The Lazy King Chapter 2: Avaritia

The Lazy King Chapter 2: Avaritia

Part 1: Pile up all the Glory and Treasure

Well, well. I guess Boss Leigie’s the same as always.

I had only talked to him for a few minutes, but he’s already tired me out. I took a deep sigh as I departed from the room of the Demon Lord of Acedia.

The same.
That’s my only impression of him.

It’s already been ten years since I enlisted in this guy’s army.
From a Demon’s perspective, a measly ten years is nothing, and it’s a fact that I’ve been alive for far more than a thousand.
I’m a demon who reigns over 『Avaritia』- Deije Breindac, and I think I’m following quite a nice path as a demon.
I was already used to leading armies before I was appointed to one here, and my usable Mana is in the higher ranks compared to the others. From the moment I was born, I was able to keep on building up my greed, and my Cla.s.s is advancing at a nice rate. I even have some confidence in regards to battle.
That’s why I’ve managed to thoroughly crush the armies of other lands so easily, and the targets of my desire… treasure and glory, come to me all too easily.
But still…
The amount of times I’ve had audiences is enough to count on all of my hands, but Boss hasn’t remembered my face or name. I’m putting shame to the name of Deije the Usurper.

Ki ki ki, well, I’m dealing with the Demon Lord who governs depravity and sloth, so I guess there’s no helping it.

I mean, isn’t Boss Leigie the most depraved of all of us? I’ve been around for a long time, but I’ve never seen him leave his room once. He must have a natural disposition for this. I guess 『Demon Lords』 really are a cut above the rest.
Well, I’ve never seen a Demon Lord like this one before, though.

The Castle of Shadows.

It’s the base of one in service to the greatest power of the Demon World, the King of Destruction, Kanon.
The castle of Demon Lord Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls was also the most important point for his armies. Its width far surpa.s.ses that of Kanon’s Castle, the Palace of Rending Flames.
It wasn’t extravagant, but to match Sloth, who he governs over, the entire castle was built st.u.r.dy.
In truth, most of the men the Great Demon King dispatch are within the Castle of Shadows. Even the Great Demon Lord’s armies don’t put the vast land they have to good use.

I open the door of the personal room granted to me. It’s quite a large door.
The room I was granted was much larger than the one boss uses. It’s ‘cuz he has no desires. I wonder how he keeps up as a Demon like that.
Well, that’s why the affinities of Greed and Sloth are so good.

When I stepped in, I made sure to firmly lock the door behind me before inspecting the sword I had received.

The Demon Blade Celeste.

Once a possession of the Great Demon King, it is a top cla.s.s item. It’s an item with quite a history behind it. If you ask about its shape, it’s an Orthodox Longsword. Its deep crimson double-edged blade looked as if it had manifested in the flames of h.e.l.l itself, and its hilt is decorated with a dragonic pattern. Its blade and handle, and even the scabbard, are died in a blood-like red.
I don’t mean to brag, but I have quite an eye for appraising items. Ki ki ki, it’s because it’s the target of my desire. Of course I would put some effort into studying it.

And from my observations, it’s definitely the real deal.
It’s the legendary Demon Blade said to have carved up a dragon in a single swing. I unsheathed it and trace my finger down the deep red metal.
Its true power lies not as a sword, though it works sufficiently as one as well. However, it has more meaning when used as a magic tool.
The magic I can sense emanating from the body of the blade is greater than any other Demon Blade in my possession by monstrous proportions. It isn’t something a General Cla.s.s Demon like me should be holding. It truly is Demon Lord Cla.s.s. I guess it’s because the Great Demon King was trying to get the Boss to accept it. It has to have quite a high rank.

Ah, this is no good. Pride ain’t my territory.
I caution myself. When feelings, when desires gets stronger, then one’s power as a demon will rise. I still haven’t fulfilled my greed. I’m not satisfied yet.

I use one of the Greed Series Skills, Big Pocket, to store the blade in another dimension.
As long as my desire remains unfulfilled, the capacity of that s.p.a.ce will continue to grow without end. From the time I came to this army, this is the third time the Boss’s given me equipment.
And all of them were things Leigie received from the Great Demon King, so they’re all first-cla.s.s. This isn’t the type of item I can find from digging around in the treasury of some defeated foreign lord. Of course it isn’t. Things from the Great Demon King’s cellar are literally pouring into my hands from all directions.
That’s why I’m glad I joined this army. Even if the other Demon Lords don’t have the attribute of 『Greed』, it would never be this easy. As I thought, I’ll work well with our drive-less lazy king. This is my perfect hunting ground.

But today’s main dish isn’t even the SSS Cla.s.s Demon Blade. Today’s meal is the true, largest reason I joined this Legion.
I took out the Skeleton-shaped doll I received and placed it on the Table.

Leigie of the Slaughter Dolls.

A lazy lord, and a rare one who governed the attribute of Sloth; uncommon among the subordinates of Kanon.
No one in this world has ever witnessed boss fighting on the battlefield. In the first place, the details of the Sloth Series skills aren’t really clear, but the only thing widely known about them is their skill to make these dolls of ma.s.s destruction. That, and the dolls themselves.
I’ve met one of these dolls on the battlefield once before. At that time, our blades mingled, and I was able to confirm it. I don’t know the numbers this skill can give life to, but… it would definitely be able to control the demon world.
That’s just how strong the Doll is.
That creation was a weapon personally owned by a famous Demon Lord.

Even if I say I have some confidence in my power, I’m nowhere near the realm of Demon lords, and I can see that the doll is the same. This one’s only just been born, but… it truly is a cut above the rest.
It may possess a power surpa.s.sing the sword sent personally by the Great Demon King.

But it’s still a child. If I continue to raise this one, it may become my right hand man.
Ki ki ki, my greed is too deep for it to be satisfied by me alone. Isn’t it time for me to get myself another body to aid me?

What was once an ordinary candlestick holder now stood firmly on two legs, as it gazed at me with its hollow eye sockets.
Cla.s.s: 『Slaughter Doll』
It truly feels like it possesses its own will. There are numerous Demon Skills that can bring about life, but they’re nothing compared to the work of a Demon Lord.

And for a skill like that, he didn’t even say the name. He activated it in the middle of a yawn.
Leigie is quite a frightening one. It’s not his personality, but his power. The power he used as the Lazy King to continue climbing up in status without moving a finger. It’s scary.
We’re only a single level apart in cla.s.s, but I can’t even begin to see the start of his power.

Well, one day… I’ll be taking it, though, Boss.

The Skeleton doll bows and pledges its loyalty to me.
Good good. That’s just wonderful.
Boss Leigie doesn’t have even a speck of interest in me, and that’s why he didn’t put a single restriction on this weapon.

I lower my gaze to the new toy I had been given and laughed.

“Ki ki ki, it’ll be nice working with you, Slaughter.”

In the end, I’ll get my hands on everything.
Well, let’s get along until then.

Part 2: A Hard Talk, ain’t it?

When I dropped by the war council room, on time, the members were already all gathered there.

The forces of the King of Acedia, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls… his army is divided into three large sections.
The one with the most members, and the main force on the battlefield: The first Brigade.
The one with the least members, and the one that’s usually stationed to protect Boss’s castle: The Second Brigade.
The one with a moderate amount of manpower, that specializes in mobility and offense to conduct raids on the battlefield: the Third Brigade, which I lead.

In this castle, there’s also the Great Demon King’s dispatched forces under the lead of that Lize Bloodcross, but they won’t move in the wars involving boss, so they don‘t really matter.

Anyways, that’s the entirety of the strongest Legion, known across the Demon World. It’s quite simple, isn’t it? That may be the case. But in the end, isn’t simple usually the most effective?
And we’re winning quite a bit like this, so I guess it’ll stay this way for a while. In essence, battles between Demon armies are just two powers. .h.i.tting each other upfront and skills knocking each other down.

I feel everyone’s gaze as I lower myself into the leftmost armchair. I had my new aide Slaughter stand by my side.
When I received him from the Boss, he was small enough to fit on a bedside table, but by absorbing the miasma of the demon world, it was able to 『Grow』. The dark eye sockets of a skeleton roughly two meters in height looked over the room without a word. It truly was a masterpiece.

“Deije, slow.”

“Ki ki ki, my bad. Well, I’m not behind schedule, right? Cut me some slack.”

The general of the second brigade, Medea Luxeliahart, chastised me with her usual pouty tone.

She’s a small, female demon. On her unsociable face lies a pair of blood-red, ruby-like eyes. Her no-nonsense hairstyle with straight cut bangs is fastened with a simple ornament.
She sure is a diligent girl.
But I can’t be looking down on her. Even like this, she’s a general. If you get deceived by her appearance, you’re in for a world of pain. Looks and ability are disproportional for demons.

Well, if we were to fight, I’d be the one winning due to the difference in our natures and my superior equipment.

Continuing on, the one sitting in the center is a man of delicate features. Heard Lauder- looked over everyone as he opened his mouth.
His height is a little lower than mine, and he’s a slim, calm-looking man. But he’s the supreme commander of this army. He’s pretty much Boss Leigie’s right hand man.
There are various types of people among Boss’s subordinates, but among them, this guy is especially dangerous. That means his power is probably the closest we have to Leigie’s.

“Well, well, it seems we’re finally all here. Then I guess we’ll start.”

With Heard’s voice as the starting signal, a map is projected onto the table.

It’s a map of the demon world with Boss’s territory at the center.
Among all of the Demon Lords allied to Demon King Kanon, Boss’s was a largest, with a vast expanse that looked to swallow all around it. The Prison of Flames we went and obtained in the last war is included in it.

While it’s charmingly vast, that also means it’s the territory that shares the largest border with the factions opposed to the Great Demon King. The foremost battle line.
Ki ki ki, that pretty much means we can go out and grab whatever land we want. On the other side, if we’re negligent, we’ll be the ones losing. They’re a few hundred years too young to think they can take anything from Deije the Usurper.
Well, as long as I don’t have orders from the Great Demon King, it’s not like I’ll go out and fight randomly. It’s because my life is the most valuable. Kanon of Destruction… I aint’s gonna go aggravate a Demon King that governs over Wrath.
Even for me, he’s a bit higher on the pecking order than Boss Leigie.

Heard started calmly spreading information.

“The Great Demon King has given out a subjugation order for the Demon Lord of Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus. Our target was once the one with the strongest alliance to our King, but due to revolts from a shortage on food, he has killed both Astell Zaabdeus and Claud Astal, both of whom were Demon Lords allied to our Great Demon King. All while slowly approaching our land.”

Two points on the map were circled, and as a line was drawn between them, a, expanse of land began flas.h.i.+ng in red. Unsatisfied with its bounds, the line gradually began to encroach on the Boss’s territory.
Here, where his castle is, there’s still a distance before it hits the Castle of Shadows, but it’s still proceeding towards it in a straight path.
Ki ki ki, he’s brought in a troublesome topic.

This battle’s on a different level than the one I crushed Granzer Esther in.

Our target is… the Demon Lord himself. In Granzer’s battle, we only fought his army, and the Lord never stepped onto the battlefield. In the first place, Demon Lords aren’t things that are supposed to come out so easily.
But this time is different. According to what I can see, the Demon Lord is personally leading the army.

“So the opponent’s a Demon Lord who took out two others… quite a hard talk.”

“Yeah. But even if you say he’s taken down two, they were both fresh Lords without much power backing them. He’s no opponent to our Leigie-sama.”

Yes, Supreme Commander Heard knows this, and responds as such.
That’s right. It’s not like he’s wrong or anything.
Boss Leigie’s Mana is incomparable to all those run-of-the-mill Demon Lords scattered all over the place. I mean, even though he looks like that, he’s the Third Rank, you know? Third Rank means… to put it simply, among all those loyal to Kanon, he’s the third strongest.

But the fact that the two killed were Demon Lords means that they were definitely stronger than me, who’s a Cla.s.s below.
The enemy’s a strong Demon Lord who took on both of them consecutively.

As expected of the super conceited Heard Lauder. It must be a nice thing to be so br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. But isn’t he estimating himself a bit too high?
I may be greedy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize the power of others.
I’m not that knowledgeable about other Demon Lords, but even I know that Zebul of Gluttony is a big name. His moniker is the Devourer. In the Great Demon King’s faction, he took Fifth Rank, an atrocious Fiend. And our Demon Lord over here won’t lift a finger himself.

If I went one on one against a normal Demon, I doubt I would lose.
I’m even confident I could crush an army.
But when my opponent’s a Demon Lord, despite having overcome countless battles, I’d be at a disadvantage, I guess.

I know the answer, but let’s ask just in case.

“What did the boss say?”

“Iyo. I’ll leave it to you.”

Wow.
I whistle aloud. Medea raises her eyebrows and looks at me with accusatory eyes.
As I thought, we’ve been thrown to the wolves. As expected of Sloth. Even when the Demon Lord comes knocking on our door, he shows no interest.

No interest. He’s making this prideful one look like a child. His stance never wavers.
That girl Medea knits her eyebrows as she flips through all the information pertaining to Zebul. She soon raises her eyes.

“… We’re at a slight disadvantage. Do we have any other pieces?”

“There’s always the option of dragging Leigie-sama into this.”

Heard offered a suggestion.
Well, well. I guess boss has it rough too. But since the Fifth Rank is coming, that’s always an option. That is, if you don’t consider his tendencies.
Medea folds her arms and fidgets with a pouting face. She’s in a bad mood. Did something happen?

“We cannot bring trouble to Leigie-sama’s hands.”

“Exactly. If the opponent is a Demon Lord, we just have to dispatch an appropriate amount of force, is all.”

Oy, just what sort of force is appropriate for that?
But the Demon Lord of Sloth… no matter what happens, he won’t move.
Just as one of Greed like me refuses to stake his life for some unknown treasure, his longings for rest exist around him like some inorganic immutable object.

But I understand. This is… but another trial on my path to glory.
Even if I’m just leading an army, if we really take down a Demon King, then Leigie’s name will rise even further in the world.
At the same time, the rewards for taking out a Demon Lord who killed two others must be greater than the Demon Blade Celeste… There’s a possibility that it surpa.s.ses an SSS Cla.s.s treasure, an L Rank Item. And as always, it’ll flow right from the Boss’s hands into mine.
The moment I obtain it, perhaps the craving sleeping within me will reach a whole new level. It’s possible… that I may even finally become a Demon Lord.
There’s more than enough to gain for me to risk my life.

“Hmm. We can’t besmirch the name of our Demon Lord… Deije, do you think you can handle it like always?”

Heard calmly sends a strong look in my direction. There is no impatience in his eyes. This guy is seriously considering it. That if I went out, a Demon Lord of this level would easily fall. The reason he directs such stuff at me is because his essence, his pride, extends not only to himself, but to the army under his command.

If it was as per usual, the Third Squad would be launching the first attack.
Ki ki ki, you sure say some hard things calmly, oh supreme commander.
I’m a man who doesn’t do the impossible, you know? Though I do like the smell of achievements.

“Ki ki ki, it’ll be a bit of a pinch for my squad alone. Not for fighting the army, but Gula Skills are known to specialize in targeting large areas, and the enemy is a powerful Demon Lord.”

“I’ll go.”

The short girl stands up from her seat.

What’s this about?
Why is that girl Medea stepping down from her duty to guard the boss?
Will it rain spears tomorrow or something?
(TL: A common phrase meaning something really unlikely is happening)

“… Oy, oy, what’s with this turn of events? Medea? Don’t you have your own duty to attend to?”

I’d really like our Supreme Commander, who has a good affinity to battle Gula, to step forward here.
What about protecting this castle?
But her eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with resolve, and she answered in a level tone.

“Deije, Leigie doesn’t require protection from someone of my level.”

Oy, didn’t we promise never to bring that up?
And that isn’t the problem.
A Demon Lord’s Skills are a cut above the rest. There’s a difference in one’s usable skills based on personal skills, but regardless of our merits, I can’t even imagine what skills the Rank Three Boss has in his a.r.s.enal.
And what she says implies that the boss needs neither me nor Heard here either.
An unrestful atmosphere taints the air of the council room.

But that girl’s next line cleared it away.
She made a rare display of emotion as she gazed at me with scorn.

“And recently, I haven’t racked up any accomplishments. I need to move my body a bit, or…”

An unexpected response. That should lie outside of this girl’s domain.

But I see. So it’s like that.
She isn’t acting on logic, I see.
So that’s why that girl’s been so docile as of late.
The reason the girl who ain’t pride or greed wants merits.
I let out a smile as I try asking.

“Hmm. Meaning… it’s built up?”

“…”

Oh my. This won’t do.
Her wide eyes pierce through my body, and an immense pressure envelops the room.
It’s like her gaze itself would be able to kill someone.
Ki ki ki, Medea Luxeliaheart, a demon governing l.u.s.t.
What? It’s nothing to be embarra.s.sed about. I can’t go against my desire for material wealth, but the girl’s doing her best to contain her appet.i.te.
… Well, in the first place, a l.u.s.t Demon that still has a hold of their sanity is a rare sight.

“Deije, you don’t have to go… no, stay away. I’ll take care of it.”

But I can’t ignore those words.
I’m all smiles as I offer a reb.u.t.tal.

“No, no, no, no, offense is my squad’s role, right? I can’t pull back, you know. I’m『Greed』, am I not?”

“Hmm, then the two of you go together.”

Heard speaks with a condescending tone.
It’s as he says. If two of the generals of someone important like Boss’s army faced defeat, we’d lose face. The Demon Lord’s army is something lent out by the Great Demon King. If it were to be lost, we would be stimulating the king’s『Wrath』. We can’t be giving him any reasons to get rid of us.

That girl made a scornful expression at Heard’s words, but perhaps because she knows who we’re dealing with, she doesn’t say another word. She sure is loyal.
The map projected on the round table vanishes.
Even if you call it a war council, Demons are all selfish beings. All that gets decided is who’s going to be dealing with the problem. Everything else is left up to the command of the individual squads.
Before I got up, I ask Heard just in case.

“What about you, Supreme Commander Heard?”

“Oh, there’ll be no chance for me to step out. I’m leaving it all to you and Medea.”

His words were backed by a serious tone. This guy seriously believes that a group of normal demons can take down a Demon Lord.
They’re twisted. Each and every one of them.
Ki ki ki, I guess pride can be quite sinful too. How scary.

Well, all I’ve got to do is try my hardest so I don’t get disposed of is all.

Part 3: Looks like This One’s Interest Clashes with Mine

“Yo, Medea–”

“… You picking a fight? It won’t come cheap.”

We’ve already been deployed to the base on the frontlines.
Boss’s forces are uncharacteristically excellent. Of course the commander, me, is also excellent, but even the quality of our standard devil soldiers is different from the rest. If you ask me, someone with experience fighting in foreign campaigns, it’s a matter of motivation. And their firepower is also high.
Ki ki ki, it’s all because our top’s got no desire. He casually hands out rewards great enough to satisfy even my Greed. From a normal demon’s standpoint, the salary is amazing.

On the border between territories, a vast mountainous region, we’ve been dispatched with numbers around a thousand. It’s almost all of the Third Brigade.
Compared to a human army, the numbers may be low, but the quality makes up for it. A single demon’s skills is powerful enough to match another human a thousand fold.

Our opponent is that Gluttony, and about three hundred of his followers. Ki ki ki, their numbers may be average, but with a Demon Lord personally leading it, it can’t be looked down upon. Zebul’s army is that of the Rank 5, and its name’s been spread a bit.
If you just compare numbers, we have more than three times their forces. If we clashed with them head on, we may be able to suppress them, so what’s important is their side’s Lord. Gluttony is a skillset that contains the most offensive abilities with high areas of effect. Just how large of an area can a Demon Lord attack with that? I can’t imagine it, but there’s no doubt we’ll face a large number of casualties.
Just how far we in his grasp? Our victory will be determined by just how well we estimate his skills.

Ki ki ki, well, we aren’t going to lose in leaders.h.i.+p. I mean, she may be alone, but we have that Medea Luxeliahart, who’s always charged with guarding the castle. Ki ki ki, at the very least, her face’s good, and she’s l.u.s.t.
It’s possible that she’ll look after the survivors after the battle, and that possibility raises morale.
And now, the all-important Medea is wearing a tall white robe without a hint of s.e.x appeal with her usual frown on her face. There’s not nearly enough exposure. It’s as if she’s a nun.

“—Girly, I think you should be wearing something a bit more romantic. It’ll directly impact our troops’ morale, you know?”

The girl scoffed at the advice that came straight from my heart.

“An unnecessary worry. Deije, I’ll say it time and again, but I’m… I hate being looked at with those eyes more than anything.”

She definitely does say that a lot. But those words really don’t seem to fit with her attribute. Are you sure this isn’t some mistake?

A Demon’s desire is by no means a simple ornament.

Changing cla.s.s can build new pathways, but it’s not like it’s a straight road. Various paths branch out in all directions, and the final path taken is determined by an individual’s will. Naturally, the path trod down decides the available skills one has.

Call it a Skill Tree or series, or anything, but a general concept exists. In that sense, you can say the Demon Cla.s.s has 8 different trees. Sloth, Greed, l.u.s.t, Wrath, Gluttony, Envy, Pride, and one for basic abilities shared by all, for a total of 8.

The branches on these paths can be equated to guideposts of fate. By venturing from one to another in order, you can find more powerful skills, and on the standard Demon tree, if you store EXP points and use skills, you can naturally venture forwards. But the other trees are just a little different.
The other trees let you peek deeper and deeper into the abyss by fulfilling your desires. It’s all decided by the first skill on all of them… a pa.s.sive skill『Longing of Original Sin』.
Because of that skill, we can’t increase our usable abilities just by gaining levels.
By fulfilling Greed for the Greed Tree, and l.u.s.t for the l.u.s.t Tree, we can advance forward.

And in that sense, this girl’s being a bit too stoic.
Ki ki ki, how is she even advancing when she’s like that? For someone without that tree like me, I don’t have the slightest idea.
Well, anyways, I’m an amateur in her field, so I’ll stay out of it. I don’t want to say something to make her go for my life or anything.

“Ki ki ki, well, your path’s your own. At the very least, don’t hold back when fighting.”

“I know that without you telling me. I’ll be the one getting the medals this time.”

“… Oy, oy, I can’t keep quiet on that one. It’s my army here, you know.”

Even if she may be strong, a lone horseman plans to monopolize the battlefield? Even a Greed like me’s surprised. In the first place, her power… isn’t for direct combat, I think.

The Shadow of Illusions, Medea.

Among Demons, of course, the most famous are the Lords, but your name can be spread regardless.
And among Leigie’s army, she’s one of the most reknowned. Ki ki ki, even I knew about her before I joined Boss’s side.
I’ve no idea why a Luxuria Attribute Demon would side with an Acedia though.
Even if she’s not direct combat oriented, she should be able to crush any normal Demon underfoot, but this is no conventional opponent. I can only say it’s a bad matchup to put her against the Devourer.

Medea takes a quick glance at the Slaughter Doll standing behind me.

Even without getting a name, the Slaughter Doll’s already far transcended the ranks of an average Demon in battle prowess. If I equipped the rare equipment I h.o.a.rded onto him, he’d really be peerless.
I guess it really does depend on the level of the caster.

But without a hint of interest, Medea turns back to me.

“I don’t need any equipment. I don’t want any treasure either. I don’t want to play with dolls, and I don’t want status.”

“Oy, oy, then what is it that you want?”

“I am l.u.s.t. All I want is love.”

I see… interesting.
That one sentence makes it clear. At the moment, this one’s far more sinful than me, who simply strives for loot and power.
So be it. This one’s cravings won’t go against mine. I’ll just leave it that for now.
For a business partner, probing any further is… unnecessary.

“So you say your cravings won’t compete with mine. Well, fine. I’ll trust those words. It’ll be dull to croak from a shot from behind.”

I give a warning.
In a Demon’s forces, just by the clas.h.i.+ng of wills, an ally can easily become an enemy.
Ki ki ki, what’s more, Medea was the one who opposed my appointment to this position ‘til the end. You can never be too prepared.

Well, in a straight out battle, she won’t be able to beat me with my Demon Lord Cla.s.s arms.
Try not to die a dog’s death as you show off your powers to me. You have something good enough to cut down a Demon Lord, right?

Part 4: Now, Let’s Start the Usurping

The Demon Lord who Governed Gluttony, Zebul Glaucus—Zebul the Devourer was of the Greatest of Demon Lords.
Among the Demon World’s strongest forces governed by the Great Demon King Kanon Iralaude, he would even rank within the top ten. While this may not have been due to his basic fighting prowess, the ranking bestowed on him by the Great Demon King was Rank Five.
In a superfluous gesture, I ask the men lined up before me.

“Do you understand what that means, men?”

“…”

This may be common sense, but a Demon’s appearance doesn’t necessarily have to be in human form.
As they gain more and more power, quite a few of them take on human appearance, but a demon’s figure is all representative of his individual nature.
A grotesque array of numerous forms were in formation with a sense of order rare to find in the army of a Demon Lord.
It’s all because of a skill the guy governing this land, Boss, has. By it, the soldiers of his army will gain power while fighting on his land.

It’s a skill common to all Demon Lords, and one of the most famous: 『Abyss Zone』.
That’s what makes advantages in a fight between demons not based on size, or geological advantage, but on the quality of the Demon Lord governing them.
Boss Leigie never stands on the Front Lines, but an invisible battle between Demon Lords was already going on around us.
While we can’t see the glutton Zebul’s zone, it should be eating into the sloth Leigie’s zone, in an attempt to give his troops an upper hand.

Ki ki ki, try your hardest.
I’ll be doing the same. More or less.

“That means… we are obtaining… the glory of destroying a Demon Lord Himself, what’s more, a high cla.s.s one at that. Ki ki ki, Boss isn’t to be underestimated. He’s giving us a chance this big…”

If I may, I’d wish he’d be a little easier on us, but that’s impossible.
There’s no doubt the Boss doesn’t even remember the fact that Zebul’s attacking.

But that’s unrelated to us, the one’s fighting at the site.
To satisfy my Greed, I can’t be scared to take risks. Otherwise my life would have ended as a nameless demon in the countryside.

I draw a single sword from the scabbard at my waist.

Demon Blade Celeste.

For a swordsman… no, for any Demon, it’s a well-known blade of legend.
I concentrate my gaze on the burning body of the sword.
Dark Crimson magical energy as bright as the sun surrounds its wielder, me, as it rises as a pillar of light into the demon world’s red sky. Its power is greater beyond my comprehension.

Ki ki ki, as long as I have this, I’ll be a match for a hundred.
Additionally, while they may fall short of Celeste, I have a number of Demon Blades just a rank or two below it in my possession.

“Let’s go, ya b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. All the money, the fame, the power and the women are yours for the taking. Release your desires, and prove your powers to our Demon Lord, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls, and the Great Demon King above him, Kanon Iralaude. The Demon Lord of Gluttony is nothing, and it is our duty to make him realize that. Realize just who… it is he picked a fight with.”

The strange-looking crowd’s applause rings out like thunder.
These guys aren’t fools. A strong Demon Lord draws Strong followers to himself. This isn’t about the Great Demon King’s dispatchments or anything, it’s something more to do with fate, or luck drawing them together.
A Demon’s base instincts lead them to follow the most atrocious presences to satisfy their spirits.

A nihilistic full moon floated in the blazing red sky.
This territory is still Boss’s. In the distant wastelands, I see the black shadows of Gluttony’s forces.

Medea slowly gets up.

As if she was shrouded in mist, her outline isn’t clear, and it’s as if only the powerful pressure she gave off denoted she was truly there.
Me and her rarely work alongside one another. But her single motion showed me the level of her ability.
l.u.s.t skills are pretty much an unknown world to me. I’m not saying I’ve never gone against them, but they’re not a group of demons you would often meet at General level.

High cla.s.s magic that pollutes the mind, and deceives the five senses.
The eyes of the men watching Medea begin turning lewd.
Ki ki ki, what a scary woman. I mean, she’s the only woman in this entire army squadron, and she’s the leader. If I underestimate her, I feel my soul’s going to get sucked out.

“I’m going ahead. Objections?”

“Ki ki ki, do whatever you want, Luxuria. You’r the guest here today.”

If you want the first attack, you can have it. All I care for is the result.
First, let’s see through the power of the Devourer. That’s her field of expertise, right?

Medea’s form starts blurring again. It’s like my eyes have gone blurry, but they aren’t going back. Her formed warped into two identical girls. The second one opened its mouth, and spoke with the same condescending tone.

“Avaritia, I’m thankful.”

“… I don’t need your thanks. Just do your best not to get killed by the first strike.”

“Hmph…”

She scoffed at my words.
At the same moment, in no time at all, her form multiplied from two to a countless amount.

This is… the l.u.s.t skill tree. The proof of a demon governing temptation and delusions.
How unexpected. An illusion good enough to deceive my eyes… and she can deploy this amount in an instant?
Oy oy, isn’t she a monster? And resistance skills I have against mental corruption aren’t resisting anything.

While my mind’s in disarray, I do my best not to show it on my face.

Compared to her, the skills of the other l.u.s.t demons I fought look like Child’s play.
There’s a ranking among skills. If you don’t learn the previous skill, you can’t learn the next one. So just to what extent has she fulfilled her own l.u.s.t to be able to use illusions of this level?

Medea licks her lips in a seductive fas.h.i.+on. As if painted by her tongue, her lips turn the crimson color of blood. Her movements were enough to show anyone the attribute she reigned over.

“Then, later.”

Her pure white robe turns.
Each and every Medea’s robe sways differently as they sprint off.
Not a single sound resounds through the deserted land, and her actions don’t change that fact. She somehow remains inconspicuous. Even so, the group moves at a frightening speed.
The real one’s fleeting existence wavers like a heat haze in the desert, and it’s as if, if I turned my eyes away, I wouldn’t be able to find her again. I can’t feel her magic or perceive her with any of my other senses.

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible. This is bad. This ability… suitable for her name?
Fitting of her reputation? Don’t screw with me. She’s exceeded it. If none of my resistances worked against her, then that Gluttony’s legion won’t sense a thing.

At this rate… she’s capable of deceiving and killing them all.
There’d be no room for me to go out.

I’d heard that Luxuria skills become terrifying at high levels, but I never thought I’d confirm it in a place like this. I guess you never know what’s gonna happen. I’m glad we’re allies.
Well, it’s troublesome we’re allies too. At this rate, I won’t be able to rack up any distinguished service.

“Oy, ya’ b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Is this the time for you all to be playing around? Follow Medea’s lead, and launch a full-on a.s.sault! At this rate, that girly’s going to take all the limelight!”

Perhaps they had finally noticed I had spoken. The following demons began following her lead, and running off. But their visions are now clouded with the sight of an infinite number of Medeas.
Well, well, well, so everyone’s been captured in her illusion. It’ll be h.e.l.l if they have a l.u.s.t on them too. Should I equip some resistive gear?
No, in the first place, can a mere magic tool go against this illusion?

As s cloud of dust rises as the army rushes downhill, I go over to the only demon that stayed behind.
An Invidia Demon. Libell Aejens. A small and powerless one, but a scholar whose knowledge is said to be second to none. He’s also a friend who accompanied me when I came over to join this army.
In a war between demons, seeing through your opponent’s ability is a crucial factor. Based on that, tactics can change drastically.
I ask the wise demon. Not of our enemy, but our ally.

“Oy, that skill. Do you have any recollection of something like it?”

Libell’s purple eyes scrutinizingly trace the form of the countless men chasing Medea. Ki ki ki, he may have the form of a brat, but this man once earned recognition for his efforts in the wars with heaven. A renowned intellectual.
Among my a.s.sociates, he’s the one with the most in-depth knowledge of other Demons.

“I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard of something like it… I high cla.s.s l.u.s.t Skill… SS Cla.s.s『Phantom Aliquot Dance』… A skill to birth illusions with physical substance…”

With a soul-less expression, Libell bit his lower lip as he raised a voice that seemed to come from the deepest depths of h.e.l.l.
But his expression doesn’t really matter. His answer was outside my realm of speculation.

“… What? Oy, oy, don’t joke around. SS Cla.s.s? That’s crossed the bounds of a General Cla.s.s Demon, hasn’t it?”

“… I cannot believe it. No… but, there’s no mistaking it. I have a much higher level of Mental Corruption Resistance than you, and I was unable to see through it with these eyes…”

His words were no lie. Due to the nature of the Envy Tree’s skillset, Libell’s resistances should be far above mine.

Is this for real?
An SS Cla.s.s l.u.s.t Tree Skill? That’s definitely within Demon Lord territory.
As a fellow general, the highest level Greed Skill I can use… I’ve only reached S.
And that candid girl’s surpa.s.sed me? How the h.e.l.l?
No, is she hiding her true nature? Stuck in the closet? A Closet pervert? No, no, as if I’d let something so idiotic pa.s.s. A Demon’s cravings aren’t something so half-a.s.sed. Just what is that girl doing in the shadows?

No, in the first place, after all that… Why isn’t she a Demon Lord yet?

That’s wrong. That’s not what I should be thinking about now.

A Demon Lord’s skills have far transcended the skills of a normal Demon. I don’t know just how many skills they have in their repertoires, but if she can use SS Cla.s.s l.u.s.t skills at will, then even a high cla.s.s Demon Lord will be hard pressed. I mean, the opponent shouldn’t have much information on her. High level l.u.s.t Demons are hard to come by.

c.r.a.p, the Demon Lord of Gluttony may get eaten up at this rate.
I take a sword out of my storage s.p.a.ce, and grip it in one of my left hands. I hold up Celeste, and on the edge of the wasteland… I glare a girly, who’s coming into contact with the enemy, from afar.
Her pure white coat. Even with such a flashy color, I can’t find her.

“d.a.m.n, there’s no helping it. I’ll also go out. Libell, you go and『Envy』 Girly’s skill.”

… But my capacity is already full.“

My, my, this man doesn’t get it. You don’t often get a chance to see a high cla.s.s Luxuria skill, you know?
『Invidia』 Cla.s.s Skills are picky. If you hold too much desire without fulfillment, it loses its use, and you become just a useless, average Demon.

“Libell, throw away my『Skill Ruler』.”

“… I see. That one was convenient.”

But he immediately nods. I like how he’s quick to understand.
That’s why I’m friends with this guy.

“Ki ki ki, what’s the problem? Once your skilltree expands, you’ll make more s.p.a.ce. Once you get a high cla.s.s l.u.s.t skill, you’ll be able to raise it easier, right? You’ve fulfilled most of the conditions already, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Envy skills let you learn the skills of others. They’re limited time use, and the conditions for acquiring them are harsh, but it’s a perfect imitation.
It’s really convenient. I mean, if you fulfill the conditions, you can even use Demon Lord Cla.s.s skills.

This is a chance. We can’t approach a Demon Lord so easily. So the acquiring conditions won’t be met.
We’ll use the skill Medea just displayed. It looks to have all-purpose uses. If he learns to use it, I’ll become even stronger.

I’ll get closer to being a Demon Lord. If Deije the Usurper, and Libell the Pursuer join forces, we’ll be the strongest.

Ki ki ki, luck’s finally going my way, it seems.
Now, let’s start the Usurping.

“Girly, I’m sorry. I’ll be taking your skill.”

Power and fame and treasure, and all else. It’ll all come to me.