Around the same time, Baal.
He stood on the rune, suppressing his anxiety.
“What are you thinking, Satan…!”
He had finished preparing for the demon summoning.
There were no mediums or anything of the sort needed. They weren't necessary.
This rune wasn't meant to summon just any demon.
“Come out now….”
Baal’s anxiety spread to his fingertips and toes.
He tapped the ground impatiently, tapping his own crossed arms.
Although summoning a demon without a medium was impossible, it was possible for Baal under special conditions.
This wasn’t because he was one of the 72 Demons, or because he was ranked first among them.
It was because he was Baal.
He could contact one person and one person only.
[…What is it?]
At last.
A man with an air of utter boredom materialized above the rune.
He was tall, with long, jet-black hair.
He had no physical presence here, but they could communicate, similar to using a Whisperview for a call.
The moment Baal saw the man, he exclaimed,
“Beelzebub!”
[I believe we agreed not to interfere in each other’s affairs anymore.]
One of the Seven Deadly Sins, Beelzebub.
Baal had summoned him.
“If you hate interference so much, then bring Satan here! What in the world is he thinking? Does he really intend to start a war with the Gods?”
[Weren't you the one who provided the pretext for this war?]
“None of this would have happened if you hadn’t abandoned us in Agoris!”
Baal and Beelzebub glared at each other for a moment.
Soon, Baal shook his head.
“No, this is not the time for such arguments. The Gods are already at our doorstep. Summon Satan.”
[…Baal.]
“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of the situation? Right now, the demons of Agoris might be in danger, but the Demon Realm is just as vulnerable. If the Gods come to the Demon Realm…”
[They’re already there, Baal.]
“…W-What?”
[Just as you intended. You wanted to drag Satan into a full-blown war with the Gods. The Gods of Olympus departed for the Agoris continent and the Demon Realm almost simultaneously.]
Baal was speechless with shock.
The Gods had already reached the Demon Realm?
But how could Beelzebub be so calm?
“Th-Then, what about Baal…?”
[Yes. That’s why Satan can’t come right now. He’s busy with a meeting.]
A meeting?
The Olympian Gods and the Seven Deadly Sins were having a meeting?
[Baal. I may not forgive you for what you’ve done, but I also find you pitiful. So, I’ll let you know this in advance.]
His tone was haughty, as if he were looking down from a lofty height.
However, Baal couldn't say a word.
[The Demon Realm has decided to completely abandon the 72 Demons and the demons in Agoris.]
“What…!”
[You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? Ever since Satan accepted the contract with the human, the demons under his command have had their contracts with him severed and their memories lost. On the other hand, you lot, who came here without masters, simply thought the gate had closed. But after staying here for a while, how do you feel?]
“….!”
Beelzebub had accurately pinpointed the anxiety that Baal was feeling.
[Weakened, aren’t you?]
“That’s… No, I’m not!”
The severed connection to the Demon Realm. The resulting loss of power.
Considering the long lifespan of a demon, the time the demons had spent in Agoris was insignificant.
So even if they had lost some power, it would be negligible.
However, if it was true that they were losing power, the situation was entirely different.
It meant that time would eventually rob them of all their strength if they were left abandoned.
[How pathetic, Baal. You, who wanted to drag Satan into a war with the Gods, will one day cease to be a demon yourself.]
“S-Shut up! The Demon Realm abandoning the 72 Demons! Who would make such a decision! In the Demon Realm, the demon who makes the decisions is…!”
There was no one.
Demons didn't have a king.
Baal had taken this dangerous gamble precisely because he knew that.
[That’s right. That’s how it was until now.]
However, Beelzebub’s words both affirmed and denied that fact.
[Now, the demons have a king.]
“…Don’t be ridiculous. Are you saying…?”
The current Demon Realm without the 72 Demons.
And among them, a king chosen to rule them all.
But for the Seven Deadly Sins to swallow their pride and offer the throne to one of their own…
How was that possible?
[You’ve probably figured it out by now.]
Beelzebub sighed as he spoke.
His head hung low, his hair cascading down.
Even he seemed uneasy about this.
[It’s Satan.]
***
Demons had no king.
High-ranking demons called themselves kings of all sorts of things, but no demon had ever become the supreme ruler of all demonkind.
Not the 72 Demons, nor the Seven Deadly Sins.
However, the demons felt the need for a king.
To resist the Gods, their greatest threat.
Just as Zeus commanded all of Olympus, as Odin's voice echoed throughout Asgard.
One being to unite and command the entirety of the Demon Realm.
“And so.”
Satan addressed the Seven Deadly Sins, gathered before him.
“I am now your king.”
And before him stood the Gods, who had arrived first due to the events in Agoris.
Satan bowed respectfully, if a touch theatrically, to the one who stood at the forefront.
“Zeus, from now on, communication with the Demon Realm will be much smoother.”
The very embodiment of majesty stood before him.
The ruler of the Olympian Gods, the father of all, both God and mortal.
Zeus, clutching his lightning bolt, Astrape, surveyed his surroundings with a disdainful gaze.
“…The Gods, associating with the likes of demons? Don't be absurd.”
Zeus deliberately provoked the demons.
However, none of the Seven Deadly Sins reacted.
Zeus looked around at them and thought,
‘Have they truly chosen a king? The Seven Deadly Sins?’
As Zeus had mentioned, he rarely interacted with the Demon Realm. Therefore, the information he received was limited.
This was partly due to the fundamental difference between Gods and demons, but more simply, it was due to the ‘distance’ between their worlds.
“Are you trying to cut ties at this juncture?”
Zeus questioned.
He had come here because of the demon impersonating a God in Agoris.
To the Gods, a demon was a demon, regardless of its rank. One demon represented them all. That’s why he sought out the Seven Deadly Sins.
Baal’s assumption had been correct.
“A few demons have lost their minds, and now the entire demon race must face the consequences? How utterly ridiculous.”
“Haven’t the Gods done the same countless times? I’ve witnessed time and again how you react to individual transgressions as if you were a pack of dogs or a swarm of bees, the whole lot of you.”
“And so, it ends now.”
At Satan’s words, Zeus shook his head.
“The one orchestrating this God impersonation is the most powerful of the 72 Demons. This isn’t something you can simply brush aside.”
“As I’ve said, we have no intention of protecting Baal or any other demon who has lost their way.”
“…You’re willing to abandon all 72 Demons?”
“Any demon who defies the greater good of the Demon Realm, regardless of who they are.”
At that moment, someone stepped forward from behind Zeus.
“Father. Remember the name of the one before you.”
“…Indeed.”
It was Hermes.
At Hermes's words, Zeus looked at Satan once more.
“Even if everything you say is true, why should I accept this?”
Satan claimed that Baal had no ties to the Demon Realm, but that was just a claim.
Olympus now had a golden opportunity to eradicate all demons.
Even if Satan was now the king of demons, his forces were likely not yet fully rallied, and inherently, the Demon Realm was weaker compared to the combined might of Olympus.
However, Satan’s reply was immediate and unwavering.
“Of course, if you were to attack us with your full might, we would be powerless to stop you. The Demon Realm would be destroyed.”
Satan readily admitted it.
But the words and expression that followed were all too amicable.
“And what then?”
“….”
“A world without demons, where only Gods and humans remain. Will you spend eternity in your blessed realm, basking in the adoration of mortals?”
Satan spoke as if describing a glorious future.
However, Zeus and the other Gods understood the true meaning behind his words all too well.
Such a future would never come to pass.
The moment the demons were gone, the era of the Gods would come to an end.
“…How dare you.”
Hermes's eyes flickered with anger.
Seeing this, Satan shook his head solemnly.
“Zeus, if I were in your position, I would consider this a golden opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“I, as the king of demons, have severed all ties with the demons in Agoris. Even if you were to slay them all, I and the Demon Realm will not intervene. If you doubt my words, you can always confirm them before making your move.”
As Satan said, and as Zeus himself had acknowledged,
If Olympus truly possessed greater power than the Demon Realm, they could easily verify if the 72 Demons and the Demon Realm were truly uninvolved before taking any drastic measures.
And if they were to eliminate all 72 Demons and their underlings, it would undoubtedly weaken the Demon Realm significantly.
Demons might be necessary for the sake of balance, but that didn't mean their power had to be equal.
This was their chance to tip the scales decisively in their favor.
‘Satan… Is this a calculated gambit, or a desperate struggle for survival?’
Whatever the case, Satan merely smiled serenely.
Zeus clicked his tongue.
“…For someone who claims to be the king of demons, your ambitions are rather paltry.”
To which Satan bowed his head respectfully.
“The ruler of this small world is more than enough for me, Zeus.”
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