“…”
“My friends are in danger. Children more valuable to this world than my own life.”
Aster bowed deeply.
“I beg your mercy.”
Aster respected the Gods, even as they stood against him.
If this were an act, a ploy to break through this situation, he would have been struck down by the Gods' hands immediately.
But because Aster’s heart was purely sincere.
Clench
The Gods couldn't bring themselves to attack Aster easily.
At this moment, Aster was akin to a devout follower of every God.
Furthermore, Aster himself was a powerful Gem, hailed as the hope of humanity.
Every God knew his name.
Were they gathered here to kill Aster Evans? Certainly not.
‘He’s lost it.’
Aster appeared almost like a fanatic.
But had there ever been a fanatic like this?
A human who loved all Gods equally.
“…I can’t allow it.”
One of the Gods observing Aster, Hermes, stepped forward.
“I will be the one to eliminate him.”
Aster, who simply accepted the Gods' hostility and expressed joy at meeting them.
His words sounded as if a human were forgiving the Gods.
Was this benevolence? Mercy?
No, it was arrogance.
“Whether he steals the Eclexis or not, Aster must die here.”
His words reignited the animosity towards Aster within the other Gods.
Perhaps if they killed Aster now, their lost Eclexis would return to some extent.
But even so, it had to be done. Aster, in his current state, was that dangerous.
“Everyone, bear witness! I will…”
Caw—
At that moment, a crow’s cry shattered the tense atmosphere.
The crow landed between Poseidon and Aster.
[Hero, Aster Evans. A message from my master.]
The crow spoke to Aster.
‘…This crow, is it Frondier’s…?’
Aster thought, and Poseidon’s eyes narrowed.
“Who is this ‘master’ you speak of?”
As if in response, or perhaps because it was what it was meant to say.
[The Devil King has made his move to protect the 72 Devils.]
“…!”
It wasn’t Aster, but the other Gods who were surprised.
Hermes thought,
‘…The Devil King is Satan.’
It hadn’t been long since he had met him alongside Zeus.
Then who was this Devil King the crow spoke of?
[The Devil King has chosen to stand against the Gods. If this continues, the human realm will be reduced to ruins by the war between Gods and Devils.]
The crow spoke with a chilling lack of emotion, typical of its kind.
It continued to chatter away as everyone else stood frozen.
[The human hero should stay there and watch leisurely. Watch as all humans perish.]
Caw—
With that, the crow vanished.
Aster stared at the departing crow for a moment, then…
“…That crazy bastard.”
His previously vacant eyes returned to their original sharpness.
***
When Frondier relayed the message for Aster to Gregory, Elodie, who was standing nearby, gaped.
“You’re really going to tell him that?”
“There are other Gods there. Aster will figure it out.”
Aster knew very well who the crow’s master was.
And because he trusted Frondier, he wouldn’t take it at face value.
He would definitely see through it.
“By the way, how long is this building going to last?”
Sybil asked, looking around the workshop.
Since entering, they hadn't heard any sounds from outside. Perhaps because of that, she couldn't shake the feeling that this building would never crumble.
She even had the illusion that if they stayed here, this eternal peace would continue.
“I’ll release it soon. It’s draining quite a bit of Mana. But before that, I need to give some instructions.”
Frondier pressed his fingers to his forehead.
‘…If what Gregory said is true, Aster seems to be doing alright. I never imagined it would turn out like that.’
He had expected Aster to stay hidden and slip past Poseidon, but Aster was taking a more difficult path. And yet, it seemed to have worked out for the best.
His mind throbbed at Aster’s characteristically unpredictable actions.
‘The 72 Devils will be here soon, and the Gods' attention is currently focused on this workshop. There’s bound to be an attack.’
And Zeus would arrive soon. He was the first to pass through Poseidon's domain.
His response would change depending on who arrived first, but the most crucial factor in the game Frondier was playing was Aphrodite.
‘…I’ve planted the seeds of doubt.’
The seeds of doubt he had sown in Aphrodite’s heart. He hoped they would sprout and bear fruit.
But Frondier couldn’t read her mind, so all he could do was pray for the best.
“Soon, more Gods will arrive here. The 72 Devils too. When that happens, it’ll be an all-out war between Gods and Devils.”
“…Somehow, I feel like you’re the one orchestrating this war.”
Elodie pointed out, her words hitting the mark.
It was so accurate that even Frondier nodded in agreement.
“That’s how it has to be. I did proclaim myself the Devil King.”
“Why did you even say that?”
“Because I knew about Baal being abandoned. Right now, confusion is our greatest weapon.”
There were two beings claiming to be the Devil King.
Satan, ruler of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Demon Realm, and Frondier, ruler of the 72 Devils.
However, the Gods were still unaware of Frondier’s true nature. How much of it was a bluff, and how much was real? What it truly meant to be the Devil King.
Truth be told, he hadn’t even figured out how to get to the Demon Realm yet.
“If the Gods arrive first, Elodie is the only one who can fight back. Everyone else, retreat.”
“…The two of you will face the Gods? That’s too dangerous.”
Selena said. Frondier shook his head.
“They’re just Gods possessing human bodies. Their power itself won’t surpass the Zodiacs. The problem is their weapons, but they won’t dare use them in front of me.”
Everyone knew about Frondier’s ability by now. They wouldn’t want to use Astrape or anything else against him unless they were certain of killing him with a single blow.
“And this is important. If the 72 Devils arrive first…”
Frondier smiled faintly.
When he deactivated the workshop, the first thing that caught their eyes were the Gods, all armed and glaring at them.
It seemed Athena’s persuasion had failed; the Gods had drawn their weapons, ready to strike.
‘Well, I did make quite the entrance, calling myself the Devil King.’
Frondier could feel the air crackling with Eclexis.
It wasn’t the time for such thoughts, but he couldn't help but wonder.
If he were to unleash his power amidst this torrent of Eclexis directed at him, what form would Pandemonium take?
What if he could drag them all in, not just one person?
He entertained the thought for a moment, but after hearing the conversation between Athena and the other Gods, he knew it was best not to get his hopes up. Most likely, he would only be able to take one person with him.
‘Whoever I take, I need to finish this quickly and get out.’
If Frondier entered Pandemonium, Elodie would be responsible for protecting his body.
He had given those instructions beforehand, but she wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
Shhwooosh—!!
At that moment.
A thunderous roar echoed from afar.
Someone was tearing through the sky, heading straight for them.
Everyone had been anticipating this, so their gazes naturally shifted towards the sound.
‘He’s here already? Who is it?’
Would it be the 72 Devils first, or the Gods of Olympus?
Frondier had prepared countermeasures for both possibilities.
And the result…
“…You’re kidding, right?”
Standing there, gazing down at Frondier, was Aster.
‘I thought Zeus was the first to pass through. Where is he?’
Did that mean Aster had overtaken Zeus, who had gone through first, to reach this point?
Why was he flying?
How could he possibly be here at this speed?
The moment he saw Aster, all the plans in Frondier’s head crumbled to dust.
“…!”
Their eyes met. Aster’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
He must have used consecutive Iaijutsu Steps to reach this point.
Where had the recoil from using that much Aura gone? Aster’s expression was as calm as ever as he raised his spear.
And Frondier recognized the spear.
A spear couldn’t adopt a middle guard stance like a sword.
But as if to say, “So what?”,
Aster declared,
“Here I come.”
“…That crazy bastard.”
Simultaneously, they launched themselves at each other.
Iaijutsu Step and Obsidian clashed.
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