Interlude: Deep in the Darkness
“Demon Lord, it was quite foolish to attack on your own without bringing any minions, indeed.”
While the demon lord crouched at an altar deep in a Den of Evil, a dark green greater demon sat with his legs crossed casually, criticizing without an ounce of respect.
However, the demon lord didn’t seem to be listening in the slightest.
DOOOOOOOWWWRRLLLL!
The demon lord rubbed his cheek against a beat-up doll woven out of grass.
Suddenly, a man emerged from a dark corner that had been empty just moments before.
“Lord Green, how fares the Sandstorm Lord?”
“See for yourself, indeed.”
The green demon skillfully shrugged his four shoulders.
“The doll belonged to his daughter who died. It must be important to him.”
“Died…? Don’t you mean she was killed, indeed?”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHURWAKAOOOOOOOO!
The demon lord let out a scream at the word “killed.”
While the greater demon made a show of plugging his ears with his fingers, a serpentine tongue flicked out of his half-smirking mouth. He appeared to be deriving some twisted pleasure from the scene.
“This creature is amusing enough, but he hardly seems fit to take on the hero, indeed.”
The greater demon crossed his arms and tapped his foot.
“The Sandstorm Lord’s job is not to fight the hero.”
“No, indeed? I thought he was going to slaughter humans and spread delicious despair, conflict, and curses for us, indeed.”
“Your personal preferences aside, Lord Green, His Majesty has his own goals.”
“His Majesty’s goals, indeed…”
The man made no response to the apparent implication that the goals were really his.
“I suggest you ask the Holy Woman to put him into a new vessel, indeed.”
The greater demon stretched out his neck and whispered to the man, putting special emphasis on the words “Holy Woman.”
“If only it were that easy.”
The man didn’t seem to approve of the demon lord much more than the demon did.
“Why not, indeed? If you make him serve the Holy Woman, then you would just need to transfer the ‘master’s Fragment’ into a different vessel, indeed?”
“He cannot be made to serve her. The Sandstorm Lord’s demon lord transformation has progressed too much for a false Geist to enslave him. The best we can do is use the Geist that is already on him and the ‘Charm’ skill to reinforce the demon lord army.”
“‘Reinforce,’ indeed…”
The green demon smirked, as if to tell the man that he was well aware that this “reinforcement” was only a front.
“If you wish to reinforce it, why not create another demon lord? Simply find one that is still an egg and take out his Fragment, then put him into a savage criminal to incubate, indeed.”
Thick drool formed in the demon’s mouth; an acidic drop fell and ate through the floor.
“No doubt it would create delicacies the likes of which this world has rarely seen, indeed.”
“Unfortunately, the violet-haired ones are scarce. I searched the neighboring land and only acquired a single one. And that one’s ‘function’ is not suited for battle.”
“Ah yes, that one…just imagine the people’s beloved saint turning into a demon lord before their very eyes. What a rare and delectable scenario, indeed. I can scarcely contain myself just thinking about it, indeed.”
“That is reserved for the very end. We cannot waste it so indiscreetly.”
“A shame, indeed… Very well, then. I shall go forth in search of a new egg, indeed. Please do save the lavish feast for when I return, if you would be so kind, indeed.”
“Lord Green, before you leave, I wish to borrow some underlings.”
“Very well, indeed. I should hate for the demon lord to be destroyed before I return, indeed.”
The greater demon waved an arm, and a string of ominous magic circles appeared around the altar, summoning demons of all shapes and sizes. Though many were lesser, there were a fair number of intermediate demons, too. A few even seemed close to a greater demon in power.
“Lord Green, thank y—”
“This does not seem quite enough, indeed.”
Interrupting the man, the greater demon produced a black core from a separate dimension.
“…Lord Green, wait!”
The demon ignored his panic and tossed the black sphere above the demon lord.
BELHOOOOOVVVD…
Black threads of miasma unspooled from the core and coiled around the demon lord, ripping through his skin and burrowing beneath.
GRAAAAOOOH!
The demon lord howled and thrashed, trying to tear off the threads, but they slipped through his fingers and delved deeper into his body. Sickening sounds of gurgling and smacking filled the altar room, along with soul-rending screams.
As the demon lord thrashed in agony, the doll he had treasured so much was crushed in his hand, the cloth that bound its shape ripping to pieces.
The demon lord’s eyes fixed on the pitiful sight.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAASHURWAKAOOOOOOOO!
The greater demon looked on delightedly as the demon lord screamed in regret and despair.
Before long, the purple skin that had been hidden under the sandy exterior was stained with miasma, turning into a festering black substance like tar.
“Lord Green…”
“What seems to be the trouble, indeed? Now the demon lord is many times stronger than before, indeed. I can scarcely stay still just imagining the hero and his brave friends being slaughtered by the demon lord with the blessing of the great Evil God, indeed.”
The greater demon began dancing about with his demon underlings, ignoring the man’s objections.
Of course, the man knew perfectly well that the demon lord was stronger now.
But because of that, his plan to control the demon lord to release the seal on the Evil God’s Prison was going to be even more difficult.
“No need to worry, indeed. Even if he does fall, the corruption we’ve been growing within the demon lord will spread throughout the prison and plunge it all into the depths of delightful miasma in a matter of moments, indeed.”
“Is that true, Lord Green?”
The man turned to the greater demon.
“But of course, indeed. However, his sense of self will be utterly consumed by the corruption, so it might be best to bring him close to the seal as soon as possible, indeed?”
“Understood. I shall take him there at once.”
“Very good, indeed. The rest of you, do your best to protect the demon lord, indeed.”
With that last order to his underlings, the greater demon transformed into a dark green wyvern and flew away.
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