The world watched the unfolding scene with much interest. It left them breathless.
The place where the scene unfolded was of no consequence, it didn’t matter if it was the hall of the Royal Palace, the room in a mansion or the town square. Everyone from a citizen to an aristocrat or a person from the beast race, regardless of their race or position, had their eyes fixated on the sight. It could be said that “the world itself” witnessed this 『Event』.
(Editor’s note: I’m putting beast race person since this is the first time mentioning races so it’s meant as a collective term. I don’t know what races are a part of the beast race, so I will be using this term to describe it collectively (think of how humanity describes us))
Spherical video projection equipment made of crystal, namely the crystal ball, makes this possible. There was at least one in every village, even deserted ones. Regardless of its performance and size, it is an apparatus that brings daily topics to people.
『Today, in the capital Rusento the focus was on the hero Kaito———』
「Oh?」
「What?」
The variety is infinite, from weather forecast to bargaining information or lost child newsflash. This was a symbol of everyday life for the people, but now it was suddenly cut off. Everyone, even those who weren’t listening or watching seriously, was now pointing at the ball. As suddenly as it vanished, the projection reappered with a scene that left everyone stunned. It was something never seen before.
「What is it!?」
「That….isn’t something good」
「A『Castle』? But where is such a castle located?」
Covering the dark sky, as if drilling through the clouds themselves, a huge soaring tower could be seen. The fact that it was made of metal and painted in a dull colour, coupled with its size, made it possible to invoke a huge and intimidating feeling while watching it, sufficient enough to be able to describe it as a 『castle』. Somehow, the colour of the tower emits a strange cold and darkness that makes the person observing it feel a bit anxious.
This made the people who have only seen castles out of stone very frightened. The objective of the person who staged this was exactly this. That is why he wanted to show the view of the whole castle first. This was all made possible because, for a moment, everyone’s attention focused on the crystal ball. Then, the video zoomed in and the number of people who screamed was beyond imagination.
「Hi!」
「Hey, You’re kidding?」
「Iyaaaa!!!」(No, Aaaaaaa!!!)
「Why are these guys reflected in the crystal ball」
The castle itself was a mystery, but now a mult.i.tude of people have gathered around it, almost like it was some kind of national event or something similar. If it was only that, it wouldn’t cause the fear, but the fact is this mult.i.tude of people had horns growing on the corners of their heads, in various shapes and sizes. The fact is, out of all the races, there’s only one with this peculiar characteristic that comes to mind.
———-『Demon race』
Humans have the largest population, but this race is hostile to them. A race with a tough const.i.tution and the highest magical purity – the demon race. Sworn enemies of man, with a history of a long war with the humans. That is what caused people to scream upon seeing them in the crystal ball.
An immeasurable amount of people have tried cutting the video feed, but it remained unrensponsive, moreso because of everyone watching the strange scene. The picture expanded and then focused on a single point, the highest balcony of the castle. Several demons could be seen there, standing their ground and giving off a majestic feeling in their luxurious attire. “He“, showing the most imposing existence of them all stepped forward out of their group. The humans watching this forgot to breathe, as such was the might of the overpowering impression that the gallant man imposed staring at them.
From the corners of his head protruded two huge horns that were angled towards the Heavens. This showed how much of a forceful character he was. His light grey hair and red pupils that looked like they were burning instilled an eerie and brutal feeling into the spectators. Through the crystal ball the crowd of demons and his big form with trained muscles, wearing a red and black armour with a black mantle, were clearly shown to the humans. Though he is going to stand on the battlefield in a moment or so, the feeling he gave off was an aura of n.o.bility, rather than a barbaric one, which made quite an impression on the human n.o.bles.
——Therefore, everyone notices his ident.i.ty and shouts his name almost unanimously.
「No way……Satan?」
「……Satan!」
「Sa, I mean Satan!?」
「How horrible……aaaa, Rimoa-sama save us!」
「Finally Satan came out…….because of that alliance forming!」
『The Satan』, this man evoked different feelings in each individual ranging from anger and resentment to awe. The strongest of the demon race, standing at their top, the largest and most powerful sworn enemy of the human race. Satan, an existence from which you couldn’t avert your eyes, unless you were a coward. In this manner, everyone who wasn’t afraid was watching this intimidating presence of n.o.bility normally found only in kings that could be felt through the transmission, seeping from the crystal ball from that existence, Satan himself.
「First of all, my thanks to my loyal va.s.sals for gathering here today. To the humans listening to this broadcast. Hear me well. I am the king of demons, the 142nd demon lord Genan Girou!」(Girou)
This dignified, but not a coa.r.s.e voice roared throughout the world with the help of the crystal ball. The sheer forcefulness of it made it unable for anyone to move from their spot while watching. Not even the demons could remain unfazed when he was introducing himself. One solitary pair of a male and a female standing behind him did not shudder at the announcement. Still wearing the same stiff expression, only the demon prince and princess were untouched upon hearing the words of their king and father.
「Now, we’ll start right away……I’m very sad」(Girou)
His conduct, gestures and manner of speaking in a sorrowful voice reek of acting, but one could not escape the already incited anxiety in oneself.
“What will Satan suggest?“
「Up until now, we demons have handled the unfair requests and invasions from humanity tolerantly. But now, you have foolishly formed an alliance for a big invasion on our country. Even asking the help of a『hero』, a person from another world with no connection to us for the purpose of destroying us. Downright deplorable. Downright pathetic. It’s even more cowardly than what weaklings do. And I’m embarra.s.sed about everything you’re doing as a person who lives in this world.」
“It’s stupid!“
Only several people in the world uttered this sentence and they didn’t say it because he’s making humans look like fools. They said it because the fact that this alliance is a demon punitive force and that a hero from another world has joined the force is a top secret. On one side, those who knew about it are in utter shock at the capability of the demons intelligence gathering, and on the other side the demons gathered beneath the castle are shouting loudly in protest against this so-called force.
「Can’t they fight with their own strength!」
「Indiscriminate cowards!」
「Involving a person from another world, do you have any shame!」
「Don’t permit the invaders dirty tyrannies!」
「Growing impudent and rising up just because we were soft!」
Voices of more than a hundred thousand demons could be heard shouting. This instilled great fear into those watching through the crystal ball so much that half of the people could only cower from the sheer fright without objecting. It was one-sided denouncing. If left alone, the cry from the demon crowd will turn into a mob, so Satan calmly raised his hand and everyone fell silent.
「I understand your feelings.
………I will not put up with humans running out of control anymore」(Girou)
He might have known it would turn out like this, so he shouted out these prepared words in response to the shouts from the crowd below.
「We’ll show the power of the demons to those human invaders which lay waste to our motherland!!」(Satan)
————–UUOOOOOOOOoooo!!!!!
As if they were waiting for this moment, this Satan’s command, the crowd below, in perfect unison, gave a menacing shout. Witnessing such unity between demons, all human faces turned pale from fear.
However.
It is amazing how many people could die without witnessing the abnormality. Not a single person watching Satan and staring through the crystal ball noticed. Not even the trio of Satan himslef, the demon prince and princess that were standing so close to it noticed the strange abnormality.
「Therefore, in Satan’s name I order you! To humans who have not lear———!!??」(Girou)
Now, everyone was finally able to see that
It was a shadow. Barely irregular, black shadow, in the form that could be called humanoid. Only the white mask resembling the beak of a bird of prey could be seen instead of its face. It couldn’t be recognized until it attacked Satan, and right while everyone was watching. A mysterious aurora light flashed and fresh blood danced in the sky of Satan’s Castle, all in that moment in time.
「Gu!」(Girou)
With this sound escaping from Satan, a single blow and his bulky figure staggered back, his armour was shattered into pieces that scattered all around him.
「Wha, Your Majesty!?」
「Father!?」
Everyone was both surprised and shocked, trembling, at this sudden turn of events, but they finally recognized the black shadow as a humanoid shape wearing black clothes. Now, a shade of crimson red could also be seen shining on this shadow as his right hand with which he swung was covered in blood. This was a truly terrible and terrifying thing, one blow from an ordinary knife-hand of this shadow shattered the armour and made the demon lord stagger.
Editor’s note: Yes, you’re wondering about this knife-hand as well, aren’t you? Well, according to the translation it’s a bare-hand, in the shape of a knife, hand slash, therefore knife-hand. Even though it sounds silly to me, it’s what the author wrote so we’re going with that.
「Guards what were you doing!? How could you permit this a.s.sa.s.sin’s invasion!」
「Medic, faster! Father, your injuries!?」
The red-haired princess, holding her hand on her sword, was scolding the guardsmen who were still dazed from the surprising attack. The gold-haired prince rushed over to ascertain the injury and the state of his father while issuing orders to subordinates.
「Calm down fools!!」(Girou)
Satan’s voice stopped them both in their tracks. He firmly steps on the floor of the balcony in order to prove that he’s safe. While he was wiping his blood the bruise on his chest disappeared. He stares at his opponent that dared injure him in broad daylight.
「………Mysterious」(Girou)
Referring to the blurry outline, he glares at this black shadowy existence before him. The white mask, in contrast to the blackness surrounding this existence, is the only thing that can be seen clearly. It’s giving off an eerie feeling.
「That is a mask………with a familiar white shape resembling that of a bird.
Have you come to take my head, masked a.s.sa.s.sin 『Masquerade』!!」(Girou)
Upon shouting the name of the legend, he swung down his sword to crush him. It’s more accurate to call it an explosion that tore off a part of the balcony rather than a sword. Dust soars from the heavy strike, while the black shadow and his white mask have disappeared.
「Eh……what?」
「……What!?」
In a heartbeat, the black shadow slipped through and entered the castle, leaving only a gust of wind behind. The speed with which he moved could not be described. This was the first time Satan met anyone like that.
「……It’s a lie……What is it with that speed!?」
「I, I couldn’t react at all?」
The gold prince looks back, only to find the shadow gone, while the red princess is still stunned after witnessing the surprising speed of the shadow.
「Wha, what is this……Heck, what does he want!?」
It was a pitiable voice of a man returned back to reality. The sudden event made the man with the same hair colour and eyes as Satan turn blue.
「Storr, this is unsightly! Are you not the person in charge of the guards!!」
「Hiii!」(Storr)
She pressed with bloodshot eyes, removed her sword and placed it on the man’s slender neck.
「Princess, what!?」(Storr)
「The person in charge is responsible. For missing that a.s.sa.s.sin, don’t think your head will be connected with your body tomorrow!!」
「But, why! Why would that guy come out here」(Storr)
「Shut up, you incompetent fool! The projection was your idea. And the result is: the whole demon family has been humiliated in front of the whole world! Be happy I’ll finish it with just thy neck…… if you want to redeem yourself, kill the intruder!!」
「Of course, what are you lazy guys standing around for. Go find the intruder! And kill him!」(Storr)
The princess was taking her anger out on him so he was forced to take a subordinate and go find the a.s.sa.s.sin. Still, it wasn’t enough so the princess slammed the sword into the wall where Storr was standing just a moment ago. Compared to her father, the power is inferior, yet still strong to lodge the sword into the wall and make a fine crack.
「To think he was approaching and I couldn’t notice!」
「Sister, please don’t take it out on the castle walls」
「 You’re noisy! And what were you doing this whole time!」
「I went to cut the relay! Though most of it was already seen……」
Great, this is just great. Why did something like this happen, she thought while biting her lip in frustration. This a.s.sa.s.sin infiltrated the castle, attacked the top of the demons, Satan himself, and not only did the countries that plan to attack witness it, the whole world saw it all. Moreover, it’s even more painful because we were attacked while declaring war. Even their own people across the 『World』saw this spectacle. I can’t help but think that morale plummeted.
「……Leben, open the connection and relay to the world once again.」(Girou)
Even though he was discouraged by the fight, Satan sternly gives the order to both of them.
「Oh, but」
「Hurry, it’s a royal command!」(Leben)
Even though he was Satan’s son, Satan’s command is absolute. Immediately after the projection resumed, Satan stepped out on the clipped balcony. He raised his voice to speak to the confused crowd before the castle.
「Calm down my people! As you can see I’m safe! A meagre human a.s.sa.s.sin cannot kill me. Seal all exits out of the castle and hunt down the a.s.sa.s.sin!」(Girou)
Demons shuddered at his order. This is what Satan represents to them. Satan, the strongest man who yields to noone and drives oneself harder than anyone. Satan, the strongest king. Their demon blood boiled just from being under the command of such a king.
「Satan is well!!」
「Your Majesty!」
「It’s truly him!」
「Alright, I won’t let one rat escape!」
————-UUOOOOOOOOOOOooooo!!!!!
Another unified roar in response to Satan’s order. They formed a camp so n.o.body could escape from the castle. The ability and charisma he exuded moved the crowd as if nothing had happened. Towards the parent standing proudly in front of them, both children felt awestruck.
“Is this the Satan“ “One day I’ll be at that place“
「I’ll also search!」(Leben)
「He will escape if we leave it to Storr」
Satan doesn’t move while his children join the search for the a.s.sa.s.sin. One reason was that he didn’t want to disappear from the view of his people again, but another and more significant was his responsibility. We will not bother each other anymore. That was the contract.
————But in reality, he hoped that his friend can return home safely.
While muttering to himself, there was a momentary smile.
Okay, I said both chapters will be this week, but it seems my proofreader had some other ideas. I’m constantly pestering him now so the next one should be soon(I hope (-.-) ).