The Flames Ignite
Belial had no choice but to issue drastic orders. “Cancel all patrols in the boundary zones during the dawn hours. Even if security is weakened, it cannot be helped. Instead, observe the zones from a distance using magical tools during those same hours.”
He had received the same report as the day before. The shocking news that the soldiers sent on patrol at dawn had vanished, leaving only their helmets behind. Increasing the number of troops had yielded the same result. Now, for the sake of morale, he had to take action.
Eris bowed her head and accepted the command. After she left to inform the soldiers, Belial, now alone, let out a heavy sigh. The investigation into the merchant caravan had turned up nothing unusual either. No one capable of causing such trouble had crossed over from the 68th floor. Yet the soldiers continued to disappear.
That fact alone was bewildering. What troubled Belial even more was the words of the man who had always interfered with him—the man who was nowhere to be seen now. Rather than giving a clear answer before leaving, the man had simply said he would look into it, and he had not returned.
“A demonic beast…”
At first glance, the term “demonic beast” seemed to refer to the various animals that lived in the Demon Realm. In truth, it meant something else entirely. It referred only to the beasts of Hell that generated and stored their own demonic power within their bodies.
Belial did not know the full extent of their ferocity, but he knew enough. They hunted and devoured the souls that fell into Hell, and in the process, they inevitably clashed with the demons who punished those souls. Yet they never retreated. The strength of demons, beings above the demon race, was comparable to that of Demon Kings, and these creatures often emerged victorious against them. The idea that such monsters had descended upon his floor was absurd, and frankly, difficult to believe.
But the man’s words were unlikely to be lies. He had no reason to deceive Belial.
“So it really is Seere von Devata… that child’s doing?”
At first, Belial had suspected Sitri as the most likely mastermind behind the incidents. However, after his own investigation, he found that Sitri had been wholly focused on training her army and showed no signs of any schemes. That left only one possibility: Seere von Devata, the new ruler of the 68th and 69th floors. The young Demon King was the only one left.
While the likelihood that she was behind it all was high, questions remained. “If these really are the deeds of demonic beasts, then how on earth is she controlling them?”
Demonic beasts were fundamentally independent creatures that did not submit to others. Belial had once heard of an ancient and powerful demon in Hell who commanded three savage demonic beasts, but that had been an extremely rare case.
“Devata…”
A suspicion crossed his mind. What if Seir von Devata, the former second-ranked Demon King, had contacted Hell and obtained demonic beasts? What if his daughter Seere had raised them, and that was why they followed her? Though the possibility was extremely slim, it was the only assumption that explained the current situation. Given the power Seir had wielded in life, contacting Hell was not entirely far-fetched.
“…Hah.”
Having arrived at a reasonable conclusion, Belial let out a disbelieving sigh. Then he ground his teeth, his fiery temper surfacing plainly. “Do you really think I’ll just sit back and take this, you little brat?”
#
The 68th floor. Once ruled by Decarabia, it had been known as the “Floor of Stars.” Though it was now Seere von Devata’s territory, it was publicly regarded as Sitri’s domain. Even at Seere’s request, Sitri’s army had been tasked with defending the floor, making the arrangement seem all the more convincing. Yet…
“Huh?”
“…The portal just lit up?”
“Damn it. Wake everyone up, now!”
By now, everyone who needed to know was aware that Sitri and Seere had formed a close alliance. Belial’s fiery rage was directed at the nearest target—the 68th floor. He appeared in person, leading his army and accompanied by his four trusted female subordinates, the Four Flames.
“B-Belial…!?”
“It’s an invasion from the 67th floor!!”
At the sharp cry of a quick-witted sentry, the once-quiet barracks erupted into frantic activity. From the central tent, a man rushed out.
“What brings the Demon King of the 67th floor here!?”
It was Walter, the general in command of the troops Sitri had dispatched to the 68th floor. Hiding his panic, he addressed Belial calmly. “To cross into another floor without any prior notice or justification—is this a direct challenge to Her Majesty Sitri?”
“A challenge? How presumptuous.”
“What did you just say?”
“Why would I challenge a cripple who has lost all her power?”
“How dare you speak of Her Majesty like that…!”
Whoosh! Flames surged upward, swallowing Sitri’s soldiers in an instant. It happened so quickly that even Walter and the troops beside him were engulfed and burned to death within moments.
The Lord of Fire, Belial, gave a simple order to the women waiting for his command. “Burn everything.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“We shall obey.”
Eris, his right hand known as Fierce Flame, and Florence, with her striking pink hair known as Firework, answered at once. The other two subordinates moved without a word, and Belial’s army scattered in every direction.
The massacre had begun.
#
“Hey!!!”
A sharp female voice echoed through the Demon King’s castle on the 69th floor from early morning. The owner of the shrill voice was Sitri. Fuming with anger, she stormed into the castle. Her temper flaring, she threw open the door to Nahen’s office without a second thought—only to flinch and immediately regret her actions.
“N-Nahen?”
“…Ah, you’re here.”
Nahen’s expression was one of clear irritation. He made no effort to hide it as he greeted her. In his hand was a thick report. It seemed he had just received news as well.
“What is it? You came in shouting like that.”
“D-Did you hear what happened on the 68th floor?”
“…I was reading the report just now.”
“Right! That’s why I came. All my soldiers were burned to death!”
Nahen frowned at Sitri’s words and pressed a finger to his brow. “I am aware.”
“What are you going to do? The 68th floor is practically lost, and from what I’ve heard, they’re even slaughtering the residents.”
“…I knew Belial had a fiery temper, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. I never thought he would move this quickly.”
In a simulation game, an enemy’s personality was not always fully revealed. Of course, Nahen had known enough about Belial’s temperament to understand he was hot-headed, but he had not anticipated this level of recklessness. To draw his sword less than a week after operations had begun—perhaps it meant Belial was confident of victory.
Nahen sighed. “We have to stop him.”
“Wait, what about compensation for my dead soldiers?”
“I will provide it. But first, we need to put out the immediate fire, don’t we?”
Despite his displeased expression, Nahen spoke with remarkable composure. Sitri, feeling she had gone too far, nodded obediently.
“But… was the plan to instill fear even working properly in the first place?”
“Yes. That part was fine. Since they kept suffering losses without any way to respond, Belial must have decided to draw his sword rather than sit idle.”
“Hmm… So it backfired?”
“It would likely have worked on other Demon Kings, but I never expected him to start a war over fewer than twenty missing soldiers.”
“He really is a fiery one. Quick to flare up and quick to burn out.”
Nahen was irritated. The scheme he had only just come up with had been reduced to nothing. It seemed he truly was not suited for this kind of scheming.
“By the way, Nahen.”
“…Yes.”
“About the compensation…”
“……”
When Nahen’s expression darkened sharply, Sitri waved her hands frantically. “N-No! I’m not asking for it right now. I just want to hear about it! I need to have it confirmed, even if it’s just verbally…?”
Though he did not appreciate Sitri’s eagerness to secure compensation first, it was true that she had suffered losses while defending the 68th floor at his request. Fair compensation was necessary, and Nahen knew he had to provide it. It was only the timing of her question that felt off.
Drawing on his patience, Nahen spoke. “I will increase your share of the Nebula Stone mining yield. Additionally, after we conquer the 67th floor, I will hand over the surviving soldiers of Belial’s army in a seven-to-three ratio.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Will that suffice?”
“Well, sure! I can let it go at that!”
At Nahen’s fierce glare, Sitri quickly corrected herself and grumbled. “I-I mean, I accept. Still, I’m the victim this time…”
“…Let’s drop this topic and discuss our future plans.”
“Yeah… okay.”
Nahen told Sitri to come closer and spread a large map across the desk. It was a map of the 68th floor.
“You’re planning to fight on the 68th floor?”
“They’re all there anyway.”
“They still haven’t left?”
“They’re still slaughtering residents and destroying everything. It’s fortunate that the Demon King’s castle on the 68th floor remains empty. It seems their goal isn’t to rule the 68th floor but to destroy it completely from the start. They’re determined to reduce it to the Stone Age.”
Nahen spoke calmly about the shocking facts and pointed to a location on the 68th floor. It was a vast, flat plain. Sitri tilted her head at the regional name.
“Starlord Plain?”
“A name given by a star enthusiast. Its former name was Leogart Plain.”
“Ah.”
“We will fight here.”
“Huh?”
Fighting on a plain. Anyone with even a basic understanding of war would immediately grasp the meaning.
“You’re planning to wage a pitched battle?”
“Fighting Belial, who controls fire, in mountainous terrain makes no sense. If we fight from within a castle, the besieging side is naturally at a disadvantage. We would need overwhelming forces compared to Belial, but we don’t have that. A pitched battle is our best option.”
“That’s true.”
Sitri nodded in understanding at Nahen’s explanation, then recalled something. If the plain was the most advantageous battlefield for them, as he said, would Belial not realize that as well?
“But Belial would know that too, wouldn’t he? He has no reason to fight on the plain.”
“Oh ho, you’re using your head.”
“Hehe, I’m pretty… Wait, was that a compliment?”
As Sitri belatedly caught on, Nahen smoothly changed the subject and continued. “I intend to lure Belial onto the plain.”
“How?”
Nahen tapped the map. “First, we will announce our arrival.”
“Wouldn’t a surprise attack be better?”
“Belial is no fool to fall for a surprise attack. He must already expect us to move our army to some degree. He will be prepared.”
“Then how do you plan to draw him to the plain?”
At Sitri’s question, Nahen smiled. Since ancient times, there had been one highly effective way to lure an enemy who was quick-tempered and prone to anger.
“We will exploit Belial’s personality.”