The Lazy King

Chapter 3: Luxuria

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The Lazy King Chapter 3: Luxuria

Part 1: A Demon Lord of l.u.s.t Said, Once Upon a Time

A Demon Lord of l.u.s.t said, once upon a time,

“Even without a.s.sertive 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 refres.h.i.+ng 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.
l.u.s.t 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,
Appet.i.te 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 sc.r.a.ps 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 a.s.saults 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 a.s.set 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 Cla.s.s Demon. I’m often told that I’m small, or unsociable, or that I lack any s.e.x appeal, but that has nothing to do with battle. With the stride of a High Cla.s.s 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 pa.s.sive 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 l.u.s.t Attribute has nothing to do with that. They’re making a grave misunderstanding.
It’s not that… I’m lacking in s.e.x 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 s.e.xual 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 l.u.s.t 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 appet.i.tes.

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 l.u.s.t’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 l.u.s.t 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 l.u.s.t 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 s.e.xually, I mean it physically. That’s why I hate them. No, it’s not like I wanted to be eaten s.e.xually 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 cla.s.s 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 s.h.i.+vers.
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 ma.s.s.

What strength. I didn’t even have the leisure to deceive him.
My General Cla.s.s 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 a.s.sess 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 l.u.s.t 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 surpa.s.sed 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 pa.s.ses 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 s.e.x. 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 h.e.l.l 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, compet.i.tion… 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 h.e.l.l 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 l.u.s.t skill!? Like h.e.l.l… 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 h.e.l.l 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 pa.s.s 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 ma.s.s 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 ma.s.s 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 Cla.s.s…”

“… 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 ma.s.s go?
As if a hole had been opened in s.p.a.ce, the overcoat he wore sucked in all light, leaving only black s.p.a.ce.
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 s.p.a.cing 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 h.o.a.rd 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 ma.s.s 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 fireb.a.l.l.s, 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.

“c.r.a.p, 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 l.u.s.t’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 Cla.s.s Demon deserved.
Glaring at the Lord who was tossing around the soldiers he trained like sc.r.a.ps 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 outcla.s.sed 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 antic.i.p.ated 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 l.u.s.t who embraced her pa.s.sions, 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 Appet.i.te.

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 l.u.s.t-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 appet.i.te.

“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 s.p.a.ce.
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 b.a.s.t.a.r.d 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 h.e.l.l, Devourer!

She lightly dodges the b.a.s.t.a.r.d 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 l.u.s.t 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 s.h.i.+vers 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 ma.s.s.

“… 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 sh.e.l.l 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 l.u.s.t… 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 l.u.s.t Demon, the scent of l.u.s.t 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.

“… d.a.m.n, 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 cla.s.sified 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 b.a.s.t.a.r.d with Celeste from all directions.”

Those words were something I could not believe.
I unintentionally raised my free hand to cover my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Deije’s eyes were serious.

“That can’t be… 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』 is an SS Cla.s.s 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 Cla.s.s 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 h.e.l.l!?”

“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 Cla.s.s 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 swordsmans.h.i.+p level between me and Deije. It’s not just a manner of skill; muscle ma.s.s, 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 t.i.tle. He wasn’t wearing a single ornament.
From inside his black clothing, that looked to be woven with high cla.s.s silk, a sloven plain s.h.i.+rt 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 l

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