The Changing Process - 4
Six years had passed since Nahen left. In other words, this story took place exactly two years ago from the present.
It had been long enough for the demons to begin feeling that Nahen, who had gone to Hell, showed no signs of returning. Six years. For the demon race, who lived far longer than humans, it wasn’t an especially long time. Yet it was more than enough for many things to change. Long enough for the seeds sown in the past to sprout and take root.
Crunch!
Blood splattered across snow-white skin and hair. But the one responsible for the bloodshed didn’t seem to care in the slightest. Her expression remained completely unchanged. The surroundings were drenched in gore. Amid that brutal scene, this beautiful woman shone with pure radiance. Yet behind her apparent purity lurked the cruelty that had created this very carnage.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor—sharp, measured clicks of military boots. Soon the massive doors opened with surprising lightness, and a woman with twitching cat ears entered. It was Rin El Laza. She commanded the 4th Legion, the greatest military force of the Devata army, and was widely regarded as the strongest individual within Seere’s faction.
Rin scanned the area briefly before speaking.
“Your Majesty, are you finished?”
“Yes.”
Her lord’s reply was curt. The two horns on her head had grown considerably longer by now, and her asymmetrically long bangs completely covered one eye. She still stubbornly wore the cloak her teacher had once given her, but her clothes had changed significantly as her body matured. Instead of the white uniform that exposed her shoulders, she now wore a black dress-like uniform with a plunging neckline. A dress on the battlefield was rather ironic… but every change had been made while waiting for one particular person.
Yet some things remained unchanged—all of them gifts from her teacher. The cloak. The brooch. The bracelet. The sword now piercing her enemy. And finally, the half-tied hairstyle she maintained so her teacher would still recognize her at a glance.
Everything was for one person. But he had not appeared.
Perhaps that was why her once-clear blue eyes had grown cold and emotionless.
“Shall we head back?”
“…Understood.”
The girl who had once been the 12-year-old Demon King Seere von Devata had now passed through her growth phase and become a fully-fledged woman. Given the passage of time, she had already attended the General Assembly of the Demon Realm. Her teacher was supposed to have accompanied her, but since he hadn’t returned, there was nothing to be done. Still, the young Demon King had left an overwhelmingly powerful impression on the higher-ranking Demon Kings, and her achievements were recognized. As a result, Seere’s current rank was 50th—the same as the floor she had conquered during the Assembly.
She had now firmly established herself as a mid-tier Demon King, but she did not stop there. She had reorganized the ranks of the other Demon Kings who lost their floors during the Assembly, returning several lower floors to them. The Assembly had also instructed her to cede all floors except five to maintain order in the Demon Realm. Seere had protested, but it was an ancient tradition upheld by her father, Seir, as well. There was no avoiding it.
Having returned much of her territory, Seere refrained from conquering higher floors in order to expand her domain again. She intended to make full use of her current holdings until the next General Assembly. The floor she had conquered this time was the 46th—Uval’s domain.
“Your Majesty.”
“Yes.”
“We have telegrams from the 72nd and 69th floors. Especially from the 72nd…”
“I understand.”
Even while yielding the lower floors, she had refused to hand over the 72nd and 69th. The forge that had been on the 70th floor had already been relocated to the 50th, along with everything else. Thanks to Seere’s conquests, her ally Sitri had risen to 52nd rank, and Gremory to 51st—a welcome bonus. Their alliance, as her teacher had requested, remained strong and intact.
But the one person who should have praised all of this was nowhere to be seen.
Just as Seere’s heart was beginning to grow numb, the reports from the 72nd and 69th floors were enough to disturb her composure.
“Humans…?”
“Yes. The situation resembles the time when that so-called Hero appeared before. Their armies are mobilizing.”
The one delivering the letter was Eri—no, Erina, vice-commander of the 7th Legion. The woman who had once been the fourth seat of the 4th Legion was now making significant contributions as vice-commander of the 7th.
“Are they forming another massive coalition?”
The civil war in the human realm had ended. To be precise, it had concluded three years ago—three years after Nahen’s departure.
“Is this that woman’s doing?”
“It appears so. However, the appearance of a new Hero is…”
“Close to the truth?”
Charlotte von Bismarck had proven her capability even in that dire situation. The Lioness’s fangs had torn into her own younger brother. After eliminating her sibling and ending the civil war, Charlotte immediately entered negotiations with the Holy Kingdom and secured a ceasefire, reuniting the empire. Although she had lost territory to the Holy Kingdom, she astonishingly broke the truce just two years later and invaded, reclaiming every inch of land. The news that a nation which had exhausted its strength in three years of civil war could, in just two more years, wage war against the continent’s dominant power and reclaim its lost lands had been nothing short of astonishing.
“So that’s why Teacher told me to be careful. She’s not in her right mind.”
“I agree. To prepare something like this just one year after warring with the Holy Kingdom…”
“It’s a wonder she even has the resources left.”
Seere pursed her lips, deep in thought. Even for her, it was hard to comprehend how Charlotte could fight the Holy Kingdom two years after a civil war and then, just one year later, turn her attention toward the Demon Realm. Manpower didn’t spring forth endlessly, after all. Even if the war with the Holy Kingdom had been fought through sheer force, what could this new conflict be?
“…There must be something behind this.”
“Pardon?”
“Erina, summon all the legion commanders.”
“Understood.”
After Erina left, Seere recalled the reason Nahen had incited civil war in the human realm. His schemes there had been to prevent the outbreak of the Celestial-Demonic War. Now three years had passed since the civil war ended, and a full year since the clash between the two greatest human powers had concluded. It was more than enough time to quell the chaos.
Don’t tell me…
What if the angels were once again using humans to attack the Demon Realm, intending to escalate it directly into the Celestial-Demonic War?
Seere’s brilliant mind judged that the possibility was high. After all, angels had always treated humans as nothing more than pieces on their board.
Truly…
Those cunning pigeons.
Soon, the legion commanders summoned by Erina began entering the tent one by one: Rin El Laza of the 4th Legion, Epsilon of the 5th, Lexion of the 6th, Celestia of the 7th, Alberon of the 8th, and even Ursula of the newly established 9th Legion, formed after the conquest of the 50th floor.
Aside from the already famous Rin, the well-known Celestia, and the recently joined Ursula, the others had also begun making names for themselves as Seere’s officers. Their abilities had grown accordingly.
“…Are we all here?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What is the reason for this summons?”
“A report has arrived from the 72nd floor. Human movements appear suspicious.”
At Seere’s words, every commander’s expression grew grave.
“However, this is unlikely to be the humans acting alone.”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean…?”
“There is a high chance that Heaven has intervened. They’ve probably given something to the humans, just like with the previous ‘Hero.’”
Rin spoke with a deeply serious expression.
“Then does that mean there is also a possibility that angels will intervene while we are fighting the humans?”
“Yes.”
“…Then it would be best to abandon the 72nd and 69th floors. That was why we spared the lower-ranking Demon Kings, wasn’t it?”
The other commanders nodded at Rin’s rational judgment. Abandoning the 72nd and 69th floors and letting the exhausted human army be devoured by the lower Demon Kings seemed the safest option.
“No.”
But Seere’s answer was a denial. Not only Rin, but the other commanders looked at her in slight surprise.
“We will intercept the humans on the 72nd floor.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you just say angels might intervene?”
“I’m not suggesting we commit all our forces.”
Seere explained simply.
“We will intercept the human army on the 72nd floor with the goal of annihilation, but retreat before our own losses become too severe. Then we will repeat a similar interception on the 69th floor.”
“You mean to weaken their forces in advance.”
“Correct. If we see angels intervene while fighting the humans, we retreat at that point. Since we can easily handle the human army alone.”
Rin nodded in understanding. But a voice of concern still rose.
“Even so, wouldn’t it be safer to let the lower-ranking Demon Kings weaken them first?”
It was true. However, this was something only those who didn’t know why Seere had kept the 72nd and 69th floors could say. The one who spoke was Ursula, the 9th Legion commander who had joined Seere’s service relatively recently. Celestia shot her a warning glance.
“Are you questioning Her Majesty’s decision?”
“That’s not what I meant. I simply…”
“I understand. As Commander Ursula says, that would indeed be much safer. However…”
The reason Seere had reserved the 72nd and 69th floors as territory under her direct control. The 72nd floor was a place filled with memories from her childhood. And the 69th floor… was to prevent her teacher, who might return someday, from becoming confused.
“There are personal reasons.”
“…Understood.”
“I will lead this operation myself.”
“Pardon?”
“I won’t be taking all the legions. Since we’ll only intercept and then retreat, we don’t need too many troops.”
Seere asked the commanders.
“Who will come with me?”
“I will go.”
As expected, Rin was the first to step forward. But Seere shook her head.
“Commander Rin, you will stay here. Someone must organize and defend the 46th floor.”
“Then I shall go.”
It was Celestia. She was the second strongest among the commanders and the one best suited to carry out Seere’s intentions.
“Good. That works.”
“…I will join as well.”
The next to volunteer was Epsilon of the 5th Legion. Seere nodded. She had only planned to bring two legions. She gave orders to the remaining commanders.
“Lexion, Alberon. You two will defend the other floors. Provide support if Commander Rin requests it.”
“Understood.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Seere rose from her seat.
“Let’s go. We must prepare in advance.”
“Yes.”
#
Charlotte von Bismarck, who had ascended to the throne as Empress of the Bismarck Empire, had originally planned to focus on internal affairs for a while after the war with the Holy Kingdom. She had considered dealing with the Demon Realm, but it was naturally impossible under the current circumstances.
However, a single factor completely changed that situation.
One day, an unfamiliar visitor appeared without warning. Spreading wings of pure white feathers, the being who came directly to her was someone impossible to fail to recognize.
“…The Heavenly God?”
“Not the Heavenly God. I am the one who delivers His words.”
She introduced herself as the angel Raguel. In a sweet voice, she spoke to Charlotte.
“Soon, a human chosen by the Heavenly God will appear.”
“You mean a Hero?”
“Yes. A Hero will appear in this empire.”
At Raguel’s words, Charlotte’s first reaction was suspicion.
“Why are you telling me this?”
There had to be a reason for revealing such information in advance. The previous Hero, Ceres, had appeared suddenly without any such omen.
“Because I wish for you to deliver judgment upon the Demon Realm.”
“…Isn’t that something you could do with your own hands?”
“Indeed, you are correct. We could handle it ourselves. This is us giving you a part in it.”
“What?”
Raguel smiled gently.
“If you stand at the forefront alongside a Hero and purge evil with us… what do you think will happen to the empire’s prestige?”
“Hah, only honeyed words. How convenient.”
Charlotte was different from her younger brother. She was neither incompetent nor a fool.
“If you intend to use me, you should stop now. This country is in no position to wage war. If we succeed, as you say, our prestige will soar and the empire will rise to an unshakable position. But that is only if we succeed.”
Charlotte glared at Raguel.
“If we fail, who will bear the responsibility and the damage?”
Looking at her, Raguel said,
“…How fascinating. Can humans truly be this cold? Humans are supposed to be… emotional creatures.”
“Are you trying to pass that off as a compliment?”
“It was a compliment. I am genuinely impressed. Very few can remain so rational in the presence of a divine being.”
As she said, from the moment most humans witnessed an angel, they would be overwhelmed first by faith and awe. There was a fundamental difference in rank, and angels were revered by humans. Yet this cold princess—no, now empress—showed no such signs. She had been briefly startled at first, but that was all.
“I cannot understand the values of angels.”
“I understand your concern. You’re saying you cannot bear the risk of failure, correct?”
“Exactly. We do not have that kind of leeway.”
When Charlotte affirmed this, Raguel smiled again.
“Then, what if we made it so there is no risk to bear?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“The Hero.”
“…What are you saying? Are you telling me you can determine the Hero’s strength?”
“Why couldn’t we? The divine armaments are created and bestowed directly by the Heavenly God. If He pours more of His blessing into the armament, naturally the Hero who wields it becomes stronger as well.”
Charlotte frowned deeply.
“Then why didn’t you do that when Hero Ceres appeared in the first place?!”
“The situation was different then. The timing wasn’t right. But now…”
Raguel continued with a smile still on her lips.
“It is possible.”
Seeing Raguel’s words, expression, and attitude, Charlotte narrowed her eyes sharply. The intelligent empress had noticed. The angels had another purpose in mind.
“What exactly are you angels aiming for? What is your true objective?”
“…Oh my, you even thought that far? How fascinating indeed.”
Humans knew nothing of the Celestial-Demonic War. Every such war until now had only involved Heaven, the Demon Realm, and Hell. Yet this human was different. With just a short conversation, she had already drawn close to the truth that a Celestial-Demonic War was approaching.
“I cannot tell you that. In any case, I came to deliver the news that a Hero will appear. Whether you start a war or not is your choice, but…”
Raguel let out a small laugh.
“I wonder if your foolish citizens will agree.”
“……”
“Think carefully. I won’t say there is no risk, but there will certainly be gains as well.”
When Charlotte closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, Raguel had vanished as if by magic.
Charlotte could refute everything else, but she could not refute Raguel’s final words.
If a Hero is born within the empire, the citizens will naturally support him. And since the Hero carries a message from the Heavenly God, he will insist on subjugating the Demon Realm.
In that case, she would be unable to ignore the will of her people. She was no longer a princess, but the ruler and empress of this nation. It seemed the angels had considered every aspect of this situation.
“Even after becoming empress… it seems there is no escaping it.”
Charlotte smiled bitterly and lamented her fate.
#
The 72nd floor—the floor of the Demon Realm closest to the human realm.
Seere had first relocated all residents of the 72nd floor to the 69th. Then she had dug traps in advance and was waiting.
“Your Majesty, the Argol forces report they are ready.”
The giant gargoyle Argol, who guarded the 72nd floor, was the key to this operation. At the messenger’s report, Seere nodded and drew her sword.
“Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
“Yes!”
Soon, the portal connecting the human realm to the 72nd floor activated. As it did, countless imperial soldiers began to appear. At their forefront stood a man wearing pure white armor, holding a long spear that inspired disgust the moment one saw it.
“…So it’s that guy.”
He was the newly appeared Hero. The Hero of the Spear.