Slip of the Tongue (2)
Light poured across the entire plaza.
However, it wasn't the light that felt intense to those present.
‘Divine power… No, demonic energy?!’
Those who knew, knew. Those who didn't, didn't.
Frondier's demonic energy poured out indiscriminately, washing over everyone in the plaza.
‘Ugh…!’
Aphrodite froze, caught off guard by the sudden emergence of light and dark power.
Although the demonic energy itself wasn't overwhelmingly strong, the light that filled the plaza was so intense that it rendered her surroundings nearly invisible.
‘I see…! That’s why he unleashed the light.’
Demonic energy exposed the soul.
It was powerful, but like a warrior who had shed all armor and weapons, it left one completely vulnerable.
If the opponent possessed the same power, it would undoubtedly trigger Pandemonium. During that time, the user's body would be immobilized. If the enemy had allies, it would be incredibly dangerous.
That was why Frondier had unleashed the light.
To prevent anyone from targeting him.
‘To think he’s using such a massive amount of magical energy as a mere smokescreen.’
If even Aphrodite, a goddess, couldn't see through it, then it was highly likely that almost everyone else was equally blinded.
Amidst the blinding light, demonic energy surged.
‘Moreover, this power, there’s something strange about it.’
Demonic energy typically possessed certain characteristics.
The Seven Deadly Sins, for instance, could directly inflict their corresponding sin upon the target. Even lesser demonic powers often aimed to shake the opponent's psyche, using fear, fascination, or confusion to manipulate their minds.
However, from Aphrodite's perspective, this power had none of those effects. It wasn't a power meant to mentally destabilize anyone.
While the exact nature of the power remained unclear, as if the being wielding it was exercising restraint…
Fwaaaaaaaa….
The light gradually subsided, followed shortly by the demonic energy.
Aphrodite's assumption had been correct. Frondier couldn't afford to be dragged into Pandemonium just yet.
It wasn’t out of fear of losing to his opponent within that realm, nor was it a concern for his own immobilized body.
It was because he still had things to do here.
“…Huh…!”
As the light faded and the demonic energy dissipated, Athena gasped, her eyes widening as she surveyed their surroundings.
Aphrodite's face contorted in anger.
“How dare you…!”
Countless people lay sprawled across the plaza.
Almost everyone who had gathered for the vote had collapsed.
While voting was now clearly out of the question, that wasn't the issue at hand.
Even the devils who had attempted to flee were unconscious.
‘At this rate, we’ll never find the devils.’
Both devils and humans lay unconscious, indistinguishable from one another.
From a god's perspective, it was an impossible situation to intervene in. Singling out the devils was no longer an option.
‘At least the humans shouldn’t die, but to think he’d use enough power to knock out this many devils… Such fine control…’
However, it was precisely because of that delicate control that a true god wouldn't resort to such a tactic. A slight miscalculation could have resulted in human casualties or, at the very least, severe repercussions.
‘As expected of a devil.’
Aphrodite drew her conclusion.
The decision to treat human life with such disregard was a testament to the user's demonic nature.
Only a handful of individuals remained standing in the plaza.
The high-ranking gods, a few of the 72 Devils who had managed to withstand the onslaught, and the Paladins. Incidentally, Paladin Antero had succumbed immediately, prompting a swift and discreet swap with Bune.
Naturally, Frondier's companions, whom he had shielded from the demonic energy, were unharmed.
And then there was…
“W-What is this…?”
One more person stood out, someone who didn’t belong to any of the aforementioned groups.
Aias hadn’t fainted.
While he had endured the demonic energy, his legs had given way, causing him to collapse. He now lay among the fallen, feigning unconsciousness.
‘Is Mom alright?’
Aias cautiously crawled over to where his mother, Eriboea, lay.
She appeared to be fine, despite having collapsed. Her breathing was steady, and her expression was peaceful, as if she were merely asleep.
‘It was too quick to be sure, but I think it was Teacher…’
The brief glimpse left him uncertain.
The devilish wings had only added to the confusion.
However, the face had undoubtedly resembled Frondier's.
‘Does that mean Teacher did all this?’
Aias, still prone on the ground, surveyed his surroundings.
That’s when he realized something.
‘…There are others like me!’
This was the one detail Aphrodite had overlooked.
The demonic energy Frondier had unleashed was far weaker than she had assumed.
Aphrodite had no way of knowing the precise amount of demonic energy required to render a human or devil unconscious. Very few beings possessed such knowledge. Conducting experiments to determine that threshold would be an act of madness.
And as it happened, a certain madman did know.
At this level of intensity, while humans would indeed lose consciousness, not all devils would succumb. Some would undoubtedly endure.
Frondier had prioritized the safety of the humans over incapacitating every single devil.
However, even for those who hadn’t lost consciousness, Frondier had bought them time.
The blinding radiance emitted by his Wisp granted them a window to choose.
As a result, devils who had withstood the energy, like Aias, were now pretending to be unconscious, hiding among the truly fallen.
Of course, there were still some devils who remained standing, seemingly unaffected. Frondier had no intention of extending his consideration to them.
They were likely standing there because they had a plan. That was the extent of Frondier's deduction.
[To think they would dare to act so arrogantly, even without knowing which devil they face.]
Aphrodite glared at Frondier, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
However, Frondier wasn't looking at her.
“As expected.”
His gaze swept across their surroundings, settling on the few individuals who remained standing in the plaza.
“Congratulations on passing the test.”
A smile played on Frondier's lips as he observed them.
The mere fact that they had withstood his power served as a form of proof.
“You insolent wretch!”
Several humans unleashed their divine power. Or rather, the gods possessing those humans were now revealing their true strength.
“If you dare use that demonic power again, I will personally strike you down!”
“No, it’s me!”
Having been exposed, the gods saw no further need for pretense. Fortunately, the humans remained oblivious, still unconscious.
While it had inadvertently concealed the presence of devils, it also meant that these gods were now vulnerable, their true identities revealed.
“Oh, really?”
Frondier chuckled, his gaze fixed on the assembled gods.
He took note of the weapons they held, each one enveloped in a violet haze. While the weapons themselves offered no clues to their divine identities, considering the high-ranking status of the gods within Greek mythology, he could make some educated guesses.
“Who wants to go first?”
As Frondier leisurely prepared to unleash his power once more, a voice cried out in alarm.
“N-No!”
Frondier's gaze shifted, drawn to the source of the exclamation.
It was Athena.
“Stop it, everyone…! Please…!”
Her voice was laced with urgency as she pleaded with the other gods.
They, in turn, looked at her with bewilderment.
“Athena, what’s wrong? Why are you so afraid of this mere…”
“Just listen to me! Don’t attack him!”
Athena couldn't afford to waste time with explanations.
Every second they wasted brought them closer to the moment Frondier might unleash his demonic power again, and then it would be over.
The gods had already activated their divine powers. Whether or not Pandemonium was triggered was entirely up to Frondier.
“What’s this all about, Athena?”
Frondier's lips curled into a predatory grin.
“Don’t tell me you think his soul is stronger than that of a god?”
“Please! Don’t provoke him…!”
Indeed.
These were all Olympian gods.
High-ranking ones at that.
They were inextricably linked to Athena, both as friends and family.
“Athena! I’ve had enough of this! That deranged devil needs to be…”
Thump—!
As one of the gods, enraged by Frondier's taunts, stepped forward, he was met with an immense pressure that pinned him in place.
“Shut up and listen to me.”
Athena’s gaze was ice-cold.
She was utilizing the maximum divine power permissible in her current state of possession, binding the god's movements.
“…?”
The other gods, taken aback by her uncharacteristic display, halted their advance.
While it was theoretically possible for them to break free from Athena's hold if they truly exerted themselves—after all, she was still bound by the limitations of her possessed vessel—they couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that washed over them.
She was the Goddess of War.
Nothing on this earth should frighten her. Or so they had always believed.
Yet, here she was, desperately trying to restrain them, her fear palpable.
Why was she so terrified of this devil?
“Athena…?”
Aphrodite, standing closest to her, was particularly perplexed.
She had never witnessed Athena like this before.
From the perspective of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty, Athena's warrior spirit was a sight to behold. Her striking appearance, her strategic brilliance, her unmatched prowess in combat—all these qualities combined to create a masterpiece that defied capture.
Athena bit her lip, her anxiety evident.
‘Frondier, you planned this! You cunning…!’
The gods possessing the humans…
They could attack using their hosts' bodies, and any injuries sustained would be inflicted upon the vessels, leaving the gods themselves unscathed. This was the very same frustration Aster had experienced during his battle with Apollo.
However, there was one critical flaw in this strategy.
To utilize their powers while possessing a human, the gods had to actively channel their divine energy. It was an inherent aspect of their very being.
Which meant they would inevitably become targets within Pandemonium.
In a fair fight, Frondier wouldn't stand a chance against the combined might of the gods present.
But with the majority of them being gods, and their possession of human hosts confirmed…
Within the confines of Pandemonium, Frondier held the absolute advantage.
“Athena, calm down. Even if that devil gains the upper hand in Pandemonium, we can still kill him while he’s trapped inside.”
Aphrodite spoke up, attempting to reason with her.
Even she found it difficult to entertain the notion of a devil capable of killing a god. However, she needed to convince Athena, and that required making certain concessions.
Athena shook her head, her expression grave.
“Even if that were to happen, one of us would surely die.”
“…!”
Aphrodite was stunned.
The implication of Athena’s words was far more alarming than she had anticipated.
It meant that this devil was capable of killing a god within Pandemonium, and that he could do so with a swiftness that surpassed even a clean decapitation while vulnerable.
“He’s willing to sacrifice himself to take down a god.”
Athena’s words left no room for doubt about how she perceived Frondier.
She bit her lip once more before uttering the words that would shatter the very foundation of their understanding.
“And besides, he’s not a devil.”
“What?”
“Don’t you recognize him? That’s Frondier de Roach!”
Athena’s outburst was met with a heavy sigh from Frondier.
The other gods turned their attention back to him, their expressions a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“…Frondier de Roach?”
There wasn't a single god present who didn't recognize that name. At least, not among the high-ranking Olympian gods.
The man who had humiliated Hephaestus.
The man who had fought on par with, if not surpassed, Renzo, who wielded Ares' divine power. The man who had instigated conflict among the gods themselves as Hestia's representative.
And above all else, the man who had defeated Belphegor and prevented a catastrophic war.
“…Now that you mention it, he does have that look about him.”
“But what about the wings?”
“I heard he briefly manifested something resembling wings during his fight with Belphegor.”
“And how is he using demonic energy?”
“Perhaps he figured it out? After all, ‘demonic energy’ is just what devils call Eclexis.”
The gods engaged in hushed speculation amongst themselves.
Frondier observed them for a moment before speaking up, his voice laced with feigned innocence.
“Athena, what are you talking about?”
Athena stared at him, her face contorting in a mixture of frustration and disbelief. His audacity was simply astounding.
“Frondier? Who’s that? Are you blind to the state of these humans?”
“…What are you… What are you trying to do…?”
Athena was utterly flabbergasted, struggling to find the words to express her astonishment.
Even Aphrodite found Frondier’s act difficult to comprehend.
The idea of a human wielding demonic energy was preposterous enough, but for that same human to endanger so many of his own kind… It was simply unfathomable. While they were merely unconscious, there was no guarantee that none of them had perished.
Given that even the devils had succumbed, it stood to reason that the weaker humans would be even more vulnerable. Aphrodite’s assumption had been proven wrong.
And Frondier was exploiting that very misconception.
“Then prove it. Prove that I’m a devil.”
Frondier extended his hand.
“By killing one of these humans right here, right now.”
His black blade, Obsidian, stirred, its form shifting as it unfolded.
In his hand materialized a bow.
“Paladin Charon.”
“…!”
Charon, who had been observing the situation from a safe distance, stiffened at the sound of his name.
“The most trusted Paladin in this land of Palma, a shining example of righteousness and virtue.”
Frondier calmly nocked an arrow, his expression betraying no hint of malice or hesitation.
“Would killing him suffice as proof?”
[T/N: Lol]
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Lol
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