This chapter is told from the Sphinx's perspective.
My name was Kusukusu, and I was a Golem User—a proud demon of the Sphinx Tribe. For generations, my people had served the Demon King’s Army. My ultimate dream? To one day become one of the Four Heavenly Kings!
As the eldest of eight siblings, I carried the weight of my entire family's expectations on my shoulders. After finishing my apprenticeship, I was finally assigned to the army as an official soldier. It was there that I finally laid eyes on the legendary Four Heavenly Kings I had admired for so long.
"Lord Garuda-Hraesvelgr, it’s a true honor to meet you!"
That was Garuda-Hraesvelgr of the Radiant Crown, the Golden Birdman. He was the older brother of my colleague, the Harpy Parca. But even a powerhouse like Lord Garuda-Hraesvelgr had been defeated.
Supposedly, the ones responsible were a human girl named Nina—the Saint of the Yellow Wings—and a monster known as the Crimson Flower Princess Alraune. Rumor had it the Crimson Flower Princess was a gargantuan floral nightmare, large enough to swallow demons whole. They called her a gluttonous plant that had already filled her belly with countless demons and monsters.
I didn't know much about plant monsters, but she sounded terrifying. I certainly didn't have the confidence to face something like that and win.
This Crimson Flower Princess had even taken down Lord Beast King Marticoras. If you counted Lady Vergissmeinnicht the Dryades, this monster had already defeated three of the Four Heavenly Kings. There were even whispers that the Witch Queen Kirke herself had fallen to her.
It was hard to believe an Alraune could be stronger than the Four Heavenly Kings. Just how massive and ferocious was she? According to the stories, she was taller than the spires of the Tower City, her hair was actually white instead of red, and anyone who stepped near her would be charmed into becoming her prisoner. She was a total mystery.
Still, I knew that if she was that strong, defeating her would be a massive achievement. If I could somehow slay the Crimson Flower Princess, my merit would be undeniable. I might even be promoted to the Four Heavenly Kings myself.
But my boss wouldn't hear of it. I didn't quite understand the details, but apparently, messing with her was far too dangerous.
Then, I was summoned by that very boss—the Ice Dragon who served as the Prime Minister of the Demon King's Army. It seemed an important meeting was underway. When I entered the strategy room in the Demon King's Castle, the figure of a woman immediately caught my eye.
She had cold, piercing eyes that seemed capable of freezing anything they touched, and she wore a deep blue dress that evoked the image of eternal ice. A soft light radiated from her long hair, scattering like dancing ice crystals. This was the woman every female soldier in the army idolized—the Prime Minister, the de facto leader of our forces.
The room was filled with the Prime Minister's handpicked elites. Aside from demons, I saw a mysterious man with an afro and the White-haired Witch, who I recognized as the Witch Queen's Adjutant.
Without any wasted breath, the Prime Minister delivered her orders. "We are launching an assault on the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Gardenia. Our objectives are the recovery of Witch Queen Kirke and the total seizure of the capital!"
A chorus of spirited shouts rang out through the room. Everyone was fired up. However, I couldn't help but feel a nagging curiosity, and I accidentally let a question slip.
"Is this an order from the Demon King?"
"……It is not."
The Prime Minister’s icy gaze fixed on me. I froze. I’d forgotten that mentioning the Demon King's name in a formal setting was forbidden. My parents had always warned me that I had a habit of saying one word too many, and that bad habit had surfaced at the worst possible moment.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my head and slammed it into the floor. My direct superior, Lord Ifreet, had forced me into a prostrate position.
"Interrupting the Prime Minister is preposterous! I deeply apologize for my subordinate's insolence."
"……Very well," the Prime Minister replied. "Kusukusu is a newcomer, but I recognize her talent."
It seemed I was forgiven, but Lord Ifreet was still glaring at me with a look that could kill. It was terrifying.
"However," the Prime Minister continued, "there are likely many others who share her curiosity. As the Prime Minister, I will say this: this operation is not the will of the Demon King, but the will of the noble one who rules the Demon Race."
She turned around toward a sculpture of the Goddess of Darkness—Lady Hecate. She was the mother of all demons and monsters, the noble deity who watched over us. Unlike the wicked Goddess Selene worshipped by humans, we were taught that Lady Hecate was the embodiment of mercy and justice. Even if goddesses weren't 'real' in a literal sense, she was more important to us than anything.
And now, the Saint—the vanguard of that evil Goddess Selene—was in the Royal Capital. If I could take her down, my dream of becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings might actually come true.
The meeting concluded with a plan to split our forces into three groups. It was rumored that Lord Beast Ogre Mantiger would join as a Commando Unit; his strength was said to rival the Four Heavenly Kings, so he was a reliable ally. My group, the Third Legion, was tasked with heading toward the capital from the direction of Edelweiss. That meant we had to conquer Edelweiss before we could reach our final destination.
Our Legion Commander was Lord Ifreet. They said his power surpassed even the Four Heavenly Kings and that he had served the Prime Minister for over five centuries. Once we reached a town near the border, Lord Ifreet called me aside.
"Kusukusu, what do you know of Edelweiss?"
"Nothing at all, sir!"
"……Edelweiss is the birthplace of Saint Iris. In the past, we believed that destroying the town would break her spirit, so we invaded numerous times. Every attempt failed. Do you know why?"
"Was it because Saint Iris protected it?"
"Correct. An army of ten thousand attacked, yet they were routed by Saint Iris alone."
Saint Iris was a terrifying woman. The demons feared her as the Grim Reaper; someone that strong wasn't even human.
"However," Ifreet continued, "Iris was often away on business. We tried to strike during her absences, but we still failed."
"Even without her there?"
"She had placed a Great Light Magic Barrier over the town remotely. No demon or monster could even set foot inside."
That sounded like the legends of the First Saint Nemea. Saints really were monsters in their own right.
"But that protection ended with her death. Now that Saint Iris is gone, the barrier has vanished."
"Then it's an all-you-can-attack buffet!" I cheered.
"Not quite. A new threat emerged. A Grand Mage appeared from the Edelweiss family and took over as the town's guardian."
"A Grand Mage?"
"They supposedly have the skill to be the Chief Royal Mage but chose to stay and protect their home. Because of them, the army has been unable to take the town. Until now."
"Won't we just get beaten by this mage too?"
"Normally, perhaps. But the Grand Mage is currently away in the Royal Capital, acting as an escort for the Duke at a wedding. Edelweiss is essentially an empty shell."
"That’s incredibly lucky! Our golems have already started looting the nearby villages for food, so let's just keep going and wipe the place out!"
"Kusukusu…… you’re a fool, but your talent with Earth Magic and golems is unmatched in the army."
"Lord Ifreet? Was that a compliment?"
"That is why, Kusukusu…… you are going to infiltrate Edelweiss alone."
"What!?"
"Infiltrate the Duke's mansion and assassinate the commander, the Duke's Proxy. After that, create a diversion until the main force arrives."
"But that means being alone in the heart of enemy territory! That’s suicide!"
"Your golem magic requires you to be close to your targets. You will activate your golems in the city and cause as much chaos as possible. That is the diversion."
"So while I'm the bait, the main force launches a surprise attack? But how do I get out?"
"It is a demon's honor to die for the cause. I will collect your bones later. Fulfill your mission, even if it costs your life."
"N-No way……"
"I haven't forgotten the meeting, Kusukusu. Your insolence toward the Prime Minister was unacceptable. You will atone with your life."
I realized then just how much Lord Ifreet worshipped the Prime Minister. He wasn't just giving me a mission; he was punishing me. He handed me a small package containing a pitch-black medicinal pill.
"Um, Lord Ifreet? What is this?"
"A special medicine to boost a demon's power. Take it before you go in."
"Th-Thank you! With this, maybe I can make it back alive!"
"That was created by Lady Vergissmeinnicht. It allows you to harbor a fragment of the Goddess of Darkness's power. It’s an honor to even see it."
I swallowed it without thinking. Immediately, I felt a surge of incredible energy. A black aura drifted from my skin as my magic power overflowed.
"Amazing! I could control a hundred golems like this!"
"Of course you could. That medicine grants power in exchange for the user's life."
"Wait…… what?"
"You have one day left to live, at most. Do your best."
"Lord Ifreet!? What do you mean by that!?"
"Kusukusu, the future of the Third Legion—and the entire army—rests on your shoulders. If you succeed, I’ll tell your family you died a hero. I'm counting on you."
And so, my one-way mission began.
"Ugh…… I don't want to die…… but orders are orders, and I can't dishonor the Sphinx Tribe…… and besides, I'm already dead anyway……"
I realized I’d never become one of the Four Heavenly Kings. I was so scared my body wouldn't stop shaking. Knowing I only had hours left to live was a nightmare. But there was no turning back. Once you took the Dark Medicine, that was it. There was no antidote; you simply burned through your life force until there was nothing left.
I steeled my resolve. As a proud Sphinx, I would see this through to the end. I wanted my family back home to hear about how brave I was!
I coated my body in Earth Magic to disguise myself as a Clay Figurine and prepared a small army of Urn Golems. With the help of the afro-haired human collaborator, I successfully snuck into the Duke’s mansion.
After parting ways with the "merchant," I made my way to the inner courtyard. My target, the Duke's Proxy, was supposed to be in a room just past the fountain. It was the perfect spot for an assassination.
But I wasn't alone. A large flower in a pot—suddenly spoke to me.
"The flower... the flower talked!"
Was this an Alraune!? I’d never seen one before! She was actually incredibly cute, like a little child. Unlike a plain demon like me, she had these beautiful red petals. I honestly admired her.
And I felt like we were on the same wavelength. When she saw me, she shouted, "The Clay Figurine talked!" too.
I’d heard the Crimson Flower Princess was a giant, but this Alraune was tiny. Maybe this was how they normally looked. I decided right then that I liked her. I couldn't just leave her there, so I tucked the "lost" Alraune into one of my Urn Golems to protect her.
It had been nearly a full day since I’d taken the medicine. My life was almost over. But before I went, I wanted to help this Alraune escape the humans. It was the last good thing I could do.
She seemed grateful because she reached out with a vine. "In thanks for helping me... I will give you this."
"This is...?"
"It's my nectar."
Alraune's Nectar. I'd heard rumors about how delicious it was. The high-end stuff, Saint Nectar, was a massive craze among human nobles and even within the Demon King's Army. Parca told me that one of the big bosses was obsessed with it. Apparently, it was so good your cheeks would melt.
I didn't have the money or the connections to get real Saint Nectar, so even regular nectar was a huge deal to me. If I was going to die, I wanted one last treat.
Just as I was about to have a taste—
A window in the mansion shattered, and a white dove took flight.
"……The signal."
That was the collaborator's sign. The attack had begun.