The Presence of Terror - Part 2
The Palace of Flames stood as both the Demon King’s castle on the 67th Floor and Belial’s personal lair. True to his title as the Demon King of Hellfire, he possessed a fiercely volatile temperament and wielded fire magic with masterful skill. Yet that fiery nature belonged to his everyday demeanor; as a Demon King who had once occupied a solid mid-tier throne, he also commanded a remarkably cool and calculating mind.
“Missing?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Soldiers on dawn patrol have been vanishing. Patrols at other hours remain unaffected, but the incidents occur exclusively at daybreak.”
The one delivering the report was Eris, the 67th Floor’s general and Belial’s steadfast right hand. He listened with composure.
“Any chance of desertion?”
“There were no prior signs, and the fact that every missing soldier left only their helmet behind makes desertion unlikely. Nothing else remains—just the helmets. It feels far too deliberate.”
As Eris stated, this was no ordinary string of disappearances. Belial’s instincts warned him that something larger lurked behind the events.
“The work of the 68th Floor?”
“I investigated. No traces of any force capable of eliminating patrol squads have crossed from the 68th. Nine soldiers are already gone. To kill that many without leaving evidence would require at least five operatives.”
“And no such group has crossed from the 68th?”
“Correct.”
Belial fell silent for a moment, considering organizations capable of fielding that kind of manpower.
“The merchant cartel?”
“We have already begun investigating them, Your Majesty. Still, they have no motive to harm our troops—much less to target only the dawn hours…”
“One can never be certain. The 69th Floor recently changed hands. Account for every possibility.”
“…Understood.”
Even as he spoke, Belial privately doubted the cartel’s involvement. The order was merely prudent.
He then issued special instructions to Eris.
“Double the size of each patrol. Merge them with the next shift to form teams of six. Larger groups should reduce the risk. In addition, order one soldier in each team to break formation and move independently. If the others vanish, that soldier is to report at once.”
“Understood.”
“And keep any strange rumors from spreading among the troops. We cannot allow morale to falter.”
“I shall obey Your Majesty’s command.”
Eris bowed deeply in allegiance, then withdrew from the audience chamber with measured, respectful steps.
Once alone, Belial’s brows drew sharply together.
“What do you make of this?”
Though no one else was present, he spoke as if addressing another. From the shadowed corner of the empty chamber came a reply.
“It is the work of a hellbeast.”
“A hellbeast?”
Looking closer, a man stood concealed within the gloom. A heavy robe shrouded his entire body, rendering his features indistinct. One fact was unmistakable: he was no ordinary being. A long, black tail that the robe could not conceal revealed his race.
“Indeed. Among the beasts of Hell, some hunt by hiding within darkness. You said the incidents occur only at dawn, did you not? The possibility seems strong.”
“Why would a hellbeast appear on such a high floor?”
“Who can say? Shall I look into it?”
Belial narrowed his eyes. He disliked this individual meddling in his domain. Yet when the matter involved Hell itself, no one on the 67th Floor knew more.
“Investigate.”
“As you wish. I will return with favorable tidings.”
In Nahen’s office, Seere stood before him. Even today her attire carried traces of careful arrangement. She had come with a single question.
“What is it?”
“Is the operation proceeding well?”
“Ah, that matter.” Nahen nodded. “Yes, it appears to be producing results.”
Leviathan was carrying out its orders admirably. Without greed, it devoured the 67th Floor’s soldiers little by little each dawn, sowing confusion and terror among them.
“When will the conquest begin?”
“After the Sixth and Seventh Legions are properly organized and have completed their training. Her Majesty Sitri requires time to prepare as well.”
“So… roughly a month?”
A month. When Nahen considered the timeline, the estimate seemed accurate. He offered Seere an affirming answer.
“Looking at the longer view, yes. Why do you ask?”
“I wish to prepare too.”
“Prepare? For what?”
Nahen’s confusion was plain. Seere fixed him with an intensely serious gaze.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“For the next month, please give me special training so that I may defeat Belial.”
“…What?!”
The exclamation escaped before Nahen could stop it. Seeing Seere’s slight start, he quickly apologized.
“Ah, no… forgive me. You simply caught me off guard…”
He tried to soothe her, worried she might burst into tears. Yet after that brief moment of surprise, Seere’s expression grew calm once more.
“Teacher, I am not joking. I intend to fight Belial myself.”
“What are you saying? Didn’t I explain clearly before that you must not go into dangerous places?”
“I remember.”
“Then why are you being so stubborn…”
“Because he is a Demon King.”
Her answer left Nahen without a rebuttal.
“A Demon King who leads a faction must always set the example. Besides, we cannot continue conquest by relying on your strength forever. Hiding behind you and simply accepting what you provide is not how a Demon King should behave.”
“But on the 68th Floor you dealt with Decarabia yourself…”
“Wasn’t Decarabia too weak?”
Decarabia had not been a weak Demon King. Demon Kings already stood far above ordinary demons in power, and among the lower ranks, Decarabia had been renowned for martial prowess alongside Andromalius. To call such a being weak would be objectively false. Yet Seere spoke from a relative standpoint.
“Teacher, when we consider our true goal, Decarabia cannot even serve as a comparison. Our objective lies far higher, does it not?”
“That is…”
“Then shouldn’t I be capable of overcoming a mid-tier Demon King like Belial?”
“……”
Nahen found himself unable to refute her. Every word had been logical and flawless.
The place he and Seere aimed for was the deepest level of the Demon Realm—the 1st Floor. Conquering it would require Seere’s growth. The fastest path to that growth was direct participation in battle. Victory against a strong opponent elevated anyone by a full stage. For a child still rich in growth potential, the effect would be even more pronounced.
Nahen had always known this. The reason he had kept her from combat until now was not only to conceal her power but, more importantly, because of her lingering instability.
Yet now he wondered whether his own anxiety should be allowed to obstruct her path. This child was serious. To reach the heights, she declared she must surpass Belial on her own.
“…Very well.”
“!”
“I cannot keep shielding you forever. You are not merely a child—you are a Demon King.”
“I am not a child anymore!”
Seere puffed her cheeks. Though her appearance had clearly outgrown twelve years of age, to Nahen she still evoked the little girl he had first met, and he could not help finding her adorable.
“Twelve is still a baby. A baby.”
“Teacher…!”
“Still, I have never underestimated or dismissed your ability simply because you are young. If this is truly what you desire, then supporting you is the proper role of a teacher.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. I grant you permission to enter battle.”
Now that Nahen had reclaimed military authority, Seere required his approval to deploy. She had come to persuade him, and the favorable outcome brought a radiant smile to her face. She flung herself into his arms.
“Thank you, Teacher!!”
“You… Even so, your preparation must be flawless.”
“Yes!”
Nahen gently stroked her hair. She beamed up at him.
“Then, Teacher… will I be able to win?”
“If we evaluate objectively…”
Seere’s growth had been astonishing. The fact that Decarabia—one of the stronger lower-tier Demon Kings in raw power—had been unable to land a single wound before his defeat proved as much.
“Belial would still be the stronger of you two.”
That assessment applied only when comparing her to lower ranks. Whether her current strength could overcome a mid-tier Demon King—one who had once approached the fiftieth rank like Belial—remained uncertain. Nahen did not know the exact margin, but he spoke deliberately. Only by planting a seed of doubt would Seere avoid complacency and train with absolute seriousness.
“Then I definitely need special training!”
“Special training? What do you wish to focus on?”
“Powerful magic! And swordsmanship!”
Swordsmanship he would leave to another, but powerful magic he could certainly teach. Nahen nodded.
“For swordsmanship, ask Captain Lin to instruct you. As for magic, I will teach you—within the limits of the mana you can currently wield.”
“Yes!”
“I will prepare the lessons starting tomorrow. Make sure you are ready as well.”
Seere nodded eagerly. The childish habit of bobbing her head still revealed her youth. Nahen gave a soft chuckle.
“Steel yourself. You will have to keep up.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
Seere bowed politely and left the office. Nahen remained behind, contemplating how best to conduct her special training over the coming month.
“If we can use the full thirty days, it should be sufficient… but the question is whether Belial will wait that long.”
Seere returned to her room. She had secured both the promise of special training and permission to fight. The sense that her teacher had acknowledged her lifted her spirits. She flung herself onto the bed.
“Hmm~♪”
A happy hum escaped her lips. She rolled across the mattress, clutching both a white bear doll and a white whale doll tightly in her arms.
“I must become stronger quickly. That way…”
Seere had two reasons for requesting the training. The first was to defeat Belial—a reason she had already explained to Nahen. The second she had kept hidden in her heart.
“…I will be able to stop Teacher.”
By learning powerful spells, accumulating real combat experience, and rapidly increasing her strength, she aimed ultimately to surpass Nahen. Even if she could not overtake him completely, she needed to reach a level where she could at least hold him back.
A spark of mana scattered from her body. The dispersed energy gathered back in an instant, the flow vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared. A portion of Seere’s hair took on a vivid crimson hue.
“Let’s work hard.”