The square had become a scene of carnage.
Citizens and soldiers groaned amid the devastation left by the two siblings.
Pits had been gouged into the ground everywhere, and rivers of blood flowed around the corpses. A mere two minutes. No, probably not even a full minute. In such a short time, hundreds of casualties had been produced...
"......"
I unconsciously rubbed the back of my right hand.
The spot where Daisy had kicked me still throbbed. But the more painful wound wasn't on the back of my hand. It was in my heart.
I had always known something like this would happen. Ever since the day I spared Daisy instead of killing her, some part of me had been imagining a scene just like this. A Demon Lord who failed to kill the Hero... In other words, I was simply reaping what I had sown.
Daisy had done nothing wrong.
Likewise, Laura hadn't done anything wrong either.
In the end, everything was my responsibility. I had taken in Laura, and I had taken in Daisy. Just moments ago, my head had been burning with fury toward Daisy, but I quickly regained my composure. That was entirely my own fault...
"Aww. They got away after all~."
Gamigin whined from behind me. I turned around to look at her. Not just me—even Marbas and the other major Demon Lords had turned their attention to her.
"Got away? Did they escape the pursuit?"
"Yep. The moment they left the city, they used an instantaneous teleportation spell and vanished. They escaped right before the wyverns could pounce. Looks like that was their plan from the start."
Vassago clicked his tongue.
"Tch, cunning little rats. Well, let's organize a pursuit squad centered on mages. We should be able to tail them if we're desperate."
"I don't know about that. Kids clever enough to pull that off would probably chain multiple teleports to scatter their trail. It'd be a grueling slog, so personally, I wouldn't recommend it."
"But we can't just throw up our hands and let them go."
Vassago let out a horrified sigh.
"We've lost Barbatos. And the situation couldn't be worse — it's right in the heart of Niflheim. The young human brats just bit off our noses in our own backyard. Just imagining the ripple effects this will cause is enough to make my head spin."
"......"
"Dantalion. I am reprimanding you personally."
Vassago glared at me. The gazes of the Demon Lords all converged upon me.
Even in a situation like this — or rather, *especially* because of a situation like this — I was coolly evaluating Vassago's actions. He had deliberately shouldered the burden of blame on my behalf.
The number of Demon Lords who could openly criticize me right now was minuscule. Only Marbas, Sitri, Gamigin, and Vassago — just those four. Gamigin and Sitri were blatantly taking my side, so they couldn't rebuke me. That left only Marbas and Vassago by default.
What would happen if Marbas were the one to reprimand me? It would immediately become a political attack. In the worst case, it could hand the Neutral Faction the upper hand and let them seize control of the narrative. That was precisely why Vassago had naturally taken a step ahead of the Neutral Faction, shielding me in the process.
Vassago spoke in an icy tone.
"Those traitors are your adopted daughter and adopted son. A child's transgressions are the parent's failings. Surely you're not planning to argue that you bear no responsibility. Well then — if your tongue still proves as sharp as ever, go ahead and make your case."
Now was the perfect opportunity.
I needed to offer a thorough apology here. That I was deeply remorseful for failing to properly manage my adopted daughter. I had to make my apology so airtight that no one could bring this incident up again later. If I wanted to minimize the political damage, this was the moment.
Thank you, Vassago. I swear I will never forget this kindness. I vow that even if you betray me someday, I will let it go — just once, without asking a single question.
"I have no grounds to offer even a shred of an excuse."
I spoke, my voice calm and measured.
"The person responsible for carrying out Barbatos's execution was me. The one standing here, humiliated after being betrayed by his own adopted daughter — that was also me. It is entirely my own moral failing. There is no room for any counterargument."
"Oh my. That's rather more docile than I expected from you."
Vassago sneered. Thanks to his forceful push, the other Demon Lords were quietly observing in silence.
"Then it's time to discuss how you'll bear responsibility. How do you intend to answer for this mess?"
"Please hand me an axe."
"Hmm."
Vassago furrowed his brow and glanced around. One guard stepped forward in response to his gaze. The soldier respectfully offered a hand axe with its blade still gleaming. Vassago took the axe and handed it to me.
"......"
I slowly knelt to the ground.
A distant murmur drifted from across the plaza. The citizens had already mostly departed. Only the wounded and those helping them remained, clearing away the debris of the commotion. The four Neutral Faction Demon Lords who had been ambushed by Daisy had recovered to some degree and were now being supported by their subordinates.
I drew a shallow breath.
Then I raised the axe high and—in one swift motion, drove it down into my left thigh.
"Huh?"
Someone gasped. Probably Gamigin and Sitri. I raised the axe again with a blank expression and sliced into my thigh once more. Bright red blood splattered across the blade and sprayed onto the floor. Cutting through a thigh was harder than it sounded. Once, twice, three times—I chopped mechanically eleven times before it finally severed.
Not once did my expression change.
It was quite painful, but that was all. Ever since an arrow had struck my left thigh during the Chrysanthemum War, sensation in that area had become exceedingly faint. It was one of those regions where my sense of touch had dulled, much like my back fat. Something large had been carved away—that was about the extent of what I felt.
But to the Demon Lords, it must have looked quite different.
"......"
When I raised my head and looked at the Demon Lords, their gazes were utterly foreign. Every one of them stared back with expressions of sheer horror, their eyes wide as though they had just witnessed some unspeakable monster.
Well, I supposed someone hacking at their own thigh without so much as a change in expression was bound to look grotesque. I briefly wondered if I should have feigned more pain. But right now, what mattered was commanding the atmosphere of the room. My judgment had likely been correct.
"I, Dantalion, swear before all the Goddesses that from this day forward, I shall live out eternity as a cripple with one leg missing. This is my solemn vow to you all."
I placed both hands on the ground and bowed my forehead to the earth.
"I will never use regeneration to restore my leg. Considering the true weight of my sins, one leg—or even my life—would hardly be enough penance. But I intend to make amends for the rest by dedicating myself to atoning for what I have done. I humbly beg for your mercy."
Silence settled over the square.
Because I kept my head pressed to the ground, I could not see what expressions the Demon Lords wore. But after a moment, I heard Sitri's flustered voice, as though he had only just snapped out of his shock.
"What are you talking about? There's no need for this! That human wench is entirely at fault! Why should Dantalion have to take the blame for this?!"
"The patron of the traitor was Dantalion. Naturally, he must bear the responsibility."
Vassago spoke in a tone that seemed oddly drained of energy. There was an unmistakable air of exasperation about him.
"Dantalion's apology is entirely proper. I shall forgive him to this extent. However, as Dantalion himself stated, the condition is attached that he must take full responsibility for this situation and resolve it."
"Oh my. From what I hear, you're running the show however you please."
Gamigin cut in. The heat in her voice was plain to hear—she was clearly agitated.
"Was Dantalion the one on security duty today? That's not how I remember it. Even if you grant that Dantalion is to blame because some tramp—adopted daughter or whatever—betrayed him, who exactly was it that let that tramp slip away like a winter mullet? Marbas. Weren't you the one overseeing security today?"
Gamigin let out a mocking laugh.
"Four Demon Lords had that human brat surrounded, and yet you couldn't subdue a single one of him? You got knocked out in one blow? You should show a little shame for how pathetic that was."
—Brilliant.
Just now, Gamigin had pretended to berate Vassago while subtly placing the blame squarely on the Neutral Faction. She had seen through Vassago's intentions and quietly fallen in step with them.
Both Vassago and Gamigin had feigned opposition, yet in reality they were systematically stripping the Neutral Faction of its leadership and attacking it one move at a time. Sitri's intrusion between the two had been well-timed as well. Sitri hadn't picked up on the political maneuvering—she had acted purely out of rage, but the result was that Vassago and Gamigin's coordination didn't stand out.
This was the new balance I had designed for the Demon Lords' army.
On one side, the Neutral Faction. On the other, the Mountain Faction and the unaffiliated Demon Lords.
And in the middle, as it had always been, I would regulate the balance. The role the Neutral Faction had previously played would be taken over by Vassago.
It was still unstable, but in the sense that the extreme antagonism between the former Plains Faction and Mountain Faction had been eliminated, it was perhaps an even more stable balance. It was a structure purged of ideology, with nothing left but pure politics.
Not Marbas, not Vassago, not Sitri, not Gamigin. None of them held the kind of fervent ideology that Barbatos or Paimon had once devoted themselves to. All that remained there were personal relationships and political calculations.
In the end, this was my final destination.
"…I acknowledge my wrongdoing. Dantalion's apology is more than sufficient."
Marbas spoke up.
"Resolving the situation is just as important as assigning blame for it. There is no one better suited to the task than Dantalion here. Dantalion. Raise your head. We accept your apology."
"Your generous clemency, comrades."
Slowly, I raised my upper body.
"I am truly grateful."
"You swore to live the rest of your life as a cripple, but as Sitri pointed out, there is no need for that. Before you are a Demon Lord, you are the face of the Empire. Why would you choose to remain disabled?"
"Once again, I thank you for your gracious words."
I looked up at Marbas.
"However, I have already sworn an oath to the goddesses. The law of punishment fitting the crime is absolute, and I cannot in good conscience let my responsibility go unpunished. Please accept my apology."
This was a performance for Vassago's sake.
It was Vassago who had demanded my apology, and Vassago who had been the first to agree to accept it. If I simply accepted Marbas's proposal here, it would have diminished Vassago's standing.
Going forward, Vassago's role in the new Demon Lord army would become increasingly important. No one other than Vassago was willing to freely voice opinions without regard for the Neutral Faction or the independents. As such, I had to give Vassago as much say as possible.
Vassago had the authority to punish Dantalion. That appearance of authority was what mattered.
"That's absurd. Dantalion, that's...!"
Sitri tried to shout something. Before he could, Marbas spoke with a sigh.
"If that is what you are more comfortable with, I have no right to oppose it. But even if you change your mind, we will never hold it against you. Just know that much."
"Yes."
I prostrated myself on the floor once more and bowed.
"This disloyalty—I will repay it. I swear it."