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At that moment, in the mobile fortress Mamon.

The battle with the Demon King’s Army continues.

And to ensure a decisive victory in this battle against the Demon King’s Army, it goes without saying that the Hero must step forward.

“It’s not something to say in front of other warriors, but naturally, to defeat the Demon King, the power of the Holy Sword is essential.”

“We’ve talked about this countless times. The Demon King Satan possesses the corrupted Holy Sword.”

“Right. But I sent Lucius to Sky Island. What do you think the reason is?”

“Because there are other heroes.”

“Exactly.”

I placed seven colored magic stones on the desk facing Mamon.

“I’ll exclude the Holy Wind Sword and the Holy Flame Sword for now.”

The Holy Wind Sword is heading to Sky Island, and the Holy Flame Sword is making its way to the Empire.

“The Holy Sword of the Earth is in the Empire, but it doesn’t take action. The Empire thinks it will perish once the Emperor dies.”

“Losing the Holy Sword is tantamount to losing the Empire’s status, after all.”

“Exactly. So it won’t come out of the Empire until the end. It’s impossible for the Emperor to go on an expedition.”

The Holy Sword of the Earth just sits there in the Empire, not making a move, waiting for the enemy to come.

“Among the remaining Holy Swords, which one can move, and what does the Empire trust?”

“…Holy Water Sword.”

“That’s right. Liriez Cesarcross. The leader of the Holy Knight Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.”

I pushed the blue jewel, the Holy Water Sword, stationed in the south of the continent, to the north.

“Let’s join forces.”

“…Is that alright?”

“It’s fine. If it’s Liriez, she’ll know who I am right away. She’ll immediately understand who I am through the Holy Water Sword.”

I shifted Mamon’s position slightly to the south.

“The Empire will question why we move recklessly, but since we’re talking about joining the Hero they summoned, there’s no reason to object.”

“Even if there was another Hero here, they’d probably tell them to advance in a different direction, but since there’s no Hero, they wouldn’t have a reason to complain if we said we’re fighting alongside a Hero.”

Mamon scratched his head.

“The Empire is quite annoying.”

“That’s how they are.”

“Should we just wipe them out? Tell Satan to just destroy the Empire, and then defeat Satan afterward?”

“That is a viable method, indeed.”

Under the premise of killing all humans in the Empire.

“But that’s a ridiculously inhumane perspective for either you or me, and ordinary people would probably think, ‘Oh, that’s a bit much.'”

“Even after everything the Empire has done to them?”

“That’s just how people are. When they’re being mistreated, they feel a rage, but when it comes down to destruction, they feel a bit bad about it.”

“Really? That doesn’t match with us.”

Mamon made a slicing motion with his hand.

“We definitely repay our debts.”

“That’s not the emotion of ordinary people.”

Pity, compassion, things like that.

The Empire tries to utilize such sentiments, but for the sake of our cause, I aim to prevent the Empire’s destruction.

“If the Empire falls, Lucius will be blamed. They’ll say, ‘If only Lucius had come a bit sooner, the Empire wouldn’t have fallen!'”

“You’re quite concerned about Lucius.”

“Well, after all, he is my disciple.”

Lucius has to succeed for me to feel at ease.

At the very least, if I made him of Emperor caliber, even if it turned out, ‘Actually, this guy is the Demon King,’ he would still show some minimal mercy.

“You’re viewing it this leniently since he’s your Master before being the Demon Lord. He’ll be sealed here forever and won’t be able to come out.”

“…Are you considering defeat?”

“I’m just preparing for every possibility. After all, I’ve made him at least the caliber of an Emperor, so I won’t just go and kill him.”

The obliteration of the soul.

That’s a result I do not desire.

“If my identity gets revealed, I’d rather prefer to be sealed somewhere in betrayal.”

“Like in those old tales where the evil Demon Lord gets sealed?”

“Yes. Whether in the Intermediate Realm or wherever, if I’m sealed away, I can just sleep through it.”

Of course.

That’s assuming the story is ‘when defeated’ while my identity is revealed.

“If I achieve what I want, I’ll leave the Intermediate Realm. If it were up to me, I’d want to leave right now, but I can’t because of those wretched fellows.”

“Asydia.”

“That black wizard gang led by Zephar, I will definitely rip them to shreds.”

This is no joke.

“There is definitely some scheme by Asydia in the Empire’s current movements. The Demon King’s Army cannot be manipulated by Asydia, but under the condition that ‘the Empire will never actively hinder the Demon King’s Army,’ Asydia can move the Empire.”

“Does that mean Asydia has deeply infiltrated the Empire?”

“Exactly.”

Asydia is like a cockroach.

Cockroaches are truly everywhere, yet there are places where they cannot appear.

“I’ll join forces with Liriez.”

To the south.

“Let’s head to Lesvos County.”

The mobile fortress Mamon began to move southward.

*

“So, ways to awaken the Demon God? Well, let’s just ignore it for now.”

“If I knew how to awaken the Demon God, I would have done it 500 years ago.”

“No. You know how. You know how to awaken this Demon God.”

The Emperor asserted.

“500 years ago, you awakened this Demon God to fight the Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor. And I’ve heard that the Demon God was ‘sealed’ here after being defeated in battle against the Great Demon Lord.”

“…….”

“Am I wrong?”

Half of it is wrong, and half is right.

“What do you know?”

“I know everything you know.”

“Well, I don’t think you have recorded the Empire’s shortcomings in detail. Just talking about the one you claim to be the Sun Emperor would likely have that judge add charges of treason and royal defamation to threaten me.”

“Just saying that is an insult.”

“Because it’s the truth.”

The ‘Sun Emperor’ revered by the Empire, in other words, the Emperor from 500 years ago, was much more incompetent and foolish than expected.

“Entier Arpe. Should I have to mention that many people think the name Leberced is the Empire’s middle name, while in fact, it’s the record of achievements of a being different from the Emperor known to the world?”

“…….”

All three of them stiffened their expressions.

Fortunately, neither the judge nor the foreign minister made any strange noises saying, ‘No, that can’t be!’

“The Sun Emperor Entier Leberced Arpe. Although it’s passed down this way now, at that time, it was a totally different name. Oh, seems like it was embarrassing? The history of the Empire?”

“Shut up. The Sun Emperor’s name is Entier.”

“That’s right. Not your whatever-it-is.”

“You….”

The Emperor gritted his teeth and raised his hand.

There’s no reason to be intimidated by the hand trying to threaten me.

“Oh? Doesn’t seem like you want to wake the Empire’s Demon God.”

“…….”

“If you kill me, the way to awaken this Demon God disappears too, you know?”

I leisurely approached the Demon God.

Standing in front of the chest of the Demon God on the extended steel leg, neither the Emperor nor the others could stop me.

Like.

In the depths.

As if welcoming me.

The body of the Demon God, which had been stiff as a rock, began to tremble slowly.

” N-no way… It can’t be! The Empire’s secret being resolved by bringing back just a person from 500 years ago…?”

“If it’s a seal that can be lifted as long as conditions are met, it inherently can be released easily.”

“This… this is absurd…!”

Clank.

The Emperor’s helmet fell backward.

…With a face that surely resembled hers, perhaps due to the influence of the Holy Sword, the Emperor with brown hair gazed at the Demon God behind me with a blissful smile.

“Finally, the Empire’s Demon God…!”

“She won’t wake up.”

“What…?”

“There’s no reason for me to awaken her.”

“That witch…!!”

I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“The moment I open this, the Empire will try to dominate all of humanity, including the Demon King’s Army; why should I let you have that?”

“You wench…!”

“Who are you calling a wench?”

I took a step back.

“Stop. If you try to do anything to me right now, I’ll make the Demon God rampage and render her unusable forever.”

“Ha, do you think you have that power…?!”

“Of course.”

I lightly placed my hand on the Demon God’s chest.

“Shall I cast a spell?”

“What…!”

“I can do it. The destruction of the Empire is already guaranteed. The Demon God holds a deep grudge against the Empire.”

“The Demon God belongs to the Empire!”

“That’s right. But the fact that you keep saying ‘Demon God’ is because her original name is…”

There’s no need to tell them it’s Spirit Device Bahamut.

“Well, there’s no need to know her original name, right? To you, this is an invasion weapon to make the Empire an everlasting country, to invade other countries and make the entire continent part of the Empire.”

“I, I…!”

“If my words are incorrect, then answer me. What do you intend to use the Demon God for?”

As soon as the name Bahamut is mentioned, the Holy Sword the Emperor possesses will awaken, and conditions will arise to ride over Bahamut.

“A Demon God that was severely injured by fighting the Great Demon Lord Belphegor 500 years ago? To fight against Demon King Satan? Or to use a Demon God strong enough to stand against the Great Demon Lord Belphegor at your whim?”

“What do you want?”

“Hmm. Do you want a deal?”

“What will make you hand over the Demon God?”

“Your Majesty! No…! That woman is a traitor to humanity! Even now, she is hindering the Empire from dealing with the Demon King’s Army!”

“Hindering? I’m trying to save you.”

Once Bahamut awakens, my first action will be to destroy the Empire.

Why?

Because Bahamut lost due to the Empire.

“Let’s assume this Demon God awakens. Would the suddenly appeared Demon King Satan and the Demon King’s Army be angered, or would they be angry at the Empire that hindered defeating the Great Demon Lord Belphegor 500 years ago?”

“Wh-what…?”

“The Empire’s shame. A tremendous shame. The irremediable fault of Sun Emperor Entier, or rather, ‘Jade.'”

By the look in their eyes, they seem completely unaware.

“That Sun Emperor you all fondle and worship, well, in reality…”

“Sh-shut up…!”

“Ran away.”

In the final moments.

“Were you really at that distant ‘sacred land’ of the Empire during the final battle, where the Sun Emperor Jade was?”

The Demon God Bahamut fought alone.

Abandoned by the Emperor Jade, who ran away from the fear of being caught by the Great Demon Lord.

‘The pilot ran away; no matter how capable the Spirit Device is, it can’t do anything without its pilot.’

Sticking the Holy Sword into the Spirit Device and leaving behind the fleeing Emperor Jade.

“Indeed, Demons likely really did hate humans; it all ended up like this. …If I were the Demon God, I’d definitely think of smashing the Empire first. Certainly.”

Trash.

Needs to be cleaned up.

 

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