< 176. Terribly Sweet >
Ordinary Demon Kings usually built their towers in places where one might think, "Ah, this seems about right for a tower."
Somewhere moderately dangerous and moderately hard to find.
Humans didn't know it was following the canonical rule of "not too easy to find, but not too hard either," but through a thousand years of experience, they had learned that towers sprang up in such spots.
Over the centuries, it had become a given.
But the Flame Demon King was different.
He had built his tower in the Erjest Mountains—a forbidden zone humans had yet to conquer. And even then, not at the most obvious spot like the summit.
That tiny difference had turned countless searches and hero expeditions into failures.
It had spared countless humans and heroes from retribution, even after they devoured stars and the great hero Balaf Disrod had suffered "defeat."
And that had led to the current situation.
An allied force of 110,000 strong, including a thousand heroes.
A massive army on the scale of those formed long ago, when humanity's ability to deal with Demon Kings had waned.
All for one purpose: to slay only the Flame Demon King.
The eyes of the entire continent were upon them.
Balaf Disrod tried to count how long it had been since he'd set out on a hero expedition under such continent-wide scrutiny, then gave up.
It wasn't important.
"Find the Flame Tower. Kill the Demon King."
He had no intention of letting it die easily. The Demon King would suffer as much as it had tormented him, as much as it had tarnished his reputation.
First, it would spit out why it hadn't followed canon, how it had moved its tower.
"No tower in this sector."
"This valley is ogre territory. We clashed with five ogres and killed them all."
"Harpies appeared. We slew 76; about half fled."
"Contact lost with Search Squad 34 in the northeast."
"Twelve frost drakes ambushed the rear. Forty-two dead and..."
Endless reports poured in, casualties mounting. As the alliance expanded its search radius, clashes with the harsh natural environment and its monstrous inhabitants became inevitable.
"Isn't this a bit too brute-force?"
"The Demon King's a rat in a trap anyway. No need to push so hard—take it slow and steady..."
"The Demon King has screwed us over multiple times already. You want to slack off and get burned again?"
The heroes represented the alliance, but the nobles from various nations actually commanded the legions.
They grumbled at Balaf's aggressive push, but fell silent at his icy rebuke.
Thanks to that, the Empire and Dormut Alliance handling the west crossed the mountains faster.
And at their vanguard, naturally, was Balaf Disrod.
Weeks passed like that.
A knight approached Balaf as he gazed at the night sky while the camp was being set up.
"Lord Balaf, message from Lady Aina."
"What is it?"
"They've detected traces of magic power."
"...!"
Finally.
Balaf bared his teeth in a grin.
"Where?"
"From Brarn Rock..."
"Got it. I'll handle the communication myself."
"Yes, sir."
The knight left, and Balaf entered his tent to fetch the communication orb. Moments later, Aina appeared.
"You found traces of magic power?"
『Yes.』
"Location?"
『About 13 km northeast of Brarn Rock.』
The search teams were mapping the Erjest Mountains for smoother operations, naming memorable rocks or landmarks as they went. Brarn Rock was one such.
"The tower?"
『Can't say for sure. I didn't see it myself. What we found was just traces of magic power. Very faint and minor ones.』
"Nothing minor about it. First result in weeks."
A tower that hadn't even left traces until now. Finding even faint magic power—what could be more thrilling?
"I'm coming."
『Now?』
"Right now. Contact Gillian Aint and Buern. Rally everyone."
『It's too late...』
"Forgot our humiliation already?"
Balaf spat the words like he wanted to devour her.
"What if that damned Demon King hides the tower or moves it again? You gonna swallow another failure? Can you take responsibility? Guarantee it won't vanish again?"
『It's just a detection of magic power for now.』
"Nothing without magic power emits it. That ties straight to the Demon King. To the tower."
『...I'll make contact.』
Aina nodded faintly at his growl.
"Rise! Everyone up!"
"Move out now!"
To pierce the darkness, humans needed light. The Empire and Dormut forces used magic orbs—artifacts—to illuminate the surroundings.
But that didn't just light the humans' eyes.
The true masters of Erjest, whose territory they'd invaded—the monsters, many nocturnal—were drawn by the scent of prey and the lights.
──!
───!
Screams, roars, shouts, and death intertwined. They blazed a path through the snow, dyed red with blood.
Blood and corpses lured more monsters. A vicious cycle. But Balaf Disrod paid it no mind.
Drakes charging with filthy maws bared didn't register in his eyes.
Nor did the yetis hurling massive boulders from afar.
Only the tower—not far off. The Demon King's tower, the Flame Tower.
And inside it, the Flame Demon King alone shimmered in his vision.
"You've come, then."
At the end of the blood-soaked path lay what Balaf had so desperately sought.
"Magic power, indeed."
Faint magic power wafted from the darkness beyond. Too weak for ordinary humans or even most heroes to sense—but not for Aina, who had claimed a star, or Balaf, the pinnacle of heroes.
"The others?"
"Neither has arrived yet."
"We advance the moment they do."
"Moving at night isn't wise."
"Better than watching the tower vanish with your own eyes. The Flame Demon King must've noticed us by now. Grab it by the scruff before it flees."
A while later, the two groups arrived. Like Balaf, they'd shed blood they didn't have to, blazing their own bloody trails.
But no one called it reckless.
They agreed with Balaf: they couldn't let go of this thread, lest the tower vanish again.
They too had tasted failure alongside him.
"Follow the magic power first. Find the tower, then worry about the rest."
"Yes."
"Got it."
The great army moved again. Tension thickened at the report of detected magic power.
Magic power was the aura from demons or demonic beasts. Ironically, while towers—their lairs—brimmed with it inside, they leaked almost none outside. Tracking magic power didn't guarantee a tower.
But it amounted to the same thing. Demons and beasts eventually returned to their towers, so following it led there eventually.
And fortunately.
It was right.
"T-Tower!"
"Demonic beasts too!"
Beasts prowling the tower's perimeter flipped their eyes back and charged the alliance. They became corpses, and beyond them, the tower loomed gracefully in the darkness, welcoming them.
"...Finally."
Balaf's eyes flashed at the all-too-familiar shape and size.
The other stars, the heroes, the humans—all reacted the same.
Finally, their goal had appeared.
The tower that kidnapped Hildean Kingdom's crown princess.
That crushed Hillun Kargil with failure.
That toyed with humans time and again, snatching countless princesses.
That gifted the great hero Balaf Disrod his first defeat.
That Demon King's tower stood before their eyes.
After weeks of searching, no one with emotions could stay calm or unmoved at the sight.
"Hm...?"
Balaf, scrutinizing the tower, tilted his head.
"Something's off."
"What do you mean?"
"It's different."
"Different?"
Gillian eyed the tower but soon shook his head.
"Looks the same to me."
"To me too."
"...Illusion?"
Probably just overly sensitive from obsessing over the Demon King.
Calming himself, Balaf issued the order.
"Heroes only enter."
Towers didn't welcome only heroes. It was just that a hero's dimensional interference wreaked more havoc on demons and beasts.
With so many troops, there was no need to select only heroes.
But no one objected to Balaf Disrod's words.
Three stars were present.
And excluding them, 349 heroes besides.
In the confined space of a tower, excess allies were a hindrance. 352 heroes was just right.
Above all, they believed Balaf Disrod couldn't lose to a Demon King that did nothing but hide its tower.
And so, they entered the tower.
For a good while.
Cough, cough—
Kraaak—
Save me...!
My leg! My leg!
Amid the piercing tinnitus, soldiers' screams rang out. Thick smoke assaulted the nose with the stench of blood.
Count Armutz, temporarily commanding in place of the heroes who'd entered the tower, couldn't comprehend the situation.
"What the..."
They'd found the tower.
The heroes had entered.
Their remaining duty: surround it to prevent escape and hold position.
At first, monsters had charged relentlessly, but they'd piled up corpses before the formation of tens of thousands and hesitated.
For a long while like that.
Waiting only for the heroes to emerge or the tower to fall, buoyed by hopes of finally escaping this hellish range.
Then.
An explosion erupted.
Starting from the tower, it crumbled the entire structure and engulfed the alliance battling monsters from behind.
Flames roared, melting snow turning to steam that blinded vision.
Count Armutz instinctively wrapped his body in aura, but the dizzying shock pierced through, slamming his flesh.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. Hell on earth unfolded.
Half-melted corpses rolled about. Burning soldiers screamed, rolling in the snow.
Above all, the tower had collapsed.
But could this be called slaying the Demon King?
"The, the heroes...!"
Impossible to find. More accurately, too hard amid the chaos. Screams deafened, steam and magic power blinded.
"Magic power...?"
Yes, it was magic power. Thick enough to see without focusing or sharpening senses.
"...!"
Chills ran down his spine. Dread hammered his mind.
Something—something that shouldn't happen—was happening.
"We have to run!"
Instinct screamed. He shouted. But the pandemonium swallowed his cry effortlessly.
And.
Grrr rumble—
Kroooaaar—
Monsters drawn by the viscous magic power flashed eyes from the darkness.
Far more than before.
Infinitely more.
"Knew watching live was the right call."
Clap clap clap.
Berge applauded.
How could he sit still?
The massive explosion was spectacular. The all-consuming inferno played its role to perfection.
The tower collapsed, shaking not just the heroes inside but the alliance outside.
"Dwarf-made bombs really are the best, huh."
The explosive power was utterly satisfying.
"Now, for the second one."
With the explosion, the pre-planted magic power began flooding out.
The second trap Berge had prepared alongside the bomb.
Monsters' roots lay in the Demon World. Demonic beasts scattered across dimensions from Ma-gye had settled over eons.
They might not use magic power anymore, but the instinct to crave it remained.
In other words.
"Here they come."
Magic power was perfect bait to lure monsters.
The mountain-shaking blast drew their attention.
And the sweetly flowing magic power tantalized their mouths and noses.
"Now."
Berge smiled.
"I wonder how many will make it back alive."
He unwrapped a chocolate and popped it in his mouth, savoring the moment.
"...Yeah, I get why you like these."
Sweet. Terribly so.
As delightful as the play unfolding before him.
< 176. Terribly Sweet > End