Lesser Demon (1)

Belial knows.

“By now, he must be anxious that I haven’t appeared on the front lines. Or perhaps not? He might have already found additional powerful forces to counter me whenever I appear. Like that orc he travels with… Yes, if he used his connections to summon Overlord Craig Khan, that would certainly be sufficient firepower.”

What he could gain just by staying off the front lines.

He knew the advantages, which is why he hadn’t yet joined the battle.

But for that very reason, he also knew. If both he and his opponent were aware of this, countermeasures would naturally follow.

Currently, there were three beings who could face him one-on-one: the two apostles and the Mystic King. But counting those who weren’t on the front lines, there were more.

The Sword King of the Ares Kingdom, whom he had failed to eliminate.

And though less well-known, there was also the Overlord of the Malachite Kingdom.

There was no connection between the Sword King and Lost. Belial had already analyzed the enemy’s main forces.

There was no connection between Calips and Lost, and even if there was, he couldn’t be certain that Calips would draw his sword for the empire.

Belial had made sure Calips would have every reason to hate the empire.

Though it was the devil who destroyed the Ares Kingdom, that was done when he was still human.

All those heinous acts had been carried out with the Emperor’s approval.

Calips would surely make that distinction and would be waiting for mutual destruction.

‘A series of battles is better than facing a full-scale offensive.’

So the only remaining possibility was the Overlord.

Predicting your opponent’s moves is essential, not just in war.

Belial had naturally anticipated this outcome as well. The other side would probably think of the same thing. But it didn’t matter.

Even if they knew, what could they do about it?

Just because you know your forces are lacking doesn’t mean you can freely increase or decrease them.

This wasn’t about strategy or tactics—it was about counting the cards each side held.

Yes, that’s why…

“They should have thought more deeply about why I’ve been hiding away.”

This round of calculations belonged to Belial.

From the beginning, he hadn’t stayed motionless to block the enemy’s movements, but because he needed time to prepare.

The enemy was adding new forces? Why would he sit idly by while watching such an obvious move?

It didn’t matter. He had been thinking the same thing all along.

“It’s time to unleash it.”

Belial smirked as he gazed at what stood before him.

A hideous monster with its entire body stained black. Its limbs were of different lengths, and even the positions of its eyes, nose, and mouth were distorted, giving it a grotesque, unsettling appearance.

Yet Belial looked at this unidentifiable monster as though nothing could please him more.

“My form of vileness.”

The monster was born from Belial’s malice. The shape of Belial’s heart.

That’s why it was deformed, hideous, and repulsive. Belial didn’t deny his own heart.

After all, this malice was the embodiment of the truth he needed to prove.

On that day, the devil began to stir.

*     *      *

I abandoned the plan to add Craig Khan as a combat force.

I hadn’t mentioned it to the others anyway, so they wouldn’t even know it existed.

This was selfish.

Deploying Craig alone to the front lines could save countless lives, but it was clear that doing so would make Craig and everyone around him miserable.

How different is this from conscripting the elderly and infirm just because they can swing a knife?

It was right to set this matter aside from the beginning.

And just then…

“A-Apostle! The sky near the third front line has been engulfed in darkness…!”

“Please provide us with the exact location. We’ll go there ourselves.”

The time when we needed such power had already passed.

I don’t know what he was thinking to move so soon. Perhaps he predicted where I would seek additional forces and decided to strike first?

Indeed, if I were still in the Malachite Kingdom, I would likely have been unable to respond to his surprise attack.

“This place… this fucking bastard.”

And the location the messenger had marked on the map was none other than the front line where Siris Forys was in command.

It wasn’t exactly the foremost front line, nor was it a strategic point, and it wasn’t even related to supply lines.

To put it simply, there was no reason to attack that location.

But Siris Forys was there. She was the stain on his record, the one Edge Forys had taken from him.

The bastard who had attended Edge Forys’s funeral out of “respect” had targeted the Forys duchy first.

It was a gap in our awareness and a move to lower our morale.

I could even indirectly feel the devil’s obsession, so how must those standing on the front lines with members of the Forys duchy feel?

If this information spread, it would cause tremendous confusion.

A devastating blow that exploited people’s hearts, not the battlefield situation.

“Princess Ilina, please open a teleport gate.”

“Huh? What about the others?”

“I’ll ask the messenger to gather only those who can come immediately. The longer we delay, the more exponentially the death count will rise.”

“I-I got it! So I’m using it now?!”

While Ilina Crowley was preparing her magic, I pondered why he had moved at this timing. It was perfect timing.

If I were still in the Malachite Kingdom, that is. If he had aimed for that, it would make sense, but…

“Just for this?”

If he was targeting Siris Forys and the Forys duchy, it was plausible enough. Just that fact alone would shatter our morale.

But in the end, it’s just morale.

I won’t say morale isn’t important, but there are more crucial factors to consider right now.

“What about the Mystic King? Did something happen while I was away?”

“The Mystic King is still active on the front lines.”

“I see…”

If he were aiming to exploit a gap, targeting the Mystic King would make more sense. At least, that would be the most effective approach.

If he had engaged the Mystic King while our forces were scattered, he might have been able to kill him.

We had allocated our 7th-circle magicians to different locations, waiting to converge on wherever the devil appeared, forming an asymmetrical force.

And I, one of those asymmetrical forces, was in the Malachite Kingdom until just a few dozen minutes ago.

If he knew that and moved accordingly, he should have eliminated the Mystic King, another asymmetrical force, at this point.

“Did he know I had returned? No, even he couldn’t have such a perfect information network.”

Then this plan must have been based on the premise that I was absent.

Or perhaps it didn’t matter if I was there? Or maybe…

“There’s no point overthinking this.”

I’ll only understand his scheme when I see it with my own eyes.

I looked at Ilina Crowley’s completed teleport magic and the companions who had gathered around.

“Well, well, since when does the usually lazy one arrive on time?”

Everyone had arrived.

Even in the rear areas, it seems they hadn’t let their guard down—it was war, after all.

I gave a forehead flick to Claire, who was inexplicably proud of doing something so normal, and said.

“You, Lilia, Titan, and Ratatoskr stay here.”

“…Why? Are you dreaming of a harem in this situation?”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you crazy brat? I’m saying stay on standby because I want to assess the situation first.”

This suddenly left me traveling with Línea, Eve, and Ilina Crowley. But what kind of joke was that in a situation like this?

After shouting at her for this outrageous comment, Claire yelled back angrily:

“Then why did you call me here?!”

“Because it’s an emergency, I called everyone first. It’s only natural to gather when we don’t know how the situation will unfold.”

“Ah! I understand. You should have explained that clearly from the beginning.”

This damn brat was picking a fight even while admitting her mistake.

Normally, I would launch a full counterattack to put her in her place.

But something about the current situation feels off, so I can’t.

“Claire, if Belial isn’t at the location I’m heading to and he attacks somewhere else in the meantime, you’re the only one who can hold out. You understand, right?”

“Meaning?”

“The future rests on your shoulders.”

“Well, I guess I have no choice then.”

This expedition focuses on confirming the situation and protecting our allies.

Until the enemy’s true aim becomes clear, we can’t empty all our forces. I’ve already suffered from his schemes multiple times.

It’s right for us to leave behind those of our companions who are specialized in holding out and go by ourselves.

Despite her personality, Claire is the strongest paladin of the Pantheon Temple.

Lilia can escape from any opponent by using her ability to transform into mist.

And Titan needs no explanation.

He’s already a complete warrior, and with his earth spirit magic, he’s basically a walking fortress.

“What about me?”

“Stick with Titan, Ratatoskr. To be honest, you’re useless right now.”

Ratatoskr, a trial who has lost his power, isn’t even counted as a military asset.

At least not in this situation.

Even though he’s lost his power, he could probably fight to some extent, but against a devil, it would be meaningless.

“Damn, where did Hecate go at a time like this…”

Hecate, who had returned with Edge Forys’s body, had disappeared since then. She seemed downcast, so I left her alone, but I never imagined she’d vanish like this.

Honestly, this isn’t good.

I left her alone because she had lived for thousands of years. I believed she would know how to heal from such emotional wounds.

But for someone like her to disappear?

If I thought she was secluded due to emotional pain, I’d be an idiot. She must have her own agenda.

Unfortunately, the situation has already unfolded, and there’s no time to talk with Hecate.

“Let’s depart immediately.”

And so we took the teleport gate toward the third front line.

*     *      *

Third front line.

When we arrived at the place where Siris Forys held command, all I felt was that this was “real.”

“What the hell…”

Darkness covering the sky.

I shuddered at that apocalyptic landscape.

“Ungh!”

Línea, whose senses were keener than most, clutched her shoulders as she expressed her unease, while Eve furrowed her brow as if recalling a scene from her memories.

Fortunately, Ilina Crowley was only slightly surprised before quickly setting up defensive magic…

“What on earth is this…”

I was bewildered by the scene that anyone could tell was real.

Honestly, I had thought it wouldn’t be real. That’s why I came with a small elite team, dividing our party to confirm the situation first.

I thought he was playing some trick, and even if that was the case, I had divided our forces to be safe, but the scene before my eyes held no deception.

No, it was even worse than that.

“Kihihi, kihihihihihi!”

A being that covered the sky in darkness.

A monster exuding an overwhelming presence without hiding its immense power.

The monster hung in the middle of the darkness like a puppet, looking down at the battlefield.

This monster with its unspeakably hideous appearance kept making sounds that could have been either screams or laughter.

That alone caused more than half of the front line to collapse, convulsing and spitting blood.

Seething malice. The chilling touch of the air. The silence amid deafening noise that made even breathing cautious.

All of it matched my memories.

“…This is the worst possible situation, one I couldn’t even imagine.”

But I didn’t recognize this monster.

Nevertheless, this clear scene that I couldn’t doubt even with my own eyes proved that the opponent was the <King of Darkness>.

Had Belial undergone some kind of transformation? Was that why he looked like this?

No, that’s not it.

This was something I couldn’t even begin to fathom. Something for which I couldn’t have conceived any possibility.

“Devil…”

There was another devil.

That was the conclusion I had to draw as I looked up at the darkness.