Dark Castle Throne Room — Stronghold of Demon King of Darkness Ashmedia, one of the Four Great Demon Kings
The faces of the dignitaries assembled in the throne room of Dark Castle, stronghold of Ashmedia of the Four Great Demon Kings, were without exception steeped in an unmistakable, profound sense of despair.
"Defeated by those Heroes again, were we...?"
This murmur from one of the dignitaries expressed the assembly's current sentiment all too clearly.
"Was the being sealed in Babel not our evil god, who according to legend fought to the death against Holy God of War Ares in ancient times and was defeated?"
To this all-too-natural question:
"Indeed! Heroes, who are mere humans, could never defeat a god! Was it not you who claimed as much, elder?!"
Faced with sharp accusations laced with denial, the blue-skinned old man folded his arms and sank into thought, faint wrinkles etching themselves between his brows.
"Did I not tell you before?! If by some chance the Hero truly were powerful enough to slaughter a god, given that woman's hatred for our demon race, we would have been driven to extinction long ago! Yet here we are, still living and breathing!
The legend of the evil god is merely a legend after all. That is all there is to it! If that were not the case—"
Though he had been rebutting with a forceful tone, his voice faltered at the very end.
"If not, then what, pray tell?! We acted in accordance with your plan, and my subordinates died for it!"
The blue-skinned young officer raising his voice served as the trigger that threw the throne room back into a maelstrom of condemnation.
"Silence!"
At the voice of the young girl Ashmedia seated upon the throne, everyone gritted their teeth and swallowed their words.
"Old Man, did they die in vain?"
At the girl's question, the old man's face twisted in anguish for the first time.
"Given that those Heroes survived without a single casualty, I fear there is no doubt about it."
He stated it with certainty.
"I see... They died in vain, then."
Ashmedia stared up at the black stone ceiling, deep sorrow welling behind her eyelids as she turned those words over in her mouth again and again.
"It is not over yet! This operation was merely intended to chip away at the Hero's forces. The core of our plan is the revival of our chief god in Northground. We have received a report from Neimu that the plan is progressing smoothly. Once that comes to pass, the era of our demon race shall surely arrive!"
The blue-skinned old man clenched his right fist tightly, arguing his point with fervor.
However, not a single person present agreed with him. Instead, everyone merely clamped their mouths shut in grim lines, their expressions bitter. And then, finally—
"I simply cannot place my trust in Demon King Aldebaran! Even if the era of the demon race arrives, if our people must suffer under tyranny, it will be far worse than what we face now!"
When the blue-skinned young officer shouted this,
"Indeed! Has the elder truly forgotten what that monster did to our people during the war?!"
As if a dam had burst, words of rejection poured forth one after another.
The blue-skinned old man listened to them in silence, his head slightly bowed, but then—
"Yet it is far better than extinction!!"
He raised a cracked, shrill roar like a broken bell.
"However—"
The young officer attempted to speak, but—
"Do not underestimate me! Do you think I have not considered the very things you fear?! I thought about it! I thought it through to the bitter end! Yet... nowhere was there a wonderful solution like the one you envision!"
With tears streaming from both eyes, the blue-skinned old man shouted in fury. Within the chamber that instantly fell into dead silence,
"Old Man, I understand. I was the one who approved that plan. The blame lies entirely with me, and me alone."
Ashmedia declared this with quiet resolve.
In the throne room where the sound of quiet weeping echoed, Ashmedia rose to her feet.
"Worry not! No matter what end awaits us, I shall protect our people at all costs!"
Raising her right hand and knitting her brows with fierce determination, she projected her voice.
What the Hero of the human race desired was the extinction of the demon race. A slaughter that made no exception for women or children. That much was obvious from the past actions of Hero Mashiro.
On the other hand, Aldebaran, whose cooperation Ashmedia and the Dark Country had sought to oppose the Hero, was an out-and-out monster. A piece of trash Demon King who slaughtered even his own people like insects. Once the Hero was gone, he would undoubtedly meddle in the Dark Country as well and commit atrocities.
Thus, the measure Ashmedia and her council had taken was truly a desperate last resort. It was no different from fighting poison with poison. Even so, it was far better than extinction. Therefore—
(I will protect them. Even if it costs me my life!)
Ashmedia voiced the vow straight from her young soul, but her words were swallowed by the half-desperate roars of the dignitaries as they rallied their own spirits.