Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Asmodeus's Mark
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The evening of the day the second wave was safely cleared.
The soldiers who had successfully relieved the support troops and returned to the barracks were reveling in the joy of victory.
"Heh heh heh, let those demons come at us all they want! We won't even flinch!"
"They've got numbers, sure, but do they even know how to fight?"
"Exactly. It's not for nothing they call this the era of humanity. Leaving all the other races in the dust."
The soldiers, noses held high, chattered on for a while before turning their eyes toward me.
"Right, Mr. Mage?"
They stared at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to chime in.
"Well... it's not quite that simple, is it?"
I understood their excitement, but I had no desire to join in their mood.
The war wasn't over yet, after all.
'What? The era of humanity?'
The idea didn't resonate with me from the start.
No, it wasn't even a matter of resonance—their words were just plain wrong.
'Get real. It's not the era of humanity; it's the era of demons.'
In [Devil Fantasy], the apex predators ruling the world weren't humans—they were demons.
And that held true even now, a century later.
'To them... we're nothing more than amusing toys.'
No matter how much human magic, swordsmanship, and technology had advanced, we were still firmly in the demons' grasp.
Proof of that was how the four nations, Asteron included, remained cooped up behind the walls they'd built.
If this truly were humanity's era, as they claimed, those walls would have been torn down long ago.
The fact that they hadn't meant we still couldn't win a full-scale war against the demons.
And in my view, the gap in power between demons and humans was vast.
'If those bastards... no, if Baal changes his mind, humanity could go extinct at any moment.'
Just look at the battles from yesterday and today.
What if, instead of opening rifts sequentially, they opened them all at once and poured in their full might?
I'd bet Asteron wouldn't last three days before falling.
The other nations would fare no better.
So, did the demons lack the power to open all the rifts simultaneously?
'Not at all.'
Even a hundred years ago, they'd rip open ten rifts at a time the moment things got boring.
They could do even more now, no doubt.
Yet they only opened one or two at a time because...
'It amuses them.'
That's what made it far more entertaining to watch.
Like how a sports match loses its thrill when one side utterly dominates, killing the tension.
In short, humanity was receiving consideration from the very demons they despised.
And that consideration would end the instant demons deemed humans a threat.
That was the overarching backdrop of [Devil Fantasy].
Miserable and bleak as could be.
Well, grunts like these soldiers wouldn't know any of that.
It was knowledge limited to royalty and high-ranking officials.
Unless they went around blabbing it, commoners had virtually no chance of learning it.
Anyway.
"Aw, you're such a stickler, huh? We were just trying to have some fun together."
"Haha, did I come off that way? Guess I was on edge. No offense meant—forgive me. Oh, and I do agree with what you said earlier. Demons can charge at us a hundred times; they'll just be piling up our experience."
Realizing that much, I saw no need to react negatively.
Better to play along—it'd do them good.
"See? You're different from other mages—got something special!"
"Should I take that as a compliment?"
"Of course! Where do you find a mage who's not a grouch?"
"Heh heh heh."
Ignorance is bliss, after all.
We were trading such idle banter when...
"Hey, mage."
Someone called me from behind.
Turning around, it was none other than Knight Commander Elbert Tyiran.
His expression suggested he had something to say to me again.
"Ah, yes. Coming."
Sensing his intent, I followed him out. He headed to the command room in the barracks.
I wondered if he planned to leave tomorrow's troop assignments to me too, but thankfully, no.
"Sorry to interrupt your rest, but we've still got work to do, don't we?"
Elbert said, tapping a chair.
Not the one he sat in, but the one with the tightly bound man.
Right—the brainwashed District 7 resident I'd smuggled out.
"Ah, you mean now?"
"No better time. Come tomorrow, we won't even have time to stop by the barracks. The day after's a given no."
"True enough."
He was right; now was the perfect window.
Starting tomorrow, ten or more rifts would open, and the day after, Asmodeus herself would intervene in the war.
Scrambling to find a way to break the brainwashing then would be pointless.
The problem was...
'...How do I even break it?'
I still didn't know how to undo this brainwashing.
I'd boasted confidently, but I was drawing a blank.
Call it the downside of my "act first, think later" mindset.
'I have to find a way somehow.'
No backing out now, though.
This was a problem that needed solving either way.
Maybe that's why Elbert said...
"Until you break this man's brainwashing, you're off the war roster."
"Pardon?"
"Exactly what I said. No war participation until it's resolved."
He'd played hardball.
'No empty threat, huh?'
I'd hate to say it myself, but I was one of the war's key assets.
Even soldiers with no prior connection to me knew that.
Benching me was a huge risk, and Elbert knew it full well.
Yet he was doing it anyway because...
'He's that serious about breaking the brainwashing.'
He saw Asmodeus's authority as a critical factor.
I did too, of course.
'If that bastard's power even touches the knights, the damage would be immense. Even if we win the war.'
Elbert was probably thinking something similar.
It was ironic, really.
District 7 residents weren't even treated as people, but his own soldiers were precious beyond measure.
'That's indoctrination down to the bone.'
Truth be told, it wasn't Elbert's fault he held such values.
It was the people around him, drilling it into him relentlessly from birth.
If I'd been born a noble's son with some renown in this world, would I have turned out like Elbert?
Hiding a bitter taste, I nodded.
"Yes, I understand. I'll definitely break it."
Whatever the answer, my task remained unchanged.
***
A warehouse unused for some time, blanketed in a hazy layer of dust.
The man bound tightly there thrashed desperately, making muffled noises.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmmph!"
His eyes were bloodshot red—not your average anger.
Curious what he was saying, I peeled off the tape from his mouth.
"Die!!"
Nothing worth hearing.
*Riiip, slap.*
"Mmph!"
I slapped fresh tape over his mouth and resumed my thoughts.
"...Light magic's still the most promising, right?"
With no training in hypnosis or restraints, I had to rely solely on magic to break the brainwashing.
Among options, light-attribute magic seemed most viable.
It was the attribute closest to holy power, after all.
Brainwashing was demon-derived at its core. Infusing light magic with holy power for experiments seemed feasible enough.
Decision made.
*Slouch—*
I got right to it.
Light mana rose like heat haze over my hand.
The formless, rippling energy flowed cautiously into the man.
Soon, the mana I still controlled began threading through his body.
Along with it came the demonic energy.
*Zing!*
As expected from a legion commander's authority—the demonic energy was no joke.
Worlds apart from what that shady passerby had exuded.
Even long after being applied, the energy remained this potent, proof of Asmodeus's immense power.
'...The demonic energy she wields directly must be far stronger.'
If I ever fought her, I'd need to stay sharp.
As I pondered...
"Hm?"
One spot pulsed with especially intense demonic energy.
The man's back.
No hesitation—I stripped off his upper shirt, and sure enough...
"This is..."
A familiar pattern adorned his back.
Like a lotus blossom...
"It's definitely Asmodeus."
A signature mark of hers, common in the game.
Left on those killed by her or ensnared by her authority.
But then.
*Thump!*
For some reason, I felt intensely that this mark held the key.
My intuition stat at 30, boosted by Soul Imprint, was reacting.
"Yeah, the answer's here, huh?"
Even without intuition, it made sense.
In the game, breaking mental abilities required destroying such marks.
The difference? This wasn't some ordinary power—it was a legion commander's authority.
Destroying the mark wouldn't be easy.
Worse, I might expose myself to the demonic energy in the process and take a hit.
But...
"Have to try."
No other choice.
No better ideas, and any path carried risk anyway.
With that resolve, I carefully manipulated my mana.
Gently, delicately.
My first attribute fusion at the academy, and the training in Parson's lab, were proving useful.
My already precise mana control had reached near-perfection.
I skirted dangerous spots while probing weak points with measured bursts.
*Drip—*
A bead of cold sweat trailed down one cheek.
"Mmmph! Mmmphh—!!"
I ignored the man's screams, holding focus without a twitch.
Only two outcomes ahead.
I win, or it wins.
One of us would shatter the other's power.