Volume 2, Chapter 6: Irritum’s Vanagloria, Part 2: The Glory I Once Embraced
Fall.
Or so my instincts whispered to me. To trample over all aspects of creation, and put them beneath me.
The emotions higher than ever I felt when I was a Lord of Angels often heightened themselves, but they would never settle down.
That’s exactly why I’m here.
As I sat with my hips to the pitch black throne, a single man knelt before me.
I’m at the summit of Demon Lords.
The Demon of Envy dispatched by Kanon of ruined kneeled as he directed a sharp glare at me.
“Your excellency, what seems to be bothing you?”
“… ‘Tis a trifling matter.”
My subordinate lined up perfectly in the throne room raised not a sound.
Among them there was only one that I couldn’t openly lay hands on. The only one able to speak.
I’ve heard the man before me who was sent to observe was quite a skilled Demon.
There were five observers sent to me in total. Of them, this man was the one who had the most opportunities of coming into contact with me.
The vice chief of the Great Demon King’s personal military body known as the Order of Black. Eins Grayrol.
He had high abilities, even when compared to my subordinates, a General Class Demon.
He meaning behind her sending an 『Invidia』 to watch me, I could only laugh upon seeing through that little girl’s intent.
Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude.
Even if she had power, she was a Demon who hadn’t even lived ten thousand years, and she was severely lacking in experience. There were plenty of ways to do it.
If you want to try to control me, then it isn’t numbers you need… send in a Demon Lord Class observer, or we won’t be getting anywhere.
In a succinct tone, with considerable hostility packed into his eyes, he directed his gaze at me.
But he didn’t pay mind to anything else.
What he once held when he was first dispatched here, that unease he got from my doll-like men had long disappeared from within him.
“Your excellency, there is a single matter I wish to inquire towards…”
“… I’ll allow it.”
“Yes. Recently, it seems the number of soldiers in your Legion has been decreasing ever so slightly, but are you aware of this matter?”
A small shadow occasionally flashed through the man’s eyes. That was the light of doubt.
There’s nothing you could call sincerity among Demons.
A foolish question. My army exists for no other purpose than to answer to me.
I’ve already issued orders to those forces stationed all over my lands.
“I’ve dispatched the army.”
“!? … Why? At present, there should not be a hostile force anywhere around your territory.”
Correct. I fear not the power of that Heard Lauder, and anyone else who would set foot on my soil are akin to nothing.
If there was a single possibility for me to fear, it would be that maiden, circling about and crushing Demon Lords.
But that isn’t enough. That isn’t nearly enough.
I know the power of a Valkyrie. Even if she be on the level capable of crushing Lower Level Demon Lords, she won’t be able to touch that Prideful Kaiser.
No, more so, I doubt she’d even be able to stand up to that Iralaude.
Her attributes were too low. Lower Ranks were one thing, but she was nothing but a trifle to us.
Still, in that case this’d never work out.
Rejoice, Valkyrie. I’ll give you some achievements.
“Ku ku ku, Angels…”
On those words, Eins’ features shifted into a questioning expression.
In silence, he blinked a few times. With a voice tinged with caution, he went on.
“An… gels…? I deeply apologize. I don’t really understand what you’re trying to say…”
“I doubt not your ignorance. Now’s not the time.”
Yes, you’ll understand soon enough.
I directed the palm of my hand.
I didn’t even have the need to bind him with my Evil Eyes. Vice chief? Useless. The caution of a Demon of this level can’t even be called as such.
I activated a Skill.
An uplifting feeling no different from the exaltation I felt when using the power of God I embraced raced about my body like lightning.
At the man’s back, a dark fog began to gather.
In a silent stupor, his expression hardened as that darkness gathered before his eyes, and covered the upper half of his face.
The man didn’t raise a scream. His posture didn’t change in the slightest, and only his facial expression twitched mildly in fear.
As if he realized he was forgetting something important.
“… Yes, I beg forgiveness for my rudeness… It was about the Angel attack incident, correct?”
“Correct. You may go report to Kanon Iralaude now.”
The Angel Attack.
A flock of Angels had suddenly launched an attack on the town of Grey Rock.
Grey Rock was a town on the border of the Dark and Crimson Prisons.
The Dark Prison. In the past, it was under the control of the Great Demon of Sloth, Leigie Slaughterdolls, and right now, that vast land was placed under Heard Lauder’s jurisdiction. With three times the area of the Crimson Prison, it was exceedingly vast, and that was to an extent where even Heard’s zone was unable to cover the entire thing.
Eins’ eyes distorted.
“… For me to forget such a thing… it appears I’m a little tired… I will report… swiftly…”
“Ku ku, a foolish man.”
I lifted my palm again.
It’s unnecessary. Your unease, and your questions are unneeded.
Now just forget everything, and give your little report.
I activated up another Skill. Third on Irritum’s Skill Tree. One to coat over the truth with fabrication.
“『Outer Rewrite』”
That muddy darkness ate into the man’s memory, and covered up his original motive.
Like a wall of paper, the Status Abnormality skill was easily breached.
It was all too simple. While a Demon Lord may be able to put up some resistance to it, a General could only muster a soft push.
Without changing his expression once, he emotionlessly looked thought over what had been overwriten.
I don’t know why I gained something like this.
I don’t, but if it is to exist, then I’m just going to put it to use.
In order to make those Demons I’m supposed to despise into my tools.
I waited a little for his mind to smooth over, before addressing him.
“It’s a simple matter, is it not? Noy go forth, loyal apostle of the Great Demon King.”
“Yes, I’ll go… and report.”
Eins left. I watched him off.
Even while my eyes were following him, my mind was occupied by one thing alone. Of my sworn enemy from the past.
I stood, and looked up at the ceiling.
The emotional voice that gushed up from the depths of my soul were released from my mouth.
“HEARD LAUDEEEEEEEERRRRR!!”
In this throne room without another capable of thought, only my wail resounded.
Why, why is it? Why does my sentiment extend to this extent!?
I never felt this for the past few tens of thousands of years, and yet why is it exploding out of my come this far in time?
If I just wanted to destroy him, if I merely regretted having failed to kill him, then all of this would have been easier had I acted before he became a Demon Lord, so why now!?
“Ku ku ku ku ku.”
I naturally poured out a sneer.
In response to that, the systematically lined up thoughtless army raised an ovation.
“Vanity! Vanity! Vanity!”
It didn’t make me happy at all. I’m not sure whether the chills I felt racing around my body were fighting spirit, or fear.
In order to learn that, I’ll have to make him face defeat.
I’ll take down his 『Pride』 with my deceit.
Five sets of wings sprung from my back.
In the past, they were enveloped by a white phosphorescence, but now black mud molded their shape.
At the same time, the worn out body I had hastily made for the time being crumbled away into mist. It was the shape of a militaristic man I had mockingly devised.
I looked at my palm. It was my original body, half that large man’s size, of back when I was still an Angel.
Not specializing in physical strength, but magic, the body known as the 『One who Protects the Throne』 was always disguised as Vanity that I was starting to wonder which one of my shapes was the true disguise.
“Now, stand before me, my beloved maggots.”
My subordinates silently assumed their position in the line. To the swarm of Demons who had lost their wills, and had their desires overridden, I directed my palm.
He is strong. I know that.
Even within this Demon World, Heard Lauder’s strength was heresy. Going at him straight on is close to impossible.
His ability allowed him to escape my hand when he had yet to even become a Lord. Now that he’s reached Demon Lord Level, it will be all the more difficult.
And that’s why my authority lives on.
“… I’ll grant the sky to you.”
Irritum is to hide truth, and make it meaningless.
I activate a Skill.
Their cores. Just the cores are enough.
These low ranking Demons are of no use at all. So I’ll be the one to give them power.
Their existence will take to the air for my sake.
Now dance to my tune if you will.
“『Outer Decorate』”
As I invoked the Skill, the Demons’ bodies started to bubble.
They were diminutive existences. And to conceal that fact, the wriggling darkness took them in, and it only took a few seconds for them to take shape.
Out of lumps of mud, wings begin to form.
Pure white wings.
The masks that had been covering their eyes also turned white, and expanded to cover their entire faces.
What was standing before me was Angels.
Their power was a fabrication, yet a reality. That ostentation was great enough to fool even the world.
There was no difference from what was dwelling in their bodies to the power of light. Therefore, that power existed for them to bring ruin to Demons.
The power to brush away the darkness had been brought forth from a Demon’s ability.
That’s why I had no need to argue with the power I had been granted. There’s no way the beings born from me could be anything else.
“Justice… is it…”
What resided in their body was the authority of『Iustitia』 I once held.
But at this point, that was a word without meaning.
Still, to kill Demons, there was no better suited ability.
Those wings constructed from the blood stained darkness began to shine like light itself.
Strangely enough, the expressions of those inorganic hardened forms of my vanity were barely any different from those subordinates that followed my lead when once I took God’s will to heart without question.
Between Angels and Demons, there wasn’t a single difference.
From when I was an Angel in service to God, to now with no one to follow, all that I had lacked was an absolute sense of self.
It merely piled up. The glory I once embraced.
It merely piled up. The sins I built up after I fell.
I don’t care whether it’s a fake or a lie. The truth is meaningless before my objective.
Power requires a compensation. Decorations require a base.
Mana, power, desires, they all drain out whenever I use a Skill. But even that was something I only experienced as joy.
In proportion to that, my troops became more and more beautiful. With that deceptive light forged of darkness.
Creating Angels was the work of God.
Then even if it be transient, for me to be able to do that, there’s no doubt I’m closer to God than ever I was with those white wings on my back.
When I was part of the vanguard of the sky, I had power. Overwhelming power, God’s love, justice.
How ironic. Even after falling to Demonhood, that power hasn’t fallen in the slightest.
No, more than that…
I licked my lips.
Heavenly troops need a leader. To create a sense of crisis in this land of Demons, a considerable amount of power is necessary.
I selected one from the line, and stacked on even more fabrication.
Before long, an Angel with enough light to call excessive was completed.
I can’t have my power use itself up. Even if he may be lower class among Saint Lords, there should be no hindrance to the destruction of Demons.
The soul colored by Irritum.
The glittering light it gave was the color of an Angel’s, and I found that terribly irritating.
Without letting out a single voice, the Angel stood there.
A shite mask to cover the face. But under that, no expression existed.
On these lands, a presence of light stands out. With the Abyss Zone Skill, their natures would be sensed from a long ways away. If I stayed by their sides, I could eliminate their presence with Skills, but that will become difficult if we separate.
No, even if that isn’t the case… these Angels cannot reside in heaven.
Just as I once did to command my troops, I raised my hand to the sky outside the window.
That sky of chaos stained in a bloody red.
“Conquer.”
The line of Angels all flew out at once.
But in my heart, not a single feeling of nostalgia surfaced.
Even when that scene surely resembled when I was still an Angel, the world I saw back then.
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