"You seem to be laboring under a misconception."

Berge lightly pressed a finger against him.

SSSSS

"Nnghhhh—"

The heat of the flames melted Daniel's skin.

"You are in no position to bargain."

"You're the one who's mistaken. As you said, I have nothing left to lose. If I'm going to die anyway, why should I help you?"

"Then don't talk. I'll break your mind and take what I need."

"Go ahead, then. I've hunted dozens of Demon Kings over hundreds of years. My mind isn't weak enough to succumb to some inept succubus."

Even if Berge could destroy his mind, as he claimed, he would never get what he wanted.

Berge's brow creased at Daniel's confident assertion.

He had wanted the man to be something more than a pitiful wretch. He had wanted him to remain defiant even in captivity, to keep displaying the same disgusting attitude as before.

That would make breaking him satisfying. But this wasn't the form he had wanted that defiance to take.

After a moment's consideration, Berge's eyes gleamed. On reflection, there was no harm in playing along.

He held the upper hand anyway. And it was obvious what the foolish hero would say to demand "trust" and "faith."

"Very well. Tell me everything about Jason Cockmundo, and I'll release you."

"Swear on the First Demon Emperor and the Guide you lot revere so much."

"Must we really go that far?"

"How else am I supposed to trust a Demon King?"

"And how am I supposed to trust a hero?"

"I'll swear on the power of this dimension. If you swear on the First Demon Emperor and the Guide to spare my life, I'll tell you what I know about Jason Cockmundo."

Despite all his mana being restrained, a faint stirring of power could be felt.

It was the dimension's restriction, limiting a hero's power and giving the oath binding force.

"Now it's your turn."

"Do you understand what the First Demon Emperor and the Guide mean to us?"

"That's precisely why I'm asking!"

His gaze hardened. Berge stared back, then murmured as though left with no choice.

"I swear on the great First Demon Emperor and the Guide that if you tell me about Jason Cockmundo, I will release you. Oh, after cutting off one arm, as promised."

Was that enough?

"Now, start talking."

"... Where should I begin? Our first meeting seems a good place. I met him exactly 458 years ago."

"458 years."

It had been less than 150 years since Jason Cockmundo descended here. Yet he was saying 458?

"You know something of my past, I assume?"

"I heard you killed two Demon Kings, then went around proclaiming you'd become a god if you killed a third."

"I proclaimed no such thing. I simply acquired followers. Heroes weren't as powerful a force back then as they are now."

It had been a little over a century since humanity truly began to gain the upper hand.

Thousands of heroes had killed quite a few Demon Kings, but overwhelming victories had been rare. They had always had to stake their lives on desperate struggles.

Amid those circumstances, an overwhelmingly powerful man appeared.

Daniel Deirus. He began distinguishing himself as soon as he awakened as a hero, and soon killed two Demon Kings.

For a hero, ability meant power and renown. Followers gathered around him, and his prestige grew.

Some even revered him as sacred, a messenger of God who would end the Demon Kings' oppression.

"But there was opposition, too. Ugly bastards who didn't want to lose their power."

Daniel survived by fighting those who envied and resented him. Though few in number at first, they soon mobilized entire nations and branded him the continent's public enemy.

"I thought I needed more power. I wanted to wipe out those damned pigs."

"So you went to kill a third Demon King?"

"Yes. I still remember him. The Demon King of Megaliths. A titan."

The Demon King of Megaliths was notorious at the time for repelling numerous raiding parties and heroes' journeys.

"He was strong. Worse still, I'd struck a bargain with the people in power: I would kill him alone. By the time I reached the summit, I was exhausted. It was a reckless challenge. Even with two Demon Kings dead at my hands, I was still inexperienced then."

"And?"

"I fought the Demon King of Megaliths in a desperate battle to the death. We dealt each other fatal wounds, each taking the other down with him. The Demon King and I collapsed. Without even the strength to move, we stared at each other, fighting to see who would die first and who would follow soon after."

That was when it happened.

"An uninvited guest appeared."

"Was that Jason?"

"Yes, it was Jason. No, he wasn't called Jason at the time. In any case, he ignored me and went straight to the Demon King of Megaliths. Then he was drawn into his body."

A moment later, the dying Demon King of Megaliths rose. He looked at Daniel and whispered.

["So you are the famous Daniel Deirus. Your potential is remarkable. You could prove useful."]

["Do you want to live? Do you want revenge on those who sacrificed you for power?"]

["If so..."]

["Would you be willing to make a contract with me?"]

"... That's what he said."

* * *

"..."

Kaede, who had been about to enter the prison, finally turned away.

She had heard that her older brother had been shocked by the sight of the heroes' corpses.

Her lord had told her to mock him in that state and take her revenge.

But that sort of thing simply wasn't in her nature.

'This is enough already.'

The First Prince had suffered a tremendous shock without her doing anything. Whether it was too much or too little, there was no need for her to intervene. She didn't want to.

Whatever else he was, he was still her flesh and blood. Her older brother.

'A knight must always be ruthless.'

As a blade for her liege, she ought to set aside her personal feelings. By that measure, she was unfit to be a knight.

Returning to where she had been, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, she drew her sword.

The dragon-bone sword Logger had given her revealed its radiant beauty.

Beautiful.

As she gazed at the sword, every stray thought vanished. She wanted to swing it. She wanted to practice her swordsmanship with this blade.

She didn't restrain the desire surging within her.

She swung. It was light. Graceful. It fit snugly in her hand, like a beloved sword she had wielded for years.

She imagined an opponent.

There was a perfect candidate: the Star she had faced just recently.

A massive greatsword hurtles toward her. She blocks it. Deflects it and closes in. Swings. Already back in position, the greatsword knocks her blade aside. It bears down from above.

Her body shakes under its tremendous force. She retreats a step, and her opponent follows. But half a beat too late. With the smallest possible movement, she evades the oncoming force. Ignores her crumpling armor. Thrusts her sword straight into the blind spot...

She stopped her sword. A faint vibration came from inside her clothing.

"Brother?"

It was a communication orb. The direct-line orb Third Prince Martin Jespine had given her.

『Kaede! You answered!』

An urgent voice rang out as she infused it with mana.

"Brother?"

『The Demon King! Where is the Demon King?』

"My lord is in the tower, of course."

『Then why won't he answer...』

"Has something happened?"

『Yes. Nothing too serious yet, but it's showing signs of becoming serious.』

Hearing the anguish and gloom in his voice, Kaede asked urgently,

"What is it?"

『... The Empire is going mad.』

"... The Empire?"

『Tell the Demon King.』

『I need his help.』

* * *

It was more than a mere shock.

Nearly three hundred heroes dead.

More than five hundred wounded.

The five surviving Stars severely injured.

And...

The levitation ship, treasure of the Kingdom of Berft, sunk.

The great hero Balaf Dislord, dead.

【A Shocking Defeat... A Great Star Has Set.】

【Where the Stars Stood, There Was No Light, No Glory, No Victory.】

【Yet Another Defeat, Balaf Dislord Dead: Does Humanity Truly Stand Above the Demon Kings?】

【Survivors' Testimony Sparks Controversy: 'The Demon King of Lies Was Helping the Demon King of Hellfire. The Demon Kings Were Cooperating While Pretending Otherwise.'...】

【A Demon King Left His Own Tower to Help Another. Nothing Like This Has Ever Happened Before...】

【Demon Kings Begin Cooperating as the Continent Loses Its Greatest Star: Desperate Countermeasures Urgently Needed...】

The press usually descended like hyenas whenever anything happened, but this time was different.

Past defeats had left room for hope despite the losses.

The hope that they still had the greatest Star.

The hope that they had only fallen victim to a trap and had yet to fight a proper battle.

The hope that, having slain a dragon, they could slay a Demon King too.

Now all those hopes were gone.

Had the clock been turned back a mere century, none of this would have been particularly strange.

Back then, heroes generally held the advantage through overwhelming numbers, but they died in droves, just as the Demon Kings did.

But more than a century had passed since all the Demon Kings except Lies had been killed and an age of peace had dawned. Most of those who had experienced the past were dead.

For the people of today, victory was a given. So was humanity's superiority over the Demon Kings.

Raiding parties were hunts for valuable materials, and whenever a hero's journey began, a Demon King had to die.

That certainty had shattered. Once or twice could have been laughed off. But it had happened over and over.

Defeat after defeat after defeat.

Hope was broken, and a Star fell.

The comforting assurance of humanity's superiority had vanished from their hearts.

In its place sat a fear called the Demon King of Hellfire.

"Kill every Demon King!"

"Demon Kings must not be allowed to exist!"

"The coalition must do its job!"

Public sentiment rapidly deteriorated. More and more people demanded the extermination of every Demon King.

Under those circumstances, the coalition immediately convened a meeting. In a way, they were fortunate. The continent's nations had already agreed to act with one mind and one purpose against the Demon Kings.

"We must take a hard line."

Cain, the Fifth Prince representing the Kingdom of Akan, made his case.

"We've suffered repeatedly, and even Balaf Dislord, who could be called the representative of all heroes, is dead. Our prestige has hit rock bottom, and our people are trembling in fear. We must take revenge. We must make an example. We must kill Hellfire. If we cannot kill Hellfire, we must kill another Demon King."

The other envoys nodded in agreement.

"You are right. But Demon Kings are like weeds. Over the past thousand years, we've killed dozens of them. Yet they have continued to descend without end, and they still haven't disappeared. Wasn't that why, a century ago, we left Lies alive rather than kill every Demon King, leaving room for compromise?"

"Exactly. Indiscriminately hunting Demon Kings will only increase casualties for no purpose."

Some envoys voiced doubts, though they were calling for greater caution rather than outright opposing the proposal.

"Nevertheless, we cannot do nothing. As it happens, we have a suitable target."

"A suitable target?"

"According to the surviving heroes' testimony, the Demon King of Hellfire alone was not responsible for this hero's journey's failure. Another Demon King who 'cooperated' with Hellfire was also to blame. And that Demon King's tower lies exposed within our grasp."

Every other Demon King had vanished from sight, but Lies had remained in the same place for over a century.

"We must kill him."

Because it was Lies.

Because he was a Demon King who had stood firm for over a century, a symbol of all Demon Kings.

It would mean all the more.

"If we do not act now, we may never have another chance."

Though the great hero was dead and the Heroes' Guild's fighting strength had reached an all-time low, that very loss was uniting the opinions of every nation on the continent.

Fear and anger were binding the coalition more tightly together.

"Now, when every nation is coming together to overcome this fear."

"Indeed. Hellfire is the root of the problem, but we cannot deny that Lies must have provided considerable assistance. After all, he is a Demon King who has watched everything on the continent for many years."

"I agree that if we are to make an example of anyone, it should be Lies."

"To do that, we would have to lead armies into the various countries..."

"By agreement, troop movements could be permitted for this operation alone..."

"If we keep hesitating out of concern for one another's reactions, the Demon King will once again..."

The nobles exchanged opinions. Just as Cain wanted, the discussion was moving toward an expedition to kill Lies.

"What is the Empire's position?"

Then Cain turned his gaze toward the imperial envoy, who had remained silent throughout.

"... We..."

His expression was strangely dark.

Understandably so. The Empire had suffered the most at the hands of the Demon King of Hellfire.

Its Ninth Princess had been abducted.

A city had been devastated by a monster invasion.

Most of the nearly ten thousand soldiers killed in the trap had been imperial troops.

The First Prince had also been abducted.

And the great hero Balaf Dislord was, by anyone's reckoning, an imperial hero with clear ties to the Empire.

'But from my country's perspective, it isn't entirely bad.'

Balaf Dislord had been a considerable obstacle to expanding Akan's influence within the Heroes' Guild. Cain could not help being pleased by the weakening of the Empire's military strength, either.

It wasn't an appropriate thought while facing the tremendous enemy that was the Demon Kings, but as a prince, Cain had no choice but to keep the Empire in check.

"I'm sorry to dampen the mood, but..."

Still, that didn't mean...

"The Empire will not participate in this campaign against the Demon King. We will also withdraw from the coalition. This is the will of His Imperial Majesty."

"...!"

"...!"

He had wanted no such thing as the Empire's sudden withdrawal from the coalition.