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At that moment.

The Demon King’s army led by Satan, the Legion of Wrath, had finally completely occupied Maginot and Line.

Now the Empire had also stationed troops along the border of Maginot and Line, calling in spirit users in large numbers to fortify the walls in preparation for the Demon King’s army.

“I should have gone a bit further.”

Satan frowned at the earth wall that had risen about ten meters high. Just three days ago, it had been nothing but an empty plain, but now it had transformed into a plausible earthen fortress.

“Mobilizing spirit users to build a defensive barrier. Humans really are something else.”

“That’s a tactic that was all the rage 500 years ago.”

“What?”

“It was a strategy used by Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor 500 years ago.”

The girl with black hair clicked her tongue while chewing on the jerky she had in her mouth. She didn’t even want to say the name Bel Phegor, but she too was a member of the Legion of Wrath.

“Before securing the earth spirit users, they overturned the ground using Sand Worms, changing the route for the advancing troops in real-time. They even dispatchedthe demons through the paths the Sand Worms had created.”

“That’s… really an infuriating tactic.”

“It’s still being used, just like when Asydia attacked the Normans.”

“Tch. I don’t know why it’s working against us.”

Satan openly expressed his irritation.

“If the person in charge were right in front of me, I would want them to say how to counter that.”

“There is a way to counter it.”

“…What?”

“It might not have reached the humans, but there is indeed a method to deal with makeshift earthen fortifications.”

“I see. So even humans 500 years ago had some backbone.”

“No, it was the Great Demon Lord.”

“…Hmm?”

Satan fell into confusion.

“Are you saying the Great Demon Lord’s strategy was defeated by the Great Demon Lord?”

“Yep. The strategy of the Great Demon Lord was directly imitated by the Human Alliance, and the Great Demon Lord defeated it. Probably won’t even be recorded in human records because the hero of the Empire at that time was the one following the Great Demon Lord’s tactics.”

“…How did they win?”

“By overwhelming power.”

The woman covered her mouth.

“They had a competition to see whether the earth walls the hero created in real-time were sturdier, or if my father’s breath was stronger. In the end, the hero maintained the walls, but my father’s breath and poison spread beyond the walls, killing everyone around.”

“…Indeed. Instead of attacking the terrain, they just kill those defending it. It’s a clever tactic, though an adversary. …At that time, your father was already?”

“He had already been killed by the Great Demon Lord and had lost his body.”

The girl calmly looked up at the sky.

“I know. I don’t have any qualifications to seek revenge for my father’s death. But Bel Phegor, that guy caused my father’s body to perish. There is not even a trace of the Black Dragon left in this world.”

“But he has appeared.”

“Yes… just three days ago.”

Crack.

The girl took out a seal.

What looked similar to the Demon King’s insignia from 500 years ago was a black snake coiling in a circle, biting its own tail.

“Asydia is our enemy. Demon Lord, if you plan to cooperate with Asydia, I will become the first enemy.”

“…Right. Asydia is also my enemy. I no longer have to listen to Asydia’s crappy ‘orders.'”

“Because you have the Holy Sword?”

“Yes. …It’s not a Holy Sword. It’s Magyom Gehenna.”

“What’s in a name?”

“Nothing is more important than a name. If you too are one who has stepped into ‘Ma’…”

“I got it, I got it.”

Flap.

The girl’s black wings spread out widely behind her.

“Demon Lord Satan. I will help you reclaim my father’s remains. No more will let his corpse be desecrated. I will help until that time.”

“That’s enough. But I must make this clear: if that ‘Black Dragon presumed to be in the Intermediate Realm’ truly is Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor, I will act before you can remove him.”

“…Of course. I’m just an ordinary Half-Dragon. I leave it to you. Whether Asydia really summoned Bel Phegor or just our father’s remains, Asydia is… now my enemy.”

Flap.

Before the girl spread her wings.

“Cassandra.”

“…Why?”

Satan called out the girl’s name.

“I will deal with the Empire’s troops. My subordinates will engage the heroes coming from the Principality. So you must…”

“I understand. My mission.”

Clink.

Cassandra drew out a pitch-black magic rifle.

“Assassination. I will kill them for sure.”

Flap.

On the Maginot-Line front.

The black-winged figure soared high into the sky.

Satan watched the departing Half-Dragon, then gently closed his eyes.

“…I won’t worry about the rear. I’ll only watch the front.”

Flame.

From the Magyom raised by Satan, flames spilled out.

“I will dominate the system. …To obtain the Demon God.”

*

At that time, somewhere on the continent.

“Hmm… it’s dangerous. Has Satan completely turned against us?”

The young man with black hair toyed with a human skull, licking his lips.

“I thought he would cooperate with us; instead, he forms his own Demon Army and wants to fight. Tch. He should have joined the ranks under the great Demon Lord’s army.”

“What should we do? Should we hit the ‘bomb switch’?”

“Hmm… it’s vague. No. Not yet. Let him ruin the Empire a bit more, then we can blow it up.”

In front of the young man stood a lich adorned with black iron armor.

Seven rainbow-colored jewels swirled behind him in a circle, with the purple and blue ones glowing faintly.

“It’s still not time to detonate.”

The young man tapped the skull with his index finger.

“We can blow the Demon Lord’s head off at any time. No matter how much power he claims to possess, apart from Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor, all entities die if their brains burst.”

“But if Satan isn’t such an entity…”

“Don’t worry. We summoned the ‘true physical form’ of the Great Demon Lord. Once, we were baffled by summoning a madwoman who thought she was the Demon Lord, but…”

Crisp.

The young man’s grip shattered the skull in an instant.

“The Sorceress of Crimson Lotus… I never thought she could pretend to be the Demon Lord in that situation. She truly is a clever woman.”

“Uh, chief. I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“Our ritual. We sacrificed hundreds of women to summon that individual, but why did she not materialize?”

“…Well.”

The young man handled the white powder flowing from his hand.

“I don’t know. Unless we catch her and interrogate her directly. Is she a madwoman that thinks she’s Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor, or is the Demon Lord truly summoned while she clumsily calls herself the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus? …But honestly, isn’t that a bit nonsensical? That she would declare herself a hero’s female? Ha, I can’t even imagine that.”

The young man stood up and shouted.

“She must be my female! And think about it. Could she possibly awaken that pitiful Holy Sword which pierced her own heart and then take a strong young man to use as her underling? I just can’t bring myself to think like that.”

“Zehpar. But the body we summoned additionally lacks a ‘soul.'”

“…So then? Are you suggesting that that female-like woman should be acknowledged as my ‘that individual’? That woman, who smiles so charmingly at the hero and endlessly asks to be made the real woman?! No…! That can’t be true!!”

The young man, Zehpar, tugged at his hair in frustration.

“My Bel Phegor, no way!!!!!!!”

…….

“Listen well! You don’t know that individual from 500 years ago! She was never such a female! More than anyone, she was the roughest man out there!”

“Then why does Lord Zehpar insist on making her a woman?”

“That’s because…”

Lick.

“…it’s fun.”

“…….”

“I will corrupt the one who was the roughest of men into a female. Yes. It has to be me, not some fresh-faced hero. Hah, ha.”

Zehpar lowered his hand.

“…Alright. For now, I must focus on Satan. I thought Satan would be sufficient to become our pawn. Tch. I shouldn’t have foolishly built an alliance.”

“What should we do? If we just leave it be, Satan’s Demon Army will definitely march toward the system. Then… it might touch what’s sealed in the system.”

“If that’s the case, don’t worry. If we can’t secure the Empire’s Holy Sword, the Emperor doesn’t die, and we still have the upper hand. Even if Satan knows about the existence of the Demon God and heads for the system, we are still at an advantage.”

“But if Satan gets the Holy Sword of the Earth, we will be in serious danger. Lord Zehpar, please…”

“That may very well be the case.”

Zehpar brushed his hair back.

His black hair instantly turned crimson.

“I still can’t afford to take on risks. There are already heroes wielding the Holy Sword appearing one by one. …Isn’t it about time? The ‘control’ over that individual’s body.”

“Certainly, but still…”

“You worry too much. Think more leisurely. The world’s last Black Dragon, the Dark Dragon, and the Demon Dragon, the unprecedented tyrant Bel Phegor, who brought the world to the brink of ruin. That individual’s body is… almost ours.”

Zehpar’s eyes turned blood-red.

“The Dark Dragon Bel Phegor. That individual becomes me, and that individual will… become my wife. That is… my wish. Ah, Great Demon Lord! I shall repay this immortal life you have bestowed upon me with love…!!”

Somewhere on the continent.

Mad laughter echoed within a hidden chamber.

*

“What do you think? Solid, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Lucius. What’s up? You look like a spirit about to ascend.”

“……I just think, you have really excellent abs. May I touch them a bit more?”

“I don’t see why not… but sorry, we’re under siege. …Lucius? Why the serious face? What’s so grave?”

“…….”

Clank.

Lucius drew the Holy Sword.

 

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