The day of the Kingdom Festival operation had finally arrived.
Despite everything, Salisia, ever the diligent demon, hadn't failed to keep in touch. He even made sure to invite me to the hideout on the day of the execution.
...Naturally, since he intended to kidnap me today, he wasn't about to leave me out.
The hideout was an abandoned stone house located in the Underworld.
Today was the big event—a demonstration of the "wrath of the unrewarded who dwell in the Royal Capital"—and the group members were scurrying about in a frenzy.
According to the plan I was given, a squad armed with explosives would deploy to the plaza. Simultaneously with the bombing terror, I was supposed to lead the charge and deliver a grand speech, declaring myself the new king standing against the Kingdom's corruption.
In the original game, though, things didn't play out this way.
That was because the original Albert had tried to play all three factions at once!
When he couldn't keep up the act, the original Albert fled. However, the various factions all declared, "In the name of Albert von Kronstadt!" and turned into a violent mob. The whole thing blew up in his face spectacularly.
...It was a blessing in disguise, really. Because of that chaos, the demon Salisia never managed to kidnap the original Albert.
Conversely, I was currently following the scenario Salisia had drafted.
Now, I wondered what he was planning to pull.
——Though, of course, I intended to make the first move.
I headed toward the large common room where the ringleaders of the bombing terror had gathered.
"Hehehehe, it’s finally time! Time to set off some massive fireworks!"
"We’ll blow them sky-high and make them regret looking down on us!"
"I can't wait to see those wealthy bastards enjoying the festival get ripped to shreds!"
"Might as well strip 'em of their gold while we're at it."
"I like it! It’s a revolution! A revolution! Take everything from those who have!"
Wonderful. Truly wonderful.
When they were such unapologetic pieces of trash, I didn't feel a single twinge of guilt.
One of the men talking noticed me.
"Oh, our King is here! Have you come up with a stirring speech?"
"King! Hey, King! Make sure you build a harem for me once we win!"
"I have no intention of becoming your king."
I closed the door behind me and immediately activated Frenzy.
"You lot are lucky. You get to die while you’re still dreaming your pathetic little dreams."
I stepped toward the nearest man and drew the sword at my waist in a single, fluid motion.
"Aggh?"
The man let out a strangled cry and collapsed, blood spraying from his neck.
The air in the room went deathly silent for a heartbeat, but it was shattered an instant later as the room dissolved into chaos. Every man there drew his weapon.
"Y-Y-You! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Have you betrayed us?!"
"I'll kill you!"
Good grief. It seemed they still didn't understand the situation they were in.
"I am merely eliminating insolent terrorists. I was never your comrade to begin with. And the ones being killed... are you."
I lunged at the dozen or so men in the room.
Numbers were no longer an issue. They were nothing more than incompetent, talentless thugs who just wanted to cause a ruckus, whereas I was currently enhanced by Frenzy.
There was no way I could lose.
In the blink of an eye, the scoundrels were wiped out.
"H-H-Hieeeeee! P-Please, spare me!"
The last man remaining threw his weapon aside and begged for his life.
"If someone had said that to you during your bombing in the plaza, would you have spared them? There's your answer."
I brought my sword down without mercy.
...Well, that was the warm-up. If I made this much noise, there was no way the leaders wouldn't notice.
In fact, the door I had closed was already being pounded from the other side. Weapon blades were already beginning to splinter the wood.
BAM!
With a violent crash, the door was destroyed and two men burst inside.
The demon Salisia and—
Wait, what?! Knight Klaus?!
What the hell are you doing here? I don't remember there being any connection between these two in the original game.
Klaus, for his part, froze when he saw me.
Unaware of the tension between us, Salisia began to speak.
"What is the meaning of this, Albert?"
"...I'm taking you down. This is just a detour."
"Hoh? You say such interesting things! You're going to take me down?!"
"You're going to tell me everything you know about Aristia."
In that instant, Salisia's expression hardened.
"You fool! You've let your ego get the better of you! Do not utter that name so lightly! You are nothing more than a Vessel!"
He then turned his attention to Klaus.
"Listen, guard. You have a job to do. There's your traitor! Apprehend him!"
The look in Klaus's eyes sharpened. It was the face of a man who had reached a decision.
"...Fine."
Fine?!
Wait, shouldn't this be some hot-blooded development where you team up with me as a fellow Kingdom Knight?!
"However, if I'm going to take him down, I'll need more power. Give me the promised Secret Medicine right now. Do that, and I'll finish him for you."
"Shrewd as always...! Fine, take it! But don't kill him, just restrain him! Do you understand?!"
Salisia pulled out a glass bottle filled with a pitch-black liquid and shoved it toward Klaus.
"Understood."
Without a moment's hesitation, Klaus downed the medicine in a single gulp. Immediately after—
"G-G-G-AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The empty glass bottle slipped from his fingers, shattering against the floor. Klaus clutched his head, groaning in visible agony.
"W-What is...?"
"He just drank my prized 'Secret Medicine of Dusk'. It’s quite potent."
The Secret Medicine of Dusk—!
What on earth was he thinking, drinking that?! It was an item from the game that provided an insane stat boost, but it also triggered random status ailments and dropped your HP to 1 once it wore off. It was the strongest, yet most cursed, medicine in existence.
"Did you really think you could beat both of us, Alber—Woah!?"
I lunged at him while he was busy gloating. I saw no reason to be polite and wait for them to finish their transformation sequence.
Salisia narrowly parried my strike with his sword.
As expected of the Demon Race, he was on a different level than the nameless mobs from earlier. Well, he was technically the final boss of this Kingdom Festival event, after all.
"So, you want to 'restrain' me, do you? I know you want to kidnap me. What's the plan?"
"If you don't know, I'll educate you. You are the ultimate Catalyst for the Demon King's manifestation!"
"Catalyst? Why me?"
"Because of your Heterochromia! With a body of such high mana purity, the Demon King can descend with even greater power!"
I see. So that was it. That’s why the Demon King wanted me. If she used my body to descend, she’d enter some kind of Hyper Demon King Mode.
My body was surprisingly valuable, it seemed.
"I was told it doesn't matter what state you're in as long as you're breathing! So prepare to suffer!"
Salisia tried to shove my sword back, but—
I didn't budge an inch.
"What...?!"
"The feeling that it doesn't matter what state you're in as long as you're breathing? The feeling is mutual."
I pushed back against Salisia. Did you really think I was struggling in that contest of strength? I only made it look even so you'd keep blabbering.
"I'm going to capture you alive and make you spit out every secret you have. Including everything about Aristia."
I gave him a powerful shove. After Salisia staggered back several steps, he glared at me with eyes full of murderous rage.
"You...!"
"Haa... haa... haa..."
It seemed the medicine had finally taken hold, as Klaus's breathing began to stabilize. Salisia screamed at him.
"Klaus! Restrain him, now!"
"UGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
As if in response, a Silver Flash streaked through the air.
In the blink of an eye, Salisia's head hit the floor. His headless torso slumped to its knees and then collapsed.
"Haa... haa... haa... haa!"
Klaus's face was that of an enraged, wild predator. He bared his teeth, staring at me with wide, bloodshot eyes.
Damn it! The Confusion status effect!
And damn it all, my precious information source is dead!
"Hey now... did you just kill your own ally?"
"Ally?!"
Klaus's gleaming eyes locked onto me. Saliva dripped from his mouth as his breath came in ragged pants.
"Don't give me that! I am a Knight of the Kingdom! Don't group me with scum like them! I only intended to kill them once I got my hands on the medicine!"
"I-I see. Just stay calm. Our goals are basically the same—"
"Next... is you... ALBERTOOOO!"
Yeah, he’s definitely not listening.
"Salisia said it... You're the Vessel of the Demon King... You harbor that power..."
"He didn't say that!"
He must have heard it while his mind was hazy and completely misunderstood.
"I see how strong you are... I, the Knight of Justice, will slay you here... Demon King!"
With an expression that looked more like a monster than a Knight of Justice, Klaus made his declaration.
"DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"
Tch, I guess I have no choice!