The New Demon King
When a Demon King dies, another Demon King descends as the successor.
Thus, in each dimension, the number of five is always maintained.
But the process was never fast.
Especially because no one wanted to voluntarily come to Arein, the worst of all dimensions—unless they were from Berze's faction.
In that sense, this descent of a Demon King raised more than one suspicious point.
It must be Archduke Alkaine's influence.
The sudden death of Draxon Doldov was something he would never have anticipated.
Right before he died, he even declared he would dig through the Tower's records, so it wasn't strange for him to grow suspicious and try something.
There's no way he knows I'm involved.
Now that the Tower has collapsed, no evidence remains.
That was enough.
"Welcome. We have been waiting."
Guided by Aina, the Lieutenant of Falsehood, he reached the summit. The other Demon Kings had already arrived.
Falsehood, Frozen Despair, Adamantine, and—
Berze's gaze locked on one spot. The place where Draxon Doldov should have been sitting.
Pink hair, long enough to flow down to her waist, shimmered gently.
Her snow-white skin was like pure jade, and the revealing black outfit contrasted against it, highlighting her physical allure.
A tail swayed behind her, and small wings fluttered atop her shoulders.
"So you're the famous Berze Deias, are you?"
Their eyes met.
"Pleasure to meet you. I am Vivian Blunt, Queen of the Scarlet Moon Clan."
A provocative smile spread across her lips. Her heavy eye makeup shaped a natural crescent moon.
"…Berze Deias."
Berze responded without further comment and took his seat. With the brief introductions finished, the true meeting began.
"Now that everyone is present, we will begin. As you all know, Draxon Doldov fell at dawn today. The elite of the Acan Kingdom secretly joined forces; the party included Rozel Charnt, Hillen Cagill, and even Ralph Schmitz."
How does he know that?
Jayson Cocmundo knew every detail of the secretly assembled Hero Expedition.
Did he plant a spy within the hero party? Or does he have ties to Acan's upper ranks?
Whichever it was, Jayson was clearly no simple opponent. Fortunately, he did not know about Berze's involvement.
"…Ralph Schmitz?"
Ugar's eyes widened.
"That bastard dared lay hands on Draxon…!"
"Please calm down. Regrettable as it is, that is not the priority right now. Even with Ralph Schmitz, the Draxon I knew was not someone who'd fall to that level."
"They must have used some cowardly tactic! Humans could never have killed Draxon otherwise!"
"I agree," said Reina. "Whether or not I liked him is irrelevant. Draxon was not someone to take lightly."
Ugar and Reina voiced support for Jayson's assessment. Berze only nodded slightly in silence.
"But humans have always relied on cowardly tricks. They'll do anything to win, and Draxon was already accustomed to such methods. That can't be used as an excuse."
"I'm not trying to excuse anything."
Jayson adjusted his monocle and glanced around.
"All I know through my connections is this: Acan Kingdom was involved. Three heroes confronted the Demon King. That's all."
Much was missing.
"Does anyone here have ties to Acan Kingdom?"
Silence. Naturally so.
Reina Sordein had zero interest in human squabbles. Ugar Velvekk lacked the means to plant spies. And Berze, having descended barely a year ago, needed no further explanation.
"…Arein, Arein… what an interesting place."
The one who cut in was Vivian.
"The Demon Kings holding a meeting like this, and banding together to investigate when one dies."
"As I've said, Arein is unlike the other dimensions."
"I know. That's why I'm quietly watching. Surprising as it is, it doesn't exactly break tradition."
Demon Kings were too individualistic, which made meetings rare—but not forbidden.
"More importantly, I…"
Her blood-red eyes fixed on Berze.
"…find him far more interesting."
A soft hum tickled his ears.
"The famous Berze Deias."
Vivian rose from her seat and sat atop Berze's desk. Leaning forward, she smiled seductively.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm curious."
"Curious?"
"What kind of demon could cause such upheaval in the Demon Realm?"
"Your impression?"
She licked her lips.
"You're rather handsome. I like you."
She extended her hand.
"Let's get along from now on."
"Get lost."
"…Hm?"
Tap.
Berze slapped her hand away.
"Do not touch my body without permission."
"Quite prickly, aren't you?"
"If I get prickly twice, I might burn off every last strand of that lovely hair of yours."
"Isn't that supposed to be my line? They said you were hard-headed—how amusing."
But you know?
"When someone stands too stiffly, they tend to have more openings. I've seen plenty like that."
"Conquered another dimension, have you?"
"Among the Demon Kings here, I probably have the most impressive track record."
Her eyes gleamed with interest, but soon she looked away.
"Oh dear, I think I've made someone dislike me."
"Enough with the chit-chat. Jayson, is that all you had to share?"
"Is there something more you wish to discuss?"
"Before he died, Draxon said that a high-ranking demon invaded his domain. I would like to believe it wasn't you."
"I'll make it perfectly clear—it wasn't. And I don't believe it was anyone here either. That's why I didn't mention it."
Their gazes collided.
"Then there is nothing more to discuss. I shall take my leave first."
Reina stood. Ugar and Berze followed.
"What will you do, Lady Vivian?"
"I have a bit more I'd like to hear."
"I'll gladly discuss anything you wish."
Berze, huh…
Vivian stared at Berze's back as he stepped into the portal.
There's no way Draxon died so easily. The high-ranking demon who invaded his domain is suspicious no matter how I think about it. Investigate thoroughly and report to me. And keep an eye on Berze Deias.
If a Demon King has broken the laws, he is the most likely culprit for insulting the tradition.
Archduke Alkaine's command echoed in her mind.
Tempting him once or twice doesn't seem like it'll be difficult either.
Those who were heavily guarded were often easier to deal with.
A cheerful smile spread across her lips.
***
Good.
Kaede had grasped the Tower's entire rhythm in a matter of weeks.
The Demon King seldom returned once he went out.
The dark elf stayed locked in her office all day working on something.
Logar became so focused on his craft that he wouldn't notice anyone entering or leaving unless someone smacked him, and Ernan was helping him.
And no one guarded the Tower—or watched her.
She had never seen a Tower so vulnerable.
Though… this is the first Tower I've seen…
She gathered her armor and weapons. Carefully, she packed jerky and water as well.
As cautiously as possible.
She didn't understand why she had to worry about the moods of a fellow princess, but considering Ernan's behavior so far, being cautious was the correct choice.
Princess Ernan is completely on the Demon King's side.
Maybe she was brainwashed.
That fear made Kaede want to escape all the more. There was no guarantee the brainwashing would end with Ernan.
She stepped carefully down the stairs toward the third floor.
She did not know that a tiny spirit of wind was watching everything.
***
First floor. Passing by Logar—who was entirely absorbed in making magic cannons—Kaede reached the front door without being detected and came to a halt.
No one had noticed her.
Or so she thought—until she saw the princess of Hilde blocking the doorway.
The atmosphere was anything but friendly.
"…So you really have become the Demon King's dog?"
"That's harsh. Aren't we in the same situation?"
"How did you know?"
Instead of answering, Ernan smiled. The suspicious expression only made Kaede more frantic.
"Please step aside. I must leave this Tower."
"If you go out, you'll die. Do you really think you can escape Ergest?"
"Even if I can't escape, it doesn't matter. I refuse to lose my honor as a knight by becoming the Demon King's dog."
"For someone who says that, you ran away because you didn't want to get married, didn't you?"
"…That was a different matter."
The discussion had begun, nearly on the verge of continuing, but never fully played out—because she fled before it happened.
Before it became irreversible, she wanted to become a hero. She wanted to become a member of the Hero Expedition that slew Demon Kings, to be recognized not as a princess but as a hero.
But that went astray, and she became a prisoner—she couldn't deny it was foolish. All the more reason she needed to escape, before she caused further trouble with an even more foolish mistake.
"I understand your circumstances, Lady Kaede. But I also have my own reasons, and I cannot let you leave."
Shared responsibility.
Kaede could not understand it, but Ernan did not find life in the Tower unpleasant.
In fact, compared to the suffocating royal palace, this place was paradise.
Her freedom was limited to the inside of the Tower, but it was freedom nonetheless. She did not want this fragile peace shattered.
Especially not by someone else's choices.
That was why she could not let Kaede leave.
"I don't want to cut you down."
"But it sounds like you could, if it came to that."
"..."
Kaede showed her determination. Ernan sighed.
"…Looks like it's time to return to being a dark spirit summoner."
"…Dark spirit summoner?"
Tension filled the space between them.
"Go ahead, try it."
The one who broke it was the dark elf.
When did she appear? No—how?
Kaede flinched in shock. Like a frightened cat, she turned her sword toward the intruder.
"Go on, leave if you want. But you'll bear the consequences entirely. Humans… even when you treat them well…"
Gordon folded his arms and jerked his chin. Ernan stepped aside. After a moment of hesitation, Kaede dashed toward the door.
"But Lord Gordon, you didn't actually treat her very well."
Gordon glared at Ernan. She quickly changed the subject.
"Is this fine?"
"The Demon King's Tower is not as flimsy as you think."
Perhaps because the princesses had enjoyed a comfortable captivity under an unusual Demon King, they had forgotten what this place truly was.
"Coming in is easy. Leaving is not."
"But the assault force seems very free to come and go."
"…Ahem. Nothing is perfect."
After studying Arein recently, Gordon now understood what the term "assault force" meant. He coughed awkwardly.
Rotten dimension.
Who would have imagined that the heroes viewed the Demon King's Tower as nothing more than a hunting ground?
If you followed the rules, everything fell apart. Berze's mindset and habits were growing on him.
If only this wretched dimension weren't as it is…
In any other world, he would have conquered it by the book. But fate had dragged him to the one dimension where the rules did not work.
"No matter what, this place is not easy enough for a half-baked hero to break through alone."
Fwoosh—
The moment Kaede's hand touched the door, black demonic flames surged and engulfed her.
"That's what usually happens."
Kaede raised her aura to shield herself. But flames infused with the Demon King's nature did not die out so easily.
"Humans never accept reality until they experience it themselves. She won't dare dream of escaping again."
"Should I help her?"
"As annoying as she is, she's still a princess. If she dies, the Demon King will be furious."
"That won't work, then. Shared responsibility…"
Nairuniel sprinkled pure water. The droplets evaporated instantly into wavering steam.
Kaede, her skin charred black, panted heavily. Her skin burned with heat. But she raised her sword again.
Clang—
The black flames engulfed her once more.
Just before she swung her sword in desperation, Gordon struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. The flames died down.
"…A hero is still a hero."
A small scratch had formed on the door.
Gordon gently brushed his hand over it. The condensed demonic energy in the door restored the damage.
"Does this only fail to affect demons?"
Gordon did not answer. Ernan approached the door, curiosity bright in her eyes.
"Don't touch it. You'll get hurt—"
Click.
The moment her fair hand touched it, the door pushed open without the slightest resistance.
A cold blizzard swept in through the gap.
"…Huh?"
"…Huh."
"Why is it…?"
Silence fell.
"…I'll close it now."
Heh-heh…
With trembling pupils, Ernan offered an awkward smile.
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