Toppling the Sandcastle - 4
Under Seere von Devata there existed a truly formidable military force. Though their numbers were small, there was no one across any of the layers who did not regard them with caution. The 4th Legion. As the former subordinates of Seir von Devata—the great Demon King who had once held the second rank—they were nothing short of terror to those in the lower strata.
The elite unit led by Rin El Laza, one of Seir’s Four Swords, consisted of cold and fearsome beings capable of accomplishing anything.
Of course, that was merely the image known to the public. The reality was somewhat different.
“Y-Your Majesty?”
Rin, commander of the supposedly cold and fearsome 4th Legion, wore an all-too-human expression of panic. The reason stood right in front of her: the lovely child named Seere von Devata.
“Take me with you.”
“Pardon?”
The 4th Legion was currently preparing to march for the 69th Floor. At Nahen’s command, they were to escort the merchants of the 69th Floor to the 70th Floor.
“Your Majesty wishes to accompany us… may I ask why?”
She could hardly say it was because she wanted to hurry up and play with her teacher. So Seere offered a suitable excuse.
“…I want to fight too.”
Rin pondered Seere’s words for a moment. She knew the girl’s skill well from having watched over her. Over the past five years Seere had trained diligently in swordsmanship and reached a remarkable level with pure blade work alone. It was a prodigious talent that proved she truly carried Seir’s blood.
Moreover, the current Seere was someone Rin could no longer say with confidence she could defeat. In a pure sword duel Rin would win one hundred times out of one hundred, but battles were not fought with swords alone.
‘Her Majesty’s magic has already…’
Having learned ancient magic from Nahen, she had achieved explosive growth. The increased length of her red-streaked hair made it obvious how much mana she could wield. Deploying her on the battlefield immediately would undoubtedly provide an overwhelming boost to their combat strength.
Yet… Rin shook her head. Nahen would never permit Seere to rush off to the front lines on a whim.
“I cannot allow it, Your Majesty. This operation is to be carried out by us alone. There were no orders for Your Majesty to—”
“Commander Rin El Laza. Who is the lord you serve?”
When Rin attempted to refuse, Seere shamelessly played the authority card. Rin pressed her lips together and searched for an excuse, but nothing came to mind. She even twitched her cat ears and racked her brain, yet it was useless.
“…No matter what anyone says, my one and only lord is Your Majesty, Seere von Devata.”
“Then whose orders take priority—mine or my teacher’s?”
“Your Majesty’s orders take priority.”
“Then take me with you. That is my command.”
Unable to overcome the authority card, Rin could only chew her lip, unable to give a clear reply. Seere’s brows drew together sharply.
“Commander Rin El Laza!”
“U-understood. However, please refrain from stepping too far forward. If any harm should come to Your Majesty’s person…”
“Yeah, got it~.”
“……Your Majesty, you did hear me, correct?”
“I said I got it.”
With those words Seere lifted her sword. It was the Sword of Blood Tears that Nahen had forbidden her from using as a child because it was dangerous; now she wielded it with practiced ease.
Seere gripped the blade and the corners of her mouth curved upward.
‘Teacher, just wait a little longer.’
I’ll finish this quickly and come play with you.
When Decarabia invaded the 69th Floor, war erupted between the 68th and 69th Floors. Naturally, every merchant who had settled on the 69th Floor began to flee at once.
“There’s no way the 69th Floor can beat Decarabia!”
Decarabia was a Demon King whose military might rivaled Andromalius of the 70th Floor. The five generals known as the Five Pointed Star who followed him were also renowned for their exceptional skill. The soldiers trained under such capable commanders were naturally powerful, and the private army Dantalion had hired with money could not compare.
“Is this all you have? How boring.”
Baltazar, the first star among the Five Pointed Star, swung his massive greatsword. Several of Dantalion’s soldiers lost their lives in a single stroke.
A minister watching the scene from the Demon King’s castle cried out.
“Y-Your Majesty! Decarabia’s forces have already pushed this far!”
“Fire the cannons! Bombard them with magic! If mana runs low, use as many artifacts as necessary—stop their advance!”
“The infantry is being overwhelmed! The difference in strength is too great!”
“Damn it, instead of wasting time complaining, swing your sword one more time or cast one more spell!”
Dantalion could no longer sit idly in the audience chamber either. Though weak in raw physical power, his mastery of magic was considerable. He descended from his throne and moved to the ramparts, gathering his mana. He even drew in the external mana drifting through the air.
Then, as his mental image materialized through power, a magic circle appeared before him. A colossal array formed above his outstretched palm, and he began the chant.
"Flames of hell, burn my enemies."
⟨ Fire of Hell ⟩
The two-line incantation finished, and flames hot enough to scorch the surroundings burst into existence in Dantalion’s grasp. At his gesture the inferno shot forward and engulfed Baltazar and his subordinates.
BOOM—!!!
The direct hit drew gasps of admiration from atop the castle walls.
“M-Magnificent, Your Majesty!”
“As expected of Lord Dantalion!”
“Enough flattery—prepare the next attack!”
Dantalion clicked his tongue at his useless underlings. Because they had been bought with money, few proved worthwhile in an emergency. The only one of any real use was—
“All troops, switch to bombardment formation!”
—Leonard, supreme commander of Dantalion’s army. The very moment Dantalion felt grateful for his presence—
Whirr—!
Crunch!
“Huh…?”
A massive greatsword flew straight into Leonard’s face and embedded itself there. At the gruesome sight Dantalion’s expression froze and he could not speak.
“Hot. But that was all.”
Baltazar, who had taken a direct hit from Dantalion’s flames, walked out completely unscathed. The greatsword now lodged in Leonard’s face had been the one he had been holding.
“You sought an alliance with the great Lord Decarabia with nothing but this level of strength, Dantalion?”
“Y-you worm…!”
Dantalion’s magic was not weak enough to be dismissed so easily. The proof lay in the fact that every soldier of Decarabia’s army who had been caught in the flames—except Baltazar—had been burned to ash without a trace. The reason Baltazar could emerge unharmed after a direct hit was simple.
“You dare run your mouth after surviving only because of that magic armor!”
It was because Baltazar wore magic armor—armor with exceptionally high resistance to magical power.
“I will not deny that the grace bestowed by Lord Decarabia saved my life, however…”
Baltazar pulled his greatsword free from Leonard’s ruined face and leveled it at Dantalion atop the castle wall.
“The fact that your attacks cannot even pierce this armor is also a problem.”
“You… you insolent—!”
“There seems to be no more entertainment here. Let us end this—”
At that moment Baltazar felt an odd premonition. Acting on pure instinct, he took one step back, and his intuition proved correct.
BOOM—!!!
“Oh, he dodged. What a shame.”
A girl with snow-white hair had leaped into the middle of the battlefield. Even at a glance one could tell she was beautiful, yet something about her appearance was strange. An oversized crown on her head, a cloak far too large for her frame, and a massive sword that looked completely out of place—she was a walking collection of incongruities.
Yet she spun the enormous blade with effortless grace, the corners of her mouth lifted in a faint smile. Both Baltazar and Dantalion looked at her and spoke the same name at the same time.
“……Seir von Devata?”
Snow-white hair with scattered red streaks, black horns rising from her head, and jewel-like blue eyes—the symbols of a certain Demon King. They were the most distinctive traits of Seir von Devata, the once-great second-ranked Demon King.
But Seir was already dead. Only after a brief moment of confusion did the two realize her true identity.
“Seere von Devata?!”
“Heh heh…”
Having identified his opponent, Baltazar gave a dry chuckle and lowered his sword for the moment. He offered Seere a courteous greeting.
“To what do we owe the visit from the Demon King of the 72nd Floor?”
They were currently at war with the 69th Floor. He saw no need to create unnecessary enemies, yet he remained ready to fight at any moment. After all, Seere’s previous strike had clearly been aimed at him.
“You are Baltazar of the Five Pointed Star, correct?”
“It is an honor that someone like you remembers the name of one such as I.”
“You are the one who brought Decarabia’s army here, yes? Then I should deal with you first if I want any time to speak with Dantalion.”
“……”
When Seere openly displayed hostility, Baltazar’s eyes changed. There was no need for long words. He was prepared to eliminate anyone who opposed the will of his lord, Decarabia.
“A mere child of a Demon King who does not know her place.”
As Baltazar raised his greatsword once more, Seere gently closed her eyes. One strand of her red hair lost its color and returned to pure white.
Normally magic required time to chant. Even Dantalion, a Demon King skilled in magic, could not compress a spell into fewer than two verses. That applied to modern magic.
Ancient magic, based on short and simple runes rather than long incantations, allowed for far more concise and rapid activation. The mana stored in Seere’s hair swirled around her and sparkled like a miniature galaxy.
"Ignite."
⟨ Ignis ⟩
ROAR—!!!
Flames erupted instantly beneath Baltazar’s feet and swallowed him whole.
“Ugh… this is…!?”
Thanks to his magic-resistant armor he avoided serious injury, but Baltazar was visibly shaken. Seere had activated the spell with a single word.
“Kgh!”
Questions could wait. Baltazar swung his greatsword in a wide arc.
“You think flames like these can stop me?!”
His blade whistled through the air and scattered the fire. In that instant he caught sight of a pitch-black sword thrusting through the flames.
“What…”
He had sensed no movement, heard no footsteps. Yet somehow Seere’s sword had already reached his throat. Perhaps the flames had blocked his vision and dulled his senses.
But he was not the only one caught off guard.
‘…When did she move?’
Dantalion had lost track of her as well. He had been distracted by the short-chant magic, but even so, Seere’s speed was simply too great.
CRUNCH!!
“G-GAAAAAHHH!!!”
The Sword of Blood Tears pierced straight through Baltazar’s skull, blood pouring from his eyes. Seere swiftly withdrew the blade.
SPLURT!
Blood sprayed as his right eye was torn free. Without hesitation she swung again, ruthlessly severing his head. Baltazar’s head fell without even a final scream, and the soldiers of the 68th Floor he had commanded fell into chaos.
They had never heard that the 72nd Floor would join the war, and their commander had been slain in an instant by the Demon King herself. They could not even think of attacking her; they simply froze.
One officer finally regained his senses and tried to issue a command.
“All troops, surround that Demon King—”
“Your Majesty! How could you rush out alone like that!”
At that moment Rin came sprinting forward, cat ears twitching. Behind her followed Vice-Commander Baruna and the 4th Legion—the pride of the 72nd Floor.
With their arrival, Decarabia’s army that had lost Baltazar could no longer even consider surrounding Seere. The might of the 4th Legion was nothing short of a calamity for the forces of lower-ranked Demon Kings.
It seemed they would need the other three stars currently conquering other regions of the 69th Floor to have any chance.
“Ah, Commander Rin.”
Seere waved cheerfully. Rin surveyed the battlefield, saw what Seere had done, and slapped a hand to her forehead.
“Your Majesty, this is…”
Baruna took one look at the situation and grinned.
“Whoa, Her Majesty really went and did it.”
“Baruna, be quiet!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rin let out a deep sigh.
“At this rate we won’t be able to avoid a direct confrontation with the 68th Floor.”
“Hm? That’s not true.”
“Pardon?”
Seere pointed her blood-dripping sword at the remaining soldiers of Decarabia.
“If we kill them all, there won’t be anyone left to tell the tale.”
“…Your Majesty, they are not the entire force. We have confirmed that three of the Five Pointed Star led armies here. There is no hiding this.”
“Oh, really?”
Seere pouted as if disappointed, then slowly turned her gaze sideways. Her eyes fell on Dantalion atop the castle wall.
“Then we simply pin it on the 69th Floor.”
“…Excuse me?”
“We were just passing through, but Lord Dantalion begged us so desperately that we had no choice but to intervene~.”
Dantalion had not heard what Seere was saying and showed no reaction, but Rin looked utterly dumbfounded.
“Your Majesty… do you truly believe that will work? How many witnesses are there?”
“Then we kill every soldier of the 68th Floor here and threaten Lord Dantalion into agreeing to the story. Teacher told me that when necessary, I should not hesitate to kill or threaten.”
“……”
Rin gauged the scale of the remaining 68th Floor army on the right and Dantalion’s forces on the left, then shook her head.
“It is possible, but Lord Nahen instructed us to return without causing any trouble.”
“Teacher did?”
At the mention of Nahen, Seere paused to think. After a moment she spoke briefly.
“Then, Commander, you can handle those fools easily, can’t you?”
She meant the army from the 68th Floor. Now that they had lost their commander they were nothing but a disorganized mob; for the former army of the second-ranked Demon King they would be as easy as eating cold porridge.
“Yes, but then the other side…”
“I’ll take care of them.”
The moment she spoke, several strands of Seere’s red hair lost their color at once. Just like before, mana gathered around her like stars in the night sky. The sparkling power rapidly condensed and manifested through her simple word.
"Collapse."
⟨ Ruina ⟩
RUMBLE—!
At that instant Dantalion’s Demon King’s castle shook violently. The building began to collapse—not because the structure itself was failing, but because the ground supporting it was giving way.
“S-Seere von Devata! You dare attack us?!”
“If I hadn’t intervened you would have been conquered by the 68th Floor anyway. Are you really going to begrudge me what I’m taking?”
Realizing it was magic, Dantalion hurriedly prepared a counter-spell. Without time to draw external mana, he used his own power and chanted.
"Earth, return to your original form."
⟨ Regeneration Earth ⟩
Yet Dantalion’s magic never reached the ground. Seere pointed a finger at his spell and uttered a single word.
"Dispel."
⟨ Levare ⟩
At first he did not understand her action, but within seconds Dantalion’s face filled with shock. Seere had canceled his magic.
“H-How…!”
“Would you rather die crushed together with your castle, or take my hand?”
“What?! Take your hand?!”
“More precisely, you would become a vassal state. In exchange…”
Seere glanced behind her. The 4th Legion, along with Rin and Baruna, had already dismantled the disorganized army from the 68th Floor. Their formation collapsed in moments; after hundreds were slaughtered, the surviving soldiers threw down their weapons and screamed for surrender.
“W-We surrender! Please don’t kill us!”
Watching the 68th Floor’s forces crumble instantly, Dantalion broke into a cold sweat. He realized the same fate could easily befall them.
“I will protect the 69th Floor.”
“……”
“From what I understand, your position has been rather precarious lately. Wouldn’t it be wiser to face reality instead of clinging to pride—if you wish to retain even the slightest trace of kingship?”
Dantalion clenched his fists. Even now the castle continued to collapse. The ministers beside him had already fallen and were rolling across the floor, and even he was struggling to keep his balance. There was no time left to deliberate. The entire structure could come crashing down at any second.
Moreover, he had already lost most of his soldiers in the battle against the 68th Floor. Refusing the offer would only lead to death.
“F-Fine! I accept, so stop this first—!”
“I will consider it once your attitude is corrected. What vassal dares speak down to the lord he should serve?”
“Kgh…! I understand. I shall obey Your Majesty’s words, so please stop it at once!”
“Good.”
Seere smiled brightly and snapped her fingers. The collapse of the ground halted, and Dantalion’s Demon King’s castle came to a precarious stop at a sharp tilt.
“A promise is a promise. I will drive out the army from the 68th Floor. You stay here and prepare the treaty we will sign.”
“…Understood.”
Seere sheathed her sword and turned away. Watching her snow-white hair flutter lightly as though nothing had happened, Dantalion felt a terror he had long forgotten.
“Seir… von Devata…”
Memories of the Demon King once called the pinnacle of martial might resurfaced. Dantalion collapsed weakly to the floor and issued a feeble order to the bewildered minister beside him.
“Prepare the treaty of vassalage…”