The Three Types of Demon Kings
Demon Kings could generally be divided into three categories.
There were the combat-oriented Demon Kings who placed heavy emphasis on raw martial prowess. Then there were the strategist-type Demon Kings who focused on expanding their influence through schemes, politics, and careful maneuvering. And finally, those who managed to balance both approaches.
The most representative examples of the first type were Belial and Andromalius. The second type was best exemplified by Dantalion.
In truth, the ideal was the third category. Leaning too heavily toward one side or the other rarely produced good results. Yet despite this, the authoritarian position and inherent personalities of Demon Kings meant very few could excel at both.
In particular, the domineering nature and cruelty typical of Demon Kings had produced an abundance of combat-oriented rulers. Strategist-types were comparatively rare.
The type Nahen sought to recruit this time was also a combat-oriented Demon King. Strategists, or those who balanced both, tended to be cautious. Combat-types, however, were usually impulsive. If they disliked someone, they would turn hostile immediately. But if they took a liking to them, they might lend a hand at any time.
The first place Nahen intended to visit was the 24th floor.
When she heard they were heading to the 24th floor, Seere tilted her head in confusion.
“Didn’t you say we were going to meet one of the highest-ranked Demon Kings?”
“I did.”
“Then why are we going to the 24th floor?”
The 24th rank was certainly high. However, it did not qualify as one of the top-tier ranks Nahen had mentioned. Sensing Seere’s confusion, Nahen explained simply.
“It’s a matter of courtesy.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s for when we eventually meet the highest-ranked ones. From their perspective, imagine if we ignored the Demon Kings below them and went straight to meet them directly.”
“…Wouldn’t that seem a bit arrogant?”
“That’s part of it. But more importantly, we need to at least form some kind of ‘faction’ before approaching them, don’t you think? Otherwise, there won’t be any real conversation.”
Seere nodded as if she understood that point. However, another question still lingered.
“But why the 24th floor specifically? You already know what kind of place it is, Teacher.”
The ruler of the 24th floor was a Demon King known by the rather ominous title of ‘Slaughter Duke.’ Glasyalabolas. That was the name of the Demon King they were about to meet.
She was so brutal that she had earned the moniker Slaughter Duke, and she was the furthest thing from benevolent governance. The fact that her forces were relatively small for a 24th-floor ruler was largely due to these traits.
Nevertheless, the reason she maintained her high rank was proof that she was an outstanding combat-oriented Demon King.
“That’s exactly why we’re going.”
“Exactly?”
“Glasyalabolas is one of the most extreme combat-type Demon Kings. To her, nothing matters more than ‘strength.’”
She measured everything by power. That was the biggest reason Nahen had chosen Glasyalabolas.
Nahen smiled lightly and said, “She’s the simplest and easiest type to persuade.”
“…And looking at it now, she’s a woman too.”
“…Hm?”
Nahen turned to Seere with slightly flustered eyes. Seere stared back at her with narrowed, sharp eyes. After a brief moment of silent eye contact, Nahen spoke first.
“…I’m not going to meet her just because she’s a woman, you know.”
“I know that. I know it very well… but how is it that you somehow only end up meeting women?”
Seere’s jealousy was slowly seeping out, even reaching Nahen.
…How did it come to this?
She used to be such a cute child. The eight years that had passed felt utterly wasted to Nahen, and it pained her deeply. Setting aside Seere’s affection for her, the fact that her obsession had grown this intense was entirely Nahen’s own fault.
Even two years would have been long enough, but she had made her wait an additional six…
If we had spent the last eight years together, at least she wouldn’t have changed this much.
That was what Nahen thought. Of course, had that been the case, an entirely different future would have unfolded—one completely unlike what she imagined—but Nahen had no way of knowing that.
Letting out a small sigh at her current predicament, Nahen said, “It’s not like I’m going there to share some romantic feelings. There’s no need to be jealous.”
“You never know.”
“What don’t I know?”
“Someone incredibly beautiful like Lady Sitri could show up.”
“……”
Nahen knew Glasyalabolas’s face. She had been one of the Demon Kings prominently featured in Evil Queen Maker, after all. True to her significant role in the game, her appearance was quite striking.
In that sense, Seere had essentially guessed correctly.
But if I say she’s actually beautiful…
It was obvious how Seere would react. Nahen pondered for a moment how to explain this, then spoke calmly.
“That could be. But have I ever shown any romantic interest in Sitri? I’ve never failed to separate personal feelings from duty just because someone is attractive.”
“You two are rather close, though.”
“I don’t recall our relationship developing beyond that.”
“Hmmm…”
Seere stared intently at Nahen. Feeling that enigmatic gaze, Nahen met her eyes confidently.
“Fine. I’ll trust you.”
With that, Seere walked ahead, and Secily followed behind her. Nahen watched their backs for a moment before letting out a helpless chuckle.
I guess I can’t tell her the other reason.
The other reason Nahen wanted to meet Glasyalabolas was because of the Moonblood.
One of the crystallized drops of the Vampire Progenitor’s blood existed on the 24th floor under Glasyalabolas’s rule—the largest among all the Moonblood scattered throughout the Demon Realm.
If Seere was already reacting this way simply because the other party was a woman, telling her they were going to collect Moonblood would only make things worse.
…I’ll have to look for it secretly.
Crystallized drops of the Vampire Progenitor's blood.
Contains the sealed power of Ersha Scarlet.
The largest specimen in the Demon Realm is located on the 24th floor.
After passing through several portals in the Demon Realm, Nahen and Seere finally reached the 24th floor. They had tested whether Nahen’s magic could take them there directly, but since she had never visited the 24th floor even before her possession, teleportation was impossible.
In the end, they had to take dozens of portals. The repetitive process left not only Nahen but even Seere exhausted and silent.
“…It would be better to just grab someone and fight.”
“I completely agree…”
“You two need to pull yourselves together now.”
At Secily’s gentle scolding, both Nahen and Seere nodded. Since they had arrived at their destination on the 24th floor, it was time to get to work.
Nahen said to Seere, “For now, it’s best not to reveal your true identity.”
“Why?”
“All Demon Kings are essentially rivals. It’s for the sake of your safety.”
“Then how do you plan to meet Glasyalabolas?”
“I’ll first send a formal visit request in your name. Then I’ll arrive first as an envoy and meet with her…”
Seere narrowed her eyes. “So in the end, you’ll be meeting her alone, Teacher.”
“…No, we’ll all go together.”
“She’ll recognize my face. She saw me at the Demon Realm Assembly.”
“That won’t be a problem, Your Majesty,” Secily interjected from the side. “Your current impression is quite different from back then, so there’s a high chance she won’t recognize you. If we tweak your hairstyle a little, she definitely won’t know who you are.”
“Ah… that’s true. It has been six years.”
“Exactly. So let’s have you come as an envoy as well, Seere, and we’ll meet Glasyalabolas together first.”
“You said ‘first,’ which means we’ll have a proper meeting with her again later, right?”
As expected, she was a sharp child. Nahen nodded and explained.
“If we meet Glasyalabolas first, she will definitely try to test us in some way.”
“What kind of test?”
“What did I say earlier that Glasyalabolas values most?”
Seere tilted her head thoughtfully, then recalled and answered, “Strength.”
“Correct. The test will be related to that.”
“Does that mean she won’t even meet with those who lack strength?”
“More precisely, she won’t listen to the proposals of those without strength. She’ll meet us since we’re coming as envoys, but she won’t take our words seriously.”
“I see.”
Seere nodded in understanding, then asked, “Then how should I disguise myself?”
“Hm? Well… do as you like. As long as you don’t give off the impression of a Demon King, anything should be fine.”
“Hmmm, in that case…”
Seere glanced at Secily. Her eyes fell on the neat maid uniform Secily was wearing.
Should I go with a maid outfit?
If she disguised herself as a maid, she might be able to do all sorts of fun things to Nahen. Just saying she wanted to wear a maid outfit would probably fluster her teacher. Seere thought it would be amusing and immediately put her plan into action.
“Then… should I disguise myself as a maid like Secily?”
“Oh, that sounds good. Not a bad idea at all.”
“…?”
The reaction was completely different from what she had expected. Seere had thought that if she said this, Nahen would imagine her in a maid outfit and become embarrassed. But Nahen wasn’t embarrassed at all. She wasn’t even pretending to be indifferent—she was actually recommending it.
“If we say you came as a maid, there’s no risk of being discovered. We’ll just need to change your hairstyle a bit. Secily, can you handle that?”
“Yes, of course. I happen to have a spare maid uniform with me.”
“Uhh…?”
Seere was visibly flustered. She couldn’t understand how the situation had turned out like this. Watching her bewildered expression, Nahen laughed inwardly.
Your intentions were way too obvious.
Nahen had already known. The moment Seere glanced at Secily’s clothes, she had figured out exactly what she was planning. This psychological battle, where she had read her opponent’s intentions in advance, was a complete victory for Nahen.
“Let’s head to an inn. We’ll change there before visiting the Demon King’s castle.”
“Ah, wait…!”
“Yes, Lady Nahen. Your Majesty, let’s go quickly.”
Seere’s expectations had been completely off the mark. In the end, she had no choice but to proceed with the disguise without gaining anything from it. After stopping at the inn, they emerged again shortly afterward.
“We’re ready, Lady Nahen.”
“…I’m done.”
Nahen hesitated. Was it right to compliment her by saying it suited her well?
Of course, Seere’s appearance was so outstanding that anything looked good on her. The maid outfit combined with her hair tied in cute twin tails like when she was younger drew attention in the best possible way.
But she was a Demon King. A ruler. Was it really a compliment to say that a maid’s uniform suited someone like her?
That was the nature of Nahen’s dilemma. In the end, she said nothing. Praising a maid’s outfit on Seere, who sat on the throne of a monarch, somehow didn’t feel appropriate.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“…Hm?”
Seere pursed her lips slightly. She lightly gathered her twin-tailed hair with her hands and asked, “Does it… not look good on me?”
Nahen realized she had been mistaken. The issue she had been worrying about didn’t matter to Seere at all. Seere simply wanted to be told she was pretty. Her constant clinginess and obsession stemmed only from not wanting Nahen to look away from her and focus on someone else.
The things she had said about cutting off limbs or tying her up and locking her away were far from her true feelings.
…Honestly.
At least in front of her, Seere still had some childish parts. Nahen gently stroked the slightly dejected Seere’s head.
“It suits you very well. I was just worried that if I said a maid’s outfit looked good on you, a Demon King, you might feel offended.”
“Ah…”
She looked as if she had never even considered that. Seere wouldn’t get upset over such stiff formalities when it came to her teacher.
“Does it really suit me?”
“Yes, you look beautiful.”
“Hehe… ehehe.”
Seere smiled happily. Her smile was so pure that Nahen couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Then shall we go meet Glasyalabolas?”
The 24th floor, ruled by Glasyalabolas, was also known as the ‘floor of gladiators.’ The reason was that this layer contained an arena where endless bloody battles took place without interruption.
Clang!
Clang!!
“I bet on you today! Win for me, Arjuna!!”
“Crush them!!”
Amid the crowd’s heated cheers, the two gladiators exchanged their final blows. And at last, a victor was decided.
Crunch!
The sword slipped through the gap in the helmet’s armor, and soon crimson blood flowed down the blade. The moment the outcome was settled, cheers and groans mixed together among the spectators.
“Ah, fuck! I lost! My money!!”
“I believed in you, damn it!!”
“Arjuna! Arjuna!”
Arjuna. A name meaning ‘shining.’ It was the alias given to the silver-armored swordsman who had just won.
As Arjuna’s sword slid out smoothly, her opponent collapsed forward. It was an instant kill. The spectators who had bet on her flawless victory erupted in loud cheers.
“As expected, she’s strong.”
“How many wins is that now?”
“Wasn’t it her 12th straight win?”
“She’s seriously amazing. Who the hell bets against her?”
“Obviously people trying to hit it big with an upset.”
Leaving the crowd’s voices behind, Arjuna returned to the waiting room. The moment no one was watching, she removed her helmet. Blue hair flowed out from within the confining headpiece.
She wore thick armor and was quite tall, so the audience never realized…
“Haa.”
Arjuna was a woman.
The name Arjuna was merely an alias. Her real name was Eliza. She was one of Glasyalabolas’s subordinates.
Of course, she held no particular loyalty toward her tyrannical and cruel lord. Nevertheless, Eliza silently carried out her duties.
Her mission was to personally participate in the arena and secretly select useful talents for Glasyalabolas. For some reason, her lord had strictly ordered her never to reveal her identity. If she were discovered, the mission would fail, and the price of failure would be her life.
To that end, Eliza deliberately wore armor to hide both her gender and identity. She had entered the arena, become champion, and achieved twelve consecutive successful defenses, yet…
The mission still isn’t over.
It was because no suitable talents had appeared. Whenever Arjuna fought, a scout sent by Glasyalabolas would always be in the stands sending signals. But all she ever received was the ‘unqualified’ signal.
…Does this mission only end when I die?
If someone could defeat her, they would surely catch her lord’s eye. Resting for a moment in the private waiting room reserved only for the arena’s champion, she put her helmet back on.
Shortly after, the arena manager opened the door and entered.
“Arjuna.”
She answered with a nod instead of speaking. It would have looked extremely awkward to an ordinary person, but no one in the arena thought so. Many people came to the arena carrying all sorts of circumstances, so this didn’t even register as strange. There were even fighters who had seizures before or after every match. Compared to that, being taciturn was nothing.
“Your next match has been scheduled immediately.”
It was rare for the next match to be set so quickly. Eliza found it unexpected and listened carefully.
“It’s someone from outside who has challenged you. It seems the higher-ups have approved it.”
At the mention that the higher-ups had approved it, Eliza was slightly surprised. Normally, to challenge the arena champion, one had to win a certain number of matches to earn the right. Yet an outsider had issued a challenge, and the higher-ups had accepted it…
…Did that picky woman really allow it?
A talent approved by that extreme combat-type Demon King. Even Eliza grew curious about who would appear.
She nodded to show she understood. The manager left a brief warning.
“I believe you’ll handle it well, but you must not kill them.”
Because it was an outsider, it seemed killing was not permitted. Eliza felt her excitement cool slightly, but she understood the reasoning.
The schedule the manager handed her showed the match was set for tomorrow. Eliza waited with a faint sense of anticipation for the next day to arrive.