Slip of the Tongue (6)
Frondier's voice instantly reached Baal's ears.
Purpur and Bune were possessing Paladins, meaning their true bodies weren't in the plaza. They were beside Baal.
“……To command all 72 Devils…….”
Baal muttered Frondier's proposal to himself.
At that, the other Devils, who were nearby searching for the gate, went into a frenzy.
“How dare you utter such arrogant words!”
“A mere human, trying to command the 72 Devils!”
“You need to be put in your place! Baal!”
The other 72 Devils around Baal clamored loudly.
However, another Devil spoke cautiously.
“……But what if Satan has no intention of opening the gate? We're as good as dead……”
“Even so, does Frondier have a solution for that?!”
“Exactly! Those are two different things!”
Baal closed his eyes tightly and spoke in a low voice.
“Silence.”
A heavy silence descended.
Baal, the first among the 72 Devils. His words were enough to quiet the others.
“You, who dare not speak a word in my presence, are quite bold towards Frondier.”
“Baal! How can you defend a human like that?!”
“The only reason you can say such things is that you haven't met Frondier yet.”
Fear was etched into Baal.
The memory of his defeat in Frondier's Pandemonium.
However, it wasn't the power that defeated him that scared Baal.
It was Frondier, who, after defeating him, entered Pandemonium again and dragged him out.
That was what terrified Baal.
He was afraid of the broken rules of Pandemonium.
‘Until now, Devils faced with the power of another Devil had only two paths.’
Either accept the Devil's power and submit,
Or open Pandemonium, betting their life on it.
In other words, no matter how weak a Devil was, if they didn't want to submit to a stronger Devil, they had the right to choose death.
That's right. If you don't want to submit, you die. That was Pandemonium. It was a choice for a Devil's last shred of pride.
Originally, Baal should have met the same fate. Defeated in Pandemonium, he should have completely retreated. But.
‘Frondier offers a third option.’
Baal had returned, from Pandemonium.
By the very man who defeated him.
Baal had neither submitted to Frondier nor been trapped in Pandemonium. It was as if their fight had never happened.
But the memory remained.
The fear of defeat and the wonder of being released from Pandemonium.
‘That process instills a sense of obedience stronger than any Devil's power.’
Baal hadn't submitted to Frondier, but he wouldn't dream of defying him. Even if he had a chance of winning in a fight outside of Pandemonium.
Obedience through a Devil's power was a hierarchy based on fear. Following orders from above.
But Frondier.
“……I see.”
Baal raised his head.
Frondier's words finally made sense.
─You will obey me. In return, I will let you out of here. For now, that's enough. Once that procedure is complete.
─You will help me enter human society without any problems. I will give you the knowledge to return to the Demon Realm. For now, that's enough. Once that procedure is complete.
─Follow the benefits, Devil.
“You even treated the word ‘obedience’ lightly, Frondier.”
Frondier desired Baal's full power.
He desired the full power of all 72 Devils.
“I will follow Frondier.”
Finally, Baal made his decision.
The other 72 Devils stared at him in astonishment.
“Baal! Why?!”
“As one of the 72 Devils, as the first among us, why would you make such a choice?!”
“You're the ‘King of Hell’!”
King of Hell. At those words, Baal laughed bitterly.
“King of Hell is a thing of the past.”
“Baal!”
“It’s a story from when I was ‘Baal’.”
Baal recalled a brief moment from his past. A time when he was at his most powerful.
Would he have accepted Frondier's proposal then? No, would he have even won the fight in Pandemonium?
……It’s uncertain.
The moment he felt the outcome was ‘unknown’, Baal's mind was made up.
‘Frondier, I don’t know what dangerous game you’re playing.’
The 72 Devils, their thoughts consumed with survival, were divided in their opinions.
However, if they changed their perspective, they would realize how strange the situation was.
Why would Frondier proclaim himself the King of Devils?
Why would he, a human, pretend to be a Devil and stand in direct opposition to God by declaring himself the King of Devils?
Devils need a king. That was a fact all Devils agreed on.
However, it was irrelevant to Frondier. As a human, he would be fine whether God punished the Devils or not.
Furthermore, whether God manipulated humans into waging war amongst themselves or not, it was none of his business and he had no need to interfere.
‘I don’t know what you’re trying to become.’
Was the title of King of Devils just a façade?
Did he truly intend to become the King of Devils?
Or was even that just a part of the process?
“I’m going to the Palma capital.”
Baal declared, looking around at the others.
“We’ve already declared war on God. The more scattered we are, the more we’ll fall one by one like flies. In that case, I’ll choose the path where Devils can survive.”
“……Are you saying that following Frondier is that path? Are you really saying you’ll follow a human?”
“What does it matter? It’s no longer a matter of one or two Devils dying. If we make a wrong move, countless Devils in Agoris will be reduced to ashes.”
Baal spread his wings.
“Those who have followed me, those who have respected me, think carefully. The one I’m about to follow is, at the very least, stronger than me.”
“……!”
“If you agree, follow me.”
With those words, Baal took flight.
The remaining 72 Devils looked at each other.
After much deliberation, some of them spread their wings.
About half of the 72 Devils followed Baal.
The remaining half were still pondering.
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