Balaf Dislord: lightly wounded.

Aina Diaphrin: severely wounded.

Gillian Aint: dead.

Of the 349 heroes excluding the Stars: 13 lightly wounded, 71 severely wounded, 265 dead.

Of the Jespine Empire's 30,000 troops: 4,231 lightly wounded, 1,998 severely wounded, 9,327 dead.

Of the Kingdom of Dormund's 10,000 troops: 1,340 lightly wounded, 689 severely wounded, 4,391 dead.

Fewer than half of the coalition's forty thousand troops remained unscathed. In fact, apart from the heroes, the coalition had suffered relatively little damage from the mana tower's explosion itself. Its impact had been limited to those near the tower, with the wall of bodies reducing the damage the farther away one stood.

But the explosion had shattered their formation, and an experience unlike anything they had ever known sent them into a panic. Then came the steam created as fire met snow—no, something that had gone beyond steam and become fog—and countless monsters descended upon them. Killing the Demon King was no longer their concern. They had to worry about surviving.

No one spoke of searching for the tower again. Consumed by grief and sorrow, rage and despair, they had become the remnants of a defeated army.

When Demon Kings first began descending, humans had been unable to respond properly. They could only watch as the Demon Kings formed legions and destroyed kingdoms. But such one-sided wars had not occurred for hundreds of years, long before humans and Demon Kings began settling into stability a century ago. And now hundreds of heroes and more than ten thousand coalition soldiers had died.

The shock was entirely different from the expedition's crushing defeat in the snowfields, the discovery of a dark mage's army in Habstrain, the kidnapping of Berft's princess and artisans, or the Demon King's attack on the Empire's heartland.

It was more overwhelming.

More shocking.

The repercussions shook the continent violently.

* * *

【Shocking News! Balaf Dislord and Coalition Fail to Slay Demon King...!】

【Great Star Gillian Aint Dead... Another Star Hero Falls to a Demon King.】

【Over 200 Heroes and More Than 10,000 Coalition Troops Dead! Why Did They Have to Die?】

【Deaths Alone Number in the Tens of Thousands—But What Has the Coalition Achieved?】

【Balaf Dislord: "I Have Nothing to Say." Is He Evading Responsibility...?】

【Balaf Dislord Fails Again. Does He Deserve to Be Called "Great"? Doubts Begin to Surface.】

【The Tower Never Existed. Did a Fake Tower Lure in the Coalition and Expedition?】

【Aina Diaphrin: "We Fell into a Trap. A Meticulously Planned Trap Laid by the Demon King. The Demon King of Hellfire Is Completely Different from Every Demon King Before Him. We Must Be Wary of Him." Controversy as Heroes Praise Demon King After Failure Rather Than Address Their Own Incompetence.】

【Will the Coalition Recall Its Armies from the Horton and Korzen Fronts?】

【Bombs Filled the Fake Tower—How Did the Demon King Obtain Them? Some Suggest: "Could the Demon King of Hellfire Be the One Who Kidnapped the Dwarves?"】

【Dragon Slayer Who Hunted a Dragon Brought to His Knees by Demon King of Hellfire. Is the Demon King of Hellfire Stronger Than a Dragon?】

【Only One Hero Can Defeat the Demon King of Hellfire? A Strange Rumor Circulates Through the Slums.】

In the imperial capital, whenever two or more people gathered, they discussed the same subject.

"Good God, hundreds of heroes died? All because of a single Demon King?"

"Hundreds of heroes alone. Count everyone, and it's over ten thousand. How incompetent must they be to suffer losses like that against just one Demon King?"

"The Empire is incompetent? There's a limit to how much nonsense you can spout. He defeated the Dragon Slayer who hunted a dragon! The Demon King is simply that strong!"

"Hasn't it only been two years?"

"Think about everything the Demon King of Hellfire has done in those two years!"

"..."

"He's toying with Stars like that after only two years. What happens if we give him more time? We're all doomed. The Demon King will conquer the world!"

The man listening lowered his voice.

"You're not..."

Surely not?

"... No. Of course not! But look at the situation! I'm not convinced anyone can defeat that Demon King!"

"There have always been rumors about powerful Demon Kings. But they were slain. We can only believe this time will be no different."

"True enough. What can we do, anyway? Let's just drink."

The merchants tried to drown their anxiety in alcohol. The same thing was happening throughout the imperial capital.

Meanwhile, in one part of the imperial palace, Third Prince Martin heard a more accurate account from a confidant rather than the newspapers.

"Good God, indeed."

Even when the coalition had begun its advance, he had never imagined anything like this would happen. He had thought the Demon King's confidence came merely from his ability to hide his tower and escape the inferno. Yet instead of simply avoiding it, he had inflicted devastating damage. Martin had believed he had experienced quite a lot as an imperial prince, but this surpassed it all.

'Now it can only end one of two ways.'

Either the Empire would collapse first, or the Demon King would be slain.

No, this went beyond the Empire. The entire continent would join forces to kill the Demon King of Hellfire.

'They'll stop testing the waters now.'

They might truly commit everything they had. This incident had awakened humanity to the danger to that degree.

'Will they really stop at the Demon King of Hellfire?'

Once was only the beginning. The moment the seed of fear sprouted—the fear that this could happen twice, three times—their blades would reach beyond the Demon King of Hellfire to strike the other Demon Kings as well.

'It means war.'

The precarious peace they had barely managed to establish a mere century ago would shatter. And since Demon Kings would keep descending, the war would never end.

'Good God.'

Martin rubbed his face. His eyes grew cold.

'If this is how it's going to be, perhaps we should control the Demon Kings instead...'

Now that things had come to this, war was inevitable. Humanity's rage would not subside until the Demon Kings paid an adequate price. And since that price was the death of every last one of them, the entire roster of Demon Kings would be reset.

'If we identify newly descended Demon Kings early, put them on a leash, and control them so they can't expand their forces...'

'No, if all the Demon Kings die, what happens to Kaede? Damn it, can I save her?'

Just then, a knock came.

KNOCK, KNOCK

"Who is it?"

"Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned all members of the imperial family and the nobility."

"... I'll come."

The Empire's imperial family and nobles began hurrying to the capital. Nor was this happening only in the Empire.

* * *

"His Highness the Third Prince, Martin Jespine, enters."

Martin entered the palace. Walking along the red carpet, he bowed his head to the occupant of the throne.

"Your Majesty, your servant Martin Jespine has arrived."

"Take your seat."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He sat to one side where the imperial family had gathered.

"His Lordship Marquis Bargan enters."

"His Lordship Baron Ollai enters."

"Her Highness the Fifth Princess, Nicola Jespine, enters."

"The Fourth Prince..."

Nobles and members of the imperial family arrived one after another. The vast audience hall filled with people, but despite the wording of the imperial command, not every noble had assembled. The emperor's summons excluded the margraves guarding the borders, as well as provincial lords. Thus, they were not waiting for late-arriving nobles.

The emperor looked toward an empty seat—the highest of the seats reserved for the imperial family.

"Is the First Prince not here yet?"

"We have received word that he is on his way."

"He's late."

The emperor murmured languidly. The edge in his voice made everyone in the hall hold their breath.

Time passed, each second feeling like an hour.

Then it happened.

WHOOOM!

A tremendous flow of mana swept through their senses. Everyone in the audience hall flinched at the vast spell enveloping the entire imperial capital.

"The capital's protective magic?"

"Good God, what is this?"

The doors to the hall opened. No attendant announced the arrival, and the newcomer 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 hole has been breached in the capital's protective barrier, and the intruder has entered the city. At present—"

"Your Majesty!"

A knight covered in wounds arrived through the still-open doors, bleeding. He crawled toward the emperor's throne.

"Who is that?"

"Isn't he one of His Highness the First Prince's bodyguards?"

Murmurs spread through the crowd. The Royal Guard moved to stop the knight's approach, but sheathed their swords again when the emperor restrained them. At last, the knight bowed with his head pressed to the floor before the emperor.

"I-I greet Your Great Majesty!"

"Tell me why you are in this condition, and why your master has not come."

"H-His Highness the First Prince...!"

The bodyguard wept, choking down his anguish.

"He was kidnapped by a Demon King on his way here!"

"...!"

"...!"

"... What?"

The emperor's face twisted. The nobles were thrown into confusion. The bodyguard drove the point home.

"Hellfire! The Demon King of Hellfire wiped out the entire knightly order and kidnapped His Highness the First Prince!"

The Demon King of Hellfire had given them no chance to bring the chaos under control.

* * *

The Demon King had suddenly dropped from above, just like the monster army that had plunged Britan into despair. Alarm bells rang through the peaceful imperial capital.

"The protective spell's barrier has been breached! Section 85-B!"

"An intruder?"

"We aren't certain yet!"

"Contact the mage tower immediately. Have them determine what struck the barrier and request repairs. Send the city watch to prepare for an intruder!"

Something had struck the capital's constantly active protective spell and opened a gap. Through it, an intruder had entered.

"Your Highness, they say an intruder has breached the protective barrier."

"The Empire's prestige has been dragged down into the sewers."

The First Prince snorted as he prepared to enter the palace in response to the emperor's summons.

"As if the attack on Briant's territory weren't enough, now the protective barrier has been breached?"

The imperial capital and its protective barrier were symbols of the Empire. He could hardly believe how much farther they could fall.

"Who is it?"

The First Prince's eyes grew cold.

"They say they're still investigating."

"What are the barrier guardians doing?"

"Their bodies were reportedly found near the breach..."

"This is madness."

The protective barrier was a culmination of magic built when the imperial capital itself was designed. The mages of the imperial palace's mage tower had continuously maintained and strengthened it, leaving the Empire confident that no one could breach it. The same held true for the barrier guardians who defended it. Alongside the Five Dragon Orders, they were another force protecting the Empire. Yet they had been defeated, and the barrier had fallen.

"Who could possibly have done this? A Demon King?"

"They say no demonic energy was detected."

He might not know the details, but breaching the barrier was certainly beyond any ordinary level of power. Demonic energy of that magnitude would inevitably leave traces.

"You're telling me someone other than a Demon King dares intrude upon the imperial capital?"

It was absurd. Not because of his arrogance or pride in the Empire, but because he could not imagine any nation being foolish enough to provoke a conflict between them under these circumstances.

"You're right about that."

In an instant—

CRASH!

The mansion's ceiling shattered. Something landed with a thud. Dense demonic energy seized control of the interior.

"An enemy!"

The knights who had been waiting for the First Prince to finish his preparations drew their swords. But mere seconds were enough to send every one of them sprawling.

"No one but me has the nerve to pull something like this."

"... The Demon King of Hellfire?"

Despite the thick, metallic stench rising from the floor soaked in his knights' blood, the First Prince did not so much as frown.

"That's right."

The intruder answered, his dark red hair streaming, black flames wreathing him.

"The Demon King of Hellfire you've been so desperate to find."

"... They called you audacious, but your gall has swollen until it's burst. How dare you. Do you know where you are?"

"The imperial capital. And the home of First Prince Rufus Jespine."

"Have you come to kidnap me?"

"Well, I won't deny it."

"Do you think you can bear the consequences?"

"I think I've already demonstrated that plenty."

"Don't get carried away just because you landed one blow with a pathetic trap!"

"Quite a lot of damage for a pathetic trap, wasn't it? Is there anyone who doesn't know the Empire's nobles are all being summoned to the capital?"

"You bastard...!"

"And you still failed to catch me. You couldn't even find my tower. You fell into my trap, and a Star, hundreds of heroes, and tens of thousands of soldiers died."

Even after all that.

"Should I lack confidence?"

"Do not underestimate the Empire. You have experienced only a fraction of its power."

"No. Perhaps I know the Empire's power better than you do."

He had experienced it firsthand. He had clashed with it countless times.

"What?"

"That's what I want. The whole Empire desperately struggling to catch me."

All of it would become demonic energy and make him stronger.

"Your arrogance knows no bounds."

"Arrogance is my specialty."

So all you need to do...

"Is quietly become my prisoner."

The Demon King seized the First Prince by the collar and spread his wings.

ROOOAR!

A black streak of light shot high into the distance. The remnants the Demon King left behind began burning the mansion.

"... N-no...!"

A surviving bodyguard cried out in despair.

Following the Empire's Ninth Princess, the First Prince had now been kidnapped by the Demon King of Hellfire.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the sea west of the continent.

"... Are we sure this is the right place?"

"You can feel it too!"

Waves surged, rocking dozens of ships.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Mana cannons fired one after another.

Enormous sea serpents screamed. A fishlike monster more than ten meters long slammed its massive body into the side of a ship.

"Aaaagh!"

"Fire! Shoot it!"

Miriel, captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirates, gripped an enormous greatsword and leaped overboard. Savage aura split the monster's head, and the captain climbed back aboard. The sea ran red.

"Damn it, there's no end to them."

"The smell of blood will draw more monsters. We need to get out of here first."

"Who doesn't know that? I'm asking because I doubt we're heading the right way."

"You can feel our lord's presence growing stronger too!"

"That's exactly my point!"

Miriel roared at Alkan, captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirates.

"Why are we heading farther and farther out into the open sea? Our lord is a succubus!"

"What good does arguing with me do? Perhaps she built a new tower on some remote island!"

"There's nothing but open sea! Where's this island?"

"Again, why are you arguing with me about it?"

"Damn it, I never should have listened to that talk of escaping..."

"If you hadn't, you'd be a corpse by now! If you want those damned bastards to hand us over as scapegoats, go back!"

Louis, another captain leading the pirates, intervened.

"Now, now. Nothing is certain yet, is it? Our first priority is to avoid the monsters and get out of here."

"Ugh."

"We need supplies. We don't know exactly where our lord is, so we can't be certain how long this will take, can we?"

"It would be nice if a suitable island turned up."

Turn about!

We're leaving at once!

The battered ships flying pirate flags resumed their voyage north.