< Succubus (3) >
“Oh my… no, godmother.”
“You can call me whatever you want, Siana. This is not a public place.”
“···Yes, Mother. But are you really okay with that? Your will is the will of all Dream Walkers, so there is no disagreement, but I wonder if you made a hasty decision···.”
A private room filled with ornate decorations that are unusual for the Demon World.
Liliana slowly stroked the corner of her mouth at her daughter’s carefully spoken words.
I could completely understand why Siana would say something like that.
No matter how much he acknowledged Hela as the daughter of the 14th Demon King and his niece, it didn’t change the fact that he had only just met her today and that we hadn’t talked for very long.
But it might feel a little strange to suddenly pledge allegiance.
“Hahaha, you’re still immature.”
“yes?”
But Liliana was sure.
That your choice is right.
At first glance, it may have seemed like an impulsive decision, but it was a conclusion reached after considering all the circumstances in an extremely cool-headed manner.
“He is not just a demon with great power. He can already be called a proper Demon King.”
“···The Demon King? But that···.”
Demons and the Demon King.
The gap was not simply a matter of class division based on status.
If I had to make a comparison, it would be like elves and high elves… no, the ‘race’ that showed an even more stark difference was the Demon King.
“Hehehe— A being who has never been to the Demon World before becomes the Demon King from the moment of birth. I didn’t know that something like this was possible. This must be fate. It must also be the will of the Demon God.”
I could feel it because she was one of the strongest people in the demon world.
The moment he first saw Hela—his blood, his soul, was fiercely drawn to her.
And it was evidence that something more than just the other person’s charm was involved.
“Oh, so···!”
Count-level demon Siana let out a gasp.
Now she realized why she couldn’t move in front of Hela, why even the great Immortal King recognized her as an equal.
All demon kings up to now were born postnatally.
The moment he gained recognition from the members of the Demon World, proved his qualifications, and reached the top, he received the grace of the Demon God and was able to evolve into a Demon King.
In that respect, she was in a similar position to the saintess of the human church, but she could not be considered completely the same as she possessed both authority and actual force.
Unlike other races, demons are born with a lack of faith.
‘Of course, since I haven’t been officially recognized yet, I haven’t gained all the authority as the Demon King.’
In the Demon World, the Demon King was a weak being, but he possessed a certain level of divinity.
Of course, the Demon King’s body wasn’t everything.
It didn’t matter if it was fear or hatred, rather than faith or worship.
If he comes to the forefront later and gains the recognition of the members of the Demon World in some way, only then will he be able to become the true Demon King.
“But even if the order is reversed and not perfect, the Demon King is still the Demon King. And he has inherited Leray’s power intact. But you can’t just let this opportunity slip away, can you?”
It was an insight driven by transcendent intuition.
If they follow Hela, they will eventually achieve what they want.
He would definitely reach the top of this demon world someday.
“And one more thing. We don’t have much time left.”
“ah!”
The odds of victory in the long war had already completely fallen on the Dark Nest led by Duke Marryong.
The most belligerent faction, that of Duke Touma, had already completely collapsed and been absorbed into his forces, and the other two dukes had also suffered fatal losses and were barely holding on, preventing the defection of their lower-ranking forces.
“They say that tightrope walking has reached its limit. If we continue like this, we will collapse soon. In such a situation, the Demon King, who is enough to become a variable, and the essence of the Queen have appeared···.”
Liliana shrugged her shoulders as if there was no need to say anything.
Siana nodded, convinced by her mother’s words.
Although he himself had a favorable impression of Hela, he thought that deciding the organization’s future was separate from that.
“So, Siana? What are you doing now?”
“yes?”
At that moment, Liliana, who was looking at her daughter with a strange expression, blurted out a word.
And then, before Siana could respond, who was taken aback by the sudden question, he continued speaking.
“I told you, we don’t have time left.”
“Yes, that was so···.”
“Then shouldn’t you go quickly and help me with one hand? How long are you going to rest like that? Even your mother works so hard, but you look so relaxed.”
In Liliana’s hand was the ‘Essence of the Succubus Queen’, which she had been given immediately after swearing allegiance to Hela.
To her, it was like a heirloom from her mother.
Woohoo—
Of course, at the moment, it was just a material being processed into magic power for efficient power extraction.
For the survival of the Dream Walker that he and his mother have protected for generations.
“Ah! Yes! I understand, Godmother!”
She snickered as she watched Siana’s back as she hurried out of the room, then looked down at Jeong-su again.
Geometric polyhedrons with a pink tint on a black background resonated with magic and scattered a gentle energy.
As if he was embracing his daughter whom he had not seen in a long time.
As if praising the godmother who has struggled for a long time and done a great job protecting her hometown.
***
Since the joining of Dream Walker, the speed of expansion of the force has increased explosively.
Although they are currently stuck between powerful factions and are being looked down on, they are a prestigious group that produced the previous Demon King and whose leader is a current Marquis-level strongman.
Since they would receive a grand welcome no matter which faction they converted to immediately, it wasn’t that difficult for them to make contact with high-ranking demons who had been difficult to approach before once they made up their minds and set up the plan.
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‘Okay, at this point, I guess we can say that it has taken root in every level of the Demon World.’
The largest force, Duke Marryong’s ‘Dark Nest’, and Duke Tooma’s ‘Burning Inferno’ that was absorbed into it.
The Dark Duke’s ‘Demoniac’, the Gorang Duke’s ‘Abnormal’, and other minor factions who have put aside their pride and are holding on by linking up with each other.
For now, everyone was hiding their true intentions and moving according to the existing policy, but there was constant coordination under the surface so that they could rise up at any time if Hela gave the order.
But as it grows in size, its security level naturally decreases.
Eventually, this secret movement was bound to be discovered at some point.
“Contact with Parma has been lost. According to information, an elite force of Dark Nest suddenly appeared and took away all the executives…”
“It seems like things aren’t going so well for Killown. Fortunately, he hid himself as soon as he realized he was being watched, so there’s no evidence left behind, but he’s already determined to find out and is hanging on.”
Even if they had persuaded all the heads and executives of the organization, there were limits to their ability to control the whole thing.
Even for monarchs in the midst of a war, the movements of their subordinates were a sensitive matter, so in fact, holding out to this extent was considered sufficient defense.
“Hmm, that’s too bad. I thought I could have eaten a little more.”
But when that time actually came, I couldn’t help but feel regretful.
As Hela grumbled at the bad news coming from the situation room, Siana, who was standing next to her like a secretary, added.
“Others aren’t fools either. Still, the results aren’t bad. With this, even if we don’t know about Dark Nest, we’ll be able to deal with other dukedom factions head-on.”
This wasn’t very good news, considering that even the other two dukes combined couldn’t handle a single Dark Nest.
Moreover, isn’t that assuming that he is gradually weakened by being eaten away?
If things continued this way, there was no telling when we would be able to subdue them all.
“···Ahem, I can’t help it.”
Hela, who had been resting her chin on her hand and lost in thought, slowly nodded her head.
With a determined expression, as if he had decided on something.
Siana looked at her with an anxious expression.
“I… Lady Hela? May I ask what you are thinking about…?”
“Hehehe, there’s only one way to do this in a situation like this, right?”
Hela smiled faintly.
The smile was bright enough to brighten up the surroundings in an instant, but the meaning contained in that beautiful voice was not like that at all.
“—A demonstration of skills.”
A chill that makes you feel like your blood is going to drip at any moment.
Then he got up from his seat and passed by Siana, who was swallowing her saliva.
In fact, it would be best to wait for an opportunity and take advantage of it, but since our existence had already been revealed, we couldn’t continue to hide.
Their existence now is an unknown entity that suddenly rolled in.
Neither the Dark Nest, which is currently enjoying great dominance, nor other factions will ever tolerate variables that could undermine their power.
‘It’s better to strike first when they’re off guard. The dagger is most effective when it’s not exposed.’
Not all of the people who have turned to this side have been revealed yet.
If you step forward and grab their attention, you might be able to buy them some more time.
That brief moment of relaxation will be the key to completing your work comfortably.
‘Well, and actually, this level of power is enough. It’s also like holding on to this for too long.’
With every step Hela took, the corners of her lips raised sinisterly, black magic bloomed like flowers.
As a signal, elite demons follow her one by one.
It was a force that had been called up for immediate mobilization, separate from the forces established in each region.
“Hehehe~ Where did you say the closest place was from here?”
The force closest to the Dream Walker’s territory.
That is, the faction that has been harassing them for the longest time.
“···This is Abnormal, Lady Hela.”
“Yeah, that’s it? Led by a guy named Gorang, one of the dukes.”
“Yes, but… are you really going to hit there first?”
Since the basic abilities themselves were so overwhelming and the demons were also proficient in magic, unlike in human wars, the distance constraints were not that great, but if they were nearby, they would inevitably attract attention at least once.
Although it has become quiet these days with Dark Nest gaining power, it is no exaggeration to say that Abnormal was the number one contributor to drying up the blood of Dream Walkers for a long time.
‘If you think about it, it doesn’t really have anything to do with me… But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take this opportunity to avenge my subordinates.’
In fact, considering the current situation, it would have been most reasonable to attack Dark Nest first along with the other two dukes’ factions.
She had no intention of doing so.
This could also be said to be a golden opportunity.
‘The advantage of surprise due to information asymmetry is only available now. It is much better to take down one duke and absorb his entire force than to waste that opportunity on the big Dark Nest minions!’
Hela’s confident footsteps stopped.
An important facility lined with mobile magic circles for transporting troops.
Perhaps because they had deliberately moved slowly and given signals, there were already a large number of fighters gathered and lined up here.
Loyal soldiers who look only at her with eyes filled with passion and full of morale from head to toe.
Hela, who had been quietly looking over them, smiled faintly and shouted in a clear voice.
“It’s finally time to go! Just follow me, children! I’ll get this over with quickly!”
“Woooooo—!”
“Hell! Hell! Hell!”
It was Demon King Hela’s full-fledged debut in the Demon World.
***
The strange duke Sipar, one of only four dukes left in the Demon Realm… no, now only three.
[What? Dream Walker?]
He tilted his head, his face distorted into a vicious beast with a wound around his eye, and his lush mane swayed.
[Krrrrrr— Are they crazy?]
Then a scaly head with protruding tusks like a boar’s growled.
[I knew this would happen! I should have wiped them out a long time ago!]
A beast with twisted features and skin disfigured by burns roared harshly.
Kurururung—
The air shook as the great beast—the three-headed dog Cerberus—rose.
A huge body with a height of nearly 10 meters.
The long snake-like tail wiggled and flicked its tongue.
But that was only for a moment.
Sippar left the matter to his subordinates and turned his attention back to them.
Abnormal’s stopping his attacks on Dream Walker was never due to a lack of ability.
If there had been no interference from other factions in the first place, it wouldn’t have taken long to get rid of them.
At the moment, Dark Nest was more important than dealing with those scumbags.
“Your Majesty! Talab has fallen!”
“There are battles going on all around! I’m stuck on the battlefield with Dark Nest, so I can’t send any support…!”
“The Galak guarding the central gate has defected! The Dream Walkers are advancing quickly through there, Your Highness!”
But things didn’t turn out as he expected.
News of defeat comes one after another, so much so that it can no longer be ignored.
Even if most of their efforts were invested in the battle against Dark Nest, this speed was clearly beyond their expectations.
‘What on earth did you do? There’s no way that stupid dreamer like Liliana could have such powers.’
We already knew that these guys have been reaching out to many lower-ranking factions recently, regardless of faction.
Didn’t you laugh at him for doing something so vulgar, but didn’t you order an investigation into him?
‘No, this isn’t something that can be done simply by gathering some forces.’
The demons under his command were not so weak as to be outnumbered.
There was definitely something more.
Something you don’t know about.
When the four heads, including the snake on the tail, were brainstorming hard to figure out a way to respond.
“Your Majesty! Those bastards…!”
Kwaaaaang—!
A loud explosion was heard a short distance from the cave where he was staying.
In addition, the scent of the battlefield flows in.
The Dream Walker army has already invaded here.
[Huh···?!]
Many heads simultaneously let out a gasp of disbelief.
What happened just now meant one thing.
That’s right, they were after him from the beginning.
In the Demon World War, in order to prevent rear infiltration using space movement, they install a gateway in the area they occupy that only allows movement in a certain direction.
However, the current attack was at a speed that could not possibly occur without breaking through the gateways leading to this side in the shortest possible distance.
Of course, that alone would have been great enough—.
[Phehehe… This is ridiculous.]
[Krrrrrr— That looked funny.]
[Murder! Kihahaha! It’s slaughter time!]
Boom—!
With a loud noise, Sipar’s huge body was shot out towards the place where the commotion was coming from.
The reason he was stuck here was definitely not because he was scared.
He was just waiting in the center to respond to the appearance of other forces or dangerous battlefields in order to utilize himself, the best power in Abnormal, most efficiently.
[But you came here on your own two feet!]
It only took a moment for him, who had been in a state of flux, to reach the battlefield.
The Abnormal’s home base, a crucible of chaos where various demons are intertwined.
[······!]
But the moment I arrived at the scene.
Sipar’s body stopped for a moment.
He had been so confident until he arrived here, but before he knew it, the hair on his body stood on end and he glared in one direction.
There was something there that stimulated his instincts.
That’s right—
“Cerberus? Wait, isn’t that a dog? But why is it a wolf instead of a dog?”
A presumptuous woman who touches the sore spot of Sippar.
“Hahahahaha!”
It was a four-legged monster carrying her on its back, making a strange howling sound.
