Chapter 179: The Demon King and the Crown Prince
Sir Balraf Dislode, lightly wounded.
Aina Diaphrin, severely wounded.
Gillian Aint, deceased.
Of the 349 heroes excluding the Stars, 13 were lightly wounded, 71 were severely wounded, and 265 were killed.
Zespine Imperial Army, 30,000 strong: 4,231 lightly wounded, 1,998 severely wounded, 9,327 killed.
Kingdom of Dormunt Army, 10,000 strong: 1,340 lightly wounded, 689 severely wounded, 4,391 killed.
Of the forty thousand allied forces, not even half remained unharmed.
In truth, aside from the heroes, the allied forces did not suffer catastrophic damage directly from the explosion of the magic tower itself.
The aftermath had been limited to those close to the tower, as the human barrier reduced damage the farther one was from it.
However, the explosion caused the formation to collapse, and the troops fell into psychological panic over an event they had never experienced before.
In that situation, as fire met snow, steam arose—no, something that went beyond steam and became fog appeared, and countless monsters poured in.
It had become a situation where survival had to be worried about rather than the subjugation of the Demon King.
No one spoke of finding the tower again. They fell into grief and sorrow, anger and despair, becoming a routed force.
In the early days when Demon Kings first began to descend, humans had been unable to respond properly to them and had been forced to watch as they formed legions and destroyed kingdoms.
However, such one-sided wars had not occurred for hundreds of years, going back even beyond the hundred years since humans and Demon Kings had begun to find a fragile stability.
And yet, hundreds of heroes and more than ten thousand allied soldiers had died.
The shock was entirely different from when the hero corps had suffered a crushing defeat on the snowy plains, from when a Black Mage’s army had been discovered at Hapstrain Gorge, from when the princess of Berfht and the royal craftsmen had been abducted, or from when the imperial heartland had been attacked by a Demon King.
It was more overwhelming.
And more shocking.
The ripples shook the continent violently.
* * *
【Shock! Balraf Dislode and the allied forces fail to subjugate the Demon King...!】
【The Great Star, Gillian Aint, dead.... Once again, a Star hero has been slain by a Demon King.】
【Over 200 heroes, over ten thousand allied troops dead! Why did they have to die?】
【Deaths alone in the tens of thousands, but what were the allied forces’ achievements?】
【Balraf Dislode: ‘I have nothing to say.’ Evading responsibility...?】
【Balraf Dislode fails yet again. Does the epithet ‘Great’ truly suit him? Rising doubts.】
【The tower never existed in the first place. Did a fake tower lure the alliance and the hero corps?】
【Aina Diaphrin: ‘We fell into a trap. A meticulously laid trap by the Demon King. The Demon King of Dark Flame is completely different from previous Demon Kings. We must be wary of him.’ After the failure, controversy erupts over remarks that praise the Demon King instead of acknowledging their own incompetence.】
【Will the allied forces call in legions from the Horton and Korzen fronts?】
【Bombs filling the fake tower—how did the Demon King obtain them? ‘Was it perhaps the Demon King of Dark Flame who abducted the dwarves?’ Some raise the question.】
【The Dragon Slayer who hunted dragons kneels before the Demon King of Dark Flame. Is the Demon King of Dark Flame stronger than a dragon?】
【Is there only one hero capable of defeating the Demon King of Dark Flame? Strange rumors circulating through the slums.】
In the imperial capital, whenever two or more people gathered, they spoke of the same topic.
“My goodness, hundreds of heroes dead? Just because of a single Demon King?”
“Hundreds of heroes, and over ten thousand in total. How incompetent must they be to take that much damage from just one Demon King?”
“The Empire is incompetent? Don’t spout nonsense. He defeated the Dragon Slayer who hunted dragons! This just means the Demon King is strong!”
“It’s only been two years!”
“Think about what the Demon King of Dark Flame has done in those two years!”
“....”
“In just two years, he’s played with the Stars like that. What will happen if more time passes? We’re all doomed. The Demon King will conquer the world!”
The man who had been listening lowered his voice.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking....”
No, right?
“...No. Of course not! But just look at the situation! I can’t be sure we can defeat that Demon King!”
“There have always been rumours that Demon Kings are strong. But they were subjugated. All we can do is believe this time will be the same.”
“Well, what can we do anyway? Let’s just drink.”
The merchants forced their unease down with alcohol. The same thing happened throughout the imperial capital.
And in one corner of the imperial palace, the 3rd Prince, Martin Zespine, heard a more accurate account not from newspapers but through his close aides.
“My goodness.”
Even when the allied forces advanced, he had never imagined such an outcome.
He had thought the Demon King’s confidence stemmed merely from hiding the tower and avoiding the flames.
But instead of simply avoiding them, he had inflicted massive damage.
He believed he had experienced many things as a prince, but this incident transcended all of them.
‘At this point, there are only two outcomes.’
Either the Empire collapsed first, or the Demon King was subjugated.
No—this was not merely the Empire’s problem. The entire continent would unite. To kill the Demon King of Dark Flame.
‘All that probing behaviour so far will disappear.’
They might truly go all out. This incident had awakened humanity’s sense of crisis to that extent.
‘Will it really end with just the Demon King of Dark Flame?’
Once was only the beginning. The moment the seed of anxiety sprouted—that it could happen twice, three times—the blade would go beyond the Demon King of Dark Flame and come down upon other Demon Kings as well.
‘It’s war.’
The fragile peace that had barely been established a hundred years ago was breaking.
Demon Kings would continue to descend, so the war would never truly end.
‘My goodness.’
Martin rubbed his face.
His eyes sank coldly.
‘If this is how it’s going to be, then perhaps controlling the Demon Kings instead....’
At this point, war was unavoidable. Human anger would not subside until the Demon Kings paid an appropriate price.
And that appropriate price was the death of them all, meaning all Demon Kings would be reset.
‘If newly descended Demon Kings are identified in advance and restrained, leashed, and controlled so they cannot expand their power....’
‘No—if all Demon Kings die, what happens to Kaede? Damn it, can she be saved?’
That was when it happened.
Knock knock—
“Who is it?”
“Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned all members of the imperial family and the nobility.”
“...I am coming.”
All members of the imperial family and the nobility began rushing urgently to the imperial capital.
And this was not limited to the Empire alone.
* * *
“His Highness the 3rd Prince, Martin Zespine, enters.”
Martin entered the palace. He walked along the red carpet and bowed his head to the owner of the throne.
“Your Majesty, this one, Martin Zespine, has arrived.”
“Take your seat.”
“Yes.”
He sat among the gathered members of the imperial family.
“His Excellency Marquis Vargan enters.”
“His Excellency Baron Olai enters.”
“Her Highness the 5th Princess, Nicola Zespine, enters.”
“His Highness the 4th Prince....”
Nobles and royals arrived one after another. The vast great hall filled with people, though not all nobles had gathered as if by an imperial decree.
This was because frontier counts guarding the borders and regional lords were not included in the Emperor’s summons.
Thus, what they awaited was not late-arriving nobles.
The Emperor’s gaze turned to the empty seats.
Among the seats reserved for the imperial family, at the highest position.
“Has the 1st Prince not arrived yet?”
“We have received word that he is on his way.”
“He’s late.”
The Emperor muttered languidly. At the sharp edge in his voice, everyone in the hall held their breath.
A second passed like an hour.
Then—
────!
A massive flow of mana was felt. A large-scale spell enveloped the entire imperial capital, and everyone in the hall flinched.
“The capital’s defensive magic?”
“My goodness, what is this?”
The doors of the great hall opened. There was no voice from a chamberlain announcing an arrival. And the one who entered was not the person they had been waiting for.
A knight shouted urgently.
“Your Majesty, an intruder has appeared in the imperial capital!”
“An intruder?”
“Yes! A breach has opened in the capital’s defensive barrier, and the intruder has entered the capital. Currently....”
“Your Majesty!”
Through the door that had not yet closed, a blood-soaked knight stumbled in, bleeding heavily.
He crawled forward and approached the Emperor’s throne.
“That knight is?”
“Isn’t he the escort knight of the 1st Prince?”
People murmured. The royal knight order, which had tried to block the knight’s approach, sheathed their swords again at the Emperor’s restraint.
At last, the knight slammed his head down before the Emperor.
“I, I greet Your Great Majesty!”
“Explain why you are in this state, and why your master has not come.”
“His, His Highness the 1st Prince...!”
The escort knight shed tears, swallowing his resentment.
“He was abducted by a Demon King on the way here!”
“...!”
“...!”
“...What did you say?”
The Emperor’s face twisted.
The nobles were thrown into confusion.
The escort knight drove the point home.
“Dark Flame! The Demon King of Dark Flame annihilated the entire knight order and abducted His Highness the 1st Prince!”
The Demon King of Dark Flame did not give them time to recover from the shock.
* * *
The Demon King descended suddenly, without warning.
Just like the monster legion that had plunged Britan into despair.
An alarm rang out over the once-peaceful imperial capital.
“A breach has opened in the defensive barrier! Sector 85-B!”
“An intruder?”
“It’s not confirmed yet!”
“Contact the magic tower immediately to determine the cause of the impact on the barrier and request repairs. Send the security forces to prepare for an intruder!”
The capital’s defensive magic, which had always been active, was struck, and a gap formed. An intruder entered through that gap.
“Your Highness. An intruder has appeared and breached the defensive barrier.”
“The Empire’s dignity has been shoved into the sewer.”
The 1st Prince, who had been preparing to enter the palace at the Emperor’s summons, scoffed.
“As if it weren’t enough that the County of Briant was attacked, now the defensive barrier has been breached?”
The imperial capital—and its defensive barrier—were symbols of the Empire. How much further could it fall? It was absurd.
“Who is it?”
The 1st Prince’s eyes sank coldly.
“They are still investigating.”
“What were the barrier guardians doing?”
“Their bodies were found near the breach....”
“This is madness.”
The defensive barrier was a culmination of magic created when the imperial capital itself was designed. Maintained and reinforced continuously by the imperial palace’s magic tower, the Empire believed it could never be breached.
The barrier guardians who protected it were the same. Alongside the Five Dragon Knight Order, they were another force safeguarding the Empire.
And yet they had been defeated, and the barrier destroyed.
“Who could have done this? A Demon King, perhaps?”
“No demonic energy was detected.”
To breach the barrier, ordinary means would not suffice. If such demonic energy had been used, traces would inevitably have remained.
“So if it wasn’t a Demon King, someone dared to infiltrate the imperial capital?”
It made no sense. Not due to arrogance or pride in the Empire, but because no foolish nation would dare provoke conflict at such a time.
“That’s right.”
In that instant—
────!
The ceiling of the mansion shattered. Something crashed down heavily. Thick demonic energy seized the interior.
“Enemy!”
The knights, who had been waiting only for the 1st Prince to finish his preparations, drew their swords.
But it took only a few seconds for all of them to be struck down.
“If not me, then who would have the guts to pull this off?”
“...The Demon King of Dark Flame?”
Despite the floor reeking of blood from his knights, the 1st Prince did not so much as furrow his brow.
“That’s right.”
The intruder answered, black flames coiling as dark crimson hair fluttered.
“I am the Demon King of Dark Flame you’ve been searching for.”
“...So bold. Bold beyond reason. Your gall has swollen until it bursts. Do you even know where you are?”
“The imperial capital. And the home of the 1st Prince, Rufus Zespine.”
“Have you come to abduct me?”
“Well, I won’t deny it.”
“Do you think you can handle the consequences?”
“I think I’ve already shown quite a lot.”
“Don’t get cocky just because you landed a cheap blow with a paltry trap!”
“For a paltry trap, the damage was rather significant, wasn’t it? Does anyone not know that the Empire’s nobles are all being summoned to the capital?”
“You bastard...!”
“And yet you couldn’t catch me. You couldn’t even find my tower, and you fell into my trap, losing a Star, hundreds of heroes, and tens of thousands of troops.”
Even so—
“Should I lack confidence?”
“Do not underestimate the Empire. What you’ve seen is only a small part of it.”
“No. I might understand the Empire’s power better than you do.”
Because he had experienced it himself. Because he had clashed with it countless times.
“What?”
“That is what I want. For the entire Empire to struggle desperately to catch me.”
All of that would become demonic energy and make him stronger.
“Arrogant to the extreme.”
“Arrogance is my specialty.”
So you—
“Just need to become my prisoner.”
The Demon King grabbed the 1st Prince by the collar and spread his wings.
Kwaaaa—
A black flash shot up into the distance.
The remnants left behind by the Demon King began to set the mansion ablaze.
“...N-no...!”
A surviving escort knight screamed.
Following the Empire’s 9th Princess, the 1st Prince had been abducted by the Demon King of Dark Flame.
* * *
Meanwhile, somewhere in the western seas of the continent.
“...Are you sure this is the place?”
“You can feel it too, can’t you!”
Waves surged. Dozens of ships rocked violently.
──!
─!
Mana cannons fired in succession.
Giant sea serpents screamed. Fish-shaped monsters over ten meters long slammed their massive bodies into the sides of the ships.
“Aaaargh!”
“Fire! Fire!”
The captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirate Crew, Miriel, leapt down gripping a massive greatsword.
Rough aura split a monster’s head apart, and he sprang back onto the deck. The sea was dyed red.
“Damn it, there’s no end to them.”
“More monsters will gather, drawn by the smell of blood. We need to get out of here first.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I’m just wondering if we’re even going the right way.”
“You can feel the Demon King’s presence growing stronger too, can’t you!”
Miriel snapped at the words of Alkan, another captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirate Crew.
“Then why are we heading deeper and deeper into the open sea! The Demon King is a succubus!”
“Why are you taking that up with me! Maybe she built a new tower on some remote island!”
“There’s nothing but open sea! Where would an island be!”
“Then why are you yelling at me about it!”
“Damn it, listening to that suggestion to escape was a mistake....”
“If we hadn’t, we’d already be corpses! If you want to go back and let those bastards hand us over as sacrifices, then go!”
Rui, another captain leading the pirate crew, stepped in to mediate.
“Now, now. Nothing is certain yet, is it? For now, avoiding the monsters and leaving this area comes first.”
“Grr.”
“We need supplies. Since we don’t know exactly where the Demon King is, we can’t be sure how long it will take, can we?”
“It’d be nice if a decent island showed up.”
Turn about!
Get out of here immediately!
The battered ships flying pirate flags resumed their voyage northward.