Chapter 4: The Demon Lord Awakens
Stepping out into the corridor, Diablo confirmed the situation at hand: To the left of the door, he could see a Grasswalker Paladin; his name was Grun. A black wolf had manifested in front of him, probably a Summon of some sort, but it was partially transparent. Was it some sort of magical illusion? It seemed similar to a Summon, but Grun didn’t seem to have used a Summon crystal, and the monster he summoned wasn’t any type of Summon Diablo knew of.
It was some ability Diablo didn’t know about. Perhaps it was another feature that hadn’t been implemented in Cross Reverie. Did Grun summon them with the tome in his hands?
Diablo then shifted his gaze to Horn, who lay crumpled at the right side of the hall. A large amount of blood had seeped out from her ravaged neck.
“Uu...uuu... B-Boss...” Blood trickled down from her lips. It appeared the injuries extended from her lungs.
“Don’t talk.”
Slipping his fingers into his pouch, Diablo turned to face Horn.
—Will I make it in time?
It was the first time he had to use it on someone this grievously wounded, but, if the game’s logic still applied, it should work so long as she wasn’t dead.
The Paladin clicked his tongue. “So, you’re leaving the confessional after all? And after I warned you... You will come to regret that.”
“Wait just a moment, you fool. You will come to rue the day you crossed me.”
Diablo knelt before Horn, pulling a potion tube from his pouch and bringing it to her lips. Horn wasn’t even able to properly drink anymore, however. Recalling the potion should work if spilled over one’s head, Diablo decided that perhaps it would be better to do that, but...
Horn sluggishly moved her lips, swallowing the potion slowly.
“You’re telling me...to wait?” the Paladin spoke to Diablo’s back in irritation. “Do you truly have no idea as to what position you’re in right now...? Aaah, so be it. You would have been executed along with the High Priest anyway. I’ll dispose of you here and now instead.”
The Paladin raised a hand, when suddenly—a green shining projectile, a ?Tempest Arrow?, flew from within the confessional in his direction.
“I won’t let you hurt Diablo and Horn!”
Shera had fired at him, the arrow piercing the wolf. The spot the arrow hit cracked, its outline distorting, but it was hard to tell if it had actually dealt any damage. Shera’s bow was enchanted by the Demon Lord Krebskulm to have a ?Petrification? effect, but it didn’t activate. The wolf either resisted the petrification, or was perhaps immune to it in the first place.
The Paladin turned to look at Shera. “Are you planning on standing in my way?”
“...Of course we are,” Rem answered him, throwing a crystal to the ground.
“Come forth...?Saber Tiger?!”
A tiger with sword-like teeth appeared. However, its fur wasn’t a tiger’s yellow with black stripes, but rather dark with other shades of black as its stripes. It was a new Summon Rem had acquired in Zircon Tower.
“...Hmph.”
Rem’s Saber Tiger lunged in Grun’s direction. Her high level equipment, like the ?Gemstone Gambeson?, increased its abilities, and it sunk its fangs into the wolf in front of Grun. The wolf tried to counterattack, of course, but the Saber Tiger’s attack power was higher, and, after a short exchange of blows, the wolf disappeared.
The feeling of victory was quite pronounced, and Rem, who was usually calm during battle, clenched her fist enthusiastically.
“...What is it, Paladin? Wasn’t I too weak to pose a threat to you?”
Grun flipped through the tome’s pages. “Your Summon is of the earth element. Will it be able to withstand attacks of the wind element? Frey’s Tome, Second Chapter, First Passage —?The Cantering Arm?.”
Three green weasels appeared from within the book this time, their front teeth glittering dangerously. Rem’s eyes widened in surprise as the magically summoned weasels rushed around her Saber Tiger rapidly, gradually mangling and tearing it to bits with their teeth. The Saber Tiger was a fairly durable Summon to begin with and had its stats increased as well, but its HP was still being rapidly depleted. The Summon was beaten, leaving only a black crystal in its wake.
“Hng... He’s strong...” Rem groaned in frustration. But, to her surprise, the Paladin continued reading the book, summoning yet another wolf along with a bear and a large ape.
Shera fired her bow and Rem deployed more Summons, but there were too many opponents to deal with. Rose, who was standing at the edge of the room, manifested her dual-bladed sword out of nowhere.
“Rose will fight to defend Master!”
But Rem jumped before her, just as the Magimatic Maid’s killing intent became palpable.
“...Wait. You’re not thinking of using that thing of yours, are you?”
“Rose will use ?Asterismos? to tear these would-be animals to shreds.”
“...That would be foolish. The floor here is wooden. At worst, you would collapse through it and fall all the way down from the Inner Sanctum.”
Rose stiffened at those words. While her weight right now was equal to that of an armored soldier, she wasn’t quite that heavy. But, if she were to manifest the Magimatic Sol, there was a decent chance the floor wouldn’t be able to withstand her weight. Even Rose wouldn’t be able to survive a fall from the Inner Sanctum unscathed.
Left with no choice, Rose began cutting down the beasts with the dual-bladed sword in her hand.
“Everyone seems to call Rose heavy all the time... Rose is honestly becoming quite aggravated by this.”
“...It’s the truth though.”
Rose swung her sword, as if trying to distract herself. She was plenty strong even like that though...
Their battle raged on, and Grun turned his gaze to Diablo once more.
“However unwillingly, I believe I’ve given you ample time. Are you ready now?”
“Heh... You struggle to handle these women, yet have the gall to challenge me?”
Diablo rose to his feet, trying to intimidate and overpower his foe.
Horn coughed heavily, the warmth returning to her face which had been deathly pale mere moments ago. The potion seemed to have worked.
“Ack... Ah... Th-Thanks, Boss...”
“You’re a mad one. I never thought you’d storm a fortress guarded by Paladins.”
“Ha...haha... I did think it was kinda reckless at first...”
“But, that thing on your neck... Is that the Subjugation Contract?”
Horn nodded silently.
“Do you understand what you’ve done, you little fool? Do you know what this means...?”
“Of course I do. If you die, I’ll die, too.”
“You’ve done a truly idiotic thing... You’ve paid such a steep price, yet you’re not even strong enough to beat a Paladin...”
“That’s not true! I’ve gotten stronger than I could ever become in my whole life! It’s just because I was up against someone I was a bad match against, and he took me by surprise, too!”
Diablo had no means of knowing what Horn’s level was at the moment. If she insisted on it that much, it was probably considerably effective, but...
—Don’t drop this kinda responsibility on me!
He couldn’t restrain his internal terror. He was seriously wondering if the damn collar didn’t have some sort of cooldown period. The Subjugation Contract was never implemented in Cross Reverie, so Diablo didn’t know the particulars of how it worked. But a Demon Lord wouldn’t fret over having more followers. If a Demon Lord died, the Fallen would significantly lose their power and the population of Magical Beasts would diminish. A Demon Lord was always a being who carried the weight of many lives on his shoulders.
—But I was always the type to get depressed when my in-game pets died...
Horn hung her head. “Am I a bother to you, Boss...?”
“Mm?”
“I... I wanted to save everyone...so I thought about it real hard, and tried my best to act on it, but... Heh... I’m so stupid. You could have come out of that cell whenever you wanted, Boss. You got caught because you had a plan...”
True, an iron door wouldn’t be able to hold Diablo back. That was probably why the Church stationed Paladins to watch over their cell. They had Lumachina closed in another room so they could hold her hostage as well.
Horn’s words made a low-pitched laugh escape Grun’s lips.
“Heh, heheh... Your actions were more than just a fool’s errand, girl. You dug your friends’ graves with your own two hands. They wouldn’t have left the cell if it weren’t for you coming here. If you hadn’t come... they’d have been spared from dying by my hand.”
“Ugh, uuu...”
“Your thoughtless, wasted efforts only brought trouble upon your friends. You’re worse than powerless—you’re a burden. Though, I suppose you realizing that now does come a few moments too late...”
“Nnng!” Tears rolled down Horn’s cheeks.
“Wrong! That’s not true!” Diablo shouted, clenching his chest as his fists shook with anger.
“Wh... What?” Horn’s crying expression turned to one of shock.
“Pay him no heed, Horn. There is no doubt that you’ve saved us!”
“Saved you?” Grun scoffed at those words. “How? Even if you try covering up for your friend’s flaws, your words make no sense. Nothing that good-for-nothing girl did has helped you in any way.”
“No. She has awakened me and opened my eyes.”
“Huh?”
“I believed this whole matter is the High Priest’s problem. I was merely lending Lumachina my aid, which is why I prioritized her wishes. But she’s too kind, to a fault, and far too weak to fight against these vipers you call ‘leaders.’ Her purity is precious, and should be protected. But it can’t serve her when fighting others. I already knew that, yet...I acted like I was some kind of follower, a believer! I had lulled my senses and beliefs to sleep.”
“While I do agree the High Priest is sheltered and ignorant... You claim your so-called ‘awakening’ can change things. Can you not see how overblown your confidence is?”
“Oh, my awakening will definitely change things around.”
“Nonsense. You’re going to die right here.”
“Come to think of it...I did promise to make you rue the day you crossed me, didn’t I?”
“You can keep your pathetic delusions to yourself. I’ve no intention of playing along with your meaningless bravado.”
“Heheheh...” Diablo chuckled with a low voice, then turned to Horn. “You thought things out on your own and acted upon your decisions... It wasn’t your results, but your desire to act that opened my eyes. Take pride, little one—you have awakened the Demon Lord!”
“Boss...” Horn wiped the tears from her eyes.
—I really did dull my senses...
Diablo was filled with bitter shame. If he had the ?Return by Death? ability, he would redo this morning to undo this pathetic approach of his. A peaceful approach like trying to thrust evidence before the eyes of the corrupt was terribly un-Demon-Lord-like of him, and they were all naïve to think the crafty felons of the Cardinal Authority didn’t have a plan to talk their way out of every accusation.
They were far too naïve; pathetically green. Greener than a slime hiding in a patch of grass! Diablo had all the experience in the world when it came to fighting enemies, but no knowledge at all when it came to winning power struggles, and that cost them the initiative they had had. But he wouldn’t hesitate anymore. He would take the best possible route to secure victory.
“Let me show you how a Demon Lord resolves problems.”
“A Demon Lord? All I see is a laughable idiot. You’re not fooling me; you’re a mere Elemental Sorcerer.”
A shiver ran down Diablo’s spine. Grun’s taunt filled him with fighting spirit. When he was playing Cross Reverie, he had run into opponents who ridiculed him like this before while he was role playing as a Demon Lord. Diablo answered those fools who couldn’t realize the elegance of his act saying:
“Then I will show you with actions, not words, the true meaning of power...like this!”
Diablo aimed the Tonnerre Empereur at his opponent. But Grun wasn’t about to let him do as he pleased, of course.
“You prattle too much, bungling Sorcerer. I’m already more than prepared! Come on out, Noah’s Tome—from the preface to the epilogue, I call forth all the beasts!”
A horde of black beasts appeared, appearing less like a group and more like a writhing mass of claws and fangs. As it drew closer, cracks immediately formed along the walls, floor, and ceiling as they were gouged and scratched at, rendering the scene into a terrible, gruesome sight.
The mass lunged at the two.
“Eee!?” Horn gave a small screech of terror behind Diablo.
“Your paltry party tricks do not impress me, Paladin! ?Flare Burst?!”
It was a fire element spell that served as the improved version of ?Explosion?. Diablo tried curbing the spell’s power since they were inside a building.
Grun’s lips curved up into a smile. A screech rose from the lump as the spell made contact, but only a few beasts fell from it, burning to death.
Diablo’s eyes widened in surprise. “Only the beasts on the outer layer took damage...!?”
Normally, any group of animals would be completely eradicated from taking that spell at point-blank range. But the spell didn’t scatter or penetrate the lump of beasts. It was as if the few beasts it did hit had absorbed the blast. The logic behind it wasn’t quite clear to Diablo yet, but it appeared it was a special type of monster, like it had multiple life bars.
The writhing mass had drawn closer to Diablo, charging before his very eyes.
“You’re far too inexperienced, Sorcerer!” Grun cried out. “Now be consumed by my beasts and die!”
“Diablo!”
“N-Nooo!”
Even Rem and Shera had screamed in terror.
—Stop panicking, will you? Don’t you know there’s no way I’d lose to something like this?
“?Chain Lightning?!”
It was a lightning element attack that jumped from one target to the next. Since it moved at lightning-fast speed, the spell gave the impression it annihilated several opponents at once, and, with each individual beast’s HP not being particularly high, sparks flew with a distinctive buzzing sound, a few of them screeching in pain. Countless beasts collapsed on the corridor floor, eventually dissipating. Like Diablo had thought, they were something like Summons created by magic.
“My Summons!?” This time, it was Grun whose eyes went wide with shock.
“Heheheh... What’s wrong? Wasn’t I a bungling Sorcerer? Your tricks are unusual, I’ll admit, but are nothing special.”
“Me!? Not special!?”
“That’s what I said. Is your hearing shot, old man?”
“I’ll kill you!”
Grun kicked the ground, his blade drawing closer to Diablo. At some point, he had drawn the sword at his waist.
—He’s quick!
Unable to block the blow, Diablo stepped back reflexively. It wasn’t a conscious attempt at evasion, but rather the reflexes he had developed in his everyday life. He should have been able to avoid it—but the sword suddenly extended in his direction, cutting Diablo across the chest.
“You little...!?”
Grun’s whole stunt with the book and the beasts was just a sideshow. His true abilities were that of a speed-type Warrior!
Grun’s eyes were opened terribly wide, the blood vessels in them sticking out as the white of his eyes turned red. His mouth was also open wide, revealing rows of diagonal, sharp teeth as his saliva frothed in rage. He was in a completely berserk state, the opposite of his former, intellectual appearance. He was more feral than any of the beasts in his books.
“Gaaah! You dodged iiit! You dodged my ?Sword Smite IV?! Doooooodged iiit!”
“You did it now, you crazy geezer!”
“Your head, I’ll have your heeeeeead!”
But as he screamed, he lowered the sword to his waist. He had pulled a feint on Diablo, pretending to strike from above when he actually slashed from below.
But there was no way such an experienced swordsman would make do with such childish tricks. Drawing on the experience he had gained from countless battles, Diablo already knew what Grun was planning. He’d have no choice but to step backward if he was to dodge a horizontal slash to his knees, all while Horn stood a short distance behind him. Horn’s back was to the wall, and she had nowhere to run. While the Subjugation Contract may have increased Horn’s level, she still probably didn’t have the agility to dodge a slash from a Paladin. Grun would, in all likelihood, aim for Horn, and Diablo would have to take the blow to protect her. That was his plan.
“You underestimate a Demon Lord’s strength, Paladin!”
Diablo didn’t dodge, and Grun’s sword cut into his right knee.
“Fool!”
“You’re the only fool here! ?Absolute Zero?!”
Withstanding the slash with his massive HP pool, Diablo used a spell that required contact with the target. It was the same tactic he had employed against the Paladin Captain Batutta and the Fallen woman with the ability to attack from the shadows.
Diablo flung a fist at a speed surpassing that of the average warrior and—touched only air.
“What...!?”
Grun had slashed at Diablo’s knee, and at the last moment moved away.
—This guy’s the fastest Warrior I’ve ever faced in this world!
Grun pulled another sword from his waist; he was a dual-wielder.
“Playtime is over, boy. This time I really will claim your head.”
“Heheheh... Good... Terrific. Anything less would bore me. Give me more! Show me everything you have at your disposal!”
“I’ll assume this insipid drivel is your last will and testament.”
He charged at Diablo again, chaining his already swift attacks into a flurry of combos. Keeping track of his slashes was becoming increasingly difficult. On top of that, Grun had added yet another attack into the mix.
“Helena’s Tome—from the preface to the epilogue, I call forth all the beasts!”
He now had yet another mass of beasts at his back. It was impossible to discern just how many were there.
Diablo smirked indomitably. “I’ve been waiting for that, Paladin.”
“What!?”
“Now I can fire my spells without concern. After all, if I unleashed my full power, I’d blast through the building.”
So long as he didn’t know where Lumachina was, he couldn’t afford to take that risk. However, even a powerful attack would only defeat the monsters on the mass’s surface. Still, Diablo chanted his spell all the same.
“?Rock Cannon?!”
A rock large enough to fill the hallway appeared, heading toward Grun who had leapt toward Diablo. When he fought an earth element Fallen once, she had pelted a pebble at him, which was a level 70 spell called ?Sling Diamond?. What Diablo had just used was the improved version of that: a level 130 earth element spell.
The rock’s impact shook the entire Inner Sanctum. Even Horn, Rem, and Shera raised terrified screams. Rose was the only one who remained calm.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!” Grun slashed at the massive stone rolling his way with his blade.
He was quick—very quick, but speed alone wouldn’t enable a sword to cut through stone.
The blade snapped—
Scrunch!
—and a faint crunching sound filled the hallway. The giant rock hit the mass of creatures that was behind Grun’s back, and, leaving behind the crushed corpses of several of the monsters, disappeared as the spell wore off.
Diablo then finished off what monsters remained with Chain Lightning. They were easy enough to handle once you realized how to deal with them.
Grun lay collapsed on the crumbling floor.
“U... Ugh...”
“You’re still alive. You’re tougher than I thought.”
“Impossible... Magic can’t produce a rock I’d be incapable of cutting... That’s...completely unheard of...”
“Hmph. If we weren’t in such a cramped space, I’d have decimated you with a spell powerful enough to level a town.”
“A Demon Lord... I thought your words to be shallow, but it seems...you really did have such power. It seems my assumptions were mistaken... But, you will still lose...”
“Oh?”
“You still don’t know the High Priest’s whereabouts, do you? Vishos will show you no mercy... That’s the type of man he is. He will take her hostage...and dispose of you fools...”
“So, you know Vishos is a villain. Then why side with him? Money?”
“Once you know the truth, it becomes impossible... Having seen those kind-hearted, pure fools... I could no longer stay on the side of those who are devoured...”
“Now you’re on the side that devours others.”
“But I misjudged my powers...and the plans for my life...went awry, it seems. I planned to retire comfortably...but that’s gone now, isn’t it...? Well, either way...you’ll never beat Vishos... You’re all fools...”
“Heheheh... Did I not tell you? I am a Demon Lord! If you lowlifes would deceive and wrongfully use the believers, I’ll simply take advantage of them through even more nefarious methods than you could ever think of!”
“Take advantage of the...believers? What are you sayi—ack!” Breathing wildly, Grun’s expression contorted in agony. “Aaah... Aaah... I would have wished...to see the shame in your eyes as you fail... But it seems...this is the end for me...”
After pausing in thought for a moment, Diablo parted his lips to speak. “I have a healing potion here, like the one that saved Horn from death. If you beg for your life, I might—”
“Surely you jest. As if I would ever do something so shameful...and besmirch my final moments... That’s why you’re a...whelp! The Tome of Erma, Epilogue. Fangs of the Night, devour me!”
“What!?”
One of the books scattered across the floor had flipped open, and a maned black dog burst out of it—a hyena. It began consuming Grun’s body, as if to devour him.
“Explosion!”
Diablo pointed his staff at the creature, blowing it away. The beast disappeared, but Grun’s body was gone as well, along with Grun’s books.
“Is he...dead...?” Horn whispered.
“So it would seem.”
Rem and the other two stepped out of the confessional.
“...This is what fighting to the death means. The enemy may be one from the races, or some sort of monster, but if we don’t defeat it, we’ll be the ones to lose our lives. Getting stronger means choosing to stand on the side of those who kill. Do you understand that now, Horn?”
“Y-Yeah...”
“...I honestly hope you do.”
Shera pointed down the hall. “Anyway, we have to go find Lumachina!”
Rose stepped out of the cell as well, the floor creaking in protest with every step she took.
“Is Master hurt?”
“Just a scratch, nothing a potion can’t fix. Besides, it seems like the floor can’t withstand your weight for long, Rose. Let’s go.”
Rem asked him what he was planning to do now, and he simply replied with a daring smile that showed he was going to do something worthy of a Demon Lord.
†
The night sky above the plaza suddenly filled up with countless orbs of light. A black cloaked man with horns on his head levitated in the air with his back to the light.
“Hear me, foolish children of the races!” Diablo called out. His voice, magnified by magic, made anyone who was still asleep jolt awake in surprise.
The twelfth District’s civilians, the believers, all rushed into the square with a surprised, “What’s going on!?” The White Masks in the Inner Sanctum also leaned out their windows, looking over what was happening. Diablo directed the magical illumination their way, making sure he had everyone’s attention.
—Aww, dammit, I’m getting cold feet here...
Diablo was actually incredibly bad when it came to appearing before large crowds like this. When he realized so many people were looking at him, his mind went blank and his breath got stuck in his throat. A cold sweat ran down his spine. But he needed to have everyone’s attention if his performance was to work.
He could hear his heart beating like drums.
—Gotta calm down... Right now, you’re Diablo, the Demon Lord Diablo. A Demon Lord would stand in front of a crowd proudly. A Demon Lord never cowers, never flinches away! Now laugh!
“Fuahahahahaha!!!”
He could hear people whispering around him but ignored it. The moment he let it get to him, he would lose.
Diablo continued his Demon Lord role play. “I am the Demon Lord Diablo! You have lost sight of your true faith and desired destruction. In doing so, you have beckoned me to this world!”
“Th-The Demon Lord!?” “It can’t be!” “The Fallen could never break the city’s barrier!”
The believers all voiced different opinions and objections, but Diablo knew words alone wouldn’t convince them. So, before beginning his speech, he drank a booster-type potion.
“You fools who cannot even tell friend from foe—I have no reason to forgive your existences any longer!” Diablo brandished the Tonnerre Empereur. “?Lightning Meteor?!”
Bolts of lightning tore across the night sky. Electricity rained down on the surroundings, hitting the trees, statues, and works of art that adorned the plaza. Lightning hit them repeatedly, for Diablo had designated them as his targets ahead of time. The believers screamed in terror, running about in a panic. Many others knelt down, devoting themselves to prayer, hoping the Lord would protect them and banish this evil that had descended upon them.
—Having them rely on prayer is all part of the plan. Everything’s going smoothly...
There were also some among them who possessed fighting capabilities, sending flying Summons toward him or firing arrows his way.
But Diablo merely silenced them. “One more—Lightning Meteor!”
This time the lightning struck at the ground beneath the believers who had attacked him. There were many targets, so even a slight miscalculation would have gotten someone hurt... But these followers had captured and intended to execute him just a short while ago, as well as attacking him right now with the intent to take his life. Ignorance and helplessness were no excuses, and no reasons for him to defend them; but he did, if nothing else, make an effort to not kill anyone. Though, he did think anyone unlucky enough to get hit would have no one to blame but their own misfortune. He may be a level 150 Sorcerer, but he wasn’t almighty.
The believers, who had no way of knowing the effort Diablo was putting in, ran around in a panic, believing themselves to be in the middle of a massacre. Many tried running, while others simply prayed. With every spell Diablo fired, more and more people became convinced they were beholding the Demon Lord’s advent.
Someone stepped out of the Inner Sanctum, shouting loudly from the balcony.
“The frig!? Who do ya think you’re fooling, ya idiot!”
It was a Pantherian Paladin, with a war axe in hand. If Diablo recalled correctly, this was Grun’s partner, Gatreth. He had seen Gatreth when they were kept away in the confessional.
“Finally... Wasn’t sure what I’d do if they didn’t come out...” Diablo murmured under his breath, then raised his voice, continuing along his script. “Fuahahahaha! You sic your puny, would-be Paladins on me, believing they could be my match!? Fools! If you wish to defeat me, nothing but a High Priest would do! Or have you relied on the Cardinal Authority instead!?”
“Who d’ya think you’re calling puny, peabrain!?”
It was evident he was the type of person who didn’t listen to people the whole way through. This Paladin was clearly all brawn and no brains.
“I’ll knock ya down from there, ya stupid jester!” Gatreth swung his battle axe with a roar: “?Slash Axe?!”
A blade shining with gold flew Diablo’s way. Gatreth’s level was rather considerable, it seemed, but a Martial Art launched from such a long range was easy enough to avoid. Or so Diablo thought, but the blade curved about after he dodged it, once again flying his way.
“It can track me!?”
“Drop dead, moron!”
“Hmph! ?Sylph Shield?!”
The air around Diablo coalesced into a shield, deflecting the martial art.
—That’s a pretty neat trick for a dumb Pantherian.
Diablo smirked. The desire to challenge Gatreth in close quarters combat itched at his heart, but now wasn’t the time to struggle in a battle against someone. A Demon Lord would have to be overwhelming; only a being as indomitable and immense as that could strike terror in the hearts of men.
Diablo recalled the Inner Sanctum’s structure, trying to remember Gatreth’s current location compared to those who were around him. There shouldn’t have been anyone near him now, so Diablo surmised destroying some of the area shouldn’t be too terrible, but also didn’t have the leisure to hold back.
“Know a Demon Lord’s true power! Hear me, darkness, eradicate all that exists! ?Darkness Rain?!”
Countless black arrows appeared, raining down on Gatreth.
“Guaaah!?” Diablo heard him scream.
—Hmm? The effect’s more plain than I imagined it’d be...
He used dark element magic because he figured it’d be more fitting for a Demon Lord, but the effect was much tamer compared to the game. You couldn’t even see black arrows in the night! The spells that gave off sparkling, blinding lights were much more, well, flashy, after all.
“?Lightning Escalation?!”
Diablo chanted another spell. Several balls of light, made from condensed magical energy, flew into the air. They sparkled brightly, and, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder, filled the hearts of all who watched them with terror.
Having been brought to his knees by Darkness Rain, Gatreth rose to his knees with an “Oooh!” and began swinging his war axe at the balls of light, fanning them away.
—No, don’t move them, you idiot!
The balls struck the Inner Sanctum, making pieces of it crumble down spectacularly. Diablo was gunning for making a show of things, but not this much.
The believers all screeched in terror, as if their very bodies were being injured. The Inner Sanctum just meant that much to them. Seeing their reactions, Diablo sent another spell into an abandoned section of the Inner Sanctum.
“Fuahahaha! Cower in the face of the Demon Lord! ?Lightning Arrow?!”
Small bullets of light gradually chipped away at the Inner Sanctum.
“Stop and fight me like a man, ya coward!” Gatreth lunged at him again.
“Be quiet, small-fry! Flare Burst!”
“Ugaaaaaa!?” Gatreth screamed, being blown away by a spell powerful enough to defeat even the Fallen.
—Whoops, was that too strong? Well, I can’t exactly hold back against a Paladin...
That said, he couldn’t just go all out and end everything in the blink of an eye. If he did things too quickly, the civilians wouldn’t be able to keep track of what was going on. He would have to take time and make his power abundantly clear to the believers.
A white light enveloped Gatreth, who had fallen to his knees; it was a healing miracle.
—Oh, here come his buddies.
Three other Paladins had appeared, the ones who had protected Vishos as he descended from the Inner Sanctum when Diablo found the plaza earlier. They all drew their swords, each preparing their own techniques and Martial Arts.
“What damned soul would damage our holy Inner Sanctum!? Just who are you!?”
“Heheheh... I am the Demon Lord! I have descended upon this plane to bring about the end times you’ve so desperately wished for! You Paladins are but a speck of dust to me! If you wish to defeat me, bring forth someone closer to God!”
—Just bring out Lumachina already... Or Vishos, he’d do as well. Either of them will let me advance to the next page of the script.
Gatreth had fully recovered, after he was silenced. The number of Paladins challenging Diablo had now increased to four. If every one of them was as strong as Grun, beating them might be difficult, but using a spell too strong may bring the whole Inner Sanctum crashing down. Diablo would have to be careful.
He swung his staff. “Crush them—?Dark Press?!”
“Nughaaaaaa!?” Gatreth moaned as he was being pressed against the floor. “My super pecs won’t loooooose!”
But then, one of the Paladins waved his hand. “Save us, oh Lord! ?Dispel?!”
A flash of white light undid the effects of the Dark Press spell.
—Alrighty, that’s their healer.
“I’ll start with you!” Diablo took aim. “Flare Burst!”
†
Having taken several blasts of magic, the Paladins all lay defeated.
—Gotta admit, that was kinda anticlimactic...
Apparently, that was all a group of level 100s could amount to. The Paladin Captain Batutta and Faltra’s governor Galford were a different story, but normal Paladins couldn’t hope to match Diablo. Grun was surprisingly strong, but...
Either way, the Paladins didn’t get up to challenge him again. The believers all raised screams of despair, seeing the Paladins—the powerful knights that protected the Church—defeated.
“Wahahahaha!” Diablo laughed loudly. “Is that all you’ve got!? So I suppose you fools don’t mind meeting your ruin by my magic!”
—Now!
Diablo flapped his cloak, the Sojourn of Darkness. It had the effect of inflicting the Fear status ailment on all opponents. It was the first time he would use it in this world, and wasn’t sure how that would exactly come into play here...
But the believers began crying and moaning in despair, their behavior turning into a panicked pandemonium.
—Isn’t the effect a bit too strong?
Diablo thrust his staff in the Inner Sanctum’s direction; that was his primary objective. He needed to make the White Masks begin to act. The White Masks, who had looked down at what was going on, shivered in fear when they realized they were his targets now, and ran further inside. But, since the Inner Sanctum was levitating in the air, they didn’t really have anywhere to hide, and using the Floating Corridor would be the same as offering themselves up to Diablo. Of course, Diablo didn’t have any intention of destroying the whole place... But, that said, he had to rush the White Masks to act. Otherwise, he’d have to wait until morning as they cowered. Was it time to use something even more aggressive? But if his spell hurt Lumachina by mistake...
As Diablo deliberated, the believers began stirring in surprise.
“Oooh... It’s the High Priest!” Diablo heard them say.
He shifted the magical illumination around, seeking the source of the disturbance.
There she was...
“Lumachina!” he found himself calling out to her.
She had appeared on the balcony where the Paladin lay toppled, surrounded by White Masks. They had apparently taken her out of the confessional.
“Is this the outcome our deeds have brought about?” she spoke in a strict tone, directing a severe look at Diablo.
—Does she hate me now? Makes sense if she does... I did wreck her precious Inner Sanctum and knock a few Paladins out of commission...
Seeing a friend look at him so coldly was harsher than he imagined it would be, but this was the best solution he could think of.
—Now for the most important part!
All the actors had finally assembled. He would have wanted Vishos or the rest of the Cardinal Authority to be here for this, too, but since the believers couldn’t bring them out, he’d have to make do anyway.
He’d still make use of their absence; leaving no stone unturned was part of his pride as a Demon Lord—no, as a gamer!
“Heheheh... So you finally show your face, High Priest! What about your friends from the Cardinal Authority!? I thought they’d be here, with how self-important they always make themselves to be!”
“Th... They’re gone...” one of the White Masks answered with a shaking voice.
“They’re what?”
“Uuu... When the Cardinal Authority heard the Paladins were fighting the Demon Lord...they...they fled the Inner Sanctum! They’re long gone!” the White mask whimpered.
“Fool, do you speak the truth...!?”
“I wouldn’t lie to the Demon Lord, would I!?” the man shouted, then removed his white mask. Exposing his face meant he was willing to take responsibility for his words. “The Cardinal Authority swore me to secrecy, but I can’t... I have to tell everyone! They fled the Inner Sanctum! They left us behind...and ran from the Inner Sanctum all on their own!”
The believers’ commotion became far louder than when Diablo used his magic, or when the Paladins were defeated. The Cardinal Authority were even worse scum than he imagined them to be.
—Even a shut-in NEET like me thinks they’re nasty...
To think they used the Paladins’ fight as cover to turn tail and run away... Even Diablo couldn’t notice what was going on in the depths of the Inner Sanctum in the midst of battle.
Someone had jumped out of the Inner Sanctum—it was a large, flying insect Summon known as ?Dragonfly?. A black-haired girl—Rem—grabbed onto it and flew down from the Inner Sanctum, though her descent was so rapid it was more like she was falling.
As always, she was extremely agile. Rem choosing to act now, at this timing, meant she was probably pursuing the Cardinal Authority. Diablo decided he can leave that matter to her, and focused on his performance at full force.
“Kehehehe... Fuahahahaha!!! The fools! You’ve all lost sight of your true faith! You worshiped God while failing to uphold his teachings, and revered the type of jackals who would abandon you in your time of plight!”
“And that is why you have descended upon us as the Demon Lord?” Lumachina asked.
Finally, the performance became “The High Priest vs The Demon Lord.” Everything was going swimmingly so far.
—Now it’s time for me to lose spectacularly!
It was all going according to plan: A powerful Demon Lord would beat the Paladins, scare off the Cardinal Authority (though he hadn’t exactly planned for that), then be defeated by the High Priest. That would make the believers realize who was truly the head of the Church—such was the plan.
Lumachina was innocent and naïve, so she probably hadn’t realized Diablo was acting. But, if he would use some powerful magic, she would no doubt rush to protect the surrounding believers. Diablo would then drop a bolt of lightning on himself and pretend to have been beaten.
—The perfect plan.
Diablo found himself praising his own idea. It was important to make himself seem like a terrible, indomitable Demon Lord to make Lumachina’s victory over him be all the more impressive.
Diablo tightened the grasp on his staff.
“You fools who pretend to be believers...you should have noticed. It was never a matter of who was speaking... It was a matter of what they said! You interpreted the Cardinal Authority’s shady words in a way that benefited you, and turned your eyes from the true words! You ignored the words of God and dyed your hands in vice!”
“That’s wrong! They deceived us!” “That’s right, it’s not my fault!” “What would a Demon Lord even know!?”
The believers shouted back at him. And true enough, they were indeed deceived. There was room to sympathize with them...but Diablo instead decided to drive them into a corner, emotionally. That would only make them all the more grateful when they were saved.
“Heheh... So you claim it was deception. But you fools never even tried discovering the truth. You chose to side with villains, clinging to their comforting words over devoting yourselves to the greatest penance possible: thinking on your own! What else could it be but blasphemy against God!?”
Many believers hung their heads shamefully. They knew Lumachina had confronted the corrupt Cardinal Authority with evidence of the Authority’s crimes, but still allowed Vishos to incite and turn them against her. Now that it had been made clear the Cardinal Authority were all villains, the only emotion in the believers’ hearts was deep regret. Breaking them was incredibly easy.
“Your greatest sin was never stopping to examine the words you’ve been told. You let others do all the thinking for you!” Diablo proclaimed.
Some fell to their knees, praising the Lord reverently, while others mouthed words of apology to the High Priest. That would do for preparations.
“I am a Demon Lord...” Diablo turned his gaze to Lumachina. “I have come to pass judgment on those who have abandoned their faith in God. All of you, equally, will die.”
The believers screamed in sorrow and fear, and Lumachina would calm them—at least, that was the plan.
She nodded. “Very well.”
—Whaaa!? Did she just call my bluff!?
A crack ran through Diablo’s perfect idea. He could almost hear the sound of the cogs of his master plan fall out of alignment.
“Hear me, everyone,” Lumachina spoke in a clear, loud voice so all those present could hear. “Lord Diablo is the Demon Lord, and our God, both at once. He has come to pass judgment on us. He presents us with truth, to test our faith. The result of that was...as you all sadly know... Many of us have sinned and erred in our ways. The time to atone is upon us now. We will all equally ascend to Heaven, and I will go alongside you, if that will save your souls. We mustn’t bemoan this fate, because we will all be granted salvation. The Lord loves all that live equally. Even if our bodies may be lost, it is but a chance for our souls to atone, to be reborn and start life anew as a blank slate. Our souls will be purged of all sin, so we must not despair, but show gratitude... We must know that this great ordeal has shown us the error of our ways, and put us back on the right path! Hallelujah! For we have all come one step closer to our God’s great will. Hallelujah, to our new start! Let us give thanks for our new life, and set out on this great journey together!”
The believers shed tears, weeping with gratitude. Even Diablo found himself stirring with emotion.
—Wait, no! At this rate, I’ll have no choice but to slaughter everyone!
Taking his Demon Lord role play to the point of massacre went far beyond being a joke. Diablo could tell he’d broken into a cold sweat, and his breath was becoming more and more erratic. The words “Aww crap aww crap aww crap” were running around in his head. There was no way he could actually kill these people, but the believers were all convinced dying by his hand would be their salvation. He certainly couldn’t turn Lumachina’s words into lies, for if he’d do that, the Church truly would be left without a leader. The Church was one of the pillars that supported Lyferia; an upheaval now, when the real Demon Lord had awakened in the west, would spell doom for the mortal races.
—My role playing is going to doom the races!?
Diablo felt as if the distress and panic would make steam come out of his ears. But, he simply laughed.
“Fuahahahaha!!! You have done well to surmise my true intentions!”
There was no plan to follow anymore. He instead tried talking his way into escaping this predicament. In other words—subterfuge!
Diablo prattled on, leaving no place for anyone to say anything.
“I see my intentions weren’t lost on you! I’ve longed to see you acknowledge your sins, repent and rekindle your faith in God’s endless love! That is what I’ve sought! The emotion now burning in your hearts! That is your true faith!”
—I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I? Embarrassing myself in public! There’s no way they won’t see through such a shoddy lie!
The believers’ gazes all swerved in Diablo’s direction. He’d expected cold, jeering leers...but they were all choked with tears of gratitude. They all wept, praising God without exception.
“Ooooooh, our great God! Shine your light upon us!”
Everyone’s eyes were pure and repentant. It was such an obvious lie, but they all believed it, shockingly enough. Filled with emotion, some of the believers all began singing hymns. Others, hearing that, began singing out loud, thanking God as they did.
“Aaah, My Lord...” Lumachina knelt down on the slanted balcony. “I shudder at your love for us all!”
—And I’m shuddering at the cringe-worthy thing I just said!
The time was right, and knowing when to retreat was crucial. Diablo levitated upward to the sky.
“Take what happened here to heart, children of man! Should you ever stray from the right path again and repeat your sins, I shall descend once more to set this world ablaze!”
There was no need to rush, but if he lingered too long, it would make his performance less credible. It was the first time in his life he had ever thought so much about God.
—How does God make his exit, anyway!?
His boots consumed his MP and allowed him to fly. That on its own was fine, but Diablo never flew so high up with them. Getting up to the clouds was probably too much, but, for now, he flew to the east.
The dark clouds cleared away, and sunlight streamed down on the plaza, undisturbed. A single ray of light shined down, as if forming a trail up to the heavenly sphere.
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