Of How Leigie is Relatively Happy with his

Life

The Lazy King Chapter 1: Acedia

Part 1: Ah, this is a Pain
Ah, this is a pain.
I apologize for the sudden question, but do you know about the concept of
otherworldly reincarnation?
I had never heard of it until I reincarnated, and I don’t think its usage was that
common in my former world, but its meaning is just as it sounds: being
reincarnated into another world. In most cases, the person affected usually
retains the knowledge of their past life, and gets some sort of special power or
something.
I don’t really get it, but you start a new game with new strength.
And it’s not like I was strong in my former life or anything. Ah. Ha. Ha.
For example, on a planet called earth, in a country called Japan, in a place
called Tokyo, I was born. Well, I doubt you’re really interested, so I’ll skip that
part. Anyways, this world has a few people like that distributed here and there,
and quite a few of them hold some important offices.
Like Hero, or adventurer, or saint, or inventor, or noble, or stuff like that.
Apparently those people often follow that pattern.
I wonder how they manage to do such pain-in-the-ass jobs. They’re just like
normal rocks on the side of the road, and I really don’t care, but I can’t help but
be impressed by their motivation.
If you ask me why I’m saying these things…
…
 … What? Why am I wasting energy moving my mouth to say these pointless
things?
“… The Great Demon King has given you a direct order. Please go and write a
proper report!”
Loud.
Unable to escape the annoying voice by my ear, I stuck my elbow into the bed,
and turned over.
The one nagging into my ear was a woman whose clothing was all made with
black as the base color.
Her disposition was as cold as a doll’s. There’s no doubt that she’s quite a
beauty.
How useless.
I stick my elbow into my pillow to prop myself up, and looked at the woman
who was knitting her eyebrows at me—the Great Demon King, King of
Destruction, 『Kanon』’s something something knight brigade’s member, I think.
“And… what was that again?”
“A report! I’m the one who should be angry here, right!? Even though we were
dispatched at the same time to all the demon lords, why is it that I’m the only
one who can’t go back yet…”
“Ah, you sure have it rough…”
“Please quit screwing around! Write. Your. Damn. Report!”
I don’t get what’s she’s trying to say.
Why do I have to do something like that?
Ah, my arm’s tired. I once again fell into my pillow. I’ve wasted some energy on a
useless thing.
She violently shakes my shoulders. Her shrieking voice is just way too annoying.
I raise only me head, and look at the woman who’s supposed to be from the
Great Demon Lord.
For Christ’s sake, if you have the time to be doing this, go do your job. Your job.
“Oy, you. Go write the report.”
 “Wha… what!? W-why do I have… in the first place, what should I write…”
“I’ll leave it to you. I’m busy.”
I grabbed the cover, but the woman grabbed my arm as I wriggled into it.
Dammit this is a pain. After I’ve said this much, she still plans on annoying me?
I’m tired. I’m sleepy. I really don’t care.
And wait, what sort of report is she on about?
“In the first place, weren’t you the one to say it, Demon Lord!? That writing
was a pain so you would talk and I would write it all!?”
“… Talking has gotten tiring, so just write whatever you want.”
I tossed over the square box that had fallen off of the mattress.
It’s my official seal. It seems that I have to stamp it on reports. It’s a pain to get
up to find it, so, I always keep it under the covers.
Regardless of whether she writes what I speak, or reports whatever she wants, I
can see that the contents will be fiction, so there’s no point.
The woman frantically moves her arm to catch it, before staring at me with a
blank expression.
“… Then, later.”
“What!? Wai…. Again, this is… get up!”
This time, I just ignore her screaming voice, and pull the covers over my head.
In a few seconds, my conscious drifts away, and the annoying voice is merely a
sound in the distance. My mind escaped my body.
Um, I think there was something I was supposed to say. What was it again?
Ah… my name.
My name is… Leigie Slaughterdolls. I forgot whatever name I had in Japan long
ago.
Once upon a time, on Earth’s Japan, I was a Salary Man who dedicated his hours
to a company, and now, I’m just a poor, ordinary Demon Lord in service to some
Great Demon King.

Part 2: I’m a Pacifist

 Let me be a little honest here. When I first noticed that I had reincarnated into
this world, my first thought was that it was a pain. That was all.
But right now, I think that rather than being a Salary Man on Earth, my current
life is much easier.
This must be because I’ve been a good boy. Yep. That must be it.
If that wasn’t the case, then I would have been forced to work for the next few
decades. Just like the laborers that exist all over the place. Well, perhaps I would
find it a pain, and kill myself along the way.
In comparison, this otherworldy life is exceedingly easy.
Giving the specifics is a pain, so I’ll skip them, but from the moment I was born
into this world, I haven’t worked for a second of my life. Even so, I’ve managed
to attain quite a comfortable lifestyle.
It’s laziness without end. There’s no greater pleasure than this. At the very least,
for someone who respects the poor, I’m satisfied with this life.
“Unemployed!? No work experience!? How could it be that one of the Great
Demon King’s arms and legs, a Demon Lord is lazing around!? You just don’t
want to work, right!”
Right now, the only headache I have is this woman the Great Demon King sent.
I don’t know her name. She’s quite a beauty. And she screams at me. If you’re
looking for her characteristics, I guess that’s about it. She’s just a bit higher than
the rest of the mob.
For me, her screaming is quite an annoyance. For someone as calm as me, we
really don’t fit together.
I’ll bet the Great Demon King tried to send over whoever would annoy me the
most as a form of harassment.
“… And what was this about again?”
When you compare the rest of the reincarnated in this world to me, who was
born as a dirt-cheap devil, I guess the only saving grace is that this world was
exceedingly easy to live in.
The value of life is just a tad bit low, but if you try a bit, you can enjoy an idle life.
Even if you don’t try, it’s possible.
I feel like an idiot for working my ass off in Japan. I can only say this in hindsight,
but I wish I reincarnated earlier.
“It’s a Hero. A Hero! A Hero’s attacking! See, now it’s finally the time for you to
rise! Please get off of the bed already!”
“… I’m a pacifist.”
I can’t understand why she’s so energetic.
She raises both of her arms above her head, and makes a request to me as she
looks over me with cold eyes. Change, change. Please give me a more decent
one.
(TL: A line used in… certain clubs to exchange for another woman)
I’d really like it if she stopped waking me whenever I was peacefully sleeping.
She keeps waking me at irregular hours, so I’m always sleep deprived.
It’s fine if she has motivation, but I’d like her to think of all the people who
don’t.
When you’re pointlessly brimming with spirit, you end up wasting your time
pointlessly doing overtime. Ah, I just remembered a superior that worked in my
division. Forgot his name, though.
“Pacifist!? The Demon Lord’s a Pacifist!? Have maggots finally made their way
to your rotten brain!? This is a direct order! The Great Demon King’s direct
order!! Do you understand the meaning of that? The Great Demon King has
personally dispatched you, and it’s supposed to be an honor…”
I understand. Honor.
I just can’t defeat this drowsy feeling.
“… Change. Change. Go bring in the lazy attendant I had before.”
“Eh? Change?”
“Yes. Change. You loud. I hate.”
“Whaaaaaaaaat?”
The woman opened her eyes wide in an exaggerated gesture. It’s as if I can see
the veins just poping out of her forehead.
The woman in front of me is a demon.
I’m also one, and so’s the Great Demon King.
But even if you categorize them under one name, there are various types, and
we’re divided by attribute.
That means, I forget the number, but it’s that… you know, that thing in earth’s
religion or legend, or manga or something. You’ve probably heard about it.
Um… right, Wrath, or Decay or stuff like that… that thingy with seven or eight
things. It sounds really high and mighty.
“My predecessor retired! He said something about 『Sloth』 being pitiful to look
at! Do you understand what this means!? Looking at you, the Demon Lord, he
got tired of his own attribute! Hey!”
“I see.”
“I see!? Your impression is, ‘I see’!? Two words? Only two words!? Ah, damn it
all. The hell’s with this man!”
It was a topic I didn’t really have interest in.
In the first place, I don’t really remember the past guy’s face. All that I remember
is that it was a lot quieter back then than it is now.
I am a demon. My attribute is 『Sloth』.
Depravity and resignation, escape and decay, suspension and stagnation, inertia
and dejection. A Demon Lord reigning over that sort of thing.
From under the covers, I take a peek at the Great Demon King’s underling.
“And do you think that’s enough… to make someone like me move?”
“Ku… This man is…”
I don’t mean to brag, but I’m a man who can sleep for as long as I want. This
isn’t just because I’m a devil. It was like that before I reincarnated too.
In order to live, I reluctantly took up work, but on my off days, I slept the whole
time. Because of that, I have no memory of when, where or how I died.
I guess that makes me luckier than all those reincarnators who were hit by a
truck or slashed by some slasher.
Well, at this point, I don’t really care.
The screaming woman is still trying to issue orders.
Even being a Demon Lord is just like being a feudal lord, so I guess it isn’t that
easy.
 “Go report what I’m about to say to Kanon.”
With that one sentence, the woman fell silent.
Despite everything, I guess she’s still a professional, and she was personally sent
by that Great Demon King. She’s supposed to be skilled.
Having said what I wanted, I finally resolve myself to return to the world of
dreams once more, and again, the woman tries to pull my cover off.
“Wait… Wait a god damn second!! You haven’t said anything yet, why are you
sleeping again!?”
“… Take a guess.”
If I get serious, there’s no way a demon of this level would be able to get in the
way of my sleep.
I feel the futon, my arms and my hair being pulled, as I let my mind fall into the
abyss. I fell into the depths of that peaceful darkness.

Part 3: It’s not like I’m a NEET or Anything

I don’t mean to brag, but it’s not like the only thing I do is sleep.
When I get hungry, I eat, and when it’s time for cleaning, I do get off of the bed.
Right, I just don’t work. It’s not like I’m a NEET or anything.
“… You really are the worst. That’s what society calls a NEET.”
“I’m on unearned income.” (TL: Google it)
“No, it’s not like you’re living like this for free or anything, right!?”
No to me, it kinda feels free.
I’m not really worried about it, but if possible, I prefer my bed to be soft. And so,
when they come to clean, I do get off of it. For a change of pace, I did think of
changing my room every now and then, but I don’t want to walk in the hallway,
so the idea was rejected. I’m not that desperate for a fluffy bed.
The greatest reason I’m grateful for having been reborn a devil, is that no
matter how much I sleep, I never get a headache.
I take a big stretch after I get off the bed, and lower myself into a sturdy chair
made of wood.
It’s my favorite. Apparently it has quite a history behind it, and it’s quite
valuable, but I’m none too knowledgeable. When I lean back and let it swing
back and forth, it’s as if I’m a baby being rocked to sleep in a cradle. It makes me
sleepy.
“Oy, wrap that around me.”
“Yes. As you wish, my liege.”
The maid who had come to clean has a bright smile on her face as she brings
the blanket over.
It’s this. This is how you’re supposed to be treating the existence called the
Demon Lord.
Demon Lord isn’t just some random title. I have my own retainers, and some
land.
It’s all what I was granted by the Great Demon King, but I don’t really care.
What’s essential is that the people I’ve been granted all take good care of me.
I don’t mean to brag, but I can’t clean, cook or do laundry. The only thing I can
do is sleep.
I say my thanks, as she wraps it around the armchair.
And as I was relaxing like that, the Great Demon Lord’s subordinate sent me
flying.
She thrust at the chair with an incredible amount of power. My body floats in
the air for a while before I crash head-first into the wall.
What power. Every time she hits me, I start to remember my past life as a
human, and confirm the fact that this is, indeed, another world.
Is it just my imagination, or is this woman’s treatment of me getting worse,
and worse?
“Ah… my liege!? A-are you alright!?”
“Yeah.”
“Quit screwing around!”
The woman stamps her foot in frustration. With just that action, the floor
that’s supposed to be protected with a barrier of the highest class begins to
creak.
Her expression is like that of a devil. Um, when did she get here again?
The maid lifts me by the armpits, and sets me back on the chair.
She thrusts her finger at the Great Demon King’s follower.
As she’s my subject, of course, the maid is also a devil. I don’t know her
attribute. IF I may add, I also don’t know her name.
I’m bad at remembering people’s names. Most of the time, I just don’t have any
interest.
“The one who should quit is you, Lize Bloodcross! Even if you’re a supervisor
sent directly from Kanon-sama, your attitude towards our Demon Lord goes
beyond what could be called rude!”
I see. So this woman had a name like Lize.
Now that you mention it, I get the feeling that she introduced herself when she
was first stationed here.
“The hell are you saying!? It’s because you guys are like this, that that Demon
Lord over there never has any intentions of working!”
Even I couldn’t stay silent at such a remark.
“No, even if they weren’t here, I have no intention of working, you know.”
“As expected of Leigie-sama!”
The maid is looking at me with sparkling eyes of admiration. I wonder if she
realizes that I don’t know her name.
And I wonder just what part of me she’s admiring.
Well, all of it doesn’t really matter.
With feelings of resignation, I closed my eyes.
“Wait… Don’t sleep! Didn’t you just get up!?”
“Lize, the Demon Lord is sleeping! Please be quiet!”
“Haaaaa!? Why are all you people so soft on this Demon Lord!? And wait, why
is this thing a Demon Lord anyways!? All he does is sleep!”
Ah, she’s loud.
Ah, all of this is a pain.
There are plenty of demons, but very few Demon Lords.
The method for determining a Demon Lord is simple.
Class: 『Demon Lord』
The ones who have that are the Demon Lords.
Classes are a concept that didn’t exist in my previous world, but to put it
simply, it’s like your occupation.
By rising in Class, humans are able to access various incomprehensible
superpowers… various forms of something called Skills. I don’t know the details,
and I don’t know on what system they work. I don’t even know if there’s a set
system. What’s important is that by dabbling in your class, you can get to use
some convenient powers, and that’s all. Even without any effort.
What’s more, reincarnators usually end up with some special classes. Like
Hero, or Savior or Sage.
In my case, I was born with 『Demon』 as my class.
After a few years of living a depraved life, it became 『Demon Lord』 before I even
noticed it. Having Classes change is apparently something that happens all the
time. I get the feeling that there was some criterion on who would advance
Classes, but I don’t really remember.
Anyways, in the end, I became a Demon Lord without putting in any effort, and
I was suddenly able to use some strange powers freely.
In that sense, giving an answer to this woman’s question would be easy.
I became a Demon Lord by doing nothing but sleeping. It wasn’t by my will.
That’s all I can say, and I don’t have any answers besides that.
But it’ll be a pain, so I won’t speak up.
“Demon Lord Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls! As a member of the Great Demon
King’s personal 『Order of Black』, I command you in the name of Great Demon
King 『Kanon』! Lead your Legion, and head to the Prison of Flames. Bring ruin to
the Demon Lord who hath gone against us, Granzer Esther!”
“Don’t want to.”
Why? For what reason would I have to go to some random place for some guy
I don’t know?
 “Huh? You plan to refuse a direct order under the Great Demon King’s name?
Do you truly understand the meaning of such an act?”
“…”
I truly did not care, so I was going to answer, ‘No Idea’, but I felt that would
make things complicated, so I stayed silent.
It’s a problem of personality. I don’t think I’m ever going to come to an
understanding with this woman. I hate pointless things, and I hate troublesome
things even more. What I love is sleep and spare time, and I care not for anything
else.
I call over the maid watching over us, and say a single word.
“Iyo.”
“… Understood.”
The maid respectfully bows her head.
She made quiet steps as she departed from the room. I finally closed my eyes
once more, only to feel my head get smacked again.
It was an amazing display of strength. My favorite chair was smashed to pieces
beneath me, and cracks spread across the ground as I crashed into it.
The woman’s arms were slender. About as thick as a weakling like mine’s.
But this is but a fantasy world, so appearance and power are disproportional.
She pants heavily as she raises her eyes. I take a glance at her, and since my chair
had been smashed, I laid on the ground where I was.
I can’t go back to the bed yet. It has to air. And climbing up to the top of the
bed is a pain.
The woman stared at me with a dumbfound expression as I spread myself on the
groud.
“… Wh-what!? Y…you’re… t-that bad!? H-how about you try saying something
at least?”
She’s an exceedingly troublesome woman.
Especially the part where she immediately resorts to violence. Let me add that as
this woman is a direct follower of Kanon, she’s much stronger than an average
devil. Devils have various ranks, and between a normal Demon and Demon Lord,
there are numerous positions. Within that, the position one lower than a Demon
Lord… I guess she has as much power as a General. This world is definitely a
Fantasy, but because of the separation by rank, and the glass ceiling, I guess
there’s not really a difference between this world and that one. Well, I guess her
skill level is deserving of it, but…
This is a pain.
“I’m against violence.”
She grabs me by the cuff of my shirt, and shakes me back and forth.
Therein is the form of a small woman threatening a man much larger than her.
But in the end, with something like this, disrupting my sleep is… impossible.
“What? You’re going to close your eyes in a situation like this!? Impossible,
irrational, what the hell is up with this Demon Lord!!?”
She slaps my face left and right, and gets in a few well-placed body blows.
She uses an uppercut on my chin to get me airborne, and continues with a
beautiful combo of kicks. Her flowing movements have been heavily polished,
giving me the idea that this woman is quite used to beating up humans.
This one… even after transferring jobs, she isn’t showing any mercy.
The shockwaves emanating from each blow rip apart the cover, and feathers fly
everywhere in a flashy display.
That Kanon guy’s going to be getting an invoice for this… of course, I won’t be
the one sending it.
But in the end, trying to disrupt my sleep with this much is… impossible.
It’s not like I’m strong against pain or anything. I’m not taking any damage.
A difference between here and Japan is that a few things from that world have
been systematically placed under something called HP, and as long as that
doesn’t decrease, my body won’t get any wounds, and I won’t feel any pain.
Normal kicks and skills would drop my HP, but here, by the judgement of a stat
called Vitality… the higher your VIT is, the lower the damage.
This entire world is built off of parameters, and using them, you can make a clear
calculative comparison. It’s quite a pain.
And despite everything, me being a Demon Lord makes my VIT needlessly high.
Every time the woman hits me, my VIT gets in the way, and my body is taking less
damage than if I was being beaten up by a baby.
This is making me sleepy.
But she sure is an annoying woman. Just what is her attribute supposed to be?
My curiosity has been peaked ever so slightly.
“Hey, you. What’s your…”
And there, I breathed in a deep sigh. I flopped onto the floor, and rolled over
as I averted my gaze.
“Don’t. Stop. In. The. Middle. Of. Your. Sentence!!!!!”
She really is a noisy woman. I really don’t have that much interest in you, you
know.
I opened my mouth because I felt like it, but along the way, I realized I didn’t
care.
The sole of her foot comes down on the defenseless me numerous times. My
head is being kicked around like a soccer ball, and finally, she presses her sword
against my face.
Don’t be bringing out a blade here. Not that I plan on saying anything, but…
A few minutes later, after overexerting herself, all that was left was the Great
Demon King’s underling who had used all her energy, and me, who hadn’t taken
any damage.
“Hah… hah… This man… I’d heard about it, but… H-he’s hard…”
Of course. As long as my VIT is high, I can sleep without paying heed to my
environment.
With my bountiful VIT, high temperature, low temperature, poison, and even
paralysis, and all other status ailments, as well as abnormalities don’t work
against me.
It’s not like I was born this way, it’s a skill held by those of Demon Lord Class.
But the details are a pain to explain, so I’ll omit them.
The woman opened her hand, and stared at her own palm in amazement.
“So this is… the Demon Lord of 『Acedia』…”
Watch closely, and bear witness. Now kneel before my power.
And if I may beseech you, please quiet down. I assure you that’s the only path
that will make everyone happy.

Part 4: Sloth and Depravity

Even if I didn’t really wish for my status, as long as I’m a Lord, I have my own
men… my own retainers.
I’m the natural enemy of humanity, and in some country or another, some
something something god’s followers see me as their complete nemesis. I should
add that a few other demons and Demon Lords are after me for selfish reasons
as well.
To summarize, I have lots of enemies. Even though I haven’t done anything, I
have lots of enemies. It’s all the ripple effect from that Top Kanon guy declaring
world domination or heavenly domination or hell domination or some needlessly
grandiose goal. If I didn’t have any men, then as I don’t like fighting, I would
probably be dead.
Every quarter of a year, someone with a Hero or Savior Class tries an assault, and
once or twice a year, heavenly soldiers come to assassinate me. Once or twice a
month, I’m dragged into some war going on in Hell. It’s a pain. I myself don’t
fight, so I’m seen as one of the more moderate Demon Lords. I guess the world is
at its end.
The Great Demon King’s follower who seems to be named Lize has her arms
crossed as she stares at me with an unpleasant expression.
“Demon Lord, Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls. For your achievements at the
Prison of Flames in the war against the Demon Lord Granzer Esther, under the
name of the Great Demon King Kanon, you have been promoted to the Third
Rank among Demon Lords, and have been awarded the mighty Demon Blade
Celeste.”
“I see.”
It’s not something that concerns me.
As she reluctantly hands over the sword, I toss it aside without looking at it.
I don’t need a sword. But it’s not like I want a Shield or anything, and of course, I
don’t want any medals. I really don’t want status either. All I want is quiet time
to rest.
 “AAAAAAAH, what are you doing to the sword Kanon-sama personally sent
you!?”
In hot haste, Lize picks up the sword, and hugs it to her body as if it were a
precious artifact as she glares at me.
I don’t even know the difference between a Demon Blade and a normal one, and
I never even get off the bed, so I have no opportunities to use it. Even a kitchen
knife would have been more useful.
Well, I wouldn’t be using that either, but…
“… I can’t accept this. Why the hell are you getting a promotion! You didn’t
even do anything!”
“No idea.”
That’s something you should be asking your master. I’ll bet that would be a
much better usage of your time.
Just meeting her gaze had become tiresome, so I fell face-up onto the bed.
Lize had splendidly destroyed the other one, so it’s brand new. At first, I longed
for my old one, but now it doesn’t really bother me. All that’s necessary for me is
simple sleep.
I don’t even know the reason for my promotion, and I didn’t know my previous
ranking in the first place. I have no idea whether Rank Three is even high or not.
All of it doesn’t really matter.
But perhaps because she was unsatisfied with my attitude, Lize began
stomping her foot. I don’t know just how long has passed since she first came
here, but my impression of her as a beauty has been shattered with not a trace
of it left behind. I guess it’s true that you can get tired of beauty. The only thing
left is her annoying portion, and I’m also getting used to that one.
“Don’t think I don’t know! The one leading your army was Deije the Usurper!
He led it as he conducted the assault on Granzer’s armies!”
“I see.”
Who the hell is Deije the usurper?
Well, it doesn’t really matter. I’m not that interested.
Lize let out a sigh as she looked at my face. Just as I was getting used to her, I
guess she was also getting accustomed to me. It’s that power of human
adaptation.
“It was a splendid strategy. I guess the rumors that the army of Leigie the
Depraved was the strongest were true. They trampled Granzer’s forces as if they
were children… I can see why Kanon-sama is permitting your current behavior.”
“I see.”
“… Are you even listening to me?”
“I see.”
I turn my body over once more, and grabbed the body pillow that was just
about my height. I love to sleep, but I also love to roll around after waking up.
Lize’s eyebrows rise as she pulls the pillow away. There was no helping it, so I
hugged the cover instead.
“… Anyways, I was only sent to watch over you by the Great Demon King, but
let me give you a word of advice. As a Demon Lord, you should present
something unto Deije for his distinguished services.”
“… That’s right… Who was Deije again?”
“Haaaaaah!? Could it be that you don’t even remember the members of your
own Legion?”
That’s the sort of thing Sloth is.
And I don’t hold any interest towards the demon known as Deije.
It’s a bit troublesome, but… I pointed to the sword Lize was holding so
preciously.
“… I’ll give him that sword.”
“Hah? Are you serious? No matter how distinguished he is, you’re going to give
the Demon Blade granted to you by the Great Demon King to an ordinary
Demon?
“I don’t need it. If it was some bedding, then perhaps I would consider it.”
A new mattress, or mabe a pillow, or maybe even a replacement for the
armchair that was brutally destroyed. Kanon actually has a bit of a generous side
to him, so I’ll bet he’ll prepare something nice.
 “Divine goods… treasures of the gods… even if you may be a Demon Lord, do
you think a Demon like you could use them?”
(TL: Bedding (寝具) sounds the same as Divine Armaments (神具))
It was the first time I ever saw Lize gaze at me with eyes as if she was looking at
a monster.
It was, without a doubt, a misunderstanding, but correcting her would be a pain.
“… That’s right.”
“I see… so you’re not just some ordinary loafer…”
Loafer… This woman says some interesting things.
Well, she can say whatever she wants. I have no interest in her words.
I turn myself over once more. The cover is warm, and heavy. It gives a sense of
security.
Having accomplished everything I set out to do, I yawned deeply as I closed my
eyes.
“Ah, wait a sec’ boss Leigie.”
What a loud person. It’s always like this. Whenever I try to sleep, everyone gets
in my way.
I’m going to sleep either way.
“Oy, Demon Lord. That’s Deije.”
As I was saying, who the hell is that?
I roll my shoulders, and forcefully lift my heavy eyelids.
In front of me was a single man.
He was a large and muscular man. His beardless face was like a smooth blank
mask, and on top of it grew a large pair of curling horns.
But his most prominent feature was his arms, three on each side for a total of
six.
And on his head, a similar total of six glimmering eyes. In his disgustingly warped
mouth, grew long fangs.
“Who the hell are you?”
“… You’re the same as always, Boss Leigie… I’m Deije Breindac. I’m in charge of
your Legion’s third brigade.”
“I see…”
The male demon who proclaimed himself to be Deiji had an aloof tone
unbefitting of his appearance.
So this is the Deije Lize was talking about a while back… I see…
Yep. I don’t care.
“And do I know you?”
“Of course, boss. You’re the one who appointed me to take charge of the third
brigade in the first place.”
“… I see.”
I’m a bit curious as to how many brigades I have, but anyways, it seems he’s
quite an important person.
My instincts are telling me that the Demon called Deije possessed quite a bit of
power.
“The one who ignored that girl Medea’s opposition, and appointed me leader
of the third brigade was you, boss. But I guess you’ll never change.”
Who’s that girl Medea supposed to be? I looked in Lize’s direction, but as she
didn’t seem to be confused about it, I guess that Medea girl’s a well-known one
in my army.
Well, not that it matters.
Names, and existences, and powers and everything else. They all don’t matter to
me. Just do whatever you want.
I rubbed my head into the pillow as I spoke to Deije.
“Iyo”
“Yes, it is an honor that I have answered to the Boss’s expectations.”
Deije lowers himself. On his actions, Lize tilts her head.
“… What exactly is that 『Iyo』 supposed to mean?”
『I』 will leave it to『yo』u.
『I』 am satisfied with『yo』ur work.
 (TL: In the original, it’s Yoha, but it’s a combination of phrases that pretty
much mean the same thing)
It’s a phrase that says both at the same time. Specifically thanking or ordering
people got to be a pain, so it’s something I thought up. If you just say it
whenever you want, they’ll interpret it however they want, so it’s quite
convenient.
But answering her would be a pain, so I’ll just ignore her.
“And what are you here for again?”
“Yes, this may be presumptuous, but I was wondering whether or not the boss
was deciding on a reward to bestow onto me. How about it?”’
There’s nothing to how about it.
I don’t care about that. All that’s important for me is to strive for a sleep more
comfortable than this one.
I looked down on Deije with cold eyes. Of course, it was a pain, so I didn’t voice
my opinion.
“I’ll award you that sword.”
On my words, Deije took a glance at the sword Lize was carrying. His eyes
glowed red like a carnivorous beast who had just caught sight of its prey.
He licked his lips before turning his eyes back to me.
“It is an honor too great for me, boss. But there was another item I was hoping
for… no, I’m not saying I don’t want the sword or anything. As you can see, I
have six arms here, so…”
“Deije, you bastard! When you’re just a run of the mill Demon, you plan on
saying that the sword the Great Demon King sent is not enough for you!?”
I hold up my hand to stop Lize, who had flown into a rage. The body pillow
she’s holding is making creaking sounds, and it feels like it’s about to burst. I’d
appreciate it if she were to stop.
It’s loud. It’s a pain. Can’t she close her mouth for a second? I just want to sleep
here.
It looks like his attribute is Greed. It’s natural for him to want more.
Deije of Greed and me of Sloth will never have a conflict of interest.
I recovered my pillow from Lize, and spread it out below my head. I turn my eyes
to the twisting patterns on the ceilings as I answered.
“Ask what you will.”
“Yes, so would it be possible for me to have another of the boss’s special
『Dolls』?”
That was a bit away from my expectations.
If it was something I had on hand, it would be fine, but making a new doll would
take a bit of effort.
“… That sounds like a pain.”
“I beg of you, it can be the most basic type, so…”
This rotten greed. It seems that he won’t go away unless I do something to
answer his desires, or unless I kill him.
I wonder whether killing him or making a new doll would take more effort.
It was a while back, but it seems to be true that he has done some distinguished
service.
If both options will take the same amount of effort, then I guess I’ll give him a
doll.
I look over the room, and picked up a candle holder from the closest side table.
The holder had a design resembling a skeleton. This is a pain, so let’s go with this.
I tossed it over to Deije as is.
Deije accepted it with a full smile.
He traced its form with all six of his hands.
“Boss, this one doesn’t have a soul.”
It’s ‘cuz I didn’t give it one.
“Would it be better if it did?”
“… Surely you jest. A doll without a soul is but an item. What I’m requesting for
is one of your Slaughter Dolls.”
“I see.”
I guess I really will have to put in some effort, or he won’t leave.
There’s no helping it. Let’s just get this over with.
I yawned as I pointed my finger at the soul-less skeleton.
I used a skill.
And with that, a presence began to eminate from the doll.
Among my powers as a Demon Lord was a skill to grant life to dolls.
It’s a skill I specialize in. That’s where I get the Slaughter Dolls part of my title.
“Is that good enough?”
“Yes, I will happily accept it. Could you also grant a name onto it?”
Giving a name is an important ceremony for a Devil. The name is carved onto
the body, and it’s not an exaggeration that the name gives way to new powers.
But why is it that I have to do something like that?
“… If you get some more achievements, I’ll consider it.”
“… Ki ki ki, understood. I’ll do my best to not croak out there.”
He laughs in a creaky voice, before retreating. I guess it’s a manner befitting
for a Demoning governing over Greed, but I don’t really care.
With a grim expression, he took the sword from the hands of Lize, who had
simply watched over the exchange like a scarecrow.
“Well then, boss. I’ll request another audience once I get some merits.”
After a single, deep bow, he left the room.
No, you don’t have to come again. I’ll give you whatever you want.
You don’t even have to ask me. I’ll leave it to you.
And so, just leave me alone.
Depravity and Sloth. Those are the only reasons for my existence, and that’s all
I desire for.
 Of How Leigie isn’t a Bad Boss

TL: Greed just likes to appraise things, so his chapter is to expand on the world.
It’s not really comedic. All of the chapters are from different points of view, so
some people have senses of humor, and others not. He isn’t the Narrator again,
so don’t worry.

The Lazy King Chapter 2: Avaritia

Part 1: Pile up all the Glory and Treasure
Well, well. I guess Boss Leigie’s the same as always.
I had only talked to him for a few minutes, but he’s already tired me out. I took
a deep sigh as I departed from the room of the Demon Lord of Acedia.
The same.
That’s my only impression of him.
It’s already been ten years since I enlisted in this guy’s army.
From a Demon’s perspective, a measly ten years is nothing, and it’s a fact that
I’ve been alive for far more than a thousand.
I’m a demon who reigns over 『Avaritia』- Deije Breindac, and I think I’m following
quite a nice path as a demon.
I was already used to leading armies before I was appointed to one here, and my
usable Mana is in the higher ranks compared to the others. From the moment I
was born, I was able to keep on building up my greed, and my Class is advancing
at a nice rate. I even have some confidence in regards to battle.
That’s why I’ve managed to thoroughly crush the armies of other lands so easily,
and the targets of my desire… treasure and glory, come to me all too easily.
But still…
The amount of times I’ve had audiences is enough to count on all of my hands,
but Boss hasn’t remembered my face or name. I’m putting shame to the name of
Deije the Usurper.
Ki ki ki, well, I’m dealing with the Demon Lord who governs depravity and sloth,
so I guess there’s no helping it.
I mean, isn’t Boss Leigie the most depraved of all of us? I’ve been around for a
long time, but I’ve never seen him leave his room once. He must have a natural
disposition for this. I guess 『Demon Lords』 really are a cut above the rest.
Well, I’ve never seen a Demon Lord like this one before, though.
The Castle of Shadows.
It’s the base of one in service to the greatest power of the Demon World, the
King of Destruction, Kanon.
The castle of Demon Lord Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls was also the most
important point for his armies. Its width far surpasses that of Kanon’s Castle, the
Palace of Rending Flames.
It wasn’t extravagant, but to match Sloth, who he governs over, the entire castle
was built sturdy.
In truth, most of the men the Great Demon King dispatch are within the Castle of
Shadows. Even the Great Demon Lord’s armies don’t put the vast land they have
to good use.
I open the door of the personal room granted to me. It’s quite a large door.
The room I was granted was much larger than the one boss uses. It’s ‘cuz he has
no desires. I wonder how he keeps up as a Demon like that.
Well, that’s why the affinities of Greed and Sloth are so good.
When I stepped in, I made sure to firmly lock the door behind me before
inspecting the sword I had received.
The Demon Blade Celeste.
Once a possession of the Great Demon King, it is a top class item. It’s an item
with quite a history behind it. If you ask about its shape, it’s an Orthodox
Longsword. Its deep crimson double-edged blade looked as if it had manifested
in the flames of hell itself, and its hilt is decorated with a dragonic pattern. Its
blade and handle, and even the scabbard, are died in a blood-like red.
I don’t mean to brag, but I have quite an eye for appraising items. Ki ki ki, it’s
because it’s the target of my desire. Of course I would put some effort into
studying it.
And from my observations, it’s definitely the real deal.
It’s the legendary Demon Blade said to have carved up a dragon in a single swing.
I unsheathed it and trace my finger down the deep red metal.
Its true power lies not as a sword, though it works sufficiently as one as well.
However, it has more meaning when used as a magic tool.
The magic I can sense emanating from the body of the blade is greater than any
other Demon Blade in my possession by monstrous proportions. It isn’t
something a General Class Demon like me should be holding. It truly is Demon
Lord Class. I guess it’s because the Great Demon King was trying to get the Boss
to accept it. It has to have quite a high rank.
Ah, this is no good. Pride ain’t my territory.
I caution myself. When feelings, when desires gets stronger, then one’s power as
a demon will rise. I still haven’t fulfilled my greed. I’m not satisfied yet.
I use one of the Greed Series Skills, Big Pocket, to store the blade in another
dimension.
As long as my desire remains unfulfilled, the capacity of that space will continue
to grow without end. From the time I came to this army, this is the third time the
Boss’s given me equipment.
And all of them were things Leigie received from the Great Demon King, so
they’re all first-class. This isn’t the type of item I can find from digging around in
the treasury of some defeated foreign lord. Of course it isn’t. Things from the
Great Demon King’s cellar are literally pouring into my hands from all directions.
That’s why I’m glad I joined this army. Even if the other Demon Lords don’t have
the attribute of 『Greed』, it would never be this easy. As I thought, I’ll work well
with our drive-less lazy king. This is my perfect hunting ground.
But today’s main dish isn’t even the SSS Class Demon Blade. Today’s meal is
the true, largest reason I joined this Legion.
I took out the Skeleton-shaped doll I received and placed it on the Table.
Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls.
A lazy lord, and a rare one who governed the attribute of Sloth; uncommon
among the subordinates of Kanon.
No one in this world has ever witnessed boss fighting on the battlefield. In the
first place, the details of the Sloth Series skills aren’t really clear, but the only
thing widely known about them is their skill to make these dolls of mass
destruction. That, and the dolls themselves.
I’ve met one of these dolls on the battlefield once before. At that time, our
blades mingled, and I was able to confirm it. I don’t know the numbers this skill
can give life to, but… it would definitely be able to control the demon world.
That’s just how strong the Doll is.
That creation was a weapon personally owned by a famous Demon Lord.
Even if I say I have some confidence in my power, I’m nowhere near the realm
of Demon lords, and I can see that the doll is the same. This one’s only just been
born, but… it truly is a cut above the rest.
It may possess a power surpassing the sword sent personally by the Great
Demon King.
But it’s still a child. If I continue to raise this one, it may become my right hand
man.
Ki ki ki, my greed is too deep for it to be satisfied by me alone. Isn’t it time for me
to get myself another body to aid me?
What was once an ordinary candlestick holder now stood firmly on two legs, as
it gazed at me with its hollow eye sockets.
Class: 『Slaughter Doll』
It truly feels like it possesses its own will. There are numerous Demon Skills that
can bring about life, but they’re nothing compared to the work of a Demon Lord.
And for a skill like that, he didn’t even say the name. He activated it in the
middle of a yawn.
Leigie is quite a frightening one. It’s not his personality, but his power. The
power he used as the Lazy King to continue climbing up in status without moving
a finger. It’s scary.
We’re only a single level apart in class, but I can’t even begin to see the start of
his power.
Well, one day… I’ll be taking it, though, Boss.
The Skeleton doll bows and pledges its loyalty to me.
Good good. That’s just wonderful.
Boss Leigie doesn’t have even a speck of interest in me, and that’s why he didn’t
put a single restriction on this weapon.
I lower my gaze to the new toy I had been given and laughed.
“Ki ki ki, it’ll be nice working with you, Slaughter.”
In the end, I’ll get my hands on everything.
Well, let’s get along until then.

Part 2: A Hard Talk, ain’t it?

When I dropped by the war council room, on time, the members were already
all gathered there.
The forces of the King of Acedia, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls… his army is
divided into three large sections.
The one with the most members, and the main force on the battlefield: The first
Brigade.
The one with the least members, and the one that’s usually stationed to protect
Boss’s castle: The Second Brigade.
The one with a moderate amount of manpower, that specializes in mobility and
offense to conduct raids on the battlefield: the Third Brigade, which I lead.
In this castle, there’s also the Great Demon King’s dispatched forces under the
lead of that Lize Bloodcross, but they won’t move in the wars involving boss, so
they don‘t really matter.
Anyways, that’s the entirety of the strongest Legion, known across the Demon
World. It’s quite simple, isn’t it? That may be the case. But in the end, isn’t
simple usually the most effective?
And we’re winning quite a bit like this, so I guess it’ll stay this way for a while. In
essence, battles between Demon armies are just two powers hitting each other
upfront and skills knocking each other down.
I feel everyone’s gaze as I lower myself into the leftmost armchair. I had my
new aide Slaughter stand by my side.
When I received him from the Boss, he was small enough to fit on a bedside
table, but by absorbing the miasma of the demon world, it was able to 『Grow』.
The dark eye sockets of a skeleton roughly two meters in height looked over the
room without a word. It truly was a masterpiece.
“Deije, slow.”
“Ki ki ki, my bad. Well, I’m not behind schedule, right? Cut me some slack.”
The general of the second brigade, Medea Luxeliahart, chastised me with her
usual pouty tone.
She’s a small, female demon. On her unsociable face lies a pair of blood-red,
ruby-like eyes. Her no-nonsense hairstyle with straight cut bangs is fastened with
a simple ornament.
She sure is a diligent girl.
But I can’t be looking down on her. Even like this, she’s a general. If you get
deceived by her appearance, you’re in for a world of pain. Looks and ability are
disproportional for demons.
Well, if we were to fight, I’d be the one winning due to the difference in our
natures and my superior equipment.
Continuing on, the one sitting in the center is a man of delicate features. Heard
Lauder-looked over everyone as he opened his mouth.
His height is a little lower than mine, and he’s a slim, calm-looking man. But he’s
the supreme commander of this army. He’s pretty much Boss Leigie’s right hand
man.
There are various types of people among Boss’s subordinates, but among them,
this guy is especially dangerous. That means his power is probably the closest we
have to Leigie’s.
“Well, well, it seems we’re finally all here. Then I guess we’ll start.”
With Heard’s voice as the starting signal, a map is projected onto the table.
It’s a map of the demon world with Boss’s territory at the center.
Among all of the Demon Lords allied to Demon King Kanon, Boss’s was a largest,
with a vast expanse that looked to swallow all around it. The Prison of Flames we
went and obtained in the last war is included in it.
While it’s charmingly vast, that also means it’s the territory that shares the
largest border with the factions opposed to the Great Demon King. The foremost
battle line.
Ki ki ki, that pretty much means we can go out and grab whatever land we want.
On the other side, if we’re negligent, we’ll be the ones losing. They’re a few
hundred years too young to think they can take anything from Deije the Usurper.
Well, as long as I don’t have orders from the Great Demon King, it’s not like I’ll
go out and fight randomly. It’s because my life is the most valuable. Kanon of
Destruction… I aint’s gonna go aggravate a Demon King that governs over
Wrath.
Even for me, he’s a bit higher on the pecking order than Boss Leigie.
Heard started calmly spreading information.
“The Great Demon King has given out a subjugation order for the Demon Lord
of Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus. Our target was once the one with the strongest
alliance to our King, but due to revolts from a shortage on food, he has killed
both Astell Zaabdeus and Claud Astal, both of whom were Demon Lords allied to
our Great Demon King. All while slowly approaching our land.”
Two points on the map were circled, and as a line was drawn between them, a,
expanse of land began flashing in red. Unsatisfied with its bounds, the line
gradually began to encroach on the Boss’s territory.
Here, where his castle is, there’s still a distance before it hits the Castle of
Shadows, but it’s still proceeding towards it in a straight path.
Ki ki ki, he’s brought in a troublesome topic.
This battle’s on a different level than the one I crushed Granzer Esther in.
Our target is… the Demon Lord himself. In Granzer’s battle, we only fought his
army, and the Lord never stepped onto the battlefield. In the first place, Demon
Lords aren’t things that are supposed to come out so easily.
But this time is different. According to what I can see, the Demon Lord is
personally leading the army.
“So the opponent’s a Demon Lord who took out two others… quite a hard
talk.”
“Yeah. But even if you say he’s taken down two, they were both fresh Lords
without much power backing them. He’s no opponent to our Leigie-sama.”
Yes, Supreme Commander Heard knows this, and responds as such.
That’s right. It’s not like he’s wrong or anything.
Boss Leigie’s Mana is incomparable to all those run-of-the-mill Demon Lords
scattered all over the place. I mean, even though he looks like that, he’s the
Third Rank, you know? Third Rank means… to put it simply, among all those loyal
to Kanon, he’s the third strongest.
But the fact that the two killed were Demon Lords means that they were
definitely stronger than me, who’s a Class below.
The enemy’s a strong Demon Lord who took on both of them consecutively.
As expected of the super conceited Heard Lauder. It must be a nice thing to be
so brimming with confidence. But isn’t he estimating himself a bit too high?
I may be greedy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the power of others.
I’m not that knowledgeable about other Demon Lords, but even I know that
Zebul of Gluttony is a big name. His moniker is the Devourer. In the Great Demon
King’s faction, he took Fifth Rank, an atrocious Fiend. And our Demon Lord over
here won’t lift a finger himself.
If I went one on one against a normal Demon, I doubt I would lose.
I’m even confident I could crush an army.
But when my opponent’s a Demon Lord, despite having overcome countless
battles, I’d be at a disadvantage, I guess.
I know the answer, but let’s ask just in case.
“What did the boss say?”
“Iyo. I’ll leave it to you.”
Wow.
I whistle aloud. Medea raises her eyebrows and looks at me with accusatory
eyes.
As I thought, we’ve been thrown to the wolves. As expected of Sloth. Even when
the Demon Lord comes knocking on our door, he shows no interest.
No interest. He’s making this prideful one look like a child. His stance never
wavers.
That girl Medea knits her eyebrows as she flips through all the information
pertaining to Zebul. She soon raises her eyes.
 “… We’re at a slight disadvantage. Do we have any other pieces?”
“There’s always the option of dragging Leigie-sama into this.”
Heard offered a suggestion.
Well, well. I guess boss has it rough too. But since the Fifth Rank is coming, that’s
always an option. That is, if you don’t consider his tendencies.
Medea folds her arms and fidgets with a pouting face. She’s in a bad mood. Did
something happen?
“We cannot bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands.”
“Exactly. If the opponent is a Demon Lord, we just have to dispatch an
appropriate amount of force, is all.”
Oy, just what sort of force is appropriate for that?
But the Demon Lord of Sloth… no matter what happens, he won’t move.
Just as one of Greed like me refuses to stake his life for some unknown treasure,
his longings for rest exist around him like some inorganic immutable object.
But I understand. This is… but another trial on my path to glory.
Even if I’m just leading an army, if we really take down a Demon King, then
Leigie’s name will rise even further in the world.
At the same time, the rewards for taking out a Demon Lord who killed two
others must be greater than the Demon Blade Celeste… There’s a possibility that
it surpasses an SSS Class treasure, an L Rank Item. And as always, it’ll flow right
from the Boss’s hands into mine.
The moment I obtain it, perhaps the craving sleeping within me will reach a
whole new level. It’s possible… that I may even finally become a Demon Lord.
There’s more than enough to gain for me to risk my life.
“Hmm. We can’t besmirch the name of our Demon Lord… Deije, do you think
you can handle it like always?”
Heard calmly sends a strong look in my direction. There is no impatience in his
eyes. This guy is seriously considering it. That if I went out, a Demon Lord of this
level would easily fall. The reason he directs such stuff at me is because his
essence, his pride, extends not only to himself, but to the army under his
command.
 If it was as per usual, the Third Squad would be launching the first attack.
Ki ki ki, you sure say some hard things calmly, oh supreme commander.
I’m a man who doesn’t do the impossible, you know? Though I do like the smell
of achievements.
“Ki ki ki, it’ll be a bit of a pinch for my squad alone. Not for fighting the army,
but Gula Skills are known to specialize in targeting large areas, and the enemy is
a powerful Demon Lord.”
“I’ll go.”
The short girl stands up from her seat.
What’s this about?
Why is that girl Medea stepping down from her duty to guard the boss?
Will it rain spears tomorrow or something?
(TL: A common phrase meaning something really unlikely is happening)
“… Oy, oy, what’s with this turn of events? Medea? Don’t you have your own
duty to attend to?”
I’d really like our Supreme Commander, who has a good affinity to battle Gula,
to step forward here.
What about protecting this castle?
But her eyes were brimming with resolve, and she answered in a level tone.
“Deije, Leigie doesn’t require protection from someone of my level.”
Oy, didn’t we promise never to bring that up?
And that isn’t the problem.
A Demon Lord’s Skills are a cut above the rest. There’s a difference in one’s
usable skills based on personal skills, but regardless of our merits, I can’t even
imagine what skills the Rank Three Boss has in his arsenal.
And what she says implies that the boss needs neither me nor Heard here either.
An unrestful atmosphere taints the air of the council room.
But that girl’s next line cleared it away.
She made a rare display of emotion as she gazed at me with scorn.
“And recently, I haven’t racked up any accomplishments. I need to move my
body a bit, or…”
 An unexpected response. That should lie outside of this girl’s domain.
But I see. So it’s like that.
She isn’t acting on logic, I see.
So that’s why that girl’s been so docile as of late.
The reason the girl who ain’t pride or greed wants merits.
I let out a smile as I try asking.
“Hmm. Meaning… it’s built up?”
“…”
Oh my. This won’t do.
Her wide eyes pierce through my body, and an immense pressure envelops the
room.
It’s like her gaze itself would be able to kill someone.
Ki ki ki, Medea Luxeliaheart, a demon governing Lust.
What? It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I can’t go against my desire for
material wealth, but the girl’s doing her best to contain her appetite.
… Well, in the first place, a Lust Demon that still has a hold of their sanity is a
rare sight.
“Deije, you don’t have to go… no, stay away. I’ll take care of it.”
But I can’t ignore those words.
I’m all smiles as I offer a rebuttal.
“No, no, no, no, offense is my squad’s role, right? I can’t pull back, you know.
I’m『Greed』, am I not?”
“Hmm, then the two of you go together.”
Heard speaks with a condescending tone.
It’s as he says. If two of the generals of someone important like Boss’s army
faced defeat, we’d lose face. The Demon Lord’s army is something lent out by
the Great Demon King. If it were to be lost, we would be stimulating the
king’s『Wrath』. We can’t be giving him any reasons to get rid of us.
That girl made a scornful expression at Heard’s words, but perhaps because
she knows who we’re dealing with, she doesn’t say another word. She sure is
loyal.
The map projected on the round table vanishes.
Even if you call it a war council, Demons are all selfish beings. All that gets
decided is who’s going to be dealing with the problem. Everything else is left up
to the command of the individual squads.
Before I got up, I ask Heard just in case.
“What about you, Supreme Commander Heard?”
“Oh, there’ll be no chance for me to step out. I’m leaving it all to you and
Medea.”
His words were backed by a serious tone. This guy seriously believes that a
group of normal demons can take down a Demon Lord.
They’re twisted. Each and every one of them.
Ki ki ki, I guess pride can be quite sinful too. How scary.
Well, all I’ve got to do is try my hardest so I don’t get disposed of is all.

Part 3: Looks like This One’s Interest Clashes with Mine

“Yo, Medea–”
“… You picking a fight? It won’t come cheap.”
We’ve already been deployed to the base on the frontlines.
Boss’s forces are uncharacteristically excellent. Of course the commander, me, is
also excellent, but even the quality of our standard devil soldiers is different from
the rest. If you ask me, someone with experience fighting in foreign campaigns,
it’s a matter of motivation. And their firepower is also high.
Ki ki ki, it’s all because our top’s got no desire. He casually hands out rewards
great enough to satisfy even my Greed. From a normal demon’s standpoint, the
salary is amazing.
On the border between territories, a vast mountainous region, we’ve been
dispatched with numbers around a thousand. It’s almost all of the Third Brigade.
Compared to a human army, the numbers may be low, but the quality makes up
for it. A single demon’s skills is powerful enough to match another human a
thousand fold.
Our opponent is that Gluttony, and about three hundred of his followers. Ki ki
ki, their numbers may be average, but with a Demon Lord personally leading it, it
can’t be looked down upon. Zebul’s army is that of the Rank 5, and its name’s
been spread a bit.
If you just compare numbers, we have more than three times their forces. If we
clashed with them head on, we may be able to suppress them, so what’s
important is their side’s Lord. Gluttony is a skillset that contains the most
offensive abilities with high areas of effect. Just how large of an area can a
Demon Lord attack with that? I can’t imagine it, but there’s no doubt we’ll face a
large number of casualties.
Just how far we in his grasp? Our victory will be determined by just how well we
estimate his skills.
Ki ki ki, well, we aren’t going to lose in leadership. I mean, she may be alone,
but we have that Medea Luxeliahart, who’s always charged with guarding the
castle. Ki ki ki, at the very least, her face’s good, and she’s Lust.
It’s possible that she’ll look after the survivors after the battle, and that
possibility raises morale.
And now, the all-important Medea is wearing a tall white robe without a hint of
sex appeal with her usual frown on her face. There’s not nearly enough
exposure. It’s as if she’s a nun.
“—Girly, I think you should be wearing something a bit more romantic. It’ll
directly impact our troops’ morale, you know?”
The girl scoffed at the advice that came straight from my heart.
“An unnecessary worry. Deije, I’ll say it time and again, but I’m… I hate being
looked at with those eyes more than anything.”
She definitely does say that a lot. But those words really don’t seem to fit with
her attribute. Are you sure this isn’t some mistake?
A Demon’s desire is by no means a simple ornament.
Changing class can build new pathways, but it’s not like it’s a straight road.
Various paths branch out in all directions, and the final path taken is determined
by an individual’s will. Naturally, the path trod down decides the available skills
one has.
Call it a Skill Tree or series, or anything, but a general concept exists. In that
sense, you can say the Demon Class has 8 different trees. Sloth, Greed, Lust,
Wrath, Gluttony, Envy, Pride, and one for basic abilities shared by all, for a total
of 8.
The branches on these paths can be equated to guideposts of fate. By
venturing from one to another in order, you can find more powerful skills, and
on the standard Demon tree, if you store EXP points and use skills, you can
naturally venture forwards. But the other trees are just a little different.
The other trees let you peek deeper and deeper into the abyss by fulfilling your
desires. It’s all decided by the first skill on all of them… a passive skill『Longing of
Original Sin』.
Because of that skill, we can’t increase our usable abilities just by gaining levels.
By fulfilling Greed for the Greed Tree, and Lust for the Lust Tree, we can advance
forward.
And in that sense, this girl’s being a bit too stoic.
Ki ki ki, how is she even advancing when she’s like that? For someone without
that tree like me, I don’t have the slightest idea.
Well, anyways, I’m an amateur in her field, so I’ll stay out of it. I don’t want to
say something to make her go for my life or anything.
“Ki ki ki, well, your path’s your own. At the very least, don’t hold back when
fighting.”
“I know that without you telling me. I’ll be the one getting the medals this
time.”
“… Oy, oy, I can’t keep quiet on that one. It’s my army here, you know.”
Even if she may be strong, a lone horseman plans to monopolize the
battlefield? Even a Greed like me’s surprised. In the first place, her power… isn’t
for direct combat, I think.
The Shadow of Illusions, Medea.
Among Demons, of course, the most famous are the Lords, but your name can
be spread regardless.
And among Leigie’s army, she’s one of the most reknowned. Ki ki ki, even I knew
about her before I joined Boss’s side.
I’ve no idea why a Luxuria Attribute Demon would side with an Acedia though.
Even if she’s not direct combat oriented, she should be able to crush any normal
Demon underfoot, but this is no conventional opponent. I can only say it’s a bad
matchup to put her against the Devourer.
Medea takes a quick glance at the Slaughter Doll standing behind me.
Even without getting a name, the Slaughter Doll’s already far transcended the
ranks of an average Demon in battle prowess. If I equipped the rare equipment I
hoarded onto him, he’d really be peerless.
I guess it really does depend on the level of the caster.
But without a hint of interest, Medea turns back to me.
“I don’t need any equipment. I don’t want any treasure either. I don’t want to
play with dolls, and I don’t want status.”
“Oy, oy, then what is it that you want?”
“I am Lust. All I want is love.”
I see… interesting.
That one sentence makes it clear. At the moment, this one’s far more sinful than
me, who simply strives for loot and power.
So be it. This one’s cravings won’t go against mine. I’ll just leave it that for now.
For a business partner, probing any further is… unnecessary.
“So you say your cravings won’t compete with mine. Well, fine. I’ll trust those
words. It’ll be dull to croak from a shot from behind.”
I give a warning.
In a Demon’s forces, just by the clashing of wills, an ally can easily become an
enemy.
Ki ki ki, what’s more, Medea was the one who opposed my appointment to this
position ‘til the end. You can never be too prepared.
Well, in a straight out battle, she won’t be able to beat me with my Demon
Lord Class arms.
Try not to die a dog’s death as you show off your powers to me. You have
something good enough to cut down a Demon Lord, right?

Part 4: Now, Let’s Start the Usurping

 The Demon Lord who Governed Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus—Zebul the Devourer
was of the Greatest of Demon Lords.
Among the Demon World’s strongest forces governed by the Great Demon King
Kanon Iralaude, he would even rank within the top ten. While this may not have
been due to his basic fighting prowess, the ranking bestowed on him by the
Great Demon King was Rank Five.
In a superfluous gesture, I ask the men lined up before me.
“Do you understand what that means, men?”
“…”
This may be common sense, but a Demon’s appearance doesn’t necessarily
have to be in human form.
As they gain more and more power, quite a few of them take on human
appearance, but a demon’s figure is all representative of his individual nature.
A grotesque array of numerous forms were in formation with a sense of order
rare to find in the army of a Demon Lord.
It’s all because of a skill the guy governing this land, Boss, has. By it, the soldiers
of his army will gain power while fighting on his land.
It’s a skill common to all Demon Lords, and one of the most famous: 『Abyss
Zone』.
That’s what makes advantages in a fight between demons not based on size, or
geological advantage, but on the quality of the Demon Lord governing them.
Boss Leigie never stands on the Front Lines, but an invisible battle between
Demon Lords was already going on around us.
While we can’t see the glutton Zebul’s zone, it should be eating into the sloth
Leigie’s zone, in an attempt to give his troops an upper hand.
Ki ki ki, try your hardest.
I’ll be doing the same. More or less.
“That means… we are obtaining… the glory of destroying a Demon Lord
Himself, what’s more, a high class one at that. Ki ki ki, Boss isn’t to be
underestimated. He’s giving us a chance this big…”
If I may, I’d wish he’d be a little easier on us, but that’s impossible.
There’s no doubt the Boss doesn’t even remember the fact that Zebul’s
attacking.
But that’s unrelated to us, the one’s fighting at the site.
To satisfy my Greed, I can’t be scared to take risks. Otherwise my life would have
ended as a nameless demon in the countryside.
I draw a single sword from the scabbard at my waist.
Demon Blade Celeste.
For a swordsman… no, for any Demon, it’s a well-known blade of legend.
I concentrate my gaze on the burning body of the sword.
Dark Crimson magical energy as bright as the sun surrounds its wielder, me, as it
rises as a pillar of light into the demon world’s red sky. Its power is greater
beyond my comprehension.
Ki ki ki, as long as I have this, I’ll be a match for a hundred.
Additionally, while they may fall short of Celeste, I have a number of Demon
Blades just a rank or two below it in my possession.
“Let’s go, ya bastards. All the money, the fame, the power and the women are
yours for the taking. Release your desires, and prove your powers to our Demon
Lord, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls, and the Great Demon King above him, Kanon
Iralaude. The Demon Lord of Gluttony is nothing, and it is our duty to make him
realize that. Realize just who… it is he picked a fight with.”
The strange-looking crowd’s applause rings out like thunder.
These guys aren’t fools. A strong Demon Lord draws Strong followers to himself.
This isn’t about the Great Demon King’s dispatchments or anything, it’s
something more to do with fate, or luck drawing them together.
A Demon’s base instincts lead them to follow the most atrocious presences to
satisfy their spirits.
A nihilistic full moon floated in the blazing red sky.
This territory is still Boss’s. In the distant wastelands, I see the black shadows of
Gluttony’s forces.
Medea slowly gets up.
As if she was shrouded in mist, her outline isn’t clear, and it’s as if only the
powerful pressure she gave off denoted she was truly there.
Me and her rarely work alongside one another. But her single motion showed me
the level of her ability.
Lust skills are pretty much an unknown world to me. I’m not saying I’ve never
gone against them, but they’re not a group of demons you would often meet at
General level.
High class magic that pollutes the mind, and deceives the five senses.
The eyes of the men watching Medea begin turning lewd.
Ki ki ki, what a scary woman. I mean, she’s the only woman in this entire army
squadron, and she’s the leader. If I underestimate her, I feel my soul’s going to
get sucked out.
“I’m going ahead. Objections?”
“Ki ki ki, do whatever you want, Luxuria. You’r the guest here today.”
If you want the first attack, you can have it. All I care for is the result.
First, let’s see through the power of the Devourer. That’s her field of expertise,
right?
Medea’s form starts blurring again. It’s like my eyes have gone blurry, but they
aren’t going back. Her formed warped into two identical girls. The second one
opened its mouth, and spoke with the same condescending tone.
“Avaritia, I’m thankful.”
“… I don’t need your thanks. Just do your best not to get killed by the first
strike.”
“Hmph…”
She scoffed at my words.
At the same moment, in no time at all, her form multiplied from two to a
countless amount.
This is… the Lust skill tree. The proof of a demon governing temptation and
delusions.
How unexpected. An illusion good enough to deceive my eyes… and she can
deploy this amount in an instant?
Oy oy, isn’t she a monster? And resistance skills I have against mental corruption
aren’t resisting anything.
 While my mind’s in disarray, I do my best not to show it on my face.
Compared to her, the skills of the other Lust demons I fought look like Child’s
play.
There’s a ranking among skills. If you don’t learn the previous skill, you can’t
learn the next one. So just to what extent has she fulfilled her own lust to be
able to use illusions of this level?
Medea licks her lips in a seductive fashion. As if painted by her tongue, her lips
turn the crimson color of blood. Her movements were enough to show anyone
the attribute she reigned over.
“Then, later.”
Her pure white robe turns.
Each and every Medea’s robe sways differently as they sprint off.
Not a single sound resounds through the deserted land, and her actions don’t
change that fact. She somehow remains inconspicuous. Even so, the group
moves at a frightening speed.
The real one’s fleeting existence wavers like a heat haze in the desert, and it’s as
if, if I turned my eyes away, I wouldn’t be able to find her again. I can’t feel her
magic or perceive her with any of my other senses.
Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. This is bad. This ability… suitable for her
name?
Fitting of her reputation? Don’t screw with me. She’s exceeded it. If none of my
resistances worked against her, then that Gluttony’s legion won’t sense a thing.
At this rate… she’s capable of deceiving and killing them all.
There’d be no room for me to go out.
I’d heard that Luxuria skills become terrifying at high levels, but I never
thought I’d confirm it in a place like this. I guess you never know what’s gonna
happen. I’m glad we’re allies.
Well, it’s troublesome we’re allies too. At this rate, I won’t be able to rack up any
distinguished service.
“Oy, ya’ bastards. Is this the time for you all to be playing around? Follow
Medea’s lead, and launch a full-on assault! At this rate, that girly’s going to take
all the limelight!”
 Perhaps they had finally noticed I had spoken. The following demons began
following her lead, and running off. But their visions are now clouded with the
sight of an infinite number of Medeas.
Well, well, well, so everyone’s been captured in her illusion. It’ll be hell if they
have a Lust on them too. Should I equip some resistive gear?
No, in the first place, can a mere magic tool go against this illusion?
As s cloud of dust rises as the army rushes downhill, I go over to the only
demon that stayed behind.
An Invidia Demon. Libell Aejens. A small and powerless one, but a scholar whose
knowledge is said to be second to none. He’s also a friend who accompanied me
when I came over to join this army.
In a war between demons, seeing through your opponent’s ability is a crucial
factor. Based on that, tactics can change drastically.
I ask the wise demon. Not of our enemy, but our ally.
“Oy, that skill. Do you have any recollection of something like it?”
Libell’s purple eyes scrutinizingly trace the form of the countless men chasing
Medea. Ki ki ki, he may have the form of a brat, but this man once earned
recognition for his efforts in the wars with heaven. A renowned intellectual.
Among my associates, he’s the one with the most in-depth knowledge of other
Demons.
“I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard of something like it… I high class Lust Skill…
SS Class『Phantom Aliquot Dance』… A skill to birth illusions with physical
substance…”
With a soul-less expression, Libell bit his lower lip as he raised a voice that
seemed to come from the deepest depths of Hell.
But his expression doesn’t really matter. His answer was outside my realm of
speculation.
“… What? Oy, oy, don’t joke around. SS Class? That’s crossed the bounds of a
General Class Demon, hasn’t it?”
“… I cannot believe it. No… but, there’s no mistaking it. I have a much higher
level of Mental Corruption Resistance than you, and I was unable to see through
it with these eyes…”
 His words were no lie. Due to the nature of the Envy Tree’s skillset, Libell’s
resistances should be far above mine.
Is this for real?
An SS Class Lust Tree Skill? That’s definitely within Demon Lord territory.
As a fellow general, the highest level Greed Skill I can use… I’ve only reached S.
And that candid girl’s surpassed me? How the hell?
No, is she hiding her true nature? Stuck in the closet? A Closet pervert? No, no,
as if I’d let something so idiotic pass. A Demon’s cravings aren’t something so
half-assed. Just what is that girl doing in the shadows?
No, in the first place, after all that… Why isn’t she a Demon Lord yet?
That’s wrong. That’s not what I should be thinking about now.
A Demon Lord’s skills have far transcended the skills of a normal Demon. I
don’t know just how many skills they have in their repertoires, but if she can use
SS Class Lust skills at will, then even a high class Demon Lord will be hard
pressed. I mean, the opponent shouldn’t have much information on her. High
level Lust Demons are hard to come by.
Crap, the Demon Lord of Gluttony may get eaten up at this rate.
I take a sword out of my storage space, and grip it in one of my left hands. I hold
up Celeste, and on the edge of the wasteland… I glare a girly, who’s coming into
contact with the enemy, from afar.
Her pure white coat. Even with such a flashy color, I can’t find her.
“Damn, there’s no helping it. I’ll also go out. Libell, you go and『Envy』 Girly’s
skill.”
… But my capacity is already full.“
My, my, this man doesn’t get it. You don’t often get a chance to see a high
class Luxuria skill, you know?
『Invidia』 Class Skills are picky. If you hold too much desire without fulfillment, it
loses its use, and you become just a useless, average Demon.
“Libell, throw away my『Skill Ruler』.”
“… I see. That one was convenient.”
 But he immediately nods. I like how he’s quick to understand.
That’s why I’m friends with this guy.
“Ki ki ki, what’s the problem? Once your skilltree expands, you’ll make more
space. Once you get a high class Lust skill, you’ll be able to raise it easier, right?
You’ve fulfilled most of the conditions already, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Envy skills let you learn the skills of others. They’re limited time use, and the
conditions for acquiring them are harsh, but it’s a perfect imitation.
It’s really convenient. I mean, if you fulfill the conditions, you can even use
Demon Lord Class skills.
This is a chance. We can’t approach a Demon Lord so easily. So the acquiring
conditions won’t be met.
We’ll use the skill Medea just displayed. It looks to have all-purpose uses. If he
learns to use it, I’ll become even stronger.
I’ll get closer to being a Demon Lord. If Deije the Usurper, and Libell the
Pursuer join forces, we’ll be the strongest.
Ki ki ki, luck’s finally going my way, it seems.
Now, let’s start the Usurping.
“Girly, I’m sorry. I’ll be taking your skill.”
Power and fame and treasure, and all else. It’ll all come to me.
 Of How Leigie is Feared More by his Men
than his Enemies

The Lazy King Chapter 3: Luxuria

Part 1: A Demon Lord of Lust Said, Once Upon a Time

A Demon Lord of Lust said, once upon a time,
“Even without assertive 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 refreshing 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.
Lust 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,
Appetite 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 scraps 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 assaults
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 asset 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 Class Demon. I’m often told that I’m small, or unsociable,
or that I lack any sex appeal, but that has nothing to do with battle. With the
stride of a High Class 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 passive 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 Lust Attribute has nothing to do with that. They’re making a
grave misunderstanding.
It’s not that… I’m lacking in sex 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 sexual 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 Lust 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 appetites.
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
Lust’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 Lust 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 Lust 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 sexually,
I mean it physically. That’s why I hate them. No, it’s not like I wanted to be eaten
sexually 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 class
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
shivers.
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 mass.
What strength. I didn’t even have the leisure to deceive him.
My General Class 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 assess 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 Lust 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 surpassed 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 passes 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 sex. 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 hell 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, competition… 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 hell 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 Lust skill!? Like hell… 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 hell 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 pass 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 mass 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 mass 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 Class…”
“… 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 mass go?
As if a hole had been opened in space, the overcoat he wore sucked in all light,
leaving only black space.
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 spacing 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 hoard 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 mass 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 fireballs, 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.
“Crap, 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 Lust’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 Class Demon deserved.
Glaring at the Lord who was tossing around the soldiers he trained like scraps 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 outclassed 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 anticipated 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 Lust who
embraced her passions, 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 Appetite.
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 Lust-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 appetite.
“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 space.
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 bastard 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 hell, Devourer!
She lightly dodges the bastard 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 Lust 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 shivers 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 mass.
“… 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 shell 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 Lust… 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 Lust Demon, the scent of Lust 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.
“… Damn, 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 classified 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 bastard with Celeste from all directions.”
 Those words were something I could not believe.
I unintentionally raised my free hand to cover my breasts. Deije’s eyes were
serious.
“That can’t be… 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』 is an SS Class 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 Class 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
hell!?”
 “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 Class 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 swordsmanship level between me and Deije. It’s not
just a manner of skill; muscle mass, 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 title. He wasn’t wearing a single ornament.
From inside his black clothing, that looked to be woven with high class silk, a
sloven plain shirt 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 look like that.”
 “… Right …Ah!!”
At that moment, I noticed something important.
I’m… not wearing anything right now!
I hurriedly sit down to hide myself. Even if it may be an illusion, standing before
my lord with not a cloth on my back is something that should never come to be.
Even if Leigie-same isn’t interested in me in the slightest.
The inside of my head is burning red, as if it had been painted with
embarrassment itself, and noticing there were things I couldn’t hide even in this
position, I turned to Deije.
“Deije… mantle.”
“… Sure.”
He casts off his tattered mantle, and I somehow use it to cover my body. Like
this, I won’t be able to move well, but this isn’t the time to be worried about
that.
Deije keeps his eyes locked, on the illusion’s actions.
“… Oy, oy, that boss has already started sleeping. In front of Zebul.”
“They really are identical.”
Still with a bewildered expression, Zebul raised her voice to the illusion of
Leigie-sama that had suddenly appeared.
“… You. Who are you?”
“… I see.”
The illusion, with an expression indicating he wasn’t listening at all, let out
some words completely irrelevant to the flow of the conversation.
 Of How Leigie Acquired Two Loli Maids

The Lazy King Chapter 4: Ira

Part 1: Just Remembering it Pisses Me Off
In novels, I’ve read that there’s nothing more troublesome than an
incompetent yet hard worker, but if you’ll let me state my personal opinion, in
this world, there is nothing more aggravating than a ridiculously competent
slacker.
The Demon Lord I’ve been dispatched to keep an eye on – The King of Sloth,
Leigie of the Slaughterdolls-is perhaps the best fitting for that phrase in the
world. One of these guys is more than enough.
Of the ones who ally to the Great Demon King『Kanon Iralaude』, a total of 19
have reached Demon Lord Class, but of Demon Lords selected by the Original Sin
of Sloth, there is only one.
Compared to a normal Demon’s skills, a Demon Lord’s are exceedingly powerful,
and while it changes based on the Skill Tree, all of them are extremely useful.
Therefore, the Demon Lord who advanced his Sloth Skills to the limit was, quite
annoyingly, classified as a precious existence, and that formed a sort of buffer
zone where no one could really say anything against his behavior.
I must follow my orders, and produce results. But he doesn’t seem to want cause
any insurrections, and all he does is just lie around. How annoying.
The current Great Demon King, Kanon-sama is a Demon Lord that is connoted
with Ira. The Ira attribute specializes in offensive power, and its single targeting
power far surpasses the Gula series, which is also said to boast high offense.
However, the Acedia Series, annoyingly enough, is said to be the only Skill Tree
out of all of them that excels in pure stamina. All demons have some Defensive
skill or another, but the Sloth Tree far surpasses common sense in that regard.
Pointless VIT that seems to have been thrown in for no real reason, on top of a
presumptuously enormous amount of HP. What’s more, they have specialized
resistances to attacks of every attribute, and status abnormalities. With their
explosive VIT, they rarely ever feel pain.
On the other hand, they’re lacking in Dexterity, and Offensive power, but I
doubt such a thing is necessary.
Without any meaning, like stones on the ground, like shellfish in the sea, those
guys just exist there without doing anything.
Why must we waste our own power to try and chip at those existences that
resemble inorganic matter? The Great Demon Kings of old probably thought
along those lines.
From my point of view, taking in a King of Sloth as a subordinate was one of the
greatest mistakes ever committed by the first Great Demon Lord.
They are without a doubt detrimental existences. That’s why my stress against
that indestructible wimp just continues to build up without end. I’ve collected an
indescribable amount of Wrath, and while it’s been almost a thousand years
since my birth, I’ve never felt this much anger against a specific something ever
before.
Those were the contents of the regular report I submitted to Kanon with the
resolve that I was going to get killed. She burst into laughter. It was the first time
I ever saw the Great Demon King of Wrath laugh to this extent.
The Great Demon King’s hand-picked corps that acts as her eyes and ears,
the『Order of Black』.
The Demons that make it up have been filtered through by various processes,
making it a prestigious and elite brigade. It’s not an exaggeration to say they’re
the ones leading the Great Demon King’s Army, and that they’re the king’s
personal royal guard.
In reality, about one fifth of the world’s Demon Kings were once part of the
Order, and when you think about how the current Great Demon King Kanon
originated from it as well, it’s easy to understand just how refined of a history
this Order has.
The members that make it up are sent out in different squadrons to look over
the actions of the Demon Lords allied to the Great Demon King-by the desire
they held, was it likely for them to quietly obey another or not. We observe their
conduct in great detail, at times delivering decrees from the King, at times,
offering warnings, at times fighting alongside them, and at times searching for
signs of rebellion before they can carry anything out.
But as we are dispatches, it’s an exceedingly dangerous mission where we have
to serve another Demon Lord, and by its nature, it’s a crucial one where
negligence isn’t permitted.
Even so, after receiving top-class reports for my military service, I, Lize
Bloodcross, was unable to understand why I was sent alone to do the mission
that usually required teams of three, and even though I governed Wrath, just as
Kanon did, I couldn’t understand the meaning behind me being sent to watch
over Sloth, the complete opposite nature. It was unbearable.
Originally, inspections were to be carried out by Demons of the same attribute,
or at least by ones of similar nature. While it may be the decision of the Great
Demon King, I am completely unable to comprehend his divine will. I’m at my
wits end. Thus, I cannot avoid issuing a protest. Even if that is to end in my
death.
On a giant throne of obsidian, Great Demon King Kanon Iralaude had laughed
so much that tears were coming out of her eyes, as she propped herself up with
her staff.
Kanon-sama is a female Demon. Her height was close to a man’s, and the
personification of her Wrath, her crimson hair the color of the flames of hell
boiled and let off fumes like lava. The tips of it tickled the armrests of the throne
Even with a few meters between us, the exalted atmosphere I sensed was proof
of the unfathomable power she commanded as the Great Demon King.
But her authority is quite wasted. In various ways. And as I may add, todays
Demon King-sama is in a rare good mood.
She clears her throat, and stares at me with her red hot eyes.
“And, Lize Bloodcross. If that be the case, then what exactly is it that you
want?”
“Yes, it is my suggestion that we just kill Leigie-sama already, divide up his
territory, and assign it to the other Demon Lords loyal to you.”
I stated what was on my mind directly to the Great Demon King.
Perhaps she had expected my objection. She immediately threw out a reply.
My objection was in opposition to the Great Demon King’s will, so it wouldn’t be
strange for my head to fly off at any moment, but there wasn’t even a fragment
of anger in her eyes.
“I see… then who will kill him? As the sole Demon Lord that governs Sloth, he
merely wastes his eternity on naught. How shall we kill a Demon Lord like that?”
“That is…”
That in itself was the reason I spent several months bearing my anger and
serving him.
I do possess General level power, and my attribute is the one most suited for
offense, but while he was taking such attacks, of all things… that Demon Lord
started sleeping.
As if he was saying that there was no need to pay any mind to attacks of my
measly level.
Just remembering it pisses me off.
Hot blood circulated through my body with my Soul Core as the center, and my
vision was dyed red. I took deep breathes to try and calm myself, but it didn’t
have any effect.
“Ku ku ku, by the look of it, you’ve already tried it yourself…”
“… Yes, I understand that I have overstepped my authority, but I was unable to
hold back my Wrath…”
Kanon-sama received those words with eyes filled with pleasure.
“I’ll permit it. Ku ku ku, Lize… you resemble… the me of the past.”
“!? Yes… ‘tis an honor.”
Just what does she mean?
I cannot understand Kanon-sama’s thoughts. I cannot comprehend. It’s not like
I’m angry. My thought come together again, and I instantly kneel before her.
With an expression completely unfitting of her moniker, Kanon of Ruin, she
looked at me with soothing eyes.
“Anyways, Lize. That man won’t die… of course, if you find a way to kill him, I
mind not if you carry it out, but… Lize, I’m counting on you.”
“… Yes. I will put in my utmost effort in order to answer your expectations, my
liege.”
On her sudden words, I hurriedly corrected my posture, and from her sudden
expectations, I hid my face.
Will I ever be able to live up to such hopes?
The Demon Lord of Sloth has peerless powers, and in his speech, loyalty to the
Great Demon King, and his treatment of me, a direct emissary of her… towards
all of it, he has not a fragment of interest.
Against that Demon who’s shut himself in his own closed world, what is it that I
can do?
Is there anything I can change in the slightest? No matter the time, I’ve always
cut open my own path with my own will, but I have no confidence for myself on
this trial.
Our affinity is… just too bad.
“Good… I understand your plea. But there is a reason you were appointed
Leigie’s observer. Find it out for yourself.”
That was something I did not expect from the King’s mouth. The weight I feel
on the back of my head. An invisible pressure is holding me down. Lifting my
head isn’t permitted.
It may be obvious, but on her statement, me questioning further would be
foolish.
“Yes. Please excuse me, Lize Bloodcross. All is as Kanon-sama wishes it.”
“Good. Then march onwards. You have the makings of a ruler. So learn. Study
it, understand it. The meaning of being a Demon.”
“Yes… without fail.”
There was no playfulness in the Great Demon King’s words.
Her each of her direct, passing words were engraved in my Soul Core.
But I cannot understand what she means in the slightest.
Something to learn from that Lazy King…?
From that Demon Lord… from the Demon Lord whose sin was so strong it caused
my predecessor, a Demon of Sloth, to abandon his responsibility. As someone
with the polar opposite nature, just what am I supposed to learn?
Perhaps by the time I learn that, I will have answered to the Great Demon King’s
expectations.
I lower my head greatly, and the moment I had stepped through the door,
Kanon-sama spoke.
Another voice unbefitting the Demon King of Ruin. A tired voice.
“Lize, once you return to the Castle of Shadows, go tell Leigie-Niisama… at
least drop by now and again.”
“… Eh!? Niisama!?”
I definitely did not have to hear that.
I turned around in a panic. It seems Kanon realized what it was she had just said,
as she was clicking her tongue. With a grim expression, she pointed her staff at
me.
The sin of Wrath, said to return everything in the world to ash.
The glint in her eyes was like a raging fire, as if to block any objection from me.
With this pressure, I was able to get out but a few words before my heart gave
in.
“Kanon, just now…”
“Onwards, Lize Bloodcross! Don’t… trouble me any further!”
“Y-yes!”
As if she was driving me away, she slammed the doors.
Angry words from the Demon Lord of Wrath were definitely nothing rare. The
two guards standing in front of the Great Demon King’s room remain unmoving,
but they turn eyes filled with sympathy at me. I nod to them before going
forward.
I see… Even if he’s a rare Sloth Demon Lord Specimen, so this is why Kanon,
who governs Wrath leaves him be…
Wrath’s direct attack ability is second to none, but on the other hand, it’s hard
to keep followers unharmed.
I get the feeling I just caught a glimpse of some of the Great Demon King’s
black history. It’s a bit dejecting.

Part 2: Go to Hell!
Today, once again, the Demon Lord I was charged with observing was at
peace.
Even though the morning sun had risen, the bed remained stuffed with the
thick lump that was Leigie, and he isn’t moving in the slightest. At this point, I’m
even beginning to question whether he’s still alive.
Ever since the Great Demon King gave me some words of encouragement, I’ve
been carefully watching him, but no matter how you look at it, this Demon Lord
is just way too much of a Sloth.
There are times when a Wrath like me isn’t angry, but Leigie-sama has never
slacked on his duty.
Is that supposed to be the difference between a normal Demon and a Demon
Lord? No, that’s probably wrong. According to the others of the Order of Black
sent to watch Demon Lords, they’re just a bit further out than normal Demons,
and it seems that they’ve never run into any others stoically continuing to
pursue their own attributes as much as Leigie. Really, he should just drop dead.
In an irritated state, I started writing in my Demon Lord Observation Diary.
I unintentionally opened my eyes wide. This is surprising. This is quite severe.
There… isn’t a single thing to report.
He doesn’t train his skills, and without any training, I doubt he’ll go step into a
battle. He doesn’t establish communication with his retainers, and he doesn’t
participate in the war councils. Everything revolves around the people working
outside of his watch. I am here witnessing the perfected form of a single type of
monarchy. But it’s definitely something different from the phrase『The King
Reigns, but Does not Govern』.
(TL: This is apparently a line from the political doctrine of the Commonwealth of
the Two Nations)
No, it’s just that he isn’t thinking about anything at all.
Are you even conscious of what your role in all this is, De~ Mon~ Lord~ Sa~ Ma~?
How does this army hold itself together? No, seriously.
It was just too pitiful that my stress is building up, and that gets converted to
anger. As a result, for me who had never really had too much to anger me in life,
My Wrath Skill Tree experienced sudden extreme growth. I’m not happy about it
at all.
I sat irritated in my usual chair as I glared scornfully at the bed.
Even when I’m releasing this much bloodlust, why is it that he isn’t waking in the
slightest…!?
And while that was happening, the clock hit a certain time, and the source of all
evil appeared cart-in-hand.
She opened the door without making a single sound, and quietly entered with
elegant bearing. In a soft voice, she alerted him of that time.
It was the closest connection Leigie’s army had to their Demon Lord. It was…
“…Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal…”
The maid.
She wore dated office worker clothing, and was a prim and proper beautiful
Demon. I don’t know her Attribute, but she doesn’t look suited for battle, so I
guess she might not have one.
In the categorization system decided by the Human Race, the category of
Demons known as Wraiths, has many born with nothing but the innate instinct
to cause harm to others, but occasionally, a Demon without such desires is born
of them.
In that case, what comes out is a Demon that doesn’t reign over any Original Sin.
There are also child Demons whose spirits are too immature for them to
embrace any cravings, but for them to continue to grow up in that state is rare.
I’ve heard that it can happen, though.
If that girl actually embraced some sin, then there’s no way she would be this
devoted to Leigie-sama. Because this Demon Lord is trash.
Her name is Lorna. She doesn’t have a last. Since I was dispatched here, she’s
the one I’ve had to interact with the most.
Her wide pretty blue eyes, and the golden hair that was evenly cut at her
shoulders were her most notable characteristics. She’s probably my age, if not a
little younger.
At the same time, she’s the source of all of this. Because this girl spoils that
Demon Lord in every sense of the term, Leigie-sama will never work no matter
how much time passes.
I’ve protested time and again, but there are no signs of her stopping her work.
For a girl like this to be wasted on a demon that does not but covet indolence,
‘tis the end of the world. If it turned out that this girl was actually the one pulling
all the strings, I don’t think I would actually be surprised.
I honestly think this world would be a better place without her. But she doesn’t
die. There’s no worry of her falling in battle. Because she doesn’t go out in the
battles.
On Lorna’s whisper of food, the Demon Lord’s head slowly began to project
out of the covers. His eyes are half-closed, and he’s still lying face-down. This is
the only time of day I can regularly see that man’s deplorable face. Even though
he’s unarmed, if you launch an attack, Leigie-sama doesn’t take a single point of
damage. I know because I’ve tried it a few times.
Just what sort of Skills does Sloth have?
Within all the Skill Trees held by the Demon Class, the one with the least
information about it known is without a doubt the Sloth Skill Tree.
Demons of Sloth don’t usually use skills by choice. If you ask why, it’s precisely
because they are Sloth. And so, a majority of Sloth’s skills aren’t widely known.
Of course, among them, there isn’t anyone diligent enough to painstakingly
record down their skills either. It’s no real mystery why it’s a mystery. Don’t.
Screw. With. Me!
Just what thoughts are going through their heads as they continue to pursue
that laziness?
Just what are they trying to do by cultivating a set of skills that they’ll never use?
Every time I think about that, it feels like I’m observing some sort of foreign
animal. And I feel my entire body get engulfed by a feeling of weakness. Just die
already.
The scarce information that’s been passed around denotes that Sloth skills
excel in endurance, and that they have skills that allow them to slow down
others’ movements. There’s also the Slaughter Dolls Leigie-sama is so known for:
a skill for giving life to dolls. But that’s about it.
That may be all, but I also think that’s more than enough information in a sense.
I mean, it’s not like that lump over there’s going to use a skill anyways.
With his eyes closed, Leigie-sama opened his mouth.
Lorna accepted that action with a beaming smile, scooped up some food with a
spoon, and inserted it in his mouth. It was like watching a mother bird feed its
young.
One surprising thing was that this Demon Lord didn’t even lift a finger to eat!
Just quit it already! Like Hell this thing is a Demon Lord! Apologize to all those
Demons diligently working out there!
Even if you’re successfully fulfilling your cravings, APOLOGIZE TO ALL THOSE
DEMONS WHO COULDN’T BECOME LORDS!
I grit my teeth, and screamed only within my heart. My mental sanity was in
danger. In various ways.
And Lorna, you need to stop too!
It’s that. The more I learn of his slovenly lifestyle, my evaluation of Leigie, as
well as those of the other Demons who couldn’t become Demon Lords, even
though this thing somehow accomplished it is dropping. I’m included. And that
makes me pissed off all the more.
As I stood up by reflex, Lorna turns her eyes to me.
As I sigh, she gently sets the spoon on the plate, and puts her hand on her hip, as
if worn out.
“Day, by day, by day. Just what is it that you’re so dissatisfied with?”
With that gesture, I heard something snap somewhere in my head.
Leigie yawned.
“What? Me, dissatisfied? There should be a limit to making fun of me!!”
Just because he’s a Demon Lord, he’s underestimating me…
I lose my rationality for a moment, and my Wrath blazes up. It rushes around
my body along with my blood.
Just how much must I bear with? Why must I live like this… If Kanon-sama
won’t dispose of him, then I’ll settle this in her place…
However, even when I’ve reached a stage like this… he won’t pay me any mind.
With his eyes still closed, he sways his head back and forth. I’m getting a sudden
impulse to go kick that head like a soccer ball.
Dammit… I’ve already tried that one long ago. It didn’t give him a single scratch.
Then to give him a scratch, all that’s left is my『Ira』 Skills.
I take deep breaths, and try to manage the violent emotions running about my
head.
It creates too much of an opening, so I can’t use it in battle, but let’s take some
sweet time, and gather up power.
With my rage as the fuel, I’ll obliterate my enemy. That is the basis of『Ira』 skills.
“Looking down on me… in Kanon-sama’s place… I’ll beat you to death…”
The『Ira』 skill I have with the highest output.
Fire born from a Demon’s heart, my Soul Core, well up from my feet, and rise
into the heavens as a pillar of flames.
On the Skill Tree, it’s an upper class skill ranked S. Of the skills I can use, it’s the
most powerful.
『Rage Flame』
Lorna winced as she was buffeted with the high temperature with that came
as a side effect.
The blast sends the tableware flying, and it crashes into the wall before
shattering into small pieces.
While it may just be an aftereffect, it’s a heat beyond what a normal Demon can
stand. The skin on Lorna’s arms instantly begins to burn, and the room is filled
with the unpleasant scent of roasting meat. She scowls, steps back, and covers
her skin, but this isn’t a heat that can be avoided by something of that extent.
“… Lorna, move. It’s not my problem if you’re caught up in this.”
“… It’s useless. With『Wrath』 of that level… you won’t be able to breach Leigie-
sama’s『Sloth』.”
… Looking down on me.
I suppress the feeling of the flames burning myself, and raise it to a heat I’d
never attained before. The barrier protecting the ceiling shatters, and the stone
above melts before dripping to the floor.
Words are taken as fuel, and the inside of my head gets redder and redder. The
flame wrapped around my arms change to a shade of crimson mixed with black.
The cuff of Lorna’s clothes ignite, and the flame starts to spread.
But without even trying to put it out, she continued to pat Leigie’s head. He
hadn’t even opened his eyes. Her mouth approached his ear.
And she voiced some unbelievable words.
“Leigie-sama… I have a younger sister. If I’m ever to dissapear, it’s set that she
will be the one to take care you you in my place.”
“I see.”
Lorna doesn’t seem to be giving any care to her own life.
And the Lord of Sloth doesn’t have a hint of interest towards that fact. Leigie
doesn’t even open his eyes… He doesn’t even look at Lorna’s face.
“Idiotic… you plan to die here?”
“Ku… I do not have anything to block what you’ve over there, Lize. No matter
what I do, it will kill me in the end. That is all.”
While withstanding the pain, her words came out in a level tone, adding more
fuel to my flames of wrath.
The flame spreads up the fabric, and the king sized bed is engulfed in it. Lorna
doesn’t try to cover herself. With her body alight, she continues to gaze at the
closed-eyed Leigie.
The flames were my anger in itself. Their nature was different than simple
physical fire. They had powers fitting for them to be called flames of hell, the
ability to turn all matter to ash. In this wide world, they’re perhaps what has the
greatest destructive capability. They even surpass the magic fire used by the
Spirit Race.
Information about the target of my flames enters my head.
Lorna’s body constructed of Soul only has a slight fire resistance from the basic
Demon Tree. She’s easily burned through as she becomes food for the flames.
The reason she’s still alive is that this is only a secondary effect with not even a
fraction of the skill’s power.
If I released the skill, then even if I didn’t aim for her, she would easily…even
easier than a scrap of paper, her soul and all else would turn to ash.
 “Ask your lord to save you.”
“You’re making… a mistake. Lize Bloodcross.”
Her entire body burns away bit by bit, and her head dressed in charcoal made
me find it amazing she was still alive. With those burnt eye sockets, she looked at
me.
What was in her eyes was nothingness. Her entire body disappearing, she lets
out not a single scream of pain, as if she were merely waiting to greet an
inevitable demise. It was more repulsing than anything I had ever seen before.
And like that, Lorna smiled.
“… Sloth is… without thinking anything… without creating anything… without
saving anything… without letting your feelings be moved… just existing as you
wish it.”
“!?”
The all-important Leigie was, even with the flames of hell said to destroy any
and everything surrounding him, not stirring at all.
Not a single hair on his head, or a single patch of skin was burned. Even though
there’s no sign of him using any sort of skill!
In front of his eyes… even when the loyal Demon who’s served him faithfully up
until now is burning!
Even when everything in his world is being reduced to cinders!
That fact made my mind leave me.
It felt like my head would split, that even burning everything in this world wasn’t
enough. That sort of anger penetrated my head. The heat of the flames increases
even further.
At that moment, Leigie opened his eyes for the first time, and murmured.
For the first time, his eyes turn towards me. His expression seems troubled.
“… It’s hot.”
What the hell is he saying… this one…
I can see that his face is stiff. Words I cannot understand. A way of life I cannot
understand.
Without an iota of hesitation, I activated the skill.
 “… Go to hell! Leigie!”
“… I see.”
With an unpleasant expression, Leigie sighed.
He turned the palm of his hand to me… in the face of the black flames, he said a
single word.
“Iyo.”
That was the first moment I had understood that the Demon Lord had
activated a skill. Even without saying the Skill name.
Right before it hit him, with a speed much faster than my own skill.
What was supposed to protect my soul, the Mental Pollution Resistance skill
was instantly breached without being able to offer any resistance in the
slightest. My instincts told me.
The impact was great enough to shake my Soul Core. My Field of vision was in
chaos, and my thoughts went all over the place.
The heat inside of my head was instantly cut off.
As if those feelings had been a lie, a hole was pierced through my heart. What
should have been there was the mental hell of Wrath, but the driving force that
was my anger turned off, and died out. The flames that had been raging in the
surroundings, the flames that had been burning Lorna, as if any and everything
had been a dream.
“What… did you…”
I look at my palm, from which the black flame had disappeared.
I should… have been angry. I definitely had been embracing anger and hatred
great enough to burn everything to the ground.
My memory still remains. Until a few seconds ago, I should have been in a rage,
but… now I don’t really care.
The disparity between my emotions and my memory become a cold wind,
sending shivers down my spine. Something must have happened to create the
empty gap within my mind.
My knees give out on me, and I kneeled on the ground that had rapidly cooled
after losing its heat.
I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything. I don’t understand my
emotions of anger. How. Why was I angry? How did I get so angry? My memory
won’t provide me with those answers.
Without paying any mind to my worries, within the ashes, and with a troubled
expression, in his tattered bedding, Leigie rolled over.
There is only one theory that could possibly explain this abnormal situation.
… This is… a Skill of Sloth.
Lying on his back, Leigie’s eyes turned in my direction.
“…”
But without saying anything, he closed them.
His impudent behavior lit another spark within me.
Say something already…

Part 3: Who the Hell Does He Think He’s Supposed to Be?

“Are you not going to kill me for opposing you?”
“… If you want to die, then go do that by yourself. Ah, but first, go tell them
that they should send a Sloth next time.”
Hah.
Leigie let out a troubled sigh.
With those words, I became certain that my own actions had absolutely no
effect on this Demon Lord.
He really is a man with no hopes of salvation. Kanon’s tired words float in my
mind.
A skill to overwrite one’s cravings with Sloth.
That’s my conjecture as to the skill this Demon Lord used only once. I don’t
even know its name.
At that moment, the hell within my heart was completely buried up.
And if that’s truly the case, then that is… the strongest skill for a Demon. I
mean, a Demon’s battle ability rises in proportion to the extent of their longings.
Just as my『Wrath Flames』 scaled off my anger, to rapidly increase its output.
It’s not something limited to Wrath, the others are the same. Without a thirst
for material possessions, Greed Skills are unusable, and without hunger,
Gluttony Skills won’t have any decent firepower.
His skill is bullshit. Normally, a skill of this type would be blocked by the Mental
Corruption Resistance on the Basic Demon Tree, but this Demon Lord somehow
breached it in an instant. That means that skill can’t be blocked by standard
means, and that skills that can’t be withstood by it truly do exist.
I’m not sure if it’ll work even on a Demon Lord, but if it does, then even Demon
Lords would be played with like children. And I don’t want to think about it, but
perhaps the one who holds the seat of Great Demon Lord, Kanon-sama, is the
same.
No, more than that, a large majority of Wrath Skills scale directly off of anger, so
his power would be even more affective against her.
When I think of the anger smoldering within me, it isn’t something that will burn
for eternity, but if I think about what would happen if it were suddenly
extinguished in battle, I cannot help but feel fear.
Its effect? Its range? Its scope? Its conditions?
Challenging this Demon Lord without knowing any of that is… too dangerous.
What’s more, he only showed me a single power. When you think about how I
have dozens of Wrath Skills, while there’s a difference in trees, I can’t help but
assume this Demon Lord has much more than that.
Leigie-sama is… dangerous. Not because his irritating behavior is poison to my
sanity, his power itself is dangerous.
It’s likely that Kanon-sama knows this as well. That’s why I was dispatched. This
Demon Lord won’t do anything troublesome like start a rebellion, but in the
million to one chance…
If I cannot obliterate him with Wrath Skills… the other Skill Series which fall
behind in pure offensive power won’t be able to break his defense.
He said it was hot. That means for a split second, my power definitely had some
effect on this Demon Lord. It’s impossible for the current me, but if I continue to
mature, perhaps I will gain the power to inflict damage on him.
I need to sharpen my blade.
While looking at this man, who possesses unfathomable power, I’ll refine myself.
That is likely Kanon-sama’s… intent.
And at the same, time, make good use of this man’s resources, to benefit the
Great Demon Lord’s army. He’s scary as an enemy, but having these Sloth Skills
on our side is more than reliable.
Taking on these two challenges simultaneously is my mission, and my trial.
Once I’ve overcome that, there is no doubt I’d have gained powers incomparable
to what I’ve used up until now.
We were moved to another room, and on top of a bed of the same make,
Leigie turned over in his sleep.
In my eyes his form was now that of someone I couldn’t underestimate.
It seems that the bedroom I burnt up is in the middle of reconstruction. None of
the Demons in Leigie’s army said a word about it. Say something already.
At that time, the door made a loud sound as it opened, and a single Demon
came in.
It was a girl wearing a maid uniform. Her atmosphere was a bit similar to Lorna,
but she was just a little bit younger.
She looked at Leigie-sama, who refused to pop his face out of the covers, took a
quick glance at me, and approached the bed. With a face identical to Lorna’s,
she smiled.
“Leigie-sama! Please~ Wake~ Up~!”
Of all things, she began recklessly shaking the cover the Demon Lord had
burrowed under.
The smile and atmosphere are definitely similar. The girl who was probably the
sister she was talking about only carried a similar air, and her actions were
completely different. This is a fraud.
That’s no way to treat that guy, I mean, isn’t he supposed to be some sort of
king?
At her violent treatment, I unintentionally tried to restrain her when I was
supposed to be on the other side.
What the hell is this.
“!? Wai… can’t you be a little quieter!?”
 “? Ah! You muct be the Lize-san oneechan told me about! I’m called Hiero. I’m
the little sister of Lorna, who used to take care of Leigie-sama!”
“Eh, ah, yes.”
Without stopping her hand, the girl called Hiero turned only her head to look
at me.
She’s not displaying the appropriate attitude to the one who burnt her sister to
death. No, more so, she’s giving a smile reminiscent of a blooming flower.
Even if she’s a Demon, she should have at least a bit of affection for her family.
Just like I have a sort of loyalty to the Great Demon King.
Of all things, she started speaking in an innocent voice.
“Thank you very much! For killing Oneechan! Because of that, it’s finally come
around to my turn! Oneechan would never stop working, so I was getting
worried!”
Her feelings were just too twisted. Her lack of visible malice made it all the
more menacing.
From the time I served directly under the Great Demon King, to when I was
assigned here, I’ve never seen emotions like these.
“Y-you… are those the sort of words you’re supposed to direct to your sister’s
killer!?”
“Eh? Well…”
On my words, Hiero put her index finger to her mouth, and began to think.
And the answer came soon enough. It was an answer I wasn’t expecting at all.
“Lize-san, you’re too soft. If you’re going to try killing her, you have to do it
properly…”
“Eh…?”
Her skirt fluttered as she sat on the edge of the bed. From under her skirt that
was much shorter than Lorna’s, I saw healthy, tanned skin.
As if something was tickling her, she raised a laugh befitting her age.
How does that modest Older Sister get a younger one like this?
(TL: This kusu is laughter. Not sobbing.)
 “Kusu kusu kusu, she was still alive… Good grief, oneechan doesn’t know when
to give up… her luck sure was great. Even if it wasn’t a direct hit, for her not to
die instantly after taking the『Ira』 of a General Class Demon. Even when I
thought my turn had finally come, I was going to have to contain myself even
longer!”
What shocking news. She was burnt black, but lived!?
No, that’s not it. That isn’t it. This Demon… what did she just say?
“… Contain yourself even longer… could it be, that you…”
“Nonono, don’t misunderstand! Oneechan’s still alive, you know? Though
she’s quite burnt. I mean, killing my own sister is a bit… If I did something like
that, kusu kusu kusu, I would become『Invidia』, wouldn’t I? Holding onto two
sins would be a pain.”
An unsettling cheerful voice.
This one is… different. She has no beauty like Lorna. No matter how close their
faces, no matter how close their forms, this child is without a doubt one who
spreads ill will just by staying alive, an orthodox devil. One with the personality
most fit to pursue desire, a『Pure Demon』.
I’m not sure whether she’s looking at my expression or not, she lies down face
up on top of Leigie, and stares at the decorations on the canopy.
“Oneechan was pretty, wasn’t she? She should’ve been of the same make as
me, but she was nice and slim, and tall, and her eyes were wide and clear, her
skin was white, and she always did the housework, but she never got a scratch
on her, and her hair was glossy without any damage. Her voice wasn’t too high
or too low, it was just the right level to comfort the ear, and her breasts were
twice the size of mine… a beauty no male Demon would be able to leave alone,
and despite her lewdness, she didn’t let a single finger touch her body, as she
served Leigie-sama in chastity… Her heart was strong, and she didn’t draw back a
step against『Ira』… Kusu kusu kusu, she really was the ideal woman.”
“Le…wd?”
“Oh? Didn’t you know? Even like that, Oneecchan’s a『Luxuria』 demon, you
know? What’s more, she’s pursued desire enough to get A Class skill, quite
powerful. If you look at Demon Ranks, perhaps the rank just before General…
she had about as much power as a Knight, I guess.”
That’s something I cannot believe.
『Luxelia』
Of the 7 Sins that Demons can possess, it’s known as the one most unsuited for
direct combat.
And among all of them, it’s said to be the weakest in resisting attacks as well.
They are weak. Uselessly frail. Especially against Demons with Mental Corruption
resistance, a majority of their powers don’t work.
But if so, they why…
“Why…”
“I don’t know if Oneechan told you, but my household… has ALWAYS served
the Demon King of Sloth, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls. Probably from around ten
generations ago. Within the house, there’s a rule that the strongest Demon
would be the one to serve, and in this generation, that was… Lorna oneechan.
Until Yesterday, that is.”
Yesterday, I burned Lorna in the flames of Wrath. If Hiero’s words are to be
trusted, she survived, but has lost her power.
And so the generation shifted. To this arrogant sister.
“I’ve always had a complex against Oneechan. Especially that figure. Oneechan
had my ideal form, so… that’s why I was always weaker than her.”
“Eh? Fi… gure?”
“With『Luxuria』, no matter how high level of a Demon you are, with only A
Class skills, you can’t… be strong at all. I should have been much stronger. But
even so, I couldn’t win. I’m thankful to you, Lize-san. Thank you for burning up
oneechan’s beautiful face.”
The tone of her voice dropped for a moment.
And the Demon said…
“Because of that, I was able to…『Overrule』 her…”
All the puzzle pieces were in place.
Hiero forcefully opened up the covers, and shamelessly clung onto Leigie-sama’s
arm as he looked at her with empty eyes.
“Leigie-sama, nice to meet you. I think you were listening, but I’ll be taking
care of you in oneechan’s place! I’m called Hiero! I’ll be whole-heartedly
devoting my time to you, so I hope we get along!”
“… I see.”
“The Original Sin I carry is…『Pride』. I’m Hiero of『Superbia』! Please remember
it!”
As I thought… a Pride Demon!
『Superbia』
A Demon that governs arrogance and superiority complexes.
Within this army, it’s also the attribute of Supreme Commander Heard Lauder.
Its tree… holds some exceedingly troublesome skills. Its affinity with Gula and
Ira, that were made to inflict direct damage, is particularly bad.
On her first conversation with the Lord, her eyes sparkled greatly.
But at the same time, I felt it. This girl is in no way suitable for Leigie-sama.
The Demon Lord wasn’t really thinking about anything. With eyes devoid of
emotion, he uttered two words.
“… Yeah. Iyo.”
“? What’s 『Iyo』?”
On those words, Leigie’s expression turned stale.
His face spoke for itself. That explaining was a pain. He turned his eyes to me,
but I decided to ignore him.
At first, I wondered what it was as well. I asked. But Leigie-sama never told me.
In the end, I had to find it out by asking the other Demons. It truly was a waste of
time.
Leigie-sama let out a deep sigh. As if he was saying this was all my fault.
And along with that sigh, Hiero’s expression clouded.
With a heavy voice, Leigie-sama spoke. From my point of view, it was the same
as normal, but for Hiero who was having her first conversation with him, it was
probably different. His voice is always full of something that could be called
despair.
“… What happened to the last one?”
“… Eh? Y-you mean oneechan?”
“… Yeah.”
Yeah, he definitely doesn’t know it.
Leigie-sama has no interest in the maid’s name and origins. He probably found it
a pain, so he answered as such.
Hiero’s pride is stimulated, and she answers in a shaking voice.
“Oneechan was… burnt black by that Lize-san over there. That’s why I’m…”
Demon Lord, you were there, weren’t you! And isn’t this your fault!?
Even though he was completely ignoring it, he can’t even remember what
happened just yesterday.
Are you sure there isn’t any fungus growing inside of that head?
“I see… bring her here.”
“… he? Leigie-sama, j-just now, what are…”
Leigie-sama frowned.
He’s probably thinking, ‘God, this is a pain,’ but from someone who doesn’t
know him, he definitely looks displeased.
By the way, if Kanon-sama makes a face like that, it’s a sign that the entire area
will soon be reduced to cinders. There’s no escape.
This Demon Lord is a wimp, so nothing like that ever happens here. I’ll even bet
my life on it. Ah, dammit. This is pissing me off.
Leigie-sama repeated himself.
“… Bring her.”
“… Y-yes… ahaha, but she’s just charcoal, right? … y-yes, I understand. I’ll carry
Oneechan here.”
Hiero’s eyes are teary, but she immediately leaves the room, making loud
footsteps.
As if to shout out, ‘I’m in a bad mood.’
 But Leigie-sama probably doesn’t notice that at all.
The Demon Lord under the covers, who usually never moved had taken such a
large action, so I tried asking.
“What do you plan on doing?”
“… That one’s no good.”
“… Hiero, you mean?”
“Yeah…”
Without stating a specific reason, he just painstakingly said that one word.
… It seems that Lorna spoiling the heck out of him up until now has had a slight
effect. It seems you guys really are the best under the heavens at deceiving
people, Luxuria.
It’s because she carried out each and every conceivable services for him…
though that was also the reason I snapped.
With loud footsteps, Hiero slams open the door.
She violently throws something onto Leigie-sama’s bed.
“… It’s oneechan.”
What Hiero brought was a Soul Core that could fit into the palm of your hand.
About half of it had burned away, and been destroyed. Looking at it, I myself
cannot call that living. It’s because I don’t have the necessary tools to determine
whether or not there’s any life in that.
As long as a Demon’s Soul Core is safe, they can take up long years to regenerate
themselves. But with this much damage, it’ll probably decay before any
regeneration can happen.
I’m actually surprised Hiero was able to find this small fragment inside the ashes.
Could it be she actually had soft feelings towards her sister?
Leigie-sama can’t seem to contain his unhappiness as he takes the core in his
hands.
He gave a sigh of resignation, and gave a word in Hiero’s direction… once more,
that word.
“… Iyo.”
“… Eh? U-um… I deeply apologize. I am… s-still inexperienced, but I will do my
best… would you be as kind as to tell me the meaning of『Iyo』?”
Having been pressed with an impossible trial, as if her smile before had been a
lie, Hiero’s tears fell all over the place.
Getting a pride to say they’re inexperienced, what a frightening man. He
probably isn’t thinking about anything, though. But to one who governs Pride,
that is a disgrace akin to death.
They are just masses of pride, and they think they’re the centers of the world, so
hurting their pride enough to get them to put themselves below others makes
them absurdly weak.
“… Hah…”
“!? D-demon Lord…”
Who the hell does he think he’s supposed to be?
With a sigh, Leigie-sama closed his eyes.
In the first place, ‘I’ll leave it to you’, and ‘I’m satisfied with your work’ aren’t
specific instructions in the slightest, aren’t they?
Right now, the Demon Lord doesn’t really wish for anything. Can’t he just tell her
that?
Hiero nervously looks around the room. Her eyes met mine, but I hated her, so
I ignored her.
Trying to regain her standing, she musters up her courage to talk again. I doubt
any evaluation of her has risen or fallen in the first place. In the first place,
there’s no meaning in getting evaluated by that Leigie-sama.
I’m starting to think this, but don’t Pride and Sloth have the worst
compatibility?
One strives to be superior and worshipped by others, the other really doesn’t
care. You can’t fulfill a superiority complex with the Lazy King.
Even if there were rules, I think Lorna’s made a complete mistake when choosing
her successor. Is this supposed to be some form of harassment?
“U-um… I specialize in housework! Cooking, and cleaning, and laundry… I’m
confident in it. If you wish for it… e-even sexual favors…”
“I see.”
 Her face is red, and she’s definitely pushing herself, but Leigie simply gives his
usual answer.
No, he’s not being cold. That’s just how he is!
But Hiero doesn’t know that. You can’t try and communicate with this Demon
Lord.
Unless you know what he is from the start… that’s why I’m so troubled.
And having been pushed into a corner, Hiero continued to speak.
“Um… if it pleases you, please give me an order.”
Having heard that, for the first time, Leigie-sama voiced his will.
“……………… Damn, this is a pain.”
“… Eh!?”
Seriously, who is he supposed to be?
Leigie-sama let out the deepest sigh he’d ever made.
Hiero looked at the Demon Lord with a blank expression. She hasn’t said
anything wrong. She hasn’t made any reckless remarks, and she hasn’t asserted
her selfishness.
Having seen this scene, a hundred out of a hundred would side with her on the
matter. Even I would.
Don’t expect the maid that was just hired today to be able to figure everything
out.
The Demon Lord casually lifted the broken Soul Core up to the light.
I wonder what’s going through his mind.
And the moment came.
The presence that sprung forth all of a sudden made me choke for air.
Having sensed that, the face Hiero had finally put in order was suddenly
overcome with fear, and after some convulsions, she took a large step back.
Pride forgot her pride, and wrath forgot her wrath. It was an amount of magic
great enough to make my『Rage Flame』 seem like child’s play, enough magic to
warp the world.
It was. Without a doubt, a wave of the strongest power I’d ever seen in my life.
 Nothing seemed to matter anymore, and power seemed to seep out of my
body due to the concentration of Acedia.
With a face on the brink of death, the Demon Lord chanted. It was definitely
some sort of Spell.
“『Ir Ir Rul Arcadia. Everything, degradation and depravity. Hah… Law of
money, the black cornerstone that holds together all creation, just gather for a
bit in my name. 『Sloth Minugrosz』』 Ah, I misspelled it…”
“Wai…”
The overflowing magic abides the Demon Lord’s chant, and takes form.
In general, Skills can be activated by incantation, or skill name. Without the
incantation, the difficulty increases, and the output drops.
This Demon Lord’s never chanted, or even said the skill name before, so with an
aria that long, of the skills I’ve seen before… It’ll most definitely be the highest
ranking one.
I haven’t the slightest idea what’s going to happen, but an unpleasant feeling
comes over my body. An alarm clock goes off in my head.
The skill activation that’s usually impossible to sense is crystal clear.
At the feeling of the world’s order being warped, Hiero let out a scream.
But a spelling error… it was definitely that sigh he threw into it, wasn’t it!?
He can’t even recite a Skill properly, this Demon Lord!
The thoughts racing around my head were just my attempt to escape reality.
Even if the chant was a failure, the skill definitely activated.
All apart. Though nothing had changed, I felt something breaking.
The Soul Core the Demon King was holding began to change shape at the half
that had been burned.
With the crystal at the center, a mysterious black haze started to gather, and
take form. Its color changes.
Hiero mutters in a daze.
“O nee… chan?”
“… Haa.”
His sigh was filled with annoyance while, as if a clip was being played in
reverse, the charcoal regains its color, and a completely scorched face is dyed
white and regains its gloss. In the wide open eyesockets, large orbs take shape.
In just a few seconds, a completely unharmed Lorna was created. Of course,
her body, but even the clothes she had been wearing are reborn without a
scratch.
In a situation that had long transcended expectations, Hiero’s eyes are dilated as
she raises a scream. Her back hits the bedside table, and her hips are shaking,
but she retreats further.
And Lorna slowly opens her eyes.
… She’s alive.
The hell… just what is that skill?
Regeneration? Like hell… as if regeneration can restore clothing. In the first
place, Lorna should have been completely terminated. From a half-destroyed
Soul Core, there’s no way she’d be brought back this perfectly!
“Onee… chan?”
“Hie… ro?”
Hiero unsteadily walks towards Lorna, as if she had seen a ghost.
Lorna’s eyes bink multiple times as she looks at her sister. She doesn’t seem to
know what’s going on either.
Well, that can’t be helped. Even I, who’s seen this start to finish, can’t
understand what just happened.
At that moment, the color of Hiero’s face changed. From ghastly pale, to red
panic.
She tilts her head as she looks over Lorna’s body.
I also noticed it. The regeneration… wasn’t over yet. No, the wounds were
already gone, but still, her time was turning back.
The skill hadn’t ended yet!
The feeling that something was broken persisted, and even though she had
returned to normal, there’s no sign of it ending.
Lorna’s height ever-so-slightly reduced, and her breasts withered in a similar
manner. The look on her face gets slightly more childish.
Her clothing changes from a pure-white maid uniform to a smaller one with black
as the base. Her long skirt changes to the shorter one Hiero was wearing.
By misspell, could he possibly…
My heart beats faster, as I see her body gradually shrink, the fifteen centimeter
height difference between her and Hiero became ten, then five. Compared to
that, the bulge in her breasts doesn’t change all that much, but her facial
features slowly regress from mature to innocent.
For a different reason, Hiero blinked her eyes as she turned to Leigie-sama.
“…Leigie-sama, this is…”
“… Turned her too far back.”
With a face that showed he wasn’t repenting at all, Leigie-sama rubbed his
head into the pillow. Even though it was his mistake, he still has absolutely no
motivation.
Turned her… too far back?
Lorna’s transformation ends.
By that time, there was pretty much no gap between her and Hiero. Of course,
there’s personality, and Lorna’s face looks just a little more adult-like, but the
appearance differences they had before, if you exclude the fact that Lorna’s a
very slight bit taller, and her breasts much larger, as if they were twins, they
looked identical. The difference left was that of Lust and Pride… the difference
caused by attribute.
Lorna’s perplexed eyes looked over her shorter arms and legs.
Perhaps Hiero didn’t know how to respond, but she looked around as if to throw
responsibility off of herself. I want someone to help me.
Only Leigie-sama is without confusion, without ill will. He looks at the much-
compacted, reconstructed Lorna.
“Do you have… memories? Today’s date?”
On Leigie-sama’s question, Lorna casts away her hesitation, and corrects her
posture. As if concerned about her now-shorter skirt, she fidgets as she gives a
clear reply.

“Eh? Ah… yes. Today is Divine Year 271C8A, Kanon Year 310 November 11th,
Leigie-sama.”
As his question was answered with a full-on smile, Leigie-sama turned to me.
Could it be that even though he asked, he doesn’t even know the date himself?
Having regained composure, Hiero answers instead.

“Oneechan, it’s the 12th.”

“Heh? No, today should be the 11th… Hmm? Hiero, did you get taller?”
No, you shrunk.
Leigie-sama addressed Lorna, who was tilting her head, and still without a grasp
on the situation, with a care-free tone.
“I see. Got it. Iyo.”
“??? Y-yes! Understood, my liege…”
Her head remains tilted as she answers. She looks at her wristwatch, and
compares it to the one on the wall. In a panic, she lowers her head deeply to
Leigie-sama.
“Leigie-sama, I deeply apologize. A little… your meal time will be delayed by
about an hour.”
“Iyo.”
“Thank you. I am deeply grateful for your kindness.”
She instantly returned to her daily cycle, and made quiet steps as she exited
the room. Behind her, she pulled the hand of her sister, who still didn’t have a
grasp on anything.
As I looked upon it, I was so taken aback that I couldn’t say anything.
What’s with that pointless loyalty? More than her own body, that had
disintegrated, she worries for the mealtime of the Demon Lord that can go
centuries without food or drink?
I look towards Leigie, the culprit in all of this, but there’s no sign of him feeling
satisfaction, or a sense of achievement, or even remorse.
This Demon Lord, who is he, really…
With all that’s happened, I’ve lost confidence in my own『Wrath』 that I’m
supposed to govern.

Part 4: Quit. Screwing. With. Me!

Give me a break already.
Every time he shows one of his Sloth skills, my stress build up.
What I understand is that this Demon Lord has advanced enough to be
appropriate for Rank Three. That’s about it.
And while I originally would be happy upon learning such a fact, every time I’m
reminded of it, I lose confidence in myself as a Demon.
Just how much do I have to satisfy my Sin to get some bullshit skill like the ability
to rewind time? To be more specific, it seems it separates stored up experience,
and rewinds the body, but that doesn’t really matter.
Compared to Wrath, which is all direct attacks, Sloth is too free, and the effects
are indeterminate, or how should I put it… they’re really annoying.
He rarely uses them, so the damage when he does is horrendous. He’s definitely
trying to piss me off. It’s a conspiracy.
This workplace is dangerous… my stomach hurts.
I can now understand why my Sloth predecessor abandoned all responsibility.
When a Sloth Demon gave up on this, there’s no way a Wrath like me can endure
it.
No matter how much I try venting my anger on him, he remains peaceful, so my
stress isn’t going anywhere at all.
Kanon-sama’s expectations, and the environment itself have me stuck between a
rock and a hard place.
But if I just let him be, then there’s no workplace more peaceful than this one.
I mean, even if I don’t observe him, in the end, he definitely won’t do something
as troublesome as a revolt, and even if we don’t lend him power, it’ll work out
one way or another.
Is what I thought, but just look at this!
I hold my aching stomach as I turn to Leigie-sama who was slouching deeply into
a chair.
“What? What did you just say?”
 “… Nothing.”
He’s quite clearly making a face that says repeating would be a pain, as he
averts his eyes. For me to almost completely understand this mostly
expressionless King, is that some sort of growth on my part? I don’t need this
sort of growth…
It’s no good… there’s nothing we can do about this one.
I take deep breathes to control my anger. My control has greatly increased
compared to when I first came here. Without a doubt.
I need to control my anger… even shouting at this man is more than he deserves.
“… Do you remember that Imperial decree?”
“…”
Don’t… don’t close your eyes. I’m begging you, listen…
It’s… it’s fine… calm down… if I get angry, it’s my loss…
I take deep breathes, and leisurely lower my voice to make it easier for Leigie-
sama to hear.
“I said it, didn’t I? This time… the enemy’s a Demon Lord.”
“… No?”
Ku… this man…
I firmly clench my fist. I squeeze so hard my nails break through the skin, and a
hot pain runs up my arm.
Is he making fun of me? No. Without even playing dumb, the memory’s already
completely gone.
I… said it! I definitely said it! I was the one who brought the order from Kanon, I
was the one who painstakingly explained it to Leigie-sama, and the one who said
that the opponent was a powerful Demon Lord so if he didn’t go out himself, he
would be sending his Generals to die a pointless death was also me!
It’s because if I didn’t warn him, I was sure he would never go out!
Anger splits my head, and as I felt that I was about to destroy the area, I
somehow kept it contained with repeated abdominal breathing.
“Hey, hey, oneechan. Lize-san sure has become quiet lately.”
“Don’t mind her, just hold the end properly!”
 AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!
Next to Leigie-sama, the annoying sisters spoke as if it were someone else’s
problem.
Hiero’s master later learned of her unsightly display, and sent her in for maid
training. Recently, those two have taken to coming here together.
The prideful younger sister, who intentionally raised her voice so I could hear,
and the older one, who despite being one-sidedly killed by me, continued to
show absolutely no interest towards me. By that devastating combo, my stress is
swelling up twice as fast as before. This really is the worst.
Pride’s Skiltree’s nature lies in bestowing absolute adjustments to opponents
they’ve Overruled.
To put it simply, to them, to those weaker than them, they display absolute
strength, and to those that excel even a little bit more than them, they display
complete weakness… that sort of skill.
And so, now that the older sister Lorna’s revived, it seems that Hiero was once
more forced to occupy second place. Normally, once someone’s been Overruled,
it’s difficult to overturn that, but now that Lorna’s been reduced to around the
same age, the clear disparity in their appearances (mainly in the chest area) beat
down Hiero once more, and while she’s still a bit afraid of Leigie-sama, she
obediently follows her sister’s words.
Well, for now, that doesn’t really matter.
The problem is that Hiero is taking mischievous glances at me as if she had set
up a prank while she practices making the bed.
She speaks in my direction as she makes an annoying smile.
“Lize-san, you’re not getting angry anymore… could it be you’ve finally given
up after witnessing Leigie-sama’s power?”
“An inevitable result. No matter the case, laying hands on a Demon Lord… it
was her previous behavior that was the stranger one!”
AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!
Rage so large I felt my head would explode at any moment swelled up, fueling my
power.
Blood flows from the palm of my hand, and it trickles onto the ground.
I unintentionally put in too much power, and cracks are spreading across it.
I use up all of my mental fortitude fighting my own emotions.
Calm… calm down. Lize Bloodcross.
In the end, this is the nonsense of a child…
Compared to this man, who never moves by himself, despite being a Lord…
Smile. Make a smile.
“D-Dem on Lord? I-I said it, right? The opponent is… the Devouring Demon
Lord.”
“… Who’s that?”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH
Someone do something about this maaaaaaaaaaan!
Among Kanon-sama’s subordinates, there isn’t one who doesn’t know of Zebul
Glaucus, the Devourer.
But this Demon Lord probably, in all honesty, doesn’t know. Hooray.
That’s why. I. Explained it. Because I thought he didn’t know, I explained it! I
definitely did!
AAAAAAAH, please save me, Kanon-samaaaaaaaaaa!
I hit my head against the bed post in an attempt to forget my anger, and Lorna
looked at me with repulsed eyes.
This is all your Lord’s fauuuuulllt!
“… Fifth… The Fifth Rank, a Demon that governs Gula, my liege. He subjugated
the Fifteenth Rank, and the Sixteenth rank Demon Lords in a matter of three
days. An atrocious… Demon Lord.”
“… Is that supposed to be amazing?”
“Gu… Yes, it’s amazing! Listen here, Rank Five means that among the Demon
Lords loyal to Kanon-sama, he’s the fifth strongest!”
“… Is he stronger than you?”
Nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
General class… and a Demon Lord. Don’t compare them!
I shed tears of restraint as I answer. Damn, why must I go through something like
this?
“W-well… that’s right…”
“… I see.”
His uninterested line finally made me snap.
IF YOU DON’T EVEN CARE, THEN DON’T ASK!
AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!
“Wow, that’s amazing… Lize-san. After going through this much, you can still
keep quiet…”
“Naturally. In the first place, what was strange was the way Lize has been
treating our Demon Lord up until now.”
In my head, how many hundreds of thousands of times have I killed him so
far!?
AAAAAAAAAAHHHH. This is bad… I’ll die.
Even within my rage, tears started flowing out. Why am I…
“Uku… and. So. It. Would. Be. Bad. If You. Don’t. Go. Out. Demon Lord! In.
The. Worst. Case. They’ll. Be. Annihilated!”
In the first place, having a Demon Lord confront a Demon Lord is common
sense in battles between Demons.
This time, we even know beforehand that Zebul is personally leading his army.
A normal Demon Lord should know the meaning of this without me having to
spell it out. But I thought Leigie-sama didn’t know, so I already explained it to
him!
Give me back all of my hard work!
Having listened to the drawn out conversation, Leigie-sama yawned with
sleepy eyes.
“… Iyo.”
“If the army the Great Demon King sent you is annihilated, you’ll definitely be
punished, you know!? Do you understand that!?”
But seeing her behavior, I’m not sure about other Lords, but perhaps Kanon-
sama will let this man off.
But of course, I won’t say that. If I did, he definitely wouldn’t go out.
Why is it that the man in question isn’t even thinking anything, when I, who
was merely sent to watch over him, have so much on my mind!!
“…”
Are. You. A Child!!?
I pull at his arm as he silently closes his eyes.
From Lorna, I heard that Deije and Medea had launched an attack, and it’s been
a few hours since we informed Leigie-sama.
If we don’t hurry, they’ll all die. No, it’s not strange it they’ve already perished.
And wait, normally, shouldn’t he at least say something!? That he wanted to join
them or something!?
With Leigie-sama showing no signs of movement, and I was just about to give
up, my savior popped up from an unexpected place.
With eyes full of curiosity, Hiero pulled at Leigie-sama.
“Leigie-sama, I want to see it! The place where they’re fighting!”
Nono, that wasn’t my intent, you know?
Hiero has even less restraint than me when dealing with this Demon Lord. Of all
things, she climbed onto his knee, and started shaking his shoulders back and
forth.
Due to the younger sister’s sudden recklessness, the elder one quickly tried to
apprehend her. Unfortunately, due to her years of training being blown away,
she lacks the physical ability to pull her away.
“Hey, stop that! What do you think you’re doing to Leigie-sama…”
“Eh? No, but even oneechan wants to see the form of a Demon Lord fighting
once in your life, right?”
“Yes, well…”
On the younger’s direct question, Lorna hesitated for a second.
Despite this and that, Lorna who serves a Demon Lord who doesn’t do anything
must harbor those feelings. That’s a bit of a relief.
As if he had noticed a change in the behavior of the faithful maid he had
rewound the time of, Leigie-sama opened his eyes, and said a word.
It really was just a word. It seems he’s finally started to remember the name
lately.
“Lorna.”
“Hiero, look! Leigie-sama is tired. Stop troubling him, and come back here so
we can be doing what we should!”
Lorna spilled out her opinion without restraint. She grabs Hiero’s body firmly
with both arms, and pulls her off of Leigie-sama.
Even while pulling her off, she continues to direct a charming smile at Leigie-
sama before deeply lowering her head.
But without a hint of interest towards her smile, he closed his eyes.
Inside of Lorna’s arms, Hiero resists, and shouts out.
“B-but oneechan! Every night, to Leigie-sama, don’t you mastur…!”
… What?
Upon hearing that, with movements unbefitting of Lust, Lorna locked Hiero’s
face in an iron claw with speed that made me question whether she had used a
skill or not.
She looks over her sister expressionlessly. Her eyes definitely aren’t laughing.
That’s the expression of someone considering how to cook up the live fish sitting
on the cutting board.
Just what would happen if you break her usual calm temperament? It feels as if a
sleeping beast had been awoken.
“Hiero… if you say any more, fufu… you may earn some of my resentment…”
“Hii!? Ha… hahi!!”
And suddenly, there was a girl directing serious killing intent at her younger
sister.
Hiero noticed she had stepped onto the beast’s tail, and nods obediently with a
pale face.
Lorna’s face slowly turns red, as she turns to her lord, but as he’s already taken
up a sleeping position, there’s no way he was listening. In the first place, even if
he was, I doubt he would even stop to think about it.
 But… I see. So that’s it… Luxuria. A Lewd elder sister… that’s what Hiero was
trying to say.
Seeing Leigie-sama’s behavior, Lorna put her hand to her chest in relief.
For once in a long time, I smiled from the bottom of my heart.
… But don’t forget that Leigie-sama isn’t the only one here. Don’t forget me.
I lightly tap Lorna’s shoulder.
She turns around, and noticing my smile, she turns pale.
Inside of her hand, Hiero’s frothing at the mouth as she loses consciousness.
“Li… Lize?”
I completely ignore Lorna’s pleading eyes, and casually bring up some idle
chatter.
“So that’s it… to think that under that diligent face, you were… should I say, as
expected of Luxeria?”
“Wha…!?”
“I did find it odd when I first heard you governed Lust, but I never thought that
of all things, you would use the lord you served to…”
“Wait, wait, wait, time out!”
With an expression I’ve never seen on her before, she grabs my collar, and
pulls me closer.
Even if she looks a bit more innocent, being exposed to her beautiful face point
blank, even though I’m of the same gender, I can’t stop the beating of my heart.
Ku ku ku Lust… lust… is it?
With teary eyes, she turns her face away.
What should I do. I’m having a lot of fun.
“Even if you may be a Demon of Lust, are you not a little too sinful? Did you
want to look stoic, while you advanced your Luxuria class inside your heart… as
expected of the girl her own sister called lewd. What’s more, every day… aren’t
you going to become a Demon Lord of Lust sometime soon?”
“Wait, that’s wrong! Lize! It’s not like that! Right, it’s Hiero’s
misunderstanding!”
 She shakes me violently.
Just what sort of persuasive power do you think you have when your face is that
red, and your eyes so teary?
In the first place, whether that be fantasy or reality, it doesn’t really matter to
me.
“And I doubt you even have to be so secretive about it, like Hiero, why don’t
you just tell Leigie? To instruct you to do sexual favors or something, that you’d
happily accept. Ku ku ku, I think even Leigie-sama’ll be surprised. That the Lorna
that always did the cooking and cleaning was actually thinking such things deep
down.”
“…!!”
She raises a scream without any words as I thrust the final blow.
You won’t get any pity. I put my hand to her face that’s become as red as an
apple.
“Ah, if it’s hard to say, then do you want me to tell him for you? As an apology
for killing you that one time? Fufu, Leigie-sama sure is a happy Demon Lord. For
a Luxeria Demon to think of him to that extent, and even give her first to him.”
“Huu… Uu… wrong, it’s not like… I’m…”
She’s lost and confused as she falls to the ground.
By the way, despite all the noise we’re making, Leigie-sama isn’t stirring in the
slightest.
As she made a face as if the world was going to end, I lightly tapped her
shoulder. At this rate, I’m really going to awaken to something besides Wrath.
“Hey, Lorna. How about a trade?”
“A… Trade…?”
With eyes like an abandoned puppy, she spoke as she looked up at me.
I have things I have to do, and Lorna has things she has to do. In order to fulfill
both, why don’t we help each other a bit? Ku ku ku, this is mutual aid, isn’t it?
“Yes… Lorna. I want… to see Leigie-sama’s form in battle. Maybe if I saw the
moment Leigie took down Zebul, I would completely forget everything that came
to pass here.”
 “Gu… uu.. you Demon.”
What are you saying, this late in the game.
Even when I gave her hope at the last moment, Lorna continues to hesitate.
She’s a perfect image of loyalty. Though she is a lewd woman who does this and
that with her Lord’s image every night.
“Ah, if it’s that, we can record his fighting form on a memory crystal, you
know? Ku ku ku, won’t it make for some good… material?”
“I-I get it! I get it, so p-please stop it!”
She raises the white flag.
As I thought, it’s nice to win. I didn’t even use my Wrath, but it’s a refreshing
feeling after so long.
Now the problem is whether or not Lorna can persuade that guy…
Could it be that’s the greatest problem?
Lorna gently pulls the cuff of the sleeping Leigie-sama with restraint.
“Leigie-sama…”
“…”
Perhaps because that was the voice that always rung out for his meal time,
amazingly, after only one call, Leigie-sama opened his eyes.
Lorna began negotiations with her face dyed a deep red.
“This may be presumptuous, but I have a small request…”
“Don’t want to.”
… He shows no mercy, even to the maid.
I guess that’s right. Even when he had a revival spell, he’s a man who didn’t even
use it until Hiero got to be a pain. There’s no way the presence of Lorna will do
anything.
But perhaps because she’s even more used to dealing with Leigie, she doesn’t
pay any mind to his denial.
“Together with Lize… won’t you bring ruin to the opposing Demon Lord,
Zebul?”
 “… Why?”
Why?
Why, you ask? Because it’s an order from the Great Demon King!
I try to approach, but Lorna stops me.
She continued on with a kind look in her eyes.
“Leigie-sama, is there anything special you want to eat tonight?”
“… Curry rice.”
“Then we’ll have Curry Rice tonight. Leigie-sama, I’ll put all my skill into making
it. It will taste better if you excersize a bit first.”
“… Unnecessary.”
“Leigie-sama, how about dessert?”
“… Apple pie.”
Are you a child?
“Then I’ll bake Apple Pie. Leigie-sama, it will take a little bit of time, so how
about you move your body a bit?”
“I hate it.”
“Fighting, you mean?”
“I’m a pacifist.”
And what the hell’s with a pacifistic Demon Lord?
“That’s quite amazing, Leigie-sama.”
“Especially if the opponent’s strong, I hate it even more. It’s a pain.”
“… Compared to you, my liege, their power amounts to nothing.”
Nono, that isn’t the case, right?
The opponent is Rank Five. Compared to that, Leigie-sama’s become Rank Three
quite recently.
It’s undoubtable that he’s above Zebul, but I have to say that it’ll be difficult to
win that easily. There’s a problem of affinity, and I don’t know the details of
Sloth Skills.
Leigie-sama has a troubled face as he locks eyes with Lorna.
“… I see. Lorna… you want me to fight that badly?”
“… Yes.”
“For whose sake?”
“… For my sake. Later… I’ll bear witness. I’ll have Lize… take pictures, so…”
“Bu…!”
I unintentionally laughed.
Lorna’s face is the shade of a boiled octopus as she glares at me. Her eyes are
telling me that she doesn’t mean it like that, but from my point of view, it can be
for nothing else.
I get it. I get it. I’ll take them! Use them as material however you like.
“… I see…”
“… I’m very sorry.”
“… Hah…”
“… I’m very sorry.”
“… For some reason, my stomach hurts…”
With a face devoid of any pain, the Demon Lord spoke.
That much!? You don’t want to fight that much!? Leigie of the Slaughterdolls!
If you’re going to fake illness, at least give a pained face!
“… I truly am sorry, Leigie-sama.”
In response, Lorna gave a truly apologetic face as she lowered her head.
Even after seeing that, he doesn’t seem to think anything. He turned away, and
curled up into a ball.
This is definitely impossible…
“… Now, Lize. Leigie-sama has given affirmation.”
“… Eh!? Fo realz!?”
With that? That was enough?
Is that really fine? No matter how you look at it, he was refusing, but…
 Within the chair, the Demon Lord tried to shrink his body. I was right to try
asking in the time his bed was being made. If he was on the bed, he would have
burrowed under the covers without a doubt.
Lorna continued to say some unbelievable things.
“… Lize, please take Leigie-sama. Even if you can do nothing else, then at the
very least, you can do that, right?”
… Even if I can’t do anything? That’s quite rude. Just how much trouble do you
think I’m going through…
But that’s fine. That’s still fine. The problem is… will he even go?
“… Eh? Should I take him on my back?”
“… You will be moving my liege. That much is obvious.”
What’s obvious? … Move already!
In the first place, the Castle of Shadows is the center of the large mass of land
given to him. I understand the general distance to its borders, but I’m going to
have to carry him that far…?
I don’t want to think about it. Even if I have enough strength, is the Demon
Lord’s pride really intact after being carried by a woman shorter than him?
… It probably is.
I swallow the rage that began to boil up. I don’t really understand why I have
to do so much, but it’ll take time. Flying dragons are the main forms of transport
within the Demon World.
So this time as well, even if I’m carrying him, it’ll only be to the Dragon Stables.
“… I get it… I’ll carry him, so…”
“That’s fine. Now, Leigie-sama… I’m sorry, but…”
“… The truth is, if I’m away from the bed for more than an hour, I’ll die.”
At this point in time, he still knows not when to give up. He has not a scrap of
pride.
And wait, don’t lie with a straight face! There’s no way this thing is a Demon
Lord!
In the first place, it’ll take longer than an hour to get there, even by Dragon.
 “… Even if we use a flying dragon, it’ll take more than an hour just to get
there…”
“What? More than an hour… you say? You, are you trying to kill me!!?”
That was the most motivated voice I had heard from him from the moment I
was stationed here.
Does he really hate it that much… this man.
A grinding pain comes from my stomach.
“Don’t’ screw with me! I’ll give in and fight… that much is fine. Because it’ll be
over after I randomly use some skill or another. But if you want me to fight, then
bring that something something Demon Lord to my room, or it ain’t happening!”
“T-there’s no way that’s happening! Now let’s go!”
I pull at the whining Demon Lord’s arm with all my might.
“… Don’t~ Want~ To~! I definitely won’t work!”
“Don’t be selfish! It’s an order from the Great Demon King!”
“Damn, why must I go through this… Being a Demon Lord… I quit!”
This man… he’s serious. He doesn’t want to move that badly.
You’re not even working in the first place!
And in a time like this, this Demon Lord still hasn’t worked up any interest
towards his enemy.
“… Now then, stop screwing around! You can sleep on the way there!”
With Wrath being my attribute, the only one who’s made me make so many
concessions is this man.
“… Can I sleep in battle too?”
Is his head screwed on right?
And wait, you’ll die! No matter who you think you are, you’ll die! Your enemy
isn’t General Class, he’s a Demon Lord like you!
Does this man understand that!?
“… It’s no good. Go tell Kanon. Go fight for yourself.”
With eyes full of needless self-confidence, this man shows no fear even
towards the Great Demon Lord.
If one of the Great Demon Lord’s direct subordinates saw him now, it wouldn’t
be strange for him to get convicted for treason.
“There’s no way I could say something like that! And it’s not like it has to be
dragons. I just thought that would be fastest. Now warp, or do some
instantaneous movement, or whatever it is you want! You’re still fighting, you
know! That’s your responsibility!
“…Hah…”
Leigie-sama lets out a sigh.
He really is useless.
And this conversation is a pain.
Is what his eyes are telling me.
When I thought he was about to return some more complaints, I felt a
weightless feeling as if my body had been tossed into the air.
My field of vision instantly changed.
“He…?”
Having been thrown into the air himself, as well, Leigie-sama doesn’t try to roll
or even raise his voice as he flops onto the ground.
I quickly correct my body, and land on my feet.
A desert of darkness without a single place to take cover extended to the
horizon. The pale blue moon illuminated the desolate earth without a single
blade of vegetation.
“Heh? Wai… wah… eh?”
Am I seeing an illusion?
I was definitely inside the castle so how did we…
in comparison to me at the height of confusion, the Demon Lord who had been
thrown on the ground isn’t panicking at all.
The pitch black dirt that seemed to personify darkness itself, a sign that it was
soaked in the Mana of death.
“… Zone… more, that way…”
 “What? Wait…”
I heard an ominous voice.
My vision shifted once more.
From an empty plain, to a plain drenched in the scent of blood and flesh and ash.
Leigie-sama rolls on the ground in an unsightly manner.
When I hit the ground, my instincts perceived it.
Much different from Leigie-sama’s existence…but something as great as him.
And wait, the object releasing it is right before my eyes.
As if a hole had been cut in space, an overcoat that seemed to suck in all light
draped over a small shadow.
The small face covered in green hair looked over with an expression of
bewilderment. But if you were to compare, I was the more confused of the two
of us.
Zebul Glaucus.
The Devouring King. Her appearance and figure match the one I had heard
about.
How can this be… am I dreaming!?
The Demon Lord ignores me, and turns to Leigie, who unsteadily lifts himself.”
In front of Zebul, with shaking steps like that of a baby fawn, he fell onto his
back, and sighed.
Without letting his voice out, and moving only his mouth, he began to complain.
“… Really… impossible… no good. This one’s strong… don’t want to…I can’t
hear anything lalalalala.”
The first thoughts that were born in my mind were retorts.
Wait, so that was you!
I definitely said you could teleport or something, and I’ll admit that.
Is this also a Sloth Skill? No, it’s perfect for Sloth, isn’t it!
Even so, he gives up quickly!
Leigie-sama takes a glance at Zebul, and swings his head from side to side.
My stomach instantly goes into ominous spasms of pain. Perhaps I’ll burn
through my gut.
Anyways, Quit. Screwing. With. Me!
Leigie and Lorna by Shibaki Tsubura
 Of How Leigie Actually Does Stuff

The Lazy King Chapter 5: Gula

Part 1: This World is… Hell
Within the whole world, I think that the hardest feeling to bear is『Hunger』.
The Demon World is absurdly vast, by I doubt there exists a longing that
surpasses this thirst.
Thus, after being given life as a Demon, when I was selected under Gula, I
thought it to be a natural matter of course.
The months and years passed by favorably, and as I lived thinking of nothing
but how to sate my hunger, the class I was burdened with had changed
to『Demon Lord』 when I wasn’t looking.
If you ask whether anything changed once I became a Demon Lord, nothing
changed at all. The only thing I am capable of is eating, and I was more than
satisfied with that alone.
Perhaps a change to speak of was that I became one of the strong, and
therefore, the extent of what I could eat had increased.
It was survival of the fittest in the truest sense of the word. Because we were a
bit stronger, we ate, and as a result, our classes advanced.
It didn’t take long for the target of that desire to shift from what the other
Demons called ‘Food’, to inorganic matter, and finally those of the same race.
The fact that other Demons taste good is a sort of common sense among those
that carry Gula. Eating them takes up too much effort, so there are few that
actually do it is all… meaning as long as you take care of that single point, there is
no need for hesitation.
I lived a long time.
I was born as a Demon, became a Demon Lord, became the Great Demon
King’s subordinate, and ate all the opposing Demon Lords.
The stronger the targets were, the better they tasted on my tongue.
Within Demons, there are about five ranks.
Meaning, starting from『Rankless』, it goes to
『Pawn』
『Knight』
『General』
『Lord』
These five.
Rankless have the least taste, and Lords are a delicacy.
Additionally, their taste changes based on the attribute they carry. If you asked
me what the supreme food was, I would definitely say『Demons』.
To Gluttony, that is cursed with unlimited hunger, no matter how much food
you have, it is never enough.
Born as pure predators, Gluttonies are never loved by their race. Because of
their nature that rashly excels in attack power, if they act too indiscriminately,
there’s always the fear that their surroundings will work to eliminate them.
Order was needed, so the quickest solution was to put them under the
protections of someone of a high rank.
And that was the Great Demon Lord. That’s all.
Without any real difficult reasons, and without any particular circumstances. For
such simple reasons, I became a Demon who followed the Great Demon Lord,
and I got retainers, and land, and… the right to devour Demons that opposed us.
Even more time passed.
My power as a Demon continued to rise, and my hunger along with it.
My tongue matured, and normal food would no longer sate my hunger in the
slightest.
The Great Demon Lord changed generations thrice, and one who hadn’t even
existed when I was born, Kanon of Ruin, took over.
She was a deep crimson Demon, a beautiful personification of the flames of
purgatory.
I still remember the audience I had with her when she took office.
 The magic I felt from her body blazed up in a manner fitting of Ira, and the
surrounding air seemed to burn with tremendous heat at the might that filled it.
I felt that I was going to prostrate myself at any moment against that might.
I thought of how beautiful and strong a Devil she was.
And within her, was overflowing charisma.
If it’s with this Great Demon King, then I’ll be able to satisfy my hunger to levels
I’ve never felt before.
I’ll be able to taste flavors I’ve never learned of.
And at the same time, I thought.
If I could ever get a taste of her… the sensation would be good enough to send
me to heaven.
My parents, and my friends, and my retainers even ate other Gluttonies.
They ate Sloth, and Greed, and Lust, and Wrath, and Gluttony, and Pride, and
Envy.
In tears, in anger, in laughter, in gratitude, they were eaten.
There is no ranking among food, and thus, everything in this world has equal
value.
Whether disgusting, or delicious, even if I knew it would never fill my stomach, I
ate.
This world is… hell.
It expands. It contracts. It changes. War starts. War Ends. Things fall. Things
revive. Everything is perpetually in a state of change, and what prospers must
decay. But within all of that, the only thing that didn’t change at all was my
hunger.
Only hunger remained constant.
Along with the endless euphoria I experienced upon sating it.
So me raising a revolt against the Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude was likely
not a matter of food supplies or anything. It was probably just a matter of time.
Because I’m a Demon. A Demon of Gluttony.

Part 2: Let me Have a Taste

 This level of Magic wasn’t able to satisfy my Soul Core at all.
It was so nice back in the day. The Demon World was simply overflowing with
powerful demons who had spent long years satisfying their desires.
Perhaps I’ve just lived too long. Perhaps I’ve just eaten too many tasty things.
And within our limited resources, in order to satisfy our matured tongues, we
continued to struggle like children.
Fufufu, it was so nice back in the day… is it? I’m starting to sound like an old
person.
About ten thousand years ago, most of the powerful Demons… in a large scale
war with the invading army from heaven, most of them perished.
What remains of the demons now. The Demon Lords are all youngsters who
haven’t ten thousand years under their belts.
“Zebul-zama, I’m hungry.”
A Demon with a Wolf’s head spoke.
He’s General Class, and another who governs Gluttony. For someone who has
yet to reach Demon Lord status, I more than understand his pain.
“Fufufufufu, of course… I’m the same. Endure it. The meal eaten after
enduring the utmost limits of starvation is the greatest of bliss. They say hunger
is the best seasoning, right?”
“Food… I wants… food.”
The sweet scent of blood and flesh and souls tickles my nostrils.
While I may be called something like the Carrion Devourer, I’m a scholar on the
journey for supreme tastes, and I don’t just devour anything out there. I don’t
know where that name came about.
I cross my feet onto the pure white throne of marble. Muffled cries are coming
from the mouth of the food carrying the throne.
For Demons of Pride… breaking their pride before eating them creates the
greatest taste.
But whatever the case, I don’t feel very much power from him anyways. I guess
the taste will be reasonable, at least.
Of course, my stomach is endless, so I won’t do something as foolish as
wasting food. I never miss my prayers before and after a meal.
Blood spills out like a fountain, and stains my face. At the same time, the throne
begins to sway.
“H-hey! Don’t just eat them as you please!”
“Gu?”
When I frantically look underneath it, I saw the form of my subordinate
gnawing on the head of another with his massive jaw.
Aaaaaah, right when I was in the middle of food preparations…
Even if the materials are bad, they don’t understand my sentiment of making
them as tasty as possible.
But raising a crunching sound, the smile that bust out on that wolf face made me
feel it didn’t matter anymore. It’s because I can understand how he feels.
Good grief, what helpless children.
I jump off of the Throne, take the right arm of the corpse that had lost its
freshness, and put it in my mouth.
The ripe soul only gave off a sweet taste for an instant. With a few chews, it
disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Well, well, good grief. This doesn’t do anything to my hunger.
When I was ripping off the left arm, the wolf head spoke.
“Gu… Zebul-zama… yo fazt…”
“Yeah, I’m… one who can eat a bit.”
“Didn’t you juzt eats a Demon Lord…”
“Yep, that was tasty.”
As I thought, Demon Lords are different. The depth of flavor is different. The
texture is different. I can clearly tell that my body is happy when I eat them.
Even if they’re newcomers, the magic they possess is completely incomparable
to the General Class below them.
The Wolf finishes up the head, but when it looked through its spoils for
something more, the libs were already gone.
He directs accusatory eyes at me.
 “Unfair…”
Well, well.
The things kids say these days.
The endless longings he held in regards to food made me speak with admiration.
“Not unfair, not unfair. You have to take your own food… by yourself. The one
who fought Claud Astal was me, right? It’s natural that I be the one to eat him.
Did you perhaps do anything?”
“Zat demon juzt now… I killed him…”
“… Really? Was that how it was? Fufufu, well, the achievements of the vassals
are those of the King’s correct? If you hate it… you’ve got to rise up in the
world.”
If you do, you’ll someday come to learn the taste of a Demon Lord. Well,
perhaps you’ll live happier if you never learn it.
I activate a Gluttony Skill.
I use my magic, and my stomach shakes even further with hunger.
『Million Dish』
The tentacles that grew from my back pierce the body of the former Pride
Demon that had already lost its head and limbs.
The wolf head raises a cry.
“Wait…”
“Fufufu, well, I’ll leave you a bit.”
Gluttony skills are used only during meals.
Each tentacle moves individually, and the Pride Demon’s body was eaten up in
under a second.
The wolf head hurriedly tried to bite at it, but his teeth clicked together
fruitlessly in the empty air.
Fufufu… to intrude on another’s meal, what bad eating manners, kid.
“Aaaaaaaah, you zaid you would… leave a bit…”
“Fufufu… thank you for the meal… it tasted decent.”
 Even if he’s General-class, I guess that’s all he’s got. As I thought, back in the
day…
No, that was only the Fifteenth Rank Demon Lord. The Demons he’s amassed are
just that level.
“… Zebul-zama…”
“Fufu, see, I left it, did I not?”
The teary-eyed wolf… he’s a General Class Demon belonging to my army, Gar
Luxeed. I pointed to the pure-white throne, and offered it to him.
“… The throne.”
“I don’t… needs a plate.”
Good grief, as a General Class, he lacks dignity… shouldn’t higher class Demons
have a bit more elegance?
Ahaha, well, wolves are carnivorous, was it? That is… I’ve done something bad.
But you shouldn’t be so picky with food.
“I see… fufu, then I guess I’ll eat it…”
“… Edible thingz are edible.”
“When it comes down to it, sometimes you have to get down and eat the dirt
and stones as well.”
The mouth on the hand I pointed with… the fangs shaved at the marble.
It’s not a bad taste. But even if it’s made with high quality materials, in the end,
it’s just a plate. It’s fine for fooling my hunger, but as I thought, it can’t rival
what’s supposed to be on the plate.
The wat’s long since finished, and this is the victory banquet.
The army of Pride has fallen, and all the enemy soldiers became food.
They definitely weren’t a match for me at all. Despite having their Demon Lord
with them, in just two hours, their defeat was already decided.
Our army only contains Gluttony Demons, but Gluttony excels in attack power,
and the most basic of Gluttony Skills, 『Wave of Starvation』 is one with a large
area of effect.
As long as I’m here, all Demons below a certain level of ability simply get caught
up in the skill, and end up as nothing but food.
Of course, I did make sure to hold back, but they were an indecisive bunch from
the start.
Fufufu, there’s no meaning in an indecisive Superbia Demon. In the end, he’s
just a loser who submitted himself to Kanon Iralaude.
Pride is… stronger the more arrogance one has. And that also increases the
flavor.
There’s also the fact that the difference in rank between us was too great, but
the 『Overrule』 the Demon Lord used wasn’t anything special either.
His screams of despair weren’t bad as a seasoning, though.
Having finished eating the throne, I pat my stomach.
I’m quite slim. All the nutrition goes to feeding my Gluttony Skills.
“Zebul-zama… I’m hungry.”
“Hmm? Already? … I guess it’s because there was just quantity without
quality…”
With this, I’ve barely broken even with what was used up by my skills.
I scan the surroundings, but everything I could gnaw on had disappeared into
someone’s stomach or another, and all I saw were eyes sparkling with hunger.
Well, well, regular eating should give a better feeling of fullness, but… well,
there’s no helping it if they can’t endure it.
Since I just ate a Demon Lord, I can still hold on for a while, but answering to the
expectations of his men is also a King’s duty, is it not?
I hit the palms of my hands together, and addressed the faces of my men, who
were seething in their basic desires.
“Now, let’s go search for some more food…”
“YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”
My subordinates cry out. The ground shakes under their hunger, and the cries
of beasts ring through the air.
They have more than enough motivation. A majority of my gluttonous followers
have the forms of beast. For them, who have not the power to bite through
everything, it’s a form they’ve taken on to at least be able to eat chew through
some hard things.
 And so, my army’s members… aren’t that good at using their heads. Well, to
do nothing but eat, there really isn’t the need.
Among them, the one who’s actually known as quite a resourceful General, Gar,
has drool dripping from his mouth as he unfurls a map.
The Great Demon King’s Castle, the Palace of Rending Flames is surrounded by
other Demon Lords’ territories, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to reach it so
easily.
So before eating Kanon-sama, having the other Demon Lords as appetizers as we
continue towards the Palace is a wonderful plan if I do say so myself.
Fufufu, even I… taking on multiple Demon Lords at once will be difficult. Let’s
just go around eating them in order.
As long as the Great Demon King goes into my stomach, my abilities should rise
further. I could even be the King in her place.
It’s because the Demon Lords are all overflowing with ambition. No one will care
about a King who was weak enough to get eaten.
On the route Gar pointed to, was a territory divided by a line.
A vast land along the path with the shortest distance to the Great Demon King.
Its width was such that adding together the land of the Demon Lords I ate
yesterday and today wasn’t nearly enough. An expanse that would take more
than a day to cross, even on a Flying Dragon. If we wanted to avoid this land,
we’ll have to take on quite a detour.
Upon seeing the name marked on it, I knit my brow.
“Oh my… what a navigation error. Why is it that with almost twenty Demon
Lords out there, this guy’s name has to pop up?”
“Hmm? Iz there a problem?”
“A big one. BIG ONE. For god’s sake, what was Mizna and the others thinking
when they thought up this route…”
“Zebul-zama… Mizna isn’t here anymore. Setter and Grad as well.”
“No, I know. They were tasty.”
I understand, but, you know, I want to offer a word of complaint or two.
I remember the three Kanon-sama dispatched to keep watch over me.
My own men are of no help in planning, so my invasion plans were skillfully
drawn up by those three. Of course, I wasn’t honest enough to tell them it was
all to eat Kanon-sama.
All they thought up was the route. Naturally, as they were under the direct
control of Kanon-sama, they would only be in the way after that, so once they
had drafted a plan, they became my dinner’s appetizer.
In the end, a General Class, taken by surprise at that, is no match for me.
Well, I did savor the taste. The fact that they were much tastier than the
generals of that Pride army must be a difference in basic quality.
But still, for it to have come to this…
For once in a long time, an emotion other than hunger floated up. I touched the
name on the map.
Honestly… I really don’t feel up for this one.
“Waz the problem?”
“… You, could it be you don’t know of the Demon Lord of Acedia, Leigie of the
Slaughterdolls?”
Former Rank Four. After some recent achievements, he’s been promoted to
Rank Three; a high ranking Demon Lord of Sloth.
It’s not like a Demon Lord’s strength can be determined solely by ranking, and
it’s not like I’m that afraid of his strength. He isn’t some newcomer, like me, he’s
an old age Demon Lord who survived the Heavenly War ten thousand years ago.
But that isn’t very scary to me.
Of course, I’ve never fought him, but the fact that he’s clung to life for this long
also means that he’s stored up just that much power. Thus, it’s completely true
that he won’t be as easy as those Rank Fifteen and Rank Sixteen Lords, but the
essence of the problem lies elsewhere entirely.
I let out a deep sigh.
And to my cute subordinates, who didn’t understand anything, I delivered the
shocking truth.
“Demons of Sloth are… bitter, aren’t they?”
“Bitter…?”
“Yeah, I always honor whoever I beat by eating them whatever they may be,
however… even for me, I don’t want to eat a Demon of Sloth.”
“Eeeeeeeeeh?”
Gar jumps up in a gesture of surprise.
You’re overreacting… I think as I survey the surroundings, only to find my
subordinates, who never think of anything besides eating, and never display a
fragment of intelligence staring as if they had just seen something unbelievable.
Nononono.
I tried to give a simple explanation. This is the knowledge of Gluttony.
“No, it’s not, well… the lower level Demons are fine, you see. But the more
they carry their Sloth to the extremes, the ways through which they can carry it
out increases… Within them, in order to prevent getting eaten, there’s this skill
that drops the flavor of their meat and soul, so…”
That’s dangerous.
It’s an individual skill, and quite a High Ranking one, but it’s a terrifying
expression of flavor.
That taste is, in itself bitter enough to give permanent mental trauma with just
one bite. It’s not on a level where some people who like bitter foods can partake
in it. It’s not a matter of like, or dislike. It’s just plain bad.
Even for someone called the Devourer, in eating, I only want to eat the best of
foods, and from one who’s even eaten all sorts of poisons to try and fill my
endless stomach… it’s bad. It’s terrible enough to kill. It was the first, and only
thing in my life to ever give me a stomachache.
Then there’s always the option of swallowing whole, you may think, but that’s
wrong. Their taste resounds in their very souls. Even if you send it directly to
your stomach, it’s without a doubt terrible.
To change taste as not to be eaten, it’s like an attribute of a fruit.
“Lower level Sloth… has a nice affinity, and they don’t move, so they’re easy to
hunt, and their flavor is unique, but not bad…but it has to be a Demon Lord of all
things.”
“Meaning?”
In a beat, I put power into my words, and declare.
 “The worst tasting thing in this world. There’s no question about it.”
“Oooooooooooh.”
I’m not sure what they’re misunderstanding, but they’ve started clapping.
… You guys, you don’t get it at all. I guess that’s true. Gluttony’s outlook on food
is excessively open minded… so not being tasty is one thing, but I’ll bet they’ve
never tasted the true meaning of Terrible.
I cannot help but bless them for their good fortune. Among my thousands of
years of life, it’s a trauma that goes directly in my top three.
Well, you don’t often get a chance to eat a Sloth Demon, and once they go
above General Class, they appear on the battlefield less and less, so I’ll bet we
won’t meet any.
… Hmm?
“… I see… You anticipated that he wouldn’t come out. Mizna…”
“Hm?”
I see. If you put it like that, then I understand.
Truly, a Demon Lord of Sloth personally participating is impossible.
If you ask why, unlike Gluttony, their cravings do not require them to harm
others, and the Demon Lord of Sloth should be the laziest existence within the
entire Demon World.
There’s no way he would join in something as troublesome as a war. Even if the
Great Demon King ordered it, it’s impossible.
I tried looking through my memory for Leigie’s face, but I couldn’t bring it up.
Having served under the reigns of three different Great Demon Kings, I should be
the oldest veteran within Kanon-sama’s army, but no matter how far I probe my
memory, I cannot picture the image of Leigie of the Slaughterdolls.
I frowned, as I concentrated nutrients to my brain. And I was finally able to pull
out a memory.
It’s definitely faint, but I remember.
He was definitely there during the festival in which Great Demon King Kanon-
sama took office. Being pulled around by his inspector.
He had black hair, and an unreliable slim figure. How the hell is that guy a… I
remember the other Demon Lords saying such things.
“Whatz wrong? Zebel-zama…”
“… Wait a second. Huh? I think he was there for the previous King Ferris Craun
as well…”
My memory traces even further back.
The festival when the previous Demon Lord was instated.
My memory is hazy, and everything looks covered up by mist, but he was
definitely there.
A black haired, and sloppy-looking man, carried on the back of his subordinate.
How the hell is that guy a… I remember the other Demon Lords saying that. Just
barely.
I tilt my head.
“… Huh? Hang on, just how long has he been there… Ferris Craun was in office
for quite a while, wasn’t he…”
Ferris was inaugurated as the Great Demon King more than twenty thousand
years ago.
Even I can’t remember the Great Demon King before that, but when I first
became a Demon Lord, was that man there? Wasn’t he?
A Demon’s lifespan is exceedingly long, but for him to live this long, he must have
considerable power.
I think he wasn’t there that long ago, but I don’t have too much confidence in it.
Probably because whether he was there or not wouldn’t change anything…
“Zebul-zama, what shoulds we do?”
“Hmm… Even if you ask me that. Since we’ve come all the way here, we have
no choice but to go for it.”
We’ve already burned our bridges on the way here, so it all depends on how
fast we can take down Kanon-sama.
Taking a roundabout way is… unfavorable. We’ll have to head forward with
determination and resolve.
Luckily, Sloth is said to excel in durability. It has an exceedingly good affinity
with Gluttony. As long as I can endure the taste.
No, for taste… it’s been a really long time since I last ate a higher rank Sloth. My
memory is vague, and it could be that only the impact remained in it, and if I try
eating one now, it won’t actually be so bad.
Yeah. That’s right. The past aside, there no way the current me can eat
something and be repulsed by it.
What’s more, there’s no way that Sloth will actually come out. If they offer any
resistance, it’ll be the Sloth’s army at most. Leigie’s army is definitely known to
be powerful, but at most, they’re full of Generals. No match for me.
On the contrary, I can’t wait to taste them.
“Okay, then we’ll go on a direct path towards the Palace of Rending Flames!”
“YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
Kanon-sama… please wait for me.
I am, as the representative of all Gluttony Demons, going to get a taste of you.

Part 3: Let’s Dig in

My regrets came all too quickly.
The fact that I wasn’t going to be able to eat a Demon Lord, coupled with the
swiftly-dwindling motivation of my Legion.
It’s not that I had let my guard down. Perhaps I should say, ‘as expected of a
Demon of Old.’
Generally, Demons get stronger the longer they age. It’s because they have
more time to proceed down their tree. Of course, power doesn’t rise if you
spend the whole time doing nothing, but at the same time, the Demon World
isn’t the type of environment where you can spend all your time doing nothing.
Even without Gluttony, the order of the Demon World is survival of the fittest. In
a world like this, it’s a terrible move to underestimate a Demon who has
perpetually carved out their existence.
Taking the shortest path, my arm has long-since entered the territory of the
Lord of Sloth.
And there was something I noticed.
Gar has a rare, bewildered, expression as he turns his eyes towards me.
 “… Zebul-zama… the Zone is…”
“Yeah, I know… damn, it isn’t breaking at all. What is this…”
It was frighteningly secure, and the air was stagnant.
That was the property of this field every Demon allied to a Demon Lord should
know of.
『Abyss Zone』.
A battle for land between Demon Lords.
We were once allies, but now Leigie’s 『Abyss Zone』 is bearing its fangs at an
opposing army. As the zone works with the Demon Lord at the center, I’m not
affected, but even so, for my Zone not to reach Gar who’s running right
alongside is more than abnormal.
I’ve eaten for long enough that numbers are of no importance, but I don’t
remember anything like this.
My instincts tell me there’s only a little more to go… The Zone I’m competing
with is stronger than any I’ve encountered before, but with him this far away, I
have the advantage.
But I’m just a little lacking in power. It’s been two days since we marched forth
after eating that Demon Lord, so hunger is one of my problems.
In this state, I can’t make full use of my power of Gluttony.
“It’s just a little further… damn, even if it took time, and we would have to take
a detour, I should have eaten another Demon Lord before coming here…”
As expected of Rank Three. He’s really giving me trouble. From start to finish,
he’s completely different than those other two.
Even if it doesn’t matter in fights between Demon Lords, when armies are
involved, 『Abyss Zone』 makes a huge difference. Rather, if a friendly Zone is
broken through, it’s best to retreat.
Well, the moment it breaks is usually the moment before defeat, so that’s quite
impossible.
After proceeding a while, I sensed the scent of excitement and fighting spirit
drifting around.
It’s no Glutton Demon. It’s much sweeter, a scent that whets my appetite.
Battle is just around the corner. I don’t know if their Demon Lord is there, but it
feels that they won’t let us pass so easily.
That’s about right. If they did something like letting the Demon Lord who ate
two others pass, their presiding Lord would get executed by Kanon-sama. That’s
exactly why those past two lords launched attacks on me despite their fear.
Should I just eat these guys already?
I turn to my own army.
No, not yet. Even if I do, the power I’ll gain from it is limited. I’m not sure about
General Class, but any Demons below that will go into my stomach without
purpose.
In the first place, breaking through their Abyss Zone by eating the friendly
soldiers it’s supposed to strengthen is pointless.
Will the Demon Lord come out?
That’s the main problem.
If he isn’t there, then in the worst case, I could use a skill to eat their entire
army… with Gluttony Skills, it’s possible.
If the Demon Lord comes to attack personally, I’ll have to concentrate on that,
so I’ll have to leave Leigie’s army to my own troops. To combat Leigie’s army
without the bonuses of my Zone is a bit much, even for the Gula Army that
specializes in attack.
From a strategic standpoint, the enemy should send their Demon Lord. Unless
the army is considerably powerful, you have to send a Demon Lord to combat
another if you want a chance of victory.
But the opponent is Sloth. With that in mind, there’s no way he’ll come out.
What’s more, he should be a Demon of the same level as me. The pursuit of his
cravings should have become his existence itself by now.
And in order to substantiate that, Leigie has never stepped on the battlefield
alongside his army. At the very least, within all my memory, Leigie hasn’t fought
a single time.
I feel my canines with my tongue, and start up a Skill.
Let’s show off my appetite to Leigie for a bit.
A support Skill, 『Fleeting Requiem』.
 With me at the center, all area within a few meters is visited by 『Night』.
Those touched by it have their magic devoured, a Skill of Gluttony. It’s a
variation on 『Wave of Starvation』, and one of the ones I obtained upon become
a Demon Lord so long ago.
To those that touch it, it inflicts damage, and all magecraft and skills that try
targeting it are disassembled, and used to supplement my own magic. It truly is a
manifestation of my ceaseless appetite.
It even devours Leigie’s Abyss Zone, and while it may only be a small radius
around me, I deploy my own Zone.
Like a slap on the face, I felt a strong bitter sensation. On the unexpected
sensation, I grimaced.
Just eating his Zone tastes this bad… this is why Sloths are…
“Zebul-sama, something is coming.”
At that moment, my subordinate gave a report.
Across the desert, the shadow of a single person running entered my senses.
No, it’s wrong to say it was only one. It was one, but at the same time, many.
Those same shadows, of a Female Demon around the same size as me, split into
numerous bodies, and came closer with considerable speed.
“… Hit her down!”
The entire army is late in following my orders.
The approaching party… was made of only one.
More importantly, about a few hundred meters behind her, an army more than
twice our size was approaching…
They sure are underestimating an army led by a Demon Lord. I’m amazed that
there’s a skill that can deceive my eyes, but even so, the power I sense from that
girl isn’t great.
A slight bitter scent is mixed in with the smell coming from her. She isn’t a
Demon Purely aiming to fulfill a single desire.
A sharp killing intent emanates from all the split bodies as one.
I look through my mind for what sort of skill it could be. Through the large
number of Demons I’ve eaten, my battle experience sees through it.
It’s probable a Luxuria high ranking Skill. I believe there was a Demon Lord Class
Skill that could birth multiple phantasms with physical substance.
Well, it doesn’t seem to be coming from her herself.
Fufu… do you not know of my Rank? Of my name?
Whether you be a 『Knight』 or a 『General』… if you think that’s enough to beat a
Demon Lord, then I sure am being looked down upon.
… Well, you’ll have plenty of time to regret it. Within my stomach, that it.
One of our front line Demon’s 『Wave of Starvation』 eats up one of the
illusions. Against the power that devoured her magic, I definitely witnessed the
small girl knit her brow.
She’s inexperienced. She hasn’t been in battle long enough. No, she’s been sent
to confirm our power, I see.
Fufu, so be it. How about I play with you?
Against the young girl’s fleeting beauty, the Demon’s hand stopped for a
moment.
His appetite quickly returns, but he’s too late to launch an attack. The girl easily
dodges, and gouges out his throat. What refreshing skill.
To be bewildered by beauty… Fufu, how nice it is to be young. Go youth. Go
youth.
I reach my tentacles through the ground to eat the fallen Demon. My magic
increases ever-so-slightly.
I don’t have the time to savor the taste, but your sacrifice will not be in vain…
because this world is survival of the fittest.
Gar uses his fangs to pierce the girl from behind.
But that body immediately fades like a dream, and it dispersed as pure magic
energy.
Without leaving anything behind, I suck it up. It’s sweet. It’s extremely sweet
magic. I see. Lust. She’s at least experienced enough to know when to use and
cancel a skill.
She may be tastier than I first thought.
Perhaps I have been blessed by the heavens. The moment I took in her magic,
my power reached a level surpassing Leigie’s.
Along with the sensation of something shattering, Leigie’s Zone broke, and mine
expanded. The second it came over her, the girl’s movements stopped.
What’s more, all of her bodies at the same time.
Fufufu, that’s how powerful his Zone was. She’s never experienced it breaking,
I’ll bet.
But that’s no good. You can’t stop moving at a time like this…
I quietly snake my feelers through the ground, and skewer the ten closest
bodies. The bodies that had been pierced from blind spots are all reduced to
magic, as they fade like mist.
It seems the main body wasn’t among them. Well, she’s only scouting out the
situation anyways.
But, even so, her magic is quite splendid. Even if I can’t eat up a Demon Lord,
this flavor is plenty.
My stomach is growling. That girl has talent as an ingredient…
… Okay, a gourmet like me will give you the best possible preparations before
eating you up.
Just when I had resolved myself, I had an exceedingly bad premonition.
I immediately deployed my own 『Wave of Starvation』.
That was my instinct, born from all the time I’ve lived as a Lord of Gluttony, and
following it was the right choice.
From the distance, a power rivalling a Demon Lord came into being.
A dragon of fire that sucked up everything in its path collided with my wave.
Heat and light that didn’t fall short of the Demon World’s sun competed with my
Wave of Starvation.
“Zebul-zama, thiz iz…”
“Ku… fu… could you not talk to me for a bit?”
It was a terrific barrage of light and flame.
It may even rival that weapon the heavenly soldiers used. Divine flames that
might just rival Heavenly Judgement.
The hot wind that breaches my wave shakes my hair, but it stick to my forehead
due to my sweat.
 Just what is this power!? Even if my stomach may be empty, its magic is so vast
that the Rank Five’s Wave of Starvation cannot devour it!?
Wrath? No, this is… not the fire of anger. The taste is different.
At that moment, I remembered the gossip the late Mizuna had brought up
earlier.
Quite recently, a certain Demon Lord was awarded a legendary Demon Blade.
… I see, so this is… Demon Blade Celeste. The blade that bosts the name of the
L Class Dragon that had surpassed Demon Lords!!
Fufufu, I had forgotten…
Listen properly! Isn’t he your Rival Demon Lord?
The troubled face of the leader of the inspectors sent to me, Mizna, passes
through my brain.
I see, this truly is… a threat.
Mizna, it seems you were more proficient than you thought yourself.
“Iz it the enemy Demon Lord!?”
“Fufufu… if it was the Demon Lord using it, we would be ash by now.”
The heat, the light, they turn to a sublime flavoring, as they supplement me.
A feeling of satisfaction expands through my body. What a flavor… what dense
umami, this impact that simply perks you up. Splendid, so this is the power of a
Demon Blade!
One more, I have one more thing to look forward to…
My wave of Starvation’s power increases, and it barely starts to push back the
Demon Blade’s flames.
It feels that power is overflowing all over my body…
“How tasty…! If the sword’s power can give off this much flavor, then just how
delicious is the blade itself…”
“Zebul-zama, unfair!! Having it all to yourself…”
“With people of your caliber, you’ll die if you try eating it, you know… Fufu,
polish yourselves so we can sit at the same dining table one day.”
I look over my cute army, that’s still conscious of their hunger in a time like
this.
They’ve really given us quite a welcoming present.
Fufu, they’ve brought a Demon Blade of this level. There’s no helping it if they’ve
misunderstood that they can make it without a Demon Lord. It really can’t be
helped.
As I thought, the Sloth isn’t here. If he had been participating, one blow would
have ended it.
But that Great Demon Lord sure is awarding out some dangerous weapons… she
could have just given it to me…
For Gluttony that preys on the rabble, a contest of powers is the greatest
banquet.
I lick my lips as I continue to eat the flame’s power.
At that moment, the wave that was definitely gaining traction was suddenly
pushed back.
So the output can rise even further… I put my power into controlling the wave.
But the more time passes, the greater advantage I’ll gain. This much isn’t enough
to fill my stomach.
Gluttony has a good affinity with skills that release continuous power, and
Demon Blades.
Whether it be fire or ice, of thunder or anything, I can eat it.
Demon Blades of this type depend heavily on the user.
And its output sure is… large. I’m not sure about an ordinary Demon Lord, but it
lacks the power to take me down in a single strike.
Though it’s not at the level of a sword that can spew unlimited flames, 『Wave of
Starvation』 is a basic skill. I can maintain it for hours on end.
“Fufu, how long will they keep this up? If they’re able to satisfy my hunger, I
may just let them of, you know.”
The amazing amount of Magic, the pleasant feeling of my hunger being sated,
athrobing feverish feelings spreads across my entire body, and a wave washes
over my mind.
Ah, how wonderful. I’m glad we didn’t do something inelegant like taking a
detour!
 I was tasting the flames in a dreamy state, and my eyes were closing as I
basked in it, when the Demon Blade’s power began to swell up greatly.
It happened in a split second.
The wave that had been fighting evenly was instantly washed away, and my
vision was covered with flames that burned everything.
“Wha!?”
“!?”
With a hint of resistance, of a chance to give a final scream, Gar who was
standing beside me was burned away.
I instantly extended my tentacles, and ate up that magic right before it destroy
my soul.
To me, it was completely unexpected. MY own advantage had made me
negligent.
Despite the trance it put me in, the flame within my stomach raise a hunger that
seems to devour my entire body. My instincts rage on.
This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be.
I brush off the flames surrounding me with countless tentacles. My army. The
Gluttony Demons, without being given an opportunity to breathe, were
absorbed by my tentacles before the flames could reach them.
That energy. That magic. Anyone besides me would definitely be obliterated. I
don’t have the time to use a skill. In the first place, Gula Skills aren’t suited to
defense.
I had already decided it. The moment my army was to be ruined… I would carry
on their will.
That the army I trained, the army that shared my hunger would be eaten by me
personally.
With each swing, my tentacles provided my perpetual energy. Instead of taking
in the magic, I used it to strengthen my own power.
The 『Fleeting Requiem』 I was wrapped in faces the flames. The fire’s output
rivals or exceeds what a Demon Lord of Wrath could release in might.
But unlike the Wave of Starvation, what I’m using right now is a Demon Lord
level Skill. Well exceeding an ordinary Demon’s Skill level.
Its scope is small, but it cuts me off from Celeeste’s flame, and saves up its
energy as it sends it all to me.
Tears are escaping me. That power, that meaning, that supreme taste.
It was likely the enemy Demons’ trump card.
The stream of flame ended in only a few seconds. The heat remaining causes the
wind to act up, putting the desert in disarray.
Nothing… was left. My army that numbered close to a hundred were all
converted to magic, and installed into my stomach.
Celeste’s flame was the same.
“Haa haa haa, I’m sorry… everyone…”
I lick my lips. The flood of emotions makes me look up to the sky.
The enemy army is still far. In this wade black desert, I’m all alone.
I put my hands together. I must offer my thanks.
“… Thank you for the meal.”
The power I devoured breaks down, and my own might rises.
My Zone, which had lost its own meaning completely surpasses Leigies, and it
envelops the desert.
Power is overflowing. More than ever before.
Fufufufufufufu. I can see everything.
The Rank Three Army, and the location of the General Demon who used the
Demon Blade.
Spanning several Kilometers, my Zone continued to break Leigie’s.
My perception tells me it has expanded explosively.
Just as I thought, the Demon Lord’s presence isn’t anywhere.
“I made light of you all… Fufufu, to think a normal General could push me back
this far… but now I’ve had a taste of your trump card.”
I deactivate 『Fleeting Requiem』. The power that had been dissolved by the
skill converges on me all at once.
From here on, it’s my… no, our turn to attack.
 Along with the Enemy General’s voice, Demons with numbers that greatly
exceed ous rush at us with bloodcurdling expressions.
Their stronger Demons than I had expected. For Demons below General Class,
that is.
With you guys’ power, I will show my respect by fighting to the fullest.
I lick my lips.
It’s time to dig in.
I extend my tentacles from my back, and take a stab at the Demons coming at
me.
I sensed it the moment I pierced the first one. Tasty…
Fufufu, as I thought. Good work, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls! As expected of an
old generation Demon that survived the Heavenly war! You have a good army on
your hands!
I lose myself in eating with the Tentacles. A spear impales my back, and I eat it.
Time passed like a dream. Against a Demon Lord, their fighting spirit doesn’t die.
What dauntless courage. A powerful Legion that doesn’t fall behind my own!
A six armed muscular Demon that seems to be the leader brandishes a sword
at me.
I draw my own 『Fang Sabre』 to hit it down.
My ivory white fang, and the large man’s crimson edge meets.
When the edges met, I understood.
Fufufu, I see. This Demon is the Wielder of Celeste. He’s giving off a tasty scent.
It’s not just the sword, but the Demon himself as well.
I stifle the smile bursting forth from my heart.
“Enemy Leader…”
The Demon raises a heroic laugh, as he slashes at me with the swords in his
other hands. I sense that all of them Demon Blades with considerable power. I
used my Tentacles to meet them.
This smell, and that fighting style.
A Demon who’s amassed this many Demon Blades. He must be a Greed Demon.
And he launches an attack with the flame from before.
He really knows how to use his own power.
 “Good skills.”
“Ki ki ki, ‘tis an honor to be praised by you!!”
Fire flows up from his sword, but without paying heed to the flickering sword, I
used my Fang Sabre to go for his neck. As expected of a Demon Blade even I’ve
heard of. If I took an attack from it head on, it looks like it’ll be bad. But between
a Demon Lord and a general, the basic specs are too different.
Of course, it’s not like he’s weak. It’s not like he’s weak, but no matter how much
he trains… 『Superbia』 aside, for a 『Avaritia』, the gap between General and
Demon Lord isn’t a small one.
My Tentacles go after the small Demon attacking me from behind, and I dodge
her blow.
There, was the courageous girl who had tried to launch the first attack.
An ice Demon Blade, and a dagger. Fufu, for a lust to go hand-to-hand… how
brave.
I’ve determined. These two are General Class.
The first is Greed-kun, the second is Lust-kun, and the others are all small fries. I
see a difference in fighting ability between the two, but before me, it’s not like it
matters.
They’re all equal food.
“Two of them… a little small, but they look quite tasty.”
The girl’s movements stop for a moment. It seems this child has a bad habit
where she stops moving when she gets surprised on the battlefield. She’s much
too inexperienced.
I didn’t let the chance go, and pierced her. I mean, it’s just an illusion, anyways.
My eyes told me as such.
Just as I thought, the girl’s figure fades like mist. Without wasting a bit, I absorb
it, and challenged the large sword swing coming at my back by opening my
mouth wide.
The Demon’s expression of shock. Fufufu, as I thought, to truly know the taste, I
have to use my own mouth…
The other ones scattered around don’t tell much of a difference between
Gluttony or Greed.
 “A Demon Blade… never eaten one before. It may be a delicacy.”
“What!?”
I stopped the blade he lowered with his strong arms with my teeth.
The hot metal I feel on my tongue, and the thick magic. The flames leaking out
serve as a perfect accent.
I’ll eat it… your collection.
I mean, that’s how you cook up Greed.
I stop another sword he swung with another hand by holding up my Fang Sabre,
while making an obvious gap in defense.
Fufufu, I know you’re there. Luxeria.
I know everything. Because right now… you’re on my territory.
Young. Young. Young. Young. Young Lust… Aaaaaaaah, how delicious it must
be.
I may not be able to endure it any longer.
“Your main body… that magic looks quite delicious.”
I surprise her, and in that gap, I used the tongue from the mouth I opened on
my back to grasp her sword.
It’s a cold and delicious blade. The Greed Demon’s expression warps for a
second.
“Fufufu, the texture isn’t bad…”
I move the tongue gaudily, and pull the sword from the girl’s arms.
She sure is powerless. You need to train your physical strength too.. fufu.
The Greed Demon swung another sword in panic, and I stopped it with a mouth I
manifested on my hand, before crunching it.
Everything was excellent.
High battle experience. Status as a Demon. None of it even reached my feet.
The moment I broke one of the Greed Demon’s collection, he was wide open.
This is why Demons these days are… have I started sounding old again?
I used my tongue to collect up the fragments of the sword I caught, and
continued to chew it.
Greed raises a scream. Don’t worry, your prided sword is extremely tasty.
No, is it about time yet?
As expected, the Greed Demon stopped moving, but when I extended my
tongue at him, it was blown away with amazing force.
What!? What is it, all of a sudden?
A boorish Bastard Sword crashes into the ground.
As if it had exploded, pebbles fly everywhere. Continuing on with strange
movements, the blade came at my tongue and tentacles with tremendous
momentum, and blew them away altogether.
“… What are you?”
It was a lead-colored skeleton. Its height was around two meters. Without any
sign of emotions, or any presence, it simply boorishly continued to swing its
arms.
But its physical strength far surpassed that Greed Demon.
It was just too incomprehensible. It’s no Demon. It doesn’t give off a Demon’s
scent.
I take a last lick of Celeste, and let go. No matter how weak the opponent, I’ve
resolved never to be careless.
“… 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 kicks off the ground, and rushes at me like a beast.
It swings the giant sword taller than my body.
It’s definitely fast, and it has power, but still, its attacks aren’t that significant to
me. I can see through them, and if I just challenge its sword head on, I’m pretty
sure I can overpower it.
I was surprised because the scent it gave off wasn’t that of a lifeform, but that’s
about it.
Still, this one… doesn’t look tasty at all, does it.
Candlestand? That thing that holds up candles? Why can something like that
move?
“… Doesn’t look very tasty. Though I look like this, I’m quite a gourmet.”
I parry the blade, and sever one of its arms.
There’s no change in its expression. Does it not feel pain? And wait, in the first
place, is it even alive?
Well, I guess none of that really matters.
In the previous exchange, I understood. Greed-kun and Lust-kun are definitely
strong, and Candlestand-kun isn’t bad, but they’re no match for me.
Celeste is their only means of dealing Damage to me, and I doubt they have a
trump card greater than that. For a mere General to aim to annihilate a High
Class Demon Lord, it’s an outrageous weapon. It’s plenty.
I took some distance. It’s about time to get down to cooking.
I activate one of my Demon Lord skills, 『Evil Eye』.
It’s a set of Demon Eyes that can bind the movements of Demons lesser than me.
There’s the restriction that I can’t move either, but as a skill, it has plenty of
uses.
And like that, I started up a Gluttony Skill.
『Over Table』
I eat the magic floating around in the air.
From all over my body, even my face and feet, an amount of tentacles
incomparable to those before sprouted out.
Countless feelers dripping in purple liquid.
They’re fresh arms that have plenty of appetite in them. Fufu, can you guys
withstand them?
As a parting gift, I’ll explain the cooking method, as I extend my tentacles to
their targets.
It’ll be troublesome if they think of them the same as those before.
Fufufu, this is… not Demon class. It’s a Demon Lord class Skill.
Lust and Greed dodge, and skeleton tries to take it with his sword, falling to
pieces as a result.
In order to get a greater certainty of the taste, I pull it in with the tentacles, and
chewed it with my normal mouth, but as I thought, it’s just an inanimate 『item』.
Without any careful construction, just an object. It isn’t really tasty.
But it seems it was one of Greed-kun’s collection, so he raises quite a nice
scream.
Fufu, it looks like I’ve finished one step in the cooking process.
“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.”
I extend my tentacles.
Of course, I don’t do anything as boorish as hit the main dish directly.
I snack on the other demons, while aiming for Greed-kun’s weapons, and Lust-
kun’s equipment bit by bit.
The young tentacles are much faster than normal ones. Greed-kun is dodging
them in a fine manner, but the hurdle’s too high for our precious Lust-kun, and
the skin she covered up so well is showing more and more, and there was quite a
bit of fun in that.
Her eyes filled with killing intent are beautiful. Even as a fellow woman, I may
develop some passion for her.
“What are you planning…”
“Fufufu, do you go as far as to crunch the shell when eating?”
I swing the tentacles.
Fufufu, sorry, sorry, I had made a misunderstanding.
As a gourmet, let me acknowledge you. You definitely are a Luxelia. And a first-
rate one at that.
The finest dessert. I’ll teach you true pleasure.
Celeste is hard. But even if it may be a Demon Blade, if it keeps clashing with
my power, it’ll be reduced to shambles.
He probably ran out of stock a while ago. Greed-kun is now just swinging around
Celeste alone.
From here on out, it becomes monotonous work.
But that’s fine. It’s a crucial process.
I incessantly pester Greed-kun. I strip Lust-kun bit by bit.
Things like this increase one’s appetite. There’s nothing tastier than the food I
make for myself.
By the time Lust-kun had achieved her birthday suit, the two of them started
discussing something.
I stop my hands for a bit, and watch them. Do they still have some hand they can
play?
My army’s been crushed too. If I don’t make you tasty enough for their share as
well, I’ll be troubled.
If they’re going at it, you might as well show me everything you’ve got. I’ll bet
that will increase the flavor.
After coming this far, you’re still embarrassed? As she hides her breasts and
crotch with her hands, Lust-kun and Greed-kun have somewhat grim faces as
they speak.
Still… to think something like that is fine in the presence of an enemy, they
sure are young. How long ago was it that I did something like that…
As I was probing through a few thousand years of distant memory, I noticed is.
My own wind was blown away by another’s.
The few kilometers of territory I took were immediately reverted, and taken by
another Demon Lord.
It was merely a quiet, tasteless, and dreadfully peaceful magic, as if it was just
there to exist, and nothing else.
At the same time, something equivalent replaced my power that had been
seeping into the earth.
How can this be… why, at this point in time…
“… Oy, oy, what did you guys do? Is this part of your plan?”
There’s no way that’s the case. At this point, the revival of their Zone wouldn’t
overturn their certain defeat.
The difference between us isn’t one of that low level.
But in an instant, none of that mattered anymore.
What was in front of my eyes, wasn’t Lust-kun or Greed-kun.
As if I had been hit by lightning, I felt it in my soul.
The presence of a being great enough to rival mine self. An existence of
darkness.
A sense of exaltation that made it feel like just by him standing, something
amazing would happen. The feeling of an absolute existence, where even if you
added together Lust-kun and Greed-kun, it wouldn’t reach anywhere near it.
I see… I’m really lucky. It seems even the Big Boss will come out to meet me.
Right now, I’m in exceedingly good condition. If I eat Lust-kun and Greed-kun, I’ll
probably rise even higher, but I don’t have the time to be worrying about those
two.
I’m not sure by what intent, but the black-haired slim youth, with a sluggish
expression on his face, threw himself onto the ground.
His absurd movements have earned my admiration.
This one is…
One of those in service to the Greatest Demon King.
A Lord of Demons, who rules over Indolence, and Depravity.
“… You. Who are you?”
On my question, the Demon Lord spoke with a lazy look on his face.
“… I see.”
 Part 4: Thanks for the Meal

“Fufufufufu, I see… so this was you guys’ secret plan. You’re not bad. I didn’t
notice it at all.”
“… Eh? Ah, no…”
Lust-kun has a confused expression as she looks at the horizontal King of Sloth.
Her facial expression is no lie. Eh? A Coincidence? Nono, that can’t be…
It’s impossible that the Lord of Laziness was just randomly passing by of all
things.
But both Lust-kun and Greed-kun’s eyes were lost at sea.
“Why am I…”
“… Eh? You’re still saying that at this point in time!?”
The existence that had materialized at roughly the same time as Laigie, a girl
with crimson hair, scowled with all her might.
Her uniform, with black as the base, was the same as what Mizna and the others
wore. She’s from the Order of Black.
She pulls at Leigie, and is somehow trying to get him to stand. This situation
perfectly matches the image I have of him being pulled around at one of the
Great Demon King’s inauguration ceremonies or another.
… I see, so she dragged the Lord of Sloth onto the battlefield. What a skilled
Ira.
It seems I really have been wasteful. Mizna… I should have cooked you up
properly before I ate you. Sorry.
But even while being pulled at, Leigie shows no signs of getting up. He’s
shaking his head from side to side with an extremely reluctant attitude. This
deed is Sloth, without a doubt. It’s as if there’s no spirit in his eyes.
I can only think that he’s waiting for me to eat him. At the same time, that is the
nature of Sloth Demons.
Those guys are extremely hard, but at the same time, they don’t really move.
Fufufu, how interesting. It really is interesting. To try to fight me like that…
In the wake of a battle between powerful Demon Lords, my fighting spirit blazes
up, along with my hunger.
I guess I should give a proper greeting to start things off.
“Lord of Sloth. It’s a pleasure to meet you… No, it’s been a while. My name is
Zebul Glaucus… a Demon Lord that governs Gluttony.”
“I see.”
On my self-introduction, Leigie answered with just as little interest as before.
What’s more, just two words.
But I can’t be fooled by his appearance or actions.
Leigie’s Zone is definitely stronger than mine.
He’s just lazy, and by no means is he weak. Even after he’s clearly showing a
ridiculous amount of magic, for some reason, my appetite isn’t welling up. In a
sense, I think Gluttony has a bad affinity with him.
“Leigie-sama! You finally came all the way here, so go fight already!”
“… But that one’s…. strong…”
On Wrath-kun’s words, Leigie directed a reluctant face that stemmed from the
very depths of his heart.
Wrath-kun’s expression is dyed with anger, and despair. Her burning hot magic is
like a perfume that tickles my nostrils. It’s a really tasty scent.
Fufufufufufu, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, could it be that even when he’s
taking me on, he thinks he can easily destroy me?
“I think you’re underestimating me too much, Leigie.”
“Yeah… Curry isn’t enough for this…”
Along with some incomprehensibly idiotic lines, the battle started without
warning.
As a test, I sent my young arms to attack him from all direction. I saved a single
one of them and sent it at Wrath-kun.
Even though he’s complaining, Leigie probably hasn’t let his guard down. Wrath-
kun back steps to avoid the tentacle, before emitting flame from the palm of her
hand.
The Tentacle drinks up the flame, but it’s unable to contain it all. The tip is
slightly burned. That’s quite a powerful bearer of Ira.
But that was quite a splendid taste… I vomited.
“Uoo, GUEEEEEEEEH!”
I kneel, call back my tentacles, and press both of my arms to the ground.
It felt as if, dreadful vigor, my stomach was dumping all of its contents left and
right.
My head is shaken up greatly, as it’s filled with an acrid stench. The convulsions
of my body won’t stop. While it felt like that, nothing actually left my mouth,
though.
Having felt strong agony for once in a long time, tears filled my eyes.
W-what is this!?
With vision made hazy be tears, I look over.
What sort of disgrace am I showing in battle? But on the enemy side, none of
them seem to know what’s going on either. After I had suddenly tried spitting
something up, they merely looked at me with suspicious eyes. They’re not even
launching any attacks.
In a blurring world, I looked at the one who, contrary to the swift Wrath-kun,
hadn’t moved a muscle. He also had tears oozing out as he spoke.
“… It hurts.”
Looking closely, in all the places the tentacles should have impaled, his clothing
was torn. From the skin I can see in the gaps, a small amount of blood drips.
So this is the extremes of 『Acedia』, said to excel in endurance.
The King of Sloth… how hard…
An overwhelming VIT incomparable to the General Class Sloth I defeated long
ago. Even for the arms that could easily devour Demon Blades, they aren’t nearly
strong enough.
Gufu… fufufu, i-interesting, isn’t it…!!
I wipe away my tears, and use the Evil Eyes. Excluding Leigie, the rest of the
Demons are bound. As I might add, Leigie isn’t moving either, but that’s of his
own free will.
I somehow contain the nauseous feeling, but the instant I tried to use a skill, I
noticed a terrifyingly bitter scent piercing my nose. Of the Sloth Demons I fought
in the past, the impact far surpassed all. It was a heinous scent that I couldn’t
believe originated in this world.
I had been so concentrated on the violent nausea, and I hadn’t noticed it at
all…
When I check my Magic, I see a small portion of it has restored.
It’s too much to have just been from eating Wrath-kun’s flames back there.
I’m in despair. Is there no god in this world!?
My trauma was overwritten here and now.
I glare at Leigie. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, and offered a complaint.
“… You, you taste atrocious… I can’t even believe this taste comes from this
world.”
“… It hurts.”
With sluggish motions, Leigie rubbed the torn spots. The blood has already
vanished. And wait, even if he was bleeding, that wasn’t a level where he actually
took any damage from it!!
Wrath-kun is looking at Leigie with despair in her eyes, but I should be the one
despairing.
This is bad. Just what is that flavor…
The General Class Sloth doesn’t reach his footholds, it’s a flavor that
blasphamizes against, and desecrates the very concept of food.
It really is out of this world. Just what divine providence gave birth to something
like that? Up until now, I thought that any and every item in this vast world was
edible, but I must take that back with all due haste. It’s a taste that even changes
my outlook on life.
It’s far surpassed what can be endured. I don’t ever want to taste it again
… Which means I’ll be unable to absorb power from Leigie.
If I tried to bear it, and suck it up, I would probably curl up and die before I could
do anything to him.
Hahaha, what meaning is there in a Gula that cannot eat!!
All in all, what an annoying attribute.
With eyes blurred by tears, Leigie spoke up all of a sudden.
“I give up.”
“Hah? Why?”
“I hate pain.”
“Haaaaaaaaaaah?”
J-just how did this one become a Demon Lord… no, how did he survive for this
long?
In a sense, his words were more impactful than the taste, and my mind went
blank for a moment.
The moment I came to it, I noticed Leigie had fired off a strange power, a Skill.
It was nullified by one of my passives, my Mental Pollution Resistance. Leigie’s
expression hopelessly screams out, ‘this is a pain’ as he clicks his tongue.
My hunger becomes bloodlust, and stirs up wind as it sweeps over the desert.
… Fu. Fu. Fu. You sure are looking down on me. To launch a surprise attack when
I was negligent, that’s a disgrace to all Demons…
So be it. Kanon can go to hell for all I care. I’ll put my best effort into killing you.
In this world, there shouldn’t exist anything that can’t be eaten.
A majority of Gula Skills focus on eating the enemy.
If you exclude them, my usable skills are quite limited.
I clench my hand with plenty of power, and wish for fang. Fangs to gnaw and
reduce everything to its base.
Leigie, with movements slower than the laziest of people, with an expression
harder to read than the slothiest of sloths, searched through his pocket, before
his arm lost power, and his hand fell to the ground.
“… I forgot my piece… do you happen to have one? It can be Chess or
anything…”
“Hah? Chess? T-there’s no way I have something like that!”
Wrath-kun has an irritated expression as she rebukes him.
Any and everything they’re doing. I can only see it as them making light of me.
Ah, it’s no good.
Fine, I’ll destroy you.
I’ll show you the limits of Gluttony.
Don’t think Gula is nothing but eating.
I consume an amount of magic much greater than when I summoned the
young arms, and my hunger has become almost unbearable.
So much that it feels like my stomach will gain its own will, and start to eat me.
And I used that skill for the first time in ten thousand years.
『Fang of Origin』
Completely ignoring the enemy’s attribute to eat any and everything, a Gula
Skill that manifests the fangs of a Demon God.
It’s not like it changes my flesh, and it’s not like it summons something for me to
manipulate. Pure equipment, it calls forth a sword. One of the skills known as
Phantasm Armaments.
The blade of darkness, born of the origin of Gluttony came into being with my
fingers wrapped wround it.
A longsword with the hilt and blade and all else colored black. Its height a
meter and a half.
But the reach doesn’t matter. This is my fang, and at the same time, an existence
representing the insatiable hunger of the world.
I discard the blade I had used when fighting that Greed-kun. With both hands, I
take a stance with the long sword. I absorb back all the tentacles.
Foolish Sloth that fails to make a single move, I glare at the Sloth who fails to
feed my appetite.
“… Fu… fufu… then let’s start the battle between Demon Lords.”
“… Haa…”
 Leigie lets out a sigh.
Damn you… making fun of me!
I take a step forward. Using the physical strength of a Demon Lord, I explosively
propel myself, and instantly closed the distance…
My body stiffens all at once. Within my head, a Mental Pollution Recovery Spell
activates automatically, and the stiffness is dispelled, but in that time, everything
became so slow.
I feel heavy. Unable to bear the large burden that had suddenly been placed on
top of me, I fell to my knees.
Pressure? No, this is definitely something different. My weight has physically
increased.
I can’t continue while gripping the sword.
From the time he had appeared, Leigie had barely moved half a step, but he
directed dispirited eyes at me as I fell to the ground.
“You… what did you do…”
“… Haa…”
Leigie sighs once more.
No, I get it. I’ve been hit with a Sloth Skill before.
Sloth should have some skills that obstruct an enemy’s movements.
But… a skill great enough to bind me? That can’t be!
“Gu… wai, Leigie-sama…”
“Fu… ya…”
“Gugu… B-boss!?”
The other three raise their own cries.
I somehow turn my unmoving head, and see that, for some reason, Leigie’s army
was on the ground as well.
This one… he calmly drags in his own army.
No, that’s wrong.
In a moment’ judgement, I extend my tentacles, and use them to support up my
body.
And finally up, I looked down at the Lord of Sloth. In his eyes, forget bloodlust,
there isn’t even any fighting spirit.
This is… not just any obstruction skill. He’s raising gravity.
I comprehend. I’m experiencing it first-hand. Leigie of Sloth. There’s probably a
matter of affinity, but this one’s power… he’s surpassed mine.
With my shaking hand, I lift the sword, and point it at him.
Just how many kilos, how many tons has it been increased by? Why is it that
when there’s a weight where even I cannot move, his own army isn’t crushed to
death?
I’m going to lose to a Lord that doesn’t even have the will to fight?
“… Fu fu fu. It’s been a while… since someone last got me to kneel.”
“I see.”
Leigie offers his fifty cents.
At the same time, I experienced a sudden impact from the side.
What? What’s happening now?
Since he didn’t have any fighting or killing intent, my reaction was delayed.
A power great enough to rattle my entire body. My form, which was barely being
supported by the tentacles, was easily blown off.
My field of vision shakes. But the dizziness soon disappears from a Demon Lord
Level status abnormality resistance.
There wasn’t the slightest sign of a presence by me. Leigie didn’t move a single
step either.
I dug the sword into the ground, which was moving by me at an incredible speed.
I extend more than a hundred tentacles, and dig them in as well.
I feel myself scraping at the ground. The friction heats up the tips of the
tentacles, and smoke begins to rise from the earth.
It was a physical attack. I didn’t receive much damage. But I cannot
understand what had happened.
A failure to comprehend is one of the scariest things that can befall you on a
battlefield.
Perhaps because we were now separated by a few hundred meters, the weight
on my body disappeared.
 I have a chance!
Demons are by no means omnipotent.
Sloth is a Skill Tree that excels in endurance. If you look at it from the other side,
they don’t boast particularly high offensive power.
Even when taking me by surprise, he didn’t manage to give me any significant
damage.
It’s not sating my hunger, but other emotions start coming up.
Interesting. How many millennia has it been since I fought an opponent of equal
level to me?
My hundred tentacles dig into the ground behind me.
I hold the sword in a low stance, and concentrate magic on my feet to enhance
them.
Gravity too great to stand? Then I’ll take you out in a single stroke before it
affects me.
Leigie is definitely hard, but if I split him in two, he won’t be able to use a Skill.
When I took a step forwards, alarms went off in my head.
The foreboding signal affected the entirety of my trained instincts as a warrior. I
hurriedly jumped to the side, before a thunderous sound came from the place I
had been, and a large dent appeared in the ground.
I can’t see. I can’t see it, but… something’s there.
Frightening speed, and weight.
I comprehend. This is what sent me flying before.
I detect it coming at me from the side with the flow of the air, and jump to avoid
it. The weakness that you can’t move in the air doesn’t exist for me, when I have
countless tentacles to propel myself. I suddenly changed course, and extended
the tentacles to hit down whatever it was.
The tentacles dig into something invisible, and I started vomiting in midair.
My movements stop completely. In my direction, it comes down.
“Guoee… gu… wai… unfai…”
Not a small blow like before, as if the sky itself was coming down, an impact
mercilessly crushed my body.
My skull makes some creaking sounds, and the hand I had reached upwards by
instinct is making ominous cracking sounds as it bends in the wrong direction.
It’s not at a level where I can ignore the impact like before, I’m pressed into the
ground so hard it feels my soul will go out.
But right now, the pain doesn’t matter. This bitterness is terrifying. While
crawling on the ground, I let out tears as I vomit, but that thing continues to
come down on me relentlessly.
Its scope is even wider than before.
Wave of Starvation?
Fleeting Requiem?
Don’t be stupid… if I used something like that, I would end up eating it. I’d be
forced to absorb it.
That taste that comes from something beyond this world.
Past the Demon World, a place even lower. The greatest depths of hell, a place
where nothing can escape, in hades where all unthinkable things gather, where
the tainted mud of despair builds up, this taste is that of a being a Demon
cannot fathom as another Demon…
The impact comes down a second and third time without rest, beating down
on my body, and hitting me into the ground. My consciousness leaves me for a
moment. My vision shakes, and my Status Abnormality Resistances are working
on overtime. If I didn’t have them, I would have been immobilized by the dizzy
feeling long ago.
Damn, with that absent-minded expression, he shows no mercy.
Each one of the skills he’s using falls short of the one-hit-kill ones Demon Lords
usually boast, but that just makes it all the more annoying. As if he’s playing with
me, the impact that’s identity I have yet to know continues to assail my body,
and the taste is the same as Leigie, making It my greatest enemy of all time. That
much is true.
The Leigie in question hasn’t changed his location at all.
He’s making fun of me.
I anticipate the moment it’s going to strike next, pierce my tentacles into the
ground, and forcefully throw myself sideways. It’s not strong. Its damage
definitely isn’t that high, but taking that on again and again is bad.
I forcefully set my broken arm. Using up my stored up nutrients, I’m able to fully
recover it.
But without relishing in that, I kicked the ground.
The impact hit the place I was just before.
Let’s think.
What is… this Skill?
A homing attack Skill? Wind? Unattributed Energy?
Each and every one of a Demon’s Skills have meaning. Naturally, they change
based on a Demon’s cravings.
Just as Gluttony is specialized in eating others, Sloth should have some
specializations.
What is it?
Making other people fellow Sloths? Wrong. No, maybe it’s not too far off, but
that isn’t its basic nature.
Far in that direction, I see Leigie lazily lowering his hand onto the ground.
That’s it!
A Skill to… transmit attacks across distance.
Meaning an 『Acedia』 skill to repel foreign enemies without moving.
I dodge the wide-range attack that came on me from above. In the ground,
was a large hand print, five meters from one end to the next.
What a stupid skill. But it’s a fact that I was made a sport of by that worthless
skill.
I keep my eyes concentrated on Leigie’s hand movements, and I rush forward.
The second it starts to come down, I take a large leap to the side.
I try to capture the lowered fist with my sword. The invisible hand is easily ripped
through, but it doesn’t seem that Leigie took any damage from it. Even if I
damage these hands, he doesn’t get any feedback… It doesn’t have the power to
finish me off, but it doesn’t have any obvious demerits either. Just the fact that
he can’t use his arms for other things, I guess. What a useful Skill.
I handle the attack aimed at me horizontally with the sword. Invisible fingers…
With just that, magic surpassing that of a General’s disperses and floats through
the air. It truly is a pity I cannot eat it.
… No, is this the time to think about whether it’s edible or not?
I have to attain victory against Kanon-sama no matter what. I have a need to
triumph, and confirm her taste. For the sake of my departed men as well.
For that sake, the explosive magic Leigie has will be a great weapon.
I’m sure of it. If you only compare magic, he’s far above me.
Damn, how long has this bastard been alive?
But if I keep eating him, I’ll definitely die. I’ll break down from the terrible
flavor, and die. As a Demon Lord of Gluttony, that is quite regrettable.
But… but if it’s just once more…!
Right. Resolve myself. That is the way to victory.
Terrible? So what?
The remnants of the violent acridity in my nose is still trampling over my sanity.
Good or bad, that doesn’t matter.
Make my resolve, and look at the enemy.
For my sake and mine alone. For my power and mine alone. Leigie, I’ll…
“… Eat you.”
“… Please give me a break already.”
There are no breaks on the…
The moment I got irritated by his mocking voice, my body was sent flying
sideways.
His attacks really lack any form of motivation.
Just as I eat, as Wrath rages, and Greed seeks, Leigie simply lazes around
without meaning.
That really doesn’t excite my appetite at all, but what admirable consistency.
The Lord of Sloth… I see, I have a slight grasp of it.
Diverse skills that can toss around even a Demon Lord like me.
This is one who dived into the abyss of Acedia, and learned it to its origins?
… So be it. In return I’ll show you. The result of my supreme pursuit of Gula,
the power I’ve obtained.
I use the Evil Eyes. I direct it at Leigie’s attack, and easily stop it.
I use my Wave of Starvation to absorb the flames of Wrath that came from the
one trying to ambush me from behind. I’m not so weak as to fall from a surprise
attack of one who isn’t even a Demon Lord.
The first edible magic in a while wipes away the remains of the bitterness within
my body.
I don’t care about the damage. Wrath-kun and Lust-kun and Greed-kun don’t
matter to me at the moment.
I concentrate my mind.
I bring up my left arm, and pray. To the god of hungry souls.
Wind pressure assails me from left and right. With a groaning sound, my ribs
break. My brain understands that I’m being crushed between that man’s hands.
I don’t let go of the sword gripped in my right hand. That’s my trump card. My
arm breaks. I don’t let go. My innate healing works. My body returns to normal.
Every time it recovers, it’s broken once more.
Leigie closes his hand. From all around my body, I feel an immense weight. My
bones are being broken as if they were toothpicks. My body raises a scream at
the sense of pain I haven’t felt in a long time.
I can’t use any defensive skills. They’ll end up eating Leigie.
In the heat encroaching my body, and the surges of pain, I took a deep breath,
and prepared myself.
I fill my fangs with killing intent. I use all my might to activate that skill.
『Eater’s Plate』
With a roaring sound, the ground tears, the desert rends. Against the immense
magic, of which a normal person of the human race wouldn’t hold up just be
being in its presence, the heavens rumble, and space distorts.
In hot haste, Lust-kun and Greed-kun flee. The Demon Lord sat through the
maelstrom peacefully. No, he’s lying down.
What I called forth was Eaters Plate.
A large space a few hundred meters across. Without fangs, or tongue, endless
hunger. A space specialized to do nothing but sate an unbearable starvation. If
you looked from the sky, you would probably see a large semi-circular fissure in
the earth.
And I was taken aback.
Into the hole that suddenly opened in the ground, the one I set as the target,
Leigie, calmly fell. He yawned with a sleepy expression.
Sloth has a bad affinity with Wrath, Gluttony and Pride. Demons with a high
attack power. The reason for this being they generally don’t move around.
There’s no way an immobile Demon is a good enemy. You can leisurely prepare
your skills, and as long as they don’t get to be considerably strong, they’re fated
to be hunted down.
But even so, this conclusion is outside of my expectations.
Eh? What? Is that how it is?
For what reason did I fight so hard up until this point?
I was planning to rip him to shreds with the sword once he jumped out of the
way to dodge, but…
I turn my eyes to the black longsword in my hand. Phantom Armaments don’t
have a set reach. By my will, I can freely extend it up to a point. When I got a
chance, it was to be my supreme trump card.
The giant mouth closes.
I relax the power wrapped around my body, and release myself.
With my right hand, I scratch my face.
“… That was a bit anti-climactic.”
“… I see.”
I heard something I shouldn’t have from behind me.
I hurriedly turn around, and point my sword. An uninjured Leigie was sloppily
sprawled out.
Even after taking my back, he shows no signs of trying to accomplish anything.
Wai…
I instinctively swing the blade. I don’t even have to extent it, he’s quite close.
With a posture like that, this isn’t something that he can dodge. But the moment
before he was split in two, Leigie’s image disappeared.
 Shivers run down my spine.
So this is how he escaped the Eater’s Plate!?
… Teleportation!? IS that even possible? No, the moment he had suddenly
appeared like that, I should have theorized it.
It’s my complete mistake.
Evasion and Sloth were too far apart for me to ever think they would go
together.
And wait, this is too unfair.
This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be!
Between Rank Three and Five, there’s this much of a difference!?
Did Kanon-sama put this much thought into it when she sent Leigie against me!?
I position the sword behind me to shake off the attack he threw at me.
Behind, the transferred Leigie’s arm grazed the blade. Blood poured forth like a
water fountain. Due to the smell that came from it, I retreated several steps.
Leigie is crying. Probably from the pain. But by that time, the blood had already
stopped, and he had regenerated as if nothing had happened. What amazing
regenerative powers. He’s devoted himself to a stubborn nature. And on top of
that, he’s ridiculously weak to pain.
When I tried to go at him again, my body froze once more.
I was seized by his gravity again. I notice. The moment my body freezes
beforehand… it’s his Evil Eyes.
Leigie is binding me with his Demon Eyes. The Skill that’s supposed to only work
on lesser beings.
That made the gap in power all too clear.
“Ah, haha, hahaha… Lei… gie. Just how many years… have you lived?”
“… Probably about a hundred.”
Like hell!
I have, with you, memories that spam over ten thousand years!!
He’s… definitely forgotten it.
Hahahahaha, just fighting him is starting to feel stupid.
 Even my hunger that I know will never fully be sated no matter how much I eat
is starting to not matter.
Without saying anything, Leigie closed his eyes half-way.
I tried to think of a reason this Demon Lord had obtained such peerless power.
Unlike Kanon-sama, who had advanced to being a Demon Lord in under ten
thousand years with skill and determination, Leigie the Sloth merely amassed
power naturally after living an eternal amount of time, and eventually grew to be
a Demon Lord.
Without anything that could be called ambition, and no goal in sight. The king
of idleness.
The desires of others are of no importance, and he’ll probably forget his fight
with me soon enough. How envious I am of him.
Before I noticed it, Leigie’s hand was clenched so tightly that his knuckles were
turning white.
My body was being squeezed from all directions. I feel something snapping
inside of me, but there’s no pain anymore. I don’t even have the motivation to
resist. There’s no means. I have no appetite.
The result of me living close to a hundred thousand years, my 『Fang of Origin』
turns to sand in my hand, and disappears.
In front of my eyes, there was Sloth. He opens his eyes lightly. His eyes that did
nothing but scream that it was all a pain.
“…Fu… fufu. Bye… bye, Acedia. It was fun.”
“… I see.”
If possible, I would ask him to go beat Kanon-sama in my place, but I doubt he
would ever do something so troublesome.
In the opening on the top of his clenched hand, he painstakingly applied pressure
with his other index finger.
As my head was forcefully crushed under the power, I thought to myself…
Thanks for the meal.
 Of How Leigie Doesn’t give any Fs, but Gets
Plenty

TL: Heard’s Hmms and hms are implied grunts of affirmation.

TL: Also, this chapter provides some readings for previous skills (In English no
less), so preceding names will be changed in accordance. Usurping will be
changed to ‘Skill Ruler’ and Predominate to ‘Overrule’.
TL: Ah, also please be over 14 to read.
The Lazy King Chapter 6: Invidia
 Part 1: Become Someone

It was nothing.
From birth, not once have I gained anything, never have I desired anything,
never have I known anything.
Not desired by anyone, known by anyone, and even without any desire for life.
A Life where I didn’t even embrace the Original Sin a majority of Demons carry.
Sloth and Greed and Lust and Wrath and Gluttony and Pride and all else, without
a sufficient reason for life, and no will.
Before I could become a Plus, perhaps I had to become a Zero first.
I am a mere Minus existence.
In this Demon World, governed by survival of the fittest, Demons without
knowledge or power are fated to simply sit and wait for death to take them.
Demons like that were by no means rare, and the imperial capital as well as all
the provincial cities were overflowing with such existences.
That’s why I believe it’s just a coincidence that I escaped such a fate.
There are many Demons whose lives aren’t even worth taking, but if I had to say,
my luck was good.
There was a man who took me away. There was man who, with a sluggish
expression, remained silent, as he let whatever would happen, happen. His black
mantle made of well-tailored velvet-like material dragged along the ground, and
was always sullied white.
There was a woman who took me away. There was a woman who would let off
burning flames that made people she passed on the street tremble, and
trampled over the ground as she walked. Her walking staff banged on the
ground, as if to scream out its rage in the silent woman’s place.
There was me. There was me who, on the roadside, without will, without
meaning, gazed on them by pure coincidence from the edge of the street. And
next to me, there were my comrades who looked at them just the same.
 The man and the woman, and me, and those beside me never exchanged
glances, but at the moment of passing… the man reached out his left arm, and
my body… without anything to eat before me, my body that was light and frail
compared to those of similar ages… was embraced.
Light and clear hand movements as if he were merely grabbing an apple off of a
roadside stand.
My comrades didn’t say anything as they watched me get taken away, and I
didn’t say anything either.
From what I heard later, he wanted a pillow. What the hell.
And like that, coincidences piled onto one another, and the Lord of Sloth just
happened to be searching for a pillow perfectly my size. By some strange cause
and effect, I ended up enlisted in the army of Leigie of the Slaughterdolls.
By the way, this goes without saying, but by the time he held me to his body,
Leigie-sama was already asleep.
What happened next wasn’t as interesting.
After returning to the Castle of Shadows, I began a struggle for existence
against the inanimate normal pillow he already had in use, and at the same time,
the inspector monitoring Leigie-sama, the leader of the Order of Black, Kanon
Iralaude said something like, “when did you pick up something so dirty!” in an
exhausted voice. When I was about to be disposed of by incineration, I was
saved by the maid Lorna, who misunderstood Leigie-sama’s 『Iyo』 in a way
favorable to me.
By the time I noticed it, I was dressed up in the sort of pretty clothes a doll
would wear, and had the ‘seconds’ that were always made for the million to one
chance Leigie-sama would do something as troublesome as actually ask for
seconds shoved down my throat. My thoughts finally caught up to me.
Huh? What is this, I thought.
A Demon’s longings aren’t something they decide for themselves. They are
something that is automatically obtained from harboring strong desires.
If you harbor multiple Sins, your desire becomes clouded, and your Class growth
as a Demon is slowed. That’s why Demons generally subconsciously regulate
themselves not to follow any desires besides the ones they pursue.
Without the leisure to seek excess desire, the worst of Demons, where it was
merely a miracle I was alive. Given an environment where life was finally
sustainable, and finally with some time to give consideration to it, what was the
first strong desire that came over me?
What were my strongest feelings?
It was not relief that I was saved, or happy prayers of pure gratitude, or
melancholy for my comrades left behind or even self-satisfaction.
This may seem obvious, but it definitely wasn’t Luxuria.
To put it simply… Envy.
Jealousy towards typical Demons who carried on and accepted their lives up
until now as if it were natural.
Envy toward the beautiful face of the incarnation of flames who was
approaching Demon Lord level with her powerful magic, the one who was born
the daughter of a Demon Lord and lead the elite Order of Black, Kanon.
Envy towards the one who was born into a house to serve Leigie-sama, and who
received a high level education for that sake alone, Lorna.
Envy towards the right hand man of the Lord of Sloth who headed the army,
Overruled any and all sorts of power, and took his Lord’s power to be supreme,
Heard Lauder.
It was envy towards everything in this world.
“If possible, I want to change…”
That was the origin of my Original Sin of Envy.
As I was never granted anything, I felt jealousy towards everything instead.
Darker than 『Gula』.
More greedy than 『Avaritia』.
More violent than 『Ira』.
More whimsical than 『Luxuria』.
With less meaning than 『Acedia』.
Nastier than 『Superbia』.
It was nothing but simple, unsightly 『Envy』.
 But the moment I obtained it, I thought to myself.
Ah, with this, I finally have a reason to exist.
With this, I can finally become someone.

Part 2: Let’s Meet Again

“Well well, after sending out as much as two commanding officers, what a
sorry state you’ve come back in… to bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands… how
shameful.”
The young man spoke with cold eyes, as if he were looking at kitchen waste
that had fallen to the ground.
He was a handsome youth with eyes as black as the depths of the abyss. As if he
were a king, he sat deeply in his chair. With one leg crossed over the other,
perhaps he lacked some decorum, but he really was the spitting image of a king.
If Leigie-sama and this man stood side by side, ten out of ten would say this man
was the Demon Lord of the two.
At the same time, he followed his desire, and spent his time perpetually training
and bettering himself. A pure military man.
Heard Lauder. Right hand of Sloth. A Demon governing Pride.
My head began to hurt.
But it definitely wasn’t due to anger towards this prideful man.
“No, no… that Zebul Glaucus was a prominent and powerful Demon Lord
among Kanon-sama’s followers… She was too much of an opponent to deal with
without the presence of another Demon Lord.”
The one who committed the insolent act of pulling Leigie-sama out, Kanon’s
dispatch, speaks in a rebuking tone.
Her arrogant means did end up saving our lives, so I can’t say anything, but…
From the innermost depths of my brain, I feel the pain of something being
stabbed. To sooth it, I stroke my forehead once more.
Heard answered her glare with a cynical smile. His words were, as always,
overflowing with himself.
“Hmm… that would be the case for a typical, lowly Demon, correct? What I am
trying to say, is that for the ones who are supposed to be leading the great Lord
of Acedia’s army, it is much too shameful, Lize Bloodcross.”
“… Well you sure know how to talk big. Especially when you were the only
General who didn’t participate in the battle.”
“That’s right. I truly never thought the other two would be this useless. The
next time a Demon Lord thinks of invading, let’s have me go out alone.”
Despite his annoyed tone, he gave an immediate reply.
There is not a single hint of jest in Heard’s face. An army led by two Generals
was easily laid waste to by a single Demon Lord, but in his eyes there is no
impatience, no nervousness.
Nothing but elegance. More prideful than all.
Superbia Demons are strong.
In truth, it is said that of the Demons that reach Lord Class, around seventy
percent are Pride.
The losers are worse that garbage, the winners equivalent to God. And one’s self
has long surpassed God.
That is Superbia’s Original Sin. Strength in weakness, and weakness in the
strong, a highly unstable nature. Even so, they are called the strongest of
Demons.
All they ever demand for is the result, and the no matter what step of the
process resulted in defeat, they’ll show contempt.
And just like the other Sins’ cravings, the stronger they get, the greater their
inclinations.
Of the four surrounding the round table, the last one… having lost a majority
of his possessions, and even his army, the greatest victim Deige inspected a beat
up Celeste as he spoke up.
“… Even so, Supreme Commander Heard, it’s just as that girl Lize’s saying.
Zebul the Devourer stood top class among Demon Lords, and she had an
impossibly large amount of power, you know? Even for someone as prideful as
you, Supreme Commander, I’ll bet it would prove difficult to 『Overrule』 her.”
 “Hmm… by that, are you comparing to the Demon Lords you’ve served up until
now?”
“Ki ki ki, yeah. If you try to find an existence more powerful than that one… I
can only think of Boss Leigie, and the Great Demon King.”
He responds with a bitter smile.
The words of an old Demon like Deige held some persuasive power.
In the first place, the Devourer Zebul Glaucus ranks right up in my top three for
most atrocious Demon Lords I’ve met. Her magic, and skills, and direction made
her an absolute warrior, where normal Demons would fail to even reach her feet.
She’s a 『Gula』 so strong that I can’t even laugh off the rumors that she ate up
the Heavenly Army in the war with the Heavens ten thousand years ago.
If only I had that much power…
Just as sand accompanies time as it falls down the hourglass, I feel something
like mud collecting in the depths of my soul.
The weight of it is making me dizzy.
Since reaching General Class, I have never faced defeat once. This war was the
first.
Because of my first failure in a long time, I cannot control my impulses.
“Hmm, but I’ve heard our Lord annihilated her all too easily, did he not?”
“Ki ki ki, well, all I can say is, as expected of Rank Three. Boss Leigie is… a
monster. He led the Devouring Lord by the nose the entire battle. I mean, Boss…
didn’t even move the whole time.”
On Deije’s words, that Demon Lord’s, and Leigie-sama’s fight play back in my
head.
Yes, Leigie-sama never even stood up… though he did use some skill I’ve never
seen before to teleport.
Heard, with a knowing face… nodded with sharp, prideful eyes.
“… Hmm, Sloth Skills get stronger the less one chooses to move… a very Leigie-
sama-esque decision.”
“No, I doubt that man was actually thinking about something like that…”
 “Would you be kind enough as to tell me what other skills our Head used,
Deije?”
How could it be that Heard manages to preserve his pride?
Just by being here, I can easily feel the vast magic power of Leigie, who should be
in his private room a long ways away. This amount of power, and its quality is
definitely at a stage impossible to reach by a Demon. For the General Class me…
if I compare it to Deije and Heard who should be stronger than me, the
difference is probably not something as small as ten or twenty fold.
“Ki ki ki, even I don’t know all the specifics. I mean, even Libell got eaten up…”
“… So Libell the Pursuer was eaten… I had my eyes on him, but… Hmm.”
Heard closed his eyes, as if to say, ‘how useless’.
He isn’t one to grieve over death. Looking at those eyes, that expression, and
that posture, Deije’s face doesn’t change.
Even if Lize’s expression gets clouded over, the face of Deije, who lost his sworn
friend Libell Aijens, doesn’t change.
This must be the strength of Deije, one who even survived the war with the
Heavens.
… Of his strength, I can’t help but be jealous.
Deije says Heard Lauder is a dreadful Demon. I wonder if he’s looking at
something invisible to my eyes.
Among us, I am the youngest Demon. Generally, the older Demons get, the more
intense their cravings, and their strength. It’s said that Deije experienced the
Heavenly War ten thousand years ago, and Heard Lauder is said to be an ancient
Demon who was the first to ever follow Leigie-sama’s lead.
For me, who was just born a few thousand years ago, it’s not a gap in time I can
make up for.
… And of that, I can’t help but be jealous.
I strongly grasp my shaking arm.
Without responding to Heard’s words, Deije returned Celeste to its scabbard,
and inserted it into his treasury space. High level Demon Blades are alive. Trivial
scratches and cracks will be autonomously regenerated.
 “What I saw was… a Skill to increase gravity, an instantaneous movement
Skill… also an unidentified one he used to send Zebul flying.”
“… Hmm… he held back quite a bit then.”
On Deije’s words, Heard knit his brows, and took a deep breath. That was a
sort of emotion that would originally never appear on a Pride Demon’s face.
He sticks his elbow into the table, and touches his hand to his chin as if lost in a
sea of thought. His form, even seen from afar, was so well built that it could be
made into a painting as is.
Skillfully folding his six arms, Deije asks with a tone full of doubt.
“Holding back…?”
“… Hm. The Leigie-sama I know’s power is not of such small caliber. In the first
place, he didn’t even use his renowned『Slaughter Dolls』, did he not?”
“Ki ki ki, that’s correct. But even if it’s Boss, I doubt a Doll’d do the trick. In
actuality, the Doll he gave me was ripped apart and eaten.”
“… Deije, don’t lump that Doll he gave you with the rest. Leigie-sama’s original
Slaughter Doll is… supreme.”
Heard laughs. At Deije. At Lize. At me.
It’s probably a fact that only he knows of, having served Leigie-sama for much
more time than me.
And Heard spoke up.
“… Even more so than the individual.”
“Hah… Having a Doll be stronger than the man himself is impossible, right?”
“… Hm. For a normal Demon, that is.”
The Slaughter Doll Skill is one possessed by Demon Lords of Sloth, so there is
barely any precident.
But even so, to be able to make an entity with powers surpassing a Demon Lord
at will is outside the scope of common sense.
Lize’s face looked as if the word ‘Lies’ had been written on it as she looked at
Heard with shock.
Heard Lauder was an honest man. At the very least, while he was prideful, his
power was real. He relied not just on skills, but on wisdom, and he definitely
possessed true charisma. Otherwise, there was no way he would be able to lead
the First Brigade which boasts the largest numbers.
“Ki ki ki, if that’s true then it sure is amazing. I’d like another by all means. But,
well, even if that’s the case… this time’s opponent was a Demon Lord on a level
where she could even wound Boss, you know? I think it would be a bit much for
a Doll without any Original Sin skills.”
On those words, Heard opened his eyes wide.
He leans his body forward, and glares at Deije with strong eyes. It was a
manifestation of emotion great enough to shake one’s soul.
“… That can’t be… Leigie-sama was injured… you say!?”
“… Yeah. Well, it was only a little bit of blood, and he healed himself up fast
enough.”
“… That’s enough… I see, so she could injure Leigie the Depraved. Zebul the
Devourer… Hm, I see…”
“Was it truly that strange? No matter how strong a Demon Lord he may be, as
long as the opponent’s one as well, he’ll get at least a scratch or two… I mean,
soon after he brought me there, he started crying.”
On Lize’s inquiry, Heard sighed as he leaned back in his chair, before returning
to his previous position. As if he was thinking deeply, his attention wandered
around the air.
“… Hm, that is a natural occurrence. But still, for one to be able to give Leigie
of Sloth even the slightest scratch… it’s been two thousand years.”
“Two thousand… so two thousand years ago, there was someone who could
do it?”
“Yeah… it was even someone you know quite well. But… that doesn’t matter.”
As if to declare the end of the conversation, Heard stood up.
The oppressing air emanating from his body… Superbia magic started to
condense all at once.
His cold eyes lorded over me and Deije. World-eroding powers great enough to
freeze over my body.
On the change in the atmosphere, Lize frowned, and after an obvious and blunt
scowl, she stood as well. If this had been the moment after her dispatch, she
definitely would have gone into a rage. She’s learned how to manage her anger
as of late, and she rarely burns up rooms these days.
“Wai…”
“… Hm. There was no problem with the final result, but I’ll have you pay
compensation for your shameful displays. The verdict will come down soon
enough. Have fun waiting for it.”
“Ki ki ki, please be gentle with me.”
“… Hm.”
With a loud sound, he shuts the door behind him.
The air returns to normal, and Lize spoke in indignation. A crimson
phosphorescence flickers around her red hair.
“Wha, that man… no matter the case, to treat allied troops like that…”
“Ki ki ki, Lize, you sure are young. A prideful commander is pretty much always
like that. Rather, the fact that we weren’t executed on the spot… means that
we’ve still got a bit of luck left in us.”
Deije laughs as he stands.
He’s a Demon who’s lived a far longer life than me, and his words held a weight
backed by experience.
His six eyes watch over me. The emotion held within them was something I was
unable to understand.
“Medea, I am… going to withdraw from this army.”
In a sense, his words were as I had expected.
Despite his form, Deije’s a rational Demon. His cravings, his desire, by the very
nature that they’re aimed at objects apart from humans, he’s much more
trustworthy than many other Demons.
Perhaps Lize didn’t anticipate it, because as she heard those words, she rose out
of her seat once more.
 “Wha… Are you serious, Deije?”
“Yeah… if I stay here, Supreme Commander Heard will dispose of me at this
rate. Leigie of Sloth’s right hand man, prideful and conceited… Ki ki ki, how
troublesome.”
“How foolish… do you think that Supreme Commander would permit such a
thing?”
“Probably. I mean, my Sin is… not something I have to be here of all places to
fulfill. I’m not sure about Girly and Heard, though.”
An instant decision. Good discernment.
Deije’s words were straight to the point. An Avaratia’s cravings are something
that can be fulfilled no matter what banner they fight under. With Deije’s
caliber, no matter what Demon Lord he worked under, he would receive a
favorable evaluation. He even has a Demon Blade that Zebul praised as dreadful.
The later part was also quite direct.
My desire is…『Invidia』 can only be fulfilled as long as I’m here.
As if my brain was wounded, my head started to hurt.
Deije knows when to pull out. That’s exactly why he survived the war with the
Heavens. His body that had been trained like steel, his rationality, thought
pattern, desire. Ah, all of it… how enviable.
In the ki ki ki I was used to, he laughed.
And he let out some words I had never thought of.
“Ki ki ki, I’ll ask you as one who survived the Zebul War alongside me. Just in
case. Girly, do you want to leave with me?”
“What… that is…”
“There isn’t just one page in the book of desire. Ki ki ki, girly, you’re young.
Rather than being dealt with by Supreme Commander Heard, you should be able
to lead a decent life…”
Lize looks over me and Deije in a panic. Disagreement and discord in a Demon
Lord’s army fall under her type’s jurisdiction. I wonder if the Great Demon King’s
Wrath will befall her. Even if it isn’t her fault individually, it’s not like a monster’s
Wrath has direction. No she may be scarier than any monster.
“… Let me persuade Heard Lauder. I cannot let the Great Demon Lord’s forces
be diminished.”
“Ki ki ki, I’m grateful for the sentiment, but some things are just impossible.
Heard is… stronger than your Wrath. I mean, back when I was just an average
run-of-the-mill Demon… he’s a Demon who’s lived since ancient times. The
longer a Superbia lives, the more powerful their『Overrule』 gets.”
“My orders are the orders of the Great Demon King, and my words are hers.
Even so, will he fail to listen?”
“How should I know?”
Deije resigns.
“… But… I have a bad premonition about it. Ki ki ki, it’s best if you don’t think
of him as a normal Demon. This is… some advice from your elder.”
I’m honestly thankful for his advice.
His words are probably true. If I am to stay here, then in the near future, I will be
taken care of by Supreme Commander Heard.
But, still, even so… I have a reason I must remain. No, I should have one.
I resolve my heart, and look at Deije clearly. While it may have been for a short
time, he’s a soldier who was able to properly exchange blows with Zebul.
“… Thank you. But my desire… can only be fulfilled here.”
“… Ki ki ki, I thought you’d say that. Well, do your best. As a former Supreme
Commander, for argument’s sake, I’m praying for your survival, girly.”
As if to offer a handshake, Deije presented his right center hand.
It was rugged, and wrapped in muscle. I don’t know just how much power he
has. But from it, I can feel the accumulation of many years.
Of that, I’m jealous. Of the building of time.
If you compare a Demon’s character to the passing of years, it doesn’t change
all too much, however this man’s personality is much more likeable than Heard’s.
Finally, as if he had suddenly remembered something, Deije asks…
“Girly… come to mention it, there was something I wanted to ask. Do you
know of a Demon Lord of『Luxuria』?”
“… Yes. I’ve met one before.”
Since the 『Luxuria』 Demon Lord was destroyed, it’s been over a thousand
years.
But just from meeting her once, the intense Envy I felt for that Lord, makes me
remember the scene as if it had happened just yesterday.
Deije lets out a sigh unfitting of himself.
“… As I thought, you lack sex appeal. There’s no way I can steal you away… is
it? Well, I’m thankful for that good fortune.”
“…”
“Next time, treat me to something nice.”
With those words, I was sure of it.
Ah, this man… he realized it. That I wasn’t a『Luxuria』, but an『Invidia』.
Perhaps it was natural for him to notice. Because before his eyes, I envied
Celeste.
But I didn’t let out my words. I’ll bet he thought that our interests wouldn’t
clash, but at the same time, perhaps this Demon of Greed was showing some
kindness.
No, perhaps it was me that wanted it that way.
And just as Deije said, I envied him.
I became him.
“Ki ki ki, Leigie of Sloth and Depravity… he sure was an interesting Demon Lord.
And a terrifying one… I can’t even feel any ambition towards him. Well, next we
meet, I’ll pray we’ll be allies.”
Yeah, exactly. I pray we never cross again.
I looked straight at Deije.
“… Right, let’s meet again, 『Avaritia』.”
“Ki ki ki, seeya, 『Luxuria』.”

Part 3: I Want to Become You

 Even if reason permits it, feelings aren’t as forgiving.
That is the nature possessed by Demons.
As such, Heard despises because he is Superbia, and Leigie slacks because he is
Acedia. Lize angers because she is Wrath, Deije seeks because he is Avaritia, and
Zebul eats because she is Gluttony. There is nothing strange about it.
Lorna is Luxuria, so lusting after Leigie-sama wouldn’t be… strange.
And because I am Invidia, I must envy.
I put all my effort into biting down on my lip… the taste of blood spreads out in
my mouth. I can feel the irritating smell in the depths of my nose.
A scene I didn’t want to see, words I didn’t want to hear.
Much different from the vivid flames of Wrath, the muddy fire of『Envy』 licks the
insides of my head.
『Envy Vision』
A Skill on the Envy Tree. The power to look up the movements of those I’ve
envied. It isn’t just scenery, it’s even possible to hear their voices.
As if the scenes were rolling out before my eyes, my vision was clear, and my
sense of hearing was filled with Lorna’s tender voice.
It’s not like I feel any carnal desires towards Leigie-sama, I’m simply jealous.
Of Lorna, who lusts towards her own Lord.
Of Deije who follows his desires, and continues to pursue it.
Of Heard, who has enough overflowing confidence to even look down on the
Lord of Gluttony.
Up until now, I’ve only ever used Envy skills within my own room.
My front has always been 『Luxuria』.
Gifted with both intelligence and beauty, one who stands at the forefront of the
army. A single woman who governs Lust.
I once envied the Demon Lord of Lust, Lilith Luxeliahart, and the skills I got my
hands on were well over the skills of most Lust Demons.
As such, I am… Medea Luxeliahart.
My form reflected in the full body mirror was died with the unsightly emotion
of Envy, and tears of blood are flowing down my eyes.
My mind is painted black, a clear repulsive emotion.
As opposed to my feelings, I was favorably proceeding down the Envy Skill Tree.
“Haa… haa…”
Even though I haven’t moved a single step, my chest feels tight.
The breath I let out is hot, and damp.
I try to recall Deije’s words.
As I thought, it’s no good. As long as I don’t carry out my envy here, I have no
future.
Even if I am to be killed by Heard Lauder…
None… can get in the way of my jealousy.
If he comes at me with the intentions of disposing me, I just have to beat him at
his own game.
The Avaritia Skills I obtained by Envying Deije.
The Luxuria Skills I obtained by Envying Demon Lord of Lust, Lilith.
The Skills I obtained myself by pursuing Invidia.
The Gula Skills I obtained from Zebul’s crushed corpse.
As a General Class, the amount of power I can Envy far exceeds that of Deije’s
right hand man Libell the Pursuer.
But that is of no importance to me.
My Envy is… what triggered it? The item that was the source of all of this has
to be out there somewhere.
I’m envious.
I’m jealous.
I want to… become you.
『Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal. 』
With a gentle expression, Lorna calls out to Leigie.
She’s an attendant who has served him for many years. She’s the maid who has
the most contact with Leigie-sama, and at the same time, she’s the Demon who
saved me.
Her appearance, personality, skill, loyalty. Everything about her is envious.
… If only you weren’t there, I would be the one in your place.
And again, a black fever scorches in my head.
How, why, in just one step will what I desire fall into my hands?
Who is at fault? What is at fault?
If only I had been able to handle Zebul, if only I racked up some achievements,
my daily life should have continued on as it always had, and yet…
But right now, what I have the least of is time. Heard will try to kill me without
a doubt. That’s the type of Demon he is.
By just envying from afar, I won’t make it in time. My life will lose its meaning. I’ll
lose everything.
The feelings I’ve tried so hard to restrain up until now have surpassed the extent
where I can hold them back with my power.
My arms, my legs, even when it isn’t cold, they’re shaking.
『Leigie-sama, your hair is disheveled.』
『… I see.』
He was always burrowed into his bed, so there’s no way it could be in line.
In a tone as if it were just a pretext, Lorna touches Leigie-sama’s jet-black hair.
His eyes remain closed, and he doesn’t say a word.
The moment she touched it, I saw Lorna’s face get dyed a light red.
She hasn’t said anything. She hasn’t said anything, but I’m jealous.
I heard a rumor on the wind. That Leigie-sama has gotten around to
remembering Lorna’s name. His ever-so-reserved attendant was likely the cause
of him going out a little while ago as well.
… Even though he hasn’t remembered my name yet.
It’s no good. No good anymore. It’s definitely no good.
I take rough breaths as I wipe my eyes with a handkerchief. The white cloth, after
being brushed against my eyes only once, changed to a shade of vermillion
endlessly close to black.
Ah, you are… my longing.
 I understand that it’s something without meaning.
But if I… if I was a Demon Lord, I would be able to perfectly imitate Lorna’s form!
Those meaningless ambitions swirled around my head.
No matter how many times they turned, there was no signs of the endless
stream of tears stopping. The weight of the handkerchief sucking up my envy
was abominable.
I have no time. Whether I can win against Heard, honestly I do not know.
Thinking back to Deije’s warning, the probability is quite low. He’s a man whose
nature I do not fully understand. I’m not sure whether he’s hiding anything or
not.
Then before that, I’ll fulfill my desire.
I give up on wiping the tears.
I unlock the door, and leave the room.
My legs shake, and I put my hand on the wall to steady myself, as I head towards
Leigie-sama’s room. On the way, I passed by one of my subordinates.
She tried to call out greetings to me, but seeing my face, she open her eyes wide
with a shocked expression.
There’s no need for you to worry about it. My cravings aren’t pointed at you.
Trying to convey that, I attempted to force a smile onto my face, but seeing
that, her face turned pale, and she fled.
(TL: The gender given to the subordinate here is vague, so it can be either male
or female)
Ah… if I was able to smile like Lorna, she wouldn’t have run, right?
But that is also a trivial matter.
Before, I had all the time in the world, but until time started running out, I was
unable to strengthen my Envy. I am an unsightly Demon, without a doubt.
There are plenty of Demons who have given up on their cravings, but having
once tasted being a Minus, I am unable to resign myself.
I grit my teeth.
“It’s no good, definitely…”
“Kusu kusu kusu… what’s no good?”
 I was supposed to be talking to myself there.
From around the turn of the passage, a single shadow showed itself.
Golden hair, blue eyes. A Demon wearing a maid outfit equipped with a skirt
shorter than Lorna’s.
Hiero. Lorna’s sister. Number two of the house in service to Leigie-sama.
She gives an irritating laugh. While she has an appearance similar to Lorna’s, she
wears a different atmosphere.
At the same time, she’s a Superbia Demon like Heard, but she’s a a special one
who doesn’t go out in battle.
Why must pride raise such irritating voices? Her expression, tone, every part of
her got on my nerves.
“I was driven away by oneechan, but in exchange, I’ve found something quite
interesting.”
“…I have no business with you.”
“Kusu kusu kusu, Medea-san, your act is slipping off, you know?”
On her words, I suddenly noticed.
The imitation『Luxuria』 aura I always wore with a skill had been released.
I take deep breaths, and re-cloak myself in Lust.
With interested eyes, she looked over me.
“… I see, I had always been thinking it. No matter the case, your impression
was too light for Lust. Kusu kusu kusu…”
Like I care.
I have no need to conceal it any further. In the first place, I have no interest in
someone like Hiero.
From the start, the one I wanted to hide myself from… was Leigie alone.
Hiero takes out a handkerchief to wipe my eyes, and looking at the black cloth,
she smiled brightly.
Without caring about dirtying herself, she put the handkerchief into her pocket.
“And what do you plan to do? Looking like that?”
“… As if you have to know.”
 “Kusu kusu kusu, you’re no fun. I wonder what I should do… if I stopped you,
would oneechan praise me?”
This one… does she want to fight?
Against a General like me?
It’s true that Envy Skills don’t have high attack power at all. But I have all the
Skills I’ve Envied so far.
I’ll likely win. I’m not as weak as to lose to some normal mediocre Demon.
But even when on the receiving end of my bloodlust, Hiero smiled with an
innocent face.
“… It’s a joke. A joke! Please don’t make such a dangerous face for a simple
joke. Kusu kusu, fine, I’ll let you pass. Oneechan is… still in the room, but she
should leave soon enough. Good grief, she loves to take her time…”
“… What’s your goal?”
I cannot understand what this girl is thinking.
She hasn’t lived that long, and she shouldn’t have proceeded that far down the
Pride Tree, but from her expression, while it may be a different type, I perceive a
pride like Heard’s.
Not that she’s making fun of me, but that she’s looking down on me by nature.
And her exprecion held an unfitting amount of wisdom.
“Nothing really~? I don’t have a goal. I mean Medea-san’s going to be killed
soon so I thought that at the very least, I would let you accomplish your desires
is all.”
Hey, don’t you think so as well, Medea-san?
Hiero raises her voice and laughs.
There’s a throbbing pain in my head. The Flame of Envy I was supposed to have
restrained is raging up.
“Well, I think you can just do whatever you want. Leigie-sama… kusu kusu,
won’t try to stop you, let alone mind.”
“…”
It’s no good, I have no time.
How much time would it take to annihilate this one? A minute? Ten? Or perhaps
even more?
I have no time to care about Hiero.
Once she opens the way, I turn my eyes to her just once more, before directing
them back ahead.
Blood drips, staining the carpet.
“Kusu kusu. Ah, if you end up killing oneechan, please tell me, ‘kay? It’s my
turn next.”
“…”
I can’t deal with her.
Even after Hiero left, her annoying laugh resounded in my ears.
What’s so strange? What’s so funny?
… None of that matters.
I only have one regret left here.
Leigie-sama’s room comes into sight. Lorna has already left it.
From the start, I never had any plans of killing her. I’m not sure what would
happen if she got in my way, but she’s a lot busier than an average soldier, and
she’s always humble when in front of Leigie-sama’s eyes. Even when she’s so
surprisingly intense at night.
I knock the large door once, before slowly opening it.
From what I can see with my eyes, Leigie-sama’s room is, after having been
burned through by Lize-san a couple of times, different than the one I entered
long ago, but the atmosphere I felt was identical.
Incomparable to Envy or Greed or Wrath or Gluttony, an intense air of Acedia.
“Pardon… the intrusion… Leigie-sama.”
On my voice, Leigie-sama won’t raise an answer. I knew that from the start.
I lock the door behind my back, and approach the bed Leigie-sama was buried in.
As if he had died, his eyes were lightly shut. His countenance was such that not a
single expression lingered on his face, and I couldn’t determine whether or not
he was awake.
Even when he’s before my eyes, I don’t particularly feel anything. The King of
Sloth without a single thing for me to Envy. Just like a sculpture… no more than
that, like a corpse, the King of Depravity didn’t stir in the slightest.
When I’m envious of everything I am unable to get my hands on, I can’t find a
single thing in Leigie-sama to be jealous of.
It’s natural. What I was jealous of wasn’t Leigie-sama himself, but of his
surroundings.
I move the palm of my hand to Leigie-sama’s face. He’s alive.
My unsightly tears of blood drip down, and stain that face.
“Leigie-sama… just what… should I long for… Why can I never be satisfied…”
“…”
Leigie-sama lightly opens his eyes, and his transparent gaze, without a hint of
conceit, looks through me.
But he doesn’t say anything. That was excessively disheartening.
There is but a single clue.
In all that I’ve perceived, within my memory, Lorna is the one I hold the most
Envy towards.
… That’s why if I’m able to accomplish something Lorna cannot, my jealousy
should clear up a little.
“Leigie-sama… do you remember my name?”
“… Yeah.”
“Eh? Really!? Is it alright if I ask you to say it?”
“…”
His eyes asked the question, ‘who is this?’
… Just what instincts does Leigie-sama live on?
Even looking at my streaming tears of blood, even when his face is stained, he
doesn’t stir in the slightest. I am unable to move Leigie-sama’s heart.
It’s something I already knew, long ago.
I lift the hem of my robe, and give a polite curtsy.
Then in the end, I’ll adorn myself with a impression of perfect beauty.
 “Leigie-sama… I’m called Medea Luxeliahart. The Sin I govern is 『Luxuria』. It is
a pleasure to be in your service.”
“… I see.”
He let out a gloomy voice.
My soul core is beating noisily.
But this is strange. Even when before the man himself, my Envy isn’t satisfied in
the slightest. I am… just what am I overlooking?
Whatever the case, I have no time.
“Leigie-sama…”
I untie the ribbon holding the robe closed at the neck, and leave the red strip
on the side table.
One by one, the wooden buttons are unfastened by my shaking hands.
I withdraw my arms, and the robe falls to my feet. My bare shoulders feel a
pleasant cool sensation upon coming into contact with the air.
All that’s protecting my body is a light one-piece, and the underwear I’m wearing
underneath. I’m not even wearing my military uniform. There’s nothing to
protect me.
It’s not like when Zebul stripped it all. The act of taking it off by myself is much
more embarrassing than I had anticipated. Demons of Lust sure are amazing.
My lips quiver. In a shaking voice, I declare to Leigie-sama.
“… Henceforth… I will be violating you.”
“… I see.”
“… Meaning, I will be completely ignoring your will, and forcefully committing
sexual acts with you.”
“… I see.”
Even after embarrassingly declaring that much, the expression on Leigie-
sama’s face hasn’t changed in the slightest, and his eyebrows don’t even shift a
millimeter.
There isn’t a trace of human emotion. No shyness or fear. While yawning, his
absentmindedly-shifting gaze makes it so I’m not even sure if he’s looking at me.
 As I confirmed that the flow of my tears had become stronger, my shaking
hands moved to remove the top-most button on the one-piece.

Part 4: This Is Too Much…

Even after giving up my body and feelings, my feelings of envy barely subsided
at all. That was probably the portion of my envy that had been directed at Lorna.
The large Hell that formed the base wasn’t filled in at all.
My feeling of impatience isn’t lessening at all. In a daze, I cleaned myself up, and
nimbly put on the clothing I had discarded.
“Thank you… for your time…”
“…”
Leigie-sama shows not an iota of movement. Even during the act, he barely
moved at all.
Even when I deeply lower my head, he doesn’t give an answer. His eyes remained
closed. I was on the verge of tears.
Does this Demon Lord even have any sexual desire? No, I’ll bet he does.
I mean, that’s why we were able to do it in the first place.
The King of Idleness.
Experiencing his abnormal way of life once more, I felt an extreme feeling of
loss and despair. I can’t even raise a hollowed out laugh.
But if this isn’t it, then what could be the source of the Envy I obtained?
I had always thought it stemmed from the yearning I had towards Leigie-sama.
The Luxuria I obtained through my Envy was in order to catch Leigie-sama’s eye,
and that’s why I always feigned being one.
This can’t be. I can’t follow this anymore.
I cannot find the target of my Envy. It must have been something that birthed
emotions great enough to awaken me to my Sin.
What should I do from now on?
My swaying field of vision. Without my thoughts coming into order, my
uncertain feet headed for the door.
I undo the lock, and open it.
 “… Hm. Are you done yet?”
“… Ah… I see…”
That voice enlightened me.
… So I’m already out of time.
Leaning his body on the wall outside, was a black haired man glaring at me.
Supreme Commander, Heard Lauder.
Leigie’s top follower.
At the same time I reached enlightenment, an intense anger stained the scene
before me in red.
… So be it. If you’ll get in my way, then seeing whether or not your 『Superbia』
is stronger than my 『Invidia』 isn’t a bad option.
I’ve lost the trail I had been following for years, and I’m in the mood to take my
anger out on someone.
I get by breathing in order.
“Kusu kusu, Medea-san, did you fulfill your desire?”
Next to him stands Hiero. With a tasteless full smile, she looked down on me.
It’s not fulfilled. There’s no way it could be fulfilled.
I still have regret remaining. No, my regret has only gotten deeper.
I lick my lips. Luckily, my tears had already stopped. Well, there’s no doubt I’m
making a terrible expression right now.
I straighten my shaking legs.
I raise my eyes to see the Demon of Pride, two heads taller than me.
Of course, I’m not being negligent, but Pride Demons generally don’t initiate
surprise attacks. Even more so when the enemy is of lower status.
Just in case, I confirm it one last time.
“Heard Lauder… do you plan on fighting me…?”
“… To direct killing intent at me, you’ve grown up admirably, have you not.
Fight? Wrong, this is simple… judgement.”
The same intolerable tone as ever.
But there, Heard seemed to suddenly remember something.
“… Hm, but you have accomplished the meritorious deed of troubling Leigie-
sama, and thus weakening him.”
“… What? What are you…”
Weakening… Leigie-sama?
Meritorious?
This man… what is he…
Deije’s lines revive in my mind.
A bad premonition. Right, that’s what he said.
The pressure I can feel just by him standing there. The feeling of oppression.
A great pressure as if the air itself was being crushed, no different from when
Zebul stood before my eyes.
Supreme Commander Heard Lauder’s supposed to be the strongest Demon in
the Army next to Leigie. But did he always have this extent of power, this air
about him?
The Prideful Kaiser.
In the past, he supported this army alone, the greatest veteran. This army’s
dictator.
With eyes as if he was observing a stone on the side of the road, Heard inspected
my whole body.
“… Right, this is an exception. In accordance to your achievements, and as
mercy towards a former comrade, I don’t mind keeping you around for the
army’s relaxation use.”
“What…?”
“Kusu kusu kusu, isn’t that nice, Medea-san? To get away without dying. Kusu
kusu, isn’t this your long-cherished ambition as a『Luxuria』?”
Hiero laughs annoyingly.
Ah, this is no good.
Even if I’m not Wrath, I feel a great need to kill this one.
Strange? Sense of discomfort? Strong?
 I know all of that.
But if I stayed silent here after all this, I would be a failure as a Demon.
Even if I don’t govern Superbia, I have my pride.
Even if I don’t govern Wrath, there are things that make me angry.
Right now, 『Envy』 isn’t even coming to mind.
“… Heard, I am thankful to you. Back when I was just a normal Demon, you
gave me a job.”
“… Hm, I need no thanks. All I care about is the result.”
And he laughed scornfully, as if to say, ‘And you didn’t even bring about any
results.’
But even if his eyes shined with pride, he wasn’t negligent.
To eliminate even the million to one chance of him slipping, to protect his pride,
he performed all of his abnormal training.
That is the nature of the one who continues to reign over Pride, Heard Lauder.
As such, he has always shined as the Supreme Commander of Leigie-sama’s
forces.
From the depths of his existence, magic, desire is drawn out.
It’s been about three days since the end of the Zebul War. Physical state aside,
my magic is in perfect condition.
“… Should we change locations?”
He probably knew I wasn’t expecting a yes.
With an uninterested expression, exactly like Leigie’s, he looked down on me.
“Location… Hm, there’s no need. No, more so, doing it here saves some
effort.”
“… Meaning?”
“No, I was talking to myself there… Now, Medea Luxeliahart. Come at me.”
Hiero quietly moves herself to the side.
Heard seems quite relaxed. Without a sign of him having entered a battle stance,
his face continued to lord over and despise everything equally.
I’m being taken lightly.
 … Fine. I’ll call your bet.
Without letting my guard down, and paying attention to Heard’s movements, I
took in a deep breath…
…I used the『Imitate』 skill.
My thoughts flash like lightning, and race around my body.
What floats in my mind is a green-haired girl. Alone, she led her army, and
turned her blade to the Great Demon King; a powerful Demon Lord.
The flames of Envy burn up before my eyes.
Without restraint, I expend the pool of magic I had been saving up.
My knees shake. My body falls backward for a moment. It’s a frightening Mana
cost. The amount even exceeded that used up by the SS Skill of the Demon Lord
of Lust, 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』.
It was a true Demon Lord’s Skil.
Originally, it’s the summit reached only by Demons who have put thousands and
thousands of years into fulfilling their cravings.
I Envied that. Without any respect or honor.
Something weighs down on my hand.
It’s an 『Invidia』 Skill to perfectly preserve the Skills of those I’ve Envied.
『Imitate』.
Just like 『Avaritia』’s 『Skill Ruler』, it skips the experience required to achieve it,
a means reserved to Envy.
Unlike with 『Skill Ruler』, where you can strengthen gained skills, with 『Imitate』
you can use the Skills in the state from which they were imitated.
The same level at which the real one used it.
『Fang of Origin』
It was the skill she used in the battle with Leigie-sama.
A curved pure white crescent-moon-shaped blade manifested before me, before
being clad in the black mists of hunger.
Heard frowned. But even after seeing me use a Skill that clearly wasn’t Lust, he
wasn’t shocked.
I’ll bet Hiero told him. By nature, Demons who govern Pride have an absolute
hierarchical system among them.
I had forgotten. No, I didn’t connect it. The Supreme Commander, and the maid
apprentice.
But that doesn’t really matter. That won’t do anything to break a Demon Lord’s
Skills.
“That is… Hm, Zebul the Devourer… a Gula Skill, is it?”
“…”
Pressure. Frightening starvation. The blade sucks up my nutrients, and my
vision grows hazy. My footing becomes unsteady.
Completely ignoring that, I lowered my body to the ground, and kicked the
floor.The tip of the sword grazed the floor as it made a vacuum with its swing.
It was something even Leigie-sama had to dodge. The skill Zebul selected from
her eternity of life specifically to eliminate the Lord of Sloth.
In just a single step, I close in on him, and swing upwards.
Heard, seeing that attack, smiled with obvious disdain.
Vibrations as if the building was shaking. The floor gives in. The moment before
the blade was able to eat into him, his form vanished.
The fang easily pierces through the wall protected by a barrier.
“… Hm, as I thought… how useless.”
From behind, I heard a voice. When I hurriedly turned around, my flank was
struck. Befrore I could even feel any pain, my vision was buried in a wall.
Pain. An impact that shook my entire body. Judgement. A decrease in my ability
to sustain life. The sharp pain in my flank. A few of my bones are gone.
The back of my head is being pressed hard.
“Even if you have a Demon Lord’s skills, a measly Invidia would never be able to
master them.”
The right arm holding the sword was crushed. My hand is forcefully opened.
The fang turns to sand, and fades.
It wasn’t that absurd teleportation that Leigie-sama displayed. It was pure
movement based on his physical ability. It was just simple speed, but to my level
of dynamic vision, it was no different than instantaneous.
The idle Leigie.
The Dynamic Heard.
What physical strength. His sense of battle without a moment’s hesitation. My
head is removed from the wall before it is rocked by another impact.
A thunderous roar. My semisircular canals are shaking. I can’t even tell what
happened, but I do know that damage is piling up on my body.
My vision is tinted red.
“…Hm, as I thought, you’re just a lowly 『Invidia』… Just what part of this one
caught Deije’s eyes… I cannot comprehend.”
“… Dei…je…”
On those words, that name, my hazy conscience responded.
I instinctively activate 『Imitate』. The target is a Demon of 『Avaritia』. The
Usurper, Deije Breindac.
I’m jealous. I can’t help but be jealous.
Of his physical ability.
Power returns to my powerless arms. Red hot blood. The experience of Deije,
who exchanged blows with a Demon Lord.
I grab Heard’s hand, which had grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. To the limit
of my power. I try to crush it.
But Heard’s hand doesn’t waver in the slightest.
“… So that’s Deije’s brute strength… hm, it’s a waste to have been lent to
someone like you.”
My body floats. By the time I noticed it, I had been singlehandedly thrown.
My head experiences a shock. But that’s instantly dealt with using my Status
Abnormality Resistance. My dynamic vision perfectly capture the wall closing in
on me. But I’m unable to do anything.
I protect my head before I crash. It’s an impact that cuts through my body.
Perhaps due to Deije’s durability, I don’t particularly take too much damage.
The Demon of Pride started approaching me as if he was taking a leisure stroll.
“Hm… not bad. 『Invidia』, I will permit you to envy Leigie-sama.”
 “… What are…”
A warped smile floats on Heard’s mouth.
“You envied him, right? As you swung your hips above him. Hm, I’m telling you
to go use that, fool.”
This man… just how much will he make a fool of me?
The amount of rage I feel is dyeing my head red.
Suddenly, Deije’s words revive again.
『Well, do your best. As a former Supreme Commander, for argument’s sake,
I’m praying for your survival, girly. 』
Right, no matter what, I need to stay alive.
… To fulfill my desire.
I stop imitating his physical ability.
Power drains out of my body. But I at least have enough strength to stand. And I
use my magic again.
Me small consolation was that I was unable to fully manifest the『Fang of
Origin』, so I still have some magic.
I lick my lips. Don’t look down on Envy. I yearn for everything, desire for it,
even if I am unable to change myself, I Envy.
“… Then I’ll show it to you. The power of the Lord of Sloth!”
What I imagine is my lord. Always in the bed, on the floor, on the rough ground
of the desert, Always sprawled out with a pained expression on his face, lazily
lowering his hand as if to squash a fly. The lone King of Sloth. The Needless King.
Think.
Of his power. Of his way of life.
… And I envied that Skill.
I lightly swung my hand.
Heard’s body was suddenly thrown against the wall.
As if he had been crushed by my hand.
How should I put this…what an idle Skill.
Upon the lack of any resistance I felt, I looked at my own hand in amazement.
Good grief, there isn’t a single feeling on my hand. All I did was wave it. With a
loud sound, cracks spread across the barrier-protected wall.
Without thinking anything, I clenched my hand.
Just with that, wrinkles spread across Heard’s black clothing as if it had been
gripped.
『Miracle Wonder Lighthand』
That was the Skill’s name. The name of the Skill I learned through Leigie.
While it may be miraculous, or wonderful, I think there’s something wrong with
that name. But it’s definitely strong. One-sidedly strong.
On top of having almost no demerits, you can one-sidedly attack over a distance.
But even after taking the skill that was enough to slaughter Zebul, the Demon
of Pride doesn’t seem panicked.
“『Sky Hand』, is it… how useless.”
Even while being ensnared, Heard looks down on me.
At that moment, the skill was forcibly cancelled.
His floating body falls, and he lands gracefully on his feet. His body and
expression haven’t taken damage.
He smooths out his wrinkled clothes with his hand. With a bored look.
I can’t believe it… what did he do? He cancelled out a skill from the Lazy King?
No, that’s not it. I can kinda understand what he did.
Heard Lauder is a Demon of Pride.
That being the case, there is but a single answer I can reach.
This is 『Superbia』’s 『Overrule』 Skill.
I determined it had crossed over the depths of my heart… It has the ability to
nullify Overruled Skills, and to bring about absolute status adjustment to
Overruled opponents. One of the abilities of Pride.
But that cannot be. Even if he can Overrule most skills, this isn’t normal.
“That can’t… how were you able to do that to Leigie-sama’s…”
“… Hm, pointless. Invidia, I asked you you to use it, did I not? I asked you to
imitate it, did I not? Leigie of Sloth’s…”
He hesitates for a moment.
He pushes the sole of his foot into the ground, and attacks by lowering his other
raised leg.
Even if I noticed, even if I knew, it was a lightning fast speed I couldn’t react to.
My body slams into the ground.
His immense power makes me unable to believe he’s of the same General Class.
His shoe, probably made of Dragon Leather grinds into my head as if he was
treading over trash.
Even without looking, I can tell. His cold stare like a slap to the face. His piercing
sharp, honed fighting spirit.
Heard Loader spoke as if spitting out his words.
“…『VIT』.”
There was power imbued in his words. I understood.
This one’s… on another level.
Even after having lived long years, there are plenty of Demons who don’t hold
considerable power. I’ve seen more than enough of them. But this one’s
different.
I don’t know how old he is, but his battle experience, magic, authority, all of it
numbered close to the time he spent living.
Why, how. Why has a Pride Demon of this rank resigned himself to be the
subordinate of a Demon Lord?
… I can’t win.
I barely move my head that was being trampled, and looked up a Heard.
“You… what… are you trying to do!?”
“… I told you to 『Imitate』. I did not tell you to open your mouth.”
After lifting his leg in an instant, it came down, and crushed my jaw.
Sharp pain. Blood spreads across my mouth, and the hard item I can barely feel
is probably my teeth, or bone. My blood spreads across the ground, but for
some reason, my vision became strangely clear.
Within my hazy conscious, my thoughts cannot keep up.
My sight is tinted a light black. Someone is looking down over me.
“… Kusu kusu kusu… Heard-san, this child’s lost consciousness, it seems.”
“… Hm… well it was my mistake to place expectations on her, I guess. If she
could only reproduce a fraction of Leigie-sama’s power, it would still be fine… is
what it means.”
“… Well I guess that’s that. Kusu kusu kusu, in the first place, this one was said
to be the weakest among the commanding officers.”
I can’t hear anything. I can’t see anything.
I feel my Soul Core rapidly losing power.
I’ve taken too much damage. I used too many skills that were too much for me.
And still, I wasn’t a match.
My vision darkens. I can’t see anything. I can’t feel anything.
At that time, a clear image flooded into my mind.
It wasn’t of the few thousand years I spent alive.
It was of Leigie-sama hugging me in place of his pillow, and bringing me here.
That sensation was vivid. His bored expression. His arms, from which I couldn’t
even sense warmth. With his eyes still closed, an unmoving Leigie-sama.
Leigie-sama roughly spreading me over the bed. Kanon-sama frowning upon
finding me.
Leigie comparing options with sleepy eyes. It was the first time anxiety had been
born into my heart.
Leigie-sama let go of me.
And what he held instead was…
An impact jolts my head. I don’t really care that I was on the brink of death.
I’m not sure by what logic, but color starts returning to my eyes.
N-not even being able to die when killed… this is too much.
Pillow!? … Wai… don’t tell me the origin of my…
I unintentionally cried out, but my mouth had been smashed so a strange voice
came out.
“Faa… hyo…”
 “… Huh? You still have consciousness? Kusu kusu, you’re a tough one. There!”
Fingers like whitebait, a pointed hand mercilessly thrusted at both of my eyes.
My eyes are crushed, and my vision becomes pitch black by very physical means.
I managed to wring out a scream from my throat. The fingers continue to dig
around inside my eyes.
The intense pain makes me really feel me consciousness leaving me this time.
I really don’t care anymore. Just kill me already…
My senses are paralyzed. The sensation of the fingers on my eyes. I don’t even
feel pain anymore. It’s just the feeling of movement there was extremely
disturbing.
The moment my consciousness was swallowed by darkness again, I heard a faint
voice.
“Kusu kusu, Heard-san. You don’t need this anymore, right? Can I take it
then?”
“… Hm, I don’t need it, but… what do you plan to use it for…?”
My body sways. My sensations are out of line.
“This… I think I’ll be able to Overrule it. I thought it would be useful for a little
『Experiment』…”
“… Hm, so be it. That is but another way for a 『Superbia』 to advance, but let
me just add this. I don’t care what you do with it, but make sure you throw it
away once you’re done.”
“Kusu kusu kusu, I know, Heard-san. Please leave the cleanup to me. Heard-
san, you have to… Leigie-sama…”
“… Correct. I don’t have the time to be wasting on trivial matters… Hm, I’ve
used some time pointlessly. Leigie the Depraved… is it? My father sure has fallen.
I’ll make sure to make a final greeting.”
I’m fading, but I can still feel a faint beat in my Soul Core.
More importantly…
The words I was barely able to pick up from Heard pique my curiosity.
As I lose focus on my own conscious, my mind falls to hell.
I frantically regain focus.
Fa…ther? What does that mean?
Heard Lauder’s father is Leigie-sama?
First I’ve heard of it. I’ve been here for a while, but I’ve never heard of
something like that. Not even a rumor.
Something is wrong. Letting Heard go like that is wrong.
But I cannot move my body. My consciousness either.
My life flashing before my eyes increases my heart rate, and my mind resurface,
but I’m at my limit.
My arms won’t even twitch. It’s like the unmoving feeling was all I could feel.
It felt as if I had lingering regrets.
“Haa… oneechan’s the same, but Medea-san, you’re too durable… Do you
really have that many regrets in life? Kusu kusu, really Lust and Envy are too
sturdy… But Leigie-sama’s another story…”
Impacts shake my whole body, and my breath stopped instantly.
Before that happened, a dim light had returned to my eyes.
What was in front of me was the form of Hiero pouring the contents of a small
glass bottle.
Drops of water flow down my face. The intense pain that followed my sudden
revival made me try to cry out, but Hiero stuffed a shoe in my mouth.
“Goh…!”
“Well, well, don’t trouble me so much, Medea-san. Kusu kusu, if Heard-san
finds out, he’ll kill us all together, won’t he? Can’t you be quiet for a while?”
As if something was interesting, she smiled as she moved the shoe around
again and again, before finally removing it.
After that, she fished another glass bottle out of her pocket.
That marketing logo on the bottle… it’s a Potion made to restore lifeforms. It’s
something I have familiarity with seeing lined up in the army’s storerooms.
After removing the cap, she starts sprinkling it on me from a needlessly high
altitude.
Potions are a super high class commodity. They’re a miracle medicine that can
even regenerate lost body parts.
Normally, one doesn’t have the leisure to take one out in battle, so it’s
something that’s saved for emergency situations, when they’re really needed.
A potions effects include softening pain. My crushed jaw is repaired.
“Arara, so even two wasn’t enough. Your HP must be really high… want a third
one…?”
“I-I don’t need one… I’m fine already!”
“Kusu kusu, don’t be reckless. See, see.”
“Gu…”
Her foot tread over my ribs.
There’s pain as if something was broken inside of my stomach.
I can’t even tell what’s going on anymore. Is she trying to harass me, or is she
healing me?
The second I opened my mouth to complain, a bottle was thrust in.
Liquid flows directly down my throat. When I thought I was about to break out
into a coughing fit, her hand forcefully closed my mouth.
From my nose, potion flows. Seeing that, she gives a light and refined smile.
“Goho, goho, w-what are you scheming?”
“Hmm? Scheme? I just saved you, so I think there’s something you should say
first, right?”
What an irritating phrasing.
But… saved?
I hurriedly observe the surroundings. The crack in the wall, and the collapsed
floor. My location hasn’t changed at all from the moment I lost consciousness.
I feel cheated for some reason.
“Now, now Medea… wheres~ your~ thanks~?”
She speaks with a sparkling smile.
I grit my teeth.
“… Thank you. I was saved.”
“Kusu kusu, my pleasure. From now on, you should learn your place, and know
when to run, you know? There’s no way you’d ever be able to beat Heard-san,
Medea-san. In the first place, 『Superbia』 has a strong affinity against 『Invidia』.”
She strokes my hair as if patting a dog.
It irritates me, but the fact that I still have my life is lucky.
More importantly, my feelings of questioning how and why are stronger.
Having received my glance, Hiero lets out a sigh.
The passageway… she looked around the corner of the passage that led to
Leigie-sama’s room, and looked down on me with philanthropic eyes.
“No… isn’t there the possibility that Leigie-sama will ask to embrace Medea-
san again? Only in the realm of great possibilities, in the million to one area,
though… kusu kusu…”
I… I cannot comprehend.
It’s too unfamiliar to me. How does that Lorna have a sister like this?
I don’t get the meaning. I cannot comprehend.
Heard’s power was frightening, but so is Hiero’s mentality.
For that reason… she didn’t even change locations, but healed me as I was?
If Heard returned, what did you plan on doing?
My thoughts swirl. Her over-the top reason made it so I could only return a
sentence.
“… I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”
“I’m of the same opinion. I mean, your body is so scarce… if it was oneechan, I
would understand, though…”
Are you picking a fight?
“No, but, if Leigie-sama ever invites you to his bed, you’ll respond, right? Try
saying it. I was saved by Hiero of 『Superbia』, so please relish in my scarce body.”
It’s something with an almost one hundred percent chance of never
happening, but I resolved myself to never use that line if such an opportunity did
arise.
This isn’t about having my life saved or anything, I just won’t.
“Kusu kusu kusu, well, let’s leave the jokes around here…”
 … So that was a joke.
She’s always smiling, so I can never tell whether she’s being sincere or messing
around.
With a serious expression, Hiero looked at the passageway. A fleeting glance as if
to indicate Leigie-sama’s room.
“Heard-san intends on killing Leigie-sama. He’ll aim for the gap where he’s
been weakened from fighting the Demon Lord.”
“… Hah? Wha, why… no, that’s wrong… I see.”
That’s not sane.
Even if he just defeated a Demon Lord, Leigie-sama barely got any wounds, and
he barely used any Skills. He doesn’t seem weakened at all. No, he’s sleeping, so
it’s not like I can tell, but…
Even so, if Heard intends to kill him… he must have some sort of plan.
In the first place, killing one’s master is one form of Pride.
If that’s the meaning behind Heard’s incomprehensible words, then I can
understand.
Continuing on, after a large stretch, Hiero let out a sigh.
Her eyes filled with annoyance were tinted with a color unbecoming of her young
appearance.
“I’ve made a bet with myself, you see. I’m definitely a Pride Demon like him,
but unrelated to that, I bet that Heard-san will lose. Well, it’s just instinct, so if
Heard-san does attain victory, then I’ll slay Medea-san right here. Kusu kusu
kusu… in truth, I’m a strong ally to have you know.”
“… I see.”
This one is no good. She’s natural trash.
But her saving my life is also a fact. I decided not to voice my opinion.
I stand up, and move my body. My magic is pretty much empty, but the pain is
gone.
My wounds have been completely healed.
“… Then why did you fully heal me? You could just make it so I barely survived,
or something…”
 Even if she didn’t restore my Mana, there should be a difference in ability
between me and Hiero.
If she fully heals me, the possibility that I would run away would be high.
On my question, Hiero threw out a carefree answer.
“… That~ is~ because eight out of nine times, Leigie-sama will win! Heard-san
definitely is absurdly strong, but… Leigie-sama’s power is incomprehensible.
Pride is extraordinarily weak towards the unknown…if his opponent was
weakened, he might be able to pull through, but Leigie-sama is Demon Lord Rank
Three. It would be the end once he unraveled a skill he’d never displayed before,
wouldn’t it? Definitely.”
Again, those admirably bitter words. But as a Pride like him, her words held
some persuasive power.
I was crushed to death with worry, and alongside Hiero, I looked over the corner.
… Pillow, desire, what should I do.
Of How Leigie has some Father-Son Bonding

The Lazy King Chapter 7: Superbia

Part 1: To the Supreme Demon Lord
When compared to the human race, a Demon’s life is horribly long.
Their lifespans equate to eternity, and aging from the passage of time is a
concept foreign to them.
The shape of their soul, the shape of their will, and the shape of their desires is
what resolves their being, and seeds of that resolute way of being are the
greatest factors that influence this absurdly large Demon World.
At the same time, as Demons continue to utilize their endless lives to delve into
their desires, their power can grow with no limit in sight… once they become
Demon Lords, they have enough strength to defile the very Heavens that would
once be their natural enemy.
The first thing that entered my eyes the moment I was awakened, was a vigor-
less man in slovenly garb. His artlessly cut hair fell over dirty clothing stained
with dust. Supporting his body was a creaking armchair of faded color.
No life, energy or will, but what he did have was a vast amount of power.
Even for my immature senses, I could feel it fill the world, simple deep and
dark, as if it were the air, a natural and quiet magic.
… The King of Depravity.
Survival of the fittest. In a world where Demon Lords elegantly competed with
one another, there existed but one who did not interfere, and just by being
there, he had climbed the ranks to Demon Lord. A mighty Demon.
Without making any blood flow, a pitiful Demon who had even been left behind
by the flow of time.
Leigie the 『Depraved』.
 It wasn’t certain that he could grant power to those who desired it.
But the inverse also stood true.
Even if he had power, it wasn’t certain if he could put it to practical use, and as
Sloth, it wasn’t even certain if he could use it at all.
The Demon Lord who pursued 『Acedia』 looked at me. Without saying
anything, without thinking anything.
No, while his eyes were directed in my direction, perhaps he wasn’t even looking
at me. His hollow and shifting gaze held no meaning, and all I was certain of was
that the thoughts that dwelled in those eyes were ones that someone like me
wouldn’t possibly be able to comprehend.
Perhaps… my origin was a miracle.
As a game, he had tried to use the power he had gotten his hands on for the
first time, and for a reason as simple as that, I was born.
Of course, I only realized that after much time had passed… After, without
meaning, and never once having been ordered from my birth, I continued to suck
up the Mana the Demon named Leigie emitted unconsciously. After I gained my
own self-awareness, and even my own desires.
Even after seeing me start moving without his orders, Leigie didn’t say
anything.
The reason for my existence, the reason for my birth were something I couldn’t
understand.
It wasn’t even the Demon Lord’s will. His goal was only to use his power, and he
didn’t even hold any interest towards the result.
I simply looked at my master.
Relieving his will of Sloth,
Looking at the pitiful legion of the Demon Lord who had not a single follower,
Who didn’t even eat food, and who simply moved back and forth between a
squalid chair he arbitrarily picked up somewhere and a damp bed. I looked at the
form of my lord.
Even so, any and all sorts of Heroes, Sages, Demons, Angels, and even Demon
Lords didn’t pique his interest when they came for him. Looking at his way of
life…
 “… Hm… so this is how a 『Ruler』 should be…”
Even now, I can remember it clearly.
That was, those were the first words I ever vocalized.
How useless. How pointless.
Without any goal, his long life of nothingness merely built unto itself, and
changed into a massive power.
Just how unsightly, how unbearable.
That was the Longing I governed.
As such, I gained the Original Sin of 『Superbia』.
My deplorable creator’s form and the form of the growing number of
challengers that faced defeat by his hand, had long surpassed any comedy.
And at the same time, I harbored an intense jealousy.
His massive power that grew in proportion to the flow of time was never even
polished with any form of training, but the other seeds… the other Demon Lords
were simply driven away with overwhelming might.
That power alone was suited to my creator, and at the same time, if I could
『Overrule』 it, I wondered if I would truly become the supreme being, able to
stand above not only people, but everything in existence.
That’s what I thought.
That’s what I couldn’t help but think.
There is no ranks among power.
But even in my mostly-stagnant head, I felt it. His power higher and nobler
than all.
At the rate I was going, I knew I would never surpass it.
I gained life as a Demon. Having spent a lifetime longer than I could even
imagine, the being that reached Demon Lord level was, lifestyle aside, too
strong.
I can 『Overrule』. Those slovenly gestures, personality, and a way unbefitting a
supreme ruler, it was easy enough to think of them as below me.
But I couldn’t win. It wasn’t on a level where good affinity or anything mattered,
but a gap in life, experience, even existence.
Overruling can increase battle ability, and bring about enough power to overturn
the gap between the Demon Ranks 『General』 and 『Lord』. It’s a superior skill,
but even that wasn’t enough
I understood by instinct. The insurmountable gap was simply so great, I couldn’t
help but understand by instinct.
… Not yet.
Even while watching me look down on him, the Lord of Sloth doesn’t say
anything. It’s always silent.
“… Hm. But if my master is like this, then people will start to see me as the
same.”
“… I see.”
The Lazy King let out a bored voice from under the covers. He displays not the
tone variation of emotion.
His eyes look up at me, but even now, he holds not the slightest will.
I declare. It is all for my own sake.
It was also like an oath. In order to carve my existence into the world.
“Nominally and virtually, I shall make Father into the Supreme Demon Lord.”
“… Do not want.”
“… Hm, I’ll have you become one, Lazy King. Of all else, for… my sake.”
“… I see.”
Just do whatever you want.
Without letting out his voice, the Lazy King mouthed those words, before he
sunk into his covers with sluggish movements.
I was always watching. From back when I didn’t have any decent awareness.
It was his evident reaction.
But so be it.
… As a start, let’s subjugate this region.
I suppressed all the foolish Demon who judged, looked down on, and ignored my
Master as harmless, all to make this vast land into my exalted master’s
mausoleum.
And by the time I have Overruled everything, perhaps I’ll have become an
existence that surpasses even the Demon Lords of this hell.

Part 2: At least leave it Supreme

The Demon World.
Where the strong are respected more than anything, Demons work to fulfill their
desires, and Lords fight and steal over the limited resources.
Without any debate, it’s all worthless.
Greed
Lust
Wrath
Gluttony
Envy
Pride
And… Sloth.
I have but one goal.
While training, Overruling and struggling, I understood it clearly.
The territory increases. The magic I wear increases. My Pride Tree advances.
As if mowing down grassroots, a simple task.
Demons of course, as well as Heavenly Assassins, and occasionally foolish
warriors who come from the outside world to subjugate a Demon Lord.
Everything yielded to me. To my power. And my master’s power.
My basic abilities were high from the start.
There’s no way that one made by the Lord of Sloth, who’s basically just a lump of
power, could be weak.
And I repeatedly trained.
I forged my own power. Physical power, magic, wisdom, leadership. To eliminate
the million to one chance of me tasting defeat because of some foolish reason.
That was my first goal, and the primary factor that increased my power with
Pride at the base.
Other Lords’ desires are fragile when compared to my lord’s Sloth.
Like a flying arrow, time passed.
Eventually, a castle was made.
Around the house too small to be called a house my Master lived in, ramparts
extended for miles.
The tower built in the center pierced even the heavens.
Named the Castle of Shadows, the Lord of Sloth’s bedroom boasted an
overwhelming width and majesty that surpassed the castles of any kind of
Demon Lord.
My Master’s castle. I’m not satisfied. If he’s the man who will stand over me
even if it be temporarily, a castle of this extent isn’t enough.
Demons gathered.
The Demons that yielded, the Demons I forced to yield.
I led the useless rabble, and put an army in order. Supreme soldiers that would
surpass any Demon Lord’s armies.
As time passed, they came to be famous.
Leigie of Sloth’s Strongest Legion.
Even if I didn’t force them to submit personally, foolish Demons who lowered
their own heads at us gathered.
Their numbers increased, and the army grew. First Brigade, Second Brigade,
Third Brigade.
But no matter what Demon came in, none of them could even reach my feet.
Weak. Much too weak.
Even without me 『Overruling』 them, they had Overruled themselves, and they
were all too weak to amount to an enemy of me.
Unlosing and absolute.
I have no losses, and as such, my master has never faced defeat either.
The more I defeated, the higher I rose, the more the years passed, the stronger
my power became.
A Pride Demon’s strength is proportional to their battle experience.
Strength is the proof of having overcome. To those you’ve defeated once,
you’ll never lose again.
The more you learn, the more you understand, the more distant defeat seems.
The more the years go by, the further defeat becomes. No matter how much
desire they pile up, I haven’t fallen low enough to lose to any young Demon. I
accumulate absolute confidence in myself.
… But at the same time, that means I’m granting time to the Lord of Sloth.
Eventually, the Great Demon King came, seeking our surrender.
Unlike the definite gap between Demon and Demon Lord, the Great Demon King
is simply the title given to the Demon Lord in possession of the greatest territory.
But the fact that they lead such great forces within this Demon World means
they have desires to that great of an extent.
I met him. My Lord did not have to go out.
The Sin this King governed was Pride. A Demon like me with Overruling as his
foundation. And at the same time, his goal was subjugating the Demon World.
Putting the warring Demon World in order, and leading it, he would take in the
world above, and even the Heavens. A man with large ambition unbefitting his
level of power.
After seeing him with my own eyes, I concluded. He wasn’t anything special.
At the point I met him, I 『Overruled』 that King. Meaning he was no match for
Leigie of Sloth.
It seems it’s been a long time since he first came to be, but the King was foolish,
and he didn’t even reach my level. In the end, he was just a Demon Lord that was
slightly competent.
If I make him yield, will my Master’s position rise?
It was a useless notion. For a Demon Lord of this level, there’s not even any
worth in annihilating him.
As A Demon Lord of Pride, if I make him submit, his power level will fall. There’s
not even any use in taking him into the army…
My Master’s depraved state simply continued to deepen.
His authority doesn’t grow in the slightest, but his power alone continued to
grow, and that form was truly befitting a Lord of all Demons.
I ask him Questions.
 He always returns the usual response.
No matter how many years pass, it never changes from those two words.
The Great Demon King requested a meeting with my Master.
And after they met, he lost his power, and the Demon King seat shifted.
It was too great of a gap between him and a fellow Demon Lord. The will of the
transcendent being that merely laid around like a rock was incomprehensible to
those around him.
The Great Demon King changed. It changed time and again.
In the end, the Demon World never showed signs of unification.
Demon Lords are born, and Demon Lords die.
The names of famous Heroes change, as they continually try and invade the
Demon World.
A large-scale invasion was launched by Heaven. A Large majority of the Demons
died out.
… But the Castle of Shadows continued to sleep.
My Master continues to live in his slumber. Never moving, and with that, his
power continued to grow. To a height no Demon or Demon Lord would ever
reach.
At the same time, the one born from him, my power continues to rise. Without
me being able to fulfill the long-cherished desire of my Pride.
The Lord of Sloth who can’t be scratched at all.
The Doll born from his skill is peerless.
Over months and years, the dolls he made to kill time scattered across the
entire Demon World. Without knowing their master’s name, those Dolls simply
moved across foreign batttlefields.
Leigie the Depraved eventually came to be known as Leigie of the
『Slaughterdolls』.
By the merits of the original body.
A clan of Demons in service to my Master sprung up. I can’t comprehend
them. But let it be so.
For my master, having a clan like that isn’t bad. No, it’s natural for there to be
one.
Inspectors from the Black Order start to be dispatched.
Let it be so. Observe my Master however you like. In the end, people with your
lowly level of power won’t be able to scratch Leigie the Depraved.
Subordinates die. They die one after another, and our personnel continues to
shift.
By a small bit of negligence, the man that was my right hand died. A foolish one.
There can be no negligence on the battlefield.
Even without old age, there are many casualties among Demons with the natural
instinct for battle.
Demon Lords famed for their strength are done in by other Demon Lords, and
the weak climb up the ranks to Lordship.
All that prospers must decay.
Enemies and allies, one after another, faces continue to change. Information
about various Demons and Lords flood the library, and a second, and a third
library are built.
A majority of them are ones I Overruled long ago, unnecessary documents.
Once a year, the symbol carved on the wall fills the room, and covers the
hallways.
I taste the feeling of being a rock.
All that doesn’t change is my Master’s existence, and the Demon World’s pale
blue moon.
Even still, I’m no match. I can’t see the end.
I selected Demons of Sloth, and launched attacks.
Most of them were normal Demons. They were nothing to talk about. They
didn’t use any skills worth noting.
No matter how many decades, centuries, millennia pass, another Demon Lord
of Sloth doesn’t rise.
Are they resting somewhere under the earth somewhere like Leigie the Depraved
was?
Or could it be that Sloth Demons are simply not reaching Demon Lord status?
That is left unknown.
Heaps of bodies, streams of blood.
It’s become troublesome to even count the number of Demon Corpses that have
piled up, but the impact I felt when I first saw Leigie of Sloth never dulls, no
matter how much of an eternity goes by.
Inferiority. That is a 『Superbia』 Demon’s greatest enemy.
Even more months pass.
Information gathers. I polish myself. I repel enemy seeds.
By the time I realized it, there was plenty of prey out there, but no one to be my
enemy.
As long as there’s no one for me to Overrule, Pride’s power won’t grow. Pride
without its foundations is close to worthless.
I had reached the peak. I master my skills, draw my body to the limit, and hone
my magic, but my Pride Tree stops one step before reaching Demon Lord Level.
My final and greatest wall. The wall known as Leigie.
… But that ends today.
Medea’s disposal did not even pose a warmup, let alone a rehearsal.
In the end, she’s just an Invidia, capable of nothing but imitating others.
Trying to imitate my Master’s skill was pure stupidity. For a Sloth Skill with low
offensive power, it barely has any power once a Greed or Envy Demon takes and
uses it.
I sigh. My soul and my gear have been raised to top class. Even the hazy combat
experience from the corners of my mind have surely accumulated in a place I
don’t know about.
I open the door.
Because it was frequently burned up by that lass Kanon’s subordinate, the often
changing room had been renewed. It gave off a faint lewd smell.
While I knew this beforehand, while he should have sensed my presence
already, Father doesn’t raise a single word, or stir a single inch.
He slept still as if he were dead.
You sure have fallen… Leigie the Depraved.
 You used a skill just to help a single lowly maid.
On top of personally going to battle, you got a scratch from the likes of Zebul.
Moreover, you left yourself to be defiled.
Your recent acts have been much too wretched for my Master.
… No, perhaps it’s about time for you.
It really has been a long time. A stupidly long one.
And Father is supposed to have experienced an even longer time alive. Even if I
pile up all my experience, I cannot predict them.
Right now, how many are there out there who know the same Demon World as
you?
The magic I feel from his body is immense.
Even if you grouped together all the average Demon Lords, they won’t be a
match. But I had a definite understanding.
… Leigie the Depraved is weakening.
A rare sight in the thousands, tens of thousands of years I’ve spent with him.
He went against the 『Acedia』 he governes.
All of it is… as expected.
The more time a 『Sloth』 spends in sloth, the more powerful they get.
Contrarily, the more they decide to move of their own volition, the more their
power will drop.
I stand by the bed. On my master’s face, with his eyes closed as if he were
dead, I see nothing besides nihility.
I take up his limp hand. In his bony fingers in which I can’t even feel the T of
Training, his white transparent corpse-like skin had light blue blood vessels
running across.
“Father… it’s been many years, hasn’t it.”
“…”
Leigie doesn’t give a response. But I can tell.
Father isn’t sleeping right now. To the Lord of Sloth, whether he be awake or
asleep, everything is but an ephemeral dream.
As such, I continued on.
It really was our first conversation in a long time.
You’ve fallen, in a way appropriate for me to call a disappointment. Leigie-
sama likely has no interest in the reason, though.
In the first place, this was something inevitable since the moment I was born
here, long, long ago.
Father is a sharp man. While he governs Sloth, he also has parts in him aside
from it.
That is the clear difference between him and other Sloth Demons, and that’s
likely the main reason Leigie of Sloth was able to live perpetually.
I have much that I want to say, but I don’t need words.
Of how I increased his followers, and made them the greatest power in the
Great Demon Lord’s army.
Of how he foiled countless assassinations from Heaven, and had those assassins
fall to Demonhood.
Of how, while still sleeping, he repelled a raid launched by a dozen Human
Heroes.
Of how the former Great Demon King’s daughter, that little girl who didn’t even
harbor any desires, Kanon, rose up to be the Great Demon King.
Of how I amassed tens of thousands of deaths, and being separated from the
flow of time.
Of how not a single Demon Lord from when I was created still remain.
Of how friends, companions, enemies died, new ones were born, only to die as
well.
With no emotion, and ignorant to the passing of time, father was a perfect
Depraved King by nature.
And having been born from the Supreme Demon Lord, I can be nothing but the
strongest Demon Lord myself.
Next to father, I get down on one knee, and lower my head.
This is resolve. Today, I will become a Demon Lord, and never taste defeat for the
rest of my life. No, even if I am to be defeated…
… The kneeling is unnecessary.
 But this is the only compensation I can give father as the Prideful Kaiser, Heard
Lauder.
“You’ve done enough. Let me bring an end to it. While this may sound
arrogant, I will see to your end personally.”
“… I see.”
… So at least stay Supreme until you fall, Leigie the Depraved.

Part 3: How Appropriate for the Curtain Call

Sloth Skills boast powers that cover a large amount of ground.
(TL: As in usability, not distance)
But at the same time, it’s also said that it’s extremely difficult to acquire the sin.
In the first place, as long as they can fulfill their Sin without fighting, the skills
they acquire are barely ever fit for battle.
I fill up my body with power. The fact that Leigie had easily destroyed the
Gluttony King only served to raise my power higher.
The legs supporting the large, canopied bed break.
The moment the bed swayed from its lost balance, I let out a rending cry as I
thrust forward.
My fist hits Leigie’s head oh so easily. The cracking sound of something breaking
rings out.
The impact blows away the pillars supporting the canopy, and Leigie’s body is
sent flying like a scrap of paper.
A thunderous sound.
The entire building shakes greatly. As if the Castle of Shadows was crying out.
The extra strength anti-Lize barrier is broken easily, and even the wall itself is
destroyed. What’s more, it isn’t just one or two walls.
In the opened hole, I see unobstructed darkness. Around Leigie’s room, there are
no other personal rooms.
I fiddle with the remains of the bed with my feet.
My condition is perfect. There is nothing obstructing me from fulfilling my Pride.
The power swelling all over my body is the compilation of all of my own research,
as well as the accumulated history I spent with my Master.
I take a deep breath, and exhale it.
I cannot give Sloth time.
I kicked the floor. My speed instantly reached its climax.
Speed faster than anyone.
Strength stronger than anyone.
… In order to fly higher than anyone.
Such is Superbia’s Original Sin.
Weapons are unnecessary. My body itself is perfection.
Images stream through my vision at the speed of sound.
It didn’t even take a second for me to reach Leigie who was sprawled out on the
floor a ways away.
With my momentum, I kick his head. There’s no resistance. He dodged. No, he
disappeared.
The Teleportation Skill possessed by Sloth. A skill that lets him transfer himself
anywhere within his own territory.
His presence is behind me. Before I even sensed it, my body moved.
It was a high kick carrying forward all my momentum. The tip of my foot collides
with Leigie’s head.
I understand. My thoughts understand. How many years, millennium,
megaannum. As a result of my service to him, reading the incomprehensible Lazy
King’s movements have become possible to me.
The unreadable theory behind his actions was only known to me.
My physical strength broke the ceiling, and a large hole was opened. Blocks as
big as my head start to come down.
My body becomes heavy. It’s a skill to convert a Demon’s Longings to weight,
and bind them. A Skill of Sloth.
I already know it. I activate 『Overrule』, and break through it without a problem.
What’s frightening is his tenacity, his vitality.
I should have delivered enough damage that it wasn’t strange if a normal Demon
Lord was killed, but the VIT that let him activate a skill without issue is the
characteristic of Sloth.
Then I just have to hit him with an even greater power head-on.
“… It hurts…”
A slow voice leaks out of the hole that was opened.
I concentrate my power.
Getting into a long range battle with him is foolish. I pierce the ground with my
feet, and concentrate power on my core.
“Here I come.”
With my leap, the barrier breaks, and the floor caves in beneath me.
I load my body with explosive power, and jump through the hole in the ceiling.
What enters my eyes is the form of Leigie buried in a mountain of rubble. He
oozes tears, as he holds his head. His injuries have already healed.
Seeing me almost instantly close the distance between us, he directs a surprised
expression. As always, killing intent, blood thirst, or anything that could be called
fighting spirit is completely absent in him.
“HaaAAAAAAAH!”
“Ku…
Yell. Roar.
Using all the power in my body, I send out a strike.
Leigie’s expression warped for the first time. At the same time, an invisible wall
appeared around his body.
A Sloth Skill to erect a defense-raising barrier.
Useless. I already know of that one.
(TL Useless means Muda)
As my fist hits it, without offering any resistance, the barrier shatters like glass.
As long as I’ve Overruled it before, utilizing a barrier is the height of folly.
My heart circulates heat around my body.
Before my fist could touch Leigie’s chin, his figure vanished.
What a troublesome Skill. But a moving Sloth is a contradiction.
His use of that is one of the factors leading to his diminishing Sloth.
“… Did I do something to you?”
There’s no need to ask. There’s no way our conversations will mesh.
I swung my hand upwards at the voice that came from my side.
Leigie used his arm to guard against it.
I hear his bones grate.
Among Sloth Skills, there’s one to completely shut down their already-slow
reaction to pain. Leigie’s expression doesn’t seem to look pained anymore.
And even if I do injure him, with Leigie-sama’s vitality, he’ll heal it in an instant.
“Father, please rest already.”
“… Yeah.”
With eyes that conveyed, ‘What the hell is this guy saying,’ he nodded.
He isn’t listening. We cannot communicate.
With this unstable footing, kicking would be difficult. On my clenched fists, I used
a body strengthening Skill before throwing it out.
Leigie prepared his arms to take it.
There is no battle theory behind Leigie of Sloth. His attack techniques are
laughably simple.
It is… suppression by pure power
A power strong enough to rip apart a normal Demon Lord… a mass of Soul.
In it, ordinary technique held no meaning, and he has no thoughts to utilize such
technique.
With every blow, Leigie’s arms let out ominous sounds.
I’m pushing him back.
But there isn’t any anguish on his face, and while I may be able to make him
use up power with blows of this level, it isn’t enough to deal a decisive blow.
He’s too hard. But I knew that from the beginning.
The fact that I was pushing back the Lord of Sloth served to strengthen my
『Overrule』 even further. Power flows up from the depths of my body.
And finally, my kick breaks his guard, and Leigie is sent flying through the last
layer of ceiling.
A blood-red sky, and the black structure of the Castle of Shadows… the fortress
expanded as far as my vision would permit.
Once per day, I take it to look over it from on top of the tower. We’re not as high
up as the tower, but the sight from up here isn’t something to be made fun of.
I’ve always felt a sense of resignation at the fact that this spectacle would
crumble one day.
The soldiers keeping watch hurriedly came running to me at having the ceiling
be penetrated.
“W-what happened, Heard-sama?”
“There is no need for the likes of you to mind it. Return to your post.”
“Y-yes. Understood sir!”
It’s all a trivial talk.
I leisurely look over the fortress, as I advance towards the falling Leigie.
“Father, don’t you think it’s beautiful?”
“… Yeah.”
Without even taking a glance at his surroundings, the motives behind his
answers are something I’ll never understand.
So this is just self-satisfaction.
His suspicious eyes, his black, impure pupils look up at me.
Emotionless eyes. The eyes of a dead fish.
I harden the palm of my hand to create a blade shape with it.
(TL: He’s doing tegatana, , a position usually used to chop. In this instance, he’s
using it to pierce)
“Next, I’ll be cutting.”
“… I give up.”
“……”
All of this is something I’ve seen too many times.
That conduct, fooled by his sloppy gesture, dozens of Demon Lords have fallen.
 But for me, I, his son, am the only one who understands. This man actually
pulls through when the time calls for it.
He needs no fighting spirit or killing intent. Just so that he can slack off further,
Leigie uses his power.
Therefore, he hasn’t fled yet. Even though he could have jumped far away with
his teleportation by now.
… It’s because he thinks running from me here holds no meaning.
Let it be so.
Thus is what signifies him as the Lord of Sloth
He doesn’t want to fight, but I’m a pain, so he’ll try and crush me.
His impure motives that paint out the Fighting Spirit of most Demons is the proof
of his desire.
The contrast between him and what most would think of Sloth is what has made
many Demons, Demon Lords fall. I always observed that aspect of him in great
detail.
Even now, Leigie’s power is gradually declining. He’s accumulated enormous
reserves, so it’s hard to notice, but while his power may seem close to infinite, it
is infinite by no means.
If I retreated here, and challenged him again once my condition was perfect once
more, I’ll bet I would be able to gain an even greater advantage.
But that choice is impossible. Leaving to gain an advantage?
Why must I draw back for a petty reason like that!?
“… Hm, you have no need to offer me that treatment. There’s no way I would
ever lose regardless.”
“… Yeah, you’re the strongest.”
The flaming sun of the Demon World shined on us with its blood red light.
It was a sight that had been there from the moment I was created, and at the
same time, it’s a scene Leigie has looked upon for long before that.
Leigie speaks with a troubled voice.
At the same time, masses of power are lowered on me from the sky.
 『Sky Right Hand』 and 『Sky Left Hand』.
A telekinetic power that works in tandem with his arms. It’s a worthless skill
used to pick up items without having to move, but its explosive power are a
threat as they try to crush me.
But the mass of power dispersed. I 『Overruled』 that skill in a time long passed.
My preparations are perfect.
Leigie makes an obvious frown.
“… This is a pain.”
“… Hm, I think you just take life too easily, Father.”
It’s likely that in his endlessly long life, this is one of the first times he’s had one
of his Skills nullified.
I’m the opposite. Because 『Superbia』 is a nature of pride, I already know most
skills. The opponents I fight often try to make countermeasures for me, but I was
able to crush them all head-on.
Father has merely lived life without aim. Just how useless of a truth.
In just a step, I made contact with him. I stomp on his head. There is
resistance. There is, but he hasn’t been crushed.
I stick my hand into his shoulder.
It’s a dull feeling, as If I was cutting through metal. The level of hardness caused
my palm to be the one creaking this time.
A wet and cold sensation. Leigie looked up at me with meaningless eyes, and
looking at his shoulder, he raised a short scream.
It’s working. I’m able to pierce his defense.
I remove my hand from the hole in the shoulder, and shake off the blood on my
hand before starting a series of consecutive attacks.
Leigie disappears. But my soul hardened through battle made me perceive his
next location instantly.
Ten meters behind. That’s a distance I can span almost instantaneously.
As I turn around, I lunge with my hand blade.
It pierces through Leigie’s prepared arms, and fresh blood flies.
Slow. Way too slow.
He can probably follow me with his eyes. But his body that he rarely moves is
unable to dodge.
As long as he doesn’t use that teleportation with high energy expenditure.
I nullify the 『Sky Hand』 he sends straight at me.
To still try and use it after coming to this point, does he really have no other
offensive skills?
That seems right. A Demon’s Skills have rules. It’s impossible to specialize in both
offense and defense at the same time.
And Sloth skills are made to spend time in Sloth. They’re mostly passives, and
few can be actively called upon.
Even without a sense of pain, thinking it was bad to take attacks consecutively,
Leigie disappears again.
I perceive. A massive power moved to the top of the tower.
On top of the tallest building within the Castle of Shadows.
Sprawled out on top of the conical roof, the eyes of Leigie as he looks down on
me are sleepy, meaning he wasn’t leaving a break in his defenses.
The distance is a few hundred meters. But to me, that distance is close to Zero.
The second I was about to jump at him, a strange breaking sound resounded
through the fortress.
A brown object stands up.
Much less an expression, its brown head doesn’t even have eyes, nose or
mouth.
Its long and narrow body, as well as its long limbs were all made of dirt-like
material, and by barely glancing over its body, it’s easy to see it was made to
resemble human form.
No matter how vast the Demon World may be, I doubt there exists a Demon
with this shape.
A Skill to produce a Doll that grows.
The skill that constitutes the reason Leigie’s title is Slaughterdolls.
『Slaughter Doll』.
I remember myself when I had just been born, and frown.
 “… Hm, useless.”
There’s no way a freshly born Doll made by a hard-pressed Leigie would be a
match for me.
Even if…
I look over the army of dolls being constructed around me without any
emotions or sense of pain.
… their numbers surpass a hundred.
I bring my hand down on the closest Doll, and split it in two.
There was some resistance, but I don’t even need to dodge against things of this
level.
I confirm the brown substance left on my hand.
“… Dirt… no, a Doll with sand as the base…”
He probably used the traces of sand that had built up on top of the fortress as
the base to create them.
Truly, to be able to birth this much at once is a threat.
But for him to use up his own power for such a useless skill was an option I
thought he wouldn’t choose.
Even is this skill was all he had left.
I look up at Father standing high in the heavens.
“… Father, is this supposed to be your final struggle…?”
Having been born first, there’s no way I’ll lose.
If you add on 『Superbia』’s characteristics, then more so.
The clay dolls rushing at me are definitely fast, and their power isn’t weak.
But that’s it. Without any desire, and no experience.
But still, crushing this amount will be a pain.
I close my eyes, and activate a skill.
『Hard Pressure』
A higher class Pride Skill.
It’s a worthless skill to force others to kneel. But it’s a useful one for thinning out
the weak.
Unable to stand the pressure, the limitless Dolls fell to the ground.
I step on the nearest Doll’s head, and crush it.
How useless. Or is it that he thought those numbers would be able to defeat me?
“… I’ll be up in a moment, Father.”
I put power into my legs. I circulate my magic. I deliver a strong kick to the
stone pavement.
Mighty physical prowess. The pitiful clay dolls prostrated on the ground and
everything else on earth is left behind me, and my field of vision instantly
ascended.
… In the distant past, I’ve made it so I could fly anywhere.
Even if Father doesn’t lend me a hand.
I grab onto the tower’s pointed tip, to kill my momentum and stuck my feet
into the roof tiles.
The sprawled out Leigie comes at me with quick movements I’ve never seen
before. But even that is too slow.
By that time, my hand had already pierced father’s left breast… a Demon’s heart,
the place where his Soul Core lay.
Leigie’s eyes distort in shock, as he looks at his chest.
“Good night, Father. Please leave the rest to me.”
“… Yeah…”
My hand has definitely crushed his heart.
His Abyss Zone fades.
When I removed my hand, the Lord of Depravity leisurely fell to the ground.
And like dried leaves, he began to fall down to the bottom of the tower.
I Overruled him. But I don’t feel the slightest sense of achievement.
Having fulfilled the final piece of my 『Pride』, my instincts told me I had finally
reached Demon Lord Level.
At the very least, for now, let me offer a prayer to the Great Lazy King.
Thus, I will rule over everything, and offer it up to my late Master.
 There is nothing more appropriate for the curtain call.

Part 4: … How Useless

In this world, everything is nothing but a trifle.
That little girl Kanon becoming the Great Demon King must be the end of the
world, and with her trying to suppress not only the Heavens, but even the
Demon World, this situation really is the worst.
For me, who even took down my Supreme Master, they’re no enemies of me. It’s
obvious.
If it’s now, then even God can fall by my hand.
I clench the palm of my hand. My power has increased.
My Pride Tree which had stagnated because I was unable to become a Demon
Lord suddenly experienced frightening growth.
Enlarging perception. The new Skill I obtained, 『Abyss Zone』 instantly spread
to cover the Castle of Shadows that had lost its master.
Differing from the Acedia Father released, a Superbia power that seemed to
push down on people from above.
But in it, I didn’t feel exaltation or anything. Not even a feeling of achievement.
Even though there should be nothing standing above me anymore.
“… Hm, everything is useless, I see.”
Not a single enemy for me exists within this Demon World.
Even the one selected as the most powerful Demon Lord, Kanon of Ruin… for me
that’s known her since her childhood, I doubt she can rival me. For my Pride, it
was an overwhelming predominance.
The Demons I pass look at me, and kneel as they lower their heads.
What useless folk. Without even proceeding their desires, they’re fools who
content themselves in naught but what is given to them by others.
After fulfilling my pride, I only had one place to aim for.
I wandered to the Lord’s Throne Room. The throne that no one had ever sat in
before stood there silently.
Metal that was exceedingly rare, even in the Demon World was skillfully worked
on by artisans for many months and years to construct the jet-black throne.
I’ll bet it’s cleaned regularly. In that space without a speck of dust, as if it were
sleeping just like father, the air was filled with a quiet and tranquil atmosphere.
Without faltering, I lowered myself into the seat that had never been sat on
once. The throne was merely hard, and cold.
I have no suitable enemies in this Demon World. I also don’t have the incentive
to go bully that little girl Kanon.
I put my elbow on the armrest, and thought.
“If there’s nothing for me in the Demon World… then should I go invade
Heaven…”
I recall the small, hateful, pure-white wings of God’s vanguard.
By nature, those ones have a large superiority complex against Demons. I’ll
destroy them head-on. It’ll at least help kill some time.
And even in the heavens, it will resound in every direction.
My name. And the name of the Great King of Depravity.
The door is violently thrown open.
The one who entered was a crimson-haired Demon by the name of Lize
Bloodcross. At the same time, like Kanon once was, she’s the woman who was
Father’s inspector.
Her fiery glare that was like a raging fire incarnate, and her looks were that of an
angry soul.
She’s a foolish female Demon who, of all things, asked a Superbia like me to
preserve the lives of Deije and Medea, who had failed their mission.
“…! Heard Lauder. What is the meaning…”
“… Hm, Father has perished.”
“Perished!? Leigie of Sloth!? Just what could possibly…”
She’s a woman who says useless things.
There’s no way father could be taken down by an existence apart from mine.
“I killed him. Go tell that little girl Kanon. Leigie-sama’s authority… will be
succeeded by me.”
I use Evil Eyes.
Lize’s body goes rigid.
I see, so this is 『Evil Eye』. This is the first I’m using it, but what a useless Skill.
Subjugating an opposing force holds meaning only if it is by one’s hand alone.
“You are… a Demon Lord!? Gu… Heard Lauder. Could it be that by killing your
Lord…”
Killing one’s master. That is Superbia’s long-lived desire.
Pride become pride by overruling everything superior to them.
“You’re a slow woman, aren’t you. That’s what I just told you. There won’t be
a second time. Go tell Kanon. Don’t bring trouble to my hand.”
“… Why did Leigie-sama… to the likes of you…”
What an obstinate woman.
I stand, and use a Skill.
The Skills I obtained upon reaching Lord Class will definitely come into use in the
upcoming war. There is nothing to be lost in training them.
My thoughts accelerate. The world stops for a moment.
My body is light.
In a single step, I approach her, grab her by the neck, and lift her.
It wasn’t until her neck was strangled that Lize showed surprise for the first time.
“Gu… wha… go…”
“I told you there wasn’t a second time… Hm, to be lead inspector at this level,
their quality sure has dropped over the years.”
Frail. Way too frail. Compared to Leigie-sama, just how frail is this world?
If I just put in a little power, it feels everything will break.
Lize’s face is tinted purple. Her Flames of Wrath lick my arms, but for me who’s
even Overruled Kanon’s flames, there’s no way it would work.
…Hm, useless. There’s not even any worth in killing her.
With one hand, I throw her at the wall. I did make sure to hold back. I doubt
she’ll die from that.
You still have the crucial job of reporting my words to Kanon.
Everything is moving slowly.
This is one of the Skills of a Demon Lord of Pride.
『The Only Lord』
It greatly elevates one’s speed of perception, to make the world your own.
It’s the furthest land of pride that holds meaning only since I’ve trained my body
to this level.
Me sitting back on the throne, and Lize hitting the wall happened almost
simultaneously.
The room shakes greatly, and pebbles fall from up high.
The Castle of Shadows is, in itself, father’s mausoleum.
I’ll have to fix it up and renovate it. In place of a fortress, a splendid palace.
I’ll also have to reorganize the army.
Neither Medea nor Deije are here anymore.
Naturally, there’s also the option of me venturing forth alone.
The reason three brigades existed was largely because father never went out
himself.
“… The world is in my hands, is it?”
Just how much value does the world hold?
If I get my hands on all of it, will I understand that? Just what was the Superbia
Great Demon King of old thinking of when he tried to get his hands on it?
It sounds to me like a completely worthless notion, but so be it.
Dominate the entire world, and making my name known across it doesn’t sound
bad as a temporary goal.
“… Heard-sama…”
“Enter.”
A reserved knock came from the door. I already recognize this existence. A
demon Lord’s perception is far wider than a normal Demon’s. But even if I
weren’t a Demon Lord, I probably would have noticed.
That’s just how excited that presence was.
The one who entered with a slightly stiff face was Hiero.
A Demon of Pride. The younger sister of Lorna of Lust, and a woman who
pursues pride with a path different to mine.
Perhaps because the door was opened, or because a hole had been made in the
wall, a cold air drifts in.
“… You crushed Leigie-sama, didn’t you.”
“Yeah, Leigie-sama was strong.”
“… Congratulations, your Demon Lord Excellency. I, Hiero will serve you with all
my might.”
“… Hm, cease with the useless babble. What business do you have with me?”
“Ye… yes!”
Her expression as she kneeled was pale, and there are tears surfacing in her
eyes. Even without looking at her, I can tell her arms and legs are shaking lightly.
Fear… is it?
What a useless Demon. Even if you hold reverence for the strong, if you remain
fearful, you’ll never be able to Overrule them.
That is the lone taboo among Pride.
“The truth is… well…”
“Make it short. You won’t get another chance.”
“… Medea escaped.”
“… I see.”
I glare at Hiero. What a useless woman.
To let an Envy Demon that had weakened to that extent escape, just how
incorrigible is she?
Disgrace. That is the most unforgivable deed to me. This doesn’t change even if
the other side’s a Pride Demon like me.
I stand before her.
I understand the true colors of the fear on her face.
I’ve seen it countless times in my long years of life… The eyes of prey as they look
upon their predator.
A smart woman.
She thinks much better than her sister.
And she is likely correct.
If she tried to run away for her failure, even if she fled to the greatest depths of
hell, I would chase her down and kill her.
Kill her with all certainty. Slay her gruesomely. Make her regret being born into
this world.
But since she reported it herself, I’ll bury her in a single blow.
“Let’s hear your final words.”
What returned from Hiero’s lips wasn’t a plea for life.
With a shaking voice, she looked up at me.
“… Please tell my just one thing. After overruling even Leigie-sama, what is
there left for you to do, Heard-sama.”
“… Hm, that’s obvious, is it not? I’ll…”
… Take the world in my hand, and have Leigie-sama’s name ring true through
it.
When I was about to say that, Hiero let out a light sneeze.
I knit my brow. Seeing my expression, she hurriedly makes an apology.
“I-I deeply apologize. It’s just that… it’s so cold…”
Hiero holds her arms, and not out of fear for me, shakes her body.
It definitely is cold. Before I noticed it, Frost had begun to set in on the floor.
The room’s temperature is already well below freezing point.
The hole in the wall is quite far, and until a little while ago, it shouldn’t have been
this cold.
This is a clearly abnormal situation.
“… Strange. What is happening?”
If I look back on my few million year of existence, I don’t think something like
this has happened before.
Unlike Hiero, as a Demon Lord, I have a Resistance to cold. This level poses no
problem.
But it’s unsettling that I don’t know the cause.
 Hiero sneezes once more, and offers another excuse.
“… T-today sure is cold, isn’t it…”
“… Don’t be stupid, there’s no way the temperature can drop this low in the
middle of the day.”
In the first place, even normal Demons should have enough Resistances to let
them pay no mind to fluctuations in temperature on the level of natural
phenomena.
I probe through everywhere within my Zone.
But searching with a Skill I was using for the first time didn’t really feel right in
my hands. The further I tried to look, the duller my senses became.
Abnormal Weather? It definitely is winter, but this is…
Lize finally gets up from the crushed wall. Her hair clings to her face due to the
blood flowing from it, but I can see a sharp glare coming from the gaps in it.
“Heard Lauder. I won’t accept it. To kill your lord…”
“… Hm. I never had the intention of getting you to accept it.”
The right to decide lies with Kanon alone.
And even if Kanon doesn’t accept me, then I just have to rule everything and all
will be settled.
Lize’s body is clad in crimson flame. The frost on the ground instantly
evaporates, and disappears into the air.
It’s a higher class Ira Skill.
『Breath of Flame』.
What useless power. For you, who hasn’t even become a Demon Lord, you
won’t even be able to scratch me.
That’s the simple gap in our magic. Unless the difference is great enough, you
cannot overturn an Overrule.
Our eyes clash. Compared to Kanon, just how thin is her Wrath. Diminutive.
Your Wrath is lacking greatly in something called weight.
Onto the Raging Lize’s side, Hiero shook as she walked.
Based on her positioning, I thought she was going to ask for help, but she just
began warming herself.
I look at her dumbfounded. Lize is the same. Hiero’s eyes are open wide, and
she squats.
“… What the hell are you doing?”
“…Uu… it’s cold…”
The form of her shaking as she held up the palms of her hand to the flame
could only be looked on as a joke, given the situation, but the individual was
quite desperate.
But even so… the temperature has fallen even lower than before.
Lize doesn’t matter anymore. I can kill her in an instant, and her attacks can’t
even be compared to a deteriorated Kanon. I can Overrule her.
But this cold is dangerous. That’s what my accumulated and sharpened
experience was telling me.
As she shakes, Hiero looks up at me.
“… Heard-sama, did you properly deliver a finishing blow to Leigie-sama?”
“I crushed his Soul Core. He’s perished without a doubt.”
Once their Soul Core heart is destroyed, a Demon cannot continue to exist.
“Then why is it so cold… it’s definitely related in some way…”
I understand what she’s trying to say.
Let it be so.
With this timing, it’s unthinkable that there’s no correlation.
But there should be no Sloth Skill to drop temperature. At the very least, I’ve
never bared witness to one in my many years of life. In the first place, a Demon’s
Desire can take shape in the Flames of Wrath, but there is no variant that
controls ice.
The moment I begun to frown, I sensed something unbelievable happen.
As if a pillar of ice had been inserted into my spine, a cold impact ran up my
body.
“… My 『Zone』 was broken, you say…”
 “… Kusu kusu, see~ it’s because you didn’t see Leigie-sama off ‘til the end…
achoo.”
“… You, I’m surprised you can laugh at a time like this…”
The atmosphere is repainted.
From a heavy pressurized air… to a frozen, dark and gloomy one.
It was definitely not the familiar 『Acedia』 of my father.
It’s not Greed or Lust or Wrath or Gluttony or Envy or even Pride.
Lize’s face distorts.
“Wh at… this presence is…”
“What Demon Lord is this… no, is it even a Demon Lord?”
The instant I perceived it, my legs arbitrarily began to race towards it.
My vision flows by with great speed.
I hold no interest in either Lize or Hiero.
There’s no way any interest would rise towards existences I could just kill off at
any time.
Silver curtains had been lowered on the Castle of Shadows.
White piled up snow, and large pillars of ice that even extended to the ceiling.
And… the suspended form of the retainers.
With pale expressions of fear, the hardened retainer’s body shook.
Cold… He’s been completely frozen.
“… Hm, this definitely isn’t natural.”
The magic lurking here is the same as what broke my Zone.
Sloth and Greed and Lust and Gluttony and Pride, and even Wrath that had
the corresponding flames to deal with it, everything had been frozen
indiscriminately.
The closer and closer I got to the mass of power, the lower the temperature fell.
On the way forward, I spotted a familiar Demon, and stopped for a moment.
Lorna had been frozen with a peaceful expression as she pushed a cart.
There was no fear on her face. Without being given the time to fear, she had
been frozen instantly.
 What frightening power.
This output rivals the flames of Ira.
This scope rivals the wave of Gula.
Interesting.
How suitable for my first opponent as a Demon Lord.
I’m starting to see the future my new power holds.
I can’t help but start to see it take shape.
Hiero already said it, but for an opponent to be able to use skills with this
output, if you ignore the possibility of an outside invader, there’s only one within
the Castle of Shadows.
No… there should only be one.
The door had been frozen shut with pale blue ice.
I forcefully ripped open the door to Father’s room.
It was as if all time in the room had stopped.
On the sight that entered my eyes, I felt my own heart become astir.
Everything was covered in frost, and the temperature pierced even through my
cold Resistance. Within that frozen land, a single man sat on an armchair with his
knees hugged close to his body.
It’s definitely my father, whose Soul Core should have been crushed. It’s so quiet
I cannot even tell whether he’s alive or dead.
… I try to take a step forward, and instinctively recall my leg.
I look down on my foot, and open my eyes wide.
“… What… is this…”
My leg had been completely frozen over.
I have no feeling in it. There’s not even any pain. As if it had been reduced to
inorganic substance, its smooth and shiny surface catches the light in a dubious
way.
I try putting the palm of my hand to it. It’s extremely hard, and cold. A dim pain
runs up my arm.
Resistance type skills generally grow the more you take damage from that
attribute. I did have a resistance to the flames of Wrath, but I only have a low
level one for ice.
If you ask why… of the skills permitted to Demons by the Seven Original Sins,
from the start, there were no ice attribute attacks.
I unintentionally sighed.
“Father… for you to be hiding a trump card this severe…”
It’s a power I never anticipated.
My sigh freezes in the air, and a faint sound rings out as it falls to the floor as
small beads of ice.
I take a step into the room. A silver world close to absolute zero. Without sound,
or dust or anything to exist to taint the pure air.
By the time my half-frozen feet had stepped forward, ice quickly began
encroaching all over my body.
It’s as I thought. The temperature in this room is on another level from that
outside. The area ahead’s sealed off with a barrier, it seems.
“… But there is nothing more suitable for the one that is Master.”
That’s right. I thought I had won all too easily. I thought that there was no way
that was all he had.
I mean, when it looked like it was over, there wasn’t a single wound on my body.
The encroaching ice stops.
As if I would be done in by something like a barrier.
My pride alone is the only thing I’ve taken with me into this dead world.
Every time I take a step ahead, a wave of power burns my skin.
Its outputs falls in no way short of Wrath. The zone doesn’t permit resistance,
and this frozen-over stagnant world can be none other than Father’s perfect
world.
A cruel world where neither my speed nor my power hold any meaning.
If I don’t exert all of my power, I would turn to ice in an instant. Just like the
Demons outside.
“… Well, well… how useless am I…”
 But breaking everything head on is my Superbia.
Plans are unnecessary before my Pride.
My memories resurface.
Always alone, the one who stood above me. My absolute creator.
No matter how much his actions and appearance were of Sloth, that all was
irrelevant.
The power of Sloth. Just having that was enough.
Ah, just how strong, how beautiful it is.
In the vast Demon World, and even the heavens, there cannot exist something
this complete, this beautiful.
And that’s exactly why I have meaning.
“… I will surpass this.”
I really know not when to give up.
I don’t know by what theory he still lives when his Soul Core was crushed, but
once more, I’ll sink you into the depths of Sheol.
I declare to my Master, whose head is lowered into the knees he hugged to
himself.
His unmoving arms, which were already white, have surpassed that, and they’ve
become transparent like ice.
White frost has descended on his hair as black as mine.
His form was so lifeless, I almost lost interest in attacking.
The distance is half a meter. If I extend my hand, I can reach him easily. But his
fleeting existence was one that felt as if it would break if I set my hand on it.
At that moment, father’s face slowly rose.
Like glass balls, his emotionless eyes looked at me without any meaning. The
glint in them had much more color than before, and his eyes were filled with
much more dark despair.
Even for one who had served him forever, it was the first time I saw that
expression.
And Father’s mouth that barely did any work opened ever-so-slightly, and
began to move.
 Of How Leigie is… ah, what a pain, Iyo

The Lazy King Chapter 8: Melancholia

Part 1: I Met a Single Hero
This is perhaps the oldest memory I have.
Of when I hadn’t even become a Demon Lord, and was just a bit of a Lazy
Demon.
I met a single Hero. She was a Hero with lovely silver hair, and her strength…
looking back now, I can say she wasn’t particularly strong. Anyways, she had
transparent courage like a diamond, and her eyes held a strong will honed like a
blade. Including my past life, she was the most beautiful thing I gazed upon.
Serge of the Silver Blue. That was the Hero’s name.
Just a little bit stronger than others, just a little bit talented, and incidentally, a
little bit courageous. The name of a girl with nothing but that to her name.
The name of a warrior, who, even though it was the most she could do to defeat
Demons of the lowest rank, she held reckless dreams, and descended into the
Demon World by her lonesome self.
Compared to Humans, the Demon World’s Demons are transcendentally
strong.
Therefore, a teenage girl challenging the Demon World was, without any
discussion, simply foolish, and it’s probable that her luck was exceedingly good
for me to have been the first one she met. I won’t move.
My fight with Serge was the height of violence.
Against me, who simply remained limp and sprawled out, the aloof Hero
continued to swing her Holy Sword alone.
Her will, and spirit were sufficient in themselves, but the difference in power
was clear as day. Those attacks were only barely able to scratch me, and those
wounds instantly disappeared. I didn’t have any Skills that could kill Serge, nor
did I have the will, and Serge’s power was only barely able to overcome my VIT.
It was a foolish repetition of the same act over and over again, a death match
that would never end. Perhaps it wasn’t something that could even be called a
battle. If I had to say, I had the advantage, but even with it, I lacked the means to
issue a decisive blow.
Even so, the girl who didn’t take a step back even after encountering a situation
that would go on for eternity’s way of life was definitely that of a Hero, and it
made me recall that this was indeed another world.
And at the same time, I thought. If I worked hard enough that I oozed blood, if
I trained my heart out, if I became strong, I could defeat this Hero.
That might be fine for me.
Demon Lords are ones who eventually have to subjugate Heroes. Even for one
who rarely played any games in my past life, I at least knew that. For the Demon
Lord, that was the Happy Ending. It’s not like I’m living here because I like it. It’s
just because I hate death that I continue to live on…
… But even that, if it’s for this Hero’s sake, I thought I could endure it.
Our reunion happened five years later. I had counted the days, so I remember
it clearly.
Serge had grown.
From a girl who, while strong for a human, compared to Demons, wasn’t
particularly strong; who couldn’t kill a single Demon of Sloth, and where the only
thing that excelled in her was her courage, to one who, could take on a General
Class Demon who was born, raised and trained in this great warring era one on
one. Top Class within all of humanity… their supreme blade.
In game terms, perhaps she was a broken character.
No, that would be an insult to her. I have no idea just how much training she
put in. Enough to make her spit up blood, where if a constantly enervated
individual like me were to undertake it, I would give in in a few minutes. There’s
no doubt she repeated a training like that. In those five years, how many
adventures has she had? For someone who did nothing but sleep like me, I had
no ways of knowing.
What I know is but two things. Two simple truths.
She had become a Hero who could evenly match blows with a General Class
Demon.
And I had become a Demon Lord.
This age, this world is cruel, fleeting, and useless.
The Demon World obeys the laws of the jungle. My Sloth had surpassed
Serge’s effort. That is all.
The fighting spirit Serge devoted her life to, the blade that was once able to
deliver the slightest of scratches to me, couldn’t even cut a strand of my hair by
the time we met again. An insurmountable gap had been born between us.
It’s not always certain that hard work will be rewarded.
That miserable and desolate law from my past life applied to this world as well.
This is something I can only say after having seen the result.
Even though Serge could barely scratch me in the first match, she didn’t feel
she had to retreat. That as long as she could injure me in the slightest, it was her
duty to kill me. That was her first, and last chance. And as she was a human, she
was unable to escape the shackles of her lifespan. She had lost that opportunity
for all eternity.
She shed tears as she held her sword aloft. That Hero’s eyes were, just as when
we first met, beautiful, and ephemeral, and looking at the edge of her blade that
sparkled like a shooting star, I became sleepy, and dozed off.
When I awoke, what entered my eyes was the form of a kneeling Hero with
large tears streaming down her face.
The Holy Sword had lost its light, and having been reduced to a normal hunk of
iron, it had been casually pierced into the ground.
There wasn’t a single wound on Serge. That’s obvious. It’s because I haven’t laid
a single finger on her. But the Hero who would always fight on, no matter what
serious injuries she suffered, even if an arm or a leg were blown off, had been
reduced to a sobbing little girl.
Not a fragment of fighting spirit remains in her hollow eyes.
 It was as if I had broken something within her.
From the moment I first met her, what I felt probably was love. Probably. I
don’t remember it anymore, but looking back, I think it might have been
something like that.
However, in the end, I cannot remember what became of that Hero. All I know is
that the exploits of the one called the overworld’s shining star of hope, Serge of
the Silver Blue came to an end that day.
… The King of Depravity.
It had always been strange.
It was always one of the questions I had from the time I reincarnated.
Why do the other demons have that fiery black glint in their souls? Why do
they rage and seek and despise and violate and eat and envy?
Why can’t they just quietly sleep?
If they want power as a Demon… just sleeping would be more than enough.
Why do they try so hard to be active?
A Demon’s body, if it does nothing but sleep, unlike the humans who can live a
hundred years at most, can live hundreds and thousands and millions of years.
An endless time, it seems.
I realized that that was a mistake a long time later.
An uncountable number of years passed. I put a countless number of Demons,
Heroes and even Angels to sleep, and eventually, someone started calling me
some useless name like the『King of Depravity』. When I had become widely
acknowledged, I finally realized it.
Ah, this is their nature.
To them, raging, and seeking, and despising, and violating, and envying is their
very reason for living, and the validation for their life.
What a useless talk. It’s not that they can’t sleep. They can’t bring themselves
to stay sleeping. In order to refine their souls.
To summarize, our resolve was different, and for the Demon Lord of Sloth who
simply lived without any meaning, it was likely something he would never be able
to understand in his entire overly-long life.
I was never thinking of anything. Power never really mattered. I never had any
plans to prove my existence.
From the time I lived in peaceful Japan, I barely had any desire. No hobbies. In
the space left by my lack of purpose, sleep was the only thing that could fill my
heart.
Apparently, this isn’t an uncommon story for youths living in modern society. If
they were to be reincarnated into this world, they might all end up as Sloth
Demons like me.
I never had a goal. If you forced me to say it, then Sloth itself was my goal, and
compared to the Demons who were longing for the power that lay at the end of
their desires, that is probably the reason I was able to become a Demon Lord
more quickly.
A Boring story.
A world where idleness turns into hard work.
To me, who did nothing but sleep… to me, who did nothing but sleep
meaninglessly, Demons and Humans and Angels got on their knees. Within them,
there were even other Demons of Sloth.
Depravity? Wrong. To me, this is just my life style.
I’m one who will do what I must when the time comes. It’s just that that time
never came for me.
Just by closing my eyes, I could gradually feel my own power increasing. I didn’t
care.
The skills I could use, the things I could do gradually increased. Proportionally,
the scope of my activities gradually narrowed. With the power of my Skills, I
didn’t need to eat or use the restroom. Even breathing became unnecessary. But
I didn’t care about that either.
… Please, just let me sleep.
A break of a week can put your sense of time in a mess. At the very least, that’s
how it was for me.
A week became a day, and I started to feel them as seconds. But I didn’t need
time. Only years started passing. The enemies and allies around me change.
 I wasn’t counting, but probably after around eighty years had passed.
When even sleeping started to feel like a pain, I noticed. No, perhaps it’s
something new I obtained at that time.
A power to put myself to sleep.
Just as the Sloth Skill Tree had awakened in me, like an adjoined tree of
interlocking branches, a single new Skill Line.
『Melancholia』
Of Sloth that governs cold despair, and anxiety, a Subtree.
And once more, the meaningless loser was able to lie around like garbage.
Where effort and training and even emotions held no meaning, a world covered
in pure darkness.
It was, like a thin layer of ice, cold, fleeting, and beautiful.

Part 2: I’m Not Satisfied With This World Yet

“It’s really… depressing.”
Making a small sound, the air loses its heat and freezes.
It’s cold. Nothing but cold. As if from the depths of my body, the depths of my
heart, heat was stolen away.
But at the same time, Sloth’s cold resistance isn’t one that can be breached by
temperature of this level.
It was a lovely silver world.
Everything was white and frozen solid, and the air that had lost any speck of dust
was as serene as a high mountain peak.
Before my eyes, a man had completely frozen.
A black-haired, tall man. Even from over his clothes, I could clearly see his trained
body and magic. In his eyes that had been suspended in an open state, what was
reflected was resignation and anxiety, and at the same time, strong delight. His
mouth had curved into a smile.
I extend my legs from the armchair, and gently stand up. From my feet, I feel a
piercing cold like never before, but I grit my teeth, and endure it.
My power of Sloth has declined. Sloth doesn’t even permit standing.
It’s not that I don’t stand up. I can’t stand. I can’t move. Such is the curse of
Sloth.
But to someone like me who doesn’t care about power, I don’t care about that
concept either.
Perhaps because the origin of my power has shifted to Melancholia, my heart
was simply heavy.
I gently put my hand on the man’s solid expression.
It’s a familiar face. He’s a man who’s attached himself to me since times long
passed. I don’t remember his name, but his appearance had been firmly etched
into my mind.
“… Are you satisfied yet…”
“…”
With a cracking sound, through my finger, the power from the right of my
chest, from the second Soul Core that manifested upon me unlocking
Melancholia expanded.
Around the man whose figure had been frozen, water circles, and he’s encased
in a block of ice.
It’s a 『Melancholia』 Skill to birth a coffin of ice.
『Freezing Grave』.
I walk past the man who had completely become a pillar of ice.
I guess it’s been around a hundred years since my birth, and never have I
properly fought or even trained.
Even so, why is it that in this world where strength is everything, I have yet to
face a single loss?
I like sleeping.
I like lying on top of the bed without any purpose, and wasting time on
nothingness.
Being able to eat without doing anything is wonderful, and I’m relatively pleased
that the cleaning gets done without me.
It was something I could never get my hands on back when I was living in Japan.
 Even so, I relatively like the thing called hard work. No, more than like, I
believed in it.
I’m not going to do it though.
Even so, I can believe in whatever I want, right?
“What a worthless world… this Demon World…”
More so than the Demon World, this entire world is worthless.
This world is harsh and cruel.
Earth had its fair share of cruelties, but this Demon World is much more brutal.
I just didn’t pay mind to it.
No, I didn’t forgive it.
That Serge, who repeated severe training and sharpened her fangs to take down
a Demon Lord was defeated by a man who never did anything.
My broken Sloth Soul Core leisurely restores itself. In proportion to that, my
head got heavier.
It’s depressing. It’s just depressing.
The cold darkness that had piled up in the depths of my heart.
That feeling I occasionally felt even while I was sleeping was probably the
reason behind me unlocking Melancholia. In the past, I always felt depressed
before stepping out to go to work or to school, so perhaps that could have been
the cause, but I have no means of confirming that, and I don’t care.
My vision grows darker.
I pass through the door that had been frozen open.
The floor that had been lightly dusted with frost was instantly covered in ice.
With a crunching sound below me, I ran down the corridor.
My perception that extended over my entire territory was extremely
troublesome, and no matter how much time passes, I’ll never get used to it.
Because of my muddy stream of emotions, I slumped with my arm against the
wall. Centered around the point I touched, a white power expands. Without a
single sound, everything is covered in perpetually constant ice.
In the past, when I first reincarnated into this world, there was one who taught
me about Skills.
If you’ll let me be honest for a moment, I didn’t know what they meant.
Of the powers Demons possessed, there were ones that, of Skills themselves,
they stole and copied and nullified and ate and annihilated, and other
incomprehensible stuff, it seems. There were unfathomable powers with which
in one hit, everything would be over. It was too much.
I thought it was impossible.
Nonsense. I don’t want to die yet.
And there shouldn’t be anyone out there that wants to. I mean, it’s not like the
world of hell is certain to be easier than the one we live in.
Those feelings were ones I held in my previous life, at least up to the point I died,
and even after having lived a long life as a Demon, they haven’t changed a bit.
And so, I didn’t lose. And so, I’m still alive. Without thinking anything, I took
down those incomprehensible powers.
Separated from the flow of time, I shut myself in with nothing but the Acedia
Card to protect my body, and the one that would indiscriminately suspend my
functioning and bring me into that dark world, the Melancholia Card.
I’ve only ever wished one thing from those two trump cards.
… Please, just let me sleep. In silence. In sloth.
“Wha… Leigie…sama? What… is…”
The one who appeared around the corner was the Ira Demon. Lize Bloodcross.
She’s probably the greatest anti-thesis to my being. An attribute that scatters
shining flames.
One incompatible with me, who likes to hide away in damp and dark places.
“Why… Leigie-sama is… walking…”
“There… are even times when I want to walk.”
Even like this, I generally commuted in the swaying train to work every day.
It’s stranger to… think I can’t stand. In the first place, it’s common sense that all
Demons have basic physical abilities surpassing humans, so when the human me
could walk, there’s no way the Demon me would be unable to.
Her body is cloaked in an armor of flame.
She’s using her mysterious Wrath Powers to stand against this freezing land.
I turn my gaze to the left. A golden-haired Demon who’s trying to stay hidden in
the shadows.
Step by step, I quietly move my legs forward.
We’re about thirty centimeters apart. In a trance-like state, Lize continued to
look at me.
“Wai… Lize-san! It’s danger…”
“Eh…?”
She’s thrust away, and my hand touches air.
But in her place, my hand brushes the gold-haired Demon’s hair.
“Why are… moving… it’s a fraud… kusu kus…”
In an instant, that girl’s time stopped.
With eyes that were about to burst into tears, and warped lips as if she was
forcing herself to laugh.
“… I see.”
Even me, based on how I feel… there are even times I think about going out for
a stroll.
Is that a fraud? Why a fraud?
Who out there decided that it’s no good for Demons of Sloth to move?
Lize hurriedly runs up to the frozen Demon.
“Hiero!? Leigie-sama w-why… to an ally…”
Why? For what reason? That’s simple.
“Because I want to sleep peacefully.”
“Hah!? Eh? You want… to sleep?”
“… Also, this… I can’t actually control it.”
“Eh? What an annoying…”
My outstretched hand grazed Lize’s shoulder.
Her flames go out in an instant, and like that, she ceases.
With an idiotic expression unthinkable for one who governed Wrath, she doesn’t
move anymore.
And even if it’s something I brought about myself, I feel endless sorrow and
emptiness. At the same time, I feel the Melancholy Tree advancing onwards.
Just how fleeting is this world…
Just how fragile is it…
Is that the very reason why the Melancholy Tree within me slowly continues to
advance?
An unsightly emotion. For me who lived in nothing but depravity, I should have
no right to despair for the world.
In some quiet place, I just want to be alone.
Within this fortress, there are no longer any Demons that can move. But even
the icy pillars of their existences are annoying.
Right… I’ll climb the tower.
The highest place in this castle.
In the past, someone once carried me to its top. Perhaps about ten years ago?
The uninterrupted sight of the black fortress expanding to a bright red horizon in
the distance.
If I were to look at it now, I’m certain I would experience a sentimental feeling.

Part 3: Something Good will Definitely Happen Tomorrow

For some reason, tears came out.
Before something that truly moves them, can people truly do nothing but let the
tears flow out?
Even those tears turn to ice the moment they touch my skin, and fall to the
ground in beads.
Clad over the black earth, a ridiculously large structure. Limitlessly sturdy,
boorish and glass smooth stones were stacked up to make the fortress, and even
for me who hasn’t the slightest familiarity with architecture, I can see it wasn’t
built in a matter of a few years.
Differing to what I had become accustom to on Earth, the Demon World’s pale
blue moon, and red sky were frighteningly captivating, and simply beautiful.
As if to clearly speak that this was a Fantasy World, and without any discussion, I
knew it spoke the truth.
The top of the tower was constructed so that from it, you could look out in all
directions.
The large four glass windows installed in a circle looked down upon the ground,
but for me, one window was more than enough.
“… Hah…”
Upon being exposed to my sigh, the window’s glass cracks without a sound.
The fortress without the presence of a single lifeform was cruelly quiet, and
cruelly empty.
White grains start falling from the sky.
Even if I didn’t reach out to catch one in my hand, I understood. There is no
snow in the Demon World.
So for me, it was my first snow in several decades.
Looking at it like this, I’m forced to remember.
“I want to get under a kotatsu…”
AS if in correspondence with my feelings, the glass froze over, and shattered
into even smaller pieces. The snow starts falling harder, and a snowstorm
overtakes the castle.
… It’s not like I’m wishing for any of this, you know.
Snow falls. The Sloth Core that should have been crushed into small pieces has
mostly recovered.
For someone like me who possesses Sloth Skills, something like the coldness of
snow isn’t enough to affect me. But perhaps the fact that a cold sensation
comes over me when I touch it is due to my memories from back on Earth.
The moment I thought that, the momentum of the snow increased further.
Gray and ominous clouds swirl in the sky, and a vast number of beads of ice
knock against the ground. From here, I can’t even see over the Fortress
anymore.
And that was sorrowful.
As I thought that, the clouds become heavier, and the gray completely turns to
black. As if a blackout had descended, the world was wrapped in darkness.
 … And of that, I simply felt extreme sorrow.
Piercing cold wind circles.
The Melancholia Tree… was the guy who created this world a complete idiot?
This is an infinite loop, isn’t it?
No matter how you look at it, this isn’t a desire, or a longing, or anything…
The power of Sloth starts to mix in with Melancholy.
Well, that’s yet another thing I don’t care about.
All things in creation are equally a pain, and all action holds no meaning.
Perhaps because it was the first time I had walked on my own feet in a while,
my legs felt heavy.
I sat down on the spot.
Drowsiness soon came over me. It was, continuing on from when I was a
human, my greatest companion.
My heart is heavy. My eyelids are heavy.
When I opened my mouth, a small voice leaked out.
“… I’m becoming quite sleepy…”
Returning to the bed is a pain. In the first place, a bed sealed in ice is nothing
but hard.
I lied down, and took a big yawn.
There is neither a trace of movement, nor a presence anywhere. For the time
being, I should be able to sleep at ease.
I folded my arms, and closed my eyes.
The black darkness I had become accustom to. If I may pray, then I hope that by
the time I open my eyes once more, peace and repose will have fallen onto the
Demon World.
AS those noble and pure intentions filled my chest, I heard a strange voice.
“… Without any interest for anything in creation, the Lord of Depravity who
merely lies at the top… is it? Leigie’s past redemption, is he not?”
“Yes. But… I wonder why it is that this man never turns Friendly Fire off…”
“It’s exactly because he is Sloth, Lize. I’ll… talk with Leigie for a little. You go
check the others. If you find anyone still sealed in ice, free them. With your Ira!”
“… Yes, understood.”
Of the two powers, the smaller one separated away.
But that doesn’t matter. What has captured my senses isn’t the large presence
before me, but the the countless number of ones appearing within the fortress.
Simply annoying presences.
What suddenly appeared before me as if it had abruptly come into being was
definitely one I had completely frozen.
At some point… no, that doesn’t matter either. It matters not when it
happened.
… Yeah, it’s nothing but depressing.
Why is it that whenever I try to sleep, everything tries to get in my way?
Everything should be in a distant hell, in the depths of a silent ice.
I forcefully open my heavy eyelids.
I was shocked. I slowly observed the surroundings.
… This can’t be…
“… It’s… morning…?”
When I closed my eyes, it was definitely night. At the very least, it wasn’t a
time of day where it could have become morning in the next few minutes. That
didn’t change from that world to this one. A shared system.
For night and day to flip instantly, someone able to accomplish such an absurd
act shouldn’t exist in this vast Demon World.
“… I see, so even before me, you can take on such an attitude…”
… Great Demon King, Kanon.
The strongest Demon Lord who governs Wrath and destruction.
With my memory space that falls a bit short when compared to humanity, it’s
one of the few names I remember.
I turned onto my back, and looked up at her shadow.
“Could it be… you…”
 “… Ku… you haven’t changed in the slightest, Leigie. Even when we’re meeting
for the first in a long time… Well, fine. So be it. Right, I was the one who liberated
the world you sealed.”
“… By turning night to day!? … when did you get that sort of…”
What a dreadful Skill…
While I’ll sleep regardless of whether it be night or day, if I had to say, I’m a night
person. It’s nothing but my natural enemy.
I cover my eyes with my arm to intercept the sun’s light.
“W-wait. What are you even talking about?”
With my arm not being enough to block it all, I rolled my body to the wall, and
closed my eyes again.
Now I can finally take a rest.
… No, if you think about it calmly, I’ve been doing just that for quite a while…
“No, it’s nothing…”
“Nonono, as if it could be nothing! Ku why is it that Leigie-niisama’s always like
this!”
The room temperature rises all at once.
It’s just a bit hot. To get as much shade as possible, I pressed my body to the
wall.
Kanon annoyingly lowered her staff onto the ground, letting out quite a nostalgic
sound.
“… And what business do you have… Kanon of Ruin?”
The first response that came to my question was the sound of the floor
breaking.
Just what is getting this girl so angry…
“What business… you say? Leigie, you… do you even understand what it is
you’ve done?”
“Nope.”
I’m Sloth. There’s no way I would do anything.
 “Ku… ah, fine. Fine. Leigie. That’s just the sort of man you are. Let me give you
a special explanation of just what it is you’ve perpetuated.”
“No, I’m not particularly interested.”
“Just shut up and listen!”
Countless fist-sized balls of fire impact my body. I don’t take any damage.
For some reason, I’ve been attacked by Demons of Wrath quite frequently, so of
the many resistances I have, my resistance to flame is the greatest.
“Listen, Leigie-niisama. You… You completely froze over the entire territory
you had been granted! … In perpetual ice that would never melt by natural
means.”
“… I see.”
My sadness, my despair is higher than mountains, wider than the sky, and
deeper than the oceans.
That’s all it means.
Well, for the time being, I’ll apologize.
“It wasn’t on purpose, please forgive me.”
“… Forgive!? How many years did you think it takes to thaw frozen soil?”
“…”
There’s no way I would know something like that.
Thinking about it was pointless, so I gave up, and rolled around. I have no pillow
to hold, so my arms are feeling exceedingly lonely.
Kanon’s staff pierced the cuff of my clothing. I kept rolling back and forth
regardless, so the edge of my shirt was ripped.
I blankly looked up at the Great Demon King.
Flaming crimson hair, and deep red eyes like pigeon’s blood. The King of
Destruction.
Seriously, just what did she come here for?
“Kanon.”
“… Be quiet. Talking to you drains my energy.”
 “… Were you my sister?”
“!? … Ah!”
Kanon’s face is dyed bright red. I feel Wrath from her.
I shouldn’t have any siblings. Now and in the past.
… No, could it be I’ve just forgotten them? Come to think of it, perhaps they
existed.
“L-Leigie… what you’re thinking right now is probably wrong.”
“… I see.”
Then why am I a niisama?
I closed my eyes, and started to think, but it became a pain, so I gave up. That
doesn’t really matter.
Call me whatever you like.
“Ahem.”
Kanon awkwardly clears her throat, and bends her hips to match my eyelevel.
“Leigie, I came to clean up after you. No, in the first place, I came because of a
report that Heard was going to dispose of your army’s generals, but… finding the
entire territory covered in ice was unexpected…”
It’s more unexpected to me that you personally came for such a trivial reason.
Is the Great Demon King really just bored? Please share your good fortune with
me.
“Why did you seal your territory, the Castle of Shadows, your people in ice?
Why did Leigie-niisama, who left everything to Heard Lauder, and never actively
moved perpetuate something like this at this point in time?”
“…”
Anything and everything doesn’t matter. Talking is a pain.
But if you force me to say it, what sealed them may have been me, but it wasn’t
me.
The only ones I actively froze were Lize, and that gold-head, and that single man
who’s served me since times long past.
 The rest of them… simply received the side-effects of Melancholia.
They were merely frozen by that. They couldn’t withstand the very fact that I
existed there.
I don’t care about the surroundings, but how sad of a truth it must be.
“Leigie-niisama, I’ve heard that Father was in your care in the past. Father’s
father as well, and even the father before that were in your care. I myself, when I
was a child, I’m aware that you often looked after me. So if possible, I don’t want
to have to dispose of you.”
“Thank you?”
“Your welc… w-wrong. I wasn’t looking for your thanks! The army is yours,
niisama, and it’s not like I came to ask you what you would do after losing your
generals or anything. The freezing, and the skill you used that I have no
recollection of, right now, that doesn’t really matter. All I want to ask is but one,
a single simple question…”
Kanon has a serious expression as she looks into my eyes. As if the answer was
lying somewhere deep inside of them.
But that’s probably a mistake. I’m sure my eyes are as empty as ever. Looking for
it is a waste of time.
“Niisama… do you plan on rebelling against me, against Kanon?”
Those words triggered a vivid flashback from the depths of my memory.
Kanon of Ruin.
One who was able to injure me, a rare Demon Lord of Wrath specializing in
attack power.
Regardless of enemy or ally, all that came into contact with her Wrath were
reduced to ash; the King of Destruction.
And that was something from quite a while ago. Her current power should be
greater than it was back then.
Perhaps even great enough to pierce through my Sloth.
What… a pain.
I’m in despair.
“Wha… niisama!?”
 Kanon hurriedly lifts her face.
On her beautiful Glossy hair, and her ruby-like eyes, and everything else, a thin
layer of frost descended.
“Could it be… you really plan on opposing me!?”
Flames dance, and cover her figure. Through the flickering crimson flames, I
see an expression of shock.
The frost instantly melts and disappears. Flames to melt the ice. Meaning this
was what melted the ice on this land, is it?
Kanon’s eyebrows lift for a moment, before going back down. She spoke, as if to
reassure herself.
“No… that’s wrong. There’s no way a Lord of Sloth would ever do something so
troublesome… right, of all things, niisama wouldn’t do anything that required so
much activity.”
That train of thought is strange. Why does everyone keep saying its so strange
for Sloth to move.
That’s wrong. The reason I don’t move is, considering the merits of moving, and
the merits of not, the latter offers a higher strategic advantage.
And so, if an enemy comes, I’ll fight, and it ends up that moving will get rid of
troublesome things easier, I will move. In Tokyo, I would die if I didn’t work, so I
worked. To summarize, everything… depends on the situation.
It seems that among Sloth Demons, there are many who will quietly let
themselves get destroyed.
Could it be that they’re idiots? Resist, man. Are you guys supposed to be shellfish
or something?
No, even a shellfish would offer some resistance.
In particular, Melancholia offers some offensive power to the defensive
Acedia. As if to offer that melancholy, that dark depression onto others. It covers
Sloth’s weak points quite nicely.
I reach out my hand, and touch Kanon’s.
On that gesture, Kanon’s movements stopped.
… Just like this.
 “Freezing Grave.”
“Eh…?”
Kanon raises a stupid sound, before being sealed in a coffin of ice in the same
position she was in.
Her expression was somewhat innocent, and it’s hard to think of her as the
Great Demon Lord, the recipient of everyone’s awe.
Even if you call her the Great Demon King, she’s only at this level.
And of that, I felt sorrow. I let out a sigh.
Just what is to become of this world.
“Hah… how depressing…”
“Wai… W-what the hell are you doing! K-kanon-sama!?”
Lize, who had just come through the door, frantically runs over to the sealed
Kanon.
She touched the transparent high-quality ice that enclosed the suspended Great
Demon King. Her cramped face looked down on me.
“Leigie… of Sloth. Like hell… this is a fraud. Even the one who dominates
destruction and flames, Kanon-sama was… even if it was a surprise attack, in a
single blow!? Lord of Sloth, why is it that you continue to resign yourself to Rank
Three!!?”
“…”
How troublesome.
I don’t want status. I don’t plan on becoming some Great Demon King, and I
don’t need the world. If I can continue living without it, then I don’t even need
power.
… I merely ask for a rest deeper than all.
My mood lowers. Nothing matters at all.
It was Sloth along with Melancholy. Nihility is truth, and depression.
That is the longings that I govern.
Depravity and resignation, escape and decay, suspension and stagnation,
inertia and dejection.
 The Melancholy Soul Core that had grown within me some day or another
covers my body in a chilling, cold power.
Something like this has never happened before. Is it because my Sloth has grown
dim, or that they’re out of balance? Well, that is yet another thing that doesn’t
matter.
What’s done is done. The power that had flowed out once, as if the dam had
been broken, sinks everything into a hell of depression.
Answering to my feelings, ice spreads out, and the fortress Kanon thawed was
iced over once more. The moisture solidifies, and the air turns cold.
The Flames of Wrath Lize had hurriedly let out wrap around my body, but
without being able to break through my Sloth’s resistance, they disappear
without giving me a single wound.
In this annoying world, at least a little peace and quiet.
I manifest a fist-sized ball of white light on the palm of my hand.
It’s a Skill I’m using for the first time, but I can understand. The power coming
from it is incomparable to before. Melancholy Skills can’t even save the User
from being part of their target.
I guess even I’ll be locked in Ice that will never melt. But I won’t die from it.
Perhaps that’s fine, in and of itself.
Oh world, fall into depraved suspension.
The ball of light lets off a silvery flash as it’s deployed.
Now sleep if you will.
『Absolute Requiem』
“Wait… nu…”
Lize, who tried to deploy flames, was sucked in by the power, and frozen in the
same posture.
The silver arrows pouring out from the rising ball of light spread over the world
like shooting stars. Its scope far surpasses the extent of my Zone.
Wherever the arrow sticks into, the cold air deployed around it automatically
takes control of the area without a sound, and changes it into a white world.
It didn’t take long for all moving things to have disappeared from the world.
It’s not like I can perceive the outside of my Zone, though, but its influence
should extend beyond it.
The only thing I didn’t expect was…
“… So my Sloth’s resistance is the stronger of the two…”
… In a world where all creation was put to sleep equally, I was the only one
who didn’t experience the effects.
Well, so be it.
If that’s the case, then I’ll just sleep normally.
Alone, in solitude, I’ll sleep quietly.
When I was about to close my eyes, I noticed.
It seems the world won’t let me sleep so easily.
“… I. Get. It… I got it, I understand, niisama. Your goal is…”
“…”
The ice that Kanon was locked in had silently melted. The Great Demon King’s
slim figure was wrapped in a thin layer of high heat. It’s a heat that even exceeds
my Melancholy.
But in her eyes, there’s no anger. Kanon’s Wrath is only ever pointed at enemies.
Does she not see me as an enemy yet? Well, that’s true. I have no enemies.
… No allies either.
To escape from reality, I turn my face away.
But what a pain.
She broke it. The ice seal.
So she can break it by herself. My power.
As I thought, Wrath is the power to deal with Sloth and Melancholy. I myself
have no enemies, but Wrath can be called the natural enemy of the Sins that I
govern, I guess.
“Niisama… you just want to sleep, right?”
Those were eyes filled with pity. A transparent voice.
Nothing really matters.
And her niisama, niisama is getting annoying. She has no intentions of healing
that habit, does she.
 “… Niisama…?”
“T-that doesn’t matter right now, does it!? Ah, dammit. Why is it that after all
this, I don’t feel any hostility or killing intent from him!? Niisama always has to…
dull my Ira.”
“… I see.”
If it really feels that way to you, then it’s simply because I have no hostility or
killing intent.
Up until now, I have never killed another of my own distinct will. Probably, it
should be like that.
I mean, in order to spend days in Sloth, I don’t need to kill others.
Having completely recovered, Kanon stabbed her staff into the ground. Her
body has no injuries.
And after hesitating for a moment, she made an announcement with a clear
voice.
Her tone held a strong will in it. Just like the Flames of Wrath she governed,
with bright energy, power on the level that I could understand why she was the
Great Demon King.
And miraculously, it was what Serge possessed, long ago.
“… Leigie of the Slaughterdolls… As the Great Demon King, I hereby declare.
You are a failure as a Demon Lord. Even if you may be a Demon, doing something
as outrageous as freezing over your own land, and covering it in ice and snow is
something difficult to forgive.”
“… I see.”
“As punishment… niisama’s rank will be demoted to the very lowest.”
“… I see.”
“Your land will also be confiscated. All you’ll keep is this Castle of Shadows.”
“… I see.”
From the start, that was all unnecessary to me. I don’t have any particular
feelings for it.
Ranking and place, go give it to someone worthy who actually wants it.
 Without a sound, golden flames flow out of her staff. It isn’t hot. But the
Fortress’s ice melts, and it touches all the earth as it expands. It’s a volume of
power worthy of the Great Demon King. I feel power equal to or exceeding the
Demon Lord I fought not too long ago.
In a voice tinged with fatigue, but without letting it spread to her expression,
Kanon continued on.
“The seized land will go to the new Demon Lord, Heard Lauder… The Prideful
Kaiser… I thought it wouldn’t be strange if he became a Demon Lord at any
moment, but it sure took a while. That’s just how strong he built up his
『Superbia』, I guess…”
“… Yeah…”
Exactly. That’s exactly how it should be. Not that I really know.
He’s a Demon that could keep up with me over the years. There’s no doubt his
way of life is a cut above other Demons.
“So just sleep in silence, Lord of Sloth.”
“Yeah.”
I’ll do just that.
And there, I quietly closed my eyes. Within my sinking conscious, it felt like I
heard the Great Demon King’s Voice…
… Something good will definitely happen tomorrow.
 Part 4: Iyo

And once more, my daily life continued.

“Leigie-sama, it’s time for your meal.”
“Yeah…”
I eat the food Lorna made, and let her clean the room.
Once the room has been cleaned, she makes the bed, and in that time, I leisurely
doze off in the armchair.
My soul is at peace, and I barely have any stress.
Without a need to work, even the enemies that had invaded at regular
intervals stopped coming. It sure is nice.
“Eh? Hya…? L-Leigie-sama… this is…”
But today, Lorna raises a rare scream.
She had cleared away the covers, and her facial expression had become stiff. Her
body had solidified in that position.
No, this isn’t my Melancholy at work.
On the bed was a small girl. Stark naked at that.
Embracing my pillow, she slept with a peaceful expression.
I don’t know her name.
“W-why is Medea… inside Leigie-sama’s bed…”
“… No idea.”
No, I have a vague recollection of her coming in, but I didn’t have any interest,
so I let her be.
It’s not like she was going to harm me, or do anything, and the bed is more than
large enough. I had no reason to refuse. No wait, it was just a pain.
I don’t know the reason, but just go wherever you want.
 “Medea? Medea!? Wai… Wake up!!”
“Nyaa…”
Being shaken left and right, the female Demon named Medea painstakingly
opened her eyes.
Her eyes were quite clouded and stagnant. She rubbed them in a sleepy gesture.
“…W … what?”
“D… don’t what me! W-w-why are you in Leigie-sama’s room…”
“I’m a pillow. That’s all. Sleepy. Good night.”
“Hah? Wai… wake up~!”
The form of her embracing the pillow again as she tried to sleep no longer held
a fragment of her pride as a Demon.
Lorna tries shaking her again, but this time she shows no signs of getting up. And
from her body, I feel a deep and quiet presence.
It’s one that I know all too well.
It’s nothing other than the power of 『Acedia』.
And as long as that’s true, I doubt Medea will be waking any time soon.
Sloth gives bonuses to sleep. No, it isn’t a Resistance, just…
“Lorna, leave her be.”
“Eh? A-are you serious?”
“… Yeah.”
I can understand the feeling of Sloth Demons all too well.
Waking her up forcefully won’t work. And it’s not like she’s causing any trouble.
After shifting her gaze between me and Medea for a while, Lorna eventually let
out a deep sigh.
It was quite a rare expression from her.
“Understood. Leigie-sama… but as I thought, for a man and woman not in a
relationship to sleep in the same bed, I cannot recommend it…”
“I see.”
 This Demon sure says some ethical things.
Well, I don’t have any particular objections to those words. I’m not approving
either, but to me, it was actually something that didn’t really matter all too
much.
“I will be carrying Medea to another room’s bed. Is that alright?”
“… Yeah.”
It was a bloodcurdling expression I couldn’t say came from the living.
She’s not letting out any anger by any means, but her rare words backed by a
strong will made me nod immediately.
As if she were carrying a large package, She hoisted up the unmoving Medea,
and bowed before departing from the room.
It must be hard, being a maid.
As I faintly considered such things, I shrunk my body inside the chair.
It’s a new chair Kanon sent over. The previous one suffered too much ice-related
damages, and became unusable, but this one isn’t bad in itself.
At that moment, the door opened, and yet another Demon stepped in. It was
an everyday occurrence.
A Demon that governed Wrath, and one that seems to be observing me: Lize
Bloodcross.
I don’t get what’s so fun about observing me, but if you’re just going to quietly
watch, then observe all you want.
“Leigie-sama, so you were awake…”
“Yeah.”
She usually moved around with a suprising amount of vigor, but now, on her
face, there were some rare signs of fatigue.
And as if her body was collapsing, she lowered her body into the chair by the
table. Without saying anything, she slumped down.
“… You look tired.”
“… Yes. Observing both you and Heard Lauder simultaneously is going to make
my bones break some day…”
 I see. It seems she’s been charged with two subjects this time.
My deepest condolences.
“… Can I complain?”
Do whatever you want. I doubt there’s any meaning in complaining to me, but
I’ll at least quiet down and listen to your words.
It’s not like I’ll take it to heart, and rather than listening, it’ll just be entering my
ears, though.
“That Heard Lauder is a monster. Perhaps more so that Leigie-sama… on top of
that, he moves around way too much. Even though he’s barely become a Demon
Lord, He’s managed to annihilate all Demon Lords who set even a foot in his
territory without fail… Even if they may have just wanted to rile him a little, he
personally marches to the enemy headquarters, and perfectly destroys them.”
“…”
“On top of that, he seems to be intent on finding a chance to aim for Kanon-
sama’s neck… He never gives me a single moment’s rest. Do you know just how
many inspectors have been dispatched to his place? Ten. Ten people! Even if
Pride is the most dangerous by nature… this is too much. It’s as if I can just see
the anxiety on Kanon-sama’s face…”
“…”
“And he’s really loud, protesting to get her to raise Leigie-sama’s rank.”
“…”
“I mean, in an instant, he overruled all the Demons above him, and he’s
already Rank One.”
“…”
“For the unmoving Leigie-sama, there was barely anything I had to do in the
means of inspection, but having this much to do is troubling…”
“…”
I see. You’ve got it rough.
Then you don’t really have to come observe over here, you know.
I mean, I don’t have any enemies, and I don’t do anything but sleep. I don’t even
move.
Even though I didn’t say it, as if she felt my will, she directed a tired, and stiff
smile at me.
The power I sense from her body is incomparable to the Lize of my oldest
memory of her. It’s truly increasing.
“… No, I’m just here for a little rest, so…”
“… I see.”
Then do whatever you want.
If you’re not going to get in the way of my sleep, then I mind not whatever you
do.
No, if there’s something you have that can get in my way, then just try it.
“… I’ll ask just in case, but have there been any problems on your side?”
“… None.”
“I see… that sounds about right.”
Her face changes in relief.
that’s a lie. Just a single one, it’s not really a problem, but a bit of a change. A
single thing has happened to the stagnant me.
I only noticed it quite recently. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but it was
probably after I was deprived of my territory, and I returned to my quiet life.
The truth is, I’m not a Demon Lord anymore.
Class: 『Evil God』
My Demon Lord Class changed, and that’s my new one.
I never thought that was what came after Lord, and Evil God isn’t even a
governmental position anymore.
Well, even if my class changes, what I’ll be doing stays the same.
I just live by existing as I am. Up ‘til now, and probably from here on as well.
Until the day someone annihilates me.
To change the topic, Lize spoke.
“… Come to think of it, recently there’s been a strong one among the Assassins
Heaven’s been sending to provoke the Demon World.”
“…?”
And so?
As if she sensed a change in my thoughts, Lize shook her head.
I don’t even have to let out words anymore. The perception ability to be able to
pick up everything. Lize is quite a hard-to-get existence for me.
“No, well… it seems they have the frightening power to even be able to
annihilate those of Demon Lord Class… additionally, they can use their wings to
soar through the sky. Their mobility is high, so perhaps even that Heard would let
them slip by. Right now, Kanon-sama is preparing countermeasures, but I
thought I would at least spread what’s become common knowledge…”
“An angel strong enough to kill Demon Lords…”
That definitely is a frightening existence.
In the first place, an Angel’s powers are the natural enemy of Demons. The magic
wafting around the Demon World is said to give high enhancements to a
Demon’s abilities, but even so, there are angels strong enough to kill Demons
repeatedly. It’s a pain. That’s also the reason why, while Heaven occasionally
invades the Demon World, Demons rarely go up and attack Heaven.
On my words, Lize slumped her body over the table, and turned her head to look
at me.
“No, it’s not an Angel… Well, they’re still classified as angels, but… do you
know about 『Valkyries』?”
Nope. Never heard of it.
Well, I may have heard the word once or twice in my previous live, but… It was a
terminology from the fantasy genre, I think.
On my attitude, Lize let out a sigh.
“『Valkyries』 are a form of Angel, and a special type of unit that comes when
the 『Einherjar』 called to Heaven experience an aberration. Compared to
Demons and normal Angels that store up power over many years, they’re born
with a vast amount of battle experience, so they can be quite troublesome…
well, there shouldn’t be that many fallen warriors that can knock down a Demon
Lord, though…”
 Hmm, so there are things like that.
Good for them.
Seeing I had absolutely no motivation, Lize shrugged her shoulders.
“The Blade of the Silver Blue, Serge Serenade. She’s confirmed to be the
strongest 『Valkyrie』 up to date. I think it would be best if you at least store the
name in your memory banks.”
“… Yeah.”
An unexpected name. I try to lift my body for a second, but it won’t move, so I
give up.
But the sight of battles long past revive in my head all at once.
I can’t believe it. Why is she still alive?
Dammit. So unlike Japan, the Dead can come back to haunt you in this world.
Even death is reversible. No, this time might be a bit different from reversal, but
whatever the case, what a Fantasy.
I looked at my own class once more.
『Evil God』
It’s probably the highest class a Demon can attain.
“? You seem happy.”
“… No.”
But so be it.
I’ll wait here for you no matter how long it takes. That’s my field of expertise,
and probably, as a single Demon Lord, as the Last Boss, my obligation.
Can you match up to the Evil God?
Show me your gallant figure.
Iyo.
Satisfied, I close my eyes. I dozed off soon enough.
I am the Lord of Depravity.
Who lives just by being there, a Needless King.
And I bring Depravity unto others, an incarnation of evil who will sink all of God’s
creation into an abyss of despair
By the time I realized it, I had reincarnated into another world.
I kept sleeping, and at some point I became a Demon Lord.
Even though I never wished for it.
But for me to not have to work, this world is the best. It must be true that good
things happen to good people.
The flavor of Sloth is as sweet as honey. Glory, diligence, virtue, or honor. I have
no interest in anything like that.
What’s there to hide? The Lazy king is… none other than me.

End of Part 1
 The Lazy King Chapter 9: Avaritia’s Usurping

TL: Again, Greed just likes to appraise things.

TL: By the way, this release is timed with the day Lorna was revived. That was
totally intentional. Yeah.
TL: 13.5 Thousand Words…
The Lazy King 2 Chapter 1: Avaritia’s Usurping
 Part 1: It Reeks

‘Twas but a simple unfounded rumor.

That in this vast Demon World, there existed but a single Demon Lord who
reigned over the forces over ice and snow, a force that didn’t exist among the
original sins.
Not a single thing could stand before him, but without paying mind to the
legions of Demons brought to their knees, he simply spent his perpetual
existence on naught.
And of that supreme Demon Lord, the Demons whispered, and spoke of
exaggerated tales.
… Of the Lazy King.
Seeing the young Demon nervously speaking on as if each work he spoke was
true, I snorted.
“Ki ki ki, how pointless a story…”
A goblet dyed in a blood-like red.
I downed all of the viscous liquid within it in a single swig. It was a devilish wine
made to bestow a drunken state onto the Demon Race, despite their high status
abnormality resistance.
It was as if the liquid let off a fiery heat as it leisurely slipped down my throat.
That heat became power, as it expanded towards every nook and cranny of my
body, my six arms and all.
“Still, Deije-san. I’m bein’ dead serious here. You heard ‘bout how the Dark
Prison’s earth was sealed in ice, right? In all actuality, that Superbia Demon Lord
who climbed to rank one was supposedly rising in power to restrain it, or
something…”
“That so… Ki ki ki my commanding officer’s sure gotten high and mighty, has
he…”
 Of course, it’s not like a deserter like me actually witnessed anything.
But from the current situation, I have a good hypothesis. I can calculate it out.
My Avaritia aches.
And as if to hold it back, I started downing the goblet that had been presented
to me again.
A high rank Demon, for argument’s sake, like me isn’t going to get dead drunk
from drinking something like this, and as long as I willed it, I could blow away the
drunken stupor in an instant.
My eyes reflected in the well-polished wine were shining with desire.
Ki ki ki, this is why Greed’s no good.
Something reeks. It reeks the hell of it. I’ve got a bad premonition stirring up
even the depths of my soul.
It’s the same atmosphere I felt before the war of black and white that broke
out ten thousand years ago. It’s flowing. The field’s going to change before my
eyes.
This must be that which can’t be expressed in words, the intuition of a Demon
who’s lived out his years.
It was the smell of treasure, and the smell of war.
The smell of death, and yet the smell of glory.
I offered a warning to my junior, a Demon who also governed Greed sitting
beside me.
“Ki ki ki, well keep your shirt on, Zeta Adler. Don’t mistake your enemy.”
“Mistake… my enemy?”
“Yeah.”
Generally, those of the Demon race are all self-serving.
Therefore, we’re always surrounded by enemies. You can’t even be negligent
around allied troops. That’s exactly why the ability to distinguish friend and foe is
an indispensable skill. No matter how talented a Demon may be, they would be
killed in an instant had they failed at that aspect.
Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend. Yesterday’s friend, today’s enemy. It’s
important to see the sides switch as well. Those that can’t do that, yet still
persist to live long lives are either ridiculously talented, or perhaps blessed with
good luck.
“Ki ki ki, exactly. Zeta, just how is that Lazy King related to us? Is he… our
enemy?”
“… No, but…”
An instinct for strife sleeps within a Demon’s base nature. It’s a strong instinct.
It’s perhaps the second strangest force within us, next to our sin.
And that often dulls out decision making capability.
“Then there’s no need to cower at him, is all. The Lazy King is… not our enemy.
I would never be able to fulfill my Greed working at a place with hostility towards
me. Am I wrong?”
“You’re not… wrong.”
Zeta nodded with an unsatisfied expression.
It’s fine if he doesn’t understand it yet. If he lives long enough, he’ll figure it out
eventually.
It’s just that until he realizes that, it would be nice if my words remain in him if
only by the slightest.
Even so…
“Lazy King… huh. Just what are you thinking, Boss Leigie… Ki ki ki, this is no
good.”
Leigie the Depraved.
Let alone General Class, he is a long lived Lord who existed back when I hadn’t
even become a Knight Class Demon.
The reason for his existence would be summarized into a single word. Nothing.
A steadfast Demon Lord who wouldn’t take any action regardless of the times.
An unchanging existence. Therefore, regardless of his high rank among the
Demon Lords, there are few who know him, and those that have seen his figure
are severely limited.
That’s why I fear.
On top of his experience, he has to have something hidden on him.
Of all else, he’s a Demon Lord. It would be stranger for him to have nothing.
Without having been told it by Zeta, I knew well enough of how Boss Leigie’s
land had frozen over.
It had spread around the expanse of the Demon World as a sort of urban legend.
More than a year’s passed, but even if we still hear of it from those straining
their voices in the corners of the bars, to us Demons who know of the
insurmountable existences known as Demon Lords, it’s absolute absurdity.
That’s why even after just a year, everyone acted oblivious to it.
There’s also the fact that a more precise threat showed itself, but that’s not all.
It’s terrifying. An unknown power. Of those that know, and those that don’t,
there are few to put the story to words.
Ignorants aren’t to speak.
Those crafty enough to anticipate the outcome keep their mouths shut. Of
course, I don’t speak up about it either.
Apart from Sloth, a majority of Demons’ Skills are undergoing extensive
research. If a land of ice and snow were to reveal itself, then the probability of it
being in the unresearched Acedia would be high, and seeing from the land on
which it transpired, it isn’t hard to imagine it was Boss Leigie that did it.
A large-scale Skill invoked by the idle lord… what sort of change has come
about in his feelings, or what sort of circumstances erupted into it, I don’t even
want to know.
Perhaps Supreme Commander Heard stepped on the tiger’s tail, or… oh, right,
Heard was the Rank One Demon Lord now, was he?
Well, the thing I should be putting my mind to isn’t some absurd urban legend
or anything. There was a much more precise enemy before our eyes.
Contrasting his age, Zeta showed quite a bit of promise. Unlike me, he had
desires that caused him to take up humanoid form. A young male Demon with
ashen hair, and eyes of the same color.
Even without having reached General Class, in the few years since he’d been
born, he was already in the upper ranking of Knight Class. His wit showed decent
prospects.
 An Avaritia’s companion’s got to be either another Avaritia, or an Invidia.
Even if we hold the same sin, our targets are different. There’s some merit in
association. Perhaps our affinity is even better than with Invidia.
“Well, rather than that, there’s something we should be focusing on, right?”
“Yes… that’s right. Deije-san.”
Zeta sent a glance around, as if he was mindful of the surroundings.
A run-down bar. Without even any music, there were barely any other Demons
present. In the first place, there are few Demons out there that actually drink.
All that was there was a strange bartender Demon offering us drink, and a
pitiful lower class Demon sleeping flat on top of a table. Both of then are too low
in power to even consider comparing them to me.
Perhaps through fear, a sublime smile surfaced on Zeta’s face.
“The 『Angel』 came out again.”
“… How many times does that make it?”
“It’s already the third time within the month. They’re five of them in numbers.
I’ve heard information they made an appearance at the Crimson Prison.”
『Angel』
A Demon’s natural enemy, and their predefined nemesis.
The vanguard of that white god’s attempts to invade the Demon World.
Their power specialized to kill Demons was so great, that it’s been said they
were born for that very purpose.
Demons receive great power from the land of this Demon World, but they can
put up an even fight even within this miasma. It’s not like I’ve fallen too low to
take down a low grade Angel, but that doesn’t change how troublesome they
are.
It’s because my subordinates aren’t as strong as me. They’ll be purified by the
most average of Angels.
The Crimson Prison was one of the lands managed by a Lord Subservient to the
Great Demon King. That is something that should be common knowledge to
those heavenly messengers.
 “Casualty count?”
“Close to a hundred Knight Class and lower…”
“A hundred… is it…”
Doesn’t look like the top brass took the time to come out.
But with only five coming out, I wasn’t expecting them to. The top’ll only show
up when it’s time for a complete war of annihilation.
That time ten thousand years ago was the same. At the start, it was low class
Angels, then gradually intermediate level, and finally when high class ones were
sent in, the King led a force of several thousands to combat them.
This generation’s Demon Lord doesn’t even know of that. No, she probably
knows, but she didn’t experience it.
Even I don’t know about the Angels’ situation, but perhaps it’s something
similar. A timespan of ten thousand years isn’t something to make too light of.
To Greed, War is but a single turning point. Ki ki ki, it’s something that brings
up many a treasure chest.
With the low, and the intermediate, and the high, and even the Demon Lord
Class Demons dying left and right, it all just starts flowing down.
Treasure of that level gets scattered all over the place. So our enemy isn’t just
the Angels. Precisely because of their desires, similar Greed Demons may
become even greater opposition.
What I seek… the resources I desire are finite. If it enters my hand, it won’t be
goin’ to anyone else. If others lay hands on it, it’s not ending up in mine.
It’s a game of looting. Of Angels, of Demons, or Treasure.
And the necessary power is something I possess.
Libell isn’t here anymore, but in exchange, I have Zeta. Experience-wise, Libell
came from the same time as me, but it’s unavoidable.
The first thing we need is to discern the enemy.
The number of angels. Their power. Their goal. Their actions are always focused
onto some greater goal or another by the will of God. Knowing that or not will
change our chances of victory.
 “What became of those five Angels…?”
“They fled, it seems. The moment they caught sight of the Demon Lord’s main
forces, they ran.”
“How rare of an army of God to pull back… those guys are supposed to stick to
their doctrine, even if it may result in death…”
Angels are perpetual lives created from souls. Their sense of life isn’t all too
different from ours, but there’s a single law. As they could only move in
accordance with their grand design, their powers were severely limited when
compared to Demons.
And it’s all so each and every one of those things can kill as many Demons as
possible.
But this time’s pattern clearly differed from the norm. How troublesome. They
should’ve just lived facing forward.
What could they be thinking…?
Has a goal more important than Demon slaying come down to them…?
… Well so be it. Whatever the case, the result is predetermined.
I’m a Demon of Greed. Then there’s but a single thing I have to do.
I don’t think I even have to say it.
 Part 2: The Meaning of Greed

A majority of the Demon World’s open plains.

Besides one part of it, there are few ups and downs. Nothing but ruined soil
expands in every direction.
With a Demon’s eyesight, we can clearly see the emptiness leading to the
horizon straight ahead, but among us, there are few who actually pay that fact
any mind.
If you’ve got the free time to be pondering such things, go fulfill your cravings
already. That is a Demon’s reason for existence, and the measure of their worth.
But at the same time, I know of those that have reigned over these lands for
too long, gazing out over the endlessly desolate landscape. Perhaps that’s the
standing that an eternal life would lead one to.
The Demon World’s lands are divided by the power they’re basked in.
Meaning it was a result of the influence of a reigning lord over many years, and
the Crimson Prison’s land was once under the reigns of a powerful Demon Lord
of Wrath. That Lord has long since been annihilated, and it was unified by one of
the Pride Demon Lords allied with Kanon.
Rank Four.
Vanity the Egoist.
The land ruled by the great skin-headed Demon, Vanity Seidthroan.
He was a taciturn man, and despite his base Pride, he never bragged. He was
also a pure-born soldier who brought others to their knees with his pure might.
While they were Pride all the same, compared to the two Lords Zebul devoured,
he surpassed them greatly in strength, and service.
While we’re all part of the same Great Demon King’s army, rarely do I get a
chance to see other Demon Lords.
I’ve only ever seen him from afar, but his large build that surpassed even mine,
and his black muscles as if they were forged from steel… as Demons are beings of
soul, outer appearance and power aren’t proportionate, but unfortunately, from
a glance, I could tell he clearly had the makings of a great ruler.
With but a glance, some part of me from within my soul fell into a sense of
admiration, and he was a type I’d rarely had an opportunity to see in my years
that surpass ten thousand. I don’t know his real strength, but based on the air
he carried, among the many Lords in service to the Great Demon King, he’s likely
at the forefront.
And in the first place, he was originally Demon Lord Rank Two.
If there are those that rise in rank, there are those that fall as well.
The fact that he dropped a place when Boss Leigie rose in rank was inevitable,
due to Boss’s achievements, but at the same time, there are some Demons
questioning whether he simply lost out to the Boss.
Rank and strength aren’t always coherent, but his strength was definitely within
the top five of the Great Demon King’s army.
With pride as his attribute, it’s possible that if it just came down to strength, he
surpassed some of those ranked higher than him.
If there was some merit in him putting a stop to his active service, he could
rack up achievements whenever he wanted.
If he was to personally lead his army, he would lose freedom of movement. In
exchange, he might pull up some unexpected treasure. Now is the time to
observe. In that sense, me receding from Boss’s army may have been an
inevitable choice, but there’ nothing I can say but that my luck was good.
The Great Demon King’s army is the strongest force in this Demon World. Even
if the entire world’s yet to be fully unified, if Heaven were to choose a target to
focus their attention on, then in would be none else but the Great Demon King
Kanon Iralaude’s head. That’s something our side is also well aware.
The earth of the Crimson Prison was hot.
As if the Ira Demon Lord that ruled over it long past’s anger was being
manifested into it, the air temperature in that land was close to fifty times higher
than in the other territories, and even if it wasn’t enough to affect a Demon’s
livelihood, simply standing there would make one soaked in their own sweat.
 While gazing up at the blazing blood-red sun, I simply waited.
In one of the towns of the Crimson Prison.
The burning town, 『Grey Rock』.
It was a small town nicely situated on the border of Vanity’s Crimson Prison,
and Heard Lauder’s Dark Prison.
The number of civilians wasn’t all too high, and at the same time, past aside,
when both Prisons were taken under the Great Demon King’s control, it lost all
strategic value. A pitiful scrap of a town.
Back when the Dark Prison was under the reign of some opposing Demon Lord,
there was a platoon stationed here, but the place’s liveliness was not just
something of a time long passed.
The reason I dropped by this forgotten town was to gather information
pertaining to the Angel attack.
Even if I say that, when it comes to collecting intel, I’m pretty much a novice.
But that’s not a problem. There ain’t a single problem here.
I’m only capable of stealing, but among humans, and demons, and angels,
there’s that thing called ‘the right person in the right place.’
The terrace of the dirty town’s only café was horribly quiet. Me aside, there
was only one other customer present. That lone customer, perhaps due to the
heat, was prostrated over their table with a khaki hood over their head. That
state only further revealed the desolate atmosphere of the land.
As I sat back into my chair, Zeta Adler came at me, jogging.
For a male Demon, Zeta boasted quite a diminutive build. Looking from afar, it
would be hard to believe someone of his delicate features would be capable of
battle, but if you underestimate him, you’re in for a world of pain.
A Demon’s shape represents their true nature, the reality of their cravings.
Zeta’s childish form was a shape made up in order for him to satisfy his desires. It
was the form that best allowed Zeta Adler to sate his Greed.
But as a General Class, my heat resistance was quite higher than his.
This temperature must be putting him at his wit’s end, as he panted heavily, and
wiped his forehead with his forearm while he gave his report.
 “Haa, haa, Deije-san. They gathered just as you said. Just as the rumors went,
the platoon of Vanity’s army that were annihilated did take a temporary stay in
this town.”
“… That so…”
It was the most recent report of an angel assault breaking out.
Their numbers were five. The casualties a hundred.
The target of their assault was Vanity’s army. The attacked platoon was
annihilated. Their numbers a hundred. It wasn’t that high a statistic, nor was it
low.
Precisely because of the high heat of the Crimson Prison’s soil, there were very
few settlements. Even if they numbered few, letting an army stay on standby
required a considerable space to be prepared.
It wasn’t as large as the Dark Prison, but the Crimson Prison was a vast
wasteland. Even if a flying dragon was used, it wasn’t so easy to cross it.
“For what reason did they gather here?”
“There wasn’t really a reason made public, but… well, wasn’t it just a restraint?
Even if you say the army assembled here, Vanity the Egoist’s army’s supposed to
number in the thousands… they didn’t even send any General Classes here.”
“Restraint… Ki ki ki, to keep Heard Lauder in check, is it?”
“He did cause quite a ruckus… the other Demon Lords are getting tense, I’ve
heard…”
The Prideful Kaiser Heard Lauder crushed the armies of the higher ranked
Demon Lords, and him becoming Rank One is still a fresh memory in my mind.
In the first place, Heard was an old Demon, and at the same as a General Class,
his name was an influential one known to all.
Since he’d become a Demon Lord, his Pride made an alteration of rankings to be
inevitable.
He crushed whoever opposed him head-on, and was one even feared by his
allies.
The ones he had the worst affinity with were likely other Demons of Superbia.
 The pecking order of pride is quite strict. That’s even more the case among
their brethren.
It’s likely that Vanity never crossed blades with Heard directly.
There’s his pride and all. It’s natural for him to be vigilant… I guess.
Without any General class Demons, I don’t think such small numbers would
serve to restrain that Kaiser or anything, but…
Among the Demon Lords, Vanity was of the moderate faction.
He didn’t frivolously advertise his Pride. That wasn’t his personality.
That’s why he had few chances to perform distinguished service, and Boss
Leigie’s rank surpassed his.
Ki ki ki, the important thing’s to have skilled pieces to play.
“The battleground was also around this town. The army rose to oppose the
angels that made a sudden entrance, and while both sides put up a good fight,
the difference in power resulted in the Demons’ annihilation. It seems there
were some casualties among the civilians as well.”
“… I see. Well, it’s not that there’s no precedent to Angels attacking Demon
towns, but… the enemy numbered five, right? Five against one hundred… the
gap must have been considerable.”
Fights between Demons aren’t battles of numbers.
It may have been clear when Zebul devoured my army, but quality was revered
well over quantity.
The same can be said about battles between Angels. In that sense, a story of five
Angels taking down a hundred Demons-while their luck may have been bad-was
quite possible.
They failed to contain the forces attacking the town, and perished… I think the
death count would actually have been lower if the let the Angels do as they
pleased.
From what I can see, the population here isn’t high. While the Demon population
was never as high as humans, even among our settlements, Grey Rock was a tiny
one.
“Vanity noticed, and immediately sent out a larger force, but the opposition
narrowly escaped.”
 “… Ki ki ki, so they were made a fool of. The Demon Lord must be quite pissed
now.”
“There’s talk that he’s prepared to send his entire army out at a moment’s
notice… well, since they don’t know where the Angels ran off to, they can’t
dispatch outside the territory yet, but… there’re intel his entire army’s been
gathered at his 『Palace of Noble Truth』.”
The Palace of Noble Truth was the castle of Vanity Seidthroan.
Just as Boss Leigie’s base is his Castle of Shadows, each Demon Lord has their
own stronghold.
The fact that he assembled his army at his own palace means the possibility of
him personally leading it next they go into battle Is high.
That’s how serious he is. This is what it means to step on the beast’s tail.
However, there’s some part of Zeta’s story that leaves a strange taste in my
mouth.
“… Hit and run… when did the Angels become able to use such tactics…?”
Generally, God’s personal holier-than-thou troops would never hold doubt in
their own victory.
Therefore, they see no need in strategy. Those Angels were something like time
bombs made of pillars of faith. Once they appeared, they would fight until all the
Demons around them had perished, and until death, they wouldn’t cease their
struggles. No, that’s how it should be.
“Ki ki ki, this really is a pain… has a competent leader decided to step
forward?”
I don’t think something on the level of a leader would be able to change an
angel’s movements, but…
Perhaps misunderstanding something, Zeta timidly asked.
“… Deije-san, could you be referring to the rumored Valkyrie who can kill
Demon Lords?”
“No way. Even if she may be strong, I can’t think that an Angel would abide the
orders of a Valkyrie, who they think of as an inferior race.”
 Of course, I know of the noble revived heroic soul that killed a Demon Lord.
About three months ago, the topic of a single maiden swinging around her might
became something like the talk of the town, and she was still an existence that
made the Great Demon King’s army tremble.
If you’re looking at damages, she’s a much fiercer one than this force that only
killed a measly one hundred Demons.
But I’m thinking of this case as a separate matter. Killing a Lord… if there was
one capable of doing something like that, there’s no way the town would still be
standing here like this.
While they both may be assassins from the heavens… that’s all there is to it.
“Deije-san, is something the problem?”
“Ki ki ki, of course, we’re going to be chasing the Angels. Zeta Adler, this is the
critical moment.”
There’s no need to even think about it.
Right. This is the divide.
Only five of them have been spotted so far. So why not make them my stepping
stones to glory?
Military service ain’t bad, but just following a commander the whole time makes
Jack a dull boy.
In the first place, the heavens’ve been too quiet as of late. While Angels have
been spotted here and there, they’ve all been lone riders. A few Demons would
die off now and again, but it’s been a terribly long time since a whole platoon’s
been wiped off the face of the earth.
This is the signal flare, and there won’t be a better opportunity than this
instant.
History will speak.
It’s because no one has yet to lay hands on it that 『Usurping』 ever holds
meaning.
“Still… taking on a group able to kill a hundred Demons, even for you…”
“Ki ki ki, what’s it to ya’? We have a trumpcard of our own. It’ll work out one
way or another, and if it looks like we’ll lose, we’ve just got to run.”
 This is the Demon World. To the end, it’s a world beneficial to us.
If we continue to pull back, we’ll never be able to do anything. If I won’t be able
to get my hands on anything, then death’s a better option.
Balance. Right, what’s important is balance.
I looked over the town.
As its name suggested, the townscape that appeared to be constructed of gray
stone was simple, but it maintained a form that made it unthinkable that Angels
had launched an attack here.
“Zeta, we’ll be staying in this town for a while.”
“… Eh? There isn’t anything here, you know?”
I’m well aware.
I began explaining to the lad, who let of streams of sweat as he directed his eyes
at me.
It’s definitely hot here. IT isn’t a place I’d like to overstay my welcome, but there
are times when a Demon’s got to do what a Demon’s got to do.
“Ki ki ki, we’re going to discern the Angels’ power. Perhaps there’s something
to learn from the traces left by their battle. It’s not like there’s no chance of
them attacking this land again, either. Their end goal is the Great Demon King’s
neck without a doubt, but we still don’t know the reason for this time’s assault
here.”
“… I see. But is there really a need for an Angel to have a reason to kill
Demons?”
“No clue. But whatever the case, there’s barely a trail to follow. Rather than
setting off on a fool’s errand, it’d be lucky if we found some clue.”
As a General Class Demon, let me say it. If you don’t use your legs, you won’t
get any treasure.
Usurping is a hunt. Pursue, and take. That is the meaning of greed. It’s proof,
it’s validation.
Ki ki ki, why don’t I teach it to you?

Part 3: … Should I Steal it?

 This town is hot.
There’s a shocking lack of any clues.
Those two truths are slowly burning up my thought process.
It’s been a week since I started investigating Grey Rock, and with nothing being
found, only the time had passed by.
The feeling of impatience. But still, there hasn’t been anny information of
those five angels being sighted in any other land.
Did they return to heaven?
The possibility exists. There’s definitely the chance they were conducting brief
recon.
In that case, that means we’ve been working for nothing.
I mean, the Rank Four Demon Lord is waiting on his throne with all
preparations to take them down. No one normal would attack the same spot
twice.
But Angels are nothing normal. The Iustitia they carry is just as sinful as the
cravings carried by a Demon.
Today as well, there was only one other besides us in the café.
In my usual seat on the usual terrace, I wiped the sweat off my forehead, as I
downed the lime-colored water in the tumbled glass in a single swig.
Before my eyes was Zeta, who was weaker than me, and thus more haggard.
“Ki ki ki, how interesting. For there to be absolutely nothing after all that…”
“It’s as if there’s not a single trace… it seems. Not even a speck of
destruction…”
As expected of a former garrison.
It’s not like it was put to much use, and the structure here are overly durable,
with barrier magic stretching over everything without a single crack.
I did check out the plaza where the battle supposedly took place, but there were
barely any traces of a fight having taken place.
With this, I can’t even begin to imagine the Angels’ attributes.
But it’s not like our harvest was nil. I did figure something out.
“They can only use attacks to an extent not strong enough to break the
barrier. As I thought, their abilities aren’t all that high. If you include affinity into
the calculations, they’re Knight Class at best.”
“And you’re saying that just five Knights were able to take on a hundred
Demons?”
Zeta’s tone indicated he couldn’t believe it as he looked to me with doubt.
“It’s not an impossible talk. An Angel’s power weakens a Demon’s… well,
fighting in the Demon World gives some enhancements, so in the end, it comes
down to personal ability, but…”
Vanity himself aside, his army’s nothing famous. So his troops simply being
weak is also a possibility.
I mean, even if he may stand out himself, it’s not like an army’s competence is
directly proportional to their Lord’s strength.
Well, still, whatever the case, the truth is uncertain.
I asked around. I personally checked out the battle site.
… There’s no helping it. There’s no use in wasting any more time.
… Should I just steal it?
A feverish dizziness shook my emotions as if my brain were being fried.
I’m a bit reluctant to do anything too rough in the Egoist’s territory, but… this
world’s survival of the fittest, after all.
“… Ki ki ki, Zeta. There’s no helping it… do ya’ remember the faces of the
witnesses?”
“… Are you serious? We’re within the territory of allied troops, you know…”
“Hey, if you put it like that, we won’t be getting’ anywhere. It’s adaptation.
Change to fit the situation. Also… right, Zeta?”
Spending a week investigating on this land is taking this young Demon’s stress
to its breaking point.
But in his current expression, I can barely see any fatigue.
I bent my lips into a smile, and pointed it out to my oblivious junior.
“… You’re smiling at the idea, you know?”
 “… Kufu… well, if you put it like that, I guess there really is no helping it. ”
Putting it in a way that made it seem he didn’t care either way, my faithful
junior laughed.
While I say faithful, his faith lied not to me, but to his own desire, the cravings
he harbored.
A trait that indicated a Demon of the highest caliber. It sure is fun, looking after
guys with talent at the job…
Zeta leisurely stood, and his expression had lost all traces of tiredness.
His ashen eyes letting off a strong light were the only things shining under the
crimson blazing sun.
Despite the fact that all he did was stand up, it seemed as if his slim figure had
suddenly expanded for an instant.
A display of power. He let out a deep breath, gave off a repulsive feral
expression, and in contrast to all of that, he began shispering in a calm voice.
“『Greed Hand』.”
Avaritia Skills are based on a desire to take.
Looking back over others, and mocking, and shaming, and taking all of creation
to your heart’s desire. Its true nature lay in causing loss to others.
Ki ki ki.
Take it all.
The fact that there’s something to be gained. The fact that someone has
something to lose.
More oppressing than Invidia, more crafty than Gula.
Even though I have yet to become a Demon Lord, there’s a reason I’ve been able
to live over ten thousand years of life.
The strong do not foresee their losses.
They’ll only notice after they’ve lost it.
The dreadfulness of Greed.
Zeta Adler, the Greed Demon arms let off a faint black luminescence.
An Avaritia Skill, 『Greed Hand』.
 Its power wasn’t on the level of the 『Wave of Starvation』 possessed by
gluttony, but it was much more atrocious.
Ki ki ki, but it’s all fine. It doesn’t take lives of anything. It at least leaves those
behind.
“Zeta, finish up quickly. Ki ki ki, Before we even meet the Angels, I’d hate it to
have to go up against fellow Demons. That would be a bit much.”
The sword Celeste I received from Boss Leigie was definitely a fiendish and
unrivalled Demon Blade, but I’d still be at a disadvantage when the enemy’s at
Demon Lord Class. I don’t think the Lord’ll pop up after we just steal a bit, but I
don’t know Vanity’s nature. It would be best to remain cautious.
“I… I know that.”
Understanding that, Zeta nodded lightly, as he began searching for his target.
This town was narrow, and its population wasn’t high, but as it was the middle of
the day, the streets were being put to good use.
Despite the Angels coming out, they were quite calm.
Demons were the dominant race of the Demon World. We barely had any
enemies.
That’s why the lower one’s class is as a Demon, the more they begin to take
needless pride in the powers they were born with.
Zeta approached a single passer-by, who seemed to simply be taking a leisurely
stroll. Age-wise, he didn’t seem much different from the boy. A Young Demon.
But He was much too lacking in vigilance. Form my long life spent mostly in
military service, I could see it clearly. From his attire, his gestures and all else, he
was too taken in by his peaceful surroundings I was even surprised he managed
to survive this far in the constantly-warring Demon World.
Even when Zeta approached, he merely made a bit of a doubtful face, and he
didn’t seem to be putting up his guard at all. Perhaps it has something to do with
Zeta’s height being lower than his own. I mean, he looked delicate enough, that
it didn’t seem his hands could bring harm to other.
After the two of them were finally within arm’s reach of one another, the young
male Demon finally raised his voice.
“W-what are…!?”
 “Kufu.”
The young man’s movements ceased. While his eyes were fixed on a point
directly in front of him, it didn’t look like anything was entering them.
Zeta’s bone-thin fingertips were rested on his forehead. His casually extended
arm put an ent to it all to quick.
The man’s head wasn’t pierced or anything. It was merely touched. It was done
delicately, so not the slightest of wounds was left.
Zeta let his mouth curve into a complacent crescent smile as he withdrew his
hands. It was a matter of several seconds.
Besides the ones directly involved, there weren’t any witnesses. Or perhaps
though people witnessed it, they pretend not to. It’s survival of the fittest. The
meaning of that should be clear.
Zeta’s longing was memory.
Just as I desired, of all time and place, of all nature and creation, materials
treasure, he was an Avaritia Demon who longed for others’ experiences, and
memories.
Inevitably, the nature of his Skills developed towards an ability to steal them.
I don’t get what’s so fun about any of that, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to
understand another’s longings. Just do what you will.
If it affords me some merit, then all the more.
“… It’s finished… kufu…”
His peculiar laugh seemed to be filled with good humor somewhere.
Perhaps it’s because he stole something directly related to his objective.
The Skill 『Greed Hand』.
It’s merely a Skill that snatches up the target of one’s desire.
In my case, it’s loot, in his, experiences. It instils one’s hands with malicious
power to take from others, and among Avaritia Skills, it’s known to be the one
with the most frequent of use. And at the same time, based on one’s wishes, it
can become the strongest Skill of all.
Like how a General Class like me can only steal items, this Knight Class in front
of me can do things much more malicious.
 With his field of vision taken by ecstasy, he whispered to me with a drunken
expression.
his eyes seemed directed ahead, yet he wasn’t looking at anything.
“I see, so this is… an angel… my natural enemy.”
“Ki ki ki, so you struck the jackpot on the first try? I doubt you even checked to
see if he was a witness, did you.”
“You’re not wrong… but it worked out, so there isn’t a problem.”
Well yeah. For you, that is.
I’ll allow it. I’ll give you that much.
But in order for one to be able to continue pursuing their desires to eternity,
there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
I met his eyes, which appeared to gaze at some distant country, with a strong
look of my own.
“You made sure to keep it to a minimum, right?”
“… Of course. Just as you taught me, Deije-san… he’ll be able to move again
soon enough.”
And as if he had been waiting for those very words, the frozen youth began to
stir.
With a bewitched expression, he looked over his surroundings for a while, but
after a while, he started walking as before. His footsteps were firm, and I
couldn’t think of him as a recent victim of theft.
There wasn’t a scrap of evidence left behind.
A question or two may pop up from an aberration in his memories of his daily
life, but that’s all. That’s all the memory is. The longer you live, the less your life
actually leaves a mark on your memories.
Perhaps even my memory’s been stanched out before. Ki ki ki, it’s a repulsing
thought.
From his half-asleep state, Zeta slowly returned to reality. Like that, he
lowered himself into his seat again, and began his report.
“I was able to take them up quite easily, but… it doesn’t appear there’s any
new information to be found.”
“… I see.”
I didn’t think he would be able to get anything new on the first try anyways.
In the first place, we spent an entire week here with no results. Otherwise, we
wouldn’t think it such a fortune to actually find something out.
Life is average. If there are rises, there are also falls, but it levels out.
“It appears what we’ve collected so far is true, at lease. Five angels, yes, there
were definitely five angels donning heavenly wings here. Their means of entrance
was the sky. They attacked the town, were intercepted by Vanity’s troops
stationed here, and the rest is history. That’s the extent of what the master of
these memories saw.”
“… I see. So, where did these all-important Angels head off to next?”
“Who can say… It’s clear they made an escape through the sky, but he didn’t
see the direction…”
It just isn’t going to go our way.
Well, I guess just confirming our information had some merit in itself.
Ki ki ki, I mean, that was just the first try.
Also, seeing is believing, and at the information gathering stage, the worth of
obtaining the memories of those that actually witnessed it is unfathomable.
“What were the Angels’ means of attack?”
On my query, Zeta started to blink.
He tilted his head for a while, before slowly letting the words flow out. Usurping
memories and making them his own meant that he was pursuing the experience
itself.
His tone was filled with fear, as if he was talking about a disaster that transpired
before his own eyes.
“Light… right, pillars of light. A few meters in diameter, giant pillars of light
from the sky… the town burned, and the Demons were mowed down.”
“An Angel’s Iustitia Skill… I guess. Yes, I’m sure there was something like that.”
Just as Demons possessed Seven attributes, Angels also had a few
classifications.
Iustitia was of those.
Anyways, I’m sure it was an attribute that specialized in offense.
I caught a glimpse of it ten thousand years ago, as a wave of their light cleared
away the darkness of the Demon World, said to be unsurmountable.
A large-scale Angel attack… Having only Knight Class and below, Vanity’s army
was at a great disadvantage there.
Rather than the platoon being weak, perhaps they were simply unlucky…?
“… How many wings on them?”
“… Eh?”
“The wings, you know. Wings. They’re the symbol of an Angel. You can
determine an Angel’s power by their number of wings.”
To those that have ever tried to oppose the heavens, it’s something like
common sense.
And their wings were those guys’ pride, so they never try to hide them.
“… I see. Then it’s one. No, perhaps I should say one pair.”
So only a single pair of wings.
They’re that great a force. Perhaps from low to intermediate level. If I were to
equate them to a Demon’s ranking system, there’s a high probability they’re at
Zeta’s level, or below. Well, Demons have a naturally bad affinity with Angels, so
Zeta alone would have it rough…
With Celeste, they’d be easy prey. No, even without it, I think I’d make it
through.
Even if they burned the place with pillars of light, there wasn’t a single sign of it
in town.
In the end, their output isn’t enough to breach the barrier…
Next, there’s the possibility they have a larger force in wait…
But nothing’s going to come of thinking about it that far.
There’s no such thing as a safe battle. I’ll at least drink down the basic risks.
Of all else, even if they sent down an Angel or two, there’s still that monster
Valkyrie roaming around.
This must be the turning point of the era. Thinking of the future, it’s not a bad
thing to build up some anti-Angel fighting experience here.
Perhaps still looking over his gained memories, Zeta still had an absentminded
expression as his eyes traced thin air. I issued some orders.
“Oy, Zeta. It’s time for some usurping. For now, we need a stronger trail. Since
we’re already at it, why not just take all the memories you can?”
 Part 4: A Disadvantageous Gamble

“It’s no good… It’s not coming out at all.”

Zeta had a fatigued expression as he retracted his fingers.
Before him, a female Demon around Media’s age stood in silence with an
expressionless expression plastered on her face.
The sight of Demons with these frozen doll-like expressions is something I’ve
already gotten used to.
In Grey Rock with few pedestrians as it is, a back alley a left turn of of the main
road. Even in the middle of the day, it was dark, and let alone Demons, there
wasn’t a single mouse here.
Even if we’re in the Rank Four Vanity’s territory, were at the outskirts of the
outskirts. I mean, it’s quiet here, so it isn’t hard to aim for the gaps.
Zeta had already taken the memories of nine Demons.
A Demon’s Skills were their craving themselves.
But it’s not like they could be used endlessly. With this high heat and humidity,
the area was incredibly discomforting, and the task at hand, that was akin to
grasping at fog put a deep strain on his psyche.
Slowly, a scarlet light circled around his grey hair.
“… How ‘bout it?”
“Taking the memories was exceedingly easy, but… once again, she’s no good.
She didn’t see it… no, she witnessed the event, but didn’t see anything past
that.”
It’s a line I’ve heard eight times before.
I thought we were in luck when the first Demon we stopped had seen the Angels,
but that was far off.
The Angels gave an overly flashy show of power. Each and every one of the nine
we stole from so far had clearly seen their form.
But their objective, and the direction they set off in remained foreign.
All of the Angels were clad in a uniform gaudy glow. It’s a light with that
dreaded power of god at its core.
And that’s good and all in the sense that it draws peoples’ eyes, but at the same
time, it was a hated light, and no one willingly wanted to see them off.
No helping it. The enemies were envoys that personally crushed the army of
the ruling Lord. It’s not strange for the civilians to want to run away.
It isn’t strange… but…
It’s ominous. It’s much too ominous.
My experience was going off like a fire alarm. It was much too quiet. There was
much too much nothingness.
It was much too perfect.
Originally, the appearance of the Angels, in itself would be suspected as a ruse,
but we could use Zeta’s power.
Memories tell no lies.
“… Oy, Zeta. Do you know whose report it was that said the Angels had come
forth?”
“… Yes, it was the Order of Black member accompanying Vanity… the
inspector’s regular report. I mean, the appearance of Angels is a serious matter…
I heard they participated in the force Vanity sent out to pursue, or something.”
The Order of Black.
The Great Demon King’s personal vanguard, and her direct servants.
If it were for Kanon Iralaude’s sake, they would even turn against a Demon Lord.
They were the King’s arms and legs, as well as her eyes and ears.
That girl Lize was the same, but the loyalty that order shows to the Great Demon
King was the real deal. Since this member was charged with a Lord governing
Pride, their loyalty must be first-class. I doubt that order’d ever make a serious
mistake in dispatching personnel.
If possible, I’d like to take that inspector’s memory to confirm it, but I doubt
that’s happening.
As an inspector, there’s no doubt they’re a General Class surpassing Zeta
already. Unlike with material wealth, usurping memories depended on the
individuals’ will, and mental resistance could drop its success rate. The low class
Demons we stole from today aside, a General Class it too heavy a burden for the
lad.
The one most anxious about the current situation must be Zeta.
When he’s personally taking in the sights, there’s not a single hint to be found.
It’s as if he’s forced to open up an empty treasure chest over and over again.
As a young Demon, he’s lacking in experience. The situation where his instincts
made him feel nothing but an indescript anxiety was probably the same as the
feelings I harbored ten thousand years ago.
Ki ki ki, that’s right.
Then I’ll take up the place of the one who looked over me back them.
“… Zeta, calm yourself. This result is definitely beyond our expectations, but
it’s in no ways an impossible occurrence. It’s not like we haven’t gained anything.
At the very least… it all reeks, is what we’ve learned.”
“… I see…”
First, you’ve got to calm down. Regain a level thought process.
Demons are doomed to overestimate their own abilities. That’s why when an
accident occurs, they often try to resolve it with brute force.
First, take some deep breaths. Breath, and focus. That is the strong point of
Demons that possess not only strength, but also intelligence.
Think with your own head. That will often change your fate.
/there are times when you’ve got to take risks, and risk your life as well, but at
the very least, now isn’t that time.
“Those Angels, they must have a smart one amongst them… no, even so, their
numbers are much too small, and we still haven’t a clue on why they attacked
this town. Why did they aim for such a remote region… what is their goal?”
Simply slaying Demons?
A hundred Demons. With their military service, their power was higher than
standard Demons. I guess it’s enough or a reason for Angels to attack.
But that’s exactly why I don’t get it. Why did only five come?
 Even if we may be enemies the Angels specialize in killing, this is a land that
greatly raises our abilities.
Luckily for them, there wasn’t a General Class among the forces, so they could
easily take on a hundred, but if one was there, then five would definitely be at a
disadvantage…
If it was the same heaven as before, if it was the usual angels that would resolve
themselves to kill the moment they met a Demon, then it would make a slight bit
of sense, but this time’s folks… they retreated.
It’s mismatched. It’s all over the place.
The recklessness they carried to take on twenty times their numbers, and the
wisdom they held when they retreated the moment the army came into sight.
That gap births a sense of discomfort.
It doesn’t match the angels I’ve seen up to now.
Sensing my hesitation, Zeta offered a proposal.
“… As I thought, should we steal a little more?”
“… Can you?”
“Yeah… Kufu, my Greed is… not satisfied yet, you know…”
With a face that looked quite forced, Zeta smiled.
Abuse of usurping. The fatigue he’s been building up, and his physical
enervation. I can see them all.
But this time alone, I can’t go about babying him.
We need to find our trail before someone catches onto the inconsistency in their
memories, and leave the town.
Time isn’t on our side. We don’t know when or where an Angel’ll pop up again.
We should finish up quickly as best we can.
But at the same time, I had a hunch.
That we wouldn’t find a single thing more from this town’s residents.
I returned once more to the soul-less café terrace. When someone of large
stature like me is around, the targets tend to be wary.
My role was that of a thinker.
There’s no doubt there’s some cause and effect going on in this land. That
Valkyrie aside, this is the only place that’s incurred large damage from the Angels
as of late.
After retiring from Boss Leigie’s army, I’ve been around, but that’s the only real
change I’ve heard about.
“… As I thought, it’s really no good… Hah. It feels like I’m opening empty chest
after empty chest.”
After executing another usurpation, Zeta let out a deep sigh of lament.
Oddly enough, his words were exactly the example thought of previously.
As if it had become a mere routine, I confirmed it with him.
“That was the tenth, right?”
And just like me, he gave a form answer.
“Yes… Those that saw it have slight differences, but those past nine were
pretty much the… same…?”
In an instant, Zeta’s face trembled.
He turned pale, and his mouth opened and closed silently as he sought out the
words. It definitely wasn’t a normal expression.
I instinctively rose, and met his eyes.
They were pointed at the air, and tracing the low sky that hung over the
Demon World.
My thoughts changed. From a looped circuit, to a straight path.
“Deije… sa… tha…”
“… Oy, oy, is this for real… What trickery is this?”
There was a figure.
The form of a person emitting brilliant white radiance in the crimson sky. The
large single pair of wings sprouting from his back were pure white.
Loved by God, and produced by him. The opposite side of the spectrum of Spirits
from Demons.
『Angel』
In an instant, he expanded his power.
The complete opposite of the miasma Demons clad themselves in, an aura that
could even be called holy was deployed across the ground.
My body trembled. My genetic memory, the emotions of fear carved into a
Demon’s soul upon looking up at their executioners.
No matter how I looked at it, the Angel wasn’t even a hundred meters away.
This is strange. Why haven’t I noticed him when he’s come this close?
Angels are Demons’ arch nemesis. Their specific positioning is one thing, but if
they approach, I should be able to realize it at once…
I restarted my frozen mind with willpower. Fine. What I have to think of right
now isn’t something like that.
I slapped Zeta on the back to unfreeze him.
I laughed out loud.
I sneer. A maliciousness great enough to blow away this holy feeling.
“Ki ki ki, just when I thought there wasn’t a trail to be found, the man shows
up personally… I’m in luck.”
Luckily, besides me and Zeta, there wasn’t anyone else around. The town was
frighteningly silent. There’s plenty of space. I can fight with all my might.
I swiftly counted the figures decorating the sky.
“Ten… is it? They’re friggin’ multiplying.”
Each one’s individual power was, as expected, nothing too serious. Even
including their affinity, they were much weaker than I. If I kept down this
instinctual feeling of dread in my soul, they’re opponents I could wipe the floor
with in ten minutes.
I firmly plant my feet on the ground, and build up power. So I can react no
matter when or how they try to come, I optimize my soul.
The flock of Angels was ominously quiet, as they looked down on us. What
floated in their eyes was pure and utter scorn. The eyes of those looking upon an
inferior species.
Ki ki ki, I’m being made light of.
Is this their main force?
No, that’s probably not the case. This is them testing the waters.
The fact that ten came out after five is proof of that. Are they measuring the
power of Demons?
Well, come out in as many dozens as you will. Greed has its own way of doing
these things.
Zeta’s made himself more than useful enough.
Mental and physical labor.
Investigations and battle.
From here on, it’s my role.
“Deije… san.”
“Ki ki ki, fall back.”
『Big Pocket』
I open up the subspace warehouse of Greed.
Because of that unpleasant Lord of Gluttony I fought a year ago, it’s mostly
empty. But a splendid article’s been left hanging.
It was a blade of fire said to have burned a fire dragon whose power rivalled
Demon Lords to death.
I easily pull out the sword I had become accustomed to. As always, its crimson
steel let off an explosive amount of magic, matching the sun blazing above it.
Demon Blade Celeste.
Once upon a time, it was a supreme treasure bestowed upon a certain Lazy
King.
While me being the polar opposite of God, sensing me give off similar waves, the
doll-like Angels’ expressions warped cruelly.
“Ki ki ki, don’t worry too much about it. I’m Avaritia. I won’t go as far as to take
your lives.”
If you obtain one, you’ll wish for ten. Once you know ten, you’ll lust for a
hundred.
I can’t be satisfied with just ten measly angels. Bring on a hundred, a
thousand, ten thousand.
You guys ain’t the target of my desire, but I’ll sip you up all the same.
 I lightly waved Celeste. The magic that overflowed from the edge took on the
the shape of a flaming dragon, that shot out to pierce the wing of one of them.
And as that happened, the Angell’s body was covered in fire. He did a tail spin as
he fell to the ground.
A thunderous roar.
The Angel’s large build collided, and the café’s roof let off quite a racket before
caving in.
Wrapped in flames of legend, and Angel didn’t move at all, and I didn’t feel any
more power from him.
I licked my lips. Just as I thought.
… Just one hit, it seems. They really aren’t anything special.
Below Knight Class even. Even if I didn’t pull Celeste, they’re at a level I could
handle.
I directed the blade at the remaining flock. As if pierced by the thrust I gave in
the air, the Angels swayed in the hollow air.
Should I hold back?
At the very least, I’ve got to leave one alive, or we won’t be able to take their
memories.
But do I have enough leisure to accomplish something like that?
Can I render them powerless without killing them? The positional advantage lies
with the Angels ruling over the sky.
Celeste’s output is too high. I’ll end up killing them.
Should I leap, and hit them to the ground? Can I do it? Avoid attacks in midair?
The moment those thoughts swirled around my head, the Angels’ powers
swelled up explosively.
From their bodies, like steam, power, magic, divinity gushed out. The growing
golden holy aura, even from the eyes of a Demon like me, seemed divine.
My body felt the sudden elevation of my enemy’s power, and I could grasp it in
an instant.
Their powers were now in the higher tiers of Knight Class. Were they holding
back up to now? To quantify it, they individually increased two fold for all five of
them. That difference was exceedingly large.
 But still, my superiority hasn’t been shaken.
The nine Angels held out their hands, as if to seek answers from the heavens.
They were quite clearly preparing an attack. To match that, I took a large swing
with Celeste.
The Demon Flames grilled my arms. It’s the compensation for raising the
blade’s power output.
Raising the output several times for a single strike, a pillar of flames rose from
me.
I endured the pain akin to my body being torn apart and got the power under
my control when a pillar of light from the Heavens came down on me.
The intensity of the light darkened my vision. Celeste’s crimson, and the
Angels’ white clashed, and the resultant waves caused the café, and the houses
around it to sway.
The three tables lined up alfresco were shot away all at once, and they shattered
upon hitting the wall. Hiding behind me, Zeta lowered his body, as he looked up
at the clash of light and fire.
An Angel gave a vulgar chuckle.
That bearing makes it so I can’t see them actually governing any Justice.
And the laugh was the faster of the two.
I understood when I first saw their Skill. These guys… without a doubt, they’re
nothing to that Devouring Lord.
Ki ki ki, no I guess I picked the wrong target to compare.
Back when my attack clashed with that of a certain Zebul Glaucus’, it was pure
opposition. I didn’t hold back, and I didn’t have the leisure to do so.
No matter how much power I poured into it, I wouldn’t push forward at all, as if I
was dealing with an absolute wall. It was as if the entire world was my opponent,
and I wasn’t able to stop the fear in my heart, but these guys are different.
“… Well, I guess that all there is to it.”
I swung Celeste again. With just that, the dragon of fire’s force increased, and
it swallowed up the light all too easily to scorch the heavens.
It shot through the very center of their formation, and a number of Angels were
instantly burnt black before falling to the earth.
The laughter from the sky ceased.
An Angel’s form didn’t differ too much from a Demon’s. With shapes that took
after the human race, their ivory-white vestments fluttered in the wind. Their
glass ball-like colorless eyes followed their falling comrades. But in them, there
wasn’t an expression of fear or impatience.
… Even when half of them had fallen.
… Just what is this feeling?
Even Angels are supposed to have emotions. For them to be this inorganic…
Feeling an unfamiliar sense of dread, I held Celeste aloft.
At the same time, the Angels spread out.
They flew out in every direction. I wouldn’t say their speed was higher than that
of a Demon’s, but there’re no set roads in the sky. No obstacles either.
The air is their playground. Their mobility is exceedingly high.
The crimson blade cried out.
The directionless swirl of Mana flashes out once more to cover the sky.
Celeste is demanding fuel. Even if it’s a sword, it’s an article manufactured by
Demons. A single blade birthed for the purpose of opposing God. Its personality
is the worst.
The flames raging on left and right flew out at a speed that the heavenly wings
were unable to surpass.
The Angels that split into five directions were burned, and one fell to the
ground.
The difference in power was all too clear.
The difference in equipment, as long as I had Celeste was my overwhelming
victory, and the situation transpired with that advantage on my side.
The moment I was able to bat down their Iustitia Skills so easily, my victory was
certain.
I ignored the painful heat feedback from the sword, and licked my lips.
“… Something’s wrong with this picture.”
 It’s not as if there was no resistance. And the presence of the Angel that fell to
the ground had definitely faded out.
But, still… right, if I had to say, then I’m simply unsatisfied with it. I can’t see
what their intentions were.
Perhaps this was what Zeta felt when he was fruitlessly nabbing all those
memories.
I brushed away an arrow of light from up high with Celeste.
The Angel that had lay in wait to use a Skill was burnt to cinders.
… Three of them left.
An even greater chill than before came over my body.
“Deije… san… these guys are…”
“… Seriously, what trickery is this…”
Dazzling lights blocked out the sky.
The air was astir. On the power opposing a Demon’s base, a wave of divine magic
made the world shake, as if it were crying out beneath it.
Enough to make that previous display of power look like mere child’s play. If I
had to compare the scopes of power, it must be at least ten times of that before.
Meaning from when I first saw that group from before, it was twenty times
higher.
It’s like an army of ten Angels becoming two hundred.
Against an opponent of this scale, even with a General here, I can’t make a
definity judgement on the outcome.
But that’s not where the problem is. What I have to care about isn’t something
useless like that.
The extent of how far their power had fluctuated from the starting point went
against an Angel’s nature.
That was the strangest thing I had to put my mind to.
“That can’t be… it can grow that much? Were they hiding their true power?
No, there shouldn’t be any meaning behind suppressing it all the way up to
here…”
 The Angel remnants numbered three. But every one of them was clad in a
dreadful divinity.
Rank-wise, they had far surpassed Knight, and if they were Demon, they’d be in
General range without a doubt.
I’m not sure when they appeared, but the three Angels drew white swords
from their hips.
It’s a Skill I’ve seen some place, sometime before.
Right, those are the holy swords the Angels of Justice used in the war back
then.
An Iustitia Skill
『Sin Breaker』
It isn’t a Knight-class Skill.
Emitting light, the heavenly wings flapped. Rise, glide, and descend.
The speed they came down was fitting of the term Godspeed. It’s been said that
high ranking Angels move at the speed of light, but these ones are reasonably
fast themselves.
Perhaps they thought they were at a disadvantage in a long-range battle. The
demon-slaying sword of light entered my field of vision.
It was as if it were a coordinated attack. Only the prideful smiles plastered on
their faces indicated that this action was nothing of the sort.
Their fighting style was crude. No techniques or anything. But only in power
alone did they excel.
I don’t even have the time to let out a sigh.
“… Well, well, this is getting to be a pain.”
What fools.
Against an Avaritia Demon, what’s more, against me, they contest with
swordplay?
The sword of justice coming at my eyes went out in an instant.
In my lower-left hand, I could feel the sensation of gripping a new weapon. Upon
seeing his weapon suddenly vanish from within his hand, the Angel froze up for a
moment, and I slashed upwards at him with the stolen sword.
 Even when turned against its wielder, the Sin Breaker showed its power
without a moment’s regret.
I put strength into my lower body to stop his bullet-like kinetic energy. The arm
that swung the sword felt a heavy burden.
As he already flapped his wings to retreat, while his body received a deep slash
wound, he still returned high into the air.
As he shot up, I delivered a follow-up swing, and even with the light to his back, I
could clearly see the face of terror dawn on him. Unlike when the others were
burned up by Celeste, a look of despair swept over his face several times before
he ceased.
With a thud, the powerless angel’s body rolled along the ground.
He was definitely strong. If I took that divinity head on, there’s no way I’d get
away unhurt.
But that’s all. I just don’t have to take it head on. Generally, both Angels and
Demons place an emphasis on offense rather than defense.
Meaning those rare exceptions that specialized in defense-such as Boss Leigie-
aside, the rest of us had to dodge in order to survive.
But these guys don’t even have a sense for that.
It’s a complete mismatch. Their power isn’t matching their battle experience.
They’re not even measuring their opponent’s attribute, and their attacks are
nothing but sheer stupidity.
That’s why even without weapons, I should be able to drop them easily. Using
melee weapons against Greed is pretty much asking for them to be stolen. It’s
because there are plenty of those sorts of Skills on the Avaritia Skill Tree.
It’s by no means a bad thing for me that the enemy’s weak.
While I may have the instincts for battle, I’m not a battle junkie like that Heard
Lauder. If I can easily attain results, then there’s nothing better.
“… Two left.”
“Deije-san… you sure are strong…”
“The enemy’s just weak.”
I lightly returned Zeta’s words. They’re my honest feelings. This can’t be all
there was to those wars with Heaven.
The remaining two were suspended in the air.
Male Angels. As if they had been mechanically mass produced, two similar face,
four eyes in total, glared at me.
What was there was either hatred or sorrow.
Two high class Angels.
But I don’t get the feeling I’ll lose against them.
I’ll take down the first one, apprehend the second one, and have Zeta take his
memories.
General Class or not, we’ll just take everything.
What’s the problem? ‘Tis but a simple matter. Compared to over ten thousand
years of hell.
I gripped Celeste strongly again.
My arm had already become quite burnt by its aura. It’s compensation. The
feedback to its wielder.
Those that use the blade to its limits are fated to be reduced to ash. It’s a legend
with no proof to back it, but the blade was clad in a force devilish enough to give
it some credibility.
I haven’t fallen enough to have to rely on it to that extent.
With a sneer an Angel raised a disciplinary voice.
It was an irritating high cry that howled in the back of my ears. Unable to bear it,
Zeta covered his ears, and squatted on the spot.
The world was shaking. Rumbling. Oscillating.
But it’s not as if anything was truly moving. It was a wave of divinity great
enough to give off that illusion.
The Demon World’s air was dyed. From jet black to pure white. Darkness to light.
Zeta’s eyelids convulsed at the abnormal situation, as he watched the figure of
one of the Angels.
Just what the hell is this… I never heard anything about it.
No, could it be…
“It can rise… even further? Dammit…”
 Making me see an illusion of the Angel’s body expanding, the passively
released holy aura from them neither exceeded nor fell short of the pillar of light
they released none too long ago.
Their rising power carved up the sky, and split the clouds.
The trembling of my body I had contained with the thoughts of battle started up
once more, and I used everything in my power to put a halt to it once more.
The power I felt from the Angel completely surpassed mine at this point.
Vanity’s 『Abyss Zone』 eroded away, and shattered.
What expanded in its place was a pure and divine feeling. It was as if god’s
blessings themselves were pouring down on the land in orbs of light, and a silver
wind overwrote the lingering miasma.
From the increase in power, the Angel’s disposition went through a complete
change.
From their meaningless holy aura, and expressions that gave off a somewhat
manufactured feeling, to eyes in which dwelled strong fighting spirit.
“This… is…”
“… Oy, oy, give me a break already…”
The Demon Lord Class doesn’t exist among Angels. But to identify those
among them with Demon Lord level powers, the Angels of that rank were
referred to as follows.
『Saint Lord』
Demons and Angels were opposing souls.
Black and white. Darkness and light. Evil and good.
Therefore, through our very natures, we were always predestined to oppose
one another.
Their existence was, among our natural enemies, the worst and greatest foe.
“Tsk, what the hell… a Lord descended to the Demon World!!?”
“…”
Lords have obligations. They have land. They have subjects. That didn’t change
among Angels and Demons.
While Angels would occasionally drop by the Demon World, there’s barely a
memory within me of a Lord coming down here.
I’m not sure if they were even listening to my words, as the Angel didn’t
respond.
He merely silently pointed his extended finger, and gathered Mana into a single
point of light.
“!?”
My instincts as a soldier. My experience up to now made my body instinctively
leap to the side.
In the next instant, the light was released. Its speed was close to pure light itself,
and a high ranking Demon like me with enhanced perception couldn’t even
follow its afterimage. It was overwhelmingly separated from that arrow of light
aimed at me before, a power suited to a true Lord.
The light that missed me by chance bored into the café terrace, and after a
brief moment, my body was assailed the lights and the sounds.
A thunderous roar rocked my eardrums, and my failing five senses were
forcefully recovered with my anti-status-abnormality Skill.
I used my instincts to guide my falling body.
My field of vision spun.
I confirmed the form of Zeta’s injured body on the ground. It’s fine. Something
of that extent won’t kill a Knight Class Demon.
I confirmed my own situation. It’s not like I took a direct hit from the attack, the
shockwave from it merely hit me from behind, and this level of damage isn’t one
that’ll hinder my movement.
Why, for what reason did a Lord of Angels descend to such a desolate place, I
haven’t the slightest idea. I don’t even want to know.
My luck was in that I hadn’t let go of Celeste in that instant.
Greed Skills don’t have a high damage output. Losing the Demon Blade would
definitely be a fatal loss.
And if I have this in my hands, then I stand a chance against a Saint Lord of
Heaven.
 My thoughts are become severely twisted from my chance meeting with my
arch foe. The instincts shaking my very soul clear up my field of vision.
The light he shot from his finger. Its output and speed were definitely adequate
for a Lord’s Skill.
I bent my legs to kill the impact, and corrected my stance.
My left hand held the 『Sin Breaker』.
My right, 『Celeste』.
As that fingertip pointed at me once more, I swung the Demon Blade.
The dragon of fire shot out to devour the Angel.
The light came down to annihilate me.
Celeste’s flames definitely had a wider scope, but the Angel’s blasts were all
concentrated on a single point.
The light leisurely moved forward while ripping through the dragon’s innards. It
was unable to stop its advance.
And as if to defend the gap in the Angel’s defense, the other Angel stepped
forward.
In my fright, the power slackened for a moment. Using that, the light increased
in speed.
I couldn’t even feel another presence that large until now, but the other one
definitely gave off the same feeling as the first.
This can’t be… what’s the meaning of this? What the hell is going on!?
“Lord of Angels… two of them!?”
I could barely surmount the gap in power with one, yet I have to face both. The
Lords that hadn’t shown their faces in ten thousand years were lining up as if I
were having a nightmare.
I couldn’t discern a single thought from their expressions, and all I could really
pick up was that they were determined to kill me.
It’ll only get worse at this rate. I leapt to the side, and the light finished its way
through the dragon I lost control of to pierce the ground I was at before.
Even when I haven’t taken a single attack head on, my entire body was giving an
aching pain.
 Should I retreat?
Can I even retreat? Against these monsters?
Oddly enough, I began to recall when I withdrew from Boss Leigie’s army a year
ago.
Fate. Is my fate going to cast me away here?
After having escaped that Demon Lord of Pride, Heard Lauder, I’m going to die
here?
A sensation ran up from my toes to my head.
A dark heat pouring out of my soul gave strength to my body.
“K ki ki, interesting, ain’t it? If you think you can, then come at me.”
I held the Demon Blade above my head. The Lords of Angels cautiously took a
step back.
Celeste’s flames were peerless. But in the end, a Demon Blade was still a sword
at its base.
It was made in order to rend.
My soul continues to let off a dull pain.
I kicked the ground strongly, and thrust.
I twisted my body. I concentrated the entire kinetic energy of my frame into the
blade, and threw.
The Demon blade became a crimson comet as it came at the Saint Lords. The
magic it usually used to create large scale flames was all being concentrated on
the tip, and this blow was definitely the highest I could release at the moment.
But without witing for the result, I ran over, and took up Zeta in my arms.
“Hah, hah… gu… are we running?”
“Ki ki ki, life’s only to be lived if you survive.”
Treasure and riches, you can pile up as much as you want as long as you live
on. There isn’t even a point in equating them.
A high-pitched voice of song I took to be the Angels’ screams struck my ears. But
without even learning of what effect it as supposed to carry, my status
abnormality resistance activated, and erased it.
All that was left was to run. Angels possess frightening mobility, but if I take
cover in a town, it will be a pain to search from the skies. There are plenty of
places to hide.
And there was some merit to my flight.
There’s no way Vanity didn’t notice the fact that an Angel appeared here. In this
case, his zone was even broken.
『Abyss Zone』 wasn’t just a Skill to offer enhancements to friendly troops.
It was an enlargement of a Demon Lord’s sense of perception. It let them sense if
enemy troops even set foot on their lands.
If I can keep myself on my feet until the army arrives, it’s my win. If I’m found, I
lose.
Ki ki ki, what a disadvantageous gamble.
While it may not be that wide, I’ll be completely out in the open on the main
street. If they were to shoot that light at me from behind, it’s the end.
In the past week, I’ve gotten a map of the town into my head. Those guys
shouldn’t be familiar with the place, and ironically enough, from our memory
theft, we know all the points with few pedestrians, and bad visibility. Never
thought it would aid in our own escape, though.
The moment I turned into a side alley, I noticed a figure collapsed at my feet.
With a khaki overcoat wrapped around their body, a Demon boasting a small
build. At the same time, that form was one I’d gotten familiar with in this one
week.
It was the Demon that was always hunched over the table at the café terrace. I
was also there for quite a bit of time, so while there wasn’t a day I didn’t catch
sight of him, I had started percieveing him as part of the background.
… Could it be this one was at the terrace?
Seeing the Demon still face down, and unmoving, I hesitated for a moment.
But I didn’t have the time for that.
I resolved myself, and lifted the Demon up by the scruff of the neck.
I don’t really care, but leaving this one behind would go against my style.
I won’t call it good will, but if I had to say, it’s just a whim. In the first place, with
my strength, carrying one or two doesn’t really make a difference, and because I
cast away Celeste, I have an arm or two to spare.
I gripped his neck as if hoisting up a kitten, and when I lifted, the hood flew off.
Instinctively, I threw the Demon behind me with all my might.
Upon having the mass of Khaki chucked at them, the approaching Angels were
brought to a momentary halt.
Atop my shoulder, Zeta cried out.
“W-what was that all about!? All of a sudden…”
“Like… hell… why…”
Just how should I express these thoughts racing through my head?
Terror. Surprise. Confusion. Amazement. All of them intermingled, but if I were
to summarize it into a word, it would have to be ‘dumbfound’.
The two Angels whose presences I couldn’t sense.
The two Angel Lords.
The culmination of all the consecutive events beyond my wildest dreams.
Greater than angels, a miraculous nightmare.
I tried to open my mouth to convey it in words, but my thoughts wouldn’t
come together. I didn’t know what to say.
I frantically moved my mouth, and what my seesawing emotions finally fell on
was weariness.
“So even Boss Leigie’s… played his hand this time…”
I’m not sure what my mind was coming to, but the only image that floated in it
was the form of a sluggish Lord of Sloth.
 The Lazy King Chapter 10: Gula’s Starvation

The Lazy King 2 Chapter 2: Gula’s Starvation

Part 1: I’m full
Why did I go to such extents to consume such things?
I’ve received such a foolish query time after time after time…
It was a dialogue pointless enough to make me hold my stomach in laughter.
I’ll bet there’s nothing in this world more meaningless than a Demon’s desire.
It’s not that these longings exist because of us Demons.
It’s because these longings exist that Demons live on. That’s why you can’t call a
sin-less Demon a Demon.
… And… and just as I’ve become one who can’t provide an immediate response
to that senseless quandary, I guess I’m no longer something you could call a
Demon either.
My awakening was a coincidence, yet also an inevitability.
My soul did definitely go out once, but as if it still had lingering regret, it
displayed its gluttonous willpower, and returned.
Hazily, as if surfacing from a deep well of water, my consciousness came up,
and naturally, the first thought that came to my mind was, ‘why?’
Even if I may have been a Demon Lord who built up much power over a
perpetual existence, a soul that’s been extinguished can never return. There’s no
such thing as a second life. There shouldn’t be.
But I found my answer soon enough.
Reflected in my sluggishly adjusting field of vision was a field of pebbles that
went on to eternity.
Unable to understand what had happened, unable to fathom what to do, I
simply leisurely surveyed my surroundings.
 I should have been smack dab in the middle of a battlefield, but on the black
soil was neither the Lord of Sloth nor his subordinates, and from the fact there
wasn’t even the traces of the flames from that Demon Blade around, I
determined that a considerable amount of time had passed.
In my daze, I turned to the palm of my hand. My body was practically the same
as the one I boasted before. The limbs I had become accustom to, even after
taking so much damage from that lazy Lord, were left without a scratch, and I
could make smooth movements without any support. It was as I the complex
fracturing of my bones I felt in battle had been but a dream.
Simply, on a land that was nothing but vast, the Demon World’s stars that
hadn’t changed in several tens of thousands of years shone down on me.
The words that came to my mouth without meaning were blotted with tears.
“Haa… haa… he didn’t break my core… Leigie, are you not… an idiot?”
The reasons I was able to successfully revive likely numbered three.
First. Leigie’ Skill did destroy my body quite thoroughly, but it was unsuccessful
in crushing a Demon’s heart, my soul core.
Second. His subordinates didn’t even doubt my death, and they didn’t confirm
said core.
Third. The Dark Prison’s land was vast, and in the time my soul core spent
regenerating, no opposing force happened to pass by.
If even one of those had gone astray, my consciousness would have drifted
into an eternal hell, the depths of a true Dark Prison, and never surfaced again.
… Well, I’ll put aside whether that was a good thing or not.
Anyways, I confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my body. If there
were, it would have to be with my heart.
Throwing myself down on the Dark Prison’s soil, the dark color of gunpowder, I
looked up at the sky.
Still in a trance. Even when I hadn’t even started to think about it, the words
poured out.
“Fufu… so I’m to… live in shame.”
I doubt this was done by the Lord of Sloth’s will. That man wasn’t one who
would do anything so troublesome.
But, still, it’s quite certain that I lost. While bearing the name of the Devouring
Lord, I met the first inedible matter in the course of my life.
And the satisfaction I felt at the very end of the end was enough to fill me up.
“I’m already full…”
I was satisfied. Not an iota of my hunger remained.
The moment when I resolved myself for death is one things, but now that it’s
been extended to my life, it’s quite an ominous sensation.
My hunger was my enemy, and yet my friend. It’s only because it was there that I
was a Demon Lord, and I was able to eat up all of creation.
With that gone, the current me isn’t even a Demon, and while this goes
without saying, I’m definitely no Angel. I must be quite a fragment of an
existence.
“Leigie, the truth is… you made me think it for the first time.”
Thank you for the meal.
My last supper had long drawn itself to a close. Then what is with the current
situation?
There’s no god in hell. If there was, then what logic did he work by to put me on
this land once more?
My comrades and vassals are gone. I’ve eaten everything. Even my family.
And this time, this time, my closest friend from over a hundred thousand years
ago, my hunger, is gone.
Complete loss. In spite of my satisfaction, an abyss incomparable to starvation
had opened up in my stomach.
After dying once, and reviving here, perhaps that was my compensation.
“Fufu… well, fine. If that’ how it is, I’ll play along a bit longer.”
With no goal or will, I’ll spend a life simply continuing down this endless path.
How cruel must it be.
Even if I lack an objective, since I’ve already gotten on the rails, since I’ve already
faced defeat, I’ve a need to tag along.
 Also, if I do that, perhaps I’ll be able to touch the purpose of that Lord of
Sloth’s power.
If I do that, then perhaps I’ll learn the reason my hunger lost.
“Well, maybe wandering the Demon World without purpose for a while won’t
be too bad…”
I was always fighting. I was always devouring.
All just to sate my hunger.
Those were definitely absurd, and sweet, and fun days, but if I look back now, I
was just being pushed around by my desire. After being cut off from my sense of
starvation, I’ve realized that for the first time.
Then if it’s now, with my hunger lost, with me not even as a Demon…
The view of this Demon World should become a little different from back when
I was a Demon Lord.
Let’s leave behind the world I called my dining table, and find a new one.
Moving my limbs for the first time in a while, I propped up my body, and stood.
A lukewarm wind brushed against my body. Noticing I wasn’t wearing anything, I
let out a sigh.
Naked is embarrassing… that’s a sentiment I lost in a time long passed, but being
left in this uncouth state isn’t good. It would be inexcusable to the ones that
disappeared into my stomach, the Demons of Gluttony who served me up until
the end.
Well, perhaps this second take at life would be more insulting to them than
anything, though…
Without uttering a word, I used a Skill.
I was just a little anxious, but even without my hunger, I was able to operate
Gula Skills without a problem.
The manifestation of starvation. An unfathomably deep darkness gathered, and
wrapped around my body. To me, these were my clothes for battle clothes, and
at the same time, my ceremonial garments.
Gluttony Skills specialized in attack, so it’s not like they’ll really be of use as
armor, but it’s much more decent than being naked.
For arguments sake, I searched for my favored sword, but it didn’t seem to be
littered anywhere around.
That one was my favorite, and it’s likely in the hands of one of Leigie’s
subordinates at this point. There was a Greed Demon there, so perhaps it’s with
him.
Well, that all doesn’t really matter. Even that Greed-kun who whetted my
appetite to that extent, now that I’d lost my appetite, held no more meaning to
me then the countless foodstuffs scattered around the dirt.
“… I guess I should get going…”
I whispered.
I already knew what I was going to do.
I’ll meet Leigie again. For that sake, I’ll start walking forward. That was the only
premise. When the girl he was supposed to have killed appeared before his eyes,
just what sort of face would that man make? I was looking forward to it just a
bit.
I gave an order to my body, which felt heavier than it ever had before, and put
one foot out.
Just how desolate is this reality without hunger?
It’s not like I’m damaged at all. Neither have my muscles declined in the
slightest.
Simply through the fact I wasn’t properly embracing a desire, through the fact I
no longer held any strong will, it seems my body will become this hard to move.
The Demon World’s map had names stuck onto it by the color of the soil, and
the atmosphere surrounding it. Even if I didn’t know my exact location, I had a
general idea.
The surrounding region, all the way to the horizons, was filled with pebbles of
black, with some ash colors mixed in here and there, taking in the sun’s light
without end.
And fitting of the name of the Lord of these lands, meaningless air filled with
gloomy mana as if to lower one’s spirits.
It’s the proof of how, over long years, revieving power from the Lord of Sloth,
the environment underwent a change.
Even thinking back to my oldest memories, it’s not hard to remember how this
was always the Dark Prison ruled by Leigie of Acedia.
Meaning if I proceed like this, then Leigie’s stronghold… I’ll arrive at the Castle of
Shadows.
But is that really alright?
Isn’t that like skipping the story, and directly going out to challenge the last
boss?
By my estimate, my own power hasn’t declined, but that’s merely another
peculiarity.
A Demon’s power is their cravings. There’s no way the current me that doesn’t
embrace hunger is of the same strength as the one full of nice and healthy
appetite.
I hesitated for a few seconds, and decided to alter my objective.
At the moment, I don’t hold the will to confront the Lazy King. I don’t have any
will to begin with.
It’s no good to head straight for him. At the very least, getting a grasp on my
own situation, and the current situation of the Demon World comes first. I’ve
never experienced being regenerated from my soul core before, but I can guess
that it hasn’t been a short amount of time.
I mean, I have all the time I need. With my need to eat gone, looking back, it’s
been a frighteningly long time I’ve spent.
A map floated up in my head.
I thought of the closest fiefs to Leigie’s unified lands.
The Egoist, Vanity Seidthroan. The Crimson Prison ruled by a Lord of Superbia.
Tyler Gredmore. The Golden Prison ruled by a Lord of Avaritia.
The one with the greater power would be Vanity, but the current me didn’t
have the heart to take on a Greed Demon. To line up a feast before me when I’m
not even hungry, the thought alone sends shivers up my spine.
Vanity’s pride was, strangely enough, not violent. With that in mind, it’d
probably be best to set out for the Crimson Prison for now. His army’s quality
isn’t that high, so even if my sustained existence is to be found out, I doubt
they’ll chase me too far.
After thinking that far, I noticed. Even without some grandiose goal, even
when my hunger was non-existent, I was trying to live on.
That was just too strange, and I ended up giving a bitter smile.
“… Fufu… fu for my instinct for survival to still functions without desire…”
It looks like I’ll have to change up my opinion on life a little.
I let out a sigh of grief, and began walking across the black earth, that seemed
to extend on forever.

Part 2: Maybe if my Appetite Returns

A change in the situation always comes abruptly.
Even for a Demon Lord with absurdly wide perception, we cannot see the
future.
Last year’s me never even imagined that I would ever lose my hunger, and I
never thought it would become this hard to move either.
To demons embracing their longings, those longings were their will to live.
Perhaps I never truly understood what that meant until after I revived.
A world without hunger, as if I was seeing a dream, lacked a sense of reality.
While I had found myself in a new world, to me, it didn’t fall short of the depths
of hell.
I was in a small town of the Crimson Prison I had reached by chance. And
there, I ran out of power. I lost my will to do anything, and spent who knows
how long collapsed at some café or another, forgetting an innumerable amount
of things.
I’m sure I had a plan. But the black hole drilled into the center of my heart
wouldn’t allow it.
Any and everything is but a trifle. To me, my appetite was a desire I could barely
stand, but also the highest form of pleasure.
On the table of a dirty casual café, I fell flat. It was an action so pointless in
nature I couldn’t even laugh at the Lord of Sloth anymore.
At the start, someone or another tried to talk to me, but perhaps getting tired
of me not offering a single action in return, that came to an end all too soon. I
also get the feeling I took a few Skills directed at my body as well, but contrary to
my state, the Gluttony Skills I had honed over my life nullified all of them.
 I’m not hungry at all. Yet still, my power shows no signs of dying out. It won’t
decrease. No, more so, even when I’m not eating anything at all, I get the feeling
it’s on the rise.
That was one of the few truths I came to learn upon returning from the abyss
of death, and it was also something I should have been shocked at.
It’s not like I was simply eating in order to gain power, but when I’m growing
stronger without doing anything at all, I somehow feel that all I’ve done up to
now has been pointless.
I simply sat, and within the quiet darkness, I thought about its meaning.
Without the desire that had always shaken up my existence, I had enough
thinking time for my brain to rot.
I even get the feeling that I’ll be able to grasp something given just a little bit
more.
But for some reason, today’s been quite noisy.
The sounds. The lights. A somewhat nostalgic wave of magic was coloring my
world. Whether I liked it or not, I perceived it all around me.
I wonder if some sort of accident’s transpired. Even for Demons, in times of
peace, the towns should have some peace and quiet. Especially with the place I
was at not being any sort of major city. It was simply a remote settlement. If I
was in the land of a hostile Demon Lord, that would be one thing, but this isn’t
the front lines of anything. I can’t imagine who’d attack who here.
But if you turn that around, if it’s a rare occurrence, that means it can happen
now and again. Those reckless enough to attack the cities of the Demon Lords
allied to the Great Demon King come out regularly.
The information coming through my five senses told me that the town had been
dragged into some form of war.
But the power ringing out around me, the forms, and the sounds, with the
burden I felt on my body, they were fruitless stimulus.
They’re not at a level where they’ll harm a Demon Lord like me, and it’s not
like…
… It’s not like I’ll be able to eat them anyways.
 Perhaps someone died. Several sources of power went out, and several of
them swelled up.
It was probably the after effect of the blasts. The table supporting my body was
blown away, and my body was thrown onto the ground. Again, I’m uninterested.
Having been tossed onto the earth, I stretched out my flawless tongue, and took
a taste of the ground.
… It’s not half bad. It’s definitely not bad, but my appetite isn’t whetted at all.
Since my revival, I’ve tried putting various sorts of food before myself. But still,
there’s no signs of anything coming back.
It’s not like it’s inedible, but I don’t want to eat it. That feeling was one of a
variety that, since my birth, I’d rarely ever tasted.
It’s also not something I felt when I confronted the Lord of Sloth. Those back
there were negative feelings, but what I’m feeling right now is surely zero.
Apparently, even non-Gluttony Demons will feel hunger with the passage of
time. That information did give me some optimism about my present condition,
but I can now say that my current state is of a problem beyond that level.
“… Hah, I wonder what happened… for me to not feel anything to this
extent…”
At this point, the hunch that I might not be a Demon anymore started turning
into my certainty.
Is this that sort of, ‘truth from a lie’ sort of thing…
But still, what’s with this…
While I was thinking something like that, I was grabbed by the scruff of the
neck, and hoisted up. My build isn’t too tall, so I don’t think any large Demon
would have too much of a problem doing that, but it’s quite amazing that they
were able to do that without saying a single word to me.
The hood that was intercepting the sunlight flew off, and I saw the face of the
one who lifted me.
Curling horns that grew at the top of his head, and six eyes were the Demon’s
characteristics. And to me, who lost all of my comrades, it was the first familiar
face I’d seen in a long time.
Leigie’s subordinate Greed-kun. One of the few existences in this world that I
tried, and failed to eat.
But even with one I thought of as tasty before my eyes, I don’t really feel
anything.
Greed-kun’s eyes went over my face expressionlessly for a moment. The stare
from his six pupils met with mine.
And in the next instant, without saying anything, still without an emotion on his
face, Greed-kun chucked me with all of his might.
I was thrown. As if throwing a ball, easily, without hesitation.
How cruel… to throw me away after going through all the trouble of picking me
up…
Perhaps he added some spin onto the toss, as my field of vision spun all over
the place. On an incredible wind, and an impact great enough to rock my
semicircular canals, without any real feelings, I put power into my body for once
in a while, waited for the right timing, and made a landing on the ground.
Even if I’ve lost my desire, that’s something irrelevant to Greed-kun.
Hey, at least let my keep my pride. I try not to show my unsightly face, and try to
strain my voice, but when it came out, I couldn’t help but think it was tinted with
a tired tone.
“… Well, well, well, you sure do some cruel things there… to acquaintances no
less…”
“W-w-why the hell are you at a place like this!!?”
“Fufu… I wonder.”
His confusion was enough to make me crack a smile.
Nice reaction. That’s a nice face you’re making there. As always, his appearance
is fitting for one called a Demon. Greed-kun’s figure, of course, but also his
gestures haven’t changed in the slightest from when I saw him last.
It would be nice if Leigie would give a reaction like that too, but…
“Of all else, I’m the one who’s wondering why you’re at a place like this, Greed-
kun… what a coincidence.”
“This sort of coincidence… I don’t need it. Boss, please give me a break
already…”
Looks like I’m quite hated. Fufu, even when I just went and devoured his
collection a little… What a narrow-minded child.
Well, I doubt I’d even be able to do something like that at this point.
Saved by his reaction, my tension that had been brought down to the lowest
possible level rose ever-so-slightly.
I could finally confirm the situation.
I smelled a scent that made my nose twitch.
Greed-kun, and the lone young boy Demon he was shouldering… that’s also a
Greed-kun. Fufu, he smells like the type that steals emotions. There aren’t any
other Demons around. Like a bubble of air, this entire area’s become completely
empty.
But more than that, the problem’s likely the enemy.
Enemy… prey. Nice ring to that.
I turned my eyes to the side.
Two sculpture-like males. Wearing pure white vestments, their large builds
boasted a pair of white wings of light on their backs. Heavenly messengers.
Showing off their dark intent to kill us all in their silver eyes, these natural
enemies of Demon-kind were lined up right in the middle of the Demon World
without a moment’s hesitation.
As if one of the two had been replicated, they looked like two peas in a pod. The
large presences they wore around themselves were a single widely pronounced
symbol of fear to our race.
If you do something bad, the Angels will come for you, the parents say… Fufu.
“Two Angels… Fufu, it sure has been a while since I’ve seen the form of an
Angel… it sure is regrettable that I can’t eat them.”
Their light presences, that had so little impurity in them they began to feel
unnatural.
Even for someone with a perpetual existence like me, a force I rarely had a
chance to meet: high ranking Angels. What’s more, the higher rank of those high
ranks.
 『Saint Lord』 Class.
This white light eating away at all the surroundings was the polar opposite of
the 『Abyss Zone』of Demon Lords.
It must be none other than the 『Paradise Field』 Skill that only Angel Lords
possess.
Their Divinity had a nasty nature of wiping away the Mana held by Demons.
In territories under the reign of Angels, we’re unable to wield our powers to our
satisfaction.
Both of the Angel’ eyes were directed at me, the unexpected trespasser.
Even if you look at me like that… this isn’t my will, you know. Fufu, I was just
kinda thrown, you know.
Yeah, I’ve just been thrown around. If you want someone here to resent, then go
after that Greed-kun, okay?
The Angels’ Killing intent, enough to shake one’s soul, gave a jolt to my
instincts. It’s not appetite. This must be those battle instincts that other Demons
speak about.
Greed-kun called out.
“Zebul, I’ll give you a warning for old time’s sake. It’d be best if you ran! Ki ki ki,
taking on two would be tough, even for you.”
Even when you just used me as a projectile, that’s quite mean.
But that may just be my misguided resentment there.
“Fu fu… who do you think you’re speaking to here?”
I’m an undefeated Lord. No, wait, I lost to Leigie, so I’m a once defeated Lord.
In a hundred thousand years of life, one loss. I can’t even remember the amount
of things I’ve eaten. Never fleeing, never facing loss.
If you want to call that good luck, then go ahead, but more than that, my Gula
disposition let me specialize in offense.
The use of my Skills were accompanied by a sort of uplifting feeling. Without
saying anything, I started using them for once in quite a while.
… Fufufu, my bad, Vanity. I’ll be taking these ones.
 The black aura of darkness that gathered with me at the center tainted that
divinity.
A bottomless black that seemed to devour every color around it, that dark power
that seemed to represent hunger itself was, even when its user had lost her
desire, in good health.
I washed away that annoying holy air those Angels were spewing all at once, and
dyed their white with my black.
The force that wouldn’t permit any resistance was, while I had lost my
starvation, the proof I was still a Lord.
To eat up and defile all creation, a Gula Demon’s right.
“I can’t believe it… you ate their Paradise Field!?”
“Fu… I haven’t eaten anything. It’s just that my power was the stronger of the
two. That’s all.”
Having their Field destroyed, the Angels’ silver eyes let off a dangerous light.
It wasn’t fear. Simply, their newfound will to fight me let out a slimy light. It
wasn’t anything different than what Angel usually embraced whenever they
were slaying Demon.
Strong light gathered in the palms of their hands. Unlike that let off by the
Demon World’s crimson sun, it was a white light. Without even an incantation,
their speed was like lightning, and their flowing movements gave off the
impression they were accustom to firing off such bolts.
But I saw through it in an instant. The memories of the war of White and Black
still lingered in my mind. Even if they haven’t appeared as of late, the nature of
these things wasn’t something I could forget so easily.
Ah, that’s…
I licked my lips. Even when I didn’t have an appetite, I was drooling.
… It sure was fun back then.
A quivering excitement ran from the base of my feet up my spine. All of my
memories could be summed up with the word, ‘Tasty.’
That was a wonderful time. It was even regretful that it had to come to an end.
“Fufu… so you guys are 『Iustitia』 Angels?”
 “……!?”
The time from collecting to shooting off their energy was a matter of seconds.
Theirs was an attribute designed for rapid fire, and it boasted a high offensive
power in order to bring ruin to Demons.
they shot off a light so dense, I couldn’t even keep my eyes open.
And without a chance to dodge, a large impact raced through my body.
An Angel’s power was much different from a Demons. Anyways, it was fast.
Their speed truly rivalled light. No matter how much speed you had, you would
be unable to outrun it; it was worthy of the name Heavenly Retribution.
Yep, it was probably worthy of that.
Definitely.
“Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufuf
“…!?”
The light went out.
I can’t stop my laughter.
Along with that killing intent, the angels’ faces had surprise mixed in for a
moment. For some reason, without running away, Greed-kun was making
himself scarce at the end of the alley, staring at me with his eyes wide open.
There wasn’t a single wound on my body.
“You guys… could it be that you’re idiots? Releasing out an energy attack at a
Gula… fufu, there’s something here we like to call sheer stupidity.”
I cast aside the overcoat, which now had a large hold burned into it.
The pitch-black clothing I wore underneath were『Gobbling Garments』 produced
through a Gluttony Skill.
Everything’s got to do with affinity. Gluttony was relatively weak against physical
attacks, but against magic attacks, it was extremely strong. Even against
something made of our natural killer, 『Light』, that fact held true.
The black clothing absorbed all light, as if it were a black hole. Even under the
light of the sun, it was nothing but uniform black.
Still… it wasn’t tasty at all. I’m sure it tasted quite fine when I last partook ten
thousand years ago, but…
How unfortunate, but there’s nothing to be done.
Even if I’m not to eat, Angels and Demons are opposing forces.
Fufu, how about I hitch a ride on that theory for a while?
I turned the palm of my own hand to the two Angels.
“I’ll show you a darkness that devours all light.”
As if taking those words as a trigger, the Angels’ wings began emitting light
once more.
But at that point, I had already fired off my Wave of Starvation. The wave that
gradually encroached on them was the hunger my soul thrived of in itself. For
the longest time, it was the curse that obeyed my will.
As the light passed through the depths of the darkness, it was eaten up, and
faded away.
The bland turned to pure energy, and filled my body. I’m not soft enough to be
done in by elementary Skills.
I birthed countless 『Tentacles』 from my body. Because my own two arms had
proven insufficient, I became able to create them. They were my hands.
They numbered a hundred. Of course, that number vastly exceeded the Angels’
limbs, and also Greed-kun’s hands.
The Angels’ expressions warped in disgust. Nice expression. That’s a nice face
you’re making there.
“Then, I’ll start.”
Ten for movement. The other ninety for attack.
I manipulate my tentacles like whips to swipe at the angels from the side.
Perhaps not in the mood to be touched by them, the two Angels acted in unison.
Their wings let off light, and they flew up vertically to avoid.
It was one of their selling points. Something that even lower class Angels
possessed without exception-their heavenly wings… their mobility.
And as a Gula Demon with numerous means of attack, regardless of distance, I
had a good affinity here.
As I swung one tentacle horizontally, I extended another up high, and brought
it down at them.
And I extend another. Once you get to my level, the tentacles’ numbers and
lengths can be freely manipulated and changed.
For the one coming at them from above, the Angels barely dodged to the said.
As they dodged, from the palms of their hands, they shot of large Novas, several
times the power of their previous attack.
The balls of light numbered in the dozens. Masses of destructive energy cause
the townscape to change. They shot them off without properly deciding a target,
so they hit building after building, causing their collapse.
The ground shook greatly. Power great enough to alter the terrain. But with an
increase in destructive power, the speed dropped off. As the came at me with
speeds much lower than their light, there wasn’t the space for me to dodge.
I packed power into the tentacles at my feet, and had them bore into the
ground.
And I avoided them all. Within my Zone, I could perceive everything. I
understood the area, and for the balls of light without that great a speed to
begin with, I could dodge them even with my eyes closed.
And like that, receiving power from the masses of muscle that were my
tentacles, In just a step, I had reached the space right below the two Angels
floating in the sky. Of course, in that space of time, I didn’t stop the tentacles
coming at them up there either.
The skies don’t belong to you guys alone. If I felt like it, then like a spider’s web, I
could string up my hands.
Nothing can escape from my dinner plate.
“Uge… you sure do some reckless things…”
I barely heard Greed-kun whisper to himself with a stiff expression.
 Reckless?
Fufufu… that’s just how a Lord’s battles go.
I think your Lord’s the one who’s all over the place! Even if I try forgetting, I’ll
never be able to get that taste out of my mind!
The moment the Angels had their full attention focused on the hands coming
at them from up high, I gave the ground a nice kick.
I put the tentacles I used for movement to offensive use. As a large number of
Tentacles came at them from below, one of them tried diverting them, the other
directed the palm of his hand at me.
Fufu, for them to still be relying on magic Skills at this point…
Of course, this isn’t my place to complain. The ones who hold responsibility for
this one are you guys alone
As if to match him, I also held out both my hands.
“Judgement Rain.”
“The Skyeater’s Darkness.”
And light and dark were to clash once more.
The light tried to pierce through the darkness, and the dark to suck up the light.
In a sense, it was a mini representation of our eternal struggle.
The energy I felt from that light was, without a doubt, Lord Class.
Therefore, the power I got from dissolving it was also large.
By drinking down the light, the darkness only gained in strength.
While Avaritia may be the best under the heavens at stealing, there’s no one out
there to contest a Gula’s skill at eating.
Even so, I doubt I’ll be able to stomach all this energy. No matter what, the
power of darkness was always a step behind that of light.
When Lords of the same level were to duke it out, it was inevitable that the
Demons would be the ones torn apart. I knew that all too well.
That’s why I tempted them. With tentacles.
“Fufu… it’s not good to look away like that.”
I pierced the Angel’s hand with a tentacle I circled around from the side. At the
same time the light emitted at me changed course, and flew into the distance.
For a moment, I could see surprise on the Angel’s face, and before that faded,
the Angel was swallowed into my darkness.
An indescribable scream escaped his lips.
An exclamation enough to make me shiver. The power of the Angel passing
through the darkness flowed into me. It’s likely that at the moment, he’s going
through the pain of having his entire body dissolved.
The Angel passed through, and gripped my face with the palm of his hand.
I couldn’t see his expression. But it was easy to imagine. It must be the
expression I’ve always found directed at me.
And that’s why, as always, I offered some words of gratitude.
“Thank you for the meal.”
In a short moment, the Angel’s body fully settled into my stomach. Only the
remnants of his magic overflowed onto my lips.
As I thought, it’s quite tasteless. It seems that he did properly raise his power
level, but this is way too bland, you know…
Following the law of gravity, I landed on the ground. As long as I have these
Gobbling Garments on, I don’t even raise a cloud of dust, but out of habit, I
patted down my trousers.
The other Angel wasn’t there anymore. I knew.
The moment the first one tried to shoot of that ‘Judgement Rain’ attack, the
second took flight. Perhaps, if the other one had stayed behind, I wouldn’t have
been able to pierce that Angel’s hand. And even after having his comrade desert
him, the emotions of the Angel firing down his judgement at me didn’t shift in
the slightest.
That goes to say that was their plan from the start.
“Fu… they’re way too understanding. How boring…”
If they were floating around, that’d be one thing, but I’ve no means to catch
up to an Angel flying a straight line path away
In the first place, that lack of taste doesn’t let me work up a desire to give chase.
The instincts for battle, the instincts for strife burned into my body were
restrained upon eating that first one.
 In the past, it was unthinkable for me to let an ingredient flee from before my
eyes, but… well, I wonder if this isn’t too bad either.
I looked around the town that had become a mountain of rubble, and found
Greed-kun looking at me from a corner.
As always, that’s quite some courage there. With a former enemy, a former
Demon Lord before his eyes, for him not to be harboring any fear, even for a
General Class Demon, that isn’t an easy thing to pull off.
Well, even so, in the end, that’s all he is to me…
“Ki ki ki, as always, that’s some absurd power you’ve got…”
“Fufu… even if you call them Lords, they weren’t anything to speak of.”
Just as Demon Lords differed from start to finish, Saint Lords had a wide gap
between the top and the bottom.
Even among them, the Lords I just met were… small fries.
Well, even then, there’s no doubt they’re a rare food stock to find in this vast
Demon World.
I let out a large sigh, and patted my stomach.
Ah… maybe if my appetite returns…

Part 3: It’s no good… I guess

I smelled it.
The table before my eyes was crammed full of various types of food.
Besides a single territory, the Demon World was covered in poverty. That’s
why it’s a rare sight to see so many dishes spread out, but I was of a sort that
didn’t really mind appearances, so that didn’t really matter.
… As long as it sates my hunger.
On top of a white polished plate was a meat dripping fresh blood.
As a Demon of Gluttony, I could understand. That was Dragon meat.
The raw meat of one of the few races of this Demon World able to fight on par
with Demon. Of course, it was a rare delicacy, and its taste was supposed to be
splendid enough to put it on the same level as Demons.
 As I silently looked upon the masses of meat distributed across the plates, the
large-built Demon that had brought it timidly asked a question
He was likely a Pride or Greed. I didn’t know his name, or his power. His lust for
the limelight alone was first-rate, and he was a pitiful man who tried attacking
me when I was furrowing my brow, and slowly walking alone.
To a Demon Lord, most Demons below General Class were generally just part
of the rabble. At the very least, to one that had spent long years in the position
like me, even when I’d lost my cravings, I could only speak of him as ‘one of those
other Demons.’
“… I-is it to your tastes? It’s the meat of the Crimson Dragon subjugated just
the other day. Meat that won’t fall short of any Demon… For someone like you
that governs Gula, it must be more than a suitable offering, right?”
“… Hah…”
The Demon frantically tried to shrink his body, and his throaty voice shook.
There really isn’t anything more unsightly than this.
I played around with the silver fork I took in hand, and gazed at the Dragon
mean.
How troublesome. As I thought, it’s not whetting my appetite. I’ve no mood to
eat it.
It’s smell wasn’t bad at all, and the power exerted by the meat was quite clear.
Speaking of Class, it may even surpass a General Class Demon’s. It won’t
transcend a Demon Lord, of all things, but even so, there’s no mistaking that it
was a first-rate edible.
For the pitiful man kneeling before me, it must have been quite a trouble to
obtain.
Normally, I would have devoured it without a second thought, but now it was
futile. My feelings aren’t moved.
Even the concept of hunger itself is starting to disappear across the horizon of
my memory.
In the first place, once a Demon becomes a Demon Lord, they can go several
years without food or drink. That’s why there’s probably no need to worry about
death, and for someone like me, who went through such an intense sense of
irritation just through a single day without food, this was definitely the strangest
state I had ever found myself in.
In the end, I couldn’t work up the intention to eat it no matter what, and
without staining the end of the fork at all, I left it on the table.
“… No, I’m good.”
“… Eh? You haven’t even touched it, haven’t…”
“… You can eat it if you want.”
Ah……………………
This isn’t me. This definitely isn’t my character. Just how am I supposed to face
my subordinates waiting for me in the world beyond!?
Normally, the food, and the plate, and the silverware, and the Demon that made
it all would have been in my stomach by now. I’m the freaking Devourer,
dammit!
I dismounted the chair, and passed by the Demon staring at me in a daze.
And without eating a single thing in the end, I left the store.
At the entrance, a needlessly wary Greed-kun was waiting for me.
Oh, he wasn’t Greed-kun, was he… right, Deije.
Deije Breindac. Former general of Leigie Slaughterdoll’s army.
Well, at the point, he’s just a lone Demon searching for treasure in foreign lands,
it seems.
Fufu, that’s what you call unemployed, you know. Unemployed.
“… Oy, oy, so you’ve seriously lost your cravings…”
“Yeah. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
Cleanly gone. Nothing left. All that remained in me was a deep feeling of loss.
I had no clue of the means I needed to fill that. There’s nothing I’m capable of
besides eating.
Deije-kun knitted his brow into a difficult expression, and folded his arms.
“… I’ve never heard of something like that…”
“Yeah, that’s because I’m the first.”
 Even if he’s long lived, at the very least, he’s probably younger than me.
Well, for the individual that lost their longings, it definitely wouldn’t be a fun
thing to speak of, and even if such a case came up in the past, there’s a
possibility it never spread too far.
If I took away the point of looking at Deije-kun as an ingredient, he was a rare
find among Demons, an ‘accomplished individual.’
Usually, the deeper a Demon’s desire runs, the harder it is to hold a conversation
with them. In that sense, with his shallow desire, he may still be a novice of a
Demon, but as a travelling companion, he wasn’t half bad.
In contrast to his monster-like appearance, he was quite straight-forward. That
man.
Well, that’s something I was even able to notice when I fought him a year prior.
“Well, that’s how it is, so the current me doesn’t have the willpower to eat
you.”
“Ki ki ki, that so?I get the feeling it’s nice and peaceful that way…”
Seeing him let out quite a deep sigh gave me the impression he was quite the
pessimist.
It’s not good to overthink things, you know. If you’re going to think so hard
about something make it thoughts towards how you plan to satisfy your own
desire.
Thinking of something, I tried asking him.
“… You, could it be that you usurped my appetite?”
“Wha… like hell I did. Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t want to take it.”
Well, that’s about right.
The target of his theft I likely treasure. You can call that the most popular type of
Greed.
In the first place, I doubt someone who wanted something like my appetite
would ever become an Avaritia. If there was a Demon like that, they would
definitely come to govern Gula instead.
Deije-kun’s disgusted face was the real deal. Fufu, you don’t have to hate it
that much…
 Deije-kun, and that Zeta-kun fellow seemed to be suffering quite a bit, but
once you become a Demon Lord, this level of heat isn’t enough to influence you
in the slightest.
Regardless of having eaten that Angel, after confirming that not a particle of my
hunger had retrned, I lowered myself into a seat at the café.
Of course, it wasn’t the one I had collapsed at before. That shop was destroyed
from the shockwaves of the Angels’ attacks.
The shop chosen to grace our reunion was somewhat newer than that other
one, but there wasn’t much a difference between them. It was that sort of small
diner.
Perhaps because it was a ways away from the battlefield, the air was calm as if
that scene from before had been but a dream.
It was enough to make one sleepy.
With Deije-kun sitting across, and Zeta-kun positioned to watch my every
move, I conversed. They didn’t seem to intend to hide anything, and they
smoothly explained the current state of affairs.
It looks like the Demon World’s state had changed greatly in the time I’d been
gone.
It was right of me to set out for the Crimson Prison. My name was likely spread
across the lands. As the foolish Demon Lord who tried to pull a bow at Kanon-
sama.
That’s why meeting someone who knew my face like Deije-kun was a form of
luck. Yep, I must be in luck. It’s not like we’ve become comrades in arms or
anything, but there are plenty of Demon out there who won’t listen to what you
have to say.
Also, when I’m left alone, that feeling of loss wins over, and brings a hinderance
to my daily function, so in that sense, this moderate level of tension isn’t bad.
Angels and Valkyries.
Leigie’s demotion in rank, and of how Heard Lauder became a Demon Lord.
These old tales were all fresh news to me.
Of all else, Leigie’s fall didn’t settle right. I wonder what happened.
At the very least, the achievement of bringing ruin to me should count towards
his promotion, and not the opposite.
The fact that the Ancient Demon who moved the army under his name, Heard
Lauder, became a Demon Lord makes the possibility that Heard Overruled Leigie
to be the most likely option, but…
Whatever the case, it looks like my death was the starting point of something.
A Pride Demon, and me of Gluttony don’t have too good of an affinity. They’re
not an enemy I’d like to fight, but… if my annihilation started up something, then
if my survival was found out, I got the feeling he would come for me. It was quite
a pain.
But putting me aside, the two Greed-kuns were focusing on the former.
Future over past. Well, it’s not like I don’t see where they’re coming from. The
problem with Leigie was mine alone, and Deije-kun was irrelevant.
While Deije-kun had become quite affable, Zeta-kun continued to send
suspicious eyes in my direction, so I decided to just play along.
“Hmm… Angels, is it? I guess blue moons really do rise.”
“What’s more, Saint Lord Class. Ki ki ki, there’s definitely something up.”
As he said that, Deije-kun’s eyes sparkled with desire as if he were staring at his
prey.
It was common knowledge that Angels occasionally descended, but that was in
low frequency, and those with over a set level of competence wouldn’t think of
coming down.
For Saint Lord class, if you exclude the War of Black and White ten thousand
years ago, it was a story I hadn’t heard at all as of late.
Deije-kun’s words were quite on the mark.
… But that’s all they were.
It feels bad to dampen the flame on Deije-kun’s earnest desire, but this isn’t
that sort of story. This won’t be the path to his glory.
From my point of view, it was all too clear, but a General has a General’s point of
view, and a Lord, a Lord’s.
“Fufu… Deije-kun, you’re reading too much into it. Fufu… if you want Glory,
then stop chasing around something like Angels, and start aiming to become a
Demon Lord already.”
That was the first crossroad.
For a Demon who can’t even do that, there’s no glory to be found.
And chasing Angels is a waste of time. Honing the mind and body on the path to
become a Demon Lord isn’t something done in order to destroy angels and
Demons.
It’s all about seeing the depths of your desire. That’s all there is to it.
It’s another matter when battle is directly related to said desire, but your Sin
isn’t something like that, right?
Fufu, this is what they call escapism, isn’t it?
Deije frowned, and regretfully shook his head.
“Ki ki ki, reaching that level isn’t something I can imagine for myself. I’ll just
take it as it comes.”
Fufu… do what you will.
Of course, even if it be to friendly troops, any Avaritia willing to lend out the
target of their longings (treasures) will never become a Demon Lord, you know…
Right, his sin is… too shallow. I know of a greed that burns much more brightly.
For Deije-kun who chose to toss away his treasure, of all things, it may be a
matter of pure nature, but this is quite severe.
Zeta-kun asked Deije-kun a question. It looked like they were partners, and had
a sort of teacher-student relationship.
The young boy Demon’s expression did indeed hold the color of trust towards
him.
“So, Deije-san. What should we do? We ended up letting one of them get
away…”
“… Now that a Lord’s in the mix, we can’t go on at this rate. I did plan to give
chase, but at that level, to be honest, it’s beyond my hands.”
Our natural enemy, the Angels.
And the difference of Rank.
 Deije-kun’s words were correct. Depending on the situation, Avaritia could
exhibit unrivalled strength, but in pure fighting power, it fell a step behind Ira
and Gula.
If he had that Demon Blade from before, I’ll bet he’d be able to put up a decent
fight with a Saint Lord of that level, though.
That thing was all bark, and no bite.
“Ki ki ki, for now, let’s at least write in a report to the Great Demon King… even
something of that level should give off a considerable reward.”
Fufuf… how sweet. How very sweet. Having Lust Demons for sweetness is
more than enough.
Sweeetness and firmness. He’s pushing too hard on the brakes. There are times
when wiles fall short of bravery. That was a phenomenon that we age old
demons rarely come to witness.
Kanon-sama was a Lord that governed Wrath, yet also a kind-hearted King.
That’s why, even even with a simple report, there would likely be a bit of a
reward. But Deije-kun, if you keep at it like that, then what you seek will never
fall into your hands.
“So, Zebul. What do you plan on doing?”
“… Well then, that’s a good question.”
The Angel wasn’t tasty at all, but still, there was something to be gained.
My physical condition isn’t bad… No, the truth’s that I understand I’m at peak
condition. The current me could probably even put up a more decent fight with
that Leigie. Once more, I’ll get some experience fighting that Lord of Sloth. I
won’t be crushed so easily this time around.
Of all else, the current me doesn’t taste anything no matter what I try to eat.
That’s why perhaps I’ll be able to eat him this time around. Fight poison with
poison… I wonder if that’s what you’d call it.
It’s the life I’ve gotten together again, so challenging him again doesn’t sound
bad. I’m a challenger… fufufu, when I think of it that way, my heart dances just a
bit.
Perhaps sensing something from my expression, Deije opened just one of his
six eyes, and asked.
 “Zebul, won’t you come with me? In the past, we were mutual enemies, but
that’s exactly why I can understand your strength. Ki ki ki, taking on Angels
instead of Demons isn’t a bad change of pace, once in a while, right?”
“Fu… I’ll have to decline.”
His proposal was a respectable one, even shocking to hear from a Demon.
Inviting along one who once terrorized me in the past isn’t something I could
imagine.
But even if I’d lost my cravings, I had my dignity as a former Demon. Also, the
merits of answering to his invite were too low.
An Angel’s taste held too little value to me.
“Why?”
“Fufufu… I have a need to go and meet… eat up that Leigie.”
That was my obligation as a challenger to one who’d bested me once before.
Deije-kun distorted his face a little, and directed a gaze as if he were looking at a
monster in my direction.
“… Just where do you find such energy after you were thoroughly destroyed
like that…”
“That’s obvious… if I go on without eating, I can’t call myself a Gula anymore.”
Even if I’m not hungry at all. I doubt you’d understand it.
This is a matter of pride.
“… Well, well, well, I guess all of those Demon Lords out there are a bit off their
rockers.”
“And that’s exactly why they’re all tasty.”
“Deije-san… is this person alright in the head?”
Zeta-kun’s face was quite clearly stiffened as he pointed at me.
What a rude child.
Well, I didn’t expect him to understand my train of thought anyways. This is
mine, and mine alone.
Fufu… even if you may be Greed, I won’t let you take it from me so easily.
 “… So you’ll be off to the Dark Prison, then… Ki ki ki, the ownership of that land
has already shifted. Heard Lauder’s a tough one, you know? I mean, that there’s
a Superbia who’s followed Boss Leigie from time immemorial. He’s even the Rank
One Demon Lord at the moment. While you may be the Devourer, it’s too heavy
a burden.”
“Fufu.”
You really don’t get it.
Yes, your words are all correct.
As it is, Pride grows stronger the more years pass by. If that gets to around the
same level of time as Leigie’s existence, then no normal Demon Lord would be
able to lay a finger on them. Ranks aren’t just some decoration, and as Gluttony,
my affinity against him is bad.
… But that’s not enough of a reason for me not to eat.
Fufu… Rank One’s Pride.
Heard Lauder. It’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to partake in your matured
taste.
But there’s no helping it. You may be a bit heavy for an appetizer, but I’ll eat you
up all the same.
“… Keh, looks like you’ve no mind to change your intentions.”
“Could it be you’re making light of me, Deije-kun? Fufu… even like this, I’m a
former Demon Lord, you know.”
“No, of course, I know that, but…”
Deije let out a dissatisfied sigh.
It was likely his own shallow desire that prevented him from empathizing with
me.
The two of us were different lifeforms. The souls that formed our base, and our
ranks were different. My power was higher class even among the other Demon
Lords, and no matter how strong Deije-kun became, no matter how many
Demon Blades he held, that gap was close to absolute.
I wonder if he’s noticed it.
That in the eyes he used to look at me, there was a slight color of awe mixed in.
 “Yep… each and every one of you Lords is just too hard to deal with. There’s no
helping it. I’ll just do as I wish, them.”
“And I don’t plan on stopping you. Carry out your cravings as you please.
Fufufu… make sure you don’t regret it when they’re all gone.”
“I can’t even imagine these feelings in me going out. Ki ki ki, from my eyes,
Zebul the Devourer… I can’t see that yours has gone out either.”
As me muttered that with exaggeration, he raised a peculiar laugh.
His eyes, and his voice didn’t give me the impression he was joking around.
Well, desire is something you keep within yourself. Only their possessors can
truly grasp their natures.
As it to answer to that, I licked my lips.
After trembling a little, Deije-kun got up. He had a goal of his own. I had
neither the right, nor the motivation to stop him.
“So will you be departing any time soon? From here on plan on heading for the
Palace of Rending Flames as soon as I can.”
“Fufu… perhaps I’ll go meet an old friend first. Stopping to talk once in a while
isn’t a bad thing.”
In the first place, it was a coincidence I chose to set foot in the Crimson Prison.
I came here without any detours, so I hadn’t even heard the slightest rumor an
Angel had come down, and I never even imagined I would see someone I knew.
But when It came down to it, I met the Angels, and I met Deije-kun. It may be off
from my goal, but while I’m at it, another meeting or two doesn’t sound bad.
Humans sure are interesting creatures… no, I’m pretty sure I mean Demons.
“An old… friend?”
“Yeah… I’ve been alive for a while… even if I look like this, I’ve been around
quite a bit.”
Of course, a majority of those acquaintances have taken up residence in my
stomach…
If you look at it from the other side, you can think of the one I was off to meet as
one of the rare acquaintances I had that didn’t settle down there.
There’s also the fact I couldn’t eat him because we were part of the same army
under the Great Demon King, but the greater reason lay with that Demon’s
power.
Fufufu…
Well, it’s not like we got along anyways. We’re comrades in longevity, so
there’s that sympathy thing or another.
Suspecting something, Deije-kun opened his six exes, and stared hard enough to
bore a hole in my face.
“Oy, oy, you couldn’t mean…”
“Fufufu… well, we’re friends… after all.”
“… That’s news to me.”
It was a somber voice as heavy as lead.
As if smacked by that voice, Deije-kun and Zeta-kun took large leaps back. I had
noticed it all along, so I wasn’t surprised, but that presence surely was fearsome.
Strong enough that even with General Class power, you wouldn’t have been able
to perceive it.
If I didn’t have my Abyss Zone, it was so thin that even I might have lost sight
of it, and that inherently tremendous existence, was one of a rare Demon who
didn’t show off a single piece of the power he had stored up from times beyond
memory.
That was the base of the Pride this Demon governed.
Zeta-kun looked up at his large frame with a stiff expression.
“W-what… you.. from when…”
“… Tsk.”
He was about two heads over Deije-kun, making one think he was one of the
『Greip Giants』 that once inhabited this Demon world.
His protruding muscles were built like stone, and they covered his entire body
like armor. The gap between his dignity and his light presence left one with and
absurdly ominous sensation.
Vanity Seidthroan.
 A Demon Lord who gave up on the throne.
He was quite a rude one whose first sounds directed at me were the click of his
tongue. The great Lord of Demons boasting the moniker of The Egoist, used his
thunderous voice that reverberated through the skies to throw out some
lamentations.
“Why are you alive… that Slothful Lord… didn’t destroy you… perfectly
enough.”
“Fufu… how rude a fellow. For those to be the words of our long-awaited
reunion.”
Along with an overflowing smile, deep despair started sputtering around me
like sparks.
As I thought… isn’t no good.
 Part 4: Seconds Please

Before I knew it, the store was surrounded by countless soldiers. Just like
Vanity, their presences were faint, and the sense of reality of the situation was
compromised.
Deije-kun’s face tensed, as he surveyed the area without a hint of negligence.
His bearing was high strung, but there wasn’t any fear.
Men and women of all ages. Their bodies, and powers, and sizes varied greatly,
but in just one regard, did that Legion have a trait that put it apart from the
armies of other Demon Lords.
Without any divide among their movements, they all fixed their eyes on me.
Let along an expression, their entire faces were enveloped in full masks of the
darkest black.
They somewhat resembled the subordinates of Vanity when I first met him,
but they were also somewhat different.
Vanity the Egoist’s subordinates were a peculiar unit known as the Ravus
Persona.
Their origin, or reason, nothing about them was known.
It wasn’t for their strength, but for their ominous appearance that their names
were spread. An incomprehensible army.
If we were looking at strength here, then Leigie’s army that Deije-kun once
commanded would far outclass them. As long as Vanity wasn’t with them, that
is.
But still, even without their Lord, this army had something I couldn’t put my
finger on.
“Fufu… that’s quite a greeting…”
“Caution is… natural… no?”
 Vanity came to his own conclusion, as he look down at me from a level far
above my stature.
That goes without saying. I’m Gula. I’m used to putting people on their guard.
With their faces covered, the silent Demons weren’t letting out any intent to
harm me, and they merely looked on, as if awaiting orders from their master.
Loyalty. That quality that was exceedingly rare to find in a Demon was even rarer
to come across in these numbers.
Fufu… well, I got used to it from past experience.
As if looking upon a detestable object, Vanity’s deep and dark eyes full of
longings lorded over me.
“Zebul… damn devourer.”
“You’re scaring me… fufufu, I’d prefer if you didn’t glare at me that much.”
Those aren’t… the eyes you direct at an old friend, you know. I mean, I just
tried taking a bit of a taste, didn’t I?
No matter how many tens of thousands of years pass, he’s a narrow-minded
man…
And as always, the number of words he let out were few in numbers. It was
apparently a habit he picked up in his childhood, and he couldn’t grow out of it.
What was the saying for this again…
The child is the father of the man. Right, that’s the one.
Without even trying to hide his disgust, Vanity raised a boorish voice.
“Why, here?”
“That one’s… a coincidence, I assure you. Fufu, though I did make a stop here
in order to meet with you.”
“…So I took… the bait.”
The Crimson Prison was Vanity’s kingdom.
Entering it was one thing, but with a Lord like me coming in, there’s no way
Vanity didn’t notice it.
As if trying to fill in the space between Vanity’s eyes and mine, Deije-kun
opened his mouth.
Your guts alone are to be commended… Deije-kun.
“Ki ki ki, and so, why in the world have you decided to show up at this point in
time, Boss Vanity?”
“… That, there.”
Vanity used his chin to point me out. As I thought, no matter how many years
go by, he’s a rude one.
Finding satisfaction in that answer, Deije-kun nodded. I’d like to complain a little
to that one.
“… You plan… on eating… more Angels?”
“… You sure bring up some nostalgic stuff.”
Yes, in the past, I was the Gula who devoured angels, and left nothing behind.
While they may be the natural enemy of Demons, no fault lay with them as
ingredients. I have no discrimination among food. Apart from Leigie.
That’s why the Gula who ate the most Angels ten thousand years ago was likely
me.
But of course, my goal this time wasn’t anything like that.
As the look of suspicion towards me rose, I spoke up to the man looking over me
with an apologetic tone.
“But this time’s goal is irrelevant to that. Fufu… Vanity. I have some business
with Leigie.”
“… Revenge… huh.”
A prideful thought. That sort must always have thoughts of violence.
“I’ve no interest in revenge. It’s because I can’t even eat him. Fufu… this time, I
just what to have a little talk. With the Lazy King, that is.”
Yes. Those are my true intentions.
If it’s that man, who took inactivity to its extremes, then perhaps he would be
able to offer an explanation to my current state.
No, even if he can’t… there’s no doubt that man killed the Demon Lord in me. In
order to restore my desires once mre, it’s a score I have to settle.
Even if I’m only to face defeat again.
 Vanity easily, and calmly nodded to my words.
“That… so? Do what… you want.”
“… Oy, oy, Boss Vanity, you sure about that? The Devourer, Zebul Glaucus, is
the Demon Lord who pulled her sword on the Great Demon King, right? Ki ki ki,
you sure you don’t have to clean up the matter?”
You sure say some unnecessary things. Unnecessary as it may be.
Vanity was definitely a subordinate of the Great Demon King, but he definitely
wasn’t her loyal servant.
In the first place, Demons are self-serving. Direct orders from the King aside,
there’s no rule saying that two Demon Lords who meet by chance have to break
into a fight.
As I’ve had an unnervingly long relation with him, I can say it for sure.
Even if he’d given up on the throne, if you were to split the Demon Lords allied to
Kanon-sama into factions, he would definitely be on the anti-Kanon faction.
“… Don’t… die… too quickly.”
“Fufufu… is this where I’m supposed to give my thanks? Then thank you?”
“… fu.”
Vanity snorted, before readily showing his back, and walking off.
And as if they were a receding wave on the shore, his subordinates filtered out of
the store.
It was like I had been seeing a dream, and after that, the situation was exactly
the same as it had been before.
Vanity was only here for a brief instant. His presence wasn’t anywhere close at
this point. Using my zone, I was just barely able to make him out before, but now
it had faded into the mist.
Deije-kun’s stiff face let out a sigh.
“Just what… was that? He sure is an ominous one. My instincts were sending
shocks of fear all over my body… Ki ki ki, the world sure is wide. I didn’t think it
was like this last I saw it… ”
“… That’s because Vanity was preparing for war. Fufu… it just means he wasn’t
as calm as his expression would indicate.”
From times past, that man’s been a coward. To his sin of Superbia, he held a
crippling trauma.
That’s why he’s so timid, and that’s why he’s so strong.
I hadn’t seen him in a while, but it looks like Vanity hadn’t changed in the
slightest. No, just a little, just by a small margin, he had become more resolved.
Fufufu… Heard Lauder must have stepped on a nerve.
Zeta-kun tilted his head, and posed a question to Deije-kun, who had regained
his composition.
“… But why did he even come all the way here…? Even taking his army with
him.”
“He likely came to hammer me down… fufufu, it’s because I know him quite
well.”
Probably, Kanon-sama included, he was the Demon Lord I’ve known for the
longest amount of time.
For Demons who I’ve known of that long, there’s probably only that Leigie to
contest. Also, perhaps I knew of Heard Lauder, or not.
“… Hammer?”
“Right. Hammer. I won’t get in your way, so you don’t go getting up in my
business. That sort of thing.”
The killing intent flowing out from Vanity was definitely directed at me. To try
threatening someone who, for argument’s sake, reigns over Gluttony like me, I
can only show some admiration.
Fufu… just as meeting Leigie was my current supreme goal, Vanity must have
something as well.
Well, I do have a general idea, but of course, I’m not going to do anything about
it, and it’ll probably come to a result convenient to me anyways.
Right now, eating was nothing but a pain. It would be best if there were fewer
hindrances.
Misunderstanding something, Deije-kun tensed his face, and let his gaze float
out in space.
“Even so, that imposing air wasn’t normal… does that Vanity have some sort of
karma with Angels? It did seem he had taken quite a bit of caution regarding
them, but…”
Karma. Karma, is it?
Deije-kun was half on the mark, and half off.
If you ask whether he has some or not, then that’s probably a yes right there.
Among long-lived Demons, I doubt you’d find too many without any karma
against those heavenly guys.
“Fufu, Deije-kun. That Demon is…”
Should I say it, or not?
Hmm… I hesitated for a moment, but it’s not like any problems would arise just
by saying it.
I wanted to put on airs for a bit, so I decided to teach little old Deije-kun.
“… a former 『Angel』, you know?”
Angels and Demons are two sides of the same coin. We’re all made of soul all
the same, and the differences between us lied only in if we’re trash, or righteous
souls.
That’s why, if an Angel falls, their spirits can turn over, and they’ll become
Demons.
“… So he’s Fallen…”
Right. An Angel falls to a Demon. A 『Fallen Angel』.
A reversed Angel. An angry soul, betrayed by the love of god. Fufufu, in the first
place, he’s much more sinful than I, back when I was still a Demon.
Even upon hearing my words, Deije-kun was more collected than I expected.
Fufu, despite everything, it seems he really has been through a considerable
amount of life.
He whispered to himself, to confirm the meaning of his words. Half of it may
have been to let Zeta-kun follow the conversation, as the lad was looking up a
Deije-kun with an uncomprehensive face.
“Ki ki ki, a former Angel… is it? That sure ain’t anything nice.”
 “Well… that’s right. Fufu, he’s still quite bitter about it.”
Nothing nice. It’s because he wasn’t nice that he fell in the first place. Well,
that’s right, I guess.
But why is it that Vanity currently holds the seat of a Demon Lord? An absolute
existence among the ranks of Demons?
This is why humans are so interesting… no, Demons, I mean.
“… So can Vanity win against those Angels?”
Deije-kun muttered, but as if he wasn’t looking for an answer, he let his words
dangle.
“Well, if it’s just Angels, he’ll probably win. But Vanity’s enemy this time is no
Angel.”
“… Yeah. No ordinary Angel, a Saint Lord. What’s more, those guys… they went
and powered up in the middle of battle. If that wasn’t something they had been
concealing, and it really did rise right in the middle of battle, it’s going to get
troublesome.”
Fufu… Deije-kun’s quite the worrier.
But those worries are needless. At the very least, if it’s an Angel on the level of
the one I fought, it won’t be an enemy for Vanity, and that wasn’t even really a
battle for me.
But I won’t say that one.
Fufufu, what you should be worrying about is yourself, and I need to start
worrying about myself as well.
I turned my thoughts back to me.
Me alone.
Now then, how should I go about getting to Leigie…
How should I set out…
It will be difficult to get past Heard Lauder. That’s just how Demons of Pride
are.
They have absolute strength, but if I had to say, that power declined the most
when faced upfront.
But when it was a battle of pursuit, they displayed peerless strength. That was
the Original Sin of Superbia.
In the first place, will he even fight me?
Leigie’s Castle of Shadows was deep in the land known as the Dark Prison.
No matter what direction I go at it from, I’ll have to tread on the territory of
Heard Lauder. Will he think of me as a harmless Demon?
No, I doubt it. My power’s too strong for that, and even if I try to get through
with words, he’s kinda a battle maniac.
In that case, I’ll have to make an opening.
If we face off, I don’t think I’ll lose, but it won’t be an easy win.
Pride was generally an attribute that excelled in speed. At Demon Lord Level,
they could see the world moving as if it were stagnant.
Since there’s no way to break through by running, my best bet would be to wait
for a good opportunity.
I don’t really like leaving myself to fate, but luckily for me, it shouldn’t be long
before a large gap appears in Heard Lauder’s defenses.
“Fufufu, an opportunity, is it? How many years has it been… since I did
something like waiting for a chance…”
It usually works out one way or another if I muscle my way through it… for me.
This exhilarating feeling of waiting for something to come wasn’t anything I’ve
felt for a long, long time.
So what should I say at a time like this… fufu…
“Seconds… perhaps?”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“Fufu… it’s nothing.”
I dodged Deije-kun’s suspicious look, and stared out in the direction Vanity had
departed.
Nice. That desire, that emotion, it’s quite nice. Vanity the Egoist. From the eyes
of someone who’s known you so long, I can’t even believe you were once an
Angel.
Time and luck were on my side.
Fufufu, Leigie. I’ll probably be meeting you in a foreseeable future. Have fun
waiting for it.
The Lazy King Chapter 11: Acedia’s Neglect

The Lazy King 2 Chapter 3: Acedia’s Neglect

 Part 1: Today was Peaceful

It was the reaches of space.

Space. According to some God out there or another, it was an endless abyss of
darkness. Even if one possessed heavenly wings, it wasn’t so easy to span the
emptiness that was vaster than the high Heavens, and rumored to exist in a
place somewhere far beyond them. And there, it was said that absolutely
nothing existed.
Gravity and matter and light and even desire ceased to exist.
All that was there was… right.
“Nothing…”
“… It’s not… nothing!”
An unthinkable amount of power came from those slender arms to pull at me,
and from that dark, and warm, and soft space of nothingness, I was dragged out.
Lust generally wasn’t suited to battle, but when love was concerned they did
have a nature that raised their abilities quite a bit. Not that it really matters.
Beautiful golden hair, and deep blue eyes. Her innocent yet delicate features
held an air that would knock any Demon that governed another original sin
silent.
But at the same time, there wasn’t anyone brazen enough to assault her on
this land.
Lorna. No last.
A Luxuria Demon, as well as the Lord of Sloth’s personal maid.
But that form I once yearned for, that way of life, none of them were enough
to stimulate my desire in the slightest.
It’s not like I Overruled her, or that I didn’t even envy her anymore, or anything
like that.
It all just became a pain. All of it. Perhaps this is a single form of enlightenment.
Between me and her, I was just a little shorter, but that was a difference in the
range of experimental error. That’s why when she grabbed me, and dragged me
around, my feet still slid across the ground.
With strong will concealed in those blue eyes that seemed to suck me in, I
offered a single word as always.
“… What?”
“… Why are you… in Leigie-sama’s bed…”
‘Twas my daily schedule. That’s why I’m always so sleepy.
With my arms locked down by her, I let out a yawn. The corners of Lorna’s lips
twitched for a moment, but even that expression of hers was lovable.
This may be her natural gift thing… no, is it something that simply comes
naturally to Luxuria Demons? I mean, those guys are always tempting others’
carnal desires.
The darkness gradually seeping out of the deepest depths of my body.
Like Envy, it was hard to go against, but overwhelmingly more gentle, and
nothing but kind. That force that was sinking my existence into depravity was
something called drowsiness.
I wonder how much time has passed since the path of Sloth opened to me.
Recently, I’ve become able to understand Leigie-sama’s sentiment just ever-so-
slightly.
I’m really sleepy. And sluggish.
Just as Envy continues to scorch, and Gluttony continues to hunger, the desire of
Sloth forbade me from making any drastic movement.
“… Each and every day, just give it up already…”
“That’s because you haven’t given up on crawling in there each and every
day!!”
As if her usual calm demeanor was but a lie, Lorna began prodding me with her
broom.
And just as I’ve begun to understand Leigie-sama’s feelings as of late, I’ve begun
to understand Lorna as well.
 It’s not that she’s kind. She’s kind to Leigie-sama. She’s spoiling him.
There was probably a small difference between the two.
She incessantly shakes up my shoulders.
But up to here’s just our usual routine. Perhaps because of Sloth’s power, even if
she’s shaking me like that, it barely gets through to me.
“Medea Luxeliaheart! Do your work properly!”
“… I’m a pillow.”
It’s not like working is a pain.
My duty is for me to sleep in Leigie-sama’s bed. By sleep, I don’t mean it in any
strange way. I’m just trying to indicate pure and simple sleep.
In that sense, I’m fulfilling my professional duties more than all else.
As evidence, my Sloth Tree is proceeding forward at a reasonable rate.
“Then… what the hell is that under Leigie-sama’s head!?”
“… My senpai.”
Whether he was listening to our exchange or not, Leigie-sama had the back of
his head rested against the pillow without moving a single bit.
The way he looked as if he were dead hadn’t changed at all. But the power I
could feel from him simply existing there was definitely that of a Lord.
Senpai. My senpai.
Handed down from the Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude, he was a pillow
crafted from the plumage of infant Fire Dragons. Of course, he didn’t have a
name. But having been made of Fire Dragon materials, the pillow was
exceedingly durable, possessed ridiculously high fire resistance, and on top of
being constantly warmed to a comfortable temperature, he boasted exquisite
softness.
He was undoubtedly my greatest foe.
He was, but recently, I’ve found myself losing interest in mulling over something
like that. In the first place, I never accepted it from the start.
Isn’t it idiotic to envy a pillow? I’ve never heard of an Invidia like that.
The reason I still aim for that coveted position is simply because my instincts
will me to.
… And it’s not like I have anything better to do.
What’s more, the greatest bedroom in the Castle of Shadows was undoubtedly
the Demon Lord’s bedroom. Just by being here, my power rises.
Lorna silently held a hand mirror up to me. And in it, I saw an expressionless
Medea Luxeliaheart, without a trace of the abundant emotions I had before.
Truly expressionless…
“… And?”
“… Hah… Medea. Are you really fine with this?”
“Yes.”
“… Hah…”
As I gave an immediate response, Lorna let out a deep sigh.
Her eyes weren’t colored with wrath. They held only the colors of sorrow.
Lorna would never let an angry expression grace her face. Perhaps that was the
nature of Lust, or perhaps she had gotten used to Leigie-sama’s behavior, or
perhaps it was because she was the one who saved me. I didn’t know the reason.
She seemed to want to say something, but once more, she let out a deep, deep
sigh, before speaking.
“At the very least, please wear some clothes… clothes…”
“… That’s a pain.”
In the first place, I’m barely ever going to leave the bed, so there’s no point in
wearing clothing, and when I did want to leave, there was only ever Lorna here,
so there was no point in hiding anything.
Leigie-sama’s here too, but I’ll bet he doesn’t even see me when I’m before his
eyes, so the emotion of embarrassment before him had vanished at some point.
Thinking about it was just a waste of time.
Without saying anything to my response, with a smile to indicate, ‘Medea’s
drunk again,’ she took a single Glance in Leigie-sama’s direction.
“Leigie-sama… once I put Medea away, I will bring out your meal, so please
wait a moment…”
 “…”
Leigie’s sleeping time has recently gotten even longer. He doesn’t even make
the slightest movements at Lorna’s voice.
Nodding in satisfaction, Lorna quietly extended her arms towards me.
She inserted her hands into my armpits, and lifted me up. I didn’t resist. This is
also but our daily routine.
Being lifted like this was quite a bizarre sensation. It literally felt like I was moving
without my feet reaching the ground.
As she carried me away like I was a piece of luggage, I offered her a word.
“Lorna…”
“Yes?”
“I think it’s best if you quit it with these pointless things.”
No matter how many times you put me away, I’ll return.
And as of late, it’s a scene that’s happened over and over again. As if through
homing instinct, no matter how far away she would stow me, I would find myself
here.
Even if it went against my Sloth, perhaps that was the remnants of the Envy left
within me.
I can’t calm down. I have to be here.
“Medea… you are a bad influence on Leigie-sama.”
“… Bad… influence?”
Lorna likely offered blind devotion. She saw only what she wanted to see.
This is the Lord of Sloth who’s lived an overwhelmingly long time, and you’re
saying I’m a bad influence… just what sort of dreams are you seeing of Leigie-
sama?
There wasn’t a window, but due to the countless candlesticks decorating the
walls, the inside of the room was bright.
Oh, even if it was dark, with my night vision, I would be able to make out Lorna’s
expression regardless.
I thought for a moment, and tried asking.
 “So should I wear clothes?”
“… That isn’t the problem here.”
Then what exactly is the problem?
Even if I didn’t ask that, I could guess. If a Demon’s cravings are the validation for
their existence, then Lorna’s being is the form of Luxuria.
But in this current situation, without envying me, without developing
『Invidia』, she continued to embrace that, and in that sense, she was perhaps
superior to me as a Demon.
She didn’t answer anything more, as she draped a gray blanket around me,
before lifting me up by the armpits again.
Without sound, she opened the door of Leigie’sama’s room. The deepest
chamber to which no Hero, or Angel had ever reached was, to the maid, and to
the worthless Demon known as me, simply a portion of our everyday lives.
The army of Leigie of Sloth, that used to exist in such numbers, could now be
counted on a single hand. The inside of the Castle of Shadows, constructed of
black stone, was dreadfully quiet.
The powerful and famous army had largely been absorbed into the forces of a
certain Heard Lauder. No, that was probably Heard’s army to begin with. That’s
why that was the natural result.
This castle was always much too vast.
Even compared to the Great Demon King’s Palace of Rending Flames I had visited
once before, its scale was off the charts. It could fit two or three of those cities
around inside it with ease.
No, in truth, while this castle was a castle, it was just as much a town itself.
Not just subordinates, all of the subjects under the protection of the Lord of
Sloth gathered at this stronghold. Of course, they lived apart, but that was also
one characteristic of the Castle of Shadows.
Additions, and annexes added onto one another, and onto this bizarrely bloated
Demon Lord estate. Inside, a countless number of Demons had their own
properties, and it had already developed into a sort of labyrinth.
But all of that is already a story of the past.
 “Now, Medea. We’re here.”
While I was nodding off, it seems we arrived. The place I found when I lifted my
eyelids was my own room I had become accustom to. Without any decent
garnishings, it was a very practical room.
Lorna’s room was the one beside it. That wasn’t always the case, but since I
began carrying around Sloth, she altered her station. So she could deal with me
easier.
My body was left on the bed, and Lorna hit her hands against each other as if
she had just finished cleaning up.
How rude…
She tilted her head in thought, and murmured.
“Wouldn’t just tying her to her bed be for the best…?”
“No use.”
It was a pain, so I just gave two words.
Right, that won’t work.
It’s a given that Lorna’s schemings will end in failure.
Even like this, I’m a General Class Demon. In just basic specs, I far surpassed the
maid.
In this dog-eat-dog world, that simple truth was an absolute value.
With a wordless expression, Lorna looked at me.
“Then just… work a little. Every day, you just keep sleeping in that bed…”
“…”
Then why not tell that to Leigie-sama?
In the first place, I am working. In my own sense of values, I’m continuing to
pursue my desire. I mean, yeah, I haven’t been fighting as of late, but it’s not like
fighting’s all there is to life.
Just what is Lorna wishing of me?
That was the biggest mystery. Leigie-sama no longer has any territory besides
this castle, and this structure was completely surrounded by Heard’s domain.
Possessing a territory surrounded on all sides by allied forces was a trait that no
one else but the Great Demon King boasted.
Meaning there isn’t a single one to invade here.
Even if you think long and hard about it, I doubt there are many out there who
could get past that Heard Lauder.
“Leigie-sama is fine. Because that’s his job…”
“…”
Then what’s different with me? No, Leigie-sama’s sleeping time is rapidly
growing in length. I spend about half a day asleep, but while I’m awake, the only
time I ever see Leigie-sama awake is during his meal time. That meal is also fed to
him by Lorna, so I can’t even say with certainty that he’s awake at those times.
I’m quite gone case, but Leigie-sama’s on another level.
That great divide was something I could only look to in respect. Just what can I
do to sleep for such a long time…
When looked at from afar, Leigie-sama was quite bad, but when observed up
closely, he was even worse, and even greater than that, was Lorna’s habit of
taking everything in a favorable light. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.
And all was at peace at the Castle of Shadows.

Part 2: Honestly, it’s Troubling

I’m bored.
Demons of Sloth are bored. Their cravings don’t require any stimulus from the
outside world.
No stimulus means their bodies, and their hearts give no reactions. They can’t.
To summarize, one with Sloth at his base aside, for a half-assed one with other
longings within me, it was quite an unbearable sensation.
This must be why there aren’t any out there that reach the extremes of their
power through simple sleep.
Boredom was the slayer of Sloth.
I remembered back when there was a Sloth Demon among my subordinates.
He was an exceedingly weak Demon, but that stands to reason. The more they
move, the more Sloth’s power declines. Being enlisted in the army pretty much
means there was no helping his powers dropping to such a low level.
He didn’t lose the use of his Skills, but the greater problem was that his base
abilities were much too low. As a soldier, it was a fatal error.
On top of that, Sloth Skills weren’t even used for offense.
Every kind of resistance imaginable, VIT elevation, and other defensive Skills, as
well, as some passives to let one live life without having to eat, and some
passives to prevent one’s body from getting dirty, and some passives to make
excretion unnecessary, and… anyways, there was an absurd amount of passives.
Passive perfectly describes a Demon of Sloth, but no matter how you look at it,
that’s an invitation to death’s door.
That’s why there’s no reason to embrace it, or a reason to forge it. For what
purpose did Leigie-sama continue to push on with it, I didn’t understand even a
fragment of his thought process.
But at the very least, I’m quite certain that the other Demon Lords proceed
down their paths at a rate that leaves Sloth back in the dust.
And… I’m bored.
By doing nothing but wriggling around in the mattress like this, I end up
recalling unnecessary things. I’m starting to feel a sense of inferiority.
Like, am I really alright with it like this?
Without finding victory, some hazy, cloud-like thing was wandering around the
depths of my heart.
What’s useful at times like these are my Invidia Skills.
Envy.
It was the most common Original Sin embraced by the Demons of the Demon
world.
The heart to find jealousy in others was to Demon, and Humans, something
anyone had felt at least once in their lives.
Fortune, and tragedy, and talent, and power, and treasure, and fame.
Even in this desolate world, there was an abundance of targets to envy.
It was the complete opposite sin to Pride, and its versatility of use was
something not found within the other Skill Trees.
 Well, I put a lot out there, but to say it simply… it’s optimum for killing time.
While lying face up on the bed in my room, I activated a Skill.
“Envy Vision”
My field of vision frothed over in an instant, and changed.
It’s a Skill to observe those you’ve Envied. Based on time and place, this was an
evasive Skill that could display considerable power. It could only target the
targets of your Envy, and that restriction was quite a fault, but for the current
me, it didn’t really matter who I saw, so there wasn’t really a problem.
First, the General who once served under the same banner of Leigie’s Legion,
an Avaritia Demon, The Usurper, Deije Breindac. Let’s peep at him.
It’s been a bit since Deije left, but I get the feeling it hasn’t been too long either.
While it may be one sided, I can frequently view his form.
Without taking up a position in another army, after he resigned, Deije had
been wandering here and there across the lands.
There are few of General Class. That’s why regardless of what army he takes up
service in, he should receive a favorable reception. Despite that, without taking
up any official duty, he sought the fulfillment of his longings, walking through
foreign lands. Of his way of life, I was a little jealous.
It seems he even got himself a tag-along. A Demon about as young as me. One
with ashen hair and eyes.
Comparing his slender body to Deije’s was like equating a woodchip to a tree,
but the power I sensed from his body was definitely nothing so small.
“… How nice.”
Compared to that, how about me?
How many months has it been since I last tasted the outside air? I can barely
even remember it.
Since attaining Sloth, I’ve just done nothing but lie atop the bet, and spent my
time lazing around.
If you ask about my growth, I am growing, so I can’t really say anything about it,
but that growth was limited to my power as a Demon, and other than that,
nothing had changed at all.
Thinking too deep about it would lower my spirits, so I changed my train of
thoughts.
I craned my ears to Deije’s and that tag-along who seemed to be called Zeta’s
conversation.
“… Angel.”
I’d never really met one before, but I’ve heard the rumors. That name
belonged to the natural enemy of Demons, who lived atop the heavens, and the
polar opposite existence to Demons.
The war that broke out around ten thousand years ago birthed considerable
casualties on both sides, apparently, and the older Demons rarely ever talk about
it.
Recently, the fact that more heavenly assassins had been descending had
become the topic of gossip, and I’d listened in to that.
It appears that Deije is pursuing them. I don’t know the reason, and even if I
heard it, I doubt I’d understand. Deije’s desire was stronger than mine, it’s
probably something like that.
If he’s telling the truth, then will that something that’s going on in the Demon
World make it’s way all the way here?
… Yeah, probably not.
After thinking a little, I ended up answering my own question.
Leigie-sama is strong. He doesn’t move in the slightest, yet he’s overwhelmingly
strong
Even if that something were to aim for his neck, they’ll give up soon enough.
They’ll understand the complete lack of meaning in such a deed, and how their
power would never amount to enough.
I changed my posture, and pushed my face into my pillow.
Despite what she says, Lorna cleans my room as well, so there’s no obstacles to
my slacking.
Without shifting my body, I changed over to the next target.
What entered my eyes was the form of a single girl with teary eyes, and grit
teeth, looking over in my direction.
She was trying to form a smile at her mouth, but even a moment’s glance could
tell you how cramped her face was.
Her form could be described as a little younger version of Lorna, with her
breasts quite a bit withered. She definitely had an attractive face and figure to
an extent.
The name of the girl who, if you wiped away the smile full of ill intent constantly
covering her face, would look identical to Lorna, was Hiero.
Lorna’s younger sister, and the Demon who’s set to look after Leigie once
Lorna is gone.
But she wasn’t the target of my Envy.
My target was the one calmly standing at Hiero’s side.
Like Leigie, the Demon boasted black eyes and hair, as if they were fashioned of
darkness.
But the air about him was the opposite of the lazy Lord.
The Demon whose mere existence constantly exerted an aura that forced all
creation to their knees was a Demon Lord who governed Superbia.
At the same time, he was once my superior, and upon becoming a Lord, he
easily crumbled the ranking system, and took over the Rank One position among
Demon Lords.
The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder.
At this point, he was a Lord of Pride that no one didn’t know of, and with his
condescending eyes pinned on Hiero, he raised his arm to the horizontal.
Towards an area of empty space, he lightly lowered that arm.
… And with just that, the ground split.
Without using a Skill, the pressure from that single attack had torn the ground
asunder. The earth quivered as if choked with tears, as black pebbles rolled
across the ground.
But with a single word from Heard, all of them fell flat on the earth.
Heard used his chin to indicate the natural disaster he had personally brought
about. Even during that motion, his glare continued to pierce through Hiero.
With a dejected expression, the girl pointed to herself, as she tilted her head in a
planned-out cute gesture.
 Heard completely ignored that flirtation, and gave a single order.
『Do it.』
“Pu… Nonono, that’s impossible.”
I unintentionally let out a laugh.
Just what does Heard Lauder think Hiero is?
She’s an ordinary person without even any military service behind her. For a
civilian, she may be considered strong, but that’s all she was as a Demon of
Pride.
I won’t say she doesn’t have any talent. Her garbage-like nature was exceedingly
aligned with that of a Demon, and given the time, she would probably become
strong.
But now is definitely not the time.
More so, to split the land barehanded without using a Skill, just who are you…?
I don’t even think most Demon Lords would be able to manage that one.
That was the farthest front only a Pride Demon who had continued to hone his
body could reach.
I had heard of how Heard had dragged Hiero off from Lorna.
Perhaps he felt something from a fellow Pride Demon, but it seems she was
persevering in being beaten into shape.
No, she was persevering, but… yep. My condolences.
That’s impossible, ain’t it?
In the first place, the thickness of Heard’s and her arms are completely different.
While it’s true a Demon’s strength and appearance are disproportional, there’s
something out there called limits. Hiero was just as delicate a Lorna. Her power
was likely not something she polished to use in battle.
『N-no… impossible. That’s impossible for me…』
『Do it.』
『No, I mean, my power is…』
『Do it.』
『……』
 On the other side of things, it doesn’t look like Heard has any intentions of
listening to Hiero’s words. Well, that’s to be expected from a Pride Demon, but…
Hiero lowered her eyes from Heard’s, and with tears of defeat forming at their
corners, she slowly lifted her hand.
I couldn’t handle the scene any longer, and returned my vision to my own.
On top of the bed. The complete opposite of the wasteland Hiero had stood on,
lying idly in my world of repose. I stretched my body.
I recalled the scenes I just witnessed, did some calculations, and as no one was
around me, I shook my head.
“No, no… that’s impossible…”
I really wonder what Heard is thinking… that was… too much. Even for me, it’s
absolutely imposible.
I remember of how, with a gentle smile on her face, Lorna had told me of how
Heard had taken Hiero away for training. I wonder if she hates her sister… no,
that’s definitely wrong. Despite this and that, when Leigie-sama isn’t concerned,
she’s a woman of common sense.
But that being the case, that scene back there was… just harassment. She’ll
fold over before anything actually gets trained.
And wait, what about her household skills… I was kinda under the impression she
was going to take up duty after Lorna…
It looks like the intent has completely shifted,…
This is kinda tiring…
I sighed, but I still went on to use the Skill for my next target.
My field of vision shifted for a third time. This time, it was for the kind older
sister.
The form of a maid walking down a familiar corridor came to my eyes.
Even when no one was watching, she held a posture brimming with courtesy,
and even when she was doing nothing but walking, that figure made for a pretty
picture. She wore a clean white apron over a navy blue one piece. On top of
focusing on practicality, the attire made her seem all the more lovable.
Her form was prim and proper, and while I can’t say for certain, she didn’t look
suited to one carrying the sin of Luxuria.
 But I know. Right, under that naively oblivious expression, I know just how
muddy of an appetite lies. Her well-calculated passions let her raise her status as
a Demon without letting a single thing taint her body.
Honestly, she was the one I was most afraid of.
In the past, I once chanced upon a meeting with the Demon Lord of Lust, Lilith
Luxeliaheart, and by Envying a part of her, I could understand.
The Original sin of Luxuria didn’t possess any direct offensive Skills like Pride or
Gluttony, but it definitely wasn’t weak. Its way of life was, in a sense, close to
Sloth.
But if Acedia was like a plant, then Luxuria was a carnivorous plant. For them,
the battlefield wasn’t some bloodstained wasteland, but a… stained bedroom.
Their battles were not the swinging of fists, but to burst in full bloom.
In that, there was a melting fear that had built up in me without my notice. And
Luxeliaheart, the Demon Lord one, was a powerful Lord who brought a number
of other Demon Lords to their deaths.
It was, in a sense, the most dreaded power for a soldier.
I returned my eyes, and under the covers, I let my body shake in a fear that
came from the depths of my heart as I whispered.
“… Lorna… what a frightening woman…”
“… And what do you mean by that…?”
“…!?”
I pulled off the blanket covering me. There, was the maid I had been peeping
at, and fantasizing of.
The fact that I got lost in thought, and stopped watching, had backfired on me.
The perplexed face that she made— under that mask, I felt as if I were being
tasted by the extended tongue of a snake, and on that illusion, I raised a short
scream.
“How rude…”
“Kku… h-ha… hah…”
It became hard to breath for a moment, but I somehow got myself in order. It
would be no joke if I choked to death atop the mattress.
And despite all that… Lorna still takes care of my meals, and cleaning. That’s why
it was unavoidable for her to be here.
A Demon of Sloth has no right to refuse. I mean, we aren’t even doing anything
to earn it.
“Now, Medea. It’s time for your meal…”
“Y… yes…”
Hunger hasn’t struck me yet. It’s because it has been abated with my Skills. If I
continued advancing down this tree, then perhaps food will become unnecessary
in itself. For the reason of it being a pain, most likely.
But there’s no way I’m getting there any time soon, and even once I’ve
reached that point, I’d still probably eat meals. It would be difficult crushing such
a necessary habit.
I press against my heart that was still exploding in my chest, and somehow raise
my sluggish body before proceeding to the dining table that had been prepared.
Before coming here, I had never eaten a decent meal, so to me, Lorna’s cooking
was the taste of home.
Even without hunger, there’s no way I would ever think it wasn’t tasty.
Silently, Lorna stood by my side.
Without saying anything, she watched me bring the food to my mouth. If she
stares at me so intently, I won’t be able to make anything of the taste.
I finished eating, and as if she were gauging for the moment I put down my
silverware, Lorna finally opened her mouth.
“… Hey, Medea.”
“Yes?”
For a moment, I caught a glimpse of her hesitation. But that quickly vanished,
and resolving herself, she threw a strong look in my direction.
“Don’t you think it’s about time you start working…”
“… Y-yes.”
Those eyes were filled with such sorrow that my heart began to give off a
throbbing pain.
What’s with this mental assault… my Skills won’t defend me from it…
Her voice was still untainted. There wasn’t an emotion of Wrath or Pride
behind them.
And that’s why it was able to pierce through my heart like a blade.
“Medea, no matter how much you sleep, you’ll never become Leigie-sama…
you should have your own way to live out your life.”
“… Y-yes…”
I… I feel like running away. Her earnesty was giving me this unbearable urge to
flee. It was only amplified by the fact she was my life’s benefactor.
And those words weren’t getting at the root of things. It’s not like I want to
become Leigie-sama or anything… more so, I’m sure I don’t want to do that.
What I want to be isn’t the man, but the man’s…
After thinking that far, I started going over the sins I carried once more.
… There’s no way. I wonder if a screw went lose somewhere in my desire of Envy.
To add to it all, I’ve even begun to carry Sloth due to that, and it feels like I’m
being closed in on from all sides.
If you carry multiple Sins, then each individual Skill becomes harder to raise. This
is just a rumor, but its rate becomes even less than half. Because of that, it’s
hard for Demons of multiple Sins to get strong.
Also, how should I handle the pairing of Sloth and Envy…
And wait, in the first place…
“… This place doesn’t even need an army anymore…”
Right. Leigie-sama’s camp no longer has a need for bloodshed. There’s no
enemies, and no army. If you had to say, I was the sole member of the army.
If you tell me to work at a place like this, it’s honestly troubling.
Right. It’s not that I don’t want to work. I don’t have a place to work.
“It’s fine.”
And to me, Lorna directed a smile like the Virgin Mary, and said something
befitting a Demon.
 “I’ll try getting Heard’s Army to let you assist their work, so…”
“I’m sleeping. Good night.”
“Wai…”
I ignored Lorna’s cries, and dug myself into the bed.
Perhaps the one most messed up in the head is Lorna. She doesn’t think of a
single thing but Leigie-sama.
What floated up in my head was the form of the one I had peeped at a while
ago, Hiero, who was forced to attempt so many impossible feats.

Part 3: But that’s Definitely Strange

The Pillow is way too competent, that I’ve no chances of victory.
Results are something gained by victory in battle.
Even if the battlefield changes, that fact remains constant. I glared at the pillow
Leigie-sama was putting to use, as I considered my means.
The Lord of Sloth doesn’t give much thought to anything. That’s why whenever
Leigie-sama looks at me, all that comes to him is, ‘Ah, so she’s still here, is she?’
He probably doesn’t care about anything. That is his form of nihility.
His strength of heart to protect himself was unrivalled. Leigie the Depraved’s
soul was always subdued, and it would never be moved by emotion. That’s why
he reached the position no one else had ever attained, the lone Lord of Acedia.
Since I’ve been secretly trying to burn up his pillows while he’s asleep, I can say
for sure. He doesn’t even care about those. If he’s thrown off of the bed, then
he’ll just start sleeping on the floor.
But I don’t really care about that.
What’s important to me, is that the current generation pillow is a pillow that
can’t be burned. Meaning besides the merit that I had the capability of motion,
that pillow triumphed over me in every way.
Handed down by the Great Demon King, apparently.
A pillow forged of the down of infant Fire Dragons.
As a pillow, he didn’t have a name. But he was an article so fine, it wouldn’t be
strange if he was granted one by his craftsman.
He was probably a compensation for all those times Lize burned through his
pillow. That’s why he won’t burn.
At present, Dragons were the only race living in the Demon World that
possessed power rivalling Demons. Their characteristics were their high attribute
resistances, and durability, and even from a General Class Demon’s powers, they
weren’t so easily knocked down. However, they were small in numbers, and with
that, the down of an infant dragon was more valuable than any average magical
artifact.
Once the dragon grew up, its plumage would change to scales. In its feather
state, it definitely didn’t boast the durability of scales, but still, it was much too
great of an opponent for me to face.
By the way, this goes without saying, but among the Dragon Race, the greatest
threat is their fangs and claws, as well as the attacks fired off from their tails. But
now that it’s become a pillow it can’t attack or anything, so I’ve no need to
worry over such matters.
“Damn you, Great Demon King… for you to get in my way…”
Even when I acted up in his bed alone, this lord showed absolutely no signs of
giving a reaction. I’m not sure if he’s completely uninterested, or he’s truly
sleeping.
Even when I lightly shake his body, touch his hands, or cling to him, he wouldn’t
move in the slightest, and I believed him to be truly worthy of such a pillow.
How rude. Even when I’ve thrown away my pride to present myself as a pillow
to him, Leigie-sama probably hasn’t even noticed something like that..
It was a major problem that shook up my dignity. And at the same time, it was
quite futile.
While I was likely carrying out the most gruesome battle in this cruel world, I
heard footsteps approaching the room.
There were two sets. The ones who come here are severely limited. It seems that
assassins used to come here as well, but since Heard took over the surrounding
area, that hasn’t happened as of late.
In that case, I knew who would drop by.
 Lorna or Lize Bloodcross.
I don’t know much about the woman known as Lize.
What I know is that she’s part of Kanon-sama’s personal knight brigade, and that
she was sent with the intentions of observing the Demon Lord as a member of
the Order of Black.
I also knew she was relatively strong, but when you put it against Heard and
Leigie, the stage was so different, that I couldn’t really feel that much strength
from her. What’s more, the only chances she’s had to demonstrate such
strength was when she burned up this man’s pillows. In a different sense than
me, she was a pitiful woman.
As expected, the two sets of feet stopped in front of the door. I felt they would
become a pain, so I dove my body deep under the covers, and clung onto Leigie-
sama’s body.
I’m a pillow. A pillow that can move of her own will.
With a small sound, the door opened. In order to let the matter pass, I held my
breath.
“Huh? Medea isn’t here?”
As I thought, it wasn’t a matter for Leigie-sama, but one for me.
Right, I’m not here. So please go away already.
There are Skills to conceal your body on the Sloth Tree as well. Right now, I’ve
become one and the same with Leigie-sama, and they shouldn’t be able to sense
my presence.
Lorna and Lize seemed to be having a quiet conversation about something. I
can’t really hear them. I want to use a Skill to listen in, but if I did that, then in all
likelihood, Lize would sense it. Sloth Skills were made on the premise that their
user wouldn’t be doing anything.
If I move just a little further down the tree, then I should obtain one that lets me
go about life without doing anything at all.
But unfortunately, my opponents are professionals at dealing with Sloth.
They are the brave heroes who have continued to serve one of the rare Sloth
Demon Lords for many years on end. I doubt there’s anyone in this vast Demon
World more adept at dealing with Sloth than these women.
The cover was town away, and I was bathed in light and cold air as I continued to
cling to Leigie-sama.
“… There should be a limit to running away from reality…”
Lize sounded utterly fed up.
Fine. I’m fine with running away from reality, so please just leave me be.
A hand was placed on the arms I was using to tighten my embrace.
“Now, Medea. Separate. Yourself. From. Leigie-sama!”
It was a fearsome display of superhuman strength. For an estimated Knight
Class like Lorna, it should have been unthinkable for her to be able to pull a
General like me’s arms away.
But by some divine providence, my arms were just barely being moved away.
“Look, Lize. You lend a hand as well!”
“… Hah… why do I have to…”
Despite her complaints, Lize’s hands were put around my torso.
Her power was probably over mine. If it came down to pure power, I’d never win.
This is no joke. If I get dragged off now, I’ll get wrapped up in something
troubling. There was no helping it, so I used a Sloth Skill.
“Unwork.”
My body instantly became heavier, and the bed gave off a creaking sound.
My rising arms, as if gravity had suddenly increased, came down on Leigie-sama
once more.
The Unwork Skill increased one’s own weight, and among Sloth Skills, it was a
rare Active. That weight increase wasn’t something on the measly level of two or
three times over.
But still, with the bed receiving enough force for it to begin to creak, Leigie-
sama showed absolutely no signs of waking up.
Lize’s frowned.
“Medea… for you to even use a Skill… how cruel…”
Shut it.
Even I can tell what’s cruel or not. I’m well aware of it. You don’t have to put it
into words.
And at that moment, as I hid my face, Lorna’s voice entered my ears.
“Medea… if you don’t separate yourself, then I’ll also use a Skill, you know?”
“… !?”
Chills ran up my spine, and alarm bells went off in my head.
Lorna’s voice had been the same as normal. That’s why it was bad. Could it be I
tread on the tiger’s tail?
No, wait.
Think about it calmly. Rank-wise, I’m above her. With the resistances I gained as
Sloth, there’s no way Lorna, who hasn’t even had any combat training, would be
able to separate me.
My heartbeat was heavy enough that my chest hurt. As if to contain it, I
increased my grip on Leigie-sama.
Lorna’s hand touched the nape of my neck. That’s all she did, but a sensation as
if a sword had been pressed to my carotid artery came down on me.
No, this is an illusion. As a Demon of Envy, I can say for sure. Luxuria barely has
any physical prowess. She won’t be able to do anything to me.
Then just what is this fear encroaching on me bit by bit?
“Medea… make sure you say uncle when you give up, okay?”
“…”
“But perhaps you won’t even be able to speak at that point…”
“… W-what are you…”
The moment I opened my mouth, it happened.
There wasn’t a single wound on me. There wasn’t any pain. But my instincts
raised a scream.
My Mental Corruption Resistance Skill continued activating itself without end.
It was a painfully popular passive Skill among Demons. Even held by children,
that Skill could identify any and every Skill meant to corrupt the mind, and
render them null and void.
It was the Skill that made Luxuria the weakest, and once you reach General
Class, it could invalidate almost one hundred percent of all things.
That’s why no matter how many Skills Lorna uses, I can’t think it will bring any
effect onto me.
The reason for my shocks was the contents.
The Luxuria Skill Tree was simple. Mental Corruption included, it allowed one
to grant any and every status abnormality, and specialized in glamor.
On something quite repulsing, I unintentionally moved my head, and confirmed
Lorna’s expression.
Because I intentionally made a movement, the Unwork Skill was undone, and my
weight vanished.
With a calm expression, Lorna directed her deep blue eyes at me.
“Wai… w-what are you trying to do to me!?”
“…”
I could tell she had done something by instinct.
Again and again, without any signs of giving up, with numbers enough for me to
feel fear, the status abnormality she continuously tried to cast was the one that
Lust was most suited in handling.
Its name was 『Heat』.
This is no joke.
Even if I know it won’t affect me, I can’t take this as a joke.
“Take off your hand!”
“So you give in?”
But I don’t want that. I don’t want to feel like a loser.
In the first place, this is pointless. It won’t even work on a standard Demon, so
there’s no way it would take effect on a Sloth like me. Her Mana will be the force
running out first.
At that moment, I felt a bad premonition cross my mind.
How many times can she use it? How many tens? Hundreds? Thousands?
 『Heat』 was the most basic ability of Lust. Even Demons who had just awoken
to the Sin could use it. That means it barely had even the slightest Mana
expenditure.
For a Knight Class like Lorna, then it wouldn’t be strange for that to number in
the thousands, or tens of thousands.
As if she had seen through my thoughts, she let out a gentle laugh. Her laugh
was quite reminiscent of Hiero’s, and their figures overlapped for a moment in
my mind.
I was sure of it now. That a little sister like that gave way to a girl like this. No,
that’s the other way around.
“… Medea. Just how much resistance will you put up? A thousand? Ten
thousand? Kusu… my 『Rat Sleep』 may take a bit of time, but… it will take effect
on you eventually.”
In the end, Status Abnormality Resistance was but a resistance… nullification
based on identification. It wasn’t complete nullification.
The probability of it getting through wasn’t zero. It was ridiculously low, but,
there are times when it would actually work. And at that time, I have no means
of freeing myself from it.
Of course, the probability of it working wasn’t something high enough for me to
train for it on the battlefield. That’s why I didn’t pay it any mind before.
But if you look at it the other way…
Lorna gave out a declaration like that of a death sentence.
“I’ll keep at it as long as it takes. If it’s something on the level of 『Rat Sleep』…
My mana recovery is higher than its usage.”
“!?”
Meaning she can keep this up forever.
No matter how low the chances, if she was going to keep at it uptil it worked,
then that was no different from one hundred.
Lize looked at Lorna with a cramped expression. It was probably the same as the
look on my face at the moment.
“A-are you joking…?”
 “…”
Even when she heard my chiding words, her smile didn’t chip in the slightest.
It was frighteningly ominous, and the information flooding into my head of how
each and every attempt to resist the Skill had succeeded was uncanny enough to
jolt my heart.
This girl… is serious.
“Just getting me in heat isn’t going to…”
… Isn’t going to be of any merit to her… I think.
As I was about to say, that, Lorna held her fingertip to my lips to stop me.
What was before me was a single Luxuria Demon. Her pupils stained with
lewdness seemed to lick all over my body as they evaluated me. That was the
first sexual glance I had ever received since I started hiding in Leigie-sama’s bed
naked.
“… Kusu kusu… an unworking Medea… should just show off her unsightly form
to Leigie-sama.”
“N-no, isn’t your intent changing…”
Thinking it bad, Lize offered some council to Lorna.
But in regards to that, Lorna threw out a carefree response.
“Lize, this girl’s Sloth is… just inactivity. It’s different to what Leigie-sama has.”
“Eh…?”
What’s different about it? That’s what Lize’s eyes were saying.
I was in complete agreement.
Just what’s different? Why not try giving an answer.
No, I’m still moving around a bit, so aren’t I more decent than…
At that point, from my ankle to my spine, a small impact raced.
It was simply too light, but the vividness of the sensation was enough to make
my body leap without intent.
“Kusu kusu… look, it got you.”
“…”
 The temperature of my body rose a little. A ticklish fever created a thin haze
over my brain.
My thoughts begin to come apart. My body is hot. My heartbeat was resounding
to annoying levels.
It got me. In itself, it wasn’t a fatal status abnormality. In the end, it’s just a basic
Skill.
Even without a recovery Skill, something of this level should go away given
enough time.
Sloth Skills cut off my senses. Because of that, the vision through my fevered
eyes made it feel like I was watching the isolated events of another world play
out.
I let out a hot breath, and directed up some words that were half me putting up
a strong front.
“… Hah… something of this level is…”
“… You don’t know when to give up… Kusu kusu, you know what this is, right?
Luxeliaheart. At this point… it’s your loss.”
A small light burned at the tip of Lorna’s right index finger. It was a
characteristically pink light. I could instantly determine it was something from a
Skill. Even what Skill it was.
Luxuria Skills were short range, and most of them wouldn’t activate without
direct contact. In the first place, even if they did go off, they would be put down
by status resistances.
But these unsurmountable demerits came with unsurmountable merit.
Luxuria was a Skill Tree to affect the mind. You have to fulfill the conditions
first, but once that’s done, it can exhibit unrivalled power.
With me clinging onto Leigie-sama like this, I’ve no means to avoid it.
『Rat Sleep』 had not activated itself yet. After my resistances had been ringing
off alarms for so long, they had fallen silent. Lust had its stages. First, to light the
flame, then to spread the fire.
And this presents the main problem, my status abnormality resistance wasn’t
going off anymore. Meaning I would be out in a single hit.
As if to enchant me, Lorna slowly brought her finger to my body.
Her slender fingers lightly brushed against the back of my neck. With just that,
my mind, which was supposed to have been cut off from sexual passions, was
thrown into disarray.
“I’ll make you bloom.”
I’m being driven mad.
That voice was filled with an ample amount of darkness. It wasn’t by much, but it
was something I wasn’t able to stand.
At this rate, I’m going to have a mental trauma for the rest of my life. Or perhaps
I’ll awaken to yet another sin.
“U-uncle! I give, I give up!”
Lorna looked at my face, before nodding once. That was enough to make my
beat to jump up.
I don’t even know what’s going on anymore. I might cry.
“… Where’s your apology?”
“I’m sorry.”
“… Leigie-sama’s mattress has been stained… I’ll have to wash it again…”
She took a fleeting glance at the place I had been before looking down at me
again.
The scary part was that I couldn’t see an emotion of anger in her. She was likely
the type that could kill with a smile. If she had entered the army, then perhaps
she would have become a soldier much more prodigious than I.
“Medea. Put on clothing at once, and take a seat. I have something to discuss
with you.”
Her tone that didn’t ask for a yes or no, made me straighten up my back as I
sat up on the bed.
Her eyes were shining. If I didn’t bring out as much speed as physically possible,
Lorna was going to break me. That was the most repulsing, and unbecoming
manner of a soldier.
“Y-yes.”
I lifted my still-itching body, and put on the clothes Lorna had prepared.
I pulled the undergarments over my flesh, and draped the battle clothing I had
often worn before over them.
They were made of a mass of dark materials, and they didn’t boast enough
defensive power to block a direct blow, but they had a special magic carved into
them to mitigate attribute damage to a certain extent.
Naturally, they were stiff, and they didn’t feel too good to wear. That’s the
reason why, once I had a slight change in occupation to be a pillow, I’ve never
once put my arms through those sleeves.
This is… a bothersome scent tickled my nose.
I did take a quick look at the bed, but losing to Lorna’s smile, I reluctantly
stood.
Honestly, I’m terrified. In the first place, I couldn’t even raise my head to look at
her. She was an existence like a mother. I always feel like apologizing about this
and that to her.
As I sat in a chair with good manner, Lize and Lorna stood before me.
Their eyes were serious. Of course they were. Never once has Lize ever had any
business with me since I’ve become a pillow. I’ll say this time and again, but no
matter how noisy it gets out there, the Castle of Shadows will always be at
peace.
Could it be… I’m sacked? Just by spending a few months as a pillow? No, no, I
mean, that’s my job to begin with… and firing isn’t something decided but Lorna
or Lize. That’s Leigie-sama’s job…
There were bags forming under Lize’s eyes. I’ve heard she’s been busy lately.
Even a moment’s thought could make me feel how heavy a responsibility it
would be to work as Heard Lauder’s observing officer. My deepest condolences.
Lize hesitated, but soon started talking in the cold tone of a superior giving
order to their subordinate.
“Medea Luxeliaheart, there is a single job for you.”
… Don’t want to.
I wanted to answer that, but the glint in Lorna’s eyes kept me silent.
The answer I gave a few seconds later wasn’t something by my own will.
 “… What?”
Battle? That’s the one with the highest probability. I’m a former General. If
you look at it from another perspective, that’s pretty much the only thing I’m
capable of.
If it was battle against, I guess I’d manage one way or another. Even if it be
against another General, it would probably work out. As long as they weren’t a
monster like that Heard Lauder.
I mean, I have that thing I got from envying Leigie-sama, 『Miracle Wonder
Lighthand』.
I can’t use the left hand portion of it, but for an average demon, the right hand
was more than enough. Just as Zebul didn’t know of it, that Skill was an unknown
entity that barely anyone had ever seen before.
It’s a pain, but if it will let me evade those eyes of Lorna, then it’s unavoidable.
I don’t want it… being thrown into heat outside of my will is the worst. This is
why Luxuria’s so wicked.
It’s also the reason that, when I envied that Lilith Luxeliaheart, I copied not her
status abnormality Skills, but just her Skills to create illusions.
Taking away one’s free will is really the work of a Demon. No, that’s what I am,
but…
But the words that came out when Lize opened her mouth next were a bolt
out of the blue.
And at the same time, they were the worst.
“In Leigie-sama’s stead, you are to answer Kanon-sama’s summons.”
“Eh? Why?”
I unintentionally blinked my eyes, and looked at the face of the Great Demon
King’s apostle.
The fact that she looked apologetic for a second didn’t escape me.
On the other side, without a hint of apologetics on her face, Lorna gave me my
answer.
“That’s obvious. It’s because Leigie-sama is busy…”
 “Eh? What part of him is?”
I looked over at the bed.
As usual, Leigie-sama was sleeping, as if he were dead. Even when his
surroundings are this loud, I have nothing to say about his ability to concentrate.
I wonder how Leigie-sama has lived a life this long… Recently, I’ve begin thinking
about that reason once more, and I’ve no answer to it.
In the past, I thought that, since I wasn’t a Sloth Demon, I wouldn’t be able to
fathom the answer anyways, but even after gaining Sloth, I couldn’t understand
it.
Seeing me like that, Lorna gave a brazen declaration.
“Do you have knotholes for eyes? Can you not see that Leigie-sama is busy
taking his rest in peace?”
“No, that is…”
Yes, I can tell that.
I understand that, but that is completely irrelevant to being busy, is it not?
I’m not that free either, you know? Like thinking about how to better become a
pillow, or peeping in on other Demons, I’ve got quite a bit on my plate.
Of course, I won’t say that. It’s scary.
Lorna is a little off in the head department, so I helplessly looked to Lize. She
was considerably the more decent of the two. And that’s exactly why she’s going
through such troubles.
“… It’s a customary practice for Demon Lords, or representative General Class
Demons to stop by Kanon-sama when she calls a meeting. At this point, you’re
the lone member of Leigie-sama’s army, so…”
“That is…”
Exactly right. Leigie’s army of thousands has been reduced to a single pillow.
But I don’t want to go.
This is where Leigie-sama should go. That is his duty as a Demon Lord.
No, really, its not just that I don’t want to go, if you think about it logically, isn’t
that how it’s supposed to go?
 As I tried to speak, Lorna interposed herself, and made an imposing argument
at Lize with just her eyes.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lize averted her eyes, and spoke.
“Not moving Leigie-sama is part of the Great Demon King’s will.”
“Eh? Isn’t that strange?”
What is the meaning of this? Leaving that man asleep is part of the Great
Demon King’s will?
She permits him to shirk off his regular obligations?
If the Great Demon King was to convene a meeting, it could only be one thing.
『Demons Round』
A round table opened only when the Demon World was to face a time of crisis.
It’s getting noisy in the world outside, so it probably has something to do with
that.
Demon Lords are generally self-serving, but there are few fools out there who
would defy the Great Demon King. Those faces dispersed across the lands should
all be gathered there.
And with it being a gathering of Demons who’ve raised their sins to their limits, it
was an inevitable instance of putting the cart before the horse, where casualties
were often reported.
So let me declare it. If a General Class went out, they’d be crushed in an instant.
“… That is the Great Demon Lord’s will. Medea, do you plan on opposing
that?”
“… Eh? No… but still, that’s definitely strange…”
“By the way, up to now, Heard Lauder has always been the one going in his
stead.”
…
Just how soft is everyone being on our Leigie-sama?
But I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to go.
Leigie-sama’s already the lowest ranking Demon Lord. You can’t just permit him
to skip out. I get that if he was Rank Three, it may be permitted, but for the
lowest ranked of them all to not even show up, I doubt there won’t be
complaints. Right, there definitely will be. There’s no doubt there will be some
political turmoil if the individual in question doesn’t step out himself.
Right. That’s right.
Within my head, my Mini-Medea was crying out such things.
But reality wasn’t so kind. Lize strained her voice to a lethal level.
“Kanon-sama even ordered for you, Medea, to be dispatched in his place.”
“… Eh? I was called by name?”
With unbelievable emotions, I looked up at Lize’s face.
I don’t get what she means. Why must I…
“Yes, you were called by name. If Leigie-sama’s asleep when you get there,
then be a dear and go drag Medea out here, won’t you?”
“…”
I heard the sound of Lize’s arm being clad in flames. Her power was
undoubtedly over mine.
Kanon’s figure came up in my mind.
Back when I had just gotten here, the figure of the observer charged with Leigie-
sama.
That woman… she’s favoring the man.
A hopeless reality was coloring the world beyond my eyes in black.
She occasionally called him ‘niisama,’ and she was always soft on him, so I knew
it would definitely bring about something one of these days, but with this
terrible timing…
I was sure she was impartial…
And on the other side, the maid who did with me what she pleased landed in
the finishing blow.
“Medea, if you meet up with Heard, make sure you ask him to let you join in
his army, okay?”
“… Heard Lauder…”
I recalled the form of the man who detested Envy Demons like the plague.
This is bad. I’m so dead.
I hath been forsaken by all. And it all happened while I was asleep.
Did I even do anything bad? This is just too much.
“… Nn…”
In this situation where there was nothing for me to do, I fell flat over the table
before me, and started crying to myself.

Part 4: Now That’s Just Terrible

The 『Palace of Rending Flames』.
The castle the Great Demon Lord, Kanon Iralaude set as her stronghold was
also the most important site in the entire Demon World.
Its scale didn’t reach up to Leigie’s Castle of Shadows, but its construction
boasted of countless spires that reached up through the skies, and it carried
about it an sinister air, as if the entirety of its designs had been but an insult to
the heavens.
Just as the flames of purgatory, Kanon of Ruin’s rage could be felt by all who set
foot into her land, and the power that could be felt at its center made one think
that a single touch from her would burn even their soul to a crisp. All would hang
their heads in awe before the Great Demon King.
But she was a Brocon.
It wasn’t in her character, but she was a brocon. Mentioning that was the
single taboo that existed within this vast Demon World.
If I were to leak that information, then my own soul would be doomed to burn
away to cinders. I’m always cautious as to not let the fact out in my sleep talk.
If a single word were to escape my lips, then the entire area around where I
stood would be reduced to nothing but scorched earth. Without understanding
anything of what was going on, the countless Demons within a large radius of me
would have their lives drawn to a close.
Despite this and that, Kanon Iralaude was a Demon Lord who governed Wrath.
Her anger wasn’t something anyone could control, herself included. And its
output was needlessly high, even enough to burn through Leigie-sama’s
resistance.
Ira Skills generally have ridiculous output, but there were many cases where it
couldn’t be controlled. That was the burden that those who continued to pursue
Ira to its depths had to bear.
She herself did seem to be mindful of it, but whenever she was by Leigie-
sama’s side, she would frequently let out those incessant ‘niisama’s, to a point
where one would even begin to wonder if she had any intention of concealing it,
so even if I covered my ears, it would reach me.
If you’re the Great Demon King, then go get some dignity already. The hell’s with
niisama? It’s not like he’s your real brother or anything.
I was posed holding on to the neck of a flying dragon, as a launched complaints
at Kanon-sama in my head. I sulked as I looked over the outside world.
While it may be the Palace of Rending Flames, the land here wasn’t as hot as the
Prison of Flames, or the Crimson Prison. The Great Demon King’s Wrath was,
when compared to the Demon Lords of history, under frighteningly delicate
control. That’s why, when aboard a flying dragon, a nicely cool wind lapped
against my face, and gave me quite a comfortable feeling. If my goal wasn’t to
attend the meeting at the entrance to the River Stix, then I might have actually
enjoyed it.
By the way, Lize’s the one piloting the dragon, so I’m free. I’d like some praise
for working so hard.
It’s been around a year since I last rode a dragon this far.
Perhaps some apologetic sentiment had arisen in her, as Lize directed some
mindful words at me. And that was quite a pain.
“Medea… you really are becoming identical to Leigie…”
Is that supposed to be praise, or is she making fun of me? I hesitated for a
moment.
Normally, being equated to a Demon Lord is supposed to be praise. But this
time, it’s that Leigie-sama we’re talking about.
…
“… Thank you.”
 Still, in the end, I’m but an imitation.
Everything started to not matter anymore, and I gained sloth for half a decent
reason. The girl who gained such a sin is third rate, by no doubt. It isn’t by much,
but I’m in no way a Demon to be compared to Leigie-sama.
If possible, I’d have liked to gain it after becoming a Demon Lord. But if I had
just continued to pursue Envy like that, then in the end, I wouldn’t have become
a Demon Lord anyways.
No matter the case, it was too abnormal. Envying a pillow… it was even more
decent back when I was envying Lorna. Even when the result of that didn’t elicit
the slightest reaction from Leigie-sama.
In that sense, my future is already pitch black. Pairing up the emotions of Envy
with Sloth doesn’t make anything of use. There’s no helping it.
In that case, I should just live on as a pillow. Yep, let’s do that. I’ll become the
ultimate pillow.
Then one day, they’ll call out to me. The Pillow Lord.
“… Kuh…”
“Medea!? W-why are you crying!?”
I’m not… crying.
This is just sweat. Tears are something born of blood. Like what I shed long ago.
While I was carrying out that pointless conversation, the Flying Dragon
descended onto one of the spires of the palace. It was the dragon post.
Apart from ours, there was over ten other dragons restlessly pacing back and
forth.
The Demons dismounting from then were men and women of all ages.
Monsters, animals, tentacles, each and every sort of form, but there was a single
point that kept them all aligned.
The fact that each and every one of them possessed powers beyond General
Level.
No, there’s a single Knight Class. I quietly hid in the shadow of the dragon.
Lightly patting the mouth area of the dragon to offer her gratitude, Lize tilted
her head as she looked at me.
 “Did something happen?”
“… Why is Hiero…”
I stuck out only my face to confirm it. She was definitely reflected on my eyes.
Mixed in with the Demon World’s elite, a single Demon of small power.
Beautiful golden hair and blue eyes like a doll’s. The hair that grew up to her
shoulders was done up in twin tails. After being tossed around so recklessly by
Heard, she showed not a trace of fatigue, and at that, I could only let out a sigh
of admiration.
As expected of Superbia… Even when surrounded by a flock of Demons much
greater than her, her movements didn’t show the slightest of lapse. It may have
just been the girl’s personality, but the hospitality of her face was something I
could only feel jealousy towards.
Luckily for me, it didn’t seem that Heard Lauder was here.
“… Why are you hiding…?”
Lize’s tired words stung my ears.
If that’s Hiero’s nature, then this is mine. I have much too much trauma. And in a
place like this, it will only hinder my function.
“No, I mean, you…”
“I know.”
I knew what Lize wanted to say. I knew it enough, that it hurt. When there was
a Demon of lower power than me carrying herself so boldly, I can’t keep myself
hiding in a corner like this.
Regardless of how it came to pass, I am currently Leigie-sama’s representative.
My behavior will drop Leigie-sama’s status.
Even if Leigie-sama himself cared for it less than the nail on his pinky, it was
something my own pride wouldn’t allow.
… Because despite what I say, it’s not like I hate Leigie-sama.
I resolved myself, and held out my chest, as I wandered over to Hiero.
“Hiero… it’s been a while.”
 “… Medea… san?”
Her face distorted for a moment, before returning to a smile. That part of her
really resembled Lorna.
After looking over my body once, with a fed up bearing, her tone turned sour.
“… I’m surprised you can just show yourself before my eyes like that. Because I
ended up saving you, I was sure I was going to be killed, you know?”
“… That was you reaping what you sowed.”
She did go against Heard’s will, and save my life, and that might have put her
own life in jeopardy.
But that was something brought about by her own discretion. I may not be in a
position to say this, having been saved and all, but that definitely wasn’t my
fault. Anyone would have run away there.
Seeing my expression, Hiero sighed with a mature expression unbefitting her
years.
“Well, I did end up surviving, so I guess it doesn’t really matter… so what
business have you?”
“… Business?”
No, I don’t really have anything like that.
Seeing one of my few acquaintances, I just wanted to call out. Unlike Deije, or
Heard, I haven’t been around all too much.
Taking my attitude in some strange direction, Hiero raised a bright voice.
“Ah, could it be that you wanted to offer some thanks for being saved? Kusu
kusu kusu, despite your scarce body, you’ve got quite a nice sense of duty
there.”
“…”
She really phrases everything in a way that touches a nerve, this Demon.
Well, I didn’t have such intentions, but come to think of it, Hiero was kidnapped
by Heard before I knew it, so I didn’t have such an opportunity.
Since it was by her own whim, I don’t have the obligation to thank her, but the
truth of the matter is that I was spared.
 I furrowed my brow, and tried asking, for arguments sake.
“… What do you want of me?”
“Ah! So that was true? Um… I saved your life, so I can ask for whatever I want,
right?”
She crossed her fingers, and looked up at me in a flirtatious manner.
It was mortifying, but that doesn’t change how lovable that gesture was. Even
with this personality, she was Lorna’s sister, and unlike her, she sure knew how
to show that off.
I kept myself wary, as I answered.
“Ask away.”
“… Then please trade places with m–”
“Rejected.”
“Eh~!? W-what was that!?”
Outrageous. She was more decent when she was still at Leigie-sama’s side
knowing she wouldn’t get anything of it.
I ignored her screams, and reunited with Lize, who was looking over at us with
fed up eyes. That was a waste of time. Let’s go over to the conference room
already.
Still… I see. Trade places, is it?
Even if she didn’t show it on her face, the training from Heard did seem to be
having an effect on her.
… Her personality hadn’t changed, but I wonder just what it was Heard was
attempting to drill into her. Power as a Demon?
I gave Hiero, who tried to pursue with teary eyes, a cold reception, as I
continued forward.
The Demon Lords of other lands rarely chanced by the Castle of Shadows, so
they probably didn’t know, but the inside of the Palace of Rending Flames largely
resembled Leigie-sama’s place.
The floor, and walls, and ceilings were all done in ink black stone, and the strange
patterns carved along the passageways bore similar likeness. What differed was
that, as the castle’s Lord over here governed wrath, the air here was full of a
quietly burning aura.
This is the second time I’ve come here, but it was something I thought the time
before as well.
I don’t know if Kanon’s put a stop to that brocon tendency of hers. If she likes
her niisama so much, then she should just call him over. It’s because she’s like
that, that someone like me ends up being forced to come here.
While holding in such complains, I didn’t forget to be vigilant.
I’d like to think I won’t face an assault before the meeting, but Demons were a
race where you couldn’t know what could happen next. The law of the jungle.
Self-serving. It was a world where you could call something wrong merely
because it was weak.
Lize was acting as a guide, but regardless of who she may be, I doubt she was a
match for Demon Lord Class.
Those guys are monsters. Much greater than the gap between General and
Knight was the disparity between General and Demon Lord. It was likely greater
than anything we could imagine.
That was something I could understand from when a legendary Demon Blade
couldn’t even raise the slightest resistance against Zebul.
Perhaps it was rare for someone like me to be present, as I felt magic probe
through my body. Out of curiosity, some eyes followed me as I went by.
After walking a while, the site of this time’s meeting came into sight. Even
without being told, it was a clear swirl of Mana. Gathered over time, that dark
Mana told me, even without thinking too hard about it, that this was the point
of death.
Greed, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Pride, Gluttony.
Sloth aside, Demon Lords governing those six attributes clamored around, and
that place was probably the most dangerous site in the entirety of the Demon
World.
And me, filling in for Leigie Slaughterdolls, of the Slaughterdolls. By adding on my
power, that wasn’t even enough to patch up the holes, a total of seven sins had
been gathered there.
(TL: Yes, both Leigie’s title, and last name, are ‘Slaughterdolls’)
There was nothing good to come of it. Because of our longings, we were a race
that conflicted with one another.
The fighting I couldn’t think of as coming from an allied force raged up as if to
prove just how war-driven the Demon Lords were, and it brought pain to my
stomach. Even before entering the room, it felt as if the forces on the other side
were considering how exactly to squash a bug. It was detestable, in many ways.
Beside me, Hiero had tagged along for fun, as if she were a cat. She didn’t
think a single thing upon having reached this point.
“Ah, have we arrived? Then~ I’ll be going ahead!”
With a sunflower-esque smile, she put her hand on the door without
hesitation, and pushed it open.
Just where does she hide such confidence in that small stature?
“Heard Lauder-sama? I’ve finished taking care of the Flying Dragon!”
Rank One. The greatest bearer of Pride among the Demon Lords, was the first
thing she spoke upon treading into the haunt of evil.
The moment I saw that, I could understand it.
Ah, she’s a fox borrowing the dignity of a tiger. What should I do? It feels quite
pleasant thinking of it like that.
The moment her mildly-short skirt fluttered as she stepped through those doors,
I could see it. That the delicate legs concealed beneath it were quivering a little.
Perhaps Lize saw it as well, as she whispered in an expression mixed with
wonderment and respect.
“… She’s quite something.”
“Right. I can’t lose to her either.”
“No, you’re…”
To interrupt the words Lize wanted to voice, I stepped through the doorway.
I felt the gazes converge on me. The gazes blacker than the depths of the Demon
World’s darkness. The grounds of Demon Lord and Demon Lord. There wasn’t
any killing intent, but what was there was malice, and eyes filled with strong
desire, which were probably merely a breath of fresh air to those of Demon Lord
Class.
… Passions great enough to violate the souls around them.
The Demon Lords here understand it.
That those that reach this place were Demons of the same level as themselves,
and threats to their own existences. That fact served to hone their minds,
making the place somewhere much more calamitous than the greatest of
battlefields.
An elder stanced like a withered tree. A young boy a head shorter than me.
A balloon-like bloated body with pitiful limbs making up the body of a man.
A black haired girl perhaps even younger than Hiero, and a large baldheaded
man with armor-like muscles enveloping him.
A metallic inorganic humanoid mass of indistinguishable gender, and a half-
transparent woman whose body floated through the air. And so on, and so forth.
As one who worked at the Castle of Shadows, and served as Leigie-sama’s
guard, they were faces I knew. There was but a handful of names to remember.
But I can only express my admiration at the sheer variety these peculiar Lords
have managed to achieve for themselves.
When they’re this overflowing with personality, then a simple slim male
Demon like Leigie-sama starts to lack a sense of individuality. No, perhaps it’s the
opposite… I mean, Leigie-sama would probably be fast asleep, even at a place
like this…
“…”
Among them, the greatest of stares made my heart contract. I turned my eyes
to the figure sitting closest to Kanon-sama.
Heard Lauder. He was probably the newest Demon Lord here, the most Decent
of the lot, and the strongest Demon Lord of Pride.
Seeing his form here, his gaze told me that his impression of me was still the
absolute worst.
The reason he didn’t issue a complaint was because this was a meeting space, or
perhaps because I was the representative of Leigie-sama. I think it was probably
the latter.
And that woman of tall stature sitting at the head of the table was the
perpetrator of it all.
The one who ruled over a large portion of this extensive Demon World, leader
of the strongest force, the 『Great Demon King’s Army』.
The master of that, as well, as well as the incarnations of Wrath, said to bring
ruin to all creation with her flames of purgatory.
The Lord of Ruin.
Kanon Iralaude.
Unthinkable of the violent emotions that formed the base of her Sin, the lights of
wisdom and intellect dwelled in her eyes.
But she was a brocon.
“Ah, Medea Luxeliaheart. Leigie-niisa… Leigie of Sloth’s representative. Take a
seat.”
“… Yes.”
I’m not even going to retort anymore. It’s not like any of this is relevant to me.
Just do whatever you want.
To shake off the awkward air, I took my place at the foot of the table.
Even if it may be round table, the seating was based on rank. Leigie of Sloth was
the Lowest possible rank, so his seat was the furthest one from Heard Lauder.
That was my sole spot of luck. Let’s get this over with already so I can run away.
My not-too-short life experience was calling out to me. I’m… screwed.
In the place I could only think of as a bed of spikes, I lowered myself into a
luxurious black chair, and without uttering a word, I looked over the others
present.
More than half the seats were filled, but including the empty seats, there was
a smaller amount of places at the table than I had expected.
That means that’s just how many Demon Lords had fallen. While I myself don’t
want to take them on alone, regardless of what Lord they be, Demons die when
they are killed.
 Compared to my suspicious behavior, Lize was carrying herself as grandly as
always. She straightened up her spine, and displayed not a hint of unrest.
In a small voice, I offered a complaint.
“Lize.”
“… What?”
“… From what I can see, I’m the only representative here…”
Everyone’s a Demon Lord.
Each and every one of the figures surrounding the round table were of the class
that ruled over this world. The ones by their sides are likely their inspectors. Even
if they may be of the Great Demon King’s personal order, comparing their
powers to the Lords put them in quite an unfavorable standing. And there was
one lower than all of them… Me.
The one with the lowest power over all was Hiero, but that wasn’t even any
consolation. Together, we’d still be taken out in a single punch. One punch.
“… Of course. The Demon Lords will generally take up attendance, you know.
They have to show off their might and all…”
“…”
I’ve been fooled.
No, I’d known I’d been fooled for quite some time. I’m not in heat anymore, yet,
the beating of my heart has become overly violent.
I grimaced, and forced myself to play calm.
And finally, at that time, I noticed it.
There was something at the center of the table.
A shadow like a black sphere. Its size was around that of a soccer ball, and even
when there wasn’t any wind, it was rolling around. Towards me.
My application of 『Sky Right Hand』 and the mass growing limbs happened at
around the same time.
I instinctively swung my arm at it. The mass greatly contracted its legs, and like a
spring, it came flying at me with lightning speed.
Its wide-open mouth, with blade-like fangs lined up closed in to a few
centimeters in front of my face, before I succeeded in deflecting it.
 I somehow stifled the scream that surfaced. No, I didn’t even have time to
scream.
What was that!?
Before I could seek held from Lize, she raised a scream in my place.
“Who was it!? Who summoned a『Preta』!?”
The Preta I deflected changed targets. It bounced off at the metal-bodied
Demon Lord of unknown origin sitting in front of me.
Regardless of its small body, the speed it unleashed wasn’t something a General
Class like me could follow with my eyes. But the changing scene went far from
my realm of understanding.
I barely saw the movement of iron-like arms. With a short sound, the thing called
Preta burst open like a tomato. Pale blue blood scattered, and fell onto the girl
to my side.
The next instant, the girl with an outward appearance similar to mine’s arm
changed shape to a steel pole.
The room shook greatly. By the time I noticed it, the metal Demon Lord’s body
had been buried into the wall. The girl’s face remained expressionless.
At the stream of circumstance leaving me behind, I could do not but let off a
cold sweat amd blink my eyes.
He was hit. She hit him. At a speed I couldn’t see. Expressionlessly.
“… Hey, stop it.”
As if obstructed by Kanon-sama’s words, countless orbs began to fall from the
ceiling.
Wai… these are all that thing from before…
After bouncing once, they all split to show off their giant mouths.
I saw countless of those knife-like fangs lined up one after the other.
Each of them grew their own limbs. Looking closely, their arms were much more
robust than mine. Based on their previous conduct, their explosive power was
far from perfect, though.
I don’t have enough lives for this one.
 I tried to brush them all away with Sky Hand, and Kanon-sama shout blew it all
away.
“I told you to stop!!”
Along with the cry, a raging fire passed in front of my body. After the flame had
left, not a single one of the numerous Pretas remained.
That destruction that happened before I could even be given the chance to feel
feverish was truly worthy of her name, Kanon of Ruin.
The metal body of the Lord in the wall leisurely rose.
He barely had any wounds. But only his right arm had vanished as if it had been
shaved away.
No. It wasn’t shaved off.
I saw through it.
… This is 『Usurping』.
“Schitol, return it already.”
“… Fu.”
The young girl Demon Lord known as Schitol snorted at the Great Demon
King’s words.
And at around the same time, her body was sent flying.
The metallic Demon Lord hit her. Though all I could see was the result of her
being hit into the air.
Despite his slow-looking build, that was quite some acceleration.
Schitol’s head pierced into the ceiling, and dangled for a while. Fresh blood
dripped down to stain the black table.
I want to go home.
Just by being here, I can gradually feel my power of Sloth whittling away.
And of course there would be casualties if it’s like this…
The young girl’s body lost to gravity, and fell from the ceiling.
I could see her expression.
There was nothing but despair in the pitch black exes visible beyond the red
trickling of blood.
The expression alone was a symbol of the hell of desire, great enough to fold any
normal Demon’s heart. That which made clear the gap between me and a
Demon Lord was, if put into words, perhaps a ‘difference in character.’
Right as she landed, she lowered her raised arms at the metal Demon Lord’s
body. From her footing, I couldn’t imagine that she had taken any considerable
damage.
That attack without and hesitation, as if her malice had been creeping up on him
with the passage of time was much too vivid.
And yet, the metal bodied Demon Lord blocked it.
The fleeting sound of a barrier shattering due to pure physical might rang out,
and the ground made of highly-durable stone caved in.
“Oy, Schitol. I told you to return it.”
“The one to return it to will be gone soon enough.”
Schitol returned a level voice.
That wasn’t even an answer.
But of course, I didn’t put that to words. If it won’t directly bring any trouble to
me, then you guys can do whatever it is you want.
Well, this display of power is a trouble to my mind, but…
His left arm disappeared, and as that happened, Schitol’s left arm changed to
one of metal.
With both of her arms made of iron bars taller than her own height, the girl’s
form was nothing but bizarre.
As that new existence shook her body, Heard, who had been quite up to now,
let out a gloomy voice.
“Can’t we finish this up faster? I’m busy.”
There was the sound of something bursting. Having lost its head, Schitol’s
body slowly collapsed onto the ground.
“… No mercy…”
With unappealing sentiment, I whispered. No matter how you look at it, that
was too abrupt.
 Heard Lauder lowered his fist. The Prideful Kaised hadn’t even moved from
where he was. He just pressed his elbow into the table, and looked at Schitol
with an uninterested look on his face.
As if that seat was his own throne.
It was as if the distance between himself and the girl had been meaningless from
the start.
The extent of speed he displayed was enough to silence the room. Within that,
I who was probably second from the bottom in power let out a sigh.
Still, it’s finally going to start, is it… it hasn’t even commenced, and yet there’s
already been way too much bloodshed…
I whispered in my heart, as I listlessly looked over at Schitol, and at that moment,
her eyes met with mine.
“… Fu.”
The head that was supposed to be gone had regrown itself. That wasn’t the
speed of regeneration. I was sure I was looking at her most of the time, but I had
never even seen the moment she started to heal.
Still collapsed over, as if nothing had happened, Schitol bent her lips into a smile.
What’s with this Demon Lord!? This is way too absurd, is it not?
First, let’s see what Rank she…
When those thoughts were going through my head, my eyes were completely
taken by darkness.
＊＊＊＊＊
“What happened?”
“… I died before the conference even started…”
With weary emotions, I rubbed my head into Leigie-sama’s back.
Thank god. That I sent an illusion.
Thank god. That I can still use 『Phantom Aliquot Dance』.
Thank god. That I didn’t take Lize’s words too seriously, and actually go out
myself.
Even if they may be Demon Lords, that was just too cruel. No mystery why
there’d be casualties there. Those are tried and true monsters, ain’t they?
Great Demon King Kanon, Heard Lauder, and Lilith Luxeliaheart are all starting to
look sane to me. Leigie-sama’s harmlessness was enough to make him seem
lovable. That must have been the haunt of the greatest of beasts.
I wonder what they were planning to speak of in such a space, and wait, I
wonder if Lize is alright. I had quite a few things to consider, but surprisingly, the
greatest thing on my mind was the stoic front of a single young lass.
Is Hiero okay…
If she died, would Lorna be sad?
Furrowing my brow, I looked to the maid trying to pull me away, thought of
such pointless things, and once more, I embraced Leigie-sama with all my might.
TL: Sketch by Julia Luckett Feb. 14 2011, I take absolutely no claim.
 The Lazy King Chapter 12: Superbia’s
Arrogance

The Lazy King Part 2 Chapter 4: Superbia’s Arrogance

Part 1: Abnormal, and Foolish
This was back when I had just developed awareness.
There was something I tried asking oneechan.
“Why is it that we only have first names?”
All of those Demons out there were made of both a first, and last name.
The first that proved their individuality, and the last that defined their way of life.
If they hadn’t decided on how they were going to live on, then in most cases,
they took on the last name of their ancestors.
That’s why, as Demons, it was unthinkable that those of a house that’s served a
Demon Lord for generations couldn’t have a last name.
And to me, the sister that boasted an identical appearance offered a short
answer. Kindly, as if to caution me.
“The way we live our lives is decided by our Lord. That’s why our predecessors
have no last names.”
I simply couldn’t believe it.
Once in a distant past…
Me, and my parents, and the parents before that and in the generation even
before that lot was born, our continuous line was something you could call a
form of legend.
It’s not like we performed service on the battlefield, and it’s not like we
successfully followed our desires.
If I were forced to say, then our family’s last name was 『Shadow』.
 The Lord of Depravity who, as a Demon, boasted a providence much too
undemonlike. For us, who continued to nestle ourselves close to him, we could
be nothing but pure shadows.
We weren’t weak, but you wouldn’t be able to call us strong either.
Strength was unnecessary to a shadow. All that we wished for was to serve, and
it wasn’t the sort of service we were rewarded for.
The existences that continued to serve the Lord who spent his time
meaninglessly, were likely just as meaningless.
I remembered back to my ancestors.
I didn’t know what had happened several tens of thousands of years ago. I
couldn’t even hazard a guess.
But killing off the cravings that dwelled in their bodies, they spent an eternity
accompanying their Lord, and living while concealing their breaths. They were
likely more abnormal than any of those third rate Demons lying around out
there, and much more foolish.
That’s why, oneechan included, I sneered at my predecessors.
On that day, rained poured to the ground, as if the heavens were weeping. The
violent sound of the rain drumming against the glass window, and the
reverberating rumble of thunder.
In the darkness, the figure of my body reflected back at me was identical to
oneechan, but only my eyes were a little different.
My ancestors, my patents, my siblings, and even the Lord I was to serve. I
sneered at them all.
And as if even to sneer at the girl who did all of that, the blue eyes I saw were
earnestly probing my expression.
Lightning lit the scene.
On rainy nights, the miasma would grow thick. Among the Demons of the
Demon World, the holders of strong negative souls, that was passed as a simple
superstition.
But on the other side of the glass which interrupted the darkness, I saw my
figure putting on a smile so dazzling even I couldn’t believe it.
There wasn’t a hint of miasma in those lips.
All those pitch black emotions were enclosed within me, and not a fragment of
them was to leak out.
Right.
That must be my 『Superbia』.
Not to raise myself to a higher platform, merely a heinous vice to scorn all
others.
Effort was unnecessary.
Strength was unnecessary.
Friendship was unnecessary.
All of it, everything was… just stupid.
Even if the result were to isolate me, if I’m just to quietly find my spot in the
grave without even a name, then I choose the path that would shine some light
onto myself, as temporary as it may be.
Within the polished, mirror-like class, the gold-haired woman giggled to
herself.
That should have been me, and yet, she lacked a sense of reality.
“Kusu kusu… no matter how you look at it… holding yourself back too much…”
A somewhat sweet, and slovenly tone poured out of my mouth.
Right. This is the shape of Hiero’s soul.
If you desire it, then seek it.
If your Lord is idle, then take action.
Overrule everything in this vast Demon World.
In order for me to stay as me.
If desire is what’s to decide the power of Demons, then…
There’s no doubt that my Superbia is the mark of the world’s strongest
Demon.
Within the darkness, my lips bent into the shape of a smile.
… I mean look at just how brightly I’m shining.
My image swirled around the frame of the window. The light caught onto my
golden hair, and glistened.
It was as if it were the portrait of a fairy, yet for some reason, it appeared
tasteless.
“… Lord of Sloth, please look at me. Please remember me. My name, my form,
my voice, my soul…”
Spending a pointless lifetime not feeling anything, without thinking anything,
not recording anything to memory, for you, who never cared in the slightest for
us, my existence will be…
Kusu kusu kusu.
Right. Then first comes introducing myself.
“My name is Hiero. Hiero of Superbia.”
No last name, no way of life, just a normal Demon
But I’ll accumulate my desire, and show you as I wash out the heavens.
I am Hiero of Superbia.
But you don’t have to prostrate yourself before me. You won’t have to kneel. I
don’t need your worship.
I’ve no need to make you fools out there understand me.
I’m on top, and you’re at the bottom. That’s all.
It’s fine as long as you understand that.
But things went beyond my expectations in the blink of an eye.
 Part 2: They are the Worst

Overrule.
It was the most famous power possessed by Pride Demons.
I think it’s pointless Skill. Something like that shouldn’t be necessary in the first
place..
… If you’re truly Pride.
Because even if it didn’t appear to me as a Skill, I had already 『Overruled』
everything.
… Besides oneechan.
Before my eyes, Medea-san slowly toppled over. Within the swirls of the
Demon Lords’ mana, the smallest present by far disappeared like the fleeting
light of a lone candle.
Even for me, that sudden departure was outside my expectations, and I
unintentionally opened my eyes wide to stare at Medea-san’s falling small
stature.
A large hole had been opened right in the center of her body. It clearly showed
that she had been pierced by something.
The hole itself was wide enough that if I looked through, I thought I might see
the world beyond.
After meeting her for once in quite a while, Medea had become quite
slackened. I wonder just what sake she was living for anymore. It was too much
of a way of life for me to take up. In a way, it was worthy of admiration.
In that sense, I didn’t actually hate Medea-san all that much.
Even if, through her narrow escape it looked like Heard-san was going to kill me…
well… Medea-san is… a pitiful Demon. Enough that just thinking about her
existence was enough to elevate my power a little. Her being was able to contest
for the first and second place of the most trifling Demons I had ever met, and
even when her height exceeded mine ever-so-slightly, her chest was even more
barren than me. There wasn’t even any comparison between her and oneechan.
That alone was enough for me to forgive everything.
And by forgiving it all, it also signified that I didn’t really give a damn, and that, to
me, Medea-san was a genuine, tried and true, worthless existence.
But, even so, there’s always something that comes to mind the moment a
Demon I was acquainted with was annihilated.
I let out a small voice so no one would here, as I muttered in a daze.
“Medea-san… how unsightly.”
Not even a dry laugh could escape my mouth. But at the same time, I felt that
being dealt with before the conference started was quite suiting of Medea-san’s
way of life. To fulfill her role to the death, we have quite a pro here.
… Though that would only be if she did it on purpose.
This is the land of death. Places where Demons gather draw death close to
them. When that gets t Demon Lord Level, then that’s not even related to enemy
or ally anymore.
Harming others came as simple to them as breathing. That’s why even I’m
hiding myself behind Heard-san…
She didn’t get it at all. Even if she was a General class, her behavior full of
openings made others want to test their powers on her. As a class even lower
than her, I can only saugh scornfully at how ill prepared she was.
As I was simply staring at the scene from Heard-sans back, the sound of the
clicking of a tongue entered my ear.
“Tsk…”
The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder.
The Rank One Lord who had served the lone Demon Lord of Sloth lorded over the
Demon Lord who remained collapsed over the table.
Before the Lord whose dislodged head had recovered itself at a moment’s
notice, his Pride showed not the slightest of waver. His eyes, as if they looking
upon garbage, were far different from mine, but they gave more than enough
verification that he was Pride all the same.
I’ll bet there’s a bit of his complex towards the great and powerful Leigie-sama
mixed into that.
And every time I see that, I think.
That way of life… isn’t it tiring?
A strong killing intent, as if those eyes alone were enough to bring all to ruin,
lapped at the air of the conference room.
“Schitol, I believe I told you to stop.”
“? Stop what?”
Face up on the table, the female Demon answered.
The army Heard-san lead in Leigie-sama’s stead was said to boast the greatest
fangs among all the Demon Lords.
With that sort of numerical power, the information did tend to gather around
there, so I did have some recollection of the name Schitol.
Schitol Tzuchaser.
As a Demon of Avaritia, she held the moniker of the『Collector』. Her Rank was
just one above Leigie-sama’s current position, and Leigie-sama aside, she held
the least land among those of the Great Demon King’s army.
But that being the case, in what was supposed to be her first round table
conference, she picked a fight with her senior Lord of Pride. I guess that’s what
makes a Demon Lord.
Of course, it was our first meeting, but seeing her nerve to stand before Heard-
san, whose honed magic might even surpass the Great Demon King Kanon-san’s,
even if it may be pure recklessness out of ignorance, it was an act worthy of
praise.
But that’s all there was to it. She must be all bark, and no bite.
I mean Schitol-san… her appearance is decent, I guess, but her breasts are puny.
Schitol-san leisurely rose.
Her expression seemed to show true confusion, and her black eyes, with the
gloss of obsidian, were directed at Heard-san.
With no anger for the one who personally crushed her head, her face was like
that of a lost child. The purity of her expression made it all the more repulsing.
I doubt that was really the case, but her face seemed to seriously be wondering
why it was that she had received an attack.
But that’s all there was to it. She must be all talk.
I mean Schitol-san… her appearance isn’t bad, but her breasts are much too
pitiful.
As her size was just around the level of Medea-san, her worth as a person must
be that of a single Medea Luxeliaheart at most. No doubt about it. A useless
existence to me.
No need to think about it. The moment we met, with the form her desires
made her take on, I was Overruling Schitol-san.
Heard-san furrowed his brow. A proof of his displeasure.
Despite this and that, while the Demon Lord known as Heard Lauder was
powerful in body, his mind wasn’t as resolute. He was a warrior. It’s likely that
while Leigie-sama was asleep, he had spent his entire life on the battlefield. That
devotion to his study that surpassed tens of thousands of years of experience
definitely had an impact on his personality.
But his power was truly absurd. As Demon Lords, each and every one of them
had a ridiculous amount of strength, but even among that, Heard-san was a cut
above the rest.
He was a typical muscle head.
Since he abducted me without telling me anything under the pretense of
training, I had always been watching that.
The word patience didn’t exist in his dictionary. For whatever the reason, he had
been overly sullen as of late, and his boiling point was getting exceedingly low.
His pure physical strength that was, for argument’s sake able to knock down a
Lord of Sloth once, was, to Demon Lords that were no match in defense,
definitely fatal.
But regardless of being crushed by Leigie-sama afterwards, his Pride didn’t
seem to have taken the slightest tumble.
To Heard Lauder, even if she was a former subordinate, the Envy Demon Medea-
san was likely nothing but trash.
But to the Lord of Superbia, that wasn’t enough of a reason for him not to
eliminate the Demon Lord who didn’t listen to his orders.
 His words were the words of Pride. The words of god.
Unable to find satisfaction unless me made any Demon he met prostrate
themselves before him, from my point of view, he simply looked like a narrow-
minded man worried over all the finer details, but while I couldn’t sympathize, I
could understand.
As if to support the thoughts in my mind, without any warning, Heard-san’s
figure blurred for a moment.
At about the same time, Medea-san’s body that had been left in the corner of
my vision faded away as if it had been an illusion.
In the span of the blink of an eye, Schitol-san’s head and limbs ruptured, and a
bright red mist erupted out of her body. All that was left, an obsidian Soul Core
the same shade as her eyes let out a dry sound as it rolled desolately across the
round table.
His means of attack lay only in his fists. But his incomprehensible attach
strength and speed gave off a power much too barbaric to be called Pride. I
couldn’t even follow the slightest of it with my eyes.
And those apart from me probably couldn’t follow it either. I saw the Demon
Lord who picked up Schitol-san’s disembodied arms swallowing his spit.
He should have been a Demon Lord of Pride as well… now that he’s seen those
fists in action, the probability of him ever surpassing Heard-san has become
close to zero.
How unsightly. If your heart loses, then there can never be pride. There’s nothing
but a slow destruction in store for him.
The old withered tree-like Lord sitting right across from Medea didn’t seem to
pay any mind to the ghastly spectacle, nor did he mind the wreckage of Schitol-
san showering down on him. With a fed-up tone, he muttered.
“… Phantom Aliquot Dance… That girl… so she was a Luxuria Demon. A living
illusion… no wonder it ended so soon.”
“… Dammit Medea… when you’re the substitute for a Demon Lord, for you to
send in a phantasm…”
Heard-san’s eyebrows were quite clearly stiff. It was as if his anger was clearly
visible. How scary…
Demons Round was also a place for Demon Lords to demonstrate their power.
As it is, Superbia already detested those who would taint their pride.
Especially when Medea-san was just a replacement.
Originally, that was Heard-san’s role… no, more than that, while she was
attending in place of her own Lord Leigie-sama, for her to submit an illusion of all
things, there should be a limit to tomfoolery.
I can do nothing but secretly praise her needlessly high amount of guts.
She really is just a precession of failures. She was ignored by Leigie-sama,
beaten left and right by Heard-san, and even after surviving all of that, I could
tell from a glance her new slovenly take on life. That girl must be a genius at
tragedy.
“Kusu kusu kusu…”
And being thrown around like this by the Lords, how pitiful.
A laugh flows out of me. Just as its name might suggest, those of the Demon
Lord Class were strong. If it was just in battle ability, then no matter how many
of those of my level you grouped up, there’s no way we’d be able to oppose.
But in exchange for that, they were completely hopeless degenerates.
One of the seated Demon Lords sent his eyes over here.
The pressure I could feel just from that, enough to rock my soul, made my shrink
back behind Heard-san.
My instincts informed me of the power gap that surpassed whatever
enhancements I could gain with my Overrule Skill, however, it was likely
something that, if I were given the time, I could close all too easily.
The only thing I was lacking in was time. Time for me to grow with the desires of
my soul as fuel.
Heard-san made a slight gesture of peering over here, but he corrected his
field of vision immediately.
Kusu kusu. Right, right. I’m just a weak little girl. If you hit me, I’m sure to die…
It appears that the situation was out of Kanon-sama’s expectations. She
scowled a little as she stared at the position Medea-san had disappeared from,
but she soon took a deep sigh.
 “… Well, so be it. Lize, as his inspector, you will be informing the Lord of Sloth
of this matter at a later date.”
“… Understood.”
Receiving the will of the Great Demon King, Leigie-sama’s observer Lize-san
offered her affirmation. She wasn’t surrounded by a tense air, and she held an
aura you could call grand as she stood upright behind the seat that had become
vacant.
They had found common ground. Whatever the case, with Leigie-sama holed
up in the Castle of Shadows, perhaps the safest place in the entire Demon World,
a large majority of things were unrelated to him.
Continuing on, Kanon-sama’s blood-red pair of eyes glared into the table, as if to
pierce a hole into it.
At the one who should have received enough damage to return her body to just
its Soul core, the Collecting Demon Lord.
I was swallowing my spit behind Heard, but neither Heard-san nor Kanon-san
showed and disarray in their attitudes.
As if it was all a complete natural occurrence, they looked at the Demon Lord
who had been reconstructed whole at some point in time.
“Schitol Tzuchaser… Then next time you lay your hands on an allied soldier, I
will dispose of you in the name of my Ruin. Know your place.”
“…? What place?”
Her conduct was as if nothing had happened at all.
Schitol-san’s sharp gaze didn’t seem to hold any care for the force that seemed
to try to wither her away, as she returned to her seat.
The Pride Demon Lord who still had both his arms stolen tried to stand, but
when Heard-san shot a look at him, he silently sat.
To regain control of the area, Kanon-san sent a silent glance around the table.
That burning pressure spread about to suppress the fighting spirit, the instincts,
longings these Demon Lords had probed to their depths.
The Great Demon King position didn’t have the qualifications of wisdom or
status, or charisma, or talent. It was a spot that came to be by pure power alone,
and that display was plenty to demonstrate that fact.
 Of the Demon Lords allied to the Great Demon King, there is said to be
nineteen in all. But less than half of that number had gathered here.
As if that shameful sight hadn’t ever happened, Kanon-san offered her thanks
to the Lords present.
That was the signal of the conference’s start. A weak Demon Lord had no worth.
In that sense, even if she may have been an illusion, for her to have been killed
before the start, Medea-san had done an insufficient job of filling the role of
Leigie-sama’s representative.
“So we’ve all gathered… I thank you for making the journey here. Lords.”
“… Hm, so this is all that’s left. The numbers sure have dwindled.”
Heard-san’s head shook in lament.
The number of Demon Lords wasn’t something that fluctuated so easily.
The race known as Demons was one without a set lifespan, and they get stronger
the longer they’ve lived. At Demon Lord Level, their survivability was
overwhelmingly higher than other Demons.
“The two that the Devourer, Zebul, ate, and Zebul herself make up a loss of
three. The other casualties were Angels. Hm… for them to be annihilated by
something on the level of Angels… how deplorable.”
Heard-san sent around an intimidating glare to those present.
It was like he was offering to end them all before they faced defeat from such
things.
Heard-san’s way of life was much too severe. I would never be able to imitate
it, and I think it’s nothing but stupid.
So please don’t try dragging me into it. No, seriously.
“But we really have faced a considerable decline. It no one beyond Rank Ten is
in attendance…”
The old man spoke.
His height wasn’t even half of Heard-san’s, and he was a Demon with a slim
stature like a dead tree’s. His frailty made it look as if he would be sent flying
with a breath of air.
But his glare held a viscous and sticky darkness.
 The ranking system of the Great Demon King’s army wasn’t something based
solely on strength.
While it was usually taken as an equivalent, the primary factor that influenced it
was that Lord’s service to the army. That’s why compared to those below Rank
Ten, the other Demon Lords simply lacked achievements.
They were young.
That doesn’t mean they had lived short lives, but that not too much time had
passed since they became Demon Lords.
Fresh Meat.
Even so, it’s quite likely they had lived longer than me, and with that life, they
were anniohilated by Angels. What a pointless life.
“Yes, this is Rank Eighteen here.”
“Yep~ Rank Eleven over here.”
“Ho ho ho, my apologies. It looks like not all of them have perished…”
Schitol-san raised her hand, and raised a high pitched, tension-less voice
towards the empty seats.
Her lack of nervousness made me feel a little power seeping from my body.
“Hm… facing defeat at but a single Valkyrie, they’ve not the qualifications to be
Demon Lords. They were fated to die a dog’s death eventually. There’s no need
to pay it any mind.”
“Don’t be like that, Heard Lauder. This time’s enemy is… quite capable. The
reason I’ve convened you all is also about that matter.”
On Heard-san’s words, Kanon-san let out a tired sigh.
The Great Demon King had an enemy too great to simply be called treacherous
within her midst. Her anger scorched the heavens, and reduced the ground to
ash. Always under such an extreme amount of stress, it was said to be only
natural that she became the Great Demon King. As I thought, the Ranking
system is nothing but garbage.
“Oh?”
Oh Kanon-san’s words, Heard-san’s eyes widened a little.
I noticed a faint fire burning in them.
The light of fighting spirit.
It was because Heard-san was Pride, that the stronger the enemy, the more
likely he was to take the initiative.
It was in order to forge his own power, or so he called it, but I do believe that’s a
little extreme.
It was likely because he lost to Leigie-sama. I was forgiven as a result, so that’s all
fine and dandy, but that doesn’t change how troublesome it is.
Once more, in silence, Kanon-sama looked over all the gathered faces, and
spat out words backed by emotions violent enough to make existences quiver.
“A few days ago, at the hands of the Valkyrie in question… Serge Serenade, the
Seventh Rank was destroyed.”
“Seventh… Rank…”
It was the first death of a Demon Lord within the top ten.
Even when the death of a Demon Lord was a rare occurrence, it was even rarer
for one of the higher ranks to perish.
On that note, the air in the conference room suddenly got heavier.
The old man opened his eyes wide, and scowled at Kanon-sama.
“Oh… Rank Seven… Ciel Afreide, was it? So the Haughty Youngun died…”
“… Hm, I see… it truly seems that she is sufficiently capable. Kanon, I shall
approve of your anxiety.”
I’d never met her before, but apparently Heard-san knew her.
Even so, why does his arrogance act up so much whenever Kanon-san is
concerned? I’ve not the slightest.
I don’t think there’s a single merit to come of picking a fight with her, you know…
Standing behind me, Heard-san’s one of Heard-san’s inspectors let out a long
sigh, as if he had become accustomed to the man’s behavior.
The King in question has probably become accustom to dealing with his Pride as
well. She ignored his dauntless wording, and moved on.
“Ciel Afreide was not a weak Lord. At the very least, no matter how many
average Angels came at him at a time, he would never be at the risk of defeat.”
A Demon’s power was greatly chipped away in the Heavens where Angels lived.
But in exchange, our Demon Lords were transcendentally strong.
“And, what of it? Kanon-sama, all you’re saying is that a single Demon Lord has
died, correct?”
With a bored expression, the balloon-like man sitting beside Kanon-san tried
asking.
His swelled ball-like large torso was enough to surpass Heard-san’s height, and at
a conspicuously high level, his sorry excuse for a head sent down a look with its
white eyes, and colorless pupils.
“Just as you may have heard from your inspectors, on this occasion, where one
within the top ten ranks has been killed off, we cannot simply let her violence
reign free any longer. It will be a hindrance to my world domination.”
Kanon-san looked around again.
While she looked calm, the inside of the room was filled with a grilling heat, and
even when she didn’t look directly at me, I could feel it.
… World domination, is it?
I think that’s just plain idiotic. For those out there, those fools out there, what
point is there in gaining command of them?
If you’re going to do something like that, then… right, just skimming the top of
the broth sounds best. Get everything under your control, find a way to scoop
out nothing but the beautiful substance, and leave the rest of the meal to the
wolves.
Kusu kusu…
“Ah~… with the Seventh Rank being killed… does that mean I’m next~?”
Rather than… sitting in a chair, a young lady floating right above it raised a
hysteric voice.
I secretly frowned, as I committed her form to memory.
Appearance-wise, she was a slim girl that didn’t seem like much a Demon Lord at
all. More than uncertain, her bearing was one where she swayed back and forth
in the air.
 Hers was an uncomposed voice I couldn’t think of as coming from a Demon.
But she was one I had to be wary of.
I mean, even with that slim figure, how does her chest grow to that size…
Her pale-blue robe-like dress, and deep blue sash were, if memory serves, the
traditional clothing of a peculiar province… it did fit the lines of her body quite
well, but only her breasts swelled unnaturally from it.
As expected of a Demon Lord…
“There won’t be a next. That’s why we’ve been gathered. Right?”
“Yes, that’s exactly right. Up to now, we let her run free, believing whoever
died by her hand was fated to die off either way, but… now that Ciel has been
slaughtered, we can no longer postpone the matter. We can’t leave the Angels
looking down on us like this…”
A gathering of Demon Lords wasn’t anything that happened all too often.
While her calm composure wasn’t thinkable of one governing Wrath, in truth, in
her body, the Great Demon King was seething in rage.
Kanon-san was severe. What’s more, she knew how to use that fact.
“We’ll strike first. Other than that Valkyrie… I’ve also read the report of the
skies showing strange movements. Right, Vanity?”
“… Yep.”
A steel-like body apart from Heard’s, wrapped around a mountainous build of
a man roared out.
Vanity Seidthroan.
Next to Heard-san, the second strongest Demon of Pride.
Why are all these Prides these shameless masses of muscle…. It’s quite
wondrous. It isn’t beautiful in the slightest.
Of course, that metal body over there is also out of the question.
Out. Of. The Question!
“Attacks… came twice. The enemy was five Angels, and ten the next. Our
casualties… roughly one hundred.”
 With uninterested expressions, the surrounding Lords listened in.
The number of one hundred wasn’t anything great, but it definitely wasn’t
small.
But it’s not that we assembled a force, but that one of our forces was assaulted,
and faced annihilation. An exception.
Among these Lords who gave their all to pursugin their desires, I doubt there’s
really anyone who understands the meaning of those words. All these Lords are
idiots.
And Heard-san was the same as always. While he might have known, his lack of
interest made his disposition even more ill-natured.
With his arms crossed, he lorded over Vanity-san with a grim expression.
“Hm, have you grown soft? Even if it may have been just a hundred, while you
were there, for you to have failed to destroy a measly five Angels…”
“… No… my army’s… the strongest.”
Vanity-shot down the glare with a look that didn’t fall short at all in terms of
malice. There was no hesitation in him.
The class of wills between two Demons of Pride caused the air to shake.
As if to blow that away, Kanon-san let out a deep sigh.
“Please don’t make this any more of a pain than it already is. Heard, Vanity…
Vanity, I heard that the enemies were of Saint Lord Class, but is that true?”
“Saint Lord…”
That was heaven’s finest. If Demon Lord was a Demon’s highest rank, then that
was what took its place in the Angel race.
And at the same time, they were a rare sight to find in the Demon World.
I’ve only ever heard of them, and never seen one for real. No, I doubt even a
majority of Demon Lords have ever seen one.
But on the other hand, with the appearance of a Saint Lord, having only a
mere one hundred casualties became strange.
They’re supposed to be much higher up there than that Serge something
something Valkyrie … and with but a hundred casualties, the Lord was able to
repel them? Is Vanity’s Legion strong?
I’ve always been going through bridal training in order to serve Leigie, so I’m
none to knowledgeable in that field.
Vanity-san gave his solemn consent.
With just that, the other Demon Lords began to stir. It sems they had finally
begun to understand the abnormality of the situation.
The ones that didn’t change were Vanity-san, Heard-san, and Kanon-san. Those
three. Those were the only ones who had understood what was going on from
the start.
The balloon man sitting beside Kanon-san flailed his arms about as he gave his
opinion.
How unsightly. It’s unsightly, but… that man’s Rank Two. That means he was the
former Rank One Demon Lord. This world must be at its end.
“So that means… there’s a need for us to divide into two groups. What are
your thoughts on the matter, Kanon-sama?”
“Right…”
Kanon-san had likely already reached her conclusion.
No, she likely had done so far before we had gathered.
This was just a dispatch order under the guise of a conference.
“I have no intent to mobilize us all. We still have the duty of crushing the
Demon Lords of other territories. Right… two. Two is more than enough.”
“The Angels… I’ll destroy them.”
With fiery sparkling silver eyes, Vanity-san’s gaze pierced through Kanon-san.
That wasn’t… Anger. But his voice like the rumbling of falling thunder definitely
had some power behind it.
On that voice, Kanon-san grinned.
“Hu… so be it, Vanity. Swing about your powers as you please.”
“Then on Serge’s matter… I’ll step forth.”
Before another Demon Lord could open their mouth, Heard-san made a
declaration.
He had a somewhat unpleasant expression on his face.
It seems both of them had wanted to take on the previous matter. I’m not sure if
they were afraid of Heard-san, but Demon Lords had stopped coming to attack
our lands altogether, as of late.
Even so, he decided to take the initiative, and go forth to crush his enemies one
by one, but they were all too weak for him to feel any resistance, apparently.
The frustration from that is making my training more and more absurd, and I was
just at my wit’s end.
It’s impossible, I tell you… to split a mountain with my bare hands…
But could it be that… I’m finally free? I want to return to Leigie-sama’s side
already…
I’m actually quite busy. I’ve no time to follow along with Heard-san’s games.
Whether she understood his state or not, Kanon merely nodded once.
“Yes, Heard Lauder. If it’s you, you’d definitely be able to handle it. Her station
has already come to light.”
“… You already know Serge’s location?”
“Yeah, a Demon of Envy witnessed a scene of her battle. She’s now but a caged
bird to us.”
“Hm… let it be so. At best, she’ll make for a quick snack.”
It didn’t seem the other Lords had any opinions to share.
Of course. Those guys had no incentive. Orders were one thing, but they
wouldn’t choose to do something like opposing Kanon-san or Heard-san of their
own volition.
Or so I thought, but the ghost girl went right into her fifty cents.
“Hey~ Heard-san. I don’t really have a problem with you going for the Valkyrie
or anything, but… if she attacks me, I can kill her, right?”
“Hm… I mind it not, Rank Six. If she had the power to bring ruin to Rank Seven,
I can understand your sentiment of wanting to fight her.”
Well I don’t get it at all.
“… No, no, no, no, I just hate it when people like that get in my way, you
know~?”
 And the ghost girl didn’t seem to get it either.
As if to say the conversation was unexpected, she crossed her arms. She
needlessly emphasized her needlessly bulging chest.
How sly… as I thought, this woman is formidable.
“Are those Angels made of nice parts?”
“No clue.”
On the other side, Schitol-san was, of all things, conversing with the Demon
Lord whose arms she had stolen about some pointless topic, only to receive a
flat out refusal.
How shameless… she really is the worst.
And what’s with this lack of tension discussing out arch nemesis?
Well… just do whatever you want. The ones who’ll pay for your unsightly display
here is you guys after all…
In my eyes, I could clearly see the form of these Lords facing destruction at their
oen negligence. You reap what you sow.
Kusu kusu…
How unsightly. They’re taking everything in jest. Even if they may call
themselves the rulers of Demon-kind, those gathered here are nothing but an
extension of those third rate Demons scattered all over the place.
I can’t… even take them into consideration. The one I want to prove myself to is
one man alone. Only Leigie-sama. That is the starting point. If I don’t get
anywhere with that, my life won’t find its beginning.
For a while, the surroundings were astir, and when a moment of silence finally
came about, Vanity spoke up, as if he had just remembered something.
“… Ah, come to think of it… that Devourer… survived, you know?”
The thunderous voice clearly reached my ears.
The hustle and bustle that had been resounding through the room, as if taken by
the tide, died down in an instant.
His voice was one thing, but his tone was one where he seemed to be giving a
trifling report over something that didn’t matter all too much.
 But I did see it by chance.
Standing to the back right of Heard-san, I was in a place where I could pick it up.
That’s why, I may have been the only one to notice it.
For a moment, just a slight moment, Vanity’s eyes were colored in an eerie
light.
 Part 3: I Cannot Run Away

Hiero, you are… beyond help.

While those words lacked any clear killing intent, they were filled with a force
that surpassed that.
They were definitely the words of a Lord of Demons, but they were on another
level from that of the Lord of Sloth I had been watching up to that point.
No, rather than level… perhaps I should say type.
The difference between, without any stimulus, the large power that could
always be sensed… the force of Sloth, and the heavy oppressing power of Pride
to suppress everything.
Kusu kusu kusu, even when he was frozen as well, and had to be saved by
Kanon-sama, he’s acting way too high and mighty…
But I could never voice such a thing, and if I did, regardless of how high I
thought myself over Heard-san, without even a moment to feel it, I would surely
die.
It’s no joke. My life doesn’t exist for something like that.
But the reason I’m still alive is likely because Heard-san lost to Leigie-sama.
That’s why Heard-san went against his own Pride, and refrained from killing me.
Without requesting a single armament, the Lord of Pride who took down the
world with but his fists.
There are numerous cases where the source of one’s Superbia comes from the
‘self’ a Demon had trained up, but in Heard-san’s case, that wasn’t nearly
enough to explain it.
His was an abnormal, and overwhelming conceit.
But his gaze that looked down on this Underground was something that I, who
went in the complete opposite side of Pride’s spectrum, couldn’t understand.
(TL: After so many chapters… they’ve finally… given a reading for Demon
World… as Underground.)
That’s why… I’d appreciate it if he stopped taking this out on me.
“Tsk… damn Egoist. What is he plotting…”
Heard-san’s blade like glare was locked onto a wall.
It’s probably that he wasn’t doing that intentionally, but the pressure alone was
enough to weight down my body. It wasn’t that sort of weight of air type
pressure, but rather a definite force of gravity.
Breathing became difficult. The inspectors keeping their distance from behind
were looking at Heard-san with tired expression, and as if all of this was natural,
they didn’t say a word.
Their job was to keep tabs on this Demon Lord. At times, they assisted, and at
times, they gave advice, but they were generally neutral entities. As long as it
wasn’t going to cause any real harm, they wouldn’t say anything about this level
of pressure. This level of self-control makes me commend their professionalism.
Well… even if a gathering of ten General Classes were to challenge him, Heard-
san wouldn’t even take the wave of a finger.
Perhaps the other Demon Lords finally collected themselves, as I was finally
able to secretly take a breath of air in another’s Zone.
It wasn’t enough to prevent movement… but I was still in a bit of pain.
So the Devouring Lord, the former Fifth Rank Zebul Glaucus of Gula survived.
That fact stirred up the meeting quite a bit.
There wasn’t a single Lord who knew not the Devourer’s name.
And that wasn’t a complement there.
If it was in the number of Demon Lords she’d killed, that woman likely
numbered within the top three of the Great Demon King’s army, and she was an
incarnation of sin great enough to even swallow up this bleak and desolate
Demon World. Of all else, the repulsive Demon even ate those of her same race.
She was likely more troublesome that a Valkyrie who wasn’t doing anything but
challenging Demon Lords, and much more abnormal.
If her continued existence was true, that is.
 … I mean, she should have been destroyed by the Lord of Sloth.
“Kusu kusu kusu, but… seriously, after all this time, why is the Devouring
Lord…”
Wrong. That wasn’t the main problem. I knew that. And I also knew it wasn’t
something I should put to words.
The problem was that Leigie-sama had defied Kanon-san’s words, and allowed
the Devouring Lord to run free.
No, that likely wasn’t the reality of the matter. Leigie-sama would never do
something so troublesome. But from an outsider’s perspective, how would it
look…
Normally, it would be a failure more than deserving of punishment.
That was the important point here.
Even when I didn’t voice it, I’ll bet Heard-san guessed what I wanted to say.
He glared at me with strong eyes, and gave an answer as if it were nothing
special.
“Hm… to Leigie of Sloth, Zebul merely wasn’t even worthy of a finishing blow.
That’s all there is to it.”
“I see…”
And I doubt there’s any Lord here who would be satisfied with such an answer.
But, still, in this world, Rank and power was everything.
As long as the highest ranked Heard-san, and the one who stood above all,
Kanon-san, didn’t say anything, any more words would put the speaker’s life at
risk.
Just what was Vanity-san thinking when he suddenly proclaimed the
Devourer’s survival in an atmosphere like that?
I don’t know his intent. Rank Four. His status likely wasn’t a mere decoration.
But there was one thing my instincts told me when I saw his eyes.
Vanity-san… gave off a scent somewhat like mine.
Even if they were both Demons of Pride, he and Heard-san were water and oil.
Whether there was ill intent or not, the two of them were incompatible.
 At that point, Lize-san started jogging in our direction.
Since the girl she had guided here had disappeared, she was probably free.
Lize-san was generally a straight-laced person, and while she was occasionally
out of it, she was a woman of valor. Ah, also, her breasts were quite
considerable.
She directed a single look at the several inspectors behind us, before turning to
the one much greater than her, and in the worst of moods, Heard-san.
“Heard Lauder, what do you plan on doing?”
“Hm… a foolish question.”
Using those words as a trigger, the vague mana emitted from his well trained
body suddenly converged onto himself.
With just that action, I saw an illusion of the air around him warping.
Explosive magic.
Immense physical ability.
An unshakable will.
Having obtained all of those, his bearing was undoubtedly a Lord’s.
Heard-san had no losses, and no retreats.
Without ever fading, his assurance in his ‘self,’ high as the skies, was always
there.
And as I thought, as if it were a trifling matter, he offered a short sentence of
answer.
“… I’ll just destroy the Devourer.”

The meaning behind those words was likely something Lize-san couldn’t
comprehend.
But as another Pride, I could feel them.
Even if it went against his nature…
“Why, at this point…”
“Hm…”
 … It was merely his Pride.
That was the only basis for Heard-san’s actions.
That was the reason for his strength. The meaning of his strength.
His longings wouldn’t allow it. Even if it no longer held any relevance to him,
Heard-san would wash away the stains on Leigie-sama’s record.
It was a pain-in-the-ass way of life. But also a way all the same.
Lize-san hesitated for a moment, before posing a question.
“… Then what about the Valkyrie?”
“… The Devourer comes first. The Crimson Prison is close… and I doubt it will
take much time at all.”
“No time…? The enemy is the former Rank Five, Zebul Glaucus, correct?”
“Yes, what of it?”
There was never a waver in his way of life.
It was likely that Heard would never hold doubt in his own victory up to the
moment before his death.
Kusu kusu kusu, he really has no flexibility….
“I’ll head to the Crimson Prison.”
“Eh? Wai… that land is under Vanity’s domain. Are you sane?”
Heard-san didn’t even nod at Lize-san’s voice.
It was his resolution. Without listening to anyone else’s words, he would push
through his path on nothing but his own willpower.
How useless. When he’s like this, he can’t be stopped by anyone. In that sense,
he was still quieter back when he was Leigie-sama’s supreme commander.
Well, it doesn’t really matter to me.
I don’t need strength. I don’t need training.
The ‘supreme’ that Heard-san wishes for holds absolutely no meaning to Leigie-
sama.
To me as well.
If Heard-san is to die, then all that will happen is that I’ll go back to serve under
Leigie-sama. I still have something I have to accomplish there.
And wait, you don’t have to die, just hurry up and release me already…
I seriously don’t need this training. The land isn’t splitting anytime soon. It’s
impossible. It’s not splitting, and there’s absolutely no one out there that wants
it to split.
“Lize, you can just go scout out the Valkyrie’s station. After destroying the
Devouring Lord, I’ll head there.”
“Wai… it couldn’t be that you’re going alone, right? At the very least, your
army…”
“Unnecessary… Hm, damn Vanity. I’ll definitely make you pay for this one.”
Oy, that one’s a false claim. All Vanity did here was report the truth.
But he couldn’t come out and say that due to his nature.
At the very least, I couldn’t see that Vanity had that sort of disposition.
When I recall his boorish silver eyes looking our way, even I had shivers run down
my spine.
His moniker… the Egoist means he himself acknowledged his own fault.
Vanity Seidthroan was apparently a Demon Lord who gave up on the King’s
throne. His disposition was far removed from prim and proper Superbia.
It’s not my problem who dies where, and while Heard-san is messed up in the
head, he’s no idiot. He likely has several tens of times more experience than me,
and he should have noticed it.
“It’s quite definitely a trap, right…”
“Hm… trap… is it? Then I’ll merely crush it head on.”
As I thought, this is impossible.
I was sure he would say that…
This is why muscle heads are…
Heard-san has a large quantity of power, so perhaps it’ll work out one way or
another, but I’m considerably lower in that department. The Overrule Skill is
powerful, but it doesn’t have the ability to overturn a power gap too great.
But I’ve already given up on stopping this man long ago.
 I stood a while staring at the inept inspectors standing about like scarecrows,
before I made a smile and turned to Heard-san.
Smiles didn’t work on him in a different way than Leigie-sama. However, it’s
more decent to make one than not… I think.
“Will you be heading straight for the Crimson Prison after this? In that case, I’ll
go return the flying dragon…”
The Crimson Prison was far. From the Palace of Rending Flames, it was a few
hours, even with a dragon.
And in Heard-san’s case, unbelievably, his own running pace was far faster than
such a beast.
Then the dragon would just be in the way. Even so, the flying dragon was also his
property, so we couldn’t just leave it here, so it was inevitable that someone was
needed to return it to Heard-san’s base of operations, the『Castle of Shimmering
Souls』.
But on my polite proposal, Heard-san directed enough anger at me to make my
body shrink back.
“Hm… Hiero. This is why I said you were beyond help.
“Hii… n-no… I was…”
It was merely a locking of eyes, but the weight I felt was physical enough, and I
unintentionally retreated.
Wrong. That’s wrong.
I-it’s not like I didn’t want to accompany you or anything…
No, you see, well, if you drag me along, there’s the possibility I might kinda die,
you know…
Those observers, who were really just there for show, looked at me with eyes
of pity.
I don’t need your sympathy.
Medea’s unsightly exit floated vividly in the forefront of my mind.
But only her face had been altered.
What was there wasn’t Medea-san’s but…
A dull heat started welling up from the depths of my brain, joining up with my
bloodstream.
And once more, Heard-san let out the words he had spoken just a year before
when he abducted me.
“You are unworthy…of your Superbia.”
His words were concise, but their meaning vanished as they were absorbed
into me.
Lize-san let out some lines that were quite sensible in all regards.
She was a surprisingly hopeless person as she was, but she may have been the
only sliver of conscience that existed around me.
“Heard, Hiero is a non-combatant, is she not…”
“Combatant or not isn’t the problem. Hiero is much too lacking in Pride. This
one is different from… Lorna.”
I don’t get just what exactly he’s looking for.
But when a Demon Lord of Pride says such things, they hold quite a bit of
weight.
Perhaps the reason I am unable to Overrule oneechan lies somewhere there. No,
there’s no doubt that it does.
It was merely a coincidence that Heard-san took to me.
But earning his sympathy must be my failure.
What he felt towards me was likely an illusion, but anyways, Heard-san’s Pride
was much too severe for me.
I have… no, we don’t even have a way of life.
In the first place power… isn’t even something I’m searching for.
But such excuses are rendered moot before this man.
No, just by stating my reason and will, I was unable to get him to recognize me.
His annoyingly stern criterion had yet to be fulfilled.
“Lize, you are to take care of the flying dragon. Hiero… come with me. We’re
going to destroy the Devourer.”
“… Kusu kusu kusu, there’s no helping it… I’ll follow you… yes, I’ll follow.”
 I used all my effort to smooth the matter over, but the fatigue in my voice was
so clear I could feel it the moment it escaped my mouth.
I don’t know if there’s anything for me, who can’t split the ground with my
bare hands, to do, but from Heard-san… I cannot escape.
While feeling that I was gradually heading in a completely different direction
from my will, the image of Medea-san’s departure grew stronger, and I prayed to
the God of the Demon World, who all could say did not exist.

Part 4: Dear…
Heard-san’s speed was extraordinary.
As it was, Deon Lords of Pride were said to be able to make the world around
them their own, and contract it to their will, but even for that, this was just too
much.
While I was using a flying dragon as my means of movement, his speed on the
ground could only be expressed with the sentiment, ‘ah, he disappeared.’
What’s more, according to the individual himself, he could put that out even
before becoming a Demon Lord. He’s a monster, that one.
Of course, my Pride isn’t weak, but if you were to compare our running speeds,
then it would be as if I were in stasis. My Pride wasn’t something that depended
on strength, so there was no helping it.
Even when he told me to come with him, it seems he had no intent of waiting
for me, so I frantically urged the dragon on. At a speed slower than Heard-san,
but much greater than the norm, we headed towards the Crimson Prison, and by
the time we reached, the sun had already set.
The temperature of the land ruled by Vanity was high. It’s rumored to be the
lingering influence of a Lord of Wrath who governed the area in times past, but
the truth of the matter is yet to be determined.
Even if it was now night, the heat was incomparably higher than that on the Dark
Prison Leigie-sama once controlled, and the unbearable heat made me let out a
single fevered sigh.
I gratefully patted the neck of the flying dragon, who had put out a speed
beyond his potential, and lay myself onto the ground for a while.
Still, this place is… really hot…
I lifted my arms to take in my own scent. I checked for dirt on my garments.
Keeping my appearance in order was part of the standard curriculum for the
house in service to Leigie-sama. No matter how pained, or fatigued I may be;
even on the brink of death, I could not let myself be dirtied.
I feel the anti-heat resistance on the standard Demon Tree gradually starting
up.
Just what came to their minds to have them build a town at a place like this? I
can only wonder.
If they were going to raise one, it would be best off in a place easier to live in…
Like in the Dark Prison that never had any temperature fluctuations year round,
day and night.
This town, which seemed to be called Grey Rock was only a few kilos from the
Dark Prison… it was right across the horizon.
The information that it was a town that defined the border looked accurate. It
was relatively close to both Heard-san’s Castle of Shimmering Souls, and even
Leigie-sama’s Castle of Shadows.
And wait, I even passed it overhead. I felt a strong urge to stop by, so please
praise me for not taking a detour here…
Well, I can’t tell what Heard-san would say to me, you know?
I let out another deep sigh, and started walking through the town.
But even if it was night, it was still too quiet.
I was able to discern it from the skies, but the number of residents wasn’t
anything great. Is the Devouring Lord really at a place like this… no, there’s also
the possibility this is what’s left from that Lord’s dinner. I mean, the Devourer
apparently eats other Demons for pleasure…
The moment I thought of the possibility, a chill ran through me, and I clutched
my shoulders.
This is no joke.
According to Vanity-san, she was being quite well behaved, but he’s not a
trustworthy source of information. Our opponent has a bottomless stomach.
There’s no enemy I would like to take on less than a Demon of Gluttony.
Even if I was able to Overrule and nullify most of their Skills, I still doubt I’d have
a chance of victory.
Well, from what I can tell by looking around, there are no traces of battle.
… Of course, there’s the possibility that all the town’s residents were devoured
without being given the time to put up a fight, but if I thought that hard into it, I
wouldn’t be able to take any action at all.
Whatever the case, Heard-san should have arrived here long ago. No matter
how ill-famed an enemy Zebul Glaucus was, she shouldn’t be able to stand
before him. Even if she were here, she was probably gone by now.
While I started forming my perfect theories on the matter, I strained my senses
to feel for presences, and started walking down the path lit by the large red
moon.
It was an ominous town. But I can’t figure out the reason for the chills I’m
experiencing.
Likely the town’s namesake, the countless houses of grey stone gave off not a
single sign of life, but still, some of their windows let off dim orange colored
lights.
The only one walking about outside was me.
And there, I understood my discomfort.
It was too quiet. There was too little of anything.
As if white paint had been smeared all around me to paint out all the
surroundings, it was an unnatural feeling of emptiness.
I wasn’t particularly skilled at picking up presences or anything, but I should at
least be able to feel Heard-san’s. I mean, he never held any intentions of
concealing that massive power of his.
I hurriedly looked around. The only one standing in the wide plaza of the town
was… me.
But I couldn’t tell that. Even if I strained my ears, or concentrated my eyes,
there was nothing.
That truth caused my Soul Core to quietly shake.
I put my hand to my chest. The beating pulse I felt on my palm was all I could
feel, and all that made my being.
I need to calm myself. Making a ruckus at a time like this is… the work of a
small fry.
Dammit! This is why I didn’t want to leave the Castle of Shadows!
I focused myself on the beating of my core, and encouraged myself, as I took a
slow glance around.
“… Kusu kusu kusu, what could it be. This is… quite strange.”
It wasn’t that my life was in peril, or anything like that.
I’m not sure the reason, but I was feeling an immense sense of impatience. If
reports are to be believed, then a Lord of Angels attacked this land before.
Perhaps that’s the cause of my unease.
The possibility that the unperceivable marks left by my natural enemy were
ringing alarm bells in my head.
Anyways, my best course of action would be to meet up with Heard-san. If it’s
him, then whether it be a Saint Lord, or Devouring Lord, it will work out one way
or another. And the reason I’m even here is also his fault, so it should be fine to
have him take responsibility for this.
After I took a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and heightened my senses to a
level I’d never felt before.
The negative soul beating within me stabilized. I have no Skill to take in
everything around, like a Demon Lord’s Abyss Zone.
But my perception should be wider than any of those dime-a-dozen Demons out
there. Despite this and that, Heard-san’s kidnapping/training did serve to
strengthen me.
My five senses spread out into the surrounding air, and informed me of the
world. My cold sweat fell to the ground in beads.
As if using that as a signal, I instantly started to grasp in the depths of my heart
that I was indeed on hostile territory.
It was likely something like synesthesia. Not from my expanded five, but from a
completely different sixth sense.
 Sympathy.
Like I was gazing into a mirror, and uncanny world reflected my own form back
at me.
This town had already served its purpose. The reason for its scarcity of
inhabitants was likely that as well.
And it was likely… not by Heard-san’s hand.
This is… right. A long time past. My sense of discomfort started to change.
“Hm… how useless…”
“Hyah!!?”
On the voice that suddenly resounded behind me, I unintentionally let out a
shameful cry.
What entered my eyes was a man two heads higher than me.
Black hair, and black eyes. His overly arrogant expression was knit in obvious
displeasure, enough to make my slight sentiment of wanting to meet up with
him not too long ago flip over in an instant.
What was there was definitely the one whose reunion I had been hoping for, a
certain Heard Lauder.
But even right before me, his presence was surprisingly faint, and if I took my
eyes off him again, I bet I’d lose him again.
For how long has he been behind me?
The reason my perception doesn’t catch anything likely isn’t Heard-san’s power.
It’s this air. This magic, that seems to hang over like a mist to cloak any and
everything.
On that air, as if an unknown fear had been eating at the base of my feet,
caused me to raise my voice.
“W-what do you mean by useless? Heard-san?”
“… Tsk, damn Egoist… as always, he’s a crafty one.”
Heard-san didn’t turn his eyes the slightest bit in my direction, and merely
lorded over the completely empty space. He wore the same grimace as always,
but there was a slight color of conviction on it.
 … I wonder what this is about.
When I was about to call out again, the blank space Heard-san had been
staring at for a while suddenly began to warp.
And as if attempting to muffle the scream I almost let out, a gloomy and broken
voice shook the air.
“Don’t… be like… that.”
Vanity the Egoist. Even taller than Heard-san, the mountainous man raised a
roar.
His disposition was like he had been watching us from that exact spot the entire
time, as he calmly looked down at the both of us. Behind him were numerous
Demons with their faces covered in black masks. Their heights and bearings were
various, but the platoon of Demons had a strange sense of uniformity.
It wasn’t… at some arbitrary point.
There was surely nothing there until a moment before. My eyesight isn’t bad.
There’s no way I’d let pass an army of that size.
The abnormal situation made me begin to shiver.
It’s… not an illusion. There may be a high-level Luxuria Skill to reproduce this
phenomenon, but this wasn’t something of that sort. Of all else, the power I felt
from Vanity-san was definitely Superbia.
In that case, there’s a high chance it’s an ability of his subordinates, but for
these numbers to be hiden away, it would be difficult for even a General.
Of course, Medea-san Class was out of the question. And she wasn’t even Lust in
the first place.
Heard-san was calm enough to make one think he had expected all of this.
He calmly spat out his words.
“So even after living a life long enough to erode at one’s memory, you’ll still
favor underhanded tactic, Egoist?”
“… Call it… what you will, Prideful Kaiser.”
He grinned.
The edges of Vanity-san’s lips did indeed rise, but is that really a smile?
 I raised my evaluation of Vanity-san a level. His appearance and contents
didn’t connect. A mismatch. He was much too mysterious. Despite his robust
body, he went for roundabout methods.
For a Demon carrying the same sin as me, he remained unidentified. The
unknown was the greatest enemy of Pride.
Vanity-san’s and Heard-san’s powers clashed.
Neither of them had moved a step. But I’m sure I felt their mana collide, and
mingle.
Just by standing here, I can feel a wind enough to make my body cower.
“Where is the Devourer?”
“That girl… went to… the Lord of Sloth.”
The Lord that governs Sloth.
Those words could only indicate a single place in this vast world.
Leigie Slaughterdolls. The world’s strongest slacker, and the existence I was
born in order to serve.
And at the same time, Heard-san’s birth parent.
I haven’t heard the specifics, but at the very least, the Lazy King held a great
importance to Heard-san.
Did Vanity-san not know?
No, that’s not it. There’s no way that’s it.
Otherwise… there’s no way he could stand so calmly before Heard-san’s blatant
ill humor.
“… You… bastard… so you knew from the start!?”
“Of. Course.”
A short sound rung through the air, and dust whirled into the air to accompany
it.
I immediately closed my eyes to handle it.
“Wha… t…”
Vanity’s large build had slid back several meters. His large hand that was
perhaps the size of my face saw spread open in front of him.
The scraped off portions of the road revealed bright red soil.
From his upheld hand, smoke quietly started rising up the heavens.
Heard-san was glaring at him with eyes as if to shoot him dead.
I understood.
Heard-san had released his fist, and Vanity-san had blocked. That’s all there
was to it.
But that simple truth was enough to beat me down.
That can’t be… there’s someone out there that can stop the Prideful Kaiser,
Heard Lauder’s fist…
“You’re also… the same… incredible power.”
“What’s your goal?”
I can’t keep up with this.
Please don’t start conversing with your fists. I don’t understand that language.
His expression covered up with his audacity was simply quiet, and I couldn’t
comprehend the feelings he held behind it.
… Well, of course, I’m going to pretend to understand them…
I thought for a moment, before raising a cheerful voice.
“Heard-sann, Leigie-sama is undefeated.”
The greatest monster I had ever met in my lifetime was not Heard-san, but
Leigie-sama.
Heard-san was a monster in strength, but completely irrelevant to that, Leigie-
sama’s existence was incomprehensible. If I had to say, he was like a deity. Just
his existence made me feel awe.
Even when I’ve only ever see him sleeping…
Since he’d already taken down Heard-san once, for argument’s sake, I cannot
think of a single one to win against Leigie-sama, and of course, the one who
already faced an unsightly defeat at his hands, Zebul-san, is out of the question…
“Hm… I know.”
“Of. Course.”
 Unexpectedly, both Heard-san and Vanity-san nodded as if that fact were
natural.
I don’t really get why everyone has such a high evaluation of that man when all
he does is sleep, but it’s likely that’s just the way this world works.
Still, that makes the reason Vanity-san kept quiet about even harder to
comprehend. There’s not a single merit for him in luring Heard-san here.
At that moment, as if the Egotistic Lord had read my thoughts, he warped his
mouth into what was, this time, undoubtedly a smile.
A hoarse voice. He included in some sarcastic mimicry towards a sincere tone,
and what was there was clearly malice, and at the same time, his will.
His arm that likely had a width three times mine pointed up towards the sky.
His thunderous voice resounded through the unnaturally quiet town scape.
“Like I care about the Devourer… My enemy is… heaven. Alone.”
As if it were waiting for those very words, a heavy wind blew.
The heavy deep-blue clouds covering up the sky split.
What remained was… a pure white light.
Countless strings of light poured through to sever the Demon World’s red moon,
and I witnessed a scene I could not believe.
Heard-san made a rare display of gritting his teeth into a sour expression…
with eyes full of malice, he looked towards the sky.
“Vanity… bastard…”
“Fu….”
The light danced.
I could only watch it in a daze.
Angel.
The natural enemies of us Demons, and the souls that dwelled in the heavenly
realm.
Clad in shining garments of pure white, with large wings sprouting from their
backs… their Heavenly Wings caught the wind, and let them race through the
open air.
 Of course, even I’ve at least seen an Angel before.
But… the number was different.
Even as I watched, the sky continued to clear, and the whole story was made
true.
A single cloud still hung, but it was clear enough. Their numbers weren’t just a
hundred or two.
I bit down on my quivering lip. As if a silk thread had been strung around my
neck, my instincts began to suffocate me.
I had a clear understanding of it.
I was… scared of ‘them.’
“Kusu kusu… why, at a place like this, so many Angels…”
The opposite entity from Demons.
I naturally put an arm over the other to hide my own trembling.
The spectacle I observed for the first time was truly deserving to be called a
miracle of god.
The Angels were his vanguard. Unlike Demons, that would never remain bound
to any single entity, they held on to the will of the heavens.
The will to bring ruin to all of us.
Standing at the front of such an army was an Angel with conspicuously more
luxurious attire. While the others had a single pair of wings on their back, that
lone Angel had two sets.
It was only for a moment, but those cold eyes without a fragment of self-
consciousness, definitely captured us.
“…”
I could clearly see the difference in power. Regardless of how far apart we
were in distance, it was more than clear enough to me.
Without a doubt, if she were a Demon, she would be Demon Lord Class.
There, I recalled the name Kanon-san had presented as the meeting’s agenda.
The Valkyrie of the Silver Blue who acted to take down the Demon Lords all
together.
“Could it be, that’s… Serge Serenade…!?”
 “Kuku…”
Vanity-san stifled his own laugh.
It was only the span of a blink that their eyes met. But to me, it felt like several
minutes. My cold sweat shows no signs of stopping.
But as if to say that he didn’t have interest in Serge anymore, he changed his
field of vision.
To the horizon extending over the Dark Prison.
His mouth bent a little, and he formed up a slight grin.
“Heard-san, t-that is…”
I informed Heard-san, who continued to look up at the Angels with a grim
expression.
At around the same time, Serge’s heavenly wings flapped grandly.
It was a white light.
Displaying a sudden extreme acceleration, the Angel’s body left a white
afterimage in the sky as it disappeared. To accompany that, the other countless
angels began to race through the sky without the slightest sound.
It wasn’t towards us.
Not to Grey Rock, where two Demon Lords of Pride had gathered.
To the land that was once ruled by the Demon Lord of Sloth… to the Castle of
Shadows.
“So this is… the reason you lured me out.”
“My enemy… is… heaven. Alone.”
Letting out something that sounded a little like an answer, Vanity-san raised
his right hand.
From all over the town, from the shadows scattered here and there, numbers
upon numbers of masked soldiers started to appear. It was as if they had just
come to being at this moment, Vanity-san’s presence-less Legion.
Adding on the ones who were there from the start, it was a considerable force.
Even after seeing that number of Angels, their gestures showed not the least bit
of unrest.
Vanity-san looked down at Heard-san. As if he were evaluating him.
 “Kuku… Prideful Kaiser… go forth, if you must.”
“… Tsk…”
If you were to compare Demons and Angel, the greatest differing trait would
be mobility.
Heavenly Wings granted Angels air speed rivalling that of flying dragons. It was
something an average Demon wouldn’t be able to follow so easily.
Vanity’s Legion was likely the same. Especially for high ranking Angels with
experience on the battlefield like Serge, no normal Demon would be able to
catch up.
But here, we had an extraordinary Demon.
The Lord of Pride, left behind by the passage of time.
The decision was instantaneous.
Heard-san’s body blurred for a moment, before a kick jutted out at Vanity-san’s
bald head.
The ground shook greatly, and fragments scattered all over.
Blood danced around the air, and with a single wet sound, brown cuts of meat
fell to the ground.
I grimaced at the terrible spectacle. I picked off a piece of meat stuck to my
apron, and let it fall to the ground.
What was once Vanity-san was now left in ruin. With the attack against
Schitol-san, her soul core still remained, but even that wasn’t left within the
wreckage. It was likely thoroughly smashed.
Perhaps they were at a loss for words, as Vanity-san’s subordinates remained
silent as they watched the blood.
I averted my face, waiting for the end of it.
I’m not sure what he was thinking, but… kusu kusu.
… It’s because you tried to look down on our Heard-san…
He can’t stand being made fun of. And I’m the same as Heard-san in that
regard.
That’s why it was natural for Vanity-san to die.
With a bored expression, the perpetrator of all of this trampled over the
bloody mess, and said but two words.
“… We’re going…”
“Yes. Will you be using the flying dragon?”
“No need.”
Of course. His feet are faster after all.
Stepping on the ground, Heard-san’s form vanished in an instant. Ah, he’s gone…
There really is such a thing as way too fast.
Well, if he’s not going to use it, I guess I will.
It’ll probably be impossible to catch up with those Angels on this dragon, But as
long as Heard-san’s there, there will be no role for me even if I do end up
catching up.
Then it would be more useful for me to simulate what to do, and how to
appear on my reunion with Leigie-sama.
“Yes, yes, please move aside…”
I passed through the pitiful army that continued to stand frozen in silence, and
headed for the flying dragon, as I thought to myself.
Oneechan, I wonder what you’re doing right around now… well, you’re probably
the same as always, taking care of Leigie-sama… you’re probably carrying out the
exact same routine you’ve been doing for the past few thousand years.
Dear Oneechan,
Yeah… it’s all gone to hell here, but know that I’m doing fine.
Please put in as much needless effort as you so desire.
I will, in you guys’ place, Overrule everything.
 The Lazy King Chapter 13: Ira’s Resentment

TL: Sevens ended at chapter 345 (Volume 18)

TL: 17.5k words…
The Lazy King Part 2 Chapter 5: Ira’s Resentment

Part 1: How Sad it Must be

“Oh… what beautiful crimson hair… this child will surely become a fine wielder
of Ira.”
A large face with numerous wrinkles carved into it peered at me.
His height was twice my own, and it was likely that even if I squeezed out every
ounce of mana in my body, my power wouldn’t even reach his feet.
Among the ruling Demons, he was a being with supreme power. With awe in
their voices, those around him referred to him as such…
『Demon Lord』
And even among them, this man’s might made him a Demon Lord amongst
Demon Lords.
He was a rare Great Demon King within this warring era, who even survived
through the battles with heaven.
Fels Crowne.
His name was Fels Crowne, of 『Deceit』.
He was a wire-like man.
His thin stature was likely not graced by anything like muscles, and he had a
characteristically kind expression one would think to be unthinkable of Superbia.
But even so, Fels was a long-lived Demon Lord.
 … Even if that glory was a thing of the past.
“Ira… if you have that power, than perhaps you’ll even be able to unify the
Demon World someday.”
While making light of all the other Demon Lords, but that being a case, the
King who sat at the summit for much too long was already tired.
Desire wasn’t infinite. That’s why, while we didn’t originally possess lifespans,
there are times when a longer life is the very reason for a decline in power.
He was severe, and vile, and merciless enough to earn the word 『Deceit』 in his
name, and yet the one who had continued to pursue his desire all alone, the Lord
Fels Crowne, was already dead.
Only because of his strong power, did he continue to sit on the Great Demon
King’s throne.
Meaning in the end, that was the extent of his caliber.
His lukewarm bearing was enough to make me bear resentment just by looking
at him, and yet, he was always nothing but kind to me.
Enough to make my Wrath grow hazy.
It was a tale of a time in the distant past, but even now, it remains vivid in my
memory.
I would intently gaze up at his stagnant eyes, and wait for the next words to
escape his mouth. And to me, the Great Demon King dropped to a severely dark
tone.
The young me understood.
That was likely the reason an ordinary man like Fels was able to climb to the seat
of Great Demon King.
“But this rate isn’t going to work out… we require the power of Leigie of Sloth,
I guess…”
“Leigie… of Sloth?”
Unable to comprehend Fels Crowne… father’s words, I tilted my head, and he
gave a grand nod, as if he had suddenly nodded off.
Only his silver pair of eyes continued to let off a dull light.
I’m not sure how much time had passed. Perhaps it was an instant, or perhaps
there had been a space of several minutes of silence.
The Great Demon King slowly opened his mouth.
“Kanon. Henceforth… take up the name Ira Lord…”
“Ira… lawd?”
It was a name much too full of pride. I was a freshly born Demon, and I hadn’t
even gotten to Knight Class.
But Father seemed quite certain of it. That I was to become a Lord of Ira.
Deceit was an accumulation of fiction.
The nature of Fels Crowne was to remove what existed, and build existence out
of nothing.
That’s why me understanding the meaning of those words required the span of
the next few thousand years.
Even if there are many who know my name, there are few who know its
meaning.
The Castle of Shadows.
It was a palace, where even the shadows slept silently.
The ramparts that extended beyond the horizon was merely boorish, and its size
rose great enough to befit the term, ‘towering above.’ The fortress of a Demon
Lord.
The Lord of Sloth was to refer to a Demon Lord who forged himself in
depravity.
This peerlessly vast Castle of Shadows was nothing more than that Lord’s
bedroom.
His subordinates, whose numbers surpassed the thousands, existed for
nothing more than to protect his sleep.
Heard Lauder. Boasting a rare kind of power, he was a Pride Demon who would
never prostrate himself before anyone.
“Hm… Kanon… Iralaude, is it? Useless… do what you will.”
The strange Demons who held no higher directive than to attend to the
ambitionless Lord.
 “Kanon Iralaude… well, as long as you don’t try to disturb his sleep, then…”
Acting on an incomprehensible principle, the way of life of these Demons I had
no way of grasping was something I had never witnessed before, and they
delivered a bit of an impact to my mentality, but that was blown away when I
saw the Lord himself. Blown all away.
Even now, I can recall it clearly.
The quiet air covering the entire fortress, and the black door, an incarnation of
darkness.
On the other side of the door I had opened to introduce myself, the Lord
simply whispered to himself alone.
… I’m kinda tired…
He didn’t seem to pay any mind to me, as I was taken up in silence, as the jet-
black haired man directed his dead eyes towards vacant space.
The Lord of Sloth.
Leigie the Depraved. The sole Demon accepted to have pursued the foundation
of Acedia to its limits, an ancient Demon.
As if he were the air, he lacked a distinct feel to him, but just by existing before
my eyes, the vast amount of Magic you could even call absurd was clearly
something extraordinary, even from the eyes of a fledgling like me, and he had
much too less of a will.
It was such that even when I compared it to the preposterously high power of
my father, I could quite distinctly tell that it was much, much higher.
At a single glance, I could tell by intuition.
Ah, so this is… the man who crushed a Great Demon King by merely being
there.
No offense, or defense, but mere existence.
No charisma, or fighting spirit, or even intent, but power alone he possessed. If
you call one who’s thoroughly learned their Sin a Lord, then… yes, I see, he is
surely worthy of being a Lord of Sloth.
There was status, and honor, and then, there was a gathering of Demons that
showed no interest in either of the two.
Even I, having seen all the Demon Lords that came to kneel before father, found
that lifestyle to be exceedingly rare, and it invited on my anger.
These Demons… just what are they searching for in life?
Even when, as Demons, they possess power great enough to warrant the envy of
others.
The haves, and the have nots. Talent can be cruel. The gap between my father,
whose wrinkles grew deeper with age, and the one who came on as youthful
after living an even greater amount of rime was more than clear, and for some
reason, it irritated me.
And my father that brought me here, with nothing but a worn-out expression,
pleaded to that Lord with a single sentence.
To the Lord who, while he wasn’t even doing anything, had an expression much
more worn-out than father.
Those words were, quite likely, not what a Great Demon King was to address
to his subordinates.
“Leigie… I’ll leave my daughter to you.”
I didn’t known the resolve or weight behind his words.
But the Lord of Sloth gave a response anyways.
He let only his face out from beneath the blankets, and the slovenly tone he
answered in held no ambition. I couldn’t see a fragment of the makings of a Lord
in him.
“… Just do whatever you want. It’s not like I’m the one who’ll be attending to
her anyways.”
The compensation he paid for his power was… depravity.
A man adorned with the polar opposite of the anger that fueled Ira.
Change and stagnation. Perhaps precisely because they were opposites, that a
principle exist in them to heighten one’s Wrath.
Father likely saw through that.
While staring at Leigie’s lifeless eyes, I frantically tried to think of the meaning
behind father’s will, and unable to think of anything, what entered my eyes as
they turned up to father expectantly, were dark eyes of nihilism.
If another were to see his spiritless expression, they likely would have evaluated
it as not falling short of the Lord of Sloth.
As young as I was, his speech delivered a considerable shock to me.
“Kanon… introduce yourself. He is the lone one to have spent his eternity in
solitude. In this endlessly vast Demon world, the sole… Lazy King.”
He pushed my back, and I took a step forward.
But I was still frantically thinking.
His recklessness. The intent of the aged Great Demon King.
Even before the Great Demon King, the eyes of the Lord who didn’t pay any
mind to it in the slightest, were horridly muddled.
And oddly enough, that was the vey answer to the question of, ‘for what sake is
he living?’ I had thought the first moment I met him.
There was no meaning in this man’s life. No goal. No reason.
His life that couldn’t be worn by any other Demon Lord was the cruel meaning
behind the solitude my father spoke of.
Just how sad a thing must it be?
That was the first time I felt an emotion opposite to resentment.
Just as father said, I lightly raised the edges of my skirt in the gesture that had
been thoroughly beaten into me, and gave a polite bow.
I didn’t feel anyone’s eyes on me. Even while his pupils were directed ahead, this
man wasn’t looking at me.
He must be staring at whatever he does every day.
“Kanon Iralaude. The Sin I govern is Wrath. I’ll be in your care, um…”
I hesitated for a moment.
Leigie-sama? No, as the daughter of the Great Demon King, it’s unthinkable for
me to use such an honorary title for another.
Leigie…san? That sounds too reserved. It doesn’t settle right.
Should I just drop the honorific? No, he’s someone father spoke up to this
extent. He must be deserving of some respect.
 Being left with him meant that we would be becoming family.
I already have a father. But let that be the case, there’s no way this one’s little
brother material.
The hesitation was only an instant. With as much affection as I could muster,
and, with Wrath backing my tone, I called that name… the pitiful name of the
Lord o Depravity.
“… Leigie-niisama.”
That was likely the starting point.
And I, in the long life that followed… in spending a timeframe much longer than
that which tormented my father before me, I came to know the significance of
the Lazy King’s name.
But no matter how much time passed by, niisama was to stay as niisama.
And as if he were in hibernation, the way he would never leave the Castle of
Shadows, was never to change.

Part 2: There Wasn’t a Single Decent Person in my Army

“—–sama, ——sama?”
My auditory sense received a jolt, and my consciousness was pulled together
once more.
The voice I heard at regular intervals sounded quite nostalgic for some reason.
Light entered my field of vision.
I held my head, and let my eyes scan the area. It was the same place as always.
The throne room of the Palace of Rending Flames. While it held the same mold
as that of the one in the Castle of Shadows, the Great Demon King’s throne was
soaked in a completely different atmosphere.
At that place where many Kings of History had entrusted themselves, I
awakened.
“Kanon-sama? What seems to be the matter!?”
“… Yeah… don’t worry about it. Just… I was just reminiscing a little bit.”
 ‘Twas a failure. It seems I had sunk too deep into thought.
“Y-yes… if that’s all it is, then…”
The one looking at me with some doubt was my right hand Demon.
Lize Bloodcross. A Demon of Wrath like me, and a woman that somewhat
reminded my of my past self.
Perhaps’t that’s why.
Of all things, I sent an inexperienced Lize to Leigie-niisama’s side.
Perhaps when father left me to him long ago, he experienced a feeling like what I
feel as well. There’s no way to find out at this point.
The Lord of Sloth has no enemies. There’s no way niisama, who doesn’t even
take any action, could bear animosity towards anyone.
Having power surpassing her age, the mildly unstable Lize was able to gain fine
control over her emotions due to niisama’s influence. Rather than stating it as a
report on her progress, perhaps it is simply an inevitability.
Because niisama has quite a lot of experience…
“Good grief, those Demon Lords are the same as always.”
“Yeah… but that can’t be helped. It’s precisely because they’re like that.”
I brought together the Demon Lords strong in Sin. It’s natural for there to be a
level of friction between them.
It’s proof that the Great Demon Kings of old bent a large variety of powers to
their whim.
And I’m the same.
I gathered together the wielders of all sorts of desire. I was more than prepared
to be surrounded by potential traitors the moment I became Great Demon King.
Temperament. Wisdom. Brute force. Charisma.
The only thing those guys didn’t heed was… authority.
And at the same time, with them following me to that extent… I can’t have them
lose their powers, and fall to some Angel, or the like.
“But… as I thought, Schitol went too far… to snatch from an allied soldier
before my very eyes…”
 “… Ah, Medea…”
It was only natural that a Greed Demon’s power depended on material
possessions. Therefore, their basic battle power wasn’t all too high.
However, that Demon Lord had, of all things, chosen ‘Bodies’ as her target of
desire. I haven’t the slightest idea what caused her to develop such a craving,
but the power she possessed could likely easily pierce a Demon Lord’s body.
She was truly a troublesome Demon.
And there’s that personality of hers…
All the Lords had quite picky personalities, but even among them, she was top
class in being hard to handle.
Medea Luxeliaheart was a considerable Demon.
I never thought she would be thrown into the army when niisama randomly
picked her up, and I hadn’t the slightest notion that she would even reach
General Class.
But even so, before Demon Lords, there was much too great a gap in quality.
“Looking at it from another perspective, could it be our luck that it ended with
Medea alone…?”
“… Well, there’s some truth to that… but it sure has been a while since a
casualty came up at a conference.”
Of course, if you mix together so many strong poisons, the damage to the
surroundings is nothing small.
But at the same time, in this land swirling with various strong desires, they did
hold the strength to show off their mettle, so it’s not like they’re to be killed off
so easily.
If you want to look to the current trend, then most casualties don’t arrive during
the meeting, but from the aftermath, and it wasn’t the Demon Lords
themselves, but everyone around them.
“W-well, Medea was just a double, so…”
Lize let out a mournful sigh.
It must be painful to witness the Demon she dragged out be killed like that.
Truly, it may have been thoughtless to drag the girl over here.
I never should have compared her to Heard Lauder, who had always attended
these conferences in niisama’s place.
Medea and Heard’s careers were different. Even if I was the one who ordered it,
for her to have an insurance plan known as illusions… well, perhaps she was
killed so easily due to the resultant negligence, but anyways, I should commend
her for coming out in the first place.
I extinguished a cinder that as set alight in some corner of my head with a sigh.
To cover that up, I directed my eyes to Lize.
“As I’ve told you before, Lize, I’ll leave the role of reporting to Leigie to you.”
“Yes, understood.”
Lize’s figure as she gave her affirmation overlapped with my own form of the
past, and for some reason, it gave me an excessively lonely feeling.
I shook my head to deny that. Such sentiment is unnecessary to my Wrath.
Nothing will change from harboring such a feeling.
“But, Kanon-sama… whatever the case, I doubt there is anyone out there to
target Leigei of Sloth.”
“Oh… why is that?”
“I mean, for the Lord of Sloth… there’s absolutely no reason to aim for his
head, is there? Back when his territory was vast was one thing, but right now,
Leigie Slaughterdolls has nothing but the Castle of Shadows… he doesn’t even
have an army. Attacking Leigie will not earn anyone any status or fame.”
“… That’s… right. Truly, by assaulting niisama, there’s nothing to be gained.”
But, still…
As long as he doesn’t take any active action, as long as keeps his hand from the
world, as long as he stays holed up in his room, can he truly isolate himself from
all else?
Can he merely sleep peacefully without receiving any evaluation from anyone?
No.
Power is justice. Without doing anything, he spent his long lifetime, and like the
sweet smell of a nepenthes, the vast power he cultivated would draw Demons to
him.
Naturally, his obligations increase. That’s something that can’t be helped.
 The ice he lowered on the world must have been a manifestation of the
sentiment he was always been building up. How repulsing, and sorrowful.
Because of his very being, the Lord of Depravity is not permitted to gain a single
thing in life.
Back in my own element, I gave more orders to Lize.
“Vanity’s report is… also uncertain. A Lord of Angels, and Zebul the Devourer,
even if this land is constantly astir with turmoil, the timing is much too
convenient. What’s more, that man isn’t one to trust.”
Vanity the Egoist’s words were soaked in deceit.
Superbia was largely divided into two categories.
Those like Heard Lauder, who gained Pride in their own ability.
And those like Vanity Seidthroan, who boasted not of their power, and used wit
to accomplish their pride.
That was Pride of the same type as father’s.
“He’s scheming something here.”
As that man’s daughter, I understood.
That sort of Demon Lord was the most dangerous factor to the King’s seat.
I see, compared to all the others prostrated before me, that Lord is quite an
irregular. I mean, I cannot see a clear form of desire in him.
But still, I didn’t think that the man was telling a lie. High ranking Lords could
generally see through most lies on the spot.
If he were to report a falsehood, what merit would be in it for Vanity? Even if
he may be Rank four, he’s not able to contest my Ira, and also, even if his report
were to be a lie, that would just put Heard against him.
“… The truth of the matter aside, if the Devourer truly was defeated, yet
managed to survive… then her destination will be niisama’s side.”
“…”
Long lived Demon Lords cared not for victory, but were stubborn in defeat.
Zebul Glaucus was known for her exceedingly high offensive power, and brutal
nature. I’m not sure how long she’s lived for, but I doubt she has much
experience in failure.
 I folded a leg atop the other above the cold throne.
I felt a burning power from my prided long staff clasped in my right hand. As if to
manifest the submerged anger in the depths of my heart.
As if it were eagerly awaiting for me to release power through it once more.
“Hm… I don’t think that niisama will lose, and… I can’t think that Heard will let
her escape either.”
I mean, Zebul has already lost to niisama once.
No matter how heinous she may be, it would be difficult for her to oppose both
niisama and Heard, with their exceedingly high powers.
“… Y-yes. Heard Lauder has already departed from this land. If it’s that Lord,
then perhaps there’s no need to worry.”
“What an impatient man… but so be it.”
Even if there’s no defeat to be found, I can’t let such a trifling matter disturb
niisama’s sleep.
In that case, there would have been no reason for me to take his rank and land
and army. Heard should know that fact as well.
Heard Lauder’s power was undoubtedly top class within my army. I hated
dealing with that man as a child, but when he’s my subordinate, he makes
himself quite useful. Especially how he could roam as he pleased in this wide
world that was hard to span even on a dragon. His agility like that of a clap of
thunder was that man’s nature. It’s almost impossible to run away from him.
The more and more I thought, the more sighs came from my mouth. If he’d
only actually listen to my orders for once, I wonder just how much my Demon
World unification plans would have hastened.
“Good grief, the world just turns about as it pleases.”
And that will likely never end.
Even from the past… he was that sort of man.
Having spent many years alongside those niisamas of mine, they were my…
bane.
If I became negligent, then even my desire would weather away.
A scene of a few thousand years past came up again, and I shook my head to
rid myself of it.
“Well, fine. The main issue is that Valkyrie. Lize, I’ll assign you the duty of
informing Heard of what we have on her.”
“… Yeah, he did leave before anything was said…”
Like that, just how does he plan on chasing after Serge…
Demon World unification is being held up by the existence of a single lone
Valkyrie. How troublesome.
And sending representative to them rarely has any effect on those Demon Lords.
“But, even so, it’s already the end.”
In the end, there’s but one opponent. Because of her mobility, we were having
a problem getting our hands on her, but as long as we know her location, taking
her out is all too easy.
This is the Demon world. A land of dark miasma governed by fiends.
The miracle of God, those heavenly wings cannot fly too far through this abyss.
We’ll have to pound that fact into those foolish Angels.
“Right?”
“Yes, it is as you will it.”
With intoxicated eyes, the man who was standing behind me immediately
kneeled.
He was the inspector Demon dispatched to the late Rank Seven, Ciel Afreide.
While the Lord was killed, my eyes on him remained alive. No, that alone is part
of the role of an observer.
It was the end of her luck when she chose a Demon Lord of Envy to assault.
The observer’s intoxicated eyes, which would never stop envying all of
existence, Angels included, had surely captured the Valkyrie’s form.
An Envy Demon’s nature was highly geared towards information. After being
caught in the eyes of Envy, that girl was nothing more than a butterfly in a
spider’s web.
Lize furrowed her brow in a sort of wonder, and began timidly probing through
my eyes.
 “… So where is Serge of the Silver Blue…?”
“Ah, what a girl… silvery white hair, and cyan eyes, wings of pure light, and…
her strength, everything about her was simply beautiful. How does that lass
manage to live such a vivid life!? Kuku, it’s a pity she’s to be destroyed… and at
the same time, what a wondrous day it is. That I can witness the death of such a
beautiful Angel with these very eyes!”
His figure took on a form of joy, as if to express the ecstasy running through his
entire body, and Lize’s expression cramped up a little.
For her to make a disgusted expression at something of this level, is she not
thrown about by her emotions a little too much?
Well, when you’re by niisama’s side, these sort of stimulus seem quite distant.
Should I go dispatch her off to some repulsive Demon Lord for a time…
If this is enough to disturb her, she’ll never be a Lord.
I prodded the man with my staff to return him to his senses.
Finally noticing the phrase, ‘these very eyes,’ and understanding their intent, Lize
blinked a few times.
“… Report.”
“Yes, that Valkyrie is, at present… racing about the skies over red soil. From the
Crimson Prison to the Dark Prison… at the speed of the wind.”
In this area, there’s no land soaked in such black magic besides the Dark
Prison.
With an Invidia Demon’s 『Envy Eye』 Skill, it wasn’t possible to find exact
location, but if we had the general idea, then the rest was simple.
If they enter a zone, then the Lord could likely tell their location. That white aura
of theirs was like a splotch of white on a canvas painted black, and it really stood
out.
“But it’s the Crimson Prison… again.”
The Crimson Prison.
Ruled by Vanity Seidthroan, a scorching wasteland.
That land wasn’t an important strategic point in any way, and the population
of Demons in it wasn’t high. The army size was also standard.
It’s not worthy of being the first land attacked by Angels in such a long time. I
mean, their goal is to eliminate as many Demons as possible.
But as of late, problems have surfaced there one after another.
The appearance of a Saint Lord.
The appearance of Zebul.
And, now a report of Serge.
“Hmm…”
I thought back to the General Class Demon who stopped by the Palace of
Rending Flames to give a report on the Angels just the other day.
While he was General Class, he was a seasoned veteran who had crossed many a
battlefield.
『Abnormal』
That’s what the man had said.
A Greed Demon given a reward was one of the few trustworthy entities in all of
these lands.
Is this a coincidence?
Father… Fels Crowne was, rather than military arts, skilled in his insight. That
was likely something that couldn’t be avoided to carry out his Deceit.
That’s why there must be some meaning behind this trend.
Father treated everything in his surroundings as part of his work, but to me
alone, he was kind.
Even if that was just him considering profit and loss…
Should the Egoist be trusted or not?
Vanity does heed to my orders, but it’s not like he’s loyal or anything. From the
start, his nature was opposed to devotion.
But the vanguard of God… those entities called Angels weren’t ones who would
let themselves be manipulated by any form of Demon so easily. Zebul was a
monster who could have eaten the man the moment they met.
Even if someone was plotting something, it would be too much a risk for the
Egoist to play his hand.
 Heard Lauder is strong.
But against two opponents, the Devourer and the Valkyrie, can he possibly come
out victorious?
It’s unlikely that he’ll encounter them simultaneously, but his power should fall
the more he uses it up. That doesn’t change regardless of how much of it he’s
stored up.
Heard was niisama’s formed right hand man. It’s an impossible notion, but in
the million to one chance he’s destroyed, niisama might actually be saddened. At
that time, I’ll have to be prepared for the entire Demon World to be frozen over
again.
So perhaps I should send in some reinforcements.
『Always foresee the worst outcome. Reality will always exceed that.』
Father’s teachings floated up in my head.
But even if I were to send backup, the Rank Two and Rank Three Demon Lords
bear resentment against Heard Lauder, and the chances are higher that he’ll
actually suffer an attack from behind.
Since Zebul was removed, Rank Five has yet to be filled, and with his nature,
Rank Six is unlikely to even hear out my orders.
As the Great Demon King, I can’t have myself go out personally.
There wasn’t a single decent person in my army.
“? What seems to be the matter?”
“Hmm… no, I was just considering whether to play another card or not.”
“To send reinforcements? Is Heard Lauder insufficient for the task?”
Lize’s question was on the mark.
Even back when he was a General, Heard boasted exceptional power, but that
was brought even further to the limit when he became a Lord. If it’s that man,
then perhaps he could even rend the earth with his bare hands.
I’m sure he’s the greatest master in my army. If you think about it logically
reinforcements would be unnecessary.
My dispatches to the Demon Lords haven’t been recalled, and if I sent out
those numerous ones below General Class to a fight between Lord Class entities,
they’d be there for no purpose but to make noise.
I scrutinize over the incessant notions passing through my head, and reached a
conclusion.
… I’m being a little… too cautious.
I’ve not the leisure to leave my own subordinates on standby.
At that point, Lize furrowed her brow, and muttered.
“But… truly, even if Heard is not to face defeat… there’s the possibility he
might let them slip past. Once they’ve entered the Dark Prison’s territory, the
Castle of Shadows isn’t too far away…”
Castle of Shadows… niisama?
… Right, if they’ve already entered that land, then with Heavenly Wings, the
Castle was but a stone’s throw away.
But just because she entered the Dark Prison, that doesn’t mean that Serge is
set to head for the Castle of Shadows.
I decided.
“Lize, prepare a Dragon. We’re off to the Dark Prison.”
“… Huh? Wai… Kanon-sama, you’re going out personally?”
There’s no time.
The Palace of Rending Flames, the Castle of Shadows, and the land of the
Crimson Prison were lined up in a straight path. If I set out immediately, there’s a
chance I’ll arrive in time.
I glared at Lize, who remained in a daze.
“Exactly. Now on with it!”
“Y-yes! Understood!”
I gripped my staff strongly, and stood up.
In times beyond memory, when there was nothing but darkness in this desolate
world, the Dark God was said to have passed this instrument to the Great
Demon King. With my desire as its fuel, it gave out a steady pulse like a heart.
The feelings that came with my impatience circulated around my veins. Like the
starting of an engine, heat began to spread through my body.
 Valkyrie… Valkyrie, is it?
To stand before me, before niisama, how reckless must she be?
To try to slay Leigie of Sloth after killing off a measly Demon Lord or two is simply
outrageous.
Well, well, well, I guess there’s no helping him.
I, Kanon will protect your peaceful rest, dear niisama.
 Part 3: I am a Coward

Rage up, my flame.

My resentment shall birth dark flames greater than the cauldrons of hell, to do
the Devil’s work of reducing the universe to ash.
You unsightly insects fluttering about the skies, before my ambition, you
hindrances are all no greater than flies.
The heavens that looked down on the red blazing sun were simply high, and a
realm beyond the reach from us beings forced to crawl along the ground.
But that’s how it should be. That’s why it’s perfect.
To us, wings are… unnecessary.
We don’t need those white bonds that tied us down to some inept God.
This lightless soil is the land we shall rule.
“You all will learn the meaning of that soon enough.”
I’ll have them regret setting foot here in jest. I’ll carve it into those bodies,
those wings.
Otherwise… I won’t be able to feel satisfied.
A flying dragon’s wings ranked equal to those of an Angel’s in speed.
Boasting the greatest influence across these lands, my steed was faster than any
ordinary dragon you’d find out there.
Because of the wind, there was quite a bit of turbulence atop the dragon. From
up here, sitting on the gliding beast, that was letting off rough breaths from its
nose in excitement, the boundary that marked the territory of Heaven felt
horribly close.
What my ancestors… no, what me and my ancestos yearned for, a world of light.
It’s not that I don’t understand that sentiment.
This faint malaise I feel in my soul core, simply by looking up at the sky. That
was probably… aspiration.
Even when it’s been less than ten thousand years since I first came to be, I could
feel it. For those Demon Lords of old, forced to look up at it for hundreds of
thousands of years, their yearning must be much greater than I.
But at present, I held no interest in such a thing.
There’s no guarantee that dazzling light is capable of bringing about any
change to us. Just as it’s not certain our darkness will drop one to depravity.
I knew that all too well.
That’s why, it’s likely that even if some Great Demon King of old had managed
to subjugate that world up there, I doubt anything would have changed.
Sitting aboard a flying dragon a little smaller than the oversized one I took as a
steed, Lize sat with a grim expression as she flew to my lower left.
It’s been several of tens of minutes since we first entered the Dark Prison.
In this land constantly bathed by silence, while there still wasn’t a touch of
sound, there was an unrest the likes of which the land had yet to see before.
It wasn’t by much, but niisama’s perception from his 『Abyss Zone』 was vaster
than mine.
My zone was currently encompassing approximately three fourths of the Dark
Prison’s vast land. I probed through the contents of that without leaving a stone
unturned.
Through concentrating on all the faint traces of information I picked up, my head
began to hurt.
But I can tell. I can see it clearly.
The presences of all shapes and sizes gathered around this land.
Apart from the countless irritating forces adorning the sky, there were three
large powers. By size, there was no doubt they were Demon Lord Class, and for
three powers of that extent to be in such close proximity was usually something
that never came to be.
One of them was definitely clad in light. With the presence tracing the sky, and
the flock following its lead, an overwhelming amount of divinity was being
released.
Even if this isn’t heaven, that would be quite a debilitating factor.
The other two were ones I knew.
 Two simple ones faithful to their sinful desire. At the summit of the Demons
that governed the Demon World, two Lords of Demons.
『The Prideful Kaiser』, Heard Lauder.
『The Devourer』, Zebul Glaucus.
They were the presences of two Lords top class in this Demon world.
With those two presences at the center, the air sunk. Just by being there, their
massive souls caused the world to creak and grate.
Strangely enough, both of them were specialized in attack, and their power
transcended that of the other Demon Lords. In this den of beasts and monsters,
their power that didn’t permit pursuit was much greater than any of the divinity
coming down from above.
The level of power of Angels and Demons were decided by the souls embedded
in their bodies.
With Heard and Zebul, the gap between them and the Angel was close to double.
While it’s not like the quantity of power directly correlates with battle ability,
that gap wasn’t something to be overturned so easily.
Heard might be able to settle this with one hand.
Then was my anxiety unfounded?
Definitely… not.
The fact I can sense them means that they can sense my location as well.
Heard was a given. Also Zebul, and likely, the enemy Angel.
On all those forces swarming towards the Castle of Shadows like moths to a
flame, I remembered a scalding crimson emotion, which I frantically clenched my
teeth to contain.
“They’ve stepped a little too far out of line… of all things, to set foot in the
Dark Prison…”
Lize’s prediction was correct.
The Angel’s destination was undoubtedly the Castle of Shadows.
I felt that my own decision wasn’t wrong.
There would be nothing I could do if I sent a representative, and they were to
fail.
 The Castle of Shadows was the Lord of Sloths bedroom, and his coffin.
I won’t allow a single one to set foot in there.
I remembered niisama’s eyes when I last saw him a year ago. All he wished for
was a quiet rest.
“We sure are… foolish…”
As ones with power, we cannot help but attract stronger ones to us.
When I think of such a trifle disturbing niisama’s rest, along with a helpless
feeling, I felt the sensation of my gut being burned through weighing me down.
It was an emotion I’m sure I‘d learned to control before.
The flying dragon raised a low voice, and tis body swayed greatly. On the smell
of something burning, I finally noticed that my own Ira was inflicting damage
onto my steed.
With that small voice I hear below me compared to the beast’s large build, I
can’t help but find it quite lovable.
… This is no good. At this rate, I’ll break into a smile again.
I took a deep breath. Little by little, I sink my Wrath back down to the depths
of my existence.
Level-headed anger. Sharm rage, honed like a blade.
I already knew all the ways to swallow my anger.
I licked my lips. The beat has already quieted down. But it’s not like my
resentment had disappeared.
It was merely left without eyes. It was constantly burning up my soul. All the
parts of it I didn’t show on the surface were merely sharpening themselves. In
order to bring ruin to my enemies.
We got closer to the battlefield, and the information I picked up grew more
vivid.
There, was a scene that raised my concern.
“Tsk… Heard… just what’s holding him up.”
As if to show himself off, I witnessed a pulsating black flash… The wave of
darkness that resulted from a clashing of mana spread across the sky like an
aurora.
The mass of power came into contact with the other mass, and gave off an
intense flicker like stardust. But there was no sign of either light going out.
The spectacle I could even see from a distant sky felt something like a
premonition of the end of the world.
The devourer, Zebul Glaucus.
Blessed with an endless hunger, a witch of Gluttony.
She was conspicuously atrocious, and conspicuously sinful, even among the
Demon Lords. All to devour all creation.
Even that Heard Leader won’t be able to knock down that perpetually lived
gifted child of starvation.
Or maybe he’s just playing with her…
To blow away the gloomy feelings sticking to my head, I scoffed.
But that didn’t clear away any of my inner resentment in the slightest.
“Hmm… just do whatever you want. I’ve no intent to rid myself of either of you
two. Go at it as you will.”
Annoying. It’s annoying, but… otherwise, there would be no point in me
coming here.
If you were to look at Heard Lauder in terms of simple power, then he would
be within the top three of all Lords.
It’s not like I conceded Rank One to him simply because he was an old friend.
Direct physical strength.
Absolute confidence in himself to lord over all.
Those were the qualities of Pride. He more than accomplished his own Sin.
I’ve no doubt in his victory. Even if it were to take a bit of time.
Even if I didn’t really like him all that much, I had at least that level of trust in
him.
But still, the current situation is a little too rowdy.
Far behind Heard, there was an army of around five hundred racing over the
land.
 To chase the sky-bound Angels, a Legion atop flightless dragons was rushing
over.
While kicking the ground at a speed that didn’t fall behind those of the Angels’
wings, the ominous army that seemed uniform enough to gain a constant
measurement with a meter stick was one belonging to Vanity.
I’m not sure if they were even focused on the Angel flock, as without even a
sign of them using a Skill, they quietly continued their dash. Their presences
were exceedingly light, and for some reason, they brought about a
psychologically unpleasant feeling with them.
Lize let her shoulders tremble.
“As always, that’s a repulsing army he keeps.”
The army with such a fleeting feel to it was a rare one among the Demon
Lords’ forces, which had been given a specific name.
Vanity himself had tacked it onto them, the 『Ravus Persona』.
Even from this distance, the lost individuality and colorless grey souls I felt may
be the origin of the name.
It’s not like there was a gap of power between that army’s Demons and others,
but their somewhat ominous atmosphere made it so even I couldn’t tell for what
purpose they had come into being.
Originally, I should have been analyzing the Angels. But rather than them, I
found myself naturally concentrating on the army trampling the ground.
Quite different from than those holy messengers, who were irritating from their
nature opposing ours, it was that army’s lack of nature in its entirety that made
them all so irritating.
In that Legion advancing over the wasteland, the presence of their Lord Vanity
was… absent.
I can’t feel him anywhere in the extent of my perception. Within my Zone, there
are but three existences of Demon Lord Class apart from myself.
Was he annihilated? No, even like that, he’s Rank Four… he’s not of the caliber
to go down so easy. Even if he were up against a Lord of Angels, he should have
held out no matter the case…
 There are too few characters on this stage. It’s a strangely ominous sensation.
I can’t think that Vanity’s army would act without its master.
At the conference, he clearly declared that he would bring death to the Angels.
At this point, I’m even beginning to doubt those words of his. The warning I
heard from my father long ago threw my analysis of the situation out of line.
In the first place, no matter what sort of army it may be, there’s no way that
Demons could pull off such coordinated movements with no one leading them.
My thoughts, stuck in a ditch, were snapped back with a thunderous sound.
Now’s not the time to think of such things, I see.
By taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down.
An army of Angels. And army of Demons.
Zebul Glaucus. Heard Lauder. Serge Serenade…
And Kanon Iralaude.
It’s quite an extravagant lineup we have there, but to Leigie-niisama, we’re at
quite a disadvantage.
No matter how strong he may be, Heard Lauder’s but a single Demon. What’s
more, of all things, that lone Demon was up against another Demon Lord who
should be part of my own army.
Without their master, Vanity Seidthroan, that army was… a meaningless
gathering.
While five hundred was nothing to scoff at, that level would find taking anyone
of Demon Lord Class on to be difficult.
A low ranking Demon Lord may be one thing, but to one who took down the
Rank Seven, they won’t even be a hindrance to Serge.
A Lord for a Lord. Those were the bare bones of anti-Demon, and anti-Angel
tactics.
God dammit, if only Vanity was here, I’m sure it would work itself out one way or
another.
Racing like shooting stars above the ether, the Angel forces weren’t all too high
in power, but they were numerous, and anyways, they were fast.
The number of them Vanity reported was ten, but this time, their forces pretty
much equal the man’s army. I’m surprised they managed to get such a large
army to infiltrate this place without triggering a single Lord’s zone. A strange
smile started to come across my face.
The heat I should have kept confined started singing my thoughts.
Are we unlucky, or incapable? The enemy’s numbers are beyond expectations.
We’ve too little hands here.
For all the enemies I imagined to be gathered here…
Just like Demons, Angels were few in number. A few of them was one thing,
but it’s been a few thousand years since several hundred of them appeared at
once. However, my urge for battle wasn’t worked up at all.
I had no physical enhancements born from the urge to do battle. All that was in
me was simple impatience.
No matter how many Saint Lord Class Angels unify themselves, this scale isn’t
going to make the Demon World fall. Rather than that, if we had an honest clash
of power, it’d all be settled in an hour. It’s just a way to pile up corpses. These
guys are merely needless casualties.
It’s a perfect form of harassment, mind you.
This is all just an inconvenience.
Perhaps I should have taken along another Lord.
First of all, defeat ain’t happening here, but there’s a chance of letting them
escape. Once they’ve gotten away, it would be difficult to give chase.
The main point Angels overlooked Demons in was their speed.
Hard to catch even aboard a mount, the flight of an Angel’s wings was of the
highest speed, and with their stamina, Demons were no match.
If there’s something out there called fate, then I can’t just spend my life
placing curses on it.
Power naturally flowed to my hand, and my nails sunk into my upper arm.
Why.
Why do they head for the Castle of Shadows?
To the side of the Lord who without accomplishing a single thing, spent his
peaceful time in a deep slumber.
An abyss of sorrow. Always clad in a deep and dark sea of gloom, the most
sorrowful existence of this world.
Even if you look upon him as one with power, I could only see it as saw.
And at the same time, I was certain.
If that’s the burden my niisama is to carry, then it must be my role to assist him.
I smiled at my own cowardice.
Fine… it’s something I knew from times long passed.
This world will make a fool of me.
Inconvenient? Too numerous? Absurd.
Fine. I’ll swear it here.
“With my name Iralaude on the line, I’ll leave not a single one of you all alive.”
From far away, along with the sound of the collapse of a mountain, a large
fissure emerged in the earth.
Right over the horizon, I finally got a view of the battlefield.
The numerous holes dotting the ground and as if lines had been drawn in, the
countless cracks.
In the center of that stood the arrogant Heard Lauder, and a Demon of small
build, with black miasma circulating all over her body… Zebul Glaucus’s miniscule
form.
The ground rumbled, as if trembling before them. Lize’s face was colored with
fright and surprise as she strongly gripped her reigns.
For a brief moment, Heard Lauder’s mana swelled up. But with just that, it felt
like a normal Demon would be rendered unconscious.
So she’s an opponent he has to let out that much power to defeat. I didn’t
think I would arrive in time to actually witness Zebul’s destruction.
With that much force going around, there’s no way he isn’t serious.
The wind that blew across this land was violated with a thick magic, to suck in
each and every desire.
This was the wind of a battlefield.
Birthed by the clash of desire, a wind of chaos.
 As if it were actually suffering wounds, the mana that soaked into the Dark
Prison… niisama’s zone was torn asunder.
While it was cut through a couple of times, it’s not as if the Zone itself was
effected as a whole.
But that truth was irrelevant to me.
Those that get in my way… be they Demons or Angels, or Valkyries, they’re my
enemy.
Finally capturing the battle scene in her pupils, Lize opened her eyes wide.
“Absurd… what… power… They’re equal? No, Heard has the advantage, I see.”
There was affinity between Demons.
With high offensive power, it’s quite rare that a clash of Pride and Gluttony
would turn into a drawn out battle.
Affinity-wise, Pride was the stronger of the two, but the gap was not a great one.
Lize’s discernment was correct. Given the time, it would likely be Heard’s
victory.
But there’s no longer the time to wait for such a thing.
I cannot match the speed of those heavenly wings. No matter how proficient a
dragon I ride, I cannot overturn that biological deficiency.
While I looked one, I could do nothing but measure the velocity of the
encroaching Angels. That was the pure physiological difference between the
Angel and Demon race.
If there was a single Demon out there to oppose it, then it would be the Superbia
Demon who saw time as stagnant.
And that truth was likely what dulled Heard’s fists.
The malice the man released wasn’t only directed at the enemy before him.
Heard was a battle maniac, but he was also once niisama’s follower.
While he once waved a banner of rebellion, I don’t see his devotion weakening at
present.
Battles between Demon Lords were where desires ate into one another. Each
and every blow exchanged was potentially fatal, and the Lords put their very
existences behind each and every one of those blows.
Zebul’s life was too powerful to be taken down so simply, even with Heard’s
unfollowable speed.
She wasn’t an opponent that could be defeated merely by finding a gap in her
defense.
On the other side, the holy flock was, to their natural archnemeses… to the
Legion marching along the land, and to the large-scale destruction raised by the
warring Demon Lords, they showed no signs of even paying the slightest
attention. With what one could call pure honesty, they headed at full speed
towards the Castle.
Their powers weren’t as high as I had heard. While there surely was a Saint Lord
Class there, if you were to ask whether she would be capable of destroying Rank
Seven, I would be left in doubt.
But that doesn’t change that it’ll become a pain if I let her off here. At the very
least, it wasn’t a level of power those middle class Demons at the castle like
Lorna or Medea would be able to deal with.
Me revoking his army in order to protect his silence backfired on me.
Leigie of Sloth lacked high offensive power, or dexterity, but his defense and
vitality alone were extraordinary. That’s why even if he were hit around left and
right, he wouldn’t die too easily, but that Angel’s actions weigh heavy on my
mind.
She bore an undaunted will, as if she had some sort of scheme to surpass Leigie-
niisama’s needlessly high defensive ability.
With the million to one, billion to one chance that he’ll be killed in mind, I
cannot let her pass.
Even if that wasn’t the case…
“… I shall not let her disturb his sleep.”
“…”
The distance between us was but a few kilometers. But as if to avoid us, the
flock had altered its path.
My luck lay in my Palace’s location in relation to the castle of Shadows, making
it so they were forced to head in my direction. If that had not been the case,
then I wouldn’t even be able to confront them.
My misfortune was in that my Wrath was mainly of Skills for single targeting use.
With five hundred on their side… that’s a little high to capture them all.
Burn up their souls. Converge my entire being on my desire to further hone my
blade.
One of my unconsciously clenched teeth snapped, and fresh blood scalded the
back of my dragon. From its mouth, a small groan was audible.
I wiped it off with my sleeve.
Perhaps too much blood had rushed to my head. My footing was unstable.
Even so, while swaying, I stood upright on the dragon’s back, and silently held
my staff in front.
It was the greatest treasure of the Demon Race, a gift handed down from the
Evil God to the very first Great Demon King. Its height was about a meter and a
half. The lumber that formed its main body was tougher than any material found
in this Demon World, and its tip was garnished with an ornament made in the
like of a beast’s jaw.
(TL: Its height is given as 5 Shaku, which converts to 1.515 (repeating) meters)
The inscription on it read, The Emperor of Destruction’s Staff, Weydhe. Among
the countless treasure littered around the world, it was an item with the
opposite nature of a holy relic, a treasure of the Evil God.
Within the reptilian jaw was inlaid a golden crystalline eye to direct at mine
enemies.
The reflective surface of the finely cut jewel caught the sunlight to give an
ominous shine.
Ira was the manifestation of violent emotion.
A heartless sin to burn away all other sentiment.
I took a deep breath. I let out the resentment I had been building up all these
years.
Right now, I’m likely making an expression I would never display to another.
My vision is died a bright red, and viscous fury swept over my mind.
But still, I could remain calm. That was what Leigie-niisama taught me.
 It’s what he sacrificed his body to teach me.
Anger isn’t something to release so recklessly. It’s something to control, and
hone.
I give a short incantation. What dyed all I saw in red was channeled through my
prized possession into the sky.
“『Wrath Drive』”
Countless crimson lights raced across the air.
At the speed of light, those crimson comets burned up the sky, and in the next
instant, they had reached their targets. They pierced through the Angel flock
from the side, and continued to go through one body after the other.
Like scraps of paper, the divine robes were bore through. No sort of defensive
wall holds any meaning before me.
Several dozens of Angels were instantly reduced to nothing, leaving not but faint
afterimages in the air.
I heard the ominous sound of something breaking resound through my skull.
An impact to my taste buds, the flavor of iron. I completely ignored the pain I
felt, and clicked my tongue.
Having been pierced through, the Angels were halted for but a moment,
before restarting their flight once more. That gesture made it feel as if they were
following a set program, and there was barely any lag. An army prepared for
death.
I subconsciously spat out my crushed tooth.
While I had not experienced the wars of old, I knew enough about those beings
called Angels. At least, I thought I had known.
They are our sworn foe, and brutes whose tenacity lied only towards hunting us
down. Their bodies themselves didn’t differ from ours at all.
That’s how it should be.
Then in that case, what is this supposed to be?
If the attack was ineffective, that would be another matter, but after so many of
them had fallen, for their flock to continue to go on like that should be heresy to
an Angel.
 Wrath Skills weren’t suited to rapid fire.
The Angels spread out. It was likely a plan for them to not all be taken out at
once. That wide formation showed off their clear knowledge of how to deal with
Ira Skills, and their narrow area of effect.
And as I thought, those heavenly wings still didn’t have me set as their
destination.
They didn’t fight back, and they didn’t use any Skills.
Before my wrath, these Angels’ flight… their march was surely backed by some
form of strong will. Something that exceeded their innate instinct to oppose
Demons.
“Even with me before their eyes… they’ll still head for niisama…”
Then there’s even less reason to let them through.
I spread that dark heat across my mind again. My instincts and emotions raged
up to burn through my entire body.
In proportion to my anger, the incessant violent waves of Mana weighed down
on my psych, And I only gathered them at the head of my staff.
Put all my fury into a single attack.
Formation? Plan?
Useless. It’s just a pain.
Then I’ll just have to burn up everything in the world.
I just have to turn heaven to ash in one strike.
Niisama is the King of Despair, and the most sorrowful Lord on these lands.
With just a few hundred Angels, to stand before dear niisama… it makes me sick.
Foolish Angels. Decay away on these dark lands.
Just like all that have come to oppose niisama before you.
I poured nothing but directionless Mana into the staff, dying it a strong red,
and point it at those foolish heathens. The moment I was about to use a Skill,
Lize, who was moving right below me, let off a shrill shout.
My subordinate’s face seemed to be at its wits end as I looked down upon her.
“Kanon-sama, is this… not the time to use Heard Lauder!?”
 “… What?”
Those words released from an unexpected position made me instinctively
suppress the powers I was to bring out.
Having become the Great Demon Lord, there were few out there to contest my
opinion. For those that hadn’t even become Demon Lords yet, I could count
them on the fingers of one hand.
Lize’s opinion often found itself to be leaning on one side, but her devotion was
quite high, even among my direct subordinates.
In this land of warring powers, she was one of the few who had sworn loyalty to
me. Her words held some worth in considering.
Perhaps sensing a shift in my will, the flying dragon dropped its speed a little.
“That army is moving at a considerable pace. There’s some distance between
us, and when they’re spread out that vast… to burn all those Angels in the sky…
Even for you, Kanon-sama, it is in my humble opinion it would be too great an
expenditure of power.”
As one governing the same desire, she understood.
The sin of Ira that scaled in proportion to anger was the one boasting the highest
offensive potential among the seven attributes, and… the one with the greatest
consumption of power.
But I was also well aware.
Regardless of the mere dozens of minutes that have passed since we entered this
Dark Prison, the heat that was currently scorching my body, and frothing at my
skin was… anger.
Too great a power expenditure?
What of it? Regardless of what I use up, even if I’m to run dry, and be mocked by
my subordinate Lords, I haven’t fallen low enough for me to hesitate over such a
matter.
My desire… the path of my Wrath is something I’ll decide for myself.
The clear display of emotions on Lize’s face barely changed upon looking at
me.
Her complexion was turning a little pale. We’ve known one another for years,
and she should know me well enough, but there was no hesitation in the words
she spewed.
“For Heard Lauder, and the Pride he governs, it would be a simple matter for
him to overtake them.”
If you were to ask whether she was sound, well sure, she was.
But Heard is returning fire with Zebul. He’s no leisure to shoot down angels
while taking her on.
On top of that, I cannot count on Vanity’s forces. Five hundred Demons would
just be a nice snack to that Devourer.
That’s where Gula’s troublesome point came in. To those of them that boasted
Sin deep enough to eat up their own race, going at them with numbers was
nothing but a waste of resources.
A proposal to maintain the status quo.
I read what Lize had wanted to say.
I looked down upon the impertinent lass I had known from her childhood.
At some point, she had climbed up to General Class, this gifted subordinate of
mine.
“So to summarize, it’s something like this. You’re proposing an exchange.”
“Yes, the right man in the right place. That Heard Lauder can keep up with any
Angel.”
“You do have a point. But there’s a single problem in that.”
If you’re looking at power usage, that plan does have a greater efficiency… if
you look at it like that.
But Lize has forgotten a single point.
Her opinion is grounded solely on the assumption that I would be able to
destroy Zebul oh so easily.
Her Gula and my Ira have a bad affinity.
Naturally, I don’t have any intentions on losing. But fighting her will be a large
power expenditure all the same. Perhaps much greater than what would be
required to burn up these Angels.
That’s just how strong Zebul is.
She’s the ultimate predator, and a natural-born warrior.
With her at an affinity disadvantage against Rank One’s Heard Lauder, she has
the might to persist at almost an equal level, a world apart from any standard
Demon out there.
Having eaten on through ancient times beyond memory, her abilities as a
Demon, her battle experience, and her ability to devour others were all realized
in her extraordinary power.
I mean, the sin she holds dear, the Gluttony to even eat other Demons was…
linked to the pure and honest desire to bring malice to others.
I somehow suppress the shout that was about to escape me, and try talking in
a soothing voice to persuade her. This girl is smart, and naïve.
“Heard is Leigie’s former subordinate. Before him is a stain on Leigie’s record.
He’s sure to shake his head.”
“But if you consider efficiency, that’s the best option.”
Yeah, yeah.
If Heard were to take them on, then Angels of that level would be close to
woodchips. He’s be able to destroy them all without using much power at all.
But if I take Zebul on, an energy waste is unavoidable.
Even if you call me the Great Demon King, at the end of the day… I’m just a
single Demon girl, you know.
I hesitate to let out words.
Even as we speak, the Angels are putting up more and more distance.
But I had to say something. To my cute, cute subordinate.
Perhaps those were the words my father once imparted on me, or perhaps
their contents were the same.
Even if their exteriors were to change, at the very least, the sentiment in my
heart should be similar.
“Lize, we are by no means… monolithic, you know.”
“!? T-that is…”
Let me be honest here.
I am… not able to fully trust the man known as Heard Lauder.
He was Leigie-niisama’s right-hand man. But he’s also a Demon who once
Overruled niisama. I don’t know when he’ll lash out again.
Leigie-niisama’s power is… strong. But at the same time, he isn’t suited to battle.
His nature was the complete opposite of Heard’s. Even that power of ice I caught
a glimpse of… there’s a possibility it won’t work the next time.
And the only one who can suppress that is me. I cannot trust another.
As it is, my power was around a level to compete with his.
If I were to have a loss in strength here, then it’s likely I would eventually face
defeat to that man.
Rather than Zebul, who eats her kind, or Vanity, who father directly warned
me about, the one I feared the most was niisama’s greatest follower, Heard
Lauder.
Desire was something that ate up the soul over time. The emotions held by a
Demon Lord were in no way something that could be held back by one’s
rationality.
“So will you laugh upon my foolishness, Lize Bloodcross?”
I’ve always been a coward.
People say I have intellect unbecoming of the Wrath I govern, but caution is the
other face of cowardice.
I can’t kill off niisama’s right hand man, nor can I let niisama get killed. I can only
pray to the Demon World’s God, and wait… just as father long before me, I can
only pursue a hopeless dream, and learn of an unreachable summit while I
protect the seat on the empty throne.
But still, I cannot stand still.
Until some day, I’m swallowed up by the name of Ruin I carry.
Even having received my words, Lize’s gaze had yet to change, and she merely
looked up at me in silence.
“… Have I become a little too sentimental?”
“… No.”
Her look told me that word held no lies or scorn.
Just as I found her long ago, her eyes, her heart, showed no distortion.
Then so be it.
I’ll offer up my Ruin to you, niisama.
Angels and Demons, and even God will turn to ash.
That is… the authority of my Wrath.
To hold hatred and resentment for all of creation.
On top of the dragon racing through the sky, I fell to one knee.
The land of the Demon World mainly consisted of spread out deserts of pebbles,
and the Dark Prison was no exception.
When I looked down from the sky, I could take in the infinite expanse of land in a
single glance.
That land enveloped by darkness that simply seemed to go on, and on. This jet
black earth that had never changed from ancient times.
To that ground basked in the Mana of Acedia, I only ever held a single thought.
The distance to the Angels was already beyond my field of vision. But that’s no
problem. I could get the particulars of their location from my Sone Skill.
At regular intervals, the ground shook to remind me of the clash of Heard and
Zebul.
I drove that all out of my mind.
I put power into my staff once more. My fury acted in kind to make the entire
body of it emit light like a miniature sun.
The moment I was to let it burst out, Lize’s dragon suddenly cut up in front of
mine.
“… What is the meaning of this?”
What I was about to reach was far above all the power in her body.
Even if she may be one who bears the same desire, that was hellfire that
wouldn’t even leave her ashes behind.
“… Hanon-sama, as I thought, I am… opposed to this.”
“… What?”
Her downcast face rose a little.
The blazing fire in her eyes blazed with a strong emotion much removed from
resentment.
“This is a role you should leave to Heard Lauder.”
That idiotically repeated line was just barely able to push down my emotions.
The remnants of my anger drifted out of the staff, and the coat I wore let off a
light luminescence.
It’s fine. From the Wrath I once held against niisama, something of this level is…
something I can bear.
I wanted to tell her to shut up and follow. But Lize’s frantic eyes were painful
for some reason.
“Truly, that man may betray you one day. I can understand your anxiety. But
you should consider the present situation. Out enemy is… the Angels, and
Zebul.”
Her quivering voice pierced my ears.
My enemy was present in the entire Demon World. While Heard did his share
of work, the Demon World wasn’t small enough for that to let me gain control of
it.
If I were to consider my army as a while, it would be a bad play to exhaust him
here.
But once more, it’s a matter of future prospects.
Merits and demerits.
If I don’t use up Heard’s strength here, that man will surely be able to deal with
all the opposing Demon Lords. The time to Demon World consolidation will
certainly be shortened.
But at the same time, regardless of whether Heard’s power is to weaken, or if
those Demon Lords out there are to survive… niisama won’t notice any of it.
Niisama’s Vitality was nothing normal. Even against Demon Lords, that
remained unchanged.
Let’s say that there were some who could pierce through that. That would only
be the few Demon Lords like Heard or Zebul, who specialized themselves on pure
offense.
Sharpening power. Killing enemies.
There’s no right and wrong. Even if it is just to buy a little bit of time.
I must trim the sprouts of calamity.
That was something that transcended both Merit and Demerit… the initial
prerequisite.
The basic standard I decided on the moment I became Great Demon King.
As long as that’s accomplished, then I won’t grieve for my power.
I don’t… need the world.
“Lize, step aside.”
While you’re standing there in my way, those Angels are just building up more
distance.
My flame of impatience were already escaping my body to raise the surrounding
temperature. With their high heat resistance, the dragon’s scales let off an
offensive smell, as they burnt down. Letting out a low cry, it thrashed out left
and right as if to drop me to the ground.
Even if you call it a dragon, in the end, it’s just a beast… no, but… Ah, this will
work out.
The wind scattered my hair.
By the unrest in the dragon’s movements, Lize was far separated from me, and
she raised a scream from far below my eyelevel.
I give her a single glance.
You are… a good subordinate.
With the excitation of my Mana, and the manifestation of my spirit, the song
of my mind was finally satisfied.
From the depths of hell, where the light of day would never reach, the hardships
in the furthest recesses of the earth, carved into my very soul, the song of a
Demon Lord.
I naturally began to hum it.
From the vestiges of my widely swung staff, vivid flames continued to pour.
 “Dawn Blaze. Oh jet black rain. Let the flames of creation enter my hands…”
I am a coward.
That’s why, my enemies, go to hell.
Destruction is my reprieve. So you can just dissapear to the world beyond.
How many years has it been since I chanted the incantation of that Skill on the
highest tiers of the Wrath Skill Tree?’
To carry out my Ruin, I activated it.
“Shield Anchor.”
I feel the color seep from my world. Demons are being of soul, and their
corporeal bodies held little meaning. Their existences were largely centered
around their minds.
That was slipping away. A large portion of my thoughts had taken form and
expressed itself.
The power collected at the head of the staff shined as a single light, before
spreading explosively.
This was the abyss of Ira I had reached.
These flames of creation to rid myself or the rabble resembled the wrath of a
form of God, and it was merely beautiful. A power to reset the world to create
anew.
The expanding light cloaked the heaven and earth, and cleared away the sky
into a crimson aurora.
The growing heat wave condensed to a single storm, and the ground calmed.
Taking on the resultant wind, the flying dragon swayed greatly.
It was a wave of light.
Just as niisama once sealed the land in ice, an opposite force to bake everything
in the world bathed the land.
No matter how much agility those wings may grant them, in the end, they
cannot match up to light.
It was only an instant before the flames coming at them at the speed of light
swallowed them up without a single one left remaining. Without the time to
raise a scream. Without even the time to form a thought.
 My resentment burned the sky.
Be they Saint Lord Class, or Demon Lord Class, before my Ruin, they hold no
meaning.
The flames cleared.
The sky was a pure red, and in it, not a single thing remained.
Of Serge who flew ahead, and the angels that followed, there wasn’t a single
particle of ash.
To niisama’s enemy, that disappeared before I had ever even seen her face, I
held not a single deeper emotion.
The strong display of power was always accompanied by compensation.
A nihility enveloped my head. The power leaving my body caused me to kneel
over the dragon. But I won’t unhand my weapon.
Until I drop all my enemies into ruin.
“Hah hah hah…”
I gripped the reigns, and had the dragon descend. The hands of the battle
below, which had stopped for a moment at the flames in the sky, restarted
themselves once more.
The sound of destruction echoing across the land was on a different scale from
before.
I’ve cut off Heard Lauder’s hesitation. If it’s now, he should be able to give it his
all.
If he’s to lose here, then… I’ll be the one to kill Zebul. That’s all there is to it.

Part 4: …What Luck

“Kanon-sama, are you alright!?”
“Yeah.”
When I dismounted my dragon, and landed on the ground, Lize rushed over to
me.
I’m a bit unsteady, but there’s no problems. It was a slight overuse of my
powers, however, that should heal up just fine, given the time. It’s not a quantity
I’ll recover over a night or two, but it’s nothing fatal.
I could even wage a war right now.
It seems that when I wasn’t watching, my level had unexpectedly risen.
There’s barely a hindrance to my body’s movement. I used much greater an
amount back when I liberated the frozen world.
“It looks like all the Angels have been wiped out.”
“Yep, I’ll bet.”
There wasn’t a single thing left in the sky. They’ve disappeared from my Abyss
Zone’s perception as well.
Lize’s expression indicated that she wanted to say something, but in the end, she
remained silent.
Desire means you must have your own way with things. The more you’re in
control, the easier it is to use power.
And that’s exactly why, even if I were to use too much energy and ruin myself, I
wouldn’t hold the slightest of regrets.
For some reason, I became excessively mindful of the Castle of Shadows.
I let out some rough breaths, and put myself in order. Supported my staff…
Weydhe, I began treading across the ground.
I can only hate how narrow the extent of my own Zone is.
My perception couldn’t extend all the way to the Castle. From here, I cannot
discern how niisama fares.
“Will you offer assistance to Heard?”
“As if I could assist a Pride Demon.”
If I did something like that… Heard’s power will drop.
That will only result in me making an enemy of him. There’s nothing more trifling
than earning his hostility with good intentions.
All I can do is the aftercare.
I watched the cloud of dust rising over the horizon… the army racing forth on
grounded dragons.
“Lize, tell Vanity’s army to abate. The enemy they chase after no longer exists.”
 “Yes, understood.”
Lize receives my will, and urged her own dragon to take to the skies again.
I don’t know that man’s will, but there’s no doubt Vanity’s goal lay with those
Angels.
To chase those flying bugs by giving chase on the earth was a foolish notion to
begin with.
The running dragons that existed for ground movement could put out speeds
equal to flying dragons, and they existed in much greater numbers, so they did
make for an exceedingly proficient means of transportation, but they were less
than worthy to chase those leaping through the sky.
As long as their power is insufficient to go up against Zebul, those guys will have
no part to play here.
Just in case, I closed my eyes, and searched every nook and cranny of my Zone.
As I thought, the only Demon Lords here are Me, Heard, and Zebul; the three of
us. There’s no question about it.
Vanity… just what the hell is he doing?
I couldn’t see him anywhere. And that made me feel somewhat suspicious.
Father’s words of warning echoed in my mind, and ate into my heart like a
wedge.
“… It reeks. I can’t think that Venity would take any meaningless action.”
Premonition… no, it wasn’t something to the extent of calling it a premonition.
This is… merely unease. I’m just a coward. It’s a topic that will draw to an end if I
leave it at that.
But at the same time, it’s true that it’s unnatural, the off feeling that one of my
chess pieces had suddenly disappeared.
I forcefully shake off that notion.
“… Well, whatever the case, that’s something to think over at a later date.”
I pushed down the emotions that were still smoldering in my heart, and looked
to the distant battlefield.
Even with my eyes, Heards movements weren’t something I could follow.
 The distance was around a thousand meters.
With that space between us, I could only see each step of his as instantaneous
movement. His speed truly was akin to thunder.
To one constantly clad in a wave of starvation, that would eat into you on mere
contact, going at Zebul barehanded was a poor move.
But he didn’t even pay any heed to that.
His tactics were simple and clear.
No tricks to play.
Suppression through pure force. That was the very form of his combat.
Without any smoke or mirrors, his hands tore the earth, and made mountains
disappear.
What’s more, from what I can see from afar, even against Zebul, Heard shows
not the signs of using a Skill.
He’s an idiot.
“Is he preserving his energy? No, it’s just his Pride again.”
I don’t even have any intent to say something about it.
Maybe he’s actually stronger without using anything, but… the nature of
Superbia’s power was something that could only be understood by Superbia
Demons. No matter how much I mulled over it, it would be a waste of my time.
Whatever the case, it’s already over…
I’ll confirm Zebul’s death with mine own eyes, and go home.
In the first place, I have more than enough things I should be doing right now.
I’ll have to take another look over the Angels’ peculiar movements. I’ll have to
ascertain the reason they aimed for the Castle of Shadows.
When I think of it like that, perhaps I should have spared an Angel or two.
Well, all of it’s already passed. And those guys aren’t once I could think of to spit
anything out under interrogation or torture.
More importantly, Serge’s death will be a huge asset.
The fact that an Angel of that level was able to take down Rank Seven is already a
point of concern, but there would be nothing I could do by thinking over that
one.
 I carefully laid out my worries in my head. My biggest headache has gone
away, but that doesn’t mean that everything’s been resolved.
I’ll have to question Vanity as to why he vanished at the critical moment.
Because my greatest goal isn’t suppressing heaven, but unifying the Demon
World.
But it’s fine if I take my mind off that from time to time, right?
I mean, I’m on the road home anyways. How about I stop by the Castle of
Shadow for the first time in a while…
“…”
The next moment, when I had just grown a little lax, it occurred.
My zone naturally captured those presences.
It definitely wasn’t anything so important.
I didn’t hold any fear of my own death, nor did I sense the presence of anything
strong.
The only emotions I held were slight hints of resentment and resignation.
Ah, this really is… a pain.
I took my eyes off of Heard and Zebul’s battle.
In the direction Lize set off in. I don’t have a clear sight of it, but of all things,
there’s no way that I would mistake those presences.
How many of them are there… they really just keep coming forth like
cockroaches.
I can easily destroy them, but there’s no helping them ruining my mood.
I unintentionally clicked my tongue.
“Tsk… so they appeared again. Just how many of those guys did they send out,
anyways…”
They were certainly the presences of Angels.
As if launched, and propelled, a white light came down vertically from up high.
Within it, I saw a swarm of Angels.
The distance wasn’t far. It’s as if I could take them in my hand.
The number was five. Their power wasn’t great. They didn’t even reach
General Class. It’s possible they were even below Knight.
But to be honest, it was really quite depressing.
It would be simple if they came at me of their own accord, but when they
thoughtlessly fly about like that, it’s truly a pain. No matter how low class they
may be, if I let them free, there’s no doubt it would become troublesome.
It was annoying, but I reluctantly raised my staff.
If it’s only five, then I doubt I even have to deal with it personally. They aren’t
even that far away, so Vanity’s army should be able to handle it one way or
another. Lize’s more than up to the task.
But without their Lord taking command, it’s unknown whether Vanity’s Legion
would even engage in battle in the first place. There’s also the report of an
ordinary Angel suddenly climinb up to Lord status.
Then it would be more reliable if I just did it myself.
I need not anything to high class. I select the lowest Skill on my tree, and
activated it.
“Angry Arrows.”
It’s a lower Wrath Skills to shoot out flaming arrows of rage. A trifling one
normal non-Lord Demons could use as well.
I made a few dozens. The red lights that came forth in the air around me shot
forth.
I’m not sure what those Angels were trying to accomplish, but I shot them all
down, and left not a single one behind.
If I just have to target them before they gain any speed, then I barely use up
any power. No matter how you look at it, they’re mocking me. That was
completely pointless.
Unsure of whether more would be coming, I remained poised with my staff, but
there was no sign of another wave of Angels. Have I shot them all down with
this.
Just what were those last five supposed to be? Was there some meaning to
that?
Are Angels merely idiots? Even for that, that was much too foolish.
It only elicited useless questions where I didn’t even know if an answer existed.
If that was supposed to be psychological warfare, I must admit it was quite
effective.
Is it best if I just assume their actions held no meaning?
Still…
“It’s a pain…”
The painful thing is how I don’t know my enemy’s forces.
Should I just retreat already, or is it best if I remained? I want to head for the
Castle of Shadows with all due haste, you know… at the very least, I have to see
to the end of Zebul’s battle.
In the worst case, if it’s Angels of that level, I could easily repel them, even from
the castle.
While I thought that, there was still no signs of the ground to stop shaking.
“… How long do they plan on going at it…”
While feeling restless at the battle that showed no signs of ending, I looked
towards Heard once. The Demon’s fight… the contest of desire seriously didn’t
seem to be ending any time soon.
Heard… he better not be biding his time, having finally found a worthy foe.
Zebul’s face was covered with her hunger-turned-dark-aura, so I couldn’t’
make it out, but I can see Heard’s.
I don’t have that much spare time, you know…
I took in one deep breath, and glared at the battlefield.
“That’s enough! Heard Lauder!! Finish up already!!”
At the very least… use a Skill!
The more time you try to buy… the more my time at the Castle of Shadows
decreases!
Of course, I won’t voice those concerns.
My scream swept over the expanse of the obstruction-less wasteland.
Heard’s movements stopped for a moment. I get the feeling our eyes met briefly.
Without even paying any heed to the Wave of Starvation covering Zebul, the kick
he lowered from above came down, and sent her body flying.
Towards me.
It held an energy I couldn’t think of coming from an ordinary kick.
While carving a deep fissure along the ground, the Devourer’s body flew
accompanied by a cloud of dust.
The brushed past me a few meters to my side.
The wind loaded with those black pebbles surged up like a tornado, and spread
out in a wide radius.
I instinctively covered my face from the black storm suddenly expanding before
my eyes.
I take no damage. That was just that aftermath. I’m not sure about an ordinary
Demon, but a Demon Lord wouldn’t have gotten any wounds from that.
But it’s as iff he were making fun of my lack of preparation.
The wind died down in a moment.
“…”
I silently brushed the hair that came down on my face to one side.
I put my unkempt locks in order with a hand comb, and remembering the scene,
my vision was dyed bright red.
I’ve had it.
“DON’T DRAG ME INTO IIIIIIT!”
From here on, I’m totally going over to niisama’s place, okaaaay!?
The anger that should have been used up sprung forth again like a fountain to fill
my body.
Calm down. I just have to put it in order again.
I doused my thoughts, and pushed them back deep inside.
The flames of Wrath birthed from my Soul Core flare up as if to cover over my
entirety.
It’s a sensation I’ve felt time and again from the moment I was born. A state that
Wrath Demons often fell into.
The space around me was baked by my sinful blaze, and let off a blood-red
luminescence.
I don’t even need to hold the staff.
My raging Ira was merely taking shape.
Black lustered armor. What spread around my body was light and durable, and
hot enough to burn through my soul.
I don’t have a recollection of having used a Skill.
No, I’ll bet I did.
What I had unconsciously put on was a phantasmal armor worn by Demon
Lords of Ira.
A manifestation of malice to bring as much destruction to the masses as
possible. Its meaning for existence was merely to lead all those that made fun of
me to ruin.
I glared at the body that was lying a few meters from me.
A mass of countless poisonous purple tentacles. The liquid dripping from the
ends of every one of them, and the ink-black Mana coating her entire figure.
Being dragged along the ground, a number of those tentacles had been
destroyed, but she seemed to be healthy enough.
A voice came out. A tired voice.
Her tone was like that of a young boy. But it was a female voice I remembered.
“… Good grief, that Vanity… this is completely different from what he told me,
is it not… that’s some courage he has for him to be getting in my way.”
As if bursting open, the tentacles disappeared.
All those protrusions covering up her form disappeared, and the monster of
endless appetite finally showed her form.
It took on the shape of a giel, but I knew she was more than what she seemed.
There’s no way she’s just any brat. There’s no way a brat could stand so calmly
before Kanon.
The young girl’s lips were formed into a cynical smile.
“What’s more, fufufu… for even Kanon-sama to be in attendance. Even with
Heard here, I’m already full, and sill, such a splendid menu is set out before me.
Have I perhaps been a good girl?”
“Zebul Glaucus…”
And even like that, her expression held no fear, and her gestures, no waver.
Her deep green eyes simply continued to observe me.
J-just whose fault do you think it is… that this pain-in-the-ass situation came to
be…
Even when I know I’m wide open, I hold onto my head. I can’t help but hold my
head. If I don’t I feel as if I’ll explode.
I let out a rough breath. I’m not fatigued. It’s to let out as much of this
enormous heat in my body as possible. In order to wash over my waves of
emotion as much as I can.
My rationality and emotions were having a bout in my narrow skull.
“Hah hah…”
There’s no sign of Zebul raising a hand.
Only the red that painted out my thoughts continued to hone itself.
My instincts for battle started calculating the information around me.
Heard’s location. Zebul’s. Lize’s. Vanity’s army’s. I understood it all.
Ah, dammit. This world can go to hell.
I prodded my staff into the ground. It let off an explosive sound.
The earth below it melted.
The high temperature earth splashed onto my armor, and let off a peculiarly bad
smell.
I raise my face.
All that was left was a single point of resolve.
It’s fine. I’ll just deal with all of it, and return as quickly as possible.
My trembling lips produced a voice. I’m not thinking of anything. I’ve no time
to think.
That’s the declaration I made must have been a cry straight from my soul.
“… I condemn you to ruin.”
“… So you’ve no intention to talk this out…”
I shot down the countless tentacles she sprouted with flames.
Burn through her? Naïve. Ruin isn’t anything like that.
“Delete”
 “Tsk”
My inexhaustible stream of emotion passed through my staff to birth physical
phenomena in the world.
I don’t need an aria. Ira is my entirety.
The moment those humble tentacles were to touch my countless lights of
Wrath, they disintegrated.
Zebul has a lot of them at her disposal. But I could bring forth just as much fire.
The attacks coming at me from all three hundred and sixty degrees were met
by the flames produced by the armor, and erased.
I’m not sure what extent of control she had over them, but at some point, they
even started coming out from the ground below me. Even those were easily
dealt with by the fire. Those hands of hers are never to touch me.
Having finished burning through all her tentacles, the flames onverged to
delete the girl herself.
The swirling wave of fire caused her face to turn a little pale, before she took a
large leap back to avoid it.
Reflexes, and experience. I can’t deal with her through ordinary means. Perhaps
she even has the experience of devouring a Wrath Lord of my level.
But I know. I knew this would never be so straightforward. Then I’ll just destroy
that spirit of hers.
Without learning a thing, the tentacles came at me from all directions again, to
be erased by the flame.
I saw her form a slight grimace.
“Oh my, could it be that thing runs on auto? How unfair…”
“Die.”
Flames spiral up my staff, and emerge as a blast to burn up the air.
My power is grinding away, and all that was shaved off was supplemented by the
beating of my soul core.
If you’re going to get in my way, then you’ll have to pay for that with your
body.
“Fufufu, I won’t hold up like this… I never thought that I would end up being
personally scrapped by Kanon-sama…”
As she said some irritating lines, Zebul directed the palm of her hand
downwards.
The number of feelers extending from her decreased. Did she give up on
offense? No.
With her right hand at the center, I felt a fearsome amount of power amass. It
was of the same nature as what she had been wearing up to now. But it had a
greater depth than anything she had displayed.
Even within this armor of Wrath, I could feel chills enough to pour water over
me. There was no doubt she was to show her fangs.
What appeared was a blade.
Its height was close to two meters, and its body was colored in a sinister black
miasma. An oversized longsword.
It was a form of disruption that came forth from a series of Skills specialized to
attack.
The ominous feeling from it made me forget my anger for a moment.
Zebul Glaucus easily brandished the great sword that exceeded her own
height, and pointed it at me.
It was as if to make a proclamation of war.
“Have you ever seen this one before? This is… my 『Fang of Origin』.”
“Like I care.”
It’s strong. A feeling of death lingers over my trembling soul.
I shuddered at her power, that exceeded my expectation.
Especially that blade… is dangerous. The alarm bells wrung by the experience I
had stored up to now were telling me that.
It was of the most feared line of Demon Lord Skills.
To materialize an equipment with one’s cravings at the base, a Phantasm
Armament Skill.
It was of the same sort as the 『Ruin Robe』 I wore, but that blade was clearly
on a higher tier.
I can’t see myself being able to block it.
It wasn’t a problem with the quantity of power amassed, but of its nature.
I’m pretty sure that’s a Skill to ignore defense. One blow would be fatal.
In my mind, painted out by anger, only my thoughts turned at a level pace.
I calculated the damage that blade would afford me. If it ate into me, it would
most likely be fatal.
And after a few seconds of calculation, I threw the result out the window.
As if I care.
I licked my lips to wet them.
I looked at Zebul Glaucus, and smiled.
“… A guaranteed fatal blow… what luck.”
Ah, I’m thankful for having met you here.
I’m thankful I can bring about your end here.
That power… has the worst affinity with niisama. At some point, it would likely
bring calamity to him.
As if my fighting spirit acted as oil, my flames blazed higher. In proportion to
my feelings, the armor around me scattered sparks to my surroundings.
Zebul made quite an obvious grimace.
“Damn, I would have been happy if you pulled back there… why is it that each
and every one of you have to be so quick to fight…”
I don’t want to hear that from you!
There’s a distance of ten meters between us.
That great sword has an extensive reach, but even so, she’ll need a few steps to
be able to cut at me.
My Ruin Robe is a Skill that autonomously carries out attack and defense to
intercept enemies. There’s no set reach to the intercepting flames.
I have the advantage.
Is what I should be thinking. Normally, that is.
But there’s no way the blade in her hand is an ordinary sword. She can likely
alter its reach at will. Common sense doesn’t apply to Phantasm Armaments.
No,, even if she can’t change its form, I should expect such a thing. Predicting
beforehand, or taking it as it comes will create a large gap in reaction timing.
I concentrate on every step and action of my opponent.
She has no openings. She should have just carried out an intense battle with that
Heard Lauder, but let alone fatigue, I couldn’t see a single scratch on her.
I tried to fathom the reason for the fighting spirit in her eyes. What was there
was the very same as mine… impatience.
She had just used the word ‘scrapped’.
As I thought, her goal is… the Castle of Shadows. It’s an idiotic tale, but the
target of her gaze passed right through me.
Why is she so panicked? Why is she in such a rush?
“Kanon, that over there is my prey.”
“Heard Lauder…”
I looked to the other devil who came to my side at some point in time.
Pure black eyes to look down on everything.
Just as with Zebul, there wasn’t a wound carved on his body.
Without a single weapon, or the use of a single Skill, yet regardless ot that, I felt
an oppressing weight pressed over me.
And whose fault do you think it is that I ended up fighting her!?
Zebul’s frown intensified.
But still, there was no sorrow in her expression.
All that shined was her intent to kill. Before me, and the Rank one, her
unclouded will was worthy of praise.
But at the moment, that was detestable enough for me to want to slay her.
The devil of hunder directed a dumbfounded look at the two of us.
“… Fufu, now, now, I can’t say I approve of bullying the weak, you know?
『Prideful Kaiser』.”
“Hm… I’ll admit it. Your desire is splendid. You are… my enemy.”
Heard raised his power even higher. So the requirements for his pride were
met.
Just how high does it go? I can’t understand that man.
 Compared to that, Zebul seemed much better behaved than what I’d heard of
her.
“… I’ve no business with you guys. Are you sure there’s no way you’ll let me
pass?”
“Hm… a foolish query.”
She’ll pay the compensation for bringing shame to Leigie.
That’s what his earnest eyes were telling me.
Silence.
There was no starting signal.
Perhaps Heard’s fighting spirit made her give up on negotiations, as Zebul’s
Mana swelled.
At the same time, her small stature kicked at the ground with all her might, and
she flew forth like a bullet. In a single step, she surpassed the speed of sound. An
impact rocked my body.
That blade of dusk that ate up light itself, extended like a snake. Its tip was aimed
at me.
Is she looking down on me? Wrong. Even with Zebul’s speed, it would be
impossible for her to land any normal attacks on Heard.
But…
“That’s the same as looking down on me…”
I pushed the staff’s body into the floor, and back stepped before jumping into
the sky.
The sword’s body shaved away at the ground I had been at before. The land
broke down without the slightest of sound, and I found certainty that my own
hypothesis had been correct.
A dragon composed of fire spiraling around the body of my staff was released
towards the ground to confront it.
Hellfire.
The jaw of that dragon made to turn all to ash closed down on Zebul and Heard
altogether.
And it was all sucked into that Fang of Origin. Without a clash of power or
anything of the sort, a portion of the power I released was simply shaved away.
As always, there’s no doubt that Gluttony is a step ahead when it comes to
eating.
But my fire wasn’t just a straight line.
Sensing she couldn’t block it with the sword alone, before she was devoured
whole, a black wave was released from Zebul’s body.they competed for a
moment.
After going through the slight bit of resistance, my flames reduced the darkness
to cinders.
“Tsk, what a pain!”
Zebul retreated even further.
The flames follow her, but their output decreases the more waves she releases.
She was eating them.
She just couldn’t take them all in at once. Knowing that was plenty.
Inferring my will, my flying dragon took off, and caught my back in the air.
I directed the staff below. I’ve no time to play around. I’ll just burn it all away
from up high.
“Looks like it’s unavoidable.”
Having easily evaded what was akin to a surprise attack from the stream of
fire, Heard appeared behind Zebul.
Hi lowered his locked fists like a hammer.
It wasn’t a metaphor, the desert literally split apart. The earth let out a rumble
incomparable to all the quakes I had heard before.
Even from the sky, a massive and deep fissure had been carved into the ground.
On the unexpected spectacle, I swallowed my breath.
“That can’t be…”
Heard is scary.
The man who could do that barehanded was scary, but more than that…
“Oww… you’re way too merciless…”
Even after receiving an attack tat split the ground like that, Zebul’s continued
existence showed off her extraordinary endurance.
It’s not like she didn’t take any damage. Her head had caved in, and her blood
had stained the surrounding pebbles a dark red.
But even that… her broken cranium started regenerating as if rewinding a tape.
Regeneration is fine. That’s a single skill of Gluttony. They could use the power
they had eaten as a means to heal themselves.
But I can’t see the reason why she persists on. That one blow would have easily
destroyed the cores of even Demon Lords above the average.
Just… what did she eat?
And I realized it. Heard had not been playing around.
Because of her tenacity, he wasn’t able to take her out despite his advantage.
Like a tempest, consecutive attacks from all sides made sport of her small
frame. Even when she brought out a sword, she was losing in a pure battle of
close quarter combat. The one-hit-kill blade in her hand was completely pointless
if it didn’t hit.
Each and every one of those blows seemed to be accompanied by a flash of light,
and even I couldn’t determine how many hits he had put into it.
But it’s not like Zebul was just quietly taking them. She received them by
converging the tentacles sprouting from her body on single points.
She blocked them. The fact that she could do that meant her endurance wasn’t
endless.
I won’t let the chance Heard created get away.
“I’m not sure where you got your hands on it… but I’ll reduce you to ash all the
same.”
It’s useless.
Even if that Vitality is… something you gained upon eating a slice of niisama.
My Ira can even burn away that Lord of Sloth.
I summon countless bullets of fire, and pour them onto the ground like
meteors.
Each and every one of them should be lethal. They’ll turn all to ash without even
leaving a Soul Core behind.
They’re not at a speed she couldn’t dodge, but their numbers made her extend
her tentacles to knock them down.
 It’s useless.
I already know you can’t eat it all at once.
“Gu…”
Zebul raised a scream.
Her burned tentacles already regenerated. But I was sending down my fire at a
rate exceeding that.
“Go to hell!”
The feeling of raining these down from the sky was truly the worst. The way
she was barely dealing with all of them was all the more irritating.
As I thought, that blade is dangerous. After sucking in fireball after fireball, it
shows no hint of breaking or melting.
It’s a weapon that causes them to dissipate with a single touch.
There’s no doubt it’s a physical manifestation of her hunger.
Zebul used that sword, and dodged with as little movement as possible. Heard
exceeded her, and got out without even being grazed.
He easily avoided the flames that would have burned through regardless of
enemies or allies, and in just a step, he closed in on Zebul.
Only a tremor was left to prove the result.
Heard’s eyes pierced through me. He was clearly pissed.
That malice of his would usually make my fighting spirit blaze up in order to try
and stop him.
But fine, so be it. What a wonderful day it is.
That I can eliminate my enemies all together.
“… Fine. I knew it would come to this one day. There’s no problem if I take care
of it here and now.”
It’s fine as long as niisama isn’t to find out. Given the time, even this matter
will eventually be forgotten.
The Devouring Lord lying flat on the ground leisurely rose.
Her arms bent in an ominous direction and her crushed skull set off strange
cracking sounds, as her small form returned to normal.
What a monster.
 As I thought, my power is necessary.
There’s no way I can let this monster enter the Castle of Shadows. As long as she
lives, niisama’s peace will never be attained.
After coming this far, I could understand. Annoyingly enough there was barely
any difference in power between us.
With the sins we embraces differing to this degree, the battle wasn’t something
to be decided by size of power, though.
I summon my flame bullets again.
I can’t call a single one my comrade. From up high, I looked down on the two
Demon Lords.
 The Lazy King Chapter 14: Irritum’s
Vanagloria

The Lazy King Part 2 Chapter 6: Irritum’s Vanagloria

 Part 1: Not a God

Keeping rank and file, those white wings lace the sky.
From the earth well up those incarnations of desire, those to become God’s
enemy.
Heaven was already a crucible of chaos, of mingling light and darkness.
While they had an absolute scarcity in number, and would originally never be
able to form a large force, the Demons’ Legions already numbered more than a
thousand.
They each took up on the backs of giant flying dragons greater in size than my
own body, and raced across the skies that they hadn’t been permitted to step
foot in before. It could even be taken as a forecast of the world’s end.
The air that had received God’s blessing was violated with miasma, and none of
it gave off a sense of reality.
And it wasn’t just these skies that the armies were flying about.
Based on the signals from my comrades all over the land, the Demons of the
underworld had formed factions to attack all of our Heaven.
Mine numbered five hundred. Even with the army ranked fifth within these
holy lands…
Even if our wings granted us the territorial advantage here…
The Demons came in numbers greater than we of Heaven could ever muster.
Demons were wicked souls, dark minds smeared with avarice.
If you think of how human hearts were easier to turn to bad than good, it’s likely
just a natural matter of life.
That’s why I cannot bear it.
Those maggots creating this nauseous stench to waft about this Eden.
Wings are town off. An ominous whirlwind raced by in the gaps of the light.
Yet another of the Demons stationed behind me fell to the earth.
 The irregular army numbering close to one thousand, and it boasted an
exceptionally high amount of power.
A man with jet-black hair sat atop a silver wyvern.
Racing left and right about the Demon’s war, a commander. I could barely
capture him in my field of vision, and among these piles of trash, he was the one
with the greatest power.
“Hm… so this is all they have. We’ve not even the need to bring trouble to
Leigie-sama’s hands.”
“…… !?”
From the Angels rushing up to my rear, countless lights were released to brush
out the darkness. For us, that were like God’s household, it was an act as simple
as taking a breath of air.
Judgement lightning to purify those masses of negative energy. Released without
a sound, it filled the sky, and swallowed up that irregular army.
… And, That was brushed off with nothing but a fist.
The army trembled. On that absurd pride. In fear. In awe.
It was originally something that never should have come to be. Something that
was impossible.
Our mission was to take down evil. To fulfill our raison d’être, we were to cast
aside our emotions.
My sworn friend who ranked second in my army opened his eyes wide, and
called to me in a grim voice.
“Gloria, that man is…”
I received the name of Glory from my God.
I held up my hand to stop my friend, who seemed like he’d rush to join the battle
at any moment.
The enemy army was too numerous. And that extraordinary man…
Having been created by God, we surely boast a greater amount of power than
them. If it were to be one on one, there would be no way for us to lose.
If only we were to destroy that thing rushing about and tearing our light to
pieces, the rest would only be a matter of time.
 I’ve not the time to be sunken into darkness of this level.
I stake it on my name of Gloria, I cannot let this go on any further. I shall bring
Glory to my God’s side.
An indescribable shout wracked the heavens.
The enemy army took position. Those Demons that originally should have been
rushing at us to their hearts content were astonishingly quiet.
Hiding behind the back of their leader, they were nothing more than a bother. If
only they gave us the space, we would be able to decrease their numbers, and
shoot all of them down.
But that meant that the army’s strength, and command all fell to that single
man.
And so there’s but one measure to take. It’s simple.
I turned my head to my comrade three heads higher than me. To the Angel
with radiant eyes, and six heavenly wings on his back.
“My friend… I leave the command to you. I’ll take down that one.”
“Gloria… but…”
“Speak not. Your commander is… me.”
I am God’s greatest blade.
No matter how close we may be, I’ll have him obey my command.
Even if I’m at a disadvantage, that level of power, and a soul of that extent, a
normal Angel’s power… would never be able to stand to it.
And in that case, I, the one brought forth by God to protect the throne,
governing Glory and Justice Gloria Seidthroan will be his opponent.
… In the place of my petty army being outdone by something like a Demon.
From the blessed ten wings adorning my back, I released my power.
Without waiting for an answer from the man, I dashed forth. There’s no
obstruction in the skies to these wings. In an instant, I had come before the
man’s eyes.
The rising sun. A feeling of catharsis close to omnipotence refined my power.
Now receive it if you will.
The virtue I govern… 『Iustitia』’s authority.
I need no weapons. I directed the palm of my hand to the pitiful male Demon
who didn’t even have any wings.
Eternal darkness, and the mud of destruction. You can just fall back to that
place.
“『Judgement Rain』”
The spears of lightening handed down to me by God filled the sky.
The man’s dark expression was swallowed up whole.
An Iustitia Skill.
Among the numerous authorities granted to Angels, it was the power most
specialized in bringing ruin to Demons.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”
This cathartic feel of turning it all to nill. An endless laughter gushed forth from
my heart.
There’s no one to swing their fist before the Glory of God.
No matter how strong in power he may be, in the end, he’s just a negative soul.
A filthy wingless mongrel fated to crawl about the earth.
My entire body was covered in a light even greater than before. That itself was
the proof of my growth.
The proof that my justice had been recognized by God.
“Gloria… don’t let your guard down.”
My friend behind me made an address with a stern face.
He was a heroic man who had fought a long time as the vanguard of God, but he
was too much a worrier.
“… That one is… strong.”
“Affirmative. Among those maggots, he… was decent at least.”
I turn my eyes to my front.
No need to be tense. He’s already gone. I’m not negligent. He’s already gone.
There’s no way for one who’d received God’s grace such as myself to face
defeat, and absolute victory was in my hands.
 I stopped in midair.
I folded my arms, and glared about the area from which the light had cleared
away.
My 『Paradise Field』 Skill vividly grasped the presence of the man who was
supposed to have been annihilated.
He was a measly man whose power quantity and quality both fell far below mine.
Even among those Demons’ ranking system, he shouldn’t even be classified as a
Lord.
Even when compared to the Lords of Demons I had consigned to oblivion before,
he should have been undoubtedly weaker.
But he was alive.
It only took an instant for the light to clear. Those standing proud before the
swarm of Demons, my family were slightly disturbed.
“So 『Judgement Rain』 doesn’t work. What an irritating man.”
Even after taking up God’s rain of judgement upfront, his expression shoed no
pain, and his body wasn’t damaged.
The man frowned a little, and gave a condescending glare. One head higher than
my sworn comrade, the glare let out from that high stature was soaked in a
temperature of absolute zero, and it wasn’t something a Demon of his rank
should be sending at someone like me.
That look and bearing was something I had a recollection of. The sin embraced
by a number of Demons I had purified.
“So you’re a 『Superbia』.”
I’ve hunted down more Demons than I can count. I have ample information on
them.
An ability to erase another’s Skill, 『Overrule』.
What impudence for him to act so overbearing before an emissary of God. They
were the hardest to forgive of all those trash Demons out there.
Even when his power was only that which would fly away if I blew on it, his
body gave out a feeling of pressure far surpassing his Mana.
That pressure was something I had a slight recollection of, so I frowned, and
observed.
Its identity came to my mind in an instant.
Ah, that’s a form taken on by his willpower.
In the end, those bugs that haven’t even been blessed will become a large
calamity if we leave them be.
What a sad thing it is, for there to be a Superbia out to Overrule God’s
Judgement.
The man seemed sophisticated. Yet he was a diminutive existence that needed
to borrow the power of the dragons to even set foot in heaven.
“… Hm. This is a pointless conflict, but at the very least, I’ll have you become
an offering to my lord.”
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha, you sure know how to make one laugh. No
one lend a hand. This man is… my prey.”
On my laugh, the enemy army shook.
They trembled with fear. Your fate has run out here, at this very moment.
I’ve destroyed hundreds, thousands of Demons. I activate a Skill I’ve used
hundreds of times.
The light sharpens, and takes shape at the palm of my hand.
What manifested was a pure-white sword… in order to cut down Demons, 『Sin
Breaker』.
I directed it at those unbearable soldiers who seemed to be under the
misconception they could attain victory against God.
Speed. Maneuverability. Offensive power. Territorial Advantage.
In these skies, all of them lay with me.
“If you think you can Overrule the Power of God, then…”
All creation came to a stop.
In a split second, I circled around to the man’s rear. Not the wyvern, nor the
man, nor even any of my men could follow me with their eyes.
Receiving my 『Iustitia』, the sword let off a dull light.
Right, if he can overcome the might of God, then I myself will…
“… In God’s place, I’ll deliver heavenly retribution unto you.”
 ＊＊＊＊＊
Oww…
The depths of my head hurt. My dreams of the past were eating into my present
reality.
I slowly opened my eyes.
There’s no sound. There’s barely any light. That thin ink-like darkness was what
illuminated the room.
No matter how much time passed, the dark was the only thing I could never get
used to.
“Damn 『Kaiser』…”
No matter how much I hate him, it isn’t enough. No matter how much will I
bring up to kill him, my emotions won’t clear up.
What still existed in the depths of my memory was what despised above all else.
Over the space of many years, that name that had receded to a corner of my
memory gained color, and floated up like a bubble of soap. The reason was clear.
“Rank One… The Prideful Kaiser, Heard Lauder, is it…”
How useless.
It’s true that the wall between general and Lord is a severe one. But staying as a
General Class, he was a Demon who had power rivalling the Lords of Heaven.
Now as a Lord, I seriously wonder just how much power he’s amassed.
Even if Rank One was an excessive position for him, there’s no doubt he’s a
superior Demon Lord.
I was sure I was already gone and done with that matter from long ago.
So why is it that that the Soul Core in my chest is acting up once more?
There was no one about to listen to the words I threw out.
I raised myself from the large canopied bed.
It was a vast bed, where even my two meter build could lie, but in my current
state, it might be a little too wide.
Around the bed stood a number of humanoid forms.
Wordlessly, they merely looked over me with their glass-ball-like eyes. Countless
Demons. Men, women, all ages. An infinite variety. Their beat was a little faint,
but each and every one of them was a Demon.
I’m not sure where I had gone wrong.
No, I didn’t care that something had gone amiss, but I couldn’t determine what
to do next.
My wings of light that had once shone so bright were now so dark and wet.
This fallen one no longer had any allies, and all that was left was this body itself.
“Ku ku ku ku…”
But that’s fine. This body is more than enough to serve my purpose.
God and friends, and even followers are… unnecessary.
My body aside, there’s but a single thing I need.
I directed the palm of my hand towards one of the Demons standing about like
dolls.
Back when I embraced 『Iustitia』, this was definitely not a Skill I desired. But as
long as I have it…
Even if… it is the means of a Demon.
I spread out the five sets of wings garnishing my back.
No, I didn’t really care about the reason.
I’m already a Demon. Then… there should be no hesitation in me to carry out my
desire.
Now, Heard Lauder. Is it not the time for us to settle that match we were never
able to before?
I’ll teach your body the meaning of defeat.
Answering to my will, the eyes of those around produced a dull light.
The countless subordinates surrounding me all bowed at once with mechanical
precision.
The darkness coating them was strong enough to override their Sin, and blow
away their sense of self. It temporized their souls.
Not of God, but of my power alone…
“Oh wicked ones, perish by my justice.”
Outside the seven sins held by Demons.
In the distant past, when I had been brought to the same level as those I derided
as maggots, merely using it made me nauseous, The authority of the greatest of
fiends.
When I fell to Demonhood without even understanding the reason, it was
what I had held from the start.
And I naturally came to understand that authority’s name.
Of 『Irritum』.

Part 2: The Glory I Once Embraced

Fall.
Or so my instincts whispered to me. To trample over all aspects of creation, and
put them beneath me.
The emotions higher than ever I felt when I was a Lord of Angels often
heightened themselves, but they would never settle down.
That’s exactly why I’m here.
As I sat with my hips to the pitch black throne, a single man knelt before me.
I’m at the summit of Demon Lords.
The Demon of Envy dispatched by Kanon of ruined kneeled as he directed a
sharp glare at me.
“Your excellency, what seems to be bothing you?”
“… ‘Tis a trifling matter.”
My subordinate lined up perfectly in the throne room raised not a sound.
Among them there was only one that I couldn’t openly lay hands on. The only
one able to speak.
I’ve heard the man before me who was sent to observe was quite a skilled
Demon.
There were five observers sent to me in total. Of them, this man was the one
who had the most opportunities of coming into contact with me.
The vice chief of the Great Demon King’s personal military body known as the
Order of Black. Eins Grayrol.
He had high abilities, even when compared to my subordinates, a General Class
Demon.
He meaning behind her sending an 『Invidia』 to watch me, I could only laugh
upon seeing through that little girl’s intent.
Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude.
Even if she had power, she was a Demon who hadn’t even lived ten thousand
years, and she was severely lacking in experience. There were plenty of ways to
do it.
If you want to try to control me, then it isn’t numbers you need… send in a
Demon Lord Class observer, or we won’t be getting anywhere.
In a succinct tone, with considerable hostility packed into his eyes, he directed
his gaze at me.
But he didn’t pay mind to anything else.
What he once held when he was first dispatched here, that unease he got from
my doll-like men had long disappeared from within him.
“Your excellency, there is a single matter I wish to inquire towards…”
“… I’ll allow it.”
“Yes. Recently, it seems the number of soldiers in your Legion has been
decreasing ever so slightly, but are you aware of this matter?”
A small shadow occasionally flashed through the man’s eyes. That was the light
of doubt.
There’s nothing you could call sincerity among Demons.
A foolish question. My army exists for no other purpose than to answer to me.
I’ve already issued orders to those forces stationed all over my lands.
“I’ve dispatched the army.”
“!? … Why? At present, there should not be a hostile force anywhere around
your territory.”
Correct. I fear not the power of that Heard Lauder, and anyone else who would
set foot on my soil are akin to nothing.
If there was a single possibility for me to fear, it would be that maiden, circling
about and crushing Demon Lords.
But that isn’t enough. That isn’t nearly enough.
I know the power of a Valkyrie. Even if she be on the level capable of crushing
Lower Level Demon Lords, she won’t be able to touch that Prideful Kaiser.
No, more so, I doubt she’d even be able to stand up to that Iralaude.
Her attributes were too low. Lower Ranks were one thing, but she was nothing
but a trifle to us.
Still, in that case this’d never work out.
Rejoice, Valkyrie. I’ll give you some achievements.
“Ku ku ku, Angels…”
On those words, Eins’ features shifted into a questioning expression.
In silence, he blinked a few times. With a voice tinged with caution, he went on.
“An… gels…? I deeply apologize. I don’t really understand what you’re trying to
say…”
“I doubt not your ignorance. Now’s not the time.”
Yes, you’ll understand soon enough.
I directed the palm of my hand.
I didn’t even have the need to bind him with my Evil Eyes. Vice chief? Useless.
The caution of a Demon of this level can’t even be called as such.
I activated a Skill.
An uplifting feeling no different from the exaltation I felt when using the power
of God I embraced raced about my body like lightning.
At the man’s back, a dark fog began to gather.
In a silent stupor, his expression hardened as that darkness gathered before his
eyes, and covered the upper half of his face.
The man didn’t raise a scream. His posture didn’t change in the slightest, and
only his facial expression twitched mildly in fear.
As if he realized he was forgetting something important.
“… Yes, I beg forgiveness for my rudeness… It was about the Angel attack
incident, correct?”
 “Correct. You may go report to Kanon Iralaude now.”
The Angel Attack.
A flock of Angels had suddenly launched an attack on the town of Grey Rock.
Grey Rock was a town on the border of the Dark and Crimson Prisons.
The Dark Prison. In the past, it was under the control of the Great Demon of
Sloth, Leigie Slaughterdolls, and right now, that vast land was placed under
Heard Lauder’s jurisdiction. With three times the area of the Crimson Prison, it
was exceedingly vast, and that was to an extent where even Heard’s zone was
unable to cover the entire thing.
Eins’ eyes distorted.
“… For me to forget such a thing… it appears I’m a little tired… I will report…
swiftly…”
“Ku ku, a foolish man.”
I lifted my palm again.
It’s unnecessary. Your unease, and your questions are unneeded.
Now just forget everything, and give your little report.
I activated up another Skill. Third on Irritum’s Skill Tree. One to coat over the
truth with fabrication.
“『Outer Rewrite』”
That muddy darkness ate into the man’s memory, and covered up his original
motive.
Like a wall of paper, the Status Abnormality skill was easily breached.
It was all too simple. While a Demon Lord may be able to put up some resistance
to it, a General could only muster a soft push.
Without changing his expression once, he emotionlessly looked thought over
what had been overwriten.
I don’t know why I gained something like this.
I don’t, but if it is to exist, then I’m just going to put it to use.
In order to make those Demons I’m supposed to despise into my tools.
I waited a little for his mind to smooth over, before addressing him.
 “It’s a simple matter, is it not? Noy go forth, loyal apostle of the Great Demon
King.”
“Yes, I’ll go… and report.”
Eins left. I watched him off.
Even while my eyes were following him, my mind was occupied by one thing
alone. Of my sworn enemy from the past.
I stood, and looked up at the ceiling.
The emotional voice that gushed up from the depths of my soul were released
from my mouth.
“HEARD LAUDEEEEEEEERRRRR!!”
In this throne room without another capable of thought, only my wail
resounded.
Why, why is it? Why does my sentiment extend to this extent!?
I never felt this for the past few tens of thousands of years, and yet why is it
exploding out of my come this far in time?
If I just wanted to destroy him, if I merely regretted having failed to kill him,
then all of this would have been easier had I acted before he became a Demon
Lord, so why now!?
“Ku ku ku ku ku.”
I naturally poured out a sneer.
In response to that, the systematically lined up thoughtless army raised an
ovation.
“Vanity! Vanity! Vanity!”
It didn’t make me happy at all. I’m not sure whether the chills I felt racing
around my body were fighting spirit, or fear.
In order to learn that, I’ll have to make him face defeat.
I’ll take down his 『Pride』 with my deceit.
Five sets of wings sprung from my back.
In the past, they were enveloped by a white phosphorescence, but now black
mud molded their shape.
 At the same time, the worn out body I had hastily made for the time being
crumbled away into mist. It was the shape of a militaristic man I had mockingly
devised.
I looked at my palm. It was my original body, half that large man’s size, of back
when I was still an Angel.
Not specializing in physical strength, but magic, the body known as the 『One
who Protects the Throne』 was always disguised as Vanity that I was starting to
wonder which one of my shapes was the true disguise.
“Now, stand before me, my beloved maggots.”
My subordinates silently assumed their position in the line. To the swarm of
Demons who had lost their wills, and had their desires overridden, I directed my
palm.
He is strong. I know that.
Even within this Demon World, Heard Lauder’s strength was heresy. Going at
him straight on is close to impossible.
His ability allowed him to escape my hand when he had yet to even become a
Lord. Now that he’s reached Demon Lord Level, it will be all the more difficult.
And that’s why my authority lives on.
“… I’ll grant the sky to you.”
Irritum is to hide truth, and make it meaningless.
I activate a Skill.
Their cores. Just the cores are enough.
These low ranking Demons are of no use at all. So I’ll be the one to give them
power.
Their existence will take to the air for my sake.
Now dance to my tune if you will.
“『Outer Decorate』”
As I invoked the Skill, the Demons’ bodies started to bubble.
They were diminutive existences. And to conceal that fact, the wriggling
darkness took them in, and it only took a few seconds for them to take shape.
Out of lumps of mud, wings begin to form.
Pure white wings.
The masks that had been covering their eyes also turned white, and expanded to
cover their entire faces.
What was standing before me was Angels.
Their power was a fabrication, yet a reality. That ostentation was great enough
to fool even the world.
There was no difference from what was dwelling in their bodies to the power
of light. Therefore, that power existed for them to bring ruin to Demons.
The power to brush away the darkness had been brought forth from a Demon’s
ability.
That’s why I had no need to argue with the power I had been granted. There’s no
way the beings born from me could be anything else.
“Justice… is it…”
What resided in their body was the authority of『Iustitia』 I once held.
But at this point, that was a word without meaning.
Still, to kill Demons, there was no better suited ability.
Those wings constructed from the blood stained darkness began to shine like
light itself.
Strangely enough, the expressions of those inorganic hardened forms of my
vanity were barely any different from those subordinates that followed my lead
when once I took God’s will to heart without question.
Between Angels and Demons, there wasn’t a single difference.
From when I was an Angel in service to God, to now with no one to follow, all
that I had lacked was an absolute sense of self.
It merely piled up. The glory I once embraced.
It merely piled up. The sins I built up after I fell.
I don’t care whether it’s a fake or a lie. The truth is meaningless before my
objective.
Power requires a compensation. Decorations require a base.
Mana, power, desires, they all drain out whenever I use a Skill. But even that was
something I only experienced as joy.
In proportion to that, my troops became more and more beautiful. With that
deceptive light forged of darkness.
Creating Angels was the work of God.
Then even if it be transient, for me to be able to do that, there’s no doubt I’m
closer to God than ever I was with those white wings on my back.
When I was part of the vanguard of the sky, I had power. Overwhelming
power, God’s love, justice.
How ironic. Even after falling to Demonhood, that power hasn’t fallen in the
slightest.
No, more than that…
I licked my lips.
Heavenly troops need a leader. To create a sense of crisis in this land of
Demons, a considerable amount of power is necessary.
I selected one from the line, and stacked on even more fabrication.
Before long, an Angel with enough light to call excessive was completed.
I can’t have my power use itself up. Even if he may be lower class among Saint
Lords, there should be no hindrance to the destruction of Demons.
The soul colored by Irritum.
The glittering light it gave was the color of an Angel’s, and I found that terribly
irritating.
Without letting out a single voice, the Angel stood there.
A shite mask to cover the face. But under that, no expression existed.
On these lands, a presence of light stands out. With the Abyss Zone Skill, their
natures would be sensed from a long ways away. If I stayed by their sides, I could
eliminate their presence with Skills, but that will become difficult if we separate.
No, even if that isn’t the case… these Angels cannot reside in heaven.
Just as I once did to command my troops, I raised my hand to the sky outside
the window.
That sky of chaos stained in a bloody red.
“Conquer.”
 The line of Angels all flew out at once.
But in my heart, not a single feeling of nostalgia surfaced.
Even when that scene surely resembled when I was still an Angel, the world I
saw back then.

Part 3: Each and Every Desire Should Just be Devoured

Both Demons and Angels had instincts.
Demons and Angels were just right souls and wrong souls. Between them,
there was an instinct for them to reject the others’ existence.
An incomprehensible feeling of impatience that would rock the soul just by
having one next to another.
Unable to stand an encounter without trying to kill one another, it could be
called a second Desire.
Before my eyes, 『Vanity』 was blown away.
I saw the built up months and years of training behind the speed of that punch.
Even that body I had modified to be able to stand up to a Demon Lord’s might ,
that impregnable fortress of a body was torn apart without being given a chance
to react.
Regardless of its truth, not even its soul core remained.
As I thought, the position of Rank One was no decoration.
Dammit, Heard Lauder.
His power was greater than I anticipated. Going at him head on is… nothing
more than a stupid move.
I am in no way a warrior. My goal isn’t conflict, but victory.
Not the process, but the glory. From the start, that man was a beast. I’ve no
intent to exchange blows with such a brute.
It’s precisely because of their Pride, that Pride Demons are full of weaknesses.
That guy’s weakness was especially clear.
I’ve already determined my thoughts on the matter.
But before that…
 After Heard ran off to chase Zebul, I walked up in front of the clueless girl he
left behind.
She was a young lass with golden hair, and an impertinent expression on her
face.
Oblivious to the world, unknown to tragedy, and without any foundation she
was one that looked down on everything in creation. Her condescending
expression made my skin crawl.
While humming a merry tune, she calmly walked through the lines of soldiers,
and regardless of the fact that she hadn’t done a single thing herself, I didn’t feel
te slightest hint of indebtedness in her.
I believe Heard called her Hiero. She was cowering behind Heard during the
meeting as well.
She was an existence so helplessly weak I couldn’t fathom why that man chose
to drag her along.
I hate fools and weaklings.
It’s always been that way. Both Angels and Demons regardless.
For both those Demons that only pursued their desires, and thought everything
could be solved with an exchange of blows, and those mindless dolls that
thought all they had to do was listen in to God’s orders.
Why is it that I… have to play part to something useless like that?
They’re the ones who should be learning their place.
By the time I noticed it, I was staring fixatedly at her form.
Even when her power was one that would go out if I blew on it, her recklessness
on staying in this place was the very thing I hated about Demons of Pride.
Then, if it’s like that… right.
How about I… give you some wisdom.
“Mm? What is it…?”
I extended the arm of the Demon closest to her.
Having her shoulder grabbed, Hiero turned with a blank expression. Her face
indicated she believed there wasn’t a single thing to harm her here.
With nothing but pure curiosity, she looked deep into the single Demon’s mask.
It was a humanoid Demon with a large build. The upper half of his face was
covered up by a grey mask.
That mask wasn’t just some accessory.
Covering their faces, their expressions, held meaning.
One’s expression was their individuality itself, and by hiding it away, I could bring
about changes in their psyche.
It was a means to overwrite their measly spirits with an image of strength.
It was a single ritual.
A way to paint out right and wrong and Angels and Demons with chaos.
“Oh, could it be that you guys can actually move without orders? Kusu kusu
kusu… I had thought of you all as nothing but dolls.”
Even when grasped by one two heads higher than her, Hiero’s expression as
she looked up at his face was a bright smile.
His arm let out a dull sound as it broke. But the face of the woman who did such
a thing didn’t seem to hold the slightest interest in what she had done.
As one who also governed Pride, I had a clear grasp on what power she held.
Unbefitting that soul of hers, a powerful 『Overrule』 Skill.
Ah, how surprising it is.
Without a fragment of understanding as to just what she was talking to, Hiero
widened her smile, and tilted her head.
“And, what is it you need?”
… But how interesting.
A sharpened soul.
The power hidden in it had far surpassed her own self. That『Overrule』, the very
definition of pride… just what basis does it act on?
And why is Heard dragging a useless woman like this about?
“Interesting…”
“!?”
The arm was released, and Hiero instinctively retreated a distance.
The pride on her face from before vanished, and a stiff expression looked over
me.
 “W-who are you!? What’s this all of a sudden!?”
The eyes of this girly who hadn’t even lived through a tenth of my life
inspected my body quite rudely.
While she did seem wary, she didn’t even get stanced for battle. I’m not sure
whether that was supposed to be her Pride or not.
Or perhaps it was her bearing that didn’t even see enemies as enemies that
formed the mold for her firm mindset.
I touched the mask covering my own field of vision.
It was a cold sensation in my hand… the gray mask sunk away without a sound.
“… Hah…? What are you supposed to be… are you Vanity-san’s…
subordinate?”
… Fool.
The ability to even paint over the presence of my own soul, and conceal myself
from search Skills was Irritum’s greatest advantage. Even a Demon Lord’s Abyss
Zone was unable to pick me up.
Rather than Superbia, whose output rose the more one showed themselves
off, the authority of Irritum was one to hide one’s self, yet still decorate it. Truly
one suited to resourcefulness.
I ignored the girl’s panic, and started observing again.
Right, no matter how I look at her, I can only see a frail Demon.
While she did, more or less, have a strong ability to 『Overrule』, that level wasn’t
at Demon Lord Class, and if I had to say, her only real special point was the very
fact Heard was taking her around. Even if I did absolutely nothing, she was an
ant-like existence that could easily be crushed by my army.
That confidence against enemies she knew she could beat, and this dismay
against the unknown. Her body was unconsciously preparing to take flight… I
don’t think she’s even a warrior, this one.
A demon I’m surprised to find anywhere near Heard’s side. Just what part of
her tugged at his heartstrings?
I can’t even possibly see her as someone that battle enthusiast would fall in love
with.
 Whatever the case, that’s all irrelevant to me.
What’s important is… if this girl can work as Heard Lauder’s weakness.
I cast aside the thoughts surfacing within me at once.
No, I doubt she’d do any of that. There’s no way she would. If he could be
destroyed that easily, he’d have been killed off at a time long passed.
My interest is starting to escape me.
While she certainly was an interesting woman, no matter what sort of
existence she was, she was irrelevant to Heard Lauder’s impending destruction.
Seeing the way she stuck by his side and followed, I can’t even see her as an
assistance, but more than anything, this girl… is too young.
She wasn’t even a pebble by the wayside. A single Demon whose life or death
wouldn’t bring about any influence at all.
I ignored Hiero, as she directed scared eyes without even a hint of fighting
spirit, and used a Skill.
A dark grey light covers my entire body.
The authorities of Superbia and Irritum.
My Mana becomes my armor. To pass by all of creation, and bring about a
miracle.
With my soul at the base, I create the form of a hero.
I show off. My own power.
I pile it up. Only to some day show it off to the world.
… To look down on the high and distant heavens.
Irritum held a contrary nature to Pride, but at the same time, they both held
but a single place to aim for.
… Higher than, greater, than anyone in all the lands.
Surpass God, and look down on him.
I understood. From the time when I was the one protecting his throne.
In truth, I had always understood it. Just why it was I became a Demon.
“Ku ku ku ku.”
 The reason was that I… subordinates alone, I don’t even remember the name
of my only sworn friend in the world.
I must have been strong. My desires had exceeded my loyalty to my God. That’s
all it was.
“Hah ha ha ha ha!!”
As light ran all about my body, a pleasant feeling akin to intoxication went
through my mind.
It covers up each and every part of my body. Even if it were to be a body of
fiction, it did contain my own soul.
I was already more accustomed to the body I had used for many years than my
own real body.
How many years has it been that I even laid my own form bare? It’s already
beyond my memory. I doubt there are many out there that even remember my
original body.
My white skin turns black.
My golden eyes to silver. I lost my argent hair, and gained a height that exceeded
even that man.
My breasts that were nothing but a hindrance were covered over with muscle,
and the pitch wings on my back were hidden away.
More ominous, more exaggerated, and more strong.
An impulse like an electric current flowed through me.
That which I could never get used to no matter how many times I did it was, to
put it simply…
… An almighty sensation.
“Hii…”
Hiero’s dumbfounded expression warped along with her increased
understanding of the situation.
Her face was one as if she were peering into the cauldrons of hell.
Now, to you who holds not the slightest of roles in this play, let me give you
glory.
Glory to stand up against your own lord.
 I grabbed the arm of the girl, whose expression was still quite stiff.
Those arms were so slender, it felt that if I gripped them any harder, they would
break. I lfted her up into the air.
As if remembering something, fear colored her face, and her limbs flailed
about, but that resistance is futile.
None of those punches or kicks can do a single thing to this body. That was the
difference in our abilities. My buildup of years made the distance between us
something akin to an adult and an infant. I’m not something to break under the
Overrule of the like of you.
With her body still in hand, I pushed her against a collapsing wall.
I ignored her hand’s attempts to wriggle free, and looked into her blue eyes.
In order to scoop up whatever emotions she held within them.
“Guh… Wh… why are you alive… N-no, that form from before was…”
A gray light circled around my hand.
To pretty up the mud with gold, and repaint her existence.
Her body, her soul, her power, her meaning, her memory… her being.
The mask was to denote a Persona.
A mask of the soul to show off one’s personality, it was easily able to cover up
whatever mask they wore before.
I won’t change her form.
I doubt Heard Lauder’s ever going to hold back, but there’s the million-to-one
chance he might be mildly disturbed.
I may be able to sway his emotions.
I grasped her had with the palm of my hand.
“N-no, unhaaaand me! What? Are you saying I did something to you!?”
Her body kicks around some more to offer some pointless resistance.
And on her futile plight, I was momentarily taken in silence.
Seriously, why was that man keeping this girl at his side? There isn’t a hint of
pride in her pitiful behavior.
For one who prioritizes hubris over all, she should be the type he hates most.
Perhaps it was my error to sink to silence, as Hiero started letting out words
like a turbulent gale.
“I-in the first place, the one who attacked was Heard-san, right!? D-definitely
not me. I didn’t do nuffin!! P-please forgive me. I didn’t even have the time to
stop him or anything! H-honest. I really did think about stopping him… r-right. If
you try laying hands on me, my master won’t keep quiet, you know!?”
Unsightly. It was just so unsightly that I didn’t even feel any contempt.
You’re seriously trying to threaten me here?
Can your fear fulfill the desire in your heart?
“This is my… Irritum’s… 『Outer Decorate』!!”
“Kuh…”
Hiero opened her eyes wide in fear. Her body was assailed by shivers akin to
convulsions.
Matching her emotions of terror, her eyes talked to me.
Fear, reverence, panic, flattery.
Dance on my palms. Become my doll.
The young girl’s slim figure shook. As if to crawl into the depths of her body, a
deep gray light encroached her.
No matter how much a hopeless weakling she may be, if I decorate her, she’ll at
least be able to buy some time.
I didn’t make a mask for her. That would have stood out too much. Also, if I go
as far as to cover up her eyes, then perhaps Heard Lauder won’t even recognize
her as Hiero. I don’t change her personality or memory either.
… What I plant in her is loyalty. Absolute devotion to me was appended to her
nature.
Around her finger, light gathers in the place of a mask, and a single boorish
ring took shape.
It didn’t matter what it was. There’s no doubt that to bring changes to one’s
personality, a mask to cover the face held the greatest efficiency, but for a
Demon of her level, I don’t even have to use one.
She gave one last large convulsion, before she ceased movement.
Her sloppily lowered arms held no vigor, and on her pale features, her eyes
sluggishly closed themselves.
I release my hand. I ignore former-Hiero as she fell onto the ground, and
turned to my army.
No will to speak of. Over a perpetual amount of time, the souls whose glory I’ve
piled up.
Now, Heard Lauder. You who’ve dragged me down from Heaven.
A few tens of thousands of years passed, let’s have another meet.
A will I never had before offered power to my body.
I surveyed my troops gathered around.
I have no right hand man.
In my army, everyone was everyone, and they were my power in itself.
That means, that all were all, and all were me. An individual, yet Legion.
Sensing my will, the military body lined up next to their mounts.
Regardless of what form they may be in, what was before me was undoubtedly
the Legion of a Demon Lord. I nodded.
The masked Demons let out a quiet, wordless battle cry.
The delicate body prostrated on the ground lifted itself.
What was once an existence known as Hiero sent a hollow gaze in my direction.
“The Prideful Kaiser, and the Devourer, I’ll swallow you all in my sin.”
For the Devouring Lord, who once ate up a countless number of my brethren.
Who I let escape, and who became the trigger for my fall, the Lord of Pride.
Those frail Angels who protected the silence while knowing of Demons.
That pitiful Valkyrie who had been attacking this area as of late by chance.
For enemies… they’re worthy enough.
I already have the preparations in order.
Now, let me cover all creation in my deception.
Having been effected by unconsciously soaking up my power, the residents of
Grey Rock peered at me from the windows with colorless eyes.
Near me, a Demon leading along a conspicuously large Dragon kneeled.
“Vanity-sama, your Dragon has been prepared.”
 “… Huh?”
Normally, that voice shouldn’t have been there.
What was there was the Demon I had just decorated.
I glared.
Her voice as she kneeled didn’t hold the slightest hint of indebtedness, and her
frame and hair and eyes and voices and powers hadn’t changed in the slightest
bit from before.
“What are you supposed to be?”
“Pleasure to meet you, Vanity-san. I’m called Hiero.”
I wasn’t asking for your name.
I’m sure I overwrote part of her personality. I didn’t make a mask, so it wasn’t
perfect, but I did add on to her nature. I never thought that she would be
capable of conversation so quickly.
The ring of Irritum I produced was unmistakably intertwined around Hiero’s right
index finger.
I’m not sure what she was thinking, but the fear on her expression from before
had disappeared.
Both her face and posture were the epitome of superficiality. It was much
removed from the form I had anticipated. Was her affinity with the Skill
exceptionally good?
In the few tens of thousands of years since I began using Irritum, it’s a scene I’m
witnessing for the first time. Even so, as long as I’ve forced her loyalty, I can’t
think she’ll go against me.
It was an unexpected reaction. Should I just destroy her now, or leave her be?
There’s not even the need to think of it. This turning point is a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity. I can’t be paying so much mind to a trifle of this level.
“Is your master not Heard Lauder?”
“No, the one I serve… is surely not Heard Lauder.”
I looked down over her as she said that without hesitation.
I didn’t feel the cover of falsehood over her words.
 Hmm… this is but another bit of entertainment, I guess.
The greater the forces the better. The stronger the structre, the more stable.
I doubt I’ll need a shield, but having one should be better than not. Of all else, I
already gave her a portion of my power anyways.
No matter how great my power may be, it is my no means unlimited.
Of all else, I already brought forth three Sacred Lords, and a countless number of
normal Angels.
I should keep as many forces as possible on hand.
“So be it. Follow if you will.”
“… Understood.”
My army mounted atop their dragons raised a tremor as they dashed forth.
I already know where they are. Those huge colliding powers were something I
could sense, perhaps even if I didn’t use my Abyss Zone. It would be harder for
me to ignore that those presences stirring up my soul.
The moment I put myself over my own dragon, Hiero called out again.
“… What?”
“… Vanity-sama, for your purposes, I do believe that rather than a beast to
race across the earth, a flighted one would be to your benefit. Clashing with that
man from the front is a poor choice of move. Even if he be the Prideful Kaiser, he
has not the widest variety of strikes to launch across the sky.”
“… You’re the one that brought this flightless dragon to my side, are you not?”
“No… I mean… I never thought you would be bringing me along, so…”
“…”
I felt my own brows become stiff.
… No seriously, why did that man take her along?
After she disappeared from my field of vision with natural movements as if to run
away, Hiero returned with a flying dragon.
It was likely the one she had used to transport herself here. As expected of the
possession of Rank One, it had a splendid build.
With movements as if to try raising my affection points towards her, she closed
in, and pulled on my arm.
That utter lack of anything resembling Pride made my pity well up before my
anger had a chance.
No, perhaps it’s something I brought about with the power of my Skills…? If
that’s the case, then really, I apologize. No, no…
“Now, now, Vanity-san, over here.”
“… Yeah, fine.”
While feeling somewhat unsatisfied, I put myself over the flying dragon.
Following that, she boarded a smaller… Flying Dragon, likely for her own use.
Oddly enough, it made me associate the scene with the form of Hiero cowering
behind Heard.
I should have just killed her without using any power…
This personality of hers…
I started imagining a spectacle of Heard crushing this girl without a moment’s
hesitation, and my own expression naturally distorted.
＊＊＊＊＊
The town of Grey Rock was close to the Dark Prison. For ground dragons
specialized in land transport, and for flying dragons that rivalled them in speed,
we were able to set foot into those lands in little time at all.
From the start, Grey Rock had been a town stationed on a national border, and it
was once the front most line of the conflicts between the hostile Demons of
both lands. It was also one of the few of such towns that remained after both
the Crimson and Dark Prison were taken in under the Great Demon King’s army.
Heaven and the Demon world were heads and tails. In contrast to the world up
there carefully governed by law and order, this Demon World was rampant with
disorder.
On contrast to the scarcity of their activity, the great Demons Heard Lauder, and
his former master, Leigie Slaughterdolls of the 『Slaughterdolls』 were Demons of
power much too vast.
While I could tell his strength partly from how that Prideful Kaiser who thought
nothing of God served him for such a long time, what clearly demonstrated his
strength was the extensity of his Zone, that was able to cover the entirety of the
Dark Prison several times larger than my Crimson Prison.
The extent of his 『Abyss Zone』 was likely the greatest within the King’s Army.
The current Great Demon King, and even the one before her couldn’t extend
theirs anywhere near his territory, which was already worthy of being called a
single world.
It was much too vast, too powerful. There are even rumors that it had never
been broken by a hostile Demon Lord, and many suspected that it wasn’t just
through pure Mana, but through the as-of-yet unknown nature of Acedia Skills
that granted enhancements to it, but the only one to know the truth of the
matter is the Lazy King himself.
The Zones were pretty much a Demon Lord’s turf.
By touching it, or even getting close, the oppressing feeling that ran through
one’s entire body was something like a threat brought about by the land’s ruler.
And that fact that Leigie’s territory had absolutely nothing like that was one of
the few pieces of information I held about that Lord of Sloth, as the owner of a
neighboring territory.
But I mustn’t forget. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hold any hostility.
It simply meant… that he had no interest, and that’s all it was.
When I entered the Dark Prison, I felt a differing presence cover my body
without the slightest resistance.
The proof I had infiltrated a Zone.
The presences of Heard’s Pride, and Zebul’s Gluttony, and at the base of the two
of them, Leigie’s characteristic air of Sloth.
In the extent of this endless desert, I couldn’t see the form of any life yet.
“Ku ku ku… we’re close.”
But I understood.
Even if I closed my eyes, I could tell.
The distance to Zebul. The Distance to Heard.
It was something that my soul, my instincts sought out. What they’d been
seeking for many years.
It was… the presence of an enemy.
That urge that didn’t able, even for a Fallen Angel, was definitely not something
from the instincts of an Angel, but something that existed because I was me.
Zebul’s presence was stopped. Regardless of how far she was from the Castle
of Shadows.
It looks like she didn’t bring along that Greed Demon from before, and there
didn’t seem to be any lifeforms around them.
She should have just rushed her way through while this land’s guardian was
away at the meeting, but did she really believe my words? Or could it be that she
noticed Heard’s presence leve the Dark Prison?
Zebul no longer has an option of escape. She was already within Heard Lauder’s
range. Once you’ve stepped into the extent of that man’s Zone, you’ll never be
able to flee from his power.
The distance between them was something that Lord of Pride could span in a
number of seconds.
Naturally, the fact she had stopped before that inmistakable presence was
likely because she understood that fact as well.
It would by difficult to intercept him on the run. She plans to meet him in the
middle.
I remembered Zebul’s eyes.
Those eyeballs of hers were soaked in a bottomless hell of desire. That color
wasn’t something anyone could let out so easily.
If it were to satisfy that longing of hers, then no method in the world would be
beyond her.
Ranking wasn’t so simply linked to strength. Especially with that beast Zebul…
the ultimate predator who would even suck up the world.
And while they’re clashing like that, an opening is sure to be created.
Even if they’re fakes… Angels painted to life by my Irritum still held the same
movement speed as the real thing.
While he’s busy dealing with Zebul, my army will break into the Castle of
Shadows.
That was the prideful weakness of Heard Lauder. The existence that was once
his ruler.
His source. Even with his personality, it wasn’t something he would be able to
permit.
Riding atop my flying dragon, Hiero, who was riding behind me raised a
clouded voice.
“Vanity-san, I think it’s best you stopped, you know~?”
But she really is an impudent woman. This attitude after receiving my authority,
perhaps this is just her base personality. For me to have overwritten her ego,
carving an absolute sense of loyalty in her, and for her to have not changed in
the slightest is just plainly amazing.
She’s surely a Superbia with a nature close to mine. That character of hers is
clearly different from Heard’s.
Given the time, perhaps she’ll even set foot into Irritum. But honestly, I don’t
really want to be grouped together with her.
“Vanity-sa~n, if you calm down and think about it… we’re screwed, I’m telling
you.”
“… Screwed, you say?”
“Yes.”
I peered behind me. What is this woman saying at this point in time?
In the first place, even if it may be something from a Skill, the way you naturally
let yourself follow behind me pretty much means you have no other path in life
then to continue on as Heard Lauder’s servant.
I let my senses take in the world, as I continued looking to my back.
My physical condition is great, and my soul perfect. I’ve been saving up Mana for
a long while. If I wanted to, I could even create a few Saint Lords at this moment.
I should even be able to destroy the Great Demon King right now.
And you say I’m screwed!?
“I mean, Vanity-san, you plan on fighting Heard-san, right?”
“…”
“And~ that~ means~…”
Because of the flap of the Dragon’s wings, it was quite difficult to pick up
sound.
But within that, without working herself up at all, she let out her words as if she
were just voicing a natural fact of life.
“Vanity-san, you plan on making an enemy of Leigie-sama?”
What escaped her mouth was the name of a completely irrelevant Demon.
Sama.
Leigie-sama, is it?
“… Ku ku.”
I understood.
This woman wasn’t of Heard Lauder, but of Leigie Slaughterdolls… his vassal,
perhaps.
No wonder she didn’t act very subordinate-like to Heard.
She likely wasn’t expecting an answer, as her mutterings seemed to fade to
dusk somewhere along the line.
They were whispers too light to even be erased by the strong sound of the wind.
“I’m fine with going against whatever it is you want, but Leigie-sama alone is
someone I’d rather not oppose.”
Her tone, her emotions differed from the frivolous atmosphere she had
created up to now, so I found myself asking.
“… Why?”
I’m not sure if she heard me or not, but no matter how long I waited, no
response came to me.
But so be it.
From the start, I didn’t plan on opposing that man, and more importantly, there
was no point.
If he stood in my way, then I’d have no mercy, but for that Lord who’d tempered
his Sloth to the extreme to impede me, was in itself an impossible story.
… Right, unless some miracle were to happen.
We preserved the silence as we continued to fly on. Before long, we closed in
on the battlefield.
We should have still been a few kilometers away, but the air experienced a clear
change. The smell of a battle, that couldn’t just be explained away with us
having entered a Zone.
The finest pray I hadn’t chanced upong in thousands of years. My fighting spirit
towards my enemy danced.
The sky, the earth was crying.
Each and every blow was fatal. Fists that sent my eyes into distress shaved awy
at the land, and split the empty air.
The thunderous roars that echoed through the high heavens, and Mana that far
transcended that of a normal Demon Lord rose up along with it. It was likely
something anyone could have noticed, even if they didn’t possess the
perceptional power of a Demon Lord.
In truth, even without putting my eyes on it, I could clearly tell this was a
battlefield.
It seems Zebul was doing an ample job of stalling him.
My army was also fulfilling their role sufficiently.
Demon Lord Class Demons were a form of calamity.
Their rage was to destroy the world, and kill God. The power of soul released by
the two beasts was stronger than any Demon Lord I had ever fought before.
Something that in the old world of humans would have been hailed as a
legend, and even in the present state where none dared to intrude on the
surface world anymore, it would surely be passed down.
That level of finality existed in this space.
Humans, no, even Demons would throw down their desires the moment their
eyes were to capture this battle of legend.
Kill. Slaughter one another. My greatest foes.
Besides my own, each and every desire should just be devoured.
A clash of high level Demon Lords.
What had yet to even enter my eyes as of yet was, by no doubt, quite repulsing.
But the moment before I could clearly capture the scene, the dragon followed
my will, and suddenly, its upper half jerked.
It used its long tail to regain balance, and began ascending into the air at a
fearsome pace.
Within the thunderous wail of the wind, we were colored with the blood red
moon of the high sun. It was surely a sight one could never see in the heavens
basked in light.
If we were to go any closer they would notice. That I understood.
By power is working. My Skills are completely erasing my presence.
But even if Irritum were to hide one’s presences, it couldn’t fool one’s intuition.
And those two Demon Lords over there could likely easily sense a presence-less
existence or two.
Those Lords of Demons were beings that reached close to the Lords of the
heavens without even having received the blessing of their God.
Even if I can grant my men with power equal to Angel Lords, before Heard
Lauder’s power, they would be obliterated in an instant.
But still, there’s no way that wingless man would be able to capture a countless
number of Angels fluttering around the sky. Even if he can move with the world
appearing stagnant to him, his body was one that could only covet the ground.
I feel them over yonder, my subordinates… let me grant even greater glory to
that Angel flock.
I’ll give them a portion of my power, and add more fuel to the blaze of their
souls. The flocks speed rose even higher.
“Oh filthy souls. At the very least, burn yourselves out radiantly in the name of
my Vanity!”
Now, give chase if you will. To those invading the lands of your lord.
Show me the depths of your desire, Superbia!
Those ancient battles of heaven flashed through my head again.
Without a single smile on their faces, to accomplish their justice, those vast
legions of white, and those that were under the control of absolute power to
pursue their desires, the black legions.
But I noticed one point that differed from the truth of my memory.
I freely manipulated the flying dragon around that biting mass of fighting spirit.
Yes, it truly was but a trifling difference…
That I myself was no longer a part of either of those Legions.

Part 4: This is why Demons are…

Demons and Angels were contrary entities. But it’s not like their existences
were counterbalanced by one another.
Against the light released by Angels, the darkness a Demon could amass was
easily cleared away.
No matter how powerful a Demon’s Skills may be, the disadvantages they were
born with weren’t something so easily overturned.
My memory let oud a grating sound, and ached.
Even if I was up against a Demon of Pride powerful enough to repel my
『Judgement Rain』, in the end, there shouldn’t be any reason why I lost to one
who hadn’t even reached Lord Leve.
… But, for some reason, the conclusion of our bout had been cleanly wiped
from my recollection.
“Vanity-san? Are you finally losing your nerve at this point in time?”
“… How foolish.”
Faithfully following close to my rear, Hiero breathed out a whispering voice.
I accepted those words with a smile, and cast them away.
Losing my nerve?
I, the one who was once the closest in the heavens to God, am losing my nerve
to nothing but a single Demon Lord, you say?
Useless provocations.
Anyone who embraces such an emotion has not the qualifications to become a
Lord.
But at the same time, I was vigilant. I have no reason why I faced defeat the
last time.
I’m sure Judgement Rain was blocked. Repelled, dissipated.
But still, I really can’t thing that something of that extent could triumph over the
abilities I had at the time. Much less for one who wasn’t a Lord.
… And in actuality, I’m still right here without having lost any power.
Using the eyes of my subordinates, I observed the scene below. Their eyes had
already reached the battlefield. Without wasting time, they raced straight
through it.
Heard Lauder and Zebul Glaucus were approximately equal.
Heard with his godspeed mobility, and Zebul with her abnormal regeneration,
and high offensive power. It looks like the Devourer’s more competent than I
gave her credit for. Between them, there wasn’t as much difference as indicated
by their Rank.
Right now, Hears Lauder is likely regretting his decision of trying to take care of
Zebul before moving on to other matters. Even if he could only take them on one
at a time, he should have chosen to deal with my Angels in the sky.
The current difference in ability. Heard had the advantage, but if he showed the
smallest of openings, then the Devourer, with her Gula’s large area of effect
would immediately send high level Skills at him. If he took a single one of those
attacks, then the damage he’d suffer would be severe.
“So I’ll have to make a move… no.”
As long as I’ve yet to determine what sorts of trumpcards he has, negligence is
forbidden.
And anyways, I have no reason to assist Zebul. Having them take each other out
is the outcome most convenient to me, but I don’t think that’s possible… still, if
they’re going at it this hard, then even the winner should have a considerable
deficiency in power. I just have to wait patiently.
“… A~hn, I can’t see what’s going on at all~…! Vanity-san, Vanity-san, let’s
ambush them…! It’s alright, while he’s fighting with Zebul, if you secretly send an
attack from behind, then even that Heard-san will…”
“…”
Just what is this one saying?
I’ve decided to ignore this girl completely.
Of all things, Hiero seems to be trying to tease me. Just what was Leigie thinking
when he took her on as his subordinate… no, perhaps she arbitrarily became
one…
If he could be done in by a surprise attack, he’d be long dead by now!
In the first place, there’s no guarantee that Zebul’s my ally.
If I show the slightest negligence, then I don’t think that woman would have any
qualms with swallowing me up from behind.
I give my subordinates some more power. I raise the flight speed some more.
I know. Among Superbia Skills, a long range attack… does not exist.
Heard Lauder has no means to stop a flock of Angels, and if he lets them by
once, the until they reach the Castle of Shadows… until they reach his former
master’s stronghold, there’s nothing to stop them.
Can your Pride permit such a thing? No, it can’t. That’s the sort of Demon he is.
“… In the end, that’s all there is to the man…”
“Vanity-san, just one hit! How about you just put in one nice hard blow! Just a
single clean shot as you pass by!”
“… Do you happen to have some grudge against the man or something?”
“… No, not particularly. See, I’m your loyal, loyal subordinate, so I thought…”
Her nonchalant tone and figure as she averted her eyes was, no matter how
you look at it, completely lacking in something called sincerity.
Heard… looks like you’ve had your share of troubles too.
I gave an order to the selfish Demon blessed with a twisted form of willpower. I
just kinda want to get rid of her already.
“If you’re going to say that much, then why don’t you go forth, Hiero.”
“… Fweh!? Eeeeeh, no no no, look, I… don’t have any power, and…. I-i-i-it’s
impossible. Heard-san is Rank one, you know? Demon Lord Rank One. I’ll be
killed in a single breath. That person doesn’t know the meaning of holding back!”
“… Ku… ku ku… Power… power, is it? You say you don’t have power. Then very
well… I’ll grant it to you!! With this power in hand, strike down Heard Lauder!!
『Outer Decorate』!”
 If you want it, then take it! Now go, go, go already!
I put in much more power than when I first used on her. I still had a little left
over. I’ll give her so much that she won’t be able to offer a single excuse
anymore. I’ll stuff you so full, it would be a waste for such a small fry like you!
I’ll give you power to your hearts content. I’ll bet General Class is insufficient. I’ll
keep pouring it in until you’re a splendid Demon Lord!
In the end, I had powered her to at least the level of a Lower Ranking Demon
Lord. Among those in service to that Kanon Iralaude, she’d likely get within the
top ten if ranked.
Perhaps she’s around the same level as those that are getting killed off by that
Valkyrie, but there’s no doubt she’s a Demon Lord. If you were to compare it
with her previous level, it’s likely over a hundred fold.
Noticing the power that had piled up in her own body, Hiero shuddered.
“Now, I gave it to you, Hiero. With this, there shouldn’t be a problem. Now
go!”
“Ah… eh… for real… Wait… n-no, please wait a minute!! T-the truth is, I’m not
actually a soldier!”
“Dammit… even after all that, you still plan on giving excuses!?”
“I-I mean, I don’t know how… to use my Skills at all, and… Ah, V-Vanity-san!
Look, this presence is…!”
Honestly, I was quite irritated. For someone to piss me off more tha Heard, I
don’t have any recollection of anything like that for the past few millennia.
If it’s like this, then even if she doesn’t put Heard off his guard, then taking away
her personality, and giving her a new Persona may be my best bet.
However, it looks like I’m not going to have the time to do that.
“… What is the meaning of this? Why is she at a place like this…”
One of my subordinate Angels in my range of perception vanished.
Absolute flames. By that fire heralded as the strongest force in the Demon
World, a number of those Angels’ bodies disappeared in an instant.
Flames of destruction. To reset everything, the flames of Ira.
The fact that she hadn’t entered my Zone was linked to why my recognition of
her came late.
No, it’s because I never believed she’d be at a place like this. I mean, that one’s…
“Why is the Great Demon King on these lands!?”
“I-I don’t know, sir. Maybe she’s out on a walk?”
Oh, but of course!!
This is completely unexpected.
But having come this close, I felt it. Without a chance of misreading, this is the
Great Demon King’s Mana.
The current generation’s Great Demon King… despite the Wrath that little girl
Kanon governed, she had quite the calm, intellectual composure going on.
She didn’t do anything too illogical, and these days, she rarely ever goes out like
Heard to solve the problems extending beyond her territory. Therefore, she’s
easy to read. She’s certainly powerful, but that mind not to openly wander into
danger was one I was sure wouldn’t get in my way.
And in that previous meeting, she didn’t even show any intent to go to the
front lines.
The angels I created go down one after the other. Kanon was launching attacks
on them.
Personally… she personally came to these lands just to wipe out an Angel Army
of this level!?
No, even if that’s the case… I can’t let my concealment of Irritum break.
My plans are falling apart. It’s impossible. Against one possessing top class
destructive power like her, this army of Angels is close to nothing.
I disperse my forces. In order to reduce the chances of being shot down as low as
possible. But one by one, she began deleting those divided Angels moving at a
considerable speed.
“This can’t be… this is bad…”
“For so many high ranking Demon Lords to gather in one place, how rare…”
Rare? It’s completely unheard of.
Perhaps regaining their momentum because of Kanon’s arrival, or because they
lost the need to pay mind to the Angels above, the magnitude of the tremors
below increased in scale.
And in the next instant, Kanon’s Mana swelled up.
It was a flash.
A wave of fire instantly spread over the sky, and died it a crimson that foretold
the end of the world.
The heat wave swept over to burn up all creation. Its force worthy the name of
Ruin.
That little girl… she used a high ranking Skill against opponents of far lower
class…
There should be a limit to overkill.
The reactions I felt from the Angels went out all at once.
Against the fire coming at me from top to bottom, left to right, I used my own
『Overrule』.
It was an enormous amount of pure energy, fitting for her title.
She must be storing up quite a bit of rage over her everyday life.
“Ugwoooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!!!!”
At most, it’s been ten thousand years and a little since her birth. Kanon’s
accumulated years didn’t even match up to a tenth of mine.
My Overrule, the superiority I felt as a leader, the sentiment of supremacy I once
felt as a Lord of Angels blocked the unavoidable flames, and began to extinguish
them.
My power, my Mana is leaving me. The power I had stored up for so long, the
power I’ve amassed, in order to avoid my absolute destruction, I have to unleash
it.
I know not whether the flames had continued on for a few minutes, or perhaps
only a number of seconds.
And in the end, I came out on top.
The sky cleared. Nothing remained within it.
Not even a trace of that heat was left behind. It was as if that phenomenon that
had enveloped me had been part of a dream. But my expended Mana, and the
continued nonexistence of my Angels indicated the reality of the matter.
Dammit.
With this, Heard has lost his reason for lament. With two High Level Demon
Lords here, Zebul’s defeat is inevitable.
“Ku… 『Outer Decorate』!”
Of my army racing across the land… of my stock, I convert three of them into
Angels.
Along with a pure white light, the rising false Angels were shot down with arrows
of fire from the side, before leaving behind not even an ash as they burned away.
It ain’t gonna cut it, I see.
Our affinity is too bad. If it was Heard alone, that would be one thing, but even
without wings, Kanon possessed the capability to destroy whatever troops I
deployed to the sky.
I have five hundred units left in stock. But I can’t just convert all of them to
Angels. It would look much too unnatural.
“Tsk… damn that little girl. She came to stand in my path at the worst possible
time… my power… my power is insufficient.”
“Vanity-san… you know, you could have just dodged…”
Having calculatedly jumped off of her flying dragon to evade the fire in the sky,
Hiero shouted to me from the ground. Her own mount had burned to death.
“SHUT THE HELL UUUUUUPPPP!!! DAMMIT, DAMMNN IT
AAAAAAAAAALLLLL!”
I’m not enough. I cannot reach.
Three of them. Three Demon Lords of the highest class. No, even if it were just
Heard and that little Kanon girl, I can’t think I’d be able to destroy them.
I looked down on Hiero. That one’s no good. That over there is trash. In the first
place, a low rank Demon Lord won’t even buy time from those two.
My luck was in that I’d still managed to uphold my disguise. Neither my true
face nor stature had been revealed. No, I can change both of them at will with
my power.
Then should I run? I of all people would choose retreat? Can I permit such a
thing?
No, no, no! You’re saying I, I’m going to flee before Kanon and Heard Lauder?
Permit… there’s no way I could do that.
“Vanity-san, calm… calm down! Please calm down, and give me some more
power!”
“… What?”
Of all things, that trash was saying some incomprehensible things with an
earnest expression.
“What are you trying to say?”
“Please listen carefully, Vanity-san!”
Her blue eyes were sparkling.
Her arms were forcedly folded, and while she stared at me, I couldn’t feel any
sincerety from her. Just what is loyalty supposed to be to that girl?
“The enemies number two, what’s more, against Kanon-san and Heard-san,
even you would be in nothing but a tight spot, Vanity-san. Because it would be
two on one.”
“As stands to reason. Now try going on.”
“And so, it’s time for your loyal, loyal subordinate Hiero to shine! If I’m by your
side, that makes it two versus two, and at the very least, we’ll have a tie in
numbers. But with my current powers, be it against Kanon-san or against Heard-
san, I won’t last for anything more than an instant.”
“I see… meaning what you’re saying is that if I pack some more power into you,
you’ll take on one of the two. That’s what you want to say, correct?”
This bitch, as if someone of your level could take on either of them.
Even if you had an overwhelming difference in power, you’d lose out in battle
experience. In the first place, you said it yourself, did you not? That you weren’t
even a soldier.
There’s nothing left to hear from you.
Hearing my words, Hiero seemed to have some difficulty speaking on.
 “No… I likely won’t be able to stand up to either… but I will cheer you on, I
assure you. Aha.”
“THEN YOU DON’T NEED ANY POOWEEER, RIGHT!!!? DAMMMNNN
TRAAAAASASSSSHHHH!! Are you perhaps trying to make a fool of me!! What
about it?”
Damn. This one just keeps on saying things to egg on my animosity!
I don’t care anymore. I’ve wasted my time. Let’s just… confiscate my power back
from her already.
If I get back whatever I granted to her, it won’t amount to anything great. But
it’s infinitely better than leaving it to her.
I dismounted the dragon. Whatever the case, since I’ve become unable to use
my Angels, my options have been divided into retreat, or attack.
I glared at Hiero, who was standing upright on the ground. Come to think of it, I
get the feeling that fate abandoned me the moment I took you in as a
subordinate.
So be it. As the greatest sympathy I can offer, I’ll give you a painless death.
The moment I extended my arm to try to take back my power, Hiero frowned.
“Ah, but… it’s that… they seem to be fighting one another now.”
“… What?”
The Manas of Pride and Gluttony and Wrath mingled to raise a powerful
whirlwind.
From the eyes of my army halted a distance away, Hiero was, sure enough,
telling the truth.
Heard’s fist was directed at the flames surrounding Kanon, and Zebul’s Wave of
Starvation expanded explosively to swallow all of them altogether. This malice,
this spirit, this scenery, they truly were going at each other’s throats.
By what logic do the Demon Lords under the same banner start fighting one
another? What’s more, one of the three is the Great Demon King, you know.
This dreadful lack of cooperation. In the tens of thousands of years since I fell to
Demonhood, I think I’ve come to understand it, but… damn, this is why I hate
Demons!
 “This is starting to feel stupid, so I’m going home, okay… How about you return
as well, Vanity-san? No, it’s not like I’ll stop you if you want to participate in that
battle front…”
Hiero arbitrarily mounted herself on the dragon I had gotten off of.
Yes, this truly is starting to feel stupid. It’s stupid, and I can’t understand the
reason either, but this woman sure does say some unbelievable things.
Still, that three-way-struggle… no, participating in that battle royal truly will be a
pointless waste of power.
There was a clear tendency when there were two of them fighting, but now,
it’s just beginning to become complicated. Originally, those of the same camp
should have been cooperating, but it does look like Kanon is aiming at Heard of
her own volition.
On the other hand, Heard is putting up an equal fight, and I’m not sure where
that confidence of his comes from, but it seems his present level os power is still
rising. All three of them held the sins with the highest offensive capabilities, and
it wouldn’t be strange for one of them to come out on top over a single incident.
While I was stuck hesitating, the flying dragon had taken to the skies, and left. I
failed to take back my power.
… But, right. That girl was surely quite clever. For her to be capable of that in this
situation… it all just goes to show that I’ve much learn…
I sighed. Seriously, why is Kanon here… on top of that, this fight seems endless.
The minimum goal of me sending Angels out has been accomplished, but it
looks like I’ll have to go work over my plan again.
Of all else, I should start searching into Kanon’s intentions, and her personality…
My number of troops has also declined considerably. I’ll have to supplement
those as well.
Perfectly at that moment, at the very end of the end, I heard Hiero’s voice
from up high.
“Ah, Vanity-san. One more thing I might add… You’ve cut off your 『Abyss
Zone』 for now, so perhaps you haven’t noticed it, but… it seems like a white
presence is headed in our direction, so if you don’t want to take it on, I highly
recommend you change your location. Because based on where you’re standing,
you’ll be the first one in its path. Kusu kusu kusu, today sure was lively.”
She said whatever she wanted, before the shadow of the flying dragon
disappeared into the distant sky. I’m not sure where to, but surely so as not to
get herself involved. In the opposite direction from the Castle of Shadows.
Was that report she gave at the end her form of loyalty? … Well, I guess it’s
something better than zero.
A white presence… white, is it? All of the Angels I created have been expended.
And that means that what’s left is either another one that wandered down from
Heaven, or perhaps the true Valkyrie.
Whatever the case, she’s not my enemy, but… if I’m found, it really will be a
pain. Even if I can hide my own presence, I can do nothing to the white one
coming closer.
But I’m doubtful as to whether those three will notice while they’re so focused
on one another…
Now then, what should I do?
As I tilted my head to think, I did indeed pick up that entity in my perception. It
was surprisingly close.
Regardless of the fact I had concealed my presence, that entity was coming
straight in my direction like an arrow. The distance was something around one
kilometer. A considerable speed, and even if I retreated, it’s likely it would catch
up to me.
I activated a Skill of Pride. It was a Skill to leave behind the flow of time. It’s
been quite a long time since I last used it. My cognizance sharpened, and time
around me slowed by several levels.
And I used the smallest possible movements to dodge the woman clad in light
coming down at me from up high, smashed her sword of light, and implanted my
fist into her head.
 The Lazy King Chapter 15: Fortis’ Courage

The Lazy King Part 2 Chapter 7: Fortis’ Courage

Part 1: I’ve not a Fragment of Courage
This is, perhaps, the oldest memory I possess.
“Congratulations, you have been chosen as a Hero.”
“…? W-what… is this, who are…”
That black robe that draped over her head, and covered even up to her eyes
was the vestment of a magician. A robe you would occasionally see along the
main street.
Those that covered their eyes would develop the ability to see ‘something’
unknown to an ordinary man. But it was a long time later that I came to know
that fact.
Without a single harbinger, the magician that had appeared all too suddenly
said that to me, who, sword alone, had never even held up a kitchen knife.
I’m not sure what she was seeing with her eyes, or what she had discovered with
me, but in the end I never had the chance to find that out. If I were to refer to
that encounter in a clichéd fashion, I’ll bet it was fate.
“… So… what is… a Hero?”
For the dubious mage that suddenly appeared, and the shady-as-hell voice she
threw out, the reason I decided to take her seriously… no, the reason I even
confronted her was just a coincidence… or maybe something else.
I’m sure that I just didn’t have the will to ignore one who had come to inform me
of something of her own accord. If perhaps I had such a will at that time… I
should have been able to settle it then and there. But in the end, as if thrown
about by the tide, I ended up hearing her speech just like that.
The shady, suspicious magician spoke.
 “A hero is one who lights up the darkness with their valor. Who crushes the
strong, and saves the weak, the sword of hope to save the human race from the
invaders of darkness. And you have the makings of one. I can… see it.”
Honestly, I was troubled.
By the magician who claimed to see something I couldn’t. No, of the magician
who spoke as if she were looking at it the entire time.
For one without a single friend, with my only form of conversation being when
I occasionally went out shopping, I had absolutely no idea how to deal with her,
and I could only give a vague reply when it came down to it. I couldn’t help it.
Without even asking what quality she was seeing. Just thrown around by the
waves.
“Um… becoming a Hero is… um…”
I don’t have a reason. I don’t have any reason to become one. I doubt I’ll be
able become one, and up to that point, I never even imagined for that option to
appear before me. I never thought I’d ever want to become one.
I was… what you find in any city out there, the lowest rank of the city’s middle
class. Nothing more than a single child.
The magician smiled at my bewilderment.
“You will become a hero, Serge. If you do, then someday when the time comes
that those dear to you, your parents, lover, friends’ lives are put at risk by the
forces of evil, your power will surely come through to put a stop to it. In order
not to come to regret it someday, your power is to become… the 『Sword』 of
humanity.”
Those dear to me? Parents? Lover? Friends?
Huh? Um… I don’t really… have anyone like that.
My parents weren’t there from the time I gained awareness of my
surroundings. I don’t know whether they’re dead or alive.
Even I had always hated my own hair and eyes, the dirty color of gray sewer rats.
With my lack of sociability, there’s no way I would make any friends.
All that I have… are some whose faces I know of, and complete strangers.
 I repeated the magician’s words to myself, and thought.
Surely, this magician had only ever seen heroes like that. Those with dear ones,
parents, lovers, friends. Heroes with the courage and ability to fight the dark
forces, or whatever, for their sake.
But I was always alone. Even when no tragedy out of a fairytale had befallen
me, I was just alone.
None too smart, and quite weak physically. On my feet, I lost to children three
years my junior, and I couldn’t even read or write decently. I never felt a sense of
crisis from such a thing. There were more than enough of such people around
me.
I could only look upon her with cold eyes.
For what purpose did this magician come before my eyes? Just what sort of
talent does she see? Did something like that really exist? All these sorts of
questions… I could care less about.
The mysterious atmosphere, and her hood that seemed to fit it. I didn’t even
care whether she was a fake or the real deal.
Of the magician’s expression, all her robe allowed me to see was her mouth
curved into a smile.
“Please think over it a night. Serge, you have the right to choose. To live as a
hero to light up the dark, or… to waste your entire life as a normal civilian…”
“I’ll do it.”
I replied immediately.
“… And please decide it by your own will. Your fate is… huh… eh?”
“I will… become one.”
At that moment, I definitely sensed that her concealed eyes had opened wide.
Surprise. That was the first emotion I managed to give to the magician. It was
somewhat enjoyable.
“… Are you sure you don’t have to think about it? If you do end up becoming a
hero, you can never return to an ordinary life. Perhaps whatever happiness
awaiting you in the future would disappear. Your dear ones, lover, parents,
friends, you may be forced to part with them for eternity.”
 “…”
And I’m telling you I don’t have anyone like that. Even whatever sort of worth
was there having those four in my life was unknown… to me.
Seriously, what’s with this woman, and her obsession with dear ones, lovers,
parents, and friends?
The magician’s mouth warped slightly. She let out a long sigh.
“Even if your resolve is of that level, I must call your choice to hero-hood to be
premature. While I do commend that resolve of yours…”
“I’ll do it, dammit.”
“…”
The resolve to lose what didn’t exist?
Perhaps if I had but a single one close to me, than as weak as I was, I never
would have been able to take that option.
But in all truth, I had no one. I had nothing I could call a dear one. With no one I
needed to protect, I had no reason to hesitate. My present state was the worst,
and as long as I can’t think of a life lower than that, then I might as well just
press forward whenever the opportunity comes to me.
My ignorance was named as recklessness, and at that moment, it was
misunderstood as courage.
“… Why? Why is it that you can be so strong? Even if I call you a hero, you’re
still human. If you face defeat at the forces of darkness, and face a tragic
demise… no, the probability of you facing a fate worse than death is nothing
low.”
Why am I strong?
I’m not strong at all.
I’ve not a fragment of courage. I’m just… alone.
If you’re going to call me strong, me, with no knowledge or power to boast of… if
that were to be reflected on this magician’s eyes as strength, then I’m sure…
If the strength of the heroes of the past lay in that they had people to protect,
then I’m sure…
My strength is that… I don’t have a single thing to protect, and not even the
need to defend my own life. I can permit any sort of sacrifice, and that’s all it
was.
But the magician couldn’t understand that.
The reason I would become a hero.
I forcibly moved my facial expression I hadn’t changed in a long wile, and formed
a stiff smile to the magician’s bewildered air.
“Because it’s… for the sake of the world.”
If I have the power to save it, if my own power can be of the least amount of
use to something, if you’re going to give me a reason to exist, then I’ll sacrifice
myself to it. That’s what my child’s mind thought. That’s all there was to it.
I’ll throw out my worthless self, throw out my vague standing in life, throw away
the idleness I felt from my own ignorance… as if I was just tossing aside some
trash on the side of the road, I was able to discard it all so easily. That’s all there
was to it.
Even if I didn’t know how to read or write, I understood.
It wasn’t for my dear ones, or my parents, or lover, or friends, and of course, it
wasn’t for the world. It was plain and simple… self-satisfaction.
From the eyes covered under the hood, water started to flow.
So even magicians weep. I ended up thinking something useless like that.
“… You will surely become a wonderful, and… tragic hero. Serge, I can do
nothing but commend that courage of yours.”
What the magician gave name to was nothing like courage, but seeing that
selfless smile on her face, I kept my mouth shut.
The magician’s hand gave off a faint light. To me, it was the first time I had ever
seen magic, and it looked like the work of God.
The lights quietly poured down over my head. It was as she were covering me
with a hat of it. And what existed in that flow was a power strong enough to stir
up my existence.
“For your strong and noble will, I grant the Class of 『Hero』 onto you. Serge. I
pray for light on… the path you are to travel.”
 “… Yes.”
Her words stained the insides of my mind along with that power.
My senses understood. It was likely something powerful. Surpassing the bounds
of humanity, a powerful Mana of light to overwhelm the Demon Race. My soul
was written over. As one to light the dark.
If you were going to give out something like this, then anyone… even a civilian
could be a Hero. Even I could do it.
What is this… so effort and talent… had nothing to do with it.
Compared to the power granted by the 『Hero』 Class, all the effort I had ever put
in, and those classmate, upperclassmen, lowerclassmen I had always been
jealous of equally… felt like nothing but rubbish.
And on that truth, I felt a great sense of guilt.
Power I gained by cheating. My heart gave a dull ache.
What a terrible tale it must be.
“Now, Serge. Please go forth. With that power… to clear away the darkness. To
save the world. Here, from this moment forth… you are a Hero, Serge.”
“… Yes.”
Hero. Serge the Hero.
It doesn’t really feel real. No, I don’t need it to. I mean, it’s not like I actually
wanted to become a Hero in the first place.
The inside of my head was incomparably clearer than ever before, and my body
unbelievably light.
The power to clear the dark. I knew how to use my power by instinct.
Within my head floated the Brave Skilltree. The tree with all the powers of a hero
loaded into it.
From one to one hundred, the Skilltree that had every slot on it opened from the
start. I instinctively selected thhe final Skill on it.
A light descended from the sky, drawn to my left hand, before it began to take
shape.
I felt no heat from it. It was a light that was only cold.
The 『Brave』 Skill Tree.
What existed at its depths, the weapon of a Hero. A Skill to bring forth a Holy
Sword.
『Luster』.
It was a slender long sword. Its pale blue body was about one meter in length,
and its design-less boorish hilt rested in my hand.
The Holy Sword I produced by expending an amount of Mana I wouldn’t even
have felt if I were as I was before obtaining the Hero Class was simply beautiful…
and cold.
The Holy Sword. Its name surfaced in my mind… Solitus Argentum.
(TL: Latin, Solitary Silver)
Light reflected off the blade with a lonely name perfectly suited of me, making
it shine silver.
In the center of it, light, wind gathered, and gave blessings to the sword. The
magician merely stared up at that sword in a trance, and at that moment, I felt
the truth of my role as a Hero for the first time.
I hung out the blade’s tip towards the heavens. A holy pillar of light rose from
it.
In my new life, reborn as a Hero, I couldn’t help but think a little.
If I’m the Hero, I wonder if I can make any friends.

Part 2: What’s Necessary isn’t Power, but Courage

… I failed.
I had been too lacking in caution due to my place in the sky. When I
manipulated the wings on my back to charge with all my might, I was easily
dodged.
At the same time, I received an impact great enough to crush my skull.
Demons are strong. Especially in the miasma of the Demon World, they were
able to gain extraordinary powers. It’s completely different from fighting them
on the surface, or in the heavens.
 Once they reached the highest rank… Demon Lord, I wonder how strong that
would be.
I thought I had understood it.
I mean, it wasn’t my first time fighting a Demon or a Demon Lord.
I’ve defeated a number of them A number of them fell.
I never thought I could deceive the wide ranged perception abilities of a Demon
Lord. The surprise attack I launched with the premise that they knew it would be
coming was brilliantly evaded, and I was smashed.
Strong. Within my fading field of vision, I thought.
On top of it all, this enemy hadn’t gotten serious at all. As if it were a part of
their daily life, they activated a Skill with natural movements, and without even
any killing intent, they naturally intercepted me.
I can’t even imagine how many months and years they had placed into their
strength. But there was quite a bit of menace packed into that single blow of
theirs.
The moment I realized my failure, what flowed out from my heart wasn’t fear…
an anxiety great enough to crush me.
With my vision smashed, and my five senses fading, my mind dripped out, and
my soul well into darkness…
… And a Skill activated.
My memories flashed back through me.
My limits as a Hero. My defeat. Being picked up by God, and made a Valkyrie.
The power I devoted my life to. The power I devoted myself to defeat Demons.
The Power I devoted myself to destroy them.
On the 『Question』 that came up in my mind, I selected 『Yes』 without
hesitation.
My breath returned. Light came back to my world. My smashed head, and
burst brain, and my split body, and any and everything else returned to normal.
A rewind from death. No matter how many tens and hundreds and thousands of
times I got a taste of it, it was an unfathomable sensation I could never
accustom myself to.
Power reentered my body. I slowly stood up.
 The large shadow looked down over me. Golden eyes observing me. That calm
giant stood stagnant like a pillar of rock.
And of all else, he was greater than any Demon I had faced thus far, and his
reaction as he looked at the scene surely wasn’t that of one seeing revival for the
first time.
The Demon was a mountainous bald man, whose body height exceeded two
meters. His brown skin was draped over a great armor of muscle coating his
entire body. The way he held himself was closer to humanity than any other
Demon K had seen before. I didn’t see him to be holding any weapons, but with
that body of his, perhaps such a thing was unnecessary.
The greatest thing for me to focus on was that, despite us being a mere two
meters apart, I couldn’t feel a single hint of power from him.
A Demon’s power is high. Originally, I could detect them instinctively from quite
a distance. If that opponent was to be an exceptional Demon Lord, then I could
even feel it kilometers away.
No matter which of the seven sins a Demon was to reign over, that should hold
true.
But the Demon before my eyes was a type I’d never seen before. I had nothing in
my knowledge to indicate the ability to completely erase one’s presence.
If I had acted without prior information, and without adequate caution, I
wouldn’t have even noticed this man’s existence.
Is this man… what God had feared of… the calamity?
Before the unidentified man, I held up my Holy Sword.
That would have been a favorable chance for him to give a followup attack, but
the man didn’t move his body at all. He folded his arms, and looked down on me,
those golden eyes letting off a fiery radiance. A heavy pride clung to his mouth.
“… I see, that sword is… so you’re Serge Serenade… I never thought the real
one would show up… why must everything always go astray.”
“… Hah!”
I have no words… to exchange with a Demon.
I sucked in a short breath, and gave the ground a strong kick
I poured power into the Holy Sword.
The blade was one imbued with high divinity. The strongest sword in the wor…
no, perhaps just the strongest of the Human Race. But still, Demons that
climbed up to the surface were one thing, but it wasn’t imbued with the power
to kill a Demon in the Demon World with a single stroke.
That’s why I have to put power, Mana into it. In a time so far back I can’t even
remember when it occurred, it was what I once laid hands on as a human, Hero’s
power.
The pale blue edge was clad in a pale light. It was an armament to cut down
darkness. The power that the frail human race had devoted itself to in order to
stand against Demons. A sword of light to repell all sadness to befall them.
The Demon Lord didn’t move.
As I thrust the tip forward with the intent to rend him toward that Lord’s trunk
of a body… towards the area with the highest probability of containing his Soul
Core, the left of his chest, one of his log-like arms easily knocked the blade aside.
The blade lightly cut into his flesh.
Jet-black blood scattered, and before that could fall to the ground, he embedded
his foot into my solar plexus.
My breath was knocked out. My internal organs were hollowed out. My brain
let out a scream.
My body that had been strengthened as an Angel, the defensive barrier
surrounding it was shattered in an instant, and an unpleasant creaking sound
from my own bones reached my ears. My field of vision blinked on and off,
before the pain tinted all before me pitch black.
For a few seconds, my body danced in the air, before I was thrown onto the
ground. My entire body hurt from the pressure of the impact.
It hurts. I’m in pain. I’m scared. He’s strong. I ignored all those notions going
through my mind, and thought.
I couldn’t see the instant he moved. Normally, in the moment an enemy made
a move, I could see a small waver in their being, but I saw none of that at all. He
was simply too fast.
He’s strong. The three Demon Lords I defeated were nothing compared to this.
I can’t even see where to start. The difference in power between us was
hopeless. My dynamic vision was unable to follow him at all. And of all else, a
Skill to erase his presence is… too abnormal.
“… u…”
I barely managed to swallow down the scream forming at the back of my
throat.
I allocate the parts of my mind heading in a negative direction from the pain and
power gap towards analyzing my resources on hand. That was, in all the years
I’ve fought on, the method of fighting I’d cultivated to keep fighting without
having my heart fold in on me.
Just as there were different types among Angels, the Skills a Demon could use
varied by the Sins they governed. With pure physical abilities this high, speed
beyond my perception, and the ability to pierce a barrier with his bare hands…
From that blow, there was but a single sin I could surmise that he held.
Superbia.
Among the various sorts of Demons around, it was the type that required the
most caution.
I didn’t『Die』, so the pain won’t go away. The option isn’t coming up in my
head.
He’s going easy on me. My magically strengthened body, and the barrier of an
Angel, before this Demon, they were no more than walls of paper. I’ll bet he had
enough power to turn me into a lump of meat in a single blow if he was up to it.
In that case, it would be a lot easier on me if he just killed me…
On the non-fatal damage assailing my body, I started to go through all options
I had to preserve my continued existence, and at that moment, the man raised
his voice.
Fitting his stature, it was a voice like a subterranean rumble. But opposed to that
thunderous tone of his, the contents held some intelligence. That was one of the
reasons Demons were something more than simple beasts.
“That authority is… 『Fortis』 I see… a troublesome one it is… no…”
The wrinkles on his brow smoothed out, and his frowning expression warped.
His voice wasn’t leaving him anymore, but he was quite clearly showing scorn.
 What is he scoffing at? If he laughing at me for trying to attack knowing full
well the gap between us?
No, there’s no way I’d ever understand a Demon’s thoughts.
I confirmed my damage. There was still some pain left across my body, but it
won’t influence any offensive actions. In the first place, the option of retreat
never existed.
I used my sword like a cane to lift myself.
My knees trembled. My arms shook. I stopped the quivering across my body, and
stood up. I had no choice but to stand.
Hero was the general term to refer to those that opposed the dark. Therefore,
as long as a darkness to oppose stands before me, and my own soul is undying, I
must strongly impose myself on it.
… Because if I don’t… I won’t be able to fight on.

“It’s useless. Your power will never reach… me.”

I won’t reach. I know.
I could feel it from a single blow. Even if I didn’t measure his power by the
disparity in our Mana, I knew well enough of the gap between us. Of all else, this
Demon Lord is… simply too fast.
But still…
I remembered the days of battle I had spent.
There was never an enemy within them that wasn’t strong. I had always fought
with my life at risk.
Since descending back into this Demon World, the three Lords I took on were all
strong and troublesome existences holding desires strong enough to paint out all
existence.
What’s necessary isn’t power, but courage. As long as that doesn’t run out, my
defeat is… unthinkable.
I concentrated power to my eyes, and send malice and fighting spirit towards
the Lord whose name I had yet to learn.
 Black soil, dark emotions, and a miasma full of stagnant air, yet within that my
blood and soul cried out. My spirit was excited.
On the edge of the horizon are three more great presences. They’re undoubtedly
Demon Lord Class. I have no idea for what reason such a number of them have
gathered.
I don’t know, but within my perpetual existence, within all the battle experience
I had built up, I had a premonition that I was diving in to the longest battle I’ve
ever faced.
Surprisingly enough, even when I directed my intent to kill at this Demon Lord,
he still shows no will to fight. That reaction I had never witnessed from any
Demon of Superbia thus far was too ominous to bear.
… I’m scared.
“… It doesn’t seem you understand, 『Fortis』. Courage and recklessness are…
different things entirely.”
The Demon Lord sneered.
『Fortis』
The name of the authority I gained the moment I became a Valkyrie after my
death. One of the Virtues governed by Angels.
He saw through that just by locking blades with me twice!?
… No… that’s wrong. What’s to be feared the most is that, even after inferring it,
the Lord had yet to lose his composure.
Still with a brilliant smile on his face, his figure leisurely swayed. That brown
body, that large build started jiggling about like a Slime, before it dissolved away.
The sudden fear send shivers down my spine. While his head had already
disappeared, that voice continued to ring out.
“No matter how you may try to prove that brave heart of yours, no matter
how many tnousands of times you’re prevailed with it… it’s all… meaningless.
Serge Serenade. Valkyrie, Valkyrie, is it… ah…”
I cannot comprehend. On the unknown that didn’t correspond with any of the
experience I’d built up over my life, my hands shook.
That muddily oozing body flowed over onto the ground, and as if it were an
illusion, it vanished entirely.
From top down, that large build surpassing two meters had melted, and within
it… a body three times smaller revealed itself.
She was full of openings. I knew that, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the one who
emerged from the giant.
“Eh… that can… ‘t be…”
My breath stopped.
Upon the destruction of that muscular mass, what came out was… a young
girl.
Even when my own stature wasn’t that high, she was considerably smaller than
me. Unbefitting her petite build, her features were quite mature. A sharp glare,
and an excessively bulging chest.
White skin, and golden eyes. On her back grew five sets of dark wings, and from
her head grew platinum blond hair that reached all the way to her feet.
What she wrapped around that body looked like nothing more than
unornamented, colorless old rags, but while there were some differences here
and there… that figure, and presence was something I could never mistake.
… In the distant past, it was an honorable form I had happened upon before.
I only saw her for an instant. A single short moment. In the depths of my
memory, behind the haze of things forgotten, all that remained of my
recollection of her was that brief scene.
In my life much longer than a normal human, where a majority of my memories
had been long buried, what I could still remember was… when I was brought to
the heavens by the Valkyries… the moment right after.
It’s likely that the other party never took me to sight. She likely doesn’t
remember. It’s because we never even exchanged words. It’s because our
statuses and powers were too far removed for something on the level of
conversation to be permitted.
… But I remembered. From that single glance, a powerful charisma that
burned itself into my soul.
Those ten wings of light.
Of all those that enforced Iustitia in all the heavens, she was one of the scarce
Sacred Lords that could be counted on two fingers.
A Lord of Lords. One who was granted the fruit of glory by the supreme God of
the celestial realm.
The jet black pointed tail she hadn’t grown back then slapped messily against
the ground.
“How can this… why are… you…”
“As I thought, so you’ve scene this form of mine before… Ku ku ku, should I call
it a strange twist of fate…”
There was a difference. The Angel I had looked up at back then had wings that
glimmered as if they were light itself that had taken shape. Her eyes weren’t
gold, but a clear emerald greed. She didn’t have a tail either.
But if you looked at it the other way, besides those traits, not a single thing had
changed. Her face, her body, her height, tone, expression. That blazing power
that could scorch one at a glance hadn’t faded at all, no matter how many
hundreds of thousands of years had passed.
… No, that’s wrong.
There’s no way that’s true!
I shook my head, and mustered up my courage.
The girl before me is one blessed by the vice of a Demon. One who would creep
unseen through the shadows of the hearts of man, to devour their souls.
Word by word, I asked as if I was posing the question to myself.
“That can’t… be. What trickery is this… Demon Lord. Why have you chosen to
take up such a form at this point in time…?”
“Hmm… interesting. You’re an interesting one, Valkyrie. Having seen this form,
and knowing my name, you still maintain the willpower to stand before me…”
Quite different from before the girl scoffed at me in a gentle voice like the
ringing of sleigh bell. Her lips curved, and her right hand directed itself at me.
That was her activation nose. Without any warning, without a single movement
of Mana, light poured out. Enough to cloud over my eyes, an untainted white
light.
 Forgetting the burning sensation in my eyes, I unintentionally opened them
ever wider. It was a Skill I was accustomed to, but that’s exactly why I couldn’t
believe it.
The meaning behind it caused my body to quiver.
The overflowing light took shape, and in her hand, a single sword was created.
With the hilt, the blade and all else forged of a shadowless white, a straight
sword.
Among the authorities granted to Angels, it was the power most specialized in
bringing ruin to Demons.
The 『Iustitia』 Authority.
A Skill to manifest a sword of light to dispel the dark.
『Sin Breaker』
The point of the sword that looked to have been delicately folded out of light
itself was directed at me. Normally, it was a sword of justice that would never
have found its way to be pointed there.
On the pressure that shortened my breath, I instinctively held my Holy Sword
aloft.
By assuming a stance for battle, the shaking across my body came to a stop. But
the sway of my emotions wasn’t so conveniently ceased.
I have the greater reach, but something like that… doesn’t matter if I can’t hit
her.
“The real… deal?”
Still, even when confronting her, what formed at my mouth was a question.
In contrast, my opponent’s lips only returned a smile.
This is no good. Even if I found myself asking it, I already knew the answer.
This woman before my eyes was undoubtedly the genuine article. This pressure,
that form. No matter what illusions she were to use, it would be impossible to
replicate it to this extent.
A true Angel… no, former Angel.
Holding the name of Glory, one of the heavenly messengers closest to God.
The glory that kneeled beside the throne.
 Gloria Seidthroan.
“I’m also short on time, but, ku ku ku, how… pitiful. I’ll play with you just a bit.
Think it an honor for your body to be receiving my blade.”
“You are… no, you should be dead…”
At the very least, that’s what I’d heard.
In a time an uncountable number of years passed, against the greatest army of
the Demon World’s forces, she commanded all the forces under her command,
and managed to repel them, but after confronting the enemy’s Demon Lord, her
whereabouts were lost. As she never returned, she was proclaimed dead.
The death of a high class Lord made quite an echo through heaven. I
remember it. No, there’s no way I could forget.
Due to the outcome of that battle, the war was brought to a temporary
armistice.
I have no idea as to why she became a Demon.
In the first place, as I never associated with her, I only knew of her personality
and bearing from hearsay. All I knew for sure was how extraordinary her power
had been.
Do I have… any chances of victory?
… No, at the very least, I can’t go down before our blades have even locked once.
With all the power I could muster, I glared.
I built up my courage.
I remembered the reason I had been sent to the Demon World by God.
The appearance of a powerful Demon of prophecy. The birth of a calamity.
And… for some reason, the one with the highest possibility of being able to take
care of it was me.
A Fallen Angel who once stood at the summit of all Angels. I doubt there’s a
calamity greater than this.
I can’t leave this Lord to run free.
In that overwhelming pressure, I wrung out even more courage from the
depths of my heart. I used it to coat over my fear.
The heroic power I cultivated in my battles as a Hero. That Fortis authority I laid
hands on when I became a Valkyrie.
It’s fine, it’s fine.
As long as I have both of them, my defeat is… impossible.
I put power in my arms, the power of my soul. The Holy Sword was clad in an
even greater light, and let off a silver blue glimmer.
And the moment I held that sword allot…
A familiar message came up in my mind.
『Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death: Decapitation』
My vision suddenly went dark.
I couldn’t move myself in the slightest.
What had transpired, what did she do? I couldn’t understand any of it. I couldn’t
even perceive it. There wasn’t even… any pain to be felt.
A followup window faded into view.
『Do you want to try again?』
『YES / NO』
I can’t move my body. My five senses have already gone out. Within that
nothingness, the message alone was all I could perceive.
The answer was… already determined.
Light returned to my eyes again. The hands that had unconsciously began to
predd down on my wounds… came to a stop.
Gloria’s Sin Breaker was artlessly smeared with a slight hint of red.
The message. I should have been cut. I should have been killed.
Even so… now, I can’t even tell what part of me was injured.
“So you revived… were you able to follow that attack? Fortis… truly
troublesome, and a truly worthless authority.”
“…”
My body could move perfectly.
Not even the pain that had afflicted me before I was cut remained.
I swallowed some air. I narrowed my eyes, and observed every one of her
movements. I held my sword, and took a step forward.
 『Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death: Blunt Force Trauma』
My eyes went pitch black again. It was a feeling of loss great enough to
swallow my soul.
I instinctively gave my response to the message that came out.
And I felt the light again.
Gloria was a mere few meters away. If there was nothing to obstruct me, it was a
space I could span in the blink of an eye.
“… Serge, what did you even come here for?”
“!?”
Black again.
Cause of Death: Decapitation.
I can’t see. I couldn’t see her sword. I couldn’t even see its afterimage.
No matter how much effort I put in, I wasn’t able to see any of it. The Gloria of
my vision had always just been standing as she was. She hadn’t done a thing.
That’s all it looked to me.
“Could it be that you’re under the delusion that as long as you keep having a
go at it endlessly, you’ll eventually win?”
It went black. The speed was too fast.
My blackouts and revivals. It was like a flickering lantern.
And every time, I would spam YES whenever that question was to come up.
I can’t see anything. I can’t hear anything. I’m scared. My senses are going cold,
and this feeling of nihility is much too great.
I compelled myself to keep reviving. Without permitting myself even a moment
of waver, I forced myself to come back.
What’s necessary was never power, but a heart that couldn’t be crushed. Just
as when I was human, no matter what fear, no matter what enemy I stood to
face… courage. Brave Heart.
I rejected the deathful feeling of all my body’s heat being robbed away.
Right. Courage.
As long as that doesn’t break, my defeat is… impossible.
 “Brave Heart. That only Skill granted to Angels that govern Fortis. With you
power, no matter how many tens of thousands of times you’re to revive yourself,
Heard aside, you’ll never even match up to Kanon or Zebul.”
I let her provocations slide passed.
The moment I revived I retreated a stem. But even then… black again.
It wasn’t just once, each time the Cause of Death was displayed as Decapitation.
The red staining the jet black earth was gradually growing thicker.
There’s no doubt I’m being cut at. There’s no doubt about that, but…
My field of vision slowly swayed. I’m not sure if that was because I was on the
verge or collapsing, or because of this crushing pressure I felt on myself.
Give up on life. Death is the inevitable result. That thought started growing in my
head.
There was just one thing Gloria was wrong about.
Yes, the power bestowed upon Fortis Angels was unlimited resurrection. As long
as the soul, as long as one’s courage doesn’t break, then the 『Brave Heart』 Skill
was one that promised victory. And that’s all Fortis Angels were given.
Many months and years have passed since I became a Valkyrie, and attained
that authority. I don’t have any fear of death left anywhere within me.
My hazy vision. As if I was being swept about by the waves, this unreliable sense
or reality.
The speed at which I died was much too fast. It was so swift that I didn’t even
have the time to feel any pain, and that was my only saving grace.
I revived, and in the slight moment before I died again, I poured some power into
the sword in my right hand.
The Mana I could pour into it during that brief instant was truly small. But it
was surely accumulating within my blade.
“… I guess you’re not going to die off so easily… If I had the time, I’d personally
sing your requiem, but…”
Gloria stopped her hand. From the start, she seemed to be concerned about
time. I wonder what she’s so worried about.
But it’s my chance. In that moment, I poured my all into my Holy Sword. The
blade received my will, and cloaked itself in a greater light. It was no longer some
faint glimmer, but a definite darkness-destroying Sword of Light.
I directed the tip towards Gloria, towards the Demon who was once the
aspiration of all Angels.
Even if this body is to fall apart, the will imbued in my sword will never go out.
Regardless of what speed she may boast, what power she carries… she cannot
avoid the light.
The energy gathered within my Holy Sword compressed in an instant, and
converged at the end of the sword.
Without a single twitch of her brow, Gloria stared at the shimmering sword.
… And I let out my power as a Hero, the power that had taken down all
darkness in my path.

Part 3: I won’t… Lose

Heroes are but weapons.
Once chosen, they were given an expansive amount of Mana, and the ability to
turn that into pure destructive Energy. They were human-shaped weapons to
turn all creation to ash.
They were the weapon the human race devised to destroy any enemy that stood
before them. The Holy Sword was nothing more than one of their methods to
carry that out.
By its pure simplicity, it held no weakness, and therefore it had the power to
destroy both Light and Dark equally.
The light cleared.
The inside my mouth was parched. Even when I hadn’t died yet, I couldn’t
breathe. My throat was blocked up.
“Well, well, well, it seems you’ve still yet to understand…”
“Eh… why…”
After the light was dispelled, what was revealed was Gloria standing with the
exact same expression as before.
Her body, and those tattered rags she wrapped around herself as clothes
weren’t damaged at all.
That isn’t… possible.
I’m sure it was a direct hit. Gloria hadn’t moved a single step.
A decapitating blow at an unperceivable ungodly speed. That truly was
fearsome. Bu this one… far surpassed my prior shock.
Superbia.
Of all a Demon’s Seven sins, it held a high offensive potential, and an
overwhelming level of Speed.
If so, then what is with that defensive capability? If I had failed to kill her from
too low an output, I could accept it, but…
A single blow with all the power of a Hero… the power that had brought ruin to
three Demon Lords before. It’s surely impossible for her to be unscratched.
Unthinkable.
… Like this, it’s as if she’s not a Superbia, but a…
『Serge Serenade has Died. Cause of Death: Decapitation』
My mind went white. On the display that suddenly popped up, my response
was a beat later than before, but I somehow managed to select YES again.
I revived. Around me spread a vast empty ground. I used my left hand to prop
myself up, and rose. There aren’t any followup attacks coming gown on me.
“It looks like you want to ask ‘why,’ Valkyrie.”
Gloria’s expression, her features that had been put in place like a fine work,
were slightly bent.
I’m not sure if the reason behind that face of hers was hatred, or perhaps
compassion.
“If you had been placed under my charge, I would have trained you up from
the ground again… but, you’re not bad, I guess.”
I had let out all the power stored in the sword. A second shot will take some
time.
But without even jumping at that opportunity, she let out calm, and knowing
words.
 No, I doubt she even had to wait for a chance from the start. In the past few
minutes, I don’t even know how many tens or hundreds or thousands of times
I’ve been killed. That’s how big the difference in power was between us.
I gradually began replenishing my power. The time I need is around ten seconds.
There’s no way a former Angel didn’t know about that, but as I thought, her
expression didn’t change.
“Hey, Valkyria. Do you not know of it? No, there’s no way you’re oblivious. The
『Superbia』 authority, the power to 『Overrule』 all things in creation.”
“…!!”
Recharge complete. I concentrated every nerve in my body to fire it off again.
As expected, Gloria showed no signs of dodging. The air distorted, and the
destructive energy tore through the wind, as it swallowed up her small body.
But in response to that, all that returned were some disinterested words.
“… So you really don’t get it. There’s no way I’ll be defeated by you. No, it
precisely because it’s me, that there’s no reason for me to lose. I don’t even have
to dodge. Serge Serenade, why is it that you, a mere 『Valkyrie』, the lowest
possible rank of Angel, believe that your attack can get through to a former Saint
Lord Class like Gloria Seidthroan?”
I cannot listen. It’s all a fabrication. She’s just trying to break my heart.
But it’s not as if I had a chance to cover my ears, so those words jolted my brain.
But from the battle theory that I had forged over countless experience, I was
quickly able to discern her meaning.
『Overrule』
Of course, I knew of it. It was a Pride Demon’s prideful way of dealing with
things.
… And it included the power to nullify powers they thought of as beneath them.
“Ah… eh…”
Certainly, if you go by that logic, then all of my attacks would… just be nullified
by her Overrule.
“… Eh? Then…”
 “Even if you repeated one hundred million attacks, that blade will never reach
me.”
With eyes as if she was lecturing an incompetent student, Gloria declared as
such.
It wasn’t a problem of output, but of principle.
It was law. Just as water was to flow towards the earth, my attacks were never
to get through to this woman.
My vision went dark again.
It wasn’t just an illusion. The message displayed before my eyes was proof of
that.
Within that darkness, the floating YES and NO.
All of my attacks will simply fall flat?
I definitely cannot win?
My base attack power, and speed. The effort I piled up, and the power I’d
tempered. Our base statuses as Demons and Angels were too far apart. It was
hopeless.
After staring at those words for several tens of seconds, I…
Slowly, timidly selected YES.
Light came to my eyes once more. With the same fed-up expression as before,
she was there to greet me.
You won’t die? … How incorrigible. Is that courage, or thoughtlessness…“
“…”
That piercing glare, and the feelings of scorn contained in it.
I swallowed up the fear extending from my feet, and the basic fear I felt as a
warrior.
… I won’t lose.
My defeat is unthinkable. Impossible. My inability to understand when to give up
was the only thing that never lost out.
The moment I became a Hero, I had already resolved myself to swallow down all
feelings of loss.
If something of this extent… were to make me accept defeat, I would never have
been called to Heaven, nor would I have become a Hero.
My breathing had been cut off for a while. My own tension, and the
intimidating air Gloria let out stiffened my body.
Even when I should have fully recovered, I felt it difficult to move.
Within my mouth, I wordlessly encouraged myself.
I had always been fighting alone. No matter how hopeless the challenge, I took
them on.
I can win. I won’t lose. There’s no such thing as absolute. Yeah, that’s right. If
giving up means death, then I am immortal. I’ll come back no matter how many
tens or hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of times it takes. I’ll destroy
you.
Serge, you’re strong. Strong. Strong. Stronger than anyone.
Overrule?
That surely is powerful. At Demon Lord Level, overcoming that is close to
impossible by normal means.
But there should be some way around it.
No, the very fact that she needs to use Overrule to render my attacks useless
means that if she didn’t use it, it would be possible for me to inflict damage on
her. That fact I was able to give her a slight cut on my first attack is proof of that.
… With all things taken into account, it’s not like she has defensive capabilities
to get out of everything without a scratch.
I’ve a countless number of experiences of having defeated Demons of Pride. I
even know their weaknesses.
The countermeasures for Superbia.
The greatest one is… having them feel fear.
As Gloria recognizes me as an existence below her own, I need to give a Skill with
an output enough to threaten her, and make her wary.
I licked my dry lips, and got my breath in order. I calmed my pulse, and
sharpened my awareness.
Gloria’s unbelievable beautiful eyes of gold continued jeering intently at me.
The emotion within them was contempt. The way one with absolute strength
would look down on a lesser being.
 I bit my lip, and shut off the incessant ringing of my instincts not to fight the
one before me.
I pretended not to notice my fright. I fooled my own heart. All the way to now,
that’s how I always fought. Back when I was human, and there henceforth. Fear
was my enemy, and my friend.
I clenched the hand holding my sword. What I need is my attack with the
highest firepower. An attack with the sword itself would be best.
I stored all my energy into it, and instead of emitting it, I collected it around the
edge… I’ll cut her up directly.
Normally, actually hitting her with a swing of this sword would be the most
difficult option, but right now, this woman is being negligent.
And in that, there was a small, ridiculously small chance for my victory. And as
long as there’s a chance… I won’t break.
But at that moment, the moment where I stepped forward for the sake of that
slim piece of hope, Gloria curled her face into a smile.
“Still… that power… even if it isn’t to get through to me, perhaps it may work
on that man… but I’ve no time to paint her my colors…”
Gloria’s wings opened up wide.
Those ten appendages were likely the vestiges of back when she was an Angel.
Something one wouldn’t find on any ordinary Demon.
They fluttered a little, and her body gently rose into the sky.
“Struggle all you want… just how far will that power of yours go… how far can
you prove your recklessness on these lands…”
My thoughts took a turn.
She’s running away. Can my wings catch up?
It’s no good. She’s running away. If I want to kill her, this is my last chance.
There’s a high probability the speed of those wings of hers exceeds mine.
There’s no way I can catch her if she takes flight.
Those spread wings of darkness. Unlike when she was an Angel, their form and
color had become much more sinister.
I took a step forward. I took to the sky. I kicked the air. I brandished my sword.
Gloria’s body moved. My target vanished from my sight. She appeared again ten
meters to my side.
It’s no good, I still can’t see her. Even in the air, those movements of hers were
still in good health. I have no means to give chase.
She’s running away. No, perhaps I’m the one being spared? They’re both the
same.
By the time I noticed it, the words were coming out of my mouth. It wasn’t to
buy some time, but out of honest curiosity.
Always alone, I barely let my voice out since coming to the Demon World. The
sound I let out after all this time was terribly cracked.
“Wait, Gloria! Please, answer me one thing!”
That Angel was surely one of the brightest stars in the sky.
A single holy Angel, who embraced strong trust from God.
A woman who earned much reverence from her brethren. Enough that, when we
never even talked, she remained firm in my memory, a woman whose names
wrung across the Heavens.
And why…
“Why are you alive!? I’m certain that you were…”
Without waiting for me to finish, she climbed up higher and higher.
I didn’t follow, but simply looked up, and shouted.
“… felled in a battle against a mighty Demon Lord.”
Gloria Stopped.
In a brief moment, her expression underwent a complete change.
Her eyes were directed at me once more.
“… What?”
… From a crooked smile, to an expressionless face. An expression I had never
seen before.
“Demon… Lord…? Felled in… a battle with… a Demon Lord…?”
Her frightened voice rung out higher than the heavens. Her small form blurred.
My breath became short. Those golden eyes appeared before my eyes, and
finally, I realized I was being clasped up by the neck.
But the one who had lost their composure wasn’t me… but the woman before
me.
Black emotions swirled in the depths of her pupils. Disorder, or perhaps hatred.
“A Demon Lord, you say!? What nonsense, at the time, Heard Lauder was…”
“Herd… loader…?”
The bones of my neck let out a creaking sound. I can’t breathe at all.
I’m going to die. I’m going to be killed. My neck’s going to be wrung out to
death. My field of vision flickered on and off, and my soul raised a wail.
Within that uncollected consciousness, I thought about the meaning of those
words.
It was a name I had some recollection of.
A name on that list of powerful Demons that had been circulating about heaven.
A Superbia Demon who held the epithet of the Prideful Kaiser. He stood at the
forefront of the army, and slayed a number of Angels. An infamous Demon.
But that’s wrong. That’s not how it is. It’s different from the rumors I’ve heard.
In the first place, there’s too much a difference between a General Class Demon,
and a Saint Lord Angel. Even more so with the Angel commander being the
greatest anti-Demon Iustitia Angel. Even if they came with an army of Demons,
such a difference wasn’t so easily overturned in a head-on battle.
But at the same time, it was the talk of the town back in heaven. That’s why I
remember it well.
Gloria Seidthroan engaged in battle with the army of the Lord of Depravity.
She was able to repel the General Demon leading their main forces, but…
“What does this… mean? I lost to… a Demon Lord? I. Was. Defeated!?”
My body was swung around. It was as if she was a child throwing a tantrum.
More than me, the woman herself was much more confused.
She was letting out the presence I couldn’t sense at all before. That smothering
atrocious presence of a Demon Lord saddened me, in proving well enough that
the woman before me was no longer a Lord of Angels.
A chance.
If I were to attack right now, wouldn’t the damage get through? I tried to lift the
hand clasped around my sword, but I couldn’t put any power into it. Angels and
Demons didn’t require respiration all too much, but even so, the throat was still
a single vital point.
With all my might, I glared at her. But while Gloria’s eyes seemed poised in my
direction, she wasn’t looking at me.
It was a hollow glance as if she were staring into a world of dreams.
Why… just what is it that she’s seeing…?
Suddenly, the crushing feeling about my neck disappeared. Power returned to
my body.
Losing my support, I began to plummet, but before I hit the ground, I managed
to move my wings, and raise myself.
I took a deep breath, and corrected my posture. When I had gotten myself in
order, a bizarre spectacle entered my eyes.
“Ah… no, nonsense… wha… this power is…”
Frozen in midair, Gloria’s eyes were wide open.
But that position of hers was my chance.
Her wings weren’t moving at all. No, more than that, it looked like her entire
body had been glued fast to space. As if there was something locking her to the
air.
But the strangest thing of all was… her face.
Without surprise, without scorn, her expression was surely… what one would call
impatient.
The words flowing out of her mouth were the emotions of rage she had never
directed at me, even as I held a blade against her.
Her golden irises seemed to be searching for something, as they made large
swaying motions.
And Gloria’s body shot off.
Without even moving her wings, she started gliding down diagonally with
fearsome momentum, collided with the ground head-on, and bounced a couple
of times before coming to a halt.
No, rather than gliding, she crashed and burned.
Raising a cloud of dust, she crashed, but she immediately corrected her stance,
and landed properly, before lifting herself into the air again.
The hair that reached all the way to her feet was standing on end, and as if
something had grasped her, she floated aimlessly around space.
It was a scene I had never seen before. An unknown phenomenon.
I mean, for a Demon who could easily brush off all attacks, and moved at
ungodly speeds unperceivable by the eye, who would think she would let herself
be grasped like that?
Gloria’s eyes were locked on empty space. There was absolutely nothing in that
direction, but her gaze was surely seeing something.
“I see… so it was you who…”
Without finishing her sentence, her body began to rotate with her hair at the
fulcrum, before she flew off again. This time, it wasn’t to the ground, but parallel
to it. As if that small frame of hers was a bullet leaving its chamber, she shot
forth, and raised a tuft of smoke at the horizon.
What was that phenomenon… wait, phenomenon?
No, that’s wrong. Gloria was definitely directing her words at someone.
It was without a doubt that her actions held intent. She was trying to attack
something.
I remained vigilant. But within the web of my perception, I could only capture
the three large swaying powers a few kilometers away, and a number of smaller
forces, a flock of Demons coming closer.
Even at the moment Gloria flew off, I couldn’t see anyone around me.
An invisible enemy… no, a long distanced assault?
An enemy launched an attack on Gloria, but nothing on me. I don’t get their
standards.
I can’t see. I can’t see anything. It wasn’t something like Gloria’s speed that
exceeded my dynamic vision.
Built on a different principle than Pride, a power of invisibility.
… That power didn’t align with any of the abilities I had learned about in
Heaven.
 And to the one who took it on… even Gloria herself seemed to be in an
abnormal state.
“LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGG
GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!! WHAAATT’S THE MEANING OF THIS YOU
BAAAAAASSSSTTTTTAAAAAAAAAARD!!!”
That voice of resentment that seemed to come straight from the depths of hell
made the air shake.
Like the howling of a beast. Despite having been blown across the horizon, Gloria
returned before my sight in an instant, and a following her, a delayed strong
wing swept over the scenery.
While there was some black dirt staining her joints, there weren’t any notable
wounds on her body.
But her eyes had completely snapped.
The face of a devil. Her pupils had opened completely, as she glared in every
direction to find this unseeable enemy.
Her power had completely been freed from its previous concealment, and her
idiotically high Mana stirred up the miasma, scattering pebbles left and right.
As if a curtain had been lowered over it, the world grew darker.
Perhaps noticing this abnormality, the three large clashing forces put their
movements on hold.
My thoughts haven’t caught up the present situation. I don’t know. I don’t
know anything. I’ve too little information.
There’s no doubt it’s the work of some third party. But I can’t see their form.
There must be a meaning to it. That’s what Gloria, who’s swinging around her
malice left and right goes to prove.
It must be…
Sensing something Gloria gave her wings a large flap, and drew a spiral in the
air, as she ascended higher and higher.
At just about the same time, the ground began to shake violently. If my legs had
been on the land, I would have felt an unbearable earthquake.
Along with the tremors, some parts of the ground were projected up, and cracks
began to spread.
 “…”
After a few seconds, a strong wind began to blow. From up to down.
I struggled to fight against the bizarre wind flowing towards the land.
I looked up at the sky, kicked the air below, and moved my wings.
In my widened vision, the blood red blinding sun. A wide-open sky. Not a single
cloud to be found.
I soared through the sky. To Angels, that was a natural action akin to breathing.
After a few seconds, the wind ceased, and I looked back at the ground to
understand the intent of the attack.
… No, the ground hadn’t risen at all, it had caved.
Spreading many meters, indented soil as if it had been crushed underfoot.
I wonder what sort of Skill would have to be used to bring about such a result.
No, it it’s just boring into the earth, then Gloria, and likely a majority of the other
Demon Lords could do it. I’m sure I could as well.
The problem was, that I couldn’t discern the means ot attack, and I couldn’t
see the form of the third party that had accomplished it anywhere.
A mysterious attack. A power to control the wind? No, if you think about the
nature of the attack Gloria took on…
Right below me, Gloria stood on the land. Her attention was completely
removed from me.
“S-show yourself… Leigie! Why, are you…!? All of this is your…”
Bloodshot eyes. Her expression held no disdain, and what it displayed was an
anger close to madness. The Sin Breaker that had manifested in her hand was
recklessly cutting countless lines in the air.
Out raced countless shockwaves of light. The air pressure senselessly rended the
earth, and as if it were crying out, the wind played out a high pitched sound.
Those slashes flew out. A few of them came at me, but passed by my sides.
The reason they didn’t hit was because they weren’t something aimed at me.
But if one of them had shifted just a little, I would have likely had my wings
ripped off.
 I was no longer in Gloria’s eyes. No, there wasn’t anything reflected in them.
Her screams and malice were certainly directed at something, but I couldn’t see
what.
There was only one thing I knew.
More calmly than even in this chaos. The theory I had always been reminded of
made me issue my judgement. It’s not like I haven’t seen it play through enough
times.
That was what Demons were. I felt an illusion of all the blood in my body freezing
over, and shook my arms.
… There’s always someone greater.
Without a doubt, there’s someone higher.
One called Gloria, of the highest Rank of Angels, and now Gloria Seidthroan, one
who held the authority of both an Angel and a Demon. There was someone
much greater than she.
Otherwise, there’s no way Gloria would display so much rage.
I’ll run. I have to run. I have to report this.
Even if her characteristic may be Pride, with me falling so far behind her, the
chances that I won’t be a match for this new challenger are exceedingly high.
While that power has yet to be directed at me, I’ll return to heaven, and report…
I moved my wings with all my might, and started rising up to the sky. The
spiraling chaotic miasma to my back, I rapidly closed in on the sun. The wind I
felt all over my body instantly dried off my cold sweat.
The point to connect the Demon World and Heaven wasn’t a specific place.
I stopped one high in the air, and looked back down at the ground.
The small speck that was likely Gloria. The three Demon Lords I had been sensing
for a while.
As I thought, even when I look from up high, I can’t see any new enemy. I can’t
feel anything.
… But there was one thing I figured out.
“… This is…”
The attack’s… identity.
No, I still don’t know that. I have no idea where the attacker’s authority lay.
But the marks left in the earth by coincidence or inevitability, had taken on a
form I was familiar with.
Five long trenches, with a wide area connecting them… right, that center. There
was one large cavity at the base of all of them. The hollowed out ground, and the
slight differentiation of color made it all too clear. From the ground it was
something too big to make out, but that form I hadn’t expected was…
“… The palm… of a hand…!?”
An absurdly large palm.
It was as if I was seeing a dream. I widened my eyes, and climbed higher.
It’s… big.
Its scale was off the charts, but I’m sure that’s… the shape of a human hand.
That caving I had been a witness to, that denting of the ground had… only been
but a single finger. I can’t think any of this is without meaning.
As I stared in a daze at the unexpected situation, the ground raised a tremor.
The remains of that attack dotted that black wasteland again and again. An
intense sound, as if to indicate the end of the world, made me forget the
thunderous wail of the wind racing past my ears.
If this truly is the work of a single lifeform’s hand, then there’s no doubt its
weilder is large enough to reach for the heavens. Greater than any lifeform I’ve
ever happened on before…
Compared to the marks left behind by it, both me and Gloria, with our statures
of less than two meters, were nothing more than ants. The scale was too
extreme.
Gloria’s body was picked up, and was sent flying again. As she was shot off, she
used her wings to correct her posture.
Now I can understand it. She truly was being thrown about. By invisible hands.
And taking the attacks, Gloria herself realized as well.
The blade she swung around absurdly was to counteract those hands.
And she wasn’t doing that good of a job at it.
Whether it was possible or not to do anything about it was another story.
Gloria should withdraw. She should flee. Whether there’s a means or not, the
way she flailed about meaninglessly no longer had any of the level-headed
thought she displayed when taking me on.
I concentrated my eyes. It seems Gloria has yet to take any actual damage.
She was in distress trying to evade those unseeable, and wide-scoped attacks,
but the blows from those hands didn’t boast too much firepower. Regardless of
how many times she took those attacks, there weren’t any notable injuries on
her body, and as a Demon Lord, her light wounds would heal in no time at all. It
would likely take quite a long time for an end to be drawn to this.
A small waver was produced in my mindset for retreat.
What should I do?
Its identity was one thing, but I didn’t know its objective.
With the size of that hand, unless there was a specific intent to avoid me, I
should have been crushed as well.
The master of that power… is Gloria its only target?
Should I observe for a little longer?
Gloria and the hand’s master. At the very least, there are two out there
outside the recognition of heaven. A little, just a little is enough. I need as much
information as possible.
I flapped my wings, and made it so I could run at any time.
At that moment, the responses from my perception disappeared.
For a brief while, the presences of the three Demon Lords that I always kept
wary of in a corner of my mind went out, before appearing again. No, it wasn’t
just those three that had disappeared.
It had been but a short flicker. Just the blink of an eye, but the scenery before
my eyes had, in the pause it took to go over a single comma, changed entirely.
What had made its abrupt appearance was a countless number of Demons.
Besides Gloria, and those three Demon Lords, a flock of Demons below Demon
Lord Level had gathered before I realized it.
I looked over them with my enhanced vision. I could even make out the
expressions on those Demons that were like specks of dust from up here.
Perhaps they hadn’t expected it either, as they all seemed to be dumbfounded.
 The situation just kept on changing.
I couldn’t move. I hadn’t the time to avert my eyes.
I hadn’t the time to feel the stir of the wind, or that repulsive and wild miasma
act up. I hadn’t even the chance to determine whether or not a Skill had been
used.
My field of vision was filled by darkness. Within it, I was finally able to regain
my self-awareness.
My feet shook, and my soul froze over.
I grasped my situation. I looked over my surroundings in a daze. I made my
decision.
It’s not like what I saw had changed. It’s not that those Demons had
disappeared.
Gloria and the others hadn’t gone away… but I myself had been transported.
A horridly gloomy corridor constructed of jet black stone. As if placed to
measure its depth, the candlesticks stationed at regular intervals. This heavy and
cold air.
The dim light put out by the candles contrarily made the places that remained
unlit-the nooks of the corridor, and the corners of the ceiling-give off a deeper
sense of darkness.
What I had definitely sensed before, the presences of Gloria and the other
Demons were no longer there. In their place… I felt a somewhat nostalgic aura.
As if pierced by an icy sword, the inside of my brain gave a cold pain.
In a past beyond memory, it was a presence I’d felt twice before.
My hand creaked.
Without my notice of it, I had begun clenching my sword with all my might. I was
putting in enough power for my knuckles to turn white.
Ah, there’s no way I could forget it. I didn’t even have to try to remember.
No matter how long ago it may have been, even if it was in my time of humanity,
my era as a Hero that I had almost completely lost my recollection of to the flow
of time, ‘That’ was something I could never forget.
It was a bitter memory.
What I fought as a Hero, my final enemy.
At that moment, I forgot about Gloria and the other Demons, and even the
prophecy, as I thought back to a time passed.
If I had been a true Hero, then the bards’ songs would have ended with a
triumph, or perhaps a noble sacrifice, yet this tale only ever found its close in
one-sided defeat.
＊＊＊＊＊
The Hero and the Demon Lord.
That pairing that I’m sure every human in the world thought of as equal was, in
truth, not equivalent at all. I knew that more than anyone.
As a hero, my sworn enemy was the Demon Lord, but that was the one who
had climbed to the surface. The one of the Demon World wasn’t something to be
dealt with by human hands.
The Under Ground.
It was a sort of taboo. In order to avoid mayhem, there were barely any who
even knew of its existence, the world’s greatest haunt of evil.
A hell that only existed in bed-time stories. A hell bad kids were sent to for
disobeying their mothers.
It was an abyss of a world, where the highest class of Evil Spirits, Demons stood
at the summit.
Those fields with miasma swirling about incomparable to what one would find
on the surface gave the Demons that already boasted strong powers
unsurmountable enhancements. The powers of whatever ones you could find on
the surface were something like scraps. When compared to Demons of the
Demon world, they wouldn’t even reach their feet.
That fact was one that I, as a hero having devoted my life to forging an
enormous power, and having racked up my achievements of dispelling any and
all evil I could find, learned after finally being permitted to set foot into that
world.
Heroes were hope. Against ones who sided with the powers of darkness,
defeat was not permitted.
Among the world’s few Heroes, the reason that information was passed to me
was likely because I was the Hero who threw myself into and triumphed over
hopeless situations at a rate incomparable to the others, but still, in the end, I
was nothing.
Just as the words implies. Nothing.
I closed my eyes.
What I grasped in my perception was a Mana gloomier, and quieter than all.
As if to show it off, that power pulsed.
I’m being watched. This Demon Lord should already know of my presence.
Even so, he doesn’t move. It was as if he were telling me to come over to him.
There was no malicious intent, and that power held no impurities, but in size it
was larger than anything.
Perhaps… it was even greater than the piercing Mana Gloria displayed at the
end.
It wasn’t sharp at all. That power merely hung heavily over me. I finally noticed.
The identity of what had been stirring my blood and soul when I confronted the
Fallen Angel. The presence I didn’t notice because of all the Demon Lords mixed
in.
I felt a meaningless pressure. Within that, I went forward, step by step.
My memories pumped up, one after another. The power I felt when I fought him
as a Hero. It had far exceeded that now.
But my heart was frighteningly calm.
I had conviction that he hadn’t been killed off yet. But at the same time, I
doubt I would find it strange if he was.
The Demon Lord followed the law of the jungle. Unlike the Angels, that generally
never waged wars among themselves, the faces of powerful Demons changed
too often. No matter the case, the probability of a Demon that offered
absolutely no resistance living such a long life can’t be too high.
The passages branched off like a labyrinth. Black walls. The systematic
markings carved into them. Perhaps I’m in a Demon Lord’s castle.
Within myself, I continued to hone my power, as I disinterestedly walked
forward.
They’re not here. The overflowing amount of subordinate Demons one would
usually find in a Lord’s Castle were nowhere to be found.
But even that felt natural to me.
I refined my power.
It was perhaps the only regret I still held for my past life.
For one who cut down all manners of Evil Spirits, all manners of Humans, all
manner of sinners, the girl who continued to save the world for her own sake
alone, the only lingering attachment to this world.
The reason why, even when I didn’t actually like to fight, I chose to continue
down this path, even after death.
There wasn’t a single one before me to hinder my advance.
What I arrived at was the deepest chamber. A giant set of doors.
The power I felt by putting myself against one of them made me close my eyes. I
took some short breaths.
I see… it’s on another level.
I finally began to grasp why Heaven dispatched me here.
This must be fate… no, destiny.
I am a hero, and he is a Demon Lord. I’ll risk every bit of life I have left in me as a
Hero, to take back the defeat I suffered long ago.
In a split second, I had finished mustering up all my resolve, and opened up
those doors. Just as I did once, long ago.
 Part 4: Until We Meet Again

The Demon Lord was there.

Atop the boorish pitch-black throne. The chamber without a sound.
His hair a deeper shade than black, and those slovenly eyes. A jet-black coat
draped over his entire bocy. With shadows stuck to his face, and an irritating
look to his eyes, a delicate-looking man.
Compared to any other Demon Lord I had chanced upon before, his appearance
was lacking in majesty, and on that, my memories of the past played back.
Nothing had changed in his figure since the last we locked blades.
There wasn’t another Demon to be found. Even when he was supposed to be a
Lord, he had no one to follow him.
There was only one point that differed from my last memory of him. Simply the
fact that the man was not asleep.
It seems he truly was waiting for me.
Without saying a word, without any preparations for attack, only his eyes
followed me, and those pupils of his were stagnated with an unfamiliar darkness.
They didn’t even take in the glint of the Holy Sword gripped in my right hand,
and all they met with were my own eyes.
… I’m scared.
I took a step forward.
The gap between this pressure pushing down on my entire body, and that dignity
that equated close to nothing.
The fact that I felt no fear from looking at him was all the more scary. If it was my
first meeting, then I would likely have been caught off guard.
As if I were walking through a bog, my feet were heavy.
The moment I thought to let out my voice, the Demon Lord opened his mouth.
Befitting his appearance, it was a depressing and dark voice. A voice I was
hearing for the first time.
What was he to say to me? I tensed up my shoulders, and waited, but his words
made me forget my very situation.
“Back hip circle.”
“… Eh?”
Back hip… circle?
What is he talking about…? I sought out meaning from his expression, but the
Demon Lord’s face didn’t change at all.
The man before me continued to look in my direction, with eyes that didn’t seem
to be focused on me, as he talked on.
“In the past, I couldn’t do a back hip circle. Do you know of it? Back hip circle?
You use a metal horizontal bar, and you do this sort of spinning motion around
it.”
“W-what are… you even…”
“I think it was around elementary school… they tried to make us do it in gym
class, but I just couldn’t do it. I never even thought of trying to be able to do it.
Because I never thought myself capable, I didn’t even put in the effort. In the
end, up to the very last moment, I couldn’t do it. In the first place, I was never
the best at physical activity.”
I couldn’t understand any of the words he was letting out at length.
No, besides a small portion of it, I could comprehend the vocabulary. However, I
cannot understand the reason of such a talk unfolding here.
I can’t read his intent.
Leaving me to the wayside, the Demon Lord went one.
He was full of openings, but I didn’t even have the will to attack him.
The only thing I could understand was that this meaningless banter wasn’t the
sort of thing to occur before the world’s decisive battle.
“And so, naturally, even when I went graduated to middle school and
graduated to high school, and even after I entered college, I could never do it.
Well, I’ve never seen anyone in college doing a back hip circle on a horizontal
bar, but… I guess that doesn’t really matter. What I’m trying to say is that, in the
end, even when I went out and became a working adult, I never became able to
do a back hip circle. Even when most of my past memory’s faded away, I wonder
why that’s the only thing I can remember.”
Fuuuh. The Demon Lord let out what was clearly a sigh, before his lips curved.
“… But it seems that right now, I can do pretty much anything.”
I had never even imagined this Lord as one to laugh, but what had dimly grazed
his face was surely… a smile. It wasn’t one of ridicule like Gloria’s, and it wasn’t
anything like an honest smile of joy. I’m sure it was his self derision.
The Demon Lord’s words didn’t stop. It was as if he was a completely different
person from the one I met before.
His words came out disinterestedly, but I could feel an emotion I couldn’t
understand behind them.
The topic changed quite suddenly.
“Then have you ever heard of the Magic Lamp?”
“Magic… Lamp?”
Listening to his words is a waste of time. I should initiate an attack. But my
hands won’t move.
These words without meaning, without intent, were binding my movement. It
wasn’t something like a Skill.
I knew. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to move. I wanted to listen.
I had the feeling that the reason for both of my defeats lay somewhere in there.
“Yeah. It’s in the One Thousand and One Stores… A fairy tale from the Arabian
Nights. A tale of a genie that came out from rubbing a musty oil lamp.”
“I don’t… know it.”
Fairy tale.
It’s a story I’ve never heard of before, and I’m not sure what he’s trying to say.
Perhaps there nothing I should say here.
I couldn’t see an atrocious nature in him, and yet my shoulders trembled.
In this case, having him direct killing intent at me would be… much easier.
I had forgotten about it. The cold feeling running up from my navel. Fear.
The Demon Lord raised his voice into a laugh. It was a dry chuckle.
Looking upon the scene, I doubt there’s a single one who’d call this man a
Demon Lord.
I finally noticed the reason. He was much to lacking in anything one could see as
desire.
“Just by brushing up against a lamp, all sorts of wishes could be granted. That
sort of story. Having lost any and all restrictions, a magic tool to grant any
prayer. I sometimes thing. Of lucky Aladdin whose hands it happened to fall
into… just what sort of thoughts went through his mind.”
I don’t know. I don’t know anything.
With an aloof attitude, he avoided my wary eyes. And the Demon Lord’s face
changed.
A sigh, and a sinking voice.
“Hero…”
『Hero』
It was a word I hadn’t heard from another in a long time.
There’s barely anyone left in this world to call me by that name. It had truly been
a long time since anyone named me as such, that it took a moment for me to
realize he was calling out to me.
Perhaps this man is all that’s left to call me by that name. The final enemy I
failed to kill. The final enemy to know me as a Hero.
“Hero… I’m… surely a 『Cheat』.”
“Ch… eat?”
He folded over his legs, sent those abyssal eyes at me, and sighed.
I couldn’t tell the motives behind that word. But it had been the one with the
single most emotion packed into it.
A voice that sounded as if it was tired of everything. Back when I was a human,
when I had lived as a Hero, the voice used by those with things they should have
protected. A child who’d lost his parents, a young man who’d lost their lover, a
soldier who’d gone up against the forces of evil, and survived their own defeat.
“Even without doing anything, I’ve become able to accomplish anything.
Without any of the effort, I’ve become able to do anything. I’m sure there’s no
worth left in any of it. That’s why, to me, you’re the only lingering attachment I
have to this world.”
I couldn’t possibly understand the words from this Demon Lord.
But it’s not like I didn’t have anything left to think.
Still, more than that, I understood that the die had been cast. That the
formalities had been gone and done with.
Demon Lord and Hero. What we had to do had been determined long ago. I was
already resolved. I wasn’t negligent.
That was something my opponent was well aware of.
“Now, it sure has been a while, Hero. You, who may be the one to kill me. You,
who may be the one to be killed by me. My arch nemesis. The only one I’ve ever
recognized as an enemy of my own volition. Have you trained yourself enough?
Do you remember our last battle?”
Our last battle. The blows from my Holy Sword that were unable to leave a
single scratch on him flashed back in my mind.
The Demon Lord who barely moved.
After tens of hundreds of thousands of years, just what has changed in this
man? His face held a gentle spot of delight.
The fact that I was to meet him the first I stepped foot into the Demon World
was just a coincidence.
The second time, I sought him out, and demanded a battle.
And surely, this third confrontation is fate.
That’s why, no matter the numbers that Demon Lords exist in, thie man is the
one that must be killed by me.
As a Hero.
I put more light, more soul into the Holy Sword.
My past retreat. Where even in his normal state, he boasted immense defensive
power to render any blade inept. The Demon Lord who broke my blade.
And I didn’t know his name. The man introduced himself for the first time.
“… Right, my name is Leigie. The Lazy King governing the sin of 『Sloth』, and
your… enemy. I’ve already taken care of anyone to interfere. Now, Hero, come
and…”
The Demon Lord’s fingers mover ever so slightly. My senses were honed to a
level higher than ever before.
I immediately jumped to the side to evade. The door behind me was blown off its
hinges.
『I’ve already taken care of anyone to interfere.』
As I thought the one who launched an attack on Gloria was this man!
The Lazy King who named himself as Leigie muttered in a slovenly tone without
any intonation.
I kicked the ground, and used my wings to accelerate.
Leigie’s gaze intersected with the killing intent in my eyes.
Without letting out any words, the Demon Lord’s lips moved to themselves.
『… try to kill me.』
＊＊＊＊＊
What I was given as a Hero, and honed as an Angel were all directed towards
battle.
The shaking of my hands, and the shaking of my body had ceased.
I stepped in. The floor shattered before my feet. The strongest concentration.
The strongest condition. There wasn’t any space left in my soul for me to feel
fear against this Demon Lord. The greatest, and most powerful enemy of all was
before me, and the all the experience I had ever gotten over my life was
whispering for me to defeat him.
My awareness was suddenly delayed. I could clearly see the bags that had
formed under his eyes.
Leigie. Leigie the Depraved.
The name rolled around my tongue.
Without his name, there was never a way to look into him.
Even if I may have been a human, I wielded the foremost power of the Surface
World, and his ability to block that without anything to guard himself meant
there was no way he wasn’t a long lived Demon.
But I think I was just running away. With that power before me, I had broken. I
was running from his existence. Because if I was to learn of him again, I would
have no choice but to fight him.
But at times, I did wonder whether I would see him again. Even if I didn’t as
one on the vanguard of heaven, most information about Demons naturally
entered my ears. As natural as it may be, I did have knowledge of that name.
Leigie. Leigie the Depraved.
One who pulled their bowstring against the Heavens, one of oldest Demon of
them all. Leigie Slaughterdolls.
I already knew his characteristics. The characteristics of an Acedia Demon.
It was an absolute defense. That was all.
That enhancement was separate from his base specs, but there’s no way his
offensive power or speed is anything too high. At the very least, he should be less
than Gloria in that aspect.
The threat of his invisible attacks lay in that he sent them out from a distance
impossible to detect. If Leigie and Gloria had directly confronted one another,
then she would likely have been able to employ some form of tactic.
What I need is a destructive power great enough to destroy his soul, and that
was my… reason for defeat.
Have I trained myself? … There’s no need to ask. At the start, it was just
something that had been handed to me, but I surely trained that power. As a
Valkyrie, so as not to face defeat a second time. In the years since I was reborn,
there’s no way I was just playing around.
Regret, regret, regret.
There was no way I could fill it in with my human body… the sheer difference
between us.
The magician’s words of pity repeated within my head.
I don’t need to think of defense. The power I have now, what I never had
before. The Fortis Authority. My heart will never break.
“The truth is… I did feel a little sorry for it.”
The moment my sword was about to reach him, before my eyes, Leigie, who
should have been but a step away, grew farther.
My sense of distance was upturned. My suppositions, and the disparity of truth.
I used the momentum that was causing me to topple over, and took another
step. With all my power, I gripped the sword in both hands, and aimed for his
heart.
… And at that moment, he became farther again.
It’s not my imagination. It’s not an illusion.
… Farther? No, that’s wrong. Leigie was still sitting on the throne.
The one moving away was… me.
The throne was just a few meters in front of me. I put more power into my feet,
and dove in. the moment before the blade reached him, my field of vision
shifted.
It wasn’t my eyes playing tricks on me. It wasn’t that my body was being
manipulated.
“I’m sorry for not taking you on earnestly last time. Well, I was sleepy, so there
really was no helping it, but… if I had been a little more serious back then,
perhaps I wouldn’t have to go through these regrets. The thought alone kept me
up at ni… oh, wait, well, um…”
While talking on, Leigie’s arm gave a small movement.
An impact sent my entire body flying.
Oh shi…
By the time I noticed it, it was too late. My body crashed into the wall, and was
pressed against it. By an invisible feeling of pressure.
It was a force that made my body feel it would be ripped apart. My creaking
body and the wall both let out their screams.
Leigie presented out the palm of his hand. He started turning his hand in a
circle. Accompanying that motion that looked like a joke, the points of pressure
twisted.
While looking upon that scene carelessly, Leigie politely, as if he was trying to
buy time for something, began to explain.
What foolishness is this… no, it would be strange for me to think that he only
had a single power.
 I’m fine, the damage is within expectations. My bones aren’t broken, and I
haven’t suffered anything fatal.
And more than that, I was impressed. On the fact that Leigie initiated an attack
on his own.
“『Aport』”
Turning my blade on a being without resistance, yet having it fall flat.
It was a situation as if my everything had all been meaningless, and that had
been the greatest fear I held.
The Demon Lord is to attack me, and I’m to counteract. In that case, I can still be
a Hero.
Even if that Lord had yet to even rise from his throne.
“『Teleportation』 and 『Psychokinesis』. Of course, here, they have different
names, but… it seems that all the powers I ever wished for have come into my
hands.”
While he went on about his own Skills, his face held no scorn, or anger, or
sorrow.
The Demon Lord stood. Even when there was no need to stand, he rose. The past
two times, he had laid sprawled out the entire battle, and yet he stood.
“Hero, I will pay respect to you as a Demon Lord, by killing you. You will kill me,
and I will kill you. Even if it felt like a pain, I’m sure that’s what I should have
done.”
Even when all he did was stand, even when it’s not like his power rose at all, a
premonition of my entire body being swallowed up made my arms tremble.
I frantically moved my crushed body, and touched whatever was pressing down
on me with the Holy Sword.
An invisible something was ripped through, and vanished. My body was released.
I landed over the carpet. I had a slight hope, but it doesn’t look like Leigie took
any damage.
I let out a short breath. My head hurt so much it felt it would split. I didn’t
have enough oxygen. I didn’t have enough Mana.
I’m sure my heart felt fear. Before the existence who defeated me without me
having any means to resist. It was a form of trauma.
 But I’ll ignore that. I had confidence. I had always fought on. A majority of my
enemies had been above me.
The reason I won against them was simply… because I never gave up.
First, I’ll have to land an attack. A blow with all my might.
My target is the Demon’s heart… his soul core. As long as Leigie is taking up
human form, its location should be in his left chest… where a heart was
supposed to bear.
I can’t release energy at him. I’ll have to slash at him directly…
I put my breathing in order. My sword was already fully loaded with power.
Teleport, Aport. It will be next to impossible to approach him, but if I fail the first
time, then perhaps I can close in the second.
I wanted an opening. I chanted magic.
Leigie’s movements were slow. That psychokinesis thing was linked to the
Demon Lord’s movements. I saw that clearly.
I cut away the palm shot at me. It’s difficult to dodge, but as I thought, it’s
fragile. As long as I inflict an attack on it, it’ll disappear.
White light flickered on and off as it gathered in my left hand.
With depressing eyes, Leigie looked at me.
“Hah… hah…”
“… Ah. You’re really looking the part there.”
“『Crescent Thunder』!!”
Leigie’s slovenly posture was swallowed up by the white thunder I released.
It was a lightning attribute offensive magic possessed by Heroes.
The carpet caught fire, and the throne was taken in by it. Imbued with a holy
element, that lightning was originally supposed to deal heavy damage to dark
forces. But General Class was one thing, and I didn’t think that it would have any
effect on this Lord.
The moment I fired it, I let my body dance through the sky. I took flight. The
ceiling was high, and I was able to soar about.
I took a great spin, and swooped down to try and behead him from behind. At
that moment, the scene before me changed.
Leigie, who was supposed to be before my eyes, disappeared, and the blade’s
edge cut through the air.
I had predicted it before hand, so I didn’t stiffen up.
I carefully examined the power of my foe. Aport. There’s no forewarning of it. I
can’t go against it. From before Leigie’s eyes, I had been transported to the end
of the room. A wall close in up to my nose.
I was able to tell the Demon Lord’s positioning in an instant. When I’m this close,
then I can tell every one of his actions, even without looking at him. I hit down
the invisible hand lowered on me with my sword, and ripped through it.
I kicked the wall, and moved my wings again, as I accelerated towards him.
Ours eyes met. Those eyes of his were certainly keeping up with my movements.
I put power into the sword, and simultaneously sent out an incantation-less
『Cresent Thunder』. Leigie’s befuddled expression disappeared into the light.
I continued to raise my speed even further, and dived straight into the light. The
moment I entered it, I heard a voice from within.
“AS I thought, I’m not suited to killing… hah… it was something I already knew,
but…”
Leigie’s presence disappeared. No, it moved.
From in front of my eyes, to behind. This time, it wasn’t that I had moved, but
Leigie.
A few meters to my rear.
Mater transportation. It truly is a fearsome power. But sometimes, such
fearsome power comes with restrictions.
Is it effective time? Distance? Or perhaps limited uses?
I won’t give him the time. Can he use it consecutively? Various thoughts flew
through my head.
I began moving a speed that felt it would make my heart burst. It doesn’t really
matter if I die. My body creaked as it displayed abilities beyond my limits.
My consciousness accelerated. I turned around, and shot lightning again. Speed
and power. I want an opening. Just a small gap, a space of a single breath is
enough. Without him avoiding, a small space without him using a Skill.
 I shortened the few meters in an instant. I instinctively cut off the invisible
power lowered on my right arm.
I kicked the ground. My step was too powerful, and my right ley let out an
ominous sound. It’s likely broken. I don’t feel any pain. I don’t really care.
Having had Mana poured into it past its limit, the blade of the Holy Sword
expanded. A materialization of pure energy, a sword of light.
Just one step. One more step, and I’ll reach him. Leigie turned his eyes from my
blade, and directed his gaze on my hand.
At that moment, my field of vision fell.
As If I were falling, I approached the ground. My mind went blank for an instant.
I tried to move my arms, but they wouldn’t move. What I should have had held
up before me, the sword that should have been in my grasp, was falling
alongside me.
An impact. My chin hit against the carpet. My arms won’t move. My legs won’t
move. As if I were watching a long dream, my body lacked a sense of reality.
And it was there, that I finally noticed my arms weren’t connected to my body.
A heat as if to burn through my body broke out through my torso. It was, as if to
corrode away my body, moving up.
I didn’t feel any pain. The arms that casually rolled on the ground before me.
Still clutched around the Holy sword, their cross section, as if finally
remembering their original form, began to spurt out blood.
My conscious became distant at once. I somehow withstood that with will
power, and glared at my arms.
It was a slash. My disembodied arms. It was something that I had seen time
and again on the battlefield, the traces left behind by a blade.
… That can’t be… when did he…
Leigie wasn’t holding a sword. When I had just been a step away from reaching
him, the Demon Lords hands were surely empty.
This is bad. It isn’t such a bad thing to die, but it’s bad for an incomprehensible
attack to assail me now.
I don’t have any more time. Having lost its weilder, the Holy Sword’s power
would dwindle the more time passed.
 Right before my consciousness was to go out, Leigie looked down over me, and
muttered.
“… Do you know of dolls? Hah…”
… Human… form…
My flickering sight. On those words, I finally realized that a power besides that of
Leigie had been close.
Human… form. Leigie Slaughterdolls. The last name was one’s way of life, and his
way was Slaughterdolls.
I… see…
“It was a nice match, Hero. My regrets have, more or less… died down,
perhaps.”
“Don’t… screw with… me.”
Regrets have… died down?
Nice match?
Not yet. I’ve yet to lose.
I had stepped in more than enough. The distance to Leigie was already less than
a single Meter.
There was still power left in the Holy Sword.
“Don’t… look down on a 『Hero』!!”
The form of the Demon Lord turning his back to me right above. A clear gap.
I wrung out my remaining power, and yelled.
A new 『Cause of Death: Blood Loss』 message came up, and I revived. Jumping
up, I moved forward.
In concert with my will, the sword sparkled.
The strongest blow. With all my Mana, with all my existence backing it, that blow
closed in on the Demon Lord’s back.
At around the same time, the heat ran up my chest again, but it’s too late.
The tip of the sword pierced into his left chest from behind.
“… So you were… still alive…?”
“Wha…”
 This can’t be…
The sword I had wrung out all my power into. The strike that should have
pierced through his flesh, and then his Soul Core, had come to a stop.
My hand felt numb. I felt a hart response all over my arm.
The heat and pain encroaching on me, bit by bit. I ignored whatever response
was sent by my sense of pain, and rotated the holy sword.
It’s no good… he’s too hard. I got through his flest, but I couldn’t inflict
anything on his core.
I have… no chance of winning.
Just like before. No matter how much courage I wring out of myself, no matter
how much Mana I have, no matter how many Skills I learn, no matter how far I
withdraw, if I can’t even damage him, my victory is… impossible.
My knees buckled, and the ground closed in on me. Power was leaving my
body. What was pierced was my own left breast… the aim was my soul core. It’s
a fatal wound.
It’s… alright. I’m not scared. I won’t lose. I’ll beat him. I have to beat him. If I
don’t stand here… then who will?
I’m sure that my heart… has yet to break.
If Leigie’s regrets were to be me, then the final regrets left in me… the reason I,
reluctantly enough, fought on half by habit, yet still chost to stand on the
battlefield after death… That reason must be… none other than this Demon
Lord.
A scene like a revolving lantern passed through my head.
Without being able to move a single eyelid, I died.
＊＊＊＊＊
If I wasn’t able to find any particular reason, then I’m sure that was the reason
that I had no choice but to live in solitude.
My grey rat-colored hair was constantly bathed in a highly concentrated Mana
of light, and at some point, it had changed to a vivid silver color.
It wasn’t just an ordinary silver, but a silver close to blue.
 No matter how many times I looked at it, the silver blue hair reflected at me
never truly felt like my own.
Even though, by now, I should have been accompanied by that silver a far longer
time than my association with that gray.
The form reflected in the water’s surface, smoothed over lie a mirror.
All that was there was a single Hero.
An aloof hero. Having obtained the epithet of 『Silver Blue』by others before she
noticed it, a lone Hero.
Serge of the Silver Blue. Serge Serenade.
Not taking about a single comrade, the one who continued to fight against the
enemies of humanity. The sword of hope.
“Haha… ha…”
My laughing voice was shaking.
The Hero Class was powerful. It was to force a single human to live the life of a
single sword.
It improved the human body to fight against those of evil. It enhanced physical
strength, inflated one’s Mana, and granted powerful Skills. Enough that a village
girl who had yet to even come of age, could fell monsters by her hand.
The only thing that one couldn’t obtain with the Class itself, was the all
important 『Courage』. That alone was something one had to make do with their
own efforts.
Strong. Its power was certainly strong. But even so, I was scared.
My breath was rough. My hands shook, and my heart gave a heavy beat.
I looked at the palm of my hand. Having overcome hundreds of thousands of
dark forces, yet come out without a single wound, those white and elegant
fingers, as if to reflect the inside of my heart, were shaking.
I clenched my fist.
It was a fear I’d tasted countless times, and nothing to me at this point.
To those cut down by me, they must have felt a fear much greater than this.
As if to encourage me on, the Holy Sword gripped in my right hand gave a small
pulse.
I wonder when it was that I noticed whispering to myself would more or less
calm me down. Perhaps it was in that distant time when I first started fighting
against abnormal monsters. If that wasn’t the case, then surely I would have…
broken long ago.
“I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I’m not scared. I won’t lose. I
won’t lost. I won’t lose. I won’t lose. There’s no way I can… lose.”
Even if I never had anything precious.
Even if I never had any comrades to fight alongside me.
I just looked ahead.
There was no one to listen to me. No, there never should have been.
As if to read off a line to myself alone, I whispered.
“I mean, I’m… a Hero.”
I strongly gripped the sword.
The smell of blood and iron and death. The presence of war, and the abnormal
cries.
A battlefield where, if a normal man were to happen upon it, he would all but fall
to madness.
Even if I was bad at talking with people, I could cut down monsters.
No matter how helpless I may be, as long as I don’t let it reach my face, no one
will notice.
That’s why, no matter how far I went, I accomplished my role as a Hero.
I packed power below my navel, concentrated my attention on my heart, and
excited the Mana over my entire body. Concentration great enough for it to take
on tangible form, silvery blue Mana blew over as a wind, and drew spirals as it
circled up around me.
The wails of the magic beasts ceased. The spirits invisible to my eyes trembled,
the world stopped.
Within that noisy world, I was alone.
“See, aren’t I… strong?”
Having I gained the Hero Class, and rushed across a countless number of
battlefields, there was something I came to understand.
 Heroes were weapons. Even if there was no technique in their arms, and no
good in their hearts, they were envoys of light that could cut down anything with
their pure volume of Mana. Those needlessly powerful Skills, and the Holy Sword
that inflicted enormous damage on the vassals of darkness were merely a
byproduct of that.
I remember the words once imparted on me by the king of a country I stopped
by long ago.
… Hero Serge, never forget that the lives of tens of thousands of civilians rest
on your back. Every time you hesitate, human lives will perish. Every time you
retreat, human lives will perish. If you’re to ever face defeat, then… a countless
number of lives that could have been saved will be lost forever.
『… Yes…』
Back then, I had thought it a horribly selfish thing to impart such a burden on a
simple little girl But it’s also a truth that I found solace in it.
A light like an aurora emitted from my sword.
That beautiful spectrum that had entranced me the first time I emitted it, after
tens and hundreds of uses, was only something I had grown accustomed to.
The grotesque eyes gathered on me.
All sorts of seeds to become the enemies of humanity. Against the forms of
various monsters, I smiled with my face alone, and let a light that was nothing
but bright flow out from my Holy Sword.
“…”
The first time, I let out an unsightly cry. Because if I didn’t, my mind would
have been paralyzed by fear.
But now, I don’t even have to raise a single word.
I inhaled in a shallow breath of air. I exhaled. With just that, I could divert my
fear. I overwrote it with fighting spirit.
The point I became a Hero was the point I cast away my tears.
From a hill overlooking a vast land, I ran as if intending to tumble. No matter
how steep the slope, I was never tripped up.
If it was just for a short time… I could even soar through the sky. I trampled over
all the obstacles. Enhanced by my power as a Hero, my physical abilities didn’t
fall short of a magic beast’s.
Every time I swung the Holy Sword, the monsters would be bisected in a flash,
and the lightning would strike through them. My visual and auditory senses and
all else were taken in by blood. The feel of cutting into meat, repelling the
survivors.
Normal beings of the monster race held dreadful figures, but to me, they were
nothing more than scraps of paper. In just one swing of the sword, the monster
that would have taken hundreds of human lives was killed.
My objective was always… the ones clad in the greatest miasma. The enemies
of humanity.
On the battlefield, in the center of a wasteland, I found them. Among piles of
corpses.
The greatest for of Evil Spirit to appear on the Surface World. With numbers
countable on a single hand, they could take down an entire country. And before
those strongest Evil Spirits, I alone brandished my sword.
My own foolishness no longer produced anything from me but a quivering
laugh.
Friends? Comrades? Something like that… there’s no way I could have anything
like that.
A Hero’s power was something extraordinary.
Even among those that held the Hero class, the one heralded as the strongest
was me… there’s no way there was anyone in humanity who could keep up.
＊＊＊＊＊
My consciousness returned.
“… So you can still stand… that’s strange… I’m sure you should be dead by
now…”
By the time I realized it, I had already stood up again.
What raced through my head were the battlefields I once ran across. The lantern
turn itself for but an instant.
I knew. What’s left in me is… not courage, but just my dignity as a Hero.
 “I’m… not… scared.”
The Holy Sword was the same as before. As if to cheer me up, it let out a
glimmer.
I followed my experience, and at the presence I sensed behind, I turned my body,
and let the Holy Sword come down.
The weight I felt on my arms. The sharp sound of metal colliding.
What had appeared at some point in time, something with its entire body
shrouded in black armor, locked blades with me. If it was just in physical
strength, the other side had the advantage. It was a fearsome force, and a
fearsome speed, but in technique, I’m… the greater.
Two strikes, three strikes, our blades met one another, but on the third time,
what it should have blocked with its sword, it took with its body. Caring not for
the flesh it bisected, the Holy Sword cut through that trunk of a body from left to
right.
There was a tough resistance, but I was certain of my target’s destruction.
The body close to two meters in size vanished, and on top of the bloodstained
carpet, what took its place was a black chess piece divided in two.
The Fortis Authority could return light to my eyes. But the rolling piece wasn’t
to become my threat again.
I overcame my shaking body with fighting spirit, and confronted the Demon
Lord again.
I pretended not to notice the hopeless chances of victory swirling about my
head.
“… What is… with that…”
“… I won’t… lose…”
The Demon Lord quietly sat back on the throne. While furrowing his brow,
there was no sign of him initiating another attack.
If I can’t pierce through his core, I’ll have to aim for his neck. If not the neck,
then an arm or a leg. Anyways, I’ll have to inflict just a little damage…
I gripped the Holy Sword in both hands. I can’t hear anything. I can’t see
anything. I can’t understand anything. I stepped in, and swung to take his neck.
The muscles of my arms cramped up, and let off creaking sounds. I paid no mind
to my own damage.
Leigie wasn’t even looking at me. He let out a sigh, and opened his right hand.
The space before my eyes turned pitch black. But the kinetic energy I had given
my body did not die down. My sword was definitely coming towards Leigie’s
head, and…
There was so much resistance, it felt like my heart was painted out.
Wh… y… his skin is…
“…”
I couldn’t let out my voice. I frantically tried to scream.
I was able to pierce him before. I was definitely able to pierce all the way to his
soul core, and yet now my blade… won’t enter his flesh!
What!? How!? Why!?
The character string appeared again. I didn’t even give the 『Cause of Death:
Destruction of Soul Core』 a second glance.
I can’t move at all. Only my field of vision turned left and right. Within my
stagnant time, I thought.
Is it that I can’t rend his bones? No. I didn’t make it to the bone. It stopped on
his first layer of skin.
If it was metal armor, I would have sliced through with ease, and I could just as
easily cut through the barrier of any high class magic barrier, yet a hard
sensation remained in the Holy Blade.
It was, strangely enough, the… same as the last thing that had been left in my
hands in my final battle as a hero.
Until just now, until this moment… it definitely got through!!
My heart shuddered like never before.
Having obtained 『Fortis』, there was a great unrest I felt when I experienced
death for the first time. This was an impact surpassing that.
『Brave Heart』 shook. I’m sure it was a Skill that was supposed to be peerless.
The path that I never lost sight of, despite my fear and my shivers, was starting
to feel unsteady.
Before the selections laid out before me, my will to stand whispered quietly to
me.
The simple 『YES』 and 『NO』gained greater meaning that ever before, as they
pressed down on my choice.
『Do you still have the will to fight on?』
『Before a great darkness, before an existence much greater than your own, do
you have the reason to stand and face him?』
『Do you have the courage?』
The magician’s old words echoed with them.
『Serge, you have the right to choose. To live as a hero to light up the dark, or…
to waste your entire life as a normal civilian…』
I would think back to that question from time to time.
If perhaps I had chosen the path of a normal person, then would it truly have
been so useless?
Perhaps it was my life as a hero, and my afterlife as a Valkyrie, descended to
repeat endless battles day after day after day that was the wasted one?
The answer had yet to come. That’s why, just once more…
By the phenomenon brought about by my Fortis Skill, my extracted Soul Core
was brought back to life. Light blessed my eyes once more, and from the depths
of my body gushed up the heat of life. It was an uplifting feeling as if to blow
away my fears.I’m sure that for all this time, Fortis Angels have fought on with
nothing but that courage as their weapon.
My hazy vision came into focus. At some point in time, Leigie’s gaze from his
seat on the throne had quietly directed itself down on me.
“Ye s… I’ll fight…”
“Hero, could it be… you can’t die? Even if your heart is destroyed, you’ll
revive?”
As I thought, unlike Gloria, this Demon Lord knowns not of my authority.
 In Leigie’s right hand, that should have been empty, a transparent crystal
appeared. That item that was basked in the glimmer of a finally cut diamond,
was promptly crushed in his palm.
Light was extracted from my eyes again. Of course, I had never seen it in my
eyes before, but I understood by instinct. That was… my heard.
『Aport』
It couldn’t be… no, there’s nothing… else I can think of. Matter transportation
from within my body.
『Cause of Death: Destruction of Soul Core』. The words danced before my eyes.
A ridiculous power. A peerless… ability. Be it Angel or Demon, no matter how
strong they may be, there wasn’t a single one who could live without their heart.
… Besides me.
I no longer have any hesitation. My spirit blazed up.
In order to clear away all the darkness. In order for my existence to hold
meaning. That’s why I became a Hero!
Death distanced itself. The feeling of nihility assailing my body was overwritten
with the reality of life.
I clenched my teeth, and stood up again. Again and again. I’ll stand as many
times it takes. You’ll see.
“I won’t… lose…”
“Hero… I… see… Hero.”
The blade I put my might behind, my wishes behind, was brought to a halt by
Leigie standing still.
He stopped the Holy Sword that, if he were a Demon, if he was one in cahoots
with darkness, it should have burned through his entirety. It wasn’t his neck. The
blade came into contact with his unhealthy-looking face, and stooped as if I was
living a nightmare.
My hopes were smashed. Not a single drop of Leigie’s blood flowed. He took it
head-on, and without even making preparations to defend, he took on the
power of a Hero, and the light to destroy all darkness without a scratch.
 I let out a piercing yell, and thrust again. Leigie didn’t dodge.
But what I aimed at his left chest was stopped without even piercing the flesh.
It’s no good… he’s hard… he’s too hard. The skin I was able to get through once,
I couldn’t pierce again.
“Hey, please tell me one thing, Serge.”
Should I retreat? Should I pull back once, and face him again? Can I even face
him? Is there… an existence that can triumph over this Lord?
There is. There has to be… In the heavens, there were plenty of those wielding
powers greater than mine. If it’s them, then…
… Right, the Demon World… if I pull him out of the Demon World, perhaps I
can win. But am I… capable of such a feat?
“Hey, Serge Serenade.”
I thrust the blade, and receiving an additional attack, Leigie didn’t direct the
slightest hostility at me.
I struck my lightning into him. The world was filled with light, and the intense
discharge caused an echoing sound, but the voice reverberating from within it
didn’t stop.
“Can you… not die? Is your valor, your courage… a result of your lack of
death?”
“…”
The lightning disappeared.
The abyss was peering into me.
The abyss was questioning me.
A black to suck in all sorts of light. Those darkness colored irises were examining
me.
“Courage born of an inability to die. Could that truly… be called the work of a
『Hero』?”
I’m sure it was an honest query. There was no good or bad intent behind it.
But I cannot listen to him. I can’t deal with him head-on.
I can’t be brought in by the darkness. Rather than my heart shattering, I was
much more afraid of my will falling apart.
The question lasted a few seconds. There was no answer. But I didn’t remove my
eyes from him.
The Demon Lord moved. Separating from the throne, one step forward. The
slash I released in desperation, Leigie received with the palm of his hand.
The Holy sword slid through and cut off half his hand frighteningly easily.
“… Ah, I see. So you were a 『Cheat』, same as me…”
I never thought an attack would get through.
For an instant, my thoughts froze. Like a separate lifeform, his fingers flew off,
and rolled along the carpet.
Without paying any attention to them, Leigie’s face continued to approach
me. The bags stuck under his eyes. The mediocre face of a man one couldn’t see
as anyone strong.
His breath hit an area around my ear.
“It’s fine. You’ve no need to despair… if it’s me, I can issue an end to your life
without death.”
Differing from before, a cold Mana started welling up.
I instinctively tried to retreat back, only to notice my legs would no longer move.
Leigie’s face had approached to a few centimeters before me. In his eyes,
reflected the scene of my features freezing over.
The chill gradually rising up from my feet. I tried wringing out my power, but my
lower body wouldn’t budge in the slightest.
“… Sleep for the rest of your days. I won’t forget you.”
The tips of my fingers were iced over. The area below my navel lost its power,
and my face was suspended.
I didn’t feel any pain. Only my heat was being robbed away. A cold something
was passing over my spine. It wasn’t just a hallucination.
Leigie raised a quiet voice like one of a parent to their child.
“I think I’ll… wait for the next Hero, whom I’m not even sure exists.”
“Ah… ah…”
 The nature of Leigie’s power had changed. From one the was simply heavy, to
one heavy and cold.
His finger was fixed on my chin. I didn’t look down. I can’t see what’s becoming
of my body. But I know.
My time is stoping. My Soul Core is freezing.
Everythign I have in me is losing its heat. My body, my will.
Is this… death?
The ice came up to my chest. Slowly, and as if to harass me, oh so quiet. But it
was certain.
Contrary to my desire, my lips began to move.
“Am I… going to… die?”
“No, you’re not going to die. You’re going to end. Thank you for staying as my
enemy. You can… rest now.”
A one-sided verdict. His calm words, and his dark eyes.
My chest was frozen over, and it continued up my collar to cover my throat.
Yeah, I already knew. I’m sure… this is… the end.
The Holy Sword lost its light. My arm had frozen through long ago, and it
wouldn’t move in the slightest. Even if that blade had still been clad in light, I no
longer had the hands to move it.
From the core of my body, I was frozen. No, this must be just as the Demon Lord
said… suspension.
Even with my breast frozen over, the selection didn’t appear to me.
It was a phenomenon I had never seen before. No, if you count the time I felt it
when I lost my human body, this was my second… end.
“…”
My voice would no longer come out.
Unrest. My emotions were rocked by an incomprehensible wave.
Regrets? Hesitations? Anger? Grief? Or perhaps… Relief?
I don’t know anymore. I don’t know anything.
What I heard at the end was, differing completely from the rewards of foreign
kings, and the ovations of the people I saved, and the oracles given to me by the
Angels, uncalculated, and honest commendation.
“Until we meet again, my old friend.”
The Lazy King Chapter 16: Luxuria’s Affection

TL: This one didn’t take an hour, so here. Support the author today, buy The
Lazy King Volume one http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4047308528/
The Lazy King Part 2 Chapter 8: Luxuria’s Affection
Just Take it as it Comes
… Thus, the Lord was there. Today as well.
The transcendent being. An ancient and great Demon. The master of Depravity
and Sloth. The eternal ruler. Slaughter Dolls.
Evil God. Leigie Slaughterdolls. The… master I am to serve.
The Lazy King.
His existence itself evaded all the glimmering lights of creation. A King of
darkness.
From the endlessly distant past, a Demon who reigned over this world.
“Good work… my liege.”
“… Yeah.”
Having woken up for the first time in a long while, Leigie-sama’s behavior
hadn’t changed in the slightest.
The jet black throne. It was said to have existed long before the Castle of
Shadows was completed, It was the only seat that the Lazy King alone was
permitted to sit in. I sent it a hollow glance.
What was at the end of my eyes was a single girl.
Vibrant silver hair and eyes. Her somewhat innocent eyes gave off a strong, and
dangerous sort of charm, and the pure white wings growing from her back gave
off a strong light, even in the darkness, as if to display her will.
But she wasn’t to move again. From her feet to the roots of her hair, she was
covered with a highly transparent wall of ice, and now, she looked nothing more
than a work of art.
Valkyrie. A mere shadow of what once was Serge Serenade of the Silver Blue.
That beautiful form enough to make my heart skip a beat, regardless of the fact I
was a Demon, or that I was of the same gender, caused my feelings to move a
little.
“… How was it?”
The words I unintentionally let out had exceeded my authority.
With my only role being to offer assistance to Leigie-sama, I did not have the
right to ask of his opinion. Even if… Leigie-sama himself held no strong emotion
towards that fact.
It was of the server and the served, the servant and the lord. A clear line.
Without even taking a fleeting glance at me, Leigie-sama spoke, as if giving a
soliloquy alone.
“… Alright, I guess… when it’s all over, this is all to remain… That’s how most
things go in the world, anyways…”
It’s not… alright.
The figure of him letting out a deep sigh truly gave off the impression that he
felt nothing at all.
But I had a slight idea of it.
One governing Sloth, Leigie-sama personally waited on the throne, and he let
out his impression in more than three words.
Of course, no matter how long I had been in service to him, my Lord’s Will
wasn’t something someone of my lowly status should have been judging, but…
I’m sure that an emotion other than Sloth had moved him.
For some reason, it pained me.
Even if understanding that fact was what truly was beyond my authority.
“It seems I’ve… become too strong… I’m not sure if she came too early or too
late… No, it’s all just useless supposition.”
The black briefcase propped up against the throne transported itself to his
hand.
It was a power to draw in whatever one wanted.
Within my long years of service, that power that even I had never seen before
was one that Leigie-sama had obtained quite recently. A power transcending
Demon Lord Level.
Perhaps the clasps hadn’t been fastened properly, as the contents were
exposed.
Inside, numerous chess pieces had been stuffed. It was one of Leigie-sama’s few
personal belongings.
Chess pieces. It’s not definite what era they were manufacuter in, but the pieces
were pitch black.
At the start, there were likely six types, sixteen pieces in total, but now, there
were numerous empty spaces dotted around it.
the Pawn that had been split cleanly in half teleported, and filled in one of those
holes. Though a piece that had once died shouldn’t be able to be used again.
They were weapons. Boasting the epithet Slaughter Dolls, Leigie-sama’s
important, and unique weapons.
They had likely been by his side for far longer than I had ever served him…
Originally, I should have been the one to pick it up for him. I knew that. I knew,
but I couldn’t get any closer.
Leigie-sama’s expression was just too sad, too depressed… even though it wasn’t
through fear, my body wouldn’t move.
His power had been too far above, and he couldn’t stand alongside the one he
wanted most.
That body of his was unbelievably greater than that of all the Demon Lords who
underestimated, and despised him.
No matter how many years passed, how many tens of hundred of thousands of
tens of thousands of years were to pass, he was too far for them to even see his
feet.
Leigie-sama slowly moved his right hand back and forth.
“… My liege, what may be the matter?”
“… You’ve been being quite… annoying for a while…”
 “!? Annoying… is it?”
The words suddenly directed at me made it feel as if my heart was to stop, but
I soon realized that wasn’t the case.
Leigie-sama’s eyes were watching some far off place that wasn’t here.
Somewhere much to distant for my eyes to see. I’m here to look after my lord.
For that sake, I underwent training, and a majority of my life had been devoted
to that. But how deplorable it was there there were still things I was incapable
of.
Even if I knew that was just my ego speaking…
“Ah… hah… even if I have the means, what a pain it is… if I ignored them, I
doubt it would become a problem, but no matter what, they catch my
attention.”
“… Is there anything that I can do?”
“Ah… no, you may leave. Iyo.”
After letting out a deep sigh, Leigie-sama raised his face, and pointed to the ice
sculpture with sluggish movements.
“Please bring that over to my room.”
“Your room… is it?”
“Yeah.”
“Understood.”
Without asking any more, I gave a deep bow. I folded my hips, and put both
hands to my apron.
The opponent he went as far as to sit on the throne for. He probably has much
to think of.
He drove both me and Medea out, and wished to confront that opponent alone.
He must have much to consider.
I approached the ice sculpture, and touched it with the tips of my fingers.
It held no temperature. It was neither cold nor warm. What looked like ice, but
couldn’t be, was surely a seal. A fragment of the power that had sealed all the
land in ice a year ago.
 If by this result, Leigie-sama is saved in the slightest, then that’s fine. I won’t
think anything of it.
The brief case in his hands disappeared. To where it originally should have
been… likely a corner of Leigie-sama’s room. Up to quite recently, that had been
my role, but I had not the right to complain of his selection to use a Skill to
transport it in an instant.
I should merely find joy in the grand task of transporting this statue.
I’ll care for Leigie-sama, and at the same time, receive from him. In the distant
past, that was the relation my first ancestor that came in service to Leigie
devised.
“It’s no good… all of it just seems… tiring.”
His ghastly gallant expression sent a glance towards my feet.
Our eyes met. As he often never looked one in the eye when speaking, it was
quite a rare occurrence.
An impact like an electric shock raced from my legs up my spine, and that alone
caused my body to stiffen. It was an impulse similar to pleasure, and quite an
honor for me. Gaining recognition from one who governs Sloth such as Leigie
isn’t something that happens too often.
His lips formed my name. My heart shook and heated up. I caution myself not
to let it show on my complexion too much. I am but a loyal servant.
“Lorna?”
“… Yes…”
But the next words to come out of his mouth had completely exceeded my
imagination.
Nonchalantly, truly listlessly, he gave out that declaration.
“I’ll grant you some free time.”
“… Eh…?”
I didn’t know what he was trying to say.
After a few seconds, I finally comprehended, and the truth hit me like a pan to
the face.
A vertigo greater than anything I had ever felt before. All before my eyes went
pitch black.
The candles were properly lit, yet the entire world seemed heavy and dark.
I naturally put my hands to my ears, and shook my head. My heart stopped for
a moment, before starting itself up with a beat that felt it would rupture.
Misheard … no, there’s no way I would ever mishear Leigie-sama’s words.
My lip trembled. I tried to take a deep breath to calm myself, but was pressed for
air.
The words that came out after several seconds quite cut up, contrary to my will.
“Ha… have I… made some… sort of err.. hic.. or?”
My words mixed in with my tears were nothing suited of Leigie-sama’s perfect
servant.
Before the overwhelming wave of emotion, it felt like all the training I had done
to now had been meaningless.
No… just crying would be… more decent.
Without noticing the reverberation of my soul core, that felt like it would shatter
itself at any moment, Leigie-sama answered.
“No… wrong. My regrets have… faded. I have yet to see my future prospects.
So I’ll just sleep… and wait…”
“… What will you do… about your meals?”
“They’re unnecessary. In the first place, eating is unnecessary to me.”
“… Cleaning the room is…”
“I can sleep anywhere.”
“… Y-your clothing is…”
“… Iyo.”
Perhaps it became a pain, as he only returned one word in the end.
But his face didn’t give off the impression he was speaking a joke. In the first
place, Leigie-sama doesn’t do anything as troubling as joke around.
The role I had been given in life was to follow Leigie-sama’s mighty will. My
predessor, and the all the predecessors before her had lived their lives just like
that. If this truly is what Leigie-sama wishes for, if I truly will be an obstruction to
him… I must swallow up my tears, and depart from my master’s presence.
No, while we’re at it… it would be best for me to die. Right. Death would be the
better option. I know not any other way to live. I have nothing that I want to do.
I knew. I had realized it long ago. There’s no way I couldn’t have.
To Leigie-sama, my devotion… no, my ancestors devotion included, all of it was
something liss than garbage. Leigie-sama was able to live his life alone.
The one relying on his grand power had been me.
I asked for confirmation once more.
“… So you… don’t need me any longer?”
“Iyo.”
Leigie-sama gave a truly curt response.
My thoughts turned at full throttle. Not needed… no, what should I…
…
For the first time ever, I tried arbitrarily interpreting his words.
Iyo…
I’m satisfied with your work… no, I’ll leave it to you.
“… My liege… no, Leigie-sama… I want to serve you no matter what… um, well,
I’ll do any… thing… just as always… can you not keep me by your side?”
“Iyo.”
Leigie-sama’s short answer.
Iyo…
I am satisfied with your work… no, I’ll leave it to you.
He’s going to leave it to me…
Then I can do whatever I want…
“T-thank you, Leigie-sama… for your lenient judgement, I hold the greatest of
gratitude.”
As I timidly presented my flawed proposition, Leigie-sama stared at me with
eyes as if to say, ‘this one sure is a pain,’ but he didn’t say anything.
My field of vision was bluring. I deeply lowered my head.
By the time I raised it, Leigie-sama’s figure had already disappeared. I’ll bet her
returned to his bedroom.
I looked towards the carpet that was a mess, and the cracked walls. It’s
unthinkable for me to leave such wreckage in the Throne Room. I’ll have to fix
it…
And after that I’ll have to make Leigie-sama’s, and Medea’s meals… It may be
best to start the preparations for Leigie-sama’s right now.
Of course, it’s not going to pose much of a problem right now, but so as not to
abandon it, I should properly carry out my duty…
I started to put together the list of things I had to do, as I cast my eyes onto
the ice sculpture of Serge Serenade.
It was a quiet expression, without rage or sadness, or fighting spirit. I have no
idea what she had been thinking at that moment.
Even if I had my theories, the nature of Leigie-sama’s regrets remained
unknown to me. I can’t really ask him, and even if I do, I doubt I’ll get an answer.
But I’m sure…
“Leigie-sama, your regrets will… fade away someday…”
I was not a unit for war. Just a simple maid, that existed to take care of the
matters around Leigie-sama.
But the state of affairs was all within my head.
My clan. The clan of shadows in service to Leigie-sama didn’t just consist of me
and Hiero. Back in ancient times, in the Demon World covered in a high casualty
rate, with Leigie-sama’s protection as our base, the gradually expanding clan had
become the one with the greatest scale in the world. They were scattered all
about it.
The information gathered from all over spoke tales of it.
Of the start of Heard Lauder’s rebellion. Of how the state of the Demon World,
that had been stagnant for so long, was finally on the move.
And power was naturally drawn towards greater power.
Right. Just like… the moths drawn to the flames of a torch.
 Vanity Seidthroan’s movements.
The movements of the Angels and Valkyries descending.
Shifts great enough that the Great Demon King’s army couldn’t turn a blind eye
to it.
Of all else, the one that seemed to be the greatest pain was… the 『Church』’s
movements.
I’m perhaps the only one to know of it. Only the one who adores you so.
What my power of Luxuria told me about you, your 『Power』, my dear.
Governing over Sloth, the 『Evil God』.
Even when put against to the ruling power of the Demon World, the Demon
Lords, it must be something incomparably heavy.
It wasn’t just that his power was strong. The meaning behind the God in his title.
The second greatest power in the Demon World.
The first was the 『Great Demon King’s Army』.
The second, the 『Malign Deity Faction』.
But that power balance is being destroyed by a reduction in the Demon Lords
allied to Kanon.
With their creed at the base, the discipline of that Church that suppressed its
own desires for a greater cause was abnormal. It’s not like they were strong,
simply… abnormal.
For those ones that revere the Evil God, as unworthy as they may be, it’s likely
they will target his personage.
All I’m permitted to do is stay by Leigie-sama’s side. But I’d like to think that’s
more than enough.
“Please have some rest, Leigie-sama. Just take it as it comes…”
The Lazy King. From near and far, those that knew of him closed their mouths,
and those that didn’t waited in fear.
His glory of the past was merely a scratch, a short interval on his eternity. And
little by little, it all fades to gray. But his majesty is ceaselessly handed down.
I don’t mean to hold any pride about it, but if it is to sate his boredom, then if
he wished for it, I’d always be by his side.
 I took the ice sculpture over my shoulder, and departed from the throne room.
Now then, in this room, on that throne, will the chance ever come for him to
entrust his body to it again?
As if to extinguish my incoherent thoughts, the door let out a resounding
creak, as it shut closed.
Publisher:
 TooLate

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