#090 Subjugation
#090 Subjugation
Let me state this plainly.
I am not female.
Though I was born sexless, I have lived most of my life as a male.
Because living as a male is easier.
Especially in the Demon Realm, the stronger a male was, the easier it was to survive, and males faced relatively fewer threats.
Whenever I possessed a female, there were far too many who tried to come after me.
They were after the body I possessed, not me, Belphegor, but if one of them got me, I would be the one to suffer it.
So I have lived by possessing strong males, who carried relatively fewer threatening elements.
Occasionally.
Very occasionally, if a female body served effectively in a particular situation, I used one, but I have lived most of my life as a male.
Because I lived as a male, five hundred years ago, as the Great Demon King Belphegor, I was able to screw over so many people and plunge them into despair.
If I went into the specifics of how, I could talk endlessly, but anyway.
I am not female.
The reason this body, this soul's form, is female is because it was tailored to Witch Bel.
Therefore, you must not think of me as some "woman" who, the moment a man approaches, feels her heart pound while pretending not to like him to hide her embarrassment.
Right.
I am male.
Even if I occasionally become female as necessity demands, I am clearly male.
However.
[Bullshit. You've completely become female now.]
Beelzebub spat out words far too harsh toward me.
[What is with that body? Is that a male you took for yourself now that you are female? Planning to breed in the Middle Realm?]
[You lunatic.]
I cannot tolerate any more slander.
Me?
With Lucius?
Absurd.
[I barely freed you from that binding, and now you can't stop talking nonsense.]
[What?]
[I don't know what you're thinking that's making you hostile toward me, but I have no connection whatsoever to those Acedia bastards.]
I told the truth exactly as it was, but Beelzebub could not easily believe me.
[That can't be. The bastard who summoned me and shoved me into an insect's body was your old subordinate. And he was making a huge fuss about how he would keep calling for you.]
[I was a victim too.]
I revealed what had happened to me exactly as it was.
That I had fallen asleep and opened my eyes to find myself dwelling in a girl's body.
That Zepar had summoned my soul, forced me into a girl's body, and tried to use me to make the world his own.
That when I refused, he had even tried to control me and nearly made me his puppet.
[So you're saying that five hundred years ago, you nearly became a female puppet of your subordinate and a Demonfolk mass-production machine?]
[Can't you tone it down a little even when you talk?]
[I'm already lowering the intensity considerably. If you think about it, your subordinates have now captured a Demon King and turned him into a wreck. You can't say you bear no responsibility, can you?]
[Fine.]
Even if that lunatic Zepar was responsible, he had been my subordinate, so I still had to take responsibility.
In the first place.
[He is targeting me. I will definitely capture him and destroy him.]
Before taking responsibility, I have to kill Zepar myself.
He is targeting me, and I have no intention of becoming his plaything.
[Then is the reason you're staying female because it's advantageous?]
[Advantageous?]
[For using the Hero.]
[Yes.]
When it comes to using the Hero Lucius, a female body is exceedingly convenient.
[Lucius is going to become a Hero who leads a harem. And to build a harem, he needs to get close to women, and there's no better gender for that than a woman.]
Since ancient times.
[Matchmaking for a man's harem is easiest when done by a woman.]
How do I know?
Statistics.
[And this current appearance is a copy of one of the Heroes I captured five hundred years ago. In case anyone suspects my identity, I can say I'm a Grand Mage who was active five hundred years ago.]
[I see. I understand your excuses.]
[They're not excuses—]
[I'll choose to believe you.]
Whoosh.
[If it's advantageous for a female to use the Hero and take revenge on Zepar, then I shall follow suit.]
Beelzebub's form began to change gradually.
Whoosh.
Beelzebub's form, which had been shimmering like mist, began to take on a shape.
The dark violet mana gradually began to assume the form of a girl similar to me, and behind the girl, three shapes like hellhounds risen from the underworld emerged.
"...I will believe you. Hero."
Beelzebub smiled at me with eyes tinted pale violet.
"Since you have freed me from the shackles of evil, I shall lend you my power. I am one of the seven Demon Kings of the Demon Realm and the Lord of Gluttony. The demon of gluttony who devours all things, and the gatekeeper of hell. Others call me Beelzebub."
Whoosh.
Beelzebub reached out a hand toward me.
Condensed Demonic Energy flowed from the girl's small hand into a gemstone, and I received in my hand a round Mana Stone that glittered like an amethyst.
"On my behalf, take revenge upon the evil that seeks to use Demon Kings. For now...."
Whoosh.
"I want to rest a little...."
Beelzebub vanished, leaving behind the violet Mana Stone.
The moment he became a Mana Stone, all the thralls connected to him crumbled to ash.
WHOOOOOSH.
The golden wind flowing from Ascalon sent the insect remains soaring high into the sky.
What rested in my hand, in Lucius's hand, was only the Mana Stone—the Soul Stone—in which Beelzebub had placed his own soul.
"......."
Beelzebub.
Subjugated.
* * *
In the darkness.
Lucius watched two women conversing in a space where nothing could be seen.
One was a red-haired woman he knew well.
And the other was a woman with dark violet hair who was no less striking.
The two seemed to raise their voices in opposition, but soon the dark violet-haired woman vanished, leaving something behind for the red-haired woman.
SWISH.
His vision was dyed in golden light.
When he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them, before Lucius's eyes stood the man he had seen before, holding his Holy Sword and standing still.
—Hero.
The man spoke.
—You do not know the truth. I know the truth, but for the sake of the world, I must keep my silence.
Who are you?
Lucius asked the man, but the man only silently shook his head.
—It is not yet time. Someday, on the day she permits you everything, I will face you again in my true form.
I wish he would speak so I could understand.
Lucius's insides burned with frustration at the riddle-like exchange, but the other man simply kept shaking his head.
—You are not ready yet. Go north. Meet the Ice Witch there. All the truth about you, me, and her—she knows it.
The Ice Witch?
The north?
It was utterly out of nowhere, but Lucius sensed something.
By "her," does he mean my master?
—.......
The man fell silent.
Silence was not an answer, but sometimes silence becomes the answer.
—These two things I can say. I am on your side, and at the same time, she is on humanity's side.
What does that—?
—I can say no more. If the day comes when you meet me of your own accord, then I too will be able to speak of everything without restriction.
The man.
Simply smiled bitterly and pointed to the sky.
—I will wait for you on the Sky Island. I am....
"Lucius?"
"......."
Lucius smiled lightly at the red-haired woman looking at him.
"You won."
"Yeah. I won."
The red-haired witch shook the dark violet Mana Stone toward him.
"...Thanks to you, Lucius, I even sealed a Demon King. Really... really."
The red-haired witch managed a bright smile, though it looked difficult.
"Thank you so much, Lucius."
"You're welcome."
Yes.
What did it matter if it was frustrating?
If my master was smiling like this, that was enough.
And then....
"While you were using my body, Master, I saw something strange."
"Something strange?"
"Yes. A blond man...."
"Ah. I know who that is."
The witch clapped her hands and narrowed her eyes into long slits.
"Was it this guy?"
"Yes. How did you...?"
"That's Ascalon. Should I call it the consciousness inside the Holy Sword? Anyway, that's what it is."
"......."
As expected of my master.
Lucius felt completely at ease.
* * *
"Damn it, damn it...!!"
Beelzebub was dead.
No, it was more accurate to say he had been taken.
"Witch Bel...! That wretched bitch! So she really did learn magic to command other Demon King-class Demonfolk, all to make the Demon King hers! That dog of a woman!!"
Zepar beat his chest in bitter resentment.
"Grrr. If Beelzebub is taken, my grand plan...."
[What are you wailing about so loudly?]
"Ah, Your Majesty."
Zepar offered his respects toward the voice coming from beyond the crystal orb.
"Forgive me. There has been a somewhat unexpected loss."
[A loss?]
"Yes. One of the Demon Kings has been taken by the enemy."
[Hmm....]
The voice beyond the crystal orb sounded rather indifferent.
[A Demon King is only a Demon King in the Demon Realm. Here, is he not merely at the level of high-ranking Demonfolk?]
"But...."
[The Great Demon King is an exception, of course. Surely you don't think I would treat the Great Demon King and the other Demon Kings as equals?]
"Of course not! My apologies, Your Majesty."
Zepar hastily bowed.
[Start by telling me about this Demon King being taken.]
"I used Beelzebub, and Witch Bel used the Wind Holy Sword to defeat him. Then the Hero sealed Beelzebub in a Mana Stone."
[And the witch commanded him?]
"Yes. That is correct."
[Hmm....]
The emperor let out a long hum for a moment.
[No matter how I think about it, is that girl really the witch called Bel? Her build was completely wrong.]
"It is her! There are only two people in this world who can awaken the Wind Holy Sword. One is that detestable Witch Bel...."
[And the other is the Great Demon King Belphegor.]
"Yes. That is correct."
Zepar clenched and unclenched his fist, grinding his teeth.
"There is no way the Great Demon King would go so far as to awaken and use the Wind Holy Sword that killed him, so she is undoubtedly Witch Bel. She probably noticed my summoning and broke her seal from the other side of the world to act. Grr, that insolent bitch...."
[...Well, if that is what you think, very well. Honestly, I cannot imagine that Great Demon King dwelling in a girl's body and becoming the witch leading the Hero Party either.]
There might have been a slim chance, but common sense said otherwise.
[What do you plan to do now?]
"I will track their movements, then set a trap. And...."
Zepar wore a sinister smile as he fiddled with the several rings on his fingers.
"I will deploy another Demon King."