The Colossus - 1
Before meeting Ziz, the Beast of the Apocalypse that symbolized the firmament, there was one task that had to be completed first. Ziz’s domain, the Misty Firmament, lay between the fourth Qliphah, Gamaliel, and the fifth Qliphah, Golab.
Golab. Yes, that was the name of the Archdemon who had sent his subordinates into Nahen’s Demon Realm not once, but twice. Now that he had two extraordinary Beasts of the Apocalypse—Behemoth and Leviathan—under his command, Nahen intended to pay Golab a visit before heading to Ziz’s territory.
“I should at least go and have a word.”
Of course, if words failed, he was fully prepared to use force. He could even threaten to unleash Leviathan and Behemoth. Golab himself might survive their power, but his domain would be left in ruins. And Golab would hardly want that.
“Muuuung.”
“Puu.”
Nahen glanced back at the two beasts trotting after him. Shrunken to miniature size, they felt more like pocket-sized companions than apocalyptic terrors. They were staring in fascination at the evil spirits that refused to come anywhere near them or Nahen.
Watching their curious behavior, Nahen asked, “What’s so interesting?”
“Muuung.”
“Puu.”
“...What are you even saying?”
Without gestures or context, their cries were nearly impossible to decipher. Still, since their eyes were fixed on the writhing evil spirits, he could make an educated guess.
“Are you amazed that the evil spirits are keeping their distance?”
“Puu.”
“Muuu.”
Having seen the spirits flee the moment he released his magic, Nahen couldn’t understand why they found it so remarkable. As fearsome Beasts of the Apocalypse, they should have been the last creatures the spirits would dare approach.
That was when Nahen felt the air shift around him. It was the same sensation he’d experienced when entering or leaving his inverted kingdom.
“This is the place.”
From here onward lay the fifth Qliphah ruled by Golab—the realm that shared its master’s name. One convenient aspect of a Qliphah governed by an Archdemon was that evil spirits could not intrude. He could safely withdraw his magic power.
“Puu.”
“Muuuung.”
Yet the moment they crossed into the fourth Qliphah, both beasts lifted their heads at once, eyes sharp with caution. Nahen followed their gaze upward and froze.
“!?”
Black lace panties filled his vision. Not just the panties—above them stretched a garter belt, pale white thighs, and a sheer dress that hinted at every curve beneath. Nothing was left to the imagination. And her appearance was flawless. Skin like polished white jade, eyes like crimson jewels, hair black as obsidian that only heightened her beauty through contrast. Her figure was the very ideal of feminine perfection, the kind that could set every man’s desires ablaze.
Faced with such a seductive sight, Nahen had only one thought.
…Is she some kind of harlot?
Though startled at first, he couldn’t bear to keep watching the vulgar display. He pressed his thumb hard against his forehead.
The woman, realizing she had been noticed, let out a soft laugh.
“It’s been a while.”
“...?”
“Hehe, I saw you coming after so long and decided to put in some effort. Well? Do you like what you see?”
“???”
With every word she spoke, Nahen’s confusion only deepened. Her tone suggested she knew him intimately. Yet he had no memory of her.
I feel like I’d recognize her if I heard her name.
That lewd pose brought one name to mind, but it wasn’t certain enough to settle on.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Who are you?”
At his question, she made an expression of pure disbelief, as if asking how he could possibly have forgotten her. Only after staring at him for a moment did she seem to grasp the situation.
“Ah… aah… Don’t tell me you sealed away the memories of our time together as well?”
“...So you know I sealed my memories.”
That was confirmation enough. Someone who knew about the prohibition he had placed on himself and about his deal with Thaumiel, the ruler of Hell—and who possessed both breathtaking beauty and a blatantly lewd demeanor—could only be one person.
“Gamaliel.”
“You remembered?”
“Why are you here? This is Golab’s domain.”
“That’s fine. After all, Golab once barged into my territory without permission. We’re even.”
“I’m asking for your reason.”
Nahen wondered if he really needed to spell it out. Just as weariness began to creep over him, Gamaliel fluttered her wings and slowly descended.
“The reason is… obvious, isn’t it?”
“What?”
With one powerful flap, she landed directly in front of him—close enough that he could feel her breath. She reached out with a soft hand and stroked his cheek.
“I came to see you, of course~ Hehe.”
“...Move.”
“Why are you like this? After so long, you won’t even allow a little skinship? That’s too cruel.”
Nahen clicked his tongue. “It’s unpleasant.”
“...What?”
“You play with men’s bodies every single day. You already have a proper partner. Don’t lay your hands on me.”
Nahen was no puritan, but he held no tolerance for women who treated their bodies so carelessly—worse than common prostitutes. Beyond that, there was the moral issue of his position as a teacher. If a mentor associated closely with such a woman, what would his disciple Seere think?
For multiple overlapping reasons, Nahen openly displayed his revulsion. Gamaliel’s face twisted.
“Ha, even after losing your memories, how can you be this cold?”
“I think I’m beginning to understand why I sealed my memories of you along with everything else.”
Nahen flicked her hand away from his cheek. Gamaliel narrowed her eyes in clear displeasure.
“Does Thaumiel tolerate you behaving this way?”
“He doesn’t know. And you already know he has no deep interest in my private affairs.”
“I said I don’t know. And lack of interest doesn’t justify your actions.”
“My, sealing your memories has made you even harder to talk to than before.”
Gamaliel grumbled. Despite Nahen’s outright disgust and coldness, she only showed a brief flash of irritation before smoothing it away.
“Step aside. I have to meet Golab.”
“You’re going to see Golab?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, in that case, I’ll help you.”
“What…?”
“You’ve lost your memories, so you wouldn’t know, but we were quite close. That’s why I can endure even when you treat me like this.”
It sounded reasonable, yet Nahen’s instincts told him she was twisting everything to suit herself. The two beasts’ expressions as they listened were proof enough.
“Puu.”
“Muuuung.”
Their faces seemed to say, What smooth-talking nonsense.
Having already seen that look, Nahen completely ignored her nonsense.
“...Sigh. Fine.”
Still, having a guide to Golab offered its own advantages. If she intended to exploit his sealed memories for her convenience, he could exploit her in return.
“Guiding me to Golab would be helpful.”
“Oh my, are you asking me a favor now? Then I suppose I have to grant it~.”
She had offered to help first, yet now she was framing it as if he were begging. Nahen stared at her in disbelief. She read his expression and laughed lightly.
“By the way…”
“What?”
“I’ll guide you to Golab, but why do you want to meet him?”
“...I have something to say.”
“Something to say?”
“That’s right.”
Nahen offered no further explanation. Gamaliel watched him with curious eyes, but when she realized he had no intention of elaborating, she spun on her heel.
“Fine. Follow me. I’ll take you to him.”
Her dress fluttered with the motion, once again offering a dangerously revealing glimpse beneath. Nahen frowned.
…This is going to be exhausting.
He told himself to endure it until they reached Golab, then followed after her.
“...Your Majesty?”
Rin was taken aback. The Demon King Seere looked to be in an exceptionally foul mood today as well. Baruna, standing beside her and delivering the report, wore the same stunned expression.
“Haa…”
Sensing it was similar to a previous incident, Rin asked cautiously, “Your Majesty, could it be… that Master Nahen is meeting another woman again?”
“Commander, you’ve finally noticed?”
“......”
“To think he meets women even in a place like that… Just how popular is Teacher, exactly?”
At Seere’s quiet muttering, Rin and Baruna exchanged glances.
Do you understand any of that?
Not a clue.
The silent conversation passed between their eyes. How Seere knew whether Nahen was meeting women or not remained a mystery. She claimed it was “instinct,” but Rin knew that was impossible. Which meant Seere must have done something to him…
Surely not.
Had she placed some spell on him?
The thought flickered through Rin’s mind, but she quickly shook her head. Doubting one’s lord was disloyal. She cast the idle suspicion aside and continued her report.
“Additionally, Your Majesty, we have received word from the spies stationed in the Human Realm.”
“Ah, is that so? I’ll look at it later.”
“Understood. That concludes the report.”
“Commander, when do you think we can move on the 64th floor?”
“The battle damage this time was minimal. Once we recover our stamina, we should be able to depart immediately.”
“How long will that take?”
“Including preparations… roughly a week, I believe.”
“I see.”
Seere nodded, ending the conversation. The implicit dismissal was clear. Rin and Baruna saluted and left the audience chamber.
“Her Majesty… she’s lost some of that adorable charm lately.”
“Baruna, that is disrespectful.”
“It may be the proper demeanor for a Demon King, but… don’t you miss it? She used to be so cute.”
“I said it’s disrespectful.”
When Rin’s brows drew sharply together, Baruna raised both hands in apology. “All right, I’m sorry, Commander.”
“This is how it should be. Her Majesty is maturing into an outstanding Demon King.”
“That’s true, but…”
Baruna spoke plainly. “I doubt this is the version of her that Sir Seir wanted.”
“......”
“It’s true that Master Nahen has raised Her Majesty well and is shaping her into a Demon King of great ability, but…”
He added one final thought. “The more it continues like this, the more frightening Her Majesty Seere seems to become.”
“...It is not our place to concern ourselves with such matters, Baruna.”
“...Well, if you say so, Commander, then that’s how it is.”
Baruna had no desire to challenge Rin. If she said it was correct, he accepted it as correct. His attitude came not from dependence, but from deep respect for her as both comrade and superior. It was why he had refused offers to become a legion commander himself.
Even so, Baruna’s words had clearly unsettled Rin’s thoughts.
Seere was growing more ferocious with each passing day. And the greatest factor seemed to be her obsessive need to appear worthy in Nahen’s eyes.
…When Master Nahen returns, I’ll need to have a word with him.
With a look of firm resolve, Rin strode down the corridor.