Side Story Chapter 167
The area around the castle gates was bizarrely silent. Joshua had unequivocally ended the battle, but no one let out a cheer. However, their reaction was understandable.
‘...It’s completely devastated,’ Lilith said.
The castle gates were rubble, and body parts belonging to the people of Avalon were scattered all around it. Although Icarus had made every preparation possible, casualties were inevitable.
“The demons’ souls possess the potential to be Demon Kings, and they also have Evil Sins...” Joshua said quietly. The two demons—the reaper and witch—looked up, surprised.
-Evil Sin?
-Did you just say Evil Sin?
Lilith took control of her body back so she could frown.
“Say what now?” Lilith tilted her head.
-...Sir?
“You people are irredeemable.”
‘How long are you going to drag around these deadweights?’ she quickly whispered to Joshua, still frowning.
-There’s no need to waste our strength on a fight that we can avoid.
‘It’ll be awesome when we get backstabbed, won’t it?’ Lilith sarcastically snapped. She glanced backward and saw Perchilin look away, biting her lip guiltily. On the other hand, it was impossible to read Tshchary.
‘I don’t think it’s a good choice, and it’s time for you to make a decision. If you continue to be indecisive, it’ll only increase the damage,’ Lilith warned Joshua.
Joshua held his tongue for a moment while he sorted his thoughts out.
“I’m going to put Overlord Seals on you two,” he eventually said.
Perchilin and Tshchary flinched. An Overlord Symbol was a contract that bound one’s soul in similar fashion to high-class undead like liches and death knights; such contracts were often made in the Demon Realm. Nevertheless, demons of their stature wouldn’t even dream of yielding to such humiliation. They would prefer death before submission, but there were some eccentrics—demons who had a strong desire to survive or who were genuinely amazed by their opponents’ strength. Those eccentrics willingly bowed to those who defeated them.
Tshchary and Perchilin quietly exchanged glances. They were typical demons, not such eccentrics. They had been waiting for a chance, but they were left with only one choice if they were forced to be marked with an Overlord Symbol.
However, Joshua was just getting started.
“In return...” Joshua let words hang in the air, teasing the demons. “...I’ll give you the powers that you two so desperately want—if you devote your souls to me and swear yourselves to my service.”
-Powers...?
Joshua smiled slyly. “Didn’t you want Evil Sins?”
* * *
Two demons passed through the streets of Arcadia and made their way into the depths of the Palace of Avalon in short order. They stared at the gate until Altheon, the demon with mystical white hair and eyes, spoke up.
-You know our goal, Urus, yes?
-I’m not like those idiots, so you don’t need to remind me. Isn’t that why you chose me to work with you on this mission?
-It’s a very important mission.
Altheon adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses, Urus, a red devil, stood by his side. Devils were already rare even in the Demon Realm, but Urus was a red devil—a race that had gone extinct except for him.
-It seems to be beyond this gate. I’ll blow it open with one punch.
Black lightning flew off of Urus’s horns, spreading to his face, neck, and arms. Urus was about to use the same technique he used to destroy the castle gates on the door to the Palace’s council chamber. He audibly rumbled as he gathered all the power he could muster.
Urus raised his fist to strike... and the tightly shut doors opened on their own, revealing a human woman with fluttering sky-blue hair.
The throne belonged to Joshua, so the room should have been empty. However, the woman stood beside the throne nonetheless.
“Welcome.”
-That woman is...
“I thought you were never going to come, so it’s good you’re here. You two are demons, yes?”
-Who are you?
“I’m Icarus, the Queen Consort of the Avalon Empire.”
-The Queen Consort?
Urus looked genuinely surprised. Altheon maintained his poker face as usual, but he adjusted his glasses in surprise. They weren’t accustomed to human society, but they were well aware that a Queen Consort was someone whose time was precious and jealously guarded. But more concerningly...
-You expected us to come here?
“If I didn’t, I would have met you on the plains outside the gates, not this chamber.” Icarus shrugged.
-How?
“I acquired some insight after experiencing an outsider invading the Palace.”
-...Unbelievable.
Urus shook his head, and Altheon joined in on the conversation.
-In some ways, humans are slyer than us demons. You weaklings are always great at coming up with schemes.
-Well, I have no intention of letting that woman play me, so I’ll just blow up this place.
Giving Icarus no time to respond, Urus fired the lightning gathered on his fist toward the throne without an iota of hesitation.
“No, you won’t!”
As the lightning cracked! toward the throne, two new people appeared between Icarus and the two demons. One person was Cain, who was up and about again, and Ulabis, the Flame Emperor, burned the air around him. The two Absolutes that had been laying low in the Palace.
-Hehehehehehehe.
The clanking of metal made Urus and Altheon turn around. They saw a death knight with a very thin, delicate sword slowly approaching them from where they had come from.
-I see that they had a reason behind their confidence.
Urus crossed his arms, relaxed despite the fact that his attack was blocked just now.
“I know what your goal is,” Icarus said.
-What goal?
“Are you going to pretend you don’t know anything?”
-What nonsense are you on about, human woman?
“I made some deductions on my own. Do you want to hear them out? I even have three.” Icarus raised three fingers.
Even Altheon, the cautious one, started paying attention at this point.
“Firstly, your goal lies somewhere in this palace, based on the fact that you dropped everything and came straight here.”
-I thought you had some kind of grand revelation, but that’s so obvious. Yeah, yeah, we personally came all the way over here to take the entire Imperial Family hostage. Are you happy now?
Icarus quietly shook her head. “I don’t think demons have fallen so low as to hold humans hostage.”
-Oh?
“So the Imperial Family isn’t the goal.” Icarus folded one finger down. “Secondly, despite the fact that our true forces are at the battlefield, you two, the strongest demons, came here—meaning there is something way more important than I think is in the Palace.”
Altheon interrupted.
-How did you know that we’re the strongest among our colleagues?
“The death knight behind you gave me a heads-up.” Icarus pointed toward the door with a smile.
Arie, the death knight standing before the demons, chuckled quietly as he said.
-Those two are obviously the strongest ones. I saw them going this way, so I followed them.
-It sounds like you walked to your grave.
Urus sneered and gestured at Icarus to continue.
Icarus folded all her fingers. “Lastly, I’ve known what you’re looking for from the very beginning.”
-...What?
“Isn’t that why you came to find me? You must have thought that a Queen Consort would know the location,” Icarus guessed.
Altheon and Urus exchanged terse glances. Well, Avalon was in the middle of a battle, so there was no other reason to keep such strong individuals on standby in the Palace. On top of that, even the Shining Darkness had appeared...
-How remarkable. It’s just like you said, Altheon; I have to hand it to the humans and their slyness.
-Wait, Urus.
-So where is it?
Icarus just quietly smiled at Urus, despite his obvious rage.
“Do you think I’ll tell you?”
-It doesn’t matter whether you tell me or not. We can find it on our own.
“How are you going to do that?” Icarus smiled crookedly.
-You idiot, we’re demons, so we can detect the Demon Spirit’s energy better than anyone else even if we can’t hear it.
Icarus’s eyes gleamed. “You’re looking for something left by the Demon Spirit!”
-Huh?
“Now I get why you demons came running all the way over here.”
-You bitch, did you...?
Urus’s eyes widened upon the realization that he had been fooled. Altheon could only shake his head and sigh.
-You’re too impetuous. It was so obvious.
-Then you should’ve dealt with her first, Altheon!
-You didn’t even give me the chance.
Urus scowled but didn’t retort. Instead, he cracked his knuckles, his menacing red devil muscles bulging.
-Well, forget it. It doesn’t change anything, does it?
-What are you going to do now?
-I’m going to clean up my mess.
Urus looked into Icarus’ starry eyes and growled.
-I heard stories about how demons were constantly deceived by humans’ trickery; I guess that’s why I should pay attention to the ancestor’s stories. I’ll rip you to shreds, bitch.
“Wait!” Icarus held up her hand as if she had been waiting for this moment. “I’m not done yet.”
-What are you up to now...!
“Don’t you want to know?” Icarus smiled.
-I’ll just start by tearing your tongue out.
Urus strode forward, obviously done with conversation. Cain and Ulabis tensed and brought their blades to the ready.
In contrast to them, Icarus was still confident.
“I’m sure that you’ll be curious because I’m about to tell you three reasons why you shouldn’t kill me.”
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