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"So this is the Falmuth Kingdom."
Diablo stood in the sky, dressed in black, gazing down at the palace below with complete indifference. The knights behind him wore expressions to match.
"Diablo-sama, shall we begin the attack?"
A High Demon General spoke from behind him, voice low and respectful.
"No. Let me greet them first."
His figure vanished from the sky.
Inside the palace, King Edmaris of Falmuth was in the middle of berating his ministers.
"It's nothing but a small country of monsters, and yet that Ramsay fellow has been gone this long! What use are any of you to this King?"
Razen, Grand Sorcerer and first among the ministers, stepped forward quickly.
"Your Majesty, please calm yourself. Sir Ramsay has no doubt been held up by some matter. I will send word at once for him to return."
Edmaris's expression eased slightly, though he kept his irritable tone.
"Forget it. Don't bother. He's probably just enjoying himself out there and doesn't want to come back. What could possibly be so entertaining about a pack of monsters?"
The ministers all found something very interesting to look at on the floor.
"Hehe! When Sir Ramsay returns, our country will have gained a rich new territory. After that, even the Western Holy Church won't dare to look down on us."
"Exactly! Once we've developed it properly, what is the Eastern Empire compared to us?"
Edmaris's mood lifted considerably as the flattery rolled in. He let himself drift into a pleasant fantasy of unifying the entire world under his banner.
"Pfft. A pack of scoundrels dreaming of ruling the world."
"Truly an eye-opener."
The hall erupted in screams.
Diablo had appeared in the center of the room without a sound.
"Who are you?! How did you get in here?! Guards! Guards!"
Razen moved instantly, placing himself between Diablo and the King, eyes fixed on the black-clad figure.
"A High Demon General?"
"Demon. State your purpose."
Diablo smiled, gracious and unhurried.
"Purpose seems rather a crude word for what I have in mind."
"I merely wish to kill everyone present."
He placed his right hand over his chest and gave a slight bow, as though someone else had just said something terribly rude and he was apologizing on their behalf.
"What did you say?! [Heat Convergence Cannon]!"
Razen did not hesitate for a single moment. Several fire magic circles bloomed around him, and a massive wave of fire energy surged toward Diablo.
Diablo looked at it.
Then he blew.
"Hoo."
The flames came apart like smoke meeting wind, dissolving into the air without a trace.
"What... it had no effect?!"
Shock crossed Razen's face.
"Clap, clap, clap."
Diablo applauded with a pleasant smile.
"That magic was genuinely impressive. As a fireworks display, quite commendable."
Razen's expression hardened with fury.
"Damnable demon! Don't get ahead of yourself! [Spirit Summon] — Earth Knight, come forth! Noble spirit nurtured by the primordial earth!"
A spirit knight rose slowly from the magic circle. Diablo studied it with mild interest.
"Mm. Demons are stronger than angels, angels are stronger than spirits, and spirits are stronger than demons. If one is choosing from that triangle, summoning a High Spirit is the correct answer. But..."
He appeared beside the spirit knight before the word finished leaving his mouth, and tapped it lightly in the chest. The spirit core shattered. The knight collapsed into mud on the floor.
"Too young, not enough accumulation. One gentle tap, and this is the result. A puppet with nothing but raw force is no match for me."
Razen stared at him in open terror.
"Impossible. That was a spirit. A High Spirit. How could it be so easily..."
Something clicked behind his eyes. He went very still, staring at Diablo's golden eyes, the red pupils, the weight of power that pressed against the room like a physical thing.
"Those eyes... that power... Could you be... a Primordial...? How is this possible?!"
Diablo tilted his head, faintly pleased.
"My, my. You recognized it. You're more intelligent than you look."
All the color left Razen's face.
"Impossible... Why would a being like you have any interest in our country..."
He steadied himself with visible effort and asked, clinging to the last thread of hope he had.
"Your Eminence. Where have we given offense?"
"Hehe. Did you or did you not send a fat pig to our Jura-Tempest Federation demanding we become your subordinate country? Don't tell me you've forgotten already."
Diablo's eyes went cold.
"What?! It was actually— Razen, what is this creature?! Why haven't you dealt with it yet?!"
Edmaris, impatient and still not quite grasping the situation, snapped at his Grand Sorcerer from behind the throne.
"Your Majesty." Razen's voice had gone quiet. "This is not someone we can afford to provoke. If we cannot satisfy him today, I fear the entire kingdom will not survive it."
"What?! Then— then what do we do?! Razen, think of something!"
Panic finally broke through Edmaris's bluster.
Razen turned back to Diablo, desperation stripping away whatever dignity he had left.
"Your Eminence! We will offer compensation! Any terms you name, we will meet them! We swear never to trouble your country again. We will announce our alliance with you to the entire continent. We will even speak on your behalf to the Western Holy Church — please, we beg you, show us mercy!"
He looked up at Diablo with hollow, pleading eyes.
Diablo considered this for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Alliance with us? Do you even deserve that? And as for the conditions you speak of — once we destroy you, everything your country owns becomes ours. What conditions are there left to discuss?"
"As for your Western Holy Church..." He let the pause linger. "A nest of insects, to be crushed whenever the mood strikes."
He straightened up.
"Alright. This conversation has gone on long enough."
"Clean them up."
Demons in black uniforms appeared throughout the hall all at once, as if the shadows themselves had simply decided to take shape.
A blade caught the light.
Razen watched it pass, and in the final moment he saw his own body from the outside — and saw Edmaris pinned to the throne by a demon's hand.