Ha ha.

Ha ha ha.

Ha ha ha ha.

“Isn't this so, so entertaining, Aina?”

“...”

Aina Sermyun could not readily answer. Simply standing beside her lord was enough to make her keenly aware of his fury.

“I must acknowledge it. I truly must acknowledge that the Demon King Berge Deias is greater than I, Jason Cockmundo!”

“Compared to you, my lord, that man is...”

“No. How could you dare compare someone like me to Lord Berge?”

He laughed self-mockingly.

“I lack the nerve to wage all-out war against the Empire. I lack the courage to unite the entire continent against me, and I have no desire to kill hundreds of heroes with a trap, then worsen the situation by abducting the Empire's First Prince while everyone is panicking!”

His voice grew steadily louder. His contorted rage shattered his mask.

“Because I know how foolish that is! Because I know what happened a hundred years ago, and what became of the Demon Kings! Because I've experienced the consequences of foolishness committed for a fleeting moment of satisfaction!”

That was why he had held back. He had been cautious, then more cautious still.

He had endured all this time by placating the Demon Kings and enabling them to coexist with humans.

The connections and forces he had secretly built were steadily eating away at the continent. Given enough time, he was confident he could deliver Arain into the embrace of the Demon Realm.

“And all of that! That fucking demonic dragon!”

One troublemaker had ruined everything.

The atmosphere of coexistence with Demon Kings that he had worked so hard to establish had vanished completely. Calls to slay every Demon King were now heard with troubling frequency.

The intermediary he had invested considerable effort in had been abducted.

This was not good.

“I should have dealt with him long ago. I should have killed him long ago!”

When he first abducted Hilderan's Crown Princess. No, at least when Jason learned that he had hidden his tower in violation of the Guide.

To think that reaching out first, believing Berge more reasonable than the other hidebound Demon Kings, would become a regret that would haunt him forever.

“It isn't too late yet.”

“... You're right.”

With a brief sigh, Jason put his mask back on.

“It isn't over. Not yet. Even if Lord Berge has killed hundreds of heroes, even if he has regained his strength astonishingly quickly in barely two years.”

“My lord.”

“We need only manipulate public opinion and shift the direction of their anger a little. Make it point entirely at Lord Berge. Use the Empire to spur them on, prod the Heroes' Guild as well, and tell the dwarves that it was actually Lord Berge who abducted their princess and craftsmen...”

“Is that wise? A great many demonic energy points are already flowing to him. If we fail to stop him in time, we'll only be making him stronger.”

“Even so, we cannot allow humans to vent their anger on me and the other Demon Kings instead of the Demon King of Hellfire.”

There could therefore be no more failures.

“We must kill him. We absolutely must.”

“But we still don't know where his tower is.”

“Correct. That is the problem.”

CRASH!

Jason hurled his wineglass. Shattered fragments flew in every direction.

With practiced ease, Aina cleared away the shards, brought him a fresh glass, and poured him wine. It happened a second time, then a third.

Only after smashing two more glasses did Jason regain his composure.

“Has the investigation team sent to Erjest made no progress at all?”

“I'm sorry.”

“What do you have to apologize for, Aina? Lord Berge has simply hidden his tower that well.”

Though Jason had no idea what trick he had used to hide it.

“Could those oh-so-superior demonic dragons possess some special power that lets them manipulate towers?”

“I don't believe we can rule out the possibility entirely. The first Demon Emperor was also...”

“A demonic dragon. Yes, I know.”

Jason's lips twisted.

“But it remains only a slim possibility. This isn't the first time a member of the demonic dragon race has descended as a Demon King. I would place more weight on Lord Berge himself being exceptional.”

“Yes.”

“I will find some way to deal with the tower. Recall all the shadows. If they resume their activities and are discovered by humans, it will only make matters worse.”

“Yes. But when you say you'll handle it...”

“It is probably just what you're imagining, Aina.”

“But...! That is not a good approach.”

“The time for weighing good against bad has passed. All that remains is the worst option and the lesser evil. Human fear and anger are already focused on Lord Berge.”

Too much demonic energy had already been concentrated on Berge.

Jason's reason for deliberately arranging that had been simple. He had thought Berge would die quickly.

He knew that the brief influx of demonic energy points earned from the entire continent's fury could not stop the coalition. He had merely allowed Berge one last sweet dream.

But who could have imagined things would turn out like this?

Jason reproached himself for his complacency.

“... Even so, the grand duke will not let the matter end easily. He will use this leverage against you for years to come.”

“I know.”

But...

“I am not the only one with vulnerabilities.”

“... Very well. I will trust you, my lord.”

“Yes, do that. Oh, how is the wolf who put me in a difficult position by getting caught by Berge?”

“She's still holding out.”

“Tenacious, isn't she? Test her for exactly one more week, and release her if she endures it.”

“Wouldn't it be better to simply kill her? When you get down to it, wasn't it that bitch's carelessness that sent Demon King Berge on this rampage? She's a useless bitch who can't even carry out a single assignment properly.”

“That is one matter, and this is another. If something can be used, we should use it. That wolf will make a very fine blade.”

By telling her who truly killed the Beast Demon King.

“Nothing runs as deep or burns as fiercely as the rage and hatred born of loyalty one failed to uphold. She will do anything for revenge.”

“... Are you saying Demon King Berge killed Demon King Drakson?”

“Ah, I hadn't told you. To be precise, he was somewhat involved and steered events in that direction. Something along those lines. But what does that matter? What matters is making the wolf think as I want her to.”

Jason smiled.

A short while later, Aina left the office. Jason took out a crystal ball he had kept carefully stored away.

It was far larger than the others and dense with demonic energy.

“I had hoped to avoid resorting to this method.”

Lord Berge. I will make certain you pay for this.

He infused it with demonic energy. The tower trembled. The energy pierced the space between dimensions and reached a higher dimension.

After a long while, an answer came.

“It has been a long time, Your Grace, Grand Duke Alkain.”

『What brings this sudden call?』

“There is something I would like to ask of Your Grace.”

『You, asking a favor of me...? What is it?』

“I would like to know the locations of the other Demon Kings' towers.”

The vampire on the other side of the crystal ball furrowed his brow.

『No matter how I look at it...』

『That sounds like you intend to target another Demon King.』

“Correct. I intend to kill the Demon King Berge Deias.”

『You've gone mad.』

『Conflict between fellow Demon Kings is forbidden. No matter how much you—』

“Lord Berge was the one who killed Lord Drakson Doldorf.”

『...!』

『Is that true?』

“Hadn't you already suspected as much?”

『You knew that, and you're only reporting it now?』

“I would prefer that neither of us overcomplicate matters. For now, shouldn't we punish the villain who murdered one of our own?”

For a while, no answer came.

『You have solid evidence, I trust?』

“Of course.”

『Very well. You have my permission.』

“Thank you. And for the new Demon King, I would request someone strong who works well with me.”

『What are you talking about?』

“Hasn't one Demon King's position become vacant? So...”

『So what is this nonsense? No tower has been summoned back to the Demon Realm since Drakson's death.』

“...!”

* * *

“... Mmph.”

When he opened his eyes, all he could see was pitch-black darkness.

It was damp, foul-smelling, and filthy. He frowned involuntarily.

CLANK!

He could not move his arms or legs. Heavy chains bound them. He tried to summon his mana, but it would not respond.

“You're awake?”

The unfamiliar women's voices startled him.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Natalia Iasin. And you?”

“... The abducted princess of Iasin.”

“And you?”

“You needn't know.”

Rufus pressed his dry lips together. Being abducted as the Empire's First Prince was a disgrace.

He was in no mood to laugh and exchange names with some mere princess of Iasin.

“Where is this? The tower's prison?”

“So you won't answer questions, but you still want to ask them.”

“Answer me.”

“Yes. This is the prison in the Tower of Hellfire.”

The answer came from another direction.

Only then did Rufus realize that Natalia was not the only person here.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to see a little more clearly. Numerous eyes blinked in the gloom.

“... There are a lot of you.”

“That's how many people the Demon King of Hellfire has abducted. They're the princesses of Ormus, Gaina, Hessen, and Carmenia, respectively.”

There were many kingdoms represented as well. But something was strange.

“What about Jespine?”

Kaede was missing. His younger sister, whom the Demon King had abducted long ago.

“That damned bitch is up above.”

“Above? Does the prison have several floors?”

“Higher than the prison.”

“Then that's simply the tower.”

“Yes. The tower. Kaede Jespine has become the Demon King's lackey and lives as a member of his tower.”

“... What?”

He could not believe it.

Kaede Jespine was his half sister, though they had never been close, nor had he ever treated her with familial affection. But he had encountered her many times as one of the imperial family members supporting Martin, and had never let down his guard around her.

That inflexible woman who professed to be an upright knight had become the Demon King's dog?

“That's impossible.”

“It's hardly impossible. She's not the only one. That dwarf bitch Louise Berft is there too.”

“Louise? Then it really was Hellfire who abducted the dwarves, not Carnal Desire!”

Such rumors had quietly circulated. But he had thought them mere speculation, and now they had proven true.

'Jason, you bastard!'

There was no way Jason had not known this. The bastard had deceived him. He should never have trusted a Demon King after all.

No, that wasn't what mattered right now.

“Kaede is the Demon King's lackey? Is that really true?”

“Has everyone you've ever met lied to you?”

“Judging by that strong reaction, you must be an imperial prince. We princesses saw it ourselves. They called her one of the Four Heavenly Kings or something. What a ridiculous name.”

“Good heavens...”

One of the Four Heavenly Kings was Kaede, not a demon?

Rufus fell into a panic.

* * *

“Does this make you uncomfortable?”

“Not particularly.”

They were siblings, but their relationship was worse than that of strangers. The First Prince viewed her as a rival hungry for power, and she had indeed helped the Third Prince rather than him.

“It's simply strange to see someone who was always so haughty and arrogant reduced to that state. Still, I never imagined you would abduct my brother Rufus.”

“He's connected to Jason, the Demon King humans call Lies. As I already told you, this is a war between Jason and me. By abducting him, I've severed the most important link.”

“I'm surprised. I never imagined so many people had joined hands with a Demon King.”

“It's been a full hundred years. It would be stranger if a Demon King had quietly sat around doing nothing for an entire century.”

“That's true.”

Kaede silently lowered her head. She said nothing, but he sensed a peculiar unease.

Well, of course. She had just learned that the man most likely to become emperor was a Demon King's agent.

She probably wanted to fly into a rage, but she was a Demon King's lackey herself and had turned the Third Prince into one too. Her feelings must be complicated.

“This has improved the Third Prince's chances of becoming emperor.”

With his strongest rival gone, a three-way contest had become a two-way contest.

“Do you intend to keep my brother captive?”

“Probably. At least until the imperial succession is settled.”

Being sent to Martin after Martin had already become emperor would be worse than death for that bastard.

Even that was nothing compared to the suffering Berge had endured because of the First Prince in his previous life.

“Then could you leave my brother's treatment to me?”

“... What are you planning to do?”

Was he imagining that faint hint of murderous intent?

“I don't have particularly fond memories of my brother Rufus. There were a few occasions when I nearly died.”

“...”

Had that complicated look in her eyes meant something else entirely? Had she been holding back murderous intent?

“You mustn't kill him.”

“I won't even hit him. I don't want to become the same kind of person.”

“Then?”

“I'll just have a few conversations with him.”

So she intended to fuck him up with words.

“... Would you like some chocolate?”

“Thank you.”

Her expression softened a little.

Yes, now that was the Kaede he knew.

He felt relieved.