The Father's Demonic True Form
To be honest, I couldn't wrap my head around the situation right in front of me. They'd invested so much just to win me over, and now they were trying to kill me.
"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own? You know being an 8th Circle mage doesn't make you invincible."
"I know that. But don't you know you're alone too?"
"...Do you really think so?"
The family had Ash and Felix. No matter how loyal they were to the family head, the moment it was confirmed he was a mine—a demon host—he was no longer the patriarch. He couldn't even be family anymore. That's what a demon host was.
"Hmph... Don't hold out any pointless hopes. I've already sent Ash off on a task."
Ah, fuck.
So they'd planned to take me out from the start. No wonder he hadn't shown up to the banquet despite our frosty relationship—it wasn't that bad.
"And there's no point expecting anything from your second brother either."
With those words, Joshua snapped his fingers, and a limp hunk of meat dropped from thin air with a thud.
"...He's dead?"
He'd been up and about at the banquet just moments ago. In that short time?
"Manipulating a corpse isn't exactly difficult."
Joshua was utterly calm, even though Felix was one of his own sons. Was it because he was a demon host? Or maybe he'd always been like this.
"That boy would've wanted it this way. He sought to become nourishment for the family and me."
"Maybe as family head, but looks like you're lacking as a father."
"So it seems. So you should become my nourishment for the family too."
In an instant, an enormous surge of demonic energy mixed thickly with mana and erupted outward. It felt several times stronger and more savage than before. The being before me was blatantly showing it was no longer human.
"Master."
"...What?"
"I had a feeling something was off, but it looks like he's one of the Archdemons of Deadly Sins."
"An Archdemon? Ah, that explains it."
The term "Archdemon of Deadly Sins" from Lilia's lips was familiar even to me, the possessor. Among the 92 great devils that plagued the world, these were the particularly powerful ones on another level entirely—the "origins" worthy of coveting the Demon King's throne.
Seal of Original Sin pierces the target.
Talent: Insight successfully discerns the target.
"...Greed."
I'd half-expected it once I knew he was a demon host, but I never thought it'd actually be the real deal. This might be tougher than I thought.
First strike, then.
Even if he was an Archdemon-possessed host, I wasn't some pushover.
—Vwoooong!!!
Seven circles formed in the air, unleashing a bolt of lightning straight down.
"Ho... Not even 6th Circle, but 7th Circle, eh? Clever boy."
He snapped his fingers nonchalantly, and a translucent barrier materialized, blocking the attack effortlessly.
Yeah. A straight mage-vs-mage duel? No chance of winning there.
That's why.
"A mage wielding a sword?"
I sneered at Joshua, who was watching me draw my blade with idle curiosity. He probably thought it was just a desperate flail...
But I've got seven cores, even if it doesn't look like it.
I was better than most knights already. Add in the holy power-infused replica holy sword I'd crafted, and...
"Hup...!"
Dragon Slayer Style.
Ninth Form.
Reverse Scale Half-Heaven Cleave.
When my seven circles formed, my cores increased by one too, naturally. Becoming a freakish historical anomaly with seven circles and seven cores deepened my understanding of swordsmanship and Dragon Slayer Style.
I could mimic even Sword Demon Reinhardt's single stroke.
The key is half a breath faster.
Faster than Joshua, who instinctively tried to defend with magic. I slashed a single silver line through the air.
A line splitting a dragon's reverse scale and halving the sky.
It carved straight across Joshua's body.
—Kwarrrrgagagagagang!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The holy-infused sword swung, shattering the barrier that formed a beat too late. I'd worried a bit since it was my first time using the technique, but it looked like it'd landed properly.
"Looks like you managed to take him down somehow?"
"...Ah, flag."
No sooner had the words left my mouth than Joshua's clearly bisected body began writhing grotesquely. I'd cleaved him heart and all—no need for a mercy kill.
No wonder the Seal of Original Sin hadn't absorbed him right away.
"Truly astonishing. Do you know you only ever manage to surprise me?"
As his flesh regenerated, it was no longer Joshua. An extra pair of eyes, two pairs of black wings unfurling from his shoulders. And eyes dyed blood-red like Lilia's.
"...Looks like he's fully discarded his last humanity. He's completely demonized."
As Lilia said, that was unmistakably a demon's true form.
"7th Circle with seven cores. And now I see you even have a demon under you."
"Hng. So you can see my true form now. To think I'd stoop to parasitizing a human... How far I've fallen, Mammon."
"You're no different, wench. Besides, Joshua and I are already one."
As he said, I could sense both personalities at once. This must be the true ideal demon hosts dreamed of—human and demon fused as one.
"Well, this works out better. Taking you and the youngest at once will bring me closer to the king's throne."
With that, Joshua ascended high into the sky, like a demon descending upon the human world. The pressure radiating from the sight exceeded my expectations.
...Gonna have to demonize again?
My body was fully recovered, so it wasn't impossible. But the erosion from last time had been severe; I worried there might be issues again.
"Master. No demonizing. You'd have to go nearly full demon to face Mammon anyway."
"Then?"
"Do you know how Mammon died?"
"Ah."
In the game story, the demon of greed, Mammon, grew strong by possessing countless humans with his power. But he got cornered and beaten to death by a mob of priests...
"Gang up on him?"
"...Yeah, basically. And it looks like reinforcements just arrived."
I whipped around at Lilia's words. The banquet hall doors slowly creaked open, revealing a familiar face.
".........I wanted some alone time with the youngest. Why have you come?"
"I could no longer tolerate Father's corruption."
"I gave you a task."
"I'll handle that separately, so don't worry."
Ash walked slowly toward me as she spoke. But her eyes held no intent to attack—more like...
"...Sorry for everything, Dante."
Ash pulled me gently into her embrace. The first time I'd ever heard her apologize.
"Sis? What's going on all of a sudden?"
"To avoid Father's suspicions, I had no choice but to play the family loyalist. Sorry."
I couldn't fully grasp her words. But one thing was clear now.
"Either way, I'm not alone anymore."
Lilia was by my side, and now Ash too.
"So? Think we can gang up on him?"
"Yeah. More than enough."
Even just me and Ash—this lineup could beat an 8th Circle mage fully demonized.
".........You lowly worms dare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ash just murmured softly at Joshua's roar.
"Please, come out of that black mist."
Northern Frontline.
A savage land where countless barbarians and dragons eyed the Empire. A battlefield where countless imperials shed blood.
There, a capable man in armor commanded the field.
"...Young master. It seems something's happened back at the family."
"Something at the family? Father should be handling it fine."
It was thunderous news to the man awaiting only his return home from the front. Knowing this, his adjutant had chosen his words carefully.
"We don't have details, but the lady contacted us directly, so they're probably handling it well."
"I see. If Sis reached out personally, it'll be fine. Father's there too."
The man nodded and dismissed the adjutant. Then, in the dark room lit only by a single lantern, he let out a deep sigh and murmured.
"I see... I see..."
He gripped his glass tightly; it cracked and shattered in his palm.
"So they failed in the end. To think things would come to this."
The man, Leon, softly uttered a single name into the empty space.
"Karis."
"...Yes."
"Looks like the old folks failed."
"So it seems. After all that time, they should've succeeded."
"Yeah. So I'll have to move myself."
"Pardon?"
"I'm heading back. To the main house."