[Miu's Perspective]
It had been five minutes since Kiba-kun and the others entered the barrier.
Alice-san and I remained in our Divine Forms, pouring our energy into maintaining the seal. Or at least, that was the plan.
"Excuse me! Could we get a refill on these snacks? Oh, and some rice crackers too!"
"C-Coming right away!"
Alice-san was currently flagging down a Grigori researcher for more refreshments.
We were sitting on the floor, huddled around a low chabudai table, leisurely sipping tea. I felt a pang of guilt for Kiba-kun and the others who were likely undergoing grueling training inside, but for us, the job was simply to stay put and keep the barrier stable. It was… well, it was actually quite boring.
The researcher returned with a fresh plate of snacks and crackers, which Alice-san accepted with a delighted hum.
"The snacks here are so good, I could eat them forever! It's a real shame we can't have any alcohol right now."
"I-I mean, our role is still technically very important, right?" I asked tentatively.
"I know, I know. That's why I'm staying right here, isn't it?"
She was right. We had to remain on-site to keep the barrier anchored; if we moved too far, the stability would collapse. But since there was nothing else for us to do but sit here… we had ended up in a state of total relaxation.
Sorry, everyone…
"Still, I wonder if Yuuto and the girls are okay," Alice mused, a far-off look in her eyes. "Maurice's 'serious' training is truly brutal. I can't tell you how many times he reduced me to tears back in the day."
Alice-san looked like she was about to cry just thinking about it.
I blinked. Wait, Alice-san is incredibly strong, isn't she? If the "Princess of White Lightning" was brought to tears, just how terrifying was this training?
I decided it was probably best not to imagine what was happening inside.
Meanwhile, inside the barrier
"Is that all you've got?! The enemy's gonna kill you in seconds at this rate!"
"Wait—just a sec—"
"The enemy isn't gonna wait for you!"
"P-Please, just a short break—"
"There's no time for breaks, you moron!"
"Waaaaah! Darling, save meeee!"
"Gwahahaha! Sorry to break it to you, but Issei isn't here! Learn to protect your own skin!"
"""This man is a monster! He's a demon!"""
The training, which could only be described as "hellish" several times over, was currently breaking Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina.
And amidst the chaos—
"Everyone! Please, hang on!"
Asia's desperate cries echoed through the void.
Back to the present
"…That's strange. For a second, I thought I heard Asia-san screaming."
The inside and outside of the barrier were completely severed from one another, so there was no way I could have heard anything. Not to mention the time dilation was different.
"Don't worry," Alice said casually. "I heard something too."
"That makes it worse!"
Are they really okay in there? I have nothing but a bad feeling about this!
Seeing my visible distress, Alice-san offered a reassuring—yet chilling—smile.
"Don't worry. He won't kill them. They'll just suffer a minor mental breakdown, that's all."
"That's not 'okay'!"
What kind of training causes a mental breakdown?! This was terrifying. Truly terrifying. What on earth was Maurice doing to them?
Alice-san took a bite of a rice cracker and exhaled softly.
"Even so… even that 'Sword Saint' couldn't defeat your father, Miu-chan. Not the Demon King Sirius."
"Eh…?"
The sudden change in topic caught me off guard. Alice-san took a sip of tea before continuing.
"You might have heard this from your father already, but Maurice and Sirius crossed blades many times. They met on the battlefield again and again… but they never reached a final conclusion."
"They never finished it? But you just said…"
"Sirius was terrifyingly strong in both swordsmanship and magic. And yet, back then, he fought Maurice to a standstill using nothing but his blade. He didn't use a single spell. Even now, remembering those fights… they were spectacular. There was simply no room for someone like me to intervene."
My father was a man hailed as the strongest Demon King. The spells he taught me were some of the highest-level magic in all of Ast-Arde. Now that I could use those spells myself through Deification, I understood his true power better than ever before.
"'Flame Emperor' Geese, 'Demon Grand General' Fahrenheim, 'The Puppeteer' Fesite, 'The Witch of Frost' Feil… and so many other executives. The demon army was full of legendary warriors. And the one who united them all was Sirius. He wasn't called the strongest just for his martial prowess; it was his charisma. That's why the demons under his command were so unified. Even though we had the numbers, we were always on the defensive."
Names from the past. Some of the people she mentioned were already gone. They were strong, bellicose… but they had always been kind to me. Remembering them brought back a wave of both sadness and joy.
But…
"Why… why are you telling me this now?"
In all the time we'd spent together, this was the first time she had spoken about the other executives, not just my father. I knew she must have known them, having fought on the front lines, but the timing felt intentional.
Alice-san looked me straight in the eye.
"Miu-chan. You've been thinking about it ever since you saw Assem, haven't you? Why he was wearing the Demon King's robes."
"...!"
I lost my breath. She had hit the nail on the head.
Seeing Assem in those clothes had triggered so many memories. My father on the battlefield, my father coming home, and finally… the moment he offered his own life to end the war.
My father wanted to be the last Demon King. To end the cycle of war, he had to erase the symbol of terror that was the Demon King. He sacrificed himself for that.
But above all, he erased the existence of the Demon King so that I would never have to inherit that throne. So that I could live a peaceful, normal life.
And yet, a "Demon King" had appeared. Assem had claimed that mantle by donning those robes.
I looked down and gave a small, shaky nod.
"Yeah… You're right, Alice-san. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Why would he wear those clothes? But… it's not just that." I clenched my fists. "When I saw him like that, I was surprised, but I was also so angry. I felt like… like he was trampling all over my father's resolve."
Why? How could he?
I didn't understand Assem's line of thinking. Did he want to resurrect the "Demon King of Ast-Arde" as a symbol of fear? If that was his goal, I didn't think I could ever forgive him.
And yet, there was a reason I was able to remain this calm.
As if reading my mind, Alice-san spoke. "You think Assem has a different motive, don't you?"
I nodded. "His final words… they've been bothering me. If he truly wanted to destroy this world, I don't think he would have said what he did."
'Think. Think about what you must do to survive—what this world must do to survive. If each of you thinks for yourselves and fulfills your roles, that will lead to the defeat of Trihexa, and of me.'
Assem had told us to think. To find a way to survive. He claimed that doing so would lead to the end of the conflict. He had become the "Demon King," but he was looking at something beyond the battle. And he was waiting for my brother.
The Crimson Dragon Hero and the Demon King who waits for him—
Wait…
That dynamic…
Just as a certain realization began to flicker in my mind—
"Alice, Miu-san. How are things looking on your end?"
Risha-san walked toward us, flanked by Sally and Fina, holding their hands.
"Oh?" Alice-san looked up. "What are you doing here, Risha? Weren't you in the Underworld?"
"I was, but I had business at this facility as well. I asked Azazel-san to make some adjustments to my weapons. The final tuning just finished."
Oh, right, she was increasing the number of bits, wasn't she? Even with Sally and Fina's help, Risha-san's spatial awareness was off the charts.
"Our link is better than ever," Fina added confidently. "It doesn't matter how many enemies come at us now."
"Heh-heh-heh! We'll kick anyone's butt who tries to pick a fight!" Sally chimed in with a defiant grin.
Risha-san gave us a playful wink. "As they said, we're fully prepared. All that's left is to take the shot. We've even got a new secret technique ready to go."
"A new technique? I haven't heard about this," I said, my curiosity piqued. I assumed it involved Sally and Fina's power.
Risha-san smiled mysteriously. "Yes. It's a trump card. I'm planning to use it the moment Issei wakes up."
"The moment he wakes up? Wait… you mean a 'wake-up kiss'?" Alice teased.
"Ufufu♪ Correct!" Risha replied with a mischievous grin.
A wake-up kiss? That's the new technique? Well, knowing my brother, it would certainly "awaken" something in him…
Actually, come to think of it…
"Risha-san, do you… do you like my brother?"
"Yes, of course. I love Issei dearly♪ He's so cute, and even his perverted side just feels like a boy his age, doesn't it?"
"You mean… like a younger brother?"
"Hmm… that is part of it."
"'Part' of it…? Does that mean—?"
Risha-san nodded with a beaming smile.
"I love him as a man, too. He's always so hardworking and earnest. He gets fired up for the sake of others. I love that about him."
I felt a little spark of excitement. So Risha-san really does feel that way about him too…
I see, I see. This is very good.
"I need to make a note of this."
"Miu-chan… what are you writing?"
"Ufufu♪"
The Harem Plan was proceeding exactly as intended!
[Miu Perspective: END]
[Third-Person Perspective]
"Father, why are you wearing the robes of the Demon King?"
"That's sudden. What brought that on?"
Assem replied with a thin smile to Vals' question.
"You are free to wear whatever you wish, Father. However… that appearance seems to go against the will of the Demon King Sirius."
"Do you find it distasteful?"
"I do. I cannot accept it unless you provide a reason."
"I see."
Assem looked at his palm and then slowly clenched it into a fist. As he did, a glowing magic circuit appeared on the back of his hand.
It was an original formula, composed of staggeringly complex characters—something Assem had constructed based on information he had retrieved from the "System."
His infiltration of the System in Heaven hadn't just been to mimic the Boosted Gear. That had merely been a byproduct. His true goal was this: the formula he had carved into his own flesh.
Assem let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"I suppose this is… my resolve?"
"Your resolve?"
"When I first spoke with him, he showed me his resolve. If that's the case, I have to make my own decision as well. I started this war. Therefore, I will take responsibility for it until the very end. …Did Vika and the others finish the deployment?"
"Yes. Your formulas have been placed in every designated location. All that remains is for you to activate them."
"Good, good. I hope it goes well… but we'll see."
"Father… what are you staking on this battle?"
"You should know that without me having to say it. What am I staking? My knowledge, my memories, my techniques, my experience… and my life. I am staking everything I am on this fight."
Assem turned on his heel and began to walk away. His eyes were focused not on the immediate battle, but on something far beyond the horizon.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something mundane, he stopped.
"Oh, that's right. Could you return Rocky: The Final to TSUTAYA for me?"
"No. Do it yourself."
"Booo."
"Acting cute won't work on me either."
[Third-Person Perspective: END]
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