Chapter 492: Not a Lie, Not a Truth

The eyes of a giant bird of prey watched it from afar. Many cloned souls were scattered in the royal capital, and they were the eyes and ears of the magical devilish being Junelva. By sharing the eyes and senses of his cloned souls, Junelva saw everything as if he were there himself.

And then, he saw. The whole story leading up to the loss of his clone. He sighed and opened his beak.

「…Ha. It’s no good. He turned against us. 」

Junelva moved away from the window and called out Rabel’s name. Rabel didn’t respond, but Junelva could tell that she nodded.

Junelva admitted that Lugis had already become a magical devilish being.

His human thoughts were gone, his body had transformed into something pure demonic, and he possessed an Original Text so strong that it froze one’s skin. But that was exactly why Junelva knew he couldn’t join hands with Lugis.

For a magical devilish being, the Original Text was the only reason for their existence, it was their source. It was the manifestation of the demon’s limitless desire, something that went against the laws of the world.

Therefore, magical devilish beings had something that they would never compromise on. They sometimes clash, and sometimes they even bared their fangs and killed each other.

They were far from being cooperative. Magical devilish beings were like that.

They rarely went against the Great Demon that had given them their magical power, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t do it. Junelva had seen magical devilish beings who rebelled against the Great Demon. They still refused to submit even though they were consumed by the Great Demon’s magical power from the inside.

The magical devilish being Lugis was probably on that rebellious side.

「It’s not a big deal. His original role is to supply the heart with magical properties and gears. That’s enough. Let’s make the next move immediately. 」

A few seconds had passed since Rabel replied to Junelva’s words. Rabel’s usual expressionless face was still seen in her face.

「What’s the next move? It’s not like we’re going to get rid of him, is it? 」

The magical devilish being Lugis was magically connected to the woman who was the heart. They were probably connected by some kind of contract.

So what happened to the heart also affected Lugis, and vice versa. Even though that woman had so strongly refused to become the heart of the devil, she absorbed the demonic nature and gears that Rabel had installed into Lugis surprisingly naturally.

The foundation of the heart was now sufficient. Rabel said as if it were simple.

「…I shall awaken my lord immediately. There’s no need to get involved in trivial matters anymore. 」

The giant beast of the heavenly sky, Vrilligant. Rabel said that she would open the eyes of the being who still slept on Mount Bephimus near the capital.

If Vrilligant was reborn, the manifestation of a magical devilish being would be nothing more than a trivial matter. Vrilligant’s power would be so overwhelming that he wouldn’t care about ordinary demons.

Junelva was filled with joy for a moment but then expressed confusion.

「I left our lord in your care, but I doubt he’ll be able to wake up now. Even if we manage to get his heart back, what about this thin air we’ve got around us? 」

There was once a great age when the Great Demon reigned, and demons ruled the world. Magic was more intense during those days, and magical phenomena could be seen everywhere.

It was a mythical age, and many demons, who could use magic to perform secret rituals to bring the dead back to life, were now lost.

But most of that was taken by Altia, including the defeat of the Great Demon. Only a few demons remained in the world.

For Vrilligant, Rabel, and even Junelva, this era was like breathing in extremely thin oxygen. It was far from the golden age.

「I thought the plan was to have humans fight and kill each other to adjust the concentration of humans. 」

The magic stored in a human’s body was returned to the air as their flesh and blood disappeared. The effect was minimal every time a human died, but the magic in the air increased little by little.

Rabel nodded with the precision of a sculpture and spread her arms.

「That’s the optimal solution. But now that Lugis has become a magical devilish being and the heart is complete, there’s no problem with having a forceful approach. I understand that this is the fate of the world. Understand that immediately. To that end, I ask you to take action, Junelva. 」

Junelva looked Rabel in the eyes. If Rabel said it was possible, then it was probably possible. But it was unusual for her to push things forward so hastily.

Her nature was to choose the right path, even if it was a roundabout one. Junelva didn’t understand why she had changed her mind now.

No, perhaps Lugis’ transformation into a magical devilish being was something she hadn’t expected even then.

When Junelva asked what he should do, Rabel replied, bouncing on her tiptoes.

「Those humans will unite. They will oppose us after gathering a lot a people…so don’t hinder them for now. We need to destroy a concentrated area with lots of human beings. That’s all. It will be optimal if their massive deaths temporarily increase the concentration of magical power. We will immediately transplant their hearts into our master. That way, he will not fall into a deep sleep again. 」

Rabel explained that the reason the concentration of magical power in the world was low right now was because the world itself had come to perceive it as normal.

The Bastion Beast Zebrililith, and the Dragon King Vrilligant. If the two former gods were completely reborn, then the world that had become lazy would open its eyes again.

Junelva spread his wings at Rabel’s words, indicating his intention to comply.

All that remained was to gather the humans together and then crush them. For Junelva, it was so simple it made him yawn.

Junelva didn’t think that he, who had ruled as a magical devilish being for hundreds of years, would be defeated by a brand new magical devilish being. There was absolutely no way.

「How much will we need in the end? This is just a temporary measure. 」

「…The amount of blood of a country. Understand it immediately. 」

—

The bronze dragon Shadraput was filled with confusion.

The rescue of Sorcerer General Mastigius and his soldiers. Even though it was clearly a rebellion, the demon army that was trying to suppress it withdrew their troops after one or two acts of force had failed.

A major reason for this was probably because there were demons on the human side. Or perhaps they had other ideas, the bronze dragon Shadraput believed.

If that was the case, then the magical devilish beings Junelva and Rabel would surely take action later. If humans were to unite and prepare, then this would only be their one and only chance.

This was why Shadraput was confused. She stared with clear eyes at the silver hair of Caria Burdnick, who was the anchor of many human soldiers and had become half her owner.

In the facility that she had decided would be her temporary lodgings, Caria was leaning her body against the magical devilish being Lugis. She looked very pleased.

At first glance, it seemed like a simple sexual encounter between mates, but from Shadraput’s point of view, it was a demonstration to keep other females away. She remembered seeing something similar among dragons in the past.

What were they doing at a time like this? Was it really okay to follow them? Shadraput twisted her cheeks as the worries that were in her chest grew spontaneously.

「…Lady Caria. 」

The white-haired girl, Leu, also seemed a little frightened by Caria’s condition. For some reason, she was hiding behind Shadraput’s feet. But it was Shadraput who wanted to hide.

「Now, may we continue our discussion? 」

Mastigius’ vice-commander, Hind, spoke as the demons and giants gathered together. There were still painful wounds on his face and arms, but they were healing.

Mastigius and his other vice-commander, Eileen, who were sitting there, looked the same. Even though they were healing, they were far from being safe.

「We managed to reunite in the capital even though it wasn’t how we had expected. However, we must reorganize since the army has suffered tremendous damage. I can do it in a day, if it’s necessary, even if it’s a drastic measure. 」

Eileen spoke in the same voice as before, but her right arm, still bandaged, was lying limply on her lap.

When she faced Junelva, she was hit with his poison, and her right arm was no longer strong enough. It was probably a stroke of luck, considering that the magical beast that protected her had its entire body melted and died.

「How many soldiers are still operational, Eileen? 」

Mastigius showed no consideration for Eileen. As a soldier, one had to be prepared to be injured, and Mastigius understood very well how much consideration and concern caused by injuries would trample on Eileen’s self-esteem.

「…I’m checking it now, but it’s probably at most 5,000. If we include some of the sorcerers from the capital and the remaining soldiers led by Oilland, it will reach 6,000 at most. 」

Due to the attack of the magical devilish being Junelva, most of the army was melted down, and only a little over 10,000 were still alive. Of those, those who could become soldiers again were even more limited.

…And it didn’t mean physically. There weren’t many people who could stand up to magical devilish beings.

Even tiny insects could sometimes stand up to giant animals, but humans knew fear better than insects and were smarter. There must be something strange about someone who could fight after knowing things beyond the limits of human reason.

Sorcerers were twisted beings by nature, but to what extent could they be a fighting force? Eileen didn’t complain, but telling the truth just made it a concern.

「I don’t think it matters how many ordinary soldiers there are. The demon army will come out eventually. You’ve already seen what magical devilish beings are like. They’re disaster. We have to call Altia. 」

The demon-eyed beast Doha Surah said, lying on an abandoned sofa. He hadn’t been very cooperative while Lugis was away, saying there was no point in following them. But now that Lugis was there, he seemed to want to show up.

Eileen was also momentarily speechless at Doha Surah’s words. She could never deny his words. She didn’t even refute when he said the human soldiers as useless.

However.

The deaths of 10,000 soldiers who came into contact with the magical devilish being Junelva would have been all in vain. The lives of the soldiers who fell to allow her and so many of her comrades to retreat would be meaningless.

Mastigius raised his arm slightly to stop her from speaking.

「I won’t let us do anything reckless. But there are many things we can’t do without soldiers. There’s no guarantee that they won’t use their army either. 」

「I wonder about that. A demon deserves to fight a demon. If they’re bringing out a magical devilish being to the battle, then I think we have to bring out a magical devilish being too. 」

Doha Surah pointed his horns at the ceiling and looked at Lugis while lying down. Lugis blinked his crimson eyes and spoke listlessly.

「…I don’t understand what you’ve been saying for a while now. I’m not on your side or anything. I’m just resting, that’s all. I don’t intend to take sides. 」

Lugis pointed at Mastigius. Rather, it seemed that the only people in his field of vision were Mastigius and Caria beside him. Mastigius narrowed his gaze and snapped his fingers softly.

The fact that Lugis was different from when he was human was kept a secret from everyone except for those in this room.

After all, he was a hero of the Heraldic Order and a key figure in Mastigius’ rescue, so if it was revealed that he had truly turned into a demon, it could lead to a collapse in morale.

However, if he didn’t participate in this operation, then that would also have a negative impact on morale.

All eyes turned to Caria, who was still clinging to Lugis. Her silver eye twitched.

「…If Lugis says so. But Lugis, before you lost your memory, you told me you would devour all the devils and alike. Do you no longer have that resolve? 」

And Caria added that his comrade was still held captive.

Lugis seemed to think about what Caria had said. Judging by the few times they exchanged words, it seemed that Lugis felt an intuitive closeness to Caria, who shared the same blood as him.

He probably never imagined that such blood was physically given to him by force, though.

「By companion, you mean the woman with black hair. The one with long hair that reaches down to her back. 」

「Yes. Do you remember? 」

As Caria looked directly at his face, Lugis tilted his demonic sword and shrugged his shoulders in response.

「No. I only saw her in the palace. But well…if you say so, then I guess it must be true. By the way, you were my woman, weren’t you? 」

「Yes, that’s right. I was your shield. 」

The people in that improvised room accepted his words without any particular concern. The only ones who hardened their expressions were the Demon Eyed-Beast Doha Surah and Leu.

The two of them had the following thought: Please don’t let anyone else find out about this.

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The story is getting so interesting…!

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