"Goodness, it's astonishing that he's even alive. Did you not kill him properly?"
"I destroyed his soul with a forbidden spell. Survival should have been impossible."
I state this immediately, meeting Luciana's skeptical gaze.
I killed Balk with these very own hands.
I knew the man's particularities, which is why I took such meticulous care to end his life.
I disintegrated his body into tiny fragments, then incinerated the remains, so even his regenerative abilities should have been too slow.
It's baffling why he isn't dead.
I'd even like to doubt it now.
In any case, it was impossible for someone else to impersonate Balk.
They would die from the powerful curse inflicted upon using his name.
Regardless of who they were, without exception—even if they were the heir—it didn't matter.
The name itself contained power.
Balk harbored an immense pride.
He never permitted others to use his name.
Therefore, the one claiming to be Balk this time is the genuine article.
Undoubtedly one of the former Demon Lord's Four Heavenly Kings.
Luciana stares at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Deep furrows crease the space between her brows.
"Knowing Balk, perhaps he used some strange art to resurrect himself?"
"That possibility is high. He was an exceptionally cautious man."
Judging by the situation at the time, it seems highly unlikely he could have been resurrected, yet I have to accept it.
Balk is definitely alive.
He is an exceptionally skilled necromancer.
Perhaps he had hidden a trump card for such an eventuality.
I myself continue to exist as an undead after my own execution.
A similar occurrence wouldn't have been unnatural.
"Well, in any case, it's certain Balk is the mastermind. No wonder we couldn't find him," Luciana said with a wry smile, spreading her hands.
Her expression carried a touch of sarcasm.
She seemed to hold a particular dislike for Balk.
"So, what now? Identifying his location will be difficult, I imagine."
"I'll try my best, but finding him is nearly impossible. We'll have to wait for him to make contact," I answered honestly.
Balk possessed an abnormal level of stealth capability.
He was skilled enough to have become an assassin outright.
His whereabouts were difficult to ascertain, and becoming too desperate in the search would only leave one open to a swift, opportunistic strike.
On the other hand, Balk had a particular fixation.
He wanted to personally deliver the killing blow to his enemy.
In a conflict like the current one between the Demon Lord's territory and the Republic, that likely meant my murder.
The moment he felt victory assured, Balk would reveal himself to kill me.
Taking it out in a counterattack would be the most efficient approach.
Luciana let out a sigh.
She shrugged her shoulders dramatically and picked up the scattered reports from the desk.
"What could possibly be the purpose behind all of this?"
"Most likely revenge against me."
"That does sound like him. He's the type to hold a grudge."
Recently, we had been subjected to repeated attacks clearly aimed at the Demon King's territory.
We must be a considerable eyesore to them.
The intent was unmistakable—retaliation against me personally.
However, if revenge were the sole objective, this roundabout method made no sense.
A sorcerer of Balk's caliber would employ far more certain means to assassinate me.
The fact that he had gone to the trouble of seizing the Republic meant there was a larger purpose at hand.
The Republic had begun dealing with the old Demon Realm territories a few years ago.
During a period when I was not active as the Demon King.
It was certain that revenge against me had not been the original objective.
As things stood, Balk now possessed a country overrun by demons and magical beasts.
Every citizen within it was more powerful than an ordinary monster.
It was, without question, an enormous military force.
Scour the entire continent and such a force would rarely be found.
Even the Demon King's army could not compare in terms of individual combat capability.
Balk had gone to the trouble of preparing such military strength.
(...Does this mean he intends to become the Demon Lord?)
As I contemplated, a possibility flashed through my mind.
Come to think of it, Balk had been devoted to the previous Demon Lord.
In terms of loyalty, he surpassed even Grom.
He could rightfully be called a fanatic.
It would not be strange for him to consider succeeding the late Demon Lord.
Furthermore, Balk should have realized my true identity as the current Demon Lord.
To him, the fact that the sage Dwight Harvelt, who ended the Age of Darkness, was now the Demon Lord must be utterly intolerable.
He was one of those who had killed the Demon Lord he worshipped, and he had also brought about his own ruin.
He had every reason to bear a grudge against me.
Balk was aiming to defeat the current Demon Lord's army and establish a new one using the Republic's demons and magical beasts.
That must be why he developed the beast-man creation drug.
If he could create demons at will, bolstering his forces would no longer be a problem.
Those who became demons could not live in human lands.
They would become targets for discrimination or extermination.
At best, their only future was to be protected as experimental subjects.
In that case, they would inevitably be left with only one option: to come under Balk's banner.
After killing me, Balk would undoubtedly begin invading other nations.
And so, the Dark Age of ten years ago would resume.
Conflict between humanity and the demon race will erupt.
The world's peace recedes ever further.
By piecing together fragmented information, a complete picture is gradually emerging.
The former Four Heavenly Kings, Balk, has been incorporating humans into his forces by mutating them into demons and demonic beasts.
He has seized the Republic to become the next Demon Lord and seeks to eliminate the current Demon Lord's army, which stands in his way.
Ultimately, he undoubtedly intends to inherit the will of the previous Demon Lord and carry out the invasion of humanity.
To summarize, this is the general flow.
Much is filled in by speculation, and while the details may vary, the broad strokes should not be wrong.
(Is this a troublesome situation, but is the world's will also involved here...?)
I suddenly wonder.
That is the concept that seeks to destroy me.
Until now, it has manifested as sudden hero awakenings or unnatural successes in weapon development.
The Great Spirit referred to it as fate itself.
Was Balk's recent machination also the result of the world's will at work?
It's hard to tell.
I couldn't discern where the influence of the world's will ended.
Regardless, it was certain that Balk's rampage had to be stopped.
At that moment, the audience chamber door burst open with force.
The one who burst into the room was Grom.
He looked extremely flustered.
I was the first to break the silence.
"Has the Republic done something?"
"Y-yes! The Republic appears to have invaded the Demon King's Domain! They've launched simultaneous attacks on multiple cities with an army of magical beasts and demonfolk!"
Upon asking for details, it seemed new magical beasts had appeared in various cities within the Demon King's Domain.
The Republic's forces had then begun their incursion, exploiting the ensuing chaos.
Even if it was planned, the execution was far too smooth.
They must have used some sort of magic to conceal their troop movements and evade the watch of spies.
"Demon King, what shall we do...?"
"We will intercept them. Crush them with overwhelming force."
My answer to Grom was without hesitation.
There was only one course of action.
The Demon King's army needed only to crush the approaching enemy.
There was no need for restraint.
They had only to unleash their full power and annihilate them.
I picked up my memento sword from the pedestal.
This time, the opponent was the negative legacy we ourselves had created.
This sword was worthy of being used against them.
If they claimed to have failed to defeat me once, then this time I would ensure they were thoroughly erased.
And so began the war between the Demon King's Domain and the Republic.