Opposites Attract
Kaya's return from the 69th Floor reached Gremory's ears, and she rushed out barefoot to greet her. As Kaya stepped down from the carriage, she spotted Gremory waiting for her and broke into a bright smile.
“First, let me say that I’ve judged the truth of everything with my own eyes.”
Gremory nodded. She knew exactly what Kaya’s Mystic Eye could do. It was far more trustworthy than any words.
“The unfortunate news first… Achiled was indeed killed by a human.”
“That’s impossible…!”
The one who reacted wasn’t Gremory, but Vitus, who had come out with her. He still refused to believe Achiled had been slain by a human. The moment Vitus protested, Gremory shot him a sharp glance.
“Yes, Your Majesty. However, Achiled was not killed by an ordinary human.”
“Not ordinary?”
Gremory recalled the letter she had read earlier. “Are you referring to the bow mentioned in the missive?”
“Yes. It seems the bow truly emanated holy power. When that topic came up, my eyes confirmed it as truth.”
“…Then that means the angels really were involved in this!?”
“Yes.”
Kaya affirmed it. Gremory then voiced the shocking realization she had already reached.
“They used humans to invade the Demon Realm.”
Kaya relayed every part of her conversation with Nahen. After hearing all the information and the proposal made on the 69th Floor, Gremory allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.
“Yes. They also desired an alliance.”
The proposal was to form an alliance, raise their ranks, and minimize damage when the Heavenly Demon War broke out. Naturally, Gremory welcomed it.
“Then I must prepare to visit the 69th Floor. Nahen, was it? I should meet him in person.”
“Your Majesty, before that…”
Kaya wore a sly smile.
“Kaya, how insolent!”
When Vitus exploded in anger, Kaya tilted her head.
“Wasn’t that the whole reason I carried out this mission? What’s so insolent about it?”
“I disliked that attitude from the start. What do you take our lord for?”
“Enough, Vitus.”
Gremory lightly silenced Vitus and turned to Kaya. Kaya met her gaze directly.
“If Your Majesty doesn’t wish it, you may give me another reward. Anything from Your Majesty is fine with me.”
“It’s fine. I was the one who assigned you the mission, and I was the one who promised you a reward.”
Gremory turned as if to head back to the audience chamber and spoke simply.
A single letter arrived at Seere’s office. Its contents stated that Gremory, ruler of the 55th Floor, would personally descend to the 69th Floor to form an alliance.
Nahen read the letter with his own eyes and let out a sigh.
“Yes.”
“But Teacher, didn’t we still get everything we wanted? Why do you look so disappointed?”
At Seere’s question, Nahen answered simply.
“Just as you said, we will receive what we desire. But from another perspective, this proposal was a failure.”
“Huh?”
“In this alliance proposal, we needed to apply pressure on Gremory’s side. We needed to exert influence. Do you understand?”
“Umm… because our rank is lower than hers?”
“Very well answered.”
When Nahen praised her, Seere beamed with delight. Nahen continued.
“That’s why I made the unreasonable demand that they hand over all their conquered floors…”
“So you never expected them to actually accept it all.”
“Who could have predicted they had that exact intention from the start?”
It would have been easier to understand if the character had been clearly defined in the game. The fact that they weren’t was the real problem.
Just what…
Nahen couldn’t fathom what he had touched that caused the storyline to shift this drastically. Nor could he understand what Gremory’s true goal was that she would offer up all her floors and desperately seek an alliance with him.
Nahen pressed his fingers to his furrowed brow. Seere gave him an adorable smile.
“It’s alright, Teacher. I’ll find out what her objective is.”
“Hmm?”
“She’s coming to the 55th Floor anyway, right? So there will be a chance for me to speak with her privately.”
“…That’s true.”
When they had formed an alliance with Sitri, Nahen had held full authority. That was no longer the case. Diplomatic matters now fell under Seere’s jurisdiction, so once Gremory arrived, Seere would meet her alone.
Nahen felt slightly uneasy about it. Gremory was a mid-tier Demon King; it might be too much for the inexperienced Seere to handle a private meeting. But contrary to his worries, Seere showed no sign of intimidation.
She placed a hand lightly over her chest.
Watching Seere display such firm confidence, Nahen felt genuine admiration.
…She’s grown.
He could sense that this child was truly becoming someone who could support him. Nahen nodded.
“Yes.”
Knock knock!
At that moment, a somewhat urgent knock sounded. Nahen gestured for Seere to remain seated and opened the office door.
“Kain.”
“N-Nahen-nim.”
Kain looked rather flustered. Nahen’s expression grew serious.
“What is it?”
“An angel has appeared on the 72nd Floor.”
“Lord Kamael really…”
On the 72nd Floor of the Demon Realm—the only layer directly connected to the Human Realm—an unfamiliar figure had set foot.
Outwardly he resembled an ordinary human, but it was immediately obvious he was not. A pair of pure white feathered wings sprouted from his back, and a platinum-colored halo floated above his head—things that simply did not exist on humans.
They belonged to an angel, one of the races that made up the Heavenly Host.
This angel’s name was Dobiel. He had come to the Demon Realm as an errand boy for Kamael, the Archangel who ruled Geburah.
“Sending me to a place like this… isn’t this a bit too much?”
Dobiel felt irritated by the thick demonic energy that permeated the entire Demon Realm. The demonic power possessed by demons and Archdemons was in direct opposition to the holy power angels wielded. Simply breathing in a realm saturated with demonic energy was unpleasant.
“Still, to lose even with the artifact Lady Metatron bestowed… humans really do seem utterly useless.”
Dobiel could not understand why Metatron showed any interest in humans. Of course, he would not question a superior’s thoughts or decisions, but seeing such uselessness from humans made him wonder if they were even worth the trouble.
Dobiel decided to stop complaining there. It was time to carry out Kamael’s orders.
“Let’s see…”
There was only one task Kamael had given him: to draw out the Archdemon connected to the Demon Realm. To make an Archdemon reveal themselves, a suitably significant event was required.
Dobiel drew forth powerful holy energy. Kamael had ordered that releasing holy power on the 72nd Floor would naturally provoke a reaction from the Archdemon.
“Alright, then…”
But at that moment—
BOOOOM!!
A powerful spell crashed down exactly where Dobiel had been standing. Though he had dodged in time, the fact that he had been discovered and attacked was bewildering.
Dobiel looked up at his attacker and let out a hollow laugh.
“Filthy creature, you dare set foot here?”
“You’re the one who shouldn’t be in the Demon Realm.”
The one who had attacked him was a demon. Moreover, he was a figure well-known as a direct subordinate of an Archdemon, so Dobiel recognized him immediately.
“Demogorgon.”
The attacker was Demogorgon, direct subordinate of the Archdemon Golab. Just as Dobiel recognized him, Demogorgon also identified Dobiel and narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…So it’s Dobiel. An Archangel dares to send an angel into the Demon Realm. Are you trying to start the Heavenly Demon War?”
“We’re the ones trying to start it?”
Dobiel let out a derisive laugh.
“Watch your words. You’re the ones who made the first move.”
“First move? What are you—”
“Enough with the pathetic excuses. You sent a demon into the Human Realm first.”
“……”
Demogorgon frowned. According to his lord, they had not yet touched the Human Realm. If that was true, then…
Either another Archdemon was involved, or the one here did it.
The reason Demogorgon had come to the 72nd Floor was similar to Dobiel’s. He had come to draw out the ruler of Nehemoth, who was almost certainly somewhere in the Demon Realm.
After the recently dispatched Abaddon had vanished without a trace, Golab had sent Demogorgon with these words:
Erase the reason for him to remain. Then he will return naturally.
Demogorgon had worried about the aftermath, but Golab had compared it to a typhoon. Just as a violent storm eventually passes, there would be brief chaos before everything returned to normal.
Demogorgon had to carry out his master’s command. He could not tolerate an angel interfering.
“I will not allow any more nonsense.”
Demogorgon released powerful demonic energy from the circuits within his body, befitting a direct subordinate of an Archdemon.
“If you don’t want to die, leave.”
“Hah… how ridiculous.”
Dobiel could not back down either. This was an order from Archangel Kamael and the will of the Heavenly God who ruled all of Heaven. Just as Demogorgon served an Archdemon directly, Dobiel served an Archangel directly. There was no reason for him to feel intimidated, nor could he retreat.
Dobiel unleashed his holy power to its fullest. It was a force that left even the thick demonic energy of the Demon Realm with nowhere to stand.
“Shall we see who dies?”
Neither was an Archdemon or Archangel, but both were high-ranking demons and angels just below that level. If the two truly clashed, there was no way the lowest layer of the Demon Realm—the 72nd Floor—could withstand it. It was a hair-trigger situation that could cause the entire floor to collapse.
At that exact moment, a being capable of suppressing both powerful entities in an instant appeared.
“I was told an angel had shown up…”
Golden eyes gleaming from beneath jet-black bangs turned toward Demogorgon.
“And there’s a demon here too.”