wai… Kanon-sama, you’re going out

personally?”

There’s no time. The Palace of Rending Flames, the

Castle of Shadows, and the land of the Crimson Prison
were lined up in a straight path. If I set out immediately,
there’s a chance I’ll arrive in time. I glared at Lize, who
remained in a daze.
 “Exactly. Now on with it!”

“Y-yes! Understood!”

I gripped my staff strongly, and stood up. In times beyond

memory, when there was nothing but darkness in this
desolate world, the Dark God was said to have passed this
instrument to the Great Demon King. With my desire as its
fuel, it gave out a steady pulse like a heart. The feelings
that came with my impatience circulated around my veins.
Like the starting of an engine, heat began to spread
through my body.

Valkyrie… Valkyrie, is it? To stand before me, before

niisama, how reckless must she be? To try to slay Leigie of
Sloth after killing off a measly Demon Lord or two is simply
outrageous.

Well, well, well, I guess there’s no helping him. I, Kanon

will protect your peaceful rest, dear niisama.
 Part 3: I am a Coward
Rage up, my flame. My resentment shall birth dark
flames greater than the cauldrons of hell, to do the Devil’s
work of reducing the universe to ash. You unsightly insects
fluttering about the skies, before my ambition, you
hindrances are all no greater than flies.

The heavens that looked down on the red blazing sun

were simply high, and a realm beyond the reach from us
beings forced to crawl along the ground. But that’s how it
should be. That’s why it’s perfect.

To us, wings are… unnecessary.

We don’t need those white bonds that tied us down to

some inept God. This lightless soil is the land we shall rule.

“You all will learn the meaning of that soon

enough.”

I’ll have them regret setting foot here in jest. I’ll carve it
into those bodies, those wings. Otherwise… I won’t be able
to feel satisfied.

A flying dragon’s wings ranked equal to those of an

Angel’s in speed. Boasting the greatest influence across
these lands, my steed was faster than any ordinary dragon
you’d find out there. Because of the wind, there was quite a
bit of turbulence atop the dragon. From up here, sitting on
the gliding beast, that was letting off rough breaths from
its nose in excitement, the boundary that marked the
territory of Heaven felt horribly close. What my ancestors…
no, what me and my ancestos yearned for, a world of light.

It’s not that I don’t understand that sentiment.

 This faint malaise I feel in my soul core, simply by looking
up at the sky. That was probably… aspiration. Even when
it’s been less than ten thousand years since I first came to
be, I could feel it. For those Demon Lords of old, forced to
look up at it for hundreds of thousands of years, their
yearning must be much greater than I. But at present, I
held no interest in such a thing.

There’s no guarantee that dazzling light is capable of

bringing about any change to us. Just as it’s not certain our
darkness will drop one to depravity. I knew that all too well.

That’s why, it’s likely that even if some Great Demon King
of old had managed to subjugate that world up there, I
doubt anything would have changed.

Sitting aboard a flying dragon a little smaller than the

oversized one I took as a steed, Lize sat with a grim
expression as she flew to my lower left. It’s been several of
tens of minutes since we first entered the Dark Prison. In
this land constantly bathed by silence, while there still
wasn’t a touch of sound, there was an unrest the likes of
which the land had yet to see before.

It wasn’t by much, but niisama’s perception from his

『 Abyss Zone 』 was vaster than mine. My zone was
currently encompassing approximately three fourths of the
Dark Prison’s vast land. I probed through the contents of
that without leaving a stone unturned. Through
concentrating on all the faint traces of information I picked
up, my head began to hurt.

But I can tell. I can see it clearly. The presences of all

shapes and sizes gathered around this land.
 Apart from the countless irritating forces adorning the
sky, there were three large powers. By size, there was no
doubt they were Demon Lord Class, and for three powers of
that extent to be in such close proximity was usually
something that never came to be.

One of them was definitely clad in light. With the

presence tracing the sky, and the flock following its lead, an
overwhelming amount of divinity was being released. Even
if this isn’t heaven, that would be quite a debilitating factor.

The other two were ones I knew.

Two simple ones faithful to their sinful desire. At the

summit of the Demons that governed the Demon World,
two Lords of Demons.

『 The Prideful Kaiser 』 , Heard Lauder. 『 The

Devourer』, Zebul Glaucus.

They were the presences of two Lords top class in this

Demon world. With those two presences at the center, the
air sunk. Just by being there, their massive souls caused
the world to creak and grate. Strangely enough, both of
them were specialized in attack, and their power
transcended that of the other Demon Lords. In this den of
beasts and monsters, their power that didn’t permit pursuit
was much greater than any of the divinity coming down
from above.

The level of power of Angels and Demons were decided

by the souls embedded in their bodies. With Heard and
Zebul, the gap between them and the Angel was close to
double. While it’s not like the quantity of power directly
correlates with battle ability, that gap wasn’t something to
be overturned so easily.
 Heard might be able to settle this with one hand. Then
was my anxiety unfounded?

Definitely… not.

The fact I can sense them means that they can sense my
location as well. Heard was a given. Also Zebul, and likely,
the enemy Angel.

On all those forces swarming towards the Castle of

Shadows like moths to a flame, I remembered a scalding
crimson emotion, which I frantically clenched my teeth to
contain.

“They’ve stepped a little too far out of line… of all

things, to set foot in the Dark Prison…”

Lize’s prediction was correct. The Angel’s destination

was undoubtedly the Castle of Shadows.

I felt that my own decision wasn’t wrong. There would be

nothing I could do if I sent a representative, and they were
to fail.

The Castle of Shadows was the Lord of Sloths bedroom,

and his coffin. I won’t allow a single one to set foot in there.

I remembered niisama’s eyes when I last saw him a year

ago. All he wished for was a quiet rest.

“We sure are… foolish…”

As ones with power, we cannot help but attract stronger

ones to us.

When I think of such a trifle disturbing niisama’s rest,

along with a helpless feeling, I felt the sensation of my gut
being burned through weighing me down. It was an
emotion I’m sure I‘d learned to control before.

The flying dragon raised a low voice, and tis body swayed
greatly. On the smell of something burning, I finally noticed
that my own Ira was inflicting damage onto my steed. With
that small voice I hear below me compared to the beast’s
large build, I can’t help but find it quite lovable.

… This is no good. At this rate, I’ll break into a smile

again.

I took a deep breath. Little by little, I sink my Wrath back

down to the depths of my existence. Level-headed anger.
Sharm rage, honed like a blade.

I already knew all the ways to swallow my anger.

I licked my lips. The beat has already quieted down. But

it’s not like my resentment had disappeared.

It was merely left without eyes. It was constantly burning

up my soul. All the parts of it I didn’t show on the surface
were merely sharpening themselves. In order to bring ruin
to my enemies.

We got closer to the battlefield, and the information I

picked up grew more vivid.

There, was a scene that raised my concern.

“Tsk… Heard… just what’s holding him up.”

As if to show himself off, I witnessed a pulsating black

flash… The wave of darkness that resulted from a clashing
of mana spread across the sky like an aurora. The mass of
power came into contact with the other mass, and gave off
an intense flicker like stardust. But there was no sign of
either light going out.

The spectacle I could even see from a distant sky felt

something like a premonition of the end of the world.

The devourer, Zebul Glaucus. Blessed with an endless

hunger, a witch of Gluttony. She was conspicuously
atrocious, and conspicuously sinful, even among the Demon
Lords. All to devour all creation.

Even that Heard Leader won’t be able to knock down that

perpetually lived gifted child of starvation. Or maybe he’s
just playing with her…

To blow away the gloomy feelings sticking to my head, I

scoffed. But that didn’t clear away any of my inner
resentment in the slightest.

“Hmm… just do whatever you want. I’ve no intent to

rid myself of either of you two. Go at it as you will.”

Annoying. It’s annoying, but… otherwise, there would be

no point in me coming here.

If you were to look at Heard Lauder in terms of simple

power, then he would be within the top three of all Lords.
It’s not like I conceded Rank One to him simply because he
was an old friend.

Direct physical strength. Absolute confidence in himself

to lord over all. Those were the qualities of Pride. He more
than accomplished his own Sin. I’ve no doubt in his victory.
Even if it were to take a bit of time.

Even if I didn’t really like him all that much, I had at least
that level of trust in him.
 But still, the current situation is a little too rowdy. Far
behind Heard, there was an army of around five hundred
racing over the land.

To chase the sky-bound Angels, a Legion atop flightless

dragons was rushing over. While kicking the ground at a
speed that didn’t fall behind those of the Angels’ wings, the
ominous army that seemed uniform enough to gain a
constant measurement with a meter stick was one
belonging to Vanity.

I’m not sure if they were even focused on the Angel flock,
as without even a sign of them using a Skill, they quietly
continued their dash. Their presences were exceedingly
light, and for some reason, they brought about a
psychologically unpleasant feeling with them.

Lize let her shoulders tremble.

“As always, that’s a repulsing army he keeps.”

The army with such a fleeting feel to it was a rare one

among the Demon Lords’ forces, which had been given a
specific name. Vanity himself had tacked it onto them, the
『Ravus Persona』.

Even from this distance, the lost individuality and

colorless grey souls I felt may be the origin of the name.
It’s not like there was a gap of power between that army’s
Demons and others, but their somewhat ominous
atmosphere made it so even I couldn’t tell for what purpose
they had come into being.

Originally, I should have been analyzing the Angels. But

rather than them, I found myself naturally concentrating on
the army trampling the ground. Quite different from than
those holy messengers, who were irritating from their
nature opposing ours, it was that army’s lack of nature in
its entirety that made them all so irritating.

In that Legion advancing over the wasteland, the

presence of their Lord Vanity was… absent. I can’t feel him
anywhere in the extent of my perception. Within my Zone,
there are but three existences of Demon Lord Class apart
from myself.

Was he annihilated? No, even like that, he’s Rank Four…

he’s not of the caliber to go down so easy. Even if he were
up against a Lord of Angels, he should have held out no
matter the case…

There are too few characters on this stage. It’s a

strangely ominous sensation. I can’t think that Vanity’s
army would act without its master.

At the conference, he clearly declared that he would

bring death to the Angels. At this point, I’m even beginning
to doubt those words of his. The warning I heard from my
father long ago threw my analysis of the situation out of
line.

In the first place, no matter what sort of army it may be,

there’s no way that Demons could pull off such coordinated
movements with no one leading them.

My thoughts, stuck in a ditch, were snapped back with a

thunderous sound.

Now’s not the time to think of such things, I see. By

taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down.

An army of Angels. And army of Demons. Zebul Glaucus.

Heard Lauder. Serge Serenade… And Kanon Iralaude.
 It’s quite an extravagant lineup we have there, but to
Leigie-niisama, we’re at quite a disadvantage.

No matter how strong he may be, Heard Lauder’s but a

single Demon. What’s more, of all things, that lone Demon
was up against another Demon Lord who should be part of
my own army.

Without their master, Vanity Seidthroan, that army was…

a meaningless gathering. While five hundred was nothing
to scoff at, that level would find taking anyone of Demon
Lord Class on to be difficult. A low ranking Demon Lord
may be one thing, but to one who took down the Rank
Seven, they won’t even be a hindrance to Serge. A Lord for
a Lord. Those were the bare bones of anti-Demon, and anti-
Angel tactics. God dammit, if only Vanity was here, I’m sure
it would work itself out one way or another.

Racing like shooting stars above the ether, the Angel

forces weren’t all too high in power, but they were
numerous, and anyways, they were fast. The number of
them Vanity reported was ten, but this time, their forces
pretty much equal the man’s army. I’m surprised they
managed to get such a large army to infiltrate this place
without triggering a single Lord’s zone. A strange smile
started to come across my face.

The heat I should have kept confined started singing my

thoughts.

Are we unlucky, or incapable? The enemy’s numbers are

beyond expectations. We’ve too little hands here. For all the
enemies I imagined to be gathered here…

Just like Demons, Angels were few in number. A few of

them was one thing, but it’s been a few thousand years
since several hundred of them appeared at once. However,
my urge for battle wasn’t worked up at all. I had no
physical enhancements born from the urge to do battle. All
that was in me was simple impatience.

No matter how many Saint Lord Class Angels unify

themselves, this scale isn’t going to make the Demon World
fall. Rather than that, if we had an honest clash of power,
it’d all be settled in an hour. It’s just a way to pile up
corpses. These guys are merely needless casualties.

It’s a perfect form of harassment, mind you. This is all

just an inconvenience.

Perhaps I should have taken along another Lord. First of

all, defeat ain’t happening here, but there’s a chance of
letting them escape. Once they’ve gotten away, it would be
difficult to give chase.

The main point Angels overlooked Demons in was their

speed. Hard to catch even aboard a mount, the flight of an
Angel’s wings was of the highest speed, and with their
stamina, Demons were no match.

If there’s something out there called fate, then I can’t just

spend my life placing curses on it.

Power naturally flowed to my hand, and my nails sunk

into my upper arm.

Why. Why do they head for the Castle of Shadows? To the

side of the Lord who without accomplishing a single thing,
spent his peaceful time in a deep slumber. An abyss of
sorrow. Always clad in a deep and dark sea of gloom, the
most sorrowful existence of this world.

Even if you look upon him as one with power, I could only
see it as saw. And at the same time, I was certain. If that’s
the burden my niisama is to carry, then it must be my role
to assist him.

I smiled at my own cowardice.

Fine… it’s something I knew from times long passed. This

world will make a fool of me.

Inconvenient? Too numerous? Absurd. Fine. I’ll swear it

here.

“With my name Iralaude on the line, I’ll leave not a

single one of you all alive.”

From far away, along with the sound of the collapse of a

mountain, a large fissure emerged in the earth.

Right over the horizon, I finally got a view of the

battlefield. The numerous holes dotting the ground and as
if lines had been drawn in, the countless cracks. In the
center of that stood the arrogant Heard Lauder, and a
Demon of small build, with black miasma circulating all
over her body… Zebul Glaucus’s miniscule form.

The ground rumbled, as if trembling before them. Lize’s

face was colored with fright and surprise as she strongly
gripped her reigns. For a brief moment, Heard Lauder’s
mana swelled up. But with just that, it felt like a normal
Demon would be rendered unconscious.

So she’s an opponent he has to let out that much power

to defeat. I didn’t think I would arrive in time to actually
witness Zebul’s destruction. With that much force going
around, there’s no way he isn’t serious.

The wind that blew across this land was violated with a
thick magic, to suck in each and every desire. This was the
wind of a battlefield. Birthed by the clash of desire, a wind
of chaos.

As if it were actually suffering wounds, the mana that

soaked into the Dark Prison… niisama’s zone was torn
asunder.

While it was cut through a couple of times, it’s not as if

the Zone itself was effected as a whole. But that truth was
irrelevant to me.

Those that get in my way… be they Demons or Angels, or

Valkyries, they’re my enemy.

Finally capturing the battle scene in her pupils, Lize

opened her eyes wide.

“Absurd… what… power… They’re equal? No, Heard

has the advantage, I see.”

There was affinity between Demons. With high offensive

power, it’s quite rare that a clash of Pride and Gluttony
would turn into a drawn out battle. Affinity-wise, Pride was
the stronger of the two, but the gap was not a great one.

Lize’s discernment was correct. Given the time, it would

likely be Heard’s victory. But there’s no longer the time to
wait for such a thing.

I cannot match the speed of those heavenly wings. No

matter how proficient a dragon I ride, I cannot overturn
that biological deficiency. While I looked one, I could do
nothing but measure the velocity of the encroaching
Angels. That was the pure physiological difference between
the Angel and Demon race. If there was a single Demon out
there to oppose it, then it would be the Superbia Demon
who saw time as stagnant.
 And that truth was likely what dulled Heard’s fists. The
malice the man released wasn’t only directed at the enemy
before him. Heard was a battle maniac, but he was also
once niisama’s follower. While he once waved a banner of
rebellion, I don’t see his devotion weakening at present.

Battles between Demon Lords were where desires ate

into one another. Each and every blow exchanged was
potentially fatal, and the Lords put their very existences
behind each and every one of those blows. Zebul’s life was
too powerful to be taken down so simply, even with Heard’s
unfollowable speed. She wasn’t an opponent that could be
defeated merely by finding a gap in her defense.

On the other side, the holy flock was, to their natural

archnemeses… to the Legion marching along the land, and
to the large-scale destruction raised by the warring Demon
Lords, they showed no signs of even paying the slightest
attention. With what one could call pure honesty, they
headed at full speed towards the Castle. Their powers
weren’t as high as I had heard. While there surely was a
Saint Lord Class there, if you were to ask whether she
would be capable of destroying Rank Seven, I would be left
in doubt. But that doesn’t change that it’ll become a pain if
I let her off here. At the very least, it wasn’t a level of
power those middle class Demons at the castle like Lorna
or Medea would be able to deal with.

Me revoking his army in order to protect his silence

backfired on me. Leigie of Sloth lacked high offensive
power, or dexterity, but his defense and vitality alone were
extraordinary. That’s why even if he were hit around left
and right, he wouldn’t die too easily, but that Angel’s
actions weigh heavy on my mind. She bore an undaunted
will, as if she had some sort of scheme to surpass Leigie-
niisama’s needlessly high defensive ability.
 With the million to one, billion to one chance that he’ll be
killed in mind, I cannot let her pass. Even if that wasn’t the
case…

“… I shall not let her disturb his sleep.”

“…”

The distance between us was but a few kilometers. But as

if to avoid us, the flock had altered its path.

My luck lay in my Palace’s location in relation to the

castle of Shadows, making it so they were forced to head in
my direction. If that had not been the case, then I wouldn’t
even be able to confront them. My misfortune was in that
my Wrath was mainly of Skills for single targeting use. With
five hundred on their side… that’s a little high to capture
them all.

Burn up their souls. Converge my entire being on my

desire to further hone my blade.

One of my unconsciously clenched teeth snapped, and

fresh blood scalded the back of my dragon. From its mouth,
a small groan was audible. I wiped it off with my sleeve.

Perhaps too much blood had rushed to my head. My

footing was unstable. Even so, while swaying, I stood
upright on the dragon’s back, and silently held my staff in
front.

It was the greatest treasure of the Demon Race, a gift

handed down from the Evil God to the very first Great
Demon King. Its height was about a meter and a half. The
lumber that formed its main body was tougher than any
material found in this Demon World, and its tip was
garnished with an ornament made in the like of a beast’s
jaw.

(TL: Its height is given as 5 Shaku, which converts to

1.515 (repeating) meters)

The inscription on it read, The Emperor of Destruction’s

Staff, Weydhe. Among the countless treasure littered
around the world, it was an item with the opposite nature
of a holy relic, a treasure of the Evil God.

Within the reptilian jaw was inlaid a golden crystalline

eye to direct at mine enemies. The reflective surface of the
finely cut jewel caught the sunlight to give an ominous
shine.

Ira was the manifestation of violent emotion. A heartless

sin to burn away all other sentiment.

I took a deep breath. I let out the resentment I had been

building up all these years. Right now, I’m likely making an
expression I would never display to another.

My vision is died a bright red, and viscous fury swept

over my mind. But still, I could remain calm. That was what
Leigie-niisama taught me.

It’s what he sacrificed his body to teach me.

Anger isn’t something to release so recklessly. It’s

something to control, and hone. I give a short incantation.
What dyed all I saw in red was channeled through my
prized possession into the sky.

“『Wrath Drive』”
 Countless crimson lights raced across the air. At the
speed of light, those crimson comets burned up the sky, and
in the next instant, they had reached their targets. They
pierced through the Angel flock from the side, and
continued to go through one body after the other. Like
scraps of paper, the divine robes were bore through. No
sort of defensive wall holds any meaning before me.
Several dozens of Angels were instantly reduced to
nothing, leaving not but faint afterimages in the air.

I heard the ominous sound of something breaking

resound through my skull. An impact to my taste buds, the
flavor of iron. I completely ignored the pain I felt, and
clicked my tongue.

Having been pierced through, the Angels were halted for

but a moment, before restarting their flight once more.
That gesture made it feel as if they were following a set
program, and there was barely any lag. An army prepared
for death.

I subconsciously spat out my crushed tooth.

While I had not experienced the wars of old, I knew

enough about those beings called Angels. At least, I
thought I had known. They are our sworn foe, and brutes
whose tenacity lied only towards hunting us down. Their
bodies themselves didn’t differ from ours at all.

That’s how it should be. 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.
 Chapter 14
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT
 Part 1: Not a God
Keeping rank and file, those white wings lace the sky.
From the earth well up those incarnations of desire, those
to become God’s enemy.

Heaven was already a crucible of chaos, of mingling light

and darkness.

While they had an absolute scarcity in number, and would

originally never be able to form a large force, the Demons’
Legions already numbered more than a thousand. They
each took up on the backs of giant flying dragons greater in
size than my own body, and raced across the skies that they
hadn’t been permitted to step foot in before. It could even
be taken as a forecast of the world’s end. The air that had
received God’s blessing was violated with miasma, and
none of it gave off a sense of reality.

And it wasn’t just these skies that the armies were flying
about. Based on the signals from my comrades all over the
land, the Demons of the underworld had formed factions to
attack all of our Heaven.

Mine numbered five hundred. Even with the army ranked

fifth within these holy lands… Even if our wings granted us
the territorial advantage here…

The Demons came in numbers greater than we of Heaven

could ever muster. Demons were wicked souls, dark minds
smeared with avarice. If you think of how human hearts
were easier to turn to bad than good, it’s likely just a
natural matter of life.

That’s why I cannot bear it. Those maggots creating this

nauseous stench to waft about this Eden.
 Wings are town off. An ominous whirlwind raced by in the
gaps of the light. Yet another of the Demons stationed
behind me fell to the earth.

The irregular army numbering close to one thousand, and

it boasted an exceptionally high amount of power. A man
with jet-black hair sat atop a silver wyvern. Racing left and
right about the Demon’s war, a commander. I could barely
capture him in my field of vision, and among these piles of
trash, he was the one with the greatest power.

“Hm… so this is all they have. We’ve not even the

need to bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands.”

“…… !?”

From the Angels rushing up to my rear, countless lights

were released to brush out the darkness. For us, that were
like God’s household, it was an act as simple as taking a
breath of air. Judgement lightning to purify those masses of
negative energy. Released without a sound, it filled the sky,
and swallowed up that irregular army.

… And, That was brushed off with nothing but a fist.

The army trembled. On that absurd pride. In fear. In awe.

It was originally something that never should have come to
be. Something that was impossible. Our mission was to
take down evil. To fulfill our raison d’être, we were to cast
aside our emotions. My sworn friend who ranked second in
my army opened his eyes wide, and called to me in a grim
voice.

“Gloria, that man is…”

I received the name of Glory from my God. I held up my

hand to stop my friend, who seemed like he’d rush to join
the battle at any moment.

The enemy army was too numerous. And that

extraordinary man… Having been created by God, we
surely boast a greater amount of power than them. If it
were to be one on one, there would be no way for us to
lose. If only we were to destroy that thing rushing about
and tearing our light to pieces, the rest would only be a
matter of time.

I’ve not the time to be sunken into darkness of this level.

I stake it on my name of Gloria, I cannot let this go on any
further. I shall bring Glory to my God’s side.

An indescribable shout wracked the heavens. The enemy

army took position. Those Demons that originally should
have been rushing at us to their hearts content were
astonishingly quiet. Hiding behind the back of their leader,
they were nothing more than a bother. If only they gave us
the space, we would be able to decrease their numbers,
and shoot all of them down.

But that meant that the army’s strength, and command

all fell to that single man. And so there’s but one measure
to take. It’s simple.

I turned my head to my comrade three heads higher than

me. To the Angel with radiant eyes, and six heavenly wings
on his back.

“My friend… I leave the command to you. I’ll take

down that one.”

“Gloria… but…”

“Speak not. Your commander is… me.”

 I am God’s greatest blade. No matter how close we may
be, I’ll have him obey my command. Even if I’m at a
disadvantage, that level of power, and a soul of that extent,
a normal Angel’s power… would never be able to stand to
it.

And in that case, I, the one brought forth by God to

protect the throne, governing Glory and Justice Gloria
Seidthroan will be his opponent.

… In the place of my petty army being outdone by

something like a Demon.

From the blessed ten wings adorning my back, I released

my power.

Without waiting for an answer from the man, I dashed

forth. There’s no obstruction in the skies to these wings. In
an instant, I had come before the man’s eyes. The rising
sun. A feeling of catharsis close to omnipotence refined my
power.

Now receive it if you will. The virtue I govern…

『Iustitia』’s authority.

I need no weapons. I directed the palm of my hand to the

pitiful male Demon who didn’t even have any wings.
Eternal darkness, and the mud of destruction. You can just
fall back to that place.

“『Judgement Rain』”

The spears of lightening handed down to me by God filled

the sky. The man’s dark expression was swallowed up
whole.
 An Iustitia Skill. Among the numerous authorities granted
to Angels, it was the power most specialized in bringing
ruin to Demons.

“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

This cathartic feel of turning it all to nill. An endless

laughter gushed forth from my heart. There’s no one to
swing their fist before the Glory of God. No matter how
strong in power he may be, in the end, he’s just a negative
soul. A filthy wingless mongrel fated to crawl about the
earth.

My entire body was covered in a light even greater than

before. That itself was the proof of my growth. The proof
that my justice had been recognized by God.

“Gloria… don’t let your guard down.”

My friend behind me made an address with a stern face.

He was a heroic man who had fought a long time as the
vanguard of God, but he was too much a worrier.

“… That one is… strong.”

“Affirmative. Among those maggots, he… was decent

at least.”

I turn my eyes to my front. No need to be tense. He’s

already gone. I’m not negligent. He’s already gone.

There’s no way for one who’d received God’s grace such

as myself to face defeat, and absolute victory was in my
hands.

I stopped in midair. I folded my arms, and glared about

the area from which the light had cleared away.
 My 『Paradise Field』 Skill vividly grasped the presence
of the man who was supposed to have been annihilated. He
was a measly man whose power quantity and quality both
fell far below mine. Even among those Demons’ ranking
system, he shouldn’t even be classified as a Lord. Even
when compared to the Lords of Demons I had consigned to
oblivion before, he should have been undoubtedly weaker.

But he was alive. It only took an instant for the light to

clear. Those standing proud before the swarm of Demons,
my family were slightly disturbed.

“So 『 Judgement Rain 』 doesn’t work. What an

irritating man.”

Even after taking up God’s rain of judgement upfront, his

expression shoed no pain, and his body wasn’t damaged.
The man frowned a little, and gave a condescending glare.
One head higher than my sworn comrade, the glare let out
from that high stature was soaked in a temperature of
absolute zero, and it wasn’t something a Demon of his rank
should be sending at someone like me. That look and
bearing was something I had a recollection of. The sin
embraced by a number of Demons I had purified.

“So you’re a 『Superbia』.”

I’ve hunted down more Demons than I can count. I have

ample information on them.

An ability to erase another’s Skill, 『 Overrule 』 . What

impudence for him to act so overbearing before an
emissary of God. They were the hardest to forgive of all
those trash Demons out there.
 Even when his power was only that which would fly away
if I blew on it, his body gave out a feeling of pressure far
surpassing his Mana. That pressure was something I had a
slight recollection of, so I frowned, and observed. Its
identity came to my mind in an instant. Ah, that’s a form
taken on by his willpower. In the end, those bugs that
haven’t even been blessed will become a large calamity if
we leave them be.

What a sad thing it is, for there to be a Superbia out to

Overrule God’s Judgement.

The man seemed sophisticated. Yet he was a diminutive

existence that needed to borrow the power of the dragons
to even set foot in heaven.

“… Hm. This is a pointless conflict, but at the very

least, I’ll have you become an offering to my lord.”

“Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha, you sure know how

to make one laugh. No one lend a hand. This man is…
my prey.”

On my laugh, the enemy army shook. They trembled with

fear. Your fate has run out here, at this very moment.

I’ve destroyed hundreds, thousands of Demons. I activate

a Skill I’ve used hundreds of times. The light sharpens, and
takes shape at the palm of my hand.

What manifested was a pure-white sword… in order to

cut down Demons, 『Sin Breaker』 . I directed it at those
unbearable soldiers who seemed to be under the
misconception they could attain victory against God.

Speed. Maneuverability. Offensive power. Territorial

Advantage. In these skies, all of them lay with me.
 “If you think you can Overrule the Power of God,
then…”

All creation came to a stop. In a split second, I circled

around to the man’s rear. Not the wyvern, nor the man, nor
even any of my men could follow me with their eyes.

Receiving my 『Iustitia』 , the sword let off a dull light.

Right, if he can overcome the might of God, then I myself
will…

“… In God’s place, I’ll deliver heavenly retribution

unto you.”

＊＊＊＊＊

Oww… The depths of my head hurt. My dreams of the

past were eating into my present reality. I slowly opened
my eyes. There’s no sound. There’s barely any light. That
thin ink-like darkness was what illuminated the room. No
matter how much time passed, the dark was the only thing
I could never get used to.

“Damn 『Kaiser』…”

No matter how much I hate him, it isn’t enough. No

matter how much will I bring up to kill him, my emotions
won’t clear up. What still existed in the depths of my
memory was what despised above all else.

Over the space of many years, that name that had

receded to a corner of my memory gained color, and floated
up like a bubble of soap. The reason was clear.

“Rank One… The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder, is

it…”
 How useless. It’s true that the wall between general and
Lord is a severe one. But staying as a General Class, he was
a Demon who had power rivalling the Lords of Heaven.
Now as a Lord, I seriously wonder just how much power
he’s amassed. Even if Rank One was an excessive position
for him, there’s no doubt he’s a superior Demon Lord.

I was sure I was already gone and done with that matter
from long ago. So why is it that that the Soul Core in my
chest is acting up once more?

There was no one about to listen to the words I threw

out. I raised myself from the large canopied bed. It was a
vast bed, where even my two meter build could lie, but in
my current state, it might be a little too wide.

Around the bed stood a number of humanoid forms.

Wordlessly, they merely looked over me with their glass-
ball-like eyes. Countless Demons. Men, women, all ages. An
infinite variety. Their beat was a little faint, but each and
every one of them was a Demon.

I’m not sure where I had gone wrong. No, I didn’t care
that something had gone amiss, but I couldn’t determine
what to do next.

My wings of light that had once shone so bright were now

so dark and wet. This fallen one no longer had any allies,
and all that was left was this body itself.

“Ku ku ku ku…”

But that’s fine. This body is more than enough to serve

my purpose. God and friends, and even followers are…
unnecessary.

My body aside, there’s but a single thing I need.

 I directed the palm of my hand towards one of the
Demons standing about like dolls. Back when I embraced
『Iustitia』 , this was definitely not a Skill I desired. But as
long as I have it…

Even if… it is the means of a Demon. I spread out the five

sets of wings garnishing my back.

No, I didn’t really care about the reason. I’m already a

Demon. Then… there should be no hesitation in me to carry
out my desire.

Now, Heard Lauder. Is it not the time for us to settle that

match we were never able to before? I’ll teach your body
the meaning of defeat.

Answering to my will, the eyes of those around produced

a dull light. The countless subordinates surrounding me all
bowed at once with mechanical precision.

The darkness coating them was strong enough to

override their Sin, and blow away their sense of self. It
temporized their souls. Not of God, but of my power
alone…

“Oh wicked ones, perish by my justice.”

Outside the seven sins held by Demons. In the distant

past, when I had been brought to the same level as those I
derided as maggots, merely using it made me nauseous,
The authority of the greatest of fiends.

When I fell to Demonhood without even understanding

the reason, it was what I had held from the start. And I
naturally came to understand that authority’s name.

Of 『Irritum』.
 Part 2: The Glory I Once Embraced

Fall. Or so my instincts whispered to me. To trample over

all aspects of creation, and put them beneath me. The
emotions higher than ever I felt when I was a Lord of
Angels often heightened themselves, but they would never
settle down. That’s exactly why I’m here.

As I sat with my hips to the pitch black throne, a single

man knelt before me. I’m at the summit of Demon Lords.
The Demon of Envy dispatched by Kanon of ruined kneeled
as he directed a sharp glare at me.

“Your excellency, what seems to be bothing you?”

“… ‘Tis a trifling matter.”

My subordinate lined up perfectly in the throne room

raised not a sound.

Among them there was only one that I couldn’t openly lay
hands on. The only one able to speak. I’ve heard the man
before me who was sent to observe was quite a skilled
Demon. There were five observers sent to me in total. Of
them, this man was the one who had the most opportunities
of coming into contact with me.

The vice chief of the Great Demon King’s personal

military body known as the Order of Black. Eins Grayrol.
He had high abilities, even when compared to my
subordinates, a General Class Demon.

He meaning behind her sending an 『Invidia』 to watch

me, I could only laugh upon seeing through that little girl’s
intent.
 Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude. Even if she had
power, she was a Demon who hadn’t even lived ten
thousand years, and she was severely lacking in
experience. There were plenty of ways to do it. If you want
to try to control me, then it isn’t numbers you need… send
in a Demon Lord Class observer, or we won’t be getting
anywhere.

In a succinct tone, with considerable hostility packed into

his eyes, he directed his gaze at me. But he didn’t pay mind
to anything else. What he once held when he was first
dispatched here, that unease he got from my doll-like men
had long disappeared from within him.

“Your excellency, there is a single matter I wish to

inquire towards…”

“… I’ll allow it.”

“Yes. Recently, it seems the number of soldiers in

your Legion has been decreasing ever so slightly, but
are you aware of this matter?”

A small shadow occasionally flashed through the man’s

eyes. That was the light of doubt. There’s nothing you could
call sincerity among Demons.

A foolish question. My army exists for no other purpose

than to answer to me. I’ve already issued orders to those
forces stationed all over my lands.

“I’ve dispatched the army.”

“!? … Why? At present, there should not be a hostile

force anywhere around your territory.”
 Correct. I fear not the power of that Heard Lauder, and
anyone else who would set foot on my soil are akin to
nothing. If there was a single possibility for me to fear, it
would be that maiden, circling about and crushing Demon
Lords.

But that isn’t enough. That isn’t nearly enough.

I know the power of a Valkyrie. Even if she be on the level

capable of crushing Lower Level Demon Lords, she won’t
be able to touch that Prideful Kaiser. No, more so, I doubt
she’d even be able to stand up to that Iralaude. Her
attributes were too low. Lower Ranks were one thing, but
she was nothing but a trifle to us.

Still, in that case this’d never work out. Rejoice, Valkyrie.

I’ll give you some achievements.

“Ku ku ku, Angels…”

On those words, Eins’ features shifted into a questioning

expression. In silence, he blinked a few times. With a voice
tinged with caution, he went on.

“An… gels…? I deeply apologize. I don’t really

understand what you’re trying to say…”

“I doubt not your ignorance. Now’s not the time.”

Yes, you’ll understand soon enough. I directed the palm

of my hand. I didn’t even have the need to bind him with
my Evil Eyes. Vice chief? Useless. The caution of a Demon
of this level can’t even be called as such.

I activated a Skill. An uplifting feeling no different from

the exaltation I felt when using the power of God I
embraced raced about my body like lightning. At the man’s
back, a dark fog began to gather. In a silent stupor, his
expression hardened as that darkness gathered before his
eyes, and covered the upper half of his face.

The man didn’t raise a scream. His posture didn’t change

in the slightest, and only his facial expression twitched
mildly in fear. As if he realized he was forgetting something
important.

“… Yes, I beg forgiveness for my rudeness… It was

about the Angel attack incident, correct?”

“Correct. You may go report to Kanon Iralaude

now.”

The Angel Attack. A flock of Angels had suddenly

launched an attack on the town of Grey Rock. Grey Rock
was a town on the border of the Dark and Crimson Prisons.
The Dark Prison. In the past, it was under the control of the
Great Demon of Sloth, Leigie Slaughterdolls, and right now,
that vast land was placed under Heard Lauder’s
jurisdiction. With three times the area of the Crimson
Prison, it was exceedingly vast, and that was to an extent
where even Heard’s zone was unable to cover the entire
thing.

Eins’ eyes distorted.

“… For me to forget such a thing… it appears I’m a

little tired… I will report… swiftly…”

“Ku ku, a foolish man.”

I lifted my palm again. It’s unnecessary. Your unease, and

your questions are unneeded.
 Now just forget everything, and give your little report. I
activated up another Skill. Third on Irritum’s Skill Tree.
One to coat over the truth with fabrication.

“『Outer Rewrite』”

That muddy darkness ate into the man’s memory, and

covered up his original motive. Like a wall of paper, the
Status Abnormality skill was easily breached. It was all too
simple. While a Demon Lord may be able to put up some
resistance to it, a General could only muster a soft push.

Without changing his expression once, he emotionlessly

looked thought over what had been overwriten.

I don’t know why I gained something like this. I don’t, but

if it is to exist, then I’m just going to put it to use. In order
to make those Demons I’m supposed to despise into my
tools.

I waited a little for his mind to smooth over, before

addressing him.

“It’s a simple matter, is it not? Noy go forth, loyal

apostle of the Great Demon King.”

“Yes, I’ll go… and report.”

Eins left. I watched him off. Even while my eyes were

following him, my mind was occupied by one thing alone.
Of my sworn enemy from the past.

I stood, and looked up at the ceiling. The emotional voice

that gushed up from the depths of my soul were released
from my mouth.

“HEARD LAUDEEEEEEEERRRRR!!”
 In this throne room without another capable of thought,
only my wail resounded.

Why, why is it? Why does my sentiment extend to this

extent!? I never felt this for the past few tens of thousands
of years, and yet why is it exploding out of my come this far
in time?

If I just wanted to destroy him, if I merely regretted

having failed to kill him, then all of this would have been
easier had I acted before he became a Demon Lord, so why
now!?

“Ku ku ku ku ku.”

I naturally poured out a sneer. In response to that, the

systematically lined up thoughtless army raised an ovation.

“Vanity! Vanity! Vanity!”

It didn’t make me happy at all. I’m not sure whether the

chills I felt racing around my body were fighting spirit, or
fear. In order to learn that, I’ll have to make him face
defeat. I’ll take down his 『Pride』 with my deceit.

Five sets of wings sprung from my back. In the past, they

were enveloped by a white phosphorescence, but now black
mud molded their shape.

At the same time, the worn out body I had hastily made
for the time being crumbled away into mist. It was the
shape of a militaristic man I had mockingly devised. I
looked at my palm. It was my original body, half that large
man’s size, of back when I was still an Angel. Not
specializing in physical strength, but magic, the body
known as the 『 One who Protects the Throne 』 was
always disguised as Vanity that I was starting to wonder
which one of my shapes was the true disguise.

“Now, stand before me, my beloved maggots.”

My subordinates silently assumed their position in the

line. To the swarm of Demons who had lost their wills, and
had their desires overridden, I directed my palm.

He is strong. I know that. Even within this Demon World,

Heard Lauder’s strength was heresy. Going at him straight
on is close to impossible. His ability allowed him to escape
my hand when he had yet to even become a Lord. Now that
he’s reached Demon Lord Level, it will be all the more
difficult. And that’s why my authority lives on.

“… I’ll grant the sky to you.”

Irritum is to hide truth, and make it meaningless.

I activate a Skill. Their cores. Just the cores are enough.

These low ranking Demons are of no use at all. So I’ll be
the one to give them power. Their existence will take to the
air for my sake. Now dance to my tune if you will.

“『Outer Decorate』”

As I invoked the Skill, the Demons’ bodies started to

bubble. They were diminutive existences. And to conceal
that fact, the wriggling darkness took them in, and it only
took a few seconds for them to take shape. Out of lumps of
mud, wings begin to form. Pure white wings. The masks
that had been covering their eyes also turned white, and
expanded to cover their entire faces.

What was standing before me was Angels.

 Their power was a fabrication, yet a reality. That
ostentation was great enough to fool even the world.

There was no difference from what was dwelling in their

bodies to the power of light. Therefore, that power existed
for them to bring ruin to Demons. The power to brush away
the darkness had been brought forth from a Demon’s
ability. That’s why I had no need to argue with the power I
had been granted. There’s no way the beings born from me
could be anything else.

“Justice… is it…”

What resided in their body was the authority of

『Iustitia』 I once held. But at this point, that was a word
without meaning.

Still, to kill Demons, there was no better suited ability.

Those wings constructed from the blood stained darkness

began to shine like light itself. Strangely enough, the
expressions of those inorganic hardened forms of my vanity
were barely any different from those subordinates that
followed my lead when once I took God’s will to heart
without question.

Between Angels and Demons, there wasn’t a single

difference. From when I was an Angel in service to God, to
now with no one to follow, all that I had lacked was an
absolute sense of self.

It merely piled up. The glory I once embraced. It merely

piled up. The sins I built up after I fell.

I don’t care whether it’s a fake or a lie. The truth is

meaningless before my objective.
 Power requires a compensation. Decorations require a
base. Mana, power, desires, they all drain out whenever I
use a Skill. But even that was something I only experienced
as joy. In proportion to that, my troops became more and
more beautiful. With that deceptive light forged of
darkness.

Creating Angels was the work of God. Then even if it be

transient, for me to be able to do that, there’s no doubt I’m
closer to God than ever I was with those white wings on my
back.

When I was part of the vanguard of the sky, I had power.

Overwhelming power, God’s love, justice. How ironic. Even
after falling to Demonhood, that power hasn’t fallen in the
slightest.

No, more than that…

I licked my lips.

Heavenly troops need a leader. To create a sense of crisis

in this land of Demons, a considerable amount of power is
necessary. I selected one from the line, and stacked on even
more fabrication. Before long, an Angel with enough light
to call excessive was completed. I can’t have my power use
itself up. Even if he may be lower class among Saint Lords,
there should be no hindrance to the destruction of Demons.

The soul colored by Irritum. The glittering light it gave

was the color of an Angel’s, and I found that terribly
irritating.

Without letting out a single voice, the Angel stood there.

A shite mask to cover the face. But under that, no
expression existed.
 On these lands, a presence of light stands out. With the
Abyss Zone Skill, their natures would be sensed from a long
ways away. If I stayed by their sides, I could eliminate their
presence with Skills, but that will become difficult if we
separate.

No, even if that isn’t the case… these Angels cannot

reside in heaven.

Just as I once did to command my troops, I raised my

hand to the sky outside the window. That sky of chaos
stained in a bloody red.

“Conquer.”

The line of Angels all flew out at once. But in my heart,

not a single feeling of nostalgia surfaced.

Even when that scene surely resembled when I was still

an Angel, the world I saw back then.

Part 3: Each and Every Desire Should Just be Devoured

Both Demons and Angels had instincts.

Demons and Angels were just right souls and wrong

souls. Between them, there was an instinct for them to
reject the others’ existence. An incomprehensible feeling of
impatience that would rock the soul just by having one next
to another.

Unable to stand an encounter without trying to kill one

another, it could be called a second Desire.

Before my eyes, 『 Vanity 』 was blown away. I saw the

built up months and years of training behind the speed of
that punch. Even that body I had modified to be able to
stand up to a Demon Lord’s might , that impregnable
fortress of a body was torn apart without being given a
chance to react. Regardless of its truth, not even its soul
core remained.

As I thought, the position of Rank One was no decoration.

Dammit, Heard Lauder.

His power was greater than I anticipated. Going at him

head on is… nothing more than a stupid move. I am in no
way a warrior. My goal isn’t conflict, but victory. Not the
process, but the glory. From the start, that man was a
beast. I’ve no intent to exchange blows with such a brute.

It’s precisely because of their Pride, that Pride Demons

are full of weaknesses. That guy’s weakness was especially
clear. I’ve already determined my thoughts on the matter.

But before that…

After Heard ran off to chase Zebul, I walked up in front of

the clueless girl he left behind.

She was a young lass with golden hair, and an

impertinent expression on her face. Oblivious to the world,
unknown to tragedy, and without any foundation she was
one that looked down on everything in creation. Her
condescending expression made my skin crawl. While
humming a merry tune, she calmly walked through the
lines of soldiers, and regardless of the fact that she hadn’t
done a single thing herself, I didn’t feel te slightest hint of
indebtedness in her.

I believe Heard called her Hiero. She was cowering

behind Heard during the meeting as well. She was an
existence so helplessly weak I couldn’t fathom why that
man chose to drag her along.
 I hate fools and weaklings. It’s always been that way.
Both Angels and Demons regardless. For both those
Demons that only pursued their desires, and thought
everything could be solved with an exchange of blows, and
those mindless dolls that thought all they had to do was
listen in to God’s orders. Why is it that I… have to play part
to something useless like that? They’re the ones who
should be learning their place.

By the time I noticed it, I was staring fixatedly at her

form. Even when her power was one that would go out if I
blew on it, her recklessness on staying in this place was the
very thing I hated about Demons of Pride.

Then, if it’s like that… right. How about I… give you some
wisdom.

“Mm? What is it…?”

I extended the arm of the Demon closest to her. Having

her shoulder grabbed, Hiero turned with a blank
expression. Her face indicated she believed there wasn’t a
single thing to harm her here. With nothing but pure
curiosity, she looked deep into the single Demon’s mask. It
was a humanoid Demon with a large build. The upper half
of his face was covered up by a grey mask.

That mask wasn’t just some accessory. Covering their

faces, their expressions, held meaning. One’s expression
was their individuality itself, and by hiding it away, I could
bring about changes in their psyche. It was a means to
overwrite their measly spirits with an image of strength. It
was a single ritual.

A way to paint out right and wrong and Angels and

Demons with chaos.
 “Oh, could it be that you guys can actually move
without orders? Kusu kusu kusu… I had thought of
you all as nothing but dolls.”

Even when grasped by one two heads higher than her,

Hiero’s expression as she looked up at his face was a bright
smile. His arm let out a dull sound as it broke. But the face
of the woman who did such a thing didn’t seem to hold the
slightest interest in what she had done.

As one who also governed Pride, I had a clear grasp on

what power she held. Unbefitting that soul of hers, a
powerful 『Overrule』 Skill.

Ah, how surprising it is.

Without a fragment of understanding as to just what she

was talking to, Hiero widened her smile, and tilted her
head.

“And, what is it you need?”

… But how interesting. A sharpened soul. The power

hidden in it had far surpassed her own self. That
『Overrule』 , the very definition of pride… just what basis
does it act on? And why is Heard dragging a useless woman
like this about?

“Interesting…”

“!?”

The arm was released, and Hiero instinctively retreated a

distance. The pride on her face from before vanished, and a
stiff expression looked over me.

“W-who are you!? What’s this all of a sudden!?”

 The eyes of this girly who hadn’t even lived through a
tenth of my life inspected my body quite rudely. While she
did seem wary, she didn’t even get stanced for battle. I’m
not sure whether that was supposed to be her Pride or not.
Or perhaps it was her bearing that didn’t even see enemies
as enemies that formed the mold for her firm mindset.

I touched the mask covering my own field of vision. It was

a cold sensation in my hand… the gray mask sunk away
without a sound.

“… Hah…? What are you supposed to be… are you

Vanity-san’s… subordinate?”

… Fool.

The ability to even paint over the presence of my own

soul, and conceal myself from search Skills was Irritum’s
greatest advantage. Even a Demon Lord’s Abyss Zone was
unable to pick me up.

Rather than Superbia, whose output rose the more one

showed themselves off, the authority of Irritum was one to
hide one’s self, yet still decorate it. Truly one suited to
resourcefulness.

I ignored the girl’s panic, and started observing again.

Right, no matter how I look at her, I can only see a frail

Demon. While she did, more or less, have a strong ability to
『Overrule』, that level wasn’t at Demon Lord Class, and if
I had to say, her only real special point was the very fact
Heard was taking her around. Even if I did absolutely
nothing, she was an ant-like existence that could easily be
crushed by my army.
 That confidence against enemies she knew she could
beat, and this dismay against the unknown. Her body was
unconsciously preparing to take flight… I don’t think she’s
even a warrior, this one.

A demon I’m surprised to find anywhere near Heard’s

side. Just what part of her tugged at his heartstrings? I
can’t even possibly see her as someone that battle
enthusiast would fall in love with.

Whatever the case, that’s all irrelevant to me. What’s

important is… if this girl can work as Heard Lauder’s
weakness.

I cast aside the thoughts surfacing within me at once. No,

I doubt she’d do any of that. There’s no way she would. If
he could be destroyed that easily, he’d have been killed off
at a time long passed.

My interest is starting to escape me.

While she certainly was an interesting woman, no matter

what sort of existence she was, she was irrelevant to Heard
Lauder’s impending destruction. Seeing the way she stuck
by his side and followed, I can’t even see her as an
assistance, but more than anything, this girl… is too young.
She wasn’t even a pebble by the wayside. A single Demon
whose life or death wouldn’t bring about any influence at
all.

I ignored Hiero, as she directed scared eyes without even

a hint of fighting spirit, and used a Skill.

A dark grey light covers my entire body.

The authorities of Superbia and Irritum.

 My Mana becomes my armor. To pass by all of creation,
and bring about a miracle. With my soul at the base, I
create the form of a hero.

I show off. My own power. I pile it up. Only to some day

show it off to the world.

… To look down on the high and distant heavens.

Irritum held a contrary nature to Pride, but at the same

time, they both held but a single place to aim for.

… Higher than, greater, than anyone in all the lands.

Surpass God, and look down on him.

I understood. From the time when I was the one

protecting his throne. In truth, I had always understood it.
Just why it was I became a Demon.

“Ku ku ku ku.”

The reason was that I… subordinates alone, I don’t even

remember the name of my only sworn friend in the world. I
must have been strong. My desires had exceeded my
loyalty to my God. That’s all it was.

“Hah ha ha ha ha!!”

As light ran all about my body, a pleasant feeling akin to

intoxication went through my mind. It covers up each and
every part of my body. Even if it were to be a body of
fiction, it did contain my own soul. 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.
 Chapter 15
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

Part 1: I’ve not a Fragment of Courage

This is, perhaps, the oldest memory I possess.

“Congratulations, you have been chosen as a Hero.”

“…? W-what… is this, who are…”

That black robe that draped over her head, and covered
even up to her eyes was the vestment of a magician. A robe
you would occasionally see along the main street. Those
that covered their eyes would develop the ability to see
‘something’ unknown to an ordinary man. But it was a long
time later that I came to know that fact.

Without a single harbinger, the magician that had

appeared all too suddenly said that to me, who, sword
alone, had never even held up a kitchen knife. I’m not sure
what she was seeing with her eyes, or what she had
discovered with me, but in the end I never had the chance
to find that out. If I were to refer to that encounter in a
clichéd fashion, I’ll bet it was fate.

“… So… what is… a Hero?”

For the dubious mage that suddenly appeared, and the

shady-as-hell voice she threw out, the reason I decided to
take her seriously… no, the reason I even confronted her
was just a coincidence… or maybe something else. I’m sure
that I just didn’t have the will to ignore one who had come
to inform me of something of her own accord. If perhaps I
had such a will at that time… I should have been able to
settle it then and there. But in the end, as if thrown about
by the tide, I ended up hearing her speech just like that.

The shady, suspicious magician spoke.

“A hero is one who lights up the darkness with their

valor. Who crushes the strong, and saves the weak,
the sword of hope to save the human race from the
invaders of darkness. And you have the makings of
one. I can… see it.”

Honestly, I was troubled. By the magician who claimed to

see something I couldn’t. No, of the magician who spoke as
if she were looking at it the entire time.

For one without a single friend, with my only form of

conversation being when I occasionally went out shopping,
I had absolutely no idea how to deal with her, and I could
only give a vague reply when it came down to it. I couldn’t
help it.

Without even asking what quality she was seeing. Just

thrown around by the waves.

“Um… becoming a Hero is… um…”

I don’t have a reason. I don’t have any reason to become

one. I doubt I’ll be able become one, and up to that point, I
never even imagined for that option to appear before me. I
never thought I’d ever want to become one. I was… what
you find in any city out there, the lowest rank of the city’s
middle class. Nothing more than a single child.
 The magician smiled at my bewilderment.

“You will become a hero, Serge. If you do, then

someday when the time comes that those dear to you,
your parents, lover, friends’ lives are put at risk by
the forces of evil, your power will surely come
through to put a stop to it. In order not to come to
regret it someday, your power is to become… the
『Sword』 of humanity.”

Those dear to me? Parents? Lover? Friends? Huh? Um… I

don’t really… have anyone like that.

My parents weren’t there from the time I gained

awareness of my surroundings. I don’t know whether
they’re dead or alive. Even I had always hated my own hair
and eyes, the dirty color of gray sewer rats. With my lack of
sociability, there’s no way I would make any friends.

All that I have… are some whose faces I know of, and
complete strangers.

I repeated the magician’s words to myself, and thought.

Surely, this magician had only ever seen heroes like that.
Those with dear ones, parents, lovers, friends. Heroes with
the courage and ability to fight the dark forces, or
whatever, for their sake.

But I was always alone. Even when no tragedy out of a

fairytale had befallen me, I was just alone. None too smart,
and quite weak physically. On my feet, I lost to children
three years my junior, and I couldn’t even read or write
decently. I never felt a sense of crisis from such a thing.
There were more than enough of such people around me.

I could only look upon her with cold eyes. For what
purpose did this magician come before my eyes? Just what
sort of talent does she see? Did something like that really
exist? All these sorts of questions… I could care less about.
The mysterious atmosphere, and her hood that seemed to
fit it. I didn’t even care whether she was a fake or the real
deal.

Of the magician’s expression, all her robe allowed me to

see was her mouth curved into a smile.

“Please think over it a night. Serge, you have the

right to choose. To live as a hero to light up the dark,
or… to waste your entire life as a normal civilian…”

“I’ll do it.”

I replied immediately.

“… And please decide it by your own will. Your fate

is… huh… eh?”

“I will… become one.”

At that moment, I definitely sensed that her concealed

eyes had opened wide. Surprise. That was the first emotion
I managed to give to the magician. It was somewhat
enjoyable.

“… Are you sure you don’t have to think about it? If

you do end up becoming a hero, you can never return
to an ordinary life. Perhaps whatever happiness
awaiting you in the future would disappear. Your dear
ones, lover, parents, friends, you may be forced to
part with them for eternity.”

“…”
 And I’m telling you I don’t have anyone like that. Even
whatever sort of worth was there having those four in my
life was unknown… to me. Seriously, what’s with this
woman, and her obsession with dear ones, lovers, parents,
and friends? The magician’s mouth warped slightly. She let
out a long sigh.

“Even if your resolve is of that level, I must call your

choice to hero-hood to be premature. While I do
commend that resolve of yours…”

“I’ll do it, dammit.”

“…”

The resolve to lose what didn’t exist? Perhaps if I had but

a single one close to me, than as weak as I was, I never
would have been able to take that option. But in all truth, I
had no one. I had nothing I could call a dear one. With no
one I needed to protect, I had no reason to hesitate. My
present state was the worst, and as long as I can’t think of
a life lower than that, then I might as well just press
forward whenever the opportunity comes to me.

My ignorance was named as recklessness, and at that

moment, it was misunderstood as courage.

“… Why? Why is it that you can be so strong? Even

if I call you a hero, you’re still human. If you face
defeat at the forces of darkness, and face a tragic
demise… no, the probability of you facing a fate worse
than death is nothing low.”

Why am I strong? I’m not strong at all.

I’ve not a fragment of courage. I’m just… alone. If you’re

going to call me strong, me, with no knowledge or power to
boast of… if that were to be reflected on this magician’s
eyes as strength, then I’m sure… If the strength of the
heroes of the past lay in that they had people to protect,
then I’m sure…

My strength is that… I don’t have a single thing to

protect, and not even the need to defend my own life. I can
permit any sort of sacrifice, and that’s all it was.

But the magician couldn’t understand that.

The reason I would become a hero. I forcibly moved my

facial expression I hadn’t changed in a long wile, and
formed a stiff smile to the magician’s bewildered air.

“Because it’s… for the sake of the world.”

If I have the power to save it, if my own power can be of

the least amount of use to something, if you’re going to
give me a reason to exist, then I’ll sacrifice myself to it.
That’s what my child’s mind thought. That’s all there was
to it. I’ll throw out my worthless self, throw out my vague
standing in life, throw away the idleness I felt from my own
ignorance… as if I was just tossing aside some trash on the
side of the road, I was able to discard it all so easily. That’s
all there was to it.

Even if I didn’t know how to read or write, I understood.

It wasn’t for my dear ones, or my parents, or lover, or

friends, and of course, it wasn’t for the world. It was plain
and simple… self-satisfaction.

From the eyes covered under the hood, water started to

flow. So even magicians weep. I ended up thinking
something useless like that.
 “… You will surely become a wonderful, and… tragic
hero. Serge, I can do nothing but commend that
courage of yours.”

What the magician gave name to was nothing like

courage, but seeing that selfless smile on her face, I kept
my mouth shut. The magician’s hand gave off a faint light.
To me, it was the first time I had ever seen magic, and it
looked like the work of God.

The lights quietly poured down over my head. It was as

she were covering me with a hat of it. And what existed in
that flow was a power strong enough to stir up my
existence.

“For your strong and noble will, I grant the Class of

『 Hero 』 onto you. Serge. I pray for light on… the
path you are to travel.”

“… Yes.”

Her words stained the insides of my mind along with that

power. My senses understood. It was likely something
powerful. Surpassing the bounds of humanity, a powerful
Mana of light to overwhelm the Demon Race. My soul was
written over. As one to light the dark. If you were going to
give out something like this, then anyone… even a civilian
could be a Hero. Even I could do it.

What is this… so effort and talent… had nothing to do

with it. Compared to the power granted by the 『 Hero 』
Class, all the effort I had ever put in, and those classmate,
upperclassmen, lowerclassmen I had always been jealous of
equally… felt like nothing but rubbish.

And on that truth, I felt a great sense of guilt.

 Power I gained by cheating. My heart gave a dull ache.
What a terrible tale it must be.

“Now, Serge. Please go forth. With that power… to

clear away the darkness. To save the world. Here,
from this moment forth… you are a Hero, Serge.”

“… Yes.”

Hero. Serge the Hero. It doesn’t really feel real. No, I

don’t need it to. I mean, it’s not like I actually wanted to
become a Hero in the first place.

The inside of my head was incomparably clearer than

ever before, and my body unbelievably light. The power to
clear the dark. I knew how to use my power by instinct.
Within my head floated the Brave Skilltree. The tree with
all the powers of a hero loaded into it. From one to one
hundred, the Skilltree that had every slot on it opened from
the start. I instinctively selected thhe final Skill on it.

A light descended from the sky, drawn to my left hand,

before it began to take shape. I felt no heat from it. It was a
light that was only cold.

The 『Brave』 Skill Tree. What existed at its depths, the

weapon of a Hero. A Skill to bring forth a Holy Sword.

『Luster』.

It was a slender long sword. Its pale blue body was about
one meter in length, and its design-less boorish hilt rested
in my hand. The Holy Sword I produced by expending an
amount of Mana I wouldn’t even have felt if I were as I was
before obtaining the Hero Class was simply beautiful… and
cold.
 The Holy Sword. Its name surfaced in my mind… Solitus
Argentum.

(TL: Latin, Solitary Silver)

Light reflected off the blade with a lonely name perfectly

suited of me, making it shine silver. In the center of it,
light, wind gathered, and gave blessings to the sword. The
magician merely stared up at that sword in a trance, and at
that moment, I felt the truth of my role as a Hero for the
first time.

I hung out the blade’s tip towards the heavens. A holy

pillar of light rose from it. In my new life, reborn as a Hero,
I couldn’t help but think a little.

If I’m the Hero, I wonder if I can make any friends.

Part 2: What’s Necessary isn’t Power, but Courage

… I failed.

I had been too lacking in caution due to my place in the

sky. When I manipulated the wings on my back to charge
with all my might, I was easily dodged. At the same time, I
received an impact great enough to crush my skull.

Demons are strong. Especially in the miasma of the

Demon World, they were able to gain extraordinary powers.
It’s completely different from fighting them on the surface,
or in the heavens.

Once they reached the highest rank… Demon Lord, I

wonder how strong that would be.

I thought I had understood it. I mean, it wasn’t my first

time fighting a Demon or a Demon Lord. I’ve defeated a
number of them A number of them fell. I never thought I
could deceive the wide ranged perception abilities of a
Demon Lord. The surprise attack I launched with the
premise that they knew it would be coming was brilliantly
evaded, and I was smashed.

Strong. Within my fading field of vision, I thought. On top

of it all, this enemy hadn’t gotten serious at all. As if it were
a part of their daily life, they activated a Skill with natural
movements, and without even any killing intent, they
naturally intercepted me. I can’t even imagine how many
months and years they had placed into their strength. But
there was quite a bit of menace packed into that single
blow of theirs.

The moment I realized my failure, what flowed out from

my heart wasn’t fear… an anxiety great enough to crush
me. With my vision smashed, and my five senses fading, my
mind dripped out, and my soul well into darkness…

… And a Skill activated.

My memories flashed back through me. My limits as a

Hero. My defeat. Being picked up by God, and made a
Valkyrie. The power I devoted my life to. The power I
devoted myself to defeat Demons. The Power I devoted
myself to destroy them.

On the 『Question』 that came up in my mind, I selected

『Yes』 without hesitation.

My breath returned. Light came back to my world. My

smashed head, and burst brain, and my split body, and any
and everything else returned to normal. A rewind from
death. No matter how many tens and hundreds and
thousands of times I got a taste of it, it was an
unfathomable sensation I could never accustom myself to.

Power reentered my body. I slowly stood up.

The large shadow looked down over me. Golden eyes

observing me. That calm giant stood stagnant like a pillar
of rock. And of all else, he was greater than any Demon I
had faced thus far, and his reaction as he looked at the
scene surely wasn’t that of one seeing revival for the first
time.

The Demon was a mountainous bald man, whose body

height exceeded two meters. His brown skin was draped
over a great armor of muscle coating his entire body. The
way he held himself was closer to humanity than any other
Demon K had seen before. I didn’t see him to be holding
any weapons, but with that body of his, perhaps such a
thing was unnecessary. The greatest thing for me to focus
on was that, despite us being a mere two meters apart, I
couldn’t feel a single hint of power from him. A Demon’s
power is high. Originally, I could detect them instinctively
from quite a distance. If that opponent was to be an
exceptional Demon Lord, then I could even feel it
kilometers away.

No matter which of the seven sins a Demon was to reign

over, that should hold true. But the Demon before my eyes
was a type I’d never seen before. I had nothing in my
knowledge to indicate the ability to completely erase one’s
presence. If I had acted without prior information, and
without adequate caution, I wouldn’t have even noticed this
man’s existence.

Is this man… what God had feared of… the calamity?

 Before the unidentified man, I held up my Holy Sword.
That would have been a favorable chance for him to give a
followup attack, but the man didn’t move his body at all. He
folded his arms, and looked down on me, those golden eyes
letting off a fiery radiance. A heavy pride clung to his
mouth.

“… I see, that sword is… so you’re Serge Serenade…

I never thought the real one would show up… why
must everything always go astray.”

“… Hah!”

I have no words… to exchange with a Demon.

I sucked in a short breath, and gave the ground a strong

kick I poured power into the Holy Sword. The blade was
one imbued with high divinity. The strongest sword in the
wor… no, perhaps just the strongest of the Human Race.
But still, Demons that climbed up to the surface were one
thing, but it wasn’t imbued with the power to kill a Demon
in the Demon World with a single stroke.

That’s why I have to put power, Mana into it. In a time so

far back I can’t even remember when it occurred, it was
what I once laid hands on as a human, Hero’s power. The
pale blue edge was clad in a pale light. It was an armament
to cut down darkness. The power that the frail human race
had devoted itself to in order to stand against Demons. A
sword of light to repell all sadness to befall them.

The Demon Lord didn’t move. As I thrust the tip forward

with the intent to rend him toward that Lord’s trunk of a
body… towards the area with the highest probability of
containing his Soul Core, the left of his chest, one of his
log-like arms easily knocked the blade aside. The blade
lightly cut into his flesh. Jet-black blood scattered, and
before that could fall to the ground, he embedded his foot
into my solar plexus.

My breath was knocked out. My internal organs were

hollowed out. My brain let out a scream. My body that had
been strengthened as an Angel, the defensive barrier
surrounding it was shattered in an instant, and an
unpleasant creaking sound from my own bones reached my
ears. My field of vision blinked on and off, before the pain
tinted all before me pitch black. For a few seconds, my
body danced in the air, before I was thrown onto the
ground. My entire body hurt from the pressure of the
impact. It hurts. I’m in pain. I’m scared. He’s strong. I
ignored all those notions going through my mind, and
thought.

I couldn’t see the instant he moved. Normally, in the

moment an enemy made a move, I could see a small waver
in their being, but I saw none of that at all. He was simply
too fast. He’s strong. The three Demon Lords I defeated
were nothing compared to this. I can’t even see where to
start. The difference in power between us was hopeless. My
dynamic vision was unable to follow him at all. And of all
else, a Skill to erase his presence is… too abnormal.

“… u…”

I barely managed to swallow down the scream forming at

the back of my throat. I allocate the parts of my mind
heading in a negative direction from the pain and power
gap towards analyzing my resources on hand. That was, in
all the years I’ve fought on, the method of fighting I’d
cultivated to keep fighting without having my heart fold in
on me.
 Just as there were different types among Angels, the
Skills a Demon could use varied by the Sins they governed.
With pure physical abilities this high, speed beyond my
perception, and the ability to pierce a barrier with his bare
hands… From that blow, there was but a single sin I could
surmise that he held.

Superbia. Among the various sorts of Demons around, it

was the type that required the most caution.

I didn’t 『 Die 』 , so the pain won’t go away. The option

isn’t coming up in my head.

He’s going easy on me. My magically strengthened body,

and the barrier of an Angel, before this Demon, they were
no more than walls of paper. I’ll bet he had enough power
to turn me into a lump of meat in a single blow if he was up
to it.

In that case, it would be a lot easier on me if he just killed

me…

On the non-fatal damage assailing my body, I started to

go through all options I had to preserve my continued
existence, and at that moment, the man raised his voice.
Fitting his stature, it was a voice like a subterranean
rumble. But opposed to that thunderous tone of his, the
contents held some intelligence. That was one of the
reasons Demons were something more than simple beasts.

“That authority is… 『Fortis』 I see… a troublesome

one it is… no…”

The wrinkles on his brow smoothed out, and his frowning

expression warped. His voice wasn’t leaving him anymore,
but he was quite clearly showing scorn.
 What is he scoffing at? If he laughing at me for trying to
attack knowing full well the gap between us? No, there’s no
way I’d ever understand a Demon’s thoughts.

I confirmed my damage. There was still some pain left

across my body, but it won’t influence any offensive actions.
In the first place, the option of retreat never existed. I used
my sword like a cane to lift myself. My knees trembled. My
arms shook. I stopped the quivering across my body, and
stood up. I had no choice but to stand.

Hero was the general term to refer to those that opposed

the dark. Therefore, as long as a darkness to oppose stands
before me, and my own soul is undying, I must strongly
impose myself on it.

… Because if I don’t… I won’t be able to fight on.

“It’s useless. Your power will never reach… me.”

I won’t reach. I know. I could feel it from a single blow.

Even if I didn’t measure his power by the disparity in our
Mana, I knew well enough of the gap between us. Of all
else, this Demon Lord is… simply too fast.

But still…

I remembered the days of battle I had spent. There was

never an enemy within them that wasn’t strong. I had
always fought with my life at risk. Since descending back
into this Demon World, the three Lords I took on were all
strong and troublesome existences holding desires strong
enough to paint out all existence.

What’s necessary isn’t power, but courage. As long as

that doesn’t run out, my defeat is… unthinkable.
 I concentrated power to my eyes, and send malice and
fighting spirit towards the Lord whose name I had yet to
learn.

Black soil, dark emotions, and a miasma full of stagnant

air, yet within that my blood and soul cried out. My spirit
was excited. On the edge of the horizon are three more
great presences. They’re undoubtedly Demon Lord Class. I
have no idea for what reason such a number of them have
gathered. I don’t know, but within my perpetual existence,
within all the battle experience I had built up, I had a
premonition that I was diving in to the longest battle I’ve
ever faced.

Surprisingly enough, even when I directed my intent to

kill at this Demon Lord, he still shows no will to fight. That
reaction I had never witnessed from any Demon of
Superbia thus far was too ominous to bear.

… I’m scared.

“… It doesn’t seem you understand, 『 Fortis 』 .

Courage and recklessness are… different things
entirely.”

The Demon Lord sneered.

『Fortis』

The name of the authority I gained the moment I became

a Valkyrie after my death. One of the Virtues governed by
Angels. He saw through that just by locking blades with me
twice!? … No… that’s wrong. What’s to be feared the most
is that, even after inferring it, the Lord had yet to lose his
composure.
 Still with a brilliant smile on his face, his figure leisurely
swayed. That brown body, that large build started jiggling
about like a Slime, before it dissolved away. The sudden
fear send shivers down my spine. While his head had
already disappeared, that voice continued to ring out.

“No matter how you may try to prove that brave

heart of yours, no matter how many tnousands of
times you’re prevailed with it… it’s all… meaningless.
Serge Serenade. Valkyrie, Valkyrie, is it… ah…”

I cannot comprehend. On the unknown that didn’t

correspond with any of the experience I’d built up over my
life, my hands shook.

That muddily oozing body flowed over onto the ground,

and as if it were an illusion, it vanished entirely. From top
down, that large build surpassing two meters had melted,
and within it… a body three times smaller revealed itself.
She was full of openings. I knew that, but I couldn’t take
my eyes off the one who emerged from the giant.

“Eh… that can… ‘t be…”

My breath stopped.

Upon the destruction of that muscular mass, what came

out was… a young girl. Even when my own stature wasn’t
that high, she was considerably smaller than me.
Unbefitting her petite build, her features were quite
mature. A sharp glare, and an excessively bulging chest.
White skin, and golden eyes. On her back grew five sets of
dark wings, and from her head grew platinum blond hair
that reached all the way to her feet. What she wrapped
around that body looked like nothing more than
unornamented, colorless old rags, but while there were
some differences here and there… that figure, and
presence was something I could never mistake.

… In the distant past, it was an honorable form I had

happened upon before.

I only saw her for an instant. A single short moment. In

the depths of my memory, behind the haze of things
forgotten, all that remained of my recollection of her was
that brief scene. In my life much longer than a normal
human, where a majority of my memories had been long
buried, what I could still remember was… when I was
brought to the heavens by the Valkyries… the moment right
after. It’s likely that the other party never took me to sight.
She likely doesn’t remember. It’s because we never even
exchanged words. It’s because our statuses and powers
were too far removed for something on the level of
conversation to be permitted.

… But I remembered. From that single glance, a powerful

charisma that burned itself into my soul.

Those ten wings of light. Of all those that enforced

Iustitia in all the heavens, she was one of the scarce Sacred
Lords that could be counted on two fingers. A Lord of
Lords. One who was granted the fruit of glory by the
supreme God of the celestial realm.

The jet black pointed tail she hadn’t grown back then
slapped messily against the ground.

“How can this… why are… you…”

“As I thought, so you’ve scene this form of mine

before… Ku ku ku, should I call it a strange twist of
fate…”
 There was a difference. The Angel I had looked up at
back then had wings that glimmered as if they were light
itself that had taken shape. Her eyes weren’t gold, but a
clear emerald greed. She didn’t have a tail either. But if you
looked at it the other way, besides those traits, not a single
thing had changed. Her face, her body, her height, tone,
expression. That blazing power that could scorch one at a
glance hadn’t faded at all, no matter how many hundreds of
thousands of years had passed.

… No, that’s wrong. There’s no way that’s true!

I shook my head, and mustered up my courage. The girl

before me is one blessed by the vice of a Demon. One who
would creep unseen through the shadows of the hearts of
man, to devour their souls.

Word by word, I asked as if I was posing the question to

myself.

“That can’t… be. What trickery is this… Demon

Lord. Why have you chosen to take up such a form at
this point in time…?”

“Hmm… interesting. You’re an interesting one,

Valkyrie. Having seen this form, and knowing my
name, you still maintain the willpower to stand before
me…”

Quite different from before the girl scoffed at me in a

gentle voice like the ringing of sleigh bell. Her lips curved,
and her right hand directed itself at me. That was her
activation nose. Without any warning, without a single
movement of Mana, light poured out. Enough to cloud over
my eyes, an untainted white light.
 Forgetting the burning sensation in my eyes, I
unintentionally opened them ever wider. It was a Skill I was
accustomed to, but that’s exactly why I couldn’t believe it.
The meaning behind it caused my body to quiver.

The overflowing light took shape, and in her hand, a

single sword was created. With the hilt, the blade and all
else forged of a shadowless white, a straight sword. Among
the authorities granted to Angels, it was the power most
specialized in bringing ruin to Demons.

The 『Iustitia』 Authority. A Skill to manifest a sword of

light to dispel the dark.

『Sin Breaker』

The point of the sword that looked to have been

delicately folded out of light itself was directed at me.
Normally, it was a sword of justice that would never have
found its way to be pointed there. On the pressure that
shortened my breath, I instinctively held my Holy Sword
aloft. By assuming a stance for battle, the shaking across
my body came to a stop. But the sway of my emotions
wasn’t so conveniently ceased. I have the greater reach,
but something like that… doesn’t matter if I can’t hit her.

“The real… deal?”

Still, even when confronting her, what formed at my

mouth was a question.

In contrast, my opponent’s lips only returned a smile.

This is no good. Even if I found myself asking it, I already

knew the answer. This woman before my eyes was
undoubtedly the genuine article. This pressure, that form.
No matter what illusions she were to use, it would be
impossible to replicate it to this extent.

A true Angel… no, former Angel. Holding the name of

Glory, one of the heavenly messengers closest to God. The
glory that kneeled beside the throne.

Gloria Seidthroan.

“I’m also short on time, but, ku ku ku, how… pitiful.

I’ll play with you just a bit. Think it an honor for your
body to be receiving my blade.”

“You are… no, you should be dead…”

At the very least, that’s what I’d heard. In a time an

uncountable number of years passed, against the greatest
army of the Demon World’s forces, she commanded all the
forces under her command, and managed to repel them,
but after confronting the enemy’s Demon Lord, her
whereabouts were lost. As she never returned, she was
proclaimed dead.

The death of a high class Lord made quite an echo

through heaven. I remember it. No, there’s no way I could
forget. Due to the outcome of that battle, the war was
brought to a temporary armistice.

I have no idea as to why she became a Demon. In the first

place, as I never associated with her, I only knew of her
personality and bearing from hearsay. All I knew for sure
was how extraordinary her power had been.

Do I have… any chances of victory? … No, at the very

least, I can’t go down before our blades have even locked
once. With all the power I could muster, I glared.
 I built up my courage. I remembered the reason I had
been sent to the Demon World by God. The appearance of a
powerful Demon of prophecy. The birth of a calamity. And…
for some reason, the one with the highest possibility of
being able to take care of it was me.

A Fallen Angel who once stood at the summit of all

Angels. I doubt there’s a calamity greater than this. I can’t
leave this Lord to run free.

In that overwhelming pressure, I wrung out even more

courage from the depths of my heart. I used it to coat over
my fear. The heroic power I cultivated in my battles as a
Hero. That Fortis authority I laid hands on when I became a
Valkyrie.

It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as I have both of them, my

defeat is… impossible. I put power in my arms, the power
of my soul. The Holy Sword was clad in an even greater
light, and let off a silver blue glimmer.

And the moment I held that sword allot…

A familiar message came up in my mind.

『 Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death:

Decapitation』

My vision suddenly went dark. I couldn’t move myself in

the slightest. What had transpired, what did she do? I
couldn’t understand any of it. I couldn’t even perceive it.
There wasn’t even… any pain to be felt. A followup window
faded into view.

『Do you want to try again?』

『YES / NO』
 I can’t move my body. My five senses have already gone
out. Within that nothingness, the message alone was all I
could perceive. The answer was… already determined.

Light returned to my eyes again. The hands that had

unconsciously began to predd down on my wounds… came
to a stop. Gloria’s Sin Breaker was artlessly smeared with a
slight hint of red.

The message. I should have been cut. I should have been

killed. Even so… now, I can’t even tell what part of me was
injured.

“So you revived… were you able to follow that

attack? Fortis… truly troublesome, and a truly
worthless authority.”

“…”

My body could move perfectly. Not even the pain that had
afflicted me before I was cut remained. I swallowed some
air. I narrowed my eyes, and observed every one of her
movements. I held my sword, and took a step forward.

『 Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death: Blunt

Force Trauma』

My eyes went pitch black again. It was a feeling of loss

great enough to swallow my soul. I instinctively gave my
response to the message that came out.

And I felt the light again. Gloria was a mere few meters
away. If there was nothing to obstruct me, it was a space I
could span in the blink of an eye.

“… Serge, what did you even come here for?”

 “!?”

Black again. Cause of Death: Decapitation.

I can’t see. I couldn’t see her sword. I couldn’t even see

its afterimage. No matter how much effort I put in, I wasn’t
able to see any of it. The Gloria of my vision had always just
been standing as she was. She hadn’t done a thing. That’s
all it looked to me.

“Could it be that you’re under the delusion that as

long as you keep having a go at it endlessly, you’ll
eventually win?”

It went black. The speed was too fast. My blackouts and

revivals. It was like a flickering lantern. And every time, I
would spam YES whenever that question was to come up. I
can’t see anything. I can’t hear anything. I’m scared. My
senses are going cold, and this feeling of nihility is much
too great.

I compelled myself to keep reviving. Without permitting

myself even a moment of waver, I forced myself to come
back.

What’s necessary was never power, but a heart that

couldn’t be crushed. Just as when I was human, no matter
what fear, no matter what enemy I stood to face… courage.
Brave Heart. I rejected the deathful feeling of all my body’s
heat being robbed away.

Right. Courage. As long as that doesn’t break, my defeat

is… impossible.

“Brave Heart. That only Skill granted to Angels that

govern Fortis. With you power, no matter how many
tens of thousands of times you’re to revive yourself,
Heard aside, you’ll never even match up to Kanon or
Zebul.”

I let her provocations slide passed.

The moment I revived I retreated a stem. But even then…

black again. It wasn’t just once, each time the Cause of
Death was displayed as Decapitation. The red staining the
jet black earth was gradually growing thicker. There’s no
doubt I’m being cut at. There’s no doubt about that, but…

My field of vision slowly swayed. I’m not sure if that was

because I was on the verge or collapsing, or because of this
crushing pressure I felt on myself. Give up on life. Death is
the inevitable result. That thought started growing in my
head.

There was just one thing Gloria was wrong about. Yes,
the power bestowed upon Fortis Angels was unlimited
resurrection. As long as the soul, as long as one’s courage
doesn’t break, then the 『Brave Heart』 Skill was one that
promised victory. And that’s all Fortis Angels were given.

Many months and years have passed since I became a

Valkyrie, and attained that authority. I don’t have any fear
of death left anywhere within me. My hazy vision. As if I
was being swept about by the waves, this unreliable sense
or reality. The speed at which I died was much too fast. It
was so swift that I didn’t even have the time to feel any
pain, and that was my only saving grace. I revived, and in
the slight moment before I died again, I poured some
power into the sword in my right hand.

The Mana I could pour into it during that brief instant

was truly small. But it was surely accumulating within my
blade.
 “… I guess you’re not going to die off so easily… If I
had the time, I’d personally sing your requiem, but…”

Gloria stopped her hand. From the start, she seemed to

be concerned about time. I wonder what she’s so worried
about. But it’s my chance. In that moment, I poured my all
into my Holy Sword. The blade received my will, and
cloaked itself in a greater light. It was no longer some faint
glimmer, but a definite darkness-destroying Sword of Light.

I directed the tip towards Gloria, towards the Demon who

was once the aspiration of all Angels. Even if this body is to
fall apart, the will imbued in my sword will never go out.

Regardless of what speed she may boast, what power she

carries… she cannot avoid the light. The energy gathered
within my Holy Sword compressed in an instant, and
converged at the end of the sword.

Without a single twitch of her brow, Gloria stared at the

shimmering sword.

… And I let out my power as a Hero, the power that had

taken down all darkness in my path.

Part 3: I won’t… Lose

Heroes are but weapons. Once chosen, they were given

an expansive amount of Mana, and the ability to turn that
into pure destructive Energy. They were human-shaped
weapons to turn all creation to ash. They were the weapon
the human race devised to destroy any enemy that stood
before them. The Holy Sword was nothing more than one of
their methods to carry that out.

By its pure simplicity, it held no weakness, and therefore

it had the power to destroy both Light and Dark equally.
The light cleared. The inside my mouth was parched. Even
when I hadn’t died yet, I couldn’t breathe. My throat was
blocked up.

“Well, well, well, it seems you’ve still yet to

understand…”

“Eh… why…”

After the light was dispelled, what was revealed was

Gloria standing with the exact same expression as before.
Her body, and those tattered rags she wrapped around
herself as clothes weren’t damaged at all.

That isn’t… possible. I’m sure it was a direct hit. Gloria

hadn’t moved a single step. A decapitating blow at an
unperceivable ungodly speed. That truly was fearsome. Bu
this one… far surpassed my prior shock.

Superbia.

Of all a Demon’s Seven sins, it held a high offensive

potential, and an overwhelming level of Speed. If so, then
what is with that defensive capability? If I had failed to kill
her from too low an output, I could accept it, but…

A single blow with all the power of a Hero… the power

that had brought ruin to three Demon Lords before. It’s
surely impossible for her to be unscratched. Unthinkable.

… Like this, it’s as if she’s not a Superbia, but a…

『 Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death:

Decapitation』

My mind went white. On the display that suddenly

popped up, my response was a beat later than before, but I
somehow managed to select YES again.

I revived. Around me spread a vast empty ground. I used

my left hand to prop myself up, and rose. There aren’t any
followup attacks coming gown on me.

“It looks like you want to ask ‘why,’ Valkyrie.”

Gloria’s expression, her features that had been put in

place like a fine work, were slightly bent. I’m not sure if the
reason behind that face of hers was hatred, or perhaps
compassion.

“If you had been placed under my charge, I would

have trained you up from the ground again… but,
you’re not bad, I guess.”

I had let out all the power stored in the sword. A second
shot will take some time. But without even jumping at that
opportunity, she let out calm, and knowing words.

No, I doubt she even had to wait for a chance from the
start. In the past few minutes, I don’t even know how many
tens or hundreds or thousands of times I’ve been killed.
That’s how big the difference in power was between us. I
gradually began replenishing my power. The time I need is
around ten seconds. There’s no way a former Angel didn’t
know about that, but as I thought, her expression didn’t
change.

“Hey, Valkyria. Do you not know of it? No, there’s no

way you’re oblivious. The 『 Superbia 』 authority, the
power to 『Overrule』 all things in creation.”

“…!!”
 Recharge complete. I concentrated every nerve in my
body to fire it off again. As expected, Gloria showed no
signs of dodging. The air distorted, and the destructive
energy tore through the wind, as it swallowed up her small
body. But in response to that, all that returned were some
disinterested words.

“… So you really don’t get it. There’s no way I’ll be

defeated by you. No, it precisely because it’s me, that
there’s no reason for me to lose. I don’t even have to
dodge. Serge Serenade, why is it that you, a mere
『Valkyrie』, the lowest possible rank of Angel, believe
that your attack can get through to a former Saint
Lord Class like Gloria Seidthroan?”

I cannot listen. It’s all a fabrication. She’s just trying to

break my heart. But it’s not as if I had a chance to cover my
ears, so those words jolted my brain.

But from the battle theory that I had forged over

countless experience, I was quickly able to discern her
meaning.

『Overrule』

Of course, I knew of it. It was a Pride Demon’s prideful

way of dealing with things. … And it included the power to
nullify powers they thought of as beneath them.

“Ah… eh…”

Certainly, if you go by that logic, then all of my attacks

would… just be nullified by her Overrule.

“… Eh? Then…”
 “Even if you repeated one hundred million attacks,
that blade will never reach me.”

With eyes as if she was lecturing an incompetent student,

Gloria declared as such.

It wasn’t a problem of output, but of principle. It was law.

Just as water was to flow towards the earth, my attacks
were never to get through to this woman.

My vision went dark again. It wasn’t just an illusion. The

message displayed before my eyes was proof of that. Within
that darkness, the floating YES and NO.

All of my attacks will simply fall flat? I definitely cannot

win? My base attack power, and speed. The effort I piled
up, and the power I’d tempered. Our base statuses as
Demons and Angels were too far apart. It was hopeless.

After staring at those words for several tens of seconds,

I…

Slowly, timidly selected YES. Light came to my eyes once

more. With the same fed-up expression as before, she was
there to greet me.

You won’t die? … How incorrigible. Is that courage, or

thoughtlessness…“

“…”

That piercing glare, and the feelings of scorn contained

in it. I swallowed up the fear extending from my feet, and
the basic fear I felt as a warrior.

… I won’t lose. My defeat is unthinkable. Impossible. My

inability to understand when to give up was the only thing
that never lost out. The moment I became a Hero, I had
already resolved myself to swallow down all feelings of loss.
If something of this extent… were to make me accept
defeat, I would never have been called to Heaven, nor
would I have become a Hero.

My breathing had been cut off for a while. My own

tension, and the intimidating air Gloria let out stiffened my
body. Even when I should have fully recovered, I felt it
difficult to move.

Within my mouth, I wordlessly encouraged myself. I had

always been fighting alone. No matter how hopeless the
challenge, I took them on.

I can win. I won’t lose. There’s no such thing as absolute.

Yeah, that’s right. If giving up means death, then I am
immortal. I’ll come back no matter how many tens or
hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of times it
takes. I’ll destroy you. Serge, you’re strong. Strong. Strong.
Stronger than anyone.

Overrule? That surely is powerful. At Demon Lord Level,

overcoming that is close to impossible by normal means.
But there should be some way around it. No, the very fact
that she needs to use Overrule to render my attacks useless
means that if she didn’t use it, it would be possible for me
to inflict damage on her. That fact I was able to give her a
slight cut on my first attack is proof of that.

… With all things taken into account, it’s not like she has
defensive capabilities to get out of everything without a
scratch.

I’ve a countless number of experiences of having

defeated Demons of Pride. I even know their weaknesses.
 The countermeasures for Superbia. The greatest one is…
having them feel fear. As Gloria recognizes me as an
existence below her own, I need to give a Skill with an
output enough to threaten her, and make her wary.

I licked my dry lips, and got my breath in order. I calmed

my pulse, and sharpened my awareness. Gloria’s
unbelievable beautiful eyes of gold continued jeering
intently at me. The emotion within them was contempt. The
way one with absolute strength would look down on a
lesser being.

I bit my lip, and shut off the incessant ringing of my

instincts not to fight the one before me. I pretended not to
notice my fright. I fooled my own heart. All the way to now,
that’s how I always fought. Back when I was human, and
there henceforth. Fear was my enemy, and my friend.

I clenched the hand holding my sword. What I need is my

attack with the highest firepower. An attack with the sword
itself would be best. I stored all my energy into it, and
instead of emitting it, I collected it around the edge… I’ll
cut her up directly.

Normally, actually hitting her with a swing of this sword

would be the most difficult option, but right now, this
woman is being negligent. And in that, there was a small,
ridiculously small chance for my victory. And as long as
there’s a chance… I won’t break.

But at that moment, the moment where I stepped forward

for the sake of that slim piece of hope, Gloria curled her
face into a smile.

“Still… that power… even if it isn’t to get through to

me, perhaps it may work on that man… but I’ve no
time to paint her my colors…”
 Gloria’s wings opened up wide. Those ten appendages
were likely the vestiges of back when she was an Angel.
Something one wouldn’t find on any ordinary Demon. They
fluttered a little, and her body gently rose into the sky.

“Struggle all you want… just how far will that power
of yours go… how far can you prove your recklessness
on these lands…”

My thoughts took a turn. She’s running away. Can my

wings catch up? It’s no good. She’s running away. If I want
to kill her, this is my last chance. There’s a high probability
the speed of those wings of hers exceeds mine. There’s no
way I can catch her if she takes flight.

Those spread wings of darkness. Unlike when she was an

Angel, their form and color had become much more
sinister.

I took a step forward. I took to the sky. I kicked the air. I

brandished my sword. Gloria’s body moved. My target
vanished from my sight. She appeared again ten meters to
my side. It’s no good, I still can’t see her. Even in the air,
those movements of hers were still in good health. I have
no means to give chase.

She’s running away. No, perhaps I’m the one being

spared? They’re both the same. By the time I noticed it, the
words were coming out of my mouth. It wasn’t to buy some
time, but out of honest curiosity. Always alone, I barely let
my voice out since coming to the Demon World. The sound I
let out after all this time was terribly cracked.

“Wait, Gloria! Please, answer me one thing!”

That Angel was surely one of the brightest stars in the

sky. A single holy Angel, who embraced strong trust from
God. A woman who earned much reverence from her
brethren. Enough that, when we never even talked, she
remained firm in my memory, a woman whose names
wrung across the Heavens.

And why…

“Why are you alive!? I’m certain that you were…”

Without waiting for me to finish, she climbed up higher

and higher. I didn’t follow, but simply looked up, and
shouted.

“… felled in a battle against a mighty Demon Lord.”

Gloria Stopped. In a brief moment, her expression

underwent a complete change. Her eyes were directed at
me once more.

“… What?”

… From a crooked smile, to an expressionless face. An

expression I had never seen before.

“Demon… Lord…? Felled in… a battle with… a

Demon Lord…?”

Her frightened voice rung out higher than the heavens.

Her small form blurred.

My breath became short. Those golden eyes appeared

before my eyes, and finally, I realized I was being clasped
up by the neck. But the one who had lost their composure
wasn’t me… but the woman before me. Black emotions
swirled in the depths of her pupils. Disorder, or perhaps
hatred.
 “A Demon Lord, you say!? What nonsense, at the
time, Heard Lauder was…”

“Herd… loader…?”

The bones of my neck let out a creaking sound. I can’t

breathe at all. I’m going to die. I’m going to be killed. My
neck’s going to be wrung out to death. My field of vision
flickered on and off, and my soul raised a wail.

Within that uncollected consciousness, I thought about

the meaning of those words. It was a name I had some
recollection of. A name on that list of powerful Demons that
had been circulating about heaven. A Superbia Demon who
held the epithet of the Prideful Kaiser. He stood at the
forefront of the army, and slayed a number of Angels. An
infamous Demon.

But that’s wrong. That’s not how it is. It’s different from
the rumors I’ve heard. In the first place, there’s too much a
difference between a General Class Demon, and a Saint
Lord Angel. Even more so with the Angel commander being
the greatest anti-Demon Iustitia Angel. Even if they came
with an army of Demons, such a difference wasn’t so easily
overturned in a head-on battle.

But at the same time, it was the talk of the town back in
heaven. That’s why I remember it well.

Gloria Seidthroan engaged in battle with the army of the

Lord of Depravity. She was able to repel the General
Demon leading their main forces, but…

“What does this… mean? I lost to… a Demon Lord?

I. Was. Defeated!?”
 My body was swung around. It was as if she was a child
throwing a tantrum.

More than me, the woman herself was much more

confused. She was letting out the presence I couldn’t sense
at all before. That smothering atrocious presence of a
Demon Lord saddened me, in proving well enough that the
woman before me was no longer a Lord of Angels. A
chance. If I were to attack right now, wouldn’t the damage
get through? I tried to lift the hand clasped around my
sword, but I couldn’t put any power into it. Angels and
Demons didn’t require respiration all too much, but even
so, the throat was still a single vital point.

With all my might, I glared at her. But while Gloria’s eyes

seemed poised in my direction, she wasn’t looking at me. It
was a hollow glance as if she were staring into a world of
dreams.

Why… just what is it that she’s seeing…?

Suddenly, the crushing feeling about my neck

disappeared. Power returned to my body.

Losing my support, I began to plummet, but before I hit

the ground, I managed to move my wings, and raise myself.
I took a deep breath, and corrected my posture. When I had
gotten myself in order, a bizarre spectacle entered my eyes.

“Ah… no, nonsense… wha… this power is…”

Frozen in midair, Gloria’s eyes were wide open. But that

position of hers was my chance. Her wings weren’t moving
at all. No, more than that, it looked like her entire body had
been glued fast to space. As if there was something locking
her to the air.
 But the strangest thing of all was… her face. Without
surprise, without scorn, her expression was surely… what
one would call impatient. The words flowing out of her
mouth were the emotions of rage she had never directed at
me, even as I held a blade against her.

Her golden irises seemed to be searching for something,

as they made large swaying motions.

And Gloria’s body shot off. Without even moving her

wings, she started gliding down diagonally with fearsome
momentum, collided with the ground head-on, and bounced
a couple of times before coming to a halt. No, rather than
gliding, she crashed and burned.

Raising a cloud of dust, she crashed, but she immediately

corrected her stance, and landed properly, before lifting
herself into the air again. The hair that reached all the way
to her feet was standing on end, and as if something had
grasped her, she floated aimlessly around space.

It was a scene I had never seen before. An unknown

phenomenon. I mean, for a Demon who could easily brush
off all attacks, and moved at ungodly speeds unperceivable
by the eye, who would think she would let herself be
grasped like that? Gloria’s eyes were locked on empty
space. There was absolutely nothing in that direction, but
her gaze was surely seeing something.

“I see… so it was you who…”

Without finishing her sentence, her body began to rotate

with her hair at the fulcrum, before she flew off again. This
time, it wasn’t to the ground, but parallel to it. As if that
small frame of hers was a bullet leaving its chamber, she
shot forth, and raised a tuft of smoke at the horizon.
 What was that phenomenon… wait, phenomenon? No,
that’s wrong. Gloria was definitely directing her words at
someone. It was without a doubt that her actions held
intent. She was trying to attack something.

I remained vigilant. But within the web of my perception,

I could only capture the three large swaying powers a few
kilometers away, and a number of smaller forces, a flock of
Demons coming closer. Even at the moment Gloria flew off,
I couldn’t see anyone around me.

An invisible enemy… no, a long distanced assault? An

enemy launched an attack on Gloria, but nothing on me. I
don’t get their standards. I can’t see. I can’t see anything.
It wasn’t something like Gloria’s speed that exceeded my
dynamic vision. Built on a different principle than Pride, a
power of invisibility.

… That power didn’t align with any of the abilities I had

learned about in Heaven.

And to the one who took it on… even Gloria herself

seemed to be in an abnormal state.

“LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEI
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG
GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!
WHAAATT’S THE MEANING OF THIS YOU
BAAAAAASSSSTTTTTAAAAAAAAAARD!!!”

That voice of resentment that seemed to come straight

from the depths of hell made the air shake. Like the
howling of a beast. Despite having been blown across the
horizon, Gloria returned before my sight in an instant, and
a following her, a delayed strong wing swept over the
scenery. While there was some black dirt staining her
joints, there weren’t any notable wounds on her body.
 But her eyes had completely snapped. The face of a devil.
Her pupils had opened completely, as she glared in every
direction to find this unseeable enemy. Her power had
completely been freed from its previous concealment, and
her idiotically high Mana stirred up the miasma, scattering
pebbles left and right.

As if a curtain had been lowered over it, the world grew

darker. Perhaps noticing this abnormality, the three large
clashing forces put their movements on hold.

My thoughts haven’t caught up the present situation. I

don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’ve too little
information. There’s no doubt it’s the work of some third
party. But I can’t see their form. There must be a meaning
to it. That’s what Gloria, who’s swinging around her malice
left and right goes to prove.

It must be…

Sensing something Gloria gave her wings a large flap,

and drew a spiral in the air, as she ascended higher and
higher. At just about the same time, the ground began to
shake violently. If my legs had been on the land, I would
have felt an unbearable earthquake. Along with the
tremors, some parts of the ground were projected up, and
cracks began to spread.

“…”

After a few seconds, a strong wind began to blow. From

up to down. I struggled to fight against the bizarre wind
flowing towards the land.

I looked up at the sky, kicked the air below, and moved

my wings. In my widened vision, the blood red blinding
sun. A wide-open sky. Not a single cloud to be found. I
soared through the sky. To Angels, that was a natural action
akin to breathing. After a few seconds, the wind ceased,
and I looked back at the ground to understand the intent of
the attack.

… No, the ground hadn’t risen at all, it had caved.

Spreading many meters, indented soil as if it had been

crushed underfoot. I wonder what sort of Skill would have
to be used to bring about such a result. No, it it’s just
boring into the earth, then Gloria, and likely a majority of
the other Demon Lords could do it. I’m sure I could as well.

The problem was, that I couldn’t discern the means ot

attack, and I couldn’t see the form of the third party that
had accomplished it anywhere.

A mysterious attack. A power to control the wind? No, if

you think about the nature of the attack Gloria took on…

Right below me, Gloria stood on the land. Her attention

was completely removed from me.

“S-show yourself… Leigie! Why, are you…!? All of

this is your…”

Bloodshot eyes. Her expression held no disdain, and what

it displayed was an anger close to madness. The Sin
Breaker that had manifested in her hand was recklessly
cutting countless lines in the air. Out raced countless
shockwaves of light. The air pressure senselessly rended
the earth, and as if it were crying out, the wind played out
a high pitched sound.

Those slashes flew out. A few of them came at me, but

passed by my sides. The reason they didn’t hit was because
they weren’t something aimed at me. But if one of them
had shifted just a little, I would have likely had my wings
ripped off.

I was no longer in Gloria’s eyes. No, there wasn’t

anything reflected in them. Her screams and malice were
certainly directed at something, but I couldn’t see what.

There was only one thing I knew. More calmly than even
in this chaos. The theory I had always been reminded of
made me issue my judgement. It’s not like I haven’t seen it
play through enough times. That was what Demons were. I
felt an illusion of all the blood in my body freezing over, and
shook my arms.

… There’s always someone greater.

Without a doubt, there’s someone higher. One called

Gloria, of the highest Rank of Angels, and now Gloria
Seidthroan, one who held the authority of both an Angel
and a Demon. There was someone much greater than she.
Otherwise, there’s no way Gloria would display so much
rage.

I’ll run. I have to run. I have to report this. Even if her

characteristic may be Pride, with me falling so far behind
her, the chances that I won’t be a match for this new
challenger are exceedingly high. While that power has yet
to be directed at me, I’ll return to heaven, and report…

I moved my wings with all my might, and started rising

up to the sky. The spiraling chaotic miasma to my back, I
rapidly closed in on the sun. The wind I felt all over my
body instantly dried off my cold sweat.

The point to connect the Demon World and Heaven

wasn’t a specific place.
 I stopped one high in the air, and looked back down at
the ground. The small speck that was likely Gloria. The
three Demon Lords I had been sensing for a while. As I
thought, even when I look from up high, I can’t see any new
enemy. I can’t feel anything.

… But there was one thing I figured out.

“… This is…”

The attack’s… identity. No, I still don’t know that. I have

no idea where the attacker’s authority lay. But the marks
left in the earth by coincidence or inevitability, had taken
on a form I was familiar with. Five long trenches, with a
wide area connecting them… right, that center. There was
one large cavity at the base of all of them. The hollowed out
ground, and the slight differentiation of color made it all
too clear. From the ground it was something too big to
make out, but that form I hadn’t expected was…

“… The palm… of a hand…!?”

An absurdly large palm. It was as if I was seeing a dream.

I widened my eyes, and climbed higher.

It’s… big.

Its scale was off the charts, but I’m sure that’s… the
shape of a human hand. That caving I had been a witness
to, that denting of the ground had… only been but a single
finger. I can’t think any of this is without meaning. As I
stared in a daze at the unexpected situation, the ground
raised a tremor. The remains of that attack dotted that
black wasteland again and again. An intense sound, as if to
indicate the end of the world, made me forget the
thunderous wail of the wind racing past my ears.
 If this truly is the work of a single lifeform’s hand, then
there’s no doubt its weilder is large enough to reach for the
heavens. Greater than any lifeform I’ve ever happened on
before… Compared to the marks left behind by it, both me
and Gloria, with our statures of less than two meters, were
nothing more than ants. The scale was too extreme.

Gloria’s body was picked up, and was sent flying again.
As she was shot off, she used her wings to correct her
posture. Now I can understand it. She truly was being
thrown about. By invisible hands.

And taking the attacks, Gloria herself realized as well.

The blade she swung around absurdly was to counteract
those hands. And she wasn’t doing that good of a job at it.

Whether it was possible or not to do anything about it

was another story. Gloria should withdraw. She should flee.
Whether there’s a means or not, the way she flailed about
meaninglessly no longer had any of the level-headed
thought she displayed when taking me on.

I concentrated my eyes. It seems Gloria has yet to take

any actual damage. She was in distress trying to evade
those unseeable, and wide-scoped attacks, but the blows
from those hands didn’t boast too much firepower.
Regardless of how many times she took those attacks, there
weren’t any notable injuries on her body, and as a Demon
Lord, her light wounds would heal in no time at all. It
would likely take quite a long time for an end to be drawn
to this.

A small waver was produced in my mindset for retreat.

What should I do? Its identity was one thing, but I didn’t
know its objective. With the size of that hand, unless there
was a specific intent to avoid me, I should have been
crushed as well. The master of that power… is Gloria its
only target? Should I observe for a little longer?

Gloria and the hand’s master. At the very least, there are
two out there outside the recognition of heaven. A little,
just a little is enough. I need as much information as
possible.

I flapped my wings, and made it so I could run at any

time.

At that moment, the responses from my perception

disappeared. For a brief while, the presences of the three
Demon Lords that I always kept wary of in a corner of my
mind went out, before appearing again. No, it wasn’t just
those three that had disappeared.

It had been but a short flicker. Just the blink of an eye,

but the scenery before my eyes had, in the pause it took to
go over a single comma, changed entirely. What had made
its abrupt appearance was a countless number of Demons.
Besides Gloria, and those three Demon Lords, a flock of
Demons below Demon Lord Level had gathered before I
realized it.

I looked over them with my enhanced vision. I could even

make out the expressions on those Demons that were like
specks of dust from up here. Perhaps they hadn’t expected
it either, as they all seemed to be dumbfounded.

The situation just kept on changing.

I couldn’t move. I hadn’t the time to avert my eyes. I

hadn’t the time to feel the stir of the wind, or that repulsive
and wild miasma act up. I hadn’t even the chance to
determine whether or not a Skill had been used.
 My field of vision was filled by darkness. Within it, I was
finally able to regain my self-awareness.

My feet shook, and my soul froze over. I grasped my

situation. I looked over my surroundings in a daze. I made
my decision. It’s not like what I saw had changed. It’s not
that those Demons had disappeared. Gloria and the others
hadn’t gone away… but I myself had been transported.

A horridly gloomy corridor constructed of jet black stone.

As if placed to measure its depth, the candlesticks
stationed at regular intervals. This heavy and cold air. The
dim light put out by the candles contrarily made the places
that remained unlit- the nooks of the corridor, and the
corners of the ceiling- give off a deeper sense of darkness.

What I had definitely sensed before, the presences of

Gloria and the other Demons were no longer there. In their
place… I felt a somewhat nostalgic aura.

As if pierced by an icy sword, the inside of my brain gave

a cold pain. In a past beyond memory, it was a presence I’d
felt twice before.

My hand creaked. Without my notice of it, I had begun

clenching my sword with all my might. I was putting in
enough power for my knuckles to turn white.

Ah, there’s no way I could forget it. I didn’t even have to

try to remember. No matter how long ago it may have been,
even if it was in my time of humanity, my era as a Hero that
I had almost completely lost my recollection of to the flow
of time, ‘That’ was something I could never forget.

It was a bitter memory. What I fought as a Hero, my final

enemy.
 At that moment, I forgot about Gloria and the other
Demons, and even the prophecy, as I thought back to a time
passed.

If I had been a true Hero, then the bards’ songs would

have ended with a triumph, or perhaps a noble sacrifice,
yet this tale only ever found its close in one-sided defeat.

＊＊＊＊＊

The Hero and the Demon Lord.

That pairing that I’m sure every human in the world

thought of as equal was, in truth, not equivalent at all. I
knew that more than anyone.

As a hero, my sworn enemy was the Demon Lord, but that

was the one who had climbed to the surface. The one of the
Demon World wasn’t something to be dealt with by human
hands.

The Under Ground.

It was a sort of taboo. In order to avoid mayhem, there

were barely any who even knew of its existence, the
world’s greatest haunt of evil. A hell that only existed in
bed-time stories. A hell bad kids were sent to for
disobeying their mothers. It was an abyss of a world, where
the highest class of Evil Spirits, Demons stood at the
summit.

Those fields with miasma swirling about incomparable to

what one would find on the surface gave the Demons that
already boasted strong powers unsurmountable
enhancements. The powers of whatever ones you could find
on the surface were something like scraps. When compared
to Demons of the Demon world, they wouldn’t even reach
their feet.

That fact was one that I, as a hero having devoted my life

to forging an enormous power, and having racked up my
achievements of dispelling any and all evil I could find,
learned after finally being permitted to set foot into that
world.

Heroes were hope. Against ones who sided with the

powers of darkness, defeat was not permitted. Among the
world’s few Heroes, the reason that information was
passed to me was likely because I was the Hero who threw
myself into and triumphed over hopeless situations at a
rate incomparable to the others, but still, in the end, I was
nothing.

Just as the words implies. Nothing.

I closed my eyes. What I grasped in my perception was a

Mana gloomier, and quieter than all. As if to show it off,
that power pulsed.

I’m being watched. This Demon Lord should already

know of my presence. Even so, he doesn’t move. It was as if
he were telling me to come over to him. There was no
malicious intent, and that power held no impurities, but in
size it was larger than anything. Perhaps… it was even
greater than the piercing Mana Gloria displayed at the end.
It wasn’t sharp at all. That power merely hung heavily over
me. I finally noticed. The identity of what had been stirring
my blood and soul when I confronted the Fallen Angel. The
presence I didn’t notice because of all the Demon Lords
mixed in. I felt a meaningless pressure. Within that, I went
forward, step by step. My memories pumped up, one after
another. The power I felt when I fought him as a Hero. It
had far exceeded that now.

But my heart was frighteningly calm.

I had conviction that he hadn’t been killed off yet. But at

the same time, I doubt I would find it strange if he was. The
Demon Lord followed the law of the jungle. Unlike the
Angels, that generally never waged wars among
themselves, the faces of powerful Demons changed too
often. No matter the case, the probability of a Demon that
offered absolutely no resistance living such a long life can’t
be too high.

The passages branched off like a labyrinth. Black walls.

The systematic markings carved into them. Perhaps I’m in a
Demon Lord’s castle.

Within myself, I continued to hone my power, as I

disinterestedly walked forward. They’re not here. The
overflowing amount of subordinate Demons one would
usually find in a Lord’s Castle were nowhere to be found.

But even that felt natural to me. I refined my power.

It was perhaps the only regret I still held for my past life.
For one who cut down all manners of Evil Spirits, all
manners of Humans, all manner of sinners, the girl who
continued to save the world for her own sake alone, the
only lingering attachment to this world. The reason why,
even when I didn’t actually like to fight, I chose to continue
down this path, even after death.

There wasn’t a single one before me to hinder my

advance. What I arrived at was the deepest chamber. A
giant set of doors. The power I felt by putting myself
against one of them made me close my eyes. I took some
short breaths.

I see… it’s on another level. I finally began to grasp why

Heaven dispatched me here.

This must be fate… no, destiny. I am a hero, and he is a

Demon Lord. I’ll risk every bit of life I have left in me as a
Hero, to take back the defeat I suffered long ago.

In a split second, I had finished mustering up all my

resolve, and opened up those doors. Just as I did once, long
ago.
 Part 4: Until We Meet Again
The Demon Lord was there. Atop the boorish pitch-black
throne. The chamber without a sound. His hair a deeper
shade than black, and those slovenly eyes. A jet-black coat
draped over his entire bocy. With shadows stuck to his face,
and an irritating look to his eyes, a delicate-looking man.
Compared to any other Demon Lord I had chanced upon
before, his appearance was lacking in majesty, and on that,
my memories of the past played back. Nothing had changed
in his figure since the last we locked blades.

There wasn’t another Demon to be found. Even when he

was supposed to be a Lord, he had no one to follow him.
There was only one point that differed from my last
memory of him. Simply the fact that the man was not
asleep.

It seems he truly was waiting for me. Without saying a

word, without any preparations for attack, only his eyes
followed me, and those pupils of his were stagnated with an
unfamiliar darkness. They didn’t even take in the glint of
the Holy Sword gripped in my right hand, and all they met
with were my own eyes.

… I’m scared.

I took a step forward. The gap between this pressure

pushing down on my entire body, and that dignity that
equated close to nothing. The fact that I felt no fear from
looking at him was all the more scary. If it was my first
meeting, then I would likely have been caught off guard. As
if I were walking through a bog, my feet were heavy.

The moment I thought to let out my voice, the Demon

Lord opened his mouth.
 Befitting his appearance, it was a depressing and dark
voice. A voice I was hearing for the first time. What was he
to say to me? I tensed up my shoulders, and waited, but his
words made me forget my very situation.

“Back hip circle.”

“… Eh?”

Back hip… circle? What is he talking about…? I sought

out meaning from his expression, but the Demon Lord’s
face didn’t change at all. The man before me continued to
look in my direction, with eyes that didn’t seem to be
focused on me, as he talked on.

“In the past, I couldn’t do a back hip circle. Do you

know of it? Back hip circle? You use a metal
horizontal bar, and you do this sort of spinning
motion around it.”

“W-what are… you even…”

“I think it was around elementary school… they

tried to make us do it in gym class, but I just couldn’t
do it. I never even thought of trying to be able to do
it. Because I never thought myself capable, I didn’t
even put in the effort. In the end, up to the very last
moment, I couldn’t do it. In the first place, I was
never the best at physical activity.”

I couldn’t understand any of the words he was letting out

at length. No, besides a small portion of it, I could
comprehend the vocabulary. However, I cannot understand
the reason of such a talk unfolding here. I can’t read his
intent.
 Leaving me to the wayside, the Demon Lord went one. He
was full of openings, but I didn’t even have the will to
attack him. The only thing I could understand was that this
meaningless banter wasn’t the sort of thing to occur before
the world’s decisive battle.

“And so, naturally, even when I went graduated to

middle school and graduated to high school, and even
after I entered college, I could never do it. Well, I’ve
never seen anyone in college doing a back hip circle
on a horizontal bar, but… I guess that doesn’t really
matter. What I’m trying to say is that, in the end, even
when I went out and became a working adult, I never
became able to do a back hip circle. Even when most
of my past memory’s faded away, I wonder why that’s
the only thing I can remember.”

Fuuuh. The Demon Lord let out what was clearly a sigh,
before his lips curved.

“… But it seems that right now, I can do pretty

much anything.”

I had never even imagined this Lord as one to laugh, but

what had dimly grazed his face was surely… a smile. It
wasn’t one of ridicule like Gloria’s, and it wasn’t anything
like an honest smile of joy. I’m sure it was his self derision.
The Demon Lord’s words didn’t stop. It was as if he was a
completely different person from the one I met before.

His words came out disinterestedly, but I could feel an

emotion I couldn’t understand behind them. The topic
changed quite suddenly.

“Then have you ever heard of the Magic Lamp?”

“Magic… Lamp?”
 Listening to his words is a waste of time. I should initiate
an attack. But my hands won’t move. These words without
meaning, without intent, were binding my movement. It
wasn’t something like a Skill. I knew. It wasn’t that I didn’t
want to move. I wanted to listen. I had the feeling that the
reason for both of my defeats lay somewhere in there.

“Yeah. It’s in the One Thousand and One Stores… A

fairy tale from the Arabian Nights. A tale of a genie
that came out from rubbing a musty oil lamp.”

“I don’t… know it.”

Fairy tale. It’s a story I’ve never heard of before, and I’m
not sure what he’s trying to say. Perhaps there nothing I
should say here. I couldn’t see an atrocious nature in him,
and yet my shoulders trembled.

In this case, having him direct killing intent at me would

be… much easier. I had forgotten about it. The cold feeling
running up from my navel. Fear.

The Demon Lord raised his voice into a laugh. It was a

dry chuckle. Looking upon the scene, I doubt there’s a
single one who’d call this man a Demon Lord. I finally
noticed the reason. He was much to lacking in anything one
could see as desire.

“Just by brushing up against a lamp, all sorts of

wishes could be granted. That sort of story. Having
lost any and all restrictions, a magic tool to grant any
prayer. I sometimes thing. Of lucky Aladdin whose
hands it happened to fall into… just what sort of
thoughts went through his mind.”

I don’t know. I don’t know anything. With an aloof

attitude, he avoided my wary eyes. And the Demon Lord’s
face changed. A sigh, and a sinking voice.

“Hero…”

『Hero』

It was a word I hadn’t heard from another in a long time.

There’s barely anyone left in this world to call me by that
name. It had truly been a long time since anyone named me
as such, that it took a moment for me to realize he was
calling out to me.

Perhaps this man is all that’s left to call me by that name.

The final enemy I failed to kill. The final enemy to know me
as a Hero.

“Hero… I’m… surely a 『Cheat』.”

“Ch… eat?”

He folded over his legs, sent those abyssal eyes at me,

and sighed. I couldn’t tell the motives behind that word.
But it had been the one with the single most emotion
packed into it. A voice that sounded as if it was tired of
everything. Back when I was a human, when I had lived as
a Hero, the voice used by those with things they should
have protected. A child who’d lost his parents, a young man
who’d lost their lover, a soldier who’d gone up against the
forces of evil, and survived their own defeat.

“Even without doing anything, I’ve become able to

accomplish anything. Without any of the effort, I’ve
become able to do anything. I’m sure there’s no worth
left in any of it. That’s why, to me, you’re the only
lingering attachment I have to this world.”
 I couldn’t possibly understand the words from this
Demon Lord. But it’s not like I didn’t have anything left to
think.

Still, more than that, I understood that the die had been
cast. That the formalities had been gone and done with.
Demon Lord and Hero. What we had to do had been
determined long ago. I was already resolved. I wasn’t
negligent.

That was something my opponent was well aware of.

“Now, it sure has been a while, Hero. You, who may

be the one to kill me. You, who may be the one to be
killed by me. My arch nemesis. The only one I’ve ever
recognized as an enemy of my own volition. Have you
trained yourself enough? Do you remember our last
battle?”

Our last battle. The blows from my Holy Sword that were
unable to leave a single scratch on him flashed back in my
mind.

The Demon Lord who barely moved. After tens of

hundreds of thousands of years, just what has changed in
this man? His face held a gentle spot of delight.

The fact that I was to meet him the first I stepped foot
into the Demon World was just a coincidence. The second
time, I sought him out, and demanded a battle. And surely,
this third confrontation is fate. That’s why, no matter the
numbers that Demon Lords exist in, thie man is the one
that must be killed by me.

As a Hero.
 I put more light, more soul into the Holy Sword. My past
retreat. Where even in his normal state, he boasted
immense defensive power to render any blade inept. The
Demon Lord who broke my blade.

And I didn’t know his name. The man introduced himself

for the first time.

“… Right, my name is Leigie. The Lazy King

governing the sin of 『Sloth』, and your… enemy. I’ve
already taken care of anyone to interfere. Now, Hero,
come and…”

The Demon Lord’s fingers mover ever so slightly. My

senses were honed to a level higher than ever before. I
immediately jumped to the side to evade. The door behind
me was blown off its hinges.

『I’ve already taken care of anyone to interfere.』

As I thought the one who launched an attack on Gloria

was this man!

The Lazy King who named himself as Leigie muttered in a

slovenly tone without any intonation. I kicked the ground,
and used my wings to accelerate.

Leigie’s gaze intersected with the killing intent in my

eyes. Without letting out any words, the Demon Lord’s lips
moved to themselves.

『… try to kill me.』

＊＊＊＊＊

What I was given as a Hero, and honed as an Angel were

all directed towards battle. The shaking of my hands, and
the shaking of my body had ceased. I stepped in. The floor
shattered before my feet. The strongest concentration. The
strongest condition. There wasn’t any space left in my soul
for me to feel fear against this Demon Lord. The greatest,
and most powerful enemy of all was before me, and the all
the experience I had ever gotten over my life was
whispering for me to defeat him.

My awareness was suddenly delayed. I could clearly see

the bags that had formed under his eyes.

Leigie. Leigie the Depraved. The name rolled around my

tongue.

Without his name, there was never a way to look into

him. Even if I may have been a human, I wielded the
foremost power of the Surface World, and his ability to
block that without anything to guard himself meant there
was no way he wasn’t a long lived Demon. But I think I was
just running away. With that power before me, I had
broken. I was running from his existence. Because if I was
to learn of him again, I would have no choice but to fight
him.

But at times, I did wonder whether I would see him

again. Even if I didn’t as one on the vanguard of heaven,
most information about Demons naturally entered my ears.
As natural as it may be, I did have knowledge of that name.
Leigie. Leigie the Depraved. One who pulled their
bowstring against the Heavens, one of oldest Demon of
them all. Leigie Slaughterdolls.

I already knew his characteristics. The characteristics of

an Acedia Demon. It was an absolute defense. That was all.
That enhancement was separate from his base specs, but
there’s no way his offensive power or speed is anything too
high. At the very least, he should be less than Gloria in that
aspect. The threat of his invisible attacks lay in that he sent
them out from a distance impossible to detect. If Leigie and
Gloria had directly confronted one another, then she would
likely have been able to employ some form of tactic.

What I need is a destructive power great enough to

destroy his soul, and that was my… reason for defeat.

Have I trained myself? … There’s no need to ask. At the

start, it was just something that had been handed to me,
but I surely trained that power. As a Valkyrie, so as not to
face defeat a second time. In the years since I was reborn,
there’s no way I was just playing around. Regret, regret,
regret. There was no way I could fill it in with my human
body… the sheer difference between us.

The magician’s words of pity repeated within my head.

I don’t need to think of defense. The power I have now,

what I never had before. The Fortis Authority. My heart will
never break.

“The truth is… I did feel a little sorry for it.”

The moment my sword was about to reach him, before

my eyes, Leigie, who should have been but a step away,
grew farther. My sense of distance was upturned. My
suppositions, and the disparity of truth. I used the
momentum that was causing me to topple over, and took
another step. With all my power, I gripped the sword in
both hands, and aimed for his heart.

… And at that moment, he became farther again. It’s not

my imagination. It’s not an illusion. … Farther? No, that’s
wrong. Leigie was still sitting on the throne.
 The one moving away was… me. The throne was just a
few meters in front of me. I put more power into my feet,
and dove in. the moment before the blade reached him, my
field of vision shifted. It wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on
me. It wasn’t that my body was being manipulated.

“I’m sorry for not taking you on earnestly last time.

Well, I was sleepy, so there really was no helping it,
but… if I had been a little more serious back then,
perhaps I wouldn’t have to go through these regrets.
The thought alone kept me up at ni… oh, wait, well,
um…”

While talking on, Leigie’s arm gave a small movement. An

impact sent my entire body flying.

Oh shi…

By the time I noticed it, it was too late. My body crashed

into the wall, and was pressed against it. By an invisible
feeling of pressure. It was a force that made my body feel it
would be ripped apart. My creaking body and the wall both
let out their screams.

Leigie presented out the palm of his hand. He started

turning his hand in a circle. Accompanying that motion that
looked like a joke, the points of pressure twisted. While
looking upon that scene carelessly, Leigie politely, as if he
was trying to buy time for something, began to explain.

What foolishness is this… no, it would be strange for me

to think that he only had a single power.

I’m fine, the damage is within expectations. My bones

aren’t broken, and I haven’t suffered anything fatal. And
more than that, I was impressed. On the fact that Leigie
initiated an attack on his own.
 “『Aport』”

Turning my blade on a being without resistance, yet

having it fall flat. It was a situation as if my everything had
all been meaningless, and that had been the greatest fear I
held. The Demon Lord is to attack me, and I’m to
counteract. In that case, I can still be a Hero.

Even if that Lord had yet to even rise from his throne.

“『Teleportation』 and 『Psychokinesis』. Of course,

here, they have different names, but… it seems that
all the powers I ever wished for have come into my
hands.”

While he went on about his own Skills, his face held no

scorn, or anger, or sorrow. The Demon Lord stood. Even
when there was no need to stand, he rose. The past two
times, he had laid sprawled out the entire battle, and yet he
stood.

“Hero, I will pay respect to you as a Demon Lord, by

killing you. You will kill me, and I will kill you. Even if
it felt like a pain, I’m sure that’s what I should have
done.”

Even when all he did was stand, even when it’s not like
his power rose at all, a premonition of my entire body being
swallowed up made my arms tremble. I frantically moved
my crushed body, and touched whatever was pressing down
on me with the Holy Sword. An invisible something was
ripped through, and vanished. My body was released. I
landed over the carpet. I had a slight hope, but it doesn’t
look like Leigie took any damage.
 I let out a short breath. My head hurt so much it felt it
would split. I didn’t have enough oxygen. I didn’t have
enough Mana. I’m sure my heart felt fear. Before the
existence who defeated me without me having any means
to resist. It was a form of trauma.

But I’ll ignore that. I had confidence. I had always fought

on. A majority of my enemies had been above me. The
reason I won against them was simply… because I never
gave up.

First, I’ll have to land an attack. A blow with all my

might. My target is the Demon’s heart… his soul core. As
long as Leigie is taking up human form, its location should
be in his left chest… where a heart was supposed to bear. I
can’t release energy at him. I’ll have to slash at him
directly…

I put my breathing in order. My sword was already fully

loaded with power. Teleport, Aport. It will be next to
impossible to approach him, but if I fail the first time, then
perhaps I can close in the second.

I wanted an opening. I chanted magic. Leigie’s

movements were slow. That psychokinesis thing was linked
to the Demon Lord’s movements. I saw that clearly. I cut
away the palm shot at me. It’s difficult to dodge, but as I
thought, it’s fragile. As long as I inflict an attack on it, it’ll
disappear.

White light flickered on and off as it gathered in my left

hand.

With depressing eyes, Leigie looked at me.

“Hah… hah…”
 “… Ah. You’re really looking the part there.”

“『Crescent Thunder』!!”

Leigie’s slovenly posture was swallowed up by the white

thunder I released.

It was a lightning attribute offensive magic possessed by

Heroes. The carpet caught fire, and the throne was taken in
by it. Imbued with a holy element, that lightning was
originally supposed to deal heavy damage to dark forces.
But General Class was one thing, and I didn’t think that it
would have any effect on this Lord.

The moment I fired it, I let my body dance through the

sky. I took flight. The ceiling was high, and I was able to
soar about. I took a great spin, and swooped down to try
and behead him from behind. At that moment, the scene
before me changed. Leigie, who was supposed to be before
my eyes, disappeared, and the blade’s edge cut through the
air. I had predicted it before hand, so I didn’t stiffen up. I
carefully examined the power of my foe. Aport. There’s no
forewarning of it. I can’t go against it. From before Leigie’s
eyes, I had been transported to the end of the room. A wall
close in up to my nose. I was able to tell the Demon Lord’s
positioning in an instant. When I’m this close, then I can
tell every one of his actions, even without looking at him. I
hit down the invisible hand lowered on me with my sword,
and ripped through it.

I kicked the wall, and moved my wings again, as I

accelerated towards him. Ours eyes met. Those eyes of his
were certainly keeping up with my movements. I put power
into the sword, and simultaneously sent out an incantation-
less 『 Cresent Thunder 』 . Leigie’s befuddled expression
disappeared into the light. I continued to raise my speed
even further, and dived straight into the light. The moment
I entered it, I heard a voice from within.

“AS I thought, I’m not suited to killing… hah… it

was something I already knew, but…”

Leigie’s presence disappeared. No, it moved. From in

front of my eyes, to behind. This time, it wasn’t that I had
moved, but Leigie. A few meters to my rear.

Mater transportation. It truly is a fearsome power. But

sometimes, such fearsome power comes with restrictions.
Is it effective time? Distance? Or perhaps limited uses?

I won’t give him the time. Can he use it consecutively?

Various thoughts flew through my head. I began moving a
speed that felt it would make my heart burst. It doesn’t
really matter if I die. My body creaked as it displayed
abilities beyond my limits. My consciousness accelerated. I
turned around, and shot lightning again. Speed and power.
I want an opening. Just a small gap, a space of a single
breath is enough. Without him avoiding, a small space
without him using a Skill.

I shortened the few meters in an instant. I instinctively

cut off the invisible power lowered on my right arm. I
kicked the ground. My step was too powerful, and my right
ley let out an ominous sound. It’s likely broken. I don’t feel
any pain. I don’t really care.

Having had Mana poured into it past its limit, the blade
of the Holy Sword expanded. A materialization of pure
energy, a sword of light. Just one step. One more step, and
I’ll reach him. Leigie turned his eyes from my blade, and
directed his gaze on my hand.
 At that moment, my field of vision fell. As If I were falling,
I approached the ground. My mind went blank for an
instant. I tried to move my arms, but they wouldn’t move.
What I should have had held up before me, the sword that
should have been in my grasp, was falling alongside me.

An impact. My chin hit against the carpet. My arms won’t

move. My legs won’t move. As if I were watching a long
dream, my body lacked a sense of reality. And it was there,
that I finally noticed my arms weren’t connected to my
body. A heat as if to burn through my body broke out
through my torso. It was, as if to corrode away my body,
moving up.

I didn’t feel any pain. The arms that casually rolled on the
ground before me. Still clutched around the Holy sword,
their cross section, as if finally remembering their original
form, began to spurt out blood. My conscious became
distant at once. I somehow withstood that with will power,
and glared at my arms.

It was a slash. My disembodied arms. It was something

that I had seen time and again on the battlefield, the traces
left behind by a blade.

… That can’t be… when did he…

Leigie wasn’t holding a sword. When I had just been a

step away from reaching him, the Demon Lords hands were
surely empty. This is bad. It isn’t such a bad thing to die,
but it’s bad for an incomprehensible attack to assail me
now. I don’t have any more time. Having lost its weilder,
the Holy Sword’s power would dwindle the more time
passed.

Right before my consciousness was to go out, Leigie

looked down over me, and muttered.
 “… Do you know of dolls? Hah…”

… Human… form… My flickering sight. On those words, I

finally realized that a power besides that of Leigie had been
close. Human… form. Leigie Slaughterdolls. The last name
was one’s way of life, and his way was Slaughterdolls.

I… see…

“It was a nice match, Hero. My regrets have, more

or less… died down, perhaps.”

“Don’t… screw with… me.”

Regrets have… died down? Nice match?

Not yet. I’ve yet to lose. I had stepped in more than

enough. The distance to Leigie was already less than a
single Meter. There was still power left in the Holy Sword.

“Don’t… look down on a 『Hero』!!”

The form of the Demon Lord turning his back to me right

above. A clear gap. I wrung out my remaining power, and
yelled. A new 『 Cause of Death: Blood Loss 』 message
came up, and I revived. Jumping up, I moved forward.

In concert with my will, the sword sparkled. The

strongest blow. With all my Mana, with all my existence
backing it, that blow closed in on the Demon Lord’s back.
At around the same time, the heat ran up my chest again,
but it’s too late. The tip of the sword pierced into his left
chest from behind.

“… So you were… still alive…?”

“Wha…”
 This can’t be…

The sword I had wrung out all my power into. The strike
that should have pierced through his flesh, and then his
Soul Core, had come to a stop. My hand felt numb. I felt a
hart response all over my arm. The heat and pain
encroaching on me, bit by bit. I ignored whatever response
was sent by my sense of pain, and rotated the holy sword.

It’s no good… he’s too hard. I got through his flest, but I
couldn’t inflict anything on his core.

I have… no chance of winning. Just like before. No matter

how much courage I wring out of myself, no matter how
much Mana I have, no matter how many Skills I learn, no
matter how far I withdraw, if I can’t even damage him, my
victory is… impossible.

My knees buckled, and the ground closed in on me.

Power was leaving my body. What was pierced was my own
left breast… the aim was my soul core. It’s a fatal wound.

It’s… alright. I’m not scared. I won’t lose. I’ll beat him. I
have to beat him. If I don’t stand here… then who will?

I’m sure that my heart… has yet to break. If Leigie’s

regrets were to be me, then the final regrets left in me…
the reason I, reluctantly enough, fought on half by habit,
yet still chost to stand on the battlefield after death… That
reason must be… none other than this Demon Lord.

A scene like a revolving lantern passed through my head.

Without being able to move a single eyelid, I died.

＊＊＊＊＊
 If I wasn’t able to find any particular reason, then I’m
sure that was the reason that I had no choice but to live in
solitude.

My grey rat-colored hair was constantly bathed in a

highly concentrated Mana of light, and at some point, it
had changed to a vivid silver color. It wasn’t just an
ordinary silver, but a silver close to blue.

No matter how many times I looked at it, the silver blue

hair reflected at me never truly felt like my own. Even
though, by now, I should have been accompanied by that
silver a far longer time than my association with that gray.

The form reflected in the water’s surface, smoothed over

lie a mirror.

All that was there was a single Hero. An aloof hero.

Having obtained the epithet of 『 Silver Blue 』 by others
before she noticed it, a lone Hero.

Serge of the Silver Blue. Serge Serenade. Not taking

about a single comrade, the one who continued to fight
against the enemies of humanity. The sword of hope.

“Haha… ha…”

My laughing voice was shaking.

The Hero Class was powerful. It was to force a single

human to live the life of a single sword. It improved the
human body to fight against those of evil. It enhanced
physical strength, inflated one’s Mana, and granted
powerful Skills. Enough that a village girl who had yet to
even come of age, could fell monsters by her hand. The
only thing that one couldn’t obtain with the Class itself, was
the all important 『Courage』 . That alone was something
one had to make do with their own efforts.

Strong. Its power was certainly strong. But even so, I was
scared.

My breath was rough. My hands shook, and my heart

gave a heavy beat. I looked at the palm of my hand. Having
overcome hundreds of thousands of dark forces, yet come
out without a single wound, those white and elegant
fingers, as if to reflect the inside of my heart, were shaking.

I clenched my fist. It was a fear I’d tasted countless

times, and nothing to me at this point. To those cut down by
me, they must have felt a fear much greater than this.

As if to encourage me on, the Holy Sword gripped in my

right hand gave a small pulse. I wonder when it was that I
noticed whispering to myself would more or less calm me
down. Perhaps it was in that distant time when I first
started fighting against abnormal monsters. If that wasn’t
the case, then surely I would have… broken long ago.

“I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I’m
not scared. I won’t lose. I won’t lost. I won’t lose. I
won’t lose. There’s no way I can… lose.”

Even if I never had anything precious. Even if I never had

any comrades to fight alongside me.

I just looked ahead. There was no one to listen to me. No,

there never should have been. As if to read off a line to
myself alone, I whispered.

“I mean, I’m… a Hero.”

 I strongly gripped the sword. The smell of blood and iron
and death. The presence of war, and the abnormal cries. A
battlefield where, if a normal man were to happen upon it,
he would all but fall to madness.

Even if I was bad at talking with people, I could cut down

monsters. No matter how helpless I may be, as long as I
don’t let it reach my face, no one will notice. That’s why, no
matter how far I went, I accomplished my role as a Hero.

I packed power below my navel, concentrated my

attention on my heart, and excited the Mana over my entire
body. Concentration great enough for it to take on tangible
form, silvery blue Mana blew over as a wind, and drew
spirals as it circled up around me. The wails of the magic
beasts ceased. The spirits invisible to my eyes trembled,
the world stopped.

Within that noisy world, I was alone.

“See, aren’t I… strong?”

Having I gained the Hero Class, and rushed across a

countless number of battlefields, there was something I
came to understand.

Heroes were weapons. Even if there was no technique in

their arms, and no good in their hearts, they were envoys of
light that could cut down anything with their pure volume
of Mana. Those needlessly powerful Skills, and the Holy
Sword that inflicted enormous damage on the vassals of
darkness were merely a byproduct of that.

I remember the words once imparted on me by the king

of a country I stopped by long ago.
 … Hero Serge, never forget that the lives of tens of
thousands of civilians rest on your back. Every time you
hesitate, human lives will perish. Every time you retreat,
human lives will perish. If you’re to ever face defeat, then…
a countless number of lives that could have been saved will
be lost forever.

『… Yes…』

Back then, I had thought it a horribly selfish thing to

impart such a burden on a simple little girl But it’s also a
truth that I found solace in it.

A light like an aurora emitted from my sword. That

beautiful spectrum that had entranced me the first time I
emitted it, after tens and hundreds of uses, was only
something I had grown accustomed to.

The grotesque eyes gathered on me. All sorts of seeds to

become the enemies of humanity. Against the forms of
various monsters, I smiled with my face alone, and let a
light that was nothing but bright flow out from my Holy
Sword.

“…”

The first time, I let out an unsightly cry. Because if I

didn’t, my mind would have been paralyzed by fear. But
now, I don’t even have to raise a single word.

I inhaled in a shallow breath of air. I exhaled. With just

that, I could divert my fear. I overwrote it with fighting
spirit. The point I became a Hero was the point I cast away
my tears.

From a hill overlooking a vast land, I ran as if intending

to tumble. No matter how steep the slope, I was never
tripped up. If it was just for a short time… I could even soar
through the sky. I trampled over all the obstacles.
Enhanced by my power as a Hero, my physical abilities
didn’t fall short of a magic beast’s.

Every time I swung the Holy Sword, the monsters would

be bisected in a flash, and the lightning would strike
through them. My visual and auditory senses and all else
were taken in by blood. The feel of cutting into meat,
repelling the survivors. Normal beings of the monster race
held dreadful figures, but to me, they were nothing more
than scraps of paper. In just one swing of the sword, the
monster that would have taken hundreds of human lives
was killed.

My objective was always… the ones clad in the greatest

miasma. The enemies of humanity.

On the battlefield, in the center of a wasteland, I found

them. Among piles of corpses. The greatest for of Evil Spirit
to appear on the Surface World. With numbers countable
on a single hand, they could take down an entire country.
And before those strongest Evil Spirits, I alone brandished
my sword.

My own foolishness no longer produced anything from

me but a quivering laugh. Friends? Comrades? Something
like that… there’s no way I could have anything like that.

A Hero’s power was something extraordinary. Even

among those that held the Hero class, the one heralded as
the strongest was me… there’s no way there was anyone in
humanity who could keep up.

＊＊＊＊＊

My consciousness returned.
 “… So you can still stand… that’s strange… I’m sure
you should be dead by now…”

By the time I realized it, I had already stood up again.

What raced through my head were the battlefields I once
ran across. The lantern turn itself for but an instant. I
knew. What’s left in me is… not courage, but just my
dignity as a Hero.

“I’m… not… scared.”

The Holy Sword was the same as before. As if to cheer

me up, it let out a glimmer. I followed my experience, and
at the presence I sensed behind, I turned my body, and let
the Holy Sword come down. The weight I felt on my arms.
The sharp sound of metal colliding.

What had appeared at some point in time, something with

its entire body shrouded in black armor, locked blades with
me. If it was just in physical strength, the other side had
the advantage. It was a fearsome force, and a fearsome
speed, but in technique, I’m… the greater. Two strikes,
three strikes, our blades met one another, but on the third
time, what it should have blocked with its sword, it took
with its body. Caring not for the flesh it bisected, the Holy
Sword cut through that trunk of a body from left to right.

There was a tough resistance, but I was certain of my

target’s destruction. The body close to two meters in size
vanished, and on top of the bloodstained carpet, what took
its place was a black chess piece divided in two.

The Fortis Authority could return light to my eyes. But

the rolling piece wasn’t to become my threat again.

I overcame my shaking body with fighting spirit, and

confronted the Demon Lord again. I pretended not to notice
the hopeless chances of victory swirling about my head.

“… What is… with that…”

“… I won’t… lose…”

The Demon Lord quietly sat back on the throne. While

furrowing his brow, there was no sign of him initiating
another attack.

If I can’t pierce through his core, I’ll have to aim for his
neck. If not the neck, then an arm or a leg. Anyways, I’ll
have to inflict just a little damage…

I gripped the Holy Sword in both hands. I can’t hear

anything. I can’t see anything. I can’t understand anything.
I stepped in, and swung to take his neck. The muscles of
my arms cramped up, and let off creaking sounds. I paid no
mind to my own damage.

Leigie wasn’t even looking at me. He let out a sigh, and

opened his right hand. The space before my eyes turned
pitch black. But the kinetic energy I had given my body did
not die down. My sword was definitely coming towards
Leigie’s head, and…

There was so much resistance, it felt like my heart was

painted out.

Wh… y… his skin is…

“…”

I couldn’t let out my voice. I frantically tried to scream. I

was able to pierce him before. I was definitely able to
pierce all the way to his soul core, and yet now my blade…
won’t enter his flesh!
 What!? How!? Why!?

The character string appeared again. I didn’t even give

the 『 Cause of Death: Destruction of Soul Core 』 a
second glance. I can’t move at all. Only my field of vision
turned left and right. Within my stagnant time, I thought.

Is it that I can’t rend his bones? No. I didn’t make it to

the bone. It stopped on his first layer of skin. If it was metal
armor, I would have sliced through with ease, and I could
just as easily cut through the barrier of any high class
magic barrier, yet a hard sensation remained in the Holy
Blade. It was, strangely enough, the… same as the last
thing that had been left in my hands in my final battle as a
hero.

Until just now, until this moment… it definitely got

through!!

My heart shuddered like never before. Having obtained

『 Fortis 』 , there was a great unrest I felt when I
experienced death for the first time. This was an impact
surpassing that.

『Brave Heart』 shook. I’m sure it was a Skill that was

supposed to be peerless. The path that I never lost sight of,
despite my fear and my shivers, was starting to feel
unsteady.

Before the selections laid out before me, my will to stand

whispered quietly to me. The simple 『YES』 and 『NO』
gained greater meaning that ever before, as they pressed
down on my choice.

『Do you still have the will to fight on?』

 『 Before a great darkness, before an existence
much greater than your own, do you have the reason
to stand and face him?』

『Do you have the courage?』

The magician’s old words echoed with them.

『 Serge, you have the right to choose. To live as a

hero to light up the dark, or… to waste your entire life
as a normal civilian…』

I would think back to that question from time to time. If

perhaps I had chosen the path of a normal person, then
would it truly have been so useless? Perhaps it was my life
as a hero, and my afterlife as a Valkyrie, descended to
repeat endless battles day after day after day that was the
wasted one?

The answer had yet to come. That’s why, just once more…

By the phenomenon brought about by my Fortis Skill, my

extracted Soul Core was brought back to life. Light blessed
my eyes once more, and from the depths of my body
gushed up the heat of life. It was an uplifting feeling as if to
blow away my fears.I’m sure that for all this time, Fortis
Angels have fought on with nothing but that courage as
their weapon.

My hazy vision came into focus. At some point in time,

Leigie’s gaze from his seat on the throne had quietly
directed itself down on me.

“Ye s… I’ll fight…”

 “Hero, could it be… you can’t die? Even if your heart
is destroyed, you’ll revive?”

As I thought, unlike Gloria, this Demon Lord knowns not

of my authority.

In Leigie’s right hand, that should have been empty, a

transparent crystal appeared. That item that was basked in
the glimmer of a finally cut diamond, was promptly crushed
in his palm.

Light was extracted from my eyes again. Of course, I had

never seen it in my eyes before, but I understood by
instinct. That was… my heard.

『Aport』

It couldn’t be… no, there’s nothing… else I can think of.

Matter transportation from within my body. 『 Cause of
Death: Destruction of Soul Core 』 . The words danced
before my eyes.

A ridiculous power. A peerless… ability. Be it Angel or

Demon, no matter how strong they may be, there wasn’t a
single one who could live without their heart.

… Besides me.

I no longer have any hesitation. My spirit blazed up. In

order to clear away all the darkness. In order for my
existence to hold meaning. That’s why I became a Hero!

Death distanced itself. The feeling of nihility assailing my

body was overwritten with the reality of life. I clenched my
teeth, and stood up again. Again and again. I’ll stand as
many times it takes. You’ll see.
 “I won’t… lose…”

“Hero… I… see… Hero.”

The blade I put my might behind, my wishes behind, was

brought to a halt by Leigie standing still. He stopped the
Holy Sword that, if he were a Demon, if he was one in
cahoots with darkness, it should have burned through his
entirety. It wasn’t his neck. The blade came into contact
with his unhealthy-looking face, and stooped as if I was
living a nightmare. My hopes were smashed. Not a single
drop of Leigie’s blood flowed. He took it head-on, and
without even making preparations to defend, he took on the
power of a Hero, and the light to destroy all darkness
without a scratch.

I let out a piercing yell, and thrust again. Leigie didn’t

dodge. But what I aimed at his left chest was stopped
without even piercing the flesh. It’s no good… he’s hard…
he’s too hard. The skin I was able to get through once, I
couldn’t pierce again.

“Hey, please tell me one thing, Serge.”

Should I retreat? Should I pull back once, and face him

again? Can I even face him? Is there… an existence that
can triumph over this Lord? There is. There has to be… In
the heavens, there were plenty of those wielding powers
greater than mine. If it’s them, then…

… Right, the Demon World… if I pull him out of the

Demon World, perhaps I can win. But am I… capable of
such a feat?

“Hey, Serge Serenade.”

 I thrust the blade, and receiving an additional attack,
Leigie didn’t direct the slightest hostility at me. I struck my
lightning into him. The world was filled with light, and the
intense discharge caused an echoing sound, but the voice
reverberating from within it didn’t stop.

“Can you… not die? Is your valor, your courage… a

result of your lack of death?”

“…”

The lightning disappeared.

The abyss was peering into me. The abyss was

questioning me. A black to suck in all sorts of light. Those
darkness colored irises were examining me.

“Courage born of an inability to die. Could that

truly… be called the work of a 『Hero』?”

I’m sure it was an honest query. There was no good or

bad intent behind it. But I cannot listen to him. I can’t deal
with him head-on.

I can’t be brought in by the darkness. Rather than my

heart shattering, I was much more afraid of my will falling
apart. The question lasted a few seconds. There was no
answer. But I didn’t remove my eyes from him.

The Demon Lord moved. Separating from the throne, one

step forward. The slash I released in desperation, Leigie
received with the palm of his hand. The Holy sword slid
through and cut off half his hand frighteningly easily.

“… Ah, I see. So you were a 『 Cheat 』 , same as

me…”
 I never thought an attack would get through. For an
instant, my thoughts froze. Like a separate lifeform, his
fingers flew off, and rolled along the carpet.

Without paying any attention to them, Leigie’s face

continued to approach me. The bags stuck under his eyes.
The mediocre face of a man one couldn’t see as anyone
strong. His breath hit an area around my ear.

“It’s fine. You’ve no need to despair… if it’s me, I

can issue an end to your life without death.”

Differing from before, a cold Mana started welling up. I

instinctively tried to retreat back, only to notice my legs
would no longer move. Leigie’s face had approached to a
few centimeters before me. In his eyes, reflected the scene
of my features freezing over. The chill gradually rising up
from my feet. I tried wringing out my power, but my lower
body wouldn’t budge in the slightest.

“… Sleep for the rest of your days. I won’t forget

you.”

The tips of my fingers were iced over. The area below my

navel lost its power, and my face was suspended. I didn’t
feel any pain. Only my heat was being robbed away. A cold
something was passing over my spine. It wasn’t just a
hallucination.

Leigie raised a quiet voice like one of a parent to their

child.

“I think I’ll… wait for the next Hero, whom I’m not
even sure exists.”

“Ah… ah…”
 The nature of Leigie’s power had changed. From one the
was simply heavy, to one heavy and cold. His finger was
fixed on my chin. I didn’t look down. I can’t see what’s
becoming of my body. But I know. My time is stoping. My
Soul Core is freezing. Everythign I have in me is losing its
heat. My body, my will.

Is this… death? The ice came up to my chest. Slowly, and

as if to harass me, oh so quiet. But it was certain. Contrary
to my desire, my lips began to move.

“Am I… going to… die?”

“No, you’re not going to die. You’re going to end.

Thank you for staying as my enemy. You can… rest
now.”

A one-sided verdict. His calm words, and his dark eyes.

My chest was frozen over, and it continued up my collar to
cover my throat.

Yeah, I already knew. I’m sure… this is… the end. The
Holy Sword lost its light. My arm had frozen through long
ago, and it wouldn’t move in the slightest. Even if that
blade had still been clad in light, I no longer had the hands
to move it. From the core of my body, I was frozen. No, this
must be just as the Demon Lord said… suspension. Even
with my breast frozen over, the selection didn’t appear to
me. It was a phenomenon I had never seen before. No, if
you count the time I felt it when I lost my human body, this
was my second… end.

“…”

My voice would no longer come out. Unrest. My emotions

were rocked by an incomprehensible wave. Regrets?
Hesitations? Anger? Grief? Or perhaps… Relief? I don’t
know anymore. I don’t know anything.

What I heard at the end was, differing completely from

the rewards of foreign kings, and the ovations of the people
I saved, and the oracles given to me by the Angels,
uncalculated, and honest commendation.

“Until we meet again, my old friend.”

 Chapter 16
Source: Yoraikun Translation

REPORT

TL: This one didn’t take an hour, so here. Support the

author today, buy The Lazy King Volume one
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4047308528/

Just Take it as it Comes

… Thus, the Lord was there. Today as well.

The transcendent being. An ancient and great Demon.

The master of Depravity and Sloth. The eternal ruler.
Slaughter Dolls. Evil God. Leigie Slaughterdolls. The…
master I am to serve.

The Lazy King. His existence itself evaded all the

glimmering lights of creation. A King of darkness. From the
endlessly distant past, a Demon who reigned over this
world.

“Good work… my liege.”

“… Yeah.”

Having woken up for the first time in a long while, Leigie-

sama’s behavior hadn’t changed in the slightest. The jet
black throne. It was said to have existed long before the
Castle of Shadows was completed, It was the only seat that
the Lazy King alone was permitted to sit in. I sent it a
hollow glance.

What was at the end of my eyes was a single girl. Vibrant

silver hair and eyes. Her somewhat innocent eyes gave off a
strong, and dangerous sort of charm, and the pure white
wings growing from her back gave off a strong light, even
in the darkness, as if to display her will. But she wasn’t to
move again. From her feet to the roots of her hair, she was
covered with a highly transparent wall of ice, and now, she
looked nothing more than a work of art.

Valkyrie. A mere shadow of what once was Serge

Serenade of the Silver Blue. That beautiful form enough to
make my heart skip a beat, regardless of the fact I was a
Demon, or that I was of the same gender, caused my
feelings to move a little.

“… How was it?”

The words I unintentionally let out had exceeded my

authority. With my only role being to offer assistance to
Leigie-sama, I did not have the right to ask of his opinion.
Even if… Leigie-sama himself held no strong emotion
towards that fact. It was of the server and the served, the
servant and the lord. A clear line.

Without even taking a fleeting glance at me, Leigie-sama

spoke, as if giving a soliloquy alone.

“… Alright, I guess… when it’s all over, this is all to

remain… That’s how most things go in the world,
anyways…”

It’s not… alright.

 The figure of him letting out a deep sigh truly gave off the
impression that he felt nothing at all. But I had a slight idea
of it.

One governing Sloth, Leigie-sama personally waited on

the throne, and he let out his impression in more than three
words.

Of course, no matter how long I had been in service to

him, my Lord’s Will wasn’t something someone of my lowly
status should have been judging, but… I’m sure that an
emotion other than Sloth had moved him. For some reason,
it pained me.

Even if understanding that fact was what truly was

beyond my authority.

“It seems I’ve… become too strong… I’m not sure if

she came too early or too late… No, it’s all just
useless supposition.”

The black briefcase propped up against the throne

transported itself to his hand. It was a power to draw in
whatever one wanted. Within my long years of service, that
power that even I had never seen before was one that
Leigie-sama had obtained quite recently. A power
transcending Demon Lord Level.

Perhaps the clasps hadn’t been fastened properly, as the

contents were exposed. Inside, numerous chess pieces had
been stuffed. It was one of Leigie-sama’s few personal
belongings. Chess pieces. It’s not definite what era they
were manufacuter in, but the pieces were pitch black.

At the start, there were likely six types, sixteen pieces in

total, but now, there were numerous empty spaces dotted
around it. the Pawn that had been split cleanly in half
teleported, and filled in one of those holes. Though a piece
that had once died shouldn’t be able to be used again.

They were weapons. Boasting the epithet Slaughter Dolls,

Leigie-sama’s important, and unique weapons. They had
likely been by his side for far longer than I had ever served
him…

Originally, I should have been the one to pick it up for

him. I knew that. I knew, but I couldn’t get any closer.
Leigie-sama’s expression was just too sad, too depressed…
even though it wasn’t through fear, my body wouldn’t
move. His power had been too far above, and he couldn’t
stand alongside the one he wanted most. That body of his
was unbelievably greater than that of all the Demon Lords
who underestimated, and despised him.

No matter how many years passed, how many tens of

hundred of thousands of tens of thousands of years were to
pass, he was too far for them to even see his feet.

Leigie-sama slowly moved his right hand back and forth.

“… My liege, what may be the matter?”

“… You’ve been being quite… annoying for a

while…”

“!? Annoying… is it?”

The words suddenly directed at me made it feel as if my

heart was to stop, but I soon realized that wasn’t the case.
Leigie-sama’s eyes were watching some far off place that
wasn’t here. Somewhere much to distant for my eyes to
see. I’m here to look after my lord. For that sake, I
underwent training, and a majority of my life had been
devoted to that. But how deplorable it was there there were
still things I was incapable of. Even if I knew that was just
my ego speaking…

“Ah… hah… even if I have the means, what a pain it

is… if I ignored them, I doubt it would become a
problem, but no matter what, they catch my
attention.”

“… Is there anything that I can do?”

“Ah… no, you may leave. Iyo.”

After letting out a deep sigh, Leigie-sama raised his face,

and pointed to the ice sculpture with sluggish movements.

“Please bring that over to my room.”

“Your room… is it?”

“Yeah.”

“Understood.”

Without asking any more, I gave a deep bow. I folded my

hips, and put both hands to my apron.

The opponent he went as far as to sit on the throne for.

He probably has much to think of. He drove both me and
Medea out, and wished to confront that opponent alone. He
must have much to consider.

I approached the ice sculpture, and touched it with the

tips of my fingers. It held no temperature. It was neither
cold nor warm. What looked like ice, but couldn’t be, was
surely a seal. A fragment of the power that had sealed all
the land in ice a year ago.
 If by this result, Leigie-sama is saved in the slightest,
then that’s fine. I won’t think anything of it.

The brief case in his hands disappeared. To where it

originally should have been… likely a corner of Leigie-
sama’s room. Up to quite recently, that had been my role,
but I had not the right to complain of his selection to use a
Skill to transport it in an instant.

I should merely find joy in the grand task of transporting

this statue. I’ll care for Leigie-sama, and at the same time,
receive from him. In the distant past, that was the relation
my first ancestor that came in service to Leigie devised.

“It’s no good… all of it just seems… tiring.”

His ghastly gallant expression sent a glance towards my

feet.

Our eyes met. As he often never looked one in the eye

when speaking, it was quite a rare occurrence. An impact
like an electric shock raced from my legs up my spine, and
that alone caused my body to stiffen. It was an impulse
similar to pleasure, and quite an honor for me. Gaining
recognition from one who governs Sloth such as Leigie isn’t
something that happens too often.

His lips formed my name. My heart shook and heated up.

I caution myself not to let it show on my complexion too
much. I am but a loyal servant.

“Lorna?”

“… Yes…”

But the next words to come out of his mouth had

completely exceeded my imagination. Nonchalantly, truly
listlessly, he gave out that declaration.

“I’ll grant you some free time.”

“… Eh…?”

I didn’t know what he was trying to say. After a few

seconds, I finally comprehended, and the truth hit me like a
pan to the face. A vertigo greater than anything I had ever
felt before. All before my eyes went pitch black. The
candles were properly lit, yet the entire world seemed
heavy and dark.

I naturally put my hands to my ears, and shook my head.

My heart stopped for a moment, before starting itself up
with a beat that felt it would rupture. Misheard … no,
there’s no way I would ever mishear Leigie-sama’s words.
My lip trembled. I tried to take a deep breath to calm
myself, but was pressed for air. The words that came out
after several seconds quite cut up, contrary to my will.

“Ha… have I… made some… sort of err.. hic.. or?”

My words mixed in with my tears were nothing suited of

Leigie-sama’s perfect servant. Before the overwhelming
wave of emotion, it felt like all the training I had done to
now had been meaningless.

No… just crying would be… more decent. Without

noticing the reverberation of my soul core, that felt like it
would shatter itself at any moment, Leigie-sama answered.

“No… wrong. My regrets have… faded. I have yet to

see my future prospects. So I’ll just sleep… and
wait…”

“… What will you do… about your meals?”

 “They’re unnecessary. In the first place, eating is
unnecessary to me.”

“… Cleaning the room is…”

“I can sleep anywhere.”

“… Y-your clothing is…”

“… Iyo.”

Perhaps it became a pain, as he only returned one word

in the end. But his face didn’t give off the impression he
was speaking a joke. In the first place, Leigie-sama doesn’t
do anything as troubling as joke around.

The role I had been given in life was to follow Leigie-

sama’s mighty will. My predessor, and the all the
predecessors before her had lived their lives just like that.
If this truly is what Leigie-sama wishes for, if I truly will be
an obstruction to him… I must swallow up my tears, and
depart from my master’s presence. No, while we’re at it… it
would be best for me to die. Right. Death would be the
better option. I know not any other way to live. I have
nothing that I want to do.

I knew. I had realized it long ago. There’s no way I

couldn’t have. To Leigie-sama, my devotion… no, my
ancestors devotion included, all of it was something liss
than garbage. Leigie-sama was able to live his life alone.
The one relying on his grand power had been me.

I asked for confirmation once more.

“… So you… don’t need me any longer?”

“Iyo.”
 Leigie-sama gave a truly curt response.

My thoughts turned at full throttle. Not needed… no,

what should I… …

For the first time ever, I tried arbitrarily interpreting his

words.

Iyo… I’m satisfied with your work… no, I’ll leave it to you.

“… My liege… no, Leigie-sama… I want to serve you

no matter what… um, well, I’ll do any… thing… just as
always… can you not keep me by your side?”

“Iyo.”

Leigie-sama’s short answer.

Iyo… I am satisfied with your work… no, I’ll leave it to

you.

He’s going to leave it to me… Then I can do whatever I

want…

“T-thank you, Leigie-sama… for your lenient

judgement, I hold the greatest of gratitude.”

As I timidly presented my flawed proposition, Leigie-sama

stared at me with eyes as if to say, ‘this one sure is a pain,’
but he didn’t say anything. My field of vision was bluring. I
deeply lowered my head.

By the time I raised it, Leigie-sama’s figure had already

disappeared. I’ll bet her returned to his bedroom.

I looked towards the carpet that was a mess, and the

cracked walls. It’s unthinkable for me to leave such
wreckage in the Throne Room. I’ll have to fix it… And after
that I’ll have to make Leigie-sama’s, and Medea’s meals…
It may be best to start the preparations for Leigie-sama’s
right now. Of course, it’s not going to pose much of a
problem right now, but so as not to abandon it, I should
properly carry out my duty…

I started to put together the list of things I had to do, as I

cast my eyes onto the ice sculpture of Serge Serenade. It
was a quiet expression, without rage or sadness, or fighting
spirit. I have no idea what she had been thinking at that
moment.

Even if I had my theories, the nature of Leigie-sama’s

regrets remained unknown to me. I can’t really ask him,
and even if I do, I doubt I’ll get an answer.

But I’m sure…

“Leigie-sama, your regrets will… fade away

someday…”

I was not a unit for war. Just a simple maid, that existed
to take care of the matters around Leigie-sama.

But the state of affairs was all within my head. My clan.

The clan of shadows in service to Leigie-sama didn’t just
consist of me and Hiero. Back in ancient times, in the
Demon World covered in a high casualty rate, with Leigie-
sama’s protection as our base, the gradually expanding
clan had become the one with the greatest scale in the
world. They were scattered all about it.

The information gathered from all over spoke tales of it.

Of the start of Heard Lauder’s rebellion. Of how the state
of the Demon World, that had been stagnant for so long,
was finally on the move. And power was naturally drawn
towards greater power. Right. Just like… the moths drawn
to the flames of a torch.

Vanity Seidthroan’s movements. The movements of the

Angels and Valkyries descending. Shifts great enough that
the Great Demon King’s army couldn’t turn a blind eye to
it.

Of all else, the one that seemed to be the greatest pain

was… the 『Church』’s movements.

I’m perhaps the only one to know of it. Only the one who
adores you so. What my power of Luxuria told me about
you, your 『Power』, my dear.

Governing over Sloth, the 『Evil God』.

Even when put against to the ruling power of the Demon

World, the Demon Lords, it must be something
incomparably heavy. It wasn’t just that his power was
strong. The meaning behind the God in his title.

The second greatest power in the Demon World. The first

was the 『Great Demon King’s Army』 . The second, the
『Malign Deity Faction』.

But that power balance is being destroyed by a reduction

in the Demon Lords allied to Kanon. With their creed at the
base, the discipline of that Church that suppressed its own
desires for a greater cause was abnormal. It’s not like they
were strong, simply… abnormal. For those ones that revere
the Evil God, as unworthy as they may be, it’s likely they
will target his personage. All I’m permitted to do is stay by
Leigie-sama’s side. But I’d like to think that’s more than
enough.
 “Please have some rest, Leigie-sama. Just take it as
it comes…”

The Lazy King. From near and far, those that knew of him
closed their mouths, and those that didn’t waited in fear.
His glory of the past was merely a scratch, a short interval
on his eternity. And little by little, it all fades to gray. But
his majesty is ceaselessly handed down.

I don’t mean to hold any pride about it, but if it is to sate

his boredom, then if he wished for it, I’d always be by his
side.

I took the ice sculpture over my shoulder, and departed

from the throne room.

Now then, in this room, on that throne, will the chance

ever come for him to entrust his body to it again?

As if to extinguish my incoherent thoughts, the door let

out a resounding creak, as it shut closed.
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