Chapter 151
For the past 500 years, I’ve just been hiding in the Demon World.
Of course, I wasn’t just lounging around; I had my own hobbies to keep me occupied.
One of the main activities was the Deep Dark Council.
Belphegor, Lucifer, and Satan formed a discussion group where they deeply deliberated on muscle training, and I learned their methods of physical training from Lucifer and Satan.
From Lucifer, I learned the Heavenly Realm’s physical training techniques.
And from Satan, I learned about something he developed called “Weight Training.”
“Hey, Demon Lord! One more set!”
“Weren’t we just done?”
“Ah, when a trainer says one more set, you do one more! Tsk.”
“This filthy Satan…!!”
Thus, I learned several strength training techniques from Satan.
Some were free, but for the more advanced muscle training techniques, I provided Satan with corresponding information in exchange.
A prime example is…
“So, you sold your experience of facing heroes just to train muscles?”
“What do you mean ‘just muscles’? Even if I have this body, that’s an unforgivable statement! A healthy mind resides in a healthy body! Conversely, if the body isn’t healthy, the mind can’t be either!”
“So, you’re saying you sold the sacred sword strategies that you claimed you didn’t tell anyone to Satan?”
“The deadlift had that much value!”
It was merely a casual tale of how I defeated the Hero of the Holy Sword.
I figured trading a story like that with someone who trains you wasn’t something my ancestor who wielded a bow would frown upon.
“What’s wrong with learning muscle training from Satan? It’s like getting sex education from Asmodeus or taking magic lessons from me, Belphegor! What would you do if someone came up to you and asked, ‘Why do apples always fall down?'”
“….”
Maroon licked his lips at the thought of explaining it.
“Ha. You didn’t even listen when I asked nicely.”
“I was more interested in muscles than your science.”
“Ha, what?! You don’t even know how magnificent science is, Demon Lord!”
“Overwhelmingly advanced science is like magic? Huh, just use magic.”
“…….”
Ah.
I feel like crying.
I raised my hands at Mammon, who was glaring at me while biting his lower lip.
“…Well, I’m sorry for not sharing. But I also only told a small fraction to Satan and Lucifer. I only told Satan two things, one of which was the unfortunately cursed Flame Sword.”
“What’s the other one?”
“The Sword of Darkness.”
Whether it’s appropriate to call it the Sword of Darkness is rather aside; I previously explained how I subdued heroes with those two swords.
“What did you trade it for?”
“Bench press.”
“…I don’t know what that is, but it’s probably about muscles again. Sigh, fine. Let’s drop the past and talk about the future instead.”
Mammon pointed at the map with an annoyed look.
“In four days, we’re going to launch an all-out attack on the Dark Forest, the territory of the Demon King’s Army. We plan to gather all strength from the Anari Principality to obliterate the Dark Forest.”
“Do you have enough strength for that?”
“If I mobilize the national defense I’ve built over the last ten years, it will be sufficient. Annihilating the forest is no challenge. The problem is….”
“Is it the Demon King?”
“Yes. There’s no one who can subdue Satan.”
“Is it a situation like the Demon World?”
The Demon King’s army is strong.
Satan is also strong.
But when the Demon King’s army clashes with Satan, Satan wins.
Just like in the Demon World, no matter how much of Satan’s army is present, they can’t defeat him.
“The Demon King’s army has proven its strength by conquering Count Scouter’s Territory, and the Demon King proved his power by defeating Hero Bearnes. To defeat someone who has felled a hero and even transformed the sacred sword into a demon sword, you need to possess that kind of power. Demon Lord, can you defeat Satan right now?”
“I can’t.”
Until now, other Demon Kings who had won did so through the Backup of the Holy Sword; someone who uses the Holy Sword itself cannot win.
“But I have a disciple who wields the Holy Sword.”
“What Holy Sword is that?”
“The Holy Wind Sword.”
“…Isn’t that the sword you got stabbed with?”
“Since it’s the sword that defeated Demon Lord Belphegor, its effects are formidable. Can’t you trust that?”
“…That’s true.”
It was a somewhat bitter story for me, but Mammon thought that just having the Holy Wind Sword wouldn’t put them at a significant disadvantage against Satan.
Is it because Lucius is my disciple? No.
Because the Holy Wind Sword was the sword that killed me.
“Alright. Then let’s prepare as much as possible before the decisive battle.”
“One question. This is beyond the Demon King and all, so let’s talk from the perspective of us, immersed in human society, okay?”
“What kind of trash strategy are you going to suggest?”
“Let’s mobilize the Order of the Goddess.”
“…….”
Mammon’s expression was utterly twisted.
It looked like he was staring at something disgusting.
“What. Why? Isn’t it the Order of the Goddess’s job to confront the Demon King? Even if the influence of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess is weak here, they still have a hero wielding a Holy Sword. I’m acquainted with him.”
“It’s one thing to use a Holy Sword, but to involve the Order of the Goddess in a fight between Demon Kings…”
“Using the Holy Sword is okay?”
“…….”
Mammon fell silent.
“Let’s contact the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess. Even if the Empire doesn’t help, given that a Demon King has come out and a hero—what was it, the Mercenary King—has been defeated, they won’t just sit idly.”
The Holy Sword must be a sacred object.
If it’s being wielded by a Demon King, it will hit the Order of the Goddess, which frames the Holy Sword as a sacred relic, as a critical blow.
“No, even so, relying on the Order of the Goddess….”
“Ah, you shouldn’t make a judgement as a Demon King. You should judge as the Magic King Endymion.”
As expected.
Still young.
He is like a spirited demon that’s either similar to or younger than Rosmas.
“We use whatever we can. That’s how I ruled the Intermediate Realm.”
“…So you plan to use the Holy Sword’s Hero as well?”
“Of course. We use anything of value. Even if it’s our sworn enemy.”
“And if the utility value vanishes?”
“Naturally, we wouldn’t need to use it anymore.”
I was somewhat taken aback at how obvious the statement was.
“Don’t feel pressured. If the Order of the Goddess stays out of it, that means it’s good for our demon race.”
“Why’s that?”
“The decrease in people’s faith in the Moon Goddess means our demon race becomes stronger. Precisely, it means that those from the Heavenly Realm will have fewer ways to interfere.”
“I can’t understand. Are you saying that faith equates to Divine Power? That makes no sense….”
“God. Magic. Science. These three contradictory laws coexist in this world. From your perspective, the existence of a god is merely faith and belief, but if it gains physical power, that’s a different story, isn’t it?”
“…….”
To Mammon, faith is merely a mental function.
Perhaps that’s because he was born in an era when the demon god, the god of demons, could no longer exert influence.
“He freely uses the power of the gods. That is the true path to dominating the Intermediate Realm. It’s the expertise of someone who almost conquered the world 500 years ago, so remember it well. Got it?”
“……Thank you for your words.”
“But?”
“I’m just wondering whether the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess will actually lend support.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t there a Saintess among the Demon Lord’s party?”
“…….”
“Could they really ask for support when there’s a Saintess?”
“Still, I’m a Demon King?”
“…I think we need to discuss the current state of the world now.”
Mammon spread out a map of the entire continent in mid-air.
Then he made small red dots flicker all over the continent.
“What do you think this is?”
“Um… an area affected by a plague?”
“It could also be called a plague. These are areas attacked by the Demon King’s army, all within the last fortnight.”
“…Huh?”
“Satan’s Demon King army has appeared all across the continent. Some have been repelled, but others have caused significant damage to people.”
“…Widespread occupation through sporadic attacks?”
This is.
The strategy I used against the Empire 500 years ago.
“Could it be….”
“The Demon King army. Satan. There’s a possibility they might be connected. The worst-case scenario is….”
“Zephar is controlling Satan? No way.”
No matter how much of a Demon King he is.
No matter how much it’s a true name contract.
“The Hero of the Holy Sword is immune to that. If that were possible, I would have brainwashed everyone 500 years ago.”
“What about an alliance?”
“…….”
“What if Satan has formed an alliance with Asydia? Use whatever can be used. That’s what you just said, Demon Lord.”
“What you’re saying is….”
Horrifyingly.
“…Are you saying that Satan absorbed even my Demon King army remnants and created a new Demon King army?”
“I’m thinking along those lines. And the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess is currently responding to the various Demon King armies.”
Mammon tilted his head.
“…The Saintess, whose whereabouts were unknown, has arrived here. Will the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess send aid?”
“…….”
“They say this Saintess is the strongest one ever.”
“That’s true.”
She is the woman who pierced a sea dragon dozens of meters long in the depths of Belselphia.
“…So does that mean we won’t receive help from the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess?”
“Almost, yes.”
“There’s nothing we can do then.”
Well then.
“There’s no choice but to resolve the issue in the quickest way.”
“What is it?”
“Eliminate the root cause.”
I pointed in the direction of the Dark Forest.
“I’m going to kill Satan.”
“…That won’t be easy.”
“You’ll see once you try. Mammon, can you prepare that within three days?”
“What is that?”
“It’s nothing special, just that thing you researched often in the Demon World. Let’s win with that.”
I pointed my finger to the sky.
“I have three tactics that I was once unreasonably subjected to, and we’ll use one of them.”
Operation name.
Tactic Lucius Drop.
“Bring a sturdy cannon, within three days.”
