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"Hm? What’s that?"
I spotted something through a gap in the clouds.
Calling it a man-made structure felt a bit off, but it certainly didn't look like a natural formation.
"That is a prison, Master Lloyd. It is where those who have committed crimes in the Celestial Realm are incarcerated," Jiriel explained.
"Hoh, now that sounds interesting..."
Criminals of the heavens... The mere thought was intriguing. There were bound to be some fascinating characters inside. I had to investigate.
"Let's get a closer look."
"That sounds dangerous, sir!" Grimo protested.
"On the contrary, that's exactly what I'm hoping for," I replied.
We eventually arrived at a building painted a deep, obsidian black.
Dark clouds hung heavy in the air around it, and the constant roar of thunder echoed through the vicinity. It was a grim, oppressive atmosphere, the polar opposite of the rest of the Celestial Realm we had seen so far.
"The architecture in this realm is quite peculiar, isn't it?"
"The clouds of the Celestial Realm change their shape and properties depending on where they are harvested," Jiriel said. "Stone-Cloud Mica is typically used for buildings, but this prison is constructed from Hell-Cloud Mica, a variant that is exceptionally hard."
Heh, so cloud properties vary by location.
Come to think of it, the clouds I saw floating earlier were like cotton candy, but the ones here feel somewhat sticky. I wonder if there are rock-hard clouds too? This world was proving to be quite a curiosity.
"Hm? For something meant to be so hard, isn't there a hole over there?"
As I examined the exterior of the building, I noticed a section that looked like it had collapsed.
A trail of destruction had been punched through the walls made of this Hell-Cloud Mica, continuing deep into the structure's interior.
"Nuaah?! W-What is the meaning of this?!" Jiriel shrieked.
"Looks like something just smashed its way through," Grimo noted.
"It was pierced as easily as a common mud wall... Is this material actually hard?" Beal asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.
As Grimo and Beal looked on with judgmental eyes, Jiriel scrambled to maintain his explanation.
"I-It's true! I swear! Even Master Lloyd’s magic shouldn't be able to break it easily!"
"Hmm, I wonder about that..." I muttered.
"Step aside."
Immediately after Beal spoke from within me, he swung the tail that housed his consciousness.
With a massive THOOM, the wall shattered into pieces.
"Hmph... As if a wall of this caliber could withstand Lloyd’s power."
Beal wagged his tail proudly, using it to brush away the dust. Ah well, not my problem.
"H-He shattered Hell-Cloud Mica—the hardest substance in the heavens—without even trying..." Jiriel stammered.
"There’s no point being surprised at this stage," Grimo said dismissively. "Master Lloyd could level this entire building if he felt like it."
"You fools! Your understanding of his power is still far too shallow!" Beal barked. "Lloyd could reduce not just this building, but the entire Celestial Realm to ash!"
Hey now, what do you guys think I am?
Talking about a person as if they were some kind of hazardous material is incredibly rude. Even if I could do such a thing, there’s no way I actually would.
Lost in these thoughts, I stepped inside. From further down the corridor, I could hear a commotion.
"Hm? Is that the security guards?"
"Our intrusion has been discovered... though it's not like we were trying to be stealthy," Grimo sighed.
"Well, after making that much noise, of course it would cause a stir," Jiriel added.
"It matters not! We shall simply slaughter every angel in our path!" Beal roared.
Good grief, they were a loud bunch.
Still, a battle against angels was something I welcomed. I braced myself, waiting for them to charge, but...
"...They aren't coming."
"In fact, their presence seems to be moving away from us," Grimo noted.
However, the sounds of combat were clearly audible.
It seemed a struggle was taking place inside that had nothing to do with us. I wondered if it was related to whoever had made that hole in the wall.
I approached stealthily and peered around a corner. There, I saw a youth standing over several fallen Angel soldiers.
"The Holy King...!"
"Oh? If it isn't Lloyd-kun! What a coincidence to run into you here."
He waved at me with a carefree smile as he approached.
Why was he in a place like this? As the question crossed my mind, Beal’s tail began to thrash about wildly inside me.
"Kuhahaha! How bold of you to show your face before me again, Holy King! To think we would meet here—fate has finally caught up with you! Now, prepare yourself!"
"Hold it. Let's hear him out first."
I hurriedly restrained Beal as he tried to lunge forward. I knew he’d only agreed to our fusion so he could fight the Holy King, but this wasn't the time.
"Oh? Lloyd-kun, you seem a bit different somehow," the Holy King remarked.
"A lot has happened. More importantly, you look quite worse for wear."
"Haha! Well, to tell you the truth, I was summoned by Mr. God right after that concert. I told him that as a God, his lack of mercy toward the Demon King—who hadn't actually done anything yet—and his subsequent treatment of you all was highly problematic. This was the result."
"What?! What on earth does that mean?!"
Beal’s voice rang out from the tail, causing the Holy King to blink in surprise.
"Oh, Demon King? I thought something felt odd. Have you been absorbed by Lloyd-kun this time instead of that Glasses Girl?"
"That doesn't matter! Tell me what you meant by those words!"
"Ah, right. Well, you see, even if he is a Demon King, it's not right to seal and kill someone when they haven't actually done anything, right? Mr. God was furious, but as a pacifist, I simply don't agree. After all, whether they are insects, beasts, humans, gods, or even the Demon race—aren't we all fellow companions living in this world together?"
"Hah? What nonsense... The Demon race and humans are natural enemies. Killing each other on sight is the only law we know."
The Holy King thought for a moment before replying to Beal's rebuttal.
"—I was born in a rural village deep in the mountains. When I worked the fields, wild beasts would often come to ravage our crops. The villagers would fight them off, and many people were killed by those beasts in turn. If both sides have convictions they cannot yield, a clash is unavoidable. That should be the same for the Demon race and humans."
The Holy King’s point wasn't entirely wrong. When interests collide, conflict occurs regardless of race.
"Then why did you let Beal go? You were certainly mortal enemies."
"Well, even as a pacifist, I understand that conflict between humans and demons is sometimes unavoidable. But going too far is wrong. Humans burning forests for greed is wrong. Crazed beasts killing people is wrong. Demons killing for pleasure is wrong. And God killing a demon who hasn't done anything just because he might do something wrong? That is also wrong. Mr. God's actions clearly went too far. As the one standing between them, it was my duty to stop him."
The Holy King spoke with a serious gaze I had never seen from him before. I had thought he was just a lighthearted dunderhead, but he apparently gave these things a lot of thought.
"Actually, when I looked at the Demon King, he didn't seem like the type. In fact, he seemed like a surprisingly good guy. That's why I didn't deliver the finishing blow."
"A-A good guy? To say such delusional things to me, the Demon King..."
"But it's the truth. When we fought, you cast a barrier to protect the civilians, and you had even blended into the human world. More than anything, so many people moved to help you. That is proof that you are trusted."
The Holy King shot me a wink.
I see. So that was why he had cooperated in the Demon King's revival as well.
"Just because they belong to the Demon race, I will not allow the unjust taking of a life of someone who is behaving themselves—that is my pride as a pacifist."
"...Tch. This is why I hate your kind."
Beal muttered that as the bloodlust that had been overflowing from him just moments ago began to dissipate. Perhaps the reason Beal found the Holy King so difficult to deal with was exactly this aspect of his personality.
"Hmph, my drive is completely gone. ...So, I take it you are in the middle of a prison break?"
"Oh, right! I almost forgot. Yeah, I was thinking of giving God a piece of my mind. Why don't you guys join me?"
"I was planning to head to God's location even without your invitation."
"Haha! What a coincidence. In that case, I'll volunteer to be your guide. I know a shortcut."
The Holy King nodded with immense confidence and began leading the way.
◇
"Huh? That's odd..."
The Holy King tilted his head as we proceeded deeper and deeper into the prison.
We had followed him because he claimed to know a shortcut, but there was no sign of us arriving anywhere relevant.
"Are we there yet?"
"Hmm, I'm pretty sure it was this way..."
He kept muttering to himself as he looked around, wandering aimlessly.
This was suspicious. I was starting to doubt the existence of this shortcut.
"Could it be a trap? No, he doesn't seem like the type for that..." Grimo whispered.
"Could the bastard just be incredibly bad with directions?" Beal wondered.
"Probably. I don't see how going deeper into a prison would be a shortcut to a palace. Hey, if you're just messing with us, I won't be happy," I warned.
"A-Ahaha... It's fine. Probably. Most likely."
Faced with judgmental glares from Grimo and the others, the Holy King broke into a cold sweat.
Well, if we wanted to leave, we could just burst through the walls, and if he was actually telling the truth, it might lead to something interesting. I decided to follow him a little longer.
The paths became more like a maze the further we went, but after twisting and turning through several corridors, we finally saw a light.
"Ah! Look at that, Lloyd-kun! See? A light! I wasn't lost after all, was I!?"
The Holy King puffed out his chest and tried to rush toward the light, but—
"Oof!?"
He was struck by a volley of Arrows of Light and blown backward.
A squad of Angel soldiers emerged, shouting as they moved into formation.
"Intruders!"
"We won't let you pass any further!"
Ten, twenty... there were even more.
Given the heavy security, there was no doubt that something important lay ahead.
"...Hm, what's that?"
Beyond the darkness, I could see the glow of a lantern.
Is that... a cell? It looked like someone was being held captive.
"Let's go check it out."
"Hey, Lloyd-kun?! I'm kind of in the middle of a fight here?! Are you really not going to help?!"
Ignoring the Holy King’s cries, I headed toward the light.
"That's cold, Master Lloyd! Though I doubt those weakling angels could actually beat him," Grimo chuckled.
"What's truly terrifying is Master Lloyd’s presence erasure. To think even the angels right beside him haven't noticed a thing..." Jiriel remarked.
"Well, if they were to attack us, they’d be killed in an instant anyway. One could say they've narrowly escaped a grim fate," Beal added.
I wasn't a fan of unnecessary killing, after all.
Leaving my familiars to their grumbling, I stood before the cell. Inside was an Old Man.